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Route number(s)
(Chippendale – Summer Hill)
No shield
(Summer Hill – Haberfield)
(Haberfield – Granville)
route number
Metroad 4 (1992-2000)
(Haberfield – North Strathfield)
State Route 44 (1992-2013)
(North Strathfield – Granville)
Major junctions
Broadway (A34), Chippendale, Sydney
Liverpool Road
Wattle Street
M4 East
M4 Western Motorway
Marlborough Road (A3)
Silverwater Road (A6)
Church Street, Granville, Sydney
Major suburbs
Ultimo, Chippendale, Glebe, Camperdown
Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, Australia, connecting the Sydney CBD with Parramatta. It is the easternmost part of the Great Western Highway. Since the 1980s its role has been augmented by the City West Link Road and Motorway M4.
The road begins as a continuation of George Street at Harris St Ultimo and as far as City Road is called Broadway. Its 23 kilometres (14 mi) distance is dominated by caryards and small marginally-viable shops. At the same time, however, it has over 100 abandoned and derelict stores.[1][2] Owing to this and its abrasively noisy traffic, it has rarely been considered beautiful.[3]
Opened in 1811, it is one of Sydney's oldest roads and Australia's first road between two cities (before Sydney and Parramatta coalesced). Today, over 3 million commuters every year drive Parramatta Road.[4] The road is the hub of Sydney's motor dealership industry - with 67% of the adjacent land used for motor retailing and services.
1.1 1790s–1800s: Development
1.3 1820s–1880s
1.4 1900s–present: Motorisation
2 Urban blight
1790s–1800s: Development[edit]
A carriage marked "Ashfield-Burwood" trundles down Parramatta Road in the early 1870s, with the University of Sydney in the background.
Parramatta was settled by Europeans in the same year (1788) as Sydney. The Parramatta River was used as navigation between them. Sometime between 1789 and 1791 an overland track was made to provide an official land route between the two settlements.[5]
Parramatta Road dates to the 1792 formation of a route linking Sydney to the settlement of Parramatta. This route was formalised under the direction of Surveyor-General Augustus Alt in 1797. Parramatta Road became one of the colony's most important early roads, and for many years remained one of Sydney's principal thoroughfares.[6] The early road was a poorly built and poorly maintained track through bush. In 1794, the governor of the colony reported that he had caused a very good road to be made, but there is no evidence that any bridges were built over the streams. The road subsequently deteriorated and on 9 June 1805 the Sydney Gazette reported that the road was impassable as the result of heavy rain. Attempts to improve the road continued over the years.[7]
1810–1815[edit]
By 1811, Parramatta Road had officially open to traffic and was financed during a large portion of the 19th century by a toll, with toll booths located at what now is Sydney University and the Duck River. Governor Macquarie called tenders for the repair of the road raised a 3 shilling per gallon levy on spirits and levied a toll to pay for the work. The road was to be 10 metres wide. This turnpike road was opened on 10 April 1811. The toll barriers were at the present Railway Square and at Becket's Creek (near Parramatta).[citation needed]
In 1814, a stage cart service was established along Parramatta Road. Fares were 10 shillings for passengers and 3 pence for letters. Heavy rain again nearly destroyed this road, so in 1817 it was announced that all tree-stumps would be removed and the road paved with stone which would be covered with earth and gravel. This improvement was announced as finished on 15 January 1815.[citation needed]
In 1815 the "profit" from the Sydney toll reached £465. The growth of Sydney caused the toll barrier to be moved to Grose Farm (present University of Sydney) in April 1836. In 1839 it was moved further west to Annandale.[citation needed]
1820s–1880s[edit]
Parramatta Road in the 1930s looking east across Iron Cove Creek towards Lewisham. Photo courtesy State Library of NSW
The colony's first stage coach (valued at £300) was imported in 1821 but did not begin regular service until 1823. The stage left the city at 7:00 am, arrived in Parramatta at 9:30 am and left Parramatta for the return journey at 4:00 pm. Inside passengers were charged 6 shillings. Hazards on the road included the threat of attacks by Indigenous people and bushrangers. Hotels and settlements sprang up along the road to serve coaching traffic.[8]
The importance of the road declined with the advent of the Sydney-Parramatta railway in 1855. In 1883, a steam tram line opened along Parramatta Road as far as Annandale, and was extended onward to Norton St in 1884, where it turned to run along Norton St to Short Street.
In the 1800s, the Government acquired a strip of land from Ashfield to Burwood from the Rosebank Estate, owned by the Sisters of the Good Samaritan, Australia's first religious congregation. Rosebank College now stands on the former Rosebank Estate, and the heritage-listed building of the private school stands adjacent to the road at Five Dock.
1900s–present: Motorisation[edit]
Sydney Municipal Council began widening the major routes into the city centre in 1911, including the construction of Broadway and the widening of the cutting on Parramatta Road adjacent to Sydney University. In the 1920s, the road was sealed and tramlines were removed from the road. Sheep and cattle were still crossing Parramatta Road at Homebush as late as the 1960s.
In 2012 it was announced that the road would be widened and lowered below street level in a "slot" as part of the Roads and Maritime Services' WestConnex motorway proposal. The WestConnex proposal was later changed to a pair of tunnels parallel to Parramatta Road known as M4 East, running between North Strathfield and Haberfield. The new tunnels opened to traffic in July 2019.[9][10] The tunnel entry and exit to Parramatta Road are located south-east of the Wattle Street and Parramatta Road intersection.
Urban blight[edit]
Homebush Cinema, built in 1925, is one of the many derelict establishments on the road, which operated until 1996 as a reception centre.
The road has been criticised by the community for its traffic pollution, congestion, and for its vacant shops and rundown buildings, particularly between Leichhardt and Concord, and local government has been accused of failing to adopt policies to encourage the redevelopment and regeneration of vacant sites.[11]
A local mayor described it as a "varicose vein".[12] A NSW Business Chamber Executive Patricia Forsythe said that the road is "one of the least attractive commercial areas of Sydney". Former NSW premier Nick Greiner thought the road looked "like Beirut on a bad day". The Sydney Morning Herald writer Elizabeth Farrelly dismissed it as a "filthy hole".[13] On a lighter note, Tess De Quincey, an Australian performer/director said, "Every chapter of Sydney's history has been written on Parramatta Road."[14] A Sydney Morning Herald editor said that whilst the road is "ugly in parts, drab in others, and generally unpleasant", it is still "fundamental to the economic and social viability of the greater city".[15]
Since the 1970s many buildings fronting Parramatta Road, especially those in the prime locations of the Inner West (from Homebush to Newtown), have become vacant and fallen into disrepair, with many vandalised. Previously these buildings were a major part of local life for the suburbs along Parramatta Road, providing employment, retailing and other services. The buildings with graffiti and broken windows provide a sight that is sought out by graffiti artists and proficient urban photographers.[16]
Nicholas Munning, an owner of a music store in Annandale, described the road as, "A lost cause...You can see the hodgepodge of buildings - abandoned buildings, abandoned shops - [with people thinking] let’s just let this sit here for four years until we get council approval to knock it down and build apartments...They don’t care if it sits there vacant with broken windows...The problem is the whole road looks like that. So nobody is going to say, 'hey, this is a great area. I’m going to spend $x making a really classy looking shop or restaurant'.”[17]
Furthermore, the NSW Government has proposed to allow up to 35,000 homes along the road by 2035. However, revitalisation is worth millions of dollars to developers, with such plans also being met with roadblocks from local governments, thus leading to prolonged court disputes as the buildings continue to decay.[17]
Location[edit]
Parramatta Road looking west at Burwood, near Rosebank College, during peak hour
The highway forms the boundaries of various suburbs along the way and ends at the junction of Church Street, Parramatta, where the Great Western Highway briefly turns to the north. Parramatta Road forms the southern boundary of the following suburbs:
Parramatta Road forms the northern boundary of the following suburbs:
West of Concord and Burwood, Parramatta Road passes through Strathfield, Homebush, Auburn and Granville before reaching Parramatta.
Australian roads portal
^ "City's main artery a desolate wasteland". The Daily Telegraph, Mason McCann. 18 April 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
^ "AV Union". Time Out Sydney, Nicholas Adams. 16 October 2012. Archived from the original on 15 January 2015. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
^ "Renew project targets Forum". Alt Media, Mason McCann. 26 September 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
^ http://www.parramattaroad.com/html/history.html
^ Broomham, Rosemary (2001), Vital connections: a history of NSW roads from 1788, Hale & Iremonger in association with the Roads and Traffic Authority NSW, p. 25, ISBN 978-0-86806-703-2
^ "Sandstone Kerb - Parramatta Road". State Heritage Register. Office of Environment and Heritage, Government of New South Wales. 2005. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
^ Francis Peron, 'Account of Port Jackson and Sydney Town, New South Wales', translation quoted in The literary panorama, vol 10, Charles Taylor, London, 1809, col 921
^ The Roadmakers: A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, Department of Main Roads, Sydney, 1976, p 47
^ "WestConnex". NSW Government. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
^ "New M4 tunnels to open this weekend". WestConnex. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
^ "CAN PARRAMATTA RD ROCK ONCE MORE?". Ciao Magazine. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
^ "200-year dream for renewal and free flow for 'varicose vein'". Sydney Morning Herald. 5 October 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^ "Developers won't save Parramatta Road alone". Elizabeth Farrelly, Sydney Morning Herald. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^ https://books.google.com.au/books?isbn=9052010366
^ "A chance to get Parramatta Road right". Sydney Morning Herald. 31 October 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
^ Why derelict buildings worth millions are being left behind in a region desperate for places to live by David Barwell (The Daily Telegraph)
^ a b 'The shops have closed': Parramatta Road 'a lost cause', retailer says by Garry Maddox (Sydney Morning Herald)
History of Parramatta Road
Coordinates: 33°52′05″S 151°05′57″E / 33.86814°S 151.09909°E / -33.86814; 151.09909
Streets of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Bathurst Street
Bayswater Road
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Five Ways
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Lime Street
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Queen's Square
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Victoria Street
Whitlam Square
Suburban roads
Albion Street
Anzac Parade
Appian Way
Bangor Bypass
Blacktown Road
Bondi Road
Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation
City West Link
Coogee Bay Road
Cumberland Highway
Darling Street
Epping Road
General Holmes Drive
Gore Hill Freeway
Great Western Highway
Henry Lawson Drive
The Horsley Drive
Hume Highway
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Jeffrey Street
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Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Parramatta_Road&oldid=905743089"
1811 establishments in Australia
Streets in Sydney
Historical roads of New South Wales
Municipality of Strathfield
Parramatta Road, Sydney
Use Australian English from March 2018
Infobox Australian road articles with an infobox mapframe map
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Witch-hazel
This article is about the plant genus. For other uses, see Witch hazel (disambiguation).
Hamamelis virginiana
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Saxifragales
Family: Hamamelidaceae
Subfamily: Hamamelidoideae
Tribe: Hamamelideae
Genus: Hamamelis
Gronov. ex L.
Hamamelis japonica
Hamamelis mexicana
Hamamelis mollis
Hamamelis ovalis
Hamamelis vernalis
Witch-hazels or witch hazels (Hamamelis, /ˌhæməˈmiːlɪs/)[1] are a genus of flowering plants in the family Hamamelidaceae, with four species in North America (H. mexicana,[2] H. ovalis,[3] H. virginiana, and H. vernalis), and one each in Japan (H. japonica) and China (H. mollis). The North American species are occasionally called winterbloom.[4][5]
1 Growth
3 Genera
4 Cultivation
4.1 Garden shrubs
5 Composition and applications
7 Safety
Growth[edit]
The witch-hazels are deciduous shrubs or (rarely) small trees growing to 10–25 feet (3.0–7.6 m) tall, rarely to 40 feet (12 m) tall. The leaves are alternately arranged, oval, 2–6 inches (5.1–15.2 cm) long and 1–4 inches (2.5–10.2 cm) broad, with a smooth or wavy margin. The genus name, Hamamelis, means "together with fruit", referring to the simultaneous occurrence of flowers with the maturing fruit from the previous year.[6] H. virginiana blooms in September–November while the other species bloom from January–March. Each flower has four slender strap-shaped petals 3⁄8–3⁄4 inch (0.95–1.91 cm) long, pale to dark yellow, orange, or red. The fruit is a two-part capsule 3⁄8 inch (0.95 cm) long, containing a single 1⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) glossy black seed in each of the two parts; the capsule splits explosively at maturity in the autumn about 8 months after flowering, ejecting the seeds with sufficient force to fly for distances of up to 30 feet (9.1 m), thus another alternative name "Snapping Hazel".
The name witch in witch-hazel has its origins in Middle English wiche, from the Old English wice, meaning "pliant" or "bendable", and is not related to the word witch meaning a practitioner of magic.[7] Jacob George Strutt's 1822 book, Sylva Britannica attests that "Wych Hazel" was used in England as a synonym for wych elm, Ulmus glabra;[8] The use of the twigs as divining rods, just as hazel twigs were used in England, may also have,[citation needed] by folk etymology, influenced the "witch" part of the name.[5]
Genera[edit]
The Persian ironwood, a closely related tree formerly treated as Hamamelis persica, is now given a genus of its own, as Parrotia persica, as it differs in the flowers not having petals. Other closely allied genera are Parrotiopsis, Fothergilla, and Sycopsis (see under Hamamelidaceae). Witch-hazels are not closely related to the true Corylus hazels, though they have a few superficially similar characteristics which may cause one to believe that they are.
Cultivation[edit]
They are popular ornamental plants, grown for their clusters of rich yellow to orange-red flowers which begin to expand in the autumn as or slightly before the leaves fall, and continue throughout the winter.
Garden shrubs[edit]
Hamamelis virginiana was introduced into English gardens by Peter Collinson, who maintained correspondence with plant hunters in the American colonies. Nowadays, it is rarely seen in the nursery trade except for woodland/wildlife restoration projects and native plant enthusiasts. Much more common is H. mollis, which has bright yellow flowers that bloom in late winter instead of the yellow blossoms of H. virginiana which tend to be lost among the plant's fall foliage. The plant-hunter Charles Maries collected for Veitch Nurseries in the Chinese district of Jiujiang in 1879. It languished in nursery rows for years until it was noticed, propagated and put on the market in 1902.[9]
Numerous cultivars have been selected for use as garden shrubs, many of them derived from the hybrid H. × intermedia Rehder (H. japonica × H. mollis). Jelena and Robert de Belder of Arboretum Kalmthout, selecting for red cultivars, found three: the first, with bronze flowers, was named 'Jelena'; the next, with red flowers, was named 'Diane' (the name of their daughter); the last, with deep red flowers, was called 'Livia' (the name of their granddaughter).
Composition and applications[edit]
This article needs more medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources. Please review the contents of the article and add the appropriate references if you can. Unsourced or poorly sourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2018)
Witch-hazel may be used as a supposed remedy for psoriasis and eczema; in aftershave and ingrown nail applications, to prevent dehydration of skin; and for insect bites and poison ivy.[10] Clinical studies supporting its effectiveness for these skin conditions are absent.[11] Despite this lack of evidence, it is used in folk medicine to "ease discomfort" involving vaginal soreness and hemorrhoids while they heal after childbirth.[12] There is no good clinical evidence for its other purported traditional uses, including gastrointestinal illnesses (diarrhea), common colds, tuberculosis, and inflammation.[11] Distilled witch-hazel water does not contain the tannic acid found in Hamamelis bark, and does not have the therapeutic attributes often claimed for it.[13]
The leaves and bark of the North American witch-hazel, Hamamelis virginiana, may be used to produce an astringent decoction as a cooling agent for various uses in traditional medicine, herbalism, and skincare products.[11] This decoction was widely used for medicinal purposes by Native Americans[5] and is typically sold in modern pharmacies as witch-hazel water[5][11] and as semisolid ointments, creams, gels, and salves.[14] It is commonly used to treat diaper rash in infants.[11] Witch-hazel water can be produced by maceration and by distillation.[15] As an ingredient and as topical agent, witch hazel water is regulated in the United States as an over-the-counter drug for external use only to soothe minor skin irritations.[16]
The main constituents of witch-hazel extract include calcium oxalate, gallotannins, safrole, and chemicals found in the essential oil (carvacrol, eugenol).[17] Witch hazel is mainly used externally on hemorrhoids, minor bleeding, and skin irritation.[11]
Native Americans used extract of witch-hazel extensively for medicinal purposes. Many people produced witch hazel extract by boiling the stems of the shrub and producing a decoction, which was used to treat swellings, inflammations, and tumors.[18] Early Puritan settlers in New England adopted this remedy from the natives, and its use became widely established in the United States.[10]
A missionary, Dr. Charles Hawes, learned of the preparation's therapeutic properties, and then determined through extensive study that the product of distillation (likely steam distillation) of the plant's twigs was even more efficacious.[18] "Hawes Extract" was first produced and sold in Essex, Connecticut, in 1846, by druggist and chemist Alvan Whittemore.[19]
Hawes' process was further refined by Thomas Newton Dickinson, Sr., who is credited with starting the commercial production of witch hazel extract, also in Essex, Connecticut, in 1866, and eventually establishing nine production sites in eastern Connecticut.[20] Following his death, his two sons, Thomas N. Dickinson, Jr., of Mystic, Connecticut, and Everett E. Dickinson of Essex, each inherited parts of the family business and continued the manufacture of witch hazel extract, operating competing "Dickinson's" businesses that were continued by their descendants.[10][21]
Safety[edit]
Although not fatal, oral consumption of witch hazel water is potentially toxic resulting from the high content of tannins remaining in commercial products.[11] As a result, the ingestion of witch hazel water is inadvisable during pregnancy and lactation.[22]
In the United States, witch hazel water can be used as an ingredient for topical applications,[16] but individual products are not approved as drugs. In 2017, one manufacturer of skincare products containing witch hazel was warned by the Food and Drug Administration for making unsubstantiated health claims and for not providing evidence the products are safe.[23]
Hamamelis sp. flowers, Menai Bridge, Wales
Hamamelis in Fürth City Park (Germany), 2004-02-08
Hamamelis in the Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens
Hamamelis ×intermedia (H. japonica × H. mollis)
close-up flowers
Hamamelis ×intermedia 'Jelena'
Hamamelis ×intermedia 'Diane'
Hamamelis mollis tree in autumn
Hamamelis mollis in autumn
Hamamelis mollis leaves in autumn
Winter-flowering in the Vogelsberg Mountains
Flourishing Witch-hazel shrub in winter
^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
^ Xie, Lei; Yi, Ting-Shuang; Li, Rong; Li, De-Zhu; Wen, Jun (2010). "Evolution and biogeographic diversification of the witch-hazel genus (Hamamelis L., Hamamelidaceae) in the Northern Hemisphere". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 56 (2): 675–689. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2010.02.018. PMID 20171295.
^ Hamamelis ovalis S. W. Leonard (2006), GRIN Taxonomy for Plants
^ Noted in Ernest Thompson Seton, The Book of Woodcraft and Indian Lore (1921:422), but rare.
^ a b c d Andriote, J-M (6 November 2012). "The Mysterious Past and Present of Witch Hazel". The Atlantic. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
^ Hiker's Notebook: Witch Hazel
^ Douglas Harper (2001). "witch hazel". Online Etymology Dictionary.
^ Jacob George Strutt (1822). Sylva Britannica. p. 66. Full text of expanded 1830 edition.
^ Alice M. Coats, Garden Shrubs and Their Histories (1964) 1992, s.v. "Hamamelis".
^ a b c Michael C. Bingham, Which Witch Is Witch Hazel (and Which Dickinson Makes It)?, Connecticut Business Journal, 20 October 1997. Archived August 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
^ a b c d e f g "Witch hazel". Drugs.com. 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
^ "Postpartum care: What to expect after a vaginal delivery". Labor and delivery, postpartum care. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 2013-01-01.
^ "Is distilled witch hazel just water and alcohol?".
^ "Witch hazel - topical". Health Canada: Drugs and Health Products. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
^ "Witch Hazel, Healer in the deep dark woods. - Apothecary's Garden". 26 May 2013.
^ a b "Code of Federal Regulations; Title 21, Sec. 347.52 Labeling of astringent drug products; (3) For products containing witch hazel". US Food and Drug Administration. 1 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
^ Sheila Boulajoun (2007). Natural Sources of Flavourings, Report No. 2. Belgium: Council of Europe Publishing. p. 87. ISBN 978-92-871-6156-7.
^ a b Anthony C. Dweck, Ethnobotanical Use of Plants, Part 4: The American Continent.
^ Dickinson's 'Witch Hazel' Will No Longer Be Manufactured in Essex, Essex Events, Spring 1997.
^ The E.E. Dickinson Co. (1970?), The Birth of Witch Hazel. 16 pp.
^ About Dickinson Brands, Dickinson Brands website, accessed February 4, 2010.
^ Burlando, B; Verotta, L; Cornara, L; Bottini-Massa, E (2010). Herbal Principles in Cosmetics: properties and mechanisms of action. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. p. 365. ISBN 978-1-4398-1214-3.
^ Bromley, Gerald D. (6 March 2017). "Warning letter: Aegeia Skin Care, LLC". Inspections, Compliance, Enforcement, and Criminal Investigations, US Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
Erdelmeier, C. A. J. et al. Antiviral and Antiphlogistic Activities of Hamamelis virginiana Bark. Planta Medica, 62(1996) (3):241–245
Foster, S. The Wiley Witch Hazel. The Herb Companion.(January 1989).
Fergus, Charles (2002). Trees of Pennsylvania and the Northeast. Stackpole Books. pp. 156–9. ISBN 978-0-8117-2092-2.
Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
Korting, H. C., et al. "Comparative Efficacy of Hamamelis Distillate and Hydrocortisone. European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 48(1995)(6):461–465.
Lloyd, J. U. and J. T. Lloyd. History of Hamamelis (Witch Hazel), Extract and Distillate. Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association. 24(1935) (3):220–24.
Tyler, V. E. Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals, Binghamton, New York: Pharmaceutical Products Press, 1994.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hamamelis.
Flora of China: Hamamelis
Flora of North America: Hamamelis
Wikispecies: Hamamelis
EPPO: 1HAMG
FNA: 114541
FoC: 114541
GRIN: 5349
IPNI: 30003256-2
ITIS: 19031
NZOR: 4237fee8-03bf-41e0-8722-45a04e40e07e
PLANTS: HAMAM
POWO: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30003256-2
VASCAN: 1227
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Witch-hazel&oldid=906654631"
Antihemorrhagics
Hamamelidaceae
Articles needing additional medical references from August 2018
Articles requiring reliable medical sources
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India seeks $5-7 billion aid from World Bank for a pipeline of projects
He also urged the World Bank to lower its interest rate by removing the commitment charges levied on the undisbursed loans.IANS | March 02, 2017, 07:59 IST
NEW DELHI: Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday urged the World Bank to grant India $5-7 billion to meet its funding requirements.
"An increase in World Bank's support is imperative to meet our current requirement of $5-7 billion and for a huge pipeline of projects," said Jaitley in a statement after meeting its Chief Executive Kristalina I. Georgieva here.
India has decided to seek the aid only through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) of the World Bank and cease the funding from its affiliate -- International Development Agency (IDA).
As the original World Bank institution, IBRD offers loans to middle-income developing countries, while IDA gives loans and grants to the world's poorest developing countries.
Jaitley also stressed on the need for capital increase in the Bank group.
He also urged the World Bank to lower its interest rate by removing the commitment charges levied on the undisbursed loans.
"The World Bank should explore innovative financing options and relax the requirement of Sovereign Guarantee for loans to AAA rated organisations," reiterated Jaitley.
Georgieva, who is on a two-day official visit to understand the partnership between India and the Bank, also met RBI Governor Urjit Patel and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Mumbai on Tuesday for a first-hand experience of the Bank's projects in the country.
Tags : Power, World Bank, Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, Arun Jaitley, world
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Home Politics Review of the Brexit Negotiations So Far–Winners and Losers
Review of the Brexit Negotiations So Far–Winners and Losers
by fffp12 May 29, 2018
By: Adrian Moore – Forex Focus
This year will decide Britain’s future in the eurozone. To understand how the eurozone-UK Brexit negotiations will impact nations and businesses, the outcome of the talks, which are already in an advanced stage, will be keenly watched, as both sides remain committed to announcing proposals of the final trade deal during the second half of this year.
Current state of Brexit negotiations
The European Union (EU) has offered the United Kingdom (UK) “status quo transition without institutional representation” post-Brexit until the close of 2020, during which it would be obligated to abide by EU rules of a single market and customs union but would lose voting rights.
By October 2018, a withdrawal treaty outlining the UK’s exit from the EU and the political-framework agreement influencing the future relationship of the two is expected to be in place. This signals the start of hectic and intensive negotiations. For the EU-UK negotiators, the greater the EU regulations retained by the UK, the wider will be its access to the single market. Up until now, the UK has been seeking market access for goods and services, including the financial markets in which the country is a major contributor. As the divorce proceedings progress, the biggest trading bloc in the world seems to have the upper hand.
Up until now, ideology has shaped the Brexit negotiations. However, economic factors seem to be taking over. Estimates by researchers indicate Brexit cost the UK around 1 percent of the value of the country’s economic growth in 2017. Considering that inflation consequently rose by 3 percent as the fall in the value of the pound sterling took a toll on the economy, stagnant wages are translating into deteriorating living conditions for the salaried class in Britain. This could signal a rise in debt, giving rise to a wave of bankruptcies.
The winners and losersso far
Consumers in Britain and UK-focused businesses are among the biggest losers thus far. The shock of the Brexit vote plunged the pound to its lowest level in 30 years; it took a massive hit when the results of the EU referendum became clear on June 24, 2016. Two years later, the currency is still down by as much as 15 percent to the dollar. It is also down approximately 15 percent against the euro. With the emergence of greater clarity as Brexit negotiations proceed, the notion that the Bank of England will raise borrowing costs are likely to bite the dust. Market expectations of a rate increase in 2018 fell from 86 percent on referendum day and is currently at 20 percent.
On the positive side, the referendum has led to a rally in the top 10 companies on the FTSE 100 (Financial Times Stock Exchange 100) Index, which account for close to 46 percent of the total market cap in the leading index. The biggest gainers from the deal are the top FTSE companies, such as Coca-Cola, 3i Group, Glencore, Antofagasta and InterContinental Hotels.
For the others, the Brexit negotiations have been hard on business. Capita, BT Group, Next and Hikma Pharmaceuticals have been the biggest losers, even as Dixons Carphone dropped out of the FTSE 100 Index in March 2018.
The pound sterling is currently trading at its highest level since June 2016, and any further gains in the UK currency versus the greenback could be bad news for companies generating dollar revenues, which they generally repatriate back to British shores. A stronger pound could mean another round of freefall for most investment portfolios.
While smaller funds initially faced the music after the Brexit referendum, companies with exposure to overseas earnings have done well, with the present situation more of a mixed bag until more news on the outcome of the talks emerges. The pound is floating at present, so advisers need to be clear that it might affect investments, but calling it out is dangerous.
Impact on the UK
At present, most estimates indicate that the UK’s economic output will remain lower under a free trade agreement (FTA) than if Brexit does not take place. The UK National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimates that an FTA would lower the UK’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.9 to 2.3 percent. Lower trade and foreign investment could impact productivity and growth across various sectors in the UK.
Activity across the British services sector fell in March 2018 to its lowest level since July 2016. The IHS Markit/CIPS UK Services Purchasing Managers’ Index slipped to 51.7 in March from 54.5 in February, well below expectations of 53.9, as volumes in new businesses rose at the slowest pace in 20 months. Separate data also revealed that the construction sector registered negative output growth year-on-year in February. Construction output declined 3.0 percent in February, the steepest fall since March 2013, after a revised 2.1-percent decline in January.
Input cost inflation, on the other hand, remained strong, and operating expenses grew at the fastest pace since December 2017.
The services sector accounts for about 80 percent of the country’s GDP, with the construction sector adding another 6 percent. With both sectors continuing to suffer, the manufacturing industry in the UK remains the one bright spot in an otherwise deteriorating economy. However, a looming labor shortage after Britain leaves the EU is likely to threaten businesses, unless the country is able to quickly overcome the shortfall by employing foreign workers.
To begin with, attracting talent from abroad will be one of the key areas on which the UK government is likely to focus, as far as sectors such as agriculture, retail, hospitality, pharmaceutical, universities and banks are concerned. The UK stock market has been in the red since the Brexit vote, although post-referendum weakness in the pound has boosted businesses of international operators such as Diageo, Burberry and Compass Group. For domestic companies such as builders’ merchant and home-improvement retailer Travis Perkins, a slowdown in the housing sector has led to a fall in consumer confidence, and going global is clearly the post-Brexit mantra for success.
BrexitEuropean UnionFTSE 100GDPPoliticsTheresa MayUnited Kingdom
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Tag: The Cycle Show
Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas’ trophy stolen in Birmingham
The trophy disappeared after being “momentarily left unattended”
Geraint Thomas has issued a plea for the thieves who stole his Tour de France trophy to return it. The Coupe Omnisports, given to the winner of the most prestigious race in cycling, was taken from a display at The Cycle Show in Birmingham.
West Midlands Police are currently investigating the situation, with the trophy being taken after being “momentarily left unattended” whilst the clean operations were underway following the conclusion of the event. Thomas’ team, Team Sky, loaned the trophy to their sponsors Pinarello to take to the show at Birmingham’s NEC from September 28th-30th.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said that “police were contacted on 2nd October to report the theft of a trophy from the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham, sometime between 6:30 and 7:30 on 29th September.”
Speaking about the issue Thomas said: “It is incredibly unfortunate that this has happened. It goes without saying that the trophy is of pretty limited value to whoever took it and hopefully (they) will have the good grace to return it. A trophy is important, but clearly what matters most are the amazing memories from this incredible summer, and no-one can ever take those away.”
Thomas won Team Sky’s sixth Tour de France in seven years earlier this year. Sky completed a clean sweep of the 2018 Grand Tours with Chris Froome winning the Giro d’Italia and Simon Yates winning the Vuelta de Espana.
The Coupe Omnisports was on display next to fellow teammate Chris Froome’s Giro d’Italia trophy from May and his 2017 Vuelta de Espana trophy.
The managing director of Pinarello, Richard Hemington, said “we are obviously devastated about this. We accept full responsibility and have personally apologised to Geraint. Obviously we all hope that the trophy can be recovered.”
He has since been told that he will be given a replica of the trophy next year if the original is not recovered.
Author James GillPosted on October 11, 2018 Categories Cycling, SportTags Birmingham, Cycling, Geraint Thomas, The Cycle Show, Tour de FranceLeave a comment on Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas’ trophy stolen in Birmingham
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Another Left-Right Convergence
Dec. 21, 2009 , at 7:03 PM
I’m sorry, but debating the kill-billers on the policy merits of their position has become a bit like debating the global warming denialists. The denalists operate by picking and choosing which evidence they cite and what arguments they respond to. Sometimes, they raise fairly good points or expose legitimately sloppy work on behalf of “consensus” scientists. Sometimes, they are being contrarian for contrarianism’s sake. And sometimes, they’re just throwing a bunch of sh*t at the wall and seeing what sticks, hoping that the underlying truth or lack thereof is lost in the fog of debate.
A case in point is Jon Walker at Firedoglake, who today has a post claiming that removing the individual mandate would “reduce” the CBO score. I place “reduce” in square quotes because “reduce” is not the antonym of worsen, which is what I had argued the removal of the mandate would do to the CBO’s scoring of the bill. The CBO is scoring the health care bills along a number of different dimensions, the four most important of which are outlays, revenues, coverage, and impact upon premium costs. The way that analysts and policymakers will react to the score is based on a combination of all four variables. If a bill slightly reduces the government’s outlays but substantially reduces the number of uninsured people who would be covered, is its CBO score better? If the bill reduces outlays but also reduces revenues, would that improve its score?
In any event, Walker’s claim is questionable on its face. The evidence he cites is from a Paul Krugman column, which I will quote from at some length now:
[M.I.T. economist Jonathan Gruber] finds that a plan without mandates, broadly resembling the Obama plan, would cover 23 million of those currently uninsured, at a taxpayer cost of $102 billion per year. An otherwise identical plan with mandates would cover 45 million of the uninsured — essentially everyone — at a taxpayer cost of $124 billion. Over all, the Obama-type plan would cost $4,400 per newly insured person, the Clinton-type plan only $2,700.
That doesn’t look like a trivial difference to me. One plan achieves more or less universal coverage; the other, although it costs more than 80 percent as much, covers only about half of those currently uninsured.
This evidence is supposed to support Walker’s side of the argument? It says that a bill without an individual mandate costs about 80 percent more per newly insured person. Perhaps, if fewer persons signed up for insurance, the aggregate cost to the government would be lesser. Or perhaps not: as Jon notes, the individual subsidies are structured such that the cost to the taxpayer is roughly fixed, with the government making up the difference in the event of higher premiums. So you’d have to weigh a higher cost per policyholder against fewer policyholders. My impression, precisely because of the way that the individual subsidies are actually structured (as opposed to Gruber’s example of Obama’s campaign trail plan), is that the “higher cost per policyholder” side would win out, and swamp the “savings” from leaving more people uninsured.
This is debatable; what isn’t debatable is that a plan without a mandate is much less cost-effective. We’re not spending $900 billion for the sake of $900 billion; we’re doing it to provide people — a lot of people — with health insurance. A plan that spent $800 billion instead but covered only 60 percent as many people would not receive a “better” CBO score by any reasonable person’s definition. Moreover, the CBO would also score such a policy as substantially increasing premiums for non-subsided taxpayers in the individual market (and perhaps somewhat increasing premiums in the small group market). Is Kent Conrad going to vote for a bill that is scored by the CBO as increasing premiums by, say, 50 percent for these individuals (which will include a lot of farmers in agricultural states like North Dakota)?
But let’s be clear here: the kill-billers are not interested in uncovering the truth about health care policy. They’re interested in motivating partisans and winning debating points. To the extent that I’m making mistakes, they’re honest ones — and I take comfort in the fact that people who really do know what they’re talking about tend to agree with my conclusions, including Gruber, Krugman, and Jacob Hacker (who “invented” the public option). That’s not to say that Walker isn’t knowledgeable about health insurance economics — he is probably more knowledgeable than I am — but he has chosen not to take advantage of that knowledge so as to honestly and objectively evaluate the policy for his readers.
And so long as I’m throwing elbows and casting aspersions, let me point out a few of the arguments that Walker — and the other kill-billers — haven’t really responded to. Firstly, Walker hasn’t responded to my challenge to him to articulate whether he really does think that the Senate’s bill is worse than the status quo. In fact, after he chastised me yesterday for attributing that position to the kill-billers, his colleague, Jane Hamsher, today wrote an article entitled 10 reasons to kill the Senate bill, which did not exactly become any more subtle once you got past the headline.
Secondly, Walker hasn’t responded to the vast majority of my arguments about why his reconciliation strategies wouldn’t work.
Thirdly, he chose to respond to only one or two of the 20 rebuttals that I made to his answers on my “20 questions” post, complaining instead that “Silver’s questions required extremely detailed answers”. Well, damn right they did, because the questions were designed to expose who is really being honest with you about health care reform and who is being a sophist.
It would be one thing if it was just little ol’ me who Walker was arguing against. But instead his arguments fly in the face of the broad consensus established by health care economists (on the policy questions) and procedural and political experts (on the process and politics questions). One of the reasons I consider myself to be a progressive/liberal/whatever is because, more often than not, I’ve found progressives to be on the “right” side of the argument. They’re more empirical, more “scientific”, less dogmatic, less sophistic, less demagogic, less anti-intellectual — not always by any means but at least some majority of the time. After tangling with the kill-billers, however, I’m beginning to have my doubts.
Health Care (337 posts) Progressives (29)
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Flat12 Bierwerks was formed in 2010 just east of downtown Indianapolis in the Holy Cross neighborhood. Their sustainable success is attributable to their passion for offering high-quality, unique, and enjoyable beers for all pallets. The ingenuity of the Flathead 12 cylinder engine revolutionized racing in the great state of Indiana. Flat12 Bierwerks fosters that same spirit of ingenuity with every beer they create.
Flat12’s owner, Jason Wuerfel of Books & Brews
On January 23rd, 2019, the Flat12 team excitedly announced a change of ownership, as they welcomed Books & Brews owner, Jason Wuerfel, as their new CEO.
The Flat12 production team, led by Head Brewer, Sean Lewis, had been contract brewing Books & Brews’ beers for the previous two years, so it was a natural move for the organizations to join forces. Aggressive adaptation is necessary in this increasingly competitive craft beer landscape, and the move allowed both companies to continue to produce the beers, events and ambience consumers have come to love.
"As Books & Brews grew, we got to a critical point where you start to look at the numbers," Wuerfel said. "Really, the purchase came out of our relationship with the brewers there,” said Jason Wuerfel.
Consumers are unlikely to notice any changes to either of the establishments as a result of this acquisition. Core beer portfolios have remained unchanged and Flat 12 will continue brewing innovative beers and hosting the quirky events and community initiatives that put it on the map.
Flat 12 remains a pillar of the Holy Cross neighborhood and welcome friends from near and far to stop by for a pint!
About Books & Brews
Books & Brews opened its first store in Indianapolis, Indiana in March, 2014 with a simple mission in mind: provide a place for people without a place; where all are accepted, appreciated, and encouraged to be themselves. Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Jason Wuerfel was a stay at home dad of his then newborn daughter when he started brewing his own beer at home. Mr. Wuerfel will be the first to tell you that he didn’t know anything about brewing beer, but with everything he does, he set out to find the best recipes and practices to brew that special beer. As he was at home, beginning to perfect his beer recipes, he began to dream about a place that welcomed everyone in its doors, regardless of background. Coming from an entrepreneurial family and having a deep love for books, games, video games, and beer, the idea of Books & Brews was beginning to emerge.
Flat12 NEWSLETTER
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Home » Retail » Toys R Us plans big comeback this holiday season
Toys R Us plans big comeback this holiday season
Toys ‘R’ Us has to pay up; General Motors explores grocery delivery
Morning Business Outlook: Former Toys ‘R’ Us employees who lost their jobs when the retailers liquidated last June began receiving checks from a $20 million hardship fund established by the buyout firms; General Motors plans to partner with DoorDash to provide food deliveries with their self-driving vehicles in San Francisco.
Sears isn’t the only iconic brand getting a second shot a life, Toys R Us is now, too.
After liquidating less than one year ago, a group of former Toys R Us executives announced that it is officially bringing the brand back under a new name and vision by this holiday season.
“Effective January 20, 2019, the new company, Tru Kids Inc. doing business as Tru Kids Brands, became the proud parent of Toys R Us , Babies R Us, Geoffrey and more than 20 established consumer toy and baby brands,” Tru Kids Brands said in a press release.
The new company will be led by the former Toys R Us global chief merchandising officer, Richard Barry, as well as other experienced toy executives.
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to write the next chapter of Toys R Us by launching a newly imagined omni-channel retail experience for our beloved brands here in the U.S.," Barry said in a statement announcing the plans.
Barry added that despite unprecedented efforts to capture the U.S. market share this past holiday season by other retailers, there is still a significant gap and huge consumer demand that has been left behind by the demise of Toys R Us.
He said that both brands still remain powerful in the marketplace and continue to have brand affinity and loyalty with more than 9.5 million followers across their social media channels.
Barry told The Associated Press that while he and his team are still working out all the details on when and how the brand will re-emerge, they do plan to officially relaunch in some form by this holiday season. He also said that e-commerce will play a key role in the brand’s future.
In September 2017, Toys R Us filed for Chapter 11 reorganization and later liquidated its business last year after falling prey to several billions in debt and tough competition from online retailers such as Amazon and Walmart.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP
Tru Kids will be headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, about a 20-minute drive from Wayne, New Jersey, where Toys R Us was previously based.
KB Toys plans comeback as Toys 'R' Us shuts down
Toys 'R' Us agrees to pay $20M in workers' severance
As Toys ‘R’ Us shutters its stores, these outlets look to move in
Toys ‘R’ Us founder Charles Lazarus dies amid bankruptcy proceedings
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Home » HDG In Use » Transportation » Mass Transit
Supporting growing intercity passenger and commuter rail services can come with a price tag on average, new light rail construction in the U.S. costs approximately $35 million per mile. In addition to passenger rail, freight rail use continues to increase as well. By the year 2020, freight rail tonnage is expected to increase by at least 50%, making an investment in protecting rail infrastructure imperative to keep costs manageable. Passenger and freight rail alike have been used for generations, long before cars, semis, and buses filled the roads, and will continue to be of use on into the future. Utlizing hot-dip galvanizing to protect the rail and bus infrastructure will ensure these investements are protected from corrosion for many decades.
Rail & Bus Systems
Whether a grand terminal or humble bus stop, a light rail, commuter rail, or bus station is the first point of contact for public transportation users. They are consistently exposed to the rigors of environmental exposure, and suffer from the daily wear and tear of bustling city life. Incorporating hot-dip galvanized steel in benches, station structure, stairways, and pedestrian bridges will keep these station elements standing strong, corrosion-free, as throngs of passengers pass through every day.
Utilizing hot-dip galvanized steel for a bus stop structure or rail station means the entire structure will benefit from the superior barrier and cathodic protection provided by the zinc coating. Hot-dip galvanized steel will stand strong against the daily onslaught of sun, rain, snow, and other natural elements, as well as fend off the damaging effects of chemicals from traffic pollution or de-icing chemicals. Galvanized steel substructure elements will make good use of the inherent cathodic protection of the zinc coating, meaning if individual areas of underlying steel or iron become exposed by as much as 1/4 in diameter, the surrounding zinc will sacrificially provide these areas with corrosion protection for as long as the coating lasts. With galvanized steel, day-to-day nicks and scratches caused by passing crowds will not compromise the corrosion protection of the entire structure.
Hot-dip galvanized steel station and bus stop structures can take advantage of steels ability to be shaped into a variety of aesthetically pleasing forms. This flexibility allows for a range of design possibilities affecting both beauty and functionality. Steel framed stations can take on a variety of appearances, using arches, cables, sheet steel, and more to create a design limited only by the creators imagination. The protection of the zinc coating created during the galvanizing process supports these complementary features by protecting them from unsightly rust stains and streaks. As the structure, benches, railing and fences of a station or stop will be constantly exposed to the damaging effects of sun, wind, water, and industrial pollution, a natural, attractive corrosion protection system must be implemented. Structural shape and material finish add to the overall appeal of a public transportation stop, and will encourage passengers to make use of their services.
Additionally, the unfortunate possibility of crime, vandalism, or graffiti is also less cause for concern when using galvanized steel. Because the zinc is metallurgically bonded to the steel, the coating can withstand the scrubbing or chemical cleaners used to eliminate graffiti without fear of scratching or degrading corrosion protection. Galvanized steel can be easily cleaned without damage to the protective zinc coating.
Maintenance-Free
With the high number of bus stops dotting the city landscape, it is impractical to use a corrosion protection system that requires routine maintenance stops. Galvanized steel provides a solution to this costly hassle because the steel will be protected for 75 years or more with little or no maintenance, there is no need to arrange expensive and continual maintenance for a city-wide network of stops or stations. With galvanized steel, passengers do not suffer from either the direct or indirect costs of routine maintenance
Structural Safety
Particularly important to bus stops or rail stations that provide overhead coverage, structural stability cannot be maintained if the structure has been weakened by the ravages of corrosion. If an overhead structure is compromised by rust deterioration, it could potentially collapse onto the passengers below. Hot-dip galvanized steel pieces will stand strong against corrosion, preserving the structural integrity of these overhead elements and protecting travelers.
Rail Line Infrastructure
While a station is the faceplate and first impression of a commuter rail system, it is the line infrastructure that keeps train operations running smoothly and on time. Key elements of commuter and freight rail infrastructure that can benefit from the corrosion protection of hot-dip galvanized steel include protective fencing, light poles and cable supports, track fasteners, and substations, the critical rail cars (boxcars, hoppers, stock cars, etc.), as well as supporting features such as noise barriers and reinforced earth walls. Low maintenance, durable galvanized steel will allow these infrastructure elements to continue working under the rigors of constant environmental exposure, protect rail cars and cargo alike, and keep line service uninterrupted by routine maintenance or corrosion-related deterioration.
Durable/Maintenance-Free Protection
Stretching across miles of terrain, the majority of both commuter and freight rail infrastructure is exposed to the elements in outdoor spaces. Rain or shine, railcars, fencing, light poles and cable supports, substations, noise barriers, and other structures face pelting rain, falling snow, fog, and UV exposure. Hot-dip galvanized steel is unaffected by UV rays, and will not deteriorate due to exposure to the sun.
The abrasion resistance created by the combined protection of barrier protection, cathodic protection, and the zinc patina is particularly valuable for freight cars, which must be able to withstand the abuse of cargo loading. Protection means cars will stay in use longer and can loaded and unloaded without worrying about creating critical damage. It also means steel railroad cars will get cargo safely to its destination without fear of structural damage due to corrosion.
With the high number of these pieces scattered across a wide expanse, it is impractical to use a corrosion protection system such as paint that requires routine maintenance to continue working. Many structures are located in difficult to reach or private access areas, such as the Marathon Oil Bridge. Spanning across eleven active railroad tracks and accessible only by private property, the bridge would be very difficult and time-consuming to maintain. Luckily, galvanized steel provides a solution to this costly hassle because the steel will be protected for 75 years or more with little or no maintenance, there is no need to arrange expensive and continual maintenance for a city-wide network of infrastructure.
Required maintenance will cause portions of the infrastructure to be put out of use for the length of the maintenance period. Accommodating these shutdowns can slow travelers down and frustrate them, perhaps changing route schedules and timetables. This creates a negative impression that may even turn off passengers from using the system again in the future. With galvanized steel, passengers do not suffer from either the direct or indirect costs of routine maintenance.
Preserve Fastener Integrity
To secure elements of the rail track, anchor rods and bolts, nuts, stakes, washers, and other fasteners are used. These pieces hold the track steady and are critical to safe travel of the trains and passengers above. However, these pieces are constantly exposed to corrosive elements that can weaken their performance, or even deteriorate them to the point of failure. Hot-dip galvanizing fasteners provides them with superior corrosion protection that will keep them uncorroded and holding on tight.
Bolts and other fasteners are unique because often they have many curved surfaces, edges, or corners. Hot-dip galvanizing provides uniform coatings on these surfaces, because the process develops the zinc coating by way of a metallurgical reaction. By their nature, threads are curved with many edges and corners, as are bolt heads. If they are not adequately coated, corrosion can begin first on these areas. Corrosion on threads can create safety issues due to reduced fastening strength, while corrosion on bolt heads can create rounded heads that can be easily stripped. Coating uniformity is very important to ensure a consistent coating across the length of the bolt or other fastener.
Mass Transit Case Study
Calgary, AB LRT Refurbishment- Galvanized in 2005
The City of Calgary, Alberta is a leader in the use of hot-dip galvanizing and duplex systems for infrastructure. Over the past decade, duplex systems have been used extensively on major overpass guardrails and pedestrian rails. Recently, the city has specified galvanizing for all reinforced steel in bridges. So when the city was ready to refurbish the 7th Avenue Light Rail Transit (LRT) System, hot-dip galvanizing was the logical choice. Because many commuters rely on the rail system, turnaround time was of the essence. The system had to be de-energized, erected, and re-energized in a 72-hour time frame to minimize the impact on commuters. To create a uniform appearance, all hardware, hollow structural steel cords, tension members, columns, upper and lower arms, ornamental light posts, handrails, benches, and trash bins were hot-dip galvanized. The durable coating will be able to withstand the extreme winter climate and constant foot and rail traffic, while remaining aesthetically appealing. Following the success of this project, they galvanzied similar station refurbishments along the line.
Highway Products
Mechanically Stabilized Earth
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Hydro-Electricity
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Geopolitics, Economics and Culture …. a view from the Philippine Diaspora
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The Audacity of Gina Lopez
February 27, 2017 March 10, 2017 by Gias Pora
Featured Mar 7, 2017 on INQUIRER.net
Of Mining and Mountains
“Moving a mountain” is an oft-quoted phrase that could be traced back to the Analects of Confucius.
The dawn of the 20th century turned this idiom into a reality with the advent of a technology developed to advance man’s insatiable need for progress: modern mining.
It is the only industry that literally involves moving a mountain: a methodical chopping of layers of soil, rock and earth, extracting the mineral, and dumping the bulk of the unwanted material to create a mountain in another location…. a multi-year exercise that ravishes watersheds and rivers but creates billions of the dollars for the mining firm.
The Samarco Disaster
The picture below was from one of my trips to one of Brazil’s largest mining regions, the state of Minas Gerais, about 700 km north from the beaches of Copacobana.
Brazil is one of the world’s top producers of iron ore. Surface mining involves stripping layers and layers of bedrock to reach the ore, which is then mechanically- and chemically-processed to extract the metal.
Vale, which operates most of the mines around the state, grew into a $26 Billion Brazilian conglomerate with interests around the world.
On November 5, 2015 one of these iron ore mines owned by Samarco, a joint venture between Vale and BHP Billiton, had a mine tailing (unwanted waste in extracting metallic ores) dam burst open into the Rio Doce. Villagers were killed and hundreds of families were displaced when millions of toxic mud, waste and sludge flowed in the river, traveling across the state of Minas Gerais before making its way to the Atlantic Ocean, poisoning one of the region’s most valuable freshwater resources with heavy metals.
For this, Samarco settled a $5 Billion fine last year. However, the cost of the incident to the Brazilian economy and the environment is immeasurable – fish, turtles, plants and marine life were eradicated almost immediately. The region’s water supply will remain contaminated for decades to come. Needless to say, the long-term health and socio-economic impact of the disaster will be felt for generations.
Nickel in the Philippines
When Gina Lopez ordered the closure of more than half of country’s mines and canceled 75 mining contracts within a span of barely two weeks – I thought it was about time that the DENR and the Bureau of Mines finally exercised its mandate of safeguarding the country’s natural resources and equitably distributing the economic benefits.
The Philippines annually produces more than half-million metric tons of nickel, which is 10% of the world’s production, emerging as the worlds’ top producer.
Analyzing the industry for the last 10 years, mine tailings in the Philippines doubled to 20 million tons, driven by a 140% increase in the number of nickel mines from 18 to 44.
With surging commodity prices, the nickel value from mining quadrupled to ~37 Billion pesos this past decade, minting a significant fortune for the country’s elite operators.
The correlation between profit and mine tailings is indisputable. Hence, it is highly plausible that the protests against Lopez’s appointment is driven by an economic motivator – money.
Mine tailings are a major headache for mining companies for the simple reason that it has no economic value at all – it cannot be kept, sold, moved without incurring additional costs. If we flat out disregard its impact to the environment, it makes total sense to just dispose the tailings into a river rather than spend for the proper management of tailings for decades.
CSR gained a wider acceptance this past decade, advocating for the idea that promoting the interests of society and the environment could lead to higher profits.
However, certain industries are lukewarm to CSR. High-capital industries such as oil, diamond, power-generation and mining have repeatedly played lip-service to CSR. They have been unable to self-regulate and therefore, require government regulations to preserve the well-being of its citizens.
Lepanto, one of the companies affected by Lopez’s directive as well one of the Philippines’ top mining firms, has a section on CSR in its latest annual report.
Lepanto’s CSR program is laughable. It discusses earthquake drills and fire exercises, and an occasional help to the community after a typhoon…. chump change. The annual report does mention tailings twice: as a major cost outlay (which was decreased to P451 million in 2015) and as a footnote under financial liabilities.
Just like most Philippine mining operators, Lepanto does not view mine tailings as part of its CSR program – it is astounding that the most important environmental issue for the mining industry globally is a mere financial footnote.
A new chapter for the DENR
The Philippines has benefited economically from mining, but it only represents less than 1% of the economy. However, its potential impact to the environment is significantly disproportionate relative to the benefits if the country is faced with its own Samarco disaster.
The Chamber of Mines is crying foul – opposing Lopez’s confirmation and stating that previous audits did not recommend mine closures. They would rather simply pay a fine since they could afford to do so.
Challenging this powerful industry before her confirmation hearing was an audacious gamble. But with mining companies literally moving our mountains, Lopez has also demonstrated that she will likewise move mountains against these vested mining interests.
We need an environmental steward that represents the interests of Filipinos.
We need more audacious Filipinos to lead the nation.
We need to have Gina Lopez’s appointment confirmed.
Tagged DENR, Gina Lopez, Mining, Philippines, ThINQ
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13 thoughts on “The Audacity of Gina Lopez”
Yul Dorotheo says:
Indeed, the greenwashing by industries that pretend to do CSR while harming society is both laughable and deplorable. But remember, the mining industry learned these tricks from tobacco companies that sponsor athletes, rebuild churches, donate to schools, do feeding programs, etc. while refusing to do what real CSR requires: stop making and selling inherently harmful products.
markn says:
@ar that’s why she has advisers. And she didn’t deny that she’s no expert or has the technical know how. What is important is that, now we have somebody that has the balls to stand up for the abuses these irresponsible miners did.
developmentissuesblog says:
Bring your technical experts to discuss the chocolate water along Surigao del Norte coast, from the peeled terrain of hills and mountains. Technical experts did that too. and the explanation for that is…..?
I’m sorry but I am pretty sure that your discussion on mine tailings on Nickel is glaringly erroneous and was only written to deliberately to generate sympathy and outrage and deceive the unsuspecting readers who wouldn’t know any better. You very much know that there is no beneficiation or processing of nickel ore in the Philippines. So we cannot have mine tailings. Please look up the meaning of mine tailings because mine tailings are not mine tailings because it is a mine tailing. And that is why technical knowledge is very important. Otherwise, we resort to emotional reasoning which can lead to disaster. One cannot simply rely on “advisers”.
Gias Pora says:
Hello Mr / Ms Anonymous –
Thank you for your post…. I prefer not to moderate comments (hence anybody can contribute, but I will delete disrespectful posts) but I wish to clarify since this article isn’t meant to mislead.
This is a sensitive subject hence I try to operate from facts / data rather than emotions. Yes you are correct, the Philippines exports mostly unrefined ores, which is extracted primarily thru mechanical means – from monstrous jaw-crushers all the way downstream to high-frequency oscillating screens which could either be a wet or dry process.
I could’ve used the DENR data on mine “wastes” in lieu of “tailings”. To your point – the waste produced when extracting the ore isn’t a tailing but is typically called the overburden (waste prior to refining the ore) – which is an environmental issue by itself.
I opted to utilize the “tailings” data, but the DENR doesn’t provide the actual source for the surge in mine tailings.
Nevertheless, downstream of mineral ore production (and sorry, but inconsistent with your statement) – the Philippines has several nickel processing plants, which may or may not be necessarily co-located with the mines, making the country a signifiant exporter not only of nickel ores but of mixed metal sulfides as well. This growth/expansion phase was driven by the combination of a collapse of Indonesia’s mining industry and increased global demand for metals and alloys.
These metal sulfides were chemically processed utilizing hydrogen sulfide (sounds deadly poisonous – because it is!); the by-products are neutralized with calcium hydroxide or calcium carbonate (one of the most abundant minerals), in the end leaving a significant volume of (mine) tailings that have to be contained and maintained.
I am not a technical expert…. just a business person involved with a diverse set of different industries, including dealing with some of the top mining companies and suppliers around the world…. sometimes a bit of knowledge is dangerous, hence I would love to hear from the real experts if there are any out there.
Finally – not all mining firms are “evil”…. We do need to support this essential industry, albeit balance it with sustaining the environment. Personally – I am just tired of hearing “sustainable mining” when only a handful practice it.
This site is meant to provoke discussions and challenge each other – It just has to be in the spirit of decency and proper decorum.
Again, thank you for your contribution.
mmrtinio says:
Basic technical knowledge is vital to head an institution. #RejectGina
But mostly heart and goals #AcceptGina
Having heart and goals without basic technical knowledge is like going to war without a weapon because you think your passion will make you invulnverable.
RicD says:
No, I don’t think so. That’s why you hire experts. What’s more important is that you know the laws and regulations governing the institution and industry. #yestoginalopez #pinoynapud
Ar says:
And yet, she lacks even basic knowledge and regard of the law. (watershed is a watershed is a watershed) #notogina
Knowing laws and regulations IS basic technical knowledge. I don’t look for perfection, I look for sufficiency.
Ikaw alam mo?
Pingback: Why DENR Chair Gina Lopez Can't Pursue Her Environmental Plans - Preen
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01 June Saturday – Anthony David & Tony Rich (USA)
Saturday 1st June, 2019, 8.30pm
Doors open from 6:30pm
Ticket Type Choose an optionGeneral AdmissionDinner & Show - 6.30pmDinner & Show - 7.30pmDinner & Show - 8pmPremium Dinner & ShowDrinks & Show Clear
SKU: N/A Categories: WooTicket, June
ANTHONY DAVID + THE TONY RICH PROJECT
Tony Rich and Anthony David will unite for 2 co-headlining shows in June. For the first time ever these Grammy nominated singer-songwriters team up for a show that promises to showcase their undisputed talents.
Tony Rich of ‘The Tony Rich Project’, is best known for his hit single ‘Nobody Knows’. The singer, songwriter, guitarist, keyboardist and record producer, is a major talent, having won his first Grammy Award for his debut album ‘Words’
(Best R&B Album). In addition, the album’s lead single ‘Nobody Knows’ and the second single ‘Like A Woman’ from the same album both received nominations as well as a nomination for Best New Artist. He has released six albums. His latest album entitled, ‘Encaustic’. The Tony Rich Project is known for mixing elements of folk, jazz, rock and soul music into tracks.
In addition to his success as a singer, Tony Rich is an accomplished songwriter having authored hits for artists including Boyz II Men, Elton John, Michael Bolton and Toni Braxton, amongst many others, resulting in his contribution to well over 50 million records sold. As a touring performer, he has shared the stage with the likes of Prince, Sting, Tina Turner, Stevie Wonder, Peter Gabriel and Sheryl Crow, just to name a few.
He has a worldwide loyal fan base in the US, Japan, the UK, South Africa, New Zealand and more.Anthony David is a Grammy nominated singer/songwriter out of Atlanta. A Gulf War vet, he began writing songs while in the military in Iraq. He got involved in the music scene in Atlanta in the late 90s, meeting a then-unknown India.Arie; they became friends and collaborators, with Anthony co-writing songs on her first three albums (which spawned a number of Grammy nominations) singing back-up and eventually opening for her.
This visibility led to the release of his debut ‘Three Chords & The Truth’ in 2004. Extensive touring revealed Anthony to be a free-wheeling, engaging performer, able to hold a crowd with just the sound of his voice and an acoustic guitar. A second indy album, ‘The Red Clay Chronicles’, led to a deal with Universal , which released ‘Acey Duecy’, a compilation of his first two albums, yielding a hit duet with India.Arie and a Grammy nomination.
Thanks to the release of his albums by labels in the UK and Japan, Anthony toured extensively abroad, building an international audience. His star continued to rise with the release of ‘As Above, So Below’ in 2011, which featured guest vocalists Algebra, Phone ofLittle Brother and Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men; his duet with Algebra,”4Evermore,” became a #1 hit at adult urban radio while the reggae/Latin-tinged ‘Body Language’ tore up dance floors in the UK. He quickly followed the release of ‘As Above’ with ‘Love Out Loud’ in 2012. Signing with Shanachie in 2015, he released ‘The PowerFUL Now’.
His 2018 album ‘Hello Like Before’ is the album David’s fans have been waiting for – heartfelt, expressive interpretations of both famous and lesser-known Bill Withers songs. Produced by Eddie “Gypsy” Stokes, the album captures the essence of Withers’ genius through Anthony’s contemporary spin.
General Admission, Concession, Dinner & Show – 6.30pm, Dinner & Show – 7.30pm, Dinner & Show – 8pm, Premium Dinner & Show, Drinks & Show
Date: 1 June 2019
Email: info@foundry616.com.au
07 June Friday – Sean Mackenzie
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Teen who walked while on life support is home from hospital
Posted 7:05 pm, February 1, 2019, by CNN Wire Service
KANSAS CITY — For the past 467 days, Zei Uwadia has been hospitalized on life support — but that hasn’t kept the quiet-natured teenager from walking, eating her favorite foods or even doing planks as exercise.
Now, with determination and strong-willed attitude, the student at North High School in Wichita, Kansas, is happy to finally be home.
“It helps a lot to have a goal in mind and just use that to motivate you and remember that you will get better; nothing’s permanent,” Zei said.
She arrived home on Thursday, the day before her 17th birthday.
Zei’s mysterious medical journey began in October 2017, when she had difficulty breathing, desperately gasping for air. Her lungs were failing, but no one knew why.
As Zei’s symptoms became more alarming, her mother, Brie Kerschen, took her to see an emergency physician. Zei was admitted to Via Christi Hospital St. Francis in Wichita. Then, on Halloween 2017, a medical flight transferred her to Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
Doctors performed several tests to determine what could be causing the otherwise healthy teen to suffer, and they found clues that her symptoms might have been part of a severe allergic reaction to the common antibiotic Bactrim.
Before being hospitalized, Zei was taking the antibiotic for an unrelated kidney infection, her mother said.
“I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to 100% prove it, but we have included her in a series of five patients that have all had reactions to antibiotics and had severe pulmonary failure,” said Dr. Jenna Miller, a pediatric intensivist at Children’s Mercy Hospital who has been working on Zei’s case. She added that the five cases were specifically Bactrim reactions.
The hospital has submitted the physicians’ findings to be considered for publication in a medical journal.
Walking while on life support
At Children’s Mercy Hospital, Zei paced the halls while tethered to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO, machine that helped her breathe and kept her alive.
The machine, often called the “highest form of life support,” uses a pump to circulate a patient’s blood through an artificial lung. The artificial lung adds oxygen and removes carbon dioxide before the blood is returned to the patient.
In other words, ECMO helps provide oxygen to a patient while giving their lungs or heart time to rest and heal.
The national survival rate in the United States among neonatal and pediatric ECMO patients is about 72%. At Children’s Mercy, where more than 800 patients have been on ECMO, the rate is about 78%.
Zei was the hospital’s first patient to sit up, stand and walk while on ECMO.
“We all just believed she could get better — and her mom and she believed it,” Miller said. “I think that was very powerful for everybody.”
Zei’s case remains unusual, and not all ECMO patients can expect a similar prognosis, but her story has inspired patients and physicians around the world.
She was on ECMO support for 189 days, Miller said. ECMO use for more than 100 days is rare.
There have been conflicting reports of the longest ECMO run overall in pediatrics, but at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, a pediatric burn patient spent 551 days in between ECMO and using a ventricular assist device, possibly setting a record.
“What I recognize now is our situation, as difficult as it was, is not as unique as I would have thought,” Kerschen said.
“I’ve been living in the hospital with Zei for 456 days, and most of the time, this hospital is full of other parents and kiddos that are going through the same thing,” she said. “So now I find that there is a tremendous amount of suffering in the world most of the time for most people. … That doesn’t mean you can’t be happy at the same time and have periods of joy, which is how we survived it.”
‘There’s no medicine that can replace Zei touching home’
Seeing her daughter walk was a sign of hope for Kerschen.
“She started exercising more, and then she started pushing herself harder than she had, and then eventually she started beating us in her plank challenges. She planked for a minute and a half on a ventilator life support — beat her mom,” Kerschen said, laughing at the memory of her daughter defeating her at planks.
“That was around September,” she said. In early January, she was told that her daughter was on track to go home.
“The hospital saved our lives, no doubt, but at this point, there’s no medicine that can replace Zei touching home and what that’s going to do for her spirit,” Kerschen said.
Zei’s round-the-clock care will continue at home.
“She’s going home on 48 different medications,” Kerschen said. “So it’s ICU care at home.”
Although she no longer will be on the ECMO machine, she will be connected to an at-home ventilator, Miller said, and she will return to the hospital monthly for steroid infusions.
Looking ahead, Miller said, the first goal in Zei’s care would be to make sure she improves to the point where she does not need a lung transplant. Then, the second goal would be for her to improve enough that she no longer needs a ventilator.
“The amount of work that everyone put in, including Zei, to help get her to this place has really been something that we have not done before, and it really took a lot of dedication on everyone’s part,” Miller said.
“Everyone is really committed, has been committed and remains committed to try to keep her home,” she said. “It’s a large undertaking for everyone involved.”
Zei’s family also has been installing additional railing and other items in their home to help her navigate stairs and other spaces.
“This is a very big and celebratory moment. It’s everything we’ve been waiting for, but I know for her, it’s not the life we left,” Kerschen said.
‘You can carry the happiness and the sadness at the same time’
On Tuesday, Kerschen took Zei out in her car for the first time, in preparation for her homecoming and the logistics involved with continuing her care outside of the hospital. She then noticed that this might not be the homecoming Zei had originally pictured.
“We came back, and she sat down on the bed … and she just said, ‘I think it might be a little depressing,’ ” Kerschen recalled.
“I just wanted her to know that that was OK, and that doesn’t mean we’re not going to be really happy too, because you can carry the happiness and the sadness at the same time,” she said. “It’s OK to be happy even when you’re going through it.”
When Zei arrived home on Thursday, she was thrilled not only to be reunited with her two younger siblings but to get acquainted with her newly remodeled room.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted Zei and her family last year to grant her wish while she was battling illness. This year, it was decided that the wish would be a bedroom makeover.
“Part of the benefit of this has been, over the past month, it has been a nice distraction for her to kind of dream about what her room would look like, pick out things and communicate with them,” Kerschen said.
Zei now gets to enjoy reading, resting and applying her glam makeup — one of her favorite hobbies — in a brand new bedroom.
Zei also plans to continue her studies through an online program at her high school.
As she starts her new life at home, she will be remembered at Children’s Mercy Hospital as the girl who walked.
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Amortized Analysis: Aggregate Method
structures de données
Université de Californie à San Diego
4.7 (2,098 notes) | 91K étudiants inscrits
Cours 1 de 6 dans Structures de données et algorithmes Spécialisation
A good algorithm usually comes together with a set of good data structures that allow the algorithm to manipulate the data efficiently. In this course, we consider the common data structures that are used in various computational problems. You will learn how these data structures are implemented in different programming languages and will practice implementing them in our programming assignments. This will help you to understand what is going on inside a particular built-in implementation of a data structure and what to expect from it. You will also learn typical use cases for these data structures. A few examples of questions that we are going to cover in this class are the following: 1. What is a good strategy of resizing a dynamic array? 2. How priority queues are implemented in C++, Java, and Python? 3. How to implement a hash table so that the amortized running time of all operations is O(1) on average? 4. What are good strategies to keep a binary tree balanced? You will also learn how services like Dropbox manage to upload some large files instantly and to save a lot of storage space!
Binary Search Tree, Priority Queue, Hash Table, Stack (Abstract Data Type), List
4.7 (2,098 notes)
Amazing course.\n\nInteresting exercises help with learning and understanding of internal mechanisms basic data structures, how some of them work, the pros and cons of each.\n\nThanks!
Perfect course for learning more about fundamental data structures, except for presentations on few difficult topics like splay trees, where explanations can be made more elaborate!
Dynamic Arrays and Amortized Analysis
In this module, we discuss Dynamic Arrays: a way of using arrays when it is unknown ahead-of-time how many elements will be needed. Here, we also discuss amortized analysis: a method of determining the amortized cost of an operation over a sequence of operations. Amortized analysis is very often used to analyse performance of algorithms when the straightforward analysis produces unsatisfactory results, but amortized analysis helps to show that the algorithm is actually efficient. It is used both for Dynamic Arrays analysis and will also be used in the end of this course to analyze Splay trees.
Dynamic Arrays8:33
Amortized Analysis: Aggregate Method5:43
Amortized Analysis: Banker's Method6:11
Amortized Analysis: Physicist's Method7:33
Amortized Analysis: Summary2:53
Alexander S. Kulikov
Michael Levin
Daniel M Kane
Neil Rhodes
Choisissez une langueAnglaisEspagnolHindi
So we'll discuss now what Amortized Analysis is and
look at a particular method for doing such analysis.
Sometimes, we're looking at an individual worst case and that may be too severe.
In particular we may want to know the total worst case for
a sequence of operations and it may be some of those operations are cheap,
while only certain of them are expensive.
So if we look at the worst case operation for any one and
multiply that by the total, it may be overstating the total cost.
As an example, for a dynamic array, we only resize every so often.
Most of the time, we're doing a constant time operation, just adding an element.
It's only when we fully reach the capacity, that we have to resize.
So the question is, what's the total cost if you have to insert a bunch of items?
So here's the definition of amortized cost.
You have a sequence of n operations,
the amortized cost is the cost of those n operations divided by n.
This is similar in spirit to let's say you buy a car for, I don't know, $6,000.
And you figure it's going to last you five years.
Now, you have two possibilities.
One, you pay the $6,000 and
then five years later you have to pony up another $6,000.
Another option would be to put aside money every month.
So five years is 60 months.
So if you put away $100 a month, once the five years is over, then
when it's time to buy a new car for $6000, you'll have $6000 in your bank account.
And so there that amortized cost (monthly cost) is $100 a month,
whereas the worst case monthly cost is actually 6,000,
it's 0 for 59 months and then it's 6,000 after one month, so you can see that,
that amortized cost gives you a more balanced understanding.
If you really want to know what's the most I spend in every month,
the answer yes is $6,000.
But if you want to know sort of an average what am I spending,
$100 is a more reasonable number.
So that's why we do this amortized analysis,
to get a more nuanced picture of what it looks like for a succession
of operations.
So let's look at the aggregate method of doing amortized analysis.
And the aggregate method really says, let's look at the definition of what
an amortized cost is, and use that to directly calculate.
So we're going to look at an example of dynamic array and
we're going to do n calls to PushBack.
So we're going to start with an empty array and n times call PushBack.
And then we'll find out what the amortized cost is of a single call to PushBack.
We know the worst case time is O(n).
Let's define c sub i as the cost of the i'th insertion.
So we're interested in c1 to cn.
So ci is clearly 1.
because we have got to actual, and
what we're going to count for a second here is writing into the array.
So the cost is 1 because we have to write in this i'th element that we're adding.
Regardless of whether or not we need to resize.
If we need to resize, the first question is when do we need to resize?
We need to resize if our capacity is used up.
That is if the size is equal to capacity.
Well when does that happen?
That happens if the previous insertion filled it up.
That is made it a full power of 2,
because in our case we're always doubling the size.
So that says on the i'th insertion
we're going to have to resize if the i'th- 1 filled it up.
That is the i- 1 is a power of 2.
And if we don't have to resize, there's no additional cost, it's just zero.
So the total amortized cost is really
the sum of the n actual costs divided by n.
So that's a summation from i = 1 to n of c sub i.
And again c sub i is the cost of that i'th insertion.
While that's equal to n, because every c sub i has a cost of 1,
so we sum that n times, that's n plus then the summation from what's this, this looks
a little complicated so j = 1 to the floor of log base 2 of n- 1 of 2 to the j.
That just really says the power of twos.
All the way up to n- 1.
So to give an example, if n is 100, the power of 2s
are going to be 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, and 64.
And it's the summation of all of those.
Well that summation is just order n.
Right. We basically take powers of 2 up to but
not including n.
And that is going to be no more than 2n.
So we've got n plus something no more than 2n,
that's clearly O(n) divided by n, and that's just O(1).
So what we've determined then is that we have a amortized
cost for each insertion of order 1.
Our worst case cost is still order n, so
if we want to know how long it's going to take in the worst case for any
particular insertion is O(n), but the amortized cost is O(1).
we're going to look at an alternative way to do this amortized analysis.
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You are here: Home Page > Science & Mathematics > History of Science & Technology > Cataloging the World
360 Pages | 46 b/w
5-1/2 x 8-1/4 inches
This title is available as an ebook. To purchase, visit your preferred ebook provider.
Bookseller Code (02)
Cataloging the World
Paul Otlet and the Birth of the Information Age
Covers the fascinating history of a forgotten inventor and the first proto-internet
Populated with fascinating characters from H.G. Wells and Le Corbusier to Ted Nelson, Steve Jobs, and Tim Berners-Lee
The dual narrative tells both the story of Paul Otlet and the history of systems to organize knowledge, up through today's digital landscape of Google and Wikipedia
The dream of capturing and organizing knowledge is as old as history. From the archives of ancient Sumeria and the Library of Alexandria to the Library of Congress and Wikipedia, humanity has wrestled with the problem of harnessing its intellectual output. The timeless quest for wisdom has been as much about information storage and retrieval as creative genius.
In Cataloging the World, Alex Wright introduces us to a figure who stands out in the long line of thinkers and idealists who devoted themselves to the task. Beginning in the late nineteenth century, Paul Otlet, a librarian by training, worked at expanding the potential of the catalog card, the world's first information chip. From there followed universal libraries and museums, connecting his native Belgium to the world by means of a vast intellectual enterprise that attempted to organize and code everything ever published. Forty years before the first personal computer and fifty years before the first browser, Otlet envisioned a network of "electric telescopes" that would allow people everywhere to search through books, newspapers, photographs, and recordings, all linked together in what he termed, in 1934, a réseau mondial--essentially, a worldwide web.
Otlet's life achievement was the construction of the Mundaneum--a mechanical collective brain that would house and disseminate everything ever committed to paper. Filled with analog machines such as telegraphs and sorters, the Mundaneum--what some have called a "Steampunk version of hypertext"--was the embodiment of Otlet's ambitions. It was also short-lived. By the time the Nazis, who were pilfering libraries across Europe to collect information they thought useful, carted away Otlet's collection in 1940, the dream had ended. Broken, Otlet died in 1944.
Wright's engaging intellectual history gives Otlet his due, restoring him to his proper place in the long continuum of visionaries and pioneers who have struggled to classify knowledge, from H.G. Wells and Melvil Dewey to Vannevar Bush, Ted Nelson, Tim Berners-Lee, and Steve Jobs. Wright shows that in the years since Otlet's death the world has witnessed the emergence of a global network that has proved him right about the possibilities--and the perils--of networked information, and his legacy persists in our digital world today, captured for all time.
1. The Libraries of Babel
2. The Dream of the Labyrinth
3. Belle Epoque
4. The Microphotic Book
5. The Index Museum
6. Castles in the Air
7. Hope, Lost and Found
8. Mundaneum
9. The Collective Brain
10. The Radiated Library
11. The Intergalactic Network
12. Entering the Steam
Alex Wright is a professor of interaction design at the School of Visual Arts and a regular contributor to The New York Times. He is the author of Glut: Mastering Information through the Ages.
"The story of Paul Otlet (1868-1944), Belgian librarian and utopian visionary, who, long before the digital age, dreamed of a worldwide repository of media, accessible to all. As Wright explains in this shrewd, brisk biography, cataloging books was only one of Otlet's aims--he 'saw little distinction between creating a new classification of human knowledge and reorienting the world's political system.'... Wright ends his illuminating story in the present, where Otlet's thoughts about the connection of information to knowledge, and knowledge to insight, are still urgent." --Kirkus Reviews
"Alex Wright has placed Paul Otlet's life and work in up-to-this-minute context to bring us the illuminating biography of a pioneering information activist whose grand vision of a world of universal knowledge, freely available to all, is here to remind us that we would be foolish to settle for anything less." --George Dyson, author of Turing's Cathedral
"This wonderful, carefully researched, and well-written book draws us into the question: to what extent does the ambitious work of Paul Otlet make him the prophetic analog father of the Internet? Alex Wright is careful not to overstate the significance of Otlet. But the ambiguity of Otlet's influence, not to mention his long and eventful life and passionate dreams of world peace, in fact makes him more, not less, interesting." --Charles B. Strozier, Professor of History at John Jay College and the Graduate Center at The City University of New York, and author of Heinz Kohut: The Making of a Psychoanalyst
"Alex Wright's beautifully written book illuminates the life and work of Paul Otlet, one of a group of information theorists and utopians whose achievements during the early part of the last century prefigure the digital world, and whose innovation underpin the 'information society' in which we live. Cataloging the World is a lively, sympathetic but rigorous exploration of the ways in which what might seem merely of historical interest proves of immediate and engrossing relevance." --W. Boyd Rayward, University of Illinois and University of New South Wales
"With profound insight, Alex Wright reveals that within the labyrinth of Paul Otlet's Mundaneum lies hidden an anticipation of the hyperlinked structure of today's Web. This is not only a captivating biography of Otlet's prophetic vision of a global networked information system but a vivid account of how similar systems took shape in the minds of Conrad Gessner, Leibniz, Vannevar Bush, Tim Berners-Lee, and many others." --Wouter Van Acker, Griffith University
"Finally a historical study of the Information Age not starting with Vannevar Bush. Alex Wright's balanced study of Paul Otlet's dream to catalogue the world as one of the many successive projects of unifying knowledge on a global level is a joy to read after the autohagiographies of engineers that claimed their share in the 'invention' of the Internet and World Wide Web in purely computer-and-information-technical terms." --Dr. Charles van den Heuvel, University of Amsterdam
"An excellent study of a Belgian, Paul Otlet, who in the late nineteenth century began 'a vast intellectual enterprise that attempted to organize and code everything ever published'... Relevant of course to the origins of the web, Wikipedia, and current sites such as Vox.com." --Marginal Revolution
"A remarkable read in its entirety, not only in illuminating history but in extracting from it a beacon for the future." --Brain Pickings
Paul Otlet, Google, Wikipedia, and cataloging the world
As soon as humanity began its quest for knowledge, people have also attempted to organize that knowledge. From the invention of writing to the abacus, from medieval manuscripts to modern paperbacks, from microfiche to the Internet, our attempt to understand the world -- and catalog it in an orderly fashion with dictionaries, encyclopedias, libraries, and databases -- has evolved with new technologies.
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Science & Mathematics > History of Science & Technology
Science & Mathematics > Engineering & Technology > History of Engineering & Technology
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The Failed Saudi-Russian Talks: Desperate Diplomacy as Syria Implodes
Correction appended: Aug. 12, 2013, 2:05 a.m. E.T.
You could call it the Hail Mary pass of diplomatic relations. In a desperate attempt to find some solution to the ongoing Syria crisis, now in its third year with no end in sight, Saudi Arabia’s intelligence chief Prince Bandar bin Sultan reportedly offered Russian President Vladimir Putin a multibillion-dollar arms deal to curb Moscow’s support for the Syrian regime of President Bashar Assad when they met in Moscow last week. The deal was rebuffed; on Friday the Kremlin responded to news accounts about the proposal with a terse rebuttal, telling Reuters that no deal had been discussed in detail. Earlier news accounts, including the one from Reuters, quoted unnamed Arab and Western diplomats describing a deal in which Saudi Arabia would buy some $15 billion worth of Russian weapons in addition to offering assurances that Gulf countries wouldn’t threaten…
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How to cope
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Congressman Babin Tours RailWorks Track Systems Facility
August 19, 2016 August 19, 2016 By
Deer Park, TX — U.S. Representative Brian Babin joined GoRail and the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) for a tour of RailWorks Track Systems’ facility in Deer Park on August 18. RailWorks is a leader in track and transit systems construction, rehabilitation, and maintenance services for America’s rail infrastructure.
Rep. Babin (center) with RailWorks’ Richard Stephens (left), division manager for maintenance, and Darrin Pouncy (right), construction manager.
Locally in Deer Park, RailWorks employs 260 Texans who work on projects throughout the 36th district and the surrounding region. With customers in all 50 states and Canada, RailWorks also supports thousands more jobs nationally.
“Infrastructure is the backbone of our economy and the track that RailWorks builds and maintains is critical to America’s rail network,” said Rep. Babin. “I was pleased to learn more about the facility in Deer Park, which not only supports the hundreds of Texans who work here, but also the thousands of businesses in Texas and across the country that utilize rail and will benefit from enhanced efficiencies from new and upgraded track.”
The tour group, led by Bob Rolf, RailWorks Track Systems’ vice president and general manager, learned about the company’s important contributions to track maintenance and new construction, which augment efficiency and safety across the network. One recent project in Baytown, Texas, for which RailWorks provided comprehensive track construction services, increased the storage-in-transit capacity at three Chevron Philips plants by an additional 2,000 railcars, improving efficiency for their customers.
“We are proud to host Congressman Babin at the Deer Park facility and give him a hands-on look at the work we do in support of the 140,000-mile rail network,” said Rolf. “It’s a good opportunity to underscore the economic impact of the freight rail industry—including rail supply companies—to our legislators in Washington. The work we do, from track inspections to emergency repairs to track rehabilitation, ripples throughout the economy because it makes our transportation network safer and more efficient, benefiting businesses and consumers alike.”
The group concluded the tour with a discussion of the public policy issues affecting rail suppliers and railroads. The nation’s freight railroads operate almost exclusively on infrastructure owned, built and maintained by the industry. Since the partial economic deregulation of the industry in 1980, freight rail has spent more than $600 billion on infrastructure, research, testing and new, more fuel-efficient locomotives.
Infrastructure, Rail Suppliers
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GOSSIPONTHIS.COM Tags Pleasure P.
Tag: Pleasure P.
Pleasure P Wants to Bring Back the Love and Romance of R&B
Ever since shocking allegations were made against Pleasure P back in 2009, the R&B singer has been keeping a pretty low profile. Two...
♫ NEW BEATZ: Pleasure P. F/ Letoya Luckett – “She Likes”
R&B singer Pleasure P knows exactly what "She Likes" in his newest music release featuring R&B singer Letoya Luckett. The track is the first single...
Jim Jones and Cam’ron Party it Up with Chris Brown, Bow Wow, Pleasure P. and More for Memorial Day Weekend in Miami
Further proving that they've put their beef behind them, rappers Jim Jones and Cam'ron hosted a party together over the weekend at the 400...
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards – Red Carpet Arrivals: Beyonce, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Usher and More
The star-studded 52nd Annual Grammy Awards went down last night (Sun. Jan 31) in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. And the red carpet...
VIDEOS: Pleasure P Talks to the Ed Lover Morning Show About Child Molestation Rumors
R&B singer Pleasure P hit up the Ed Lover Morning Show to attempt to clear his image of those nasty child molestation rumors that...
Pleasure P Releases Statement Denying Child Molester Claims: “All of the rumors are 100% false…”
So it looks like Pleasure P has finally broken his silence on the headlines surrounding his name right now, and it's looking like home...
WTF: Pleasure P is a Child Molester?? // (Rumored to be) Convicted of Molesting Niece and Nephew!!
**UPDATE: PLEASURE P HAS RELEASED A STATEMENT DENYING THIS RUMOR!** Wow, just when you thought 2009 wasn't going to get any crazier!! An explosive story just...
[MUSIC VIDEO] Fat Joe F/ Pleasure P & Rico Love – “Aloha”
Here's "Aloha," the official music video, featuring Pleasure P and Rico Love, for rapper Fat Joe's latest single from his upcoming album, J.O.S.E. 2,...
♫ [NEW BEATZ] Fat Joe F/ Pleasure P – “Aloha”
Here's "Aloha," a brand new track from rapper Fat Joe and the self-proclaimed "new bad boy of R&B" Pleasure P that will be featured...
[MUSIC VIDEO] Pleasure P – “Under”
Check out R&B singer Pleasure P's new music video for his latest single, "Under." This hot track comes straight from the former Pretty Ricky...
Soulja Boy, Bow Wow, Trey Songz, Lil Wayne and Others at 2009 Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash in Atlanta
Rappers Soulja Boy and Bow Wow were among the many performers who took the stage Saturday night (Jun 20) in Atlanta during the 2009...
The Dream, Lil Kim, T-Pain and Others Perform At/Attend 2009 Hot 97 Summer Jam
Singer/songwriter Terius Nash, best known for his stage name The Dream, was one of many hip-hop and r&b acts to perform Sunday (Jun 7)...
Busta Rhymes, Swizz Beatz and Others Attend James Cruz’ Birthday Party at Taj in NY
Here SRC/Universal record exec James Cruz and Busta Rhymes can be seen at Cruz's birthday party earlier this week. James celebrated his birthday with...
[ALBUM COVER] Pleasure P – “The Introduction of Marcus Cooper”
Our friends from Atlantic Records sent over Pleasure P's album cover for his debut album The Introduction of Marcus Cooper, which is due in...
Flo Rida, Pleasure P and Teairra Mari Perform at MySpace Music Event
MySpace Music hosted an exclusive concert for Flo Rida, celebrating the release of his sophomore album, R.O.O.T.S., in stores and online now, at...
[MUSIC VIDEO] Flo Rida F/ Pleasure P – “Shone”
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/e/16711680/wshh3N8Y26LC8HzdG3i7 Here's another video premiere from Flo Rida. This time around it's for his brand new music video for his latest single, "Shone," which features...
[MUSIC VIDEO] Pleasure P – “Boyfriend #2”
http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=50942137,t=1,mt=video Brand new music video from Pleasure P titled "Boyfriend #2" from his debut album, The Introduction of Marcus Cooper - in stores and online...
[MUSIC VIDEO] Teairra Mari F/ Pleasure P – “Hunt 4 U”
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/e/0xCCFF65/wshh34hEILI6roJKTdA2 After beeing abruptly booted from the Rocawear roster a couple years back, Teairra Mari has come out with a brand new look and sound,...
[VIDEO PREMIERE] Pleasure P. – “Did You Wrong”
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/e/16711680/wshhTs5ocSO0RowAmnia This is the official Gossip On This video premiere of Pleasure P's video for his first single as a solo-artist, "Did You Wrong." Check...
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Founded by Dan Kravitz in 1985, Hand Picked Selections is a national importer of wines from France, Spain, Italy and Argentina. Dan started the company with a focus on the red wines of Bordeaux, but quickly recognized the untapped potential for quality in Southern France. HPS went on to build a pioneering stable of benchmark growers from the Southern Rhône Valley, Provence, Roussillon and Languedoc, and over time, gained a reputation for its incredible values —superlative wines loaded with character and personality—that often tasted like they could easily cost two or three times their actual price.
The company has grown substantially over the past three decades, and now has a national footprint with a strong distribution network in more than 45 states. The portfolio has also grown to include wines from other French regions, Spain, Italy, and Argentina. In 2007, Dan purchased his own vineyard, Domaine Cabirau, in the small village of Maury (Roussillon).
Though HPS has come a long way since Dan started the company as a small, home-based business, our commitment to working closely with artisan growers to source consistently characterful, balanced, and food-friendly wines has remained unchanged. We invite you to join us for a glass.
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Ontario Amends “Letter of Credit” and BPS Solvency Funding Relief Regulations
May 22, 2014 By: Hicks Morley
On May 17, 2014, the Ontario government published regulatory amendments to Regulation 909 (General) under the Pension Benefits Act that:
clarify that for purposes of determining the total amount of all letters of credit (“LOC”) held in trust for the pension fund for inclusion in the solvency asset adjustment, the value of any special payments to which the LOC relate and which are due after the valuation date of the report shall be excluded;
permit the following legacy municipal plans to use LOC: (1) City of Ottawa Superannuation Plan; (2) The Corporation of the City of York Employee Pension Plan; (3) Metropolitan Toronto Pension Plan; (4) Metropolitan Toronto Police Benefit Fund; (5) The Toronto Civic Employees’ Pension and Benefit Fund; and (6) Toronto Fire Department Superannuation and Benefit Fund; and
clarify that the trust agreement in respect of the LOC must be “between the issuer, the administrator of the pension plan and the trustee.”
O. Reg. 119/14 was first filed on May 1, 2014 and comes into force on July 1, 2014.
In addition, the government filed O. Reg. 118/14 (Solvency Funding Relief For Certain Public Sector Pension Plans), which amends O. Reg. 178/11 to, among other things, reflect the broader public sector plans that have been granted Stage II solvency funding relief. These amendments also come into force on July 1, 2014.
Background information about the Stage II relief is available here.
Practice Areas: Pension, Benefits & Executive CompensationIndustries: Education, Energy & Utilities, Government Ministries & Agencies (Federal and Provincial), Healthcare, Municipalities & Municipal Agencies, Non-profit Organizations, Nursing Care Facilities, Social ServicesTags: Broader Public Sector, Pension Benefits Act, Regulations
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Significant Damages Awarded Against Employer for Sexual Harassment of Temporary Foreign Workers
June 24, 2015 By: Amanda E. Lawrence-Patel
In a recent decision of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (the “Tribunal”), Vice-Chair Mark Hart imposed a significant damages award against corporate respondent Presteve Foods Ltd. and its directing mind, Jose Pratas (“the personal respondent”).
In O.P.T. v. Presteve Foods Ltd., two Applicants, O.P.T. and M.P.T., alleged that the personal respondent had engaged in harassment and discrimination contrary to sections 5 and 7 of the Ontario Human Rights Code (the “Code”). More particularly, the Applicants, both of whom were in Canada as part of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program, alleged that they were subjected to a sexually poisoned work environment, discrimination in respect of employment because of sex, unwanted sexual solicitations and advances and reprisal.
The personal respondent engaged in a pattern of unsolicited and unwelcome conduct, including unwanted “invitations” to dinner, hugs, kisses and touching. When the Applicants would refuse to engage in these acts, the personal respondent would threaten to send them back to Mexico.
At the commencement of the hearing, the Respondents raised a preliminary objection to a proceeding on the merits on the basis that the Application had not been made within one year of the events at issue. In disagreeing with this position and dismissing the objection, Vice-Chair Hart noted that both Applicants had spoken to legal counsel and to the police about the Respondent’s conduct within one year of its occurrence. Unfortunately, through no fault of the Applicants’ own, the police and legal counsel had failed to inform the Applicants of their right to bring either a human rights Application or a civil proceeding against the Respondents.
Vice-Chair Hart further noted that because the Applicants did not speak English and were not familiar with the legal system, it was not unreasonable that they had relied on others to inform them of their rights. The Applicants’ delay in bringing the Application was therefore found to have been incurred in good faith and the Application was permitted to proceed to a hearing on the merits.
The hearing took place over 16 days and involved substantial viva voce evidence from both Applicants and an expert in the field of Temporary Foreign Workers. The expert, Dr. Kerry Preibisch, had previously testified before the Tribunal in Peart v. Ontario (Community Safety and Correctional Services) (“Peart”) and was determined to be qualified to speak to the Applicants’ particular vulnerability. Significantly, the personal respondent did not give evidence at the hearing. This meant that although Vice-Chair Hart was required to make a determination with respect to the credibility of the Applicants, he was not required to decide between two competing accounts of the events.
Vice-Chair Hart found the evidence of the two Applicants to be credible in respect of all of the allegations raised in the Application, and thus determined that the personal respondent had engaged in unwanted sexual solicitations and had sexually assaulted the Applicants. It was further determined that these acts had occurred at the personal respondent’s office, in his car, while at dinner with O.P.T. and when O.P.T. was alone with the personal respondent at his home.
Notably, Vice-Chair Hart found that each of these locations constituted “the workplace” for the purposes of section 7 of the Code, which provides a right to be free from harassment in the workplace because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Even though these incidents occurred outside of the corporate respondent’s physical premises and often outside of work hours, Vice-Chair Hart concluded that these incidents were sufficiently connected to the Applicants’ employment to be regarded as occurring within the workplace for the purposes of the Code.
Vice-Chair Hart also found that the personal respondent’s pattern of persistent and unwanted sexual solicitations, advances and sexual harassment had created a sexually poisoned work environment and that his actions constituted discrimination against the Applicants because of sex in respect of employment.
In light of the objective and unprecedented seriousness of the personal respondent’s conduct, as well as the particular vulnerability as a migrant workers and the impact of the personal respondent’s conduct on the Applicants, O.P.T. was awarded $150,000.00 as compensation for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect and M.P.T. was awarded $50,000.00 as compensation for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect. These awards were made following a thorough examination of the Tribunal’s earlier cases concerning sexual harassment and sexual solicitation, where less significant compensation was awarded. Vice-Chair Hart found that these awards were proportionate to the prior awards given the far greater seriousness of the personal respondent’s actions and the particular vulnerability of the Applicants as migrant workers.
Vice-Chair Hart also ordered that the corporate respondent, Presteve Foods Ltd., provide any workers hired under the auspices of the Temporary Foreign Worker program with human rights information and training in the native language of any such hire for a period of three years from the date of his decision.
Finally, although Vice-Chair Hart was also specifically asked to comment on certain aspects of Temporary Foreign Worker programs in Canada, he declined to do so. He did, however, echo his earlier sentiment in Peart, in which he had noted the particular and special vulnerabilities of migrant workers in Ontario, especially in light of the closed work permit that requires them to be tied to one employer. Accordingly, though he made no specific comment about Temporary Foreign Worker programs in Canada, he did indicate that such programs generally place the enrolled workers in a uniquely vulnerable position.
Practice Areas: Human RightsIndustries: Arts & Sports, Construction, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government Ministries & Agencies (Federal and Provincial), Healthcare, Hospitality & Gaming, Manufacturing, Media & Communications, Membership Associations, Mining & Natural Resources, Municipalities & Municipal Agencies, Non-profit Organizations, Nursing Care Facilities, Professional & Technical Services, Retail & Wholesale Trade, Social Services, Transportation & WarehousingTags: Damages, Human Rights Code, Sexual Harassment
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Item Type > Fiction/Poetry (x)
Historical Eras > Industrialization and Expansion (1877-1913) (x)
"Living"
John Boyle O'Reilly was an Irish-born poet and novelist who escaped to America from Western Australia, where he had been imprisoned for being a member of the Irish Republican Brotherhood, or Fenians. One of his later poems, "Living" (1881) connotes [...]
Item Type: Fiction/Poetry
Historical Era: Industrialization and Expansion (1877-1913)
"John Boyle O'Reilly"
Paul Laurence Dunbar was an African-American poet who gained national recognition after the 1896 publication of his Lyrics of a Lowly Life. In this 1893 ode to fellow poet John Boyle O'Reilly, Dunbar lavishes praise on a man he calls "the noblest [...]
"The White Man's Burden" (Excerpt)
In February 1899, British novelist and poet Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem entitled “The White Man’s Burden: The United States and The Philippine Islands.” In this poem, Kipling urged the U.S. to take up the “burden” of empire, as had [...]
"The Brown Man's Burden" (Excerpt)
Much like Lulu Baxter Guy's "The Black Man's Burden," Henry Labouchère's "The Brown Man's Burden" shifts the emphasis of Kipling's notorious poem, offering a view of imperialism from the perspective of those who were most directly affected by the [...]
"The Poor Man's Burden" (Excerpt)
This poem was one of a number of parodies written in response to Rudyard Kipling's "The White Man's Burden." Here the author points out the special misery that imperialism abroad places on working people back home.
"The Black Man's Burden" (Excerpt)
Among the dozens of replies to Rudyard Kipling’s pro-imperialist poem "The White Man's Burden," was “The Black Man’s Burden,” written by African-American clergyman and editor H. T. Johnson and published in April 1899. A “Black Man’s [...]
An Immigrant's Haiku Records Great Dreams
This haiku records the nearly universal hope of immigrants to the United States. The majority of Japanese immigrants to the U.S. between 1884 and 1908 were men and women from rural areas who had been displaced because of high land prices and rents. [...]
Tags: Japanese Immigration
Cuba and Puerto Rico—"Two Wings of the Same Bird"
Puerto Rican poet and journalist Lola Rodríguez de Tió was one of the most prominent early advocates for Puerto Rican independence. Among her most popular works was "A Cuba," from which the excerpt below is taken. Rodríguez lived her final years [...]
Tags: Cuban Immigration, Puerto Rican Migration
Fiction/Poetry (18)
Philippine-American War (2)
Chinese Immigration (1)
Cuban Immigration (1)
Japanese Immigration (1)
Progressivism (1)
Puerto Rican Migration (1)
Uncle Sam (1)
Walt Whitman (1)
Expansion and Imperialism (7)
Industrialization and Expansion (1877-1913) (18)
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M-F: 9:00AM–6:00PM (832) 533-2228
Employment Immigration
Business Legal
Houston Immigration Law Firm
Immigration lawyers in Houston
Hector Herrera, Immigration Attorney
Thurgood Marshall School of Law
Double Major/Bachelor Degree in Computer Information Systems and Business Administration/ Management
Certificates/Licenses
License to Practice Law in all Courts of the State of Texas and Federal Law Texas
Authorized Texas Public Notary
IBM Certified Specialist – AS400 RPG Programmer
Hector Herrera was born in Mexico City and has lived in the United States for most of his life. He has dedicated his practice of law to the area of immigration law, Business immigration and corporate law, Commercial, Estate Planning and Real Estate law in Houston, Texas. Mr. Herrera is one of the best best immigration attorney in Houston Metro. He previously worked at the Law Office of Adan G. Vega & Associates, PLLC as an immigration attorney. Mr. Herrera has been a member of the Texas Bar since 11/02/2007. He is also authorized to practice in the United States District Court (Southern District of Texas) and a Member of the American Immigration Lawyer Association and the Texas College Bar. He has also been active in offering pro bono services to indigents in Texas. He provides legal representation to a wide range of individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses and corporate clients. Whether the case is large or small, Mr. Herrera brings to bear all of his unique skills and best immigration resources for each and every client.
Jorge H. Forero, Paralegal
2013-2014: Legal Assistant for Law Office of James P. McCollom, Jr.
2010-2016: Naturalization Program Coordinator at OCA – Greater Houston
Jorge H. Forero was born in Bogota, Colombia and has lived in Houston, Texas most of his life. He has worked within the political and non-profit community of Houston since 2010. Jorge has worked for OCA-Greater Houston as an Intern and Naturalization Program Coordinator since 2010 and at the Law Office of James P. McCollom, Jr. from 2013 to 2014. He has attended the University of Houston System. Jorge is bilingual in English and Spanish. His personal experience as an immigrant will ensure that he will understand our client’s needs and concerns and work with acute attention to detail and diligence. Jorge can help you in all areas of immigration law such as seeking for a green card, business immigration and more.
Raquel Gonzalez-Willey,
Paralegal/Legal Assistant
Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon
Bachelor Degree in Theatrical Arts
Raquel was born in Veracruz, Mexico and had live in Monterrey most of her life. She has a Bachelor Degree in Theatrical Arts from the Autonomous University of Nuevo Leon (1998-2002). During her time in Mexico, she worked for two years in the city of San Pedro Garza Garcia (Model City of Latin America) as Director of the Cultural Centers: La Cima y Vista Montana. She worked for more than 10 years as a cultural promoter, art teacher, performance artist and coordinator of production in numerous theater plays, shows and social/cultural events with companies such as Televisa, TV Azteca, British American Tobacco, Universidad de Monterrey, Galindo Productions, among others.
She has been living in Houston, Texas for the last 5 years and has been working with our law firm as a legal assistant since 2013. She has also been working as a paralegal focusing on family immigration petitions, a process she herself has undergone successfully. Her personal immigration experience has helped her understand our client’s situation and provide the best immigration services to every client in Houston.
Hector M. Herrera Sr., Office Manager
Hector M. Herrera Senior is the Office Manager of our firm since February 2008.
He was born in Mexico City and is fluent in English and Spanish. He is a Public Accountant and graduated from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México. Recently he worked as a Comptroller and subsequently as General Manager at the industrial plant of Smurfit Cartón y Papel de México, S.A. (Smurfit Kappa) in Cd. Juarez, Mexico from 1985-2000. From 2000 to 2009 he worked as an Office Manager for the law firm of Adán G. Vega & Associates, P.C. here in Houston.
2323 S Voss Rd Suite #640,
admin@herrerafirm.com
Law Offices of Herrera & Associates, PLLC. Law Offices of Herrera & Associates, PLLC. shared a post.
Opinion | I have served in the Air Force and in Congress. People still tell me to ‘go back’ to China. ... See MoreSee Less
Trump’s attacks on legal immigration go against the people’s sentiment.
USCIS Issues Policy Guidance Clarifying How Federal Controlled Substances Law Applies to Naturalization Determinations ... See MoreSee Less
USCIS Issues Policy Guidance Clarifying How Federal Controlled Substances Law Applies to Naturalization Determinations
USCIS is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify that violations of federal controlled substance law, including violations involving marijuana, are generally a bar to establishin
© Law Offices of Herrera & Associates, PLLC
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. Further this information is subject to constant change based on any changes in the law. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. The reader should consult with a Licensed Attorney prior to filing for any immigration petition/benefit as each individual case may be different.
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Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO) 2018-2019
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Finance Minister Mathias Cormann have released the national Mid-Year Fiscal and Economic Outlook (MYEFO) today, labelling it proof the Morrison Government’s economic plan is working and confirming the Government will prepare to deliver a surplus in the next Federal Budget in April 2019.
The Budget is forecast to improve from a deficit of $5.2 billion this financial year to reach a surplus of $4.1 billion in 2019-20, with a surplus predicted to reach 1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2021-22. This predicted underlying cash deficit has fallen from the significantly higher figure of $14.5 billion forecast in the May Budget, and represents the lowest deficit since prior to the Global Financial Crisis.
Over the four years from 2018-19, the underlying cash surplus is expected to rise to $30.4 billion – almost double the May Budget estimate. Treasurer Frydenberg said the return to surplus was a result of “the strong economy and the government’s sound fiscal management”, with stronger-than-expected collections from individual taxes and company tax and a surge in mining industry profits.
These results follow a period of slow wage growth and unexpected downturn in economic growth during the September quarter, when GDP growth fell to the lowest rate in two years. Today’s figures rely on a predicted rise in mining investment and increases in household consumption and non-mining business investment. Meanwhile, “subdued household income growth, tighter-than-expected credit conditions and housing price falls could cause consumer spending and dwelling investment to be weaker than forecast”, according to the MYEFO.
The figures reportedly accommodate a yet-to-be-announced suite of tax cuts and increased spending in the lead up to the next Federal Election. When asked about the Government’s tax plans, Minister Cormann commented that “It is no secret we are committed to lower taxes as part of our plan to strengthen the economy, create more jobs and ensure that Australians have the best possible opportunity to get ahead”.
Treasury’s updated forecasts have revealed that GDP is expected to grow by 2.75 per cent this financial year, downwardly revised from the previous Budget forecast of 3 per cent. The drop has been attributed to falling agricultural exports on account of drought conditions in the eastern and southern states, but is predicted to rise to 3 per cent the following year and continue to rise over the forward estimates.
Notably, the Government has announced more than $552 million in additional funding for aged care services, which will provide for an extra 10,000 high-level home care packages to facilitate in-home nursing and related services. The funding will also provide for an additional 5,000 level three and 5,000 level four care packages.
Key economic indicator forecasts:
Real GDP is forecast to grow by 2.75 per cent in 2018-19.
Unemployment is forecast to hold at 5 per cent over the forward estimates.
An underlying cash deficit of $5.2 billion is expected in 2018-19, before improving to a forecast surplus of $4.1 billion in 2019-20 and $19.0 billion in 2021-22.
Net debt is anticipated to fall from 18.2 per cent of GDP in 2018-19 to 14.3 per cent by 2021-22, reaching a low of 1.5 per cent by 2028-29.
Budget 2018-2019: Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook
Media Release: 2018-19 Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook
A new Governor-General
In other news, former senior Army officer and current Governor of NSW, His Excellency General the Hon David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), has been appointed the next Governor-General of Australia. The Prime Minister described General Hurley as his “first and only choice” to replace current Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, who will remain at his post until General Hurley is sworn in on 28 June 2019.
Integrity Commission announced
In response to ongoing calls for a federal anti-corruption watchdog, the Government last week announced it will establish a Commonwealth Integrity Commission. The independent statutory authority will include a law enforcement integrity commissioner, a public sector integrity commissioner and an overarching commonwealth integrity commissioner, but will not publish its findings or convene public hearings, instead referring matters directly to prosecutors.
National Labor Conference
The ALP National Conference convened in Adelaide on the weekend, with 400 party delegates and around 1,000 observers meeting to discuss issues such as education, migration, the Newstart Allowance, asylum seekers and infrastructure policy. Climate change activists interrupted Bill Shorten’s address on Sunday to protest the proposed Adani coal mine in Queensland. The conference will run until Tuesday.
Andrew Broad resigns from frontbench
Nationals MP Andrew Broad has resigned from his position as Assistant Minister to the Deputy Prime Minister today, following allegations of improper conduct published by New Idea magazine. Deputy PM Michael McCormack confirmed that Mr Broad will remain as an “effective and hardworking” representative for Mallee, a safe Coalition seat in regional Victoria.
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Tube Tops 2000
Tube Tops 2000 is a punk rock supergroup that covered Gary Glitter's classic rock hit "Rock and Roll, Part 2".
The band comprises Eric Erlandson (Hole), Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole, The Smashing Pumpkins), Clem Burke (Blondie), Pat Fear (White Flag), Rodney Bingenheimer (KROQ DJ) and Kathy Valentine (The Go-Go's). The band only released the one song, recorded for a glam rock tribute compilation Blockbuster: A 70's Glitter Glam Rock Experience, released in January 2001. [1]
Since 2006, it has been the replacement for the Kansas City Chiefs' touchdown celebration after the NFL asked teams to stop playing Glitter's version following his conviction on child molestation charges.[2]
The version of the song was introduced in Chiefs' games in the 2006 NFL season following a vote on the "new Chiefs touchdown song". The vote originally ended with P.O.D.'s "Boom" as the winner, but fans protested at the result and requested a new band to play "Rock and Roll, Part 2" so that the tradition of their "We're gonna beat the hell outta you!" chant could continue.
^ Glam tribute CD set for January 2001 release, Rockbites, 23 October 2000.
^ Gary Glitter sentenced to 3 years CBS News. Retrieved 3 March 2006
Conspiracy Music
Conspiracy Music, the trade name of Robison Records Limited, is an independent record label formed in 1999 by brothers Monte J. Robison and Taylor Robison. It ceased operations in 2002.
The label produced and released studio and live album recordings by artists such as Gene Loves Jezebel, The Alarm, The Call, and Dee Dee Ramone of The Ramones.
Many of these albums and select tracks were sublicensed by other record labels, including (Toshiba-EMI Limited, Eagle Rock Records, Universal Music Group), and released in countries such as Canada, Japan, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Portugal.
The label organized the Resurrection Tour in 1999 featuring Mission UK, Gene Loves Jezebel and Mike Peters of The Alarm. The tour was sponsored by eMusic and had scheduled concert dates in North America and Europe.
In 2000, the label produced a tribute album to glam rock along with KROQ-FM DJ, Rodney Bingenheimer, featuring tracks from Cyclefly, The Donnas, Nick Heyward and Tube Tops 2000 featuring Eric Erlandson, Melissa Auf der Maur, Clem Burke and Kathy Valentine.
Monte J. Robison appears briefly in the Mayor of the Sunset Strip, the documentary biography of Rodney Bingenheimer, directed by George Hickenlooper.
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team was founded in 1960 as the Dallas Texans by businessman Lamar Hunt and was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL). (They are not associated with the NFL Dallas Texans.) In 1963, the team relocated to Kansas City and assumed their current name. The Chiefs joined the NFL as a result of the merger in 1970. The team is valued at over $2 billion. Hunt's son, Clark, serves as chairman and CEO. While Hunt's ownership stakes passed collectively to his widow and children after his death in 2006, Clark represents the Chiefs at all league meetings and has ultimate authority on personnel changes.
The Chiefs have won three AFL championships, in 1962, 1966, and 1969. They became the second AFL team (after the New York Jets) to defeat an NFL team in an AFL–NFL World Championship Game, when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV. The team's victory on January 11, 1970, remains the club's last championship game victory and appearance to date, and occurred in the final such competition prior to the leagues' merger coming into full effect. The Chiefs were also the second team, after the Green Bay Packers, to appear in more than one Super Bowl (and the first AFL team to do so) and the first to appear in the championship game in two different decades. Despite post-season success early in the franchise's history, winning five of their first six postseason games, the team has struggled to find success in the playoffs since. As of the conclusion of the 2018–19 playoffs, they have lost 12 of their last 14 playoff games, including eight straight, at the time the longest playoff losing streak in NFL history. The playoff losing streak stretched from the 1993-94 AFC Championship game to the 2013-14 Divisional Round. The only playoffs wins over the last 14 playoff games were a 30–0 win over the Texans in the 2015–16 playoffs and a 31–13 over the Colts in the 2018–19 playoffs.
Rock and Roll (Gary Glitter song)
"Rock and Roll" is a song by English glam rock singer Gary Glitter that was released in 1972 as a single and on the album Glitter. Co-written by Glitter and Mike Leander, the song is in two parts: Part 1 is a vocal track reflecting on the history of the genre, and Part 2 is a mostly instrumental piece. Both parts were popular in Britain, and the single went to No. 2 on the British charts. In concert, Glitter merged both into one performance.
"Rock and Roll" is Glitter's only top 10 hit in the U.S. It was also in North America that the "Part 2" became popularly associated with sports, as a number of professional teams began to play the song during games to invigorate the audience.
In the UK, "Rock and Roll" was one of over 25 hit singles for Glitter. In the US, the instrumental version (Part 2) attracted most of the attention; it hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The US mono 45, which is mixed different from the LP, clocks in at 3:10, while it runs 2:58 on the US LP. In France, "Part 1" was the successful side, peaking at number-one.
Formerly the Dallas Texans (1960–1962)
Based and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri
Logos and uniforms
Starting quarterbacks (list)
Municipal Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Owner: Clark Hunt
President: Mark Donovan
General manager: Brett Veach
Head coach: Andy Reid
Offensive coordinator: Eric Bieniemy
Defensive coordinator: Steve Spagnuolo
Special teams coach: Dave Toub
Lamar Hunt
H. Roe Bartle
K. C. Wolf
Marty Ball
Tomahawk chop
2018 game vs. Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Cardinals/Rams
Playoff appearances (20)
1969 (IV)
KCTV
WDAF-TV
KSHB-TV
KCFX
Personalities:
Kendall Gammon
Bob Gretz
Art Hains
Bill Grigsby
Kevin Harlan
Mitch Holthus
Roger Twibell
League: National Football League (1970–present)
Conference: American Football Conference
Division: West Division
Former league affiliation
League: American Football League (1960–1969)
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Yolanda moved from the city of Chicago to a suburb outside the city so her family would be safe. She wanted to raise them in a better environment. Her 14-year-old son, Damani, rode the three miles from home into the city to visit one of his friends. He was riding his bike home from the friend’s house when he was shot and killed. Yolanda said, “They shot him in the head, neck and back, and he died instantly. The police claim it was mistaken identity.” Damani was still a boy who liked to ride his bike, and he loved art. He wanted to be a cartoonist when he grew up. He wasn’t involved with gang activity or crime. He was just a boy. “Imagine, going to the morgue to identify your son and then try to go on with life afterwards. There are days where I’m so depressed I can barely get out of bed. You expect to leave this earth before your kids, not the other way around.” Just three hours before Damani had been shot, a 19-year-old girl was also shot and killed in the same area. Pointless tragedies leaving behind questions and unimaginable grief.
Damani was the victim of the senseless gun violence in Chicago. Yolanda had no way to pay for her son’s burial expenses. She said, “I am so thankful for the generous grant that the Hug Fund donors gave to my family. Without the grant, I would not have been able to bury my son. Words cannot express the gratitude I have for the kindhearted people who donate to the Hug Fund. I laid my son to rest July 13, 2013, and I personally want to thank everyone for their kindness and generosity. I am forever indebted to you in my heart.”
Damani would have been 15 in May. Yolanda is going to take a few days off from work to celebrate Damani’s life, quietly with her family. This tragedy is real and graphic and incredibly painful and something we all think could never happen to us. When asked what this year’s theme, “Take A Walk in Their Shoes,” meant to her, Yolanda responded, “I don’t want anyone to ever have to take a walk in my shoes…not even for a moment. It’s too painful, and I don’t wish it upon anyone. But I know my story will hit home with someone enough to make them sacrifice and support the Hug Fund.”
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Mule Deer Foundation Kemmerer Chapter Hosts an Outstanding Inaugural Event
by Kevin Paulson | May 14, 2008 | Pro-Staff Blog
Written By Scott Hampel
KEMMERER, Wyo. – On April 26, 2008, the Kemmerer Chapter of the Mule Deer Foundation hosted its inaugural event at the Fraternal Order of Eagles building in Kemmerer, Wyo. There were 160 people in attendance to witness this impressive event that included a steak dinner along with a variety of games, raffles, and silent and live auctions.
When the night was completed, the chapter had obtained 87 memberships and raised over $41,000 in net proceeds with an efficiency rating exceeding 70 percent. In the world of conservation, these are phenomenal statistics for a first-time event.
The success of this chapter can be attributed to the enthusiastic and committed group of volunteers who are dedicated to seeing conservation projects be completed for mule deer. As a result of these volunteers’ efforts, a minimum of $16,000 will be allocated to mule deer projects locally. In fact, the committee was able to secure large donations from a number of companies and individuals, including Encana Oil and Gas, Williams, Lightning Construction, Kern River, Chevron Mining, Cumberland Gap Hearthstone, Sims Industrial Services/McKenzie Enterprises, the Town of Diamonville and others. These funds have been placed in the Wyoming Project Fund as MDF Conservation Partners. The Conservation Partnership funds are being combined with other funds, raised in Rock Springs and Lander earlier this year, to help fund the Wyoming Range Mule Deer Habitat Assessment. This is a high priority project identified by the Wyoming Game and Fish Department for the long-term planning and management of habitat restoration/improvements impacting mule deer herds in the Wyoming Range.
A special “thank you” should be given to this local group of volunteers which includes: Shawn Whitmore, Christa Whitmore, Brett Dovey, Mandie Dovey, Shauna Ridgeway, Shawn Ridgeway, Dave Brewer, Vince Hinshaw, Tommie Hinshaw, Dan Christensen, Robyn Christensen, Nate Eisenbarth, Courtney Eisenbarth, Perry Fagnant, Paula Fagnant, Ed Vining, Tina Vining, Fred Baldwin, Perry Baldwin, Pauline Schuette and Jim Olson. In addition, a variety of local businesses and individuals (list too long to include here) donated cash, merchandise or services to this fundraising event. The communities of Kemmerer and Diamondville should be proud of these accomplishments.
The Mule Deer Foundation is a national non-profit 501(c)3 conservation organization whose mission is “to ensure the conservation of mule deer, black-tailed deer and their habitats.” MDF partners with U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Wyoming Game and Fish Department, local agencies and other conservation groups to complete conservation projects which benefit mule deer and other wildlife. MDF is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah and has volunteer chapters, primarily throughout the western U.S. Chapters in Wyoming are located in Kemmerer, Rock Springs, Lander/Riverton, Laramie, Casper, Sheridan and Gillette. If you would like more information or would like to help, please contact Christa Whitmore at 307-877-2292. You may also reach MDF Regional Director Scott Hampel at 303-659-2088 or shampel@muledeer.org. Visit www.muledeer.org .
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Michael Anthony Squashes Van Halen Reunion Rumors
Paul Natkin, WireImage/Getty Images
Since Michael Anthony's tumultuous departure from Van Halen in 2006, the relationship between the bassist and the Van Halen brothers has been tenuous. The rumors of a classic lineup reunion and stadium tour in 2019 had fans hoping the two sides had finally put it all behind them, but now it seems unlikely as Anthony has revealed it's been over a decade since he last spoke with his former bandmates.
"The only comment I have is that I haven't spoken to any of the guys since we last played together back in 2004," Anthony told Premiere Radio Networks. He noted his conversation with Alex Van Halen, presumably from 2016, but chalked it up to nothing more than small talk. At the time of that conversation, the bass player had told rock radio personality Eddie Trunk that the two "talked for about 20 minutes and had a great conversation just about life in general and getting older and what’s going on around us in the music industry and it was actually really great talking to him.”
Anthony previously told Trunk that he was past the idea of a reunion and reflected on what he perceived to be a sorry state of a great rock band. "It’s like Van Halen, being one of the biggest bands there ever was, it’s kind of sad to see how everything kind of dwindled down like it did, with a whimper. Which this band, if we were gonna go out, should have gone out just killing it all over the world," he commented.
In May of 2017, the bassist even called for a joint reunion with both David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar. The latest rumors, concerning the classic original lineup, stemmed from an interview Roth gave where he alluded to the idea that Van Halen would be back with the "original band." Trunk, who noted that these type of rumors persist every year, recently said that the rumors were stronger as 2018 draws to a close.
Where Does David Lee Roth Rank Among the Top 66 Hard Rock + Metal Frontmen of All Time?
Source: Michael Anthony Squashes Van Halen Reunion Rumors
Filed Under: Michael Anthony, Van Halen
Categories: Classic Rock, News, Rock
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Home / News & Speeches / ICC, UNDP and IBLF call for nominations for the 2006 World Business Awards in support of the Millennium Development Goals
ICC, UNDP and IBLF call for nominations for the 2006 World Business Awards in support of the Millennium Development Goals
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Business Leaders’ Forum (IBLF) are now taking nominations for the World Business Awards in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to honour corporate contributions to local, national or global efforts at ending poverty and hunger and to fostering truly sustainable development.
The 2006 World Business Awards are the first worldwide business awards to recognize the significant role business can and does play in the implementation of the MDGs. Every business entity including associations, confederations and individual businesses of any size and from any country, is eligible for an Award. The World Business Awards will be presented at a ceremony to be held during the 14th meeting of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UN CSD 14) in May 2006. Finalists will receive worldwide recognition for their projects and will be listed on websites and in publications of the three organizations.
The nomination deadline is 31 December, 2005.
The eight MDGs offer an integrated framework for tackling major challenges that afflict individuals, countries and the global community. They set quantitative and measurable targets to be achieved by 2015 for the reduction of poverty, hunger and disease and for tangible improvement in education, healthcare, drinking water, shelter and environmental protection.
Award recipients will be acknowledged for the innovative and productive ways they are advocating for or advancing any one of the eight goals or the goals as a package. The Awards seek particularly to recognize enterprises that partner with other actors to address development challenges, whether through their core activities, philanthropy and/or advocacy.
An International Selection Committee which includes representatives of ICC, UNDP, IBLF and leading non-governmental organizations, business entities and international agencies will review the nominations.
UN CSD
Business organisations encouraged by UN Secretary General’s Report on Migration
Article 6: What is it and why is it important?
ICC letter calls on UN environment ministers for bold recommendations
ICC address to UNGA high-level plenary on “The Future of Work”
ICC represents business at the Second High-level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA+40)
ICC helps make climate action fashion industry’s business
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'Unreleased' Harrison Song on Web Site
By Lance Fiasco | December 7, 2001 at 12:00 AM
A Beatles’ shop in Liverpool, the birthplace of the world’s most famous band, has put what it says is a previously unreleased audio version of the last public recording by guitarist George Harrison on its Web site.
A music industry source told Reuters he gave his recording of “If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going,” which he said Harrison played for an audience at music studios in Michigan in 1997, to the “From Me To You” shop in the northern English port.
“I just thought it was a fitting tribute, a ray of light for the fans at this time,” he said.
The song, posted on the shop’s Web site, is a country-style, folksy guitar piece, which fans said reminded them of the “Traveling Wilburys,” the instant supergroup whose members included Harrison and Bob Dylan.
Fans of the “Quiet Beatle,” who died in Los Angeles on November 29, are convinced he sang it.
“I have just spoken to one man who played at the Cavern more times than the Beatles and he said it sounds like George,” said Steve Barnes, manager of the store in a shopping center at the site of the Cavern Club, where the Beatles played 292 times.
“In fact, all the people I have heard from who have listened to the track said it sounds like him,” said Barnes, adding that he had not yet heard the song.
The five-minute recording begins with narration from a man working at the VH1 studios, where the song is said to have been recorded during a visit by Harrison and his Indian musician friend Ravi Shankar and Shankar’s wife.
“I very rudely and brazenly asked if he would consider playing a song for us… He thrilled us all with a brand new song he had never played in public before,” he said.
“I must be the only person who doesn’t know his own songs,” the guitarist, identified as George, jokes, before he begins singing with the words: “I’ve been traveling on a boat and a plane and a car and a bike and a bus and a plane.”
The music industry source said he believed VH1 no longer had the original recording, adding that he had received his copy of the song from the narrator heard on the Web site version.
Cable TV channel VH1, the Ravi Shankar Foundation and Parlophone – owned by EMI Group Plc and the label to which the Beatles originally signed for in 1962 – were unavailable for comment.
In the months before his death, Harrison was reported to have been quietly finishing work on 25 unreleased tracks for a final album, provisionally titled “Portrait of a Leg End,” an apparent nod at his ambivalent attitude toward fame.
British newspapers have speculated that EMI will re-release Harrison’s mystical “My Sweet Lord” – the first number one single by a solo Beatle – for Christmas shoppers.
Decisions about if and when to release Harrison’s songs would presumably fall to Harrison’s wife, Olivia, since the guitarist was not signed to any record label.
“If You Don’t Know Where You’re Going,” is published on http://www.beatles64.co.uk
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Tag Archives: Vitaly Verlov
French Filmmakers, international Talent, Interviews & Features!, Motion Graphics Design, VFX Artist, Visual Effects
Q & A with Genius VFX Artist & Motion Graphics Designer Vitaly Verlov
August 20, 2015 lgreenbaulm Leave a comment
Actor Eric Roberts (Left) and Filmmaker Vitaly Verlov (Right) shot by Maria Artos
Living in the modern age we are bombarded by hundreds of commercials per day. As viewers when most of these ads hit the screen we often tune out in order to deal with the overwhelming overload of these messages.
So what does it take for a commercial to stand out and strike the interest of an audience in a world oversaturated with visual sales pitches?
Well, having a seasoned motion graphics designer like Vitaly Verlov behind the screen has proven to be an integral factor in the success of campaigns for global companies like Max Factor, Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Nokia, Samsung and countless others.
Over the years Verlov has amassed prodigious knowledge in terms of the technical methods involved in creating everything from multi-layered motion graphics to seamless visual effects. Beyond his technical skills though, his creative vision has made him a highly sought after talent in the industry. In fact, earlier this year he handled all of the visual effects on the upcoming film Redux, a sci-fi film starring Oscar nominee Eric Roberts from the films Inherent Vice, The Dark Knight, The Cable Guy and many more. What is even more astonishing is the fact that Verlov also wrote and directed the highly anticipated film.
His prowess as a motion graphics designer and visual effects artist have allowed him to take on projects that others in the industry who are only skilled in one of these two areas could not.
While you may not know the face of Vitaly Verlov, if you’ve ever tuned into MTV, VH1, Friday! Or Russia’s RUTV, then there’s a pretty good chance that you’ve seen his work more than once over the last decade.
To find out more about Vitaly Verlov’s captivating work make sure to check out our interview below!
You can also see some of his work through his website: http://primevalues.ru/
IFR: Where are you from?
VV: My name is Vitaly Verlov and I was born in the city of Novosibirsk, Russia. After graduating in 2007 I moved to Moscow to work as a motion graphics designer and visual effect artist for television and film.
IFR: How and when did you first get into doing visual effects work?
VV: In high school and university I did a lot of computer programming because I was a computer geek back then, and even before that I came across an international computer art subculture called Demoscene. Essentially it’s a community where young programmers, artists and musicians get together – for fun – to make demos: computer programs that produce audio-visual presentations in real-time. The visual side of creating a demo implies that you actually program algorithms to achieve a certain artistic effects on screen. To put it short, it’s awesome. As soon as my programming skills got up to speed, I started making graphical demos with some cool looking visual effects and showcasing them on so called “demoparties.” As a matter of fact, my thesis work was focused on developing a toolset for real-time motion graphics and visual effects production.
Later on I became more interested in non real-time photorealistic imaging and switched from computer graphics programming to producing visual effects, design and animation in a more traditional industry-applicable form and started doing broadcast motion graphics for television.
IFR: What inspired you to pursue this profession?
VV: After seeing some television channels that were neatly designed from a graphical standpoint or motion pictures packed with great visual effects, I really wanted to become a part of it.
IFR: Are there any particular artists that inspire you?
VV: In my early days I was fascinated with some of the broadcast design graphics on TV and dreamed about getting to this level of quality and impression. That’s what basically inspired me to learn, more than personalities. However after moving to Moscow, I had an opportunity to meet with some of the great guys behind those outstanding designs and work with them.
IFR: What kind of training was involved in order to become a VFX artist? How important is formal education to getting a job in the industry?
VV: I personally don’t have any special VFX related training. Nor do most of the other artists I know. Basically, to become a VFX artist or motion designer, it’s important to have a natural artistic sense and a good eye plus the ability to efficiently handle technical tools and software. On the other hand, it’s also a matter of specialty in the industry, for instance: environmental concept artists or matte painters often have a background in fine arts. One thing is true for everyone working in VFX: you don’t stop learning, no matter what your specialty is.
IFR: What is that you love about being a VFX artist?
VV: The ability to create something impressive out of nothing; and the ability to impress girls at parties, of course.
IFR: What is your specialty in the field?
VV: As a VFX artist, I consider myself a generalist which means that I can pull off a wide variety of tasks myself, including modeling, texturing, animating, rendering, compositing. There are fields that I prefer more, and there are fields I’m not involved in at all – like character modeling and rigging.
As a motion/broadcast graphics designer and art director, again, I can do a lot, starting from initial creative concept to final delivery.
IFR: What is your typical workflow like in terms of collaborating with other artists on a film?
VV: It depends on a project and/or studio. Sometimes workflow is precise, broken down into stages and compartmentalized with strict deadlines, sometimes it’s a complete mess and overnight hell. The most positive experience is of course when you focus on something specific you really like and are good at. This way of collaborating is very efficient and creative at the same time.
IFR: You also work as a motion graphics designer, can you tell us a little bit about what that entails?
VV: Sure. Essentially motion graphics design is an animation-oriented subset of graphic design. Graphic design is just a single picture. Motion design is graphic design in sequence, in motion, and you see it pretty much everywhere: opening sequences for TV shows, film titles, game console menus, or photo-realistic 3D smartphone magically spinning in mid-air in a smartphone TV or Web commercial, or even user interface animation within that smartphone. In other words, any animated piece in visual medium is a subject of motion design.
That’s what I’ve been doing for various television channels including MTV, VH1, Friday!, and others. Sometimes there is client input on the initial concept of what we’re trying to achieve, sometimes there is no input. When there is no input, I also work as a copywriter where I suggest different ideas or scripts on how an end result might look and what meanings/themes it might have behind it. When the concept is approved, we move on to actual motion design.
IFR: How does being a motion graphics editor differ from working as a VFX artist?
VV: Motion graphics is a general term. It’s something that visually can be executed in different ways and styles. It can be two-dimensional, flat design-ish/illustrated looking as well as filmic three-dimensional. I think my direction is more filmic/three-dimensional oriented, that’s why it depends substantially on the visual effects techniques. For example, for a commercial spot for Peugeot the idea was to make a realistic car driving along a stylized miniature street – stuff like that directly relies on VFX techniques because it requires 3D modeling, rendering and compositing as a part of the workflow. In a sense, for such projects VFX is a way to implement the creative idea. That’s where motion graphics and VFX come together.
On the other hand, there are motion graphics projects where VFX techniques are not required for natural reasons. For instance, I have experience making on-screen graphics as a part of graphics package for several television stations where the task was to design the look and feel of info graphic elements that pop up during a broadcast. While these elements look pretty minimalistic, they should have a thought-out motion behavior and structure that keeps the integrity of the overall design. Sometimes the way these elements pop up on screen, interact with the viewer, and disappear is hard to conceptualize. That’s where “design” in the “motion graphics design” title comes to the forefront.
IFR: How has having skills as both a VFX artist and a motion graphics designer separated you from others in the industry?
VV: I think VFX and motion graphics are storytelling devices, and I always try to approach projects from the storytelling perspective. So for me the primary task is not making a neat looking animation or effect but supporting and enhancing the context it is a part of. Motion graphics is about guiding the viewer’s attention and it’s also very important for visual effects shots. What separates me is a good understanding of these aspects which, in real life, means that a client is usually happy with the timing, pace and accents I put into designs during the early stages of production, which is cool because it eliminates the need to reiterate on that so I can spend more time perfecting the visuals.
IFR: What companies have you worked with in the industry?
VV: Since I consider myself motion graphics oriented, I have more experience working on commercials and on-air broadcast design.
As a lead designer and VFX artist, I worked for the Russian branch of MTV and VH1 Networks and nation-wide entertainment television channel Friday! As an art director and motion graphics designer, I’ve done quite a few projects for a major music television channel, RUTV. Specifically, I created motion graphics and the overall design for the RUTV 2014 annual music awards ceremony, and some pieces for its 2015 installment.
As a freelance designer and VFX artist, I’ve done a bunch of commercials for international brands, including Mitsubishi, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Max Factor, Nokia, Samsung, Eurovision, Sensation, plus a variety of Russian brands like Beeline (a major mobile operator in Russia).
As a lead VFX artist, I have several projects done for the US-based boutique postproduction company Coat of Arms. Also, I have great experience working for the international visual effects company Pixomondo (Game of Thrones) as a lead 2D effects artist.
Working for various international companies and clients gives a pretty solid understanding of how the global industry works as well as flexibility in the way you approach projects in terms of planning and workflow because the process makes the result.
IFR: Can you tell us a little bit about the television and film projects you’ve worked on; and the specific contributions you made?
VV: I’ve done a lot of TV show openers and channel idents, in a team of designers and by myself, including works for MTV Networks, nation-wide channels Friday!, and RUTV.
While working for Friday! I had a positive interaction with the broadcast design department of Les télécréateurs (Paris) who designed overall on-air look of this station. I’ve made a few show openers and extra identity pieces based on the existing visual style of the station. And for RUTV I created motion graphics and design for the RUTV 2014 annual music awards ceremony which was a pretty huge amount of work (a show opener, a set of nominees, promo spots, press materials) on a tight schedule – that’s where the ability to sit focused for 18 hours came in handy.
Also, recently I had a chance to work as a lead 2D VFX artist on a Chinese big budget sci-fi feature film called Impossible, which is scheduled to hit the market sometime this year. I came in when the postproduction was in full swing, and my job was to complete a bunch of VFX shots, mostly energy fields and portal effects.
I should mention that I’m a filmmaker myself with two sci-fi live action films already under my belt. The latest one, Redux, features the well-known Hollywood actor Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight, The Expendables). It’s a short character-driven story with the ’80s/retro-futuristic vibe to it. I wrote, directed and edited this film and did visual effects.
IFR: Why is motion graphics design important to modern filmmaking?
VV: In its pure form, motion graphics design is critical for television and Internet – that’s for sure. Filmmaking also takes advantage of it, particularly big budget sci-fi & fantasy films and movie trailers, which are a marketing device. Film credits or sleek futuristic computer interfaces you see in a sci-fi flick is a product of motion graphics design. Sometimes it enhances the narrative story of a film, sometimes it doesn’t, but it’s in there. Moreover, since motion design and VFX are somewhat interrelated fields, motion graphics can be essentially found in any film featuring visual effects. That’s also a good way to save some time and money during production, which is important, especially for independent narrative filmmakers like myself. Can a modern live action film be done with no VFX and motion design? Probably yes. But if it’s a mainstream (commercial) film, there should be a marketing/ad campaign involved and that’s where motion graphics comes for you again.
IFR: What has been your favorite project so far and why? What projects do you have coming up?
VV: Not sure about all-time favorites, but I can name a couple of recent ones. I was a part of a team who made a STRAFE® promotional spot for a successful Kickstarter compaign. STRAFE® is an independent old school first-person shooter video game. On this commercial, I worked as a lead VFX/motion design artist.
And of course I loved working on my second film Redux because I think it looks pretty neat, has a coherent story and stars well-known Hollywood actors.
As to the projects to come, some of my past TV clients have a brand new music channel in the works, and while there’s not much info available at this point it looks like I will be creating an onscreen design and several VFX heavy idents shot on green screen.
IFR: Do you have a passion for working on a specific kind of film or project, if so what kind of project and why?
VV: In the TV world, I would say, a show opener. When making a TV show opener, you’re actually making a focused 10-15 second piece which tells a story visually, and that’s what attracted me to the visual medium in the first place.
In film, I have a passion for working on my own films.
IFR: What would you say was your first foot in the door to the industry, and what advice would you give to aspiring artists?
VV: In 2006 I believe, I started making what I called the daily images: the goal was to make one new artistic image every day, just for fun and training, and post it on the Internet into a corresponding design community. I ended up making just a couple of images a week, but after a year of this marathon I was invited to work full-time at a prominent postproduction studio in Moscow, N3, because they liked my pictures. That’s basically how I got into this industry. So I guess my advice would be, stop being aspiring and start actually making something just for the sake of it, start the process and watch how everything unfolds.
CommercialsEric RobertsMotion DesignMotion Graphics DesignerMotion Graphics Designer InterviewMTVRedux filmVFX ArtistVFX Artist InterviewVH1Vitaly Verlov
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Dr. Lyanne Schlichter
Senior Scientist | University Health Network
Dr. Lyanne Schlichter is a Senior Scientist at Krembil with interests in neuroimmunology, ion-channel regulation, and cancer.
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Lyanne C. Schlichter is a Senior Scientist at Krembil Research Institute (Krembil) with research interests in neuroimmunology, ion-channel regulation, and cancer. She is also a Professor in the Department of Physiology, University of Toronto.
Lyanne C. Schlichter's laboratory focuses on neuroinflammation and comprises 3 main research topics. Experimental approaches range from in vivo models → cell cultures → molecules. Current projects combine two or more principle techniques. She has published many seminal papers on microglia, ion channels, and in vivo studies of inflammation and CNS damage. The lab has been continually well-supported by grants from national granting agencies (CIHR, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Stroke Network, NSERC), as well as scholarships and fellowships.
Research Health Care - Services Education/Learning
Areas of Expertise (10)
Neuroimaging Electrophysiology Neuroscience Immunology Cell Physiology Molecular Biology Physiology Stroke Treatment Cancer University Teaching
L.C. Schlichter's Lab
Media Appearances (1)
Brain Inflammation: Harmful or Helpful?
The Brain Campaign online
There are many qualities of Schlichter’s work that make it unique from other labs studying stroke ...
After Intracerebral Hemorrhage, Oligodendrocyte Precursors Proliferate and Differentiate Inside White-Matter Tracts in the Rat Striatum Translational Stroke Research
Damage to myelinated axons contributes to neurological deficits after acute CNS injury, including ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Potential treatments to promote re-myelination will require fully differentiated oligodendrocytes, but almost nothing is known about their fate following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Using a rat model of ICH in the striatum, we quantified survival, proliferation, and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) (at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days) in the peri-hematoma region, surrounding striatum, and contralateral striatum.
Expression and contributions of the Kir2.1 inward-rectifier K(+) channel to proliferation, migration and chemotaxis of microglia in unstimulated and anti-inflammatory states Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
When microglia respond to CNS damage, they can range from pro-inflammatory (classical, M1) to anti-inflammatory, alternative (M2) and acquired deactivation states. It is important to determine how microglial functions are affected by these activation states, and to identify molecules that regulate their behavior. Microglial proliferation and migration are crucial during development and following damage in the adult, and both functions are Ca(2+)-dependent.
PKA reduces the rat and human KCa3.1 current, CaM binding, and Ca2+ signaling, which requires Ser332/334 in the CaM-binding C terminus The Journal of Neuroscience
he Ca(2+)-dependent K(+) channel, KCa3.1 (KCNN4/IK/SK4), is widely expressed and contributes to cell functions that include volume regulation, migration, membrane potential, and excitability. KCa3.1 is now considered a therapeutic target for several diseases, including CNS disorders involving microglial activation; thus, we need to understand how KCa3.1 function is regulated. KCa3.1 gating and trafficking require calmodulin binding to the two ends of the CaM-binding domain (CaMBD), which also contains three conserved sites for Ser/Thr kinases.
Expression and contributions of TRPM7 and KCa2.3/SK3 channels to the increased migration and invasion of microglia in anti-inflammatory activation states PLoS One
Microglia rapidly respond to CNS injury and disease and can assume a spectrum of activation states. While changes in gene expression and production of inflammatory mediators have been extensively described after classical (LPS-induced) and alternative (IL4-induced) microglial activation, less is known about acquired de-activation in response to IL10. It is important to understand how microglial activation states affect their migration and invasion; crucial functions after injury and in the developing CNS. We reported that LPS-treated rat microglia migrate very poorly, while IL4-treated cells migrate and invade much better.
The microglial activation state regulates migration and roles of matrix-dissolving enzymes for invasion Journal of Neuroinflammation
Microglial cells are highly mobile under many circumstances and, after central nervous system (CNS) damage, they must contend with the dense extracellular matrix (ECM) in order to reach their target sites. In response to damage or disease, microglia undergo complex activation processes that can be modulated by environmental cues and culminate in either detrimental or beneficial outcomes. Thus, there is considerable interest in comparing their pro-inflammatory ('classical' activation) and resolving 'alternative' activation states. Almost nothing is known about how these activation states affect the ability of microglia to migrate and degrade ECM, or the enzymes used for substrate degradation. This is the subject of the present study.
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Location in the state of California
California's location in the U.S.
4,720 sq mi (12,225 km²)
163 sq mi (422 km²), 3.46%
- Density
8/sq mi (3/km²)
Website www.co.lassen.ca.us
Lassen County is a county located in the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of California. As of 2000 the population was 33,828. The county seat is Susanville, the only incorporated city in the county.
Lassen County was formed in 1864 from parts of Plumas and Shasta Counties. Due to uncertainties over the California border, what is now Lassen County was part of the unofficial Nataqua Territory and Roop County during the late 1850s and early 1860s.
The county's name was derived from Mount Lassen which was named for Peter Lassen, one of General John C. Fremont's guides and a famous trapper, frontiersman and Indian fighter. He was murdered under mysterious circumstances near the Black Rock Desert in 1859.
Geography Edit
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 12,226 km² (4,720 sq mi). 11,803 km² (4,557 sq mi) of it is land and 422 km² (163 sq mi) of it (3.46%) is water.
Cities and towns Edit
Nubieber
Ravendale
Adjacent Counties Edit
Sierra County - southeast
Plumas County - south
Shasta County - west
Modoc County - north
Washoe County - east
Transportation Infrastructure Edit
Major Highways Edit
U.S. Highway 395
California State Route 36
California State Route 139
Public Transportation Edit
Lassen Rural Bus (LRB) runs a local service in Susanville, and longer distance routes to Westwood and Doyle.
Airports Edit
Susanville Municipal Airport, Herlong Airport and Westwood Airport are all general aviation airports.
Demographics Edit
As of the census² of 2000, there were 33,828 people, 9,625 households, and 6,776 families residing in the county. The population density was 3/km² (7/sq mi). There were 12,000 housing units at an average density of 1/km² (3/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 80.81% White, 8.84% Black or African American, 3.26% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.43% Pacific Islander, 3.23% from other races, and 2.69% from two or more races. 13.84% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 13.8% were of German, 12.1% Irish, 10.5% English, 8.7% American and 5.0% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000. 88.2% spoke English and 10.3% Spanish as their first language.
There were 9,625 households out of which 35.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 24.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the county the population was spread out with 21.8% under the age of 18, 10.8% from 18 to 24, 36.9% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 168.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 192.2 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $36,310, and the median income for a family was $43,398. Males had a median income of $37,333 versus $26,561 for females. The per capita income for the county was $14,749. About 11.1% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.1% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Politics Edit
Presidential election results
2004 71.0% 8,126 27.6% 3,158 1.4% 166
1996 52.6% 5,194 33.6% 3,318 13.8% 1,363
1968 41.1% 2,553 47.1% 2,930 11.8% 735
1964 34.3% 2,124 65.7% 4,072 0.1% 5
1960 40.2% 2,365 59.1% 3,472 0.7% 40
Lassen is a strongly Republican county in Presidential and congressional elections. The last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Jimmy Carter in 1976.
Lassen is part of California's California's 4th congressional district, which is held by Republican John Doolittle. In the state legislature, Lassen is part of the 2nd Assembly district, which is held by Republican Doug LaMalfa, and the 4th Senate district, which is held by Republican Sam Aanestad.
Lassen County History and Culture
Lassen County website
Municipalities and communities of Lassen County, California, United States
County seat: Susanville
Unincorporated communities
Bieber | Doyle | Herlong | Janesville | Ravendale | Termo
Sacramento (capital)
Index of California-related articles
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Coordinates: 40°39′N 120°35′W / 40.65, -120.58
This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Lassen County, California. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.
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PD Ports supports Daisy Chain employability course
Helping young people into employment is an important part of the ethos of PD Ports which is why the company is delighted to be supporting Daisy Chain’s employability scheme.
Frans Calje, Chief Executive Officer, and Kirsten Donkin, Head of PR, Marketing and Communications, called in to the charity’s superstore in Stockton to meet students and drop off a cheque for £2,000 to help support the scheme.
Daisy Chain’s employability course works with young adults on the autistic spectrum or who are going through the diagnostic process, to gain qualifications in employability skills as well as valuable work experience in the charity’s superstore at Portrack Lane in Stockton.
The course covers a wide range of topics including health and safety, food hygiene, manual handling and customer care. Students also have the opportunity to practice interview skills and take part in an enterprise project.
Frans and Kirsten met Emma and Sean who described the skills they were learning through the employability course including applying for jobs and writing CVs as well as practical experience working in the Daisy Chain shop sorting donations, pricing them and gaining valuable team working skills.
Emma said: “I am really enjoying the course. I also work in the coffee shop in store and I like serving the customers. It’s really good work experience for me. I want to be able to get a job in the future.”
Frans said: “It’s important that schemes like this get the support they need to help young people gain the skills they need to get a job in the future and achieve their independence.
“Courses which support young people overcome any issues they have make a huge difference to their lives. It gives them confidence and builds up their self-esteem so they can believe in themselves and the skills they have gained. That’s why we are delighted to be able to support the Daisy Chain employability programme. It’s fantastic to see for myself the huge impact it has on young people’s lives and just how much they are enjoying learning.”
Sarah Moore, Daisy Chain employability support worker, added, “It’s brilliant that companies like PD Ports support us and take the time to meet the students and see the impact of that support. Emma, Sean and all our students have grown hugely in confidence as they develop their skills and potential. It’s wonderful for us to see them come through the door with a smile on their face, ready to learn and work. We really appreciate all the help we can get because we have a waiting list of students for the course.”
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PD Ports hosts Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
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Media Shield Law Defining A Journalist Passes Committee
by Carl Wicklander, published Sep 17, 2013
(Credit: ceasefiremagazine.co.uk)
Late last week, the US Senate Judiciary Committee agreed to the wording of an amendment that will likely have consequences for the future of journalism. The amendment comes partly in reaction to leaks from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to Guardian journalist Glenn Greenwald. The bill is partly designed to make it harder for journalists, particularly bloggers, to conceal sources. Also at play is the media shield law defining a journalist.
As part of the Free Flow of Information Act of 2013, the bill was introduced by New York US Senator Chuck Schumer and cosponsored by sixteen Democrats and four Republicans. In committee, California's Dianne Feinstein said:
"I can't support it if everyone who has a blog has a special privilege . . . or if Edward Snowden were to sit down and write this stuff, he would have a privilege. I'm not going there."
As it appears in the bill, a journalist is defined, partly, as:
". . . an employee, independent contractor, or agent of an entity or service that disseminates news or information by means of newspaper; nonfiction book; wire service; news agency; news website; mobile application or other news information service (whether distributed digitally or other wise);
Critics of the bill are quick to point out that the proposed legislation really only protects the corporate media. Omitted from this definition is whether independent bloggers or so-called citizen journalists would have protection to keep sources anonymous.
Clearly exempted from protection would also be organization like WikiLeaks. Operated by Julian Assange, who is now ensconced at the Ecuadorean embassy in London, the definition of a journalist:
"does not include any person or entity whose principal function, as demonstrated by the totality of such person or entity's work, is to publish primary source documents that have been disclosed to such person or entity without authorization."
Texas US Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican, immediately expressed concern about the measure:
"We are on dangerous territory if we are drawing distinctions that are treating some that are engaged in the process of reporting and journalism better than others."
Alabama US Senator Jeff Sessions, another Republican, expressed his concern that the bill might not target the appropriate party:
"And the leaker, basically, is the one being protected. This legislation would encourage more leakers. It gives some sort of advantage to them in significant ways. It makes it harder to stop and prosecute those cases."
One critic is web news entrepreneur Matt Drudge.
Previously an obscure blogger in the infancy of the internet age, Drudge and his website, the Drudge Report, broke the story in 1998 about President Bill Clinton's extramarital affair with an intern. Regardless of the effect the impeachment proceedings had on the American body politic, it has revolutionized the way millions of Americans receive their news.
Through his Twitter account, Drudge announced his opposition to the amendment, highlighting the quandaries that may ensue:
"Federal judge once ruled Drudge 'is not a reporter, a journalist, or newsgatherer."
In an age of NSA metadata gathering and investigation of journalists, issues of privacy and source protection are as relevant as ever. However, it also speaks to how small, independent news agencies and websites operate in a changing landscape of journalism.
Carl Wicklander
Carl Wicklander is a 2006 graduate of Concordia University - Nebraska and is a student of history, politics, philosophy, and religion. He is originally from Bowling Green, Kentucky and today lives in Illinois with his wife. "To be ignorant of the past is to be forever a child." - Cicero (106-43 B. C.)
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Not the Same as Shame
From The New Criterion. March 31, 2019.
Thomas Merton, later in life
I used to run in the woods, and climb the mountains. I went up the Plomb du Cantal, which is nothing more than a huge hill, with a boy who was, I think, the Privats’ nephew. He went to a Catholic school taught, I suppose, by priests. It had not occurred to me that every boy did not talk like the brats I knew at the Lycée. Without thinking, I let out some sort of a remark of the kind you heard all day long at Montauban, and he was offended and asked where I had picked up that kind of talk. And yet, while being ashamed of myself, I was impressed by the charitableness of his reaction. He dismissed it at once, and seemed to have forgotten all about it, and left me with the impression that he excused me on the grounds that I was English and had used the expression without quite knowing what it meant.
This account in Thomas Merton’s Seven Storey Mountain of his own life, aetatis sui eleven, during a summer spent in 1926 with the saintly Privat family of Murat in the Auvergne, makes me wonder if there is anywhere in America, anywhere in the world, where a boy could have a similar experience today: the experience, that is, of being ashamed of himself for using foul language in the presence of a coeval — let alone of feeling grateful for the charity of the one who had made him feel ashamed. Today, it seems, the only thing most kids are allowed to feel ashamed of is shame itself. It could damage their self-esteem.
If there be such a place, might it not be at the Catholic Boys School of Covington, Kentucky, just about a hundred miles from the Trappist Abbey of Gethsemani where Merton spent most of his adult life and where he is buried? Apparently not. Covington Catholic isn’t into shame anymore either, except for an entirely secular version of it more appropriately described as cultural cringe. For no sooner had CNN put an out-of-context video clip on cable news meant to suggest that boys from the school had been guilty of something that might, in a dim light, be interpreted as racism than the school authorities, who had no more knowledge of the affair than what had appeared on CNN, practically fell over themselves in their haste to issue groveling apologies and promises of discipline to the presumably guilty boys.
The boys had gone to Washington, D.C., for the annual March for Life on January 18, a few days before the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision in 1973. While they were there, some had acquired as souvenirs baseball caps bearing the letters MAGA — standing, as all the world now knows, for Make America Great Again — a slogan which, although not original with him, is associated with President Donald Trump. Obviously, having advertised themselves as white, Catholic, pro-life and pro-Trump, these boys were asking for trouble, though as they were not yet out of their teens and had little or no experience of a center of media and political sophistication like Washington, D.C., they didn’t know it.
Thus, when an aged but very dignified looking American Indian pointlessly banging on a drum wandered into their midst just at the moment when they were engaging in a school cheer in response to some vile slurs being tossed their way by a group of demonstrators off camera, it was the work of a moment for some amateur propagandist to record the encounter and then edit the footage so as to make it look as if it was the boys who were accosting the Indian rather than the other way round. This falsehood was then seconded by the Indian himself, who turned out to have a long history of prevarication, including the suggestio falsi that he was a Vietnam veteran, and who now claimed to have been the victim of racial abuse on the part of the boys.
In less than a day, unedited footage of the event demonstrated that nothing of the sort had happened. Some who had seen and commented with asperity on the original, "viral" video apologized, but many merely shifted their ground, claiming that what they described as a "smirk" on the face of 17-year-old Nick Sandmann, the boy who stood nearest to the Indian, must betoken the very racism as originally reported with all the awesome authority of CNN — doubtless because criticizing CNN would be scarcely less unthinkable to them than wearing a MAGA cap themselves. This might have been Fake News of the very fakest but neither it nor the outpouring that it provoked of hate-filled tweets against these innocent children — who were protesting on behalf of other innocent children — could elicit anything that looked much like shame from the media. The word is often in their mouths to describe the behavior of others, especially that of Donald Trump, but never their own.
Over at National Review, where some conservatives had briefly joined the tar-and-feathers brigade on the first reports and were ashamed of it, Deroy Murdock wrote a piece about this and other media malfeasances headed: "Anti-Trumpers Only Embarrass Themselves." Do they? I very much doubt it. In the same way, I listen every Monday morning to a local radio station where Joe DiGenova, whom I like and admire (as I do Deroy Murdock), has a regular gig. Week after week he talks of the latest revelation of outrageously partisan and unprofessional behavior by the likes of James Comey or Rod Rosenstein or Christopher Wray or Robert Mueller as "an embarrassment." I think he would be understood to mean that, as a former federal prosecutor himself, he is embarrassed by such behavior on the part of those he would once have considered professional colleagues. But of course the secondary meaning is that these men themselves are or ought to be embarrassed to have all the world know with what impropriety or blatant partiality they have gone about their duties as federal investigators.
And yet they’re not. There’s no getting around it. Surely, if there is anything in our public life today that is as certain as the sun’s coming up tomorrow it is that the "anti-Trumpers" — the most virulent of them at any rate — are quite incapable of embarrassment, which is a more polite word for shame. And that should tell you all you need to know about how such incidents of fake news happen in the first place — because they know that no shame will accrue to them even if they are exposed. Moreover, to be incapable of embarrassment you have to be incapable of seeing anything in yourself to be embarrassed about. Not only are the unembarrassable never embarrassed, they continue to behave in what ought to be embarrassing ways just as if Joe DiGenova and others who profess embarrassment on their behalf didn’t exist.
As indeed they don’t, at least in the eyes of the only audience they care about, which are those of the big media and their Democratic and anti-Trump hangers-on. You might begin to wonder if there could be any connection between rabid anti-Trumpery and an incapacity for embarrassment, and I think there just might be one. For shame depends on our ability to see ourselves as others see us when they think we have done something contemptible, just as Thomas Merton did in the Auvergne as an even younger boy than the Covington lads nearly a century ago. "You ought to be ashamed," I seem to remember my own mother’s once (or twice) saying to me. And I even think I was ashamed to hear her say so, though I can no longer remember what I was (or ought to have been) ashamed about.
It was obviously a long time ago. So long ago, in fact, that I must have taken it for granted that I inhabited the same moral universe as my mother, a universe full of solid moral realities that existed and had to be recognized whether I liked them or not. And mostly, of course, I didn’t like them. But now, all these years later, even children get to live in Hamlet’s world of imagination where "there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." For Hamlet it was just that which was the trouble, since he could never square that world of imagination with the world of unpleasant realities that he couldn’t bring himself entirely to wish away.
Today we have it a lot easier. If ever we do or say anything that appears contemptible in the eyes of others, all we have to do is turn the contempt back on them: they are the contemptible ones; they should be ashamed — because we all inhabit a private moral universe of our own in which we and those of like minds with ourselves can do no wrong, by definition. That’s also why, when an academic hoaxer in Oregon exposed the woefully lax scholarly standards of various supposedly "peer-reviewed" journals of what are increasingly falsely described as the "social sciences" none of the periodicals in question, specializing in "grievance studies," felt any shame at their exposure, only anger against their exposer, one Peter Boghossian, assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University — which institution sought to punish him as a result.
Charlotte Allen, writing in The Wall Street Journal, calls this "a surprising twist" to the story, but I submit that it is not surprising at all. What would be surprising would be a university (or anybody else) who sincerely admitted fault for anything — or anything but inadvertently giving offense to some protected minority in order to ward off being given the Covington boys’ treatment.
If you notice a certain irony in Mr Boghossian’s being punished by the scientific establishment for exposing bad science, it’s only because you haven’t yet grasped that "science" itself no longer means what it once did. For scientists have joined the media among the ever-growing ranks of the unembarrassables — an irony in itself as the capacity for embarrassment through admitting to yourself that you are wrong is the foundation of science. Now, and particularly in the mouths of politicians, "science" most often means instead and oxymoronically the utter, unembarrassable self-assurance which is seen as the privilege of an elite not subject to question or criticism.
But irony, like shame, is not possible in a world where you can no longer see yourself through the eyes of others. So wrapped up in ourselves and in our self-certainties we have no means of understanding contrary points of view except as perversity at best and evil at worst. Only thus do you get the kind of Twitter-twits who write of the Covington boys: "LOCK THE KIDS IN THE SCHOOL AND BURN THAT BITCH TO THE GROUND" or "MAGA kids go screaming, hats first, into the wood chipper" — two of Mr Murdock’s more egregious examples.
If the authors of such witticisms didn’t feel embarrassed by them before they knew the boys were innocent, why should they feel embarrassed afterwards — or ever? Shame for them, as for the media, is only for other people to feel, since they are no more capable of it than they are of doing anything to be ashamed of. Is it too much of a stretch, then, to see the children these children were protesting to save, the children thrown into the wood-chipper of abortion for real, as victims of the same self-imprisonment that Hamlet both desired and feared? I don’t think so. In my home state of Virginia, the progs are pushing to have abortion legalized throughout the birth process itself, up to or even beyond the point at which the child is born alive. Similar legislation in New York has actually been passed — and applauded on passage — by the legislature.
The pro-abortion lobby has insisted so loudly and for so long that those whom they would "terminate" are not human in the same sense that they themselves are human that it should not be surprising if the universe of non-human humanity should by now have expanded to include even those, like Nick Sandmann, who are 213 months or so along from conception. Can it be long before it includes all those of us who, seeing humanity in the axiomatically non-human, must therefore be non-human ourselves?
Like Ms Allen, who wrote about the Covington Catholic affair for First Things, I was most dismayed by the behavior of some grown-ups who ought to have been the first to leap to the boys’ defense. No less an eminence than the Bishop of Lexington professed agnosticism about what "really" happened in Washington but condemned the boys anyway for, in his view, associating themselves "with racist acts and a politics of hate" — that is, for advertising their support of the most prominent pro-lifer in politics today. "It’s the pathetic spectacle," wrote Ms Allen,
of Catholic institutions and Catholic public intellectuals wringing their hands and rushing to condemn the boys minutes after the original video went viral . . .[and] to apologize for something that never happened, assuring liberal critics that they, too, considered the youths —their own students, parishioners, and co-religionists — to be deserving of grievous sanctions. R. R. Reno has pointed out that today’s Catholic leaders are "overwrought with anxiety about their roles in elite society." That’s true, but I think there’s something more: a deep and pervasive crisis of confidence among educated Catholics in their own institutions.
I myself think the tectonic plates of secularism go even deeper and have shifted much more profoundly since little Thomas Merton learned without being taught to be ashamed of using bad language in the presence of a religious believer — and so, perhaps, after many years, came to be a believer himself. The shame of the bishop and of the Covington school authorities, at least some of which we must suppose they have managed to convey to the pupils themselves, is of a piece with that of the president of Notre Dame University who recently announced without any visible signs of shame that he had ordered some murals of Christopher Columbus covered up out of deference to liberal sensitivities — by which, presumably, he meant to forestall any charges against himself or his institution as apologists for genocide.
This, it is true, is a kind of shame, but it is an inverted shame: a shame not for something the church or the school or the university have done wrong but for their ostensible mission to do right, merely because that mission doesn’t pass muster with the progressive media. The position of cultural dominance tacitly enjoyed by the Catholic schoolboy living his faith in Merton’s anecdote — and, beyond him, by a religion largely based on self-examination and self-criticism — is now occupied by the secular, religion-averse media who exercise the power of the official culture in all ages to make those who differ from its principles and standards feel ashamed of their own. Leading Democrats who once described themselves as moderates now feel the same shame, which is how the party has moved so far to the left. It would appear that the decades-long media attempt to make progressivism synonymous with decency in the eyes of ordinary decent folk has all but succeeded.
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How Vietnam War Veterans Broke Their Heroin Addictions
by James Clear | Behavioral Psychology, Habits
In 1971, as the Vietnam War was heading into its sixteenth year, congressmen Robert Steele from Connecticut and Morgan Murphy from Illinois made a discovery that stunned the American public. While visiting the troops, they had learned that over 15 percent of U.S. soldiers stationed there were heroin addicts. Follow up research revealed that 35 percent of service members in Vietnam had tried heroin and as many as 20 percent were addicted—the problem was even worse than they had initially thought.1
The discovery led to a flurry of activity in Washington, including the creation of the Special Action Office of Drug Abuse Prevention under President Nixon, to promote prevention and rehabilitation and to track addicted service members when they returned home.2
Lee Robins was one of the researchers in charge. In a finding that completely upended the accepted beliefs about addiction, Robins found that when soldiers who had been heroin users returned home, only 5 percent of them became re-addicted within a year, and just 12 percent relapsed within three years. In other words, approximately nine out of ten soldiers who used heroin in Vietnam eliminated their addiction nearly overnight.3
To Change Your Behavior, Change Your Environment
Robins' finding contradicted the prevailing view at the time, which considered heroin addiction to be a permanent and irreversible condition. Instead, Robins revealed that addictions could spontaneously dissolve if there was a radical change in the environment. In Vietnam, soldiers spent all day surrounded by cues triggering heroin use: it was easy to access, they were engulfed by the constant stress of war, they built friendships with fellow soldiers who were also heroin users, and they were thousands of miles from home. Once a soldier returned to the United States, though, he found himself in an environment devoid of those triggers. When the context changed, so did the habit.
Compare this situation to that of a typical drug user. Someone becomes addicted at home or with friends, goes to a clinic to get clean—which is devoid of all the environmental stimuli that prompt their habit—then returns to their old neighborhood with all of their previous cues that caused them to get addicted in the first place. It’s no wonder that usually you see numbers that are the exact opposite of those in the Vietnam study. Typically, 90 percent of heroin users become re-addicted once they return home from rehab.4
The Secret to Self Control
The Vietnam studies ran counter to many of our cultural beliefs about bad habits because it challenged the conventional association of unhealthy behavior as a moral weakness. If you’re overweight, a smoker, or an addict, you’ve been told your entire life that it is because you lack self-control—maybe even that you’re a bad person. The idea that a little bit of discipline would solve all our problems is deeply embedded in our culture.
Recent research, however, shows something different. When scientists analyze people who appear to have tremendous self-control, it turns out those individuals aren’t all that different from those who are struggling. Instead, “disciplined” people are better at structuring their lives in a way that does not require heroic willpower and self-control. In other words, they spend less time in tempting situations.5
The people with the best self-control are typically the ones who need to use it the least. It’s easier to practice self-restraint when you don’t have to use it very often.6 So, yes, perseverance, grit, and willpower are essential to success, but the way to improve these qualities is not by wishing you were a more disciplined person, but by creating a more disciplined environment.
This counterintuitive idea makes even more sense once you understand what happens when a habit is formed in the brain. A habit that has been encoded in the mind is ready to be used whenever the relevant situation arises.7 When Patty Olwell, a therapist from Austin, Texas, started smoking, she would often light up while riding horses with a friend. Eventually, she quit smoking and avoided it for years. She had also stopped riding. Decades later, she hopped on a horse again and found herself craving a cigarette for the first time in forever. The cues were still internalized; she just hadn’t been exposed to them in a long time.8
Once a habit has been encoded, the urge to act follows whenever the environmental cues reappear. This is one reason behavior change techniques can backfire. Shaming obese people with weight loss presentations can make them feel stressed,9 and as a result many people return to their favorite coping strategy: overeating. Showing pictures of blackened lungs to smokers leads to higher levels of anxiety, which drives many people to reach for a cigarette.10 If you’re not careful about cues, you can cause the very behavior you want to stop.
Bad habits are autocatalytic: the process feeds itself. They foster the feelings they try to numb. You feel bad, so you eat junk food. Because you eat junk food, you feel bad. Watching television makes you feel sluggish, so you watch more television because you don’t have the energy to do anything else. Worrying about your health makes you feel anxious, which causes you to smoke to ease your anxiety, which makes your health even worse and soon you’re feeling more anxious. It’s a downward spiral, a runaway train of bad habits.
Researchers refer to this phenomenon as “cue-induced wanting”: an external trigger causes a compulsive craving to repeat a bad habit. Once you notice something, you begin to want it. This process is happening all the time—often without us realizing it. Scientists have found that showing addicts a picture of cocaine for just thirty-three milliseconds stimulates the reward pathway in the brain and sparks desire.11 This speed is too fast for the brain to consciously register—the addicts couldn’t even tell you what they had seen—but they craved the drug all the same.
Here’s the punchline: You can break a habit, but you’re unlikely to forget it. Once the mental grooves of habit have been carved into your brain, they are nearly impossible to remove entirely—even if they go unused for quite a while. And that means that simply resisting temptation is an ineffective strategy. It is hard to maintain a Zen attitude in a life filled with interruptions. It takes too much energy. In the short-run, you can choose to overpower temptation. In the long-run, we become a product of the environment that we live in. To put it bluntly, I have never seen someone consistently stick to positive habits in a negative environment.
A more reliable approach is to cut bad habits off at the source. One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure to the cue that causes it.
If you can’t seem to get any work done, leave your phone in another room for a few hours.
If you’re continually feeling like you’re not enough, stop following social media accounts that trigger jealousy and envy.
If you’re wasting too much time watching television, move the TV out of the bedroom.
If you’re spending too much money on electronics, quit reading reviews of the latest tech gear.
If you’re playing too many video games, unplug the console and put it in a closet after each use.
Self-control is a short-term strategy, not a long-term one. You may be able to resist temptation once or twice, but it’s unlikely you can muster the willpower to override your desires every time. Instead of summoning a new dose of willpower whenever you want to do the right thing, your energy would be better spent optimizing your environment. This is the secret to self-control. Make the cues of your good habits obvious and the cues of your bad habits invisible.
This article is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of my New York Times bestselling book Atomic Habits. Read more here.
Lee N. Robins et al., “Vietnam Veterans Three Years after Vietnam: How Our Study Changed Our View of Heroin,” American Journal on Addictions 19, no. 3 (2010), doi:10.1111/j.1521–0391.2010.00046.x.
“Excerpts from President’s Message on Drug Abuse Control,” New York Times, June 18, 1971.
Lee N. Robins, Darlene H. Davis, and David N. Nurco, “How Permanent Was Vietnam Drug Addiction?” American Journal of Public Health 64, no. 12 (suppl.) (1974), doi:10.2105/ajph.64.12_suppl.38.
Bobby P. Smyth et al., “Lapse and Relapse following Inpatient Treatment of Opiate Dependence,” Irish Medical Journal 103, no. 6 (June 2010).
Wilhelm Hofmann et al., “Everyday Temptations: An Experience Sampling Study on How People Control Their Desires,” PsycEXTRA Dataset 102, no. 6 (2012), doi:10.1037/e634112013–146.
“Our prototypical model of self-control is angel on one side and devil on the other, and they battle it out. . . . We tend to think of people with strong willpower as people who are able to fight this battle effectively. Actually, the people who are really good at self-control never have these battles in the first place.” For more, see Brian Resnick, “The Myth of Self-Control,” Vox.
Wendy Wood and Dennis Rünger, “Psychology of Habit,” Annual Review of Psychology 67, no. 1 (2016), doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-122414–033417.
“The Biology of Motivation and Habits: Why We Drop the Ball,” Therapist Uncensored), 20:00.
Sarah E. Jackson, Rebecca J. Beeken, and Jane Wardle, “Perceived Weight Discrimination and Changes in Weight, Waist Circumference, and Weight Status,” Obesity, 2014, doi:10.1002/oby.20891.
Kelly McGonigal, The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It (New York: Avery, 2016), xv.
Fran Smith, “How Science Is Unlocking the Secrets of Addiction,” National Geographic.
« How to Build New Habits by Taking Advantage of Old Ones
The Health Benefits of Music »
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Hooked on Hollywood
151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen
Sandman Slim
By Leonard Maltin
Signed Paperback
Leonard Maltin is America’s best-known film historian, film reviewer, and author of books that have sold more than 7 million copies. In Hooked on Hollywood, Maltin opens up his personal archive to take readers on a fascinating journey through film history.
Availability: In stock SKU: 9780998376394 Categories: M - P, Maltin, Leonard, SIGNED BOOKS Tags: Hollywood, Hooked, Leonard, Maltin, Paperback
Inside Hooked on Hollywood, Get the scoop on:
What was it like to work for Cecil B. DeMille and Jack L. Warner?
How did Errol Flynn stash liquor on location in the mountains of New Mexico?
Where was the spot called “Panic Peak” and why were Westerns made there?”
Who were Hollywood’s good guys and gals, and who were the cads?
How did being a catcher on a baseball team land one man an MGM front-office job?
Leonard Maltin finds the answers to these questions and hundreds more in Hooked on Hollywood: Discoveries from a Lifetime of Film Fandom. Leonard is America’s best-known film historian, film reviewer, and author of books that have sold more than 7 million copies. In Hooked on Hollywood, Leonard opens up his personal archive to take readers on a fascinating journey through film history. Included are some of his early interviews with film greats conducted by a teenaged Leonard Maltin in the late 1960s, and later, more in-depth interviews conducted with filmmakers and stars of Hollywood’s Golden Era—interviews that have never been published in book form. Also included in Hooked on Hollywoodare featurettes—articles written by Leonard for his Movie Crazy newsletter about great films like Casablanca and the people who made them. What emerges is a fascinating, often hilarious journey through the soundstages and remote locations of Hollywood to see how the movies we now call “classic” were really made.
Abraham, Daniel
Acquista, Victor
Alia, Stephanie
Bennett, Robert Jackson
Bornikova, Phillipa
Brockway, Robert
Cabot, Meg
Cassutt, Michael
Child, Lee
Denzel, Jason
DiTerlizzi, Tony
Dozois, Gardner
Durham, David Anthony
Golden, Raya
Harkness, Deborah
Heller, Jason
Hodgman, John
Ian, Janis
James, Marlon
Jones Dayrnda
Jones, Stephen Graham
Jordan, Robert
Kadrey, Richard
Kloos, Marko
Lansdale, Joe R
Lansdale, Kasey
Lindskold, Jane
Maltin, Leonard
Martin, George R. R.
Martiniere, Stephan
Mitchell, J. Barton
R - U
Roanhorse, Rebecca
Scalzi, John
Snodgrass, Melinda
Stephenson, Neal
Vaughn, Carrie
Vaz, Katherine
Wild Cards Trust
Williams, Walter Jon
Willis, Connie
Zelazny, Trent
SIGNED SPANISH EDITIONS
The Wit and Wisdom of Tyrion Lannister
By George R. R. Martin
Signed Hardcover
The perfect gift for fans of George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire novels and HBO’s Game of Thrones: a collection of wicked one-liners from the incomparable Imp of Casterly Rock, fully illustrated by Jonty Clark!
Game of Thrones Graphic Novel Vol. 4
Bestselling writer Daniel Abraham and acclaimed illustrator Tommy Patterson bring their stunning graphic-novel adaptation of George R. R. Martin’s classic A Game of Thrones to a stunning finish that merits a place alongside the majestic original on the bookshelf of every fantasy fan. The death of King Robert Baratheon and the imprisonment of his Hand, Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, has set the great houses of Westeros at one another’s throats. In Winterfell, Eddard’s eldest son and heir, Robb Stark, has gathered an army and is pushing south, determined to free his father. Along the way, he pledges to marry the daughter of Lord Walder Frey in exchange for a military advantage that allows him to capture Jaime Lannister—a powerful bargaining chip to ensure Lord Eddard’s safe release. But it is one thing to capture the Kingslayer and quite another to hold him. Meanwhile, in King’s Landing, young King Joffrey has other ideas than an exchange of prisoners. Ignoring the advice of his mother, Queen Cersei, he throws oil on the flames of conflict and ignites a conflagration that seems likely to consume not only the Starks but all of Westeros—unless Tyrion Lannister, the Imp, can bring the mad boy-king to heel. Beyond the Wall, greater dangers are brewing, as a winter as brutal as any in history approaches, bringing with it unnatural creatures out of legend. There, Eddard’s bastard, Jon Snow, must decide once and for all where his loyalties lie. And across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys Targaryen will learn the true measure of grief—and emerge from its fiery depths transformed, hardened, and ready to claim what is hers by right: the Iron Throne.
Impossible Monsters
By Kasey Lansdale
The Lansdale name is legendary in the horror field. Now acclaimed musician and actress Kasey Lansdale follows in her father’s footsteps, making her editing debut with this anthology of monstrously innovative stories. The twelve creatures that stalk the pages of Impossible Monsters spring from the twisted imaginations of a dozen of today s most noted authors.
Outlander Series
By Diana Gabaldon
Signed Hardcover & Mass Market
Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon’s work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured the hearts of millions of fans. Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and history that combines exhilarating adventure with a love story for the ages.
The Hedge Knight Graphic Novel
Signed Trade Paperback
In this comic book/graphic novel adaptation set one hundred years before the events in George R.R. Martin’s epic fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, The Hedge Knight chronicles a young squire as he travels the cruel and complex path to knighthood in the Seven Kingdoms.
In The Book of Swords, acclaimed editor and bestselling author Gardner Dozois presents an all-new anthology of original epic tales by a stellar cast of award-winning modern masters—many of them set in their authors’ best-loved worlds. Join today’s finest tellers of fantastic tales on action-packed journeys into the outer realms of dark enchantment and intrepid derring-do, featuring a stunning assortment of fearless swordsmen and warrior women who face down danger and death at every turn with courage, cunning, and cold steel.
Game of Thrones Leather Box Set
Signed Box Set
George RR Martin A Game of Thrones Leather-Cloth Boxed Set Song of Ice and Fire Series in slipcase
This lavishly illustrated volume is a comprehensive history of the Seven Kingdoms, providing vividly constructed accounts of the epic battles, bitter rivalries, and daring rebellions that lead to the events of A Song of Ice and Fire and HBO’s Game of Thrones. In a collaboration that’s been years in the making, Martin has teamed with Elio M. García, Jr., and Linda Antonsson, the founders of the renowned fan site Westeros.org—perhaps the only people who know this world almost as well as its visionary creator.
Wild Cards: Deuces Down
In this collection of Wild Cards stories, the spotlight is on the most unusual Wild Cards of them all—the Deuces. Their role in the Wild Cards Universe is just as important as that of the Aces and the Jokers. In fact, their actions have affected the course of Wild Cards history. Deuces Down is the one place you’ll find such never-before-told tales as John J. Miller’s exciting 1969 World Series between the Baltimore Orioles and the Brooklyn Dodgers; Michael Cassutt’s first moon landing, when the whole world wasn’t watching; Walter Simon’s Great New York City Blackout of 1977; Melinda M. Snodgrass’s account of Grace Kelly’s mysterious disappearance during the filming of the French Lieutenant’s Woman. It’s a strange and terrifying world, where anything can happen. A world of Wild Cards.
Game of Thrones 20th Anniversary Edition
Published in celebration of the twentieth anniversary of George R. R. Martin’s landmark series, this lavishly illustrated special edition of A Game of Thrones—featuring gorgeous full-page artwork as well as black-and-white illustrations in every chapter—revitalizes the fantasy masterpiece that became a cultural phenomenon. And now the mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure of this magnificent saga come to life as never before.
What I’m Watching
July 13-14 2018
ThrillerFest XIII- held at the Grand Hyatt, New York City- details TBA
76th World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention: ConJose II Sijn, in San Jose
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← FINAL OSCAR® BALLOTS MAILED TO ACADEMY MEMBERS
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND SET TO PERFORM ON THE 54TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS® →
INSIDE LOOK AT BEST NEW ARTIST GRAMMY® NOMINEES
PANDORA, PEPSI, THE RECORDING ACADEMY® PROVIDE MUSIC FANS WITH INSIDE LOOK AT BEST NEW ARTIST GRAMMY® NOMINEES, VIA VIDEO SERIES AND GENRE STATIONS
Leading personalized radio service Pandora (NYSE: P), PepsiCo Inc. and The Recording Academy® (www.grammy.com) today announced an original content video series showcasing the 54th GRAMMY® Best New Artist nominees. Newly created Pandora GRAMMY genre stations have been created in conjunction with the series, designed to help music fans celebrate and capture the excitement around the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards®. The video series can be found at http://www.pandora.com/pepsigrammyvideoand the GRAMMY genre stations are accessible athttp://pandora.com/genres/grammys.
The Best New Artist video series includes exclusive interviews with The Band Perry, Bon Iver, J. Cole, Nicki Minaj, and Skrillex. During the interviews, the artists discuss the evolution of their careers, share their excitement surrounding their Best New Artist nomination and describe their anticipation for Music’s Biggest Night®.
The GRAMMY genre stations are based on official GRAMMY categories, ranging from country to comedy, and spotlight current and past GRAMMY-nominated artists. The new GRAMMY genre stations include:
GRAMMY® Country: featuringartists such as Lady Antebellum, Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, and Carrie Underwood.
GRAMMY® Pop and Dance:featuringartists such as Adele, Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, and Maroon 5.
GRAMMY® Rock and Alternative: featuringartists such as the Black Keys, Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.
GRAMMY® Rap: featuringartists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, and 50 Cent.
GRAMMY® R&B:featuringartists such as Beyoncé, Chris Brown, Jennifer Hudson, and John Legend.
GRAMMY® Gospel and Contemporary Christian Music: featuringartists such as Kirk Franklin, Brandon Heath, Mary Mary, and Matthew West.
GRAMMY® Latin:featuringartists such as Calle 13, Intocable, Los Tigres Del Norte, and Wisin Y Yandel.
GRAMMY® Jazz: featuringartists such as Karrin Allyson, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins, and Yellowjackets.
GRAMMY® World and Reggae: featuring artists such as Gilberto Gil, Femi Kuti, Ziggy Marley, and Shaggy.
GRAMMY® American Roots Music: featuring artists such as the Civil Wars, Emmylou Harris, Keb’ Mo’, and Ricky Skaggs.
GRAMMY® Classical: featuringartists such as those from the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Metropolitan Opera, Paul Ruders, and Yo-Yo Ma.
GRAMMY® Comedy: featuringartists such asLewis Black, Louis C.K., Flight Of The Conchords, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
“We’re excited to celebrate this year’s GRAMMY Awards by giving Pandora listeners access to their favorite GRAMMY-nominated artists and helping them discover great new music through our GRAMMY genre stations,” said Pandora Chief Marketing Officer Simon Fleming-Wood.
“The excitement surrounding the red-hot Best New Artist nominees is not only soaring, but also celebrates new artists that are both refreshing and innovative in spirit,” said Tom Moradpour, senior director, Pepsi. “Pepsi is thrilled to help create unforgettable music experiences for fans at this year’s GRAMMY awards and will continue to harness the power of music and entertainment.”
“To commemorate the excitement for Music’s Biggest Nightwith the launch of a dozen GRAMMY genre stations and the first-ever Best New Artist video series is exciting,” said Evan Greene, Chief Marketing Officer, The Recording Academy. “We were pleased to extend this innovative program to Pandora users through our partnership with Pepsi.”
The partnership also offers music fans a GRAMMY mixtape, which can be found at http://www.pandora.com/pepsigrammymusic and includes songs from nominees and newcomers in various 54th GRAMMY Awards categories.
The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held Sunday, Feb. 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).
About Pandora
Pandora (NYSE: P) gives people music they love anytime, anywhere, through connected devices. (OK, we’ve added comedy as well so we’re also up for playing some jokes you’ll love.) Personalized stations launch instantly with the input of a single “seed” — a favorite artist, song or genre. The Music Genome Project®, a deeply detailed hand-built musical taxonomy, powers the personalization of Pandora® internet radio by using musicological “DNA” and constant listener feedback to craft personalized stations from a growing collection of hundreds of thousands of recordings. Tens of millions of people in the U.S. turn on Pandora to hear music they love. http://www.pandora.com
About The Recording Academy
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit http://www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like “The GRAMMYs” on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs’ social communities on YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, GetGlue and Instagram.
About PepsiCo
PepsiCo offers the world’s largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 22 different product lines that generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales each. Our main businesses — Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi Cola — also make hundreds of other enjoyable foods and beverages that are respected household names throughout the world. With net revenues of approximately $60 billion, PepsiCo’s people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo’s promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment, including by conserving energy and water usage, and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support, and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit http://www.pepsico.com.
Posted on February 2, 2012, in GRAMMY News, K*Chele Magazine, The Recording Academy and tagged K*Chele, Pandora, Pepsi, Recording Academy. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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Tag Archives: trite music
Music Review: “Chicago XXXVI: Now”
This is the band Chicago’s first true album – album of new material – since Chicago XXX from 2006. As Chicago XXX was quite a good release, I had high hopes for Chicago XXXVI:Now. Let’s see if the hopes were realized.
Chicago XXXVI: Now opens with the title song (“Now”), which was clearly inspired by Chicago’s touring with Earth, Wind and Fire. It’s overly derivative – more imitation than tribute, and its lyrics are like a reinstatement of “Feel” from Chicago XXX. A problem arises here that affects the entire album, as the horns sometimes sound real and sometimes sound synthesized, ’80s style. It’s hard to tell when the band members are playing actual instruments and when the sounds have been computer-generated.
“More Will Be Revealed” sounds like a Terry Kath song (“This Time” from Chicago XI) but the horns are synthetic. They sound positively middle-of-the-road (MOR) on “America,” a trite song with trite lyrics: “America is free/America is you and me.” “Crazy Happy” is a boring ’70s/early ’80s style track. Where is Peter Cetera when you need him?
On “Free At Last,” Lou Pardini delivers another Terry Kath-ish vocal. But it’s on top of a start/stop multi-rhythm track that goes nowhere. And the lyrics are painfully bad: “Here’s to the future/here’s to the past….” “Love Lives On” is a ballad that might have been written by Bryan Adams – or Ryan Adams, and then set aside: “We were more than each other’s cheap attraction….” It goes on for five and a quarter minutes; it should have run no more than three and a half.
“Something’s Coming I Know,” will make the listener wonder if 1977 has returned. Tony Manero might like this, but I didn’t. “Watching All the Colors” is a Robert Lamm composition that might have fit well on Chicago or Chicago III, if it were not executed in such a boring fashion. The brass sounds like Muzak.
Fortunately, we’re getting close to the conclusion of this 50-minute album. “Nice Girl” seems to be two songs awkwardly joined together. This is the type of track one listens to once but never again. “Naked in the Garden of Allah” features an interesting Middle Eastern opening – which calls to mind Bruce Springsteen’s “Let’s Be Friends (Skin to Skin)” on The Rising, but the song that follows meanders around with no apparent destination. This 11-song album concludes with “Another Trippy Day,” the best track of the eleven, but it’s a sad case of too little too late.
If there’s some good news associated with Chicago XXXVI: Now it’s that Lou Pardini – who is pictured on the far right in the photo, above – does a great job of channeling the late Terry Kath. But the band simply failed to show up this time around, and Tris Imbolden’s drumming is bland, boring and predictable. On Chicago XXX, the band displayed some guts on songs like “Feel (with Horns)” and “90 Degrees and Freezing.” That courage has dissipated and perhaps completely disappeared. How disappointing.
This review originally appeared on the Blogcritics site:
http://blogcritics.org/music-review-chicago-chicago-xxxvi-now/
This review was also used by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
http://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Chicago-Chicago-XXXVI-Now-5665766.php
Tagged as 1977, 1980's music, 2006, 90 Degrees and Freezing, album review, America, Another Trippy Day, Blogcritics, Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, Chicago, Chicago 2014, Chicago 30, Chicago 36, Chicago II, Chicago III, Chicago XXX, Chicago XXXVI, Chicago XXXVI: Now, computer generated music, Crazy Happy, derivative song, disappointing album, Earth, Feel, Feel (with Horns), Free At Last, Joseph Arellano, Joseph's Reviews, Let's Be Friends (Skin to Skin), Lou Pardini, Love Lives On, MOR music, More Will Be Revealed, music review, Muzak, Naked in the Garden of Allah, new music, Nice Girl, Now, Robert Lamm, Ryan Adams, Seattle P-I, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Something's Coming I Know, synthesized sound, synthetic horns, Terry Kath, The Rising, This Time, Tony Manero, Tris Imboden, trite music, Watching All the Colors, Wind and Fire
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How to: Make it to the NBA (Part I)
OJ MAYO
SEBASTIAN TELFAIR
MICHAEL BEASLEY
Each NBA team can have a maximum of 15 players, meaning that a maximum of 450 players are in the League at any one time. It is definitely hard work to get to the world’s premier basketball league, and players take a variety of routes to the top.
Symbolic player: LeBron James
The phenom is the can’t-miss prospect, touted for NBA superstardom even in his early teens. Players like James are coveted even before they enter high school, and they may jump straight to the NBA from high school like he did. They usually spend four years dominating lesser competition, drawing immense crowds (including NBA players and movie stars) and having their games televised nation-wide, giving basketball fans an early glimpse into their talents and potential.
In today’s NBA where players are required to be one year removed from high school before being drafted, they tend to be ‘one-and-dones’ who only attend one year at top college, just like Kevin Durant. Durant played high school hoops at powerhouses Oak Hill and Montrose before rounding up his youth career with an MVP performance at the prestigious McDonald’s All-American Game. He then had a very productive freshman season with the University of Texas, winning every conceivable National Player of the Year award.
This is usually followed by a number one selection in the NBA Draft and subsequent Rookie of the Year honors. Endless accolades and awards soon fill their trophy cabinets, as they chase the ultimate goal: the NBA championship. Of course, endless hours of hard work are still a requisite even for the phenom, with plenty of cautionary tales afloat whereby ‘surefire stars’ like OJ Mayo, Sebastian Telfair and Michael Beasley ended up being role players at best.
For a phenom to truly rise to the level of a LeBron James, a relentless hunger for success is a necessity. Today, the mantle falls on Ben Simmons, who was one of the most hyped high school players in recent history and who has been absolutely dominant in his rookie season. Basketball fans all over the globe look forward to see whether Simmons can step up and exceed the already-sky-high expectations in place for him.
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Colombia Workshop
Uganda Workshop
Sri Lanka Workshop
Syria Workshop
Justice, Conflict & Development
Understanding Conflict, Justice and Development through the Experiences and Expectations of Affected Communities
Posted on February 26, 2018 by Kirsten Ainley
Mario Gomez is the Executive Director at the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) in Sri Lanka. He has published in the areas of human rights, constitutional reform, public law, gender equality, and transitional justice. He has a PhD in Law and teaches at the University of Colombo on public law, human rights, and gender studies.
Dareen Khalifa is the deputy director of The Day After Association and holds an MA in Human Rights and Public Policy from UCL in London. She has contributed to several human rights reports, including the Global Integrity Anti-Corruption report on Egypt and the Verité International Annual Report on Labor Rights; and has published on a revision of the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel as well as on local reconciliation agreements in Syria.
Nelson Camilo Sanchez is a research coordinator of the Center for the Study of Law, Justice, and Society – Dejusticia – and associate professor at the ‘Universidad Nacional de Colombia’ in Bogota. His research and publications focus on transitional justice, human rights, armed conflict, social justice, development and economic, social and cultural rights, and he has done a close follow up of the peace talks with a special focus on land restitution.
This post is authored by the network members above to reflect on the work of the Justice, Conflict and Development Network, following the first three workshops in Colombia, Uganda, and Sri Lanka. The photographs were taken by network members during the workshops.
What is the network looking to achieve?
The network has been looking at connections between justice, conflict, and development by focusing on four conflict-affected countries: Colombia, Uganda, Sri Lanka, and Syria.
The broad range of knowledge and experience brought by members of the network has allowed the group to map existing research and identify knowledge gaps in three of the four case studies; it has additionally allowed us to foster interdisciplinary engagement through capacity and relationship building, in addition to maintaining virtual engagement through this website and social media.
Through field visits, we have been exploring the connections and boundaries between justice and development. Based on the underlying premise that states need to enjoy a condition of durable peace for development to take place, the focus of the network has been to test the impact of justice institutions on development in the four case studies.
What are the most interesting/surprising things you’ve learned through the network to date?
One of the fundamental added values of the field visits conducted by the network to date in each of the three countries, has been to test some of the predominant assumptions that surround justice and development and their correlation, where the expectation that transitional justice, peace, and development all go together has been contested in each of the case studies.
In all of the cases, we have found attempts by civil society to establish a ‘bottom-up’ approach to transitional justice. It is assumed that as long as the repressive regime is still in power, it would be difficult for a comprehensive justice process to take place; however, we have seen that even in situations where the transition has not yet taken place; it is possible to find the implementation of some forms of transitional justice measures. They might be carried out in localized forms, even when the main perpetrators still hold political power. However, due to the imbalance in power relations and the consolidation of power in the hand of authoritarian regimes, it is difficult for victims to achieve some forms of accountability, for example, criminal prosecution. Therefore, there is an empirical need to conduct additional research on local initiatives and the ability of communities to scale up these local initiatives to push for social transformation and transitional justice frameworks.
At the same time, when the regime has not changed, there is a high risk of the misuse and manipulation of the concept of transitional justice in order for the regime to gain legitimacy, divert international pressure, and consolidate power.
Why is research on the connections between justice, conflict, and development necessary?
The cases we have studied have allowed us to analyze how in practice there are many connections between conflict and development. In some cases, local analysts and the communities themselves have indicated how development deficits have had an influence in the emergence of conflicts. Especially in cases where development has been uneven and communities have been excluded and discriminated against. Thus, the cases feed into the discussion that we have seen in theory regarding poverty and exclusion as causes of violent conflict.
In other cases, the political economy of the conflict causes the emergence of economies and forms of development during conflict times that are driven by the warriors’ interests. These economies can be illegal, such as the use of illicit crops in Colombia, or they can also be legal. At the same time, the conflict restricts, de facto, multiple forms of human and economic development. These limitations generally translate into a violation of the economic, social, and cultural rights of the victims and communities, such as the impossibility to attend school for girls and boys, or the almost complete destruction of health infrastructure, as is the case in some regions in Syria.
On the other hand, the end of a conflict gives rise to opportunities for economic development and reactivation that may have taken root while the conflict operated or that take advantage of its absence. This idea of “peace dividends” is very attractive from a social and economic point of view, but it is not always associated with general access to the benefits of such development. In our field visits, we have heard from communities how the post-conflict has influenced the ways in which an area develops. The coastal area of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka is one of them. In Colombia, similarly, we listened to the grievances of the ancestral communities of the Montes de María territories about how the post-conflict brought the extensive cultivation of African oil palm and the consequent scarcity of water for the irrigation of traditional crops.
All these relationships between conflict and visions of development impact the expectations and the meanings of justice, both at the community and the state level. What concept or concepts of justice should these interrelations and protection deficits face? Here, again, the theoretical discussions are best viewed through the lens of the cases and the communities’ expectations and proposals. For example, the leaders fighting for land in the Montes de María in the Colombian Caribbean, spoke of transformative reparations and social justice. Two concepts with which they feel more identified than with other more traditional views of reparations.
In general, these interrelations, based on specific contexts, require further research because the normative assumptions on which many disciplines and methodologies have been based are not sufficient for describing the complexity of current reality. For example, the aforementioned relationship between poverty, exclusion, and the generation of armed conflicts; or, on the other hand, the relationship between economic developments in post-conflict regions where the land use or ownership is radically modified.
Justice and Development: Expanding the Conversation
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University Singers for Christmas Performance in New York
The acclaimed University Singers, takes its outstanding repertoire of music to New York this month, with one performance at the Brooklyn College on Saturday, December 13, at 8:00 p.m.
The group will open the holiday portion of the 2008-2009 season of the Brooklyn Centre for the Performing Arts (BCPA), with a performance titled ‘Christmas in the Caribbean’. The concert is part of the Centre’s World Stages concert series.
Noted for their versatile repertoire, which includes classical chorale, negro spirituals, jazz, folk, gospel, and original music by Caribbean composers, the University Singers has distinguished itself as one of the leading chorale groups in the Caribbean.
Founded in 1957, the University Singers is comprised of more than 40 talented undergraduate and graduate students from the University of the West Indies (UWI). For the past 30 years, the group has performed internationally under the direction of distinguished musician and composer Noel Dexter, with musical staging by Vice Chancellor Emeritus, UWI, Professor Rex Nettleford,
The accomplished group has received many awards, including the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence; the Vice Chancellor’s Award for sterling contribution to the University; and a Gold Musgrave Medal from the Institute of Jamaica.
In addition to representing Jamaica at music festivals and other international events, the choir has performed at numerous state functions and for notable world figures including former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela; former Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Anan; former Archbishop of South Africa, Desmond Tutu; former president of Botswana, Dr. Quett Masire; and Queen Elizabeth II. In 1995 they appeared on NBC’s The Today Show.
In addition, they have toured the world extensively, with performances in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the wider Caribbean.
The mission of the Brooklyn Centre for the Performing Arts, is to present outstanding performing arts and arts education programmes, embracing the world culture that defines Brooklyn’s diverse communities, at an affordable cost.
The ‘World Stages’ concert series, incorporating the ‘Christmas in the Caribbean’ performance by the University Singers, is made possible through the generous support of Air Jamaica, National Grid, Macy’s, the Brooklyn delegation of the New York State Assembly, among others.
The Brooklyn Centre for the Performing Arts is located on the campus of the Brooklyn College at 2900 Campus Road, Brooklyn, NY. T: 718-951-4500
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I Love a Parade
Chinese Society / September 8, 2015 by Jo / 1 Comment
I’m actually ambivalent to parades in general, but I must admit to having a strange fascination with Chinese military parades. I’m not sure why, but perhaps it’s because they are multi-layered and there are interesting things going on at every level.
On Thursday, September 3, China held it’s 14th grand military parade in Central Beijing. While past parades have been held to commemorate the founding of the People’s Republic or other Communist Party milestones, this one was designed to mark the end World War II; specifically the defeat of Japan. And just to be sure that everyone got that, it was given the somewhat clunky (at least in English) name: Commemoration of the The 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.
From a purely visual aspect, the production of the parade was stunning. Nobody can stage manage and produce images (still and moving) better than CCTV, the Chinese national broadcasting entity. They are true masters.
Watching a Chinese military parade is also somewhat jarring, culturally. Parades in the west tend to be laid-back (albeit well-organized), often winsome events. The goal is to have a good time. Not so with a military parade; goose-stepping soldiers, tanks, and nuclear missiles tend not to have that kind of effect on people.
And perhaps that’s just the point. The parade wasn’t about or for the enjoyment of the people; it was about communicating a message to the people: “We have risen; we are strong.” To many (perhaps most) people in China, this message (rightly) inspires pride; to many in the west, consternation.
In other words, mission accomplished.
If you missed it the first time around, you can watch the entire parade here.
It is a little over an hour. If you would prefer to watch the 1-minute version, you can do so here.
Jonah Kessler has produced an excellent short video about the parade titled Pomp and Power at China Military Parade.
If you are more inclined towards still photos of the parade, The Atlantic has collected some of the best.
The Economist highlights the specific message that China was sending to Japan:
The government described the display as an international celebration, befitting the 70th anniversary of an Allied victory. But an online article in the People’s Daily, the party’s mouthpiece, earlier this year made clear what this meant. The parade’s purpose, it said, was to “deter Japan” and “show off China’s military might”. This was promptly toned down to “conveying to the world that China is devoted to safeguarding international order after world war two, rather than challenging it”. China argues that the main threat to the international status quo is the desire of Shinzo Abe, Japan’s prime minister, to rewrite his country’s pacifist constitution. So the polite version is not, in fact, all that different from the blunt one.
It was also a more personal message from President Xii Jinping saying to the Party and the nation (and to potential rivals): “I am in charge now.” An article in The New York Times delves deeper into the meaning of the parade for Mr. Xi, and especially his use of the parade to announce troop reductions:
But the highly public manner of Mr. Xi’s announcement that 300,000 military personnel would be demobilized, China’s largest troop reduction in nearly two decades, carried another implicit message. He was demonstrating his grip on the military and on the party, amid economic squalls and a grinding anticorruption campaign that have left some wondering whether he and his agenda of change — including in the People’s Liberation Army — were faltering, several experts said.
“It’s Xi in command,” Andrew Scobell, a political scientist at the RAND Corporation who studies the Chinese military, and who was in Beijing during the parade, said of the announcement.
Writing at The New Yorker, Even Osnos notes that one of the issues underlying the parade was skeptism:
Seventy years after China emerged from the Second World War, the greatest threat facing the nation’s leadership is not imperialism but skepticism. Chinese Communist Party leaders built their legitimacy on economic performance, and now they must rebuild confidence that they are able to negotiate a more complicated financial and political moment.
The Wall Street Journal does an excellent job in presenting five takeaways from the parade.
Since this was the first parade to be held in the era of social media, there were numerous stories about how Chinese netizens were reacting online to the parade. The Wall Street Journal identified 5 memes, or topics of particular interest and comment on social media. They range from the red dress worn by President Xi’s wife to fans taking selfies with Chairman Mao’s grandson.
Finally, if you are interested in the history of Chinese military parades, I recommend the Parading The People’s Republic, posted at The China Story. It reminds us that these parades have a long and glorious history!
The 3 September 2015 Grand Military Parade is the fifteenth large-scale event of its kind in the history of the People’s Republic (not counting such confected crowd-sourced events as anti-US rallies, Mao’s eight reviews of amassed Red Guards in 1966 and celebrations following the coup d’état against the ‘Gang of Four’ in October 1976). It is an out-of-sequence triumph, heavily freighted with Xi-era self-congratulation.
Congratulations, China, on a parade well-marched!
Image credit: The Atlantic
This is a slightly edited version of a post that was first published at ChinaSource on September 7, 2015.
Remembering Jewish Refugees in Shanghai | Outside-In says:
[…] week, China staged a huge parade to commemorate the end of World War II. While everyone was focused on the pomp and ceremony in […]
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Audubon Bien Pl. 251, Mango Hummingbird, Pl. 252, Columbian Hummingbird
https://joel-oppenheimer-inc.odoo.com/shop/product/bie-0251-sy-audubon-bien-pl-251-mango-hummingbird-pl-252-columbian-hummingbird-15412
$ 7,500.00 $ 7,500.00 7500.0 USD
Chromolithograph with hand-coloring, 1858-1860
39 3/8" x 26 1/2 (approximate)
Audubon Bien Ed. Pl. 251 Mango Humming Bird & Pl. 252 Colunbian Humming Bird
Chromolithograph with hand-coloring
The Birds of America, Bien Edition
Produced between 1858 and 1860, the Bien edition of John James Audubon’s The Birds of America is the largest and most valuable color plate book ever published in America, and the rarest of all John James Audubon folios. Also on sheets measuring 26 1/2 by 39 inches, called double-elephant, this edition represents one of the finest examples of early large-scale color printing. The new technique of chromolithography was perceived as an advancement in printmaking technology that promised to achieve effects entirely different from engraving.
Seven years after their father’s death, John James Audubon’s sons, John Woodhouse Audubon and Victor Gifford Audubon, began an American edition of The Birds of America with Julius Bien, a New York-based printer who was pioneering the field of chromolithography. Bien transferred the images from Robert Havell’s copper plates onto lithographic stones. As many as six printing stages with additional hand-drawn lithography and coloring were used to reproduce subtleties found in the Havell engravings. As the Havell edition was, the Bien edition also was sold by subscription, beginning in 1858. Production was brought to a halt by the advent of the Civil War and only 150 plates on 105 sheets were completed. The Audubon family was unable to complete and sell the edition or recoup their losses, which led to a devastating bankruptcy. The consensus is that fewer than seventy folios were completed.
John James Audubon explored the American backwoods and wilderness to discover, record, and illustrate its avian life. America’s most revered artist-naturalist, John James Audubon (1785—1851), is renowned for his extraordinary undertaking to record the birds of America. The images he created are icons of 19th-century art. Though fascinated by nature since childhood, studying and drawing from it, it was not until 1819 when he was the father of two sons that John James Audubon fully embraced the life of an artist-naturalist with the support of his devoted wife, Lucy Audubon. In 1820, John James Audubon left his family in Cincinnati, embarking with a young apprentice, Joseph R. Mason. Mason worked with John James Audubon from 1820 until 1822, contributing mostly botanical elements to about 55 of John James Audubon’s paintings. Later, the artists George Lehman, Maria Martin, and his sons Victor Gifford Audubon and John Woodhouse Audubon assisted John James Audubon with botanical and landscape backgrounds. Published from 1827—38, the lavish double-elephant-size folio of The Birds of America, spectacularly launched John James Audubon’s career as an artist-naturalist and publisher of natural history folios depicting North American birds and animals.
Click here for more Audubon prints from The Birds of America Bien Edition
Specifications for Audubon Bien Pl. 251, Mango Hummingbird, Pl. 252, Columbian Hummingbird
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FBI chief: No evidence of illegal spying on Trump campaign
President Trump speaking in NOLA, photo from Facebook LIVE with FOX News
WASHINGTON (AP) — FBI Director Chris Wray said Tuesday that he does not consider court-approved FBI surveillance to be "spying" and said he has no evidence the FBI illegally monitored President Donald Trump's campaign during the 2016 election.
His comments at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing broke from Attorney General William Barr, who has said that he believed the Trump campaign had been spied on during an investigation into potential collusion with Russia. Trump seized on those comments as part of his allegation that the investigation was tainted by law enforcement bias.
Asked by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., if he would say the FBI is "spying" when it investigates suspected terrorists and mobsters while following "investigative policies and procedures," Wray replied, "Well, that's not the term I would use."
He added: "I believe that the FBI is engaged in investigative activity, and part of investigative activity includes surveillance activity of different shapes and sizes. And to me, the key question is making sure that it's done by the book, consistent with our lawful authorities. That's the key question. Different people use different colloquial phrases."
Wray declined to discuss in detail the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign because of an ongoing Justice Department inspector general probe into the origins of the Russia inquiry. Barr has said he expects the watchdog report to be done in May or June.
But asked whether he was aware of evidence that the FBI had illegally spied on the Trump campaign, Wray said, "I don't think I personally have any evidence of that sort."
Barr is investigating whether there was a proper basis for the FBI to open a counterintelligence investigation into ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.
"The attorney general is seeking to understand better the circumstances at the department and the FBI relating to how this investigation started, and we're working to help him get that understanding," Wray said about the Justice Department's review. "I think that's part of his job and part of mine."
Barr didn't specify what he meant when he said he believed there had been spying on the Trump campaign, though he also said that he did not mean for the word in a negative way.
The FBI obtained a secret surveillance warrant in 2016 to monitor the communications of former Trump campaign aide Carter Page. The New York Times also reported last week that the FBI used a woman posing as a research assistant to approach ex-Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos, who had earlier been told by a Maltese professor that Russia had "dirt" on Democrat Hillary Clinton in the form of stolen emails.
In his book about his entanglement in the Russia probe, "Deep State Target," Papadopoulos wrote that the woman, who identified herself as Azra Turk, asked him about his work with the Trump campaign.
"She wants to know: Are we working with Russia?" he wrote.
He described her question as "creepy" and said he told her he had "nothing to do with Russia."
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#India — Human Rights Violations against a lesbian couple
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Health Care, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism Tags: discrimination, gender, Human Rights, India, Karnataka
Saranya went back to her parents on 30 July 2013, after undergoing a lot of stress and `emotional blackmail’
Bangalore, 1 Aug 2013: After undergoing a lot of stress and `emotional blackmail’, one of the two women, Saranya, who came to Bangalore from Kerala, went back to her parents on 30 July 2013. However, Shruthi returned to Bangalore on her own choice and pledged to fight the conservative system and appealed to everyone not to discriminate them.
Saranya’s father Mr. Mohanan filed a Habeas Corpus petition in the Kerala High Court where Saranya was represented by well-know advocate Mr. BT Venkatesh and Advocate Asha on 30 July. However, the court has allowed the parents to talk to the girl alone for over two hours but we felt that she was not given a chance to talk on her own. She was asked by court whether she would like to go back to her parents and she replied `Yes’ in a mono syllable. She was under duress and “emotional stress”.
Adressing a Press Conference at Press Club today, Senior Advocate and Human Rights Activist Mr BT Venkatesh, said: “I feel that court ought to have handled the matter in a more sensitive manner. It was visible that the girl was under great stress and it was also necessary that the girl ought to have been enquired in a friendly atmosphere which was not the case. We have seen, there is a crying need to form a set of guidelines in the matters relating to Habeas Corpus petitions seeking custody of women or girl child in particular. Absence of such guidelines, we have seen, resulted in women being pushed to traumatic situations more particularly when the families are oppressive. The case of Saranya, unfortunately, stands in that league.”
“Saranya’s father has been harassing her for the last few days and he has also made false allegations against Sangama. After watching the whole issue unfold in the last few days, It is clear, Saranya’s decision came after she was subjected to emotional blackmail,” said Gurukiran Kamath, Director, Sangama.
Two lesbians from Kerala, who ran away from their homes, have requested the support of Sangama, a human rights organisation working for Sexual Minorities, for legal support.
Sangama is a human rights organisation promoting and defending the rights of sexual minorities, sex workers and other oppressed communities and has been working with many organisations in Kerala for the last 13 years and from 2010 it has been directly doing local work from many districts of Kerala with the community based organizations of sexual minorities. The organisation has supported many women in distress from Kerala in the last 13 years.
“Saranya has clearly told her father and other members that she has come out on her own. But the pressure from home was so much that she was forced to go back. I am sure Saranya is not happy there. I want to talk to her and want know how she is,” said Shruthi, who chose to return back to Bangalore.
“When we talk about freedom, where is the freedom for women? In a democratic country, if an adult is not having freedom then it is against the constitutional morality, ” said Elavarthi Manohar, Joint Secretary, Praja Rajakiya Vedike.
Shubha Chacko, a women’s rights activist and Director of Aneka said: “We will take this issue to women’s movement to have a larger dialogue. We strongly demand the protection of women’s rights.”
For details call Gurukiran 9972903460 or the helpline 9901682151
A Quickie For Mr. Mahesh Murthy #FOS #Gender #Chrisgayle
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: Activism, Chris Gayle, Gay Lesbian and Bisexual, gender, Gender identity, LGBT, Male to Female, Transgendered
Posted byMJPosted onApr 26 2013
There is a fine line between humor and everything else. One may think they have said the funniest thing of the hour, without giving the slightest of thought that their said words can have consequences. In fact words do have consequences, trust me! (Remember this? …Yes, I did learn a lesson or two there.)
And so at it happens, at times the well informed too need a reminder of the above perhaps a quickie on Queer sensitization as well. So we begin today’s session with Mr. Mahesh Murthy. Who is he? Er…he is blah blah & blah. Jumping onto what he did! Well… he posted the below message on his Facebook page;
Funny? Really?! Since I am one of the 26,000+ people who visit Mr. Murthy’s FB page every now and then, all I can say is that this isn’t his finest of wordplay. And believe you me, this man is funny.
Personally though I found his posted message not only demeaning but also his follow-up (defensive) comment to be equally arrogant. Here are bits of it:
I personally don’t give a rat’s ass for political correctness. Yes, I know LGBT and other minorities have fought long and hard to be treated as equal – but part of being treated as equal is about forgetting what our own sexual leanings and other badges of minority-ness are, and being warm, friendly and funny human beings.
Firstly my apologies to the rat for unnecessarily being pulled up in this conversation. Believe me I know how hard it is to maintain a toned ass. But only if the likes of Mr. Murthy started paying some attention to the necessity of political correctness (at least in some instances)…Sigh! Imagine a greener world. Now Mr. Murthy it is heartening to know that you are aware of our struggle, but I wonder how much of it do you actually understand. For a Queer person much of our humanness lies in the acceptance of our sexuality and/or gender. And while you may ask us to let go of the core ingredients that make us happy human beings to begin with, how about first giving us the basic necessities that an equal person is provided with. Lets begin with the right to exist (Yes it’s true… in 2013 we continue to fight a battle in the supreme court).
So while you rightly say “Equal doesn’t mean better than equal”…you must first ensure the other is on an equal platform to begin with before you start kicking below the belt. Even in the Just Joking context.
Moving on Mr. Murthy enlightens us with further gyan…(*Statutory notice: He is only a human being).
Everyone’s welcome here. We don’t discriminate here, nor do we believe anybody needs to be treated with kid gloves. We’re all adults, we all have thick skin here. You want sensitivity, get yourself litmus paper. But this group of folks is under no obligation to offer any. They might, if they feel like, but it’s not a membership criteria here.
Now to the issue of humour. My post was a simple pun on the word “Chhakka” to refer to a eunuch (or TG person, as other terminology puts it) and a sixer in a game of cricket. Chris Gayle hit 17 sixes today. So there was a silly thought of calling him “Chhakkon ka raja” – king of sixers. But the pun also indicated “King of the transgenders” so the joke went on, that eunuchs might be unhappy with someone saying he’s now their ruler.
Not a super-great joke, but one for the moment indeed. I see nothing offensive about it, and if you or anybody else seemed offended you have a responsibility to say why you are, and what the issue is. And if you do find it offensive, get off this page. Please. Like I’ve said before, nobody’s under any compulsion to read or like what I write, and nor am I under any compulsion to write only what you like to read. And that goes for everyone else here.
Getting to the crux of the matter:
Mr. Murthy, FYI the word “Chhakka” is deemed offensive. It is a derogatory word used not only to humiliate the TG/Hijra community but also gay men & lesbians. This very word is engraved in the every day living of a Queer person in the form of mockery and many a times physical abuse (rape) in the hands of both, the judiciary and society. Furthermore it has taken years for the transgender & hijra community to disentangle itself from the word “Chhakka” but clearly the battle is yet not won.
Agreed your Chhakka update was nothing but a thoughtless remark. On a closer look, your behavior could very easily have a negative affect on the TG community. By the way are you aware of the many deaths that happen in the transgender community via murders and suicides? Ever wondered why? It’s because of such attitude that continues to belittle them & treat them like they are anything but human!
So Mr. Murthy you are guilty of discrimination.
And mind you, no one is asking for sensitivity here. I accept that people tend to be over sensitive at times, but at this point, it isn’t the sensitivity speaking. It’s an effort to teach you to respect gender & gender expression. As I said earlier on, knowing does not mean you understand. Sensitisation is the word here; we are not even asking you to walk in our chappals. So by all means you can call Chris Gayle the king of sixers (in the context of the game of Cricket) but we would appreciate it if in the future you keep the word Chhakka away from the eunuchs and your pun even further away from the two.
And while you clearly state your freewill to write everything and anything, we too would like to add that each time we find your words offensive we shall not hesitate to give you another quickie. When you proudly boast your social media statistics, it wouldn’t harm paying some attention to the political correctness. The point being – if you are informed, you will inform others too! *Good karma all around!*
Lastly, time and again I am advised to develop a thick skin in the course of my journey; as a woman, as a lesbian, a blogger and I suppose to a certain degree I have (see how well I tackle ignorance). But I also make an effort to be continuously informed, as it is the latter that helps me grow as a human.
As for the assuming ‘goodwill’ part… we are expecting your thank you message in the mail pretty soon now.
PS – Happy watching T20!!
for comments above post click below
Original article here http://gaysifamily.com/2013/04/26/a-quickie-for-mr-mahesh-murthy/
Third gender and the poll vault in Pakistan (kractivist.wordpress.com)
Top 50 Myths About Being Transgender from Kaylie Love Proud To Be Transgender (kchapmangibbons.wordpress.com)
Delhi refuses to Learn – 13-yr-old gangraped by eight men in Delhi, 393 rape cases in first 3 months 2013
20 Apr 2013 3 Comments
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: Bihar, Delhi, discrimination, gender, Human Rights, India, New Delhi, Police, Police officer, Ranjeet, Rape, Saturday, Supreme Court, Wednesday, Women Rights
IANS New Delhi, April 20, 2013
13-year-old girl was allegedly gangraped by eight men, four of whom were known to her, police said on Saturday. The incident comes even as the capital is witnessing outrage over the horrific rape of a five-year-old girl.
Three of the eight men have been arrested.
The victim and her 12-year-old brother were abducted by two men known to her on March 15 from outside her house at Farsh Bazar area in east Delhi and taken to Loni in the city outskirts, where she was gangraped by the eight, a police officer said.
Four of the eight accused were known to the girl, the officer added.
Police arrested three accused – Deepak, 21, Ranjeet (20) and Sohan Lal (24) – Saturday, following medical examination of the victim April 15.
The victim is undergoing treatment at the Hedgewar Hospital in east Delhi.
According to a police officer, the father approached police after she went missing, but did not file a rape complaint after she returned home.
A search is on to nab the other accused, the officer added.
Meanwhile, the girl’s family alleged that police had refused to lodge their complaint.
On March 24, the girl returned home and the family approached the police, the mother said.
Failing to get any response from police, the family approached the local court April 9 which then ordered police to lodge a rape case.
The five-year-old girl was brutally raped for two days and kept without food and water in a room in which the accused, her neighbour, lived. She was rescued Wednesday when her family heard her screams. The accused has been arrested from Bihar.
Delhi has seen 393 rapes in the first three months of the year.
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Delhi minor Rape – Time to teach Delhi Police a Lesson ? #Vaw (kractivist.wordpress.com)
#Delhi- In 24 reports Gang Rape, sodomy and molestation (kractivist.wordpress.com)
Delhi: 5-yr-old rape survivor critical; 1 person detained (ibnlive.in.com)
Indian Army –Magic Formula to have beautiful and successful daughters ? #WTFad #AFSPA #Kashmir #Manipur
15 Apr 2013 14 Comments
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Minority Rights, Political Prisoners, Prison, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: AFSPA, Amrita Singh, Anushka Sharma, Aparna Marandi, Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958, Asia, Assam Rifles, Celina Jaitley, Chhattisgarh, discrimination, equality, gender, Government, Government of India, Gul Panag, Human Rights, India, Indian Army, Indian Standard Time, Irom Sharmila Chanu, Kashmir, Kunan Poshpora incident, Manipur, Mumbai, New Delhi, Preity Zinta, Sakshi Tanwar, Sexual Assault, sheetal sathe, simmi garewal, Soni Sori, Supreme Court, Thangjam Manorama, torture, Women Rights
Dear Indians
Do you want a daughter ? No of course not, why will you want a girl child , she is such a burden and a son will only carry on the family name etc etc… blah blah.
Oh No ! you dont want to have a girl child !!!
Well in shillong specifically and allover india generally, the Indian army is giving the incentive, to have a girl child. Wow, this advertisement will go a long way in balancing child sex ratio ? and it might also give impetus to the ‘ Laadli Campaign, which is in deep shit for now, 42% girls dropped from Laadli scheme over 2 years
So above in the advertisement you see— PRIYANKA Chopra, Gul Panag, Preity zinta, Anushka Sharma , Celina Jaitley , Simmi Garewal, Amrita singh, Chitrangadha , Sakshi Tanwar, and it says -‘If you want to have beautiful and successful daughters join INDIAN ARMY”,.
Now , Indians this is your chance dont let ti go away.. RUSSSSHHH TO INDIAN ARMY, if you want to have BEAUTIFUL daughters who will become a hit Bollywood or television actresses, and will make you PROUD and will add to the great HONOR of your family, ie if they save themselves from honor killing.!
Also all women in the ad are BEAUTIFUL as per what is ingrained in our brains. The super-skinny, super-tall, and amazingly gorgueous figure; The Super-Models and Actresses.The certain typecast images fed on physical appearances and . If you don’t fit into those notions, you feel terrible – that’s why people are unhappy about their bodies. This advertisement further promotes, the fact that to succeeed you need to have a hour glass figure ?. How do you define beauty ? Who said “big” isn’t beautiful? Who said curves aren’t sexy?
Who told you to change who you are, loosing the weight that you’ve gained so far. For me Tuntun, Manorama all were beautiful also. beauty has nothing to do with your body but your innerself , your personality as a whole. For me Sheetal Sathe, Soni Sori, Aparna Marandi, Irom Sharmila are all BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE, and SUCCESSFUL as well.
The Fact that whether you will have a daughter or son THE MANS SPERM WILL DECIDE, if you have a daughter, she has to decide her life and what’s success for her ?
This sexist advertisement further strengthens the stereotypes feminist have been fighting. Women are human being and not relationships , think about them outisde their roles as daughters mothers and sisters. Valourising women as daughters, sisters, , mothers, bhabhi, dadi and Nani. Today women are screaming at top of their voice-– ” I am not your Mother, Wife, Sister or daughter . I am a PERSON. So this ad, adds to all the sexists ads which are defining every woman by her relationship to another person rather than as a person in her own right; and that relationship (by implication if not stated overtly) is usually with a man. The self-sacrificing mother who bravely sends her son to war; the devoted sister who pampers her brother, the obedient daughter who makes her PARENTS proud, as stated in the ad . Women are fed up being boxed into traditional roles. They are angry at being told what to wear, how to behave and lead their lives. Respect women”, we tell our sons, “for they are all someone’s mother, sister or daughter.” Aha,,,,, yes….. But the childless woman; and a woman whose husband is no more or whose father has died and has no brother to ‘protect her honour’ — well, she’s fair game, isn’t she? This is the kind of logic we perpetuate when we glorify a woman by her relationship rather than as a person.
I wonder if all these ‘ SUCCESSFUL DAUGHTERS’ have given their permission to be on the Advertisement and if they agree
and gulpanag tweets says so,
About the join army ‘ad’.Whether in jest or not,I have no problem with it.I owe 100% of what I am to my AF upbringing. Proud of it. @rwac48
— Gul Panag (@GulPanag) April 14, 2013
I wonder, if all of them are proud of The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act . which is to-date the single most direct instrument violating the democratic rights of the people of the North East and of Jammu and Kashmir. The Act is implemented when an area is declared ‘disturbed’ by either the central or the state government. Since 2 November 2000, she has been on hunger strike to demand that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), which she blames for violence in Manipur and other parts of northeast India. Having refused food and water for more than 500 weeks, she has been called “the world’s longest hunger striker”.
What is rationale for keeping AFSPA , thinking that security persons who rape innocent women should enjoy impunity in the name of national security? For whose security was the law enacted, for that of the country or of the criminals in uniform? Whenever some change is suggested in the Act the army seems to oppose it and the civilian government buckles under its pressure. For Eg , when the Jeevan Commission appointed to inquire into the alleged rape and murder of 30-year old Manorama Devi of Imphal in Manipur arrested by the Assam Rifles suggested AFSPA should be repealed ,the Government did not even publish the report.
Do you all know of woman called Manorma ? In 2004, the women of Manipur held a protest after the brutal murder of Thangjam Manorama who was taken into custody from her home by the Assam Rifles under suspicion of having links with rebels. Her bullet ridden body was found a few kilometres away from her home, bearing signs of torture. Twelve Manipuri women came out naked, holding a banner saying ‘Indian Army Rape Us’ to protest against the paramilitary forces of the Assam Rifles demanding justice and taking a stand against the many rapes of other girls. Despite the curfew imposed, the protests by the women continued as they wanted the men responsible to be punished
One of the major rape cases in the history of Kashmir and indeed whole of India is the Kunan Poshpora mass rape incident. A village in northern Kashmir’s Kupwara district, Kunan Poshpora, on February 23, 1991 witnessed incidents of alleged mass rape of 20 women by the Army troops in one night. The incident drew the attention of national and international media. However this was soon forgotten and the womenfolk of the village landed in unending troubles. Women who deserved the respect and honor of the society, were not secure anymore form the cruel face of the armed forces and since that incident, numerous other cases of rape and enforced disappearances have come to fore in the last three decades. Another case which shook the region was the 2009 Shopian rape and murder case which resulted in protests rocking the whole Valley and several families lost their loved ones in the agitation.
Some more cases of rape and sexual assault against personnel of the Army and central forces in Kashmir:
Case against Harbhajan Singh and Gurtej Singh
May 15, 1994: Rashtriya Rifles men entered the house of a couple and took the husband to Qazigund Hospital. When he returned the next morning, his wife told him she had been gangraped. A case of rape an other charges was filed at Qazigund police station. Responding to an RTI application, the home department said it sought sanction on January 23, 2006, to prosecute the Army men and have not yet got it. In a 2009 affidavit in the high court, the defence ministry said the state was informed that both accused, Nk Harbajan Singh and Rfn Gurtej Singh, had been tried by a summary general court-martial for rape, sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for 10 years and dismissed from service. “A retrial for the same offence will be in contravention to Article 20 (2) of the Constitution,” it argued.
Case Against Major Arora
January 3, 1997: A family comprising a 60-year-old, his two daughters and a grandson were preparing to go to bed at Manzgam, Kokernag, when some soldiers allegedly broke in. They were allegedly led by Major Arora of 5 Rashtriya Rifles. “He slapped me and dragged my younger sister (then 16) into a room and raped her,” the elder daughter told The Indian Express recently. The elder daughter’s husband had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen and the local army unit would often raid her father’s house. The day of the alleged rape, the Army allegedly picked up the father, who remains untraced 15 years on. The younger sister is now married with children, the elder one said, while her own husband surrendered to the army, divorced her and remarried.
The police registered a case of rape at Anantnag and the government sought the defence ministry’s sanction to prosecute the officer. In an affidavit in the J&K High Court on June 5, 2009, then defence secretary Ajay Tirkey said the ministry received the request in December 2006 and it is “under consideration in army headquarters/Ministry of Defence”. On January 10, 2012, the ministry, responding to an RTI query, said permission was denied on April 21, 2007. “There were a number of inconsistencies in the statements of witnesses… The lady was forced to lodge a false allegation by anti-national elements,” the MoD said.
Case against Major Aman Yadav
December 5, 1999: Army men led by Major Aman Yadav of 28 Rashtriya Rifles, along with a few counter-insurgents, raided a house at Norpora, Kitter Dhaji, in Rafiabad. The officer allegedly raped a housewife, whose husband wasn’t home, while his men allegedly robbed the house. The family later left the village.
On January 4, 2000, based on a complaint by the victim’s husband, Panzala police lodged an FIR, one of the charges being rape. In an affidavit to the high court on June 5, 2009, then defence secretary Tirkey said the ministry received the request for sanction in January 2009 and “the case is under consideration in Army headquarters/Ministry of Defence”. In response to a separate RTI query, the MoD said sanction was denied on September 23, 2010. It has argued the allegations are “baseless and framed with mala fide intentions to put army on the defensive” Intriguingly, the ministry has cited it as a case of torture leading to death. Calling the allegations “mala fide” was effectively an indictment of J&K police, for it was on the basis of the police probe’s outcome that sanction was denied. There was, however, no follow-up government action. In response to an RTI application, police said they closed the case on August 19, 2011, having declared the accused “untraced”.
Case against Captain Ravinder Singh Tewatia
February 14, 2000: Captain Ravinder Singh Tewatia and three special police officials allegedly entered a house at night in Nowgam, Banihal. Captain Tewatia and one of the SPOs allegedly raped a mother and her daughter in separate rooms. A case of rape was filed in the Banihal police station. Two chargesheets were prepared for house trespass, assault, wrongful restraint and rape, and submitted to the Banihal chief judicial magistrate’s court on April 1, 2000.According to information gathered by rights group International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice through RTI applications, the case was split between a court-martial and criminal courts (in Banihal, Ramban and Jammu). The court-martial found Tewatia guilty of rape, sentenced him to seven years of imprisonment and dismissed him from service. He challenged the findings on October 1, 2000. On December, 31, 2002, the high court set aside the court-martial’s ruling. In 2003, the defence ministry filed a letter patent appeal in the high court, where it is pending. The state government didn’t challenge the high court order.
Rape case against BSF Personnel
April 18, 2002: Personnel of the BSF’s 58 Battalion allegedly gangraped a 17-year-old in front of her mother, relatives and neighbours, all held hostage at gunpoint in Kullar, Pahalgam. Some 15 or 16 men in a BSF patrol party, passing through their village, had been beating up the girl’s uncle and she had tried to rescue him. A medical examination confirmed rape, while then BSF inspector general (Kashmir Frontiers) G S Gill, too, conceded that BSF personnel had committed rape. The girl identified three men at a parade. The same day, a case of rape was registered at Pahalgam police station. The police say that they submitted a chargesheet before the chief judicial magistrate in Anantnag. There hasn’t been any progress since.
Case against Major Rehman Hussain
November 6, 2004: Troops of 30 RR raided the home of a horsecart driver at Badhra Payeen village in Handwara at night. The man’s younger brother said, “The officer went into my brother’s room and pushed him out.” “He dragged my daughter (then 10) into the kitchen,” the wife of the targeted man this correspondent, adding the officer left and returned after an hour. This time, the woman alleged, she was raped in the kitchen.
The police registered a rape case and the district administration ordered a magisterial inquiry. The Army invoked the AFSPA . The accused officer, Major Rehman Hussain, was tried by a general court martial, which absolved him of rape. He was, however, found “guilty of using criminal force with the intent of outraging the modesty” of the 10-year-old girl and dismissed from service. But he challenged the decision in court and returned to service.
Even the comments by apex court few days back while hearing PILs filed by families of victims of alleged fake encounters in Manipur, are a stinging rebuke of the lack of political will on revoking laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). In this instance, the government’s response to the damning report of the SC-appointed committee set up to probe six such cases in Manipur was that it agreed that such fake encounters should not take place. But mere “taking note” will not do any more. The government must speedily act to revoke this black law from wherever it is in effect, be it the north-east or Jammu and Kashmir. Blanket immunity for security forces has led to murder, rape and other crimes. And when the legal framework vests such crimes with impunity, it vitiates the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law that are necessary for the citizens of these areas to feel part of the national mainstream.
The Court also sharply brought attention to another vital fact: keeping these laws, and thereby maintaining an unnatural state where the armed forces are seen as the primary representatives of government, mutates the whole political, democratic system itself.
Now after getting a glimpse of AFSPA, what the supreme court of india says of Indian army ?
I wonder if you all are still proud of Indian Army
This sexist advertisement should be immediately removed,
It will be great if women part of the advertisement ask to do so.
Kamayani Bali Mahabal
Not proud of Indian Army
Not a Proud Indian
A Person , A Feminist and a Human Rights Activist
#Manipur- Upholding the right to life #AFSPA (kractivist.wordpress.com)
#India- Criminalising People’s Protests #Iromsharmila #AFSPA #Vaw (kractivist.wordpress.com)
Iron Irom’s long protest penned #AFPSA #Vaw #Womenrights (kractivist.wordpress.com)
#India- I am Irom Sharmila #AFSPA #Vaw (kractivist.wordpress.com)
Open letter to #FICCI on Narendra Modi hiding the Truth about Women in Gujarat #Vaw #Womenrights
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Censorship, Disability, Health Care, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Minority Rights, Press Release, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: Ahmedabad, Delhi, discrimination, FICCI, gender, Government, Gujarat, Human Rights, Ila Pathak, Modi, Narendra Modi, New Delhi, Women Rights
THE WHOLE TRUTH ABOUT WOMEN IN GUJARAT
– Ila Pathak
Dear Madams of FICCI,
From reports in media we have understood that our Chief Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi has impressed you all with his hard-hitting eloquence. On reading and hearing report of the speech, we, the women of Gujarat were wonder-struck ! Was he speaking of women in Gujarat? Was he revealing the whole truth? Certainly not. So we thought that we could enlighten you all about the reality in Gujarat.
In Gujarat’s population the number of women has gone down. In 2001 there were 921 women against 1000 men. In 2011, three more were lost per a thousand, 918 were counted in the census. This is the ten year period during which nine other States recorded increase in the number of women, from 45 in Delhi to 4 in Rajastan. Gujarat kept losing.
Mr. Modi was speaking of female foeticide, an old 18th century practice. In Gujarat the sex ratio in the age group of 0 to 6 years in 2001, was 886 girls as against 1000 boys. In 2011 it was 883 girls as against 1000 boys. Difference of only 3 gained over ten years! It was only in late 2011 that the news of the government having closed 101 sonography clinics was heard; thereafter a few were reported closed in 2012. In 2013, so far, no penal action under PCPNDT Act is reported. That is the Governance in Gujarat! Does the Government care?
Latest surveys (2006) concerning married women’s health note that 55.5% women were anaemic in the age group of 15 to 49 years of age. In the same age group 60.8% pregnant women were malnourished and anaemic. In 1998-99, 74.5% of dalit and tribal children in the age group of 6 months to 35 months were reported as malnourished. In 2005-2006 the number of such children increased to 79.8%. 49.2% children have not developed to normal height, 41% do not have the weight normally children of their age group could have. During the last election this issue was taken up and the minister in charge had rushed to find out where the fortified food packets had gone! That is Governance in Gujarat! Maternal mortality rate and Infant mortality rate do not come down; mothers and children keep dying in Gujarat or continue to survive as weaklings.
To refer to women as mothers all the time is pretentious. We have noted how young mothers die of malnourishment. Lack of treatment (because no government dispensary, block or district hospital has a gynecologist appointed, large city hospitals provide such facility) is one more obvious reason.. No wonder that many women deliver babies in the ambulance like buses known as 108 service. Governance of Gujarat’s government does not seem to follow any policy for saving young women’s lives. Even young men’s lives. Very recently, a resident doctor died of Dengue fever in Ahmedabad’s large Civil Hospital and many more are now dying of Swine flu in Gujarat. The deaths seem to argue absence of good governance.
Education for girls was free. In last couple of years the government has stopped encouraging continuation of such schools and colleges. Now girls have to pay hefty fees if they choose to get ‘good’ education. That is the Governance in Gujarat.
Mr. Modi spoke of the Bill for 50% women members in Local-Self Government which, the Governor of Gujarat, Dr. Shrimati Kamalaji, despite being a woman herself did not sign. The Governor of Gujarat did not sign it because the provisions in the Bill were mixed up with another issue, that of compulsory voting. The Bill was returned by the Governor asking the Government to separate the issues, get the Bill for 50% reservation for women passed again and then she would be prepared to sign it. The Governor is found fault with which is emphasised by adding ‘despite being a women herself’. This is Modistyle. The details of why she did not sign it are not spoken of, so the listeners are led to believe that the Governor of Gujarat is insensitive towards women’s rights despite being a woman herself. Half-truth is the hall-mark of Modyism.
Mr Modi had to belittle the Governor of Gujarat because she took steps to appoint the Lokayukta in Gujarat which he did not approve of. So a long drawn battle is being fought in the Supreme Court. If Mr. Modi had only wanted to speak about his contribution for women he could have spoken of village panchayats formed fully by women members. In May, 2012, 422 panchayats were organised through consensus wherein all members were women. Such organising denies democratic election and it is implied that only those who command village level polity can have their say. One of the women attending the State function held to congratulate their becoming important office bearers in their villages, had told a reporter that her husband asked her a few days earlier to be Sarpanch in his place and he asked her to attend the function, so she had come up to Gandhinagar, Gujarat’s capital, Mr. Modi could have proudly spoken of women-headed Panchayats but, unmindful of her status, self-respect or sense of decorum he preferred to take a venomous dig at the woman who holds a high constitutional office in Gujarat. A rabble could greet such comments with claps and laughter, but I believe, that you, Madams of FICCI, did not appreciate such remarks. All said and done Dr. Srimati Kamalaji is an octogenerian who commands such respect that she could be rightfully addressed as ‘Ma’, the mother. But this is how the people are won in Gujarat, by using half-truths and by debunking known persons without caring for their status in public life or without spending a thought on his own personal dignity. As long as the crowds go home laughing he is assured of votes, so why should he care about such silly issues like dignity of the speaker himself. That is how Gujarat is gained. And it is governed to gain accolades for him who got the votes. As long as that is gained, governance in Gujarat does not seem to matter.
Increase in crimes in Gujarat is phenomenal during last decade. Robberies and murders of old people, including women are reported every other day. 235 rapes were registered in 2001, in 2011 the number is 413. Kidnappings have increased from 731 in 2001 to 1329 in 2011. All other crimes appear to have gone down. The police stations do not want to register crimes because they are reprimanded if the number of crimes increases. Gujarat has to be shown as Crime Free State so less registration is better from governance point of view. We are aware of circulars that ask the policemen down the line not to register women’s complaints in the first instance, they take ‘applications’. Reduced crime rate could vouch for good governance in Gujarat. It is followed by possibilities of less punishment / justice and freedom to commit crimes.
Business is in the blood of Gujarat’s people. Many women run their own business, not only in food items but also as designers, boutique owners etc and are doing very well. Many women are employed as retailers in various markets. But ‘Lijjat’ papads are not produced by tribal women. That is misinformation. Business by women has flourished for a long time in Gujarat, despite Mr. Modi.
Ila Pathak
(Dr. Ila Pathak is a founder President of Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group (AWAG). After seeing media reports and speech of Mr. Narendra Modi CM of Gujarat, as he was addressing 29th session of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Ladies’ organisation, FICCI, New Delhi. Dr. Pathak had written a letter to Madams of FICCI.)
Glaring Lies of Glorious Gujarat: Exposing Narendra Modi and His Claims (kractivist.wordpress.com)
Narendra Modi – Repeats every female stereotype he condemns #Gender #Womenrights (kractivist.wordpress.com)
Narendra Modi in your Gujarat – Booze is cheaper than water ! (kractivist.wordpress.com)
In Narendra Modi’s Gujarat, no Narmada water for dalits #WTFnews (kractivist.wordpress.com)
#India – How Narendra Modi rules by changing the laws #Gujarat (kractivist.wordpress.com)
‘Criminal negligence’ of Narendra Modi Govt behind water problems (kractivist.wordpress.com)
Gujarat’s burden highest ever as ‘debt-free’ as Narendra Modi plans flight to Delhi (kractivist.wordpress.com)
#India- Cop to woman: Who will rape you at your age? #Vaw #WTFnews
23 Mar 2013 11 Comments
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Minority Rights, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: Crime, Deoria, discrimination, Effects and aftermath of rape, gender, Human Rights, India, Lucknow, Rape, Rape culture, Scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, Uttar Pradesh, Victims
Pervez Iqbal Siddiqui, TNN | Mar 23, 2013, 03.47 AM IST
A Dalit woman, who petitioned a senior Uttar Pradesh Police officer seeking registration of her rape complaint, was told that her’s was not an age to be raped.
Caught on camera: UP cop insults rape victim
LUCKNOW: An additional superintendent of police (ASP) in Deoria district refused to entertain the rape complaint of a housewife merely because she was over 35 years of age. To add to the insensitivity, the officer said: “Who would rape such an old woman?”
Coming at a time when Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is struggling to counter mounting pressure from all quarters over the deteriorating crime scene in the state, the incident has touched a new low. DGP A C Sharma expressed regret over the conduct of his subordinate and IG (crime) RK Vishwakarma said an explanation had been sought from the officer within 48 hours. “Action will be initiated for making such unwanted and ridiculous comments,” said Vishwakarma.
On Wednesday night, a housewife was allegedly assaulted and knocked unconscious by a local villager while she was going to the farm fields to relieve herself. When she regained her senses, she found that she had been raped. She reached home and informed her husband about it.
Early next morning, the couple when to the local Bankata police station in Deoria district to register a complaint against a local youth Santosh Singh. Allegations are that the couple returned home after being informed that the senior officers will contact them once the preliminary inquiry into her complaint was completed. “When no one came, we decided to approach the cops at the police station once again because I wanted them to get my wife medically examined to secure any possible evidence of crime. We were shown the door at the police station,” said the victim’s husband.
The couple then approached Deoria ASP Keshav Chandra Goswami at his office. They were made to wait for more than three hours before the officer finally agreed to meet them while he was walking out of his office. The victim’s husband tried to brief the ASP about his complaint when he was interrupted by the office: “How many children does she have?” he questioned her husband. When he said that they had three children, the officer asked him “What is the age of her eldest child?”
“Her eldest child—a daughter—is around 15 years of age,” the victim’s husband said. “Now, who will rape such an old woman? There must have been some other dispute behind the whole story…we will get it inquired,” the ASP said and instead of directing the Bankata police to register a case on the victim’s complaint and initiate action against the accused, got into his official vehicle and left, apparently unaware that the entire conversation had been recorded by somebody standing nearby.
Once the incident was aired by a local news channel, the police top brass in Lucknow took note of it. On the directions of the DGP, the IG (crime) directed the Deoria police to register a rape case while the ASP was asked to explain his conduct.
Punjab- Aspiring model alleges sexual exploitation by singer Nachattar Gill #Vaw
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: Allegation, Asia, Beauty pageant, Chandigarh, Delhi, gender, Human Rights, India, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Models, Phillaur, Singapore, singing
Thursday, February, 28 2013 – 14:27
LUDHIANA: Noted Punjabi singer Nachattar Gill and three others have landed in a trouble after an aspiring model alleged sexual exploitation by them. She alleged that they had established physical relations with her on the pretext of sending her abroad and making her a top model.
The girl, a resident of Haibowal appeared before Police Commissioner Ishwar Singh and alleged that he gave her a cold drink laced with sedative at a Chandigarh hotel where they took objectionable pictures of her.She said she was raped by three others also when they visited Singapore.
The victim disclosed that she came in contact with Gill when she was adjudged first runners-up at a beauty pageant at Jalandhar in 2006 where the singer was one of the judges.The duo soon became intimate after they started talking to each other frequently.
The girl used to meet the singer in Ludhiana and Phillaur hotels.She also claimed that the singer had assured to make her a top model in the industry and established physical relations with her on several occasions. She also disclosed that their relation turned sour when she questioned the singer why she was not featured in music albums.
Later, the singer started blackmailing the girl on pretext that he would make the video footage public.Apart from Gill, three city residents also took advantage of her condition. The trio took Rs 20 lakh from her parents so that she could settle abroad.The two city residents also made her MMS when they were in Singapore and established physical relations with her.
She alleged that the third person established physical relations with her on pretext of helping her seek legal action against those who had sexually exploited her.
Meanwhile, Nachattar Gill termed her allegations baseless and a conspiracy against him, adding that he was ready to join investigation on March 5.
#India- Woman alleges gang-rape in Delhi #Vaw (kractivist.wordpress.com)
#Punjab – Two minor girls raped at Malerkotla, Barnala village #Vaw (kractivist.wordpress.com)
Punjab Cops beats women after she complains sexual harassment #Vaw #WTFnews (kractivist.wordpress.com)
Global thematic campaign on Gender and Reproductive Justice #Vaw
09 Mar 2013 1 Comment
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Health Care, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Minority Rights, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: Cape Town, gender, HIV, Reproductive health, Reproductive Health Rights, Reproductive Justice, reproductive rights, South Africa
People’s Health Movement
At the People’s Health Assembly 3 held in Cape Town, South Africa in July 2012, People’s Health Movement committed to build a campaign on gender issues through initiating separate circle on the “Global thematic campaign on Genders” within the PHM right to health campaign. Through the online correspondence in these last few months, a general view of expanding the gender circle has emerged, especially regarding specific themes of gender, equity, and violence, Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Reproductive Justice.
Why a Global thematic campaign on Gender
We, at PHM believe that Health Rights including Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights must be located within a perspective that recognizes social determinants of health, and universal health entitlements/access to healthcare. The framework should address the oppressive structures of neo-liberal globalization, capitalism, poverty, patriarchy, privatization of essential services, imperialism, militarization, fundamentalisms, heteronormativity, racism, casteism and ableism, which not only exacerbate poor physical, sexual, reproductive and emotional health for women and young girls but also disadvantage them in accessing health-care.
We are only too aware of how gender oppression is intricately linked to other systems of oppression and PHM’s agenda should be to make a conscious effort to create space and visibility for some such concerns that can often be observed to be marginalized even within progressive, rights movements. While they assume different forms in different contexts and social realities, issues of ability/disability, sexuality, health in the context of conflict, state sponsored coercive population policies, gender based violence, non-coercive access to contraception and abortion, and especially the rights of sex workers, transgender, HIV positive individuals in relation to all the above are sparsely raised on the public health platforms and health movements across the world.
There is a cyclical relation between violence and ill-health; both influence each other, yet gender based violence is rarely addressed as a human rights or public health issue. That violence takes varied forms and that gendered notions make certain peoples particular targets is a question of political violence that a movement like PHM needs to urgently address.
Historically, as we know that women’s ability to make choices and exercise autonomy in matters of sexuality and reproduction has been conditioned and constrained by economic, political, religious and cultural patterns, responding to a model of prescriptive ‘normality’ and disallowing any kind of behavior which deviates from this. The relegation of women’s health to maternity and family planning on the one hand and the concerted attack on women’s reproductive and sexual rights on the other are serious violations of women’s autonomy, personhood, dignity and human rights.
Throughout the world, society, law and cultural norms have repressed any behaviour that could challenge this prescriptive reproductive role of women. Reproduction itself becomes a site of coercion and social inequality, being regulated by morality, class, caste, race hierarchies and community. It is the same ideas of gender roles, relations and sexual division of labour that result in coercive structures for women, and further marginalize several persons who go against the existing heteronormativity.
As an object of policy, sexuality and sexual rights have generally been considered as an ‘unimportant’ and secondary issue. Women’s movements have also only gradually given space to these debates. That sexual rights for all are essential for better physical, mental and emotional health is a perspective that needs a much stronger acknowledgement and activism by both the state and social movements.
Within the health care systems, health professionals need to be sensitised in order to address all forms of violence and discrimination on the basis of gender within the private as well as public spheres. Health rights can be enjoyed by all and accessed at all times only if the rights of those who occupy low rungs in the gender hierarchy have secured rights in all spheres.
PHM is well-placed to address components of policy advocacy, capacity building, knowledge creation and health systems engagement within this umbrella framework. The need is for us to foreground this perspectives in our strategies. We can hold capacity building and advocacy initiatives for SRHR, violence There is a need to conceptualize the campaigns/circles in a way that we understand the common systems of oppressions and gender hierarchies and are able to equally visiblize and address concerns of all those who are marginalized, exploited and discriminated against on the basis of their gender identities and sexual behaviour.
The thematic Circle will Insert all these concerns within the People’s health movement by- informing the PHM mandate and the campaign for Health For All and vis-à-vis gender. PHM will provide a platform for women across the world to articulate the above concerns as well as to share and learn from each other the creative struggles waged by people, especially by women, against injustice and inequality.
PHM global has already been engaged with many networks such as WGNRR, IWHM, ARROW, SAMA, WISH to name a few. We would like to welcome and invite networks/organisations, coalitions to join and collaborate with us on this initiative. Together we can strategise for a better world that is founded on social justice, non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all people.
contact: <sarojinipr@gmail.com>
March 3-International Sex Workers Day- demand for decriminalisation of Sex work #Vaw #Womenrights (kractivist.wordpress.com)
#India- Celebrating women’s solidarities! Resisting cultures of violence! #Vaw #Womenrights #womensday (kractivist.wordpress.com)
International Women’s Day Past and Present- Anuradha Ghandy #mustead #mustshare
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Health Care, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: Asia, Bangalore, Chhattisgarh, China, Clara Zetkin, Copenhagen, discrimination, gender, Human Rights, India, International Women's Day, Maharashtra, Maoism, Maoist, National Women's Day, Naxalite, New York City, United States, Women Rights, Women's Day
8 March 2001 is the 91st anniversary of the International Women’s Day (IWD), which was first declared in 1910. In that year, Clara Zetkin, inspired by the working class women’s movement in America, proposed to the Second International Conference of the Socialist Working Women that an annual celebration of women’s day be held. The Socialist International meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, established a Women’s Day, international in character, to honour the movement for women’s right and to assist in achieving universal suffrage for women. The proposal was greeted with unanimous approval by the conference of over 100 women from 17 countries. No fixed date was selected for the observance.
As a result of this decision, the first International Women’s Day was held on 19 March 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland, where more than one million women and men attended rallies. In addition to the right to vote, they demanded the right to work, to vocational training and an end to discrimination on the job. The date was chosen by Germany women as 19 March, because, on that date in 1848, the Prussian king, faced with an armed uprising, had promised many reforms, including an unfulfilled one of votes for women.
In 1913, the date for the IWD was changed to 8 March. This was to commemorate tow important events which occurred on that day. On 8 March 1857, women garment and textile workers in New York City had staged, for the first time, a protest against in-human working conditions, the 12-hour work day and low wages. The marchers were attacked and dispersed by the police. Two years later, again in March, these women formed their first union. Again on 8 March 1908, 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay, voting rights and an end to child labour. They adopted the slogan‘Bread and Roses’; with bread symbolizing economic security and roses, a better quality of life. In May of that year, the Socialist Party of America designated the last Sunday in February for the observance of the National Women’s Day.
The first National Women’s Day was observed across the USA on 28 February 1909. Soon, women in Europe began celebrating Women’s Day on the last Sunday of February. It was in this background that Clara Zetkin put forward the proposal for an International Women’s Day at the 1910 Conference of the Women’s Socialist International. Within a week of the first celebrations in 1911, on 25 March 1911, over 140 working girls were killed in the tragic Triangle Fire in the USA. This event had a far reaching effect on labour legislation in the USA and gave the IWD a further impetus.
On the eve of World War I, Russian women observed their first International Women’s Day in 1913. Elsewhere in Europe, on or around 8 March of the following year, women held rallies either to protest against the war or to express solidarity with oppressed women. The most famous International Working Women’s Day was the 8 March 1917 (24 February in the Russian style calendar) strike for ‘bread and peace’ led by the Russian women of St. Petersburg. Both Clara Zetkin and Alexandra Kollontai took part in this event. The IWD strike merges with the riots that had spread throughout the city between 8-12 March. The February Revolution, as it came to be known, forced the Czar to abdicate.
In the Soviet Union, 8 March was declared a national holiday and accompanied by a celebration of ‘the heroic women workers’.Since then, 8 March has grown in significance, and its celebrations throughout the world have marked a growing awareness of women’s rights. The great advances achieved in women’s rights in the Soviet Union, after the socialist revolution, were an inspiration to women throughout the world. The Chinese revolution in 1949 showed how, even in one of the most backward countries of the world, seeped in feudal values and patriarchal thinking, women can be aroused for change. The gigantic strides made by women in socialist China were a living example for women throughout the Third World. Particularly, the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, and its consistent attack on feudal Confucian thinking, acted as a great source for the further emancipation of women in China. Comrade Chiang Chiang was its living symbol.
The 1960s and early 1970s, which saw a strong democratic upsurge in the capitalist countries and powerful national liberation movements in the Third World, also witnessed a rejuvenation of the women’s liberation movement. The movement had such an enormous impact throughout the world that the imperialists sought to destroy it through co-option and diversion into acceptable channels. This resulted in large, corporate or state-funded NGOs vehemently attacking socialism, and putting for-ward a bourgeois form of feminism. The process of co-option culminated in the United Nations officially recognizing 8 March as the International Women’s Day in 1977. Since then, the most bourgeois and reactionary organizations have also come to ‘celebrate’ 8 March, depriving it of its revolutionary content and great history of struggle, through which it originated. This process was further catalysed with the reversal of socialism, first in the Soviet Union, and, later, in China. The first casualty of these reversals was the denial of some of the rights achieved by women under socialism.
Yet, the International Women’s Day continues to live on amongst the oppressed women of the world. The temporary setback of the communist movement and socialism, and the re-assertion of capitalism/imperialism, has hit women hard. Globalizations, and the crass consumerism associated with it, have witnessed the mass commodification of women, on a scale unheard of before. The cosmetic industry, tourism and bourgeois media have degraded the women’s body as never before, without any respect for their individuality. This, coupled with mass poverty, has led to entire populations turning to prostitution as witnessed in East Europe, East Asia, Nepal, etc. Coupled with this, the rise of religious fundamentalism and various sects throughout the world is pushing another section of women back to a status of the Dark Ages. Squeezed between these two extremes, women, today, more than ever before, feel the need for assertion, for self-respect and equality with their male counterparts. 8 March has, therefore, an even greater significance today.
The revisionists and bourgeois liberals seek to dampen the women’s spirit of freedom, displaying mock ‘concern,’ acting as condescending saviors, confining women to their home. They compromise with patriarchal values, feudal traditions and fear women’s emancipation and assertion. They, of course, also ‘celebrate’ women’s day, as a routine, issuing out the regular hypocritical statements.
It is the revolutionary forces throughout the world, and, more particularly, the Maoists, who have brought back a living vibrancy to the IWD, making it, once again, a day symbolizing the struggle of women for freedom, self-respect, equality and emancipation from all patriarchal values and exploitative practices. It is this revolutionary spirit that kindles a new hope in the future for the oppressed women of India, and the world.
From: Scripting the Change- Selected writings of Anuradha Ghandy- DAANISH BOOKS
International Women’s Day: Please Stop “Helping” Us So Much (lifesitenews.com)
International Women’s Day- Light a candle for Soni Sori #Vaw #1billionrising
by kracktivist in Advocacy, Announcements, Censorship, Health Care, Human Rights, Justice, Kractivism, Law, Minority Rights, Poetry, Press Release, Uncategorized, Violence against Women, Women Rights Tags: Central Reserve Police Force, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, discrimination, Essar Steel, gender, Human Rights, India, Maoism, Medal for Gallantry, New Delhi, Rape, Soni Sori, Tribal rights, Women Rights
“Huge cheers to friends at Barduari Studios for creating these wonderful online action in which several, who for some reason, could not join offline actions were still able to express their solidarity and resolve to right the wrong.”
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The Non-Toxic Cleaning Solution For Every Surface
By Meridian Living Well
Sister Eubank Speaks at UN Conference in Geneva
By Official Church Newsroom · April 29, 2019
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Sister Sharon Eubank, president of LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was among the keynote speakers invited at the Second Global Summit on Religion, Peace and Security held at the United Nations in Geneva.
The high-level conference, organized by the International Association for the Defense of Religious Liberty and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, aimed at sharing effective ways to build bridges, foster inclusivity and counter hate speech to enhance the protection of religious minorities.
Sister Eubank, who serves in the general presidency of the Relief Society, the worldwide women’s organization of the Church, highlighted the role of religion in society and emphasized that national governments can and should work with religious organizations.
“The simple act of building trust among neighbors and not blaming groups for the wrongdoings of individuals exponentially improves national security and helps control the rise of radical groups from within,” she explained.
“The good that religion can do, especially when it comes to the sustainable development goals, is amplified if religious groups work in partnership with each other, and with governments and non-governmental actors,” added Sister Eubank.
She also advised that the best antidote to hate speech, religious intolerance and discrimination perpetrated by religious groups is better religion. “The best answer to Islamic extremism will be authentic Islam, just as the solution to Christian extremism will be authentic Christianity.”
“It will be the best of faith that defeats distorting versions of religious belief,” Sister Eubank concluded.
Stranger Things 3 and What Pop Culture References Say About How People View “Mormons”
Mariah Proctor
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Trump Denounces Chemical Attack in Syria
President Donald Trump speak during a news conference with Jordan's King Abdullah II in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, April 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
by VOA
U.S. President Donald Trump said the chemical attack in Syria crossed “many, many lines” and called it an “affront to humanity.”
But the president declined to say how he would respond to the attack.
During a joint appearance Wednesday with King Abdullah II of Jordan at the White House, Trump said:
“I will tell you that attack on children yesterday had a big impact on me, big impact. That was a horrible, horrible thing. And I've been watching it, and seeing it, and it doesn’t get any worse than that.”
Trump added that the attack had made him change his mind about Assad and what has been happening in war-torn Syria. He said the latest attack followed several others in recent weeks, bringing the conflict to “a whole different level.”
“And I will tell you it’s already happened, that my attitude toward Syria and Assad has changed very much.”
Trump’s comment came days after members of his administration said that removing Assad was not a U.S. “priority” but that it “will be decided by the Syrian people.”
A still image taken from a video posted to a social media website on April 4, 2017, shows people lying on the ground, said to be in the town of Khan Sheikhoun, after what rescue workers described as a suspected gas attack in rebel-held Idlib, Syria.
Throughout the six-year war, the Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons against civilians.
Russia denied any role in the latest attack. A Russian spokesman blamed the incident on Syrian warplanes striking a warehouse or factory storing chemical weapons possessed by rebel forces.
Crossing the red line
Trump also blamed the Obama administration for the current situation in Syria, saying it should have taken action against the country years ago.
“The Obama administration had a great opportunity to solve this crisis a long time ago when he said the red line in the sand. And when he didn’t cross that line after making the threat, I think that set us back a long ways – not only in Syria, but in many other parts of the world.”
Trump was speaking about Obama’s warning to Assad in 2012 – that a chemical attack would “cross a red line” and lead to a U.S. response. Obama did not follow through on this warning.
In 2013, however, Trump appealed to Obama not to attack Syria in a series of tweets.
No U.S. military action was taken after a gas attack later killed hundreds outside Damascus, Syria. Instead, Obama chose to support a Russian-backed agreement to remove Syria's chemical weapons supplies. Syrian chemical weapons attacks continued after the deal.
When asked whether the latest attack had crossed a red line of his own, Trump said it had crossed many.
“When you kill innocent children, innocent babies - babies, little babies - with a chemical gas that is so lethal – people were shocked to hear what gas it was – that crosses many, many lines. Beyond a red line.”
Possible action against Syria
When asked by a reporter about any possible action against Syria or its allies, Trump said, “I’m not saying I’m doing anything one way or the other, but I'm certainly not going to be telling you.”
Nikki Haley, United States' Ambassador United Nations, shows pictures of Syrian victims of chemical attacks as she addresses a meeting of the Security Council on Syria at U.N. headquarters, Wednesday, April 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews)
Earlier in the day, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley urged the U.N. Security Council to take action following the chemical attack. She said it “bears all the hallmarks of the Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons.” She added that the attack marked “a new low, even for the barbaric Assad regime.”
“There is an obvious truth here that must be spoken. The truth is that Assad, Russia, and Iran have no interest in peace. If Russia has the influence in Syria that it claims to have, we need to see them use it. We need to see them put an end to these horrific acts. How many more children have to die before Russia cares?”
Haley concluded by saying that when the U.N. “fails in its duty to act collectively,” there are times where states can be “compelled to take our own action.”
And North Korea
During his remarks, Trump also brought up the issue of North Korean missile tests and nuclear weapons development. This is expected to be a main issue discussed during Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping beginning Thursday in Florida.
“We have a big problem, we have somebody that is not doing the right thing, and that’s going to be my responsibility.”
President Donald Trump and Jordan's King Abdullah II shake hands following a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, April 5, 2017.
While accepting that these issues are now clearly his responsibility, Trump again pointed the finger at the Obama administration for not making his job easier.
“The world is a mess. I inherited a mess. Whether it's the Middle East, whether it’s North Korea. Whether it’s so many other things, whether it’s in our country, horrible trade deals. I inherited a mess. We’re going to fix it.”
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English, based on reports from. Hai Do was the editor.
We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
Words in This Story
challenge – n. difficult task or problem
affront – n. action or statement that insults or offends
attitude – n. the way a person thinks or feels about something
lethal – adj. deadly
hallmark - n. a quality, ability, etc., that is typical of a particular person or thing
barbaric – adj. very cruel
compel – v. convince or force someone to do something
conclude - v. to end (something) in a particular way or with a particular action
point the finger at (someone) - idiomatic expression. to blame or accuse someone
inherit – v. receive something passed on by someone else
flexible – adj. capable of bending or being influenced by something
Trump Wants Big Increases for Military, Cuts in Foreign Aid
North Korean Issue Repeatedly Raised on Tillerson’s Asia Visit
Trump Talks Tough on China Ahead of Meeting with Xi
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How much does it cost to charge a Tesla Model S (90D)?
Tesla entered the mainstream in 2012 with its flagship model premium sedan, the Model S. Its performance is second to none, rivalled by only the fastest supercars, and, of course - other Teslas.
Charging a Tesla Model S (90D)
% will give the vehicle around
miles range, at a cost of around
p a mile, when charging
Try adjusting the settings below to discover different costs for charging a Tesla Model S (90D).
Charging from
% to
Where is the car being charged?
Electricity cost based on UK average.
Approximate Economy 7 cost.
Home (night rate)
The costs Cost per kWh (p) Cost per charge (£)
How long does it take to charge a Tesla Model S (90D)?
How far can a Tesla Model S (90D) go on a full charge?
About the Tesla Model S
More Tesla Model S (90D) models
See the differences in charging times between the different Tesla Model S models available.
60 (2012), 60D (2016), 70 (2015), 70D (2015), 75 (2016), 75D (2016), 85 (2012), 85D (2014), P85 (2012), P85+ (2012), P85D (2014), 90D (2015), P90D (2015), 100D (2017), P100D (2016), Standard Range (2019), Long Range (2019) and Performance (2019).
Photos © Tesla Motors.
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Contact us for free quotes on weekly service, repairs or renovations!
Leisure Pools Of Naples, Inc.
Ken Atkinson
Ken is the President/Owner of Leisure Pools. He created the family business in 1987. He has 40 years of pool experience and holds one of the Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor's Licenses CPC057357
Jean Atkinson
Jean is the Vice President of Leisure Pools and helped create the family business with Ken in 1987.
Brandon Atkinson
Brandon Atkinson is the service and sales manager. He currently manages all of our renovations. He graduated from Gulf Coast High School and attended the University of South Florida for two years earning an Associates Degree in Business Administration. He began working and learning the swimming pool business with his family in 1999. Currently Brandon is attending classes through the Florida Swimming Pool Association and working to obtain his State of Florida Swimming Pool Maintenance & Repair contractors license.
Brent Atkinson
Brent is a service manager and technician for Leisure Pools. He graduated from Gulf Coast High School and is currently in his senior year at Florida Gulf Coast University working to complete his courses towards a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Technology. He is also working to obtain his State of Florida Swimming Pool Maintenance and Repair contractors license.
Rebecca Atkinson is the Controller. She graduated from Gulf Coast High School and attended the University of South Florida where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Accounting. She then moved on to earn her Master's Degree in Accounting and Taxation from Florida Gulf Coast University. Rebecca earned a Pool/Spa Servicing contractors license CPC1459144 in July 2018. You can contact Rebecca via email at rebecca@leisurepoolsofnaples.com.
Copyright © 2019 Leisure Pools Of Naples, Inc. - All Rights Reserved.
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MaltinFest
Good Writing About Films—and Books
Home Featured Good Writing About Films—and Books
Featured Film Journal February 2, 2016
As talented film critics continue to lose jobs right and left, a small ray of sunshine has broken through: a new outlet where good writers are writing essays about notable films based on equally notable books. The estimable Michael Sragow is serving as curator and primary contributor to this site, called The Moviegoer, which is an enterprise of Library of America. Mike’s initial essay, about Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans, which you can read HERE, sets the bar high. Not only is he intimately acquainted with James Fenimore Cooper’s book and Mann’s adaptation, but he’s aware of the 1936 film and the beautiful 1920 silent feature by Maurice Tourneur and Clarence Brown.
(When I asked him which iteration of the Mann film he used as his source–knowing that the director likes to tinker with his films–Mike told me, “When I re-watched it I skipped the intermediate “director’s cut” that came out on the first DVD and went straight to the “definitive director’s cut” on Blu-ray. Apparently he went overboard on that first director’s cut and even eliminated “I will find you!,” but this last one was more like fine-tuning — some snips of expository or overly explicit dialogue got trimmed, some bits of action got extended. It played well for me and he’s adamant that this is the last one.”)
Sragow has lined up an impressive list of contributors for this biweekly feature; here is the current rundown:
2/10 – Carrie Rickey on The Age of Innocence
2/24 – Michael Sragow on The Maltese Falcon
3/9 – Terrence Rafferty on The Innocents
3/23 – Farran Smith Nehme on Little Women
4/6 – Michael Sragow on Billy Budd
4/20 – Harold Schechter on True Crime in American Cinema
5/4 – David Denby on The Heiress
5/18 – Charles McGrath on The Thin Man
6/1 – Michael Sragow on Member of the Wedding
6/15 – Megan Abbott on Laura
6/29 – Wendy Lesser on Purple Noon
If you are unaware of Library of America, it is a non-profit organization, currently in its fourth decade, that “champions the nation’s cultural heritage by publishing America’s greatest writing in authoritative new editions and providing resources for readers to explore this rich, living legacy. The Moviegoer is produced with initial underwriting support from trustee Amor Towles. Additional funding and partners will be sought in the year ahead to help broaden the reach of the program. It takes its inspiration and its Catholic compass, from Walker Percy’s famous novel and, in the words of curator Sragow, ‘aims to generate new enthusiasm for cinema as well as literature.’ ”
Michael Sragow has written for a number of leading newspapers and The New Yorker (where I’ve always enjoyed his capsule reviews of vintage films) and currently serves as West Coast editor and critic for Film Comment. He is the author of the definitive biography Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master and the editor of the two-volume Library of America James Agee edition.
You can subscribe to The Moviegoer for free at www.loa.org and I encourage you to do so. Movie and book lovers alike should support this enterprise and show that there is still a healthy audience for intelligent and informed writing of this kind. I wish The Moviegoer a long and fruitful life.
Tagged Books on FilmLibrary of AmericaMichael SragowMoviegoer
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is one of the world’s most respected film critics and historians. He is best known for his widely-used reference work Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide and its companion volume Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide, now in its third edition, as well as his thirty-year run on television’s Entertainment Tonight. He teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and appears regularly on Reelz Channel and Turner Classic Movies. His books include The 151 Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, The Great Movie Comedians, The Disney Films, The Art of the Cinematographer, Movie Comedy Teams, The Great American Broadcast, and Leonard Maltin’s Movie Encyclopedia. He served two terms as President of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, is a voting member of the National Film Registry, and was appointed by the Librarian of Congress to sit on the Board of Directors of the National Film Preservation Foundation. He hosted and co-produced the popular Walt Disney Treasures DVD series and has appeared on innumerable television programs and documentaries. He has been the recipient of awards from the American Society of Cinematographers, the Telluride Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, and San Diego’s Comic-Con International. Perhaps the pinnacle of his career was his appearance in a now-classic episode of South Park. (Or was it Carmela consulting his Movie Guide on an episode of The Sopranos?) He holds court at leonardmaltin.com. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook; you can also listen to him on his weekly podcast: Maltin on Movies. — [Artwork by Drew Friedman]
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Harry Crosby Photographs 89
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John Muir College Dedicatory Concert procession
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Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works
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Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--People
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Events
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--History
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--People
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--People
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--People
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--History
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--History
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Events
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Events
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Events
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--Events
UCSD Electronic Music Happening
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--History
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--Events
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--History
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--People; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--History
Name: Crosby, Harry W., 1926-; University of California, San Diego--History; University of California, San Diego--Events; University of California, San Diego--Pictorial works; University of California, San Diego--People
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Posts Tagged All You Need Is Now Tour
Duran Duran Heats Up the Crowd at Pacific Amphitheatre
Posted by Cindy Robinson, Life on the Scene in Book Reviews, Concert on August 14, 2012
Fresh off their performance in London’s Hyde Park at the opening of the 2012 Summer Olympics, Duran Duran returned to the Pacific Amphitheatre over the weekend to close out the Orange County Fair’s summer concert series. The sold out show brought legions of fans in to see the band perform on the final leg of their All You Need Is Now tour.
The hot August night only got hotter as the band launched into a tight set of their greatest hits including early tracks such as Girls on Film, Planet Earth and the only occasionally dusted off fan favorite, Careless Memories, which sent the crowd of hard-core Duranies into a frenzy. Duran Duran continued the journey through their 30 year career thrilling the audience with 90’s gems like Ordinary World, Come Undone and the Grandmaster Flash cover, White Lines.
The set was also heavily peppered with tracks from their latest album, All You Need Is Now including the title track, audience favorite, Girl Panic! and the Man Who Stole a Leopard.
The band continues across the United States throughout the month of August with the remaining dates listed below:
August 15, 2012 Tulsa, OK, Duran Duran at The Joint inside Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tulsa, OK
August 17, 2012, Memphis, TN, Duran Duran at the Memphis Botanical Gardens in Memphis, TN
August 18, 2012, Biloxi, MS, Duran Duran in Biloxi, MS at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
August 19, 2012, Atlanta, GA, Duran Duran at Chastain Park in Atlanta, GA
August 21, 2012, Durham, North Carolina, Duran Duran at DPAC in Durham, North Carolina
August 22, 2012, Portsmouth, VA, Duran Duran at Telos Wireless Pavilion in Portsmouth, VA
August 24, 2012, Mashantucket, CT, Duran Duran at MGM Grand at Foxwoods
August 25, 2012, Atlantic City, NJ, Duran Duran at Revel Ovation Hall in Atlantic City
August 26, 2012, Pittsburgh, PA, Duran Duran at Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA
August 28, 2012, Kettering, OH, Duran Duran at the Fraze Pavilion in Kettering, OH
August 29, 2012, Highland Park, IL, Duran Duran at Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, IL
August 31, 2012, Orillia, ONTARIO, Canada, Duran Duran at Casino Rama Entertainment Centre
September 01, 2012, Orillia, ONTARIO, Canada, Duran Duran at Casino Rama Entertainment Centre
Check Ticketmaster to see if there are any tickets left for your city. They put on a great live show you don’t want to miss!
Duran Duran have also just released their latest concert movie, A Diamond in the Mind out now on Blu-ray/DVD chronicling the first part of their All You Need Is Now Tour. The Blu-ray/DVD is available via Amazon.com and the live audio CD is out now on iTunes.
The band will take some well deserved time off after the tour wraps up at the end of the summer before heading back into the studio with producer Mark Ronson sometime next year.
In the meantime, fans can catch bassist John Taylor out on the road later this year promoting his auto-biography, In the Pleasure Groove: Love, Death, and Duran Duran which is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom in late September followed by an October release in the United States. You can pre-order the book now online, watch the Duran Duran Facebook page or follow John on Twitter to see which cities he will be visiting to sign copies of his book.
2012 Summer Olympics, A Diamond in the Mind, ADITM, All You Need Is Now Tour, Atlanta, california, Canada, Casino, cindy robinson, duran duran, Hyde Park, john taylor, life on the scene, London, Nick Rhodes, North Carolina, Orange County Fair, Ordinary World, Pacific Amphitheatre, Pittsburgh, Pleasure Groove, Rio, roger taylor, simon le bon, United States
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DENNIS MITCHELL
Dennis Mitchell: Weekdays 10am-2pm
After a successful career in Las Vegas radio, Dennis Mitchell made his way west and found a home at KTYD. He was hired as Music Director in late 2015 and became Program Director shortly after that. Dennis is on the air mingling with Santa Barbara listeners every midday from 10 to 2, with Deep Cuts during the lunch hour, the new contest feature "Rock & Roll Faceoff" and a bit of Zappa to close the week with "Friday Frank." Dennis has hosted the longest-running "Breakfast With The Beatles" show in the world, now in its 29th year. It's on KTYD every Saturday morning at 8.
Tweets by 99.9 KTYD
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Explore Books
Explore Movies
Explore Rare Books
La La Land (2016)
directed by Damien Chazelle
featuring Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, J.K. Simmons, Rosemarie DeWitt
featuring Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen, Martin Balsam, Mickey Rooney
Used DVD
directed by Garry Marshall
featuring Richard Gere, Julia Roberts, Ralph Bellamy, Jason Alexander, Laura San Giacomo
Used DVD, 2005
directed by Andy Tennant
featuring Reese Witherspoon, Josh Lucas, Patrick Dempsey, Candice Bergen, Mary Kay Place
featuring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Victor McLaglen, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond
Sleepless in Seattle (1993)
directed by Nora Ephron
featuring Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, Bill Pullman, Ross Malinger, Rosie O'Donnell, Victor Garber, Rob Reiner, Dana Ivey
Sabrina (1995)
directed by Sydney Pollack
featuring Harrison Ford, Julia Ormond, Greg Kinnear, John Wood, Nancy Marchand
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
directed by Jon Turteltaub
featuring Sandra Bullock, Bill Pullman, Peter Gallagher, Peter Boyle, Jack Warden
Shirley Valentine (1989)
directed by Lewis Gilbert
featuring Pauline Collins, Tom Conti, Alison Steadman, Julia McKenzie, Joanna Lumley
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
directed by Joe Wright
featuring Keira Knightley, Matthew MacFadyen, Brenda Blethyn, Donald Sutherland, Tom Hollander, Rosamund Pike, Jena Malone, Judi Dench
French Kiss (1995)
directed by Lawrence Kasdan
featuring Meg Ryan, Kevin Kline, Timothy Hutton, Jean Reno, François Cluzet
Used CD, 2004
Six Days, Seven Nights (1998)
directed by Ivan Reitman
featuring Harrison Ford, Anne Heche, David Schwimmer, Jacqueline Obradors, Temuera Morrison
Notting Hill (1999)
directed by Roger Michell
featuring Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Emma Chambers, James Dreyfus, Gina McKee
An Affair to Remember (1957)
directed by Leo McCarey
featuring Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Richard Denning, Neva Patterson, Cathleen Nesbitt
The American President (1995)
directed by Rob Reiner
featuring Michael Douglas, Annette Bening, Martin Sheen, Michael J. Fox, David Paymer, Richard Dreyfuss
New DVD
featuring Johnny Depp, Winona Ryder, Dianne Wiest, Anthony Michael Hall, Alan Arkin, Vincent Price, Kathy Baker
Under the Tuscan Sun (2003)
directed by Audrey Wells
featuring Diane Lane, Sandra Oh, Lindsay Duncan, Raoul Bova, Vincent Riotta
Arthur (1981)
directed by Steve Gordon
featuring Dudley Moore, Liza Minnelli, John Gielgud, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Jill Eikenberry
As Good As It Gets (1997)
directed by James L. Brooks
featuring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, Greg Kinnear, Cuba Gooding, Jr., Skeet Ulrich, Shirley Knight, Harold Ramis, Jesse James
When Harry Met Sally (1989)
featuring Billy Crystal, Meg Ryan, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby, Steven Ford
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
directed by Ang Lee
featuring Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, James Fleet, Greg Wise, Gemma Jones, Elizabeth Spriggs
Emma (1996)
directed by Douglas McGrath
featuring Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Northam, Toni Collette, Greta Scacchi, Alan Cumming
directed by Peter Segal
featuring Jennifer Lopez, Leah Remini, Vanessa Hudgens, Treat Williams, Milo Ventimiglia
Overboard (2018)
directed by Rob Greenberg
featuring Eugenio Derbez, Anna Faris, Eva Longoria, Mel Rodriguez, John Hannah
directed by Billy Wilder
featuring Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, William Holden, Walter Hampden, John Williams
Page 1 of 20: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next>
Romance > Romantic Comedy
Comedy > Romantic Comedy
Comedy Drama > Romantic Comedy
Comedy Drama > Comedy of Manners
Comedy > Comedy of Manners
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Big Oil in Retreat
August 14, 2015 LobeLog 4 Comments
by Michael Klare
The plunge of global oil prices began in June 2014, when benchmark Brent crude was selling at $114 per barrel. It hit bottom at $46 this January, a near-collapse widely viewed as a major but temporary calamity for the energy industry. Such low prices were expected to force many high-cost operators, especially American shale oil producers, out of the market, while stoking fresh demand and so pushing those numbers back up again. When Brent rose to $66 per barrel this May, many oil industry executives breathed a sigh of relief. The worst was over. The price had “reached a bottom” and it “doesn’t look like it is going back,” a senior Saudi official observed at the time.
Skip ahead three months and that springtime of optimism has evaporated. Major producers continue to pump out record levels of crude and world demand remains essentially flat. The result: a global oil glut that is again driving prices toward the energy subbasement. In the first week of August, Brent fell to $49, and West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for U.S. crude, sank to $45. On top of last winter’s rout, this second round of price declines has played havoc with the profits of the major oil companies, put tens of thousands of people out of work, and obliterated billions of dollars of investments in future projects. While most oil-company executives continue to insist that a turnaround is sure to occur in the near future, some analysts are beginning to wonder if what’s underway doesn’t actually signal a fundamental transformation of the industry.
Recently, as if to underscore the magnitude of the current rout, ExxonMobil and Chevron, the top two U.S. oil producers, announced their worst quarterly returns in many years. Exxon, America’s largest oil company and normally one of its most profitable, reported a 52% drop in earnings for the second quarter of 2015. Chevron suffered an even deeper plunge, with net income falling 90% from the second quarter of 2014. In response, both companies have cut spending on exploration and production (“upstream” operations, in oil industry lingo). Chevron also announced plans to eliminate 1,500 jobs.
Painful as the short-term consequences of the current price rout may be, the long-term ones are likely to prove far more significant. To conserve funds and ensure continuing profitability, the major companies are cancelling or postponing investments in new production ventures, especially complex, costly projects like the exploitation of Canadian tar sands and deep-offshore fields that only turn a profit when oil is selling at $80 to $100 or more per barrel.
According to Wood Mackenzie, an oil-industry consultancy, the top firms have already shelved $200 billion worth of spending on new projects, including 46 major oil and natural gas ventures containing an estimated 20 billion barrels of oil or its equivalent. Most of these are in Canada’s Athabasca tar sands (also called oil sands) or in deep waters off the west coast of Africa. Royal Dutch Shell has postponed its Bonga South West project, a proposed $12 billion development in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nigeria, while the French company Total has delayed a final investment decision on Zinia 2, a field it had planned to exploit off the coast of Angola. “The upstream industry is winding back its investment in big pre-final investment decision developments as fast as it can,” Wood Mackenzie reported in July.
As the price of oil continues on its downward course, the cancellation or postponement of such mega-projects has been sending powerful shock waves through the energy industry, and also ancillary industries, communities, and countries that depend on oil extraction for the bulk of their revenues. Consider it a straw in the wind that, in February, Halliburton, a major oil-services provider, announced layoffs of 7% of its work force, or about 6,000 people. Other firms have announced equivalent reductions.
Such layoffs are, of course, impacting whole communities. For instance, Fort McMurray in Alberta, Canada, the epicenter of the tar sands industry and not so long ago a boom town, has seen its unemployment rate double over the past year and public spending slashed. Families that once enjoyed six-digit annual incomes are now turning to community food banks for essential supplies. “In a very short time our world has changed, and changed dramatically,” observes Rich Kruger, chief executive of Imperial Oil, an Exxon subsidiary and major investor in Alberta’s tar sands.
A similar effect can be seen on a far larger scale when it comes to oil-centric countries like Russia, Nigeria, and Venezuela. All three are highly dependent on oil exports for government operations. Russia’s government relies on its oil and gas industry for 50% of its budget revenues, Nigeria for 75%, and Venezuela for 45%. All three have experienced sharp drops in oil income. The resulting diminished government spending has meant economic hardship, especially for the poor and marginalized, and prompted increased civil unrest. In Russia, President Vladimir Putin has clearly sought to deflect attention from the social impact of reduced oil revenue by whipping up patriotic fervor about the country’s military involvement in Ukraine. Russia’s actions have, however, provoked Western economic sanctions, only adding to its economic and social woes.
No Relief in Sight
What are we to make of this unexpected second fall in oil prices? Could we, in fact, be witnessing a fundamental shift in the energy industry? To answer either of these questions, consider why prices first fell in 2014 and why, at the time, analysts believed they would rebound by the middle of this year.
The initial collapse was widely attributed to three critical factors: an extraordinary surge in production from shale formations in the United States, continued high output by members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) led by Saudi Arabia, and a slackening of demand from major consuming nations, especially China.
According to the Energy Information Administration of the Department of Energy, crude oil production in the United States took a leap from 5.6 million barrels per day in June 2011 to 8.7 million barrels in June 2014, a mind-boggling increase of 55% in just three years. The addition of so much new oil to global markets — thanks in large part to the introduction of fracking technology in America’s western energy fields — occurred just as China’s economy (and so its demand for oil) was slowing, undoubtedly provoking the initial price slide. Brent crude went from $114 to $84 per barrel, a drop of 36% between June and October 2014.
Historically, OPEC has responded to such declines by scaling back production by its member states, and so effectively shoring up prices. This time, however, the organization, which met in Vienna last November, elected to maintain production at current levels, ensuring a global oil glut. Not surprisingly, in the weeks after the meeting, Brent prices went into free fall, ending up at $55 per barrel on the last day of 2014.
Most industry analysts assumed that the Persian Gulf states, led by Saudi Arabia, were simply willing to absorb a temporary loss of income to force the collapse of U.S. shale operators and other emerging competitors, including tar sands operations in Canada and deep-offshore ventures in Africa and Brazil. A senior Saudi official seemed to confirm this in May, telling the Financial Times, “There is no doubt about it, the price fall of the last several months has deterred investors away from expensive oil including U.S. shale, deep offshore, and heavy oils.”
Believing that the Saudi strategy had succeeded and noting signs of increasing energy demand in China, Europe, and the United States, many analysts concluded that prices would soon begin to rise again, as indeed they briefly did. It now appears, however, that these assumptions were off the mark. While numerous high-cost projects in Canada and Africa were delayed or cancelled, the U.S. shale industry has found ways to weather the downturn in prices. Some less-productive wells have indeed been abandoned, but drillers also developed techniques to extract more oil less expensively from their remaining wells and kept right on pumping. “We can’t control commodity prices, but we can control the efficiency of our wells,” said one operator in the Eagle Ford region of Texas. “The industry has taken this as a wake-up call to get more efficient or get out.”
Responding to the challenge, the Saudis ramped up production, achieving a record 10.3 million barrels per day in May 2014. Other OPEC members similarly increased their output and, to the surprise of many, the Iraqi oil industry achieved unexpected production highs, despite the country’s growing internal disorder. Meanwhile, with economic sanctions on Iran expected to ease in the wake of its nuclear deal with the U.S., China, France, Russia, England, and Germany, that country’s energy industry is soon likely to begin gearing up to add to global supply in a significant way.
With ever more oil entering the market and a future seeded with yet more of the same, only an unlikely major boost in demand could halt a further price drop. Although American consumers are driving more and buying bigger vehicles in response to lower gas prices, Europe shows few signs of recovery from its present austerity moment, and China, following a catastrophic stock market contraction in June, is in no position to take up the slack. Put it all together and the prognosis seems inescapable: low oil prices for the foreseeable future.
A Whole New Ballgame?
Big Energy is doing its best to remain optimistic about the situation, believing a turnaround is inevitable. “Globally in the industry $130 billion of projects have been delayed, deferred, or cancelled,” Bod Dudley, chief executive of BP, commented in June. “That’s going to have an impact down the road.”
But what if we’ve entered a new period in which supply just keeps expanding while demand fails to take off? For one thing, there’s no evidence that the shale and fracking revolution that has turned the U.S. into “Saudi America” will collapse any time soon. Although some smaller operators may be driven out of business, those capable of embracing the newest cost-cutting technologies are likely to keep pumping out shale oil even in a low-price environment.
Meanwhile, there’s Iran and Iraq to take into account. Those two countries are desperate for infusions of new income and possess some of the planet’s largest reserves of untapped petroleum. Over the decades, both have been ravaged by war and sanctions, but their energy industries are now poised for significant growth. To the surprise of analysts, Iraqi production rose from 2.4 million barrels per day in 2010 to 4 million barrels this summer. Some experts are convinced that by 2020 total output, including from the country’s semiautonomous Kurdistan region, could more than double to 9 million barrels. Of course, continued fighting in Iraq, which has already lost major cities in the north to the Islamic State and its new “caliphate,” could quickly undermine such expectations. Still, through years of chaos, civil war, and insurgency, the Iraqi energy industry has proven remarkably resilient and adept first at sustaining and then boosting its output.
Iran’s once mighty oil industry, crippled by fierce economic sanctions, has suffered from a lack of access to advanced Western drilling technology. At about 2.8 million barrels per day in 2014, its crude oil production remains far below levels experts believe would be easily attainable if modern technology were brought to bear. Once the Iran nuclear deal is approved — by the Europeans, Russians, and Chinese, even if the U.S. Congress shoots it down — and most sanctions lifted, Western companies are likely to flock back into the country, providing the necessary new oil technology and knowhow in return for access to its massive energy reserves. While this wouldn’t happen overnight — it takes time to restore a dilapidated energy infrastructure — output could rise by one million barrels per day within a year, and considerably more after that.
All in all, then, global oil production remains on an upward trajectory. What, then, of demand? On this score, the situation in China will prove critical. That country has, after all, been the main source of new oil demand since the start of this century. According to BP, oil consumption in China rose from 6.7 million barrels per day in 2004 to 11.1 million barrels in 2014. As domestic production only amounts to about 4 million barrels per day, all of those additional barrels represented imported energy. If you want a major explanation for the pre-2014 rise in the price of oil, rapid Chinese growth — and expectations that its spurt in consumption would continue into the indefinite future — is it.
Woe, then, to the $100 barrel of oil, since that country’s economy has been cooling off since 2014 and its growth is projected to fall below 7% this year, the lowest rate in decades. This means, in turn, less demand for extra oil. China’s consumption rose only 300,000 barrels per day in 2014 and is expected to remain sluggish for years to come. “[T]he likelihood now is that import growth will be minimal for the next two or three years,” energy expert Nick Butler of the Financial Times observed. “That in turn will compound and extend the existing surplus of supply over demand.”
Finally, don’t forget the Paris climate summit this December. Although no one yet knows what, if anything, it will accomplish, dozens of countries have already submitted preliminary plans for the steps they will pledge to take to reduce their carbon emissions. These include, for example, tax breaks and other incentives for those acquiring hybrid and electric-powered cars, along with increased taxes on oil and other forms of carbon consumption. Should such measures begin to kick in, demand for oil will take another hit and conceivably its use will actually drop years before supplies become scarce.
The initial near collapse of oil prices caused considerable pain and disarray in the oil industry. If this second rout continues for any length of time, it will undoubtedly produce even more severe and unpredictable consequences. Some outcomes already appear likely: energy companies that cannot lower their costs will be driven out of business or absorbed by other firms, while investment in costly, “unconventional” projects like Canadian tar sands, ultra-deep Atlantic fields, and Arctic oil will largely disappear. Most of the giant oil companies will undoubtedly survive, but possibly in downsized form or as part of merged enterprises.
All of this is bad news for Big Energy, but unexpectedly good news for the planet. As a start, those “unconventional” projects like tar sands require more energy to extract oil than conventional fields, which means a greater release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Heavier oils like tar sands and Venezuelan extra-heavy crude also contain more carbon than do lighter fuels and so emit more carbon dioxide when consumed. If, in addition, global oil consumption slows or begins to contract, that, too, would obviously reduce carbon dioxide emissions, slowing the present daunting pace of climate change.
Most of us are used to following the ups and downs of the Dow Jones Industrial Average as a shorthand gauge for the state of the world economy. However, following the ups and downs of the price of Brent crude may, in the end, tell us far more about world affairs on our endangered planet.
Reprinted with permission from TomDispatch
Michael T. Klare, a TomDispatch regular, is a professor of peace and world security studies at Hampshire College and the author, most recently, of The Race for What’s Left. A documentary movie version of his book Blood and Oil is available from the Media Education Foundation. Follow him on Twitter at @mklare1. Follow TomDispatch on Twitter and join us on Facebook. Check out the newest Dispatch Book, Nick Turse’s Tomorrow’s Battlefield: U.S. Proxy Wars and Secret Ops in Africa, and Tom Engelhardt’s latest book, Shadow Government: Surveillance, Secret Wars, and a Global Security State in a Single-Superpower World. Copyright 2015 Michael T. Klare
Analysis, Energy Markets energy markets, Halliburton, Iran, iraq, Michael Klare, natural gas, Nigeria, oil, oil prices, OPEC, Russia, Saudi Arabia, shale, Venezuela
Articles by guest writers.
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Monty Ahwazi
These poor bastards! My heart goes to them because they only produce 40 gal of gasoline out of every 55 gal barrel of crude oil! They’re paying $45 pb of crude oil and they sell 40 gal of gasoline for about $120 on the average nationwide!
Since Dick Chaney’s secret meeting with the oil executives in 2002 the oil companies have been over charging the Americans for the gas and in return they’ve been financing the wars in the ME in order to protect their own businesses and profits at the expense of many lives! This is a kind of “Taxation w/o representation” and these criminals, including Dick Chaney, should be prosecuted and punished if convicted! But it would be unlikely to happen!
Mike Schoenberg
Though a small part the increase in alternative energy could be a factor
ronmac
Lol. It was only a few years ago when the “experts” were predicting $200 a barrel for oil. Oh well.
A word of warning. Shale oil reserves in the US have been vastly exaggerated. By 2018 most of these productive fields will be running dry.
Meanwhile Iran’s petroleum infrastructure needs upgrading and whether we lift sanctions or not the Europeans will be doing it. As it is Iran has doubled their oil exports to India, South Korea and Japan.
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Sample Track
Lost Hollow
Friday Night FUN: Ireland
After Ramsbottoms, we got up and headed to Grange, Sliago. Set our Sat Nav and headed out to Barry's Public House. A very cool listening room venue. We got there and had some time to spare while they were setting up at the venue. We met Tommy Rosney, from Highland Radio and he took us to the church (above) where William Butler Yeats
is buried. Here is a little info: The famous Irish playwright and poet was born in Dublin in 1865. His father and brother were both painters, and the young W.B. began his artistic career at the Dublin School of Art, but by his early 20s he realized his passion was not for painting but for words. During his early literary career, he was inspired by Irish folklore; later, he became influenced by (and concerned about) politics and government in Ireland. He died in France in 1939 and was originally buried there, but in 1948 his body was exhumed and his remains were buried in the Drumcliff Churchyard in Sligo, where his grandfather had been rector in the 1800s. Yeats had requested that he be buried within sight of Ben Bulben. The inscription on his headstone was written by Yeats himself, and reads: “Cast a cold Eye/On Life, on Death./Horseman, pass by.”
Then we headed back to the venue and did our sound check, went across the street and had a lovely meal. Back to the venue. Where we met the lovely Beverley Springer, from Highland Radio.
People came. It wasn't a large crowd as the next morning was the 'Darkness into Light' Race. It is a very cool race for suicide prevention. Starting at 4.15 am, and crossing the line just as dawn is breaking. It is an annual 5km walk/run. Celebrated it's 7th year at 80 venues across Ireland and beyond. So, many people went to bed early, because they were signed up for the race.
Though it wasn't a huge crowd, it was one of the best crowds! Check out these pics I "borrowed from Tommy Rosney...
A very cool story, there was a couple there, and the woman, a nurse, went to nursing school with Beverley. They hadn't seen each other in like 20 years, until this night. It was a fun reunion to watch!!! I was so glad that we were the reason that they both were there. We and a blast getting to know them after the show. Speaking of show. This one was magical! Oh my gosh, we had an amazing time! It was one of our favorite shows! The sad thing is, is that in looking at Facebook, I see that Barry's Public House is permanently closed. So very sad. Please someone fill me in on this. I hope that it will open up again.
in Music, Lost Hollow, Travel, Ireland, radio, tour, friends, Jump the Moon PR, folk Music, Americana Music
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Tag Archives: The Struggle in the South
Tonight – Clinton School and UA Little Rock present program on The Struggle in the South mural
Today (January 16) at noon, UA Little Rock officially cuts the ribbon on the new UA Little Rock Downtown campus in the River Market district.
Tonight at 6pm, the Clinton School Speaker Series in conjunction with UA Little Rock presents a panel discussion on the Joe Jones mural, “The Struggle in the South” which is featured in that new space. It will take place in the UA Little Rock Downtown location.
In 1935, famed American artist Joe Jones created “The Struggle in the South,” a provocative depiction of Southern sharecroppers, coal miners and a black family in fear of a lynching.
Originally painted in the dining hall at Commonwealth College near Mena, Arkansas, this 44-by-9-foot work was recently restored with a $500,000 grant from Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Center.
During this program, moderator Senator Joyce Elliott will join Brad Cushman, UA Little Rock Department of Art and Design Gallery director and curator; author Guy Lancaster; Dr. Brian Mitchell, UA Little Rock professor of history; Dr. Bobby L. Robert, former UA Little Rock archivist and Central Arkansas Library System executive director; and Taemora Williams, UA Little Rock student, to discuss the artwork’s historical significance and importance of its new home in UA Little Rock Downtown’s reflection room.
All Clinton School Speaker Series events are free and open to the public. Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling (501) 683-5239.
Posted in Government, History, Lecture, Visual Art | Tagged Bobby Roberts, Brad Cushman, Brian Mitchell, CALS, Central Arkansas Library System, Clinton School of Public Service, Clinton School Speaker Series, Commonwealth College, Guy Lancaster, Joe Jones, Joyce Elliott, River Market District, Taemora Williams, The Struggle in the South, UA Little Rock, UA Little Rock Art, UA Little Rock Downtown, UA Little Rock History
18 Cultural Events of 2018 – UA Little Rock unveils restored Joe Jones mural from 1930s
As curator Brad Cushman said at the unveiling of the Joe Jones mural, “There is absolutely no reason this mural should still exist.” But it does. And now fully restored Jones’s 1935 mural The Struggle in the South is a centerpiece of the new UA Little Rock Downtown Campus in the heart of the River Market.
First painted in the 1935 to be placed at Commonwealth College in Mena, it spent many years lining two closets in a house after it had been taken down from its original location. When that house was being torn down, someone called Bobby Roberts because they thought it might be something worth saving.
Dr. Roberts drove to west Arkansas, picked it up, and brought it back to Little Rock. For years it sat in storage at UA Little Rock. While that probably stopped its deterioration, it did nothing to restore it.
In 2009, the St. Louis Art Museum restored one panel of it to include in an exhibition on Jones, a native of the Gateway City. That prompted Cushman to push even harder to have the rest of it restored. In 2012, the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council provided a grant which made restoration possible. Additional funding came from the University and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The 29 pieces of the mural were sent to Helen Houp Fine Art Conservation in Dallas.
The mural consists of three sections that brutally but honestly tell tales of the South in the first third of the 20th Century. The first section depicts coal miners about to go on strike, the middle section shows a lynching of an African American man, and the third shows an African American family in fear inside a wooden shack – both in the shadow of the lynching and an impending tornado set to destroy the land they are working.
It is a difficult piece. It is intended to be disquieting. But UA Little Rock also sought to put the piece in context. They did not do this to explain away or make excuses. But they did it to relate it to events in Little Rock both during that time period and other times in the City’s history. It is designed to encourage dialogue, scholarship, and collaborations.
The space in which the mural is displayed was designed by architect Steve Rousseau. Credit goes to the UA Little Rock Board of Visitors, Chancellor Andrew Rogerson, and many other faculty and staff at the campus for making the UA Little Rock Downtown campus a reality and a showcase for this important mural.
Posted in Government, History, Visual Art | Tagged Andrew Rogerson, Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resource Council, Bobby Roberts, Brad Cushman, Joe Jones, National Endowment for the Humanities, St. Louis Art Museum, Steve Rousseau, The Struggle in the South, UA Little Rock, UA Little Rock Art, UA Little Rock Downtown
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News & Features » Miscellany
Is there such a thing as a wine allergy?
Cheers and Gesundheit
by Patrick Getlein
A number of readers have recently asked about wine allergies. One person gets swollen fingers but only from red wine. Another becomes flush. Some people, myself included, experience mild congestion. Others get headaches. Are we allergic to wine? Is there anything we can do about it? Well, yes and no. And no and yes. In other words: It depends. I asked a number of experts in the field of wine and allergies, read several research papers, and there's not a simple explanation. However, there was one surprise: "Adverse reactions to wine are not true food allergies," says Dr. Steven Taylor, head of the department of food science and technology at the University of Nebraska. Food allergies involve the immune system, he says. Sensitivity to wine doesn't, and it's easier to treat. "If you have a true allergy, even a small amount of the offending food will give you a reaction," he explains, "whereas a sensitivityyou can usually ingest some of the food without experiencing a reaction." Nonetheless, if you have an adverse reaction to wine you should talk to your doctor. The most obvious solution, of course, is to abstain. But if you like wine and want to continue to enjoy it in moderation, read on. Just remember: You asked. And, no, there is no cure for a hangover. What wine is"Wine is a lot more chemically complex than the average person realizes," says Dr. Bruce Zoecklein, state enologist and head of the Enology Grape Chemistry Group at Virginia Tech's food science and technology department. "The phenolic constituents from one variety to another are wildly different." Phenolics? Chemistry? We're afraid so. Wine is a highly complex suspension of chemical compounds phenols, amines, alcohol, sulfites produced through a series of chemical reactions, such as fermentation, stabilization, aging and fining. But there's more: The chemical composition of wine varies among the many different varieties of grapes, among vineyards and among vintages. In addition, production methods vary among winemakers. This makes collecting specific consumer-friendly information a bit like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall. What we do know is this: there can be a variety of allergens in wine trace proteins from egg, milk and fish compounds used to clarify wine; also molds and yeasts, even the grapes themselves. "There have been reactions to those," says Taylor, "especially the egg one, and those are true food allergies." Wine also contains components that can augment allergic responses. But while the potential is there for people to experience allergic reactions to these substances, according to Zoecklein "most perceived allergies to wine are the result of one of three types of components": histamine, phenols, and sulfites. Histamine
Histamine is naturally present in the body and "is one of the chemicals that drives allergic reactions," says Dr. Michael Blumberg of Virginia Adult and Pediatric Allergy and Asthma in Richmond. Alcohol, according to information from one study, also acts to release the body's own histamine. On top of that, there is histamine in the wine, a product of fermentation. "Most people have enzymes that break the histamine down" and remove it from the system, says Blumberg. But in some people that enzyme, diamine oxidase, is deficient. And even in people with the enzyme, the flood of histamine from drinking wine can overpower the system's ability to keep up, and allergy-type symptoms can result, symptoms like congestion, sneezing, flush, diarrhea, and headache. One study suggests that the highest levels of histamine occur in wines that go through a process called malolactic fermentation (MLF). MLF accounts for the butterlike flavor of some chardonnay. But some red wines go through a lesser degree of MLF to lower their acidity. Degrees vary, of course, and nothing is printed on the label. Aside from taking good notes about which wines cause reactions and under what circumstances, "there's not a whole lot you can do about [histamine] in wine," says Zoecklein. What's a phenol?
Phenols are a bit trickier. In wine they are the chemical compounds responsible for taste, aroma and color. "Like coffee and other products, wine contains a wide array of phenolic components," explains Zoecklein. Many, he adds, "are very positive contributors to health." Tannins, for example, are phenolic compounds. Though the role of phenols in reactions to wine "is far from substantiated," according to the University of Nebraska's Taylor, "there is lots of speculation." And not just about wine. "Chocolate would be another food with lots of phenols in it," he says. "People attribute a lot of adverse reactions to chocolate as well." One way to test for phenol sensitivity, says Virginia Tech's Zoecklein, is first to differentiate reactions to red and to white wine. "Red wines have high levels of phenols," he says. "If a consumer has no allergenic-type response to the consumption of white wines as opposed to red, that's an inclination that their allergenic response is a function of phenolic compounds." Phenols also come from the oak barrels in which many wines are fermented or aged, so this experiment requires selecting a white wine that doesn't have barrel phenols, a traditional Riesling, for example, and comparing it against any traditionally produced red wine other than a blush or Beaujolais-style wine. Of course, white wine is not devoid of phenols, and at this point your research has only just begun. There is an ocean of white and a sea of red to compare. To add to the mystery, white wine typically contains higher levels of a third source of perceived allergic reactions: sulphur dioxide. Contains sulfites
We know about sulfites in wine, of course, because of a 1988 federal law mandating that labels carry the warning "contains sulfites." It's there for good reason. Some people can experience asthma from ingesting sulfites, and for some asthmatics ingesting sulfites can be deadly. "That's a real entity," says Taylor. "It's probably not as common as people think, but it does occur." Sulphur dioxide (the sulfite in wine) is a natural byproduct of the fermentation process and is present to varying degrees in all wine. Nearly all winemakers also add sulphur dioxide to wine at some point in the process for three reasons: It neutralizes wild yeasts; it kills bacteria; and it keeps wine from turning into vinegar. "There is no better substitute for sulphur dioxide," says Zoecklein. "People wouldn't use it if it didn't improve wine quality. And the amount is far less than is in many other foods," he says. While there is no such thing as sulfite-free wine, people seeking to avoid added preservatives do have options. A handful of wineries in the United States, mostly in California, make wine without added sulphur dioxide: Organic Wine Works, Orleans Hill, Badger Mountain (Oregon), Larocca Vineyards, Nevada Wine Company and Frey Vineyards. "It's technically challenging to make wines without sulfites," explains Katrina Frey of Napa's Frey Vineyards, "but we have managed to produce wines we're very proud of." But be careful not to confuse these with organic wines. No matter what the shelf-talker says at the store, there is no such thing. According to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the federal agency that regulates the wine industry, no wine can claim to be organic. While there is wine "made from organically grown grapes," that designation refers to a method of grape farming (organic farming), not wine making. It's a fine but important distinction. Read the label closely and you'll see that any organic claims are qualified by a reference to the standards of a particular state. If you buy a wine that says it's organic "according to the law of
" you might want to find out how that state's law defines "organic." Now, aren't you glad you
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New Vehicle Warranty
Isuzu Pickup
ABOUT MAC GHANA
Isuzu is focused on commercial vehicles, light commercial vehicles and diesel engines.
Isuzu has emerged, following the global financial crisis, as a consistently profitable business. This is as a result of rigorous streamlining and boosting the efficiencies of its operations.
Isuzu sells vehicles in over 120 markets and has a no.1 share in 70 segments in which it competes in 42 markets (2016 FY).
Our mission is to be a highly motivated team who deliver the best customer experience.
We aspire to be a leader in the manufacture and supply of vehicles, exceeding customer expectations, building on our heritage and recognising the impact on our community and environment.
Trust. Excellence. Action. Motivation.
Mansour Group is a multinational conglomerate founded in Egypt, with operations across the globe. The company is the second largest company in Egypt by revenue. It is the largest General Motors dealer in the world, and the fifth largest distributor of Caterpillar Inc. products globally. It also has contracts in Egypt to represent a range of international brands, including McDonald’s, Chevrolet, Red Bull, UPS and Imperial Brands. It operates Egypt’s largest supermarket chain, Metro Markets, and the Kheir Zaman discount chain. The company also has a private investment firm, Man Capital, based in London.The company reported 2016 revenues of $6B US, with 60,000 employees and operations in 120 countries.The company is privately held and managed by the Mansour brothers Mohamed, Youssef and Yasseen, who are board members.
Mansour Group started as a cotton business founded in 1952 by Loutfy Mansour, one of the first Egyptians to graduate from Cambridge. The business was nationalized by Gamel Nasser in the 1970s, forcing Mansour to Sudan and eventually Switzerland, where he continued to work in the cotton business. His sons attended school in the United States while he was working. Eventually, when Egypt returned to a market economy in the early 1970s, Mansour and his sons were able to return.
At that time, General Motors was looking for Egyptian partners to help them expand, and were connected with the Mansour family. The family set up a GM dealership and obtained Egyptian sales rights in 1975.The Company was called Al-Mansour Automotive. In 1984, GM opened its first factory in Egypt, and 1985 the first GM vehicle was produced in the country. AL-Mansour Automotive gained rights to sell GM cars in Africa, and eventually became the largest GM dealership in the world. MAC Ghana is the exclusive distributor of Chevrolet and Isuzu vehicles in Ghana. Started operations in Accra in 2014 with a state of art 3s facility at spintex road. MAC Ghana has a strong and efficient team of over 60 people who have successfully delivered over 1000 vehicles in a short span of two years.
MAC Ghana has an excellent after sales service and parts support, we have a branch in Kumasi and soon to be built in Takoradi. MAC Ghana a 100% owned company of Mansour International FZCO is the exclusive distributor for Chevrolet & Isuzu range of products (Passenger cars, Pickups, Trucks, Buses) in Ghana since 2014.Mansour Automotive celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2016 and is one of the oldest automotive companies in Egypt formed by Mr. Mohammed Mansour in 1976 and are the exclusive distributors of Chevrolet, Opel, and Cadillac brands in Egypt. In this journey of last 40 years the group has expanded the operations in Iraq, Libya, Uganda & Ghana with a combined annual volume of over 75,000 vehicles across locations having an annual turnover of over 1.6 Billion US$
MAC Ghana stared the operations in Accra, Ghana in August 2014 with our first 3S facility on the Spintex road in Accra with a current team of over sixty members. In this short span of two years since the inception, MAC GHANA made a remarkable presence in Ghana and have successfully sold over 1000 vehicles. In this short period we have laid down the foundation for building a strong brand equity for both Chevrolet & Isuzu through investment in world class facilities, people and processes.It is also a matter of pride for us have won several prestigious awards in last two years by “Ghana Automotive Awards” including “Most Promising Auto Company of the Year” in 2015 & “Best Service Dealer” in 2016, and this is just the beginning.
As part of groups ongoing strategy for Ghana and towards the long term commitment, MAC Ghana recently opened our another world class 3S facility in Kumasi and with future plans to grow the business through expansion of our retail facilities in all major towns across the landscape of Ghana.
Feel free to contact us for any queries. Use any of these contact details to get in touch with us.
105 Spintex Road,
Nungua-Accra
No. 33 Akowua San,
+223-030 281 3919 / +223-032 208 7938
info@macghana.com
Monday to Friday 8AM to 5PM.
Copyright © 2019 All Rights Reserved. Built & Managed By RazrCorp DWC-LLC
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10 years of celebrating creativity and developing community!
MADhurst may have started as just 9 days of performances and activities but, over the last 10 years, it’s grown beyond it’s founders wildest dreams. The acts and events have got bigger, the festival’s reputation has spread and its 10th anniversary marks its expansion to a full month-long celebration of art, music, drama and creativity across the area.
The festival may have grown but its aims remain the same; to spark local creativity and bring the Midhurst community together in new ways. 2019’s line up demonstrates that clearly. There’s live music, children’s theatre workshops, come and sing events and much, much more. In a clear demonstration of how the wider community has embraced the festival there are fringe events as well – linked to MADhurst but organised by a variety of different local venues. See the full range here….
See what's on in 2019
Big ideas – even in the beginning
In its first year the festival was blessed with sunshine, and people came out in droves. There was music in the town square, a samba band, a “poetry pie and a pint” evening of bawdy comedy at The Wheatsheaf, and many concerts and art events. Street events played an important role as well; three pianos for people to play and open canvases at three different locations on which people could paint. Paula Groves’ ‘Midnight Pearl’ was the headline act in the final concert, and it was all concluded with a town-wide carnival procession and a huge firework display!
The Committee, with their many partners, had done it! They had founded a festival! They had developed a ‘brand’. And, amazingly, they had balanced the books! The first MADhurst Festival had been a great success. However the lasting legacy, and in fact the point behind it all, has been the growing relationships and inter-connections among the various organisations in the town, and the imaginative engagement of so many wonderful local people in co-creating a cross-community event.
And thank you….
None of this would have been possible without the vision of those founder members. So thank you to: Marco Frankland, Fr Marcus Ronchetti, Sean Kearney, John Barrett, Paula Groves, David and Trina Duncan, Ruth Benton, Susan Coulter, Steve Morley, Mike Fry, Alan and Maggie Gibson, Alistair Gibson, Heather Ongley (of Cowdray Heritage Trust), Jeanette Sutton, the art students at Midhurst Grammar School (who developed the MADhurst logo), Doon Muir and Wayne Osborne.
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Home From the Web NY Times Trump Officials Say Drug Prices Are Inflated. So Are Some of Their...
Trump Officials Say Drug Prices Are Inflated. So Are Some of Their Claims on a Solution.
WASHINGTON — In his zeal to fulfill a campaign promise, President Trump has correctly identified high drug prices as a major problem for many Americans. But in defending his proposed solutions, he has sometimes stretched the facts.
Mr. Trump has proposed that Medicare pay for certain prescription drugs based on the prices paid in other developed countries. He called this “a revolutionary change” and said it would save money for the government and for Medicare beneficiaries without hurting their ability to get the medicines they need.
As part of a demonstration project covering half the country, Medicare would establish an “international pricing index” and use it to calculate a “target price” for each drug covered by Part B of Medicare. The proposal is expected to produce “a 30 percent reduction in Medicare spending” for drugs included in the test, the Department of Health and Human Services said.
The new pricing model, unveiled less than two months ago, has encountered a torrent of criticism from drug companies, which benefit from high prices under the current system, and from conservative groups, which accuse Mr. Trump of trying to import price controls from foreign countries.
Part B of Medicare spends roughly $30 billion a year for drugs that patients receive in doctor’s offices and outpatient hospital clinics — often by infusion or injection — for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, macular degeneration and other conditions. Some of the drugs cost more than $100,000 a year. Many are biologic drugs made from living cells.
What was said
“U.S. drug companies voluntarily cut the price” of drugs overseas far below what they charge in the United States “for the exact same drug.”
— The Trump administration, in statements this fall.
This is misleading.
Mr. Trump is right that brand-name drugs often cost much more in this country than in Europe. But it is a stretch to say that drug companies voluntarily provide discounts abroad. They generally charge lower prices to ensure that their products will be covered by national health systems in other countries.
Medicare does not use its leverage in that way. As a candidate, Mr. Trump said Medicare should directly negotiate prices with drug makers, a proposal long favored by Democrats. But since taking office, he has dropped the idea.
Most of the 36 countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development “regulate pharmaceutical prices directly or indirectly through coverage determinations,” the group said in a report last month.
Daniel Hartung, an associate professor at the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy, explained: “Many O.E.C.D. countries have single-payer systems in which the government is essentially setting prices and telling companies what it will pay for coverage. That’s how they can extract substantial reductions relative to prices paid in the United States.”
Mr. Trump is proposing to use prices in 14 other countries as a benchmark or guide in deciding what Medicare would pay. The administration acknowledged that some of these countries, like the Czech Republic and Greece, “have far lower per capita incomes than the United States.”
Several of the 14 countries have a budget for spending on prescription drugs. Many peg their payments to drug prices in other countries, a practice known as reference pricing or international benchmarking. Some of the countries assess the “cost-effectiveness” of drugs and limit how much they will pay for expected gains in the length and quality of life, with some exceptions allowed.
Just seven months ago, the Trump administration criticized the use of reference pricing by other countries, but it has now proposed something similar for Medicare.
“The president is also going to bring smart negotiation to billions of dollars’ worth of drugs in a part of Medicare where there is currently no negotiation at all.”
— Alex M. Azar II, the secretary of health and human services, in May
“In Medicare Part B today, the government gets the bill, and we just blindly pay it — oh, plus a 6 percent markup for the provider who administers it. There is no negotiation.”
— Mr. Azar in October
It is true that the government does not negotiate with drug manufacturers to determine the prices paid for drugs in Part B of Medicare. But the prices paid for many of those drugs do reflect the results of competition and negotiations in the private sector.
Under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003, the government’s payment for a Part B drug is based on the drug’s “average sales price.” This price, as defined in the law, accounts for commercial discounts, rebates and other price concessions that drug manufacturers negotiate with health insurance plans, pharmacy benefit managers and other private purchasers.
These price concessions, generally treated as trade secrets, may knock 15 to 35 percent off the list price of a drug.
The problem for Medicare and for consumers is that, for some drugs, manufacturers do not give substantial discounts. This may be the case, for example, if a drug has no direct competitors, so doctors cannot prescribe an alternative, or if the market for a drug outside Medicare is small.
“For at least 30 percent of Part B spending, Medicare prices are at least half of the market, meaning there is effectively no competition within that substantial federal spending among competing products,” said John O’Brien, the senior adviser on drug pricing at the Department of Health and Human Services.
“This model will expand patient access, through lower prices. This is a pro-patient-access model. We are going to lower drug prices substantially, for our most costly drugs, without restrictions on patient access.”
This lacks evidence.
Under Mr. Trump’s proposal, Medicare payment for physician-administered drugs would be based, in part, on prices in other countries, including some that restrict access to drugs by limiting coverage.
The administration assumes that Medicare can pay lower prices without limiting access. This assumption is based on a belief that drug manufacturers could not walk away from the Medicare market because it is so large, with 55 million people in Part B.
Moreover, Medicare officials say they would monitor the use of prescription drugs to ensure that beneficiaries’ access to medicines is not compromised. Even with the pricing index, they say, Medicare would still be paying more than the average of other countries.
But some advocates for patients are apprehensive.
“We share the administration’s goal of reducing prescription drug costs,” said Christopher W. Hansen, the president of the advocacy arm of the American Cancer Society, but the proposal “raises numerous questions about beneficiary access.”
“For instance,” Mr. Hansen said, “how would patients access necessary care if there are no vendors willing to bring drugs to physicians in their area? What if the drug maker decides not to sell a particular drug at the price required under the proposal, and patients are unable to get the Medicare-covered drugs they need to treat their disease?”
Dr. Debra Patt, a breast cancer specialist at Texas Oncology, a group of more than 400 doctors, asked: “What leverage would a vendor have to bring manufacturers to the table? Suppose a manufacturer is selling drug X for $1,000, and the vendor wants to pay only $750. What if the manufacturer says no? What then happens to Medicare beneficiaries?”
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Home Analyst Ratings CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE) gets upgraded to Buy by Bank of America
Analyst Ratings For CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE)
Today, CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE) stock received an upgrade by Bank of America from Neutral to Buy.
There are 7 Buy Ratings, 4 Hold Ratings, no Strong Buy Ratings, no Sell Ratings on the stock.
The current consensus rating on CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE) is Buy with a consensus target price of $60.7880 per share, a potential 4.45% upside.
Some recent analyst ratings include
4/12/2019-CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE) gets upgraded to Buy by Bank of America
2/25/2019-CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE) gets downgraded to Neutral by Credit Suisse Group with a price target of $52.00
2/22/2019-CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE) gets downgraded to Hold by Jefferies Financial Group with a price target of $54.00
2/21/2019-CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE) had its Buy rating reiterated by Wells Fargo & Co
On 3/11/2019 Michael Klayko, Director, bought 1,955 with an average share price of $51.10 per share and the total transaction amounting to $99,900.50.
On 2/27/2019 Gary J Wojtaszek, CEO, bought 4,000 with an average share price of $49.86 per share and the total transaction amounting to $199,440.00.
On 2/26/2019 Kevin L Timmons, EVP, sold 19,600 with an average share price of $51.14 per share and the total transaction amounting to $1,002,344.00.
On 8/23/2018 Kevin L Timmons, Insider, sold 7,374 with an average share price of $67.16 per share and the total transaction amounting to $495,237.84.
On 8/17/2018 Gary J Wojtaszek, Insider, sold 10,000 with an average share price of $66.50 per share and the total transaction amounting to $665,000.00.
On 8/8/2018 Robert M Jackson, EVP, sold 1,795 with an average share price of $65.27 per share and the total transaction amounting to $117,159.65.
On 8/6/2018 Venkatesh S Durvasula, Insider, sold 5,000 with an average share price of $64.96 per share and the total transaction amounting to $324,800.00.
About CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE)
CyrusOne (NASDAQ: CONE) is a high-growth real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in highly reliable enterprise-class, carrier-neutral data center properties. The Company provides mission-critical data center facilities that protect and ensure the continued operation of IT infrastructure for approximately 1,000 customers, including 208 Fortune 1000 companies. With a track record of meeting and surpassing the aggressive speed-to-market demands of hyperscale cloud providers, as well as the expanding IT infrastructure requirements of the enterprise, CyrusOne provides the flexibility, reliability, security, and connectivity that foster business growth. CyrusOne offers a tailored, customer service-focused platform and is committed to full transparency in communication, management, and service delivery throughout its 47 data centers worldwide.
Recent Trading Activity for CyrusOne Inc (NASDAQ:CONE)
Shares of CyrusOne Inc closed the previous trading session at 58,09 up +2,56 4,61 % with shares trading hands.
CommScope, Inc. (NASDAQ:COMM) has coverage initiated with a Buy rating and $40.00 price target
Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) gets downgraded to Sell by Goldman Sachs Group with a price target of $2.50
Bruker (NASDAQ:BRKR) gets upgraded to Buy by Deutsche Bank with a price target of $50.00
AtriCure Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRC) has coverage initiated with a Overweight rating and $37.00 price target
Antero Resources Corp (NYSE:AR) has coverage initiated with a Buy rating and $10.50 price target
Delphi Corporation (NYSE:APTV) had its Buy rating reiterated by Jefferies Financial Group with a $107.00 price target
1-800-Flowers.Com Inc (NASDAQ:FLWS) Insider Trading Activity – CEO Sold 25,000 shares of Stock
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Anthony Burgess tore it up and stuffed the pages in his socks to get it back through Heathrow.
D. H. Lawrence, 1928.
For episode #7 of the podcast I’m joined again by Melbourne cultural critic and writer, the delightful Mel Campbell, to discuss D. H. Lawrence’s last novel, his story of Lady Chatterley’s erotic emancipation. Published in 1928, the book was quickly banned in England and the USA for its “obscene” language of forbidden therefore scandalous sexual love. Burgess had to go to Paris to buy his copy, then tear it up and stuff the pages into his socks to get it back through British customs.
“The oak-leaves were to her like oak-leaves seen ruffling in a mirror, she herself was a figure somebody had read about, picking primroses that were only shadows, or memories, or words” (2005, p19).
Mel and I talk about the nature of Lawrence’s language of erotic love and wild flowers. We suggest that what may have been so politically dangerous about DHL’s prose is the “tenderness” (the novel’s original title) with which he describes Connie’s reclamation of her body from the words of her husband, from the word she once was.
“Whatever the blood feels…” Political, radical, outlawed writing, a lasting testament to Lawrence’s call for a return to the body and its premiere language of “the blood”, the 1928 novel forecasts the later 20th Century feminist movement of writing from the body. Via her passionate erotic affair with Mellors – the gamekeeper on her husband’s inherited estate – Connie authors her sexual emergence from the punitive history of literary representations of women’s desire.
Almost a century later, and surrounded by much talk of Fifty Shades of Grey, we ask: what is it that makes an erotic novel truly dangerous?
D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, (1928), Barnes & Noble Classics, New York, 2005.
[Original image above: Process, not Position, © Helen Milte, Olinda, Australia, 2012.]
Posted in Podcast epsisode
Tagged 50 Shades of Grey, Anthony Burgess, Écriture féminine, banned, D.H. Lawrence, erotic fiction, Helen Milte, Lady Chatterley's Lover, love, Mel Campbell, obscenity, Writing the Body
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December 14, 2018 by MissMavrodaphne Leave a comment
Actor R. Keith Harris (c) Matt Hulsman
You may have seen actor R. Keith Harris in the critically acclaimed series The Walking Dead, Under the Dome or Rectify. He recently wrote, produced and starred in the family oriented action-comedy Shifting Gears. But there are many more exciting projects in the works for the North Carolina native.
“My first love is acting, I knew that since I was nine years old and that hasn’t changed,” Keith recalls. “I moved to Los Angeles after graduate school and I quickly found out that Hollywood was about show business, with the emphasis on ‘business’. As an actor you don’t always have a lot of control over a story and I wanted to have more of a say. That’s why I also started writing, which I enjoyed very much. When I had three or four scripts under my belt, I had to figure out how to get them made into a movie. Because unfortunately it’s not like Steven Spielberg comes knocking on your door, offering to turn your script into a film! So I learned how to produce as well. I made a short film called Harvest in 2003, just as 24p MiniDV video cameras were hitting the scene. We shot a period piece set in 1953 in 4 days! After that I produced and directed furniture commercials, among other things, and kept going from there.”
Fully prepared
Apart from acting, writing, directing and producing, Keith makes time to teach acting students the tricks of the trade. One of the most important things to learn early on is to be prepared before you arrive on set. “You don’t ever want to be the guy or girl that messes things up and makes the whole set do a complete scene all over again,” he explains. “I try to be fully prepared and bring that level of professionalism to all the projects I work on, whether that’s a low budget production or a huge set like The Walking Dead.”
R. Keith Harris (second on the left) as Dr. Carson in The Walking Dead (c) IMDB
Apocalypse refuge
His character, Dr. Carson, might have met his demise on screen, but Keith’s tenure on this popular show has left a positive lasting impression on him. “I’m glad to have been a part of such an iconic series as The Walking Dead. The production was top notch, everything was so professionally arranged. I remember arriving on the Hilltop set and being like ‘wow! This is amazing!’ It looked like an actual little village,” Keith reminisces. “If the apocalypse happens for real, that’s where you need to go. You’ll probably be safe there!”
Right group of people
For the movie Shifting Gears Keith was the writer, producer and one of the lead actors. He wrote the first draft of the script in 2005 and it took many years before the right group of people and the finances were arranged to make the actual movie. “It might have taken a long time to get made, but I’m very proud of the end result! We had a great cast, including character actor M. Emmet Walsh (Blade Runner) and M.C. Gainey (Django Unchained), who is mostly known for playing criminals and darker characters. He was really motivated to get the part and play a more light-hearted role.”
Actors M.C. Gainey, R. Keith Harris and M. Emmet Walsh (c) Shifting Gears
Romeo & Juliet meets Friday Night Lights
Luckily the 49-year-old has no shortage of ideas for future projects. “I would love to do a movie that’s set in space, or a western. In fact, I’d like to write a werewolf western… that would be awesome. I’ve never seen one of those,” he laughs. “But for now I’m working on two series, amongst other things, with my production company Magnified Productions. One is called The Rivals and focuses on a group of high-schoolers and rival families who are involved in dirt track racing. It’s a drama, a Romeo & Juliet meets Friday Night Lights. The other one is a thriller series called See/Saw, in which a teen with a nose for trouble, uncovers a serial killer with ties to her past.”
Movie poster Shifting Gears (c) Shifting Gears
Thinking man’s sci-fi
The series are still a work in progress. First Keith has a new movie coming out in 2019, called Seven Days ‘Till Midnight. “I like to describe it as a thinking man’s sci-fi. It’s about a troubled family man, who packs up and goes into the woods to find himself and literally finds himself. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’s a really neat film, and I’m excited that it’s coming to completion.”
Keith has worked with a lot of respected actors over the years, such as Robert Redford, Andie MacDowell and Jeff Fahey. But there are plenty more he’d like to work with someday. “Robert Downey Jr. is on the top of my list,” Keith admits. “He’s just so on point in everything he does. I remember him all the way back from Weird Science. What a fascinating life story too… He’s been in prison, and was eventually sort of reborn as Iron Man. I also really like Chris Pine, especially in the recent Netflix movie Outlaw King. I have already worked with Emma Thompson in A Walk in the Woods, and she is wonderful. I’d love to work with her again. When it comes to directors, Jon Favreau and Baz Luhrmann are high on my list. But these are all future goals. When I look back on filming and working on the projects I was involved in, I realize it’s quite amazing what I got to do as an actor, and I’m really grateful for that.”
Follow R. Keith Harris on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on his latest projects.
Watch Shifting Gears on Amazon
Categories: Actors, Interviews, Movies | Tags: Emma Thompson, Jeff Fahey, Magnified Productions, R. Keith Harris, Rectify, Robert Downey Jr., Robert Redford, Shifting Gears, The Walking Dead, Under the Dome | Permalink.
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PROF DR RALF SPETH
CEO Jaguar Land Rover
Dr Ralf Speth was appointed to the post of Chief Executive Officer at Jaguar Land Rover on February 18, 2010.
Prior to this appointment, Dr Speth was Head of Global Operations at the international industrial gases and engineering company, The Linde Group.
Dr Speth started his business career at BMW leaving after 20 years to join Ford Motor Company's Premier Automotive Group (PAG).
Dr Speth earned a Doctorate of Engineering and is an Industrial Professor at the University of Warwick. He has also been awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Born in Roth, Germany, he is married with two daughters.
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Triple-negative breast cancer patients who responded to immunotherapy had long-term survival benefit
by American Association for Cancer Research
Among patients with metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) who were treated with the anti-PD-L1 cancer immunotherapy atezolizumab (Tecentriq), those who responded to the medicine lived significantly longer (overall survival) compared with those who did not respond, according to data from a phase I clinical trial presented here at the AACR Annual Meeting 2017, April 1-5.
"Triple-negative breast cancer is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer often affecting younger women and, unfortunately, the current treatment options for metastatic disease remain limited," said Peter Schmid, MD, PhD, director of the St. Bartholomew's Breast Centre at St. Bartholomew's Hospital and Barts Cancer Institute in London.
This study involves the largest cohort of patients with metastatic breast cancer treated with immunotherapy to be presented to date, and it is the first study to report data on survival for this subgroup, according to Schmid.
"The most significant finding is the difference in the overall survival between patients who responded to atezolizumab and patients who did not respond. While all responders were alive after one year, the one-year survival rate for nonresponders was only 38 percent," Schmid said.
He added, "Another noteworthy finding is that metastatic TNBC patients treated with atezolizumab had a prolonged median duration of response of 21 months, which is substantially longer than what has been seen with any other treatment to date for this patient population."
Schmid and colleagues recruited patients with metastatic TNBC to one of the expansion cohorts of the phase I trial. Of the 112 patients evaluable for response, 19 received atezolizumab as first-line treatment, and 93 had received at least two lines of prior therapy. At the time of enrollment, patients' tumors were evaluated for the presence of the PD-L1 (programmed death-ligand 1) protein on immune cells inside the tumor (tumor-infiltrating immune cells).
Patients belonged to one of two categories – those with PD-L1 on fewer than 5 percent of immune cells (IC0/1), and those with PD-L1 on 5 percent or more of immune cells (IC2/3) as assessed by an investigational immunohistochemistry test based on the SP142 antibody being developed by Roche Tissue Diagnostics.
Per RECIST v1.1, 11 patients responded to treatment, for an overall response rate, which included complete and partial responses, of 10 percent.
Both one- and two-year overall survival (OS) rates for responders were 100 percent, and for nonresponders, OS rates were 33 percent and 11 percent, respectively. Of the 11 RECIST v1.1 responders, five received atezolizumab as first-line therapy, and nine had disease with high PD-L1 expression (IC2/3).
One- and two-year OS for patients who received atezolizumab as initial treatment (first-line) were 63 percent and 47 percent respectively; for those who were previously treated (second-line treatment or later), OS rates were 37 percent and 18 percent respectively. One-year OS for patients with high PD-L1 expression (IC2/3) was 45 percent, versus 37 percent for those with low to no PD-L1 expression (IC0/1).
Only 11 percent of patients experienced treatment-related grade 3 or 4 side effects, and side effects led to treatment discontinuation in 3 percent of patients, Schmid noted.
"Atezolizumab has yielded durable responses in a small population of both previously untreated and pre-treated TNBC patients and is associated with an excellent safety profile. The results provide further evidence that immunotherapy may play a significant role in the treatment of breast cancer," Schmid said. "It will be down to other ongoing and future studies to further improve on these treatment outcomes by optimizing treatment regimens and combinations for this hard-to-treat group of patients."
A limitation is that the study did not have a randomized control group with standard therapy; the survival data could therefore only been seen in the context of historical controls, Schmid said.
Avelumab safe and yields durable responses for patients with advanced Merkel cell carcinoma
Provided by American Association for Cancer Research
Citation: Triple-negative breast cancer patients who responded to immunotherapy had long-term survival benefit (2017, April 3) retrieved 18 July 2019 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-04-triple-negative-breast-cancer-patients-immunotherapy.html
Immunotherapy drug gives non-small-cell lung cancer patients extra four months of life
Novel antibody-drug conjugate shows promising results in patients with advanced triple-negative breast cancer
Nivolumab immunotherapy helps patients with advanced bladder cancer
Significant survival gains with atezolizumab vs docetaxel for non-small-cell lung cancer
Immunotherapy: Promising results in first and second line treatment of metastatic bladder cancer
Daily coffee doesn't affect cancer risk
Researchers unlock clues to improving cancer treatment
Promising system delivers chemo drug straight into tumors with fewer side effects
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The Anatomy of a Billable Hour, Part 2 of 4: “The Work that a Lawyer Does”
dealWIP
Billable hour = 1) the work that a lawyer does, 2) for an hour, as measured by the lawyer.
There are two distinct points we want to make with respect to the first prong of the definition of “billable hour” (as discussed in Part 1 of this series). The first is that, as technology advances, the “work” that lawyers do will continue to change as routine tasks are increasingly able to be dispatched by machines. The second point is that, because of the (perhaps surprising) amount of discretion afforded lawyers to choose how to approach a given task, there exists the potential for great variability among the billable hour totals recorded by different lawyers for such task.
Disintermediation.
With respect to the first point, if you haven’t checked it out, we’d encourage you to visit our last post, which built on the concept of the “disintermediation” of legal work first introduced by Jordan Furlong. Distilled to its essence, disintermediation in this context refers to “work that was once done by lawyers, but which no longer must be done solely by lawyers”. This is an uncomfortable concept for experienced attorneys — the work that lawyers do is beginning to change rapidly, and the pace of that change will only accelerate.
To illustrate the application of the disintermediation concept to the billable hour, consider as an example that lawyers (once upon a time, we understand) used to redline different version of the same document by hand. Yes, combing through documents to identify and demarcate differences was formerly within the scope of “the work that a lawyer does” and properly charged as billable. Billing for (or even doing) such work today would be patently absurd given that technology at lawyers’ disposal can perform what was once such a painstaking exercise in a matter of seconds.
Now, consider the rapid advances that technology is making in its capacity to perform certain of the work that lawyers perform today. Suppose that secure and cost-effective technology exists that has the ability to reduce substantially (or as with redlining, replace entirely) tasks for which attorneys routinely bill, yet an attorney/law firm refuses to adopt such technology for one reason or another. Is the market for legal services efficient enough to root out or force change to such behavior? Is that attorney even allowed to bill $500+/hour for such work under the model rules of professional responsibility? Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are “no” and “yes”, respectively. In fact, today alone we would suppose that millions of dollars will be charged by attorneys for work that could be competently performed, or radically assisted, by technology. Add to that the fact that the pace of technological disintermediation promises only to accelerate, and it becomes clear that clients must demand a more rigorous system for their lawyers’ adoption of legal technology solutions.
Discretion.
Further complicating things, when approaching a task, lawyers are given wide berth to perform whatever work it is that they think is necessary, proper, justifiable or appropriate in service of a matter. Put another way, lawyers are free in their discretion to determine what needs to be done, and how they will do that work, with respect to any given project. If time spent on a task is plausibly in the service of the client’s matter, it is billed. That’s true whether the “work” is an all-hands meeting, a one-off phone call, research, writing, proofreading, emailing, texting, formatting, searching for square brackets, printing, photocopying or renaming file extensions. Although some law firms may have internal policies/procedures in place with respect to best billing practices for a given task performed for a given client, such policies (i) vary from firm-to-firm, (ii) may or may not be closely adopted by all attorneys at a firm and (iii) most importantly, may not conform to the client’s desired outcome.
The justification for the broad discretion afforded lawyers is that they know what they are doing and will apply reasonable discretion, bound by ethics, to the pursuit of any project. But even supposing for the sake of argument that all lawyers are ethically unimpeachable, that may not be enough. To illustrate: 3 different lawyers live in parallel universes, and each has the same non-disclosure agreement (or “NDA”) come across her desk.
1. Lawyer 1 reviews the NDA, which is on opposing counsel’s form, and determines that it looks reasonable and customary, within market terms, and poses limited risk to her client. She tells her client to go ahead and execute it. 15 minutes of billable time.
2. Lawyer 2 reviews the NDA and notices that in the event that her client is compelled by law to divulge confidential information, her client would be required to abstain from doing so until the disclosing party had an opportunity to intercede, and that in the event of a dispute, legal costs are to be borne by each party separately. With respect to the first issue, she would prefer an exception for instances where her client couldn’t reasonably give notice to the disclosing party while complying with the legal compulsion, and with respect to the second issue, she would prefer that the prevailing party pay legal costs to discourage frivolous claims by the disclosing party against her client. These may be minor wins, but Lawyer 2 is in pursuit of a bulletproof NDA and with them, she thinks she‘s got one. Her edits, back and forth with opposing counsel and finalization take 2 hours of billable time.
3. Lawyer 3 reviews the NDA and notices that, in addition to the above issues, there are several formatting/styling errors that flow throughout the document. Some of these could be pertinent to a post-execution interpretation of the contract (for example, there are a handful of undefined terms); others would not. She decides to correct them to be safe. Finally, she wants all of the section references in the document automatically “cross-referenced” in MS Word in the event that any paragraphs in the document change, just to be sure that everything is perfect. Lawyer 3’s definition fixes and stylistic wizardry take 1.5 hours, bringing her total billable time to 3.5 hours.
One NDA, three different lawyers billing 15 minutes, 2 hours and 3.5 hours respectively. We would argue that none of the approaches above is unreasonable or unethical. It’s all perfectly adequate lawyering. But is it what clients want? Did the client want Lawyer 2’s edits, which while customary address edge probability cases? Did the client want Lawyer 3’s work in order to perfect the document’s formatting and styling? Maybe, but maybe not. Lawyers 1, 2 and 3 can each be said to have performed the same work (their billable time descriptions would each likely read “reviewed and marked up NDA”, but at vastly different levels of service. Although many clients may use firm names as a proxy for the “Service Levels” they can expect to receive, the fact is that most lawyers are capable of providing different Service Levels themselves. And too often, those Service Levels are determined by factors other than the client’s demands.
dealWIP Inc. is a software solutions company offering the world’s premier cloud-based workflow software platform for transactional lawyers and their clients.
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Archive for the ‘TV SERIES REVIEWS’ Category
Posted by melangeofcultures in TV SERIES REVIEWS. Tagged: black love, Love Is, Mara Brock Akil, michele weaver, Oprah, OWN, Salim Akil, Will Catlett. Leave a comment
Love Is ___ premiered June 19th, 2018 on the Oprah Winfrey Network. According to OWN and Nielsen, the show ranks as the NO. 1 show on cable. I am elated that Mara Brock Akil and her husband Salim shared their love story with the world.
If you were to ask the question: “What is love?” you would get a thousand different answers. The truth of the matter is, everyone deserves love no matter who they are. Unfortunately, not everyone gets to live a life filled with love. Many factors come into play when it comes to finding true love. Society places many norms that dictate who should find and keep love. Many believe your financial status and physical beauty are the two most important criteria that make one the perfect candidate for finding love. We have seen too many times that is not true at all, otherwise the rate of divorce among the rich and famous would be a lot less.
I have always been a fan of the Akils. When Sex In The City premiered and the show did not include black women, Mara Brock Akil took matters into her own hands and brought us the hugely successful show Girlfriends, and later the TV series The Game and Being Mary Jane. The Akils are committed to showing the world that black people matter and they too deserve to have their stories told.
Love Is___ resonates well with African American women as they can relate to the struggles the Akils encountered during their courtship. The Akils became a power couple in black Hollywood. Love Is___ is set primarily in 1990’s Los Angeles. It follows Nuri (Michele Weaver) and Yasir (Will Catlett), a couple from two different worlds. The story is told from the perspective of the couple’s present-day selves.
Yasir meets Nuri in a local coffee shop. Nuri breathes hope into Yasir’s life by encouraging him to not give up on his dreams of becoming a director/ producer for television. The two fall in love. Trouble and hardship ensue when Nuri and Yasir navigate around the highs and lows of falling and staying in love.
Society has not always been kind to the struggles and plight of the black male. We are conditioned to think they are less than their white counterpart, but with Yasir, we get to see a man who is struggling with being jobless and yet still manage to remain resolute in who he is as a man. I know more often than not society frowns on a man who depends on a woman to help him financially.
Nuri’s willingness to support Yasir financially while he is unemployed brings to light a conversation that black women have been forced to have for many years now. Are black women obligated to save the black male because society has made it very difficult for them to be successful? This is not an easy question to answer. Black women have it hard too. Slavery has done unspeakable damage to the psyche of black people. It is never easy to erase one’s past traumas.
It warms my heart that Love Is___ has opened many doors to talk about important issues in the black community. These conversations are vital and we must have them. In episode 8, Yasir takes Nuri to meet his mom and his son Deonte. Yasir’s ex-wife showed up to confront him. That episode exposed the daily reality of what single parenting is all about. Is Yasir less of a man because he is not a part of his son’s life? My answer to that question is a resounding NO. I think Yasir is a product of his environment. Yes, he is arrogant and full of pride; but he is a man who is searching for fulfillment in life.
Will Catlett, Salim Akil, Oprah, Mara Brock Akil, and Michele Weaver at the LA premiere of Love Is ____.
We all come to a relationship with specific needs. Nuri feels safe with Yasir so she is willing to overlook many of his shortcomings. During episode nine, we learned that her stepfather molested her at the age of 9 until she was 12 years old. Having suffered such abuse is bound to have devastating repercussions on one’s psyche. I believe this is why Nuri appears to be very gullible. She has a very kind heart and is an overachiever, and this is how in my opinion she deals with her past sexual abuse.
At the end of the day, I think we all need someone to believe in who we are, our humanity demand that we find that someone who will be by our side to help us win in life.
I believe we are all masterpieces in progress and the people we allow in our lives will help us transition into who we are destined to become.
Lastly, the Akils have once again given us another masterfully well-written TV series that allow the viewer to see events in the life of black people. Hopefully, by watching shows like Love Is ___we can all get inspired to have quality conversations that can help heal our past traumas.
If you would like to find out more about the lead actress Michele Weaver and male lead Will Catlett, check out their Instagram here and here.
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The Mendelssohns
The Crane
Dorothea Schlegel
The Romantic Author
Moses-Mendelssohn-Preis
Der Moses-Mendelssohn-Preis ist eine Auszeichnung, die am 6. September 1979 – anlässlich des 250. Geburtstags des Philosophen Moses Mendelssohn – vom Berliner Senat gestiftet wurde. Angeregt hatte diese Initiative die damals durch ihre Gründungsvorsitzende Cécile Lowenthal-Hensel vertretene Mendelssohn-Gesellschaft e. V.
Morgenstunden. Mendelssohn-Lektionen für Berlin und Hamburg
Bei den Mendelssohn-Lektionen, die alternierend in Berlin und Hamburg stattfinden, sprechen Persönlichkeiten aus eigener Lebenserfahrung zu Themen der Gegenwart, auf dem Hintergrund der Lebensthemen des jüdischen Philosophen und seiner Leidenschaft für den Dialog.
Funerary monuments and graves of Moses Mendelssohn and his descendants
This project is intended to create a photographic record of the existing funerary monuments and to publish a short explanatory text on each one in an informational brochure, perhaps also in CD form. Another key objective in this context is to solicit potential patrons willing to sponsor the maintenance of graves that are neglected or threatened by removal for re-use.
The book Das Haus des Kranichs. Die Privatbankiers von Mendelssohn & Co. (1795-1938)
Die Geschichte der Privatbankiers von Mendelssohn & Co. ist die eines Unternehmens, das über fünf Generationen von einer prominenten deutschen Familie, von ungewöhnlichen Persönlichkeiten geführt wurde. In der Firmenentwicklung spiegelt sich auch Politik- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte, die von dieser Privatbank beeinflußt wurde.
The Monument at Spandauer Strasse 68
Twenty years after the inauguration of Micha Ullman’s artwork Bibliothek (Library) on Bebelplatz square, the Berlin Senate commissioned the Israeli sculptor to design and install an additional “floor sculpture,” in close proximity to the spot where the building formerly known as Spandauer Strasse 68 had once stood. This had served as the Mendelssohn family’s first residence in Berlin and had been inhabited earlier by other Enlightenment luminaries such as Friedrich Nicolai and Gotthold Ephraim Lessing.
Portrait busts of Fanny Hensel and Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
The impetus for this project was the realization that even more than 160 years after the death of Fanny Hensel, née Mendelssohn, no portrait bust of this major composer existed. The Mendelssohn-Gesellschaft thus began looking for ways to encourage the creation of such a sculptural portrait.
Restoration of the canvas murals from the villa of the Warschauer family at the former Am Knie square
Three canvas murals from a banker’s villa in Charlottenburg that had been thought to be lost were re-discovered by the Mendelssohn-Gesellschaft and, upon its initiative, were restored with the aid of public funds, donations, and grants from a family foundation. The works had been created by historical painter Rudolf Henneberg in 1872 for the billiard room of the villa of banker Robert Warschauer. This was located on Berliner Strasse (today: Ernst Reuter-Platz) and had been designed in 1869 by the architects Martin Gropius and Heino Schmieden.
Permanent exhibition on the history of the Mendelssohn family at the Dreifaltigkeitsfriedhof cemetery
28 descendants of the family matriarch and patriarch, Fromet and Moses Mendelssohn, from the second to eighth generations – ones who were baptized into the Lutheran church – are buried in the cemeteries near Hallesches Tor. A number of famous contemporaries and associates of the Mendelssohns also have their final resting place there. Though classified as a European cultural monument, this group of cemeteries fell into a state of neglect over the years, especially when it comes to some of the most prominent graves and the overall infrastructure.
The “Mendelssohn year 2012” project
The year 2012 marked the 250th anniversary of the start of the Mendelssohn family, a dynasty whose bankers, artists, and scholars influenced Germany’s cultural and economic history over five generations: On June 22nd, 1762, in Berlin, the local silk merchant, Enlightenment philosopher, and pioneer of Jewish emancipation Moses Mendelssohn married Fromet Gugenheim, a merchant’s daughter from Hamburg.
Performing at Fanny and Felix’s house
More than 180 years ago, Abraham Mendelssohn Bartholdy gave his children Fanny and Felix a forum for their musical development by setting up a musical salon for them at the family home in Leipziger Strasse 3. It is only fitting that the historic site of the Mendelssohn bank in Jägerstrasse – where Fanny and Felix would often come to visit and which would become known for its frequent private concerts – should be used as a venue for performances by up-and-coming young musicians.
A gouache painting from Fanny Hensel’s music room is purchased for Berlin
Two years after the death of the composer Fanny Hensel (1805 - 1847), her music room was captured for posterity in the form of two gouache paintings by the Berlin landscape artist Julius Helfft (1818 - 1894). Such works belonged to the “room portrait” genre, which became increasingly popular with the aristocracy and well-to-do burghers starting in the 1820s.
The reunion of the descendants of Moses Mendelssohn held in Berlin in 2007
In the course of opening an exhibition at the Berlinische Galerie in 2006, André Schmitz, then head of the Berlin Senate Chancellery, met with representatives of the Stiftung Preussische Seehandlung foundation and the historical association Geschichtsforum Jägerstrasse e.V. to discuss the project of refurbishing the Mendelssohn graves in the Jewish cemetery on Schönhauser Allee. At the meeting, he inquired whether the refurbishment of these graves might not be an opportune occasion to invite the descendants of Moses Mendelssohn, now scattered all over the world, to attend a reunion in Berlin. The Berlin Senate’s Department for Culture thus began drawing up lists of invitees in cooperation with the Geschichtsforum Jägerstrasse and with support from the Mendelssohn-Gesellschaft.
Restoration of the Mendelssohn graves in the Jewish Cemetery on Schönhauser Allee
Sebastian Panwitz, a historian and a member of the Geschichtsforum Jägerstrasse and Mendelssohn-Gesellschaft, had repeatedly called attention to the need to restore the Mendelssohn graves on Schönhauser Allee. Whereas Moses Mendelssohn’s grave site on Grosse Hamburger Strasse and the graves of the Hensels and Mendelssohn Bartholdys near Hallesches Tor were in good condition, having been accorded the status of graves of honor, the grave sites of bank founder Joseph Mendelssohn (1770 to 1847) and his family were unkempt, their headstones by now barely legible.
Accordion flyer on “Mendelssohn Sites in Berlin“
In the spring of 2007, Geschichtsforum Jägerstrasse suggested that an informational flyer entitled “Mendelssohn Sites in Berlin” be developed. This was intended to accompany the family reunion of the descendants of Moses Mendelssohn and, in particular, to raise public awareness of the project to refurbish the Mendelssohn family graves at the Jewish Cemetery on Schönhauser Allee.
Memorial plaque at the Mendelssohn Bank’s first headquarters
In the summer of 2002, a discussion group on the history of Jägerstrasse was founded in Berlin at the initiative of the Mendelssohn-Gesellschaft under the name of “Gesprächskreis Geschichtsmeile Jägerstrasse.“ Its objective: To re-awaken public awareness of the almost forgotten history of the Mendelssohn family at this storied location.
Informational plaque »Geschichtsmeile Jägerstrasse«
In late March of 2002, the Mendelssohn-Gesellschaft e.V. and the artberlin city-tour agency held a joint press conference at the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (at the corner of Jägerstrasse and Gendarmenmarkt square).
A bust of Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy
Since his death, the world-famous composer had not been honored with a single monument in his native city of Berlin. That is, until the Mendelssohn-Gesellschaft Berlin e.V. decided to take action in 1999. With the help of a generous grant from Deutsche Bank AG and support from the District Authority of Berlin’s Tiergarten district, the composer finally received a proper tribute on May 9th, 2000, when his bust was unveiled at the new U-bahn station at the corner of Mendelssohn-Bartholdy-Park and Reichpietsch-Ufer.
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‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Rocks the Box Office With the Second Biggest Music Biopic Opening Ever
Troubles plagued the production. One director got fired. Reviews were mediocre. But Queen fans came out en masse for Bohemian Rhapsody. In spite of all the negative headlines and controversy, the biopic scored a massive $50,000,000 opening in theaters this weekend, immediately making it one of the biggest rock films ever. Here’s the full weekend box office chart.
Film Weekend Per Screen Total
1 Bohemian Rhapsody $50,000,000 $12,500 $50,000,000
2 The Nutcracker and the Four Realms $20,000,000 $5,311 $20,000,000
3 Nobody’s Fool $14,000,000 $5,673 $14,000,000
4 A Star Is Born $11,100,000 (-21%) $3,235 $165,635,566
5 Halloween $11,015,000 (-64%) $2,918 $150,408,705
6 Venom $7,850,000 (-26%) $2,560 $198,663,348
7 Smallfoot $3,805,000 (-20%) $1,901 $77,484,301
8 Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween $3,700,000 (-49%) $1,308 $43,832,316
9 Hunter Killer $3,525,000 (-47%) $1,296 $12,965,116
10 The Hate U Give $3,400,000 (-33%) $2,256 $23,460,924
Just one film in the long and cliche-filled history of music and rock biopics had a bigger opening than Bohemian Rhapsody, and that was the N.W.A. film Straight Outta Compton, which opened with $60.2 million in August of 2015. Bohemian Rhapsody, directed by Bryan Singer (at least until he was fired with several weeks left in production), easily blew past everything else, including signature music biographies like Walk the Line, Ray, and Selena. It instantly becomes one of the biggest films in its genre ever.
It was a solid weekend for new releases in theaters. Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, which had its own share of production problems (as well as multiple directors), grossed an estimated $20 million and came in second place on the box-office chart. Budget figures for the film weren’t available, but experts were predicting ticket sales somewhere in the middle $20s for the movie, putting the final total on the low end of expectations. And Nobody’s Fool, the new Tyler Perry comedy starring Tiffany Haddish and Tika Sumpter grossed $14 million, landing in third place for the weekend. For Perry, it’s the third-weakest opening of his long directing career.
It’s also worth noting that despite near-record grosses from Bohemian Rhapsody, the very similarly themed A Star Is Born continued its extremely strong box office run over the weekend, dropping only 20 percent from last week and grossing an additional $11.1 million. The latest remake of the classic show biz romance has now made $165 million in the United States and nearly $300 million worldwide. It’s a very impressive directorial debut for Bradley Cooper, who can probably parlay this hit into directing whatever he wants to do next — assuming what he wants to do next isn’t a biopic about the rock band Queen.
Gallery – The Highest Grossing Movies of All Time:
Last Weekend’s Box Office Chart
Source: ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Rocks the Box Office With the Second Biggest Music Biopic Opening Ever
Filed Under: a star is born, bohemian rhapsody, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Categories: Movies
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For the Lord will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His inheritance.
For Jehovah will not cast off his people, Neither will he forsake his inheritance.
For the Lord will not abandon His people, Nor will He abandon His inheritance.
For the Lord will not cast off nor spurn His people, neither will He abandon His heritage.
The Lord will not leave his people or abandon his heritage,
The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his very own possession.
For Adonai will not desert his people, he will not abandon his heritage.
You won’t turn your back on your chosen nation.
For Jehovah will not cast off his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance;
The Lord will not leave his people. He will not leave them without help.
For the Lord will not desert his people, and he will never forsake those who are his own.
For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;
The Lord won’t ·leave [abandon; cast off] his people nor ·give up [abandon; forsake] his ·children [L inheritance].
Surely the Lord will not fail his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
The Lord will never desert his people or abandon those who belong to him.
The Lord will not abandon his people; he will not desert those who belong to him.
The Lord will not forsake His people or abandon His heritage,
The Lord won’t leave his people. He will not give up his children.
For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage.
For Yahweh will not abandon his people, nor forsake his inheritance.
The Lord will not forsake his people, for they are his prize.
How blessed the man you train, God, the woman you instruct in your Word, Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil, while a jail is being built for the wicked. God will never walk away from his people, never desert his precious people. Rest assured that justice is on its way and every good heart put right.
For the Lord will not forsake His people; neither will He abandon His inheritance.
Yahweh will never desert his people or abandon those who belong to him.
For the Lord will not forsake his people, nor abandon his inheritance.
For the Lord will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
The Lord won’t leave his people nor give up his children.
Certainly the Lord does not forsake his people; he does not abandon the nation that belongs to him.
The Lord won’t say no to his people. He will never desert those who belong to him.
For the Lord will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.
For the Lord will not cast off His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance.
For the Lord will not turn away from His people. He will not leave His chosen nation.
The Lord will not reject his people; he will not abandon his special possession.
For Hashem will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His nachalah.
For the Lord will never walk away from his cherished ones, nor would he forsake his chosen ones who belong to him.
For Adonai will not forsake His people. He will never abandon His inheritance.
The Eternal will not abandon His people; He will not turn away from those He redeemed
For Yahweh won’t reject his people, neither will he forsake his inheritance.
For the Lord shall not put away his people; and he shall not forsake his heritage. (For the Lord shall not reject his people; and he shall not abandon his inheritance.)
For Jehovah leaveth not His people, And His inheritance forsaketh not.
Psalm 94:13Psalm 94:15
21st Century King James Version (KJ21) Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.; American Standard Version (ASV) Public Domain (Why are modern Bible translations copyrighted?); Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.; Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation; BRG Bible (BRG) Blue Red and Gold Letter Edition™ Copyright © 2012 BRG Bible Ministries. Used by Permission. All rights reserved. BRG Bible is a Registered Trademark in U.S. Patent and Trademark Office #4145648; Christian Standard Bible (CSB) The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved. ; Common English Bible (CEB) Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible; Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. 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Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.; Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010 by Life Sentence Publishing, Inc.; King James Version (KJV) Public Domain; Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV) KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.; Lexham English Bible (LEB) 2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software; Living Bible (TLB) The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.; The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson; Modern English Version (MEV) The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House. ; Names of God Bible (NOG) The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group. ; New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE) Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. ; New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation; New Century Version (NCV) The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.; New English Translation (NET) NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2006 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.; New International Reader's Version (NIRV) Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; New International Version - UK (NIVUK) Holy Bible, New International Version® Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.; New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Life Version (NLV) Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.; New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition (NRSVACE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicised Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993, 1995 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International; The Passion Translation (TPT) The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC. Used by permission. All rights reserved. thePassionTranslation.com; Revised Standard Version (RSV) Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.; Tree of Life Version (TLV) Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.; The Voice (VOICE) The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved. ; World English Bible (WEB) by Public Domain. The name "World English Bible" is trademarked.; Wycliffe Bible (WYC) 2001 by Terence P. Noble; Young's Literal Translation (YLT) by Public Domain
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Your Money, Your America
Tax reform, North Korea top U.S. agenda at IMF/World Bank meetings
by Donna Borak @donnaborak October 12, 2017: 11:32 AM ET
Trump's shifting views on stock market highs
Dimming prospects of tax reform in the U.S. The economic crisis in Venezuela. Persistent nuclear threats from North Korea.
These are just some of the monumental challenges facing global finance ministers and central bankers as they gather in Washington this week for the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
The fall meeting comes as policy makers warn of risks that could derail the recovery and hinder global economic growth, including trade protectionism, policy uncertainty and potential turbulence in the financial markets.
"You have to fix the roof while the sun is shining," said IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde during a press conference Thursday. "There are a few potential holes in that roof and we need to fix them."
That includes preserving global financial regulations that the U.S. and other countries agreed to after the 2008 crisis, countries working toward reducing their own public debt and improving the global trading system so that all countries benefit, said Lagarde.
"It is not time to be complacent," Lagarde warned. Rather, she said policy makers should seize the moment to make policy decisions that allow more people and more countries to reap the benefits of a recovery that should be "sustainable."
Here's a look at four of the key issues likely to be on the agenda:
A big question heading into this week's meetings: Can the Trump administration deliver on its promise to overhaul the U.S. tax system by the end of this year?
The administration has been betting that tax reform, along with regulatory relief and renegotiated trade agreements, will help spur U.S. economic growth. A windfall, they argue, that could provide benefits to economies worldwide.
In April, the IMF predicted a boost to the U.S. economy in anticipation of the tax cuts.
But now there are signs of skepticism.
On Tuesday, economists at the IMF left the U.S. economic growth forecast unchanged, citing "significant policy uncertainty."
Related: The IMF says Tump won't deliver tax reform
"The IMF is not really the one to be rating the odds for [tax reform]," a senior Treasury official told reporters on a call Wednesday. "It's a work in progress."
The White House revealed a blueprint of its plan on Sept. 27, but it lacked many critical details that congressional tax-writers will now have to agree upon as they draft legislation.
All eyes were on President Trump Wednesday night when he made his latest tax reform pitch in Pennsylvania.
With persistent threats of a nuclear crisis on the Korean peninsula, global security will be "a big focus" when Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and David Malpass, his undersecretary for international affairs, meet with top finance chiefs later this week, the Treasury official said.
Items on the agenda include U.S. sanctions against Iran, Venezuela, Russia and North Korea. A schedule of 16 planned bilateral meetings has yet to be released by the Treasury Department.
Related: U.S. slaps sanctions on 8 North Korean banks
The Trump administration is seeking cooperation with China, and other foreign partners, to exert maximum pressure on North Korea to disband its nuclear weapons program.
In September, a week after North Korea carried out its sixth and largest nuclear test, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a U.S.-draft resolution to impose new sanctions on the rogue nation.
Venezuela's economy is spiraling out of control, with rampant inflation causing severe shortages of food and medicine for the nation's 30 million citizens.
The Trump administration has already issued sanctions against President Nicolas Maduro and his associates, after they moved to consolidate power and silence the opposition in July. President Trump also barred banks from buying Venezuelan state bonds.
Maduro has said the sanctions have exacerbated the crisis.
The IMF on Tuesday forecasted that Venezuela's triple-digit annual inflation rate is set to jump to more than 2,300% in 2018.
"Our goals have been clear: We want a better life for the Venezuelan people," said the senior Treasury official on the call. He did not outline any further steps the U.S. may propose.
World Bank spending
Two years ago, a goal was set for member countries to agree upon a capital increase for the main lending arm of the World Bank. But the Trump administration is likely to derail that effort this week.
The majority of the bank's 189 member countries support the capital increase for the World Bank's main lending arm. But the U.S. -- the bank's largest shareholder -- could veto the decision.
Related: Trump says tearing up NAFTA "will be fine"
One of the key messages the U.S. plans to send this week is that both the IMF and World Bank should more effectively use their resources, said the senior Treasury official. That includes mobilizing the private sector to make investments around the world.
The Trump administration plans to ask the World Bank to review its balance sheet and rethink its lending.
On Thursday, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said he was "extremely optimistic" that shareholders would eventually agree to a "significant capital increase" in the next six months after board members had time to examine demand.
"We've done pretty well in making the argument why we need a capital increase," said Kim at a press conference. He added that discussions about which countries should qualify for loans has been an ongoing conversation among all shareholders -- not just the U.S.
"It's not a decision management can reach on its own," he said, referring to the bank's leadership. "That is a decision by shareholders."
-CNNMoney's Patrick Gillespie, Jeanne Sahadi and Ivana Kottasova contributed to this report.
CNNMoney (Washington) First published October 12, 2017: 12:01 AM ET
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Tag Archives: Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor: Crime and Punishment
As a rule we read the Introduction after completing the book. Of course this means the scene is not set, but we avoid the assessment of the book until we have formed our own opinions. Also the casual give-aways do not detract from the impact of the scenes as we read them. While the murder of the pawnbroker Alyona Ivanovna is not a surprise for an educated reader, there is much, even on the second reading, that should be left to the author not a literary critic. After finishing the book, of course there are insights in the Introduction that can illuminate the book.
So Rodion Romanovich, known as Raskolnikov, is a poor, hungry, student drop-out. His father had died and he was the centre of attention for his mother Pulkheria Raskolnikova and his sister Dunya. To them and many others, he was good-looking, very intelligent and with a great future. This had influenced Raskolnikov’s high perception of his own worth: “why do they love me so much, if I don’t deserve it?” He preserves this certainty throughout the book (though possibly doubts are shown to emerge in the Epilogue). As a superior being he decides to take the life of the pawnbroker both to show that he is able to murder lesser beings and also because her wealth may be used better by him as a great soul.
The murder (and the unplanned killing of the pawnbroker’s sister) prompted the obvious debate as to why? The reasons given above are amended and refined in direct conversations with characters in the book and in Raskolnikov’s subsequent thoughts and agonies. This is the heart of the book. However, the literal translation of the title is “Stepping Across”, which suggests the long journey he has before in the end he has crossed and achieved peace. This matter of translation is always difficult unless one knows the language of the author. There have been eleven known translations into English of the book, published in Russia in 1866, starting with Whitshaw in 1885, then Garnett in 1914 and so far finishing with Ready in 2014. The first two may well have recognised this as a mid 19th century book. This would have been helpful as the reader expects the flavour of other authors of the same period. The more recent translations have sought to give the flavour of Russia. As a detail “I do not give a spit” is clearly a Russian idiom and works. To refer to “pubs”sounds 20th century British and is, we thought, a mistake.
Some clues are lost to the English speaker. Thus the characters’ names have in some cases other meanings in Russian. And also colours are clues: yellow denotes suffering. Blue eyes suggest genuineness. So Raskolnikov’s inspiration and spiritual rescuer Sonya has blue eyes and dresses in yellow. However, one of the most interesting figures, Svidrigailov also has blue eyes. We debated what this was about. Mostly the group thought he was a murderer and a sexual predator. A few simply concluded that he was a great literary creation who had generous impulses suggesting compassion and who killed himself out of guilt. There is a fascinating comparison between him and Raskolnikov. A notebook entry by Dostoevsky is that: “Svidrigailov is despair, the most cynical. Sonia is hope, the most unrealizable…. He [Raskolnikov] became passionately attached to both”. But there can be a big gap between the simplicity of the original idea and the subtleties of the finished work. To an extent artists create characters and then struggle with them to bring the book to the intended conclusion!
The novel may be seen as a group of incidents developing from minute detail through a very gradual build up of tension into dramatic conclusions. This is obvious with the central murders, but may also be seen in the funeral banquet leading to the death of Katerina Ivanovna, and also seen in the interrogations of Raskolnikov by the detective Porfiry Petrovich. The same applies to the meeting between Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov leading to the latter’s encounter with Dunya, Sonya, and his bride-to-be, and culminating in his suicide. This is how the novel moves, from a slow pace until one is totally immersed and then on to a quite different mood. We discussed how this happened, and noted that “Crime and Punishment” may have started as a novella. Then Dostoyevsky incorporated much of an earlier book “The Drunkards”, and parts of a Pushkin story, and finally adapted it for serialisation. The end product is a complex but brilliant work of art.
We pondered the impact of Religion. Here Sonia, despite having her “yellow ticket” as a prostitute, is the committed Christian. Others adopt only the form. The priests seem to be functionaries. Raskolnikov is asked to read the Biblical passage about the resurrection of Lazarus in a moving scene with Sonya. In prison he has the Bible unread under his pillow. But this surely reflects Russian society at that time. It is claimed that Sonya is the vehicle of divine intervention and that God guides him through self-discovery, confession, punishment and finally peace. Evidently Dostoyevsky claimed this was his intention, and also had very much in his sights the fashionable English utilitarian philosophies which he saw as inimical to the truths of the Russian Orthodox Church. But was that what actually inspired his imagination when he was writing it? If it were a work of art we would say that it is not what the artist intended with his conscious mind, but how we see the work of art, shaped by the artist’s imagination, feelings and unconscious, that matters. And the same applies to literature (a simple idea enshrined in the grand-sounding critical concept of “The Intentional Fallacy”).
There can be no disputing that the opposition of utilitarian and Christian thinking informed some of the plotting and the characters (the ruthlessly mocked Luzhin, for example, is a fan of utilitarian thinking, and Raskolnikov’s ghastly and arrogant belief about his superiority and right to murder is at some points attributed to utilitarian thinking). But we do not read this novel for an exposition of nineteenth century philosophy. We read it for its unremitting tension, for its brilliant cast of characters, for its insights into human psychology, morals and foibles, for its evocation of immense poverty and what it drives people to: in a nutshell, for its insight into the human condition.
We also noted the shaping and balance of the book, which shows, in addition to all his other talents, a superb craftsman at work. Parts I-III present the rational, proud Raskolnikov, and parts IV-VI the emerging irrational, humble Raskolnikov. The first half shows the progressive death of the first ruling principle, and the second the progressive birth of the new ruling principle. The change happens half way through giving a mirror like image. Parts I, III and V deal with his family life, and II, IV and VI with his dealings with the authorities and his father figures.
What then of psychology? Here Raskolnikov is a victim both in his own thoughts and in his debates with Porfiry. However, while he changed his account of his motives, was this a progress towards self-awareness? It seems more an attempt to fob off others, in particular Sonya. However, few novels are so rooted in the soul of the main character. It may have influenced Camus in his book “L’Etranger”.
And politics? Dostoyevsky was sentenced to face the firing squad as a result of political associations (although the sentence was commuted at the last minute by the Tsar). He was not writing as a casual observer. The great changes that affected Russia at the time figure in a number of conversations. Off stage there is a commune linked to Lebezyatnikov. This adds spice, but is only illuminating in a historical context. St Petersburg was busy to the point of turmoil and the main characters were also in turmoil. Did one reflect the other? The point was made that the poor were mostly good and the rich were a bit naughty.
However, the conclusion of the book is strictly moral. If critics at the time did not think so they have not given proper attention to it. Had the ending been with Raskolnikov simply giving himself up, we would possibly conclude that he thought he was right to murder, but had been too weak in living through the consequences. In the Epilogue Dostoyevsky makes quite clear that a good woman saves him. The style here is different. Some thought a modern novel would have been better without it. The message is delivered in a perfunctory manner. So far as we know nobody has suggested that his publisher or a friend told him to make sure the message was a wholesome one. He was possibly in the process of moving to the political right at the time he wrote it. Possibly he was simply convincing himself that Sonya was the saint, and Raskolnikov had come to heel.
Postscript: after the meeting, there was further reflection on the relationship between Raskolnikov and Svidrigailov. In the last meeting between them Raskolnikov felt Svidrigailov had “some hidden power that held sway over him“. Fairly obviously he could go to the police but possibly Raskolnikov saw more than that. As it happened Svidrigailov offered a plan to get him off to America. Svidrigailov used the meeting to explain his actions.
Why? The retrospective view is that possibly he really still hoped to form a friendship with Raskolnikov. Had he succeeded Raskolnikov might have heard a fuller confession and acted as some kind of Sonja. This may seem far fetched but what happens is that because of Sonja Raskolnikov does not commit suicide while Svidrigailov does. There is a rather tiresome piece by Svidrigailov about lechery [part VI chapter 3]. Svidrigailov thinks it is acceptable in moderation but to fail to control the desire might lead to suicide. Everything has to be in moderation. So Raskolnikov, revealing his state of mind, asks if Svidrigailov would be able to kill himself. “That’s enough! Svidrigailov countered in revulsion.”
Svidrigailov was interested in Raskolnikov and those associated with him. In the case of his sister the interest was wider, but he took particular care to help Sonya. Was dealing with her siblings and paying her 3000 roubles to help Sonya or to help Raskolnikov? It is possible that he genuinely loved Dunya and saw something of her in Raskolnikov. Many times the two are compared and were both of course good looking.
So he found that he could get nowhere with Raskolnikov. He had his planned meeting with Dunya, but possibly he would have expressed himself differently had he found some bond with her brother. He lost his nerve in dealing with her, but without Raskolnikov’s support he had no chance with her other than by force.
Another strange element in his last day on earth was his 16 year old bride. He said this attachment was because he had (early in the novel) given up on Dunya. 15,000 roubles is a large gift, and on top of other earlier purchases. Did he feel enormous guilt that he was not going to marry her? His actions are confused throughout. Most prospective suicides do not have such a varied and constructive last day on earth!
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This article is from the Dictionary of North Carolina Biography, 6 volumes, edited by William S. Powell. Copyright ©1979-1996 by the University of North Carolina Press. Used by permission of the publisher. For personal use and not for further distribution. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher.
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Caldwell, David
by Blackwell P. Robinson, 1979
22 Mar. 1725–25 Aug. 1824
See also: Caldwell School
David Caldwell, Presbyterian minister, educator, physician, and statesman, was born in Lancaster, Pa., of Ulster Scot ancestry. He was the oldest of four sons of Andrew and Martha Caldwell, who were respectable farmers. David served as an apprentice to a house carpenter for four years and then carpentered on his own for four more years until he was twenty-five.
Deeply intent on becoming a Presbyterian minister, he made a contract with his three younger brothers, whereby he relinquished all claims to the parental estate in exchange for their help in securing enough money to send him through college. Accordingly, at the age of twenty-five, he entered the College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, from which he was graduated in 1761 at the age of thirty-six. After teaching a year and serving a year as a tutor at his alma mater, while he studied theology, he was licensed as a clergyman in 1763 by the Presbytery of New Brunswick. He served the next two years as a supply minister in various places in his native colony. His first definite assignment came on 16 May 1765, when he was appointed "to labor at least one whole year as a missionary in North Carolina." Ordained in July 1765, at the age of forty, he became one of the earliest Presbyterian divines in the sparsely and recently settled North Carolina back country.
Caldwell's move to what is now Guilford County came through the invitation of members of the Nottingham Colony of Pennsylvania, an Ulster Scot Presbyterian group who had asked him, before they came to North Carolina in the 1750s, to become their pastor after his ordination. In present central Guilford County he became pastor of Buffalo and Alamance churches, established by the Nottingham Colony. He was married in 1766 to Rachel Craighead, the daughter of the Reverend Alexander Craighead of Mecklenburg County, generally recognized as the most prominent Presbyterian minister west of the Yadkin River. The couple settled on a tract of land about three miles west of the center of present-day Greensboro, and two years later, in 1768, Caldwell was officially installed as pastor of Alamance and Buffalo congregations, which he served for nearly sixty years.
Meanwhile, in 1767, he established what came to be known as Dr. David Caldwell's Log College, a theological and classical school for young men that was soon recognized as one of the most outstanding schools in the South. His biographer, the Reverend Eli Caruthers, who succeeded him as pastor of Buffalo Church, wrote that "five of his scholars became governors of different states; many more members of Congress, some of whom occupied high standing . . . and a much greater number became lawyers, judges, physicians, and ministers of the gospel." Training from fifty to sixty students each year, he was, in the words of one of his pupils, "probably more useful to the church than any other man in the United States."
Aware also of the physical needs of his pioneer flock in the absence of a physician, Caldwell secured medical books from Philadelphia and soon became a self-taught, practicing physician. Because his doctor's fees, if there were any, and his two hundred dollar per year ministerial salary fell far short of providing for the Caldwell family of eight sons and a daughter, he turned to the successful cultivation of his land, eventually amounting to 550 acres on which he ran a successful plantation-type business.
In addition to these varied pursuits, Caldwell championed the cause of freedom in the War of the Regulation, the American Revolution, and the War of 1812. In the Regulator movement, culminating in the nearby Battle of Alamance, 16 May 1771, he was present on the battlefield and tried valiantly but in vain to persuade Royal Governor William Tryon to settle the matter without bloodshed. With the coming of the Revolution, he represented Guilford County at the Halifax provincial congress that wrote and adopted the constitution of 1776 and also at the Hillsborough constitutional convention that refused to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Caldwell, along with a majority of the delegates, insisted on a Bill of Rights.
As an ardent patriot during the Revolution, he exhorted his congregations to take up the sword; his biographer stated that every adult male member of Buffalo and Alamance churches joined in the fight when Lord Cornwallis invaded the area in March 1781. News of Caldwell's activities provoked the British general to offer a two-hundred-pound reward for his capture, and Caldwell was forced to hide out in the swamps before and during the Battle of Guilford Courthouse, 15 Mar. 1781. After Cornwallis's departure, Caldwell went to the battlefield and aided a British physician in caring for the sick and wounded and burying the dead. When he returned to his home nearby, he found that Cornwallis's army had camped on his property and had destroyed what could not be devoured. The family Bible, private papers, sermons, and library—all were maliciously burned by the British officers who used the Caldwell house for their headquarters. Mrs. Caldwell and her children were forced to retire to a smoke house, where they survived for two days and nights with no food other than a few dried peaches she had happened to have in her pockets. Caruthers reported that when the British army left, "every panel of fence on the premises was consumed or carried away; every living thing was destroyed except one old goose."
After the war, Caldwell returned to his school, his churches, his medical practice, and his farm. In 1794 he was offered the first presidency of The University of North Carolina, because "beyond a doubt he was recognized as the leading educator of the state." Declining this offer, he continued to teach at his Log College until old age compelled him to retire, though as late as 1816 he was instructing a number of private students, among whom were John Motley Morehead and Archibald Debow Murphey, and he continued his ministry until 1820, when he was ninety-five.
Caldwell performed his last service to his country at the age of eighty-eight. When the United States entered the War of 1812, a meeting was held at the Guilford County Courthouse to round up volunteers, but none rallied to the cause. In order to avoid a draft, Caldwell was invited to preach at the courthouse on the subject of volunteering. So feeble that he had to be helped up the steps to the judge's bench, he nonetheless displayed a patriotic fervor equal to the occasion, taking as his text: "He that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one." When he finished speaking, there were more volunteers than were needed.
Caldwell died in his hundredth year and was buried at Buffalo Church. Perhaps Stephen B. Weeks best summarized Caldwell's great contributions when he wrote that, in the early days, "none did a nobler or more enduring work toward the greatness of the state than the Rev. David Caldwell, D.D., preacher, teacher and physician, counsellor and guide for his friends and neighbors, servant of the people in many ways, state builder and protagonist of learning in the wilderness of North Carolina."
No portrait of Caldwell was painted from life, but Mrs. Lottie P. Leonard, former art teacher at Claude Kiser Junior High School, painted one from written descriptions. It hangs in the Buffalo Presbyterian Church, Greensboro.
Caldwell's house and Log College, which were located on present Hobbs Road, just off Friendly Road, have long since disappeared, though recent excavations by the North Carolina Department of Archives and History have revealed the exact sites. On 6 Jan. 1975, the City Council of Greensboro voted unanimously to appropriate about ninety thousand dollars to help the David Caldwell Log College Corporation purchase about ten acres of the original site of these two structures (including his dam site and three springs); the city manager was authorized to negotiate for the purchase of an additional eight and a half acres of adjacent property to form a David Caldwell Memorial Park. It is hoped that approximately thirty acres will eventually comprise this historical and ecological project.
Ethel Stephens Arnett, For Whom Our Schools Were Named (1973).
E. W. Caruthers, A Sketch of the Life and Character of the Rev. David Caldwell (1842).
John H. Wheeler, Historical Sketches of North Carolina (1851).
Arnett, Ethel Stephens. David Caldwell. Greensboro: Media, 1976.
Caruthers, E. W. A Sketch of the Life and Character of the Rev. David Caldwell, D.D. 2003. NC Collection also has the 1842 edition.
Baroody, John C. Archaeological Investigations at the Site of David Caldwell’s Log College. 1980.
David Caldwell, City of Greensboro: http://greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=970
A timeline of North Carolina colleges (1766–1861), LearnNC: http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-newnation/5229
"The Presbyterian Church In North Carolina." N.C. Highway Historical Marker JJ-1, N.C. Office of Archives & History. https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/nc-highway-historical-marker-program/Markers.aspx?sp=Markers&k=Markers&sv=JJ-1 (accessed January 11, 2013).
"David Caldwell 1725-1824." N.C. Highway Historical Marker J-2, N.C. Office of Archives & History. https://www.ncdcr.gov/about/history/division-historical-resources/nc-highway-historical-marker-program/Markers.aspx?sp=Markers&k=Markers&sv=J-2 (accessed January 11, 2013).
Caldwell, Finis Jay. 2008. Dr. David Caldwell: an 18th century flame for Christ : 1725-1824. Kennett, MO (2011 St. Francis St., Kennett, 63857-1566): Finis Jay Caldwell, Jr.
Robinson, Blackwell P.
1 January 1979 | Robinson, Blackwell P.
This article omits the fact
Permalink Submitted by Cindy (not verified) on Wed, 07/17/2019 - 18:59
This article omits the fact that David Cadwell owned slaves. Isn't this an important detail to include in his biography? One of the slaves he owned was the woman named Ede - who ran away from the Caldwells because they were going to separate her from her husband and children. She was hiding in the woods and went to the Levi Coffin farm for help when her infant became ill. Levi Coffin Jr. was a teenager and convinced David Caldwell to let her remain with her family at the Caldwell farm, and convinced Ede to return to the farm. I think this story is important. Ede's portrait is hanging on a wall at the Greensboro museum. This NCpedia biography should mention the fact that Caldwell owned Slaves (Ede and her husband and family were just a few of them). I think that telling a little bit about the story of Ede can also show that ultimately, David Caldwell was a reasonable man.
In 2008, my father--Finis J.
Permalink Submitted by Craig B Caldwell (not verified) on Wed, 12/31/2014 - 06:54
In 2008, my father--Finis J. Caldwell--published his first book. It serves as both biography and history, relating Dr. Caldwell's contributions to church and American histories. He currently resides in Kennett MO.
Dear Mr. Caldwell, Dr. David
Permalink Submitted by Jane Caldwell P... (not verified) on Tue, 07/04/2017 - 16:59
Dear Mr. Caldwell, Dr. David Caldwell is my Great-great-great-great grandfather. I appreciate this thorough description of David Caldwell and I would love to know the name of your father's book. Thank you! JCP
I've just started work on
Permalink Submitted by David Caldwell ... (not verified) on Wed, 05/11/2016 - 10:13
I've just started work on this. David Caldwell RUSSELL left Rocky River Presbyterian Church in Rocky River, North Carolina around 1816(?) and founded Valley Creek Presbyterian Church near what is now Selma Alabama. Valley Creek Presbyterian Church is celebrating its 200 th. Anniversary this weekend(May 15, 2016) at our annual homecoming.
P. S. Please pardon my spelling. I've got a new I-Pad and it is smarter ( or dumber ?) than I am.
Dear Craig,
Permalink Submitted by kagan on Wed, 12/31/2014 - 09:33
Thank you for visiting this entry and sharing your father's book with us. I've added it to the entry under "Additional Resources."
Kelly Agan, Government & Heritage Library
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Birth Name: Lee Grinner Pace
Height: 6' 5" (1.96 m)
In 2003, Lee Grinner Pace starred in the Sundance hit, Soldier’s Girl (2003), an extraordinary telefilm created for Showtime. The film was based on the true story of a transgender nightclub performer in love with a soldier who is brutally murdered for their relationship. His breakthrough performance garnered him nominations for both the Golden Globes and the Independent Spirit Award, and he won a Gotham Award for Outstanding Breakthrough Performance. Lee was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma, to Charlotte (Kloeckler), a schoolteacher, and James Roy Pace, an engineer. He is of German, as well as English, Scottish, and Welsh, descent. Lee spent his early years living in the Middle East. His family eventually moved back to the States, first to New Orleans and later, Houston, Texas. Lee attended high school in Houston, where he first began acting. He got so involved with his craft that he actually dropped out of high school to perform at the local Alley Theatre. Once he completed his final high school courses, Lee was accepted to The Juilliard School’s Drama Division in 1997. During his time at Juilliard, Lee honed his acting skills in such classic roles as Romeo in “Romeo and Juliet”, the title role in “King Richard II” and Cassius in “Julius Caesar”, among others. After graduating with a BFA from Juilliard, Lee starred in the critically-acclaimed Off-Broadway play, “The Credeaux Canvas”, as well as being part of the Vineyard production of “The Fourth Sister”. In the spring of 2004, Lee starred a limited engagement of the Off-Broadway production “Small Tragedy”, and was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Awards in the category of Outstanding Actor. On the small screen, he was recently seen displaying a delightful comedic side on the brilliant, though sadly short-lived, FOX series Wonderfalls (2004).
Trailer: Captain Marvel
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One Song/Three Versions - Can't Find My Way Home
Curtis Mayfield - People Get Ready - (1 of 2)
“Doo-wop is a genre of music that was developed in African-American communities in New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Detroit, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles in the 1940’s, achieving mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. Built upon vocal harmony, doo-wop was one of the most mainstream, pop-oriented R&B styles of the time.”
—-Wikipedia.
“Doo wop, the most sensual music ever made, the sound of raw sex, of silk stockings rustling on backseat upholstery, the sound of the snaps of bras popping across the USA, of wonderful lies being whispered into Tabu–perfumed ears, the sound of smeared lipstick, untucked shirts, running mascara, tears on your pillow, secrets whispered in the still of the night, the high school bleachers, and the dark at the YMCA canteen. The soundtrack for your incredibly, wonderful limp–your–ass, blue–balled walk back home after the dance. Oh! And it hurt so good.”
—-Bruce Springsteen, 2012 South by Southwest Keynote Address*
I grew up in Philadelphia and early rock n’ roll and doo-wop were (happily) inescapable on the radio and TV, even beyond their original era. (The television program American Bandstand, which featured popular songs, acts and local dancers, was on TV for seven years in Philly before going national. I cannot emphasize enough how important growing up there was to my musical education.)
If I were to differentiate doo-wop from rock and roll I’d certainly agree that it was “built upon vocal harmony.” But what that bloodless Wikipedia statement above misses – and Bruce captures – is how soulful and romantic doo-wop was.
But if you were a bit young to hear doo-wop or it never made its way to your corner of the globe, it’s best to just listen to it. A perfect example is “In the Still of the Night,” by the Five Satins. (The bands all pretty much had names like that. Wikipedia says “The saxophone solo was played by Vinny Mazzetta, of New Haven.” Of course it was.)
Interestingly, this 1956 song may have been one of two responsible for the name doo-wop. You can hear them singing it in the background during the sax solo. Earlier than that (1955) was “When You Dance,” by the Philly group, The Turbans.
This clip was used on the soundtrack to the movie American Graffiti, a great “starter kit” for anyone who wants to know what music sounded like in the US pre-Beatles. (And if you’ve never seen the movie, I’m sorry, what are you waiting for?)
Now that’s a guy group obviously. But I think probably the greatest female doo-wop song is “Maybe,” by the Chantels. (They have another great one called “Look In My Eyes.” ) I will here quote Rolling Stone magazine on “Maybe,” which – I recently discovered – has it at 199 on their 500 greatest songs of all time (“In the Still of the Night,” is 90):
“At 16, Arlene Smith wrote and sang lead on this towering doo-wop song, a template for a generation of girl groups. The Chantels’ second single, “Maybe,” was recorded at a church in midtown Manhattan in October 1957, when the girls were all still in high school at St. Anthony of Padua in the Bronx. The single was first credited to label owner George Goldner, but now the world knows better.” (Record company people have been treating artists like shit ever since there were record companies and artists.)
If you were to ask me what my favorite doo-wop song is I could come up with a short list. (“Runaround Sue,” “Blue Moon,”a couple of others.) I love those songs. But boy I get a kick out of “Little Darlin’.” Ironically, the song was recorded as somewhat of a parody of doo-wop itself. With all the heavy emoting and mid-song speeches, it was an area ripe for parody. And then a funny thing happened. It caught on and was a hit as a straight doo-wop tune. “A-hoopa, a-hoopa, hoopa, Kno-ow well-a”
I find myself wondering to what extent doo-wop ever made its way outside of the States or how much it was largely an American phenomenon. I can find plenty of evidence that The Beatles were impacted by skiffle, rock n’roll, girl groups and even Motown. I get the feeling that some, but perhaps not all of doo-wop surfaced in the UK.
I know The Beatles recorded the song “Anna” which had that feel, so possibly. “Oh, Darling” is pretty close. I read that David Gilmour’s original band did “Why Do Fools Fall In Love.” And Eric Clapton famously quoted “Blue Moon” in his solo on “Sunshine of Your Love.” That’s about it. Speaking of which:
Any Brits of a certain age out there that can speak to this? Was doo-wop an influence there? Or for that matter, anywhere outside the US? I like to think that it was. I just can’t find any evidence of it.
NOTE: I periodically visit Philly. On one visit a few years ago, my buddy Steve, on a Saturday morning, said C’mon and took me to a small, suburban radio station. And out came four middle-aged singers who sang doo-wop over the radio with, I recall correctly, just the two of us in the studio watching and listening. Fantastic stuff.
*Tip o’ the hat to fellow blogger Runaway American Dream who clued me in to Bruce’s great, great keynote speech. If you love rock n’ roll, you owe it to check out this talk on his blog here.
September 4, 2016 · Posted in Early Rockers, Pop, R&B, Rock · Tagged Doo-wop, Music, Rhythm and Blues, rock and roll ·
10 thoughts on “Doo-wop”
jerseydreaming says:
Great article and thanks for the hat tip. I have to admit, Bruce has been my gateway drug to a lot of music I grew up thinking was ‘old fashioned’. His passion for the music of his own youth is infectious and he managed to contemporise a lot of it by filtering the sounds through his own music.
It’s funny Anthony, but I’ve been sitting on the Doo-wop draft for a while. My observation FWIW is that bloggers and blog readers skew younger than the general population. And so I expected much OMG: eye-rolling on this post. (What next? Rudy Vallee?) But I consider the pre-Beatles music some of the greatest, most romantic music I’ve ever heard in my life.
I’m also glad I waited because after reading your post on Bruce at SXSW, I thought, there’s my quote! 😀
Glad to have been able to assist. 🙂
restew says:
When I read Springsteen’s description of doo-wop music, it really surprised me on how well he really knew this genre of music given his age. (For some reason, I thought he was in his 50’s.) Found out via the internet, Springsteen did live through this great time of doo-wop music. I actually forgot how romantic the songs were during this time. Some of favorites were the ones you listed, “Blue Moon”, “Runaround Sue”, “Why do Fools Fall in Love”, “In the Still of the Night”, “Look In My Eyes”, but my favorite romantic doo-wop song was from the Flamingos, “I Only Have Eyes For You”. Great post. Thanks!
Yeah Bruce will turn 67 this month! And consider that the guy just did his longest show ever, four hours in New Jersey. He is 67 going on 20. Who else even approaches this output?
It makes eminent sense he’d be affected by this music, having grown up in Jersey. In that talk, he picks up the guitar at that point and plays his song “Backstreets” to show how doo-wop influenced him. I realized it had the same chords and key as, say, ‘Earth Angel.’ He doesn’t play it straight through as that song does but I can hear it. He just makes it so you won’t recognize it. In this talk he’s like a magician revealing his secrets.
I’m with you all the way on “I Only Have Eyes for You.” One day – one fine day – I will post my “Indispensable 150.” Those are the 150 pre-Beatles early rock n’ roll, girl groups, R&B and doo-wop everybody should own! .
I heard this music in the early eighties when I moved to Atlanta. It was revived under the label of “Beach Music”. Mostly consumed by local college students at the time (think Animal House music). But I also remember “Only You” on heavy rotation in the 70’s french late night rock radio shows. The same ones that brought the Clash, Police, Stranglers, Specials, Cure and Sex Pistols to my ears. Funny mix.
Beach music! Interesting name. Maybe a way to package older music for a younger crowd. My millennial daughter and her chums love this stuff. And that mix you mention, yeah that’s pretty cool. I listen to music that way on my iPod now. Almost no relation between doo-wop and, say, The Clash.
But now that you mention the Police, it occurs to me that “Every Breath you Take” is ’50’s. In fact the G-Em progression is the same as “Earth Angel” and “Backstreets.” And how old is Sting? 😀
cincinnatibabyhead says:
CB can’t play a lick or sing a note but has always pictured himself in a doo-wop group sing back up. Our buddy Zappa was a big doo-wop guy.
I wish I could sing well. That would be great. As to Zappa, yes, Ruben and the Jets.
I don’t dig into many artists but Frank I have. That one caught me off guard.
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Fanny – The Founding Sisters of Women who Rock »
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Mount Tai and the birthplace of Confucius
by Anniina Koivula Dec 05, 2016 13:26 SPORTS TRAVEL TOURISM
Mount Tai, also known as Tai Shan, is one of the Five Great Mountains of China. Located close to the small town of Qùfū in Shandong Province, birthplace of the great philosopher Confucius, the mountain became the first Chinese UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage site in 1987.
One can hardly understate the importance Mount Tai has played in ancient Chinese myths that describe the beginning of the world. One Chinese legend states that Mount Tai is the head of the god Pangu who created heaven and earth, while another claims it is the dwelling place of the goddess Bixia.
Mount Tai is the most climbed mountain in the world and, during the dynasties, emperors had to climb to its summit and offer a sacrifice to both heaven and earth. Only five emperors ever reached the top and, after visiting, one can easily sympathise with the failing emperors.
Test your stamina and fitness
Mount Tai stands at over 1,530m and you can climb 6,660 carved steps of differing sizes and heights to reach the summit. An unaccustomed climber can feel the effort in their legs quite quickly, but the worst part is the little old ladies running effortlessly past you to make a sacrifice for the goddess Bixia.
However, the climb up the mountain is not only endless steps. One can stop for a rest in idyllic tea houses or admire the numerous temples, heavy with incense smoke. For the quitters, there is a cable car that runs from half-way up to the top.
It is said that if one climbs Mount Tai, one can live to be a 100 years-old. Obviously, this decreases people's willingness to take the otherwise so-convenient cable car. Climbing up with one's own feet takes about 3-4 hours, depending, of course, on your stamina and fitness.
The world is dwarfed
Reaching the top and seeing the amazing view open up in all directions is definitely worth the sweat and aching legs... or even the cable car ticket price.
The top of Mount Tai is quite wide, and there are actually several small plateaus upon which several beautiful temples have been built. The sight of the temples creates an ethereal and serene atmosphere, which is further fostered by the picturesque view of mountain tops and valleys covered in mist.
This is the view that inspired Confucius to proclaim, “When you reach the top of Taishan Mountain, the world is dwarfed” and Mao Zedong to announce that “The East is red”.
Many people want to witness the sunrise from the summit of Mount Tai and there are some fairly expensive hotels for visitors to stay overnight. Otherwise it is better to stay overnight in a little town called Tài'ān at the base of the mountain.
Birthplace of a great man
From Tài'ān one can take a bus to another small town called Qùfū. Despite its size, it has bred perhaps the greatest man in Chinese history, philosopher Confucius (551-479 BCE), who has had an undeniable influence on Chinese culture over the centuries.
Qùfū is almost completely concentrated around the temple of Confucius and the old dwelling place of the Kong family, which together make up one-fifth of the city centre.
The temple complex (Kǒng Miào) and the mansion (Kǒng Fǔ) sit beside each other and both have traditional red buildings, as well as serene, shadowy courtyards. Each of the dynasties wanted to honour the memory of Confucius, so they have all built their own addition to the complexes.
However, the buildings are mainly from the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but there are still many older structures such as the Apricot Pavilion where Confucius is said to have taught his disciples.
Among sleeping giants
About half-an-hour walk north from the temple and the mansion is the Confucian Forest (Kǒng Lín), which is actually a cemetery. Confucius is buried in this 200 hectare area, as well as his descendants who have continued the Kong family line for over 2,000 years.
The Forest is said to have at least 100,000 trees, each of which has been planted by disciples of Confucius. Stone panthers and other guardian figures watch over the master's grave, but the tomb itself is quite unpretentious – tombs of the philosopher's sons are nearby.
Other graves, tombs and little temples are scattered across the site, sitting in the shadows of the cypress and pine trees. The peaceful forest gently soothes the nerves of a busy traveller and visitors often feel that one is walking alone among the sleeping giants.
Qùfū is one of China's “24 culture cities” and the temple, mansion and the cemetery were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1994.
Originally published on March 25, 2011
Anniina Koivula
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Siemens Historical Institute
History Specials
Experience the past, present and future first-hand
Our exhibitions and showrooms
Conceiving of and producing exhibits on historical and current topics, thereby positioning Siemens as a thought leader – that is the final area of our work.
Siemens appears in historical and current-events exhibitions, showrooms and experiential environments all over the world. We support the company’s communications activities by either developing exhibitions on our own initiative or cooperating with others in conceiving and producing similar projects.
To name just a few examples, we tend the showroom at the new Siemens corporate headquarters in Munich as well as the exhibition in the Siemens Center Shanghai. We also provided effective support in setting up the MedMuseum in Erlangen. The Siemens Historical Institute also furnishes historical items for exhibitions on the history of technology and culture. This enables us to make Siemens a presence anywhere museums or exhibitions address the history and development of electrical engineering and electronics. We have a long tradition in such work: the exhibit at Siemens headquarters in Munich looks back on a history of 100 years, making it the oldest company museum in Germany.
Our exhibition projects
In an era of continuous change, several features are critical for preserving customer loyalty: Innovative strength, an international perspective, a focus on quality and the customer, withstanding crises, the ability to change, as well as a sense of responsibility. We also highlight these features in our exhibitions.
Showroom at the new Siemens corporate headquarters
“Siemens – Ingenuity for life” – The exhibition’s title reflects both its content and its character. This presentation of the company offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience the entire world of Siemens – from the company’s founding to its Vision 2020 and from its first product, the pointer telegraph, to Industrie 4.0.
Exhibitions in time lapse
Corporate Window – Siemens close up
At the entry to the showroom, there’s a “Corporate Window” – an interactive touchscreen where up to four visitors at a time can find out about the most important topics in the world of Siemens. The visitors can switch among such topic areas as “Personalities”, “Innovation”, “Global Player” and “Responsibility”, to explore texts, historical pictures and videos at more depth.
Corporate Stations in History – Milestones in technology
Here’s where visitors can dive into the world of electrical engineering and electronics. The starting point is company founder Werner von Siemens; it is his ideas that have defined the history of innovation at Siemens right down to today. “Corporate Stations in History” trace that story in texts, pictures, videos and exhibits and highlight how Siemens already laid down milestones in the past for our technical civilization.
Corporate Frames – Visions become reality
“Corporate Frames” point the way to the future: Three large installations document the changes in sustainable energy, the future of manufacturing and intelligent infrastructure that are being defined by digitalization. An imposing screen wall presents visitors with a video game, including the challenges of energy supply. A kinetic presentation shows the various phases of the digital production of the future. And a “digital magnifying glass” gives visitors a glimpse behind the scenes of a Smart City.
Siemens exhibition in Shanghai
Experience the history of Siemens while learning first-hand how the company is shaping the future in the areas of sustainable energy, intelligent infrastructure and the future of manufacturing. Our colleagues in China have opened a new company exhibition in Shanghai.
“The Spine” in the new headquarters building
One of the highlights of the new corporate headquarters is undoubtedly a walk along what’s known as the Spine, an area that connects the offices located on the building’s individual levels and where selected milestones of innovation at Siemens are on display. Numerous outstanding engineering achievements document Siemens’ long history of shaping technology and the company’s ongoing role as an engine of technological progress today.
Siemens MedMuseum in Erlangen
The Siemens MedMuseum offers an overview of the development of medical technology, a field in which Siemens has played a key role for more than 160 years – from electrical stimulation therapy to X-ray diagnostics, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and laboratory diagnostics. The Siemens Historical Institute served in an advisory capacity for the museum’s conceptualization and design.
Visit the Siemens MedMuseum on the Internet
Our history Special
The company founder's workshop – experience history first-hand
The Siemens Historical Institute commissioned a reconstruction of the workshop of Werner von Siemens, which can be seen in the entrance area of the new Munich headquarters. The first production facility was located in Berlin in a rear building at Schöneberger Strasse 19 in the present district of Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg.
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Exhibit loans and specialist consulting
Would you like to borrow exhibit items about the history of Siemens for your own exhibition or do you have questions concerning our exhibitions? Please contact us directly.
We have an extensive collection of historic products and devices as well as models, thereby preserving the company’s technological legacy from 170 years of innovative activity. We will be glad to provide these artifacts from the company’s history on request for trade shows, exhibitions and museums.
Our history of exhibitions
History of the museums
Our exhibitions have a long tradition. The first company presentation opened at the administration building in Berlin a good 100 years ago. Siemens has repeatedly spotlighted its own history ever since.
Origins in Berlin
To commemorate the 100th birthday of Werner von Siemens, the employees of the Siemens Archive organized a “Memorial Exhibition.” The show, which opened in December 1916 in the Berlin administrative building, displayed the “treasures” of both corporate and family history.
The move to Munich
After the Second World War, the Siemens Museum found a new home in downtown Munich in 1954. The exhibition was used primarily for marketing and internal communication purposes. The themes and content focused on the interests of industry professionals, for whom special collections called “study rooms” were developed.
The Werner von Siemens Institute researches the history of Siemens
Content took on a new focus in commemoration of the company founder’s 150th birthday in 1966. The aim of encouraging an understanding of electrical engineering was symbolically expressed by renaming the institute the Werner von Siemens Institute for the History of Siemens.
Siemens-Museum opened
The exhibition underwent yet another redesign in the early 1980s: A new museum concept turned its back on the idea of a scientifically oriented “institute,” giving more space to education and seeking out a mass audience. This reorientation was also expressed by reviving the name “Siemens Museum.”
The Siemens Museum becomes the SiemensForum
In 1993, the Siemens Museum was renamed SiemensForum. The new name better expressed the emphasis on dialog. At the same time, the program of events focused on social themes.
SiemensForum moves into new premises
In 1999, the SiemensForum moved into the new offices designed by architect Richard Meier at Oskar-von-Miller-Ring in Munich. True to the motto that “the future begins with dialog,” a spacious auditorium was the heart of the new forum. The various floors of the building housed a permanent exhibition on the history and development of Siemens and temporary special exhibitions on current topics.
Focus on the company founder
In 2011, the former company exhibition was closed as part of the new plans for the Munich headquarters on Oskar-von-Miller-Ring. For the lobby of Richard Meier’s building, the Siemens Historical Institute developed a new company presentation focusing on company founder Werner von Siemens and the company’s values. The exhibition continued to draw enthusiastic comments from visitors, customers and employees until May 2016.
Questions or comments? Please contact us, or use the links and downloads for further information.
History Special “The foreground needs a background”
Siemens Historical Institute at a glance
Siemens at 170 Years – a narrative
Recollections – Werner von Siemens’ autobiography
Bridging the gap between the past, the present and the future – that's the daily work of the Siemens Historical Institute.
Find out more about our projects and publications.
Find out more about our company archives.
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Class of 2017: Graduating Student Says He Owes it All to University Singers
Abigail Lague, avl8bj@virginia.edu
Walter Floyd, a music major, has contributed much to the music scene in his four years at the University of Virginia. But his contribution may have taken a completely different shape if not for a fateful decision he made in middle school.
A member of University Singers, Floyd has worked as the publicity assistant and volunteer coordinator for the McIntire Department of Music. He also co-chaired the Music Arts Board that brought 9th Wonder, a Grammy Award-winning producer, DJ, college lecturer and social activist, to the University for a vibrant residency in April.
Floyd attributes his work in the music department to his involvement with University Singers, the University’s premier choral ensemble. The ensemble performs a cappella and accompanied choral literature, including major works with orchestra. This group was such an integral part of his college life that it’s hard to believe that there was an earlier time he considered not singing.
“I sang in high school,” Floyd said, “but originally, I wanted to play in an orchestra. Our school did signups for them in middle school around the same time you’d sign up for choir. My parents wanted me to sign up for choir. Instead, I wanted to do the orchestra. Then my dad pointed out that I’d actually have to learn an instrument.
“So I ended up joining the choir out of laziness, and it was the right decision. I’ve been singing ever since.”
walter_floyd_ss_inline_01.jpg
Floyd knew that he wanted to continue singing when he came to the University from Ypsilanti, Michigan. He also quickly discovered that he wanted to be a part of the Music Arts Board. During his first year, the board sponsored a residency with American composer Philip Glass. This inspired him to get involved the next time it presented an artist performance or exhibition for residency – something that occurs on a three-year rotation.
The process was rewarding, he said. “That was the Music Arts Board’s big push, and I got to be the undergraduate co-chair for it. Last fall, we got together with the board members and drafted a list of 60 potential artists to bring in for our residency this spring. Once we narrowed it down to 9th Wonder, we spent all of this year planning it and making it happen.”
The process was stressful at times. “When we were calling 9th Wonder’s agency and talking with his manager, we were trying to get this settled a year in advance so we could start planning,” Floyd said. “One of the things they said was, ‘Wow, you guys want this really early. Usually this stuff is turned over in a few months.’ We were doing something on a large scale that, I think, major production companies do all the time. It was a first-time experience for many of us. At times, it was really stressful, but we also had faithful guidance from our advisers.”
9th Wonder performed, hosted workshops and mentored many music students. One of the things he stressed to those he advised was that while he wouldn’t always be there to help with their music, friends and other music students would be.
The experience only strengthened Floyd’s love of music and the University’s musical community, he said.
“As a performer, it’s important to think about what art means to you,” he said. “For me, it represents opportunity. Coming from a lower-income background, arts represented opportunity in the sense that it created a very real way for me to finance my college career.” Though he did not have a music scholarship, his involvement with the arts has helped Floyd out when seeking assistance.
“On top of that, it creates an opportunity for people with different struggles to express that and bring it to a popular forefront. Unfortunately, there are people who will say they listen to anything but country, or anything but hip-hop, or anything but metal. This denies artists the opportunity to be real and valid. I identify more with hip-hop because I am a black artist and can identify with a lot of the experiences these artists and producers are coming from.”
uc162_1617_connection_c_1.jpg
With graduation looming, Floyd said he wants to continue working in the arts. He hopes to get into fundraising, to create opportunities for future generations of students. This summer, he will get experience by fundraising with the UVA Health Foundation.
“This is kind of a pipe dream,” Floyd said, “but a long-term goal I have is to establish either my own endowment or foundation just to help students gain the resources they need to pursue any musical craft. If they need lessons for playing an instrument or voice, or maybe they just need good production equipment, I want to help out with that.
“Speaking from experience, I remember there were tons of times where I had certain ideas for a performance or music that I just couldn’t make happen early in my life because I didn’t have the resources. I think that I have been incredibly blessed to have the opportunities that I’ve had, and I want to be able to give that back to students in the future.”
Music has shaped Floyd’s life. Thanks to his experiences at UVA, singing will remain a part of his life.
“I think it’s important to find something that centralizes your experience in any setting, because that’s what prevents you from taking it for granted,” he said, “For me, that centralization comes from University Singers. When I look back to my time at UVA, that’s going to be the organization that I know gave my experience purpose.”
Katie McNally
katiemcnally@virginia.edu 434-297-6784
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Isn’t it time for ‘went missing’ to go missing?
by Paul Skolnick on February 8, 2012
I thought I’d been waging a lonely war on the phrase “went missing” for most of the last decade, but now I find myself with a new comrade in arms, my old colleague and friend, network news cameraman Armando “Arnie” Cantu of Chicago. Arnie posted that he didn’t like the new ABC-TV show “The River” because “they used the dreaded expression ‘went missing.’”
I first remember hearing this phrase from British and Australian friends, and in their accent, it sounded quaint. But what do you expect? These are people who refer without blushing to pencil erasers as “rubbers.”
Increasingly, the phrase has crept into the American idiom. At first it was occasional, then common, and now ubiquitous. I hear it on TV, on radio, and in personal conversations. I see it on websites. “The three-month-old went missing” is the common construction.
This, of course, is an absurdity. A three-month-old didn’t go anywhere under its own power. A three-month-old can’t walk. So why would the phrase be used that way? Because it is a phrase meant to intentionally fog meaning, to defy precision. We can’t say for certain that someone took the three-month-old because we have no witnesses, so we try to gloss over the obvious.
“Went missing” implies that whatever it is that isn’t where it’s supposed to be somehow got to its new location under its own power. If we’re talking about a child who walked away, that could make sense. But if we’re talking about someone who against his or her will went from one place to another, it makes no sense. We have another term to describe that. It’s kidnapping. For an inanimate object, it’s just plain impossible. The butter may not be where you thought you left it, but it certainly didn’t transport itself to wherever it is.
Of course, we had a perfectly workable phrase in American English to describe this state of affairs before the British-Australian invasion of “went missing.” We used to say “the three-month-old disappeared” and everyone knew exactly what we were talking about.
But there’s a whole other dimension to the “went missing” attack. It’s just awkward. It doesn’t sound right to our ears. What was quaint coming from a Brit or an Aussie—much like their insistence that someone is “in hospital” rather than the normal American construction of “in the hospital”—just doesn’t work for us.
My wife, who has a keen ear for these things, says the phrase makes it seem the disappeared have carried themselves to a geographical place called Missing, and that if we were to go there, we could retrieve them. Would that it were so! If I could set the GPS for Missing, I could gather up a whole lot of socks I’ve lost over the years.
I want to welcome Arnie to this struggle. Our strength is in numbers. Yesterday, we were one. Today, we’re two. Tomorrow, who knows how many we’ll be. All we can say is that we won’t have gone missing.
Next post: How Sweeps turns fact into TV fiction
Previous post: Being Brutal with the Red Pen
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Archive for the ‘Bronx’ Category
half seen
In today’s post- the mysterious Bronx.
-photo by Mitch Waxman
I know little to nothing about the Bronx, and have probably only been in the Borough less than 20 times over the course of my entire life. Circumstance never carries me north, toward its heights. What I do know of this vast enigma has only been glimpsed from the edges of the place. I understand it to be quite an interesting place, but to one such as myself, it is enigma. I always say that “I’m saving it for the future,” meaning that someday I’ll start turning my attention that way.
There are definitely groups of people living there, as I’ve photographed them from the littoral periphery.
Willful ignorance such as this assists me in maintaining a laser like narrow focus on a single subject, but there are large sections of the City for which little to no interest exists in me. I don’t care about downtown Brooklyn, for instance, and consider myself lucky to avoid being there. Nothing wrong with the place, just not my cup of tea. Also, I find the upper east side of Manhattan completely “meh.”
This unknown country of the north intrigues, but I’m not ready to look at it yet.
Someday I plan to do a little exploring up here, and perhaps attempt some tremulous interaction with the dwellers therein. Supposedly, there is something to the place beyond the odd stadium, bridge, or rail yard.
Of course, its not going to be anywhere as close to cool as Queens is, but there might be some dark secret or two to be unearthed beyond the Hells Gate, and “winter is coming.”
Things to do!
Working Harbor Committee presents: Great North River Tugboat Races and Competition, September 1st, 2013
9:30-11:30 a.m. at West 42nd Street and the Hudson River. Spectator Boat tickets now on sale.
Posted in Bronx
Tagged with Bronx, New York City, photowalk, Pickman
long narrative
Today’s shots are from “da Bronx”, captured last year while following the estimable Kevin Walsh of Forgotten-NY fame around. Mr. Walsh was busy planning a walking tour of the area, and his companion at arms- Richard Melnick of the Greater Astoria Historical Society, was along as well. While they were debating the finer points of Bronx history and an overall narrative structure for the excursion, I made myself busy photographing the various sights.
To wit- the Van Cortlandt House museum.
from vancortlandthouse.org
The Van Cortlandt family were prominent members of New York’s mercantile class and its social and business milieus. The business of trade connected the Van Cortlandt’s with mercantile families in the West Indies, European ports, and other American port cities. Additionally, their Dutch heritage linked them with many wealthy and powerful New York families. Marriages forged strong ties between the Van Cortlandt’s and the Schuyler, Phillipse, Jay, DePeyster, and White families of New York.
The Knickerbocracy, a 19th century term used to describe the land and slave owning class of Dutch who stuck around after the English arrived and took over, is what the Van Cortlandts were a part of. No small amount of ennui was felt by the English and later the Anglo Americans towards the Dutch, who largely took off for northern and western New York State as the city began to grow.
Like Tolkien’s elves, they headed for the forests and quiet wooded sections of the country- gradually diminishing in prominence and social importance during their diaspora.
The English looked down upon them, describing them as superstitious and degenerate.
also from vancortlandthouse.org
After 140 years of occupancy by the Van Cortlandt family and their slaves, in 1889 the property was sold to the City of New York and made a public parkland. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1967 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1976. The house has been operated as a public museum since 1897.
Nearby the historic structure is a statue of a Civil War General, and one of the the founders of the National Guard- General Josiah Porter. Reports by those who knew him in life described the statue as bearing an uncannily accurate likeness to the actual fellow, and accolades were awarded to the sculptor for his skillful rendering.
from nycgovparks.org
This sculpture of General Josiah Porter (1830–1894) was created by William Clark Noble (1858–1938) and dedicated in 1902. It was commissioned at a cost of $20,000, and was a gift to the City of New York by the National Guard Association of New York State.
Porter is reputed to have been the first Harvard College graduate to enlist in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was made a first lieutenant in the Massachusetts Volunteers in 1861, and promoted to captain that same year. In 1865, he commanded the 22nd Regiment of the National Guard of New York (who would sponsor the statue), and in 1867, received the rank of major. Porter’s distinguished service led him to be promoted to colonel in 1869, and then to major general and adjutant general in 1886.
General Porter met an undignified and messy end, dying in Manhattan on an elevated train line while on his way home from a party. The headline at the New York Times described the General as dying of “apoplexy”.
An archaic term, apoplexy is described by the redoubtable Wikipedia as “From the late 14th to the late 19th century, the word “apoplexy” was also used to describe any sudden death that began with a sudden loss of consciousness, especially one in which the victim died within a matter of seconds after losing consciousness. The word “apoplexy” may have been used to describe the symptom of sudden loss of consciousness immediately preceding death and not a verified disease process. Sudden cardiac deaths, ruptured cerebral aneurysms, certain ruptured aortic aneurysms, and even heart attacks may have been described as apoplexy in the past.”
“The train moved on, and I was left alone with the General, who was left lying on the platform near the edge. I asked the ticket chopper to help me carry the General to the waiting room. The man refused. He said something about the helpless officer ‘having a load.” which I indignantly denied. I explained that he had suddenly been taken sick. I tried to carry the General into the waiting room myself, but found that I could not do so. I then went inside the waiting room, where the ticket chopper had gone, and where the ticket agent was. I again asked help, but neither of the men would do anything. The result was that I was compelled to leave the sufferer stretched upon the platform in the cold night air while I went in search of a cab.
Posted in Bronx, Photowalks, Pickman
Tagged with Bronx, Van Cortlandt
eery pinnacle
Until you’ve had a flock of baby birds vomit on you, you haven’t really lived.
It seems that such regurgitation is just part of the daily grind here on South Brother island, an unassuming prominence found on the East River. Heavily wooded, the island is owned and managed by the Government(s) and it is usually “verboten” for primates to even visit.
South Brother Island is one of a pair of small islands in the East River situated between the Bronx and Riker’s Island, New York City and is 7 acres (28,000 m2) in size. It is uninhabited. The other island, larger and better known, is North Brother Island. Until 1964, South Brother Island was part of Queens County, but it is now part of Bronx County. It had long been privately owned, but was purchased by the city in 2007. Together, the two Brother Islands, North and South, have a land area of 81,423 square meters, or 20.12 acres (81,400 m2).
Your humble narrator managed to insert himself into a scientific survey of the breeding colony of Cormorants, Herons, and Egrets which thrive upon the riverine island. The island has been allowed to go feral, and is positively overrun by seabirds. Upon arriving there via a Zodiac boat, one of the fellows employed by the NRG (Natural Resources Group) of the NYC Parks Dept. asked me if I knew what poison ivy looked like.
Informing him that he should just assume my general ignorance about all things, he remarked- you’re standing in it.
Toxicodendron radicans, better known as poison ivy (older synonyms are Rhus toxicodendron and Rhus radicans), is a poisonous North American plant that is well known for its production of urushiol, a clear liquid compound found within the sap of the plant that causes an itching, or sometimes painful rash in most people who touch it. The plant is not a true ivy (Hedera).
Poison ivy can be found growing in any of the following three forms:
as a trailing vine that is 10–25 cm tall (4 to 10 inches)
as a shrub up to 1.2 m tall (4 feet)
as a climbing vine that grows on trees or some other support
The party split into two groups, and the one I accompanied headed into the stand of trees which comprises the center of the island. Thick and overgrown, the darkness of the place was palpable, and a raucous chorus of bird calls was emanating from the canopy above. The mission was to count the number of nests installed (in this section by Cormorants) and whenever possible- to count the number of eggs and or hatchlings.
The other group was busy exploring Heron territory.
The Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), commonly abbreviated to just Night Heron in Eurasia, is a medium-sized heron found throughout a large part of the world, except in the coldest regions and Australasia (where replaced by the closely related Rufous Night Heron, with which it has hybridized in the area of contact).
This was by no means an easy task, given the sort of terrain encountered.
Once- the Newtown Creek’s watershed would have resembled this scene, thought a humble narrator, when a half digested fragment of fish dropped out of the sky and bounced off my boonie hat. It was quickly explained to me that this was normal, expected, and part of their daily round. The floor of the place was a spongy mass of fallen branches, mulch, and guano.
An intense smell of ammonia forced me back to the beach a couple of times.
Regurgitation is used by a number of species to feed their young. This is typically in circumstances where the young is at a fixed location and a parent must forage or hunt for food, especially under circumstances where the carriage of small prey would be subject to robbing by other predators or the whole prey is larger than can be carried to a den or nest. Some birds species also occasionally regurgitate pellets of indigestible matter such as bones and feathers. Penguins are known to regurgitate in order to feed their young ones.
Shooting conditions were difficult, with dense foliage and few clearings. The humidity was nearly unbearable. The instructions I had received from the group leader indicated that I should dress in long sleeves, full length pants, and wear heavy boots.
Conditions on the island indeed demanded such cautions, but heat and humidity plus the aforementioned ensemble worn with a hat while carrying a camera bag and around six pounds of camera and lens made for an uncomfortable morning.
Karmic justice, I suppose, for all the complaining about being cold I subjected you to during the winter at this- your Newtown Pentacle.
this page at nysl.nysed.gov lists all the complaint departments in New York State
Complaint Departments
New York State government information and resources on Complaint Departments.
WWW.NY.GOV – cick on “Complaints.
Attorney General’s Office
Consumer Frauds Bureau
Complaints – Includes a section on “Complaints for Other Agencies” to help people contact the appropriate agency…
It should be mentioned that I absolutely detest camping out, abhor hikes in the woods, and am- by definition- a City Boy. Nature wants to eat you, and will at the very first chance it gets. You might be disarmed by the coy attractions of these baby birds, but give them the chance and they’d rip you to shreds.
Then they’d vomit the bits back out onto the next guy who visits this island.
It did occur to me that this might be a safe haven in case of a zombie apocalypse, but the nearby North Brother Island would probably be a better choice. Seriously, I’m not just being paranoid, nature can be messed up, and given several recent headlines– might be time to start formulating a plan for upcoming Nights, Dawns, and Days.
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. /ˈkɔrmərənt/ Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.
In the real world, of course, such fancies fall before the hard materialism of the empirical mindset, and this mission I was accompanying dwelt naught upon such extravagant thinking. They were doing the hard work of field science, collecting data and samples for later analysis. The South Brother Island was acquired by the Parks people in 2008 and the notion of dedicating the tiny island(s) as a refuge for seabirds is actually pretty darned cool.
In 2001, the City assigned Parks jurisdiction over the publicly-owned lands extending outward from the shores of South Brother Island. The island itself was owned by Hampton Scows, Inc. The recent acquisition of South Brother Island was directly negotiated and completed with approximately $2 million in funds allocated by Congressman Jose Serrano through NOAA’s Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program.
The acquisition was executed by The Trust for Public Land on behalf of the recipients of the NOAA funding, The Wildlife Conservation Society and The Point Community Development Corporation. The Trust for Public Land then donated South Brother Island to Parks for public ownership, management, and natural resource protection.
An interesting auditory effect was noticed, incidentally, which rendered the vocalizations of the avian multitudes into something akin to that which you would hear coming from a crowded lunchroom full of school kids. This blended with a syncopated call and response of what sounded like calisthenics PE over at Rikers Island, a short distance away.
Note- the island is strictly off limits (said status is zealously enforced by several of the different harbor officialdoms and gendarmes). I was the guest of a highly trained and dedicated crew who catechized me on the rules of the place and watched my every step to insure that no harm came to anything living here. It is illegal, in the extreme, to visit this place without prior approval from the authorities.
Despite my dripping sarcasm and good natured kvetching about the trip, the folks I was with are really fighting the good fight here, gathering data in difficult conditions in order to understand the breeding habits of endangered wildlife to foment the survival of said species in the harbor of New York.
check out this 2007 report from harborestuary.org, which contains data supplied by some of the folks on this trip, and is an earlier iteration of what they were up to just a few days ago.
June 16th, 2012- Newtown Creek Alliance Dutch Kills walk
The Newtown Creek Alliance has asked that, in my official capacity as group historian, a tour be conducted on the 16th of June- a Saturday. This walk will follow the Dutch Kills tributary, and will include a couple of guest speakers from the Alliance itself, which will provide welcome relief for tour goers from listening to me rattle on about Michael Degnon, Patrick “Battle Ax” Gleason, and a bunch of bridges that no one has ever heard of.
for June 16th tickets, click here for the Newtown Creek Alliance ticketing page
June 23rd, 2012- Atlas Obscura Thirteen Steps around Dutch Kills walk
Additionally- the “Obscura Day” Thirteen Steps around Dutch Kills tour proved that the efficacy and charms of the Newtown Creek’s least known tributary, with its myriad points of interest, could cause a large group to overlook my various inadequacies and failings. The folks at Atlas Obscura, which is a fantastic website worthy of your attentions (btw), have asked me to repeat the tour on the 23rd of June- also a Saturday.
for June 23rd tickets, click here for the Atlas Obscura ticketing page
June 30th, 2012- Working Harbor Committee Kill Van Kull walk
My various interests out on the sixth borough, NY Harbor, have brought me into association with the Working Harbor Committee. A member of the group’s Steering Committee- I also serve as the “official” group photographer, am chairman and principal narrator of their annual Newtown Creek Boast Tour, and occasionally speak on the microphone during other tours (mainly the Brooklyn one). This year, the group has branched out into terrestrial explorations to compliment the intense and extant schedule of boat tours, and I’m going to be leading a Kill Van Kull walking tour that should be a lot of fun.
The Kill Van Kull, or tugboat alley as its known to we harbor rats, is a tidal strait that defines the border of Staten Island and New Jersey. A busy and highly industrialized waterfront, Working Harbor’s popular “Hidden Harbor – Newark Bay” boat tours provide water access to the Kill, but what is it like on the landward side?
Starting at the St. George Staten Island Ferry terminal, join WHC Steering Committee member Mitch Waxman for a walk up the Kill Van Kull via Staten Islands Richmond Terrace. You’ll encounter unrivaled views of the maritime traffic on the Kill itself, as well as the hidden past of the historic maritime communities which line it’s shores. Surprising and historic neighborhoods, an abandoned railway, and tales of prohibition era bootleggers await.
The tour will start at 11, sharp, and you must be on (at least) the 10:30 AM Staten Island Ferry to meet the group at St. George. Again, plan for transportation changes and unexpected weirdness to be revealed to you at MTA.info.
For June 30th tickets, click here for the Working Harbor Committee ticketing page
Posted in animals, birds, Bronx, Cormorant, East River, Hells Gate, Heron, New York Harbor, South Brother Island
Tagged with Audubon, Bird Sanctuary, Bronx, Cormorant, Heron, nest, South Brother Island
frenzied throng
As you may have noticed from the little flickr badge on the right hand side of this page, it’s been a rather busy few days for your humble narrator. The Working Harbor Committee Tugboat races were a hoot, as always, but I’ve had to develop and deliver the shots in a somewhat timely manner- despite the annoyance of a computer system crash and a concurrent setback in my overall schedule.
Such is life.
Some extremely exciting stuff is on the front burner right now, and October is looking to be another incredibly busy month. I can’t discuss any of it yet, but there will be several intriguing “events” which will be described to you in some detail in the coming weeks that I’m involved with.
Suffice to say- “Want to see something cool? Come with me, bring a camera and ID”.
What does all this shadowy discussion and veiled promise have to do with shots of speedy trains and hidden trackbeds? Nothing at all, but this is a visual metaphor for what it feels like to be me at the moment.
A deer in the headlights, with a juggernaut hurtling ever closer.
Just in case you were wondering- the trains are Metro North at Spuyten Duyvel, LIRR at Woodside and then DUPBO near Hunters Point, and Amtrak at Sunnyside Yards.
Catching up on the latest round of research, getting the next series of postings together, getting back on track. Expect regular but rather short posts for the next few days as I pull together the next session of this, your Newtown Pentacle.
Posted in AMTRAK, Bronx, Hunters Point, LIRR, Long Island City, Long Island Rail Road, Metro North, Queens, railroad, Sunnyside Yards, Woodside
Tagged with Amtrak, Bronx, LIRR, Long Island City, Long Island Railroad, Metro North, queens, Woodside
subtly vibrant
Having travelled to the unknown shores of New York’s borough of the Bronx for the recent Madison Avenue Bridge Centennial event, the municipality being a foreign territory to your humble narrator, one of my companions suggested we take advantage of circumstance and head over to the Oak Point Yard and see if anything interesting was happening there. Excitement was had when your humble narrator’s ignorance was punctured as to where the crossing of the Hell Gate Bridge leads to.
The Oak Point Yard is a freight railroad yard located in the South Bronx, New York City. The yard is owned by CSX Transportation, but is used by CP Rail, New York and Atlantic Railway and the Providence & Worcester Railroad. Amtrak owns and operates two electrified tracks for the Northeast Corridor Line, on the west side of the yard. Freight traffic comes either from the Oak Point Link railway line, the Hell Gate Bridge from Long Island, or from Connecticut via the Northeast Corridor line to the northeast. Freight destined for the Hunts Point Cooperative Market also comes into the yard.
A freight railroad yard, Oak Point sits in a bleak industrial corridor, populated by weary looking laborers and is typified by heavy municipal infrastructure. High fences and admonitions of trespassing adorn tantalizingly photogenic acres of fuel depots, bridges, and high voltage equipment which are required to keep the larger City in business. This area, part of the infamous and much maligned Hunts Point, is what Newtown Creek must have looked like- back in its day.
from nycedc.com
Hunts Point is located at the confluence of the Bronx River, the East River and the Long Island Sound. Surrounded by water on three sides, the fourth side is bounded by the Bruckner Expressway and the CSX/Amtrak rail corridor. The Bruckner Expressway connects Hunts Point to Interstate-95, the Northeast, the Midwest and the ports of New York and New Jersey.
The Hunts Point peninsula has an area of approximately 690 acres, nearly half of which is occupied by the 329-acre Food Distribution Center. The Food Distribution Center feeds the New York region: fifteen million people in the region consume food distributed through the markets each day. The remainder of the peninsula comprises an industrial neighborhood where a diverse mix of food, manufacturing, construction, utility, municipal, auto-related and waste-related uses coexist. The northwestern portion of the peninsula contains a solid residential community, now home to roughly 12,000 residents.
Coincidental, as I really didn’t understand what I was looking at while I hung over the barbed wire fences, these are actually kind of interesting trains.
note: 9 times out of 10, the photos and postings exposed to you here- at your Newtown Pentacle- are just found in situ. Often, I have no idea what I’m shooting- it just looks like something that might be interesting and I’ll investigate its possibly dire meaning back at Newtown pentacle HQ later on. Luckily, your humble narrator has always had an eye for that which doesn’t belong, my curse is always to notice everything. Meeting me has often been compared to a cross between a military inspection and appointment with a probing psychologist, an unpleasant experience by all accounts. This is mentioned, solely because I’ve lately been accused of self aggrandizing agenda and political intent, which is not the case. That which is presented here is observable by all but noticed or commented on by few. Always… an Outsider.
It’s what’s known as an “Ultra Low Emission GenSet locomotive”.
from cleantechnica.com
But the new diesel GenSet switcher locomotives can be cranked up as quickly as a truck engine, avoiding the need to leave engines idling for long periods of time, resulting in drastic reductions in pollution and fuel consumption. The GenSet achieves its impressive 80% reduction in nitrous oxide and particulate matter emissions, in addition to approximately 50% CO2 savings capability by monitoring engine idling and switching to a sleep mode after a period of inactivity.
Under the hood of the GenSet are three 700 horsepower Cummins diesel engines. The engines run independently of each other and depending on the need of speed and amperage, 1, 2, or 3 of the engines will be used. When the need goes away, the third will shut down after one minute, after five the second will shut down, the third will go into sleep mode after 15 minutes.
CSX is only in the early stages of rolling out the $1.8 million locomotives, with a total of 9 GenSets in operation by 2009. The company plans to eventually replace the entire switching fleet with the low emission locomotives.
That’s the actual declination of the ground down there, and the blue bridge observed represents the grade of the surrounding streets.
A cool set of photos of the GenSets by Michael Foley can be found here. And a great page at greenrailnews.com detailing the nitty gritty of the GenSet class can be had here.
from yournabe.com
The Oak Point Rail Yard, a major switching station for the Albany region of CSX, is located in Hunts Point.
The south Bronx, where the yard is located, has the highest rates of asthma of any community in America.
According to Congressman Jose Serrano, the creation of the GenSet locomotives help reduce emissions by requiring less fuel to transport freight than tractor-trailer trucks or even traditional locomotives with single, larger engines.
“I applaud the ongoing efforts of CSX Transportation to move freight through my district with a minimum amount of environmental impacts,” Serrano said. “The growing use of rail freight in the Bronx is already responsible for taking thousands of diesel trucks off the road each year. With this project, CSX is ensuring that its locomotive technology is not only cost effective and efficient but also earth friendly.”
As commented on in the beginning of this post, the Bronx is unknown country to me. Having grown up in Brooklyn, lived in Manhattan and Queens, my travels have more often taken me to Long Island and Westchester than the Bronx. An intuition tells me that I’m going to have to look in on the place more often.
from csx.com
“Improving air quality and ensuring efficient movement of freight in our region do not need to be mutually exclusive,” said Joel P. Ettinger, Executive Director of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Council. “The technology that will power the new locomotives will reduce NOX and Particulate Matter (PM) emissions and in doing so, will bring us closer to reaching air quality improvement goals established in our Regional Transportation Plan. NYMTC is pleased to have been able to play a role in securing CMAQ funding for these new engines.”
CSXT’s introduction of the GenSet locomotives is part of an overall plan to reduce CO2 emissions associated with its operations by 8% per revenue ton mile by 2011. This commitment was made as part of its participation in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leaders Program, a voluntary program for businesses to inventory and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
CSXT has invested more than $1 billion to upgrade its locomotive fleet with technology that reduces fuel consumption and air pollutant emissions. Through these efforts, the company has improved its fuel efficiency by approximately 80 percent since 1980. By the end of 2009, an additional 1,200 CSX locomotives will be upgraded to further reduce emissions and lower fuel consumption by nearly 10 million gallons. CSX has a long standing commitment to air quality and clean operations.
CSX Transportation Inc. is a principal operating company of CSX Corporation. CSX Corporation, based in Jacksonville, Fla., is one of the leading transportation companies, providing rail, intermodal and rail-to-truck transload services. The company’s transportation network spans 21,000 miles with service to 23 eastern states and the District of Columbia, and connects to more than 70 ocean, river, and lake ports. More information about CSX Corporation and its subsidiaries is available at the company’s web site, www.csx.com.
Tagged with Bronx, CSX, GenSet locomotive, Oak Point, railyard
Madison Avenue Bridge Centennial
The last of the bridge centennial parades was held on Wednesday, May 12, 2010. The Madison Avenue Bridge spans the Harlem River and connects Manhattan with the Bronx.
The Madison Avenue Bridge crosses the Harlem River connecting Madison Avenue in Manhattan with East 138th Street in the Bronx in New York City. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation. It was designed by Alfred P. Boller and built in 1910 to replace and double the capacity of another earlier swing bridge dating from 1884.
It rained, at this parade.
The Madison Avenue Bridge, which today is maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT), provides two lanes of eastbound and two lanes of westbound traffic between Manhattan and the Bronx. On the Bronx approach, the bridge directly connects to the Major Deegan Expressway (at EXIT 3). On the Manhattan approach, motorists must take side streets to connect to the Harlem River Drive. According to the NYCDOT, the bridge carries approximately 45,000 vehicles per day (AADT).
American Bridge Company? That was J.P. Morgan, wasn’t it?
The Harlem River is a navigable tidal strait in New York City, USA that flows 8 miles (13 km) between the Hudson River and the East River, separating the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. Part of the current course of the Harlem River is the Harlem River Ship Canal, which runs somewhat south of the former course of the river, isolating a small portion of Manhattan (Marble Hill) on the Bronx side of the river.
The indomitable DOT crew that provided electricity and made sure that tents were in place to shield the dignitaries and speakers from the weather. Notice their high visibility safety gear.
The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT or DOT) is responsible for the management of much of New York City’s transportation infrastructure. Janette Sadik-Khan is the current Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, and was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg on April 27, 2007.
The department’s responsibilities include day-to-day maintenance of the city’s streets, highways, bridges and sidewalks. The Department of Transportation is also responsible for installing and maintaining the city’s street signs, traffic signals and street lights. The DOT supervises street resurfacing, pothole repair, parking meter installation and maintenance, and the management of a citywide network of municipal parking facilities. The DOT also operates the Staten Island Ferry.
The bridge itself is a rather straightforward swing bridge, with trusses and box girders forming the superstructure for the busy roadway.
Harlem stretches from the East River west to the Hudson River between 155th Street; where it meets Washington Heights—to a ragged border along the south. Central Harlem begins at 110th Street, at the northern boundary of Central Park; Spanish Harlem extends east Harlem’s boundaries south to 96th Street, while in the west it begins north of Upper West Side, which gives an irregular border west of Morningside Avenue. Harlem’s boundaries have changed over the years; as Ralph Ellison observed: “Wherever Negroes live uptown is considered Harlem.”
Two young fellows opened a large box and revealed this cake. As soon as I saw it, I knew what must happen next, for I know a secret about politicians…
Cake is a form of food that is usually sweet and often baked. Cakes normally combine some kind of flour, a sweetening agent (commonly sugar), a binding agent (generally egg, though gluten or starch are often used by lacto-vegetarians and vegans), fats (usually butter, shortening, or margarine, although a fruit purée such as applesauce is sometimes substituted to avoid using fat), a liquid (milk, water or fruit juice), flavors and some form of leavening agent (such as yeast or baking powder), though many cakes lack these ingredients and instead rely on air bubbles in the dough to expand and cause the cake to rise. Cake is often frosted with buttercream or marzipan, and finished with piped borders and crystallized fruit.
All Politicians love cakes and cameras, and are magnetically attracted to them from wherever they may be in the city.
To balance local authority along with the centralization of government, the Office of Borough President was established with a functional administrative role derived by having a vote on the New York City Board of Estimate, which was responsible for creating and approving the city’s budget and proposals for land use. The Board of Estimate consisted of the Mayor, the Comptroller and the President of the New York City Council, each of whom were elected citywide and had two votes, and the five Borough presidents, each having one vote.
In 1989, the Supreme Court of the United States, in Board of Estimate of City of New York v. Morris (489 U.S. 688) declared the New York City Board of Estimate unconstitutional on the grounds that the city’s most populous borough (Brooklyn) had no greater effective representation on the board than the city’s least populous borough (Staten Island), this arrangement being an unconstitutional violation of the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause pursuant to the high court’s 1964 “one man, one vote” decision.
The city charter was revised in 1990 and the Board of Estimate was abolished. The Office of Borough President was retained but with greatly reduced power. The borough budget reverted to the mayor or the New York City Council. A Borough President has a small discretionary budget to spend on projects within the borough. The last significant power of the borough presidents — to appoint a member of the New York City Board of Education — was abolished, with the board, on June 30, 2002.
The two major remaining appointments of a Borough President are one member of the city Planning Commission and one member of the Panel for Educational Policy. Borough Presidents generally adopt specific projects to promote while in office; but, since 1990, Borough Presidents have been seen mainly as the ceremonial leaders of their boroughs. Officially, they advise the Mayor on issues relating to each borough, comment on all land-use items in their borough, advocate borough needs in the annual municipal budget process, appoint Community Boards, chair the Borough Boards, and serve as ex officio members of various boards and committees They generally act as advocates of their boroughs at the mayoral agencies, the city council, the New York State government, public corporations and private businesses.
Borough President of Manhattan Scott Stringer arrived first, and seemed pleased with the confection.
Scott Stringer (born 1960) is a New York Democratic politician and the current Borough President of Manhattan. His mother, Arlene Stringer-Cuevas, is a cousin of Bella Abzug and served on the New York City Council. Stringer grew up in the Washington Heights/Lower Inwood neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, attended Manhattan public schools and graduated from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. In 1983, he became a legislative assistant to Assemblyman, and future Congressman, Jerrold Nadler. During these years, he supported Democratic candidates such as Governor Mario Cuomo. In 1992, Stringer ran for Nadler’s Assembly seat representing the Upper West Side when Nadler replaced deceased Congressman Ted Weiss.
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. arrived in a nearly simultaneous fashion, and the two exchanged pleasantries- while eyeing the pastry.
Ruben Diaz, Jr. (born April 26, 1973) is a Democratic Party politician from the Bronx in New York City, and the son of New York State Senator Rubén Díaz.
Diaz became the Bronx Borough President in April 2009 after representing the 85th Assembly District in the New York State Assembly. When first elected in 1996 he became, at age 23, the youngest member of the New York State Legislature since Theodore Roosevelt.
The two BP’s electrified the crowd of well wishers, reporters, and invited guests. Diaz also maintained a certain vigil on the cake.
On February 18, 2009, U.S. President Barack Obama appointed Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr. to the position of Director of the White House Office on Urban Affairs.
When Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared a special election to choose his successor,[64] Diaz was considered the leading candidate for the position of Bronx Borough President.
The special election was held on April 21, 2009. Diaz defeated Republican Party candidate Anthony Ribustello by an overwhelming 87% of the vote, to become the 13th Borough President of the Bronx.
On July 1, 2009 Diaz appointed Delores Fernandez to the reconstituted New York City Board of Education. Fernandez is anticipated to be the sole member of the Board that will have a perspective independent of mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Diaz ended his first summer as borough president by recommending that the New York City Council reject Related Companies’ proposal to turn the Kingsbridge Armory into a shopping mall. In an editorial in the New York Daily News, Diaz wrote he is “fighting to make sure that this development includes ‘living wage’ jobs that offer health insurance.” Related’s proposal is still going through the city’s review process.
The ceremonies began with the national anthem as sung by members of (I believe) the Choir Academy of Harlem.
Samuel I. Schwartz, a.k.a. Gridlock Sam, is one of the leading transportation engineers in the United States, and is widely believed to be the man responsible for popularizing the phrase gridlock. Educated at Brooklyn College and the University of Pennsylvania, he originally worked as a cabbie. He eventually held the second-in-command post of Deputy Commissioner in New York City’s transportation department for many years and now operates as a private consultant. One of Gridlock Sam’s newest developments is that of a plan to enhance truck traffic along the Detroit-Windsor border. Today he gives advice in his own column in New York City’s Daily News. He answers questions by mail and alerts readers about traffic patterns.
Master of ceremonies Sam Schwartz.
from gridlocksam.com
Some thirty-seven years ago I began my professional career as a New York City taxi driver. This provided basic training for maneuvering through the city’s streets. Though trained in science, I switched majors to transportation engineering in graduate school. I thought I would save the subways, but the Transit Authority wouldn’t offer me a job. I ended up as a junior engineer at the old Traffic Department.
Initially I worked developing neighborhood one-way plans but soon I was moved to “Special Projects”. John Lindsay was mayor and proposed many innovative and bold schemes to reduce traffic in Midtown. I spent a lot of time on these plans, working with an old-time traffic engineer named Roy Cottam. One day, Roy spoke of his fears if we closed the streets in the Theater District, the grid system would “lock-up” and all traffic would grind to a halt. Soon we simply juxtaposed the word, and the term gridlock was born.
There was a general feeling of happiness, despite the wet and cold. Of course, we were all under the tent.
from nycbridges100.org
In the spring of 2007, a group of civic minded individuals realized that several of New York City’s bridges were approaching their 100th anniversary. In order to commemorate the significance of these magnificent spans and their role in making New York City the greatest metropolis in the world, the group formed the NYC Bridge Centennial Commission, a 501 (c) 3 corporation.
The aim of the Commission is to promote the 100th year anniversary of six historic New York City bridges, to educate the public about the bridges’ role in the life of the city, to encourage respect for the history of New York City; to heighten the public’s awareness of the City’s infrastructure and the need to maintain it; and to stimulate the interest of the public in celebrating the centennial of these six bridges.
Out of nowhere, the Kevin C. Kane, NYFD Marine 6 appeared.
from limarc.org
Kevin C. Kane, N2MEI, was a New York City Firefighter, and a member of LI-MARC. Early on the morning of September 12, 1991, Kevin responded with Engine Com-pany 236 to a fire in at an abandoned apartment house in the East New York section of Brooklyn. Despite the knowledge that there might not be enough hose to reach all parts of the house, Kevin and his fellow firefighters entered the building in search of victims. Shortly thereafter, a section of burning ceiling fell on Kevin. Despite the frantic efforts of his colleagues, they were not able to reach him. Eventually he managed to jump from a window, into the bucket of a fire truck. Having been burned over most of his body, he died the next day. In his honor, The NYFD named a fireboat The Kevin C. Kane, and created the Kevin C. Kane Medal for bravery.
The kids from the Harry S Truman High School band, and I mean all of them, were just jumping with personality and enthusiasm.
Marching band is a sport consisting of a group of instrumental musicians and usually dance teams / color guard who generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching (and possibly onto other movements) with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments. Most marching bands use some kind of uniform (often of a military style) that include the school or organization’s name or symbol, shakos, pith helmets, feather plumes, gloves, and sometimes gauntlets, sashes, and/or capes.
Suddenly, all the spectators were looking south while I was looking west.
Harry S. Truman High School is a public high school at 750 Baychester Avenue, in the Bronx, New York City, United States. The school is designated as an Empowerment School by the New York City Department of Education, which allows it more autonomy in choosing a curriculum.
Truman High School is one of the remaining large high schools in the Bronx that has not been broken up into a number of small schools. This trend which has been popular in the city has seen South Bronx High School, Evander Childs High School as well as Roosevelt High School split into a number of smaller schools that are still located in the same building.
Truman High is located in the Co-op City section of the Bronx, yet many of the students commute to school from areas as far away as the South Bronx.
The size of Truman High School (over 3000 students) does give it the benefit of having many sports programs and extracurricular activities.
Marine 6 was starting its own performance.
Types of Apparatus:
MARINE or Fireboat is a specialized boat outfitted specifically for firefighting capabilities. Its responsibilities include suppression of all fires that occur on water, such as boat fires, pier fires, etc. A Marine Unit also assists land based companies with securing a water supply, as they have the ability to “draft” water from the rivers they operate in.
Red and blue colorant is added to two of the firehoses…
The first bridge on this site was constructed by the New York and Harlem Railroad in 1841. It was composed of four 90-foot (27 m)-long box truss spans, three of which were fixed iron spans, while the remaining span was a wooden swing span. In the closed position, the bridge had a clearance of only seven feet above mean high water. Masonry piers supported the four box-truss spans.
In 1867, the wooden drawbridge was replaced with an iron one that gave a clearance of fifty feet. It was very busy. By the 1880s, the bridge was crossed by more than 200 trains a day.
The bridge was soon made obsolete by heavy traffic and dredging of the Harlem River Ship Canal. Alfred P. Boller worked with the railroad to create a new four-tracked swing bridge. The railroad and the city split the cost.
The new bridge was built in conjunction with the Army Corps of Engineers’ project to build the Harlem River Ship Canal. The Park Avenue railroad viaduct was also extended north of 115th Street at the same time. While the bridge was being built, a temporary bridge was built and the old span was demolished.
When the new bridge was finished, it had a 300-foot (91 m)-long steel truss span supported by masonry piers. The new span had a vertical clearance of 25 feet (7.6 m).
… and a patriotic display is manufactured.
During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Park Avenue Railroad Bridge passed through the hands of several financially ailing railroads, ranging from the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad to the Penn Central Railroad. Today, the lift span is operated by the MTA Metro-North passenger railroad.
Recently, the MTA Metro-North Railroad announced a $10 million project to rehabilitate the Park Avenue Railroad Bridge. The bridge control, power and lift systems are now beyond their useful life, and will not be replaced. Instead, the project will remove the moveable elements of the bridge (such as the wire rope and counterweight), and will rehabilitate the foundation. The MTA Metro-North Railroad currently is seeking approval from the U.S. Coast Guard to make this a fixed bridge in order to minimize the cost of rehabilitation.
The announcement was made that the rest of the ceremony would be kicking off “Bronx Week”, so the entire crowd began to lurch toward the Bronx shoreline.
In a marching band or a drum & bugle corps, the colorguard is a non-musical section that provides additional visual aspects to the performance. The marching band and colorguard performance generally takes place on a football field while the colorguard interprets the music that the marching band or drum & bugle corps is playing via the synchronized spinning of flags, sabres, rifles, or through dance. The color guard uses different colors and styles of flags to enhance the visual effect of the marching band as a whole. The number of members in a colorguard can vary- some only having a few members while others may have 41 or more. Within the band, colorguard is often referred to as flagline or simply guard.
The Truman kids led the march off the Madison Avenue Bridge toward the Bronx side.
The size and composition of a marching band can vary greatly. Some bands have fewer than twenty members, and some have over 500. American marching bands vary considerably in their instrumentation. Some bands omit some or all woodwinds, but it is not uncommon to see piccolos, flutes, clarinets, alto saxophones, and tenor saxophones. E♭ clarinets, alto clarinets, bass clarinets, and baritone saxophones are less common, but can be found in some bands. Bassoons and oboes are very seldom found on a field due to the risk of incidental damage, the impracticality of marching with an exposed double reed, and high sensitivity to weather.
The brass section usually includes trumpets or cornets, mellophones or E♭ alto horns (instead of horns), tenor trombones, baritone horns or euphoniums, and Tubas or sousaphones. E♭soprano cornets are sometimes used to supplement or replace the high woodwinds. Some especially large bands use flugelhorns and bass trombones.
Marching percussion (often referred to as the drumline, battery, or back battery) typically includes snare drums, tenor drums, bass drums, and cymbals and are responsible for keeping tempo for the band. All of these instruments have been adapted for mobile, outdoor use. Marching versions of the glockenspiel (bells), xylophone, and marimba are also rarely used by some ensembles. Historically, the percussion section also employed mounted timpani that featured manual controls.
For bands that include a front ensemble (also known as the pit or auxiliary percussion), stationary instrumentation may include orchestral percussion such as timpani, tambourines, maracas, cowbells, congas, wood blocks, marimbas, xylophones, bongos, vibraphones, timbales, claves, guiros, and chimes or tubular bells,concert bass drums, and gongs, as well as a multitude of auxiliary percussion equipment. Drum sets, purpose-built drum racks, and other mounted instruments are also placed here. Until the advent of the pit in the early 1980s, many of these instruments were actually carried on the field by marching percussionists by hand or on mounting brackets. Some bands also include electronic instruments such as synthesizers, electric guitars, and bass guitar, along with the requisite amplification. If double-reed or string instruments are used, they are usually placed here, but even this usage is very rare due to their relative fragility. Unusual percussive instruments are sometimes used, including brake drums, empty propane tanks, trashcans, railroad ties, stomping rigs, and other interesting sounds.
Word went around that refreshments could be found, and other entertainments offered, upon our arrival in Deegan Rock Park.
For parades, bands usually line up in a marching block composed of ranks (rows) and files (columns). Typically, each member tries to stay within his or her given rank and file, and to maintain even spacing with neighboring musicians. It is usually the responsibility of the people at the end of each rank and the front of each file to be in the correct location; this allows other band members to guide to them.
Band members also try to keep a constant pace or step size while marching in parade. This usually varies between 22 and 30 inches (56–76 cm) per stride. A step size of 22.5 inches is called 8-to-5 because the marcher covers five yards (about 4.6 m) in eight steps. A step size of 30 inches is called 6-to-5 because five yards are covered in six steps. Because yard lines on an American football field are five yards apart, exact 8-to-5 and 6-to-5 steps are most useful for field shows.
A drum cadence (sometimes called a walkbeat or street beat) is usually played when the band is marching, sometimes alternating with a song. This is how the band keeps time. Alternately, a drum click or rim shot may be given on the odd beats to keep the band in step. Between songs and cadences, a roll is usually given to indicate what beat in the measure the band is at. Cadence tempo varies from group to group, but is generally between 112 and 144 beats per minute.
The band played on, as the crowd crossed safely over the flow of Harlem River.
A musical instrument is constructed or used for the purpose of making the sounds of music. In principle, anything that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the beginnings of human culture. The academic study of musical instruments is called organology.
The date and origin of the first device of disputed status as a musical instrument dates back as far as 67,000 years old; artifacts commonly accepted to be early flutes date back as far as about 37,000 years old. However, most historians believe determining a specific time of musical instrument invention to be impossible due to the subjectivity of the definition.
Musical instruments developed independently in many populated regions of the world. However, contact among civilizations resulted in the rapid spread and adaptation of most instruments in places far from their origin. By the Middle Ages, instruments from Mesopotamia could be found in the Malay Archipelago and Europeans were playing instruments from North Africa. Development in the Americas occurred at a slower pace, but cultures of North, Central, and South America shared musical instruments.
Apparently, the syncopated footsteps of marching bands cause bridge engineers no small amount of worry, but the sturdy old girl didn’t shake a bit.
The Bronx is divided by the Bronx River into a hillier section in the west, closer to Manhattan, and the flatter East Bronx, closer to Long Island. The West Bronx was annexed to New York City (then largely confined to Manhattan) in 1874, and the areas east of the Bronx River in 1895. The Bronx first assumed a distinct legal identity when it became a borough of Greater New York in 1898. Bronx County, with the same boundaries as the borough, was separated from New York County (afterwards coextensive with the Borough of Manhattan) as of January 1, 1914. Although the Bronx is the third-most-densely-populated county in the U.S., about a quarter of its area is open space, including Woodlawn Cemetery, Van Cortlandt Park, Pelham Bay Park, the New York Botanical Garden and the Bronx Zoo in the borough’s north and center, on land deliberately reserved in the late 19th century as urban development progressed northwards and eastwards from Manhattan with the building of roads, bridges and railways.
Word was that the cake had already been transported down to Deegan Rock Park, and somehow- Diaz knew it.
In 1997, the Bronx was designated an All America City by the National Civic League, signifying its comeback from the decline of the 1970s. In 2006, The New York Times reported that “construction cranes have become the borough’s new visual metaphor, replacing the window decals of the 1980s in which pictures of potted plants and drawn curtains were placed in the windows of abandoned buildings.” The borough has experienced substantial new building construction since 2002. Between 2002 and June 2007, 33,687 new units of housing were built or were under way and $4.8 billion has been invested in new housing. In the first six months of 2007 alone total investment in new residential development was $965 million and 5,187 residential units were scheduled to be completed. Much of the new development is springing up in formerly vacant lots across the South Bronx.
Other Bronx politicos also eagerly followed the charms of the baked goods.
from ilovethebronx.com
Saturday, May 15th through Sunday, May 23rd, 2010
Throughout Bronx Week, residents of the Bronx and visitors from the tri-state region come together to celebrate the people, places, history and businesses of the Bronx. Outdoor performances, trolley tours, health fairs, a salute to volunteers and business workshops are just some of the events in store.
The grand finale is on Sunday, May 23rd, when famous sons and daughters of the borough will return home for induction to the Bronx Walk of Fame on the Grand Concourse, followed by our annual Parade, Food & Art Festival and Concert on Mosholu Parkway.
Bronx Week is the ideal time to remind all New Yorkers that The Bronx is a great place to live, work and play. Don’t Miss The Fun!
For more information on fun Bronx Week events happening in our borough, check back with us using our Bronx Week Calendar page or call 718.590.BRONX
The lady who was holding this sign was chided by your humble narrator for hiding her face. That was the Madison Avenue Bridge Centennial Parade.
from nypost.com
Bronx Week 2010 kicked off yesterday, May 12, but fear not — all you’ve missed so far was a press conference.
This year’s festive celebration of the borough will include 22 events in only 12 days and culminate in a busy, exciting Grand Finale on Sunday, May 23.
“This time we have organized even more events, while keeping the traditional ones, to celebrate the beauty, culture, talent and development of our neighborhoods,” said Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr. “No Bronxite should stay home during these many days full of activities.”
Doris Quiñones, executive director of the Bronx Tourism Council, said that this year, for the first time, Bronx Week has been moved up one month earlier.
“We moved it from June to May to make it easier for schools to participate,” she said. “Eighty schools are already scheduled to march in the parade on Sunday, May 23.”
That day is the Grand Finale, which is the big culmination of Bronx Week. In addition to the parade, which starts at noon on Mosholu Parkway, that night will be the famous Bronx Ball, at which the borough’s best and brightest show up in formal attire to dance the night away. This year the ball is under a huge tent at Orchard Beach at 6 p.m. and, as in the past, will have a red carpet, Bronx high school cheerleaders, and will kick off when Borough President Diaz honors a special few.
Posted in Bronx, Manhattan
Tagged with Borough President, Bridge, Bronx, Harry S Truman High School, Jr., Madison Avenue Bridge, Manhattan, New York City, Parade, Ruben Diaz, Scott Stringer
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Dolcini, Pressley, Stringfield, Williams And Wood Score MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Player Of The Week Honors
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Junior pitcher Nicole Williams (St. Joseph High/Trumbull, Conn.), senior pitcher/first baseman Josie Wood (North Miami High/Denver, Ind.), junior pitcher/first baseman Cristi Pressley (Piedmont High/Monroe, N.C.), freshman Jordan Stringfield (Wellsville High/Wellsville, Kan.) and sophomore pitcher/first baseman/outfielder Hailey Dolcini (Fortuna High/Fortuna, Calif.) were selected MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Players of the Week in their respective regions Monday for games played May 18-24.
Williams pitched a no-hitter and a pair of one-hitters during the week for the (21-0) Cadets. In her four wins, she allowed two hits, walked one and fanned 42. She struck out 11 in a five-inning no-hitter against Trinity Catholic last Monday and fanned 13 in each of her one-hitters against New Caanan and Danbury. In her other appearance, she struck out five in two innings against Bridgeport Central. St. Joseph outscored its opponents 57-1 in a 4-0 week.
Wood had no-hitters against Wabash and Cass, an one-hitter against Maconaquah and a two-hitter versus Manchester during the week. In four shutouts, she struck out 54 and walked three over 26 innings. She got plenty of support from the (21-3) Warriors’ offense, which plated 45 runs.
Pressley hit .833 for the (21-4) Panthers, going 5-for-6 with three doubles, a walk and two runs batted in. She went 4-for-4 in a win over Kings Mountain and 1-for-2 in a victory over Sun Valley. For the season, she is batting .375 with 11 doubles and 17 RBI.
Stringfield batted .667 (6-for-9) for the week with eight runs, two homers and five RBI as the (19-4) Eagles went 3-0. She went 3-for-3 with two homers and in her first two games and 2-for-4
Dolcini fanned 36 batters and allowed one hit in 14 innings last week for the (22-4) Huskies. She allowed one hit, walked no one and struck out 19 in a 3-0 triumph over Eureka and fanned 17 and tossed a perfect game in a 2-0 win against Del Norte.
MaxPreps.com, the official high school statistical provider of the NFCA, provides all statistics for the NFCA High School Player of the Week award. To nominate a player for the award, the coach must enter his or her athlete's game stats into MaxPreps.com by Sunday evening to be eligible that week.
The MaxPreps/NFCA High School Players of the Week are announced on NFCA.org every Monday during the spring season, with one representative chosen from each of five separate high school regions. During the fall campaign, just a single player is selected representing all participating regions.
MaxPreps is a free stat tool that is available to high school coaches across the country and is one of the most recognized and respected high school athletics websites on the internet. Coaches who enter their team’s stats on Max Preps will not only be nominating their players for this award, but they will be getting their team’s information out to thousands of high school sports fans and college coaches across the country.
To obtain a coach’s login, please contact coachsupport@maxpreps.com or call 1-800-329-7324 x1. To enter a team’s stats on the MaxPreps website, please click here .
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Mitigating Circumstances: What Are They & How Do Employers View Them?
Helen Cooke
Founder and Director of MyPlus Students' Club
By Helen Cooke – MyPlus Students’ Club Founder and Director.
In the same way that may you may need to request support or adjustments to enable you to progress through the recruitment process, you may need to ask the employer to take mitigating circumstances into consideration to ensure that you are even part of the process.
But what is a mitigating circumstance?
How do you know if you have one? And how do employers view them?
In relation to applying for a job, a mitigating circumstance may also be referred to as an extenuating circumstance, or viewed as a justification for not matching the minimum requirements expected by the employer. As someone with a disability, you may have a genuine reason which prevented you from, for example, achieving certain UCAS points or gaining relevant work experience. These are termed mitigating circumstances and you may wish an employer to take them into account if you are concerned that you will otherwise be rejected.
However, for some, it can seem that stating mitigating circumstances is akin to a ‘sob story’ and will be viewed negatively by an employer. On the contrary, employers recognise that some individuals have very real and genuine reasons why they do not meet the minimum requirements for a role. In these cases, employers are keen to take mitigating circumstances into consideration as they recognise that they may otherwise be rejecting talented individuals.
If you have genuine mitigating circumstances you will need to find a way of informing an employer. An effective way to do this is to write a short paragraph that objectively explains the mitigating circumstance, why it occurred, what has happened since and anything else you could potentially include to demonstrate that your application is worth a second look. You do not want anyone to feel sorry for you; you just wish them to recognise that you are potentially a suitable candidate despite not meeting their minimum requirements.
Inform the recruiter of your mitigating circumstances as early in the process as you can to avoid being rejected from the recruitment process.
Be very clear that your mitigating circumstances are as a consequence of your disability.
Never use mitigating circumstances inappropriately.
Even if you do have mitigating circumstances, recognise that you still may be rejected from the recruitment process.
You may also find the following guides useful:
Account for differences on your CV
Blog 24 Jul 2017
What do business, technology and disability have in common? An interview with the winners of the BDF Film Festival
4 Truths about applying to work with a disability
Questions Every Student Has About Reasonable Adjustments
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Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Love – And UFOs
Nick Redfern May 15, 2017
UFO cults – and particularly controversial ones – are nothing new. In fact, they are ten-a-penny. Some are far more well known than others. Take, for example, the Heaven’s Gate crowd. Remember them? “Thanks” to their nuttier-than-squirrel-shit leader, Marshall Herff Applewhite, Jr., they came to a sticky and irreversible end in March 1997, after knocking back significant amounts of Phenobarbital and vodka. A word of advice: do what I do and stick to a few cans of Steel Reserve on a Friday and Saturday night. There was also the Cosmic Circle of Fellowship, which was established in the 1950s by the allegedly dimension-hopping William Ferguson. Both Unarius and The Seekers can also be added to the list. In fact, the list is a long and winding one.
One such cult, which has largely been forgotten, is the subject of today’s article. It was in the 1940s that one Francis Herman Penovic – who went by the very different name of Krishna Venta – created what was popularly known as the Fountain of the World. Its official title, however, was WKFL Fountain of the World; the “WKFL” meaning “Wisdom,” “Knowledge,” “Faith,” and “Love.” It was a pretty harmless group (for a while…), albeit one that eventually had its moments of violence and even death.
The Fountain of the World had its base of operations in Simi Valley, California. And it thrived very nicely – which is hardly surprising, given that those who chose to join the cult were required to hand over their entire belongings and life-savings. Members were also made to wear what became the de rigueur WKFL Fountain of the World uniform. Namely, robes and sandals. Or, as I term it, hippy crap. Worse still, male members of the group were told to grow beards. Even more hippy crap, in other words.
The group was very much a benevolent one, working to improve conditions for the homeless who lived on the streets in Simi Valley – usually by offering beds and food at the Fountain of the World headquarters. Without doubt, the most visible example of the WKFL Fountain of the World’s determination to help whenever and wherever it could surfaced on July 12, 1949. That was the date on which a Standard Airlines aircraft slammed into the Simi Hills, killing around three-quarters of all those on-board. The WKFL Fountain of the World were quickly on the scene to try and lend whatever help they could.
Krishna Venta
Like so many cult-leaders, Venta had delusions of grandeur. Just one year before the tragic crash of Flight 897R on the Simi Hills, he proclaimed: “I may as well say it: I am Christ. I am the new messiah.” UFOs even came into the story. Well, of course they did! Venta / Jesus maintained that he had spent time on a planet called Neophrates and had commanded a veritable armada of spacecraft from Neophrates to the Earth. And as is the case with so many cult-leaders, it all ended violently. But, you knew that was coming, right?
On December 10, 1958, two men – Ralph Muller and Peter Duma Kamenoff, both of who were ex-members of the Fountain of the World, and who correctly believed Venta had been banging their wives – planned to go on a suicide-driven bombing mission to kill Venta. Unfortunately, they succeeded. The crazed, irresponsible pair caused chaos, tragedy and death – and on a large scale. The Los Angeles Times reported one day later:
The Fountain of the World Monastery in a wooded canyon near Chatsworth was ripped apart early yesterday by a heavy explosion which instantly killed the bearded leader of the cult, Krishna Venta, and seven of his followers. Two ex-cultists linked to the blast by bizarre tape recordings in which they vowed ‘to bring Krishna to justice’ were believed to have also died in the explosion. Two children, both girls, ages 8 and 9, and a 59-year old woman were seriously burned. The explosion blew the roof from an adjoining dormitory for children and touched off a brush fire that swept over 150 acres. Fire completed the destruction of the monastery and dormitory.
The end of Krishna Venta
The heyday of the Fountain of the World was abruptly – and fortunately – at an end. After years of languishing in obscurity, it finally closed its doors in 1975. Good riddance to the group – and to beards and sandals, too.
Tags Cult Fountain of the World UFOs
Serpo, Saucers, Spooks, and Sci-Fi
Nick Redfern June 19, 2015
Ancient Cult Temple May Be Site of War with Early Christians
Brett Tingley February 28, 2017
Before Lazar: UFOs at Area 51 (Or Not…)
Nick Redfern December 8, 2018
Claimed “UFOlogist” Found Dead After Vomiting “Black Liquid”
Brett Tingley October 21, 2016
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New research reveals surprising truths about why some work groups thrive and others falter.
Source: What Google Learned From Its Quest to Build the Perfect Team – The New York Times
Five years ago, Google — one of the most public proselytizers of how studying workers can transform productivity — became focused on building the perfect team. In the last decade, the tech giant has spent untold millions of dollars measuring nearly every aspect of its employees’ lives. Google’s People Operations department has scrutinized everything from how frequently particular people eat together (the most productive employees tend to build larger networks by rotating dining companions) to which traits the best managers share (unsurprisingly, good communication and avoiding micromanaging is critical; more shocking, this was news to many Google managers).
The company’s top executives long believed that building the best teams meant combining the best people. They embraced other bits of conventional wisdom as well, like ‘‘It’s better to put introverts together,’’ said Abeer Dubey, a manager in Google’s People Analytics division, or ‘‘Teams are more effective when everyone is friends away from work.’’ But, Dubey went on, ‘‘it turned out no one had really studied which of those were true.’’
In 2012, the company embarked on an initiative — code-named Project Aristotle — to study hundreds of Google’s teams and figure out why some stumbled while others soared. Dubey, a leader of the project, gathered some of the company’s best statisticians, organizational psychologists, sociologists and engineers. He also needed researchers. Rozovsky, by then, had decided that what she wanted to do with her life was study people’s habits and tendencies. After graduating from Yale, she was hired by Google and was soon assigned to Project Aristotle.
Project Aristotle’s researchers began by reviewing a half-century of academic studies looking at how teams worked. Were the best teams made up of people with similar interests? Or did it matter more whether everyone was motivated by the same kinds of rewards? Based on those studies, the researchers scrutinized the composition of groups inside Google: How often did teammates socialize outside the office? Did they have the same hobbies? Were their educational backgrounds similar? Was it better for all teammates to be outgoing or for all of them to be shy? They drew diagrams showing which teams had overlapping memberships and which groups had exceeded their departments’ goals. They studied how long teams stuck together and if gender balance seemed to have an impact on a team’s success.
No matter how researchers arranged the data, though, it was almost impossible to find patterns — or any evidence that the composition of a team made any difference. ‘‘We looked at 180 teams from all over the company,’’ Dubey said. ‘‘We had lots of data, but there was nothing showing that a mix of specific personality types or skills or backgrounds made any difference. The ‘who’ part of the equation didn’t seem to matter.’’
Some groups that were ranked among Google’s most effective teams, for instance, were composed of friends who socialized outside work. Others were made up of people who were basically strangers away from the conference room. Some groups sought strong managers. Others preferred a less hierarchical structure. Most confounding of all, two teams might have nearly identical makeups, with overlapping memberships, but radically different levels of effectiveness. ‘‘At Google, we’re good at finding patterns,’’ Dubey said. ‘‘There weren’t strong patterns here.’’
As they struggled to figure out what made a team successful, Rozovsky and her colleagues kept coming across research by psychologists and sociologists that focused on what are known as ‘‘group norms.’’ Norms are the traditions, behavioral standards and unwritten rules that govern how we function when we gather: One team may come to a consensus that avoiding disagreement is more valuable than debate; another team might develop a culture that encourages vigorous arguments and spurns groupthink. Norms can be unspoken or openly acknowledged, but their influence is often profound. Team members may behave in certain ways as individuals — they may chafe against authority or prefer working independently — but when they gather, the group’s norms typically override individual proclivities and encourage deference to the team.
Project Aristotle’s researchers began searching through the data they had collected, looking for norms. They looked for instances when team members described a particular behavior as an ‘‘unwritten rule’’ or when they explained certain things as part of the ‘‘team’s culture.’’ Some groups said that teammates interrupted one another constantly and that team leaders reinforced that behavior by interrupting others themselves. On other teams, leaders enforced conversational order, and when someone cut off a teammate, group members would politely ask everyone to wait his or her turn. Some teams celebrated birthdays and began each meeting with informal chitchat about weekend plans. Other groups got right to business and discouraged gossip. There were teams that contained outsize personalities who hewed to their group’s sedate norms, and others in which introverts came out of their shells as soon as meetings began.
After looking at over a hundred groups for more than a year, Project Aristotle researchers concluded that understanding and influencing group norms were the keys to improving Google’s teams. But Rozovsky, now a lead researcher, needed to figure out which norms mattered most. Google’s research had identified dozens of behaviors that seemed important, except that sometimes the norms of one effective team contrasted sharply with those of another equally successful group. Was it better to let everyone speak as much as they wanted, or should strong leaders end meandering debates? Was it more effective for people to openly disagree with one another, or should conflicts be played down? The data didn’t offer clear verdicts. In fact, the data sometimes pointed in opposite directions. The only thing worse than not finding a pattern is finding too many of them. Which norms, Rozovsky and her colleagues wondered, were the ones that successful teams shared?
Imagine you have been invited to join one of two groups.
Team A is composed of people who are all exceptionally smart and successful. When you watch a video of this group working, you see professionals who wait until a topic arises in which they are expert, and then they speak at length, explaining what the group ought to do. When someone makes a side comment, the speaker stops, reminds everyone of the agenda and pushes the meeting back on track. This team is efficient. There is no idle chitchat or long debates. The meeting ends as scheduled and disbands so everyone can get back to their desks.
Team B is different. It’s evenly divided between successful executives and middle managers with few professional accomplishments. Teammates jump in and out of discussions. People interject and complete one another’s thoughts. When a team member abruptly changes the topic, the rest of the group follows him off the agenda. At the end of the meeting, the meeting doesn’t actually end: Everyone sits around to gossip and talk about their lives.
Which group would you rather join?
In 2008, a group of psychologists from Carnegie Mellon and M.I.T. began to try to answer a question very much like this one. ‘‘Over the past century, psychologists made considerable progress in defining and systematically measuring intelligence in individuals,’’ the researchers wrote in the journal Science in 2010. ‘‘We have used the statistical approach they developed for individual intelligence to systematically measure the intelligence of groups.’’ Put differently, the researchers wanted to know if there is a collective I. Q. that emerges within a team that is distinct from the smarts of any single member.
To accomplish this, the researchers recruited 699 people, divided them into small groups and gave each a series of assignments that required different kinds of cooperation. One assignment, for instance, asked participants to brainstorm possible uses for a brick. Some teams came up with dozens of clever uses; others kept describing the same ideas in different words. Another had the groups plan a shopping trip and gave each teammate a different list of groceries. The only way to maximize the group’s score was for each person to sacrifice an item they really wanted for something the team needed. Some groups easily divvied up the buying; others couldn’t fill their shopping carts because no one was willing to compromise.
What interested the researchers most, however, was that teams that did well on one assignment usually did well on all the others. Conversely, teams that failed at one thing seemed to fail at everything. The researchers eventually concluded that what distinguished the ‘‘good’’ teams from the dysfunctional groups was how teammates treated one another. The right norms, in other words, could raise a group’s collective intelligence, whereas the wrong norms could hobble a team, even if, individually, all the members were exceptionally bright.
But what was confusing was that not all the good teams appeared to behave in the same ways. ‘‘Some teams had a bunch of smart people who figured out how to break up work evenly,’’ said Anita Woolley, the study’s lead author. ‘‘Other groups had pretty average members, but they came up with ways to take advantage of everyone’s relative strengths. Some groups had one strong leader. Others were more fluid, and everyone took a leadership role.’’
As the researchers studied the groups, however, they noticed two behaviors that all the good teams generally shared. First, on the good teams, members spoke in roughly the same proportion, a phenomenon the researchers referred to as ‘‘equality in distribution of conversational turn-taking.’’ On some teams, everyone spoke during each task; on others, leadership shifted among teammates from assignment to assignment. But in each case, by the end of the day, everyone had spoken roughly the same amount. ‘‘As long as everyone got a chance to talk, the team did well,’’ Woolley said. ‘‘But if only one person or a small group spoke all the time, the collective intelligence declined.’’
Second, the good teams all had high ‘‘average social sensitivity’’ — a fancy way of saying they were skilled at intuiting how others felt based on their tone of voice, their expressions and other nonverbal cues. One of the easiest ways to gauge social sensitivity is to show someone photos of people’s eyes and ask him or her to describe what the people are thinking or feeling — an exam known as the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test. People on the more successful teams in Woolley’s experiment scored above average on the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test. They seemed to know when someone was feeling upset or left out. People on the ineffective teams, in contrast, scored below average. They seemed, as a group, to have less sensitivity toward their colleagues.
In other words, if you are given a choice between the serious-minded Team A or the free-flowing Team B, you should probably opt for Team B. Team A may be filled with smart people, all optimized for peak individual efficiency. But the group’s norms discourage equal speaking; there are few exchanges of the kind of personal information that lets teammates pick up on what people are feeling or leaving unsaid. There’s a good chance the members of Team A will continue to act like individuals once they come together, and there’s little to suggest that, as a group, they will become more collectively intelligent.
In contrast, on Team B, people may speak over one another, go on tangents and socialize instead of remaining focused on the agenda. The team may seem inefficient to a casual observer. But all the team members speak as much as they need to. They are sensitive to one another’s moods and share personal stories and emotions. While Team B might not contain as many individual stars, the sum will be greater than its parts.
Within psychology, researchers sometimes colloquially refer to traits like ‘‘conversational turn-taking’’ and ‘‘average social sensitivity’’ as aspects of what’s known as psychological safety — a group culture that the Harvard Business School professor Amy Edmondson defines as a ‘‘shared belief held by members of a team that the team is safe for interpersonal risk-taking.’’ Psychological safety is ‘‘a sense of confidence that the team will not embarrass, reject or punish someone for speaking up,’’ Edmondson wrote in a study published in 1999. ‘‘It describes a team climate characterized by interpersonal trust and mutual respect in which people are comfortable being themselves.’’
When Rozovsky and her Google colleagues encountered the concept of psychological safety in academic papers, it was as if everything suddenly fell into place. One engineer, for instance, had told researchers that his team leader was ‘‘direct and straightforward, which creates a safe space for you to take risks.’’ That team, researchers estimated, was among Google’s accomplished groups. By contrast, another engineer had told the researchers that his ‘‘team leader has poor emotional control.’’ He added: ‘‘He panics over small issues and keeps trying to grab control. I would hate to be driving with him being in the passenger seat, because he would keep trying to grab the steering wheel and crash the car.’’ That team, researchers presumed, did not perform well.
Most of all, employees had talked about how various teams felt. ‘‘And that made a lot of sense to me, maybe because of my experiences at Yale,’’ Rozovsky said. ‘‘I’d been on some teams that left me feeling totally exhausted and others where I got so much energy from the group.’’ Rozovsky’s study group at Yale was draining because the norms — the fights over leadership, the tendency to critique — put her on guard. Whereas the norms of her case-competition team — enthusiasm for one another’s ideas, joking around and having fun — allowed everyone to feel relaxed and energized.
For Project Aristotle, research on psychological safety pointed to particular norms that are vital to success. There were other behaviors that seemed important as well — like making sure teams had clear goals and creating a culture of dependability. But Google’s data indicated that psychological safety, more than anything else, was critical to making a team work.
‘‘We had to get people to establish psychologically safe environments,’’ Rozovsky told me. But it wasn’t clear how to do that. ‘‘People here are really busy,’’ she said. ‘‘We needed clear guidelines.’’
However, establishing psychological safety is, by its very nature, somewhat messy and difficult to implement. You can tell people to take turns during a conversation and to listen to one another more. You can instruct employees to be sensitive to how their colleagues feel and to notice when someone seems upset. But the kinds of people who work at Google are often the ones who became software engineers because they wanted to avoid talking about feelings in the first place.
Rozovsky and her colleagues had figured out which norms were most critical. Now they had to find a way to make communication and empathy — the building blocks of forging real connections — into an algorithm they could easily scale.
In late 2014, Rozovsky and her fellow Project Aristotle number-crunchers began sharing their findings with select groups of Google’s 51,000 employees. By then, they had been collecting surveys, conducting interviews and analyzing statistics for almost three years. They hadn’t yet figured out how to make psychological safety easy, but they hoped that publicizing their research within Google would prompt employees to come up with some ideas of their own.
Sakaguchi was particularly interested in Project Aristotle because the team he previously oversaw at Google hadn’t jelled particularly well. ‘‘There was one senior engineer who would just talk and talk, and everyone was scared to disagree with him,’’ Sakaguchi said. ‘‘The hardest part was that everyone liked this guy outside the group setting, but whenever they got together as a team, something happened that made the culture go wrong.’’
When asked to rate whether the role of the team was clearly understood and whether their work had impact, members of the team gave middling to poor scores. These responses troubled Sakaguchi, because he hadn’t picked up on this discontent. He wanted everyone to feel fulfilled by their work. He asked the team to gather, off site, to discuss the survey’s results. He began by asking everyone to share something personal about themselves. He went first.
‘‘I think one of the things most people don’t know about me,’’ he told the group, ‘‘is that I have Stage 4 cancer.’’ In 2001, he said, a doctor discovered a tumor in his kidney. By the time the cancer was detected, it had spread to his spine. For nearly half a decade, it had grown slowly as he underwent treatment while working at Google. Recently, however, doctors had found a new, worrisome spot on a scan of his liver. That was far more serious, he explained.
After Sakaguchi spoke, another teammate stood and described some health issues of her own. Then another discussed a difficult breakup. Eventually, the team shifted its focus to the survey. They found it easier to speak honestly about the things that had been bothering them, their small frictions and everyday annoyances. They agreed to adopt some new norms: From now on, Sakaguchi would make an extra effort to let the team members know how their work fit into Google’s larger mission; they agreed to try harder to notice when someone on the team was feeling excluded or down.
There was nothing in the survey that instructed Sakaguchi to share his illness with the group. There was nothing in Project Aristotle’s research that said that getting people to open up about their struggles was critical to discussing a group’s norms. But to Sakaguchi, it made sense that psychological safety and emotional conversations were related. The behaviors that create psychological safety — conversational turn-taking and empathy — are part of the same unwritten rules we often turn to, as individuals, when we need to establish a bond. And those human bonds matter as much at work as anywhere else. In fact, they sometimes matter more.
‘‘I think, until the off-site, I had separated things in my head into work life and life life,’’ Laurent told me. ‘‘But the thing is, my work is my life. I spend the majority of my time working. Most of my friends I know through work. If I can’t be open and honest at work, then I’m not really living, am I?’’
What Project Aristotle has taught people within Google is that no one wants to put on a ‘‘work face’’ when they get to the office. No one wants to leave part of their personality and inner life at home. But to be fully present at work, to feel ‘‘psychologically safe,’’ we must know that we can be free enough, sometimes, to share the things that scare us without fear of recriminations. We must be able to talk about what is messy or sad, to have hard conversations with colleagues who are driving us crazy. We can’t be focused just on efficiency. Rather, when we start the morning by collaborating with a team of engineers and then send emails to our marketing colleagues and then jump on a conference call, we want to know that those people really hear us. We want to know that work is more than just labor.
The paradox, of course, is that Google’s intense data collection and number crunching have led it to the same conclusions that good managers have always known. In the best teams, members listen to one another and show sensitivity to feelings and needs.
‘‘Just having data that proves to people that these things are worth paying attention to sometimes is the most important step in getting them to actually pay attention,’’ Rozovsky told me. ‘‘Don’t underestimate the power of giving people a common platform and operating language.’’
This entry was posted in Main and tagged efficiency, google, life, living, office, psychological safety, team, teamwork, tech, work on 28/02/16 by russi4nblue.
How to Solve Google’s Crazy Open-Ended Interview Questions | Business | WIRED.
One of the most important tools in critical thinking about numbers is to grant yourself permission to generate wrong answers to mathematical problems you encounter. Deliberately wrong answers!
Engineers and scientists do it all the time, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t all be let in on their little secret: the art of approximating, or the “back of the napkin” calculation. As the British writer Saki wrote, “a little bit of inaccuracy saves a great deal of explanation.”
For over a decade, when Google conducted job interviews, they’d ask their applicants questions that have no answers. Google is a company whose very existence depends on innovation—on inventing things that are new and didn’t exist before, and on refining existing ideas and technologies to allow consumers to do things they couldn’t do before.
Contrast this with how most companies conduct job interviews: In the skills portion of the interview, the company wants to know if you can actually do the things that they need doing.
But Google doesn’t even know what skills they need new employees to have. What they need to know is whether an employee can think his way through a problem.
Of Piano Tuners and Skyscrapers
Consider the following question that has been asked at actual Google job interviews: How much does the Empire State Building weigh?
Now, there is no correct answer to this question in any practical sense because no one knows the answer. Google isn’t interested in the answer, though; they’re interested in the process. They want to see a reasoned, rational way of approaching the problem to give them insight into how an applicant’s mind works, how organized a thinker she is.
There are four common responses to the problem. People throw up their hands and say “that’s impossible” or they try to look up the answer somewhere.
The third response? Asking for more information. By “weight of the Empire State Building,” do you mean with or without furniture? Do I count the people in it? But questions like this are a distraction. They don’t bring you any closer to solving the problem; they only postpone being able to start it.
The fourth response is the correct one, using approximating, or what some people call guesstimating. These types of problems are also called estimation problems or Fermi problems, after the physicist Enrico Fermi, who was famous for being able to make estimates with little or no actual data, for questions that seemed impossible to answer. Approximating involves making a series of educated guesses systematically by partitioning the problem into manageable chunks, identifying assumptions, and then using your general knowledge of the world to fill in the blanks.
How would you solve the Fermi problem of “How many piano tuners are there in Chicago?”
Where to begin? As with many Fermi problems, it’s often helpful to estimate some intermediate quantity, not the one you’re being asked to estimate, but something that will help you get where you want to go. In this case, it might be easier to start with the number of pianos that you think are in Chicago and then figure out how many tuners it would take to keep them in tune.
THERE IS AN INFINITY OF WAYS ONE MIGHT SOLVE THE PROBLEM, BUT THE FINAL NUMBER IS NOT THE POINT—THE THOUGHT PROCESS, THE SET OF ASSUMPTIONS AND DELIBERATIONS, IS THE ANSWER.
In any Fermi problem, we first lay out what it is we need to know, then list some assumptions:
How often pianos are tuned
How long it takes to tune a piano
How many hours a year the average piano tuner works
The number of pianos in Chicago
Knowing these will help you arrive at an answer. If you know how often pianos are tuned and how long it takes to tune a piano, you know how many hours are spent tuning one piano. Then you multiply that by the number of pianos in Chicago to find out how many hours are spent every year tuning Chicago’s pianos. Divide this by the number of hours each tuner works, and you have the number of tuners.
Assumption 1: The average piano owner tunes his piano once a year.
Where did this number come from? I made it up! But that’s what you do when you’re approximating. It’s certainly within an order of magnitude: The average piano owner isn’t tuning only one time every ten years, nor ten times a year. One time a year seems like a reasonable guesstimate.
Assumption 2: It takes 2 hours to tune a piano. A guess. Maybe it’s only 1 hour, but 2 is within an order of magnitude, so it’s good enough.
Assumption 3: How many hours a year does the average piano tuner work? Let’s assume 40 hours a week, and that the tuner takes 2 weeks’ vacation every year: 40 hours a week x 50 weeks is a 2,000-hour work year. Piano tuners travel to their jobs—people don’t bring their pianos in—so the piano tuner may spend 10 percent–20 percent of his or her time getting from house to house. Keep this in mind and take it off the estimate at the end.
Assumption 4: To estimate the number of pianos in Chicago, you might guess that 1 out of 100 people have a piano—again, a wild guess, but probably within an order of magnitude. In addition, there are schools and other institutions with pianos, many of them with multiple pianos. This estimate is trickier to base on facts, but assume that when these are factored in, they roughly equal the number of private pianos, for a total of 2 pianos for every 100 people.
Now to estimate the number of people in Chicago. If you don’t know the answer to this, you might know that it is the third-largest city in the United States after New York (8 million) and Los Angeles (4 million). You might guess 2.5 million, meaning that 25,000 people have pianos. We decided to double this number to account for institutional pianos, so the result is 50,000 pianos.
So, here are the various estimates:
There are 2.5 million people in Chicago.
There are 2 pianos for every 100 people.
There are 50,000 pianos in Chicago.
Pianos are tuned once a year.
It takes 2 hours to tune a piano.
Piano tuners work 2,000 hours a year.
In one year, a piano tuner can tune 1,000 pianos (2,000 hours per year ÷ 2 hours per piano).
It would take 50 tuners to tune 50,000 pianos (50,000 pianos ÷ 1,000 pianos tuned by each piano tuner).
Add 15 percent to that number to account for travel time, meaning that there are approximately 58 piano tuners in Chicago.
What is the real answer? The Yellow Pages for Chicago lists 83. This includes some duplicates (businesses with more than one phone number are listed twice), and the category includes piano and organ technicians who are not tuners. Deduct 25 for these anomalies, and an estimate of 58 appears to be very close.
But Wait, What About the Empire State Building?
Back to the Google interview and the Empire State Building question. If you were sitting in that interview chair, your interviewer would ask you to think out loud and walk her through your reasoning. There is an infinity of ways one might solve the problem, but to give you a flavor of how a bright, creative, and systematic thinker might do it, here is one possible “answer.” And remember, the final number is not the point—the thought process, the set of assumptions and deliberations, is the answer.
Let’s see. One way to start would be to estimate its size, and then estimate the weight based on that. I’ll begin with some assumptions. I’m going to calculate the weight of the building empty—with no human occupants, no furnishings, appliances, or fixtures. I’m going to assume that the building has a square base and straight sides with no taper at the top, just to simplify the calculations.
For size I need to know height, length, and width. I don’t know how tall the Empire State Building is, but I know that it is definitely more than 20 stories tall and probably less than 200 stories.
I don’t know how tall one story is, but I know from other office buildings I’ve been in that the ceiling is at least 8 feet inside each floor and that there are typically false ceilings to hide electrical wires, conduits, heating ducts, and so on. I’ll guess that these are probably 2 feet. So I’ll approximate 10–15 feet per story.
I’m going to refine my height estimate to say that the building is probably more than 50 stories high. I’ve been in lots of buildings that are 30–35 stories high. My boundary conditions are that it is between 50 and 100 stories; 50 stories work out to being 500–750 feet tall (10–15 feet per story), and 100 stories work out to be 1,000–1,500 feet tall. So my height estimate is between 500 and 1,500 feet. To make the calculations easier, I’ll take the average, 1,000 feet.
Now for its footprint. I don’t know how large its base is, but it isn’t larger than a city block, and I remember learning once that there are typically 10 city blocks to a mile.
HOW MANY USES CAN YOU COME UP WITH FOR A BROOMSTICK? A LEMON? THESE ARE SKILLS THAT CAN BE NURTURED BEGINNING AT A YOUNG AGE. MOST JOBS REQUIRE SOME DEGREE OF CREATIVITY AND FLEXIBLE THINKING.
A mile is 5,280 feet, so a city block is 1/10 of that, or 528 feet. I’ll call it 500 to make calculating easier. I’m going to guess that the Empire State Building is about half of a city block, or about 265 feet on each side. If the building is square, it is 265 x 265 feet in its length x width. I can’t do that in my head, but I know how to calculate 250 x 250 (that is, 25 x 25 = 625, and I add two zeros to get 62,500). I’ll round this total to 60,000, an easier number to work with moving forward.
Now we’ve got the size. There are several ways to go from here. All rely on the fact that most of the building is empty—that is, it is hollow. The weight of the building is mostly in the walls and floors and ceilings. I imagine that the building is made of steel (for the walls) and some combination of steel and concrete for the floors.
The volume of the building is its footprint times its height. My footprint estimate above was 60,000 square feet. My height estimate was 1,000 feet. So 60,000 x 1,000 = 60,000,000 cubic feet. I’m not accounting for the fact that it tapers as it goes up.
I could estimate the thickness of the walls and floors and estimate how much a cubic foot of the materials weighs and come up then with an estimate of the weight per story. Alternatively, I could set boundary conditions for the volume of the building. That is, I can say that it weighs more than an equivalent volume of solid air and less than an equivalent volume of solid steel (because it is mostly empty). The former seems like a lot of work. The latter isn’t satisfying because it generates numbers that are likely to be very far apart. Here’s a hybrid option: I’ll assume that on any given floor, 95 percent of the volume is air, and 5 percent is steel.
I’m just pulling this estimate out of the air, really, but it seems reasonable. If the width of a floor is about 265 feet, 5 percent of 265 ≈ 13 feet. That means that the walls on each side, and any interior supporting walls, total 13 feet. As an order of magnitude estimate, that checks out—the total walls can’t be a mere 1.3 feet (one order of magnitude smaller) and they’re not 130 feet (one order of magnitude larger).
I happen to remember from school that a cubic foot of air weights 0.08 pounds. I’ll round that up to 0.1. Obviously, the building is not all air, but a lot of it is—virtually the entire interior space—and so this sets minimum boundary for the weight. The volume times the weight of air gives an estimate of 60,000,000 cubic feet x 0.1 pounds = 6,000,000 pounds.
I don’t know what a cubic foot of steel weighs. But I can estimate that, based on some comparisons. It seems to me that 1 cubic foot of steel must certainly weigh more than a cubic foot of wood. I don’t know what a cubic foot of wood weighs either, but when I stack firewood, I know that an armful weighs about as much as a 50-pound bag of dog food. So I’m going to guess that a cubic foot of wood is about 50 pounds and that steel is about 10 times heavier than that. If the entire Empire State Building were steel, it would weigh 60,000,000 cubic feet x 500 pounds = 30,000,000,000 pounds.
This gives me two boundary conditions: 6 million pounds if the building were all air, and 30 billion pounds if it were solid steel. But as I said, I’m going to assume a mix of 5 percent steel and 95 percent air.
5% x 30 billion = 1,500,000,000
95% x 6 million = 5,700,000
1,505,700,000 pounds
or roughly 1.5 billion pounds. Converting to tons, 1 ton = 2,000 pounds, so 1.5 billion pounds/2,000 = 750,000 tons.
This hypothetical interviewee stated her assumptions at each stage, established boundary conditions, and then concluded with a point estimate at the end, of 750,000 tons. Nicely done!
Now Do It With Cars
Another job interviewee might approach the problem much more parsimoniously. Using the same assumptions about the size of the building, and assumptions about its being empty, a concise protocol might come down to this.
Skyscrapers are constructed from steel. Imagine that the Empire State Building is filled up with cars. Cars also have a lot of air in them, they’re also made of steel, so they could be a good proxy. I know that a car weighs about 2 tons and it is about 15 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 5 feet high. The floors, as estimated above, are about 265 x 265 feet each. If I stacked the cars side by side on the floor, I could get 265/15 = 18 cars in one row, which I’ll round to 20 (one of the beauties of guesstimating).
How many rows will fit? Cars are about 5 feet wide, and the building is 265 feet wide, so 265/5 = 53, which I’ll round to 50. That’s 20 cars x 50 rows = 1,000 cars on each floor. Each floor is 10 feet high and the cars are 5 feet high, so I can fit 2 cars up to the ceiling. 2 x 1,000 = 2,000 cars per floor. And 2,000 cars per floor x 100 floors = 200,000 cars. Add in their weight, 200,000 cars x 4,000 pounds = 800,000,000 pounds, or in tons, 400,000 tons.
These two methods produced estimates that are relatively close—one is a bit less than twice the other—so they help us to perform an important sanity check. Because this has become a somewhat famous problem (and a frequent Google search), the New York State Department of Transportation has taken to giving their estimate of the weight, and it comes in at 365,000 tons. So we find that both guesstimates brought us within an order of magnitude of the official estimate, which is just what was required.
These so-called back-of-the-envelope problems are just one window into assessing creativity. Another test that gets at both creativity and flexible thinking without relying on quantitative skills is the “name as many uses” test.
For example, how many uses can you come up with for a broomstick? A lemon? These are skills that can be nurtured beginning at a young age. Most jobs require some degree of creativity and flexible thinking.
As an admissions test for flight school for commercial airline pilots, the name-as-many-uses test was used because pilots need to be able to react quickly in an emergency, to be able to think of alternative approaches when systems fail. How would you put out a fire in the cabin if the fire extinguisher doesn’t work? How do you control the elevators if the hydraulic system fails?
Exercising this part of your brain involves harnessing the power of free association—the brain’s daydreaming mode—in the service of problem solving, and you want pilots who can do this in a pinch. This type of thinking can be taught and practiced, and can be nurtured in children as young as five years old. It is an increasingly important skill in a technology-driven world with untold unknowns.
There are no right answers, just opportunities to exercise ingenuity, find new connections, and to allow whimsy and experimentation to become a normal and habitual part of our thinking, which will lead to better problem solving.
This entry was posted in Main and tagged chicago, creativity, deduction, empire state building, estimate, estimation, google, interview, logic, piano tuner, reason, reasoning, thinking, thought on 25/08/14 by russi4nblue.
“Tip-of-the-Tongue Syndrome,” Transactive Memory, and How the Internet Is Making Us Smarter | Brain Pickings.
Vannevar Bush’s ‘memex’ — short for ‘memory index’ — a primitive vision for a personal hard drive for information storage and management.
“At their best, today’s digital tools help us see more, retain more, communicate more. At their worst, they leave us prey to the manipulation of the toolmakers. But on balance, I’d argue, what is happening is deeply positive. This book is about the transformation.”
One of his most fascinating and important points has to do with our outsourcing of memory — or, more specifically, our increasingly deft, search-engine-powered skills of replacing the retention of knowledge in our own brains with the on-demand access to knowledge in the collective brain of the internet. Think, for instance, of those moments when you’re trying to recall the name of a movie but only remember certain fragmentary features — the name of the lead actor, the gist of the plot, a song from the soundtrack. Thompson calls this “tip-of-the-tongue syndrome” and points out that, today, you’ll likely be able to reverse-engineer the name of the movie you don’t remember by plugging into Google what you do remember about it.
“Tip-of-the-tongue syndrome is an experience so common that cultures worldwide have a phrase for it. Cheyenne Indians call it navonotootse’a, which means “I have lost it on my tongue”; in Korean it’s hyeu kkedu-te mam-dol-da, which has an even more gorgeous translation: “sparkling at the end of my tongue.” The phenomenon generally lasts only a minute or so; your brain eventually makes the connection. But … when faced with a tip-of-the-tongue moment, many of us have begun to rely instead on the Internet to locate information on the fly. If lifelogging … stores “episodic,” or personal, memories, Internet search engines do the same for a different sort of memory: “semantic” memory, or factual knowledge about the world. When you visit Paris and have a wonderful time drinking champagne at a café, your personal experience is an episodic memory. Your ability to remember that Paris is a city and that champagne is an alcoholic beverage — that’s semantic memory.”
“Writing — the original technology for externalizing information — emerged around five thousand years ago, when Mesopotamian merchants began tallying their wares using etchings on clay tablets. It emerged first as an economic tool. As with photography and the telephone and the computer, newfangled technologies for communication nearly always emerge in the world of commerce. The notion of using them for everyday, personal expression seems wasteful, risible, or debased. Then slowly it becomes merely lavish, what “wealthy people” do; then teenagers take over and the technology becomes common to the point of banality.”
Thompson reminds us of the anecdote, by now itself familiar “to the point of banality,” about Socrates and his admonition that the “technology” of writing would devastate the Greek tradition of debate and dialectic, and would render people incapable of committing anything to memory because “knowledge stored was not really knowledge at all.” He cites Socrates’s parable of the Egyptian god Theuth and how he invented writing, offering it as a gift to the king of Egypt,
“This discovery of yours will create forgetfulness in the learners’ souls, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to the external written characters and not remember of themselves. The specific which you have discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth, but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.”
That resistance endured as technology changed shape, across the Middle Ages and past Gutenberg’s revolution, but it wasn’t without counter-resistance: Those who recorded their knowledge in writing and, eventually, collected it in the form of books argued that it expanded the scope of their curiosity and the ideas they were able to ponder, whereas the mere act of rote memorization made no guarantees of deeper understanding.
Ultimately, however, Thompson points out that Socrates was both right and wrong: It’s true that, with some deliberately cultivated exceptions and neurological outliers, few thinkers today rely on pure memorization and can recite extensive passages of text from memory. But what Socrates failed to see was the extraordinary dot-connecting enabled by access to knowledge beyond what our own heads can hold — because, as Amanda Palmer poignantly put it, “we can only connect the dots that we collect,” and the outsourcing of memory has exponentially enlarged our dot-collections.
With this in mind, Thompson offers a blueprint to this newly developed system of knowledge management in which access is critical:
“If you are going to read widely but often read books only once; if you going to tackle the ever-expanding universe of ideas by skimming and glancing as well as reading deeply; then you are going to rely on the semantic-memory version of gisting. By which I mean, you’ll absorb the gist of what you read but rarely retain the specifics. Later, if you want to mull over a detail, you have to be able to refind a book, a passage, a quote, an article, a concept.”
This, he argues, is also how and why libraries were born — the death of the purely oral world and the proliferation of print after Gutenberg placed new demands on organizing and storing human knowledge. And yet storage and organization soon proved to be radically different things:
“The Gutenberg book explosion certainly increased the number of books that libraries acquired, but librarians had no agreed-upon ways to organize them. It was left to the idiosyncrasies of each. A core job of the librarian was thus simply to find the book each patron requested, since nobody else knew where the heck the books were. This created a bottleneck in access to books, one that grew insufferable in the nineteenth century as citizens began swarming into public venues like the British Library. “Complaints about the delays in the delivery of books to readers increased,” as Matthew Battles writes in Library: An Unquiet History, “as did comments about the brusqueness of the staff.” Some patrons were so annoyed by the glacial pace of access that they simply stole books; one was even sentenced to twelve months in prison for the crime. You can understand their frustration. The slow speed was not just a physical nuisance, but a cognitive one.”
The solution came in the late 19th century by way of Melville Dewey, whose decimal system imposed order by creating a taxonomy of book placement, eventually rendering librarians unnecessary — at least in their role as literal book-retrievers. They became, instead, curiosity sherpas who helped patrons decide what to read and carry out comprehensive research. In many ways, they came to resemble the editors and curators who help us navigate the internet today, framing for us what is worth attending to and why.
“The history of factual memory has been fairly predictable up until now. With each innovation, we’ve outsourced more information, then worked to make searching more efficient. Yet somehow, the Internet age feels different. Quickly pulling up [the answer to a specific esoteric question] on Google seems different from looking up a bit of trivia in an encyclopedia. It’s less like consulting a book than like asking someone a question, consulting a supersmart friend who lurks within our phones.”
And therein lies the magic of the internet — that unprecedented access to humanity’s collective brain. Thompson cites the work of Harvard psychologist Daniel Wegner, who first began exploring this notion of collective rather than individual knowledge in the 1980s by observing how partners in long-term relationships often divide and conquer memory tasks in sharing the household’s administrative duties:
“Wegner suspected this division of labor takes place because we have pretty good “metamemory.” We’re aware of our mental strengths and limits, and we’re good at intuiting the abilities of others. Hang around a workmate or a romantic partner long enough and you begin to realize that while you’re terrible at remembering your corporate meeting schedule, or current affairs in Europe, or how big a kilometer is relative to a mile, they’re great at it. So you begin to subconsciously delegate the task of remembering that stuff to them, treating them like a notepad or encyclopedia. In many respects, Wegner noted, people are superior to these devices, because what we lose in accuracy we make up in speed.
Wegner called this phenomenon “transactive” memory: two heads are better than one. We share the work of remembering, Wegner argued, because it makes us collectively smarter — expanding our ability to understand the world around us.”
This very outsourcing of memory requires that we learn what the machine knows — a kind of meta-knowledge that enables us to retrieve the information when we need it. And, reflecting on Sparrow’s findings, Thomspon points out that this is neither new nor negative:
“We’ve been using transactive memory for millennia with other humans. In everyday life, we are only rarely isolated, and for good reason. For many thinking tasks, we’re dumber and less cognitively nimble if we’re not around other people. Not only has transactive memory not hurt us, it’s allowed us to perform at higher levels, accomplishing acts of reasoning that are impossible for us alone.”
Outsourcing our memory to machines rather than to other humans, in fact, offers certain advantages by pulling us into a seemingly infinite rabbit hole of indiscriminate discovery:
“In some ways, machines make for better transactive memory buddies than humans. They know more, but they’re not awkward about pushing it in our faces. When you search the Web, you get your answer — but you also get much more. Consider this: If I’m trying to remember what part of Pakistan has experienced many U.S. drone strikes and I ask a colleague who follows foreign affairs, he’ll tell me “Waziristan.” But when I queried this once on the Internet, I got the Wikipedia page on “Drone attacks in Pakistan.” A chart caught my eye showing the astonishing increase of drone attacks (from 1 a year to 122 a year); then I glanced down to read a précis of studies on how Waziristan residents feel about being bombed. (One report suggested they weren’t as opposed as I’d expected, because many hated the Taliban, too.) Obviously, I was procrastinating. But I was also learning more, reinforcing my schematic understanding of Pakistan.”
“The real challenge of using machines for transactive memory lies in the inscrutability of their mechanics. Transactive memory works best when you have a sense of how your partners’ minds work — where they’re strong, where they’re weak, where their biases lie. I can judge that for people close to me. But it’s harder with digital tools, particularly search engines. You can certainly learn how they work and develop a mental model of Google’s biases. … But search companies are for-profit firms. They guard their algorithms like crown jewels. This makes them different from previous forms of outboard memory. A public library keeps no intentional secrets about its mechanisms; a search engine keeps many. On top of this inscrutability, it’s hard to know what to trust in a world of self-publishing. To rely on networked digital knowledge, you need to look with skeptical eyes. It’s a skill that should be taught with the same urgency we devote to teaching math and writing.
Thompson’s most important point, however, has to do with how outsourcing our knowledge to digital tools actually hampers the very process of creative thought, which relies on our ability to connect existing ideas from our mental pool of resources into new combinations, or what the French polymath Henri Poincaré has famously termed “sudden illuminations.” Without a mental catalog of materials which to mull and let incubate in our fringe consciousness, our capacity for such illuminations is greatly deflated. Thompson writes:
“These eureka moments are familiar to all of us; they’re why we take a shower or go for a walk when we’re stuck on a problem. But this technique works only if we’ve actually got a lot of knowledge about the problem stored in our brains through long study and focus. … You can’t come to a moment of creative insight if you haven’t got any mental fuel. You can’t be googling the info; it’s got to be inside you.”
“Evidence suggests that when it comes to knowledge we’re interested in — anything that truly excites us and has meaning — we don’t turn off our memory. Certainly, we outsource when the details are dull, as we now do with phone numbers. These are inherently meaningless strings of information, which offer little purchase on the mind. … It makes sense that our transactive brains would hand this stuff off to machines. But when information engages us — when we really care about a subject — the evidence suggests we don’t turn off our memory at all.”
“In an ideal world, we’d all fit the Renaissance model — we’d be curious about everything, filled with diverse knowledge and thus absorbing all current events and culture like sponges. But this battle is age-old, because it’s ultimately not just technological. It’s cultural and moral and spiritual; “getting young people to care about the hard stuff” is a struggle that goes back centuries and requires constant societal arguments and work. It’s not that our media and technological environment don’t matter, of course. But the vintage of this problem indicates that the solution isn’t merely in the media environment either.”
“A tool’s most transformative uses generally take us by surprise.”
“How should you respond when you get powerful new tools for finding answers?
Think of harder questions.”
This entry was posted in Main and tagged collecting, collection, collectivity, connectivity, creativity, Daniel Wegner, dewey, e 18, episodic memory, globalisation, google, ideas, internet, knowledge, library, machine, memory, outsourcing, reading, repository, semantic memory, skimming, speed, technology, transactive memory, writing on 29/07/14 by russi4nblue.
A World Digital Library Is Coming True! by Robert Darnton | The New York Review of Books.
In the scramble to gain market share in cyberspace, something is getting lost: the public interest. Libraries and laboratories—crucial nodes of the World Wide Web—are buckling under economic pressure, and the information they diffuse is being diverted away from the public sphere, where it can do most good.
Not that information comes free or “wants to be free,” as Internet enthusiasts proclaimed twenty years ago.1 It comes filtered through expensive technologies and financed by powerful corporations. No one can ignore the economic realities that underlie the new information age, but who would argue that we have reached the right balance between commercialization and democratization?
Consider the cost of scientific periodicals, most of which are published exclusively online. It has increased at four times the rate of inflation since 1986. The average price of a year’s subscription to a chemistry journal is now $4,044. In 1970 it was $33. A subscription to the Journal of Comparative Neurology cost $30,860 in 2012—the equivalent of six hundred monographs. Three giant publishers—Reed Elsevier, Wiley-Blackwell, and Springer—publish 42 percent of all academic articles, and they make giant profits from them. In 2013 Elsevier turned a 39 percent profit on an income of £2.1 billion from its science, technical, and medical journals.
All over the country research libraries are canceling subscriptions to academic journals, because they are caught between decreasing budgets and increasing costs. The logic of the bottom line is inescapable, but there is a higher logic that deserves consideration—namely, that the public should have access to knowledge produced with public funds.
The struggle over academic journals should not be dismissed as an “academic question,” because a great deal is at stake. Access to research drives large sectors of the economy—the freer and quicker the access, the more powerful its effect. The Human Genome Project cost $3.8 billion in federal funds to develop, and thanks to the free accessibility of the results, it has already produced $796 billion in commercial applications. Linux, the free, open-source software system, has brought in billions in revenue for many companies, including Google.
According to a study completed in 2006 by John Houghton, a specialist in the economics of information, a 5 percent increase in the accessibility of research would have produced an increase in productivity worth $16 billion.
Yet accessibility may decrease, because the price of journals has escalated so disastrously that libraries—and also hospitals, small-scale laboratories, and data-driven enterprises—are canceling subscriptions. Publishers respond by charging still more to institutions with budgets strong enough to carry the additional weight.
In the long run, journals can be sustained only through a transformation of the economic basis of academic publishing. The current system developed as a component of the professionalization of academic disciplines in the nineteenth century. It served the public interest well through most of the twentieth century, but it has become dysfunctional in the age of the Internet.
The entire system of communicating research could be made less expensive and more beneficial for the public by a process known as “flipping.” Instead of subsisting on subscriptions, a flipped journal covers its costs by charging processing fees before publication and making its articles freely available, as “open access,” afterward. That will sound strange to many academic authors. Why, they may ask, should we pay to get published? But they may not understand the dysfunctions of the present system, in which they furnish the research, writing, and refereeing free of charge to the subscription journals and then buy back the product of their work—not personally, of course, but through their libraries—at an exorbitant price. The public pays twice—first as taxpayers who subsidize the research, then as taxpayers or tuition payers who support public or private university libraries.
By creating open-access journals, a flipped system directly benefits the public. Anyone can consult the research free of charge online, and libraries are liberated from the spiraling costs of subscriptions. Of course, the publication expenses do not evaporate miraculously, but they are greatly reduced, especially for nonprofit journals, which do not need to satisfy shareholders. The processing fees, which can run to a thousand dollars or more, depending on the complexities of the text and the process of peer review, can be covered in various ways. They are often included in research grants to scientists, and they are increasingly financed by the author’s university or a group of universities.
The main impediment to public-spirited publishing of this kind is not financial. It involves prestige. Scientists prefer to publish in expensive journals like Nature, Science, and Cell, because the aura attached to them glows on CVs and promotes careers. But some prominent scientists have undercut the prestige effect by founding open-access journals and recruiting the best talent to write and referee for them. Harold Varmus, a Nobel laureate in physiology and medicine, has made a huge success of Public Library of Science, and Paul Crutzen, a Nobel laureate in chemistry, has done the same with Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics. They have proven the feasibility of high-quality, open-access journals. Not only do they cover costs through processing fees, but they produce a profit—or rather, a “surplus,” which they invest in further open-access projects.
DASH now includes 17,000 articles, and it has registered three million downloads from countries in every continent. Repositories in other universities also report very high scores in their counts of downloads. They make knowledge available to a broad public, including researchers who have no connection to an academic institution; and at the same time, they make it possible for writers to reach far more readers than would be possible by means of subscription journals.
The desire to reach readers may be one of the most underestimated forces in the world of knowledge. Aside from journal articles, academics produce a large numbers of books, yet they rarely make much money from them. Authors in general derive little income from a book a year or two after its publication. Once its commercial life has ended, it dies a slow death, lying unread, except for rare occasions, on the shelves of libraries, inaccessible to the vast majority of readers. At that stage, authors generally have one dominant desire—for their work to circulate freely through the public; and their interest coincides with the goals of the open-access movement.
All sorts of complexities remain to be worked out before such a plan can succeed: How to accommodate the interests of publishers, who want to keep books on their backlists? Where to leave room for rights holders to opt out and for the revival of books that take on new economic life? Whether to devise some form of royalties, as in the extended collective licensing programs that have proven to be successful in the Scandinavian countries? It should be possible to enlist vested interests in a solution that will serve the public interest, not by appealing to altruism but rather by rethinking business plans in ways that will make the most of modern technology.
Several experimental enterprises illustrate possibilities of this kind. Knowledge Unlatched gathers commitments and collects funds from libraries that agree to purchase scholarly books at rates that will guarantee payment of a fixed amount to the publishers who are taking part in the program. The more libraries participating in the pool, the lower the price each will have to pay. While electronic editions of the books will be available everywhere free of charge through Knowledge Unlatched, the subscribing libraries will have the exclusive right to download and print out copies.
OpenEdition Books, located in Marseille, operates on a somewhat similar principle. It provides a platform for publishers who want to develop open-access online collections, and it sells the e-content to subscribers in formats that can be downloaded and printed. Operating from Cambridge, England, Open Book Publishers also charges for PDFs, which can be used with print-on-demand technology to produce physical books, and it applies the income to subsidies for free copies online. It recruits academic authors who are willing to provide manuscripts without payment in order to reach the largest possible audience and to further the cause of open access.
The famous quip of Samuel Johnson, “No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money,” no longer has the force of a self-evident truth in the age of the Internet. By tapping the goodwill of unpaid authors, Open Book Publishers has produced forty-one books in the humanities and social sciences, all rigorously peer-reviewed, since its foundation in 2008. “We envisage a world in which all research is freely available to all readers,” it proclaims on its website.
Google set out to digitize millions of books in research libraries and then proposed to sell subscriptions to the resulting database. Having provided the books to Google free of charge, the libraries would then have to buy back access to them, in digital form, at a price to be determined by Google and that could escalate as disastrously as the prices of scholarly journals.
Google Book Search actually began as a search service, which made available only snippets or short passages of books. But because many of the books were covered by copyright, Google was sued by the rights holders; and after lengthy negotiations the plaintiffs and Google agreed on a settlement, which transformed the search service into a gigantic commercial library financed by subscriptions. But the settlement had to be approved by a court, and on March 22, 2011, the Southern Federal District Court of New York rejected it on the grounds that, among other things, it threatened to constitute a monopoly in restraint of trade. That decision put an end to Google’s project and cleared the way for the DPLA to offer digitized holdings—but nothing covered by copyright—to readers everywhere, free of charge.
Aside from its not-for-profit character, the DPLA differs from Google Book Search in a crucial respect: it is not a vertical organization erected on a database of its own. It is a distributed, horizontal system, which links digital collections already in the possession of the participating institutions, and it does so by means of a technological infrastructure that makes them instantly available to the user with one click on an electronic device. It is fundamentally horizontal, both in organization and in spirit.
Instead of working from the top down, the DPLA relies on “service hubs,” or small administrative centers, to promote local collections and aggregate them at the state level. “Content hubs” located in institutions with collections of at least 250,000 items—for example, the New York Public Library, the Smithsonian Institution, and the collective digital repository known as HathiTrust—provide the bulk of the DPLA’s holdings. There are now two dozen service and content hubs, and soon, if financing can be found, they will exist in every state of the union.
Such horizontality reinforces the democratizing impulse behind the DPLA. Although it is a small, nonprofit corporation with headquarters and a minimal staff in Boston, the DPLA functions as a network that covers the entire country. It relies heavily on volunteers. More than a thousand computer scientists collaborated free of charge in the design of its infrastructure, which aggregates metadata (catalog-type descriptions of documents) in a way that allows easy searching.
Therefore, for example, a ninth-grader in Dallas who is preparing a report on an episode of the American Revolution can download a manuscript from New York, a pamphlet from Chicago, and a map from San Francisco in order to study them side by side. Unfortunately, he or she will not be able to consult any recent books, because copyright laws keep virtually everything published after 1923 out of the public domain. But the courts, which are considering a flurry of cases about the “fair use” of copyright, may sustain a broad-enough interpretation for the DPLA to make a great deal of post-1923 material available for educational purposes.
A small army of volunteer “Community Reps,” mainly librarians with technical skills, is fanning out across the country to promote various outreach programs sponsored by the DPLA. They reinforce the work of the service hubs, which concentrate on public libraries as centers of collection-building. A grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is financing a Public Library Partnerships Project to train local librarians in the latest digital technologies. Equipped with new skills, the librarians will invite people to bring in material of their own—family letters, high school yearbooks, postcard collections stored in trunks and attics—to be digitized, curated, preserved, and made accessible online by the DPLA. While developing local community consciousness about culture and history, this project will also help integrate local collections in the national network.
In these and other ways, the DPLA will go beyond its basic mission of making the cultural heritage of America available to all Americans. It will provide opportunities for them to interact with the material and to develop materials of their own. It will empower librarians and reinforce public libraries everywhere, not only in the United States. Its technological infrastructure has been designed to be interoperable with that of Europeana, a similar enterprise that is aggregating the holdings of libraries in the twenty-eight member states of the European Union. The DPLA’s collections include works in more than four hundred languages, and nearly 30 percent of its users come from outside the US. Ten years from now, the DPLA’s first year of activity may look like the beginning of an international library system.
It would be naive, however, to imagine a future free from the vested interests that have blocked the flow of information in the past. The lobbies at work in Washington also operate in Brussels, and a newly elected European Parliament will soon have to deal with the same issues that remain to be resolved in the US Congress. Commercialization and democratization operate on a global scale, and a great deal of access must be opened before the World Wide Web can accommodate a worldwide library.
This entry was posted in Main and tagged accessibility, capitalism, connectivity, democracy, digitisation, dpla, e 18, economics, education, egalitarianism, free, freedom, globalisation, google, horizontality, information, infrastructure, internet, journals, knowledge, library, network, nonprofit, open source, public, research, technology on 28/07/14 by russi4nblue.
Adobe and Google Debut Typeface Family of Asian Languages.
The Adobe font, named Source Han Sans, is a new open source offering for the company’s Pan-CJK typeface family.
Google is simultaneously releasing its own version of this font under the name Noto Sans CJK as part of a plan to build out its Noto Pan-Unicode font family. Both sets, developed in collaboration, are identical except for the name and will serve 1.5 billion people — roughly a quarter of the world’s population.
The new typeface family is available in seven weights, supporting Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese, all in one font.
“The design is relatively modern in style, but it has simple strokes and is monolinear so it makes text clear and readable on small devices such as tablets and smartphones,” said Nicole Minoza, Adobe’s product marketing manager.
“Because it’s a sans serif typeface, it’s a workhorse font — good for a single line of text or a short phrase or something you might see in a software menu, as well as longer strings of text that would appear in an ebook or a printed publication.”
Each font weight in the family has a total of 65,535 glyphs (the maximum number of characters supported in the OpenType format), and the entire family contains just under half a million total glyphs.
“Not only are the open source fonts free, but users can extend and modify them,” Minoza said. “They would have the right to add Vietnamese characters, for example. Hardware and software manufacturers can install the fonts on their devices. There’s a really big audience and the licensing rights for open source makes it good for device manufacturers.”
Discussions around creating a Pan-CJK font started about 15 years ago at Adobe, but the company couldn’t get beyond the overall cost in terms of time and resources.
With this joint project, Adobe was able to contribute its design, technical skill, in-country type experience, coordination and automation, while letting Google take control of the logistics for project direction, defining requirements, in-country testing of resources and expertise and funding.
To make sure the font was authentic for native readers, Adobe sought expertise from foundries such as Iwata Corp. to expand the Japanese glyph selection, Sandoll Communication, designer of Korean Hangul (the Korean language native alphabet) and Changzhou SinoType, Adobe’s longtime collaborator in China.
Each foundry was assigned a different task for a unique contribution to the project. Said Minoza, “Iwata fleshed out the original Japanese design, which was provided to our other partners. Sandoll created the Hangul characters from scratch — and they needed to make sure they harmonized with the other characters as well as with the Latin characters — and SinoType not only had to expand the Chinese glyph sets but they had to analyze each of the glyphs to make sure they satisfied regional considerations.
“There are a lot of instances and regional variations for the characters even though they all evolved from the same character originally.” The new font also features Hong Kong and Taiwanese character sets.
Ryoko Nishizuka, an Adobe senior designer on the Tokyo type team, created the overall type design from which the other language variations are derived.
This entry was posted in Main and tagged adobe, asia, chinese, collaboration, creativity, design, google, graphic design, hand, japanese, korean, open source, typography on 23/07/14 by russi4nblue.
Introduction – Material Design – Google design guidelines.
A material metaphor is the unifying theory of a rationalized space and a system of motion. The material is grounded in tactile reality, inspired by the study of paper and ink, yet technologically advanced and open to imagination and magic
Surfaces and edges of the material provide visual cues that are grounded in reality. The use of familiar tactile attributes helps users quickly understand affordances. Yet the flexibility of the material creates new affordances that supercede those in the physical world, without breaking the rules of physics.
The fundamentals of light, surface, and movement are key to conveying how objects move, interact, and exist in space in relation to each other. Realistic lighting shows seams, divides space, and indicates moving parts.
The foundational elements of print-based design—typography, grids, space, scale, color, and use of imagery—guide visual treatments. These elements do far more than please the eye; they create hierarchy, meaning, and focus. Deliberate color choices, edge-to-edge imagery, large-scale typography, and intentional white space create a bold and graphic interface that immerses the user in the experience.
This entry was posted in Main and tagged android, animation, design, google, graphic design, interface, minimalism, mobile, motion, physics, technology, typography on 26/06/14 by russi4nblue.
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Where does SABATH rank in the most common names in the U.S.?
SABATH is identified by the U.S. Bureau of the Census as a surname with more than 100 occurrences in the United States for the year-2000 U.S. Census. In "Demographic Aspects of Surnames from Census 2000", the Census Bureau tabulated the surnames of all people who had obtained Social Security Numbers by the year 2000.
SABATH ranks # 58999 in terms of the most common surnames in America for 2000.
SABATH had 321 occurrences in the 2000 Census, according the U.S. government records.
Out of a sample of 100,000 people in the United States, SABATH would occur an average of 0.12 times.
For the last name of SABATH the Census Bureau reports the following race / ethnic origin breakdown:
1.56 percent, or 5 total occurrences, were "Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races"
Search the web for more on the name SABATH :
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The Costs Sexceed The Benefits
Clinic | UK | Working | April 4, 2013
(I am going to Tanzania to do charity work, and am at a local clinic to see the nurse about vaccinations.)
Nurse: “Okay, so we’ve scheduled in appointments for you to have the Hep A and Typhoid vaccines. We’d really highly recommend several of these other vaccines though.”
Me: “Well, since I was highly allergic to the last vaccines I was given, I’m not keen on taking many more. So, I’d rather have these as a preliminary to see how things go.”
Nurse: “We really do recommend you have the Hep B vaccine.”
Me: “Well, I would, but I’d rather test how these others go first, since they’re the first I’ve had since my reaction.”
Nurse: “I think it’s still wise that you get the Hep B vaccination.”
Me: “I may be interested in the future, but not just yet. Besides, it’s three injections rather than the one, and it’s not free like the others.”
Nurse: “I can assure you the £180 is well worth the investment.”
Me: “Yes, but I don’t want to schedule myself in for three appointments for those when I don’t know how I’m going to react to the first two.”
Nurse: “I think you’ll change your mind. You really should have Hep B.”
Me: “How do you even get Hepatitis B anyway?”
Nurse: “Well, there are two methods of transmission. We recommend you get it if you’re going to be having sex because it’s mostly sexually transmitted.”
Me: “That won’t be a problem. I won’t be having sex while I’m in Tanzania.”
Nurse: “But you’re going for a couple of months. You’re young; you won’t be able to resist.”
Me: “I can assure you I don’t need the vaccine.”
Nurse: “But what if you meet someone? There’s lots of attractive women over there, and one thing will lead to another.”
Me: “That won’t be an issue.”
Nurse: “Why not?”
Me: “Because I’m gay, and homosexual acts carry a jail sentence. I think I’ll manage to refrain for two months.”
Nurse: “Oh… yeah, you probably don’t need the vaccine then…”
Not-So-Diff'rent Clothes
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« Burly’s Baseball Musings home page
Yomiuri Giants Sign Taylor Jungmann
It was announced today that the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s NPB have signed former Milwaukee Brewer Taylor Jungmann for $750,000 for 2018. What is weird about this deal is that the Giants already have four foreign stars filling up their major league roster limit: Scott Mathieson, Arquimedes Carminero, Casey McGehee and Alex Guerrero.
The Giants have the money to afford to carry spare foreign players at the minor league level, even relatively expensive ones like Jungmann. However, I am surprised that Jungmann would elect to leave MLB without a guarantee that he would be in the Giants’ rotation to start the 2018 season.
Jungmann was the 12th player selected in the 2011 amateur Draft. He had a strong rookie season in 2015 at the age of 25, but has regressed badly since then. However, he pitched extremely well in 15 starts at AAA Colorado Springs, a tough, tough place to pitch, in 2017.
When I first heard the Brewers had released Jungmann to join an unnamed NPB team, I thought the move made a lot of sense. Jungmann was a great candidate to resurrect his career in Japan, with the possibility that if he succeeded greatly enough there, he could return to MLB in a year or two, as Miles Mikolas has done this off-season.
Yomiuri clearly thinks that with McGehee at age 35, Mathieson 34 and Guererro and Caminero both at 31, there are going to be injuries. My guess is that Jungmann will bouncing back and forth between the NPB major and minor leagues like a ping pong ball, as the Giants’ roster needs of the moment govern.
I’m not sure why Jungmann would agree to this situation, except for the fact that the Brewers weren’t willing to offer him a major league contract (and probably wouldn’t have agreed to pay him more than $550,000 for major league service time). Still, one would think that Jungmann could have found another NPB or KBO team that would have paid him more in 2018 and guaranteed him a spot in their rotation entering the 2018 season. It’s likely that Yomiuri guaranteed his contract, however.
Needless to say, the four foreign player roster rule that NPB employs is subject to what amounts to cheating, as the wealthiest three clubs can stock highly paid foreigners at the minor league level waiting for someone in the majors to get hurt or become in effective. Maybe it’s time to change the rules to allow for more foreigners at the major league level.
Categories: Baseball Abroad, Milwaukee Brewers, NPB
San Francisco Giants Acquire Andrew McCutchen
The Giants today traded youngsters Kyle Crick and Bryan Reynolds and $500,000 worth of international bonus pool money to the Pittsburgh Pirates for veteran Andrew McCutchen. The Giants get McCutchen for his age 31 season, after which he becomes a free agent.
Once again, the Giants make a move that is firmly committed to 2018 and the future be damned. McCutchen gives the Giants some more right-handed power, although he doesn’t solve the Giants’ outfield defense problem, unless he ends up making a majority of his 2018 starts in left field or right field.
If I were Gorkys Hernandez, I’d feel good about this trade, because Hernandez is still the best defensive center fielder on the roster. It’s good to have an obvious role to fill when your a 30 year old ballplayer who hits like a back-up center fielder.
It looks like Kyle Crick’s major league role is going to be in the bullpen, and I still think he’ll need to improve his command to be more than a middle reliever. Obviously, entering his age 25 season, he’s still young enough to find the command that has eluded him so far in his professional career.
Bryan Reynolds is a 22 year old, former 2nd draft pick who looks like he can play major league defense in right field. His .826 OPS at A+ San Jose in 2017 means he could potentially be a future major league starter in right field if he keeps hitting as he moves into the high minors.
The Giants sure better make the post-season in 2018, because at some point in the not too distant future the current squad is going to be just too old, and the farm system has been drained to the dregs.
Categories: Pittsburg Pirates, San Francisco Giants
The Ten Best Players from Curacao and Aruba in MLB History
The islands of Curacao and Aruba have replaced St. Croix and St. Thomas as the tiny Caribbean islands that produce an oversized share of major league baseball players. I have decided to combine players from Curacao and Aruba, because while both are governed more or less independently, both are part of the greater Netherlands, and they are part of the same island group, the Leeward Antilles. Besides, it makes for a better list.
Curacao has produced at least 16 major league players, and Aruba has produced at least five. To my knowledge, the third island in the group, Bonaire, has produced no major league players yet. Almost all of these players have played recently so I’ll keep my comments relatively brief.
The first player from Curacao to play in the majors was Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens in 1989. He didn’t have a great deal of success in the U.S. major leagues, but he had some strong seasons in Japan’s NPB, and also played professionally in South Korea and Mexico. After his playing career, he became a batting coach, most recently for the San Francisco Giants.
The first player from Aruba to play in the major leagues was Gene Kingsale, when he entered a game as a defensive replacement on September 3, 1996. Five days later Calvin Maduro became the first Aruban to pitch in the major leagues.
1. Andruw Jones (1996-2012). The big knock on Jones is that he was one of the early 2000’s steriods boys, and when the Vitamin-S spigot got turned off, his game dropped off sharply almost overnight. Still he hit 434 major league home runs, plus another 50 in Japan. He’ll likely remain the best player from Curacao or Aruba until Andrelton Simmons and Xander Bogaerts approach the ends of their respective major league careers.
2. Andrelton Simmons (2012 to present). Operating under the assumption that each generation of major league baseball players is a little better than the one that preceded it, it is possible to argue that Simmons may be the best defensive shortstop that major league baseball has yet seen. He also had his best year with the bat in 2017, although it was his age 27 season.
3. Kenley Jansen (2010 to present). Through his age 29 season, Jansen has a career 2.08 ERA and 230 saves. ‘Nuff said.
4. Xander Bogaerts (2013 to present) Bogaerts is no Andrelton Simmons with the glove, but he’s a better hitter, and he’s three years younger. His bat may be what keeps him in the game long enough to pass Andruw Jones. He’s the first Aruban on my list.
5. Didi Gregorius (2012 to present). Gregorius was born in Amsterdam, where his father was playing baseball professionally in the Dutch League and also working as a carpenter (the Dutch League only plays a 42 game schedule, so even with international play for the Dutch National Team, ball players need to have another job). Gregorius’ grandfather was a great pitcher in Curacao in the mid-20th Century. Didi and his family moved back to Curacao when he was five. Needless to say, both the Dutch pro league and the national team are disproportionately made up of players from Curacao and Aruba.
The only other two players of any note born in Holland, Bert Blyleven and Jack Lelivelt, have perhaps even less claim to being Dutch than Gregorius, as both moved with their respective families to the New World at the age of 2.
6. Jonathan Schoop (2013 to present). It is little short of amazing that so many great players have come from such a tiny place (Curacao’s current population is about 150,000) all at about the same time. Schoop is a 2Bman who hits for power and turns the double play extremely well. That’s a combination made in heaven for a 2Bman.
7. Sidney Ponson (1998-2009). When I first started this blog in 2009, Sidney Ponson, along with Milton Bradley, was one of my favorite whipping boys. It had a lot to do with his arrest in Aruba during the 2004 off-season for punching out a Judge in a dispute over Ponson’s operation of a motor boat or jet skis, and even more to do with the two DUIs he picked up in the U.S. in 2005. Ponson had a world of talent, but he ate and drank his way out of taking full advantage of it.
Nevertheless, Ponson hung around long enough to go 91-113 with a career 5.03 ERA. I once wrote that when Ponson retires “he will become the poster boy for talent wasted.” I stick by this assessment, but 91 major league wins is 91 major league wins.
8. Jair Jurrjens (2007-2014). Arm problems did in Jurrjens’ major league career, but he’s pitching professionally. He pitched in Taiwan’s CPBL in 2016, pitched for the Dodgers’ AAA team in Omaha in 2017 until he was hit with an 80 game suspension for testing positive for exogenous testosterone. He’s currently pitching effectively in the Dominican Winter League as I write this. However, his chances of returning to the major leagues in the future seem slim, particularly if he still needs to serve out any portion of the 80-game PED suspension. Jurrjens went 53-38 with a career 3.72 ERA.
9. Ozzie Albies (2017 to present). Albies has had only 244 major league plate appearances, but he makes my list because he was only 20 years old last summer and slashed .286/.354/.456 in those 244 plate appearances. Unless something really awful happens to him, he’s going to be a good one.
10. Randall Simon (1997-2006). Randall Simon could hit, batting .303 with 19 home runs for the Tigers in 2002. However, he walked less than 5% of this plate appearances and that’s a problem for 1Bman.
Simon famously got in trouble during the Milwaukee Brewers’ “Sausage Race” on July 9, 2003. He hit the Italian Sausage mascot with a bat hard enough to knock the female college student inside the costume down. He was fined by the local authorities $432.10 for “disorderly conduct” and fined by his team (the Pirates) $2,000. Simon later apologized to the young woman and gave her an autographed bat. Even better, the Curacao Tourism Board gave her a complimentary trip to the island for two. The next time Simon played in Milwaukee, now as a Cub, he purchased italian sausages for an entire section of fans and during that day’s race, his teammates playfully held him back while manager Dusty Baker guarded the bat rack.
Jurickson Profar turns 25 in February and has hit well in the minors, so there’s still a chance he’ll become a major league star. Wladimir Balentien flopped in the U.S. majors, but he’s become a huge star in Japan, setting the single-season NPB record with 60 home runs in 2013 and belting at least 30 home runs in five other seasons.
Categories: Anaheim Angels, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Baseball Abroad, Baseball History, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, CPBL, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minor Leagues, New York Yankees, NPB, Pittsburg Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Texas Rangers
Valmy Thomas
I want to start this post with a shout-out to Rory Costello, who is the Society for Advanced Baseball Research’s (SABR) co-chairman and chief editor of SABR’s bio project, which has produced hundreds of biographies of retired baseball players which baseballreference.com links to its player pages. Costello wrote all the biographies for Virgin Islands players, and I relied on heavily in producing my recent post, The Best 10 Players from the U.S. Virgin Islands in MLB History and this post. I don’t know whether players from the Virgins Islands are great story tellers or whether Costello is simply a great interviewer — probably a little bit of both.
Valmy Thomas was the first player from the Virgin Islands to play in the major leagues, and he had a fascinating career. He was born in Puerto Rico because his mother thought she’d receive better care there than in the Virgin Islands, and she and the newborn Valmy returned to St. Croix as soon as it was safe for them to travel.
Thomas grew up in the same St. Croix neighborhood as Alfonso “Piggy” Gerard, the first important professional baseball player from the Virgin Islands and the only Virgin Islander who played in the Negro Leagues. Gerard was about a decade older than Thomas, but they later played professionally together for eight years for the Santurce Cangrejeros (Crabbers) of the Puerto Rican Winter League.
During Thomas’ youth in the Virgin Islands, the most popular sport was cricket, and that is what Thomas’ father and most of the fathers of the Virgin Islands’ first wave of major league players played. A notable exception is Al McBean‘s father O’Neal McBean, who was one of the best pitchers in the Islands’ nascent amateur baseball scene.
By the time Thomas was a teenager, there were four amateur baseball teams on St. Croix in which to develop young players. However, Thomas did not quickly enter professional baseball. Instead, he enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 or 18 in 1943 and remained in the service through 1949. He was stationed in the much larger Puerto Rico during this time, where he was able to continue playing amateur baseball at a level better than that available on St. Croix.
One of his most memorable experiences during this period was an amateur competition in which he played for a Puerto Rican team in Cartegena, Columbia. According to Thomas, while he was playing left field, a couple of what he calls “Indians,” wearing loin clothes and with matted down hair, came to down to observe the game. The “Indians” thew something over the fence, but Thomas could not see what it was. When he investigated, it turned out to be a snake, and that was the last time Thomas was willing to play in the outfield that game.
Thomas’ Puerto Rican Winter League career began in the winter of 1949-1950, and Thomas played on five Puerto Rican Champion Crabbers’ teams during his 13 years with the club and thus in five Caribbean Series during those years. In one game in the 1950-1951 season, he was spiked on the hand by Puerto Rican star Vic Power on a play at the plate (Thomas was by now playing catcher) and a couple of his teammates asked if Thomas thought the spiking was intentional or an accident. If the former, Thomas claims, the teammates pulled out knives and showed Thomas where they intended to stab Power.
In the summer of 1951, signed to play for St. Jean, a town 20 miles outside of Montreal, in the Class C Provincial League. St. Jean had a working relationship with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and it was common in the early integration era for major league organizations to send newly signed young black and Latino players to play in Canada, where their presence on integrated teams was much less controversial than in the U.S.
Although Thomas played well in Canada, batting .296 and playing all over the field based on the team’s need, he quit after the season because of economic reasons. According to Thomas, he made $400 a month in 1951, and Pirates General Manager Branch Rickey sent him a contract for 1952 offering only $350 a month. Thomas “voluntarily retired” in order to protect his future eligibility, but what he actually did was spend the next three summers playing professionally in the Dominican Republic, where he was paid $1,100 a month to play fewer games each week. Of course, Thomas also continued to play professionally during the winters in Puerto Rico.
Valmy Thomas split catching duties with Harry Chiti on the Santurce Crabbers 1954-1955 team, a team which Don Zimmer has called the greatest Winter League team of all-time. The club featured Roberto Clemente, Willie Mays and Bob Thurman in the outfield and contained numerous other major league and former Negro League players.
In the summer of 1955, Thomas returned to St. Jean after the Dominican League switched to a winter schedule. The Crabbers owner Pedrin Zorilla had a good working relationship with New York Giants owner Horace Stoneham and after playing back in the Pirates organization, the Giants selected Thomas in the Rule 5 Draft that winter.
In 1956, Thomas was initially assigned to the Minneapolis Millers, the Giants’ top farm team. However, it was a cold spring in Minneapolis, and Thomas threatened to quit and return to the Caribbean. Instead, Thomas was able to convince the Giants to assign him to their Albuquerque club in the lower level Western League. There Thomas batted .366 with power.
Thomas was apparently offered a September call-up to the Giants, but instead elected to return to Puerto Rico to prepare for winter ball, because Thomas said he didn’t want to sit on the bench in New York. In the spring of 1957, he came into the Giants’ camp expecting assignment to AAA Minneapolis again. However, a strong spring performance and injuries to catchers ahead of him on the team’s depth chart enabled Thomas to make the major league squad out of Spring Training.
Ever the sharp businessman, Thomas was irked when Stoneham’s son in law Chub Feeney tried to play a fast one on Thomas’ 1957 contract. According to Thomas, the team’s major league minimum was $6,000, but a player automatically earned $7,500 if he made the team out of Spring Training. Feeney represented the additional $1,500 as a “raise” even though Thomas had made the team out of Spring Training and the team was in Thomas’ understanding obligated to pay him the higher figure. Thomas complained about it Horace Stoneham, and Stoneham offered to raise Thomas’s contract to $8,500.
Thomas was the Giants’ leading catcher during the team’s last season in New York. He played in 88 games and slashed .249/.296/.390 and played his customary strong defense, throwing out 12 of 28 (43%) attempted base stealers. After the season ended, he returned to the Virgin Islands for a islands-wide Valmy Thomas Day to celebrate him as the first local player to reach and succeed in the major leagues.
However, Thomas was already 31 years old in 1957, and he became the back-up to the younger rookie Bob Schmidt in 1958, the team’s first season in San Francisco. He played about as well as he had the year before in a more limited role, but he was traded along with Crabbers’ battery mate Ruben Gomez that off-season to the Phillies for Jack Sanford. Sanford became a star for the Giants, winning 24 games in 1962, but Gomez and Thomas were reaching the end of their major league careers.
Thomas played 66 games for the 1959 Phillies, but only batted .200. He only sporadically in the majors in 1960 and 1961, and 1962 was his last season in the MLB system. It was a turbulent season for Thomas indeed.
Future manager Jim Frey was playing in the International League in 1962. According to him, he was batting in a game in which Eddie Lopat‘s brother Ted was the umpire and was having trouble calling the high strike. The ump called two pitches above the letters strikes and Frey complained. Lopat told Frey to get back in the batter’s box and swing at the next pitch, because Lopat was going to call it a strike no matter where it was. According to Frey, he responded, “If you do, I’ll take this bat and beat you to death with it!” Valmy Thomas was the catcher while this exchange was going on.
Despite this threat on his life, Lopat did not eject Frey. Later in the game, Thomas came to bat, and when Lopat called a strike on a questionable pitch, Thomas called Lopat an S.O.B., according to Frey, and was immediately ejected. Thomas went ballistic, pushed the umpire and then hit him on the chin.
Thomas was sold by his team to a team in Rochester for which he never played, instead winding up on the Atlanta Crackers’ roster shortly thereafter, following a 30-game suspension imposed on Thomas. Lopat resigned the next day in protest over what he thought was an insufficient punishment.
In Atlanta, Thomas became involved in a love triangle, and on August 21, 1962, the other man, 42 year old musician and mortician Cleveland Lyons, shot Thomas twice in the chest after Lyons climbed in through a window of the building in which the shooting occurred. Lyons then killed himself.
Despite being critically wounded, Thomas recovered quickly and was even able to play ball successfully back in Puerto Rico that winter. According to Frey, the next time Thomas saw him, Thomas grabbed Frey by the throat and shouted at him, “You dirty S.O.B., you almost got me killed!”
The winter of 1962-1963 was Thomas’ last season of professional baseball however. After his career, Thomas returned to St. Croix where he got a job with the Virgin Islands’ government Department of Recreation. He arranged a Yankees-Red Sox exhibition game in St. Croix and brought down Hank Aaron and Lou Brock to clinics to teach young Virgin Islanders baseball skills. He also worked as a promoter and brought Muhammad Ali to St. Croix for an exhibition in 1965. He was also a supporter of horse racing on the islands and ran a sporting goods store there for many years. He died in 2010, less than a week before his 85th birthday.
Categories: Atlanta Braves, Baseball Abroad, Baseball History, Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Minor Leagues, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburg Pirates, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals
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The Nonreligion and Secularity Research Network (NSRN) is an international and interdisciplinary network of researchers; the network was founded in 2008 to centralise existing research on the topic of nonreligion and secularity and to facilitate discussion in this area.
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Pitzer College, part of the Californian Claremont Colleges, offers the Secular Studies program (links to pdf course catalog), administered by Prof. Phil Zuckerman, Dr. Andre Wakefield and others. Secular Studies is “an interdisciplinary program focusing on the manifestations of the secular in societies and cultures, past and present”, and is a combination of courses in sociology, history, psychology, philosophy and STS. Contrary to news reports, it is not a major; nevertheless, the program can be developed into a special major in consultation with Prof. Zuckerman. Details on admission here.
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University of Aberdeen, UK. ‘RS 3005 Atheism‘ (Level three, 30 credits), Dr. des. Anja Finger. The course “provides an overview of the phenomenon of atheism past and present”, and is offered as part of the undergraduate in Religious Studies. Details on admission here. Syllabus can be downloaded in pdf here.
Boston University, US. ‘STH TT816 Atheisms and Theologies’. Dr. Wesley J. Wildman. “The general aim of this course is learn about varieties of atheism – older “classic atheism,” so-called “new atheism” of recent years, and theologically inspired forms of atheism – and to understand the various theological responses to atheism.” The class is intended for advanced masters students and doctoral candidates. Functions in various contexts within the Division of Religious and Theological Studies. You can find the course syllabus here. See also STH TT956 and the PhD specialization in religion and science.
Heythrop College, University of London, UK. ‘AR308 Belief and Unbelief’ (Level 5, 15 credits), Dr. Jonathan Gorsky. The course centers on belief and unbelief in the modern and postmodern world as part of the undergraduate in the Study of Religion. Details on admission here. Syllabus forthcoming.
Lancaster University, UK. ‘PPR351 Modern Religious and Atheistic Thought’ (Level 3, 15 credits), Dr. Gavin Hyman. The course “examines and evaluates some of the most central issues in Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment Western religious and atheistic philosophical debates”, and is a part of the undergraduate degree in Religious Studies with details here. Syllabus forthcoming.
McMaster University, Canada. Religious Studies 3CC3 ‘Sovereignty and Secularization’, Dr. Dana Hollander. Offered in the Fall of 2011 as part of the undergraduate program in Religious Studies (Western Religious Thought). The course offers an “exploration of key modern Western texts concerning the nature of leadership and authority in both religious and secular contexts” through readings and case studies of important modern or contemporary dilemmas regarding the place of religion in public life.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway. ‘RVI2115 Religion, Politics and Science in Global Society‘ (15 ECTS), Dr. Ulrika Mårtensson. Although the course “focuses on the activities of trans-national actors and international organisations, and the conceptions of religion, nation, ethnicity and science which guide them”, and the focus is mainly (but not exclusively) on the Middle East, the course does cover democracy, human rights, and science in the light of secularity. It is part of the 2-year international master’s programme Master of Science in Globalization, but can also be taken as a part of the undergraduate degree in Religious Studies. Curriculum can be found here (in Norwegian).
Pitzer College, US. ‘SOC 165 Secularism, Skepticism and Critiques of Religion’ (links to pdf course catalog), Prof. Phil Zuckerman. The course “examines secular people, atheist ideologies and skeptical criticisms of religion.” Details on admission here. Syllabus forthcoming.
St. Mary’s University College, Twickenham, UK. ‘RT251 Atheism and Nonreligion’ (Level 2) is offered as a part of the Theology and Religious Studies degree as discussed by Dr. Stephen Bullivant in ‘Teaching Atheism and Nonreligion: Challenges and Opportunities’. Contact details here. Syllabus forthcoming.
Trinity College, Hartford Conn., US. ‘PBPL 342 Secularism and the Problem of Authority‘. Part of the course catalogue in Public Policy and Law. No details or syllabus. Details on admission here.
Trinity College, Hartford Conn., US. ‘RELG 278 Atheism and the Eclipse of Religion‘. Part of the course catalogue in Religion. No details or syllabus. Details on admission here.
University of Warwick, UK. ‘PO383 The Politics of Religion’ (Level 3), Dr. Steven Kettell. Although the focus is wider than atheism and secularity, a large part is dedicated to these subjects. The course is part of the undergraduate degree in Politics and International Studies with details on admission here. Course syllabus and material provided on the course website.
In the past, Elon University in North Carolina and Santa Clara University in California have offered courses on modern atheism, probably in their Sociology, Anthropology or Religious Studies departments, but no information is avaliable from their websites.
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The Religion the Almighty & Me Works out Betwixt us
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The Cosmos is our school, The Intellect our Faculty, Truth the first Principal
Thought, Meta-Thought, Non-Thought, Anti-Thought
It is difficult to conceptualize the differences between thinking and its competitors, because if one hasn't thought about thinking (metathought or thought² for short), genuine thinking may appear similar, if not identical, to non- and anti-thinking.
Anti-thought is not non-thought, the latter of which is just stupidity. MSNBC is anti-thought. Local TV news is non-thought (although permeated by anti-thought when it presumes to think about anything of substance; in general, journalism is an eddy of anti-thought in an ocean of non-thought).
No Thought is another matter entirely, with mystical and apophatic implications. I'm not sure if we'll be touching on it, since I haven't read this post in over seven years, if ever.
Anti-thought is an active perversion of thinking, and often exhibits a great deal of intelligence. It is a type of thinking that is detached from its proper object, -- or end -- which is reality in all its inexhaustible richness and depth (AKA being).
In normal times, anti-thought would be arrested and interrogated by philosophy. In abnormal times it might be healed or at least mitigated by psychology. But now psychology itself has careened into anti-thought; or, more accurately, anti-thought has infiltrated and corralled psychology into its dark principality (and let's not even talk about philosophy, except to say the greater the height the farther the fall).
I first began thinking about thinking exactly 34 years ago (?!), in the spring of 1985. And now that I'm in this gnostalgic mood, I just pulled a book from the shelf, Second Thoughts, by W.R. Bion (not recommended to the laity). The title is a play on words, because it is Bion thinking about his own thinking, providing "second thoughts" about various papers he had written over the preceding fifteen years or so. The book first presents the paper, followed by his second thoughts and re-servations. (Ironically, this is exactly what I am doing at the moment: having second thoughts about this post written seven years back.)
I see that one of the papers is called A Theory of Thinking. His first thoughts begin with the idea that his theory covers the same ground as various philosophical theories, with one difference: his theory is intended for use (i.e., clinical work leading to growth), analogous to the difference between, say, abstract theories of meteorology vs. whether you should to take an umbrella to work today.
For Bion, thinking is "dependent on the successful outcome of two main mental developments." The first of these is "the development of thoughts." That pretty much happens automatically, unless one is in a coma. The second involves the development of "an apparatus to cope with them." Thus, "thinking has to be called into existence to cope with thoughts."
Davila: Educating the individual consists in teaching him to distrust the ideas that occur to him.
This theory reverses the usual way we think about thinking -- as if thinking produces the thought. But for you thinkers out there, you know that thoughts just come to you unbidden, and that you couldn't create one via thinking any more than you could create life in a test tube or Obama could create wealth in any context.
Thus, "thinking is a development forced on the psyche by the pressure of thoughts and not the other way around." Psychopathology may occur at either end, with the creation of new thoughts or with the management of existing ones; in other words, there may be "a breakdown in the development of thoughts, or a breakdown in the development of the apparatus for 'thinking' or dealing with thoughts, or both."
Now, thoughts aren't necessarily of the same order. Rather, they arise on various planes of consciousness which we call "vertical." We can have empirical thoughts, sensory thoughts, spiritual thoughts, emotional thoughts, aesthetic thoughts, etc.
Some of our thoughts are quite primitive, and we clearly do not have control over them, as they are essentially "pre-human." Men, for example, beginning at a certain age, are bombarded by sexual thoughts. It's as if a primitive part of the psyche is unleashed, and now the mind has to develop a way to cope with these thoughts. Much of Arab culture revolves around the wrong way to do it. But increasingly, the modern left provides a cornucrapia of bad and infertile ways to think about sexuality.
There are also "empty thoughts," which is to say, categories of thought awaiting "realization." These consist of a kind of blueprint (or clueprint) awaiting fulfillment via experience. Jung called them "archetypes," but you could also just call them "human nature."
As Bion describes it, "when the pre-conception is brought into contact with a realization that approximates to it, the mental outcome is a conception." Thus, it is as if there is an implicit or nonlocal thought that only becomes explicit and local through experience -- somewhat analogous to the wave/particle complementarity in physics, where observation pulls the latter from the former. (Or, in Aristotelian terms, you would call it potency and act.)
Some thoughts are "unwanted," which means that emotion has clouded the picture. In other words, what happens if we have a true thought that we nevertheless don't want? The mind has a number of mechanisms to deal with this exigency, just as the body has ways to deal with unwanted invaders.
But just as the body can mistakenly attack itself -- what are called autoimmune disorders -- the mind too can mistakenly attack its own substance. For example, if man is in the image of the Creator, then any form of vulgar anti-theism would represent a psychic autoimmune disorder (with predictable consequences).
There are several mechanisms to avoid thinking unwanted thoughts, ranging from the primitive to the more sophisticated. The most primitive include denial, splitting, and projection, which, working in concert, displace the unwanted thought (or thought fragment) into the environment (which becomes "psychicized"), or into other minds. This doesn't actually eliminate the thought, but it is preferable for such a person to feel persecuted from outside than inside the head.
Some important implications follow this psychic expulsion of thoughts, touching on what was said yesterday about the will to power replacing the search for truth. On some level, the person who manages thought in this pathological way must feel superior to reality: instead of discriminating between true and false, "omniscience substitutes... a dictatorial affirmation that one thing is morally right and the other wrong."
Bion has just described the mechanism of political correctness, which again forbids certain avenues of thought through moral condemnation. And in the last decade or so, we have seen how nearly everything the left says is permeated with the projection of its own ideas, impulses, and emotions. When the racist anti-semite Ilhan Omar calls Trump a racist, and the left rallies being her, you know that their psycho-political world is upside-down and inside-out.
Let's flip ahead and find out what sorts of second thoughts Bion had about this preliminary sketch.
Hmm. Not too many, really. Or rather, too many: "the ramifications... are so considerable that I require another book to attempt elucidation."
Along these lines, he warns of how the thinker might seize onto a "sense of security" in order "to offset and neutralize the sense of insecurity following on the discovery that discovery has exposed further vistas of unsolved problems -- 'thoughts' in search of a thinker."
In other words, reality never stops speaking just because we have stopped listening, or because we have some little theory (or reality tunnel) to make the mystery go away and stop bothering us. A theory of thinking is not the same as the unending project of thinking.
Which leads right back to Voegelin's Science, Politics, and Gnosticism, because this is precisely what the gnostic has done: stopped listening to reality. Consider this little gem from Karl Marx's crocktoral dissertation:
"The confession of Prometheus, 'In a word, I hate all the gods,' is its own confession, its own verdict against all gods heavenly and earthly who do not acknowledge human self-consciousness as the supreme deity. There shall be none beside it" (in Voegelin).
Later in the book Voegelin outlines what might be thought of as the cure for such gnostic omnipotence: "Thus, 'actual knowledge' is reserved to God; finite man can only be the 'lover of knowledge,' not himself the one who knows.... If a thinker attempts it, he is not advancing philosophy, but abandoning it to become a gnostic."
In short, for the gnostic, "In the clash between system and reality, reality must give way."
Or, anti-thought must triumph over thought.
Posted by Gagdad Bob at 7/17/2019 10:06:00 AM 3 comments: Links to this post
There is No Truth, and The Left Possesses It
A note to the reader: you will recall that I more or less ceased blogging last fall in order to take a peek at the 3,500 posts in the archive, with the idea of extracting the good bits and stringing them together into a book. I put the bits into files labeled by year, while awaiting the descent of the Organizing Principle that would pull them all together into a clear, concise, coherent, and pleasing narrative about Everything and How it Got that Way.
We're still waiting.
Meanwhile, 2012 proved to be a turning point, in the sense that that is when I begin to sound more like my current self. If the cosmos is, as I believe it to be, pneumatically teleological, then my 2012 self should be more evolved than my 2005 self, and that is indeed how it's looking. Whereas prior to 2012 the inspiration in the posts is discontinuous, I'm finding it to be more continuous thereafter.
But this introduces a new problem, because instead of just extracting the good bits from posts, I'm finding that the posts are compelling (at least to me) in their entirety. Which is why I've taken to reposting these old posts.
However, I'm not just reposting them verbatim, but interacting with them, so to speak. A good post should produce sparks in the head, and these sparks can set of conflagrations of their own. So be assured that these reposts aren't just a product of my exquisitely cultivated sense of laziness, but are revised, edited, and fortified with new material. I also make every effort to remove the gags that don't hold up, are unnecessarily obscure, or just plain irritating.
Sometimes I wonder how many of those who like to call themselves "progressive" are consciously aware of its mythico-scientistic roots. Then I remember that none of them do, or they wouldn't be progressives. That's certainly how it worked in my case: I discovered that I was in error, and made the appropriate adjustments to my worldview.
Why is this so difficult? Good question! Perhaps we'll return to it as we proceed.
Voegelin characterizes Marx as a "speculative gnostic" who grounded his politico-economic framework in an evolutionary vision of nature. In this scheme, all of nature is "in the state of becoming, and in the course of its development it has brought forth man: 'Man is directly a being of nature.'"
There's nothing fundamentally wrong with the idea that nature is developing, except that this can have nothing to do with Darwinian evolution, which describes only change, not progress. More to the point, Marx re-buries man in nature, so that what is actually distinct in man, and belongs to his trans-nature, is annihilated. Man evolves out of mere nature only to devolve and plunge back into it. D'oh!
Here we see how the work of millennia can be undone in a single generation. Literally! Questions that had been entirely settled -- for example, the centrality of natural rights such as free speech, the constitutional irrelevance of race, the felicitous distinction between the sexes, etc. -- are once again up for debate. This isn't progress; rather, its precise opposite.
Thus, "When 'socialist man' speaks, man has to be silent," which is a rather polite way of putting it, being that it often equates to destroying the man who refuses to be silent. In any event, it is why the left would like for us to shut up, why they impose speech codes, why political correctness abounds, and why they hate God and religion. This is described in the last paragraph of the previous post, in reference to those special assouls who know exactly why
"their opinions cannot stand up under critical analysis and who therefore make the prohibition of the examination of their premises part of their dogma. This position of a conscious, deliberate, and painstakingly elaborated obstruction of ratio constitutes the new phenomenon" (Voegelin).
So if you want to talk about progress, this systematic assault on truth is indeed something new under the sun. Yes, the impulse has always been present -- see Genesis 3 for details -- but the modern statist systematization of it is new. You might say that progressivism is nothing less than the institutionalization of original sin, whereby the fall is normalized instead of resisted and reversed via metanoia and grace.
But it's not just the children of Marx who have progressed in this deviant manner, for truth is also forbidden by the dictates of Positivist Man. This humanoid beastling can also be called Scientistic Man, Atheist Man, or Darwinist Man, for each of these, in his own way, pretends that materialism not only accounts for man but exhausts the meaning of the human phenomenon. Which is only the most phenomenal fact in all of existence.
Now, a minimal acquaintance with philosophy is sufficient to establish the plausibility of a Marx, a Darwin, a Dawkins. Thus, one needs a little more than the minimum to debunk them, which I suppose is why philosophy isn't taught in public schools, in favor of multicultural mush and relativistic rubbish. As they say, a little philosophy inclines one to atheism. More than a little, and you inevitably find yourself being pulled into the Divine Attractor.
To perfectly accurate, it's not that philosophy isn't taught, but that it is conveyed via implicit assumptions that are buried elsewhere and never spoken of explicitly. For example, in science it is considered plain rude to speak of teleology, even though science is incoherent without it.
This metaphysical incoherence has provoked a backlash of "creationists" in certain quarters, but the real problem is metaphysical, not scientific or theological. You don't need intelligent design to prove the existence of God, or vice versa.
Ultimately, the only proof of God is God. Clearly, God is necessary being. We, on the other hand, are optional. We are contingent. Now, the only way a contingent being can even know of necessity is if it shares a portion of that necessity. Which is what it means to be in the image of the Creator. This is why we may know truth, and why we have the freedom to discover it. Truth is necessary to free will (otherwise freedom is arbitrary), as freedom is necessary to the discovery of truth.
Wherever there is leftism, there is the suppression of certain questions and avenues of thought. As we have discussed in the past, just as a neurosis may be thought of as a "private culture," a culture may be thought of as a public neurosis. Now, a neurosis always involves the suppression of an unwanted truth.
Just so, the neurotic culture of the left has many defense mechanisms in place, so that alarms go off as soon as anyone approaches a dangerous truth. Examples are too numerous to chronicle, but just think of how promiscuous charges of RACISM! are deployed to bar the free exercise of thought. Which is why it is so delicious to see world class race-baiters such as Biden and Pelosi having this mechanism unleashed upon themselves.
Voegelin describes the deeper structure of this process. It begins with "a thinker who knows that his construct will collapse as soon as the basic philosophical question is asked." The intellectually and spiritually normal person recognizes this and abandons the construct. Not so the leftist, who merely prohibits the question.
But why? What has happened to the person who is no longer animated by the passionate desire for truth, and yet -- without irony -- imposes a single desiccated version of it: There is No Truth, and I Am Its Prophet.
Voegelin called it an "intellectual swindle," which is an excellent way of putting it. For to exchange truth for ideology isn't just a bad deal, it's suicidal. Which wouldn't necessarily be so bad if it weren't also homicidal.
But again, why? Man has an innate epistemophilia, so what has happened to this transnatural instinct in the ideologue?
As we have discussed before, man is composed of intellect, will, and sentiment, which are ordered to truth, goodness, and beauty, respectively. To deny truth is to maim the intellect at its root. But that doesn't kill the body. Rather, it seems that the will to power rushes in to fill the vacuum. This perverse will
"has a violence and cruelty that go beyond the delight in masquerade and in the deception of others." It also "turns on the thinker himself and unmasks his thought as a cunning will to power."
Let's take another example from just last week, when President Obama decided to stop pretending he doesn't support the redefinition of marriage. It is a matter of public record that certain wealthy donors were threatening to withhold funds if he didn't openly embrace their agenda of sexual nihilism.
For Newsweek to then proclaim Obama the "first gay president" is completely absurd, in light of the fact that he is just another statist with a transparently cunning will to power.
To believe otherwise one must want to believe otherwise, which is itself another instance of the will-to-power genre, except that it doesn't accrue to the power of the rank-and-foul self-deluder, only to the powerful. In reality it is but a "graceless disorder of the soul" rooted in a "demonic mendacity" (ibid).
Again, man is intellect-will-sentiment. But if truth is denied, then the truth of man is that he is reduced to will-sentiment, or desire and force. And that is the essence of the left: I want what I want, and you are obligated to provide it.
(All Voegelin quotes are from Science, Politics, & Gnosticism.)
Posted by Gagdad Bob at 7/12/2019 09:25:00 AM 11 comments: Links to this post
Secondary Realities and Metastatic Hope
A secondary reality, according to Voegelin, is a kind of microcosmos or dreamworld that reflects a universal possibility in man. Always and forever, man is faced with a choice: reality or fantasy, which is to say, truth or desire. (I trace this all the way down and back to Genesis 3, which is indeed its deeper lesson: that man prefers to create and inhabit his own world over the one created for him.)
Modern political gnosticism -- like its premodern religious variants -- is an expression of "the horror of existence and a desire to escape from it." You will have noticed that for leftists from Marx to AOC, the dream world blends into the real world, such that "the dreamers adopt the vocabularies of reality, while changing its meaning, as if the dream were reality" (Voegelin).
If you've been paying attention to the Democrat clown show, what you see is a magical effort to transform the dream into reality and reality into dream. These two processes necessarily co-arise once immanence and transcendence are conflated and confused. Realms that must be distinguished in order to properly think about existence are promiscuously blended. Thus, "in the Gnostic dream world,"
nonrecognition of reality is the first principle. As a consequence, types of action which in the real world would be considered morally insane because of the real effects which they will have will be considered moral in the dream world because they intended an entirely different effect.
Then -- just watch! -- the inevitable gap "between intended and real effect" is blamed not on the Gnostic's failure to appreciate reality (including the reality of human nature), but on "the immorality of some other person or society that does not behave as it should behave according to the dream conception of cause and effect. The interpretation of moral insanity as morality... is a confusion difficult to unravel."
To put it mildly. Consider poor Joe Biden, who has been doggedly asleep in the liberal dream for some fifty years. But the dream has moved on -- which is to say, metastasized -- so rapidly that he simply can't keep up: busing is good, borders are bad, gender is whatever we want it to be. Frankly, when the first principle is nonrecognition of reality, there's nothing to grasp onto, not even straws, because there is no solid ground to thought:
The identification of dream and reality as a matter of principle has practical results which appear strange but can hardly be considered surprising. The critical exploration of cause and effect in history is prohibited; and consequently the rational coordination of means and ends in politics is impossible.
"Dangers" are recognized -- they cannot not be recognized -- except "such dangers will not be met by appropriate actions in the world of reality. They will rather be met by magic operations in the dream world, such as moral condemnation, declarations of intention, resolutions, appeals to the opinion of mankind, branding of enemies as aggressors," etc.
In short, irrespective of what happens in the real world -- say, for example, a flourishing economy -- Orange Man Bad! And if you are delighted by the record low unemployment of People of Color? White supremacist!
A deeper point, I think, is the jettisoning of our western tradition, which can only result in the eradication of civilization. I mean this literally, for the first step of civilization must be the vertical distinction between transcendence and immanence, which must be maintained in order for order to persist. (The creation story of Genesis is all about ordering primordial chaos by drawing and maintaining vertical and horizontal distinctions between God and man, light and dark, good and evil, man and woman, adult and child, life and death, etc.)
But it doesn't end there. Rather, you might say that the whole arc of salvation -- which is nothing less than the story of the West -- is the elaboration of the transcendent, ending, for the Christian, in Christ and his Church.
However, that "end" is only another (and endless) beginning, as it fertilizes and transforms the immanent. But the Gnostic has no patience for the time this takes (or just say Time, which is qualitative and organic, not mere quantitative duration). Rather, he wants his heaven here and now. He is too sophisticated to believe in God, but not sophisticated enough to distinguish God from man, the celestial from the terrestrial. Terrible consequences follow, every time. In short, this is where the dream turns to nightmare
Hope itself isn't the problem, properly understood. After all, it is a theological virtue. I have here a handy little book called The One-Minute Philosopher, which distinguishes between Hope and Wish.
The former "involves the conviction that, despite appearances to the contrary, truth and goodness will prevail." Thus, it isn't at all easy to maintain hope in the teeth of this depraved world, which is precisely why it is a virtue.
Please note that this is not the magical hope of Gnostic dreamers and ideologues. Any tenured yahoo can imagine a better world, but that isn't what we're talking about.
Rather, we're talking about accepting (and even loving) the world for what it is, and committing ourselves to its betterment. If we do not accept the world for what it is -- and human beings for what they are -- then our hopes will be completely misplaced. They will be reduced to wishes, and wishes to ashes.
For what is a wish? It "involves the fancy that, despite appearances to the contrary, our desire will be satisfied. To wish is to invoke fortune to bring us what we want, even when what we want is not good" (Brown).
Consider some of the implications drawn out by Brown: "hope is creative," but "wish is imaginative." While "I can wish for anything, I hope only for what is possible. My hope looks to the future, but is rooted in reality as it is."
And importantly, "what we hope for, we are also willing to work for." Conversely, a wish "has no particular bond with reality as it is, but feeds on fantasy.... Wishing is like dreaming: it is not confined to reality as it is, nor is there any good reason to believe that my wish will come true.... [U]nlike when we hope for something, we are not necessarily willing to work for it. We wish for all sorts of unattainable and frivolous things" (ibid.).
The left wishes socialized medicine would work, that college were free, that borders didn't exist, that members of the same sex could exist in a state of matrimony, that racial discrimination could end racial discrimination, that human fetuses weren't human, that women weren't women, that men weren't men... the wishlist is endless because desire and imagination are infinite.
But none of these things can be. We can try to force them to be, but the system will crack under the pressure of the denied reality. You could even say that politics -- which deals with the finite -- becomes cancerous when forced to conform to infinitude.
Why, for example, have our Supreme Court hearings become so malignant? Largely due to the twisted pettifoggery of Roe v. Wade. The left wants us to bow before this grotesque example of judicial wishery, so that only those who reject reality -- the reality of the human person -- are acceptable to liberals. This is bound to create tension, a tension that forces infinitude (the human soul) to be finite and finitude (a "woman's right to choose") to be infinite.
The marketplace of ideas is supposed to be a struggle of truth against truth, or, more accurately, a struggle for or toward truth. But what if it becomes a struggle for and against truth? For Voegelin, that is precisely what the political struggle involves, because it is the same struggle that is "waged on every level of human existence."
For example, it is axiomatic in psychology that pathology results from one part of the mind being at war with another. An unwanted truth is denied, repressed, or projected, and the psychic lacunae -- AKA the hole in your soul -- is unconsciously filled with the wish, the desire, the preferred state of reality.
Likewise, we enter dangerous pneumapolitcal waters when confronted "with persons who know that, and why, their opinions cannot stand up under critical analysis and who therefore make the prohibition of the examination of their premises part of their dogma." The result is "a conscious, deliberate, and painstakingly elaborated obstruction of ratio..." (Voegelin), or what we call logocide.
Yes, the cognitive tyranny of political correctness. I wish it weren't so, but for the left, it is what it isn't.
Anti-Antifa, Cosmic Jihad, and the City of God
A double oldie, i.e., a repost of a repost, albeit updated, revised, and enriched with all new vertamins:
Since new readers will never catch up with the Arkive -- I realize that 2,000 posts is a major commitment to a mere blogger -- it can't hurt to whip out an old one every nowandagain. Besides, even if you're a venerable O'timer, something like 1,200 posts have passed under the bridge since we started, and maybe you missed this one. Let us also recall the evergreen words of our venerable Schuon:
Everything has already been said, and well said; but one must always recall it anew, and in recalling it one must do what has already been done: to actualize in thought certitudes contained, not in the thinking ego, but in the transpersonal substance of human intelligence.
I'm still making my way through and up the 1,100 page Spiritual Ascent, a "compendium of the world's wisdom" organized into three main sections that mirror the universal stages of purification, illumination, and union, but with dozens of subsectional byways along climb.
You could say the book is fractally organized, in that each section is a part of the whole, even while the whole is in each part. Likewise, every day of our lives is a microcosm of the lifelong spiritual adventure, i.e., an ongoing process of purification, illumination, and union, at least if we are consciously aware of this onetime uppertunity to ride our wrungs on Jacob's ladder.
Like the cosmos itself, the book gets off to a very promising start, with chapters on divine creation, the process of manifestation, man's primordial birthright, and similar felicitous topics.
I suppose this is only fitting, being that the Creator's main excuse for the creation was that "it seemed like a good idea at the time," i.e., "God saw everything he had made, and indeed it was very good." But you know what they say about how the beast waylaid the plans of lousy men. Very soon the karmic wheels fall off the creation, ironically due to its only wideawake members, homo sleepyones.
This reminds us of Finnegans Wake, which begins innocently enough with a sentence about Adam & Eve ("riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay"), but by the third paragraph is in fullfall ("the fall of a once wallstrait oldparr is retaled early in bed and later on life down through all Christian minstrelsy"), and by the guilt-stained fourth paragraph is ringing in the full scale war of each against all ("arms apeal with larms, appalling. Killykillykilly: a toll, a toll").
Similarly, The Spiritual Ascent hits a bit of a rough patch with the chapters on illusion, sin, suffering, sacrifice, damnation, hell, and the like. D'oh!
Nevertheless, these sections do emphasize the existential stakes involved, as well as the unavoidable fact that "purification" is somewhat analogous to the manner in which a diamond is made. Just take a lump of coal, put it through unimaginable fire and pressure in the middle of the earth, then chip and chisel away what is impure and unnecessary, and you've got a luminous little gem fit for eternity.
What a bi-cosmic coincidence that the name diamond derives from the ancient Greek adamas and that most of them, like alluvus, originate from Africa. Reminds me of the Johnny Cash song (written by Billy Joe Shaver):
I'm just an old chunk of coal / But I'm gonna be a diamond some day.... / I'm gonna spit and polish my old rough-edged self / 'Til I get rid of every single flaw / I'm gonna be the world's best friend
I just finished a couple of fascinating sections, Pilgrimage -- Descent Into Hell and Holy War. The section on Holy War is particularly interesting, as it emphasizes that jihad isn't just for jihidiots. Rather, there is Jewhad, Buhad, and Crusad, in both the interior and exterior senses, as well as above and below. Quite simply, war isn't just inevitable but necessary, with roots extending deep into the very structure of the cosmos.
Conversely, it is pacifism that isn't only unnecessary but highly narcissary to boot; sanctimonious pacifists are usually just people unaware (or at least pretending to be) of their viciousness and cruelty, as with most prominent leftists who are always passive-aggressive when they aren't being actively aggressive.
Pacifism is essentially a surrender -- not just in war, but in the struggle of existence itself. For as written in Exodus, The Lord is a man of war; or in the words of Jesus: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword; or in the words of Krishna: Nothing is higher for a [member of the warrior caste] than a righteous war.
In his introduction to the subject of Holy War, Perry cites Guenon, who wrote that the essential reason for war -- legitimate war -- is
to end a dis-order and re-establish order; in other words, it is the unification of a multiplicity, by use of means which belong to the world of multiplicity itself.... War understood in this way, and not limited in an exclusively human sense, thus represents the cosmic process of the reintegration of the manifested into the principial unity.
This reintegration necessarily involves destruction, as catabolism is to metabolism.
Guenon continues:
The purpose of war is the establishment of peace, for even in its most ordinary sense peace is really nothing else than order, equilibrium, or harmony, these three terms being nearly synonymous and all designating under slightly different aspects the reflection of unity in multiplicity itself.... Multiplicity is then in fact not really destroyed, but 'transformed'...
In another sense, legitimate war is none other than justice, being that justice is really an "equilibrating function" which is "directed against those who disturb order and [has] as its object the restoration of order." The reason we catch and punish bad guys is ultimately to restore order -- to the community, to the wronged individual, within the disordered psyche of the perpetrator, and ultimately to the Cosmos itself.
Compare interior warfare to the Black Liberation Theology which so attracted the weak-souled Obama: "Many have been asking what Liberation Theology is all about. Well, it is not very complicated! It is the simple belief that in the struggles of poor and oppressed people against their powerful and rich oppressors, God sides with the oppressed against the oppressors."
Thus, it precisely inverts the true meaning of holy war, in that it imagines God sides only with "the poor" instead of the righteous, or that he is angry at the wealthy instead of the evil (we should say that the righteous, to the precise extent that they are righteous, side with God).
The "great holy war" is the struggle of man "against the enemies he carries within himself, that is to say, against all those elements in him which are contrary to order and unity" (and dynamic unity is not unicity, the latter being top-down coercion and conformity).
Consider this astounding claim by The New Republic:
Liberals are notoriously loath to take their own side in a fight. But their reticence may well be changing in an age of vigilante, white nationalist terror -- openly condoned and supported by an incumbent president who has suggested that his armed devotees won’t stand for his removal from office. Increasingly, the antifa left is arguing -- and training -- in response. They are worried not only about an armed reckoning following a contested election, but also about rising violence from the paramilitaries loyal to President Donald Trump.
It is so lacking in self-awareness on so many levels, that one scarcely knows where to begin. Put it this way:
The German people are notoriously loath to take their own side in a fight. But their reticence may well be changing in an age of vigilante Bolshevist and capitalist terror -- openly condoned and supported by their Jewish puppet masters. Increasingly, our stormtroopers are arguing -- and training -- in response.
Here's the reality, which I read just yesterday in this big ol' book on Fundamental Theology. History is
a protracted and unremitting battle between God's plan for redemption and those who oppose it, even unknowingly, throughout history. St. Augustine.... shows that the most fundamental structure of human history is the conflict between these two "cities," or types of civilization, found in every age.
Same as it ever was.
Extremists Meet
As mentioned a few posts back, what is especially interesting about Voegelin's writings on modern political Gnosticism is his attempt to trace the phenomenon back to antiquity, and to outline the continuity between premodern "religious" and modern "political" varieties.
[It seems that progressives have always been with us, such that extremes meet: in Australia, for example, university instructors have been told to avoid lecturing "on the natural historical record of that country; instead, they should teach a creation narrative regarding the origin of indigenous Australian people." This is not because of any possible metaphysical symbolism embedded in the myth; rather, to "ensure inclusivity" by pandering to literal-minded and prescientific imbeciles.]
If Voegelin is correct on this score, this would have to represent the ultimate rebuke to self-styled progressives, who are perpetually building bridges to the past -- and not even a real past, but rather, a myth-drenched one. Indeed, they are building a bridge to the lower vertical, which anyone can see by the primitive and barbarous behavior of Antifa terrorists or their political wing, the Democrat party.
Superficially Voegelin's approach makes sense, since man = man everywhere and everywhen, and must be vulnerable to the same temptations and stupidities from age to age, even, or perhaps especially, when we imagine we have transcended them -- the tendency toward idolatry being one obvious and enduring example. Envy would be another. Each age finds a new way to legitimize what is called constitutional (i.e., innate) envy.
[When I hear Senators Warren or Sanders rail about "greed," I wonder why they never propose federal laws to combat the other six deadly sins, such as sloth, lust, anger, and pride.]
Man is man for at least three reasons. First, we share a common genetic heritage (Aborigines notwithstanding). Second, we all have a rational soul. And third, our existential conditions do not change, at least at the center: mother, father, brother, sister, love, death, loss, illness, need, children, mystery, etc.
For example, we have extended the average lifespan, but we nevertheless live in the shadow of death. We imagine ourselves to be "sexually liberated," but that hardly resolves the conundrum of human sexuality. We live more comfortably than the nobility of old, but this only fuels envy. [Progressives are proof that misery rises to the level of the means available to alleviate it.]
For this reason, there always have been, and always will be, cosmic snake oil salesmen who promise a cure for existence, such as L. Ron Hubbard or Marianne Williamson. But there are no cures for merely natural existence short of death. There is treatment, to be sure -- more on which later -- but no final cure in this life. We must learn to live amidst a welter of tensions, trade-offs, enigmas, missed opportunities, reversals of fortune, bad hands, raw deals, blown saves, buzzer beaters, etc.
The would-be Gnostic simply cannot accept the conditions of existence. He refuses to admit that they are "in the nature of things," and imagines that they are caused by some willful and systemic malevolence. The essence of the left is to imagine there can be political solutions to existential problems. While they call it "social justice," what they really mean is "cosmic justice." And cosmic justice revolves around envy and vengeance.
The ancient Gnostics theorized that this world was created by a kind of renegade god, and that the snake in Genesis is the hero, not the villain of the story. The snake was simply trying to tell the humans to wise up to this fraudulent cosmic usurper.
Likewise, modern forms of political Gnosticism always require an easily identifiable enemy who is responsible for the unfairness and injustice of the world. Obama's mentor, Saul Alinsky, was very much aware of this need -- and I'm not one of those who (Gnostically!) overemphasizes his importance, as if he is the mystic key to understanding the Enigma of Obama; Alinsky simply articulated how radicals and revolutionaries think, and what they always do anyway. No one has to teach a progressive how to hate, only whom!
Indeed, in the book's epigraph, Alinsky is self-aware enough to give an ironic shout out to Lucifer himself, as "the very first radical: from all our legends, mythology, and history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins -- or which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom" (emphasis mine).
However, Alinsky was not self-aware enough to realize that his whole life revolved around conformity to this very mythic structure. Too ironic by half.
Note how the task of the community organizer is not to help people adjust to reality, but to fuel their messianic hopes that reality can be fundamentally changed: "They must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing system that they are willing to let go of the past and chance the future. This acceptance is the reformation essential to any revolution" (Alinsky).
Thus, the goal of the organizer is to present a vague cure -- sweeping but vague, on pain of being recognized as magic -- for the very despair he provokes: "the organizer must begin the task of agitating: rubbing resentments, fanning hostilities, and searching out controversy." This essentially involves "a process combining hope and resentment."
Regarding the latter, since human beings are so myth-prone and susceptible to simplistic and morally satisfying narratives, it is necessary to "pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." This is the person or organization responsible for our obviously f*cked up existence. It is the One Percent, Fox News, Hate Radio, Creationists, Corporate Greed, Stay-At-Home Moms, Right Wing Christians, Zionist Hoodlums, Institutional Racism, etc.
Perhaps I should emphasize that conservatives can be prone to the same sort of Gnostic narratives. A genuine conservative should have no delusions about what would happen with even the ideal political and economic conditions, for he has a vertical recollection of paradise lost. Genesis 3 isn't about what happened once upon a time, but what happens every time. To deny the Fall and locate salvation in politics is a grave error on the right, but a sacred principle on the left.
Now, the revolutionary, since he has already determined that the existing order is a result of willful malevolence, has no compunction whatsoever about destroying it. This is a very dangerous form of pneumopathology, and it is precisely what motivates the Islamists.
For once one has determined that the world is evil, then it legitimizes and disinhibits any form of violence or cruelty. One can gleefully destroy the system -- with all the "collateral damage" it entails -- in good conscience.
This is about as far as man may descend in the cosmos, where death is conflated with life. And woe unto them who call evil good and good evil! Indeed, woe unto those who even call the-best-we-can-do-under-the-circumstances evil, for it is easy to make matters worse, and impossible to make them better without trade-offs, unintended consequences, and unavoidable feedback from human nature.
Here is how Voegelin describes it: "Self-salvation through knowledge has its own magic, and this magic is not harmless. The structure of the order of being will not change because one finds it defective and runs away from it. The attempt at world-destruction will not destroy the world, but will only increase the disorder in society."
See history for details.
We'll conclude with an Aphorism:
When one does not concede to the leftist all that he demands, he proclaims himself the victim of an institutional violence that is licit to repel with physical violence. --Dávila
The Political Gnosticism of the 20 (D)warves
"Mr. President, if you're listening, I want you to hear me, please. You have harnessed fear for political purposes and only love can cast that out. I'm going to harness love for political purposes. I will meet you on that field. And, sir, love will win." --Marianne Williamson
In his introduction to Science, Politics, and Gnosticism, Ellis Sandoz writes that Voegelin's new science of politics -- that's right, science -- "can be used to diagnose maladies of contemporary political existence and offer remedies within the modest limits of reason and science" (emphases mine). Or in other words, it deals with the cause and cure of various political sicknesses and pathologies.
Consider the analogy to medicine. In the West, we have settled on allopathic medicine as the most useful approach to the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. But there are also other systems: homeopathic, osteopathic, ayurvedic, humorism, traditional Chinese medicine. Each of these posits a different etiological, classificatory, and therapeutic system for physical illness.
Since the mind is obviously more ambiguous than the body, there are even more treatment approaches to the psyche, veering from the completely biological to the completely psychological, from the collective to the individual, and from theories that consider everyone neurotic to crazy psychiatrists who conveniently consider abnormality normal.
Body. Mind. What about spiritual disorders? First of all, you can disabuse yourself of the notion that there is "no such thing," because each religion -- like the different schools of medicine -- provides a kind of diagnosis and cure for man's spiritual condition. Sometimes these are presented in mytho-speculative language, but they are no less penetrating for it.
Consider, for example, the Bhagavad Gita, which is none other than a dialogue between the troubled patient, Arjuna, and the spiritual doctor, Krishna. Likewise, the Buddha clearly diagnoses mankind (the four noble truths) before offering the cure (the eight-fold path). In the Yoga Sutras Patanjali does the same, and Jesus frankly compares himself to a physician.
In short, all religions recognize that there is something fundamentally wrong with man. And in our view, one of the things that is fundamentally wrong with man is his tendency to become a closed system. Please note that this is true of every level of existence, the material, psychic, and pneumatic.
Of Voegelin, Sandoz writes that he "evokes the philosopher as physician of the soul." This is not philosophy as practiced by the tenured rabble, i.e., mental masturbation on a grandiose scale, but rather, a way of life; for it is "the love of being through love of divine Being as the source of its order" (Voegelin).
In this context, Sandoz notes that "protecting philosophy against perversion is vital to the larger task of protecting human existence itself against perversion and tyranny."
Especially in a free society such as ours, right thinking is our main line of defense against tyranny, which is precisely why it is attacked and undermined by the irrational and dis-ordered forces of the left. The left imposes a system in which lies either become compulsory, or in which the proper conclusions cannot be drawn from the allowable data.
The essence of modern tyranny involves prohibiting questions that might undermine the credibility of the system, which is why there is no place in America where speech is less free than on a college campus. No surprise there. [Update from seven years hence: the tech giants have surpassed even academia in their repressive intolerance of dissent.]
In the book, Voegelin outlines "three major types for whom a human inquiry has become a practical impossibility," including "socialist man," "positivist [e.g., scientistic, Darwinistic, reductionistic] man," and "national-socialist man."
Now, as there is philosophy (in Voegelin's sense), there is anti-philosophy. Political Gnosticism is an instance of the latter, which Voegelin defines as a perverse desire for "dominion over being; in order to seize control of being the gnostic constructs a system."
Thus, instead of a spiritually open engagement with reality and truth -- which is philo-sophy, or love of wisdom -- the Gnostic shuts himself off from this ground and constructs a closed system based upon the Answer known only to elites such as himself, quintessential examples being Marxism on the political plane or metaphysical Darwinism on the biological plane (and this is the kind of perverse and simplistic science -- i.e., scientism -- preferred by the left in order to bolster its enfeebled image of man).
Each of these denies transcendence up front, which has the practical effect of murdering man (and eventually men). As Sandoz explains, modern forms of Gnosticism are characterized by their "renunciation of 'vertical' or otherworldly transcendence and [their] proclamation of a 'horizontal' transcendence or futuristic parousia of Being -- that is, intramundane or worldly" salvation. In short, a dreamworld of hope and change.
But in imposing this absurd doctrine of worldly salvation, the parousia must be perpetually postponed. For the gnostic, it is always right around the corner, the endless Recovery Summer. The War on Poverty is not a Keynesian quackmire, but actually winnable with one last surge of obscenely profligate spending on our pet projects and political allies!
Thus, in their Gnostic lust for power, each of the 20 dwarves insists that we ignore what has actually happened to the economy and country over the last four years. Rather, look ahead, to the glorious future that is promised by... well, by Marianne Williamson, for example:
What we most need now is a political visionary -- someone with a deep understanding of where we have been and where we need to be going....
My campaign provides the American people with the option of choosing another way -- not just a better version of same old, same old politics, but a genuine pattern disruption that allows for breakthroughs and possibilities that will not otherwise occur.
We need to address the deep emotional and psychological dynamics within the average citizen that have led to the erosion of our political system. In order to have a moral and spiritual awakening in America, we need a leader who is a moral and spiritual awakener.
I believe I am that person.
As a psychologist, I am intimately familiar with narcissistic grandiosity. But Voegelin understood that the grandiosity of the left is on another plane altogether, and requires a deeper explanation.
Finding God's Autograph
One could say that all of man's problems have to do with truth.
First, in order for truth to be possible, one must implicitly maintain that the world is intelligible and that man may know it. Truth then is a relation or adequation between these two: ultimately between man and cosmos.
Next, one needs to propagate this truth to others.
No, I take that back. Rather, one can always just horde the truth and keep it to oneself. More for us! But interestingly, virtually no one wishes to do this, least of all the God in whose image we are.
Instead, when a normal man stumbles upon a truth, he has an intrinsic desire to share the joy with others. Indeed, truth radiates, just as does beauty, but in a slightly different way. I would say that truth partakes of the Absolute, beauty the Infinite. Truth doesn't need to be compelled by force, as the left believes, because it attracts by its very nature. Only lies are compulsory. Also, if truth were compulsory, we would be deprived the merit of faith. Faith too is an adequation, but it involves one's whole being, not just the intellect.
As an aside, wouldn't it be nice if some people would keep the truth -- or what they regard as the truth -- to themselves? If they had just done that, then there would have been no Soviet Union, no Nazi Germany, no Islamism. We'll return to this topic later, i.e., the impulse to propagate the Lie, and what it means.
[UPDATE from seven years hence, i.e., today: I was just reading of this very subject in Dennis Prager's line-by-line analysis of Genesis: placing ideology above truth "is not only common, it is probably the greatest source of mass evil in the world." Each of the genocides of the twentieth century was justified by massive lies that were obviously attractive to masses of people. "Given the overwhelming importance of truth, it is no wonder the Talmud states, 'God's signature is truth.'"]
In order to propagate truth, man must be able to formulate it in his head, put it into words, and transmit it to others. But then the person to whom one is speaking must decode the transmission back into the experience of truth.
Right there you've got another problem, because, to plagiaphrase Karl Popper, it is impossible to speak in such a way that one cannot be misunderstood. Did you understand that? Well, good. This means that some things can be understood. Communication is difficult but not impossible.
But what about more complex things, like, say, the truth of man? When we say "truth of man," we have several things in mind, but they essentially come down to three areas: our origin, our destiny, and our present purpose. Or in other words, where did we come from, where are we going, and what should we do? Or even more simply, Who (are we), Why (are we here), and What (are we supposed to do with our lives), respectively.
[To which another critical item must be added: what gets in the way, and why?]
Now, any sane man acknowledges up front that ultimate -- or transfinite -- truth is impossible for a finite being. Unless, of course, this truth is somehow communicated -- which is to say, revealed -- to man from outside, above, beyond, or behind the cosmic system. Some will say this is impossible and leave it at that. However, if you have senses of irony and humor, you will recognize that only a god would be in a position to affirm such a thing. Or in other words, if God doesn't exist, only he knows it. And if he does exist, only man can not know it.
Back to our problem. What if someone 1) discovers a critical truth, 2) formulates it, 3) publishes it, and 4) no one but a few fertile eggheads pays attention?
What I specifically have in mind is Voegelin's Science, Politics, and Gnosticism, which strikes me as densely packed with vital truths about man. And when I say "vital," I mean that man cannot survive -- not as we know him, and not in the long run -- without knowing them.
Time out for aphorisms:
The modern man is the man who forgets what man knows about man.
Each day modern man knows the world better and knows man less.
First, we should point out that Voegelin is hardly the only person to discover truths that no one wishes to hear. But more importantly, if this is the truth, then it is doubtful in the extreme that he would have been the first to discover it.
Indeed, Voegelin once quipped that one of the hallmarks of truth is unoriginality. Just as animals come equipped with various mechanisms of defense, man's intellect has always been able to arrive at certain salutary and guiding truths (to paraphrase Schuon, as unwavering instinct is the animal's intellect, unwavering intellection is man's instinct). But since we also have free will, we are free to deny, invert, and even oppose these truths.
This lines up with something else Schuon wrote, to the effect that everything has already been said, and even well said, but it still needs to be discovered anew by each generation. And as mentioned above, when spontaneously discovered, there is an intrinsic joy associated with sharing it, i.e., the cosmic Woo Hoo!
One of Voegelin's themes is that when a man moves from faith to ideology, he falls from uncertain truth to certain untruth. Obviously, man has a lust for certitude, but this must be a means, not an end. If this passion does become an end, then one has entered a state of pneumopathology.
As mentioned in yesterday's post, Voegelin made the statement that "the essence of modernity is Gnosticism." What did he mean by this?
First, let's discuss what impels a man to Gnosticism. First, the would-be Gnostic "is dissatisfied with his situation," which, in a certain sense, is neither here nor there, for all men are dissatisfied with their situation. This is just another way of saying that man is a finite being with infinite appetites. Life is tough. Deal with it.
Ah, but this is precisely what the Gnostic refuses to do, which is to say, accept reality. For the Gnostic does not consider the constraints of existence, let alone the nature of man. Liberals, says the Aphorist, describe a past that never existed and predict a future that is never realized.
[One immediately thinks of Sowell's classic elucidation of the unconstrained vision. If you pay attention to the forthcoming Democratic debates, you will hear nothing but unconstrained vision mingled with unconstrained hate, which I believe to be the most dangerous combination in mankind's deadly arsenal.]
Rather, the Gnostic visionary concludes that the community of man is just "poorly organized" and that "salvation from the evil of the world is possible." No one doubts that things can improve, but everyone should doubt that, say, an Obama has it in his power to do such a thing, especially with no unintended consequences, no losers, no trade-offs, no scapegoats, etc.
But the Gnostic believes "that a change in the order of being lies in the realm of human action" and "that this salvational act is possible through man's own effort." Remember Obama's 2008 promise -- or was it a threat? -- that he intends to fundamentally change this nation. But of course, it has always been known that any idiot can make history by changing things. The hard part is keeping them, e.g., life, liberty, property, etc. [A slogan comes to mind: Keep America Great.]
Usually the Gnostic has his own personal issues, which he avoids by inflicting them upon the rest of us. I mean, no one cares if Obama thinks he can save the world. It only becomes a problem for the rest of us if he is given the power to try.
We'll end with another aphorism to bear in mind as the Twenty Dwarves fight over who's the tallest:
Social problems are the delightful refuge of those fleeing from their own problems. --Dávila
What About Bob?
Gagdad Bob
Who's spirals down the celestial firepole on wings of slack, seizes the wheel of the cosmic bus, and abides in a bewilderness adventure of higher nondoodling? Who, haloed be his gnome, loiters on the threshold of the transdimensional doorway, looking for handouts from Petey? Who, with his doppelgägster and testy snideprick, Cousin Dupree, wields the pliers and blowtorch of fine insultainment for the ridicure of assouls? Who is the gentleman loaffeur who yoinks the sword from the stoned philosopher and shoves it in the breadbasket of metaphysical ignorance and tenure? Whose New Testavus for the Restavus blows the locked doors of the empyrean off their rusty old hinges and sheds a beam of intense darkness on the world enigma? Who is the Biggest Fakir of the Vertical Church of God Knows What, channeling the roaring torrent of 〇 into the feeble stream of cyberspace? Who is the masked pandit who lobs the first water balloon out the motel window at the annual Raccoon convention? Who is your nonlocal partner in disorganized crimethink? Shut your mouth! But I'm talkin' about bʘb! Then we can dig it!
Goround ZerO:
The Cosmic Area Rug:
The empty center is Beyond-Being. The circles are dimensions of Being. Your life is a path for the Spirit to pass from periphery to center. Thoughts and choices -- truth and virtue -- are the paving stones.
The Coon Abides:
Cosmo-American Music:
Readalong on the Cosmic Bus:
Your acquisitiveness helps keep the Cosmos expounding:
The Dual Gyrescape:
The Logorhythmic Vertical Interference Pattern Produced by the Ascending (↑) and Descending (↓) Energies, Where Transhuman Consciousness (¶) is Situated
Search My Works, Ye Mighty, and Despair!
Every writer comments indefinitely on his brief original text. --Dávila
A dump truck to unload my head: Knowa's Arkive & Seer's Catalog
Only Error is Transmitted:
Toots Mondello, Founder & 11th Degree Peltmaster, Benevolent Order of Transdimensional Raccoons
(The Secret History)
Buck Mulligan, Official Mascot
We Support the Lil' Gagdad Cosmic Achievers:
Fuck You: War
Late last night, in search of light, I watched a ball of fire streak across the midnight sky. I watched it glow, then grow, then shrink, then sink into the silhouette of morning. As I watched it die, I said, ‘Hey, I’ve got a lot in common with that light.’ That’s right. I’m alive with the fire of my life, which streaks across my span of time and is seen by those who lift their eyes in search of light to help them though the long, dark night. --Nilsson
We see that yesterday is our birthday, today is our life, and tomorrow we are gone. So we have just one day to learn all we need to know, and that day is today. --Petey
… for the born contemplative everything begins with Truth, which is sensed as an underlying and omnipresent Being; other things can be fully comprehended only through it and in it; outside of it the world is no more than an unintelligible dream. First there is Truth, the nature of things; then there are the consciousnesses that are its receptacles: man is before all else a consciousness in which the True is reflected and around which the True or Real manifests itself in an endless play of crystalizations. --Frithjof Schuon.
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All posts by Jack Brenn
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Constitutions, constitutionalism and the economy: lessons from Tanzania.
Research article (2.314Mb)
Mgongo, Fimbo G.
Tanzania is a poor Third World country whose people were among the 780 million people who were described by the World of Bank as living in the direst poverty "a condition of life so charactarised by malnutrition, illiteracy and disease as to be beneath any reasonable definition of human decency".1 Third World peoples are not only poor but also live under authoritarian regimes. The people lack human rights and dignity. This paper traces the history of constitution making in Tanzania in the context of struggles for peoples' economic and political emancipation. The first section sketches the liberal interpretation of constitutionalism and Tanzania's initial rejection of it under the banner of developmentalism in the name of ''Ujamaa". The result was the emergency of an authoritarian state. The paper argues that authoritarianism did not bring any noticeable benefits to the people. The second section discusses entrenchment of the Bill of Rights in the Constitution in concession to public demands and addresses itself to the current debate on greater democratisation. The paper notes that the issues raised in the debate go beyond the liberal concept of constitutionalism. In the concluding remarks, I make some generalizations which I believe, are applicable to other African states.
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Creative Commons License by NC-ND 3.0
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Difference between revisions of "Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America"
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[[Image:Antiochian local synod.jpg|right|thumb|350px|'''The Local Synod of the Antiochian Archdiocese'''<br>L to R: Bp. [[Mark (Maymon) of Toledo|Mark]], Bp. [[Basil (Essey) of Wichita|Basil]], Bp. [[Antoun (Khouri) of Miami|Antoun]], Metr. [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip]], Bp. [[Joseph (Al-Zehlaoui) of Los Angeles|Joseph]], Bp. [[Thomas (Joseph) of Oakland|Thomas]], Bp. [[Alexander (Mufarrij) of Ottawa|Alexander]]]]
The '''Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America''' is the sole jurisdiction of the [[Church of Antioch]] in the USA and Canada with exclusive jurisdiction over the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in those countries. Its current primate is the Most Reverent [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip (Saliba)]], Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America.
The '''Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America''' is the sole jurisdiction of the [[Church of Antioch]] in the USA and Canada with exclusive jurisdiction over the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in those countries. Its current primate is the Most Reverend [[Philip (Saliba) of New York|Philip (Saliba)]], Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America.
{{church|
name= Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America|
website=[http://www.antiochian.org/ Antiochian Archdiocese]
== History of the Archdiocese ==
[[Image:Raphael of Brooklyn.jpg|left|thumb|150px|St. [[Raphael of Brooklyn]]]]
Revision as of 20:52, June 10, 2005
The Local Synod of the Antiochian Archdiocese
L to R: Bp. Mark, Bp. Basil, Bp. Antoun, Metr. Philip, Bp. Joseph, Bp. Thomas, Bp. Alexander
The Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America is the sole jurisdiction of the Church of Antioch in the USA and Canada with exclusive jurisdiction over the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in those countries. Its current primate is the Most Reverend Philip (Saliba), Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America.
1 History of the Archdiocese
2 The Archdiocese Today
3 The Episcopacy
3.1 Diocesan bishops
3.2 Former bishops
Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America
Founder(s) St. Raphael of Brooklyn
Autocephaly/Autonomy declared 2003
Autocephaly/Autonomy recognized 2003 by Church of Antioch as "self-rule"
Current primate Metropolitan Philip
Headquarters Englewood, New Jersey
Primary territory United States and Canada
Possessions abroad N/A
Liturgical language(s) English, Arabic, Spanish
Musical tradition Byzantine Chant, Russian Chant
Calendar Revised Julian
Population estimate 84,000 to 380,000
Official website Antiochian Archdiocese
St. Raphael of Brooklyn
The first Orthodox bishop consecrated in North America, St. Raphael Hawaweeny, was consecrated by the Russian Orthodox Church in America to care for the Orthodox Arab faithful in the USA and Canada. Through his efforts, what is known today as the Antiochian Archdiocese came into being. His initial arrival in America was not to serve in the episcopacy, however, but he came as an archimandrite in 1895 at the request of members of the Syrian Orthodox Benevolent Society, an ostensibly philanthropic group whose primary purpose was to maintain ties between Orthodox Arabs living in America. He thus came to the US and was canonically received under the omophorion of Bishop Nicholas (Ziorov) of the Aleutians, the Church of Russia's exarch in America at the time.
Upon arriving in New York, Fr. Raphael established a parish in lower Manhattan, then the center of the Syrian immigrant community. By 1900, however some 3,000 of these immigrants had moved across the East River, shifting the center of their life to Brooklyn. Thus, in 1902, the parish purchased a larger church building in that borough on Pacific Street. The church was named for St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, renovated for Orthodox worship, and then consecrated on October 27, 1902, by St. Tikhon of Moscow. St. Nicholas Cathedral was later relocated to State Street in Brooklyn and is today considered the mother cathedral of the Archdiocese.
At the request of St. Tikhon, Fr. Raphael was chosen as his auxiliary bishop, consecrated at St. Nicholas Cathedral as Bishop of Brooklyn and given more authority for his care of Arabic Orthodox Christians in America. Not long after, he founded Al-Kalimat (The Word) magazine, published service books in Arabic which were used in America, the Middle East, and throughout the Arabic Orthodox diaspora. St. Raphael fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 54 on February 17, 1915, after short, but fruitful, years of service.
St. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral, Ottawa, Canada
However, after the Bolshevik Revolution threw the Russian Orthodox Church and its faithful abroad into chaos, the Orthodox Arab faithful in North America, simultaneously shaken by the death of their beloved bishop St. Raphael, chose to come under the direct care of the Patriarchate of Antioch. Due to internal conflicts, however, the Antiochian Orthodox faithful in North America were divided between two archdioceses, those of New York and Toledo, generally representing those who were loyal to the Church of Antioch and the Church of Russia, respectively. This division of the Arabic faithful resulted significantly from the division in loyalty to the bishops who aligned themselves at the time with the Russian Metropolia, those who were involved with the formation of the now-defunct American Orthodox Catholic Church, and those who chose to have canonical recourse directly to the Holy Synod of Antioch.
This article forms part of the series
Orthodoxy in America
American Orthodox Timeline
American Orthodox Bibliography
Byzantines on OCA autocephaly
Ligonier Meeting
ROCOR and OCA
Saints - Bishops - Writers
Antiochian - Bulgarian
OCA - Romanian - Moscow
ROCOR - Serbian
Ecumenical Patriarchate:
Albanian - Carpatho-Russian
Greek - Ukrainian
Palestinian/Jordanian
Christ the Saviour
St. Herman's St. Tikhon's
St. Sava's
St. Sophia's
St. Vladimir's
Episcopal Assembly
AOI - EOCS - IOCC - OCEC
OCF - OCL - OCMC - OCPM - OCLife
OISM - OTSA - SCOBA - SOCHA
Amer. Orthodox Catholic Church
Brotherhood of St. Moses the Black
Evangelical Orthodox Church
Holy Order of MANS/CSB
Society of Clerks Secular of St. Basil
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With the signing of the Articles of Reunification by Metropolitan Philip (Saliba) and Metropolitan Michael (Shaheen) in 1975, the two Antiochian Orthodox archdioceses were united as one Archdiocese of North America (now with its headquarters in Englewood, New Jersey). Metropolitan Philip became the primate of the newly reunified archdiocese, and Metropolitan Michael became an auxiliary archbishop. Since then the Archdiocese has experienced rapid and significant growth through the conversion of a number of Evangelical Protestants—both individually and as congregations, especially with the reception of the majority of the Evangelical Orthodox Church in the 1980s—and also through ongoing evangelization and the immigration of Orthodox Arabs from the Middle East.
The Archdiocese Today
Its current primate is Metropolitan Philip (Saliba), who has six other diocesan bishops assisting him in caring for the nine dioceses of the growing Archdiocese, which is the third largest Orthodox Christian jurisdiction in North America, having about 250 parishes and missions. Estimates of the number of faithful range from about 84,000[1] to 380,000[2] depending on the report and the counting method being used. The number of new Antiochian parishes in the decade between 1990 and 2000 rose by approximately 33%, and the primary membership growth in the Archdiocese has been from American converts.[3] The Archdiocese also includes the Western Rite Vicariate, a group of about 20 parishes which worship according to the Western Rite.
New bishops with the patriarch
Left to Right: Bp. Mark, Patr. Ignatius IV, Bp. Thomas, Bp. Alexander
On October 9, 2003 the Holy Synod of the Church of Antioch granted the Archdiocese's request to be granted self-rule (as distinct from autonomy, and though the words have the same literal meaning in English, they are distinct in Arabic) to allow it to better govern itself, improve and increase its outreach efforts, internally organize itself into several dioceses, and progress further on the road to the administrative unity of the Orthodox Church in the Americas. Three new bishops were consecrated in December of 2004 to assist in the governance of the reorganized Archdiocese.
The Archdiocese also includes one monastic community, St. Paul Skete (Grand Junction, Tennessee), a community for women. It does not run any of its own seminaries, but sends its seminarians to theological schools run by other jurisdictions or overseas. The Archdiocese does run various non-seminary educational programs, however, including the St. Stephen's Course in Orthodox Theology.
The Antiochian Archdiocese is also a member of SCOBA.
The Episcopacy
Diocesan bishops
Most Reverend Philip (Saliba) Archbishop of New York and the Archdiocesan District, Metropolitan of All North America, Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Worcester and New England
Right Reverend Antoun (Khouri), Bishop of Miami and the Southeast
Right Reverend Basil (Essey), Bishop of Wichita and Mid-America
Right Reverend Joseph (Al-Zehlaoui), Bishop of Los Angeles and the West, Locum Tenens of the Diocese of Eagle River and the Northwest
Right Reverend Thomas (Joseph), Bishop of Oakland and the East
Right Reverend Mark (Maymon), Bishop of Toledo and the Midwest
Right Reverend Alexander (Mufarrij), Bishop of Ottawa, Eastern Canada and Upstate New York
Former bishops
Most Reverend Antony (Bashir), Archbishop of New York, Metropolitan of All North America (1936-1966), deceased
Most Reverend Michael (Shaheen), Archbishop of Toledo (1958-1975), deceased
Right Reverend Demetri (Khoury), auxiliary bishop for Toledo, retired
Corey, George S., ed. The First One Hundred Years: a Centennial Anthology Celebrating Antiochian Orthodoxy in North America, Englewood, NJ: Antakya Press, 1995 (ISBN 0962419028)
Official Website of the Archdiocese
Official Website of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch
History of the Archdiocese (book excerpt)
Retrieved from "https://orthodoxwiki.org/index.php?title=Antiochian_Orthodox_Christian_Archdiocese_of_North_America&oldid=6191"
Categories > Church History
Categories > Church History > Canon Law > Ecclesiology > Jurisdictions
Categories > Church History > Canon Law > Ecclesiology > Jurisdictions > Dioceses
Categories > Church History > Canon Law > Ecclesiology > Jurisdictions > Dioceses > Antiochian Dioceses
Categories > OrthodoxWiki > Articles in a series
Categories > Places > Orthodoxy by country > Orthodoxy in America
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Home | About Us
641-342-2944 info@clarkedev.com
Clarke County Development Corporation – Osceola, Iowa | Business Development Opportunities in Southern Iowa
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CCDC Celebrates 50 Years of Community, Commitment, and Success
Home → CCDC → CCDC Celebrates 50 Years of Community, Commitment, and Success
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Clarke County Development Corporation (CCDC). In August of 1969, the development corporation that has brought Osceola and Clarke County, Iowa numerous business and economic successes including Jimmy Dean and Hormel as well as the boon of the Casino all started from the passion of a few locals ready to push the community they loved toward a brighter future.
The original founders and board members included Eddy Saylor, Fred Wood, L.P. Van Werden, Jack Jeffreys, Ross Gould, Stan Samuelson, Gerald Edwards, and Donald Ramsey.
These founders developed a plan that would form an economic development corporation focused on attracting new business, supporting existing area business, and improving the quality of live for the entire community.
The founders made sure to build the corporation on a not-for-profit, 501(c)(6) structure. This meant the corporation, with a board of directors made up of active local businesses and citizens, would work together to drive local and regional economic growth. The elected board would operate on behalf of the existing business and community members maintaining accountability to its core values, the members and the community. This structure has been at the core of its operations since its founding.
A lot can happen over five decades,” Said Bill Trickey, CCDC Executive Director. “When you have a board and membership as consistently driven for success and growth as we’ve had with the CCDC, what transpires is economic sustainability.”
Right out of the gate, the CCDC board took action to purchase and break ground for development of an 87-acre industrial business park on the south side of the city. Over the next decade, the board recruited businesses such as Osceola State Bank, Metal Craft Engineering (Now SIMCO Drilling Rigs & Equipment, Inc.), and Jimmy Dean Meat Company as the first tenants. Throughout the 70’s and early 80’s additional businesses moved in and the necessary infrastructure was developed made up of a water tower and another 68 acres with sewer and street construction. Today many of Clarke County’s anchor employers like Altec (originally Furnas and then Astoria), Salford Manufacturing (previously Maclander), Osceola Foods (Hormel) and SIMCO do business from this park, serving customers all over the world.
Understanding the logistical blessings Osceola had – placement at the intersection of I-35, Highway 34 and Highway 69, as well as local access to the BNSF Railway – made the addition of an airport and improvements to interstate access a logical next step in drawing more business and industry to the area. The CCDC board acted on those activities through the 80s and 90s, even while some of the nation’s biggest cities and rural areas were struggling with hard economic times.
In the 90s, upon hearing the Des Moines city council was passing on the addition of a casino to the south side of its downtown, board President Eddy Saylor and other CCDC members decided to take on the recruitment of Lakeside Casino Resort for Clarke County. Through aggressive campaigning driven by a passion for development and progress, the deal was made to break ground for the riverboat on West Lake late in 2000 with The Development Corporation securing the gambling license. This would prove to be a “game changer” for the entire area.
The casino was a big shot in the arm for the area,” said Helen Kimes, CCDC Board Member and past president. “With the county and the cities of Murray and Woodburn sharing the profits made from the boat, development opportunities in the area were given an incredible boost.”
Since the addition of the casino, grant opportunities through the Development Corporation have made a positive impact across Clarke County. This included updates to the Clarke County Hospital in the early 2000s, with further renovations and expansion over the last few years. Clarke County continues to benefit from the CCDC grants, allowing the hospital to provide award-winning emergency services and medical care. Community programs like Tech Prep Housing, Paint the Town Red, Safe Routes to School with miles of recreational trail expansions, Neighbors Helping Neighbors, and the support for The Village Daycare continue to improve the quality of life in Clarke County.
With the addition of the E. Eddy Saylor Industrial Park for businesses like Osceola Farm and Home, Boyt Harness, Alliant Energy, and Iowa Steel, employment opportunities have increased, as have contributions to the county’s tax base, keeping the vision of the original founders like Eddy Saylor moving forward.
With thousands of jobs created for the county since its inception in 1969, the Clarke County Development Corporation shows no sign of slowing. With expansions for the Saylor Business Park this year as well as closing in on the development of the Clarke County Reservoir, opportunities to bring even more business and growth to the area can be seen on the horizon. So, join the CCDC, their board, and members in celebrating this half century milestone and wish them luck for the next 50 years.
If you have questions about the Development Corporation or would like to participate as a member, contact Bill Trickey, Executive Director at the Clarke County Development Corporation, 115 E Washington St, Osceola, IA 50213, Phone: (641) 342-2944, email: [email protected]
This article was first published on http://clarkecountylife.com.
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© 2019 Clarke County Development Corporation | 115 E Washington Street, P.O. Box 426, Osceola, IA 50213 | 641-342-2944 | [email protected]
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OSU president outlines promise of Central Oregon collaboration, higher education challenges
OSU President Ed Ray
Oregon State University President Edward J. Ray Monday applauded the regional collaboration underway in support of Oregon State University – Cascades during his annual State of the University Address. He also called upon local community members to join him in urging state leaders to increase funding for higher education in Central Oregon and around the state.
Ray gave his address to an audience of more than 350 at the Riverhouse on the Deschutes.
In his speech, Ray said students and their families are being unfairly challenged to pay increasingly more of the cost of their higher education. He said OSU’s students in Corvallis pay more than 65% of the cost of their education and the state only 22% -- a 50% decline in the state’s relative support over the past 15 years.
“Without additional state support, Oregon’s universities will be forced to shunt even more costs onto the shoulders of students and cut staffing and programs,” Ray said.
As a result, he said, a college education increasingly will be attainable only by those from wealthy families. “I ask each of you to join me in addressing this crisis of inequity. This resolve must start with a debate in Salem about how Oregon funds its universities,” he said.
In his address, Ray detailed the momentum occurring throughout the university, including at OSU-Cascades with the Bend City Council’s approval campus master plan, and state funding and community philanthropic support for a second academic building that will focus on the STEAM disciplines of science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
He also focused on the importance of addressing student mental health, and called the tripling of the suicide rate among young adults as a national health crisis. He committed to making improved student wellness at Oregon State a university-wide priority.
Ray cited notable achievements at Oregon State and OSU-Cascades:
With a record 32,011 students, OSU is Oregon’s largest university for the fifth straight year. Enrollment includes 1,259 at OSU-Cascades, a 4.6% increase from the previous year. At OSU-Cascades, 88.4% of undergraduates are Oregonians, and 31.3% of students are the first in their family to attend college.
In 2018, grant-funded research at Oregon State totaled $382 million. At OSU-Cascades, Bahman Abbasi, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, received a $2 million award to create solar-powered desalination technology that can provide clean water around the globe.
A new degree partnership program that allows Central Oregon Community College students seeking a bachelor’s degree from OSU-Cascades to be jointly admitted and enrolled at both schools.
One year since being launched, the OSU-Cascades Innovation Co-Lab has helped 18 start-up companies raise more than $1.5 million and create more than 30 new jobs.
Ray also noted OSU’s commitment to Central Oregon via its teaching and research at OSU-Cascades and the localized expertise, research and programs provided by OSU Extension and at agricultural experiment stations in Burns and Madras.
Ray also recognized the significant leadership contributions of the late Paul Risser, who served as OSU’s president from 1996 to 2002. Risser’s legacy in Central Oregon will be honored at an event at OSU-Cascades on May 17.
Following Ray’s speech, attendees contributed to “Vision Oregon,” an OSU-led initiative for Oregonians to share what they envision Oregon’s future to be in 50 years. Over the next eight months, OSU will gather input from Oregonians about what they aspire their state to address and achieve by 2068. OSU will share those goals and views in early October before placing a record of the goals in time capsules on the university’s campuses in Corvallis and Bend.
Note to Editors: A digital image is available for download and use with this article: https://beav.es/ZiD
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Official Movie Website
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As stated in the movie’s opening credits, this movie is “based on a true story.” The end credits get more specific, explaining:
“This film is inspired by actual events and characters. Some characters, characterizations, incidents, locations, timelines and dialogue were composited or otherwise fictionalized. With respect to such composited or fictionalized elements, any similarity to the name or history of any person, living or dead, or to any actual incident, is entirely for dramatic purposes and not intended to reflect on an actual character, history, or entity.”
But what does that paragraph of legal language actually mean? What is true in the movie and what has been modified?
Below are details answers to that question pertaining to key events and/or individuals in the movie. However, these details include spoilers that may make the movie less satisfying for you. If you want to avoid those spoilers, the following additional information may be sufficient:
All the main characters and events included in The Other Side of Heaven 2: Fire of Faith, are based on experiences included in two books written by Elder John H. Groberg containing over 600 pages between them.
In an effort to include as many of those characters and events as possible within the limited confines of a 110-page screenplay, the screenwriter combined and/or reordered some timelines and characters and events.
All major characters and events in the movie are based on true characters or events, but modifications have been made in order to tell as many possible aspects of the Groberg family’s story as succinctly and dramatically as possible.
If that is not enough clarification, read on, knowing that you may be exposed to spoilers.
The Truth About Thomas S. Monson (SPOILERS AHEAD)
As depicted in the film, then-Elder Thomas S. Monson was the Apostle assigned to supervise the Church in the South Pacific during the time then-President John H. Groberg, his wife Jean, and their children were in Tonga presiding over the missionary work there as well as in Fiji and Niue.
Elder Monson visited the Groberg family numerous times during their three years in Tonga and participated in laying on hands and blessing several members of their family over the years. He also participated in several missionary conferences with President Groberg.
As the movie shows, Elder Monson was a fast driver, but he did not actually drive the Grobergs to the hospital with their sick baby because he was not in Tonga at the time their infant boy fell ill.
However, as depicted in the film, Elder Monson did receive a prompting while in a barbershop in New Zealand to call President Groberg and encourage him to get his baby on the next flight to the U.S.
The Truth About Feki Po’uha (SPOILERS AHEAD)
As depicted in the original film, Feki Po’uha was Elder Groberg’s beloved first missionary companion who was transferred “back into construction” when Elder Groberg was assigned to become the District President and call two counselors during his first mission to Tonga.
When Elder Groberg returned to Tonga as Mission President years later, his mission included the island of Niue, where Feki had settled with his wife, Foli, after helping build chapels for the Church and several structures on the BYU-Hawaii campus as well as the Polynesian Cultural Center. Tragically, while serving as District President in Niue, Feki contracted bone cancer and died at a fairly young age. Elder Groberg spoke at his funeral.
Notably, Feki’s youngest sister, Na’ati, is the grandmother of renowned PGA golfer, Tony Finau. And Feki’s brother, Soanasi, is the father of former NFL player, Sione Po’uha.
The Truth About Tonga Toutai Paletu’a (SPOILERS AHEAD)
In the new movie Tonga Toutai Paletu’a is depicted as a young missionary serving in President Groberg’s mission when, in reality, he served as one of his counselors in the mission presidency.
Toutai’s timeline was modified in order to allow his father/son story to unfold alongside President Groberg’s father/son story within the limited constraints of a two hour film. Without this modification it would have been impossible to include Toutai’s inspiring story alongside the Groberg family’s story because they actually occurred years apart.
Did Toutai really get beaten up for joining the Church? (SPOILERS AHEAD)
Yes, many times. Read Chapter 20 in the book The Fire of Faith for a more complete and factual account.
The day Toutai was baptized his father sent his older brother to the beach to “teach him a lesson.” The brother arrived just as Toutai emerged from the water and beat him into unconsciousness using a thick stick. Gratefully Toutai survived and his father and family eventually reconciled. Toutai went on to be a faithful, prominent leader of the Church in Tonga.
Did Toutai’s father really make him spend the night alone on the beach buried in the sand? (SPOILERS AHEAD)
No. However, the act of burying Toutai in the sand and forcing him to spend the night alone on the beach is a true story occurring in the life of one of the writer/director’s Samoan friends who was thus punished for showing disrespect to his father. The sudden storm causing the seas to rush over the boy in the sand is fictional.
Is it true Toutai's father gave the Groberg baby a blessing? (SPOILERS AHEAD)
No. This scene is a representation of the love and faith of the many Tongan Methodist ministers who led their parishioners in faithful fasting and prayer in the baby's behalf. The Groberg family felt the influence of their faith and prayers and believes it was key to their baby's miraculous healing.
The Truth About the Storm at Sea (SPOILERS AHEAD)
President and Sister Groberg were caught in numerous serious storms as they traveled throughout the Tongan islands in older boats, often taking their young daughters with them. There were a number of times President and Sister Groberg feared for their lives as well as those of their little girls. For more details see the book The Fire of Faith chapters 8, 12, 21, 28, 41, and 48.
It was impossible to depict the wide variety of storms and boats involved in the Grobergs’ many ocean adventures so the writer/director composited highlights of these storms into one sequence in the film. He also included a story found in chapter 48 of the first book, The Other Side of Heaven, in which a boat towing a barge got caught in a storm that threatened to sink both of them.
The Groberg girls were not aboard the boat on the day it was towing the construction barge, and they were not playing on the barge when the storm hit, but everything else about that scene is true, including the degree of peril experienced by Jean and her daughters during their many voyages at sea during their mission.
It is also true that the barge really did start to sink the boat President Groberg was on and he had to decide whether or not to cut the barge free to save the boat. Some of his beloved missionaries were aboard the barge during that particular storm, but his daughters were not.
Did the Groberg’s baby daughter really get thrown from the boat up onto the rocks as depicted in the movie?
Yes. This scene is taken from an unpublished chapter from Elder Groberg’s original manuscript for The Fire of Faith. The chapter relating this story was ommitted for purposes of brevity before the book was published but Elder Groberg gave it to the writer/director of the film when he was writing the script and he decide to incorporate it.
The island where this occurred is called Fotuha’a and the baby girl who was thrown up into the outstretched arms of the Tongans, Gayle Groberg Teuscher, was only a few months old. There was an article in “The Church News” describing how recordings of General Conference were recently delivered to Fotuha’a by throwing them up onto waiting Saints on the rocks. There are many islands in the South Pacific where this practice is still used for disembarking boat passengers.
What Important Things Are Missing From the Movie?
Many important events and characters were not able to be included in the film because of time constraints, including the Coronation of King Tupou IV, President and Sister Groberg’s friendship with the King and Queen of Tonga as well as many Nobles, and President and Sister N. Eldon Tanner visiting Tonga for the Jubilee celebration with the Royal Family.
Unfortunately, other dear friends and key characters from the Groberg family’s mission to Tonga are unrepresented or underrepresented in the film, including but not limited to Uliti Uata, Sovea Kioa, and Manase Nau. To find out more about these missing events and individuals, see the book, The Fire of Faith.
1 MILLION STRONG TO BRING THE MOVIE TO ALL THE WORLD
Elder Groberg and President Thomas S. Monson shared a vision, purpose and mission for making the sequel: That this true story of love, forgiveness, family and faith would reach as many people across the entire world as possible.
We achieved this with the first movie in the year 2000 and we can do it again!
Watch the video below for a message about how we can fulfill Elder Groberg and President Monson's mission for the movie...
TRAILER: In Theaters Nationwide JUNE 28th!
On Set with Chris Gorham: In Theaters Nationwide JUNE 28th!
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2018 Annual Show
« Workshop – PLEASE NOTE WE HAVE CHANGED THE WORKSHOP DATE
Program Meeting March 20th »
Pasadena Lapidary Society Holds Annual Gem Show, March 10-11
60th Annual ‘Tournament of Gems’ Returns to San Marino
Pasadena Lapidary Society (PLS) presents its 60th annual Tournament of Gems, to be held on Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11, 2018. Titled “Can You Dig It!!!”, this year’s show will feature Society members’ display cases of beautiful gemstones, mineral and fossil specimens, member-created jewelry and artwork; demonstrations of lapidary techniques such as wire wrapping, bending, cabochon grinding, and other jewelry-making skills. Several dealers will be present, selling goods that range from minerals to beads and gems, lapidary tools and everything in between. In the kids’ corner, children can try their luck at the Treasure Wheel and Sand Scoop for goodies. There will be grab bags for sale, a silent auction will be held both days and raffle tickets can be purchased to win some impressive prizes, many of which are hand-made jewelry and other treasures produced by PLS members. Club field trips and other information will be available, along with a new member sign-up table.
Inspiring and educational, the gem show provides an opportunity for families and individuals to explore the world of gem, mineral, rock and fossil hunting, earth sciences and the lapidary arts without leaving town. Pasadena Lapidary Society members go on field trips, find and identify specimens, then bring them home to turn dull (or pretty) stones into works of art.
This event will be held Saturday, March 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, March 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the San Marino Masonic Center, 3130 Huntington Drive, San Marino, 91108. Admission and parking are free. For information, please call (626) 260-7239, talk/text to (727) 512-0381; email info@pasadenalapidary.org. Visit our website at https://pasadenalapidary.org/events/2018-03.
About PLS: The Pasadena Lapidary Society serves to educate its members and the community in mineralogy, earth sciences and training in the lapidary and jewelry arts – while promoting sound mineral resource stewardship based on environmental awareness and ethical behavior. Now in its 72nd year, the Society fulfills its mission year-round with a variety of activities, including field trips, lapidary workshops, outreach presentations, public mineral displays, an annual club show and monthly informational meetings open to the public. Visit our website at https://pasadenalapidary.org, like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pasadenalapidarysociety and follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PasaLapidary. Our monthly program meetings are held the third Tuesday of each month (except December) in the Donald Wright Auditorium of the Pasadena Central Library at 285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena 91101, from 6:45-8:45 p.m., and are open to the public. Free admission.
Gem & Mineral Show, Special Meeting
San Marino Masonic Center
3130 Huntington Drive
San Marino, CA 91108 United States + Google Map
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Jill McBride
They say that behind every great man is a great woman.
While the athletes of the PBR are all men, they would not be able to chase their bull riding dreams without support from the women in their lives.
It is these women that the Sharon Shoulders Award aims to recognize; those whose work, partnership and faith have been as integral to the sport of bull riding as the athletes themselves.
Married to two-time PBR World Champion Justin McBride since 2005, Jill McBride fits this description to a T.
Jill will receive the 2018 Sharon Shoulders Award at the PBR’s annual Heroes & Legends Celebration in Las Vegas on Nov. 6.
In the lead-up to the ceremony, Ride TV’s series “PBR Heroes & Legends” will feature the 2018 honorees with an episode each week. McBride’s airs at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
McBride met her future husband when he moved to her hometown in Nebraska in sixth grade. The two grew up together and attended the same high school, but parted ways afterwards; Jill went to college while Justin started with the PBR in 1999.
The two reconnected in 2004 and were married in 2005.
Justin won the first of his two world titles in 2005.
Their daughter Addison was born in 2006, and Justin won another world title in 2007.
Coincidence? Not if you ask Lori McBride, Justin’s mother.
“I’m so proud of her,” Lori said on Ride TV. “She has stuck by that boy through thick and thin. There’s been some tough days around the McBride place, but we always pull together when things get tough.”
Jill was pregnant with Addison, who’s now 12, toward the end of the 2005 season, while Justin was traveling and competing. She was then at home with a newborn when he was on the road again, taking care of their cows and horses in addition to raising their baby while Justin rode bulls.
“It is so nerve-wracking,” McBride said of watching her husband ride bulls. “I explained it back then as a rollercoaster ride, but I don’t even think it was that because at the end of a rollercoaster ride, you knew your ride was over. You knew what the outcome was. When he rode, you just never knew. I knew he could ride bulls, but you couldn’t guarantee how the bull was going to act. You can’t stop a bull from hurting anyone. So it was just always the unknown.”
McBride says she went through things she didn’t know she was capable of going through and did things she didn’t realize she was capable of doing. The difficult life of a bull rider’s wife pulled strength out of her she didn’t know she had.
Justin retired from riding in 2008 and now works as a color commentator for the 25th PBR: Unleash The Beast. He was inducted into the PBR’s Ring of Honor in 2009.
The pair later had a son, Jackson, now 8 years old, and Jill teaches Sunday school and coaches basketball. She’s worked hard to provide a solid home for her kids, a normal life and stability in the midst of a completely unstable sport.
“I joke around about it a lot, but she does everything,” Justin said. “I think (our kids) realize how good of a life they’ve got, but when they grow up they’ll understand just how much their mom cared and did for them, because really everything she does every day is about them.”
Jill is the ninth recipient of the Sharon Shoulders Award, joining the wives of some of the greatest riders in PBR history: Julie Carrillo, LeAnn Hart, Robyn Gaffney, Stacey Custer, Flavia Moraes, Jackie Dunn, Leanne Lambert and Tiffany Davis.
“It’s such an honor to be put into that group of women,” McBride said. “You can see with all their talents, the one thing that sticks out is just their determination, their strength that they have. I never pictured myself being in with that group of women, but it’s a really big honor.”
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Provezis, Staci
Staci Provezis
Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness
sprovez2@illinois.edu
Jonathan Swigart
jswigart@illinois.edu
Staci Provezis is the Associate Provost for Academic Effectiveness, ensuring that academic programs meet and exceed all regulatory requirements and are able to innovate to meet changing opportunities and priorities. She oversees the campus-wide academic program review process, is involved in campus and unit strategic planning initiatives and the campus accreditation process, and leads the university's learning outcomes assessment work.
Dr. Provezis previously served as Project Manager and Research Associate at the National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA). In addition to managing the Institute and collaborating on ongoing research efforts, she published institutional case studies and a NILOA occasional paper titled “Regional Accreditation and Student Learning Outcomes Assessment: Mapping the Territory.” Before joining NILOA, she was the Director of the Freshman Engineering Program at the University of Pittsburgh, where she oversaw all aspects of the program, including the first-year experience, recruitment and retention, and engaged in various planning and evaluation projects for the School of Engineering.
Staci presents regularly at international and national conferences on topics related to student learning outcomes assessment, accreditation, and institutional transparency. She was the keynote speaker for the Japanese National Institution for Academic Degrees and University Evaluation Conference in Tokyo, Japan, and for Marshall University’s Honors Convocation, where she was awarded the John Deaver Drinko Outstanding Achievement Award. She holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned both her M.A. and B.A. in English Literature from Marshall University.
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