pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 112
978k
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__cc
| 0.71709
| 0.28291
|
TE/GE Customer Account Services
Dear Sirs:
I am writing in regard to a 501 (c) (7) membership organization (social and recreational club) entitled the "Smoke Rise Field Club, Inc", P.O. Box 1791, Cashiers, N.C. 28717. Recently, various newspaper reports and articles have indicated that this organization may have been involved in a number of activities including private land development and equipment sales activities that may be precluded under existing IRS regulations. Recognizing that these and other potential violations of IRS rules may have occurred, we would respectfully like to request that the IRS conduct a field investigation and review of the tax-exempt status of this organization and its activities and programs allegedly being operated for the benefit of its members.
Specifically, we would like to point out the following discrepancies in their financial records as obtained under the IRS public records regulations:
The organization is claiming depreciation and other related maintenance expenses for property it does not own. Specifically, a clubhouse on a site the property leases has been depreciated yet the actual owner of the property has paid the appropriate county taxes. The Jackson County tax assessor has commenced an investigation of the group on this issue as well as issues related to personal property and business equipment taxes that were not paid.
The organization in its 2003 IRS Form 990 reported income of over $23,000 from allegedly exempt functions and over $37,000 from related functions. Both sources of income are derived from functions that would appear to invalidate this organizations exempt status pursuant to the 1994 EO CPE Text rulings. Moreover, these revenues are not supported by an appropriate expense category sufficient in size to account for the related sales of equipment or supplies. Similar reports are contained in the organizations 2001 and 2002 IRS Form 990’s as filed. In addition, in 2001, the organization reported over $72,000 in program revenue, yet provided no indication of the amount that came from exempt functions.
In 2003, the organization reported salaries of over $68,000 with only $303 in employee payroll taxes being reported. The amount of payroll taxes being reported in this fiscal year as well as other fiscal years is totally inadequate given the level of salaries being indicated and may constitute an act of tax fraud.
Information obtained through the State of North Carolina corporate tax records indicates that a sizeable portion of the membership revenue is being derived from the sales of guest and single day memberships. The proportion of income being generated from these sources would appear to totally invalidate the organization’s claim of a membership organization under the provisions of the 501 (c) (7) section and would appear to be used to protect their operations from further public scrutiny and public control. In addition, it provides the member and organization with a tax exempt status that is totally improper and possibly illegal under existing IRS regulations.
Finally, recent advertisements by this organization indicate that daily memberships are available to the general public. This arrangement would appear to invalidate the organization’s claim of private membership club and would support our claim that this organization should be recognized as a private business without the tax exempt benefits that it presently enjoys.
While we have highlighted only a few of the discrepancies that we have identified through our review of the limited tax returns and other information available to the public, we are also aware of other apparent violations of IRS regulations that could be more readily identified through a professional review of this organization’s tax exempt operations. Based on the above listed information alone, we respectfully request a full field review of this organization’s tax exempt status.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724389
|
__label__cc
| 0.552518
| 0.447482
|
Big Data at the World Cup: Two economic aspects beyond the pitch
July 14, 2014 Michal Rozworski Sports, Technology
Yesterday’s World Cup final nicely completed the old line that football is the sport where 22 players chase after a ball, but in the end… In the era of high technology, however, it’s not just 22 players running after a ball of course but a whole support squad of coaches, trainers, physiologists, doctors, dieticians, sleep experts – the list goes on. In a piece that walks a fine line between advertorial and actual content, the Wall Street Journal adds Big Data to the cast of sport’s supporting characters:
The Match Insights tool is exclusive to the German team right now, but SAP has plans to sell it more broadly in the future. “We are all about supporting our home team right now,” said [SAP VP] Mr. Burton. “After this we’ll want to maximize what we think is a credible tool for sport.”
“Match Insights” is a high-tech, data-driven sports analysis tool that collects thousands of data-points per second from cameras and sensors around a football pitch and turns them into complex measures of performance, potential weakness and so on. While it is surely debateable how large an impact such a tool actually has on outcomes (if at all, I would focus not on individual games but on long-run differences), two not quite sport-related aspects of this piece and the quote above in particular stand out for me.
First, this is a nice illustration of the complex, but still-relevant, relationship between states and corporations.
Completely unsurprisingly, it turns out that SAP recently signed a long-term contract with the German Football Association (DFB) to supply all of the latter’s IT systems (customer service, ticketing, etc.). Testing Match Insights can be seen as something of a perk tacked on later to sweeten the deal. While the DFB is a private entity, a nation’s football infrastructure relies heavily on public funding, starting with education and youth sports programs all the way to professional league stadiums. Similarly, SAP was born out of a restructuring at IBM and belongs to an early generation of IT companies that used and privatized the often-public research that laid the foundations for the explosion of IT.
The nationalist sentiment behind the current exclusive use of Match Insights by the German national team is partly cultural and partly economic (the contract for SAP software for SAP, the increased revenue for German football, German advertisers and so on), but, ultimately, business is business. The common relationship between business and the state is support for nationally-rooted but transnational capital that operates globally. Match Insights for the world – at the right price!
The second, I think more interesting, aspect of this sport-business-state synergy is the incorporation of more minute and omnipresent measurement and quantification into new spheres of life. Of course, sports has long been a statistician’s playground but systems like Match Insights mark a new step in the corrective use of statistical data on behaviour. The software can and was used to reduce ball possession and change play styles.
Indeed, here it really doesn’t matter to what extent the article’s claims about the impact of big data on particular match results are accurate: how much is product hype and how much is reporting. This is another way in which behaviour is monitored, analyzed and adjusted.
From health to sociality to leisure, our lives are to various extents “managed” by data: qualitative differences here and there reduced to larger or smaller quantities, whether of calories, friends or shots on goal. This was evident during the World Cup in some of the advertising. While the teams on the pitch took a break from being monitored by sensors and cameras, we were encouraged to do much of the same on a smaller scale – but at least here we do so theoretically willfully.
The place where this kind of monitoring is applied without our say – helping but also going beyond immediate profit – is at work. IT-driven monitoring and evaluation is already a reality across many workplaces; some like Amazon (in association with one of SAP’s German competitors) are quite advanced with measurement and analysis down to the level of individual actions. But, at the level of physical activity, this is still relatively amateurish stuff compared to the professionals in sports.[1]
As storage space and computing power continue to fall in relative price, big data technology starts to look better and better for increasingly “mundane” work as well, where the value of each employee for the profitability of the enterprise may not be as high. Remember, that unions in 2014 are still fighting to ensure the right of workers to pee on the job (thanks to Corey Robin for the heads up on this and nice analysis that touches more generally on monitoring trends). If even simple passing of bodily fluids unrelated to work activity can be undermined with relatively crude punch-in cards, think of the range of possibilities offered by big data to mould human behaviour:
”It’s my dream that we will one day have a fully connected performance centre that collects all the training data for all players and comes with small lab in which we can develop our own ideas.”
That’s Oliver Bierhoff, Germany’s general manager, giddy after winning the World Cup. With a few modifications it could also easily be your boss…
[1] Remember though that sports is work; work that is very lucrative for company and employee per employee-athlete, but work nevertheless. While it is not quite work at the World Cup level but the real money in tech like Match Insights is at the league level.
big data Brazil 2014 data-driven Match Insights SAP AG sports and business World Cup
Supermanagers and the social psychology of wealth
Forum on Piketty’s book in Vancouver
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724393
|
__label__wiki
| 0.51191
| 0.51191
|
info@sask.gr
ΣΑΣΚ
Προγραμμα προπονήσεων
Εσωτερικό Πρωτάθλημα ΣΑΣΚ, 2014
Μηχανές ανάλυσης
Carlsen – Caruana 2018 live blog
09 Nov, 2018by gprevenasΣκακιστικά νέα
Live analysis: Caruana – Carlsen game 1 with Lc0 and SF lines here!
Hello everyone and welcome to the live coverage of the 2018 World Chess Championship match between the reigning champion Magnus Carlsen (Norway) and the challenger Fabiano Caruana (USA). In this live blog from WCC 2018 we will be covering the event Carlsen – Caruana with the latest news, developments, interviews, and in-game details.
Parallel to the live blog, to power the insights of the game, Chessdom brings onboard a 128 cores Super Computer equipped with the current TCEC champion Stockfish and a neural network based on Alpha Zero- Lc0 – on Google Tesla V100 infrastructure. You read correctly, this is the strongest EVER analysis provided for a chess game. The best lines suggested by the computer (principle variation) and the current evaluation of the position can be followed here
Refresh the page to get the latest news
All the recent success and steady career growth of Fabiano Caruana led to one major question. Has America found its new Bobby Fischer? US media jumped on the topic right away. The NY Times published an article by Pia Peterson “Searching for the Next Bobby Fischer, the U.S. Finds Fabi”, followed by Sean Gregory’s article in Time, “This Kid From Brooklyn Could Return America to Chess Dominance for the First Time Since Bobby Fischer”.
One of the best sum-ups of the coming match is by Edouard Guihaire (AFP, Yahoo), who says, “Norway’s Magnus Carlsen will seek to cement his reputation as history’s greatest chess player on Friday when he launches a defence of his crown against the first US title contender since Bobby Fischer in 1972. [...] Americans have not had a chess hero since Fischer stunned Soviet champion Boris Spassky in an epic series in 1972 that epitomised the Cold War rivalry between the two superpowers. Now, US media is fascinated with the possibility of the chess title coming home nearly 50 years later.”
Exactly the small length of the match is Carlsen’s biggest concern at the moment. He repeatedly admitted that he is not in his best form and that a wrong step could throw the match in any direction. At the same time Fabiano Caruana is at his best ever – with 2832 ELO he is just 3 points behind Carlsen, while this year’s chess performance of the US player, excluding his first tournament of the year, is only eclipsed by Ding Liren’s amazing record run.
In January, Caruana finished 11th with a score of 5/13 at the Tata Steel Masters tournament, which was a disaster by any standard for a player of his rank. But already in March he won the Candidates Tournament 2018 with a score of 9/14, thus winning the right to challenge Magnus Carlsen in the World Chess Championship 2018 in London in November 2018. From 31 March to 9 April, Caruana competed in the Grenke Chess Classic 2018 where he won the event with a score of 6½/9, a point ahead of runner-up and future WCC oponent Carlsen. With this result he moved to No. 2 in the live world rankings, a position that he defended and solidified in future events even getting a chance for a shot at the first place before the match. From 17 to 30 April, he competed in 2018 U.S. Chess Championship, placing second with 8/11. In June, he won the sixth edition of Norway Chess 2018, finishing clear first with a score of 5/8 (+3–1=4), despite having lost to Carlsen in the first round. In August, he jointly won the Sinquefield Cup 2018 with Carlsen and Aronian.
Carlsen – Caruana 2018 is a short match, maximum 12 classical games. The time control for the games is 100 minutes for the first 40 moves, 50 minutes for the next 20 moves and then 15 minutes for the rest of the game plus an additional 30 seconds per move starting from move 1. If the match is tied after 12 games, tie breaks will be played starting with best of 4 rapid games (25 minutes + 10 seconds), followed by up to five pairs of blitz games and if needed an Armageddon
Just a reminder that today the Carlsen – Caruana match first game is not the only major chess event going on. You can follow Tata Steel Chess India first edition with Viswanathan Anand, Levon Aronian, Wesley So, Shakhriyar Mamedyarov, Sergey Karjakin, Hikaru Nakamura, Pentala Harikrishna, Vidit Santosh Gujrathi, Surya Shekhar Ganguly, Nihal Sarin, and Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu here with analysis and the World Women Chess Championship knockouts here with analysis
So far Magnus Carlsen has played in 3 World Championships, in all of them successfully. In all opening games of the matches, the score was a draw. The only time Carlsen started with the black pieces was against Anand in 2014. The game finished in a 48 moves draw. You can replay the game with commentary by GM Chritian Bauer here
Today was the official drawing of lots for the match. Carlsen drew the black pieces at the opening ceremony and Fabiano Caruana will start with the white pieces in game 1. The draw rate in head to head games where Caruana is white vs Carlsen is relatively low, only 50%. From the 16 official classical games they played 8 finished in a draw, with 5 wins for Carlsen and 3 wins for Caruana.
Ίδρυση συλλόγου
Ο Σκακιστικός Αθλητικός Σύλλογος Κορωπίου (Σ.Α.Σ.Κ.) δημιουργήθηκε ως αθλητικός σύλλογος το καλοκαίρι του 2001 με πρωτοβουλία γονέων του Δήμου Κορωπίου.
Γεωργίου Παπασιδέρη 13, Κορωπί, Αττική.
Κανονισμός GDPR 2016/679
Τηρείται το απόρρητο των προσωπικών δεδομένων, σύμφωνα με τον Ευρωπαϊκό Κανονισμό (GDPR 2016/679)
Koropi Chess Club (SASK) © 2013
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724394
|
__label__cc
| 0.739862
| 0.260138
|
SA Kids: My Public Art and Design @ McCanny Secondary School
Jul 29 @ 10:00 – Aug 1 @ 13:00
ABOUT THE WORKSHOP
My Public Art Design is a fun and engaging, yet practical, introduction to architecture, design and community building. Using scale 3-dimensional materials, students can use to design and build all types of architectural models. Each student is offered the opportunity to collect their own personalized menu by choosing 20-30 pieces from a series of preselected design elements with an array of colours, textures, and shapes. As a good introduction to architecture, it’s an exercise that challenges the understanding of scale and experience through space and time. It develops fine motor skills by manipulating varied materials and builds skill in conceiving an idea in the abstract and transferring an idea into a tangible piece of architecture.
Participants are asked to bring:
— pair of scissors
— glue stick
— sketchpad with white pages
— graphite and pencil crayons
— phone camera (if possible)
*Please note that this is a WORKSHOP SERIES and that participants who would like to attend are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO REGISTER AND ATTEND ALL sessions of the workshop*
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR
Sandra Iskandar is a community minded individual who enjoys blurring the lines between art, architecture and the public realm. As an educator, she strives to empower students to think like city builders. Through her workshops, Sandra encourages an open dialogue in the classroom to allow synergy and collaboration amongst students in order to promote idea of constructing healthy, inclusive communities. She is a bilingual Lead Architectural Educator with No. 9 Contemporary Art & The Environment and Inner City Angels in Toronto, Hamilton, and Kingston. In her involvement with Waterfront Toronto’s Underpass Park, Sandra has been instrumental for the guiding design ideas and supporting the evolution of the public realm in a rich urban context, otherwise termed ‘designing future cities’. Sandra has recently founded her own architectural practice, Sandra Iskandar Architect, and has been commissioned by Clear Water Farm for the design of a new Youth Engagement Centre with the intention of serving the local Georgina Community north of Toronto.
This workshop is part of Scarborough Arts’ SA Suite of Programs — 2019. For more workshops like this, visit http://bit.ly/SASuite2019
Categories: SA Kidz Scarborough Arts Event
SA Creates: Intro to Time-Based Art @ Toronto Public Library - Agincourt Library
Intro to Time-Based Art provides an overview of the basic tools and techniques used to create a single or multi-channel video art and/or installation. The first segment of the workshop discusses camera movement techniques and a video “walk”, followed by an introduction to video editing, and finally, an introduction to green screen stop-motion.
Katy Huckson is an interdisciplinary artist and arts educator based in Northern Ontario. She has worked with themes around the body, memory, fear/trauma, and control/power, usually operating from a feminist and deconstructive lens. Currently, she is an adjunct faculty member at Algoma University where she teaches time-based media arts. She is also the program lead for Digital Creator North, a media arts space for youth and emerging artists. Her work has been show internationally and across Canada, with forthcoming shows/performances in Southern Ontario and Italy.
Categories: SA Creates Scarborough Arts Event
SA Creates: Intergalactic Inks @ Bridlewood Mall
Intergalactic Inks provides participants with the chance to learn the many experimental techniques of India ink. This highly pigmented media can create fabulous textures on watercolour paper and become a magical background for your intergalactic artwork. Techniques such as egg drop, blood, bleed, wet on wet, and wet on dry will be introduced, and once the ink is dry, they will allow for a creation of a highly personalized cosmic landscape filled with stars, constellations, and faraway galaxies that participants will take home!
Natalie Very B. is a published Polish-Canadian illustrator and designer. Her detailed paintings reveal many Slavic folklore influences, while myths and legends are a constant source of inspiration whenever she creates a new body of work. As an immigrant artist, she often explores the concept of “home”, and the sense of wistful longing and nostalgia it brings out in her work.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724396
|
__label__cc
| 0.674411
| 0.325589
|
By Hentzau science
Death And Decay.
Radiation is an insidious thing. Take a massive dose and it’s very immediately lethal, and dangerous, and should be avoided. Take a series of smaller doses, however, and the consequences are less obvious. You might come out of it unscathed. Your cells might be able to repair the damage done by radiation particles slicing off bits of your genetic structure. Even if you get hit by an electron in just the wrong place the cancer this will cause won’t become apparent for a decade or two. This meant that it was quite a while before anyone twigged that radiation was actually dangerous, and this led to people doing some really, really stupid things with radioactive substances.
For example, back before anyone knew what radiation even was – much less that it could kill you – uranium was mixed with glass in small quantities to make pretty pretty fluorescent statues and crockery. This was relatively harmless (although I wouldn’t want to eat off of a uranium plate) and the practice died out after the atomic bomb was developed and governments realised it’d probably be a good idea to keep an eye on what people were doing with uranium. Marie Curie was probably the first known casualty of radiation; this is (morbidly) to be expected since she did much of the pioneering work with the stuff and had no idea what it could do, carrying out much of her research in a glorified shed with no safety measures whatsoever. She was exposed to so much radiation that her papers from that period (and, possibly apocryphally, her cookbook) are considered unsafe to handle directly and are kept in lead-lined containers.
Marie Curie didn’t die until 1934, thirty years after she carried out the bulk of her radiation research, and the anplastic anaemia that killed her wasn’t linked to radiation in any way at the time. In this large time gap between radiation being discovered and the first radiation-induced fatalities being noticed a curious belief arose that radiation was actually good for you, having inherently rejuvenating and restorative properties. This led to products like radium pills, which were advertised as causing “the “pep” energy, endurance and nerve force of the average man past 40 [to] often be increased by 100 per cent by getting into his system the marvelous restorative radium power of Arium”. You could buy radium-laced chocolates and a radioactive health drink to consume as part of an alternative, healthier lifestyle. There was also a curious obsession with sticking radioactive materials onto/up your private parts; witness the radi-endocrinator, a small sheaf of radium-soaked paper that you were supposed to strap to your scrotum overnight to whip your sperm into a state of frenzied liveliness, or the Vita radium suppository for rectal use by men to rev up their sex drive (women not actually being recognized to possess any kind of sex drive at this point in history).
This stuff all had exactly the sort of effect you’d expect; the guy who invented the radi-endocrinator died of bladder cancer (he also made and sold radium health drink), while those women unlucky enough to apply radioactive face cream showed a greater tendency to have their facial bone structure disintegrate than those who didn’t. This tendency wasn’t noticed until years – decades – after the fact, though. The nasty thing about small doses of radiation is that they are cumulative. For example, when you have an X-ray the operator will go and stand behind a protective screen. This isn’t because the X-ray dose you are about to receive is in any way hazardous on its own; rather, it’s because taking several of those doses every day, five days a week would add up to dangerous levels of exposure over time. People who took just one radium pill would be highly unlikely to suffer any adverse effects; only those who took multiple pills every day for a year would show up in the statistics as a radiation-induced death. Add in the large time lag between the period of exposure and these people actually carking it and it makes for a very long period where radiation was seen by the public as nothing more mysterious curio; it was only after the atomic bomb and atomic power was developed that it became embedded in people’s psyches as something that could be potentially lethal and most radioactive products were regulated and/or withdrawn from use.
Nowadays, therefore, we point and laugh at all those silly people who decided it would be a good idea to irradiate their testicles or whatever. However, those people were not significantly dumber than you, and human nature doesn’t change; the same kind of person who sold radium suppositories and health drinks in the 1920s is selling homeopathic remedies today. The only reason radium products aren’t available to buy today is because of the vast amount of scientific evidence demonstrating that they are actually physically harmful to their users and those around them. As we’ve seen, it can take a very long time to gather the quantity of statistical information required to prove that. In the interim, you may wish to keep the radi-endocrinator in mind when you next see an advert for platinum face cream
Tagged radiation, radioactive testicles, testicles
4 thoughts on “Death And Decay.”
innokenti says:
Yay for Warcraft 2 illustration!
Although we may not have shed any ignorance we do, I think, have a little more collective sensibility about such things. Nevertheless, do you think there is any danger of something similar happening in this day and age?
hentzau says:
We don’t. We really, really don’t. I get a horrible twitch in my right eye every time I walk past the alternative medicine clinic on the way to the train station. I flung the local newsletter across the room when I noticed they’d given an entire page over to an “accredited homeopathist”. The state of science education in this country is appalling; because of the emphasis on learning by rote over encouraging deductive reasoning skills, we’ve fostered a kind of cargo cult view of science where anything that *looks* vaguely scientific is automatically accepted as such. Read Ben Goldacre’s Bad Science for a really in-depth look at how much abuse this allows on the medicine side of things.
Still, I doubt anything quite this stupid would happen these days, if only because snake oil salesmen have learned it’s better to sell a product that does absolutely nothing rather than something that might potentially get them sued.
EDIT: I should mention that the vast majority of science teachers I’ve met have been dedicated individuals who were doing their best with a shitty, shitty syllabus. There may be a bit of confirmation bias at work there (only a good teacher would ask the Outreach team to come and give them a talk) but on the whole it isn’t their fault.
Yeah, I’ve done Bad Science and am aware of that. And that’s all pretty bad stuff, but I don’t think there is anything quite on the level of consuming radioactive materials (although e.g. the stuff about Aids in Africa and the ‘alternative’ medicine involvement there is perhaps a slightly different issues).
Thinking about it further, I think it’s not really just Science education, but the broader tenets that we try to (or actually, maybe not so much) to teach people. I think a lot of my critical reaction and faculties are more born out of what I learnt from History and Literature than Science. Rather, Science taught me some specifics and facts and methods, but History and Philosophy taught me a critical, evidence-based approach.
It’s one of the aspects which annoys me in Bad Science because Ben does go out of his way to keep on telling us about awful Arts students who are rubbish at this. I imagine that they might be, proportionally, but the same critical and evidence-based values are no less a part of historical research or philosophical discussion – the broader community may place less overt value on them than the scientific one… but still.
So yeah, it’s a broader approach as well that’s partially failing where there is still perhaps more emphasis on accepting truths handed down rather than learning to understand those things and react critically to them.
Or something.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724397
|
__label__wiki
| 0.833746
| 0.833746
|
Insufficient Memory Space. Revisiting Mania, a film by George Panousopoulos (1985)
by Venia Vergou
Rediscover a ‛forgotten’ film about breaking free of all conventions through the personal journey of a woman lost in the National Garden of Athens. Welcome to the jungle
Mania (1985) by George Panousopoulos
“Until today we had actors, crew, directors. Thanks to George Panousopoulos and Mania we have the first filmmaker, that is to say someone who perceives his film as an extension of his body, of his physical presence, of his gaze, of his direct relation to things: Mania exists in such an arbitrary way (and natural, at the same time), as the way that Panousopoulos is attached to cinema. That is why the real protagonist of Mania is neither a plot, a message, an actress, nor ‘beautiful images’. The real star of the film is the man who created it: a filmmaker who doesn’t protect himself by hiding behind the camera, but rather exposes himself physically all the time through the flickering presence of his gaze. In a national cinema full of directors who make safe choices and act as the ultimate masters of films and despots of the moving image, Panousopoulos and Tornes are the most physical, therefore the least rest-assured and the most risky filmmakers we have.”
This is what Christos Vakalopoulos (one of the most prominent and influential film critics of his time) wrote about Mania. Twenty-seven years after the release of the film, I believe that there is no better way of defending it than Vakalopoulos’s argument regarding Panousopoulos’s physical involvement in Mania (in terms of script, direction, photography and editing). And it is the physicality permeating the film that makes it feel so fresh, so full of life and energy, even today.
With the plot a secondary priority for the filmmaker, the result is a highly powerful, masterfully shot film about the personal journey of a woman in the Athenian National Garden . Actually, it is a film about freedom: the freedom that is only one step away from insanity, pursued by a woman who breaks the conventions in her life. Zoi (Alexandra Vanzi), a very successful businesswoman working at a prestigious computer company in the eighties, is the only female executive chosen to go on a three-month training seminar in the USA. She shows no concern about leaving her husband and two children – a six-year-old girl, Katerina, and a baby boy, the nursing of which is, in any case, undertaken by her disapproving religious mother who lives with the family. Although a person who plays many roles (a mother, a daughter, a wife and an executive), Zoi is clearly someone who chooses to invest most of her energy in her profession. Her aspirations as a person, a very ‘square’ person, are miles away from changing baby nappies, and her identity is mostly defined by her efficiency as a career woman. This is something that Panousopoulos establishes wonderfully in his initial sequences, where Zoi is shown confidently working in the company’s offices. The good news about the trip to the States explains her willingness to offer her daughter Katerina the treat of being taken to the park later in the afternoon, much to her grandmother’s relief. But, contrary to all expectations, this stroll around the park will have immense consequences. Relaxing under the trees while her daughter plays with the other children, Zoi eavesdrops on the stories told by a man (Aris Retsos) to the mesmerised children. This seemingly mad man, who has managed to create a hidden refuge inside the garden, will lure Zoi into a journey of lust and free will. It is ultimately a journey of no return – explaining the choice of title: mania, madness, with which Zoi becomes possessed.
From this point on Panousopoulos offers the best depiction of the National Park ever made on film and his use of the park becomes the driving force of the film. After a series of encounters with pagan bands that are playing and dancing, hidden couples making love, solitary elders walking their dogs and unstoppable, playing children, Zoi gradually breaks loose, becoming a woman whose own identity is in question. She becomes the woman with the red shirt, reminiscent of the monkey with the red top that found shelter in the park earlier in the film (in a scene that signifies that no matter what developments are made, Greece still is a country that inclines towards absurdity). This whole sequence, which exposes an entire microcosm within the park and takes over the film, shows in the most cinematic way possible the battle between the primitive forces in human nature and logic.
Zoi’s transformation and surrender to her instincts is equivalent to the transformation of the two children in Walkabout by Nicolas Roeg – an amazing film famous for its juxtaposition of nature and a colonial society. And if the set up in Roeg’s film is the vast, mysterious and dry space of a desert, in Mania the natural protagonist is a garden full of trees, foliage, earth, shadows and animals, turned into a jungle through the absolute mayhem caused by Zoi. Again, Vakalopoulos’s illuminating remarks give an insight into the reading of the film:
“…The female protagonist is a mysterious person that becomes even more mysterious at the end of the film. She doesn’t explain herself to anyone… Panousopoulos’s theme is finding freedom within confinement, the transformation of prison into light…the garden of Mania leads its characters into reinventing freedom as a personal affair. No refuge is pursued, neither in History or in the selfishness of the person who ‘creates it’, nor in the cinema itself.”
And whether this ‘prison turned into light’ is Greece – a country in the South that, one way or another, devours its children with its dramas like Medea – is a hypothesis that remains to be proved. It is certainly a prison for Zoi, who ends up ‘out of data’ with ‘insufficient memory space’ and unable to continue, like her computer at the beginning of the film. This idea was perhaps unbearable for the forty thousand viewers of the film at the time of its release (it had relatively low box office takings). At a time when the middle class was increasing in prosperity under the rule of the socialists, the idea of a fast developing country with a promising future would be far more attractive than Panousopoulos’s vision.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724401
|
__label__wiki
| 0.978996
| 0.978996
|
VIDEO TRIBUTE: Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame’s Kim Hammond Passes Away at Age 72
By Space Coast Daily // July 21, 2017
services planned in Daytona Friday and Saturday
ABOVE VIDEO: Former Melbourne High football standout Kim Hammond, who was inducted into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in 2013, will always be a hero for Florida State football fans. Hammond died Sunday in hospice in Ormond Beach. He was 72.
Kim C. Hammond, retired Flagler County Circuit Court judge, Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Florida State University Hall of Famer, beloved husband, father and grandfather, died on July 16, 2017.
He was born to William and Virginia Hammond on October 12, 1944 in Miami, Florida. In 1955 he and his brother, Bill, moved with their parents to Melbourne, Florida, where their father was employed by Pan American Airways and was one of the early employees at Cape Canaveral.
Hammond attended Melbourne High School where he excelled in athletics lettering in football, baseball and basketball. He received a football scholarship to Florida State in 1963 and finally had his first big chance to be the starting quarterback in the second game of his senior year.
Eight games later he was an All-American quarterback, finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was the Most Valuable Player in the Senior Bowl and Gator Bowl. He was also voted into the Gator Bowl and two FSU Halls of Fame. That year, Hammond graduated with a degree in Business Management and then began to pursue a law degree at the FSU College of Law.
It was at FSU that he met his future wife of 49 years, Jan Dunn. They were married in Jan’s hometown of Daytona Beach in 1968 and immediately moved to Miami after Kim was drafted by the Miami Dolphins.
[OBITUARY CONTINUED BELOW]
KIM HAMMOND with his wife Jan during the 2013 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Cocoa Beach Country Club. Kim met his future wife of 49 years while an undergraduate student at Florida State. They were married in Jan’s hometown of Daytona Beach in 1968 and immediately moved to Miami after Kim was drafted by the Miami Dolphins.
Hammond was traded to the Boston Patriots the following year, and was with the Pats for two seasons before retiring from the NFL to complete his law degree. During this time, he also served 6 years with the Army Reserve and National Guard and as a Military Police Officer.
After his graduation from law school in 1972, the Hammonds moved to Daytona Beach. He joined the law firm of Green and Strasser which later became Green, Strasser and Hammond. He practiced in Daytona for seven years, and during that time he was an active member of the community serving in the Daytona Beach Rotary Club, the United Way, Boy Scouts and the Daytona Beach Community College Foundation.
Hammond also served on the board of the Florida Special Olympics, was the Volusia/Flagler Easter Seals Chairman, coached young local athletes in football and baseball, was on the board of the FSU Seminole Boosters and the FSU Alumni Association and served as a Deacon and Elder at First Presbyterian Church of Daytona Beach. In 1979 Governor Bob Graham appointed Kim as a Circuit Judge for the Seventh Judicial Circuit.
AT 35, Kim Hammond was one of the youngest circuit court judges in the State of Florida. Hammond embarked on a legal career that would span 38 years, 31 of which were spent serving as a Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit and as the Administrative Judge for Flagler County. (Image for Space Coast Daily)
At 35, he was one of the youngest circuit court judges in the State of Florida. Hammond embarked on a legal career that would span 38 years, 31 of which were spent serving as a Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit and as the Administrative Judge for Flagler County. Hammond held numerous leadership positions during these 31 years. He was elected Chief Judge of the Seventh Circuit, was a Florida Judicial College Instructor and was an elected Chairman of the Florida Conference of Circuit Judges.
In 2009, the new Flagler County court house was named the Kim C. Hammond Justice Center in his honor.
Hammond was a man of many varied interests. Whether it was athletics, music or his professional life, he was passionate about everything he did. He was a lover of his family, books, the Seminoles and trips to the beautiful North Carolina mountains.
He is survived by his adoring wife, Jan; daughter Paige Wolpert (Ed), son Todd Hammond (Lisa), daughter Amanda Rapp (Steve); and his brother, William Hammond (MaryK).
Hammond was known as Granddaddy to his grandchildren: Eva and Thomas Wolpert, Wyatt, Josie and Cora Hammond, and Gregory, Natalie and Britton Rapp.
The family will receive visitors at Lohman Funeral Home on 1423 Bellevue Avenue in Daytona between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Friday, July 21.
A funeral service for family and church members will be held at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Daytona Beach on Saturday, July 22. Memorial gifts may be given to the National Parkinson Foundation, 200 S.E. 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, Florida 33131; or to First Presbyterian Church of Daytona Beach, 620 South Grandview Avenue, Daytona Beach, Florida 32118.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Below is Space Coast Daily’s tribute to Kim Hammond when he was inducted into the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame in May 2013.
KIM HAMMOND: 2013 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE
KIM HAMMOND, second from left, in 1967 with Florida State teammates, left to right, Bill Cappleman, Bill Burkhardt and Gary Pajcic. (Image for Space Coast Daily)
STANDOUT AT MELBOURNE HIGH SCHOOL
Former Melbourne High football standout Kim Hammond will always be a hero for Florida State football fans.
He was the first Seminoles quarterback to guide Florida State to a victory at Florida Field in Gainesville, and, based on his phenomenal performance during that magical season of 1967, he was a lock for selection into the Class of 2013 Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame.
Hammond matriculated at FSU in an era when college freshmen weren’t eligible to play varsity football. He was a redshirt as a sophomore during the 1964 season, played only sparingly during the 1965 and 1966 seasons.
As occurs frequently in sport, it was someone else’s misfortune that afforded Hammond the opportunity to shine. Entering his redshirt senior season, Hammond wasn’t even supposed to be the starting quarterback.
Gary Pajcic was the starting quarterback, and he was coming off a fine 1966 season. When Pajcic injured his arm in an opening game loss to the University of Houston, Hammond stepped in and started FSU’s second game of the 1967 season.
It was his first career start, and, as luck would have it, the opponent was the Alabama Crimson Tide led by legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant and future NFL All-Pro quarterback Ken Stabler.
The final score of the FSU–Alabama game was 37-37, but the tie was probably the most impressive game the Seminoles had ever played. Hammond completed 23 of 40 passes for 280 yards, impressing “The Bear,” who said of the FSU QB, “He picked us apart like he was picking a chicken.” (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)
HEISMAN TROPHY FINALIST
The Crimson Tide had not lost in their previous 21 games, were favored by 21 points and the game was scheduled for Legion Field in Birmingham, but instead of being dominated, they embarrassed Bear Bryant by scoring more points than Alabama had allowed the entire previous season.
The final score was 37-37, but the tie was probably the most impressive game the Seminoles had ever played. Hammond completed 23 of 40 passes for 280 yards, impressing “The Bear,” who said of the FSU QB, “He picked us apart like he was picking a chicken.”
As surprising as the Alabama outcome was to many, then almost as surprising, the Seminoles lost to North Carolina State at home, 20-10. So, after three games, the team stood 0-2-1, but they didn’t lose again in 1967.
After reeling off six consecutive wins under Head Coach Bill Peterson, the Garnet and Gold traveled to Gainesville to face the University of Florida at Florida Field in the last game of the season. It was widely assumed that an invitation to the Gator Bowl would be extended to the winner.
During the 1967 regular season, Hammond completed 140 of 241 passes for 1,991 yards and 15 touchdowns, and added 83 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 56 carries. He was second nationally in total yards and finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. (Image for Space Coast Daily)
On the strength of Hammond’s arm and legs, FSU built an early lead, but, in the second quarter, Hammond was knocked out after being tackled by the facemask. The Seminole offense struggled without Hammond, and by the time he was able to shake the cobwebs clear in the fourth quarter, the Gators had gained the momentum of the game.
In the fourth quarter, Hammond came to the rescue. In three plays Hammond took the Seminoles the length of the field for a touchdown and a 21-9 lead. FSU won, 21-16, and, soon thereafter, got the bid to the Gator Bowl.
During the 1967 regular season, Hammond completed 140 of 241 passes for 1,991 yards and 15 touchdowns, and added 83 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 56 carries. He was second nationally in total yards and finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy.
In the Gator Bowl, he set or tied six Gator Bowl records and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player as FSU rallied from a 17-0 halftime deficit to tie powerhouse Penn State 17-17. He also put in a stellar passing performance in the 1968 Senior Bowl and was awarded another Most Valuable Player award.
After being drafted by the Miami Dolphins, Hammond played sparingly over three years with the Dolphins and Patriots. (Image for SpaceCoastDaily.com)
PRO FOOTBALL, CHIEF JUDGE
Hammond’s play and leadership in the1967 season resulted in his selection to the AP and UPI All-American second team.
In addition, he received, from his coaches and teammates, the coveted Crenshaw Award, which is sponsored by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club and given in memory of a special Seminole football player whose courage and fighting spirit was an inspiration to others.
After being drafted by the Miami Dolphins, Hammond played three seasons with the Dolphins and Patriots. During those years he was already preparing himself for his life’s calling by studying law at FSU. After earning his J.D., Hammond practiced law in Daytona Beach for several years.
In 1979, the Flagler Beach resident became a judge, and later the Chief Judge of the Seventh Judicial Circuit. He was an administrative judge in Flagler County when he retired on Jan. 3, 2011.
We are honored to induct Ken Hammond, star athlete, distinguished adjudicator and member of the Florida State Athletics Hall of Fame, into the 2013 class of the Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame.
Celebration of Life Set Dec. 9 For Jay Donnelly At LaCita Country Club In Titusville
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724404
|
__label__cc
| 0.649224
| 0.350776
|
International Stem Cell Corporation Completes Enrollment and Dosing..................
Thread: International Stem Cell Corporation Completes Enrollment and Dosing..................
International Stem Cell Corporation Completes Enrollment and Dosing in its Parkinson’s Disease Clinical Trial
International Stem Cell Corporation
CARLSBAD, Calif., April 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQX: ISCO) (www.internationalstemcell.com) (“ISCO” or “the Company”), a California-based clinical stage biotechnology company developing stem cell-based therapies and biomedical products, announced today the completion of subject enrollment in its phase 1 clinical trial of ISC-hpNSC® for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. The fourth subject of the third cohort, who was the twelfth and final subject of the phase 1 clinical study, was successfully transplanted with the highest dose of ISC-hpNSC® cells. This clinical trial, which involved 12 patients with Parkinson’s disease, was conducted in collaboration with investigators from Royal Melbourne Hospital, a leading medical institution with an international reputation for excellence.
“We are excited to announce the completion of enrollment of the world’s first approved human pluripotent stem cell-based clinical trial for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. This is a major milestone for the Company and we expect to announce complete clinical results of this phase 1 clinical trial in the first half of 2020,” commented ISCO’s Co-Chairman and CEO Andrey Semechkin, PhD.
“In addition, now that we have completed the most expensive stage of the phase 1 clinical trial, ISCO will have more resources available to invest in growing and developing its commercial business, where we have recently made significant progress,” he continued.
The goal of this study is to assess the safety and incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events after intracerebral transplantation of 30 million, 50 million, and 70 million ISC-hpNSC® cells into the substantia nigra and striatum of patients with Parkinson’s disease. Thus far there have been no serious adverse events related to the transplanted ISC-hpNSC®, which is a very significant achievement due to the invasive nature of the transplantation procedure. Preliminary efficacy is also evaluated through secondary endpoints, although no definitive conclusions can be drawn due to the fact that this is a clinical study with no placebo control group. Secondary endpoints assess the change from baseline in different neurological scales such as Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, Parkinson’s Disease Quality of Life Questionnair-39, and Patient motor diary. After transplantation, patients are evaluated for 12 months (active phase of the study) with an additional 5-year observational follow-up period to assess the safety of ISC-hpNSC®. Eight patients have already completed the 12-month study and entered the follow-up phase.
Interim results of this study will be presented at the upcoming 2019 American Academy of Neurology 71st Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA on May 5th, 2019.
About Parkinson’s disease Parkinson’s disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system mainly affecting the motor system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain. Early in the course of the disease, the most obvious symptoms are movement-related. These symptoms include shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait. Later, thinking and behavioral problems may arise, with dementia commonly occurring in the advanced stages of the disease. Depression is the most common psychiatric symptom. Parkinson’s disease is more common in people over the age of 50.
There are no approved treatments that restore the damaged dopaminergic neurons. Medications typically used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, levodopa and dopamine agonists, improve the early symptoms of the disease. As the disease progresses and dopaminergic neurons continue to be lost, the drugs eventually become ineffective, while at the same time frequently producing a complication marked by involuntary writhing movements. There are over 10 million people afflicted with Parkinson’s disease, worldwide. In 2013 Parkinson’s disease resulted in about 103,000 deaths, globally. In 1990, the death toll recorded was 44,000.
About ISC-hpNSC® International Stem Cell Corporation’s proprietary ISC-hpNSC® consists of a highly pure population of neural stem cells derived from human parthenogenetic stem cells. ISC-hpNSC® is a suspension of clinical grade cells manufactured under cGMP conditions that have undergone stringent quality control measures and are free of any microbial and viral contaminants. Preclinical studies in rodents and non-human primates have shown improvement in Parkinson’s disease symptoms and increase in brain dopamine levels following the intracranial administration of ISC-hpNSC®. ISC-hpNSC® provides neurotrophic support and neuroregeneration to the dying dopaminergic neurons of the recipient Parkinson’s disease brain. Additionally, ISC-hpNSC® is safe, well tolerated and has shown not to cause adverse events such as dyskinesia, systemic toxicity or tumors in preclinical models. International Stem Cell Corporation believes that ISC-hpNSC® may have broad therapeutic applications for many neurological diseases affecting the brain, the spinal cord and the eye.
About International Stem Cell Corporation International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) is focused on the therapeutic applications of human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) and the development and commercialization of cell-based research and cosmetic products. ISCO’s core technology, parthenogenesis, results in the creation of pluripotent human stem cells from unfertilized oocytes (eggs). hpSCs avoid ethical issues associated with the use or destruction of viable human embryos. ISCO scientists have created the first parthenogenetic, homozygous stem cell line that can be a source of therapeutic cells for hundreds of millions of individuals of differing genders, ages and racial background with minimal immune rejection after transplantation. hpSCs offer the potential to create the first true stem cell bank, UniStemCell™. ISCO also produces and markets specialized cells and growth media for therapeutic research worldwide, through its subsidiary Lifeline Cell Technology (www.lifelinecelltech.com), and stem cell-based skin care products through its subsidiary Lifeline Skin Care ( www.lifelineskincare.com ). More information is available at www.internationalstemcell.com.
To subscribe to receive ongoing corporate communications, please click on the following link: http://www.b2i.us/irpass.asp?BzID=1468&to=ea&s=0
To like our Facebook page or follow us on Twitter for company updates and industry related news, visit: http://www.facebook.com/Internationa...ellCorporation and www.twitter.com/intlstemcell
Safe harbor statement Statements pertaining to anticipated developments, clinical studies expectations (including timing), resource availability, progress of research and development, and other opportunities for the Company and its subsidiaries, along with other statements about the future expectations, beliefs, goals, plans, or prospects expressed by management constitute forward-looking statements. Any statements that are not historical fact (including, but not limited to statements that contain words such as “will,” “believes,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “expects,” “estimates,”) should also be considered to be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks inherent in the development and/or commercialization of potential products, regulatory approvals, need and ability to obtain future capital, application of capital resources among competing uses, and maintenance of intellectual property rights. Actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements and as such should be evaluated together with the many uncertainties that affect the company’s business, particularly those mentioned in the cautionary statements found in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update forward-looking statements.
Contacts International Stem Cell Corporation Russell Kern, PhD Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer ir@intlstemcell.com
Joe Green Investor Relations Edison Inc. jgreen@edisongroup.com +1 (646) 653-7030
Quick Navigation Clinical Trials Top
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724406
|
__label__wiki
| 0.819425
| 0.819425
|
Tanner is a Canadian media personality and entertainment host best known for his work on the Cineplex Pre-Show.
His began his career in radio, attracted to the entertainment industry by his passion for music and pop culture. During his time on the air, he conducted hundreds of interviews with a variety of musicians, actors, and entertainment icons, often connecting Canadians with their favourite nostalgia-infused personalities. Eventually, he took his show on the road, travelling across Canada to interview guests at some of the country’s largest Comic Cons and Entertainment Expos, and before long, he was joining them on stage as a host and panel moderator. In 2015, Tanner saw an opportunity to take his passion to the national level and auditioned for the Cineplex Casting Call, where he was voted by Canadians as the new Pre-Show Host. Today, in addition to hosting panels and weekly radio segments, he now appears on movie screens across Canada. As a producer and host of the Pre-Show, he travels internationally to bring fans the latest in Hollywood news and behind-the-scenes experiences. On any given day, he can be found on the sets of blockbuster films, interviewing actors and directors, or working with experts to bring audiences inside the industry. And, of course, he is there before every movie to host Canada’s favourite game, TimePlay!
What other people say about Tanner:
If you’ve seen a movie at Cineplex in the last several years, you’ve seen Tanner Zee — but who is he?
Tanner Zee is taking dinner at a nondescript restaurant when he overhears a quarrel between two young ladies seated at a table not far away. “That’s him, that’s totally him,” one of them insists to her companion. “That’s the guy!” Her companion isn’t so sure. “Like, no way,” she rejoins. “He’d be in Hollywood.” <read more>
Tanner Zipchen brings a bit of the Prairies to Hollywood
While you’re waiting for your movie to start, you’ve likely looked up from your smartphone to catch Tanner Zipchen’s eye. As the host of Cineplex’s Pre-Show, he’s up there on the big screen doing all the hard work of interviewing the internationally famous for our enjoyment. (Can you pass the popcorn please?) <read more>
Calgary Expo: Jeremy Renner says what he can about Hawkeye, The Avengers’ fallible hero
Jeremy Renner and Cineplex Pre Show host Tanner Zipchen took to the Corral arena stage for a question and answer session with fans of the Marvel Universe star in Calgary on Sunday. <read more>
Saskatoon radio personality lands Cineplex gig
When Tanner Zipchen was a kid, people made fun of him for having a large head. They didn’t know how right they were. Zipchen’s face will be two storeys high on movie screens across Canada thanks to the Cineplex Casting Call, a contest to become a host on the theatre chain’s pre-show. <read more>
9 Things That Make People From Saskatchewan Cringe
According to Cineplex Pre-Show host and Saskatoon native Tanner Zipchen. <read more>
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724413
|
__label__wiki
| 0.566459
| 0.566459
|
What the World Health Organization Has Wrong About Video Games
ESA's acting CEO, Stan Pierre-Louis, spoke recently at the 2019 D.I.C.E. Summit about how video games influence our culture, the positive economic impact the industry has, and about the World Health Organization's recent proposal to classify certain levels of video game use as a "mental disorder."
A full transcript of Pierre-Louis' talk can be found below:
Hello, everyone I’m Stan Pierre-Louis with the Entertainment Software Association. These days, I hold several titles. I’m in my fourth year of serving as ESA’s general counsel. For the past several months, I’ve also served as ESA’s acting CEO. But perhaps the most important designation I hold today—aside from husband, father, and old school gamer—is chief advocate for the video game industry.
I love what I do because I love what you do. And I love to blow people’s minds bragging about our industry. We produce the most compelling, dynamic, interactive, entertaining experiences on earth. Thanks to our innovative technologies, engaging content, and the ability to connect with others, today’s video game playing population is more connected than ever before.
In terms of numbers, there are more than 150 million players in the United States, and more than 2.6 billion worldwide. 60 percent of Americans play video games daily, and 45 percent of U.S. gamers are women. It’s easy to understand why. If you love stunning landscapes in your action-adventure games, there’s Red Dead Redemption 2. If you love sports games, there’s FIFA and NBA 2K. And, if you’ve got a 12-year old like I do, there’s nothing like testing your skills against a pro at Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
It seems that today, everyone wants to be a gamer. This includes former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. She wanted to inspire kids to learn more about the political process and founded iCivics, which creates innovative games that teach civics. Her program is now the largest provider of civics curriculum in the nation, reaching nearly 200,000 teachers and more than 5 million students, in all 50 states. Like I said, this is all mind-blowing. Stories like this are incredibly impactful—they change minds, whether you’re talking with a government official or a parent at a PTA meeting.
Our economic story is equally impactful. In 2018 alone, the U.S. video game industry generated $43.4 billion dollars in total revenue. That figure is triple what it was in 2008. All of this growth has made our industry a source of stable, high-paying jobs for more than 220,000 people across the United States. And given that most video game companies qualify as small businesses, we are as Main Street as any other industry.
Now, let’s be real. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies when you represent any industry. But coming out of a career in film, television, and music, I didn’t expect a lot to surprise me when I entered the video game industry. The claim that media content is corroding our society? Been there. The claim that media content causes violence? Done that. The claim that excessive exposure to video games—not all media content, just video games—could be deemed a “mental disorder?” Consider me gob smacked—and even more so after digging into this issue and seeing the quote “evidence-based findings” end quote claimed by the World Health Organization, which is spearheading this effort.
By way of background, the W-H-O is an agency of the United Nations that focuses on improving public health. Its efforts contribute to many positive advancements in global health. Think about its initiatives to eradicate HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis – or its work to address visual impairment. The W-H-O also maintains a catalogue of diseases – known as the International Classification of Diseases, or the ICD – to track health developments. These are all commendable and needed efforts.
But, over the years, the W-H-O has begun to expand its mission—and they haven’t always gotten it right. In fact, the W-H-O has had to backtrack on its conclusions on important issues like those involving sexual orientation, gender identity, ADHD, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some of those reversals took decades to occur. For example, the W-H-O classified differences in sexual orientation as a disease for more than 40 years. And for more than 60 years, it has classified differences in gender identity as a disease. Here’s the kicker: when the W-H-O gets it wrong, there’s only one place to appeal—the W-H-O. So, when they get it wrong, it takes a really, really long time and a sustained effort to right the ship.
So, why is the W-H-O proposing to classify certain levels of video game use as a “mental disorder” – which they call “gaming disorder” – and what should we do about it?
Here’s what we know. The W-H-O started this effort by gathering a group of hand-selected medical experts in 2014. The group’s task was to review the public health implications of the excessive use of computers, the Internet, smartphones, and other devices. The group began to meet yearly – and with each meeting, the focus on video games began to emerge. It is unclear why video games became their chief concern – and whether any video game experts were ever consulted.
What we do know is that there is no medical consensus supporting the adoption of “gaming disorder.” Mental health experts who study this issue at world-class institutions, like Johns Hopkins University and Oxford University, warn over and over, that creating some kind of “gaming disorder” classification isn’t advisable because it puts patients at risk. In fact, three leading medical associations – the American Medical Association, American Psychiatric Association, and the American Psychological Association – have each reviewed the evidence and declined to describe any level of video game use as a “disorder.”
Even the W-H-O’s sister organization, UNICEF, authored a study in 2017 on children in the digital age with findings contrary to the W-H-O. According to UNICEF, there is very little evidence demonstrating that any significant number of children are so dependent on their devices that they experience health risks.
None of this should suggest that those needing help shouldn’t seek the treatment they need. However, there is no medical consensus that video game play is an underlying cause of these concerns, as opposed to a symptom of a more pressing issue.
Regardless of the W-H-O’s intent—and we do not question their good intent here—its proposal downplays some very real unintended consequences. First, formalizing a link between video games and medical disorders could lead to harmful regulations that negatively impact access to games, even in cases where they have therapeutic value. Second, a misapplication of this classification could stigmatize the billions of people who play video games around the world. Third, and most alarming, a misdiagnosis could have seriously harmful consequences. There are countries where kids are now being sent to harsh treatment camps to rid them of “gaming disorder.” And, there are several instances where kids who have turned to video games to escape mental and physical abuse are undergoing treatment for “gaming disorder” instead of the underlying abuse they’ve endured.
We will continue to raise the specter of these unintended consequences in the hopes that the W-H-O will take a full view of the evidence and reverses course on its path. And we have seen moments that give us encouragement. Just last month at the annual meeting of the W-H-O’s Executive Board, the United States delegation of experts formally objected to the inclusion of video games in the ICD based on a lack of scientific evidence.
Still, we are not standing idly by. We have reached out to other stakeholders—including government officials, academics, medical experts, and the video game community—to ensure that the facts of this debate are known and understood. We have also collaborated with our international counterparts in Asia, Australia, Canada, and Europe to ensure that a consistent message is being shared in all regions. And together, we have engaged directly with the W-H-O to ensure they are aware of our industry’s proactive efforts to promote digital wellness and the lengths we’ve gone to help consumers, especially parents, make video games a positive and healthy part of their lives and their children’s lives.
As one example, all consoles have password-protected parental controls, giving parents the ability to control time spent playing video games and to decide what’s best for their children. In addition, the Entertainment Software Rating Board, or ESRB, provides parents with the information they need to decide what games are appropriate for their children based on their age or any number of factors. Our system of self-regulation has been consistently praised and trusted by parents, child advocates, and educators nationwide. It has been called a model for other entertainment industries by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
We know that the systems in place are working. In fact, 86 percent of parents with children who play video games are aware of the ESRB ratings. 74 percent of parents regularly check game ratings before making a purchase. And, 70 percent of parents view video games as a positive influence on their children’s lives.
The reality is that the overwhelming majority of the world’s 2.6 billion gamers enjoy video games as part of a well-rounded, healthy lifestyle. A misstep here could erode many of the positive effects that video games have in our society. What the W-H-O overlooks is that video games are fun, educational, and increasingly therapeutic. For example, video games help cancer patients cope with confusion and treatment-related side effects. One of these games, called “I Hope,” supports children with cancer by providing a creative outlet during treatment that helps them visualize beating their disease. In addition, doctors are seeing impressive results among Alzheimer’s patients who play video games. And, video games are now being used to help rehabilitate stroke victims through eye-hand coordination exercises.
Video games are a fixture of American life and have a massive impact on our culture worldwide. And, I’m not just referring to the explosion of end zone celebrations inspired by Fortnite. They influence how we learn, how we interact with each other, and how we live. And that influence goes far beyond entertainment. Think about education, where video games play a transformative role. I talked earlier about Justice O’Connor’s initiative to introduce the political system to students through iCivics. Beyond that, teachers use video games as tools to develop literacy skills among children with dyslexia and other learning challenges. The game Minecraft: Education Edition has been used by 35 million teachers worldwide for interactive lessons in science, math, history, language, and art.
The Xbox Adaptive Controller also represents a breakthrough in expanding gameplay to passionate gamers of different abilities and has driven a broader conversation around accessibility in the industry. Many of you may have seen the very moving Super Bowl Ad featuring gamers who rely on the Xbox Adaptive Controller to connect and compete with others. That is the power of video games.
The way that video games empower and inspire young minds has a lasting impact. That’s why colleges and universities across the country are expanding their curriculums to include video-game related topics. There are even dedicated video game majors that prepare students for lucrative STEM careers. And, as a happy development, young women who play videos games are three times as likely to earn a STEM degree in college.
I’m proud of how video games stand above the fray. We’re dedicated to supporting the industry in building on the unique power games have to bring people together.
I said it earlier, and I’ll say it again. I love being an advocate for our industry. And, I encourage you to be one as well. Here’s what you can do. First, amplify the good that we do. We have so many positive stories that get outshined by glossy headlines or the day-to-day grind. Second, don’t shy away from opportunities to correct the record. So many times in our daily lives, either at a public event or a PTA meeting, someone attacks our industry – usually based on limited or inaccurate information. Don’t stand idly by. Third, get politically engaged. Political officeholders listen to constituents who speak up. So, speak up.
But most importantly, keep making great games and experiences. Doing so expands our ability to grow and to do good in our communities and around the world.
I know that all of you care as deeply as I do about video games and how they’ve made the world a better place. So, I ask that you join us in telling that story. Thank you.
EVENTS_INFO
TAKE_ACTION
The time for gamers to stand up and speak out is now! Your voice can help protect video games from uninformed politicians—join VGVN today.
Pennsylvania Might Slap a 10% Tax on Video Games
Blog March 12, 2019
News March 11, 2019
Politicians Push to Tax Video Games in Pennsylvania
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724416
|
__label__cc
| 0.589407
| 0.410593
|
How Socialism is Doing in Venezuela
By Ava Ganz
How does Venezuela a country with a functioning democracy, developing economy, flourishing middle class, and a solid healthcare system quickly turn into a country starving it’s own (now impoverished) citizens? What is it that demolished all of that previous progress and now caused a complete disaster for Venezuelans? The answer is: socialism.
In 1999, Hugo Chavez promised the people of Venezuela a socialist paradise. When he ran for office, he gained the trust of the people by making a deal where he would leave after 2 years of office if he was not well-liked. This was the beginning of the end of democracy and the rise of dictatorship in Venezuela. It was not a surprise that Chavez had no plans of keeping this promise as he was not highly approved, yet died in office in 2013. Following this, the Vice President of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, took the place of Chavez.
Nothing is worse for a country than the authoritarianism that comes with socialism. Currently in Venezuela, there is no freedom of press. Opposition leaders such as journalists, who slightly oppose the government, and journalists who reported truthfully about the situation in Venezuela are incarcerated. The Venezuelan government has also been exposed for paying workers to throw rocks at buses full of protestors on the opposition.
In addition to no freedom of the press, private gun ownership is illegal. Even security guards don’t have the right to bare arms, essentially making them useless. In Venezuela, only the government can own guns. The first procedure that was taken in both the Holocaust and Armenian genocide was to disarm the people, leaving them no choice but to surrender to their government.
Things have gotten so bad in Venezuela that many national airlines refuse to fly there. The people are so impoverished that they stand in lines for hours just to be fed and often walk away empty-handed. In fact, 75% of Venezuelan adults lost an average of 19 pounds in 2016. This became known as the Maduro diet. Simple necessities such as bread and toilet paper are in high demand and short supply. Furthermore, services like power and water are majorly inaccessible. As far as crime rates go, Venezuela produces their own fabricated statistics, but it isn’t hard to see the discrepancy between their statistics and the real living conditions and danger in the country. OSAC states, “Venezuela remains one of the deadliest countries in the world with increasing violence and criminal activity in 2016, at times reaching unprecedented levels. The government of Venezuela often attempts to refute claims of increasing crime and murder rates; however, their claims are widely rejected by independent observers. Official crime figures are not released by government officials, but unofficial statistics indicate that most categories of crime increased in 2016, despite unprecedented levels in 2015. The majority of Caracas’ crime and violence remains attributed to mobile street gangs and organized crime groups.”
Things are only looking worse for Venezuela. The currency has been devalued by 92%. This country is on pace to hit 700% inflation. Remember their supposed success within health care? Now rolling blackouts are causing infant deaths in hospitals where backup generators have ceased to function. Even in a state of extreme poverty, dependency on government is hard to break. The longer Venezuela continues to be in this state, the more difficult it will be to come back from it.
Tags: castro, Fidel Castro, politics, socialism, venezuela
Confederate Statues: Heritage or Hate?
TV Shows You’ve Probably Never Heard Of But Should Definitely Be Watching
Present Day Containment
Life Regrets From Dying Hospital Patients
Hate is Contagious and So is the Hitler Salute
Harvard Lawsuit
Movie Review on Bohemian Rhapsody
How to: Staying Focused for Finals Week
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724418
|
__label__cc
| 0.653588
| 0.346412
|
No office, no website, yet $100,000 in illegal profit
Posted by webmaster on March 21, 2012 in Articles, Stories
46 men this week join a long list of foreign workers penalised by officialdom for being duped by local companies looking to make a quick buck.
Yes, you read that right: They were penalised for being victims.
Each has received a letter from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) banning them for working in Singapore for one year. Not only have they lost their jobs when MOM shut down their employer, they are being sent back to Bangladesh and told not to try getting work here till the ban expires.
Their story throws a rare light on a shadow economy where easy cash is made by local companies hell bent on exploiting migrants. All in the city of broken dreams.
Each of the three workers we interviewed over the weekend spoke frankly about how their employer Enfillio Engineering (not real name), instead of giving them work, sent them to look for their own work and then arranged clandestine monthly meetings to collect kickbacks. The company managed to keep its cover intact for over two years.
Not having a website certainly helped it maintain a low profile. Nor did the company even have an office, the workers told us. The boss worked from home.
Fakrul, one of the 46, says that he and his fellow workers had to go to a parking lot near Farrer Park MRT station on Race Course Road, their pockets filled with cash, as per their employer’s demand. As workers are paid (by their illegal employers) between the 5th and 8th of every month, the groups would stagger their visits to the parking lot to meet their official employer so as not to arouse suspicion among passers-by. The boss would arrive in his car, get out briefly and accept cash payments of $520 from each man, ostensibly to pay for government levies.
After the money had been handed over and counted to ensure the sums were correct, each of the men would then melt away into the cauldron of humanity that is Little India.
That was how easy it was for the company to exploit these young men and make a fast buck.
The workers arrived in Singapore at different times over the last two years, having been promised regular employment in the construction industry via their recruiting agents. For some of them, Enfillio did provide some short stints of construction work, but for the rest there was nothing coming through after two weeks, and they were soon encouraged to seek — illegally — other employment in Singapore. Enfillio retained their work permits, but told the men they would have to fund their own levy payments, as a condition for being able to stay on in Singapore.
Employers hiring foreign workers in Singapore are required to pay the monthly Foreign Workers Levy from the day a foreign worker’s work permit is issued until the day it is cancelled, but the scheme is highly complex, and few workers know what exactly is the levy rate their employer has to pay for their work permit. If an employer says he has to pay $520 a month, many might believe him. So, inflating government levies and insisting on cash payments is obviously an enticing profit-making business for the unscrupulous.
Government levies vary depending on the skill levels of each worker and the qualifications they’ve garnered; the workers we spoke to were skilled construction workers who had trained in Bangladesh, which would put their levy rate at between $200 and $300 per month, leaving as much as $200 for Enfillio to pocket.
Obviously, this cloak-and-dagger arrangement was unsustainable. Fakrul says they knew that this could get them in trouble with the authorities, but having paid so much for this job, they couldn’t turn down what might be their only chance to recover their investment. They had each paid over $3,000 in job placement fees, often by going into debt, so even as they suspected that Enfillio Engineering was profiteering from their labour and putting them under severe pressure to make ends meet, what choice did they have? They had been warned they would lose their work permits if they complained. The workers were desperate to stay here to pay off their debts and earn money to send home to their families.
In formal letters issued to each of the men, MOM said they had “worked . . . without a valid work pass”, which is probably with reference to the work the men did for their illegal employers. It seems to ignore the fact that the men did have proper work permits, except that the employer of record had no work for them and told them to find their own alternative. In fact, as it now seems clear, that was the very point of the whole scheme — to extract a cut from the men who were left with no choice in the matter.
To now ban the men for one year appears somewhat unjust.
Enfillio is also being investigated by MOM, its former employees told us. MOM should make an example of this company and its directors.
A back-of-the-envelope calculation points to an obscenely large profit being made off the backs of these workers struggling to support their families. With 46 men each contributing about $200 (net of the levy) to the boss each month, that is about $9,200 a month. Apparently, the scheme had been going on for one or two years, which suggests a total profit in excess of $100,000.
And it has left 46 men high and dry.
Mahabubul Abul Khayer’s employment history illustrates how exploitative and disgraceful Singapore’s record of using foreign labour is. Repeatedly, employment agents made thousands of dollars out of him. At least in the early years, he got in return a job through which he more or less recovered what he had paid. Lately, however, the practice seems...
Posted on December 8, 2011 in Articles, Stories
How do you measure compassion online? Or empathy? How do we advocate tolerance towards migrant workers when negative stereotypes are being continually recycled and unchallenged in cyberspace? Civil society is changing shape online but sadly it hasn’t brought with it civil discourse. I stumbled upon this article yesterday about the death of two migrant workers...
Posted on March 7, 2012 in Articles, Stories
Following the debate that is swirling around Singapore on the government’s announcement of a day off for foreign domestic workers, I thought it about time someone went into bat for these girls and started talking more about what they do. Sitting here watching May (our maid) take my son off to school today (he’s two...
Posted on March 14, 2012 in Articles, Stories
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724419
|
__label__wiki
| 0.75391
| 0.75391
|
Grantsville’s Zane Thomas swims toward victory in the boys’ 100-yard backstroke at the Region 13 championship meet last month in Kamas. Thomas has the fastest backstroke time in Class 3A entering today’s state championship meet in Provo.
Tooele’s Aspen Grgich swims in the girls’ 100-yard freestyle during a January meet. Grgich enters this weekend’s Class 4A state championship meet with the classification’s ninth-fastest time in the event.
Stansbury’s Kally Morris competes in the 200-yard individual medley during a January meet at the Leigh Pratt Aquatic Center. Morris is ranked No. 10 in the event in Class 4A going into this weekend’s state championships.
Darren Vaughan
Bears roll into state tourney
Bees’ home woes continue against Sacramento
Stallions’ strong summer ends
Swimmers finish season at state
Cowboys’ Thomas, Begay enter Class 3A meet as top seeds ♦
The Class 3A state swim meet gets under way this afternoon with a pair of Grantsville swimmers looking to finish their season in style.
Zane Thomas is the top seed in the boys’ 100-yard backstroke and comes in ranked second in the 200 individual medley, while two-time state champion Hadlee Begay hopes to add to her already-impressive title stash as the top seed in the girls’ 100 butterfly and 500 freestyle.
Thomas and his teammates, Ben, Ethan and Seth Smurthwaite, will take part in the 200 medley relay and 400 free relay as well. The Cowboys are the No. 4 seed in the 400 relay and No. 6 in the medley. Seth Smurthwaite is seeded No. 2 in the boys’ 100 fly and fourth in the 200 IM, while Ethan Smurthwaite is the No. 5 seed in the 100 fly and seventh in the 100 back. Ben Smurthwaite will compete in the 200 IM for the Cowboys as the No. 10 seed.
Garrett Hogge-Warburton, Jarrett Randall, Evan Thomas and Justin Hall are seeded No. 6 in the boys’ 200 free relay. Hall will compete in the 200 free and 500 free, Randall will take part in the 100 fly and Hogge-Warburton is the first alternate in the 100 free.
Anika Higley will compete for the Grantsville girls in the 200 IM and 100 fly, while Reagan Hunter is slated to race in the 100 free and Kylee Haycock will take part in the 100 breaststroke. Stephanie Jordan will race in the 100 back and is listed as the second alternate in the 100 free.
Jordan, Haycock, Higley and Hunter make up the Grantsville girls’ 200 medley relay team, which is seeded eighth. Haycock, Emma Randall, Higley and Begay will compete in the 200 free relay, while Hunter, Arianna McKendrick, Jordan and Begay are slated to race in the 400 free relay.
The Class 3A state championship meet is a one-day event, beginning at 2:45 p.m. today at the Richards Building on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo.
Several of Tooele County’s top swimmers will represent Tooele and Stansbury high schools at the Class 4A state championship meet, which will begin Friday afternoon with the preliminary races and conclude with the finals Saturday morning.
Kally Morris of Stansbury enters the meet with the eighth-fastest time in the girls’ 100 fly and the 10th-fastest effort in the 200 IM. Tooele’s Myra Miller is eighth in the 100 breast and 20th in the 50 free, and her THS teammate, Aspen Grgich, is ninth in the 100 free and 12th in the 200 free. Tooele’s Sharon Seals is 17th in the 500 free and 18th in the 200 free and Annalee Beard is 20th in the 100 back. Stansbury’s Caroline Wilson is 23rd in the 100 free.
Tooele’s girls 200 medley relay team (Beard, Miller, Grgich and Seals) will enter Saturday’s finals seeded 12th, while Stansbury (Julie Kummer, Rachel Winder, Lindsey McCubbins and Tally Reynolds) is 15th. The Buffs’ 400 free relay team (Grgich, Beard, Miller and Seals) is seeded ninth, and the 200 free relay team (Beard, Kylee Randle, Addy Seal and Aspen Walker) is No. 16.
Stansbury’s Destin Kunz is the highest-seeded Tooele County male swimmer in the 4A meet, entering the meet seeded No. 9 in the 200 IM and 20th in the 100 fly. Tooele’s Sho Ikeda is 12th in the 100 fly and 14th in the 200 IM and Cade McEachern is 12th in the 100 back. Tooele’s Brayden Davis is 17th in the boys’ 500 free and 21st in the 200 free, and the Buffaloes’ 200 medley relay team (McEachern, Harrison Stoddard, Ikeda and Davis) is seeded 15th.
The meet begins with the preliminaries for the individual events at 1:15 p.m. Friday. The finals for the relays and individual events start at 8 a.m. Saturday.
Latest posts by Darren Vaughan (see all)
Bears roll into state tourney - July 18, 2019
Bees’ home woes continue against Sacramento - July 18, 2019
Former Jazz coach Sloan’s legacy larger than life - July 18, 2019
Jazz wrap up summer-league play in Vegas
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724422
|
__label__wiki
| 0.536826
| 0.536826
|
Posted in Mass radiation exposure
Overview: Mass Radiation Exposure
Richard Denton, MD February 27, 2019 14 Comments
Author: Richard Denton, MD
Disclaimer: I am a medical doctor and will concentrate on the medical aspects. I have no conflict of interest as some nuclear physicists might who are paid by the nuclear industry.
Radiation is one of the six crises that this Platform addresses; each one could annihilate civilization as we know it. Radiation could do so in either an acute or chronic manner. The acute effects would come from a major accident, miscalculation, or terrorist attack or an actual nuclear war. The chronic effects are killing by inducing cancers and other medical conditions.
Radiation exposure is of course related to the other five global threat scenarios. Radiation is interconnected as part of a nuclear war that would immediately kill millions from radiation. A nuclear bomb is not just a bigger better bomb but emits radiation that kills locally and at a distance over time. Because of its power, it would put dust and smoke into the stratosphere that would cause a decrease of the sun’s penetration. A “nuclear winter” would result, causing death of millions by famine. Some people suggest that nuclear power is “green” —even the answer to climate change. But nuclear power plants could be a target of terrorists using cyberwarfare or crashing an airliner into a reactor.
Radiation is like Yin and Yang. It has detrimental effects—causing cancers, etc. — but also beneficial effects, as in helping make diagnoses through X-rays and nuclear imaging and also in treating cancers. Ionizing radiation has the ability to break apart molecules like DNA. There are different types of ionizing radiation: alpha and beta are weak energy but potent if taken internally, while X-rays and gamma radiation have strong energy and can kill acutely people as well as cancers, or can be used externally in diagnosis.
There are several principles that apply to radiation in humans. Radiation accumulates in the body and acts over time. Even small doses of radiation can become significant if one is exposed to them all the time. Radiation comes from several sources: background (about one to three milliSieverts, although it can be higher in specific regions) that affects us all, such as from the sun, or the ground such as radon gas that is the number two cause of lung cancer in Canada. We are also exposed individually when we get an X-ray or fly in an airplane.
If a food source that has been contaminated with radiation is eaten, it is absorbed by the organism that devours it. Thus, radiation is concentrated up the food chain. We humans are at the top of the food chain. We thus concentrate radiation over time.
People vary in their susceptibility, with fetuses being the most vulnerable, then children and women.
Radiation affects rapidly dividing cells and these are the dividing quickly in fetuses and children. Timing is important. Just as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome occurs when alcohol is ingested at the time an embryo is developing, and cannabis may affect the developing brain of people younger than twenty five, radiation acts similarly on different age groups, inducing miscarriages, mutagenesis, or teratogenesis.
Radiation also affects specific organs, depending on the radioactive substance that is absorbed. Iodine 131 affects the thyroid, whereas strontium 90 is analogous to calcium and is taken up by bone and thus affects the bone marrow and blood.
Some people believe in a hypothesis called homesis that says that small doses of radiation may be beneficial in causing mutations that will stimulate the immune system and that some mutations may improve our species. This is held by very few non-medical people. As medical doctors, we believe that there is a linear graph such that even small amounts of radiation over time can be harmful. We should try to minimize our exposure.
Safety limits are designed by people and are dependent more on politics, to prevent panic of the masses as opposed to being based on science. Limits of radiation vary from country to country and even in local municipalities. It is set to vary, depending on the job that one does. It is allowed for workers in nuclear plants to receive up to 100 mSv. (MilliSeverts) per year, while the limit for the general population is ten mSv.
Here are the effects of acute radiation on humans: The effects vary with the size of the dose — amount of exposure to the radiation. With 50-100 mSv (milliSieverts), there are changes in blood chemistry. At 500 mSv, one develops nausea, and then fatigue, followed by vomiting at 700 mSv., followed by hair loss and then diarrhoea over the following 2-3 weeks, as the most rapidly dividing cells are affected first. At 1000 mSv. you start bleeding. At 4,000 mSv, there may be death in 2-3 months. At 10,000 mSv., there is death within 1-2 weeks with destruction of the intestinal system and bleeding. At 20,000 mSv., the neurologic system is affected resulting in loss of consciousness, and death within hours to a few days.
Here are the effects of chronic radiation on humans: miscarriages; mutagenic (changes in the genetic material, usually DNA but also RNA, leading to mutations such as Down’s syndrome), teratogenic (which disturbs the development of a fetus, resulting in congenital malformations that can be passed down to future generations); cancers such as leukaemia, thyroid, breast, brain, pancreas; hardening of the arteries, leading to strokes and heart attacks; cataracts; kidney damage; and acceleration of the overall ageing process.
We also have a gradation of severity of nuclear accidents; The International Nuclear Event Scale (INES) rates the severity of accidents on a logarithmic scale from 1 to 7 with 7 being the worst; a major accident; (Chernobyl April 1986, and Fukushima March 2011). A level 6 serious accident was the Kyshtym disaster at the Mayak Chemical Combine in the Soviet Union in September 1957 at a nuclear waste reprocessing plant. Level 5, accidents with wider consequences, include Windscale fire at Sellafield on October 1957 in the United Kingdom, which caused a fire with graphite and uranium in a military air cooled reactor; the Three Mile Island on March 1979 nuclear power plant; Chalk River, December 1952, when the reactor core was damaged; and the Goiânia accident in Brazil in 1987 when a caesium chloride radiation source was taken from an abandoned hospital.
Please see also the following paper, which expands on the above summary:
Radiation and Nuclear Fuel (PDF; 65-page download)
14 thoughts on “Overview: Mass Radiation Exposure”
Metta Spencer says:
Here is a strange proposal. Build thousands of islands covered with solar panels. Use the electricity to produce hydrogen and capture the CO 2, then make fuel from it. Hmmm.
National Cancer Institute,
“Accidents at Nuclear Power Plants and Cancer Risk”
If the fuel and surrounding containment structures are severely damaged, radioactive materials and ionizing radiation may be released, potentially posing a health risk for people. The actual risk depends on several factors:
The specific radioactive materials, or isotopes, released, and the quantities released.
How a person comes into contact with the released radioactive materials (such as through contaminated food, water, air, or on the skin).
The person’s age (those exposed at younger ages are generally at higher risk).
The duration and amount of the exposure.
More information about the health effects of ionizing radiation exposure is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency.
The radioactive isotopes released in nuclear power plant accidents include I-131 and Cs-137. In the most severe kinds of accidents, such as the Chernobyl accident in 1986, other dangerous radioactive isotopes, such as strontium-90 (Sr-90) and plutonium-239, may also be released.
Human exposure to I-131 released from nuclear power plant accidents comes mainly from consuming contaminated water, milk, or foods. People may also be exposed by breathing dust particles in the air that are contaminated with I-131.
https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation/nuclear-accidents-fact-sheet
Carol Wells says:
There should be more dosimeters available in places where radiation exposure might take place.
Trevor Nace May 27, 2019, Forbes
“Fears Grow That ‘Nuclear Coffin’ Is Leaking Waste Into The Pacific”
Rising sea level, soil shifting, and storms have all caused new concern over the integrity of the “nuclear coffin” and its ability to contain radioactive waste. The dome is reportedly cracking and the local government fears the next big storm may split the concrete dome apart. In addition, groundwater models suggest that seawater is almost certainly accessing the crater. However, it is unclear how much nuclear waste is seeping from the unlined crater bottom into the Pacific Ocean and groundwater aquifers.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2019/05/27/fears-grow-that-nuclear-coffin-is-leaking-waste-into-the-pacific/#14f2ec397073
Noelle Talmon Ranker
“There Is A Giant Nuclear Ticking Time Bomb Waiting To Blow In The Middle Of The Pacific Ocean”
A 2013 inspection revealed that the Runit dome is decaying. The groundwater is radioactive, and sand has penetrated the structure. There are also several cracks on the dome, and vines are growing inside the crevices. If all this organic matter is penetrating the structure so easily, what of the radioactivity that it conceals? Eventually, the dome and the land around it could be underwater, or it will be destroyed by storms. Subsequently, radioactive material will leech into the ocean. Officials Aren’t Worried About The Dome Experiencing “Catastrophic Failure” Because The Surrounding Area Is Already So Radioactive.
The Nuclear Claims Tribunal was developed in 1998, and the group determined that the United States owed the people of Enewetak approximately $244 million in compensation for the havoc the toxic waste wreaked on their lives. The nuclear testing resulted in people losing their homes as well as their jobs. And because the area is so contaminated, they are unable to export fish and other products as per the US Department of Energy.
The locals live on a little bit of money they receive from a US trust fund, but many are barely able to support themselves.
https://www.ranker.com/list/runit-dome-nuclear-waste-storage-leaking/nicky-benson
Coleen Jose, Kim Wall and Jan Hendrik Hinzel July 3, 2-15
“This dome in the Pacific houses tons of radioactive waste – and it’s leaking,”
The Runit Dome in the Marshall Islands is a hulking legacy of years of US nuclear testing. Now locals and scientists are warning that rising sea levels caused by climate change could cause 111,000 cubic yards of debris to spill into the ocean.
In total, 67 nuclear and atmospheric bombs were detonated on Enewetak and Bikini between 1946 and 1958 – an explosive yield equivalent to 1.6 Hiroshima bombs detonated every day over the course of 12 years.
The detonations blanketed the islands with irradiated debris, including Plutonium-239, When the testing came to an end, the US Defence Nuclear Agency (DNA) carried out an eight-year cleanup, but Congress refused to fund a comprehensive decontamination programme to make the entire atoll fit for human settlement again.
In the end, US servicemen simply scraped off the islands’ contaminated topsoil and mixed it with radioactive debris. The resulting radioactive slurry was then dumped in an unlined 350-foot crater on Runit Island’s northern tip, and sealed under 358 concrete panels.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/03/runit-dome-pacific-radioactive-waste
Scary. Apparently the soil outside and even in the ocean around it is also highly radioactive now.
Mark Abadi Jun. 16, 2016, Busienss Insider
“The US dropped 67 nuclear bombs on this tiny island nation — and now it’s far more radioactive than we thought”
Between 1946 and 1958, the US tested 67 nuclear weapons on the Marshall Islands, a chain of atolls in the Pacific Ocean with a population of just 52,000.
The most famous test, the “Bravo shot,” was dropped on Bikini Atoll in 1954 and was 1,000 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
The researchers discovered that radioactive materials on Bikini Atoll are producing 184 millirems of radiation a year — almost double the safety standard of 100 set by the US and the Marshall Islands. Some parts of the region hit a whopping 639 millirems per year.
https://www.businessinsider.com/marshall-islands-nuclear-bombs-radiation-2016-6
Charles Digges Published on October 2, 2017
“The worst nuclear disaster you’ve never heard of celebrates its 60th birthday”
September 29, 60 years ago, a tank containing nuclear weapons waste exploded on the grounds of the Mayak Chemical Combine, Russia’s primary spent nuclear fuel reprocessing center, which is still in operation.
The fallout coated more than 200 towns and villages and exposed 272,000 people, a small portion of which were quietly evacuated over the subsequent two years, to radiation.
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, meanwhile refuses to respond to specific charges of ongoing dumps, instead issuing general statements that Mayak operates within “environmental guidelines” and that the Techa complies with “sanitary standards.” Indeed, because the river is already so contaminated, establishing further contamination might seem merely academic.
Those who live along the river, they say, have cancer at rates 3.6 times higher than the national average, and suffer 25 times more from incidence of birth defects than in other places in the country. Miscarriages continue to climb, and children carried to term are born with malformed limbs and organs. Many of the remaining adults suffer from lymph node swelling so severe that their words are unintelligible to visiting physicians. The strontium 90 flowing through the river, the doctors have concluded, has settled into the population’s bones.
https://bellona.org/news/nuclear-issues/2017-10-the-worst-nuclear-disaster-youve-never-heard-of-celebrates-its-60th-birthday
by Thomas Rabl , Arcadia, 2012, no. 20-
Arcadia Collection:
Disaster Histories
29 September 1957, residents of the Chelyabinsk district in the Southern Urals noticed unusual bluish-violet colors in the sky. The regional press speculated about polar lights appearing exceptionally far south. However, within a few days, a slew of government activity became evident around the military area that housed the nuclear facility “Mayak.” Peasants were required to slaughter their livestock, bury their crops and plow their farmland. More than 20 villages, comprising over 11,000 people, were evacuated and completely demolished. No official statement was given about any of these orders, but everybody could figure out for themselves that a major accident had happened at “Mayak.”
As a result of disregarding basic safety standards, 17,245 workers received radiation overdoses between 1948 and 1958. Dumping of radioactive waste into the nearby river from 1949 to 1952 caused several breakouts of radiation sickness in villages downstream. Residents of the area were thus familiar with the invisible dangers coming from the secret site.
The Western world, though, came to hear about it only in 1976, when Soviet emigrant Zhores Medvedev first revealed some facts about the catastrophe. The CIA had known about it long before.
http://www.environmentandsociety.org/arcadia/nuclear-disaster-kyshtym-1957-and-politics-cold-war
Joseph Y Allen, MD
Erin E Endom, MD , UpToDate
“Management of radiation exposure in children following a nuclear disaster”
The management of radiation injury in children and clinical features and management in adults are discussed separately. (See “Management of radiation exposure in children following a nuclear disaster” and “Biology and clinical features of radiation injury in adults” and “Treatment of radiation injury in the adult”.)
https://www.uptodate.com/contents/management-of-radiation-exposure-in-children-following-a-nuclear-disaster
MARIA TEMMING , Jan 14, 2019. Science news.
“Your phone could reveal your radiation exposure afgter a nuclear disaster.”
In the event of a nuclear attack or accident, personal electronics could be repurposed as radiation detectors.
A ceramic insulator found in many devices, such as cell phones and fitness trackers, gives off a glow under high heat that reveals its past nuclear radiation exposure, researchers report in the February Radiation Measurements. That insight may allow experts to gauge someone’s radiation dose in a matter of hours, whereas typical blood tests can take weeks.
When nuclear radiation floods the ceramic in electronic components called surface mount resistors, the radiation rearranges the distribution of electrons in defects in the ceramic’s crystalline structure. If heated to hundreds of degrees Celsius, the ceramic glows, and the wavelengths of light that make up that luminescence reveal the material’s electron distribution. From there, researchers can determine the dose of radiation that caused the material’s electron reshuffling. But the machine used to measure the ceramic’s luminescent glow costs about $150,000, so people in areas affected by nuclear disasters would have to send their personal electronics to specialized facilities for testing.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/phones-reveal-radiation-exposure-after-nuclear-disaster
Claire Leppold et al.
“Public health after a nuclear disaster: beyond radiation risks”. 30 August 2016.
Although numerous studies have been published, the health risks of radiation are still not well understood, and controversy is abundant even within the realms of scientific research. No deaths or acute health effects related to radiation exposure were reported in the general public immediately after the disaster.1 In October 2015, the results of two studies concerning the children of Fukushima were reported within two days of each other; one found no detectable internal radiation contamination,2 while the other found an increased risk of thyroid cancer. .3 After the catastrophic nuclear accident in April 1986 in the city of Chernobyl in Ukraine, it was found that the increased mental health burden was the most severe of any of the post-disaster public health problems.1Fukushima appears to be facing a similar situation.1 In addition to its impact on mental health, social disruption can be seen as a risk factor for physiological disease.
Unsurprisingly, an increase in noncommunicable disease risks, such as high blood glucose levels and hyperlipidaemia, have been found in Fukushima,
Foods grown in a person’s own garden are consumed at the individual’s own risk, and can go through radiation screening or not depending on personal choice. However, there is no explicit guidance about what should or should not be done in daily life. It is therefore unsurprising that medical professionals do not yet agree on how to advise older patients about continuing or abandoning old ways of living,
https://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/94/11/15-168187/en/
Gordon Edwards says:
To facilitate the eventual deployment of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMNRs), the nuclear industry and its regulator, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), are lobbying to have SMNRs exempted from any form of public environmental assessment process. The less public attention, the better.
The Vice-chair of the Canadian Senate Committee examining the proposed law that is designed to govern questions of environmental assessment is also on the Board of “Canada Carbon” — a company planning to mine a deposit of exceptionally pure graphite in Quebec.
Very pure graphite is required for some types of nuclear reactors. Such high quality graphite is only required in nuclear reactors — there is no other use of graphite that necessitates such a near-total lack of impurities,
It seems a clear case of conflict of interest.
When Enrico Fermi achieved the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction in Chicago, he used graphite. When the US Army built reactors at Hanford to produce plutonium for bombs, they used graphite. The Windscale nuclear reactor in Northern England required graphite, as did the Chernobyl reactor that melted down in 1986. (The Windscale reactor underwent a major nuclear accident in 1957 that spread radioactivity all over Northern Europe.)
Almost all commercial power reactors require a moderator to slow down the very fast-moving neutrons that are needed to keep the nuclear chain reaction going. If a neutron bounces off other atoms without being absorbed, it loses momentum and thereby moderates its speed. The best moderators are (1) heavy water; (2) graphite; (3) ordinary water, called “light water”.
A moderator must be free of impurities that absorb neutrons, for that would diminish the number of neutrons available for nuclear fission. Such a loss of neutrons is clearly undesirable.
Some nuclear reactors, like the Canadian CANDU design, use heavy water as moderator. Others, like the British fleet of 26 MAGNOX reactors and 14 Advanced Gas-Cooled reactors, use graphite as moderator. The Russian fleet of RBMK reactors, 11 of which were still operating in 2017, also used graphite for this purpose. Most other reactors, including the American and French designs, use ordinary water, called “light water”, as a moderator.
Very pure graphite can be used also as a “neutron reflector” — by bouncing escaping neutrons back into the core of the reactor. This allows a smaller volume of nuclear fuel to undergo more fissions than would otherwise be the case. Just as reflecting mirrors can magnify the light given off by a candle, so a neutron reflector can magnify the energy produced by a given amount of nuclear fuel.
The nuclear industry is currently fighting a losing battle in North America and Western Europe. Old reactors are being shut down and new ones are not being built. In a desperate effort to keep the industry afloat, nuclear proponents are seeking public subsidies to create a new generation of “Small Modular Nuclear Reactors” (SMNRs) that can be built in a factory and transported to various locations, some of them small and isolated communities.
To reduce the size of the reactor, a neutron reflector is helpful. To minimize the threat of radioactive spills, a solid moderator may be preferred to a liquid one. For certain SMNR designs, pure graphite will be in demand — if the dreams of the nuclear industry are ever to succeed.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724424
|
__label__wiki
| 0.769842
| 0.769842
|
UK publisher / ISBN: Titan Books - 1-85286-367-6
Format: Black and white
Contains adult content?: no
Positive minority portrayal?: no
Categories: Adventure, Science-Fiction
Related merchandise
Justice Department pink baseball cap
Judge Dredd’s Rough Justice
Brett Ewins
Bryan Talbot
John Wagner
Kevin O'Neill
Review by Roy Boyd
Some favourite artists never drew enough episodes of Judge Dredd to merit a collection spotlighting their work alone, so Rough Justice features various artists, rather than spotlighting a single artist like most of these 1980s Titan reprints. All stories are written in collaboration by Alan Grant and John Wagner.
The book opens with ‘The Last Voyage of the Flying Dutchman’, with art by Bryan Talbot, and features an attack on the Grand Hall of Justice by a bunch of angry mutants. This was not the first time the building would be attacked, nor would it be the last. It’s slight, though.
Also just the single chapter is Kevin O’Neill’s ‘Varks’. The first shot of the alien Vark eating some poor kid’s mother is enough to give any sensitive soul nightmares, and the rest of the tale piles on the horror, made all the more effective by O’Neill’s uniquely angular and disturbing style. This gruesome content contrasts the trivial origin, with single word spoken by the aliens, “Vark”, being how the writers imagined characters in British soap opera Eastenders would swear if permitted to do so.
The next two stories are both drawn by Brendan McCarthy. The first, ‘Brain Child’, was McCarthy’s first work on Dredd, and the artwork is nothing remarkable, so giving no hint as to how he’d progress. However, ‘The Blood Donor’, shows an incredible development in his drawing style in the intervening seven years. The artwork for this brilliantly witty little story is absolutely superb, with McCarthy’s Dredd one of the most distinctive and imaginative ever produced. And it’s a real shame that it’s not colour.
Steve Dillon is the exception to the rule of artists not featuring in individual collections. The three-part ‘Trapper Hag’, though, was somehow missed from Judge Dredd 20. It’s a straightforward tale with a great villain: an alien bounty hunter that’s part-Predator and part-yeti. Dredd, as usual, kicks his ass, but not until Hag has despatched a number of judges and assorted crooks.
Brett Ewins draws the final story, ‘The DNA Man’. This was his first crack at Dredd, and his style is remarkably similar to McCarthy’s early work (they often worked together), well suited to a story that’s pure Hammer Horror. Sadly, although one of the longest in this book, is also one of the weakest tales, with exposition aplenty and some terribly clunky writing.
The great front cover, by Jamie Hewlett and Glyn Dillon, is credited, something that’s not always the case with this series.
Most of this book has something of an underground/horror/punk vibe, whether it’s Kevin O’Neill’s horrific Varks or ‘The DNA Man’ riffing on Frankenstein. McCarthy’s work on ‘The Blood Donor’ (beautifully complemented by superb writing) is the undoubted highlight of the collection, but there are quite a few other treats here too, whether it’s the memorably designed Trapper Hag or the truly disturbing metamorphosis scene from ‘Varks’.
The stories in this collection can also be found in Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 02, 03, 09 and 10.
Metalzoic
Heart of Empire
The Punisher: Welcome Back Frank
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724425
|
__label__wiki
| 0.571985
| 0.571985
|
Sparks fly over Joliet mayor's comments on crime stats report
O'Dekirk accuses Giarrante of playing politics, and Giarrante responds
Rex Robinson | 4/3/2014, 4:13 p.m. | Updated on 4/4/2014, 7:30 a.m.
Joliet Mayor Giarrante is being accused of playing politics with statistics by Councilman Bob O'Dekirk over a study released by the police department highlighting crime statistics at Evergreen Terrace.
While acknowledging that the full report itself is available to the public, O’Dekirk said it is Giarrante’s attempt to use selective pieces of it for political gain that casts the city in a negative light. O’Dekirk described it as an insult to every resident and business owner in Joliet and cautioned that it will harm home values and business prosperity in the future.
O’Dekirk, a former Joliet Police Officer, described the report as typical of any large city. It shows that crime is down significantly in the community at-large; while being higher at the subsidized housing projects. O’Dekirk explained you would find similar statistics in large cities around the state and even the nation.
“The Mayor is supposed to be a supporter and a leader in the city,” O’Dekirk said, “and it has been painfully obvious since he took office that he is neither. We are a city without leadership at a time that we need strong, professional leadership.”
A copy of the report can be found at www.jolietpolice.org/press-releases
Giarrante responds to O'Dekirk
In response to O’Dekirk’s recent comments stemming from the Joliet Police Department crime report, Giarrante said he felt it was important to set the record straight with the residents of Joliet.
“Mr. O’Dekirk stated that he believes the data in this report was ‘skewed,’ ” Giarrante said. “I take exception to that remark as the report was generated by the Joliet Police Department. I have nothing but respect for the men and women of the department, and I am deeply offended by Mr. O’Dekirk’s lack of confidence in their abilities.”
Giarrante added that the discussion began when some members of the council stated they thought Evergreen Terrace was safer than other areas of the city.
“It isn’t, and this report proves them to be wrong. I believe every resident deserves to know the negative effect Evergreen Terrace has had on the surrounding neighborhoods as well as downtown Joliet,” the mayor said.
“It was Councilman (Jim) McFarland who requested (the Joliet Police Department) generate the report, and now Mr. O’Dekirk questions why it was released. He pretends to support ‘transparency’ and then wants to deny citizens access to information about their safety. You can’t have it both ways.
Giarrante said O’Dekirk has also continuously questioned Joliet’s legal fight effort over Evergreen Terrace, and “now he wants to hide negative information on the crime that occurs there. It makes you wonder whose side he is on, the City of Joliet’s or the ownership of Evergreen Terrace?”
O'Dekirk demands Evergreen Terrace plan be set
Joliet mayoral candidates offer very different views on issues
Joliet reaches agreement with tenants in Evergreen Terrace case
Wayne's Words: Joliet's finally planning for the future
City gets Evergreen access today; O'Dekirk to present plan in June
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724426
|
__label__wiki
| 0.85958
| 0.85958
|
Aceyalone :: The Lonely Ones
Emilee Woods May 12, 2009
Aceyalone doesn’t do anything halfway. If he’s gonna flow, he’s gonna flow his ass off. If he’s gonna rhyme, he’s getting as intricate as they come. And if he’s gonna employ a concept, you know he’s gonna do it right.
“The Lonely Ones” finds Acey in the midst of a three-part series of albums that pays homage to black music genres of the past by merging them stylistically with hip hop. The first, “Lightning Strikes,” was a mash-up of hip hop and its most immediate predecessor, reggae. It featured the production talents of Bionik, who supplied the dancehall riddims to enhance Aceyalone’s incisive flow and add that Caribbean vibe. For “The Lonely Ones,” Bionik is back, this time providing the doo-wop stylings that propel the album.
Unlike some rappers who attempt to tackle other genres, Aceyalone really goes all in here. He doesn’t just sprinkle in some R&B elements or have a guest come in to sing a few hooks. Instead, he jumps into the music feet-first, making it as much of a doo-wop album as a rap album. Bionik and the live band give it an authentic old school soul feel, complete with shaky falsetto choruses and wire brushes on the drums. What’s more, the shuffling cadences bouncing off the snare drum are mirrored in Acey’s ample flow in one of many synchronies between music and lyrics that occur on the album.
The mood is set from the opening “Live at the Firehouse Intro,” where Ace One riffs with an imaginary audience and introduces his live band before setting off into the melodic excursion of the title track. After doing the standard R&B spoken intro to the song, pondering the nature of loneliness and one’s response to it, Bionik comes in with a hook straight out of the 1960s “wall of sound” period, wailing all over the track before ceding the floor to a stoic Aceyalone, who proceeds to run down a tale about meeting a young lady on the side of the road with a broken down car. As with most of the songs here, this one is light on the socially conscious themes that Aceyalone fans may be familiar with – and which were more prevalent on “Lightning Strikes” – as he opts instead for the romantic perspective engendered by his choice of genre. The lyrics are still on point, to be sure, albeit a step or two below the “Annalillia” level even when in the same vein:
“She had her hazards on
She pulled over to the side
I pulled over next to her and said, ‘Baby, is there something wrong with yo’ ride?’
She said, ‘My generator’
I said, ‘Your carburetor?’
She said, ‘My starter won’t start,’ but in my heart of all hearts I was thinkin’ I could date her
I said, ‘Should I call a tow?’
She said, ‘I don’t think so’
I said, ‘Just jump in the ride, I could take you anywhere that you gotsta go’
She said, ‘I’m not that easy’
I said, ‘I’m not that sleazy’
She said, ‘Well, I might as well take the lift, you could drop me off by the heezy’
I said, ‘Now that’s a trooper’
Somehow I knew I’d scoop her
I said, ‘Just put your seat back and we can have a chit-chat and talk about our future’
That’s when I fell in like
She was the lonely type
She was the only type right for me, out rollin’ on a lonely night”
Bionik reprises his role in the higher registers for “The Way It Was,” whose electric guitar tone and drumbeat mimic the early ’60s sound to a tee. There is also a reprise of “To the Top,” which appeared on “Lightning Strikes” as well. It’s more of a call-and-response song from an even earlier era, but whereas it was spiced up with upbeat guitar strokes for the reggae version, it’s offset with prominent handclaps and twangier guitars this time out. The song worked well the first time around, and it isn’t really altered enough to merit its inclusion here, but it’s a fun little number nonetheless.
“Workin’ Man Blues” and “Power to the People” follow that up with the only tracks to focus on weightier material. It’s still upbeat fare, with the big band sound of the former and the catchy repetitiveness of the latter, but they do serve to insert some more serious topics into the mix. Bionik’s chorus for “Workin’ Man Blues” is exactly the kind of thing that will get stuck in your head for days at a time (trust me, I know).
Overall, the album works very well, even if it’s not the most compelling work of Aceyalone’s usually mesmerizing career. And while some were initially disappointed with “Lightning Strikes,” I can’t help feeling like that prior effort had more heart to it than this album does. Because the dancehall sound was such a departure for Acey, it was hard to swallow his going in that direction immediately, whereas he sounds completely at home over this R&B material. That might seem like an endorsement of “The Lonely Ones” over “Lightning Strikes,” but it’s actually not, because the reggae-themed disc eventually won you over not just in spite of, but also because of its unique and different character. Acey went out on more of a limb and in the end succeeded with the earlier album. That’s not to say that “The Lonely Ones” is not a great listen with some lush music and clever lyrics. It’s just the second-best of the two albums in the series thus far.
Lyrics7.5
Previous ArticleThe Triple Playaz :: Escape From The Wasteland
Next ArticleChubb Rock & Wordsmith :: Bridging the Gap
Year 2006 in Review (by Susan Kim)
Susan 'susiQ' Kim January 2, 2007
Aceyalone & Abstract Rude :: Who Framed the A-Team?
Steve 'Flash' Juon May 1, 2005
Aceyalone :: Accepted Eclectic
Haiku D’Etat :: Coup De Theatre
Steve 'Flash' Juon April 19, 2005
Aceyalone :: Love & Hate
Steve 'Flash' Juon June 20, 2003
Freestyle Fellowship :: To Whom it May Concern…
Patrick Taylor February 19, 2008
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724428
|
__label__wiki
| 0.956734
| 0.956734
|
Syberia (PC)
by PaulEMoz in "Benoit Sokal", "Kate Walker", "Microids", "Syberia", "The Adventure Company", "adventure"
The last PC game I played was Clive Barker's Undying, a game I'd never played before but that my wife Lorraine had played in America. Today, I played Syberia, a game I'd never played before but that my wife Lorraine had played in America. I sense a pattern developing. Still, if it worked last time...
Syberia is a point-and-click adventure, and it's very much in the classic vein of that genre. That also means that it has its frustrations and limitations. The amount of times you'll hear "No point, it's locked" or "No need to go down there" is ridiculous. But with this game, it's well worth getting past that and sticking with it...
Hello, Kate Walker. I would say "Good day", but it obviously isn't.
You play Kate Walker, a somewhat downtrodden business lawyer who's been shipped abroad on a quick trip to close up the purchase of a toy company whose owner has died. Any thoughts of tying up the deal and getting home quickly soon evaporate, though, when it turns out that the company has a surprise heir...
What follows is, I can say without reservation, one of the greatest PC adventure games of all time. It starts off slowly, and like I said, it can be a bit frustrating. But you can't give up. You know how point-and-click games work... you can't do something in one area until you've found everything in another area. Think of it as unlocking new parts of a game... that's in vogue these days. Once you get into that mindset, you're away... otherwise, there's always the online walkthroughs to help you along, if you must...
Well, that's just typical.
I know that's cheating, but with Syberia it's worth doing whatever it takes to complete the game. I haven't done it yet on this play through, but I can remember vividly from watching Lorraine that Syberia is a great story, one that has real emotional weight as it unfolds. The people in Kate's life at home, on the other end of her mobile phone, are obnoxious morons, and you really feel for her as she gets drawn into the world of the Voralbergs and the remarkable automatons they've manufactured.
Oooh, you don't want to be hanging around there. It's Halloween!
Syberia is a beautiful-looking game, even for its age. The town of Valadilene and its surroundings look like the sort of place you could easily lose yourself in. As Kate's life in New York exposes itself as being less rosy than she'd thought, you find yourself entirely on her side as her journey through Europe on her quest to find the rightful heir to the company takes on a different meaning...
Ooh, that's clever!
Unless you really can't stand point-and-click games, and I know that's entirely possible due to their somewhat plodding and contemplative nature, I implore you to play Syberia. Yes, that's right... I used the word "implore". For me, it's right up there with Grim Fandango in terms of quality PC game storytelling. It doesn't have that game's sense of humour... it's not that kind of game. But it's one that will stick with you for a long time afterwards.
You can buy it from GOG.com for $9.99, although occasionally they'll offer it for less.
Pinball FX 2 (XBox 360 ...
A number.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724429
|
__label__wiki
| 0.986639
| 0.986639
|
India dominates Man Asian book prize shortlist
by AFP/David Watkins , Jan 16, 2012 | Destinations: Japan / China / Korea, S / India / Pakistan
Please Look After Mother, by Kyung-Sook Shin.
Image © 2012 Albert Wen
Indian writers dominate the shortlist of authors competing for Asia's top English-language literary prize, with a debut Pakistani novelist also among those vying for the $30,000 award.
An unprecedented seven authors, including three from India and writers from Pakistan, South Korea, Japan and China, will compete for the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize after judges expanded the shortlist from its usual five.
BBC correspondent Razia Iqbal, who heads the judging panel, said the shortlist had been expanded to accommodate the current strength of Asian contemporary fiction and "the imaginative power of the stories now being written about rapidly changing life" in the region.
"This power and diversity made it imperative for us to expand the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize shortlist beyond the usual five books," she said in a statement from London Tuesday.
The prize, limited to Asian authors whose books are either written in English or translated into English, was founded in 2007 and shares the same sponsor as the Man Booker Prize, among the world's top literary awards.
The seven shortlisted books include Rahul Bhattacharya's The Sly Company of People Who Care. Set in Guyana, it chronicles a man's decision to give up his job and travel to escape his humdrum life.
Bhattacharya, an Indian cricket journalist, said his shortlisting was a welcome surprise akin to finding money in the street.
"I am trying to block the idea from my mind that such a prize exists, leave alone thinking whether I will win it," he told AFP in New Delhi. "Just being nominated is a huge bonus."
Another shortlisted work is Rebirth by Indian doctor and author Jahnavi Barua, about a young woman faced with an uncertain marriage and portraying the bond between a mother and her unborn child.
"Indian writing in English has always been strong, but Asian writing both in English and in other languages is very strong at the moment with writers ranging across topics and lots of young authors emerging," Barua told AFP.
Amitav Ghosh's historical epic River of Smoke, the second volume of a planned trilogy, charts the storm-tossed journey of a convict ship from Calcutta into China's crowded harbours.
The three Indian authors will compete against The Wandering Falcon, the debut by Islamabad-based author Jamil Ahmad set in the border areas of Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan in the decades before the rise of the Taliban.
As a member of the Civil Service of Pakistan, Ahmad was posted in Pakistan's embassy in Kabul before and during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979.
Also vying for the prize is Please Look After Mom by acclaimed South Korean novelist Kyung-sook Shin, a novel that is a million-plus-copy bestseller in its native country detailing a family's search for their missing mother.
The shortlist also includes Dream of Ding Village by Chinese novelist Yan Lianke, an account of an HIV blood-selling scandal in China that was officially censored upon its Chinese publication.
The Lake by top-selling Japanese author Banana Yoshimoto tells the tale of a young woman who moves to Tokyo after the death of her mother before finding herself embroiled in a troubled romance.
The two other judges for the competition are Pulitzer-prize finalist and author of The Surrendered, Chang-rae Lee, and Vikas Swarup, author of Q & A, which was filmed as the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire.
A total of 90 books were submitted for entry in 2011 and a longlist of 12 was announced in October last year. The winning author is awarded $30,000 and the translator, if any, receives $5,000.
The winner will be announced at a black-tie ceremony in Hong Kong on March 15, 2012. Last year's prize was won by acclaimed Chinese author Bi Feiyu for Three Sisters, set during the Cultural Revolution.
Cambodian silk industry on its last threads
AFP/Philip Heijmans
Wong Kar-wai's 2046
AFP/Neil Western
World's Largest School
AFP/Sagarika Dubey
Nepal's Kung Fu Nuns
AFP/Frankie Taggart
More Korea, S Stories
Five Study Abroad Programs in South Korea
Dawn Stanton
Ginseng Festival, Geumsan, South Korea
AFP/Nam You-Sun
Celeste Goes to the Movies
Korea, S / Vietnam / Thailand
Celeste Heiter
Book review: Warrior Odyssey - Antonio Graceffo
Korea, S / Vietnam / Myanmar
David Calleja
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724430
|
__label__cc
| 0.601001
| 0.398999
|
Featured Gouache Work
Loving Vincent is the world’s first fully animated feature film in oil paints about the life of Van Gogh and his mysterious death. It was a 2018 Oscar nominee for Best Animated Feature Film, and has one numerous awards and nominations including a BAFTA and Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Film, and Winner of the European Film Award for Best Animated Film.
I was one of the 125 oil painter animators who worked on the film in 2016 for 6 months in Gdansk, Poland. I worked on a total of 6 shots, where you can see some stills from the shots to the right.
Studio: Breakthru Films
Loving Vincent - Official Trailer
Marguerite Walking in the Fields
Armand & Louise
Armand and Dr Gachet Meet
First Frame painted by: Marlena Jopyk Misiak
**This last frame of the shot was displayed a the Loving Vincent Exhibition at the Noorbrabants Museum in Den Bosch, Netherlands in 2017.
Armand and Dr. Gachet Discussing
Armand and Dr. Gachet Make Amends
Armand Reflecting
Copyright © 2018 by The Art of Tiffanie Mang. All rights reserved
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724432
|
__label__wiki
| 0.664679
| 0.664679
|
Top prospect No. 13: Jacob Lindgren
by Donnie Collins | Mar 22, 2016 | 0 comments
Jacob Lindgren’s 2015 breakout got a bit derailed by an elbow injury. Can he once again become the lefty of the future in the Yankees’ pen? Associated Press photo
Bats-throws: Left-Left
Position: Relief pitcher
40-man roster: Yes
In 2015: The Yankees’ top draft pick in 2014 entered the season barely having pitched professionally, but carrying expectations that he could immediately contribute at the big-league level. It didn’t work out quite that easily for him, though.
He opened the year with the RailRiders, posting solid numbers across the board — a 1.23 ERA and 11.9 strikeouts per game to go along with three saves in 15 games. But once he got to New York in May, things began to unravel a bit. In seven innings with the Yankees, he allowed three home runs, and he wound up having surgery to clean out his elbow. He was shut down for the year after that.
What’s to like?
That slider, of course
When he came out of Mississippi State and wound up as a second-round selection in 2014, the Yankees didn’t exactly consider Lindgren a project. He had a reputation for piling up strikeouts in the SEC, and that slider was a big reason why. It flashed as an unhittable pitch at times in 2015 with the RailRiders, but it’s a testament to the pitch that, even though he didn’t command it consistently and Triple-A hitters were able to lay off it at times, that it was still such a weapon. The Yankees have plenty of lefties to choose from in the bullpen throughout the organization, but outside of Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller, I’m not sure they have a better pitch from a lefty than Lindgren’s slider.
Lefties can forget it
The worst-case scenario for a healthy Lindgren is that he is probably just a situational lefty, and not a guy who can pitch as a set-up man or closer. But he already has shown he can excel in that role. Lefty hitters were 3 for 24 against him in the International League and 0 for 7 in the big leagues. He has a delivery that creates deception, and by the time lefties pick up the slider, it’s too late to put a decent swing on it.
What’s to worry about?
The fastball
Here’s the scouting report I had on Lindgren heading into last season: Devastating slider. Fastball that could touch the mid-90s.
A few years ago, another lefty reliever who was taken high in the draft, Royce Ring, came through Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, sporting an 80 mph fastball and memories of the time scouts thought he’d be a dominant closer with the mid-90s fastball he had during his college days. Turned out, he said, that some pitchers lose steam off their heater when they are pitching more than once a week in college. Go figure.
So with that in mind, I never expected Lindgren would be a mid-90s fastball guy here. Thought it was unrealistic. But to be entirely truthful, I was a little surprised we hardly ever saw him sit in the low-90s. He was 87-88 in early April, which wasn’t troubling. But when the Yankees called him up, he was 88-89, and I figured he’d be a few ticks up from that in May. He wasn’t much better in New York, either. I actually had a few people who follow the team ask me why his fastball was down in the Bronx when, in actuality, it was up a bit at times.
Bottom line is, he’s a little bit different a pitcher than he was at Mississippi State, because he has to be. I would expect more experienced hitters will take hacks at the fastball if they can spot the slider. When you don’t have great command — and Lindgren doesn’t — you better be more than just a one-trick pony against the best hitters in the world. Last year, I made this comparison a bit, and I stand behind it: Lindgren looked like a left-handed version of Mark Montgomery, who continues to get hitters out in Triple-A because of the slider, but there are plenty of doubts about his fastball.
The elbow
Lindgren did have elbow issues, and although they hardly required a reconstructive surgery, it was probably unexpected that he’d need a clean-out so early in the season. It will be interesting to see how he responds from the injury. And, it’s probably telling in that regard that he was one of the first cuts from Yankees camp this spring, when most everyone figured he’d be competing for a spot in the bullpen to open the year.
What to look for in 2016
Lindgren clearly is going to start off the 2016 season no differently than he started 2015: In the RailRiders bullpen, trying to show he’s ready to break into the big league pen to stay.
The difference is that he’s going to need to show he’s healthy this time. He’s going to need to show he has improved his command. He’s going to have to show he isn’t just about the slider. He may have to show the loss of velocity was due to his elbow issue. If he does, he can be a late-inning reliever in the big leagues, no question. That’s his ceiling. If he doesn’t get there, he’s still potentially a very useful big-league pitcher. His role just becomes more limited.
This is an older video of Lindgren, obviously from 2014, but you can see the slider pretty well, and it’s obviously a terrific pitch.
Here are some highlights from Lindgren’s big-league debut against Kansas City. He had good stuff that day.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724433
|
__label__wiki
| 0.741313
| 0.741313
|
James Carlton Reed
James Carlton Reed, 74, of Alamo, Calif. passed away March 29, 2018. Jim was born November 4, 1943. He was preceded in death by his parents, Wilton (Bus) and Virginia (Ginny) O’Brien Reed, and his brother David. He is survived by the love of his life Sandra Morea and his son James (Jay). He is also survived by James (Serena), Christopher (Jennifer), Shane (Margaret) and Ted (Megan) Ostrowski; and his grandchildren: Sean, Envy, Evany, Ela, Aleksander and Mary, and Jay’s mother Gail.
Jim was born in Jackson, Mich., and lived most of his young life at Clarklake, Mich. He attended Cement City High School where he played basketball and his team won the district championship in his senior year. Jim attended Michigan State University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Masters in Packaging Engineering. He also attended the University of Virginia Executive Program and Harvard University’s president’s class.
Jim was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army and served in Vietnam. After a career with IBM, Jim started his own business called Packaging Options. He built a business shaped around his ability to become friends with both his customers and suppliers. Although he spent most of his later life in California, Jim never forgot his Clarklake roots where he and SanDee met as kids. They returned to Clarklake often over the last 18 years to visit friends and family and he called each of them every few weeks to be updated. Jim and SanDee traveled the world to see and experience new places and people or play golf. Together they built lasting friendships and great memories.
There will be a celebration of Jim’s life at the Clarklake Community Church on Saturday, August 11, 2018 at 1 p.m.
Viola Moon
Jean Louise Hlavin
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724436
|
__label__wiki
| 0.840113
| 0.840113
|
Brazil: Protecting environment not only European 'interest'
President Donald Trump, left, meets with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, left, during a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, Friday, June 28, 2019. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil's foreign minister says protecting the environment "is not only a European interest" after France said it will ratify a free-trade deal between the European Union and the South American bloc Mercosur only if Brazil respects its commitment to reduce deforestation.
The EU and Mercosur last Friday finalized an agreement that would integrate the blocs into a market of 800 million people. But the deal must still be ratified by the legislatures of the countries involved.
The French government said Tuesday that it was yet not ready to ratify the pact, saying Brazil must "respect its commitments" to protecting its rainforest.
People also read these
Turkey unveils 3rd Istanbul bridge linking Europe with Asia
Turkey opened one of the world's largest bridges Friday designed to allow traffic to cross the Bosphorus Strait between Europe and Asia
UN condemns 4 North Korean ballistic missile launches
The UN Security Council is strongly condemning four North Korean ballistic missile launches in July and August, calling them "grave violations" of a ban on all ballistic missile activity
Tropical weather system spares North Carolina's Outer Banks
North Carolina's Outer Banks have been spared from a tropical storm system that has been moving toward the state for two days, threatening up to 5 inches of rain
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724443
|
__label__wiki
| 0.986205
| 0.986205
|
W I L D C A T V I L L E
Mainly about Linfield football. But, other things, too.
Story below from 2010 is about Leonard "Len" Gann, a 1971, Linfield graduate. He transferred from Linfield after attending Palomar College, a two-year college in San Marcos, Calif. He was a quarterback for the Palomar Comets. He was a Linfield QB, playing on the first two seasons (1968, 1969) of Ad Rutschman-coached Wildcat football teams. Gann was Linfield's starting quarterback in the Wildcats' 1968 season-opening 17-7 victory in Boise over the Boise State Broncos. He threw a touchdown pass to Bob Murphy in the game. View video of Len Gann responding to his Nov. 10 induction (Class of 2010) into the San Diego Hall of Champions. Gann lives in Sequim ("Squim"), Wash. According to Wikipedia, Sequim (in Clallam Co.) had a population more than 6,600 in 2010. "The city has been increasing in population dramatically in recent years due to the influx of retirees from the Puget Sound region and California," says Wikipedia. The city lies within the "rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains and receives on average less than 15 inches (380 mm) of rain per year—about the same at Los Angeles.... Yet the city is fairly close to some of the wettest temperate rainforests of the contiguous" U.S. Photo by Michael Dashiell of the Sequim Gazette.
Gann among greatest
Area Sports by Michael Dashiell, Sequim, Wash., Gazette
Ted Williams, Don Larsen, Bill Walton, Tony Gwynn, Leonard Gann.
Which of these names doesn’t belong?
If you had said Leonard Gann two months ago, you’d have been correct.
The former high school coach, who led teams in six different sports and racked up 322 wins, seven league titles and two sectional titles in prep softball, was inducted into the San Diego County High School Coaching Legends at the San Diego Hall of Champions, joining some of the nation’s greatest coaches and athletes.
Dignitaries and former players honored the retired coach at a ceremony at the hall on Nov. 10.
“Totally surprised,” Gann says of his selection. “I thought it was quite an honor.”
A committee that honors coaches for the hall contacted Gann, a Sequim resident for the past five years, about two years ago. He filled out an application detailing his 35 years of coaching football, baseball, basketball, softball, soccer and tennis teams for the San Marco, Calif., Unified School District.
“I never gave it any more thought,” Gann says.
He worked as a teacher for the district, in special education, health and safety, and, for the last decade or so, as head of the physical education department.
He led the San Marco High School softball squad to a sectional title in 1996. When San Marco got too big and split into two schools, he headed up the Mission Hills High softball squad, leading that team to a sectional title in 2005.
He was named Coach of the Year five times, receiving the AFLAC National Assistant Coach of the Year award in 2003, the High School Sports Association Assistant Coaches Award in 2004 and the Cal-Hi Sports Coach of the Year in 2005.
Well before that, however, Gann had his eyes on Sequim. His wife Jane’s twin sister Anne Terrell lived in Sequim and the Ganns planned their move about four years before he called it quits at San Marco.
Gann helped lead the Sequim junior varsity football squad and worked with Sequim’s baseball program before finally calling it a career this July — officially 40 years of coaching.
It’s a retirement in name only. Gann, 63, is also player-manager for the Sequim Senior Softball team.
“This guy is an athlete,” says teammate John Zervos. “I think I’m pretty good. I’m one of the fastest on the team (but) I can’t keep up with Leonard. He’s the leader of the team.”
And while playing the game keeps Gann’s competitive juices flowing, he says there’s something special about being a coach.
“You always love to compete (but) … to watch (a game) is probably more satisfying,” Gann says.
If he had to pick, Gann says his favorite sports to coach are softball and football.
“It takes a total team effort to win,” he says. “In basketball, it takes five guys, maybe a couple off the bench. But (in football), if all 11 guys aren’t working together, you don’t win.”
A good winning percentage, however, doesn’t mean someone is a good coach, Gann says.
“It’s not so much wins and losses; it’s how the kids respond to the coach,” Gann says. “Some of my best teams were not the most talented.”
About 70 or 80 former players joined Gann and 11 other San Diego-area high school prep coaching stars at the ceremony in November.
Zervos joked that Gann needed to go out and buy long pants for the ceremony, since team members say they’d never seen their teammate in anything but shorts — even in chilly Sequim winter weather.
“I never wore long pants … except in the classroom,” Gann says. “You need to be professional in the classroom.”
The San Diego coaching icon says Sequim is home now, even if his name and career highlights reside in Southern California.
“I truly miss the even weather they have, but I don’t miss much more than that,” Gann says. “Sequim’s a great place. I wish I could have grown up here. It’s the small community I guess. The kids here are great — and the coaches.”
Posted by Wildcatville at 4:19 PM
Angels in the Helser Field outfield?
Angels in the outfield of Linfield's Helser (baseball) Field? No, but outfield work was being done there as these Wildcatville photos (all identfied with a "W", taken 6/14/2012) atest. Arial photos -- taken several years ago -- from Linfield Sports Info.
mcminnville weather
Story below from 2010 is about Leonard "Len" Gann,...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724444
|
__label__wiki
| 0.631969
| 0.631969
|
Janipher Maseko fled Uganda after her mother died and she was raped by armed rebels.
She was 13 when she arrived in the UK. She was looking for a place of safety. This is what she found
The Guardian, Saturday 24 November 2007
I came to this country five years ago, a desperate young teenager, alone, in search of help and safety. The last thing I expected was that I would end up sleeping on the streets in one of the richest countries in the world, hungry, cold, tired and bleeding. If, by telling my story, I can prevent the same thing happening to just one other woman and her children, then it will be worth speaking out.
Black Women's Rape Action Project
Janipher Maseko
Yarl's Wood
End the detention of rape survivors
Ms Janipher Maseko to be released from detention!
31 May 2007: On 29 May, following a wave of public outrage against the Home Office, social services and SERCO (the company running Yarl’s Wood Removal Centre), Ms Janipher Maseko, an 18 year old mother who was detained and separated from her two young children, was told that she and her children are to be released. Hundreds of letters, calls and other pressure forced the Home Office to concede that they could not justify her continued incarceration. Directions to remove her to Uganda have also been cancelled.
In the course of pressing for Ms Maseko to be reunited with her children and released, it came out that other mothers and babies had also been cruelly separated. In a letter to Lord Avebury about a Vietnamese mother and her six-month-old baby, Immigration Minister, Liam Byrne said:
Serco
Stop the threatened removal of Janipher Maseko, breastfeeding mother with two babies
Update: On 29 May, following a wave of public outrage against the Home Office, social services and SERCO Ms Janipher Maseko, was told that she and her children are to be released.
Ms Janipher Maseko, aged 18, who had fled rape and violence in Uganda and sought asylum in the UK four years ago as an unaccompanied minor, contacted BWRAP on 18 May from Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre through a fax written with the assistance of other detained women whom BWRAP is helping. Ms Maseko was terrified that she would be deported without her newborn son and one-year-old daughter from whom she had been separated for about 10 days.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724445
|
__label__wiki
| 0.907521
| 0.907521
|
Home » Campaigns
Rape victim falsely accused of lying by police wins £20,000 payout
Police admit wrongly arresting woman assaulted at age 17, but mother criticises force for leaving her daughter traumatized
Sandra Laville
Friday 22 May 201506.00 BSTLast modified on Friday 22 May 201506.03 BST
A rape victim falsely accused of lying by detectives has won £20,000 in damages after suing police under the Human Rights Act. The woman, who cannot be named, was 17 when a man raped her in Winchester in April 2012 after a night out with friends. Her mother reported the attack hours later and the victim told officers her T-shirt may contain her attacker’s DNA.
But the garment was never sent for forensic testing and weeks later the girl, who has mental health problems, was accused of lying about the rape and arrested for perverting the course of justice. During the arrest, one detective told her: “This is what happens when you lie.”
Documents seen by the Guardian reveal that detectives from Hampshire police decided within two days of the rape report that the girl was lying. A detective inspector, who was supervising the inquiry, told a junior colleague: “Fucking nick her.”
But six months later – after a complaint by the girl’s mother about her treatment – a new team of officers reviewed the investigation and informed the mother and her daughter that they believed her. The T-shirt was sent for testing, and the suspect, Liam Foard, was tried and found guilty.
Hampshire police have apologised to the family and admitted liability for false imprisonment and assault. The force accepted there was a breach of its duties under the Human Rights Act to properly investigate the rape.
The victim’s mother said: “I’m glad that they had admitted they were wrong, but how many time does it have to happen? If it can happen to my daughter, how many more can it happen to?” She said her daughter had yet to receive an apology in person.
Four officers faced disciplinary action after an internal investigation by the Hampshire force’s professional standards department. Three avoided any sanction after they retired or resigned, and the fourth was given a written warning.
Debaleena Dasgupta, the young woman’s lawyer, said: “Many people wrongly assume the police have a legal obligation to investigate crimes. However, the only way victims of crime can seek justice for these sorts of issues is using the Human Rights Act, which imposes a duty on the police to properly investigate very serious offences.”
In the days after the rape, the girl was attacked twice in the local area and called a “pathetic rape victim”. The police investigated both incidents but no further action was taken. Eight weeks after her rape complaint, on June 22 2012, the girl was asked to come to a police station, where she was told she was under arrest for perverting the course of justice.
“I just thought, ‘What the hell is going on?’” her mother said. “I knew what perverting the course of justice meant, so I knew they were arresting her for lying about the rape. So at that time my daughter had just turned 18 and I insisted because of mental health problems that I sit in on the interview.
“She [my daughter] tried to run away – she just couldn’t believe it. And she did put up a fight in the police station.”
After her arrest, the girl was on police bail for months while Hampshire police consulted the Crown Prosecution Service about whether to charge her. “It was horrible, because it was like she might have gone to prison. And what would she do, how would she cope, how would I cope, how would the family cope?” her mother said. She added that her daughter’s mental health deteriorated as they waited for the charging decision, and that she began self-harming and attempted suicide twice.
“She was upset because she couldn’t believe that they couldn’t believe that it could happen to her,” the mother said. “We didn’t find out until a later date that they hadn’t done the forensics on the clothes. And that was partly the decision to arrest her, for perverting the course of justice.”
In October, on the day the teenager was due to answer bail, two officers visited mother and daughter at their home. “They told me that my daughter didn’t need to go to the police station to answer bail and that they now believed her story and they would now be taking over the investigation,” said her mother. “I remember standing in the living room saying, ‘They believe you, they believe you.’ She didn’t believe it. She had lost all faith in them by then.”
Documents from Hampshire police confirm that when forensic tests were finally carried out on the T-shirt, seminal fluid and DNA from the suspect were detected. The police documents state: “This was particularly significant as when interviewed for rape, Liam Foard denied any sexual contact with her.” Foard was convicted of rape in September 2013 at Winchester crown court and jailed for six years.
An internal investigation by the force’s professional standards department highlighted the impact of her arrest on the young woman. It said: “Given that she had been raped, reported the matter to the police and now found herself under arrest and being accused of lying, this must have been a particularly traumatic experience. Clearly, had the rape investigation been completed to the required standard, she would never have been arrested and interviewed.”
Chief Superintendent David Powell, head of Prevention and Neighbourhoods at Hampshire police, said: “We accept the way we initially treated this victim fell well below the standard we would expect. We deeply regret this and we took action at the time by referring this case to our professional standards department.
“We have changed our internal processes and any decision by an investigating officer to discontinue a rape investigation or release a suspect with no further action has to be agreed by an independent panel chaired by an assistant chief constable.
“I would like to reassure all victims of sexual assault that we do take you seriously. We do believe you, we appreciate how hard it is to come forward to report these offences, we do not judge you and we are committed to ensuring a professional and supportive response. We are doing everything to ensure we never have an initial response like this again.”
False allegations or miscarriages of justice?
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724446
|
__label__wiki
| 0.874017
| 0.874017
|
Breakfast with Baroness Catherine Ashton
Cannon 122
About this event: Please join the Women's Congressional Staff Association's Professional Development Committee and the Wilson Center as we host Baroness Catherine Ashton. During this event we will discuss, Ashton's role in the Iran Deal, leaning in on a global scale and lifting as we climb.
Baroness Ashton is a Life Peer in the House of Lords. Before joining the Lords she worked as a Director for Business in the Community, committed to Inner City Regeneration and supporting minority communities to get better employment opportunities. She was also the Vice President of the National Council for One Parent Families. She has served as a minister in the Department for Education and Skills, and subsequently in the Department for Constitutional Affairs and Ministry of Justice. In 2005 she was voted House Magazine Minister of the Year and Channel 4 Peer of the Year. She became the first ever Stonewall Politician of the Year for her work on equality. She was appointed Leader of the House of Lords and Lord President of the Queen's Privy Council in Gordon Brown’s first Cabinet in June 2007.
In 2008, she was appointed as the first woman to be a British European Commissioner and became the first woman Commissioner for Trade in the European Commission. She concluded the South Korea trade deal, opened the Canada negotiations and resolved some long standing disputes with the USA. In 2009, she became the European Union's first High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and won praise for her work as a negotiator in difficult international situations, particularly for her role in bringing Serbia and Kosovo to agreement in 2013 and in the P5+1 talks with Iran which she led for 4.5 years.
Breakfast with Baroness Catherine Ashton and Gwen Young
9:00 a.m.- 10:00 a.m.
Location: Cannon 122
Breakfast will be provided
She has received numerous awards for her diplomatic work including the highest diplomat honors from the King of Jordan and most recently from Germany. Together with the PMs of Serbia and Kosovo she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by both sides of the US Congress. On leaving office she was awarded the Grand Cross of St Michael and St George [GCMG] by HM The Queen. In February 2017, she received the Presidential Medal from Kosovo. She is a Woodrow Wilson Scholar and a member of the Global Leadership Foundation. She has just been appointed the first woman Chancellor Warwick University in the UK.
For additional information and questions, do not hesitate to email Elizabeth-Burton Jones (ebj@mail.house.gov).
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724447
|
__label__wiki
| 0.611337
| 0.611337
|
Press Release: Funding sought to expand pilot e-reader project
February 1, 2014 By Press Releases Leave a Comment
The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
The United Methodist Church
1001 19th Ave. South
Nashville, Tenn. 37212
Contact: Vicki Brown, vbrown@gbhem.org, 615-340-7380
View this release online at: http://bit.ly/1kkm1Ts
Funding Sought to Expand Pilot E-Reader Project
By Vicki Brown
A pilot project to provide e-readers loaded with theological texts for a seminary in Liberia has proved so successful that additional funding is being sought to expand the project to other seminaries in Africa, including Africa University, Kamina Methodist University, Kabongo Methodist University, and several others.
The goal of the original project was to raise $30,000 to buy 100 electronic books and texts for professors and students at the Gbarnga School of Theology in Liberia. The students and professors no longer spend precious time and money copying texts and making notes from scarce textbooks.
Once the $30,000 goal was reached, fundraising efforts continued and more than $70,000 has been pledged to support implementing this project in other parts of Africa.
The pilot project was funded by the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry and the General Board of Discipleship. The United Methodist Publishing House provided select texts that were loaded into the e-readers.
Amos Nascimento, GBHEM’s special assistant for Global Education and New Initiatives, said the general agencies provide technical assistance and support.
“This campaign involved members of the Board of Directors in the two agencies, Boards of Ordained Ministry, Annual Conferences, local churches, individual donors, universities in Africa, faculty, and the students – who also contribute to the process by paying $30 to acquire the e-readers. For all these reasons, this project has been a great success and can be expanded,” Nascimento said.
The project not only funded new technology directly to users, it also involved working with faculty to identify key texts that matched the curriculum they needed in that school, according to the Rev. Stephen Bryant, GBOD’s director of Discipleship Resources International.
He added that the use of e-readers can potentially bridge an important gap that still exists in theological education in Africa. GBHEM has invested in online education and technological infrastructure for Methodist-related universities and theological seminaries in 12 African countries, focusing mainly on the provision of computer labs, access to the Internet, generators, and other equipment that can be installed at institutional settings.
To learn more or to donate online, visit drint.org/donate.
*Brown is associate editor and writer, Office of Interpretation, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry.
The United Methodist Reporter receives press releases on a regular basis from UM related agencies announcing events and other programs. We are providing them unedited as a service to UMR readers.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724449
|
__label__cc
| 0.563807
| 0.436193
|
Big Finish Classics: Dracula review
Some say Dracula is all about sex.
Those people would be pleased with the most recent Big Finish Classics release, an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, written by Jonathan Barnes and directed by Scott Handcock. Like in their adaptation of Frankenstein, the sex quotient is definitely amped up, but unlike in Frankenstein, it is appropriate to the source material. A lot of people have analysed Dracula as an allegory for sexuality — and that’s of course an enduring quality of the vampire, from Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla to Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight. A lot of what’s in this version was already in the novel itself, such as Lucy Westenra declaring she wishes she could marry three different men all at once.
Mark Gatiss is sophisticated yet brutish as the ancient count, a perfect combination
Some is added, but makes sense: when Jonathan Harker comes back from his experience in Transylvania and marries Mina Murray, he refuses to consummate their marriage until Dracula is dead. There’s a scene between Jonathan and Dracula where Harker is shaving that they definitely play with sexual connotations, and Joseph Kloska plays Harker as completely shaken by his experiences, in such a way that it made me think he had come to doubt his very sexuality. Mina keeps pushing him to have sex, but he cannot do it, he must expunge the danger of homosexuality first. But Mina’s motives are not altogether pure, either. You couldn’t put this stuff in an actual Victorian novel as text, but much of it is subtext, and it’s an effective move for the adaptation to bring it out.
I am a little disappointed, however, that Barnes cuts the “bloofer lady” incident, because I think it most clearly shows the threat that the Victorians saw in female sexuality, and it’s one of the more horrifying parts of the book. I mean, I know space is a concern, but surely this moment was too key to lose!
Some say Dracula is all about infection.
This gets lost behind all the modern focus on sex. We love to talk about sex, but you can also view the novel as being about a virus suddenly let loose in an urban space, an infection spreading like wildfire in a new environment that makes it all too easy for infection to spread. We’re afraid of cities as dirty environments where things like this can incubate, and Dracula taps into that fear. So I was glad to hear that Barnes maintains some of the medical aspects that I suspect are lost from most Dracula adaptations (I actually don’t have very much experience with Dracula adaptations; I don’t think I’ve seen a single film of it), such as the blood transfusions. If Dracula is an infection, then he must be fought with medical treatment, and here he is.
Some say Dracula is all about modernity.
Dracula is a fragment of the Old World, a Gothic land of castles and people who live in fear of their shadows, come to our New World, that of cities and empire, in order to rejuvenate himself. He wants the youth embodied in London that lies beyond his reach in Transylvania. Barnes’s adaptation makes this explicit: Mark Gatiss’s Dracula is desperate to know all he can of England, reading countless books on the subject, and talking of nothing else with Jonathan Harker.
But modernity proves to be Dracula’s undoing. The novel Dracula is presented as a collection of documents edited by Mina Harker, which has always felt like a scientific impulse to me. She takes various oral and written accounts and systematises them to locate objective truth. (That she knows shorthand is a key plot point in the book!) The audio version of Dracula maintains this frame: we are listening to a combination of diary entries, phonograph recordings, ship’s logs, and more, and when Mina puts all this information together and plays it back, and that’s when the little team of amateur vampire-hunters is finally able to spring into action. Rationality triumphs over superstition.
This is driven home in a scene where the vampire-hunters comment about what an unlikely group they are: the prejudices of their parents’ generation would not have allowed them to come together across class and national boundaries the way they have. Only the coming world of the twentieth century could allow for such a thing. It’s a nice little moment. Also nice is the large role that Barnes afford Mina Harker in the proceedings: as played by Deirdre Mullins, she is a complete badass, taking charge and motivating the men when they don’t know what to do. This is the first Big Finish story I’ve heard Mullins in, but I hope it’s not the last. Just count me disappointed that Barnes cut the bit where they are able to catch up with Dracula because of Mina’s knowledge of railway timetables. If that’s not the most Victorian way to express the triumph of New World modernity over Old World superstition, I don’t know what is!
This is one of the strongest Big Finish Classics: the casting is strong, the sound design and music suitably atmospheric, and the script one of Jonathan Barnes’s best yet
Some say Dracula is all about horror.
Well, quite. For me the best part of the book will always be the opening chapters, with Jonathan’s Gothic adventures in Transylvania as it slowly dawns on him that something is very wrong. This is the best part of this audio version for sure, with Jonathan’s increasing claustrophobia and panic captured very well through his diary entries. It’s also the part of the story that gives Mark Gatiss the most to do as Dracula, since in the London parts of the story he’s mostly an off-stage threat. Gatiss is sophisticated yet brutish as the ancient count, a perfect combination, and I really enjoyed his performance and just wish we could have heard more of it.
On the other hand, my other favourite part of the book is when they read the ship’s log of the Russian freighter that transported Dracula and his 50 caskets of earth to England. In the book, it has the terror of the found document, the nineteenth-century equivalent of a found-footage movie like The Blair Witch Project or Cloverfield. On audio, with narration from the Russian captain intercut with Mina’s reading of the same, it doesn’t quite have the same level of terror, alas. But overall, the audio medium is the perfect one for presenting a collage of found testimony. I’d love to hear what Big Finish could do with Wilkie Collins’s The Woman in White, if they’re looking for more ideas for Big Finish Classics.
Overall, this is one of the strongest Big Finish Classics. For me, Treasure Island is still the best so far, but I would put this in the second tier with The Phantom of the Opera. The casting is strong (I didn’t even mention the delights of David Menkin as American cowboy Quincy P. Morris, though on the other hand, Katy Manning’s voice is too distinctive for doubling up as she does here), the sound design by Iain Meadows and music by James Dunlop suitably atmospheric for the most part, and the script by Jonathan Barnes one of his best yet for Big Finish.
Dracula (by Bram Stoker, Jonathan Barnes; starring Mark Gatiss) was released by Big Finish Productions in May 2016.
UNIT: Shutdown review
The Avengers: The Comic Strip Adaptations: Volume One review
The Coming of the Martians review
Big Finish Classics: The Martian Invasion of Earth review
Big Finish Classics: King Lear review
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724450
|
__label__wiki
| 0.587888
| 0.587888
|
Gordon Campbell on the school strike for climate change
March 14, 2019 Gordon Campbell 2 - Second Front Page, Columns, Gordon Campbell, World 0
Last August, when 15 year old Greta Thunberg first began her lonely school strike in Sweden against climate change, she had a succinct message for those adults telling her that she would be better off being in class: “If you don’t give a shit about my future, why should I?”
Now, eight months later, Thunberg’s solitary action has snowballed into a worldwide movement in 92 countries, at last count. On Friday, March 15, New Zealand teenagers will be holding their own school strike against climate change, as part of the global action being held on that day.
Basically, this is a protest and call to action against the ongoing failure to do anything to halt the planetary destruction that will be our main legacy for the next generation. Locally, the school strike has won a ton of support for bringing climate change to the fore.
Yet the strikers don’t want mere expressions of support. They want action. Its weird, as Thunberg says, for the people who have brought about this mess to be now claiming that they support the condemnation of their complicity in it. Predictably, the school strikers in New Zealand have been criticized by some people for skipping classes. A few brain dead authority figures have even seen fit to jeer at them:
Secondary Principals Association president and Pakuranga College principal Michael Williams has said students’ impact on climate change would be “probably zero”.
“If my environmental council students came to me and said they wanted to strike, I’d say ‘What’s it going to achieve?’,” he said. “We’re concerned that students are wasting good learning time.”
That jaded “what’s it going to achieve” line is quite a message. Give up kids, because Michael Williams and his ilk already have, apparently. As for the concern about “wasting” good learning time… that’s code for dumping on the strikers for calling critical attention to the failures of their elders and betters. Haven’t these kids got better things to do? Greta Thunberg has seen that sort of criticism for what it is:
“They are desperately trying to change the subject whenever the school strikes come up. They know they can’t win this fight, because they haven’t done anything.”
Closer to home, the New Zealand children organising Friday’s action have been equally adept at dealing with their own critics:
Christchurch strike organiser Lucy Gray, 12, said students were striking for their future. “Teachers, they strike all the time to get what they want and that’s just money. We want our future; I think that should be allowed.”
This parallel between (a) teachers’ striking over wages and conditions and (b) pupils striking over the planet’s survival prospects has been seized on and exploited by a few politicians. Amusingly, National Party leader Simon Bridges suggested that maybe the school strike should be held on a day that isn’t a school day:\
National Party leader Simon Bridges said climate change was an important issue, but the strike should not have been held on a school day. He said the protest could have been timed to coincide with the upcoming strike by secondary school teachers on 3 April.
Birds of a feather, right. Why, it may be climate change right now, but next thing – if they’re given the chance to learn about strikes and other forms of resistance – these children might even come to object to being trained for a life as a corporate drone. The wheels of commerce might then grind to a halt. And while that might be good for climate change, it would be a terrible, terrible thing for shareholder profits. Which is pretty much the cause that Simon Bridges exists to serve.
The linkages between business-as-usual, planetary warming and the destruction of species are of course, the very connections that those in authority would prefer the nation’s young do not make, at least not with any urgency. What schoolchildren are being advised instead is to stay in class and learn how to stand on the sidelines, wringing their hands ineffectually – just like their parents, and their parents before them, have done. Now, if you don’t mind, business needs to get on with extracting the last drops of profit from our dying eco-systems.
Already though, the school strike has been a success before it even begins. Arguably, it has done more to engage the community about climate change, species destruction and rising sea levels than anything else has managed to do over the past few years. Nationwide, it is igniting conversations around the dinner table about climate change – its causes and its effects – in hundreds of thousands of New Zealand homes. It might even push the issue of climate change higher up the 6pm television news bulletins tomorrow night and one hopes, subsequently.
Alone of course, such strikes will not stop the destruction of the planet. Actions need to follow and the strikers (see below) have several in mind. Yet at the very least, this generation of kids will be able to tell their children what they did to try and stop the process.
Footnote One: Climate change is not the only avenue through which human action is destroying the school global heritage of the school strikers. Bio-diversity is also in crisis, and is being caused by the same wilfully blind economic forces. Last year, the WWF reported that human action has – since 1970 alone – wiped out 60% of the world’s mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. Large animals are being destroyed at an alarming rate.
An analysis of 362 megafauna species found that 70% of them are in decline, with 59% classed as threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Direct killing by humans is the leading cause across all classes of animals, the study states. A range of maladies including intensive agriculture, toxins and invasive competitors are also helping to trigger these declines.
Across the world, 1,200 species are in danger of extinction, as they risk losing 90% of their habitat. Furthermore, 70% of the world’s remaining wilderness areas are now contained in only five countries.
Footnote Two: As the movement she ignited has spread around the world, Greta Thunberg has remained remarkably focussed:
Asked whether she has become more optimistic because the climate issue has risen up the political agenda and politicians in the US and Europe are considering green New Deals that would ramp up the transition to renewable energy, her reply is brutally honest. “No, I am not more hopeful than when I started. The emissions are increasing and that is the only thing that matters. I think that needs to be our focus. We cannot talk about anything else.”
Right. That’s important because, while we talked before about the evils of climate change, New Zealand’s gross emissions 1990-2016 have inexorably risen by nearly 20% over that period.
* New Zealand’s gross emissions have increased 19.6 per cent since 1990
* In 2016 the agriculture and energy sectors were the two largest contributors to New Zealand’s gross emissions, at 49.2 per cent and 39.8 per cent respectively.
* Net emissions have increased by 54.2 per cent since 1990 because of more trees being cut down and an increase in gross emissions.
Footnote Three: With all of that in mind, urgent, credible action is being proposed by the school strikers, on their website. Among their demands: they want a comprehensive Zero Carbon Act passed by Parliament – which would have to include action on the contributions to climate change being made by agriculture and energy – in order to set New Zealand on the path towards carbon neutrality.
They also want all exploration and extraction of fossil fuels to stop immediately, and are asking for investments to be made into renewable energy alternatives.
The list of demands also asks for the Governments plans to reach emission targets to be “fast tracked, well planned and transparent.”
Friday’s Child
Van Morrison isn’t exactly hot right now, but this is the song that comes to mind. Friday’s child/you can’t stop now…
Child and Youth Issues
emissions trading scheme
school climate strike
World Environment
zero carbon
Zero Carbon Act
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724455
|
__label__cc
| 0.675686
| 0.324314
|
Kathleen Annunziata Nicolaides, B.A., D-ABFDE
Forensic Document Examiner
Kathleen Annunziata Nicolaides graduated from the State University of New York at Binghamton (now Binghamton University) with a BA in Literature and the English Language. Kathy trained with William J. Flynn from October 1998 – August 2001 and was certified by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners (ABFDE) in November 2005. She is a member of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners, the Southwestern Association of Forensic Document Examiners (SWAFDE), and the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Kathy is past Secretary of the ABFDE, past Secretary and Newsletter Editor for SWAFDE, and past Editor of the peer-reviewed Journal of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners.
Alan M. Kreitl, B.S., D-ABFDE
Alan Kreitl is a full-time examiner at the Arizona Department of Public Safety Crime Laboratory and a part-time examiner at AFL. Alan holds a BS in Forensic Science from Michigan State University. After conducting drug analyses at AZ DPS for 4 years, Alan trained with Howard A. Birnbaum in the AZ DPS questioned document unit and completed his training March 2000. He is now the senior forensic document examiner and technical leader at the state crime laboratory. Alan has been working with Affiliated Forensic Laboratory since 2006. He is a member of the Southwestern Association of Forensic Document Examiners, where he currently serves on the board as the Mountain Region’s representative. Alan was certified by the American Board of Forensic Document Examiners in 2014.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724457
|
__label__wiki
| 0.964879
| 0.964879
|
Starry-eyed in Texas
by Anna · Published March 29, 2006 · Updated December 9, 2010
Like thousands of others, 22-year-old Latvian singer-songwriter Goran Gora packed his bags, his guitar and his dreams of musical success, and brought them all to the 20th South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival in sunny Austin, Texas, from March 15 to 19. It was his first trip to America. Not everything went well.
Gora’s big moment at the festival came on March 16 at Spiro’s Club in downtown Austin, just blocks from a surprise Beastie Boys concert. After a rudimentary sound check, Gora introduced himself by saying he was from Riga and a bit far from home. “Perhaps, too far,” Gora said, his light blue eyes scanning the trickle of patrons.
For his SXSW show, Gora alternately played acoustic guitar and keyboards, while his manager, Toms Grevins, 24, a lanky figure with floppy hair covering his eyes, hunched over a laptop computer perched on a tall cocktail table, added subtle background beats. During Gora’s more subdued set, Spiro’s back patio featured the intense Luxembourg musician Daniel Balthasar. Whenever the patio door opened, Gora’s music was overwhelmed by the waves of sound crashing through.
“I think they put them on the wrong stage, with the loud stuff in the back,” Ron Sartor, 31, Gora’s SXSW sound engineer said.
“Like a knife in the back,” Gora said.
European dreams
Gora showed up in Texas with two managers in tow, Grevins, a DJ, and Dace Volfa, 33, an editor at the Latvian music magazine, “Muzikas Saule.”
It may seem counter-intuitive, but Team Goran’s goal for SXSW was to introduce Gora to the European music industry. The whole thing was Grevins’ idea. “It’s the same recognition as playing 30 gigs across Europe,” he said.
This year’s SXSW was the largest ever, with 1,400 acts performing at nearly 60 venues, most of them around Austin’s Sixth Street entertainment district. The Arctic Monkeys, Jim Noir and The Magic Numbers (all from the United Kingdom) and the Swedish musician Ane Brun were all there.
Gora was one of only a thimbleful of eastern and central European acts at this year’s SXSW and Gora claims to be the festival’s first Baltic act since Latvia’s New Moon performed in 1992.
Latvians may be more familiar with Gora’s bittersweet English-language ballads. Last week, “Two Hands” held the number fourteen spot at the commercially-owned, Latvia-wide, pop-rock station Radio SWH.
This past January, Gora performed “Fools in Love” live on Latvian television for a half-million people at the SWH Latvian Music Awards, where viewers voted on 15 song performances. Gora came in eighth. For those who haven’t heard Gora, his music is reminiscent of the Icelandic music he adores (Bjork, Sugarcubes, Mum), and invokes current radio hits like James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful” and “Goodbye My Lover” and Belle & Sebastian’s “Another Sunny Day.”
You might expect someone who makes such sad and lovelorn recordings to be glum, but Gora is positively bubbly. That said, with his compact frame, close-cropped brown hair and black suit jacket, he physically resembles mope master Morrissey, onetime singer for The Smiths.
Gora (born Janis Holsteins) currently lives at home with his family in Baldone, Latvia, a hamlet of 7,000, within commuting distance of Riga. According to Gora, the tiny town is home to five bands.
“For that city, five bands is a lot,” Gora said. “I’m the only one …known outside Baldone.”
It’s a musical family, he says, and has been very supportive of his career. Gora’s older brother Kristaps Holsteins, 24, planned on attending SXSW, but stayed home to supervise the production of the CD “2 Hands/ 4 Songs” being pressed in the Czech Republic. Though it’s primarily destined for Iceland and London, Gora hopes to have his recording in a Riga music store and some art galleries.
Gora started writing music in 2000. After teaching himself guitar and piano, he made several homemade albums on his tape recorder, including “A Muadoil” and “Birdie.” He passed these around to friends. About a year ago, Gora recorded some demo tracks at a friend’s basement studio in Baldone. His friends sent these demos to Grevins new music show “Basement.” When Grevins played Gora’s music, people contacted him asking for more.
“A lot more than usual for a new person. I can’t remember a situation like this,” Grevins said, describing the unprecedented response to Gora’s music.
After meeting in person at a Pajaat Records event in Baldone, the pair headed to a professional recording studio for Gora’s song “Slow Down,” with Grevins doing what he called “producer work.”
Soon, a Swedish promoter called Grevins to find out what was happening in Latvia. That’s how Gora ended up playing Stockholm’s Baltic Sea Festival last August.
This past Christmas, Gora played a sold-out show to an audience of over 500 at Cinema Riga, backed by a string quartet and trumpet.
American blues
Gora wasn’t the only one to have sound problems at SXSW. A Saturday afternoon SXSW set by Swedish singer-songwriter Jose Gonzalez at another tiny club was difficult to hear because of sound intruding from the heavily amplified band on the club’s patio.
“It’s cool in many ways,” Gonzalez said about SXSW. “The only problem is that you don’t get a sound check.”
On his way back to Latvia, Gora played a set on March 20 in Jersey City, New Jersey, arranged by friends of Team Goran. The fifty people in the audience included nearly a dozen Latvians.
Gora’s SXSW showcase and his Jersey show are but two events in a busy musical year.
At SXSW, Gora personally gave CDs of his work to some of his favorite artists, including Iceland’s Mum and American singer-songwriter Willy Mason. Gora was thrilled to have approached Mason. Giving your CD to a celebrity is a “very un-Latvian thing to do,” he said.
“I am a musician and I play music,” he said. “But I’ve never felt like I’ve been part of the musicians’ family,” Gora said. That all changed at SXSW. “I have a feeling that I am one of the musicians. It feels like we are all the same.”
“I think that we did all we wanted to at SXSW, played, gave away CD’s. I suppose the future will tell if it was worth it,” an upbeat Gora said after his Jersey City show.
Gora’s own SXSW highlights included performances by UK acts Art Brut, the Editors and Belle & Sebastian, and a spontaneous pre-festival jam session at the home of his SXSW host Michael Wimer, 48. Wimer has hosted bands for 13 years for SXSW’s international hospitality program. Last year he hosted Sweden’s Thomas Denver Jonsson, whom Gora toured with in Latvia.
“I try to show them southern hospitality,” Wimer said, which included transporting gear for Gora’s show in his van.
Gora is now preparing for two London shows. His future plans include studio time in June, a pan-Baltic tour this summer and an album in November.
“I wouldn’t come if I didn’t think this artist was worth it,” Volfa said at the beginning of SXSW. “Hope we aren’t the only ones” who feel that way, she added.
Original Story Online
Original Story Archive
Tags: The Baltic Times
Historic Hotel Hosts Humdinger of a Festival
by Anna · Published October 13, 2007 · Last modified September 14, 2015
by Anna · Published June 17, 2010 · Last modified February 2, 2011
Left Out in the Cold
by Anna · Published June 16, 2000 · Last modified December 20, 2010
Next story Forensics: It’s more than CSI
Previous story It’s a long way from Latvia to a SXSW show
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724460
|
__label__cc
| 0.598721
| 0.401279
|
Applied Value gives Time, Talent and Treasure to further causes that are making a positive impact in the world
As global citizens, Applied Value takes its responsibility to give back seriously. We provide board leadership, strategic consulting services and corporate donations to select mission-driven organizations that benefit individuals in various regions of the world. Applying experiences and best practices taken from the private sector strengthen our partners, allowing them to maximize their social impact.
Hand in Hand’s mission is to work for economic and social empowerment of the poorest and most marginalized people by supporting the development of businesses and jobs. Since 2003, the Hand in Hand network has helped start and sustain 1.3 million businesses and has generated 1.9 million jobs.
As a business founder and owner, I know first-hand how entrepreneurship transforms lives. This is what originally led me to support Hand in Hand as a donor, and what continues to drive the organization’s success...
— Bruce Grant, Applied Value CEO and Chairman of Hand in Hand
Children not attending school, poor health, carelessness about the environment – it all went back to poverty. I realized I had to attack the problem at the root... Our model, help to self-help, puts people’s destinies into their own hands - You train them, you coach them, but they decide themselves about the future...
— Percy Barnevik, Founder & Honorary Chairman of Hand in Hand International
World Vision is dedicated to working with children, families and communities, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender, to overcome poverty and injustice. World Vision is both local and global, working at the grassroots in countries all around the world.
Exodus Transitional Community offers a broad spectrum of services for adults and youth affected by the justice system, and we are proud to lead the policy and advocacy efforts that promote positive change in our communities.
Cross Keys Retreat is a peer to peer 12-Step immersion experience. It is an all-male retreat. The Founders of Cross Keys Retreat believe that a small number of guests give each person the very best opportunity to recover from addiction and alcoholism.
Straight Ahead Ministries is a national non-profit that reduces recidivism among juvenile and young adult offenders through programs in correctional facilities and in the community. Since 1987, SAM has served more than 25,000 youth in over 300 secure facilities across the nation.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724461
|
__label__wiki
| 0.946537
| 0.946537
|
William Lee Adams
William Lee Adams is a journalist in London and a former correspondent at TIME’s London bureau. He has reported from Roma slums in Bucharest, maximum security prisons in Norway, and the world’s largest song contest for children in Ukraine, and interviewed fashion designers including Diane von Furstenberg, Christian Louboutin and Vivienne Westwood. Half-Vietnamese and half-American, Adams grew up in Fayetteville, Georgia, and holds degrees from Harvard and the School of Oriental and African Studies.
Articles from Contributor
Sort by Newest to Oldest Oldest to Newest
London’s Russian Tycoon Trial: How Boris Berezovsky Has Already Triumphed
By William Lee Adams Jan. 20, 2012
Roman Abramovich recently threw an $8 million New Year’s Eve party. He once dropped $86 million on a Francis Bacon painting. And he owns a $90 million vacation home in St. Bart’s. That’s in addition to his chateau on the …
Did British Spies Collude in the Rendition and Torture of Libyan Rebels?
On Sept. 15, 2011, as Colonel Muammar Gaddafi scurried from one hideout to another, British Prime Minister David Cameron traveled to Benghazi to congratulate rebel leaders on their victory. Aware that the U.K. had supported their …
Austerity Nation: Britain Strikes as Government Extends Spending Cuts
By William Lee Adams Nov. 30, 2011
In a nation where the weather changes by the hour, it’s useful to consult the morning forecast. For the two million public sector workers who walked out of their jobs across the U.K. this morning, today’s outlook likely seemed heavy with symbolism. Blustery winds across the northwest matched the chill of newly announced austerity …
James Murdoch Denies “Mafia Boss” Comparison, Blames Former Editor Over Phone Hacking
This morning, as James Murdoch faced bruising questions from parliamentarians investigating phone hacking at News International, he had no choice but to stare at a garish red painting. Before him hung a twenty-foot canvas splattered with deep reds and maroons; behind him, an equally brash work of art in crimson and scarlet. For a man …
Five Years On, Alexander Litvinenko’s Widow Continues Her Quest for Justice
In November 2006, as ex-KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko lay dying of radioactive poisoning, his wife Marina held a bedside vigil. At first doctors at his London hospital blamed an E. coli infection for Litvinenko’s yellowing skin, sunken eyes and dramatic weight loss. But Marina sensed something more sinister. “We asked many times …
Baaaad Behavior: What the Kidnapping of a Goat Says About the Switzerland’s Elections
By William Lee Adams Oct. 21, 2011
The kidnapping of two goats may seem to have little relevance to politics. But then you realize the four-legged victims belong to the far-right Swiss People’s Party (SVP), which has built up massive support by scapegoating immigrants.
Zottel, the SVP’s official mascot, has come to symbolize the party’s anti-immigrant stance, and …
Despite International Outcry, Ukraine’s Yulia Tymoshenko May Face Even More Jail Time
In the three days since a Ukrainian court convicted ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko of abuse of power, the country’s president Viktor Yanukovych has been portrayed as a modern-day Joseph Stalin. Leaders from Brussels to Moscow accused his regime of staging a show trial in which his main political rival was sentenced to seven years …
Court Convicts Ukraine’s Former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
The judge read out the guilty verdict, and Yulia Tymoshenko’s supporters shouted “Shame!”
This afternoon a court ruled that Tymoshenko, Ukraine’s former Prime Minister, had acted against the national interest when she signed a natural gas deal with Russia in 2009, leading to $190 million in damages to Ukraine’s state-run …
In a First for Poland, Ruling Government Gets Re-Elected
Donald Tusk, Poland’s center-right prime minister, won re-election on Sunday night, marking the first time since the fall of communism in 1989 that a ruling government has managed to keep its grip on power. With more than 99% of all votes counted, Tusk’s pro-market Civic Platform party claimed 39% of all votes, putting it nine points …
A Blow to Europe’s Far-Right: Denmark Reshapes Its Immigration Policies
When the Liberal-Conservative coalition led by Lars Lokke Rasmussen came to power in Denmark in 2001, it relied on support from the right-wing and staunchly anti-immigrant Danish People’s Party (DPP). As a result of that union, Denmark passed some of the strictest immigration and asylum laws in Europe. Among other things, its …
Battle of the Oligarchs: Russian Exile Seeks Billions from Former Business Partner
Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch sitting on an estimated fortune of $16 billion, “betrayed and blackmailed” his erstwhile mentor, coercing him to sell his stake in a Russian oil company at a fraction of its value, a High Court in London heard this morning.
Boris Berezovsky, once one of Russia’s most influential oligarchs, …
‘Gypsies Into Glue!’: Anti-Roma Protests Sweep Bulgaria
By William Lee Adams Sept. 28, 2011
The charge that a relative of a Roma clan leader killed a Bulgarian teenager sparked anti-Gypsy demonstrations across the country last weekend. Thousands of protesters took to the streets in at least 20 towns and cities, including the capital, Sofia. “A total of 168 have been arrested for violation of public order, the majority — …
Will Bloody Sunday Payouts Set a Precedent of Compensation for Other Victims of the Troubles?
Britain’s Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the U.K. government will pay compensation to the families of those killed and wounded by British soldiers during the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre. The precedent set by the payouts could pave the way for families of those killed in other skirmishes and attacks during Ireland’s Troubles …
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724466
|
__label__wiki
| 0.564408
| 0.564408
|
Can this be for real?
This was in the L.A. Times yesterday:
Bicyclist harassment outlawed by Los Angeles City Council
New law makes it a crime for drivers to threaten cyclists verbally or physically.
By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday passed a pioneering new law intended to protect bicyclists from harassment by motorists.
The ordinance, which backers described as the toughest of its kind in the nation, makes it a crime for drivers to threaten cyclists verbally or physically, and allows victims of harassment to sue in civil court without waiting for the city to press criminal charges.
I think this sounds like a great idea. It remains to be seen how it will work in real life, but at least somebody is thinking about it. And that in itself is remarkable.
The whole story is here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bicycle-law-20110721,0,3219222.story
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724467
|
__label__wiki
| 0.653137
| 0.653137
|
For: Women: The Oppressed Majority (radio documentary 2016):
The series Women, the Oppressed Majority, is an epic pass through millennia of ignored history, grasping patterns that still pertain to women’s struggles today.
—-Frieda Werden, co-founder and executive producer of the weekly radio series WINGS: Women’s International News Gathering Service, which has been in weekly syndication for more than twenty-seven years.
For: Capitalism is the Crisis (radio documentary 2013)
1. “I highly recommend ‘Capitalism is the Crisis’. This is a thoughtful and informative four- episode series that exposes the consequences of capitalism. At a time when war, poverty, environmental devastation and global crisis is ever-present, this series is a solid reminder that our relationship with capitalism is forefront. I especially appreciate the final episode where Schwartz and Ismi highlight a few instances where people are moving beyond capitalist principles, bringing hope and the possibility of change to their audience.”
—– Robin Eriksson, Program Director, CKUW 95.9 FM—University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB.
2. “Researcher and writer Asad Ismi and community journalist Kristin Schwartz have teamed up again, this time producing a timely look at the destructive record of capitalism. ‘Capitalism is the Crisis’ speaks to the historical and contemporary experiences of capitalist exploitation that has resulted in war, poverty, and environmental destruction. More than just a radio documentary, ‘Capitalism is the Crisis’ is an educational tool for communities experiencing financial crisis to better understand the root causes of economic disasters and know that there are alternatives to capitalism.”
–—Gretchen King, Community News Coordinator, CKUT Radio 90.3 FM–McGill University, Montreal, QC.
3. ” ‘Capitalism is the Crisis’ is one of the most straightforward critical analyses of the deleterious nature of capitalism, in recent years. It is a well-produced and extremely well-written radio documentary that should be used as an education tool globally. I highly recommend this documentary to anyone wanting to gain a vastly different perspective of capitalism—-one that is often suppressed by those who benefit from this economic system’s exploitative nature.”
—— Solomon Comissiong, Founder and Executive Director of Your World News Radio (www.yourworldnews.org) , Washington, D.C., U.S.
For: Profiting from Repression: Canadian Investment in and Trade with Colombia (Book—Third Edition, 2012)
1. Asad Ismi’s research is an extraordinary tool for us in the struggle to defend the natural resources of humanity and to construct a nation with social justice.
—-Francisco Ramirez Cuellar, Former President of the Colombian Mineworkers Union. (State death squads in Colombia have tried to assassinate Francisco seven times).
2. In a seminal piece of research titled Profiting from Repression: Canadian Investment in and Trade with Colombia, award-winning writer and international affairs expert Asad Ismi provides a 180-page breakdown of corporatist neocolonialism in South America. The report “links ten Canadian companies in Colombia to the genocide of indigenous Colombians, to complicity in eight murders and one attempted murder, to other significant military/paramilitary repression [and] to labour union-busting, strike-breaking and worker exploitation.” To date, it is the only document of its kind. Ismi’s research outlines the interconnectedness of the Colombian state and its various paramilitary outfits but importantly emphasizes the impact of foreign capital on the Colombian economy. The “paramilitarization of Colombian society,” as Ismi calls it, stems from arms supplying by the U.S. government to fight FARC – $6 billion during Uribe’s eight-year presidency – and a deregulated national economy favoring heavy foreign investment.
—–Harrison Samphir is a Winnipeg-based writer and editorial assistant at Canadian Dimension Magazine.
[http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/18175-colombian-connection-canadian-neocolonialism-in-the-global-south]
3. The definitive account of corporate-driven Canadian neocolonialism in Colombia and the most comprehensive book on the subject. A superb analysis of how Canada’s corporations and government benefit from and exacerbate Colombia’s decades-old social and armed conflict. Unencumbered by academic jargon, this book presents a clear and damning portrait of the corporate pillage of Colombia and the resulting violence, impoverishment and mass displacement impacting its people as well as their courageous resistance. Must reading for activists, unionists and all those concerned about social and economic justice in Latin America.
—–Ilian Burbano, Colombia Action Solidarity Alliance (CASA), Toronto.
4. This report is a gold mine of information! Thank you, really thank you for doing this research. I think it will be very useful for our new campaign “Targeting Canadian Profiteers of the War in Colombia”, because we are focusing on some of the companies you’re talking about in this report. This is really the kind of work we need and never have the time to do. I also think it is very relevant to highlight the role of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in Colombia and how the Canadian government supports the companies. I think it’s also very good to put relations between Canada and Colombia in a global context of colonialism and imperialism.
–—Mélissa Leblanc, Projet Accompagnement Solidarité Colombie (PASC), Montreal.
5. Most Canadians are unaware that some of this country’s largest corporations are profiting from the Colombian government’s brutal repression of dissent and democracy. Asad Ismi’s shocking exposé of this corporate collaboration with Colombia’s ruthless dictatorship is recommended reading for everyone concerned about social and economic justice.
—–Ed Finn, Editor Emeritus, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Ottawa.
For: The Latin American Revolution (radio documentary 2010):
1. “A remarkable achievement. I was moved and informed by the care and truth telling in this revolutionary radio documentary. This is journalism which has entered the revolutionary movement in a significant way. Not muzzled by the imperialist assault on the truth or the enfrenzied propaganda of the capitalist corporate press, it provides clear, concise, necessary and accessible information to millions of people about the origins and significance of the on-going Latin American Revolution and the principle of the integration of states and peoples for the common good of all. I will certainly recommend this to my students, friends and readers.”
—–Dr. Arnold Itwaru. Dr. Itwaru created and developed the anti-imperialist and anti-racist Caribbean Studies Program at New College, University of Toronto. He is the author of 15 books, and has edited the recently published work of activist scholarship, “The White Supremacist State.”
2. “A wonderful and richly produced series. A wide array of recorded voices, music, and analysis tell the story of political developments in South America, offering us North Americans a thorough introduction. I was fascinated.”
—–Ursula Ruedenberg, Pacifica Affiliates Coordinator, Executive Producer of “Sprouts: Radio from the Grassroots”,Pacifica Radio Network, U.S.
3. “Schwartz and Ismi’s documentary is a solid piece of independent journalism that captures the stunning revolution in politics, education, health care and the economy sweeping across Latin America. The episode on Cuba, Nicaragua and El Salvador is a valuable primer that grounds the Bolivarian Revolution in those historic struggles. Informative and inspiring, this series is definitely worth a close listen!”
—–Lorraine Chisholm, Redeye Collective, Vancouver Cooperative Radio–CFRO 102.7 FM, Vancouver, BC.
For: Path of Destruction: Canadian Mining Companies Around the World (radio documentary 2008):
1. “This audio documentary successfully manages to bridge many little-heard perspectives on the Canadian mining industry. First, we hear from indigenous peoples in Canada and beyond as to how mining companies threaten their very existence as peoples; in other words, how the industry is complicit in an ongoing global genocide. We hear from working people around the world on how the industry has devastated their health, livelihoods and environment. Finally, we look at how Canadian mining is intricately connected to, complicit in and profiting off of wars being waged around the world. Ismi and Schwartz provide us with a horrific but solid introduction on how Canadian and international laws, trade agreements and the power of wealth protect mining corporations from answering to any justice system for their crimes. At the same time, the program provides us with hope as it questions the very need for mining and takes an introductory look at alternatives to this devastating resource extraction industry. ‘Path of Destruction’ is an outstanding educational tool addressing the issues of colonialism, resource extraction economies, corporate power, free trade agreements, the military industrial complex and many other issues.”
—–Zainab Amadahy is an indigenous writer, community worker and activist based in Toronto. She is a founding member of the Coalition in Support of Indigenous Sovereignty, member of the Board of the Association of Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts, and the Executive Director of Community Arts Ontario.
2. “Canadian imperialism’s best-kept secret is undoubtedly the inconvenient truth about Canadian mining capital’s genocidal path of destruction. Ismi and Schwartz’s audio documentary illustrates how at home and abroad Canadian mining companies are poisoning the environment, propping up brutal dictatorships, and violently repressing any dissent to their exploits. ‘Path of Destruction’ is a bold exposé of Canadian imperialism, thoroughly dispelling any illusions that Canadians may have about the Canadian state as a positive force in the world.”
—–Steve da Silva, Co-producer of ‘Radio BASICS’ on CHRY Radio 105.5 FM–York University, Toronto; Editor, BASICS Community Newsletter.
3. “‘Path of Destruction’ is the best radio documentary I’ve come across in a long time. It combines an oft-neglected analysis of colonialism in Canada with a radical critique of the mining industry and the other institutions and processes that support it. A very important series which has a powerful impact.”
—-Matt Soltys, Producer of ‘Healing the Earth Radio’ on CFRU Radio 93.3 FM–University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, www.resistanceisfertile.ca.
4. “Ismi and Schwartz have the fearlessness and integrity to report the truth and hold Canadian mining companies accountable. Canadians need to know what’s happening in Africa, for example in the Democratic Republic of the Congo where the slaughter of 4 to 5 million people has occurred for the sake of Canadian (and foreign) profits. We can no longer claim ignorance after listening to this documentary. Essential for all Canadians.”
—–David Parker, Spoken Word Coordinator, CKDU Radio 88.1 FM–Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
5. “I have just heard your excellent radio program ‘Path of Destruction’. Great job and thank you for it. I think it is a daring program to take on the Industry with facts of history and it is damaging to them and their high moral claims.”
—–Xavier Dias, Spokesperson for Jharkhand Mines Area Coordination Committee [JMACC], [An indigenous organization resisting mining and displacement in Jharkand State, India]; Editor of the Hindi monthly ‘Khan Kanij aur ADHIKAR’ [Mines,Minerals & Rights], India’s only community newspaper focused on the effects of mining, www.adhikar.in/
6. “Thank you for ‘Path of Destruction’. The concept of a radio project for a wider information and education campaign is brilliant. This is very helpful information to us in the Cordillera, Philippines, where Canadian mining companies are beefing up their applications (Olympus,Terra Nova,Ivanhoe,Golden Valley).”
—–Abigail T. Bengwayan, Public Information Commission, Cordillera Peoples Alliance, The Philippines, www.cpaphils.org/
7. “The new audio documentary, ‘Path of Destruction’ is an important contribution to the growing chorus of resistance to Canadian mining. Through careful analysis of Canadian corporate and government polices, the documentary’s producers expose how mining has devastated communities around the globe and who has benefited from that devastation. Mining policies are carefully situated within the broader context of Canadian colonialism. Most compellingly, the documentary features the voices of those directly affected by those policies. Their urgent stories are a call to action for change that will restore and protect the health of their communities and the rights of its peoples. This documentary can and should be used as a tool to create that change.”
—–Alison Brown, Producer of ‘Redeye’ on Vancouver Cooperative Radio, CFRO 102.7 FM, Vancouver BC.
For: The Ravaging of Africa (radio documentary 2007):
1. “A must-listen documentary, especially for those entities (both in and outside Africa) whose role it is to chart a sustainable course for the continent’s future. It’s also a powerful tool for those individuals and groups that are actively involved in challenging the Western bastardization of the African continent. This well-researched documentary provides credible evidence of how the Western European nations and the United States have for many years been devastating the African continent through the plundering of its precious resources, as well as by their continuing support for and instigations of military wars. The documentary successfully highlights some of the serious problems that nations in Africa continue to face as they struggle against the United States’ selfish determination to dominate their turf. This documentary cannot be ignored by anyone who cares about Africa’s economic, social, and political emancipation from the bondage of neo-colonialism.”
–—Maria Mboono Nghidinwa, Ex-combatant of South West Africa People’s Organization (SWAPO), the former liberation movement of Namibia. Ph.D., Mass Communication and Media Studies, Howard University, Washington D.C. [SWAPO is presently the ruling political party in Namibia].
2. “A great project. ‘The Ravaging of Africa’ can be of enormous educational importance in reinforcing African perceptions of the sources of their current predicaments, and in educating those searching for ways out of their present desperate straits. Warm thanks for your efforts.”
–—Professor Dennis Brutus, Honorary Professor, Centre for Civil Society, University of Kwazulu-Natal Durban, South Africa.
Professor Emeritus, Department of Africana Studies, University of Pittsburgh (U.S.).
3. ” ‘The Ravaging of Africa’ must count as one of the very best set of podcasts available about the way in which Africa has been looted by multinational corporations and U.S. imperialism. The recordings of the voices of African militants were prepared during the Nairobi World Social Forum. What is remarkable is that there is a coherent political analysis that enables the listener to have a clear context for the perspectives provided by African activists. We can only hope that the producers will continue to publish further series of these outstanding podcasts. These are vital listening for all those committed to social justice in Africa.”
–—Firoze Manji, Editor, Pambazuka News; Director, Fahamu – Networks for Social Justice. www.pambazuka.org
[Pambazuka News is a leading African electronic newsletter and website focused on social justice].
4. “Ground-breaking.”
—-Bruce A. Dixon, Managing Editor, Black Agenda Report, (U.S.) https://www.blackagendareport.com/
Black Agenda Report is the leading United States website for analysis about the destructive impact of U.S. imperialism on Africa.
5. “An excellent series that really gets to the heart of the matter and lets you listen to those radical African voices you won’t hear anywhere else.”
–—Roberto Nieto, Media activist and radio-host, CKUT Radio 90.3 fm at McGill University, Montreal.
6. “A fantastic series. We air tons of good programming, but ‘The Ravaging of Africa’ really stood out, because it tied together the various ways Africa is impacted by the imperial project, something you usually don’t get in a single program or news report. I really appreciated the rich production as well.”
–—Leigh Robartes, News Director, KRFP / Radio Free Moscow 92.5 fm, Moscow, Idaho (U.S.) [Pacifica Radio Affiliate].
7. “Thanks for the excellent programming. So many Americans are unaware of how people live and struggle in other parts of the world. This program provides vital information about Africa and its people.”
–—Cathy Murillo, News and Public Affairs Director, KCSB 91.9 FM at University of California-Santa Barbara, California, U.S. [Pacifica Radio Affiliate].
8. “A true work of broadcasting art! Thank you so much to the entire crew who worked on this special! The Ravaging of Africa was one of the most insightful and intriguing documentaries that the station has had the pleasure of playing. It not only received phone calls with reactions like, ‘I had no idea this was all going on! Thank you for making me aware!’ or ‘The program was so well done! Thank you for letting people know about what is going on in Africa!’ from listeners, it also garnered great praise from our programmers as well. Some of our programmers sit on either side of the fence politically but they all agreed that the program was very well produced and very informative and intelligent.”
–—Jason Wellwood, Program Manager, CILU 102.7FM at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada.
9. “‘The Ravaging of Africa’ is a compelling and timely new media presentation of the over 500 years of the West’s pillaging of Africa. The body of work is firmly ensconced in the tradition of Walter Rodney’s ‘How Europe Underdeveloped Africa’ and Patrick Bond’s ‘The Looting of Africa’. ‘The Ravaging of Africa’ deserves the widest possible distribution as it does a tremendous job of sharing with the public a critical prism through which Africa’s relations with the West ought to be viewed and analysed.”
–—Maurice Carney, Executive Director, Friends of the Congo, Washington D.C. (U.S.), www.friendsofthecongo.org
10. “The unprecedented affluence we enjoy in the Global North is directly dependent on the violent plunder of resource-rich nations across the Global South — particularly the nations of Africa. ‘The Ravaging of Africa’ provides both the historical overview and the illuminating details we need to make sense of this crime-in-progress, and gives prominent place to the voices of front-line African activists leading the resistance.”
–—Dave Oswald Mitchell, Editor of Briarpatch Magazine, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.
11. “I just came across and listened to ‘The Ravaging of Africa’ and wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can’t quite explain precisely how important your documentary has been to me as a person living in the African diaspora in the West and as someone who so often can’t find the words to express the frustration he feels at the forcible dispossession of the continent of his mother’s ancestors. But it’s been profoundly important, your documentary. So thank you.”
–—Dave Hudson, Listener
EditIndependent Publisher empowered by WordPress
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724468
|
__label__wiki
| 0.917656
| 0.917656
|
Home Page > Picture Archives > Keyword Search > New Orleans French Quarter Bourbon Street
New Orleans French Quarter Bourbon Street
Showing all 43 photos | View as slideshow
Bourbon Street near Orleans Street at rain in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 24, 2006
Bourbon Street from Saint Peter Street to south-west at rain in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 24, 2006
Tourist shops in French Quarter, near Bourbon Street at evening. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 11, 2005.
Bourbon Street near Saint Louis Street in French Quarter at rain. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 24, 2006
Lafitte s Blacksmith Shop on a corner of Bourbon and Saint Philip streets in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 25, 2006
Tropical Isle cafe at a corner of Bourbon and Orleans streets in French Quarter at rain. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 12, 2006
Bourbon Street near crossing with Saint Peter Street, view from Orleans Street, in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 21, 2006
Bourbon Street near Dumaine Street in French Quarter at rain. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 12, 2006
A corner of Bourbon and Saint Louis(?) streets in French Quarter at rain. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 26, 2006
Lafitte s Blacksmith Shop on a corner of Bourbon and Saint Philip streets in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, September 24, 2006
Absinthe House (1806) at 238 Bourbon Street, a corner of Bienville street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, July 13, 2006
Traditional "Throw me something mister" celebration of Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 28, 2006
A courtyard on Saint Peter Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 18, 2006
Bourbon Street near Saint Louis Street in French Quarter in fog. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 13, 2006
Old Opera House restaurant at 601 Bourbon Street, a corner with Toulouse Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 26, 2006
Saint Peter Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 28, 2006
A corner of Bourbon and Saint Ann streets in French Quarter at early morning. New Orleans, Louisiana, July 16, 2006
Tourists at a corner of Bourbon and Saint Ann streets in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 28, 2006
Bourbon Street near Orleans Street in French Quarter at rain. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 12, 2006
A corridor of Royal Sonesta Hotel on Conti Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 9, 2006
Funky 544 Rhythm and Blues Cafe at a corner of Bourbon and Toulouse streets in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 7, 2006
Bourbon Street near Ursulines Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 26, 2006
Saint Philip Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 9, 2006
A corner of Bourbon and General Nicholls streets in French Quarter at evening. New Orleans, Louisiana, January 1, 2007
A Creole cottage at 732 - 738 Toulouse Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter at rain. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 21, 2006
Cafe Lafitte in Exile at a corner of Dumaine and Bourbon streets in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, July 22, 2006
A corner of Toulouse and Bourbon streets in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 23, 2006
Gay gathering during Southern Decadence festival near cafe Lafitte in Exile at a corner of Dumaine and Bourbon streets in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, September 3, 2006
Christmas trees in Royal Sonesta Hotel on Bourbon Street near Conti Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 9, 2006
Old Opera House at 601 Bourbon Street, corner with Toulouse Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 22, 2006
A person admonishing "... repent!" on Bourbon Street near Saint Louis Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 24, 2006
People on a balcony of a cafe celebrating Mardi Gras on Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 28, 2006
A corridor of Royal Sonesta Hotel on Conti Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 1, 2006
A corner of Governor Nicholls and Bourbon streets in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, July 15, 2006
A Creole cottage at 732 - 738 Toulouse Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter (Molly s Bar on Toulouse and Dungeon cafe). New Orleans, Louisiana, July 15, 2006
A corner of Conti and Bourbon streets in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, July 19, 2006
A red house at 819 Saint Louis Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, November 8, 2006
Bourbon Street near Ursulines Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 1, 2006
A lion s face at Boondock Saint cafe at 731 Saint Peter Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, September 1, 2006
A bronze lion at Boondock Saint cafe(?) at 731 Saint Peter Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 9, 2006
A bronze lion at Boondock Saint cafe at 731 Saint Peter Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, September 24, 2006
A courtyard on Toulouse Street near Bourbon Street in French Quarter. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 7, 2006
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724469
|
__label__wiki
| 0.693472
| 0.693472
|
Home Page > Picture Archives > Keyword Search > New Orleans tombs
New Orleans tombs
Weeping angel in a tomb of Chapman H. Hyams in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, November 21, 2006
An angel on a tomb of G. V. del Corral, with a tower of M.C.A. tomb in background, in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 7, 2006
A tomb of Minerva Benevolent Association in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 21, 2006
Marble angels clasping each other over a tomb of Aldige family died in sinking of a steamer La Bourgoyne in 1898, in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, November 19, 2006
Crosses and figures on tops of tombs in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 6, 2006
Blue weeping angel in a tomb of Chapman H. Hyams in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2006
Tombs of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2, with cityscape in background. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 30, 2005.
A woman holding a cross on a tomb in a corner of Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 7, 2006
Tombs of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 6, 2006
Tombs of Saint Vincent Cemetery at evening, view from Soniat Street. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 1, 2005
A tomb of Chapman H. Hyams with a blue weeping angel in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 12, 2006
A woman hugging a cross on a tomb of Nevin-Ryan in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 7, 2006
A sculpture on a tomb of David Bidwell in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 7, 2006
An angel studying Bible on a tomb of Marks-Wise in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 7, 2006
Row of tombs in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 30, 2005.
An angel on a tomb of Anthony Foto in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 11, 2006
Weeping angel illuminated through blue tinted glass in a tomb of Chapman H. Hyams in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2006
A tomb of David C. McCann in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 12, 2006
A woman with a jug on a tomb of Kantz in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 7, 2006
A bronze woman entering a crypt of a tomb of J. A. Morales - Arlington in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 7, 2006
Weeping angel in a tomb of Chapman H. Hyams in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 21, 2006
A tomb decorated by "folk art" of an eccentric Arthur Raymond Smith in Holt Cemetery in fog. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 18, 2006
An angel on a tomb in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 11, 2006
Weeping angel illuminated through blue stained glass in a tomb of Chapman H. Hyams in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 17, 2006
A saint "catching" a busy angel on a tomb of Joseph DiCarlo in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 6, 2006
Crumbling tombs of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 30, 2005.
An angel with a flower atop of a tomb in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, November 19, 2006
An alley in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, with a tomb of Italian Mutual Benevolent Society in background. New Orleans, Louisiana, July 15, 2006
A man holding a cross and a ball on a tomb of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 6, 2006
Tombs of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, at rain. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 30, 2005.
Group of tombs in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 30, 2005.
Broken plaster of a tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 30, 2005.
Tombs of Carrollton Cemetery at morning. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 19, 2006
Family tomb of John T. Michel and tombs of G. W. Woltering, Leonard Newrouse and M. D. Foster in Saint Joseph Cemetery near Loyola Street. New Orleans, Louisiana, March 18, 2005.
Tossed and opened tombs of Merrick (Merrit) Cemetery near Highway 46 in Violet, Saint Bernard Parish. Eastern New Orleans, Louisiana, March 19, 2006
A zealous young angel praying on a tomb of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 6, 2006
Bronze sculptures of children on a tomb of Vonderbank in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, November 19, 2006
Tombs of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2, 2005.
Old tombs in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 30, 2005.
Cast-iron tomb of Leeds family in Cypress Grove Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, January 11, 2007
A tomb of Fallon in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2, 2005.
A woman with a cross atop of a tomb in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, November 19, 2006
A tomb of Hiram Lodge No. 70.F. and A. M. in Masonic Cemetery near Conti Street. New Orleans, Louisiana, March 13, 2005.
Tombs of Greenwood Cemetery at morning, view from Metairie Road. New Orleans, Louisiana, January 11, 2007
A tomb of Lafayette Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, March 10, 2005.
Primitive tombs in Holt Cemetery in fog. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 18, 2006
Tombs of Holt Cemetery in fog. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 18, 2006
Tombs of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3. New Orleans, Louisiana, January 5, 2007
A figure of St. Bartholomew atop of Saint Bartholomew Association Tomb in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 7, 2006
A weeping dog sculpture on a tomb of Francis Masich in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 12, 2006
Tombs of Mark J. Lehman (1860 - 3/28/1887) and Oobinne Sterne (1864 - 1866) in Hebrew Rest Cemetery No. 1. New Orleans, Louisiana, March 6, 2006
A sculpture of an angel on a tomb in White section of Carrollton Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 22, 2006
A tomb of E. Freeman, A. Armstead, R. Becco, and Armsteads, with temporary housing (FEMA trailers) in background, in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 30, 2006
Tombs of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, with a mausoleum of Italian Mutual Benefit Society in background. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 28, 2006
A woman with a harp on a family tomb of Lucien Denapolis in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, July 2, 2006
Weeping angel (zoomed) in a tomb of Chapman H. Hyams in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 26, 2006
A tomb of Herman Sr. Beninett (1/1/1914 - 9/1965) in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 14, 2005
Empty burial compartment of over the ground tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 11, 2006
Stained window of a tomb of David C. McCann in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 12, 2006
A tomb of Vonderbank in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, March 26, 2006
Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, with a tomb of Italian Mutual Benefit Society in background. New Orleans, Louisiana, May 28, 2006
Group of tombs in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18, 2006
H. L. Aucoin family tomb and other tombs in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18, 2006
A window of a tomb of Minerva Benevolent Association in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, November 19, 2006
A tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3. New Orleans, Louisiana, January 5, 2007
Angel-like figure on a tomb in White section of Carrollton Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 22, 2006
Sculpture atop of tumular tomb of Lodge No. 30, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, near the entrance of Greenwood Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, January 9, 2007
A tomb of Charles T. Howard (one of cemetery s founders) in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 12, 2006
A marble harpist at a tomb of L. Denapolis in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 12, 2006
A cross and tombs in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 15, 2006
A broken cross on a tomb of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2 (south-west third). New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2, 2005.
A military tomb of Harold Roy Fernandez (1938 - 1979) under an overhanging vault lifted by floodwater in Merrit (Merrick) Cemetery near Highway 46 in Violet, Saint Bernard Parish. Eastern New Orleans, Louisiana, March 19, 2006
A colorful tomb made by Arthur Raymond Smith in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 30, 2006
Iron vault slabs with cannon balls, inverted torches and ribbonned wreaths on New Orleans Battalion of Artillery tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18, 2006
View of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, Basin Street and Central Business District from Marie Laveau tomb. New Orleans, Louisiana, July 15, 2006
A tomb of a magician Marie Laveau (1794 - 1881) in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, covered with crosses (XXX) drawn for good luck by believers. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 11, 2006
A tomb of a magician "Woodoo Queen" Marie Laveau (1794 - 1881) in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1, covered with crosses crosses (XXX) and decorated by beads. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 11, 2006
A tomb of Charles Francis Buck (1841 - 1918) in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 12, 2006
Bronze relief on a tomb in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 12, 2006
Tombs of White section of Carrollton Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 22, 2006
A tomb of Katie Jones in negro section of Carrollton Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 30, 2006
Opened and moved tombs in Merrit (Merrick) Cemetery near Highway 46 in Violet, Saint Bernard Parish. Eastern New Orleans, Louisiana, May 26, 2006
Angels lifting a boy into a sky filled with cherubs on tomb of Barelli in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18, 2006
Last row of tombs in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18, 2006
Bentinck Egan family tomb in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 1, 2006
Tombs and weeds in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 15, 2006
An odd assemblage of objects on a tomb decorated by Arthur Raymond Smith in negro section of Carrollton Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 7, 2006
A cross in a crown on a tomb of Octave Daliet in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 11, 2006
Row of tombs in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18, 2006
A cross and tombs in negro section of Carrollton Cemetery at morning. New Orleans, Louisiana, December 19, 2006
A cross and a tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2, 2005.
High-rise tombs of Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2 (south-west third). New Orleans, Louisiana, April 2, 2005.
Shipwreck scene on a tomb erected by Joseph Barelli in memory of his son died during explosion of steamer Louisiana in 1849, in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18, 2006
A broken cross on a tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18, 2006
An angel with a flute on a tomb of Louis Prinia in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, July 2, 2006
Tomb of Jane M. and Willie Copelin in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 14, 2005
Byzantine tomb of the Hellenic Orthodox Community in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 3. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 6, 2006
A tomb of Charles A. Seaward and Emma Fink in Greenwood Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, January 9, 2007
Tilted and split tombs of Merrick (Merrit) Cemetery near Highway 46 in Violet, Saint Bernard Parish. Eastern New Orleans, Louisiana, March 19, 2006
Plaster fruits on a tomb in Metairie Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 11, 2006
A small tomb with a wooden cross in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 15, 2006
Cast-iron tomb of Leeds family in Cypress Grove Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 21, 2006
A tomb of John Thomas Doyle in Greenwood Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, January 9, 2007
Old brick tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2. New Orleans, Louisiana, February 11, 2006
A tomb of Rev. Benjamin Brown (1906 - 8/12/1975) in Carrollton Cemetery, view from Lowerline Street New Orleans, Louisiana, April 22, 2006
Bricks on a tomb in Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1. New Orleans, Louisiana, June 18, 2006
A tomb of Edna Hold in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, October 15, 2006
Tomb of Piggo Angline Raymond (1910 - 1980) in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, August 14, 2005
An overgrown tomb in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 30, 2006
A raised bible on a tomb in Holt Cemetery. New Orleans, Louisiana, April 30, 2006
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724470
|
__label__cc
| 0.531197
| 0.468803
|
Published: Friday October 2, 2015 MYT 12:00:00 AM
Updated: Friday October 2, 2015 MYT 8:53:18 AM
KUCHING: From the haze in Indonesia to floods in Myanmar, rural indigenous communities contribute the least to climate change but suffer the brunt of the after-effects.
In a declaration, indigenous communities from 12 Asian countries, including Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia, called for action, saying the protection of indigenous peoples and the planet’s sustainability was “not up for further negotiations”.
“They add the least to global warming yet are severely impacted by it. Devastating floods in Myanmar, typhoons in the Philippines, droughts in Thailand and haze from Indonesia are just some of the catastrophes in the recent past,” said the declaration, following a UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties in Thailand recently.
Asia is home to 260 million indigenous people, with many still living the lifestyles of their ancestors.
World-changing events, the declaration said, had resulted in worsening food security, destruction of livelihoods as well as land and resources, displacement, health problems and more suffering for millions of indigenous peoples.
It listed “an alarming increase” in diseases linked to increasing temperatures, vector- and water-borne diseases like cholera and dengue, and cold spells resulting in health issues such as bronchitis.
On forest fires, the declaration said the true effects of biodiversity loss were not even fully known.
From an economic angle, it said the most obvious effect was higher costs due to land demand for biofuels.
“We should not be looked upon just as ‘vulnerable people’ but as people with invaluable knowledge, values and systems that can provide solutions to climate change,” it said.
As an example, the declaration highlighted traditional mixed crop farming techniques that would better prevent ecosystem degradation.
Climate change, said the groups, was also due to the failure of a development model dependent on using natural resources with no consideration for sustainability and social equity.
The declaration also urged the United Nations to include indicators on the extent to which indigenous people’s rights and safeguards were respected.
“This is the time for action. The protection of indigenous peoples and sustainability of the planet are not up for further negotiations.”
~ The Star
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724474
|
__label__cc
| 0.715335
| 0.284665
|
Personal experiences are meaningless without evide...
Let's teach all controversies
It isn't religion that makes us do good things
State = Taxes
Questions biblical creationists can't answer witho...
Mormons baptising Jewish Holocaust victims?
My de-conversion story
Atheists, send me your de-conversion story!
The almighty baby killer
It's the other way around!
Believers are closed-minded and dumb
Either way, can't do much worse than George
Cleaning up after religious fuckwits at their fine...
Questions biblical creationists can't answer without making me laugh
Basic questions (no education required):
1. What makes your story of creationism fundamentally different from all the others that exist now, have existed before, and will exist in the future?
2. How did Noah find all of the animals and get them back to the ark? Did he bring them back one pair at a time, or did they all follow him in a line as he visited other continents to collect more animals?
3. What did the carnivores eat on the ark?
4. How did koalas get to Australia after the ark washed up on that mountain?
5. Why did your god make life that has to destroy other life, often cruelly, in order to survive?
6. If cruelty and suffering result from a 'fallen world' caused by some original sin of humans, why did your god also punish the animals for it by creating disease, pain and suffering for them too?
7. Is it just to punish all humans, including those who weren't born yet, for the sins of one? Would you punish your own younger children for the wrongs of the oldest which occurred before the others were born?
8. If humans are special creations, why do we share the traits of violence, lust, rage, tribal warfare, homosexuality, etc. with animals?
9. Why do you believe your god made only one breeding pair (Adam and Eve), instead of many? With only one breeding pair, fathers are forced to have sex with daughters, brothers with sisters, and sons with mothers, in order to propagate the species. Is this a divine endorsement for incest?
10. If all civilisations resulted from Adam and Eve, and oral traditions about the god that created them were passed down from generation to generation, why are there so many other creation stories in the world? Why didn't all civilisations keep their 'true' religion?
11. Why did your god only appear to one group of people? If it can do anything and be everywhere at once, why couldn't it be fucked to appear to the other people of the world as well?
12. Why do you get your scientific education from people like Kent Hovind, Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron? These people have no university-level education in science, and in some cases, no university education at all. Wouldn't it be smarter to trust those who are educated, and actively researching, in the field?
13. Why has the world, including government funding, science journals, reputable newspapers, education standards, etc., moved on without you, leaving your barbaric bronze-age theories in their dust? Why have we made so much progress in our understanding after abandoning religious methodology for a scientific one?
Intermediate questions:
14. Why is there at least some evidence for our scientific theories, but none at all for your creationism?
15. Why is the fossil record arranged in such a way as to suggest evolution?
16. Why are the continents shaped like they were once together, and have similar geology on what would be the common edges?
17. Why are the continents moving apart at a rate that would put them together millions of years ago?
18. If humans are special creations, why do we share the same biology, metabolic pathways, etc. with chimpanzees? Shouldn't we have been made completely differently to emphasize the point?
19. To avoid the cruelty caused by life killing other life to survive, couldn't we all have been photosynthetic organisms, using sunlight and inanimate molecules to make our energy? If you're going to say there's not enough energy in photosynthesis, why couldn't your god design a more effective photosynthetic system?
20. Why does the evidence from so many scientific disciplines, astronomy, geology, biology, physics, chemistry, all converge to suggest the Big Bang and Evolution, while at the same time pointing away from your theory?
21. Why do the mathematical models behind scientific understanding of the Universe work so well, while creationists have no mathematical models at all?
22. Does your creation model or your holy book account for things like quantum mechanics? Why doesn't it seem to contain much useful knowledge at all?
23. If your god didn't explain quantum nature for these people because they wouldn't understand, then isn't it time your god shows itself and gives us an update now that we have more understanding? Why doesn't it divinely guide some people to write an update to your current holy book? Or is it allowing us to do that through science? Is the reason we don't need an update that science is doing such a good job of answering the questions?
Advanced Questions:
24. Why does the human chromosome #2 appear to have been created by the fusion of two different chimpanzee chromosomes, complete with structures which would not be necessary if it was created as a single, unified chromosome?
25. What is the Cosmic Background Radiation? The CBR is an integral part of the Big Bang model, and is in fact demanded by it. How does your creationism account for it, ie. where does it fit in your model?
26. Why are the galaxies moving apart? Were they once much closer together?
27. Why can we see objects in space that are billions of light years away?
28. What process did your god use to create life? Can you describe how it works?
29. Can you use your creation model to make any helpful predictions that might lead us to further discoveries or understanding?
30. What is one prediction that your model can make which could support your creationism to the exclusion of accepted scientific models, and what evidence can you find for it?
Labels: Origins, War on Science
FV said...
You mentioned this blog is fair and balanced. I think this is not the case as creationists cannot be expected to answer not even one of these questions. In pursue of justice, I am herewith submitting some responses on they behalf.
1. If Charlton Heston movies weren’t enough, Christian creationism is the only story that is routinely made into animated films (please take into account that hieroglyphs and Aztec codices do not count as animation). Extended broadcasting of creationism totally confirm its claims. Moreover, thanks to Saint Disney, every story in the Book of Books will soon be validated by its own E-rated cgi blockbuster and thousands more will be converted. Other explanations for Genesis does not seeem to have this power.
2. Since we all came from Adam and Eve, then Noah MUST have been Steve Irwin’s great-great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather, you see? No wonder God wanted him to be the Ark master. It is rumoured that Noah was about to get the dinosaurs too but then it started raining, crickey!
3. Although not mentioned in the Bible, Noah had abundantly stock-piled on God-Chow and SPAM. Thus, all the carnivores rejoiceth.
4. Thanks to the Holy Spirit awesome powers, koalas grew temporary angel-wings (this was a miracle, not a freak mutation). Given Earth’s flatness all they needed then was the right Cartesian coordinates.
5. Mr. YHVE is an angry God. He works in mysterious ways. If you do not believe this, you will burn in hell (YWBH)
6. YWBH
7. Please refer to (6)
8. Just to quote one of the creationist modern prophets: “mankind and fish can coexist, peacefully”. What makes you think that the other species, such as mexicans and the iraq, will not get along once christians show them the light of Sweet Jesus Lord?
9. [This was a low and despicable attack to creationists. Please leave their families out of this. Otherwise, they'll complain with YHVE and YWBH]
10. As per documental evidence found in The Holy Scripture, creationists hold the only true religion; everybody else got corrupted by the Evil one. That’s also why other "people" have dark skin and speak dialects such as mexican or the Iraq, and such as.
11. He is everywhere, even right here, right now!!! You can feel Him in every key of the keyboard, in every pixel generated by Windows Vista on this 16” LCD computer screen made by Samsung. He who has ears shall listen, he who was eyes shall see. Sinners and atheist are scientifically proven to have a hard ear and are blind as bats. If that does not suffice, Mr. YHVE also acts in mysterious ways.
12. Creationist distrust scientists because even they bow before the All Mighty. Take Galileo… he flip-flopped Kerry-style when he was shown the Truth by a team of inquisitors. Way to go science!!! Ergo, it is repentance or YHVE, I mean YWBH.
13. You see, morality changes gradually over time as a result of being exposed to different scenarios. This causes some moral values to prevail, while others are discontinued, thus confusing mankind with heretical ideas that do adapt to the christian belief system. This is bringing upon us Judgment Day ahead of schedule.
At this rate of moral "revolution", Armageddon will come any minute. Just hold… here it comes… almost here… hold it…
Jun 27, 2009, 2:07:00 AM
FV, you made me laugh, just like the post's title promised I would. :-) I especially liked #10 and #12. Thanks!
Number 11?
Oct 8, 2010, 11:40:00 PM
yummypinkblobs said...
Oct 10, 2010, 12:08:00 AM
Maybe I glossed over it, but I didn't see you mention to ask where over 99% of all the animal species that ever lived on Earth went in those 6,000 years.
Is it not true that one of each animal was preserved on the ark?
Why were dinosaurs and other ice age mammals never mentioned in genesis?
And how did 99% of all the ancient aquatic animals drown in the flood? They're water dwelling animals!
I love to use that one!
Shawna said...
FV.. I almost got mad, but then I realized that entire comment was just satire.
Oct 10, 2010, 1:04:00 AM
1.Why is there not unanimous acceptance by all christian faiths for new prophecies, scriptures and biblical texts?
2.If Christianity is the one fits all religion, why are there so many differing opinions (with-in the faiths) to the true meanings of the scriptures?
3. If its necessary for the word of god to be heard by all humans, to bring about the End Times, then how would you teach it to a non-communicative person with speech, hearing and learning disabilities. i.e an autistic person?
4. The answer to this question is obvious, it's a logic puzzle, but if humans did not evolve reasoning or the communications skills to express ideas, would your god actually exist?
Very funny. It always did bother me in sunday school that we never talked about how Noah picked up animals on the other side of the world, or the species that have been hidden or thought exinct until recently.
Oct 10, 2010, 2:02:00 PM
shpadoinkle12 said...
A few years ago, I asked a coworker where she thought dinosaurs came from. Her response, I shit you not, was, "God used the earth like a giant sandbox and buried stuff in it so we could have fun digging them up." This was a dead-serious answer, coming from a 40-something year old woman who I had a lot of respect for.
misael said...
And also how did Noah transport the termites and the beavers?
I would just like to point out something first.
You start off with "Basic questions (no education required)".
-well peer down to #10. Civilisations. Did your 21st century scientifically advanced computer not even pick up on that error? Or does "no education required" really stand true here?
Also on #11, "why couldn't it be fucked to appear to the other people".
Learn how to spell and learn how to write (and yes genius those ARE two different things) before you decide to start a one-sided argument with yourself. If you're going to try to make a good point, it helps if you yourself have a little education under your belt.
#12. Is this a slight against people who are only over 50 and have lived in front of a T.V. since it was invented? Go to any college campus or hell, any place that isn't secluded from the rest of society by 100 miles and ask that question. Seriously, get with the times. Your research on only 3 people who believe in Christianity and attempt to spread the word of it has again shown that "no education [is] required".
Number Thirteen. And yes I spelled that one out on purpose. "Barbaric bronze-aged theories", huh? That's a bold phrase coming from someone who can't spell or seem to bother his or herself with immersing yourself in the real world. If you hadn't noticed through your "in-depth research" that when the dawning of civilization was a new and creative idea, what was considered the heavens was what people could see in the sky. Literally, simple astronomy. Wow, what a crazy concept right?
So, riddle me this. How did we go from simple astronomy as a religion to Judaism, or to Hinduism, or Buddhism? Hmm... Have fun with that research. It may take a while for that one to sink into your 5th grade educated atheist brain.
(Oh, and just bee tee double-u, I'm certainly no creationist either. In fact I was raised Mormon, of all Christian subsidiaries, and stopped attending roughly 15 years ago).
18. What point? That we are not chimpanzees? Yea, that's why we walk upright.
#26. Again, your research has only been undertaken enough to attempt to prove your point. When in fact, not all galaxies are moving apart from each other. Because of these strange things called Dark Matter and Dark Energy, yes, some galaxies are moving further apart from one another. However, our galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy are actually going to collide in the next whatever billion or million years it is.
It's been fun. But, like you and I both said, "no education required".
Well Ryan, you've gone and embarrassed yourself.
"Civilisations. Did your 21st century scientifically advanced computer not even pick up on that error?"
Do you know what British spelling is? You know, the spelling that the entire world, except for the Yanks, uses to write the English language? You're an ignorant American. No education required. And yes, my browser does underline 'civilisations', but I ignore it because the spelling is correct.
"Also on #11, "why couldn't it be fucked to appear to the other people".
Learn how to spell and learn how to write"
This is not a mistake. You're interpreting it incorrectly. Replace 'fucked' with 'bothered', and you might understand what I meant. It was a form of slang, but entirely what I meant to write. "I couldn't be fucked to go _______ today."
"Barbaric bronze-aged theories", huh? That's a bold phrase coming from someone who can't spell...."
I think we already established that you've embarrassed yourself on that one.
"18. What point? That we are not chimpanzees? Yea, that's why we walk upright."
Walking upright is not a fundamental biological difference. Sorry.
"Again, your research has only been undertaken enough to attempt to prove your point. When in fact, not all galaxies are moving apart from each other. Because of these strange things called Dark Matter and Dark Energy, yes, some galaxies are moving further apart from one another. However, our galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy are actually going to collide in the next whatever billion or million years it is."
Uh-huh...... well, good thing I have a degree in physics and astronomy, right? The galaxies are moving apart except for those which are so strongly bound to each other that they overwhelm the expansion. We're part of a group of galaxies. You think I wasn't aware that we're on a collision course with some? Please! That is not a refutation of the Big Bang, nor is it even relevant to the post. You're nitpicking.
One more thing for Ryan:
"Did your 21st century scientifically advanced computer not even pick up on that error? Or does "no education required" really stand true here?"
So are you NOT using a 21st-century scientifically advanced computer to read my website? Because it really sounds like you're mocking them. I guess you're just one of those shitheads who rags on science and scientists while taking full advantage of the benefits they provide for you.
It's a bad idea to base most of your argument against somebody on a single spelling mistake in a rather long post, especially when the mistake isn't an actual mistake and you yourself are the one who is mistaken.
You've already embarrassed yourself thoroughly, so go fuck yourself.
And still more for Ryan. Dude, my girlfriend is an American and she just said that it's Americans like you, who don't know that the rest of the English-speaking world writes some words differently, that make all of you look ignorant about the world. So congratulations, you dumb fuck!
Feki said...
Ryan, before you start with more of your "clever" ad hominen attacks, I must tell you two things:
1) English is not my first language nor the only language that I speak. If language correctness is such an important issue for you so as to make you dismiss other people's ideas then you should never attempt to leave your country, not even your trailer park.
2) Trying to bring grammar/spelling mistakes down to the same level of ignorance as religious delusion simply does not work: I have bad grammar but I can tell apart fairy tales from reality. Can you? Does your perfect grammar compensate for the fact that you believe in talking snakes and zombie jews?
So, really, what's your point aside from "spell-checking" the entire post? that the Mormon faith is better than the "barbaric-bronze age beliefs" on the basis that it is "newer"? does the fact that Joseph Smith made it up in the late 1800s makes it superior to the old biblical crap?
Well, either creationist or "enlightened creationist" (as you might think of yourself), you sure seem to enjoy the use of a computer, so adding to Admin's comment: mocking and questioning scientific knowledge while browsing internet blogs is not only hypocritical, it's dumb.
I should also remind you that scientific knowledge is not some "truth written on stone", but that is the whole point. Science improves itself through new discoveries and peer review. In comparisson, for some 2000 years there has been no "new discoveries" of walking-dead/walk-on-water jewish carpenters and peer review of the facts tells us that none ever existed.
So, if you disagree with science and believe in fairy tales so much please do not ever go to the hospital but try praying, sacrificing animals and applying fresh dung to your afflicted body part. That'll probably do the trick, right?
As for us atheists, you won't have to withstand us much longer. "The Rapture" should happen any minute now, I am sure.
MikeT said...
@Feki: I agree with your general tone in criticizing Ryan, but one of your paragraphs had 2 errors:
1> ...what's your point... the Mormon faith
From Ryan's comment I saw that he does not adhere to that faith, he states he has not been participating for 15 years. His point on that seemed to me to be that the original post lumps all Creationists into one very narrow belief system. Except, of course, where he addresses different faiths based on the Bible.
2> ...Joseph Smith made it up in the late 1800s...
History tells us that Joseph Smith died in 1844. The Mormon church was founded in 1830. Neither date qualifies for "late 1800s".
When you mock someone for being ignorant you should pay attention to what they said (otherwise they will not feel the sting) and your facts should be correct (otherwise they will dismiss you as ignorant).
Oct 13, 2010, 11:11:00 PM
soulcraft said...
Ryan, how biblical are Joseph Smith's hat and his magic scrying stones? Does the Book of Mormon explain them?
MikeT, one rarely receives constructive criticism like this, so I sincerely thank you. Rest assure it will not fall on deaf ears.
(also thanks for not dismissing my entire comment 'cause of two mistakes made in haste)
You criticize others about being ignorant and look down upon them because they don’t have a degree in astronomy and physics. You probably think that Christians are to blame for half the world’s problems. I don’t have a problem with atheist- it’s important to be accepting of other’s beliefs. But people like you stain the word. You come off as such a jerk, and I really hope one day you learn that even though you believe in the evolution theory, you more ignorant that most creationist. Stop hating other people for being different from you. Where is it getting you anyway?
1. I don't look down on them because they don't have a degree in physics and astronomy, I look down on them because they don't listen to those who do. Why not give your physician medical advice?
2. Not just Christians are to blame for the world's problems, many superstitious beliefs combine to cause most of the world's problems.
3. "You come off as such a jerk..."
Yes, people often don't like to be told they're fools. That makes me sound like a jerk.
4. "I really even though you believe in the evolution theory, you more ignorant that most creationist."
Yet ANOTHER ANONYMOUS poster claiming that I'm ignorant, but failing to tell me what it is that I'm ignorant about. Could it be that you don't actually have any facts to present?
5. "Stop hating other people for being different from you. Where is it getting you anyway?"
It's getting me a blog. And I hate the insane belief, not the people.
These questions don't intimidate any Christian that studies.
1. Not sure how to answer this one. I go by what the Bible says. Can't speak for everyone else.
2. Noah didn't have to find anything according to scripture. The animals found Noah.
3. According to scripture, there were no carnivores. Everything, including humans were basically vegan.
4. Not sure how to answer this either. How did they get there in any theory? Land brige most probably. Look up how animals got to Krakatoa after the 1883 eruption wiped it clean.
5. After the flood, things changed. People and animals became carnivores. If you consider it cruelty, then fine.
6. Everything has to die, or they live forever and the world would be overran with life. It's not that complicated. There is no "easy" way to die. There is a specific need for disease and "pain".
7. This is human logic. Not sure what would satisfy you here.
8. What? How do you know if an animal is lusting after another animal? How do you know it's being "violent" and not following simple instinct?
9. Simply put, I don't. And a careful reading of Genesis doesn't support that. At least, not until after the flood. And Incest is aborred only by human logic. Just because society hates something, doesn't automatically make it wrong. There would be no such thing as race without incest. If there was another catostopic event leaving only you and your sister, you better be willing to bang her brains out or you will kill all human kind.
10. All civilizations resulted from Noah, not Adam and Eve. Everyone has their own version of everything. Even the gospels. Oddly enough, every civilization mentions a world wide flood. Funny, that seems to add credibility to the story.
11. God's plan is complete. No need to come to anyone in the form of anything. There is a very long answer for this, but in short... there's nothing God can do to convince you God is real if you made your mind up. If that's what you're getting at.
12.I like Kent Hovind. I also know three people with Master Degrees who frequently come to me for help.. I have NO degree. A degree doesn't automatically make you better equiped to deal with issues. I conceed that it helps.
13. This is plainly predicted in the Bible. It's not really a suprise to any well-read Christian.
We had a taker, but it seems the site either isn't posting his comment, or he deleted it. So I'll helpfully post it for him myself. He answered the "No Education" questions. He didn't touch any of the others, strangely. His name was RK, and here is his comment in full:
RK, the challenge was not to answer the questions. I'm well aware that your kind can answer them. I'm merely saying that your answers will be ridiculous, which they are.
1. So you can't say why your story is true and the others are myths. Good stuff, exactly what I was looking for.
2. Not what I was looking for and not an answer. Fine, how did the animals find Noah? How long did it take the sloth to get to the ark?
3. And yet the evidence suggests differently, doesn't it? Oh, but I forgot, your book says it isn't true.
4. How did they get there in ANY theory? Like in scientific theory? Perhaps because Australia separated from the mega-continent and they evolved there? A land bridge? and yet there are no koala populations or fossils between the Middle-East and Australia? How does that work?
5. People are not carnivores. We're omnivores. Do you have any evidence that there was once a time when people and animals didn't eat meat? I guess the tiger's claws were for scratching the backs of other tigers? And yes, it's cruel. Is your god cruel?
6. No, we do not all have to die. An omnipotent god could easily create the conditions in which it is not necessary, or in which it does not need to be so painful. Wasn't that the original plan, according to the fairy tale? But you did not answer the question, did you? Why punish animals for the wrongs of humans?
7. Again, you didn't answer the question, did you? Is it just? for a guy who claims the questions aren't intimidating, you sure do dodge a lot of them. Again, is it just? Yes or no?
8. Animals don't lust? Seriously? You know that they fuck, right? And yes, they're violent. They engage in tribal warfare. I'm sure it is "instinct", but that doesn't answer the question, does it? Why do we share that?
9. Explain why race requires incest. So incest is OK is what you're saying, correct? Just want to make sure.
10. Support the statement that all civilisations believe in a world-wide flood.
11. Again, not an answer, is it? There's nothing a god can do to convince me? Are you serious? We're talking about an omnipotent god, right? How did people convince me that air exists? This is the worst answer in your entire comment.
12. You like Kent Hovind because you're a fucking idiot like he is. Just wondering if you read his "thesis". What do these people have Masters degrees in, and what do they come to you for help with? Not science, I'm sure.
13. Again, not an answer.
Dude, you suck and you're a fucking fool.
Haha! I love how RK used "according to scripture" in sentences. It makes me laugh at how creationists wave around the bible like it's scientific proof that there is an invisible man living in the clouds.
Evolution is not a fuckin theory!!!
its scientific fact.
Natural selection is a theory that stems from Evolution.
I hate it when people say shit like that.
Actually, evolution IS just a theory. Just like gravitation, germ theory, and how we believe light works. In science, however, being a theory does not make it non-factual. A scientific theory means 2 things:
1. There was a hypothesis to begin with, which lead to research, which lead to evidence supporting the claim, making a theory
2. It is not concrete, as it is science. Even if mankind NEVER learns any more about astrophysics, there is more to be learned. If there is more (or even if not, but we assume there could be as it is science) the theory is able to be reworked bit by bit to add in more, or to correct what we got wrong.
however, i must agree with you, i hate when people do that shit too.
Just for shits and giggles, i decided to play devils advocate. I am exceedignly anti-theistic (meaning i absolutely abhor religion, not that i am an atheist), but i think ill se how i can answer some of these questions with what creationist "logic" i know.
1. My god can beat up your god! (or, at least, my military forces fighting in the name of magical invisible people throughout histoy can beat your military forces fighting for your magical invisible sky-man).
2. Well, as we all know, ancient people (like 6000 years ago) had MAGIC. I mean, duh, he just cast teleport spells and straight up caught those suckers and brought em back!
3. This one actually CAN make sense...lets say all of the female animals Noah got were about to give birth, so there were 2 of each animal on the arc, but within a few weeks there were more of each, so the lions and bears and crocodiles could eat the delicious newborns!
4. God's magic again. Isn't he nifty?
5. Because God can be cruel. Smiting and sacrifices and whatnot, but he is still all-loving and all-just!
6. It says in the Bible that god made plants and animals for man, so as long as WE are being hurt by it, who cares? Animals are just meat with legs!
7. I can't think of anything witty. Sorry
8. Well, ya gotta start SOMEWHERE. Chevys and Mitsubishis are totally different cars, but they still need the basics to work. Same with life, you start with the basics like central nervous systems and mitochondrial DNA and build from there.
9. Umm...yes?
10. Ever played Telephone? (do you guys play that outside of the States? I am afraid I'm most ignorant on the practices of childhood games from around the world). It is pretty easy to see how the Mexica would get a giant flying thunder-snake-bird from the biblical stories over a few thousand years.
11. Because the Hebrews were his chosen. Everyone knows that! Despite the fact that all humans spread from the same genetic background, living in Israel made those ancient desert-nomads the best, in gods eyes.
12. This one I have to say is actually unfair. While Kirk Cameron and Bananna Man aren't well-versed or educated in anything of this sort, there ARE people like Behe (I hate him) who are well-educated in science that creationists take their ideas from. However, being educated in science does not make your theories viable or even not-completely-fuckin-retarded.
13. SAAAAATAAAAAAN! Satan did it.
14. There is evidence for creationism. Like the bible! And oral histories.
15. Like someone said, so we could have fun trying to figure it out. And, ofcourse, to test our faith in Him.
16. God is a prankster, he does things like this and make dinosaur fossils and the human genome to be almost identical to that of apes just to test us. Make sure we are paying attention and giving him the correct amount of love.
17. See above
18. Chimpanzee's were probably God's "alpha" phase. You know, see what bugs might need to be removed. He probably moved on to beta testing with Adam and Eve.
19. God isn't a hippy. Sure, he's all-loving, but that doesnt mean he doesn't like a good steak!
ok, im tired of these. guess i am done now.
Evolution isn't "just a theory" - it's a scientific theory. There is pretty much no better definition of *undeniable fact*.
People misuse the word "theory" in common usage when they mean hypothesis or (usually) conjecture. That's not science's fault nor its problem. The best thing you can do is interrupt someone the next time they tell you they have a theory, and politely let them know that they do not, in fact, have a theory. They have an idea and I believe ideas are wonderful things that can't need to be dressed up with improper words.
Of course, we can't stop that. It's the same reason "tragedy" and "irony" are so abused in common language that they don't actually mean *anything* anymore.
Why does it matter? It seems to me that being condescending to people of other beliefs than your own is not any sort of way to "enlighten" people. Do you like when creationists would try to discredit atheists? So why do it to them? People will continue to believe what they want to believe in even though it's wrong. By attempting to persuade people by telling them their belief is wrong is just swaying them to your belief. Yes, atheism is a belief. Keep yours to you, I keep mine to me, and all those bible thumpers keep theirs to theirs. Sound good?
"Do you like when creationists would try to discredit atheists?"
I enjoy watching them make asses of themselves, yes.
"Yes, atheism is a belief. Keep yours to you, I keep mine to me, and all those bible thumpers keep theirs to theirs. Sound good?"
No, no it doesn't. I'll express my opinion as much as I want, and if you don't like it, there's the door.
And another thing for Justin. It matters because biblical creationism is wrong, and that's a fact. We know it's wrong because all of the predictions it would make are contradicted by the evidence. So I'm stating facts, not opinions. And if you see a problem with stating facts, or wonder why facts matter, then get the fuck out of here.
At RK post.
There are so many animals that couldn't survive if they didn't eat meat. Does anyone have a pet cat? because they would have died if they couldn't eat meat. A Dog might survive on turnip greens or what have you, but a Cat as well as many other carnivores would no longer exist if that were the case.
Justin wrote: "It seems to me that being condescending to people of other beliefs than your own is not any sort of way to "enlighten" people. "
That's the problem Justin, creationism is a BELIEF, evolution is a FACT. People who are reasonable and trust in facts have every right to be condescending to people who choose to believe in something which is not supported by any fact at all (no Justin, a book does NOT count as fact!)(no, really not, not even when it's said it's written by a god)
Don't you think it is not worth having this discussion with people who are brainwashed? Most religious people are not educated enough. I found that it is a waste of time arguing with them. Actually I don't give a shit what they believe...
Good, but you realize it all depends on the frame of reference who the ass is.
"No, no it doesn't. I'll express my opinion as much as I want, and if you don't like it, there's the door."
Why not have a discussion then? Or would you rather just exclude other by imagining your superiority?
"And another thing for Justin. It matters because biblical creationism is wrong, and that's a fact. We know it's wrong because all of the predictions it would make are contradicted by the evidence. So I'm stating facts, not opinions. And if you see a problem with stating facts, or wonder why facts matter, then get the fuck out of here."
Predictions state that the Geiger-Marsden experiment would have resulted in small angle deflections. Atoms in the Stern-Gerlach experiment would have no intrinsic spins. Columbus would have fallen off the plane. Science is full of mistakes, and I would expect a fellow physicist to be a little more skeptical of any one theory being presented by fact. Did the school you go to actually forget to teach you how to break conservation laws? What about that predictions fail to account for Heisenberg Uncertainty? So it seems plain to me that all the above mentioned physicists are much smarter than either you or I, and what did they do to the contemporary "facts?" Religion was long considered fact and living by facts did wonders for the world, no?
I don't intend to come off as hostile in any way, just trying to help you put forth something other than rhetoric and inspire some real conversation.
Laura, I appreciate your willingness to follow facts and rules and laws, its good for a society. If everyone suddenly agrees with you, who will you belittle then? How about the "scientific fact" that blacks are less able to have higher reasoning than whites? One of the scientists who pioneered the "fact" of DNA put forth that theory. Facts are accepted beliefs, and beliefs are accepted facts.
'Don't you think it is not worth having this discussion with people who are brainwashed? Most religious people are not educated enough. I found that it is a waste of time arguing with them. Actually I don't give a shit what they believe...'
Funny thing about education is nobody is educated enough, which if you think about it is a pretty daunting thing. No matter how much you know about a subject, someone will some day know more. Hopefully at least. Shouldn't you, as a presumably educated person, be willing to not look to creed as a judge of a person's intelligence?
Stay frosty people :-)
Justin, you want to converse with people who have already stated in advance that evidence and reason will not sway them? Take a look at the statement on the Answers in Genesis page. It says that any evidence which contradicts creationism is the work of Satan, or some such garbage. Good luck! I'm just here to make fun of them.
We KNOW biblical creationism is wrong. The fossils are in completely the wrong order, the ages determined by all fields of science differ drastically from the creationist predictions, the ark story is ridiculous and left no evidence, the genetic evidence is overwhelming, etc. Only a god who is deliberately trying to deceive us could allow for biblical creationism to be real. And if we're going to assume that everything we know is a deception, we're into solipsism, and I'd rather kill myself.
As for the physics stuff, not really my thing. My degree leaned a lot more towards astronomy and aerospace engineering, orbits, stuff like that. My pure physics education ends with an intro course in modern physics at the third-year level.
The evidence clearly excludes biblical creationism. If you don't want to stand behind that, I think you're being pretty wishy-washy and accommodating to beliefs that do not deserve any serious consideration.
Although I did find these questions to be humorous, I think some of these comments are becoming unnecessarily harsh and unfair. We're all entitled to our own opinion, of course, but when we're childishly name-calling, unnecessarily insulting, and outright telling christians they're wrong because we (atheists) believe we know the REAL truth... well, that's going too far. It's perfectly alright to express what you believe in, but it is cruel to insult the thousands of people who take the bible with a hint of salt, and use it as a guideline for living a "good life." I'm an atheist, and have asked some of these same questions, myself, but not to "make christians look like asses." Asking questions should be about learning from others, and if you've already got your mind made up that you're going to disregard whatever response you get, you're going to get (and deserve) the infamous "ignorant" label some day. This goes for everyone, not just the admin here.
This post is directed at biblical creationists, not the 'moderate' Christians who somehow manage to believe the book even though they believe so much of it is false. Creationists are ignorant fools, and I have no problem calling them that. If the moderates feel insulted, they should try to figure out why they feel the post applies to them, because it doesn't.
My mind can be swayed be evidence. The creationist minds most often cannot, and they've stated that quite proudly.
Again, if you don't like the tone, you don't ever have to visit my site again.
Justin, I just took another look at your comment, and have to object to this:
"Columbus would have fallen off the plane. Science is full of mistakes..."
What exactly was the SCIENTIFIC evidence that Earth was flat? Was there a scientific study done to determine the flatness? You're confusing common opinion with scientific results. This is like Ray Comfort saying that science thought Earth was held up by a turtle. It most certainly did not! That's what ignorant people thought as a religious belief. There was no evidence for such a thing.
@Everyone hammering Ryan - you're wasting your time - he's still got his magic underwear from his LDS days. "Evil" comments bounce off him like bullets from Superman's chest...
... said...
I bet the Greeks wouldn't believe in Christianity. Both of you would think you're right, but neither of you have proof.
angryratman said...
I always liked #27.
If creationists agree that;
1) the speed of light is constant
2) a 'light year' is the distance light travels in a year
3) stars are billions of light years away;
Then surely it MUST take billions of years for the light to reach the earth?? (Hence the Universe is f***ing old) ^_^
"How about the "scientific fact" that blacks are less able to have higher reasoning than whites?"
not surprising pffhahaha
RELIGION is like a penis; it's fine to have one, it's fine to be proud of it, but please don't whip it out in public and start waving it around AND please don't try to shove it down children's throats.
lolwut said...
I ACCIDENTALLY A COKE BOTTLE. THE WHOLE THING.
THere is no anthropomorphic God
Just said...
The FACT is that both science and religion support one another. The bible is a story book, written and rewritten, translated and re translated over hundreds of years. It is not the COMPLETE story of EVERYTHING that ever happened. My first argument as a believer in creation is concerning evolution( which I also believe in). If we intact did evolve, what did we evolve from and where did it come from? Where did all the matter that our universe is made of come from? How about their original building blocks? What set the "big bang" in motion. The Bible says that a thousand years is but a day to God. If there are 365 "days" in a year and we start off with time beginning ......heck let's just say 6 billion years ago........ How would the math work out...... Let's see. 365x1000=365,000. So one year is like 365,000 "God years". That means that in just the 2,000 "people years" since Christ we have time for 730,000,000 years of "evolution". I can't prove I'm right, but you can't prove I'm wrong. That's why it's called FAITH. I have it, atheist don't, and that settles it. Live your life knowing that if the atheist are correct that when I die I will completely cease to exist, but if I'm right, and continue to live my life in a kind and peacefull manner and worship the God I believe in while the atheist rot in hell I will receive eternal peace. Seems like an ok trade off to me. Follow blindly and I can only come out ahead, if my beliefs are wrong, what fate will I suffer. Just my thoughts. Now dig in and rip me apart! I'll be waiting! Peace and love. Me
"If we intact did evolve, what did we evolve from and where did it come from? Where did all the matter that our universe is made of come from? How about their original building blocks? What set the "big bang" in motion."
Substituting a god(s) in for any of these questions is an argument from ignorance, a logical fallacy, and is unacceptable.
"If there are 365 "days" in a year and we start off with time beginning ......heck let's just say 6 billion years ago........"
You're not in the mainstream of biblical creationists, and this post was therefore not directed at you. No mainstream biblical creationist believes the Universe could be 6 billion years old. They program their kids to ask, "Excuse me, were you there?" of their teacher whenever any historical date of more than 10,000 years ago is mentioned.
"I can't prove I'm right, but you can't prove I'm wrong. That's why it's called FAITH."
Faith is nothing to be proud of. My worldview is evidence-based. you believe the unproven word of ancient goat-herders, as if they had more insight than we do today.
"I have it, atheist don't, and that settles it."
And yet, so many biblical creationists claim that atheists do have faith. You people need to make up your minds.
"...but if I'm right, and continue to live my life in a kind and peacefull manner and worship the God I believe in while the atheist rot in hell I will receive eternal peace."
Ah, Pascal's Wager. Never heard THAT one before. Check my rebuttals to Pascal's Wager from the sidebar, which contain scenarios in which you too will burn forever.
And no, science does not support religion. The science clearly shows that the biblical creation story is wrong. It is completely ruled out.
Science doesn't support the supernatural. Can you cite a case in which it does?
Why is it that you all skirted my questions? A question requires an answer, not another question. Again, where did whatever we evolved from originate? Where did the building blocks of our universe originate?
As wonderfully complex as our world is, are we expected to believe it all occured randomly? Its much to organized to have just accidentally happened. There is an intelligent design at work. This intelligence I call God. I have never seen him, but I have never seen Africa either.
MOST atheist seem to lump all Christians into one category, and most Christians lump all atheist into one heap. The truth is that alot of us live our lives exactly the same, with one exception, faith.
Science is an ever evolving discipline. The science of 1,000 years ago, is not the science of today. The science of 20 years ago isn't the science of today. Science is an observation base discipline. If science can't see it happen and then make it happen again and figure out why it happened then science can't fully explain it either.
No I am not your typical Bible thumping Christian. Both of my children were taught about both evolution and creation.
They were given a basic understanding of the Bible and religion and allowed to choose their own path. I don't force my beliefs on anyone. I just offer them as a possible explanation that I have faith in.
Now go back to the first paragraph and answer my original questions please. I'm am curious to hear the explanations.
Thanks in advance for your INTELLIGENT answers, they are the only ones I'm interested in. Peace and love, Me
The Admin who answered you post was not avoiding your questions, he was simply getting to the end of your argument before you did. However, I'll lay it out more clearly for you.
"If we intact did evolve, what did we evolve from and where did it come from?"
We evolved from an earlier, simpler life form. That life form came from an earlier, simpler, life form, all the way back to the earliest and simplest life form. Where that first life form came from is not evolution, but abiogenesis. Please do not mix the two up.
"Where did all the matter that our universe is made of come from?"
From an initial explosion commonly called the "Big Bang".
"How about their original building blocks?"
Do you mean the the building blocks of the Big Bang? We don't know yet, but we're working on it.
"What set the "big bang" in motion."
We don't know, but we're working on it. Now, and this is the important part, not knowing does not mean "God did it". I don't know where my car keys are. My not knowing does not mean God took them. Your argument is simply "God of the Gaps". Please feel free to google that term and do some reading. I think you will find it very informative.
Does that help? Please feel free to keep asking questions.
@ Winter Lion,
I appreciate your answers. However your answers seem to me you have faith as well, faith (basically an unfounded belief) as well, faith in science. We don't know where the matter involved in "big bang" came from, but we believe it was there.
We don't know what put it all in motion, but we believe something did.
We don't know where the basic, I mean the very basic building blocks of life came from, but they obviously came from somewhere, we are here aren't we?
My point is that there had to be something, someone, some form of higher intelligence that set the whole string of events into motion at some point. Our existence is far to complex to have happened at random. Sure there are many unanswered question. Questions of faith and of science. Why is it wrong for a Christian to believe in something that can't be "proven" but ok to believe in science that's not yet finished and therefore unproven?
Why can't the two reside side by side? Evoultion? Heck yeah, 100%, I'm right there with you. Creation, well it had to start some didn't it.
I'm not here to argue, just check out the opposing view. Like I said, I'm not a main stream sheep. I have studied the bible and come to my own conclusions. I don't follow blindly as many do. I am often critized by my fellow Christians for my beliefs. I just tell them we can discuss it in the after life. I have my own system of beliefs in religion and science that coexist peacefully for the most part side by side. The bible is not the strict words of God, but a compilation of many "stories" written by men according to their own personal experiences and their interpitation there of. Nice to find a place to dig a little without being slammed, which is usually what happens. Obviously I'm here in search of answers, not to be converted, but to expand my own understanding of my world.
Thanks for the INTELLIGENT answers and the lack of insulting dialog. Peace, Me
@ Winter Lion
Respectfully, one of us is confused. The law of biogenesis basically that life comes from life. What I wanted to know is where that fist form of life that spawned all others come from? See below:
The Law of Biogenesis, attributed to Louis Pasteur, states that life arises from pre-existing life, not from nonliving material.Pasteur's (and others) empirical results were summarized hippo in the phrase, Omne vivum ex vivo, Latin for, "all life [is] from life", also known as the "law of biogenesis". Pasteur stated: "La génération spontanée est une chimère" ("Spontaneous generation is a dream").
Get back to ya on the god of the gaps thing.
I have to enlighten myself on that.
Peace, Me
Thank you for the post, I enjoy having a wide selection of ways to baffle the fools that believe in creationism. :)
@Just
"We don't know where the matter involved in "big bang" came from, but we believe it was there."
Could the big bang have happened without matter? It takes no faith whatsoever to believe that an occurrence requiring matter had matter.
"We don't know what put it all in motion, but we believe something did."
If I come home to find a broken window I do not have faith that something caused my window to be broken. I KNOW that something caused my window to be broken. That is not faith.
"Our existence is far to complex to have happened at random."
I don't see any logic in that statement. Complexity is a matter of opinion and is based solely on your basis for comparison. There is the possibility for far more complex structures that just happen to not exist. Evolving the way we did by chance/science rather than some divine intervention does not mean that reality should be any less complex. This is an argument based on your own perception and observation.
"Why is it that you all skirted my questions? A question requires an answer, not another question. Again, where did whatever we evolved from originate? Where did the building blocks of our universe originate?"
Why don't you ask a scientist? Your questions don't deserve an answer because you are attempting an argument from ignorance. I'm heading you off before we get there. The answer to these questions is irrelevant, unless you have proof that the supernatural was involved. And in that case, you shouldn't be telling the world about it here.
"As wonderfully complex as our world is, are we expected to believe it all occured randomly? Its much to organized to have just accidentally happened. There is an intelligent design at work."
Argument from ignorance. Logical fallacy.
"This intelligence I call God. I have never seen him, but I have never seen Africa either."
L-A-M-E. I've seen Africa. I have photos.
"The truth is that alot of us live our lives exactly the same, with one exception, faith."
Faith, also known as 'gullibility' is the belief in things for no reason,and in many cases, even contrary to the evidence.
"Now go back to the first paragraph and answer my original questions please. I'm am curious to hear the explanations."
Go to your nearest university and sign up for a course in biological science or the chemistry of life. You are attempting an argument from ignorance, which is not acceptable. The Winter Lion knows exactly what's going on.
"My point is that there had to be something, someone, some form of higher intelligence that set the whole string of events into motion at some point."
No. Something, perhaps. Someone? No. Intelligence? No.
No. And the randomness is an old line that needs to die. Evolution is somewhat directed by the environment.
Don't you see the giant argument from ignorance? You have nothing. It's amazing to watch a supposedly-educated person struggle to reconcile evidence-based reasoning with a fairy tale from when he was a kid. I feel sorry for you.
"Why is it wrong for a Christian to believe in something that can't be "proven" but ok to believe in science that's not yet finished and therefore unproven?"
Because all we have is nature. Natural processes did everything that's ever been shown. You believe that fairies did it. Nothing supernatural has ever been demonstrated to be real. Everything is natural, there is no disembodied intelligence out there.
"I'm not a main stream sheep. I have studied the bible and come to my own conclusions."
That's the biggest problem you people have. You've got a book you claim contains the answers, yet you can't agree on what those answers are. It makes it hard for us to refute you because you come in from all different directions. Many Christians, among them clergy, don't even believe in your Hell.
"Get back to ya on the god of the gaps thing.
I have to enlighten myself on that."
YES, YOU DO. Then when you're attempting a god-of-the-gaps argument, you'll know why we ignore your question completely. This might also help:
http://www.atheistpropaganda.com/2008/10/stop-scientific-progress-preserve-gods.html
Dear "Admin"
It seems that no matter where you turn people are the same. When you can't answer a question you just say how "ignorant" I am. No usefull answer, just a repeat of " you're wrong". The fact is you have a closed mind and are unable to see things from more than one point of view. My God is not a God of gaps. Nothing I have written here implies that.
I simply state that I believe that there is a higher intelligence that I refer to as God. There are no gaps I believe everything has a reason. I'm not saying that god created everything we know today. I am saying that "something", somehow, CREATED what was here in the beginning. When you make a cake the ingredients mixed in a bowl aren't a cake. They are what will become a cake if many different steps are followed properly. If you just put "stuff" in a bowl and let it sit there it will never become a cake no matter how many times you try it. It takes a preplanned set if events to create the cake.
Just because we now have the knowledge to explain how some things came about doesn't mean they happened at random. The "logic" you speak of is illogical. You truly believe that one day purely by coincidence a random bit of some element( where did it come from) just happened to bump into another random bit of some other element( again, where did it come from) and join together, into some other random matter that just happened to form the basic building blocks of all that we know in the universe. Actually, that makes sense to me. The other day I was sitting on the couch reading a book and a blob of carbon collided whith some other stuff and a fish dropped to the floor out of nowhere. If you want to be ignorant I can play stupid too.
I'm here seeking to find out answers not read senseless dribble from someone that can't even explain why they believe what they believe. So if all you can do is say I'm wrong, and call me ignorant you can go put your helmet back on, go back the the basement and play with your etch-a-sketch. I expected alot more from this blog. People like "winter Lion" at least attempt to answer my questions to the best of their beliefs. But you "admin" can't support a thing you say. By the way, I have a bachelors degree in marine biology, as well as an associates in natural science, and still have faith. In fact the two disciplines I just mentioned served to strengthen my beliefs that this all didn't happen at random. This much complexity doesn't happen by accident. Site me one PROVEN instance where it did. Where life as complex as let's just say....... A jellyfish just formed from the elements in you backyard.
You are fueling my belief in fools.
"When you can't answer a question you just say how "ignorant" I am. No usefull answer, just a repeat of " you're wrong"."
I didn't say you are ignorant. I said you're making an 'argument from ignorance'. That is a real term with a real definition, and you need to look up what it is. No argument from ignorance is a valid argument, so why should I waste my time on such a thing?
"The fact is you have a closed mind and are unable to see things from more than one point of view."
You have an imaginary friend and I don't.
"My God is not a God of gaps. Nothing I have written here implies that."
Oh, you most certainly did imply that. You clearly do not yet understand what god-of-the-gaps and arguments from ignorance are.
"You truly believe that one day purely by coincidence a random bit of some element( where did it come from) just happened to bump into another random bit of some other element( again, where did it come from) and join together, into some other random matter that just happened to form the basic building blocks of all that we know in the universe."
That's the worst explanation of the origin I've heard in a while. Your constant "Where did it come from?" questions are once again an attempt at an argument from ignorance.
"The other day I was sitting on the couch reading a book and a blob of carbon collided whith some other stuff and a fish dropped to the floor out of nowhere."
So you are somewhat like the young-Earth creationists. This is a strawman argument. Again, that's a real term with a real meaning, and you need to look it up.
"I'm here seeking to find out answers not read senseless dribble from someone that can't even explain why they believe what they believe."
You haven't asked me why I believe what I believe. Would you like to know? And again, this is not the place for science answers. Why would you come here? You know there are science journals for that, don't you?
"So if all you can do is say I'm wrong, and call me ignorant you can go put your helmet back on, go back the the basement and play with your etch-a-sketch. I expected alot more from this blog."
No, I said you're making an argument from ignorance. You're definitely ignorant about what that means, it's clear. Again, look it up, because it contains exactly the reason why I need not answer your questions. Why would you expect more from my blog? you expect me to waste my time on arguments from ignorance, or to answer your misdirected science questions?
"People like "winter Lion" at least attempt to answer my questions to the best of their beliefs."
Winter Lion did that because you didn't get the point the first time. He was being charitable.
"This much complexity doesn't happen by accident."
Argument from ignorance, again. Also a strawman argument with the "accident" thing.
"A jellyfish just formed from the elements in you backyard."
Strawman argument.
Dude, you clearly need some assistance, so here it is:
1. A strawman argument is one in which you misrepresent your opponent's position, such as by saying that we think a fish should flop onto our floor out of nowhere after carbon collides with something, then defeat that point. It's like setting up a scarecrow and does nothing to refute the actual point that your opponent is making. In this case, your opponent is evolutionary science and natural processes, not me.
2. An argument from ignorance is an attempt to use things that we don't know (yet), such as what triggered the Big Bang, and assert that therefore your hypothesis is most plausible, without providing any reasonable positive evidence that your hypothesis is valid. It's related to the false dichotomy, in which you assume that it's either natural processes or Jesus. You've excluded so many other possibilities, which is why we require positive evidence.
3. Positive evidence is actual evidence that supports your hypothesis without resorting to some sort of attempt at process of elimination. Actual detection of anything at all supernatural would be a good place to start.
4. And go ask science questions elsewhere. This is not the place. I am not an expert on the current state of research in cosmology or abiogenesis, nor are any of my readers, to my knowledge. I don't know what you expect to accomplish by asking them here. You're obviously looking for the religious angle, or you wouldn't have come here.
5. For the record, my girlfriend also has a degree in marine biology, and thinks you have an imaginary friend.
6. If you want to know what I believe and why, why not read the "About Me" section on the sidebar? Think that might be helpful????
"I have a bachelors degree in marine biology, as well as an associates in natural science, and still have faith."
Again, repeatedly citing your faith is not going to get you anywhere here. You believe stuff for no reason because the culture told you to. If you had any evidence at all for your claim, you wouldn't need faith. Faith=gullibility, so you need to stop advertising it here.
"It's related to the false dichotomy, in which you assume that it's either natural processes or Jesus."
This was poorly worded. Let me try again:
It's related to the false dichotomy, in which you assume that there are only 2 choices, and by (seemingly) eliminating one choice, yours wins by default.
The more I think about that last exchange, the more I smile. I told Justin he was making an argument from ignorance, which means that he is attempting to use SCIENCE'S IGNORANCE to excuse his hypothesis from requiring evidence to be believed. He then comes back at me repeatedly chewing me out for calling him ignorant. Oh, the irony. NOBODY was calling you ignorant before, but now I am calling you ignorant. You'd save yourself some embarrassment if you do not come back here until you know what an argument from ignorance is, and preferably understand why I won't be responding to them as you'd like me to.
You say you require positive evidence. Where is your positive evidence that there is no God. According to your logic, if you have none then you are wrong.
You fail to see that I support the belief of evolution. I support the belief of the big bang THEORY. I just believe it is of intelligent design. The intelligence may be little green men from some far away galaxy for all I know. I have never seen God, no one has. So who to say what God may look like. As I have said before, I don't think the Bible is the complete, 100% accurate story of all that has ever happened. It was written by mankind from their own interpretation of their experiences. Then it's was rewritten, translated and retranslated over and over. At best according to it's own text it was written by sinful creatures.
Why would anyone expect it to be 100% accurate? Faith is something we all have. If you have plans for next week, you have faith that you will still be here then or you wouldn't have made plans. All I am asking is for how you think it all began. Where did the very first building blocks come from? If you don't believe they were created that's fine, but just what do you believe? I'm looking for answers my self, help understand what you believe. Stop dancing around the question and answer it. And remember if you have no hardfast evidence that its true, then just as in the case of God, according to your own logic it has to be wrong. Peace, Me
P.S. Tell your girlfriend my imaginary friend knows hers, they're dating!!
"You say you require positive evidence. Where is your positive evidence that there is no God."
Crap, not this again. I've been over this many, many, many, many times on this blog. I am not making a positive claim that there are no gods. I am claiming that you have failed to prove your case. It is also extremely difficult to prove the non-existence of something, which is why burden of proof is typically on the people claiming existence.
"I support the belief of the big bang THEORY."
Why did you capitalise 'theory'? Are you yet another person who doesn't know what 'theory' truly means? It wouldn't surprise me at this point.
"If you have plans for next week, you have faith that you will still be here then or you wouldn't have made plans."
Because we couldn't possibly function if we didn't believe we'll be here tomorrow. Imagine never planning anything at all. We'd all have died off long ago. This is a practical issue. I also know that I am alive and assume that I will continue to be next week. Nothing out of the ordinary needs to occur. Your faith is in the invisible man that has never been demonstrated.
"All I am asking is for how you think it all began. Where did the very first building blocks come from? If you don't believe they were created that's fine, but just what do you believe?"
Through natural processes. We do not yet know the answer to these questions, so I hesitate to hazard a guess. But I was 'dancing around' them because you were setting up an argument from ignorance. Even Lion saw that, as much as you claim he was being nice to you.
"And remember if you have no hardfast evidence that its true, then just as in the case of God, according to your own logic it has to be wrong."
No, no, no! NO! Fuck! Not wrong, just unsubstantiated. And I am making NO claim about the origin other than to say it was natural, which ALL known things in the Universe are. The Universe and its forces are all that has ever been observed. Nobody has ever demonstrated the existence of anything outside the Universe or anything supernatural at all. Ghosts? ESP? Telepathy? Gods? Nothing!
And it's really classy how you made no acknowledgment at all that I was not calling you ignorant or that you didn't know what an argument from ignorance was. For all I know, you still don't. Anyway, I was at least expecting a semi-apology/acknowledgment.
I'm also curious if you only taught your children the biblical creation story, or if you also taught them others, such as the Australian aboriginal Dreamtime. Don't close your mind, explore all options! Right? Right?
I need to show more patience with you on things like in the last post. I have to remember that as many times as I've been over them with others, you may not have heard them yet.
Actually, as for the planning thing, no. I don't have faith that I'll be here next week. I've also made preparations for my death, leaving key information about accounts and things with other people. I am prepared for both life and death. It's covering all of my bases, not faith.
Ok, I admit I was frustrated. The same principals you say disprove my believe also works against you. Even your girlfriend thought so. So yes I do owe you an appologie.
Sorry I lost my cool.
I have questions and I seek answers, not arguments.
I didn't respond immediately last night because I was watching a 2 hr show on Discovery Channel about evolution. I found it extremely interesting. Even they had no
Real idea on where the basic building blocks came from.
Even God has no firm explanation, where did he come from? But just as you choose to believe nature set it all in motion, I believe it was set in motion by an intelligent design. "Nature" is just to freaking complex to just happen.
In my view "nature" was CREATED with a set of rules and allowed to develop into what we have today. I'm not going to try to convince you that you're wrong, I just want to better understand how you come to your conclusions, when just like me you have no proof. So again, sorry for losing my cool. But it seems to me as though you are dancing all around my questions. I have a great deal of knowledge of our universe and the natural world. I not looking for a scholarly answer, just a concise explanation of why you believe as you do.
Peace,Me
I want to add that when the answers to these questions are found, it will probably be the case that only people with serious knowledge of physics will be able to understand it. So it will be pointless in either case to ask a guy like me.
I taught my children the Biblical creation story. I also taught them my beliefs in evolution, and my own personal feelings on the two. I don't know of the " dream time", but love to understand others beliefs. That's what I'm here for. I'll look it up today. I am not closed minded. I am very open minded. Still trying to figure out this argument from ignorance thing tho. Seems like a two way street to nowhere to me. And we keep passing eachother.
See ya in the next pass. Peace, ME
"Even they had no
Real idea on where the basic building blocks came from."
Exciting research in this area recently. Progress is being made.
"But just as you choose to believe nature set it all in motion, I believe it was set in motion by an intelligent design."
Yet I'm ahead on this one because I can show that nature, physics, chemistry, etc., are real.
"But it seems to me as though you are dancing all around my questions."
I believed you were setting up the argument from ignorance. It's not like that's never happened here before.
". I am not closed minded. I am very open minded."
I believe the quote is attributed to Carl Sagan, "It's good to be open-minded, but not so open-minded that your brain falls out." I'm open to anything that actually can be supported with evidence. Much as you're probably not open to the idea that the flowers in the garden grow because of magic pixies, I do not believe things which cannot be supported.
"Still trying to figure out this argument from ignorance thing tho."
It's not difficult. My co-worker put it this way when we discussed it today. David Copperfield does a magic trick, cutting a girl in half. You ask me how he did it. I say that I don't know. You say that he actually did cut the girl in half and put her back together. I say prove it. You ask me if I have any better idea. I say that no I don't. You say then that you don't have to prove that the girl was actually cut in half, because I don't have any better idea. Is that acceptable?
http://www.atheistpropaganda.com/2008/10/questions-atheists-cant-answer.html
like I said it's a two way street we keep passing eachother on. This "argument of ignorance" works both ways. I have no proof of God other than to say look around you, it wasn't an accident. You have no proof that there is no God, just science that can show how thing may have occured. Still haven't had time for the day dream thing yet, but I will educate my self. Peace, Me
"I have no proof of God other than to say look around you, it wasn't an accident. You have no proof that there is no God, just science that can show how thing may have occured."
And yet when asked, you make a claim, that there is a god that did it. I said I'd hesitate to guess. Looking around is not proof of the existence of gods,and is about as far from it as one can get. You're bordering on the argument from personal disbelief. It's when you say, "I don't believe this could have happened naturally", therefore I'm going to dedicate my life to worshiping an unseen being and having some kind of relationship with it and its zombie son. You have no evidence that a god created this universe, no evidence that a mind can exist outside a physical brain, no evidence that there is such a place where the creature could live, no evidence for heaven, no evidence for hell, no evidence for the soul, no evidence for Jesus' resurrection, etc. As long as you admit you've got no good reason for this belief, I suppose that's as far as we can get.
And again, proof that there are no gods would be impossible to come by. Proof that there is a god would be fairly easy, if they hadn't stipulated that it was the kind of god that hides from us every chance it gets, but really wants us to believe in it anyway. It's exactly the same as what we'd expect if there wasn't such a creature.
"Still haven't had time for the day dream thing yet, but I will educate my self."
It's Dreamtime, but that wasn't the point. There are thousands of creation stories out there, each with the same amount of evidence as your biblical one. I chose one of those to make a point. That you educated your children on only 2 possibilities, in the name of maintaining open pathways for them, but ignored all the rest because those stories are not part of your culture. It's as if you don't realise that your story is nothing special when compared to the others. Why favour it?
The "look around at the world" evidence is so old and so lame that they literally facepalm on the Atheist Experience show when they hear it. It's known as the "look at the trees" proof.
Gravity can create order. Gravity combined with the bonding of atoms together and the fusion of nuclei can create stars. This is not evidence for anything supernatural.
And I'd love to hear how you got from "there must be a creator" to Jesus. Perhaps because it was the religion that was taught to you? I doubt you undertook a critical analysis of all of the world's religions, examined the various evidence for truth, then made your choice. Clearly you did not, as you don't know of Dreamtime.
Back from my dreamtime excursion, as well as a few other creation stories. Seems to me that they almost all have a great many similarities. Strange how the basic story stays the same among most religions isn't it. Must be nature that made all these different people from a these different cultures make up the same basic story. The story line is very similar, just the characters change, and of course some of the events. There's still a creator. There is still a flood. There is still war among tribes. There is still a beginning and a predicted ending in almost every case.
I guess it's just natural selection at work again. The stories just whittled down to the same basic premise, a creator, a higher being, spirit,elf, whatever you want to call it. I call it God.
Just for fun I'm going to give you some of my answers to your questions at the beginning of this post. I'm working from an iPhone so give me some time, there's alot of back and forth on my end. Peace, Me
Answer to #1
Fundamentaly there are very few differences in most. The basic premise remains the same. A supreme power that creates the universe and all that it contains. The supreme power is called many different things, but is almost always there.
This is a deep one for me. I basically believe that Noah took each type, not species of animal. Remember, I to believe in evolution. Darwin took care of the rest.
For instance, one set of feline, one set of k9, ect. ect....
Noah took 14 of each clean animal and 2 of each unclean animal. So there was plenty on meat to eat. As far as the herbivores. Most plant matter floats, not all but most. Would have been easy to collect along the way. And yes the carnivores would have had to eat the clean animals, that's why there were 14 of each.
Answer#4
Still not sure about this one, but there are many species that end up well outside their range even today. How did land tortoises end up on galapagos? Darn sure didn't swim there. How about the Komodo dragon? Maybe they travelled on a mass of floating debris, maybe they evolved from another form of life.
He is a wise God. Without death there can be only a limited amount of life. It's a viscous cycle. We live, we breed, we die. Happens to all forms of life.
As far as cruelty goes, that's a perceptive thing. To a loin it isn't cruel to crush the windpipe of a wildebeast. To us it may seem so.
Who said God created pain suffering and disease for the animals? There goes that darned evolution again. Like I said , we live, we breed, we die. What happens in between isn't controlled by God. It's controlled by Nature, evolution, and the highest form of intelligence in a given area.
All humans weren't punished for the sins of one man. One man was punished for every mans sins. Have you ever read the story? They didn't hang everyone on the cross.
This is kinda fun, but my fingers are getting tired.
Mankind is of a sinful nature. That's what the whole cross deal was about. Maybe this is What evolution has done for us.
This is a good one. Remember I don't believe that the bible is to complete story of all that happened. It never says that he ONLY made Adam and Eve and no one else.
And last but not least for tonight #10
Ever been to a party and played the little game where you tell a story to someone who passes it on, and so on and so on? Does that story ever make it back to you the same as it left? Answer: NO! It is always changed, added to, some parts are missing, but it's never the same story. Now let's try the same thing with a complex story over thousands of generations. I think you can see where this would lead. Alot of different stories with many similarities. Just what we have today.
Ok..... Gotta go. Need my beauty sleep. Be back to play some more tomorrow.
"Strange how the basic story stays the same among most religions isn't it."
Yes, they all start with more-or-less nothing and have some supernatural beings create something. I don't really see how the story could vary much from that.
"The story line is very similar, just the characters change, and of course some of the events."
Uh-huh. You mean that they're different.
"There's still a creator."
Of course there is. That's why they're religions. They knew nothing about particle physics, so what would you expect?
"There is still war among tribes."
I wonder where they would have gotten THAT part from? Probably the fact that we've had tribal warfare since before we were hominids.
"There is still a beginning and a predicted ending in almost every case."
And why shouldn't there be? Even the scientific story has both. Things begin and things end.
As for the flood comment, are you sure you're not a young-Earth creationist? You claim not to be but have some striking similarities. Not many people outside of young-Earth creationism take the flood story as historical fact.
First of all, you're not a biblical creationist as targeted by this post. But OK.
"Answer to #1
Fundamentaly there are very few differences in most. The basic premise remains the same. A supreme power that creates the universe and all that it contains. The supreme power is called many different things, but is almost always there."
Yes, all ancient people could think of was some form of gods. The fact that their description of the gods are ALWAYS different (monotheistic god of love vs. polytheistic elephant gods of destruction or whatever) should send a real red flag up. Instead, you're finding comfort in the similarity.
For instance, one set of feline, one set of k9, ect. ect...."
I'm sorry, WHAT? You're reconciling a literal Noah's flood with evolution? Even with one set of each "type", you've still got a huge fricking problem on your hands. I couldn't even possibly begin to address this until you explain EXACTLY how you think this all works out. You're in conflict with almost every Christian on Earth, because you've gone halfway.
Noah took 14 of each clean animal and 2 of each unclean animal. So there was plenty on meat to eat. As far as the herbivores. Most plant matter floats, not all but most. Would have been easy to collect along the way. And yes the carnivores would have had to eat the clean animals, that's why there were 14 of each."
Holy crap, you do believe the boat story! Well, how big does this boat now need to be, now that you've like added 7 times as many animals.
"Answer#4
Still not sure about this one, but there are many species that end up well outside their range even today. How did land tortoises end up on galapagos? Darn sure didn't swim there. How about the Komodo dragon? Maybe they travelled on a mass of floating debris, maybe they evolved from another form of life."
Perhaps, but as the question is about koalas that somehow get from Turkey to Australia (walking?) without leaving any populations or fossils behind, seems kinda strange.
"#5
As far as cruelty goes, that's a perceptive thing. To a loin it isn't cruel to crush the windpipe of a wildebeast. To us it may seem so."
Right, because an omnipotent and all-loving god could not possibly have come up with a system which doesn't work this way. I call bullshit! You're making excuses for the incompetence of this thing. And yes, it is cruel! I notice you included the lion's perspective and humans', but not that of the WILDEBEEST, which is the one having the cruelty inflicted on it! Your god is a blood-thirsty monster of a bastard if you think this is OK!
Who said God created pain suffering and disease for the animals? There goes that darned evolution again. Like I said , we live, we breed, we die. What happens in between isn't controlled by God. It's controlled by Nature, evolution, and the highest form of intelligence in a given area."
You're picking and choosing what you like best of each story without regard for any evidence. The god that controls all of these things, floods, Noah, etc, then takes hands off completely, and not only doesn't create pain and suffering, but also doesn't do anything to stop it, which is what an all-loving omnipotent creature would do.
"Who said God created pain suffering and disease for the animals?"
The real creationists? I think you're pretty out of touch with what mainstream creationists think.
This is kinda fun, but my fingers are getting tired."
Do you know what original sin is? That which the Christians try to erase with baptism? Do you know how many preachers support the doctrine that women's periods were created for the sins of Eve?
Look, I'm giving up now. You're clearly picking and choosing what parts of the bible you want to believe. You can't support a damn thing you wrote with ANY evidence at all, and I'm getting tired of it.
Your mind must be terribly conflicted. There is a rational person bursting to escape from inside you, but you are restricted by these ridiculous stories of arks and floods, etc. You're also not a young-Earth creationist in the classical sense, and so these questions are much less useful for you.
And one more thing about our previous topic. Have you heard of Occam's Razor? The simplest explanation is often the best. You've also taken the argument from ignorance a hell of a lot further than I have.
Natural processes probably created the Universe because natural processes are all that exist. Let's leave it at that until we know more and go on with our lives.
A supernatural being most likely created the Universe. It lives in a realm which cannot be demonstrated to exist, and made all of creation using techniques which cannot be demonstrated to be real. It created people and then flooded us out. But it told a man to take all of the animals and put them on a boat, so it could save some. It knocked up a virgin to send a part of itself, which is both itself and its son, to Earth to be crucified and resurrected for the bad things I think in my head. It wants me to eat the flesh and drink the blood of its long-dead son, whom is supposed to come back someday to take all of the good people to paradise in an unknown realm, and send the bad people to be tortured forever in a different unknown realm. And it really, really loves us. It cannot communicate any of this accurately to all people of Earth because it believes that we have to figure out what it wants from a book written and revised by goat-herders, liars and murders. It means that almost everybody comes up with a different idea of what's going on, such that my view of events is shared by nobody except myself.
You have not one shred, not one little bit of evidence for ANY of this story that YOU have concocted. I usually don't accuse the Christians of concocting the story, just following the one told to them, but in this case, your story is yours. You made it from the part of you which is in reality, combined with the fairy tales you read, which were given to you by the culture to the exclusion of the fairy tales of other cultures. You then base your life on this massive combined ball of bullshit and come on to forums debating people who don't believe it and who actually respect evidence. You're a grown man who argues about his imaginary friend.
There is nothing, not one thing you've written which gives me any reason to even consider the possibility that you could be right. It's appallingly ridiculous. How does one create such an enormous ball of bullshit, without any concern at any point along the way, for evidence? How can one not even attempt to verify a story such as this through the use of evidence?
And if you say that any inaccuracies in the bible are because it has been revised and isn't supposed to be taken literally, and that any omission or other such thing is because it isn't the complete story of everything, what good is it for getting any information at all? Why should I believe even one single word it says, in that case?
These latest revelations have me realising just how much of my time I've wasted. I thought I was discussing with a rational person, but in the end I found somebody who doesn't care whether or not his beliefs are true. If you cared even one little bit about the truth, you would be very disturbed about the lack of evidence for the major portions of your story, and you would be trying to find some. Instead, you're content to have none and wait for evidence that you're wrong, which not only shifts the burden of proof, but also is extremely difficult to provide, no matter how wrong you are in reality. You are living a delusion and are happy about it, with no intention to change no matter what.
And with this non-literal Bible combined with "not the story of everything", you have wrapped yourself in a completely unassailable cocoon. It is perhaps not even possible to debate you if you have a religion which depends on a book, but are completely comfortable throwing out any part which doesn't match evidence, while claiming that the rest is true. Or maybe it's true. It's so hard to tell because it's been revised so many times, you know?
What would you think of a science book which attempted to communicate knowledge and had the same problems?
Here's a scenario. The Bible is not to be taken literally, and there is no heaven, no hell, there never was a Jesus, you do not really have a soul and a god never did create everything. It was written by a bunch of ignorant bronze-age men who had no idea about the world around them and were attempting to explain it.
If all the things you say are true. Let's. Say there is no God. Why would it bother you that I choose to live my life in a kind, compassionate, peaceful, and loving way? Either way I live a happy life. The only difference is in the end. If you are right, I will never know it. I will just cease to exist. If I'm right then I receive " the great reward".
You are also wrong to say I have no evidence of any of this. There are heaps of evidence for evolution, the great flood and many other biblical stories.
I'll find ya some links later.
I'm not trying to convert anyone, just understand your believe and how you came to them. Is still don't get where you believe the basic building blocks came from. I've had some atheist tell me they believe in a higher power, just not the God of the bible.
Tonight I'll work on some more of your post questions.
If nothing else it will be entertaining.
Mr. Just said:
"I'm not trying to convert anyone, just understand your believe and how you came to them. Is still don't get where you believe the basic building blocks came from."
Please get this: atheism is not a belief system. It is not taught in schools or through correspondence courses, there is no prayer, there is no organization behind it, there is no supreme leader nor priests.
In other words, atheism is not a religion and does not provide a unified, single explanation to things. Science provides explanations, and since it's constantly making new discoveries then the concept of "definite explanation" is not applicable. And that's the beauty of it, we get to know more and understand things more clearly as time passes, as old knowledge is confronted and questioned and left behind in a trail that has brought us increasingly healthier and longer lives, better communication and transport technologies, improved food production processes etc etc.
I can't of anything that "faith" or your zombie-carpenter of a god has actually contributed to human progress.
See, atheism is more like an adjetive applied to people who disregard the existence of gods. Agnostics grant a chance for the existance of a greater power, but generally acknowledge that this "greater power" does not give a crap about mankind.
It's so sad when people resort to putting others down, applying ignorant disrespectful names to others. That really is beneath you. You are obviously an intelligent person. Statements like " zombie like carpenter of a God" make you sen so, so,....... Never mind. I think you get my point. I have never put down or ridiculed any or you beliefs. I choose to rise above that. I did get out of line, you called me out, and I apologized.
I'm not asking the atheist community what they believe, I'm asking you what YOU believe. The only answer I have reay gotten to the basic building blocks question is , I dont know. How can YOU not know what YOU believe ???
'Stumbled' on this blog, read the comments laughed at the silliness and gave it the thumbs up for brilliant reposts from Mr Admin. Ahh thanks for an entertaining 10 mins. I do so love the moment, at age 9, standing in the courtyard of my catholic primary school wearing my shitty school uniform with a dead man on a cross around my neck, when I realised religion was bollocks. I have never looked back since, well maybe a few times but only to laugh uproariously at those idiots still praying and postulating and eating bits of wafer at mass.
I'm done with this conversation. That ark thing was just too much. It's a waste of my time.
If Jim, Feki, or Daniel or anybody else wants to take over, be my guest. But I suspect it would be a waste of your time, too.
Just like most atheist I speak with you apparently have no idea what you actually believe in. You dance around without answering the actual question. You are evasive when asked how did it actually begin. You can only regurgitate what science has told you. You require physical "data" in order to believe in something. There are way more questions than answers, this I know. But YOU are the ONLY ONE that knows why you believe what YOU do.
The only reason you won't answer the question is because the answer is somewhere somehow the basics had to have been created by something. That's right CREATED! You and I both know it but one of us is afraid to admit it. I have ready told you that I very well could be wrong about it all, I admit that, but I am doing nothing I dont want to do to stay within my faith. I am a free thinker, I decide what I think, not the bible. Admitedly it has been a compass that helps me find my direction sometimes, but that's it. My beliefs are just that. MY beliefs. I know very few "Christians" that share my beliefs. I do know alot of "Christians" that are very rich, live an extravagant life style and give nothing back to their community. That is why I don't take part in organized religion. To me it's better for church to be in the man than the man be in church. So tuck your tail and run
from the question. It's easier that way. You don't have to admit anything. I know , I know........ " there's nothing to admit". Heard it before. I'm sure I'll hear it avian. I have only ever found three "atheist" that would answer that question. They believed in a higher power, just not "God".
No Jesus or Noah, no flood or ark. Just a higher power, an intelligence that created the design. Just for kicks I'm going to continue answering your questions. See ya later.
Why did they have to be created? And by this definition, what created your god? Surely if "the basics" HAD to be created, your god MUST have been created. So who created your god? And your god's creator? And their creator, and so on and so forth.
The simple fact is, your religion and your "faith" offer no answers. It offers no proof. It offers nothing scientifically or intellectually factual. It offers the unseen and the unjustifiable. Nothing your religion (or any religion) has ever come close to proving anything that would substantiate your claims. And that is your problem. You offer an argument (there is a god) but provide no proof. You provide no evidence. You provide nothing at all that could validate your argument.
Whereas we atheists do the opposite. We make a claim (the universe started at the Big Bang) and we provide proof. The expansion rate of the universe, the age of the universe, the temperature of the universe, the size of the universe, the microwave background, etc. The Big Bang is the single best-proved theory in all of science. Everything points to the Big Bang as being the starting point for our existence. And we provide solid, observable, tangible proof.
And it's not just the Big Bang. Evolution, planet formation, stellar formation, natural selection, etc. All of our claims have solid proof. All of our claims are backed up by evidence.
Whereas any claim by a religion is lacking a shred of scientifically viable proof. There is no proof that a great flood covered the Earth. There is no proof that Jesus was nothing more than a person. There is no proof that god created anything. There is no proof that there is an afterlife. There is no proof that Adam and Eve were real. There is no proof.
This is the problem atheists have with religion. Religious people make absurd claims and refuse to prove them. They constantly tell us to prove that their gods don't exist. But it's impossible to prove a negative. If I asked you to prove that Pepsi is not my favorite drink, how would you do that?
It's absurd that you still think atheist "believe" in something, even though you have been told time and again that we do not. If we "believed" in something, we would not be atheist.
There is only one real thing any religion has to do in order to convert every single atheist in the world. And it's the one thing they can't ever do: Provide one single piece of viable, scientific, irrefutable piece of proof that any god or supernatural being (yes, this includes your "creator") exists. That's it. You made the claim, you back it up. That's all we ask.
Please gather round to partaketh of the wisdom which shall abound.
11. God does thing according to his own will, not ours.
12. Who the heck are "Ray Comfort, Kent Hovind and Kirk Cameron"?? Never heard of them.
13. Ohhh..... That's an unlucky number, maybe I better skip it.........NOT! I know how a car was made, that doesn't mean the people that made it don't exist. According to your "logic" since I figured out how it was done then that means no one did it. The car just happened......... Yeah.... I'll buy that........
14. This is a let down. I thought these would be harder to answer. YOUR scientific evidence is the evidence of creation, it's here isn't it!?! Duh!
15. Ya just don't get it! We evolved from what was created!
(In response to Jim) And until we do get some evidence, he's a grown-up pitching a ridiculous fairy tale as the truth and as a way of life. And then he wonders why we laugh at him at call him names. Because he's fucking crazy! As Thunderf00t puts it, "Why do people laugh at creationists? Only creationists don't know why."
Ok...... On with the class.........
16. Ever heard of continental drift or plate tectonics?
The land masses of the earth are in constant motion.
Every years it's farther and farther to my mailbox, isn't it to yours?
17. See above.
18. If it ain't broke don't fix it!! Tune it up maybe, add a little here and there...... Sure. But if it works well there's no need for a redisign.
19. A world populated with only photosynthetic life could tip the scales, upsetting the balance of things. Too much oxygen in the atmosphere and BOOM!!!! It all goes up in smoke.
20. This is easy. God decided oneday to make the universe........ What can I say... He was bored, they didn't have cable back then. He snapped his fingers and BANG.
No really....... This "Big Bang Theory" is how we think the universe was formed. We reall don't know, but it's an excellent hypothesis. The bible doesn't say how God made the world, just that he did. So let's assume this is how he did it. I fail to see how any of this points away from a creator. Seems to be a little more evidence of intelligent design.
Ok..... Enough for tonight. Too much of a good thing is just that..... Too much. We don't want your head to explode. Tune in tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel for the conclusion of the answers to these simple questions.
Night night. Peace Me
@Jim. Do I understand you to say an atheist doesn't believe in anything??
" if we believed in something we would not be atheist"
You mean you DON'T believe in the big bang, or evolution? Don't get it how can you not believe anything?
It is very possible to prove a negative. I can prove sound is not coming out of a speaker. I can prove there is no water in my glass. I can prove there are no aardvarks in my living room. It's very easy to prove a negative. IF you have the PROOF! Not evidence that suggest, but as you say cold hard facts. No theories. Neither side has proof. But to you that lack of proof means I'm wrong. I'm not saying Anyone is wrong. Just trying to pry into the minds of people that think differently than me. Why doesn't the lack of proof mean that you are wrong?( not theories, or evidence, PROOF!!).
Just,
You have clearly made up your mind to assume that everybody has beliefs like religious people do, so you’re just really expecting us to say “I believe the string theory explains it all” or “I believe in evolution” or “I believe in Carl Sagan’s ghost”. That’s all BS, as well as your alleged atheists believing in hiya powa, they sound like my vegan friend having extra bacon on cous-cous salad.
I don’t think it will make a difference to re-state that atheism and science are neither beliefs nor require a belief system. So let me give you a few examples:
1) Evolution does not require people to believe in it. Evolution is observable, it’s been evidenced and yet continues to be a fascinating field of study from which we have derived vast knowledge about our species. Evolution happens, regardless of your faith in Jeeza or how much you or I manage to understand how evolution works.
2) Gravity is a fact and there is no such thing as a “belief in gravity”. Gravity force on Earth pulls you towards its center at a known acceleration. Care to explain it with celestial crap? Don’t think so.
3) Thunder storms do not have supernatural causes that need no constant devotion/praying/belief. Your hominid ancestors were afraid of thunder and cowered before it, but nowadays you don’t have to fear thunder because of it being caused by some angry deity, right? Why’s that? Oh yeah, science explained it to us…
4) Do you believe in antibiotics? Do you pray for antibiotics to heal your body from a given infection? Sure you may not understand exactly how antibiotics work on your system but you sure know for a fact that some big pharma company put together a team of researchers to come up with something that effectively kills bacteria. You don’t need to believe in Saint Louis Pasteur or in the holy Glaxo Smith Kline, do you? Yet you take them when you need them, right?
5) Origin of the Universe. To the best of my knowledge most facts about the Universe has been established. Yes, there are certain gaps that are currently being researched, but I am not obligated to believe in a particular scientific explanation. That is, I am inclined to think favorably on the side of the best fitting, most sensical explanation available for said gaps, and like Admin said: the simplest “Occam Razor’s” explanation does not involve arks, burning bushes, talking snakes, rib-women, demonic-possessed suicidal pigs, lakes of fire for eternal torment etc etc etc. None of that makes sense, even figuratively. And as lame as it is, why would your particular supernatural explanation be any better than the one held by Indians, Aztecs, Greeks, Romans, Buddhists, Polynesians etc?
As for your nagging question on the “origin of matter”, again, I DO NOT HAVE TO BELIEVE IN ANYTHING. I don’t go day by day wondering what happened to matter/energy before it was compressed into a singularity which exploded and formed the universe (if that’s how it happened). Yes it would be interesting to know, and believe me there will be more interesting attempts at scientifically explaining that, which will all be far more sensical than holy pigeons. Was the world flat? Was it turtles all the way down? Was the Moon made of cheese? Scientific knowledge provides me with facts I can trust. Since I have no concern for heaven nor hell (or virgins or limbo or reincarnation) I am not at all concerned with finding a “gap” where to justify the existence this alleged “maker”. (like Jim said, the maker needs a maker, just like your car factory, and so on ad nauseam… which makes the argument laughable: as per your logic “god must have a god must have a god must have a god…”).
You can go ahead and believe that the Earth is flat, held by an ox standing on a turtle, that mankind originated by incest, and that an omniscient being was so bored of sitting on his omnipotent thumb that he created a universal drama by snapping his omnipresent fingers.
Yeah, that's superb.
Kewl. But please quit grouping me in with the bible thumping, snake handling, fire and brimstone mindless Christians. I AM NOT ONE OF THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!never have been, never will. Neither of my parents ever forced church on me. When I did go it was of my own accord.
I did attend a Christian school for one year, but only because I was expelled from public school.( used to have a nasty temper) I found my own way into religion and faith. It wasn't taught to me. I formed my beliefs through my own studies. Almost a Christian science sort of thing, but not really. I except evolution, and the big bang. I also think science has explained some biblical events, which kinda proves they happened. I just still believe in a creator, and you're right, nothing will change my mind.
Just, I do not believe in the Big Bang or evolution. You are correct. Feki did a great job explaining it.
The difference is, whether I believe it or not, these things will still be true. But if everyone stops believing in your gods, they will no longer exist.
A fact is a fact, no matter what. A fairy tale is a fairy tale, only if people buy into it.
Also, it should be noted that your proofs of a negative are different than what you would need to disprove something you can't touch, see or hear. Allow me to briefly explain.
Your examples require an absence of evidence (no water, no sound, no aardvarks). This is far different than the negative you ask atheists to prove. Why is that? Well, because you are not asking us to find an absence of evidence. You are asking us to find evidence of an absence. This is impossible to do.
Now, why is this impossible to prove, whereas your examples are quite easy to prove? Well, let's assume our universe were the size of a 12x12x12 room. It is a complete vacuum, the walls are perfectly white, and there is a single light lighting the entire room. Besides the light, the room is completely empty. Now, you ask me to find a couch. Clearly, we can see if there is a couch or not. But because there is nothing in the room besides a light, the absence of the couch proves there is no couch. This is an absence of evidence. Very simple to do in our small example universe. It's a confined space, with limited boundaries.
Now, let's say you have an infinite space. And this infinite space contains nothing as far as you can see. Now I tell you that in this space, there is a small copper BB. However, you disagree and say that there is no BB in this entire infinite space. How would you be able to prove to me that this BB does not exist? You would have to provide me with evidence of absence. You would have to cover every square centimeter of an infinite space to prove to me that the BB does not exist. A task that is mathematically impossible given the infinite space.
This is what you are trying to do with your gods. I hope this clears it up a bit.
Jim, in my opinion, the Pepsi thing was a bad example. The BB is a much better one. My high school science teacher used the example of trying to prove that there were no red swans in the world. You can conduct a search, and report that you found none, therefore they don't exist. I then say, "Oh, but you didn't look everywhere, such as behind this boulder". You then admit I'm right, and conduct a more thorough search in which you really do look everywhere (an impossibility in a real-world example). You then declare that there are no red swans, and you have proven it. But then I get religulous on you and say that there is a red swan, but it is in a realm outside of this Universe and cannot be tested for. Then I challenge you to prove that it doesn't exist. You deservedly smack me in the head. It's an impossible task made even more impossible by the absurd restrictions put on the search by the religious.
It seems that besides not knowing what an argument from ignorance is and not knowing what 'theory' means, our poster also doesn't know what 'burden of proof' means, nor does he know who it rests with. And it rests that way for a VERY good (and practical) reason.
From Wikipedia, "Burden of proof"
When debating any issue, there is an implicit burden of proof on him or her making a claim....
This burden of proof is often asymmetrical and typically falls more heavily on the party that makes either an ontologically positive claim, or makes a claim more "extraordinary", that is farther removed from conventionally accepted facts....
Scientists, in addition to limits to cognition and longevity, must deal with limited funds and resources. When forming hypotheses, they default to the heuristic of methodological naturalism, a tool of science that is based on induction. Immaterial causes and effects are usually not added to the list of possible causes and effects, not because they are logically impossible, but because induction has taught us not to expect immaterial causes and effects. Ignoring the immaterial is efficient, because either there is enough information available to explain the observed phenomenon, or inclusion of immaterial causes increases the amount of ambiguity, leading to unnecessary complexity. (See Occam's Razor.) The expectation is, instead, that each new mysterious phenomenon will have a material cause, and there is a legitimate heavy burden of proof on those who claim that the cause is found in an immaterial domain, a domain that has not yet been confirmed by science. In whatever domain of proposed solutions there is a lower expectation of a viable solution due to an inductive determination that such a domain has had little or no historical success in advancing science, scientists are warranted in ignoring this domain until scientific successes begin to confirm the explanatory and predictive efficacy of this domain and its proposed agents of causation....
A commitment to the heuristic of burden of proof also eliminates game stoppers in discourse in which negative evidence is demanded by the party making the positive claim. The party making the positive claim that fairies exists, for example, cannot demand that disbelievers provide evidence that fairies do not exist. The best way to ensure ontological parsimony and an efficient reasoned discourse is to have the side making the positive claim provide the positive evidence....
The fallacy of argument from ignorance (sometimes known as demanding negative proof) is a fallacy of asserting that a claim is true as long as it has not been refuted. In other words, X is not proven simply because "not X" cannot be proven. This is related to the burden of proof, because one is placing the burden on the refutation, rather than on the proof of the assertion. Russell's teapot is a response to this fallacy....
As a general rule, the less coherent and less embedded within conventional knowledge a claim appears, the heavier the burden of proof lies on the person asserting the claim. The scientific consensus on cold fusion is a good example. The majority of physicists believe cold fusion is not possible, since it would force the alteration or abandonment of a great many other tested and generally accepted theories about nuclear physics....
I'd like to see how much all of these "negative proofers" like Justin would bitch and cry if they were dragged off the street by the cops and told they were going to prison unless they could prove they didn't commit the crime. They'd surely be all turned around about where the burden of proof lies then, wouldn't they? They'd cry their little eyes out about how it's innocent until proven guilty, and how the police must prove their case, not the other way around.
This is why I call the negative proofers intellectually dishonest, or maybe just a little dim.
Prosecutor: "Your honour, this man committed a crime."
Judge: "I see. What evidence do you have for this?"
Prosecutor: "Well, can you prove that he didn't?"
Judge: "Hmmm.... no, I can't. I am therefore justified in believing that he committed the crime. I will sentence him to 20 years in prison, with no chance of parole for 15 years."
Prosecutor: "Justice has truly been served on this day."
Justin: "What the fuck just happened? Are you fucking serious? Fuck you, you fucking assholes! I didn't do it!"
Judge: "That's what you believe. In the absence of evidence, I'm entitled to believe what I believe. Have fun in your cell."
I agree that the Pepsi example was not the best. But I still hold that it is impossible to prove that it is not my favorite drink.
I would also like to point out to Just that he has fallen into a "First Cause" paradox. I've already explained that his claim that the universe MUST have been created by a creator demands that the creator must have, in turn, been created. And so on and so forth. The problem with a "First Cause" paradox is that it is a paradox. And because of that, we must assume the argument is wrong. Why? Because it demands infinite regression. And infinite regression is an impossible concept.
Please be seated, class is in session. Today's topic is science in the bible. Most of the following principals were mentioned in the bible thousands of years before science "discovered" them. I think that it shows beyond a reasonable doubt that the information in the bible was atleast inspired by a source of intelligence far greater than ours. This "book of fairy tales written by goat herders and dictated by a barefoot carpenter" my just be a little more than you think. I have supplied the book and verses for
each concept but you will have to look it up on you're own.
I assume that most of you haven't taken a CLOSE look at the bible, so this just may enlighten you as to how Christians can have "blind faith". With many biblical statements being proven by science thousands of years later if feel we can expect more to come.
We'll start the Bibles mention of DINOSAURS.
That's right, the bible mentions dinosaurs. Intact it gives a description of some if them.
JOB 40:15. 41:1
Stars are mentioned in incalculable numbers. Only about 3,000 are visible with the naked eye. Even with the crude telescopes that MAY have been available when the bible was written all stars would have looked alike. Yet the bible mentions that each star is unique. Again, these were some incredibly smart goat herders.
GENESIS 22:17. Jeramiah33:22. 1st Corinthians 15:41
The bible describes some of the motion of our universe as well as our own moons effect on the ocean. Again, WAY! before science figured it out.
Jeremiah 31:35,36
The bible also describes the earth being suspended in nothingness. NOT being held on the back of a turtle as FALSLEY stated by "admin". (do your homework!)
Are you guys keeping up with me. Don't be afraid to face the FACTS. The bible told us about alot of stuff long long before science figured it out. It's taken thousands of years for atheist scientist to figure out what christains knew all along.
Lets keep moving along..........ok..........
How about the global circulation of natural air currents? The bible mentions them as well.
It tell us that blood is the life of the flesh. That blood is what gives us life. I think we can all agree on that.
It took our great scientist untill the early 1600's to figure it out, but the "goat herders" had it right in 1400....BC!!!
How about biogenesis?? (basically from life comes life)
Genisis1:11,12 1:21. 1:25
The phrase "according to it's kind" is used over and over implying that a bird doesn't breed with a whale or dog ect..
The bible even gives us a reasonably complete description of the "hydrologic cycle". Those darned goat herders sure were smart weren't they?
Psalms 135:7. Jeremiah 10:13 Job 36:27-29
The recircilation of water is laid out for us. The scientist didn't figure it out for a few thousand more years. Oh those silly goat herders, ya gotta love em!
Ecclesiastes 1:7 Isaiah 55:10
Finally for tonight the bible tells is of fountains (springs) coming from the depths of the oceans. Only in recent times have scientist "discovered" this one. But all along it was written in the pages of "a goat herders fairy tale". Ain't that just cool?
Genesis 7:11 Job 38:16
Now grab the book, do your research and get at me with your question on the above material.
Goat herders..........gotta love em!!!
Please attack the material, not the spelling. I was being attacked by 7yr old and a puppy durring my presentation!
Just, I don't know about the others, but I stopped reading your posts days ago. I see them coming in, but haven't bothered to read them. You've demonstrated that you have nothing useful to say, that you can't back up anything you believe in, and that you are ignorant about basic terminology and rules required to even have such a debate. Good day to you.
And I think I can speak for the others when I say that you are now merely an object of ridicule here. That's the stance I took after you revealed your ark beliefs.
FYI, if there was an ark and a worldwide flood, we'd expect to see evidence such as geographic evidence of a worldwide flood, a radiative pattern of species diversity from a central point on the planet (such as what we see for diversity of coral species radiating from the Coral Triangle), and genetic evidence indicating extreme bottlenecks in all species alive today. We see it in some species, such as the cheetah, but not others. They indicate that the cheetah was once extremely close to extinction. We are capable of detecting these things, and don't see it. If you think you know better, do some research and get it published. Until then, you're just a fool with fantasies he refuses to let go of.
That's enough of my time. Again, good day to you.
You have read them. Especially this last one. You asked for positive proof of my belief of a higher intelligence. There it is! Shoot all of that down with your science that's was 3000 years behind the fairy tale from the goat herders.
Your science has proven the bible to be correct time and time again. If you accept the science why don't you accept the book? What I just covered is just a small sample of the things from the bible that have been proven by modern science. The same science that you are so accepting of.
Yet you refute the entire book as being a fairy tale. Advances in science are being made all the time. Advances that prove more and more of the biblical stories.
You can recite all the burden of proof stuff you want to. There is the proof! Now what? Are you going to find another rule of debate that cancelles it out? Or are you going to admit that the goat herders obviously had access to knowledge that we are still "discovering"? The mere fact that it has taken thousands of years for your science to catch up to the "goat herders fairy tale" should tell you that your science is much less intelligent that the source of biblical scripture. Even you must have a hard time denying that. I'll be waiting patiently for your words or wisdom, or lack there of. Peace,Me
Ahh........The sweet sound of atheist silence! No rebuttal, just excuses. Call me crazy, call it an argument from ignorance, whatever you want to call it, science proved it more than 2000 years after the Jewish carpenter and his bronze age goat herders. Hmmm...... How could that be?
I know!!! They had a delorean, got the goats to pull it up to 88 mph came to the future got the science, filled up at exxon, back up to 88 mph back to the past, and wrote it all down! That explains it! Oops, I can't prove they had a delorean, so that an argument from ignorance. Dang, I failed again. Ha,ha,ha........ You fools make me laugh!
Tuck tail and run or face your own scientific facts, which is it?? I love it!! Peace,Me
I work all day, and I have a family. So calm the fuck down. I'm going to get to your nonsense "science" when I have some free time.
Is Justin whining that nobody is answering him? Does he think that his ideas deserve consideration? Is he complaining that beliefs need to be respected?
It's a common, politically-correct belief of our time that all ideas and beliefs should be respected. I couldn't disagree more. I do not respect Justin's ideas.
Anybody who believes all beliefs deserve to be respected need to do some research on David Icke. There is such a thing as an idea too ridiculous to deserve response, and Jim, you'd be charitable if you offer Justin any response at all. Let him present his ideas at a scientific conference and get laughed out of the building. Not that they'd likely even let him speak at one, because there isn't even preliminary evidence for his claims.
And Jim, if Justin is still attempting to present his 'science' here (still can't be fucked to read his bullshit posts any longer), a strong reminder should be sent that this blog is absolutely not the place to attempt to argue science or present new results. It in fact is cowardly to do such a thing, because it's an attempt to hide from the scrutiny of the REAL scientific community.
Well, with respect to the Admin, I have to take issue with Just here. And for good reason. He makes absurd claims that the Bible predates and explains scientific facts well before science has properly defined and discovered such things. So, with permission, I present my rebuttal. This will be fast, trust me.
1. The Bible does not mention dinosaurs. I will quote the passage, and prove it.
"15 "Look at Behemoth, which I made just as I made you; it eats grass like an ox. 16 Its strength is in its loins, and its power in the muscles of its belly. 17 It makes its tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of its thighs are knit together. 18 Its bones are tubes of bronze, its limbs like bars of iron. 19 "It is the first of the great acts of God-- only its Maker can approach it with the sword."
Doesn't really define a dinosaur, does it? Nope. Don't think so. Next.
2. Of course all stars are unique. I don't need a magnifying glass to prove that all grains of dirt are unique. I have no idea why this was such a big shock. Next.
3. The Bible states that "...the Lord, who gives the sun for light by day and the fixed order of the moon and the stars for light by night,who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; The Lord of hosts is His name. "If this fixed order departs from before Me," declares the LORD, "Then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever."
Now, I don't know how you claim this defines the motion of the universe, but I am pretty sure it just states that the sun goes down and night comes. I'm pretty sure a moron could detect this before the Bible. I mean, all you would have to do is literally not be blind. Also, it should be noted that claiming the seas move is a fairly observable feature of the oceans. No science equipment needed. Next.
4. Well, you need to do your homework here. The Admin never claimed that the Bible claimed the world was being held by a turtle. Here's the quote:
"This is like Ray Comfort saying that science thought Earth was held up by a turtle."
5.Well, the Bible fucked this one up. Jet Streams move west to east, not north and south. Do your homework. Next.
6. Well, you are right that the Bible said blood is the life of the flesh. But you missed the best part of that passage. The part about why there is blood.
"For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one's life."
Blood did not provide life (As you seem to claim), it was put there specifically for SACRIFICE. They thought the blood WAS life. Not that it PROVIDED life. Next.
7. You really need to be a scientist to know that life comes form life? I mean, really? This is an argument? Sure, biogenesis describes life starting from non-life, but your gods made life from dirt. Next.
8. I could get into this pretty deep, but I promised to be quick.
"He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth; he sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses."
God brought the wind from, what was that? His fucking STOREHOUSES? Seriously? You use this as scientific proof? Next.
9. Wow. Again, a person with eyes can see that rivers empty into oceans. And that it rains. I see that it fails to mention how the water gets from the oceans to the clouds (which it fails to mention) and back to the ground. Thanks for the science lesson. Next.
10. First off, the first passage (Genesis 7:11) mentions a 600 year-old Noah. So prepare for the facts. Your Bible thought rain was caused by god opening a window (Genesis 7:11-12 - "...the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth ...") and that flood was stopped by closing the window and turning off the "fountains" (
Genesis 8:2 - "The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;"). So we can't hold much stock in this claim. Why? Well, all they said was that there were springs. They didn't mention how they worked or what they were. It leads you to interpret that all they thought the "springs" were was faucets god used to fill the oceans. Which is absurd. Thanks for the non-science lesson, Bible.
So, in conclusion, I need no questions. I was faced with no scientifically viable evidence. Besides that, you were asked to provide proof of your god's existence. Not random false scientific "facts" from a boom of tales.
"Well, with respect to the Admin, I have to take issue with Just here."
Hey, you're entitled to be a masochist. Enjoy!
And, Admin. I apologize if I went out-of-bounds there. But it had to be done. He claimed we made "No rebuttal, just excuses." That statement alone makes me want to debate. How could we possibly make excuses without making a rebuttal?
Even his bragging is full of holes
"Well, you need to do your homework here. The Admin never claimed that the Bible claimed the world was being held by a turtle."
Thanks, Jim.
"Well, the Bible fucked this one up. Jet Streams move west to east, not north and south. Do your homework. Next."
I made a post about that. Let me find it.
http://www.atheistpropaganda.com/2009/08/bible-as-book-of-knowledge.html
"And, Admin. I apologize if I went out-of-bounds there."
What do you think I am, some kind of post-Nazi? If you want to, go for it! The PG thing was unusual, most people are welcome to post what they want when they want, as long as it isn't spam.
Well, it's more that I wish to show proper respect than I think you are a post-Nazi. It's your site, and we all just post here.
It's a public site, and I just write here :-)
I also take guest posts, if you'd like to make some for the main page.
I might take you up on that one day.
I also find it strange that people think that it would be shocking for the Bible to contain a description of at least one dinosaur species. It's as if people think the ancients never found a fossil before. The Mongolians and Chinese have known about dinosaurs for a long time. They're sitting exposed above-ground in their countries. This is possibly the origin of dragon legends. To think that no ancient Jews ever found a dinosaur fossil while digging would be a little odd.
Hell, not even a dinosaur bone. A bone from a mammoth, or even an elephant (assuming the person discovering the bone had never seen and elephant) would have been enough to make outrageous claims about god battling some ancient beast.
Jim, if you do want to write, go ahead. You have an open invitation. I'll put guest posts in another section of the sidebar indicating that I am not the author, so that I don't have to agree with everything that is written.
I used to have an arrangement with a former-Muslim-turned-atheist to write guest posts, but he turned out to not be genuine, which I discovered before he wrote his first post. He actually asked me for money. And not a small amount of money, either. Like half my annual salary kind of money.
That's pretty damn funny. Now that I know the score, I'll pay closer attention, and see what I can come up with. Thanks for the invite.
Keep in mind that the job only pays 1/4 of my annual salary. You can't ask for half.
The 1994 novel 'Debt of Honor' by Tom Clancy contained a scene in which a pilot crashed a commercial airliner into the US Capitol building as an act of war.
This proves either:
a) Tom Clancy participated in terrorist training camps overseas
b) he's a psychic
c) both
"Sure, biogenesis describes life starting from non-life..."
Abiogenesis.
Thank you for the correction. It was an accidental miss of the key while typing.
Now, I'm curious.
Just claimed after less than 24 hours that he had pretty much silenced us. And then I answered him. And now he is the one who is silenced.
I'm not here to brag, because that is not really my style. But it's curious that he would brag so readily, but he takes so long to refute my answers to his "claims".
He has the nerve to call us fools. He has the nerve to make "scientific" claims without scientific evidence. He has the nerve to come here and tell us that we haven't answered his "evidence", but he still refuses to answer the one and only question we atheists have ever asked religious people to answer.
-Where is the solid, concrete, scientific proof that any supernatural beings exist?
Sorry Jim, I'm going to take all of the credit for myself here. I think he's off trying to determine whether Tom Clancy is the Messiah or the Anti-Christ. But thanks for being my sidekick.
I'm patiently gathering references to the evidence. Gotta work today, but I'll be back. Waaahahahah
I'm going to out this out there for you Just.
If you DO find solid, concrete, scientific proof that any supernatural beings exist, you will be the first person to ever do so.
Just keep that in mind.
Nov 1, 2010, 3:06:00 AM
@JIM
First off, I just noticed you were a mitary man. I would personally like to thank you for your service to this great country. A man has nothing more to give for his country than his life. Considering you are atheist and serving to protect a country founded on religion says e en more about you as a person.( positive ) thank you again!
Could you please tell me how you think the writers of the bible got the following correct?
The evolutionary order. See genesis
The earth free-floats in space (Job 26:7), affected only by gravity. While other sources declared the earth sat on the back of an elephant or turtle, or was held up by Atlas, the Bible alone states what we now know to be true – “He hangs the earth on nothing.”
Creation is made of particles, indiscernible to our eyes (Hebrews 11:3). Not until the 19th century was it discovered that all visible matter consists of invisible elements.
The Bible specifies the perfect dimensions for a stable water vessel (Genesis 6:15). Ship builders today are well aware that the ideal dimension for ship stability is a length six times that of the width. Keep in mind, God told Noah the ideal dimensions for the ark 4,500 years ago.
Oceans contain springs (Job 38:16). The ocean is very deep. Almost all the ocean floor is in total darkness and the pressure there is enormous. It would have been impossible for Job to have explored the "springs of the sea." Until recently, it was thought that oceans were fed only by rivers and rain. Yet in the 1970s, with the help of deep diving research submarines that were constructed to withstand 6,000 pounds-per-square-inch pressure, oceanographers discovered springs on the ocean floors!
There are mountains on the bottom of the ocean floor (Jonah 2:5-6). Only in the last century have we discovered that there are towering mountains and deep trenches in the depths of the sea.
GLOBAL THREE CELL CIRCULATION
1. Tropical cell (Hadley cell) - Low latitude air moves towards the Equator and heats up. As it heats it rises vertically and moves polewards (NORTH) in the upper atmosphere. This forms a convection cell that dominates tropical and sub-tropical climates.
2. Midlatitude cell (Ferrel cell) - A mid-latitude mean atmospheric circulation cell for weather named by Ferrel in the 19th century. In this cell the air flows polewards (NORTH) and towards the east near the surface and towards the equator (SOUTH) and in a westerly direction at higher levels.
3. Polar cell - Here air rises, spreads out and travels toward the poles (SOUTH). Once over the poles, the air sinks forming the polar highs. At the surface, the air spreads out from the polar highs. Surface winds in the polar cell are easterly (polar easterlies).
Nov 1, 2010, 11:54:00 AM
The bi le also says that man was made from the dirt of the earth. The "dirt" of the earth has been found to contain all the elements that make up the flesh of man. How could they have know this.
Element Percent of Mass[1] Mass (kg)[2]
Oxygen. 65. 43
Carbon. 18. 16
Hydrogen 10. 7
Nitrogen. 3 1.8
Calcium. 1.5. 1.0
Phosphorus. 1. 0.780
Potassium. 0.25. 0.140
Sulfur. 0.25. 0.140
Sodium. 0.15. 0.100
Chlorine. 0.15. 0.095
Magnesium. 0.05. 0.019
Iron. 0.006. 0.0042
Fluorine. 0.0037 0.0026
Zinc 0.0032 0.0023
Silicon 0.002 0.0010
Rubidium 0.00046 0.00068
Strontium 0.00046 0.00032
Bromine 0.00029. 0.00026
Lead. 0.00017 0.00012
Copper 0.0001 0.000072
Aluminium 0.000087 0.000060
Cadmium 0.000072 0.000050
Cerium 0.000040
Barium. 0.000031 0.000022
Tin. 0.000024. 0.000020
Iodine. 0.000016. 0.000020
Titanium. 0.000013. 0.000020
Boron. 0.000069. 0.000018
Selenium. 0.000019. 0.000015
Nickel. 0.000014 0.000015
Chromium. 0.0000024 0.000014
Manganese. 0.000017. 0.000012
Arsenic. 0.000026. 0.000007
Lithium. 0.0000031 0.000007
Mercury. 0.000019. 0.000006
Cesium. 0.0000021 0.000006
Molybdenum. 0.000013. 0.000005
Germanium 0.000005
Cobalt. 0.0000021 0.000003
Antimony. 0.000014 0.000002
Silver. 0.000001 0.000002
Niobium. 0.00016 0.0000015
Zirconium. 0.0006 0.000001
Lanthanum 0.0000008
Tellurium. 0.000012. 0.0000007
Gallium. 0.0000007
Yttrium. 0.0000006
Bismuth. 0.0000005
Thallium. 0.0000005
Indium. 0.0000004
Gold 0.000014 0.0000002
Scandium 0.0000002
Tantalum. 0.0000002
Vanadium. 0.000026. 0.00000011
Thorium. 0.0000001
Uranium. 0.00000013 0.0000001
Samarium 0.000000050
Tungsten. 0.000000020
Beryllium. 0.000000005 0.000000036
Radium. 0.00000000000000001
(chart above narrowed from some website)
Nov 1, 2010, 12:28:00 PM
Well, thank you for not answering the one question, or providing proof for the answer of the one question I asked you.
Even after you berated the Admin for what you claim was this exact action?
I quote:
"Why is it that you all skirted my questions? A question requires an answer, not another question."
I answered your claims. I will not do so again until you have done the same for me. So answer my question, and I will answer yours.
Nov 1, 2010, 1:33:00 PM
I offer those facts as proof of the existence of a higher intelligence. The knowledge that we are just now scientifically figuring out, was already layer out 3-4000 years ago. To me that is proof of the higher intelligence I refer to as God. No I can't show him to you! I can't take you to meet him. I can only provide the wisdom that was thousands of years ahead of it's time. How could a simple " goat herder know these things? He had no deep sea subs, no telescopes, no spectragraphs. He only had the knowledge give to him by some higher intelligence.
That is what I offer as proof, the same science that you say proves his nonexistence. What do you want, his autograph? That all I can offer is the knowledge passed on from the bible. They got alot of things almost exactly as today's science see it. That's gotta mean something to you.
Number one, your "facts" are little more than coincidence and premature assumptions, and people reading into things what they want. These are not scientific facts. These are claims you WANT to be scientific facts. As such, no scientist accepts them as proof of anything other than the authors of the Bible made some guesses at things.
Number two, "facts" that need to be interpreted, or that require a religious faith to accept are not valid scientific facts. In order for me to believe your facts, I must first believe in your gods. This is unacceptable. You need to do what every other person on Earth must do when providing proof of a scientific claim. Be unbiased and remain objective. You can not use your Bible to prove your beliefs. Because the Bible is a required part of your beliefs. You must seek your facts in a place that requires no prior faith or belief in the thing that is being scrutinized.
So, again. I refuse to answer your claims until you have provided sufficient scientific evidence for your claim that your gods exist.
I wonder if whichever school gave Justin a science degree actually bothered to teach him what constitutes evidence. Imagine trying to publish a scientific paper with this level of 'evidence'.
I also find it amazing that earlier it was all about faith, he has it, atheists don't, but now it's about evidence. If there was evidence, they wouldn't need faith, because faith is belief despite a lack of evidence. It's great when you're religious and you don't even have to be consistent. If you think you have evidence, you present it. When it gets rejected, you run and hide back behind faith, which you claim your gods want us to have, until you think you have evidence again. Rinse and repeat.
I also find it amazing that Justin is still showing his face (keyboard) here. I'd be too fucking embarrassed! After the argument from ignorance incident ("Don't call me ignorant!"), the jet streams, etc, I'd have gone away. This guy just can't admit when he's got nothing and is being outclassed.
Shall I provide addresses for the leading scientific journals so that he can try to publish his 'evidence'?
Here is info for publishing in the journal Nature:
http://www.nature.com/nature/authors/index.html
and here is info for Science:
http://www.sciencemag.org/help/index.dtl?page=authors
[Admin, had to edit my entry]
This dude is evidently batshit crazy. And, considering his remarks on your professional career, he is a suck up.
(Note: I trust you undertand it the same way)
I am not resorting to "name-calling" to make a point. The arguments utilized by Just are so deranged that he might be clinically insane.
Take his "dirt composition" proof of divine creation. What did he expect? that our bodies were made of something that doesn't exist on earth? big fking A, I never expected to be made out of kriptonite!
His dodging of straight answers, his mine quoting and his obvious alteration/unilateral interpretation of referenced texts that he offered as "evidence" are a sign that he can't, by any means, be reasoned with.
I've seen you patiently engage in such long discussions before (remember good ol' Eillix?) but out of camaraderie I would suggest you not to feed this troll anymore, he is just to eager to put his fundamentalist agenda forward.
I would simply insist in your request for a solid, concrete, scientific proof that any supernatural beings exist.
As for his latest comment: no, all that bullshit about "finding" science fun-facts in the bible is false, it does not mean anything and does not proof a higher intelligence.
On the contrary, average human intelligence tells you that fables are made up stories that contain fiction but not reality.
The bible says there were talking donkeys, giants, suicidal demon possessed pigs, ghost pigeons, sea monsters, talking snakes, 900 year old people, sun orbiting the earth, etc.
That's not very smart, is it? With all those animals, it looks just like a fable to me.
On the other hand, the bible does not contain algebra, basics of disease prevention, list of human rights, instructions to purify water, a list of natural antibiotics, procedures to establish a democratic government, etc.
To close with a note of hope: I attended the Rally to Restore Sanity in Washington DC, over 215,000 people were there. Many contended religious fundamentalism as much as they contended Fox News and the Tea Party.
Thanks for the support Feki.
I agree that his response to my profession seemed a bit like sucking up. But we must remember that religious people tend to think that what people do in their personal lives directly affects their opinions, which in turn affect whether or not they are telling the truth. Case in point, they constantly refer to Newton's personal belief in God as a reason to assume that God must exist. I feel that Just interprets my willingness to defend people's rights as proof that his beliefs are right.
For a self-proclaimed scientist, he does seem to be quite ignorant about what scientific proof is. Which is amazing. He claims that because certain things were in a book, it MUST be proof of god. I wonder what people will think in 2000 years when they read modern science fiction, and realize that warp-drive, teleportation, habital Moon bases, laser weapons, and sub-space communication are all common place. Will they assume that we made lucky guesses? Or will they believe that we were told by God that these things would exist in the future. Would they think that this was the only possible way we could know this stuff? Divine intervention?
Or would they simply believe in random chance and coincidence? Considering how much we're likely to get wrong. Just as the Bible got so much wrong?
Just admits it himself! He claims that he believes in the Big Bang. So that must be the Bible getting that wrong. But he claims so much random things it got right, while ignoring all it got wrong. People do not live to 900. All the evidence in the world placed life expectancy during the periods mentioned as being around 35-40. Hell of a thing to get wrong. What about having to marry the woman you rape? Do we listen to that advice? Or do we listen to the part that says cotton blends are a sin? How do we pick and choose the truth from the nonsense?
But you hit the nail on the head, Feki. Why does the Bible contain "facts" that don't help us at all? No advanced math. No disease cures. No sources of unlimited energy. No solutions to Global Warming, poverty, hunger, genocide or war. No, instead it mentions underwater tubes, animals with bronze bones, how cotton blends are evil, that blood is for sacrifice, etc.
And, Feki, you will notice that I now refuse to answer Just's claims until he sufficiently answers my question. Which I will repeat:
Ok butt heads.
My mention of Jims profession was out of respect! Why would i want to suck up? There is no reason, no one here effects my life one way or the other. I have sincere respect for our military. I lost two uncles to veitnam, my grandfather on my fathers side flew a B-25 bomber in WWII and received 3 purple hearts and was a highly decorated LT. Colnel.
My grandfather on my mothers side was in the navy during WWII. The one uncle I have that survived veitnam is a green beret. Some of the stories he told me made me shudder to think that people could actually do these things.
So excuse for having respect for those that protect us!!
If it weren't for people like Jim we wouldn't have the right to have this blog to start with. As for proof, see my last statement. Like I said I can't bring him to you or get an autograph. Your disbelief harms me none.
"Just admits it himself! He claims that he believes in the Big Bang."
The irony being that he probably believes in the Big Bang and evolution because of the overwhelming real-world evidence provided by scientists, and not because he likes the sound of it or because somebody suggested it centuries ago. And yet he fails to apply that model to his own arguments. Why can't the putz figure this out?
The guy is a fucking moron, and he's too stupid to know it. He should pray for his god to give him a clue.
"Why do people laugh at creationists? Only creationists don't know why."
Save your trash talk. You're nothing more than a pulsating hemaroid on the bung hole of human existance.
You have to be the most miserable person. Being you must be hell. I find you quite amusing. Especially since you quit reading my post days ago. You are so full of feces I bet your eyes are brown. It is so easy to drag idiots like you along for the ride. You are clueless and will never realize it.
Do something good with your life, become a speed bump!
Two more posts by Just, and zero attempt to answer my question.
"You are so full of feces I bet your eyes are brown."
Well, time to add coprophilia to the list of mental illnesses of this poor delusional schmuck.
Jim, that's exactly what I meant by "suck up". Thanks.
And thus far, there's none of that solid, concrete, scientific proof that any supernatural beings exist...
*choking back tears* "The invisible man is real, I know he is! He's real, he's real, he's real, and he loves me! He made everything! I don't need any evidence, because I know he's real!" *sob*
Grow up, you fucking moron! You weak, deluded fool! Learn to stand on your own fucking 2 feet, learn to live your own life, to think for yourself and to have enough thought to make your own rules! You're a fucking adult! Admit that you have no evidence for this claim, or go the fuck away!
Psychology 101 day 1.
Those with low self-esteem tend to belittle and berate those that they feel inferior to therefore giving themselves a false feeling or superiority. They find their own faults in others and point them out in an attempt to quell their own inferior feelings. They tend to underestimate the intelligence of other while overestimating their own. This inner conflict often stems from ones lack of feelings of self worth. Attacks on someone else's intelligence is often a ploy to cover the fact that the attacker feels less intelligent than those they attack.
Sound lime someone you know??
I have already explained what I consider the proof of the existence of a higher intelligence. I can no more place said proof in your hand than you can place said proof of the "big bang" in mine. For all you know all the different forms of life that the theory of evolution presumes led to us could have been individually created. You have no PROOF ( only science that constantly changes) I have no proof ( only a book whose science has remained the same for 3000+ years). The FACT remains that there are multitudes more people that believe in a creator than there are that don't.
So go ahead and show your true colors some more. Prove to us what a big man you are, call me some more names and insult my intelligence. Just remember psychology 101.
Class dismissed. Peace, Me
"Remember psychology 101. Class dismissed"
hahahaha what a complete retard!
So he wasn't a fundie, nor a creationist and he "believed in the big bang"? Well, so much for his self proclaimed progressive stand. He is no better than banana man or christian poster-boy kirk cameron.
No surprise there: religious scoundrels always hide their colours until smacked hard in the face with facts and reality.
Just, you are a moron, and you belong to a psychiatric ward. Your perception of reality is so deluded you pose an actual danger to our modern society. Please do not ever approach government buildings, research facilities or abortion clinics.
"Peace". Yeah, if it wasn't for religious nutjobs like you the rest of the free thinking world would have that.
I actually made the mistake of reading his last post. So there are multiple reasons why somebody might belittle others. One of them could be self-esteem, but another is that the other person is actually being a fucking moron.
"And he's going to take me away to paradiseland!" *sob*
I also notice an appeal to the majority in his argument, yet another logical fallacy. I think he's going for the entire list.
But at least he admitted that he has no proof, after saying he presented what he considers to be proof. "I have already explained what I consider the proof of the existence of a higher intelligence... I have no proof ( only a book whose science has remained the same for 3000+ years)"
The fact that he thinks the book has not changed in so many years (despite all we have learned), to be a good thing, is quite shocking. He also thinks it's a good thing that it is unchanged despite having so many parts demonstrated to be ridiculous, and uses that to bolster its case. And then the fact that he called it the "science" of the book demonstrates that he truly doesn't know what science is! Thanks Just, you're demonstrating what a fucking moron you really are, for all to see! I knew he didn't know what science is!
Hey Just, does this sound "lime" somebody you know?
http://www.atheistpropaganda.com/2008/09/scientific-proof-vs-religious-proof.html
Just, you are making a positive claim about the ark and the origin of the Universe. YOU MUST PROVE IT! We don't need proof until we are ready to make our own claim! Don't you fucking get it? for the fucking love of your fucking god, what the fucking hell is wrong with you?
So go ahead, prove it and then everybody can all have a good laugh at the stupidity of the Admin! "Haha, the Admin was wrong, what a fucking dumbass!" Until then, you're a fucking loser! You haven't learned a fucking thing about burden of proof or science, have you?
Yes, each creature leading to us could have been specially created, creating the illusion of evolution. But that would leave evidence such as ERV's (fucking look it up) and human chromosome #2 (argh... look it up) looking a little strange! It means that even with overwhelming evidence in nature and none for magic fairies, you will continue to believe in magic fairies. We could also be in a computer, and none of this is real! But if I'm going to make a claim like that, I'd better prove it!
This is also the Ray Comfort model. I knew you had a lot in common with him! When the banana thing was demonstrated to be invalid because humans made modern bananas, he defaulted to "God gave humans the ability to do that."
Yes, evolution could be caused by your god. The Big Bang could be caused by your god. I might have just scratched my head because your god made me. The dog might have barked because your god made him. And I might be here telling you you're a fucking idiot because your god wants you to know! Jim and Feki were also sent here by your god. EVERYTHING was caused by your god. Even kiddie-porn.
Your entire argument is intellectually void.
And one last question... Do you know what an "unfalsifiable claim" is?
It's my website, and I can make 5 posts in a row if I want to.....
And Just, please, now that you've admitted that your only proof is your little book, please, please, please, please, GO FUCK YOURSELF! GET LOST! You're even wasting your own time here, because we will never, ever, ever, ever accept your book as proof of anything supernatural!
Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning "knowledge") is an enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the natural world.
Sounds like the bible to me. Organized knowledge, testable explanations and predictions about our world.
I love it. You guys are so easy to manipulate.
Hey Admin, thought you stopped reading my post like 4 days ago??? JUST can't quit can ya. It's like crack, once ya get a little ya keep coming back for more. I bet you have thought more about the bible in the last week than you have in a long time. Now go ahead a dribble a little more,
I love pissing you off. He He He
Love to see you trying a testable explanation of Jonah's ordeal.
What about you attempt to sacrifice your only son and see if skydude sents down an angel to prevent you from doing it?
Care to produce a talking snake or a rib-woman to lecture us on the scientific accuracy of the bible?
Let's be clear: You have no solid, concrete, scientific proof that any supernatural beings exist. You cannot demonstrate anything in the babble as knowledge created by god.
Moreover,you cowardly avoid the bible atrocities (infant massacres), non-sense (adam and eve, evil cotton blends) and contempt for human rights (opression of gays and women).
The internet has coined a term for people like you:
christard: A fundamentalist christian, devout to the point of mental retardation. A non-thinking person of christian faith (as redundant as that sounds).
The long and short of it is that you suck man, big time.
Just, if the Bible included testable explanations and predictions about our world, then you would be able to test for gods. But you can't. Therefore, no gods.
You even admit that there is no proof that gods exist.
You've lost. You have made your claim that "I have no proof ( only a book whose science has remained the same for 3000+ years)". Well, guess what? because your book offers no proof, and fails to advance your theory, any scientist in the world would then dismiss your theory about gods as false.
And, if you want proof on the Big Bang, there are hundreds of books out there that offer all the proof we have. Look it up on the internet. I've said it before, the Big Bang is the single best proven theory in all of science. Every fiber of your being, every photograph of space, every second we spend hurtling through an expanding universe is more proof that the Big Bang is a correct theory.
You can troll all day, but until you can provide proof of your claims (as we have all told you, this is your job, because you're making the claim), you need to stop typing, and go away.
Theory:
a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena; "theories can incorporate facts and laws and tested hypotheses"; "true in fact and theory"
: a tentative insight into the natural world; a concept that is not yet verified but that if true would explain certain facts or phenomena; "a scientific hypothesis that survives experimental testing becomes a scientific.
An unproven conjecture; An expectation of what should happen, barring unforeseen circumstances; (sciences) A coherent statement or set of statements that attempts to explain observed phenomena.
This is way they call it the big bang THEORY and the THEORY of evolution. These to are not facts and any scientist will tell you this. You guys believe in unproven ideas just as I do, yet some how I'm the one thats a whack job. The door swings both ways!
You do realize that your definitions there support our views and not yours, right?
Just, YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEORY MEANS! You have the colloquial definition in your head, not the scientific one! You're embarrassing yourself again! Do you know there is such a thing as music theory and scuba diving theory? Is music a theory? It does not mean a guess! You are a piss-poor excuse for a science major! You are proving, over and over again, that you are ill-equipped for this discussion! Please look up what a scientific theory means! Look it up, please, please, please! I made fun of people like yourself here:
http://www.atheistpropaganda.com/2010/04/its-just-theory.html
Jim, Feki, do either of you find it strange that he claimed the bible has been altered over history, yet also claimed that its "science" *cough* has been unchanged for over 3,000 years? He takes whatever argument suits him at the time, with no concern at all for consistency. That's why he can take the parts he likes of science, the parts he likes of the bible, and mix them together.
I think it's time to ask Just which university gave him a degree in marine biology (marine biology of the bible?) and what his GPA was.
Why do people argue stuff with others who clearly know the topic better than them? Coming into this conversation, Just didn't know:
1. what a scientific theory is
2. what evidence is
3. what an argument from ignorance and false dichotomy are
4. what his responsibilities as the one making a claim are (ie. burden of proof)
the list goes on..... and yet he still comes back and acts like he DOES know what he's talking about. If this were me, I'd be SO EMBARRASSED that I'd leave in shame and kick myself over it for days. Just keeps on coming back. He literally has no shame. And the great thing is that it's on display here for all to see.
Admin, we've all pointed out Just's inconsistencies, side-stepping and blatant self-contradictions.
If he were a normal person, he would realize his flawed arguments, undertand he is embarrasing himself and attempt to be more cautious with his remarks. Obviously, this is not the case.
Marine biologist?
I doubt it, how could anybody earn such degree without understanding basic concepts of evolution?
I bet you he is an alumni of Kent Hovind's College for Jesus Freaks.
I most definitely understand evolution. I believe in evolution, I have never said anything to the contrary. I also understand biogenesis. Life comes from life. Life doesn't come from a nonliving object. I understand what a scientific theory is. If it is a proven fact, it is not called a theory. Water being H20 is not a theory, it's a fact. We can produce water, again and again and again. Theories can contain facts, but are not in and of themselves factual.
Scientific evidence is the result of objective testing of a theory or hypothesis in a way that can be reproduced by others, such as in an experiment or controlled trial.
Hypothesis: an unproved theory, proposition, supposition, etc. tentatively accepted to explain certain facts or to provide a basis for further investigation, argument, etc.
According to the definitions of the above what you consider fact is not scientifically fact.
I merely state that I concur with alot of these theories but believe that they are of an intelligent design rather than random occurrences. I also believe that the bible offers alot of insight to things we are just figuring out in the last 100 or so years. I agree there is alot more to learn. And no I don't believe the bible is the exact account of everything that ever happened up untill the time of it's writing. ( see my previous " party story " analogy. Much of the original story remains intact, some has been lost, some has been added, and some has been changed. I also believe that much science has been lost, added to, changed, and some remains intact. I have already admitted I could be wrong in my beliefs. Yet none of you has done the same even though the science of nature that you strongly believe in is in a prepetual state of change. Some changes increase our current knowledge, some change it completely, and some disprove what we thought we knew.
the·o·ry
–noun, plural -ries.
a coherent group of general propositions used as principles of explanation for a class of phenomena: Einstein's theory of relativity.
a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural, in contrast to well-established propositions that are regarded as reporting matters of actual fact.
Mathematics . a body of principles, theorems, or the like, belonging to one subject: number theory.
the branch of a science or art that deals with its principles or methods, as distinguished from its practice: music theory.
a particular conception or view of something to be done or of the method of doing it; a system of rules or principles.
contemplation or speculation.
guess or conjecture.
Pay close attention to definitions 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6. These are the definitions that apply to science.
Definition 7 applies to everything you spout about the Bible.
Learn what the words you argue mean.
Latest U.S. Statistics I could find.
A 2004 BBC poll showed the number of people in the US who don't believe in a god to be about 9%.[6] A 2008 Gallup poll showed that a smaller 6% of the US population believed that no god or universal spirit exists.[24] The 2001 ARIS report found that while 29.5 million U.S. Americans (14.1%) describe themselves as "without religion", only 902,000 (0.4%) positively claim to be atheist, with another 991,000 (0.5%) professing agnosticism.[25] The most recent ARIS report, released March 9, 2009, found in 2008, 34.2 million Americans (15.0%) claim no religion. Of which, 1.6% explicitly describe themselves as atheist or agnostic, double the previous 2001 ARIS survey figure. The highest occurrence of "nones", according to the 2008 ARIS report, reside in Vermont, with 34% surveyed.[26]
I guess the vast majority of us are all wrong and 1-2% have it all figured out. Before you start, yes I looked at the rest of the world, we'll not all of it, and from what I find with the execption of Sweden, atheist are a small minority. In most cases less than 10%. 90% vs 10%.......... I'll stick with my odds.
"I understand what a scientific theory is. If it is a proven fact, it is not called a theory."
You most certainly do not understand what theory means. This is a joke, right? I mean, you're not actually this dumb? Why don't you head on down to your nearest university and present your definition of theory to some of the scientists there?
"I also believe that the bible offers alot of insight to things we are just figuring out in the last 100 or so years. I agree there is alot more to learn."
And yet it has provided no evidence of such a thing. Double-standard, anyone? How about learning to make testable claims with regard to the ark story? You know why it looks like it didn't take place? Do you dare make a testable claim? ("A lot" is two words, not one. They teach this in elementary school.)
"I have already admitted I could be wrong in my beliefs. Yet none of you has done the same even though the science of nature that you strongly believe in is in a prepetual state of change."
Ask me. I'll admit it. I even admitted it in my intro post to this blog, which you were supposed to read a while back, when I asked you to read the "About me" section.
We could be wrong about a lot of things. But we have some evidence, you have none. You're not at all concerned about that part. You've been properly indoctrinated to never ask for such evidence. Your independent thought processes never developed, or have shut down. It is not fucking likely that science's naturalistic worldview is going to be overturned by the supernatural. And as long as you make no testable claims, you protect yourself from having to admit it. You're wrapped in a cocoon such that you'll NEVER have to give up religion. You throw out parts of the bible at will, you make no testable claims, you don't even make yourself understand the words that science uses, like theory.
You're a clown and a moron.
To summarise, there are many things that religious people could show us to demonstrate the existence of the supernatural. On the other hand, there is nothing we could ever show you to demonstrate that your worldview is wrong. You've designed it quite well that way, completely insulated from reality.
And to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure what you're still doing here. Unless you have evidence, fuck off. You're wasting everybody's time. What exactly is it that you want from us?
"Hypothesis: an unproved theory, proposition, supposition, etc. tentatively accepted to explain certain facts or to provide a basis for further investigation, argument, etc.
According to the definitions of the above what you consider fact is not scientifically fact."
What the hell is this? How does the definition of hypothesis undermine us in any way? You still don't get it.
Feki, Jim, I'm pretty sick of this incompetent moron. Nothing we write is going to get through, even if it's as simple as the definition of a word.
Just, please do us all a favour and fuck off from this blog. Call The Atheist Experience show this Sunday. They'd love to talk to you and will do an excellent job of making you look dumb. You'd be entertaining a much larger group of atheists that way. Too bad you probably don't have the balls. If you need the number, look it up.
I just have to add something here.
I've seen a lot of religious people claim that they MUST be right because there are more people who believe, compared to people who don't. I just want to know what the hell they think this proves?
Am I supposed to only drink Coke now, because it has a bigger market share and more drinkers than Pepsi?
Am I supposed to only listen to Lady Gaga now, because she is the current most popular singer?
Should I delete all the songs on my iTunes that were never number one hits?
Should I become Chinese, because they are the single most populous country?
Should I eat rice because it is the most popular food?
Or should I look at the facts (or lack, thereof), and make up my own fucking mind? If your arguments consist of, "Well, my god is more popular!", you need to go away. You have been defeated, and are now scraping the bottom of your barrel.
And, I can't believe I'm going to quote Hitler here (by the way, he was a Christian too), but this seems to be the best argument for the popularity of your gods I can offer without taking forever. He does a great job at summing up my arguments in a sort of ironic way.
"All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach."
"The great masses of the people will more easily fall victims to a big lie than to a small one."
Jim, a comment like that can be more easily countered by pointing out that the large majority of people on Earth do not believe in the divinity of Jesus, or to point out that Just's particular combination of beliefs (evolution AND Noah's ark) are not accepted by even 1% of the population (probably).
So if the large majority do not think Jesus was divine and resurrected, then we atheists are on the right side? It's a stupid argument, and it's why it's a logical fallacy. Unacceptable in debate.
I'm also smarter than the vast majority of people (IQ in top 1%), so that could be why they believe and I don't.
Tha Hitler stuff was a bad analogy. The masses of the world didn't believe in his ideas. That's why he was toppled. I find it hard to believe that none Of you see any of the bibles explanations way ahead of their time.
1 the order of evolution
2 a great flood. We do find marine fossil
On the top of even everest.
3 idea of quarenteen for those who are sick
4 idea of cleaning ones self in running water.
5 fountains on the bottom of the oceans at anyone
When it would have been impossible to
explore it. We have still only explored less
Than 10% of it.
6 mountians and valley's in the Depths of the
Oceans.
7 the idea of elemental molecules.
8 the earth suspended from nothing.
9 global air circulation( not just the jet stream)
10 the idea that life comes from it's own kind. Sure we have made some advances in genetics. But we have never been able to breed a cow with a millipede to
Make a whole new species.
Yea there are also inaccuracies, but
There are many in the theory of evolution.
I will sugest some or those later today.
I can't believe I referred to this as a 'debate' earlier. It is a slaughter. This putz went from claiming he has proof, to claiming he doesn't but trying to convince us that we believe in unfounded things too, to appeal to the majority. What a fucking joke. He's losing ground rapidly, but refuses to admit it.
Appeal to the majority, yet another logical fallacy. And it can just be re-worded so that he is in the tiny minority with his beliefs. And yet he claims to be going with the odds by believing what the majority does. What did I say before about his independent thinking processes never developing? Completely unacceptable, but would we expect anything different from this ignorant jackass at this point?
Just, can go with the majority (a rapidly decreasing majority in educated countries), and I'll go with the evidence.
And could centuries of killing people who say they don't believe have any part in why most of the world believes now? They'll still to this day execute people in some countries of the world for lack of belief. Science doesn't have to threaten people with execution if they don't believe. That's one reason we know it is right and religion is wrong. That, and the evidence. It's a poor belief indeed that must threaten deadly violence to convince people.
Just, you really need to read what I write, and understand the context of what I write. My quotes from Hitler work perfectly. Yes, Hitler didn't spread his message to the world, but that had nothing to do with it. The point (as I'm sure everyone else saw), was that religion (propaganda) need only accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach.
Do you understand? I'm not referencing Hitler's worldviews and ideas. Hell, neither is Hitler in that quote. What's being said is that all you have to do to get your message across is dumb it down so that the least intelligent people understand what you're talking about, and then it will spread on its own.
To rephrase:
All propaganda (religion) has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent (people who won't question) of those whom it seeks to reach (people who have blind faith).
As for the second quote, Hitler was, again, not referring to his own worldviews. He was saying that if you wanted to lie to the people and have them accept it, you just had to make the lie big enough.
It's easier to get a large group of people to believe that there is an invisible man living in the clouds controlling everything than to get them to believe that cotton blends are evil.
Are you comprehending now?
And there's a reason I don't see the "bibles" (sic) explanations as being ahead of their time. Because all these ideas were not ahead of their time. People did not read the Bible and say, "Fuck! We're supposed to take the sick people AWAY from the non-sick. I thought we'd throw them in a room with each other!"
There are fossils on mountains because of tsunami's and because some mountainous regions sprang from oceans millions of years ago. Did you bother to mention that the fossils found atop mountains are hundreds of thousands to millions of years old? No. Why would you mention that? It disproves and predates the Bible's account by hundreds of thousands of years, at least.
If the Bible did contain any revolutionary scientific facts, scientists would be studying it. And, for sure, you would not be needing to convince people on a blog about it. But it doesn't. People knew that wind blew for thousands of years before the Bible. People could see that when cows mated, a fucking cow came out. I mean, holy shit, thank god the Bible was there for that one. I bet people were scared an alligator might pop out before that piece of revolutionary data was discovered.
Quit picking and choosing facts you want to believe in. No one here asked you to prove the validity of the Bible. We asked you to prove your gods exist, and you admitted you can't. You're done. You've lost. Go home.
Just you are embarrasing yourself even further. If that's even possible.
Jim's quoting of Hitler was not about who followed him, it was the quote itself that mattered to make a point. Did you even bothered reading the quotes? Did you understand them? And I wonder, would it have mattered to you if Jim hadn't mentioned Hitler as the author?
Really, like Admin said, what the fuck are you looking for? It is plain obvious that you are unable to follow up on a discussion and make logical statements.
Marine fossils on top of the Everest? Yes they do exist. Never heard of Pangea? tectonic plates? Cambrian period? You might find trilobites, but you don't find the fossil of a dolphin on K2!!!! Every piece of fossil and geological evidence goes to support the fact of evolution and plate tectonics. Every fossil is placed on the correct geological strata. You are cherry picking scientific facts and using them incorrectly to support your delusion. Get it: you are deluded.
And much on the contrary, there is nothing that supports a myth of universal flood. If so, please make it available to the scientific community and win yourself a Nobel prize.
As for your comment on "sticking to your odds", I encourage you to learn about Pascal's wager. You might learn a thing or two about your own hypocrasy. And why don't you convert to Islam? There's more people believing in Mohamed than in Jesus!
You theists are nothing but cowards, uncapable of confronting the human condition in a pragmatic, positive way without the aid of superstition and myths.
Your patience amazes me Jim.
"You're done. You've lost. Go home."
I agree. He is done. He did lose (badly). He should fuck off.
"There's more people believing in Mohamed than in Jesus!"
That's not true, yet. Their growth rate is larger than Christianity's, so someday it will be true.
He didn't really mention the mountain fossils, did he? Wow, he needs a geology lesson, too. I personally think that fossils in mountains are the #1 reason why so many cultures have a flood story. They were attempting to explain something they couldn't possibly have understood.
An we have an announcement, ladies and gentlemen! Odds of the existence of things are now calculated by asking the population what they think. Evidence is no longer needed to prove existence!
Each time this guy writes, my opinion of him drops. What an embarrassment.
Yet here we are on the 3rd of November and I still get a response.
Admin, you are right, I had to check the fact on wikipedia.
Although there are more muslims than catholics, all christian denominations currently outnumber muslims. Looking at the trends, it is likely this 'majority' will reverse over a few years.
Anyway, putting sanity aside and going by what the majority thinks/wishes, then I should look forwards to having random encounters with:
The Tooth Fairy
Elvis Prestley
The Flying Spaguetti Monster
am I right Just?
I dont feel like going back to the exact quotes but just so you know: Biogenisis
(1) The process in which life forms arise from similar life forms.
(2) It asserts that living things can only be produced by another living thing, and not by a non-living thing.
Compliments of: http://www.biology-online.org/dictionary/Biogenesis
Also, Admin, you seem to think that the bible only said Noah was to take two of each animal.
This is an argument OF not from ignorance.
As for the evidence of a world wide flood.
Look up fossil records from the top of mount Everest.
I believe you will find reference to marine invertebrates.
I dont think they strolled up the beach and climbed a mountain!! Jim, the tsunami thing would be good if we had evidence of a 30,000+ ft tsunami. Also I believe if you will do a little research you will find that there are other plant and animal fossils found along with the marine invertebrates. This indicates a sudden flood of biblical proportions( no matter the cause ) and is a widely accepted understanding among the science community.
Nov 5, 2010 1:44:00 AM
This shows class as well, something the rest of you should take note of!! He doesn't feel the need to name call or belittle others. Apparently he has a much higher self-esteem than others on this blog. A man sure of himself and his strengths, not a weak little child that has to resort to childish behavior we he doesn't get some o e to fall online with him!! Thank you Jim for being a bit more mature than others.
Once one retreats to slander and name calling they are showing their true weaknesses and the recigonition of their own faults.
Fossil records on mountains. There are a couple explanations.
1. Most of the present day Earth's surface was underwater at some point, and has since risen due to plate tectonics.
2. A large tsunami caused by a asteroid or comet deposited fossils across mountain ranges worldwide.
3. The invisible man upstairs decided to punish the people he made by flooding the entire world.
Now, let's explore how valid each argument is, using evidence and proof. We'll discard all evidence that is unsubstantiated in the scientific community, no matter how prevalent it is in folklore or religious texts.
1. Ophiolte suites. This is where a former section of the seafloor is raised by plate tectonics, and leaving the exposed area above the sea level, in many cases, these former seabeds will be found in mountainous regions.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophiolite
2. The Shiva Crater (as an example). Large asteroids or comets impacting the seafloor can and will send out massive tsunamis miles high (well taller than 30,000 feet) racing around the world, and possibly hundreds of miles inland. These tsunamis will contain animal life and fossils, depositing them in areas well inland.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_crater
Note, there are many undersea craters that could contribute to fossil records being found in mountainous regions, far from oceans.
3. Well, there is absolutely no scientific proof for this one. So we must disregard this as a possibility.
Respectfully Jim, I said whatever the cause, there is evidence of global flooding of biblical proportions.
A large asteroid, or a large volcanic eruption could have both " broken apart the fountains of the deep and opened the windows of heaven", leading to global climate change,causing the polar ice caps to melt at least some in the process, all of which is shown in the scientific record as well. This as well as 2 of your points are all possible exinations. Again I submit that in many instances, the bible supports the science and vice versa.
Just, there was no biblical flood. Again, you are cherry picking facts to support your delusion. And you continue to suck up. How pathetic
I've been a consultant/auditor in the climate change industry for 5 years, so listen:
There isn't enough water in the polar caps nor in the atmosphere to flood the earth. Less an 8,000 meter flood to cover the Himalayas. Worst case scenarios (global avg. temperature rising 5 degrees) show a sea level rise of 10 meters. Even if all the water vapour in our atmosphere precipitated (rain), leaving a 0% moisture content in ambient air (which would be impossible because of water saturation temp) the sea would not rise 20 meters (simply: there is not more water vapor as there is water in the ocean/ice caps). Do you really think water can simply "materialize"? And no, your imaginary friend did not brought water forward then dissapeared it.
Now, read carefully as this contains REALITY and FACTS:
Continents were once under the sea. The Earth's crust is formed by plates (remember those elementary school drawings of the Earth's core and magma etc etc). When tectonic plates collided the sea floor ended high above in what we now see as mountain ranges. Ergo, you get sea shells on the Himalayas.
Your argument is complete rubbish.
I cannot believe I have to explain this to a person who manages to utilize a computer.
Well said, Feki.
Just knows he's cherry picking "facts", and I suspect he's trying to find some random "fact" from his book that we can't dispute so he can use it as "proof" of supernatural beings. Even though no one ever asked him to prove his books "facts". We asked him to prove his gods exist.
Hey Jim,
In my opinion Just is looking for something he could use as endorsement for/approval of his fairy tales. He is attempting to reach some bizarre "compromise" between us atheists and himself so that he can immediately claim "victory" of his delusion. All he needs is that we say "ok, there is a remote possibility that a huge flood is the explanation for marine fossils in the Himalayas".
(FOR THE RECORD, I AM USING QUOTES, MEANING THAT I NEVER SAID NOR WILL SAY THAT).
He doesn't care about mixing and matching religious ideas and scientific facts. He is begging for the slightest "nod", someone to tell him he is not entirely insane because his retarded explanation for marine fossils in mount Everest could not be entirely dismissed.
Just is so stupid that he would consider such statement as a victory over atheism and direct proof of the existence of his imaginary friend.
But since that "bible fun fact" utterly and miserably failed, I wonder if he would care to put another one to the test.
Let's look at Jonah's story, which he probably considers the biblical precedent to submarines (Just, watch for sarcasm, you are so stupid you might think I share your dumb ideas about science in the bible)
Jonah's submarine:
get swallowed by a whale (or big fish, according to your fanatic interpretation)
survive inside it without being digested
get yourself vomited by said whale/fish
Holy shit, that's exactly how submarines work!!!! How could the bible predict such underwater voyages years before Julius Verne's books?
Well, let's see what else he comes up with. I am actually getting amused by his inability to feel embarrassment.
What about Leonardo DaVinci's model for a helicopter? Did god come down and whisper that into his ear?
You know, the more I think about it, the more I wonder what the point of all those "facts" in the Bible are there for. Just claims we've started finding evidence for the claims in the past 100 years. So that would mean that for roughly 1700-1800 years, those "facts" were completely useless. I don't think any god would be so stupid as to put these things in his holy book, and wait for a couple millennia for people to "discover" his "facts".
What it really looks like is the authors threw in some "facts" they knew could not be proven or disproved at the time, and were really hoping that no one would ever question them, and they could then use their "knowledge" as "proof" of a higher being.
What they didn't count on was how far science and technology would advance. They never thought we would be able to debunk every single "scientific" claim they ever made. Which is exactly what we are doing now.
Just happens to be one of those people who still has the blinders on, unable to see that the "facts" contained in his book are guesses made by the authors. Some guesses are better than others, but most fall apart at the tiniest observation.
I could never be embarrassed by someone who is in every sense of the word, ignorant. Your claims against my argument, are the exact claims I use against yours.
The theory of evolution is full if gaps and holes and assumptions, yet you choose to agree with it, not believe in it, just agree.
Natural science is full of holes and assumptions. Hell, almost all science is full of holes and assumptions. We may well oneday fill the holes and confirm the assumptions.
All I'm looking for is an atheist that can admit that there is a possibility that science could be wrong. Not one thatL will say there is a God. There is no way to change the mind of someone who has faith! If I am wrong, I will never know, so it doesn't matter to me if you "believe" or not. As far as I am concerned it's your loss. If you can't see some truths and intelligence in the bible you just dont want to. Once again the bible is not a complete account of everything.
It does however contain alot of information mankind didn't figure out for thousands of years. Devout Christians knew it all along, for they believe every word of the bible.
Why is it so wrong to think that a world as wonderfully complex, beautiful, and diverse, with such tight knit rules as to keep it going for millions of years was designed to be that way?
Again feet or fake or feind or whatever you cAll yourself, remember psychology 101 and try to show a little class.
Why is it wrong?
There are simple explanations. I could say it is wrong to just believe because it gets us nowhere. It doesn't advance society. It doesn't advance learning. It doesn't advance anything. It provides no tangible answers to any problems. It shuns everyone who does not believe the same way. It condemns everyone who is different. It incites hate and anger.
Which leads to the complex answers. Just believing in some holy book and failing to answer life's complicated problems leads to death. Diseases used to be blamed on the devil, or people not believing in a certain religion's gods. If it weren't for scientists questioning the made-up nonsense in the Bible, human society would've fallen apart hundreds of years ago. Science would never have created any vaccines because religious leaders would tell us all to just pray, and hope for the best. And people would die in other ways. Wars are constantly fought by religious people because one side's god is better than the others. Religion has constantly been forced upon people. And people who believe in their own religions are still, to this day, slaughtered for not believing.
And your christian faith is no different. Your christian faith helped murder countless Muslims during the Crusades. They denies contraceptives to AIDS infested regions of Africa because it's "against God's will". You refuse to listen to the science that tells you that condoms will help prevent the rampant spread of life-threatening STD's.
But that's okay with you. because it's safer to believe. It's in your best interest to believe. It's in your church's best interest that you believe. The more you believe, the less you question, and the more they profit. But that's fine. You want to be christian and think you're saving your soul, go for it.
Us scientists and atheist will pick up the slack. We'll cure the diseases you refuse to accept are not the creation of your gods to punish gays. We'll solve the hunger issues that you refuse to believe aren't part of the Book of Revelations. We'll make the bullets and supply the guns and technology you use to murder people who don't believe in your made-up friend.
We'll advance society. Just like we have always done.
You sit in your church, read your Bible, and shut your fucking mouth. When you decide to contribute something meaningful, let us know. Until then, keep your hate-filled books to yourself.
Jim and Feki, I am most impressed with the tone your latest comments have taken. This guy's beliefs don't deserve anything resembling respect.
Jim, you need to back the f up and check yourself! You are not speaking to a bible thumper! I do not subscribe to "organized" religion. I have not set foot in a "church" in many many years. I dont think aids was sent by God to punish gays. Where you come up with this crap is beyond me. I guess you hate all people, live by no rules, do what ever you want to others, rape pillage and plunder and have sex with animals like the stereotypical atheist. That's what the hardcore atheist do. Ever hear of the self proclaimed atheist GG Allin? If not look him up. Wiki has a page for him. I guess since he was atheist and you are atheist you must be just like him! After all aren't ALL atheist sh t eaters, self mutilators, violent, rapist, bisexual people that like to roll in their own feces? That makes about as much sense as your last post. I have said it before and I will say it again DO NOT LUMP ME IN WITH THE BIBLE THUMPERS!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not a part of the two faced go to church then go home and screw your neighbor wife Christians. I do not follow a preacher that tells me to give up my riches and humble myself while he drives back to his 6 million dollar mansion in his bentley wearing a $3,000 suit and $150,000 worth of jewelry. That last post was way beneath you Jim!! No where in any of my post have I said or even eluded to the crap you just wrote! Give me a freaking break.
You may not be. But too many religious people are. And that was the fucking point. I've told you this before:
Also, you need to fucking "check yourself". You defend the book these morons preach. You follow their god. You might not attend church, but the mere fact that you agree with them on any point makes you part of the problem.
I don't follow their God. I follow my God.
I guess since you agree with something GG Allin said that makes you part of the problem with people like him.
Give me a break Jim. You are much more intelligent than that! All Jews aren't cheap, all blacks don't steal, all rednecks don't live in doublewides. Not all people in the armed services are there because they lack direction and personal motivation. Not all of anybody is anything. I'm sure you agree with some parts of the bible. Do on to others? I guess this makes you part of the "problem" too.
Any group of people trying to enforce their beliefs on any other group will always cause problems wether christian, atheist, Muslim or Hindu. I believe in educating people in what I believe and letting them make the decision to worship or follow or move on. The way I see it if you don't want to be part of it you shouldn't be. But you should have the opportunity to make an educated decesion. I also believe in your right to teach people what you believe or ......excuse me ........agree with. If I wasn't interested I would have never stopped here. I know what those that agree with me think.
And by the way I agree with your overall statement about the fire and brimstone pseudo christians. Thats why I don't associate with them or attend their churches. Been there done that ain't goin back.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724476
|
__label__cc
| 0.609205
| 0.390795
|
Collaborative process when composing for dance
My collaborative process has developed over a number of years through working with choreographers in a range of contexts, both professional and educational. I have found that the main factor separating collaboration with choreographers from that with musicians is the necessity to adapt and translate musical vernacular into more general terms that can facilitate effective communication. This is most crucial in the early stages of a collaboration, when most discussions are entirely abstract, and aimed towards establishing a rough outline of structure and content. Once some material is in place, the choreographer can indicate specific aspects or elements of it and refer to them when discussing the composition.
My collaborative process can be roughly divided into four stages: an initial discussion stage with the choreographer, discussing the plan and concept of the work, both choreographic and musical; an initial creative stage, in which musical ideas will be formulated and tested with the dance; the main stage of musical composition, when the bulk of the material is written, often concurrently to the dance being choreographed; and the final stage when both score and choreography are being refined to ensure cohesive and effective interaction. As part of my process, I try and attend as many of the dance rehearsals as possible while the choreography is being created, so that I am not relying on verbal descriptions of the choreography to create the score, but can instead observe directly as the movement is created.
One of the methods I use to facilitate communication in the early stages of a collaboration is the use of reference tracks. In essence, rather than the choreographer trying to describe abstract sonic features, they can choose music samples that match what they want, and use these to demonstrate aspects of music that they want to include in their work. The focus on aspects of music is crucial, as a choreographer may show a track that they like the rhythm of, and the composer needs to know that this is the factor in focus. As an example, in my first dance collaboration, the choreographer showed me a track that featured violin with an electronic, dupstep-style backing. I then began writing demos in a similar genre, not realising that she had shown me the track to demonstrate the violin and melody, rather than the genre. Once the misunderstanding had been identified, she showed me another track to indicate the overall genre she wanted for the work.
In the initial ideas phase, I find that it is important not to work too specifically to the requested specifications. For a start, it is unlikely the choreographer communicated their exact intentions, or that they were interpreted completely correctly. As such, I find a quick demo approximating the brief works best to allow the choreographer to identify the aspects of the music which they like, and those which need adjusting. In addition to this, as the work develops and evolves, the choreographer may find themselves drawn to music different from that which they originally intended.
Once initial material for the work has been decided upon, it must be expanded and developed. It is at this stage that I find it most useful to observe rehearsals, and to immerse myself in the creative process of the choreography. This allows a composer to be aware of changes to the structure as they occur, and to gain an in-depth understanding of the purposes behind the movement, whether narrative, metaphorically, or abstract. It can also be helpful to adopt techniques being used to generate choreographic material, and apply them to musical material. Such parallels in methodology can contribute to cohesion in the work overall.
The final stage involves tweaking elements in the material that may have developed independently of the choreography, in a way that does not suit it. In my experience, this most often involves adjusting the length of sections in the music to align them with corresponding sections in the choreography. In can also involve the addition of cues into the music, to signal the dancers where they may have difficulty distinguishing when a particular movement or change is to take place.
This is a summary of my own practice, but it is by no means the only advisable method. While advantageous for many reasons, constraints of time and budget make it less common in the professional realm, where choreographers may wish for music to be finalised before choreography to streamline their process, and composers may prefer to compose to a brief rather than attending rehearsals and developing a piece over weeks or months. However, if time and money are not considerations, and creative partners wish to work closely in the development of a work, there is much to be gained from close, ongoing cooperation throughout the collaborative process.
'enutriet' creative process
This piece stemmed from a concept I first explored in first year, using harmonic partials and sympathetic resonance in pianos. For that piece, I struck notes to activate harmonic resonance, and then removed the attack from them in the track.
For this work, I have adapted the process for use in concert. I spent time experimenting both with single and multiple piano setups, finding ways to create and select resonance. I also experimented with various configurations for the setup, to ensure pianos would be able to trigger resonance in each other. Once I had a range of materials, I created the score by inputting the musical materials into Sibelius, then arranging them on a page in Adobe Illustrator.
The four pianos are arranged so that their lids reflect sound into each other. They are also amplified, so that the sympathetic resonance is not overpowered by the struck notes that trigger it. The materials for the piece are given on the score on the following page, and a conductor selects which players perform different parts of the score. The structure of the piece is also indeterminate, but for this performance I have chosen to use a ternary form. The beginning section will predominantly explore the natural resonance of the piano when it is left to resonate on its own. The second section will explore harmonic patterns, and allowing specific frequencies to resonate. The final section will incorporate this with more chromatic resonance and noise-based triggers. The microphones on the piano are heavily limited, so that the louder sounds are no louder than the quieter resonance.
'that which once harboured' creative process
This piece was composed for the ‘In The Field’ concert at WAAPA in October. This concert was based around field recording and its use in composition. While in Kalbarri and Shark Bay over the mid-year break, I spent time exploring different sonic environments and taking recordings to use as material for the piece. The most compelling subject matter I found was Shell Beach at Shark Bay. The beach surrounds a large, shallow bay, which has an extremely high salt content due to greater evaporations rates. This high salinity renders the bay unliveable to most species; however, coquina shellfish thrive in these conditions, and billions of them fill the bay. The beach is covered with tiny shells, instead of sand, which creates a unique soundscape, quite different to anything I had encountered before. Whether walking on the shore, listening to the waves lapping the shoreline, or moving the shells to create sounds. I recorded everything with my Zoom H6, and began writing the piece once I returned to WAAPA in second semester.
To begin the composition process, I sorted through the recordings and began exploring ways to structure the piece. When working with field recordings, and particularly when using“the paulstretch algorithm, which gives it an ambient, ethereal sound. Both of these sounds are manipulated overtime with a delay effect, which is automated to adjust the delay time as the piece progresses. The delay echoes the sound back at shorter and shorter intervals, until they become so regular that they are heard as a single frequency. They then begin to move farther apart again, so creating subharmonics which become apparent towards the end of the piece.
The other sounds are also built out of recordings. The most significant of these are bursts of low frequency noise that punctuate and divide the piece into sections. These sounds are recordings of me walking on the beach, which are then compressed and distorted to bring out the extra low end and power in the sound.
Other sounds include burying the Zoom with shells, and dropping onto the poles and wires of the fence between the conservation area and the quarry.
The sounds were mixed and edited in Protools, and iZotope RX was used to remove background noise from the recordings. I spatialised the sounds based on their role in the piece and their envelope. Rather than simply assigning tracks to speakers, the sounds move around the space, and shape the work. The piece is realised in 7.1 surround sound.
Honours Research Poster
This poster was designed to summarise my Honours research for the ECU Research Week performing arts poster presentation session. The poster was selected for the gold medal for best Honours research poster at WAAPA by a panel of research staff and professors.
The poster introduces the topic, outlines musical traits of postminimal music, and different ways that music can interact with choreography. It then briefly describes my research project. The photo is of one of the dance pieces I composed for as part of the practice-based component of the research project.
Creating and accentuating harmonic resonance in field recordings
One of the most common techniques I use in my work with field recordings is the use of EQ to create harmonic resonance, either emphasising a preexisting resonance or creating a new one. Using a large boost at a very narrow frequency, as long as some material exists within that frequency in the sound source, a resonance will become audible, effecting both the texture and the envelope of the sound.
These experiments began three years ago, with a recording of a street sign struck with the side of my fist. The resulting sound had various resonances, both low frequencies from the vibration of the sign, and high frequencies from the impact and attack. To accentuate these frequencies, I loaded an EQ plugin onto the track, and then created an 18dB boost, with a Q of 10. I swept the boost through the frequency range to find the point where the resonance was loudest, and then added extra boosts at harmonics above this. I repeated this process for the higher frequency range, using the partials from the impact.
Another technique I use involves recordings with a much higher noise content, such as waves on a beach or wind through branches. In these instances, boosting a range high frequencies can add a sense of space, and allow an otherwise neutral soundscape to function harmonically. Options include: emphasising a single, specific frequency; bolstering a frequency with partials following the harmonic series; creating tonal chords or intervals with resonances; and finally, boosting a group of unrelated frequencies, to produce an atonal cluster of tones. Depending on the strength and clarity of the frequencies boosted, they can be used to relate to other musical elements within the piece. By 'tuning' the recording to a particular scale degree, it can either be used to strengthen or weaken the tonic, or as a leading tone to propel harmonic movement.
A more complex combination of these techniques is to create chord progressions by automating the frequency of boosts. This allows the resonances to be adjusted in pitch as a piece progresses, and this can be used to create harmonic change as with a standard, polyphonic instrument. I have not yet used this technique in a piece, as it is very labour intensive without specific EQ plugins designed to facilitate such a technique.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724480
|
__label__wiki
| 0.720764
| 0.720764
|
In 1989 and 2003, the Vatican issued two documents: Aspects of Christian meditation and "A Christian reflection on the New Age," that were mostly critical of eastern and New Age practices. The 2003 document was published as a 90-page handbook detailing the Vatican's position.[286] The Vatican warned that concentration on the physical aspects of meditation "can degenerate into a cult of the body" and that equating bodily states with mysticism "could also lead to psychic disturbance and, at times, to moral deviations." Such has been compared to the early days of Christianity, when the church opposed the gnostics' belief that salvation came not through faith but through a mystical inner knowledge.[280] The letter also says, "one can see if and how [prayer] might be enriched by meditation methods developed in other religions and cultures"[287] but maintains the idea that "there must be some fit between the nature of [other approaches to] prayer and Christian beliefs about ultimate reality."[280] Some[which?] fundamentalist Christian organizations consider yoga to be incompatible with their religious background, considering it a part of the New Age movement inconsistent with Christianity.[288]
Social conditions such as poverty, social isolation and inability to get or prepare preferred foods can cause unintentional weight loss, and this may be particularly common in older people.[42] Nutrient intake can also be affected by culture, family and belief systems.[27] Ill-fitting dentures and other dental or oral health problems can also affect adequacy of nutrition.[27]
Tantra is a range of esoteric traditions that began to arise in India no later than the 5th century CE.[180][note 17] George Samuel states, "Tantra" is a contested term, but may be considered as a school whose practices appeared in mostly complete form in Buddhist and Hindu texts by about 10th century CE.[182] Tantric texts include yogic techniques, as well as complex rituals, the use of mantras, devotion towards particular deities and various other practices. Tantric yoga developed complex visualizations which included meditation on the body as a microcosm of the cosmos. They included also the use of mantras, pranayama, and the manipulation of the subtle body, including its nadis and cakras. One of the most popular models of the Hindu tantric body is that of the Kubjikamata tantra (10th century), in which six power centers or cakras of the subtle body as seen as six forms of the goddess Kubjika and her consort. This tantra also contains a teaching on the goddess Kundalini, which resides at the base of the spine and through certain visualization exercises may be made to rise up through the central channel to the crown of the head where she is united with Siva. These teachings on cakras and Kundalini would become central to later forms of Indian Yoga.[183]
The great positive impact of public health programs is widely acknowledged. Due in part to the policies and actions developed through public health, the 20th century registered a decrease in the mortality rates for infants and children and a continual increase in life expectancy in most parts of the world. For example, it is estimated that life expectancy has increased for Americans by thirty years since 1900,[55] and worldwide by six years since 1990.[56]
Later developments in the various Buddhist traditions led to new innovations in yogic practices. The Theravada school, while remaining relatively conservative, still developed new ideas on meditation and yogic phenomenology in their later works, the most influential of which is the Visuddhimagga. The Indic meditation teachings of Mahayana Buddhism can be seen in influential texts like the Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra (compiled c. 4th century). Mahayana meditation practices also developed and adopted new yogic methods, such as the use of mantra and dharani, pure land practices which aimed at rebirth in a pure land or buddhafield, and visualization methods. Chinese Buddhism developed its own methods, such as the Chan practice of Koan introspection and Hua Tou. Likewise, Tantric Buddhism (also Mantrayana, Vajrayana) developed and adopted tantric methods, which remain the basis of the Tibetan Buddhist yogic systems, including the Six yogas of Naropa, Kalacakra, Mahamudra and Dzogchen.[248]
Śaradatilaka of Lakshmanadesikendra, a Shakta Tantra work 11th century CE "Yogic experts state that yoga is the oneness of the individual soul (jiva) with the atman. Others understand it to be the ascertainment of Siva and the soul as non-different. The scholars of the Agamas say that it is a Knowledge which is of the nature of Siva’s Power. Other scholars say it is the knowledge of the primordial soul." (SaTil 25.1–3b)[35]
Since the late 1970s, the federal Healthy People Initiative has been a visible component of the United States’ approach to improving population health.[11][12] In each decade, a new version of Healthy People is issued,[13] featuring updated goals and identifying topic areas and quantifiable objectives for health improvement during the succeeding ten years, with assessment at that point of progress or lack thereof. Progress has been limited to many objectives, leading to concerns about the effectiveness of Healthy People in shaping outcomes in the context of a decentralized and uncoordinated US health system. Healthy People 2020 gives more prominence to health promotion and preventive approaches and adds a substantive focus on the importance of addressing social determinants of health. A new expanded digital interface facilitates use and dissemination rather than bulky printed books as produced in the past. The impact of these changes to Healthy People will be determined in the coming years.[14]
The practice of awakening the coiled energy in the body is sometimes specifically called Kundalini yoga. It is based on Indian theories of the subtle body and uses various pranayamas (breath techniques) and mudras (bodily techniques) to awaken the energy known as kundalini (the coiled one) or shakti. In various Shaiva and Shakta traditions of yoga and tantra, yogic techniques or yuktis are used to unite kundalini-shakti, the divine conscious force or energy, with Shiva, universal consciousness.[278] A common way of teaching this method is to awaken the kundalini residing at the lowest chakra and to guide it through the central channel to unite with the absolute consciousness at the highest chakra (in the top of the head).[279]
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724481
|
__label__wiki
| 0.754375
| 0.754375
|
Red Sox Manager Alex Cora On Winning Title In First Year At Helm
@RedSox.
Red Sox Manager Alex Cora led his team to a World Series championship in his first year at the helm.
Cora is the first manager to win it all in his first year in the job since Bob Brenly with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2001.
Interestingly, Cora won a championship as a player with Boston 11 years ago to the day they clinched the championship on Sunday night with a 5-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5.
This was the second straight year that Cora celebrated a World Championship on the Dodger Stadium field, as he was the bench coach for the Houston Astros last season. Houston won a Game 7 in Los Angeles to clinch the championship.
This was the Red Sox's fourth title in 15 years, and he is the third manager to deliver them a championship, joining Terry Francona (2004 & 2007) and John Farrell, who won it in his first year as Boston's manager in 2013.
Cora made the surprise decision to go with David Price as his starting pitcher for Game 5, and it paid off as Price was dominant through seven innings, allowing just one run on three hits and two walks, with five strikeouts.
Price got the call, going on short rest after winning Game 2 and pitching in relief in Game 3. Chris Sale, who was originally slated to start Game 5, ended up closing out the victory.
Steve Pearce, the World Series Most Valuable Player, hit two home runs on the night, and J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts also homered, with both notching solo shots.
During his postgame comments, Cora, who has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, said of visiting the White House, "We'll talk about it later on."
Here is the entirety of what Cora had to say to the media:
ALEX CORA: First of all, I want to congratulate the LA Dodgers on an amazing season. Their ownership, front office, my friend Dave Roberts and the players. It's not easy to get back to the World Series, and they did it. They're doing a lot of good things here. I know it's tough, but they should be proud of the season they had.
Q. You mentioned last night that no moment is too big for Steve Pearce. What has he meant to this team, just how huge has he been on this entire ride from June 28th up until tonight?
ALEX CORA: That was the key, too, June 28th. We were looking for complement for Mitch, a right-handed bat, to play against lefties and play against some righties. And from day one when he got to New York, first pitch he saw, he hit a double off CC. And he's been great, not only on the field but in the clubhouse. He's been a great teammate. Veteran guy. He's been through a lot. He's ground it out.
Little by little his role got bigger. Seems like we were facing a lot of lefties in the postseason. He kept putting up good at-bats. He's a good player. Actually he played great defensively for us, too, and that was a plus. He hit righties, and he hit lefties. And I'm happy that he was the MVP of the series.
Q. Another guy that could have been was David Price. Just an amazing series. Could you talk a little bit first about the decision to start him and also to relieve with him. That's kind of new in the World Series with guys going on little or no rest. How did that conversation go and what was his reaction when you asked him?
ALEX CORA: They were all prepared, Porcello, Nate, Chris and David. They knew that somebody had to come in and get us three outs on a nightly basis. But with David, and I heard this from Dana last year, the way he was used at the end of the season and in the playoffs, Dana is like, David loves to be ready to compete on a daily basis. The four days in between starts, he goes about his business, obviously he has to be prepared. But he enjoys being available. And he was available the whole time, the whole time, from the Division Series to the Championship Series to the World Series. There was a text, "I'm ready for tomorrow. Count on me. Use me."
He was the first one in the clubhouse, most of the time he was in the last one in the clubhouse. He just wanted to compete. And you could see tonight, he was locked in. He's been locked in for a while.
I'm very proud of him. There's a lot of people that gave up on him throughout the season. A lot of people that gave up on him after his outing against New York. But we knew that he's one of the best pitchers in are the Big Leagues, and he cares, he wants to win, and finally his World Series win.
Q. After the Yankee start, you're were like, hey, he's one of the best pitchers in the league, no question he's going to start? Did that ever enter your mind?
ALEX CORA: He was going to pitch in that series, if it was extended and you saw that. He pitched Game 2 against Houston and then he pitched on three days' rest. His stuff was electric. The changeup, I heard him talking about he found something when he warmed up in Game 4 in Houston. He hasn't stopped. Changeup was amazing. Good fastball, I'm just proud of him.
Q. Lastly, I think he batted twice after completing five innings, was there any conversation about, should we take him out?
ALEX CORA: No, actually I already made up my mind. The way he was throwing the ball and where they were in the lineup, he was going to go out in the 8th. Just happened that he walked the first guy, and we went to Joe. But he was in control. He was in command. That was his best outing for the season.
Q. You're the fifth rookie manager to win the World Series, and talking to LaRussa about your command, he said the staff, your ability to make decisions out of the box. Can you talk about the experience of the whole year? You're now a guy who won the World Series, as a player, a bench coach and a manager. Pretty heavy stuff.
ALEX CORA: Yeah, first of all, they gave me a chance. They saw me as a capable manager and they gave me a chance. It's funny, because when they announced it, we were flying to LA last year between the Championship Series and the World Series, and ironic enough we win it here. So it goes full circle.
It wasn't as easy as what people think. But it starts with talent. I mean, it starts with ownership. Everybody knows, they talk about we have the highest payroll in baseball. And that's a challenge, the way they see us, the media and the fans. We have to win because there's a lot of money involved. But they do an outstanding job giving Dave a chance to keep improving the team. They did it in the offseason. A lot of people thought that we were going to go one way, and we signed Mitch, which I thought it was a great move right away. A guy that not only is he respected in the clubhouse but he's a good player. And we got him. And obviously we were patient enough with J.D. Martinez saga and he ends up with us. He adds Nuñez and Pearce and then Kinsler and then Nate. A lot of people got on him because supposedly we didn't improve our bullpen. But little did he know that we got a starter and a rover at the same time, just a matter of the usage we were going to give him.
Dave did an outstanding job. He did great. I'm very happy that he finally got his second ring for Dave. It's amazing. And then those guys in the clubhouse, the coaches and the training staff. It was obviously a total organizational effort, because for us to do the things we did with the pitching staff, the medical staff had to be very involved, and they were. We know about Chris. We know about Nate and David, they were on top of their game in October, and that's a testament of who we have working with them.
Q. I just wanted to get back to something you said about David. He talked about how much faith he had in you going back to the Grapefruit League. He's grown so much from last year, everything that happened. Can you just talk to me about him not just as a player but as a person in terms as sticking with him at this point. He seems happy.
ALEX CORA: He's one of the leaders in the clubhouse. He's a great teammate. He cares about them. He's always paying attention to details and trying to help them to improve, from Eduardo to Chris and Nate. He's always in their bullpens. He's looking at film of hitters. He's paying attention to what's going on on the field. He's a complete player. I know he didn't get a hit today, but whatever.
But he's been great. Between Chris, Rick and David, we have a great relationship. We run a lot of stuff through them, they're the spokesmen of the team. What they like they let me know. What I don't like I let them know. So he's a leader. He's a leader. And I'm just happy that now he's a world champ. Obviously, as everybody else there. I can't wait for him to get to Ft. Myers next year and talk to us all about what's going to happen next year, and he doesn't have to look to the past. People don't have to bring that up anymore.
Q. Congratulations. Just curious. You pivot to David to start tonight and Chris goes out to the bullpen for the game. And of course David ends up going seven dominant innings, which shortens what you need from the bullpen. Did you envision the possibility of having Chris work multiple innings, if you needed him to?
ALEX CORA: No, it was only one inning. You have to be prepared for them coming back and winning this game. And you have to be ready for Game 6.
The reason we went to David is because we felt that he was going to have a great outing tonight. He was ready for it. But at the same time if it didn't happen for us, then he was going to be able to bounce back for Game 6 or Game 7.
Q. Congratulations from Italy. What are your feelings now compared to last year with Houston?
ALEX CORA: Somebody asked me that a week ago, what was better, to win as a player, as a bench coach or as a manager. As a player I was just utility guy, last year I was a bench coach. This feels better. To be able to, first of all, convince them to give me a chance to manage. That was hard work. And then to get the coaching staff together, guys that I believe, I trust, and they did an outstanding job. And then to see these guys compete on a nightly basis and finally win it. You try to put them in situations that they're going to be successful. And at the end, obviously they decide games and what they did was amazing, very proud of them.
Q. Alex, will you go to the White House?
ALEX CORA: We'll talk about it later on.
Posted by Jason Schott at 11:25 PM
Books: "Why We Fight" By Sebastian Gorka
Red Sox Manager Alex Cora On Winning Title In Firs...
Pearce Made Difference For Red Sox, Wins World Ser...
NYCFC Beats Philly, Will See Them Again In Playoff...
Red Bulls Clinch Supporters' Shield
Books: On Baseball Strategy
Red Bulls & City Of Hoboken Team Up On Soccer Mura...
St. John's In Top Half Of Big East Preseason Coach...
St. John's Ponds Named Big East Preseason Player O...
Books: "On Point" Gives Life Lessons From WSJ. Mag...
St. John’s Receives Votes in Preseason Associated ...
Big East, Big 12 Announce Annual Beginning in 2019...
New Cookbooks From Ina Garten, Linda Miller Nichol...
A Look Back: The 1916 World Series When The Brookl...
Books: "How To Not Always Be Working" By Marlee Gr...
Books: "Contact High: A Visual History Of Hip-Hop"...
"The Great American Read: The Book of Books," Comp...
MLS Road Report: Red Bulls Win In Philly; NYCFC Fa...
Books: "The History Of The World According To Face...
Red Bulls & Two Nines Launch Capsule Collection
Red Bulls' Aaron Long Earns First Career USMNT Cap...
Books: Chris Gethard On How To "Lose Well"
St. John's Has High Expectations Entering 2018-19 ...
Yankees Make Donation For Hurricane Michael Relief...
Books: Jane Leavy On "The Big Fella," Babe Ruth
Books: Announcer Verne Lundquist Looks At His Care...
St. John's Guard Ponds Named to Bob Cousy Award Pr...
Books: Greg Sargent On America's "Uncivil War"
Yankees "have the people to be an absolute elite o...
Books: Tucker Carlson On The "Ship Of Fools" Runni...
Boone: Yankees need to "get better on the margins ...
Books: "Operation Columba," An Untold Story Of Wor...
Mustapha Heron Eligible For St. John's This Season...
Books: "In Your Hands" By Ines Pedrosa
A Conversation With Bob Lederer, Author Of "Beyond...
Didi To Have Tommy John Surgery; Will Machado Fina...
NYCFC Signs Callens, Johnson, & Ring To Long-Term ...
St. John's Red Storm Tip-Off Friday Night
Books: Kornacki On "The Red and the Blue" Of Ameri...
Books: "Presidents of War" By Beschloss
Red Sox Close Out Yankees, Celebrate At The Stadiu...
ALDS Game 4 Pregame: Yankees Manager Aaron Boone
ALDS Game 3: Red Sox Romp, 16-1, Over Yankees
Books: "Read & Riot: A Pussy Riot Guide To Activis...
Judge's Chambers Honorees: ALDS Games 3 & 4
Books: "The Perfect Candidate"
Red Sox Will Go With Eovaldi In ALDS Game 3 At Yan...
A Look Back: Last Yankees-Red Sox Game At Fenway I...
Red Bulls Win In San Jose To Keep Supporters' Shie...
ALDS Game 2: Sanchez Slams Sox To Help Yankees Eve...
ALDS Game 2 Pregame: Torres On How Yankees Can Eve...
Books: "What If It's Us" By Albertalli and Silvera...
ALDS Game 1: Kimbrel Closes Door On Yankee Comebac...
Boone Expects It To Be "Buzzy" In Boston For Game ...
Books: "Gridiron Genius" By Michael Lombardi
Yankees ALDS Roster: Who's In, Who's Out
Books: Dr. Denis Leary On "Why We Don't Suck"
Boone On Yankees Ahead Of Boston Battle: "We feel ...
J.A. Happ To Start Game 1 For Yankees In Boston
Red Bulls' Adams No. 2 On MLS 22 Under 22 List
Severino Steps Up, Reward Boone's Faith In Wild Wi...
Yankees, Led By Early Ruling From Judge, Get By A'...
St. John's Introduces Cragg As New Athletic Direct...
Yankees' Stanton On Wild Card Game: "We've got wor...
Severino On Wild Card Start: "It means a lot. It m...
Yankees Manager Aaron Boone On Wild Card Game
Judge's Chambers To Honor Fans Throughout Postseas...
Books: "The Apprentice" On Trump & Russia
World Golf Hall Of Fame 2019 Induction Class Final...
Red Bulls' Adams & Long Called Up To USMN
NYCFC's Ben Sweat Earns First USMNT Call-Up
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724482
|
__label__cc
| 0.576203
| 0.423797
|
Kasey Keller, soccer icon
Do the sports journalism thing for long enough and you'll run into a few refreshing, quality people along with a dose of prima donnas. I interviewed American footballing icon Kasey Keller yesterday and I'm happy to report that he's among the former.
In case you're not well-versed, a quick Keller bio.:
From 1990 to 2006, Keller was a member of four U.S. World Cup squads and one Olympic team. He also helped pave the way for American players in Europe, having starred in the world's preeminent top flights from the Budesliga to the English Premier League and Spanish La Liga. He even captained Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he famously lived in a 1,000 year-old castle with his family. Last year, Keller returned to his home state of Washington and currently leads MLS's most exciting franchise, the Seattle Sounders (who, by the way, welcomed almost 35,000 fans per game last season -- besting attendance averages for even the vast majority of Major League Baseball teams).
Keller is GO's celebrity guide for the city of Seattle in a piece that will complement this summer's FIFA World Cup Finals. Check it out in June.
← Vancouver FashionSomeone ... →
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724483
|
__label__cc
| 0.514012
| 0.485988
|
BetweenTheLinesFilm.com
Narrated by acclaimed writer and director JOHN MILIUS (Apocalypse Now-Big Wednesday), BETWEEN THE LINES explores the Vietnam War through the prism of the surfing sub-culture. This documentary film offers unique insight into the dramatic effect that the Vietnam War and draft had on young American men who rode waves.
This film explores the choice that most draft age surfers faced during the Vietnam War era: either go to war or evade the draft. It was one or the other. Between the Lines delves into the lives of two surfers who choose opposite paths, Pat Farley and Brant Page.
“This is the soil from which APOCALYPSE NOW grew out of; it's as simple as that.”
- John Milius
“An Extraordinary, compassionate, and compelling documentary.”
- Drew Kampion, The Surfers Path
“You did a wonderful job and helped me to untie a few more knots. It sat with me all night.”
- John Prietto, Vietnam combat veteran & Army lifeguard
BETWEEN THE LINES explores the Vietnam War through the prism of the surfing sub-culture. The film offers unique insight into the dramatic effect that the Vietnam War and draft had on young American men who rode waves. This documentary certainly resonated for me and my friends who were surfers and grew up in Maui. We're all retired. My grandkids refer to me a "kahuna he'e nalu" which is a tease from these young fearless surfers. I hit the water whenever I can, but I'm keeping busy working with a local management company that handles dozens of Maui vacation condos. We have clients' properties at all the major resorts on the western coast of Maui, from Napali, to Lahaina, to Kahana and all the way to Kapalua. I happen to work in their marketing division making sure the company name is ranking high in the natural search as well as making sure our clients' condo rentals are listed on sites such as VRBO, HomeAway, and Flip Key. It might seem a long way from the carefree days of my youth, but it still gives me plenty of time out on the water. When friends from around the world visit, I always set them up for their stay in one of MauiBeachfront Rentals condominium unit. They have never disappointed. Well this film took me back to a time that was certainly very turbulent and disturbing. Most of us did end up in Vietnam. Some of us came home mostly whole, some never made it back. More power to the fellows who were part of this documentary. I believe more people should see this film which is why I bought the domain and made it once more visible on the web.
While following the lives of these two surfers the film chronicles the impact of the Vietnam War on the surfing lifestyle. From the peaceful shores of Hawaii to the canopy jungles of Vietnam, Between the Lines excavates the surfing cultures response to an extraordinary circumstance.
Between The Lines Trailer- Surfers During the Vietnam War
BETWEEN THE LINES ON PBS
We are pleased to announce that starting in the spring of 2010, Between the Lines will be broadcasting on most PBS stations across the nation. Broadcast dates and times will vary, so please check your local listings or with your local PBS station for air dates and times.
BETWEEN THE LINES WINS AT X-DANCE
The documentary film Between The Lines was awarded the prestigious "Best Documentary" award at the X-Dance Film Festival January 20th 2009 in Salt Lake City Utah. X-Dance is the premier action sports industry film festival.
"We are stoked," said Scott Bass, writer and co-director of Between The Lines. "It's an honor to receive this award from the distinguished judges at X-Dance, especially when you look at the extraordinary films produced this year. It is an honor we share with and dedicate to the surfers and veterans of the Vietnam War era.
SCREENING IN NEW YORK CITY
On September 28, BETWEEN THE LINES screened as a special exhibition along with the 30th anniversary of the Epic film BIG WEDNESDAY at the New York City Surf Film Festival.
BETWEEN THE LINES BENEFIT SCREENING HELD AT THE BEVERLY HILLS FINE ARTS THEATER BENEFITING THE RICK THOMAS VETERANS COUNSELING CENTER
This final veteran’s benefit screening brought total donations of over $8800 to support the Veterans Village San Diego – Rick Thomas Counseling Center and the Long Beach VA Hospital prosthetics lab.
David and Karen Barnes’ winning bid of $2000 secured the BETWEEN THE LINES signature surfboard and provided a significant donation to the veterans. Thanks to Dave as well as surfboardbuilders.com, Jim Phillips and Headline Graphics for providing this brilliant work of art.
We were pleased to have many special guests at this event. We were especially honored to host a special group of veterans and their counselors from the Westwood VA hospital involved with their surfing program. Also several folks of notable Hollywood talent showed up to support the cause.
THE ENCINITAS VETERANS BENEFIT SCREENING OF BETWEEN THE LINES WAS A GREAT SUCCESS
The sold out show raised over $4400 for the Veterans Village San Diego, Rick Thomas Counseling Center
Pure Frustration Productions is proud to announce that the first veteran's benefit screening of their documentary film BETWEEN THE LINES sold out, and raised over $4,400 dollars for the Veterans Village San Diego-Rick Thomas Counseling Center.
Narrated by acclaimed writer and director John Milius (Apocalypse Now-Big Wednesday etc.), BETWEEN THE LINES explores the Vietnam War through the prism of the surfing sub-culture. The film offers unique insight into the dramatic effect that the Vietnam War and draft had on young American men who rode waves.
Zach Weisberg of Surfer Magazine wrote, "Just because you have a great story to tell doesn't mean it will be told correctly, the heart of the matter never quite reveals itself. BETWEEN THE LINES delivers on its promise. Two surfers unflinchingly and with brutal honesty recount their experiences during the Vietnam War, and with the aid of John Milius' spot-on narration, clever writing, and precious archival footage, a great story reveals itself."
The next screening will take place on the evening of August 21, at the The Beverly Hills Fine Arts Theatre. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Rick Thomas Veterans Counseling Center.
Pat Farley
In the Mid-1960’s the Vietnam War and draft presented most young surfer's with a difficult and life altering choice; appear for induction or evade the draft. Some however faced it head on.
After voluntarily enlisting in the Army, Pat Farley’s Drill Sergeant convinced him that service in Vietnam would be an adventure he couldn’t pass up. Pat volunteered for combat in Vietnam.
Pat served with an elite Army Ranger unit in heavy combat where in the relatively short span of a year, his actions would lead the rank of Sergeant.
The stresses and memories of combat left Pat and many veterans with a lifetime of coping. Instead of turning to drugs or alcohol, Pat stuck with Coca Cola's in a bottle, but an incessant passion for surfing and developing his artistic talents would ultimately prove to be the healing force.
Pat is a world class surfer, surfboard shaper, author, and filmmaker living in Santa Cruz, California.
Brant Page
On the run and hiding out from a war he did not believe in, Brant discovered his nirvana among the spectacular, empty waves on the Big Island of Hawaii.
After eventually being arrested for draft evasion, Brant was sent back to California where he failed his military physical and returned to the islands.
Brant Page and his new wife Kim spent their small savings on a modest property in Kona. He surfed daily and did a lot of digging in the lava hardened slopes.
Almost 40 years later Brant and Kim cultivate the same land. They had built a beautiful home from scrap lumber that others had discarded. They still sustain off the land and produce premium Kona coffee. They've raised three sons and continually cared for multiple foster children.
Equally at home on a shortboard or longboard, Brant is an accomplished surfer and waterman.
This website was creatd to generate PR for the movie, BETWEEN THE LINES, as well as where one could buy the Between The Lines Limited Edition Book.
Many incredible and never-before seen photographs were graciously contributed to BETWEEN THE LINES from personal collections. So many, in fact, that we had no choice but to immortalize these images for all to appreciate. We are proud to present a companion book also entitled, BETWEEN THE LINES. This elegant 164 page full color hard bound coffee table book presents the words and experiences of surfers during the Vietnam War era. While the book is intended to compliment the film , the format allows the reader to understand and enjoy the book without the benefit of the movie.
After the movie's promotional machine ceased, the betweenthelinesfilm.com's domain registration eventually expired. I recently discovered that the betweenthelinesfilm.com's domain had become available. I bought it with the goal of recreating a limited version of the site from its archived pages. I did not want someone else to purchase the domain and re-purpose the site for something that had nothing in common with the original website.
Since the site will not be exactly as you remember it, please be indulgent.
I believe that the story of these men is still important and should be available online.
Now let's take a nostalgic stroll back to the release of Between The Lines.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724486
|
__label__wiki
| 0.534368
| 0.534368
|
An Engagement Story
Back in June 2008, Mr. Woodley Park decided that he wanted to marry me (of course-- he didn't tell me).
He bought me tickets to the Steelers/Colts game in Pittsburgh for my birthday and the game was planned for the weekend of November 8th (to avoid confusion, I'm a Pittsburgh Steelers junkie). Apparently, Mr. Woodley Park had a major plan, and had previously decided that he would propose while we were there.
The following was all a major shock for me. Of course I knew we were going to get married someday and we had discussed it, but I did not think that it was going to happen then-- or in Pittsburgh for that matter. Mr. Woodley Park was super sneaky and planned everything without me knowing a thing.
Mr. Woodley Park booked a room for two nights in one of the fanciest hotels in Pittsburgh, the Omni William Penn. I wasn't too surprised about this though since we needed somewhere to sleep while we were visiting.
The night before the Steelers game, Mr. Woodley Park let me pick where I wanted to eat dinner, and the answer was Sesame Inn. It's my absolute favorite Chinese restaurant in Pittsburgh and it's located right in Station Square. We walked around, bought a bunch of steelers gear (for me) and ate, and ate, and ate.
Mr. Woodley Park was cool as a cucumber throughout dinner. He was acting normally, drinking the local beer, and eating like a boy with a huge appetite. Not to mention the fact that he took a nap before we went out to dinner. Seriously, the boy was hours from proposing and slept like nothing was happening.
After dinner, Mr. Woodley Park mentioned that we should go up the incline to Mount Washington. I was more than happy to because it provides a gorgeous view of the city and my prom pictures were taken there back in high school.
We walked over to the balcony, took pictures, talked about how beautiful it was and then Mr. Woodley Park said, "Okay, are you ready to go?" The next thing I knew, I turned around to grab him and he was pulling something out of his pocket. Seconds later, he was down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I started freaking out, cried for about 1.25 seconds and then kept asking him if he was serious. I think I asked about 10 times before snatching the ring from him. The second thing out of my mouth was, "did you ask my dad?" He did, apparently dad was in on the entire thing for months.
It was so incredibly special and beautiful. After the proposal, we called our families and then looked at each other and said, "now what?" haha.
After celebrating via cell phone, Mr. Woodley Park told me the speech that he meant to say as he was down on one knee, but that he was too nervous to get out. Either that or he was distracted by me yelling, "you are kidding" over and over again.
Here's a picture of us riding the incline down, only minutes after getting engaged.
We still haven't stopped smiling that big-- and it's been almost 7 months!
posted by Miss Woodley Park at 3:32 PM
Centerpieces: Flames vs. Flowers
March 27th, 2010, Dinner & Dancing at Glen Echo Pa...
The Chevy Chases find a venue: Part I
Hello from Miss Charleston!
A Dating Story
Hi from Miss Outer Banks
Hair Pieces: Whimsical or Romantic
Meet Mr. & Mrs. Woodley Park
The search for the perfect venue....
colors for a spring wedding
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724490
|
__label__wiki
| 0.582354
| 0.582354
|
Departure of Colmar’s Green train
“La Rue des Têtes” – the Heads Street
“La Rue des Marchands” – the Merchants Street – Bartholdi Museum
The Collegiate Church of St. Martin
The “Maison Pfister”
“Le Koïfhus” – the old Customs House
The Tanners’ District
“La petite Venise” – Little Venice
The “Berthe Molly” street
“La Place du Marché aux Fruits” – the Fruit Market
The Church of Saint Mathieu
The Synagogue of Colmar
The Vauban Street
The Unterlinden Museum
7 km – 35 min environ
Here is our departure point.
Click on the tabs or on the map pins to discover many historic places of Colmar.
The “Rue des Têtes” (Heads Street) owes its name to the Heads House “Maison des Têtes” built in 1609 by Burger.
This house is decorated with statuettes and 111 small human heads, and has one of the most remarkable oriel windows in Colmar.
The gable is topped by a tin statue of a cooper, by Auguste Bartholdi.
The house number 30 is the birthplace of the Colmar sculptor Auguste Bartholdi. Today it is the Bartholdi Museum.
Auguste Bartholdi was born in Colmar on August, 2nd, 1834.
Bartholdi became the official sculptor of the city of Colmar and his fame spread rapidly beyond his hometown.
The sculptor, creator of the monumental “Lion of Belfort” and New York’s “Statue of Liberty”(1880), died in Paris on October, 3rd, 1904.
A large number of his studies and projects are presented at Colmar’s Bartholdi Museum, inaugurated in 1922 in the house that the artist’s widow donated to the city after his death.
Refurbished and greatly expanded, the museum is now the pride of the cultural legacy of Colmar.
At Colmar, you can also admire several works of Bartholdi :
- The General Rapp statue and the fountain topped by the statue of Admiral Bruat on the Champ de Mars,
- The Hirn monument, physician and mathematician, in the park near the Church St Pierre,
- The Roesselmann Fountain on the Place des Six Montagnes Noires (Six Black Mountains Square),
- On the corner of the Marché Couvert (Covered Market), the fountain topped by a jolly wine grower drinking from his « loyala » (a small wooden barrel),
- Near the Old Customs House or “Koïfhus”, the fountain topped by a statue from the Imperial General Lazarus of Schwendi,
- The gable of the « Maison des Têtes » (The House of Heads) topped by a pretty pewter statue of a cooper.
The church was built in 1784 on the site of the former St. Martin’s cemetery.
There are 2 buildings are of interest:
- The Adolph House
- The old Guard House
St. Martins’ Church in Colmar is one of the most beautiful examples of Gothic architecture in the Haut Rhin.
Its great size is undoubtedly the reason it is often wrongly called a “cathedral”.
The Pfister House was built in 1537 by a hatter from Besançon called Scherer. It is considered one of Colmar’s architectural symbols.
This building is especially remarkable for its painted murals, which combine biblical themes with allegorical figures and portraits of emperors. These murals illustrate the tastes of the bourgeoisie in the 16th century.
The Koïfhus was in the heart of the economic and political life of Colmar during the middle Ages.
It was surrounded by other buildings, now destroyed, which completed its economic vocation: the big butchery, the Iron House (depository for iron and other metals), the Ankenhaus (for fats), the Mint, the Granary and the Salt Cellar.
Place de l’Ancienne Douane
This square was created only after the mill canal, which formerly crossed it, was covered over and the Butchery and the 13th century mill, which used to stand there, had been demolished.
In 1897, a stone fountain was built with an octagonal basin and topped by a large central pillar which is a bronze statue by Auguste Bartholdi of Baron Lazarre of Schwendi, the lord of Holandsberg (1522-1583).
Until the 18th century, the tanners district was completely reserved for tanners.
It was restored by the department of Historic Monuments of the city of Colmar.
The houses, mostly located along the river, are absolutely typical. Very narrow and very tall, and built without basements, they are built on a high stone wall, upper floors having timber frame walls filled with a mixture of straw and clay.
The roofs are very extensive often having openings at several different levels, some set back from the others, allowing the tanners to dry their skins.
One of the best known views of historic Colmar: Little Venice.
Along the “Lauch” discover the little Venice with its old timber frame houses which are opened to the river. The river Lauch was used as a communication canal in the past, especially by greengrocers.
Voltaire lived in this street from 1753 to 1754.
This square was created during the French Revolution.
2 important buildings board the square:
- The Kern House, a high building dating from the end of the 16th or the beginning of the 17th century, which unites on the same façade Gothic mullion windows and a roof with Alsatian Renaissance characteristics.
- The High Court is in the former building of the Sovereign Council. Built by the architects Chassain and Blaise de Rungs (Colmar) in 1769-1771, it is a French Classical style.
The Franciscan Order settled in Colmar in the middle of the 13th century.
In 1534, the Franciscans left Colmar, nearly annihilated by the Black Death.
With the arrival of the Reformation in Colmar the church became a place of shrine for the Protestants.
The recently restored Gothic and Renaissance church was renamed Saint Matthew in 1967.
Today the church is a popular concert place because of its extraordinary acoustic.
In the nave there is organ built by Andreas Silbermann in 1732.
The Colmar Synagogue, built in 1843 in a neo-classical style, is the seat of Judaism in the “Haut Rhin” administrative district.
There you can enjoy the marvellous Animated Toys and Little Train Museum.
The church and the convent buildings have been housing the Unterlinden Museum since 1849. The buildings had been abandoned since the French Revolution, and were saved by the company Schongauer in 1847.
The museum is the second most visited French Fine Arts Museum after the Louvre. The masterpiece that gives it its international reputation is the Issenheim altarpiece by Matthias Grünewald.
The museum presents collections of religious art collections, archaeology, popular art and modern art.
It covers an overall surface area of 7900 square meters, including the current building, the completely rebuilt former municipal baths and a new brick building for 20th century art.
The museum is divided in three architectural and museum times: the chapel containing Matthias Grünewald’s Issenheim altarpiece and in the cloister are the medieval collections; in the baths you will find the 19th century collections; and the 20th century collections and temporary exhibitions are presented in the new building.
Sarl TRAIN’S
1 rue Edighoffen - F – 68000 COLMAR
A Colmar
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724493
|
__label__cc
| 0.652668
| 0.347332
|
We need to talk about sexual harassment
It was 2003, and it was my first job. The acting editor (brought in as the editor while the old one quit, and they hadn't yet made a new hire) was a dude who liked nothing more than the sound of his own voice. He wasn't very popular, but he made loud jibes at one member of the office or another, and sometimes, he could be moderately funny.
He turned his attention on me all of a sudden. One minute I was quiet, invisible, the youngest person on an already young team, trying to earn as many bylines as I could, the next I was in focus as soon as I walked in. "Why are you wearing that?" he'd ask, every single day. "Why are you wearing that neckline, those sleeves? This is an office!" Other people wore similar clothes--it was a young office after all--but it was to me he turned fashion critic, moral police of my spaghetti straps. I grew so uncomfortable, I chose only shirts with collars after that or loose t-shirts. He got bored, but not before I learnt to sneak in past his desk and settle myself in without being spotted.
Years later, I learnt that was sexual harassment. I was only 21, this was the early noughties, and no one thought to speak to us about inappropriate behaviour beyond the obvious grabbing-and-molesting. Behaviour that would make a female employee uncomfortable or afraid of a male one. Behaviour a male employee would not show towards another man.
I've been thinking a lot about these things lately, because the Good Thing did a story on a young girl, a legal intern who was sexually harassed by a Supreme Court judge. The interview went on to go viral, and suddenly, over the last week, all he's been doing is thinking about it, and as a consequence, talking about it.
What do you do when someone in power takes advantage of your power dynamic? How do you say no without ruining whatever prospects you have for advancement?
Consider the case of David Davidar, who was accused of sexual harassment in Canada. I'm not saying he did or did not do it, but many authors he had worked with in India stood behind him. Many prominent editors too. How would you allege a case of inappropriate behaviour against someone so popular and still "work in that town again?"
Do you separate a person's actions from the work they do? Would you still watch a Woody Allen movie? Knowingly hum along to Nazi-supporter Wagner? Would you defend a friend you loved who you knew could be extremely lecherous, just because you love him?
It's one of the great regrets of my life that I did not report this former editor, this man with his bloated ego and sense of "I can say whatever I like" because I'm older than you, and I'm a man, and I've been in journalism for 10 years or whatever. I wish I'd had him slapped on the wrist, and not left him to float through journalism making other people uncomfortable. Corporates and MNCs have mandatory workshops, and some of them have an anonymous call-in to report behaviour. It's time for the rest of the country to catch up. It's time for newspaper offices to stop letting editors have their way with fresh young reporters, government bodies knowing that power doesn't mean power over someone else, and all of us in general to stop being scared that this will mean the END for us, the end of our careers or that people will hate us, and just report a horrible act that makes us feel less than professional.
I've worked very hard to be where I am today. I'm sure you have too. Let's not let some dude with an inflated sense of self take that away from us. Let's support each other, and maybe we'll have the courage to report a person to the authorities the next time it happens.
PS: If you'd like to share your experiences, go ahead and post it in the comments.
PS 2: Here is a link to the Vishaka guidelines against sexual harassment in the workplace.
EDIT: The new regulations for sexual harassement in the workplace that replaced the Vishaka Guidelines in 2013. Thanks for the tip, Debjani!
Filed under I am woman hear me roar
M Sunday, 17 November 2013 at 21:28:00 GMT+5:30
Speaking for the world of journalism, how about creepy photographers and designers adding you on Facebook barely a week into your new job, and this after having spoken to them barely one or two times? Constantly messaging you then, and texts about how you're "lookin cute" when you wear a dress to work? I'm like, how about telling me that to my face in the office, fucker? Why wait till after work to text me that randomly?
Debjani.CAR Monday, 18 November 2013 at 12:41:00 GMT+5:30
In April 2013, the Government issued the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act 2013. This replaces the Vishaka Guidelines. You may want to take a look at that.
Anonymous Tuesday, 19 November 2013 at 13:02:00 GMT+5:30
www.interweave.in
this IS exactly what we do. in case anyone has queries or needs to know how to go about this for their workplaces, do reach out.
eM Tuesday, 19 November 2013 at 13:11:00 GMT+5:30
Alas, that website isn't opening for me. Faulty link?
Psyche Thursday, 21 November 2013 at 14:13:00 GMT+5:30
And then Tehelka happens today :( Who knew Tarun Tejpal could be such a rat.
Stutee Nag Friday, 22 November 2013 at 19:20:00 GMT+5:30
What timing!
Anonymous Tuesday, 3 December 2013 at 17:44:00 GMT+5:30
Do you separate a person's actions from the work they do?
It depends. If their actions are molesting women, maybe not. If they're stepping on ants, maybe I let that one go.
Would you still watch a Woody Allen movie?
I hate woody allen movies.
Knowingly hum along to Nazi-supporter Wagner?
Never heard of him. Is he before or after Justin Bieber.
Would you defend a friend you loved who you knew could be extremely lecherous, just because you love him?
I know and love this friend - why do I love him when I know he's a letch? What does that say about me? Additionally - okay, he's a letch. Well, if I love him - maybe I should sit him down and give him a talking to - because I love him??
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724494
|
__label__wiki
| 0.586881
| 0.586881
|
Venezuelan President Maduro to attend CARICOM summit
Caribbean360 June 28, 2013
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, June 27, 2013 – Venezuela’s President Nicholas Maduro is scheduled to pay his first official visit to the Trinidad and Tobago when he attends the 34th meeting of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders here next month.
Maduro, who was elected back in April following the death of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, is among two other special guests invited by Caribbean leaders to attend the four-day summit which coincides with the 40th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
President of the Dominican Republic, Danilo Medina as well as President of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo will also attend the meeting.
Trinidad and Tobago’s acting Communications Minister Anil Roberts told reporters Thursday at a post cabinet news conference that “President Maduro’s visit is important in the context of the region’s relations with Venezuela – an important player in hemispheric affairs.”
CARICOM leaders will also hold talks with President Obiana Nguema who is the current chairman of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of countries.
Discussions at the summit will centre on matters including economic challenges facing member states, transportation in the region, the reform process in CARICOM and a proposal for a high-level meeting on persons with disabilities and special needs.
The conference will also celebrate the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas with a special re-enactment of the July 4, 1973 signing by the then Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Dr. Eric Williams, Prime Minister Errol Barrow of Barbados, Prime Minister Michael Manley of Jamaica and Prime Minister Forbes Burnham of Guyana. (CMC) Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)
Nine Jamaicans detained in lottery, money laundering scams
Chris Brown faces jail over possible Rihanna probation violation
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724501
|
__label__wiki
| 0.720495
| 0.720495
|
That the Act is amended to require State agencies and Departments to consider the target, objects and proposed principles of the Act in relation to relevant decisions. Specifically, decisions should consider:
Risks from climate change; and
Implications for the State’s emissions and potential to achieve Tasmania’s legislated emissions target.
The Independent Review recommends that the Act is amended to require Tasmanian Government agencies to consider the Act in relation to relevant decisions. This means that decisions would need to take climate changes risks into account and consider potential impacts on the State’s emissions.
The Independent Review found that there is scope for improved linkages between climate change and key policy areas such as population growth, land use planning and energy. The review highlights examples of other jurisdictions that have used their legislation to support consideration of climate change in government decision making.
The Tasmanian Government acknowledges the importance of considering climate change in our decision making. For example, climate change projections and impacts should be considered in making long-term decisions around assets and infrastructure.
Climate change is one of many considerations agencies must take into account when making decisions. Agencies need to consider climate change alongside other factors such as community wellbeing and economic growth.
It is important to note that Tasmania has achieved strong economic outcomes while keeping emissions low. In 2014, Tasmania’s greenhouse gas emissions, excluding the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector, were 8.1 mega-tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is the same level as in 1990. Over this period, Tasmania’s Gross State Product has increased by 58 per cent. This shows a decoupling of the historical link between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions. This trend is more significant when the emissions sink provided by the LULUCF sector is included.
There are a number of ways to ensure climate change is considered in government decision making. The Tasmanian Climate Change Office will work with all government agencies to determine the best way to support climate change consideration in decision making, using the objects and proposed principles of the Act.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724504
|
__label__cc
| 0.59199
| 0.40801
|
Public safety alerting system to be deployed during Super Bowl
Enterprise safety platform Everbridge is being deployed by the city of Atlanta, in order to alert those in the vicinity to critical events occurring around Super Bowl LIII, which takes place there this weekend.
According to the company, the service will be available through the city's pre-existing 'emergency alert' system NotifyATL, and can be activated by sending a text to a specific number. Users will then receive updates from emergency management officials via their smart device, receiving information relating to traffic, weather, potential street closures and so on.
Speaking of the deployment, Everbridge chief security officer - and former head of the FBI’s intelligence division -, Tracy Reinhold said: "The Super Bowl is classified as a SEAR (special event assessment rating) 1 event by the Department of Homeland Security, which means there are heightened security protocols to protect against terrorism or other criminal activity. Atlanta has been planning for this event for the past two years, and what we’re seeing is extensive coordination at the local, state, and federal level."
Super Bowl LIII takes place this Sunday at the city's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with the New England Patriots facing off against the Los Angeles Rams. City of Atlanta officials expect 150,000 out-of-town visitors during the game, with more than one million people having attending a series of related events in the ten days leading up to it.
Author: Philip Mason
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724505
|
__label__wiki
| 0.947533
| 0.947533
|
JazzNet: News
You are in: Home > Jazz > News Archives send page to a friend
ESBJÖRN SVENSSON DIES AT 44
STOCKHOLM, 17 JUNE 2008-Swedish jazz musician Esbjörn Svensson, 44, died during a diving accident Saturday outside of Värmdö near Stockholm. He was with a group of divers at a Swedish jetty/landing stage under supervision of a dive-leader when he was found severely injured at the bottom. Resuscitation was unsuccessful. The police are now awaiting a forensic examination and will investigate the cause of Svensson's death. The announcement of the death came as a shock for the chairman of the Swedish Jazz Society: "He was a big name way outside of Sweden." Esbjörn Svensson leaves a wife and two children.
In 1995 and 1996 Esbjörn Svensson was selected the jazz musician of the year in Sweden and was one of the most influential jazz artists in recent history and with his trio e.s.t. considered the most successful European jazz group.
In Sweden, the Esbjörn Svensson Trio has had a top 20 album, appeared on MTV and has built its reputation by playing in venues not usually associated with jazz. The trio is captivating and thought provoking with Esbjörn Svensson's seductive piano melodies, bassist Dan Berglund's use of bow and sound effects (with Hendrix-like results) and drummer Magnus Öström's accelerating beats.
Esbjörn Svensson was born on 16 April 1964 in Västeras, Sweden. His mother played classical piano, his father loved Ellington, and Svensson listened to the latest pop hits on the radio. In high school, Esbjörn played in his first bands, along with taking piano lessons for three years. There followed four years of musical studies at the University in Stockholm.
From the mid-eighties on, Svensson and childhood friend Öström established themselves as inspiring sidemen in the Swedish and Danish jazz scenes. They formed their first trio in 1990, but it wasn't until 1993 that they got the necessary lift to get a CD off the ground. It was then that they met Dan Berglund. Both were fascinated by the structural strength and creative diversity of his playing and were able to entice Berglund into joining the trio.
In 1993 the Esbjörn Svensson Trio recorded and released their debut album, "When Everyone Has Gone" (Dragon): in 1995, the live recording "Mr. & Mrs. Handkerchief" (Prophone), which has been released in the rest of the World six years later under the title "e.s.t. Live '95".
In the same vein as the Brad Mehldau Trio and The Bad Plus, E.S.T has produced some of the most innovative, thoughtful and intensely rigorous music while at the same time attracting an audience outside the usual jazz one, from rock to the youngest hip-hop fans
The Esbjörn Svensson Trio just finished the work on their 12th and now final album "Leucocyte".
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724508
|
__label__cc
| 0.741364
| 0.258636
|
Главная Declaration of Florence
Declaration of Florence
For an International Front NATO exit
The risk of a vast war which, with the use of nuclear weapons, could mean the end of Humanity, is real and growing, even though it is not noticed by the general public, which is maintained in the ignorance of this imminent danger.
A strong engagement to find a way out of the war system is of vital importance. This raises the question of the affiliation of Italy and other European countries with NATO.
NATO is not an Alliance. It is an organization under the command of the Pentagon, and its objective is the military control of Western and Eastern Europe.
US bases in the member countries of NATO serve to occupy these countries, by maintaining a permanent military presence which enables Washington to influence and control their policies and prevent genuine democratic choices.
NATO is a war machine which operates for the interests of the United States, with the complicity of the major European power groups which made them guilty of crimes against Humanity.
NATO's war of aggression in 1999 against Yugoslavia paved the way for the globalization of military interventions, with wars against Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and other countries, in complete violation of the international law.
These wars are financed by the member countries, whose military budgets are increasing continually to the detriment of social expenditure, in order to support colossal military programmes like that of the US nuclear programme which costs US $ 1.2 trillion.
In violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the USA is deploying nuclear weapons in five non-nuclear NATO States, under the false pretext of the ''Russian menace''. By doing so, they are risking the security of Europe.
To exit the war system which is causing more and more damage and exposing us to increasing dangers, we must leave NATO, affirming our rights as sovereign and neutral States.
In this way, it becomes possible to contribute to the dismantling of NATO and all other military alliances, to the reconfiguration of the structures of the whole European region, to the formation of a multipolar world where the aspirations of the People for liberty and social justice may be realised.
We propose the creation of a NATO EXIT International Front in all the European member countries of NATO, by building an organizational network at a basic level strong enough to support the very difficult struggle we must face in order to attain this objective, which is vital for our future.
COMITATO NO GUERRA NO NATO/GLOBAL RESEARCH,
Firenze (Italia), 07:04:2019
>>中文文件<<
>>документ на русском<<
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724520
|
__label__cc
| 0.544293
| 0.455707
|
Geostrategy
China, Egypt sign 18 agreements for electricity, transport, industry projects
Egypt's trade ministry said on Monday that the country has signed a cooperation agreement with China to study and implement 18 projects with Chinese financial support.
The agreement was made during a joint meeting of the Chinese-Egypt Ministerial Committee, held in Beijing.
Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is set to participate in the G20 summit in China as a guest of honour at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. The 2016 summit will take place in September in the Chinese city of Hangzhou.
Chinese-Egyptian relations have developed positively over the past period after the Chinese President visited Cairo last January, in a trip that was the first of its kind in 12 years. He signed 20 economic agreements worth $15 billion of Chinese investments in the country.
The projects included in Monday's agreement span the electricity, transport, housing, industry and communications sectors.
The signatories on the Egyptian side were the Minister of Trade and Industry Tarek Kabil and Secretary of State investment Dalia Khorshid; while on the Chinese side, the Minister for the Development and Reform Commission Ning Gizh and the Vice Minister of Commerce Ken Kimnj signed the agreement.
Kabil said in a statement that the projects include industrial investments in the fields of textile industries, manufacturing of electronics, animal feed, flat glass, in addition to the creation of a phosphate complex.
Some of these projects are already under implementation while others are still being studied.
Last March, Tarek Amer, the governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, said in a televised interview that China will put $30 billion of direct investments into Egypt over the next two years.
Khorshid said that Egypt is looking forward to China being among the top ten countries to have investments in Egypt during the coming period, noting that it is currently the 23rd top investor, with a total $ 546 million in investments.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724528
|
__label__wiki
| 0.919405
| 0.919405
|
"Neil Patrick Harris Height"
Profession:Actor, Film Producer, Film Director, Voice actor, Magician, Presenter, Singer
Date of Birth: Jun 15, 1973
Nicknames:NPH, Neil Harris, Neal Patrick Harris, Neal Harris
Neil Patrick Harris Height
· In Actors, Celebrities, Featured
Neil Patrick Harris Net Worth is $16 Million. Neil Patrick Harris Salary is $200 Thousand Per Episode. Neil Patrick Harris was born in New Mexico and has an estimated net worth of $16 million dollars. An actor, musician, and magician, Neil Patrick H. Neil Patrick Harris (born Ju...
Neil Patrick Harris Net Worth is $16 Million. Neil Patrick Harris Salary is $200 Thousand Per Episode.
Neil Patrick Harris Net Worth is $16 Million. Neil Patrick Harris Salary is $200 Thousand Per Episode. Neil Patrick Harris was born in New Mexico and has an estimated net worth of $16 million dollars. An actor, musician, and magician, Neil Patrick H Neil Patrick Harris is an American actor, singer, director, and magician.
Highlights of his career include the title role in Doogie Howser, M.D., the womanizing Barney Stinson in How I Met Your Mother, a fictionalized version of himself in the Harold & Kumar series, and the title role in Joss Whedon's musical web series Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. He hosted the 63rd Tony Awards on June 7, 2009 and the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20, 2009. On March 7, 2010, he made a surprise appearance at the 82nd Academy Awards, delivering the opening musical number. On August 21, 2010, he won two Emmy Awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremony. On December 11, 2010, Harris hosted Spike's Video Game Awards, before hosting the 65th Tony Awards on June 12, 2011.
He was named as one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2010. In September 2011, Harris was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Harris was born in Albuquerque, New Mexic...
Read more about Neil Patrick Harris Height
Neil Patrick Harris Latest News
Neil Patrick Harris, Selena Gomez, Joe Jonas to Appear in WE Day Special
The youth advocacy group WE has released the new star-studded trailer for their fifth-annual WE Day Special, to air August 9th at 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC. “I am so inspired by the people who are ...
Jeremy Jordan to Play 1970s Record Exec Neil Bogart in Musical Biopic Spinning Gold
Tony winner Neil Patrick Harris will take on the featured role of KISS co-manager Bill Aucoin. Written and directed by Bogart's son, Timothy Scott Bogart, Spinning Gold will center on the ...
Posted: July 8, 2019, 12:13 am
Neil Patrick Harris calls politics 'low-hanging fruit' for award show hosts
Renaissance man of entertainment Neil Patrick Harris bestowed words of wisdom during an appearance on "The View" about hosting award shows like the Tony Awards and whether the hosts should avoid ...
Posted: June 12, 2019, 1:39 pm
Neil Patrick Harris 'Honored' to Celebrate at N.Y.C. Pride Parade with His Family: 'Just Love'
It was a day of love for Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka on Sunday. The spouses took their twins — 8½-year-old Gideon Scott and Harper Grace — to the 2019 NYC Pride March, where the family of ...
Posted: July 1, 2019, 5:17 pm
Neil Patrick Harris Attends World Pride Parade with His Family!
Neil Patrick Harris is all smiles alongside husband David Burtka and their kids while attending the World Pride Parade on Sunday (June 30) in New York City. The longtime couple brought their ...
How Much Is Neil Patrick Harris Income, How Much Is Neil Patrick Harris Net Worth, How Much Is Neil Patrick Harris Salary, How Much Neil Patrick Harris Worth, Neil Patrick Harris, Neil Patrick Harris Age, Neil Patrick Harris American Horror Story, Neil Patrick Harris And David Burtka, Neil Patrick Harris Background, Neil Patrick Harris Bio, Neil Patrick Harris Bonefish Grill, Neil Patrick Harris Book, Neil Patrick Harris Boyfriend, Neil Patrick Harris Broadway, Neil Patrick Harris Candlelight Processional 2012, Neil Patrick Harris Children, Neil Patrick Harris Country, Neil Patrick Harris Date Of Birth, Neil Patrick Harris Ethnicity, Neil Patrick Harris Family, Neil Patrick Harris Gay, Neil Patrick Harris Glee, Neil Patrick Harris Halloween, Neil Patrick Harris Harlem, Neil Patrick Harris Haunted House, Neil Patrick Harris Hedwig, Neil Patrick Harris Height, Neil Patrick Harris Heineken, Neil Patrick Harris History, Neil Patrick Harris Home Town, Neil Patrick Harris Host, Neil Patrick Harris Husband, Neil Patrick Harris Images, Neil Patrick Harris Imdb, Neil Patrick Harris Income, Neil Patrick Harris Instagram, Neil Patrick Harris Is Gay, Neil Patrick Harris Kids, Neil Patrick Harris Magic Castle, Neil Patrick Harris Margaritas, Neil Patrick Harris Married, Neil Patrick Harris Money, Neil Patrick Harris Movies And Tv Shows, Neil Patrick Harris Net Worth, Neil Patrick Harris New Show, Neil Patrick Harris News, Neil Patrick Harris Oscars, Neil Patrick Harris Oscars 2015, Neil Patrick Harris Partner, Neil Patrick Harris Place Of Birth, Neil Patrick Harris Predictions, Neil Patrick Harris Profession, Neil Patrick Harris Punk'd, Neil Patrick Harris Puppet Dreams, Neil Patrick Harris Quotes, Neil Patrick Harris Rolling Stone, Neil Patrick Harris Salary, Neil Patrick Harris Show, Neil Patrick Harris Story, Neil Patrick Harris Talent, Neil Patrick Harris Tony Awards, Neil Patrick Harris Tony Awards 2013, Neil Patrick Harris Twins, Neil Patrick Harris Twitter, Neil Patrick Harris Variety Show, Neil Patrick Harris Videos, Neil Patrick Harris Wedding, Neil Patrick Harris Weight, Who Is Neil Patrick Harris,
Kanye West Net Worth
Christy Walton Net Worth
Salman Khan Net Worth
Britney Spears Net Worth
Theresa Vail Net Worth
Robert Pattinson Net Worth
Beth Ostrosky Stern Net Worth
Lady Victoria Hervey Net Worth
Doutzen Kroes Net Worth
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724529
|
__label__wiki
| 0.839886
| 0.839886
|
That light which when incident on a material is neither reflected nor transmitted.
Achromatic
Described as having no color (or hue) for example a neutral white, grey or black color.
Additive Primary Color
The additive primary colors are Red, Green & Blue. When equal amounts of light of the three additive primary colors is combined, white light is generated. Combining two additive primaries in equal amounts creates a subtractive primary color. See also: Subtractive Primary Color.
Angstr?m
A unit of wavelength of light. One Angstr?m (?) is 0.1 nm (or 10-10 m).
Multiples of light-sensitive elements in cameras, detectors or scanning devices. ?Average (Luminous) Intensity ?Applies to LEDs. The near-field luminous intensity for a non point source. Defined in CIE document 127 as being the intensity (luminous flux per unit solid angle) measured by a photodetector with an input area of 100 mm2 positioned at either 316mm (condition A) or 100 mm (condition B) from the tip of the LED source, measured on the mechanical axis of the LED. Average luminous intensity has units of candela (cd).
See: Linewidth.
The (near) complete absorption of light as a result of no (low) reflectance. In colorimetry, describes a color of low saturation and low luminance.
Radiation that is full or complete, containing all wavelengths. The spectral power distribution of light emitted from a blackbody is a function of its temperature only and is described by Planck’s law. See also: Color Temperature.
Blackbody Radiator
A source that emits blackbody radiation.
That attribute of visual perception that describes the degree to which an object emits or reflects light. In colorimetry, brightness is used in the HSB color model – Hue, Saturation and Brightness. Describes the lightness of the color, on a scale ranging from black to white. Can be confused with saturation hence its use is discouraged. Can also be used instead of luminance – again its use is not recommended.
The SI base unit used in photometry. The candela is the unit of luminous intensity. The candela is one of the seven base units of the SI system. Since 1979, the candela has been defined as: “the luminous intensity, in a given direction, of a source that emits monochromatic radiation of frequency 540 x 1012 Hertz and has a radiant intensity in that direction of 1/683 Watts per steradian” (where the steradian is the unit of solid angle).
Candle Power
The luminous intensity of a light source having units of candelas.
Catadioptric Imaging System
A system that uses both reflection and refraction to achieve its focal power. While the relative powers of the lenses and mirrors vary from system to system, the use of the reflective surfaces to achieve most of the power, in combination with refractive surfaces of little or zero power, produces an image that has improved aberrational characteristics.
Color Balancing Filter Sets
Stands for Charge Coupled Device. A monolithic, two-dimensional semiconductor (silicon-based) detector array. When illuminated by optical radiation in the range between approximately 300 and 1100 nm, produces a photocurrent, the magnitude of which is proportional to the level of light received. Each detector in the array is called a pixel.
Stands for Compact Fluorescent Lamp. See also: Fluorescent Lamp.
CGFS
Color Glass Filter Set
The lightness of a color, denotes the degree of lightness or darkness. See also: Lightness.
Described as having color (or hue) – not white, grey or black.
In colorimetry, describes the intensity or level of saturation of a color (hue) defined as the distance in the particular color space of a color from the neutral grey color with the same value.
Chromaticity Coordinates (CIE)
A numeric descriptor of color. Defined as the ratio of the three tristimulus values XYZ in relation to the sum of the three, designated by xyz respectively. It is normal to assume that the chromaticity coordinates refer to the CIE 28 observer (1931). For reflected color, it is assumed to be calculated for standard illuminant C unless specified differently. See also: x, y, u’, v’.
Chromaticity Diagram (CIE)
The two-dimensional graph which plots the chromaticity coordinates. For the CIE 28 observer (1931) x is plotted as the abscissa, y as the ordinate. The color space plots the spectrum locus of monochromatic radiation in the spectral range 380-770 nm.
The International Commission on Illumination (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage). Formed in 1924, the primary international body responsible for the science of photometry and colorimetry. www.cie.co.at
CIE 1976 L*a*b* Color Space
A uniform color space adopted by CIE in 1976 that is used in the measurement of small (normally reflected or transmitted) color differences.
CIE 1976 L*u*v* Color Space
A uniform color space adopted by CIE in 1976 that is used when measuring the color as a result of additive mixing from emitters of light.
CIE Luminosity Function (Y)
See: Photopic Response.
CIE Standard Illuminant
Standard source spectral power distributions as defined by CIE for four types of light source. See Illuminant A, B, C & D.
CIE Standard Observer Function
The color space within which L*a*b* color coordinates are plotted using a Cartesian coordinate system. This color space plots equal color differences at approximately equal distances. The L* value denotes the lightness, a* represents the red/green axis, while b* represents the yellow/blue axis. CIELAB is that color space used in relation to the measurement of reflected or transmitted color.
CLFS
Calibrated Luminous Flux Standards - Set of 3
Acronym standing for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow & Black. See also: Subtractive Primary Color.
A colorimetric concept related to the apparent visual color of a source (not its temperature). For a blackbody, the color temperature is equal to the temperature in kelvin.
An instrument that measures the color of the light it receives. Applies to instruments that measure reflected (transmitted) light as well as to those that analyze the light emitted by a source. Applies to instruments that use RGB optical filters to mimic as close as possible the tristimulus color response of the human eye. See also: tristimulus.
The science of measuring the color of light (emitted, reflected or transmitted) from an object with a spectral response matching that of the human eye. See also: tristimulus.
Can be described as being one aspect of an object’s appearance. In colorimetry, color is a visual perception and is defined in respect of its hue, saturation and lightness.
Color Difference
Being the size of the difference between two colors in a defined color space.
Color Rendering Index (CRI)
A parameter which defines how well colors are rendered by different sources of illumination compared to a defined standard illuminant. There are fourteen special color rendering indices (Ri where i = 1-14) which define the color rendering of the light source when used to illuminate standard color tiles. The general color rendering index (Ra) is the average of the first eight special color rendering indices (which correspond to non-saturated colors). Reported on a scale of 0-100.
The three-dimensional solid enclosing all possible colors. The dimensions of the color space can be described in a number of different geometries, which leads to various spacings within the color space.
Color Specification
Being the tristimulus values, chromaticity coordinates and luminance value (or other color scale) that are used to uniquely describe a color numerically.
Color temperature defines the color of radiation emitted from a perfect blackbody radiator held at a particular temperature. Color temperature is reported in units of Kelvin (K). The plot of the chromaticity coordinates of a blackbody radiator with temperatures from 1,000 to 20,000 Kelvin is called the Planckian locus. Colors on this locus in the range from 2,500 to 20,000 K are considered to be white, with 2,500 K being reddish white and 20,000 K being bluish white (warm to cool white). See also: Correlated Color Temperature.
The visual receptor in the retina of the human eye responsible for daylight, color vision. There are three types of cones, each sensitive to red, green or blue wavelengths. See also: Retina; Rod.
The transparent front part of the human eye.
Correlated Color Temperature
Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) describes the color temperature of those light sources whose colors don’t fall exactly on the Planckian locus (i.e. for non blackbody emitters). The CCT of a non-Planckian source is the blackbody color temperature that the source resembles most closely. Correlated color temperature is reported in units of Kelvin (K). See also: Color Temperature
Cosine Response
Describing the Lambertian spatial response of a perfect reflecting or transmitting diffuser whereby the luminance from or through the surface varies with the cosine of the angle subtended between the direction of view and the normal to the surface. See also: Lambertian.
Color Rendering Index, a CIE index describing the changes in color of standard test objects when the illumination is changed from a standard to a test illuminant.?Optical Power: or Radiant Power, the time rate of flow radiant energy, expressed in watts. Often, just the term “power” is used.?CRT ?Acronym: stands for Cathode Ray Tube (i.e. a TV screen)?CSFS ?Calibrated Spectral Flux Standards. Set of 3.?CSRT ?Calibrated Spectralon Diffuse Reflectance Standard.?CSS ?Calibrated Color Set Standards.
Diode Array Spectrometer
Describing the scattering (non-specular reflection or transmission) from or through an object. An object is described as being a perfect diffuser if it exhibits Lambertian-like reflectance or transmittance, which is scattered light obeys Lambert’s Cosine Law.
Diffuse Illumination
Light emitted by one or more sources and characterized by a high degree of scatter.
Often referred to a cosine diffuser, an object that exhibits Lambertian like reflectance or transmittance. Transmission diffusers are used in photometry to impart a cosine response at the input to a detector to correct for the effective illuminance of off-axis rays, or to more uniformly illuminate a multi-element detector. Thin sheets of ground glass (quartz) PTFE as well as the input port of an integrating sphere all function as effective transmission diffusers.
Diode Array
A detector that comprises a linear array of segmented photodiode detectors (normally silicon). See also: Photodetector, Photodiode, Spectroradiometer.
Detector Multiplexer - Rack Mount or Bench top
Dominant Wavelength
Dominant wavelength is a useful measure of the effective wavelength of non-monochromatic light sources, in particular LEDs. It is defined in relation to a specified standard illuminant (usually Illuminant E, but this is arbitrary). It is a measure of the hue (or color sensation) produced by the light source. Not to be confused with peak wavelength. Dominant wavelength is normally applied to colored LEDs whereas correlated color temperature is applied to white LEDs.
Detector Spacer - Available in Flat Black, Spectraflect? coating or Infragold? finish
EHLS
External Halogen Light Source - Dichroic or Rhodium
Far Field
In photometry, that distance from a lamp (called the photometric distance) where the emitter is considered to be a point source, usually at a distance of between 5-10 times the source diameter (although this is not the case for LEDs). Intensity measurements are performed in the far field, in which the inverse squared law applies. See also: Near Field, Intensity, Average Intensity, Inverse Squared Law, Point Source, Photometric Distance.
FCPC
Fiber Optic Adaptor - Flat Black, Infragold?, Spectraflect? and Spectralon? available
The emission of light at a longer wavelength as a result of absorption of light at a shorter wavelength in a fluorescent material. Applies for that case whereby the emission occurs at the same time as the absorption. See also: Luminescence, Phosphorescence.
A lamp comprising of a glass tube filled with mercury gas and coated on its inner surface with a phosphor. When the gas is charged with an electrical current, ultraviolet radiation is produced. This in turn is absorbed in the phosphor, causing it to emit visible light of fluorescence. See also: CFL, Fluorescence.
Footcandle
The English unit of illuminance (fc). Equals one lumen per square foot. See also: Illuminance, Lux.
Footlambert
The English unit of luminance (fL). Equals one candela per square foot. See also: Luminance.
Fovea
That part of the eye’s retina that has the greatest density of cones. See also: Retina, Cone.
White Fluorescent Standard. Glossy, Uncalibrated. Individual or as a set of 8.
FWHM
A measure of the extent of a function. Given by the difference between the two extreme values of the independent variable at which the dependant variable is equal to half of its maximum value. The term duration is preferred over width when the independent variable is time. Commonly applied to the duration of pulse waveforms, the spectral extent of emission or absorption lines, and the angular or spatial extent of radiation patterns.
A goniometer is a mechanical positioning device that allows one to change the relative angle (_, _) at which a photometer (also a spectroradiometer or colorimeter) views a light source. This can be accomplished by either moving the detector around a stationary source or by tipping and tilting the source whilst the detector remains in a fixed position. See also: Goniophotometer.
Goniophotometer
An instrument that performs measurements of the luminous intensity of a light source as a function of viewing angle. Can also be used to measure the total luminous flux of a light source by measuring the directional luminous intensity and summing over 4p steradians. See also: Goniometer.
General Purpose Spheres - Available with 3 or 4 ports
Gray Scale High Reflectance Standard Set
Hemispherical Liquid Cooled Target
The perceived color of a light source.
Interior Access Integrating Sphere
IHLS
Internal Halogen Light Source
Illuminance is the luminous flux received per unit area. Illuminance is measured in lux (lx) where 1 lux equals 1 lumen per square meter.
Illuminant A
Illuminant A (CIE) represents the color temperature of an incandescent lamp (2856K). See also: Standard Illuminant, Color Temperature.
Illuminant B
Illuminant B (CIE) represents the color temperature of direct sunlight (4874K). See also: Standard Illuminant, Color Temperature.
Illuminant C
Illuminant C (CIE) represents the color temperature of an indirect sunlight (6774K). See also: Standard Illuminant, Color Temperature.
Illuminant D
Illuminant D (CIE) represents the color temperature of daylight. There are several standard illuminants in the D series including D50 representing bright incandescent light (5000K) and D65 that represents natural daylight (6504K). See also: Standard Illuminant, Color Temperature.
Illuminant E
Illuminant E (CIE) is the color temperature of an artificial, normalizing source (5500K). See also: Standard Illuminant, Color Temperature.
Illuminant F
Illuminant F (CIE) represents the correlated color temperature of light from a fluorescent lamp. There are several standard illuminants in the F series including F2 representing cool white light (4200K) F7 which represents broadband daylight (6500K) and F11 which represents a narrow band white lamp (4000K). See also: Standard Illuminant, Color Temperature.
Imaging Photometer (Colorimeter)
A photometric instrument capable of spatially-resolved luminance and color measurements. Employs a CCD detector.
Incandescence
Light that is emitted by thermal radiation at a temperature
A lamp that emits light when an electrical current passes through a metal wire in a vacuum.
Describing that part of the electromagnetic spectrum comprising optical radiation having wavelengths longer than 780nm but shorter than 1mm. Infrared radiation is absorbed in the eye’s cornea and so is not visible to the naked eye.
A hollow, spherical chamber with a diffuse, high reflectance interior coating used in photometry to measure the total luminous flux (power) of a light source.
Flux per unit solid angle
Inverse Square Law
Describes the relationship whereby the illuminance from a light source varies in inverse proportion to the square of the distance from the source. Applies to the case of a point source of light. See also: Illuminance, Point Source.
The variable limiting aperture found in the human eye.
IRLS
Internal Infrared Light Source
The radiometric analogue of illuminance, the radiant flux received per unit area. Irradiance is measured in Watts per square meter.
Infragold? Reflectance Standard
Infragold? Reflectance Target
A source should be called isotropic when we wish to imply that it radiates with equal intensity (flux per unit solid angle) in all directions. Not to be confused with Lambertian.
Unit of measurement of color temperature. The Kelvin scale starts at absolute zero (-273 Celsius). See also: Color Temperature.
Kohler Illuminator
Lambert’s Cosine Law
See: Lambertian.
Lambertian
A Lambertian surface is one that reflects with equal radiance or luminance in all directions. In other words, the reflected intensity from a Lambertian surface varies in proportion to the cosine of the angle subtended to the surface normal.
A light source typically characterized by a combination of narrow spectral linewidth, a collimated beam and a high radiant flux (power). From the acronym: Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
Acronym standing for Liquid Crystal Display.
Acronym standing for Light Emitting Diode. LEDs are solid state light sources which generate light by electroluminescence when an electrical current is passed through a semiconductor p-n junction.
Light is a term that we use to define that part of the electromagnetic radiation that humans can see (“visible light”). More accurately described as optical radiation, it forms part of the electromagnetic spectrum that encompasses radio waves, microwaves, x-rays and gamma rays. Optical radiation is that which obeys wave-like behavior, as opposed to particle-like. Not all optical radiation is visible to the naked eye and falls into that part of the spectrum between microwaves and x-rays, having wavelengths between 10-7 = l = 10-4 meters.
See: Chroma.
Linewidth
Denotes the spectral purity of a light source, the spectral width of a light source is normally defined as the full width half max (FWHM) bandwidth. See also: Bandwidth.
Lamp Measurement Sphere
Laser Power Measurement Sphere
Laser Power Measurement System
LTRP
Light Trap
The SI unit of luminance flux (l m).
A light source together with its housing or reflector.
Luminance is the luminous flux emitted per unit solid angle and per unit area. Luminance is measured in candelas per square meter (cdm-2) where 1 cdm-2 equals 1 lumen per steradian per square meter. The photometric analogue of radiance.
See: Fluorescence, Phosphorescence. Luminescence can be taken to describe the process of fluorescence or phosphorescence.
The efficiency of a light source, the quotient of luminous flux divided by the total radiant flux. Reported in units of lumens per Watt.
Luminous Exitance
Luminous exitance is the luminous flux emitted from a surface per unit area, measured in units of lumens per square meter (lm m-2). Geometrically equivalent to illuminance, luminous exitance is not however reported in lux.
The luminous flux (more correctly, total luminous flux) of a light source is the total photometric power emitted in all directions. Luminous flux is measured in lumens (l m) which is the photometric analogue of the Watt.
The luminous intensity in a given direction (often abbreviated to intensity, sometimes referred to as beam candela) is the photometric power from a point source emitted per unit solid angle. Intensity is measured in the SI base unit of the candela (cd, or mcd where 1 mcd = 10-3 cd) where 1 candela equals 1 lumen per steradian.
The SI unit of illuminance (lx).
Motor Controller for Variable Attenuators
Mean Spherical Candle Power
Mean Spherical Candle Power (M.S.C.P.) is the luminous flux of a source divided by 4p steradians.
Mesopic
Photopic (cone) vision operates when the eye sees luminance levels of = 3 candelas per square meter, whereas scotopic (night time) vision operates when the luminance falls below 0.01 candelas per square meter. For luminance levels between 0.01 and 3 cdm-2, both rods and cones contribute to the vision process. This in-between region is called mesopic, and research is ongoing into the development of a standard observer function.
A unit of wavelength of light, normally used to describe infrared light. One micrometer (or micron) (μm) is 10-6 meters.
Used to describe light that is composed of a single wavelength or color (hue) having 100% purity and a narrow linewidth.
A unit of wavelength of light, normally used to describe visible light. One nanometer (nm) is 10-9 meters.
NBFS
Narrow Band Filter Set
NDFS
Neutral Density Filter Set
Near-Field
In photometry, that region close to a lamp where the emitter is not considered to be a point source, usually at a distance of less than 5-10 times the source diameter (although this is not the case for LEDs). Intensity measurements are performed in the far field, in which the inverse squared law applies. See also: Far Field, Intensity, Average Intensity, Inverse Squared Law, Point Source.
A historically significant unit of luminance. Derived from the Latin "to illuminate". One nit equals 1 candela per square meter.
Optical Power
or Radiant Power, the time rate of flow radiant energy, expressed in watts. Often, just the term “power” is used.
Optical Radiation
Describing that part of the electromagnetic spectrum comprising rays that exhibit a wave-like property (as opposed to particle-like). Includes ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation.
Port Adaptor
Powder Sample Holder
Peak Wavelength
The wavelength at which the radiant intensity of the source is maximum.
PFCB
Port Frame Cone Baffle
Port Frame Reducer
Post Holder
Phosphorescence
The emission of light at a longer wavelength as a result of absorption of light at a shorted wavelength in a phosphorescent material. Applies for that case whereby the emission occurs after the absorption. See also: Fluorescence, Luminescence.
Photodetector
A generic name given to a device that detects optical radiation. See also: Photodiode, PMT, Diode Array, CCD.
A discrete semiconductor photodetector that produces a photocurrent the magnitude of which is proportional to the level of light received when illuminated by optical radiation. In photometers, the detector is based on silicon with a photopic filter; the combined detector plus filter is designed to provide a spectral responsivity scaled to match that of the photopic response, the CIE standard observer for photopic vision V(l).
An optical instrument that measures a defined geometric property of visible light with a spectral response matching that of the human eye (normally the daylight adjusted response). See also: photopic.
Photometric Distance
That distance from a light source that defines the far field. See also: Far Field.
The science of measuring optical radiation with a spectral response matching that of the human eye. See also: photopic.
A photomultiplier tube (PMT) is an optical detector that comprises a photocathode that is held in vacuum and emits electrons when exposed to light. This charge is accelerated by a high voltage field causing the electrons to hit a metal plate, whereupon more electrons are emitted (the multiplier effect). Not normally used in photometers, PMTs are commonly used as part of a spectroradiometer system.
Photopic (Response)
The daylight-adapted relative spectral response of the eye is called the spectral luminous efficiency function for photopic vision, V(l) (V-lambda). This is an empirical distribution, that was first adopted in 1924 by the International Commission on Illumination (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage, CIE). Applies to the spectral range between 380 and 780 nm having a peak of response at 555 nm.
The individual detector element in a two-dimensional CCD detector array.
Planckian Locus
The locus of points on the CIE chromaticity diagram that plots the chromaticity of blackbody radiators of differing color temperatures.
Planckian Radiator
A synonym for blackbody radiator.
A light source is considered to be a point source if it is observed at a position at or beyond the photometric distance, that is, the far field. See also: Intensity, Average Intensity, Far Field, Photometric Distance.
Polychromatic
Used to describe optical radiation that is comprised of multiple discrete wavelength or having a continuous spectrum.
Port Plug
Port Reducer
In colorimetry, primary (additive) colors are red, green and blue, and their subtractive opposites cyan, magenta and yellow. See also: Additive Primary Colors, Subtractive Primary Colors.
Photopic Sphere Detector
Purity is a measure of the degree of saturation of a light source, reported as a percentage. It is defined with respect to a specified standard illuminant (usually illuminant E, but this arbitrary). As most (colored) LEDs have a narrow spectral emission (that is, near-monochromatic) they have a purity of close to 100% (in other words, the color cannot be distinguished from a true monochromatic light source). See also: Saturation.
Radiance is the radiant flux emitted per unit solid angle and per unit area. Radiance is measured in Watts per steradian per square meter (Wsr-1m-2). The radiometric analogue of luminance.
Radiant Exitance
Radiant exitance is the radiant flux emitted from a surface per unit area, measured in units of Watts per square meter (W m-2). Geometrically equivalent to irradiance.
Radiant Flux
The radiant flux (more correctly, total radiant flux) of a light source is the total power emitted in all directions. Radiant flux is measured in Watts (W) which is the radiometric analogue of the lumen.
Radiant Intensity
The radiant intensity in a given direction (often abbreviated to intensity) is the radiant flux from a point source emitted per unit solid angle. Intensity is measured in units of Watts per steradian (Wsr-1). The radiometric analogue of luminous intensity.
An optical instrument that measures the absolute amount of a defined geometric property of light.
The science of measuring the absolute amount of optical radiation.
The percentage of light that reflects from an object. A spectrophotometer determines the reflectance as a function of wavelength. The reflectance from an object is of two types: specular and diffuse.
Reflectance Factor
Ratio of the directionally reflected flux to that reflected in the same direction by a perfect reflecting diffuser identically irradiated or illuminated.
The ratio of the intensity of the total radiation reflected from a surface to the total incident on that surface.
The bending of oblique incident rays as they pass from a medium having one refractive index into a medium with a different refractive index.
The light-sensitive area on the rear of the human eye containing photo-receptors. The area containing the highest concentration of photo-receptors is called the fovea. See also: Rod, Cone, Fovea.
Meaning Red, Green & Blue which are the additive primary colors. Used in relation to the human eye’s tristimulus color response. See also: Additive Primary Color.
The visual receptor in the retina of the human eye responsible for night-time, monochromatic vision. See also: Retina, Cone.
Diffuse Reflectance Standard Set - Calibrated.
Reflectance Transmittance Sphere
The attribute of color perception that describes the degree of departure of the color from the neutral grey of the same lightness. See also: Purity.
System Control
Scotopic
The dark-adapted relative spectral response of the eye is called the spectral luminous efficiency function for scotopic vision, V’(l). The scotopic response was first adopted by CIE in 1951 and applies to the spectral region between 380 and 780 nm, with a peak at 507 nm.
Silicon Detector Assembly
Spectralon Diffusion Material
Sample Holder.
Systeme Internationale d’Unites, the international metric system of measurement units.
Silicon Photodiode
See Photodiode.
Spectral Light Measurement System - used to measure the total spectral flux of light sources
SM-P
Sphere Monitor Photometer
SM-U
Sphere Monitor Radiometer
Solid Angle
See: Steradian.
Spectral Power Distribution (SPD)
The relative power distribution of a light source as a function of wavelength. Determines the color rendering properties of a light source.
Spectral Radiance
Radiance per unit wavelength interval at a given wavelength, expressed in watts per steradian per unit area per wavelength.
An instrument that separates polychromatic light into its constituent wavelengths. Employs a dispersive optical element, usually a diffraction grating. Employed in spectroradiometers and spectrophotometers.
A measuring instrument that measures the magnitude of light reflected from or transmitted through a material as a function of wavelength.
Spectroradiometer
An instrument for measuring the spectral radiant power from a light source as a function of wavelength. Combines a spectrometer with a photo detector. Can be used to accurately calculate the photometric and colorimetric properties of a light source.
The spectral arrangement of electromagnetic energy in order of wavelength. See also: Spectral Power Distribution (SPD).
Spectrum Locus
The plot of the chromaticity coordinates of monochromatic light in the CIE color space diagram. See also: Chromaticity Diagram (CIE).
Describing the mirror-like reflection or transmission from or through an object.
Spectralon? Diffuse Reflectance Material - Optical and Laser Grade
Spectralon? Diffuse Reflectance Standard
Spectralon? Diffuse Reflectance Target
Standard Illuminant
See: CIE Standard Illuminant.
Standard Observer
See: CIE Standard Observer Function, Photopic Response.
The steradian is the (dimensionless) unit of solid angle. A sphere contains 4p steradians (and by definition, a hemisphere comprises 2p steradians). A steradian is that solid angle subtended from the center of a sphere by a spherical surface area having an area equal to the square of the radius. In other words, the steradian solid angle of a beam of light is equal to the projected area divided by the square of the distance.
Subtractive Primary Color
The subtractive primary colors are Cyan, Magenta & Yellow. When applied to white paper in equal amounts, these combine to produce black. Combining two subtractive primaries in equal amounts creates an additive primary color. See also: CMYK, Additive Primary Color.
A broadband detector (thermal rather than optical) that is commonly used in the radiometry of lasers. Comprises an array of thermocouple junctions.
Total Spectral Flux
Total spectral flux is the geometrically total radiant flux of a given bandwidth at a given wavelength, W/nm. This quantity is used to evaluate the total power of light sources at given wavelengths, especially in UV and IR, or to determine the color of light sources. The total spectral radiant flux is commonly measured using an integrating sphere equipped with a spectroradiometer. The integrating sphere, in this case, must be calibrated against a spectral flux standard lamp,
Temperature Probe and Monitor
Transmittance
The percentage of light that transmits through an object. A spectrophotometer determines the transmittance as a function of wavelength. The transmittance from an object is of two types: specular and diffuse.
Tristimulus
Describing the RGB 28 color matching functions, which CIE transformed into the XYZ color matching functions. The XYZ functions define the CIE 1931 standard colorimetric observer. The Y channel (green) was chosen to match that of the photometric response, so that color measurement instruments could double as photometers. For observer fields of view of greater than 28, CIE published its 1964 supplementary standard colorimetric observer.
UCSS
Uncalibrated Color Standards Set
UFSS
Uncalibrated Fluorescent Standards Set
Ultraviolet (UV)
Describing that part of the electromagnetic spectrum comprising optical radiation having wavelengths between 100 and 400 nm. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is absorbed in the lens or cornea and is not visible to the naked human eye.
Uniform Radiant Source
Uncalibrated Diffuse Reflectance Standards Set
Uniform Source
Uncalibrated Uniform Source
Uncalibrated Spectralon? Color Standard
That part of the Ultraviolet spectral range with wavelengths between 315 and 400 nm.
V(_) Function
See: Photopic.
Visible (Light)
Describing that part of the electromagnetic spectrum comprising optical radiation having wavelengths between 380 and 780 nm that can be detected by the retina in the human eye. Wavelengths in this range combine to create the sensation of color.
The SI unit of power and radiant flux (W).
The periodic peak-to-peak distance in an electromagnetic wave. For ultraviolet and visible light, defined in nanometers (nm); for infrared light, defined in micrometers (μm).
Light that appears to be white. Can contain a continuous spectrum of light (as from the sun) or comprise as few as two colors. White light comprising two colors exhibits poor color rendering. Light on the Planckian locus (blackbody curve) on the CIE chromaticity diagram with color temperatures between 2500 and 20000K is considered to be “white”. See also: CIE Standard Illuminant. 打印当前页
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724530
|
__label__wiki
| 0.537067
| 0.537067
|
Forcefield Works
Bibliography & Links
EAI Public Programs
Related EAI Public Programs
SOUND STAGE @ EAI
CHELSEA SOUND
A Not-For-Profit Festival of Artists in Sound
Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) 535 West 22nd Street, 5th floor
Saturday, October 27, 2012, 2 pm - 6pm
Sound Stage was a special Saturday afternoon screening program featuring artists' videos that are driven by music performance. Sound Stage was presented as part of Chelsea Sound: A Not-For-Profit Festival of Artists in Sound, organized jointly by Printed Matter Inc., Eyebeam Art + Technology Center, Electronic Arts Intermix and Family Business. Taking place in Chelsea's Gallery District on Saturday, October 27th, the collaboratively produced festival included a series of performances, sound installations, and video screenings throughout the day across four venues.
Featuring works from the last four decades by a diverse group of artists, Sound Stage presented a program of videos that foreground musical performance. The screening embraced artists' documentation of music performances, artists' performances that incorporate live music, and works created for the camera and screen in which musicians take center stage.
EAI Summer Screening
EAI 535 West 22nd Street, 5th Floor
Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 6:30 pm
EAI celebrated the art of short-form video and film with a summer screening of works that clock in at two minutes or less. Between Yoko Ono's fifteen second Eye Blink (1966) and Leslie Thornton's two minute Let Me Count the Ways: Minus 6 (2006), the forty-five works in this forty-five minute screening demonstrated why a concise statement is so powerful. Ranging from analog video abstraction to quick visual comedy, conceptual exercises to formal experiments with duration, commissioned public service announcements to critiques of the quintessential short-form structure, the TV commercial, the works in this screening demonstrated the enormous possibilities that artists have found in less than one hundred and twenty seconds.
The screening included works by Dan Asher, Beth B, Phyllis Baldino, Michael Bell-Smith, Dara Birnbaum, Cheryl Donegan, VALIE EXPORT, Forcefield, Matthew Geller, Gran Fury, Gary Hill, Ken Jacobs, Tom Kalin, Kalup Linzy, George Maciunas, Charlotte Moorman, Shana Moulton, Yoko Ono, Dennis Oppenheim, Nam June Paik, Martha Rosler, Paul Sharits, Stuart Sherman, Shelly Silver, Michael Smith, Leslie Thornton, Steina and Woody Vasulka, Lawrence Weiner and Bruce and Norman Yonemoto.
45 YEARS OF PERFORMANCE VIDEO FROM EAI
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center 22-25 Jackson Ave at the intersection of 46th Ave
November 1, 2009 - April 26, 2010
Thursday - Monday, noon - 6 pm
EAI presented 45 Years of Performance Video from EAI, a survey of four decades of artists' engagement with video and performance. This project is presented in conjunction with 100 Years, an exhibition on the history of performance art organized by P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center and Performa 09.
HIGH RESOLUTION: Artist's Projects at the Armory
ELECTRONIC ARTS INTERMIX VIDEO PROGRAMS
Curated by Students of The Center for Curatorial Studies
Park Avenue Armory Park Avenue at 67th Street, New York City
February 21 - 25, 2008
Electronic Arts Intermix (EAI) and The Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College (CCS Bard) presented a series of video programs at The Park Avenue Armory during the 20th annual Art Show, organized by the Art Dealers Association of America (ADAA). EAI invited the first year graduate students in the CCS program to curate video programs out of the EAI collection. Four separate programs were produced by the students, which were exhibited on monitors in the Armory's main Hallway between February 21-25, 2008.
VIDEOPHONIC
The Open Air Cinema at Art Positions
Art Basel Miami Beach Collins Park at the Beach, Miami Beach, Florida
Saturday, December 9, 2006, 9:00 pm
Contemporary music drives the visuals of these recent and historical videos. Pop, heavy metal, experimental, house, hip-hop, and ambient sounds mix in this series of performance, found-footage, abstract, and animated videos. Videophonic includes works by Steina Vasulka, Gusztav Hámos, Cory Arcangel, Forcefield, Takeshi Murata, and Paper Rad.
EAI PRESENTS AT MONKEYTOWN
SEPTEMBER 2005: FORCEFIELD
Monkeytown 58 North 3rd Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Thursday, September 8, 15, & 22, 2005, 7:30 & 10 pm
This was the first in an ongoing series of monthly programs at Monkeytown in Williamsburg, programmed by EAI. For September 2005, a selection of video works by the legendary artist collective, Forcefield, were shown.
SEEN: PAPER RAD SELECTS
WORKS FROM THE EAI COLLECTION
FACT Film, Art & Creative Technology 88 Wood Street, Liverpool, United Kingdom
September 18 & 19, 2004, 8 pm
For the Liverpool Biennial, members of artist collective Paper Rad presented a special program of video works that they selected from EAI's major collection of media art. The program included an animated introduction and conclusion created by Paper Rad specifically for this screening. Paper Rad synthesizes popular material from television, video games, and advertising, reprogramming these references with an exuberantly neo-primitivist digital aesthetic. In this program Paper Rad presented works by Forcefield, Radical Software Group (RSG), Mike Smith, Steina and Woody Vasulka, and William Wegman.
EAI PRESENTS NEW TECH LO-FI AND A SYNAESTHETIC VIDEO REVIVAL
Ocularis 70 North 6th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Sunday, October 5, 2003 7 pm
EAI presented a live performance event and video screening featuring three new art collectives who re-activate the lo-fi. Cory Arcangel and Alex Galloway from Beige and Radical Software Group demonstrated the subversive genre of video game hacking. Video work by Forcefield and a live music performance from Termination Gnome galvanized obsolete analogue signal-processors and defunct electronics. With psychedelic ebullience, Paper Rad synthesized and re-staged popular material from the Internet, television, video games, and advertising. An analogous era of analogue synthesis was bridged by rarely screened video from technical pioneers of the 1960s and 70s.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724533
|
__label__wiki
| 0.820067
| 0.820067
|
Who was Marie Harris?
A small sidewalk marker in Fort Smith leads a team to research the story of a beloved little girl.
Article Images
View Slideshow >
We associate the phrase “gone but not forgotten” with gravestones. Occasionally, people, places and events become both gone and forgotten, at least until the more curious among us notice their memorials hiding right under our feet.
This was the case when photographer Glenn Gilley’s daily walk led him to notice a monument at perhaps one of the most unlikely spots in Fort Smith.
At the narrow, pie-shaped traffic island where North 19th and A Streets and Rogers Avenue converge, Glenn looked down and saw the words “Marie Harris Park” inscribed in the sidewalk. He mentioned it to historical researcher and writer Joe Wasson.
Who was Marie and why did someone long ago create perhaps the smallest park in Arkansas in her honor, there on an itsy-bitsy wedge of land at a busy intersection? Glenn’s question inspired me to try to find out.
The good news is the mystery of Marie Harris Park has been solved. Several people contributed their knowledge to give a human story to this little marker – historical researcher Rena Westbrook and Harris family relatives Thomas Pryor III and Arthur Widder II.
Almost 122 years ago, Marie Harris was born into a family of “doers” in the tiny town of Leflore, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, 25 miles southwest of Poteau. It was 12 years before Oklahoma statehood.
Marie’s grandfather Matthew Handy Harris Jr. and her father, Robert Perry Harris, had moved there from Hartford, Ark., to establish a country store and a sawmill as white people began to flood across the Arkansas River into the territory west of Fort Smith.
The Harris family took in a boarder, Miss Lula Ward of Fort Smith, who had been hired to teach at a local Indian school. It didn’t take Cupid long to launch his arrow and on May 17, 1892, Lula Ward married Robert Perry Harris.
Their first two children were born in LeFlore County: Lucile in 1893 and Marie in 1895. By 1898, the R.P. Harris family was living in a rented house at 108 North 16th Street, Fort Smith.
Harris had opened a thriving lumber business. The family grew with the births of Bess in 1898; Robert Perry Jr. in 1900; Dorothy in 1903 and William K. in 1906. R.P. and Lula quickly became so well-known in business and society that it was mentioned in the newspaper when R.P. had a case of measles in February 1899.
Around 1900, the Harris family settled into a new home at 101 North 19th Street. It resembled the new brick home their former neighbor T.J. Smith had built at 120 North 16th Street. As a lumber man, R.P. built his new house of wood. Life was good and the family prospered. R.P. joined his former neighbor, Smith, on the board of the American National Bank. It was the original occupant of the Garrison Avenue building where R. Landry’s New Orleans Cafe is today.
Lula’s brothers Joseph Napoleon and Frank Ward Jr. were overseeing a successful livestock operation. The Wards would subsequently buy Border City Ice & Coal Co., which would soon make Joe the king of the ice business. Ward Ice Co. spread across Arkansas and Oklahoma. Ward Ice Industries, as it was renamed, employed six other members of the Ward family.
In 1920, the family launched Ward’s Ice Cream Co., which would last into the 1980s with the advertising slogan “It’s A Food Not A Fad.” Joe N. Ward’s 1889 home is still standing at 323 North 19th. His family later built a new mansion around 1912. That beautiful red brick house is at 904 Adelaide.
All was well for both families until February 1905, when 9-year-old Marie Harris was injured when she fell from the top of a neighbor’s picket fence.
As Marie struggled along, using a crutch, her condition worsened. At 5 a.m. Feb. 24, she died of meningitis, at home.
Her funeral was conducted by the Rev. F.F. Gibson at the Harris home, according to her obituary in the Fort Smith Times. Marie was buried at Oak Cemetery.
A look at that era’s newspapers shows the grieving Harris family trying to resume normal life after Marie’s death. In 1907, the newspaper reported a traffic accident between an automobile and a buggy on North Greenwood Road. Local automobile pioneer Gus Boehmer was teaching R.P. Harris the fine art of driving a motorcar. The clatter of the car caused the horse pulling a buggy to bolt. The buggy driver, a Mrs. Buggs, was holding a baby in her arms. The buggy turned over. Fortunately, no one was killed.
Despite this accident, R.P. and his brother in-law Joe Ward invested $28,000 ($600,000 today) to form the Ward-Harris Automobile Co. in 1908. They built a large new showroom and full-service garage at the corner of North 10th and B Streets, part of today’s Brunwick Place complex.
They were authorized dealers of Cleveland White Steam cars and gasoline-powered Thomas Flyers and Oldsmobiles. They kept their garage open 24-7 to service the “crippled machines” of their customers. A few years later, Harris’ driving instructor, Boehmer, would move his Ford and Buick dealership into the building that is the new location of Rolando’s Restaurante, 917 North A Street.
Tragedy came to the Harris and Ward families again. Lula Ward Harris, Marie’s mother, died March 17, 1917, at the age of 46, due to “acute distillation of the stomach.”
North A Street where Marie Harris Park was inscribed in the sidewalk would have been visible from the windows and wrap-around front porch of the Harris home.
By 1920, the Harrises sold that home. The children were grown and married. R.P., now 54, and his 19-year-old son, R.P. Jr., were living in Eagle Township, Polk County, operating their lumber company.
R.P., who never remarried, died in 1938, at 73, in Caddo Parish near Shreveport, La., while operating an oil and gas business.
During World War II, the Harris house was divided into four apartments. It was torn down in 1960 for the new office of Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. Today, that building is the headquarters of TEC Staffing Services.
All but one of the surviving Harris children moved away. Lucile, the oldest, lived to age 98. She was the wife of Dr. William Rogers Klingensmith and lived in Texas. Bess married John Arthur Widder and lived in New York. She moved back in the 1950s after her husband died. John Arthur Widder II, her son, is living and shared family stories, photos and letters concerning Marie with his cousin Tom Pryor III.
R.P. Jr. left in the 1920s. He married Edith Berquist in Connecticut and lived many years in Massachusetts.
Dorothy Harris married Thomas Brady Pryor Jr., in 1929 and lived here. She died of pneumonia at the age of 39 in 1942, leaving three young children. She is the mother of Tom Pryor III, who contributed to this story. He recently gave the Pryor family history in a “Clayton Conversation” talk. He did not know of the Marie Harris Park inscription until the time of this article.
William K. “Bill” Harris became a lawyer. He married Dawn Atkins and practiced in Fort Smith before joining his sister Lucile in Amarillo, Texas, for the remainder of his life.
Marie Harris Park wasn’t gone, but until recently it was forgotten. A photographer’s curiosity brought to light a great deal of information from Rena Westbrook, who had noticed the park a few years ago, prompting her research. With the help of Marie’s nephew, (Dorothy’s son) Tom Pryor III, the mystery of Marie Harris Park is solved.
The author of this article, Joe Wasson, added a personal thought after spending many hours talking with the others involved and thinking of Marie Harris:
“Those who knew Marie have been gone for decades. But love for her is reflected in that small memorial even though she lived more than 100 years ago. It is heartbreaking and yet, heart-warming. Perhaps the marker and tiny ‘park’, that someone who loved her put there, has the power to lend some comfort to anyone who has experienced such a loss. Marie Harris is remembered.”
This article appears in the August 2017 issue of Entertainment Fort Smith Magazine.
June 2019 - Weddings
Explore This Issue >
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724535
|
__label__wiki
| 0.758257
| 0.758257
|
Mimiko explains why he joined presidential race
Former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, on Thursday, explained why he joined the presidential race on the platform of the Labour Party in the 2019 general elections.
His declaration speech was entitled “Because We Care”.
According to him, “There comes a moment in the life of a nation when every patriot must stand up to be counted! At such a moment, no person worthy of a place in history can afford to remain ensconced in their comfort zone.
“When the totality of our being and the very essence of our humanity are in violation, patriots must advance to recapture the present; and commit to re-defining the future. For our country, Nigeria, the moment is now!”, Mimiko told a gathering of party leaders and stakeholders at the LP National Secretariat, in Abuja.
“It is time to all march out and recall our past, take charge of the present, and launch out into greatness, as one inclusive, cohesive family. It is within the foregoing context that I situate myself.
“It is the reason why I find it so compelling to humbly declare today, my decision to seek election into the office of president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2019.”
The Medical-Doctor-turned politician said: “I am running because like many Nigerians, I am sick and tired of seeing our country become the butt of jokes everywhere you travel to around the world. I am running because I know we can do better; and we will do better.
“I know this because anywhere Nigerians find themselves, no matter the situation, we always rise above adversity. We don’t just survive, we thrive. It is high time we replicated over our country, that indomitable spirit of Nigerians, that spirit of accomplishment, which has made stars of individual Nigerians all over the world.
“The only way to do this is by electing capable hands. It is by electing a great president, that can drive this national vehicle to greatness.”
On restructuring of Nigeria, Mimiko said “I once again, hereby commit wholeheartedly to leading the process of restructuring Nigeria.
“I say this not as a cliché. Rather, this is a commitment that derives from a deep conviction that there is really not much we, as a people, can do even in the best of times, to place our country on the global cutting edge of development, for as long as it remains shackled and ensnared by a centralized governance structure that is the 1999 Constitution.
“It is indeed only in the context of a restructured system that the hope for a strong, stable and functional Nigeria lies.
“As governor of Ondo State for eight years, I saw first hand what limitations the federating units are confronted with, in the unitary system of government that we operate, which we wrongfully refer to as federalism. From security administration, through taxation, to investment in infrastructure, many of the things taken for granted in several federal climes, the basis of their vitality, are denied under our 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“This makes it practically impossible for state governments to be anything other than pitiable adjuncts of an overbearing central government. It is from the anvil of such practical experience that my commitment to Restructuring was further sharpened. It is noteworthy that the redeeming cry now is, restructure and safe the nation!”
On insecurity and wanton killings across the nation, Mimiko said “there is also no denying the fact the centrifugal forces that seek to tear our nation apart have been greatly strengthened in the past few years.
“One cannot but mention in this regard, ongoing killings all over the country, but especially in the Middle Belt. The attendant devaluation of life is constantly expressed in unmistakable cheapening of human life in our cities, towns, and villages.
“Nigerians have now almost completely lost their sense of outrage over the taking of human lives, as we can see in the heightened but evil commitment to ritual killings, kidnapping-related killings, unprecedented violent robberies, and sundry activities of emergent street gangs.
“We must also fully interrogate the nature of the ongoing massacres in the Middle Belt and elsewhere across the country. It is particularly worrisome that a systematic demographical reconfiguration is underway in our country. The class content of the massacres must also not be lost on us.”
In his reaction to the declaration, National Chairman, Labour Party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdusalam (Paladin Paiko) said Nigeria can restore its glory and reclaim its greatness if Mimiko is given the opportunity to lead Nigeria.
Mimiko’s declaration had in attendance leaders of several political parties, including, Chief Peter Ojonugba Ameh, Chairman of Inter-Party Advisory Council and Chairman Progressive Peoples Alliance, PPA, Chairman of National Conscience Party, Tanko Yunusa, the Chairman of Alliance of Social Democrats, Dr. Emeka Okengwu.
APC has declared war on us – Adeleke cries out
Buhari’s emergence as sole presidential candidate will crush APC – PDP
Prof Wole Soyinka says Nigeria is currenlty raising a generation of illiterates.
Making particular reference to Internet trolls, the Nobel laureate said the nation is raising a generation that is the first to comment on the internet on issues they are deeply ignorant about.
He made this remark when he spoke at the launch of InnoCreativa Youth Hub 2030 and project logo by Creative Youth Community Development Initiative (CYCDI) held at The Civic Centre, Lagos.
“They are waiting for Wole Soyinka to lead a march to Aso Rock. It is about time to get off your feet and stop writing rubbish on the internet about things you do not understand. I do not know how to describe the new generation beyond a generation of internet trolls.
“Nigerian youths are full of spunk outside, but when they are inside Nigeria, they are full of gas. We are building a generation of illiterates. They are the first to comment on the internet on issues they are ignorant about. When you talk about education, I get texts from the new generation and can’t believe these texts are from the youth.
“When I decided to build my house in the forest, I bought a second-hand diesel generator and asked someone to dig a borehole. I wanted to be self-sufficient. What I want to pass on to you is that I thought of the possibility of being self-reliant. This entails that I can come to cooperatives with others and demand things from the government by any means necessary.” Soyinka said
N22b Paris cash: EFCC seizes passports of 34 ex-Kwara officials
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has seized the passports of 34 top officials who served under former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed over a N22 billion London-Paris Club refund.
Ten of them have been watch-listed to prevent them from fleeing the country, it was learnt yesterday.
The N22billion covers the N21billion drawn from the refund and the N1billion allegedly intercepted by the EFCC during the February/March elections.
There are four cases on alleged mismanagement of billions of naira by some ex-office holders in the state.
A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “There are monumental cases of fraud already uncovered in Kwara State during the tenure of the ex-governor. We may need to call for reinforcement to be able to conduct the different dimensions of the ongoing probe.
“So far, we have seized the international passports of 34 former commissioners and top government functionaries during the administration of ex-Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.
“Out of the 34, about 10 former officers have been watch-listed to prevent them from escaping abroad. And if they travel out, we can effect their arrest in any jurisdiction.
“The list of the short-listed suspects has been sent to the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to prevent them from acquiring new passports.”
In a statement yesterday, EFCC’s Head of Media & Publicity Tony Orilade said the agency’s Ilorin Zonal Office “has submitted the particulars of individuals on its watch-list and under investigations in the state to the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, Kwara State Command.
It said the Acting EFCC Chairman Ibrahim Magu made this known through the Ilorin Zonal Head of the Commission Isyaku Sharu during a visit by the Comptroller of Immigration Service, Kwara State Command Edith Onyemenam.
The statement quoted Magu as saying those whose passports were seized had been trying to procure police reports to deceive the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) to issue them new passports.
Magu said: “The need to familiarise the NIS with the particulars of such personalities under EFCC’s investigation became necessary following intelligence at the disposal of the commission that some highly-placed individuals undergoing corruption probe and on the commission’s watch-list in the state have procured forged police reports with which they plan to apply for new international passports to escape from the country.
“Information at the disposal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in Ilorin reveals that these highly placed individuals are planning to use forged police reports to re-apply for new international passports to flee the country in other to escape prosecution and justice. The commission urges you to use your good office to place these individuals under strict surveillance.”
The EFCC boss described the visit as “a welcome development,” nothing: “As stipulated in the EFCC Establishment Act, the Nigerian Immigration Service is a member of the Commission. We can’t do anything without you. If we don’t collaborate with your office, we can’t get it right.”
Onyemenam hailed the EFCC for the cordial relations between the agency and NIS.
She said: “I am delighted to be here . We have cordial relations already. I am here to see that the relationship is well cemented. I want to see your support. My office will also give you support as well. If there is anything you want from my office, I will equally do that.”
Onyemenam said there was no cause for alarm over those on the watch-list, pledging that they would not get new international passports.
Open Letter To Former President; Chief Olusegun Obasanjo
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo,
Obasanjo presidential Library,
Abeokuta,
Ogun State.
I’m Kurtis Adigba, a lawyer, political consultant, and a citizen of Nigeria. I’m an idoma from Benue State. My father; Samuel Ochola Adigba, was a classroom teacher, and retired as a Headmaster. My father, was some years ago, the Benue State Secretary of the National Party of Nigeria( NPN). That was the highest he attained. My mother, was a school teacher who later joined the civil service, and retired as a Head of Department of Adult Education Department of Apa Local Government Area, of Benue State. She died in 2015.
I chose to introduce myself to you upfront so you know I have no pedigree to match yours, and because I know your supporters and attack dogs will come after me, and raise questions about my pedigree. They will ask: “who is his father….who is he to dare write a letter to a former Head of State and President..”. Now you know. And hopefully, they know too!
The only pedigree that I stand on to write you today sir, is my citizenship of Nigeria, a privilege and right I share and enjoy with you. The Constitution of Nigeria, confers on us ( you and me and others)the right to free speech. You have constantly and frequently exercised that right in writing letters to our fellow citizens who happened by good fortune to be former and present leaders of the country. Only yesterday, you penned and published a letter to President Buhari on the state of our nation. I’m writing you this letter in the exercise of the same right- free speech.
In your open letter to President Buhari, the last in the series, you raised so many critical issues: Boko Haram, Insecurity, Poor Management of our diversity, Unity or Disunity, Economy, Poverty, and of course, the violent death of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, the daughter of Pa Fasoronti, an elder statesman and leader of Afenifere, in the hands of some yet to be determined people. Some people have jumped to conclusions and prejudged the investigation into the despicable act, I have chosen to wait until investigators complete their work and inform Nigerians about their findings.
Sir, apart from the death of Mrs Funke Olakunrin, which is the trigger for the letter, there is nothing new in your new letter. Even her death, is not new in the sense that many Nigerians have been dying on that road and others, unmentioned. The only reason her death attracted your attention and that of others, is because she was the daughter of a powerful figure. After her unfortunate death sir, some Nigerians have died in similar circumstances unmentioned and unannounced, because they are ordinary citizens. As I write sir, many are suffering from the same fate.
Let me talk about the specific issues in your letter:
Boko Haram. The seed that germinated into Boko Haram, was planted under your Administration. It grew and became a big tree under your handpicked successors due to outright denial, mischaracterization, poor management,and corruption. It was under your government that full Sharia regime was introduced in Zamfara state. You chose to ignore it because you said it will fizzle out because of internal contradictions. It did at some point; but before then, it spread to other states with deadly consequences. One of the groups that emerged from the Sharia revolution that started in Zamfara, metamorphosed into the deadly terror group known today as Boko Haram. It is true that under your administration, Boko Haram, was an unknown group nationally, but it was under the administration of your handpicked successors, Yar’Adua and Jonathan, that Boko Haram exploded into the deadly terror group that it is today.
President Yar’Adua tried to deal with Boko Haram, but his poor health stood on his way. He died and was succeeded by president Goodluck Jonathan. It was under Jonathan that Boko Haram became the most deadly terror group in the world. They abducted over 200 girls from Chibok, killed over 100 children in Buni Yadi, carried out regular deadly attacks at Abuja and different parts of the country. President Jonathan from the onset denied and disputed the Chibok girls abduction. He said it was an orchestrated smear campaign against his person and government. It took a global outrage before he sprang into taking some tepid actions- he set up a panel to determine if the girls were indeed abducted. Sir, you wrote about the same issue in your epistle to President Jonathan. It was one of the issues you used to canvass support for the candidacy of president Buhari in 2015.
In your your previous letter to President Buhari, where you asked him to dismount from the horse of Nigeria leadership, you gave President Buhari some credits for dealing with Boko Haram and fighting corruption. You also called for more efforts in combating Boko Haram and corruption. As you know, President Buhari on assumption of office took the fight to Boko Haram. He relocated soldiers to the epicenter of the terror group’s operations. He recovered territories occupied by them, destroyed their key infrastructures, and forced them into negotiations leading to the release of some of the abducted Chibok girls. Many people hitherto unheard of, but in captivity of Boko Haram, were also set free. The government discovered massive corruption in the management of funds earmarked for procurement of equipment to prosecute the war on Boko Haram. The funds are still being recovered.
You mentioned that the government hastily declared victory against a group that is strengthening, I agree to some extent with you sir. I agree that the government oversubscribed itself when it declared that it has defeated Boko Haram. Boko Haram, is not defeated. It has been weakened, but it is still capable of Carrying out deadly attacks given the time, resources, and opportunity. We saw them abduct over 100 hundred girls from Dapchi after their “ defeat”. All but one of the girls, have been released. Leah Sharibu, is still being held by Boko Haram because she refused to denounce her faith in Jesus Christ. She is today the highest value target because of the religious factors made worst by people playing politics with her. God in whom Leah Sharibu trust as her Saviour and protector, will keep her. She will be freed from her captors. Amen. The government made a mistake in declaring victory over Boko Haram because, Boko Haram is fighting an ideological war. Ideology cannot be defeated, it can only be overcome by superior reasoning.
But on the whole, the current government has done much more to fight Boko Haram and contain their terrorist activities than any other government. It can do more, and it will do more.
Insecurity in the country. I believe that in the real world, cause has effect, and actions have consequences. The insecurity of today, is the consequence of the failures of the past. I’m talking about the huge and unprecedented corruption in the management of public resources that left us with poor infrastructures, created inequality with some few very rich and many so poor, that they cannot afford the basic things of life. I’m talking about the failure to manage the crisis that arose all over the country sir. When the agitation for better allocation of resources started in the Niger Delta areas under your watch, you responded with maximum force. You sent soldiers to invade Odi under the pretext of looking for the people who killed some soldiers. Many were killed, women and girls were allegedly raped, and the community destroyed. The people regrouped and armed themselves better. They started kidnapping expatriates and local oil workers for ransom. It became a huge business for some governors who claimed to have paid millions as ransom to free the victims. Your government did nothing to stop or prevent kidnapping, and it quickly spread round the country. what about Zaki Biam, where the invasion by the Army helped to militarized the people with deadly consequences for security in the area?
Your immediate successor, President Yar’Adua, tried to end the siege by proposing an Amnesty that was successful to some extent, but kidnapping has become a business. President Jonathan who succeeded Yar’Adua, didn’t do much in tackling kidnapping. President Buhari has made modest efforts in tackling it, but it is not enough because the governors are not playing complimentary roles. Peter Obi, former governor of Ananmbra state, fought kidnappers in the state to a standstill. Governor Obiano is doing the same thing. Lagos State, is also leading in the fight against kidnapping. Kaduna State has just enacted a law against kidnapping that prescribed death as punishment for the offense. Edo State too. Majority of the states, are not doing much sir.
Sir, you mentioned the killing of Mrs Olakunrin in your letter and described it as one death too many. In the statement you issued before then, you said her death has diminished Nigeria. I share in your sentiments and beyond sir. Her death, like the death of any Nigerian in the same or similar circumstances, is regrettable and diminishes the rest of us and the country in more than one way. But as painful and regrettable as her death is, it is not the first in the country. Under your watch as President sir, Chief Bola Ige, our nation’s Attorney General, was murdered in his home at Ibadan. The home, is supposed to be the safest place, but Ige was killed. Up and until now, no one has been brought to justice for his killing. What about Chiefs Harry Marshall and Sekibo? Funsho Williams and others? Of the people listed here sir, only Sekibo was murdered on the road. The rest were killed in their homes. No one has been found guilty for their murders. Do you then have the moral right to pontificate on insecurity sir?
You may not know this sir, but I want to tell you that bad roads and darkness, are also accelerators of insecurity and poverty. Bad roads ensure that motorists cannot move fast,and therefore, become vulnerable to the murderous activities of criminals. Under your watch as President, Billions of Naira were budgeted for roads, the roads were never built, but the funds disappeared. The Lagos-Benin Expressway featured in some many budgets but the funds were never utilized on the road. President Jonathan did a portion of it, and President Buhari, is working on some other parts. Your government did nothing about it. What about power? You claimed to have spent $16B on power, where is the Fower? Apologies to President Buhari. You generated megawatts of darkness with the humongous amount of money. And you don’t want us to talk about it! We can only imagine what that money would have done for the economy sir. Many of the people terrorizing the country today, may have been profitably engaged in other activities,and poverty, would have been significantly reduced. But you failed and betrayed our trust.
Corruption. Where do I start here? Is it financial or political corruption? Do you know know who started corrupting our political system sir? It is you. Under your watch, we conducted the worst election in Nigeria. Figures were randomly awarded to parties and candidates. You promised it was going to be a do or die Affairs and you delivered on your promise. The major beneficiary of that election, president Yar’Adua agreed with the verdict that it was indeed a horrible event, but you went round western capitals praising the same election. Who introduced garrison command politics in Nigeria? It is you sir. You subjected Governor Rasheed Ladoja to the whims and caprices of your garrison commander, Adedibu, the late Alafin of Molete. You supported and facilitated his impeachment by a minority group in the house of assembly. And when his impeachment was overturned by the Supreme Court, you dithered in enforcing the judgment until the NBA protested against your illegality.
What about the impeachment of Peter Obi In Ananmbra state, and Dariye of Plateau State? In both cases, less than two-thirds of members of the Houses of Assembly, carried out the impeachment under your watch. Maybe we didn’t have a Constitution then sir! Under your watch, Ngige, former governor of Ananmbra state was abducted by the private of Chris Uba, Eselu of Uga, and your man Friday. You did nothing sir.
Former Speaker Ghali Na’Abba, displayed bundles and wads of Naira running into millions of Naira that you bribed law makers with to remove him. You had no convincing deniability. What about the N50M given to law makers as bribe to get them to amend the Constitution and grant you life presidency? You denied it, but your daughter has confirmed it. You were behind it. It is true that you made efforts to fight corruption by setting up the EFCC, but you undermined the fight against corruption by your own actions. Let me remind you about the mismanagement of PTDF funds by you and your new friend, Atiku. The facts were made public during your roforofo fight. In 1999, when you were freed from jail, you had barely N100k. Today, you are said to be worth Billions. How did it happen and what did you do to become so rich? But you keep pontificating on corruption and pointing at others. Your like a sign post- pointing the directions, but never going there.
Mismanagement of our diversity. You accused the president of mismanaging our diversity, a claim you said is responsible for the myriad of our problems today. You said the president has made lopsided appointments in favor of the North and his people, I don’t have the data, and you also did not provide any to substantiate your claim. You expressed outrage over the pattern of certain appointments and election of leaders of the National Assembly in terms of ethnic and religious balance, but you did the same thing happened under your government. You also believe like some Nigerians that only equitable distribution of public offices and positions, will guarantee Unity and imbue a sense of belonging in all, it is not true. Yes, it a good thing to do, but it does not promote Unity, and it will not guarantee unity. For a moment, let us assumed you managed our diversity well, and that you distributed equitably the opportunities available to you, why was Nigeria not United under you? Why do you keep talking about equity only with respect to the FG? Where is equity in the states, including Ogun where you are an influential and consequential figure sir? I’m not against fair and equitable distribution of opportunities, but it is no promoter of unity. It will only provide jobs and access to the few, and in most cases, not on merit, but on connection.
Islamization and Fulanization. With fairness to you sir, the fear of Islamization has always been with some parts of the Nigeria. You played an active part in creating it. You and your party weaponized it against President Buhari. You said he is an Islamic fundamentalist seeking power to Islamize Nigeria. Many Nigerians believed you, and still believe you, even after 4 years of the man in power. Recently in Delta state, during the Anglican Synod, you upped the ante by declaring that the president had an agenda to Islamize and fulanize Nigeria. The of event, time, and audience, was telling. You tapped into the dangerous mood of the nation arising from the activities of herdsmen to ratchet up the tensions in the land, by telling Christians that Muslims and Fulani were coming after them and their lands and religion. You have created a dangerous and combustible Fulaniphobia in the country. It rings true to your reputation as a master schemer who can execute good and evil with equal efficiency.
Because of your actions sir, today, every criminal activity in Nigeria, is attributed to the Fulani. And I’m not saying that Fulani are not involved in criminal activities, they are in so many areas and cases, but it is not true that they are the only criminals in Nigeria. You singled them out to demonize President Buhari, who is also Fulani by tribe. Before Buhari became president, the Fulani were involved in different crimes and problems in all parts of Nigeria. After Buhari, the problems will continue if we don’t find solutions to them. Under your government, we had Fulani crisis. Same for Yar’Adua and Jonathan. Jonathan was at some point the grand patron of Miyetti Allah. Did he fulanize Nigeria? As a leader in this country, much more is expected from you. Stop encouraging centrifugal tendencies in Nigeria. It is funny that you are suddenly against the Fulani now. You campaigned so hard for another Fulani, Atiku to be president. The same Atiku, you accused of committing the most horrible acts of corruption against Nigeria; the man you said God will not forgive you if you support him to be president knowing what you know about him. He is still a Fulani sir.
Finally, I want to thank you for taking the time to read my long letter. I hope and pray that you find some of my thoughts useful! Nigerians are looking up to you to join other leaders in preferring solutions to the problems of the country. They are asking you to look at Gen. Yakubu Gowan, and make him your role model. My sincere respect and regards to you sir.
God bless Nigeria.
Kurtis Adigba.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724537
|
__label__cc
| 0.74318
| 0.25682
|
"Bye Bye Love" (The Everly Brothers cover) (live with The Roadside Leaves)
My musical life begins with The Everly Brothers. The Everly Brothers begin with this song.
The biggest gift that my Dad gave me was exposure - in-person and on record/VHS/cassette/CD - to The Everlys. We saw them about twelve times during my childhood. The anticipation for each gig was not unlike the anticipation of Christmas. Musically, they're where I come from. I thank my Dad for taking me there.
This song ended up in the show because Marcella and I had gone looking for the site of the RCA recording studio at which "Bye Bye Love" was recorded (along with "Heartbreak Hotel" and other classics) on our trip to Nashville. We found that it was merely the site of a parking lot. Luckily, its successor - RCA Studio B - is still standing and in-use for tours and recording. I was also very excited to walk down the block from our Airbnb house on Music Row and find the studio where much of Neil Young's 'Harvest' album was recorded.
So, cheers to Dad, Marcella, The Everlys, The Bryants, and The Roadside Leaves.
written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
video by Nick Crocker
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724546
|
__label__cc
| 0.612998
| 0.387002
|
Science (X)
Geography (X)
Animals (X)
Human ecology (2)
Nature (X)
Science (X) - Social Studies (X) - Nature (X) - Geography (X) - Animals (X)
The Hunting Dogs of Papua New Guinea
This video from Nature describes the history and uses of the dogs of Papua New Guinea. Men from the Akepangi tribe set out to hunt at dawn. They believe the dogs they take with them have supernatural abilities to track down prey. The dogs are called the singing dogs because they howl but do not bark. In the hunt, the dogs find an opossum in the canopy (upper layer of vegetation). The dogs are more valuable to the hunters than their bows and arrows. The tribe believes the dogs tell them where the evil spirits lie in the jungle.
Studying Elephants
Award-winning filmmaker Martyn Colbeck has traveled to Africa to learn about and photograph elephants, in this video segment from Nature. From the first day Colbeck was introduced to Echo, the matriarch of the elephant family, he was fascinated by these giant creatures and their relationships with each other. He observes the gentleness of the elephant family when a newborn elephant, Ely, was having trouble walking. The elephants had to decide whether to stay with the disabled calf or to perhaps let it die from the heat and dehydration. Miraculously, the calf adapted to his disability and with the support of his family, survived.
Rhinoceros Release
Due to unregulated hunting and poaching, the black rhinoceros has become an endangered species across the African continent. In an effort to preserve the remaining rhinos and repopulate the species, wildlife preserves have been created. The black rhinoceros now thrives in the South African National Park system. In order to spread the success of the South African preserve to other regions, rhinos from this sanctuary are being relocated to other preserves across the continent. In this video from Nature, learn about the factors taken into consideration to release the Black Rhino back into the wild.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724550
|
__label__wiki
| 0.963747
| 0.963747
|
The Mysterious Fate of the Romanov Family's Prized Easter Egg Collection
After the Russian Revolution, the country's new leaders, looking to make some quick rubles, started selling off the dazzling imperial treasures.
Ella Morton
Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
In 2010, an American scrap-metal dealer visited an antiques stall somewhere in the United States and purchased a golden egg sitting on a three-legged stand. The egg was adorned with diamonds and sapphires, and it opened to reveal a clock. Intending to sell the object to a buyer who would melt it down for its component metals, the dealer purchased this egg-clock for $13,302. He then had trouble selling it, as potential buyers deemed it overpriced.
The dealer had valued it incorrectly—but not the way he originally thought. In 2014, the man—who remains anonymous—discovered that his little golden objet d’art was one of the 50 exquisitely bespoke Fabergé Easter eggs created for imperial Russia’s royal Romanov family. Its value? An estimated $33 million.
The Third Faberge Imperial Easter Egg on display at Court Jewellers Wartski on April 16, 2014 in London, England.
The Romanovs’ extravagant royal Easter egg tradition began with Czar Alexander III in 1885. Alexander was then in the fifth year of his reign, having succeeded his father, Alexander II, who had been killed by bomb-wielding assassins. In 1885, Alexander sought an Easter gift to surprise and delight his wife Maria Feodorovna, who had spent her early years as a Danish princess before leaving Copenhagen to marry him and become a Russian empress. He turned to Peter Carl Fabergé, a master goldsmith who had taken over his father’s House of Fabergé jewelry business in 1882.
The Faberge Hen Egg, part of 'Imperial Treasures: Faberge from the Forbes Collection' at Sotheby's auction house in New York, 2004.
Gifts that were ‘immensely personal, yet gloriously flamboyant’
Instead of crafting a dazzling necklace or a breathtaking ring, Fabergé created something deceptively plain: a white enameled egg around two-and-a-half inches tall. But the real treasures were to be found inside. The egg twisted apart to reveal a golden yolk within. Inside the yolk was a golden hen sitting on golden straw. Hidden in the hen was a tiny diamond crown that held an even tinier ruby pendant.
This astonishing creation, known as the Hen Egg, was the first of an eventual 50 Fabergé imperial eggs commissioned annually by the Romanov family’s two final czars: Alexander III and, from 1894, Nicholas II. Fabergé crafted the initial eggs according to Alexander’s specifications. After the first few years, says Fabergé expert Dr. Géza von Habsburg, “he was basically given carte blanche to use his creativity and the craftsmanship of his workshops to produce really the very best that could be imagined as an Easter present.”
These one-of-a-kind creations, given to the czars’ wives, Maria and Alexandra Feodorovna, were “immensely personal, yet gloriously flamboyant,” wrote Toby Faber in Fabergé’s Eggs. No two were even slightly similar, and each contained a surprise meaningful to the recipient.
The Faberge Imperial Coronation Egg at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, 1993.
Manuel Litran/Paris Match/Getty Images
In 1897, Nicholas II gave his wife Alexandra the Imperial Coronation Egg. The shell is made of gold embellished with translucent yellow enamel and overlaid with black enamel double-headed eagles. Inside the white velvet-lined egg is an exquisitely detailed miniature 18th-century golden carriage. The object, which took more than a year to create, is a replica of a coach once owned by Catherine the Great and used in Nicholas and Alexandra’s own 1896 coronation procession.
The 1901 Gatchina Palace egg, which Nicholas II gave to his mother Maria Feodorovna, has a pearl-encrusted shell of gold, enamel, silver-gilt, portrait diamonds and rock crystal. It opens to reveal a faithful rendering of the palace Maria called home.
The Fabergé Gatchina Egg pictured on display in an exhibit, called 'Palaces of St. Petersburg: Russian Imperial Style' at the Mississippi Arts Pavilion.
Tom Roster/AP Photo
How the eggs fared after the Revolution
All was shiny and beautiful in the imperial palaces, but by the early 20th century, Nicholas II was contending with international conflicts, nationwide impoverishment, a population boom and a growing number of former serfs eager to overthrow a czar they saw as oppressive and out of touch. In 1904 and 1905, when Russia was at war with Japan, Nicholas suspended his annual Fabergé egg commission.
He resumed the tradition in 1906, though, and had one delivered every Easter until 1917. That year, Fabergé worked on two eggs, but before they could be presented, the Bolshevik’s February Revolution arrived and Nicholas II was forced to abdicate the throne. His entire family was executed by Bolsheviks the following year.
READ MORE: Why Tsar Nicholas II and the Romanovs Were Murdered
So what became of the imperial eggs? Under the orders of new leader Vladimir Lenin, the Bolsheviks packed up the eggs and other royal valuables they found at the imperial palaces and stashed them safely at the Kremlin in Moscow. In the 1920s and ‘30s, the Russian economy tanked and famine affected millions. The country's new leaders, looking to make some quick rubles, started selling the imperial eggs to international buyers.
Today, there are 10 eggs at the Kremlin Armory, nine at the Fabergé Museum in St. Petersburg, five at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and three each at the Royal Collection in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Two more are on display in Lausanne, Switzerland, two at Hillwood Estate in Washington, D.C., and two at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. There’s a single egg in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, one in Monte Carlo, and one at the Fabergé Museum in Baden-Baden, Germany. One is also owned by Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar.
Three additional Fabergé eggs created for the Russian imperial family: (L-R) the Cuckoo Clock Egg or Cockerel Egg, the Lilies of the Valley Egg, and the Blue Serpent Clock Egg.
Tony Evans/Getty Images
The fate of several eggs remains unknown.
The fate of eight imperial eggs remain a mystery. Fabergé experts "know of two further eggs which are in the West," says von Habsburg, "or which at a certain moment were in the West.”
They include the 1889 Necessaire Egg, last spotted in London in 1949, and the 1888 Cherub With Chariot Egg, which seems to have been exhibited at Lord & Taylor department store in New York in 1934. Von Habsburg says certain clues about the eggs’ whereabouts are currently being pursued.
The mystery surrounding the lost eggs perpetuates their legendary history of being seen only by an elite few. These things were never shown to the Russian public, with one exception, says von Habsburg—a 1902 exhibition in St. Petersburg. “Nobody knew about them—they were kept in the two or three imperial palaces that the family inhabited.”
The excess of the eggs, and their seclusion from the public, reflect the elitist, out-of-touch final years of Czarist Russia. “They may be masterpieces,” wrote Faber, “but they also embody extravagance that even the Romanovs’ most ardent supporter would find hard to justify.”
READ MORE: Why the Romanov Family’s Fate Was a Secret Until the Fall of the Soviet Union
https://www.history.com/news/romanov-family-russia-mystery-faberge-easter-eggs
Russian RulersRussian History
Romanov Family
5 Romanovs You Should Know
The Mutiny on the Battleship Potemkin
The Russian Revolution, Through American Eyes
Did any of the Romanovs survive?
8 Things You Didn’t Know About Catherine the Great
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724552
|
__label__wiki
| 0.706552
| 0.706552
|
World’s first automatic flatbread making robot launches in the Middle East
After tremendous success in US, Singapore, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, Rotimatic, the first automatic flatbread making robot, is set to launch in the Middle East.
Rotimatic, is an IoT-enabled invention in the space of kitchen robotics that completely automates the flat bread making process. An innovation that comes after decades, and being the only gadget that is AI and IoT enabled, it is the first step towards the future of kitchen.
“Rotimatic was designed to solve a basic problem. 25 percent of the world’s population eats flatbread. It has to be eaten fresh, and making at home is tedious and requires specialized skill, so people have to resort to frozen, unhealthy alternatives, or stop eating flatbread. As a mechanical engineer, I decided to change this. The solution was an elegant, fully automatic, home-use, robotic, future-proof, IoT-enabled – Rotimatic. The process of making flatbreads has changed drastically. With industrialization and real estate prices soaring, traditional bakeries have not been able to sustain themselves and buying habits have moved to supermarkets with people buying pre-packaged and frozen food. This applies to Middle East too. With Rotimatic, we are reversing the process. We are empowering people to eat healthy and fresh in their homes”, said Pranoti Nagarkar, inventor, cofounder and CTO of Zimplistic Pte. Ltd.
People from UAE, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia can now join the waitlist and get their very own Rotimatic.
RELATED CONTENT Hilton partners with Netflix, launches Connected Room
“The decision to launch in the Middle East came after considering the growing demand from the region. We have a strong waitlist of over a 75,000 from the six countries and it was only a matter of time before we decided to launch. We are coming to the Middle East after achieving USD 20 million in revenue in just the first year of sales. This goes to show that we have a strong product that can cater to the needs of the Middle East market”, said Rishi Israni, CEO, Zimplistic Pte. Ltd.
Rotimatic taps into a completely new market with no direct competition. It is the world’s first and has a robust track record. 250,000 units have been delivered so far. Not just that, Rotimatic has something for everyone. It is equipped to make many kinds of unleavened flatbread. From rotis, puris, masala rotis, pita bread to pizza, tortilla, wraps, millet flour and gluten free, Rotimatic opens up the kitchen to endless possibilities.
It took the inventors eight years of R&D to design a gadget that could not just simplify the flat bread making process but also allow creativity without compromising on health and time. The success is visible by the growing number of Rotimatic adopters and the product acceptance. 10 million rotis have been made in just 11 months with and users making 35-40 rotis per week times. These number will only get bigger post the launch in Middle East.
Pastry & Bakery Equipment3 Technology50
Space walks anyone?
Rove Hotels to debut in Saudi Arabia
Fikra Labs Acceleration Programme launched in Abu Dhabi
Pegasus Food Futures showcased new crop growing method in Abu Dhabi
CryptoBnB launches the first hospitality utility token
Hospitality Titan Nouhad Dammous Honored by Vresso
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724554
|
__label__wiki
| 0.709235
| 0.709235
|
Srpska Republika News Agency (SRNA), 96-12-29
Srpska Republica News Agency (SRNA) Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
From: The Serbian Unity Congress Server at http://www.suc.org
DEC. 29, 1996 DAY
NEWS REVIEW, REPUBLIKA SRPSKA
ZVORNIK - A meeting between the leadership of the Municipality of Zvornik, the Commission on settling the zone of separation and the Muslim representatives from Sapna, at which an agreement on the definite entrance of the Serb police into the villages of Jusici and Dugi Dio was to be reached, did not take place for a Muslim delegation failed to appear. The Muslims tried to justify their absence with "poor weather conditions and slippery roads", although the real reason is the "ban" from the seat of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA).
BELGRADE - The Commissariats of the Republic of Serbia and Republika Srpska will sign a memorandum on the return of refugees to their homes on January 1997, stated Bratislava Morina, the Serbian commissioner for refugees. She stressed that we have here more than 600,000 refugees and justifyed the necessity for their return with the reaction of the developed European states that have already started sending them back to the Dayton B&H.
HAMBURG - The German press assesses the situation in Belgrade as "extremely tense" for the Serbian authorities "are not showing their readiness to accept the OSCE reports on the final election results". The German weekly Welt am Sonntag, claims that "there is intensifying fear of the possible violent clashes", while the Berlin daily Welt, believes that "just an insignificant cause would be enough for the protests to turn into a civil war".
ATHENS - The beginning of the end of Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic is unavoidable no matter how long will it take, concludes the Greek daily Elphterophypia maintaining that the ban on demonstrations and the bringing of riot police on the streets shows that coldblooded Milosevic has lost his patience and started making wrong moves which will result without any doubt in his fall from power.
STOCKHOLM - The international community is worried that the situation in the Dayton B&H does not turn into the situation which has been going on on Cyprus for 20 years, comments the Swedish state radio in the scope of the review of the important occurrences in 1996.
SARAJEVO - The Croatian army backed by the Muslim troops committed a "perfect crime" in the Republic of the Srpska Krajina (RSK) (in the Western Slavonia, Banija, Lika and Kordun) in May and August, 1995. This crime was one of the largest crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia during the five years of the civil war. Why is this crime committed against the people of the considerable part of the Srpska Krajina "perfect"? First of all, because of a double alibi. Namely, official Zagreb was given the "green light" by some of the world leaders for the mass expulsion of nearly 300,000 residents, while in return Croatia has gained its place in the NATO's plans in the Balkans. In regard to this fact, it has become apparent that both the struggle for human rights and the thesis saying that war crimes will never be forgotten have fallen together with the Berlin Wall, says SRNA's journalist in a commentary titled "Double Alibi For A 'Perfect' Crime".
/end/
Copyright © Srpska Novinska Agencija - SRNA Republika Srpska
From the Serbian Unity Congress Server at http://www.suc.org
srna2html v2.01 run on Sunday, 29 December 1996 - 17:30:31 UTC
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724555
|
__label__cc
| 0.609605
| 0.390395
|
Browse ›› Home › Archive by category '(DMICDC)'
Guest Editor – Sam Vidyasagar
Mr. Sam Vidyasagar has over 25 years of Operational and Management experience in the Industrial Control and Automation field. He is currently an Account Executive with Transdyn – a leading supplier of Traffic Management Systems in the United States and around the world. As an Account Executive his primary responsibility is Business Development in new regions for Transdyn and working with Trandyn’s key accounts. Prior to joining Transdyn in 2002, he was an Operations Manager for a startup division of ABB where he worked in various engineering and management positions for 15 years. He has a Bachelor of Technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology-BHU and a Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering degree from Drexel University.
When asked about what I thought about the ITS (Intelligent Transportation Systems) applications in India, I realize all I have is personal experiences to go by as I have not studied a great deal of data or spent the time in India trying to understand the market. On the other hand since I have been exploring the opportunities in the Indian ITS market for the last five years I have been thinking about it for quite some time.
The two conversations that come to mind are the one when I was travelling in Mumbai in a rental car the driver who owned his car and worked for the rental company asked me what is the type of product that I was selling to the customers I was meeting with in India. It so happened we were in a traffic jam on the way to the airport in Mumbai on a highway near Bandra. I explained to him that it is software that calculates travel times and displays this on Variable Message Signs for this route and alternate routes and providing the most current information to motorists. Interestingly he thought it was a very useful tool and was he even willing to pay a small fee for such a service.
The second conversation was with one of the project managers at an Indian company that provides a great deal of ITS related services to the highway constructors. I was meeting him for the second time after a couple of years now. Initially the company he works for had contacted us and was very excited about the prospect and growth of ITS in India. They wanted to be a pioneer in this field in India and had invested some resources in time and money. In this recent meeting he was telling me that he felt that it will be many years before Indian Highways and roads will have full blown ITS systems. He went on to say that the focus today is just the roads and the highways. Once we have sufficient roads and highways we can focus on ITS. His experience was that all the big projects they worked on that had ITS as part of the specifications never got installed as the Consortium managing the construction usually ran out of money by the end of the project and the ITS never got installed or got cancelled.
When I think back on these two conversations it really paints a picture of the dichotomy that exists in India. On the one hand there is an urgent need for an ITS system and the customer sees good value in it and on the other hand the infrastructure and the processes and systems in place for the infrastructure development in India keep that from being a reality. So I really think two things need to happen the Systems have to be tailored to the traffic needs of India and the Roads and the Highway projects have to be planned with the ITS as an integral part so that they do not get cut from the project during construction. Hopefully the ITS community can help in developing such integrated specifications that will successful implementation of ITS projects. So it is left to the people working in the ITS field in India to help make ITS a reality in India.
Sam Vidyasagar
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under (DMICDC)
Industry corridor may get land near IGI
Dipak Kumar Dash TNN
New Delhi: A major portion of a 130-acre prime land adjacent to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), may go to the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC), a government firm, for a song.
Government sources said that the company wants about 100 acres spread over two sectors in Dwarka from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for developing a complex that would include a convention centre, hotels and luxury housing/service apartments.
The patch spread over Sector 25&26 in Dwarka sub city was originally earmarked for relocation of wholesale trade centres in central Delhi, including Sadar Bazar, Nai Sadak and Khari Baoli, which are known for large-scale grain, paper and chemicals markets, in Master Plan-2021. Five more such areas were identified in the Master Plan-2021. The plan document says that the new wholesale markets are planned “as counter markets to cater to the demands of the growing population of Delhi only, near the rail and road entry points of NCTD. These should be linked with the proposed integrated freight complexes where the wholesale business could be operated more efficiently in a better environment”.
Sources said the task of developing an integrated freight development complex spread over 30 acres might be entrusted with the DDA.
Government sources said that DMIC Development Corporation (DMICDC) has moved its proposal, and the Union urban development ministry recently held highlevel meeting on the issue. It is learnt that while the UD ministry is in favour of allotting it at lesser price than the market rate, a section of DDA officials are hesitant since the market value of the land would be around Rs 10,000 crore.
Sources said that in a worst-case scenario, the DDA would have to allot the land for institutional use and per acre rate for such a plot is Rs 3 crore. In case the entire land is allotted to DMICDC as an institutional plot, the corporation has to cough up only Rs 300 crore.
“There are many within government who don’t agree to the proposal of giving the land at a concessional rate,” a government official said.
But there are others who have argued that DDA should focus on how to allow most efficient use of its land. “It may bring manifold investment and create job opportunities,” an urban development ministry official said.
source-http://epaper.timesofindia.com
Written by ITW Editor · Filed Under (DMICDC), Delhi, developement
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724558
|
__label__cc
| 0.742655
| 0.257345
|
Posted on March 22, 2016 by Michelle Gardner
Chaffey College sophomore guard Victor Joseph has committed to NCAA Division I Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Joseph also had offers from Montana State, Quinnipiac and University of San Diego, all Division I schools, but opted to stay relatively close to home.
“I liked the coaches and it seemed like the best fit for me,” Joseph said.
The 6-foot standout had an outstanding resume as a student-athlete at Rancho Cucamonga High but the two Division I offers he had his senior year dried up through no fault of his own. So he decided to take the community college route.
It paid off. Joseph was a two-time All-Foothill Conference selection, earning Most Valuable Player honors this season in helping the Panthers to a share of the conference title as well as a berth in the state semifinal game.
Joseph averaged a conference best 21.3 points per game, improving over 16 points his freshman year. He worked hard over the past season in strength and conditioning which resulted in better numbers.
“It was a stressful process at times but I am happy with how things worked out,” he said.
Joseph plans to major in communications.
This entry was posted in Chaffey College men's basketball, Victor Joseph by Michelle Gardner. Bookmark the permalink.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724559
|
__label__cc
| 0.749668
| 0.250332
|
Music of the Holocaust in Sherman, May 4
SHERMAN — Renowned Holocaust ethnomusicologist, educator and recitalist Dr. Tamara Reps Freeman will tell the stories of composers interned in ghettos and concentration camps of the Holocaust, and will play their music on her 1935 Joseph Bausch viola that was rescued and secretly shipped to the U.S., at the “Music of the Holocaust: Melodies of Solace, Hope and Spiritual Resistance,” a program to be held at the JCC in Sherman on Saturday, May 4, 7 p.m.
To help the audience experience first-hand the power and passion of this historically significant body of work, Freeman will lead community in singing the music of these composers, both children and adults, who chronicled their hardships and triumphs through original evocative lyrics and melodies.
Dr. Freeman is the musicologist for the Association of Holocaust Organizations, the international alliance of Holocaust museums, state commissions, and education programs. She is an adjunct professor of Holocaust music at Montclair State University’s John J. Cali School of Music, where she coaches two graduate ensembles on archival Holocaust Art Music. In addition, she is guiding Montclair State University in creating the country’s first Institute of Holocaust Education Through the Arts.
A concert violinist and violist, Freeman has performed at numerous venues, including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. In 2018, she was the artist director and conductor of the first All-State Holocaust Music Concert held in Nashville Tennessee with more than 250 students participating.
Tamara Reps Freeman, and her husband, Barry Freeman Ed.D. live in New Fairfield, Connecticut and Saddle River, New Jersey.
Tickets to Music of the Holocaust: Melodies of Solace, Hope and Spiritual Resistance are $10/members, $15/non-members. Pre-paid registration is required by May 2.
For tickets and/or more information: jccinsherman.org, (860) 355-8050, info@jccinsherman.org.
CAP: Dr. Tamara Reps Freeman
Applicants Sought for Israel Educator Workshop
Going to a Seder? Some Great Gift Ideas
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724562
|
__label__cc
| 0.576958
| 0.423042
|
Filtering by Tag: messages
What Makes Horror, Horror
May 21, 2018 / jillane purrazzi
I don’t like to think of myself as a Horror writer.
That’s maybe a bit strange because on Wednesday the third episode of The Raventree Society, a collection of serialized ghost stories, is released. Most of my reviews would describe them as “horror” or at least as “creepy”.
My readers probably judge them as compared to other Horror literature.
And in fact, when I started writing The Raventree Society it was with the full intention to write horror. I call myself a “Speculative Fiction Author” and it was important to me to show my readers just what that means. Even now, most people think of me as a “Science Fiction Writer” because Malfunction has been, so far, my defining work. By the end of the year, the majority of my published words will still be focused on Science Fiction.
And don’t get me wrong. I love Science Fiction, but I don’t want to only write Science Fiction. I also love fantasy, and building worlds and exploring new genres. I like things that scare me and thrill me, and occasionally things that don’t make sense scientifically. So I decided to play around with Horror to spread out over the full length of Speculative Fiction.
A bit of Sci-Fi. A bit of Fantasy. And a bit of horror.
But I don’t really like horror. If you tell me that a book or movie is in the horror genre, I will be much less likely to pick it up. I don’t troll through the Horror films on Netflix, and I never look in the horror section in Barnes and Nobles.
Funny, because some of my favorite books could be defined as Horror. In fact, if you tell me that a book is a “Gothic Horror”, you probably have my attention. Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Picture of Dorian Gray. Right now I am listening to The Invisible Man. All these are defined as "horror" stories
They were probably terrifying at one point in history, but now most of those concepts no longer give us a chill. Modern Horror films are all jump scares, blood and gore, and serial killers. These are all concepts that I just don’t have a ton of interest in.
Recently I went to watch The Quiet Place with my husband, and it clicked. What makes Horror, Horror is what makes me dislike Horror. Horror as a genre is all about scaring the consumer. It’s about inciting that deep-down fear. A good horror film should keep people up at night, stick in their brains, and maybe make them sick to their stomach.
It’s like a roller coaster ride. I don’t like roller coasters. That pure rush of adrenaline in and of itself is just too empty to me. Early in my marriage, I went on the Manta in SeaWorld and after the initial rush of fear, the ride was just a bunch of fast twists and wind. But I love the Splash Mountain Ride at Disney. The immersion in the story makes the adrenaline rush of the drop that much better.
We are never more vulnerable than when we feel afraid. The moment when we feel like there is something far more powerful than us just about to strike. Because of that, there is never a better time for a good writer to bring in a powerful message.
In Quiet Place, they used the fear the monsters induced to bring across the message of a parent’s sacrificial, protective love for their children. I didn't leave the movie thinking about how many times I jumped, or how scary the monsters were. And I didn't look over my shoulder to see if I was going to get attacked on the way home. What I thought about was the way the parents struggled to keep their family together and safe. About how their kid's emotional health was just as important to them as their physical safety. And about how they struggled to teach them how to keep themselves safe, knowing that any moment might take one of them away.
And perhaps this is what I love about the horror stories I do enjoy. I love how terror can be the conduit for something comforting and beautiful.
Can we still call this Horror? Because Horror is a genre focused on creating fear, while stories like these, like what I’m striving to do with The Raventree Society, are focused on using that fear to inspire something else.
What do you think? Can you include deeper messaged into horror books and movies without losing the genre, or should they simply be used to incite emotions?
categories / The Raventree Society
tags / horror, theme, messages, The Quiet Place, The Raventree Society
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724565
|
__label__cc
| 0.590367
| 0.409633
|
Special Report: CBD Advisory Bodies Make Recommendations On Sequence Data, Global Mechanism, Implementation
02/08/2018 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity advisory bodies met last month to consider issues in preparation of the high-level Conference of the Parties later this year in Egypt. Among the topics were how to deal with genetic resources DNA information under the CBD protocol on access and benefit-sharing (Nagoya Protocol). Another was problems met by countries implementing the protocol, in particular developing countries, and the need for capacity building.
The 22nd meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) took place from 2-7 July in Montreal, Canada. It was followed by the second meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI), which took place from 9-13 July.
The issue of digital sequence information on genetic resources was discussed and disagreement persisted on whether digital sequence information is a genetic resource and should be in or out of the scope of the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization, according to sources.
Developing countries are generally of the view that digital sequence information comes from physical samples and thus falls under the protocol’s rules of access and benefit-sharing (ABS).
The Nagoya Protocol now has 108 ratifications.
The SBSTTA gave a list of recommendations [pdf] on digital sequence information to be considered during the upcoming 14th Conference of the Parties from 17-29 November in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. The recommendations are bracketed, signalling the absence of agreement.
Digital sequence information “includes information on nucleic acids and protein sequences as well as information derived from biological and metabolic processes specific to the cells of the genetic resource,” according to the document.
One of the ongoing issues being discussed with digital sequence information is the fact that the need to access physical resources might be rendered obsolete, and thus ABS mechanisms could be circumvented. This is also discussed for example at the World Health Organization in the context of the Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (PIP) Framework.
Among the bracketed paragraphs, one notes that the creation of digital sequence information “requires initial access to a physical genetic resource, and that, therefore, a benefit arising from the utilization of digital sequence information should be shared fairly and equitably in accordance with the third objective of the Convention [CBD], the objective of the Nagoya Protocol and Article 5(1) of the Nagoya Protocol and in a way that directly benefits indigenous peoples and local communities conserving biological diversity so that it serves as an incentive for conservation and sustainable use.”
Also bracketed is a paragraph recognising that “digital sequence information on genetic resources can facilitate misappropriation if it is used to bypass national access legislation and no alternative benefit-sharing measure is put in place.”
Also bracketed is a request for the CBD to establish an open-ended working group to develop modalities for sharing benefits from digital sequence information, including possible multilateral approaches and approaches for publicly accessible databases.
Decisions on peer-reviewed studies on traceability and benefit-sharing associated with digital sequence information also need to be further discussed at the next COP.
Countries’ Views
A number of countries and stakeholders submitted their views [pdf] on the potential implications of the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources for the three objectives of the CBD.
In its submission [pdf], Brazil indicated that “even if genetic information obtained digitally is to be considered as excluded from the concept of genetic material, a systemic interpretation” of the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol “leaves no doubt that the use of this information is subject to benefit sharing.”
The European Union warned [pdf] against “disproportionate restrictions on sequencing of the genetic resources and the publication of DSI could result in a slowing down of research progress on a global scale due to decreased accessibility of information.”
“The EU and its Member States are of the view that access to information is not equivalent to access to genetic resources within the meaning of the CBD and the Nagoya Protocol,” according to the EU submission. The EU is taking the same approach at the World Intellectual Property Organization in the context of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC).
According to the United States (not a member of the CBD) submission [pdf], digital sequence information on genetic resources is neither genetic material nor a genetic resource.
Countries Struggling to Implement Nagoya Protocol
The 2nd meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI) provided a number of recommendations, in particular in the context of assessment and review of the effectiveness of the Nagoya Protocol.
According to the SBI’s recommendations [pdf], further work is needed in several areas, such as developing ABS legislation or regulatory requirements, which provide for legal certainty, clarity and transparency.
The SBI also called for the enhancement of the protocol implementation by countries of the provisions on compliance with domestic legislation and regulatory requirements on ABS, including the designation of checkpoints, as well as the provisions related to indigenous peoples and local communities.
Full and effective participation of indigenous peoples and local communities should be supported in the implementation of the protocol, including by raising their awareness and capacity about ABS, the SBI said.
Support should also be given to those communities on protocols and procedures, and minimum requirements for mutually agreed terms and model contractual clauses for benefit-sharing arising from the utilization of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources, taking into consideration their customary law, according to the recommendations.
The SBI also recommended capacity building for developing countries, in particular for least-developed countries to implement the Nagoya Protocol.
Key Findings on Protocol Assessment
According to key findings on the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol, many countries are still in the process of establishing ABS legislative, administrative and policy measures arrangements. For many countries this process is challenging, according to the document.
For example, the designation of checkpoints in countries, which is a new requirement created by the protocol, still needs to be addressed by many countries, it said.
Another requirement not yet fulfilled by many countries is the publication of mandatory information in the CBD ABS Clearing-House.
The ABS Clearing-House is designed to share information about ABS. According to the CBD, the clearinghouse is meant to enhance legal certainty and transparency on ABS procedures, and “for monitoring the utilization of genetic resources along the value chain, including through the internationally recognized certificate of compliance.”
The document also noted that parties have different approaches to prior informed consent, mutually agreed terms and the issuance of permits. “It is important for Parties to make clear information available on the ABS Clearing-House on the procedures to follow to access genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge,” it said.
Global Mechanism on Multilateral Benefit-Sharing
A set of recommendations on a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism, as envisioned by Article 10 of the protocol also bears a number of brackets. This mechanism would address resources that occur in transboundary situations or for which it is not possible to grand or obtain prior informed consent.
According to Article 10, the benefits shared through this mechanism would be used to support the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components globally. Divergent views persist, according to sources, on the need and use of this mechanism, and its modalities.
The SBI suggested that the CBD “moderates open-ended online discussions to [identify and] discuss [the] specific cases for a global multilateral benefit-sharing mechanism [and the possible modalities for such a mechanism].”
The CBD is then to compile the outcomes of the online discussions, and update the information on developments in other relevant international processes for consideration by the SBI’s third meeting.
Potential Criteria for Specialised International Instruments
The SBI also considered [pdf] potential criteria for specialised international ABS instruments under the Nagoya Protocol. The potential criteria are set to be discussed again at the SBI’s fourth meeting.
According to the SBI recommendations, the CBD is to synthesise views submitted by countries and stakeholders, and information from developments in relevant international forums, and present the results to the SBI’s third meeting.
The WHO PIP Framework Review Group has suggested for some time that the framework becomes a specialised ABS instrument under the Nagoya Protocol, to avoid any potential complications in influenza virus sharing due to the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol (IPW, WHO, 29 January 2017).
According to several sources, there also have been suggestions that the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) could become a specialised international ABS instruments under the Nagoya Protocol.
On cooperation with other international organisations, the SBI asked the CBD to “continue liaising with the World Trade Organization, undertaking technical collaboration on issues of joint interest, and following up on pending requests for observer status in relevant committees of the World Trade Organization.”
The CBD’s request for observer status at the WTO Council for the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) has been deflected, mostly by the United States. The US also barred any request for the CBD coming to the TRIPS Council on an ad hoc basis to present the Nagoya Protocol to WTO delegates.
Image Credits: Flickr – Neil Palmer (CIAT)
Catherine Saez may be reached at csaez@ip-watch.ch.
"Special Report: CBD Advisory Bodies Make Recommendations On Sequence Data, Global Mechanism, Implementation" by Intellectual Property Watch is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Filed Under: IP Policies, Language, Subscribers, Themes, Venues, Biodiversity/Genetic Resources/Biotech, Copyright Policy, Enforcement, English, Patents/Designs/Trade Secrets, Trademarks/Geographical Indications/Domains, Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge, United Nations - other, WHO
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724568
|
__label__wiki
| 0.851118
| 0.851118
|
Josh Vietti is a HIP-HOP Violinist from Southern California
... WHO ALSO INCORPORATES POP, CLASSICAL AND JAZZ INTO HIS PERFORMANCES.
Josh is definitely a rising star and has been creating a lot of buzz across the country. Recently, Vietti had the opportunity to perform LIVE with Lil Duval in front of 20,000 people at Powerhouse NYC on the line up with Cardi B. Lil Duval initially reposted Josh’s cover of his No. 1 hit “Living My Best Life” on his Instagram page and was seen over one million times in two days after many celebrities and other influencers shared Josh’s video. Ten days later, Lil Duval contacted Josh and invited him to perform LIVE with him on one of the biggest stages in the country. Additionally, rap superstar French Montana just reposted Josh’s violin cover of his hit song “No Stylist” on his Instagram page going out to 10.8 million followers. Josh is also one of the winners of H-Town for Real Challenge and was featured on a song with Houston Radio Boss Kiotti, Z-Ro, Mista Madd, Paul Wall and Riff Raff. Vietti also just shot a national commercial for Acura with an original Hip-Hop Violin song (see Media/Videos to view the official music video).
Vietti has also performed for Michael Jordan, on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and on ESPN’s NFL Countdown. Additionally, he has opened for many major artists, such as Earth Wind & Fire, Lil Wayne, Ne-Yo, Fabolous, David Sanborn, Peter White, Gerald Albright, B.o.B., Najee, Norman Brown and Rick Braun.
Ironically, growing up Vietti had no intentions of pursuing a profession as a violinist. It was just something he was good at, but didn’t know it could be a career. After graduating from Cal State Long Beach in 2005, Vietti started working at a few “real jobs” and hated it. It was then he started composing string arrangements in Garage Band on his laptop after work just for fun and then started to add beats to them. Immediately, Josh fell in love with the combination of electronic beats and violin together and he made his first demo CD in 2006. Not knowing what to do next, he took a stack of CDs that he recorded and pressed himself, a small amplifier and his violin to the 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica, CA and did his first violin performance on the street. In the first fifteen minutes Vietti created a huge crowd and sold fifty demo CDs before getting kicked out because he didn’t have a permit. But he realized he was on to something. Vietti then got a permit right away and started busking for the next four years, selling over 50,000 copies of his demo CDs from the trunk of his car.
His first break was in 2010, when he was hired to play a violin street performer in the subway in the NBA All-Star Game Commercial, narrated by actor/rapper Common, showing NBA players LeBron James and Dwayne Wade dunking while Vietti played an uplifting string anthem on his violin. Then in 2011, Vietti had his second break - appearing on the Ellen DeGeneres Show. Immediately following Ellen, Las Vegas called Josh and he opened up for several artists, such as Ne-Yo, Earth Wind & Fire, Fabolous and also performed for and met Michael Jordan at his Celebrity Invitational at the ARIA Resort & Casino.
His next major break was being featured in an ESPN NFL commercial every Sunday and then appearing LIVE on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. Vietti was discovered for this opportunity from one of his “Hip-Hop Violin” YouTube videos.
Carrying on the tradition of being hired at sporting events, Vietti has performed LIVE at Dodger Stadium several times, including the National Anthem and most recently a Pre-Game Show at the World Series. He also performed a fifteen minute half time show at Roger Federer and Bill Gates's "Match For Africa 4" tournament at Seattle's Key Arena as well as the recent "Match For Africa 5 Silicon Valley" at the SAP Center in San Jose, CA in front of 17,000 people, which raised millions of dollars for children’s education in Africa.
Josh currently tours the United States performing at private and corporate events, colleges, sports arenas and jazz festivals. He has performed for sold out crowds with a full band at the Catalina Island Jazz Festival, the Seabreeze Jazz Festival in Panama City Beach, Florida, the Newport Beach Jazz Festival, the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, the Stone Soul Festival in Richmond, VA, the Lake Arbor Jazz Festival in Baltimore, MD and the Wolf Creek Jazz Festival in Atlanta, GA. Vietti was labeled the “Sleeper Hit of the Festival” at the famed jazz fest in Florida. He has also headlined and sold out his own jazz concerts at The Mint LA in Los Angeles, Joes Pub NYC and City Winery in Atlanta using only his Facebook, Instagram and YouTube pages to promote his concerts. With 30,000 Facebook fans, 76,000 YouTube subscribers and 15 million views and 32,000 Instagram followers, Josh definitely has a large sphere of influence and it is growing rapidly.
Vietti recently released a brand new smooth jazz record called “Magic City” on May 4, 2018, which incorporates jazz, r&b and funk on the violin. It incorporates many great original compositions, notable featured artists and covers of some of the classics. Josh is calling it his “most mature body of work to date” and it is already getting major radio play across the US.
Josh has also been interviewed and performed live on several radio stations across the country and abroad. He was featured on the Rickey Smiley Show in Atlanta, Z100’s Elvis Duran Morning Show in New York City, Cleveland’s hip hop station Z107.9, Atlanta's jazz radio station 91.9 WCLK, Eminem's SiriusXM channel Shade 45 with Sway In The Morning, the Madd Hatta Morning Show and Kiotti’s evening show on 97.9 The Box in Houston, KG Smooth’s Majic 102.1 in Houston, as well as Toronto’s classic rock station Q107 with radio host Kim Mitchell. Additionally, Vietti recorded two pieces for HITS 1 on SiriusXM for Stanley T In The Morning.
He was also invited to perform on AXS.TV, a music channel owned jointly by Mark Cuban. Vietti debuted his original song "Street Violin". After Vietti’s performance, Mark Cuban, the billionaire entrepreneur, TV Personality and owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks tweeted Josh saying: “loving @joshvietti on @AXSTV #axslive Im a new fan !”
Vietti is also concerned with giving back to the community and helping kids and adults in inner cities who display exceptional musical talent but lack the resources to pursue a career in the music industry. Josh's goal is to pull others up the ladder just as he was, to help give them their own platform and to empower and inspire them to let their light shine. Josh tries to stop by schools in every city and does free workshops and performances for kids that may have never seen a violin or think of it as a “cool” instrument. Eventually he would like to see every school in the US equipped with quality instruments, teachers and up-to-date technology that will inspire a new generation of musicians, composers and producers.
And even though Josh maintains a very active tour schedule, he has a beautiful wife and two handsome boys. God, family and balance are very important to Vietti, and he strives to create that balance even in the up and down rollercoaster of the music business. When he isn’t spending time with his wife, kids or touring, you can find Josh at the nearest coffee shop, surfing and paddle boarding, running and drinking his favorite Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky.
Memorable, fresh and inspiring are three words that perfectly sum up this fiddler from Southern California.
Website design by Heather Sharpe
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724573
|
__label__cc
| 0.712521
| 0.287479
|
How to access health services over the May Bank Holiday
You are here News How to access health services over the May Bank Holiday
People registered with a GP in Knowsley will benefit from having health services open this Bank Holiday (Monday 27 May).
Accessing a GP
If they need to see a GP over the bank holiday weekend, patients in Knowsley will be able access care through the Extended Access service.
To make an Extended Access appointment, patients should call or visit their GP practice or, if their practice is closed, call NHS 111 and ask for an Extended Access appointment in Knowsley. Patients will not be seen if they turn up without an allocated appointment slot, arranged through their GP practice or NHS 111.
NHS walk-in centres
There are three walk-in centres in Knowsley, which are open 365 days a year and there is no need to make an appointment.
The normal opening hours for the walk-in centres in Knowsley are 8am – 9pm Monday to Saturday and 10am – 9pm Sundays and Bank Holidays. Each of the walk-in centres will be open on Monday 27 May from 10am to 9pm.
The walk-in centres in Knowsley are:
Huyton NHS walk-in centre, Nutgrove Villa, Westmorland Road, Huyton L36 6GA, 0151 244 3150.
Kirkby NHS walk-in centre, St Chads Clinic, St Chads Drive, Kirkby L32 8RE, 0151 244 3063.
Halewood NHS walk-in centre, The Halewood Centre, Roseheath Drive, Halewood L26 9UH, 0151 244 3532.
We also recommend taking advantage of all the services available at your local pharmacy for any minor health-related concerns. Most pharmacies will have private consultation rooms where they can advise you on self-care treatments and give you advice on your medication.
Pharmacies that are open on Monday 27 May are:
If you’re unsure which service is right for you, ring NHS 111 to speak to a highly trained adviser who will assess your symptoms and immediately direct you to the best medical care for you. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones.
People in Knowsley can now access NHS 111 Online, making it easier to gain medical advice. The free service can be accessed at www.111.nhs.uk.
For any minor ailments such as colds, sprains and strains and a sore throat visit the www.selfcareforum.org for information on how you can treat these.
Dealing with a mental health crisis or emergency should be taken as seriously as a physical health emergency. The Samaritans operate a free to call service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, if you want to talk to someone in confidence. Call them on 116 123 and then arrange to see a GP as soon as possible.
Call 999 if you or someone you know experiences a life-threatening physical or mental health emergency. Let’s work together to keep emergency services, including A&E, free to those who really need it.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724580
|
__label__cc
| 0.533487
| 0.466513
|
Marvel Movies Revisited
Rating the Super Hunks
Podcast Episodes/
Marvel Movies Revisited/
Rating the Super Hunks/
A place for people who love comic books and super heroes.
Wolverine Week: Wolverine Gets Manga'd
May 01, 2009 / Tiina
Our old pal Wolverine is taking Living Between Wednesday—and the world!—by storm this week. We all know Wolverine has spent some time in Japan, but no one saw this coming: Wolverine manga! Hold onto your bone-claws kids, 'cause this ain't your mama's Wolverine.
Prodigal Son is the first of a series of Wolvie Manga, written by Antony Johnston (or Wasteland fame) and drawn by Wilson Tortosa (who the internet tells me has worked on a bunch of stuff including Tomb Raider).
I'm not a big manga fan, but I'm not all that bananas about Wolverine to tell the truth so maybe meh+meh=coool?
Well, I know this for sure:
PLUS THIS
WOLVERINE MANGA!
Prodigal Son is a re-imaging of our hairy mutant friend, in which Logan is a teenaged orphan living at a secret Canadian Dojo. Man, Wolverine Week is really proving how cool Canada is! Logan and the other kids at the Dojo do say, "eh" a lot, which gives the whole thing credibility.
The book has all the makings of a fun teen action/adventure comic. Logan's got a secret past, and mysterious special abilities. He doesn't know who his parents are, how he ended up at the Dojo, and why he can heal like a mofo. All this existential questioning throws him into whirlwind of emotion that ranges from mopey and emo to totally self-righteous. Ah, teenagers!
Logan's crushing hard on his Sensai's daughter. She's fiesty and super tough, so they spar all the time and it leads to SEXY RESULTS.
He's also got the requisite tubby best pal, always there for support.
The dude is totally the type to like, loudly open a Twinkie package when you're crouched down behind a rock, hiding from a bad guy.
He's all, "What, guys? I get hungry when I'm nervous!"
On top of baby Wolverine's emotional crisis, he's got to deal with a crazed rival who's totally pissed that Wolverine kicked his ass, and that he's losing the big hair competetion.
But I'll tell you what this book is all about: FIGHTS!
Fights and fights and fights and fights. Lil' Wolvie is scrappy as all heck, and this book provides all the SNKTing you could ever want.
I think the kids will be all over this one.
May 01, 2009 / Tiina/ Comment
hair, manga, wolverine
Those Who Hunt Elves
December 05, 2008 / Rachelle Goguen
...shan't be laid.
File this under "nothing you could say would ever make me read this comic."
December 05, 2008 / Rachelle Goguen/ 8 Comments
Rachelle Goguen
Rachelle Reads Manga Part 2: Romanace Manga!
September 01, 2008 / Rachelle Goguen
Since some of the action manga I read last time left a bad taste in my mouth, I decided to switch gears this week and try some manga aimed at teen girls (that's called Shojo manga, n00bs).
So let's see how that went.
Nana #1 by Ai Yazawa (Shojo Beat - Viz)
Why I picked it up: This is definitely one of the more popular Manga series that we sell, especially among female readers. We also sell a DVD of a live action Nana movie. Plus, Faith Erin Hicks recommended it highly to me as a guilty pleasure, so that really sold me.
What it's about: The story follows two 20-year-old girls in Japan, both named Nana, who are very different. One is a recent high school graduate who has recently come out of an unhealthy relationship with a much older married man. She is boy-crazy, but determined to make some male friends who are just friends for the first time. The other Nana is a high school drop-out who sings in a punk band. She is dating the bass player in the band, but he gets offered a spot in a more popular band in Tokyo. Both Nanas want to move to Tokyo for basically the same reason: love. So it's like, even though they have little in common on the surface, they really do have some things in common.
And what did I think about it?: I really liked it. The characters are instantly likable, the writing is very charming and funny, and it's a compelling story. It's like reading a romance novel that has some balls, because it's got some edgy elements. Plus I feel that I got a good idea of what life is somewhat like for young people in Japan living in smaller cities.
I have a hard time telling the guys apart from the girls, but that's just manga for ya.
Do I want to read the next volume?: Yeah, I really do actually. I think there are like 11 volumes of this out now. I'd be into reading the whole series.
Red String #1 by Gina Biggs (Dark Horse)
Why I picked it up: The cover is really cute. Plus it's one of those forward-reading manga books I like so much. And the author is American, so I wanted to see what that was like. Do hardcore manga fans frown upon books like this? Are American-authored Manga books regarded in the same way as, like, American beer is regarded in Canada? (For those of you who don't know, it's regarded with a certain level of disgust...if you're going to order a Coors, you may as well order a dead baby).
What it's about: This series is actually a web comic, part of the Strawberry Comics group of American-based female romance manga authors. Girl power!
The story is a high school-based tale of young love and angst. The main character, Miharu, is shocked to find out that her parents have arranged a marriage for her. She is to marry the husband they selected after she graduates. Young Miharu has never even kissed a boy, so this is naturally quite traumatic for her. Things get more complicated when she meets the boy of her dreams the day she finds out about the arranged marriage...or do they?
And what did I think about it?: It was a light read with cute art. It's a coming-of-age high school story, which I always enjoy. There's a bad boy character who is kind of intriguing. He clearly has his own crush on Miharu. I'd be interested in seeing where that goes.
Do I want to read the next volume?: I wouldn't say that the story is gripping enough to leave me wanting more, but it certainly isn't bad. If I were younger I'd probably be really into it. And there was nothing weird or gross or annoying about this book, so that's a plus.
Fever #1 by Hee Jung Park (Tokyopop)
Why I picked it up: It's Korean so, again, it's got the forward-reading thing going for it. The cover sort of made me think that I wouldn't like it at all, and that's kinda why I picked it up. It's important to try things you wouldn't normally, right? Unlike Nana, I'd never really noticed anyone buying this one, so I guess I wanted to try something that wasn't a giant smash hit and compare it to something that was. Plus, now I have three romance manga books: one Japanese, one American, and one Korean. Diversity!
What it's about: Basically it's about a very sad girl who is messed up after her friend commits suicide and she ends up dropping out of her school. She meets a messed up guy on the bus after she leaves the school. She ends up going to a strange place called Fever with this guy, which is kinda hard to explain. And I wasn't really paying enough attention.
And what did I think about it?: Honestly, I had a really hard time finishing this. I just could not get into it. It's very emo and slow and I just didn't care about the characters or the story.
Do I want to read the next volume?: No.
So that's my first foray into romance manga. Next up...rock and roll manga!
September 01, 2008 / Rachelle Goguen/ 12 Comments
Rachelle Reads Manga Part 1: Action Adventure Manga!
August 28, 2008 / Rachelle Goguen
So I have worked in a comic shop for almost two years now and in that time I have never really attempted to read manga. It's always there, that giant section of the store full of little books about people with giant eyes and minimal clothing. Stories where men look like girls, and women look like sex aliens.
People ask me to recommend manga, and I simply cannot do it. I have no idea what any of those books are about. It's second only to Magic cards on the ladder of things that I do not care about.
I have decided to take the plunge and try to read some manga. And you're gonna hear about it! Join me as I read the first volume of randomly selected manga series. Will I give up after a week of tedious backwards reading, or will I become a lifelong manga devotee/cosplay picnic organizer? Only time will tell.
I read three books from the action/adventure genre of manga to start with.
Banya the Explosive Delivery Man #1 by Kim Young-Oh (Dark Horse)
Why I picked it up: Ok, first of all, this is not technically manga. It's manhwa, which means it's Korean, not Japanese. See? I'm learning something already! Unlike manga, which is all backwards and weird, manhwa is read in the left-to-right, front-to-back style that North American's such as myself are used to reading books. Y'know. The normal way. So that was appealing.
Secondly, I flipped through it a bit and the art was really excellent looking. Better than most manga books I glance at. Plus, it's got an attractive cover.
I also trust Dark Horse so I thought I'd start with something they publish.
What it's about: The titular character, Banya, is a delivery boy in a fantasy world that looks kinda like the future and the past at the same time, y'know? He, along with his two pals Mei and Kong, make up the Gaya Desert Post Office. They can deliver any package or message to anyone anywhere for a price. It's established immediately that pretty much nothing can stop these guys if they need to deliver something. The real story starts when a wounded soldier shows up at the post office (which is like a deserted fort type place) and asks that they deliver the parcel that he was carrying to its final destination.
And what did I think about it?: As I said, the art was pretty incredible. There were a lot of really awesome pages. It's an interesting set-up, and the characters seem interesting. Mei, the lone female in the story, is particularly compelling. She isn't wearing much, but by manga standards she's practically a nun. I appreciate that, although she is scantily-clad, she doesn't have giant boobs and there is no cleavage. She also looks tough. And she is tough. She is established as the boss of the post office. That won me over.
There are a lot of mythical animals and monsters in the book that they run into while making deliveries. I'm not really into that kind of thing, but they are very well-drawn.
I find that the dialogue in manga is always kind of jarring. I guess something gets lost in translation because everything is just so awkward-sounding. In this book the three heroes talk like young smart-ass punks, and there is quite a bit of humour. It's just sort of weird-sounding.
Do I want to read the next volume?: I dunno. Kinda. If for no other reason than to look at more of Kim Young-Oh's art. This is basically the first manga book I've read, so it's hard for me to say if it's good manga. It seems like good manga. I think if you liked reading manga, you would like this.
Mei's a cool character. I guess I would like to see more of her.
Black Lagoon #1 by Rei Hiroe (Viz)
Why I picked it up: This one is new to the shop, and it was recommended to me by the owner of Strange Adventures. Plus that girl on the cover looked pretty tough.
What it's about: Strangely enough, this book also turned out to be about delivery people. This time it's set in our world, circa now, more or less. It follows a band of people who will deliver anything anywhere for a price. They travel around on a tricked-out WWII gun boat.
And what did I think about it?: It was pretty fun, actually. It's way over-the-top, but it's more than aware of how silly it is. It's a popcorn action movie with lots of violence and profanity. And the translation was far less awkward than the translation for Banya. It read a lot better, even though it was all backwards. There are some pretty awesome pages in this book too.
Do I want to read the next volume?: I could take or leave it. Of the three books, I'd probably be most interested in the next volume of this one.
Gantz #1 by Hiroya Oku (Dark Horse)
Why I picked it up: Oh God, I don't know. It was wrapped in plastic, which was intriguing. And the description made is sound interesting...
What it's about: I'm not really sure...I was a little distracted by the totally naked woman being treated horribly.
Basically a bunch of people who have recently died find themselves in a room in a building in Tokyo and are being instructed to perform missions for some sort of talking sphere.
So what did I think?: At first I thought it was pretty good...and then the naked woman showed up. She was one of the dead people to appear in the room. Her wrists are cut because she killed herself in the bathtub. She is pretty much immediately hauled off and raped by one of the men in the room, while the other men think about doing the same. There is also a recently dead dog in the room which also sexually assaults her.
And...the woman is totally naked and there are lots of close-ups of her various naughty parts. When the men are naked, however, it is blurred out. WTF?
Do I want to read the next volume: No. In fact, this kind of makes me want to stop reading manga altogether.
So that was my first attempt. I think next round I'll read some girly romance manga to see if that offends me less.
August 28, 2008 / Rachelle Goguen/ 17 Comments
Living Between Wednesdays is a place for people who love comic books and superheroes.
LBW Podcast
New episode today! We have thoughts on Endgame! https://t.co/H7iHMt28IO
Poor @rachellegoguen saw this book on the @strangeadvhfx shipping list and got her hopes up that it was a DC Black Label book about the #jasonmomoa version. #crushedhopes #dasheddreams #aquaman #dcblacklabel #aquamanmovie
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724586
|
__label__cc
| 0.646102
| 0.353898
|
Dr. karen patti - veterinarian
Dr. JENNA DALE - veterinarian
AMANDA - TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT
Bethany - technician
Dr. Eric franson - veterinarian
ROBYN - RECEPTIONIST
After attending Boston College for undergraduate studies, Dr. Cathy Curley graduated from Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1993. She enjoys showing Cavaliers and enjoying the New England outdoors.
Stepfanie grew up on a farm and is used to caring for all sorts of animals! She currently has three pets: Cooper John (a rescue dog), and two cats: Kiara and Tucker Magoo. She is currently wedding planning with her fiance Neil and they welcomed their first daughter, Sophie, in July 2018.
STEPFANIE - RECEPTION SUPERVISOR
Kat graduated from Becker College with an Associate's Degree in Veterinary Technology and a Bachelor's Degree in Veterinary Science. She is a certified veterinary technician. She has a chihuahua named Chichi, two cats, Kitty and Pie, a rabbit named Miko, a frog named Kermit, and a chicken named Lady Poulet!
Robyn moved to MA in August 2018 from New Mexico, where she graduated from New Mexico State University with a Bachelor's degree in Animal Science. She has been working in the veterinary field for the past 8 years and is looking to become a CVT.
Dr. Howard Coffman - Veterinarian
Carla - Technician
Kristin - MANAGER, VETERINARY TECHNICIAN
Amanda has always loved animals and has been working at animal hospitals for the past 10 years. She is currently studying at Penn Foster to get her CVT license. Amanda has two dogs, a beagle named Sadie and a minpin mix, Maggie.
PAIGE - TECHNICIAN ASSISTANT
Ashley - technician
Dr. Cathy curley - veterinarian
Karen Patti moved to Massachusetts from Oklahoma, where she attended veterinary school. She has special interest in surgery and nutrition, as well as exotic animals. She lives in Marlboro with her family, TC the cat, Bender the Cavalier and loves to craft in her spare time.
ASHLEY - RECEPTIONIST
Dr. Franson graduated from St. Georges University Veterinary School in 2009 and began practicing in rural New Hampshire. After moving to Massachusetts to be closer to family, Dr. Franson joined the MAH team. Due to his love for practicing, he spends his nights working at an emergency care facility. Stop in to meet "Dr. Eric" and allow him to show you how much he loves being a veterinarian!
Kat - technician, cvt
Ashley is currently enrolled in school for her associates degree and to become a CVT. She owns a Siberian Husky, Oakley, whom she spends all of her spare time with. Ashley, being an animal lover her whole life, is looking forward to expanding her career in the veterinary field.
Ashley enjoys spending time with her eight year old daughter, Laci, who shares a birthday with their dog, Missi. Recently Ashley fostered and saved a mama cat and eight kittens. She has since adopted the mom and two kittens: Mummas, Sassy, and Kratos. Ashley has been working in the veterinary field for five years and can't imagine being anywhere else!
Bethany graduated from the University of Connecticut with her Associates degree in Animal Science in 2017. She is currently enrolled at the University of Connecticut completing her Bachelors of Science in Pre-Vet. She has been working in the animal field since she was 15 years old. When she is not at work or school Bethany likes to spend her free time with her many animals, family, and friends.
Kristin enjoys staying active in the pitbull rescue community, and has been a technician since 2002. Doing double duty training and fostering pitbulls, along with raising her own dogs Dylan and Argo, she is an animal lover, through and through.
Paige will be graduating from Becker College in 2019 with her Bachelors Degree in Veterinary Medicine. She has always had a passion for animals and looks forward to assisting them when they’re sick or injured. Paige has worked with animals for the past 4 years and is excited to see where this field takes her.
Having studied veterinary medicine in Brazil, Carla moved to the United States in 1994. Soon after, she started her career as a veterinary technician here at the Marlboro Animal Hospital in 1997. She enjoys spending time with her family, along with her Westie, Popcorn, and her cat Fizzy Bubbles.
Having focused his career on dogs and cats, Doctor Coffman has a passion for small animal medicine. He has previously bred Dalmatians and Cavaliers and currently has several Cavaliers. In his free time, he enjoys family RV trips, Patriots season and checking off his bucket list!
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724593
|
__label__cc
| 0.723227
| 0.276773
|
Three Times the Charm
Mia Weinberg’s studio shows her love of nature.
You may have already seen the art of Mia Weinberg and not even known it. She creates public art. Her illuminated nature map was seen at the Richmond Skytrain Station. She designed another nature map for the floor of the Delbrook Community Centre in North Vancouver. Public art enlivens our everyday lives, but we seldom recognize the artist or the effort.
In this blog series, I'm interested in discovering what triggers people to turn to art after another career. In Mia's case, it was not a single turning point, but a series of leaps.
Mia came to art through a very circuitous route. She grew up in England and although she loved art as a child, she believed that real artists had an innate ability to draw. Although she excelled at pottery and screen printing, she couldn’t draw and thus believed that she wasn’t creative enough to be an artist. She went on to study materials technology and became a packaging designer in the plastics industry.
But after nearly a decade of hard work and success, she made a bold decision. She was going to rent out her house, quit her steady job, and move to Vancouver to explore her artistic side. She explained to her puzzled friends and worried parents that this would be the gap year that she had never taken.
Why did Mia make such a drastic change? It was a combination of things. Her job had shifted and she was looking for a change. Her milestone thirtieth birthday was approaching. Her sister had just gotten married—in Vancouver.
After arriving in Canada, Mia dove into the creative life and took art classes. After her “gap year” was over, she decided to stay in Vancouver, applied for her visa, and found a job. Eventually she enrolled in the fine arts program at Emily Carr University.
But even though she had moved much closer to her childhood dream of being an artist, Mia's pragmatism still won out and she chose the industrial design stream. Her immigrant parents ingrained a strong work ethic in Mia, which meant she prioritized the responsibility to support herself. Night shift work at the post office financed her while she was at art school.
Her second turning point came at a summer retreat for personal development with new friends from art school. Mia realized what was really important to her was fine arts and freedom of personal expression. She switched from industrial design over to painting and photography, and began experimenting with photograms. Photograms allowed her to express her love of nature and natural forms. (You can see one of her photograms in the studio photo above.)
After graduating from Emily Carr, Mia continued with the photograms and her work at the post office. Then an opportunity arose for her to work with an art consultant. This job was more related to her art practice and its part-time hours allowed her to work on her art. At work, Mia created proposals and presenting to businesses—all new experiences for her.
The final turning point for Mia came when she was invited to apply for a public art project in Edmonton, which combined natural forms with granite. Public art was a perfect synthesis for Mia. The Edmonton project combined the nature themes of her photography, her work in industrial materials, and the business aspects of her art consulting. She loved the experience and began to apply for more public art projects.
A public art career is different from a studio practice. Mia applies to cross-Canada competitions for public art pieces. She develops a concept and then researches the materials involved---like the engraved granite she used in Edmonton. Her proposal includes: the artwork concept, a construction schedule, and a budget. The budget includes artist fees. After writing and submitting a proposal, she waits to hear if she has won the competition. Delays are common, and it can take months or even years before the artwork actually happens. Her schedule is tough to predict and years can be crazily busy or scarily empty.
Naturally, the more public art you create, the more well-known you become and the easier it is to win competitions. For Mia, her dream is to become so renowned that she will get to skip competition process. The day I interviewed her, she was finishing a proposal, and waiting to hear about two others. However precarious this life might be, Mia loves her public art practice. For the first time since she quit her job in England, she works full time in art alone.
Mia's art career has lessons for other creative people looking to pursue their dreams.
Don’t give up your day job.
Mia walked the tightrope between creative dreams and practicality. Although she was drawn to art from the beginning, she resisted the impracticality of an art career. She worked first in an art-adjacent field—packaging design—to make a living. In this way, she built up a nest egg that allowed her the financial freedom to take off for Canada and art school. Throughout her art career, she maintained part-time jobs alongside her art practice. Mia can proudly say that she has always supported herself.
But…your day job can inspire your art.
When Mia finally settled on public art, she was able to synthesize all her life experiences, something that a younger artist would not be able to do. Her work in industrial design, her interest in nature and photogram work, her art consultancy experience—all have come together in her current art. Most artists draw upon their lives and history to create art; the more experience you have to draw on, the more depth your art will have.
To see more of Mia’s artwork, especially the public art you may have already admired, check out her website.
Tagged: artist advice, art, art practice, public art, later life artists, artist studios, Vancouver artist, Mia Weinberg
Art As Therapy
This post marks the first in a series of interviews that I will be doing about artists who came to art later in life. I was inspired to do this by my own life as well as many questions I've been asked in my studio and after artist talks. I believe that many people are looking for encouragement in pursuing an encore career in art. Hopefully these stories will encourage people to explore their own creativity.
Sande Waters
Choosing a career in art was simple for Sande Waters. Art is something that she must have in her daily life. In her lovely water-view home in North Vancouver, she has not one but two studios. The upstairs studio is a wide desk crammed with art supplies located beside her kitchen in the place where most would install a breakfast nook. Sande has trouble passing this spot without adding something to the many paper works she has on the go. On the day that I visited, she had two ink abstractions drying there.
Her other studio is in a converted garage (shown above). She shares this workspace with two of her sons; her three sons are artistic as well. Sande confesses that this studio can get cold in the winter, but it gives her a place to work on larger art. She has a big canvas laid out with a beautiful splotch of ink absorbed into the surface in a way that reminds me of colour field artist Helen Frankenthaler. This studio is also full of: artwork, art books, art supplies, and canvases. If the studio illustrates the brain, Sande is an artist overflowing with ideas.
Sande’s current work is abstract and energetic. Ink is her current obsession, and she uses it on Yupo paper, canvas, and even on the small paper boxes she constructs. Her favourite subject is overviews, the kind of images that you get from airplanes. The loose flow of the spread of acrylic ink can be converted into imaginary topographic maps.
And Sande’s artwork isn’t confined to the studio. She serves on the board of directors of the Contemporary Art Society of Vancouver, and is in charge of awarding prizes to cutting edge artists. Sande and I meet most often at Seymour Art Gallery openings where she serves on the board there as well.
Despite all this creative activity, Sande wasn’t always an artist. Her life followed a more traditional path: office work, marriage, and bookkeeping for the family business. Then at 42 years of age, there was a turning point in her life: her marriage ended.
At that point, with three young children, she had decisions to make. On one hand, she could take courses in accounting and continue her career in bookkeeping. But the other path—her love of art—was the one that appealed to her. She took a job with the school board as a special needs aide that would allow her summers with her kids. And she began part-time art studies at Emily Carr.
Although Sande has no complaints about the turn her life took, she fully realizes that art became therapy for her. She loved all her classes at Emily Carr. For Sande, art was an escape: a place where she could be creative and maintain a sense of self. Every mother knows how draining children can be, regardless of how much we love our kids, we become so-and-so’s mother instead of ourselves. Art is a way of declaring our creative identity.
Sande’s determination shows in her art education. She graduated with her BFA from Emily Carr, a feat that took fourteen years! And then she went on to get her MFA at a low residency art program at the San Francisco Art Institute. The low residency component meant she could remain in Vancouver with her family and attend only summer classes in San Francisco.
What artists can learn from Sande
I was impressed by Sande’s inner calm and confidence. Perhaps because of her art degrees, she has never had any trouble identifying as an artist and continuing her art practice throughout her work, parenting, and studies. She would like to make more money in art sales, but draws a distinction between “décor art” and “core art” that may be less commercial.
Regarding art as personal therapy, Sande said she can both “lose herself in art, and find herself in art.” Art cannot be understated as a way of expressing ourselves and working out our emotions. I have written before about the times when I’ve used art to escape my personal problems, and Sande’s experience underlines this idea for me. She sees art as a form of self-expression and has identified therapy as a consistent theme in her work.
Finally, I asked Sande if she has any advice for aspiring artists. In particular, what should mature artists do to make current, cutting edge works? Her suggestions:
Be true to yourself. Don’t worry about what people buy or like.
Use play and experimentation to extend your art practice. Sometimes finding your expertise is a process of elimination.
Educate yourself about art. Take an art degree or quality art courses.
To learn more about Sande Waters’s art, please check out her website.
Tagged: art, studio life, studio visit, Sande Waters, creativity, encore careers, artist studios
art show reviews
twombly: the beauty of consistency
Did you know Twombly made such colourful work? It came as a lovely surprise to me.
The beauty of travel is the random discoveries you make. If I’m only in Paris for a week in April, I’m going to see whatever big show is at the Pompidou, regardless of the artist. But I certainly lucked out when the artist of the moment turned out to be Cy Twombly.
While this may be sacrilegious to my many artist friends who adore Twombly, I had no strong feelings about him going in. I had seen an exhibit of his drawings in Tokyo and enjoyed it. But a retrospective really allows you to understand the whole of an artist’s work and that whole is very impressive. This show had his drawings, paintings, sculpture, and photography. In addition, I got to go twice, which gave me even more opportunity to explore the details of the work. And I emerged a big Twombly fan!
First off, what is impressive about Twombly’s work is how early he came to making the loose marks that exemplify all his work. That consistency is impressive. There was one small room with oil pastel scribbles on graph paper. Honestly, these drawings are exactly what people would describe as being “something my kid could do.” And seen in isolation, they are unimpressive. But seen in the context of a decades-long career of making similar scribbles, the drawings become impressive. The restraint, the colour choices, the directional lines—every decision is the seed for the magnificent paintings that follow.
Another highlight was the Roman paintings made after his marriage to Luisa Tatiana Franchetti. They were huge complex canvases and one had the sexiest description I’ve ever seen in a museum: “Between 1960 and 1962 he produced some of his most sexual paintings, Empire of Flora being an evocative example. Partial glimpses of body parts, male and female, are scattered over canvases that seem to preserve the sensual memory of hot Roman nights.” Hot Roman nights! I’d like to meet the art historian who wrote that. Maybe it was only the translated French version of the show. Or maybe it’s the beginning of game show: Gallery notes or porn film title?
My favourite paintings in the show were Nine Discourses on Commodus. These nine beautiful paintings seemed to evolve between panels and showed many of Twombly’s regular marks: grids, words, loose paint strokes, mixed media. I spent a long time appreciating all the little details of the work. Shockingly, these paintings were not well received when he first exhibited them in 1964, but they still look gloriously contemporary.
There too many highlights in the show to list them all. But it was the first time I had seen his sculpture: found object assemblages coated in white paint and the occasional drip of beautiful colour. And his delicate photographs which focus on blurred objects and decay. Or the bright canvasses shown at the top of this post. And I’m grateful for the serendipity of travel which allowed me to really discover Twombly.
Tagged: Twombly, art, museums, Pompidou, art show, travel, art career, consistency
How To Be Great
Work in progress is progressing
Recently I went to see a movie about a piano virtuoso: Seymour: An Introduction. It’s a documentary about Seymour Bernstein, an 85 year-old pianist who gave up performing and now concentrates on teaching high-level students. Bernstein is truly fascinating and even after an entire film, I wanted to know more about him
Two qualities of his personality really stood out for me. First, as a teacher, he was able to make subtle tweaks in his students’ piano technique that made the music infinitely better and more moving. It’s a level of knowledge and sensitivity that even someone like me, who knows nothing about classical music, could appreciate.
Second, he has this huge love for classical piano music—an obsession so enormous that it blinds him to normal perceptions. For example, when he was drafted into the army, it was a complete mismatch for a sensitive boy who had never left home. But he found himself able to march for hours while others fell away, and he attributed that to the mental concentration he had learned from music. And when he found that there was a classical strings player in his troop in Europe, he suggested to his commanding officer that they could do performances. The C.O. scoffed that nobody would listen to classical music. But when Bernstein prevailed, the troops loved the concert. “They wouldn’t let us go,” he remembered happily.
When I saw the movie, about a month ago, I was going through a slump in my work. I had been painting, but I seemed to be stuck. The work for my big exhibition in May was well underway, but nowhere near completion. Therefore, one thing that Bernstein said made an especially big impact on me. He said that on the days when the music went well he was happy. Conversely, he was frustrated on those days when the music didn’t go well. His solution was to practise more, from two hours to three, right up to eight hours of practising.
This solution seems so logical, yet it’s contrary to the laziness inherent in many of us. If the painting isn’t going well, it’s easy to take a break and do something else—check Instagram, have a snack, go for a walk, cook dinner. Perhaps these distractions are even good or useful, but they move us away from the main purpose of our lives. If you want to excel at an art, it will never be easy. An artist will have to put long hours of work into their craft. Sometimes there will be setbacks and screw-ups, but you will keep moving forward. And as Bernstein said, on those good days, you will be happy. The best kind of happy, when you are satisfied with your important life's work.
Thanks, Seymour! The next day, I went into the studio and began working harder. I locked my smarthphone in the car, stopped puttering, and just got down to painting. And you know what? I was able to push my paintings into completed stages immediately. And now I’m happy.
Tagged: Seymour Bernstein, art, motivation, painting process, studio life
I can’t remember the last time I had nine new paintings in the studio! Generally, it takes me months to complete a painting, but I had a few deadlines to meet this time. I have a show in Harrison Hot Springs during September, and I have an ongoing project which needs 12 new pieces, and of course, the Culture Crawl is coming up in November.
But right now, to the delight of visitors to the studio and to the horror of my insurance agent, I have a lot of art on hand. In addition, I’ve started making prints, and some of these paintings are available as prints as well.
blueberry pie, 48" x 48"
rhubarb pie, 48" x 48"
bumbleberry pie, 48" x 48"
raspberry pie, 48" x 48"
All the pie paintings are also available as prints.
born again, 48" x 48"
x-ray, 48" x 36"
lace memories, 48" x 36"
And finally, one painting so fresh it hasn't been properly photographed yet!
stripes six, 24" x 72"
Tagged: Vancouver, abstract art, art, colourful, m.a.tateishi, new work
Ten Things I Love About Australia
M.A. in Oz
I’m just back from a wonderful trip Down Under. My daughter, Julia, moved to Perth in June for a semester of school. Before she left, she hinted that a visit from me at the end of her term would not be unwelcome. The flight is loooong—15 hours from Vancouver to Sydney—so I tried to jam everything I could into this trip. We started off in Perth, and then went to Melbourne and Sydney.
At the risk of sounding like an idiot, I didn’t totally understand that it’s now summer in Australia. I knew that the weather was going to be 30 - 40°C, but I figured that their winter was our summer, if that makes any sense. And don’t get me started on the disconnect of hearing Christmas carols and looking at palm trees. Anyway, the flipping of the seasons completely discombobulated me. I felt like it was summer everywhere, and I was ready to buy little summer dresses and start making summery art. The whole holiday seemed to be out of normal time, and as a result I think I enjoyed everything much more. I’ve had some personal stress in my life lately, and it was nice to escape it all.
So, as a salute to one of my favourite movies, and the late Australia actor who starred in it, here are Ten Things I Love About Australia:
1. I loved the neighbourhood pride in Fremantle.
When you see addresses in Australia, they are identified by neighbourhood. People seem to identify with their neighbourhoods with a fan-like zeal. I visited Fremantle, an artistic town near Perth. They have used a Potemkin-like preservation technique I saw often in Australia: maintaining the original façade while creating a whole new building behind. It creates charming street fronts and modern interiors. We toured a sunny outdoor (!) Christmas craft fair at the Fremantle Arts Centre. Here’s a travel tip for you: indie craft fairs are the best place to buy souvenirs. The Freemantle one was patriotically local, with local signs like Dingo Flour gracing t-shirts, cards, etc. get souvenirs.
A Canadian aside for those of you who read Robert Genn’s newsletter, the Fremantle Arts Centre may sound familiar, where it gained recent notoriety for awarding a large cash award to a very naïve print. Despite this dubious incident, the Arts Centre was quite interesting to visit with a variety of modern work
Graffiti in Perth
2. I loved the sunlight in Perth.
I guess while much of North America is shivering under record snowstorms, I shouldn't mention that it was 40˚C in Perth. You probably don't want to hear about my tan either. Anyway, the light is so intense in Perth that even my 60 SPF sunscreen wasn’t doing the job. Naturally there is a connection between light and art. That kind of light makes the brightest colours seem natural and right, and I saw some vivid paintings in private galleries, as well as a beach installation at PICA (Perth Institute of Contemporary Art.) I have the sneaking suspicion that I belong somewhere tropical creating my bright, glossy artworks.
Science at Melbourne Now
3. I loved seeing Melbourne Now at the National Gallery of Victoria
This survey exhibition of contemporary local artists was like a crash course for visitors to Melbourne. It was the perfect overview show since the city itself was the subject of much of the art. There were video installations that were like tours of the city: an electronic map explaining various sociological changes in the city, and a seamless video tour of the various alleyways of the city.
In addition, the museum showcases a lot of local craft as well: fashion, jewellery, shoes, clay, and glass. The museum space is lovely and open, and it was packed with all kinds of people enjoying the variety of art there.
Didn't I see you in V for Vendetta?
4. I love that Melbourne is famous for graffiti.
How can you take a problem and turn it into an attraction? Melbourne has alleyways filled with colourful graffiti that apparently change weekly. Tourists take tours specifically to see the graffiti. Personally, I felt uneasy at being trapped in a narrow alleyway with a gang of teens in masks yelling and swearing as they tagged the walls, but I guess that’s part of the street scene. I do like the idea of it, though.
5. I love the way that art was woven into life in Melbourne.
Melbourne is known as an artistic hub, and rightfully so. The city is famous for its street art, and there are many studios, designers, and galleries there. What impressed me most about Melbourne was the way that art had been woven into the commercial side of the city. As well as the street art, there was excellent art in our hotel, the stores, and most of the restaurants. Art was being used to enhance the whole way of life in Melbourne, as well as show that artists are a valued part of the city. Art is clearly a viable career in Melbourne.
Adam Cullen's art was even in the elevator.
Horns not included.
We stayed in The Cullen, an art hotel in the Prahan neighbourhood. Budget allowing, I try to stay in art hotels everywhere, but I have to say that this was the best art hotel I’ve ever stayed in. There are three hotels in the Art Series chain, and each one chooses one artist and features him in all the art in the hotel, with originals in the public spaces, prints in the room, and even a curator to tell you more about the art. Our hotel featured Australian artist, Adam Cullen. Our room included two large prints, an imprinted image on the glass bathroom wall, and even a stack of art books. The hotel map includes art galleries, as well as the usual restaurants and shops. The Cullen was doing more than just using art as décor, they show a real passion for art.
But art is also in restaurants and shops. Not just decorative art either, but actually interesting abstractions that enhance the shopping experience. I loved this painting in a store called Green With Envy. The designers used challenging abstract work instead of pretty "wallpaper."
Why can't all stores look this amazing?
6. I loved the hands-on aspects of all the art museums I visited.
Perhaps you can judge museums on how they treat children. In every museum I visited, there were special tags besides certain paintings, explaining the art specifically to children. And they all had hands on activities for kids as well, although they let shameless adults have fun as well. We made necklaces at the NGV and a paper Frank Stella room at the AGNSW.
This gorgeous room is part of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia.
7. I loved the compactness of my Sydney art tour.
Strangely, a lot of Australians in other cities warned us about Sydney, all bad stuff. But we loved Sydney. It seemed more business-like, possibly because we stayed closer to the CBD (Central Business District.) But the city was beautifully organized. In one long afternoon, we managed to do the iconic Opera House, the Botanical Gardens, and two fabulous art museums, all on foot. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have an artist for a mom, just ask my kids: you’re going to go to a ton of museums. But I do offer bribes treats in the gallery café. And naturally we do the beaches, parks, and zoos as well, it's not art 24/7/.
8. I loved that the museums were free and well attended.
There is a definitely a problem in Canadian thinking about art. When our own Prime Minister equates artists with galas, you know that culture equals elitism. In my hometown, a visit to the Vancouver Art Galley will set you back $17 and with only three floors, parts of which are usually closed for installations, it’s generally not worth the price.
But in Australia, all the fantastic museums we went to were completely free. There were Australian artists featured everywhere, some of them quite current. In fact, I saw a lovely mix of art (below) in the Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW.)
Loved the juxtaposition of contemporary and traditional portraits.
In fact, the only disappointing show we saw was one we paid for, an overview of American art at the AGNSW. The show was apparently meant to showcase an evolution of American art linked to history, but the paintings featured were mainly second-tier. The Rothko and Pollock ones were especially disappointing. I think it’s very sad that the better paintings weren’t chosen or allowed to travel, especially since so many Australian art lovers were coming out to see the show. Ah well, we saw so many great pieces in the rest of the museum that it didn’t matter. Apparently the best things in life are free.
Gregor Schneider welcomes you.
9. I loved the riskiness of the installations.
Another problem I see in Canada is that art that is challenging or weird is sometimes decried as a waste of taxpayers’ money and hidden away. It’s deemed unsuitable for children and decent people. In Australia, there seems to be more openness about risky or experimental art.
I saw school tours checking out crazy nudes with a minimum of snickering. And in the AGNSW, we went through a super-creepy installation piece by Gregor Schneider, which mimicked the original basement of a house in Germany complete with corpses. I think the scariest part was that you had to inform staff that you were entering the installation. Was this in case you didn’t come out?
10. I loved the people in Australia.
It’s not all about art, one of the reasons you enjoy a trip is the people. The Australians were so friendly and relaxed that it made everything that much better. If you’ve never been to Australia—go! With the gorgeous beaches, the culture, the design and great people, you’ll find ten things you love in no time.
You can't post about Australia without a koala photo!
Tagged: AGNSW, Australia, Fremantle Art Centre, Green With Envy, Gregor Schneider, MCA, Melbourne, NGV, PICA, Perth, Sydney, The Cullen Hotel, art hotels, art travel, art, graffiti
While everyone else was writing their summaries of 2012 or their New Year’s Resolutions, I was lying in bed and complaining about how I was starting 2013 with a bad cold. And then I had to catch up on life, and the blog kept getting pushed back. So my resolution to update the blog weekly went down the drain before it could even begin!
But you know that one of the secrets of success for artists is to keep plugging away. So here I am, not late…but early for the Chinese New Year!
2012 was another great year for my art. It was my best year ever in terms of sales. I have been fortunate enough to see my art sales grow almost every year since I began working fulltime as an artist. I also feel privileged to have met so many wonderful people who support my art: clients, other artists, art bloggers. One amazing part of the internet is that all of these people who I have never met in person, and yet they immeasurably encourage me in my art practice.
Of course, there were setbacks too, but I’m trying not to dwell on them. One of these days, I do intend to write a whole post about rejection, but I’ll be putting a positive spin on that too. I avoid the dark side, because it’s too easy to live there.
So what’s in store for 2013? First off, I do vow to blog weekly…from now on. I’ve even had requests to post more, well from one person anyway but that’s enough for me. I’m actually quite surprised at how often people tell me they enjoy reading my blog, I write a blog post and I rarely get immediate feedback, except from my sweet husband. (By the way, my children find this slightly embarrassing and hugely amusing: “You see each other all the time and you write to each other on the blog. Mom!”) But back to the blog, months later people comment to me in person about blog posts they have enjoyed, so obviously I should blog more. Besides I enjoy writing…
This year I’d like to continue my 2012 vow to do more giving. Just as an update, last year I did loan two paintings to the Union Gospel Mission, donate a painting to the National Nikkei Museum fundraiser, give away five paintings in contests on my fb page and through my newsletter. But I have tons of other ideas for giving, and frankly it was a lot of fun. During the holidays, I was delighted when my kids wanted to come to the studio and make art. When I posted the resulting paintings of the Ikea monkey on my personal fb page, a friend wanted to buy one but instead I gave her the painting and asked her to make a donation to an animal charity. She gave $$$ to the Vancouver Humane Society in my name (which was lovely of her) and they sent me a thank-you card with a pig on it! So the new year is starting off right.
But my biggest push in 2013 is around learning. I’d like to learn some new art skills or techniques this year, so I’ll be looking for interesting courses to take. I’m particularly interested in learning more about Photoshop, screenprinting and figure drawing.
There is a particularly inspiring thread about learning art on a board called Conceptart.org. A man named Jonathan Hardesty decided that he wanted to improve his drawing skills, particularly in the digital realm. So he began putting his sketches up and asking for feedback. He pledged to draw one sketch every day, and more on weekends. To be honest, the first sketches are pretty bad, BUT Hardesty differed from most people. First of all, he did stick to his pledge, he posted drawings constantly, good and bad. Secondly, he kept an open mind all the time. If someone made a suggestion, he thanked them and took it. He was never insulted or defensive, and as a result he got even more advice and encouragement. It became a virtuous circle.
I guess I don’t have to tell you that this story has a very happy ending. You can follow Hardesty’s visual journey from his first drawings to the masterful artist and art instructor that he has become, in this thread.
So, I guess the point is that resolutions are not just for belated New Years. We can all strive to be better…at drawing, at business or wherever our imaginations take us. All it takes is an open mind and a willingness to learn.
Tagged: Jonathan Hardesty, art, learning
Finally! I've done a ton of experimenting this year, mainly because I didn't have many deadlines. After several months work, I've completed some new paintings that I'm really excited about. As my sometimes curmudgeony photographer commented to me today, "I think you're getting the hang of this."
green city, 36" x 72".
This painting had very grid-like, urban feel as I was completing it. So of course, I added a map of Vancouver. So far everyone who sees it has tried to find their street. I love the motion of the big colour blocks in this painting.
bikini, 48" x 36"
After I finished this painting, I went home feeling completely satisfied and said, "I did a good day's work today." However my cats were more interested in when I was going to do some cat feeding. I love the detail that shows through the many circles, and the beautiful purple created when the blue and pink resin meet. The yellow flower balances out the composition, in fact there's a lovely balance of many elements here. Sigh.
sunset trip, 36" x 48"
This painting was the most challenging for me. For a long time, it sat on the wall, looking beautiful but incomplete. I hardly ever use black resin, but in this case it added that touch of darkness that so many of my paintings need. In addition, the black is not a deep black, but more like a squid ink black. When wiring it today, I noticed that it worked better on the horizontal, creating a hazy sunset scene.
tipsy, 36" x 24"
Inspired recycling brought this painting to life. I intend to take a few paintings I'm not happy with and rework them with more layers of resin. This painting was a rather plain one with a little colour and a lot of line, and I added the big black stencil form and then went crazy with the coloured resin. Fun, fun, fun!
upon the shore, 36" x 108"
This painting was the first one to be completed, which means it came together really beautifully (with no agonizing on my part.) It was a direct result of the experimentation I did early in the year, playing with a lot of graffiti elements. I was looking back on my portfolio, and I realized that although I love bright colour, I hadn't ever done anything neon bright. Now I have, and this painting is so amazing. I can hardly wait to see it hanging in a home, it's the biggest piece I've ever done and a real statement.
vibrant, 24" x 72"
This painting is actually part of a series of three that I worked on a year ago. One sold at the Crawl last year to the loveliest couple. And the third one isn't done yet. This painting has a vibrant, modern look and is also an attempt by me to get as machine-like as possible with three coats of supersmooth resin. It's not perfectly smooth though, I don't think my resin work will ever be. And that's good, since the human touch is what distinguishes original art.
Tagged: art, new works, painting
Olympics and the well rounded life
I've got a fever, and it's not for more cowbell. The Olympics are on in Vancouver, and I've been attending all kinds of events. The most incredible one so far was the men's hockey game between Canada and Switzerland, which was unbelievably close and ended up in Canada winning in a shoot out. I'm a big hockey fan and I've attended many games, from minor hockey tournaments to Canuck's playoff games, but I have to say that this game was unbelievable. The atmosphere and excitement at the rink were palpable. As the young guy beside me put it in an awestruck voice: "I can't believe I'm here!"
And that was the part of the game that was the best, the energy of everyone in the rink. 18,000 people feeling the same tension, hopes, and the final common jubliation at the win. And despite all the hype and worry about the Olympics, it turns out that it's energy of people that make the Olympics a fantastic experience. As I walk around downtown Vancouver, I see hundreds of people in places where nobody normally walks, just drinking in the beautiful city and everyone around them. On Granville Street at night, I see big groups of happy people partying it up. The city is transformed by all the people. The Olympics creates a mix of different nationalities, different ages and different interests, all together in one spot.
So, what does this have to do with art? Many artists have been protesting the Olympics as too much spending on sports and not enough on the arts. However I think that this us vs. them mentality is wrong. The truth is that between the beginning of the Olympic process and the games, there was a global economic crisis, and governments at all levels were forced to retrench and cut arts spending (among many other programs). They had to honour their Olympic spending commitments, and so cuts came at the expense of other things, many more important than arts. Whether there will be long lasting economic benefits to Vancouver cannot yet be judged, but I believe there is hope.
On the streets of Vancouver today there are many lineups for different pavillions and for the Vancouver Art Gallery. Because the truth is that no person is one dimensional. Tourists may come for the Olympic games, but they are also interested in the culture of the place. I saw the beauty of Barcelona at the summer Olympics and two years later found myself in Spain, touring the Bilbao and the Prado. As a parent, I have tried to raise children who are well-rounded, active in sports & arts and interested in culture & ideas. Well-rounded people who travel and enjoy many aspects of life. A few people are fantatics, but most are interested in a variety of things, and arts are usually one of them. So any event that brings more people and more interest to the place you live is fantastic.
Go Arts Go!
Tagged: Olympics, art
I have been reading a book about Peter Doig, an artist I greatly admire. The book is about his 2008 Show at the Tate Britain, and features many of his disquieting landscapes. In the book, I spotted a painting that I had seen in person at the National Gallery in Ottawa. This painting, Grand Rivere, is a dark and jungly landscape that suggests a mysterious narrative. It's huge and gorgeous and slightly disconcerting, and held the whole wall of the museum room. On the opposite wall was a large scale painting by another artist that I admire, Landon Mackenzie. This painting was also dark, a blue darkness with glowing highlights.
I must have looked like a crazed puppy at a tennis court, as I scrambled across from one painting to the other, admiring the details in turn. The paintings shared a darkness and a mystery, but situating them across from one another was brilliant as it created an artistic synergy in the room, a vertiable force field. The paintings were superficially similar, but the differences were intriguing:
jungle vs. urban
paint rubbed away vs. addition of mixed media
nature vs. man-made
I love to read about art, but not as much as I enjoy exhibitions. Seeing paintings in person is always worthwhile, but seeing paintings in juxtaposition adds an unexpected dimension.
Tagged: Landon Mackenzie, National Gallery of Canada, Peter Doig, art
I just returned from a lovely weekend in Montreal involving many of my favourite activities: eating, shopping, seeing art and socializing. One topic of discussion was why people, both men and women, are better dressed in Montreal. They wear artfully knotted scarves, trendy shoes, and this fall, lots of dark layers. My favourite fashion sighting was a punky young girl with skinny jeans, a jacket, black t-shirt and Doc Marten-styled boots; the kicker was that the boots were bright fushia and the t-shirt had a splash of the exactly the same pink.
I think all this good dressing has to do with "the gaze". In Montreal people look at you, sometimes flirtatiously, sometimes curiously, sometimes competitively, but they all look. If people are looking at you with interest, you hold yourself up a little straighter and try to look your best. You add that long scarf or dangly earring and pop on a brighter lipstick when you go out, because you know you will be seen.
I think that something similar goes on with art. Once you buy your first original artwork, you take it home and hang it and admire it. You start to look at art more, when visiting friends, at the doctor's office, or best of all in the museum. You have a heightened awareness of the visual, and a growing appreciation of what you like and don't like. You start to look around you, and notice little vignettes of beauty everywhere.
What lovely vignette did you see today?
Tagged: Montreal, art, fashion
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724596
|
__label__wiki
| 0.533539
| 0.533539
|
rently Notre Dame Fighting Irish Throwback Jersey
BEIJING Ohio State Buckeyes Throwback Jersey , Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's top smartphone companies challenged Samsung and Apple with surging sales and revenue in 2014, vowing to scramble for a larger share in a global turf war with the top two makers.
As one of the major competitors, telecom behemoth Huawei Technologies reported a 45-percent rise in smartphone shipments in 2014, reaching more than 75 million units.
Sales revenue of Huawei's consumer goods branch, which makes mobile phones and other gadgets, increased 30 percent to 12.2 billion U.S. dollars last year.
Currently Notre Dame Fighting Irish Throwback Jersey , Huawei is the world's third largest smartphone maker following Samsung and Apple, according to market tracker Gartner. They held a global market share of 5.3 percent, 24.4 percent and 12.7 percent respectively in the third quarter of 2014.
Last year, 52 percent of Huawei's smartphone sales revenue came from overseas markets. The tech giant's presence in Africa, Asia and Latin America was rapidly consolidated.
"We will try to rival Samsung and Apple globally in 2015," said Shao Yang North Carolina Tar Heels Throwback Jersey , vice president of Huawei Consumer Business Group. He said the company will work to improve its overseas brand reputation.
Huawei aims to hike smartphone shipments to 100 million units and sales revenue to 16 billion U.S. dollars in 2015.
Another homegrown smartphone maker Xiaomi said it sold 61.1 million units in 2014, surging 227 percent year on year. Its revenue grew 135 percent to 74.3 billion yuan (about 12 billion U.S. dollars).
Xiaomi is now marketing products in six foreign countries and regions. More than one million units have been sold in India, for example, one of the company's most successful markets abroad.
"We will enter more overseas markets in 2015 and strive for better performance there," said Xiaomi founder Lei Jun, who is called China's Steve Jobs by fans.
Steve Koenig Michigan Wolverines Throwback Jersey , director of Industry Analysis of the Consumer Electronics Association, said Chinese smartphone brands are putting pressure on their global competitors.
Referencing Xiaomi Mi5 and Huawei Mate 7, Koenig said Chinese brands are not just focused on making cheap phones, but also on creating quite sophisticated devices.
Huawei's helmsman Ren Zhengfei said earlier this month at the World Economic Forum that the company will shift away from a growth route based on low price and low quality.
Gartner estimated that the combined global share of Huawei, Xiaomi and Lenovo increased 4.1 percentage points to 15.5 percent. Analysts predicted there is still great potential for further growth at their "home court", although China's mobile phone market is almost saturated.
"China's western regions Miami Hurricanes Throwback Jersey , especially the rural areas, will see double-digit growth in smartphone sales in coming one to two years," said a research note from market intelligence firm International Data Corporation (IDC).
Fast-growing 4G networks will also create large room for compatible smartphones, according to IDC.
RETREATING SAMSUNG, ADVANCING APPLE
The South Korean company retains its crown as world No.1 smartphone maker, but its market share declined 7.7 percentage points from a year earlier to 24.4 percent in the third quarter.
Earnings from their mobile division rebounded on a quarterly basis Lsu Tigers Throwback Jersey , but the number dropped 64 percent on a year-on-year basis to 1.96 trillion won (1.8 billion U.S. dollars) in the fourth quarter.
Samsung launched two cheap models in January in its home market to fight China-made low-end smartphones.
To diversify earnings, Samsung will focus on Internet of Things in 2015 as one of its new growth engines.
Apple's financial results showed its quarterly revenue and net profits grew 30 percent and 38 percent
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724598
|
__label__wiki
| 0.738002
| 0.738002
|
College Forum - Miami Dade College
Campuses / Centers
Contact MDC
About College Forum
Miami Dade College Homepage > College Forum
February 2011, Volume 15, Number 1
Cultural Spotlight
Making Their Mark
MDC Foundation Board Member Makes Big Impact
Beatrice Louissaint
Haitian-born Beatrice Louissaint consistently gives back to the community through her commitment to minority business and involvement in local and national organizations that serve the Haitian community and underserved youth.
Louissaint is president and CEO of the Southern Florida Minority Supplier Development Council, which is one of 38 affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). NMSDC’s membership includes 60 percent of the Fortune 500 and 3,500 corporate members nationwide. During her tenure, the organization has linked minority firms to $5 billion in corporate sales and its annual Business Expo has become the largest minority trade event in the Southeast.
Louissaint also volunteers as a member of numerous organizations, such as the Orange Bowl Committee, the Miami-Biscayne Bay Chapter of The Links, Inc., and the South Florida Super Bowl XLIV Host Committee. In addition, she is a trustee of the Bayside Minority Foundation.
Recently, she became the fundraising committee co-chair for the Board of the Little Haiti Optimist Club – a group of business, community and civic leaders who provide guidance and programs to local youth to empower them and prepare them for excelling at college, in business and in life.
In the midst of all these challenging endeavors, Louissaint has dedicated many hours to the Miami Dade College Foundation. She currently chairs the Foundation’s governance committee and actively fundraises to support the College’s guiding philosophy of “access with excellence” for MDC students. Louissaint was also an inductee in the 2009 MDC Alumni Hall of Fame. Miami Dade College is fortunate to have such a dedicated and accomplished professional be an integral part of the Foundation.
Return to Power Players
Copyright © Miami Dade College • 300 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Miami, Florida 33132-2204 • 305-237-8888
Request Information •
Privacy Policy •
Regional Accreditation •
Site Directory •
Campuses / Centers •
Miami Dade College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate and baccalaureate degrees.
Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Miami Dade College.
Miami Dade College is an equal access/equal opportunity institution which does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, marital status, age, religion, national origin,
disability, veteran’s status, ethnicity, pregnancy, sexual orientation or genetic information. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the
Office of Equal Opportunity Programs/ADA Coordinator/Title IX Coordinator, at 305.237.2577.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724600
|
__label__wiki
| 0.594276
| 0.594276
|
Councillor Edel Corrigan, Louth, Dundalk Carlingford
Edel Corrigan has been a Sinn Féin elected representative to Louth County Council since 2009. She hails from Ballymascanlon and is currently living in Dundalk town. She is a past pupil of Dun Lughaidh and DkIT and has worked for a number of years locally in hospitality as well as a Health and Safety Advisor throughout Ireland.
Edel is a member of the Young Female Caucus National Women’s Council of Ireland and has a keen interest in women’s issues and equality. She also has a great interest in youth development and support through encouraging young people to take ownership of social leadership roles in their areas of interest.
Edel has a keen interest in the development of cross border, regional relations and the co-ordination of economic planning on an all-Ireland basis. She promotes this through her work as a member of the Memorandum of Understanding Committee between Louth County Council, Newry and Mourne and Down District Council, as well as the Transport and Cross Border Strategic Policy Committee of Louth County Council.
As a member of Sinn Féin, Edel has a strong belief in equality for all and Sinn Féin goals for an accountable local government. “I will continue to oppose the politics of cronyism and exclusion which has been at the heart of political culture in the past and the present. For too long now, connections to those in government have allowed certain groups and individuals to enjoy positions of privilege. That has to come to an end.” Sinn Féin is clear where we stand and in whose interests we stand for. Edel works to ensure that there are adequate systems of protection of minorities’ rights and checks and balances built into governance arrangements.
Edel Corrigan is on the Infrastructure, European and Cross Border Affairs SPC (Special Policy Committee) on Louth County Council.
Contact details for Edel
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edel.corrigancllr?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdelCorriganLCC
Edel.Corrigan@louthcoco.ie
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724602
|
__label__wiki
| 0.985486
| 0.985486
|
Maurice Jones-Drew: London deserves NFL franchise
Published: July 10, 2014 at 07:45 p.m.
Updated: July 10, 2014 at 11:08 p.m.
The NFL's International Series will continue in 2014 with three games scheduled in London.
The Oakland Raiders and Miami Dolphins are up first with a Sept. 28 matchup at Wembley Stadium. Raiders running back Maurice Jones-Drew played in the most recent London game during his final season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Week 8 bout vs. the San Francisco 49ers. Jones-Drew was asked by BritviewNFL.com's Neil Reynolds if London was ready for a full-time NFL franchise.
"You know what? I think they deserve one," Jones-Drew said. "It's just the toll it takes on the body because it's so hard to fly across the pond. I think the fans deserve it and London deserves it because it is a great city.
"My only worry is the toll it would take for a team to go back and forth and how would you get that done?" he continued. "There are some things they would have to work on -- they might have to bring the Concorde back and cut that time in half. But you never know."
(Tangibly related note: The Concorde was an awesome machine.)
Raiders quarterback Matt Schaub -- who will be playing his first overseas game -- had even stronger feelings on the topic.
"Absolutely," he said of an NFL team in London. "I think that is definitely in the future."
MJD's comments might represent the biggest challenge to taking the NFL's global investment further. The NFL Players Association could throw up a road block and argue overseas travel asks too much of the players. This would be a challenging sell for the league.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" makes sense of the Andre Johnson situation and pitches ways to fix the "Top 100."
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724606
|
__label__wiki
| 0.80799
| 0.80799
|
Ex-Redskins TE Fred Davis reinstated from suspension
Published: May 7, 2015 at 02:53 p.m.
Updated: May 7, 2015 at 08:04 p.m.
Former Washington Redskins tight end Fred Davis is free to sign with an NFL team after more than a year away from the game.
Suspended indefinitely in February of 2014 for repeated violations of the league's substance abuse policy, Davis has been reinstated to the NFL, NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports, via a source informed of the league's decision.
Pro Football Talk first reported Davis' reinstatement.
Once viewed as a Pro Bowl talent, Davis enjoyed a career year with 59 receptions and 796 yards in an impressive 2011 season with the Redskins.
Now 29 years old, Davis has managed a combined 31 catches, 395 yards and one touchdown in three years since that campaign.
He played his best ball under former Redskins coordinator Kyle Shanahan, who is now running Atlanta's offense. The Falcons also took fliers on Jacob Tamme and Tony Moeaki, two veteran tight ends well past the prime of their respective careers.
It will be interesting to see how much interest Davis generates now that he's back on the open market.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast reacts to the most recent "Deflategate" news and discusses the current state of all 16 NFC teams. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724607
|
__label__wiki
| 0.836485
| 0.836485
|
Dolphins don't think Jay Ajayi's struggles are his fault
By Kevin Patra
Romo: Jason Witten will pick up where he left off
The Miami Dolphins' running game has sputtered since Thanksgiving.
Jay Ajayi has gained less than 80 yards per game in each of his past five contests, with fewer than 3.0 yards per carry in two of the last three games.
Dolphins coach Adam Gase said Wednesday the problem is a confluence of issues: facing better run defenses and injuries to the offensive line.
"Coming off some of these injuries we've had up front, some moving pieces, and we played some good defensive fronts, that's the one thing that myself and coaches have been reminding him of," Gase said, via the Miami Herald. "Just remember we have played some good teams. ... And the teams that have been good on defense, it's been the front seven that has been the strength of all of these teams that we've played."
The Dolphins did play some good run defenses, including the Ravens and Cardinals the past two weeks. Ajayi also earned just 45 yards against a putrid 49ers run D.
When Ajayi burst out in October with back-to-back 200-yard games, the Dolphins' offensive line was the healthiest it had been all season. During the running back's struggles, however, Branden Albert has missed time with a wrist injury and Laremy Tunsil has dealt with a shoulder injury. Most notably, center Mike Pouncey entered the lineup during Ajayi's best stretch and his exit coincided with the running back's worst play.
With Pouncey on injured reserve, Ajayi's outlook isn't getting easier.
"It's tough not to get frustrated because you want to be able to create that output," Ajayi said. "You want that production. It's tough when you look at the end of the game and the stats kind of don't showcase what you feel is going on out there. But that's what it is and it's motivating to keep going out there, keep doing maybe something more, just trying to keep pushing myself to get back to the high production level we had before."
Matt Moore starting in place of Ryan Tannehill with the playoffs on the line (Miami sits seventh in the AFC), means the Dolphins will need to ride Ajayi hard down the stretch.
Gase said even with the recent struggles he doesn't want the running back to change his rugged style. The coach believes sooner or later Ajayi is going to bust out again.
"I mean we're a shoelace away so many different times to where all of a sudden that 5-yard gain is going to be 25," Gase said. "We've been close quite a few times. Last game, there were a couple of them that were just so close to being explosive runs. I know everybody wants to get caught up with the numbers, but we're kind of looking at each play individually and saying, 'OK, this was good. We're close. We've just got to finish this a little better.'
"So I'm not getting discouraged by numbers right now. I know if we keep giving him touches and giving him opportunities, and we get back in a rhythm and we get guys healthy as we finish this thing out, I think we're going to start having the number production be better."
The Dolphins need that uptick to start Saturday night versus a New York Jets team that Ajayi scampered for 111 yards on in Week 9.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724608
|
__label__wiki
| 0.706767
| 0.706767
|
Tabanger (Talk | contribs)
m (→The Big Comeback: name correction)
Reznor was born and raised in the western Pennsylvania town of Mercer in a Lutheran household (although Reznor now states that he believes in God, but has no actual religion). Because he has the same first name as his father, he was called by his middle name to avoid confusion. In late 1970, soon after the birth of his little sister, Reznor's father left and his parents divorced. He and his infant sister were sent to live with their maternal grandparents, primarily because it would have been too difficult for their mother to raise them by herself. Reznor's grandmother decided that the 5-year-old should take classical piano lessons. Over the years he became immersed in music and has been compared to Harry Connick, Jr. by his piano teacher.
Reznor graduated from high school in 1983 and went on to study production at Allegheny College. It was around this time that he joined his first "real" band, [[Option 30]]. They became popular in the college scene in western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio but Reznor clearly wanted to get out and see more. After a year in college, Reznor dropped out of school and left Option 30, moving to Cleveland. Once there, he worked a few odd jobs, selling music instruments and also working as a studio technician at Right Track Studio. It was in Cleveland that he met roommate and future bandmate [[Chris Vrenna]]. The day jobs helped Reznor pay the bills but, like in Pennsylvania, he became active in Cleveland's music scene.
===Recent Activity===
On January 21, 2014, the Beats Music streaming service went live, with Reznor serving as Chief Creative Officer. On the same day, it was also announced that Reznor and Ross were doing the score for David Fincher's ''[[Gone Girl Soundtrack|Gone Girl]]''. The album was released digitally on September 30, 2014 and the film opened on October 2. Beats Music was subsequently purchased by Apple and relaunched under a new iteration of iTunes called Apple Music, effectively making Reznor an Apple employee.
In 2016, a host of other score music from Reznor and Ross was announced. In June, the pair released a [[Juno|standalone track]] for a short film about NASA's Juno Mission. This was followed by the ''[[Before The Flood Soundtrack]]'' (a collaboration with Mogwai and Gustavo Santaolalla) and the ''[[Patriots Day Soundtrack]]''. Delivering on a promise made in 2015 for new music from NIN the following year, the ''[[Not The Actual Events]]'' EP was officially released on December 23, 2016. In 2017, the score for Ken Burns' ''[[The Vietnam War Soundtrack|The Vietnam War]]'' was announced and it was also revealed that ''Not The Actual Events'' is the first in a trilogy of related EPs to be released 6-8 months apart.
*'''Acting Role''': Played a member of "The Problems" (played by Exotic Birds) in ''[[wp:Light Of Day|Light Of Day]]'' [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gM0MmNjy97s]
*''Communiqué,'' Lucky Pierre (Saxophone and vocals, "Communiqué"; vocals, "I Need To Get To Know (Other People)")
*'''Touring''': Provided vocals on tour with the Revolting Cocks
*''Gub,'' [[Pigface]] (Loop programming; writing; vocals, "[[Suck]]")
*'''Touring''': Provided vocals on tour with Pigface
*''Burn Like Brilliant Trash,'' Machines of Loving Grace (remix, "Burnt Offering" and "Burn Like Brilliant Trash (Dub 120 BPM)")
*''Pleasant Smell,'' [[12 Rounds]] (Remix, "Pleasant Smell (Rethought by Trent Reznor, [[Keith Hillebrandt]], and [[Clint Mansell]])")
*''Spin This,'' N.E.R.D. (Remix, "Lapdance (Trent Reznor Remix)")
*''Era Vulgaris,'' [[Queens Of The Stone Age]] (Vocals, "Era Vulgaris")—available for download
*''[[Immigrant Song]]'' with Karen O and Atticus Ross (Performance, programming and production)
*''[[Is Your Love Strong Enough?]]'', How To Destroy Angels (Performance and production)
*''Sound City: Real To Reel soundtrack'' (writing and performance, "Mantra"; with [[Dave Grohl]] and Josh Homme)
*''[[Juno]]'' with Atticus Ross (Writing and performance)
*''[[The Vietnam War Soundtrack]]'' with Atticus Ross (Writing and performance)
*Multimedia project for Banksy (The Walled Off Hotel) (with Atticus Ross)
*N/A, Todd Rundgren (Remix, "Deaf Ears (Nine Inch Nails Mix)")
*'''Acting Role''': Appeared in an episode of the reboot of ''Twin Peaks''
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724612
|
__label__wiki
| 0.887749
| 0.887749
|
Acacia’s Buzwagi mine in Tanzania to produce just gold bars until it shuts
Cecilia Jamasmie | September 22, 2017 | 6:42 am Base Metals Precious Metals Africa Canada Copper Gold
Buzwagi began production in 2009 and has generated over 1 million ounces of gold to date. (Image courtesy of Acacia Mining.)
Acacia Mining (LON:ACA), Tanzania’s No.1 gold producer which earlier this month decided to reduce operations in the country, said its Buzwagi mine is likely to start generating cash again after upbeat results from a trial to increase the proportion of sellable gold bars.
The company, majority owned by Canada’s Barrick Gold (TSX, NYSE: ABX), had previously announced it intended to end all gold and copper concentrate production from that mine in the second quarter of 2018, due to the export ban on this material imposed by the Tanzanian government in March.
Gold bars are not impacted by the export ban on gold and copper concentrate imposed by the Tanzanian government in March.
But the positive trial results at Buzwagi has led the company to keep the mine producing just gold bars, which are not affected by Tanzania’s export ban, until the end of its life in 2020.
Of Buzwagi’s total production this year, around two-thirds has been made up of concentrate but since the ban was introduced in early March, Acacia has only been able to sell around 35% of the operation’s output, while incurring 100% of the cost.
“There are no changes to group production or cost guidance resulting from this processing change, however it will result in Buzwagi being able to sell an additional 8,000-10,000 ounces per month for the remainder of the year,” Acacia said in the statement.
Acacia has been facing government pressure since March, when President John Magufuli imposed the ban on gold concentrate, which represents about a third of the miner’s output.
Less than four months later, Tanzania accused Acacia of operating illegally and evading tens of billions of dollars in taxes by understating the amount of metal concentrate in exports from the three gold and copper mines it operates in the country.
The conflict pushed Barrick to intervene as Acacia called for arbitration on behalf of its Bulyanhulu and Buzwagi mines. The world’s largest gold producer, which has a 64% stake in Acacia, is currently in talks with authorities in hopes of reaching a settlement over the claims against its subsidiary and the country’s current ban on mineral concentrate exports.
Acacia Mining owns and operates another two mines in Tanzania — Bulyanhulu and North Mara. The African nation is the continent’s third-largest gold producer.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724616
|
__label__cc
| 0.550966
| 0.449034
|
Kinross Gold allegedly trying to recover Ecuador mine losses
Cecilia Jamasmie | May 30, 2014 | 7:29 pm Base Metals Precious Metals Top Companies Canada Europe Latin America Copper Gold Silver
Fruta del Norte, discovered in 2006, is one of the world’s biggest gold discoveries, containing about 6.7 million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves and 9 million ounces of proven and probable silver reserves.
Canada’s Kinross Gold Corp. (TSX:K) (NYSE:KGC), the company that took a $720 million write-down when it halted its $1.3bn Fruta del Norte gold-silver project in Ecuador last year, is in negotiations to get back part of the investment, Bloomberg is reporting.
The miner said in June last year it was abandoning all efforts to develop the project because of the high taxes demanded by the Ecuadorean government, which refused to renegotiate a plan for a 70% windfall tax on revenue, allow Kinross to sale Fruta or extend the company’s licence beyond an August 1 deadline.
For Kinross, the project was a calculated risk that simply didn’t pay off. For Ecuador, it was a major blow to its ambitious plans of attracting mining companies to develop the industry.
Since 2012, the country has signed only one investment contract for a large-scale mining project with the Chinese-owned Ecuacorriente S.A. for the open-pit Mirador copper project, scheduled to start production at the end of 2015.
Ongoing talks
A member of the country’s mining chamber told BNamericas earlier this month (subs required) the project sale was still ongoing, and that the potential buyer “would have to be approved by the government.”
One of the rumoured bidders is Chile’s Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, which is already involved in the Ecuadorian mining sector.
But people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that President Rafael Correa’s administration may agree to renew the company’s rights to the concession, removing legal hurdles to the prospective sale. Another option, says the report, is for Kinross to just sell data gathered from its prospecting operations.
Fruta del Norte, found in 2006, is one of the world’s biggest gold discoveries, containing about 6.7 million ounces of proven and probable gold reserves and 9 million ounces of proven and probable silver reserves, according to Kinross’ website.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724617
|
__label__wiki
| 0.572611
| 0.572611
|
Tweeting at:
What is Musical Vibrations?
Music and d/Deaf people
Live music and d/Deaf people
Music appreciation following profound hearing loss: WJ’s story
Music production: SignKid
Live music: Shuffle Down music festival, Falkirk, Scotland
Join in: Schools research
Join in: Music practitioners
Join in: Music industry
Join in: Live music
Author: Musical Vibrations
July 9, 2019 July 9, 2019 Musical Vibrations
Musical Vibrations
by Professor Carl Hopkins
originally published in the Institute of Acoustics blog at https://www.ioa.org.uk/musical-vibrations
Eleven million people in the UK have some form of hearing loss (approximately one in six people), and there are more than 900,000 people with a severe or profound hearing loss. Whilst communication tends to receive the most attention in research, access to music, and participation in music-making can be important too. To quote Dame Evelyn Glennie, “People think that music means nothing to the deaf; but it is important to them whether they are interested in it or not. The satisfaction of feeling vibrations, and being able to communicate through music, gives deaf children the greatest pleasure.”.
To support d/Deaf people in music performance, education, appreciation and production, the Musical Vibrations project is being run by Prof. Carl Hopkins, Natalie Barker (music teacher) and Dr Gary Seiffert from the Acoustics Research Unit at the University of Liverpool. This project aims to demonstrate the potential of using vibrotactile feedback (i.e. sound presented as vibration that is felt via the skin).
To demonstrate its potential in music appreciation, we invited WJ, who became profoundly-deaf about 8 years ago, to come and ‘feel’ one of her favourite songs from the past. Her wonderful reactions can be seen in this video:
The initial research considered the feasibility of group rehearsal, performance and improvisation for musicians with hearing impairments. The basic concept being that any musical performance can effectively be turned into a computer-controlled amplified performance where the sound from each instrument is taken to a mixing desk and sent back as a vibration signal to be presented to the body of the musician. This established that the concept was feasible for the perception of notes from C1 up to G5 with safe levels of vibration presented to the glabrous skin of the hands and/or feet.
The equipment is currently installed in Derby Royal School for the Deaf where it is being used to deliver music lessons. The teacher has commented that “It is changing the way I teach” and on entering the room the children now immediately take their shoes and socks off before the lesson has even started.
ABOUT PROFESSOR CARL HOPKINS:
Carl is a Professor in Acoustics and Head of the Acoustics Research Unit at the University of Liverpool. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Acoustics and a Chartered Engineer. Carl was awarded the Tyndall Medal in 2012 for his achievements and services in the field of acoustics, and awarded the Engineering Medal in 2016 in recognition of his outstanding contribution in the field of acoustical engineering.
His research primarily focuses on the measurement and prediction of sound and structure-borne sound in the built environment with applications to building, automotive, aeronautic, or marine structures. He has published a sole-author monograph on sound transmission in buildings that is referenced in British, European and International Standards. Recent research on using vibrotactile stimuli to facilitate interactive performance between musicians with hearing impairments was shortlisted for the 2013 THE award ‘Research project of the year’.
July 3, 2019 Musical Vibrations
3.7.19 Origins…
Many creative ideas begin in places where we least expect them. Musical Vibrations came about during a car journey.
Professor Carl Hopkins, head of the Acoustics Research Unit (ARU) at the University of Liverpool, first dreamt up the idea that would result in the Musical Vibrations project when a radio broadcast in his car connected his research into floor vibration with the phenomenon of music being perceived as vibrations through the floor of a concert hall as described by Dame Evelyn Glennie.
His initial thoughts were of designing performance decks around each instrument to maximise vibrational feedback and remove potential variations between different concert performance spaces.
So, research began in 2012, in conjunction with the Royal Northern College of Music, to explore how vibrotactile technology could support musicians with a hearing impairment. The intention was to open up new opportunities for people to become musicians and perform with other musicians. Publications on this research can be found here. This research was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (Grant No. AH/H008926/1)
https://stream.liv.ac.uk/kgfymdz4The video above summarises the concept outlined in the research, which was that it was possible for musicians to perform together successfully using vibrotactile feedback alone, i.e. without being able to see or hear each other. The video promoted the research findings to a much wider audience and had more than 1000 views in its first week online. To date, it has been viewed over 6,000 times.
January 22, 2019 July 3, 2019 Musical Vibrations
“The worst loudspeakers in the World”
We’re proud to possess some of the worst loudspeakers in existence at the University of Liverpool. Originally designed to make walls and aircraft parts shake during testing, they are incredibly inefficient. So much so that you can hardly hear them at all. They’re so bad we call them ‘shakers’.
Foot shakers
But when you touch them it’s a different story; if you connected one to an electronic piano you would be able to feel the difference between musical pitches all the way from C1, the very bottom of a piano, up to G5, which is around where an average female voice tops out.
It’s a more efficient way of doing what deaf people have been doing since the invention of amplified sound; touching surfaces in rooms where loud music is being played to ‘hear’ music through the skin.
The shakers can be used on the hands, heels and forefeet so that up to six, each connected to a different musical instrument if desired, can be used at once.
Deaf musicians can feel the vibrations from the playing of other musicians through their feet whilst keeping hands free for playing along with the ensemble without relying on visual cues. Our Day Tripper video illustrates the concept.
The aim of the Musical Vibrations project is to bring the shakers into schools, music venues and recording studios where they can create a real-life impact. We took the shakers to the Royal School for the Deaf, Derby earlier this year, and worked with around 40 children from key stages 1 to 4.
The next phase of our research, to find out exactly what the shakers bring to music education, starts in 2019. This involves teachers and pupils using the shakers in music lessons over a period of four weeks.
We’re currently looking for more music schools and resource bases to take part.
How can Limping Chicken readers help?
If your child attends a school for Deaf children or a resource base at a mainstream secondary, please mention this project to the school. More information can be found on our website www.musicalvibrations.com
If you’re a music teacher, TOD, or Head teacher, drop us a line at MUSVIB@liverpool.ac.uk
Follow us on Twitter @MUSVIB to help us get the message out!
If results are positive, and the positive response we have had so far is very encouraging, then our plan is to seek charitable funding to enable systems to be purchased for all schools and deaf resource bases.
Acoustics Research Unit
Liverpool L69 7ZN
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724618
|
__label__wiki
| 0.820604
| 0.820604
|
HomeNewsTB outbreaks in the Midlands mapped by sequencing bacteria's entire DNA
TB outbreaks in the Midlands mapped by sequencing bacteria's entire DNA
HealthEnvironment
A new study has demonstrated how DNA sequencing techniques can map tuberculosis (TB) outbreaks, allowing the spread of disease to be tackled more quickly and effectively.
Researchers in Oxford and at the Health Protection Agency in Birmingham have pioneered the method – which read outs the entire DNA code of the TB-causing bacteria – through a study of 254 TB cases in the Midlands. The results are published today in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases.
The team used whole genome sequencing techniques to compare the genetic information from the TB bacteria of each patient. This allowed them to determine with a high degree of accuracy whether cases were isolated, or if there was an outbreak of the potentially fatal disease.
By genetically mapping the spread of infection, the method can show who has given the disease to whom, and help identify potential 'super spreaders' before any information has been collected from patients.
Armed with this data, public health bodies can assess how much transmission is taking place and target efforts quickly, efficiently and effectively to where it is needed most.
Professor Tim Peto led the research at the NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, a partnership between the University of Oxford and the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. He said: 'This will result in a major rebalancing of the public health approach to the spread of TB. It will make them far more focused on where the problems are and make them more efficient and effective.'
TB cases in the UK remain relatively low. However, the number of cases has risen slightly over the past decade, with almost 9,000 cases reported in 2011. Many cases are isolated but there have been numerous outbreaks across the country over recent years.
Public health bodies currently depend on people with TB volunteering information about their movements, family and friends, to identify further cases and piece together the potential spread of the disease.
Until now this approach has been aided by limited genetic typing techniques that are only able to rule out transmission between cases, and not reliably confirm transmission.
The process of identifying outbreaks has therefore been time consuming, relying on the information people are able to give. It also occasionally throws up false connections, leading to wasted effort by health bodies.
By sequencing the whole genome of the TB bacteria, the new technique allows outbreaks to be mapped by linking cases together, and it has the ability to predict the existence of undiagnosed cases.
Dr Philip Monk, a consultant in public health at the Health Protection Agency, described the research as a 'revolution in TB control'.
He added: 'At present you have to put a lot of work into contact tracing to find links between cases. This is extremely difficult particularly when people often lead such chaotic lives. By identifying so-called super spreaders we can target our work effectively. In terms of the public health management of TB, that is a major paradigm shift.'
The whole genome sequencing method measures the genetic distance between TB strains to accurately link cases before any additional patient data has been collected. By analysing the evolving pattern of mutations in the DNA of the TB bacteria, it is possible to work out the direction of transmission and identify potential super-spreaders.
Professor Peto of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine at Oxford University said: 'This work gives a level of certainty you could never have before about who belongs to a transmission chain. The information is in the germ, and it speaks for itself.'
The study was funded by the Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health Research and the Health Protection Agency.
Oxford to lead quantum computing hub as part of UK’s research and innovation drive
Lancet Infectious Diseases
Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine
Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust
NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
National Institute for Health Research
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724623
|
__label__wiki
| 0.676026
| 0.676026
|
Paul Shaffer & The World's Most Dangerous Band - Paul Shaffer & The World's Most Dangerous Band
Paul Shaffer & The World's Most Dangerous Band
10s Pop Rock Music CDs
After a 24-year gap since their first album, "The World's Most Dangerous Party" produced by Todd Rundgren, the eponymous PAUL SHAFFER & THE WORLD’S MOST DANGEROUS BAND features appearances by an all-star pan-demographic lineup including guest vocalists Dion, Jenny Lewis, Bill Murray, Darius Rucker, Shaggy, and Valerie Simpson. Shaffer and bandmates Will Lee and Felicia Collins round out the lead vocal duties.
Also available at these online retailers: Buy on Amazon Music Buy on iTunes
Cast Your Fate To The Wind (feat. Shaggy)
Why Can't We Live Together (feat. Darius Rucker)
Sorrow (feat. Jenny Lewis)
Yeh Yeh
Win Your Love (feat. Dion)
Happy Street (feat. Bill Murray)
Some Kind Of Wonderful (feat. Felicia Collins)
Rhythm (feat. Leo Napier)
I Don't Need No Doctor (feat. Valerie Simpson & Felicia Collins)
Enjoy The Ride (feat. Will Lee)
Just Because (feat. Paul Shaffer)
Wigwam (feat. Paul Shaffer)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724629
|
__label__wiki
| 0.867886
| 0.867886
|
Kadokawa Games
Grasshopper Manufacture
Killer Is Dead Stars an Assassin with an Outrageous Arm
by Sammy Barker Thu 17th Jan 2013
It's been a long time since we learned anything about Grasshopper Manufacture's upcoming PlayStation 3 action title, Killer Is Dead. The game was announced in April last year, but has been kept under wraps for the past eight months. Thankfully, that's changed this week, courtesy of a Famitsu magazine exposé.
The report, translated by Polygon, explains that the title “picks up where Killer 7 and No More Heroes left off”, but stresses that it's not a direct sequel to either of those games. Instead, it merely belongs to the developer’s ‘assassin’ series, and features a unique cel-shaded art style as a result. As you can see from the screenshots embedded below, it looks absolutely amazing.
"We're trying to make a game that we'd only be able to make right now, at this point in time,” Suda51 said. “The result is seen in our unique high-contrast shading seen in the graphics, as well as the high speed wrestling-like action."
As previously mentioned, the title is set in the future, and stars a 35-year-old man named Mondo Zappa. The protagonist is augmented with various cybernetic enhancements, including a Swiss Army knife-esque left arm which can cycle between guns, drills, and other bits of gear. He uses the enhanced limb to absorb the blood of his victims, which charges special ‘Adrenalin Burst’ attacks.
"It's the story of a man who doesn't show himself much in the public world, but still worms his way into society and mercilessly eliminates the evil dispersed in it," Suda51 continued. "It's a personal story, not one that's conscious of the chaos going on in the real world at the moment, but you might get more than a taste of that in the end anyway.”
The game’s due out this summer in Japan, but is still yet to be announced for the west. We expect that to change over the coming weeks.
[via famitsu.com, polygon.com]
Killer Is Dead (PS3)
Thu 17th Jan 2013
TNLGUY
I wanna know who Mondo Zappa is named after. I can make guesses.
Fri 18th Jan 2013
I really like the No More Heroes games, so this is definitely high on my list. Looks awesome.
Superconsole
I've been itching for more news on this! It looks like it still oozes that NMH style ;D
PS Plus Members Score Up to 75 Per Cent Off in US PSN Flash Sale
Weirdness: Russia Has a Tank Controlled with a DualShock
Press X to attack
UK Sales Charts: Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled Struggles to Overtake Super Mario Maker 2 Once Again
Another quiet week
Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? - Issue 280
Long summer
Dragon's Dogma Online Is Closing Down After Four Years and Having Never Made it West
Severing the cycle
27th Aug 2013 (USA)
30th Aug 2013 (UK/EU)
loveandkill.com
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724632
|
__label__wiki
| 0.590099
| 0.590099
|
Easy A (dir. Will Gluck)
Seriously...never underestimate what a good cast and a likable lead can do for you. Never say that script, or even direction, is the be all and end all in pictures. Though, as we learn here, lacking in either department will hinder the hell out of it.
Because Easy A would be almost worthless if not for a lot of people. Especially if not for Emma Stone, about whom it's tempting to simply say "Emma Stone is awesome!" for five paragraphs and call it a day. I'm not going to say I've been aching for Stone to get a shot like this - I liked her well enough in Superbad and Zombieland, but she never really made a huge impression. Her work here, however, is the makings of a true movie star. It's a smartly-written role, to be sure, as good as the well-adjusted, clever, insightful, beyond-her-years teen role gets, but there's little question that Stone owns it in a way only a movie star can. She's well supported, especially by Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci - who play her parents - and the fact that they steal every scene they're in is a testament not only to how talented they are, but to Stone's ability to hold her own as an equal.
And there is a movie worthy of her command buried in here. As sloppy and unmotivated as the film is (every second of Lisa Kudrow's character should have been cut, for starters), as many emotional shortcuts as it takes, it still manages to tackle relevant issues in a smart way. Olive (Stone) gains a certain amount of popularity for the sexual activity she's believed to have taken part in, but when she carries the lie too far, the school starts to turn on her. Granted, this happens to an almost ridiculous degree - rumors seem to have hit everyone at the school within an hour, and the other kids actually make protest signs to demean her - but the concerns are legitimate and relevant for young people today. How much sex is too much sex? Any? And with how many people? Where's the line between keeping your sex life private and engaging in modern discourse?
I attended Catholic high school, and one of the less promiscuous ones at that. I never knew a world where teenage sex was a normal part of the landscape. Nevertheless, you'd hear stories told in whispered tones far from adult ears. They never included anyone you were terribly close with. Football players and cheerleaders, as stereotypical as that may seem, were too often the subject, though for all I know they were telling stories of my fellow drama nerds I couldn't imagine. They were typically outlandish, exciting, and all too often a little gross. But they always seemed to be happening outside of my experience. Somewhere over there.
It's interesting then to think about these conversations happening in high schools across the country, and I know they do. We are perhaps a richer society for heightened sexual awareness, but there is still a societal battle between our puritanical roots and the eventuality of some sort of enlightenment (or acceptance, as you prefer). This film represents one of the markers of the state of this battle, though it makes no bones about casting religious conservatives in a tone not only unfair, but also dramatically flat.
For young people, sex represents an exciting, but dangerous, step into adulthood. Like any similar milestone, it is exciting only in the process preceding, during, and immediately following crossing into it. And although no sex actually occurs in this film - the grand conceit is that all of these matters are addressed with nary a thrust - Olive's journey is an outward expression of something very personal and relevant: the publication of something private.
That Olive embraces, wholeheartedly, her newfound popularity as "one of the sexed" is no surprise, and neither is her belief of "more is better." I've heard criticism that someone as smart and well-adjusted as Olive would never do anything as deeply stupid as the decisions that drive this narrative - which begins with lying about losing her virginity, becomes lying about having sex with the school's outcasts, and blossoms into being the school's resident sex bomb - but they simply forget, or possibly never experienced, the drug of popularity. It is nearly impossible at that or any age to turn away from something that gets you noticed.
And this is why I really liked this movie in spite of itself. There are ideas, themes, and a relevant message at the beating heart of this movie, so when all else fails, you still have a lot worth clinging onto. Well, that and Emma Stone is frickin' amazing.
Railin' Around Town
That is the WORST title for a blog post ever.
That said, there are no less than two (TWO!) blogathons going on right now, and I'm participating in...the two to which I refer.
First, Jeremy over at Moon in the Gutter is hosting the excellent Paul Thomas Anderson blogathon, so I contributed a piece I wrote...over a year ago at this point. So if you weren't reading me then, read it now! I'm exceptionally proud of it.
Next, Fletch of the Blog Cabins is putting on a 30 Days of Crazy blogathon, which gave me the opportunity to finally - finally! - do that Barton Fink piece I've always wanted to write. Which is to say, me writing anything about Barton Fink, far and away my favorite Coen Brothers film. I really didn't expect to write what I did, but hey, there you have it.
Fresh content soon, I promise. My work schedule went from me barely being there to me being there all the time, but I saw two new movies this weekend and I'm on vacation next weekend, which means plenty of airport-and-plane writing time.
Posted by Scott Nye at 9:15 AM 1 comments
Anyone who says old movies don't have the pace and excitement of modern films owe it to themselves to watch this sequence, the final showdown of Howard Hawks' Red River. It's the best testament to how exciting classic framing and cutting can be that I can imagine.
A Diversion (But What a Diversion!)
I've been rewatching The Red Shoes over the last couple of days (not like on repeat, mind you, just here and there as time allows), having seen it only the once (and now owning the magnificent Criterion Blu-Ray). I've already gone on record about how magnificent it is, and it is one of the highest regarded films, like, of all time, so there's really no call for this other than pure celebration of those rare movies that are absolutely perfect. There is, quite literally, nothing wrong with this film. Everything I ache for at the movies - purity of expression, honesty of emotion, and no concessions - is present here. God, this is magnificent.
The Limits The American's Control
I've written in the past (about another George Clooney film, in fact) how delicate a balance is required in order to maintain mood and tone in the cinema. All the good one sets out to accomplish can be so easily undone with the slightest nudge.
The American is a film all about mood and tone, and for it to be successful, it needs to take an extraordinarily measured approach in shot composition and editing. As Martin Scorsese said, "Cinema is a matter of what's in the frame and what's out," and the director of a film such as The American must have absolute command over this principle. Keeping in mind such antecedents as Antonioni's The Passenger, Melville's Le Samourai, and Jarmusch's The Limits of Control would be advised, though not strictly necessary. Any Antonioni or Jarmusch will do.
And when I say The American falls short of those films' achievements, I mean that neither as a backhanded compliment nor as a negative reaction. After all, I don't even really like The Limits of Control all that much. But it without a doubt sets a specific tone and maintains it absolutely for its running time. With The American, director Anton Corbijn establishes a certain mood but hasn't the full courage of his convictions. His tempo is measured and calm for much of the film, fitting his protagonist's manner, and Clooney is well up to the task of turning his natural instincts way down. The Clooney charm can't help but peak through from time to time, but this is otherwise a side of Clooney we've not yet seen. It's not just his calm (we've seen that in Solaris) - it's his control. Like Clooney, Corbijn can't quite maintain absolute control. Too often he buckles, allowing the music to flourish when quiet would be best, or removing us from our protagonist's point of view, to which we have otherwise been tethered.
Yet that simply makes The American an imperfect film, though thankfully not fatally so. One wants to praise this to the heavens in the midst of all the "it's too slow!" remarks burdening the Internets, but one must still be honest. It is still a wondeful, rapturous film, full of the tension that comes about only in quiet. The introspection of watching a man absolutely in his element (in constructing a rifle or working out) and completely out of it (the film's final moments in particular). The limits, that is, of his own control.
Posted by Scott Nye at 12:45 PM 0 comments
Going the Distance (dir. Nanette Burstein)
Never underestimate what can be done with a great cast and likeable protagonists.
Going the Distance is far from a perfect film or even a very good one. It tells a much longer story than really works when you're trying to bring it in under two hours, without really acknowledging this essential problem. The movie takes place over the course of a year or so, but this is one of those films where not a lot seems to happen between the moments they choose to show us from this time. A lot of the jokes fall flat, and the supporting characters are pretty stock. The romance central to the film is built almost entirely via montage.
But it does work in a way these sort of stock films so often don't, and a lot of credit goes to the cast. Justin Long and Drew Barrymore play Garrett and Erin, who fall in love before Erin has to move away and try to make a go of it in a long-distance relationship. These are two fairly polarizing performers, and the worst things you can say about them are because of these sorts of roles, where they have to be relatable and likeable but simply come off as bland.
Luckily, writer Geoff LaTulippe has a character that seems tailor-made for Barrymore, giving us her usual ditz five or ten years down the line as a 31-year-old intern trying to make up for the follies of youth. Both she and Long are given actual characters with wants and desires totally outside of what they're looking for in each other, and their struggles are driven by what real people struggle with in their situation - trying to wed professional aims with a relationship that works really well. They don't fight over stupid, shallow things. They don't take petty measures to "get back" at the other person. They're just normal people trying to make the best of a bad situation. It seems simple, and yet this is the exception.
What really makes this film rev is the supporting cast. Erin lives with her sister's family, and Christina Applegate and Jim Gaffigan are just as good as you'd expect. Applegate is hindered by playing what could commonly be defined as the Leslie Mann in Knocked Up role, which is an irritating, never funny character, but she pushes through all right in some key moments. Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis play Garrett's friends; Day is playing a more likeable version of his It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia madman, which will cause someone to say he "can only do that one thing," but...c'mon. Assuming that is true - I'm not familiar with the guy enough to know if that's all he has - any actor would kill to do one thing as well as Day does his thing, and any scene with him and Sudeikis is gold.
Sudeikis and Gaffigan ended up being the stand-outs in the cast for me. They're doing something you have a hard time coming across in mainstream comedies - the earnestly performed, ego-free supporting performance. There's no way to put it other than that they play the role they're given, and they play it very well. Better than either of the leads, and better than most leads in most films. Like a lot of things about this film, their performances are the kind of thing we should be able to take for granted. As we can't, they're almost worth seeing the film for all on their own.
I'm dying for some film to save the mainstream romantic comedy, that most despised of genres that too often earns its hate but which I do actually kind of love. This isn't it, but it's helping. It's sweet, and it tries to get at some real issues, and it does have a handful of very, very funny moments, but ultimately comes up a little short in some key areas.
Piranha 3D (dir. Alexandre Aja)
After the movies have enjoyed over one hundred years as the nation's (and perhaps the world's) preeminent artistic entertainment, it can be difficult for a modern artist to find new images with which to populate his or her film.
I can say with no uncertainty that Piranha 3D contains many images I've never seen. Mostly ones I'd never thought I'd see. Not only is it one of the most ferociously three-dimensional pictures to date (it quickly dispels with the notion that subtlety is best), the audacity of even showing us half of the things we are shown is insane. What else is one to make of a woman pulled out of the water to reveal she's missing her lower half? Or another whose face is removed when her hair becomes too entangled in a motor blade? Never mind everything that happens to Derrick, the mastermind behind a Girls Gone Wild-esque empire whose fate is so outrageous and prolonged that I dare not spoil it here.
There reaches a point when the piranha attack goes full tilt that you really cannot believe they can top each new gag, and yet somehow they do. It should become a parody of itself, and perhaps to some it is, but I instead saw a filmmaker who took his chance to make a piranha movie and became dead set on giving us the best piranha movie he could possibly give. And boy does he. Every single scene involving piranha is invariably awesome. From the opening scene, which utilizes comic book aesthetics as well as any direct comic adaptation to depict the demise of an old man (who may be familiar to you), to the last (which I'll leave for you to discover), this is go-for-broke, give-them-what-they-came-for, old fashioned entertainment spectacle. And it's glorious.
And then you get this underwater photography that, in 3-D, is stunning. There are shots as intoxicating as some of the imagery Avatar provided, if more...forward about their intent. Let's just say it - two attractive members of the fairer sex get completely naked and swim around. When underwater, director Alexandre Aja smartly pulls the frame back to keep their entire bodies in frame and pushes them as far forward as current 3-D technology will permit him, resulting people just floating in the middle of the theater. And naked, clothed, underwater, in space, whatever - this is exactly what I've been hoping for from 3-D. I'm sick of this nonsense that the only good 3-D is the kind you don't notice. If you can make people fly through the air right in front of me, that's sure as hell worth the extra $3.50. That's true spectacle. I dream of seeing things that only 3-D will permit, of an auditorium totally enveloped in the environment. Believe it or not, Piranha 3D gets us a little closer to this reality.
Machete (dir. Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis)
On May 5th of this year (i.e. Cinco de Mayo), Robert Rodriguez debuted a trailer for Machete that presented the film as a reaction to increasingly tight control over illegal immigration. This was just days, as I recall, after Arizona passed their unheard-of measures to tighten their border, and Danny Trejo's introduction provides no room for misinterpretation. And yet, two weeks later, Robert Rodriguez showed up to clear some things up. The immigration angle isn't all that important to the film. He just cut the trailer that way as a reaction to what was going on in Arizona. Isn't it fun what you can do to change the tone of a film through editing?
But now I have to wonder if someone put him up to it, because Machete is all about the state of immigration, and more specifically the debate about immigration, in this country. It's pretty much the entire thrust of the narrative. There are more than a couple instances where the film stops dead for a character to tout the virtues of keeping the borders quasi-open. Those against illegal immigration are portrayed as either naive, misinformed, or completely and totally evil. And even though anyone who says this is calling for a race riot is probably a little nuts, there is sort of a rallying cry thing happening here.
And whatever your feelings may be about the issue, it makes for a fascinating, if not totally successful, piece of filmmaking. It's an overstuffed film, for starters - too much plot that doesn't pay off or matter at all. It's one thing to say we're really just going to see Machete (Danny Trejo) hack his enemies to tiny pieces, but the film clearly demonstrates that it shares our interests. The opening scene, which details how Machete arrived at his current predicament, is really phenomenal, and the straightest take on the grindhouse aesthetic in the whole film. The execution of this scene will provide the template for all similar scenes to follow - when your protagonist uses a giant knife as his key weapon, the action should be up close and blunt. And so it is.
Rodriguez and Maniquis aren't shy about the show they're putting on here. At one point two nurses with uniforms ending just under their crotch step out of a van and grab semi-automatic rifles, and we get the big two-shot of them standing side-by-side blasting the hell out of everything. There are many, many low-angle hero shots of people holding gigantic weapons. Everything you think Machete is will absolutely prove to be true. Whether or not that's a good thing is totally up to your own taste. As super-violent macho men movies go, though, on a pure craftsmanship level, this was head-and-shoulders above The Expendables.
Even if it does get too caught up in its own storytelling, following too many threads to unsatisfying, unnecessary conclusions (huge aspects of Michelle Rodriguez's role could have been covered in one scene), when Machete does get rolling, it really gets rolling. As for the lefty preaching, I guess if that sort of thing bothers you, then you're out of luck. I've never much minded a film preaching politics opposite my own (as in The Dark Knight). It's just a little rough when they upset the narrative flow, which can be the case here. But hey, at least it's interesting for a film to have a strong, polarizing point of view for once.
My Weekend at the Cinema
Machete (dir. Robert Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis)...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724634
|
__label__wiki
| 0.520052
| 0.520052
|
LSM Wins at 2017 US Search Awards, Landy Awards, MarCom Awards, & WebAwards
Local Search Masters (LSM), a digital performance marketing agency specializing in online marketing and lead tracking software for multi-location businesses, has been recognized for five achievements in web development and digital advertising.
None of this would be possible without the terrific franchise brands we're fortunate to partner with
(PRWEB) November 15, 2017
US Search Awards
LSM wins the ‘Best Small PPC Agency’ award at the 2017 US Search Awards. The award is given to an agency with a pay-per-click (PPC) department of less than 25 people, and it recognizes agencies that have been able to provide clients with effective Facebook and Google advertising campaigns. Celebrating its fifth year, the US Search Awards marks the largest celebration of search engine optimization (SEO) and online advertising in the United States, attracting hundreds of entries from across North America and beyond.
Landy Awards
LSM’s work with Brain Balance Achievement Learning Centers was named a finalist for the ‘Best Local Search Marketing Initiative - SEM’ award at the 2017 Landy Awards. Presented by Third Door Media, the publisher behind the leading industry publications Search Engine Land and Marketing Land, the Landy Awards recognizes individuals, agencies, and internet marketing teams that demonstrate excellence in organic and paid search marketing initiatives.
MarCom Awards
LSM’s clients won gold twice at the 2017 MarCom Awards: once for the 'Grand Opening' landing page template designed for TITLE Boxing Club and again for the 'Special Offer' template designed for Heartland Dental. The MarCom Awards has recognized companies’ excellence in marketing and communication for over a decade. The competition is judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), and it receives around 6,000 print and digital entry submissions every year from countries around the world.
WebAwards
LSM’s web development work for KrankFIT was awarded the ‘Small Business Standard of Excellence’ Award at the 2017 WebAwards. In it’s 17th year, the WebAwards recognize individual achievements behind today’s top website designs. The competition is judged by industry leaders selected by the Web Marketing Association, and it received over a thousand entries in 2017.
“The LSM team is proud of our recent achievements,” says CEO Trevor Emerson. “None of this would be possible without the terrific franchise brands we're fortunate to partner with. We appreciate each and every one of them, and we'll work hard to continue producing award-winning results in 2018 and beyond.”
About Local Search Masters (LSM)
Founded in 2006, Local Search Masters (LSM) helps franchises generate more business for their franchisees through user-friendly websites and customized, scalable digital marketing campaigns. We integrate our proprietary lead tracking software, LSM Insight, with our clients’ CRM platforms, making it easy for franchisors and franchisees to understand the net revenue generated from our suite of digital services. We’re a preferred vendor to 3,200+ units nationwide, and we’re here to make “LOCAL” a measurable advantage for your brand.
Katie Robinson
Local Search Masters
@localsearchmstr
Local Search Masters (LSM)
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724637
|
__label__wiki
| 0.867806
| 0.867806
|
Classes in laboratories and in the Arctic
September 2014 will see the inauguration of the EDUSCIENCE educational programme, presenting pupils in Polish schools with the fascinating stories behind research on the Earth, outer space and the atmosphere.
Website of the EDUSCIENCE
Science in comics
A piece of Poland inside
Oceanology, seismology, processes occurring in the atmosphere, space research – how much can a pupil in a normal Polish school have in common with these areas of science? As it turns out, quite a lot. The Polish edition of the EDUSCIENCE project is getting underway, which will give pupils and teachers the chance to observe scientists during their work in places like seismological observatories, on a research ship or in a geological museum. The highlight of the programme is direct satellite transmissions from the polar station on Spitsbergen.
EDUSCIENCE is an educational project financed by the European Union that targets pupils and teachers interested in expanding their Earth sciences knowledge. Last year it was piloted in 250 schools, and now encompasses all schools in Poland, from primary to secondary ones.
"Mathematics and science are often underappreciated by pupils, which is why we are trying to show them the fascinating aspects of those subjects through contact with scientists and the chance to see them at work," Dr Agata Goździk, director of EDUSCIENCE, told Polska.pl. "Classes can visit our seismological observatories, institutes, or participate in classes at the Geological Museum in Kraków."
It is an exceptional opportunity for pupils to get a glimpse behind the scenes at the work of scientists from leading Polish research centres under the Polish Academy of Sciences: the Institute of Geophysics, the Institute of Geological Sciences, the Institute of Oceanology and the Space Research Centre.
“You can ring up a selected centre and order a special lesson from scientists, during which pupils can ask them questions, talk about things like how old the Earth is or how outer space smells," says Dr Goździk.
One of the programme’s attractions is the chance to visit the educational and research ship "Horyzont II", which belongs to the Maritime Academy of Gdynia. There, pupils have the opportunity not only to go onto the bridge or into the engine room, but they can also sleep overnight and eat like the sailors do. "Horyzont II" is the ship that brings Polish scientists and supplies to the Polish Polar Station Hornsund on Spitsbergen.
"The Polar Station is the pride of our project," says Dr Goździk. “We operate a video transmission stream from there during which teachers involved in research share information about the Arctic with schools from all around Poland. It is even possible for pupils to come and visit the station on Spitsbergen, which has happened twice during the pilot phase of our project."
As part of the EDUSCIENCE project, the Polish station on Spitsbergen was visited by six secondary-school pupils who had won competitions involving subjects related to the Arctic.
"The scientists showed us their daily activities at the station: they gave us a tour of the laboratories and talked about the way the measuring instruments spread around the area operate,” Ewelina Kapusta from Secondary School no. 1 in Tarnów told Polska.pl. In August, Ewelina and a pair of classmates participated in an expedition to Spitsbergen. "The scientists took us out into the field: we were with them on a glacier, we climbed some of the nearby peaks, and we took a pontoon ride around the fjord."
"The first day we were engaged in measuring the flow of water entering the fjord, then we had classes on meteorology, magnetism, glaciology and tectonic plate movement," adds Kordian Drozd, another student from the same school. "Together with students from Gdańsk University, we observed the auks as they prepared to migrate.”
The pupils took samples which they later analysed in the laboratory. They did their share of the everyday tasks performed by those living at the station, helping out in the kitchen and monitoring the radio. For three weeks, they lived the life of the Polish Polar Station Hornsund.
“I would jump at the first chance to go back,” says Ewelina enthusiastically, seconded by Kordian.
EDUSCIENCE is more than trips and field lessons; it is also a universally-accessible distance learning platform that gives schools access to resources on mathematics and natural sciences subjects. The servers contain around 15,000 files designed to help teach lessons on subjects related to Earth sciences.
"This is really a fascinating area of knowledge,” says Dr Goździk. "It just has to be shown in the right way."
ALEKSANDRA STANISŁAWSKA
Other articles in this section
Polish universities in the lead of the scientific publications gender diversity ranking
The Medical University of Lublin leads, and the University of Gdańsk and the Poznań University of Medical Sciences are in the top 10 of the ranking of the share of female authorships of scientific publications at universities around the world, according to Nature Communications.
Seven medals for Polish inventors at the invention exhibition in Moscow
Polish engineers and scientists brought six gold medals and one silver medal from the 22nd Moscow International Inventions and Innovative Technology Salon ARCHIMEDES 2019.
"Dragon glass" in the territories of present-day Poland was already known over 20 thousand years ago
Obsidian, popularized as "dragon glass" in Game of Thrones, was believed to have miraculous properties. This shiny rock in the form of volcanic glass always attracted interest. In the lands of present-day Poland, it appeared as early as 20,000 years ago.
The largest known mammal-like reptile lived in Silesia
The largest mammal-like reptile known to date, Lisiowicia bojani, lived in Silesia about 210 million years ago, Polish researchers report in the publication in "Science". In terms of weight and dimensions, it was close to elephants.
Polish Mole has landed on Mars
This afternoon NASA InSight mission has landed on Mars. That is a first mission in history to study the deep interior of the Red Planet. The propulsion mechanism of HP3 Mole, which will dig for 5 meters in the Martian soil, was designed and made by Polish company.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724639
|
__label__cc
| 0.599604
| 0.400396
|
$60M French American School Project Still in ‘Limbo’
WHITE PLAINS—Despite a blistering rebuke of the actions by the White Plains Common Council over what has been a five-year long approval process, the $60-million French American School of New York development project here is still nowhere near breaking ground. New York State Supreme Court Judge Joan Lefkowitz in her recent ruling described the project…
A.S.A.P. Mortgage Corp. to Hold Event Honoring Military, Veterans on May 23
Mark Your Calendar MOHEGAN LAKE—A.S.A.P. Mortgage Corp. is holding an event on Monday, May 23 at the Roma Grill restaurant in Mohegan Lake from 6:30 P.M. - 8:30 P.M to honor military personnel and veterans. The event to be held at 3131 East Main St. in Mohegan Lake is free for all veterans and military…
Hudson Gateway REALTORS® Support Equal Housing Opportunities for All
Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® As we celebrate the 48th anniversary of the federal Fair Housing Act and the progress that has been made, sadly, we must recognize that after nearly five decades illegal discrimination in housing is a crime that still exists today. The Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® (HGAR) applauds Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s…
IDA Delays Vote Again on Major Project Based on Complaints Over Labor Policy
NEW WINDSOR—The developer of a major warehouse distribution project in the Town of Newburgh will have to wait until next month to possibly secure millions of dollars in incentives for its $40-million facility that will include anchor tenant AmerisourceBergen. The Orange County Industrial Development Agency delayed two votes on granting incentives to the major distribution…
Hudson Valley Home Sales Market Continues Feverish Sales Pace
WHITE PLAINS—The Hudson Valley home sales market in the first quarter continued its upward trajectory, with increased sales throughout the four county region. However, the market has yet to truly become a seller’s market since sale prices were flat or even decreased in the four county HGAR region. A majority of all housing categories (single…
2016 FIRST QUARTER REAL ESTATE SALES REPORT
Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Orange Counties, New York Editor’s Note: The following is the full text version of the 2016 First Quarter Residential Real Estate Sales Report for Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Orange Counties, New York released today by the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service, Inc. WHITE PLAINS - Realtors operating in the four-county lower…
Governor, Legislature Agree on $147B Budget
ALBANY—New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and state legislative leaders announced on March 31 that they had agreed on a $147-billion budget for Fiscal Year 2016-2017 that includes a phased in $15-minimum wage in portions of the state, paid family leave and a middle-class tax cut. The budget holds growth in state spending to 2% for…
Developer Says Westchester Will Benefit From Pricey NYC Office Market
WHITE PLAINS—Veteran real estate investor and developer Robert Weisz says Westchester County should benefit from the heady New York City office market in 2016. Weisz, principal of the RPW Group of Rye Brook, hosted approximately 40 commercial brokers at a meeting of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors’ Commercial Investment Division at his 1133 Westchester…
$250 Million Retail Project in Newburgh On Hold - UPDATE
NEWBURGH—Here’s a head scratcher, considering the robust commercial real estate market in the US and specifically in the Hudson Valley. A long-delayed, but much anticipated retail project here is on hold, a victim of the changing retail investments market, the ownership tells Real Estate In-Depth exclusively. The $250-million Loop-Hudson Valley project, which had leased more…
11-Year Saga Finally Ends for Chappaqua Crossing - UPDATE
CHAPPAQUA—A storyline that included a bankruptcy that changed everything, false hopes, staunch opposition, failed votes, litigation and in the end finally compromise ended with the groundbreaking of the controversial Chappaqua Crossing mixed-use project here. The approval process took 11 years to finish to get to the point where shovels went in the ground earlier this…
$230M Expansion at Westchester Medical Center to Begin in Spring - UPDATE
Health Care is the Rx for Hudson Valley Economy WHITE PLAINS—The healthcare sector continues to drive economic growth in Westchester County. Recent projects announced or under construction in the Hudson Valley put the healthcare and bioscience sector well in excess of $1 billion in new projects. On Wednesday, March 2, a plan to build…
$250 Million Retail Project in Newburgh On Hold
NEWBURGH—A long-delayed, but much anticipated retail project here is on hold, a victim of the changing retail investments market, the ownership tells Real Estate In-Depth exclusively. The $250-million Loop-Hudson Valley project, which had leased more than 80% of the planned 650,000-square-foot to 700,000-square-foot project to be built on a 120-acre parcel at the junction of…
$230M Expansion at Westchester Medical Center to Begin in Spring
WHITE PLAINS—The healthcare sector continues to drive economic growth in Westchester County. On Wednesday, March 2, a plan to build a $230-million Ambulatory Care Pavilion adjacent to the existing Westchester Medical Center was approved by the Westchester County Local Development Corp. It is the LDC’s largest deal since its official formation in April 2013. The…
Major Retail Properties Change Hands; More Deals to Come
HGAR to Move HQ Offices in April WHITE PLAINS—While the talk of the real estate industry in the Hudson Valley has been the emergence of the multifamily sector as an economic engine driving growth in the Hudson Valley economy, in early 2016 it has been the retail sector that has grabbed the major headlines with…
Westchester Cities Prime for Private Development Growth
TARRYTOWN—The multi-family construction boom, which has been going on in earnest in many U.S. gateway cities, such as New York City, Boston, Washington, DC, and San Francisco to name a few, is finally hitting the suburbs and major cities in Westchester County are now beginning to take advantage of the investment community’s attraction to rental…
Commercial Brokers Bullish on Market Prospects for 2016
WHITE PLAINS—In what can only be described as “saving the best for last,” Hudson Valley commercial real estate brokers predicted the commercial markets will fare very well this year, fueled by increased tenant demand and surging health care and biotech sectors. The roundtable discussion presented by the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors’ Commercial Investment Division…
New Rochelle Mayor Hints at Major Development Project in Works
NEW ROCHELLE—It appears that a major development proposal—the first project to come before the city since a far-reaching rezoning of the downtown district was approved by the City Council in December—will come before the city in the near future. While details are sketchy, a mixed-use high-rise development project is in the works in Downtown New…
Rockland County Exec. Day Outlines Progress Made in Last Two Years
NEW CITY—In his 2016 State of the County address delivered on Feb. 16, Rockland County Executive Ed Day drove home the progress that has been made since his administration took office when the county was on the brink of financial default. "Because of our ability to make difficult choices, we have overcome complicated problems with…
7 Renaissance Square White Plains Office Building Under Contract
WHITE PLAINS—The ownership of 7 Renaissance Square, a 65,600-square-foot building that is part of the Ritz-Carlton, Westchester complex in Downtown White Plains is under contract to be sold. The building ownership—a joint venture partnership of SL Green Realty and Renaissance Partners, LLC— has agreed to sell the property for a gross sale price of $20.7…
Water Park Project Surfaces in Town of Wallkill
WALLKILL—While Orange County officials are still awaiting word on whether it will be selected for a $250-million Legoland amusement park, an Orange County company has purchased property down the street from the Orange Regional Medical Center here for a possible waterpark project. Published reports indicate the Devitt Management of Montgomery has purchased the 43-acre former…
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724643
|
__label__wiki
| 0.95019
| 0.95019
|
SAIC Announces March Events, Lectures and Symposia
CHICAGO—This month, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), a global leader in art and design education, will present a diverse selection of lectures, symposia and exhibitions. For the month of March, faculty, staff, students, alumni and members of the public can attend SAIC’s annual, highly anticipated "Spring Undergraduate Exhibition;" a talk by James Rondeau, President and Eloise W.
View Press Release
SAIC's Conversations at the Edge Series Caps its Season with Films, Performances and Talks by Groundbreaking Artists
CHICAGO—To help close out its 150th Anniversary celebrations, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), a global leader in art and design education, will present a compelling selection of screenings, performances and talks by groundbreaking media artists in its Conversations at the Edge media series. SAIC will present the following artists:
SAIC Ranks as a Top Producer of US Fulbright Fellows
The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), once again, ranks among the top producers of US Fulbright Scholars for specialized institutions.
SAIC Receives Gifts from Karen and Jim Frank and Todd and Liz Warnock
CHICAGO—The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), a global leader in art and design education, announced two gifts totaling $1 million in support of part-time faculty. The gifts come from Karen and Jim Frank and Todd and Liz Warnock.
SAIC Alum Garland Martin Taylor Makes Creative Response to Chicago Gun Violence
Conversation Piece by Garland Martin Taylor (BA 2005, MA 2007) “refers to the discussion people have around the gun” but is also about peace, reports the Chicago Reader.
Controversial Artist Dread Scott Gives Lecture in Chicago
Dread Scott (BFA 1989) returned to SAIC on Monday to give a lecture discussing “issues of race, incarceration, war, government, repression, and revolution.” The Chicago Tribune discusses Scott’s willingness to address controversial topics, most famously in his work “What Is the Proper Way to Display a US Flag?” that was displayed in a minority student show in 1989.
Chicago Magazine's Power 50 List Features Many With SAIC Ties
Chicago Magazine says that their 2016 Power 50 list of most influential Chicagoans is a shake up this year, and SAIC is well-represented on the list.
SAIC Receives $2 Million Gift from the Crown Family
CHICAGO—The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), one of the nation’s leading art and design schools, announced a $2 million endowment gift from Paula and James Crown, Nancy and A. Steven Crown, and the Crown Family Philanthropies. The gift will endow a full professorship to be known as the Crown Family Professor in Painting and Drawing. The gift comes while SAIC is in the midst of a year-long celebration of its 150th Anniversary.
Make It Work
A new committee of successful local business owners is starting a movement to support SAIC student entrepreneurs.
Smart Museum Opens Monster Roster Exhibition
The Chicago Reader recently profiled the Monster Roster as part of the opening of the Smart Museum's Monster Roster: Existential Art in Postwar Chicago exhibition.
Time Out Interviews SAIC Alum David Alekhuogie
In an interview with
SAIC Artists and Northwestern Engineers Team Up in “Data as Art”
An article in Chicago Inno takes a look at the joint course Data as Art offered by Northwestern University and SAIC.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724645
|
__label__wiki
| 0.991053
| 0.991053
|
Kohli shields India's 'boy wonder' from Tendulkar shadow
Kohli
HYDERABAD, India — Virat Kohli sought to protect prolific teenager Prithvi Shaw Thursday from the weight of comparisons with India legend Sachin Tendulkar after the young batsman's Test debut century last week.
Another century in the second match against the West Indies which begins on Friday in Hyderabad would see Shaw join a small group of greats including Mohammad Azharuddin, Sourav Ganguly and Rohit Sharma who all hit tons in their first two Tests.
The 18-year-old became India's youngest player to score a debut century and his country's second youngest in all Tests after Tendulkar — who was 17 when he made an unbeaten 119 against England in his ninth Test.
Shaw's sparkling 134 in the first Test rout in Rajkot had some commentators dubbing him India's "boy wonder" ahead of the tour of Australia next month.
But captain Kohli warned India's notoriously demanding fans not to expect too much too soon from Shaw, who was earmarked as a future star when as a 14-year-old he hit a record 546 off 330 balls in a Mumbai school game in 2013.
"We are all very happy for him but I don't think we should compare him to anyone yet or we should put him in a space where he starts feeling pressure," Kohli told reporters.
"He should be left to enjoy his cricket and slowly grow into the cricketer that we all believe he can be," said Kohli who hailed the diminutive right hander as "supremely talented".
"He has shown that in the first Test already and we believe he can keep repeating that because he is a very keen learner, he is a very sharp guy and he understands situations really well."
Kohli said Shaw, 21-year-old wicketkeeper batsman Rishabh Pant and batsman Hanuma Vihari, 24, had learned to handle the stress of top competition by playing in the Indian Premier League.
"One always feels that pressure when you wear your country's cap on the morning of the match but yes, I think it's not as intense as say 10-15 years back when you didn't have any exposure to this kind of cricket," said Kohli.
"They have played in situations like the IPL where they have played in front of so many people that they are not nervous any more of the big stage," he added.
"They are not overawed by the scenario and I think that's always going to be an advantage because the guys can be fearless and they can start doing the job from game one."
Shaw's 2013 schoolboy exploits had already caused comparisons to be made with Tendulkar, who rose to prominence in the same Harris Shield competition more than two decades earlier.
Shaw went on to make more headlines in India with debut centuries in both the domestic Ranji Trophy and Duleep Trophy and he was awarded the captaincy of country's Under-19 team.
He led them to success in the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand this year where they beat Australia in the final. He has featured for Delhi Daredevils in the 2018 IPL but it was his debut Test ton, with 19 boundaries, that saw the rest of the cricket world take notice.
"Wow, carry on young man good luck," wrote former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Twitter. Former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted: "Wow... 18 yrs old @PrithviShaw. 100 on Test debut .. Looks like #India have another superstar". — AFP
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724647
|
__label__wiki
| 0.889058
| 0.889058
|
11 - 20 from 3517 . In "Life"
S. African singer Johnny Clegg dies aged 66: Manager
JOHANNESBURG — South African legendary singer Johnny Clegg, who blended Zulu rhythms with Western styles and defied apartheid segregation, died on Tuesday after a long battle with cancer, his manager said."Johnny passed away (with) his family this afternoon after a four and a half year battle with cancer," manager Roddy Quinn told SABC news."It is with immense sadness that we confirm that Johnny Clegg... succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the ...
HBO, 'Game of Thrones' lead nominations for TV's Emmy awards
LOS ANGELES, California — HBO and its medieval fantasy blockbuster "Game of Thrones" led nominations, as expected, on Tuesday for the Emmy Awards, but the list of contenders for the highest honors in television was dominated by newcomers, many of them women.The 2019 line-up for the Emmys represented the widest array of first-time nominees in eight year, the Television Academy said, with nine new shows contending for the top prizes ...
Winslet: Why I am pleased my ancestors were impoverished slaves
LONDON — Kate Winslet has said she would have been “disgusted” to discover she had wealthy or royal ancestors on Who Do You Think You Are?The Titanic star — who is worth an estimated £62 million — spoke of her relief that the BBC show’s investigation into her family tree revealed her background was one of impoverishment.Winslet told the Radio Times: “I would have been upset and disgusted if I ...
$800,000 spent in one day on Malaysia ex-PM's cards, court hears
KUALA LUMPUR — Credit cards belonging to Malaysia's disgraced ex-leader Najib Razak were used to spend over $800,000 in one day at a luxury jeweler in Italy, a court has heard.The 2014 spending spree is the latest evidence of what critics say is the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by Najib after he and his cronies allegedly plundered state coffers.The former prime minister, his family members and inner circle are accused of ...
Troubled Woodstock 50 festival bids for 'great American comeback'
LOS ANGELES — The organizers of the troubled Woodstock 50 festival are making a last ditch attempt to save the event next month, pledging jobs and donations to community projects in a bid to win support from residents in a small town in upstate New York.The organizers said they would hold an open house on Monday night and on Tuesday to present their proposals to residents in Vernon ahead of ...
Code-breaker Turing to appear on new UK bank note
LONDON — World War II code-breaker Alan Turing has been chosen to feature on Britain's new £50 note, the Bank of England announced Monday, decades after his tragic death.Turing played a pivotal role in the development of early computers, but his career was cut short by his conviction in 1952 for gross indecency."Alan Turing was an outstanding mathematician whose work has had an enormous impact on how we live today," ...
Italians cheer on wild bear's 'Great Escape'
ROME — Italian animal lovers cheered on a wild bear Monday after a daring escape from an electrified holding pen sparked a bear-hunt and a furor over its fate.The three-year old, known only as M49, was captured Sunday in the Val Rendena valley in the Trentino region in northern Italy after it was spotted several times approaching inhabited areas.But in a getaway compared by Italian media to Steve McQueen's exploits ...
'Spider-Man: Far From Home' crushes 'Crawl,' 'Stuber'
LOS ANGELES — Sony's "Spider-Man: Far From Home" claimed victory again during its second weekend in theaters, dominating over new releases, Paramount's gator thriller "Crawl" and Disney's R-rated comedy "Stuber."The superhero tentpole collected another $45 million, boosting domestic grosses to $274 million. This weekend's haul represents a 50% decline in ticket sales from its inaugural outing, a stronger hold compared to its predecessor, 2017's "Spider-Man: Homecoming."The 23rd adventure in the ...
Aussie kids take stolen car on 1,000-kms road trip
SYDNEY — Four children took a stolen four-wheel drive on a 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) road trip across the Australian outback before being nabbed by police, officials said Monday.A 14-year-old boy, two 13-year-old boys and a 10-year-old girl began their epic journey on Saturday when they took cash and packed fishing rods in a vehicle belonging to one of their families in the coastal Queensland town of Rockhampton, police said.One of the ...
LOS ANGELES — From Peter Parker's run-in with a radioactive spider to Superman fleeing an exploding Krypton: comic book fans love a good original story.So when 135,000 geeks and nerds invade San Diego next week for the 50th edition of Comic-Con — the world's largest celebration of pop culture — the event's humble beginnings will be a hot topic of discussion.The sprawling convention today draws Hollywood A-listers like Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724648
|
__label__wiki
| 0.523793
| 0.523793
|
News and opinion for all the SigEp brotherhood. SigEp's "unofficial" blog.
What's this blog about?
Some of our best Posts and Links
Training in 10
Official SigEp website
SigEp Educational Foundation
Notable Recruitment Videos
Time Management - Real and Important
I've just been SO busy!
from out friends at THE APATHY MYTH: A Blog for America's Student Leaders
How many times have you heard this in the last month? It's become the regular excuse for just about everything. Sorry I didn't call you. Sorry I didn't reply to that email. Sorry I've been out of touch. Sorry I forgot your birthday. Sorry I haven't been able to come to any of your meetings. Sorry I didn't call you after our date.
I've just been SO busy...
When you claim "being busy," you're basically saying, "It hasn't been my priority."
The people who are "so busy" (and presumably, more busy than you or I) have had time to do a million small things that are more important than satisfying you. Fair or not, you aren't their priority.
In some cases, they've been so intensely busy, they have barely had time to grab a meal here and there. But, often, it's just a convenient excuse for not prioritizing YOU. They've had time to play video games, watch television, check their Facebook.
If someone told them to stop by to pick up an apple pie, they'd find time. If that special someone made a booty call, they'd be right over. If their boss told them to work an extra hour or be fired, they would do it. If someone offered to clean their house, they'd have time to drive the key over.
We make time for the things we care about.
If that person actually cared about answering your question or doing that small favor for you, they would have found time. It's that simple. When someone says, "I've been busy," what they mean is, "You haven't been my priority."
But, "Things have been crazy lately!" sounds so much less offensive.
If you have someone who keeps giving you the excuse, it's time to deal with the fact that he or she is not likely to make you a priority.
And, if you're the one who is always saying it, time to stop.
Instead of saying, "I'm sorry, I've just been so busy," say something more honest, such as:"You know, I'm a jerk for not getting back to you, I'm sorry. I'll do it by tomorrow afternoon."
"I really don't have time to make that a priority. Maybe you should find someone else."
"I've been under a lot of stress lately and I have been forgetting a lot of things lately."
Or maybe even, "Yeah, don't hold your breath on that one."
Posted by Euripides at 9:35 AM
Labels: Time Management, Values
Time Management|Values|
Yes, We ARE on Facebook
SigEp Blog - the unofficial blog of Sigma Phi Epsilon on Facebook
... And Twitter:
Subscribe to S&P Posts in a reader
Subscribe to S&P comments in a reader
Accountability (56) Alcohol (174) Alumni (147) Balanced Man (77) blog (52) Brotherhood (64) Campus Relations (113) CLA (45) Community Service (108) Conclave (128) death (142) Fraternity (116) Fraternity Experience (59) Fun (50) Fundraiser (53) Greek housing (34) Greek Strategic Planning (24) Greek values (59) Hazing (248) HQ News (147) HQ Staff (21) Humor (29) Leadership (60) Opinion (106) Party (49) Philanthropy (154) Recruitment (96) Ruck (5) Rush (26) SigEp (250) SigEp Patriots Project (115) Veteran (15) Video (57)
Blog Archive July 26 - August 2 (1) January 4 - January 11 (1) December 14 - December 21 (1) November 9 - November 16 (1) November 2 - November 9 (1) October 26 - November 2 (4) October 19 - October 26 (1) October 5 - October 12 (1) September 14 - September 21 (1) September 7 - September 14 (2) August 24 - August 31 (2) August 10 - August 17 (1) August 3 - August 10 (1) July 27 - August 3 (1) July 20 - July 27 (1) July 13 - July 20 (1) July 6 - July 13 (1) June 29 - July 6 (3) June 22 - June 29 (1) June 8 - June 15 (2) June 1 - June 8 (2) May 25 - June 1 (2) May 18 - May 25 (4) May 11 - May 18 (1) May 4 - May 11 (1) April 27 - May 4 (5) April 20 - April 27 (5) April 13 - April 20 (2) April 6 - April 13 (2) March 30 - April 6 (7) March 16 - March 23 (4) March 9 - March 16 (3) March 2 - March 9 (4) February 23 - March 2 (2) February 16 - February 23 (2) January 26 - February 2 (3) January 19 - January 26 (1) January 12 - January 19 (6) January 5 - January 12 (2) December 29 - January 5 (2) December 15 - December 22 (1) December 8 - December 15 (1) December 1 - December 8 (2) November 24 - December 1 (2) November 17 - November 24 (1) November 10 - November 17 (2) November 3 - November 10 (3) October 27 - November 3 (3) October 20 - October 27 (2) October 13 - October 20 (1) October 6 - October 13 (3) September 29 - October 6 (3) September 22 - September 29 (3) September 15 - September 22 (10) September 8 - September 15 (2) September 1 - September 8 (2) August 25 - September 1 (3) August 18 - August 25 (1) August 11 - August 18 (1) August 4 - August 11 (6) July 28 - August 4 (2) July 21 - July 28 (4) July 14 - July 21 (3) July 7 - July 14 (1) June 30 - July 7 (1) June 23 - June 30 (2) June 16 - June 23 (2) June 9 - June 16 (2) June 2 - June 9 (1) May 26 - June 2 (5) May 19 - May 26 (5) May 12 - May 19 (2) May 5 - May 12 (5) April 28 - May 5 (1) April 21 - April 28 (5) April 14 - April 21 (4) April 7 - April 14 (2) March 31 - April 7 (2) March 17 - March 24 (2) March 10 - March 17 (3) March 3 - March 10 (5) February 24 - March 3 (2) February 17 - February 24 (2) February 3 - February 10 (2) January 27 - February 3 (1) January 20 - January 27 (5) January 13 - January 20 (6) January 6 - January 13 (5) December 30 - January 6 (4) December 23 - December 30 (4) December 16 - December 23 (6) December 9 - December 16 (6) December 2 - December 9 (8) November 25 - December 2 (5) November 18 - November 25 (4) November 11 - November 18 (3) November 4 - November 11 (3) October 28 - November 4 (6) October 21 - October 28 (2) October 14 - October 21 (3) October 7 - October 14 (3) September 30 - October 7 (3) September 23 - September 30 (5) September 16 - September 23 (3) September 9 - September 16 (6) September 2 - September 9 (2) August 26 - September 2 (3) August 19 - August 26 (2) August 12 - August 19 (6) August 5 - August 12 (4) July 29 - August 5 (2) July 22 - July 29 (1) July 15 - July 22 (3) July 8 - July 15 (4) July 1 - July 8 (1) June 24 - July 1 (5) June 17 - June 24 (2) May 27 - June 3 (2) May 13 - May 20 (2) May 6 - May 13 (6) April 29 - May 6 (3) April 22 - April 29 (2) April 15 - April 22 (3) April 8 - April 15 (3) April 1 - April 8 (1) March 25 - April 1 (3) March 18 - March 25 (1) March 11 - March 18 (2) March 4 - March 11 (2) February 26 - March 4 (2) February 19 - February 26 (2) February 12 - February 19 (1) February 5 - February 12 (5) January 29 - February 5 (2) January 22 - January 29 (2) January 8 - January 15 (1) January 1 - January 8 (2) December 25 - January 1 (4) December 18 - December 25 (3) December 11 - December 18 (4) December 4 - December 11 (3) November 27 - December 4 (3) November 20 - November 27 (6) November 13 - November 20 (3) November 6 - November 13 (1) October 30 - November 6 (7) October 23 - October 30 (3) October 16 - October 23 (2) October 9 - October 16 (2) October 2 - October 9 (2) September 25 - October 2 (3) September 18 - September 25 (2) September 11 - September 18 (7) September 4 - September 11 (1) August 28 - September 4 (9) August 21 - August 28 (7) August 14 - August 21 (6) August 7 - August 14 (3) July 31 - August 7 (6) July 24 - July 31 (3) July 10 - July 17 (1) July 3 - July 10 (2) June 26 - July 3 (3) June 19 - June 26 (1) June 12 - June 19 (2) June 5 - June 12 (2) May 29 - June 5 (2) May 22 - May 29 (4) May 15 - May 22 (2) May 8 - May 15 (4) May 1 - May 8 (3) April 24 - May 1 (2) April 17 - April 24 (2) April 10 - April 17 (2) April 3 - April 10 (1) March 27 - April 3 (9) March 20 - March 27 (5) March 13 - March 20 (1) March 6 - March 13 (3) February 27 - March 6 (5) February 20 - February 27 (1) February 13 - February 20 (4) February 6 - February 13 (4) January 30 - February 6 (3) January 23 - January 30 (9) January 16 - January 23 (6) January 9 - January 16 (2) December 26 - January 2 (1) December 19 - December 26 (1) December 12 - December 19 (4) December 5 - December 12 (6) November 28 - December 5 (1) November 21 - November 28 (2) November 14 - November 21 (8) November 7 - November 14 (2) October 24 - October 31 (1) October 17 - October 24 (8) October 10 - October 17 (5) October 3 - October 10 (3) September 26 - October 3 (5) September 19 - September 26 (5) September 12 - September 19 (5) September 5 - September 12 (1) August 29 - September 5 (3) August 22 - August 29 (5) August 15 - August 22 (1) August 8 - August 15 (3) August 1 - August 8 (2) July 25 - August 1 (2) July 18 - July 25 (2) July 11 - July 18 (4) July 4 - July 11 (2) June 27 - July 4 (5) June 20 - June 27 (1) June 13 - June 20 (3) June 6 - June 13 (3) May 30 - June 6 (3) May 23 - May 30 (3) May 16 - May 23 (2) May 9 - May 16 (2) May 2 - May 9 (1) April 25 - May 2 (4) April 18 - April 25 (6) April 11 - April 18 (2) April 4 - April 11 (6) March 28 - April 4 (4) March 21 - March 28 (3) March 14 - March 21 (4) March 7 - March 14 (6) February 28 - March 7 (1) February 21 - February 28 (4) February 14 - February 21 (5) February 7 - February 14 (4) January 31 - February 7 (4) January 24 - January 31 (8) January 17 - January 24 (3) January 10 - January 17 (4) January 3 - January 10 (3) December 27 - January 3 (2) December 20 - December 27 (4) December 13 - December 20 (4) December 6 - December 13 (2) November 29 - December 6 (3) November 22 - November 29 (4) November 15 - November 22 (8) November 8 - November 15 (2) November 1 - November 8 (7) October 25 - November 1 (5) October 18 - October 25 (8) October 11 - October 18 (6) October 4 - October 11 (5) September 27 - October 4 (8) September 20 - September 27 (5) September 13 - September 20 (14) September 6 - September 13 (6) August 30 - September 6 (8) August 23 - August 30 (7) August 16 - August 23 (7) August 9 - August 16 (9) August 2 - August 9 (13) July 26 - August 2 (5) July 19 - July 26 (4) July 12 - July 19 (3) July 5 - July 12 (5) June 28 - July 5 (5) June 21 - June 28 (2) June 14 - June 21 (9) June 7 - June 14 (5) May 31 - June 7 (5) May 24 - May 31 (6) May 17 - May 24 (12) May 10 - May 17 (8) May 3 - May 10 (8) April 26 - May 3 (8) April 19 - April 26 (7) April 12 - April 19 (7) April 5 - April 12 (5) March 29 - April 5 (9) March 22 - March 29 (9) March 15 - March 22 (9) March 8 - March 15 (11) March 1 - March 8 (9) February 22 - March 1 (7) February 15 - February 22 (5) February 8 - February 15 (11) February 1 - February 8 (3) January 25 - February 1 (8) January 18 - January 25 (10) January 11 - January 18 (7) January 4 - January 11 (9) December 28 - January 4 (8) December 21 - December 28 (4) December 14 - December 21 (15) December 7 - December 14 (10) November 30 - December 7 (11) November 23 - November 30 (9) November 16 - November 23 (9) November 9 - November 16 (12) November 2 - November 9 (5) October 26 - November 2 (10) October 19 - October 26 (8) October 12 - October 19 (6) October 5 - October 12 (8) September 28 - October 5 (7) September 21 - September 28 (12) September 14 - September 21 (14) September 7 - September 14 (8) August 31 - September 7 (5) August 24 - August 31 (5) August 17 - August 24 (6) August 10 - August 17 (5) August 3 - August 10 (10) July 27 - August 3 (8) July 20 - July 27 (4) July 13 - July 20 (10) July 6 - July 13 (6) June 29 - July 6 (7) June 22 - June 29 (10) June 15 - June 22 (8) June 8 - June 15 (12) June 1 - June 8 (13) May 25 - June 1 (14) May 18 - May 25 (13) May 11 - May 18 (16) May 4 - May 11 (16) April 27 - May 4 (16) April 20 - April 27 (10) April 13 - April 20 (18) April 6 - April 13 (10) March 30 - April 6 (10) March 23 - March 30 (13) March 16 - March 23 (17) March 9 - March 16 (12) March 2 - March 9 (11) February 24 - March 2 (11) February 17 - February 24 (14) February 10 - February 17 (17) February 3 - February 10 (20) January 27 - February 3 (17) January 20 - January 27 (19) January 13 - January 20 (14) January 6 - January 13 (12) December 30 - January 6 (13) December 23 - December 30 (11) December 16 - December 23 (13) December 9 - December 16 (14) December 2 - December 9 (9) November 25 - December 2 (11) November 18 - November 25 (16) November 11 - November 18 (17) November 4 - November 11 (16) October 28 - November 4 (22) October 21 - October 28 (21) October 14 - October 21 (13) October 7 - October 14 (17) September 30 - October 7 (15) September 23 - September 30 (18) September 16 - September 23 (21) September 9 - September 16 (18) September 2 - September 9 (15) August 26 - September 2 (16) August 19 - August 26 (22) August 12 - August 19 (16) August 5 - August 12 (17) July 29 - August 5 (14) July 22 - July 29 (13) July 15 - July 22 (14) July 8 - July 15 (13) July 1 - July 8 (14) June 24 - July 1 (14) June 17 - June 24 (12) June 10 - June 17 (16) June 3 - June 10 (14) May 27 - June 3 (20) May 20 - May 27 (23) May 13 - May 20 (18) May 6 - May 13 (17) April 29 - May 6 (27) April 22 - April 29 (19) April 15 - April 22 (23) April 8 - April 15 (17) April 1 - April 8 (18) March 25 - April 1 (25) March 18 - March 25 (20) March 11 - March 18 (20) March 4 - March 11 (30) February 25 - March 4 (26) February 18 - February 25 (19) February 11 - February 18 (24) February 4 - February 11 (20) January 28 - February 4 (24) January 21 - January 28 (19) January 14 - January 21 (16) January 7 - January 14 (16) December 31 - January 7 (20) December 24 - December 31 (11) December 17 - December 24 (15) December 10 - December 17 (15) December 3 - December 10 (15) November 26 - December 3 (15) November 19 - November 26 (18) November 12 - November 19 (18) November 5 - November 12 (21) October 29 - November 5 (17) October 22 - October 29 (13) October 15 - October 22 (11) October 8 - October 15 (15) October 1 - October 8 (15) September 24 - October 1 (16) September 17 - September 24 (15) September 10 - September 17 (24) September 3 - September 10 (17) August 27 - September 3 (16) August 20 - August 27 (20) August 13 - August 20 (14) August 6 - August 13 (29) July 30 - August 6 (15) July 23 - July 30 (13) July 16 - July 23 (15) July 9 - July 16 (21) July 2 - July 9 (11) June 25 - July 2 (13) June 18 - June 25 (16) June 11 - June 18 (10) June 4 - June 11 (13) May 28 - June 4 (11) May 21 - May 28 (18) May 14 - May 21 (6) May 7 - May 14 (19) April 30 - May 7 (19) April 23 - April 30 (25) April 16 - April 23 (27) April 9 - April 16 (28) April 2 - April 9 (25) March 26 - April 2 (24) March 19 - March 26 (23) March 12 - March 19 (21) March 5 - March 12 (23) February 26 - March 5 (22) February 19 - February 26 (22) February 12 - February 19 (24) February 5 - February 12 (25) January 29 - February 5 (26) January 22 - January 29 (25) January 15 - January 22 (19) January 8 - January 15 (15) January 1 - January 8 (14) December 25 - January 1 (15) December 18 - December 25 (14) December 11 - December 18 (24) December 4 - December 11 (24) November 27 - December 4 (22) November 20 - November 27 (22) November 13 - November 20 (17) November 6 - November 13 (26) October 30 - November 6 (24) October 23 - October 30 (25) October 16 - October 23 (28) October 9 - October 16 (28) October 2 - October 9 (29) September 25 - October 2 (16) September 18 - September 25 (24) September 11 - September 18 (26) September 4 - September 11 (17) August 28 - September 4 (18) August 21 - August 28 (8) August 14 - August 21 (11) August 7 - August 14 (19) July 31 - August 7 (18) July 24 - July 31 (16) July 17 - July 24 (14) July 10 - July 17 (9) July 3 - July 10 (8) June 26 - July 3 (11) June 19 - June 26 (16) June 12 - June 19 (14) June 5 - June 12 (12) May 29 - June 5 (19) May 22 - May 29 (26) May 15 - May 22 (19) May 8 - May 15 (19) May 1 - May 8 (16) April 24 - May 1 (26) April 17 - April 24 (29) April 10 - April 17 (30) April 3 - April 10 (16) March 27 - April 3 (26) March 20 - March 27 (23) March 13 - March 20 (26) March 6 - March 13 (14) February 27 - March 6 (25) February 20 - February 27 (29) February 13 - February 20 (23) February 6 - February 13 (28) January 30 - February 6 (30) January 23 - January 30 (21) January 16 - January 23 (18) January 9 - January 16 (15) January 2 - January 9 (11) December 26 - January 2 (6) December 19 - December 26 (6) December 12 - December 19 (7) December 5 - December 12 (12) November 28 - December 5 (12) November 21 - November 28 (11) November 14 - November 21 (17) November 7 - November 14 (21) October 31 - November 7 (21) October 24 - October 31 (14) October 17 - October 24 (14) October 10 - October 17 (15) October 3 - October 10 (11) September 26 - October 3 (17) September 19 - September 26 (24) September 12 - September 19 (21) September 5 - September 12 (19) August 29 - September 5 (12) August 22 - August 29 (14) August 15 - August 22 (9) August 8 - August 15 (9)
Blogs we recommend
Focus on Fraternity History and More
Also Wearing Crowns…
Fraternal Thoughts
Fraternity Board Member Application
Brand-Yourself Blog
BrandYourself.com Provides Free Social Media Clean Up Tool to Any Athlete Entering the 2019 NFL Draft
Doctor Gentry's Blog
Why Are Things So Bad? Four Problematic Trends Impacting the Fraternity/Sorority Experience
When You Should Use Cost-Plus Pricing
Williteration - A Poor Man's Guide to Do-It-Yourself Pontificating
View my articles on npENGAGE as a contributor
Sigma Nu - Serve In The Light of Truth
Brothers Organize to Support Family in Wake of Tragedy
Share Sigma Chi Blog
Get The Sigma Chi Badge On Foursquare
Leadership Challenge
Leaders in Profile: Leadership Lessons Through Virtual Education
T.J. Sullivan
Center For Leader Development
Photos on SigEp flickr.com Group
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724652
|
__label__cc
| 0.539951
| 0.460049
|
World map of the legal status of parental, school and judicial (including prison) corporal punishment.
Corporal punishment (abbreviation: cp or CP) is a form of punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of physical pain or discomfort. Most types of corporal punishment involve the methodical striking of the delinquent by a person in a position of authority. The words "corporal punishment" are derived from the Latin terms corpus ("body") and punire (akin to poena, which means "penalty" or "pain"), so "corporal punishment" can be taken to literally mean "punishment of the body" or "penalty (or pain) inflicted on the body".
Corporal punishment is distinguished from psychological punishment (e.g. humiliation), restrictive punishment (e.g. imprisonment), and economic punishment (e.g. fines).
In some definitions, corporal punishment may include amputation, mutilation and/or capital punishment, but these are not considered here.
1 Misunderstanding of the term
2 Areas of corporal punishment
3 Non-beating CP
Misunderstanding of the term[edit]
Geoffrey Gorer found in his 1955 study Exploring English Character that "the term 'corporal punishment' is quite consistently misunderstood to mean 'cruel or brutal punishments.' Numerous respondents write to the effect 'a naughty boy should be given a good caning but I don't approve of corporal punishment.' This misunderstanding was so consistent that I found it necessary to create a special category for it; at least one parent in six misuses the term."
Areas of corporal punishment[edit]
Corporal punishment is (or has been) used in many different areas of life:
Judicial corporal punishment - punishment of convicted criminals for crimes
Prison corporal punishment - punishment of prisoners for violating prison rules
Military corporal punishment - punishment of soldiers in the military
School corporal punishment - punishment of children in schools
Corporal punishment in religious institutions - such as monasteries and nunneries
Domestic corporal punishment - punishment of children by their parents or other caretakers. The most common form is hitting a child's buttocks with an open hand or implement, which is called spanking - see spanking of children. Domestic corporal punishment also includes the punishment of an adult in a domestic situation, most traditionally the spanking or beating of a wife by her husband (see also wife beating). The more modern form of this is known as domestic discipline.
Corporal punishment in hunting
Non-beating CP[edit]
Corporal punishment in most cases involves beating/slapping/spanking/whipping the delinquent's body with one's hand or a suitable implement. However there are also other methods to stimulate a person's nociceptors, causing physical pain. Some of these are used by adults to punish children, some are used among children themselves (e.g. pulling hair, pinching, boxing), and others are more common in adult/adult BDSM play.
ear pulling
pinching
murgha and other uncomfortable poses
mouth soaping, bed without supper and other food punishments (no pain, but bad taste or hunger)
scrubbing with a hard-bristled bath brush (as a punishment mostly in fiction)
enema for punishment (mostly in fiction and BDSM)
figging (mostly in fiction and BDSM)
clothespins (BDSM)
needles (BDSM)
nipple clamps (BDSM)
spiked gloves (BDSM)
violet wand (BDSM)
Wartenberg wheel (BDSM)
wax play (BDSM)
Literature[edit]
Chastisement Across the Ages
Die Körperstrafen bei allen Völkern
Corporal punishment on Wikipedia
Retrieved from "https://www.spankingart.org/index.php?title=Corporal_punishment&oldid=92640"
Types of punishment
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724653
|
__label__wiki
| 0.706945
| 0.706945
|
Why SSM Health
Our Diverse Talent
Exceptional Workplace
Missouri - Mid MO
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital - Madison
SSM Health St. Mary's Hospital is a 440-bed tertiary referral hospital offering inpatient and outpatient treatment and diagnostic services in primary care and nearly all specialties. Medical/surgical areas of special focus include the Family Birth Center, pediatrics, Neuroscience Center, geriatrics, orthopedics, emergency services and more. SSM Health St. Mary's is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine's three-year family practice residency program.
Since 1912, SSM Health St. Mary's has provided service to much of south-central Wisconsin including Dane County and 17 other nearby counties. In the growing city of Sun Prairie, northeast of Madison, SSM Health Emergency Center provides services to more than 30,000 residents. Find out more about SSM Health St. Mary's emergency services including SSM Health Emergency Center.
Madison, Wis., is a family-friendly city with plenty to do for active families. The capital of Wisconsin, the city has a population of about 243,000 people -- making it the second largest city in the state. Madison is home to the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has been named one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country. The Dane County Farmers' Market is one of the largest in the country. And Madison has the most restaurants per capita of any city in the country, according to the local chamber of commerce. For more information, visit the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.
St. Mary’s Child Care Center
RN to BSN Program
Pharmacy Technician Training Program
Career Development
Our Benefits
Our Culture
SEARCH CAREERS »
Pennsylvaanisch Deitsch
MyChart | Terms | Privacy | Contact | Careers | Learn about Recruitment Fraud
SSM Health complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and
does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex.
Copyright © SSM HealthAll rights reserved.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724655
|
__label__wiki
| 0.661886
| 0.661886
|
Articles in the Stamp Act Category
Stamp Act »
Stamp Act facts
The British Parliament made a decision to install the Stamp Act on March 22, 1765. As a result of this law American colonies were obliged to pay a fee on almost every piece of paper used for legal documents, licenses, etc.
Stamp Act, Timeline of British Acts on America »
1765 – Stamp Act
What was the Stamp Act?
The Stamp Act was a tax imposed by the British government on the American colonies. British taxpayers already paid a stamp tax and Massachusetts briefly experimented with a similar law, but the Stamp Act imposed on colonial residents went further than the existing ones. The primary goal was to raise money needed for military defenses of the colonies.
This legislative act was initiated by the British prime minister and adopted by the British Parliament. The decision was taken on March 1765 but did not take effect until …
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724656
|
__label__wiki
| 0.613691
| 0.613691
|
Miss. Kelly Chan BaZi.
10432 viewers.
She is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer and actress. Kelly has also been known as a diva in Asia. She has a great successful in Asia Entertainment industry. She has won a number of awards and is involved in many philanthropic activities. ..
Mr. James Tien Pei-chun BaZi.
8481 viewers.
He is the former Chairman of the Liberal Party (LP), a pro-business and pro-Beijing political party in Hong Kong, and former member of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong (LegCo). He was also a member of the District Council of Hong Kong in the Central and Western district. Professionally, he is a hugely wealthy garment merchant in Hong Kong, but his companies also invest in property and land development. ..
Miss. Anita Mui BaZi.
She was a popular Hong Kong singer and actress. During her prime years she made major contributions to the cantopop music scene, while receiving numerous awards and honours. ..
Mr. Stephen Chow BaZi.
He is a Hong Kong actor, comedian, screenwriter, film director and producer. ..
Mr. Tung Chee Hwa BaZi.
He was the first Chief Executive and President of the Executive Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. ..
Mr.Zeng Yinpei BaZi.
He was the Commissioner of Police of Hong Kong from January 2001 to December 2003. Tsang had joined the Hong Kong Police in January 1966 as a Probationary Inspector ..
Mr. Nicholas Tse BaZi.
He is a Hong Kong singer-songwriter, actor and musician, and son of actor Patrick Tse. He is a member of the Emperor Entertainment Group. Throughout his career, he has been a singer, an actor, a director, a producer, and a composer. ..
Note : At any one time, only the first 50 articles were displayed. There are more in our Archives.
BaZi Feng Shui Archives
User Agreement and Disclaimer
Copyrights © 1998-2019 www.Skillon.com. All Rights Reserved.
DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY; LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Users or customers expressly agree that the use of skillon.com is at user's or customers sole risk. Neither skillon.com, its affiliates nor their respective employees, agents, third party or licensors warrant that skillon.com will be uninterrupted or error free; Nor do they make any warranty as to the results that may be obtained from the use of skillon.com and its services, or as to the accuracy, reliability or content of any information, services or merchandise provided though skillon.com and its employees. The reports and services should not be solely depended upon to make your decisions in life as the predictions are used for reference only. skillon.com and its employees will not be liable for any damages suffered as a result of using any information and services provided and in no event shall skillon.com and its employees be liable for any indirect, punitive, general, special, incidental, or consequential damages of any kind, including the loss of business, revenue, profits, or any loss of prospective advantage whatsoever based on your use of the service provided.
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724657
|
__label__wiki
| 0.54166
| 0.54166
|
Jay-Z Song List
"Dope Man" is on the following albums:
iTunes Amazon
Back to Jay-Z Song List
Click on the album cover or album title for detailed infomation or select an online music provider to listen to the MP3.
Song List Main | Feedback
A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z - #
© 2006-2019 Song List
|
cc/2019-30/en_head_0021.json.gz/line1724661
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.