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2009 Theatre Subscription Series – Factory Theatre
September 3, 2009 Megan Mooney
By Megan Mooney
Next in the subscription series profiles is Factory Theatre.
This season happens to be their 40th, so, happy birthday Factory Theatre! Here are the specifics on their subscription series and 2009-10 season:
As with many other theatres, Factory Theatre offers a range of options on their subscription series, including a special discount for returning subscribers, which is pretty cool, and an incentive to subscribe this year, so you’ll qualify for the discount next year. For new subscriptions, prices for a 5 play subscription ranges from $55 – $140 depending on when you want to go to the show, and a 3-play subscription is $89 (same price no matter what night you go). They also have special pricing for Seniors, Students and Arts workers (I’ll refer this to SSAs in the details). So, the prices are:
5-play subscription:
– Anytime pass: $140 (SSAs $115)
– Weekday pass: $105 (SSAs $85)
– Preview pass: $55
– Anytime pass – $89
Information on the 2009-10 season pulled from the press release:
True Love Lies – October 1 – November 1, previews start on September 26
Written and directed by Brad Fraser
True Love Lies is a powerful modern comedy of life’s journey – witty, fast-paced and explicit – and has received much media attention in the UK. This will be the North American Premiere of the play and will showcase one of Canada’s best known playwrights. Originally from Edmonton, Alberta, Brad has been writing since the age of 17 and his plays have been seen world-wide and translated into multiple languages. The play was originally developed at Factory Theatre in a workshop in May 2008.
The Madonna Painter – November 19 to December 13, previews start on November 14
by Michel Marc Bouchard, translated by Linda Gaboriau | Directed by Eda Holmes
Montreal’s Bouchard, originally from the northern Quebec village Saint-Coeur de Marie, has written more than 25 plays which have all been staged. His works, translated into many languages, are regularly performed around the world, notably in Japan and Italy. In The Madonna Painter, it is the end of World War I and, in order to protect his parish from the Spanish flu epidemic, a Quebecois village priest commissions a wandering Italian painter to create a fresco dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The arrival of the foreign artist, his search for a local beauty to serve as a model for the Madonna, and the process of his work will upset the lives and change the fate of the entire village.
And So It Goes – February 4 to 28, previews start on January 30
Written and directed by George F. Walker
Among many awards, including the Order of Canada, Walker is receiving the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in May 2009. Factory Theatre has premiered well over 20 of his 30 plays, and remounted another five that premiered elsewhere. His last play,
Heaven, was produced at Canadian Stage in 2000 to great acclaim. Since then, Walker has focused on television as the writer and creator of This is Wonderland on CBC TV, The Line on the Movie Network as well as the feature film Niagara Motel. In And So It Goes, a husband and wife are struggling to deal with their identity, their home, their passions and their marriage, despite job loss, a mentally ill daughter’s demise, and an unorthodox
therapist.
who knew grannie: a dub aria – March 18 to April 4, previews start March 1
by ahdri zhina mandiela | produced by Obsidian Theatre in association with Factory Theatre
who knew grannie: a dub aria is about four cousins who reunite for the burial of their matriarch. They go back to Jamaica and reclaim their past and discover who they are through childhood games, songs and powerful memories. On the wings of the symbolic sankofa bird, the cousins go on a powerful cathartic journey full of joy, laughter and pain to the music of the heart and the drums of their homeland. mandiela, who is also an award-winning director and performer, has a unique muscular poetic voice that drives this imaginative theatrical dub aria.
Featuring Loretta – May 6 to June 6, previews start May 1
by George F. Walker .
Presented originally in Factory’s 1997-98 season as part of Walker’s Suburban Motel cycle, Featuring Loretta is a irreverent comedic snapshot of four ‘20-somethings’ and their complex interpersonal relationships. This is a world of off-kilter characters in desperate situations. Set in a seedy motel room, the story follows stunningly beautiful Loretta,
recently widowed when her husband is eaten by a bear. Now pregnant by her cheating dead husband’s best friend, Loretta’s relationships with Dave, her uptight “wanna-be” boyfriend, and Michael, a booker for topless bars who wants to make a series of “erotic videos” starring Loretta, and Sophie, the physicist daughter of the motel’s ex-KGB Russian owner with strong opinions of her own, results in vintage Walker comedic mayhem.
Some things that may (or may not) influence your decision:
– Factory Theatre is very accessible by car and transit.
– Sit-down dinner options close-by are sort of limited, a couple pubs and, I think, an Indian place.
– There’s a lovely courtyard-type patio that is really nice to hang out with your friends before and after a show. In the winter, there is also a lovely bar area that is very welcoming.
– You can expect excellent theatre in a reasonably casual setting, but be prepared for stuff that might play around with your expectations of theatre.
Previous PostThe Second City presents its 64th revue… SHUT UP AND SHOW US YOUR TWEETS!Next PostVOLCANO Theatre presents Goodness
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Home Highlights on Morocco UN Security Council Adopts New resolution on Western Sahara, Maintains status quo
UN Security Council Adopts New resolution on Western Sahara, Maintains status quo
As expected, the fifteen-member Security Council unanimously adopted a new resolution to extend MINURSO in the Western Sahara until 30 April 2013.
Samir Bennis
Samir Bennis is a political analyst.
New York – The resolution did not bring any new major elements, except for some technical changes to the wording of some paragraphs.
As in last year’s resolution, the Security Council renews its call on parties to the conflict, Morocco and the Polisario Front, without preconditions and in good faith, taking into account the efforts made since 2006 and subsequent developments, with a view to achieving a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable political solution.
The resolution calls on both sides to respect human rights and welcomes Morocco’s decision to set up a national council on rights and grant access to the monitoring mission dispatched by the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council. Previous resolutions had made only a vague reference to the “human dimension” of the conflict.
The resolution “takes note of the Moroccan proposal presented on 11 April 2007 to the Secretary-General and welcomes serious and credible Moroccan efforts to move the process forward towards resolution.”
It also reiterated its call on Algeria to “allow a registration by the UNHCR of the population in Tindouf camps.”
However, the question that comes to mind now, is how long will the United Nations continue to adopt the same resolutions every year and invite the parties to continue negotiations, with the knowledge that these negotiations will not lead to anything, as long as the approach adopted by the United Nations, has proved ineffective in bringing about a solution to the conflict.
The reason behind this failure lies in the fact that United Nations calls upon the parties to reach a negotiated solution acceptable to both parties, while at the same time insists that any solution should provide for the “self-determination of the people of Western Sahara in the context of arrangements consistent with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations.”
Therefore, it is time that the Security Council adopted a new more innovative approach, and became clear in addressing the issue of self-determination. Does self-determination as referred to in the UN resolution necessarily have the same sacro-saint interpretation as it did in the sixties? Or could this concept be subject to other interpretations, including in some cases, that the best way to decide the fate of a minority of a separatist group is to allow it greater autonomy, as provided for in the autonomy proposal put forward by Morocco five years ago?
The peacekeepers, officially known as the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), were deployed in the region in 1991 and were tasked with the mission to make the necessary arrangement for the holding of a referendum. However, due to profound disagreement between the two parties over the eligibility of voters, this option has proved unfeasible.
Back in 2000, in his report to the Security Council on the Situation in the Western Sahara (S/2000/461) Kofi Annan, then Secretary General of the United Nations, stated that it is essential that the parties be “prepared to consider other ways of achieving an early, durable and agreed resolution over their dispute over the Western Sahara.
Over the past two years, Morocco and the Polisario have held 9 informal rounds of negotiations under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy, Christopher Ross. The last round of negotiations was held last March in New York. All of these negotiations have ended without any progress.
Many analysts voice their concern that the current informal negotiations over the future of the Western Sahara are leading nowhere and that the Security Council ought to adopt a new approach in order to put an end to this long-lasting dispute.
Over the last decade, many observers have stated that an independent Sahrawi State cannot be envisaged as a “realistic option”. This was the message conveyed by the spokesman of the American Department of State on April 30th 2008 before the UN Security Council, on the occasion of the vote of resolution S/RES/1813. Similarly, in an interview given to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the former Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for the Western Sahara, Peter Walsum, stated that the establishment of a Sahrawi State is not an “accessible objective”.
Samir Bennis is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Morocco World News
© Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved
UN Reputation under Fire as MINURSO Chief Faces Sexual Assault Allegations
EU Applauds Resolution 2468, Says MINURSO Important
Western Sahara: UN Resolution 2468 Calls for Compromise, Realism
Security Council Postpones Vote on Resolution to Renew MINURSO Mandate
Western Sahara: US ‘Attempt’ to Include Human Rights in MINURSO’s Mandate Was a Hoax
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Author: Erich Nagler
A More Perfect Union
Erich Nagler,
An international cast of talents orchestrates one Finnish couple’s trip down the aisle.
A design duo produces two lines of goods, one specific to Finland and the other to South Korea.
Irma Boom’s Visual Testing Ground
The internationally acclaimed book designer talks about her craft.
Characters Welcome
A fellowship invites photographers to document New York and its denizens.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
Philip Johnson orchestrated a scene around his impeccable eccentricity, and his Glass House was the hub of this extravaganza.
Mighty Morphers
Tim Antoniuk aims to reinvent all that plastic junk we have lying around with a product that has developed from a collaboration with his students and colleagues at the University of Alberta. The team is working on a plastic that…
Little House on the River
On display this year at ICFF is a full-scale, flat-pack dwelling designed and assembled by undergraduates in the Product Design department at Parsons The New School for Design. They are part of a collaborative project with students at the St.…
Furniture From the Fast Lane
Designers Seyhan Özdemir and Sefer Çaglar make their ICFF debut with a line of seating, lighting, and assorted furniture from their studio, Autoban. Based in Istanbul, Turkey, the two interior designers often design products as part of their interior design…
Among the morsels in Chip Kidd: Book One—the star book designer’s monograph of covers and ephemera documenting his process and rise to fame—is the 1986 date book from Kidd’s postcollege job hunt in New York. The agenda has him scurrying…
Who’s the New Guy?
Everything on the walls of the austere new MoMA has been carefully considered—down to the signage for finding basic amenities. Dresser Johnson was commissioned to design 17 icons for the museum’s renovation, several of which gently make over the U.S.…
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Source: Patrick Schopflin/UnSplash
What Does Crossfaded Mean? Here's the Science Behind Combining Alcohol and Marijuana
By Kathleen Wong
Combining marijuana and alcohol is an understudied but powerful mix called crossfading. In a 2015 study of 8,600 survey participants, marijuana was the most popular drug of choice for those who drink alcohol — and people who are fans of both drugs are twice as likely to use them simultaneously than using one alone, Scientific American reported.
At the most basic level, alcohol is a depressant on the central nervous system and affects motor skills, while marijuana's THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) ingredient directly affects the brain's cannabinoid receptors and produces cognitive effects, Popular Science reported.
"It's apples and vegetables," Gary Wenk, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Ohio State University, told Popular Science. "They're very different drugs." It's because of this difference that makes combining marijuana and alcohol so popular."
Users who down a drink before consuming marijuana find themselves higher faster than just smoking or drinking alone. This is because drinking affects the blood vessels and absorb more THC than usual. While not totally lethal, the combination can be riskier and scarier to handle.
This combination is the most common when it comes to car accidents because of the high level of impairment, Time reported.
Source: Giphy
"I'll be feeling fine after a few beers, but once I smoke, I get instantly hammered like I just took a bunch of shots," one Reddit user wrote in a thread on the common party combination. Another reported "hardcore spins," and feeling "a little overwhelmed sensorily." Some users feel extra panic, anxiety and paranoia, Medical Daily reported.
Other users loved the extra-strong buzz, but recommended knowing one's limits and taking it slow.
Another term associated with crossfading is "greening out," which is the unpleasant feeling of dizziness, becoming pale and feeling nauseous, Psychology Today reported. Greening out is more likely to occur when drinking is involved, and the best way to handle it is to chill out and lie down.
Marijuana is also found to have an antiemetic effect, meaning it inhibits the ability to vomit (a bodily response to too much alcohol), according to Psychology Today.
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Amid student support, CSG considers resolution for scholarships for Syrian students
Wednesday, November 2, 2016 - 2:20pm
Emily Miiller
The Books Not Bombs campaign boasts that students from 173 universities internationally support a movement for scholarships geared toward Syrian refugees including the University of Michigan. As of Wednesday, 883 University students signed a petition calling for 10 scholarships for Syrian students.
Syria is currently in an ongoing civil war which grew out of an uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in March 2011. Since the war began, at least 470,000 Syrians have died and as many as 11 million refugees are displaced.
University students involved with the scholarship campaign presented a resolution to Central Student Government last Tuesday asking for their support. If approved, CSG will being work with University administrators on next steps in creating the scholarships.
LSA junior Haleemah Aqel, the head organizer of the University chapter of Books Not Bombs, wrote in an email CSG had originally planned to vote on the resolution Tuesday of this week but decided to table it until their meeting next week, on Nov. 7, to allow the campaign time to update the resolution.
If the University agrees to provide scholarships, it will join the Syrian Consortium, a group of institutions responding to the breakdown of higher education within Syria by providing scholarships. The consortium is facilitated by the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit that promotes education worldwide. Other universities in the consortium include the University of Southern California and Michigan State University, which joined last year, according to Chris Records, a Books Not Bombs campus coordinator.
Aqel wrote she feels education is a human right, and the Books Not Bombs campaign facilitates that right for victims of the political turbulence in Syria.
“We, with this privilege, need to find a way to make accessible those opportunities for students, and specifically Syrians and Syrian refugees, to come learn and hopefully after all of this ends, give back to Syrian civil society or even help our society,” she said.
She cited Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s attempt to suspend refugees’ entrance to Michigan last year as an example of this Islamophobic rhetoric.
As well, she pointed to the large number of Syrian refugees in the state of Michigan, specifically in the Ann Arbor area, as the reason national organizers recommended a campus campaign in addition to the petition.
Records said the University was a “priority campus” this year, meaning the group is working more closely with student organizers and providing strategic advice, in addition to Berkeley University, Yale University and Columbia University. However, Records also said the control of the campaign ultimately lies with the student organizers, adding that he appreciated Aqel’s progress.
“She’s doing great grassroots work and all the fundamentals are in place,” he said. “I’m encouraged to see where it goes.”
So far, these efforts led by Aqel and 10 other students include hosting a film screening and organizing informational tables in University buildings such as Angell Hall and the Chemistry building. Aqel said these efforts aim to both increase awareness of the educational crisis in Syria and find students willing to sign the petition, which in turn strengthens their proposal to CSG.
“If this campaign continues to gather signatures, all of that, and even support from various student organizations, that will only make this call for scholarships much stronger,” Aqel said. “And then it’ll show administrators that it’s not just me or my team that are interested in this, it’s this diverse network of students that are very interested in this campaign.”
Public Health student Lilah Khoja is another organizer of the efforts at the University who works with the Karam Foundation, another Syrian nonprofit organization co-sponsoring Books Not Bombs. Khoja said the campaign resonated with her view of education as a human right, especially through the lens of her identity as a Syrian-American and her experience working with Syrian refugees.
“To ask elementary schoolers, ‘what do you want to do?’ and for them to say ‘well, what can I do? There’s nothing for me’ — that’s really why I feel very passionately about Books Not Bombs and why I think it’s so important to give this opportunity to those who really need it,” she said.
She said she felt the University has the potential to set an example for other public universities around the country.
“I think if (Books Not Bombs) is a success at the University of Michigan, that will just galvanize other students at other universities to push for the same thing on their campuses,” Khoja said.
Khoja also emphasized the importance of the apolitical nature of the campaign.
“Education is a human right, and so in a context of war where numerous crimes against humanity and war crimes are being carried out, education is really oftentimes the first thing to be attacked,” she said. “Because education is all about empowering people in communities, it’s important for a campaign like this to remain apolitical, so all communities in Syria can benefit from something like this, regardless of their ethnicity, regardless of their religion, of their sexual orientation.”
Central Student Government considers resolution to support a new scholarship for Syrian refugees
I’m proud to be Syrian: Syrian refugees in Michigan
University students travel to Chicago to attend Syrian refugee conference
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https://www.middletownpress.com/nationworld/article/Iran-Washington-Post-reporter-Jason-Rezaian-11791547.php
Iran: Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian convicted on espionage, other charges
Amir Vahdat, Associated Press
Published 1:57 pm EDT, Monday, October 12, 2015
In this April 11, 2013 photo, Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American correspondent for the Washington Post, smiles as he attends a presidential campaign of President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, Iran. Iran’s official IRNA news agency reported that the verdict against Rezaian has been issued. Rezaian, the Post’s Tehran bureau chief, is accused of charges including espionage in a closed-door trial that has been widely criticized by the U.S. government and press freedom organizations. less
In this April 11, 2013 photo, Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American correspondent for the Washington Post, smiles as he attends a presidential campaign of President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, Iran. Iran’s ... more
Photo: AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File
TEHRAN, Iran >> Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post journalist who has been detained in Iran for more than a year on charges including espionage, has been convicted, according to Iran’s judiciary spokesman in a ruling the newspaper blasted Monday as “an outrageous injustice.”
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi confirmed the verdict in comments aired on state TV late Sunday night but gave no indication of what punishment the 39-year-old Iranian-American journalist could face. The ruling is eligible for appeal within 20 days, Ejehi said.
“He has been convicted, but I don’t have the details,” Ejehi said.
In its report, Iranian state TV called Rezaian an “American spy.” He reportedly faces up to 20 years in prison.
The Post’s executive editor, Martin Baron, called the guilty verdict “an outrageous injustice.”
“Iran has behaved unconscionably throughout this case, but never more so than with this indefensible decision by a Revolutionary Court to convict an innocent journalist of serious crimes after a proceeding that unfolded in secret, with no evidence whatsoever of any wrongdoing. For now, no sentence has been announced,” he said in a statement Monday.
The paper is working with Rezaian’s family and legal counsel to swiftly appeal the verdict and push for his release on bail pending a final decision, Baron said.
“The contemptible end to this ‘judicial process’ leaves Iran’s senior leaders with an obligation to right this grievous wrong. Jason is a victim — arrested without cause, held for months in isolation, without access to a lawyer, subjected to physical mistreatment and psychological abuse, and now convicted without basis. He has spent nearly 15 months locked up in Iran’s notorious Evin Prison, more than three times as long than any other Western journalists.”
Baron reiterated the Post’s position that Rezaian is innocent and that he should be exonerated and set free.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a statement “This kangaroo court conviction is a contemptible mockery of justice, law and liberty.
“I stand with Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian and the other Americans currently held in Iranian prisons in supporting their right to freedom, right away. I support action by our nation and the international community to achieve his immediate release,” Blumenthal said.
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said officials were closely monitoring reports of Rezaian’s conviction.
“We still have not seen any official confirmation of a verdict on specific charges or any further information,” he said. “Unfortunately, this is not surprising given that this process has been opaque and incomprehensible from the start. Regardless of whether there has been a conviction or not, we continue to call for the government of Iran to drop all charges against Jason and release him immediately.”
Leila Ahsan, Rezaian’s lawyer, was not reachable for comment on Monday.
Rezaian was detained with his wife, who is a journalist for The National newspaper in the United Arab Emirates, and two photojournalists on July 22, 2014. All were later released except Rezaian.
Rezaian, the Post’s Tehran bureau chief since 2012, grew up in Marin County, California, spent most of his life in the United States, and holds both American and Iranian citizenship. Iran does not recognize dual nationality for its citizens.
Rezaian faced multiple charges including espionage in a closed-door trial that has been widely criticized by the U.S. government and press freedom organizations.
“In Jason’s conviction the judge delivered the will and demand of the intelligence services,” said Hadi Ghaemi, executive director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran. “This is politicized justice at its worst.”
His incarceration and trial played out against the backdrop of negotiations between Iran and five world powers, including the U.S., that resulted in an agreement for the Islamic Republic to curb its nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Rezaian last appeared in court on Aug. 10, after the conclusion of the nuclear deal. His lawyer said at the time she expected a verdict could be issued as early as the following week.
Little more than two weeks later, a senior Iranian diplomat alluded to the possibility of swapping Rezaian for Iranian prisoners held in the U.S., though he dismissed such a trade as something that “is not on the agenda.”
The official, Hassan Qashqavi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister in charge of legal and consular affairs, was quoted by state-linked media as saying the U.S. holds 19 Iranians on “sanctions-related charges” and another 60 for “ordinary crimes.”
“The 19 prisoners in U.S. jails are innocent people under sanctions charges and we hope conditions for their freedom are realized soon,” Qashqavi said on Aug. 25, according to the semi-official Tasnim and Fars news agencies.
President Hassan Rouhani also raised that possibility last month but Iran’s judiciary rejected the idea.
“There is no issue of swaping Rezaian in the judiciary,” Ejehi said last month.
Iran’s state media, citing the indictment, charge that Rezaian collected information on Iranian and foreign individuals and companies circumventing sanctions and passed them on to the U.S. government.
“(Rezaian) entered Iran under the cover of a reporter in 2012 and began identifying individuals and companies that bypassed sanctions and cooperated with Iran,” Iranian state TV’s website said Sunday. “The information Rezaian provided to Americans led to many businessmen and Iranian as well as international companies being placed under U.S. sanctions.”
Earlier this month, the intelligence department of the powerful elite Revolutionary Guard, in a report to parliament, claimed that Rezaian is an agent seeking to “overthrow” Iran’s Islamic ruling system.
American and Iranian officials have said they discussed Rezaian’s detention and that of two other Americans, former U.S. Marine Amir Hekmati of Flint, Michigan, and Christian pastor Saeed Abedini of Boise, Idaho, during the nuclear talks. The U.S. also says it has asked for the Iranian government’s assistance in finding former FBI agent Robert Levinson, who went missing in 2007 while working for the CIA on an unapproved intelligence mission.
Associated Press writers Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
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https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/2019/06/massive-dead-zone-predicted-to-be-one-of-largest-gulf-of-mexico.html
PHotograph by Phil Degginger, NASA Landsat/Alamy Stock Photo
Read Caption
Seen from above, the Mississippi River carries sediment into the Gulf of Mexico. That sediment often contains pollutants from fertilizers that cause a spike in algal blooms.
Massive 8,000-mile 'dead zone' could be one of the gulf's largest
Record-breaking Midwest rainfall washed tons of fertilizer and sewage water out to sea, contributing to a devastatingly large patch of polluted water, scientists say.
By Sarah Gibbens
Just off the coast of Louisiana and Texas where the Mississippi River empties, the ocean is dying. The cyclical event known as the dead zone occurs every year, but scientists predict that this year's could be one of the largest in recorded history.
Annual spring rains wash the nutrients used in fertilizers and sewage into the Mississippi. That fresh water, less dense than ocean water, sits on top of the ocean, preventing oxygen from mixing through the water column. Eventually those freshwater nutrients can spur a burst of algal growth, which consumes oxygen as the plants decompose.
The resulting patch of low-oxygen waters leads to a condition called hypoxia, where animals in the area suffocate and die. Scientists estimate that this year the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico will spread for just over or just under 8,000 square miles across the continental shelf situated off the coast.
Choking an ecosystem
“When the oxygen is below two parts per million, any shrimp, crabs, and fish that can swim away, will swim away,” says Louisiana State University ocean ecologist Nancy Rabalais. “The animals in the sediment [that can't swim away] can be close to annihilated.”
Animals like shrimp will often search for more oxygen in shallower waters closer to the shore. Shrimp subjected to hypoxic waters are smaller, their growth stunted by pollution.
One study published in 2017 noted how the dead zone affects Gulf Coast shrimpers by driving down the price of shrimp and reducing profit for local businesses.
Dead zones are not unique to the Gulf of the Mexico, though the gulf's is estimated to be the world's second largest. In the world's largest dead zone, in the Baltic Sea, low oxygen devastated fisheries, and most marine animals can no longer survive there.
Off the West Coast of the United States, California and Oregon crab and oyster industries have reported profit losses since the early 21st century, saying the annual wave of low oxygen ocean water has destroyed many of the animals they normally fish from the sediment.
Dead zone causes
Rabalais says she's not surprised that this year's dead zone will be particularly large. Much of the Midwest saw unprecedented rainfall this spring, leading to a large increase in the amount of runoff washing into the sea. Many farmers were so affected by the intense rains that they were unable to plant crops like corn and soybean, meaning all the nitrogen and phosphorus-rich fertilizer they had spread washed into the Mississippi. Scientists are predicting that a warming climate could lead to more extreme rainfall in the region and ultimately make it more difficult to control fertilizer runoff.
“The best way to solve the issue is to limit the nutrients at their source,” says Rabalais. “Once they're in the river, there's no good way to reduce them.”
Eugene Turner, also from Louisiana State University, worked with Rabalais on predicting the size of the dead zone. He says better management practices could reduce the size, and suggested maintaining soil health by rotating crops, using less fertilizer, and using crop covers to keep soil in place.
David Scheurer is a scientist from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who studies dead zones. He notes that it's difficult to attribute a larger dead zone to just one practice like agricultural runoff, but notes that it plays a significant role in the zone’s formation. Sewage water and weather also impact the size of the dead zone.
Senior director of congressional relations at the American Farm Bureau Federation Don Parrish says farmers are already adopting practices to reduce nutrient runoff. Precision farming and artificial intelligence are both helping farmers reduce the amount of fertilizer they need to use on crops. High costs and a steep learning curve are making it difficult for the sustainable technologies to be adopted by all farmers, Parrish adds.
“Scientifically we can reduce the size, but whether you can get there politically, that's still a work in progress,” he says.
Climate change and dead zones
Scientists are now worried that warming waters in the Gulf of Mexico could increase rates of hypoxia.
“That is a long-term concern,” says Scheurer. “If the climate does change in that region, there is a fair amount of evidence suggesting you would expect things to get worse.”
Simply put, warm water is less capable of carrying oxygen, and a study published last year noted stretches of low-oxygen water thousands of miles across the ocean. Climate change is also expected to cause more intense precipitation and flooding in the Midwest, which will contribute to the amount of chemical fertilizer washed into the ocean.
Both Scheurer and Rabalais, however, say it's too early to say that the gulf's dead zone is already being made worse by climate change.
Rabalais says she expects the dead zone to worsen in the future, further harming the ecosystem.
“You of course remember the BP oil spill?” she asks. “This is a slow drip kind of change in the system thats been happening over decades, but it's just as consequential.”
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Second Update of PTAB Trial Practice Guide Issued by: Erik J. Halverson
Henry Bregstein
Allison C. Yacker
Leonard M. Licht
Adam P. Haft
Corporate and Financial Weekly Digest
Election Law / Legislative News
Sen. Chuck Grassley Leads Effort to Improve Transparency of Third-Party Financing in Civil Litigation
On February 13, US Senators Chuck Grassley, Thom Tillis, John Cornyn and Ben Sasse, all members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, introduced legislation requiring disclosure of third-party litigation financing agreements to the court and named parties to (1) any class action lawsuit filed in federal court, and (2) any claim that is aggregated into a federal multi-district litigation proceeding. Currently, the existence and terms of third-party litigation financing agreements, whereby hedge funds and other lenders finance the cost of civil litigation with the expectation of sharing in a portion of any recovery, are rarely disclosed to the court or opposing parties, creating the potential for conflicts of interest.
If enacted, the Litigation Funding Transparency Act of 2019 would require counsel to disclose the identity of any enterprise (other than a class member or class counsel) that has a right to receive payment that is contingent on the receipt of the monetary disposition of the case. According to the Judiciary Committee, the primary purpose of the Act is to enhance transparency and oversight in the litigation finance markets, which are currently operating largely without regulation. According to Sen. Grassley, “[a] healthy dose of transparency is needed to ensure that profiteers aren’t distorting our civil justice system for their own benefit.” Sen. Grassley goes further to say, “[o]ur bill strikes the appropriate balance in getting certain information out in the open while allowing courts to craft necessary protections.”
The disclosure obligations contemplated by the Act may be limited by stipulation or order by the court to protect certain information, and will require assessing the varying interests of the parties to a particular case.
A complete copy of the proposed Act is available here.
Court Of Appeal Finally Notices That Section 2116 Says Not A Word About Officers
What Judge Kavanaugh could mean for the CFPB as a SCOTUS justice
Henry Bregstein is the global co-chair of the firm’s Financial Services practice and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors. In his role as partner in the Financial Services practice, he advises banks, domestic and offshore hedge funds, private equity funds, life insurance companies, family offices, sovereign wealth funds, investment advisers and broker-dealers on regulatory, securities, tax, finance, licensing, corporate and other legal matters.
Henry provides guidance on fund formation and regulatory compliance and advice related to...
henry.bregstein@kattenlaw.com
Allison Yacker, co-chair of the New York Financial Services group, represents domestic and offshore hedge funds, including fund of funds, private equity funds, commodity pools, investment managers, managed account platforms, banks and broker-dealers on a broad range of corporate, securities, finance and other regulatory matters. She provides structuring, organization and ongoing advice related to hedge funds and private equity funds that employ a broad range of investment strategies and regularly counsels investment managers with respect to state and federal registration issues and preparation of compliance policies and procedures manuals. In addition, Allison advises funds and managers in connection with seeding arrangements.
allison.yacker@kattenlaw.com
Leonard Licht is an associate in the Financial Services practice. He advises a broad range of financial market participants, including investment managers to private funds and investors in private funds. Prior to joining Katten, Lenny practiced as a corporate and securities attorney and has also worked in an analytical capacity with a family office.
While in law school, Lenny was a Heyman scholar and member of the Moot Court Honor Society.
leonard.licht@kattenlaw.com
Adam Haft is an associate in the Financial Services practice.
adam.haft@kattenlaw.com
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Cynthia A. Glassman, PhD
Dr. Glassman has served as a member of the board of directors since October 2009. She serves as chair of the nominating and governance committee and is a member of the audit committee.
Dr. Glassman was appointed by President George W. Bush as under secretary for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce from 2006 to 2009 and as commissioner of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission from 2002 to 2006 including acting chairman during the summer of 2005. She has spent over 40 years in the public and private sectors focusing on financial services regulatory and public policy issues, including 12 years at the Federal Reserve, where she worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia and subsequently at the Board of Governors, and over 15 years in financial services consulting. Dr. Glassman was a principal at Ernst & Young in the commercial banking risk management and the quantitative economics and statistics practices. She was also a managing director in the financial services regulatory and public policy practices at Furash & Company and served as a senior economist at Economists Inc.
Dr. Glassman is a director of Discover Financial Services and the chairman of its audit committee, a member of the Dow Jones Special Committee, a trustee of the SEC Historical Society, a senior research scholar at the Institute for Corporate Responsibility at the George Washington University Business School, a member of the board and treasurer of the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, and an honorary fellow of Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge, England.
Dr. Glassman received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Wellesley College and a Master of Arts degree and a PhD in economics from the University of Pennsylvania.
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NBA Advocates to “Break the Chains” at 2015 Ecumenical Advocacy Days
Mark Anderson, Rev. Rebecca Hale, Rev. Monica Wedlock Kilpatrick | April 29, 2015
From April 17-20, representatives from the National Benevolent Association of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) came together with more than 1,000 fellow Christians in Washington, D.C. to advocate for “breaking the chains” of mass incarceration and systems of exploitation in our country.
Here we offer some insight into the experience via a brief Q&A with three NBA leaders: Mark Anderson, President and CEO; Rev. Rebecca L. Hale, Vice President of Mission and Ministry; and Rev. Monica Wedlock Kilpatrick, Director of Disciples Care Exchange and Affinity Groups.
What were your key takeaways from the 2015 EAD?
Anderson: There are incredible ministries taking place in the life of the church across the country. There are various approaches to serving those incarcerated and their families. I also learned that most folks in prison will be returning to the community at some point, so what steps can we take as Christians to welcome them back into the community?
Hale: Exactly. People are very aware that becoming communities of welcome for returning citizens is a core concern, and they are looking for strategies and ways to engage as congregations.
Kilpatrick: Pastors and church leaders must begin to have a church-wide conversation with our congregations about mass incarceration, advocacy for those imprisoned, and how to welcome those who are returning. Given the vast numbers of those in prison today—especially those from African-American and Latino/a communities—every congregation member has a family member in prison or knows someone who has a family member in prison. Unfortunately, the shame and guilt of that reality keeps us all silent.
Anderson: We need to break that silence and begin this “re-entry” into the community at the point when someone enters prison, not just the week before he/she is scheduled for release.
What impressed you the most during EAD?
Anderson: I was impressed by the diverse representation from the Christian communities of faith, and the immense dedication and passion they have in caring for those who are incarcerated.
Hale: And further, how long and passionately many people have been working on the issue of mass incarceration from an advocacy perspective, and how effective that effort has been. This is a major topic, and it is clear that some tides, in terms of sentencing laws, are changing. We can make a difference.
Why is it important for Disciples to get involved with the issues of mass incarceration and justice within America’s prisons and jails?
Hale: For me, I come at this from the question of, given the reality of mass incarceration and the effect this is having on our communities, how do we engage the returning citizen in our communities of faith? As noted, every single Disciple congregation has persons, loved ones and family members in jail and prison—and 95 percent of the current prison and jail population will return to our communities. Are we going to create systems of welcome for them as they return?
Kilpatrick: Disciples are called to be a movement for wholeness in a fragmented world. What is more fragmenting than mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, friends who are torn apart by unjust systems of exploitation and slavery? It is Disciples, along with so many others, who are called to do our part in advocating for change and to help re-build broken relationships as a result of a broken system.
Anderson: To build upon that—Jesus has called upon us to “visit those in prison.” I believe Disciples have a unique opportunity to share with people who have felt there is no hope. We are the people of the table, where all are welcomed. Those who have been wronged and those who are the wrongdoers...they are all welcome to the Lord's table.
What are NBA’s next steps relating to Prison and Jail Ministries?
Kilpatrick: The Prison and Jail Ministries Affinity Group will continue its work of educating and training congregations and communities regarding the issue of mass incarceration and re-entry for returning citizens through webinars, training programs, workshops, blogs, and advocacy efforts. We are also hoping to bring together 12-15 practitioners serving in prison- and jail-related ministries across the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to more intimately share their work and knowledge with one another, to support one another, and to explore avenues of collaboration in addressing these issues.
Hale: In addition to those efforts, we are looking to incubate a ministry that is designed to help congregations engage returning citizens.
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NBA at GA: Who Wants to Be the Smartest Disciple?
Join us on Sunday, July 21, for a Trivia Night after-session at General Assembly, benefiting the National Benevolent Association! Form a team to compete in trivia consisting of general knowledge, with a special round focused on Disciples and NBA.
Vice President of Administration and CFO
HUNGER / FOOD SECURITY, HOMELESSNESS, COMMUNITY HEALTHCARE
Safe Haven Day Shelter
Safe Haven is a drop-in program serving the homeless and low-income families in the Baileys Crossroads Community of Falls Church, VA.
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Minority communities boosting central Ohio early voting numbers, board of elections says
by: NBC4 Staff
Early voting for the 2018 midterm elections is well underway and members of a South Asian American community are pushing to make their voices heard.
The Bhutanese community in central Ohio is coming out in droves to vote, and community leaders say they have spent the last several days bussing people to the Franklin County Board of Elections to participate in early voting.
“This community is a brand-new community here in central Ohio,” Kashi Adhikari with the Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services organization said. “We are trying to bridge up those gaps between the community, state and institution.”
Adhikari says civic engagement is important for this community and they want to know that lawmakers are taking their voices into consideration when making decisions that impact the lives of the Bhutanese-American community.
“It is always important to come together and raise and discuss our issues with our policymakers,” Adhikari said.
Other minority communities have shared the same concern with the Franklin County Board of Elections.
The Bhutanese community isn’t the only one upping their voter involvement game. Aaron Sellers, the spokesperson for the board of elections, said at least 26,000 people have cast their ballot so far during the early voting period, and a big driver behind that is small communities coming out to make their voices heard.
“Columbus has a large Somali population and a Bhutanese-Napoli community, which is very close to this part of the neighborhood,” Sellers said. “You see all kinds of people at the early voting center. IT’s a good cross section of Franklin County.”
So far, Adhikari said he has bussed about 350 Bhutanese-Americans to the board of elections and hopes to bus even more.
by Tyler Carter / Jul 18, 2019
COLUMBUS (WCMH) -- Columbus city council is considering legislation that would reduce penalties for marijuana possession.
The proposed ordinance would reduce the fine if caught with marijuana.
by Catherine Ross / Jul 18, 2019
POWELL, Ohio (WCMH) - A sad and frustrating week for employees and families at Village Academy is ending on an uncertain note.
Thursday, staff was given six hours to pack up belongings from and return materials to the private pre-K through 12th grade school in Powell. Alumni and current students pitched in to carry boxes and walk the halls one last time.
CHICAGO (WCMH)-- Central Ohio native Jonathon Cooper says the growth the Ohio State Buckeye football team has made in the off season has been "amazing." The defensive end from Gahanna is returning for a third season and is ready to get to work.
"The summer training has been great," Cooper told NBC4's Audrey Hasson at Big Ten Media Day in Chicago." Everybody is really improving. It's all been going up so far, and I feel like the entire team is ready to put on our pads and see what we really look like."
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1 Dead in Crash on Route 100 in West Goshen Township
At least two vehicles were involved in the accident in the southbound lanes of Route 100 near Route 202.
By David Chang
Published Jun 28, 2017 at 6:09 PM | Updated at 11:36 PM EDT on Jun 28, 2017
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Vehicles Collide on Route 100 in West Goshen Township
//www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Vehicles-Collide-on-Route-100-in-West-Goshen-Township_Philadelphia-431404933.html
At least one person was injured after vehicles collided on Route 100 in West Goshen Township Wednesday. SkyForce10 was above the scene.
(Published Wednesday, June 28, 2017)
One person was killed after a crash on Route 100 in West Goshen Township Wednesday.
At least two vehicles were involved in the accident in the southbound lanes of Route 100 near Route 202. One person was killed in the crash. Officials have not yet revealed his or her identity.
Southbound lanes were closed for several hours before they reopened shortly after 9 p.m.
Pa. Senate OKs Bill to Allow Workers to Bring Guns to School
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ELLINGTON, DUKE
STOMPS, RAGS & THE BLUES I LOVE TO SING
Collecting some of his most important recordings, this is Duke Ellington and his Orchestra in late 1927 and early 1928, at the peak of their "roaring '20" popularity. This was also at the beginning of the Ellington Orchestra's famed run at Harlem-s Cotton Club, a legendary jazz club and host to some of the biggest names in the history of the music. Featuring the beautiful voice of Adelaide Hall, this collection includes some of his most highly regarded compositions and titles such as "The Blues I Love To Sing", "Jubilee Stomp", "Washington Wabble", and "Creole Love Call". In a career that spanned decades and countless accolades, these might be the finest recordings Ellington ever made.
DOWN AT DAWN | LP | 16,00 €
YES INDEED
BUHAINA
LIGHT, ENOCH
PERSUASIVE PERCUSSION 1, 2 & 3 (2XLP)
DAVIS, MILES & JIMMY FORREST
LIVE AT THE BARREL (2LP)
MITCHELL, BLUE
BLUE SOUL
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https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/texas/article/New-Orleans-levees-face-a-hard-test-as-storm-14090212.php
New Orleans' levees face a hard test as storm bears down
Michael Kunzelman, Associated Press
Updated 3:28 pm CDT, Friday, July 12, 2019
Katrina survivors prepare for Tropical Storm Barry
In New Orleans’ Ninth Ward, residents are preparing for the incoming storm differently. And their perspective likely comes from whether they lived through Katrina. (July 12)
Now Playing: Katrina survivors prepare for Tropical Storm BarryAD:
Even as Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the Mississippi River's levees held up when those in other parts of the city did not.
But as Tropical Storm Barry threatened New Orleans with torrential rains that will test the city's flood defenses this weekend, the height of the city's river levees was the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' greatest concern, spokesman Ricky Boyett said Thursday.
The danger to New Orleans — bound by the Mississippi River on its south side, Lake Pontchartrain on its north side and tributaries leading into the nearby Gulf of Mexico on the east — is threefold: storm surges from the sea, rain from the sky and water from the rising river if the levees fail.
The Mississippi River approaches a levee at left in New Orleans, La., Thursday, July 11, 2019, ahead of Tropical Storm Barry. Never in the modern history of New Orleans has water from the Mississippi River overtopped the city’s levees. less
The Mississippi River approaches a levee at left in New Orleans, La., Thursday, July 11, 2019, ahead of Tropical Storm Barry. Never in the modern history of New Orleans has water from the Mississippi River ... more
Photo: Matthew Hinton, AP
While the Corps wasn't expecting the swollen river to spill over into the city, the threat from Barry was real with a storm that was forecast to dump 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters) of rain on New Orleans through Sunday, with isolated areas getting 25 inches (64 centimeters).
The river was expected to crest at about 19 feet (5.8 meters) on Saturday in New Orleans, where the levees protecting it from the water range from about 20 to 25 feet (6 to 7.5 meters) in height, said Jeff Graschel, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service.
The weather service also was expecting the water to stay below the river's levees, which haven't been overtopped in New Orleans since the early 1920s. But state officials warned that a change in the storm's direction or intensity could change that.
To prepare, workers were shoring up at least two areas along the city's levee system, Boyett said. They piled up "stoplogs," or metal beams, and topped them with sheet metal to add height to Harvey Lock, a break in the levee across the river from the city's Lower 9th Ward, which was all but wiped out during Katrina. Workers also used Hesco baskets, a type of flood barrier, to add 3 feet (almost 1 meter) to the river levee at the Corps' headquarters in New Orleans.
"We're confident in the integrity of the levees," Boyett said. "They're designed to hold this pressure."
But 14 years after Katrina's monster storm surge roared ashore and inundated most of the city, many New Orleans residents still distrust the Corps, which built the levees and floodwalls that failed near Lake Pontchartrain and along the Lower 9th Ward.
While the levees protecting the city from the Mississippi River held during the August 2005 storm, the flooding was exacerbated by the size and configuration of a shipping channel that the Corps dredged decades ago between New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico.
"The models for Hurricane Katrina were all wrong," said Levees.org president Sandy Rosenthal, who founded the grassroots organization shortly after Katrina. "We don't care what the model says. The model is an educated guess. That's all it is."
Residents waited nervously as the storm approached.
Cooter Brown's Tavern, a popular bar less than one-quarter mile from the Corps' headquarters in New Orleans, didn't flood during Katrina. But co-owner Ivan Burgess said they were debating whether to stay open or close this weekend given concerns about Barry's flood risks.
"We've been really lucky, but that's only part of it. We have our employees' safety to consider," he said.
Author and historian John Barry, who served on a board that was created after Katrina to oversee the levee system of greater New Orleans on the east bank of the Mississippi River, said he was "very confident" in the structural integrity of the river levees and would be "astounded" if they breached.
"Because engineers built them correctly," he added. "They were built against the worst-case scenario they could imagine."
Kunzelman reported from College Park, Maryland.
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Colonial Wars(12)
American Wars(10)
Colonial Wars (12)
American Wars (10)
Battle of Stoney Creek
June 6, 1813 at Stoney Creek, Upper Canada
Books on The Battle of Stoney Creek are available from Amazon.com
John Chandler and William Winder
Strength Killed & Wounded Missing/Captured
John Vincent
700 22 134 ??
Conclusion: British Victory
Niagra Campaign
The American campaign of 1813 in this locality began in late May, when an American Army of 7,000 men and a naval squadron began a combined operation against Fort George, at the town of Newark (Niagara-on-the-Lake). In command of the American fleet was Commodore Isaac Chuancey, and the land force was under Maj. Gen. Henry Dearborn, a veteran of the American Revolution and past his prime. When Dearborn's army attacked Fort George, the British defenders - 1,400 men under Maj. Gen. John Vincent - were soon forced to evacuate their position.
Vincent's expelled garrison was some companies of the 8th (King's) Regiment, a detachment of the 41st, and the whole of the 49th - the late General Isaac Brock's unit now commanded by Vincent - some Royal Newfoundland Fencibles and Glengarry Light Infantry Fencibles, and 300 militiamen from the flank companies. In the battle, before he resolved to withdraw, Vincent lost 52 killed and 306 wounded or missing.
With the survivors, Vincent marched across the country, parallel to the Niagara River and then in the direction of Beaver Dam, where he had a supply depot. There he was joined by two more companies of the 8th Regiment that had been driven from Fort Erie by the Americans, and a naval party from Amherstburg. With a force that now amounted to 1,600 regulars and fencibles, Vincent dismissed his militiamen and allowed them to return to their homes. He continued on to Burlington Heights, on the top of the escarpment above Burlington Bay. From there he could be supplied by the British Fleet commanded by Capt. Sir James Yeo that was based at Kingston. With the Americans holding Fort Erie and Fort George, Vincent's supply line along the Niagara River had been severed.
At Fort George, Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott was in command, because Dearborn was ill. Scott ordered a pursuit force to move westwards and find a spot from which to prevent Vincent from linking up with Maj. Gen. Henry Proctor, then occupying Detroit. Scott assigned 3,000 infantrymen, 150 cavalry and 4 field guns, under Brig. Gen. William Winder and Brig. Gen. John Chandler, for the expedition to confine Vincent. Winder and Chandler set out from Fort George in pursuit of Vincent's troops on the 4th and camped that night at Forty Mile Creek. On June 3, Yeo, in command of the Royal Navy and Provincial Marine vessels, left Kingston with a squadron bound for Niagara carrying supplies and 300 fresh troops from the 8th Regiment. Yeo's mission had a bearing of the actions of the American officers after the battle at Stoney Creek.
On June 5, the Americans marched on to the neighbourhood of Stoney Creek, a small settlement named after the branches of the stream that flowed down the face of the Niagara Escarpment, meandered across the flat and emptied into Lake Ontario. The American camp was poorly organized, with each commander deciding where his men would bivouac. No attempt was made to place the center, left and right wings in spots where they could form battle lines quickly. Few sentries were posted. The American camp was about ten kilometres from that of Vincent's army on Burliington Heights.
Vincent's second -in -command, Lt. Col. John Harvey, a Deputy Adjutant-General in Canada, led a party to reconnoitre the American camp, and when they returned Harvey recommended that Vincent organize a night attack. The night was dark for that time of year, and Vincent agreed to proceed. A spy had visited and gave him the American countersign. Vincent chose 700 men from the 8th and 49th, Major Charles Plenderleath would have field command the 49th. Lieutenant-Colonel Harvey commanded the attack and Major James Ogilivie of the 49th led the men of the 8th. Vincent set out, and his force reached the American camp at 2:00 a.m. on 6 June, incidently the birthday of King George the 3rd. With bayonets fixed the regulars ran, whooping like Indians, down upon what they thought was the American camp, but they found only dying fires and a few cooks. The enemy had moved to higher ground for the night, with orders to sleep on their arms. The elemnet of surprise was lost.
While the British paused to load their muskets, they were in full view of the Americans, who had time to rally somewhat, and several of the regulars were killed. The 49th, about 500 strong, wheeled left while the 8th moved to the right. Before the 49th could form a line the Americans sent out a barrage of fire. The British could not hear their officers commands, and they began to fall back. At this crucial momment, Major Plenderleath, with about 20 men of the 49th, dashed up the road and into the face of four of the American guns that were mounted on Smith's knoll (where the lion monument stands now). The Americans managed to fire two volleys before Plenderleath and his men were upon them and capturing their four artillery pieces. The men of the 49th turned the guns on their former owners, while everywhere confusion ruled. Here was an occasion when the well trained and usally steady British regulars got out od hand.
Lt. James FitzGibbon of the 49th lamented that the regulars had become so excited by the uncertainties of a night attack that they were less effective than they ought to have been.
The reports of both the British Harvey and the American Chandler attested to the disorder that prevailed at Stoney Creek. Many officers did not know who was who. Chandler was wounded trying to rally some troops he encountered. They were from the 49th Regiment and Chandler found himself a prisioner. Winder was also captured, and the command of the American troops fell upon Col. James Burn of the 2nd Light Dragoons. Burn held a meeting with such officers he could find, who reported that they were short of ammunition. Burn ordered a withdrawl back to Forty Mile Creek. From there the army could be supplied for another movement against Vincent, Or if Scott had other ideas, await his orders. Major-General Vincent, too, was almost captured. He got lost and after wandering around he found his way back to Burlington Heights on the morning of 7 June.
Because of the conditions under which the battle was fought, Vincent, the victor, lost more men than Chandler and Winder.
214 killed, wounded or missing,, against 168 American losses. Vincent's attack might have been a total failure had the Americans not been deprived of their two brigadiers. Chandler and Winder might have rallied them as daylight came on and they became aware of numerical superiority.
The American force, now led by Burn, camped the night of June 6 at Forty Mile Creek, but not for long. On June 8, Sir James Yeo's squadron appeared offshore , and he sent two warships in to bombard the American camp. Burn ordered his men to decamp and march for Fort George. Yeo's squadron had intercepted 20 boatloads of supplies that Scott had dispatched for the relief of Burn's men. Burn and his force were back at Fort George. They built new earth works and brought every available boat to the Canadian side of the Niagara River, to ensure if they were pressed to hard they would be able to retire to Fort Niagara, on the New York side of the river.
The Battle of Stoney Creek served demoralized the American forces and boosted the British morale.
© 2019 mywarof1812.com - All rights reserved.
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Sleeper gets quite a jolt in Malaysia
By Nancy Jaffer|For The Star-Ledger
Steph Teeter/Endurance.net
Meg Sleeper of Kingwood Township and riding partner Jan Worthington at the start of the World Endurance Championships in Malaysia.
A night ride through the Malaysian jungle during monsoon season sounds more like an Indiana Jones adventure than the World Endurance Championships -- especially after it became a harrowing cliffhanger for U.S. team member Meg Sleeper of Kingwood Township.
Sleeper, who returned last week from the competition, was riding her homebred Arabian Syrocco Reveille beside another U.S. competitor, Jan Worthington, on Nov. 9 when a bolt of lightning struck the ground by their horses, sending sparks flying as a clap of thunder followed. Worthington's mount, ironically named Golden Lightning, smacked into Reveille as both spooked horses galloped off the trail and into the jungle.
Sleeper's first thought?
"We're dead." Her horse ran into a tree ("luckily it was fairly soft") before Sleeper could stop her and both horses tumbled with their riders. Sleeper had no serious injuries but Worthington, a 68-year-old grandmother, had blood all over her face and appeared to have hit her head when her horse fell on her.
"I had no idea how badly injured she was," said Sleeper, whose adrenaline kicked in as she helped get Worthington back on her horse so they could ride to the next checkpoint several miles away. In the tension of the moment, Sleeper forgot that the organizing committee had sent everyone out with a GPS unit that had a red button to be pushed in an emergency. The ride was being held at night to avoid the intense heat of the day, and participants actually welcomed rain (although not lightning) because it kept their horses cooler.
Sleeper, a 40-year-old veterinary cardiologist, continued the ride after the checkpoint, as did Worthington.
"I was shooting for a 9-hour, 20-minute finish," said Sleeper. But at the fifth veterinary gate, Reveille looked off in her left front leg, where Worthington's horse had collided with her, and Sleeper had to call it a day after logging approximately 85 miles of the 100-mile race. Though Worthington finished the ride, her horse was off in his right front leg as a result of the collision, so he was eliminated at the end.
"It really was a bummer," said Sleeper, who believed that if she and Worthington had finished, the team would have been high up in the standings and she and Worthington might have had a shot at individual honors. The U.S. team was eliminated. A total of 48 horses in the field of 127 starters finished the ride, as the event was won by a Spanish rider, whose horse was bought by the Arabs for $1.5 million, according to Sleeper. She told prospective purchasers her mount was not for sale. The team honors went to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain; Arab countries excel in endurance competition.
"It's taken me a little while to look at it this way, but we probably were really lucky not to have had a really catastrophic event," said Sleeper, who is pointing toward the next championships at the 2010 Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, which should offer kinder conditions. She's very excited about her 8-year-old bay, who handled her first foreign trip well.
"There was no hesitation," her owner said proudly, noting that aside from the lightning strike, the ride went well. It's believed the mare's injury is mild, but she'll get time off to recover.
Despite her experience, Sleeper didn't question her involvement with such a grueling sport.
"I sure wish it hadn't happened. It's risky enough riding horses and racing them, to think, wow, when there's a lightning storm it makes it a lot worse, but I certainly won't stop doing it. I love it."
OFF TO A GOOD START
Michelle Spadone of Califon clinched a gold medal for the U.S. show jumping squad last weekend in Buenos Aires during her senior team debut.
The Argentine competition was the kick-off of great things for some other young riders, Hillary Dobbs and Brianne Goutal, who went on to glory after their team bow in Argentina, and Spadone would like to follow their example.
The 25-year-old competitor, whose previous team experience was limited to junior championships, felt the pressure as one of a group of first-timers under the guidance of double Olympic gold medal-winning coach George Morris.
In the first round, Spadone dropped a rail with her Melisimo and two other team members did the same for a total of 8 penalties, while the Argentine squad held the lead with 2 time penalties. In the second round, after her teammates Ashlee Bond (Cadett 7) and Becky Johanson-Hofmann (Corona) jumped clear, Spadone felt the pressure. As she went through the finish line, she wasn't sure whether she, too, was fault-free.
"I didn't know if I was clear because everything was in Spanish," explained Spadone. Though she was sure she hadn't knocked down any jumps and felt she was fast enough to avoid time penalties, Spadone wasn't sure certain whether she was safe at the water obstacle because she heard a commotion in the stands after she jumped it. She waited until Morris delivered the good news that the team had won before she could breathe a sigh of relief.
The fourth member of the squad, Kirsten Coe (Starlight) didn't have to compete in the second round as the USA's lead was unbeatable.
Thinking back on the experience, Spadone cited the help of Gladstone-based U.S. Equestrian Federation staffers Lizzy Chesson and Amy Serridge.
"I was a bit stressed in the beginning thinking, 'How was I going to get everything organized in time,' and I didn't know they were going to be there to help me. They took over and did such a great job," she said.
Spadone has a special relationship with her mare that helped her come through in the crunch.
"I'm close with my horses. I do a lot of my own work," said Spadone, who still hasn't made it home; she's taking care of all the team horses while they're in quarantine in Miami.
Spadone enjoyed working with Morris, noting "George was inspiring throughout the trip." She hopes to go on a European tour next year, but isn't looking beyond that yet.
"I've set my goals small," she noted, explaining she has to have more than one horse for a tour, and her other mounts are only seven-year-olds.
"It's hard to find grand prix horses you can afford," explained Spadone's husband, Emil. He sells hunters, equitation horses and junior jumpers, but grand prix horses are something else.
"If it's a competitive grand prix horse, they think nothing of asking you 500,000 Euros (approximately $630,000) and up," said Spadone, noting "not being wealthy" means he has to locate less-experienced prospects for his wife "so I can make it a little more affordable."
Sunday: Rain Date for Essex Foxhounds Hunter Pace, Cedar Lane Farm, Homestead Road, Oldwick (9 a.m.-2 p.m., 973-605-8414/evenings or 908- 234-2194/day); Tewksbury Farms Stable Show, Hidden River Farm, 745 Amwell Rd., Neshanic Station; Princeton Indoor Circuit, Hunter Farms, 1315 The Great Road, Princeton.
Saturday: CJL Farm Show, Hunter's Crossing, 121 E. Valley Brook Rd., Long Valley.
Next Sunday: Snowbird Acres Show, Schooley's Mountain Road, Long Valley.
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Stations & Apparatus
Contact NFD
Public Information / Media
Public Information Officer / Media Relations
Normal Fire Department employs a full-time public information officer (PIO) whose primary responsibility is communicating information to the public, particularly during emergency incidents.
The role of the Public Information Officer (PIO) has many facets, not the least of which is making sure that when a significant emergency occurs, he or she provides accurate and timely information to the media so that the public remains informed about the scope and nature of the situation.
Other duties of the public information officer include serving as the primary spokesperson for the department during incidents, and attending regular meetings and activities involving local, regional, state, and federal agencies, especially regional planning and emergency preparedness.
The PIO also responds to incidents and establishes and operates the Joint Information System within the National Incident Management System.
The officer prepares press releases and organizes media conferences, and also handles the Normal Fire Department social media outreach.
Freedom of Information Act requests are handled through the Town Clerk's office. The Clerk and Deputy Clerk are the Freedom of Information Act officers for the Town. All Freedom of Information Act requests must to be directed to the Clerk’s Office.
100 E Phoenix Ave.
Matt Swaney
Get emergency alerts & texts from NFD >
Sign up for notifications >
Emergency and non-emergency contacts >
Municipal CODE - Fire Code
Ordinances and Town Code >
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Portishead clerk resigns to join Nailsea Town Council
PUBLISHED: 17:00 02 October 2018
Jo Duffy has worked for Portishead Town Council since 2012.
Portishead Town Council's clerk has resigned after six years in the post.
Jo Duffy, who has also worked for Congresbury Parish Council, will move to a position at Nailsea Town Council in December.
Mrs Duffy said: “I am very excited about the prospect of working and assisting Nailsea Town Council with its plans for the future enhancement of the town.
“I will be sad to leave my staff and councillors here at Portishead and wish them all the best for the future.”
Portishead Town Council has thanked her for her work during her time as clerk.
A statement released by the council says: “Mrs Duffy has worked for Portishead Town Council since September 2012, and her hard work and enthusiasm will be missed by her staff and council members.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank her for her service to the council and the town, and to wish her every success for the future.”
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University of NottinghamSchool of Cultures, Languages and Area StudiesPeople
School of Cultures, Languages and Area Studies
Languages for Business
Phone: 0115 74 86500
Local Student Services teams
Please use the Department links below to find a specific member of staff in Cultures, Languages and Area Studies.
Cultural, Media and Visual Studies
Modern Languages and Cultures
Amy Parrish
PhD Candidate, Faculty of Arts
workSchool of Humanities
Amy.Parrish@nottingham.ac.uk
Teaching Affiliate for Introduction to Art History I and II
I am a M3C/AHRC-funded PhD student focusing on an extreme revolution in taste in European art: the reception of Guido Reni and seventeenth-century Bolognese art in Britain. Guido Reni was one of the… read more
I am a M3C/AHRC-funded PhD student focusing on an extreme revolution in taste in European art: the reception of Guido Reni and seventeenth-century Bolognese art in Britain. Guido Reni was one of the most collectable and revered artists in seventeenth and eighteenth-century Britain. However, a collapse of his reputation in the nineteenth century led him to become deeply suspect in the popular imagination.
My research explores whether the response to Reni reflects wider historical changes in Britain and its developing national identity. My aim is to give a contextualised account of Reni's changing status in Britain from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, and to elucidate the role he played in the making of British art and national collections. My research will reveal particular aspects of British art, collecting, and literature, and set them within evolving ideologies of national identity; as such, the varied and extreme response to Reni will be highly revealing. My scope will be wide chronologically and will address large historical issues - the art market, the Grand Tour, and the place of Old Masters in the literary and historical imagination.
Prior to starting my PhD, I worked as a Graduate Intern in the Old Masters Paintings department at Christie's, London, providing research for the July 2016 sales. I have also have completed curatorial internships at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, where I worked on the Robert Lehman Collection, and at the National Gallery, London, where I worked on the 'Beyond Caravaggio' exhibition (October 2016 - January 2017) and a display of Sir Anthony Caro's sculptural response to Duccio's Annunciation (June - November 2015). I am a qualified Teacher of Classics at secondary level with three years of teaching experience.
Nottingham, NG7 2RD
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Pages 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 4024 result(s) returned
Building a Business 2013/14: From business models to business plans
Barbara Diehl and Maria Nikolou, The Entrepreneurship Centre, Saïd Business School give a talk for the Building A Business seminar series looking at creating a business plan from business models.
Virtual Maths, Cylinder Voids - Calculating volume
Interactive simulation with exercises and video demonstrating the use of auger piling and showing how to calculate the volume of cocrete needed to fill the cylindrical voids.
Quick Q
Q methodology is a technique for modelling viewpoints, that was developed by William Stephenson (1902-1989). This animation, intended for a general audience, provides a short non-technical introduction to the methodology, outlining the different stages involved in conducting a Q study. The animation was funded by the UK Higher Education Academy, as part of the National Teaching Fellow 'Assessing Students at Masters level' project, Assimilate.
Author(s): Tim Deignan,Leeds Metropolitan University
Engaging students, engaging industry and engaging enterprise
This reflective case study and poster relates to a specific event staged by students and examines the phases and critical points within the whole process. It identifies some key learning outcomes for all involved
2014_02_10_8.334
Dansen door de tijd
Leerlingen lezen een informatieve tekst over dansen door de eeuwen heen. Nadat de leerlingen de tekst gelezen hebben moeten ze bij een aantal foto's noteren bij welke tijdsperiode ze horen.
Vermenigvuldigen met TE : Cijferen
Werkblaadje waarmee leerlingen het cijferend vermenigvuldigen met TE inoefenen.
Maroon Minute: Citizen Scholars
In keeping with Missouri State University's statewide mission in public affairs, each year the Missouri State Board of Governors recognizes students who exemplify the concept of a citizen scholar. A citizen scholar contributes to the university, advances the university's public affairs mission and engages in extra-curricular accomplishments and/or in significant service activities in the community. The 2013 Citizen Scholars include Nii Abrahams, a senior communication major from Joplin, Mo.M
Learning space evaluation
The subject of physical learning space has in recent years become increasingly complex This reflection examines what evidence exists in this area
Virtual Maths - Basic Structures, shear force uniformly distributed load
Interactive simulation, demonstrating shear force, uniformly distributed load
Geraamte en spieren : Contractwerk
In dit contractwerk krijgen leerlingen verschillende opdrachten rond het geraamte en de spieren.
Volgende opdrachten zitten in het contractwerk:
Delen van het skelet benoemen;
Vragen beantwoorden over de …
"Avatar" star's girlfriend to be arrested?
Paparazzo seeks an arrest warrant on actor Sam Worthington's girlfriend after the three were involved in a scuffle. John Russell reports. Subscribe: http://smarturl.it/reuterssubscribe More Breaking News: http://smarturl.it/BreakingNews Reuters tells the world's stories like no one else. As the largest international multimedia news provider, Reuters provides coverage around the globe and across topics including business, financial, national, and international news. For over 160 years, Reuters
Laplace Transform 2c
Demonstrates the use of a table to find the Laplace transform of a rational (3/2) power.
Virtual Maths - 3D shapes, area of cylinder
Interactive simulation demonstrating the formula and calculation of the area of a cylinder
Obama offers condolences to victims' families of South Korea ferry tragedy
Subscribe: http://smarturl.it/reuterssubscribe President Barack Obama gives his condolences to the families who lost loved ones from the capsized ferry in South Korea. Rough cut (no reporter narration). Subscribe: http://smarturl.it/reuterssubscribe More Breaking News: http://smarturl.it/BreakingNews Reuters tells the world's stories like no one else. As the largest international multimedia news provider, Reuters provides coverage around the globe and across topics including business, financi
Is Marijuana Legalization Really a Disaster?
Mark Thornton responds to former DEA administrator Peter Bensinger's claim that the legalization of marijuana is a disaster. Thornton is a Senior Fellow at the Mises Institute.
Americans All: Good Neighbor Cultural Diplomacy in World War II
Darlene J. Sadlier explores how the CIAA used film,radio, the press, and various educational and high-art activities to convince people in the United States of the importance of good neighbor relations with Latin America, while also persuading Latin Americans that the United States recognized and appreciated the importance of our southern neighbors. She examines the CIAA's working relationship with Hollywood's Motion Picture Society of the Americas; its network and radio productions in North and
Session III: Connected + Automated
2014 UMTRI Global Symposium on Connected Vehicles and Infrastructure Day Two - April 22, 2014 Session III: Connected + Automated John Capp, Director, Active Safety Electronics, General Motors Christian Schumacher, ADAS Business Unit Leader-Driver Assistance, Bosch Huei Peng, Professor of Engineering, University of Michigan Kay Stepper, Regional Business Unit Leader-Driver Assistance, Bosch Moderator: Timothy Johnson, Director, Crash Avoidance and Electronic Controls Research, National Hi
Professor Patrick Duffy Inaugural Lecture: (Sport) Coaching: Blinded or blended in a changing world?
(Sport) Coaching: Blinded or blended in a changing world? Professor Duffy's research work focuses on policy and sport coaching, as well as applied work in sport-business transfer, which is part of a long-term project with Morrisons PLC. Patrick will address the policy and research backgrounds to developments in professional practice in this area. The traditional view of sport coaching as an emerging profession will be challenged, suggesting that sport coaching should position itself as a blended
Author(s): Patrick Duffy,Leeds Metropolitan University
Social Enterprise Education for Health Care Professionals
This case study outlines a project to embed social enterprise activities in the Faculty of Health inter-professional learning curriculum
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McKinley Climatic Laboratory
By Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms
America's involvement in a global conflict in World War II meant that aircraft would be subjected to a variety of climates, ranging from arctic conditions in Alaska and hot deserts in the Middle East to tropical rain forests in the Far East. In the winter of 1942 to 1943, the otherwise efficient German Air Force could not get its aircraft in the air during sub-zero weather. This grounding of the entire German Air Force, coupled with the difficulties the Cold Weather Test Detachment was experiencing at Ladd Field, Alaska, made it clear to the United States that cold weather-testing was indeed necessary, and a reliable means of testing must be found. The cold weather-testing program was officially assigned to the Army Air Force Proving Ground Command (AAFPGC) at Eglin Field, Florida, on 9 September 1943. Lt. Colonel Ashley C. McKinley reasoned that testing under controlled conditions would yield far superior test results and would be up to 10 times more economical that testing at Ladd Field, which had been expensive and produced only meager results. He further suggested that all U.S. aircraft and equipment be operable at -65 degrees Fahrenheit, and that a refrigerated hangar be constructed to produce such an environmental extreme under controlled conditions. The solution was to construct a refrigerated hangar at Eglin Field. This project called for a hangar type building of sufficient size to house a Main Chamber for aircraft as large as a B-29, several separate cold rooms, armament test chambers, shops and offices. The plans for the project were approved in 1944. Despite the high priority of its construction, the Climatic Laboratory's planned completion date of March 1945 was repeatedly delayed by a combination of technological challenges, wartime material shortages, and post-war strikes by sub-contractors. By May 1947, the first tests were conducted under a simulated arctic environment. Aircraft tested included a Fairchild Packet, a Boeing B-29, a Lockheed P-80, a North American P-51, a Lockheed P-38, and a Sikorsky R5D helicopter. During the tests, temperatures as low as -70 degrees Fahrenheit were reached. The first attempts at the recreation of Arctic conditions on a large scale were successful. With the completion of the Eglin Climatic Hangar, the newly born U.S. Air Force acquired its largest and most important test facility. As Col. McKinley played a key role in its design and construction, the Climatic Hangar was renamed in his honor following his death in 1970.
A bronze plaque with historic information on the McKinley Climatic Laboratory, posted across the street from the building it memorializes.
Within 50 years, more than 300 different aircraft and 2000 other equipment items were tested for the Department of Defense, private industry, and a number of allied governments. On the purely technical side, its merits and achievements were record setting. Cold weather testing was for the first time, put on a permanent, scientific basis. Early Air Force tests proved so successful that the Climatic Hangar became a facility utilized by all Department of Defense agencies. Several renovations to the Climatic Hangar were later needed in 1968 with the design and construction of the C-5A aircraft. The Salt Test Chamber and Sun, Wind, Rain & Dust chamber were added in 1973 to 1975. Recently, renovations have concentrated on the removal of ozone-depleting coolants.
The Climatic Laboratory consists of six chambers, four in the main building, Building 440, and two detached chambers in Buildings 430 and 448. The Main Chamber is the largest known insulated aircraft hangar, having a total enclosed volume of approximately 3, 282,500 cubic feet. The size of the chamber, 252 feet wide by 201 feet deep by 70 feet high in the center and 35 feet high at the sides, permits testing of the world's largest aircraft and very large pieces of equipment. An area was added to the main chamber in 1968 to specifically allow the C-5a Galaxy to be tested. This appendent area is approximately 60 feet by 85 feet with a ceiling height of 75 feet. With this appendent area included, usable floor space is approximately 55,000 square feet. The floors consist of 12 inches of reinforced concrete laid in blocks 12-1/2 feet square. The sidewalls have reinforced concrete and tile construction from the floor to a height of 28 feet. Above the concrete and tile, the entire building is made of steel. The entrance into the hangar, known as the Main Doors, encompasses the entire front side of the hangar. Self-supporting and self-propelled, the large door is built in two sections, each weighing 200 tons.
Visit the National Park Service Travel American Aviation to learn more about Aviation related Historic Sites.
Tags: aviation history National Register of Historic Places airplanes national landmarks Heritage Travel Itineraries discover our shared heritage historic properties travel itineraries alaska Historic Locations historic buildings
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Trust welcomes salmon recommendations
Written by Richard Luxmoore, Senior Nature Conservation Advisor
Scotland’s seas need to be protected.
The Rural Economy Committee (REC) of the Scottish Parliament has made recommendations for the future of salmon farming around Scotland’s coastline.
We warmly welcome the report of the REC Committee that we believe addresses most of the problems associated with the salmon farming industry, and we look forward to action being made to implement the 65 recommendations.
Recommendation 2[i] is the key to further action as it recognises that the status quo isn’t acceptable and that meaningful action has to be taken to address regulatory deficiencies and environmental issues before any expansion in the industry can take place.
The report highlights the impact that sealice from farms has on wild salmon and sea trout using the sea in the vicinity of fish farms, and that this is a major gap in the current regulation of the industry [ii].
Recommendations 45–47[iii] go on to urge that fish farms should not be sited in the vicinity of migratory routes for wild salmon and that a precautionary approach must be applied in a meaningful manner to curb the development of new fish farms.
Sea trout are more susceptible than salmon to the impacts of fish farming because they spend more time in coastal waters. Research conducted on sea trout has shown that sealice are found at elevated levels on wild sea trout within 30km of fish farms. This level of infestation raised the risk of these fish dying by 12–90% [iv]. This suggests that a precautionary approach to siting fish farms should be applied to zones within 30km of the farm.
Map showing fish farms and SSSI rivers.
A number of rivers (see map above) in the west of Scotland have been designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for Atlantic salmon or for freshwater pearl mussels. Mussels in their juvenile larval stages attach themselves to the gills of salmon, which then swim upstream. The larvae then fall off and attach to the river bed. An analysis of where these rivers enter the sea shows that there are already a large number of fish farms that one should assume, on a precautionary approach, are potentially having a damaging impact.
[i] RECOMMENDATION 2. The Committee strongly agrees with the view of the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee (ECCLR) Committee that if the industry is to grow, the “status quo” in terms of regulation and enforcement is not acceptable. It is of the view that urgent and meaningful action needs to be taken to address regulatory deficiencies as well as fish health and environmental issues before the industry can expand.
[ii] RECOMMENDATION 42. The Committee notes concerns expressed in evidence that none of the existing regulatory bodies currently has responsibility for the impact of salmon farms on wild salmon stocks. The Committee believes that clarity must be provided by the Scottish Government as to how this apparent regulatory gap will be filled and which agency will assume responsibility for its management.
[iii] RECOMMENDATION 45. The Committee shares the view of the ECCLR Committee that the siting of farms in the vicinity of known migratory routes for wild salmon must be avoided. The Committee understands that there is at present only limited empirical scientific evidence to suggest that wild salmon are infected by sea lice as they pass salmon farms. However, it is noted that the Norwegian Government has taken the decision to act decisively on this matter. It applies a strict precautionary approach and does not issue licences for salmon farms in the vicinity of wild salmon routes.
RECOMMENDATION 46. The Committee is of the view that a similar precautionary approach must be taken in Scotland to assist in mitigating any potential impact of sea lice infestation on wild salmon. It therefore recommends that there should be an immediate and proactive shift towards siting new farms in more suitable areas away from migratory routes and that this should be highlighted in the strategic guidance on the siting of salmon farms
RECOMMENDATION 47. The Committee recognises that it will take time for the range of current activity by the Scottish Government (e.g. Fish Health Framework initiatives, consenting review) and regulatory bodies (e.g. SEPA finfish sector review) and action on the Committee’s recommendations to be completed, with outcomes known, agreed and implemented. Therefore, until this work is completed and the enhanced regulatory and enforcement regime is in place, the precautionary principle should be applied in a meaningful and effective manner in relation to applications for new sites and expansion of existing site
[iv] Eva B Thorstad, Christopher D Todd, Ingebrigt Uglem, Pål Arne Bjørn, Patrick G Gargan, Knut Wiik Vollset, Elina Halttunen, Steinar Kålås, Marius Berg, Bengt Finstad. (2015). Effects of salmon lice Lepeophtheirus salmonis on wild sea trout Salmo trutta—a literature review. Aquaculture Environment Interactions, Vol. 7: 91–113
Wading into fishing debate
The Trust has called on the country’s fish farming sector to fix its pollution problems before contemplating further expansion.
Great news for osprey conservation
It has been another fantastic year for the ospreys, volunteers and staff at Threave Nature Reserve, with three osprey chicks getting ringed on Friday 12 July.
From the edge of the world: part 4
Our new blog from St Kilda reveals what it’s like to spend a season working here.
The Trust wants to grow more gardeners!
Our Garden Apprentice training scheme continues to help grow more professional gardeners to care for our beautiful and important places.
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NY Sharks Honored By BP
November 5, 2002 Game Story No comments
Detroit Blitz 0 @ New York 73
Queens, New York, May 11, 2002
At 3pm, it was a beautiful day for a football game. The sun was in the air, the temperature a mild 65 degrees, and a slight breeze blew across the field. The Sharks were practicing on the field, the fans were filling up the stands, hamburgers and hot dogs were grilling on the barbecue, and the band From the Desk of Sally was entertaining the crowd. The only problem was the Detroit Blaze were nowhere to be seen.
After waiting some tense minutes, the Blaze had arrived. They came 30 minutes after the announced kick-off time. Their tardiness was due to New York’s famous traffic. The day never got any better for the team from Motown.
The Detroit Blaze were playing their first ever football game. They are an exhibition team in the IWFL this season with plans to join the league as a regular team next year. They will be using this year to get their team some experience as they play only a handful of games. In this game, the New York Sharks handed them an education they won’t soon forget.
The game started off quite normally with the Blaze receiving the kick-off and started from their own 15-yard line. But after 4 plays and the help of a Detroit penalty, the Sharks forced the Blaze to punt. The punt only went 6 yards, giving New York the ball at Detroit’s 16-yard line. Three plays later Val “Peanut” Monaco caught an 11-yard pass from Val Halesworth for a touchdown. The two-point conversion was good as Courtney Eaton ran the ball in to give the Sharks an 8-0 lead.
On Detroit’s next posession they fumbled the ball on their own 27-yard line. On the very next play the Sharks scored their second touchdown on a pass from Halesworth to Monaco. Eaton ran it in again for 2 points to stretch the lead 16-0.
It was deja vue all over again as Detroit fumbled on their next posession at their own 47-yard line. On the third play of the drive, Liz “Magic” Presto caught a 12-yard pass from Halesworth for a touchdown, Eaton ran in the 2-point conversion and suddently the score was 24-0 and the rout was on.
Guess what happened on Detroit’s next posession? The Blaze fumbled the ball on their own 18-yard line and this time Monica Marsh caught a touchdown pass from Halesworth. Marsh then ran in the two-point conversion and the score was 32-0 before the first quarter was over.
The second quarter didn’t get any better. Detroit was able to hold onto the ball for a series of downs…kind of. The Blaze were forced to punt after moving the ball for -2 yards in this series. The snap of the ball was fumbled and recovered by New York, but it was called back on a penalty by the Sharks. Gambling with the ball on their own 35-yard line, Detroit went for it on fourth down. New York stopped them and then on the very next play, Halesworth threw to Eaton for a 24 yard gain. This happened to be the only pass Halesworth threw that did not result in a touchdown. New York kept to the air and on the next play Lori DeVivio caught an 11-yard pass from Halesworth for another New York touchdown. Monaco kicked the extra point and the score was now 39-0 with 13:37 left to play in the half.
New York’s Missy Marmorale started Detroit’s next series with a quarterback sack, this pushed the Blaze back to their 10-yard line. Detroit then fumbled again with the Sharks recovering the ball at the 14-yard line. This time Andra Douglas came in as quarterback and she quickly handed the ball off to Darleen “Blue” Hall. Hall scampered for 13-yards, being stopped at about the 1-foot line. It was a very nice run breaking tackles and including a leap in the air to avoid two tacklers. Douglas then punched the ball in from the 1-yard line on a quarterback sneak. Monaco kicked the extra point to make the score 46-0.
On Detroit’s next series, they were able to hold on to the ball but were moving in the opposite direction. When the Sharks got the ball back, they kept their attack on the ground and scored when Virginia “Cha Chi” Leon scored from the 3-yard line. Monaco kicked her third extra point to make the score 53-0 with 1:04 left in the half.
In the second half, most of the Shark’s regulars were sitting on the bench or playing their third or fourth position on the team. The half started with the Blaze kicking off to the Sharks. Detroit got a good kick that bounced along the sideline. Instead of it going out of bounds, New York was forced to field the ball on their own 14-yard line. For the first time all day, New York had the ball deep in their own territory. On first down, the ball was handed off to Hall who ran for 8-yards. Then on the next play, Presto was given the ball and she ran it back all the way for a 78-yard touchdown run. Monaco missed the extra point and the score was now 59-0.
In the fourth quarter, following a Sharks interception by Kellie Eckstein, the Sharks scored their franchise record setting ninth touchdown. It was on a 2-yard run by fourth-string quarterback Janet Chichester. New York then converted the two-point play on a busted extra point kick try. Halesworth connected to Presto to make the score 67-0.
To add insult to injury, on the very last play of the game, Detroit attempted a pass from their own 40-yard line. DeVivio intercepted the pass and ran it back for the Sharks record-setting 10th touchdown of the game and her second touchdown of the game. This made the final score 73-0.
Detroit came out of the game almost lucky to be alive. They played with a very small roster of only 23 players and had only practiced in full gear for less than a week. It looked like many of their players were not prepared to be tackled by some of the fierce but clean hits made by the Sharks defense. Quite a few times New York’s trainers ran on to the field to look over a few Detroit players after they had been popped by a Shark. Also many of their players had to play offense and defense and that took a heavy toll on them too.
The domination of the Sharks was complete as they scored every time they had the ball. At no point did the Sharks ever have to punt. New York successfully turned 6 Detroit turnovers (4 fumbles and 2 interceptions) into touchdowns. Quarterback Halesworth was 6 for 6 passing for 103 yards and 5 touchdowns.
The game balls were given to the defense for their second straight shutout, to Lori DeVivio for her two touchdowns (one on offense and one on defense), and the other to Anna “Tonka” Tate for creating holes on the offensive line.
Lakisha Grant who had season-ending surgery performed on her left leg after being injured during the second game of the season was at the game today. She was introduced during half time and she waved to the crowd from her wheelchair. Joining the team for the rest of the season is last year’s running sensation Kathy Holloman. Holloman who is one of the Shark’s all-time scoring leaders had missed the first 2 games dues to previous committments.
The first place Sharks leave the country next week for their first road game of the season as they take on the Montreal Blitz in Canada on Saturday, May 18th. This game will be an important test as Montreal is battling with the Sharks for a playoff spot in the eastern division. It should also be a tough game as the Sharks will be on a bus for 8 hours before they take on the Blitz.
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Archives|COMPANY NEWS: Old-Timers Day for Snack; Cracker Jack Takes Itself Out to Ballgame
https://nyti.ms/29joa3S
COMPANY NEWS: Old-Timers Day for Snack; Cracker Jack Takes Itself Out to Ballgame
By BARNABY J. FEDER JUNE 17, 1993
June 17, 1993, Page 00004Buy Reprints The New York Times Archives
The Cracker Jack division of Borden Inc. has figured out a variety of ways to celebrate the 100th anniversary this year of the invention of its famous candy-coated popcorn and peanut snack, but there is not much doubt that the high point will have to be a party here at the Chicago Cubs' historic Wrigley Field.
Although Cracker Jack began making a name for itself as soon as it was introduced at the Chicago World's Fair of 1893 by a local popcorn company, it has been inextricably linked with baseball in the imagination since 1908. That was the year that "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," in which the singer jauntily demands peanuts and Cracker Jacks, became a music hall hit.
The party, held before and during a game this afternoon between the Cubs and the Florida Marlins, came off without a hitch. A large crowd happily munched on Cracker Jacks distributed without charge, and Sailor Jack, the company's mascot, earned cheers for throwing out the first pitch to the Cubs' catcher, Rick Wilkins, in good style.
That was a relief for Gary Willett, Cracker Jack's general manager. A few years ago, he threw out the first ball before a baseball game at Cincinnati's Riverfront Stadium; he bounced it to the plate and was booed off the field.
Nostalgia has been good for business. Cracker Jack had been bumping along in recent years, with an average production of 250 million boxes. But the company may sell 400 million boxes this year if sales trends from the first quarter hold up, Mr. Willett said.
A version of this article appears in print on June 17, 1993, on Page D00004 of the National edition with the headline: COMPANY NEWS: Old-Timers Day for Snack; Cracker Jack Takes Itself Out to Ballgame. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Archives|New Arrest in Aruba Over Missing Student
New Arrest in Aruba Over Missing Student
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS JUNE 12, 2005
ORANJESTAD, Aruba, June 11 - A judge ruled Saturday that the police can continue to detain three young men arrested in the disappearance of an Alabama honors student, one of whom reportedly said that "something bad happened" to the teenager, whom they took to the beach after a night of drinking.
The family of the student, Natalee Holloway, 18, said Saturday that no body had been found.
Prosecutors refused to comment on a statement by Deputy Police Commissioner Gerold Dompig, who told The Associated Press late Friday that the man who made that admission was leading the police to the scene. He refused to identify which of the three young men in custody, a 17-year-old Dutch student and two Surinamese brothers, had made the statement.
Antonio Carlo, a lawyer representing the Dutch student, who was reported to have been kissing Ms. Holloway in the back seat of a car before she disappeared in the early hours of May 30, said he was confident that his client was "100 percent innocent."
"My client has not confessed to any crime," he told The A.P. The student is the son of a high-ranking judicial official on the Dutch Caribbean island.
The three young men appeared Saturday before a judge flown in from neighboring Curaçao. A government spokesman, Ruben Trapenberg, said bringing in a judge for a high-profile case was not unusual.
The judge ruled Saturday that the detention was legal under suspicion of murder and capital kidnapping, David Kock, the lawyer of one of the Surinamese brothers, told The A.P.
The police have also detained two former security guards at a hotel near the one where Ms. Holloway was staying. No one has been formally charged in the case.
Ms. Holloway vanished during a five-day trip to the island with 124 classmates and seven chaperones celebrating their graduation from Mountain Brook High School, near Birmingham.
Mr. Kock, the lawyer for Satish Kalpoe, 18 -- whose brother, Deepak, 21, also is in custody -- said the brothers told the police they took Ms. Holloway to a beach in the early hours of May 30.
According to their statement, they did not get out of the car, Mr. Kock said. Instead, Ms. Holloway and the Dutch teenager, an honors student at the Aruba International School, "were in the back seat kissing."
They told the police they dropped off Ms. Holloway at her Holiday Inn about 2 a.m. and last saw her being approached by a man in a security guard's uniform, Mr. Kock said.
We are continually improving the quality of our text archives. Please send feedback, error reports, and suggestions to archive_feedback@nytimes.com.
A version of this article appears in print on June 12, 2005, on Page 1001031 of the National edition with the headline: Three Young Suspects Can Be Held In Case of Missing Girl, Judge Rules. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Middle East|Offering Video, Israel Answers Critics on War
Offering Video, Israel Answers Critics on War
By GREG MYRE DEC. 5, 2006
JERUSALEM, Dec. 4 — Israel’s military, which has been accused of abuses in its war against Hezbollah this summer, has declassified photographs, video images and prisoner interrogations to buttress its accusation that Hezbollah systematically fired from civilian neighborhoods in southern Lebanon and took cover in those areas to shield itself from attack.
Lebanon and international human rights groups have accused Israel of war crimes in the 34 days of fighting in July and August, saying that Israel fired into populated areas and that civilians accounted for a vast majority of the more than 1,000 Lebanese killed.
Israel says that it tried to avoid civilians, but that Hezbollah fired from civilian areas, itself a war crime, which made those areas legitimate targets.
In a new report, an Israeli research group says Hezbollah stored weapons in mosques, battled Israelis from inside empty schools, flew white flags while transporting missiles and launched rockets near United Nations monitoring posts.
The detailed report on the war was produced by the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center at the Center for Special Studies, a private research group headed by Reuven Erlich, a retired colonel in military intelligence, who worked closely with the Israeli military.
An advance copy was given to The New York Times by the American Jewish Congress, which has itself fought against the use of “human shields,” provided consultation and translated the study.
In Lebanon, a Hezbollah official denied the study’s allegations, saying its military units were based outside towns and villages and had come into populated areas only when circumstances required it. “We tried to avoid having to fight among civilian areas, but when Israeli troops entered villages, we were automatically forced to fight them from inside these villages to defend it,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on military matters.
Israel’s critics charge that its military either singled out civilians or was reckless in its pursuit of Hezbollah. The new report is an attempt to rebut such criticism.
The report includes Israeli Air Force video that it says shows several instances of Hezbollah personnel firing rockets next to residential buildings in southern Lebanon and then being bombed by Israel. The adjacent buildings were presumably damaged, but there is no information on whether civilians were inside.
“This study explains the dilemma facing the Israeli military as it fights an enemy that intentionally operates from civilian areas,” Mr. Erlich said. “This is the kind of asymmetric warfare we are seeing today. It’s not only relevant to Lebanon, but is also what we are seeing in the Gaza Strip and in Iraq.”
The report says: “The construction of a broad military infrastructure, positioned and hidden in populated areas, was intended to minimize Hezbollah’s vulnerability. Hezbollah would also gain a propaganda advantage if it could represent Israel as attacking innocent civilians.”
In video from July 23, a truck with a multi-barreled missile launcher, presumably from Hezbollah, is parked in a street, sandwiched between residential buildings. The video was transmitted from an Israeli missile approaching the truck. The screen goes fuzzy as the missile slams into the target.
In another video, from a Lebanese village, rockets are seen being fired from a launcher on the back of a truck. The truck then drives a short distance and disappears inside a building. Seconds later, the building itself disappears under a cloud of smoke from an Israeli bomb.
The report says that there were many such examples, and that Hezbollah has been preparing for such an engagement for years, embedding its fighters and their weapons in the Shiite villages of southern Lebanon. When Hezbollah fired its rockets from those areas, Israel faced a choice of attacking, and possibly causing civilian casualties, or refraining from shooting because of the risk, the report said.
Elias Hanna, a retired Lebanese Army general, said of the Israeli allegations, “Of course there are hidden invisible tunnels, bunkers of missile launchers, bunkers of explosive charges amongst civilians.”
He added: “You cannot separate the southern society from Hezbollah, because Hezbollah is the society and the society is Hezbollah. Hezbollah is holding this society together through its political, military and economic services. It is providing the welfare for the south.”
Asked whether Hezbollah should be seen as responsible for the deaths of Lebanese civilians in the war, he replied: “Of course Hezbollah is responsible. But these people are ready to sacrifice their lives for Hezbollah. If you tell them, ‘Your relative died,’ they will tell you ‘No, he was a martyr.’ The party’s military preparations from 2000 till 2006 took place in their areas. They were of course done with complete secrecy, but in accordance with the civilians.”
During the war, Israel dropped leaflets urging villagers to leave southern Lebanon and also to evacuate from Hezbollah strongholds in southern Beirut. Many did flee, but some remained and among them were hundreds who were killed.
In one highly publicized Israeli strike on July 30, at least 28 Lebanese civilians, including many women and children, were killed when Israel bombed a residential building in the village of Qana. Israel said it struck a Hezbollah rocket cell that had recently fired from near the building.
In several other instances, Israel bombed vehicle convoys that were trying to leave the combat zone in southern Lebanon, killing many civilians. Human Rights Watch, a New York-based advocacy group, said shortly before the war ended that it had documented the deaths of 27 Lebanese civilians killed while trying to flee.
Photographs from southern Lebanon include, top, a village where Israel says a rocket launcher was kept, before and after an Israeli airstrike. Above, another village where Israel says a rocket launcher was hidden.
Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch, wrote shortly after the war that the Israeli military “seemed to assume that because it gave warnings to civilians to evacuate southern Lebanon, anyone who remained was a Hezbollah fighter.”
He wrote, “But giving warnings, as required by international humanitarian law, does not relieve the attacker of the duty to distinguish between civilians and combatants and to target only combatants.”
Amnesty International said that Israel “consistently failed to adopt necessary precautionary measures,” and that its forces “carried out indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on a large scale.”
The group also accused Hezbollah of “serious violations of international humanitarian law” for deliberately attacking Israeli civilians with rockets.
The Israeli report defended the Israeli operations, saying “airstrikes and ground attacks against Hezbollah targets located in population centers were carried out in accordance with international law, which does not grant immunity to a terrorist organization deliberately hiding behind civilians.”
The Israeli report included video of what it said were three Hezbollah prisoners being questioned by Israeli military personnel.
Muhammad Srour, a young Hezbollah fighter, said he had initially received training in Iran and was undergoing further training in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley when the war broke out. He was sent to the front lines.
Like many Hezbollah fighters, he traveled by motorbike, but they were frequently the targets of Israeli forces. While transporting missiles, hidden in cloth, in and around the southern village of Aita al Shaab, “I carried a white flag,” Mr. Srour said.
Hezbollah operated freely from homes in the village, with the permission of residents who had fled. The departing residents either left their doors unlocked or gave their keys to Hezbollah, he said. Mr. Srour acknowledged that homes used by Hezbollah were more likely to draw fire.
But, he said, “better that the house is destroyed and the Israelis don’t enter and come back to conquer Lebanon.”
Another captured fighter, Hussein Suleiman, explained how he had set up a rocket-firing position on the front porch of a house on the outskirts of Aita al Shaab.
A third Hezbollah man, Maher Kourani, said group members had worn civilian clothes, tried never to show their weapons, and traveled in ordinary civilian cars. “We use Volvos, Mercedes, BMW,” he said. “We use Range Rovers, too.”
The Israeli report makes frequent references to Hezbollah’s using Lebanese civilians as human shields, though it cites only two villages where it says Hezbollah prevented residents from leaving. Mr. Erlich acknowledged that over all, Hezbollah did not use coercion against Lebanese civilians.
Rather, he said, “Hezbollah was operating inside a supportive population, and cynically used them to further its own goals.”
Hezbollah fired some 4,000 rockets into northern Israel, and most Israeli civilians either fled the region or took refuge in bomb shelters.
Over all, more than 1,000 Lebanese were killed, and a vast majority were civilians, according to the Lebanese government. Hezbollah has said that no more than 100 of its fighters were killed.
The Israeli report disputes this, claiming that at least 450 and perhaps as many as 650 of the Lebanese dead were from Hezbollah.
Israel suffered 159 deaths, including 41 civilians and 118 military personnel, according to the report.
Israel withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon in 2000 after a presence of nearly two decades, much of it spent fighting Hezbollah. There was periodic cross-border shelling in the ensuing years.
The war erupted on July 12 when Hezbollah crossed the border and attacked an Israeli jeep patrol, killing three soldiers and capturing two more, who remain held by Hezbollah, according to the group.
The fighting stopped Aug. 14, shortly after the passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which reaffirmed an earlier resolution calling for Lebanese militias to disarm.
Israel says Hezbollah has only hidden its weapons and is being resupplied from its longtime patrons, Syria and Iran. Israel continues to send warplanes on reconnaissance missions over southern Lebanon, despite criticism from the United Nations forces in the region.
Correction: December 7, 2006
Because of an editing error, a front-page article on Tuesday about an Israeli report that accused Hezbollah militants of using Lebanese civilians as human shields during the war this summer referred imprecisely to how Amnesty International handled the issue. While it was not addressed in Amnesty’s Sept. 14 report on the war, it was in a Nov. 21 report, in which the organization acknowledged the presence of Hezbollah fighters and weapons in civilian areas. But it said this was not conclusive evidence of intent to use civilians as human shields.
An article in Business Day yesterday about a restructuring, including a management shake-up, at Yahoo misstated the year Daniel L. Rosensweig, the departing chief operating officer, assumed his post. It was April 2002, not 2003.
The Times welcomes comments and suggestions, or complaints about errors that warrant correction. Messages on news coverage can be e-mailed to nytnews@nytimes.com or left toll-free at 1-888-NYT-NEWS (1-888-698-6397). Comments on editorials may be e-mailed to letters@nytimes.com or faxed to (212) 556-3622.
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Nada Bakri contributed reporting from Beirut, Lebanon.
A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A1 of the New York edition with the headline: Offering Video, Israel Answers Critics on War. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
Israel Releases Lebanon Attack Video DEC. 4, 2006
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Dance|Carolyn George, City Ballet Soloist, Dies at 81
Carolyn George, City Ballet Soloist, Dies at 81
By ANNA KISSELGOFF FEB. 11, 2009
Carolyn George d’Amboise, a photographer and a former soloist with the New York City Ballet whose high-flying, witty performances contributed to the young company’s early impact in the 1950s, died on Tuesday at her home in Manhattan. She was 81.
The cause was complications of primary lateral sclerosis, a neuromuscular disease, said her husband, Jacques d’Amboise, the former City Ballet star and founder, with his wife, of the National Dance Institute, an arts organization for children.
Tall, slim and elegant, Ms. George (who used her maiden name professionally) was nicknamed Tweety Bird by the choreographer Jerome Robbins for her arrow-swift leaps in works like George Balanchine’s “Symphony in C.” John Martin, the dance critic of The New York Times, hailed her move from the corps de ballet to solo roles as “a happy surprise” in 1954.
Born in Dallas on Sept. 6, 1927, Ms. George was descended from some of the first settlers in Waco, Tex. Her achievements and aspirations were regularly chronicled by Dallas newspapers.
But as she recalled later, “I had my sights set on New York.” Interviewed in The Dallas Times Herald in 1959, the year she left City Ballet, she noted that since there were no professional dance companies in Dallas, “the only professional experience I had before trying a dancing career was gained in Dallas summer musicals.”
In 1946 Carl Randall, director of those musicals — the Starlight Operettas — and his wife chaperoned Ms. George to New York for a summer of study at Balanchine’s School of American Ballet. The New York City Ballet was founded two years later.
Carolyn George in Balanchines Western Symphony. Credit Radford Bascome, Courtesy of New York City Ballet Archives
Ms. George also spent a year at the Texas State College for Women before transferring to the San Francisco Ballet school and appearing with its company.
In 1952 she returned to New York and appeared in musicals. She also auditioned for City Ballet, but was told she could join only after the company’s 1952 European tour. She made an unscheduled debut before the tour when she was pulled from the audience to replace an ill dancer in Balanchine’s “Swan Lake.” Balanchine then invited her to join on tour.
Ms. George danced with City Ballet from 1952 and became a soloist in 1954. She married Mr. d’Amboise on New Year’s Day 1956 and left that year to give birth to their son George. She returned in 1958 but resigned the next year, when George was being treated for cancer.
In addition to her husband and George, of Boulder, Colo., she is survived by another son, Christopher, a choreographer who was a dancer in City Ballet and artistic director of the Pennsylvania Ballet, of Manhattan; twin daughters, Catherine d’Amboise of Santa Fe, N.M., and Charlotte d’Amboise, the actress and dancer, of Manhattan; four grandchildren; and a sister, Marilyn Sheffield of Plano, Tex.
Ms. George created roles at City Ballet in Robbins’s “Fanfare,” Todd Bolender’s “Souvenirs” and William Dollar’s “Five Gifts,” and often won praise when she stepped into existing roles.
In the 1980s Ms. George started photographing for City Ballet and the School of American Ballet. She studied with the photographer Ernst Haas, and her books of photos included dance and nondance subjects.
In 1973 Ms. George made a cameo appearance as the grandmother in Balanchine’s “Nutcracker” at City Ballet. It was a family affair. Her husband was the Sugarplum Fairy’s cavalier, Christopher was the little Nutcracker Prince, the twins danced in children’s roles and George replaced the boy who propels a bed around the stage.
A version of this article appears in print on , on Page B12 of the New York edition with the headline: Carolyn George, 81, City Ballet Soloist. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
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Column | The Peace Pulpit
'Blessed are those who hear the word of God and do it.'
by Thomas Gumbleton
Akira Hojo c.jpg
(Unsplash/Akira Hojo)
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton's homily, Dec. 23, 2018 by National Catholic Reporter
As you recall from the beginning of Advent, we understand that this season is a time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus, in different ways — one is the coming of Jesus at the end of the world. That was emphasized earlier in the season, but also how Jesus comes to us in everyday life, through our sacraments, through our contacts with one another. But also we prepare during this time for the celebration of the birth of Jesus into our human history.
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Psalm 80:2-3, 15-16, 18-19
That's what's emphasized in today's readings if we listen carefully: to be ready, once more, for Jesus to be born and to become part of the history of our human family, to be with us as we live our everyday life, to continue to guide and show us the way. As we make this final preparation then for the celebration of the birth of Jesus, we should listen carefully to how Jesus wants us to respond. And I think the lessons today are very clear.
Jesus comes to show us a different way of how to live, to dramatically be converted, to turn around in our lives by following him. This is what Elizabeth praised Mary for: "Blessed are you," Elizabeth says to Mary, "because you listened and responded to God's word." When Mary had said, "Be it done to me according to your will," Mary had listened to that voice that spoke to her and said, "Yes, I will follow. I will obey God." And actually, obey means to listen deeply so that we hear God speaking to us, and Mary did.
That's also what we're reminded of when we listen to the first lesson. The prophet Micah proclaimed a new time for the chosen people, when a person would come (and he was looking forward to Jesus) who would fulfill God's promise, who would actually bring change to the chosen people. He would be peace among them. Jesus, born in Bethlehem, as the prophet proclaims, is that one who brings peace. If we listen deeply, we know that we, too, then are called to bring peace.
But especially the Gospel lesson — first in that letter to the Hebrews, that's the very thing that Jesus proclaims, "I have come to do your will, o God. I have come to do your will." Jesus himself listens deeply and then follows God's way. Mary, who has listened deeply and follows God's way, we think of as the first disciple because Jesus himself later on in his life (it's recorded in Luke's Gospel also) tells about Mary and why Mary is really to be blessed. You may remember the incident. It's a time when a person in the crowd, a woman cries out to Jesus.
She's so impressed with his words and what he's doing. She cries out, "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you." She was praising the mother of Jesus. But Jesus says in reply, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and do it." That doesn't exclude Mary, of course; she was the one who most of all listened to the word of God. But Jesus proclaims that is what makes Mary so special. She is one who has listened deeply to God's word and followed it.
And so as we prepare now in this final week of Advent — a short week, of course — but as we prepare, we must try harder to think about the ways in which we have to listen to Jesus. Of course, we've been coming to church year after year after year, Sunday after Sunday, and we've heard God's word time after time, but have we really listened, listened deeply, and followed that word? I can think of some easy examples, especially if you listen to the Beatitudes in Matthew's Gospel. Have we listened to those? "Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the reign of God."
This time of the year when we're remembering Jesus, celebrating his birth, it's so easy to be caught up in the spirit of materialism that's all around us. The advertising that comes at us all the time is always wanting us to get more, to get more. And it's not wrong to want to have material goods. God gave them to us as a gift. But that's the point — you need to remember that everything we have is a gift from God. That's why Jesus said, "Blessed are the poor," those who recognize that what they have is a gift from God and that God made the gift of this world not just for a few, but for all.
So, yes, we celebrate the gifts we have, but we have to keep trying to find ways to share so we don't have the terrible disparity between the rich and the poor that goes on in our country and even more throughout the world. But also Jesus says in those Beatitudes, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice; they shall receive their fill." So we too have to listen. How can we make our world, make our own country, make our own city, our neighborhood a more just place?
So often when people hear from the pulpit things that have to do with political life, say, the budget the Senate and Congress passes for our country, do we really pay attention to who benefits from our tax code where the rich get far more than the poor? We have to think about how we might change in our own attitudes in working for justice. That prophet Micah whom we listened to in the first lesson today, one of his most famous phrases is this, he says, "Listen, friends, to what God says. Here's all you have to do: Act justly, love tenderly and follow humbly the Lord your God," but act justly to start with. Justice isn't just something political through our tax policies or whatever else. No, it's a matter of right and wrong; we have to act justly. So we must listen to this word of God.
But also Jesus says, "Blessed are the peacemakers." This, I think, we've listened to hardly at all, in the most profound sense. A scripture scholar, John McKenzie, tells us, "If Jesus did not reject violence for any reason whatsoever, we know nothing about Jesus." In other words, he's saying it's so clear in the Scriptures, in the Gospels that Jesus rejected violence. If you can't say that about Jesus after you listen and read these words of God, then you may as well say you don't know anything about Jesus — because that comes through so clearly.
Yet we find ourselves living in a situation in our world where violence is rampant. We experience it ourselves; we've suffered from it. But we have to find a way to reject violence, to follow the way of Jesus which is called active love, to return love for hate, good for evil, never accepting violence as a proper response to any situation. That's the word of Jesus. Are we willing to listen?
So as we complete our final preparation for the celebration of Christmas, I hope we might commit ourselves to, during this new year, listen more deeply each week to God's word. Let it enter deeply into our heart, into our spirit, into our mind, and let it really shape and guide the way we act; listen deeply. Elizabeth said to Mary, "Blessed are you because you have listened to God's word and followed it." We hope that that's what God will say to us: Blessed are we because we, too, as Jesus, renewed the celebration of his coming once more into our world because we commit ourselves to listen deeply to him and to follow him, to bring his reign of peace and justice into its fullness in our world.
Editor's note: This homily was given Dec. 23 at St. Ambrose Parish in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan. The transcripts of Bishop Thomas Gumbleton's homilies are posted weekly to NCRonline.org. Sign up here to receive an email alert when the latest homily is posted.
Column | 'Blessed are those who hear the word of God and do it.'
How do you live the Works of Mercy?
Taizé today: A ‘new solidarity’
Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jesus, wash my ugly, dirty, swollen feet, wash all of me
Give them yourselves
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Government to shut down for third time this year
While negotiations continue in Congress to reach a deal to avert a partial government shutdown, there is virtually no chance a vote will happen Friday night -- all but assuring there will be a government shutdown at midnight.
The House has adjourned, and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn says there will be no vote Friday night in the Senate.
Barring any very unexpected change, the third government shutdown of the year will happen.
Vice President Mike Pence, budget director Mick Mulvaney and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were on Capitol Hill on Friday afternoon meeting with senators, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, about finding a solution.
The President has repeatedly said he is unwilling to accept anything less than $5 billion for his long-promised border wall. But the fact that the $5 billion border wall is viewed as a measure that would be impossible to pass in the Senate indicates that votes aren't there on the Hill to meet the President's demand.
Funding for roughly a quarter of the federal government expires at midnight, including appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other parts of the government.
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Hidden history of Northern Ireland’s mother and baby homes
It is estimated that up to 4,700 Northern Irish women were sent to homes operated by Protestant churches while a further 2,800 women from the Catholic community had their babies while residents of the Marianvale in Newry and Marianville in Belfast, which were operated by the Catholic Sisters of the Good Shepherd.
Published: 07:34 Wednesday 07 November 2018
Last month, the Irish government announced plans to excavate the bodies of several hundred babies interred on the site of the former mother and baby home in Tuam in the Republic of Ireland.
The Tuam controversy is part of a larger episode in Irish history that focuses on the treatment of unmarried mothers and their children.
Tributes at one of the mother and baby homes
However the story is not only pertinent in the Republic of Ireland – Northern Ireland has its own hidden history in this respect. A stark advertisement that appeared in the Northern Whig in 1950 is evidence of this.
Sitting alongside notices about second hand cars is a notice that reads: ‘Bonny Baby Boy: full surrender given to kind Protestant parents - Box PM2112.’
In an era when stigma was attached to pre-marital pregnancy, how did Northern Ireland respond to this issue?
Professor Sean O’Connell from Queen’s University Belfast said: “We know very little about this and the babies involved are part of a hidden history.
“This advert suggests an ad hoc and furtive process took place, certainly at this point – 1950.”
He added: “We estimate that up to 4,700 Northern Irish women were sent to homes operated by Protestant churches, including Thorndale, Malone Place, Hopedene Hostel and Kennedy House between the 1920s and 1990s.
“A further 2,800, from the Catholic community, had their babies while residents of the Marianvale in Newry and Marianville in Belfast, which were operated by the Catholic Sisters of the Good Shepherd.
“In total, that is 7,500 women: each with their own story.
“Moreover, there are a further 7,500 potential stories to be told of what became of their babies.
“We are currently recording the memoires of some of those women and their children and would like to appeal to News Letter readers to help us secure even more.”
“We have been asked to discover the reality that lies behind the sketchy historical evidence on mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland that can be found in the dusty paperwork left behind.
“Our research will lead to a report for the Department of Health which will feed into a decision on whether or not Northern Ireland follows the Republic and instigates a full scale inquiry on mother and baby homes.”
Over the course of the past century, hundreds of women made the journey from their homes across Northern Ireland to a number of mother and baby homes run by Catholic and Protestant organisations, as well as by the state.
A smaller number of residential homes operated as so-called Magdalene laundries and a large number of women worked in them, for various lengths of time.
Working alongside Professor O’Connell on the examination of the mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland is Dr Leanne McCormick from Ulster University.
She said: “The mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland were, in general, for unmarried mothers who were not able to remain in their family home for the birth of their child.
“Women entered the homes in the months before their due date and stayed for varying lengths of time after they gave birth, depending on what was happening with their baby.
“Some women returned home with their baby or moved in with relatives and friends, but the majority of babies born in mother and baby homes were given up for adoption, or placed in foster care or orphanages.
“Society was a lot harsher and more judgemental in this period and being pregnant and unmarried often carried stigma and shame.
“Sadly, we know that many women were left unsupported by their families.
“Being left alone and afraid they may have felt unable to return home with their baby.
“Alternatively, they may feel that pressure was placed upon them to give up their baby for adoption.”
She said: “There were a wide variety of homes involved. Before the creation of the NHS, in 1948, the workhouse often operated as a type of mother and baby home for unmarried mothers.
“There were 27 workhouses in Northern Ireland and many operated ‘boarding out’ schemes, which were a form of fostering children, and mothers often were required to pay for the up-keep of children who were boarded out.
“The workhouses often organised adoptions as well.”
The research team also want to record interviews with anyone who worked in a mother and baby home or a Magdalene laundry in Northern Ireland, or who gained knowledge of these institutions because of their work.
This could include those working in the following categories at any point before the 1990s: Members of religious orders, clergy, social workers, doctors, nurses and others.
Dr McCormick continued: “Many women have never spoken about their time in these homes and may never have told their husbands or their children about the experience.
“With mother and baby homes in the news once again, we hope that some of these women will feel ready and willing to come forward now and share their stories with us.
“The process is completely confidential and anonymity is guaranteed. All interviewees are treated with the care and respect they deserve.”
She commented: “We are aware that they were made to feel shame at the time when they were giving birth to their babies, now they have the opportunity to help us write the non-judgemental historical account.
“Our research can be assisted greatly by anyone who had any contact with any of these institutions other than as a resident.
“To fully understand the operation of the homes we would appeal to any doctors, nurses, or midwives who encountered women from the homes during their work or a member of the clergy who referred women to the homes.”
The examination of mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland has been commissioned by the Department of Health after the Executive admitted there was limited knowledge about their operation in Northern Ireland.
Professor Sean O’Connell from the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen’s University and Dr Leanne McCormick from the School of Arts and Humanities at Ulster University are leading the research team on the 12-month project.
Researchers will examine archive records held by the state, churches and relevant voluntary organisations with the primary task of preparing a detailed report on the day-to-day operation and practices within Northern Ireland’s mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries.
The report’s finding will inform future deliberations about a possible public inquiry on the subject.
The Salvation Army carried out maternity work at Thorndale in Belfast until 1995 and Malone Place, operated by the Belfast Midnight Mission, ran from 1900 until it was closed in 1981, providing for both married and unmarried mothers.
The Church of Ireland Rescue League worked with unmarried mothers at Kennedy House until it closed in 1956. Another Church of Ireland home – Hopedene Hostel on Dundela Avenue – ran from 1943 to 1985.
For Catholic women, the options included Marianville in Belfast and Marianvale in Newry in 1955. The Legion of Mary also ran a home – Mater Dei – on the Antrim Road from 1940 to 2000.
The interviews in relations to Northern Ireland’s mother and baby homes will be carried out by experienced oral historians, Olivia Dee and Professor Sean O’Connell.
They can be contacted by phone on 02890 973153, email MBHML@qub.ac.uk or by post to Professor Sean O’Connell, Queen’s University Belfast, 25 University Square, Belfast BT7 1NN.
The homes which they are interested in are:
• Good Shepherd Sisters (Marianville and Marianvale) at 511 Ormeau Road, Belfast and 132, Armagh Road, Newry
• Mater Dei Hostel - 298 Antrim Road, Belfast
• Belfast Midnight Mission/Malone Place Rescue and Maternity Home - Malone Road, Belfast
• Thorndale House (Salvation Army) - Duncairn Avenue, Belfast
• Kennedy House - 8 Cliftonville Avenue, Belfast,
• Hopedene Hostel - 55 Dundela Avenue
• Belfast Welfare Hostel - Lisburn Road, Belfast
• Coleraine Welfare Hostel
• Mount Oriel Hostel - 4 Mount Oriel, Belfast
• Deanery Flatlets - Belfast
• Pre-1948 Workhouses
The 30 cheapest homes on sale in N.I. and how much they are going for
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Computer Idle? Now You Can Donate Its Time to Find a Cure for Major Diseases
16-Jun-2009 10:30 AM EDT
Credit: Doug Baker/University of Delaware
University of Delaware professor Michela Taufer is leading the "Docking@Home" project, which involves citizen volunteers and their computers in research aimed at finding a cure for major diseases.
University, Delaware, Computer, Boinc, Taufer, NSF, HIV, Arthritis, Parkinson's, Cancer, WII
Newswise — Not using your computer at the moment? You can now donate your computer's idle time to cutting-edge biomedical research aimed at finding a cure for HIV, Parkinson's, arthritis, and breast cancer.
Through the University of Delaware's "Docking@Home" project, led by Michela Taufer, assistant professor of computer and information sciences, and supported by the National Science Foundation, more than 6,000 volunteers worldwide are donating their computer's idle time to perform scientific calculations that will aid in creating new and improved medicines to thwart these major diseases.
Before new drugs can be produced for laboratory testing, researchers must create molecular models and simulate their interactions to reveal possible candidates for effective drugs. This simulation is called "docking," Taufer explains.
Since the combinations of molecules and their binding orientations are infinite, simulating as many combinations as possible requires tremendous computing power, Taufer notes, and supercomputers often have a long waiting line or are too expensive to use for extended periods. Thus, researchers have turned to citizen volunteers for help, which enables them to distribute the hundreds of thousands of computing tasks across a large number of computers.
The HIV-1 protease cuts the Human Immunodeficiency Virus like a scissors. If scientists could inhibit this effect, the virus could not reproduce, Taufer says.
"Basically, the protein is misbehaving, and we want to find out what small molecule can correct this behavior," she notes.
Once a binding molecule called a ligand is dropped into a protein, effectively "docking," it can switch that protein on or off, and the computer can simulate this interaction.
While right now, Taufer says, the research is in the validation stage, in time, the process is aimed at studying new drugs.
"We are transforming a process in nature into computer steps--an algorithm," she explains.
Volunteering your computer's idle time to do scientific calculations takes only a few simple steps highlighted on the project Web page (http://docking.cis.udel.edu/). You install a free, open-source software program called BOINC (Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network Computing), developed at the University of California, and link up to the Docking Server at the University of Delaware to become part of the network. Your computer's idle cycles are accessed automatically when you are not using your system.
The BOINC software also is in use for such programs as IBM's World Community Grid, which focuses on diseases caused by the mis-folding of proteins, and SETI@Home, which is searching for signs of intelligent life outside Earth.
Currently, the 6,000 volunteers worldwide who currently are involved in UD's Docking@Home project are contributing to the completion of some 30,000 docking tasks per day, Taufer says.
Kevin Kreiser, a third-year graduate student in Taufer's group, is developing the software for ExSciTecH (an immersive volunteer computing system to Explore Science, Technology, and Health), which will allow volunteers to "throw" a molecule right into a protein using a Nintendo Wii.
"Other people do yoga with a Wii," Taufer notes, smiling. "We are doing science."
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Brown picks perfect game to set career rushing high
Harvey Fialkov, Miami BureauORLANDO SENTINEL
Ronnie Brown picked the most dominant defense in the NFL to set career highs in rushing yards and attempts as he carried the Dolphins to a stunning 31-13 over the formerly undefeated Chicago Bears.
Brown wore down a Bears' defense that had been allowing 82.4 rushing yards a game and just 7.5 points at Soldier Field with 157 yards (5.4 yards per carry) on 29 attempts.
The second-year tailback and second overall draft pick of 2005 also had two catches for 33 yards, including a 24-yard catch-and-run in which he had to elude Pro Bowl LB Brian Urlacher.
"We're in this thing together," Brown said. "When I have success, we have success. We knew those guys flow a lot and have a fast defense. We were able to capitalize on some of that movement."
It was Brown's second 100-yard rushing game of the season and fourth of this career. His previous rushing high was 132 yards.
Dolphins rookie S Jason Allen, who has been playing in the dime package the past two games, came up with his first career interception when Bears QB Rex Grossman overthrew TE Desmond Clark.
It was one of three interceptions by the Dolphins, which doubled their season total.
"My mom [Cynthia] has been texting me every morning that the ball is right there and that I got to go get it," said Allen, who momentarily bobbled the ball. "Even at the hotel this morning she said you're going to get an interception."
Taylor backs it up
Dolphins DE Jason Taylor talked a lot of trash over an Italian dinner with Urlacher Saturday night.
He then backed it up by notching career sack No. 100, to go with a forced fumble and his first career touchdown off an interception in which he juked Grossman on his way into the end zone.
"It's an honor," Taylor said of becoming the 23rd player in NFL history to reach 100 sacks. "A lot of great players have done it before."
Slot receiver Wes Welker hauled in his first career TD catch when he found an opening in the end zone and snagged a 6-yarder from Joey Harrington at the start of the third quarter, giving the Dolphins a 21-10 lead. "I'm going to hang on to that one and put it on the shelf," said Welker, whose only other touchdown came on a 95-yard kick return in 2004. . . . WR Marty Booker, who didn't leave the Bears on the best of terms when he was traded to the Dolphins before the 2004 season, said he took no extra pleasure in his 5-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. . . . Coach Nick Saban said part of the reason he decided to make DT Dan Wilkinson a healthy scratch for the second time this season was to play Chicago native DT Jeff Zgonina. . . . CB Travis Daniels (knee) returned after a two-game absence and played in nickel and dime situations. . . . CB Eddie Jackson, who had a fumble recovery and downed a punt inside the 1-yard line, rolled his ankle in the waning minutes of the game, but said he'd be fine.
Brian Urlacher
Ronnie Brown
Nick Saban
Travis Daniels
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Why We Watch Procedurals
By Steven Lloyd Wilson | Think Pieces | August 31, 2012 |
So much of prime time is saturated with procedurals, one would think that half our population was looking into medical degrees and forensic training. They’re all the same damned show. We’ve got a cast of regulars, and a shifting cast of guest stars to whom bad things happen. Over the course of several seasons, the regulars run through a round robin rotation of sleeping with each other, while dealing with the usual hodge podge of career advancement, personal growth, and making impressive speeches.
But why not set these soap operas in the cubicle farms that are so much more familiar to us? I used to think that it was a simple matter of the exotic being interesting. When death is on the line, the stories must be more dramatic. But I don’t think that’s quite it anymore. I think that we watch these endless iterations because we need to see the characters of the week, we need to see people dying over and over again, on the streets in legal shows and in intensive care units on medical shows. Medical shows aren’t about the doctors, legal shows aren’t about the cops and lawyers. They’re all about the patients, the accused, the victims. They’re really about the things that terrify us.
Sure, there are the petty dramas, who is screwing who, promotions and bickering, but these don’t just serve as soap opera titillation. Those little dramas serve to convince us that the arbiters of our fates, those figures who appear when bad things happen like angels of death or mercy, are people too. The main characters of these shows are almost beside the point, they are there in order to offer constancy in the face of the constant stream of dead and dying that pass through their doors.
Stories have never been just entertainment, and not just because of their power at tying us together with common understandings, common memes. They are also our first form of instruction. It’s the iron law of storytelling to show not tell. Textbooks excel in the telling, in delineating exactly what is and is not with the precision of ten thousand years of language sculpted for exactly this purpose. Purely educational texts contain more information per unit of measure than anything else that is human readable. They can convey raw information in staggering quantities. But they are ill-suited to making us feel, to teaching us on an emotional level. That’s what stories are, underneath the entertainment, they are vehicles for emotional instruction.
And that’s why we are so forgiving in our stories, why with the exception of our own peculiarities of pedantry, we see past all of the informational problems with so many stories. It isn’t because we are necessarily ignorant, or too lazy to bother, it’s because getting the literal truth right matters less than getting the emotional truth right, so long as the errors aren’t so jarring that they allow our brains to overrule our hearts.
We seek instruction on an instinctual level in the things that scare us. Generation after generation we watch the same procedurals, soaking up hundreds of dying patients and murder victims, who all hope they manage to get a last word in so they might get a SAG card.
It’s not perfect, it’s not real, almost everything we learn on a factual level is wrong, but it isn’t entirely about that. It’s about the emotional practice for the biggest moments of our lives. So that when the doctor comes in and says that it’s time, we don’t stare blankly, we don’t have the freight train that’s already hitting us loaded down with extra cars of incomprehension.
When the terrible things come, the things that have terrified us in the backs of our minds for all of our lives, we’re not caught completely by surprise. When the monitor cries out with the flatline whine, when the cuffs we didn’t see coming click tight, when there’s the phone call at three AM, we’re not ready, you can never be ready for the end of your world, but at least we have something like an emotional script. We’ve watched it like voyeurs enough times to have a hint of what’s coming, so that even if we can’t ride the wave of grief, maybe on numb autopilot we can manage at least not to drown.
Steven Lloyd Wilson is a hopeless romantic and the last scion of Norse warriors and the forbidden elder gods. His novel, ramblings, and assorted fictions coalesce at www.burningviolin.com. You can email him here.
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Business|Detroit: From Motor City to Housing Incubator
Detroit has been struggling to piece together its broken housing market, which has been partly frustrated by the unwillingness of banks to make small mortgages.CreditCreditErin Kirkland for The New York Times; Photo illustration by The New York Times
Detroit: From Motor City to Housing Incubator
The 2008 financial crisis and 2013 city bankruptcy gutted Detroit’s housing market. Now, Detroit is experimenting with unorthodox ways to get people to buy homes and renovate houses.
By Matthew Goldstein
DETROIT — Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, the country’s two largest banks, trace their roots in Detroit back decades, when they helped finance the city’s once-booming auto industry.
These days, Detroit is still struggling to recover from the 2008 financial crisis, and the two banks have pledged to help resuscitate the city and its crippled housing market. So, guess how many home mortgage loans these two enormous banks made last year in this city of 637,000 people.
Bank of America made 18. JPMorgan did just six.
Detroit’s hometown lender, Quicken Loans, made the most — 170 mortgages.
An abandoned home on the city’s east side. Major banks have made just a handful of mortgages in Detroit over the past year.CreditErin Kirkland for The New York Times
Midwestern cities like Detroit have long embodied the American can-do spirit. Over the course of a century, Motor City melded assembly-line prowess with freedom-of-the-road ideals to help define a nation. In the postwar years, Detroit became the epitome of the American dream, a place where factory workers without college degrees could make enough money to buy a house of their own.
Yet as home prices soar across the United States — particularly on the coasts — Detroit remains a poster child for the economic crisis and housing collapse of a decade ago. Boarded up homes and rubble-strewn fields litter the landscape.
Today, a house can be bought here for the price of a used Chevy Caprice.
What is truly surprising about that, though, is how difficult it still is for buyers to actually buy. Basically, prices are too low for lenders (who see the deals as too small or risky) but too high for buyers (who may be cash-poor). There aren’t enough houses in move-in-ready condition — and not enough money to fix them up.
This strange situation has turned Detroit into an unlikely petri dish for experiments into how to kick-start a housing market that is, depending on your perspective, either slumbering or comatose.
Will a neighborhood of “tiny houses” for the poor help fix things? Or how about rehabbing city-owned homes, and selling them at a loss, to jump-start the action? Other more conventional — if risky — ideas involve providing no-interest financing to fix up tumbledown properties. Or offering mortgages for homes that normally would be too small to be worth a banker’s trouble.
One local financier is even trying to beautify bulldozed neighborhoods by planting thousands of trees on 160 acres of vacant land his firm has gobbled up.
And while Detroit is worse off than most big cities, housing-policy makers nationwide are keeping a close eye to see what lessons can be learned.
To understand how far Detroit has fallen, consider the statistics. In the mid-2000s, banks were writing some 7,000 mortgages a year. Then, the financial crisis nearly destroyed the American automotive industry, Detroit’s economic heart. Jobs disappeared; citizens fled. Last year, there were more than 700 mortgages made in Detroit, up from 200 at the depth of the crisis but barely 10 percent of the level a decade earlier.
Those bleak numbers, however, do not tell the whole story. Behind the scenes, nonprofit groups, foundations, local officials and a dozen banks including JPMorgan, Bank of America and Quicken are trying to varying degrees to reanimate the mortgage market in Michigan’s largest city.
Success, however, often comes achingly slow.
At 15455 Winthrop Street, on one of Detroit’s better manicured blocks, there is a freshly rehabbed three-bedroom home. The bungalow-style house was fixed up by the city itself, through its land bank, which acquired the house a year ago after the county foreclosed on the owner for failing to pay taxes. The land bank did a gut renovation with money provided by a grant from Quicken.
Since August, the land bank has been trying to sell the house, with a price tag of at least $79,900. More than 80 people have come to check it out. But so far there have been no takers.
“We have never not sold one,” said Craig Fahle, a former radio host who today is the communications director for the Detroit Land Bank Authority. “Detroit likes to do everything kicking and screaming,” he said. “But we get there eventually.”
Erica Wyatt was able to buy this home through a downpayment-assistance program designed to jump-start the housing market.CreditErin Kirkland for The New York Times
Even happy stories are the product of a slog. Erica Wyatt struggled to pay down her debts and then searched for two years before she managed to get a mortgage from Fifth Third Bank to buy a four-bedroom home for $92,000. The transaction happened only because Ms. Wyatt, a single mother with four children, received $15,000 in down payment assistance.
Ms. Wyatt, who grew up in Detroit, said she was determined to move back into the city after renting a home in a suburb. “I wanted to make sure my children saw that not all of Detroit is bad and there are some beautiful neighborhoods,” said Ms. Wyatt, 39, who works for an insurance company.
Some of the ideas seem like stopgap measures. A social services group’s community of “tiny homes” — 400-square-foot structures with nothing more than a bedroom, a bathroom and small kitchen — is being erected to provide housing to homeless and handicapped people. The project, led by Reverend Faith Fowler, executive director of Cass Community Social Services, is taking place on a plot of vacant land the charitable organization bought from the city.
The dollhouse-like structures — seven so far — are near the organization’s main social services facility, in a rather desolate area of Detroit off Rosa Parks Boulevard. In all, Ms. Fowler hopes to build two dozen small homes, which will be rented for as little as $250 a month and eventually deeded over after seven years to a select group of homeless or poor individuals.
Tiny-house living can take adjustment, even for people with no roof over their heads at all. Ms. Fowler said that one homeless veteran told her the homes were too small to compete with a traditional homeless shelter.
Still, for some, the homes are perfect. One of the first tenants to move in this past summer is a former Methodist minister, David Leenhouts, who was forced to give up his ministry near Cleveland because of health issues that make it difficult for him to walk and talk.
Mr. Leenhouts, who grew up in the Detroit area, said his college-age son told him the small home, with a steepled ceiling, was all he needed because everything is within just a few steps. Mr. Leenhouts, 59, said, “I have no idea where I would be living if I was not chosen for a tiny house.”
That said, a cluster of tiny homes hardly seems scalable in a city as big as Detroit. And almost by definition, a tiny home isn’t a viable option for a family with children.
It’s also an example of why the long-term prognosis for Detroit’s housing market remains uncertain at best. Much of the work underway is taking place block-by-block — much like the tiny-home homeless experiment — and there are a lot of blocks in this 139-square-mile city.
“The pilot programs help some people, but they are on the margin,” said Gregory Markus, a professor emeritus of political science at the University of Michigan and executive director of Detroit Action Commonwealth, an advocacy group for low-income residents. “‘The root problem is that Detroit is the poorest big city in America.”’
The national poverty rate is 14 percent, and Detroit’s is 36 percent. Mr. Markus said that, without more jobs, home buying will remain a largely unattainable goal.
Detroit’s population peaked in the 1950s at nearly 2 million and has been falling ever since. The financial crisis and the city’s bankruptcy filing in 2013 hollowed out what was left of its once large, middle-class African-American community. Over the past decade there have been more than 150,000 home foreclosures here.
The city of Detroit lacks “a functioning housing market,” one report last year declared. Abandoned, dilapidated houses can be found across the cityscape.CreditErin Kirkland for The New York Times
Detroit lacks “a functioning housing market,” a report last year bluntly declared.
Things are so difficult that simply finding a contractor to rehab a home can be an ordeal. “We had several contractors who didn’t want to do work in the city,” said Heather McKeon, 35, who along with her husband, Matthew, recently moved into a fixer-upper in Detroit’s up-and-coming Corktown neighborhood. “They would say, ‘I don’t trust that I can keep my tools here.’”
She added: “It is still sort of flabbergasting to be laughed at.”
Ms. McKeon, an interior designer, said many insurers wouldn’t sell them a homeowner’s policy on an unoccupied home under renovation. Ultimately, they got a policy from a subsidiary of Munich Re Group of Germany.
Detroit’s Largest Property Owner
Many of the efforts to resuscitate the housing market begin with the Detroit Land Bank Authority, a government agency that is the city’s single largest property owner. The land bank owns some 25,000 vacant homes in various stages of disrepair, another 4,200 occupied homes and 65,000 grass-covered lots where homes once stood before the city tore them down in an effort to fight blight.
Mr. Fahle, the land bank’s communications director, likes to drive around and point out once-abandoned houses that his employer sold to people who then fixed them up.
But on a rainy September day, he was particularly interested in showing off the refurbished three-bedroom house at 15455 Winthrop, which the land bank spent $98,000 to renovate. The asking price for the home — with its restored hardwood floors and a new granite kitchen countertop — was reduced by a few thousand dollars in early September from $83,000 to spur more interest.
Craig Fahle, a former radio host who now represents the city’s land bank, in one of the homes that the land bank has fixed up and is trying to sell — at a loss — to help reinvigorate the real estate market.CreditErin Kirkland for The New York Times
Throughout Detroit, the land bank has sold 44 homes under its “Rehabbed & Ready” pilot program. The program is funded with a $5 million grant from Quicken. At the closing, the buyers get a $1,500 gift card from Home Depot to buy appliances.
The program, though, is losing money — an average of $21,000 for every home sold.
Mr. Fahle said the goal wasn’t to turn a profit, but to get more move-in-ready homes into the marketplace and to boost property values in the process. In all, the land bank has sold more than 2,700 houses, many in online auctions.
The land bank’s operations are not without controversy. Housing advocates have complained it has focused too much attention on rehabbing homes in just a few neighborhoods, and on tearing down dilapidated homes elsewhere. A federal grand jury has been investigating the awarding of contracts to tear down more than 12,000 dilapidated homes as part of a war on blight led by Detroit’s first-term mayor, Mike Duggan. The investigation is looking into why costs soared under the demolition program, with almost $140 million in mostly federal money being spent.
Overgrown homes in the Brightmoor neighborhood. About half the mortgages written last year were for properties in just six of 25 Detroit ZIP codes.CreditErin Kirkland for The New York Times
Mr. Fahle said the land bank is cooperating with the investigation. He said criticism that the rehabbed and ready program has focused on a just a small part of the city is misguided. Mr. Fahle said a decision was made to select homes for renovation in four neighborhoods early on, but over time it is expanding to other parts of the city.
Homes are certainly worth more in Detroit now than they were a few years ago. Citywide, the median value for a house here is $47,700, a 40 percent gain over the past two years, according to Zillow. Stately homes in the Villages, a group of neighborhoods with tree-lined streets, located not far from the posh suburb of Grosse Pointe, Mich., have sold for more than $400,000.
But progress is largely limited to a small cluster of neighborhoods. About half of the mortgages written in Detroit last year were for homes purchased in just six ZIP codes, according to data from the real estate information firm RealtyTrac, part of Attom Data Solutions. There are 25 ZIP codes in Detroit.
One question is whether the money that banks are providing — a combination of grants and loans — signifies a long-term commitment or an effort to score points with federal regulators. Banks are expected under the federal Community Reinvestment Act to make loans in communities with large numbers of poor- or moderate-income residents in order to spur economic activity.
The downpayment-assistance program that helped Ms. Wyatt buy her home, for instance, was financed by a settlement Wells Fargo reached a few years ago in a housing class-action lawsuit. The settlement money is drying up, though, and the bank said it was not sure if it will renew the program. So far, it has provided assistance to 180 home buyers in the city.
Bank of America said it was committed to working in Detroit and is providing up to $4 million to fund no-interest loans that have enabled 400 homeowners to fix up properties. The bank, working with two nonprofit groups, also has said it was willing to finance $55 million worth of mortgages in Detroit. So far this year, the bank has issued 23 mortgages in Detroit — up from 18 in 2016 — and has increased the number of loan officers in the city.
JPMorgan said it, too, was here for the long haul. Jamie Dimon, the bank’s chairman and chief executive, regularly promotes its Invested in Detroit program, which includes up to $150 million for housing and commercial development and funds for research by the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., to study ways to revive Detroit’s economy and housing market.
Quicken, which moved most of its operations in 2010 to downtown Detroit from nearby Livonia, Mich., recently committed $300,000 to a new government program that will give 80 tenants living in homes that face tax foreclosure a chance to buy the houses for as little as $2,500.
Downtown areas have been revitalized with investments from Dan Gilbert, the founder of Quicken. The Townhouse restaurant is in a building renovated as part of his work.CreditAndrew Spear for The New York Times
Still, the money shelled out by the banks pales in comparison to the estimated $2.5 billion that Dan Gilbert, Quicken’s founder, has spent buying and renovating over 95 largely vacant properties, including old department stores, in Detroit’s downtown. Now most of those buildings are filled with new businesses. A company backed by Mr. Gilbert brought high-speed internet to downtown and Quicken paid $5 million for the naming rights for a recently opened streetcar system called the QLine that makes 12 stops along its 3.3-mile path.
The mayoral election on Nov. 7 is to some degree a referendum on Mr. Duggan’s efforts at reviving both downtown and the city’s housing market. Mr. Duggan is seeking a second term and is opposed by Senator Coleman Young II. Mr. Duggan said one of his top priorities as mayor was getting home prices up in Detroit.
“Home-sale prices have climbed far faster than anyone could have predicted,” Mr. Duggan said.
Perhaps the most vexing issue is the reluctance of banks to give loans to people to buy cheap homes. It’s simple business: The costs of underwriting a $50,000 mortgage — doing all the paperwork, the credit checks and the inspections — are the same as for much larger mortgages that can generate more bank revenue. Plus, when homes are in such disrepair, often they are appraised for much less than the amount the borrower needs to fix it up.
That means the collateral on the loan — the house itself — is worth less than the amount the bank is owed. In today’s risk-averse banking culture, that’s a big no-no.
The winners in this environment are speculators with lots of cash. Many local residents, by contrast, are turning to risky seller-financed transactions such as contracts for deed. Evictions are common after just a few missed payments. Over the past five years, at least 5,400 homes in Detroit were sold through a contract for deed and 34,500 in all-cash deals, according to RealtyTrac.
One alternative is the Detroit Home Mortgage project. Launched in early 2016, the program works with a handful of banks to get an appraisal for a house that’s based on the “true value” of the home after it’s been renovated, not in its current dilapidated state. The process effectively involves two loans — one to cover the purchase of a home, and a second mortgage that effectively covers the renovation work. The second loan is backed by a bank and various foundations involved with the program.
“DHM wants to be an ambassador for lending in the city,” said Alex DeCamp, the mortgage community development manager for Chemical Bank, a local lender that has funded 15 loans through the program. The program can take months to complete. Applicants go through a careful screening and most also complete three mortgage workshops to be eligible for a loan.
So far, 54 home buyers have bought homes through the program, among them Ms. McKeon and her husband. So did Ashley and Damon Dickerson, who are about to move into a renovated two-family home.
The Dickersons, both of whom are architectural designers, closed in March. But their search began months earlier when they submitted a $45,000 bid during one of the land bank’s daily online property auctions.
Winning the bidding for the 107-year-old home was just the start. The couple found it would cost at least $180,000 to fully renovate the six-bedroom, three-story brick structure with a large porch. They were attracted to the home’s hardwood floors, bay windows and potential to reshape it by knocking down some walls.
In all, they got two mortgages from Chemical Bank, according to property records: one for $37,692 to cover the purchase from the land bank and another for $207,000 to cover the rehab costs. The Dickersons, who both graduated from the University of Michigan, said they never would have been able to pull the deal off without the mortgage program. But the process was a bit of an eye-opener because it took longer then anticipated to close on the home. As with any new program, the couple said, there were “growing pains.”
The Detroit Home Mortgage project is now looking to get banks to provide low-interest loans directly to local contractors, so they can renovate more homes and get them into move-in-ready condition.
One local investor has snapped up acres of former residential land and is now planting rows of trees.CreditErin Kirkland for The New York Times
But for now, the lack of move-in ready homes means home buyers like the Dickersons and the McKeons need to be something of urban pioneers — fixing everything from broken water lines to antiquated electrical wiring.
The prospect of people moving into Detroit from the suburbs or city residents getting mortgages is of course sweet music to local real estate agents. Until now, much of the business for them has been handling all-cash deals. But several said they are looking forward to getting local residents into homes with traditional financing.
Dorian Harvey, a Detroit native and the incoming president of the Detroit Association of Realtors, said he would like for the city and land bank to move quicker to get vacant homes into the hands of local residents. Mr. Harvey, a Morehouse College graduate, said he came from the camp that the rebirth of Detroit is going to have to happen from the ground up with everyone taking part — contractors, real estate agents and local investors.
But he isn’t necessarily waiting on government largess. “There are untapped resources in the city and we need to tap them and the city needs to tap them,” said Mr. Harvey, who added there’s money to made in Detroit. “My heart is liberal but my money is conservative.”
Correction: Nov. 5, 2017
An earlier version of this article misstated the number of mortgages written for housing purchases in Detroit last year by Quicken Loans. It was 170, not 90.
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A version of this article appears in print on , Section BU, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: The Motor City as Housing Incubator. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
Market for Fixer-Uppers Traps Low-Income Buyers
Housing Regulator Is Pushed to Crack Down on Sales of Foreclosed Properties
How a Home Bargain Became a ‘Pain in the Butt,’ and Worse
States Acting to Protect Buyers of Seller-Financed Homes
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Immersive/Interactive
Improv & Sketch
Comedy, Drama, Reviews
Reality Curve Theatre of Vancouver is making its first visit to New York City with Zayd Dohrn’s early play Reborning. Ten years ago, when Dohrn was unknown, this unsettling, if far-fetched, comedy-drama was part of the Summer Play Festival at the Public Theatre. Since that time, the playwright, who heads the graduate dramatic-writing program at Northwestern University, has penned a number of provocative yet non-preachy scripts that explore social issues through clashes—always fierce, sometimes violent—among recognizable characters.
Drama, Reviews
Joe Belfatti
Theatre Breaking Through Barriers (TBTB) is celebrating its 40th anniversary with a production of a new work by Bekah Brunstetter, Public Servant. The play is set in a small town in central North Carolina, a state that the native Brunstetter has previously focused on in dramas such as Oohrah! and The Cake. Following the TBTB mission statement, Geordie Broadwater’s first-rate production features both abled and disabled actors.
Reviews, Immersive/Interactive
Chloe Edmonson
Unmaking Toulouse-Lautrec
Although the Parisian cabaret the Moulin Rouge was most recently popularized by Baz Luhrmann’s fantastical 2001 film musical, it was French painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters that brought fame to the venue during its original heyday in the late 19th century. Colorful and grotesque, his works depicted the excess, revelry, and bohemian lifestyles that defined the neighborhood of Montmartre at that time. In Unmaking Toulouse-Lautrec, Bated Breath Theatre Company delivers a quick and dirty look at the man behind the paintings in NoHo’s sexy, velvet-saturated bar Madame X (a venue that befits the bordello stylings of the production’s historical time period).
Reviews, Comedy, Dance
God of Marz
God of Marz, Rachel Shaw’s new play presented by Red Planet Theater Company, includes a warning upfront. A voice-over eschews the usual no-photos and no-cellphones reminder and (ungrammatically) informs the audience that “nothing the characters say or do does in any way reflect the views of the author, actors, directors, stage managers, costume designers, or the venue of this production. Some may find the material offensive and, if so, please leave quietly with no regrets.” Aside from the assumption that the play then does reflect the views of the lighting and scenic designers, for instance, some audience members might harbor an expectant thrill of an inflammatory evening at the theater. Alas, that’s not the case.
Reviews, Dance, Experimental Theater, Musical
Madame Lynch
Eliza Lynch is Paraguay’s version of Eva Perón, Argentina’s famous class-climbing first lady. Madame Lynch, as she was known, was born in Ireland, emigrated with her family to France during the Irish Potato Famine (1845–49), and became a highly admired courtesan. In 1845 she met General Francisco Solano López Carrillo, who later became president of Paraguay, and she became the country’s most controversial de facto first lady. (The pair never married.) Once reviled by Paraguayans but now celebrated, the self-named “Empress of Paraguay” is the basis for the Drunkard’s Wife production of Madame Lynch, which is subtitled a “spectacle with music and dancing.”
Ray Morgovan
Musical, Reviews
tick, tick...BOOM!
For the late Rent composer Jonathan Larson, the “tick, tick, boom” in his head were the sounds signaling the passage of time as he matured and yet struggled to achieve success in the theater. Although Tick, Tick… BOOM! was originally written as a highly autobiographical solo piece, it was reworked after Larson’s death and the success of Rent to include two more characters, a girlfriend and a roommate. Fans of his 1996 hit rock musical are likely to thoroughly enjoy the Keen Company production of Tick, Tick… BOOM!
Tagged: Christine O’Grady, Ciara Renée, George Salazar, Jennifer Paar, Joey Chancey, Jonathan Larson, Jonathan Silverstein, Josh Bradford, Julian Evans, Keen Company, Nick Blaemire, Ray Morgovan, Steven Kemp, The Acorn Theatre, Theatre Row
Yani Perez
Addictions of the City
The characters are lively, the language is crisp and urban, and the acting is skilled in Stephen Adly Guirgis's The Motherf**ker with the Hat. The energy of classic salsa music in the house helps pump up the energy at T. Schreiber Theatre’s exciting production. Guirgis’s unabashedly vulgar play explores themes of love, morality and choice in one of the most diverse cities in the world, New York. His characters, although primarily of Puerto Rican extraction, encompass the multiple ethnicities of the city. Most are plagued with addictions and afflictions that raises the stakes of their every move. The play, one of Guirgis’s best, is both hilarious and thought-provoking.
It starts with a high energy-conversation. Veronica (Viviana Valeria) is on the phone with her mother, who has an addiction to alcohol; Veronica dislikes her mother’s fish-faced boyfriend and tells her, “You’re dating a “fuckin’ big-time loser with a head like a actual fuckin’ fish! …Ma, when you see him tonight: Take a moment. Take a breath. Take a real good look and just ax yourself in all honesty—‘Do I wanna fuck him—or fry him up with a little adobo and paprika...?’”
Wrapped around the jokes and comic dialogue lies the issue of coping, or rather, surviving. Guirgis’s characters are struggling with heavy substance abuse and making it one day at a time. Each day is a journey for them. They include Jackie (Omar Bustamante) who enters with flowers in his hands and greets Veronica with enthusiasm and love. He chants a rhythmic “These flowers are for my Beautiful Boriqua Taino Mamacita Love Me Long Time Princess fuckin’ Beauty Queen.” Having just landed a job, Jackie wants to celebrate. He begins talking about their future, possible promotions—their life together. Still, Veronica is having trouble getting clean..
While Veronica takes a shower, Jackie finds a hat—a hat he knows does not belong to him. He smells the bed and pillows. He then asks Veronica, “Why the bed smell like Aqua Velva and dick?” But Veronica denies any infidelity and tries to calm him down by suggesting they go eat some pie. (That’s right, pie.) He reluctantly agrees.
Ralph D (Casey Braxton) is another one of the conflicted characters in the play. As a sponsor, he is guiding Jackie on the path to sobriety. Yet he is also the cause of Jackie’s fall. Ralph D has had an affair with Veronica while Jackie was in jail. Although Ralph D cares about Jackie, he has completely betrayed him. Ralph D has stayed “clean” from his additions, but he is not "clean" morally or ethically. Victoria (Jill Bianchini) and Jackie try as well, but inevitably fall off the wagon.
Among the charismatic, enigmatic characters is also Cousin Julio (Bobby Ramos). Julio helps Jackie hide a gun that he has used to threaten the man he thought was the owner of the hat. “Leave the gun. Take the empanadas,” he advises, in one of many comic lines. Julio is a delicious dichotomy of a character. Humorous and deep, he values family and is brutally honest, and Ramos’s performance is a crowd-pleaser.
Director Peter Jensen keeps the production’s energy high, and scenic designer Miguel Urbino uses sets that are minimal yet functional. They resemble an urban setting that captures the lives of these characters. Sound designer Andy Evan Cohen provides a taste of the urban Latino scene in New York City with salsa and hip-hop playing between scenes and during intermission—including “So Fresh and So Clean” by Outkast and classics by Hector Lavoe.
The Motherf**er with the Hat is a production you won't want to miss.
The Motherf**er with the Hat plays through Nov. 19 at T. Schreiber Theatre (151 W. 26th St.) Evening performances are at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; matinees are at 2 p.m. Nov. 9 and 16. Tickets are $20 for general admission; $30 for reserved seating; $40 for dinner plus VIP reserved seating. For more information, call (212) 352-3101 or visit tschreiber.org. The production contains graphic language.
Tagged: Omar Bustamante, review, Stepen Adly Guirgis, T- Schreiber Stage, The Motherf**with the Hat, Yani Perezz
Template for an Epidemic
The adventurous Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company is offering what’s labeled a “20th anniversary production” of Naomi Wallace’s One Flea Spare. This mordant historical drama didn't actually arrive in New York until 1997. It was a critical favorite at the 1996 Humana Festival of New American Plays in the playwright's hometown, Louisville, Ky.; and word of mouth from the Festival made its subsequent engagement at the Joseph Papp Public Theater one of the most anticipated events of the theater season. One Flea Spare, which derives its title from a poem by John Donne, is set in 1665 and portrays four people—a married couple and two strangers—trapped in a house that’s under quarantine. The place is the London of Daniel Defoe’s AJournal of the Plague Year, a work of fiction, which, Wallace has said, inspired the imaginative universe of her play. The current revival, directed by Caitlin McLeod and performed by a fine quintet of actors, is two relentless hours of powerful, if markedly cerebral, dialogue, with a number of narrative surprises for the first-time viewer.
Wallace wrote One Flea Spare in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, a public-health crisis that profoundly affected the American and British theater communities (and continues to do so). At that point, those infected with HIV had little expectation of longevity and those living with AIDS were subject to prejudice and a myriad of injustices. Defoe’s great novel and its portrait of plague-ravaged London was a natural point of historical reference for an erudite writer contemplating modern men and women contending with the spread of inexplicable disease.
Concetta Tomei (left) plays Darcy Snelgrave and Gordon Joseph Weiss is her husband, William, in Naomi Wallace's One Flea Spare. Top: Bunce (Joseph W. Rodriguez, left) helps the ill Mrs. Snelgrave. Photos by Monica Simoes.
In One Flea Spare, William and Darcy Snelgrave (Gordon Joseph Weiss and Concetta Tomei) are childless aristocrats whose home has been quarantined after the death of their servants from bubonic plague. Just as the Snelgraves are about to be released from forced isolation (which would allow them to flee London for the peace and presumed safety of the countryside), their premises are invaded by Bunce (Joseph W. Rodrigues), a virile, coarse-mannered sailor, and Morse (Remy Zaken), a 12-year-old servant disguised as the daughter of the upper-crust family whom she previously served. Both are seeking asylum from infection and the police.
The interlopers are a catastrophe for the Snelgraves. A municipal guard (Donte Bonner), charged with monitoring neighborhood compliance with hygiene regulations, sees them, bars the residence doors, and extends the quarantine. This means that four people from differing social strata of a rigidly hierarchical society must endure 28 days together in the closest quarters imaginable. As the play proceeds, the high-testosterone presence of Bunce unsettles the sex-starved Snelgraves and awakens unaccustomed responses in the pubescent Morse. Under stress of confinement, the characters' secrets and prejudices slip out, their yearnings boil up, and civility evaporates in the heat of compulsive drives and desires.
Scenic designer Bryce Cutler has configured the Sheen Center's black-box venue for intimate theater-in-the-round, with minimal space between actors and audience. The principal feature of his simple, handsome stage set is a tiny, raised platform on which the bulk of the action is played. Four of the five actors are crowded in that little square for much of the performance, while Bonner, playing the sole character not confined to the house, wanders around outside the square, addressing the other actors from a lower level that represents the street.
Sarafina Bush dresses the actors in drab-hued costumes that combine contemporary garments with items suggesting 17th-century style. Aaron Porter illuminates the stage in cold, wintry light. The effect of the creative team's design is a sense of unrelenting claustrophobia.
Donté Bonner, as Kabe, hawks plague remedies.
Wallace is an artist of extremes. Her characters are altruistic one minute, predatory the next. The dialogue veers precipitously from poetic to crass and profane. The effect of her prose is as often chilly as it is sensual. Her writing often soars with an operatic quality, fraught with emotion, that captures the characters’ sexual longing yet expresses the trauma created by their radical separation from the rest of the world. McLeod has staged the play with a great deal of dance-like movement that complements the musicality of Wallace’s text and depicts the play's eroticism and violence vividly but with a certain delicacy. Despite occasional lapses in dialect, the five actors handle the lyrical qualities of the playwright's lines and speeches effectively and function throughout as a balanced ensemble.
When One Flea Spare premiered at the Humana Festival, Wallace had already made a name for herself in Britain but was unfamiliar in her native land. During the past two decades, she has become well-known, at least for a playwright, in the United States. She has received a "genius grant" from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (possibly the most enviable honor in the English-speaking world); and, since 2009, One Flea Spare has been the sole work by a living American author in the repertoire of the Comédie-Française, the French national theater. The current revival makes a strong case for One Flea Spare as the original, insightful work the critics judged it to be 20 years ago in Louisville and an enduring part of postmodernist drama.
Naomi Wallace’s One Flea Spare plays at the Sheen Center (18 Bleecker St.) through Nov. 13. Evening performances are at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; matinees are at 2 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at (212) 925-2812 or visiting sheencenter.org/shows/one-flea-spare/.
Tagged: AIDS, Charles Wright, Daniel Defoe, Naomi Wallace, One Flea Spare, plague, Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company, review, Sheen Center
Is Now Really the Time?
Any time theater requires backstory and more research after the curtain drops, it dances a fine line between “Wow, that was interesting. I want to know more” (if you’re lucky) and (more often than not) “What the hell did I just see?” Little Lord is a Brooklyn-based company whose previous works have been praised as “scrappy creative brilliance” or “fearless in ... weirdness.” Now Is the Time. Now Is the Best Time. Now Is the Best Time of Your Life is its latest undertaking, and the show clearly falls in the second category—fearless and weird.
The Little Lord production team sets the tone for a fun and crazy evening with free pickles and coleslaw, offering $4 beer by folks dressed like deli workers and a Mistress of Ceremonies, straight out of Hairspray, even before the “curtain” goes up. Truth be told, the only thing that resembles a curtain is an iridescent panel of foil strips at the back of the stage. Just in time for Halloween, Now Is the Time is a perfect occasion to reimagine Washington Irving’s story of Rip Van Winkle, provided you are one of the few who remembers it! Between the Diedrich Knickerbocker character, a Rip Van Winkle character (oddly, played by a woman), six actors dressed up as freaky yard gnomes, and that Mistress of Ceremonies in a lime-green, pleated baby-doll dress (who later appears as Beelzebub), there is still never enough story to know which end is up. The six yard-gnome characters, who appear as if to taunt Knickerbocker, often repeat lines in unison from some of Knickerbocker’s books. Near the end, they return in white clothes and colorful knee-high socks, sporting black dunce caps (Karen Boyer did the wildly eccentric costumes) and carrying small, wooden children’s chairs. It is all just odd and disjointed.
The set design by Peiyi Wong resembles something out of Hoarding: Buried Alive on The Learning Channel. Stacks and stacks of books, a mountain of lawn chairs and beach balls, leftover Christmas lights, and an old library card catalog are just a few items that fill the stage. If you knew how Irving came to create the Rip Van Winkle character—who slept through the American Revolution—to somehow figure out this Rip Van Winkle awakens in the Catskills somewhere near Grossinger’s, the set might make sense. Now Is the Time has a mountain of missing information, and one more prop isn't going to help.
Director Michael Levinton, who also takes on the lead role of Knickerbocker, has a vision for Now Is the Time that never quite translates across the footlights. As Knickerbocker, he is outrageously quirky, and his delivery engaging. Written by Levinton, Laura von Holt, and Little Lord, the play tosses out interesting snippets of New York history like popcorn, but the story never develops beyond witnessing the madness of a man who dresses like a homeless King George, his nonsensical interaction with Rip Van Winkle, or his hiding from his loud, obnoxious wife who looks more like she should be singing, “Welcome to the ’60s.”
Now Is the Time features Kaaron Briscoe, David GR Brummer, Avi Glickstein, Fernando Gonzalez, Sauda Jackson, Polly Lee, Ry Szelong, and Morgan Lindsey Tachco. Each of them thoroughly embodies the characters they were given, whether they are the deli workers, freakishly odd garden gnomes, or the Children of the Corn with dunce caps. The full production includes very good sound effects by Kate Marvin, along with eerie and complex light design by Marika Kent.
If you are a devotee of Little Lord and company, Now Is the Time may be the ticket to be had. However, without more backstory and some continuity, it’s going to take a lot more than pickles and beer to clear the haze, wicked garden gnomes notwithstanding.
Now Is the Time. Now Is the Best Time. Now Is the Best Time of Your Life plays through Nov. 5 at the Abrons Arts Center (466 Grand St. at Pitt Street) on the Lower East Side. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; matinees are at 2:30 p.m. Saturdays. Tickets are $25. For tickets and more information, visit abronsartscenter.org.
Tagged: Abrons Arts Center, Avi Glickstein, David GR Brummer, Fernando Gonzalez, Kaaron Briscoe, Karen Boyer, Kate Marvin, Laura von Holt, Little Lord, Marika Kent, Michael Levinton, Morgan Lindsey Tachco, Peiyi Wong, Polly Lee, Ray Morgovan, review, Ry Szelong, Sauda Jackson, The Time Is Now, Whitney G-Bowley
Edward Karam
The End of Days
Adam Bock’s rueful A Life covers both the title and its aftermath. It may borrow from—or perhaps merely echo—other plays, but in 80 minutes Bock conveys the fragility of mortality and the sadness of one person’s death in a deeply affecting way. Structurally, A Life is unusual. It begins with a long monologue, as David Hyde Pierce’s Nate, a middle-aged gay man, talks about his life, his ex-boyfriends, and his interest in astrology. The monologue lasts half an hour, and it may recall the tour de force that opens Tony Kushner’s Homebody/Kabul, although this monologue dovetails more organically into what follows.
Bock’s theme is virtually identical to that of A Delicate Ship (yet the result is more powerful), the Anna Ziegler drama staged by Playwrights Realm last season at Playwrights Horizons. That took its title from W.H. Auden’s poem Musée des Beaux Arts, as the Greek figure of Icarus falls from the sky into the ocean:
Lynne McCollough as Lori Martin speaks of her brother Nate as Curtis (Brad Heberlee) looks on. Top: Heberlee and David Hyde Pierce as his best friend, Nate. Photos by Joan Marcus.
“The expensive delicate ship, that must have seen Something amazing, a boy falling out of the sky, Had somewhere to get to, and sailed calmly on."
The point of Auden’s poem is Bock’s too: no matter the gravity of one person’s death, life continues in its myriad small ways, even though they pale next to the end of an existence. In the half-hour opener, Hyde Pierce is able to connect deftly to his audience with the details of Nate’s past. Obviously famous from his work on television, Hyde Pierce is a consummately skilled stage actor as well. He has a wry comic delivery, sometimes self-deprecating, sometimes bewildered, accompanied by nods of the head, hangdog eyes, pauses, repetitions and grimaces, as he relates his early life in Pawtucket, R.I.; his friendship there with a woman who got him interested in astrology; and the string of boyfriends that he has had, many of whose names rhymed: Sean, John, Ron, Johan, Jan. Every moment feels lived in and true.
Hyde Pierce’s casual yet powerful performance ensures that we come to care about Nate before his life-ending event. (Alas, it’s impossible to discuss this play without this spoiler.) Some of his friends, he says, wonder why he never paired up with Curtis (Brad Heberlee), his longtime best friend, but it’s not in the cards, Nate says. Their bond is conveyed in a lovely scene as the two friends sit on a New York City park bench and watch muscular men jog by, trading amusing expressions of admiration and frustration.
As Nate returns home, he suffers a heart attack. What follows under Anne Kauffman’s superb direction is another extraordinary bit of stagecraft. For perhaps four minutes—an eternity in stage time—nothing moves and one hears only Mikhail Fiksel’s urban soundscape outside and registers the subtle lighting by Matt Frey that indicates the passage of time.
Heberlee with the mortician (Marinda Anderson) in A Life.
Two scenes then pick up the thread of Bock and Auden’s theme more directly. The mortician’s office arrives to collect Nate’s body while the stricken Curtis stands by, a bit bewildered as the mortician, Jocelyn (Marinda Anderson), takes a call on her cell phone. It seems inappropriate, but it’s also true: other lives continue in all their small, messy ways even as one life ends. There are even comic moments amid the tragedy, as Jocelyn persistently mishears the phone number Curtis is trying to give her, and they go back and forth trying to get it right.
In the following scene the drama literally stops, as it does in D.H. Lawrence’s The Daughter-in-Law after the husband comes home from the mines and washes up, drawing its power from the simplicity of action. On a gurney in the funeral home, Nate’s body is prepared, as Jocelyn and her assistant comb the hair, cut the nails, and glue the lips shut—while discussing family flare-ups and inconsequential bits of botany and biology. The effect is to set in relief, amid the mundane babble, the gravity of a life lost.
Bock’s final scenes follow Nate’s funeral, Curtis’s breakdown (Heberlee’s part isn’t flashy, but he inhabits it feelingly), a speech by Nate’s sister (Lynne McCollough, who is equally good as a mousy mortician’s assistant), and a voice-over (there have been some already) from Nate. The voice-over carries the promise of something beyond. It’s a graceful and powerful ending to a simple story, brilliantly staged and presented.
Playwrights Horizons (416 West 42nd St. between Ninth and Tenth avenues) is presenting Adam Bock's A Life through Dec 4. Evening performances are at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and at 7 p.m. on Sundays. Matinees are at 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. During Thanksgiving week (Nov. 21-27), the performance schedule will be Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $59-$99 and may be purchased by phone at (212) 279-4200 or by visiting phnyc.org.
Tagged: A Life, Adam Bock, Brad Heberlee, David Hyde Pierce, Edward Karam, Playwrights Horizons, review
Dance, Drama
Paris Is Yearning
Founded in 2006 by director and choreographer Austin McCormick, Company XIV has developed a signature fusion of theater, classical and modern dance, opera, drag, circus, live music, burlesque, and performance art. The title of its latest creation, Paris, is a double entendre of sorts—referring at once to the beloved City of Light as well as the legendary prince of Troy. Indeed, Paris unites Grecian gods and goddesses with Parisian flâneurs and can-can girls, resulting in an indulgent, adults-only revue of sublime talent.
Tagged: Austin McCormick, Chloe Edmonson, Company XIV, dance, drag, Irondale Center, review
Who’s the Fool?
There are only so many ways to describe the Jessica Scott's avant-garde Ship of Fools, currently at HERE Arts Center. On the one hand, it is a unique combination of original music, puppetry, video, and live action, yet on the other it comes across as disjointed and meaningless—imagine Disney’s “It’s a Small World” born in the 1960s Haight-Ashbury. The audience is seated on a platform that moves left or right, and sometimes rotates completely, giving the performers time to set up the next vignette on the perimeter.
Tagged: Alex Klimovitsky, Ayumu “Poe” Saegusa, Dream Music Puppetry Production, Eamonn Farrell, Erik Satie, Gavin Price, GeorgeAnna Tisdale, HERE Artist Residency, HERE Arts Center, Jacob Graham, Jessica Scott, Jessica Weinstein, Kate Brehm, Liz Davito, Ray Morgovan, Sarah Lafferty, Takemi Kitamura
Lea Fridman
Immersive/Interactive, Drama
Consequences of Our Actions
Can a trial change history? What happens when standards of behavior are violated and not brought to public reckoning? The Trial of an American President is a courtroom drama of a trial that will never take place, of legal arguments that will not be made, and finally, of a verdict that will also not happen, except perhaps in the court of public opinion, if the writer has his way
Tagged: Dick Tarlow, George W- Bush, Lea Fridman, Lion Theater, review, The Trial of an American President
A Classic Comedy Conquest
Playwright Oliver Goldsmith found fame with his play She Stoops to Conquer in 1773, despite his rather unfashionable social reputation among London’s upper crust. Indeed, Goldsmith made it his life’s work to go against the grain, and She Stoops to Conquer exemplifies his disdain for Sentimental Comedy—a genre that was en vogue in the first part of the 18th century. Those saccharine works featured one-dimensional characters whose apotheosis was meant to instill what Sentimental playwright Richard Steele haughtily deemed “a joy too exquisite for laughter.”
Goldsmith, on the other hand, was a champion of hearty laughter, which this play—when produced well—can stir up in droves. Compared to Sentimental characters, Goldsmith’s characters are imperfect, and therein likable. The Actors Company Theatre (TACT) is staging a slightly imperfect (and therein quite likable) production of Goldsmith’s important play, directed and adapted by Scott Alan Evans. The moments when this production shines most are when it is faithful to Goldsmith’s unique genre of “laughing comedy,” aimed to elicit belly laughs with physical ridiculousness and silly twists of plot.
She Stoops to Conquer presents a bouquet of delightful characters—two eligible ingénues, a couple of bachelors from the city, and a pair of meddling parents—all of whom are subject to the playful deceits of the puckish Tony Lumpkin (Richard Thieriot). The action takes place at Mr. and Mrs. Hardcastle’s estate in the English countryside. Their daughter Kate (Mairin Lee) and their ward, Constance Neville (Justine Salata), are excited to receive two handsome young suitors (Charles Marlow and George Hastings, played by Jeremy Beck and Tony Roach) at the estate that evening.
Tony, who also happens to be Kate’s illegitimate brother, foils the plan when he intercepts the suitors at the village pub. Wanting to free himself of his mutually undesired betrothal to Constance, Tony concocts some of his signature meddling. Bringing the suitors to the estate, Tony leads them to believe that they are staying a night at an inn—and that the elder Hardcastles are actually innkeepers. This creates room for Kate, disguised as a barmaid, to woo the painfully shy Marlow, and for her cousin Constance to pursue her true love Hastings.
Overall, the cast seems to enjoy themselves in this genre. Thieriot as Tony absolutely sparkles with his mix of conniving wit and lowbrow buffoonery. As his bumbling parents, Cynthia Darlow and John Rothman are adorably befuddled by their son’s antics. Things really get good after intermission, in which Tony sends his enraged mother and Constance on a 40-mile carriage ride to nowhere, and Mr. Hardcastle finally snaps after being treated like the help in his own home. The two sets of young lovers deserve even more spice, however, especially in light of their comic counterparts; perhaps that could be created with more emphasis on physical humor rather than delivery of language.
One distinct aspect of this production is its intermittent puncturing of the fourth wall. Evans’s direction leans heavily on this device, employing a considerable amount of direct audience interaction and unmasking of the usual theatrical dressings. For example, there is no backdrop to hide the actors as they await their entrances. Instead, they are visibly seated in two rows of chairs on either side of the stage, which is a raised platform. Admittedly, Goldsmith's original script contains plenty of asides—monologues that characters deliver directly to the audience—but by stripping the stage bare, Evans’s adaptation carries the meta-theater several steps further. The bits of audience interaction between scenes undermine the actors’ comic choices and interrupt the flow and style of the play. All in all, however, this nontraditional choice does not sink the production, which provides both a fun night at the theater as well as an opportunity to experience one of England’s most important and beloved plays.
TACT’s She Stoops to Conquer plays at the Clurman Theatre at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street between Ninth and Tenth avenues) until Nov. 5. Tickets are available online here or by calling the TACT Member Hotline at (212) 560-2184 or (212) 947-8844.
Tagged: Chloe Rae Edmonson, Comedy, laughing comedy, offoffonline, Oliver Goldsmith, review, She Stoops to Conquer, TACT, The Actors Company Theatre
Karen Ebenezer
Ibsen as Detox
When newspaper editor Hovstad cries, "We must destroy this myth that our leaders are infallible," in the rousing performance of Public Enemy at the Pearl Theatre Company, the audience titters and sighs. That same day, the Washington Post had released a tape of presidential nominee Donald Trump making extremely lewd remarks about women. With Trump's words ringing in the collective consciousness of the audience, playwright David Harrower's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's 1882 play An Enemy of the People has transposed an almost 150-year-old story about small-town bureaucracy to the higher, tenser key of our present-day political landscape. That is not to say that Public Enemy is toxic, exhausting or anything like the American political process has been this past year. On the contrary, it rejuvenates the public with an eloquent tale of justice and ambition.
Director Hal Brooks, who is artistic director of the Pearl, has confirmed the company's commitment to showcasing incisive, relevant classical theater with Harrower's masterly take on one of the Norwegian playwright's lesser-known plays. Written as a biting response to critics, whose moralistic reviews he despised, Ibsen deliberately set out to magnify the hypocrisy of human nature, and how it is writ especially large in political processes. He chooses to place his little human drama in a fairly provincial town, where the family of Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Jimmon Cole) and his wife (Nilaja Sun) is enjoying a life of newly-found comfort—they're on the upswing after some hard financial times.
Also in the mix are the Stockmanns' friends: fiery newspapermen Hovstad (Robert Tann) and Billing (Alex Purcell), and world-weary sailor Horster (Carol Schultz). Thomas's brother, Peter (Guiesseppe Jones), is the disciplined, severe, and fastidious mayor of the town; in short, he is nothing like his open, intellectual and charismatic brother. When Thomas discovers that the town's famous baths are swimming with lethal bacteria, and that Peter is attempting to cover up the discovery with threats against his security and his family, Thomas is forced to decide between standing by his ideals as a physician, or enveloping himself in willful ignorance.
Cole has an easy, eager charisma about him. It's part of what makes Stockmann's character the Messianic figure in his small town. His truth-seeking is admirable, and recalls Bernie Sanders' inspiring messages, but Stockmann is more interesting than his real-life counterpart. For one thing, he is scaled down to fit the stuffy intimacy of a small town (scenic designer Harry Feiner has built a subdued, wooden interior for the Stockmanns’ home, while costumer Barbara A. Bell elegantly signifies the passage of time with the wear and tear of the characters' clothes). Cole does not scale down his part, however: with his sonorous voice and endearingly bitter humor, he renders Stockmann larger than life.
His brother the mayor, played by Jones, is a blustering, up-for-the-challenge sparring partner. Fastidious and severe, Peter raises the hackles of more than one “reformist,” namely Hovstad and Billing. Their personalities knot up nicely toward the latter half of the play, as does Arielle Goldman's Petra, the Stockmanns' daughter, a teacher. John Keating, who plays a businessman called Aslasken, is a particular revelation in his studied impression of a fickle everyman.
There is an unending tension between the authority and the reformist in Brooks's conception of Ibsen's play. Within this tension, however, is a complexity difficult to explore on stage: the variable nature of truth. Do we seek truth from our authority figures—policemen, politicians, councils of elders—or do we seek it from the reformers—journalists, leaders of movements, and the common man? When the disgraced Roman politician-turned-farmer Cincinnatus was called to serve as Rome's dictator during a period of social strife, he became a paragon of civic virtue when he resigned immediately after peace was restored, and picked up the plow again.
In An Enemy of the People, Ibsen quietly acknowledges that our most beloved leaders are impossible contradictions: they are both the authority and the reformist, both the leader and the common man. Harrower elegantly exposes Ibsen's sadder, but less delusional reality—that while we seek the truth of the reformer (Thomas Stockmann), we give way to fear and accept the truth of the authority (Peter Stockmann). Let's hope our current political theater, with all its muddy truths and maniacal lust for power, takes a note out of Brooks' precise, magnetic production of Ibsen's timely play.
Performances of Public Enemy run through Nov. 6 at the Pearl Theatre (555 West 42nd St.). Tickets are $69-$99 and may be purchased by calling (212) 563-9261 or visiting pearltheatre.org.
Tagged: David Harrower, Enemy of the People, Hal Brooks, Henrik Ibsen, Ibsen play, Jimonn Cole, Public Enemy, The Pearl Theatre, The Pearl Theatre Company
One Man’s Treasure
As the saying goes, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” So it is in Storage Locker, a black satire riffing on A&E’s reality show Storage Wars. Written by Jeff Stolzer, the play is often quite funny, with expressive banter between a husband and wife who secure the winning bid on an abandoned storage unit. Stolzer is a clever writer. In Storage Locker he develops interesting and layered characters, intricately weaving them into shifts in time. Bryn Packard and Nicole Betancourt, who play the husband and wife, deliver the dialogue with velocity of a couple that have been together for awhile. Stolzer easily takes them from ridiculing each other to playful and loving in a blink. Betancourt is smart and sassy, a diminutive “spitfire” to Packard’s “I’m the provider, I make the decisions” husband. They are believable and engaging.
Director Julián Mesri invests the script with a tempo that draws the audience in. With a video camera on a tripod and monitor, soon enough it becomes evident that the pieces of masking tape on the floor are marks to make sure the actors are in the sight line of the camera for television production. Reality television has little to do with reality, after all. Here, the audience is inventively caught between observing the actors on stage and through the monitor. Betancourt and Packard have a great time playing to the camera; their chemistry is contagious. Mesri’s use of the stage, including the sound booth and emergency stairwell, as well as video camera equipment, helps creates a comic romp through one man’s trash.
Also watching the monitor is an older man seated with his back to the audience. He fiddles with a Rubik’s Cube. In time, the older man (David Crommett) enters the fray, wanting to purchase the storage unit from the husband and wife. He claims he was late to the auction because of a doctor’s appointment. Crommett plays the character in the manner of a master manipulator. He toys with both the husband and wife, luring one with his tales of woe and the other with the wisdom he has developed over 30 years of choosing which storage units pay off. That might be a Picasso behind the trunk. Again, the fun of Mesri’s direction is watching the actors running to the sound booth as if to engage the television producers for direction or utilizing the camera as a handheld and chasing the old man.
Stolzer’s script, with an ample amount of intrigue, and Mesri’s keen staging keep everything moving smoothly until the last five minutes, when it all just sputters. Oddly, with everything that’s going for it, the play devolves at the very end into a confusing “fade to black” puddle. Even the actors, who until this point were spot on, appear lost. Throughout the play the storyline arches and pulls back, reels and sways, and then, suddenly, it’s as if someone lost the last two pages of the script—65 minutes of witticisms, laughter, cajoling, and get-rich-quick banter followed by five minutes of “What just happened?”
The set design by Warren Stiles looks all wrong, and a simple site visit to Gotham Mini Storage should have been required. Instead of a storage facility of cement hallways and orange metal roll-up doors, there is only black plastic sheeting, ragged at the bottom where it doesn’t come completely to the floor and light seeps under. Trash bags the characters pull from the storage unit that are supposedly filled with 50 pieces of clothing are kicked around as if they are filled with crumpled paper.
The lighting by Miguel Valderrama appears to toy with the otherworldly, in a Twilight Zone manner, but falls just a bit short. Most likely his efforts would have paid off with an appropriate set, but how does one light a misstep? Director Mesri put together an interesting original score, which included excerpts from Leos Janáček’s first and second string quartets.
Storage Locker is a perfect example of why small theaters are one of the best “play-grounds” for makers of theater. Playwrights get to test their writing skills, directors hone their craft, and actors perfect character development—all for the pleasure of the audience, which gets to bear witness to the creative process. For 65 minutes, or 92% of the time, Storage Locker and its quirky, delicious contents deliver.
Storage Locker can be seen at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and at 3 p.m. Sundays through Oct. 30 at IATI Theater (64 East 4th St., between Bowery and Second Avenue). The running time is 70 minutes. Tickets are $30; students and seniors $25. For more information and to purchase tickets visit iatitheater.org/programs/detail/storagelocker.
Tagged: Bryn Packard, David Crommett, G- Warren Stiles, IATI Theater, Jeff Stolzer, Julián Mesri, Miguel Valderrama, Nicole Betancourt, Ray Morgovan
Comedy, Immersive/Interactive, Improv & Sketch
Grin and Beer It!
A Brief History of Beerbegins, quite appropriately, by inviting the audience to drink beer. This is not an average toast, however, as the audience is encouraged to really taste the beer—exploring its effervescence, hoppiness, and temperature. Thus begins William Glenn and Trish Parry’s wacky journey through time and space to simultaneously delve into the origins of beer and save it from some unspecified nefarious threat. Despite the plot’s silliness, Glenn and Parry are charming to watch under Jeffrey Mayhew’s direction as they wholeheartedly commit to the ridiculousness of their show.
Tagged: William Glenn; Trish Parry; Jeffrey Mayhew; comedy; beer; Chloe Edmonson
Night of Reckoning
Nat Turner seems to be the historical figure of the moment. He is the subject of the controversial film The Birth of a Nation as well as Nathan Alan Davis’s new play Nat Turner in Jerusalem. Whether the two works mark a resurgence of interest in Turner—William Styron won a Pulitzer Prize back in 1967 for his novel about the slave who led a bloody rebellion, The Confessions of Nat Turner—is uncertain. Davis has a narrower focus: the last night Turner spent in jail, as he receives alternating visits from his prison guard and the chronicler of his deeds, Thomas Gray.
Working with a small canvas—only two actors, one of whom plays two roles—Davis paints a portrait of a prophet of sorts. (The Biblical overtone suggested by the title is appropriate to the play, although the Jerusalem was in Virginia, where Turner was hanged.) Davis’s protagonist is a generally mild-mannered former preacher, as the historical Turner was; he had been taught to read the Bible, but not allowed to read anything else. He became a pastor to the slaves, and a leader. During a monthlong uprising that he led beginning in August 1831, he managed to enlist other slaves to his cause, and they killed 12 men, 19 women and 24 children. Davis makes it clear that the deaths of the last were horrifying and inexcusable—one child was thrown headless into a fireplace to burn.
In spite of Davis’s early forthrightness about the horrors Turner perpetrated, the character, played with passion and philosophical nuance by Phillip James Brannon, gradually emerges as something of an Old Testament prophet of vengeance, imbued with a righteousness that some may find uncomfortable. It is perhaps the only way Turner’s story can be made understandable and receive any feeling akin to empathy, but it’s a subtle canonization at odds with his butchery.
There are intimations of the New Testament as well, as if Turner is also Christ-like. His chronicler Thomas Gray, whom Turner calls “Doubting Thomas,” refers to an episode “wherein you claim…to have spent thirty days alone in the wilderness.” The dual-edged reference is to Turner’s escaping capture for a month as much as to Christ’s 30 days in the wilderness. The Guard (Rowan Vickers plays both, but fares better as the Guard) shares bread with Turner. And echoes of Peter denying Christ arise in the Guard’s attempt to backpedal from a commitment he made to attend Turner’s hanging so the prisoner will spy a friendly face. (Davis’s notion that blacks will attend the hanging is a miscalculation, surely; given the recent slaughter of blacks in retaliation, it’s a stretch to believe they would gather at the gallows or that the white populace would permit them to assemble at such an incendiary event.)
The duologues Davis has devised between Turner and his two visitors are engaging and often eloquent. Turner declares, “It is Negro women, servants in wealthy houses who feed and nurture children like your daughter. Women whose own children may be snatched from them at any time and sent God knows where.”
Yet occasional moments ring false. Gray, considering a whale-oil lamp, says he feels “melancholy for the whales.... Sometimes I worry that there’s a limit. That one day there won’t be any whales left.” The sentiment might have been lifted from a recent Sierra Club press release on global warming. An example of Turner’s wit is also awkward. “Few men aspire to be the guards of prisoners,” he tells Gray in reporting a conversation with his guard. “It is little better than being a prisoner oneself. I said to one of the guards the other day, ‘Which one of us is on the wrong side of the bars? Which one of us is the real captive?’” It’s a sentiment that might be drawn from 1960s movies like King of Hearts or Cool Hand Luke.
Credibility aside, the production by Megan Sandberg-Zakian is deftly pared down and engaging, and Davis’s poetic language is given full weight. The only décor of the play, which is staged in traverse, is two large abstract paintings in gray and black, with hints of dull yellow and blue, and a platform that moves, scene by scene, from one side of the central stage to the other (the scenic design is by Susan Zeeman Rogers). An irritating loud-rock score (sound is by Nathan Leigh), akin to the pounding noise Neil LaBute used in The Shape of Things (2001), will drive you batty if you arrive too early—that is to say, more than 30 seconds before the play begins. At least what follows is, with whatever flaws it has, much more palatable.
Nat Turner in Jerusalem runs through Oct. 16 at the New York Theatre Workshop (79 E. 4th St.). Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday; and at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Matinee performances are at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets cost $69. Tickets may be purchased by calling 212-460-5475 or visiting nytw.org.
Tagged: Edward Karam, Nat Turner, Nat Turner in Jerusalem, new york theatre workshop, Phillip James Brannon, review, Rowan Vickers, slavery
Cirque Ex Machina
Inside Cirque Du Soleil’s trademark blue-and-yellow big top, a stream of dusty golden light fills the tent, like so many metallic birds flitting above our heads. It seems the perfect setting for this Quebec-based nouveau cirque’s foray into the Victorian age, in a production engagingly titled Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities. Written and directed by Michel Laprise, the show on Randall’s Island retrofits modernity with a captivating, old-age charm. The effect is transportive; the assorted delights of fishlike contortionists, aerialists and a hugely entertaining live band, prove just enough to take the audience on a trip well worth remembering.
Tagged: Cirque, cirque du soleil, KURIOS, kurios: cabinet of curiosities, Michel Laprise, Randall's Island
Nathan Harding
Comedy, Puppetry
Living and Laughing Together
Fans of the hit television sitcom The Golden Girls can now experience Blanche (Cat Greenfield), Rose (Arlee Chadwick), Dorothy (Michael LaMasa) and Sophia (Emmanuelle Zeesman) all over again. But this time these lovely ladies have returned as puppets in Jonathan Rockefeller’s That Golden Girls Show!—A Puppet Parody. Capitalizing on moments from the original television show for loyal fans is where this production shines. Nostalgia quickly sets in upon entering the theater. Scenic and lighting designer David Goldstein marvelously transforms the stage into the women’s popular 1985 Miami living room and kitchen.
Tagged: Arlee Chadwick, Cat Greenfield, DR2 Theatre, Emmanuelle Zeesman, Joel Gennari, Jonathan Rockefeller, Michael LaMasa, Nathan Harding, That Golden Girls Show! - A Puppet Parody, Zach Kononov
Aboveground Racial Politics
Underground Railroad Game, a bold and imaginative theatrical piece created by Jennifer Kidwell and Scott Sheppard, is a bawdy satire in which the audience is made to look head-on at the serious issues of race, sexuality, and how we deal with them in the aftermath of slavery. Guided by a thoughtful director, Taibi Magar, the piece exposes the damage that has been done to the national psyche by slavery’s devastating legacy, especially in terms of interracial relationships and the ways we communicate.
Two teachers—Caroline (Kidwell), an African American woman, and Stuart (Sheppard), a white man, are teaching a fifth-grade class project on the Civil War. Dressed as a Quaker abolitionist, Stuart aids a distressed runaway (Kidwell) in a campy tête-à-tête that establishes the sexual energy between the two characters immediately. Then the action abruptly changes to the bright, fluorescent-filled modern classroom where the two are enthusiastically teaching the issues of the Civil War. The teachers quickly include the “class” (i.e. the audience) in the “games” of war, incorporating “safehouse signs” and “slave dolls.” Soon the battle of the sexes is added to the mix, as well as interracial relationships, as the teachers spend time together outside the classroom.
Kidwell as Caroline gives a raw, bold, yet vulnerable interpretation of the African-American woman and her torn relationship with white men. Sheppard’s comical yet painfully exposed performance as Stuart breaks through serious barriers that society doesn’t often discuss. Sheppard and Kidwell’s dramatic exposition feels especially relevant with the racial tensions in the U.S. right now. Magar’s choices as director show the negative effects of slavery’s legacy and the way it has stunted the nation’s ability to heal through open and honest discourse.
The authors use stereotypes of African-American women from old movies such as Gone with the Wind, yet Magar has invested the piece with both melodramatic flair and honesty. Particularly riveting is a segment when Caroline is dressed in Mammy costume in daguerreotype silhouette. As Kidwell plays the runaway slave hiding in the barn, her blood-red, antebellum skirt is the focus as the character sensually moves her arms and upper body in beautiful rhythm with her song that draws Sheppard’s abolitionist to her breast. They offer a tender, painful look at the two characters’ complicated sexual relationship as a result of the shackles of enslavement. Kidwell seductively pulls her skirt up and Sheppard kneels down to her, disappearing in the velvet billows. The skirt eventually becomes a pup tent where the two teachers are discussing social issues and their relationship, foreshadowing the theme of the power of language and the bruises of misunderstanding because of white privilege.
The designers contribute sinister fog, dogs barking, creaking barn doors, crickets, and bobwhites chirping (sound design is by Mikaal Sulaiman) in the distance.
Kidwell and Sheppard have been working on this piece since they met as teachers several years ago; it is produced with the Philadelphia-based troupe Lightning Rod Special. Through the period story, they carefully expose the sexually charged, precarious relationship between African-American women and white men in this country today.
Magar guides them through some volatile moments: triggered by Stuart’s response to the phrase “nigger lover” in a classroom prank, Miss Caroline rears up in righteous indignation into a fiery S&M dance with him that is not for the prudish nor for small children. The two rage against their attraction for each other and the forces that pull them apart, leaving Teacher Stuart completely bare on stage, both physically and emotionally, and Kidwell takes Sheppard to school in an S&M dance that leaves him completely exposed, revealing a sinister essence at the core of their relationship. The play ends with both standing barren and disconnected. But with that, it is clear that only through empathy and open discussion, can we heal from our history’s wounds.
Although the past has left its ugly mark, Underground Railroad Games challenges us to look at our past with honesty and move ahead to a positive future.
Underground Railroad Game plays at Ars Nova (511 West 54th St.) through Nov. 11. Performances are at 7 p.m. Mon.-Wed. and at 8 p.m. Thurs.-Sat.; matinees are at 3 p.m. Saturdays. Tickets are $35; for more information, visit arsnovanyc.com or call (212) 352-3101.
Tagged: Ars Nova, Deborah Anderson, Jennifer Kidwell, Lightning Rod Special, review, scott sheppard, Underground Railroad Games
Comedy, Musical
Miranda Rights—And Wrongs
Perhaps it was inevitable that Gerard Alessandrini, the creator of many seasons of Forbidden Broadway, would be lured back by the possibilities of the phenomenon of Hamilton. Having put the long-running satirical revue on hiatus in 2014 (after Forbidden Broadway Comes Out Swinging), Alessandrini has devised a terrific new show, Spamilton, at the Triad. Structured around Lin-Manuel Miranda’s runaway hit, the show features a stronger through-line than Alessandrini usually fashions to encompass the revue elements. For lovers of musical theater, Forbidden Broadway, and Hamilton, Spamilton provides a raucous goulash of mostly on-target barbs, yet it is also in the Forbidden Broadway mold, with “appearances” by stars such as Bernadette Peters, J. Lo, Beyoncé, and, inevitably, Liza Minnelli. Most important, fans can rejoice that Alessandrini is back at the top of his game. And the targets are not just Hamilton the musical, but the art form itself, the actors in Hamilton, and anything currently on Broadway.
The revue, written and directed by Alessandrini, takes the form of a fantasia. Inspired by the Kennedys and their love of the musical, Camelot, which Jackie said she played each night at bedtime, he imagines the Obamas turning in, with the President (Chris Anthony Giles) putting on a vinyl of Hamilton. Then Alessandrini lets loose. Part biography, part parody, the show details Miranda’s upbringing, his love of musicals, and his determination to build a better Broadway musical, in a clever rap that upends the expectation of traditionalism from him:
This blue collar shining beacon/Puerto Rican/Got a lot farther/By being a lot smarter/By stretching rhymes harder/By being a trend-starter.
Lurking beneath the flattery of “trend-starter,” though, is Alessandrini’s deep skepticism about rap as a medium for shows. Later in the revue, to the tune of “Children Will Listen,” from Into the Woods, he writes:
"Careful the rap you play/No one will listen/Careful how dense the phrase/ People will leave/Or heave."
“Children like rap today/But children don’t listen/Parents may lavish praise/But they could deceive/So take it from me/Careful the rap you say/ Incessantly/No one will listen."
Yet the canny creator also realizes that Miranda didn’t come out of nowhere. He has been influenced by Sondheim, whose genius has spawned inferior work from countless lesser talents. To the music of “Another Hundred People,” from Company, Sondheim gets his share of blame:
“Another hundred syllables came out of my mouth/And fell onto the ground/While another hundred syllables are gonna go south/And are sticking around/As another hundred syllables repeat the refrain/And are waiting for us/In the second quatrain/And I’m starting to cuss/Ev’ry word I say.”
“It’s a lyric by Sondheim/All you can eat word buffet/A lyric by Sondheim/ Too hard to sing, or to play/And ev’ry day/Some say, ‘No way…’”
Nora Schell, a powerhouse singer, delivers the Sondheim parody with panache, and she plays Michelle Obama and most of the other women’s roles. Gina Kreiezmar appears as a guest diva to play a beggar woman trying to cadge tickets to Hamilton, to the tune of the Beggar Woman’s “No Place Like London” in Sweeney Todd, and as Liza Minnelli she sings, to the tune of “Down With Love,” “Down With Rap”: “Down with rap and all of the hip-hop trends/Down with rap and all of the rhymes it bends.”
Aficionados will have fun identifying the melodies and references, which include Camelot, of course, but also The Unsinkable Molly Brown, The Music Man, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and non-theater music such as the theme from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. And, thanks to Miranda’s good nature, Alessandrini has permission to use music from Hamilton itself, which he does effectively—skewering Barbra Streisand in all her narcissism and her Revolutionary garb at the Tony Awards, singing, to the music of Miranda’s big show-stopper, “I wanna be in the film when it happens, the film when it happens…”
Occasionally, Alessandrini’s swift segues may leave one confused, particularly at the appearance of an old man who missed something because he went to the bathroom. But Spamilton thrives on the energy of its cast of talented unknowns, who include Nicholas Edwards as a prancing Daveed Diggs in a volcanic wig (Diggs the actor is satirized in the number “Fresh Prince of Big Hair”) and Juwan Crawley, whose appearance in Dustin Cross’s costumes (as the genie in Aladdin and as a rather famous orphan) are the juiciest sight gags of the evening.
Whether or not you view Spamilton as a stopgap till you can score tickets to Hamilton, or as a exemplar of sharp-witted parody, Alessandrini’s show is chock-full of pleasures.
Spamilton plays through Dec. 31 at The Triad Theater. Tickets at $69 are selling quickly but are available for the popular show beginning Oct. 5. There is a two-drink minimum and cabaret seating. Performance times vary; for information and tickets, visit triadnyc.com.
Tagged: Daveed Diggs, Edward Karam, Gerard Alessandrini, Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Spamilton, Triad
Tortured Souls
Nicole Kontolefa as Sue and Marta Mondelli as Emma. Photography by Seth Perlman.
Marta Mondelli’s Toscana, or What I Remember begins as the story of two couples whose lives intersect at a hotel in Tuscany in the middle of February. Each is tortured in his or her own right. It starts interestingly enough with Emma (Mondelli herself), an Italian who has been living in New York, and her husband, Fred (Scott Barton), who is paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. To say they annoy each other is an understatement. Emma, who often hears a little girl singing and playing, is neurotic, bitter, and foul-mouthed. If she loves Fred, it’s hard to tell. “All of a sudden he gets in this stupid chair, and I have to carry him around like a baby in a stroller,” she complains.
The second couple, “Sue and Larry Cole from Wisconsin,” played by Nicole Kontolefa and Lance Olds, add a bit of lightness to the play initially, but not for long. Larry is a botanist visiting Italy for a conference, while the pregnant Sue annoys him by frequently apologizing to him. He detests the phrase “I’m sorry” so much that she ends up apologizing repeatedly, a gag that should have been funny. Though not as unpleasant as Emma and Fred are to each other, the Coles are wound tight. Sue becomes a little unnerved that she’s forgotten her sunblock—even though it’s 50 degrees in February! Larry is concerned about his speech at the conference. “Hopefully, no one will scream at me today,” he says. “Plant scientists are so conservative.” The typical Midwestern characters are written in a way that suggests it’s their first trip abroad.
Kontolefa, however, exhibits a range of emotion. She begins as an awkward young wife, concerned about her pregnancy. But her Sue is either afraid of Larry or afraid of losing him. When confronted with the possibility that her husband and Emma may have kissed, she displays a strength that shows a depth of character, losing any previous hints of schoolgirl silliness.
Director Tara Elliott keeps things moving along smoothly. However, she was not able to elicit from the actors the subtleties necessary to portray Fred and Emma convincingly. Playwright Mondelli was unable to flip the switch from neurotic and mean-spirited to loving and doting for the bipolar Emma. Barton was only able to move off the emotion of exasperation when he had dialogue with Sue about her pregnancy.
Nicole Kontolefa as Sue and Scott Barton as Fred in Toscana, Or Things I Remember. Pictured above is Scott Barton. Photography by Seth Perlman.
Furthermore, Mondelli’s script is underdeveloped. Too many times the conversations come off as inane cocktail conversation and unnervingly repetitive. Emma asks Sue, “How far along are you?” and she replies, “Ten weeks.” Emma retorts, “How many months is that?” Or Larry’s insipid argument that plants don’t respond to music but yet “they communicate to each other through electricity.” When Sue wants to push Fred in his wheelchair, Larry interjects, “Sue, you’re weak.” No, she’s pregnant; since it’s already been revealed that he’s been through one pregnancy with his first wife, why would he jump to “weak” when there is nothing in the script to suggest it?
On the other hand, there are elements that complicate the story that Mondelli leaves undeveloped. For instance, there’s the recurring sound of a child singing offstage—while appropriate to hear the child singing before the play begins, which sets the tone, it makes little sense during the play for the audience to hear the child, given a turn of events late in the production. Although Emma repeatedly swears at the child, which paints her as callous, there’s a persuasive twist that comes too late to redeem her.
Oddly, there is something to Toscana, which is probably what brought it to the stage in the first place. However, it wasn’t nurtured and developed to its full potential, which can happen when the playwright is also cast as the lead. Surprisingly, after all that, the play resonated more the next day than immediately after. Maybe the dust had to settle on too much unfinished, stilted dialogue to get to the heart of Toscana in the moment.
Toscana, or What I Remember is at Cherry Lane Studio (38 Commerce St. in Greenwich Village) through Oct. 1. Performances are at 7 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday; Matinees are at 2 p.m. Sept. 25 and 3 p.m. Oct. 1. Tickets are $18 general admission and $15 for students/seniors. For tickets, go to https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/963985. For more information, visit toscanaorwhatiremember.com.
Tagged: Cherry Lane Studio, Lance Olds, Marta Mondelli, Nicole Kontolefa, Ray Morgovan, Scott Barton, Tara Elliott
Young But Wise
Shelagh Delaney was only 18 when her first play, A Taste of Honey, premiered in London in 1958 and she added to the gender diversity of the Angry Young Men of postwar British theater. The play was developed at the acclaimed producer Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop, and it contains some of Littlewood’s hallmarks, notably a jazz trio playing standards that evokes the British music hall (a popular influence in British theater, used by John Osborne as the setting for The Entertainer and by Littlewood herself in Oh, What a Lovely War!—and on through Privates on Parade, right up to One Man, Two Guv’nors in 2011).
As with Osborne, Arnold Wesker, and John Arden, the focus of the “angry theater” was the travails of the working-class English. Delaney’s play is set in Manchester, and concerns Jo, who is 17 and lives with her mother, Helen (Rachel Botchan), a sometime prostitute. For the late 1950s, and for an author of 18, A Taste of Honey is astonishingly frank and casual about taboo topics of the period. Jo refers diffidently to Helen’s “immoral earnings.” Jo herself has an affair with a black sailor (Ade Otukoya) and becomes pregnant by him. She sets up house with a fellow art student, Geoffrey (John Evans Reese), who is gay and has more nurturing instincts toward her than Helen does.
Jo’s fractious relationship with her mother is, in Delaney’s play, the fault of both characters. Rebekah Brockman’s Jo is irritatingly immature and impractical, yet self-confident, and she and Helen squabble frequently. Helen has clearly not taken a strong hand in raising her daughter, and Jo is a free spirit as a result, mouthing off in a way that the vast majority of middle-class 1950s teenagers probably wouldn’t dare to.
Meanwhile, the narcissistic Helen blows hot and cold about caring for her daughter. “Why don’t you learn from my mistakes?” she asks Jo solicitously at one point. “It takes half a life to learn from your own.” Yet she’s also capable of saying, “I never have thought about you when I’ve been happy.” It’s a measure of Delaney’s maturity that she can create characters so complex and show the struggles of their lives so vividly.
The play focuses on Jo’s coming of age. Helen has a roistering time with a former client/boyfriend named Smith (Bradford Cover, with an eyepatch), who has tracked her to their new digs. Joe resents Smith and spars with him verbally, even though he makes overtures to be kind to her. (In The Angry Theatre, John Russell Taylor, who saw Delaney’s original script, says Smith’s kindness was toned down in Littlewood’s final version.) Eventually Helen runs off with him, only returning after Smith has run off with a younger woman. Meanwhile, Jo and Geoff have established a home of a sort—Jo works in a shoe shop by day and a bar at night. But Botchan’s selfish, blundering Helen, now displaced, ousts Evans’s gentle, patient Geoff in the awkward, melancholy climax.
The play is a dream play, with flights of fancy and high theatricality in spite of its working-class milieu—Jo talks about the sailor being “an African prince,” and Geoffrey yearns to be a father figure in a heterosexual family and fit in. Characters deliver asides to the audience in the manner of Restoration comedy. Director Austin Pendleton uses the jazz trio not only to punctuate verses of songs that the characters break into, and to cover scene changes, but also as a silent chorus. When Helen shows them racy advertisements, Max Boiko (trumpet), Walter Stinson (bass), and Phil Faconti (guitar) play along and take a look with wry reactions; two of them often share the sofa with the speaking characters. (Harry Feiner’s scenic design delivers a heavier dose of realism, with its drab browns, duns and mustards, visually enlivened only by Barbara A. Bell’s bright dresses for Helen.)
Still, there’s a sense that, even with its open artifice, Delaney’s characters were lifted out of a vacuum and placed in this setting. As a dream play, it’s not as easy to adjust to or as persuasive as, say, The Glass Menagerie. Delaney never had a bigger success than A Taste of Honey, and it’s rarely revived nowadays. It has perhaps frayed a bit at the edges, but it’s still a work that continually surprises with its modern feel. The Pearl Theatre’s season opener is a welcome opportunity to see it.
The Pearl Theatre's production of A Taste of Honey will play through Oct. 30 at 555 W. 42nd St. Performances are at 7 p.m. on Sept. 20, 22, Oct. 3, 4, 10, 12, 13, 16, 20 and 24; at 8 p.m. Sept. 23, 24, Oct. 21, 22, and 29; and at 2 p.m. Oct. 2, 22, 23, and 30. Tickets are $59 and may be purchased by calling the theater at (212) 563-9261 or visiting pearltheatre.org.
Tagged: A Taste of Honey, Angry Young Men, Austin Pendleton, Pearl Theatre Company, Shelagh Delaney
Musical, Drama
Looking for God and Love
Serious pianists love to study the great composers in order to explore and channel the music they are to perform. Hershey Felder, the writer and star of the solo show Maestro, is a serious pianist and composer in his own right. He is also a gifted and highly successful singer, director, and producer. His one-man show is the natural rumination of one serious musician about another.
Maestro is the story of the larger-than-life phenomenon that was Leonard Bernstein: conductor of the celebrated New York Philharmonic and orchestras worldwide; the second most performed classical composer in the United States, who also wrote the scores for the hit West Side Story and other Broadway shows; the creator of 53 Young People’s Concerts and proselytizer on behalf of the classical music tradition to the millions he reached on TV and in lectures all over the world. In this and other plays, Felder has created a piece of biographical theater. His one-man plays about Gershwin, Chopin, Beethoven, Liszt, Irving Berlin, and now Bernstein, use story, song, and music to probe the lives of great musicians and deepen our understanding of music itself.
Bernstein’s overarching passion was to compose. In Lenny’s voice, Felder explains what lies behind the works he composes: “and in every one of these pieces, I am busy looking for God. And for love. Because as composers, that’s what we’re always doing.” This desire, the desire to compose and all it encompasses, is the spine of Felder’s play. Will Bernstein find God? Will he find love? Will he write the great works he so badly wants to write?
Felder takes on Lenny, the controversies about his life and his music, and looks for the truth behind the noise of his fame. He shows us a man whose betrayal of his marriage and loss of his wife to cancer upended his life. And he shows us a man who, for all of his achievements as a composer, was never embraced by the classical composing establishment, which rigidly favored atonalism. Bernstein not only believed that tonality and melody were at the heart of all great classical music, he wrote successful musicals; brought classical impulses into his popular music; brought popular idioms into his serious classical compositions; and was just too populist in every way to win the seal of approval of that elite club whose tenets he rejected. He paid a heavy price.
Beautifully directed by Joel Zwick, the work uses projection and lighting (Christopher Ashe) as well as audio (Eric Carstensen) in striking, even brilliant ways. Does Felder do justice to Bernstein? Do we know the man more deeply after the play than we did before? These are questions that theatergoers will answer for themselves. But in bringing us a character whose passion and achievements were in music, Felder’s own musicianship, his teaching moments riffing on music that occur throughout the play, and his prowess at the keyboard, bring us more deeply into the soul of Bernstein than this genre might have otherwise permitted.
A solo show is a special feat for any actor. Maestro runs one hour and 45 minutes and includes challenging work at the keyboard, some of it while also singing or speaking. At the same time, is it mean-spirited to say there is a bit too much West Side Story and that, if the final song were cut, the play would end on the more tragic note intended by Felder, without sentimentality? Interestingly, as a baritone, Felder sings in a soft and lilting popular style and also in a steelier, more trained classical style, sometimes combining both, just as Bernstein was forever migrating from one style to the next in unexpected ways. Vocally this usually works—but not always.
Did Bernstein find God and love in his composing and in his life? In the most powerful moment at the end of the play—better experienced than described here—Bernstein combatively turns and asks questions of the audience. Then he recites a poem Bernstein wrote in which he sums up how he views his life in the face of his approaching death. Did Bernstein find God and love in his composing? No, Felder says, not in Bernstein’s eyes. And yes, Felder says, in the eyes and hearts of all of us who listen to his story and, even more important, to the maverick genius and passionate heart of the music that beats beneath it.
Maestro runs through Oct. 23 at 59E59 Theaters (59 E. 59th St.). Evening performances are at 7 p.m. Tues.–Thurs. and at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; matinees are at 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. (Additional performances are at 2 p.m. Sept. 29 and Oct. 13. There are no performances on Sept. 24 or Oct. 11 or at 7 p.m. Oct. 2.) Tickets are $25–$70. For more information, call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 or visit www.59e59.org.
Tagged: 59E59 Theaters, Hershey Felder, Lea Fridman, Leonard Bernstein, Maestro, review
Experimental Theater
Made possible by the generous support of:
© 2019 Off Off Online
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Patrick W. Smith Joins Corcoran
April 02, 2019 by Jeremy Lindy
Patrick W. Smith
The Corcoran Group has announced that Patrick W. Smith, a top-producing residential broker, has joined Corcoran. Pamela Liebman, Corcoran President and CEO, made the announcement.
Smith, who will be affiliated with the Corcoran Williamsburg and Madison Avenue offices, has sold more than $100 million of real estate throughout his career. A resident of Long Island City for over 10 years, Smith is a highly respected and noted expert on the Long Island City market. He is widely recognized for his self-published Long Island City market reports.
In addition to his extensive background in real estate research and analysis, Smith spent several years as an Executive Vice President for a leading real estate consultancy specializing in new development marketing and leasing. His experience also includes five years of overseeing new development condominium sales in Long Island City and Manhattan for Brown Harris Stevens Project Marketing. Prior to joining Corcoran, Smith oversaw operations for Stribling & Associates in Long Island City.
According to Pamela Liebman, “We are thrilled to welcome Patrick to Corcoran. He has a remarkable resume as a highly successful broker, and as an expert on new development and the Long Island City market. Patrick is completely in sync with this very dynamic market and provides wonderful insights for his clients, for developers and for the business media who rely upon him as a valuable market resource. We are pleased Patrick has joined Corcoran, where I know he will achieve even greater success with the resources and power of the Corcoran brand behind him.”
Smith remarked on his move, “Corcoran has been an industry leader that I have long admired and I am honored to have the opportunity to join this powerhouse brokerage. I will now have access to the extraordinary support and tools that Corcoran offers, which will help expand my business, allow me to reach an entirely new level of success, and provide my clients with world-class service.”
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Cold not only reason Russia industry weak- dep min
| Published: Friday, March 24, 2006, 20:10 [IST]
MOSCOW, Mar 24 (Reuters) A dismal performance by Russian industry at the start of 2006 was partly due to a lack of competitiveness and cannot be blamed solely on an exceptionally cold spell, a Deputy Economy Minister said on Friday.
''This fall is really worrying. It is not only the cold, it is also low competitiveness. It is a continuation of our illnesses that were in full flower last year,'' Andrei Klepach told reporters.
Russian industrial growth slowed to a mere 1 per cent in year-on-year terms, with manufacturing -- especially carmaking -- hit hardest.
Klepach said that if the current trend continued Russian industry would grow less than 4 per cent in 2006, below an official target of 4.4 per cent.
Analysts, who had expected an increase of 4.6 year-on-year in February, according to the median response in a monthly Reuters poll, saw an exceptional cold snap as the main factor behind the surprise fall.
Russia has endured its worst winter in years, with temperatures well below minus 30 degrees Celsius (minus 22 Fahrenheit) creating chaos on Russia's electricity grid and bringing work on many construction sites to a standstill.
REUTERS SD DB2000
Story first published: Friday, March 24, 2006, 20:10 [IST]
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By Nationality
s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
Profession: Television Producer
Why Famous: Created and produced "Saturday Night Live".
Michaels has also been the producer for "Late Night" on NBC since 1993 and "The Tonight Show" on NBC since 2014.
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Scorpio
1971-10-05 Television producer Lorne Michaels (26) weds comedy writer Rosie Shuster (21)
1981-09-13 Television producer Lorne Michaels (36) weds model Susan Forristal
Events in the Life of Lorne Michaels
1975-10-11 "Saturday Night Live" created by Lorne Michaels premieres on NBC with George Carlin as host
1975-10-18 Simon & Garfunkel reunite on "Saturday Night Live", sing "My Little Town"
1975-12-13 1st time "Saturday Night Live" uses a time delay, Richard Pryor hosts
1976-11-20 George Harrison appears on "Saturday Night Live"
1977-01-15 Coneheads debut on "Saturday Night Live"
1979-10-20 Bob Dylan appears on "Saturday Night Live"
1980-05-17 Paul & Linda McCartney appear on "Saturday Night Live"
1981-02-21 Charles Rocket clearly says "fuck" on "Saturday Night Live"
1982-11-20 Drew Barrymore at age 7 hosts "Saturday Night Live"
1984-12-08 Ringo Starr appears on "Saturday Night Live"
1986-11-15 2nd time "Saturday Night Live" uses a time delay (Sam Knison hosts)
1989-05-20 Toonces The Cat takes the wheel on "Saturday Night Live"
1990-05-12 Nora Dunn and Sinead O'Connor boycott "Saturday Night Live" to protest Andrew Dice Clay's hosting which was perceived as sexist; the show uses a time delay for the third time in its history
1990-06-22 Adam Sandler joins "Saturday Night Live"
1992-10-03 Sinead O'Connor rips up a picture of Pope John Paul II on "Saturday Night Live"
Abraham Gesner
Alex Trebek
Alexander Mackenzie
Alexandre Bilodeau
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Highlights Events Birthdays Deaths Weddings & Divorces
Weddings & Divorces
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Mark Scialla Mark Scialla
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/pfas-toxic-chemical-millions-peoples-drinking-water
What are PFASs, the toxic chemicals being found in drinking water?
Science Aug 12, 2016 12:15 PM EDT
More than 16 million Americans drink water contaminated with toxic chemicals that can be traced to military and industrial sites, according to new research from Harvard University.
66 water supplies serving 6 million people had at least one water sample at or above the EPA’s safety limits.
The compounds in question are called poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, or PFASs. They are typically used in fire retardants, oil and water repellents, furniture, waterproof clothes, take out containers and non-stick cookware. The study, published Tuesday in Environmental Science and Technology Letters, looked at more than 36,000 drinking water samples from 4,864 public water sources collected by the Environmental Protection Agency between 2013 and 2015. They found PFASs in water systems that serve more than 16 million people across 33 states, three American territories and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
Just 13 states made up 75 percent of their findings. California had the highest highest frequency of detection, followed by New Jersey, North Carolina, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Georgia, Minnesota, Arizona, Massachusetts, and Illinois.
Most significantly, 66 water supplies serving 6 million people had at least one water sample at or above the EPA’s safety limits. The number of affected people is likely much higher but data are limited. Most in-home water filters cannot effectively remove PFAS chemicals, though activated carbon filters and reverse osmosis can eliminate some forms of the compounds.
“If you look at CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] data, virtually all Americans are exposed to this group of compounds and we don’t understand where the exposures come from,” Xindi Hu, environmental health scientist and lead researcher told PBS NewsHour. “On one hand, the exposure is ubiquitous, but on the other, we have a lot of gaps in our knowledge.”
Areas with detectable levels of poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and their proximity relationship to industrial sites, military fire training sites, airports and wastewater treatment plants. Image by Hu XC et al., Environmental Science & Technology Letters, 2016.
The researchers suggest the broad spread of PFASs in water sources is partly from fire fighting foams and sprays used in training simulations by the military and airport workers.
“During fire-fighting practice drills, large volumes of these toxic chemicals wash into surface and ground waters and can end up in our drinking water,” Arlene Blum, study co-author and executive director of the Green Science Policy Institute said. “Such persistent chemicals should only be used when essential, and never for training.”
PFAS is among the most widely used class of chemicals in the world, and the particles don’t biodegrade. That means they can accumulate in the environment and animals, including humans. A 2015 study by the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found PFASs in 97 percent of human blood samples.
Health effects of PFASs are debated, but some studies link the chemicals to higher rates of kidney and testicular cancer, higher cholesterol levels, suppressed immune systems and weakened antibody responses to vaccinations among children. Regardless, 200 scientists last May signed the Madrid Statement, showing concern about the manufacture of PFASs.
‘‘Whenever possible, avoid products containing, or manufactured using, PFASs. These include many products that are stain-resistant, waterproof or non-stick,’’ the statement advised.
Exposures to PFASs often come through food, consumer goods or air, but water plays an important role because PFASs are highly soluble, and can’t be removed by standard wastewater treatment methods.
A study published in June in Environmental Science and Technology Letters compared PFAS chemicals in public drinking water with PFAS concentrations in blood samples from women in California. Researchers found PFAS levels up to 40 percent higher among women with the chemical detected in their drinking water compared to those without.
“Our study shows that toxic and highly persistent fluorochemicals are making their way from drinking water into people’s bodies,” Myrto Petreas of the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, and author of the June study said in a press release. “It underscores the importance of reducing the use of these chemicals whenever possible to protect our drinking water and our health.”
An earlier form of the chemical class, long-chain PFAS, was banned in the early 2000s following lawsuits and public outcry. The chemical industry responded by creating a short-chain version of PFASs, where they essentially removed a set of carbon molecules depending on the chemical. Short-chain PFASs are regarded as safer than the long-chain forms.
Currently, the federal government does not regulate short-chain PFASs. But the chemical class is on the EPA’s list of “unregulated contaminants,” meaning they monitor the substances and can issue notices in instances of potential public danger. Although, that could change with new reforms to the Toxic Substances Control Act, the main federal law that regulates toxic chemicals.
“I think the major point of this study is that the extent of PFAS contamination in our country’s drinking water supply is much greater than previous studies have indicated,” environmental toxicologist Jamie DeWitt at East Carolina University said when asked to review the study. “We may be underestimating PFAS contamination as monitoring does not often capture data from small systems and private wells.”
Left: More than 16 million Americans drink water contaminated with toxic chemicals that can be traced to military and industrial sites, according to new research from Harvard University. Photo by Adam Lister/via Getty Images
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Record-level flooding expected along Des Plaines River
Dan Petrella
Aug 24, 2007 at 12:01 AM Aug 24, 2007 at 10:58 PM
Riverside is preparing for the Des Plaines River to reach a record water level this weekend following heavy storms that hit the area Thursday. More storms are expected Friday afternoon.
Riverside is preparing for the Des Plaines River to reach a record water level this weekend after heavy storms that hit the area Thursday. More storms are expected Friday afternoon.
The water level reached 7.62 feet at 12:45 a.m. Thursday, more than half a foot higher than flood stage, according to the National Weather Service. The river is expected to crest at 9.8 feet Saturday morning, almost 3 feet higher than flood stage, meteorologist Rich Brumer said. That would the third highest level the river has ever reached in Riverside.
The highest recorded crest was 9.9 feet on Aug. 15, 1987, according to National Weather Service records. Riverside issued a warning early Friday afternoon that flooding could affect all village streets in the west part of town near the river. The village advised all residents in affected areas to move their cars to a designated emergency parking area behind L.J. Hauser Junior High School, 65 Woodside Road. It also suggested moving as many belongings as possible to higher levels of homes.
By about 2 p.m. Friday, three houses on West Avenue were flooded and another home on Maplewood Road had water in its yard, Fire Chief Kevin Mulligan said.
“Right now, we’re hoping that we’ll drop off the (National Weather Service’s) prediction model and we’ll top off where we are now,” Mulligan said, adding that the level of flooding will depend on how much rain falls Friday.
There are currently no plans to evacuate homes, but the fire department will be in contact with residents if an evacuation becomes necessary.
“Hopefully we won’t have to evacuate,” he said.
The police department is also preparing to assist residents if flooding becomes serious.
“At 8 o’clock tonight, the entire department is going to 12-hour shifts in anticipation of flooding,” Assistant Chief Thomas Weitzel said. “We’ve canceled all vacation time, and we’ve lined up mutual aid from our neighbors.”
The National Weather service is predicting that as much as 3 inches of rain could fall as storms roll through the area Friday afternoon.
“If that’s the case, than we’re anticipating that there could be some serious flooding,” Weitzel said.
The village is providing sandbags and sand to residents in affected areas. If flooding occurs, the village will relocate cars from the affected area without the normal $500 towing fine, Weitzel said.
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Second-hand stores thriving in sagging economy
Second-hand shopping has always been a good way to stretch a buck, but with the state of the economy, second-hand businesses are thriving.
According to Kim Pragle, the manager of the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Hornell, business has been booming.
“We bring in, on average a week, between $12,000 to $15,000,” she said.
While clothes — which take up the majority of the store’s floor space — are still selling well, Pragle said, as well as other goods, like Christmas decorations and books.
Pragle, who began managing the store in Hornell this summer, said there are many regulars at the store and new faces are appearing more frequently.
The other end of the business — donations from the public — have also been picking up.
“That’s doing well,” Pragle said, adding there are probably more donations now then there were in the past. “Some people think it’s overwelming (bringing in large donations), but I say ,’thank you, it’s job security.’”
To keep up business, she added, the Salvation Army is now picking up donations at donors’ homes.
“You have a lot of elderly people that still want to donate, but can’t get it here,” Pragle said.
As business picks up, Pragle said, some of the most-regular customers are still picking their ways through the store’s wares as they always have.
Shopper Luann Rodriguez of Hornell comes to the Salvation Army around three or four times a week.
“I’m a believer that people get tired of things and donate them,” she said, “and then other people enjoy them.”
While she also picks up other goods while in the store, most of the time she is after additions to her colored glass collection.
“I collected teddy bears for 25 years, and I decided it was time for a change,” she said.
An area for-profit business specializing in second-hand goods also is performing well.
Stacey Evans, owners of SoHo Clothing Exchange in Hornell, has been keeping busy with her trade in slightly-used womens clothing.
“Business is fantastic,” Evans said. “I’m the busiest I’ve ever been.”
Since she started the business two and a half years ago, she said, she has tripled her profit margin.
On Tuesday, Evans was busy expanding the store, preparing a separate section for shoes.
“I was running out of space,” she said, adding she is pleased to be dealing with an expansion and her clientele as signs the business is doing well.
Another thing Evans, and her customers, like is the ever-changing stock in a second-hand store.
“I have people who come in everyday because they might miss something,” she said.
And while she cites the economy for the boom, Evans said Christmas is not a huge part of the business.
“A lot of people don’t shop second-hand for gifts,” she said, adding she has been doing well with gift cards and the few new items she stocks.
The new items, mostly shoes and accessories, are purchased through wholesalers to keep costs down.
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CivicCon
'Person of interest' in Alabama slaying arrested in Santa Rosa County
Nicholas Ryan Young, a "person of interest" in the death of Foley man Ronald Higginbotham, has been arrested in Santa Rosa County.
'Person of interest' in Alabama slaying arrested in Santa Rosa County Nicholas Ryan Young, a "person of interest" in the death of Foley man Ronald Higginbotham, has been arrested in Santa Rosa County. Check out this story on pnj.com: https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2018/11/30/person-interest-alabama-murder-arrested-santa-rosa-county/2164435002/
From staff reports Published 2:39 p.m. CT Nov. 30, 2018 | Updated 2:45 p.m. CT Nov. 30, 2018
Nicholas Young(Photo: Santa Rosa County Jail)
A "person of interest" in a brutal Alabama killing has been arrested in Santa Rosa County, though not on murder charges.
On Oct. 30, a maintenance employee at a Foley, Alabama, apartment complex found a tenant, 53-year-old Ronald Jeffery Higginbotham, deceased inside a unit.
Alabama media reported Higginbotham had been stabbed multiple times.
On Oct. 31, the Foley Police Department announced it was seeking Higginbotham's missing SUV, and on Nov. 1, the agency reported they had found the vehicle abandoned near Mobile Highway in Pensacola.
Shortly afterward, Nicholas Ryan Young, 35, was named a "person of interest" in the case, a term which means a person may have information crucial to the case, but is not necessarily a suspect.
More: Pensacola man found guilty in drug-related murder on Klondike Road
Things went quiet for about a month, until Thursday when Young was booked into Santa Rosa County Jail.
A spokesperson for the Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, which provided the FPD support in the case, said it is believed Young had been driving Higginbotham's vehicle.
His current arrest is related to vehicle theft charges, but Alabama authorities intend to question him further about Higginbotham's murder.
Young remains is in custody in Santa Rosa County Jail, where he is being held without bond as an out-of-state fugitive.
Read or Share this story: https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2018/11/30/person-interest-alabama-murder-arrested-santa-rosa-county/2164435002/
Crash on I-110 backs up traffic near exit 3
Dates for new bay bridge traffic switch announced
Milton man gets life sentence for sexually abusing 7-year-old girl
Fallen FHP trooper killed in tragic accident honored
Joe's Caribe moves from west Pensacola to North Ninth
Bull's eye! Ax-throwing bar set to open in Pensacola
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Quicksilver message: How to send a public health warning
Self-Affirmation
When I was a smoker, I paid no attention to the constant health warnings about tobacco. It’s not that I was unaware that cigarettes posed serious risks. They were spelled out in black-and-white, right there on my pack of Camels. I just put them out of my mind—for future consideration.
I quit smoking long ago. The years have made me more averse to health risks in general, and I take precautions when I can. For example, I’ve seriously cut back on canned tuna in my diet, based on what I’ve read about mercury risks. The idea of quicksilver in my tuna fish sandwich makes me uneasy.
Mine are the kinds of decisions that drive public health officials crazy. My decision to smoke was based on denial and defensiveness. I refused to heed the message, even to see its relevance, though it was aimed directly at me, a committed smoker. My tuna decision may be just as irrational for different reasons. I may be wrongly generalizing an emotional public health appeal—one meant specifically to alarm pregnant women—and taking overzealous precautions as a result.
The ideal public health warning leads to a well-calibrated level of concern. People who are at high risk ought to respond strongly, but people at low risk should not react with alarm. How does one craft such an ideal message?
Psychological scientist Dale Griffin of the University of British Columbia has some thoughts about this tricky public health challenge. Working with Peter Harris of the University of Sheffield, Griffin has been exploring the surprising idea that a strong sense of personal identity might equip us for more nuanced reactions to health warnings. The theory is that affirming one’s sense of self and values diminishes both misplaced fear and defensiveness, leading to a more open-minded and measured response to threats—and only to relevant threats. Here’s how they tested this idea in an on-line experiment.
They wanted to study a real-world health issue, with real risks for some people and not for others. So they picked mercury in seafood, and they recruited a group of women of childbearing age who ate at least some fish and shellfish. They asked the women about their consumption of tuna—canned and fresh, including sushi—and this was used as a measure of the issue’s personal relevance for each of them. They also answered questions about psychological defensiveness. Defensiveness and personal relevance tend to combine in making people unresponsive to public health warnings—as with my smoking.
Then all the women wrote a short essay. Some wrote about the relevance of their most important values to their own lives—a prime intended to affirm their sense of personal integrity. The others wrote about less important values and how they might be relevant to others; these were the controls.
Afterward, all the women read a 2009 FDA brochure on mercury in seafood, which includes a recommendation that women limit their consumption of seafood (including tuna) before, during and right after pregnancy. Finally, they assessed the women’s responsiveness to this warning in a variety of ways, including how deeply they thought about the threat; the perceived relevance of the warning; their personal risk and their level of worry.
When they crunched all the data together, the findings were clear and striking. As reported in the on-line version of the journal Psychological Science, a simple act of self-affirmation reduced both kinds of decision making error. For women who ate a lot of seafood, self-affirmation increased concern and worry—but only for those who were defensive to begin with. It reduced concern and worry for those who were not as defensive—that is, for women who were not in denial about the real risks.
Just as important, self-affirmation actually diminished worry for those who didn’t eat a lot of fish—the very people who shouldn’t be worrying. In other words, having a strong sense of personal values improved the fit between individual women and the public health message, which allowed them to more finely calibrate their emotional responses.
This scenario is not entirely hypothetical. Not long ago, an appeals court in California affirmed that health warnings about mercury in tuna should not be posted in supermarkets. One argument against the posted warnings, which were aimed at pregnant women, was that they would stir up unfounded fears in people with nothing really to fear—and cause them to avoid a food with high nutritional value. This research could point the way to public health alerts that arouse just the right level of fear, in only the right people, and help others keep their health risks in perspective.
Wray Herbert’s book, On Second Thought: Outsmarting Your Mind’s Hard-Wired Habits, includes a chapter on heuristics and health risks. Excerpts from his two blogs—“We’re Only Human” and “Full Frontal Psychology”—appear regularly in Scientific American Mind and in The Huffington Post.
News > We're Only Human > Quicksilver message: How to send a public health warning
Baruch Fischhoff Awarded Carnegie Fellowship
The APS Fellow will devote his fellowship to the production of a book drawing on his work in decision science. More
Machine Learning Might Help Identify Those Most At Risk of Suicide
Researchers are hoping to prevent suicides by harnessing the computing power of machine learning and artificial intelligence to pinpoint patients most at risk. More
From Protecting POTUS to Safeguarding Schools
After spending a decade helping the US Secret Service identify genuine dangers to the President’s safety, Marisa Randazzo is applying her science to guiding schools on threat assessment. More
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Translated by Max Weiss
The Silence and the Roar
With The Silence and the Roar, Nihad Sirees writes a powerful, life-affirming and Kafkaesque novel about a censored writer trying to live a normal life under a Middle Eastern dictatorship, Syria.
Fathi, a writer no longer permitted to write, makes his way through a city churned by parades for an unnamed dictator. It is a day stifled by heat and the noise of the chants, a day of people trampled, and of the brutality and bullying of the party faithful. But Fathi presses treacherously against the crowd, attempting just to visit his mother and his girlfriend.
The Silence and the Roar is a personal, urgent, funny and aggrieved novel. It asks what it means to have a conscience, or to laugh, or to endure in a time of the violence, strangeness and roar of tyranny. It is both a true literary achievement and an act of real courage by a brilliant Syrian writer.
Nihad Sirees’ The Silence and the Roar is translated from the Arabic by Max Weiss and published by Pushkin Press
Nihad Sirees was born in Aleppo, Syria in 1950. After training and working as an engineer, he became an acclaimed novelist, playwright and screenwriter. After finding himself under increasing surveillance and pressure from the Syrian government, in 2012 he left for Egypt and now lives and works in exile.
Naondel
Memories – From Moscow to the Black Sea
The Man in a Hurry
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Guide: The Division 2 - How to Create a New Character
Making a new agent
How do you create a new character in The Division 2? Do you want another agent to go alongside your main? Here's how you create a new character in The Division 2.
How to Create a New Character in The Division 2
From the main menu, before you enter the game, press R2 to shuffle the screen over to where you can create a new character. From there, you can get to work on selecting their features and characteristics.
If you're already in-game, you'll need to log out of your current character before doing this. Hold the triangle button from the gear screen, accessed by pressing the options button, and you'll be taken back to the main menu. Once there, again press R2 to cycle over to a new character.
Have you created a new character in The Division 2? Change their hairstyle in the comments below, and check out our other Division 2 guides:
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Josh Gerstein on the Courts, Transparency, & More
Get alerts from Under the Radar blog
FOIA Blog
Reporters' Committee
Time's The Page
Wired Threat Level
WSJ's Law Blog
Blog Archives Select Date… June, 2019 May, 2019 April, 2019 March, 2019 February, 2019 January, 2019 December, 2018 November, 2018 October, 2018 September, 2018 August, 2018 July, 2018
Official memo justifying drone strikes leaks
A Justice Department "white paper" justifying the use of lethal force against Americans involved in terrorist activity became public Monday night after it was obtained by NBC News.
The 16-page memo, which NBC said was provided to Congress in June of this year, emerged on the same day 11 senators stepped up their effort to demand the Obama Administration's formal legal opinions approving of the so-called targeted killing program. They appear to be linking that drive to the confirmation of CIA director nominee John Brennan, whose hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee is set for Thursday.
The "white paper" appears to contain many of the same arguments reported to be in classified legal memoranda endorsing the use of deadly force against U.S. citizens who help plot or carry out terrorist operations. However, the document NBC obtained is not classified and may have been prepared to satisfy Congressional requests without declassifying or releasing the formal opinions.
(POLITICO LIVE: Will Brennan CIA nomination be affected by memo leak?)
The newly-disclosed document argues that the use of deadly force is justified even when a terrorist suspect with a pattern of engaging in attacks against the U.S. can't be linked to any specific imminent attack in the future.
"The condition that an operational leader present an 'imminent' threat of violent attack against the United States does not require the United States to have clear evidence that a specific attack on U.S. persons and interests will take place in the immediate future," the DOJ white paper says. The memo suggests that involvement in recent terrorist activities is enough to make a deadly strike legal, as long as "there is no evidence suggesting he has renounced or abandoned such activities."
Obama Administration officials have previously said that such an operation could only be undertaken where efforts to capture a terrorist suspect are "not feasible" or would present "undue risk" to U.S. troops or operatives. However, the Justice Department "white paper" gives this argument a very broad sweep, declaring that capture can be deemed infeasible if the country where the suspect is located won't consent to a capture operation or if a cpature operation "could not be physically effectuated during the relevant window of opportunity."
The DOJ "white paper" also dismisses arguments, advanced most recently by a federal judge in New York, that killing a U.S. citizen abroad could violate U.S. federal criminal law.
The memo drew a sharply negative reaction from civil liberties advocates, who maintained their call for release of the more-detailed legal justifications behind the program.
"This is a profoundly disturbing document, and it’s hard to believe that it was produced in a democracy built on a system of checks and balances. It summarizes in cold legal terms a stunning overreach of executive authority – the claimed power to declare Americans a threat and kill them far from a recognized battlefield and without any judicial involvement before or after the fact,” Hina Shamsi of the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement Monday night.
The "white paper" also leaves some key legal questions about the targeted killing program unaddressed. They include whether the use of deadly force against terror suspects would be lawful if the suspects aren't affiliated with Al Qaeda or an associated group and whether such an operation could be legally mounted inside the United States.
Office Of Legal Counsel
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Review: Orchestra tells stories colorfully
By Christopher Hyde
The well-attended concert by the Portland Symphony Orchestra Tuesday night was an object lesson in the superiority of live versus recorded music.
Beginning with the Brahms “Schicksalsleid” (Opus 54), with orchestra and chorus conducted by Robert Russell, through the strange and wonderful “Gloria” of Francis Poulenc, to the final masterpiece of orchestration, Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Scheherazade” (Opus 35), the audience experienced tonal effects, dynamics and orchestral colors that cannot be heard outside the concert hall.
PSO Music Director Robert Moody said from the podium that the theme of the concert was storytelling – of a poem, the Latin Mass and “The Thousand and One Nights.” It was more like a treatise in orchestration.
The “Schicksalsleid” paints psychological sound-pictures contrasting the gods, lolling on the clouds in eternal sunshine, with suffering humanity being rushed over the falls and into the abyss. Brahms’ depiction of the immortals is tongue-in-cheek, its beginning dominated by a drum beat echoing Beethoven’s “V” for Victory. He must also have been aware of Goethe’s aphorism: “There is nothing harder to bear than a succession of sunny days.”
Adding to the irony was the breakdown of the supertitle projector just as the chorus intoned a fortissimo “Warum?” (“Why?”) during the suffering humanity section.
Brahms is always difficult to get right without muddiness, but chorus and orchestra gave it a good try.
It would have been a good idea to leave the supertitles off as well during the Poulenc “Gloria,” in which the translations from the Latin were clumsy and distracting.
The “Gloria” itself is strange indeed, almost as if the recent convert were trying to see how much he could get away with in the way of jazzy chords, abrupt sfortzandos and blaring brasses, all in a modern idiom that stops just short of being atonal.
It does contain some tender and moving passages. The Agnus Dei, for example, was both tragic and mysterious, and soprano Jessica Cates was at her best in the less fortissimo passages. All in all, however, “Gloria” sounds as if it were written for the coronation of Mussolini.
Its performance, by both chorus and orchestra, had much more clarity and life than that of the Brahms.
The orchestra saved the best for last – an impressive rendition of “Scheherazade,” with concertmaster Charles Dimmick as the voice of the storyteller.
Every section of the orchestra is called upon for virtuoso playing in this tour-de-force of orchestral color, and all met the challenge. Moody was able to build excitement steadily throughout, until the recapitulation of the “Sea and Sinbad” theme at the end was overwhelming.
After the last few gentle bars, Dimmick received cheers and each section of the orchestra a prolonged standing ovation.
Christopher Hyde’s Classical Beat column appears in the Maine Sunday Telegram. He can be reached at:
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For India, US health care a sea of opportunity
April 17, 2010 · 1:07 PM UTC
By Taylor Barnes
MUMBAI, India – U.S. healthcare reform gave 32 million new Americans insurance, the new U.S. president a feather for his cap and a good seven years' boon to the workload of India's $61 billion outsourcing industry.
India's Economic Times declared it the industry's "biggest bonanza yet" and "far bigger than the Y2K." While it's too early to know the extent of the boon, India's outsourcers — the call centers, the medical record transcribers, the software developers — are quietly gearing up for the increase in administrative work and technology development the health care legislation promises.
Finance and banking, telecommunications and manufacturing are the sectors that provide the lion's share of work to India's outsourcers. But healthcare — where now less than 5 percent of the industry's business comes from — is poised to be one of the fastest-growing, said Ameet Nivsarkar, vice president for global trade at NASSCOM, a trade body for India's information technology and business process outsourcers (BPOs). "Now the next $60 billion ... can't come from these sectors," he said. "So the industry is looking at health care as a promising new industry."
India's BPO and information technology exporting industry grew about 6 percent the fiscal year ending this March, according to NASSCOM, but is expected to more than double its growth — up to 15 percent — this year.
It's the classic outsourcing debate but with a newer, larger scale: Does the $940-billion bill, coming as unemployment persists at just under 10 percent, mean sending another round of jobs abroad?
Anything that is electronic in health care can be offshored — sent outside U.S. borders — and no state or federal regulations prohibit personal medical data from leaving the U.S. (Some insurers, however, choose to keep personal health data within U.S. borders.)
India's outsourcers get new health care work in two ways, by the initiative to computerize personal medical records included in last year's stimulus bill and by run-of-the-mill maintenance of health records both for the newly insured by the reform and the millions of others who already are but whose insurers will need to cut administrative costs.
That's where Firstsource Solutions, a Mumbai-based IT firm, sees an opening. Managing the new enrollments and claims, expanding member databases and revenue cycles that come with these 32 million "is very significant" for their business, its CEO Ananda Mukerji wrote in an email, adding that Firstsource has been watching the U.S. health care space since 2006.
Up to 41 percent of the money spent on a health plan in the U.S. goes toward administrative costs, according to a recent Deloitte Center for Health Solutions study. Insurance companies will face mandates to spend as much as 90 cents of every dollar on the actual well-being of a client, Mukerji adds, which will "drive increased need for administrative efficiencies, and thus increased demand for outsourcing."
Similarly, the initiative to digitize medical records could be a multibillion-dollar boost to India's high-skilled software developers. "You don't have enough people in the U.S. to put together these solutions and even if you did, it would be too expensive," said Sudhakar Ram, CEO of Mumbai-based IT solutions firm Mastek. He estimates that digitizing medical records will cost between $10 million to $20 million per U.S. hospital, based on his firm's similar work in the U.K. "That's a huge amount of investment. ... I would say it's a significant opportunity for Indian [firms] over a five- to seven-year time frame."
But both political sensitivities on job creation and privacy concerns mean that not all of health care's IT work will be offshored.
"It will not be just Indian IT companies [but] companies over here as well," said Virendra Singh, a director at Moody's Economy.com who specializes in outsourcing. Several executives at Indian firms said their strategy would be to blend an American workforce that knows the local business context with an Indian one.
Since salaries in the U.S. have increased little in the U.S. during the recession, there is not as large a price differential in hiring an American software engineer and sending an Indian one to a U.S. client site on a skilled worker visa, said Rohit Anand, a Mumbai-based analyst with PINC securities.
The availability of American talent to Indian firms is part of the reason why India's three largest outsourcers have begun setting up shop in the U.S. and employing Americans. In 2008, Bangalore-based Wipro opened a development center in Atlanta that employs 500 people, mostly Americans, and runs a call center for a U.S. health care client. Tata Consultancy Services set up a similar campus with 300 employees near Cincinnati. Infosys is planning a subsidiary in Dallas that will hire locals and seek U.S. government contracts.
Select insurers don't allow their data to leave the U.S., since revealing personal health information can sway a potential employer's or insurer's decision to work with an individual. In the U.K., TV reporters highlighted the risk of sending health data abroad when they went undercover and were able to buy personal health records from a London hospital that had its health records processed in India.
"The level of protection of health data [in the U.S.] is far, far, far below the protection of our financial data in this country," said Deborah Peel, a psychiatrist and founder of Patient Privacy Rights.
But despite the prolonged and highly publicized fight over the reform's cost and benefits, there was little debate over the role India would quietly assume in it.
"The acceptance of the fact that the outsourcing saves money is there," said the analyst Anand. "If government takes the call, they're going to have to [answer] it in a good fashion."
Photos: The women of Argentina’s abortion debate
Goodbye, old friend: VW Beetle ceases production
Lifestyle & BeliefLifestyleHealth & MedicineHealthMiscellaneousAgence France Presse
AsiaIndia
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OTC Markets Group Welcomes Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. to OTCQX
OTC Markets Group Inc.
NEW YORK, Jan. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM), operator of financial markets for 10,000 U.S. and global securities, today announced Harvest Health & Recreation, Inc. (CSE: HARV;OTCQX: HTHHF), a vertically integrated public cannabis company with one of the largest footprints in the U.S., has qualified to trade on the OTCQX® Best Market. Harvest Health upgraded to OTCQX from the Pink® market.
Harvest begins trading today on OTCQX under the symbol "HTHHF." U.S. investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the company on www.otcmarkets.com.
"We are pleased to welcome Harvest Health & Recreation as the first Arizona-based cannabis company to join the OTCQX Best Market," said Jason Paltrowitz, Director of OTC Markets Group International Ltd. and EVP of Corporate Services at OTC Markets Group. "Following completion of their $218 Million raise, Harvest has chosen to provide its U.S. investors with greater access on OTCQX to research and trade its stock. We look forward to supporting Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. as the company builds visibility in the U.S."
"Trading on the OTCQX Best Market is an important milestone for Harvest," said Harvest CEO Steve White. "Trading on OTCQX provides us with better investor visibility and more opportunities for our global investors. We look forward to using the OTCQX to continue penetrating into competitive markets and connect with a more diverse network of potential investors."
Harvest Health & Recreation was sponsored for OTCQX by Anthony L.G., PLLC, a qualified third-party firm responsible for providing guidance on OTCQX requirements and recommending membership.
About Harvest Health & Recreation Inc.
Harvest Health & Recreation Inc. is one of the first consistently profitable, vertically integrated cannabis companies with one of the largest footprints in the U.S. Harvest's complete vertical solution includes industry-leading cultivation, manufacturing, and retail facilities, construction, real estate, technology and operational expertise — leveraging in-house legal, HR and marketing teams, along with proven experts in writing and winning state-based applications. The company has more than 525 employees with proven experience, expertise and knowledge of in-house best practices that are drawn upon whenever Harvest enters new markets. Harvest's executive team is comprised of leaders in finance, compliance, real estate and operations. Since its founding in 2011, Harvest has grown its footprint every year and now has more than 60 licenses in 12 states, with planned expansion into additional states by 2020. Harvest shares timely updates and releases as part of its regular course of business with the media and the interested public. For more information, visit: https://www.harvestinc.com/.
About OTC Markets Group Inc.
OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX: OTCM) operates the OTCQX® Best Market, the OTCQB® Venture Market and the Pink® Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link® ATS and OTC Link ECN, we connect a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. We enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors.
To learn more about how we create better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com.
OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.
Subscribe to the OTC Markets RSS Feed
OTC Markets Group Inc., +1 (212) 896-4428, media@otcmarkets.com
SOURCE OTC Markets Group Inc.
http://www.otcmarkets.com
OTC Markets Group Welcomes Columbia Care Inc. to OTCQX...
OTC Markets Group Welcomes Vapen MJ Ventures Corporation to OTCQX...
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Home Stage One Substantive Dimensions of the Deliberations
What should we talk about?
On this section of the QTD Discussion Board, we invite comments about and discussion of the QTD's substantive agenda. You can contribute to this agenda in a variety of ways, for instance, by:
raising questions about transparency that are in need of further discussion;
pointing to salient differences across forms of qualitative research that might affect the meaning or practice of transparency;
identifying trade-offs, risks, or dilemmas that scholars pursuing transparency in qualitative research might confront;
identifying ways in which qualitative researchers could or should be more transparent;
highlighting current or proposed transparency practices that merit consideration or require evaluation;
voicing concerns and considerations about research transparency that you believe political scientists should systematically address;
identifying resources that could help inform deliberations over qualitative research transparency.
The comments and discussions that unfold on this site will directly inform the QTD Steering Committee's decisions about how the Working Groups' substantive foci should be defined and about overarching questions that the process as a whole should address.
The transition to Stage 2 of the deliberations is currently underway but will take some time to complete. In the meantime, we very much welcome additional contributions to the existing threads in this forum.
Margaret Keck
No place for my work in this debate
PostFri Apr 08, 2016 9:08 am
You know, I have tried to write something about this controversy. But I find I really can't. It simply doesn't seem relevant to the work I have done over the last 35 years. I use footnotes extensively, with the idea of making as many of my sources as possible transparent to my readers, but many of them are references to unpublished documents that only tangentially relate to what I am discussing, in a language that most readers don't know. To analyze documents and interviews, I rely not just on language skills but on knowledge accumulated from 35 years of work in a region, on knowing the backstories of many of the people I am talking to, and on lengthy discussions over cold beers with people who have their own opinions about what I am studying. The DA-RT debate just doesn't compute in relation to the kinds of research I have always done, and it really doesn't seem worth the effort to try to make it fit. I'd much rather just publish elsewhere. I do share some of my research materials with other scholars. But I am perfectly comfortable with the idea that someone who does not speak the languages I speak, does not know the history I know, and does not have the kinds of social and intellectual networks I have been lucky enough to build up would not be able from my notes or appropriately archivable interviews to come to the same conclusions I have come to. Too bad. There are no shortcuts - one has to put in the time and do the work. That may not be a fashionable view, but I will stick with it.
[Steering Committee] No place for my work in this debate
PostWed Apr 13, 2016 2:17 pm
Thank you very much for your comments, Margaret.
You write in your post of a disconnect between the DA-RT framework and your work. When I read this, I immediately thought about how transparent I find your work. One particular way in which your work is unusually open – I am thinking here of your recent book Practical Authority, with Rebecca Abers – is in how explicitly you discuss the methodological difficulties that you confronted, the failure of initial hypotheses to find support in the empirical record, and the way in which the research strategy and the argument emerged as the investigation unfolded (including, in an extensive “Methodological Narrative” appendix). We often talk about case-study research as being rich with opportunities for inductive discovery and as a process that typically involves a back-and-forth movement between theoretical development and empirical analysis (as, of course, does much quantitative research). But in actual writeups of research findings, we do not often see the kind of transparency about that process that your book displays. It is also not a form of openness that has featured much in recent transparency discussions.
Would you be willing to comment on how and why you and Abers decided to be pursue this type of transparency in the book?
Re: No place for my work in this debate
I wholeheartedly agree with the points made by Dr. Keck above, as I had the same reaction that my work does not find a place in this debate. When I learned of the DA-RT framework, my first thought was that this will further divide the field among journals and the US-Europe divide in international studies more broadly.
Beyond what I have seen posted already, I hope that the APSA Section for Qualitative and Multi-Method Research will pay particular attention to the problems associated with archival research in the US and overseas, if it has not already. In addition, I hope the section will consider the issues associated with archival materials in foreign languages (as Dr. Keck points out). Complying with disciplinary citation standards in political science has already been a problem with archival evidence. The DA-RT framework makes it even more of one in several dimensions.
PostFri Apr 15, 2016 8:02 pm
Thank you, Alan Jacobs, for your kind words about Practical Authority. In that book, my co-author Rebecca Abers and I thought it was important to walk the readers through the research process as well as the conclusions. But by "walk them through," I do not mean make available to them every document or interview or set of fieldnotes or set of meeting minutes that went into that research (done over more than ten years and involving a lot of people other than the authors, most of whom were Brazilian). I do mean that it seemed necessary to explain HOW we did the research, what we thought we would find at the beginning, how we discovered that our initial expectations were not borne out, and what we did then. We did make survey data and research reports of the research done during the process available to other scholars, practitioners, and the public, on web sites and in presentations at meetings in Brazil. But the argument we eventually made in the book emerged from a frequently difficult struggle to make sense of theory and evidence at the same time. Making that process as transparent as possible (without boring our readers to death) opens the door to others who might challenge the decisions we made, or the interpretations we put on what we studied. The resulting debate, one would hope, could inspire others to do more research and formulate more interesting arguments. That sort of "transparency" is something I support wholeheartedly.
One further comment: There's a certain irony in the DA-RT discussion on archiving, which is focused on making research materials available to other social scientists through specialized sites, pre-sifted and translated and ready to be re-analyzed. I am currently engaged in finding archival homes for thousands and thousands of documents and other ephemera collected in the course of multiple research projects. These documents will be archived in libraries, where scholars and other people who are searching for materials in their subject areas can find them - in collections known to contain materials of this kind or via WorldCat. Some will be scanned and made available online. These will be original materials, in their original language, not translations. Although organizing papers for archiving is a lot of work, it's really useful, as anyone who has ever worked in a well-organized archive knows.
PostTue Apr 19, 2016 1:49 pm
I would like to underscore and elaborate a bit on what Mimi Keck says:
For many of us, especially those who have been writing for years, these debates seem so disconnected from the realities of research. And we have plenty of other (inter-) disciplinary outlets if we chose to opt out of dysfunctional political science. Unfortunately, the price will be paid by emerging scholars, who will waste a lot of time and energy trying to digitize and archive everything in their research.
For those of us who work on topics and in environments where the focus is controversial (academically and/or politically) many sorts of "transparency" are either obvious (= must position oneself within theoretical debates which are equally ideological as academic) or dangerous (= immediate risks to interlocutors or possibly in the indeterminate future, because no one can accurately predict a coup or other type of policing). In my most recent book, I spent a few pages explicitly outlining these choices; it needed no more or less.
For those who have compiled resources which are truly a treasure trove, there may be better ways to archive them (as Mimi is doing). Even mundane resources can be valuable, albeit not worth institutional resources to scan/preserve. For instance, recently, I have been finding individual emerging scholars working on topics related to my earlier research who have been eager to receive packets of materials that I accumulated over the years but will never use again. I've hung onto them for decades on the off-chance someone might challenge my inferences--honestly, I'm not making that up--which NO ONE EVER did. It's time to triage, not post to a repository.
ReginaBateson
I would like to agree with Prof. Keck's most recent comment -- when researchers gather truly original primary-source documents that might be of use to others, why not deposit them with an established archive? There, they will be appropriately preserved and catalogued, so that scholars from a variety of disciplines can access them.
To the extent that DART and JETS is about creating public goods to be used by other scholars, I feel that qualitative researchers in political science are largely being asked to duplicate work already done by oral historians, archivists, and librarians. Either our notes and ephemera are "scratch work" not worth disseminating because they would make little sense to others, or they are valuable primary sources -- in which case it would seem to make more sense to archive our papers with established institutions.
I am all for thorough, detailed citations to primary sources. But especially when using documents that are already in a well-organized archive--perhaps even a digital archive!--it seems redundant (and potentially a violation of the archive's policies) to ask us to scan or photograph those documents (in full? in part?) and re-post them in what would be, essentially, yet another archive just for political scientists. Such a standard would require considerable unnecessary work by qualitative scholars, while also forcing us to work well outside our areas of expertise. Most of us are not trained as archivists or oral historians. Why pretend to be?
Regina Bateson
PostWed Apr 20, 2016 6:04 am
[quote="mkeck"]But by "walk them through," I do not mean make available to them every document or interview or set of fieldnotes or set of meeting minutes that went into that research (done over more than ten years and involving a lot of people other than the authors, most of whom were Brazilian). I do mean that it seemed necessary to explain HOW we did the research, what we thought we would find at the beginning, how we discovered that our initial expectations were not borne out, and what we did then. We did make survey data and research reports of the research done during the process available to other scholars, practitioners, and the public, on web sites and in presentations at meetings in Brazil. But the argument we eventually made in the book emerged from a frequently difficult struggle to make sense of theory and evidence at the same time. Making that process as transparent as possible (without boring our readers to death) opens the door to others who might challenge the decisions we made, or the interpretations we put on what we studied. The resulting debate, one would hope, could inspire others to do more research and formulate more interesting arguments. That sort of "transparency" is something I support wholeheartedly.[/quote]
This seems to me what we could propose to strive for in certain subfields, instead of the blunt fact checking approach of Da-art.
Sarah Parkinson
PostMon Apr 25, 2016 3:42 pm
I wonder what more people think of Mimi Keck's idea of "walking" readers through research; as she and others noted, it underscores a very different approach to transparency than the definition to which many subscribe. It also relates to some of Joe Soss's comments at last year's APSA, which is that many researchers engaging in intensive fieldwork frequently want more space in publications to discuss the stories behind and processes/decisions undergirding their research.
Is what Keck suggests fully possible outside of books? Is it/should it be incentivized in article-length scholarship? What are the implications for scholars at different points in their careers?
Sean Yom
separkinson wrote: I wonder what more people think of Mimi Keck's idea of "walking" readers through research; as she and others noted, it underscores a very different approach to transparency than the definition to which many subscribe. It also relates to some of Joe Soss's comments at last year's APSA, which is that many researchers engaging in intensive fieldwork frequently want more space in publications to discuss the stories behind and processes/decisions undergirding their research.
I would guess, Sarah, that some scholars would not want to be completely transparent (or let's call it honest) in divulging to their readers, and students, what precise sequence of steps they undertook (and the mistakes they made) in order to end up with the publishable manuscript in article or book form. We want readers to be interested in the sausage, not how it's made. DA-RT is like the FDA ordering a manufacturer to tell consumers where it is getting the ingredients for the sausage, but that's it. Consumers still don't know, precisely, how it's being made in that opaque factory behind locked doors.
On the other hand, many of us do want to be more transparent, but publishing norms in article or book form prevent us from disclosing all of these messy mental steps and random empirical mishaps that occurred along the way of crafting our scholarship.
Tim Buthe
HfP/Technical Univ of Munich & Duke University
PostThu Apr 28, 2016 4:01 am
Thank you for your post, Sean. The question of how much our readers are interested in the "sausage-making," i.e., the research process rather than just the research product (and how much we as scholarly authors are interested in conveying information about that process) is certainly an interesting one.
It may be that many readers are only interested in the sausage and not the "sausage-making," i.e., information about the research process. And for popular books or intro-level textbooks focusing on the key research findings may be fine. But it seems to me that we as scholars--at least those of us who embrace the "scientific" ambitions of Political Science (appropriately broadly understood)--must be interested both in learning about other researchers' process and sharing information about our own. Such information is essential for learning from each other (including the mistakes). And it is impossible to really interpret and assess the research findings without knowing how they were obtained.
An important question then is: How can we provide the most important and most useful information without unduly high costs to readability? Marc Trachtenberg, in his article in the QMMR symposium on Transparency in Qualitative and Multi-Method Research (http://ssrn.com/abstract=2652097), not only identifies this tension between increasing transparency and writing for a broad audience; he also makes some suggestions for overcoming/reducing that tension, yet much more can and should surely be said about that topic.
Thanks, Sean, Tim, and other posters; this is all very productive! One of the things that has surfaced repeatedly in these debates is the assumption that deciding what to make, being able to access ingredients, the "sausage making" process, and the culinary product are necessarily discrete "steps" that can be divorced from each other. For many research traditions--especially critical and interpretive ones (as Kathy Cramer and Tim Pachirat discuss in their QMMR essays)--this sort of distinction/separation simply doesn't hold.
If we're going to stick with the food metaphor, I wonder if talking about the proverbial distinctions between: 1.) Sharing exact ingredients; 2.) Providing a general "recipe" (the kinds of things that we do to gain access, the general and likely context variant types of "ingredients" used, general strategies of generating evidence, and ways of engaging with data), and; 3.) Sharing knowledge about what it takes to "make sausage" (meat grinder) versus "bake a cake" (mixer) would be useful.
Lunchtime.
James Heilman
PostSat Apr 30, 2016 11:27 am
Two thoughts on this thread:
1) I like the idea of walking the reader through the research process. I wonder if our in-the-field practices will change so that we can more easily make our research process transparent for articles than we currently do. Training for graduate students would have to include some practices that field researchers could make use of so that when they start writing they are able to easily take field notes and make them transparent for an article or appendix to an article.
2) Some people in this thread have mentioned that one option is to not publish in journals that sign onto DART. As a graduate student I am concerned about how this could effect how others evaluate my work. If many of the top journals implement transparency requirements that are extra-onerous or impossible to fulfill for some types of qualitative research, then I might have to publish in journals that could be well recognized by peers in my sub-discipline but might not be as well respected by the political science discipline at large. Therefore, this could put me at a competitive disadvantage when I am on the job market. Since hiring committees are not discipline specific, I strive to publish in top-tier journals so that when people on a hiring committee debate my CV there cannot be an argument about the quality of the journals I have published in. Furthermore, once I am a faculty member working towards tenure, I will continue to want to publish in widely respected journals in order to make my tenure review as smooth as possible. I recognize that as new transparency standards are enforced the reputations of journals will change in ways we cannot predict. I hope that a sufficient number of journals that are respected throughout the discipline and publish a wide range of research topics and methodologies remain and that the discipline does not lose they type of journals.
Case Western Reserve University, Political Science
PostThu May 19, 2016 10:59 pm
My name is Joe White and I do U.S. politics and policy and some comparative politics and policy - especially health care - at Case Western. Much of my work involves secondary research so I just cite the sources. I don't have to worry about knowledge of the language. But I have done a bunch of original qualitative research about Congress and especially federal budgeting. So in the course of that I have conducted somewhere over 300 confidential interviews over the course of the past quarter century.
Confidential interviews are gained on the basis of trust relationships. I promise full confidentiality. I am referred to people by those whom I have interviewed before. I go back to people whom I have interviewed before, because I want to understand change and can ask them to compare situations. I draw my own conclusions about who can be trusted in what ways, and then I have to provide information about my sources that is clear enough to provide some sense of their ability to speak to an issue and yet vague enough so that they cannot be precisely identified. They can have very good reasons not to want to be identified.
Here is an example: I did some work on budgeting during the GWBush years, and in particular decision-making within the executive branch. That involved interviewing within and about OMB. In what I wrote, I made claims about how the administration made decisions about budget totals. One source I called something like, "a highly ranked OMB political official" - you know the usual locutions.
The most reasonable true identity for such a person would be the OMB Director. The good news is, there were four of them during the administration. The bad news is, one is a sitting U.S. Senator who might get nominated for Vice President; a second is a long-serving former Governor who was frequently mentioned as a potential candidate for president and still might be some day; a third is out of politics for now but is running a significant interest group and might well go into a GOP administration even if he doesn't run for office again; and the fourth probably will never be a candidate but could be, oh, nominated for Secretary of the Treasury or go back to being White House Chief of Staff. If my source happened to be an OMB Director, am I really supposed to share my interview, with identifying information? But if I don't give the identifying information, how does anyone else know how well-positioned the person was to describe what I quote him describing?
I just don't see how DA-RT could possibly work reasonably with elite interviewing. I recognize the problem with asking people to trust me. Heck, I've constantly wished I could identify my sources - for example, when a politician makes an argument in public that s/he has directly contradicted in an interview. It bothers me to be sitting on more than a thousand pages of interviews that others don't get to see (well, once or twice I have shared material, with many strong promises of confidentiality, with people I think I know well enough to trust; but even that makes me nervous). But I talk to staff people who are not free to be public. I talk to bureaucrats who are in difficult situations balancing demands from their political bosses and Congress. I talk to advocates about how they pursue their objectives, which might not be quite the same as their public self-presentations I ask people about how they do their jobs, and ask for examples, and the examples would identify them or at least greatly narrow the possibilities.
Yes, you could conclude that I do "journalism" which is not "political science." But if the discipline forces its members to meet strict standards of sharing and transparency, then only journalists will be in a position to do some of the most basic investigations of political behavior. That's nuts.
Return to “Substantive Dimensions of the Deliberations”
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Fateful Stuart Gettysburg Ride Carefully Probed
The Washington Times (Washington, DC), October 7, 2006 | Go to article overview
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Byline: Thomas J. Ryan, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
The critical military campaign that culminated in a battle at the crossroads community of Gettysburg, Pa., in July 1863 has spawned much debate and acrimony through the decades.
Whose fault was it that the previously hapless Union Army of the Potomac had defeated the best field army in the Southern Confederacy, one that had been consistently victorious in the past? After Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia lost the Battle of Gettysburg, charges and recriminations regarding the causes began immediately.
Was Gen. James Longstreet too slow in implementing Lee's orders? Did Gen. Richard Ewell waste opportunities to capture Cemetery Hill and occupy Culp's Hill? While these issues and others have received considerable attention, none compares with the heat generated by Gen. J.E.B. "Jeb" Stuart's decision to ride around the Union army prior to the battle.
Stuart was an easy target for culpability. The cavalry commander's separation from the main army subsequently led to complaints that Lee was unable to formulate effective strategy and tactics without the cavalry that served as his "eyes and ears." The essence of these charges was that the "vainglorious" Stuart left Lee in the lurch by going off on a headline-producing joy ride to restore his image after being surprised and embarrassed by Yankee cavalry at Brandy Station early in the campaign.
While a lot of ink has been spilled over this question through the years, few commentaries have attempted an in-depth examination of all the ramifications involved. Now, 143 years after the fact, Eric J. Wittenberg and J. David Petruzzi have collaborated to write "Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg."
This is an intensely researched analysis of "Stuart's Ride," employing existing evidence and previously unavailable or overlooked documentation. It details the complexity and difficulty of moving almost 5,000 troopers through country devoid of forage for horses and filled with dangers at nearly every turn. The result was frequent delays for Stuart in fulfilling orders to move from his base at Rector's Crossroads, Va., north to Pennsylvania in support of Gen. Ewell's corps that was marching toward Harrisburg.
Stuart has not been without his supporters in this controversy. In the years immediately after the Civil War, John Mosby, one of his subordinates and a lawyer by training, wrote what amounted to legal briefs for public consumption to defend Stuart against all detractors. A modern historian, Mark Nesbitt, took up the cudgel and argued before the bar of public opinion in his treatise "Saber and Scapegoat: J.E.B. Stuart and the Gettysburg Controversy" that Stuart was falsely accused, and concluded that what went wrong at Gettysburg "was Lee's fault."
Despite Stuart's partisans, many historians have written that Stuart bears a heavy burden for Lee's defeat at Gettysburg. Much criticism has appeared in the form of cursory indictments with scant evidence to support the charges. In contrast, Mr. Wittenberg and Mr. Petruzzi delve deeply into the factors that drove the decisions made during the campaign.
"Plenty of Blame to Go Around" takes the reader step-by-step through the stages of Stuart's ride around the Union army after his path was blocked as the Yankees unexpectedly marched northward toward a Potomac River crossing. The early chapters detail time-consuming skirmishes with enemy cavalry at Fairfax Court House, Va.; Westminster, Md.; as well as Hanover and Hunterstown, Pa.; and a confrontation with militia forces at Carlisle, Pa. Further delays resulted from the need to rest, feed and graze the horses that were breaking down from traveling long distances. …
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Notes for this article
Publication information: Article title: Fateful Stuart Gettysburg Ride Carefully Probed. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: The Washington Times (Washington, DC). Publication date: October 7, 2006. Page number: D05. © News World Communications, Inc. COPYRIGHT 2006 Gale Group.
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Diane M. Doolittle
Direct Tel: +1 650-801-5007
Direct Fax: +1 650-801-5100 dianedoolittle@quinnemanuel.com
Diane Doolittle
555 Twin Dolphin Dr., 5th Floor Redwood Shores, California
dianedoolittle@quinnemanuel.com
Diane Doolittle serves as Co-Chair of the firm's National Trial Practice Group. She litigates and tries high-stakes complex commercial, intellectual property and white collar cases. Ms. Doolittle has tried more than 70 cases and won 92%. She is repeatedly recognized as one of the leading trial lawyers in the United States. In 2012, she was named a "Top Female Trial Attorney," one of only 15 women nationally to be selected for this inaugural honor by Law360. For seven of the last eight years, she has been selected by the San Francisco and Los Angeles Daily Journals as a "Top Women Lawyer" in California. In 2013, 2016 and 2017, she was recognized by The Recorder as one of the "Women Leaders in Tech Law."
Ms. Doolittle has tried a wide variety of complex disputes with tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in dispute in state and federal courts across the country, including misappropriation of trade secrets, trademark, antitrust, fraud, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, unfair competition and insurance coverage. She has tried multiple employment cases involving allegations of discrimination, harassment and wrongful discharge. Ms. Doolittle also has extensive experience trying criminal cases, from street crimes to white collar crimes. Because of her unique trial skills, Ms. Doolittle is often engaged in the weeks or months before trial, specifically to act as trial counsel.
As a former prosecutor, Ms. Doolittle brings special expertise to, and spends a significant amount of time, defending corporations, officers and directors in parallel civil and criminal matters, including under the federal securities laws, the False Claims Act, and the FCPA. She also litigates intellectual property disputes, including cutting-edge disputes over the intersection of intellectual property law and the Internet.
Ms. Doolittle is also a go-to lawyer for sensitive, high profile cases that require the development and coordination of civil, criminal, media and public relations strategies, which often involve coordinating and interfacing with multiple law firms and constituencies.
Ms. Doolittle lectures extensively about trial practice. Currently, she teaches trial advocacy and deposition practice at Stanford Law School.
Won a plaintiff’s judgment of $23+ million for medical device company after two-week trial in Northern District of California against former director for breach of fiduciary duty.
Successfully defended Pfizer in two lengthy trade secret trials lasting over 2 months in Santa Clara County Superior Court; defeated 152 of 159 trade secrets claims and reduced damages from a claim for $1 billion in damages, to a jury award of $165,000 in damages.
Won two separate trials in Orange County Superior Court for a billionaire client accused of wrongfully terminating his estate manager in retaliation for testifying against him in grand jury proceedings, as well as denying her overtime pay.
Won a defense verdict following a jury trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of a billionaire client who was accused of fraudulently denying his children more than $150 million in child support. Argued and successfully defended defense verdict before the California Court of Appeal.
Won a defense judgment in federal court in the Central District of California on behalf of The Home Depot in a case alleging misappropriation of confidential and trade secret information.
Won a defense verdict in a two-week antitrust trial seeking hundreds of millions in damages in the Southern District of New York on behalf of a national lawn and garden marketing company.
Won $10+ million jury verdict in a two week trial for breach of contract in the Southern District of Ohio on behalf of a national lawn and garden marketing company.
Won a defense award following a JAMS international arbitration on behalf of Oracle Corporation, where Oracle's former Saudi Arabian joint venture partner had sued for fraud and breach of contract under Saudi law seeking tens of millions of dollars.
Won a defense verdict following a six week jury trial in San Francisco Superior Court on behalf of investment bank Jefferies & Co. in which the plaintiff, a highly compensated investment banker, alleged wrongful termination and discrimination. The verdict was nominated for "Verdict of the Month" by The National Law Journal.
Won a plaintiffs’ judgment on all claims after trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court on behalf of the CEO of a large, public company in a wrongful death case where the plaintiff’s daughter died of a drug overdose after defendant failed to summon medical care.
Won a defense award following a six week trial in an administrative enforcement action brought by the California Department of Managed Health Care against Kaiser Foundation Health Plan.
Obtained a favorable settlement after six weeks of jury trial in Fresno County Superior Court on behalf of a large security company and its CEO accused of fraud, breach of partnership, and breach of contract.
Obtained a favorable settlement after four weeks of jury trial in Sacramento Superior Court for a national insurance company, where plaintiff claimed that the insurance company failed to reimburse $135 million incurred in cleaning up a major Superfund site.
Other Notable Representations
Representing Google in connection with multiple lawsuits involving Adsense and Ad Words.
Representing Google, PayPal and Stripe defending a putative class action under California's Unruh Civil Rights Act.
Represented eBay in lawsuit alleging misappropriation of trade secrets by internet classifieds company craigslist.
Represented Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Scios Inc. in connection with parallel civil and criminal actions for alleged violations of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and the False Claims Act for alleged off label drug promotion.
Represented Actelion Pharmaceuticals Inc. in connection with government investigation into alleged off label promotion in contravention of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and the False Claims Act which ended with government closing investigation and declining to pursue changes.
Represented the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Apple, Inc. in an internal investigation into the alleged backdating of stock option grants received by Apple executives including Steve Jobs, as well as the Apple Special Litigation Committee in related shareholder derivative lawsuits and class action litigation.
Represented Co-founders of Marvell Technology Group in class action and related shareholder derivative lawsuits and parallel regulatory investigations.
Defended Dr. Henry T. Nicholas, the founder and former CEO of Broadcom Corporation, in a federal criminal prosecution. Obtained dismissal of all charges.
Represented Yandex, Russia’s most popular search engine, in a copyright infringement action brought by adult entertainment publisher Perfect 10 involving allegations of direct and secondary copyright infringement related to Yandex’s Russian internet search and hosting services.
Represented multiple high net worth individuals in connection with dissolution proceedings.
Health Care Litigation
Product Liability & Mass Torts Litigation
Investigations, Government Enforcement & White Collar Criminal Defense Practice
Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley
Institut d'Etudes Politiques, Aix-en-Provence, France
(Certificate, 1986)
Princeton University, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
(A.B., cum laude, 1985)
The State Bar of California; The State Bar of Colorado
Office of the District Attorney, Santa Clara County:
Senior Trial Attorney, 1993-1998
Law Clerk to the Hon. Ronald M. Whyte:
United States District Court, Northern District of California, San Jose Division, 1992
In 2012, Ms. Doolittle was named one of the fifteen “Top Female Trial Lawyers in America” by Law360.
From 2009 to 2019, Ms. Doolittle was selected by the San Francisco and Los Angeles Daily Journals as one of the “Top Women Lawyers” in California.
In 2013, 2016 and 2017, Ms. Doolittle was selected by The Recorder as one of the “Woman Leaders in Tech Law.”
From 2004 to 2019, she has been selected each year as a Northern California “Super Lawyer” by California Lawyer Magazine.
專業活動
Association of Business Trial Lawyers (ABTL): President 2016, Vice President 2015, Treasurer 2014, Secretary 2013, Program Chair 2009 and 2010, Board of Governors 2007 to 2016
Instructor, Stanford University Law School, Trial Advocacy Program, 2000 to present
Northern District of California Standing Committee on Professional Responsibility, 2010 to 2014
Lawyer Representative, Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, 2005 - 2007
Lawyer Representative, Northern District of California, 2005 - 2007
Instructor, National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA), 1994 - 2009
Adjunct Professor, Santa Clara University School of Law, Trial Advocacy, 1996 - 1999
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>CP-22 (9/12)
RAND Review
Vol. 36, No. 2, Fall 2012
by Michael D. Rich, Charles Wolf, Jr., John P. Godges, Arthur L. Kellermann, James P. Smith, Keith Crane, V. Darleen Opfer, Seth G. Jones, Larry Hanauer, Laurel E. Miller, James Dobbins, Roger Cliff, Erin-Elizabeth Johnson, Gordon T. Lee, Paul S. Steinberg
Counterterrorism,
Democracy,
East Asia,
Education Reform,
Health Care Costs,
Immigration Legislation,
Iraq,
Politics and Government,
Full Document
PDF file 3.6 MB Best for desktop computers.
ePub file 7.8 MB Best for mobile devices.
On desktop computers and some mobile devices, you may need to download an eBook reader to view ePub files. Calibre is an example of a free and open source e-book library management application.
Viewing Gallery
Check, Please: Many single entrées at U.S. chain restaurants serve up masses of calories, fat, and sodium. Just how bad is a full meal?
Our cover story presents nine essays on key issues in the 2012 U.S. presidential election: income inequality, health care costs, immigration reform, energy options, education, al Qaeda, Iraq, democratization in the Middle East, and China. The essays present both candidates' positions on each issue along with the opinions of RAND experts, emphasizing the need for long-term solutions to complex problems. In our "Common Ground" section, California Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye discusses the importance of collaborative courts and her efforts to help the judiciary deal with the state's budget crisis; remarks made at the Pardee RAND Graduate School's 2012 Commencement Weekend are also highlighted. An infographic spread breaks down the total fat, calories, and sodium in an average meal at a U.S. chain restaurant. Finally, our "Public Square" section collects letters to the editor, government testimonies, news quotes, infographics, and blog and podcast excerpts on topics including military suicides, VA health care, economic hardship, early childhood education, Afghan security forces, inclusionary zoning, a National Guard program for high school dropouts, Americans' banking habits, auto premiums, water scoopers, HIV in the U.S. Gulf states, relations between Turkey and Iran, relations between India and Afghanistan, and 2012 elections around the world.
RAND Review Election Coverage Points to Policies of 'Farsighted Leadership'
This report is part of the RAND Corporation corporate publication series. Corporate publications are program or department brochures, newsletters, pamphlets, and miscellaneous information about the RAND Corporation or RAND's business units. Some corporate publications are published in the AR series as Annual Reports or as Administrative Reports. Administrative Reports are often required by the client or sponsor and provide a status report on work resulting from a contract.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/CP22-2012-09
Document Number: CP-22 (9/12)
Series: Corporate Publications
Immigration Legislation
Rich, Michael D., Charles Wolf, Jr., John P. Godges, Arthur L. Kellermann, James P. Smith, Keith Crane, V. Darleen Opfer, Seth G. Jones, Larry Hanauer, Laurel E. Miller, James Dobbins, Roger Cliff, Erin-Elizabeth Johnson, Gordon T. Lee, and Paul S. Steinberg, RAND Review: Vol. 36, No. 2, Fall 2012. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2012. https://www.rand.org/pubs/corporate_pubs/CP22-2012-09.html.
Rich, Michael D., Charles Wolf, Jr., John P. Godges, Arthur L. Kellermann, James P. Smith, Keith Crane, V. Darleen Opfer, Seth G. Jones, Larry Hanauer, Laurel E. Miller, James Dobbins, Roger Cliff, Erin-Elizabeth Johnson, Gordon T. Lee, and Paul S. Steinberg, RAND Review: Vol. 36, No. 2, Fall 2012, Santa Monica, Calif.: RAND Corporation, CP-22 (9/12), 2012. As of July 18, 2019: https://www.rand.org/pubs/corporate_pubs/CP22-2012-09.html
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CNBC – US mall vacancy rate backs off 7-year high but more closures from Sears & others on the way
By Lauren Thomas
Source: CNBC – US mall vacancy rate backs off 7-year high, but more closures from Sears, others on the way
For months, there’s been a steady stream of store closure announcements from Sears, Bon-Ton, J.C. Penney and other retailers. And while mall and shopping center owners appear to be holding their own at the moment, that could soon change, with another wave of closures expected in 2019.
The vacancy rate at regional and super regional malls was 9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, based on a survey released Thursday by real estate research firm Reis of 77 metropolitan areas across the country. That’s down from 9.1 percent — a seven-year high — in the third quarter, but up from 8.3 percent at the end of 2017. That’s also above a 10-year average vacancy rate for these malls of 8.4 percent during the fourth quarter.
Overall, U.S. retail vacancies remained flat at 10.2 percent during the latest quarter, Reis said.
“Given the many store closures across the U.S., the minimal changes in vacancy rates show how the retail sector has withstood the structural changes in the industry,” Barbara Denham, a senior economist at Reis, said. “Many feared that vacancy rates would soar and rents would plummet. This did not occur as the doomsday prognostications proved to be overblown.”
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Match Odds: Millwall
Can Rochdale return to winning ways this Saturday?
Dale are priced at 19/10 to record a win over Millwall, according to the latest Sky Bet odds.
The Lions are priced at 7/5, while the draw is 12/5.
Rochdale 1-0: 8/1 Millwall 1-0: 7/1
Rochdale 2-0: 14/1 Millwall 2-0: 10/1
Rochdale 2/1 – 9/1 Millwall 2-1: 17/2
Rochdale 0-0 Millwall – 9/1
Rochdale 2-2 Millwall - 12/1
Both teams to score?
Yes: 4/6 No: 11/10
To score
Ian Henderson, Dale's top scorer, is 2/1 to score in 90 minutes. He’s 11/2 to open the scoring.
Odds correct at time of writing. For full match odds, click HERE.
You must be at least 18. Rochdale AFC support responsible gambling. Contact http://www.gamcare.org.uk or http://www.gambleaware.co.uk/ for further information.
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2MATCH URL: https://assets.rappler.com/612F469A6EA84F6BAE882D2B94A4B421/img/7D2ADD40C7464B7785C4233E5C33177C/carpio-integrity.jpg
[OPINION] The importance of integrity
Our territorial integrity is like our personal integrity. We must maintain, protect, and defend both with all the power at our command because they are priceless.
Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio
Published 5:44 PM, June 30, 2019
Updated 8:15 AM, July 03, 2019
Editor's Note: Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio delivered this speech at the University of the Philippines College of Social Sciences and Philosophy for its Recognition Day on Saturday, June 29. Rappler is republishing it with his permission.
Chancellor Michael L. Tan, Dean Maria Bernadette L. Abrera, members of the faculty, students of the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy who are being recognized and honored this morning, their parents, relatives and loved ones, friends, magandang umaga sa inyong lahat.
Let me congratulate all the students being recognized and honored here in this hall. Your perseverance and hard work have brought you to the finish line as you will now graduate from this university to start a new phase in your lives. Many of you will work in the private or public sector, while some of you will start your own businesses. Others will proceed for further studies. There will also be those who will seek work abroad.
Whatever you do, wherever you may go, there is one element that will define you as a person, before your coworkers, before your colleagues in business, before the community, and before the public at large. And that is your personal integrity.
Integrity simply means being consistently honest and truthful in your actions regardless of the consequences, even if it means self-sacrifice on your part. This means doing an act because it is the right thing to do, even if you are alone against many. This means firmly standing by your principles, though the heavens may fall.
It is not easy to be a person of personal integrity, to do what is right, and to stand by your principles, when it is so much easier to simply go with the flow and stay under the radar. So why be a person of personal integrity and make life hard on yourself?
The Constitution expressly requires that all public officials and employees must serve with utmost integrity. In the private sector, employers conduct, in varying degrees, background checks on the personal integrity of an applicant before accepting an applicant for employment.
As you go up the ladder in the public or private sector, you will always be evaluated based on your personal integrity. There will always be objectors against those with questionable personal integrity, while those with known personal integrity will find little or no opposition. Employers will almost always never employ anyone with known questionable integrity no matter how competent the person may be.
In your daily life even as a student, you always evaluate people based on their personal integrity. If a classmate or schoolmate wants to borrow from you, be it money, a book or anything of value, you always ask yourself: can I trust this person to pay me back or to return what he has borrowed? You are actually evaluating the personal integrity of the person.
In banking, there is what is called a character loan. The branch manager may lend you money without any collateral, at low interest, if he knows you have personal integrity. This means the branch manager believes you when you promise to pay the loan on a certain date. You are known as a man of your word.
If you have a questionable personal integrity, the branch manage will most likely not lend you at all. Or if ever he lends you, he will surely require that you put up a collateral – hard assets like land or condominium. And you will most likely be charged a high interest rate for being a credit risk.
In the academe, the worst offense you can possibly commit, in my opinion, is to cheat in exams. Cheating is mental dishonesty. To cheat is the complete opposite of honesty and truthfulness. That is why the penalty for this offense may be dismissal or even expulsion.
If you lose your personal integrity, many doors will close on you. Your friends will be wary of you, your business associates will hesitate to transact with you, your superiors will not trust you, and the public will be skeptical with whatever you say or do. There is a heavy price to pay for losing your personal integrity.
If you lose your personal integrity, it will be a very long and hard climb back to recover your personal integrity, if ever you can recover. You may be able to recover, but the odds may be against you.
That is why you should always protect your personal integrity, and safeguard it like you are safeguarding your very own life. Your personal integrity is your face to the world, it is how the world sees you. Surely, you do not want to present a face that drives people away from you.
There is another kind of integrity that is also of utmost concern to all of us Filipino citizens. This is an integrity that you must also protect and safeguard with your own life, if necessary. I am referring to the territorial integrity of our country.
Under the Constitution, our national territory includes submarine areas over which the Philippines exercises jurisdiction, and that includes our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippines Sea.
The Constitution mandates that the State shall protect its marine wealth in its exclusive economic zone. The essential elements of a State are territory, government, people, and sovereignty. The government and the people are the two groups of actors in these 4 essential elements.
The government and the people are the ones tasked to protect the nation's marine wealth in its exclusive economic zone. Thus, the Filipino people, citizens like you and me, have the constitutional and civic duty to protect our territorial integrity in our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.
The area of our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea, as affirmed with finality by the arbitral tribunal at The Hague, is larger than the total land area of all our islands put together. All the fish, oil, gas and other mineral resources in this huge maritime area belong exclusively to the Filipino people.
The Constitution mandates that the "use and enjoyment" of these resources shall be reserved "exclusively" for the Filipino people. The "use and enjoyment" of these resources cannot be shared with, or given away, to foreign nationals.
This exclusivity is not a "thoughtless and senseless" provision in our Constitution as President Rodrigo Duterte has unfortunately characterized. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS has been ratified by 167 States, including China, representing an overwhelming number of members of the United Nations, accounting for at least nine-tenths of the world's population.
UNCLOS has reserved the use and enjoyment of all the natural resources in all the EEZs of the world exclusively to the respective adjacent coastal states. The framers of our Constitution have incorporated this exclusivity in our Constitution. Even the small minority of states that have not ratified UNCLOS, like the United States of America, have adopted this exclusivity. International tribunals have declared this exclusivity as part of customary international law – which means it is the governing law for all states of the world.
China itself reserves all the natural resources in its own EEZ exclusively to Chinese citizens. Why will we not accept and protect this exclusivity when the rest of the world is accepting and protecting this exclusivity? Surely, this exclusivity in the use and enjoyment of the resources in the EEZs, being the accepted norm in all civilized states of the world without exception, is not "thoughtless and senseless."
We must protect this enormous wealth in our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea for the benefit not only of the present generation of Filipinos, but also of future generations of Filipinos still to come. It is the duty of this present generation of Filipinos to protect this marine wealth, and hand it over to the next generation of Filipinos, who will also protect it for the next generation of Filipinos after them. This is the intergenerational duty of every generation of Filipinos in protecting our territorial integrity.
My generation has built a strong foundation to protect our territorial integrity in our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippines Sea when the Philippines won in July 2016 the landmark victory at The Hague arbitration. Future generations of Filipinos, including your generation, must build on this foundation.
Defending integrity
Our territorial integrity is just like our personal integrity. We must maintain, protect, and defend both with all the power at our command because they are priceless. To protect our territorial integrity requires doing what is right in service to the Filipino people regardless of the consequences. To protect our territorial integrity requires personal integrity.
If we fail to protect our territorial integrity in the West Philippine Sea and lose it to China, we will lose our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea forever. There is no recovery once we lose this huge maritime area to China.
If we lose our personal integrity there is still a chance of recovering our personal integrity, no matter how long and difficult it may be. But if we lose our territorial integrity, there can be no recovery unless we defeat a nuclear armed China in a war, which is of course impossible.
War, in the first place, is not an option and has never been an option. Under the Constitution, the Philippines has renounced war as an instrument of national policy. This means the Constitution prohibits the government from going to war to enforce The Hague arbitral ruling.
Besides, the United Nations Charter has outlawed the use or threat of force to settle territorial or maritime disputes between states. A country that violates this is an international outcast, and can be sanctioned by the Security Council.
Of course, we also know that if we go to war with China to enforce the arbitral ruling, we will lose and lose badly. Only a fool will go to war with China. It is clear that the specter of war is being raised only to intimidate the Filipino people into submitting to China's encroachment of our EEZ.
The correct recourse is to protect our territorial integrity through the rule of law. That is why when China seized Scarborough Shoal in 2012, we did not send the Philippine marines to retake Scarborough Shoal. We sent our lawyers to The Hague to protect our territorial integrity by invalidating China's 9-dash line before an arbitral tribunal under UNCLOS.
We brought the resolution of the dispute to a forum where warships, warplanes, missiles, and nuclear bombs do not count, and where the dispute would be resolved only in accordance with the rule of law. And we won an overwhelming victory. We thus protected our territorial integrity through the rule of law.
We should therefore continue resorting to the rule of law in protecting our territorial integrity in the West Philippine Sea. We must use the rule of law wisely and creatively, exploring and pushing the limits of international law to maintain our territorial integrity.
So, dear students of this great institution of learning, as you leave the portals of this University, remember to always maintain, defend, and protect your personal integrity and our nation's territorial integrity, and safeguard and uphold them as you would your very own life.
Upholding your personal integrity and our territorial integrity is faithfully adhering to our alma mater’s motto: Honor and Excellence, in everything we do.
Thank you and once again, congratulations to our honorees. Mabuhay ang Republika ng Pilipinas, mabuhay ang Unibersidad ng Pilipinas, mabuhay tayong lahat. – Rappler.com
Images from AFP and Shutterstock
Filed under:Antonio Carpio•Philippines-China relations•South China Sea•West Philippine Sea•Rappler Thought Leaders
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Affordable Style
Quick, Easy Recipes
Men's Perspective
Julia Louis-Dreyfus: How She Broke the Seinfeld Curse
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has been funny for a long time. She's been a great friend. A hardworking mom. Sexy? Not so much, as she'd tell you herself. But these days, the actress is more stunning than she's ever been — and she's finally ready to do a little showing off.
By Laurie Sandell
Julia Louis-Dreyfus digs into her breakfast at a low-key joint in Santa Monica, CA, and, watching her, it's hard to believe this is the same person who played frumpy, insecure Elaine Benes on Seinfeld. She is the picture of confident womanhood, glamorous even in a casual top and jeans. We were prepared for goofy. Charismatic, sure. But glamorous? Radiant? Julia Louis-Dreyfus? This 49-year-old is clearly doing something very right, and, well, we want what she's having.
Certainly, hard-earned success and a career built on doing what she loves contribute to Julia's glow: At 21, she was the youngest woman ever to join the cast of Saturday Night Live. ("Really? I didn't know," she replies when I mention it.) Her nine-year Seinfeld run earned her worldwide fame and multiple Emmy nominations. Her current hit comedy, CBS's The New Adventures of Old Christine, in which she plays a divorced mom, gave her an Emmy win, breaking the so-called "Seinfeld curse," which doomed every show starring its former cast members to failure.
In the cutthroat, male-dominated world of comedy, Julia has managed not only to hold her own but to last — no small feat, when you think about all the Saturday Night Live faces that have ended up in the "Where are they now?" files. And unlike many comedians, who seem glum, even a little depressed, in person, Julia is upbeat and funny. (When asked what gives her an instant laugh, she replies, "Um... it would have to be a fart. I'm not an intellectual.")
So how does she hang in there — and keep getting better? Julia credits her husband of 24 years, the writer Brad Hall, with helping her stay grounded. "I rely on him," she says. The couple regularly take their two sons, Charles, 12, and Henry, 17, on far-flung adventures but equally cherish the downtime they share at home. In many ways, she's a typical mom: She arrived a few minutes late to our interview because she'd forgotten to give her son his permission slip. Add to work, marriage, and family a few deep, longtime friendships — in two days she'll celebrate her birthday with some of her very favorite women — and you've got Julia's simple but essential life ingredients. Here is a woman completely at ease with her choices and where they've taken her — and why wouldn't she be? "I'm in a really good place," Julia says, flashing a wide, warm grin, "I feel grateful to be here."
You and your character, Christine, both juggle very full lives. What have you learned from her over the past five seasons?
Absolutely nothing! I've learned what not to do. And as the years have gone by with this show, Christine has just disintegrated into more of a mess than ever before. She's a very well-intentioned person for the most part — certainly regarding her own kid. But despite those good intentions, she's a fool.
Well, it makes for perfect TV.
It certainly does!
You've been an important member of a number of boys' clubs over the years — Saturday Night Live, Seinfeld, and you have two boys of your own. How did the experience of being around all those men influence your work?
If you are thinking about gender, it will get in your way, so to a certain extent, you have to toss it aside and push forward. But I've worked around men a lot, and I'm probably more assertive as a result. I'm also much more confident now than I used to be.
Is there anything women can learn from men, and anything men can learn from women?
Totally. I mean, I love men. And I like the directness of the male sensibility. And I like the sensitivity of women. So, you know, it's a good mix. I'm hoping that's something I've been able to impart to our children. I'm not the sole imparter of that, of course. My husband is a sensitive guy too. But there is a softness and a sensitivity to other people that I hope my boys are learning. And I think they are.
You've said before that you feel like it wasn't until you hit your 40s that you started to feel great about your body and style. What changed?
I don't know. I think... Well, I started working with a costume designer who was interested in me wearing more fitted clothes. And I didn't used to do that. I was shy. Because I'm so short and small, I used to wear things that were too big for me, that weren't flattering. So I got some good advice that helped me find more body confidence. I mean, I'm not a superskinny person at all and I always... I guess I sort of wanted to be. But now it's like, Yeah, I'm womanish. I can take that, it's cool. I started to own it. "I am totally womanish — so stick that in your pipe and smoke it!"
When would you say you feel most beautiful?
When I'm superskinny. [Laughs] No, but I always feel good after I exercise. I run, hike, do Pilates. I try to change it up.
You and your husband have been together for over 20 years. What does it take to make a relationship work over a long period of time?
You've got to find the right fellow. It is kind of basic, but very crucial. Brad and I certainly have similar goals and sensibilities; we're on the same page in terms of how we want to raise our children and what we like to do. We're always trying new things together — having adventures is a great way to be with your partner.
What kind of adventures?
We do so much. We travel a lot. A couple of years ago, we went river rafting in Chile. It was unbelievably exciting.
What do you love most about your relationship?
What I love most is that at the end of the day, [my relationship] is the most important thing — and I can rely on that. My husband's opinion is important to me. I want to know what he's thinking about. He's a real moral compass for me in so many ways. I'm never not interested in his point of view. So that's a primary thing.
Do you have a favorite recent memory?
This past Christmas was really lovely. I can't say that anything gigantic happened. It was very cozy. We went for a big family beach walk. But it was spectacularly calm and just sort of a profoundly happy day.
You and Brad are both very involved in environmental projects, another place where your sensibilities link up.
We've both been working on that cause for years. Norman Lear once said, "Celebrity is something you can spend." So I try to raise awareness for grass roots organizations, like Heal the Bay and the Natural Resources Defense Council. It feels like the right thing to do.
What's one of the biggest challenges you've faced as a mom?
Staying calm in the face of anything you perceive as a crisis.
How do you do that?
I don't know. I'm still trying to do it. Let me get back to you in 10 years. Well, I don't even know if I'll be able to then.
Has it been hard to raise kids while working on a hit show?
Yeah, the working-mom thing is definitely tricky. Guilt is a bitch. It's so useless as an emotion, for me anyway. It clouds things. I'm not saying people shouldn't feel guilty, but for me, it makes certain decision-making more difficult. And I have felt guilty. It's one of the reasons I haven't made a lot of movies. Network television is a full-time job, but it's manageable. I also think it's good for my kids to see me have artistic desires, work hard, and have success.
Has that gotten easier as they've gotten older?
Definitely. When I was doing Seinfeld and my oldest son was a babe, I had a nursery set up at work. I would nurse him, then run out onto the set, and I always felt like, Who am I, here?
On the show, Christine has to deal with some catty moms. Have you ever had to negotiate parenting peer pressure?
Not to the extent that Christine has, but there is an element of that. Many years ago, I went to [my child's] school and ran into a mom who said, "Oh, Julia, I can't believe I'm seeing you. We never see you anymore!" I was already consumed with guilt because I'd been working a lot. But I just put a huge smile on my face and said, "Oh, really? I guess you haven't been here when I have."
Has anything surprised you about being a mother of boys?
Well, I have four sisters. I went to an all-girls school. So I just assumed I'd have girls. It didn't even occur to me that I might have a boy, let alone two.
Sounds like you never lacked for female company.
Oh, I loved it. There's a certain way in which being around women is very comforting. In fact, I've got a birthday coming up in a few days, and I'm going to be getting together with a bunch of my women friends. We are just going out to dinner, but I love doing that with my girlfriends. That's fun.
Do you have more guy friends or girlfriends?
I spend most of my social time with women. Obviously, I have friends who are men. But when it comes to lunch, or going hiking, or anything like that, I do it with one of my girlfriends. I'm also very, very close to one of my sisters who lives out here. These women are a safe haven for me.
Are you looking forward to your birthday?
I always look forward to my birthday, and then as it approaches, I get anxious. But only because I want to do something of significance, and I can never figure out what that should be.
Is there anything you wish you could tell your younger self?
Well, sure. Wouldn't we all love to be able to take what we know now and give it to ourselves 10, 15, 20 years ago? On the other hand, the journey of getting to where we are now is kind of fabulous, so... I guess really the bottom line is, "Trust your instincts."
So we should trust your instincts.
Everybody should trust my instincts. That is my advice to all of your readers.
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A Part of Hearst Digital Media Redbook participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
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San Bernardino County shows cities how to…
San Bernardino County shows cities how to respond to terror, based on Dec. 2 experience
Two reports could help if an agency faces a similar crisis.
The Inland Regional Center Conference Center still sits gated on Wednesday, May 25, 2016 in San Bernardino. The conference center was the site of the December 2 terrorist attack that occurred in San Bernardino.
By Sandra Emerson | semerson@scng.com and Brian Rokos | brokos@scng.com |
PUBLISHED: February 15, 2019 at 12:13 pm | UPDATED: February 15, 2019 at 6:44 pm
When terrorists opened fire on a county employee training event Dec. 2, 2015 at Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, there was no rule book to guide the county’s response or the recovery that followed.
On Friday, Feb. 15, San Bernardino County released two reports, one outlining the steps taken after the attack and a second meant to serve as a resource for other agencies if they face a similar crisis.
“Many agencies across the country that had experienced mass shootings were extremely helpful in providing valuable advice and assistance to our county, but key aspects of the December 2 tragedy were unique,” County Chief Executive Officer Gary McBride said in a news release. “What inspired us to commission these reports was a desire to thoroughly document county government’s activities for the benefit of future county leaders, and create a guide to help other communities should something like this happen again elsewhere.”
Syed Farook, an environmental health specialist for the county, and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, shot and killed 14 people and wounded 22 others. Of the 14 people killed, 13 were Farook’s colleagues.
Farook and Malik were later killed in a shootout with law enforcement in San Bernardino.
“Without precedent, the County, including the department and division targeted, was faced with critical decisions associated with personnel accountability, security, benefits, psychological counseling, public information, memorials, and reconstituting a critical division left void of personnel, among other matters,” one of the reports read. “However, the attack would ultimately have an effect on the entirety of San Bernardino County government — nearly 22,000 employees affectionately and genuinely referred to as the ‘San Bernardino County Family.’”
The reports, completed by CPARS Consulting, are not after-action reports, nor do they address the public safety response to the attack, according to the news release.
Here are a few highlights from the reports:
In the days following the attack, restaurants and businesses inspected by Farook requested their health grade cards be replaced. There were also reports of people attempting to collect the cards, which included Farook’s signature, for sale. In response, 22 health inspectors from Riverside County helped replace 368 health grade cards throughout the county.
Within a month after the attack, the county attempted to hire permanent staff to fill vacant and essential positions in the Environmental Health Services Division, employing several tactics for filling “hard-to-recruit” positions. Still, more than two years after the attack, 41 percent of Environmental Health Services employees did not return to work or were no longer employed in the division. About 10 percent remained on modified work schedules, 13 positions were vacant and there was a shortage of supervisors to subordinates. Inspections dropped significantly within the six months following the attack. Two years later, inspections were more frequent, but not to the level before the attack.
Security was among the biggest concerns for employees after the attack. The county re-established its Security Task Force, which was first formed following the 1998 shooting at Riverside City Hall. The county also hired consultants to make assess security at hundreds of county facilities.
In the two years after the attack, survivors complained that the county’s workers’ compensation review system had denied or delayed needed medicines, procedures and psychological care. According to the Legacy Report, the county’s Risk Management Department swiftly approved claims within the five months following the attack, which “may have established expectations for employees that were not sustainable in the long-term.” The later addition of a third-party medical expert in the process added a layer of review that frustrated employees, who were wondering why the process was now taking longer than usual and why previously approved treatments were now being questioned or denied. An investigation by the state Department of Industrial Relations found that claims were typically denied or delayed because employee “physicians had failed to document or fully explain their requests.” The county then hired nurse case managers to help with the treatment requests, according to the report.
As of January 2017, the attack cost the county $22.6 million, with the largest costs stemming from the closure of county offices, mutual aid, contract staff for the division and real estate costs associated with temporary relocation and renovation of the facilities where victims worked. While county leaders were aware many of the costs would not be reimbursed, they were able to secure about $2.41 million in state and federal funds.
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San Bernardino terror attack
Brian Rokos
Brian Rokos writes about public safety issues such as policing, criminal justice, scams, how law affects public safety, firefighting tactics and wildland fire danger. He has also covered the cities of San Bernardino, Corona, Norco, Lake Elsinore, Perris, Canyon Lake and Hemet. Before that he supervised reporters and worked as a copy editor. For some reason, he enjoys movies where the Earth is threatened with extinction.
Follow Brian Rokos @Brian_Rokos
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Chrystul Kizer's Story Echoes Cyntoia Brown's
Story from News
If You Care About Cyntoia Brown, You Should Know Chrystul Kizer's Name
Leah Carroll
Photo: Courtesy of Kenosha County Sheriff's Office.
The first reports of the murder were breathless and scandalized: In the early morning hours of June 5, 2018, Randall P. Volar III, a 34-year-old man from Kenosha, Wisconsin was shot and killed, his home set ablaze. The culprit? A 17-year-old Milwaukee girl named Chrystul Kizer who'd allegedly snapped a selfie of herself in the murdered man's home, and posted it on social media, bragging about shooting a "white dude."
Kizer was charged with first degree murder, arson, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Her bail was set at $1 million.
But the story that made for good headlines —the out of control teen killing a man and taking a joyride in his BMW — would turn out to be a lot more complicated.
In October, Kizer's public defenders introduced a motion that would require the state to turn over evidence that, at the time of his killing, Volar was under active investigation by the Kenosha Police Department for sexual conduct with underage girls.
“The defense believes that the discovery in this case suggests that Ms. Kizer acted in self-defense. Mr. Volar, a 34-year-old man, was engaged in the ongoing sexual and physical abuse of Ms. Kizer, then a 17-year-old girl, and several other girls whose identities are currently unknown to the defense," reads the statement presented to Judge David Wilk.
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Kizer's attorneys contend that Volar transported her from Milwaukee to engage in sexual contact with her. When she resisted, they struggled, and Kizer shot him. Kizer's boyfriend previously told detectives that he'd given his girlfriend a handgun because she was “tired of the dude touching on her."
The complaint further states that while under investigation, in the months before his murder, Kenosha police had evidence "that Mr. Volar was producing child pornography" and that "the Kenosha Police had been alerted by TCF Bank, a financial institution utilized by Mr. Volar, that Mr. Volar’s account had been flagged under suspicion of being involved in human or sex trafficking.”
Kizer's attorney, Carl Johnson, declined to comment on her case to Refinery29 but did confirm that she is next set to appear in court on January 10, where a decision may be made about whether or not the evidence from the investigation will be released to the defense.
In the meantime, Kizer's story has drawn parallels to the Cyntoia Brown case. Brown, a victim of childhood sex trafficking, shot and killed a man who'd purchased her for sex when she was 16 years old. She was charged as an adult and sentenced to to two concurrent life sentences. The mitigating factors of her case – her age, her neurodevelopmental disorder, and the entrenched bias against women of color in the justice system – attracted celebrity attention to Brown's case.
On Tuesday, Brown was granted clemency by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam. She will be released from prison in August after serving 15 years for her crime.
How Chrystul Kizer's Story Echoes Cyntoia Brown
News • Politics • The Latest • True Crime • US News
written by Leah Carroll
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Huge fire breaks out in residential building in Moscow suburbs (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)
Published time: 26 Aug, 2018 11:10 Edited time: 27 Aug, 2018 06:38
Fire breaks out in residential building in Moscow suburbs © Ruptly
A huge fire has engulfed a residential building in the suburbs of Moscow. Plumes of black smoke can be seen rising from the site. All residents have reportedly been safely evacuated.
At least 33 fire engines and 122 firefighters are currently tackling the blaze at a residential block in the town of Korolyov, around 10km from the Russian capital. By noon Sunday, the firefighters managed to contain the fire.
READ MORE: Russian Central Bank building goes up in flames
Smoke can be seen billowing into the sky from the upper floors of the block, photos and videos show. The fire spread to around 300 square meters of the premises.
Local residents wrote on social media that they saw helicopters from the emergency services that were carrying water to extinguish the blaze. One woman said she had to close all the windows in her apartment as the whole neighborhood was filled with smoke. “I saw grey smoke coming from the building, then it again turned black,” another person wrote.
Trends:Moscow news
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Can a Bar or Restaurant Be Liable in a Car Crash?
According to figures on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, alcohol plays a role in about one-third of crash fatalities. Furthermore, in many cases where there are no deaths, there can be significant injuries such as those to the brain, back or neck, as many Connecticut residents know.
Sometimes, one of the drivers involved in such a crash, the one who is more at fault or entirely at fault, has come from a bar or restaurant where he or she drank alcohol. In fact, the patron could have been so intoxicated that he or she should not have been served more liquor. In such cases, can that establishment be sued and possibly found liable for its role in the crash? Under the state's dram shop laws, it is possible.
Building a case
Presenting a case against a bar or restaurant is not as simple as saying something like, "Mr. Jones, previous to crashing into Mr. Smith's car, had spent one hour at XYZ Bar and later showed a BAC of 0.15."
In fact, there could be many explanations for the 0.15 BAC, and many do not necessarily involve XYZ Bar being responsible. For instance, Mr. Jones could have had one beer at the bar but, unknown to any of the staffers, also been sipping from a vodka-filled flask. After leaving XYZ, Mr. Jones could have gotten into his car and continued drinking more alcohol that came from home. Witnesses might say that Mr. Jones appeared perfectly sober and in control before, during and after his time at the bar.
So, building a case can require considerable time and investigation. It necessitates finding direct links between the bar or restaurant and the driver's high BAC level. Potential witnesses need to be interviewed, receipts need to be found or credit card statements provided and so on-and all that has to be done within strict time parameters. There needs to be proof that the establishment knew the person was intoxicated and kept serving him or her alcohol anyway. It can also get more complicated to sue if the driver was 21 or older. However, it is still possible in cases of recklessness or malice.
The deadlines to announce the intention to bring a dram shop lawsuit are restricted to 120 days after the person got injured or within 180 days of the injury if a person becomes incapacitated or dies. Then the plaintiff should have one year to sue from the time when the injury occurred.
Connecticut generally limits the maximum amount to be collected to $250,000, but there have been cases where more has been received. People who are wondering if a dram shop lawsuit or similar lawsuit might apply in their case should talk with an attorney.
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Jacques meets Blue
Movie Review over Love Simon
For the most part, Simon’s life is totally normal. His dad was the quarterback in high school, and his mom was the valedictorian. He has a younger sister, drinks iced coffee, watches 90’s movies, and eats at Waffle House with his best friends. Everything is totally normal except he has a huge secret. A secret that has taken over.
Love Simon is a relatable film about the average teenage life, but is also a beautifully constructed film about a boy named Simon who is facing society and learning how to live his new life when word gets out that he is gay. Throughout the film, viewers are taken on an emotional rollercoaster through laughter and tears. Not only is it the perfect balance of humor, sadness, and romance, it is also an empowering film that encourages adolescents to not be afraid to be themselves.
The plotline of the movie begins with Simon going about his normal routine. He knows he is homosexual, and has known for a while, yet he has kept it to himself for years. When he finds out that another male at his school has the same secret, the two begin emailing each other under aliases. Though Simon has never met this mystery boy in person, and doesn’t even know his real name, he falls in love. When a classmate comes across their messages by accident, Simon is blackmailed and if he doesn’t comply with the blackmailer’s requests, the messages will be posted online for the whole school to see. Because Simon is afraid his mystery boy will disappear, he obeys and because of this his world turns upside down as friendships are torn apart. Throughout the whole film, Simon tries to guess who the mystery boy is. Hints are embedded throughout the plot line, but the result is eventually revealed, and it’s left to find out.
Professional ratings vary, though the majority are positive. On the Rotten Tomatoes website the movie has 92% fresh tomatoes, and only 13 total rotten tomatoes out of all the critic reviews. The calculated average audience rating in a 4.5 out of 5.
I personally loved Love Simon, and it is currently my favorite movie. I saw it once in theaters, and I enjoyed it so much that I went a second time. Typically I don’t rewatch movies or series while they’re still fresh in my mind, but this movie was just as good if not better the second time around. I was able to pick up on new details previously missed.
All in all, this movie was great and I highly recommend it to romantic comedy lovers, or anyone in for a good love story. The reactions of the other viewers in the theater made the movie even more enjoyable and also made for a memorable experience. It is really great to watch in a group setting if the chance is presented.
Madeline Sturdivant
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An Electrical Brain Switch Shuts Off Food Cravings
Could the temptation to dish up seconds (or thirds) be curtailed with an implant under the skull?
By Simon Makin on December 19, 2017
Credit: PM Images Getty Images
The brain's reward system learns the actions that produce positive outcomes, such as obtaining food or sex. It then reinforces the desire to initiate those behaviors by inducing pleasure in anticipation of the relevant action. But in some circumstances this system can become oversensitized to pleasurable but harmful behaviors, producing pathological impulses like drug addiction, binge eating and compulsive gambling.
But what if we could spot impulsive urges in the brain and intervene to prevent the act? This is the promise of a new study published December 18 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, led by neurosurgeon Casey Halpern, of Stanford University. His team identified a “signature” of impulsive urges in part of the brain's reward-learning circuitry, the nucleus accumbens. Delivering electrical pulses to this region on detecting this activity reduced binge-eating behavior in mice. They also observed the same signature in a human brain, suggesting the technique has potential for treating a range of conditions involving compulsive behaviors. “We've identified a brain biomarker of loss of control,” Halpern says. “If we can use that to prevent any of these potentially dangerous actions, we can help a lot of people.”
Researchers used a variation on deep-brain stimulation (DBS) in their experiments, a well-established treatment to diminish the shaking present in Parkinson's disease that is also showing promise in other conditions including depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Exactly how DBS has beneficial effects is still being debated, but there can be side effects. When treating movement disorders, patients may experience tingling and muscle contraction, says neurosurgeon Tipu Aziz of the University of Oxford. The long-term consequences in other regions are unknown but could include seizures, or effects on cognition, he says.
Ordinarily, DBS stimulates a brain area with an uninterrupted current. But researchers are investigating ways to provide electrical pulses only when needed by monitoring telltale brain activity related to a particular condition or symptom. This technique, known as “responsive neurostimulation” (RNS), has proved effective for epilepsy and an existing system has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating partial onset seizures (which affect only part of the brain). There is also some evidence RNS may be better than continuous stimulation for treating Parkinson's, Aziz says.
Halpern's group had previously shown standard DBS reduces binge eating in mice by as much as 50 percent. To provide as-needed stimulation, they set out to find a brain “signature” for impulsive urges they could use to trigger stimulation. They gave six mice high-fat food pellets one hour a day for 10 days (after which all the mice were binge eating). They recorded activity from the animals’ nuclei accumbens before and after this “learning” period and when they ate their normal diets. They saw an increase in low-frequency (“delta band”) brain-wave activity in the nucleus accumbens, which peaked one second before a mouse indulged in a binge session. This activity did not appear at the start of the experiment or when the animals were eating standard chow that was not high fat. They also demonstrated this signature was specific to binge eating by showing it was not seen immediately before interacting with a young mouse, which mice also find pleasurable. “We don't want to block natural rewards,” Halpern says. “We're not going after anybody with an impulse—I like a glass of wine myself.”
Having identified a “moment of weakness” signature, the team next tested whether using it to trigger electrical simulation to disrupt the impulse reduced binge eating. They compared automatically triggered stimulation with continuous, random, and manual stimulation in which a researcher activated the electrode on seeing the mouse move to start eating. All except random stimulation reduced the amount consumed. But they also showed only continuous stimulation decreased the amount of time mice spent interacting with young mice, considered to be an undesirable side effect.
The team next turned to a human brain to see if the signature they had discovered in mice also applied to people. They were able to conduct their search in an obsessive-compulsive disorder patient who was unresponsive to other treatments and had opted to undergo surgery for DBS. They monitored an electrode implanted in the man’s nucleus accumbens while he performed a task in which he had to push a button when a visual target flashed on a screen to receive a cash reward. Once he was accustomed to the task—and the reward from receiving cash—they saw a similar increase in delta activity to the one observed in mice, brain waves that intensified immediately before he began a task.
The fact similar brain activity was seen in both species for behaviors aimed at different rewards suggests this signature may be common to many compulsive behaviors. Of course, nobody with a gambling habit would undergo neurosurgery nor would physicians consider it. “We're going after people who are dying of their condition or are severely debilitated,” Halpern says. “People who are about to have gastric surgery or those that fail it because they can't stop binge eating, or alcoholics.”
One potential problem is if the signature of a craving is too specific, it may not be relevant to multiple disorders or even be applicable outside the lab for routine clinical use. “It's not entirely clear whether this signal is related to the [experiment/task] or the behavior, “says psychiatrist Damiaan Denys of the University of Amsterdam, who was not involved in the study. If it’s too general, you could imagine a situation where someone being treated for compulsive eating can no longer enjoy playing blackjack. “But it's important because it shows it’s possible to detect a signal that may be used for psychiatric disorders,” Denys says.
This is preliminary research, involving only one human, without showing a human treatment effect. “It was a first-in-man case study to validate our mouse studies—now we have to do it in a larger sample,” Halpern says. “We have an application with the NIH [National Institutes of Health] to test this in obese patients that exhibit bingelike behavior.”
Simon Makin
Simon Makin is a freelance science writer based in London.
Credit: Nick Higgins
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Pandemic Legacy: what a game can teach us about pandemics
di ASSET Project
Article published on the ASSET website
Europe and Africa: cooperation for health
di Simone Petralia
Healthcare is a crucial issue for Africa: every year, according to data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), hundreds of thousands of people in the African continent die due to infectious diseases.
Using communication to fight epidemics
di Cristina Da Rold
During epidemics, pandemics, natural or environmental disasters, the problem of communication is one of the primary issues to deal with, and scientists and stakeholders know this well. It is a two-sided issue: communicating risk without creating any alarms, and an effective communication between persons who manage emergencies.
Just one move to ward off flu. An Italian discovery
di Elisa Vicenzi
As every year, the winter season is synonymous of influenza viruses causing health problems and significant economic losses for public and private companies. One small, but not negligible, percentage will incur in complications and, potentially, there will also be an increase in mortality for new-borns and elderly patients, caused by the same virus. The vaccine against the seasonal influenza virus strain protects with an effectiveness estimated between 75 and 80 percent – therefore quite good – but not complete.
Pathogens and fear: the double epidemics
di Michele Bellone
di Giuseppe Nucera
From bats to horses, from insects to chimpanzees, a lot of deadly viruses originated in an animal host. In his last book, Spillover, the American science writer David Quammen tells the stories of some of these viruses. We reached him at the Festival della Scienza in Genoa, where he was going to present the book, and asked him some questions.
The (un)health that surrounds Ebola
It is known that a virus like Ebola finds an ideal breeding ground of infection in weak healthcare systems. However, the fear of a large-scale European contagion is spreading. Although it is true that Ebola is really frightening, it is equally true that a comparison between a country such as Italy and countries like Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea is at least difficult to maintain. Tuberculosis, Malaria, HIV, low rates of vaccinations: the African ecosystem in which Ebola has developed is crippled, and the majority of its inhabitants are highly exposed to infections. How much crippled?
di Ilaria Capua
In the globalised environment, the interconnection and interdependence of economies enable pathogens to spread in unprecedented ways and extents. Human to human transmission (close encounters of the first kind) occur with pathogens that are well adapted to the human host, and spread between countries and continents. In a similar way, pathogens spreading between animals (close encounters of the second kind) spread not only within a farm, but also between different farms, due to trade, or live animals or vector movement, in a transboundary manner.
What Ebola taught us about risk communication
Each outbreak has some lessons to teach to those involved in health crisis management, especially in terms of risk communication. In fact, any infectious disease can become much more dangerous when supported by wrong or missing information. On the one hand, misinformation can spread far and fast, especially online, often crossing geographic borders before local organisations have ramped up their response to an outbreak. On the other hand, the lack of proper information about, for instance, how people get infected, may slow down efforts to contain the diffusion of the disease.
Merits and flaws of using social media to fight Ebola
Can social media be used as a way to prevent the spread of infectious diseases? Such a question is certainly on the agenda right now, with the Ebola outbreak currently raging in West Africa and having already claimed the life of 887 people out of 1,603 cases since this March.
The arms race between humans and microbes
di Giulia Annovi
A future without effective antibiotics for some infections is possible. Only 70 years ago, penicillin discovery have changed infectious diseases treatment, reducing deaths and illness. However, the high microbial adaptability has appeared few years later drug discovery: already in his Nobel Prize speech in 1945, Alexander Fleming, who discovered penicillin, warned that bacteria could become resistant to these remarkable substances. Between 1940 and 1990, 29 classes of antibiotics with different mechanisms of action have been discovered and designed.
Antimicrobial resistance throughout the world
Through the years and the development of pharmacology, Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing public health threat of broad concern to countries. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) produced a global report on surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in collaboration with Member States.
An overview on the global response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic
In a review on the New England Journal of Medicine, Harvey Fineberg, president of the Institute of Medicine and chair of an international committee requested by the World Health Organization (WHO), analyzed the global response to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, giving particular attention to the function of the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) and the performance of the WHO.
Italian research as a leading standard to fight HIV/AIDS
di Giacomo Destro
Africa is not the most rapidly growing HIV epidemic region: it is Eastern Europe. Out of a total 2.2 millions people living with HIV in Europe, more than 60% of them are living in the East. Before 2002 this figure was stable, but in just seven years it has increased by two thirds.
Semantic phylogenesis of H3N2 viruses
di Riccardo Scalco
A deep understanding of the relation between genetic mutations and immune system response of the attacked organism is vital for the development of effective vaccinations for specific variations of the influenza virus.
The formulation of a theory that associates immunological response to phylogenetic evolution of the virus stands on the definition of a genetic distance – calculated between aminoacid sequences – able to quantify antigenic diversity among the corresponding pathogens.
An ECDC report on seasonal influenza vaccination
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) recently released a technical report in support of the Council Recommendation on seasonal influenza vaccination that the European Union (EU) Council adopted in December 2009.
Two sides of the same coin
Everything started at the beginning of September in San Francisco, at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, when Dr. Danuta Skowronski, an influenza expert at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, took the floor to speak about her work. A work that ground its roots during the 2009 flu pandemic, when people who got a flu shot for the 2008-09 winter seemed to be more likely to get infected with the pandemic virus than people who hadn't received a flu shot. Dr.
Human-animal infectious diseases
NAIROBI, KENYA (5 July 2012) - A new global study mapping human-animal diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and Rift Valley fever finds that an “unlucky” 13 zoonoses are responsible for 2.4 billion cases of human illness and 2.2 million deaths per year. The vast majority occur in low- and middle-income countries.
Copper kills bacteria: end of hospital-acquired infections?
di Marc Solioz
Prof. Hans Bärlocher left the hospital after a long working day. Outside the building, he took a deep breath of fresh Spring air; then, he smelled his right hand. Yes, it had the faint, but typical copper smell. This reassured him that he had not pick up any germs when going through the series of doors to leave the clinic. All the doors in his hospital had recently been refitted with door handles and push plates of antimicrobial copper.
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#AlienForClubs
#AlienForEPL
#AlienForMLS
Sports Neuromarketing
Why I don’t like the marketing of New York City FC
#AlienForClubs #AlienForMLS
access_time2 years ago
A kids’ team with a young student of Yeshiva University as a head coach becomes the winner of NYCFC Youth League.
The team, consisting of Jewish children, becomes the champion of the league, organized by an Arab capital based company.
Oy vey, I wonder how this could happen! The answer, as always, can be formulated only after reading the entire post. And it is shaping up to be a lengthy one!
So it’s the fourth issue of #AlienForMLS. I’m offering teams some interesting marketing decisions, explaining from the point of view of sports marketing and neuromarketing why it will bring success.
Previous issues were about Portland Timbers/Seattle Sounders, LAFC, the possible David Beckham’s team, and San Jose Earthquakes. And I’m sure to get to your team! So follow me on Twitter not to miss it!
This planet knew only two people who could create really powerful, emotional and short phrase. Jean-Paul #Sartre and this @Athletics fan. pic.twitter.com/KXA0lilnQ3
— Leon The Alien (@LeonFromSpace) February 17, 2017
As I’ve written in the previous post, from the point of view of Mr. Spock, New York Red Bulls and New York City FC are excellent findings of MLS.
But now it’s time for Dr. Leonard McCoy to speak. I’m sorry, if I hurt anyone of you, but I’ve armed myself with the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. It applies to the aliens as well, does it?
New York has got a big problem. You’ve got two clubs in MLS making unattractive marketing decisions. Let’s save the New York Red Bulls for a separate article, though actually, I’ve got similar questions to them.
I hate to hurt anyone, but listen, you guys, it is not Europe, okay? Neither is it Australia even. You can’t just come with your umbrella brand. I’m sure you lose a part of your future revenues by providing a highly questionable experience.
You are not using the audience as effectively as possible. You are Samsung. You are not Tim Cook’s Apple even, though could have become Steve Jobs’ Apple.
Yeah, you’re entering the market with this brand real cool, but what’s next? Time will pass, and we’ll see how many die-hard fans you get. You’ve got tremendous financial performance in Manchester City, but you know I’ve hated Manchester United all my life. But now I’ve managed to fall in love with Manchester United, even with Jose Mourinho. Despite my hate for Mourinho.
I’m plumb certain that you know the ropes at sports marketing at the highest level, but I’m familiar with the principles of such marketing, your franchise operating all over the world is full of. You are an investment project to invest oil money. But where is the love? Where is a real emotional connection?
You can build up the most powerful football corporation in the world, but you know what? You made me feel better not only about Manchester United, I’ve always had little liking for. You made me feel better about the New York Red Bulls.
By the way, this is not a curtsy to the identical strategy of Red Bulls’. I just don’t care a damn about Salzburg, Leipzig and energy drinks. For me, Red Bulls brand is associated exclusively with the New York soccer club. But I can’t say I don’t care that much about EPL, where I see the identical Manchester City.
Americans don’t care a straw about Austrian and German Bundesligas, whereas EPL is known and watched in the United States better than MLS is.
If the government of our planet gets a desire to subjugate the Earth, it’s the umbrella brands marketers that’ve got to beware! You will be the first. You bring evil into this world.
The New York City FC folks, you represent ordinary Europeans who reason this way, “USA and football? LOL. Let’s bring them our far-famed brand and top footballers of retirement age.”
I used to love Andrea Pirlo, but it is improper for the players who have lost their speed to play modern football. Why don’t you transfer Josep Guardiola to New York City FC to be one of its players? Just have a look at the technique he is demonstrating.
I don’t know the position of the league, but I find marketing solutions of the kind offensive for both the league and the American soccer as a whole, and basically for the United States and Americans.
Besides, it is well known that Generation Y and Generation Z take brand as a help to define and communicate their personality. In the case of umbrella brand, we see that such a prominent brand gets into the consciousness of people within the brand’s area of the league itself, while leaving a vacant niche which is to be responsible for personality.
So we’ve diagnosed the problem. It is European approach, umbrella brand, lack of identity, short-term problems solution by management (which doesn’t contribute to getting die-hard fans). Instead of building a slow and durable growth, as it is standard practice in MLS itself.
I stress that the given strategy settles particular issues for both the club and the league, and for the City Football Group. But we have to realize that the ruling family of Abu Dhabi pursues in this case in no way romantic objects of capital preservation, without creating anything inventive. It’s a kind of cold and calculating marketing from a large corporation.
What is the way to solve this? To create real identity, rather than build the club up on the basis of ready-made solutions for clubs all over the world. Yeah, New York City FC has carried out the work on identity creation to some extent. And it has done it, no doubt, better than the New York Red Bulls has.
Nevertheless, I say it again, Americans don’t care a straw about Austrian and German Bundesligas, where other clubs play under the Red Bull brand, whereas Manchester City is one of the leading clubs in world football.
Taking into account that Manchester City has turned into what it is now over recent years, owing to marketing and management, which eventually is being used by City Football Group as a pattern for other affiliated clubs.
We’re drawing near to what I suggest. No one in New York City FC, obviously, would venture to create closer identity, so I suggest considering children. The City still lacks roots in New York, at the same time it is clear that the club’s chiefs have a deep approach to the way the club should be built up. It is the children that settle this issue.
Our strong likings have their origin in our childhood, that’s why marketers of the companies which are determined to last at the market at least 20 more years, build relations with children in an active way.
Even when products used by people in adult years are seemingly involved, some brands use so brilliant solutions that it’s they that seem to be from another planet, rather than me.
Now a little theory here, without which we won’t advance any further. In order to understand the way a consumer (or a fan) gets impression of our brand, we have to be aware of the process behind his/her choice.
I don’t feel like complicating stuff, so now I suggest you answer the question.
Will you prefer a more clear answer or a less clear one?
A less clear answer:
A more clear answer is that when we decide between products, we choose the most attractive and the most valuable product for us.
Basically, due to the need of our genes to leave as much their copies as possible, many of our actions proceed from procreation principles.
What could be the importance of this? The higher the status, the greater the likelihood to leave larger number of gene copies in a larger number of children. This is what builds our choice and our pursuit of brands which improve our status.
Despite the fact that this understanding should be behind each brand, with New York City FC I want to make it the core of the campaign.
Using any pressure on kids is at least unethical, so I’d like to interact with children using fairly standard approaches, which will ultimately be expressed in loyalty.
Now back to status and adult fans again.
I have raised the issue of status earlier in the posts on San Jose Earthquakes and the David Beckham’s possible team. But it was a different segment of fans then. New York compels to search for different approaches to interaction with fans than those applied by San Jose and Miami.
So what do I suggest? Any New York City FC fan, who has visited a certain number of the team’s home games, gets an opportunity to join the program. If there are too many pretenders, then automatic determination of participants should be involved.
The essence of the program is free coaching training with subsequent work as kids’ coaches in mind. However, I’m not talking about New York City FC coaches, I’m talking about coaches of the youth teams created by the coaches themselves.
These teams will participate in the NYCFC Youth League. Funding can be made at the expense of the club. For instance, certain assistance in one form or another will be given to all coaches graduated from the courses who meet certain criteria.
This whole story has to get coverage by social networks. In addition, one can (and should) make a pretty exciting reality show out of it in order to establish emotional contact.
After all, not only a lot of exciting football-related moments are left behind the scenes, but also a plenty of stories from the participants’ lives. We shouldn’t let any chance to use somatic (emotional) markers for the good of the club’s brand slip by.
The winner of the league can whereby get a certain position in the club.
Leon The Alien
SEE ALSO: How fans’ testosterone can make the San Jose Earthquakes great again
Subscribe to my Twitter account and our awesome E-mail delivery! See you later, earthlings!
Images: Stacy Podelski, Pexels, thetvmouse.com
folder_openTagged in: #AlienForMLS, Leon The Alien, marketing, New York City FC
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The Impact of India’s Demonetization of ₹500 and ₹1,000 Notes
View Authors November 2016
In an unprecedented announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a live televised address to the nation at 8:15 p.m. IST on November 9, 2016, the Indian government declared circulation of all ₹500 and ₹1,000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi Series as invalid. The prime minister also announced the issuance of new ₹500 and ₹2,000 banknotes of the Mahatma Gandhi New Series in exchange for the old banknotes.
Biswajit Chatterjee Dubai
Anandee Banerji Singapore
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Police Brutality In Petersburg
On Wednesday, Sept. 6th, at approximately 10:30pm, police arrived in droves at the Perry Street Lofts in response to what had been reported to me as a "verbal confrontation" between a young-to-middle-aged black man (name remains unknown) and his significant other. According to individuals I spoke with on the scene, the man, who lived on the second floor of the loft apartments, had an on-and-off verbal dispute with a female. The police that arrived to "solve" the dispute were almost a dozen, with several cars parked behind the buildings in response to the single, unarmed man. The man was heard crying out quite profusely that he was unable to get up from the ground after being "slammed into the building", according to one bystander, and suffered from a swollen face according to another.
After the man had been beaten, manhandled, and sprayed with mace (both on the second floor where he lived, and outside the building) and arrested, I casually strolled over to where the beating had taken place, and was able to confirm via eavesdropping on police discussions that this instance of police brutality had been justified because he refused to stop arguing with his significant other. The police obviously realized I was taking note of the events, and attempted to question my presence at the scene, to which I responded with a question of my own: "So you stated that this was all due to a verbal dispute?", I inquired, no doubt sounding frustrated at the events I was witnessing. The police diverted my questions by stating that all was ok now (As if they had somehow just made something better), and paced back to the police vehicles which continued to occupy our neighborhood for the next 40 minutes after the arrest had been made.
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You are: Home > Information for providers > Legal Assistance Handbooks
Criminal Handbook
Children's Handbooks
Legislation Handbook
The handbook for Children's Proceedings under the Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 is available on our website.
The handbook for Children's Proceedings under the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 is available at legislation.gov.uk. We have created guidance for applications for Children’s Legal Aid for an application to the sheriff for a review of a finding under section 85 of this Act, and onward appeals to the SAC and COS, as this is the only kind of children's legal aid application that can still be made under this Act.
CHIP - Vision and Values statement
The Children’s Hearings Improvement Partnership (CHIP) has produced a Vision and Values Statement, which is supported by all of those organisations involved in the children’s hearings system, including SLAB and the Law Society of Scotland.
The statement aims to set clear expectations of all of those working in it, including the following key components:
understanding of each other's roles and responsibilities in the Hearings System
respect for the roles and responsibilities of others – demonstrated through constructive, positive behaviours, consistent with the ethos of the Hearings System
a commitment to the principle of paramount concern of ‘best interests’ of the child/young person in all elements of our contributions, actions and decision making.
Solicitors who provide representation under children’s legal assistance should have regard to the Vision and Values when working in the children’s hearings system.
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Review: The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Jeremiah Kipp
Wes Anderson’s movies don’t look and feel like other people’s movies, and in fact are hardly reminiscent of what we have come to think of as Movies. Despite their assured minimalist visual style and obsessively detailed production design, which bring to mind a more immature and humanistic Peter Greenaway, Anderson’s body of work feels closer to Victorian literature. His projects feature a dozen major characters, broad exposition, father-son melodramas, slow-building covert relationships, hugely shifting dramatic reversals, protagonists driven to perilous low points, and bittersweet climaxes. Somehow, because his approach is absolutely deadpan, the heightened emotions are restrained and therefore more affecting; and the sentimentality is all the more sweet because Anderson doesn’t indulge in it.
Critics struggle to categorize, which is an unfortunate and fruitless task. How limiting is it to say that Anderson’s world is as if Hal Hartley were directing a George Eliot novel? We attempt to pigeonhole artists who define themselves through a world that only they could create. So The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou places us back in the familiar world of The Royal Tenenbaums and Rushmore, this time mostly taking place at sea on the good ship Belafonte. The Zissou in question is an oceanographer in the Jacques Cousteau mold, played by the great Bill Murray. Like Royal Tenenbaum, he’s an outright son-of-a-bitch, selfish, pigheaded, opportunistic, frequently drunk and stoned, and somehow loveable despite himself. Maybe it’s because, like Anderson, he’s obsessed with his world.
All of Zissou’s equipment is old-school and rusting, yet it manages to encapsulate all aspects of his universe. His boat not only contains the requisite engine room and port bow, it also has an editing suite for his documentaries (which resemble ‘60s educational films) and sauna complete with masseuse. It’s the life of a spoiled child, embodied in this larger-than-life figure just passing middle age. He brings with him a rogue’s gallery of accomplices happy to play along with Zissou’s Quest—best embodied in Willem Dafoe’s wonderful performance as first mate Klaus, a wrapped-too-tight European fussbudget, and Seu Jorge as a Brazilian shipmate who performs acoustic foreign language covers of David Bowie songs on deck.
If “loveable” is the word that best applies to Zissou, it’s not because he’s such a great guy. He’s created a world we love; the world we perhaps imagined as children that gets packed away in adulthood. It’s like a grown-up returning to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and rediscovering what was so great about it in the first place, and the comparison is especially apt when pirates at sea arrive on the scene to hijack the Belafonte. The Life Aquatic gains resonance by Zissou’s age, and Anderson seems very grown up when he chooses not to ignore real bloodshed in the midst of his whimsical comedy.
The Life Aquatic would be just a series of quirky events linked together by Anderson’s whim—which would probably be just fine—if not for the appearance of straight-laced Kentucky pilot Ned Plimpton (Owen Wilson, sporting a nicely trimmed moustache and an affable Midwestern line delivery), who may be Zissou’s abandoned son from years ago, and Cate Blanchett as a clear-eyed British reporter (whose swollen six-month pregnant belly lays in wait for the academics to deconstruct when they start a thorough analysis of Anderson’s World). Their presence gives some semblance of weight to the adventure, and allows Anderson to reach for pathos. He mostly succeeds. Anderson seemed more comfortable staying in the self-involved world of the Tenenbaums, and as he continues to open himself up to a larger world (including all the imaginary multicolored fish in the sea, designed by Henry Selick) he struggles with balancing the sweet, the sour, the absurd, and the genuine.
But we can count on Anderson’s pronounced visual and verbal witticisms and the presence of Murray to guide us through the rougher waters of The Life Aquatic. Murray leads a who’s-who pantheon of the greatest character actors working today (who all managed to get cast in this movie, Harry Potter be damned), and to all those who think he’s been on a roll since 1998’s Rushmore ought to go check out his exemplary work in Where the Buffalo Roam (as Hunter S. Thompson), Stripes, Groundhog Day, Ed Wood, and Kingpin. And he’s as wonderful here as he’s ever been. In an indelible screen moment, Zissou marches across the ship to the bow in order to smoke a joint and enjoy a private moment of reflection. The tracking shot is wonderful; and it’s all about Bill Murray. No wonder he keeps getting cast in Anderson’s cinematic museum exhibitions. The man’s proven himself as a national treasure.
Cast: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Cate Blanchett, Anjelica Huston, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Gambon, Noah Taylor, Bud Cort Director: Wes Anderson Screenwriter: Wes Anderson, Noah Baumbach Distributor: Touchstone Pictures Running Time: 118 min Rating: R Year: 2004 Buy: Video, Soundtrack
Review: Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events
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Review: John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum Finds a Series Stuck in Repeat
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Review: The Futureheads, News and Tributes
Jonathan Keefe
Like Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Show Your Bones just a few months prior, the second album from The Futureheads, News and Tributes, sounds on first listen like an album primed to confuse the legions of hipster kids who hailed the quartet as one of the it-bands of 2005. The most striking change is in the band’s pace: even at a scant 42 minutes, the 12 tracks that comprise News and Tributes are a few BPMs slower than their delirious debut. That’s not to say that the album is in any way less engaging, since the band’s killer four-part harmonies, already unrivaled in modern rock, have been arranged with even greater intricacy, and the overall tone of the album is considerably beefed-up from its predecessor. While their contagious enthusiasm was a big part of their appeal, that enthusiasm has matured into full-on rock star swagger (touring with Franz Ferdinand probably helped in that regard), and songs like lead-off “Yes/No” and phenomenal first single “Skip To The End” are refreshingly brash. But, beyond those harmonies, what distinguishes The Futureheads from so many other stylish, retro-conscious acts and what gives the band a good chance at surviving the post-dance-punk fallout is that their songs aren’t just empty braggadocio and cocksure strut. There’s an unmistakable soulfulness to The Futureheads’ songwriting and their performances on standouts like “Back To The Sea” and “Burnt,” and it brings the limitations of more concept-driven bands like The Strokes or The Darkness into sharp relief. If there’s nothing quite as instantly gratifying as was The Futureheads’ “Hounds Of Love,” the whole of News and Tributes still stands as a more accomplished album, muscular without being overpowering and stylish without being vacuous.
Label: Vagrant Release Date: June 12, 2006 Buy: Amazon
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Anti-money laundering officials resign over internal dispute
This content was published on November 5, 2000 7:55 AM Nov 5, 2000 - 07:55
Anti money laundering officials have a heavy workload, with some 500 dossiers still to be tackled
Four of the finance ministry's six officials charged with combating money laundering within financial institutions have resigned. The news was reported by the SonntagsZeitung newspaper and confirmed by Dieter Leutwyler, a ministry spokesman.
An internal dispute within the Money Laundering Control Authority, reportedly linked to procedural matters, led to the resignations of the officials, including that of the deputy director, Michele Tonelli.
Tonelli had recently taken up the position, having already left a job within the ministry in mid-year.
Leutwyler said personal matters and a strong job market were the main reasons behind the resignations. He said some employees had accepted jobs in the private sector, which is known to pay far higher salaries.
He added that the high exposure the anti-money laundering jobs bring, and the heavy workload, were also likely to have been contributing factors.
"There is a lot to be done," he said, "and we are understaffed." There are reportedly about 500 money laundering dossiers that have yet to be dealt with.
Analysts say frustration is rife among officials because of the inadequate means at their disposal to fight the crime.
The resignations are not the first among those charged with fighting money laundering in Switzerland.
Two top officials within the justice ministry, Daniel Thelesklaf and Mark Van Thiel, stepped down recently.
They accused the government of failing to come up with a clear strategy for dealing with the problem of money laundering.
The two had been trying unsuccessfully to persuade the government to give their office more power.
In Switzerland, the prosecution of money laundering cases is done at a cantonal level.
If a bank, or other financial institution, is suspicious of a transaction, it is required to inform the Federal Money Laundering Reporting Office in Berne.
Thelesklaf and Van Thiel were the heads of that office.
Money Laundering Control Authority
Anti-money laundering officials resign over internal dispute Nov 5, 2000 - 07:55 Four of the finance ministry's six officials charged with combating money laundering within financial institutions have resigned. The news was reported by the SonntagsZeitung newspaper and confirmed by Dieter Leutwyler, a ministry spokesman. An internal dispute within the Money Laundering Control Authority, reportedly linked to procedural matters, led to the resignations of the officials, including that of the deputy director, Michele Tonelli. Tonelli had recently taken up the position, having already left a job within the ministry in mid-year. Leutwyler said personal matters and a strong job market were the main reasons behind the resignations. He said some employees had accepted jobs in the private sector, which is known to pay far higher salaries. He added that the high exposure the anti-money laundering jobs bring, and the heavy workload, were also likely to have been contributing factors. "There is a lot to be done," he said, "and we are understaffed." There are reportedly about 500 money laundering dossiers that have yet to be dealt with. Analysts say frustration is rife among officials because of the inadequate means at their disposal to fight the crime. The resignations are not the first among those charged with fighting money laundering in Switzerland. Two top officials within the justice ministry, Daniel Thelesklaf and Mark Van Thiel, stepped down recently. They accused the government of failing to come up with a clear strategy for dealing with the problem of money laundering. The two had been trying unsuccessfully to persuade the government to give their office more power. In Switzerland, the prosecution of money laundering cases is done at a cantonal level. If a bank, or other financial institution, is suspicious of a transaction, it is required to inform the Federal Money Laundering Reporting Office in Berne. Thelesklaf and Van Thiel were the heads of that office. swissinfo with agencies
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Third Party Digitization Solicitation From The Library of Congress
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March 14, 2013 LCLBN13R0031
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Document Type: QS Document Number: LCLBN13R0031 Page 1 of 23
SOLICITATION, OFFER, AND AWARD
2. CONTRACT NUMBER
LCLBN13R0031
1. THIS CONTRACT IS A RATED ORDER UNDER DPAS RATING (15 CFR 700) 4. TYPE OF SOLICITATION SEALED BID (IFB) X NEGOTIATED (RFP) 8. ADDRESS OFFER TO (If other than Item 7)
Office of Contracts Management Library of Congress 101 Independence Av SE LA 325 Washington, DC 20540-9411
3. SOLICITATION NUMBER
5. DATE ISSUED 03/14/2013
6. REQUISITION/PURCHASE NUMBER
7. ISSUED BY
accountspayable@loc.gov The Library requires invoices to be emailed Washington, DC 20540
NOTE: In sealed bid solicitations "offer" and "offeror" mean "bid" and "bidder". SOLICITATION 9. Sealed offers in original and ____________ copies for furnishing the supplies or services in the Schedule will be received at the place specified in item 8, or if Fed Biz Opps handcarried, in the depository located in ______________________________________________________ until ________________ local time _________________ (Hour) (Date) CAUTION - LATE Submissions, Modifications, and Withdrawals: See Section L, Provision No. 52.214-7 or 52.215-1. All offers are subject to all terms and conditions
10. FOR INFORMATION CALL:
A. NAME
B. TELEPHONE (NO COLLECT CALLS) AREA CODE (202) 11. TABLE OF CONTENTS NUMBER 707-5225 EXT.
C. E-MAIL ADDRESS accountspayable@loc.gov
DESCRIPTION PART I - SCHEDULE
DESCRIPTION PART II - CONTRACT CLAUSES
PAGE(S) CONTRACT
A X X X X X X X B C D E F G H
SOLICITATION/CONTRACT FORM SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS DESCRIPTION/SPECS./WORK STATEMENT PACKAGING AND MARKING INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION DATA SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS
CONTRACT CLAUSES PART III - LIST OF DOCUMENTS, EXHIBITS AND OTHER ATTACH
LIST OF ATTACHMENTS PART IV - REPRESENTATIONS AND INSTRUCTIONS
K L M
REPRESENTATIONS CERTIFICATIONS AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS INSTRS., CONDS., AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD
OFFER (Must be fully completed by offeror) NOTE: Item 12 does not apply if the solicitation includes the provisions at 52.214-16, Minimum Bid Acceptance Period. 12. In compliance with the above, the undersigned agrees, if this offer is accepted within _______________________ calendar days (60 calendar days unless a different period is inserted by the offeror) from the date for receipt of offers specified above, to furnish any or all items upon which prices are offered at the price set opposite each item, delivered at the designated point(s), within the time specified in the schedule. 13. DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT (See Section 1,
Clause No. 52.232-8)
10 CALENDAR DAYS(%) 20 CALENDAR DAYS(%) 30 CALENDAR DAYS(%) 0.00 % 0.00 % 0.00 % AMENDMENT NO. DATE AMENDMENT NO.
CALENDAR DAYS NUMBER 0 PERCENTAGE 0.00
14. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF AMEND- MENTS (The offeror
acknowledges receipt of amendments to the SOLICITATION for offerors and related documents numbered and dated):
CODE 15A. NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
16. NAME AND TITLE OF PERSON AUTHORIZED TO SIGN OFFER (Type or Print)
15B. TELEPHONE NUMBER AREA CODE NUMBER EXT.
15C. CHECK IF REMITTANCE ADDRESS IS DIFFERENT FROM ABOVE - ENTER SUCH ADDRESS IN SCHEDULE.
17. SIGNATURE
18. OFFER DATE
19. ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS NUMBERED
AWARD (To be completed by Government) 20. AMOUNT 21. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION
22. AUTHORITY FOR USING OTHER THAN FULL AND OPEN COMPETITION: 23. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN (4 copies unless otherwise specified) 10 U.S.C. 2304(c) ( ) 41 U.S.C. 253(c) ( ) 24. ADMINISTERED BY (if other than Item 7)
25. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY
26. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print) "Vidya Vish, 202-707-9394, vvis@loc.gov"
27. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
IMPORTANT - Award will be made on this Form, or on Standard Form 26, or by other authorized official written notice.
AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION Previous edition is unusable
STANDARD FORM 33 (REV. 9-97)
Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.214(c)
Table of Contents Section CS Description Page Number
Continuation Sheet ..........................................................................................................................................3 B Supplies or Services and Prices .............................................................................................................3 C Descriptions and Specifications.............................................................................................................3 D Packaging and Marking.........................................................................................................................7 E Inspection and Acceptance ....................................................................................................................8 F Deliveries or Performance......................................................................................................................8 H Special Contract Requirements ...........................................................................................................11 I Contract Clauses ...................................................................................................................................14 K Representations....................................................................................................................................15 L Instructions...........................................................................................................................................17 M Evaluation Factors for Award.............................................................................................................21
Section B - Continuation Sheet
B Supplies or Services and Prices SECTION B. B.1 COST This contract is for the procurement of digitization services for the Library of Congress (Library) at no cost to the Government. The Contractor shall furnish the necessary personnel, material, equipment, services, and facilities (except as otherwise specified) to perform the statement of work included in section C. The Contractors technical proposal, entitled _____ dated _____, is made a part of this contract. In the event of any inconsistency between the provisions of this contract and the Contractors technical proposal, the contract provisions take precedence. Item 1 Description Price
Project management (including, but not lim- No cost ited to: development of project plan, reporting on project status, oversight of contract work) Shipping of material to the contractor and No cost return to the Library (if off-site digitization to be performed) Preparation of materials for digitization No cost Digital conversion No cost Quality assurance review and necessary cor- No cost rective action Cataloging/metadata No cost Delivery of files to the Library No cost Production of derivatives (as applicable) No cost Production of OCR for text retrieval (as ap- No cost plicable) Rights clearance (as necessary) No cost
Note: The Library is seeking contractors at no cost to digitize collection materials on a project basis in a format agreed upon between the Library and the contractor. The contractor agrees to digitize the materials and provide the deliverables noted in the other sections of this contract. In return for access to the Librarys materials, the contractor may market and resell access to the digitized collection. The objective of this contract is to provide the Library with high quality digital copies of physical originals that ultimately can be made accessible to the public. The Library is seeking innovative solutions for the digitization of its materials and is receptive to all no-cost alternatives.
Section C - Continuation Sheet C Descriptions and Specifications SECTION C. STATEMENT OF WORK C.1 BACKGROUND The Librarys collections materials include millions of items in formats such as monographs, serials, bound newspapers, pamphlets, manuscripts, sound recordings, films, videos, sheet music, photographs, posters, microfilm, and maps. Its collections enable the Library in its mission to support the Congress in fulfilling its constitutional duties and to further the progress of knowledge and creativity for the benefit of the American people. One means of accomplishing this mission is to make collections materials available, not only
on-site at the Library, but through digital copies of the materials on the Librarys web site. Moreover, the digitization of Library materials assists in preserving the collections for future generations. In order to respond to increasing expectations for collections materials and related items to be made available on the Librarys web site, the Library seeks to supplement its existing digitization programs by entering into no-cost contracts for the scanning or digitization of Library materials for the mutual benefit of the contractor and the Library in accordance with the attached principles (see Section J, Attachment 1). C.1.1 Scope C.1.1.1. Regardless of the specific material identified, at a minimum, and as described further herein, the Contractors responsibilities will include: A. digitizing the materials at the Contractors expense, including providing its own equipment and personnel to perform the digitization; B. providing the Library with a copy of the digitized materials in the format designated for the individual project materials, as agreed upon between the Library and the Contractor, which the Library shall be permitted to make immediately available on-site; C. providing the Library with core metadata for the digitized materials in the format designated for the individual project materials, as agreed upon between the Library and the Contractor; and D. providing the Library with free or discounted access to the Contractors products resulting from the digitization irrespective of and during any period of delay in public access that is granted to the Contractor in exchange for recouping first copy costs for noncommercial uses by on-site patrons and Library employees. C.1.1.2. In exchange for the no-cost digitization of the Librarys materials, the Library will provide the Contractor with access to Library materials. The Library also may provide the Contractor with: A. space in the Librarys buildings for the Contractors equipment and other in-kind resources necessary to support the functions identified in each digitization contract, as appropriate (see C.3 and C.6, below); and B. a period of time during which the Library will not make the digitized material available online (i.e., allow the vendor an opportunity to recoup first copy costs through commercial use of the digitized materials); however, in no case will the delay period be greater than three (3) years. In most cases, the delay period mentioned in C.1.1.2.B will start on the date the digitized materials are delivered to the Library. A start date for the delay period should be proposed by the Contractor, see L.4.3, may be subject to negotiation, and will be specified in the Project Plan, see F.3.1. C.2 DESCRIPTION OF MATERIALS The Contractor shall convert original materials in support of projects at the Library of Congress. The Library will initiate all work by issuing an award to a Contractor for a specific project, which will specify: the materials to be digitized, technical requirements, material handling requirements, schedule of key events, key personnel, and deliverables. C.2.1 CONTENT SPECIFICS The content to be digitized falls into two broad categories still image materials and audio-visual materials. The Library may provide under this contract unbound and/or bound materials whose physical condition will vary widely. A. Still image content includes materials such as: i. photographic negatives and transparencies; generally of continuous tone, either grayscale or color. Viewed by transmitted light. ii. visual/pictorial items (photographs, prints, drawings, maps), many with continuous tone images (and occasional halftones). Viewed by reflected light. iii. Textual and illustrated printed matter (books, journals, manuscripts, maps, catalog cards). Textual materials may include documents on microfilm or microfiche. B. Audio-visual materials include sound and visual recordings on a variety of media. C.2.2 PROJECT CATEGORIES C.2.2.1 Library-Identified Projects The Library may identify projects with specific materials relating to Library priorities or general interest by a service unit for digitization. In such cases, the Library will post the list of projects at http://www.loc.gov/about/business/thirdpartydig. Note: This list may be updated on a continuing basis as a result of contracts awarded or completed or changes in Library prioritization of projects.
C.2.2.2 Contractor-Identified Projects The Contractor may propose content not pre-identified by the Library. The Contractor shall provide a description of the specific materials, the scope of the project, and the estimated quantity of the collection within the Library. If a Contractor proposes a project involving materials that are under current copyright, the Contractor must supply a plan for obtaining the necessary rights clearances for such material along with the Contractors proposal. The Library will not be responsible for obtaining any rights clearances; therefore, proposals for the scanning of copyrighted materials that do not include a rights clearance plan will not be accepted. C.3 LOCATION OF DIGITIZATION Digitization of materials may be required to be performed on-site at the Library, due to the nature of the materials in the Librarys collections. The Librarys on-site locations include the main Library buildings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and the Librarys Packard Campus in Culpeper, Virginia. In certain circumstances, digitization may be permitted to be performed off-site. Location requirements will be determined on a project-specific basis. C.3.1 Contractor Facilities If digitization is performed off-site, the Contractor shall ensure that the facility where the materials will be housed or scanned has adequate security against theft, any physical damage, damage to data, vandalism, fire, flood, excessive heat, mold, rodent and insect infestation, and other environmental hazards. C.4 CONSERVATION TRAINING Prior to on-site and off-site scanning, the contractor must provide the Library with written assurance that its personnel have had training or prior experience in the appropriate handling and storage of original materials pertaining to all phases of the capture workflow. In all cases, staff members from the Library will provide further training to contractor scanning personnel. The contractor must provide supplemental assurances of training for any new contractor staff assigned during the course of a project, including obtaining training by Library staff prior to any handling of Library collections. C.5 HANDLING The Contractor must take great care in handling Library materials. No food or drink should be stored or ingested in areas designated for the scanning workflow where original Library material is being prepared for scanning, imaged or stored. C.6. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT/LIBRARY SPACE FOR ON-SITE DIGITIZATION For digitization projects performed on-site at the Library, the Library will provide adequate space for the required equipment, the safe scanning of Library material and operators on a project-specific basis. There will be access to a sufficient number of electrical outlets. All scanning equipment or equipment necessary to perform the digitization will be provided by the contractor. If special equipment is required for a Library-identified project, such equipment will be identified on the Librarys list of projects. Please note that contractor equipment cannot be connected to Library servers or networks. The Library will provide access to the collections materials identified for the project. The amount and type of other Library resources to be allocated to a specific project will be based on availability of resources. C.7 PREPARATION OF MATERIALS FOR SCANNING
C.7.1 The Library does not allow disbinding or destructive scanning of materials. The Library reserves the right to withdraw from a project any items that are found to be too fragile or otherwise unsuited for safe digitization. C.7.2. The Contractor is responsible for preparing materials and equipment for scanning. Preparation includes: A. reviewing bound volumes prior to scanning to i. determine whether there are missing/damaged pages and anomalies (e.g., foldouts, incorrect pagination) and report such information to the Library; ii. iii. ensure correct order; determine the presence and nature of illustrations, the page dimensions, and their physical condition; and
iv. determine if the binding is too restrictive for satisfactory image-capture, and report such information to the Library to determine further action. B. selecting appropriate scanning equipment that will not damage the physical volume or item while maintaining the guidelines for image capture (see D below); C. calibrating and maintaining systems to ensure accuracy and quality of digitization; maintain consistency of output; ensuring that scanning system is free of dust and other distorting particles; maintaining calibration through each shift; using appropriate tech-
nical targets and procedures; D. selecting scanning settings (resolution, threshold, bit depth, filters, screens, halftone treatments, page trim) for best image capture and recording these settings on an accompanying worksheet; E. i. ii. scanning material and accompanying technical targets following guidelines for image capture or digital conversion, such as -rendering the complete page (image should fill the scan area); maintaining proper image orientation (landscape, portrait);
iii. aligning page on scanner plate to ensure little or no skew and to preserve front to back registration for printing of paper copies from digital files (specify misregistration and skew tolerance); iv. reproducing the polarity of the original item (typically positive polarity; for photographic or micrographic negatives the polarity will be reversed to produce a positive image); v. checking for aliasing or other distortions, including moir and applying special treatments to eliminate or minimize their effects; vi. utilizing special handling methods when necessary (e.g., no use of auto document handlers, no face-down scanning of bound volumes, etc.); vii. viii. ix. reporting and discussing any problem images or files that cannot be captured to meet benchmark specifications; inspecting film intermediates for quality and consistency; and post-processing digital images (cropping, deskewing, despeckling, image rotation) or files.
C.8 DIGITIZATION STANDARDS While the technical requirements may vary for projects involving unusual materials, digitization requirements will be driven by the most current version of the information capture (sampling rate, tone/amplitude resolution, encoding, etc.), quality guidelines, and content categories and digitization objectives recommended by the Still Image and Audio-Visual Working Groups of the Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative (FADGI). The most current guidelines are available at the following web site: http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov. All projects must meet appropriate minimum levels for information capture and digital conversion quality for collections being digitized. For all still images projects, at a minimum, digital scanners or cameras shall meet imagining performance specifications at the two-star performance level as defined by FADGI. C.9 METADATA REQUIREMENTS The Contractor shall coherently and logically name and number all files to be delivered to the Library. The Contractor shall provide core metadata sufficient to identify and retrieve digitized materials, which always includes image-level metadata and may include technical level metadata. In addition, the Contractor shall provide information such as creation date and size of digitized files. (Guidelines pertaining to embedded metadata are available at http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov.) Machine-readable metadata shall be delivered in the format appropriate to the items converted. C.10 PROJECT PLAN AND WORKFLOW The Contractor will supply a project plan for the conversion of the materials within two weeks of the contract award and in accordance with section F. To track data and file integrity, the Library will require the Contractor to create checksums as part of the conversion workflow. Checksums may be required at the bitstream, file, or batch level. The checksum algorithm and application of checksums will be specified by the Library on a project basis. Digitized content and associated metadata will be delivered as agreed to by the Contractor and the Library. C.11 ACCESS COPIES In addition to the required digital copy suitable for the Librarys archival purposes, the Library prefers to receive an additional copy in an alternate digital format for purposes of providing access to Library patrons. C.12 QUALITY REVIEW The Contractor shall propose a full quality management plan, addressing quality assurance and quality control for both digital copies and metadata being produced. The Contractor will perform quality review of the digitized content to ensure that for digital images each page is fully rendered, properly aligned and ordered, and for all digital content that it is free of distortions and named to reflect
the correct sequence of the original material. The Contractor will perform quality review of the metadata corresponding to the content to ensure that information is complete and accurate. The Contractor guarantees that the image or file quality will meet the agreed upon specifications or will be corrected. C.13 PROJECT MANAGEMENT The Contractor shall designate a Project Manager to oversee the management and execution of this contract. The Project Manager will serve as the Contractors point of contact with the Library in coordinating required conversion efforts, managing resources, researching and engaging appropriate subcontractors and vendors, verifying deliverables, status reporting, problem resolution and reporting on periodic progress.
Section D - Continuation Sheet D Packaging and Marking SECTION D: PACKAGING AND MARKING D.1 SHIPMENT OF MATERIALS D.1.1 Packing and Control of Library Materials for Off-site Projects For off-site scanning projects, the Contractor is responsible for pick-up of materials from the Library. Library materials shipped offsite shall be placed in appropriate containers or housings that will not be physically or chemically damaging to the Librarys collection material. The Library will provide the contractor with container or housing specifications. The Contractor will be responsible for sorting and packing materials as agreed upon with the Library. The responsible party will create an item-level manifest of each box. Because Library materials require care in shipping and handling, Contractor staff may be instructed by Library staff regarding packing procedures. Work may be spot checked for accuracy and appropriateness. For each shipment of Library materials the Contractor delivers to its own or leased facilities and which are redelivered to the Library, the Contractor shall submit the item-level manifest to the Library prior to shipment and prior to return of the materials. All packing materials should be stored in a clean and dry environment if they are going to be used to return materials to the Library. D.1.2 Shipment of Original Library Materials for Off-site Projects The Contractor is responsible for shipping the materials to and from the off-site location where they will be digitized by the Contractor and all shipping costs under this contract. Library materials are covered by the Government Losses in Shipment Act, 40 U.S.C. 17301, et seq., during transit to and from the Library. The contractor will be responsible for insuring Library materials in accordance with section H. during the period the materials are off-site and not in transit. Shipments to and from the Library shall be made via carriers and conveyances approved by the Library. During transportation the material shall remain in the custody of Contractor staff or a representative of the Contractor. Depending on the value of the items(s) to be scanned offsite, a Library staff member may be assigned to accompany the material to and from the Contractor facility. Library staff may spot check items for problems prior to return to avoid introducing insects, vermin, mold or other contaminants into the Library. D.1.3 Contractor Receipt of Materials The Contractor is responsible for communicating to the Library any discrepancies in the packing manifests or condition of the originals before proceeding with digitization. D.2 SHIPMENT/DELIVERY OF CONTRACT DELIVERABLES The Contractor is responsible for transferring the digital files, metadata, and any access copies of the digitized materials to the Library as well as for all costs associated with the delivery. The Contractor may transfer the digital content and accompanying metadata to the Library through an electronic process (as outlined in a project plan workflow) or, when content and metadata cannot be electronically transferred, through the delivery of physical disks or drives containing the digital content and metadata. When deliverables cannot be electronically transferred or hand carried to the Library, the physical delivery media containing the digital content shall be packed in labeled cartons in accordance with the Librarys instructions in section D.1. Physical disks or drives delivered to the Library will be returned to the Contractor at the Contractors expense. The Library reserves the right to specify the length of time that materials can be held offsite. The Contractor shall adhere to a regular and orderly return schedule for all Library collection materials. Normally the return of collections will follow deliveries of corresponding digital content that have been accepted by the Library.
In the event that the Library requires access to original collection material held at the Contractors facility, the Contractor will arrange for its immediate safe return through a mechanism acceptable to the Library. The Contractor will be responsible for those special return costs. All deliveries of digital files need to be made in accordance with the schedule in section F. D.3. SHIPPING IDENTIFICATION All shipments, including drop shipments, must be identified with shipping vendors name, address and vendor identification number of business concern and the Library of Congress contract number, if applicable.
Section E - Continuation Sheet E Inspection and Acceptance SECTION E: INSPECTION AND ACCEPTANCE E.1 INSPECTION OF CONTRACTOR FACILITIES The Library reserves the right to have authorized Library staff inspect the Contractors facilities prior to or during digitization. Areas that may be inspected include work and storage areas, whether these areas are located at the Contractor site or on Library premises. Inspection issues include but are not limited to temperature, relative humidity, insects, vermin, mold, light levels of the overhead lights and scanning equipment, storage equipment, levels of particulates or volatile organic compounds, food services, security, fire protection, and equivalent issues. E.2 QUALITY REVIEW OF DELIVERABLES The Contracting Officer Representative will perform inspection and acceptance of materials and services to be performed under this contract. The services performed and deliverables provided shall be of the professional level and reflect expertise commensurate with standard commercial or industrial practice for activities of those required under this contract and shall be suitable for their intended purposes. Acceptance will be measured against fulfillment of the contract requirements. The Library will require thirty (30) days to perform inspections and confirm acceptance. The thirty day period will begin the day deliverables are received by the Library. In the event of rejection of any deliverable, the Contractor shall be notified in writing and shall have ten (10) working days from the date of notification to correct the deficiencies and resubmit the deliverable. E.3 INSPECTION OF ORIGINAL MATERIALS Additionally, the Library will inspect the physical condition of original Library collection materials after scanning on a schedule to be determined by the Library. E.4 CONTRACTOR INSPECTION The Contractor will be responsible for day-to-day inspection and monitoring of work performed to ensure compliance with the contract requirements.
Section F - Continuation Sheet F Deliveries or Performance SECTION F: DELIVERIES OR PERFORMANCE F.1 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The Contractor shall provide a project plan that details the performance and delivery schedule in accordance with the requirements listed in the Statement of Work (section C) and F.3.1. The schedule for performance of the digitization and final delivery is incorporated into this section. The period of performance for this contract is _____ (to be determined at time of award). F.2 PLACE OF PERFORMANCE
Place of performance may be the Library or the Contractors facility. Work performed on-site at the Library, will normally be done at one of the following locations: Library of Congress 101 Independence Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20540 Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation Library of Congress Packard Campus 19053 Mount Pony Road Culpeper, VA 22701-7551 F.3 DELIVERABLES
F.3.1 Project Plan. In accordance with C.10, the Contractor will provide a project plan to the COR that identifies the project schedule and workflow, including: (a) a schedule for retrieval and return of materials, if on-site, or delivery and return of the materials, if off-site; (b) a plan and schedule for digitization; (c) a plan and schedule for delivery of the digitized copies and associated metadata; (d) a schedule for delivery of access copies of the digitized materials, if necessary; and (e) a plan for any service (e.g., database or subscription services) that will result from the Contractors use of the digitization project. F.3.2. Reporting. On a monthly basis, the Contractor will provide status updates to the COR containing information on the project status, including the number of images or works digitized during the month and cumulatively since the start of the contract and listing any problems encountered during the month. Information will also include any issues related to the physical condition of the original materials. F.3.3 plan. Copy of the Digitized Materials. The Contractor will provide copies of the digitized materials in accordance with the project
F.3.4 Metadata. The Contractor will provide associated metadata for the digitized materials to the Library in accordance with the project plan. F.3.5 Access Copies of Digitized Materials. The Contractor may provide access copies of the digitized materials to the Library.
F.3.6 Access to database or system utilizing digitized content. At the conclusion of the project, the Contractor agrees to provide the Library with free or discounted access to the database or (subscription-based) system incorporating the digitized content of the Librarys materials. F.3.7 Attribution. The Contractor must provide the following notice prominently displayed in connection with the presentation of the digitized content: From the collections of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. F.4. FAR CONTRACT CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE The following contract clause from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 C.F.R. chapter 1) is pertinent to this section and hereby included by reference: FAR 52.242-15 AUG 1989 Stop Work Order
Section G - Continuation Sheet G Contract Administration Data SECTION G: CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION G.1 CONTRACTING OFFICER (CO) G.1.1 The CO for this contract is Vidya Vish. The CO is the only person authorized to issue amendments and modifications to the solicitation/contract or approve changes in any of the requirements under the solicitation/contract. Notwithstanding any clause/provision contained elsewhere in this contract, the authority to modify the contract remains solely with the CO. If the Contractor makes any contract changes at the direction of any person other than the CO, the change will be considered to have been made without authority and no adjustment will be made in the contract. The CO (or his designee) has the authority to perform any and all post-award
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functions in administering and enforcing the contract in accordance with its terms and conditions. G.1.2 The Contractor shall submit any requests for modification of this contract to the CO with a copy of the request to the appointed Contracting Officer Representative. G.1.3 Contracting problems of any nature that may arise during the life of the contract must be handled in conformance with very specific public laws and regulations. Only the CO is authorized to formally resolve such problems. Therefore, the Contractor shall bring unresolved contractual problems to the immediate attention of the CO. G.2 CONTRACTING OFFICER REPRESENTATIVE (COR) G.2.1 The COR for this contract is _________ (to be provided upon award). The COR will be responsible for technical administration of the contract. The responsibilities of the COR include, but are not limited to: (a) Developing the technical requirements; (b) Evaluating Contractor submissions and deliverables for technical sufficiency; (c) Providing technical direction to the Contractor during the performance of this contract to assist in accomplishing the SOW; (d) Monitoring the Contractors performance under the contract to ensure compliance with the contract terms and conditions; (e) Inspecting and accepting all deliverables; and (f) Advising the CO of any factors that may cause delay in performance of the work. G.2.2 Technical direction must be within the scope of the contracts SOW. The COR does not have the authority to issue technical direction which: (a) Institutes additional work outside the scope of the contract; (b) Constitutes a change; (c) Alters the period of performance; or (d) Changes any of the other express terms or conditions of the contract. G.2.3 Technical direction will be issued in writing by the COR or confirmed by him/her in writing within five (5) calendar days after verbal issuance. G.2.4 The COR shall provide no supervisory or technical instructional direction to the Contractors personnel. G.3 FAR CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE The following contract clause from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 C.F.R. chapter 1) is pertinent to this section and hereby included by reference: FAR 52.243-1 AUG 1987 Changes -- Fixed-Price, Alternate 1 (APR 1984)
G.4 NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES (a) Definitions. Contracting Officer, as used in this clause, does not include any representative of the Contracting Officer. (b) Notice. The primary purpose of this clause is to obtain prompt reporting of Government conduct that the Contractor considers constitutes a change to this contract. Except for changes identified as such in writing and signed by the Contracting Officer, the Contractor shall notify the Contracting Officer in writing promptly, within fifteen (15) calendar days from the date that the Contractor identifies any Government conduct (including actions, inactions, and written or oral communications) that the Contractor regards as a change to the contract terms and conditions. On the basis of the most accurate information available to the Contractor, the notice shall state -(1) The date, nature, and circumstances of the conduct regarded as a change; (2) The name, function, and activity of each Government individual and Contractor official or employee involved in or knowledgeable about such conduct; (3) The identification of any documents and the substance of any oral communication involved in such conduct; (4) In the instance of alleged acceleration of scheduled performance or delivery, the basis upon which it arose; and (5) The Contractors estimate of the time by which the Government must respond to the Contractors notice to minimize delay or disruption of performance. (c) Continued performance. Following submission of the notice required by (b) above, the Contractor shall diligently continue performance of this contract to the maximum extent possible in accordance with its terms and conditions as construed by the Contractor, unless the notice reports a direction of the Contracting Officer or a communication from the Contracting Officer, in either of which events the Contractor shall continue performance; provided, however, that if the Contractor regards the direction or communication as a change as described in (b) above, notice shall be given in the manner provided. (d) Government response. The Contracting Officer shall promptly, within fifteen (15) calendar days after receipt of notice, respond to the notice in writing. In responding, the Contracting Officer shall either (1) Confirm that the conduct of which the Contractor gave notice constitutes a change and when necessary direct the mode of further performance;
(2) Countermand any communication regarded as a change; (3) Deny that the conduct of which the Contractor gave notice constitutes a change and when necessary direct the mode of further performance; or (4) In the event the Contractors notice information is inadequate to make a decision under (1), (2), or (3) above, advise the Contractor what additional information is required, and establish the date by which it should be furnished and the date thereafter by which the Government will respond. G.5 SUBCONTRACT CONSENT Notice and consent of the Contracting Officer is required for subcontracting both prior to and after award. No subcontracts shall be entered into until it has been determined by the Contracting Officer that the proposed subcontracted deliverable meets all of the requirements of this contract.
Section H - Continuation Sheet H Special Contract Requirements SECTION H: SPECIAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS H.1 INTERPRETATION OF CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS No interpretation of any provisions of this contract, including applicable specifications, shall be binding on the Library unless furnished or agreed to in writing by the CO. H.2 CONTRACTOR COMMITMENTS, WARRANTIES, REPRESENTATIONS Any written commitment by the Contractor within the scope of this contract shall be binding upon the Contractor. Failure of the Contractor to fulfill any such commitment shall be cause for the Library to render the Contractor liable under the default provisions for damages due to the Library, under the terms of this contract. For the purpose of this contract, a written commitment by the Contractor is limited to the proposal submitted by the Contractor, and to specific written amendments to its proposal. Written commitments by the Contractor are further defined as including: (1) any warranty or representation made by the Contractor in a proposal as to performance and (2) any warranty or representation made by the Contractor described in (1) above, made in any literature descriptions, drawings, or specifications accompanying or referred to in a proposal. H3. USE OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS NAME OR CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP IN ADVERTISING
The Contractor shall have the right to commercialize and market access to their copy of the Library materials. However, the Contractor agrees not to refer to awards from or contracts with the Library of Congress in commercial advertising in such a manner as to state or imply that the product or service provided is endorsed or preferred by the Library or is superior to other products or services. The Contractor also agrees not to distribute or release any information that states or implies that the Library of Congress endorses the Contractors product or service. In addition, no news releases pertaining to this contract shall be made without prior agency approval by the CO, COR and the Librarys Director of Communications. H.4 PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS H.4.1 General (A) The personnel employed by the Contractor shall be capable employees qualified in this type of work. The Contractor shall be responsible for all damage to Library property by the activities of his employees resulting from these operations. The CO may require removal from work on this contract any employee(s) that may be deemed incompetent, careless, insubordinate, unsuitable, or otherwise objectionable, or whose continued employment is deemed contrary to the public interest or inconsistent with the best interest of or the security of the Library. (B) Personnel provided under this contract shall not be under pending charges, shall not have been convicted of any felony within the last 10 years, or any misdemeanor within 5 years (excepting minor motor vehicle infractions for which the individual paid a fine or posted collateral in the amount of $300 or less), which indicate violent or disruptive conduct, dishonest conduct, untrustworthiness or unreliability which could reasonably affect performance on the contract or pose a security concern with respect to access to Library buildings or grounds, property or collections. Note that the term conviction would include a disposition of probation or probation before judgment. (C) Should any person employed by the contractor to perform work under this contract be convicted of any of the aforesaid offenses, the contractor agrees to remove the individual from the contract performance and return all Library building and stack passes issued to the individual. The contractor also agrees to remove from the contract performance any individual under pending charges for any felony or misdemeanor with the exceptions noted above until such time as the final disposition is known.
(D) Upon request of the Library, the Contractor shall identify personnel to be assigned to work under the contract and submit a FD258 (contractor fingerprint chart) and any other necessary administrative forms provided by the Library so that a background check may be conducted. The Contractor agrees that the Library has final authority to determine the suitability of Contractor personnel who perform work under this contract. The fact that the Library may conduct background checks on assigned contractor personnel in accordance with section H.5. does not relieve the Contractor of the responsibility to provide qualified, reliable personnel of sound character and conduct. H.4.2 Key Personnel (A) Certain skilled professional and/or technical personnel are essential for successful contractor accomplishment of the work to be performed under this contract. These are defined as Key Personnel and the Contractor shall provide rsums for such persons, which will be used in the evaluation of the proposal. The Contractor shall take necessary steps to ensure that the Contractor personnel selected to work under this contract are professionally and personally reliable, of reputable background and sound character, and possess the training and experience necessary to perform the contract requirements. The Contractor agrees that key personnel shall not be removed from the contract work or replaced without compliance with paragraphs (B) and (C) hereof. (B) If one or more of the key personnel for whatever reason becomes, or is expected to become, unavailable for work under this contract for a continuous period exceeding thirty (30) work days, or is expected to devote substantially less effort to the work than indicated in the proposal or initially anticipated, the contractor shall immediately notify the CO or the COR and shall, subject to the concurrence of the CO or COR, promptly replace such personnel with personnel of at least substantially equal ability and qualifications. (C) All requests for approval of substitutions hereunder must be in writing and provide a detailed explanation of the circumstances necessitating the proposed substitutions. They must contain a complete rsum for the proposed substitute, and any other information requested by the CO or needed by him to approve or disapprove the proposed substitution. The CO or COR will evaluate such requests and promptly notify the contractor of his approval or disapproval thereof in writing. (D) If the CO determines that suitable and timely replacement of key personnel who have been reassigned, terminated or have otherwise become unavailable for the contract work is not reasonably forthcoming or that the resultant reduction of productive effort would be so substantial as to impair the successful completion of the contract or the services ordered, the contract may be terminated by the Library for default or for the convenience of the Government, as appropriate. H.4.3 Conflict of Interest As a necessary condition for entering into this agreement, the Contractor is hereby assuring the Library that to the best of its knowledge and judgment, there are no real or apparent conflicts of interest (associational, financial, or otherwise) which affect the Contractors ability to perform this assignment in an objective, unbiased manner. H.5 SECURITY REQUIREMENTS H.5.1 Adherence to Library Security Procedures All Contractor personnel on-site at the Library shall fully comply with established building security procedures, including use of designated entrances and display of an identification pass, which will be provided by the Library. Additional arrangements for contractor access to workspace will be provided by the Library. The Library identification pass, any Library keys, and other Library property must be returned when Contractor personnel cease working under this contract and/or leave the employment of the Contractor. H.5.2 Background Checks for On-site Contractors Contractor personnel working on-site at the Library may be required to complete the Library background check. The background check will be conducted once the Contractor personnel have begun work and will not delay the starting date. Any Contractor personnel who fail the background check must immediately be removed from the contract. H.5.3 Collections Security. The Library is a public institution responsible for making its resources (collections and staff) available to the Congress and the American people. To achieve a balance between access and security, the Library requires everyone (staff, visitors, interns, contractors, etc.), to always use due diligence and protect its assets during use. Physical access to Library collections generally is limited to staff and/or determined by the custodial Library office; however, access to the materials identified in the SOW will be provided to the Contractor as detailed in section C. Under special circumstances, the Contractor shall return specific works or materials in its possession for digitizing purposes, as identified on a case by case basis, to the Library within forty-eight (48) hours, when needed for essential research purposes. H.5.4 Physical Security. Access to Library buildings and grounds is governed by the provisions of Library of Congress Regulations, Series 1800. Employees and non-employees must comply with these and any other requirements and restrictions which the Library, or a sub-element of it, may impose. All internal loans of Library property for the purposes of completing this contract must be approved by the host Library office. H.6 TITLE AND RISK /INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS H.6.1 Liability for Library Property Use or loan of all Library property and signature on this contract means that the Contractor acknowledges and agrees to: (a) return all U.S. Government items and property issued in the same condition as borrowed; (b) accept responsibility and liability for the negligent
loss or damage of issued or borrowed Library property; and (c) use the loaned property for Library purposes and not loan such property to any other person. Risk of loss or damage shall remain with the Contractor during the entire period of the Contractors custody of the materials. However, the Contractor shall not be liable for damage to or loss of Library materials while they are in the custody of Contractor personnel on Library premises if such damage or loss is due to circumstances that are clearly out of the Contractors control, such as a fire or a water leak in a Library building or acts of God. For all work under this contract, the Contractor is liable for up to and not to exceed either the value of the collection or $1 million aggregate, whichever is less. For contractor proposed projects, the Library will provide the contractor with the applicable value of the collection prior to award. If additional insurance or special risk coverage is required for a specific project, the Library will provide an estimate of the value of the proposed items to be scanned. If the Contractor damages or loses Library materials under this contract, the Library will assess the value of the damaged goods and will coordinate with the Contractor for compensation. After replacement or repair has been completed, the Library may or may not allow the material(s) to be scanned. The Contractor shall, at its own expense, provide and maintain during the entire performance of this contract, the necessary insurance required to cover such liability. Before commencing work under this contract, the Contractor shall notify the CO in writing that the required insurance has been obtained. The policies evidencing required insurance shall contain an endorsement to the effect that any cancellation or any material change adversely affecting the Governments interest shall not be effective (1) for such period as the laws of the State in which this contract is to be performed prescribe or (2) until thirty days after the insurer or the Contractor gives written notice to the Contracting Officer, whichever period is longer. H.6.2 Special Circumstances Loss and Damage H.6.2.1 Loss of Materials in Whole or in Part The following apply during off-site and on-site scanning, while materials are being transported and are otherwise in Contractor custody. H.6.2.1.1 Items That Are Unique The Library may charge the Contractor full replacement value, up to the limits specified in H.6.1, by determining the value of the item and then agreeing that the Contractor purchase for the Librarys collections a like-kind item equivalent in value and importance. The Contractor must identify for the Library the item(s) proposed for purchase including its cost and provenance. The Library must then approve the purchase and subsequent actions. H.6.2.1.2 Items for Which Another Copy Can be Purchased The Contractor shall identify copies that can be acquired and provide such information about the item(s) to the Library. The Library must approve the purchase, but the Contractor will acquire the material and reimburse the Library in-kind. H.6.2.1.3 Items That Can Be Replaced Through Reproduction If the copy furnished to the Contractor is lost or destroyed, and if another copy is held by the Library or when a copy can be borrowed from another institution, that copy will be used to produce a replacement. The Contractor shall pay for the cost of creating a new copy to Library specifications. H.6.2.2 Damage to Materials in Part or in Whole. Library staff will provide training, guidance, and oversight during scanning, to preclude damage to Library materials in part or in whole. When damage to materials occurs during scanning, or at any time when materials are held by the Contractor, the Contractor shall be liable for the damage and the cost of repair or replacement. When damage occurs to materials, the Library will determine whether repair shall be executed by Library staff or by the Contractor through a Library-approved conservation contractor. If the Library elects to execute the repair itself, then the Contractor will be responsible for the costs of repair. If the Library elects to have the Contractor repair the materials, the Library must approve the individual and/or company that will perform the repairs and the remediation plan prior to any work being done. After the Library reviews the information and approves the individual and/or company, the Contractor shall be responsible for engaging the individual and/or company and shall be responsible directly to the subcontractor for all costs associated with such repairs. H.7 HANDLING SPECIAL ISSUES Under exceptional circumstances, the Library may consider making available materials that are fragile, which will require the Contractor to observe special handling requirements. In such situations, the Contractor shall perform the digital conversion with experts who specialize in the digitization of various types of cultural heritage originals such as bound and unbound paper documents, still and moving images, microfilmed documents, and sound recordings and who have experience handling and digitizing rare and fragile materials. The final outcome shall be digital object files that encode the specified aspects of the original item without damage to the original. If a project involves cellulose nitrate, then special handling is required, because cellulose nitrate is defined as a Class 4.1 Flammable Solid, a hazardous material. The Contractor shall handle cellulose nitrate materials in accordance with all prevailing federal, state, and local laws and regulations that govern the handling, packaging, and transporting of hazardous materials referred to by the hazardous materials table (172.101) within the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) at title 48 as Film, nitrocellulose base, gelatin coated (except scrap), Hazard Class 4.1 flammable solid, identification number UN1324.
H.8 DATA RIGHTS The Contractor shall not claim copyright in the digitized copies of the original Library materials. The Contractor may assert copyright in independent, creative elements that it may add to the original materials. Nothing in this contract constrains or otherwise affects the Librarys right to apply copyright exceptions or limitations to the use of the materials, including but not limited to fair use (17 U.S.C. 107). With respect to the core metadata and other data produced under this contract, FAR clause 52.227-17, Data Rights Special Works (DEC 2007), applies. H.9 NOTIFICATION OF DISBARMENT/SUSPENSION STATUS The Contractor shall provide immediate notice to the Contracting Officer in the event of being suspended, debarred, or declared ineligible by any Department or other Federal Agency or upon receipt of a notice of proposed debarment from another Government Agency during performance of this contract. H.10 FAR CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE The following contract clauses from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 C.F.R. chapter 1) are pertinent to this section and hereby included by reference: FAR 52.245-1 FAR 52.245-9 FAR 52.227-17 AUG 2010 APR 2012 DEC 2007 Government Property, Alternate I Uses and Charges Data Rights Special Works
Section I - Continuation Sheet I Contract Clauses SECTION I. CONTRACT CLAUSES I.1 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS UNIQUE TO GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS The Contractor agrees to comply with 31 U.S.C. 1352 relating to limitations on the use of appropriated funds to influence certain Federal contracts; 18 U.S.C. 431 relating to officials not to benefit; 40 U.S.C. 3701, et seq., Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act; 41 U.S.C. 8701-8707, Anti-Kickback Act of 1986; 41 U.S.C. 4705 relating to whistleblower protections; Section 1553 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, relating to whistleblower protections for contracts funded under that Act; 49 U.S.C. 40118, Fly American; 41 U.S.C. 2101-2107 relating to procurement integrity; and applicable Library of Congress regulations implementing such provisions. I.2. FAR CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE The following clauses from the Federal Acquisition Regulation (48 C.F.R. Chapter 1) are hereby incorporated by reference. The full text of a clause may be accessed electronically at http://www.acquisition.gov/far. Upon request, the CO may make their full text available. 52.233-3 52.233-4 52.242-13 AUG 1996 OCT 2004 JUL 1995 Protest After Award Applicable Law for Breach of Contract Claim Bankruptcy
I.3 LOC. 52.233-1 DISPUTES (FEB 2008) (A) This contract is subject to the Contract Disputes Act of 1978 as modified by Section 1501 of Title I of Division H of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-161, 121 Stat 2249 (2008). (B) All disputes arising under or relating to this contract shall be resolved under this clause. (C) Claim, as used in this clause, means a written demand or written assertion by one of the contracting parties seeking, as a matter of right, the payment of money in a sum certain, the adjustment or interpretation of contract terms, or other relief arising under or relating to this contract. However, a written demand or written assertion by the Contractor seeking the payment of money exceeding $50,000 is not a claim until certified. A voucher, invoice, or other routine request for payment that is not in dispute when submitted is not a claim. The submission may be converted to a claim, by complying with the submission and certification requirements of this clause, if it is disputed either as to liability or amount or is not acted upon in a reasonable time.
(D) (1) A claim by the Contractor shall be made in writing and, unless otherwise stated in this contract, submitted within 6 years after accrual of the claim to the Contracting Officer for a written decision. A claim by the Government against the Contractor shall be subject to a written decision by the Contracting Officer. (2) (i) The contractor shall provide the certification specified in paragraph (d)(2)(iii) of this clause when submitting any claim exceeding $50,000. (ii) The certification requirement does not apply to issues in controversy that have not been submitted as all or part of a claim. (iii) The certification shall state as follows: I certify that the claim is made in good faith; that the supporting data are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge and belief; that the amount requested accurately reflects the contract adjustment for which the Contractor believes the Government is liable; and that I am duly authorized to certify the claim on behalf of the Contractor. (3) The certification may be executed by any person duly authorized to bind the Contractor with respect to the claim. (E) For Contractor claims of $50,000 or less, the Contracting Officer must, if requested in writing by the Contractor, render a decision within 60 days of the request. For Contractor-certified claims over $50,000, the Contracting Officer must, within 60 days, decide the claim or notify the Contractor of the date by which the decision will be made. (F) The decision of the Contracting Officer shall be final and conclusive unless, the Contractor appeals, within 90 days of receipt of a Contracting Officers decision, to the Government Accountability Office Contract Appeals Board, 441 G Street N.W., Room 7182, Washington, D.C. 20548. Facsimile: 202-512-9749; E-Mail: CAB@gao.gov. (G) Interest Penalty. Claims shall not be assessed interest penalty. (H) The Contractor shall proceed diligently with performance of this contract, pending final resolution of any request for relief, claim, appeal, or action arising under the contract, and comply with any decision of the Contracting Officer. I.4 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS The Library is seeking contractors at no-cost to digitize Library collection materials; therefore, funds will not be made available for this contract. Although the Library may allocate resources to facilitate certain aspects of this contract, the Government assumes no legal liability for direct payments to the Contractor. I.5 TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE OR CAUSE I.5.1 Termination for Government Convenience. The Library reserves the right to terminate this contract, or any part hereof, for its sole convenience. In the event of such termination, the Contractor shall stop all work hereunder and shall immediately cause any and all its suppliers and subcontractors to cease work and agrees to return all property provided by the Government within ten (10) days of notification by the Contracting Officer. Due to the no-cost nature of the contract vehicle, the government does not owe the contractor any amounts due if the contract is terminated for either convenience or cause. I.5.2 Termination for Cause. The Library may terminate this contract, or any part hereof, for cause in the event of any default by the Contractor, or if the Contractor fails to comply with any contract terms and conditions, or fails to provide the Government, upon request, with adequate assurances of future performance. In the event of termination for cause, the Government shall not be liable to the Contractor for any amount for supplies or services not accepted and the Contractor shall be liable to the Government for any and all rights and remedies provided by law. If it is determined that the Government improperly terminated this contract for default, such termination shall be deemed a termination for convenience.
Section K - Continuation Sheet K Representations SECTION K. REPRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, AND OTHER STATEMENTS OF OFFERORS K.1 52.204-3 OCT 1998 Taxpayer Identification (a) Definitions. Common parent, as used in this provision, means that corporate entity that owns or controls an affiliated group of corporations that files its Federal income tax returns on a consolidated basis, and of which the offeror is a member. Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), as used in this provision, means the number required by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to be used by the offeror in reporting income tax and other returns. The TIN may be either a Social Security Number or an Employer
Identification Number. (b) All offerors must submit the information required in paragraphs (d) through (f) of this provision to comply with debt collection requirements of 31 U.S.C. 7701(c) and 3325(d), reporting requirements of 26 U.S.C. 6041, 6041A, and 6050M, and implementing regulations issued by the IRS. If the resulting contract is subject to the payment reporting requirements described in Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 4.904, the failure or refusal by the offeror to furnish the information may result in a 31 percent reduction of payments otherwise due under the contract. (c) The TIN may be used by the Government to collect and report on any delinquent amounts arising out of the offerors relationship with the Government (31 U.S.C. 7701(c)(3)). If the resulting contract is subject to the payment reporting requirements described in FAR 4.904, the TIN provided hereunder may be matched with IRS records to verify the accuracy of the offerors TIN. (d) Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN). ( ) TIN: _____________________ ( ) TIN has been applied for. ( ) TIN is not required because: ( ) Offeror is a nonresident alien, foreign corporation, or foreign partnership that does not have income effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States and does not have an office or place of business or a fiscal paying agent in the United States; ( ) Offeror is an agency or instrumentality of a foreign government; ( )Offeror is an agency or instrumentality of the Federal Government. (e) Type of organization. ( )Sole proprietorship; ( ) Partnership; ( ) Corporate entity (not tax-exempt); ( ) Corporate entity (tax-exempt); ( ) Government entity (Federal, State, or local); ( ) Foreign government; ( ) International organization per 26 CFR 1.60494; ( ) Other (f) Common parent. ( ) Offeror is not owned or controlled by a common parent as defined in paragraph (a) of this provision. ( ) Name and TIN of common parent: Name____________________ TIN____________________ K.2 Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) Number. Offerors DUNS identification number is: ___________________. (Insert number if registered with Dun and Bradstreet.) K.3 52.209-5 APR 2010 Certification Regarding Responsibility Matters (a)(1) The Offeror certifies, to the best of its knowledge and belief, that (i) The Offeror and/or any of its Principals (A) Are ( ) are not ( ) presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, or declared ineligible for the award of contracts by any Federal agency; (B) Have ( ) have not ( ), within a three-year period preceding this offer, been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for: commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) contract or subcontract; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes relating to the submission of offers; or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, tax evasion, violating Federal criminal tax laws, or receiving stolen property (if offeror checks have, the offeror shall also see 52.2097, if included in this solicitation); (C) Are ( ) are not ( ) presently indicted for, or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity with, commission of any of the offenses enumerated in subdivision (a)(1)(i)(B) of this provision; and (D) Have ( ), have not ( ) ,within a three-year period preceding this offer, been notified of any delinquent Federal taxes in an amount that exceeds $3,000 for which the liability remains unsatisfied. (1) Federal taxes are considered delinquent if both of the following criteria apply: (i) The tax liability is finally determined. The liability is finally determined if it has been assessed. A liability is not finally determined if there is a pending administrative or judicial challenge. In the case of a judicial challenge to the liability, the liability is not finally determined until all judicial appeal rights have been exhausted. (ii) The taxpayer is delinquent in making payment. A taxpayer is delinquent if the taxpayer has failed to pay the tax liability when full payment was due and required. A taxpayer is not delinquent in cases where enforced collection action is precluded. (2) Examples. (i) The taxpayer has received a statutory notice of deficiency, under I.R.C. 6212, which entitles the taxpayer to seek Tax Court review of a proposed tax deficiency. This is not a delinquent tax because it is not a final tax liability. Should the taxpayer seek Tax Court review, this will not be a final tax liability until the taxpayer has exercised all judicial appeal rights. (ii) The IRS has filed a notice of Federal tax lien with respect to an assessed tax liability, and the taxpayer has been issued a notice under I.R.C. 6320 entitling the taxpayer to request a hearing with the IRS Office of Appeals contesting the lien filing, and to further ap-
peal to the Tax Court if the IRS determines to sustain the lien filing. In the course of the hearing, the taxpayer is entitled to contest the underlying tax liability because the taxpayer has had no prior opportunity to contest the liability. This is not a delinquent tax because it is not a final tax liability. Should the taxpayer seek tax court review, this will not be a final tax liability until the taxpayer has exercised all judicial appeal rights. (iii) The taxpayer has entered into an installment agreement pursuant to I.R.C. 6159. The taxpayer is making timely payments and is in full compliance with the agreement terms. The taxpayer is not delinquent because the taxpayer is not currently required to make full payment. (iv) The taxpayer has filed for bankruptcy protection. The taxpayer is not delinquent because enforced collection action is stayed under 11 U.S.C. 362 (the Bankruptcy Code). (ii) The Offeror has ( ) has not ( ), within a 3-year period preceding this offer, had one or more contracts terminated for default by any Federal agency. (2) Principal, for the purposes of this certification, means an officer, director, owner, partner, or a person having primary management or supervisory responsibilities within a business entity (e.g., general manager; plant manager; head of a division or business segment; and similar positions). (b) The Offeror shall provide immediate written notice to the Contracting Officer if, at any time prior to contract award, the Offeror learns that its certification was erroneous when submitted or has become erroneous by reason of changed circumstances. (c) A certification that any of the items in paragraph (a) of this provision exists will not necessarily result in withholding of an award under this solicitation. However, the certification will be considered in connection with a determination of the Offeror's responsibility. Failure of the Offeror to furnish a certification or provide such additional information as requested by the Contracting Officer may render the Offeror nonresponsible. (d) Nothing contained in the foregoing shall be construed to require establishment of a system of records in order to render, in good faith, the certification required by paragraph (a) of this provision. The knowledge and information of an Offeror is not required to exceed that which is normally possessed by a prudent person in the ordinary course of business dealings. (e) The certification in paragraph (a) of this provision is a material representation of fact upon which reliance was placed when making award. If it is later determined that the Offeror knowingly rendered an erroneous certification, in addition to other remedies available to the Government, the Contracting Officer may terminate the contract resulting from this solicitation for default.
Section L - Continuation Sheet L Instructions SECTION L. INSTRUCTION, CONDITIONS AND NOTICES TO OFFERORS L.1 FAR CLAUSES INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. This solicitation incorporates by reference, the following FAR clauses: 52.215-1 JAN 2004 Instructions to Offerors Competitive Acquisition
This solicitation #LCLBN13R0031 is for the no-cost procurement of digitization services for the Library of Congress (Library). The Library seeks proposals from commercial and non-commercial entities in the digital content community, such as e-book publishers or distributors, educational institutions, libraries, archives, and others involved in the development of digital collections and dissemination of digital materials, to digitize Library materials in an effort to increase accessibility to the Librarys collections. L.2 PROPOSAL ACCEPTANCE PERIOD This is a standing solicitation, continuously open for offers. Offers will be reviewed twice a year in May and November. To be considered eligible for an upcoming review, all proposal documents must be received by the Library no later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST), on the last day of the month preceding the review schedule (i.e., April 30 or October 31). The preferred mode of submission in response to this soliciation is through the Fed Biz Opps website via electronic copy. In compliance with the Solicitation, the Offeror agrees, if this offer is accepted within 180 calendar days from the date specified in the Solicitation for receipt of proposals, to furnish any or all services provided in the proposal. L.3 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS All offers shall be submitted in the English language. Offerors shall return the complete solicitation package with a signed digital copy via e-mail. Any offer received at the address designated for receipt of offers after the date and time specified in this solicitation for receipt of of-
fers shall be processed in accordance with the late offers provision of FAR 52.215-1. Packages shall be sent to: vvis@loc.gov and the subject line designated as follows: Proposal to RFP #LCLBN13R0031 enclosed. Submission of proposals, modifications or withdrawals of proposals will not be accepted by mail or facsimile. The technical proposal must not contain references to cost or pricing details except to the extent that resource information, such as data concerning labor hours and categories, materials, etc., are necessary in order to demonstrate technical understanding of the requirements in section C. Documents shall be sent as a single package. Failure to submit proposals in compliance with these requirements may result in a determination that the proposal is non-compliant, which may eliminate the proposal from further consideration. L.4 INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF PROPOSALS Offerors should submit separate proposals for each set of materials constituting a single project. (For example, if an Offeror wishes to propose three different sets of content to be digitized, the Offeror should submit three proposals.) EACH PROPOSAL SHOULD CONTAIN ALL OF THE ELEMENTS IDENTIFIED IN SECTIONS L.4.1 THROUGH L.5, LABELED WITH THE APPROPRIATE L REFERENCE NUMBER. A Word document template appears in Section J, Attachment 2 for your convenience. L. 4.1 Materials to be Digitized/Project Scope Offeror should identify and describe the materials proposed for digitization. In addition to any collection designation, include a narrative description of the materials, and estimated quantities based on collection information readily available to the public. The Offeror should also address any special issues relating to the proposed materials, if known. L.4.2 Technical Approach Descriptions provided in response to the following should be specific, detailed, and complete. Proposals that rephrase the requirements or use phrases such as standard procedures will be employed or well-known techniques will be used are not considered adequate and will not be eligible for award. L.4.2.1 Digital Copies. The Offeror should describe the digital content to be furnished to the Library. At a minimum, the Offeror should address the following: (a) The type and technical quality of the digitized content to be furnished to the Library; (b) The master, derivatives (e.g., PDFs), and OCR (if appropriate) files that will be supplied; (c) The format(s) and specifications of the files to be furnished to the Library; (d) The FADGI information capture and quality guidelines objectives and capture device performance star rating that will be met (www.digitizationguidelines.gov); and (e) The digitization equipment that is proposed to be used, including manufacturer and model number. L.4.2.2 Metadata. The Offeror should describe the metadata to be furnished to the Library. At a minimum, the Offeror should address the metadata elements described in C.9. L.4.2.3 Project Management Plan. The Offeror should describe its proposed plan for execution of the project. The plan should address: (a) The proposed location for digitization facility (i.e., the Librarys or Offerors facility). If at the Offerors facility, the Offeror should describe Temperature, relative humidity, and light level controls at the facility; Physical security at the facility (e.g., theft, vandalism, background checks of staff); and Facility safeguards against environmental hazards (e.g., fire, water leaks, vermin, insects, mold, particulates, air pollution and hazardous fumes, etc.). (b) The proposed workflow and rate of scanning for the identified materials; (c) Quality assurance and quality control measures for ensuring that digitized content, metadata, and handling of materials conform to the contract requirements; (d) The Offerors approach to transport and storage of materials digitized offsite; (e) The Offerors approach to mitigating potential damage to collection materials before, during, and after digitization; (f) The proposed method for delivering the digital content and metadata to the Library; and (g) A rights clearance plan, if applicable. L.4.2.4 Staffing. The Offeror should describe: (a) Qualifications and experience of proposed project management staff; and (b) Qualifications and experience of technical staff proposed for the project. The Offeror should indicate which of the staff described above are considered key personnel.
Additionally, the Offeror should indicate its intention to use subcontractors in the execution of the proposed project, and identify them, their qualifications, and experience, if known. L.4.3 L.4.3.1 Business Terms Allocation of Resources to Digitization Support Activities
For activities applicable to the proposed project, the Offeror should place an X in the appropriate cell of the following chart to indicate whether the Offeror or the Library is proposed to assume the responsibility for the activity. *NOTE: #1 and #2 in the chart need not be completed, but rather just the sub-lines. # 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 1.10 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Activity Contractor Responsibility Material Identification and hand- N/A ling Identify individual items for digitization Pull material from stacks Check out (if applicable) Pack materials (if applicable) Inventory/Barcode (if applicable) Perform inventory quality review (if applicable) Resolve Inventory problems (if applicable) Check in (if applicable) Reshelve Preservation assessment and sta- N/A bilization treatment Assess material condition for handling during and after scanning Treat materials to stabilize them for handling during scanning Treat materials to stabilize them post- scanning House items pre- or postscanning, as appropriate Review the proposed scanning facility, staff, and equipment for appropriateness for the material to be scanned in terms of environment (i.e., temperature, RH, and light levels), fire protection, emergency protection, handling training of staff, scanning workflow and equipment to be used, and transport procedures as per Library protocols and standards. Library Responsibility N/A
Reference the appropriate number from the chart above to furnish additional details about activities for which the Contractor assumes responsibility. L.4.3.2 (a) (b) (c) 1) 2) 3) 4) The Offeror should describe the following: Proposed embargo period; Proposed period of performance; and Planned product or service, including -Description of the product in which Library content will be included; Subscription or other price for the product; Proposed discount to the Library of Congress for the product, and time period for which the discount would be applied; and Level of access to the product, if any, at no or reduced charge to the general public or segments thereof (e.g., free searching,
access to sample or portion of product, reduced costs for educators/students, etc.). L.4.4 Corporate or Institutional Capabilities and Experience L.4.4.1 The Offeror should describe: (a) its business and/or mission; (b) its organizational structure; and (c) how the proposed digitization projects fits within its business strategy. L.4.4.3 The Offeror should describe its experience executing a minimum of two and a maximum of five relevant digitization projects, such as those with similar size, scope and complexity as the proposed project, within the past five years. For each project, the Offerors description should include: (a) the name and summary of the organization that supplied the materials; (b) name/description of the materials digitized; (c) physical condition information about the materials digitized; (d) the time period for the project; (e) whether digitization was done on or off-site; (f) problems encountered and mitigation strategies used (if applicable); and (g) information (name, email, phone number) for primary contact at the organization regarding the project. If the Offeror proposes subcontractors for major portions of the work, the subcontractors qualifications and experience must be included. L.4.4.4 Past Performance The Offeror should request that the agencies or institutions identified in L.4.4.3 fill out and submit the past performance questionnaire found in Section J, Attachment 3 by the due date for proposal submission. L.5 ASSUMPTIONS, CONDITIONS, OR EXCEPTIONS The Offeror should submit all general assumptions, conditions, or exceptions (if any) on which the Technical Proposal is based. Any assumptions, conditions, or exceptions to specific requirements should cite the relevant RFP section and paragraph number. The Library reserves the right to reject any or all assumptions and conditions/exceptions that alter the Librarys requirements. L.6 TYPE OF CONTRACT The Library contemplates a multiple award of no-cost contracts for digitization of original Library materials. However, the Library reserves the right to award no contracts if that is deemed in the best interest of the Government. L.7 INCURRING COSTS The Library shall not be obligated to pay any cost incurred by the Offeror in the preparation and submission of a proposal in response to the solicitation. L.8 AMENDMENTS TO PROPOSALS Amendments to proposals shall be submitted prior to the solicitation closing date as a complete revised proposal and labeled Revised Proposal. Change pages will not be accepted. L.9 ANTICIPATED AWARD DATE The Library anticipates awards twice a year approximately two (2) to four (4) months after submissions are due. L.10 SERVICE OF PROTEST (A) Protests, as defined in section 33.101 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, that are filed directly with an agency, and copies of any protests that are filed with the Government Accountability Office (GAO), shall be served on the Contracting Officer (addressed as follows) by obtaining written and dated acknowledgment of receipt from Vidya Vish, Contracting Officer, 101 Independence Ave. S.E. Washington, DC 20540. (B) The copy of any protests shall be received in the office designated above within one day of filing a protest with the GAO. L.11 COPIES OF THE SOLICITATION AND TECHNICAL QUESTIONS Copies of the Solicitation may be obtained from vvis@loc.gov. Offerors must submit all technical questions concerning this solicitation in writing to vvis@loc.gov. The Library must receive the questions no later than 12:00 Noon EST by the 15th of each month prior to the next due date (see L.2) to ensure that the question be answered before the next cycle of review. The Library will answer questions which may affect offers in an amendment to the solicitation. The Library will not reference the source of the questions. L.12 ORDER OF PRECEDENCE Any inconsistencies in the solicitation or contract shall be resolved by giving precedence in the following order: (1) the schedule of
supplies/services; (2) the Assignments, Disputes, Payments, Invoice, Other Compliances, and Compliance with Laws Unique to Government Contracts paragraphs; (3) addenda to the solicitation or contract, including any license agreements for computer software; and (4) other documents, exhibits, and attachments, including the technical proposal.
Section M - Continuation Sheet M Evaluation Factors for Award SECTION M: EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD M.1 EVALUATION PROCESS The Library may award multiple contracts resulting from this solicitation to the responsible Offerors whose offers conforming to the solicitation will be most advantageous to the Government. Although the Library may engage in discussions, the Offerors initial proposal should contain the Offerors best terms from a technical and resource allocation standpoint. Detailed descriptions of the evaluation factors are provided below. Materials supplied by the Offeror in accordance with the instructions in Section L will constitute the primary basis for the evaluation. M.2 EVALUATION FACTORS FOR AWARD The following factors will be used to evaluate offers: Factor 1 Materials to be Digitized The Library will consider the following subfactors under Factor 1: 1.1 Overall value and benefits of digitizing the content. Proposals will be assessed based on the Librarys determination of the overall value and benefits of making the identified content available more broadly. The Library will also evaluate the long-term benefits of having digital surrogates to lessen reduce wear and tear on the material proposed to be digitized. 1.2 Suitability for third party scanning. The Library will evaluate the suitability of materials for contractor digitization based on the condition of the material, susceptibility to damage, rights clearance, etc. Library-identified projects are assumed to be feasible, provided that the Offeror proposes appropriate handling and rights clearance measures if applicable. For Offeror-identified projects, the Library will evaluate the feasibility of the project and its value to the Library. The Library reserves the right to reject proposals when a determination is made that contractoridentified material is not suitable for scanning (e.g., is too fragile or rare). Factor 2 - Technical Approach and Understanding of the Requirements The Offeror must provide a sound and feasible technical approach that clearly identifies how the Offeror plans to meet the requirements stated in the solicitation and successfully perform the project. Any proposal that is unrealistic in terms of technical commitment or unrealistically low in resource allocation will be considered to demonstrate an inherent lack of technical competence or to indicate failure to comprehend the complexity and risk of contract requirements, and may be grounds for rejection of the proposal. The Library will consider the following subfactors under Factor 2: 2.1 Technical quality of digital copies. An Offerors proposal must satisfy the minimum standards identified in C.8 for the resulting digital copies. However, proposals that provide for outputs of a superior technical nature will be weighted more heavily. 2.2 Ability of the proposed equipment to deliver the proposed output. An Offerors proposal must show that the specifications of the proposed equipment to be used are sufficient to meet the digital file output specified in 2.1 (Technical quality of digital copies).
2.3 Suitability of the proposed equipment from a conservation perspective. An Offerors proposal will be evaluated based on whether the equipment to be used is suitable from a conservation perspective and/or poses a risk to the conservation of the materials to be digitized. 2.4 Breadth and quality of metadata. An Offerors proposal must satisfy the minimum standards identified for the metadata associated with digital copies. However, proposals that provide enhanced metadata (i.e., fields and information in addition to the minimum) will be weighted more heavily. 2.5 Project management approach, including proposed location, workflows and materials handling procedures, and staffing (key personnel & subcontractors). The following will be taken into account under this subfactor: The viability of the proposed timeframe for the project; The proposed workflow and rate of scanning for the identified materials; Quality control measures for ensuring that digitized content, metadata, and handling of materials conform to the contract requirements; The Offerors approach to transport and storage of materials digitized offsite; The Offerors approach to mitigating potential damage to collection materials before, during, and after digitization; and The proposed method for delivering the digital content and metadata to the Library. The rights clearance plan for copyrighted materials, if applicable Qualifications and experience of proposed project management staff; and Qualifications and experience of technical staff proposed for the project. Factor 3 Business Terms The Library will consider the proposed allocation of resources to digitization support activities, and the value to the Library of any proposed price reduction for products or services. Additionally, the Library will evaluate the duration and potential negative impact of any embargo period on the Government and the public. Proposals that will make materials immediately publicly available online at no cost will be considered more favorable; proposals that include delays greater than three years will not be considered. The Library will consider the following subfactors under Factor 3: 3.1 Resources allocated to support activities The Library will evaluate whether an Offeror proposes allocating any additional resources to associated Library support or digitization activities. 3.2 Proposed Embargo period The Library will evaluate the length and impact of the proposed embargo period. More weight will be given to proposals with no, or short, embargo periods. Significant preference will be given to those proposals that make materials immediately and freely available online. 3.3 Proposed period of performance The Library will evaluate whether the proposed period of performance is flexible and conforms to the Librarys priorities for making content available to the public. 3.4 Added value to the Library The Library will evaluate any added value to the Library (beyond received files and metadata) of Offeror's product or service, including any proposed royalties or product discount to the Library or key constituencies. Factor 4 Corporate or Institutional Capabilities and Experience The Offeror must clearly demonstrate that it possesses experience, capabilities, and a successful record of past performance in projects in similar scope, size, and complexity involving the digitization of similar collections materials. Evaluation of past performance will allow the Government to determine whether the Offeror consistently delivered quality services for comparable work in a timely manner. The Library will consider the following subfactors under Factor 4: 4.1 Relevance of past experience Past performance on contracts that are more technically relevant to the Librarys performance requirements and similar in size, scope and complexity will receive greater consideration than performance on contracts that are less relevant. 4.2 Evaluations from past partners/clients The Library will evaluate a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of five (5) projects executed by the Offeror during the last five (5) years for consistency with the size, scope and complexity of the proposed project. The Library may contact references cited in proposals as well as other relevant individuals. The Library may obtain additional information on past performance from other sources such as Government past performance databases, Inspector General reports, and the Government Accountability Office reports.
In general, past performance will be evaluated on the extent of client satisfaction with the previous performance of the Offeror; the Offerors effectiveness in managing and directing resources; the Offerors demonstration of reasonable and cooperative behavior in dealing with clients; the Offerors quality of previously performed services; the Offerors ability to manage project activities; and the Offerors effectiveness in meeting schedules. 4.3 Corporate and institutional strengths Offerors shall be judged on corporate or institutional strengths and the ability to provide professional oversight, leadership, and resources required to assure satisfactory execution of the project. Significant emphasis shall be placed on the degree to which and the manner in which technical support from organizational resources can be provided for the proposed project. M.3 OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Proposals shall be prepared in accordance with the instructions in Section L. If a proposal is not prepared in accordance with Section L, it will be determined to be non-responsive. M.4 EVALUATION SUPPORT The Offeror is advised that the Library may utilize outside contractors and/or consultants to assist in the evaluation of proposals. These outside contractors will have access to any and all information contained in the Offerors proposal, and will be subject to appropriate conflict of interest, standards of conduct, and confidentiality restrictions.
Offer And Acceptance
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Equine Services in Germany
Posted by SBS in Affiliate News
Equine Services was founded in 2001 by Nicole Germann-Oberstein. She grew up in a small town in the Black Forest area of Germany. She has loved horses since she was a little girl which is an interest she shares with her dad. Throughout her childhood she owned her own horses and competed in Warmblood jumping competitions. It was her dream to make a career of working with horses.
In 1998, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Equine Sciences from Colorado State University (CSU). She realized early on in her studies that she wanted to further her education by receiving a Master of Science degree in Equine Reproduction. Thus, she remained at CSU for the next few years and completed her Masters Degree in 2000. While in graduate school Nicole worked closely with Dr. Ed Squires, her research mentor. He is also the the one who recommended her to Paul Loomis as a possible addition to the SBS Affiliate Lab network. Therefore, when she returned to Germany she started her own equine reproduction company, Equine Services, and then in the summer of 2002 she became an SBS Affiliate Laboratory.
Located in the Black Forest, Equine Services is an approved European Union (EU) breeding station and an EU embryo transfer station as well as a semen depot. In over 10 years, it has expanded to one of the largest frozen semen storage and distribution centers in Germany. Nicole said,
“In the last year we expanded and purchased more storage and shipping tanks to fulfill the needs of our customers as a result of the increasing popularity of frozen semen storage and distribution.”
Due to her background and connections in the USA the majority of frozen semen in storage at Equine Services is from Quarter Horse, Paint Horse and Appaloosa stallions. However, they will and do store frozen semen from many different breeds.
Their distribution program is designed to relieve the stallion and mare owners of many of the burdens associated with managing a transported semen breeding program. The distribution service eliminates the scheduling problems typically associated with shipping semen. Once a stallion owner books a mare to be bred to their stallion Equine Services handles the rest. Each year Equine Services processes several semen shipments for domestic and international use. Nicole said, “We are equipped with an abundant inventory of nitrogen shipping containers, all housed in special protective shipping cartons. Each and every shipment contains detailed information about the semen including post-thaw semen quality and handling and thawing instructions.” Their staff is always available for consultation with the receiving veterinarians. They are also capable of providing a hassle free export shipment if the semen is stored at their facility.
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May the Fourth Be With You: 5 fun facts about Star Wars Day
Alice Coyle More Content Now
1. May the Fourth be with you. Celebrating the Star Wars film franchise, Star Wars Day is observed by fans on May the Fourth, an obvious pun on the popular Jedi phrase "May the Force be with you." Taking puns a step further, May 5 has come to be called "Revenge of the Fifth," a play on "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith," a day for fans to join the "dark side" and celebrate the Sith lords from the Star Wars movies.
2. Fully fan inspired. While Star Wars Day is a tribute to the movies made by George Lucas, Lucasfilm had nothing to do with the holiday’s creation or its ongoing observance.
3. London calling. The phrase tied to Star Wars Day was first used May 4, 1979, when Margaret Thatcher took office as Prime Minister of the U.K. Members of Thatcher’s Conservative party published full-page advertisement in the London Evening News congratulating the new Prime Minister, which read: "May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations."
4. Kicked off in Canada. The first organized Star Wars Day events were held at the Toronto Underground Cinema on May 4, 2011. Sean Ward and Alice Quinn organized the celebration, which included an Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show; a celebrity judged costume contest and Star Wars tribute films and parodies screened.
5. It’s a Small World After All: The Walt Disney Company, which purchased Lucasfilm in 2012 has officially observed the holiday since 2013 with special Star Wars events May 4 at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org and http://www.starwars.com/
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US government shutdown to hit courts next week
Oct 11, 2013, 10:23 am SGT
http://str.sg/Zms6
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US federal courts will have to close their doors at the end of next week if no deal is reached to end the government shutdown, officials said on Thursday.
Barring an agreement by Congress, the courts will face a shortage of funds by latest the end of business on Oct 18, the US courts' administrative office said.
The court system has used fees and other funds to stay open since Oct 1, when a budget impasse caused the federal government to partially shutdown for the first time in 17 years.
The stalemate, which has until now largely spared the federal courts, has resulted in furloughs for thousands of "non-essential" federal workers.
The Supreme Court, which just began a new term, said it would hold hearings next Tuesday and Wednesday, as expected. A highly anticipated debate over university affirmative action is expected on Tuesday.
"The federal courts may be open during the government shutdown, but it's far from 'business as usual'" the administrative office wrote on Monday.
US attorneys across the country were directed to "curtail or postpone" civil litigation "to the extent that this can be done without compromising ... the safety of human life or the protection of property," according to a Sept 30 Justice Department memo.
Judges have decided on a case-by-case basis whether to send clerks home or suspend certain hearings.
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Women's Rugby in New Zealand
Ketaki Khare3 years ago
The Simple Secret of New Zealand Rugby’s Success (in my opinion).
New Zealand is the only country to win gold at all the rugby world cups – men’s and women’s, rugby 15’s and rugby 7’s. They must be getting something right with regards to their coaching approaches. So, to explore this, I set out to study the Bachelor’s of Sports Coaching degree from Unitec, New Zealand. It is my second Bachelor’s degree and an important one to empower me on my journey of becoming an effective rugby coach and to seek first hand experience in the rugby environment.
After a year of study, which has involved practical experience in coaching rugby and my involvement in playing the sport, I have come to realise that it is not so much their advanced sport coaching research and practices, nor their naturally athletic gene pool of Māori and Pacific Islander communities, nor is it their holistic physiotherapy support, latest strength and conditioning practices and sports psychology protocols that propel the nation to the top. It is something which starts with the incredible love of the sport that is embedded so deeply within the New Zealand culture that it churns out athletes who are so passionate about the game itself that they don't play for mere representation. New Zealanders, I feel are literally born with a rugby ball in their hands into a rugby culture, and they only get better from there.
Rugby is a religion in New Zealand and no one is left untouched by its wonderful presence.
Women in Rugby
New Zealand women’s rugby, though not as developed, has been more successful than their male counterpart. “Rugby is for love” I have heard so many of them say, which implies that they play the sport for the love of it and not for eventual glory and the money that comes from representation but that only the top get to taste. These women are unstoppable! Most of them representing at the top levels are in their 30s, an age where women in India give up sports to support their children and families. It was only after coming to New Zealand that I realised that my journey at 26 had not even commenced yet and that I could potentially play even after crossing 40. This was truly an eye-opener for me and made me rethink my life goals. The rugby women’s love for the game is apparent as they play through injuries, motherhood, sickness and age.
“It’s all mental”, said one of them who has dislocated her shoulder almost 21 times now and still straps up to play just because she cannot wait on the sidelines and watch. It is truly inspiring!
Team a.k.a. Family a.k.a. Whānau
In New Zealand, your teammates are your ‘sisters’ and the team is your ‘family’, right from a club level to the elite Black Ferns. This concept of ‘team’ though very unusual, especially in a competitive environment where each one is competing with the other for their place on the team, is seen to work beautifully in New Zealand. The sense of family and belonging strengthens the bond for the sport and even though I did not get the chance to make it to the representative side of my club and Auckland, it makes me want to go back and play just to be able to share that sense of sisterhood with the others. Maybe it is this socially driven structure of the sport that could be the key for how New Zealand performs at the top levels. What an absolute treat to be a part of it all!
If you have a rugby dream, there is nothing better than experiencing New Zealand rugby – apply for your visas and book your tickets now.
Look out for Ketaki's next blog post where she shares more insights on women in sport in New Zealand.
By Ketaki KhareIndian Undergraduate Scholarship Student
Ketaki Khare is the first Indian woman recipient of a rugby playing scholarship to New Zealand. Ketaki is a former member of the Indian women's rugby team and is studying for a Bachelor of Sport - Coaching at Unitec with the objective of changing the face of rugby in India. Highlights of her study include practical and industry experience that has helped her to develop relevant contacts.
Sport in New Zealand
Ketaki Khare shares further thoughts on sport in New Zealand and what it has meant for her.
Studying at New Zealand’s institutes of technology and polytechnics (ITPs) will give you the skills, qualifications and experience you need to work anywhere in the world.
Tramping in Fiordland in New Zealand
Ghoncheh Azadeh details her adventurous experience trekking through New Zealand's beautiful, and wet, Fiordland.
A Day in the Life of a PhD Student-Mother
International PhD student Sherrie Lee has come to NZ with her family. She shares how she balances study and family.
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Chuck Owen
Chuck Owen is Distinguished University Professor of Jazz Studies at the University of South Florida where he also serves as the founding Director of the USF Center for Jazz Composition. A nationally respected educator, having established and developed USF’s acclaimed jazz program; he is recognized equally for his unique compositional voice.
The recipient of a 2009 Guggenheim Fellowship, Owen has written for or had his compositions performed by the: Netherlands’ Metropole Orchestra, Brussels Jazz Orch., Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orch., Tonight Show Orchestra, Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, and numerous others. Owen’s primary creative outlet, however, is his own 18-piece Jazz Surge. Founding the ensemble in 1995, Owen serves as conductor, primary composer/arranger, and producer of its five highly-feted CDs – the most recent of which, River Runs – A Concerto for Jazz Guitar, Saxophone, & Orchestra (2013) is a stunning 5 movement genre-bending work Rufus Reid describes as, “. . . . .a tour de force of contemporary orchestral composition.” Immediately preceding it, The Comet’s Tail (2009), was nominated for a Grammy Award and critically accloaimed as “riotous and joyous” (JazzTimes), “muscular” (Downbeat), and “deserving of universal attention” (All Music Guide) The ensemble has been featured at prominent jazz fests as well as at conferences in New York, Atlanta, and New Orleans. Owen is also the recipient of the 2000 IAJE/ASCAP Commission, and three Florida Artist Fellowships.
Owen has served as President of the International Association for Jazz Education, as a “governor” for the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and as a panelist for the Pulitzer Prize in Music, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Grammy Awards, and numerous regional arts associations. The Director of the USF Jazz Ensemble for 22 years, he led the group in performances at international jazz festivals as well as with renowned guest artists such as Ray Charles, Doc Severinson, and Lionel Hampton. He is the recipient of the President’s Award for Faculty Excellence as well as the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award.
Whispers on the Wind
River Runs: A Concerto for Jazz Guitar, Saxophone, and Orchestra
Comet's Tail: Performing the Compositions of Michael Brecker
Watch It! – JazzBonez
Better Than Anything – Dave Miller Trio w/Rebecca DuMaine
Three Trumpet Concertos – David Hickman
Sacred and Profane (DVD format) – Daniel Asia, composer
Live at the Jazz Bakery – Brian Swartz Quartet
Frank Darmiento
Whit Williams
Tim Eyermann
Three Voices
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Broward considers another attempt to raise sales tax for transportation
By Larry Barszewski
Overshadowing Broward's grand plans is current concern over what’s supposed to be the county’s first streetcar system — the Wave project in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Better roads, faster commutes and more buses will cost Broward residents more, but it'll be up to them to decide if the price is worth it.
County commissioners are once again considering asking voters to approve a sales tax increase to pay for transportation projects, a penny increase from 6 percent to 7 percent that would raise $13.6 billion over 30 years.
The plans also include money to pay for more than 27 miles of streetcar routes, which would use light rail vehicles more resembling trains than trolleys, that would give commuters a new alternative for their daily drive.
But overshadowing those grand plans is current concern over what's supposed to be the county's first streetcar system — the Wave project in downtown Fort Lauderdale — which contractors have said will require at least $74 million more to build than state transportation officials had estimated.
The Wave was on virtually everybody's mind during a county commission workshop Tuesday to review the proposed sales tax increase and future transportation improvements, but officials couldn't discuss the Wave's potential increased costs that could send the project over $270 million.
Streetcar's rising costs could derail Wave project
A committee meets Monday to decide what to do with the four bids that were submitted to construct the Wave's 2.8-mile route. Chris Walton, the county's transportation director, and Gerry O'Reilly, the district secretary for the state transportation department, are members of that committee and attended the workshop, but they are under a "cone of silence" that prohibits them from discussing the bids prior to their meeting.
County Commissioner Steve Geller is concerned that growing criticism of the Wave project could lead to another sales tax defeat at the ballot box.
"I happen to think if we do something different, there's a greater chance of the surtax passing," Geller said prior to the workshop. "This is getting a little toxic."
Broward voters last year said yes to a half-cent sales tax increase for transportation projects, but at the same time said no to a half-cent increase for other city-supported infrastructure projects. Both had to be approved to go into effect.
Commissioners are considering a November 2018 referendum for voters to decide whether to raise the sales tax to 7 percent.
Sharing lanes with Fort Lauderdale streetcars
By Brittany Wallman and Irfan Uraizee
The Wave is not part of the transportation sales tax plan. It was thought to be fully funded through federal, state and local sources, although that won't be enough now if officials aren't able to significantly reduce the construction prices received in October.
Assistant County Administrator Gretchen Cassini said the additional streetcar projects being considered can stand on their own without the Wave, even though they are designed to connect to it.
For instance, one section would shoot out Broward Boulevard from about Andrews Avenue to the Tri-Rail Station near Interstate 95 and continue west to University Boulevard. There, it would head north to Sunrise Boulevard and then to Sawgrass Mills mall. With or without the Wave, the line would still connect to the Central Bus Terminal and Brightline train station in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Officials are also proposing another line to run up and down State Road 7 between Commercial Boulevard and Stirling Road, one of the county's most heavily used bus routes. There would also be a University Drive line from Broward Boulevard south to the Nova Southeastern University campus.
One extension, which is more dependent on the Wave, would extend down Southeast 17th Street to the Broward Convention Center. The plans currently don't call for a streetcar connection to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport because ridership estimates are not sufficient to attract federal funding for that portion, officials said.
That concerned several commissioners, who said one of the benefits long foreseen with a streetcar system would be access to the airport.
"We don't have the link that goes to one of the three fastest growing airports in the country," Commissioner Chip LaMarca said.
Walton said a link could be added if future ridership calculations show greater potential use.
lbarszewski@SunSentinel.com, 954-356-4556 or Twitter @lbarszewski
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The Plays and Poems of Nicholas Rowe, Volume V
Lucan’s Pharsalia (Books IV-X)
Edited ByStephen Bernard, Robin Sowerby
eBook Published 3 November 2016
SubjectsArts, Language & Literature
Bernard, S. (Ed.), Sowerby, R. (Ed.). (2017). The Plays and Poems of Nicholas Rowe, Volume V. London: Routledge, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315537504
Nicholas Rowe was the first Poet Laureate of the Georgian era. A fascinating and important yet largely overlooked figure in eighteenth-century literature, he is the ‘lost Augustan’. His plays are important both for the way they address the political and social concerns of the day and for reflecting a period in which the theatre was in crisis. This edition sets out to demonstrate Rowe’s mastery of the early eighteenth century theatre, especially his providing significant roles for women, and examines the political and historical stances of his plays. It also highlights his work as a translator, which was both innovative and deeply in tune with current practices as exemplified by John Dryden and Alexander Pope. This is the first scholarly edition of all Rowe’s plays and poems and is accompanied by 15 musical scores and 31 black and white illustrations.
In this final volume the second part of his translation of Lucan’s Pharsalia, described by Samuel Johnson as one of the greatest productions in English poetry, is presentedalong with some his own original poetry. A newly written explanatory introduction to the Pharsalia by Stephen Bernard precedes the full edited text in volume IV. Appendices covering the related music and textual apparatus are also included. The edition comes with a consolidated bibliography for ease of reference.
chapter |2 pages
A note on the editorial policy for the edition
BySTEPHEN BERNARD
chapter |40 pages
Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book IV
ByEDITED BY ROBIN SOWERBY
Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book V
Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book VI
Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book VII
Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book VIII
Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book IX
Lucan’s Pharsalia, Book X
Textual apparatus of Lucan’s Pharsalia
ByROBIN SOWERBY
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Greenheart Games Trolls Pirates With Altered Cracked Version Of Game Dev Tycoon
Private Security Contractors Try To Shut Down Journalist Using Legal Threats And Claims Of Harassment
Fair Use Protects Some Uses, But It Is Still Way Too Weak To Be Effective For Many
from the we-need-to-exercise-it,-but-it's-still-scary dept
Tue, Apr 30th 2013 12:05pm — Mike Masnick
A few weeks back, we wrote about Andy Baio's excellent video concerning the limits of fair use, in particular his awful and soul-wrenching experience being sued for infringement in a situation that was almost certainly fair use. Baio eventually settled for $32,000 rather than deal with a long and expensive trial that might end poorly. Baio points out that even when we have fair use, the fact that you can still be sued and can still have to fight your way through the court system is incredibly scary, and creates a chilling effect on creativity.
Following that, Pat Aufderheide, one of the world's foremost experts on fair use, and someone we've discussed before, wrote a response to Andy's presentation challenging some of the claims he made, and arguing that people need to strongly exercise their fair use rights and that we shouldn't be fearful of such lawsuits. Aufderheide, along with Peter Jaszi, have been creating "best practice" guides in fair use for creators to rely on, hoping that having some clear and accepted guidelines will help creators more confidently express and use their fair use rights.
What happened to Andy Baio is creepy. But Andy inadvertently is making things even worse. He generalizes dangerously from his experience, and spreads wild and false charges in the last part of his presentation. The chilling effects of his talk could be considerable.
He claims, astonishingly, that “fair use is not a law.” Uh, it’s section 107 of the Copyright Act. Like other parts of the law that protect free expression, it is applied by courts case by case; you exercise it in context, and courts take that context into account. That doesn’t make it “not a law,” nor does it make it impossible to apply. Creative people make judgments all the time about whether our works are obscene, libelous or treasonous, for example; there are no bright lines there, either, but we act with confidence, knowing the law is on our side.
True and False.
Andy warns ominously that “anyone can sue you for anything, always, and even without grounds.” Yup. That is true, and just as true for obscenity, libel, or treason charges, and in a million other places in life. If someone slips on the sidewalk in front of your house after a snowstorm, or chokes on an appetizer at your dinner party, or objects to your choice of lawn furniture, they can sue you. Copyright trolls like Prenda are suing people who have done nothing at all. But we somehow conduct our lives and even have dinner parties knowing this ugly reality.
He warns fellow remixers everywhere, “fair use will not save you,” and “nothing you have ever made is fair use.” Whoa. Neither of these statements is true.
When two people who I normally agree with are in disagreement with each other, I sit up and take careful notice. It surprised me at first to see these two clear supporters of remix culture and of fair use disagreeing so vehemently with each other. I think they both make points that are correct, as well as points that are exaggerated for effect. I think that the two would actually agree more than they disagree, and the disagreements are much more in the margin than is implied above.
While Aufderheide is correct that there are lots of things that people can sue you over, those kinds of lawsuits are not the same as what Baio was talking about, in a few ways. First, the statutory damages associated with copyright are so out of line with any potential harm created by the situations that Baio is talking about. If the requirement involved some showing of actual damages and/or much lower statutory damages, I would be more inclined to agree with Aufderheide on this point. Second, while she is correct that fair use has been "riding high" in a number of court cases lately, that is not always the case. Fair use determinations by courts quite frequently have the appearance of arbitrariness. I've seen copyright lawyers note that it is possible to make the four factors test in fair use come out on either side in almost any case if you really want to. That uncertainty and that risk is a concern.
I applaud, wholeheartedly, Aufderheide and Jaszi's tireless work at reducing that uncertainty with their attempts to "reclaim fair use." And I hope that one day, the uncertainty will be greatly minimized. But we really are just not there yet. Baio's case is hardly an outlier.
As for Baio's claim about fair use and the law, he was making an inexact statement that within the context did, in fact, make sense. Yes, fair use is a part of the law, but copyright maximalists, and some courts, have treated it merely as a defense, rather than a direct right. This is almost certainly a misreading of the law, because the law states clearly that a fair use is not an infringement ("the fair use of a copyrighted work... is not an infringement of copyright") but if fair use is merely a defense than there would have to first be infringement. So, clearly the courts have misread the law there. However, Baio's statement was about the practical reality of this, in that in order for him to plead fair use, he effectively has to go through a full legal process, which is timely, costly and risky.
I agree that we need to "reclaim" fair use and that one way to do this is to continue to exercise those rights. But I don't think it's right to suggest that relying on fair use is a guaranteed safe place under the interpretations of the law today. Should it be? Yes. Should we strive to drive the law and the judicial decisions in a way that establishes a clear safe place for fair use to occur? Absolutely. And while Aufderheide and Jaszi have done incredible work on that front, the points Baio made still ring true for the vast majority of people who might face the threat of a copyright infringement case concerning a fair use remix, or another transformation of a copyright-covered work.
Filed Under: andy baio, fair use, pat aufderheide, peter jaszi
Big Fair Use Win Concerning Andy Warhol's Paintings Of Prince
Nintendo Does The Nintendo: 'Mario Royale' Fan Game Becomes 'DMCA Royale'... And Is Now Dead
Crazy Copyright Suit Over Gigi Hadid Posting A Photo Of Herself To Instagram Shows Absurdity Inherent In Photo Copyrights
Leigh Beadon (profile), 30 Apr 2013 @ 3:37pm
Re: Re: Re: Re: Question About "Transformative" Uses
Not entirely. There is the question of meaning and message too, which are a part of purpose. Both works could be to entertain, but each could carry an entirely different message, and that could still be transformative. It's worth reading the Richard Prince ruling, where there's some discussion of just how permissive that standard can be -- in that case, Prince himself didn't even put up much of a defence in terms of claiming that his work had a new message, and the court still felt that it did and was thus fair use.
The drastic legal difference between music and visual art doesn't actually have much of a logical basis. It's just the result of different courts ruling different ways in different cases.
Perhaps It's Not The Entertainment Industry's Business Model That's Outdated
How Being More Open, Human And Awesome Can Save Anyone Worried About Making Money In Entertainment
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SEARCH TYC
Site People
THOMAS YOUNG CENTRE
THE LONDON CENTRE FOR THE THEORY AND SIMULATION OF MATERIALS
About tyc
Why is materials modelling important
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Join tyc
Structural Materials
Beñat Gurrutxaga-Lerma
Steve Fitzgerald
Alexander V. Neimark
Venue: David Sizer Lecture Theatre
Bancroft Building
Mile End Campus
Contact: Colin Rainey
Email: c.rainey@qmul.ac.uk
Nature does nothing uselessly, except perhaps supersonic dislocations
Beñat Gurrutxaga-Lerma, University of Cambridge
What happens to a crystalline dislocation when it moves at speeds comparable to the speed of sound? But more importantly, when does a dislocation move at such speeds? And why should we care? Even as an entertaining mathematical and physical problem, high speed dislocations remain remarkably elusive. The distinct lack of experimental evidence is compounded by a lack of theoretical consensus, often leading to contradictory accounts of how dislocations move at high speeds. In this talk I will explore the two fundamental sides of the problem: one concerning the equation of motion of high speed dislocations, on which most past research efforts have focused; another concerning the physics emerging the collective behaviour of high speed dislocations, which leads to an unusual time-dependent account of dislocation plasticity. I will explore a number of macroscopic phenomena (e.g. thermal hardening, shock front relaxation, the plasticity of nanocrystalline materials...) the physical basis of which can best be understood in terms of inertial effects or high speed dislocations. I will also discuss a number of microscopic features unique to high speed motion, including lattice instabilities, terminal speeds, and thermal effects, and whether supersonic dislocations offer explication of any known phenomenon.
Bio: Beñat Gurrutxaga-Lerma is an alumnus of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Theory and Simulation of Materials. After completing his PhD at Imperial College London in 2014, he was elected a Fellow of Trinity College Cambridge, where he works on the multi scale modelling of the dynamic behaviour of materials.
Kink pair production and dislocation motion
Steve Fitzgerald, University of Leeds
The motion of extended defects called dislocations controls the mechanical properties of crystalline materials such as strength and ductility. Under moderate applied loads, this motion proceeds via the thermal nucleation of kink pairs. The nucleation rate is known to be a highly nonlinear function of the applied load, and its calculation has long been a theoretical challenge. Moreover, knowledge of the dislocation velocity as a function of applied stress is a critical ingredient in mesoscale dislocation dynamics simulations. In this talk, I will discuss a stochastic path (functional) integral approach to the problem, and use it to derive a simple, general, and exact formula for the rate. The predictions are in excellent agreement with experimental and computational investigations, and unambiguously explain the origin of the observed extreme nonlinearity. The results can also be applied to other systems modelled by an elastic string interacting with a periodic potential, such as Josephson junctions in superconductors. Time permitting, I will also discuss possible extensions of the approach to much more general non-equilibrium situations.
Steve Fitzgerald completed his PhD in particle physics at Cambridge in 2005, and then worked at Culham Centre for Fusion Energy until 2013. After three years as a departmental lecturer at Oxford’s materials department, he moved to applied maths in Leeds in 2016, where he is a University Academic Fellow and EPSRC Research Fellow.
Breathing Solids: Adsorption-Induced Deformation of Nanoporous Materials
Dr. Alexander V. Neimark, Rutgers University
When guest molecules are adsorbed in pores of a solid body, a substantial stress is exerted on the host matrix that causes its swelling or contraction depending on the specifics of host-guest interactions. This phenomenon, known as adsorption-induced deformation, has been known for a long time since Leonardo da Vinci’s studies of water sorption on human hair. Various manifestations of adsorption-induced deformation are currently actively explored with respect to the design of novel nanoporous adsorbents and membranes for hydrocarbon separation, actuators, nanobumpers, energy storage devices, as well as the enhancement of oil and gas recovery from shales and carbon dioxide sequestration in coal mines. Despite of the evident importance of the deformation effects during adsorption-desorption cycles, a rigorous theoretical description of this phenomenon is lacking. I will present a general thermodynamic approach to predicting adsorption stress and respective deformation in nanoporous materials of different origin based on molecular models of adsorption within elastic nanoscale confinements. Examples include metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), microporous carbons and zeolites, mesoporous crystals, geosorbents, and hierarchical micro-mesoporous carbon and silica monoliths.
A special attention will be paid to the enigmatic phenomenon of breathing of MOFs during gas adsorption-desorption cycles. While most of materials, similarly to lungs, expand upon adsorption/inhaling and contract upon desorption/exhaling, breathing microporous solids may exhibit stages of normal and counter-intuitive abnormal "inhaling/exhaling" transitions contracting during gas intake and expanding during gas release. Breathing MOFs are currently widely explored as actuators, sensors, selective adsorbents, and drug delivery vehicles.
1. P.I. Ravikovitch and A. V. Neimark, - Density Functional Theory Model of Adsorption Deformation, Langmuir, 2006, 22, 11171.
2. A.V. Neimark, F.-X. Coudert, A. Boutin, A.H. Fuchs, Stress-based Model for the Breathing of Metal–Organic Frameworks, JPC Letters, 2010, 1, 445.
3. C. Triguero, F.-X. Coudert, A. Boutin, A.H. Fuchs, A.V. Neimark, Mechanism of Breathing Transitions in Metal-Organic Frameworks, JPC Letters, 2011, 2, 2033.
4. G.Yu. Gor and A.V. Neimark, - Adsorption-Induced Deformation of Mesoporous Solids: Macroscopic Approach and Density Functional Theory, Langmuir, 2011, 27, 6926.
5. A.V. Neimark, F.X. Coudert, C. Triguero, A. Boutin, A.H. Fuchs, I. Beurroies, and R. Denoyel, - Structural Transitions in MIL-53 (Cr): View from Outside and Inside, Langmuir, 2011, 27, 4734.
6. F.-X. Coudert, A H. Fuchs, A. Boutin, and A.V. Neimark, Adsorption Deformation and Structural Transitions in Metal-Organic Frameworks: From the Unit Cell to the Crystal, JPC Letters, 2013, 4, 3198.
7. F.-X. Coudert, A.H. Fuchs, and A.V. Neimark, Adsorption Deformation of Microporous Composites, Dalton Transactions, 2016, 45, 4136.
8. C. Balzer, R. Cimino, G Y. Gor, A.V. Neimark, and G. Reichenauer, Deformation of Microporous Carbons During N Adsorption: Insight from the Density Functional Theory, Langmuir, 2016, 2, 8265.
9. C. Balzer, A.M. Waag, S. Gehret, G. Reichenauer, R. Morak, L. Ludescher, F. Putz, N. Hüsing, O. Paris, N. Bernstein, G.Y. Gor, and A.V. Neimark, Adsorption-Induced Deformation of Hierarchically Structured Mesoporous Silica - Effect of Pore-Level Anisotropy, Langmuir, 2017, 33, 5592.
10. C. Balzer, A. Waag, F. Putz, N. Huesing, O. Paris, G. Gor, A.V. Neimark, and G. Reichenauer, Mechanical Characterization of Hierarchically Structured Porous Silica by in-situ Dilatometry Measurements during Gas Adsorption, Langmuir, 2019, 35, 2948.
Dr. Alexander V. Neimark is a Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering at Rutgers University. He received his Doctor of Science degree at the Moscow State University and worked at the Institute of Physical Chemistry of Russian Academy of Sciences. After receiving Humboldt fellowship in 1992, he moved to Mainz University (Germany) and then held visiting positions at CNRS (France), and Yale University (USA). Prior to joining Rutgers in 2006, he served as Research Director of the Center for Modeling and Characterization of Nanoporous Materials at TRI/Princeton in 1996-2006. He is a recipient of many national and international awards and honored appointments, including Guggenheim Fellow, Blaise Pascal International Chair, Humboldt Fellow, Fellow of American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Fellow of International Adsorption Society, Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, and Leverhulme Professorship.
Dr. Neimark research interests include thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, and molecular modeling of adsorption, transport, and interfacial phenomena in nanoporous and self-assembled nanostructured materials. He published 260+ scientific papers, named a highly cited scientist by ICI, citation index h=63.
Follow @tyc_london for updates from the Thomas Young Centre.
Copyright The Thomas Young Centre 2010
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Photo by: Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP
Carli Lloyd, center, and members of the U.S. women's national soccer team accept the award for best team at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday, July 10, 2019, at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)
Alex Morgan, US women's soccer team honored at The ESPYS
The World Cup champions went cross-country in one day, with a ticker-tape parade in New York City and trophies at The ESPYS in Los Angeles.
Author: BETH HARRIS , Associated Press
Published: 11:10 PM CDT July 10, 2019
Updated: 11:10 PM CDT July 10, 2019
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. women's national soccer team celebrated its Women's World Cup victory on both coasts Wednesday, honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City before jetting to the West Coast and collecting trophies at The ESPYS in the evening.
Alex Morgan won female athlete of the year and shared the best team award with her soccer mates.
"Sorry, but this is probably the second-best trophy we won this week," Morgan said jokingly, hoisting her individual trophy.
As she got up from the front row, Megan Rapinoe's black tuxedo jacket opened and exposed her left breast, which was caught by cameras showing the in-house feed of the show. It wasn't immediately known whether it went out over the live national telecast.
"I've dropped the F-bomb on every stage the last four days, so we'll just spare you that," Rapinoe told the audience.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks won male athlete of the year at the show honoring the past year's top athletes and moments in sports.
"This is all about hard work. When you believe in your dreams this can happen," Antetokounmpo said. "Hopefully, if I keep working hard there's more to come."
Comedian Tracy Morgan presided over the show at Microsoft Theater in downtown Los Angeles.
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Alex Morgan thanked ESPN for its recent deal to carry NWSL games.
"When the World Cup is behind us, it is the professional league that we need to continually lift up and grow," she said. "Investment in women and girls should not only occur on the playing fields but in more storytelling of badass, amazing women who continue to show that we are more than just athletes."
Sandra Bullock announced the best team award, saying, "All those in favor of equal pay say aye."
The U.S. women's team is suing to receive pay equal to their male counterparts.
"Keep fighting for equality," Billie Jean King told the team from the stage earlier in the show.
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Carli Lloyd informed the crowd the team had its hair and makeup done during the flight from New York.
"We look pretty fabulous, I think," she said.
Lloyd added, "It's been an incredible journey. Here's to the next World Cup."
Other athletes acknowledged the Women's World Cup victory from the stage, including Drew Brees, winner for best record-breaking performance.
"It's going to be in history forever," new New Orleans Pelicans player Lonzo Ball said on the red carpet. "I don't even watch soccer and I watched it. That means a lot."
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Zion Williamson, the No. 1 pick in last month's NBA draft, earned best college athlete honors for his one-and-done season at Duke.
"Wish I could have stayed a second year, but I had other things to do," a smiling Williamson said.
The best moment award was shared by a trio of recent retirees: Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn, NFL player Rob Gronkowski and NBA player Dwyane Wade.
UCLA gymnast Katelyn Ohashi collected two trophies: best play and best viral sports moment for her floor exercise routine that earned a perfect score of 10.
Ohashi accepted her best play trophy by giving her remarks in rhyme.
Antetokounmpo was a double winner, too, adding best NBA player honors.
The St. Louis Blues earned best comeback for going from worst team in the NHL early in the season to the Stanley Cup championship. Center Ryan O'Reilly removed his tooth to thank the crowd.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes won best NFL player; Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich earned best MLB player; and Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals won best NHL player.
Special honorees were:
— Bill Russell, Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. The 85-year-old basketball Hall of Famer was saluted for his dedication to fighting for social justice and ensuring opportunity for all young people. Introduced by Kobe Bryant, Russell acknowledged a standing ovation from an upper level box but didn't speak.
— Former Marine Sgt. Kirstie Ennis, Pat Tillman Award for Service. While on duty in Afghanistan, Ennis was in a crash that resulted in traumatic injuries and ultimately led to an above-knee amputation of her left leg. She is trying to become the first woman above-the-knee amputee to summit all seven of the world's highest peaks.
— Rob Mendez, Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. The high school football coach was born without arms or legs due to a rare disorder. Mendez taught himself football fundamentals using video games. He is head coach of the junior varsity team at Prospect High in Saratoga, California. They went 8-2 in his first season and reached the league title game.
"I also want to thank the game of football for all that it's given me, for allowing me to be part of a team," Mendez said from motorized chair. "Look at me and see how much passion I put into coaching and how far it's gotten me. I made it this far and who says I can't go further?"
— Jim Calhoun, best coach. The three-time national champion coach at UConn now guides Division III University of St. Joseph.
AP freelance writer Jolene Latimer contributed to this report.
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Religious Tourism: New York professor finds happiness on Mt. Athos in Greece
People go to the Holy Mountainto to escape the material world, briefly or forever, to find God or themselves, to retreat within and find answers in retrospection
People go to Mt. Athos – The Holy Mountain – in Greece for many reasons, to visit or even become monks and live the quiet life of reflection. They go to escape the material world, briefly or forever, to find God or themselves, to retreat within and find answers in retrospection in hopes of getting closer to fine.
Father Ioanikios gave up the good life in Manhattan, living large in the country where as a Greek he had come an American citizen, roaring around in his 20s, working for Mobil Oil in New Jersey, commuting there from his apartment on 32nd Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues.
He had gotten his Master’s Degree in economics and all the world was his oyster but he wanted a pearl and said he found it on Mt. Athos, telling the tale to Simon Critchley, an English philosopher who teaches the subject as a Professor at New York City’s New School for Social Research.
Critchley was doing a philosophical tour of Athens and Greece, writing eight pieces about it for The New York Times, and had already been to Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum but said on Mt. Athos he met, in Father Ioanikios, “The Happiest Man I’ve Ever Met.”
Father Ioanikios told Critchley when he was living in Manhattan that he had a small icon of the Virgin Mary to which he would pray before going to sleep, even if he was, a bit hypocritically, a tad tipsy from drinking too much and indulging in worldly pleasures while seeking absolution, if not Absolut too. He was set.
Then, in the early 1980s on a trip to see his family in Greece, he visited Simonopetra on Mt. Athos, a monastery also called Simon’s Rock founded in the 13th Century. On his visit, Critchley said the monks found it amusing he had the same name as the simple, bare, cold cave named for a hermit who lived there 700 years ago.
Father Ioanikios’ grandmother’s brother had been a monk on the mountain so the converted New Yorker visited the cell of an old and very ill monk who knew his relative well, he told Critchley, and was left with a wordless encounter that changed his world when he was back in The Big Apple thinking about it.
“The old monk had such life in his eyes. Such love,” he said. He couldn’t get the experience out of his mind, he said, so he returned to the monastery and decided to leave behind the bright lights and big city and the booze and became a novice in 1984 and a monk in 1987 and stayed.
His name had been Christos, now it was Ioanikios, after a 9th Century Byzantine saint.
For all his insight and devotion, Father Ioanikios is not an intellectual or a theologian but a practical man with a Toyota four-wheel drive truck who takes care of business operations, building projects.
|But he is a person of deep and convincing faith. He told me that he frequently prays in the forest because he feels comfortable there,” he told his philosopher visitor. “It’s the Garden of Eden,” he said. “Looking out of the window at the forest, mountains and blue sea, I sighed in agreement,” wrote Critchley.
Father Ioanikios said he’d become a monk and came Simonopetra because, “He felt called by God and had responded to the call. Not all are called by God and not all who are called respond. But he did.” And still does.
Critchley also discovered on Mt. Athos the diligence and drive needed to live a simple life, awakening at 4:30 a.m., singing vespers, devoting yourself to a lifetime of religion and faith and not what money can buy, apart from a Toyota needed to get around.
No women are allowed, showing the strength of Father Ioanikios after being surrounded by them in New York City, along with all the other temptations the city offered young men.
“The father told me that some of younger, keener monks often get up at 11 p.m. to extend their devotions. There is at least one hour of Bible reading, one hour reciting the Jesus Prayer or the Prayer of the Holy Mountain (‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me,’ repeated rhythmically over and over again) and one hour of prostrations. The amount of prostrations depends on your age and physical ability, but there should be at least 120; some monks perform up to 2,000. This rather put my Pilates classes into perspective,” wrote Critchley.
Mt. Athos follows the old clock of Byzantium, where the day begins at sunset. After the morning service, monks can nap for two hours. This is followed by a service of 30 minutes, then lunch, the main meal of the day, at 10:30.
Meals in the refectory are taken in silence and one can eat only when the head of Simonopetra, Abbot Eliseus, rings the gold bell he has beside him. When a second bell rings, it is permitted to drink either water or a sole glass of sweet red wine from their own vineyards. Meal times are fast, about 20 minutes or so, and you have to eat quickly. Throughout the meal, a monk reads aloud from a text, an ancient version of staring at your cell phone perhaps.
He said the monks faces during a service “were transformed and elevated by song. It is impossible to describe what it was like to be there, but the sheer duration and intensity of the services had a powerful effect,” even on him, struck by the seriousness and absence of piety.
“What struck me during my stay at Simonopetra was the constant emphasis on monasticism as a living experience, as an unbroken continuity of tradition. In the case of Athos, that means at least 1,000 years. In this place, every day without exception, the rituals have been followed. Monasticism is not a theology; it is a way of life,” said Critchley, whose life has been studying the philosophy of life.
This is not to say humor is absent because when Father Ioanikios learned Critchley had come from New York he had a twinge of nostalgia. “Back in those days, I used to drink a little and go out,” he said. “You know that club that people went to …”
“Studio 54?”
“Yeah, I used to go there all the time.”
“Did you ever meet Donald Trump?” I asked.
“Trump? That guy? Forget it!”
Read more at thenationalherald.com
Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Gabriel
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Toronto Mike'd Podcast
KOTJ!
Notable Guests
By Toronto Mike February 5, 2005 @ 4:18 PM In Memoriam 0 comments
Gnassingbe Eyadema was 68. He was the president of Togo and Africa's longest-ruling leader.
Discuss "Rest in Peace" (0 comments so far)
By Toronto Mike February 4, 2005 @ 12:07 PM In Memoriam 0 comments
Ossie Davis was 87. He was an actor distinguished for roles dealing with racial injustice on stage, screen and in real life. I remember him best from his appearance in three Spike Lee films, "School Daze," "Do the Right Thing" and "Jungle Fever."
By Toronto Mike February 4, 2005 @ 10:10 AM In Memoriam 0 comments
Max Schmeling was 99. He was the heavyweight champion whose two fights with Joe Louis set off a propaganda war between the Nazi regime and the United States on the eve of World War II.
I've been tracking celebrity deaths since September 2000 and this is the first time I've added somebody I thought was already dead. Did anyone think Schmeling was still alive?
John Vernon was 72. He was the star of the 1960s drama "Wojeck" before moving on to a career in Hollywood.
I remember him fondly as Dean Vernon Wormer in "Animal House". "The time has come for someone to put his foot down. And that foot is me."
By Toronto Mike February 3, 2005 @ 6:24 AM In Memoriam 0 comments
Dan Lee was 35. He was the Toronto animator who designed the character of Nemo for the blockbuster Pixar film "Finding Nemo". He also helped animate "A Bug's Life", "Toy Story 2", "Monsters, Inc." and a 2007 Pixar release.
By Toronto Mike January 23, 2005 @ 3:08 PM In Memoriam 0 comments
Johnny Carson was 79. He was host of the "Tonight Show" for thirty years.
While the rest of the continent remembers Johnny Carson from late night TV, I know him best for his guest appearance on episode 9F19 of The Simpsons, "Krusty Gets Kancelled". When Krusty went looking for tips on how to deal with leaving the world of television, he visited Johnny Carson. Carson participated in The Krusty Comeback Special going so far as to juggle an automobile. At the conclusion of the episode, Bart proposes a toast "To Krusty, the greatest entertainer in the world. Except for that guy." He's pointing to Carson, tap-dancing and playing "Good Night Ladies" and The Simpsons theme on the accordion while balancing a board on his head atop which sit Grampa and Jasper. Good night, Johnny.
By the way, Steve drafted him in our Dead Pool and has been rewarded with 21 points. That puts him only 47 points behind Ryan for the lead.
Lamont Bentley was 31. He starred as Hakeem Campbell on the UPN sitcom "Moesha".
By Toronto Mike January 18, 2005 @ 12:21 PM In Memoriam 0 comments
Virginia Mayo was 84. She was the stunning blond actress who brought beauty and romance to films of the 1940s and 1950s with such co-stars as James Cagney, Bob Hope, Gregory Peck, Danny Kaye and Ronald Reagan.
By Toronto Mike January 18, 2005 @ 6:23 AM In Memoriam 0 comments
Ruth Warrick was 88. She was the darling of the daytime soap opera "All My Children" who launched her career in Orson Welles' all-time classic "Citizen Kane".
Zhao Ziyang was 85. He was the former prime minister of China and a reform-minded Communist Party leader who was toppled in a power struggle after the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests.
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Real Estate Surrey tops real estate investment list
Surrey tops real estate investment list
Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts stands with a view of the city
JOHN LEHMANN/GLOBE AND MAIL
Kerry Gold
Surrey, B.C.
Special to The Globe and Mail
Published December 28, 2011 Updated May 9, 2018
Invest in Surrey real estate and you won't go wrong, according to Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) president Don Campbell.
"Outside Vancouver, the economies are pretty darn strong," says Mr. Campbell, the outspoken president of REIN and author of Real Estate Investing in Canada.
REIN recently released its list of the top investment towns in B.C., based on its constant region-by-region study of the market. For the third year in a row, Surrey tops the list of best investment towns in B.C. Surrey is followed by Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows, Kamloops, Abbotsford, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Kelowna, Comox Valley, Penticton and Prince George round out the top 10. Vancouver is at No. 11.
Overall, the report is a positive outlook for British Columbians. Contrary to naysayer reports, he says the economy in B.C. is strong, and the future looks brighter than media reports would have residents believe.
"From a job perspective, we have more people working now than before the recession. Jobs have shifted geographically – they have really shifted out west ... so it's pretty good, yeah."
Surrey's top dog place on the list – and No. 4 on REIN's best investment towns in Canada list – is testament to its public image makeover.
It used to be that Surrey had a tarnished image, mostly because of its high crime rate.
"I grew up in Whalley, and it was dramatically different when I grew up in the 70s and early 80s than it is now, that's for sure," says Shaun Greffard, Surrey's general manager of investment and intergovernmental relations. "There have been some fundamental shifts."
REIN operates out of Abbotsford, with a membership of more than 3,000 investors across Canada who own nearly 30,000 properties across Canada. They travel to various towns each year to determine which regions are most investment-worthy. Let's just say that their cavalcade of tour buses is usually the talk of the town.
Once a year, members converge on a town, stay at a hotel and travel by buses to look at infrastructure, schools, libraries, arts and culture venues, trail systems, housing, industrial parks – whatever features help them decide where to put their money. They also meet with mayors and economic development officers to determine if the local government is going to ensure better highways, bridges, rapid transit and downtown development. The criteria to be investment-worthy include the potential for jobs, gross domestic product growth, income growth and population growth. They are not looking for housing booms. In fact, if a region is enjoying a housing boom but without GDP job growth, then that boom is most likely a bubble that is bound to burst.
"If you don't have GDP and job growth on a consistent basis, and the real estate market continues to move up, you are going to see an inevitable correction," says Mr. Campbell.
What you want is a real estate market, not a speculative bubble. A real estate market involves new population growth and people who typically rent for three to five years before buying. REIN investors are looking for regions where that growth is about to happen, and they purchase properties on the upswing of that growth, which is about a five-year plan. For example, it takes time for vacancy rates to drop, after more people have moved in. Then renters will typically become homeowners.
"I'm trying to identify long-term markets," says Mr. Campbell. "It's not like stock investing, where you can get in and out. You want your money to go where the people are going to go.
"For example, the immigration into Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon is unbelievable. But people say, 'the real estate market there is flat.' That's the point. You see population growth first, then the vacancy rate goes down, and 18 months later, after population grows, then you see the upward pressure on real estate. It's incredibly predictable. This is the underlying economic analysis."
With a reduced crime rate and better image, Surrey is becoming recognized as an affordable, central metropolis that is a major draw for young families. About one third of its 500,000 residents are under 19.
The region has boosted its population with jobs and the lowest residential taxes in the region, generous housing stock, and its development of a transit-focused commercial core called City Centre. It's possible to buy a condo in Surrey for $150,000, which is a rarity in Vancouver. As a result, Surrey grows by 800 to 1,000 people per month. As well, it has the highest birthrate in B.C., with about 400 babies born every month.
"There's the opportunity for individuals to get into the real estate market in Surrey – where that might not be the case in other areas where it's less affordable, like Vancouver or West Vancouver, and even Burnaby and Richmond," says Mr. Greffard. "Not to say prices haven't appreciated, because they have in Surrey, but there is more volume coming onto the market. And with the City Centre development, there is higher density development going on."
Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows are second on the list because that region too is currently affordable, and also set for major growth due to the new Golden Ears Bridge. Maple Ridge, which has a population of about 76,000, has also spent a lot of money developing its downtown core. Pitt Meadows is much smaller, with around 18,000 residents.
"I think we've spent over $100 million over the last 10 years," says former Maple Ridge councilor Craig Spiers. "We've given incentives on downtown development, and the uptake has been incredible.
"And we've had $1.2 billion worth of bridges built to connect our communities."
Mr. Spiers said he worries about growth cutting into farmland that's part of the Agricultural Land Reserve, which would make the bucolic region less desirable.
"You don't want to make the short-term mistakes that produced Surrey. They realized their mistake, and they are coming back. They are doing a great job, but it's been difficult."
Neighbourhood Scout: Old Weston Village’s new wave
Neighbourhood Scout: Toronto's Upper Beaches forges its own identity
What you get for ... $679,000 in Toronto
Follow Kerry Gold on Twitter @goldiein604
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Why London is rubbish at solar
Lack of political leadership, a mobile population, cramped roof spaces, and the indifference of the rich to energy costs contributes to poor take-up of solar
Adam Vaughan
@adamvaughan_uk
Mon 26 Jan 2015 06.25 EST Last modified on Wed 14 Feb 2018 13.39 EST
An aerial view of houses on the outskirts of London. Photograph: Alex Treadway/NG/Alamy
In the end, it was a bit of an anticlimax. After years of wanting to stick solar panels on the roof of my London home, all I had to show for their installation earlier this month was a garden-full of scaffolding and a new box next to our fuse box.
Many people will understandably have written off solar power at home as the government incentives paid for them have been massively cut, sometimes so drastically that it prompted successful legal action against the coalition.
But what’s less frequently noted is how the £14,000 cost of a typical home installation when those incentives started in 2010 has fallen to £6,000-7,000, or even less. With a payback period of around seven years for the system I had installed, solar looks pretty attractive compared to ISAs paying around 1.5% interest, even in the capital.
Yet Londoners have not taken to solar with anything like the gusto of other parts of the country. Even with some of the most affluent areas in the UK and a relatively sun-friendly latitude by UK standards, the city has the lowest amount of installed solar of any English region.
The low uptake is not confined to households. Out of 65 schools across the UK that have decided to install panels under the Solar Schools initiative, only five are in London. Just 7% of the city’s 3,080 schools have installed solar, according to figures released on Friday by Jenny Jones, the Green Party London Assembly member.
So why is London lagging behind more northerly and ostensibly less solar-friendly regions such as Yorkshire and Humber? The answer, if you believe the industry and some politicians, is a combination of a lack of political leadership and a cityscape and population that means solar installers focus their marketing efforts elsewhere, creating a vicious circle.
The few solar installs that do take place in London are overwhelmingly on new builds, according to Ray Noble, solar adviser at the Renewable Energy Association. He says the city’s transient and flighty population is one reason for the low take-up – people don’t hang around long enough for the payback to kick in – and London’s rich are simply too wealthy to care about reducing their energy bills.
“Many houses in London are rented or purchased on the basis of moving on in the future. Many are blocks of flats rented or with multiple owners so too complicated to add solar. Likewise the owners generally have high cost mortgages and rarely spend additional money on the property. Those with the bigger houses tend to have too much money to care about their energy bills,” he said.
Howard Johns, the MD of Southern Solar, the company that installed my panels, says transience plays a part but the city’s housing stock is more significant. “There is not much solar in London simply because of the buildings. Many of them have small roof spaces, which means you can’t get much up there,” he said.
“Many of the buildings are also tall which means that scaffold costs are high, and have converted lofts and roof windows, dormers, aerials and chimneys reducing the space available further and increasing shading. There are of course some suburban houses with larger roof spaces, but so much of London is terraces with these complex and cramped roof spaces.”
Like others in the industry, they also point to the fact that London is simply a more expensive place to get things done – scaffolding costs more to put up than in other regions, parking can be expensive. In short, it’s more of a hassle for installers.
Solar photovoltaic panels on Adam Vaughan’s home in London. Photograph: Adam Vaughan
But Leonie Greene, a spokeswoman for the Solar Trade Association, rejects the idea that London isn’t suitable for solar.
“There are always reasons why you can’t do things, but London is ideal for solar. You have a well-educated, politically aware population motivated by this sort of stuff [green issues], and a mayor who could make political leadership on it. If Yorkshire and Humber can do it, I have no doubt London can if it put its weight behind it,” said Greene. She credits a proactive approach at a council level for the take-up in Yorkshire and Humber.
Jones, who was the Greens’ mayoral candidate in 2012, has asked mayor Boris Johnson to set up a solar delivery unit and argues that a lack of political clout is to blame.
“If he pushed it harder from the start, there would have been more opportunities now. To a large extent it has lacked leadership, and the mayor could have provided that. He hasn’t really got a legacy. He has Boris bikes but that was Ken’s idea. He’s got the cable car but that’s an appalling piece of frippery. This [backing solar on the GLA estate and on schools] would be a brilliant legacy.”
However, Matthew Pencharz, the mayor’s environment adviser, says Johnson has shown leadership on low carbon energy, particularly on community energy schemes. Moreover, he echoes the views of installers, arguing London’s low solar uptake is more to do with social and historical reasons, such as thin, tall buildings with little roof space.
“PV [solar photovoltaic] is more difficult to deploy because of the large conservation areas in the capital, the relatively low number of owner occupiers and we also have a huge number of flatted properties which obviously makes ownership of the roof perhaps more complex than it is elsewhere. We also have tall buildings and the shadowing effect.
“Having said all that, the mayor is very keen to encourage community energy schemes, which is where we can see communities coming together, solving that roof space problem.”
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Gunman dead in Wisconsin prom shooting
Posted: 7:11 AM, Apr 24, 2016
ANTIGO, Wis. (AP) — An 18-year-old man opened fire with a high-powered rifle outside of a high school prom in northern Wisconsin, wounding two students before a police officer who was in the parking lot fatally shot him, authorities said Sunday.
Investigators did not say whether they believe the two students were specifically targeted or discuss a possible motive for the shooting. But a school administrator said it appeared that the gunman — identified by police as Jakob E. Wagner — intended to go into the dance and start shooting randomly.
The two prom-goers who were wounded were shot as the exited the building, according to Eric Roller, the chief of police in Antigo, a community of about 8,000 people roughly 150 miles north of Milwaukee.
"Officers were in the parking lot patrolling the activities and heard the shots and an officer immediately fired upon the shooter, stopping the threat," Roller said. He said the gunman was then taken into custody. Wagner died at a hospital.
In a statement, the Unified School District of Antigo said Wagner approached the school with a high-powered rifle and a large ammunition clip. The district said the "quick actions" taken by police and district staff to secure the building "prevented what might have otherwise been a disaster of unimaginable proportions."
Interim district administrator Donald B. Childs told The Associated Press on Sunday that it appears Wagner intended to go into the building and shoot at people at the dance.
"We have no reason to believe at this point it was targeting anybody specifically," Childs said, adding that the shooting outside the entrance happened "from some distance."
The female victim was treated and released and the male victim was undergoing surgery for injuries that weren't life-threatening, police said. Childs said the wounded boy, who was shot in the leg, attended the high school but that his date, who was grazed in the shooting, was from out of state.
Friends said Wagner was a senior at Antigo High School in 2015, but Childs said he did not graduate with his classmates and was continuing to work on his diploma. He said the school of about 750 students will have counselors available when classes resume Monday.
Friends expressed shock that Wagner was the suspect.
"For him to do that, something just isn't right. He was a good kid," said Dakotta Mills, who said he had known Wagner since sixth grade and considered him a "foster brother."
Wagner was interested in guns and wanted to become a hunter, Mills said, but he wasn't sure Wagner could afford a gun. He said Mills was raised by his mother and grandparents and was still living at home.
Wagner loved video games and music, particularly violin and cello, and had been in the school marching band, Mills said.
Dylan Dewey, who graduated from Antigo High last year, said Wagner had been dating a girl at the school who broke up with him last month. He described Wagner as an "all-around good guy" who enjoyed hanging out with friends.
Fatalities from Gun Violence by State in 2015 | InsideGov
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Cowboys top Colts 24-19
Tom Pennington
<p>ARLINGTON, TX - AUGUST 19: Tevin Mitchel #28 of the Indianapolis Colts tackles Cole Beasley #11 of the Dallas Cowboys in the first half of a preseason game at AT&T Stadium on August 19, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)</p>
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Dak Prescott and Dez Bryant offered a glimpse of how the Dallas Cowboys' offense could look without Ezekiel Elliott: the second-year star quarterback frequently finding his top receiver.
The Indianapolis Colts are still struggling to see what life without Andrew Luck might be like.
Prescott connected with Bryant for a 32-yard touchdown on their first series of the preseason, 2016 NFL rushing champion Elliott sat again with his six-game suspension looming, and rookie Cooper Rush threw two scoring passes in the Cowboys' 24-19 exhibition win Saturday night.
Last year's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after a sensational season that ultimately led 10-year starter Tony Romo into retirement, Prescott was 8 of 9 for 106 yards in his two possessions. The first was a 95-yard drive in seven plays that started with a 23-yard toss to Bryant.
Prescott's second series ended on a fumble inside Indy's 10 by Darren McFadden, who started as the Cowboys again delayed Elliott's exhibition debut.
Elliott has appealed his suspension while disputing the NFL's findings that he caused bruises on his ex-girlfriend in several confrontations last summer in Ohio.
Owner Jerry Jones said it "wouldn't surprise me at all" if Elliott played next week's preseason home game against Oakland, which would likely be his only action before a suspension.
Bryant's 55 yards receiving held up as the most in the game for the Cowboys.
"I don't know if I can honestly put it into words just how much better of a player he is, and we were just talking about how good his body feels," Prescott said. "He's just a much better player right now than what he was last year at this time. Our chemistry is growing, so it's fun."
Scott Tolzien played the first half for the Colts, who aren't sure if Luck will be ready for the regular season after offseason shoulder surgery.
Indy didn't record a first down until early in the second quarter, and its only touchdown before halftime was Lavar Edwards' 15-yard return of Dallas backup quarterback Kellen Moore's fumble.
Tolzien led a 60-yard drive to Adam Vinatieri's 33-yard field goal in the second quarter, highlighted by a 25-yard pass to Kamar Aiken. Tolzien, who is 0-2-1 as an NFL starter, finished 10 of 14 for 70 yards.
"We need to start faster," said Tolzien, the only one of the three current potential backups with NFL experience. "We need to get first downs, which keep the momentum going and get the offensive rhythm going."
Stephen Morris, the third quarterback to play, finally got the Colts an offensive touchdown on an 18-yard throw to Fred Brown with 57 seconds remaining. Morris was 11 of 115 for 111 yards, most of it with Indianapolis down two scores in the fourth quarter.
BEHIND ELLIOTT
McFadden looked like a capable fill-in for Elliott with 59 yards on nine carries, but was stripped by Matthias Farley on his final run late in the first quarter. Alfred Morris, who also figures to see action during Elliott's suspension, had nine carries for 49 yards. Rod Smith, who has had a strong camp, had 53 yards on seven carries.
FINALLY ON THE FIELD
Dallas linebacker Jaylon Smith, Rod Smith's younger brother, made his preseason debut in his first game since a devastating knee injury in his final college game with Notre Dame at the Fiesta Bowl two seasons ago. The Cowboys drafted him in the second round last year.
His only tackle on a short pass forced the second straight three-and-out to start the game for the Colts. "From Day One, I've believed in myself, and I thank all the supporters everywhere, even everyone who doubted me," said Smith, who played 12 snaps.
NO REST FOR 40-SOMETHINGS
While the Cowboys didn't use Dan Bailey again after a 25-yard field goal in the first half, the 44-year-old Vinatieri kept kicking after halftime, adding a 42-yarder. Of course, he's trying to get used to a new snapper and holder going into his 22nd season.
ROOKIE WATCH
Colts: Marlon Mack, a fourth-round pick out of South Florida, led the team with 45 yards rushing on five carries.
Cowboys: Rush, undrafted out of Central Michigan, had his third straight solid preseason outing with second-half TD tosses to another pair of rookies in Noah Brown and Lance Lenoir.
Colts: At Pittsburgh next Saturday.
Cowboys: Oakland at home next Saturday.
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Commissioners proclaim Constitution Week Sept. 16-22
Inola Marlene Reed
Home / Alva M. Ferguson
Alva M. Ferguson
Alva M. Ferguson of Tool passed away Sept. 10, 2018 in Terrell. Alva was born Feb. 17, 1922 in Ada, Okla. Alva graduated from Ada High School and began his career as a meat cutter before marrying the love of his life Edith McElroy in 1942. He was in the U.S. Navy serving on the USS Los Angeles during World War II. At the end of the war, he quickly rose to executive positions in Humpty Dumpty, Wrigley’s, Kroger’s and Tom Thumb. Alva retired in 1996 and spent many happy years golfing and boating at Cedar Creek Lake. He was preceded in death by his wife of 66 years, Edith, two brothers, two sisters and very good friends Norma and Dick Bartz. Alva is survived by his son Don and wife Caren of Terrell, daughter Janet Feltz of Plano, grandchildren Kelly Morten, Amy Duckworth and Aaron Felts and eight great-grandchildren. He was a Christian, a member of the Baptist church and he is now present at a great family reunion in Heaven.
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Titans vs. Bucs observations: Marcus Mariota solid, Blaine Gabbert inconsistent
The Titans hosted the Tampa Bay Bucs in their second preseason game on Saturday.
Titans vs. Bucs observations: Marcus Mariota solid, Blaine Gabbert inconsistent The Titans hosted the Tampa Bay Bucs in their second preseason game on Saturday. Check out this story on Tennessean.com: https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nfl/titans/2018/08/18/tennessee-titans-tampa-bay-bucs-marcus-mariota-jameis-winston/980788002/
Erik Bacharach, Nashville Tennessean Published 10:08 p.m. CT Aug. 18, 2018 | Updated 11:57 p.m. CT Aug. 18, 2018
Titans vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a preseason game
Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) celebrates his touchdown in the third quarter of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) heads for the end zone and the team's first touchdown of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) celebrates his touchdown with cornerback Adoree' Jackson (25) in the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) signs a poster for a fan after the team's 30-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans and Buccaneers players go after a long pass into the end zone in the closing minutes of the Titans' 30-14 preseason loss at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans fans stick out the 30-14 loss till the end at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) shakes hands with Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter after the preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Darius Jennings (15) shakes hands with fans after the team's 30-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel watches the closing minutes of the preseason 30-14 loss to Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) makes a pass in the 30-14 preseason loss to Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / Tennessean.com
Titans tight end Anthony Firkser (86) pulls in a catch in the fourth quarter of a preseason 30-14 loss to Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers running back Dare Ogunbowale (44) makes a catch in front of Titans linebacker Robert Spillane (42) in the fourth quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) stops a run by Titans tight end Ethan Wolf (45) in the fourth quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans running back Akrum Wadley (38) breaks a tackle by Buccaneers defensive back Marko Myers (38) in the fourth quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans running back Dalyn Dawkins (39) breaks a tackle to gains yards in the third quarter of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Nick Williams (14) loses his helmet as he's called for a personal foul on a punt return by Buccaneers running back Shaun Wilson (38) n the third quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans linebacker Daren Bates (53) stops Buccaneers wide receiver Justin Watson (17) in the second half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Tennessee Titans linebacker Jayon Brown (55) deflects a throw by Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) during the first half at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel watches during the third quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) hands the ball off to Titans running back Akrum Wadley (38) in the second half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans cornerback Rico Gafford (40) breaks up a pass intended for Buccaneers wide receiver Justin Watson (17) in the third quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans linebacker Daren Bates (53) hits Buccaneers wide receiver Bobo Wilson (85) then is called for taunting during the second half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans linebacker Daren Bates (53) is called for taunting after a stopping Buccaneers wide receiver Bobo Wilson (85) in the second half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) and wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) celebrate Taylor's touchdown in the third quarter of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) celebrates his second touchdown of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers wide receiver Justin Watson (17) celebrates his second-quarter touchdown in a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers wide receiver DeSean Jackson (11) pulls in a catch over Titans cornerback LeShaun Sims (36) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers wide receiver Justin Watson (17) grabs a touchdown catch defended by Titans safety Kendrick Lewis (28) and LeShaun Sims (36) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers wide receiver Justin Watson (17) pulls down a touchdown catch in front of Titans safety Kendrick Lewis (28) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) is tackled by face mask by Buccaneers defensive end Vinny Curry (97) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) watches the second quarter of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
A Titans fan watches the first half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Kendrick Lewis: Safety Kendrick Lewis suffered a foot injury in the preseason and has not played in a game this season, though he was a full participant at practice on Sept. 21.Here, Lewis (28) brings down Buccaneers wide receiver DeSean Jackson (11) in the first half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel rubs his eyes during the third quarter of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (12) scores a touchdown in the first half of a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) hauls in a catch defended by Titans cornerback LeShaun Sims (36) in th e first half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) stops a run by Titans running back David Fluellen (32) in the first half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) scrambles in the first half of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston (3) drops back during the first half of a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) celebrates his touchdown with cornerback Adoree' Jackson (25) in the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) leaves Buccaneers defensive back Justin Evans (21) behind on his way to a touchdown in the first half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) heads for a touchdown in the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans offensive tackle Dennis Kelly (71) celebrates with wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) after his touchdown during a preseason game against the Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) celebrates his touchdown as he comes off the field in the first half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) celebrates his touchdown with offensive tackle Taylor Lewan (77) during a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans kicker Ryan Succop (4) is congratulated after his extra point kick in the first half of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans defenders wrap up Buccaneers running back Peyton Barber (25) in the first half of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) gains yard in the first half defended by Buccaneers defensive back Justin Evans (21) in a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans defensive backs Logan Ryan (26) and Kevin Byard (31) break up a pass intended for Buccaneers wide receiver DeSean Jackson (11) in the first quarter Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) looks to pass in the first half of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) looks to hand off during the first half of a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans running back Dion Lewis (33) gains yards in the first half of a preseason game against the Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
A pass intended for Buccaneers running back Jacquizz Rodgers (32) is incomplete in the first half of a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (99) wraps up Buccaneers running back Peyton Barber (25) during the first quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
A pass intended for Buccaneers tight end O.J. Howard (80) is incomplete defended by Titans cornerback LeShaun Sims (36) in the first half of a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) gains yards in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) gets rid of the ball during the first quarter of a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Buccaneers running back Dare Ogunbowale (44) gains yards in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Titans at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans offensive tackle Taylor Lewan (77) takes the field followed by offensive tackle Dennis Kelly (71) before the start of the preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) takes the field for the start of the preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (99) salutes during the National Anthem before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (99) and teammates slap hands with fans before a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans offensive guard Josh Kline (64) slaps hands with fans before a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
The Titans take the field before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) warms up before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) leads the team huddle before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receivers Nick Williams (14) and Taywan Taylor (13) slaps hands before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans cornerback Adoree' Jackson (25) catches a pass before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans owner Amy Adams Struck chats before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans center Ben Jones (60) watches warmups before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
A young fan reaches for Titans mascot T-Rac at a preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / Tennessean.com
A Titans fan is decked for the preseason game against Tampa Bay at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / Tennessean.com
A Titans helmet rests on the field before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans linebacker Will Compton (51) watches from the sidelines before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Luke Falk (11) warms up before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel gives instructions before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Dean Pees, Titans defensive coordinator, watches the team before the start of the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) warms up before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Titans linebacker Jayon Brown (55) stretches before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) rallies with his teammates before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Tommy Miles receives a kiss on the cheek outside of Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / tennessean.com
Titans tight end Jonnu Smith (81) prays before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Titans kicker Ryan Succop (4) warms up before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) high-fives fan Cameron Bere, 9, before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Titans defensive back Kevin Byard (31) pulls in a pass before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) warms up before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe makes a catch before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans head coach Mike Vrabel warms up before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Austin Brown, 8, tries to sit on an oversized chair outside of Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. \212017000011\ / tennessean.com
Dwayne Coffee and Kantressa Bell prepare food outside of Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / tennessean.com
Titans linebacker Robert Spillane (42) warms up before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Fans take photos under an inflatable player outside of Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / tennessean.com
Fans tailgate outside of Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / tennessean.com
Fans pass a Titan logo outside of Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. Courtney Pedroza / tennessean.com
Titans General Manager Jon Robinson watches warmups before the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
Titans quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) is tackled by face mask by Buccaneers defensive end Vinny Curry (97) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn.(Photo: George Walker IV / Tennessean.com)
Five observations from the Titans 30-14 exhibition loss against the Tampa Bay Bucs at Nissan Stadium on Saturday:
Blaine Gabbert looks so-so again
Backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert was on the field for six drives Saturday. For the second straight game, it was a mixed bag with more good than bad.
He pieced together an impressive seven-play, 75-yard drive for a touchdown to begin the second half, but didn't have many more highlights. Four of the Titans' other Gabbert-led drives ended in punts. The other ended with a fumble recovery by the Bucs. There were plenty of missed throws scattered among those five drives in what has been an underwhelming first two preseason games for Gabbert.
Columnist Joe Rexrode and Titans beat writer Erik Bacharach discuss the 30-14 loss. George Walker IV, The Tennessean
First-team offense solid again
A week after Marcus Mariota led the first-team offense down the field for a touchdown on his only drive against the Packers, he did it again against the Bucs.
Dion Lewis had two catches and showed how lethal he is after the catch, and Taywan Taylor took a screen 47 yards for a touchdown while showing how dangerous his acceleration can be. The drive lasted six plays and 75 yards.
Mariota played only two series and completed 4-of-7 passes for 80 yards.
First-team defense holds
After the Packers swiftly moved down the field against the Titans' first-team defense last week, the unit had a good bounce-back effort against the Bucs.
The Titans' first-team defense held Tampa Bay to just 2 yards on its first drive, and even though the Bucs drove 68 yards on their second drive, the Titans came up with a stand in the red zone to force a punt.
Titans players talk about preseason game against Buccaneers George Walker IV, The Tennessean
Secondary looks porous in first half
The Titans allowed 238 passing yards in the first half, most coming with Jameis Winston under center after the Titans' first-team unit was off the field. Tampa's last three drives of the first half went for 50, 91 and 72 yards as they put up two touchdowns and a field goal.
Kendrick Lewis shaken up
Titans safety Kendrick Lewis was shaken up on a play early in the second half before heading for the locker room with a trainer. The Titans are thin at the position with their secondary having been hit with a bunch of injuries already this offseason.
Reach Erik Bacharach at ebacharach@tennessean.com and on Twitter @ErikBacharach.
Titans' 2018 Opening Day 53-man roster
#8, Marcus Mariota, Quarterback: Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) throws during the second half at Heinz Field Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017 in Pittsburgh, Pa. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#7, Blaine Gabbert, Quarterback: Titans quarterback Blaine Gabbert (7) throws a pass during practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in Nashville , Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#22, Derrick Henry, Running Back: Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) tries to break a tackle at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
#33, Dion Lewis, Running Back: Titans running back Dion Lewis (33) races up the field during a mini-camp practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#32, David Fluellen, Running Back: Tennessee Titans running back David Fluellen (32) warms up before their game against the Carolina Panthers at Nissan Stadium Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#84, Corey Davis, Wide Receiver: Titans wide receiver Corey Davis scores a touchdown against the Patriots during a playoff game in Foxborough, Mass., Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews (18) pulls away from Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson (22) for a first-down catch during the second half at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Dec. 24, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#13, Taywan Taylor, Wide Receiver: Titans wide receiver Taywan Taylor (13) catches a pass over Seahawks defensive back Shaquill Griffin (26) in the first half at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. Tom Stanford / Tennessean.com
#19, Tajae Sharpe, Wide Receiver: Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe (19) reaches for a pass during warmups before the game against the Texans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#15, Darius Jennings, Wide Receiver: Titans wide receiver Darius Jennings (15) catches a pass before the preseason game against the Bears at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans wide receiver Cameron Batson (17) pulls in a pass over defensive back Jarell Carter (39) during practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#82, Delanie Walker, Tight End: Titans tight end Delanie Walker (82) races up the field with a completion during the third quarter at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#81, Jonnu Smith, Tight End: Patriots cornerback Eric Rowe (25) hangs onto Titans tight end Jonnu Smith (81) during the second quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans tight end Luke Stocker (88) pulls in a catch during practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans tight end Anthony Firkser (86) tries to get past outside linebacker Aaron Wallace (52) as they work on tackling drills during practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#77, Taylor Lewan, Offensive Tackle: Titans tackle Taylor Lewan (77) puts on his helmet during warmups before the preseason game against the Jets at MetLife Stadium Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017 in East Rutherford, N.J.. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#78, Jack Conklin, Offensive Tackle: Titans rookie lineman Jack Conklin faced Chargers rookie defensive end Joey Bosa a few times when both played in the Big Ten. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#71, Dennis Kelly, Offensive Tackle: Dennis Kelly (71) races through offensive line drills during practice at St. Thomas Sports Park Wednesday Aug. 17, 2016, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#66, Kevin Pamphile, Guard: Former Buccaneers offensive guard Kevin Pamphile signed a one-year contract with the Titans. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Titans offensive guard Josh Kline (64) blocks Buccaneers defensive end Pat O'Connor (79) during a joint practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#67, Quinton Spain, Guard: Titans guard Quinton Spain (67) looks up at the scoreboard during the second half at NRG Stadium Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 in Houston, Texas. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
#60, Ben Jones, Center: Titans center Ben Jones (60) sits on the sideline during the second half of their game against the Texans at NRG Stadium Sunday, Oct. 1, 2017 in Houston , Texas. George Walker IV / The Tennessean
Titans guard Aaron Stinnie (61) picks up his helmet after practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Tuesday, May 22, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.comn
#62, Corey Levin, Guard: Tennessee Titans offensive guard Corey Levin (62) enjoys a Kona Ice frozen treat after a joint training camp practice against the Carolina Panthers at Saint Thomas Sports Park Thursday, Aug. 17, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean
#59, Wesley Woodyard, Linebacker: Titans linebacker Wesley Woodyard (59) celebrates his tackle in the first half against the Bengals at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#54, Rashaan Evans, Linebacker: Titans linebacker Rashaan Evans (54) pulls in a pass during practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Wednesday, June 13, 2018, in Nashville , Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans linebacker Will Compton (51) warms up during practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Monday, Aug. 13, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
The Titans' Kamalei Correa watches Thursday's game against the Vikings. George Walker IV / tennesssean.com
#55, Jayon Brown, Linebacker: Titans linebacker Jayon Brown (55) comes up with the recovery after cornerback Adoree' Jackson (25) punched the ball out of the hands of Jaguars wide receiver Keelan Cole (84) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
#98, Brian Orakpo, Linebacker: Titans outside linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) stretches during a mini-camp practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean
#91, Derrick Morgan, Outside Linebacker: Titans outside linebacker Derrick Morgan (91) works on his pass rush skills during training camp practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Thursday, Aug. 3, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / The Tennessean
#58, Harold Landry, Outside Linebacker: Titans outside linebacker Harold Landry (58) speeds through a drill during rookie minicamp in June 2018. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#52, Aaron Wallace, Outside Linebacker: Titans outside linebacker Aaron Wallace (52) stretches during practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Tuesday, June 12, 2018, in Nashville , Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans outside linebacker Sharif Finch (56) takes the field for practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Monday, July 30, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#21, Malcolm Butler, Cornerback: Titans cornerback Malcolm Butler (21) pulls in a pass during practice at Saint Thomas Sports Park Wednesday, June 13, 2018, in Nashville , Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#26, Logan Ryan, Cornerback: Titans cornerback Logan Ryan runs onto the field before the game against the Ravens on Nov. 5, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#25, Adoree' Jackson, Cornerback: Titans cornerback Adoree' Jackson (25) moves upfield in the first quarter at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#36, LeShaun Sims, Cornerback: Titans cornerback LeShaun Sims (36) intercepts a pass intended for Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) during the second half at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 3, 2017. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
Titans defensive back Kenneth Durden (38) pulls in a pass during a joint practice against the Buccaneers at Saint Thomas Sports Park Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#31, Kevin Byard, Safety: Titans safety Kevin Byard (31) celebrates his interception during the second half at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#29, Dane Cruikshank, Defensive Back: Arizona defensive back Dane Cruikshank (9) against Utah, Friday, Sept. 22, 2017. Cruikshank was the Titans' fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft. Rick Scuteri / AP
#41, Brynden Trawick, Safety: Titans safety Brynden Trawick (41) walks off the field after a mini-camp practice at St. Thomas Sports Park Thursday, June 15, 2017, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans safety Kendrick Lewis (28) pulls in a pass during a joint practice against the Buccaneers at Saint Thomas Sports Park Thursday, Aug. 16, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#99, Jurrell Casey, Defensive Tackle: Titans defensive tackle Jurrell Casey (99) celebrates in the final moments of the team's playoff-clinching win over the Jaguars at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Dec. 31, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
#90, DaQuan Jones, Defensive End: Tennessee Titans defensive end DaQuan Jones (90) warms up before the game against the Jaguars at EverBank Field Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017 in Jacksonville , Fl. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans nose tackle Austin Johnson (94) battles with Panthers offensive tackle Dan France (71) during a joint training camp practice last summer. George Walker IV / The Tennessean George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Titans defensive end Matt Dickerson (92) gets a drink of water during Rookie Mini-Camp at Saint Thomas Sports Park Saturday, May 12, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. George Walker IV / tennessean.com
#4, Ryan Succop, Place Kicker: Titans place kicker Ryan Succop (4) warms up before the start of the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Gillette Stadium Saturday, Jan. 13, 2018, in Foxborough, Mass. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
#6, Brett Kern, Punter: Titans punter Brett Kern (6) warms up before the start of the game against the Ravens at Nissan Stadium Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017 in Nashville, Tenn. Andrew Nelles / Tennessean.com
#48, Beau Brinkley, Long Snapper: Titans long snapper Beau Brinkley (48) pauses on the field after the team's 16-10 loss to the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium Sunday, Oct. 8, 2017 in Miami Gardens, Fla. George Walker IV / Tennessean.com
Tiny Nashville Christian has two former stars at SEC Media Days
Rexrode: Jared Pinkney returning to Vanderbilt is massive
Rexrode: Second season will show Pruitt's trajectory
Rexrode: Manning likes Guarantano, so why don't you?
College football overtime rule changed going into 2019 season
Losing to Vandy again motivates Vols
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Nobody Trusts Barack Obama on Energy
Environmentalists are mad and the industry is skeptical about Interior's decision to allow Arctic oil drilling, and both sides worry about what comes next.
Clare ForanBen GemanNational Journal
On July 12, 2011, crew from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy retrieved a canister dropped by parachute from a C-130, which brought supplies for some mid-mission fixes. The ICESCAPE mission, or "Impacts of Climate on Ecosystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment," is NASA's two-year shipborne investigation to study how changing conditions in the Arctic affect the ocean's chemistry and ecosystems. The bulk of the research takes place in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas in summer 2010 and 2011. Credit: NASA/Kathryn Hansen On July 12, 2011, crew from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy retrieved a canister dropped by parachute from a C-130, which brought supplies for some mid-mission fixes.The ICESCAPE mission, or "Impacts of Climate on Ecosystems and Chemistry of the Arctic Pacific Environment," is NASA's two-year shipborne investigation to study how changing conditions in the Arctic affect the ocean's chemistry and ecosystems. The bulk of the research takes place in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas in summer 2010 and 2011.Credit: NASA/Kathryn Hansen National Journal
President Obama didn't make any friends Monday when his administration gave a green light to drill in Arctic waters.
Environmentalists are up in arms, asking in no uncertain terms how a president who preaches the need to act on climate change and witnessed the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico could decide that more offshore drilling is a good thing.
And while the oil and gas industry and its champions are pleased that Shell may be able to drill in icy waters off Alaska's coast as early as this summer, they still fear that Obama will stand in the way of efforts to tap vast Arctic oil deposits.
"I'm not going to believe it until it actually happens," said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Alaska Republican who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, emphasizing that Shell must still clear a slate of hurdles, including federal sign-off on additional permits, before drilling. "We're not out of the woods yet."
"It's a good first step. But you have to realize it's just a first step. They still have a lot more to do to actually make it effective," said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop of Utah.
More broadly, Monday's announcement does little to ease tensions over the White House's energy agenda or convince Republicans to back down from using their platform in Congress to fight Obama's environmental actions, including tough regulations to curb greenhouse-gas emissions from power plants.
Rep. Don Young of Alaska added that the green light given to Shell "will never make up for the vast swaths of onshore and offshore areas the administration has already taken off the table."
Overall, Obama has taken historic action to rein in greenhouse-gas emissions that scientists say are driving global warming. In addition to setting out pollution curbs for power plants, the administration has rolled out an increase in fuel-economy standards and looked to squeeze out emissions cuts across a wide array of federal agencies.
But green groups have become increasingly irate over Obama's recent policy agenda, which they see as evidence of an administration failing to practice what it preaches.
Environmentalists have railed against Obama's efforts to negotiate and finalize a set of sweeping international trade deals that green groups say could undermine key environmental safeguards and worsen climate change. Now, the White House is poised to allow more oil drilling.
On Tuesday, Bill McKibben, the founder of grassroots environmental group 350.org and a pioneer of the climate movement, penned a scathing op-ed in The New York Times criticizing the Arctic-drilling news.
"The Obama administration's decision to give Shell Oil the go-ahead to drill in the Arctic shows why we may never win the fight against climate change," McKibben wrote. "Even in this most extreme circumstance, no one seems able to stand up to the power of the fossil fuel industry. No one ever says no."
On top of that, Obama still hasn't made a final decision on the Keystone XL pipeline, which has become the symbol of the national debate over climate change and American energy security. The administration's silence on the pipeline has both sides on edge.
The White House points to Shell's advance into the Arctic as evidence of the president's all-of-the above energy strategy, and emphasizes that new federal safeguards should ensure that drilling is done safely and responsibly.
"The president is committed to ensuring that we are doing as much as we can to protect our energy security, and that means looking for opportunities to safely develop sources of energy on American soil," White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Tuesday.
In February, the Interior Department unveiled a slate of safety standards designed to prevent and contain oil spills in remote Arctic waters, including requirements that companies have quick access to equipment to contain a potential blowout and have a rig available to drill a "relief well"—a second well that could halt the flow of oil from a blowout.
But all that has done little to calm fears from environmentalists that Arctic drilling will be a disaster.
Drilling in Arctic waters is no easy task. Freezing temperatures, choppy waters, and remote locations increase the odds of an accident. And green groups are quick to point out that the Interior Department itself has acknowledged the risk of a major oil spill if existing leases are developed in the Arctic's Chukchi Sea.
As a result, green groups are infuriated. Environmentalists don't trust that safeguards put in place to protect the environment will suffice, and they view the decision as a step in entirely the wrong direction as they work to pressure the administration to continue tackling climate change before Obama's term in office ends.
"We think the administration is dead wrong on this," said Ben Schreiber, Friends of the Earth's climate and energy program director.
"Arctic drilling is just a terrible, terrible idea," said Elijah Zarlin, a senior campaigner for CREDO Action. "This is a president that has already presided over the greatest oil spill in history, and now it seems like he's trying to break his own record. It certainly is becoming harder and harder to believe that the president is going to live up to his commitments."
And Obama's Arctic drilling go-ahead won't earn the administration any more breathing room in Congress as long as Republicans run the show. The president's critics are concerned that he'll restrict Arctic offshore development in other ways. For instance, Interior's plans call for selling Arctic leases next year and in 2017, but an aide to Murkowski expressed skepticism about whether those auctions will proceed.
"I'm not going to take my foot off the pedal," Murkowski said. "I think it's important for people to understand what resources we have, and yet what oftentimes we're held back from accessing."
Clare Foran is a former associate editor at The Atlantic.
Ben Geman is an energy and environment correspondent at National Journal
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Debt Rattle August 6 2016
August 6, 2016 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 9:00 am Finance Tagged with: Banks, capital, China, corrupt, coup, Greece, helicopter, Hillary, jobs, obese, overweight, Panama Papers Comments Off on Debt Rattle August 6 2016
Ben Shahn Sideshow, county fair, central Ohio 1938
• UK’s Four Biggest Banks £155 Billion Short Of Safety (Ind.)
• Want To Avoid Recession? Then Shower UK Households With Cash (G.)
• A Realistic Look at July’s Nonfarm Payrolls (M2)
• The Politically Incorrect Jobs Numbers Everyone is Hushing Up (WS)
• Hacked Bitcoin Firm Plans To Spread Losses Across All Users (CNBC)
• In China, When in Debt, Dig Deeper (WSJ)
• Only In China: Companies Become Banks To ‘Solve’ Financial Difficulties
• Galbraith Says Critics Have It All Wrong Over Greece ‘Plan X’ (Kath.)
• Stiglitz Quits Panama Papers Probe, Cites Lack Of Transparency (R.)
• Is Hillary Clinton Corrupt? An Archive of Financial Improprieties (Medium)
• Average American 15 Pounds Heavier Than 20 Years Ago (HDN)
“That sum is not far away from the present market capitalisation of these banks, implying that they are massively overexposed.”
The UK’s four biggest banks would need to raise another £155bn in fresh capital to withstand a new financial crisis, despite the view of the Bank of England Governor that lenders have an adequate cushion to cope with further turmoil. Those are the results of research from three respected financial academics – and add to a growing feeling that the Bank of England is dangerously undercooking its capital requirements on UK lenders in the face of swelling instability in financial markets. UK banks had to be rescued in 2008 and 2009 at massive cost to British taxpayers. Capital represents the shareholder funds in banks available to absorb losses. When losses are greater than the capital cushion the bank is bust and may need to tap state support if deemed to be systemically important by politicians and regulators.
In a new paper Viral Acharya of New York University, Diane Pierret of the University of Lausanne and Sascha Steffen of the University of Mannheim calculate that HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and the Royal Bank of Scotland would need to raise $185bn (£155bn) of new equity between them to retain a 5.5% capital cushion in a crisis, which is the benchmark of safety used in the past by the European Banking Authority. That sum is not far away from the present market capitalisation of these banks, implying that they are massively overexposed. The EBA’s stress test exercise last Friday showed the UK’s major lenders would see their capital diminished in another European economic crisis, but not below the 5.5% level of so-called “risk-weighted assets” that would have created pressure for more equity injections.
[..] Acharya, Pierret and Steffen argue that the broader European banking sector could be undercapitalised to the tune of around €890bn – a figure they calculated using stock market valuations of banks’ equity rather than the sums reported by lenders themselves. Bank share prices have continued to fall since last Friday’s EBA stress test, implying investors are far from reassured by the fact that most lenders received a clean bill of health from the regulators.
Would it even help anymore?
Just give people the money. Give them cash, dole it out, increase benefits, slash VAT, hand it to those most likely to spend it: the poor. Put £1,000 into every debit account. Whatever you do, don’t give it to banks. They will just hoard it or use it to boost house prices. Britain is suffering from a classic liquidity trap. There is insufficient demand. Yet all the Bank of England did on Thursday was wring its hands, blame Brexit and go on digging the same old holes. They are labelled lower interest rates, quantitative easing and more cash for banks. Those policies have been in place for some seven years. They have failed, failed, failed. Not one commentator yesterday thought cutting interest rates to 0.25% would make any difference to the threat of recession.
Worse, by cutting annuity yields it would impoverish many old people who would otherwise spend. The Bank’s cumbersome monetary bureaucracy was set up to keep inflation under control by curbing bank lending. That failed during the credit crunch. Now it is failing in the opposite direction. Channelling policy through the banks has proved useless in protecting the economy from deflation and recession. The Bank is trapped intellectually in the world in which it lives, that of the City and the banking system. Like chateau generals at the Somme, it never ventures to the economy’s frontline, where buyers meet sellers and generate growth. It thinks of bonds, investments and the only glamour spending it recognises, on infrastructure. It believes that an economy can be regenerated through middle-class home ownership and state mega-projects.
But there is no shortage of funds to invest. Companies, like banks, are awash in cash. The problem is that savers are not spending; if they spend on anything it is on property, and that, too, may now slide. It is irresponsible to await the chancellor’s autumn statement and a political fiddle with tax rates. The engine of the economy must crash into forward gear. Money must be got into bank accounts, cash cards, shops tills and revenues. The plea from 35 economists published in the Guardian this week for “unconventional measures” made only one mistake. It suggested more spending on state infrastructure, which is just spending delayed. Where the economists were right was in suggesting “an immediate increase in household disposable incomes”.
“..the U-6 unemployment number is 10.7% of the nation’s workforce..”
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its nonfarm payroll data this morning, showing that 255,000 jobs were created in July. The unemployment rate remained at 4.9%. May data was revised up from the eyebrow-raising low number of 11,000 jobs to 24,000 jobs while June was also revised upward from 287,000 jobs to 292,000. That brought the monthly average to 190,000 jobs over the past three months. Unfortunately, drilling down into the more granular details, a far less rosy picture emerges; a picture which is far more consistent with an economy feeling the continued weight of unprecedented wealth and income inequality; a picture that is far more correlated to an economy where “58% of all new income since the Wall Street crash has gone to the top 1%,” to quote Senator Bernie Sanders.
The data for July shows that the U-6 unemployment number is 10.7% of the nation’s workforce, more than double the official number of 4.9%. The U-6 unemployment rate includes the number of people unemployed; plus individuals just marginally attached to the labor force; plus those employed part-time for economic reasons. (The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the following definition of marginally attached: “Persons marginally attached to the labor force are those who currently are neither working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the past 12 months. Discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached, have given a job-market related reason for not currently looking for work.)
But a far bigger problem with the BLS data is what constitutes an “employed” worker to our Federal government’s numbers crunchers. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, you could be an out of work MBA graduate but if you help your brother in his deli for 15 hours in a week while living in his home, you’re counted as employed. (The BLS says that a worker who makes no money at all donating his or her services to a family business for 15 hours or more per week is considered employed.)
The US keeps addding more people than jobs.
On its population clock, the Census Bureau estimates that the US population on August 5, 2016, at 4:49 p.m. ET (yup, down to the minute) was 324.17 million. That’s up from 308.76 million in April 2010. Since the darkest days of the Great Recession, the US population has grown by 15.4 million. The Census Bureau also estimates that there are currently 8.6 births per minute, minus 4.6 deaths per minute, plus 2 arriving immigrants (“net”) per minute, for a gain of nearly 6 folks per minute. Everyone ages, so the young ones move into the labor force, but the baby boomers are fit and healthy and don’t feel like retiring, and so they hang on to their jobs for as long as they can, despite the rampant age discrimination they face in many sectors, particularly in tech, though obviously not in politics.
In 2010, 24% of the people were under 18. That was 74 million people. Millions of them have since moved into the labor force, elbowing each other while scrambling for jobs, as have those millions who were then between 18 and their twenties and in college or grad school. These millennials have arrived on the job market in very large numbers. In April 2010, there were 130.1 million nonfarm payrolls. In today’s July report, there were 144.4 million. Hence, 14.3 million jobs have been added to the economy over the time span, even as the total population has grown by 15.4 million. So that’s not working out very well. On average, 205,300 jobs need to be created every month just to keep up with population growth and not allow the unemployment situation to get worse.
Maybe they should be forced to pay back all their clients and close?
The bitcoin exchange Bitfinex has said it is considering sharing losses among all its users after around $70 million worth of bitcoin was stolen earlier in the week. “We are still working out the details so nothing is set in stone, however we are leaning towards a socialized loss scenario among bitcoin balances and active loans to (bitcoin/dollar) positions,” the Hong-Kong based company said on its website on Friday. Bitfinex revealed it had been hacked on Tuesday and suspended trading, causing prices of the digital currency to fall significantly. A total of 119,756 bitcoins, worth $68 million at current prices, were reportedly stolen as a result of a security breach.
The company added in its latest statement that nothing had yet been decided and it was still settling positions and account balances. Bitfinex’s “socialized loss scenario” most likely means it will distribute its losses among all of the platform’s users, according to Charles Hayter, chief executive and founder of digital currency comparison website CryptoCompare. This would mean users whose bitcoins were never originally stolen would be affected. “In essence, (this is) a haircut for all users on their deposits. To what degree depends on the devil in the details and what the total capital held by BitFinex is,” Hayter told CNBC via email.
A heavily indebted company gets permission to open a bank, to rival another bank that has 25% of its loans off-balance-sheet and non-performing. What could go wrong?
When the going gets tough in China, just get a bank. With profits headed south, heavily indebted Chinese heavy-machinery giant Sany Heavy Industries said this week it won approval to set up a bank in the Hunan province city of Changsha. With 3 billion yuan ($450 million) of registered capital, it will be a relatively large institution as Chinese city-based banks go. Sanyplans to join forces with a pharmaceutical company and an aluminum company.
In recent months several city commercial banks in China have been taken over by the likes of tobacco and travel companies, recapitalized and renamed. Banking licenses are scarce in China, and rarely are new banks set up from scratch. Sany’s Sanxiang Bank will be up and running in six months. It will go up against crosstown rival Bank of Changsha, which at the end of last year had substantial 90 billion yuan book of off-balance-sheet loans, more than a quarter of them nonperforming. Sany had better ramp up quickly.
Comment on the WSJ piece above.
China is desperate to solve several problems it has due to its debt to GDP ratio being north of 300%. It may have found a pretty unconventional one by letting companies become banks, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. “With profits headed south, heavily indebted Chinese heavy-machinery giant Sany Heavy Industries said this week it won approval to set up a bank in the Hunan Province city of Changsha. With 3 billion yuan ($450 million) of registered capital, it will be a relatively large institution as Chinese city-based banks go. Sany plans to join forces with a pharmaceutical company and an aluminum company. Sany already operates an insurance and finance division with the goal of internal financing and insurance services for clients.”
One problem is that companies are defaulting on bond payments and there is no adequate resolution mechanism for bad debts, at least according to Goldman Sachs. “A clearer debt resolution process (for example, how debt restructuring on public bonds can be achieved, how valuation and recovery on defaulted bonds are arrived at, the timely disclosure of information and clarity on court-sanctioned processes) would help to pave the way for more defaults, which in our view are needed if policymakers are to deliver on structural reforms,” the investment bank writes in a note. By becoming or owning banks, the companies can just shift debt around different balance sheets to avoid a default, although this is probably not the resolution that Goldman Sachs had in mind when talking about structural reforms.
Another problem is that the regime has more and more difficulties pushing more debt into the economy to grease the wheels and keep GDP growth from collapsing entirely. China needs 11.9 units of new debt to create one unit of GDP growth. At the same time, the velocity of money or the measure of how often one unit of money changes hands during a year has fallen to below 0.5, another measure of how saturated the economy is with uneconomical credit. If the velocity of money goes down, the economy needs a higher stock of money to keep the same level of activity.
Kathimerini is going off the rails, as are a group of Greeks. Accusing Varoufakis and Galbraith of planning a military coup is so far beyond the pale, it’s reason to look at legal action.
University of Texas professor James Galbraith, a close associate of Yanis Varoufakis, has urged the 23 US-educated Greeks who recently criticized him for his part in last year’s negotiations with Greece’s creditors to read his book. Galbraith’s response came in the form of a letter to Kathimerini, which had published a story on July 29 on the letter from the 23 academics, addressed to the president of the University of Texas. In his own letter, Galbraith mentions the fact that his critics say they learned of his work as head of the team that worked on the so-called “Plan X” from interviews in the Greek press and excerpts of the Greek translation of his book, “Welcome to the Poisoned Chalice” (Yale University Press).
He asks why, given their knowledge of English, they did not read the original: “Had they done so, they would have found that the allegations they made are factually false.” Galbraith characterizes Plan X as “preliminary,” admitting that “the work of a small team cannot fully prepare for such a dramatic event.” He repeats that it would only have been activated if the Europeans had carried out their threat to cut off emergency liquidity via the ECB to Greek banks. “This would have triggered a forced exit of Greece from the euro, against the will of the government,” he notes. “The threat had been delivered by the president of the Eurogroup, Jeroen Dijsselbloem, in late January,” he adds, mentioning also the suggestion by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble that Greece take a “holiday from the euro.”
Galbraith further rejects the claim made by the 23 that his plan constituted a “monetary-cum-military coup d’etat” and that it would involve “mobilizing the Greek armed forces to suppress possible civil disorder.” “We did not suggest using the military inappropriately or outside the Constitution. The only use of the word ‘mobilization’ in my book refers to the civil service.” He also denies that the plan included a plot to arrest the governor of the central bank. The memo on Plan X, as Galbraith repeats in his letter, “was prepared at the request of the prime minister” and “at no time was the working group engaged in advocating exit or any policy choice. The job was strictly to study the operational issues that would arise if Greece were forced to issue scrip or if it were forced out of the euro.”
Finally, Galbraith responds to claims in the letter from the 23 that he regretted the non-activation of Plan X. “This claim also is false,” he writes, making reference to his interview with Kathimerini on July 6, 2016, in which he had stated that “we were preparing for a scenario that everyone hoped to avoid.”
“..even as an expert on economic and organized crime, I was amazed to see so much of what we talk about in theory was confirmed in practice..”
The committee set up to investigate lack of transparency in Panama’s financial system itself lacks transparency, Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz told Reuters on Friday after resigning from the “Panama Papers” commission. The leak in April of more than 11.5 million documents from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, dubbed the “Panama Papers,” detailed financial information from offshore accounts and potential tax evasion by the rich and powerful. Stiglitz and Swiss anti-corruption expert Mark Pieth joined a seven-member commission tasked with probing Panama’s notoriously opaque financial system, but they say they found the government unwilling to back an open investigation.
Both quit the group on Friday after they say Panama refused to guarantee the committee’s report would be made public. “I thought the government was more committed, but obviously they’re not,” Stiglitz said. “It’s amazing how they tried to undermine us.” The Panamanian government defended the committee’s “autonomous” management in a statement issued later on Friday, and while it said it regretted the resignations of Stiglitz and Pieth, it chalked them up to unspecified “internal differences.”
[..] In addition to embarrassing leaders worldwide who had interests tied to secretive business concerns, the leak heaped pressure on Panama, well-known for its lax financial laws, to clean up its act. “I have had a close look at the so called Panama Papers, and I must admit that even as an expert on economic and organized crime, I was amazed to see so much of what we talk about in theory was confirmed in practice,” Pieth said in a telephone interview. In the papers he said he found evidence of crimes such as money laundering for child prostitution rings. “We’re being asked to do this as a courtesy for them and we’re paraded in front of the world media first, and then we’re told to shut up when they don’t like it,” Pieth, a criminal law professor at Basel University, said.
Long and strong summary by Kristi Culpepper. Damning.
[..] Under Clinton’s leadership, the State Department approved $165 billion worth of commercial arms sales to 20 nations whose governments have given money to the Clinton Foundation, according to an IBTimes analysis of State Department and foundation data. That figure – derived from the three full fiscal years of Clinton’s term as Secretary of State (from October 2010 to September 2012) – represented nearly double the value of American arms sales made to the those countries and approved by the State Department during the same period of President George W. Bush’s second term.
The Clinton-led State Department also authorized $151 billion of separate Pentagon-brokered deals for 16 of the countries that donated to the Clinton Foundation, resulting in a 143% increase in completed sales to those nations over the same time frame during the Bush administration. These extra sales were part of a broad increase in American military exports that accompanied Obama’s arrival in the White House. The 143% increase in U.S. arms sales to Clinton Foundation donors compares to an 80% increase in such sales to all countries over the same time period.
[..] It’s really not all that difficult to see why Clinton hasn’t given a press conference in 244 days and avoids the media at her campaign events, is it? Asking her to explain every ethically questionable deal she has been involved in would probably take longer than the State Department requires to vet her emails.
In just 20 years. Wow.
There’s no doubt about it: Americans are getting heavier and heavier. But new U.S. estimates may still come as a shock – since the late 1980s and early 1990s, the average American has put on 15 or more additional pounds without getting any taller. Even 11-year-old kids aren’t immune from this weight plague, the study found. Girls are more than seven pounds heavier even though their height is the same. Boys gained an inch in height, but also packed on an additional 13.5 pounds compared to two decades ago. When looked at by race, blacks gained the most on average. Black women added 22 pounds despite staying the same average height. Black men grew about one-fifth of an inch, but added 18 pounds, the study found.
[..] According to the report, the average weight of men in the United States rose from 181 pounds to 196 pounds between 1988-1994 and 2011-2014. Their average height remained the same at about 5 feet, 9 inches. The average woman, meanwhile, expanded from 152 pounds to 169 pounds while her height remained steady at just under 5 feet, 4 inches.
Give All Refugees A Free Ticket To Brussels
September 2, 2015 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 2:56 pm Finance Tagged with: Berlin, Brussels, capital, EU, Libya, Merkel, refugees, Strasbourg, Syria
Russell Lee Migrant family in trailer home near Edinburg, Texas Feb 1939
A few days ago, I joked to Nicole that Paddypower should by now have a bet open on how much longer the Schengen open border treaty will be valid in Europe. Didn’t check if they actually had one, mind you.
But it can’t be long anymore, so it wouldn’t be a big money maker even if it existed. I give it a few days at most. Italy just announced it wants guards at Brennero, one of its main border posts with Austria. One down, a few hundred to go, and they may go at a rapid clip.
Europe’s countries are not each other’s enemies yet, but they will shut borders. Germany pulled a fast one yesterday by telling Hungary to stop the trains from rolling west, but now Budapest has a big problem. They should have just allowed the refugees to board the trains and leave. Put them on a train, give them food and drink and make them first Austria’s and then Germany’s problem.
And Germany’s a fine place for the refugees to go, since Berlin is sort of the de facto capital of the EU, at least when that seems a profitable position to be in, but it’s not the perfect place to go, because Merkel and her ilk will denounce their leadership claims whenever that looks more beneficial in the polls.
Merkel and Schäuble can screw over Greece three ways to Sunday, but they’re like this Bill Pesek headline on Bloomberg two weeks ago about the Chinese leadership that said something to the effect that they like the power but not the responsibility. That’s at least as true for Europe as it is for Beijing.
And that makes it hard to call any supposed leaders on any of their responsibilities. It’s also why thousands of refugees have drowned and not one of the ‘leaders’ have lifted a finger. They’re there for the power, not the other stuff.
And that, as I’ve said a hundred times before, is embedded in the EU model, in its design, its regulations, its laws, the whole shebang. When I read that Yanis Varoufakis wants a pan-European anti-austerity movement, I’m thinking he doesn’t understand how it’s set up. The whole bureaucracy was made to resist change, democracy, and any challenges to its ‘belief’ system.
It’s no use saying the EU should do something or another in the refugee crisis, because it won’t. And what it may do will always be way too late and way too little. It’s how it was structured. The EU is geared towards accumulating more power, not solving its own problems.
But at the same time, Brussels is still the only capital the EU has. And that’s why all refugees, wherever they are at the moment, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Serbia, Macedonia, should be allowed to board trains, with enough humane facilities and provisions, bound for Brussels.
They should all be directed towards the European Parliament and/or other posh buildings – they recently opened a €1.2 billion one, that should facilitate a few refugees -, and stay there until the EU is forced to solve the issue.
And every single cameraman on the planet should be there to register what happens. How long they will be allowed to go without food, water and shelter. How long they will go without proper medical treatment.
Let’s see how Brussels deals with 50,000 -100,000 people in its streets and parks, with more coming every day, while the whole world is watching live on a hundred news channels.
And I know Strasbourg will want to dispute the claim that Brussels is the capital, and you know what?, I’m willing to send half of the refugees there too. Just so the French don’t feel left out or insultée or have their pride hurt.
And something tells me that the citizens of Belgium and France, like their Greek peers, will have the decency to feed and shelter the Syrian and Libyan mothers and children on their doorsteps while the ivory towers diddle.
It looks to me to be the only way to expose the EU for what it is, and then put an end to the macabre monstrosity it has become.
We would need to convince the refugees that by doing things this way, they would open the way for those who come after them, of which there will undoubtedly be many.
The Italian, Hungarian, Greek etc. governments should issue rail tickets from their countries to Brussels and tell the refugees that that’s where the European capital is, and to apply there for visas, asylum, and everything else.
Brussels lives by the adage of divide and rule. And that serves only the bureaucrats that inhabit the institution. Not the refugees, and not the people of Europe.
Europe Redefines ‘Stress’
October 26, 2014 Posted by Raúl Ilargi Meijer at 9:17 pm Finance Tagged with: capital, confidence, ECB, France, Italy, shortfall, Stress Test
Dorothea Lange Resettlement project, Bosque Farms, New Mexico Dec 1935
The EU and ECB claim they conducts their stress tests and Asset Quality Reviews to restore confidence in the banking sector. That is easier said than done. The problem with the confidence boosting game is that if the tests are perceived as not strong enough, nobody knows which banks to trust anymore. And, on the other hand, if the tests are sufficiently stringent, there’s a genuine risk not many banks are found healthy.
There’s the additional issue of quite a large group of banks having been declared ‘systemic’ by their mother nations, which is of course equal to Too Big To Fail, and, in layman’s terms, ‘untouchable’.
All in all, after the results were announced today, it’s hard not to have the feeling that Europe aims at restoring that confidence by not telling us the whole story. There are a lot of numbers, but there are even more questions. Which may well be because those answers the leaders of the political and the financial world would want to see are simply not available, other than by making the tests even less credible.
Letting the numbers sink in, would the markets really feel more confident about European banks, or would they simply continue to have faith in the ECB’s bail-out desire for as long as that lasts? When I read that the ‘Comprehensive Assessment’ issued today states that the stock of bad loans in Europe is estimated, after the tests, at €879 billion, but banks’ capital shortfall only at €25 billion, I wonder where the confidence should come from.
The data. Starting with a Bloomberg piece from last Wednesday.
Don’t Be Distracted by the Pass Rate in ECB’s Bank Exams
The largest impact may be on Italian lenders led by Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, Unione di Banche Italiane and Banco Popolare, according to a report last month from Mediobanca analysts. They foresee a gap of more than 3 percentage points between the capital ratios published by the companies and the results of the ECB’s asset quality review. Deutsche Bank may see its capital fall by €6.7 billion, cutting its ratio by 1.9 percentage points, the analysts said.
The biggest lenders may see their combined capital eroded by about €85 billion in the asset quality review because of extra provisioning requirements, according to Mediobanca. That’s equivalent to a reduction of 1.05 percentage points in their average common equity Tier 1 ratio, the capital measure the ECB is using to gauge the health of the banks under study, the analysts said.
The AQR evaluates lenders’ health by scrutinizing the value of their loan books, provisioning and collateral, using standardized definitions set by European regulators. To pass, a bank must have capital amounting to at least 8% of its assets, when weighted by risk. The bigger the hit to their capital, the more likely lenders will need to take steps to increase it.
Banks the ECB will supervise directly already bolstered their balance sheets by almost €203 billion since mid-2013, ECB President Mario Draghi said this month, by selling stock, holding onto earnings, disposing of assets, and issuing bonds that turn into equity when capital falls too low, among other measures.
Those €203 billion the banks managed to acquire can be interpreted as positive, since they managed to do it, but it can also be seen as negative, because they needed it in the first place. It also raises the question whether another €203 billion would be just as easy. Not very likely, the low hanging fruit always goes first. Question then is, could they perhaps need another €200 billion? Brussels clearly says not, but Brussels is a figment of the imagination of politicians. Then, the New York Times today:
25 European Banks Fail Stress Test
Banks in Europe are €25 billion, or about $31.7 billion, short of the money they would need to survive a financial or economic crisis, the European Central Bank said on Sunday. That conclusion was a result of a yearlong audit of eurozone lenders that is potentially a turning point for the region’s battered economy. The E.C.B. said that 25 banks in the eurozone showed shortfalls in their own money, or capital, through the end of 2013.
Of the 25 banks [that failed the tests], 13 have still not raised enough capital to make up the shortfall, the central bank said. By exposing a relatively small number of sick banks – of the 130 under review – the central bank aims to make it easier for the healthier ones to raise money that they can lend to customers.
Italy had by far the largest number of banks that failed the review, with nine, of which four must raise more capital. Monte dei Paschi di Siena, whose troubles were well known, must raise €2.1 billion, the central bank said, the largest of any individual bank covered by the review.
… the review also uncovered €136 billion in troubled loans that banks had not previously reported. In addition, banks had overvalued their other holdings by €48 billion, the E.C.B. said.
That’s €184 billion in troubled loans and overvaluations. That leaves €19 billion of the €203 billion banks bolstered their balance sheets with, for all other shortcomings. Doesn’t sound like a lot. On to today’s Bloomberg summary:
ECB Finds 25 Banks Failed Stress Test
Eleven banks need more capital, including Monte Paschi with a gap of €2.1 billion. “Although this should restore some confidence and stability to the market, we are still far from a solution to the banking crisis and the challenges facing the banking sector,” Colin Brereton, economic crisis response lead partner at PwC, said. “The Comprehensive Assessment has bought time for some for Europe’s banks.”
Banks will have from six to nine months to fill the gaps and have been urged to tap financial markets first. The ECB’s stress test was conducted in tandem with the London-based European Banking Authority, which also released results today. The EBA’s sample largely overlaps the ECB’s, though it also contains banks from outside the euro area.
The ECB assessment showed Italian banks in particular are in need of more funds as they cope with bad loans and the country’s third recession since 2008. [..] “The minister is confident that the residual shortfalls will be covered through further market transactions and that the high transparency guaranteed by the Comprehensive Assessment will allow to easily complete such transactions,” Italy’s finance ministry said in a statement.
“The Comprehensive Assessment allowed us to compare banks across borders and business models,” ECB Supervisory Board Chair Daniele Nouy said in a statement. “The findings will enable us to draw insights and conclusions for supervision going forward.” The ECB said lenders will need to adjust their asset valuations by €48 billion, taking into account the reclassification of an extra €136 billion of loans as non-performing. The stock of bad loans in the euro-area banking system now stands at €879 billion, the report said.
Under the simulated recession set out in the assessment’s stress test, banks’ common equity Tier 1 capital would be depleted by €263 billion, or by 4 percentage points. The median CET1 ratio – a key measure of financial strength – would therefore fall to 8.3% from 12.4%. Nouy has said banks will be required to cover any capital shortfalls revealed by the assessment, “primarily from private sources.”
Striking to note that the ECB doesn’t rule out having to save more banks. Discomforting too. For taxpayers. But the main question mark remains the simulated recession: what were the assumptions under which is was conducted? Make them too rosy and you might as well not test or simulate anything. Unless of course window dressing is the only goal.
Bloomberg’s Mark Whitehouse writes about quite a different stress test, which quite different outcomes. Makes you think.
Testing Europe’s Stress Tests
What would a really tough stress test look like? Research by economists at Switzerland’s Center for Risk Management at Lausanne offers an indication. By simulating the way the market value of banks’ equity tends to behave in times of stress, they estimate how much capital banks would need to raise in a severe crisis. The answer, as of Oct. 17, for just 37 of the roughly 130 banks included in the ECB’s exercise: €487 billion ($616 billion). Deutsche Bank, three big French banks and ING Groep NV of the Netherlands are among those with the largest estimated shortfalls. Here’s a breakdown by bank:
And here’s a breakdown by country, as a percentage of gross domestic product:
The economists’ approach, based on a model developed at New York University, isn’t perfect. It could, for example, overestimate capital needs if the quality of banks’ management and assets has improved in ways that the market has yet to recognize.
And, because crises are rare, the modelers had scant historical data with which to build estimates of how banks might fare in future disasters. That said, this relatively simple model has some important advantages over the ECB’s much more labor-intensive stress tests. The Swiss group’s approach is free of the political considerations that constrain the ECB, which can’t be too harsh for fear of reigniting the European financial crisis. In addition, the model implicitly includes crucial contagion effects, such as forced asset sales and credit freezes, that the ECB’s exercise ignores.
A bit of back-testing suggests that the economists’ approach works relatively well. The NYU model’s projection for the largest U.S. banks’ stressed capital needs before the 2008 crisis, for example, comes pretty close to the roughly $400 billion that the banks actually had to raise. If the ECB’s number is a lot smaller than the figure the model comes up with, that won’t be a good sign.
The ECB’s Comprehensive Assessment says $203 billion was raised since 2013, leaving ‘only’ €25 billion yet to be gathered. The Swiss report says €487 billion is needed just for 37 of the 130 banks the ECB stress-tested. Of the banks the Swiss identify as having the greatest capital shortfalls, most passed the EU tests. Judging from the graph, the 7 banks in need of most capital have an aggregate shortfall of some €300 billion alone.
Among them the 3 main, and TBTF, French banks, who all passed with flying colors and got complimented for it by French central bank governor Christian Noyer today, but according to the Center for Risk Management are about €200 billion short between them. Which means France as a nation has a stressed capital shortfall of over 10% of its GDP, more than twice as much as the next patient.
Wouldn’t it better to let an independent bureau do these tests, instead of the ECB which obviously has huge political skin in the game? Or are we all too afraid of what might come out?
Will the markets actually feel more confident, or are they going to fake that too? Was this really a yearlong audit, or did it only take that long because the spin doctors needed to make sure the lipstick was applied correctly on the pig?
We all deserve better than a yearlong exercise in futile tepid air. But Europe’s taxpayers deserve it most of all.
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What to Know About Florida's Power of Attorney Law
Basic Planning
Minor Beneficiaries
Estate Planning Estate Planning
The rules for Florida POAs changed in 2011
••• Stephen Shockley / Getty Images
By Julie Garber
A power of attorney (POA) is a legal document that authorizes one person, called the agent or the attorney-in-fact, to take care of personal business for another individual who's referred to as the principal. The powers granted to the agent might be broad, such as dealing with all the principal's investments if she's unable to do so herself, or narrow, like simply paying monthly bills on the principal's behalf.
Florida's POA Laws Have Changed
The rules for giving and getting a power of attorney (POA) in Florida changed in October 2011 when the state's Power of Attorney Act went into effect. This law completely replaced and superseded Florida's previous law governing powers of attorney. It applies to all POAs created on or after October 1, 2011.
POAs entered into prior to Oct. 1, 2011, are still valid. The law doesn't affect them, but newer POAs must comply with the 2011 legislation.
Signing Formalities Are Still Important
The law requires that the principal must sign the document in front of two witnesses and a notary public. The notary can be one of the two witnesses, however.
The law also provides that powers of attorney properly executed under the laws of another state are recognized in Florida, but a third party located in Florida who is asked to accept an out-of-state POA can ask for a legal opinion as to the document's validity under the other state's laws.
A "third party" is defined as any individual or institution who is asked to do business with the agent on behalf of the principal.
Reluctant Third Parties
It sometimes happens that third parties are hesitant or might even refuse to take actions directed by the agent. This typically stems from uncertainty as to the POA's validity.
The new law provides that third parties can be forced to act, assuming the POA is indeed valid and it has not been revoked. A reluctant third party must state in writing why he is unwilling to do whatever is being asked of him. He must do so within a "reasonable" amount of time, allowing him to consult with an attorney or another advisor. Third party financial institutions have four days.
If undue or unreasonable delay results in financial losses or damages to the principal, the third party can be held legally liable for those damages.
Copies Are OK
The new Florida law rules that photocopies and electronic images of POAs are perfectly valid. But original POAs must still be filed in the county's records if they provide that the agent can buy or sell real estate on behalf of the principal.
Rules Governing Multiple Agents
Under the old law, if two agents were named in a power of attorney to act on behalf of the principal at the same time, they had to act unanimously. If three or more agents were named, a majority vote was required. This changed with the 2011 legislation.
The current law provides that multiple agents who are named to act at the same time can act independently of each other unless the power of attorney specifically states otherwise.
Divorce Triggers Revocation of a Spouse's Authority
The mere filing of a petition for divorce terminates the authority of the principal's spouse to act as an agent under the principal's POA. The divorce does not have to be final yet.
POAs Are No Longer Springing
"Springing" POAs don't go into effect unless and until the principal becomes incapacitated. They are no longer recognized under Florida law with this new legislation. Currently, all powers of attorney are effective immediately upon signing.
Springing powers of attorney signed before October 1, 2011, are grandfathered into the new law, however. They remain valid, regardless of whether the principal has yet become incapacitated.
Specific Authorities Must Be Granted
This catch-all phrase commonly appeared in old powers of attorney:
"...in general, to do all other acts, deeds, matters and things whatsoever in or about my estate, property and affairs, whether or not particularly or generally described and any and all other acts, deeds, matters, and things not particularly or generally set forth herein, as fully and effectively to all intents and purposes as the undersigned could do if personally present; and to employ, retain in employment and discharge such persons (both professional and otherwise) as my agent may deem necessary to assist in the performance of any of the foregoing."
This provision can no longer be relied upon. A power of attorney must specifically list the authority or authorities being granted, and the agent cannot take any actions that aren't specified in the POA.
An Agent Has a Duty to Preserve the Principal's Estate Plan
Under the current law, an agent acting under a power of attorney has a mandatory duty to try to preserve the principal's estate planning goals to the extent that they're known to the agent.
The Agent Is Entitled to Compensation
Depending on the scope of powers given to the agent, the obligation to act on someone else's behalf can be quite time-consuming. The new Florida law provides that an agent is entitled to compensation for her time and work, but with some limitations.
Spouses and heirs named as agents can be paid, as can financial institutions, attorneys, and CPAs that are licensed or registered with the state of Florida. Any other Florida resident is entitled to payment as well as long as she's never acted as agent for more than three principals at the same time.
Anyone age 18 or older is legally permitted to act as an agent with or without compensation according to these rules, provided she's mentally competent.
Consider Consulting With an Attorney
These are some significant changes with far-reaching implications. If you've granted someone power of attorney or you're considering doing so, you might want to consult with a Florida estate planning attorney to ensure that you get it all right under the new law.
State laws can change frequently and this information may not reflect the most recent changes. Please consult with an attorney for current legal advice. The information contained in this article is not legal advice and is not a substitute for legal advice.
What Are the Responsibilities of a Power of Attorney After a Death?
5 Estate Planning Documents You Need to Update When Getting a Divorce
Here's How a Power of Attorney Can Work With Your Retirement Plans
How to Become a Florida Resident in 8 Steps
Why You May Need an Update of Your Will When Moving to Florida
Safety Deposit Boxes for Storing Important Papers
Springing vs. Non-springing Powers of Attorney
Everyone Should Have a Health Care Proxy—Do You?
Do You Need to Update Your Will If You Move Interstate?
Understanding ERISA Fidelity Bonds and Why They Are Required
What Are the Estate Tax Laws for Your State?
Learn About the Different Types of Wills
Why You or a Loved One Need to Hire an Elder Law Attorney
Here Is a Look at Who Gets to See a Trust After the Trustmaker Dies
Significant Trust and Power is Placed In the Fiduciary of Your Estate
The Definition and Role of a Trust Protector and Why You Need One
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NZ Books
NZ Picture Books
The Moon and Farmer McPhee (PB)
Author(s): Margaret Mahy
The cows and sheep think Farmer McPhee should stop frowning and start frisking. But Farmer McPhee just wants to get some sleep! Then one moonlit night, something changes...A collaboration between our best loved writer for children, Margaret Mahy, and the wonderfully quirky illustrator, David Elliot, this is a stunning and heart-warming book. Beautifully produced with cut-out sections and fold-out pages, it is a very special gift.
PUBLICATION MAY 2015
Margaret Mahy (Author) Margaret Mahy is internationally recognised as one of the all-time best writers for young readers, her books having been translated into all the major languages of the world. Twice winner of the prestigious Carnegie Medal, she also won the Esther Glen Award five times and the Observer Teenage Fiction Award once. She died in 2012. David Elliot (Author) David Elliot is an award-winning children's illustrator and author. He has written and illustrated seven picture books, including the 'Sydney penguin' books and Pigtails the Pirate (winner of the 2003 NZ Post Children's Picture Book Award). He has illustrated for many other New Zealand children's authors, including Jack Lasenby, Joy Cowley and Janet Frame. In 2011, David received the inaugural Arts Foundation Mallinson Rendel Award. In 2014 David was awarded the Margaret Mahy Award for lifetime contribution to Children's literature in New Zealand. David lives in Port Chalmers, near Dunedin, with his wife Gillian, and Molly the dog. He has two adult daughters, Mhairi and Jess.
Publisher : Random House New Zealand
Imprint : Random House New Zealand Ltd
Publication date : April 2015
Dimensions : 296mm X 211mm X 3mm
Produced in : New Zealand
Author : Margaret Mahy
Illustrator : David Elliot
Illustrations : colour illustrations
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Out and About In Our Community On the Eve of #VeteransDay2017
Our hometown, Laguna Niguel, will honor Veterans Day on Saturday November 11:
One of our Community Leaders, Lt. Col Shep Bentley, USMC (Ret). reflected upon this day which will be read by the Scouts of Troop 772 on Saturday November 11:
Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of
all wars. 99 years ago, in 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the
11th month, an armistice (“ARM-ISS- STISS”), or temporary end of the
fighting, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in
World War I, which at the time was called “the Great War.”
The Treaty of Versailles (“VUR-SEYE”) was signed on June 28, 1919,
marking the official end of World War I. Still, the armistice date of
November 11, 1918, was remembered as the date that marked the end
of the conflict, because that is when the bloodshed stopped.
One year later, in November 1919, U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day.
The day’s observation included parades and public gatherings, as well
as a brief pause in business and school activities at 11 a.m.
On November 11, 1921, an unidentified American soldier killed in the
war was buried at Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C.
On the same day the previous year, unidentified soldiers were laid to
rest at Westminster Abbey in London, and at the Arc de Triomphe
(“TREE-OMFF”) in Paris.
On June 4, 1926, Congress passed a resolution that the “recurring
anniversary of November 11, 1918 should be commemorated with
thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace
through good will and mutual understanding between nations,” and that
the president should issue an annual proclamation calling for the
observance of Armistice Day.
By that time, 27 state legislatures had made November 11 a legal
holiday. An act approved May 13, 1938 made November 11 a legal
Federal holiday, “dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be
hereafter celebrated and known as ‘Armistice Day.'”
American effort during World War II saw the greatest mobilization of the
U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force in the nation’s history (more
than 16 million people), and nearly six million more served in
the Korean War.
In 1954, after lobbying efforts by veterans’ service organizations, the
83rd U.S. Congress amended the 1938 act that had made Armistice
Day a holiday, striking the word “Armistice” in favor of “Veterans.”
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on June 1, 1954.
From then on, November 11 became a day to honor American veterans
of all wars.
A century ago today, American forces were still battling against vast
numbers of the enemy in the First World War. Alive with us today are
veterans of the Second World War, Korea, Viet Nam, the Cold War, the
Gulf Wars and the War on Terror.
In Laguna Niguel, we observe Veterans Day as a tribute to our citizens
that have stepped up to defend our nation and its way of life by serving
in the Armed Forces of the United States of America. Please help us as
the Boy Scouts to carry forward this tradition and to salute them today!
Please also note this courtesy of FEMA on opportunities to serve on Veterans Day:
Saturday, November 11, is Veterans Day. You can show your appreciation for our Nation’s veterans by volunteering.
As the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) notes, “We may never be able to repay them for their sacrifice, but we can show them just how much we appreciate all that they have done.” Observe Veterans Day by volunteering your time to honor America’s service members. The VA offers several ways to volunteer:
Use the Volunteer Service Locator to find opportunities close to you.
Contact the VA Voluntary Service to Volunteer or Donate.
Volunteer at a VA Medical Center.
Students can gain experience and training with the Student Volunteer Program.
For more information, visit http://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/. The American Red Cross also has volunteer opportunities for those that want to support military families.
In Honor of this day, we will be "dark" through this Veterans Day Week-End with only daily updates available on our Twitter Feed.
Happy Veterans Day!!!
Notations From the Grid (Special Month-End Edition...
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On @POTUS watch w/ @realDonaldTrump Christmas Gift...
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On This #ThanksgivingDay2017......
Notations From the Grid (Special Thanksgiving Eve...
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On Our Journey of Service.....
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Notations On Our World (Special Edition): Al Jazee...
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Consumers still turn to chocolate in tough economic times, says Mars
Not even tough economic times can keep consumers away from chocolate.
That's the word from Mars Multisales Africa General Manager, Helen Joubert.
"They might buy a single serving and there are lower volumes sold, but they don't move away," she said, adding that people were still inclined to buy chocolate despite the impact on their pocket because it served as a special treat during hard times.
Joubert heads up the local unit of US based Mars Incorporated, importing goods such as Wrigley's chewing gum, M&M's, Twix, Bounty and Mars Bars to SA as well as manufacturing pet food and convenience products Royco in South Africa.
"Consumers are looking for more and more deals, it's important to look at the trends responsible for consumption," Joubert told Fin24 in an interview at Mars Africa's offices in Woodmead, Sandton.
The SA unit of the global brand, established in 1994 has 2% of the market share in the chocolate market, dominated by giants such as Cadbury and Nestle.
But Joubert predicts growth ahead, with an emerging middle class able to afford premium products. Mars Africa's confectionary is aspirational in nature and seen in US movies and television shows. She also references the opportunity to penetrate the lower income market
Spending trends
Retailers and the manufacturing sector have been hit hard in recent years by weak consumer confidence and sluggish growth. The country dipped into recession in the first six months of 2018 and grew by just 0.8% for the year.
Joubert said the fast moving consumer goods sector (FMCG) was under pressure and this was reflected in Mars Africa sales and trends.
There are over six million dogs and four million cats in SA, according to Mars Africa research, which represent a massive opportunity for pet food manufacturers and distributors. During tough economic times, instead of feeding pets specialised food, some consumers tend to cut back and either feed their animals human scraps or only make use of the products once a day.
Joubert said this is where education is key in educating people about the value of combined feeding and the products available to supplement pet care in households under economic pressure.
Chewing gum is another area that the consumer goods sector requires a focused strategy with "consistency at every till point".
A great deal of research goes into consumer behaviour and Joubert says that gum is always an impulse product and never makes it to a shopping list. To ensure sales of Wrigleys gum, Mars Africa positions the product close to tills, otherwise people do not remember to buy it.
There is also the trend of younger people buying fruit flavours and customers over the age of 25, preferring mint brands.
Female succession plan
Joubert was appointed as General Manager Southern Africa for Mars Multisales Africa in November and was previously head of sales at the company. She began her career in medical equipment sales, having with a degree in Medical Technology from then Rau university, currently the University of Johannesburg.
She manages the local unit's operations of importing products from the Netherlands, Poland, Thailand and Australia as well as manufacturing plants in South Africa. Joubert also oversees the rest of Africa business with strong performance in Nigerian and Kenyan markets.
Joubert believes that for women to get ahead in the workplace, they need to be identified in a succession plan, early and this cannot be done on an ad-hoc basis as it often is with SA businesses.
The question of women business leaders has been brought to the fore again by the departure of Maria Ramos as CEO of Absa Bank at the end of February. She was the only female head of a TOP 40 listed company on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Joubert said it is also important to understand women's needs in the workplace with world-life balance and parental time off.
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Büchig in Baden-Württemberg
Destination Guide Germany
Karlsruhe Region
Büchig
in Karlsruhe Region of Baden-Württemberg, Germany
How to get there and get around
Mannheim-City Airport (29 mi)
Karlsruhe Baden-Baden Airport (35 mi)
Stuttgart Airport (35 mi)
Worms Airport (40 mi)
Frankfurt-Egelsbach Airport (61 mi)
Frankfurt am Main International Airport (66 mi)
Mainz-Finthen Airport (67 mi)
Wiesbaden Army Airfield (70 mi)
Noteable things around
Maulbronn Monastery Complex (Unesco heritage, 7 mi)
Speyer Cathedral (Unesco heritage, 21 mi)
Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch (Unesco heritage, 41 mi)
Strasbourg – Grande île (Unesco heritage, 56 mi)
Messel Pit Fossil Site (Unesco heritage, 58 mi)
Würzburg Residence with the Court Gardens and Residence Square (Unesco heritage, 74 mi)
Upper Middle Rhine Valley (Unesco heritage, 89 mi)
Monastic Island of Reichenau (Unesco heritage, 96 mi)
Abbey of St Gall (Unesco heritage, 118 mi)
Karlsruhe Zoo (zoo, (15 mi)
Heidelberg Zoo (zoo, (24 mi)
Decimal Coordinates (Latitude, Longitude):
49.073 and 8.711 (Lat./Lng.)
Coordinates by Time:
N 49° 4' 22" and E 8° 42' 39"
Currency and Currency Code:
Local electricity:
230 V - 50 Hz (plugs: G)
Mobile phone / cellular frequencies (MHz):
900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 3G, 4G
Local Time: 04:37 AM (Friday)
Timezone: Europe/Berlin
UTC/GMT offset: 1 hours
Sunrise and Sunset:
Antipode Coordinates:
-44.033 and -176.367 (Lat./Lng.)
Closest place to antipode coordinates:
Ouwenga
This place on Geonames.org
Discover Büchig
Büchig in Karlsruhe Region (Baden-Württemberg) is a city in Germany about 314 mi (or 506 km) south-west of Berlin, the country's capital city.
Local time in Büchig is now 04:37 AM (Friday). The local timezone is named Europe / Berlin with an UTC offset of 2 hours. We know of 8 airports in the vicinity of Büchig, of which 3 are larger airports. The closest airport in Germany is Mannheim-City Airport in a distance of 29 mi (or 47 km), North. Besides the airports, there are other travel options available (check left side).
There are several Unesco world heritage sites nearby. The closest heritage site in Germany is Maulbronn Monastery Complex in a distance of 7 mi (or 11 km), South-East. We discovered 2 points of interest in the vicinity of this place. Looking for a place to stay? we compiled a list of available hotels close to the map centre further down the page.
When in this area, you might want to pay a visit to some of the following locations: Gondelsheim, Oberderdingen, Zaisenhausen, OElbronn-Duerrn and Ubstadt-Weiher. To further explore this place, just scroll down and browse the available info. Let's start with some photos from the area.
Todays Local Weather Conditions & Forecast: 24°C / 75 °F
Morning Temperature 18°C / 64 °F
Evening Temperature 23°C / 73 °F
Night Temperature 18°C / 64 °F
Chance of rainfall 1%
Air Humidity 54%
Air Pressure 1015.5 hPa
Wind Speed Light breeze with 5 km/h (3 mph) from East
Cloud Conditions Overcast clouds, covering 100% of sky
General Conditions Light rain
Saturday, 20th of July 2019
29°C (85 °F)
Light rain, gentle breeze, broken clouds.
Sunday, 21st of July 2019
Light rain, gentle breeze, scattered clouds.
Monday, 22nd of July 2019
Sky is clear, light breeze, clear sky.
Hotels and Places to Stay
5,5 mi
Eisenbahnstr. 36a
Time Information
Checkout: 11:00 - Checkin: 15:00
Weekday: 6:30 - 22:00
Weekend: 8:00 - 20:00
ACHAT Comfort Bretten
Rest Inn
Pforzheimer Str. 12
Weekday: 7:00 - 19:00 (lunchbreak: 11:00 - 14:00)
Kraichtaler Hof
Eisenbahnstr. 36
Videos from this area
These are videos related to the place based on their proximity to this place.
Tuningtreff Bretten Aral
Length: 29:26 min
Rating: 5 of 5
Author: Sheezogoa
Tuningtreffen an der Aral in Bretten, 06.09.2014 Ampelstarts/Drags und 1vs1 Bis die Blauen das spaßige Beisammensein beendeten... Naja, ein hammer Abend wars trotzdem :)
Faustball-DM Bretten: TSV Calw - Ahlhorner SV
Author: Ingo Stöldt
Ballwechsel aus dem Vorrundenspiel zwischen dem TSV Calw und dem Ahlhorner SV. Beide Teams qualifizierten sich für das Halbfinale am 8. März 2015.
Der Igel der Landsknechte Bretten 1504 auf dem Kirchplatz
Author: Landsknechte Bretten 1504
Eine etwas andere Darstellung einer Verteidigungsstellung von Landsknechten. Der Igel galt historisch gesehen als Stellung gegen Reiterei. Aufgenommen am Peter und Paul Fest 2014 direkt nach...
Cold Water Challenge Fanfaren und Trommlerzug 1504 Bretten e.V.
Author: KottiLP
Cold Water Challenge des Fanfarenzuges Bretten am 28.Juli 2014 Danke an den Fanfarenzug Europafanfare Karlsruhe für die Nominierung Wir nominieren: Den Fanfarenzug der Freiwilligen ...
E94 durch Bretten
Author: KnutKarsson
E 94 Solo durch Bretten als Sonderzug.
Die Schlacht am Simmelturm 2013 (Peter und Paul Fest Bretten)
Author: UlrikDeLaRose
Die Schlacht am Simmelturm vom Peter und Paul Fest 2013 in Bretten. Dargestellt wird die Belagerung der Stadt Bretten durch eine Württembergische Übermacht. Die Brettener Bürger schlagen...
Training Kraichgau-Fahnenschwinger Bretten e.V.
Author: Karsten Franke
Hier eine kleine Trainingseinheit der Kraichgau-Fahnenschwinger Bretten e.V..
Sonderzug mit 1042 durch Bretten
Sonderzug gezogen von einer 1042 der Centralbahn durch Bretten. Am Haken hatte sie einen Partysonderzug Richtung Stuttgart.
Rüdtwald, Bretten im April 2009
Author: weissi09
Weitere Infos siehe unter: www.ruedtwald.de.
Indianermusem Bretten
Author: DigitaloKris
Live-Vorführungen und Vorträge im Indianermuseum Bretten.
Videos provided by Youtube are under the copyright of their owners.
Attractions and noteworthy things
Distances are based on the centre of the city/town and sightseeing location. This list contains brief abstracts about monuments, holiday activities, national parcs, museums, organisations and more from the area as well as interesting facts about the region itself. Where available, you'll find the corresponding homepage. Otherwise the related wikipedia article.
Battle of Mingolsheim
The Battle of Mingolsheim was fought on 27 April 1622, near the German village of Wiesloch, 14 miles south of Heidelberg (and 5 miles south of Wiesloch), between a Protestant army under General von Mansfeld and the margrave of Baden against a Roman Catholic army under Count Tilly. Early in the spring of 1621, mercenary forces under the command of Georg Friedrich, Margrave of Baden-Durlach crossed the Rhine River from Alsace to junction with forces under Ernst von Mansfeld.
Located at 49.2168, 8.65829 (Lat. / Lng.), about 10 miles away.
1622 in Europe, Conflicts in 1622, Battles of the Thirty Years' War, Battles involving the Holy Roman Empire
Karlsruhe (district)
Karlsruhe is a rural district (Landkreis) in the north-west of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Neighboring districts are (from north clockwise) Rhein-Neckar, Heilbronn, Enz, Calw, Rastatt, Germersheim, Rhein-Pfalz-Kreis and the district-free city Speyer. The urban district Karlsruhe (Stadtkreis Karlsruhe), which contains the City of Karlsruhe, is located in the middle of the district, and partially cuts it into a northern and a southern part.
Located at 49.08, 8.58 (Lat. / Lng.), about 6 miles away.
Wikipedia Article, Homepage
Karlsruhe (region), Districts of Baden-Württemberg, Karlsruhe (district)
Wöschbach
Wöschbach is a village in the municipality of Pfinztal, in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is pne of the four villages in the municipality and has about 3,000 inhabitants. Wöschbach was first mentioned during the 13th century. During the 30-year War the village lost its entire population. After World War II 400 refugees were sent to live in Wöschbach.
Located at 49.0022, 8.56611 (Lat. / Lng.), about 8 miles away.
Villages in Baden-Württemberg
Mühlacker radio transmitter
The Mühlacker Broadcasting Transmission Facility is a radio transmission facility near Mühlacker, Germany, first put into service on November 21st, 1930. It uses two guyed steel tube masts as aerials and one guyed steel framework mast, which are insulated against ground. It has two transmission aerials for shortwave and one free standing steel framework tower for directional radio services. The shortwave transmitter was shut off on October 19, 2004.
Demolished buildings and structures, Destroyed landmarks in Germany, 1930 establishments in Germany, 1933 establishments in Germany, 1950 establishments in West Germany, 1954 establishments in West Germany, 2004 establishments in Germany, 1945 disestablishments, Towers in Germany, Former world's tallest buildings, Transmitter sites in Germany
Mühlacker Water Tower
The Mühlacker Water Tower is a 42 metres reinforced concrete water tower in Mühlacker, Germany. The tower was built in 1972/73 and has a container for 600 cubic metres of water. It is often decorated at Christmas time.
Towers completed in 1973, Buildings and structures in Baden-Württemberg, Towers in Germany, Water towers
Evangelical Seminaries of Maulbronn and Blaubeuren
The Protestant (Evangelische, Gr. ) Seminaries of Maulbronn and Blaubeuren (Evangelische Seminare Maulbronn und Blaubeuren) in Baden-Württemberg, Germany are two Gymnasiums (high school) and Protestant boarding schools in the Württemberg tradition. Until 2008, grades 9 and 10 were taught in the former Maulbronn Abbey, and Grades 11 through 13 in Blaubeuren, partly in cooperation with the Gymnasium Blaubeuren (Blaubeuren High School). Today, the two schools exist independently of each other.
Educational institutions established in the 1550s, Schools in Germany, 1556 establishments, Seminaries and theological colleges in Germany
Maulbronn Monastery
Maulbronn Monastery is the best-preserved medieval Cistercian monastery complex in Europe. It is situated on the outskirts of Maulbronn, Baden-Württemberg, Germany and is separated from the town by fortifications. Since 1993 the monastery is part of the Unesco World Heritage.
Monasteries in Baden-Württemberg, Cistercian monasteries in Germany, World Heritage Sites in Germany, Landmarks in Germany, Imperial abbeys, 1147 establishments, Religious organizations established in the 1140s, Enzkreis, Christian monasteries established in the 12th century, Museums in Baden-Württemberg, Religious museums in Germany
Paulusheim
St. Paulusheim is an independent Gymnasium in Bruchsal, Germany with sponsorship of the school foundation of the archdiocese of Freiburg. It was founded by the Pallottines, originally as a boys' boarding school. Paulusheim is rooted in a boarding school of the small Italian community of Masio near Alessandria. In 1915, Pallottines had to leave Masio because of the war. So they came to Bruchsal, the former homeland of the headteacher.
Private schools in Germany, Schools in Baden-Württemberg, Educational institutions established in 1915
The Kraichgau is a hilly region in Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. It is bordered by the Odenwald and the Neckar to the North, the Black Forest to the South, and the Upper Rhine Plain to the West. To the east, its boundary is considered to be the Stromberg, the Hardt, and the Heuchelberg. The largest towns of the Kraichgau are Sinsheim, Eppingen, and Bretten. On the western end of the Kraichgau is the town of Bruchsal, the gateway to the Rhineland plains.
Geography of Baden-Württemberg, Regions of Germany
Bruchsal (district)
Bruchsal was a district (Kreis) in the administrative district of Nordbaden in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. To the County belonged 5 cities and 33 towns. The city of Bruchsal was the seat of the county and the license plate code was BR. Bruchsal County was dissolved as a result of the district reform effective January 1, 1973 when it was merged into the County of Karlsruhe.
Located at 49.1333, 8.6 (Lat. / Lng.), about 7 miles away.
Gochsheim Castle
Gochsheim Castle (German: Graf-Eberstein-Schloss, or the Castle of Count Eberstein) is an old royal residence in the Kraichtal area of Baden-Württemberg, in the north-eastern part of Karlsruhe, Germany. It currently houses a museum and holds around 100 works of local artist Karl Hubbuch who died in 1979.
Towns in Baden-Württemberg, Karlsruhe (district), Royal residences in Baden-Württemberg, Castles in Baden-Württemberg, Museums in Baden-Württemberg
Michelsberg culture
The Michelsberg culture (German: Michelsberger Kultur) is an important Neolithic culture in Central Europe. Its dates are ca 4400-3500 BC. Its conventional name is derived from that of an important excavated site on Michelsberg (or Michaelsberg) hill near Untergrombach, between Karlsruhe and Heidelberg. The Michelsberg culture is dated in the late 5th and the first half of the 4th millennium BC. Thus, it belongs to the Central European Late Neolithic.
Stone Age Europe, Archaeological cultures of Central Europe, Archaeology of Germany, Archaeology of Belgium, Archaeology of France
Steinsberg Castle
Steinsberg Castle is a castle in the village of Weiler, a suburb of Sinsheim in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
Located at 49.214, 8.877 (Lat. / Lng.), about 12 miles away.
Castles in Baden-Württemberg, Landmarks in Germany
Schloss Eichtersheim
Schloss Eichtersheim, formerly also Schloß Eichtersheim is a manor house situated in Eichtersheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Located at 49.2335, 8.7753 (Lat. / Lng.), about 11 miles away.
Landmarks in Germany
Aalkistensee
Aalkistensee is a lake in Kraichgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. At an elevation of ca 250 m, its surface area is 0.136 km².
Lakes of Baden-Württemberg
Michaelsberg (Untergrombach)
Michaelsberg (Untergrombach) is a mountain of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Mountains of Baden-Württemberg
Wintersberg (Spessart)
Wintersberg (Spessart) is a mountain of Hesse, Germany.
Mountains of Hesse
Kraichbach
The Kraichbach is a 60 km long right tributary of the Rhine River running through the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The river source is in the Kraichgau region near the municipality of Sternenfels. It then flows to the northwest through Kürnbach, Oberderdingen, Kraichtal, Ubstadt-Weiher, Bad Schönborn and Kronau, all in the district of Karlsruhe. It then enters the district of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis and flows through Sankt Leon-Rot, Reilingen, Hockenheim and Ketsch before joining the Rhine.
Rivers of Baden-Württemberg
Saalbach (river)
The Saalbach is a 50 km long right tributary of the Rhine River running through the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The river source is in the Kraichgau region near the city of Bretten, formed by the confluence of the Weißach und Salzach Rivers. It then flows through Gondelsheim to the northwest, then through Bruchsal and Dettenheim. It then turns north through Philippsburg before emptying into the Rhine.
Bruchsal station
Bruchsal station is the centre of the rail transport in the city of Bruchsal in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
Located at 49.1239, 8.59 (Lat. / Lng.), about 7 miles away.
Railway stations in Baden-Württemberg, Rhine-Neckar S-Bahn stations
Mühlacker station
Mühlacker station is in the town of Mühlacker in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is at the junction of the Karlsruhe–Mühlacker line and the Western Railway. With its five platform tracks, it is the largest station in Enz district. It is served by InterCity, regional and Karlsruhe Stadtbahn services.
Railway stations in Baden-Württemberg
Bretten station
Bretten station is the centre of rail transport in the town of Bretten in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The Württemberg Western Railway and the Kraichgau line cross at the station.
Bruchsal Rollenberg junction
|- !colspan="2" width=100% style="color:white;background-color:#be2d2c;text-align:center;"|Bruchsal connecting line
Route number: 770
Line length: 2.1
Track gauge: 1435
Voltage: 15 kV 16.7 Hz AC
Maximum speed: 100
|- | colspan="2" align="left"| Legend x20px Rhine Valley Railway from Karlsruhe x20px 49.6 0.0 Bruchsal Nord 110.9 m x20px Rhine Valley Railway to Heidelberg x20px Katzbach Railway to Odenheim x20px High-speed railway from Mannheim x20px Ubstadt connecting line (see above) x20px 2.8 45.3 Bruchsal Rollenberg 131.3 m x20px High-speed railway to Stuttgart |} Bruchsal Rollenberg junction is a complex flying junction at the intersection of Mannheim–Stuttgart high-speed railway with the Heidelberg–Karlsruhe line and is located between Bruchsal and Ubstadt in the German state of Baden-Württemberg.
Railway lines in Baden-Württemberg
Melanchthonhaus (Bretten)
Not to be confused with the Melanchthonhaus (Wittenberg). The Melanchthonhaus is a museum and research facility of the Protestant Reformation in Bretten, particularly on the life of Philipp Melanchthon. It includes an exhibition on his life, a research centre, a specialist library and a documentation centre of the international Melanchthon-Forschung. It was built in 1897 on the site of Melanchthon's birthplace, which had been demolished in 1689.
Museums in Baden-Württemberg, 19th-century architecture, Literary museums in Germany, Religious museums in Germany
Kämpfelbach (river)
Kämpfelbach is a river of Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Popular in vicinity
These are some bigger and more relevant cities in the wider vivinity of Büchig.
OElbronn-Duerrn
Kurnbach
Otisheim
Local Webcams
Rinklingen: Wetter Bretten-Diedelsheim, Rinklingen (source)
Webcams provided by webcam.travel are under the copyright of their owners.
This is a wider card with supporting text below as a natural lead-in to additional content. This content is a little bit longer.
Kerstin Eden
Starting at: 02:00 am (02:00).
More Information: eventful.com.
Talla 2xlc - Open Beatz Festival (Zyrus 7 Set)
Wolperting (#36)
Starting at: 09:00 pm (21:00).
Dave Bainbridge & Sally Minnear - An Evening Of IONA Music And More
Ray Wilson & Band: Acoustic Show - Ray Wilson Präsentiert Zu Seinem 20-jährigen Bühnenjubiläum Die Größten Hits Der Bandgeschichte Und Seiner Solokarriere
This place is known by different names. Here the ones we know:
Büchig bei Bretten, Büchig
Nationwide popular locations
These are the most popular locations in Germany on Tripmondo.
Saarbruecken
Smaller cities in the vicinity
These are smaller but yet relevant locations related to this place.
Neibsheim
Golshausen
Bauerbach
Oberacker
Rehhutte
Diedelsheim
Rinklingen
Munzesheim
Grossvillars
Helmsheim
Flehingen
Heidelsheim
Sprantal
Oberowisheim
Rotenbergerhof
Sickingen
Duerrenbuechig
Unterowisheim
Kleinvillars
Bahnbrucken
Derdingen
Elfinger Hof
Bauschlott
Popular Global Places
Kuala Kurau
Lun Pattian
Newest Magazine Articles
Pets from Abroad
International table etiquette
World GSM Frequencies
Country Telephone Prefix
Travel quote of the moment:
When one realizes that his life is worthless he either commits suicide or travels.
Edward Dahlberg
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Tripmondo is a platform that aggregates information about places from various sources and combines them to provide travellers with a solid first impression. It aims at providing this for any place on this world.
About Tripmondo & FAQ - Imprint & Privacy Policy
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Alstom to provide eleven ECO 110 wind turbines to French wind farm
Today, onshore wind farms in France represent an installed power of 5.7 GW
Paris, March 31, 2011 — Alstom has secured the first order for its ECO 110 wind turbine by signing a contract with wind farm developer Eole Generation, wind farm developer and unit of GDF SUEZ, to construct the Landes de Couesme wind farm near La Gacilly in Brittany, France.
The wind farm will have a total installed capacity of 33 MW, enough to provide clean energy to 22,000 households and avoid the production of 77,000 tons/year of carbon dioxide, thus helping France to meet government targets to install 19 GW of onshore wind and 6 GW of offshore wind by 2020.
Today, onshore wind farms in France represent an installed power of 5.7 GW.
The contract signed by Alstom, worth just under $ 42.5 million in total, includes the assembly, supply and installation of eleven ECO 110 wind turbines of 3 MW each plus five years of operation and maintenance.
With its 53-meter long blades, Alstom's ECO 110 wind turbine captures power more efficiently, meaning fewer units are needed to generate a given amount of electricity. One unit alone has the capacity to provide enough electricity for 2,000 households and avoid the production of 7,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year.
To date, Alstom Wind has installed or is installing more than 2,080 wind turbines in more than 110 wind farms, representing a total capacity of more than 22,680 MW.
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Bringing the Heat
Robert De Niro Would Like to Punch Donald Trump in the Face
Emma Stefansky
Robert De Niro on Donald Trump: “God Help Us”
Last Night on Late Night
The Daily Show’s Hasan Minhaj Explains How a Donald Trump Presidency Threatens Everyone
a little less raging bull
Robert De Niro Will Restrain Himself from Punching Donald Trump
“I can't do that now.”
Yohana Desta
To paraphrase a song Donald Trump has been using for his presidential campaign (despite the band's repeated statements that he doesn't have their permission to do so), you can't always get what you want. Robert De Niro knows this—and oh, it pains him to admit that he unfortunately cannot make good on his wish to punch a certain businessman turned politician in the face. In October, the Oscar-winning actor appeared in a P.S.A. calling Trump a punk, a dog, and a pig. “He talks about how he’d like to punch people in the face. Well, I’d like to punch him in the face,” the actor added, channeling the fury of a thousand Jake LaMottas.
Unfortunately for De Niro, we've now entered the darkest timeline. Trump has become the president-elect. And since threatening an elected official is a crime, De Niro has to re-examine his punching plan.
“Are you still gonna punch Donald Trump in the face?” Jimmy Kimmel asked the star when he stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live on Wednesday. “Because you can now get arrested for that.”
“I can’t do that now; he's the president,” De Niro replied. “I have to respect the position, though we all know what . . . ”
He trailed off, allowing the audience to play a mysterious game of fill-in-the-blanks. Sometimes, silence says it all—though De Niro has already been pretty frank about his thoughts on Trump.
“We have to see what he’s gonna do, and how he’s really gonna follow through on certain things,” De Niro added.
In the meantime, Trump may be somewhat distracted from White House planning, as he's due to appear in court this month for a class-action case against the now-shuttered Trump University.
U.S. Women’s Soccer Champs Skip White House, Collect 5,000 Chicken Nuggets on Kimmel
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China International Education Expo
中国国际教育展
In October 2010, the YCP Scotland assisted the Scottish Government in promoting Scottish education at the Chinese Education Expo 2010 in China. Case studies of our young Chinese professionals in Scotland were shared with students at universities in Beijing and Shanghai as well as 250 education agencies in China. We are grateful that during the interview with JiangSu TV, the Scottish Government also mentioned the work of YCP to the audience. We believe this has been an important step for the audience to learn about many success stories of our Chinese professionals who initially decided to come to Scotland for career and education. A wide range of information about Scotland in simplified Chinese can also be found on the following website: www.scotland.cn.
In addition, the Scottish Government has established a team of trained immigration advisors called TalentScotland Relocation Advisory Service (RAS). The RAS team is able to offer free help and advice to employers, workers and students on any matters regarding relocating to Scotland, including visas and immigration.
Email: ras.reply@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 244 6824 (from the UK) or 0044 141 278 8824 (from outside the UK)
The Scottish Government understands the need for career opportunities when students graduate from universities. As such, an official career website was set up to accommodate interests of students and professionals from a broad range of industries. You may find out more what opportunities Scotland has to offer from this website:
www.talentscotland.com.
Including details of Scottish job opportunities in four key sectors - Financial Services, Life
Sciences, Energy and Electronics. Opportunities for scholarships and graduate placements are also available on the site.
China Education Expo
An introductory presentation of Scotland and its education systems was given to university students at Beijing and Shanghai during October 2010.
China Education Expo 2010.pdf
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