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Category Archives: Islam
Zero Dark Thirty: My Shalom Rav Review
Finally saw Zero Dark Thirty yesterday. Here’s my review:
From an artistic point of view, I can say without hesitation that I was riveted by ZDT from beginning to end. Kathryn Bigelow is clearly one of our most talented American directors, particularly in her ability to construct a film with a palpable sense of documentary realism. In so many ways she, along with screenwriter Mark Boal, and her entire filmmaking team had me in the palm of their collective hand.
Which is why I also found ZDT to be a morally reprehensible piece of cinematic propaganda.
My experience of this film, among other things, was a profound reminder that movies have immense power to manipulate emotions and shape attitudes. I will readily admit that I found myself thoroughly caught up in the intensity of the CIA’s quest (embodied by character of the passionately driven agent “Maya”) to find and kill Usama Bin Laden. What can I say? For two and half hours, the film worked its magic on me. But when it was over, all I felt was dirty and ashamed. Sickened, actually, that I allowed myself to be seduced by what amounted to an insidious, if deeply sophisticated, revenge fantasy.
I use the word insidious very consciously here – particularly since the film purports to be a facts-driven portrayal of the CIA hunt for Bin Laden. In the very first frame, in fact, a title that tells us we are about to watch a film “based on firsthand accounts of actual events”. The next title we see are the words “September 11, 2001”. Then for at least a minute we listen to audio tapes of terrified 9/11 victims calling for help. One woman in the World Trade Center tells a 911 dispatcher that she is “burning up,” then says, crying, “I’m going to die aren’t I?” The dispatcher tells her to “stay calm” but there is no further answer. The last thing we hear is the dispatcher’s voice saying, “Oh my God…”
This is how the movie is framed from the outset: we are told we are watching a movie based on actual events, constructed from information gained from those who were there. We hear the very real voices of American citizens as they are being burned alive. Then we watch the “real-life” account of how the man responsible for their deaths was hunted down and killed by the CIA.
Listening to those terrified voices unsettled me to my core – but it was only after the movie was over that I realized how obscene their usage actually was. Why did the filmmakers choose to play these recordings? After all, aren’t the tragic events of 9/11 well-known to everyone in the world? If the filmmakers were really interested in making a dispassionate, non-fiction account of the hunt for Bin Laden, wouldn’t it have made more sense to start with the beginning of the hunt itself?
Indeed, Bigelow has been quoted as saying she used “a journalistic approach” to making this film and that “it doesn’t have an agenda, and it doesn’t judge.” This, of course, is hogwash. If Bigelow and Boal were interested in presenting a “values-free” docudrama, they certainly wouldn’t have manipulated viewers with the voices of civilians being burned alive. After hearing the terrified voices of actual victims, how could we not cheer the CIA on as it uses any means necessary to find and kill Bin Laden?
Much has been written about the infamous scene in which one tortured Al-Qaeda operative gives up the name of Bin Laden’s courier after having been beaten, waterboarded, sexually humiliated and stuffed into a tiny wooden box. The inclusion of this scene – along with numerous references to information gained from tortured detainees – has been rightly condemned by many who point out it has already been conclusively determined that the information that ultimately led to Bin Laden’s execution was not gained through the use of torture. By including these scenes, ZDT conveys the incorrect – and dangerous – impression that torture “works.” It’s a critical point to which I have nothing to add except to refer you to Glenn Greenwald’s excellent pieces on the subject.
Beyond this issue, ZDT is dangerous for an even more essential reason. As Peter Haas pointed out in a recent piece for the Atlantic, it represents a new genre of “entertainment” he calls “embedded filmmaking”:
The fundamental problem is that our government has again gotten away with offering privileged access to carefully selected individuals and getting a flattering story in return. Embeds, officially begun during the invasion of Iraq, are deeply troubling because not every journalist or filmmaker can get these coveted invitations (Seymour Hersh and Matt Taibbi are probably not on the CIA press office’s speed dial), and once you get one, you face the quandary of keeping a critical distance from sympathetic people whom you get to know and who are probably quite convincing. That’s the reason the embed or special invitation exists; the government does its best to keep journalists, even friendly ones, away from disgruntled officials who have unflattering stories to tell…
(The) new and odd rub in the case of Zero Dark Thirty is that the product of this privileged access is not just-the-facts journalism but a feature film that merges fact and fiction. An already problematic practice—giving special access to vetted journalists—is now deployed for the larger goal of creating cinematic myths that are favorable to the sponsoring entity (in the case of Zero Dark Thirty, the CIA). If the access that Boal and Bigelow received was in addition to access that nonfiction writers and documentarians received, I would be a bit less troubled, because at least the quotes in history’s first draft would be reliable, and that means a lot. But as it stands, we’re getting the myth of history before getting the actual history.
In other words, no matter how unsavory the protagonists behavior might be, no matter how “gritty” and “journalistic” the style, this is the CIA’s movie through and through.
In a more recent article, Greenwald pointed out the essential simplicity of ZDT’s world view:
All agents of the US government – especially in its intelligence and military agencies – are heroic, noble, self-sacrificing crusaders devoted to stopping The Terrorists; their only sin is all-consuming, sometimes excessive devotion to this task. Almost every Muslim and Arab in the film is a villainous, one-dimensional cartoon figure: dark, seedy, violent, shadowy, menacing, and part of a Terrorist network…
Other than the last scene in which the bin Laden house is raided, all of the hard-core, bloody violence is carried out by Muslims, with Americans as the victims. The CIA heroine dines at the Islamabad Marriott when it is suddenly blown up; she is shot at outside of a US embassy in Pakistan; she sits on the floor, devastated, after hearing that seven CIA agents, including one of her friends, a “mother of three”, has been killed by an Al Qaeda double-agent suicide-bomber at a CIA base in Afghanistan … Nobody is ever heard talking about the civilian-destroying violence brought to the world by the US.
The CIA and the US government are the Good Guys, the innocent targets of terrorist violence, the courageous warriors seeking justice for the 9/11 victims. Muslims and Arabs are the dastardly villains, attacking and killing without motive (other than the one provided by Bloomberg) and without scruples. Almost all Hollywood action films end with the good guys vanquishing the big, bad villain – so that the audience can leave feeling good about the world and themselves – and this is exactly the script to which this film adheres.
And in the end, that is what makes the technical and narrative brilliance of this film all the more pernicious. It creates the illusion of authenticity and truth when what we’re really watching is the CIA’s truth. One in which Bin Laden was never, once upon a time, an ally of the United States government. One in which “heroes” commit war crimes in secret locations in the furtherance of extra-judicial assassination. One that utterly ignores the realities of what the CIA’s civilian-destroying violence has wrought.
More than anything else, this is why I felt so very dirty after allowing myself to be entertained – and at times even moved – by Zero Dark Thirty.
This entry was posted in Afghanistan, Islam, Movies, Pakistan, Politics, Terrorism, War on January 21, 2013 by Rabbi Brant Rosen.
Standing Down Rep. Joe Walsh’s Islamophobic Bigotry
Shortly after a gunman killed six worshipers in a Wisconsin Sikh temple and a Joplin Missouri mosque was burned to the ground, Illinois Congressman Joe Walsh felt perfectly comfortable uttering incendiary anti-Muslim comments at a town hall meeting last Wednesday, warning that “there is a radical strain of Islam in this country…trying to kill Americans every week.” Offering no evidence or backup for his allegations, he continued: “It’s here. It’s in Elk Grove, it’s in Addison, it’s in Elgin. It’s here.”
Then he poured it on:
I’m looking for some godly men and women in the Senate, in the Congress, who will stand in the face of the danger of Islam in America without political correctness. Islam is not the peaceful, loving religion we hear about.
Shortly after Walsh’s town meeting remarks, pellet rifle shots were fired at a mosque in Morton Grove, IL.
I don’t know about a domestic “radical Islamic plot” but by now it should be abundantly clear that there is a deadly strain of Islamophobia in our country. In such a climate, I’d say it is the height of irresponsibility for public servants to issue remarks such as these.
It was my honor to stand, together with interfaith colleagues, with my good friends at CAIR – Chicago to express our outrage at Walsh’s sick bigotry (clip above). If you stand with us, please, please let Rep. Walsh know how you feel.
This entry was posted in Civil Rights, Fear, Human Rights, Interfaith, Islam, Politics, Terrorism on August 12, 2012 by Rabbi Brant Rosen.
The Sacred Handiwork of Poetry Pals
This past week I had the pleasure of visiting the Muslim Community Center school (MCC) in Morton Grove, IL to witness an inspiring session of Poetry Pals in action.
PP is a non-profit that brings children together from diverse and interfaith communities for partnership, expression and friendship through poetry, spoken word, music and art. At this particular workshop, fourth graders from MCC, Solomon Schecter Jewish Day School and Sacred Heart Catholic School gathered together in the MCC gym. After a brief learning session and tour from the principal, they came back together to get to know one another by engaging in a variety of creative poetry writing exercises.
So simple and yet so very powerful. With news about religious intolerance blaring at us from every corner, I wish I could start every day this way: watching children wearing hijabs, kippot and Catholic school uniforms talking, playing, laughing and writing poetry together. I am so grateful to PP founder (and JRC member) Donna Yates for inviting me to witness their sacred handiwork.
Local efforts such as Poetry Pals are eminently worthy of our support. Click here to do so.
This entry was posted in Christianity, Interfaith, Islam, Judaism, Poetry on December 9, 2011 by Rabbi Brant Rosen.
Massacre in Norway: “The Answer to Violence is Even More Democracy”
So much to say about Friday’s tragic massacre in Norway. Chief among them: the death (I hope) of our misguided assumptions that terrorism must necessarily = Islamism.
Much has been written about the immediate media speculation – most notably by the New York Times – that this attack was carried out by an Islamist terror group. As journalist Ahmed Moor correctly points out, these assumption reveal just how deeply this meme is ingrained in the American consciousness – one that cuts across right-left political lines.
I’m also in full agreement with Moor when he says the real “Clash of Civilizations” is not between the West and Islam, but between “normal, sane people of the world and the right-wing zealots who see doom, destruction, hellfire and God’s Will at every turn:”
Anders Behring Breivik, Mohammed Atta and Baruch Goldstein are all cut from the same rotten cloth. Anwar Al-Awlaki and Glenn Beck – the peddlers of the faith – all share the same core afflictions.
These men are insecure, violently inclined, and illiberal. The outside world scares them. They hate homosexuals and strong women. For them, difference is a source of insecurity. Their values are militarism, conformism, chauvinism and jingoism. Worst of all they seek to pressure us into compliance while they work frantically to destroy themselves – and the rest of us with them.
All indications are that the hate-mongers – who are on the same side of this war, irrespective of religion – are winning in America. The unreflective, superficial, wan editors of the NYT are an indication of just how successful the right wing has been at eviscerating the left.
Terror expert Robert Lambert actually warns that ultra-nationalists pose an even greater threat than al-Qaeda, citing a disturbing litany of European plots that were foiled before they were able to be carried out. (Of course, as the example of Timothy McVeigh tragically reminds us, we Americans should not be so blase as to assume ultra-nationalist terror is only a European problem.)
What should be our response? I can think of none better than that of Norway’s Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg. (Oh, would that we had heard these kinds of words from President Bush following 9/11):
This is a message from all of Norway: You will not destroy us. You will not destroy our democracy or our quest for a better world. ..This night we will comfort each other, talk with each other and stand together. Tomorrow we will show the world that Norway’s democracy grows stronger when it is challenged…
We must never cease to stand up for our values. We have to show that our open society can pass this test too, and that the answer to violence is even more democracy, even more humanity, but never naivete. This is what we owe to the victims and to those they hold dear.
May the memory of the victims be for a blessing.
This entry was posted in Current Events, Islam, Terrorism on July 25, 2011 by Rabbi Brant Rosen.
Mark Stroman Executed: The “Mission of Reconciliation” Lives On…
Postscript to my July 11 post, “Rais Bhuiyan and the Power of Forgiveness:”
A federal district judge in Austin rejected Bhuiyan’s request for a stay of execution on Wednesday afternoon. His lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court, where Justice Antonin Scalia turned it down. Mark Stroman was executed this past Wednesday.
Columnist Tony Norman, writing today in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
Sometimes the best Christians are the ones who pray to Allah.
Deep in the heart of the Christian republic of Texas, a Muslim immigrant from Bangladesh named Rais Bhuiyan waged a futile legal battle to spare the life of the man who tried to kill him a decade ago…
Though his partner in forgiveness is dead, Mr. Bhuiyan continues to take the mission of reconciliation seriously. Maybe one day he’ll find a Christian or two in Texas who take it seriously, too.
I would only add that we all struggle to realize the sacred mission of reconciliation seriously, whether we are Christian, Muslim or Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or Jain – and whether we live in Texas, California, New York or Illinois.
Thank you, Rais Bhuiyan. You are a true spiritual teacher for us all.
This entry was posted in Capital Punishment, Human Rights, Interfaith, Islam on July 22, 2011 by Rabbi Brant Rosen.
Rais Bhuiyan and the Power of Forgiveness
Extraordinary.
Click above to see the story of Rais Bhuiyan, a Bangladeshi Muslim man who was shot and grievously wounded during a post-9/11 shooting spree.
You may remember that immediately following the attacks on September 11, a white supremacist named Mark Stroman shot and killed two men: Waqar Hasan, a Pakistani on September 15 and Vasudev Patel, an immigrant from India, on October 4. Bhuiyan was the only one to survive this rampage – he was shot and wounded on September 21. All of the attacks took place in Dallas gas stations and convenience stores.
The powerful twist to this story: Bhuiyan has forgiven Stroman, and is now pleading for a stay of his execution, which is scheduled to take place on July 20.
From Bhuiyan’s website, “World Without Hate:”
There are three reasons I feel this way. The first is because of what I learned from my parents. They raised me with the religious principle that he is best who can forgive easily. The second reason is because of what I believe as a Muslim, which is that human lives are precious and that no one has the right to take another human’s life. In my faith, forgiveness is the best policy and Islam doesn’t allow for hate and killing. And, finally, I seek solace for the wives and children of Mr. Hasan and Mr. Patel, who are also victims in this tragedy. Executing Stroman is not what they want, either. They have already suffered so much; it will only cause more suffering if he is executed.
In another extraordinary twist to this story, Mark Stroman himself has become the subject of a documentary that Israeli filmmaker Ilan Ziv has been working on for the past seven years.
Ziv:
Following a confessed killer and a self-described racist seemed like an odd choice for a film, let alone for a film that would take years to make. But there was something in Mark that caught my attention. There was something beyond the facade of tattoos and the “red neck” talk. Even seven years ago I could detect certain vulnerabilities, warmth and intelligence that did not fit the image of a serial killer, “a monster” as the prosecutor tried to portray him.
Over the years I interviewed Mark’s relatives, friends and his victims but most of all I kept in touch with Mark. I helped him out when I could, corresponded with him. and visited him a few times with a camera but many more times without.
I created a website, Execution Chronicles, where Mark began to post weekly blogs. In the past 3 years, Mark posted over 151 blogs, which are a testimony to his growth and development. In retrospect, what seemed odd at the time has paid off. Mark as changed considerably and has become quite thoughtful and insightful about his own past and racist views.
I’ve been fairly open about my faith in the healing power of forgiveness – as well as my moral views on the death penalty. I urge you to join me in signing Rais Bhuiyan’s petition to Texas governor Rick Perry to grant a stay of execution to Mark Stroman. I do believe that ending yet another life will only magnify further the hate and violence that has marked this tragic story. Bhiuyan and Ziv are showing us a different way – we’d do well to follow their moral example.
(h/t: Anya Cordell)
Fighting for Religious Inclusion in New Jersey
So proud of my friend and colleague Rabbi Elliott Tepperman for helping lead the charge toward religious inclusion in New Jersey!
From the New Jersey Jewish News:
Motivated by what he called “the Jewish obligation to welcome the stranger,” Rabbi Elliott Tepperman of Montclair is leading a drive to support the building of an Islamic cultural center in Bridgewater, a plan that has met with strong opposition from some of its neighbors…
In a Feb. 18 e-mail letter cowritten by Tepperman and cosigned by 20 other rabbis, one cantor, and five rabbinical students, the religious leader of the Reconstructionist Bnai Keshet synagogue called on the people of Bridgewater “to affirm their commitment to religious freedom and to seriously consider options that would allow for the building of this mosque within its borders.”
…To Tepperman, land-use issues pose “a reasonable question. I know one has to be careful with that because often potentially legitimate concerns are pushed up against much less legitimate concerns. In one breath, people say things very much deserving of consideration, like parking. Then, in the next breath, they say, ‘And we’re concerned if it might be a terrorist organization.’ When I hear those things side-by-side it makes me very suspicious that parking is not the main concern and the concerns are primarily being fueled by prejudiced assumptions about Muslims.”
This entry was posted in Fear, Interfaith, Islam, Religion, Terrorism on February 24, 2011 by Rabbi Brant Rosen.
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Railway Station Codes List - The Profusion of Detail for Your Comfortable Journey
People who want to travel in trains should book tickets, which requires them to mention the names of the stations they board and get down after the journey. Nowadays instead of the name, the railway station codes are given. The first three letters of the station are usually taken as the station code. But when there are more than two stations in which the first letters are the same, then letters from other parts of the name are also taken. You can find the station codes from the Railway Station codes list. Here the name of the station and the code is given.
Many of the station codes have very noticeable connections with the names of the stations they represent. AGC-Agra Cantonment, ALD-Allahabad, etc., are some examples. There are others which have not much connection with the stations they represent. Some of the 2 or 3 letter codes of the stations whose names have only four letters are changed to four-letter codes. So the name of the station itself is the code. For example the station code of Pune was earlier PA and now it is PUNE. GYA is now changed to GAYA, PUI to PURI and KTT to KOTA.
The Railway Station codes list is available online on the official website of Indian Railways and also on the website of IRCTC. Other than that you can directly go to the railway station to make enquiries, or contact the call centers, wherein the customer care executives will help you in getting the station codes.
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New Horizons – 12 Constant movement
04 Tuesday Oct 2016
Posted by rajivawijesinha in New Horizons
≈ Comments Off on New Horizons – 12 Constant movement
Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei, Battambang, Cambodia, Cu Chi tunnels, Danang, Europe, Grand Hotel, Hanoi, Henri Mouhot, Ho Chi Minh city, Hoi An, Khmer Rouge, Kim Do Hotel, King Sihanouk, Laos, Luang Prabang, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Ta Prohm, Vientiane, Vietcong, Vietnam
Most of my foreign travel during this period was to French Indo-China, with which I had fallen in love after my first trip to Cambodia in 1991. I had friends in Phnom Penh as well as Hanoi, with whom I could stay as long as I liked, writing and reading, while going off on excursions.
I had been to Vietnam way back in 1984, but only to Hanoi where a great friend was Deputy at the Australian Embassy there. But I only got to Ho Chi Minh city in 1991, when I stayed at the Kim Do Hotel, and even crawled into the Cu Chi tunnels where the Vietcong had hidden in its extraordinary overcoming of the Americans. I thought I was stuck, and nearly developed claustrophobia but the guide saw me out.
That year I went to Laos too for the first time, and loved Vientiane, the most laid back capital in the world, with a fountain with coloured lights as its centre. From there I flew up to Luang Prabang, the return journey being in a tiny old Russian plane, which brought the jungles below incredibly close. Luang Prabang was magic, lovely old temples where young monks played in the courtyards and seemed terribly pleased to talk for hours with anyone who knew English. I went to the beautiful wooden Royal Palace, and had a river trip by myself past lovely waterfalls. It was also nice to enter into the spirit of the place, seeing an old Western film in the decrepit theatre where youngsters came to smoke cigarettes.
In 1991 I also went back to Hanoi, and walked round the little lake I had loved back in 1984. It was much more tranquil than the lake in Cambodia, where the guide who had picked me up on a motorbike and stuck with me for the rest of my stay, and also future visits, took me to see the taxi girls who thronged the boat restaurants.
They would walk round the boat in a circle past the diners’ tables, doing the hand dance I was told was characteristic of the Khmer culture. They invited one to get up and dance with them, and Lundy as my guide claimed he was called (born on a Monday he said) persuaded me to join them, claiming they would be hurt if I kept refusing. He then burst into peals of laughter, since it seemed that that was how one chose one’s companion for the night. I was rather sad, when I went back a decade later, to be told that Hun Sen had sold the lake and the taxi girls no longer danced there. But I am sure they were performing with the same verve, for much greater profit, somewhere else.
In 1991 the highlight of my journey had been Angkor Wat, one of the greatest sights I have seen. I was very lucky for it was still uncrowded, and there were only three people in my group. We stayed at the old Grand Hotel, decrepit now but beautiful and evocative of the flamboyant days of King Sihanouk. And I was lucky too in my guide, who was the only old one left, the others having been killed by the Khmer Rouge which distrusted anyone who knew too much. He described how he had fled into the mountains and stayed in hiding for many years.
He was fantastic, and decided to indulge me when I explored behind a statue and fell into a deep pit. I did get scolded when they finally managed to haul me up, but he then decided that I deserved to see more, and even took me out at dawn the next day to see the sunrise from the roof of one of the buildings, a privilege that I cannot imagine being extended to the tourists who now flood the place. When I went back to Angkor Wat a decade later I made it a point to see Mr Huy, who still remembered me. I also went out on that occasion to the older temple at Banteay Srei which was exquisite, and had very few visitors. But the main sites were hopelessly crowded, including Ta Prohm which had been left unreconstructed so that trees grew out of the temples. Back in 1991 it had been deserted, a couple of soldiers looking forlorn when one left a site at sunset, and I imagined fearful too, because they could not be sure the Khmer Rouge had quite gone away. In those days one could imagine the amazement of Henri Mouhot when he came across such marvels in the jungles way back in 1860.
It was only in 1994 though that I saw the equivalent glories of Vietnam. They were of much later provenance, for the Vietnamese had only established a grand empire a couple of hundred years previously. The imperial capital Hue then had its heyday only in the 19th century, but it was glorious enough, the range of imperial tombs, including the magical Tiger Garden. One had to get to the different tombs by river, my boat being paddled by a youngster barely in his teens, who was an expert however and willing to wait ages while I explored the different tombs, only getting impatient when I was detained longer than I should have been, exploring unexpected nooks and crannies in the Tiger Garden. On that trip I went down too to Danang, famous during the Vietnam War, and to the old Portuguese trading centre of Hoi An.
Most on that journey was by train, but I also did much travel by road in those parts, including in 1991 to Ho Chi Minh City by bus from Phnom Penh, with numerous halts to unload what I thought must have been contraband. A year later I did the trip in the car of the travel agent who had first looked after me in Phnom Penh in 1991 and with whom I maintained contact for years. And early in 1994 I crossed to Thailand from Cambodia at a border crossing reserved for natives, after going up to Battambang, Cambodia’s second city, in a shared taxi with Lundy, by now my constant guide in the country.
I had met him on my second day in Phnom Penh in 1991, when he picked me up outside the old Royal Hotel when I was walking back from Wat Phnom. He was on a motorbike on which he was game to go anywhere, including in later years several kilometres north to some of the old Khmer sites. When I came back In 1992 I could not find him though I took another motorbike out to his village, to be told that he had gone away. But on January 1st the next year, after seeing the New Year in with champagne overlooking the Victory Monument along with a British friend, I found him in his village. Back in Phnom Penh he showed me how to find his sister’s house in the city, though in later years I had to go down to Sihanoukville to see him, for he had become a lieutenant of police there.
It was a year later that he took me to the border at Poipet. The guards on either side hardly looked at me, assuming that I was a native of Cambodia. But my host in Bangkok, the Australian Deputy Head of Mission, told me I would be in great trouble unless I got myself regularized at the immigration office. That took much time, and involved some drama when the chap in charge said he would have to arrest me. But he calmed down, realizing perhaps that I had no intention of offering a bribe, and in the end had my passport duly stamped, so I was able to leave.
I went back regularly too to England and Europe. While I was at Jayewardenepura the British Council kindly paid for me to go to Leeds to attend a Conference on Commonwealth Literature, and the European Commonwealth Literature Association took me to their triennial conferences in Oviedo in Spain and Tubingen in Germany. In between they also had me to smaller conferences in Freiburg and Aachen, for which I duly produced papers. All this permitted me also to see old friends and new places, including Barcelona, which was magnificient with its Picassos and the crazy Gaudi buildings. From Leeds I went to see my old Senior Tutor, in retirement and drinking too much, which was a salutary lesson in how not to grow old. In Andorra, on the other hand, Andrew, who was younger than me, had evidently invested satisfactorily, and married a wonderful cook, which suggested how to age gracefully.
Despite all this travelling, and an intense schedule in Sri Lanka too, I found the little time I spent at home wearying. It made sense, I realized, to get away, before my mother and I irritated each other beyond measure. My father, understanding how bad things were, and I think sympathizing with my feelings, provided an answer. He had taken on the responsibility for the servant of his old friend W J Fernando, who had left his house in Suleiman Terrace to the servant’s twin sons. They were very small at the time, and their father had died young, so my father essentially kept them going, having provided them with a tenant for the main part of the house.
This was Mrs Baker, the wife of my old British Council boss, Rex. They had spent four years in Bombay, after their stint in Colombo, and when he retired she decided to embark on a career in designing jewellery in Sri Lanka. Rex, the most tolerant and intelligent of men, remarked that he understood that Maj Britt needed to fulfil herself after having spent years as a dutiful Council wife. So he let her stay on when he went back to England, coming out regularly himself in the winter months while she went back for the summer. In between she pursued her profession, and he travelled widely, visiting his children who were in various parts of the world and all the places he had kept on his list to see on retirement.
Maj Britt decided however in 1996 to find anotherplace, and my father therefore let me move to Suleiman Terrace, which was blissful. It was a short enough trishaw ride to the UGC, and near enough to Nirmali’s for me to walk there when I had work or needed feeding. A good half of the month of course was spent in wandering the country on GELT work, and also on visiting lectures at the former AUCs which had now been transformed into universities. Codipilly would provide transport, because I had told the UGC Chairman that I could not cope with his drivers, who were rarely on time, and refused to carry the books I had to distribute to GELT Centres. Tilakaratna, who was a very practical man, told me that it would be much cheaper for the UGC for me to hire a vehicle for which they would pay mileage.
It was certainly cheap for them, for they paid much less per mile than Codipilly charged, but I was able to combine my journeys with project work so I was not much out of pocket. By now I was used to Kithsiri, and found it irritating when occasionally Codipilly sent another driver, though in fact they were all extremely obliging. On one occasion I certainly could not object, for Kithsiri got married, in the middle of 1996, to his longstanding girlfriend. I had reason to be thankful to the family because once, when we found the Teldeniya Resthouse full, they had put me up in their home nearby, where her younger brothers obligingly drew water from a freezing well for me to bathe. The younger of them, a couple of years later, developed a torrid affair with a girl from Kithsiri’s village, which culminated in an elopement.
Kithsiri got on extremely well with the relations I stayed with in the course of my travels, my aunt Ena at Aluwihare, my father’s brother and his wife down at Getamanna, Derrick and Ayra Nugawela in Kandy. Ena of course approved thoroughly of the family’s romantic escapades, in particular the elopement, and assured Kithsiri, reasoning from what had happened in her own case, that all would be well when a baby appeared. This duly proved to be the case. She approved also of Kithsiri’s driving, which was a great thing because it meant he was acceptable at Yala and Wasgamuwa, which we went to frequently in those days.
Ceylon Today 24 Sept 2016 – http://www.ceylontoday.lk/print20160701CT20161030.php?id=6060
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Good News! You Can Actually Sue Your Marriage’s Homewrecker In These States!
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Moriah Gill, July 12, 2019 11:24 am
Instagram/@MirandaLambert
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Country star Miranda Lambert celebrated Valentine’s Day weekend with the announcement that she secretly got married.
A representative for the singer confirmed the marriage after Lambert posted photos on social media Saturday showing her in a white lace gown with her new husband, Brendan Mcloughlin. She wrote that in honor of Valentine’s Day, she wanted to share that she “met the love of my life. And we got hitched!”
In honor of Valentine’s Day I wanted to share some news. I met the love of my life. And we got hitched! My heart is full. Thank you Brendan Mcloughlin for loving me for…. me. ❤️ #theone
A post shared by Miranda Lambert (@mirandalambert) on Feb 16, 2019 at 2:41pm PST
It’s unclear when the marriage occurred.
The two-time Grammy winner was previously married to country star Blake Shelton, but she hadn’t spoken publicly about her relationship with Mcloughlin before Saturday. The Texas-born singer who is also a member of the group Pistol Annies has had hits with songs like “The House That Built Me,” ”White Liar,” ”Mama’s Broken Heart,” and “Gunpowder and Lead.”
Watch: The 10 Best Miranda Lambert Videos
About the author: Associated Press
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Our teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. We provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands.
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Constantine: City of Demons – The Movie
DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews
Editor’s Note: Warner Bros Home Entertainment provided me with a free copy of the Blu-ray I reviewed in this entry. The opinions I share are my own.
When John Constantine first appeared on the comics scene back in 1984, I wasn’t reading Saga of the Swamp Thing regularly, but checking out issues that a friend of mine had. However, I immediately fell in love with the cheeky bastard and can honestly say that he’s my favorite DC character. When Jamie Delano and John Ridgway launched Hellblazer in ’88, though, I was there, and stayed current up through the end of Garth Ennis’ first run (all 85 of those first issues are still in my collection). Ennis returned for issues 129-133 and then another of my favorite writers, Warren Ellis, did a turn (#134-143), before leaving after editorial meddling in the wake of the Columbine school shooting. I didn’t come back to the series until Peter Milligan took over the book for issues 250 through the final issue, #300.
Basically what I’m saying is that I am a Hellblazer superfan and the series has had a number of talented writers and artists taking turns telling gut-wrenching stories of occult horror, both in the series and in free-standing specials and mini-series. The series has always attracted the best and brightest in the industry, and in 2011, Si Spencer and the amazing artist Sean Murphy crafted a gory and violent tale called Hellblazer: City of Demons.
Parallel to the beginnings of Constantine, from 1985 to 1987, acclaimed writer J.M. DeMatteis teamed up with artists extraordinaire, Jon J. Muth, Kent Williams, and George Pratt to craft one of the most inspiring and influential comic book series that I’ve ever read: Moonshadow. Moonshadow was the first fully painted American comic book and its twelve issues were later collected into a single hardback (in 1989), which sits in a spot of honor on my shelf to this day. DeMatteis also worked with Kent Williams on another fully-painted series called Blood, which, according to IMDB, is on its way to being adapted as an animated film.
Taking a leap from there, from 2014 to 2015 NBC aired a single season of a live-action Constantine series. Welsh actor Matt Ryan was cast and from that moment on, nobody has pictured Keanu Reeves as the iconic sorcerer. Despite the series being canceled, Ryan has since turned up over on the CW, reviving Constantine in the Arrowverse and has joined the cast of Legends of Tomorrow’s new season. In the meantime, he also voiced Constantine in the Warner Bros. animated film Justice League Dark. This, in turned spawned the animated web-series on CW Seed, Constantine: City of Demons, of which only the first five six-minute episodes were released. Rather than release the rest to the internet, it has now been released as a full-length DC Animated Movie Universe release – their fifth R-rated feature.
Why all of this history of my comic and television tastes? Because J.M. DeMatteis is the writer of the animated film Constantine: City of Demons (although it doesn’t really share much actual story with the original mini by Spencer and Murphy, instead taking major inspiration from Mike Carey and Leonardo Manco’s 2005 original graphic novel, Hellblazer: All His Engines, and Jamie Delano’s Hellblazer #11 (1988), “Newcastle: A Taste of Things to Come”). DeMatteis writing my favorite DC character, voiced by the one and only John Constantine, Matt Ryan, is kind of a no-brainer for me. I’m immersed in this shit.
So trust me when I tell you that City of Demons is a solid entry in the ongoing adventures of Matt Ryan’s interpretation of John Constantine. Sure, the animated version isn’t really in the same continuity as the NBC/CW version, but they share the same DNA and Ryan has made this role his own. As far as I’m concerned, he can play the character for the rest of his life and I’ll be happy.
The basic story is thus: Constantine’s old mate Chas resurfaces after a ten year absence from John’s life to ask for help. His daughter has fallen into a coma, and Chas smells the stink of dark magic on her (in All His Engines, it was Chas’ granddaughter in the coma). So John and Chas fly to L.A. and get caught up in a demonic plot to essentially franchise Hell. This, ultimately, ties back to the seminal Constantine tragic adventure in Newcastle, where John’s cockiness cost the soul of a little girl and shaped who he would become over the rest of his life (coming straight from Delano’s “Newcastle” issue).
The story earns its R-rating with extreme gore and violence, along with some swearing and adult situations. It handles the material in a much more mature and satisfying manner than Suicide Squad: Hell to Pay did, that’s for sure. DeMatteis’ script pays a lot of attention to character as well as to the nightmarish gore (including some ghastly things that they probably couldn’t have gotten away with in any other medium) and sticks the landing in a way that’s much more tragic and satisfying than the ending of All His Engines.
If you’re a fan of John Constantine, and in particular, of Matt Ryan’s take on the rake, then you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.
The Sorcerer’s Occultist: Understanding John Constantine – This featurette ostensibly is a history of the character by City of Demons director Doug Murphy, producer Butch Lukic, executive producer David Goyer, and occult expert Jason Louv, author of John Dee and the Empire of Angels (2018). Unfortunately, this one disappoints, as it spends more time on discussing magic as a real practice – although not in enough detail to be interesting – than it does on Constantine. There are glimmers of insight into the character’s history, but it was decidedly lacking in representation by any of the plethora of writers and artists who could have brought some insight.
I would have loved to hear from Delano about the origins of the Newcastle story, or from Carey about All His Engines. There’s some real potential for discussion around this character and the original Hellblazer series, from its politics, its environmentalism, the way it pushed the boundaries of what stories American comics were capable of telling, to even the simple fact that the character aged in real time for that original 300 issue run.
All in all, this was an opportunity missed.
Constantine: City of Demons WonderCon Panel – This was a nice little bit of fun as we get a chance to see Peter Girardi (from Warner Bros. digital division), Matt Ryan, and J.M. DeMatteis talk a bit about the process of bringing the series to life, from script to screen. The only disappointment here is that DeMatteis doesn’t get any questions from the fans at the end of the panel. What the hell, people?
ConstantineConstantine: City of DemonsDC Animated Movie UniverseHellblazerMatt RyanPaul Brian McCoyThe CWWarner Bros.
Lost in Translation 269: RoboCop the Animated Series
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Toobin writes: "Donald Trump may be imperilled by the ever-growing number of investigations into various avenues of his conduct, but his agenda continues apace at the Supreme Court."
In recent years, conservatives have contrived ways to obtain government money for religious entities, and the Supreme Court has been more sympathetic to the lawyers representing them. (photo: Mark Wilson/Getty)
The Supreme Court Is Quietly Changing the Status of Religion in American Life
By Jeffrey Toobin, The New Yorker
onald Trump may be imperilled by the ever-growing number of investigations into various avenues of his conduct, but his agenda continues apace at the Supreme Court. There, the President’s appointees and their allies are making quiet progress on another key goal of his political base: transforming the place of religion in American life. The changes involve both religion clauses of the First Amendment—the one that prohibits the “establishment” of a state religion and the one that guarantees the “free exercise” of Americans’ faiths. The short version of what’s going on is that the establishment clause is out, and the free-exercise clause is in.
During the past several decades, the Court has defined the establishment clause to limit the ability of churches and other religious institutions to receive subsidies from taxpayer funds. The receipt of government money, after all, defines a state religion. But, in recent years, conservatives have contrived various means to obtain access to government money for religious entities, such as schools, and the lawyers representing them are receiving an ever more sympathetic hearing at the Court.
The key recent precedent came in 2017, when the Justices held that Missouri was obligated to offer financial grants for the resurfacing of a playground at a parochial school, if the state was going to make the same grants available to public schools. In Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “The exclusion of Trinity Lutheran from a public benefit for which it is otherwise qualified, solely because it is a church, is odious to our Constitution all the same, and cannot stand.” The logic of this argument, of course, could extend to virtually every expense incurred by religious schools; if public schools are obligated to request state funds for textbooks, transportation, and teacher salaries, then the government should pay for those at religious schools as well. And that’s the way the law is heading.
Last week, three Justices found a way for churches to gain access to government funds. The Court declined to hear Morris County v. Freedom from Religion Foundation, a case in which the New Jersey Supreme Court had held that churches could not receive government funds allocated to programs for the preservation of historic buildings. But Justice Brett Kavanaugh, joined by Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito, argued that depriving churches of these funds amounted to discrimination on the basis of religion. (They did agree with their colleagues, though, that there were procedural issues with the case that made it unsuitable for Supreme Court review at this time.) As Kavanaugh wrote, “Governmental discrimination against religion—in particular, discrimination against religious persons, religious organizations, and religious speech—violates the Free Exercise Clause.”
What the conservatives are doing, in effect, is reading the establishment clause out of the Constitution, and turning almost every issue into a free-exercise case. In this reading, any denial of government benefits to a church can be seen as discrimination which amounts to a denial of free exercise—and the conservatives are making the same move with respect to individuals. Conservatives now cite the free-exercise clause to allow religious people to exempt themselves from obligations that are binding on all other citizens. This currently comes up most often in the context of people who want to discriminate against gay people as an expression of their religious beliefs.
The Court first engaged with this issue in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. In 2018, the Justices affirmed the right of a baker in Lakewood, Colorado, to refuse, on religious grounds, to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. The Court’s opinion, one of the last written by Justice Anthony Kennedy before he retired, did not directly address the rights of shopkeepers to keep out gay customers, but other business owners have taken up the baker’s cause. Around the country, florists, printers, photographers, videographers, and calligraphers have sought to exclude gay and lesbian customers on religious grounds. Several of these cases are working their way through the courts, and one will probably reach the Supreme Court in the next year or two.
The Supreme Court rarely moves in great leaps to new positions. Cases show how the Court’s majority is moving, and the decisions, over time, generally trend in the same direction. When it comes to religion, the Court’s direction is clear—and Trump’s core supporters have every reason to be pleased with it.
+31 # chrisconno 2019-03-07 22:57
What about my free exercise? My free exercise to have my tax dollars not be used to promote a religion I find nothing about it believable. I don't believe in the holy inquisition 's right to decide what I want the children to be inculcated with. I don't want the children to be the haters the religious right seems to 'believe' is their right to force down our throats. Their god is no god I can believe in.
+9 # Robbee 2019-03-08 16:34
Quoting chrisconno:
I don't want the children to be the haters the religious right seems to 'believe' is their right to force down our throats.
- jess has nothing to do with christian religion
ask a preacher what would jesus do? - and he'll just screw it up!
the religious right is full of hate - pence is the anti-christ!
don't blake god? god has nothing to do with it!
no one ever got the bum deal jesus got from so-called rligion>
+30 # chemtex2611 2019-03-08 00:31
The justices are setting a dangerous precedent moving in the opposite direction from the majority of the public. It is only a small part of the religious community that wants to suck the government teat, most do not.
It is doubtful that the Supreme Court will be as solicitous of religious beliefs if the organizations at the center are Muslim, Bhuddist, or Shinto.
Moreover, there is still a large number of church goers who remember and keep the 10 Commandments. They were the leaders of the last pivot away from the Moral Majority. Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh may be SC justices, but there is still the shadow of prurient activity every time they speak or are noticed by the media -- this will never be forgotten by women and a majority of men.
+28 # USADUDE 2019-03-08 01:48
So can the non religious discriminate against the religious if it offends their non religiousness? I mean if the religious can discriminate why can’t atheists? What’s good for the hypochristians should be good for the Goose and Gander, no?
+23 # tedrey 2019-03-08 07:40
Will the Supreme Court demand that money be used to give subsidies to Muslim organizations? I doubt it. What about Scientology?
When the Court says "religious", they mean "Biblical" exclusively. That's their goal. Wait and see.
-12 # Rodion Raskolnikov 2019-03-08 09:53
Toobin -- "The receipt of government money, after all, defines a state religion."
No it does not. This is just an overbroad and false statement. It is the premise of Toobin's whole argument and it is false.
If what Toobin says were true, then all people who receive social security, medicare, child tax credits would be "state" controlled agencies. The fact is simply that nowadays, governments fund and support just about everything.
In my career, I have received dozens of federal research grants for all kinds of work in communities. I have never been an established state agency.
Churches and religious groups do a lot of social work. Some of it is not to my taste but they do have the support of other people. We live in a diverse culture. There are people who want their kids to go to a Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, or whatever summer camp. The government often provides funding so that these camps meet health and safety standards that all kids benefit from. That's the case with the state support for resurfacing the playground.
I think Toobin is just blowing smoke here. Government funding goes into every aspect of our lives today. It does not define a "state religion" or a state controlled agency of any sort.
The National Science Foundation gives about $85 billion dollars a year to all manner of projects that enhance our knowledge. I've received several of these grants. I'm not a state established anything. I try to do good and useful work.
+15 # economagic 2019-03-08 13:29
Are you arguing that federal funding of restoration of church buildings is consistent with the establishment clause? If so, why not the construction of church buildings de novo? I see this as a gray area, and I see such actions by radical Christian extremists (sic), including cases such as Masterpiece Cakeshop and the Hobby Lobby case, as a blatant effort to exert influence on laws and the government that certainly is NOT consistent with the establishment clause.
-2 # Rodion Raskolnikov 2019-03-08 15:07
I see it as a gray area, too. Governments grant "historic status" to some buildings and that impacts zoning and use of the buildings. For those reasons, governments often spend some money on building maintenance.
There is no doubt that religious groups to try to exert influence on the US government. It is gray. It depends on the nature of the influence.
The US government is the central sustainer of the Israel which does have an established religion and which discriminates against members of other religions. Israel is a "Jewish" state in ways the US will never be a "Christian" state -- even though some people want it to be this way.
How can the US regime support Israel with an established religion.
Funding building, playing fields, and other material things is really not funding a religion. These are just material things.
As you say, it is gray.
But the fact is that the real rulers of the US are Anglo-Christian s. They will never allow a Jew, a Muslim, a Hindu, etc. to be president. There is an established religion and it has nothing to de with federal expenditures.
I don't think you read my comment carefully. The ONLY thing I said I thought was a gray area was the specific case involving federal funds to renovate a church building, and I personally would consider it over the line. I was NOT including in the gray area the Masterpiece Cakeshop and the Hobby Lobby case, which involved the alleged "right" of the owner of a business ostensibly open to the public to refuse to sell its goods or services to certain sectors of the public.
0 # Rodion Raskolnikov 2019-03-09 07:27
OK. your point stimulated me to think of other areas.
I said that in some cases I would support government funds going into renovating a church building -- if the building was of significant historical importance. But not for usual church use.
0 # Diane_Wilkinson_Trefethen_aka_tref 2019-03-10 14:50
Quoting economagic:
Are you arguing that federal funding of restoration of church buildings is consistent with the establishment clause? If so, why not the construction of church buildings de novo? I see this as a gray area. . .
The reason you see this as a “gray area” is that you have made the mistake of confusing government declared historical status with a church’s own declaration of historical status.
If the government bestows historical status on a building, then regardless of who owns that building, it is then that government’s responsibility to maintain it. However, if a religious sect declares that its church is an historical building, then it is that sect’s responsibility to maintain it. The issue is not who built it or who owns it. The issue is whether the building has been declared an historical site by the government.
0 # laborequalswealth 2019-03-11 08:41
I usually find your comment spot on, RR, but on this one you are way off base.
Here's the point: These churches, synagogues and mosque teach beliefs that I find absolutely morally abhorent. Why should MY tax dollars go to support beliefs that e.g. want to deprive my wonderful step-daughter, her wife, and their adorable son of their right to even be a family???????
If someone wants to believe something completely divorsed from reality, fine. But don't use MY money to do it and certainly don't give them my money when they use it to try to destroy the lives of people I love.
fake jesus?
you know - the onee who is not a socialist?
the one who lives by the golden rule?
The problem is not so much the fake conservatism practiced by vandals such as the Federalist Society and other organizations claiming to promote "classical liberalism" as it is the "either-or," "black or white" mentality. Members of a religious body are entitled to practice their beliefs so long as they do not violate civil law. They are also entitles to maintain and rehabilitate historic buildings they own.
But they are no more entitled to public funds to do so than they are entitled to public funds to build new buildings. Today they can also solicit funding from the public at large.
Groups and individuals that claim to be promoting "classical liberalism" are actually claiming that innovations that were indeed liberating 300 years ago (such as "free markets" and corporations) are still liberal in the same sense today, when in fact they have become today's tyrannies.
+9 # Porfiry 2019-03-08 11:05
As a life-long Christian and clergyperson of nearly 60 years, I am horrified by these developments. When a particular point of religious views is supported by the government, that religious point of view starts to control the government -- and the government starts to control it. By the way, I am a beneficiary of the "free exercise" portion of the amendment. I served 18 years as a New York State chaplain in an institution for mentally retarded people. The rational was that, since these folk were prevented from free exercise of their faith by being removed from society, the state was obligated to provide such services. Thus also military and prison chaplains.
+2 # Rodion Raskolnikov 2019-03-08 15:11
Do you object to "in God we Trust" on US money. Or the court room oath to "tell the truth so help me God." Or how about politicians being sworn into office with their hands on the Bible. There are very many instances where religion and the state are intertwined.
To me, the establishment clause pertains to the government's direct discrimination against individuals who do not belong to the state established religion. There are many such states: Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and so on. I don't see this as a problem in the US.
There are religious schools that only members of their religion, but they are not public schools.
+3 # economagic 2019-03-08 21:21
I can't speak for Porfiry, but I DO object to all of the religious imagery and observances in our civic life. I tolerate them because I consider tolerance of foolishness that does not rise to a certain level of oppression or danger to the "general welfare" to be a virtue.
Clearly the Founders, most of whose ancestors were from the British Isles, had Henry VIII's Church of England in mind when they penned the establishment clause. They did not state in the Bill of Rights precisely what it meant, though their other writings would surely contain some clues. I suspect most of them would have distinguished between their Deism and "religion." But I suspect that some of them, while possibly accepting the funding of church buildings and even some church functions by local government, would have objected to such acts by the national government. And suspect that MOST of them would have objected to the discrimination countenanced by SCOTUS in the two cases mentioned above. They knew in their bones that "free trade" would be the lifeblood of the new nation. After all, they had signed the Declaration of Independence a few years earlier, in the same year that Adam Smith's famous "Inquiry" was published! Coincidentally it was also the year the Industrial Revolution really got up steam, with the introduction of James Watt's first commercial steam engine.
+7 # lfeuille 2019-03-08 22:32
Yes. I do object to it and all other government expression of religious sentiment.
The Bible isn't required for swearing in ceremonies. Some use the Koran. Others have used the constitution.
The establishment clause cannot mean what you say because there is no "established religion" in the US so why would the constitution protect people who don't belong to something that doesn't exist.
Religious schools are fine as long as they don't receive any state money. Religious charter schools are not fine.
-6 # BKnowswhitt 2019-03-09 03:43
See Webster #4 .. religion of the left .. global warming etc .. (4) : a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith .. the religion of the current LEFT .. and they do want to control via the Government ... USA Constitutional Republic .. Founders were Christian .. and knew from those abuses of power and the anarchy of the masses .. in a given situation took down many societies via .. their False Religions .. why we have the Electoral College to circumvent such a thing from happening via the Popular Vote .. and Anarchy of the Masses .. a stretch you say? See it happening right now with the Far Left in this country .. many here at RSN .. False Religion based on lies ..
No establishment of 'State' Religion
Free Exercise of 'Faith(s)' allowed
Religion: Webster Defined:
(1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
(3) : a personal set or institutionaliz ed system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
(4) : a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith
In order to understand the ruling you must examine the exact tenets of the argument and their scope of argument. In this case the ruling was in favor to protect the rights of religious groups to freely practice their faith and thereby be afforded tax derived funds in the case of the school and church properties.
the Justices affirmed the right of a baker in Lakewood, Colorado, to refuse, on religious grounds, to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.
Both three justices ruled on discrimination on the basis of religion in these cases thereby upholding the right of a group to practice their religious rights freely as protected by law.
The big one is not in play. State sponsored Religion .. that was not violated by any of these cases or needed to be ruled upon.
Cases are put forth to test the supreme court on their merit. These were important to the Christian Groups who submitted them. Toobin declaring this as radical move has no merit unless he gives us case histories and time frames to back it up ..
I suspect the people who put up the Big Bucks to watch testosterone-cr azed men and a few women drive cars around in circles at (literally) breakneck speeds would be surprised to learn that theirh expenditures do not count as "sponsorship."
Why are so many people so completely clueless when it comes to logic? Popularizing Constitutional clauses does NOT make those cartoon versions true interpretations of the actual clauses.
Regarding the First Amendment, there IS NO “establishment clause”, per se. There is only one clause that forbids Congress from making six kinds of laws. The first two listed are laws 1) respecting a religious establishment and 2) prohibiting people from exercising their religion. Thus when a secular law which does not address a religion is claimed to constitute religious discrimination under the First Amendment, that claim is invalid. The First Amendment was not written to give religious cover to acts that harm The People or to protect acts that defame The People by spoken or written word or to countenance riots or the storming of government offices. It was written to protect The People from laws written by an overzealous Congress, whether motivated by religion, narrow-mindedne ss, or an authoritarian desire to control The People.
+1 # Sir Morien 2019-03-10 22:58
Intriguing arguments but Toobin is merely pointing out the slippery-slope of rationale being deployed to entitle religious institutions and zealots to government resources and protections, respectively. The larger context of Trump-derived court sway to the far-right, the amplified and over-exaggerate d frustrations of the angry, aging, opioid-addicted white working class and the generally uneducated American voters who are vulnerable and subject to the fear-mongering of political pundits and conservatives must be calculated as well. We saw this before, during the Reagan years, and it dovetailed with the Grahams, Falwells, Swaggarts, Viguries, LeHayes' and other right-wing religious fundamentalists .
The Supreme Court was still a backstop against it where that is no longer the case! It has been more fully politicized than ever before and is regarded as the ultimate guarantee of a worldview steeped in male dominance, racial privilege and socioeconomic plutocracy.
Electronic churching, the coming clash between insufficient government revenues (from the GOP wealth transfer labelled "tax cut") and government agency enforcement capabilities, and the increasing lack of Porfiry's & Economagic's sense of aghast at such encroachments against the "establishment clause" by overbearance upon the "freedom clause" all prophecy a hellacious crucifixion of rights and freedoms in a diverse citizenry.
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Depression After Delivery National 2019
August 5, 2018 by Richard
Depression After Delivery National 2019 3.5 out of 5 based on 102 ratings.
Depression is common and treatable. If you think you have depression or postpartum depression, seek treatment from your health care provider as soon as possible.
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Oct 1, 2016. on screening and treatment of postpartum depression (PPD). (16.9 for 2012- 2013)16 and approximately 85 percent lower than the national.
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HomeMore single rooms = less acquisition. A simple equation?
More single rooms = less acquisition. A simple equation?
March 20, 2013 Jon Otter (@jonotter) Single roomsintervention study, isolation, privitization, single rooms
This isn’t exactly hot off the press (published in 2011) but I’ve only just come across it; it’s a great article and worth revisiting. Many hospitals worldwide suffer a chronic lack of single rooms to place patients requiring contact precautions, but also for patients with other needs such as increased privacy and dignity. There are pros and cons associated with increasing the proportion of single rooms, with a high proportion of single rooms usually requiring a higher staff:patient ratio, and patients in single rooms often having less staff contact and more likely to suffer feelings of isolation. The evidence that an increase in the proportion of single rooms reduces the transmission of healthcare-associated infection has been somewhat equivocal.
This Canadian study evaluated the impact of ‘privatization’ of an ICU. In March 2002, a 24-bed ICU (comprising two 10-bed rooms and four single rooms) was moved to a new 100% single room unit. A 25-bed ICU in a sister hospital (comprising 2, 5, 6 or 8-bed rooms) did not undergo any change in configuration and served as a comparison unit. Importantly, the two units shared the same infection control team, policies and practices. Patients admitted between 2000 and 2005 were studied for the acquisition of a range of pathogens. A unique and useful aspect of the study was to divide microbes into likely endogeneous or exogeneous acquisition. The key result reported was the change in rate ratio of the intervention ICU compared with the comparison ICU before and after the date of privatization of the intervention ICU. This was effectively an estimate of the percentage reduction in the rate in the intervention hospital associated with privatization.
Significant reductions where shown in most pathogens associated with exogenous acquisition, including C. difficile (43%), MRSA (47%) and Acinetobacter spp. (53%), and a substantial but non-significant reduction in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (52%) (Figure). In addition, a combined analysis of C. difficile, MRSA and VRE also showed a significant reduction of 54%. Significant reductions were also shown for some pathogens in the exogenous/endogenous acquisition group, including Klebsiella spp. (38%). There was no significant change (4%) in the rate of coagulase-negative staphylococci and most other pathogens associated with endogenous acquisition. Perhaps not surprisingly, the authors also reported a reduction in the overall length of stay associated with the intervention.
Figure: Change in the acquisition rate ratio of the intervention vs. comparison ICU before and after before (2001-2002) vs. after (2003-2005) privatisation. (* Not statistically significant.)
As with all studies, this one is not without criticism. However, there are several aspects that I find particularly convincing. Firstly, whilst there were differences in the configuration of the two ICUs, the inclusion of a comparison unit was an important strength. Secondly, the authors evaluated all available pathogens, rather than focusing on an individual MDRO. Thirdly, and perhaps most convincingly, most pathogens associated with exogeneous infections were affected by the intervention whereas most pathogens associated with endogenous acquisition were not. Additional strengths include several “data-check” sensitivity analyses and an additional model to provide evidence that these were not transient reductions associated with moving to a new, clean unit. Many if not all of these important strengths are lacking from similar studies that have returned a negative result.
The simple equation that more single rooms = less acquisition of pathogens is firmly supported by this study. However, infection rates are not the only factors to be considered when contemplating a move to 100% single rooms. Staffing levels, patients views and up-front costs must be factored into the decision to move towards 100% single rooms.
Article citation:
Teltsch DY, Hanley J, Loo V, Goldberg P, Gursahaney A, Buckeridge DL. Infection acquisition following intensive care unit room privatization. Arch Intern Med 2011;171:32-38.
← Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in US hospitals
Micro Blog Spring 2013 update →
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Posts Tagged ‘art’
“Thou art a very ragged Wart”*…
Few painters have created as rich a world as Hieronymus Bosch did in The Garden of Earthly Delights. The late 15th- or early 16th-century triptych, which depicts the creation of man, the licentious frolicking of all creatures on a paradisiacal Earth, and the subsequent fall into damnation, draws a scrutiny — and causes an amusement — as intense as ever…
Bosch not only created a world with The Garden of Earthly Delights, he populated it thoroughly. And despite the human-centric story the work appears to take as its basis, the cast with which it retells it extends far beyond mere humanity: the panels feature not just wildlife of all shapes and sizes but a variety of mythical grotesques, from imps to chimeras to hybrids of man and animal to much more besides. He drew from the same surreal imaginative well to fill his other paintings, and you can now pull out a few of these colorful, menacing, preposterous, and darkly humorous characters yourself in collectible figurine form…
More (including a link to the figurines) at “Hieronymus Bosch Figurines: Collect Surreal Characters from Bosch’s Paintings & Put Them on Your Bookshelf.” [TotH to Mark S]
You can also take a virtual tour of the painting (there’s even an app for it), see it brought to life with modern animation, and hear the song tattooed on the posterior of one of the work’s many characters.
See also: “Bosch is great because what he imagines in color can be translated into justice.”
* Shakespeare, Henry IV, Part 2
As we get weird, we might recall that it was on this date in 1859 that Jean-Francois Gravelet (stage name, Charles Blondin) became the first person to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Then he did it again.
On the morning of June 30, 1859, about 25,000 thrill-seekers arrived by train and steamer and dispersed on the American or Canadian side of the falls, the latter said to have the better view. Both banks grew “fairly black” with swarms of spectators, among them statesmen, judges, clerics, generals, members of Congress, capitalists, artists, newspaper editors, professors, debutantes, salesmen and hucksters. Vendors hawked everything from lemonade to whiskey, and Colcord gave tours to the press, explaining the logistics of what the Great Blondin was about to attempt.
A light rope, not even an inch thick, had been attached to one end of his hempen cable so it could be conveyed across the Niagara River. On the American side the cable was wound around the trunk of an oak tree in White’s Pleasure Grounds, but securing it on the Canadian side presented a problem. Blondin’s assistants feared that the light rope wouldn’t bear the weight of the cable as it was drawn up the gorge for anchorage in Canada, but the rope dancer, to the delight of his audience, executed a daring solution.
After tying another rope around his waist, he rappelled 200 feet on the small rope, attached the second rope to the end of the cable, and then blithely climbed back to Canadian ground and secured the cable to a rock. To prevent swaying, guy ropes ran from the cable at 20-foot intervals to posts on both banks, creating the effect of a massive spider web. Blondin could do nothing, however, about the inevitable sag in its center, approximately 50 feet of cable to which it was impossible to fasten guy ropes. At that spot, in the middle of his crossing, he would be only 190 feet above the gorge. “There were hundreds of people examining the rope,” reported one witness, “and, with scarcely an exception, they all declared the inability of M. Blondin to perform the feat, the incapacity of the rope to sustain him, and that he deserved to be dashed to atoms for his desperate fool-hardiness.”
Shortly before 5 p.m., Blondin took his position on the American side, dressed in pink tights bedecked with spangles. The lowering sun made him appear as if clothed in light. He wore fine leather shoes with soft soles and brandished a balancing pole made of ash, 26 feet long and weighing nearly 50 pounds. Slowly, calmly, he started to walk. “His gait,” one man noted, “was very like the walk of some barnyard cock.” Children clung to their mothers’ legs; women peeked from behind their parasols. Several onlookers fainted. About a third of the way across, Blondin shocked the crowd by sitting down on his cable and calling for the Maid of the Mist, the famed tourist vessel, to anchor momentarily beneath him. He cast down a line and hauled up a bottle of wine. He drank and started off again, breaking into a run after he passed the sagging center. While the band played “Home, Sweet Home,” Blondin reached Canada. One man helped pull him ashore and exclaimed, “I wouldn’t look at anything like that again for a million dollars.”
After 20 minutes of rest Blondin began the journey to the other side, this time with a Daguerreotype camera strapped to his back. He advanced 200 feet, affixed his balancing pole to the cable, untied his load, adjusted it in front of him and snapped a likeness of the crowd along the American side. Then he hoisted the camera back into place and continued on his way. The entire walk from bank to bank to bank took 23 minutes, and Blondin immediately announced an encore performance to take place on the Fourth of July… [source]
Blondin and his camera, as rendered in “Blondin: His Life and Performances.” [source]
Tagged with art, art history, Charles Blondin, figurine, Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymus Bosch, history, Jean-Francois Gravelet, Niagara Falls, tightrope
“Life is a DNA software system”*…
DNA from discarded cigarette butts and chewed up gum has been used to create a series of life-sized 3D printed portraits for a new exhibition at the Wellcome Collection.
American artist Heather Dewey-Hagborg walked the streets of New York picking up cigarettes and hair for her project called Stranger Visions.
She then analysed the DNA to work out the gender and ethnicity of the people involved as well as their likely eye colour and other traits including the size of their nose, before using face-generating software and a 3D printer to create a series of speculative portraits…
More– and more photos– at “3D printed portraits made with DNA from cigarette butts to feature in new Wellcome Collection display.”
See also the analogically-related “Artificial Intelligence Generates Humans’ Faces Based on Their Voices.”
* Craig Venter
As we noodle on nature and nurture, we might recall that it was on this date in 1981 that the USDA announced the first genetically-engineered vaccine for any animal or human disease: an immunization against Hoof and Mouth Disease (also known as Foot and Mouth Disease, or FMD), created using gene splicing.
Tagged with art, DNA, Foot and Mouth Disease, genetic engineering, Heather Dewey-Hagborg, history, Hoof and Mouth Disease, medicine, Science, Technology, vaccine
“As my artist’s statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance”*…
The neuroscientist was in the art gallery and there were many things to learn. So Eric Kandel excitedly guided me through the bright lobby of the Neue Galerie New York, a museum of fin de siècle Austrian and German art, located in a Beaux-Art mansion, across from Central Park. The Nobel laureate was dressed in a dark blue suit with white pinstripes and red bowtie. I was dressed, well, less elegantly.
Since winning a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2000, for uncovering the electrochemical mechanisms of memory, Kandel had been thinking about art. In 2012 and 2016, respectively, he published The Age of Insight and Reductionism in Art and Brain Science, both of which could be called This Is Your Brain on Art. The Age of Insight detailed the rise of neuroscience out of the medical culture that surrounded Sigmund Freud, and focused on Gustav Klimt and his artistic disciples Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele, whose paintings mirrored the age’s brazen ideas about primal desires smoldering beneath conscious control.
I’d invited Kandel to meet me at the Neue Galerie because it was the premier American home of original works by Klimt, Kokoschka, and Schiele. It was 2014 when we met and I had long been reading about neuroaesthetics, a newish school in neuroscience, and a foundation of The Age of Insight, where brain computation was enlisted to explain why and what in art turned us on. I was anxious to hear Kandel expound on how neuroscience could enrich art, as he had written, though I also came with a handful of doubts…
Kevin Berger learns “what neuroscience is doing to art”: “Gustav Klimt in the Brain Lab.”
* Bill Watterson
As we think about thinking about it, we might spare a thought for Jacob Lawrence; he died on this date in 2000. One of the best-respected 20th century American painters, and one the most well-known African-American artists, Jacobs described his style as “Dynamic Cubism.” His works are in the permanent collections of numerous museums, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, the Phillips Collection, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, and Reynolda House Museum of American Art.
He is perhaps best known for a 60-panel work, Migration Series (depicting the migration of rural southern African-Americans to the urban north), which he painted on cardboard. The collection is now held by two museums: the odd-numbered paintings are on exhibit in the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., and the even-numbered are displayed at MOMA in New York.
The first panel of Migration Series [source]
Tagged with art, history, Jacob Lawrence, Klimt, Migration Series, neuroaesthetics, neuroscience, painting, Psychology, Science
“In so far as the mind sees things in their eternal aspect, it participates in eternity”*…
David Ramsay Hay’s mapping of color onto musical notes, a diagram from his The Laws of Harmonious Colouring (1838)
“All art constantly aspires towards the condition of music.” So wrote the Victorian art critic Walter Pater in 1888. Earlier in the century, Scottish artist David Ramsay Hay composed a series of fifteen books published between 1828 and 1856 that attempted to develop a theory of visual beauty from the basic elements of music theory. Anticipating Pater but also fin-de-siècle attempts to unite the arts via spiritual or synesthetic affinities, Hay’s writings mapped colors, shapes, and angles onto familiar musical constructs such as pitches, scales, and chords. While these ideas might appear highly eccentric today, an understanding of them offers a glimpse of the remarkable importance of music to the Victorian Zeitgeist…
Hay’s approach to visual aesthetics was equally applicable to architecture, color theory, the ornamental arts, and the human face and figure. It can be understood as a psychological account of beauty, as opposed to other contemporary theories that anchored beauty in notions of the picturesque, the mimetic, or the sublime. Though analogies between music and the fine arts certainly do not originate with Hay, his application of music theory to an extensive array of visual experiences including color, shapes, figures, and architecture broke new ground. Rather than locating musical properties in the objects themselves, as earlier thinkers ranging from Plato to Newton had done, Hay worked in the post-Kantian tradition, regarding these features as immanent to our own minds, where they create our experience of beauty by determining the very structure of our perceptions…
Throughout his writings, Hay consistently links the claim that a single fundamental law of nature determines aesthetic perception to the work of the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras…
Understanding the same laws to apply to both visual and aural beauty, David Ramsay Hay thought it possible not only to analyze such visual wonders as the Parthenon in terms of music theory, but also to identify their corresponding musical harmonies and melodies: “Music of the Squares: David Ramsay Hay and the Reinvention of Pythagorean Aesthetics.”
* Baruch de Spinoza
As we excavate the essential, we might send elegantly-composed birthday greetings to Mary Cassatt; she was born on this date in 1844. An American printmaker and painter, she moved to Paris as an adult, where she developed a friendship with Edgar Degas and became, as Gustave Geffroy wrote in 1894, one of “les trois grandes dames” of Impressionism (with Marie Bracquemond and Berthe Morisot).
Tagged with aesthetics, art, David Ramsay Hay, history, Impressionism, Mary Cassatt, music, philosophy, Psychology, Pythagoras
“The vitality of the ordinary members of society is dependent on its Outsiders. Many Outsiders unify themselves, realize themselves as poets or saints.”*…
Sister Gertrude Morgan in her Everlasting Gospel Revelation Mission; some of her work, hanging behind her. New Orleans, Louisiana, 1974
In a new book, Walks to the Paradise Garden, author Jonathan Williams, editor Phillip March Jones, and photographer Roger Manley gather interviews and encounters with artists they met along their road trips through the American South in the 1970s. Some of the artists they spoke with, like Sister Gertrude Morgan, would eventually be discovered by the art-world establishment, while others they met—like former mechanic Vernon Lee Burwell—continued to labor in obscurity.
Along with a deep sense of religious wonder, there is a sense of urgency to the work featured in Walks to the Paradise Garden, a compulsion to make more and more of it until it covered the walls of their homes, crowded the hallways, and spilled onto the front lawn. As Williams writes in the introduction to the book, “We’re talking about a South that is both celestial and chthonian,” pertaining to both heaven and hell. “They are often one and the same.”…
Outsider artists and their work: “Finding Jesus on the Front Yard.”
* Colin Wilson, The Outsider
As we see through different eyes, we might recall that it was on this date in 1886 that a different kind of “outsider” made its first appearance: Coca-Cola was first sold to the public at the soda fountain in Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formulated by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton, who mixed it in a 30-gallon brass kettle hung over a backyard fire. Pemberton’s recipe, which survived in use until 1905, was marketed as a “brain and nerve tonic,” and contained extracts of cocaine and (caffeine-rich) kola nut. The name, using two C’s from its ingredients, was suggested by his bookkeeper Frank Robinson, whose excellent penmanship provided the famous scripted “Coca-Cola” logo.
Pemberton’s Palace
Tagged with art, business, Coca-Cola, Frank Robinson, history, Jacob's Pharmacy, outsider, outsider art, Pemberton, photography
“Design came into being in 1919, when Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus at Weimar”*…
The Bauhaus—literally “school of building”—was a German avant-garde arts and crafts academy. Inaugurated six months after the end of World War I, the school encouraged artists and designers to use their talents to help rebuild the broken society.
With Germany in total ruins many thought it was time to start from scratch. The Bauhaus grammar—a triangle, a square, and a circle—evoked this back-to-basics mentality. They challenged everything, including the usual method of schooling. [Walter] Gropius borrowed the idea of Gesamtkunstwerk, or “synthesis of the arts,” from composer Richard Wagner, envisioning a school that would “unite every discipline, architecture and sculpture and painting.” (Architects today love dropping the term.)
Gropius instructed students to leave “sentimental, aesthetically decorative conceptions… drawn mostly from past cultures.” Shedding decorative cruft built up over generations meant studying the “nature” of objects and designing from that. You can easily draw a line from the Bauhaus to the iPod—Steve Jobs said as much in 1983 when he addressed the International Design Conference at the Aspen Design Institute, which itself is part of the Bauhaus diaspora.
But Nazis thought the school’s rejection of traditional aesthetics was a rejection of Germanic pride. They chased down the Bauhaus from Weimar, to Dessau, then finally to Berlin, where they were forced to shut down in 1933—and in doing so, spread its influence throughout the world…
Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus movement 100 years ago on a simple but powerful rule, “our guiding principle was that design is neither an intellectual nor a material affair, but simply an integral part of the stuff of life, necessary for everyone in a civilized society.” Learn more about the movement that he started and the extraordinary impact that it had: “The Bauhaus.”
* Bruno Munari, Design as Art
As we integrate form and function, we might send evocative birthday greetings to Mel Edwards; he was born on this date in 1937. An abstract sculptor who worked almost entirely in steel, he marshals straight-edged triangular and rectilinear forms to make political statements. He has had more than a dozen one-person show exhibits (including at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the New Jersey State Museum), and has been in over four dozen group shows.
Tagged with art, art history, Bauhaus, design, Gropius, history, Mel Edwards, sculpture
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SALT Research
I DECIDED NOT TO SAVE THE WORLD
TATE Modern & SALT Exhibition Collaboration
Curators: Duygu Demir and Kyla McDonald
Level 2 Gallery
November 4, 2011 – January 8, 2012
In 2011, London-based Tate Modern initiated a new exhibition series based on a program of international collaborations involving reciprocal research and curatorial exchanges for its Level 2 Gallery. As a national museum exhibiting international modern art, Tate Modern is developing collaborations with partner organizations in the Middle East, Asia Pacific, South America, Africa and Eastern Europe. For the fourth exhibition in this international series, Tate has partnered with SALT.
In the past year, a curator from each venue – Kyla McDonald from Tate Modern and Duygu Demir from SALT – undertook short research residencies in İstanbul and London, respectively. This process resulted in I decided not to save the world, an exhibition that took place at Tate Modern from November 4, 2011 - January 8, 2012 and featured four emerging artists. The exhibition is now traveling to İstanbul and will be on view on the 1st floor of SALT Beyoğlu from March 20 until May 20, 2012.
Curious acts and apparently small gestures unite the works in this exhibition. Artists Mounira Al Solh, Yto Barrada, Mircea Cantor and the collective Slavs and Tatars devise playful interventions into their everyday environments, combining social commentary and investigation with humor or irony to throw off our habits of thinking. Emerging from the specific contexts in which they are working, the light-hearted approach of these works belies the artists’ acute socio-political insights.
The title of the exhibition is taken from Mircea Cantor’s 2011 video of the same name, in which a single take of a child saying, “I decided not to save the world” is shown on a continuous loop. The work is emblematic of the complexity that underlies the simplest of statements, and is typical of the way Cantor responds to contemporary concerns using simple and direct gestures.
Yto Barrada is known for the playful nature of her work, rooted in the specific context of Tangier, Morocco, where she lives and works. Her sculpture, manifesto and film included in this exhibition use humor and satire to address the country’s rapid modernization.
Rawane’s Song (2006), an autobiographical video by Mounira Al Solh, is a witty take on her struggle to make work about the Lebanese wars in the wake of the previous generation of Beirut artists. Ironically, it ends up addressing exactly the issues she claims to be avoiding.
Slavs and Tatars’ practice examines a region it describes as “east of the former Berlin Wall and west of the Great Wall of China.” Its text-based works are taken from a variety of sources and play with double-meanings, mistranslation, language barriers and notions of the dichotomy between east and west.
Duygu Demir is a programmer for SALT Research & Programs. Duygu worked on the inaugural exhibition at SALT Beyoğlu,“I am not a studio artist”, a retrospective of Hüseyin Bahri Alptekin that opened in April 2011, and was the editor of a comprehensive publication that accompanied the exhibition. She also organized Across the Slope – Ahmet Öğüt, the first in a series of projects titled Modern Essays, and most recently worked on another institutional collaboration, İstanbul Eindhoven SALTVanAbbe: Post ‘89. Duygu has contributed to magazines and online platforms including Art Asia Pacific, Articulus, Art Unlimited, Eyeball and Ibraaz, and previously acted as managing editor for RES Art World / World Art. Duygu held curatorial internships at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and MoMA PS1 in New York, as well as at the ICA, London.
Kyla McDonald has been Assistant Curator, International Art at Tate Modern since 2008. She currently works on the acquisition of international art for the Tate Collection with a special focus on the Middle East, North Africa and, more recently, South Asia. She curated Haris Epaminonda’s Vol. VI in 2010 at Tate Modern and is a member of the project team for the Oil Tanks program opening in 2012. Kyla previously worked as an assistant curator at Tate Liverpool from 2005-2008, where she co-curated Niki de Saint Phalle (2008). She also worked on exhibitions including the Liverpool Biennial (2006 and 2008), The Real Thing: Contemporary Art from China (2007), and DLA Piper Series: The Twentieth Century: How it looked & how it felt (2008).
Yto Barrada was born in 1971 in Paris.
She lives and works in Tangier.
Mounira Al Solh was born in 1978 in Beirut, where she lives and works.
Mircea Cantor was born in 1977 in Oradea, Romania.
He lives and works in Paris.
Slavs and Tatars is a collective of polemics and intimacies devoted to Eurasia!
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Posted February 7, 2012 using Kraliçe Uncertain designed by Sulki & Min
About LPPD
SALT Galata
Bankalar Caddesi 11
Karaköy 34421 İstanbul TURKEY
Tue-Sat 10.00-20.00
SUN 12.00-18.00
EXHIBITIONS OPEN AT 12.00
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CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EXHIBITIONS AND PUBLIC PROGRAMS IN ANKARA.
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Archive | June, 2017
Experiencing Bat Out of Hell the Musical
June 8, 2017.
The lights go out and Strat is standing center stage talking into the microphone.
“I remember everything!” he booms.
“I remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday.” My eyes inexplicably begin to water. “I’m here, I’m really here,” I think to myself.
“I was barely seventeen, and I once killed a boy with a Fender guitar.”
OK, I’ve never killed anyone with a Fender guitar, but I do remember every word to Love And Death And An American Guitar, or Wasted Youth as it’s known on Bat Out Of Hell II. When I was barely seventeen I was reading Jim Steinman’s musicals Neverland and The Dream Engine, precursors to the Bat Out Of Hell musical, and downloading every mainstream and obscure song Steinman had ever written. I knew Bat Out Of Hell the Musical was in the works — it has been for 40 years — but I never dreamed Steinman would finish it and it would be performed in the very city I just happened to be living.
But there I was, watching Bat Out Of Hell the Musical unfold from the front row, wearing the Bat Out Of Hell T-shirt I bought on eBay when I was 17. And yet I somehow felt out of place. The women next to me were fully decked out in leather like they literally road in on the motorcycle displayed in the lobby. (A line from The Dream Engine comes to mind. “The revolution likes leather. The revolution wears leather to survive in the streets.”) They were dressed exactly like the members of The Lost wandering about on the stage a few minutes before showtime. My first thought was “Oh god, is this some kind of immersive theater? Am I going to have to interact with them?” (Another line from The Dream Engine: “Quiet. It’s only theater. It’s nothing to be afraid of.”) But no, they were not members of The Lost, just super fans who had seen the show in Manchester and came down to London to see it again. They waved their hands in the air and sang along to every song. Meanwhile I was completely still, “silently shrieking,” feeling every word and note in my heart and on every inch of my skin. (I’m trying to be poetic, but there was a speaker directly in my face. It obstructed my view a tad, but man, could I really feel the songs!). Those who know me are always surprised by my love for all things Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf. Steinman’s songs are about teen lust, going over the top, breaking the rules, and well, murdering people with Fender guitars. At 17 I was a straight A student who was president of the Latin club and played flute at Mass. I had barely slow danced with a boy, Paradise by the Dashboard Light was a completely foreign concept to me. And yet maybe that’s what attracted me to Steinman’s music — it allowed me to escape my top-button buttoned life and wear some auditory leather. (To quote one of his songs: “You’ve been nothing but an angel every day of your life, and now you wonder what it’s like to be damned.”)
The show was everything I could have dreamed it to be. There were certainly elements of Neverland and The Dream Engine in there, but it had been cleaned up and polished for a mainstream audience. The Dream Engine was pretty dark and outrageously sexual. Reading it as a good Catholic school girl was one of the most rebellious things I did back then. I’m not sure I even understood all of it, but I kept going back to it, even plastering lines from it all over my school notebooks. (Lines like: “Reality’s in agony and it’s about time it stopped. It’s about time we put reality out of its misery. And there are only a few of us left with the grace to try euthanasia.”) Even before I saw the show I had a feeling it wouldn’t be one I could see just once (even though my one ticket practically cost more than the 7 other shows I’ve seen this year combined). And when I realized the guy playing Strat was actually the alternate, I knew I had to go again to see the lead (though Ben the alternate was brilliant!). That, and it was the 49th show I’ve seen in London. I couldn’t let just any show be my landmark 50th.
Then like a sinner before the gates of Heaven, I’ll come crawling on back to you…
So I’m seeing it again this week. Front row center this time.
Tags: bat out of hell, bat out of hell musical review, bat out of hell review, bat out of hell the musical, expat, jim steinman, london, london theatre, neverland, steinman, the dream engine, theatre, west end, west end theatre
My mildly convenient superpower
I remember reading an AskReddit thread once about mildly convenient superpowers. I never really thought about what mildly convenient superpower I might want, until it occurred to me the other day that I might already have one.
Almost every time I fly or travel on a Megabus, I never have to sit next to a stranger. There’s always an empty seat next to me.
I thought it was just a fluke at first. It used to happen on my frequent Chicago-Cincinnati Megabus trips when the bus was only half full. But then there was a time the bus was completely full save for one empty seat, which just so happened to be next to me. It began feeling like a superpower.
It’s been so long since I’ve had someone sit next to me on a trans-Atlantic flight that I don’t even know where I would put my headphones or water bottle if they couldn’t go on the empty seat next to me. I flew back to London last week and made sure to select an aisle seat next to an empty middle seat. I almost got ambitious and selected a row with two empty seats (maybe I could actually stretch out and sleep?!), but knew that was too much of a risk. Some couple could come along and choose those two seats. I checked the seat map on the Virgin app every hour or so during my 5-hour layover in Boston and figured I was golden — the middle seat next to me remained empty. But then I checked one last time while waiting to board, only to see a little X on the empty seat — as well as on every single seat on the plane. It was a fully booked flight. My superpower had met its match.
A few minutes after I sat down, uncomfortably holding my giant headphones, toiletry bag and water bottle until I could figure out where to store them, a young man came and motioned to the empty seat.
“I’m seated there, but my girlfriend is in 55E — would you mind switching with her?” he asked. Stephen and I have asked people to do this many times and I was happy to pay it forward. Until I asked them to confirm the seat.
“55E? Is that a middle seat?” I asked. It was. I felt like a horrible person, but I had to turn down their request. Being stuck for 6+ hours with your knees touching one person is bad enough, there was no way I was going to do it crammed between two people.
“It’s no problem, we understand,” the girlfriend said, waved goodbye to her boyfriend, and headed back a few rows. The boyfriend immediately put on headphones and closed his eyes while I tried not to bump his legs digging for my iPad in my bag. It seemed my superpower was no more and I was going to have to suck it up, just like everyone else seated in economy. But then they closed the cabin doors and I felt a presence next to me. It was the girlfriend.
“Hey!” she said to her boyfriend. “There’s no one sitting next to me, come on back!”
And that’s how I knew I truly have a mildly convenient superpower.
Tags: air travel, Cincinnati, corgi, expat, flying, flying corgi, london, mildly convenient superpower, super corgi, superpowers, travel, traveling, travelling, virgin atlantic
Categories Cincinnati, London, Travels
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Storm Warnings
Cloud computing’s hidden environmental and human costs
Tom Slee
To the Cloud: Big Data in a Turbulent World
Vincent Mosco
Paradigm Publishers
The computer industry generates buzzwords faster than an extroverted 20-year-old sends status updates, and “the cloud” is one of the more evocative ones. It is where your digital music, photos, e-books and personal documents live (or will live). No longer stored on a computer in a corner of the living room, Amazon and Apple and Microsoft now keep your stuff for you so that it can be fetched over the internet whenever you need it, right to whichever device you are using. It is the infrastructure that lets people flit from smartphone to tablet to e-reader to personal computer and have access to their data wherever they are.
The Post-Scarcity World
Capitalism meets its cyber-hippie match in a bountiful future that redefines class, politics and personhood itself
Autocorrect Off
Where BlackBerry’s founders went wrong.
Hacking Society
Three books look at the current state of play in the interconnected world
People as Platform
What Uber, bespoke perfume makers, and the rest of us are building
To mix metaphors, there is a second string to the cloud’s bow. Amazon has always seen itself as a technology company rather than a bookseller, and was the first to grasp that it could make a commercial offering out of the infrastructure it uses to run its own global business. The last few years have seen a huge growth in major companies renting out access to computing resources in the form of individual computers as well as databases, messaging services, large-scale permanent data storage, and more.
Amazon’s computers rent out for less than 10 cents per hour, so computations demanding thousands of computers have become widely affordable for the first time. I am an occasional (and not expert) user of these services and like many others have come away marvelling at the power that is on offer for pennies at a time.
Amazon’s cloud services are now a big business in their own right. Its cloud data centres are relied on by many of this generation of start-ups, and ironically have been used by both Wikileaks and the CIA. They are even used by competitors such as Netflix, whose movies are streamed from Amazon’s computers. While Amazon remains several lengths ahead of the field, Microsoft, Google and others are spending massively on their cloud services to catch up.
Real clouds are nebulous and fuzzy, and the metaphor suggests that you do not need to worry about the concrete details of where and how all this computing is happening. But Vincent Mosco does worry, and the theme of To the Cloud: Big Data in a Turbulent World is the gap between the digital promise (what Mosco calls “the digital sublime”) and reality.
Mosco focuses on three “dark clouds” of the industry. One of those is the gap between our image of a pristine post-industrial technological world and the environmental reality. The cloud metaphor evokes an ethereal alternative to grimy industrial technologies. No forests are harmed in the making an e-book; no exhaust-spewing trucks are needed to deliver email. But cloud computing does have its own massive industrial infrastructure, even if most of us never see it. It has energy-intensive data centres, power-hungry computer networks, sprawling warehouses and a global workforce of millions who mine exotic minerals, assemble our gadgets and deliver online orders to our door.
Mosco starts with the “cloud” itself: the buildings where our data is stored. The size of today’s data centres is startling. The largest are run by the big internet companies and house hundreds of thousands of computers while consuming “more power than a medium-sized town.” And of course they are getting bigger all the time. Mosco highlights Chinese company Baidu, which is investing $1.6 billion to build the world’s largest data centre, where 700,000 computer chips will work tirelessly in a building the size of 15 football fields, making it one of the largest buildings in the world by some measures. And that is just phase one.
Locating these massive projects is becoming a political issue. Companies search far and wide for the right location and drive hard bargains to get cheap rates for power and water (for cooling) in return for their often much-needed investment. Rural locations with plentiful water and a cold climate have obvious appeal, and Canada is becoming a popular destination.
As Mosco describes, the tensions do not stop when the building is complete. Locals do not appreciate clouds of black smoke from diesel-powered backup generators, and companies haggle over contract disputes and fines. While some data centres run on renewable energy sources, Greenpeace has been leading efforts to “name and shame” companies with data centres that run on fossil fuels. This is a story that will become more important in the coming years.
Unfortunately, Mosco skims over the many advances in data centre design and efficiency, from plumbing to power distribution to low-power servers. These improvements lead proponents to claim that moving computing activity into cloud data centres cuts overall energy use, so major data centre companies position themselves as friends of the environment.
Mosco’s concern is with the other side of the efficiency coin: as computing gets cheaper, low prices drive increasing demand. Put the exploding power consumption together with the consumer side (charging all our gizmos, and the increasing power demands of always-on devices) as well as the power needed to deliver all that data over the networks themselves, and Mosco says the computing landscape will consume 30 percent of the world’s electrical grid in eight years’ time, and 45 percent within 20 years.
What will happen to overall power consumption as the tug-of-war continues between efficiency gains and increasing demand? Or the similar tension between the efficiency of sharing computing resources among many users and the requirements that those resources be continuously powered on, ready for use at all hours of every day?
Mosco is explicit about his critical agenda, setting out to highlight “the major problems associated with cloud computing.” He sees cloud computing as “a prism through which to view problems facing societies confronting the turbulent world of information technology.” In tackling the environmental story behind our sleek new computers, Mosco raises an important issue, not widely discussed in a trade book format. If he does not convince me that, as he quotes one power industry consultant, “it’s just not sustainable. They’re going to hit a brick wall,” he does at least convince me that there are problems here that will be the site of struggles and conflict in the coming years, and that makes the book a valuable contribution to the debate.
The scale of today’s computing infrastructure is new, but the inspirations behind cloud computing have a history that Mosco, a sociologist with a long career studying these developments, recounts ably. One vision is of computing as a utility, like gas or electricity, accessible where you want it and when you need it. Another is the promise of central planning made possible by smart algorithms and ubiquitous data collection. Not surprisingly, these visions have socialist origins: the USSR, the cybernetics project of Allende’s Chile and France’s Minitel service. It is ironic that these visions are now being realized by private industry.
The world of work is the second of Mosco’s dark clouds. The workforce of modern computing goes far beyond highly paid programmers in modern, light-filled buildings. The 1.4 million employees of Chinese gadget-maker Foxconn are nothing if not an industrial workforce, and there is nothing green about the mining of tin and tungsten, gold and tantalum, which are welded into our integrated circuits. Amazon’s warehouses are gaining reputations to match Walmart’s superstores as low-wage and high-pressure workplaces. There is even a new precarious workforce in the shape of a freelance contracting landscape where individuals can hire themselves out over a website to carry out more or less menial tasks.
Again, these are uncommon topics for a technology book (although Simon Head does cover overlapping ground in his recent Mindless: Why Smarter Machines Are Making Dumber Humans). Mosco highlights the conflicts arising around these new labour forces in one of the best parts of the book—the militancy of Chinese labour and the rise of an international trade unionism are particularly striking. The outcome of these conflicts may shape how technology’s role evolves. As with his environmental concerns, raising these issues is a timely reminder of continuity: old issues such as labour standards are resurfacing in new guises.
Not all Mosco’s subject choices are so fortunate. He devotes significant space to the language referring to the cloud. He investigates the selling and marketing of cloud offerings, and takes us through a reflection on the cloud as metaphor, from Aristophanes’ comedy The Clouds to a guide for 14th-century monks called The Cloud of Unknowing to David Mitchell’s novel Cloud Atlas.
The material is original, but for me it gives too much weight to the metaphor. Despite the occasional foray into mainstream advertising (the book’s title comes from a Microsoft TV ad), “cloud computing” remains mainly an industry phrase. Internet companies try to sell us on the services they offer, not the infrastructure behind it. Mosco’s take is that the cloud metaphor is used to sell an aspirational future, but more often than not such considerations are not mentioned at all in consumer advertising. Although he claims that “the cloud is an enormously powerful metaphor, arguably the most important developed in the short history of the IT world,” it may already be falling from favour to be replaced by “Big Data” (of which more below), the “Internet of Things” and more.
In his take on marketing and selling the cloud, Mosco focuses on the world of business computing: the information technology departments and computer systems that companies use to run their accounting, human resources, supply chain and so on. He is interested in the way industry analysts and others push companies to move their operations from their own data centres to the cloud—basically, to outsource and automate their IT operations. And he is concerned with the possible “demise of IT labor” if these efforts are successful.
I should acknowledge here that my employer is a large company that supplies business software and that is mentioned three times in this book (views expressed here are, of course, my own). But I am not here to defend the practices of business computing. I share To the Cloud’s suspicions about where digital technology is taking us. No, Mosco’s focus in these sections misses the bull’s-eye because personal computing, rather than business computing, has been setting the pace. Business computing demands the patching together of complex and disparate systems around the world in an environment with little room for error (accounts must balance, sales transactions must be recorded).
Business’s move to the cloud is not without consequences—retail companies will gather social media data and mine it in targeted marketing efforts for example—but it is playing second fiddle. The consumer world is, if anything, driving the business computing world in what is called, to use another buzzword, “the consumerization of IT.”
More on target is the material on privacy and related concerns, the third of Mosco’s dark clouds and also the subject of his final chapter. All that data about our location, our habits, our interests, is collected in those data centres, and the collectors find it irresistible to do things with it, whether it is selling it to advertisers or, in the case of the National Security Agency’s very own cloud data centre in Utah, using it for surveillance.
Beyond the whole issue of surveillance, Mosco fears the way that cloud computing brings with it particular ways of knowing, which are now collected under the umbrella of Big Data. Mosco is concerned with a growing “digital positivism,” with the consequence that “large data sets and massive computational power will … replace narrative with correlation and … ask only or mainly those questions that big data can handle.” He sees this happening in public policy, in business and in academia too, where the “digital humanities” and social media data analysis threaten to displace more established techniques and approaches.
Probably the most widely read introduction to Big Data is a 2013 book of the same name by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger and Kenneth Cukier. They claim that today’s huge data sets are often a substitute for traditional data collection and analysis. They also argue that, even if correlation is not causation, a focus on correlation is good enough for many purposes.
For example, when Walmart looked through its sales data it found that shoppers would stock up on Pop-Tarts just before a storm. The authors argue that it is not so important to understand why people do this, just that they do, and Walmart takes advantage of the knowledge by displaying Pop-Tarts conveniently near the checkout when a storm is forecast. Other prominent examples of Big Data analysis are Google’s use of a massive corpus of translated texts (instead of sophisticated grammatical analysis) in its machine translations, and the same company’s 2009 prediction of flu incidence in North American cities from the flu-related search queries that users submit.
These claims are provoking significant pushback from social scientists, and Mosco joins in with an effective critique, especially on the dangers of spurious correlations and overfitting. His arguments are bolstered by the fact that the Google flu experiment has succumbed to these problems: in more recent years its predictions of flu incidence were way off. As political scientist David Lazer has written, “the initial version of [Google Flu Trends] was part flu detector, part winter detector.”
As a broad critique of the technological tide from a sceptical standpoint I did prefer Astra Taylor’s The People’s Platform: And Other Digital Delusions, reviewed in these pages a couple of months ago. But despite its shortcomings, To the Cloud is a valuable contribution to digital debates, and Mosco’s decision to highlight emerging labour and environmental conflicts in the world of cloud computing promises to be farsighted.
Tom Slee has worked in the software industry for 20 years. He writes about the intersections of technology, politics and economics and is the author of No One Makes You Shop at Wal-Mart: The Surprising Deceptions of Individual Choice (Between the Lines, 2006).
The hidden implications of cloud computing, as set out in Tom Slee’s able review of To the Cloud: Big Data in a Turbulent World, warrant a Canadian footnote on the origins of this technology. Beginning in the 1970s, several Canadian data companies provided an early version of cloud computing, except they called it “shared processing.” One of the pioneers was Richard G. Taylor, who founded Datacrown as a retailer of surplus cycles from Crown Life’s massive (for that era) IBM System/370 computers.
My PR/ad agency was retained to help Datacrown convince conservative corporate executives that it was more economical and efficient to access its computers than to spend...
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CounterRecruiter
Thank goodness for the colonies
With recruiters still struggling to meet their reduced monthly quotas in the Continental US, the New York Times reports that the Army is turning to United States Territories:
From Pago Pago in American Samoa to Yap in Micronesia, 4,000 miles to the west, Army recruiters are scouring the Pacific, looking for high school graduates to enlist at a time when the Iraq war is turning off many candidates in the States.
The Army has found fertile ground in the poverty pockets of the Pacific. The per capita income is $8,000 in American Samoa, $12,500 in the Northern Marianas and $21,000 in Guam, all United States territories. In the Marshalls and Micronesia, former trust territories, per capita incomes are about $2,000.
And while the Times cites patriotism alongside poverty as a motivation for enlistment in the US territories, the "tie between military service and economic advancement is clear to many young people here.
"It's the benefits," said Arnold Balisalisa, who took the [military] aptitude test here in late June. Taking a break from his $3.25-an-hour job at a McDonald's, he said: "It is better than staying on this island. There's nothing going on here. I'm 19, and I have never even been to Guam." "
In the Congressional hearings mentioned in Counterrecruiter's last post, Rep. McHugh (NY) said "“I just have to begin to wonder, however, at what point can we continue to buy a force.” In the Continental US, that might get more difficult. But with tourism drying up and manufacturing jobs in the garment industry being lost to China, the US territories in the Pacific seem likely to be fertile ground for recruiters promising signing bonuses and money for college.
Posted by Kat Aaron on July 31, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack
Iraq is the elephant in the room
The House Armed Services subcomittee recently discussed how the war in Iraq is hurting recruiting, according to an article in Star and Stripes, the "Department of Defense-authorized daily newspaper distributed overseas for the U.S. military community."
"Deep into a four-hour congressional hearing on why the active Army and its reserve components are missing recruiting goals, Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Ark., turned a spotlight on the elephant in the room.
The war in Iraq, Snyder said, is unpopular with many Americans, a fact that needs airing, given the all-volunteer nature of the U.S. military.
Until that moment in the July 19 House armed services subcommittee hearing, blame for recruiting shortfalls had focused on negative news coverage of the war, an improving economy, the pace of military operations and an unexplained drop in propensity of parents and other “influencers” of American youth to recommend military service.
Nothing was said of a nation that, polls show, is souring on a war that was launched to destroy Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and shifted, after none was found, into an open-ended occupation and a Herculean effort to turn a fractionalized Muslim nation into a democracy.
David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, blamed the slow recruiting partly on "older advisors" advising young people against enlisting. The Army’s personnel chief, Lt. Gen. Franklin L. Hagenbeck, mentioned " 'skewed' news coverage." And "Vice Adm. Gerald Hoewing, the Navy’s top personnel officer, pressed for a 'national communications strategy' to emphasize the 'positive things that are taking place around the world.' "
The Air Force personnel chief, Lt. Gen. Roger A. Brady, said “a barrage of negative press” combined with “a reduced ability to have access to young people to tell our story in schools” hurts recruiting, although Brady said the Air Force is hitting its numbers and quality goals.
Rep. McHugh suggested that new enlistment bonuses may help increase the recruiting numbers, but said “I just have to begin to wonder, however,” said McHugh, “at what point can we continue to buy a force.”
Recruiting's so bad, even the Brits have noticed
The Army's low recruiting numbers are drawing international attention - the BBC has a front page story today on how the war in Iraq is pushing people away from military service. The piece notes that "In this time of war for a growing number of Americans, fatigues symbolise just one thing - service in Iraq." So a recruiter featured in the article wears "a blue shirt and chinos" instead (see image at right of recruiter Sergeant Harold Ziegler).
But the change of clothes doesn't seem to be working too well:
"[The] face of Iraq that most people see are the images of a bloody war which is sapping the will of a nation to bolster the ranks of its all-volunteer army.
Lt Colonel James Carafano, a military expert, said: "We've had to try to recruit people to an all-volunteer force while there are still active operations going on - people actually getting shot at for this length of time - that is kind of what is new."
Army admits goals will be missed; Military wants more sacrifice
The Army has admitted that it will not meet its recruiting goal for the first time since 1999. The service's top personnel officer, Lt. General Franklin L. Hagenbeck, attributed the recruiting failures to "an improving economy, competition from private industry and an increasing number of parents who are less supportive of military service," according to the New York Times.
The article notes that the Army had deployed an additional 1,200 recruiters to America's streets for the summer months in hopes of boosting enlistment, but that it still expects to fall short when the recruiting year ends on September 30th. The Army has recruited 47.121 people through the end of June, the Times reports, and hopes to hit 80,000 new enlistees by October. And that shortfall is despite a new set of recruitment incentives, with new recruits promised rewards totalling "up to" $104,000.
But it's not all about the Benjamins.
Gen. Peter Pace, the incoming chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who served as a recruiter in Buffalo for three years, said the military must appeal to American youth in other ways.
"This is not about money and benefits; this is about message," General Pace said at a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday. "If we let our young folks and middle-young folks know how much we appreciate their service to their country - there are thousands and thousands of young men and women out there who want to serve this country."
On that note, another article in the Times notes that many men and women enlisted in the military are feeling abandoned by an American public that they feel is asked to sacrifice little for the country's on-going wars.
"For most Americans," said an officer with a year's experience in Iraq, "their role in the war on terror is limited to the slight inconvenience of arriving at the airport a few hours early."
Well, why isn't the public being asked to plant victory guardians or buy war bonds?
David C. Hendrickson, a scholar on foreign policy and the presidency at Colorado College, said, "Bush understands that the support of the public for war - especially the war in Iraq - is conditioned on demanding little of the public." ...
"The public wants very much to support the troops" in Iraq, [Hendrickson] said. "But it doesn't really believe in the mission. Most consider it a war of choice, and a majority - although a thin one - thinks it was the wrong choice."
Demanding little of the public certainly precludes a draft. But with the recruitment numbers so low, what's the military to do? The article mentions a new non-military sort of recruitment, a way for professionals to lend temporary assistance to the military without the messy obligations of a multi-year deployment: the possible creation of "a Civilian Reserve, a sort of Peace Corps for professionals."
"In an interview, Douglas J. Feith, the under secretary of defense for policy, said that discussions had begun on a program to seek commitments from bankers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, electricians, plumbers and solid-waste disposal experts to deploy to conflict zones for months at a time on reconstruction assignments, to relieve pressure on the military."
OK, kid. You don't want to join. How about your dad?
The Defense Department has asked Congress to raise the age limit for military recruits from 35 to 42. According to a report from the Army Times, this is one of a series of what defense department officials are calling “urgent wartime support initiatives.” They're also proposing to increase various cash incentives and initiate the Army Home Ownership program, which would set aside funds for a new recruit to use to buy a home at the end of enlistment.
Posted by Joshua Breitbart on July 20, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack
In the Backwards World of Recruiting, Promotions are Discipline
In the world of Army recruiting, where making reduced recruiting targets is counted as a success, promotions are apparently considered discipline. CBS affiliate KHOU-TV in Houston TX reports that Army recruiter Thomas Kelt, who was accused of repeatedly lying to young would-be soliders, has not been disciplined as promised. In fact, he's been promoted. Kelt was transferred to a new recruiting office, where he now works as supervisor.
"Turns out even though he violated the Army’s strict recruitment guidelines -- and officials promised swift corrective action – Kelt has instead been transferred to another recruiting office where he has been promoted to supervisor.
The Army says he’s the perfect person to be in charge of other recruiters since he experienced first hand what happens when ethics rules are broken.
The Army says it prosecuted 325 cases of recruiter fraud last year. Thirty-five of those were relieved of duty, hundreds more were given reprimands."
Kelt was accused of threatening recruits with arrest if they didn't enlist. One of these potential recruits was 20-year old Chris Monarch, who called a Houston recruiting office and spoke with Kelt about joining the military. After making an appointment with Kelt, Monarch changed his mind and cancelled the meeting.
"I said I'm a volunteer firefighter and eventually gonna try to go career with it and I'm just not interested anymore and I hung up the phone," Monarch said.
But the recruiter wouldn't take no for an answer -- with a phone message threatening Monarch with arrest if he didn't show.
"By federal law you got an appointment with me at two o'clock this afternoon at Greenspoint Mall." said Kelt. "OK, you fail to appear and we'll have a warrant, OK? So give me a call back."
In fear, Monarch called the recruiter back.
"He said, 'Oh Chris, don't worry about that. That's just a marketing technique I use,"' Monarch recounted."
The CBS story also notes that the Army needs over 101,000 new soldiers this year. And this is putting pressure on recruiters, who face declining enthusiam for the military, along with a continuing decrease in new recruits.
"It's very stressful," said former recruiter Jeffery Bacon.
Bacon says he's been busted from Sergeant to Specialist for not meeting his quota of 24 soldiers a year.
"I'm losing my house because I'm losing my job, you know. I'm in financial debt," Bacon said.
Posted by Kat Aaron on July 18, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (32) | TrackBack
Military Recruiters Feel Pressure
From NYC Indymedia:
The New York City Counter-Recruitment Campaign, a diverse coalition of anti-war activists, demonstrated in front of military recruiting offices on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn this afternoon.
Many students were on the sidewalk, holding signs like the one Brian Lewis, a second year student at the New School, held: FACT: 75% of Blacks and 67% of Latinos experience racial discrimination. Lewis is working for the summer with Youth Activist Youth Allies (YaYa), a group that helps youth to get paid to do activist work. Lewis told me, "It important to take a stand against military recruiters who are preying on poor people. Coming to black neighborhoods. I'm taking a stand today and saying no."
Read the article (with photos)
Air Force Plans Large Expansion of JROTC Programs
The magazine PeaceWork is reporting that the Air Force plans to expand its high school Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) program by 200 schools by 2007. There are currently 746 high school programs. The Air Force plans to add 46 schools this fall and 75 in both 2006 and 2007. PeaceWork has published a list of the 46 new schools. The magazine has also obtained a list of 207 schools on the Navy's target list for new JROTC programs.
Posted by MikeBurke on July 6, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (36) | TrackBack
NYCLU Demands Military Hand Over Info On Student Recruitment Tactics
From the New York Civil Liberties Union:
Concerned about student privacy and abusive practices by military recruiters, the New York Civil Liberties Union today demanded that high-level military officials produce information about recruiter policies and practices and about how students and parents can file complaints against recruiters. The demands came in the form of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to each of the military branches and in the form of letters requesting information from the head recruiters of each military branch...
The FOIA requests demand information about the tactics and conduct of military recruiters, the criteria by which recruiters target students, the information they give to students about military careers, and complaints filed by students and their families. The letters to the recruiting commands of all four military branches ask what if any mechanisms they have in place to deal with complaints and to protect student privacy.
“We hope that these requests will elicit more information about the methods and goals of military recruiters and what students, parents, and teachers can do when they don’t behave appropriately,” said Jeff Fogel, NYCLU Attorney.
Posted by MikeBurke on July 6, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
From the NY Press:
"With supreme guts and righteousness, President Bush went into Iraq," Gov. Pataki told the Republican National Convention last August. The place erupted with applause. It was all very stirring.
Almost one year later, Pataki's son Teddy is, with supreme guts and righteousness, seeking a three-year law school deferment from the Marines, which last week commissioned the recent Yale grad as a second lieutenant.
The governor, who himself received a medical deferment during the Vietnam War because of poor eyesight, has said he hopes his son is granted the deferment. Of course he does. No doubt all the parents of New York's nearly 100 war dead also wish their children could have gotten deferments. But they couldn't. They got killed instead.
During the run-up to the invasion, Pataki was one of Bush's biggest war whores in the Northeast, taking his pro-war stump speech on the road to warn New Yorkers about the imminent threat posed by Saddam Hussein. Since the governor's support for the war has yet to waver, it is more than a little annoying to hear him publicly wishing for his son's deferral.
If the cause in Iraq is even half as important as the governor has led us to believe, then surely his son is more needed in Fallujah than in some Cambridge lecture hall. If, on the other hand, the governor no longer considers the war important enough to justify his son's immediate contribution, then he should speak up as loudly as he did in the winter of 2003. Which is it, George?
CounterRecruiter.net aims to chronicle the growing counter military recruiting movement across the country. It is a project of The Indypendent, the newspaper of the New York City Independent Media Center.
EmailCounterRecruiter.net
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Counter Recruitment Protests
Military Recruiting News
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Counter-Recruiting Links
The New Yorker's Guide to Military Recruitment
National Network Opposing Militarization of Youth
MilitaryFreeZone.org
Coalition Against Militarism in Schools
Counter-Recruitment and Alternatives to the Military Program
Project on Youth and Non-Military Opportunities
Campus Anti-War Network
Central Committee For Conscientous Objectors
War Resisters League
GI Rights Hotline
Wed. March 1st : Antiwar Leader Speaks in NYC
tomorrow at noon: U.S Military out of El Barrio
Out of Jail, Into the Army
4 months for Recruiting Station Protest
Pittsburgh Organizers Announce April Counter-Recruiting Conference
Students Denounce Pentagon Surveillance of of Counter-Recruitment Activities
Protests tied to Supreme Court case
“Bring in 10 people and you can earn $20,000"
Reports on the November 16 Protest in Brooklyn
Vanity Fair: The Recruiter's War
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Today In Music, January 27th
Baby boomers, BBC-TV, Country, Country Music, Culture, Diary, Entertainment, Journal, Life, Media, Michael Jackson, Music, Music news, Nostalgia, Patti Smith, Pop, Pop Music, Random, Rock music, Today In Music, Today in music history
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday, 27th January):
1961. Gillian Gilbert (New Order) born in Manchester, England.
1977. Patti Smith falls fifteen feet from the stage at a gig in Tampa, Florida. She fractures the seventh vertebrae in her neck and requires 22 stitches.
1992. Country singer Sydney Devine is fined £ 75 and has 3 penalty points added to his driving licence at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court. Although he was not in court, the singer admitted driving at 79 m.p.h. on a 60 m.p.h. stretch of the A77 on October 24th last year.
1984. Michael Jackson‘s hair catches fire during the filming of a Pepsi advert. He is rushed to the Cedars Sinai Medical Center suffering second and third degree burns to the scalp. Media interest in the story forces hospital authorities to move Jackson to Brotman Memorial Hospital for treatment.
2006. The Ellen Degeneres Show. (Syndicated, U.S.A.). Guests include Heather Headley who performs “In My Mind”
1967. Italian pop singer Luigi Tenco shoots himself in a fit of depression having been eliminated from the finals of the San Remo Festival. Police say the 27 year old took his life with a single pistol shot to the head. He left a suicide note saying he had “devoted the best years of my life to singing and writing songs” and was doing this “as an act of protest against the public and the jury” for their selections for the final. Tenco was not alone. Some big names including Marianne Faithfull never made it into the final.
It’s odd how differently we see things as the years pass. Browsing old copies of Melody maker for TV listings, I came across news of a blanket radio and TV ban on a Parlophone single. Titled “Nothing Better To Do”, it was released on July 3rd, 1964, and took the mickey out of mods and rockers. The wording suggested that they had nothing better to do than invade towns.
Whether the broadcasters thought it would be a call to arms for the two factions is unclear but ABC-TV, producers of “Thank Your Lucky Stars” said, “The record is not in the best interests of the general public”. MM merely said “the BBC have shunned the disc”.
Odd then, to think that the artist singing the song would later go on to become a much-loved national institution within the BBC – Bill Oddie OBE.
Baby boomers, BBC-TV, Beat Club, CBS, Country, Country Music, Country Rock, Culture, David Letterman, Diary, Disco, Entertainment, Fifties TV, Hip-Hop, Journal, Life, Media, Michael Jackson, Midnight Special, Music, Music news, NBC, NBC TV, Nostalgia, Pop, Pop Music, Punk, Punk Rock, R&B, Random, Rap, Ringo Starr, Rock music, Rockabilly, Rockmine, Rockpalast, Seventies TV, sheryl crow, Sinatra, Sixties TV, soul music, The Midnight Special, Today In Music, Today in music history, Top Of The Pops, Uncategorized
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Saturday, 24th January):
1941. Neil Diamond born Noah Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York.
1969. Lonnie Donegan takes over from Judy Garland in the middle of her 5-week season at London’s Talk Of The Town. The Hollywood star is described as “resting” in her suite at the Ritz Hotel with a nurse in attendance. Yesterday, she had walked off stage after cigarette packets were thrown at her following her late arrival.
1980. Paul McCartney has his first meeting with the British Consul since being detained by Japanese authorities on January 16th. The meeting with D.W.F. Warren-Knott lasted about 15 minutes. During that time, the 37 year old singer said he had no complaints about the way he was being treated.
1978. The case involving Rod Stewart‘s tour band continues at Glasgow Sheriff Court. Two road managers with the group, Patrick Logue (27) and Malcolm Culmore (31), charged with possessing cannabis are found not guilty. Unfortunately, the tour secretary, 29 year old Doris Tyler, is found guilty of perverting the course of justice and is fined £ 130. Police giving evidence against her said that officers answering three different telephones heard her say, “It’s Doris. The drug squad are in the hotel. Ditch everything you’ve got”. Mrs. Tyler was unable to attend the court in person as she’s in Hollywood and unable to travel on health grounds.
1980. Top Of The Pops. (BBC-1, U.K.) Presented by Mike Read. Barbara Dickson; Boomtown Rats; Buggles; Dollar; Joe Jackson; Legs & Co / Bee Gees; Matchbox; Nolans; Pretenders; Regents; Sheila & B.Devotion; The Specials; Suzi Quatro. Here are the Regents with “7-Teen”.
1970. James “Shep” Sheppard, leader of Shep And The Limelites, is found battered to death in his car on the Long Island Expressway.
For those of you who thought I’d gone AWOL the last few days, I do apologise. My New Year resolution to get the blog up in the wee small hours may seem to have been abandoned but that’s not really the case.
As you may know, I’m planning to publish a concise version of the Rockmine Almanac through Lulu next month. This has meant making sure it was up-to-date and working properly – which it wasn’t. So, come Monday morning, I decided to get things in order, going through each of my databases and rebuilding them line by line. Two hard-drive failures in the last year had seen me lose numerous source files. I’d tried everything from freezing them to dropping them but somehow, last weekend managed to rescue the last of what I thought was too important to lose.
This week, I’ve been totally focused on my TV database which had 13, 052 shows. That figure is now 19,176 and I still have probably another 5,000 shows on text files I need to check and rebuild. I’ve spent ages sifting through daily TV listings in various libraries and trawling through Rockmine’s vast store of music papers for something approaching a definitive listing of pop and rock on U.K. TV but those files are the most corrupted. As a result, it’s going to take some time to add those.
That said, I’m relatively happy. What I do have, even now, is a wonderful snap-shot of what we were watching across the years. Here’s what the database throws up (so far) for January 24th:
1958 American Bandstand. (ABC, U.S.A.) Frankie Lyman and the Teenagers – “Goody-Goody”
1959. The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show. (ABC, U.S.A.) Bill Parsons – “All-American Boy”; Joni James – “There Must Be a Way” & “Sorry for Myself”; The Wild Cats – “Gazachstahagen”
1961. American Bandstand. (ABC, U.S.A.) Johnny Burnette – “Little Boy Sad”
1964. Ready, Steady, Go! (Associated-Redifussion (ITV),U.K.) The Searchers – “Needles & Pins”; The Bachelors; Cloe; Susan Maughan; Tony Sheridan; Phil Spector
1964. The Mike Douglas Show. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Louis Armstrong co-hosts and performs.
1965. The Ed Sullivan Show. (CBS, U.S.A.) The Animals – “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
1966. Hullabaloo. (NBC, U.S.A.) Host: Dean Jones. Guests: The Bitter End Singers, Peter Nero, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, Bruce Scott
1966. Where The Action Is. (ABC, U.S.A.) Ben E. King: “Spanish Harlem; Dick and DeeDee: “The Mountain’s High; Paul Revere and the Raiders: “Searchin'”
1967. Where The Action Is. (ABC, U.S.A.) J.J. Jackson: “But It’s Alright” & “I Dig Girls; The Outsiders: “Time Won’t Let Me” & “Help Me Girl”.
1968. The Johnathan Winters Show. (CBS, U.S.A.) Guests include Nancy Sinatra – “Cryin’ Time”. The Young Saints – “Feelin’ Good”, “I Know a Place”.
1970. American Bandstand. (ABC, U.S.A.) Joe South – “Walk A Mile In My Shoes”; Biff Rose
1971. Omnibus (BBC-1, U.K.) Chicago Blues
1971. The Barbara McNair Show. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Hagood Hardy performs, “Eli’s Coming” Barbara sings “Softly, as I Leave You.”
1971. The Ed Sullivan Show. (CBS, U.S.A.) Musical guests: B.J. Thomas, Nancy Ames
1973. The Mike Douglas Show. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Mike’s guests are The Corneilus Brothers.
1974. Top Of The Pops. (BBC, U.K.) Presented by Jimmy Savile. Andy Williams – Solitaire (Repeat); Golden Earring – Radar Love; Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes – The Love I Lost (Disc); Lulu – The Man Who Sold The World; Medicine Head – Slip & Slide; Mud – Tiger Feet; Stevie Wonder – Living For The City (Disc); Suzi Quatro – Devil Gate Drive; The Stylistics – Rockin’ Roll Baby (Disc); The Sweet – Teenage Rampage.
1975. The Midnight Special (NBC, U.S.A.) Hosts: The Marshall Tucker Band. Guests: Charlie Daniels; Charlie Daniels Band; Olivia Newton-John; Poco
1975. The Mike Douglas Show. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Guests include singer-songwriter Paul Williams – “Family of Man”, “You and Me Against the World”.
1976. Hee-Haw. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Guests: Cal Smith, The Statler Brothers and LaWanda Lindsey.
1976. Saturday Night Live (NBC, U.S.A.) Neil Sedaka
1976. Soul Train. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) The Jackson Five
1978. Rockpalast. (WDR, West Germany) Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias (WDR Studio-L Köln)
1978. The Mike Douglas Show. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Paul Anka co-hosts and sings “Nights on Broadway.”
1980. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (NBC, U.S.A.) Sarah Vaughan; Jim Stafford
1980. Top Of The Pops (BBC, U.K.) Presented by Mike Read. Barbara Dickson – Caravan Song; Boomtown Rats – Someones Looking At You; Buggles – The Plastic Age; Dollar – I Want To Hold Your Hand; Joe Jackson – Its Different For Girls (Repeat); Legs & Co / Bee Gees – Spirits Having Flown; Matchbox – Buzz-Buzz-A-Diddle It; Nolans – Im In The Mood For Dancing; Pretenders – Brass It Pocket (Repeat); Regents – 7 Teen; Sheila & B.Devotion – Spacer (Promo); The Specials – Too Much Too Young (Promo); Suzi Quatro – Mamas Boy.
1981. Hee-Haw. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Bruce Jenner; Reba McEntire – “Up In Heaven”; T.G. Sheppard – “I Feel Like Loving You Again”.
1981. Rockpalast. (WDR, West Germany) Michael Schenker Group (Markthalle Hamburg)
1981. Saturday Night Live. (NBC, U.S.A. ) Joe “King” Carrasco & The Crowns; 14 Karat Soul
1981. Soul Train. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Bar-Kays; Yarbrough & Peoples; Robert Winters
1985. Top Of The Pops. (BBC, U.K.) Presented by Mike Smith, Steve Wright. Ashford & Simpson – Solid (Promo); Chaka Khan – This Is The Night; Foreigner – I Want To Know What Love Is (Promo); James Ingram – Yah Mo B There; King – Love & Pride; Strawberry Switchblade – Since Yesterday.
1987. American Bandstand. (ABC, U.S.A.) The Beastie Boys – “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)!”
1987. Hee-Haw. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) John Schneider (co-host). Guests: Louise Mandrell; The New Grass Revival.
1987. Saturday Night Live. (NBC, U.S.A.) Debbie Harry
1990. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. (NBC, U.S.A.) Hoyt Axton
1991. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. (NBC, U.S.A.) Garth Brooks
1991 Top Of The Pops BBC U.K. Presented by Simon Mayo. 2 In A Room – Wiggle It (Promo); A Tribe Called Quest – I Can Kick It (Promo); Off-Shore – I Cant Take The Power; Queen – Innuendo (Promo); Rick Astley – Cry For Help; Robert Palmer – Mercy Mercy Me-I Want You (Repeat); The Simpsons – Do The Bartman (Promo); Tongue N Cheek – Forget Me Nots.
1992. The Word. (Channel 4, U.K.) Musical guests: Boy George, Jah Wobble, Sinead O’Connor, Ride, Jagdeep.
1993. Taratata. (France 4, France) Recorded 21 janvier 1993. Solos: Véronique Sanson; Kezia Jones; Les Négresses Vertes; Jocelyne Beroard. Duos: Véronique Sanson & William Sheller; Véronique Sanson & Dany Brillant
1996. Late Show With David Letterman. (CBS, U.S.A.) Musical guest: Joe Ely
1997. Never Mind The Buzzcocks. (BBC-2, U.K.) Peter Hook, Ace, Clare Grogan, Alan Davies
1997. TFI Friday. (Channel 4, U.K.) Musical guests: Gabrielle, Candyskins, Audioweb
1997. The Rosie O’Donnell Show. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Guests include Tori Amos.
1997. Top Of The Pops (BBC, U.K.) Presented by Phil Daniels. Byron Stingily – Get Up (Everybody); En Vogue – Don’t Let Go (Love) (Promo); Ginuwine – Pony; Outhere Brothers – Let Me Hear You Say Ole’ Ole’; Reef – Come Back Brighter; Suede – Saturday Night; U2 (Disc);otheque (Promo); White Town – Your Woman (Promo).
1998. Soul Train. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) H-Town; Kimberly Scott; Mic Geronimo
2002. Last Call with Carson Daly. (NBC, U.S.A.) Guests include JaRule.
2002. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (NBC, U.S.A.) Guests include Chuck Berry; Little Richard
2003. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (NBC, U.S.A.) Guests include Sheryl Crow
2003. Top Of The Pops (BBC, U.K.) Presented by Richard Bacon. – Year 3000; Daniel Bedingfield – If You’re Not The One; David Sneddon – Stop Living The Lie; Feeder – Just The Way I’m Feeling; Jaimeson ft Angel Blu – TRUE; Libertines – Time For Heroes; Panjabi MC – Mundian To Bach KE; The Everly Brothers – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots.
2004. Austin City Limits. (PBS, U.S.A.) Keith Urban followed by Rodney Crowell
2005. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. (CBS, U.S.A.) Guests include: Population One
2006. Last Call with Carson Daly. (NBC, U.S.A. ) Guests include The Constantines.
2006. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (NBC, U.S.A. ) Jamie Foxx performs “Unpredictable” from album Unpredictable
2007. Late Show With David Letterman. (CBS, U.S.A.) Rosanne Cash performing “Black Cadillac.”
2007. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (NBC, U.S.A. ) Branford Marsalis performs “Fate” from his CD Braggtown
2008. Late Show With David Letterman. (CBS, U.S.A.) Super Furry Animals perform “Neo-Consumerism.”
2008. Never Mind The Buzzcocks (BBC-2, U.K. ) Sophie Ellis Bextor, Yannis, Tim Minchin, James Lance
2008. The Ellen DeGeneres Show. (Syndicated, U.S.A.) Guests include Natasha Bedingfield
2008. The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. (CBS, U.S.A.) Guests include: Ringo Starr
2008. The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. (NBC, U.S.A. ) Buckcherry performs from the CD “15”
Today In Music, October 8th
Baby boomers, Ballerina Ballroom, Culture, Diary, Entertainment, Life, Media, Michael Jackson, Music, Music news, Nostalgia, Pop, Pop Music, Punk, Punk Rock, Random, Rock music, Sex Pistols, The Sex Pistols, Today In Music, Today in music history, Uncategorized
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Wednesday 8th October):
1948. Johnny Ramone born John Cummings in Long Island.
1993. David Griffith a 27 year old Levellers fan dies after falling from the balcony at the band’s sell-out show at Newcastle’s Mayfair. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Royal Victoria Infirmary where a post mortem later shows that he died from head injuries.
1999. Debbie Rowe Jackson files divorce papers in Los Angeles County Superior Court citing irreconcilable differences with husband Michael Jackson. The petition states that the couple have been separated since July 15th this year. A confidential settlement has been agreed regarding property and money. No indication is given as to custody arrangements for the couple’s two children – Michael Joseph Jackson Jnr. (2) and Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson (1).
Jackson met Rowe when she was working as a nurse in the office of his plastic surgeon. They married on November 15th 1996.
1976. The Sex Pistols sign to EMI Records at a four hour long evening meeting. The signing was rather unexpected and rushed. Polydor Records seemed to be the only label ready to sign them – so much so, they’d actually booked a recording session for tonight. The signing fee is £ 40,000, a considerable amount for an as yet unheard band.
1995. Taratata (France 4, France) Solos: Tears For Fears, Pascal Obispo. Duos: Tears For Fears and Oletta Adams, Tears For Fears and Julian Lennon – “Stand By Me”
1995. Music journalist Johnny Waller dies in a road accident aged 40.
My real problem today is understanding what’s going on in Elgin. I have considered it to be a real Narnia transposed to the North Easst of Scotland and I have thought it akin to falling down the rabbit hole after its white owner. Today, I may just have got a handle on it: the reality diffusion effect.
In anthropology, diffusion accepts that races and cultures will spread and intermingle. Racial purity and ethnic traits are lost but to a large degree appearances remain the same. So, let’s consider it here. Reality starts with a premise that everyone can believe in and then through intermingling with other ideas becomes something totally different. For example, a date is agreed and then allowed to diffuse. The most recent occurence of this was on September 26. Two people take away the same date and yet even in the space of a week it duffuses into two dates separated by a month.
What the Hell are you talking about? I hear you say. Well, it’s the imaginary memorabilia exhibition on the walls of the wardrobe in Narnia. You really would be surprised at just how capacious it is. However, it doesn’t help that I’m the one holding on to reality.
Today, while I should have been organising something (although I’m not sure what), I’ve ended up dealing with mails from two different owners of the wardrobe both of whom seem to have the outstanding ability to totally contradict themselves. They’ll quite happily say “I didn’t say that” only to be confronted with a previous mail from them which clearly says exactly that. The amazing bit is they can then turn round and say, “No, I may have said that but that wasn’t what I meant.”
Reality diffusion at its finest!
I’ve asked the wardrobe owners to put together a press release with me explaining that after six months we’ve given up on the idea of staging a memorabilia exhibition. It may seem an odd thing to publicize but I feel it’s essential to stop me looking like a total moron. That said, maybe the fact that I’ve spent six months trying to do this just proves that I am one!
One good thing about this is having got my head round the fact that very little of what I see here is real, it’s easy to get totally into the idea of virtual reality. So, although I’m going to tie this up tomorrow, I’m going to forget a real exhibition for now and stage a virtual one. In other words, I’ll just put all the exhibition pieces online and share them with the whole world.
Baby boomers, Brian Jones, Cream, Culture, Diary, Easy Listening, Entertainment, Eric Clapton, Fifties TV, Journal, Keith Moon, Keith Richards, Life, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Music, Music news, Nostalgia, Pete Townshend, Pink Floyd, Pop, Pop Music, Random, Rock music, Rolling Stones, Syd Barrett, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Today In Music, Today in music history, Uncategorized
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Thursday 7th August):
1949. Tim Renwick (Quiver, Mike & The Mechanics) born in Cambridge, England.
1984. Death threats have been received by The Knoxville News Sentinel against Michael Jackson who is performing the first of two shows in the city tonight. The threats are taken seriously enough that the F.B.I. are called in. The F.B.I. think the threats are unfounded but organisers step up security all the same. Both tonight’s concert and another on the 9th pass off without incident.
1998. Bernard Ortiz, a homeless man who has been stalking Linda Ronstadt for three years, is sentenced to ten months in jail. It was his second time in court over the singer. He had previously been given three years probation and ordered not to contact Ronstadt or her family. He violated the probation after only three months, sending his “victim” a watch, candles and a letter on her birthday.
1997. Richard Marsh (Bentley Rhythm Ace) breaks his back during a parachute jump at Langar Airfield, Nottinghamshire. The jump was being filmed for the video of the band’s next single, “Bentley’s Gonna Sort You Out” but Marsh was caught by a gust of wind during landing and thrown heavily onto his back. He was taken to Nottingham General Hospital where doctors said he would make a full recovery but need three months rest.
1957. American Bandstand (ABC, U.S.A.) 3. Paul Anka; The Tassels. This was Paul Anka’s first network TV appearance in the U.S.A. Aged only 16, he performed his soon to be massive international number 1 hit, “Diana”. While I can’t guarantee this is the correct clip, it is the correct period and I’m a bit short of time today. 2m 13s.
1978. Les Perrin, publicist for The Rolling Stones and others, dies.
There’s not a huge amount to report since yesterday. I spent another three hours in the Heritage Centre in Elgin digging through microfiche copies of the Northern Scot newspaper. So far I’ve compiled a list from 1966 to 1970 of the bands that played the Ballerina Ballroom in Nairn.
Here’s a sample from July – December 1967:
July 07 – Cream plus Newton’s Theory with its Go-Go Girls. The gig was cancelled when the van carrying the band’s equipment failed to turn up.
July 10 – Cream return to play their concert.
July 21 – Pink Floyd
July 28 – Gino Washington and The Ram Jam Band plus The Copy Cats
August 18 – The Small Faces – concert cancelled.
August 31 – Zoot Money and his new group Dantalion’s Chariot plus The T-Set
September 08 – The Freddie Mack Show
September 15 – The Throb plus The Life N’ Soul
September 22 – Tony Merrick plus The T-Set
October 06 – The Who plus Gideon’s Few
October 13 – The Beatstalkers plus The Rebel Sound
October 20 – The Four Shades Of Blue plus The T-Set
October 27 – The Tamala Express plus The Beatroute
November 03 – The Rhubarb plus The Barons
November 10 – Clock-work Orange plus Last Chapter
November 17 – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
December 01 – The Delroy Williams Show plus Keith Taylor
December 08 – The Troggs plus The Throb
December 15 – Symon Dupree
December 22 – Cash Boutique Queen For 1967. Grand Final
December 25 – Aberdeen Students’ Charities’ Campaign present Their Xmas Beatnik Ball with The Circle plus The T-Set
December 29 – The 1967 Last Fling with The Middle Earth plus The T-Set
I have to say it’s been a bit disappointing. While I wasn’t expecting a weekly or monthly catalogue of household names, they’ve so far been few and far between apart from the period above. That said, it paints an incredible picture of the constant touring of small to medium sized bands. The names that have stood out are the likes of Writing On The Wall, My Dear Watson, Spiggy Topes and Archemedes Principle. Now what i’m trying to do is find photos and adverts for some of them.
I went back to the Ballerina and found that John Byrne had more or less completed the area that will serve as exhibition space and festival cafe. I’ll get up some images either later today or tomorrow.
Today In Music, July 20th
Baby boomers, Culture, Diary, Elvis Presley, Entertainment, Frank Sinatra, Journal, Life, Media, Michael Jackson, Music, Music news, Nostalgia, Pop, Pop Music, Punk, Punk Rock, Random, Rock music, Rockpalast, Today In Music, Today in music history, Uncategorized
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Sunday 20th July):
1956. Paul Cook (The Sex Pistols) born in London, England.
1996. Michael Jackson flies into Brunei where he is being paid $ 15 – $ 20 million for performing three shows. One show will be for the Sultan who celebrates his 50th birthday and another will be at the opening of a theme park built by the Sultan for his people.
1940. Billboard magazine publsihes the very first singles chart. Until this date, the magazine had publisherd individual listings of sales for each record label. This chart combined all labels for the first time. Topping the chart was “I’ll Never Smile Again” by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Frank Sinatra and The Pied Pipers.
1999. Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood leaves St. Thomas’s Hospital in London with a police guard. He had been shot by a Yardie gunman on a motorcycle as he drove home from a music festival on July 18th. Throughout his stay in hospital, Westwood was guarded by armed police officers.
2003. Rockpalast (WDR, Germany) Mother’s Finest (Burg Satzvey, Bourbonensaal). Here they are with “Dis Go Dis Way”, “Dis Go Dat Way, Fly With Me”.
1977. Gary Kellgren co-owner of The Record Plant recording studios in Los Angeles and Sausalito drowns in a Hollywood swimming pool.
Today In Music, May 27th
Baby boomers, Culture, Diary, Elvis, Elvis Presley, Entertainment, Journal, Life, Media, Michael Jackson, Music, Music news, Nostalgia, Pop, Pop Music, Random, Rock music, Today In Music, Today in music history, Uncategorized
From the Rockmine Almanac for today (Tuesday 27th May):
1957. Siouxsie Sioux (Siouxsie And The Banshees) born Susan Dallion in London, England.
1990. The Stone Roses play a mega-rave at Spike Island near Widnes for 30,000 fans. 400 people are treated on site for minor injuries, 27 are hospitalised and five are kept in overnight. One person dies from a heart attack. There are only four arrests – three for drugs and one for public order offences..
1997. Judge David Horowitz rules in favour of Pamela Anderson Lee, wife of Motley Crue‘s drummer Tommy, at the end of a trial brought against her by The Private Movie Company who had sued the star for $ 5 million claiming breach of contract. The suit alleged that Pamela had agreed to star in a Shoiwtime cable TV movie entitled, “Hello, She Lied”. The company also alleged that had the ex-Baywatch star gone ahead with the movie, the company would have made more than $ 5 million in overseas sales. As it was they just broke even on the project.
1969. Cilla Black gives herself an unusual 26th birthday present – a new nose. The new look smaller nose was constructed by plastic surgeons during an operation at Queen Victoria Hospital, East Grinstead, Sussex. The singer had complained last year of how large her nose looked every time she saw herself on television and decided to do something about it.
1972. Disco (ZDF, West Germany) 16. Tony Marshall – Komm, gib mir deine Hand; Hollies – The baby; New Seekers – Beg, steal or borrow; Su Kramer – Holy Moses; Heino – Carnavalin Rio; Uriah Heep – Wizard; Inga + Wolf – Gute Nacht, Freunde; Tony Christie – Don’t go down to Reno; Vicky Leandros – Apès toi, Dann kamst du; Chicory Tip – What’s your name?. Here are Uriah Heep!
2001. Jazz writer, producer and publicist, Helen Oakley Dance (who worked with Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and many more) dies from complications following a heart attack, aged 88.
Babble.
The Rockmine update/upgrade continues. Today. I got the Legal Document Archive on-line. It’s a fascinating mixture of court papers covering criminal cases, debt, divorce and probate along with police files, coroner’s reports and even accident investigations. I’ve always been fascinated by legal documents and they’re often ignored.
I’ve sold stories to the national and international press that people just never saw buried in the dry and boring text. One was the K.G.B. plan to kill Elvis Presley which was in the 2,000 pages that the F.B.I. released. The other, was a “Complaint For Sexual Battery; Battery; Seduction; Willful Misconduct; Intentional Infliction Of Emotional Distress; Fraud And Negligence” brought by one J. Chandler against Michael Jackson. It was in the middle of a file of divorce papers relating to Michael’s marriage to Lisa Marie Presley.
Needless to say, my inventory is more than a little out of date, so there’s still more to add to it. As all the dates are really important and play a part in The Almanac, I’ve removed them along with the exact court or county cherk’s office the papers came from. It is meant to be a commercial resource after all.
Although today had been scheduled for sending out invites and press releases for my memorabilia exhibition at the Red Shoes Theatre in Elgin, I’m still no wiser as to whether the event is going ahead. It seems the theatre, once better known as the Two Red Shoes Ballroom, is unable to get insurance cover for anything hung on the walls of their cafe. I don’t think I’ve EVER been in a theatre that didn’t have some sort of exhibition going on and they must have insurance for it. What worries me most is that reference keeps being made to trying to get an extension to their public liability policy, which may well mean that’s the only insurance they have. I certainly hope that’s not the case.
One of the things I’d aimed to do to tie in with the exhibition was a list of all the gigs staged at the venue. It would be a quirky adjunct to The Almanac’s live listing which has all the dates for The Marquee, The Fillmores, The Cavern and many more. The adverts and pop columns in the local paper are fascinating and would make a great display in the theatre to celebrate its past. I’ve only had a couple of days in the local Heritage Centre but was stunned to find they had all the local papers on microfiche and real copies in storage that were available for photocopying. I’m going to book some more hard copies in the hope that I can get some time to finish this list, regardless of what happens to the exhibition.
Baby boomers, Culture, Diary, Entertainment, Jimi Hendrix, Life, Madonna, Media, Michael Jackson, Music, Music news, Nostalgia, Pop, Pop Music, Punk, Punk Rock, Random, Rock music, Today In Music, Today in music history, Uncategorized
1947. Peter “Overend” Watts (Mott The Hoople) born in Birmingham, England.
1966. Jimi Hendrix is photographed playing his guitar with his teeth at the Club Cheetah, 53 Broadway, New York. Still with Curtis Knight And The Squires, this gives an indication of Hendrix’s future style.
… and in:
2002. Madonna makes her first appearance onstage in London’s West End in the play, “Up For Grabs”. Tickets for her run at the city’s Wyndham Theatre sold out within 10 days. It’s her first stage performance since appearing in David Mamet’s “Speed The Plow” on Broadway in 1988. Tonight’s show was a preview with the run opening properly in 10 days. Here’s the flyer:
1997. Jerome “J.J.” Johnson has his claim for wrongful termination against Michael Jackson thrown out by Judge David Horowitz. Jackson claimed he was fired from his job as a security guard for Jackson’s production company when he overheard the head of security bragging about having lied to the Grand Jury investigating allegations of child molestation against the singer.
2000. Later… With Jools Holland (BBC-2, U.K.) 15.5. Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros – “London Calling”, “Tony Adams”, “X Ray Style”, “I Fought The Law”; Tracy Chapman – “Telling Stories”, “Behind The Wall”, “Speak The Word”; The Delgados – “American Trilogy”, “Thirteen Gliding Principles”; Angie Stone – “Life Story”, “No More Rain (This Cloud)”; Warren Zevon – “Werewolves Of London”, “My S**t’s F****d Up”. Here’s Joe with “London Calling”.
1988. Chet Baker dies when he falls (or jumps) from an Amsterdam hotel window.
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The Alan Senitt Memorial Trust
Creating opportunities for training and interfaith dialogue to empower young people to be tolerant and understanding and empowering them to take on leadership roles now and in the future
This charity is dedicated to the memory of Alan Charles Senitt BA (Hons), whose life was tragically ended, aged 27, on 9 July 2006 whilst trying to defend a friend. During his all too short life Alan took on many roles in community life and as a political activist including the posts of National President of B’nai B’rith youth organisation, National Chairman of the Union of Jewish Students, Israel Lobbyist for BICOM (British Israel Communications and Research), first Director of The Political Council for Co-existence and of the Co-existence Trust and Director of The Israel-Britain Business Council. Alan was an inspirational community leader and political activist with a great passion and belief for all that he did and with a great future ahead of him. He died as he lived, defending the rights of others. '
The core purpose of The Alan Senitt Memorial Trust is for it to be a testimony to and the perpetuation of the life, work and aspirations of Alan Charles Senitt for the benefit of future generations of all faiths through the funding of educational and training programmes for our future leaders and by funding innovative opportunities for interfaith dialogue, leadership skills and Israel education.
The Alan Senitt Memorial Trust aims to:
To empower young people of all faiths to become inspirational and active leaders in their own community and the wider community
Established: December 2006
Volunteers: 15
Address: 13 Chestnut Avenue Edgware Middlesex HA8 7RA
The Alan Senitt Community Leadership Programme
AN innovative programme that runs in 5 schools of dfifferent faiths in Hertfordshire and M... More
A project run in partnership with the government-backed Shared Futures Project and Street... More
Masters Scholarship Programme
To provide 3 scholarships per year for post-graduates (of all faiths) to undertake a Maste... More
Interfaith Dialogue & Education
To create opportunities for interfaith dialogue and education for children and young adult... More
Contact The Alan Senitt Memorial Trust
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Peter Knoepfel
Peter Knoepfel (1949) is honorary Professor at the faculty of Law, criminal sciences and public administration at the University of Lausanne. For over 30 years (1982-2014) he taught and conducted research at the Swiss Graduate School of Public Administration (IDHEAP) in the area of the public policy analysis and sustainability. He was responsible for the scientific chair devoted to these fields and between 1994 and 2002 he was the director of the IDHEAP. His interests include the theory and practice of public policy, in particular environment, sustainable development, culture and institutional resource regimes of all kinds. He is a member of several associations and scientific commissions, the president of the foundation sanu durabilitas and honorary professor at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kiev.
Les ressources d'action publique
Vers une nouvelle lecture du pouvoir
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Over the Weekend (Jan. 5 Edition)
January 5, 2015 News80's, Broken Social Scene, Charlie Brown, Death from Above 1979, Doolittle, Forgiveness Rock Record, Golden Facelift, Jesse F. Keeler, Morrissey, Music Video, Peanuts, Pixies, Rap Genius, Satellite, Spoon, the Pixies, The Smiths, Vinylsymeo Leave a comment
Prepare yourself for a return to a normal work-week with new videos and other fun distractions…
Broken Social Scene just released a music video for the track “Golden Facelift”, which originally was recorded during the Forgiveness Rock Record sessions but received new life when it was included in a recent compilation. Pitchfork has the story behind the song if you’re interested; otherwise, just sit back and enjoy this fan-made montage of all the horrifying events from this past year, with a slick BSS soundtrack.
The year 2014 was a bummer for a lot of people, but not for those who benefit from the rebirth of vinyl, as the recent boom shows no signs of slowing down with this latest year of sales. While the pretty bar graph shows a significant increase in the volume of sales, it doesn’t provide the needed caveat that vinyl still represents only a small percentage of total music sales, because that would require more research and more complicated analysis.
You thought that just because we’re now in the new year that we were beyond the time for lists? Well, think again, because Slicing Up Eyeballs has a list of the 100 best albums of the 80’s as determined by its readers. I have to say, I was rather surprised that a website with that name would only list Doolittle as number three, but apparently that’s how democracy works.
Consequence of Sound has an excellent extended interview with Death From Above 1979’s Jesse F. Keeler, with topics ranging from a potential sale of host Sami Jarroush’s guitar to Keeler’s “Mosh Mondays” with his kids.
New York Magazine has an extended profile of the founders of Rap Genius, the lyrics annotation website, with an eye on their grand plans for the future. Spoiler Alert: the guys are exactly the kind of dudebro assholes you would expect.
Here’s the perfect diversion for any Monday: a Tumblr that mashes up Morrissey/The Smiths lyrics with old Peanuts strips.
And finally, the Tumblr “Fuck Yeah Spoon” shared a brand new Spoon song that made its debut at a show in Houston a few nights ago. Even though the fan-made recording is not album-quality, it’s clear that “Satellite” is a beautiful ballad with a nice chugging beat, and we will certainly be hoping for an official release of some sort in the future.
Enough With the Fucking Arcade Fire, Already
September 24, 2014 Criticism Criticism, Odds/SodsArcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Death from Above 1979, Eels, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, indie rock, M83, Neutral Milk Hotel, Pavement, Radiohead, Rock Critic Criticism, White Rabbitssymeo One comment
One of our primary goals here at Rust Is Just Right is to provide an alternative to a lot of the dismissive snark that is the hallmark of a lot of contemporary music criticism these days. We believe that in a world that’s overflowing with great music, it’s better to analyze and promote what’s worth listening to instead of attempting to tear down what’s already popular. Sure, it’s easy to succumb to the temptation of writing something bitingly clever about a band that we don’t like, but it’s not really going to accomplish all that much. Besides, it’s not our place to decry other people’s tastes. If you enjoy something, we’re in no place to tell you why you’re wrong–life is simply too short and awful to take away any such joy like that.
Given those parameters, this editorial may seem to run counter to that mission. Yes, we are going to slag on Arcade Fire, but that’s not the main purpose of this piece. No, our qualms are with the breathless adulation and coverage that the band receives on an infuriatingly and consistent basis, and how Arcade Fire has somehow in the past decade became shorthand for what’s “good” in “indie rock”. This unabashed love of the band has frustratingly led to the ridiculous need that many publications and writers to shoehorn a mention of “Arcade Fire” in pieces that are completely irrelevant to the group.
First, we’ll lay all our cards on the table and explain why we don’t like the band in the first place. Well…Eels wrote a superior album about coping with the deaths of close family members, Pavement did a much better job of writing seemingly-tuneless melodies, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor along with Broken Social Scene did a far better job of simply being a collective of Canadian musicians. Hell, even the cover of Funeral is infuriating, since it comes off as a rip-off of the art associated with Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea–shit, it even has the same goddamn font that NMH used. The art just screams “WE REALLY LIKE NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL AND WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE’RE COOL LIKE THAT!” If you want more substantial criticism (beyond this standard rock-critic trope of accusing a group of being derivative of all these other influences), it boils down to the fact that their music is boring, they can’t sing, and have never written an insightful lyric. They wrote a two-chord song, and they couldn’t figure out how to do it in a key that was in the range of their singer–LCD Soundsystem managed to do that, and came up with one of the greatest songs of the decade despite James Murphy’s limited vocal abilities. This is a band that ruins their one decent moment, the song “Wake Up”, with an abrupt and inexplicable shift into fucking “Walking On Sunshine”.
Perhaps my frustration with the band can best be explained by their presence in the film “Her”. It’s an absolutely amazing film and further cements in my mind that Spike Jonze is a true genius, and I was glad that he won an Oscar for his work. However, I had significant issues with the score. There was one key scene where the OS “Samantha” composes her own music, and we in the audience here it played back. It’s twinkly piano music that sounds pleasant on the surface, even if it has no real melodic ideas, and sounds like something an entity with limited knowledge of songwriting would create. Which seems to fit the idea of a computer attempting a human behavior and approximating that behavior except…it was frustratingly obvious that the piano was played by a human, since the rhythms were wildly imprecise and fingers were lingering too long on certain notes and making the notes stick together and therefore ruining the illusion. That’s Arcade Fire in a nutshell: humans attempting to mimic machines which are trying to pass off as humans, and failing miserably.
For the most part, it hasn’t been an issue and aside from their presence in an otherwise magnificent film, I’ve been able to avoid Arcade Fire rather easily. It doesn’t take much to avoid clicking links like “Watch Arcade Fire’s 25 Best ‘Reflektor’ Tour Cover Songs”, even if those links appear everywhere and on multiple sites. No, the true problem is when the band makes a random appearance in an article that has absolutely nothing to do with them, as illustrated in this review. Pitchfork’s review of M83’s re-release of their first three albums marked the moment when we officially reached Peak Music Critic Insufferability, as the reviewer attempted to describe M83’s style with this statement: “Arcade Fire are perhaps a better touchpoint for their overall approach: lead with emotions telegraphed big and wide enough to fill a stadium, and let the guitars and synthesizers fall into place around them.”
Now, let that sink in for a second. Not only is it ridiculous to compare the music of the two bands (since no one who has ever listened to both bands would find a connection beyond “these are two acts that create sounds”–just listen to that video above and explain how it resembles Arcade Fire in any fashion), note that the connection between the two seems to be…that the two groups are both emotive. This assertion that somehow Arcade Fire was the first group to emphasize emotion in some capacity in their music is completely insane (especially in an era where “emo” was huge) and demonstrates the myopia that afflicts a generation of rock critics in which in order to convey that a musician is “serious” that it must be compared to this one band. To further underscore how clumsily the point is made in the review, note that the comparison to Arcade Fire is immediately dropped and no further mention is made in the rest of the review.
However, the most ridiculous aspect of the comparison is just simple chronology. M83’s first two albums were released before Funeral, while their third was released a couple of months after. Unless those crazy Canadians can bend the rules of time and space, it can be definitively stated that they had absolutely no effect on the French electronic duo. If you’re dead-set on making some sort of comparison, perhaps another article can be written about how M83 influenced Arcade Fire, but why bother. I mean, this is a great song that displays subtlety and mastery of melody–something that is difficult to find in an Arcade Fire song.
That’s not the only irrelevant mention of Arcade Fire I encountered this month–in a review of Death From Above 1979’s new album, I learned that apparently we started measuring time in terms of Arcade Fire album releases in the past decade. To be fair, that isn’t the worst problem with that ridiculous review (which includes gems like finding out that Wolfmother was apparently a dance-punk band), but it once again points to the annoying habit that many rock critics employ of needlessly dropping references to Arcade Fire. DFA1979 are as bad a comparison as M83 in terms of music, but why the hell should that matter?
These are all symptoms of the general problem of giving Arcade Fire way too much credit than they deserve. In this feature, we see the band get praise for…incorporating “whoas” in a song, as if having an instrumental swell accompanied by a wordless chorus was a fucking revolutionary act (just one year later, we would see a much better example of this technique from My Morning Jacket). Arcade Fire somehow also gets credit for “having an auxiliary floor-tom for intermittent bashing” when Radiohead had a hit the previous year doing exactly that (and to great effect). Even the most diehard Arcade Fire fan has to admit that Radiohead is a much more influential band. Besides, has this been a real trend? Sure, White Rabbits used it to great effect on “Percussion Gun” and it helped get people to listen to their fantastic album It’s Frightening, but for fuck’s sake, it isn’t worth tricking me into clicking a link for a goddamn Imagine Dragons video. More than anything, it just seemed like an excuse for this poor excuse for a Canadian collective to employ extra people to play random percussion, seemingly ripping off Slipknot of all bands (hey, I knew I forgot another random influence of Arcade Fire).
Arcade Fire fans, I mean you no harm. But please, if you end up working as music critics, please refrain from constantly mentioning your favorite band. It reflects poorly on all of us.
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April 15, 2015 Best Of, RecsAlvvays, Aphex Twin, Beck, Best of 2014, Cloud Nothings, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Death from Above 1979, Fucked Up, Hamilton Leithauser, Interpol, Nothing, Ought, Parquet Courts, Peter Matthew Bauer, Real Estate, Run the Jewels, Sharon Van Etten, Solids, Spoon, The Antlers, The Black Keys, The Men, The War on Drugs, TV on the Radiosymeo Leave a comment
Today is April 15, and while the rest of the nation celebrates Tax Day, we here at Rust Is Just Right choose this occasion to release our Best Albums of the Year list. We follow this unusual schedule for a few reasons: 1) It allows some of the albums that are released at the end of the calendar year to get some recognition, since they usually get swallowed up in the attention of the flurry of year-end lists; 2) We get the chance to analyze other lists to pick up on albums that somehow escaped our attention during the course of the year; and 3) It provides a handy consumer guide for people to focus where to spend their tax refund/gives them an added checklist when they head out to their local record stores this weekend for Record Store Day.
Note: Though the list is a Top 10, there are more albums than slots, because we don’t like breaking ties for the same play count. If you’re really intent on focusing on only 10, I guess take the 10 highest performing albums from the list, but you really shouldn’t limit yourself like that if you can help it. Also, we have reviews for all of these albums, so for those of you seeking a more detailed analysis all you need to do is click the appropriate tag above.
10. Alvvays – Alvvays; Aphex Twin – Syro; Nothing – Guilty of Everything; Real Estate – Atlas (8 plays)
Alvvays and Nothing edge themselves onto the list with fantastic debut albums, the former being a sublime beach-pop record and the latter finding an intriguing mix between shoegaze and metal. Real Estate’s latest would make a great companion album to the Alvvays record on any future trip to the coast, with the band further refining their laid-back, easy-going vibe with some of their most tightly-constructed songs of their career, like “Talking Backwards” and “Crimes”. The only reason why Aphex Twin’s fantastic comeback effort is so low on the list is that we in general do not spend much time listening to electronica; otherwise, it would have ended up much higher on our list.
9. Beck – Morning Phase; Ought – More Than Any Other Day; Parquet Courts – Sunbathing Animal; Solids – Blame Confusion (9 plays)
We never grew to love Sunbathing Animal in the same way that we did Light Up Gold, so its inclusion on the list is mainly due to our insistence on trying to gain a greater appreciation through repeated listens; that said, it did have its moments, like “Dear Ramona” and “Instant Disassembly”, that we would love to hear the next time they roll through the Northwest. Ought’s debut album is the perfect example of why we delay the publication of our list, since their fascinating debut did not come onto our radar until after we saw it on another year-end list, and it soon became one of our favorites with its intriguing take on garage rock and post-punk. We jumped in early on the Solids bandwagon, and were pleased to see that the duo’s fuzz-rock had some staying power over the course of the year. And we hope that Beck is as proud of his showing on our list as he is of the Grammy that he got for his gorgeous new album.
8. The Antlers – Familiars; Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else; Cymbals Eat Guitars – LOSE (10 plays)
Cymbals Eat Guitars surprised a lot of people with the leap forward that they took on LOSE, an ambitious, anthemic guitar rock masterpiece. Cloud Nothings somehow came back with an even rawer record than Attack on Memory, and in the process became more of a cohesive group, with the furious drumming being a noteworthy highlight. As for The Antlers, this is becoming old hat for them, because they once again delivered an incredible record, this time meditating on reconciling the internal struggle, dressed up in hauntingly gorgeous hooks.
7. Fucked Up – Glass Boys; Sharon Van Etten – Are We There? (11 plays)
We may have been in the minority with our disappointment in David Comes to Life, but Fucked Up more than made up for it with the punchy Glass Boys. As for Sharon Van Etten, she continues to find the perfect balance between the pain and sadness of her lyrics and the beauty of her music.
6. The Black Keys – Turn Blue (13 plays)
Though there is probably a sizable contingent of people who are tired of The Black Keys at this point, we are not in that subset. Turn Blue was the right step after the arena-rock of El Camino, and we love it when they collaborate with Danger Mouse. Also, the guitar solos in “The Weight of Love” were probably the year’s best.
5. Interpol – El Pintor; Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2 (14 plays)
After their disappointing self-titled album and the polarizing Our Love to Admire, Interpol gave itself a needed shot in the arm with El Pintor. Though on paper it seems that dropping the band’s “secret weapon” Carlos D. was a bad idea, Paul Banks comfortably assumed those duties and seemed to reinvigorate the rest of the band with their strongest effort since Antics. Run The Jewels proved that sequels can improve upon the originals, with Killer Mike throwing down some of the best verses of his career.
4. TV on the Radio – Seeds; The War on Drugs – Lost In The Dream (15 plays)
A lot of critics seemed to have slept on Seeds, but any visit to see TV on the Radio on their latest tour should quiet any doubts that people had about the band. It is an album about finding strength through loss, and the band crafted some of its best songs in the wake of the loss of bass player Gerard Smith. The War on Drugs improved upon their initial breakthrough Slave Ambient by shaping their soundscapes into more cohesive “songs”, but the album is still a delight to listen to with the headphones cranked up to listen to all the different sonic details.
3. Hamilton Leithauser – Black Hours; Peter Matthew Bauer – Liberation!; Spoon – They Want My Soul (17 plays)
It is fitting that two of the solo albums from one of our favorite bands would end up in a tie; though we mourn the apparent loss of The Walkmen, we should rejoice that we have been blessed with multiple excellent albums already. Each captured distinct parts of their previous band’s sound–Hamilton’s penchant for vintage sounds, Peter with the charming raggedness of their music. Spoon once again proved that they are the most consistently brilliant band in indie rock for the past 15 years, as They Want My Soul effectively captures the band’s past sound as well as finds new ways to innovate, with songs like “New York Kiss” and “Outlier”.
2. The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits (19 plays)
This is perhaps the best example of the peculiarities of The Process, as the placement of Tomorrow’s Hits was partially inflated by just how much fun it is to drive around playing this record. The band looked backwards for inspiration, re-configuring the sound of a bar band from the 70’s to create one of the most entertaining records of the year. The Men have been busy throughout their career, releasing five records and five years, so we should probably be expecting a sixth record soon.
1. Death From Above 1979 – The Physical World (23 plays)
We have been in love with this album since the second we heard the opening notes of “Trainwreck 1979”. Death From Above 1979 made the most of the ten years off since their debut, finding the perfect balance between recreating the magic of their early work while moving ahead into new and exciting directions. You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine still holds up hundreds of years later, and The Physical World looks like it will repeat the same feat. The band still has the same ferocious energy as when they first burst on the scene, but it is clear that both Sebastien and Jesse have improved as musicians, finding new ways to create original music through the simple tools of bass and drums (with the occasional synth). Hopefully we do not have to wait another ten years for the next step.
Over the Weekend (Jan. 12 Edition)
January 12, 2015 NewsAustin City Limits, BADBADNOTGOOD, Beastie Boys, Country, David Letterman, Death Cab For Cutie, Foxygen, Ghostface Killah, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Letterman, MF Doom, Nas, Parquet Courts, Post-Rock, Rappers, Sigur Rós, Sleater-Kinney, Spoon, Star Power, Sufjan Stevens, The Late Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, The War on Drugs, Useless Lists, Viet Cong, Waxahatchee, Wu-Tang Clansymeo Leave a comment
Videos, live performances, lists, and general news as we determine the superior “O” state once and for all…
We left a ton of material on the table for today’s post, and with the flurry of news this morning our roundup is even more overstuffed than usual. So let’s dive right in with the surprise release of the music video for the Beastie Boys track “Too Many Rappers”, featuring Nas in both audio and visual form. While it’s sad to remember that Hot Sauce Committee Part Two will be the last album we ever hear from the Beasties, but it’s certainly great to have some more footage of the crew having fun together.
NPR has streams for two highly-anticipated new albums available this week. First, there’s the long-awaited return of critical darlings and Pacific Northwest favorites Sleater-Kinney, who are releasing their first album in ten years next week with No Cities to Love. Then there’s the self-titled debut of Viet Cong, who have garnered a ridiculous amount of buzz among various indie blogs in the past couple of months. I don’t yet have the same enthusiasm, though it may take a few more listens of their noisy guitar rock to convince me.
Ghostface Killah seemingly never stops working, because after releasing his solo album 36 Seasons last month (and appearing on The Wu-Tang Clan’s A Better Tomorrow), he’s set to release another album next month. This time it’s a collaboration with BADBADNOTGOOD, with their record Sour Soul set to be released February 17. Their latest track, “Ray Gun”, features a guest spot from DOOM and has a nice grimy funk feel, complemented by some gorgeous strings. Stereogum has more information, including links to previously released tracks, for your perusal.
There’s also a trio of album releases that were announced this morning. Death Cab For Cutie is releasing Kintsugi on March 31st and will be their first album “without” founding guitarist Chris Walla, who while no longer a member of the band still has a presence on the album. Sufjan Stevens is releasing Carrie & Lowell on the same day, which we can take as further proof that the “50 States” project is dead. And Waxahatchee will be releasing Ivy Tripp on April 7th, and you should probably click the link because Pitchfork has helpfully included the new track “Air”. We were big fans of her previous album Cerulean Salt, and while this sounds a bit more polished than that lo-fi classic, sounding like a stripped-down Joy Formidable is something we can support.
It’s disappointing that a once-vibrant genre as Country has become just a bunch of homogenized pablum, and worse yet is the fact that every year it continues to get worse. The genre has just become Nickelback with a half-assed over-enunciated Southern accent, and that’s a damn shame. The thing is, consumers are at least partly to blame, since as The Atlantic points out, uniformity is what sells.
Last week featured some great musical guests on the Late Night shows, including performances from such RIJR favorites The War On Drugs (who performed the epic “An Ocean In Between The Waves” on The Tonight Show) and Parquet Courts delivering a dynamite version of “Bodies Made of” on Letterman, a song that initially sounds like a poor choice for the national stage until it gets to its epic breakdown. But the standout of the week was Foxygen and Star Power performing “How Can You Really” on The Late Show, which prompted an enthusiastic response from Dave himself.
We here at Rust Is Just Right are always down for hearing more from Spoon, so we are pleased to share their appearance on Austin City Limits over the weekend as well as their guest spot on Sound Opinions. We’ll see if we can go the rest of the week without mentioning them, but don’t bet on it.
And finally, a couple of fun lists that can either be used as a discovery tool or merely as argument fodder. Stereogum has a list of “30 Essential Post-Rock” songs which along with usual suspects Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Sigur Rós, and Explosions in the Sky includes several other bands that may not be as well known, though this may partially be due to a broad definition of “post-rock”. You can have an argument about that specific topic as well as the following list from Complex, which goes through each year since 1979 to anoint “The Best Rapper Alive”.
Catching Up On The Week (Dec. 12 Edition)
December 12, 2014 NewsChad Smith, CIA, Doolittle, Pixies, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Run the Jewels, the Pixies, The War on Drugs, Torture, War On Drugs, Will Ferrellsymeo Leave a comment
Some #longreads as you try to stop laughing every time you hear “Pineapple Express” on the local weather report…
Earlier this month, the Pixies released a three-disc reissue of their classic album Doolittle for its 25th anniversary, and I truly mean “classic” in every sense of the word. The AV Club has a roundtable devoted to the album, and the band’s label at the time 4AD has created an interactive version of the liner notes online. Be sure to check those out as you blast that album the rest of the weekend.
For those more interested in current music, Consequence of Sound has named their Band of the Year and Artist of the Year, and they are Rust Is Just Right favorites The War On Drugs and Run The Jewels, respectively. As such, they each get the extended profile and retrospective treatment.
Because it’s always fun to read his interviews, we’re going to link to a Rolling Stone piece with Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers answering questions from Twitter. You’ll find stories about their infamous socks costume, potential future drum battles with Will Ferrell, and updates on their new album.
In more serious news, this week saw the release from the Senate Intelligence Committee on the use of torture by the CIA in the last decade. Among the various methods employed was the use of music, in different forms, and Vox has a breakdown of the psychological connections that humans with music and how the CIA exploited them.
The War On Drugs, Live at the Crystal Ballroom
December 4, 2014 Live Shit, RecsCrystal Ballroom, December to Remember, Live, Lost In The Dream, Slave Ambient, Summer Cannibals, The War on Drugs, Wagonwheel Blues, War On Drugssymeo Leave a comment
It’s only been a few short months since we last saw The War On Drugs live in Portland, and the upgrade in venue from the Wonder to the Crystal matches their surging popularity over the course of this year. When we last saw them, the band had just released their latest album Lost In The Dream to stellar reviews and they seemed poised to break through into the mainstream; eight months later, as Lost starts appearing at the top of everyone’s lists for album of the year and the band has a bona fide radio hit with “Red Eyes” (which by kicking off KNRK’s “December to Remember” series of concerts last night confirmed), it’s clear that The War On Drugs have arrived. And just as they did back in the spring, the band came through with a spirited set that left an even larger audience buzzing.
Thanks to the bizarre layout mandated by the OLCC, a solid dead-center shot for this pic.
After months of touring, the band’s setlist is a well-oiled machine: a strong natural flow has developed between the ballads and uptempo material, and the transitions between songs have now been smoothed over to minimize the delay for tuning and pedal adjustments. As to be expected, material from Lost In The Dream dominated the setlist, with eight of the ten tracks represented (only the instrumental “The Haunting Idle” and the dirge-like “Suffering” failed to make the cut). The peppy “Burning” made for a strong opener and set the mood, but it took the opening clicks of “Under the Pressure” for the crowd to begin making some real noise. That was nothing however in comparison to their response to “An Ocean in Between the Waves”, which due in no small part to its extended solos received a generous applause and some hollers.
It’s clear that despite the affection the crowd had for the band and the new album, it didn’t inspire most of them to go back and pick up the early material, as cuts from Wagonwheel Blues and Slave Ambient were met with only the occasional cheer. It was during these songs that The War On Drugs fell victim to the Crystal Ballroom Curse, as the overlapping of several effects pedals and similar-ranged instruments created a dense morass that made it hard to distinguish what was being played, even beyond the hazy effect intended by the material. “These Arms Like Boulders” and “Come to the City” are gorgeous songs if you are familiar with them, but to the uninitiated can seem like mush, though the latter benefited from some nifty drumming that caught the eye of the crowd. As many who have been to shows at the Crystal can attest, you need a top-notch sound man handling the mix or else everything can turn to crap.
Tuning up amid the haze; fog machine was working overtime
Adam Granduciel kept the evening friendly with his crowd banter, talking about his love of Portland and how he was looking forward to seeing the Blazers play the next night at home (and he endeared himself to the crowd when some folks tried to correct him about the new name of the arena by saying, “It will always be the Rose Garden to me.”) It didn’t seem at all like the band was weary from touring consistently for nine months, but instead that they had just hit their stride and were generally appreciative of getting to play another show. The show still felt fresh, even if it was a similar script playing out each night. As one would expect, “Red Eyes” had the crowd going nuts, but as it happened at the Wonder, “Eyes to the Wind” was the true highlight, with the fans giving that performance a hearty cheer to end the main set. The encore left the casual fans a bit cold, but since they had heard what they came to hear, they couldn’t complain; meanwhile, I enjoyed going crazy at hearing “Baby Missiles” and its infectious beat once again. And that was enough to help make the walk out the door seem twenty degrees warmer than the one coming in.
As for the opener, Summer Cannibals delivered a killer set of garage-influenced punk, a bit of a more harder-edged version of the Dum Dum Girls. We had caught them earlier this year when they were the first openers for The Thermals down in Salem, but at least this time we were able to track them down and actually get their album. We’ll see if it’s as good as their live show.
Over the Weekend (Dec. 1 Edition)
December 1, 2014 NewsBush, Duke Ellington, Elonis v. United States, Eminem, Everclear, First Amendment, Holiday Music, Interpol, Killer Mike, Los Campesinos!, New York, Run the Jewels, Supreme Court, The War on Drugs, Useless Listssymeo Leave a comment
Various fun links to help you recover from the holiday weekend…
It’s that time of year again when all the different music publications begin their tally of the best albums of the year, and while we here at Rust Is Just Right hold out on releasing our list until the next year, that doesn’t mean we won’t share what others have deemed worthy. Both MOJO and Paste have released their lists, and you’ll find that many of the albums we’ve praised this year have shown up on both countdowns. If you feel we have been incomplete in our coverage so far, by all means take a look–we’ll be doing so as well to make sure we have covered all the bases.
The War On Drugs are high on both lists, and probably ours as well–we’ll see for certain next year. Though their concert this Wednesday night might help nudge them up a bit.
Speaking of lists, The Village Voice was compelled to compile a list of the 60 Best Songs Ever Written About New York City. I’m not sure what was the impetus or the reason why the cutoff was at 60, but frankly we’re just glad that Interpol’s “NYC” and Duke Ellington’s “Take the A Train” were fairly close to the top.
Not only is it List Time, it’s also the “Holiday Season.” While Holiday music is generally not the most thrilling genre out there, Los Campesinos! may be the band to avoid that pitfall. You can hear for yourself, as Pitchfork is streaming their Christmas EP this week.
Noisey talks to two big 90’s bands who are still out there chugging along, posing the same questions to Everclear and Bush–though the interviews were clearly conducted separately, it’s interesting to see their answers side-by-side. Also, it’s worth reading just to hear about Art Alexakis giving a midterm that day.
Elsewhere on Noisey, Killer Mike discusses his reaction to the grand jury decision in Ferguson in a heartfelt interview. He’s a busy man these days, not only touring behind the incredible new Run The Jewels album, but also helping to write an Op-Ed on a Supreme Court case being heard today about rap lyrics and the First Amendment. Billboard has some reporting on the case, including the fact that Eminem lyrics were quoted by Chief Justice Roberts. Elonis v. United States is potentially a significant opinion for First Amendment caselaw, so it is worth following the arguments.
Catching Up On The Week (Sept. 26 Edition)
September 26, 2014 NewsAdam Granduciel, Green Day, Jeff Tweedy, Karen O, Pixies, Red Fang, the Pixies, The War on Drugs, Thom Yorke, Tweedysymeo Leave a comment
A few #longreads for your weekend as hipsterdom reaches its apex with a Pabst-sponsored music festival in Portland, Oregon…
One of the bands appearing at the Project Pabst festival this weekend is hometown heavy metal act Red Fang. They may be local, but they also have a worldwide reach, as evidenced by a recent interview that an Indian metal publication conducted with guitarist Bryan Giles.
Portland’s most identifiable landmark is a sign with its name.
Pitchfork has an extensive interview with Adam Granduciel of The War on Drugs, discussing the creation of his group’s brilliant new album Lost in the Dream and all the personal struggles he endured. Be sure to check out also this performance that the band did for The Current, featuring a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Tangled Up in Blue” (which is a perfect fit for the band).
Jeff Tweedy talks with The Quietus on the making of Sukierae with his son Spencer, discussing musical experimentation and lyrical processes among other topics. And because I missed it when it first was published, I’m linking to another recent interview from The Quietus, this time with Karen O.
Joey Santiago talks about the legacy of the Pixies with Diffuser, and it’s always worth hearing from the legendary guitarist.
And because it’s not enough that people discuss the twentieth anniversary of Dookie, Consequence of Sound has a roundtable examining the impact of American Idiot ten years later. I’m just glad someone stood up for Warning, which I feel is an underrated Green Day album.
And finally, some new music: after a week of dropping various hints, Thom Yorke announced the release of his second solo album, Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes, which is now available for purchase on BitTorrent. It’ll definitely be making my weekend playlist.
Over the Weekend (July 28 Edition)
July 28, 2014 NewsBeastie Boys, Beck, clipping., Eddie Vedder, Jack White, Karen O, The War on Drugs, Yeah Yeah Yeahssymeo Leave a comment
New videos perfect for a lazy summer day and more…
Karen O released a video for “Rapt” from her upcoming solo release, Crush Songs. The song is a delicate lo-fi bitter ode to love, while the video sees Karen O floating underwater. That should be enough to intrigue you.
This weekend saw an unexpected collaboration, as Jack White popped up at a Beck concert, and White joined in for classics like “Loser”, “Pay No Mind”, and “Where It’s At”. The video at Pitchfork gives an incomplete view of what happened, but the glimpses that we see make it seem like a fantastic partnership. Their respective tours mirror each other a bit, so perhaps this we’ll be only the first example of a possible union.
And we’re sure most of you saw how the internet had fun with Jack White enjoying himself at a Cubs game last week, and SPIN did their part by comparing how much fun Eddie Vedder had with the Cubs last week as well.
Check out this solo acoustic performance from Adam Granduciel of The War On Drugs, performing “An Ocean In Between The Waves.” The performance shows that even without all the gauzy synths and hazy atmospherics of the album recording, it’s a damn good song that’s still extremely powerful.
The group clipping. has gotten a lot of attention for its experimental take on rap and for being one of the few hip-hop acts on Sub Pop, and they had the music world buzzing last week with their latest video, for “Story 2”. The song is a harrowing tale of a father’s returning home to find a tragedy has occurred at his house, with the style and flow changing as the terror increases once the father realizes what happened. The video follows the same storyline, though it’s shot to show only the father’s lower body, which makes it all the more unsettling. It’s probably one of the best videos you’ll see this year.
And last week saw the 25th anniversary of the seminal album Paul’s Boutique by the Beastie Boys, and Uproxx celebrated with the video of their performance on “Soul Train”. Not only that, but Rolling Stone reported that a mural dedicated to the guys will be shown at the location memorialized by the album cover. The RS article now includes a link showing the mural.
The War On Drugs, Live at the Wonder Ballroom
April 1, 2014 Live Shit, RecsJim James, Live, Lost In The Dream, Review, The War on Drugssymeo Leave a comment
Regular readers of this site know how much we love the latest album from The War On Drugs, the absolutely superb Lost In The Dream. It’s one thing for an album to sound great on record, but it is of course no guarantee that the songs will translate live very well. Considering how much effort the band expended in constructing each song in the studio, there is always the risk that it may be impossible to replicate in a live setting. The band was very conscious of this possibility (as the linked article shows), and spent weeks figuring out ways to ease the transition. I can report that it’s clear from Sunday night’s show that the band has nailed the challenge.
Hazy photo matches hazy music
The band gave the audience a clue from the get-go about how committed they were to being faithful to the album by reproducing the mechanical clicking whirr that marks the start of “Under the Pressure”. After that quick intro, the band launched into the hard-charging opener, and the live energy made a great song even better. I had predicted that “Baby Missiles” would be a likely show closer, so it threw me when they played it so early in the set, right after the opener. It took a couple of verses before the sound engineer got the buoyant keyboard part at the right level in the mix, but the crowd didn’t mind this minor problem as they bounced around to the beat.
Songs from Slave Ambient blended in seamlessly with the new material, which was heavily featured throughout the set (the entirety of Lost In The Dream but the instrumental “The Haunting Idle” was played). Frontman Adam Granduciel also was a fun and engaging presence throughout, and kept it light with the audience even when minor difficulties like a busted string after a particularly raucous solo from “An Ocean In Between The Waves” dulled some of the momentum. He endeared himself to the crowd by giving a shout-out to The Doug Fir and by informing us that he wishes that everyday was Saturday, except when he was younger the wish was for Thursday, because that was when Seinfeld was on (he then explained he now prefers Saturday again because Seinfeld is on every day (AS IT SHOULD BE)).
The band was in top form, improving on even some of their best songs. “Eyes To The Wind”, a fantastic mid-tempo folk-rocker, had an added coda that had the entire group locked in a groove as Adam piled on some gorgeous solos above the mix. “Burning” really rips on the record, but with the added energy of the crowd they’re able to kick it up another notch.
Jim James joins the band on stage
As we posted in our roundup yesterday, the band had a special guest for their encore, as Jim James joined the band on a cover of John Lennon’s “Mind Games”. There had been a couple of hints that we would witness something special, but I’ll admit that when I first saw a roadie that looked like the frontman of The Decemberists setting up an extra microphone, my first thought was “Did Colin Meloy gain some weight and grow a beard?” I think pseudo-Colin would have been a decent choice, but Jim James was definitely an upgrade. After the raucous cover, the band finished their encore with some of the more downbeat numbers, a perfect end as Sunday night gradually turned into another Monday morning.
Over the Weekend (Mar. 31 Edition)
March 31, 2014 NewsDaft Punk, Drums, Jim James, Music Theory, My Morning Jacket, The Antlers, The Walkmen, The War on Drugssymeo Leave a comment
It looks like a pretty good Monday–a lot of new music, videos, and other fun stuff to kick off your week.
We mentioned this on Friday, and today our suspicions were confirmed: The Antlers are about to release a new album! Familiars will be released state-side on June 17, so mark your calendars now (or just save the hassle and pre-order). Meanwhile, watch the music video the band released for the lead single, “Palace”–it’s as delicately gorgeous as you would expect, and the band has already done the courtesy of providing the lyrics for you on their Tumblr.
Stereogum has the premiere of the single from former member of The Walkmen Peter Matthew Bauer, the festive “Latin American Ficciones”. It definitely evokes the spirit of his former band, especially in the insistent trebly guitar, with a nice spare percussion backing track. This follows on the heels of the recent new music we’ve heard from other former members Walter Martin and Hamilton Leithauser. It’s unlikely that any of the projects will reach the heights of the best work of The Walkmen, but all of the songs that have been released are rather promising, so fingers crossed.
Everyone should be familiar with Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” right now, but you may not know the “science” behind the hit. Owen Pallett takes a look at the underlying music theory that makes the song work so well. He takes a couple of liberties to make it easier to understand for beginners, but it’s a solid look at the underpinnings of the tune.
This actually appeared on my Facebook feed on Friday, but I’m linking to it now because we need more ways to kill time at the beginning of the week. NPR has a quick quiz of “Name That Drum Fill”, and I think most people should do pretty well.
And finally, last night I had the great pleasure to see album-of-the-year frontrunners The War On Drugs in person at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland. It was a blistering set, and the new songs really kick live. We may run a quick review of the show in the next couple of days, but I’m going to pass along a video from one of the highlights of the show: it was when Jim James of My Morning Jacket showed up for the encore to sing a cover of John Lennon’s “Mind Games” with the band.
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Category: Aaron Schock’s Court Records
David Walton, About A Boy, Netflix; Foot Fetishes and Foot Jobs; Aaron Schock’s Court Records
David Walton, About A Boy, Netflix
When I first signed up for Netflix I was just like everyone else. I couldn’t get enough of it. But after you binge on the first two or three shows, it’s like everything else and it’s hard to find something decent to watch.
And then I found a TV show called About A Boy. I rarely do TV show reviews here, but I think anyone who reads romance books, especially m/m romance, would like this one. It’s an old trope…kind of like Who’s the Boss…but it’s done well, and everything about it is current. And it’s never, ever about the trope for me. It’s always about how the trope is done.
It stars David Walton, who could pretty much carry any project on his own at this point. He plays a gorgeous 39 year old one hit wonder named Will Freeman who is hanging on to what’s left of his youth, living a vapid life with no substance at all. Then he gets new neighbors, Minnie Driver and Benjamin Stockham, who play Fiona and Marcus, and his life changes forever. Will has plenty of money, looks that don’t end, an ass that makes skinny jeans sing, and all he cares about is when he’s getting laid next. Fiona is an overbearing, single vegan mom, with a teenage son who could lead the geek patrol with his sweaters and hats alone, and she hasn’t been with a man in years.
I’m not going to give any spoilers because there is an actual story line, and there’s a romance. It’s also set in San Francisco with a lovable background, and I loved the supporting cast, too. In fact, there’s nothing about this show I didn’t love. And I think that’s because the lines are so great. It’s not easy to write, act, or execute comedy well. But they pull it off in About A Boy in a way that will leave you laughing at the most unexpected times.
So if you’re looking for something to binge on, check out About A Boy on Netflix. You’ll even love the music. It says there are only two seasons, but for some reason they did twenty shows in the second season, which gave them enough time to tie up the story line so that you’ll get that added bonus of HFN in the end.
I just wish it had been picked up for more seasons. Hollywood TV producery people, why do you do these things all the time with TV shows as good as this?!?
Foot Fetishes and Foot Jobs
This is something that no one ever talks about openly, but I think lingers in the background with more people than we know about. For some reason, it’s rarely even done in erotic romance. The one book I wrote, Four Feet Under With My Buddies, was something I wanted to explore because I didn’t know anything about foot fetishes. And I have received enough private e-mails and DMs since that book was released from readers to know that a lot of people are into feet.
Here’s a Cosmopolitan article that talks about feet honestly.
After breasts and booties, feet are the body part that turns us on most. But what is it about feet that does it for so many people? In this week’s Sex Talk Realness, Cosmopolitan.com speaks with one woman and two men about having a foot fetish.
You can check that out here. I’ll be exploring this one a little more in the future.
Aaron Schock’s Court Records
The only reason why I follow this story about Aaron Schock is because I find it interesting that gay presses would continue to focus on him, and go after him in such vituperative ways. I don’t get why, but the gay presses seem to find him highly newsworthy. They use words and phrases like “flaming heterosexual.”
This time it’s about Aaron Schock’s court records.
A federal judge has just ordered the files surrounding the totally-not-gay, 100 percent hetero ex-congressman’s current legal battle with the House of Representatives and federal prosecutors shall remain sealed… for now.
You can read the rest here. But I warn you ahead of time, you still won’t be able to figure out why these gay press people are so hooked on going after Aaron Schock.
This particular article was written by none other than HRH Graham Gremore, the gayest of us all, who once slammed romance books, as if he’s THE homosexual all knowing one of literature and the well written word.
The Rainbow Detective Agency Rancho Mirage
In Print and E-book
You can find Rancho Mirage here as an e-book
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Category: American Evangelicals
Chris Pine DUI; Barney Frank: American Gay Haters In Uganda; Virgin Billionaire on Gays
Chris Pine DUI
I’ve posted about actor, Chris Pine, several times on the blog because he’s usually in films I know I can trust to be good, and because he sometimes makes statements with which I agree. He said this about the Russian Olympics back when others like him were either remaining silent or supporting an event in Russia that supported inequality in ways we haven’t seen since the l940’s.
Chris Pine says the U.S. should have done more in the run-up to the Sochi Olympics to protest Russia’s anti-gay legislation, which he calls “clearly awful, archaic, hostile nonsense.”
“I think we should do more than just send gay Olympians there,” the 33-year-old actor said in an interview while promoting his film “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.” ”What’s happening there in terms of gay rights or the lack of it is extraordinary and awful.”
Considering events that have transpired in Russia since the Sochi games, he’s been right on target.
Unfortunately, he was recently stopped for driving under the influence and it’s been making the rounds all over the world. This is a statement by the manager of the bar he was in before he was stopped:
Casey Crawford, manager of the Blue Pub, a Methven bar, told Christchurch newspaper The Press that Pine was attending a celebration at the bar on the night of Feb. 28 to mark the end of filming and was accompanied by his Icelandic girlfriend, Iris Bjork Johannesdottir.
Pine was drinking beer and did not appear intoxicated before leaving at about 2:30 a.m., Crawford said, adding that Pine had obliged locals who wanted their photo taken with him.
“He looked like he just wanted to spend time with his partner,” Crawford told the newspaper.
Crawford said the party was well-controlled. “Chris was really good. They were a good crowd, the whole lot of them,” he said.
I highly doubt this is a Justin Beiber/Paris Hilton type affair, where the careless spoiled privileged one takes advantage of celebrity and abuses his/her power. I think what happened to Pine is something that’s happened to a lot of people. He had a few drinks and made a very bad judgment call and got caught. He’s lucky nothing more serious happened. The odds are, after this, it will never happen again. If I’m wrong about that I’ll post all about it in the future. But I don’t think I’m wrong this time.
You can read more here.
Barney Frank: American Gay Haters In Uganda
In a radio interview this week openly gay former member of US House of Representatives, Barney Frank, blasted hate mongers in America who find places to promote their agenda of hate in other parts of the world. Most people don’t know how much influence American evangelicals have had in passing the gay hate bill in Uganda.
Uganda earlier this year passed a law against ‘aggravated homosexuality.’
The draconian legislation, originally known as the ‘Kill All The Gays’ bill before the death penalty was removed, punishes homosexuality with life imprisonment in some cases.
You can read more here. Frank was the first openly gay person in the US House of Representatives.
But the article is sketchy at best, and doesn’t give examples. A good deal of the gay hate bill in Uganda has been fueled by Americans who basically hate all gay people.
In late February, when Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni signed the nation’s harsh new anti-gay bill into law, he claimed the measure had been “provoked by arrogant and careless western groups that are fond of coming into our schools and recruiting young children into homosexuality.” What he failed to mention is that the legislation—which makes homosexuality a crime punishable by life in prison in some cases—was itself largely due to Western interlopers, chief among them a radical American pastor named Scott Lively.
This came from a piece in Mother Jones. You can read more here.
What this article basically states is that there are US evangelicals who are losing ground here in the US because there’s been a huge shift in opinion regarding equal rights and gay marriage and these bitter evangelicals are taking their cause overseas instead and promoting gay hate in other places.
This is something not many people even know.
But, according to Ugandan gay rights activists, Lively has played an unparalleled role in fostering the climate of hate that gave rise to Uganda’s anti-gay law. “The bill is essentially his creation,” says Frank Mugisha, director of Sexual Minorities Uganda, a coalition of gay rights organizations. Mugisha’s group has filed a first-of-its-kind lawsuit in US federal court, accusing Lively of international crimes against humanity on the grounds that he and his Ugandan allies allegedly conspired to deprive gay Ugandans of basic human rights.
Virgin Billionaire on Gays
Richard Branson is the founder and CEO of Virgin and the fourth richest man in the UK. I may or may not have posted about this in the past, but he was the main influence for the main character (Jase) in my ten book best selling series, The Virgin Billionaire. The reason I’m posting about him now is because he recently said that LGBTI diversity is good for business in a general sense.
‘Over more than 40 years of building our businesses at the Virgin Group, my colleagues and I have seen time and time again that employing people from different backgrounds and who have various skills, viewpoints and personalities will help you to spot opportunities, anticipate problems and come up with original solutions before your competitors do.
‘Regardless of the position you hold or the industry you work in, the key is to lead by example: Embrace diversity, starting with the choices you make for your first hires. An entrepreneur who hires a lot of people who are just like her and have had the same experiences will find that she’s leading a team that is less creative and helpful to customers, and ultimately produces lower profits.’
You can read more here. There are more comments that I wish some here in the US would pay attention to.
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Joakim Westh, Cecilia Stegö Chilò and Johan Forssell voted on to Saab’s Board
Joakim Westh, Cecilia Stegö Chilò and Johan Forssell have been proposed for election on to the Saab Board of Directors. Marcus Wallenberg, Erik Belfrage, Sten Jakobsson, George Rose, Per-Arne Sandström, Åke Svensson and Lena Treschow Torell are proposed for re-election. Marcus Wallenberg is proposed as Chairman of the Board. Lennart Johansson, Peter Nygårds and Michael J. O’Callaghan have declined re-election.
Cecilia Stegö Chilò has a broad experience in Swedish society and in Swedish industry and commerce. In 2004 she was appointed President of The Swedish Free Enterprise Foundation and Head of Timbro. For the present she is active as adviser to company and organization managements.
Joakim Westh is former Head of Strategy in Ericsson and Group Vice President of Assa Abloy. Presently he is Chairman of the board of Absolent AB. He has also been working at the consulting company McKinsey & Co.
Johan Forssell is working at Investor since 1995, and is since 2006 member of the Management Group with responsibility for Core Investments. He is member of the board of Atlas Copco and the Foundation SSE-MBA.
The proposed number of Board members is ten, with no deputy members.
The Nomination Committee members are Petra Hedengran, Chairman (Investor), Peter Wallenberg Jr (Knut and Alice Wallenberg’s Foundation), Peter Rydell (Swedbank Robur Funds), Erik Feldt (Nordea Funds) and Marcus Wallenberg, Chairman of the Board of Saab.
All the Nomination Committee’s proposals will be included in the notice of the Annual General Meeting which is published in Svenska Dagbladet, Dagens Nyheter and Post- och Inrikes Tidningar on 15 March, 2010, and on www.saabgroup.com.
The Annual General Meeting of Saab AB will be held on Thursday, 15 April, 2010.
The information is that which Saab AB is required to declare by the Securities Business Act and/or the Financial instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication on 10 March at 13.00.
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Let’s Collaborate!
Why I Didn’t Report My Sexual Abuse
by Amrita Grace | Oct 1, 2018 | Amrita Grace
This is a story of sexual abuse. While it’s not graphic in any way, it still may be uncomfortable to read. It does have a very happy ending!
We’ve just come off the week of the Kavanaugh hearings, during which time I was with my stepdad in the hospital. Needless to say, my focus was with my family.
As I headed home from the Mohave Desert where he and my mom live, I began to take in the responses and the backlash from so many people, mostly women, who are now telling their own stories of unreported abuse. I decided to tell my own in solidarity and as an inspiration to others.
I was around 5 years old when my mom married a violent pedophile who had probably been abused as a child himself (I later determined). Of course, she didn’t know he was violent or that we would suffer sexual abuse… but he looked like Elvis and she was mad for Elvis. She was in her early 20’s with 2 toddlers, recently divorced.
In addition to the sexual abuse, there was physical (extreme punishments for exaggerated misbehavior) and emotional (we were threatened not to tell, ever) abuse. He was in our lives for more than 5 years, and even after he left, my mom would still give him custody of us occasionally. Once it was to learn to shoot a rifle (which I had no desire to do).
Carrying The Secret – Life or Death
I held the secrets in shame and fear until I was 17, and by then I was pretty messed up. My mom was in shock and didn’t know what to do for us. She considered pressing charges but knew that would mean we would have to testify and that would be horrible and traumatic for all of us as well as the words of children against the words of an adult. She never reported the abuse, but she did believe us. This was in the late 70’s, and there was really no clear path to assisting the child victims of abuse. I do not recall being offered counseling or any kind of support to help us work through it.
My abuser died in 2010. As far as I know, he was never prosecuted for his crimes. I suspect there were other victims.
The Big, Bright Silver Lining
As unfortunate as this sexual abuse story is, it propelled me on a path that eventually led to my sacred work as a teacher of sacred sexual awakening and healing. This came about after 20 years of acting out, destructive behavior, and addiction and co-dependency. I have no regrets and have resolved all of it within myself over the course of my life. I wrote an award-winning, bestselling book about it to support others (and it has helped many) and I offer the first 4 chapters as a free PDF on my website as well as print, audio, and Kindle versions on Amazon.
Sacred Sexual Healing Saves Lives
Sacred Sexual Awakening & Healing SAVED MY LIFE. Not so much in a literal sense as my life was never really at risk, but in that it gave me everything I needed to create a life of joy, wholeness, and contentment. It gave me the capacity to attracted a cherished beloved and to navigate my own shadows on an ongoing basis. I believe in this work and am passionate about making it widely available.
I know that high-integrity sexual healing is going to be in huge demand in the coming years because of all that’s emerging now to be healed and integrated. That’s why I created a school and a Teacher Training for Certified Spiritual Sexual Educators. It’s time for women (and all people) who are ready to heal to have access to TOOLS THAT WORK.
I invite you to share your own story in the comments if you like. Know that you will be heard and believed. It’s time to heal these wounds and be free.
With love and gratitude, Amrita
This article was originally published on Amrita Grace’s website at: https://amritagrace.com/mystery-school/sexual-abuse/
Mary Magdalene the Spiritual Teacher – Part 2: Following a Trail of Red Rose Petals
The Miracle and Magic of Mary Magdalene Emerging in the World – Part 1: Multidimensional Mysticism
How to Make a Powerful Impact in an Uncertain World
6 Simple, Powerful Ways to Engage your Inner Sacred Feminine
Eros, Love, & Desire
caroline on How to Make a Powerful Impact in an Uncertain World
Amrita Grace on How to Make a Powerful Impact in an Uncertain World
Anna-Thea on How to Make a Powerful Impact in an Uncertain World
Amrita Grace
Caroline Muir
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Written by Aron Garrecht Aron Garrecht
Over the years, the Venetian hotel has become the hot spot for higher-end products at CES, and anyone who has visited the Venetian knows it's important to keep a keen perspective of things because many of the two-channel music systems on display there can cost more than your house.
With my perspective in check, I began making my way up and down the halls of the Venetian looking for new products when I was unexpectedly stopped in my tracks by a fantastic-sounding system. Once I sat down for a serious listen, I learned it was a joint effort between two companies: Triode Corporation and Acoustic Zen. The system itself consisted of all Triode electronics: a TRX-1 tubed preamp ($3200), TRV-CD5SE tubed CD player ($2500), and a pair of TRX-M845SE monoblocks ($20,000/pr.). The speakers were Acoustic Zen Crescendos priced at $16,000 per pair. Everything was connected via Acoustic Zen Absolute Copper interconnects ($1498 for a 3' length) with the exception of the CD player, which sent its signals to the preamp via Acoustic Zen's new Absolute 75 digital cable ($480 for a 3' length). Power was supplied via their Gargantuan-series power cords ($1040 for a 6' length) plugged straight into the wall.
The sound was simply spellbinding. I can't recall hearing imaging this good on any system using conventional speakers for less than $100,000, and if you do the math, you'll note that this system doesn't even reach $50,000. Not only did it image well in front of me, but it placed instruments three to four feet in front, behind, and beside the speakers! Bass control was tremendous, and the balance of warmth and detail throughout the midrange and top end was some of the best I've heard in a system where every component utilizes tubes. What's more, two of the products used in this system, the preamp and the amplifiers, just went into production less than a week ago, as they're the first of their kind for Triode. According to the reps, they've never made a preamp or monoblocks before.
The amplifier is not only visually impressive; it's actually quite distinctive in its design. The TRX-M845SE takes advantage of a selectable-bias input stage using two different tubes (12AU7 or 6SN7), and it has an unusual output stage configuration consisting of one Triode 845 tube driving two other Triode 845s in parallel. The result is 50W of clean class-A power into an 8-ohm load. How big of an impact both the new monoblocks and preamp had on the sound I cannot say, but I can say that I could have listened to it all morning.
The relatively low price and tremendous performance of this system presents an enormous value in a world where a pair of monoblocks alone can cost well over $100,000. For this reason, I have to say that this was the most impressive system I heard at CES 2012.
Aron Garrecht
Contributor, The SoundStage! Network
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Home > Physics > Faculty Research, Creative Works > 287
How Generic Scale Invariance Influences Quantum and Classical Phase Transitions
D. Belitz
T. Kirkpatrick
Thomas Vojta, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow
This review discusses a paradigm that has become of increasing importance in the theory of quantum phase transitions, namely, the coupling of the order-parameter fluctuations to other soft modes and the resulting impossibility of constructing a simple Landau-Ginzburg-Wilson theory in terms of the order parameter only. The soft modes in question are manifestations of generic scale invariance, i.e., the appearance of long-range order in whole regions in the phase diagram. The concept of generic scale invariance and its influence on critical behavior is explained using various examples, both classical and quantum mechanical. The peculiarities of quantum phase transitions are discussed, with emphasis on the fact that they are more susceptible to the effects of generic scale invariance than their classical counterparts. Explicit examples include the quantum ferromagnetic transition in metals, with or without quenched disorder; the metal-superconductor transition at zero temperature; and the quantum antiferromagnetic transition. Analogies with classical phase transitions in liquid crystals and classical fluids are pointed out, and a unifying conceptual framework is developed for all transitions that are influenced by generic scale invariance.
D. Belitz et al., "How Generic Scale Invariance Influences Quantum and Classical Phase Transitions," Reviews of Modern Physics, American Physical Society (APS), Jan 2005.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.77.579
National Science Foundation (U.S.)
University of Missouri Research Board
Phase Transformations; Scaling Phenomena; Superconducting Transition Temperature
Final Version
© 2005 American Physical Society (APS), All rights reserved.
Full Text Link
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Home Health Red Wine Component Can Undo Some of the Harm Done by Poor...
Red Wine Component Can Undo Some of the Harm Done by Poor Diet
For the first time, researchers have demonstrated that resveratrol — which is abundantly available in red wine and also found in grapes, peanuts and berries — can ease some of the negative effects on the immune system caused by a diet high in fat.
“In preclinical studies, resveratrol has been shown to be beneficial in slowing the aging process and inhibiting some of the deleterious effects linked to obesity,” says Christopher Jolly, associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin. “However, this is the first study showing resveratrol’s effects on the immune system.”
The study, recently published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, also suggests that resveratrol helps protect against weight gain resulting from a high-fat diet and that some of the negative effects of obesity on the immune system can be mitigated by increasing resveratrol consumption.
The study was conducted in mice whose diet was enriched with resveratrol doses easily obtainable through supplementation in humans. This study indicates there may be some new additional health benefits derived from consuming foods such as berries, nuts or red grapes. Red wine, in moderation, might also carry some of these novel benefits.
Additional research is needed to determine the optimum dosages for humans.
Researchers include Apeksha Gulvady, Ph.D., and Robert Cabrera, research scientist, both from the university’s Department of Nutritional Sciences, and Henry Ciolino of the Office of Cancer Centers at the National Cancer Institute. They believe that resveratrol exerts a protective effect on the thymus, the organ responsible for the body’s cellular immune response, preventing it from aging prematurely.
”Even if you have a very unhealthy diet, there are things you can consume simultaneously that can help protect you from some of the ill effects of an unbalanced diet,” says Jolly. “Resveratrol is one of those things.”
The thymus, which produces T cells, an important type of white blood cell that fights infections, begins a process called involution early in life. Decreased thymic activity is thought to be one of the major reasons older people are more susceptible to infectious disease. Diet-induced obesity has been shown to increase the rate of thymic involution and thus depresses immune function.
“Children may be the most vulnerable to the impacts of obesity and poor diet on the immune system because their thymi are the most active,” Jolly says. “This is important because childhood sets the stage for the robustness of the immune system throughout life.”
Although red wine contains resveratrol naturally and in abundance, the doses of resveratrol required to see the best effects might require supplementation as suggested by the study.
In order to mimic leanness or obesity, the researchers fed one group of mice a low-fat diet and another group of mice a high-fat diet. Controls from both the high-fat and low-fat groups did not receive resveratrol supplementation while mice in the experimental groups received either a low or high dose of resveratrol.
Mice in the high-fat diet control group at the end of 10 weeks had 60 percent body fat and greatly reduced T cell production. However, when resveratrol was included in the high-fat diet, the mice gained less body fat and maintained most of their thymic function.
Ultrasound-assisted optical imaging could replace endoscopy in breakthrough discovery
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A Tribute to Robin Williams
"You're only given a little spark of madness, you mustn't lose it." Robin Williams 1951-2014
February 12, 2015 by jmr6277 6 Comments
Courtesy of a friend ( s/o Casey Conner), I received a hard copy of a movie that I was criticized for never having previously watched. This movie is Hook, an adaptation of Peter Pan. Since I was not yet born in 1991 when this movie was released, I believe I deserve some leeway. However, I am now about to start William’s Hook as I type this sentence.
The movie begins as Robin Williams, coincidentally named Peter Panning, is watching his daughter act in her school play, Peter Pan. During the performance, he is distracted by a phone call from a coworker, in which he schedules a business meeting for the next morning during his son’s, Jackie’s, baseball game. He promises his son he will still go, but fails to hold true to his word.
It is obvious that Williams plays a more uptight character in Hook. Peter is witty, but is much more serious that either of Williams previous two characters from my blogposts. On a plane ride to London (terrifying for Peter), he snaps at his son for throwing a baseball. “What the hell is the matter with you? When are you going to stop acting like a child?” To which Jackie responds, “I am a child.” Williams plays a character whose life is out of balance, which contrasts his well liked, near flawless heroes he played before Hook.
As the backstory emerged, I learned that Peter was an orphan, whose “grandmother” took him in at the age of 12. His grandmother was the famous author of the fairy tale Peter Pan. While at a banquet to honor his grandmother’s philanthropy, Williams children are taken from their beds by a Captain James Hook. This is when Peter’s grandmother asks him “Peter, don’t you know who you are?” He is THE Peter Pan.
Unfortunately I cannot blog about every funny or meaningful scene in this movie, but these scenes will be remembered by myself and others who have watched his movies nonetheless. Because I do not blog about a Williams’ movie does not make it not worth blogging about. If I had to, I could continue this blog for a whole year, just based on the all the roles Robin Williams played in his life.
This week marked the third straight week watching a new Robin William’s film for the first time. Looking back at my last few blogs, I realize that I was uneducated in the ways of early Robin William’s movies at the beginning of this semester. For these posts, I am only choosing the most famous of his performances. There were several other movies that he performed in between Good Morning Vietnam, The Dead Poet’s Society, and Hook.
Between 1989 and 1991, some lesser known films that Williams played some form of role in include Cadillac Man, Awakenings, Dead Again, and The Fisher King. (imdv. Look at this list of movies, its amazing.) I choose not to blog about these for your sake, my readers, so that you are not stuck reading a blogpost about William’s role in a movie you’ve never heard of before this point. By choosing memorable, hilarious, poignant movies, I hope to remind everyone of the emotion that Williams brought to not only the silver screen, but also the world.
“To live would be an awfully big adventure.”
Tate S Chen says
Robin Williams will go down as one of the best comedians of all time. No one will ever be able to replace him.
Laura Rohan says
I never really knew what this movie was about before. In my mind, I had always just imagined it as a strange version of Peter Pan (which i guess it is, but in a less direct sense than I imagined). It sounds like a good movie though. I’ll have to watch it sometime. Thanks!
Ilayda Jinjee Orankoy says
I’ve never seen Hook before either, but I will definitely add this to my list. It sounds fun, and I’m a sucker for fairy-tale reboots.
Caitlin Kushnir says
I loved Hook! Robin Williams was such a diverse actor, and althought Hook was a lighthearted film, it still proved his greatness. Peter Pan is great. Robin Williams is great. End of story.
Julianne Elizabeth Arcamone says
I’ve personally never seen Hook but it sounds like good rendition of Peter Pan and I will definitely look into it. Robbin Williams was such an iconic actor and his contributions to the acting world will never be forgotten by his fans.
Pratiti Roy says
Well, that’s another movie to put on my ever-growing to watch list. I’d never heard about this one before, so thanks!
Good Night, Robin Williams April 15, 2015
RV April 8, 2015
Patch Adams April 1, 2015
Good Will Hunting March 26, 2015
Jumanji March 19, 2015
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A SITE SELECTION INVESTMENT PROFILE
SALT RIVER PROJECT
Flowing Into the Valley
For power and for water, SRP has the future in mind, and the Greater Phoenix community at heart.
SRP delivers about 800,000 acre-feet of raw water annually to a 375-square-mile service area and manages a 13,000-square-mile watershed. It typically delivers more than 325 billion gallons of water to municipal, industrial, agricultural and urban irrigation systems each year.
by ADAM BRUNS
Water and energy company Salt River Project has worked for more than a century to support the growth of booming metro Phoenix. Thinking a century ahead has been central to its mission.
When the community-based not-for-profit was launched in 1903, little did the founders know that their community by 2017 would become the fourth-fastest growing metro area in the United States, approaching 4.7 million people.
Then again, maybe they knew more than they let on.
That might be because they knew their goal was not to optimize return on investment for shareholders, but optimize benefits for the community, beginning with water provision. Among the water planning elements in place today:
Unique-in-the-nation water management regulations adopted in 1980 (Groundwater Management Act)
Securing water for at least 100 years of future demands before growth occurs (Assured Water Supply Program)
Effective water conservation requirements for all water users from the Arizona Department of Water Resource (ADWR) Conservation Programs and SRP Water Conservation Programs
A decrease in net water demand by focusing economic development on SRP lands with a history of water use
Innovative, strategic partnerships that produce water resource solutions, including SRP’s partnerships with cities to provide water for city water treatment plants and SRP’s Gila River Water Storage (GRWS) partnership with the Gila River Indian Community that will make several million acre-feet of water supplies available to water users in central Arizona.
That matrix of resources gives confidence to investors such as Niagara Bottling Company, which recently located an operation in Mesa, a city with direct access to several water resources including the Central Arizona Project, Salt River Project and natural ground water.
Christa McJunkin, Director of Water Strategy, Salt River Project
Planning for the next 100 years, SRP is preparing for continued economic prosperity with new strategic partnerships and the renewable water supplies needed to move the Salt River Valley forward. In addition to providing electricity to approximately 1 million retail customers in a 2,900-square-mile service area that spans three Arizona counties, it manages the Salt and Verde River water and groundwater resources, including the operation of seven dams, three recharge projects, 131 miles of canals and over 1,000 miles of laterals for the efficient storage and delivery of water, and planning for future water needs by investing in new supplies.
SRP isn’t a potable water provider, so the Valley’s cities are the primary points of contact and water service providers to growing companies. But SRP is a valuable source of water resource expertise and information. “And in the event a corporate prospect has specialized water needs, SRP can provide water resource information, access to water delivery infrastructure, and additional water resources through GRWS,” says SRP Director of Water Strategy Christa McJunkin.
Conservation is key. Indeed, SRP’s leadership is a major reason the entire state can boast that its total water use since 1980 has decreased by one-third even as its population more than doubled. “Arizona uses the same amount of water today as it did in 1957, even though the population is five times larger,” McJunkin says. Residential water conservation has been SRP’s focal point, but in 2018, SRP and Valley cities embarked on a program to train city water conservation specialists in Commercial, Industrial and Institutional (CII) water audits.
“We hope to expand this program in the future,” she says, “so that we can meet both the energy and water audit needs of our corporate customers.”
Those customers are already pretty water-savvy, she says, and often have their own corporate sustainability commitment. Intel’s Ocotillo Campus is a prime example, with a water efficiency program that conserves approximately 5.2 million gallons of water each day. In 2017, Intel announced it aims to restore 100% of its global water use by 2025 through collaborative community-based projects, starting in Arizona.
“Where we are finding a growing need for innovation and education is in the data center realm,” McJunkin says. “More and more companies are finding the Valley to be a great place to locate a data center. Energy efficiency is typically the major driving factor in data center cooling system design, but in the desert, water efficiency needs to be considered as well. We have worked with a number of data centers to educate them on the options for efficient water use.”
Technology and management are as crucial as conservation. SRP’s tools include Flowtography, a method of recording stream depths using time-lapse photography and precisely located event gauges. SRP in 2017 added Snowtography, which records snow levels during the winter and also four-season monitoring of watershed health over time at strategically selected elevations between 4,000 to 8,000 feet. Runoff in 2017 was healthy, and after the driest year on record in 2018, early 2019 runoff was healthy too: SRP anticipates its six reservoirs on the Salt and Verde rivers will receive more than 1 million acre-feet from January 1 through the end of May.
Even with such welcome events, “We all recognize we’re looking at a drier future,” Tom Buschatzke, director of the ADWR, told the Associated Press as Arizona and six other states successfully completed a drought contingency plan (DCP).
“SRP participated extensively in the DCP negotiations and is even contributing water to the mitigation program necessary for implementation of the DCP,” says McJunkin. “SRP’s water rights and water supplies are not tied to the Colorado River and our supplies would not be harmed by a Colorado River shortage. However, we’ve long recognized that we are all in this together. SRP’s water management strategy is to find collaborative solutions that provide broad benefits regionally.”
What else might the future hold? Among other projects, SRP is working with the Arizona-Mexico Commission on a binational desalination study, a preliminary investigation to identify a range of opportunities for future development of binational desalination that provides benefits to water users in Mexico and the United States.
In other words, the region goes well beyond the Valley. So do the teamwork and vision.
“We know from our long experience that water resource solutions are seldom a solo endeavor,” McJunkin says. “Our greatest successes have come from collaboration and partnerships.’
This Investment Profile was prepared under the auspices of Salt River Project. For more information, go to www.powertogrowphx.com.
Adam Bruns
Managing Editor of Site Selection magazine
Adam Bruns has served as managing editor of Site Selection magazine since February 2002. In the course of reporting hundreds of stories for Site Selection, Adam has visited companies and communities around the globe. A St. Louis native who grew up in the Kansas City suburbs, Adam is a 1986 alumnus of Knox College, and resided in Chicago; Midcoast Maine; Savannah, Georgia; and Lexington, Kentucky, before settling in the Greater Atlanta community of Peachtree Corners, where he lives with his wife and daughter.
San Bernardino County: Everything You Need
Aerospace & Aviation: Pipeline Builders
Sustainability Rankings: Top Locations for Sustainable Development
U.S.-MEXICO BORDER: Biggest Energy Park. Ever. (Jul 18, 2019)
HOOSIER ENERGY: Around the World in 59 Counties (Jun 20, 2019)
CONSUMERS ENERGY: Saving Energy, Saving Lives (Jun 6, 2019)
BUSINESS CLIMATE OVERVIEW: Welcome to the $50-Billion Region (Apr 26, 2019)
SALT RIVER PROJECT: SRP Focuses on the Future (Apr 1, 2019)
NEW MEXICO: It’s Time to ‘Diversify Our Economic Suite.’ (Mar 28, 2019)
ENERGY & UTILITIES: Energy Engineered (Feb 26, 2019)
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Tag Archives: Ethan Suplee
American History X (1998) IMDB Top 250 Guest Review
Today’s IMDB Top 250 Guest Review comes from Abbi of Where The Wild Things Are. She’s also reviewed Kill Bill: Vol 1& Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl. Thanks for the reviews, Abbi! 🙂 Now let’s see what she has to say about American History X, IMDB rank 34 out of 250…
Also, if you’d like to add a link to your IMDB review(s) on your own blogs, feel free to use any of the logos I’ve used at the top of any of these guest reviews.
In probably his most celebrated role, Edward Norton plays Derek Vinyard, one of the leaders of a local White Supremacist group who is jailed after brutally murdering two African-American gang members attempting to steal his truck.
On the day of Derek’s release from prison, his younger brother, Danny (Edward Furlong) is called to the principal’s (Avery Brooks) office after writing an essay on Mein Kampfand its influence on the civil rights movement. Principal Sweeny then sets Danny the task of writing a new essay explaining the events that led to his brother’s arrest and conviction.
As Danny simultaneously attempts to unpick his brother’s past and deal with the fact that Derek has come back changed, both Derek’s former associates and enemies close in with devastating consequences.
As much as American History X may outwardly seem like a study on racism, more than anything it is an exploration of feelings of powerlessness and how they lead to anger and ultimately hatred and destruction. Derek’s prejudice against anyone who isn’t a white protestant has little to do with the actual target of his hatred but rather a desire to belong to a movement where he feels empowered. The irony of Derek’s belief that people of other races and religions are inferior to him is that those he hates are driven by exactly the same feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness that he is and act out with similar impulses… and it’s all a distraction from the way corporate America oppresses its poor.
There isn’t anything particularly unique about this story of a confused young man learning the error of his ways and not wanting his brother to follow in his footsteps but there are a number of elements that elevate American History X above other similar films.
First is the non-linear story-telling. Director, Tony Kaye, slowly reveals what is not only behind Derek’s change of heart but also his original prejudices concurrent with his current post-release experiences with the past shown in black and white. It keeps the audience hooked in until the end wanting to understand who Derek really is. It also adds a level of drama and grittiness to Derek’s past, demonstrating how he sees the world in completely black and white terms. In the present day his experiences are in full colour, showing how his perception has changed. It’s a simple but effective device.
Second is the powerful performances. Edward Norton manages to capture Derek’s power, charisma and confidence but as he enters the prison system and his vision of the world starts to unravel his mask begins to slip and he moves from being a character it is easy to revile to a nuanced sympathetic one. Furlong also gives what is probably the only decent performance of his career as a boy at a crossroads with the potential to build himself and new future that doesn’t include repeating his brother’s mistakes. They are ably supported bythe two men who have the most influence over Derek’s life. Stacy Keach as Cameron Alexander, the fascist leader who lets Derek do his dirty work while he keeps his own hands clean and Avery Brooks as the educator who ultimately believes that Derek is capable of more than his past actions. Guy Torry is also engaging, playing Lamont, a fellow convict who ultimately breaks Derek’s prejudices through friendship.
Thirdly, Derek is never portrayed as stupid. Although his beliefs are abhorrent and there is no way to justify them, it is easy to see how his arguments convince the disempowered around him as well as how he has convinced himself. And the fact that the gangs he directs the majority of his rage at are hardly innocents adds to the believability.
Finally the film does not shy away from showing brutality of its characters, refusing to shy away from who they really are, with one particularly horrific scene proving to be the one thing that everyone remembers turning away from. And this is equally matched by some of Derek’s experiences in prison.
While there is no question that American History X is a powerful, hard-hitting film with a strong and valuable message on occasion it’s a little over dramatic and at times it strays towards predictability. It’s definitely a worthy entry to the IMDB top 250 though and one I would highly recommend. 4/5
Tagged American History X, Avery Brooks, Beverly D'Angelo, David McKenna, Edward Furlong, Edward Norton, Elliott Gould, Ethan Suplee, Fairuza Balk, Film, Guest Reviews, IMDB Top 250, John Morrissey, Movies, Stacy Keach, Tony Kaye
The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013) Review
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Based on The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort
Katarina Čas
P. J. Byrne
Kenneth Choi
Brian Sacca
Henry Zebrowski
Barry Rothbart
Jake Hoffman
The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 American black comedy film directed by Martin Scorsese, based on Jordan Belfort’s memoir of the same name. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort, a New York stockbroker who runs a firm that engages in securities fraud and corruption on Wall Street in the 1990s.
(But DiCaprio’s character is a lot more fun to watch than Gordon Gekko and the acting is A BIT better than Daryl Hannah’s…)
I know I just did a list of my top ten Martin Scorsese films HERE but, the truth is, I’m not a huge fan. Is The Wolf Of Wall Street REALLY better than things like Goodfellas & Taxi Driver? Okay – probably not. But I can honestly say that I enjoyed this film the most out of all the Scorsese films I’ve seen & it’s my own personal favorite of his. Scorsese & DiCaprio make a great team and this three hour film felt about ten minutes long when compared to The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug (I thought that damn thing would never end!).
I’m not sure where to start. I’m really not sure what to say about this at all. I’m not even completely sure why I enjoyed it so much! It’s raunchy as hell. It’s all “fuck” this and “fucking motherfucker cocksucker” that and HOOKERS DRUGS HOOKERS DRUGS! It’s full of a bunch of disgusting, unlikeable, rich douchebags. What a bunch of horrible pricks. But, goddamn, this was funny as hell and just plain fun to watch! I’m still chuckling over Leo & Jonah Hill on quaaludes & fighting over the telephone.
DiCaprio & even Hill (who I never liked before this movie) are absolutely incredible. LOVED them. Everyone in this was excellent – not one person seemed wrong for their part. I also especially loved Rob Reiner as DiCaprio’s dad (freaking HILARIOUS) and Matthew McConaughey in a small role played to absolute perfection. Brilliant. Every single person in this. And I’ve decided I have a thing for Jean Dujardin now (I’m growing up & liking the older, classy men now. Yum).
Screw it. You know what? I really don’t know what else to say. My reviews are always too long anyway. This was out ages ago in America, right? Everyone has reviewed this by now & discussed it to death. I liked it. No… I loved it. I loved a Scorsese film where I didn’t have to worry about someone’s head being stuck in a vice (I’ve avoided Casino for years because of that). I’m not sure if there’s some kind of message to this film other than “rich people are assholes”. Who cares? It managed to keep my interest for THREE HOURS and made me laugh and made me happy, dammit. It’s full of some of the best acting I’ve seen in a long time. Great soundtrack, too! I really hope it wins some Oscars over the inferior American Hustle.
Tagged 9/10, Barry Rothbart, Boobies, Brian Sacca, Christine Ebersole, Cristin Milioti, Drugs, Ethan Suplee, Film, Henry Zebrowski, Hookers, Jake Hoffman, Jean Dujardin, Joanna Lumley, Jon Bernthal, Jon Favreau, Jonah Hill, Jordan Belfort, Katarina Čas, Kenneth Choi, Kyle Chandler, Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Martin Scorsese, Matthew McConaughey, Movie Review, Movie Reviews, Movies, Orgies, PJ Byrne, Review, Reviews, Rich Assholes, Rob Reiner, Shea Whigham, Spike Jonze, The Wolf Of Wall Street
@whiskeyrich That’s good to hear. 😊 It’s off to a disappointing start! 1 hour ago
#NowWatching Stranger Things - Season 3, Episode 4 #StrangerThings (Finding it kind of a chore to watch these...) 1 hour ago
@Screenkicker55 That’s true. I suppose it maybe wasn’t the best parenting decision... 👪 1 hour ago
RT @Screenkicker55: Another great review from my oldest blogging pal (in terms of how long we've known eachother, not how old she is. But t… 1 hour ago
@Screenkicker55 @rosstmiller Of course! Because I’m always right. 😁 1 hour ago
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Jaded Jean (For Lee Jackson in Space Mix)
Live at The Great American Music Hall
Far Out (20th Anniversary Mix)
Float Away (Live At CBGB's)
Feel Like A Freak (A Historical Sideshow of Missing Links)
Use With Headphones Late At Night (Best of 1990-2000)
Whirlaway
Destroy Terrastock - Live
Know Your Ghosts E.P.
He Fell Into The Sky
William's Doll (2010 Remix)
Tadpoles Hoboken, New Jersey
Tadpoles, based in Hoboken, NJ, disbanded in 2000 after releasing 4 critically acclaimed studio albums, 1 live album and 1 E.P. all on their own Bakery Records label (except for their last studio album, Whirlaway, which was released on Australia's Camera Obscura Records.) The group was formed by vocalist/guitarist, Todd Parker and original drummer, Michael Kite Audino in New York City in 1990. ... more
Contact Tadpoles
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Obama Warns Against ‘Aggressive’ Nationalism, ‘Increased Resentment’
Achmad Ibrahim/AP
By Esme Cribb
Former President Barack Obama on Saturday warned against “aggressive” nationalism and the loss of tolerance and respect for others, pushing back against President Donald Trump’s policies without mentioning his successor by name.
“The world is at a crossroads,” Obama said at a speech opening the Fourth Congress of Indonesian Diaspora in Jakarta.
He said the world must fight “discrimination against people based on race or ethnicity or religion.”
Without that, Obama said, “We start seeing a rise in sectarian politics.”
“We start seeing a rise in an aggressive kind of nationalism,” he said. “We start seeing both in developed and developing countries an increased resentment about minority groups and the bad treatment of people who don’t look like us or practice the same faith as us.”
Obama said progress depends on those willing to “stand up for tolerance and moderation and respect for others.”
“If we begin to doubt ourselves and all that we have accomplished, then much of the progress that we have made will not continue,” he said. “What we will see is more and more people arguing against democracy, we will see more and more people who are looking to restrict freedom of the press, and we’ll see more intolerance, more tribal divisions, more ethnic divisions and religious divisions and more violence.”
“Let’s face it, if people do not show respect and tolerance, eventually you have war and conflict,” Obama said. “Sooner or later societies break down.”
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Family Myths and Facts–The Value of Research
On September 20, 2018 September 18, 2018 By Shauna GrangerIn Creative Life, Writer's Life, Writing7 Comments
When I was growing up and I’d ask my mom where we were from, what were we, she’d always answer, “We’re Heinz 57; a little bit of everything.” I love my mom and I know she was trying to be funny, but I always hated that answer. All I took away from it was that our history was lost and we didn’t know where we were from. Mostly, she assumed, we were some combo of Great Britain and Western European. So, you know, very specific and unique.
But she did know two ingredients for sure. She knew my birth father was Irish, and thought he was probably wholly Irish, so that would make me half, and she knew she had a Cherokee grandmother or possibly great grandmother.
Here’s the thing about Cherokee grandmothers: everyone in the South has one. That’s not something I knew growing up but it is a wide-spread myth in the American South. We’re all Cherokee and we all come from Cherokee grandmothers who were once Cherokee princesses. Apparently there were a lot of Cherokee princesses marrying white men and having a lot of white babies.
Obviously we’re Indian, we have high cheekbones and prominent collarbones. Obviously we’re Indian, look how well we tan despite all that British Isles blood.
So I grew up knowing just two truths: I was half Irish and a little bit Cherokee. I clung to these two things because I had nothing else. I was a Navy brat for the first part of my young life and then a Construction brat for the rest, which meant we moved a lot. So I didn’t even have a state that I could call home. Of course I now call Southern California home because I’ve lived here so long and I sound like I’m from here but it wasn’t until the internet became what it is in the last ten years that I was finally, finally able to figure out what was truth and what was myth.
Because I’d always clung to the idea that we were part Cherokee I’d studied a lot about them, I’d done many reports on them in school, I’d given myself a better education about what happened to that nation than anything even honors history classes could give me. But I was never sure who my Cherokee grandmother was. I’d always wanted to write a fantasy novel featuring a Cherokee heroine, but as I got older and the internet got better and I learned a few things about white people and their “connections” with being Cherokee, I stopped myself.
It was a little embarrassing to realize that we’d been perpetuating those bizarre, made-up claims and we probably weren’t even the tiniest of Cherokee or any other native nation for that matter. But it was also disappointing. It was one of only two clues I had about my heritage and I was sad to have that pop like a bubble.
Even as I was coming to terms with the idea that our family myth about a Cherokee grandmother was probably just that, a myth, I still wanted to know my family history. I wanted to know where we came from, when we got to the states, what made up my genetics. I wanted facts, not myths.
So, like any good writer, I began researching.
I plumbed U.S. Census Reports (by the way, I hadn’t realized just how important these things are until I needed them), combed through marriage licenses and birth records, mapping out years and decades and centuries.
Mostly I started only knowing my mom’s information, her mother and father, and some of their mothers and fathers. Luckily my mom was able to get some information, like maiden names from my grandfather.
Also, when people tell you women just aren’t important when it comes to history beyond who they give birth to, they aren’t exaggerating. If I didn’t know a maiden name, the line would just stop with her marriage. I was literally able to follow my grandfather’s paternal lines into the Crusades and early Scottish Royalty and so far I was sure I’d fallen into the Dark Ages to point where years were only three digits. But the women? The women were footnotes, asides, shadows that fell away with the years. So remember women’s names beyond their husbands, please.
With the little information that I had–and I know it’s more than a lot of people had–I was able to find out very quickly on my grandmother’s paternal side, that we were, in fact, English. Not a little bit of everything. English. Now I struggled learning about my grandmother’s mother’s side of the family. There are some hints of vikings and there is some lore about forest witchery and mountain men with great scraggly beards that live in cabins, which is all obviously spot on and doesn’t need research to be proven correct.
But back to Granddaddy and his family. I was amazed to find out that our family name is an ancient and proud Scottish name. Scottish. Now that rang a bell in my soul. The family eventually moved into England, Kent, specifically. So English yet again. But that Scottish line was amazing to read about and I don’t know if I’d ever had so much pride in my body before. But there was one spot–one name that didn’t match the rest. Grandma Katie. Katie was my grandfather’s grandmother.
And according to the U.S. Census, when she was a little girl, she lived on “Indian Territory.” You’ll see the further back you go on the Censuses the more offensive and belittling they get when documenting certain groups of people. But Katie lived in a house on “Indian Territory” with her sister and father.
Mom confirmed with Granddaddy that Katie had a sister (whose name was butchered by the Census takers). And my heart fluttered a little bit.
To be considered Cherokee you have to be able to trace your family back to the Dawes Rolls, which were taken 1898-1906. Not a lot of time. But Grandma Katie’s Census record was from 1900. So, with trembling fingers I searched for Katie on the Rolls. And my stomach about dropped out.
There she was, with her little sister and father, all on the same card.
Reader, I cried.
And not because I wanted to point to this things and say, “See! I’m Cherokee!” No. It was more like, relief? Maybe? I’m not quite sure what emotion is the right one. But there was happiness, seeing her name there, giving me back this piece of history that I’d held on to as a child when I had so little. We actually had a Cherokee Grandmother–no she wasn’t a princess. If you haven’t figured it out yet, that’s not a thing.
And no, I am not claiming to be Cherokee or Native because I didn’t grow up that way. I didn’t grow up with lessons and stories and history and culture. But it was exciting to find out what made up part of me. The bio father side is still mostly assumption but I’m okay with that.
So I sat down and wrote a story to honor Grandma Katie. Yes, it’s a story with a Cherokee sister and brother as the MCs. Yes, it’s based on a Cherokee legend. No, I didn’t suddenly feel like I had “permission” to write the story now that I found Grandma Katie, and I’m certainly not claiming #ownvoices with it (but please go check out that hashtag on twitter for some awesome books), but it was something I’d always wanted to do and now that I knew Grandma Katie (and did research about her family), I wanted to honor her, like I’ve done with books from the rest of my background. And I was inspired. I was inspired to write something wholly different than anything I’ve ever written before.
If you’re interested in reading the story, I am going to be sharing it on Patreon, serialized into chapters. I’m making the first post free to the public so everyone can read it and get a taste, but beyond that it’ll be available to people who pledge $3 or more. If you’d like, pop over here to read.
I guess this was a post about inspiration. Or maybe the value of research. Or finding and separating the threads of myth and fact. I guess the post is about what you take from it, dear reader. But this is what led to me writing my story about the Ravenmocker and his sister.
Reflections on 19 Years and a Wild Dream Achieved
On September 13, 2018 September 12, 2018 By Nicole EvelinaIn books, Publishing, self publishing6 Comments
(Warning: I’m going to talk about myself in this post. A lot.)
This Saturday is a momentous day for me. Not only does it mark the publication of my sixth book, Mistress of Legend (Guinevere’s Tale Book 3), and a single-volume compendium of The Guinevere’s Tale Trilogy, it is also the end of an era.
You see, 19 years ago Saturday is when I first heard Guinevere speak in my head. (Yeah, I’m one of those authors – wouldn’t have it any other way.) I tell the whole story in the Author’s Notes to Daughter of Destiny, the first book in the series, but for now suffice it to say she told me she wanted me to tell her story and that it would be unlike any written to date. I’ve always loved Arthurian legend, and Guinevere in particular, so I thought, “why not?”
That afternoon when I got home from school (I was a sophomore in college at the time), I sat down at the computer in my dad’s bedroom and began to type the words Guinevere was saying in my head:
I am Guinevere.
I was once a queen, a lover, a wife, a mother, a priestess, and a friend. But all those roles are lost to me now; to history, I am simply a seductress, a misbegotten woman set astray by the evils of lust.
This is the image painted of me by subsequent generations, a story retold thousands of times. Yet, not one of those stories is correct. They were not there; they did not see through my eyes or feel my pain. My laughter was lost to them in the pages of history….
It goes on for a bit longer, but you get the idea. That prologue is mostly intact in the published version of Daughter of Destiny (though it was shortened a bit). I can’t tell you how many times I rewrote the first few chapters of the book (it was in the double digits for sure) as I learned to find my own voice as an author and developed a plot and style that was doing more than simply aping The Mists of Avalon (which was the book that inspired it). But somehow, Guinevere’s words remained.
(Some of you know this story, so feel free to skip down if you have heard it before.)
I never thought I would become a published author. For the next 10 years I played around with the book when I had free time from college, then grad school and my first two grownup jobs. But it was just a hobby.
Then in 2008 I started taking my writing seriously. The catalyst? Twilight. (Shut up.) By that time I was about halfway through what would become Daughter of Destiny and realized I had something worth reading on my hands. At this point, I still thought the book would be one doorstop of a volume (which is why I’m publishing the compendium). Upon researching the publishing industry, I realized it would have to be trilogy.
Fast forward another 10 years – past an agent, countless rejections (okay, I counted, it was like 40), three damn-near book deals with Big 5 publishers, self-publishing and three Book of the Year awards – and here we are, on the precipice of the final book being published. And I have to say I am very, very proud. It may have taken me two years to finish this book (much longer than I know my readers wanted to wait), but I think it was worth it.
I set out to give Guinevere back her voice and give her the fair shake I never thought she had from other authors (at least the ones I had read). In my mind, she was a full-fledged woman with hopes, dreams and desires, not the one-dimensional adulteress we usually see. In order to show that I set out to tell her whole life story, not just the part that involves Arthur. That meant dreaming up a youth for her in Daughter and imagining her heading into old age in Mistress of Legend. I feel like I’ve told the best possible story I could and did as much as possible to redeem her from the stain of sin past literature has laid upon her.
Apparently others think so as well. I sent an ARC of Mistress to my friend and fellow author Tyler Tichelaar so he could review it on his website. He liked it so much, I ended up using the opening of the review as a blurb on the cover. But the part that brought tears to my eyes was this line: “She has given back to Guinevere, an often overlooked and derided figure, her dignity and endowed her with a true personality.” Mission accomplished.
Completing a trilogy is no small feat. There were years upon years where I wondered if I could do it and feared I could not. I remember burning with jealousy the day one of my friends completed her first series. But now all I feel is tremendous accomplishment and pride. I want to jump up and down and yell “I did it! I did it! I did it! I did it!”
More than that, I feel like each book on the series got better as I grew as a writer. One of my biggest fears was that my story would end up like so many other trilogies and peter out or go totally off track in the last book. (Breaking Dawn, anyone?) In fact, I feel like this is the strongest book in the series, and early reviews are indicating the same.
Now I face for the first time in nearly two decades a future without Guinevere. (Well, not totally. She’ll be one of the point of view characters in Isolde’s story whenever I get around to writing that.) I will be forever grateful for all she as done for me. She was meant to get me started in my career, and I know she will gracefully cede the stage to the characters who come next. I just hope this trilogy is repayment enough.
PS – If you want to catch up, Daughter of Destiny and Camelot’s Queen are only $0.99 for a limited time…
PPS – For those who know of my obsession with the band Kill Hannah, the reference in the title of this blog to “a wild dream achieved” comes from their song “Believer.”
Changing Gears
On September 6, 2018 September 6, 2018 By Lyra SeleneIn Craft, Creative Life, Writer's Life, Writing4 Comments
For a year and some change, I’ve been in steady-state revision mode.
Oh, not on the same project, and in different stages of different edits and revisions on those different projects, but in revision mode all the same. There were copy edits for my forthcoming novel AMBER & DUSK…and then more copyedits to those copy edits. Near the beginning of this year, I did put about 50K new words on my Swan Lake WIP, but it was more like a rewrite of an already existing project that I’d worked on the year before. Early this summer I revisited a trunked book to see if it could be given new life. August, I returned to my Swan Lake WIP for yet another round of edits.
You catch my drift. Or should I say draft? (Sorry! I’m so sorry.)
But last week, the shiny book idea that’s been patiently simmering in the back of my head tapped me on the shoulder. “Girl,” it whispered seductively. “You’ve already outlined me, named all my characters, and done enough world building to make my head spin. Let’s do this thing!”
So I gathered up all my notebooks, grabbed my favorite pen, opened up a blank document, and…nothing. Which was especially weird considering I’d more or less already written the opening scene in my head. Or so I’d thought.
“Type!” I hissed at my fingers, poised over the keyboard.
“We don’t remember how!” they wailed in unison.
And that’s when I considered quitting writing for the one-millionth time this year.
Listen–writing is hard. All of it. Every stage. It is a pure and exquisite expression of individual creativity, but it’s also messy. And hard. Did I mention hard? Revising and editing is hard, and rarely fun. It’s a lot of tweaking and moving around and deleting and adding and rephrasing. But here’s the thing–you’re working with something that already exists. It may be a jumbled, half-incoherent first draft full of cliches, dropped characters, and bad dialogue, but it’s words on a page. It’s something. And even with a first draft, there are probably glimmers of voice, murmurs of character development, a vague inkling of plot.
But facing the tyranny of the blank page–of staring down the barrel at 80 to 100 thousand words of unwritten story–is probably one of the hardest aspects of writing. Especially because if you don’t write the story living inside you…no one else ever will. And that would be the greatest tragedy of all.
So I’m shifting gears. I’m downshifting–back to first gear, where I’m building a world from scratch and filling it with complicated, obtuse characters who aren’t interested in cooperating with the plan I’ve made for them. To second gear, where motivations are finally clear and I’m consistently hitting my daily word counts. And–gods willing–third gear, where I’m up writing far past my bedtime, because I’m not longer a creator but a participant in the story hurtling toward its inevitable climax.
And then, of course…it will be time for revisions.
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Thu 20 Dec, 2018, 7:00 PM (EST)
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. New Jersey Devils - 12/20/18 NHL Pick, Odds, and Prediction
New Jersey Devils (11-14-7) at Columbus Blue Jackets (18-12-3)
Thursday December 20, 2018, 7:00 PM (EST)
The Line: Columbus Blue Jackets -186 / New Jersey Devils +155 --- Over/Under: 6
FS-Ohio, MSG
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Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
The New Jersey Devils and the Columbus Blue Jackets meet in NHL action from the Nationwide Arena on Thursday night.
The New Jersey Devils come into this game looking to rebound from back-to-back losses after a 7-2 drubbing at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs in their last outing. New Jersey quickly found themselves in a 3-0 hole before Sami Vatanen got the Devils on the board late in the opening period. The Devils fell behind 5-1 after two period before Nico Hischier got the Devils a second goal with just over five minutes to go but that’s as close as Jersey got as Toronto added a pair of goals to slam the door shut on New Jersey. Keith Kinkaid took the loss, giving up 5 goals on 21 shots in just two periods before being pulled, falling to 11-9-6 this season with the loss.
The Columbus Blue Jackets will be looking to pick up some steam after a narrow 1-0 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in their last outing. The game was a scoreless stalemate after the first period and still deadlocked 0-0 through 40 minutes of play before Nick Foligno scored the lone goal of the game in the opening minute of the 3rd period. Columbus was able to shut the door the rest of the way, leading to the victory. Sergei Bobrovsky picked up the win in his 1st shutout of the season, improving to 13-10-1 after stopping all 28 shots faced in the winning effort.
New Jersey is 6-20 in their last 26 road games and 7-21 in their last 28 games overall while the over is 7-2 in their last 9 games against a team with a winning record. Columbus is 16-5 in their last 21 Thursday games and 4-9 in their last 13 games against the Metropolitan while the under is 5-0 in their last 5 games overall. New Jersey is 1-6 in the last 7 meetings between these two teams and 2-5 in the last 7 meetings between these two teams in Columbus.
New Jersey is in full struggle mode right now, and are falling apart after their hot start to the season. I’m just not sold on Kinkaid as a full-time starting goaltender, but the Devils are stuck right now with Cory Schneider being out for the foreseeable future. Columbus hasn’t been playing much better as of late, but the Blue Jackets have had the upper hand in this matchup and should get the job done here. I’m not trying to lay heavy juice though, so since 5 of Columbus’ last 6 wins over the Devils have come by 2 or more goals, I’ll side with the Blue Jackets on the puck line here.
Columbus -1.5
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Telemedicine Physician Network TeleNephrologists
About Telenephrologists
Sanderling uses the latest generation dialysis equipment, a sophisticated Electronic Medical Record (PEARL™), and Advanced Telemedicine to enhance the safety and quality of the dialysis treatments performed in its centers and in patients' homes. Advanced Telemedicine allows Sanderling physicians real-time communication between dialysis patients and their nephrologists, even for patients who live in rural communities far from a nephrologist's primary office.
The PEARL™ Electronic Medical Record is available via a secure Internet connection 24 hours a day, and can be accessed by other providers (emergency rooms, hospitals) in the event of an emergency. This feature enhances the communication, and continuity of care, for Sanderling's patients when they are traveling or need emergency care when the dialysis clinic is closed.
Meet Our Telenephrologists
Dr Rajeev Prasad, MD Dr. Prasad is a Board Certified nephrologist. Prior to joining Sanderling he founded a succesful nephrology practice in Las Vegas. He served as one of the medical directors and JV partners of several highly successful dialysis units. In addition to his expertise in physician practice models, he has spearheaded and developed In-center dialysis programs, home dialysis programs, and acute care dialysis programs. He has served as medical director for multiple dialysis facilities over the past decade. Dr. Prasad is focused on the Telemedicine physician model, telemedicine expansion, and new business development.
Dr Benjamin Aronoff, MD is board certified in Nephrology and Internal Medicine. He is a graduate of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and he completed his Internal Medicine residency at Montefiore Medical Center, New York. He continued his training in nephrology and hypertension at Boston Medical Center. Dr. Aronoff has received numerous teaching awards and has developed an interest in glomerular diseases, ICU nephrology, and geriatric nephrology. Dr. Aronoff has been practicing telenephrology since 2016 and is excited by the opportunity to provide Renal care to rural hospitals. He has been named as a "Top Doctor" in New York Magazine, New Jersey Monthly, and by Castle Connolly.
Dr Sumanth Mulamalla is a nephrologist who is dedicated to the delivery of quality patient care to individuals suffering from kidney disease. His areas of focus include acute kidney injury (AKI), chronic kidney disease (CKD), end stage renal disease, hypertension, and electrolyte and acid base abnormalities. Dr Mulamalla attended Eastern Virginia Medical School. He completed his internal medicine training at St Louis University and his Nephrology fellowship at Kansas University.
Dr John Havill grew up in northern England, in a small town in Cheshire. He attended St. Bartholomew’s medical school in London, He completed his residency training in New York medical College at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Internal Medicine. It was at this time that he was inspired to become a nephrologist, rounding with the nephrology specialists in New York City. He entered Johns Hopkins Hospital for nephrology subspecialty training, working alongside some of the leading researchers in the field and wonderful clinical physicians in clinical nephrology. He has been in private practice for the last ten years, first in Las Vegas, and currently resides in Colorado Springs. He has a keen interest in ICU medicine and Glomerulonephritis.
Dr. Beckie Michael is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine. She has been designated a Specialist in Hypertension by the American Society of Hypertension, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) and American College of Osteopathic Internists. She is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Joel Dworkin completed his nephrology fellowship at Washington University, St Louis. He has been in private practice now with almost 20 years experience, specializing in Hospitalist Medicine and renal consultation/office practice. He has served as Director of Complex Medical Care for Select Specialty Hospital. He is boarded in both Internal Medicine and Nephrology. Prior to his training as a physician he completed his PhD in Microbiology and Immunology and Infectious Diseases at Vanderbilt.
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Domestic Violence Death Review Committee — (Chief Coroner of Ontario)
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
Chief Coroner of Ontario
Case DVDRC-2011-24 OCC file numbers: 2007-13863
The 26-year-old male victim was killed after being stabbed by the female perpetrator, his 43-year-old common-law wife.
The couple had been arguing over a two week period and the tension had peaked approximately four days prior to the incident. The victim had reconnected with a past girlfriend and had indicated he planned to leave his relationship with the perpetrator. The perpetrator was aware that the victim was planning on moving out.
The perpetrator had a history of depression and alcoholism. Records indicate that she had a history of cutting her wrists and stress counselling had been provided. A few months prior to the homicide, the perpetrator had relocated after following the victim to a new community. She had cut her wrists two weeks prior to the homicide and had been prescribed sedative and antidepressant medications after visiting a family physician. She had been binge drinking and not eating for several days.
The perpetrator was not employed. She had four children from previous relationships and two of the children (daughters aged 14 and 11) resided with the couple. The perpetrator expressed both love and hate for the victim. The daughters stated that the perpetrator had told the victim on several occasions that she was going to kill him. Four weeks prior to the homicide, neighbours had heard the perpetrator threaten the victim with death.
On October 29, 2007 at approximately 7:00 p.m., the victim made a call to 9-1-1, telling the operator that his girlfriend was out of control and had been drinking. He indicated that children were present in the house. The perpetrator was being loud and the operator asked what she was doing. The victim indicated that the perpetrator was ripping his shirt and then the phone connection was interrupted. The victim called back on his cellular phone because the perpetrator had cut the landline. The operator heard the victim say, “let go of me.” When questioned by the operator, the victim indicated that nobody had been injured.
Police attended the residence. The police report indicated that the victim had said the perpetrator had been drinking and was verbally aggressive and confrontational. The victim told police that there had not been any violence or threat of violence but that he did not want it to get violent. The girls described their mom (the perpetrator) as being very depressed and they were not sure what would happen next. The victim indicated to police that he could not take the perpetrator’s drinking and irrational behavior anymore and that he would be separating from her. The police report does not indicate if a referral to victim services was offered.
Police removed the perpetrator from the home and took her to the nearby residence of an acquaintance. The police contacted the girls’ biological father, but since he lived several hours away, he was unable to come and get them that evening. The police planned a “priority fax CAS request” the next morning.
The perpetrator had apparently told the acquaintance’s boyfriend that she had ripped the victim’s shirt. The police however, did not document any injuries on the couple. According to witnesses interviewed following the homicide, there were signs of injury on both the victim and perpetrator. The daughters stated that their mother told police that it was the victim that had caused her bruises, but the daughters claimed that the injuries resulted from her falling down while intoxicated.
The perpetrator returned to her own residence at 2:55 a.m. on October 30, 2007. The victim was asleep on the couch and awakened when the perpetrator entered. The victim apparently broke some beers that the perpetrator was attempting to drink and told her to go to bed.
The perpetrator went to her room, but about 30 minutes later, was heard by the girls to be saying that she needed strength and was going to kill the victim and stab him in the heart. The daughters called 9-1-1 as their mother had a knife. The perpetrator proceeded to stab and kill the victim prior to arrival of police.
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Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 312 › Walker v. Johnston
Walker v. Johnston, 312 U.S. 275 (1941)
Walker v. Johnston
Argued January 15, 1941
Decided February 10, 1941
1. Under the statute governing habeas corpus, the writ may be denied if, upon the face of the petition, it appears that the petitioner is not entitled to it. P. 312 U. S. 284.
2. The practice of issuing an order to show cause and permitting the relator to reply to the respondent's return, thus avoiding useless issuance of the writ and production of the prisoner and witnesses in cases where it appears upon the face of the papers that no material issue of fact is involved and that, as a matter of law, no cause for granting the writ exists, is a settled practice permitted by the statute. P. 312 U. S. 284.
3. Where the petition and traverse, on the one hand, and the return, on the other, raise substantial issues of fact, the writ must be granted, the prisoner produced, and his case determined upon a hearing of evidence and argument; the statute does not allow a disposition of the case upon ex parte affidavits. P. 312 U. S. 285.
4. One who, through the deception or coercion of the prosecuting attorney, is induced to plead guilty to an indictment for a federal offense, without the advice of counsel and in ignorance of his right to such advice, is deprived of a constitutional right. P. 312 U. S. 286.
5. On a hearing in habeas corpus, the prisoner is under the burden of proving by a preponderance of evidence the facts which, he alleges, entitle him to a discharge. P. 312 U. S. 286.
109 F.2d 436 reversed.
Certiorari, 311 U.S. 635, to review the affirmance of a judgment in habeas corpus discharging a rule to show cause and dismissing the petition for the writ.
CERTIORARI TO THE CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT
MR. JUSTICE ROBERTS delivered the opinion of the Court.
This case presents important questions of practice touching the issue of the writ of habeas corpus. We accordingly granted certiorari in forma pauperis, 311 U.S. 635, and appointed counsel for the petitioner to insure adequate presentation at our bar.
The petitioner, who is confined in the Federal prison at Alcatraz, California, under sentence and commitment of
the District Court for Northern Texas upon a plea of guilty to an indictment charging armed robbery of a national bank, sought habeas corpus in the District Court for Northern California. His petition recites that he was indicted in the District Court for Northern Texas March 9, 1936; that the cause came on for trial April 28, 1936, and he pleaded guilty; that he was sentenced May 1, 1936, to twelve years' imprisonment, was committed to the penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas, May 4, 1936, and is now confined at Alcatraz. The petition alleges that, at trial, the petitioner was without the assistance of counsel; that he did not waive his right to counsel; that the court did not inquire whether he desired counsel or instruct him that he was entitled to counsel; that he did not know he was so entitled if he had no money to pay an attorney, and that the judgment of conviction is void, as he was deprived of the assistance of counsel for his defence in violation of the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution. The prayer is that the writ issue, and that he be released from custody.
The court issued an order to show cause addressed to the warden of the penitentiary. That officer filed a return showing that he held the prisoner under a commitment issued by the Texas District Court and a transfer from Leavenworth to Alcatraz ordered by the Director of the Bureau of Prisons of the Department of Justice. Attached to the return were certified copies of the indictment, minute entries, sentence, and commitment, and docket entries in the cause, transfer order, and record of commitment. Also attached were affidavits of the United States Attorney, the Assistant United States Attorney, and the Probation Officer (formerly a deputy marshal) of the Northern District of Texas. These affiants, or some of them, deposed to the following effect: the petitioner was jointly indicted with one White, who pleaded not guilty, was tried, convicted, and sentenced;
the petitioner had no counsel as he entered a plea of guilty. At the time of the commission of the offense for which the petitioner was indicted, he was an escaped convict from the State Penitentiary of New Mexico, and was brought thence for trial. On the day of the trial, the marshal brought him to the Federal building, where the District Attorney talked to him; asked him whether he was guilty, and he stated he was; asked him if he was going to plead guilty, and he stated he was; asked him whether he had a lawyer, and he stated he did not want an attorney, as he thought an attorney would be of no value to him. The District Attorney explained to the petitioner that he thought the judge would give him greater consideration, if he was guilty, on his entering a plea of guilty. The petitioner was told his interviewers believed that, if he would tell the judge the truth and testify in the case as to his accomplices, that fact would be considered by the judge in passing sentence. The petitioner stated he would enter a plea of guilty, but would not testify. He refused to say whether the codefendant White was with him at the time of the robbery, and said that he would prefer not to make a statement with respect to other facts in the case. One affiant stated his belief that petitioner told the judge in open court that he had no counsel and did not desire any, as he was guilty and intended to plead guilty. Three witnesses identified the petitioner as being one of the men who entered the bank, and there was no question of his guilt. After sentence, petitioner expressed his satisfaction at the length of sentence imposed. Some time later, a letter was received from the petitioner thanking the District Attorney for what he had done for him.
The petitioner answered, denying that he had stated to one or more of the affiants, or in the presence of one or more of them, that he was guilty or that he intended
to plead guilty; that he did not want an attorney, or felt that an attorney would be of no value to him. He alleged that he first learned he was to be prosecuted for the offense in question about April 26, 1936, when a deputy marshal took him from New Mexico to Texas; that, prior to trial, the District Attorney, in the presence of the deputy marshal, asked him to plead guilty, and he replied that he intended to plead not guilty, whereupon the District Attorney exhibited to him pictures of the scene of the alleged crime and, by means of them and otherwise, sought to persuade him that he would be proved guilty; that the petitioner refused to talk further with the District Attorney at that time; that the District Attorney again visited him, and the petitioner then requested that the trial be continued so that he could communicate with his relatives and try to obtain money to enable him to hire an attorney for his defense, but that the District Attorney advised him this was not possible, and told him to plead guilty, warning him that he would be sentenced to twice as great a term if he did not so plead; that the petitioner had no relatives or friends near the scene of the trial other than his co-defendant White. He alleged that he requested the District Attorney to be permitted to talk to White or White's attorney, but the request was refused. In view of the District Attorney's warning, and in fear of a heavy prison term, he told the District Attorney he would plead guilty. The answer alleges that petitioner has no information and belief sufficient to enable him to answer the statement concerning his letter claimed to have been sent from the penitentiary, and therefore denies the fact; denies that the petitioner stated to the judge that he did not desire counsel appointed for him, or that he was pleading guilty because he was guilty; alleges that at no time was petitioner informed, did he know or believe
that he was entitled to the assistance of counsel for his defense, and that at no time did anyone ask him if he desired the assistance of counsel, nor did anyone offer to procure such assistance for him; avers that he was without money to pay for counsel and believed he could not obtain the assistance of counsel without money to pay a lawyer; asserts that he attended school to the fifth grade and had had no further schooling or education, was entirely unversed in the law and unable and unqualified to represent or act for himself in a criminal proceeding; that at no time was he asked to waive his right to the assistance of counsel, nor did he by word or act state or indicate that he waived, or intended to waive, that right; denies his guilt, and denies that the evidence produced at trial showed his guilt.
Upon these pleadings, the District Judge, after hearing argument, discharged the rule to show cause and dismissed the petition for the writ. The Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed. [Footnote 1]
The petitioner contended in the Circuit Court of Appeals that the statute required the District Court to issue the writ, and, upon his production in court, to hold a hearing on the issues made by the pleadings. The court found it unnecessary to pass on the contention, since it held "another manner of proceeding" (that here followed by the District Court) was permissible under our decisions. It approved the summary disposition of the case on the pleadings and affidavits submitted, as the petitioner had been afforded an opportunity to submit by affidavit whatever he deemed material. It thought the District Court was justified in disbelieving the petitioner's allegations and, on the basis of such disbelief, discharging the rule and denying the petition.
The case presents these questions: (1) Was the District Court, on the filing of the petition, bound forthwith to issue the writ and have the petitioner produced in answer to it? (2) If the procedure followed by the District Court was permissible, and the pleadings raised issues of fact, should those issues have been resolved by testimony, rather than upon affidavits? (3) Did the pleadings raise any material issue of fact?
First. The statutes of the United States declare that the Supreme Court and the district courts shall have power to issue writs of habeas corpus; [Footnote 2] that application for the writ shall be made to the court or justice or judge authorized to issue the same by complaint in writing, under oath, signed by the petitioner, setting forth the facts concerning his detention, in whose custody he is and by virtue of what claim or authority, if known. [Footnote 3] The court or justice or judge "shall forthwith award a writ of habeas corpus, unless it appears from the petition itself that the party is not entitled thereto." The writ shall be directed to the person in whose custody the petitioner is detained. [Footnote 4] The person to whom the writ is directed must certify to the court or judge the true cause of detention and, at the same time he makes his return, bring the body of the party before the judge who granted the writ. [Footnote 5] When the writ is returned, a day is to be set for the hearing, not exceeding five days thereafter, unless the petitioner requests a longer time. [Footnote 6] The petitioner may deny the facts set forth in the return or may allege any other material facts, under oath. [Footnote 7] The court or judge
"shall proceed in a summary way to determine the facts of the case, by hearing the testimony and arguments, and thereupon to dispose of the party as law and justice require. [Footnote 8]"
It will be observed that if, upon the face of the petition, it appears that the party is not entitled to the writ, the court may refuse to issue it. Since the allegations of such petitions are often inconclusive, the practice has grown up of issuing an order to show cause, which the respondent may answer. By this procedure, the facts on which the opposing parties rely may be exhibited, and the court may find that no issue of fact is involved. In this way, useless grant of the writ with consequent production of the prisoner and of witnesses may be avoided where, from undisputed facts or from incontrovertible facts, such as those recited in a court record, it appears, as matter of law, no cause for granting the writ exists. On the other hand, on the facts admitted, it may appear that, as matter of law, the prisoner is entitled to the writ and to a discharge. This practice has long been followed by this court [Footnote 9] and by the lower courts. [Footnote 10] It is a convenient one, deprives the petitioner of no substantial right, if the petition and traverse are treated, as we think they should be, as together constituting the application for the writ, and the return to the rule as setting up the facts thought to warrant its denial, and if issues of fact emerging from the pleadings are tried as required by the statute.
Second. The District Court proceeded to adjudicate the petitioner's right to the writ upon the allegations of
his petition and traverse and those of the return and accompanying affidavits. Thus, the case was disposed of on ex parte affidavits and without the taking of testimony. The practice thus to dispose of applications for habeas corpus on matters of fact as well as of law has been followed in the Ninth and Tenth Circuits. [Footnote 11]
In other circuits, if an issue of fact is presented, the practice appears to have been to issue the writ, have the petitioner produced, and hold a hearing at which evidence is received. [Footnote 12] This is, we think, the only admissible procedure. Nothing less will satisfy the command of the statute that the judge shall proceed "to determine the facts of the case, by hearing the testimony and arguments." It is not a question what the ancient practice was at common law, or what the practice was prior to 1867, when the statute from which R.S. § 761 is derived was adopted by Congress. The question is what the statute requires.
As we said in Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U. S. 458, 304 U. S. 466,
"Congress has expanded the rights of a petitioner for habeas corpus. . . . There being no doubt of the authority of the Congress to thus liberalize the common law procedure on habeas corpus . . . , it results that, under the sections cited, a prisoner in custody . . . may have a judicial inquiry . . . into the very truth and substance
of the causes of his detention. . . ."
Such a judicial inquiry involves the reception of testimony, as the language of the statute shows.
The Government properly concedes that, if the petition, the return, and the traverse raise substantial issues of fact, it is the petitioner's right to have those issues heard and determined in the manner the statute prescribes.
Third. Did the pleadings present any material issue of fact? The Government says they did not. It urges that, construed most favorably to petitioner, the allegations of the petition and the traverse do not show that he was in apparent or actual need of counsel's aid, and do disclose that he voluntarily waived the right to counsel.
Without repeating the allegations of the petition and traverse, which have been summarized above, we think it clear that, taken together, they overcome the presumption of regularity which the record of the trial imports, and that, if the facts alleged were established by testimony to the satisfaction of the judge, they would support a conclusion that the petitioner desired the aid of counsel, and so informed the District Attorney, was ignorant of his right to such aid, was not interrogated as to his desire or informed of his right, and did not knowingly waive that right, and that, by the conduct of the District Attorney, he was deceived and coerced into pleading guilty when his real desire was to plead not guilty, or at least to be advised by counsel as to his course. If he did not voluntarily waive his right to counsel, [Footnote 13] or if he was deceived or coerced by the prosecutor into entering a guilty plea, [Footnote 14] he was deprived of a constitutional right. On a hearing, he would have the burden of sustaining his allegations by a preponderance of evidence. It is true that they are denied in the affidavits filed with the return
to the rule, but the denials only serve to make the issues which must be resolved by evidence taken in the usual way. They can have no other office. The witnesses who made them must be subjected to examination ore tenus or by deposition, as are all other witnesses. Not by the pleadings and the affidavits, but by the whole of the testimony, must it be determined whether the petitioner has carried his burden of proof and shown his right to a discharge. The Government's contention that his allegations are improbable and unbelievable cannot serve to deny him an opportunity to support them by evidence. On this record, it is his right to be heard.
The judgment is reversed, and the cause remanded to the District Court for further proceedings in conformity with this opinion.
[Footnote 1]
109 F.2d 436, 438.
R.S. § 751, 28 U.S.C. § 451.
R.S. § 757, 28 U.S.C. § 457; R.S. § 758, 28 U.S.C. § 458.
Ex parte Yarbrough, 110 U. S. 651, 110 U. S. 653; Mooney v. Holohan, 294 U. S. 103, 294 U. S. 111.
[Footnote 10]
Murdock v. Pollock, 229 F. 392.
Harpin v. Johnston, 109 F.2d 434; Franzeen v. Johnston, 111 F.2d 817; Walker v. Chitty, 112 F.2d 79; Zahn v. Hudspeth, 102 F.2d 759; Nivens v. Hudspeth, 105 F.2d 756; McCoy v. Hudspeth, 106 F.2d 810; McDonald v. Hudspeth, 108 F.2d 943; Moore v. Hudspeth, 110 F.2d 386; Taylor v. Hudspeth, 113 F.2d 825.
Cundiff v. Nicholson, 107 F.2d 162; Hurt v. Zerbst, 97 F.2d 519; Brown v. Zerbst, 99 F.2d 745; Mothershead v. King, 112 F.2d 1004; Sanders v. Allen, 69 App.D.C. 307, 100 F.2d 717; Clawans v. Rives, 70 App.D.C. 107, 104 F.2d 240; United States v. Hiatt, 33 F.Supp. 545.
Johnson v. Zerbst, 304 U. S. 458.
Mooney v. Holohan, 294 U. S. 103.
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Justia › US Law › US Case Law › US Supreme Court › Volume 449 › AMSTAR CORP. v. SOUTHERN PACIFIC TRANSPORT CO. OF TEXAS AND
AMSTAR CORP. v. SOUTHERN PACIFIC TRANSPORT CO. OF TEXAS AND, 449 U.S. 924 (1980)
AMSTAR CORP. v. SOUTHERN PACIFIC TRANSPORT CO. OF TEXAS AND , 449 U.S. 924 (1980)
AMSTAR CORPORATION
SOUTHERN PACIFIC TRANSPORT COMPANY OF TEXAS AND LOUISIANA
On petition for writ of certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied.
Justice BLACKMUN, dissenting.
It seems to me that the Court's denial of certiorari in this case utterly ignores the parties' intent in executing a consent to a judgment and in their subsequent actions pursuant thereto.
Petitioner is a sugar refiner. It filed suit under 20(11) of the Interstate Commerce Act, 24 Stat. 386, as amended, 49 U.S.C. 20(11),1 against respondent, a common carrier by motor, for damage to a cargo of sugar respondent undertook to transport. Although respondent by its formal answer denied liability, the real issue in the litigation proved to be the amount for which respondent was liable. Petitioner-shipper took the position that, under Gore Products, Inc. v. Texas & N. O. R. Co., 34 So.2d 418 (La.App.1948), the proper measure of damages was the profit lost by petitioner on the completed sale, or $7,529.28. Respondent-carrier, on the other hand, contended that the proper measure was the cost of reprocessing the sugar for resale to another customer, or $488.65.2 Respondent moved for partial summary judgment only on the issue of the quantum of damages. Over
Page 449 U.S. 924 , 925
petitioner's objection, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana granted that motion, leaving open, so far as that court was concerned, the issue of liability. The partial summary judgment, being interlocutory, of course was not then appealable. See 28 U.S.C. 1291 and 1292.
After a pretrial conference, the parties by their counsel entered into a stipulation of facts, App. to Pet. for Cert. 29a, and submitted to the court a "Joint Motion for Approval of Consent Judgment." Id., at 32a. 3 The District Court then entered its "Consent Judgment upon Joint Stipulation of Facts," id., at 26a, the final paragraph of which recited:
"This judgment is rendered in recognition of the reservation by the plaintiff of its right to prosecute an appeal in this action in connection with this judgment and in connection with the partial summary judgment rendered on March 14, 1979." Id., at 27a.
The smaller of the two sums was then paid to petitioner. It thereupon executed a satisfaction of judgment, id., at 34a, still reciting its reservation. [Footnote 4]
Petitioner in due course appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Both sides devoted their briefs in that court exclusively to the liability issue. The Court of Appeals, however, with a short per curiam opinion, held that, on the authority of another per curiam opin- [449 U.S. 924 , 926]
Petitioner in due course appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Both sides devoted their briefs in that court exclusively to the liability issue. The Court of Appeals, however, with a short per curiam opinion, held that, on the authority of another per curiam opin-
ion, White & Yarborough v. Dailey, 228 F.2d 836 (CA5 1955), (the governing authority of which I seriously question), "the fact that both parties freely consented to the entry of a final judgment precludes an appeal from it." 607 F.2d 1100 (CA5 1979).
It seems to me to be clear that any consent on the part of petitioner did not reach the disputed difference between $7,529.28 and $488.65. To the extent that the Court of Appeals' holding rests on the suggestion in White & Yarborough v. Dailey, 228 F.2d, at 837, that an appeal will not lie when payment of the judgment has been accepted, that holding is inconsistent with United States v. Hougham, 364 U.S. 310, 5 L. Ed.2d 8 (1960), where this Court said:
"It is a generally accepted rule of law that where a judgment is appealed on the ground that the damages awarded are inadequate, acceptance of payment of the amount of the unsatisfactory judgment does not, standing alone, amount to an accord and satisfaction of the entire claim." Id., at 312, 81 S.Ct. at 15.
Nor does the mere fact that the parties entered into a consent judgment preclude appeal. In Swift & Co. v. United States, 276 U.S. 311 (1928), it was observed:
"The decree sought to be vacated was entered with the defendants' consent. Under the English practice a consent decree could not be set aside by appeal or bill of review, except in case of clerical error. . . . In this Court a somewhat more liberal rule has prevailed. Decrees entered by consent have been reviewed upon appeal or bill of review where there was a claim of lack of actual consent to the decree as entered. . . ." Id., at 323-324, 48 S.Ct. at 313- 314.
Here there is "a claim of lack of actual consent." See also Nashville, C. & St. L. R. Co. v. United States, 113 U.S. 261 (1885); Pacific R. Co. v. Ketchum, 101 U.S. 289 (1880).
The Court of Appeals' opinion also seems to me to be in
some tension, if not outright conflict, on the point at issue, with diLeo v. Greenfield, 541 F.2d 949, 952 (CA2 1976); United States ex rel. H & Industries, Inc. v. F. D. Rich Co., 525 F.2d 760, 764-765 (CA7 1975); and Gadsden v. Fripp, 330 F.2d 545, 548 (CA4 1964).
It may well be that upon review of the merits of the District Court's judgment, respondent will prevail. It seems to me, however, that petitioner is entitled to a ruling on the merits of its appeal to the Court of Appeals, and is not to be foreclosed by a strict concept of consent and acceptance in the face of facts that the asserted consent was specifically limited and that petitioner consistently and persistently disclaimed full settlement of the lawsuit. Indeed, until the case arrived here, respondent does not appear to have claimed otherwise.
The amount in contest is not large, but that fact in itself is no reason for this Court's lack of interest in a case where the principle is important. I would give serious consideration to a summary reversal of the judgment of the Court of Appeals. At the least, I would grant certiorari and set the case for argument.
Footnote 1 Section 20(11) was repealed in 1978 by Pub.L. 95-473, 4(b), 92 Stat. 1466, but the Interstate Commerce Act was reenacted as positive law by the same statute. 92 Stat. 1337.
Footnote 2 The smaller amount is not in dispute. Respondent has not agreed that the larger amount is correct, but it states that it "has always assumed" that the profit lost on the completed sale of the sugar was in excess of the smaller amount. Brief in Opposition 2.
Footnote 3 This Joint Motion recited:
"Amstar Corporation joins in this motion with full reservation of its right to prosecute an appeal in this action, both with respect to the attached consent judgment and with respect to the partial summary judgment granted in this action on March 14, 1979." App. to Pet. for Cert. 33a.
Footnote 4 The satisfaction provided:
"This Satisfaction of Judgment has been executed by Amstar Corporation with full reservation of its right to prosecute an appeal in this action in connection with the judgment entered on May 3, 1979, and in connection with the partial summary judgment rendered on March 14, 1979." Id., at 34a.
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Lynton Atkinson
English Chamber Orchestra
Oliver Tobias
Naomi Itami
Artist: Lynton Atkinson
Monteverdi: Vespers of 1610 (1997)
performed by Brad Diamond (tenor), Christòpheren Nomura (baritone), Janice Chandler Eteme (soprano), Jeff Mattsey (baritone), Karen Clift (soprano), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Richard Croft (tenor), Boston Baroque, Martin Pearlman (conductor)
composed by Claudio Monteverdi
The Ultimate Relaxation Christmas Album 2 (2005)
performed by Anthony Way (treble), John Scott (organ), Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano), Luciano Pavarotti (tenor), Lynton Atkinson (treble), Mark Tinkler (treble), Musica Sacra, Robert King (treble), Simon Keenlyside (treble), Stephen Cleobury (organ), Stephen Goss (guitar)
composed by Anonymous, English, César Franck, Christmas Traditional, Franz Gruber, Franz Schubert, Gabriel Fauré, Harold Darke, Harry Simeone, Henry John Gauntlett, James Pierpont, Johann Sebastian Bach, John Rutter, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Richard Storrs Willis
Lehár: The Land of Smiles (1996)
performed by English Chamber Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra (chamber ensemble), Jeffrey Carl (baritone), Jerry Hadley (tenor), London Voices, Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Nancy Gustafson (soprano), Naomi Itami (soprano), London Voices, Richard Bonynge (conductor)
composed by Franz Lehár
Vivaldi Sacred Music, 1 (1995)
performed by Catherine Denley (alto), David Wilson-Johnson (bass), Lisa Milne (soprano), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Susan Gritton (soprano), The King's Consort, Robert King (conductor)
composed by Antonio Vivaldi
Lehár: The Czarevitch (1996)
performed by Jeffrey Carl (baritone), Jerry Hadley (tenor), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Nancy Gustafson (soprano), Naomi Itami (soprano), London Voices (choir, chorus), English Chamber Orchestra, Richard Bonynge (conductor)
Monteverdi: L'Orfeo (1995)
performed by Andreas Scholl (counter tenor), Dominique Visse (counter tenor), Efrat Ben-Nun (soprano), Geert Smits (baritone), Gerd Türk (tenor), Harry Peeters (bass), Jennifer Larmore (mezzo-soprano), Laurence Dale (tenor), Lynton Atkinson (tenor)
Vaughan Williams: Hugh the Drover (1994)
performed by Adrian Hulton (bass), Alan Opie (baritone), Alice Coote (mezzo-soprano), Bonaventura Bottone (tenor), Harry Nicoll (tenor), Jenny Saunders (soprano), Julia Gooding (soprano), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Neil Jenkins (tenor), Paul Im Thurn (baritone)
composed by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Mozart: The Abduction from the Seraglio (2000)
performed by Lynton Atkinson (vocals), Oliver Tobias (vocals), Paul Groves (vocals), Peter Rose (vocals), Yelda Kodalli (vocals), Scottish Chamber Chorus (choir, chorus), Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Charles Mackerras (conductor)
composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Leonard Bernstein: Wonderful Town (2010)
performed by Audra McDonald (vocals), Brent Barrett (vocals), Karl Daymond (vocals), Kim Criswell (vocals), Kimberly Cobb (vocals), Lynton Atkinson (vocals), Melanie Marshall (vocals), Michael Dore (vocals), Robert Fardell (vocals), Rodney Gilfry (vocals)
composed by Leonard Bernstein
Respighi: Aretusa/Lauda Per La Natività Del Signore/Il Tramonto/Trittico Botticelliano (1992)
performed by City of London Sinfonia, Janet Baker (vocals), Louise Winter (mezzo-soprano), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Patricia Rozario (soprano), Richard Hickox Singers
composed by Ottorino Respighi
Franz Lehár: Paganini (1997)
performed by Deborah Riedel (soprano), English Chamber Orchestra (chamber ensemble), Jerry Hadley (tenor), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Naomi Itami (soprano), Paul Parfitt (speech/speaker/speaking part), Philip Dennis (tenor), London Voices (choir, chorus)
Dvorák: Mass, Op. 86; Liszt: Missa Choralis (1991)
performed by Alan Byers (tenor), Andrew Giles (alto), Christopher Royall (alto), Lynton Atkinson (treble), Mark Tinkler (treble), Neil Ritchie (treble), Nicholas Cleobury (organ), Richard Stuart (bass), Robert Morton (bass), Stephen Cleobury (organ)
composed by Antonin Dvorák, Franz Liszt
Isn't This a Time? American Music for Clarinet (2015)
performed by Aleksander Szram (piano), Ian Mitchell (piano), Ian Mitchell (clarinet), Ian Mitchell (percussion), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Trinity Laban Clarinet Class of 2013 (vocals), Trinity Laban Clarinet Class of 2013 (drones)
composed by Christian Wolff, Eric Mandat, John Cage, Tom Johnson, Various Composers, William O. Smith
Schütz: Madrigaux Italiens
performed by Concerto Vocale, Ian Honeyman (tenor), Isabelle Poulenard (soprano), Jill Feldman (soprano), Konrad Junghanel (theorbo), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Michael Schopper (bass), René Jacobs (counter tenor)
composed by Heinrich Schütz
The Choral Music of Huw Spratling (1996)
performed by Caryll Nenham (soprano), Charles Pott (bass), David Roy (tenor), Deborah Carter (alto), Duncan Saunderson (alto), Helen Tunstall (harp), Jeffrey Dyball (harp), John Liptrot Hatton (organ), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Richard Day-Lewis (tenor)
composed by Huw Spratling
Haydn and Schubert: Masses (2002)
performed by Ian Hare (organ), Linda Kitchen (soprano), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Mark Glanville (bass), Haydn Society Chorus and Orchestra (choir, chorus), Haydn Society Chorus and Orchestra, Denis McCaldin (conductor)
composed by Franz Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert
Mozart: Don Giovanni; Die Entführung aus dem Serail (2003)
performed by Christina Hogman (vocals), Désirée Rancatore (vocals), Elena Vink (vocals), Harry van der Kamp (vocals), Hubert Claessens (vocals), Lynton Atkinson (vocals), Markus Schafer (vocals), Nanco de Vries (vocals), Nancy Argenta (vocals), Oliver Tobias (vocals)
Handel: The Messiah (1998)
performed by Christina Hogman (soprano), Karl Magnus Fredriksson (bass), Kristina Hammarstrom (alto), Lynton Atkinson (tenor), Petteri Salomaa (bass), Stefan Dahlberg (tenor), Storkyrkans Kör (choir, chorus), Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra
composed by George Frederick Handel
Monteverdi: L'Incoronazione di Poppea (2000)
performed by Adrian Thompson (vocals), Arleen Augér (vocals), Brian Bannatyne-Scott (vocals), Catherine Denley (vocals), Catherine Pierard (vocals), Della Jones (vocals), Gregory Reinhart (vocals), James Bowman (vocals), Janice Watson (vocals)
composed by Claudio Monteverdi, Unspecified
Mozart: Die Entführung aus dem Serail
performed by Désirée Rancatore (vocals), Lynton Atkinson (vocals), Oliver Tobias (vocals), Paul Groves (vocals), Peter Rose (vocals), Yelda Kodalli (vocals), Scottish Chamber Chorus (choir, chorus), Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Charles Mackerras (conductor)
Heinrich Schütz
performed by Agnès Mellon (soprano), Akira Tachikawa (haute contre vocal), Andreas Lebeda (baritone), Andreas Scholl (haute contre vocal), Christophe Coin (cello), Franz-Josef Selig (bass), Gerd Türk (tenor), Greta de Reyghère (soprano), Hervé Lamy (tenor)
Jerry Hadley
Ian Mitchell
Yelda Kodalli
Trinity Laban Clarinet Class of 2013
Stephen Cleobury
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The Manor of Death
Knight, Bernard
When an unidentified body is discovered in the harbour town of Axmouth, twenty miles from Exeter, Sir John de Wolfe, the county coroner, is summoned to investigate. The manner of the young man's death is a matter of some dispute - but, as Sir John soon discovers, it was no accident. The victim did not drown, as the manor reeve alleges, but was strangled to death.
In the ensuing murder investigation, Sir John is frustrated by what appears to be a conspiracy of silence among the seamen and townsfolk. Just what is the local population trying to hide?
As Crowner John is to learn, there are many inhabitants of Axmouth who will go to any lengths to ensure the shocking truth remains hidden. And the coroner will have to draw on all his resources of courage, cunning and determination if he is to escape from the town with his life.
Publisher: London : Simon & Schuster, 2008.
Characteristics: 351 p. :,maps ;,25 cm.
Read more reviews of The Manor of Death at iDreamBooks.com
B_Mammen Sep 02, 2010
One in a series of Crowner John Mystery books. An excellent medieval murder mystery set in England in 1196, during the reign of Richard the Lion Heart.
Others include The Noble Outlaw, The Elixir of Death, Figure of Hate, The Witch Hunter, Fear in the Forest, The Grim Reaper, The Tinner's Corpse, The Awful Secret, Crowner's Quest, The Poisoned Chalice and The Sanctuary Seeker.
Some of the same characters appear throughout the series.
Picton, Bernard
De Wolfe, John, Sir (Fictitious Character) — Fiction.
Coroners — England — Fiction.
Murder — Investigation — England — Fiction.
Devon (England) — History — Fiction
Great Britain — History — Angevin Period, 1154-1216 — Fiction
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In Defense of Accused People Smugglers - ABC TV story on Stuart Jay Raj and David Svoboda's Work
ABC Newsline FEATURE: People smuggling: from the village to the courts
On one recent People Smuggling mission in Banten province, West Java Indonesia, ABC Reporter Auskar Surbakti came along for the ride and filed this story.
There’s a growing outcry over mandatory sentences for Indonesian boat crew convicted of people smuggling offences in Australia.
Lawyers in Australia are set to lodge a compensation claim against the government of behalf of an Indonesia teenager detained for people smuggling.
And legal teams are going to great lenghts to represent other detainees, embarking on trips to Indonesia to gather evidence.
![A village in West Java home to an Indonesian man who is currently facing people smuggling charges in Australia. [Newsline: Auskar Surbakti]](http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201206/r953441_10194455.JPG "A village in West Java home to an Indonesian man who is currently facing people smuggling charges in Australia. [Newsline: Auskar Surbakti]")
##### PHOTO
A village in West Java home to an Indonesian man who is currently facing people smuggling charges in Australia. [Newsline: Auskar Surbakti]
##### VIDEO from Newsline
Indonesian boy to sue over Australian detention
Created: Wed, 06 Jun 2012 10:42:15 GMT+1000
Legal teams go to great lenghts to represent detainees
**Auskar Surbakti and Kesha West**
Last Updated: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 17:42:00 +1000
There are more than 150 cases involving Indonesian crew that are before Australia courts, and the cost of bringing such cases to trial has risen to around $AU14 million this financial year, up from $1,500,000 in 2009-2010, according to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
A Senate inquiry into mandatory sentences has found that while they are appropriate for people smuggler organisers, the punishment is unjust for boat crew.
Now, Australian judges and lawyers say the five-year mandatory jail terms are punishing the wrong people.
West Java defence
Legal teams are going to great lengths to represent those detained, embarking on trips to far flung parts of Indonesia to gather evidence on their behalf.
Australian lawyer David Svoboda has started another long journey to a remote part of Indonesia.
His client is from West Java and was caught and charged by Australian authorities for people smuggling.
“The reason for this trip is to visit my client’s home village,” Mr Svoboda said. “We want to inform juries as much as possible as to the backgrounds of men who’ve been charged with people smuggling.”
If found guilty, his client could face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years’ jail, with a three-year non-parole period.
“What the prosecutions have to prove in these cases is that these men had knowledge of Australia, Australian territorial issues and knowledge of asylum seeker issues and knowledge of visas and passports.”
Trips like Mr Svoboda’s to Indonesia, which are assisted by legal aid groups in Australia, are costly, time consuming and exhausting. But they have proven an effective legal strategy.
Mr Svoboda said every client he had visited in Indonesia in relation to a trial had been acquitted.
“I would think that the material we put together – the culturally based material that we put together for those trials – had some role in the acquittals that we’ve had.”
Mr Svoboda conducts many of these trips with translator, cultural expert and witness, Stuart Jay Raj.
Together they speak to the family and friends of those accused. They take notes, photographs and video of anything that might help them with their case.
It is often an emotional experience for the villagers. Many of the men have been away for more than a year.
“He was at my home everyday,” one relative told Newsline. “And now he’s been missing for so long.”
Many families do not know why their relatives have been arrested or what will happen to them.
It often falls to the legal team to explain the situation to them.
“If he’s found ‘not guilty’, he’ll be released and according to the rules, it should all be done by the end of September,” Mr Raj tells the client’s father.
“But if he’s found ‘guilty’, the judge will have to hand down a sentence, in accordance with the law, of five years’ jail.”
The father’s response was typical.
“I feel very sad, because I don’t get to see my own son. I miss him so much. I hope he can return home.”
Mr Raj said in some cases, families resort to extreme measures to cope with the absence of their son or brother.
“We see their wives and their children. Because the breadwinner isn’t here, they go into prostitution, they end up being domestic help and getting beaten and raped in Saudi Arabia and other places. So it’s not just ‘oh, they’ve come in illegally, they have to go to prison’. There are so many other people and things that are affected because of it.”
Mr Svoboda has called on the Australian Government to reassess its policy of mandatory detention, saying the number of cases will grow so long as it remains in place.
“I don’t have the answers, it is a difficult problem, I acknowledge that. But the reality now is that imprisoning impoverished Indonesian fisherman or villagers is not going to stop the continuing influx of boats into the country.”
‘One in ten’
And more pressure is expected, as an Australian lawyer prepares to lodge the country’s first compensation claim on behalf of a young Indonesian fisherman detained in an Australian prison.
Since 2008, 314 boats carrying asylum seekers have been picked up in Australian waters.
Saul Holt, of the Australian state agency Victorian Legal Aid, told Australia Network’s Newsline: “We estimate that about one in 10 of the people that come in from Indonesia on these boats claim to be minors.
“And the task is to check those claims, and if they are children to make sure they get sent home.”
An Australian lawyer is now preparing to lodge the country’s first compensation claim on behalf of a boy, who was 17 when he was taken into custody as a crewman on an asylum-seeker craft and spent a year in an adult jail.
He is now back in his home village after his lawyers were able to eventually convince a court of his age.
It is believed more compensation claims are likely.
Mr Holt is overseeing dozens of people-smuggling cases before the courts in Victoria.
“Those children have been held in adult detention facilities, sometimes adult prisons, and they have spent months if not years in custody away from their parents in a foreign country,” he said.
“So there are no winners in any of this.”
Both the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Senate are inquiring into the treatment and detention of Indonesian minors in Australia.
Lawyers say on average individuals are spending seven months in custody before they are even charged, and then in some cases almost two years before it is acknowledged that they are children.
Peter O’Brien, a criminal lawyer, tells of “the fret that they had for not seeing their family, the despair in not being with their loved ones, the lack of support, the absence of English language.
“They were imprisoned with the toughest and harshest of prisoners in the state. The effects were profound.”
Mr O’Brien’s firm has so far represented 12 Indonesians on people-smuggling charges. All have since been acquitted. Eight were under-age, the youngest 13 when he was picked up by the Australian Navy.
The lawyer claims much money has been spent unnecessarily on defence incljuding legal aid when “the onus was on the Australian Federal Police and the prosecuting authorities and the government generally. ”
He is now preparing to lodge the first civil compensation claim against the Commonwealth on behalf of one of the minors his firm represented. The client was 17 at the time he was apprehended, was held in detention for six months before being charged and was then in an adult prison for about 12 months.
Mr O’Brien says he is speaking to other former clients about pursuing civil actions against police and government for unlawful detention.
“These children being detained in adult prisons represents a breach on so many different levels,” he said.
“As a civilised society we have an obligation to put right what has happened to these children and we have an obligation internationally to do that as well.”
Phil Lynch, executive director of the Melbourne-based Human Rights Law Centre, said: “It seems clear to me that where a minor has been held (in adult prison without fair hearing) . . . there are a significant number of major human rights breaches that have occurred.”
Until recently, police relied almost solely on an X-ray process established in the 1950s to determine whether someone was a child or an adult.
Lawyer Saul Holt says: “The prosecution have been relying very heavily on wrist X-rays which we have said for a long time are unreliable and shouldn’t be used. The Royal College of Radiologists have now said the same thing.”
The Australian Federal Police and the Minister for Justice declined Newsline requests for an interview.
Last month, Attorney-General Nicola Roxon announced a review into the convictions of 28 Indonesian people smugglers after the Indonesian government and the Australian Human Rights Commission raised concerns about their ages at the time of the offences.
The Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen, has defended Australia’s age assessment methods. He said in March: “It is difficult to prove someone’s age and it is obviously in the best interests of the individual to try and assert that they are under 18.
“And they may not be, and that can be a complex process.”
Defence lawyers say, regardless of that with children the principle of benefit of the doubt must apply.
This is Why I Love Learning Languages - Villagers in Banten, Indonesia Teach me Bahasa Sunda
Try and Watch This Clip Without Smiling This Is Why I Love Learning Languages – [](http://stujay.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Screen-Shot-2012-06-03-at-11.41.40-AM.png)Villager from the Cibeber Girang Kampung
How to Avoid Telling Someone to 'Go FROOK Yourself' by Mistake
How Would You Pronounce ‘Mang’? วิธีการใช้คำว่า มั่ง มั้ง และ แม่ง อย่างถูกต้อง [](http://stujay.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Screen-Shot-2012-06-22-at-8.37.11-PM.
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Essays The Rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party
The Rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party
The world today still remembers the name Adolf Hitler. In any academic forums, where dictatorship is discussed, the name shall seldom appear in the context of the subject (Kershaw 2010, p. 546). Hitler in the first place was not of the German origin. He gained his German-ship through the enrollment in the German army. Hitler is of the Austrian origin and was granted a permission to join the army by King Ludwig III of Bavaria.
Hitler was in the Germany army that fought the World War. At the end of the war, he returned to Munich with no job. Hitler had no extra skills to engage in other civilian activities; he was handed a meagre job during the winter of 1918-1919, but at the end of it was re-absorbed in the army at the Army’s Political department.
It is at this time that Hitler attended classes on national thinking, where he sharpened his oratory skills (Rees 2013, p. 200). He was later appointed to be a trainer, and he further gained more experience on public speaking. Due to his aggressiveness, he was given the membership of the DAP, which he later on changed to the popularly known Nazi party meaning (National Socialist German Workers’ Party)
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Using the popularity as the spokesperson of the party, Hitler solicited for the chairmanship of the party, which he was given by the majority of party members defeating the then chairman, Anton Drexler. After the party’s popularity and winning the majority of seats in Germany, Hitler was made a chancellor on the conditions of making Papen the Vice Chancellor of the Coalition government (Evans 2010, p. 321).
Factors that Lead Hitler to Rise to Power in Germany
According to Horne (2012, p. 78), the economic depression of the 1930s was the severest to have happened in the history of mankind by then. Several nations felt the consequences of the depression, which lasted for almost a decade. Even though the depression sprung from the USA as a result of the fall in its stock prices, it could soon be the problem of the world, and Germany was not an exception (Peitsch, Burdett & Gorrara 2006). During the onset of the Great Depression, Germany was at its political heights with Adolf scouting for the nation’s power.
As the Great Depression continued to negatively affect the economy of Germany, the Weimer government did not respond to the trend in the required manner. Thus, the then vice chancellor Bruning, instead of increasing the government spending to stimulate and revive the economy, increased the taxes, which impacted the economy even more negatively. As a result, many people became unemployed, many banks were closed, and there was a national outcry due to desperate circumstances that people had found themselves in (Howard 2007, p. 66).
With the rigidity of the Weimer government to introduce the policies that shall reduce the vagaries of the Great depression, it continued to fail, and as such, Adolf Hitler was not asleep (Hedley 2004, p. 87). As a result of a substantial discontent from the public, the membership of the Nazi party soared high, leading to winning of 107 seats in 1930. Even though the Great Depression was a misery to all, Hitler found it to his liking because in 1932, his party won 230 seats, which was even more than a single party ever won during the entire tenure of Weimer. Thus, the depression did not only indicate the Nazi party as the people’s, but also aided Hitler in gaining the top leadership of Germany.
Hitler’s Charisma
According to Collins (2008, p. 167), terming Hitler as charismatic sounds like a political treason, but in the real sense, he was. Adolf rarely built and maintained relationships with people even as evidenced by the fact that he demanded the chairman of the Nazi party, who helped him come that far, to be removed and replaced by him.
Hitler had a vision and determination in his endeavors and managed to convince the considerable part of the German populace to accept his vision and determination. Starting from the beginning, he was able to voluntarily enroll in the German army, even though he was not of the German origin. The act later on shaped his life and politics around him (Marsh 2004, p. 17).
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With the humiliating defeat of the German army in the World War, Hitler was able to think and visualize the feelings of citizens, with whom he identified himself. He blamed the Jews for the German’s position in the humiliating loss in the war (Rosenberg 2011, p. 115).
Hitler also had a strong conviction that even after losing the elections in 1928 with a meagre percentage of votes on his side, he still did not give up the battle and got the strength to consistently share his vision and ideas with people through his speeches and books he wrote. After his victory in 1933 with an overwhelming majority, he still proved those, who doubted his might, wrong by establishing a governance system that is still vivid in the minds of many today (Tucker & Roberts 2005, p. 109).
Long-term Bitterness
As Parker (2001, p. 136) emphasized, Hitler had a long-term bitterness of losing the World War. This to his advantage was the private thought of most of the citizens. Most citizens had intrinsic questions on how their strong army could lose such a crucial war in history, and this was the same thinking just as Hitler’s. He managed to convince people that the system was weak, and through his strong oratory skills and propaganda, he was able to punch holes in the Weimer’s governance system enabling him to attract more winning votes in the 1933 elections (Raum 2009, p. 78).
In addition, it is essential to note the treaty of Versailles, which failed to address the key concerns of Germany and demanded from the country to own up the damages caused in the war and disarm (Simkins et al. 2003, p. 90). The treaty was not effective; thus, Hitler used it to depict the ineffectiveness of the Weimer government.
Availability of Funds
As stated by Lemmons (2013, p. 98), Hitler knew the value of money and recognized that it would purchase the power for him. He struggled through for 14 years before being made the chancellor. The backers of Hitler enabled his finance machinery that propelled the propaganda about the Weimer government. Hitler was sponsored by a rich and powerful secret society, the German’s Jewish industrialist, threatened industrialists on corruption cases and by foreign financing of people, such as Henry Ford, who wanted to spread the anti-Semitic ideology among other numerous foreign financing with different motives, hoping that their key agent would be Hitler (Smaldone 2010, p. 67).
The propaganda was the main machinery of Hitler, which left people thinking that their only hope and liberator would be Hitler (Shubin 2006, p. 48). The propaganda worked to the liking of Hitler because a considerable section of the German people turned to believe that the Jews were to blame for their humiliating loss in the war; and therefore, their remaining hope was Adolf Hitler.
Ineffective constitution
Many people in Germany had resolved to embrace dictatorship, because they thought that democracy had done nothing to them, rather than given them a weaker government that failed to address issues as a government (Biesinger 2006, p. 112). These weaknesses in the constitution included the proportional representation, allocation of presidential power and no threshold to win the representation in the Reichstag. In the view of these weaknesses, Germans turned to Hitler for correction, because the constitution was termed as Weimer’s.
Campaign manifesto
Jarausch (2006) records that Hitler named his manifesto as a 25-point Program and the 25-point plan. The program ranged from the unification of all Germans in the Greater Germany through the state, providing the sources of livelihoods to the formation of a strong central power in Reich. The 25 points worked to the advantage of Hitler, because they incorporated what the Germans really wanted.
The Major Features of Nazi Ideology as Espoused by Hitler
The Nazis as a party had in the nationalist agenda (Showalter & Astore 2005, p. 87). The party believed that Weimer had done little to meet the growing expectations of the German people. The party was not satisfied with how the Weimer administration dealt with the Great Depression by taxing people more, instead of shouldering the very people from the consequences of the economic crisis. The Nazis expressed their beliefs in the German sovereignty and showed distrust towards maintaining international relations, namely the Versailles treaty. Through its 25-point manifesto, the party expressed hope and conviction of better restoring of the economic stability of the country after a deep economic crisis.
Economic sovereignty
As Nawyn (2008, p. 58) puts it, the party supported the authoritarian system of governance, where the government was to dictate and allocate resources for production in the country. The party reported disinterest with the democratic system, whereas they believed that it deprived the powerless in the country the might to develop. The Nazis advocated for the economic sovereignty of Germany and emphasized the need for strengthening the middle class citizens, who were then supposed to drive the economy forward. In its manifesto, the party advocated for a debt free country as the main drive to the economic sovereignty.
The Jews were blamed by the party for their loss in the war, and as such, the pact of racialism was introduced to the Germans, who felt that the Weimer government was being too lenient towards the Jews. Thus, throughout their massive campaigns, they showed that the government refused to accept that the Jews were the reason of failure of the country, not the Germans. This by far won the majority of the citizens to the party.
The Nazi party sought to prioritize the defense of the country (Buchanan 2008, p. 112). After a humiliating loss in World War I and a substantial suffering from the Great Depression, they wanted to create a sense of security and sovereignty of Germany. Hitler himself massively used a heavy military presence to indicate that they were not weak, but strong. Hitler used parades, visual elements of the flags, large armies and speeches to clearly indicate the military might of the country. This factor popularized the party, since the citizens thought that the Weimer government had failed to deliver on the aspect.
The Nazis sought to champion for the traditional values, and in its manifesto, the party advocated for the abolition of taxes on land and also the initiation of land reforms, as well as the expropriation of land and control of all speculations. The party also sought for the religion freedom with the main aim of protecting the traditions of the Germans.
Unity and expansionism
According to Stone (2009, p. 60), on the primary aim of the 25-point program was to unite all the states of the great Germany. Hitler’s intention was to unify and expand the territories of Germany to all states that spoke German. In lieu of this, people viewed the ideology as visionary and backed the party to scoop overwhelming 230 seats in the Reichstag.
Just as indicated in the thesis statement, dictatorship is quickly linked to Adolf Hitler. However, as discussed in this paper, various aspects of Hitler present that he was a visionary and determined as well as a leader with conviction. Above all, it becomes obvious that several factors were in play before Hitler won the elections in 1933.
The factors, such as the propaganda, are seen to be the effective tools of campaigns, even in modern politics (Mundey 2012 p 160). The paper also points to the significance of a manifesto that identifies with the people. It also indicates that a political journey is tedious with full of disappointments, but shows how a commitment and persistence can yield. The need for money for successful politics is also emphasized.
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The Office of Strategic Services and the SIMCOL Operation in Italy October 1943
October 17, 2017 August 1, 2018 by Netisha, posted in Military Records, World War II
At the time of the Italian Armistice on September 8, 1943, there were almost 80,000 Allied prisoners of war in Italian prisoner of war camps.[1] When the Allied prisoners of war learned of the Armistice, most were in a quandary as to what action to take. Under orders received earlier in the summer, the majority remained in their camps under the mistaken impression Allied forces would soon liberate them. Italian camp authorities also faced their own quandaries. Without clear orders as to what to do, many simply opened the gates to allow the prisoners to leave their camps. During the first days after the Armistice, perhaps as many as 50,000 prisoners remained in their camps and quickly became prisoners of the Germans. Another 30,000 left their camps. Some 16,000 were recaptured and 4,000 found safety in Switzerland. The remaining 10,000 found safety in hiding with the help of Italians, and many began trying to get to the Allied lines.[2]
As the scope of the ex-prisoner of war problem in Italy became apparent, Lt. Col. A.C. (Tony) Simonds, the head of M.I.9’s Cairo office (technically known as “N” Section of “A” Force), was ordered on September 23, to launch an operation to rescue as many ex-prisoners as he could. Later he recalled being told that the instructions to this effect had come from Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who himself had been on the run behind enemy lines after escaping from the Boers during the South African War. Simonds came up with a plan to drop uniformed parties by parachute along the Italian coast where they would contact ex-prisoners of war and escort or direct them to four preselected rendezvous points on the coast, during the dark periods of the moon, beginning the first week of October 1943. At those points they would be met at prearranged times by parties coming by sea who would embark them to Allied territory. The troops forming the operational parties were drawn from the First Airborne Division (British), the 2 Special Air Service Regiment, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), and No. 1 Special Force of Special Operations Executive (SOE). The latter personnel would be involved in the SIMCOL seaborne operations. [3]
The OSS contingent of the operation, codenamed SIMCOL, would be composed of members of an Operational Group (OG). The OGs, composed primarily of second generation American soldiers with language facility, were assigned to operate only in enemy or enemy-occupied territory. Their primary function was in connecting guerrillas – to organize, train, and equip resistance groups in order to convert them into guerrillas, and to serve as the nuclei of such groups in operations against the enemy as directed by the Theater Commander.[4] Company “A” of OG arrived in Algiers on September 8 and went to Section “X,” the OSS headquarters at the time. There the OGs trained at the various areas while awaiting further combat orders. During the period from September 9 to September 27 nearly all officers and enlisted men of the unit underwent parachute training. The unit at this time went under the designation of “Unit ‘A’, First Contingent, Operational Groups, 2677th Headquarters Company Experimental (Provisional) AFHQ [Allied Force Headquarters].”[5]
Selected to head the OSS component of the SIMCOL operation was 1st Lt. Peter Sauro. The 5’6” 142-pound Sauro, who went by the name Pete, had been born in Yonkers, New York, on December 27, 1911. His parents had been born in Italy and he spoke and read Italian fairly well.
After graduating from high school in Nutley, New Jersey, he was self-employed in gardening and tree work from 1931 to 1936 when he became a tree surgeon with the Essex Country Park Commission. He left that employment on March 10, 1941, to join the U.S. Army. Subsequently he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers and assigned to parachute school at Fort Benning, Georgia. While there, he was promoted to 1st Lt. on May 1, 1943, and on June 2, 1943 applied for transfer to the Office of Strategic Services. On his application wrote that he had “military training & experience to qualify for duty of a special nature where a combination of military engineering and parachute duty is required.” The OSS liked his qualifications, and on June 29 he joined the OSS and assigned to Operational Groups. Sauro departed the United States for North Africa on August 10, 1943. [6]
On September 25, Major George Stapleton ordered Sauro to take 18 enlisted parachutists, including one radio operator, and one officer, Lt. Paul J. Traficante, on a combined operation with the British behind German lines in Italy. The area of operations was fixed between the cities of Ancona and Pescara and from the Adriatic coast west into the Apennines. The purpose of the mission, Sauro was informed, was primarily to find and direct Allied ex-prisoners of war who were liberated from Italian prison camps after the Italian armistice to Allied boat rendezvous at various points on the Adriatic coast, and secondly, to get information regarding the enemy. Before leaving Algiers, Stapleton instructed Sauro that upon the beginning of the operation in enemy territory to radio back that they were in operation, and that upon completion of the mission to either make the last boat at one of the rendezvous, try to get back through the lines, or hide in the mountains until the Allied armies arrived. During the 24 hours before departing, Sauro supplied the men with clothing, equipment, arms, and ammunition. The weapons consisted of one 9mm sub-machine gun and one .45 cal. automatic pistol per man. All were given extra clips and cartridges. Maps and Italian currency (15,000 lire) were distributed to each man. The men were told the nature of the mission, and they left the unit on September 26, travelling by plane from Algiers to a field near Gioia, Italy. The next day they left for and arrived at Brindisi, and the following day, Bari, where he reported to Simonds. [7]
From his arrival at Bari until October 1, Simonds explained the plan of operation to Sauro during conferences, which included the participating British organizations. The time schedule was set and Sauro was instructed to keep in radio contact with the British headquarters by radio. During the conferences it developed that Sauro’s men were needed to a certain extent, singly. Consequently, he broke down his men in the following manner: one man for each of the four British groups who were going to parachute in their respective areas (to act as guides and interpreters for the British groups), one man for each of the five British groups who were to operate in boats, five men to Lt. Traficante, and four men, including a radio operator, to himself.[8]
On October 1, Lt. Traficante was taken sick and sent to a hospital, and the men assigned to him, Sauro added to his group. At the Bari airfield on October 2, while parachute containers were being loaded, the OSS personnel were instructed on how to jump from their plane (an English Albemarle), fitted with English parachutes, and given a final briefing by Simonds. [9]
Late in the afternoon of October 2 they took off and parachuted at nightfall on their pinpoint in the vicinity of Catignano, province of Pescara, some 20 miles west of the Adriatic coast. It was late that night when Sauro collected the men and the four equipment containers. One equipment chute containing food and an extra radio battery had failed to open and the contents were rendered useless. He requested several friendly Italians to bury all the chutes and containers, to distribute the food among the ex-prisoners, and to send a representative from each group of prisoners in the area to him in the morning.[10]
On October 3 the first group of ex-prisoner representatives, fifteen in number, were given instructions and directions to the boat rendezvous, and were also instructed to disseminate the information to all other ex-prisoners with whom they might meet on the way. With that accomplished, Sauro and his men left their place of landing and proceeded to work in their area. Very soon they found six British ex-prisoners and Sauro directed them toward the boat landing locations. During the remainder of the day Sauro’s group found approximately 250 ex-prisoners. Sauro and his men told them that on the nights of October 4, 6, 8, 10, the boats would pick them up between midnight and 1am in the Francavilla area along the coast. They told them there would be light signals every fifteen minutes which they should watch for and Jack London was the password.[11]
In order to cover a greater area as the prisoners were scattered all over the mountains, on October 4, Sauro assigned four of the nine men with him to the senior non-commissioned officer and gave them an area in which to operate. That day he sent the first radio message to the British at Bari and his own headquarters at Algiers. He received no reply from either. Also that day Sauro and his men started to keep an actual count of ex-prisoners who were representing small groups (usually three to six in a group) and to whom instructions were given. [12]
During the period October 5-8, while contacting ex-prisoners and providing them with assistance, Sauro’s radio operator unsuccessfully tried to make radio contact with the British and OSS headquarters at all the appointed hours each day. On October 9, Sauro personally contacted the group under his senior non-commissioned officer and ordered them to return to the Allied lines the following day, October 10, as it was the last day for the boat rendezvous during the dark moon period of early October. Sauro figured that at this point that the actual number of ex-prisoners given instructions and directions from October 2-9 inclusive was 400, and estimating from the number of men in each ex-prisoner group as 2 to 5, he and his men were responsible for directing from 800 to 2,000 men to boat rendezvous.[13]
On October 10, Sauro returned to an area where they landed to check on food left for ex-prisoners. He found that all food had been distributed to passing ex-prisoners.[14] After October 10, all ex-prisoners were instructed to try to get through the lines, or at least to move toward the south as Allied troops were scheduled to arrive (as he was told by Simonds) in the area of Termoli (100 miles south of Sauro’s location) by the latter part of October or the beginning of November. [15]
Toward the end of October the Germans began patrolling along the natural barrier (Pescara River) in order to recapture prisoners making their way toward the lines. Many were recaptured and others came back to relate to Sauro what was happening along that line and to seek his advice. At this time the Germans had also taken control of boat usage along the coast to prevent ex-prisoners from escaping by sea.[16]
SIMCOL was called off at the end of October when Simonds had to return to Cairo to take care of his many other similar responsibilities in the Balkans and Middle East. On his own reckoning, Simonds believed about 900 ex-prisoners had come through southern Italy by the end of the year. “But overall,” according to one historian, “SIMCOL, had not been a great success.” [17] Another British historian observed: “All in all, SIMCOL was not a great success.”[18] At the end of the year Lt. Col. Russell B. Livermore reported to the commanding officer of OSS’s 2677th Headquarters Company Experimental (Provisional) that OSS still had one officer and nine enlisted men “in” on the SIMCOL operation but had never been able to contact them by radio. He noted that the radio end was handled by the British. “My reaction to these reports [from those they had returned], he wrote, “is that hereafter we carry out all our own operations and discontinue these ‘joint’ ones with the British.”[19]
In the meantime, on November 3, Sauro asked three of the four men still with him to form a group to try to get through the lines by heading west over the mountains to a certain point thence south towards the lines eliminating the necessity of crossing the patrolled Pescara River. He ordered the group to start that day. [20]
During the days that followed, Sauro, as he later recalled, realized that it was a great morale factor for the ex-prisoners to find someone in uniform who was behind the lines and through whom they could get information and encouragement. Thus, from November 1943 to April 1944, he contacted many ex-prisoners and gave encouragement and hope and helped materially whenever possible. During this period he made several attempts to get through the lines and evaded capture a number of times. On January 13, the man with him was captured, and finally, on April 26, Sauro was captured in civilian clothes on a bus. After capture he attempted escape on three different occasions and was frustrated each time. [21]
Prisoner of War Record of Peter Sauro, courtesy Ancestry.com. World War II Prisoners of War Data File (NAID 1263907), RG 389
As it turned out, three other men of Sauro’s party were captured. The remainder made it back to Allied lines. Some had remained behind the lines for a least a month while several continued to operate for as long as ten months.[22] While SIMCOL may have not been a great success, the OSS element under Sauro had contacted hundreds of ex-prisoners and assisted them in ex-filtrating through the front lines into Allied-occupied territory. For these ex-prisoners, SIMCOL was a success. [23]
As for Sauro, he remained in German prisoner of war camps until May 1945, when he was liberated and returned to the United States. He was promoted to Captain on August 22, 1945 and separated from the military and OSS on September 19, 1945, and returned to Newark, New Jersey.[24] Before Sauro left the OSS, Colonel Russell B. Livermore, then Commanding, Headquarters, Operational Group Command, OSS, recommended Sauro for the award of the Silver Star for gallantry in action. He drafted the following narrative and proposed citation:
Enclosure to memo, Russell B. Livermore, Col., AC, Commanding, Headquarters, Operational Group Command, Office of Strategic Services to President, Citation Board, OSS, Subject: Recommendation for Ward, September 5, 1945, File: Sauro, Peter (NAID 2185127), OSS Personnel Files, 1941-1945
In mid-October 1945, Brig. Gen. John Magruder, director of the Strategic Services Unit (successor to the OSS) wrote the Army Adjutant General that “the gallantry in action displayed by Captain Peter Sauro proved to be an inspiration to his associates and was of definite aid to the prosecution of the war” and recommended that Sauro be awarded the Silver Star. [25]
[1] Memo, H. J. Byrnes, Maj., Officer Commanding, Allied Screening Commission (Italy) to G-2 (P/W), AFHQ, CMF, Subject: Allied prisoners of war held in Italian Concentration Camps prior to September 8th, 1943, January 15, 1945, File 2-5 Correspondence with G-2 (PW) AFHQ CMF File July 1944-March 1945, General Correspondence (NAID 25777725), Allied Screening Commission (Italy), Records of the Allied Screening Commission (Italy) and Prisoner of War Claims Screening Commission, Records of Allied Operational and Occupation Headquarters, World War II, Record Group 331.
[2] Company A Report, n.d., Operations, p. 13, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Box 11, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244), Records of the Office of Strategic Services, RG 226; David Stafford, Mission Accomplished: SOE and Italy 1943-1945 (London: The Bodley Head, 2011), p. 52.
[3] Company A Report, n.d., Operations, p. 13, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244); Stafford, Mission Accomplished: SOE and Italy 1943-1945, p. 53; Brooks Richards, Secret Flotillas, Volume II: Clandestine Sea Operations in the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Adriatic 1940-1944, 2nd Ed., (Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books Ltd, 2013), pp. 293-295.
[4] Company A Report, n.d., Operations, p. 13, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244)
[5] Company A Report, n.d., Introduction, p. 6, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244)
[6] File: Sauro, Peter (NAID 2185127), OSS Personnel Files, 1941-1945, Records of the Office of Strategic Services, RG 226.
[7] Company A Report, n.d., Report of SIMCOL Operation: Captain (then Lt) Peter Sauro, p. 32, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244)
[10] Company A Report, n.d., Report of SIMCOL Operation: Captain (then Lt) Peter Sauro, p. 33, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244)
[11] Company A Report, n.d., Report of SIMCOL Operation: Captain (then Lt) Peter Sauro, p. 33, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244); Interrogation of Sgt. Frank DeLuca of 2671 Special Reconnaissance Battalion, Present: Lt. Col. Russell B. Livermore, Capt. George C. Corbett, Capt. James Montante, Sgt. Frank Deluca, Headquarters, 2677 Regiment OSS (Prov.), August 9, 1944, p. 2, File: Interrogation of OSS Agents-“SIMCOL,” Folder 119, Box 97, CASERTA-OSS-OP-13-14, Bern Field Station Files (NAID 6423862), ibid.; Report given by T/5 Arthur Roberta, T/5 John Nicolich, and S/Sgt Albert A. Ingegni to Lt. Col. Livermore, Capt. Millas, and Capt. Thompson, Operational SIMCOL, HQ, 2677th Headquarters Company, OSS (Provisional), n.d. [March 27, 1944], p. 1, ibid.
[12] Company A Report, n.d., Report of SIMCOL Operation: Captain (then Lt) Peter Sauro, p. 33, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244); Report given by T/5 Arthur Roberta, T/5 John Nicolich, and S/Sgt Albert A. Ingegni to Lt. Col. Livermore, Capt. Millas, and Capt. Thompson, Operational SIMCOL, HQ, 2677th Headquarters Company, OSS (Provisional), n.d. [March 27, 1944], p. 1, File: Interrogation of OSS Agents-“SIMCOL,” CASERTA-OSS-OP-13-14, Bern Field Station Files (NAID 6423862); Interrogation of Sgt. Frank DeLuca of 2671 Special Reconnaissance Battalion, Present: Lt. Col. Russell B. Livermore, Capt. George C. Corbett, Capt. James Montante, Sgt. Frank Deluca, Headquarters, 2677 Regiment OSS (Prov.), August 9, 1944, p. 2, ibid.
[15] Company A Report, n.d., Report of SIMCOL Operation: Captain (then Lt) Peter Sauro, pp. 33-34, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244)
[17] Stafford, Mission Accomplished: SOE and Italy 1943-1945, p. 55.
[18] Richards, Secret Flotillas, Volume II: Clandestine Sea Operations in the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Adriatic 1940-1944, 2nd Ed., p. 301.
[19] Memo, Russell B. Livermore, Lt. Col., AC, Commanding, Headquarters, Detachment “C”, 2677th Hq. Co., Exp. (Prov) to Commanding Officer, 2677th Hq Co Exp (Prov), Subject: Reports of Three Enlisted Men of Operational Groups, Unit “A”, who were on the “Simcol” Operation with British 2 S.A.S. and “A” Force, December 30, 1943, File: SIMCOL, Reports, Aid to Escaping Allied Personnel, Reports by Returning Personnel, 1944 (NAID 6274803), Algiers Field Station Files, Records of the Office of Strategic Services, RG 226.
[22] Company A Report, n.d., Operations, pp. 13-14, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244)
[23] Company A Report, n.d., Operations, p. 13, File: Caserta-OG-OP-5 Operational Group Reports, Caserta-OG-OP-5, Field Station Files (OSS Field Station Operations and Services Records) (NAID 6267244)
[24] File: Sauro, Peter (NAID 2185127), OSS Personnel Files, 1941-1945
[25] Memo, John Magruder, Brig. Gen., Director, Strategic Services Unit, War Department to The Adjutant General, War Department, October 18, 1945, File: Sauro, Peter (NAID 2185127), OSS Personnel Files, 1941-1945
Tagged Allied Forces, Greg Bradsher, Office of Strategic Services, OSS, Peter Sauro, POWs, prisoners of war, RG 226, RG 331, RG 389, SIMCOL
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How much did Qatar pay to make World Cup bid?
He sees nothing wrong with payment
PARIS - Qatar paid the African Football Confederation $1.8 million to be able to present its bid for the 2022 World Cup at a congress, the continent's top football official told a French magazine Tuesday.
And AFC president Issa Hayatou said he saw nothing wrong with the payment made just before the confederation held a congress in the Angolan capital in January 2010.
Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup later the same year during a controversial FIFA vote now under investigation by Swiss authorities.
The Paris based Jeune Afrique magazine asked Hayatou about reports that he had accepted one million dollars from Qatar on behalf of the confederation.
"It was $1.8 million, not one million. Paid in two times 900,000 dollars," the controversial AFC chief replied.
"The Qataris gave it to us to be able to show their plan (for the 2022 World Cup) during the congress."
Hayatou insisted he had not expected other candidates, including the United States and Australia, to pay to get a similar privilege.
"Not necessarily. We didn't ask Qatar to do it. They proposed it. We did not ban the other candidates from taking part in the presentation," he was quoted as saying, while also denying that it was a bid to buy African votes.
"No. On top, I convented immediately after a meeting of the CAF executive committee to say that what had happened did not commit us to anything. I did not make any recommendation and everyone voted according to their soul and conscience."
Hayatou also denied there was any corruption in the vote which gave the 2010 World Cup to South Africa.
US investigators believe that a $10 million payment made by South Africa to a disgraced Caribbean football official was a bid to buy votes. South Africa has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
"Fixed by who?" said Hayatou. "All I can tell you is that we, the Africans, carried out a draw so we did not give the impression we were for one or the other candidate."
The 2006 vote for the first World Cup in Africa was between South Africa and Morocco. Hayatou said it was decided to give two of Africa's FIFA executive committee votes to South Africa and two to Morocco.
British media reports have linked Hayatou to corruption scandals. But he said he did not think that FIFA was riddled with corruption and added that he was not worried by the controversies that have rocked the world body.
"I am not afraid of anything because I have not done anything," said Hayatou. "My conscience is clear," he was quoted as saying.
Swiss authorities are investigating the attribution of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar. US investigators have charged 14 people over the paying of more than $150 million in bribes to soccer officials.
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My GameCube Library: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
by dabigvee
image: imdb.com
In this series I will go over all the games I remember playing as a kid on my Gamecube. Some were good, but most were bad, but all of them have a special place in my heart.
The early 2000’s was an interesting time to be a child as was evident by my brother and I. We both were fascinated by previous properties that were being rebooted at the time like Star Wars and also really into the new children properties like Spongebob. There was a rebooted property that still remained fresh and new in our mind, and that was the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. My brother was very obsessed with the property, to the point where most of the things he owned were related to the turtles. We didn’t often share the same interest in the property, but we shared a love for the video game based on the rebooted TV show.
TMNT (2003) was a game released for the sixth generation of consoles including PC and the GameBoy Advance. It was a 3D beat em up game based on the first season of the TV show and featured the same voice actors and had clips from the series. This is one of the first exposures I had to the turtles and I think that it is a good one. The graphics at the time were very cool and looked like 3D models of the TV characters, but nowadays they look pretty dated and out of place.
The gameplay is so easy for my 6 year old brain to understand, as A and B were the primary attack buttons while X was the jump. This allowed me to hit the two biggest buttons on the controller repeatedly and destroy the Foot Clan with no real strategy involved. The X button isn’t utilized in the first few levels, so my A and B button mashing made me and my brother invincible. The enemies were not difficult to defeat as a few hits would make them evaporate into the air and the enemies would come at the turtles with bats and crowbars, something that really wouldn’t be effective on muscular beefed up reptiles.
The game allows you to be any of the four Turtles from the get-go, each with their own specialized weapons and moves. Like most Turtle games, Donatello and Leonardo are the best characters to be because they have long range weapons. The biggest issue with this game is that there is no four-player support, even though it flaunts the ability to play as any one of the four turtles. That generation of consoles has the capacity to support four players simultaneously, but the game has issues supporting two players as it is considering the frequent frame-rate drop. The game could do four players, but it would make the game virtually unplayable. All of the characters have catch-phrases, which are played to a nauseating level and become grating and annoying after a few minutes into the game.
There’s a lot to love about the simple controls and satisfying gameplay, but there’s also a lot of burnout when it comes to level design and enemy difficulty. The levels are not interesting to look at or play through as the design is mostly a one way path that does not alter too much, and they are simply unappealing to look at. The enemies are very predictable and very easy to beat after one or two rounds of their repeated attacks. Despite the major flaws of the game, there is still much to enjoy in the game. Turtles fans will enjoy all of the throwbacks to the series, and the gameplay is satisfying, but outside of that, there’s not much to come back to.
Next week we go to the pineapple under the sea.
Posted in GamingTagged Gamecube, Gamecube Library, nintendo, teenage mutant ninja turtles, TMNT
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Trump threatens China with serious attack (they’re FURIOUS!)
China’s government vowed Friday to “counterattack with great strength” if President Donald Trump goes ahead with plans to raise U.S. tariffs on an additional $100 billion worth of Chinese goods and said negotiations were impossible under current conditions.
Trump’s surprise move Thursday to instruct the U.S. trade representative to consider the additional tariffs came a day after Beijing announced plans to tax $50 billion in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a U.S. move this week to slap tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports.
In Beijing, a Commerce Ministry spokesman said China doesn’t want a trade war — but isn’t afraid to fight one.
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“If the U.S. side announces the list of products for $100 billion in tariffs, the Chinese side has fully prepared and will without hesitation counterattack with great strength,” spokesman Gao Feng said.
He gave no details of what measures Beijing might take.
Trump’s proposal intensified what was already shaping up to be the biggest trade battle since World War II. Global financial markets had fallen sharply as the world’s two biggest economies squared off over Beijing’s aggressive trade tactics. They calmed down Wednesday and Thursday on hopes the U.S. and China would find a diplomatic solution but slid Friday after Beijing said it would fight the Trump administration’s latest threats.
The White House announced after the markets closed Thursday that Trump had instructed the Office of the United States Trade Representative to consider whether $100 billion of additional tariffs would be appropriate and, if so, to identify which products they should apply to. He’s also instructed his secretary of agriculture “to implement a plan to protect our farmers and agricultural interests.”
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“China’s illicit trade practices — ignored for years by Washington — have destroyed thousands of American factories and millions of American jobs,” Trump said in a statement announcing the decision.
The latest escalation comes after the U.S. on Tuesday said it would impose 25 percent duties on $50 billion of imports from China, and China quickly retaliated by listing $50 billion of products that it could hit with its own 25 percent tariffs. The Chinese list Wednesday included soybeans, the biggest U.S. export to China, and aircraft up to 45 tons (41 metric tons) in weight. Also on the list were American beef, whiskey, passenger vehicles and industrial chemicals.
Earlier in the week, Beijing announced separate import duties on $3 billion of U.S. goods in response to the Trump administration’s duties on all steel and aluminum imports, including from China.
U.S. officials have sought to downplay the threat of a broader trade dispute, saying a negotiated outcome is still possible. But economists warn that the tit-for-tat moves bear the hallmarks of a classic trade rift that could escalate. And already, the tensions have rattled global stock markets.
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U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer called China’s move “unjustified” and said Trump’s proposal was an “appropriate response to China’s recent threat of new tariffs.”
“Such measures would undoubtedly cause further harm to American workers, farmers, and businesses,” he said in a statement. “Under these circumstances, the President is right to ask for additional appropriate action to obtain the elimination of the unfair acts, policies, and practices identified in USTR’s report.”
China’s Commerce Ministry said in a statement it must “adopt new countermeasures” to protect the interests of the Chinese people — but it did not announce any specific measures.
The clash reflects the tension between Trump’s promises to narrow a U.S. trade deficit with China that stood at $375.2 billion in goods last year and China’s ruling Communist Party’s development ambitions. Trump says China’s trade practices have caused American factories to close and lead to the loss of American jobs.
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Trump’s top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said earlier Thursday in an interview with Fox Business Network that negotiations were ongoing.
But, he said, “at the end of the day, China’s unfair and illegal trading actions are damaging to economic growth, for the U.S., for China and for the rest of the world.”
He also called Trump “the first guy with a backbone in decades … to actually go after it. Not just whisper it, but to go after it with at least preliminary actions.”
The Chinese spokesman, however, denied talks had occurred.
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“Finance and trade officials from the two sides have not conducted any negotiations on the trade issue,” Gao said.
The spokesman complained that after Beijing issued a “resolute response” to Trump’s $50 billion list of Chinese goods for higher duties issued this week, the American president responded by threatening still more increases.
“Under these circumstances, the two sides cannot possibly conduct any negotiations about this issue,” said Gao.
One trade policy expert said he doubted that Trump’s rhetoric would help forge any deal with China.
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“Mr. Trump is upping the ante, but the lack of a clear game plan and an incoherent messaging strategy from the administration is setting this up for an all-out trade war rather than a fruitful negotiation,” said Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University.
In China, some observers held out hope that the two countries were headed toward negotiations and noted that despite Beijing’s tough talk, it likely does not want the country’s export-driven economy to be hit by punishing tariffs.
“If the trade dispute escalates or lasts for a long time, it will have a big impact on China’s manufacturing industry, and foreign investment in related projects will be affected too,” said Zhang Lifan, a Beijing-based independent political commentator. “In the long-run, losses in manufacturing will lead to decrease in tax revenue and eventually affect China’s economic growth.”
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., a frequent Trump critic, called the escalation “the dumbest possible way” to punish China.
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“Hopefully the President is just blowing off steam again but, if he’s even half-serious, this is nuts,” Sasse said in a statement. “Let’s absolutely take on Chinese bad behavior, but with a plan that punishes them instead of us.”
Any additional tariffs would be subject to a public comment process and would not go into effect until that process is complete.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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Tag: drogba
How an ageing Didier Drogba went to Galatasaray and became a legend
Despite struggling for motivation in China, Didier Drogba would return to Europe at Galatasaray and instantly become a hero for the fans
Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and the goals that turned Chelsea into England’s best team
This feature is part of Duology When discussing the driving force behind Chelsea’s charge to the top of the English football in the early beginnings of the 21sdt century, two components come to…
Kristofer McCormack 28/08/2018
The decline of the 18-yard box poacher in modern football
AS MODERN FOOTBALL transitions into ever-increasing levels of physicality and tactical fluidity, the ‘fox in the box’ striker is a dying breed close to extinction. Throughout the history of the game this…
Chris Henderson 24/01/2018
How Didier Drogba changed the face of Chelsea and Ivory Coast forever
Illustration by Federico Manasse Saturday 19 May 2012, the Allianz Arena in Munich – home of Bayern Munich. The Champions League final looked as if it was going to be a victory for…
Jim Hart 22/08/2017
Drogba, Gerrard and the unique challenges of Major League Soccer
When players move to Major League Soccer in the twilight of their career, there’s a common assumption that they’ll have it easy in the retirement home of football. The success of the Beckham…
James Milin-Ashmore 04/03/2016
The imperfect goodbye
NOTHING LASTS FOREVER. If a footballer’s legacy to the game is to be summed up in their farewell match or testimonial, then they and the fans that try to imprint some lasting…
Aaron Gallagher 16/06/2015
Didier Drogba: a man of peace
THE DATE WAS 3 JUNE 2007 and Ivory Coast had just defeated Madagascar 5-0 to qualify for the following year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana. Goals from Saloman Kalou, Yaya Touré,…
Greg Lea 17/03/2015
The importance of finding the target forward
As a versatile player with a six foot two inch frame and ability to run for days, I often played across the back line or as a central midfield player. The game demanded high levels…
Jon Townsend 04/01/2015
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Soon after, Louis Réard created a competing two-piece swimsuit design, which he called the bikini.[56] He noticed that women at the beach rolled up the edges of their swimsuit bottoms and tops to improve their tan.[4] He introduced his design at a swimsuit review held at the popular public pool, Piscine Molitor, four days after the first test of a nuclear weapon at the Bikini Atoll. The newspapers were full of news about it and Reard hoped for the same with his design.[57][5] Réard's bikini undercut Heim's atome in its brevity. His design consisted of a two triangles of fabric forming a bra, and two triangular pieces of fabric covering the mons pubis and the buttocks connected by string. When he was unable to find a fashion model willing to showcase his revealing design,[58] Réard hired Micheline Bernardini, a 19-year old nude dancer from the Casino de Paris.[59] He announced that his swimsuit, with a total area of 30 square inches (200 cm2) of cloth, was "smaller than the world's smallest bathing suit".[60][61] Réard said that "like the [atom] bomb, the bikini is small and devastating".[62] Fashion writer Diana Vreeland described the bikini as the "atom bomb of fashion".[62] Bernardini received 50,000 fan letters, many of them from men.[10][38]
Across the lake from San Marcos is the notorious village of San Pedro de la Laguna where young backpackers and burn-out expat hippies go to escape reality for awhile. You will find fascinating Mayan villages and yoga retreats that dot the shores of the lake. This area of Guatemala has a perfect year-round temperate that hovers around 25 degrees Celsius during the day.
Tropical Islands was built by the Malaysian corporation Tanjong in the former airship hangar known as the Aerium. The hangar – the third largest free-standing hall in the world – was originally designed to protect large airships from the elements. It was purchased by Tanjong on 11 June 2003 for €17.5 million, of which €10 million was a subsidy from the federal state of Brandenburg. The building permit for constructing the theme park inside the hall was granted on 2 February 2004 and Tropical Islands officially opened on 19 December 2004.
Our women's bikini swimsuits are perfect for swimming or just catching some rays, but you'll need a few other things to complete your look. Grab a trendy tote to hold essentials like sunblock and a good beach read. Protect your eyes from UV rays with some new sunglasses, and make sure that your face stays free from sunspots with a wide-brimmed hat. The right accessories can upgrade your bikini from cute to must-have status.
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J. David Velleman 1
1. New York University
Some people hope to die in their sleep. Not me. I don’t regret having been oblivious at my birth, but I don’t want to be napping at my death.
My birth hasn’t figured much in my life, other than having begun it, whereas my death will have figured far more than just ending it. It’s been on my mind, one way or another, ever since I learned what death is. I’ve wondered about it, worried about it, once or twice wished for it, and in any case constantly sensed its presence in my future.
One usually thinks of death in the abstract. But at some point it dawned on me that I will have a particular death, my very own death. Since that moment of clarity, I have felt possessive about my death. Death is a momentous life event, and I am going to get one.
The expectation of getting a death of one’s own lies behind the ancient belief in the Fates.
They are the guardians of the tantalizing facts as to when, where, and how one will die, the facts that will finally bring the abstraction of death down to earth. We have dispensed with the Fates but not with their function; we’ve merely reassigned it to the cardiologists and oncologists. They tell us the “how” of our deaths, and then we demand the “when” by asking, “How long have I got?” Of course, physicians are not the Fates, and trying to cast them in that role introduces unnecessary frustration into the doctor-patient relationship. Having a diagnosis is not enough, but it’s all we can get until our fate is revealed by being fulfilled.
Many philosophers think that death is a deprivation, whereas immortality would at worst be a bore. I see deprivation on the side of immortality. Being immortal would entail living forever without life’s most persistently anticipated consummation.
Immortality is not a deprivation for the gods, who have known literally forever that they would never die and who have therefore never considered the prospect: the gods have always planned on being immortal. Their immortality is quite different from what mortals would get if granted a reprieve. As nouveaux immortals, human beings would have spent years contemplating their inevitable death only to be told, “Never mind.” But I do mind, have minded all of my life with all of my mental strength. At this point, I’d rather go through with it.
Going through with it would be a bad idea if death were a significant harm. But I have lost my grip on the philosophical question about the harm of death. I’ve lost my grip because I cannot imagine an answer that would affect how I feel about death, and I can’t imagine how anything could count as an answer unless it would affect how I feel.2
When I say that my feelings wouldn’t be affected, I don’t mean that they are permanently settled; I mean that they are permanently unsettled. About death, most of us have mixed feelings most of the time.
Our feelings about death are mixed because we see it as the end of our life stories and we can tell those stories, and that ending, in many different ways.3 We can tell the story of missing out on the future; we can tell the story of running out of time; we can tell the story of becoming nothing but a memory. None of these is a good story, but they are bad in different ways — sad, scary, spooky. And then there are stories that aren’t bad at all: the old-time Christian story of laying down our burdens, the Buddhist story of living fully in each one of just so many moments.
What would it mean for one of these stories to be the right one and the others to be wrong?
What would it mean for one of the associated feelings to be right and the others wrong? I don’t know; and so I no longer know what’s at stake in the philosophical debate about the harm of death.
We can, of course, come to realize that we have spun out some of these stories too far. If we imagine that laying down our burdens will lead to a refreshing night’s sleep, then we’re making a mistake; we’re also making a mistake if we imagine that we’ll be disappointed at missing out on the future. Yet even after we adjust our stories to the realities of death, the adjusted stories remain compelling: we really will be relieved of our burdens, even if we won’t feel the relief; we really will miss out on the future, even if we won’t know what we’re missing. Nonexistence isn’t that difficult to comprehend; and no one can tell us that we’re mistaken to feel forward-looking relief or forward- looking disappointment about it, despite knowing that we won’t feel relief or disappointment at the time.
That said, I have now argued that there’s something to be learned — namely, that there’s nothing else to be learned. Once we realize that we’ll never resolve how to feel about death, we can stop trying to resolve it, stop feeling frustrated about not having resolved it, and hence stop feeling at least one of the things that we currently feel. We can also be less rigid in our remaining feelings, by feeling each of them in the awareness that we can also feel otherwise.
They say that when you face death, your whole life passes before your eyes. Taken literally, the expression is ludicrous. Woody Allen:4
They took my hood off and threw a rope around my neck, and they decided to hang me.
And suddenly my whole life passed before my eyes. I saw myself as a kid again, in Kansas, going to school, swimming at the swimming hole, and fishing, frying up a mess-o-catfish, going down to the general store, getting a piece of gingham for Emmy-Lou. And I realize it’s not my life. They’re gonna hang me in two minutes, the wrong life is passing before my eyes.
Having the right life pass before his eyes would not have been as funny, but it would have been just as absurd. A fast-forward replay of his life? With a noose around his neck?
If the expression is to make any sense, it has to mean that when facing death, you suddenly see your life as a completed whole, a particular life bounded at both ends. So long as your life is open-ended, it remains an abstraction, some completion or other of what has gone before. When your life comes to a close, it becomes fully specific and hence concrete. Not to see your life out to its end would be never to have known it as a concrete particular.
In a traditional Jewish wedding, the bride walks around the groom three (or seven) times. As you might expect, there are all sorts of explanations for this custom. I like to think that it gives the bride a good look at what she is getting, not just in the sense of revealing a fat ass but in the sense of showing the groom as a fully specified individual, with all of the details filled in. The bride is being shown that she is marrying a particular man, not an abstraction.
Until people circumnavigated the Earth, they lived somewhere in the midst of somewhere or other. In order to see where they stood, they had to close the circle. Similarly, closing the circle of one’s life is necessary to seeing it as the particular life one has lived. And I want to know the particular life I’ve lived before I stop living it — which will entail fully living it up to the very end.
1 Originally published in Think 11 (2012): 29-32, http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S147717561200022X
2 For this conception of value, see “Love and Nonexistence”, part III of chapter 6 in this volume.
3 For the relation between value and narrative, see “Well-Being and Time”, chapter 7 in this volume.
4 Woody Allen, “Down South”, in Standup Comic: 1964-1968 (Rhino Records, 1999), CD, http://www.ibras.dk/comedy/allen.htm
Originally published at http://dx.doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0061.09
Open For Review
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Lakes in Jones County, Mississippi
Jessica Taylor, Leaf Group
Jones County (Photo: )
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The 700-square-mile area of southeastern Mississippi known as Jones County was named after John Paul Jones, a Naval hero who rose to fame fighting on boats in the American Revolution. With this legendary water-loving namesake, it's no wonder Jones County has become a prime spot for fishing. Even if you're not into fishing for sport, you're sure to find other reasons to enjoy the water at one of Jones County's lakes.
You won't be able to just sink a fishing lure into any Jones County lake without the proper paperwork, as Mississippi requires a fishing license for anglers in most of the state's waterways. You don't need a license to fish in a privately owned body of water, but you can't take a boat out on a lake without a valid boat permit. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks website provides more information on what's required and what you can expect during your visit.
Lake Bogue Homa
The 882-acre Lake Bogue Homa, located about six miles east of Laurel, Mississippi, ranks as the largest fishing lake operated by the state, and delivered a record 13 pound, 10 ounce bass pulled out by a lucky angler in 1995. It's also stocked with catfish, crappie, bluegill and redear, and has three boat ramps and three fishing piers with wheelchair access. Near the lake, you'll find picnic areas, grills and two camping pads with electrical and water hookups. You can also water ski from noon to sunset on Lake Bogue Homa.
Big Creek Water Park
Big Creek Water Park (phwd.net/parks/big creek) is a recreational area off Highway 84 in Soso, between the towns of Laurel and Collins. If you like to fish, sit a spell and try to catch one of the many bass, bream, catfish and crappie that live in Big Creek's 200-acre lake. For more fun in the water, rent an aluminum boat or just spend the day splashing. When you're ready to dry off, there's a picnic area equipped with grills and tables. If you'd like an extended lakeside vacation, Big Creek also offers numerous campsites, two cabins and two camp houses.
Other Area Lakes
Jones County boasts many small lakes owned by the county, individual cities or private groups. About eight miles from Laurel, for example, you'll find striped bass, crappie and warmouth swimming in the waters of Jones County Lake. Near Collins and Bethel, there are lakes Horseshoe, Speed and Scruggs. The quality of these smaller lakes can vary, however, depending on who's in charge of managing the waters. Lakes under the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks' Community Assistance Program, for example, receive funds for maintenance, management and regulation compliance. When visiting smaller lakes in Jones County, look for regulatory signs that spell out the rules for their use.
Jones County Mississippi
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks: Lake Bouge Homa Brochure
Pat Harrison Waterway District: Big Creek
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks: Community Assistance Program
Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks
Jessica Taylor has been writing professionally since 2007. She has contributed a number of articles online on topics ranging from fashion to technology to travel. She has a bachelor's degree in English literature from the University of South Florida.
Attribution: debaird; License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
Attribution: A. Park of London; License: public domain
Taylor, Jessica. "Lakes in Jones County, Mississippi." Travel Tips - USA Today, https://traveltips.usatoday.com/lakes-jones-county-mississippi-103452.html. Accessed 18 July 2019.
Taylor, Jessica. (n.d.). Lakes in Jones County, Mississippi. Travel Tips - USA Today. Retrieved from https://traveltips.usatoday.com/lakes-jones-county-mississippi-103452.html
Taylor, Jessica. "Lakes in Jones County, Mississippi" accessed July 18, 2019. https://traveltips.usatoday.com/lakes-jones-county-mississippi-103452.html
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Simone Giannelli directed by the team
Victories alternate with hard defeats
A good season! 5th World Cup and CEV Cup!
Angelo Lorenzetti arrives on the bench of Trento
ITAS Diatec reaches the ItalianCup Final Four
2017/18 A difficult start before
an exhilarating ascent
Diatec Trentino started season 2017/18 with a team that was completely renewed thanks to the summer market. Only three players (Chiappa, Giannelli and Lanza) were confirmed from the team that played three finals in a row. So e put our hopes on a renewed group, strengthened by many new arrivals, among which there were many emerging talents as Kozamernik, Hoag and Kovacevic and also many well-known athletes as the Olimpic Champion Eder, the Australian Zingel and the opposite hitter from the Italian National volleyball team Vettori. The start (of course) hasn't been easy, since Lorenzetti needed some time to merge a team in which there was not harmony yet; the fourth position in the Final Four of the Italian Supercoppa in Civitanova and the five defeats during the first seven matches of regular season could have made us think about a bad season. But at the end of December there was a turning point; Diatec Trentino leaves any doubt and physical problem behind and starts raising in the rankings, going form the eleventh position to the fourth one thanks to fifteen victories out of nineteen matches. At the same time the yellow blues also started their adventure in Champions League for the eight time, conquering the second position in Pool E at the end of February and, as a consequence, the qualification to the Playoffs of the tournament.
The Final Four of Coppa Italia, played in Bari after the victory in three sets against Monza during the quarterfinals, didn't end well or us. Lanza and his team have been eliminated by Perugia with a 3-0. Luckily the team didn't lose their serenity, but finds the determination to go well during the last part of the season and beats Chaumont in the rankings at the octo-finals of Champions. In the final rush, Diatec Trentino conquers the qualification to the Semifinal of Play Off Scudetto thanks to the victory in three matches against Verona (2-1) in the quarterfinals. As happened in the previous year the opponent that blocked the team from arriving at the Final is Perugia, that this team is advantaged by the home field during the match 5. The team from Umbria and Diatec Trentino wins the two matches in their home field. Trento celebrated after the two matches payed in front of their fans, overtaking the leading team of the championship with two victories (3-2 and 3-0), but they had to give up after match 5, ended 3-0 at PalaEvangelisti, where the yellow-blue season ended, because in the main time they have also been eliminated from the Champions League at the quarterfinals. It was Civitanova who defeated them this time, winning both the first match in the region of Marche (3-1) and the second match in Trentino (3-2). Even though they haven't played any final, the year ended among a great applause and the support of the fans, that filled the arena every time and appreciated the efforts of the team and the staff to adjust a season that started badly, but ended honorably.
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IRS Postpones Filing Deadline for New Basis Reporting Requirements AGAIN
Authored by:
Stephanie Moll
Other Posts by Stephanie
Federal Tax Law
Authored by: Stephanie Moll
As part of the Surface Transportation and Veterans Health Care Choice Improvement Act of 2015, signed into law by President Obama on July 31, 2015, Sections 1014(f) and 6035 were enacted.
Section 1014(f) provides rules requiring that the basis of certain property acquired from a decedent may not exceed the basis of that property as finally determined for federal estate tax purposes, or, if not finally determined, as reported on a statement made under section 6035.
Section 6035 imposes new reporting requirements for the executor of an estate of a decedent where a federal estate tax return is required to be filed. The executor must furnish, to both the IRS and to each person who holds a legal or beneficial interest in the property listed on the estate tax return, a statement “identifying the value of each interest in such property as reported on such return and such other information with respect to such interest as the Secretary may prescribe.”
Section 6035 requires that such statements must be furnished no later than the earlier of (1) the date which is 30 days after the date on which the federal estate tax return was required to be filed (including extensions, if any) or (2) the date which is 30 days after the date such return is filed.
In August 2015, the Internal Revenue Service released Notice 2015-57, which delayed the due date for filing that statement until February 29, 2016, giving the Treasury Department and the IRS time to prepare the necessary guidance implementing the new reporting requirements.
Last week, the Internal Revenue Service released new Notice 2016-19, which further delays the due date for filing that statement until March 31, 2016. The Notice includes the recommendation from the Treasury Department and the IRS that “executors and other persons required to file a return under section 6018 wait to prepare the statements required by section 6035(a)(1) and (a)(2) until the issuance of proposed regulations by the Treasury Department and the IRS addressing the requirements of section 6035. The Treasury Department and the IRS expect to issue proposed regulations under sections 1014(f) and 6035 very shortly.”
@BCLPPrivateClient
Trust Bryan Cave
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Arrow #3.18: “Public Enemy” Recap & Review
Posted: April 8, 2015 in Review
Tags: Arrow
It’s nice to be reminded just how thrilling a show Arrow can be when everything’s firing right.
In perhaps an apropos way, the show seems to have lost a step this season because it’s struggled with its identity. Now that the Arrow was seen as a positive for the city, embraced by the police and hailed not only as a hero but a champion, the show has been wayward. Not a series to be complacent, they didn’t want to rest on their laurels and quickly set about shaking up the new status quo. Whether or not everything was strongly plotted — in the past, the show is noted for doing a pretty strong job of breaking the season story quite well — for much of the season it’s felt like they’ve been searching for a true threat and a proper direction to tell this story, this theme of identity and legacy. There have been fits and starts throughout the year, but this hour feels like the first that really solidifies and maintains the danger.It’s the sense of breathlessness that propels everything forward and keeps the audience engaged the entire episode.
In order for a breakneck pace to work, a proper antagonist has to make everything hell for our story’s hero, forcing action at every turn. This hour is graced with two, but most specifically, it’s the the relentless nature of Captain Lance’s pursuit of the Arrow that fires the exciting chase. In the end, it’s quite devastating that the once-partners find themselves opposite each other again. Yet, theirs was always a tenuous connection, a temporary peace born of necessity in a city where the threats have escalated. There is a often a chicken-egg theme that plays throughout comic superhero stories; a debate on whether the hero was born in an environment where threats to the people have become so extreme that they require an extreme response, or if the threats are directly related to someone jumping around on rooftops in a mask claiming to “help” the city.
Arrow has always played both sides of the argument. Oliver built his campaign on the idea of righting his father’s wrongs and taking down crime that has festered in Starling City for many years. It would seem that the costumed and megalomaniacal versions of the threats have stepped to the fore since the hooded vigilante came on the scene. Yet, characters like Brick, China White, and Bronze Tiger existed long before Oliver Queen first took up a bow. Even Sebastian Blood’s cult lived underground for far longer than Oliver’s been operating as the Arrow. And of course, Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Assassins, including Malcolm Merlyn, have been around for ages. As we’ve seen, Oliver wasn’t even the first masked vigilante in Starling, with Ted Grant’s Wildcat having proceeded him by a few years. It would seem Oliver was forged by the darkness that exists within the core of the city.
Lance, of course, either isn’t familiar with all of that or refuses to see it, and rightly so. The vicious verbal showdown between officer and detainee in the transport capably illuminates the toll of Oliver’s work the past three years. There has, indeed, been sacrifice in the journey towards peace, and no one knows that better than Oliver. But Lance isn’t spared, either. In ways, he’s lost as much as Oliver. His marriage, his daughter, the relationship with his other daughter and potentially her life with the path she’s chosen, innumerable citizens, his partner, his credibility, his very core beliefs. Laurel attempts to excuse or explain away her father’s vendetta by offering that he’s “in pain.” The truth of the matter is that pain is everything, and it’s the kind of fuel that makes Lance a very dangerous man.
What’s worse is Quentin doesn’t understand the complexity, and his rage leads him blindly. Even when presented with missing puzzle pieces by the ominous Ra’s al Ghul, Lance doesn’t have the whole picture, and he’s decidedly detrimental because of it. He becomes the point of the weapon that is the city, as Oliver identified it, that now attacks its hero. Part of the make-up of the episode was the idea that the truth of a situation can be very powerful. Oliver attempts to use it to take full blame and deflect any consequence falling on his team members, a lesson he poignantly gathered from his brief interaction with Shado’s twin sister, Mai. Ra’s, however, uses the truth as a means to stoke Lance’s hatred and pain. It’s compelling that not a single thing Ra’s reveals to Lance is a lie. Every bit of it is true, and yet the reveal demonstrates how the truth can be used to manipulate people for nefarious deeds.
While Ra’s relentlessness isn’t as enraged as Lance’s, it’s safe to say that it’s just as choking. What really works about the episode is the idea that Oliver is left with no choice but the two Ra’s gives him: accept the offer or rot in prison. It’s quite fascinating how quickly everyone turns on the Arrow, which would seem to be forced until you realize just how hypersensitive our society has become. Trevor Noah, the comedian tapped to take over hosting Comedy Central’s The Daily Show from Jon Stewart, went from being hailed to being ostracized within less time than the average work day. If a man who was originally seen as a thug taking the law into his own hands, but then is thrust into the spotlight as a hero and savior for the city, is then seen as potentially indiscriminately killing people without provocation, it’s really not that hard to imagine that the public would turn on him and fast. Ra’s plays it perfectly to back Oliver into a corner. Even taking him down elevates Oliver into the role he doesn’t want to accept.
Then, on top of it all, Ra’s takes away the one thing that offered Oliver some leverage, his anonymity. Starling City knows Oliver Queen is the Arrow.
There is certainly precedent for this. In DC Comics continuity prior to the New 52 “reboot,” Oliver Queen was outed as the Emerald Archer. With his distinctive Van Dyke beard, the “secret identity” game was a bit on the level of the Clark Kent glasses gambit. Still, people couldn’t guess, and so it turns out that Quentin Lance never actually suspected Oliver was the Arrow here. It doesn’t come as a surprise; he did arrest Queen for the vigilante’s activities way back in early Season 1, though this was all to plan so that Oliver could potentially forever discount anyone who would accuse him in the future and deflect any suspicion. The showrunners talked all week about how this episode was going to change the series forever. Once your hero’s identity is blown, that’s not one you easily walk back from.
What’s exceptionally great about this development is that it makes Oliver desperate. He is scrambling, literally in the case of outrunning the cops trying to capture him at Verdant and ending up on Diggle’s doorstep. Short of just outright leaving and abandoning everything, something Oliver knows he can’t do because it leaves innocent lives at risk, Oliver is truly pushed into a situation where he has no resources to get out. It’s surprisingly how quickly the aspects of life that you’ve built, that you consider secure and unshakeable, can be quickly toppled. The interesting thing is that there are any number of threats that could have done this to Oliver. Malcolm Merlyn, Helena Bertinelli, Slade Wilson, Amanda Waller. Even Barry Allen and Ray Palmer. It becomes quite clear how fragile the framework of our lives, the lives that we know day in and day out, truly is. Oliver is often quick to assume the lion’s share of the load of everything, frequently suffering from a martyr complex, even if fault does lie with him. For him to turn himself in, while it might seem like the normal bullheaded Oliver move, actually rings authentic because there is no other option if he doesn’t want to join the League.
It’s all very tantalizing, and the reality is that, no matter if they can somehow clear his name or deflect it for the general public, Quentin Lance is always going to know Oliver is the Arrow. That makes Roy Harper’s bold move both astounding and confounding.
Roy has had kind of an odd path with his guilt over killing the police officer while Mirakiru’d up last year. Learning the truth earlier this season left him confused and adrift, yet he seemed to find a measure of peace in anonymously lending assistance to the officer’s family. When Thea was going through her struggle after learning the truth about being Malcolm’s pawn to kill Sara, Roy seemed like a solid foundation to help prop Thea up. Here, though, Roy falls apart all over again. Sure, being forced to injure cops by the situation has to put immense strain on the guilt that surely still exists, but it seems a bit strange to see him flip this badly, as if he made no progress at all. A little subtlety might have helped, but overall, it sets up Roy’s journey for the remainder of Season 3 quite well.
He owes so much to Oliver, Roy feels. This isn’t just about saving his life from the vigilante known as the Savior. Oliver gave Roy a purpose to feed something that has always existed within him, that need to protect. It’s why he felt most lost of Team Arrow, even more than Felicity, when they first learned of Oliver’s apparent death at the hands of Ra’s al Ghul. It’s also why he was the first to suit back up and hit the streets. It’s why he couldn’t abandon the fight against Slade last year when Thea wanted to run away with him. There’s a mentorship, a brotherhood, a bond between them, and that was most heavily identified in “Guilty” when Roy pleads with Oliver not to give up on him. So, of course, Roy is going to be the one to sacrifice himself for Oliver. Of course, Roy is going to show up dressed as the Arrow and cast doubt in the media, the police, the public that Oliver Queen is the vigilante.
That look between the two to close the episode was a powerful, weighty one.
Meanwhile, Felicity is left to her own crumbling diorama of a soap opera, as Oliver becomes public enemy #1 and Ray Palmer takes a pretty nasty arrow to the chest to protect her. The parallels between Ray and Oliver continue as Felicity is once again charged with having to save the life of a man she cares about. What’s enjoyable about the whole hospital affair, aside from the quippy interactions with Ray and the broad fun of Felicity’s mom, is that she’s faced with a situation she’s both not prepared for and has very limited knowledge about. Felicity is a wonderfully intelligent and extraordinarily capable person, but often they’ve taken to giving her god-level abilities when it comes to technology as a quick writing fix around problems. The Chloe Sullivan Syndrome, if you will. Something that was particularly appealing about Felicity early on in the series was that she occasionally had to consult others to accomplish some things. It felt far more realistic and grounded and also seemed to showcase the ingenuity of her networking ability. Putting her back in a situation where she knows little about the tech actually humanizes her without diminishing her stature and importance.
More important, it also steered Arrow‘s version of Ray Palmer back towards the field of his source material. Okay, not nuclear physics, but the concept of the nanites (“nanotech”) used to enter the structure of the blood clot on the atomic level and shrink it are certainly more up the alley of the comic book Atom than the battle suit employed by his live- action counterpart.
This also offered both Ray and Felicity the opportunity to put some things in perspective for themselves, as the potential for death is wont to do. For Ray, that means admitting the depths of his feelings for this woman he has chosen as a business, science, and romantic partner. It, perhaps, might not have been the best timing to make declaration, seeing as they’ve only really been dating for a month, six weeks at the most. Still, it’s not as if they haven’t been dealing with these romantic feelings and attractions for the better part of the last year, so it’s not entirely out of line. For Felicity, though, it seems to confirm what has been obvious for a while now. As much as she enjoys Ray as a person, there is much about him that is really a stand-in for Oliver, who she really loves but has made himself completely unavailable to her. The parallels in Ray’s path with Oliver’s are too great to ignore. It’s rather unfortunate because Ray is a great guy who is willing to open his heart up to her.
It’s also unfortunate that this is the dramatic crux of Felicity’s story this season. I’m all for romance. I would never, in a million years, consider myself a shipper, but I do happen to think romantic relationships should be explored on TV shows, particularly genre shows. They are an important part of the human experience, can make for compelling drama, and can serve to enliven and enrich characters. However, when romance becomes the sole focus of a character, something is missing. For Felicity, boiling her story down to a choice between Oliver and Ray seems both reductive and disserving. It’s understandable that it satisfies a segment of the audience, as there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem is that we’ve essentially seen Felicity stuck in a rut as a character all season. How additive has this been to her? I’d say I like her with Ray because it seems more fun and engaging. I don’t particularly care for her with Oliver because they seem to bring out toxic aspects of themselves whenever things turn romantic. In the end, though, it’s hard to feel that Felicity has made much strides this year beyond possibly opening herself up to relationships she can never have.
Count me in the column that feels Felicity is a better character and Emily Bett Rickards is a better actress than the material they’ve given them this season.
Thankfully, they threw the audience a bit of a curveball by not going back to romance well for Oliver and Shado in the past timeline. It’s quite often a bit tricky to pull the twin sibling card, and here it can’t shake feeling like gimmick. Still, it was nice to see Celina Jade back, and there was a noticeable difference between her Shado and her Mai. Mai feels more fragile and less experienced in the world. She is very much an open wound, trying to figure out what became of her family when this huge piece of the puzzle is dropped into her lap. Coincidence can be just as tricky as the twin card, but Oliver’s and Akio’s brief stay at Mai’s was a suitable diversion.
What’s a bit baffling is why this little jaunt separating Oliver and Akio from Maseo and Tatsu was necessary. Unceremoniously, they return in the nick of time to save everyone from Waller’s men. Something doesn’t smell right in Denmark. And if this was just simply a way to goose the flashbacks, it might be time to revisit the need to have flashbacks. Here, they manage to tie Oliver’s admission to Mai that Yao Fei and Shado had died into the lesson about truth, but it’s hard to say that it provided any key context.
What “Public Enemy” does provide is a thriller in what we can now term the “classic” Arrow mode. It is an absolute showcase for Paul Blackthorne, who brings a welcome and unrelenting urgency to the proceedings that catapults the narrative forward. The partnership between Lance and the Arrow had its enjoyment factor, but there is quite a bit to relish in a nigh-rabid Lance barking orders and issuing condemnations of our hero. Guests Brandon Routh and Charlotte Ross add their wonderful charms, and Matt Nable’s eerily composed Ra’s al Ghul offers the perfect puppet master with his reach felt everywhere. They launched into this season hoping to shake up the status quo. Even with the cliffhanger stabbing of Oliver at mid-season, this felt like the first time all year where things really fell apart.
The Flash Episode 19 “Who Is Harrison Wells?” Photos – With Arrow Guests!
The Flash: Canadian “All-Star Team Up” Promo Has Superman Callbacks
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MLS FINDS ROAD GOALS ARE NOT KRYPTONITE
Filed under: Away goals rule, Uncategorized | Tags: Brad Evans, Bruce Arena, CenturyLink Field, Clint Dempsey, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Juninho, Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy, Major League Soccer, NASL, NBA, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, NHL, Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders, StubHub Center, Village People
The Los Angeles Galaxy lost to the Seattle Sounders, 2-1, on a frigid night at CenturyLink Field but won the Western Conference final on away goals to advance to Major League Soccer’s championship game.
The Galaxy, which a week earlier took the first game of its home-and-home series, 1-0, will return to the StubHub Center on December 7 to play host to the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup final. New England defeated the New York Red Bulls, 2-1 and 2-2, in the Eastern Conference finals for a 3-2 aggregate.
Brad Evans, in the 26th minute, and Clint Dempsey, six minutes later, scored to give the Sounders hope of reaching their first MLS final, but nine minutes into the second half L.A. midfielder Juninho pounced on a deflected corner kick by Landon Donovan and ripped a shot in off the left post for his first goal in 13 months. [November 30]
Comment: The last stupid MLS idea has died peacefully of natural causes.
And we don’t mean the Columbus Crew’s decision to dump its Village People logo once and for all (that’s called “re-branding”).
MLS finally succumbed to the use of the aways goals rule this playoff season, and the world did not come to an end. Both the Eastern Coference semifinals and finals were decided on aggregate goals, as did one Western semifinal, won by L.A. over Real Salt Lake. And when the Galaxy walked off the CenturyLink Field at the final whistle after the road leg of its Western Conference final, the partisan Sounder crowd of 46,758 accepted the fact that its side, winners on the night by a goal, were losers overall.
Some in the media here didn’t quite know what to make of this new gimmick, although it’s used in cup competitions the world over. “Rules of the road lift Galaxy into the final” read one newspaper headline. Another: “Galaxy’s Goal is One for the Road.” But a worthy winner was produced. Galaxy coach Bruce Arena called the concept of the away-goals rule–an incentive for the road team to attack in the first leg–“garbage,” and it certainly didn’t inspire Seattle to produce an away goal or two in the first leg. But no one at CenturyLink exited wringing their hands over an injustice. Everyone knew the rules going in. In fact, the Sounders were the first team in MLS history to advance on away goals, eliminating FC Dallas nearly three weeks earlier in the Western semifinals (1-1 in Texas, 0-0 at home). And there was no effect at the gate: MLS drew a record average attendance of 19,151 during the regular season–once again better than the NBA and NHL–and 21,275 during the playoffs. Not a tremendous accomplishment, unless one recalls the days in the not-too-distant past when most MLS post-season matches drew crowds embarrassingly smaller than many regular-season games.
Americans fans, apparently, have been more adaptable than MLS gave them credit for over its 19-season run. Or at least they were tolerant. They’ve had to endure earlier MLS playoff concoctions, such as the ponderous best-of-three-games playoff. And the ridiculous “first-to-five-points” system. Once it got to the simple home-and-home formula in 2003, it counted road goals equal to home goals, perhaps in the belief that a romp by the visiting team in the opening leg would kill interest in the second leg.
Fans here also–some of them–survived other MLS innovations, like the silly countdown clock, and they survived leftovers from the old NASL, like the shootout, back when it was believed that American DNA made it impossible for folks here to understand, let alone appreciate, the concept of a draw. Perhaps the seamless debut of away goals signals the end, once and for all, of its “unnecessarily creative” period.
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March 30, 2018 12:21 am July 15, 2019 7:34 pm
OPINION: Nancy Pelosi — Still Relevant And Still Important, Despite Tenure
By Jo Nordhoff-Beard 555 Views 0 Comment
Graphic by Sarah Wong
Nancy Pelosi is a 78 year old, 15-term Congresswoman from San Francisco who, with pride, admits that her favorite food is chocolate. Pelosi was the first woman to serve as House Minority Leader and Speaker of the House, a major achievement for women in American politics, and has led the Democratic Party since 2003.
As Speaker, she helped push through major pieces of legislation like the Affordable Care Act and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, blocked Social Security privatization, and helped negotiate the Paris Climate Accord.
These laws, which have shaped American politics for the last 12 years, should be points of pride for other progressives and accomplishments around which to rally during the midterm elections in November.
However, Republican politicians are attempting to tie Pelosi to Congress’ seemingly never-ending gridlock, and Democrats running in contested districts and Senate races do not want to associate with her for fear of alienating more moderate Republicans or “Obama-Trump” voters.
Up and coming Democrats’ choice to distance themselves from Pelosi may have short-term gains, but could prove futile and unwise as she is an effective legislator and skilled negotiator.
Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District, encompassing Pittsburgh and its suburbs, was perceived as a conservative stronghold until its representative Tim Murphy resigned after allegedly asking his mistress to have an abortion last year. Conor Lamb, a former Marine and Assistant U.S. Attorney, gradually gained on his opponent Rick Saccone in the polls and posed enough of a threat that Republicans spent over $8 million on this special election alone.
Lamb ran as a traditional progressive in many ways, supporting background checks for people buying a gun and maintaining the Affordable Care Act. Lamb differed from other candidates by refusing to support Pelosi in her bid for Speaker of the House if the Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives this November.
Lamb won his election by 627 votes (.2 percent), a district that Trump won by 20 points in the 2016 election. Progressive politicians around the country were shocked by his win and lauded it as revolutionary, a claim made most by those in Congress that have been vocal in their desire for a change in Democratic leadership.
Lamb’s public distaste for Pelosi has been echoed by other democratic candidates running for closely contested positions as well.
Framing Pelosi as one of the most negative aspects of the Democratic Party cannot be solely attributed to sexism. It is unclear if Lamb would have focused on this issue as much if he had had a primary challenger instead of being appointed to run in this election, because then he would have to guide his message based on another candidate’s positions.
Representative Beto O’Rourke, running against current Texas Senator Ted Cruz for his seat, backed Representative Tim Ryan’s unsuccessful bid for Minority Leader against Pelosi in 2016 and has stated that he does not want Pelosi to campaign for him in his Senate campaign. Representative Seth Moulton from Massachusetts has called for new Democratic Party leadership while campaigning with multiple veterans running for Congress, like Conor Lamb.
Marie Newman, who lost her Democratic primary to incumbent Illinois Representative Dan Lipinski, one of few conservative Democrats, held off on completely supporting Pelosi during her primary campaign.
Other figures in Democratic leadership are the male equivalent of Pelosi: Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn are octogenarian men from predominantly liberal areas who have been in Congress for 37 and 26 years respectively. A younger, junior member of Congress would have to have a broad coalition of support to even think about successfully challenging any of the three of them for a leadership position.
Perhaps, if this blue wave of new Democratic candidates comes to fruition in November through increased millennial voter turnout, there might be a large enough group of new Representatives who say that they will not support Pelosi for Speaker, which could then cause her to lose the vote of both parties and give the Speaker’s position to Republicans — the opposite of what Democrats want.
Nancy Pelosi has been one of the most effective legislators of the modern era, and to pin all of the Democratic Party’s failings onto her is not pragmatic for Democrats if they retake the House in seven months.
While lauding the accomplishments of Hoyer and Clyburn, it is important to acknowledge they still do not have the precedent and proven track record that she does. Politicians should think about short-term gains, but the course of history takes significant time and effort to change, which is why thinking about long-term strategy is more advantageous.
Losing Pelosi as the potential Speaker of the House could have long-lasting adverse effects on the Democratic Party’s trajectory for the next era of American politics, and new representatives maintaining doubts about Pelosi should proceed with caution.
Jo Nordhoff-Beard SC ’19 is an English major from Seattle. She enjoys Sam Hunt, flavored seltzer water, and reading memoirs written by women.
Humanities Versus STEM Majors: Star-Crossed Lovers, Or Meant To Be?
Sagehen Swimmer Menkhoff Wins NCAA Title
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HMCS Wetaskiwin (K 175)
Corvette of the Flower class
Navy The Royal Canadian Navy
Type Corvette
Class Flower
Pennant K 175
Built by Burrard Dry Dock Co. Ltd. (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada)
Ordered 14 Feb 1940
Laid down 11 Apr 1940
Launched 18 Jul 1940
Commissioned 17 Dec 1940
End service 19 Jun 1945
Fo'c's'le extention at Galveston (Texas, U.S.A.) completed on 6 March 1944.
Decommissioned 19 June 1945.
Became the Venezuelan Victor in 1946.
Former name HMCS Banff
Commands listed for HMCS Wetaskiwin (K 175)
Please note that we're still working on this section.
Commander From To
1 Lt.Cdr. Guy Stanley Windeyer, RCN 17 Dec 1940 4 Nov 1942
2 T/A/Lt.Cdr. John Richard Kidston, RCNVR 5 Nov 1942 21 Mar 1944
3 T/Lt. Arthur Walton, RCNR 22 Mar 1944 6 Aug 1944
4 T/A/Lt.Cdr. Mortimer Smith Duffus, RCNVR 7 Aug 1944 15 Sep 1944
5 T/Lt. Arthur Walton, RCNR 16 Sep 1944 19 Jun 1945
You can help improve our commands section
Notable events involving Wetaskiwin include:
HMS Tribune (Lt.Cdr. R.G. Norfolk, RN) conducts A/S exercises with ships of the Royal Canadian Navy, HMCS Renard, HMCS St Croix (Cdr. H. Kingsley, RCN) and HMCS Wetaskiwin (Lt.Cdr. G.S. Windeyer, RCN) (1)
The Norwegian merchant Barfonn is torpedoed and sunk in the North Atlantic in position 56°58'N, 25°04'W by German U-boat U-432. The Canadian corvette HMCS Wetaskiwin (Lt.Cdr. G.S. Windeyer, RCN) later picks up 24 survivors.
HMCS Wetaskiwin (Lt.Cdr. G.S. Windeyer, RCN) started a refit at Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada.
German U-boat U-588 was sunk in the North Atlantic, in position 49°59'N, 36°36'W, by depth charges from the Canadian corvette HMCS Wetaskiwin (Lt.Cdr. G.S. Windeyer, RCN) and the Canadian destroyer HMCS Skeena (A/Lt.Cdr. D.L. Dyer, RCN).
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.R. Drummond, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Galt (T/Lt. A.D. Landles, RCNR), HMCS Agassiz (A/Lt.Cdr. B.D.L. Johnson, RCNR), HMCS Sackville (T/Lt. A.H. Easton, RCNR) and HMCS Wetaskiwin (Lt.Cdr. G.S. Windeyer, RCN). (2)
HMS H 32 (Lt. J.R. Drummond, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Wetaskiwin (Lt.Cdr. G.S. Windeyer, RCN). (2)
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMS Llandudno (T/Lt. E.M. Betts, RNR), HMS King Sol (Lt. P.A. Read, RNR), HMS Lulworth (Lt.Cdr.(Retd.) C. Gwinner, DSO, RN), HMCS Prescott (Lt. W. McIsaac, RCNVR), HMCS Galt (T/Lt. A.D. Landles, RCNR) and HMCS Wetaskiwin (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Kidston, RCNVR). (3)
HMS H 34 (Lt. G.M. Noll, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Skeena (A/Lt.Cdr. K.L. Dyer, DSC, RCN) and HMCS Wetaskiwin (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Kidston, RCNVR). (3)
HMCS Wetaskiwin (A/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Kidston, RCNVR) completed a refit at Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada.
HMS Upstart (Lt. P.C. Chapman, DSC and Bar, RN) conducted A/S exercises in Lough Foyle with HMS Winchelsea (Lt.Cdr. G.W. Gregorie, RD, RNR), HMCS Wetaskiwin (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Kidston, RCNVR), HMS Sardonyx (Lt.Cdr. A.F.C. Gray, RD, RNR) and HMS Northern Wave (T/Lt. J.P. Kilbee, RNR). (4)
HMS H 33 (Lt. J.A. Spender, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Kootenay (A/Lt.Cdr. K.L. Dyer, DSC, RCN), HMCS Ottawa (Cdr. H.F. Pullen, OBE, RCN), HMS Dianthus (T/A/Lt.Cdr. N.F. Israel, RNR), HMCS Arvida (T/Lt. D.G. King, RCNVR), HMCS Rosthern (T/Lt. R.J.G. Johnson, RCNVR) and HMCS Wetaskiwin (T/A/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Kidston, RCNVR). (5)
HMS H 34 (T/Lt. R.L. Willoughby, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Kitchener (T/A/Lt.Cdr. W. Evans, RCNVR), HMCS Wetaskiwin (T/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Kidston, RCNVR) and HMS Jonquil (T/Lt. R.W. Tretheway, RNR). (6)
HMS H 50 (Lt. J.M. Michell, RN) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS La Malbaie (T/Lt. J.S. Davis, RCNVR), HMCS Wetaskiwin (T/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Kidston, RCNVR) and HMS Crane (Lt.Cdr. R.G. Jenkins, RN). (7)
HMS H 32 (Lt. K.S. Renshaw, DSC, RNR) conducted A/S exercises off Lough Foyle with HMCS Rosthern (T/A/Lt.Cdr. R.J.G. Johnson, RCNVR) and HMCS Wetaskiwin (T/Lt.Cdr. J.R. Kidston, RCNVR). (8)
Corvettes of the Royal Canadian Navy, 1939-1945
MacPherson, Ken and Milner, Marc
ADM 173/17065
ADM numbers indicate documents at the British National Archives at Kew, London.
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The end of the cigarette? Is this invention an alternative to smokers?
A cigarette was launched in Colombia that does not produce smoke and apparently reduces the risk to your health. What is this trend about?
by Harvey Valcarcel
6 March 2018 15:23 Tue 06 Mar 2018 15:23:44 GMT
In the world there are approximately 1 billion smokers, of which 5 million die each year. More than 600,000 do not smoke but are exposed to others´smoke. That's why the Tobacco Industry has been researching on less harmful products for a decade. Some have developed electronic cigarettes but others have proposed totally different devices. This is the case of iQOS, developed by Phillip Morris International (PMI), which instead of burning tobacco heats it and therefore generates no smoke or ash but a vapor when the consumer inhales it.
Colombia is the first country in Latin America and one of the 20 in the world that sells this product. According to PMI data, about 1.4 million Cigarette smokers have already switched to iQOS since their test run was launched in Nagoya, Japan and in Milan, Italy, in 2014.
The product, whose research had a cost of 3 billion dollars, consists of an electronic device with a mechanism to control the temperature at which the tobacco is heated.
The tobacco units, called HEETS, are specially made for this product and instead of milled tobacco like the one seen in a conventional cigarette it has a rolled tobacco tape that when heated at controlled temperatures, quite below the levels of tobacco combustion, produces less toxicity.
The tendency of the industry is to form a broader portfolio with less harmful products and thus replace the traditional cigarette.
"That is the future. Smoke-free tobacco and nicotine products will replace cigarettes, "says Humberto Mora, PMI vice president in Colombia. He adds that people are increasingly aware of the harmful nature of smoking thanks to campaigns and legal regulations. But "it has been found that of the smokers who want to stop smoking, only 5 percent achieve it and that is where this substitution is an appealing possibility," says Mora.
The tobacco company ensures that by heating itself, this product will help smokers to reduce the number of toxins and harmful components produced during the combustion of cigarettes by 90 to 95 percent, many of them associated with heart disease and Cancer. It also generates less odour than conventional cigarettes, does not cause choking, increases blood pressure or affects air quality in indoor spaces. This is demonstrated, according to its spokesmen, by the tests and research conducted by more than 430 scientists over several years.
What it lacks
However, the tobacco industry has many challenges ahead. One of them is to convince the authorities of the evidence that their studies have shown. In other countries activists like Deborah Arnott, head of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) have pointed out that there must be strong regulations towards these devices because after all, they are made by tobacco companies. "We need scientific evidence from independent sources to support any announcement from the tobacco industry," Arnott concludes.
Mora admits that there is a lot of mistrust of the information produced by the industry. "That's why the idea is that an independent entity and the universities corroborate this information and that the regulators and the public know about it," he says. PMI submitted all scientific information to the FDA in December 2016 for modified risk tobacco products and a statement from the entity is expected this year.
They also expect regulations different from those of tobacco products because they believe they can not be in the same category. "That would be a mistake because they are totally different. It is the combustion that generates 8000 toxics and they produce a vapour so they have the potential to reduce the damage ", explains Mora.
Harvey Valcarcel
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John Hurt dies: friends and colleagues pay tribute
Powerful, giving, effortlessly real' – John Hurt remembered | Film ... - theguardian.com
Stephen Fry, Viola Davis, JK Rowling, and more have taken to Twitter to remember the great actor
by Ben Sherlock
28 January 2017 14:36 Sat 28 Jan 2017 14:36:15 GMT
Last night, legendary actor Sir John Hurt passed away three days after celebrating his 77th birthday. His six-decade career included roles in such classics as “A Man for All Seasons,” “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” “I, Claudius,” “Doctor Who,” “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy,” and the “Harry Potter” franchise. His appearance in “Alien” gave us one of the most memorable and classic scenes of all time and his performances in “Midnight Express” and “The Elephant Man” earned him deserved Oscar nominations.
Obituaries and reactions from mourning celebrities
“Harry Potter” author JK Rowling tweeted: “So very sad to hear that the immensely talented and deeply beloved John Hurt has died. My thoughts are with his family and friends.” Mel Brooks, who directed Hurt in “History of the World Part I” and “Spaceballs,” tweeted: “It was terribly sad today to learn of John Hurt’s passing. He was a truly magnificent talent.”
“24” star Kiefer Sutherland sends his “deepest sympathies” to Hurt’s loved ones and called him “a dear friend.” Stephen Fry called Hurt’s passing “terrible news” and said he was a “great on the stage, small screen and big” and “a great man.” “Lord of the Rings” star Elijah Wood tweeted: “Very sad to hear of John Hurt’s passing.
It was such an honor to have watched you work, sir.” Newly Oscar-nominated actress Viola Davis simply tweeted: “RIP John Hurt. Always great.” Jamie Lee Curtis said, of Hurt’s performance in “Midnight Express,” “Nothing better. Ever.”
“Captain America” star Chris Evans said that Hurt was “one of the most powerful, giving, and effortlessly real actors I’ve ever worked with,” and called him a “remarkable human being.” Actor Alfred Molina called Hurt “a gloriously talented actor, one of the best, of this or any era.” “Clerks” director Kevin Smith said that Hurt was an “actor genius” and singled out his performance in “A Man for All Seasons,” one of the films that initially inspired Smith to write.
Hurt suffered from pancreatic cancer
Hurt was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015 and began treatment immediately, and despite this, he still continued to work for the rest of his life. The doctors told him they were “optimistic” and his cancer was in remission by October 2015, but last night, he passed away in his Norfolk home. His final release before his death was the Jackie Kennedy biopic “Jackie,” and he appears as Neville Chamberlain in the upcoming “Darkest Hour.”
Ben Sherlock
I'm a screenwriter, independent filmmaker, standup comedian, and political journalist. Visit my YouTube channel to see my short films and live comedy performances here: https://www.
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July 9, 2019 / 12:34 PM / 9 days ago
Cisco to buy optical gear maker Acacia for $2.8 billion to build 5G muscle
(Reuters) - Network gear maker Cisco Systems Inc (CSCO.O) said on Tuesday it would buy optical component maker Acacia Communications Inc (ACIA.O) for $2.84 billion (£2.28 billion) in cash, as it seeks to garner a bigger chunk of 5G spending by telecom companies.
The logo of U.S. networks giant Cisco Systems is seen at their headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris, France, April 3, 2018. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer
Globally, mobile networks would need higher-capacity optical interfaces to handle a surge of data when high-speed fifth-generation network comes on line in the next few years.
Morningstar analyst Mark Cash said the acquisition will bolster Cisco’s technology for service providers upgrading to 5G and put its optical portfolio ahead of the shift toward using plug and play devices across various communication segments.
According to Cisco's Visual Networking Index here, global internet traffic is projected to more than triple to 13.2 exabytes per day in 2022 from 4.1 exabytes per day in 2017.
“Cisco’s optical portfolio was mainly for short range data center connections, and now gains Acacia’s skill set in areas such as metro, long-haul, and undersea,” Cash said.
Revenue in Cisco’s infrastructure platform business, which includes switches and routers, rose 5% to $7.55 billion in its third quarter. That business is expected to get a boost from 5G communication networks, but Cisco executives have said they do not expect an impact until 2020.
Cisco Chief Executive Officer Chuck Robbins, who took the helm in July 2015, has made acquisitions a central part of his efforts to add muscle to the hardware giant’s newer growth areas such as the cloud, internet of things and cyber security.
Cisco’s $70 per share offer represents a premium of about 46% to Acacia’s closing price on Monday.
Shares of Acacia rose about 35% to $64.86, while those of the Dow component were down marginally at $56.08.
The deal is Cisco’s biggest since its $3.7 billion purchase of business performance monitoring software company AppDynamics in 2017.
Acacia designs and manufactures high-speed, optical components and counts telecom service providers and data center operators as customers. Cisco is among its top 5 customers.
Excluding Acacia’s cash and marketable securities, the deal is valued at $2.6 billion, Cisco said.
The acquisition is expected to close during the second half of Cisco’s full year 2020.
Reporting by Akanksha Rana and Vibhuti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty
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Moving to Opportunity
The “Fading American Dream” paper isn’t the first time economics professor Raj Chetty and his team have used data to upend previous research.
Nearly 25 years ago, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) began a monumental social experiment to test whether moving low-income families to lower-poverty neighborhoods would improve the lives of the parents and children involved.
More than 4,600 families were enrolled and assigned to one of three randomized groups: a group that received vouchers to move to areas with poverty rates below 10 percent, as well as counseling on the potential relocation and help in leasing a new unit; a group that received vouchers that could be used anywhere; and a group that was eligible only for preexisting programs.
The results of the experiment were largely disappointing. Although the recipients of the lower-poverty vouchers became healthier, the adults did not experience better outcomes in employment or income.
Then, Chetty and Harvard professor Nathaniel Hendren came along. In 2015, the pair combined forces with Harvard professor Lawrence Katz to reanalyze the data. Because the children in the experiment were older than they had been in previous evaluations, Chetty and Hendren were able to test their employment outcomes.
The updated results? The experimental vouchers increased the future annual earnings of young children who moved to lower-poverty neighborhoods by 31 percent, an amount the researchers estimated would increase total lifetime earnings by about $302,000.
When Gregory P. Russ, then the executive director of the Cambridge Housing Authority, first started reading reports about the new research, he sent Chetty an email, and the pair made a commitment to study the issue further. More than a dozen public housing authorities around the country agreed to participate, including the Seattle Public Housing Authority, where Andria Lazaga is director of policy.
Lazaga said the new analysis of the HUD experiment was a “game changer.”
“We had all written it off,” she says of the experiment. “When the revised data came out, it was like, in the long run, there really is a payoff if we do this right.”
The United States spends approximately $20 billion each year on vouchers, but 80 percent of them are used in moderate- or high-poverty areas. Chetty and Hendren estimate that the eventual additional tax revenue from children who move to lower-poverty neighborhoods would offset the cost of the vouchers used to move them there.
Today, public housing agencies around the country have partnered with government officials, housing advocates, Chetty and other scholars in an effort to maximize low-income families’ chances for success.
“Here’s a case where the data has shaped thinking and now the data is about to shape practice,” says Russ, who became executive director of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority in February and promptly signed it up to participate in Chetty’s research. “The real power is not just changing your mind that a method could work; the real power is in designing a program based on what really amounts to a scientific assessment of its impact. That’s rarely done.”
This is Not Your Parents’ Economy
A Farm Story: From Missile Defense to Sorghum Cocktails
Broadway Exclusive: Stanford at Hamilton
SUNY Welcomes New Chancellor
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Posts Tagged ‘Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act’
Who REALLY Exploded Your Economy, Liberals Or Conservatives?
From Mark Levin’s Liberty and Tyranny, pages 67-71:
From where does the Statist acquire his clairvoyance in determining what is good for the public? From his ideology. The Statist is constantly manipulating public sentiment in a steady effort to disestablish the free market, as he pushes the nation down tyranny’s road. He has built an enormous maze of government agencies and programs, which grow inexorably from year to year, and which intervene in and interfere with the free market. And when the Statist’s central planners create economic perversions that are seriously detrimental to the public, he blames the free market and insists on seizing additional authority to correct the failures created at his own direction.
Consider the four basic events that led to the housing bust of 2008, which spread to the financial markets and beyond:
EVENT 1: In 1977, Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to address alleged discrimination by banks in making loans to poor people and minorities in the inner cities (redlining). The act provided that banks have “an affirmative obligation” to meet the credit needs of the communities in which they are chartered.1 In 1989, Congress amended the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act requiring banks to collect racial data on mortgage applications.2 University of Texas economics professor Stan Liebowitz has written that “minority mortgage applications were rejected more frequently than other applications, but the overwhelming reason wasn’t racial discrimination, but simply that minorities tend to have weaker finances.”3 Liebowitz also condemns a 1992 study conducted by the Boston Federal Reserve Bank that alleged systemic discrimination. “That study was tremendously flawed. A colleague and I … showed that the data it had used contained thousands of egregious typos, such as loans with negative interest rates. Our study found no evidence of discrimination.”4 However, the study became the standard on which government policy was based.
In 1995, the Clinton administration’s Treasury Department issued regulations tracking loans by neighborhoods, income groups, and races to rate the performance of banks. The ratings were used by regulators to determine whether the government would approve bank mergers, acquisitions, and new branches.5 The regulations also encouraged Statist-aligned groups, such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) and the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America, to file petitions with regulators, or threaten to, to slow or even prevent banks from conducting their business by challenging the extent to which banks were issuing these loans. With such powerful leverage over banks, some groups were able, in effect, to legally extort banks to make huge pools of money available to the groups, money they in turn used to make loans. The banks and community groups issued loans to low-income individuals who often had bad credit or insufficient income. And these loans, which became known as “subprime” loans, made available 100 percent financing, did not always require the use of credit scores, and were even made without documenting income.6 Therefore, the government insisted that banks, particularly those that wanted to expand, abandon traditional underwriting standards. One estimate puts the figure of CRA-eligible loans at $4.5 trillion.7
EVENT 2: In 1992, the Department of Housing and Urban Development pressured two government-chartered corporations – known as Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae – to purchase (or “securitize”) large bundles of these loans for the conflicting purposes of diversifying the risks and making even more money available to banks to make further risky loans. Congress also passed the Federal Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act, eventually mandating that these companies buy 45% of all loans from people of low and moderate incomes.8 Consequently, a SECONDARY MARKET was created for these loans. And in 1995, the Treasury Department established the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which provided banks with tax dollars to encourage even more risky loans.
For the Statist, however, this was still not enough. Top congressional Democrats, including Representative Barney Frank (Massachusetts), Senator Christopher Dodd (Connecticut), and Senator Charles Schumer (New York), among others, repeatedly ignored warnings of pending disaster, insisting that they were overstated, and opposed efforts to force Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to comply with usual business and oversight practices.9 And the top executives of these corporations, most of whom had worked in or with Democratic administrations, resisted reform while they were actively cooking the books in order to award themselves tens of millions of dollars in bonuses.10
EVENT 3: A by-product of this government intervention and social engineering was a financial instrument called the “derivative,” which turned the subprime mortgage market into a ticking time bomb that could magnify the housing bust by orders of magnitude. A derivative is a contract where one party sells the risk associated with the mortgage to another party in exchange for payments to that company based on the value of the mortgage. In some cases, investors who did not even make the loans would bet on whether the loans would be subject to default. Although imprecise, perhaps derivatives in this context can best be understood as a form of insurance. Derivatives allowed commercial and investment banks, individual companies, and private investors to further spread – and ultimately multiply – the risk associated with their mortgages. Certain financial and insurance institutions invested heavily in derivatives, such as American International Group (AIG).11
EVENT 4: The Federal Reserve Board’s role in the housing boom-and-bust cannot be overstated. The Pacific Research Institute’s Robert P. Murphy explains that “[the Federal Reserve] slashed rates repeatedly starting in January 2001, from 6.5 percent until they reached a low in June 2003 of 1.0 percent. (In nominal terms, this was the lowest the target rate had been in the entire data series maintained by the St. Louis Federal Reserve, going back to 1982)…. When the easy-money policy became too inflationary for comfort, the Fed (under [Alan] Greenspan and the then new Chairman Ben Bernanke at the end) began a steady process of raising interest rates back up, from 1.0 percent in June 2004 to 5.25 percent in June 2006….”12 Therefore, when the Federal Reserve abandoned its role as steward of the monetary system and used interest rates to artificially and inappropriately manipulate the housing market, it interfered with normal market conditions and contributed to destabilizing the economy.
1 Howard Husock, “The Trillion-Dollar Shakedown that Bodes Ill for Cities,” City Journal, Winter 2000.
2 Stan Liebowitz, “The Real Scandal,” New York Post, Feb. 5, 2008.
5 Howard Husock, “The Financial Crisis and the CRA,” City Journal, Oct. 30, 2008.
6 Liebowitz, “The Real Scandal.”
7 Husock, “The Financial Crisis and the CRA.”
9 Editorial, “Fannie Mae’s Patron Saint,” Wall Street Journal, Sept. 10, 2008; Joseph Goldstein, “Pro-Deregulation Schumer Scores Bush For Lack of Regulation,” New York Sun, Sept. 22, 2008; Robert Novack, “Crony Image Dogs Paulson’s Rescue Effort,” Chicago-Sun Times, July 17, 2008.
10 Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight, “Report of the Special Examination of Freddie Mac,” Dec. 2003; Office of Federal Housing Oversight, “Report of the Special Examination of Fannie Mae,” May 2006.
11 Lynnley Browning, “AIG’s House of Cards,” Portfolio.com, Sept. 28, 2008.
12 Robert P. Murphy, “The Fed’s Role in the Housing Bubble,” Pacific Research Institute blog.
The government links from footnote 10 have been purged (and I COUNT on left-leaning “news” sources to purge stories that reveal the left for what it is), but there is plenty of evidence that a) Fannie and Freddie were firmly in the hands of Democrats; b) that Democrats and Fannie/Freddie at least twice resisted reforms by President Bush and Republicans; and c) that Fannie and Freddie executives – who were deeply involved with Democrat activism – actively cooked the books to obtain huge bonuses prior to the disastrous crash. We can also demonstrate d) that Barack Obama and Chris Dodd were involved with corrupt Fannie and Freddie (and Obama and Dodd were also receiving large contributions from corrupt Lehman Bros. even as Obama was getting a sweetheart mortgage deal from corrupt Tony Rezko while Chris Dodd was getting sweetheart mortgage deasl from corrupt Countrywide) right up to the tops of their pointy little heads.
When one examines the actual factors that led to the housing mortgage meltdown (as Mark Levin documents), when one examines the Democrat’s patent refusal to even accept that there was even a problem with Fannie and Freddie – much less allow any regulation – prior to the ensuing disaster, and when one examines the record to see which politicians were receiving money from the parties most responsible for the disaster, there is clearly only one party to blame: the Democrat Party.
And they are right back to all their old tricks. It was rampant and insane spending that got us into this financial black hole – and they want MORE on top of MORE spending. Meanwhile, Democrats such as Barney Frank are hard at work trying to create the NEXT massively destructive housing bubble, ACORN is trying to seize houses from rightful owners in the name of the “poor,” liberals are making moral hazard that rewards recklessness and irresponsibility and punishes frugality and responsibility official government policy , even as the Obama administration is creating “solutions” to the foreclosure issue that have abjectly failed.
Tags:acorn, agencies, AIG, banks, Barack Obama, Barney Frank, Bernanke, bonuses, bureaucracies, Charles Schumer, Chris Dodd, Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, Community Reinvestment Act, conservative, cooking the books, Countrywide, CRA, credit scores, Democrats, derivatives, Fannie Mae, Federal Reserve, Franklin Raines, Freddie Mac, free market, government, grow inexorably, housing bubble, Housing Enterprises Financial Safety and Soundness Act, ideology, Lehman Bros, liberal, Liberty and Tyranny, loans, Mark Levin, minorities, mortgage market, poor, programs, regulations, secondary market, securitize, Statist, subprime
Posted in Barack Obama, Conservative Issues, Democrats, Economy, George Bush, Politics | 1 Comment »
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Posts Tagged ‘Prince’
Why Western Civilization Is On The Verge Of Self-Destuction. In A Nutshell.
I came across the following article on Yahoo:
Prince Speaks for Kardashian-Weary Nation: ‘Get Off the Stage!’
Posted Tue Feb 8, 2011 8:18am PST by Caryn Ganz
Last night at Madison Square Garden, Prince did what so many of us want to do, but simply cannot do: make Kim Kardashian go away. At the end of each of the singer’s Welcome 2 America concerts in New York, he’s invited VIPs onstage to dance — and in Cyndi Lauper’s case, belt a few notes. Yesterday one of his stellar backup singers took Kim by the hand and led her onstage, saying, “Look who I got.” Prince busted a move; Kim stood and laughed. So he dismissed her with a neck-snapping, “Get off the stage!” as the crowd roared. “Welcome 2 America,” he added, scanning the audience for another girl who “can get busy.”
Stars who have successfully boogied with Prince at MSG include Sherri Sheppard, Naomi Campbell, Alicia Keys, Whoopi Goldberg, Jamie Foxx, Tavis Smiley, Cornel West, and Spike Lee. Yes, Sherri Sheppard, the same woman who horrified Prince on national TV by proclaiming on “The View,” “I have wanted to make love to you for my whole life.” He’s even serenaded Leighton Meester with “I Love You But I Don’t Trust You Anymore.”
Kim’s defense, mounted on Twitter (of course): “I was so nervous I froze when Prince touched me!” She added that the Purple One gave her another chance, and she did, indeed, get funky. “This time I redeemed myself! We all danced while Prince played the piano! Wow! What a night!”
In truth, she should feel honored — because of Prince’s staunch anti-Internet stance, no fresh footage of him has managed to hit the web in years. In 2007, the singer even got into a fight with his fans when he pulled down images of everything from Prince-inspired tattoos to photos of his album covers — and when his devotees got angry, he wrote a diss track called “PFUnk” that includes the line, “I love all y’all, don’t you ever mess with me no more.” Thanks to the Kardashian smackdown, we got another glimpse of our favorite funkateer in action!
Well, there’s nothing about this article that is remotely important or meaningful.
What IS a testament to the rapidly approaching extinction of the late great USA and the Western Civilization it epitomizes is at the bottom:
The word “vacuous” comes to mind. Can you not understand why radical Islam is exploding, given such a completely airheaded altnernative?
And yet this story came out just today, and 2,841 people believed it was so significant that they felt the need to comment about it. And, good Lord, I came back three minutes later just to recheck, and the number had risen to 2,918 comments.
Now, I don’t waste my time with this kind of mind-sucking drivel. But I can’t remember reading an important article about anything even remotely important that fired up this level of hype and attention.
It’s like the Animal Farm society is already here, living and breathing, in our midst. And its zeitgeist has taken over our feeble little atrophied minds. And every day, there is less and less and less about this civilization that is worth fighting for. It has become a hollow facade, with everything that truly made it great carved out by political correctness, the postmodernist purge of truth and meaning and the progressive social-engineering doctrine of mutliculturalism.
The spine that made everything great in our democracy possible has been ripped out of our civilization. The document that made our Constitution possible said, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Now nothing remains to provide a foundation for anything.
Except, of course, whether Kim Kardashian should have been kicked off the stage or not.
We are in a great sucking vortex of moral idiocy – trapped in a depraved culture that has tragically become like a giant reciprocating engine that just drives us downward and ever downward dumber and dumber with every stroke of its constantly pumping cylinders.
The Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible sums it up marvelously in its second verse: “Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.”
The beast is coming, the Antichrist warned about by that same Bible for some 2,600 years. Everything is amazingly in place, including the technology for the mysterious “mark of the beast.” Our rotted world system will soon collapse. And when it implodes, it will do so with stunning speed in a matter of days. Chaos will follow. Economic collapse, wars and fighting, disease and death, just as Revelation 6 describes. And this political beast, this Antichrist, this big government visionary will emerge onto the scene claiming to have all the answers. Everything he does will appear to have the magic touch. And the whole world will literally worship him in place of God.
We have already had a taste of this frenzied idolatry in the person of Barack Hussein Obama. But what is coming will dwarf the empty “hope and change” of Obama.
And does anyone seriously believe that this present generation of vacuous amoral fools won’t worship him just as the Book of Revelation says?
What the Bible prophesies is no longer a collection of fanciful fable; it has become the most reasonable description of where are world is truly headed.
Tags:Animal Farm, antichrist, disease, economic collapse, get off the stage!, Kim Kardashian, multiculturalsim, political correctness, Prince, society, the beast, vacuous, vanity of vanities, wars, Western civilization, worship
Posted in Armegeddon, Barack Obama, Conservative Issues, Economy, fascism, morality, Politics, Postmodernism, religion, Religion and Culture, War | 6 Comments »
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Contact Euclid University
Location: NewYork, Washington, United States
Stage: Profitable
Short URL: vator.co/euclid-university
Euclid University
EUCLID: an intergovernmental university for sustainable development and capacity building
NewYork, Washington, United States
http://www.euclid.int
EUCLID (Pôle Universitaire Euclide | Euclid University) is, like the European Central Bank, NATO or the African Union, an international intergovernmental organization (IGO). It was established by treaty under international law in 2008, a status which is indicated by the authorized use of the restricted ".int" domain.
EUCLID also holds a university charter as well as a specific mandate in the field of higher education and sustainable development. It belong to the exclusive group of intergovernmental universities having that rare status under international law, the most famous of which being the United Nations University and the European University Institute.
EUCLID's constitutive text and charter, approved by its Participating States, was duly registered and published in the United Nations Treaty Series (UNTS 49006/49007) in December 2010 according to the provisions of Article 102 of the United Nations Charter.
As of 2015, EUCLID serves 12 Participating States (just over 6% of the UN membership) spanning 4 continents (Africa, Americas, Asia, Australia-Pacific). Its primary service is to the government staff of its Participating States, but EUCLID also accepts a limited number of students from the general public as well as officials working for non-Participating States. It has headquarters in The Gambia (primary) and Bangui (historic).
Alex Komisar | Team member
EUCLID's international legal personality and not-for-profit status are granted and confirmed by Article 1a of the constitutional agreement(s):
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Around the Big Ten: Penn State
Mike from Black Shoe Diaries agreed to preview the Penn State basketball team this season (even while their football team is on their way to an undefeated season). In life after Geary Claxton, Penn State will look to Jamelle Cornley to take them to the next level. Past previews: Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Ohio State.
Penn State really played two seasons in 2007-2008. There was the season before Geary Claxton tore his ACL, where the Nittany Lions went 10-5 and looked poised to make their first post season appearance since 2006, and then there was the season after Geary Claxton went down in which Penn State only won five of their last sixteen games.
Considering Geary Claxton has graduated and isn’t coming back you would think expectations would be low in Happy Valley this year, but surprisingly the mood around this team is very optimistic. The loss of Claxton along with a late season injury to Jamelle Cornley forced Penn State to play a lot of freshmen. They started to get it together at the end of the season and managed a major upsets over Michigan State and Indiana. Penn State now returns seven players that started at least 12 games and account for 73% of its scoring and 81% of its rebounding from last season.
The backcourt will feature two electric point guards in senior Stanley Pringle and sophomore Talor Battle. Penn State played them on the court together a lot last season due to the lack of a good shooting guard athletic enough to play man-to-man defense. Freshman Chris Babb joins the team to fill that role this year. Babb averaged 31 points per game as a senior in Texas and is said to have an excellent jump shot. His athleticism will be a major upgrade over the departed Mike Walker. Senior Danny Morrissey will provide a viable long range scoring threat off the bench, but he will limit the things Penn State can do on defense.
The play of the frontcourt will decide the fate of this team. Jamelle Cornley is capable of averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds every night, but he has had trouble staying healthy his entire career. He will have to stay healthy for Penn State to compete. The other key is the development of the three sophomores; Andrew Jones, D.J. Jackson, and Jeff Brooks. All three guys have excellent athletic ability, but last year they lacked confidence and aggressiveness. Penn State will also look to freshman Billy Oliver and Villanova transfer Andrew Ott to make a contribution.
Penn State is extremely encouraged after finishing seventh in the conference last year. They are a good team that can beat anyone, but they aren’t a great team that can play poorly and still win. The out of conference schedule is favorable, and anything less than the seven conference wins last year has to be considered a failure. This team has a chance to make the post season, but it’s not going to be easy.
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Board of Regents approves four-year BSN program at UNG
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has approved a four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program for the University of North Georgia (UNG). The move reflects the requirement by many healthcare institutions for incoming nurses to have at least a bachelor's degree.
The new, four-year BSN program, expected to go into effect in August 2014, will accelerate students' time to degree completion, but still includes a strong foundation in general studies. The program is designed to prepare students for a wide range of experiences such as graduate studies, clinical practice, and the required National Council Licensure Examination. The program will be offered on UNG's Dahlonega Campus, and will include clinical experiences in regional healthcare facilities and community agencies.
"We are pleased to have received approval from the Board of Regents to offer the four-year BSN program on our Dahlonega Campus," said Dr. Patricia Donat, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. "Situated in an underserved, rural region of our state, the nurses trained through this program will assist in meeting the healthcare needs of those in our service area. Our nursing program has a long history of excellence and is an effective and valued healthcare partner with our area hospitals and medical professionals in meeting the needs of individuals and families."
Dr. Bob Michael, dean of the College of Health Sciences & Professions, agreed that the program is essential for meeting the growing health care needs in the region, and added that it reflects the faculty's deep commitment to ensuring that their students are prepared to provide exemplary nursing care and leadership. This is indeed an important milestone for the Department of Nursing, the College of Health Sciences & Professions and the University of North Georgia, he said.
"This is a very meaningful move for the university that will yield positive results for our students, community and region," said Dr. Kim Hudson-Gallogly, head of UNG's Department of Nursing. "I also am very grateful to President Jacobs and Dr. Donat and for their commitment to this program, and to Dr. Dianne Nelson and her team for curriculum development."
With the new BSN program in place, the university will phase out the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program and the Licensed Practical Nurse bridge program. The department will maintain its program that enables current registered nurses (RN) to transition into BSN program.
Shortening the time and expense required to earn a degree could help more adult students across the region finish or earn a college degree, a key goal in UNG's Complete College Georgia plan. Complete College Georgia was announced by Gov. Nathan Deal as a statewide initiative in the wake of a 2011 study by Georgetown University that found Georgia will need to increase the percentage of its population with some level of college completion from a current 42 percent to 60 percent to meet projected workforce needs.
Information about the new program and the department of nursing can be found at http://ung.edu/nursing/.
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Download Book Numerical Linear Algebra in PDF format. You can Read Online Numerical Linear Algebra here in PDF, EPUB, Mobi or Docx formats
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Author: William Ford
Publisher: Academic Press
Numerical Linear Algebra with Applications is designed for those who want to gain a practical knowledge of modern computational techniques for the numerical solution of linear algebra problems, using MATLAB as the vehicle for computation. The book contains all the material necessary for a first year graduate or advanced undergraduate course on numerical linear algebra with numerous applications to engineering and science. With a unified presentation of computation, basic algorithm analysis, and numerical methods to compute solutions, this book is ideal for solving real-world problems. The text consists of six introductory chapters that thoroughly provide the required background for those who have not taken a course in applied or theoretical linear algebra. It explains in great detail the algorithms necessary for the accurate computation of the solution to the most frequently occurring problems in numerical linear algebra. In addition to examples from engineering and science applications, proofs of required results are provided without leaving out critical details. The Preface suggests ways in which the book can be used with or without an intensive study of proofs. This book will be a useful reference for graduate or advanced undergraduate students in engineering, science, and mathematics. It will also appeal to professionals in engineering and science, such as practicing engineers who want to see how numerical linear algebra problems can be solved using a programming language such as MATLAB, MAPLE, or Mathematica. Six introductory chapters that thoroughly provide the required background for those who have not taken a course in applied or theoretical linear algebra Detailed explanations and examples A through discussion of the algorithms necessary for the accurate computation of the solution to the most frequently occurring problems in numerical linear algebra Examples from engineering and science applications
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Home/ Blue Öyster Cult
Oct 14, 2018 webteamArtists1970s, 1980s, B, metal, rock
Spanning three decades, Blue Öyster Cult has a long and interesting history. The band got its start in the late ’60s on Long Island, New York, as the Soft White Underbelly, before ending up in the “right place at the right time” to create the beginnings of Blue Öyster Cult.
Long Island native Donald Roeser and Albert Bouchard (of Watertown, New York) met at Clarkson College, in Potsdam, NY. The two were introduced by a mutual friend, Bruce Abbott (who later co-authored “Golden Age of Leather” with Donald). With Abbott and two other friends, they formed “The Disciples” and played college parties and local beer halls. The next year, the band reformed and played the same circuits as “Travesty” (named after the Blues Project album). Through all this, their studies fell by the wayside, and both Albert and Donald decided to quit college to concentrate on playing music full-time.
Eventually “Travesty” broke up and Donald and Albert paths separated for a while. Donald met Sandy Pearlman, a pioneering voice of rock criticism, who with his friend, Richard Meltzer, were contributors to the seminal magazine “Crawdaddy!,” the first magazine dedicated to the analysis of rock music and its culture.
Allen Lanier then came into the fold by way of guitarist John Wiesenthal. An old house near Stony Brook College became ground zero for the formative band, and casual jams with whomever happened to be hanging around began to turn into rehearsals with a core band, which included Wiesenthal, Donald, Albert, Allen and Andrew Winters, a school friend of Donald. It was 1967.
In 1970, the band’s name was changed to the Blue Oyster Cult, a name suggested by Richard Meltzer to Sandy Pearlman. The name comes from the famous Long Island “Blue Point Oysters.” The umlaut was added later which started the trend for using the “heavy metal umlaut” in band names.
At a time when the heavy metal was starting to seem tired, Blue Öyster Cult released records that combined powerful music and intelligent and funny lyrics. A steady flow of albums with great songs, like “Burnin’ for You”, “Godzilla”, “The Red And The Black”, “This Ain’t The Summer of Love”, “Astronomy”, “Black Blade”, “Flaming Telepaths”, and “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper”.
In 1998, the BÖC released Heaven Forbid, to fine reviews, particularly of the track, “Harvest Moon”. Curse of the Hidden Mirror followed in 2001.
Their motto “On Tour Forever” still holds, as the band plays over 100 dates per year. Most fans feel the band sounds better than ever and that the musical maturity and skill combined with over three decades of playing together has made BÖC a prime example of rock and roll at its best.
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Zendesk IPO Bears Striking Similarities To Box
Ron Miller 5 years
Zendesk announced its initial public offering today, a modest one at $150 million, but the S-1 filing in some ways bears striking similarities to Box’s a couple of weeks ago in that there is a lot of red ink here.
Box also had a modest goal, although $100 million more than Zendesk’s at $250 million.
Zendesk wrote in the Risks section, “We have a history of losses and we expect our revenue growth rate to decline; as our costs increase, we may not be able to generate sufficient revenue to achieve or sustain profitability.” Box had a similar statement (as do many companies at this stage).
They added, “For the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013, we also generated net losses of $24.4 million and $22.6 million, respectively.”
To be fair, companies in startup mode often burn a lot of cash building the business, so it’s not unusual to see losses on the books. In fact, Box, which filed for its own IPO last month, also reported substantial losses, but like Box which had substantial revenue growth, so does ZenDesk.
They reported, “From the year ended December 31, 2012 to the year ended December 31, 2013, our revenue grew from $38.2 million to $72.0 million, which represents an annual growth rate of 88%.”
The statement went onto say that such growth is probably not sustainable, but it does show that company is in a substantial growth period right now.
Its worth noting, Box’s growth rate was pegged at 110 percent for the 12 months prior to filing their S-1.
But as we see more cloud startups entering the IPO phase, it’s reasonable to ask how Wall Street will greet them. In a report in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, Opening the Box on Tech Stocks’ Next Move (may require registration), Wall Street appears to be having a love-hate relationship with cloud start-up stocks.
The story points out that investors have been enamored with these stocks, and the more traditional companies like Cisco, IBM and Oracle have suffered. The article goes onto say that over the last month there has been a minor shift to these more traditional companies –although they still lag the NASDAQ substantially over the last year.
As companies like Box and Zendesk have their coming out parties on Wall Street later this year, it’s worth paying attention to the reaction and how well they do (or don’t do). As the WSJ article, pointed out:
“The willingness of the public market to continue bestowing high valuations on young companies that often lack profits will offer the biggest clue as to whether the recent selloff is a blip or something bigger.”
And that’s the rub. While these cloud companies could in all likelihood represent the future of how business gets done, it’s hard for investors, especially ones who have difficulty playing the long game, to be patient and wait for these companies to reach a level of maturity where they are turning a profit on a regular basis.
Alex Wilhelm also highlighted this volatility in a recent TechCrunch article, The Shifting IPO Market in which he pointed out not every tech startup that comes down the pike has been greeted kindly by Wall Street, at least out of the gate. Even Facebook suffered for a time before rebounding, but it’s clear that not every company that tries is guaranteed a big payday when they IPO.
For now, we will just have to wait and see how these new young turks fare as they make the transition to publicly traded companies and all that entails.
IMAGE BY FLICKR USER ANDREAS POIK. USED UNDER CC BY 2.0 LICENSE.
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To Fridays: #12 — Weigh Him Home
Georgia Ho
He was back from Xi’An, China for the weekend to attend a friend’s wedding, but he missed it because of the flight delay. So I hitched a ride in his rented car — which cost only sixty dollars a day, as he proudly reiterated every time he drove down in a car that didn’t belong to him — and it was almost as if I’d gone back in time to when my uncle was still based in Singapore. If not for the conspicuous Ford logo on the steering wheel, I’d have imagined myself back to when we were in his Toyota and I was sixteen, complete with half rimmed glasses and a ponytail.
I would sit myself right at the front, and during our car rides, which was never very long because he would mostly drive me from my house in the East to the church in Commonwealth, and we’d talk about anything and everything. He was my go-to advisor on a lot of subjects, from friendship to school girl crushes, and over the years of doing bible study with him, he’d tell me his secrets too. I knew they were secrets because they weren’t topics you would discuss with a teenager. Yet there I was, inducted into the secret circle, almost as if I was an adult myself.
It’s strange, because now that I’m officially an adult, I’ve lost these car rides — my secret sessions — to a job offering in China, and our conversations are now confined in the tiny spaces of our iPhones, and Whatsapp messages I never check.
Somehow texting my uncle made it more difficult for me to really say what I want to say. Nuances are lost in translation from text to screen, across borders and seas. I wonder what he would tell me when I’m in the car next to him, rather than 3,704 kilometres away – according to Google anyway. Even the cackling sound of the phone receiver doesn’t compare to when he’s right here next to me on the steering wheel, when 987 or Power 98 would blast through the car radio depending on which songs the deejays decided to play.
Image Credit: RustyClark
These car rides are different now, not only because we’re in a rented car with no toy figurines making their mark on the dashboard, but because there’s a ticking clock every time I’m in the passenger seat. I know I won’t be seeing him for more than half a year every time he leaves, that there wouldn’t be a “next week” because he’d be a five hour flight away from home.
It’s always a rush to give him the latest update on what’s been going on with my life, especially because university life seems to never stop moving forward. There will always be new events going on, new people to meet, new classes to try my best to enjoy going for.
A week flies by when you have Mid-Autumn Festival to celebrate down at the carpark under the orange glow of streetlights in Hall, and after midnight sessions jamming with people at the music room. My sense of time gets a little distorted when it’s the school term. There’s always something to worry about or to look forward to in university, and this builds up my repertoire of stories to tell. I’m always bursting with new things to say.
So I waited till the last day he was still here, and I tagged along on the road trip around Singapore. We ran errands at the CBD area in my t-shirt and shorts — no point dressing up for someone who had seen me in my awkward teenage years — pretending to be rich because apparently only truly wealthy people don’t bother dressing up to go to town.
We watched a movie at the GV theatre in Katong, something he wanted to do before his 6pm flight, and we had the best hokkien mee with freshly fried pork lard after. He joked that he’d be “fat and unhealthy” if he bought an apartment there like he had planned to years ago. The day was simple, packed with weekend activities on a languid Tuesday afternoon.
Image Credit: Schristia
Then the time came for me to send him off yet again. I watched with interest as he returned the car keys to the personnel at the airport, puffed up from my decision to send him off rather than hanker for a last ride home. The service was quick and so efficient that within fifteen minutes, the car I had spent the whole day sitting in had disappeared, probably to pick up its next driver.
We had chicken nuggets at McDonald’s where I asked for more curry sauce for him to stow away. They charged more if you asked for more than one packet of sauce but it didn’t matter. When I hugged him goodbye as he told me to be good and walked through those glass doors, it was comforting to know that he had those McDonald’s curry sauces in his backpack.
They helped weigh him down to home.
Every time my uncle comes back, he tells me how he sees Xi’An as his home now, and how he misses the freezing cold air when it’s winter, and the hot sun when it’s summer. This time was no exception. I don’t know how I can keep him here, so I ask him silly questions like whether there’s hokkien mee at the place he stays (the answer is a resounding no), and sing along to the English songs that play on the radio because I remember he said once that he’d missed listening to the song selection here.
I ask him questions about boys (mostly because I never understand what’s going on) and about friends, just like I did back in secondary school. In turn, he tells me about his colleagues and staff in Xi’An, about the people he meets in their Christian group meets, about the bible study sessions he now has with expats there instead of his niece back home.
Image Credit: Georgia Ho
Somehow, even though I know there is no way to keep my uncle in Singapore, I try to stick as many memories of home as possible in his head before he makes the trip back to Xi’An again. Maybe I’d hoped that those memories would jolt something in him, and maybe I’m being selfish, because I want those car rides to church and to go makan again… I don’t really know. I guess a part of me wonders how it is that he can call a place he’d lived in for barely two years home, whereas a place where he’d grown up in, where his family is, takes less root in his heart.
It’s a strange notion for somewhere new to be something familiar. I’d always believed that familiarity comes with history, and history comes from years and years of time. Before my uncle flew off into the world and left his history in the dust, I always thought I would have these car rides until he’s so old that I’d have learnt to be the designated driver, but now I find that change is the only constant, and familiarity can be built from the smallest of details. For now, my seat is still beside his.
But who knows? Maybe years later, I’d be the one sitting in the driver’s seat, listening to a little girl or boy telling stories of love, of friendship, and of home, and telling them the same.
To Fridays: #11 — Passion Vs The Real World
To Fridays is a weekly column that hopes to be able to give you all the encouragement and love in the world. #tofridaysvp
Tags: loveTo Fridays
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"Strength Through Honor"
Eddie Ray Routh: The Untold Story
In a response to the tragic events that occurred on February 2nd 2013; the Warfighter Foundation has conducted a comprehensive investigation that included interviews with U.S. Marines that knew and served with Eddie Ray Routh, the murderer of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield. Additionally, there has been very little investigation into Routh’s military service and no inquiry regarding those who served with him. This is the first time Marines who knew and served with Eddie Ray Routh have been interviewed.
In order to understand the true significance of the subject matter, we must first provide an analytical assessment of Eddie Routh’s cognitive dissonance. What , if any , are the key implications that caused this individual to perform such a behavior. We can begin this assessment by breaking down Routh into several categories. The individual persona, the state / role and behavior within the United States, and finally his role as a Marine within the war in Iraq. This systematic breakdown allows for a precise characterization of not only his personality, but also allows for the identification of any “red flags” that might be claimed from Routh himself.
Our analysis begins with SSgt. Justin Webster, a former U.S. Marine that served honorably from 1998 – 2011. Webster was a Marine Corps recruiter that dealt directly with Routh for 11 months before heading off to Marine Corps boot camp. According to Routh’s mother Jodi, Routh left home during his junior year and moved in with his aunt and uncle who lived in a nearby town. She said that they had wanted to get away from their overprotective mother. Jodi doesn’t dispute this: “They were rebellious, and they wanted to drink and smoke pot and stuff, and that wasn’t gonna be allowed at our house.” The aunt admitted that she kept alcohol and marijuana around. Routh’s sister Laura, said that friends often passed out on the floor, and described the aunt’s house as “a squatter pad.” Meanwhile, in a house not far away, Routh and Laura’s grandfather was dying of cancer. The aunt was among those who had been entrusted to handle the grandfather’s prescriptions, including morphine; some of the morphine was stolen, and the aunt’s husband eventually overdosed on it. These initial conditions that Routh was exposed to may have been a contributing factor in the psylogical paranoia leading up to the murder.
“Eddie wanted to be a Marine forever, supposedly. He joined the DEP (Delayed Entry Program) his senior year and participated in the Recruiting Station’s pool functions (training events to prepare Marine candidates for Recruit Training) two to three times a week.” Webster said. “He was a dumb country kid. Good, but dumb.” Routh reportedly barely graduated High School and received an incredibly low score on the ASVAB (test that helps predict future academic and occupational success in the military). Jeff Diener, one of Routh’s classmates, said that he was “kinda hard to get along with.” Another classmate said that Routh was a “standard troublemaker” who “didn’t show a whole lot of respect” for the teachers. Kc Bernard, who was a security guard at the school for two of the years that Routh was there, said that Routh was “always ready to fight” and “had a chip on his shoulder.”
SSgt. Webster admitted, when Routh enlisted, it was during a time when the Marine Corps Recruiting Command was putting pressure on Marine Recruiters to fill quotas, no matter the cost. For example, in 2008, the Marine Corps recruited a man with autism. Over the last three fiscal years in 2009, 265 Marine recruiters have been relieved of duty for misconduct, most commonly for hiding negative background factors.
Later, Routh completed Marine Corps Recruit Training and headed home for leave. Webster said that “he [Routh] seemed motivated.” SSgt. Webster wouldn’t see Routh again until being stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River, just a few miles away from Camp Lejeune where Routh was stationed. Webster ran into Routh at a bar in Jacksonville, NC. “It was late 2009 or early 2010, I went to a local Marine Corps bar, Lucky’s Tavern in Jacksonville, and there Routh was” said Webster. Routh’s grooming standards were out of Marine Corps regulation and he was “nasty looking, appeared disgruntled.” The two never spoke, due to circulating rumors of Routh’s drug use, but Webster was able to see that something was wrong. “Something had changed him. I just wrote it off as just a disgruntled Marine, you know, that typical first term Lance Corporal.”
We then spoke with Cpl. Ryker Pawloski who served Honorably between 2005 and 2009. Pawloski served directly with Routh before and during Iraq with 8th Combat Logistics Battalion (CLB-8), where Routh had been assigned after enlisting as a 2111 Small Arms Repairer/Technician, more commonly referred to as an armorer. “My first impression of Routh, was that he was a tall goofy bastard” Pawloski continued “prior to our work up, I never noticed anything odd.” The unit Routh and Pawloski were assigned to, was preparing for deployment to Iraq. As part of the preparation, the unit was sent to CAX (Combined Arms Exercise), the Marine Corps’ most advanced live-fire unit-level combined arms training program. It was during CAX, when the two Marines were spending every moment together as “Battle Buddies” that Pawloski finally noticed something was odd about Routh. “Eddie was easily pissy, he took everything too personal. I mean, I spent a lot of time with him, he really seemed like a good dude. But, he had that quirk.” Pawloski reported.
It is important to realize that Eddie Ray Routh never experienced combat. According to the American Psychology Association “There is now accumulating evidence that suggests that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to combat experiences.”
Routh and Pawloski deployed together with CLB-8 in August 2007 to Camp Fallujah, Iraq. Pawloski said “We got mortared a couple times, that was the extent of our combat experience. Incoming was like hit and miss bullshit, for the most part there wasn’t a whole lot of hits. Routh was never near any incoming. Where he was located on the camp, he was rather safe and cozy.” Soon after CLB-8 arrived at Camp Fallujah, Routh was sent to Camp Balad in order to support the prison. Pawloski told us “Routh wasn’t needed. We had a few armorers and he was the only one we could spare.” After a couple months, Routh returned to CLB-8 at Camp Fallujah. “This is where I would like to set the record straight” Pawloski said ” Routh hated Muslims. He talked to me about his experiences at the prison and how he liked beating them with batons and didn’t sympathize with them. He really seemed like normal goofy Routh.” However, that same previously mentioned “quirk”, was about to be unleashed at full force.
According to the CAR/HSM Database, Eddie Ray Routh is not recipient of the Combat Action Ribbon; a personal award for combat service.
One day in the armory, Pawloski witnessed Routh almost beat another Marine to death. Pawloski said “Some of the guys were teasing Routh. They had posted ‘WANTED’ pictures of him with a rainbow flag. It was a harmless joke and he fucking snapped.” Routh selected one of the Marines in the armory and began pummeling his face until he was bleeding severely. Pawloski said “We had to break it up. He was out of control.” However, this was not an isolated incident. Routh had already shown a history of this “quirk” where he would snap. Pawloski reported “he would lash out like a fucking wild animal.” It was only a couple weeks later when Pawloski himself would become another victim of Routh’s uncontrollable rage. Pawloski reported “I was walking back into the armory and heard something funny, so I was laughing on my way in. Out of nowhere, Routh body slammed me. I was knocked unconscious because Routh hit my head on the steel work bench when he threw me down. I woke up convulsing.” Pawloski reported that the incident gave him a Traumatic Brain Injury, which can result in bruising, torn tissues, bleeding and other physical damage to the brain that can result in long-term complications or death.
“For him to be able to snap as bad as he did, says something.” Pawloski continued “I think something might have happened when he was young. He never really talked about his family. Routh seemed like he was a guy that was picked on.” According to the National Institute of Health, children who had been abused or neglected were 38% more likely to be arrested for a violent crime. Pawloski also reported that after Routh left the Marine Corps he “hit drugs hard, and I mean fucking hard. Hard shit and prescription.” About 50% of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia meet criteria for substance abuse or dependence. While substance abuse does not cause schizophrenia, it can worsen the symptoms of the disorder. Patients may have particularly bad reactions to amphetamines , cocaine, PCP (“angel dust”) or marijuana. It is thought that patients with schizophrenia are attracted to drugs of abuse as self-medication for some of their symptoms.
CLB-8 returned from Iraq in March 2008. Pawloski said “When we returned, everything went back to normal for Routh. We both went home on leave, we talked all the time; he was normal.” Cpl. Pawloski stated, that PTSD is extremely unlikely and that a previous mental issue was already very prevalent in Routh.
In 2009, Routh was assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit command element, detached from CLB-8. Sgt. Andrew Stokes was right there with him, even sharing the same sleeping quarters. “Eddie was our armorer. If anyone needed to pull weapons out, that is all he did.” said Stokes. The Marines worked together for months on the USS Bataan throughout Spain, Greece, and Turkey among others. Stokes reported “Eddie was a cool guy. But he was a really wild guy. I never really hung out with him outside of work, I know he would drink, but not more than any other Marine.”
On January 18th 2010, Marines with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) – joined under the Bataan Amphibious ready group (ARG) – began arriving in Haiti in order to conduct a Humanitarian-Assistance Disaster-Relief (HADR) mission. The ARG consisted of the USS Bataan, USS Carter Hall and USS Fort McHenry. Units within the MEU consisted of 1,600 Marines with the Combat Logistics Battalion 22, 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461, and the MEU Command Element (Where Routh and Stokes were assigned). U.S. troops were also transported by helicopter onto the lawn of the Presidential Palace to help restore order and distribute aid.
The Marines that were sent to Haiti, were primarily for riot control and to distribute aid. Reports have circulated that Routh was part of a “body recovery” mission and that this is where his “PTSD” had developed, this however has been found to be false. Stokes reported “Routh never left the ship. He was the armorer, why would he leave the ship?” Furthermore, the ARG consisted of Marines from 3rd Battalion 2nd Marines (an infantry battalion). “The 03’s (Infantry Marines) were the ones on the ground in Haiti conducting operations.” Stokes continued “Based upon the time I spent with him, I don’t see the claim about PTSD adding up at all.”
AFTER THE CORPS
Upon separation from active duty, Routh struggled with drugs, alcohol, and mental instability. Routh’s father recalled, “We were down at the lake. We’d been going down there since he was nine years old, hunting and fishing. We would go there every weekend if we could get away with it. It was all good but I don’t know, something triggered him and he was telling me he was Dracula, that he was a vampire and wanted to suck people’s blood.” This incident (and Routh’s history of aggressive behavior) is an indication of a psychotic disorder. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (also known as the DSM-IV-TR), the diagnostic standard for mental health professionals in the United States, describes several mental disorders that Routh could have been diagnosed with. Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia are at the top of the list, based on Routh’s behavior. It is important to realize that Routh’s behavior was not an indication of PTSD. It should be noted, that environmental stressors related to home and family life (parental death or divorce, family dysfunction) or to separation from the family of origin in late adolescence (going away to college or military training; marriage) may trigger the onset of schizophrenia in individuals with genetic or psychological vulnerabilities.
Schizophrenia often goes undetected for about two to three years after the onset of diagnosable symptoms, because the symptoms occur in the context of a previous history of cognitive and behavioral problems. The patient may have had panic attacks, social phobia , or substance abuse problems, any of which can complicate the process of diagnosis . In most cases, however, the patient’s first psychotic episode is preceded by a prodromal (warning) phase, with a variety of behaviors that may include angry outbursts, withdrawal from social activities, loss of attention to personal hygiene and grooming, anhedonia (loss of one’s capacity for enjoyment), and other unusual behaviors. The psychotic episode itself is typically characterized by delusions, which are false but strongly held beliefs that result from the patient’s inability to separate real from unreal events; and hallucinations, which are disturbances of sense perception. Hallucinations can affect any of the senses, although the most common form of hallucination in schizophrenia is auditory (“hearing voices”). Autobiographical accounts by people who have recovered from schizophrenia indicate that these hallucinations are experienced as frightening and confusing. Patients often find it difficult to concentrate on work, studies, or formerly pleasurable activities because of the constant “static” or “buzz” of hallucinated voices.
Routh met the criteria of risk factors for violence in a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia: male sex, age below 30, prediagnosis history of violence, paranoid subtype, nonadherence to medication regimen, and heavy substance abuse.
In July 2011, while working in Houston, Routh got heatstroke and fell ill. His sister drove to Houston to bring her brother home. On the way back, he told her that he had a tapeworm. He “kept obsessing over it,” Laura said. Raymond took him to the Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Doctors there failed to find a tapeworm. Routh stayed in the hospital a few more days, for further tests, then checked himself out. This is a clear indication of somatic hallucinations. Somatic hallucinations refer to sensations or perceptions about one’s body organs that have no known medical cause, such as feeling that snakes are crawling around in one’s intestines or that one’s eyes are emitting radioactive rays.
Since May of 2012, Routh had been involved in at least three incidents involving police and pleaded guilty to a DWI charge in Johnson County. Additionally, Dallas police say a woman called them to an apartment complex in the 7600 block of Churchill Way in North Dallas because she feared for Routh’s safety. Routh was in distress and wanting to get help, so officers took him to Green Oaks for a mental health evaluation. Routh’s mother also called Lancaster police on the night of May 14th 2012 to report a burglary. The report listed Routh as the suspect and indicated that nine pill bottles were taken.
Routh’s mother, Jodi, reported a disturbance in September 2012 after Routh got into a fistfight with his father over nothing. Routh stomped toward the house, threatening to “blow his brains out” and “suck-start a rifle.” Jodi knew that he was going for the guns, and she grabbed one of Routh’s friends and told him to get the weapons out of the house. Routh fumed when he found the gun closet empty and shouted, “I’ll blow all your brains out!” Jodi called the police, telling the operator, “They need to admit him to the mental ward.” Routh was arrested and taken to Green Oaks Psychiatric Hospital.
In January 2013, Routh and his girlfriend Jen were hanging around her apartment when he fell into a state of paranoia. He began ranting to Jen and her roommate about government-surveillance activities. He once told a friend that the helicopters overhead were watching him. Outbursts of this nature had become more frequent. He made sure to cover the camera on his computer (“He felt very strongly about that,” Jodi said), and confided to family and friends, “They know what we’re doing.”
Inside the apartment, Routh began pacing in front of Jen’s door, clutching a knife. He said that he was prepared to defend her from government agents who were out to get them. For hours, she tried, unsuccessfully, to calm him. Finally, Jen’s roommate texted the police, who arrested Routh and took him to Green Oaks. He was transferred to the Dallas V.A. the next day.
The quality of care varies from one V.A. facility to the next. In 2004, the V.A. Inspector General called the Dallas facility the worst in the nation; a Dallas TV station interviewed veterans who alleged that the facility was so poor that it put “lives at risk.”
Former U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle was a local in the same town as Routh. Routh’s mother Jodi worked on the special-ed program at the Midlothian, Texas school which Kyle’s children attended. On January 25th 2013, Jodi approached Kyle in the school parking lot and told him about her son Eddie. Routh’s father recalled “Chris said he had some work to do right then but he would think about it and he would do what he could.” A week later, Chris called and offered to help.
The morning of Saturday, February 2nd, Kyle and his wife went to their son’s ballgame. Afterward, a friend of Kyle’s, Chad Littlefield, met with Chris and they headed to pick up Routh.
Routh climbed into Kyle’s F-350, and they headed to Rough Creek Lodge, a resort ninety miles to the southwest. Kyle had helped design the thousand-yard rifle range there, and he was allowed to come and go as he pleased. The drive took a little more than an hour. According to Taya (the wife of Chris Kyle), Chris thought that the trip would “give someone who was hurting a chance to talk on the drive, spend a short bit of time shooting, and then give him a little more time to talk on the way home, to find some outlets and resources.”
Kyle parked in front of the main lodge around 3 P.M. Routh stayed in the truck while Kyle and Littlefield went inside to register. The property extends over eleven thousand acres; hunting grounds and the rifle range cover more than two-thirds of it, and a locked gate prevents golfers from straying into dangerous areas. At Kyle’s request, an employee radioed ahead to unlock the gate. Kyle and Littlefield got back in the truck, and they bumped along a dirt road for a few miles. They reached the shooting platform and raised a red Bravo flag, to warn others away. Kyle had reserved the range until four o’clock.
At 4:55 P.M., a guide noticed that the flag was still up. He drove toward the platform. He noticed several weapons set out, waiting to be fired, but he did not see Kyle’s truck. From a distance, the guide saw what appeared to be a sack. As he drew nearer, he realized that it was a dead body. Littlefield was on his back, with multiple gunshots in the chest; his pistol remained tucked in his jeans. Up close, the guide discerned grooves in the sand around Littlefield’s fingers, suggesting that he had clawed for life after hitting the ground.
Several feet away, Kyle was lying face down. He had been shot in the back and in the back of the head. Blood covered his baseball cap. His pistol lay in the sand, within reach. The guide called 911, then bent over Kyle to administer CPR. It was hopeless. He was dead.
Routh called his sister and brother-in-law from an apartment in Alvarado to see if they were home before driving to their house in Midlothian in Kyle’s black pickup truck, according to an affidavit. Around 5:45 P.M. he arrived at his brother-in-law, Gaines Blevins, house. Routh told Gaines and his sister, Laura, that he and two other people “were out shooting target practice and he couldn’t trust them so he killed them before they could kill him.” He asked them if the world was freezing over, then announced that he had a new truck. Laura asked if he had traded in his car, a Volkswagen Beetle; he said no, but added, “I sold my soul for a truck.” He went on, “We went up to the gun range. I killed them.” Laura asked her brother what he was talking about. “Chris and his friend. I killed them. I murdered them,” he said. “I didn’t really think he was telling the truth,” Laura said. “And he’s, like, ‘Are you and Gaines in Hell with me?’ And I was, like, ‘No, we’re not in Hell.’ And he was, like, ‘Well, do you think I can get to Oklahoma?’ And I was, like, ‘Oklahoma? What’s in Oklahoma?’ And he’s, like, ‘Well, if I can get to Oklahoma, I can get out of this.’ And I was, like, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I think you’re telling me a story. Don’t lie to me. Tell me what happened.’ And at this point we’re almost to the front door, and so we walked outside, and when we walked outside I thought I was gonna throw up on myself, because here’s this truck that I know he could never afford. The tires alone were expensive. That’s the first thing I saw—these giant, big knobby tires on this pickup truck.”
Laura realized that Routh really must have killed two men. He offered to show Gaines the murder weapon, and began reaching into a tool chest in the truck. They told him to stop. Laura was afraid for herself and for Gaines, and she asked Routh to leave and turn himself in. Before he drove off, he said to her, “I love you.”
Laura Blevins told police her brother seemed “out of his mind saying people were sucking his soul and that he could smell the pigs. He said he was going to get their souls before they took his.”
In the 911 call to police, the brother-in-law of Eddie Ray Routh described a paranoid Routh who arrived to his home and said he’d murdered two people because “he couldn’t trust anyone anymore and everyone was out to get him,” according to a search warrant affidavit. Routh “admitted to killing Chris Kyle and Chad Littlefield at Rough Creek Lodge Shooting Range” and “admitted to stealing Kyle’s pickup truck” in a statement to police.
As the call continued, Laura Blevins described him as being psychotic and said she did not know whether he was on drugs. “He’s all crazy,” Blevins said. Blevins’ husband told the 911 operator that Routh had told them he had two guns in the truck. He said he didn’t know where Routh was headed. “He was talking kind of babble,” Blevins’ husband said. He said that he did not make any threats toward them and that “He [Eddie Routh] just got out of a mental hospital last week.”
Routh then left their home driving the truck, saying he wanted to get to Oklahoma to avoid Texas authorities, the documents state. Authorities arrived at Routh’s home (where they found drug paraphernalia, Routh later admitted he’d been smoking marijuana that might have been laced with other drugs.) in Lancaster to arrest him and saw Kyle’s pickup truck at the home, Routh tried to flee in the pickup. The brief pursuit ended in an arrest near Interstate 35 and Camp Wisdom Road around 8:34 p.m.
Just hours after the murders of former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle and his friend Chad Littlefield, Eddie Ray Routh gave a long, strange, rambling confession. A Texas Ranger talked to Routh for about 45 minutes the night of the murders in February 2013. The Ranger read Routh his rights, and asked if he understood. Ranger Danny Briley said Routh nodded. Briley asked Routh why he did it. Routh responded in a deep drawl, “I knew if I didn’t take out his soul, he would take my soul next.” He added, “I got tons of people eating my soul,” and, “I can’t sleep.”
Routh also mentioned a wolf in the sky, warlords unhappy with him, and world counsels of men and women to solve problems. He was handcuffed, sitting inside an interview room at Lancaster police headquarters. He did not ask for an attorney, but did ask to see his mother.
Throughout the past few years, Eddie Ray Routh has shown clear signs of a severe psychological disorder. Routh meets the “positive symptoms” of schizophrenia (The positive symptoms of schizophrenia include four so-called “first-rank” or Schneiderian symptoms, named for a German psychiatrist who identified them in 1959), which include delusions, hallucinations, hearing voices, thought insertion or withdrawal (notion that other beings or forces are putting thoughts or ideas into one’s mind i.e. God, aliens, the CIA, etc.), disorganized speech and thinking, and disorganized behavior.
In contrast, you can’t ignore a woman that lived with a U.S. Navy SEAL that served five combat tours in Iraq. A woman who experienced PTSD from a man that undoubtedly carried a larger burden on his shoulders than Eddie Routh. Chris Kyle’s PTSD resulted in helping his fellow veterans, not murdering them. Taya Kyle said that people with PTSD “work through their struggles, just like we work through our struggles. They are phenomenal people and it doesn’t change their character,” Taya Kyle said. She also said that PTSD is not a justification for murder.
Psychologist Dr. Bret A. Moore, an expert in military psychology, said “In most cases, PTSD does not lead to criminal behavior. Much of what is seen on this issue in the media is a result of savvy lawyers conjuring up defenses for their clients that would have likely committed the crime regardless if they had PTSD or not. Lawyers know that the average citizen sitting on a jury will have a great deal of sympathy for the veteran, which they hope will result in a favorable outcome for their client.” – excerpt from Dr. Moore’s article in Psychology Today, titled Criminal Behavior is Not a Symptom of PTSD.
Approximately 80 percent of patients with PTSD have at least one comorbid (in medicine, comorbidity is the presence of one or more additional disorder) psychiatric disorder. Note, that a precipitating traumatic event is necessary, but not sufficient, to make the diagnosis of PTSD. Of all the “traumatic” events that Routh had described throughout his military history (i.e. shooting a child on patrol in Iraq, handling dead bodies in Haiti, etc.) none of them actually happened, according to the Marines he served with. Delusions (a false belief that is resistant to reason or to confrontation with actual facts) are very prevalent throughout Routh’s history and another clear symptom of schizophrenia.
According to retired U.S. Army Major, Dr. C. Alan Hopewell, Ph.D., MP, ABPP (former President of the Texas Psychological Association, former Senior Neuropsychologist for the Department of the Army, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at UNTHSC, American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology) Eddie Routh’s behavior was not consistent with that of PTSD. Rather, Dr. Hopewell confirmed our findings, that Routh’s “symptoms are consistent with that of a paranoid schizophrenic.” It is important to note, that a major role of Dr. Hopewell’s career in the Army, was as the senior psychologist for evaluating and clearing Army Snipers and combat veterans. Additionally, Dr. Hopewell was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal for courage and heroism beyond the call of duty for thwarting part of the attack of Nidal Hasan at Ft. Hood, TX and for first responder actions. Note, these views are his alone and do not reflect the views of DOD or UNT.
While Routh’s mental condition will no doubt play a role in the upcoming trial, the claims of PTSD are without question, false. It is important to realize that there is still no excuse for the murders committed by Eddie Routh, because he knew what he was doing was wrong. However, partial blame rest with the Military Entrance Processing Station that allowed Routh to Enlist, with Routh’s Marine Corps command for ignoring Routh’s violent behavior, and with the blatant incompetence of the V.A.
Lastly, although Routh’s parents had struggled endlessly to get Routh admitted into a psychiatric hospital, the blame falls with them for allowing their son, that they knew was mentally ill and extremely violent, to go to a shooting range without disclosing Routh’s violent and erratic behavior.
Had Chris Kyle known what we know now, he would still be alive.
One of the unfortunate realities of waging long war in two countries, is meeting troop level requirements with an all volunteer military. Those who have served have witnessed or learned second hand, of enlistees who are way below the usual minimum accepted standards being shipped off to boot camp. The lowering of standards in all the categories that make a “good soldier” are helping to create future tragedies. These tragedies are being caused by individuals who are lacking psychologically,socially,spiritually, and behaviorally. The individual who is deficient in any or all of these areas is going to have a more difficult time coping in a peace-time, non-combat military enlistment. Everyday there are tragic stories about someone in the military or a veteran who has committed a violent crime. Usually the perpetrator, family members, or the media immediately place the blame it on Combat-Related PTSD. Then with further examination the PTSD alibi starts to quickly unravel. What the media, the witless, and violent psychopaths looking for vindication don’t realize, is that everyday we are all interacting with others who are suffering from PTSD, and we may never know it. Most PTSD symptoms are not recognizable to strangers, it would take knowing the PTSD sufferer intimately to view the signs and symptoms. PTSD symptoms vary widely but usually consist of at least these three categories ; recurring memories, avoidance, and hyperarousal. There may also be depression.
These symptoms don’t manifest all at one time, it is more of a cycle, a roller coaster, a merry-go-round. It is Ground Hog Day. The PTSD roller costar keeps going around and around. The ride isn’t all bad, it’s just not all good. There will be those sweet moments when those who are cursed with this affliction, resemble their former selves. When they re-find joy in all the activities that made them feel alive. When they make to do lists, get proactive and productive, and plan their amazing futures. Unfortunately that high, that joy for life is fleeting, just like the ability to feel true happiness. Imagine waking up and wishing it was night, so you could just go back to bed. Pretending to be sick to avoid interacting with other human beings. Not being capable of leaving your house. Driving to pick your child up from school, and getting lost. Even though you have been driving to the same place for four years. Looking in your rear view mirror, to see if the car behind you has been tailing you. Starting things, and never finishing them. Never finding any enjoyment in all the activities you used to love. Feeing like life is passing you by. Not being able to sleep unless medicated. Insomnia, with anxiety. Not being able to imagine your future or one that is better than the present. PTSD sufferers are not violent. Most PTSD sufferers, despite dealing with their challenging reality still try to help others who are in the same situation. Those with PTSD are more likely to cause harm to themselves instead others. Allowing criminals to abuse and implicate a valid disorder that so many service members, veterans, and family members endure, is abhorrent. I am not a Doctor and I don’t know everything about PTSD. The one thing I do know though, is that I have it.
– Surviving Spouse of U.S. Navy SEAL
Co-Authored by Spencer Walker and Daniel Racca
Spencer Walker (deployed twice to Afghanistan and five times to Iraq) and Daniel Racca (deployed three times to Iraq) are Honorably Discharged combat veteran U.S. Marines. Both serve on the Board of Directors of the Warfighter Foundation and are the Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor of Warfighter News.
Human Intelligence (HUMINT) is the collection of information from human sources.
HUMINT for this report was collected from:
Major. Dr. C. Alan Hopewell, U.S. Army 1976-2010
SSgt. Justin Webster, U.S. Marines 1998 – 2011
Sgt. Andrew Stokes, U.S. Marines 2006-2010
Cpl. Ryker Pawloski, U.S. Marines 2005-2009
Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) refers to a broad array of information and sources that are generally available, including information obtained from the media (newspapers, radio, television, etc.), professional and academic records (papers, conferences, professional associations, etc.), and public data (government reports, demographics, hearings, speeches, etc.)
OSINT for this report was collected from:
Marine Corps Times
Texas Psychological Association
Encyclopedia of Mental Disorders
Psychiatry Online
Psychiatric Times
Drugs.com
WFAA8 ABC
Posted in News and tagged 22nd MEU, American Sniper, Bipolar, chad littlefield, Chris Kyle, CLB-8, Corps, Death Penalty, double murder, Eddie, Eddie R. Routh, Eddie Ray Routh, Eddie Routh, Haiti, Insanity, Iraq War, Jail, Marine, Marine Corps, Marine Expeditionary Unit, Marines, Murder, Navy, Navy SEAL, OIF, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Prison, Psychopath, Psychopathy, PTSD, Routh, Schizophrenia, Schizophrenic, SEAL, SEAL Team, Sniper, stephenville, Texas, Trial, US Navy SEAL, VA, Veteran, Veterans, Veterans Affairs, victim, War, Warfighter, Warfighter Foundation on February 10, 2015 by S.H. Walker. 36 Comments
Our Flag Matters May 12, 2015
LAPD Shooting: Suspect Grabbed Gun March 2, 2015
Eddie R. Routh: The Liar February 18, 2015
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57th & 9th Tour Merchandise Now Available
Now available online! Check out the line of 57th & 9th Tour Merchandise. Tees, hoodies, hats, and more.
Buy here.
February 13, 2017 posted by timo
Very cool rock and roll stuff.... GOT MINE!
Sting came to play in New Orleans...
In releasing "57th and 9th," all those public relations people and music reporters kept talking to Sting about how this was his first rock album in years. But to Sting, the former frontman of influential British export The Police, it didn't exactly feel that way. "I play rock and roll every night, and it's been part of my DNA since I was 7 years old," he laughed in an interview just weeks ago. "That puzzles me a little bit."
The Last Bandoleros
Member Exclusive: Last Bandoleros are bringing their exceptional musicianship and unbridled energy to the #57thAnd9thTour. I say they're like Los Lobos meet The Monkees but get to the show early and judge for yourself.
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Life in Pictures: Sting, on Broadway for the First Time in 20 Years...
''Well, we opened in October,'' says Sting, 63, about The Last Ship, the musical he co-wrote and, through January 24, will star in. ''And like most of the new musicals on Broadway, we were struggling with ticket sales. And very quickly the producers came to me and said, 'There's one thing to do.' And I said, 'What’s that?' 'You have to go into the play. 'I said no way - I don’t want to. I wrote this for my dear friend Jimmy Nail. 'Nope, you’ve gotta do it.' I said they had to ask Jimmy, and Jimmy was wonderfully magnanimous and said, 'Yep, it’s the right thing to do.' 'Well, okay.'''
To view more of Kevin Mazur's photographs visit www.vulture.com...
USA Today interview Sting and Rachel Tucker...
Watch Sting perform "What Say You, Meg" on Late Show with David Letterman...
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Harvard Law Bulletin - Winter 2011
On the Court: The ‘10th justice’ becomes the 9th
As Harvard Law School’s first female dean and the first woman ever to serve as U.S. solicitor general, Elena Kagan ’86 has made a habit of making history. On Oct. 1, Kagan sat on the far right-hand side of the Supreme Court’s courtroom in a chair first used by Chief Justice John Marshall, poised to make history once again at her formal investiture ceremony. Continue Reading
Regulating digital communications is like trying to control an explosion. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski ’91 brings a full spectrum of skills to the job. Continue Reading
Stories from the West Wing
Three faculty who served in the Obama administration, and recently returned to HLS, talk to writer Elaine McArdle about gridlock, being part of history, living life at warp speed and the day the Easter Bunny blacked out the White House.
The Shape of the World to Come
Thirty years ago, Laurent Cohen-Tanugi embraced internationalism by leaving France to attend HLS. Today, as a leading international lawyer and public intellectual, he is an architect of a European strategy for globalization. Continue Reading
Safe harbor: Winning asylum for refugees from persecution
By Elaine McArdle, February 23, 2011
Credit: Tsar Fedorsky Student’s in Harvard’s Immigration and Refugee Clinic take on about 50 asylum cases a year, as well as appellate work, including in the Supreme Court.
After countless hours of interviewing their client, digging through documents and working with experts to prepare for two court hearings, students in the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic got what they were after: a grant of asylum.
Their client was a 25-year-old from the Democratic Republic of Congo—a man not much older than they are—who had been violently beaten by youths in his neighborhood in Congo, because he is gay and dared to think that gay people should be treated equally. When the decision from the judge came in the mail—asylum granted—the young man was ecstatic. That would have been reward enough for Lauren Kuley ’10 and Connor Kuratek ’10.
Then came a note from the young man’s mother, who now lives in Kenya. “[T]hank you so much for the great work successfully done in your efforts towards granting my child permanent stay documents in the USA,” she wrote. “May God Almighty bless you forever.”
Under the direction of Clinical Professor Deborah Anker LL.M. ’84, students at the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic work on about 50 asylum cases a year, as well as other cases such as family reunification, visas for people who’ve cooperated with American law enforcement, special immigrant juvenile cases, and appellate work, including in the U.S. Supreme Court. For the past 25 years, the clinic has been a leader in developing the law of refugee status in the U.S., through client representation, federal court litigation, international and domestic advocacy, and training of students and adjudicators. Students represent clients from around the world fleeing life-threatening situations.
Immigration law has developed enormously over the past decade, with HLS students deeply involved in that evolution. “Many issues related to persecuted groups, like women, children and members of the LGT community, are surrounded by ambiguity still, and we are deeply involved in developing a rule of law culture in the administrative and judicial arenas,” says Anker, author of the forthcoming major treatise “Law of Asylum in the United States.”
“That clinical was the most valuable learning experience I had at Harvard,” says Kuratek, who is now an associate at Davis Polk in New York City, where he also does pro bono asylum work. “We had responsibility to decide the course of this individual’s life. It made me see the human side of the law, and how powerful we can be as students.” Kuratek says of receiving the letter from the client’s mother: “That’s when it really hit me what it meant to him and his family—and to future asylees who are in his situation.”
Kuley and Kuratek worked on the case last year under the supervision of clinical instructor and lead attorney Sabrineh Ardalan. They interviewed the man extensively to prepare his affidavit, as well as his mother, by telephone in Kenya. They also found and interviewed experts who submitted affidavits supporting their assertion that homosexuality is severely punished in the DRC and Kenya. “The affidavit was a significant part of our work since that is the foundation of the client’s case and the centerpiece for his testimony. It has to develop into a legal theory while remaining true to the client’s voice and to the details he’ll be able to recall on the stand,” Kuley explains.
HIRC had filed for asylum for the man based on his membership in a particular social group—based on his sexual identity—and because of his political beliefs that gays should be treated equally by the DRC government. For almost two decades, U.S. law has granted asylum because of persecution related to sexual identity, but there have been challenges related to proof and country conditions, Anker notes. “Refugees rarely flee with corroborative evidence, and such evidence is hard to produce,” she says. The DRC case was particularly difficult because there is little documentation from the U.S. State Department supporting the contention that gays are persecuted there; indeed, the judge in the Boston immigration court seemed skeptical of the man’s claim.
The students stayed in Cambridge last December, long after the fall semester ended and their friends had flown home for the holidays, to represent their client at a Dec. 23 hearing. The witnesses had to be lined up and prepared for testimony (some by telephone). Kuley and Kuratek also conducted the direct examination of the client.
In April, the man’s mother flew to Boston to testify that her son was persecuted because he was gay; she described taking him to the hospital after one assault, because he was in such severe pain. Kuley delivered the closing argument. But for months, they had no answer from the court. Finally, in September, they learned that their client was granted asylum.
Says Kuley, who is now clerking for Judge Karen Nelson Moore ’73 on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, “I witnessed how important to the case it is to develop a good rapport with the client. I think our client was better able to tell us his story, both in preparing for court and in front of the judge, because he knew us and trusted us. Sabi and Debbie did a really great job showing us how to develop that kind of respectful and congenial relationship with him.”
And, she adds: “It was also a lesson in the value of persistence.” After the December hearing, the students were worried about the outcome. But after a pep talk from Anker, Kuley recalls, “we came back even more prepared the next time. In immigration cases especially, preparation makes a big difference—I think it communicates credibility and sincerity to the judge—as does trying lots of different angles and legal theories since the immigration judge has so much discretion.”
Students working in the Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinic landed another victory in June 2010 when a young woman from Guatemala, who escaped with her two young children from a man who had repeatedly tortured all three of them, was granted asylum. Under the supervision of Ardalan, clinical students Defne Ozgediz ’11 and Gianna Borroto ’11 spent last spring developing her case. The woman sought asylum in the United States on the basis of gender and beliefs—her partner brutally attacked her because she believed in equal rights for women and because she insisted on her right to independence: to run her own business and not to submit to his sexual and physical abuse and control. She feared she and her children would be killed if forced to return to Guatemala.
The case touched on an issue of significance to HIRC and, in particular, to Anker, who has been a prime mover in urging legislative and regulatory reform. Since 1986, due in significant part to the work of the clinic under Anker’s direction, the federal government has recognized that violence against women is persecution—a serious human rights violation—that can be the basis for an asylum petition. In 1995, the clinic drafted historic federal asylum law guidelines, which served as international precedent. But these guidelines still are not consistently applied at the local level, and the clinic, in conjunction with its partners at Greater Boston Legal Services, has continued to push for their uniform application, filing amicus briefs, training asylum officers and working with congressional staffers.
The students met with the woman weekly to learn the details of her life in Guatemala, which they presented in an affidavit along with her petition for asylum. Borroto served as interpreter for the client, who speaks mainly Spanish, including at meetings with a therapist to discuss the abuse she and her children had endured. The students also researched cultural and political conditions in Guatemala, gathering news stories on domestic violence, machismo and “femicide.” They worked with Ardalan to develop the theory of the case, prepared the client to testify at an interview before an asylum officer and represented her at the interview, under the supervision of Anker and Ardalan. Two months later, in June, their client received the news she’d dreamed of: asylum status in the U.S. for herself and her children.
“The moment I realized our client would never have to go back to Guatemala, and that she and her kids were going to have a good life here, was one of the most moving moments I’ve had while in law school,” says Ozgediz.
“I had the chance to develop my legal writing skills by working on the client’s affidavit, while at the same time getting client contact with our weekly interviews,” says Borroto, who is considering going into immigration work after graduation, perhaps with a focus on policy. “It was difficult to ask her about these experiences, but through the interview process we formed a relationship … and she began to feel more comfortable sharing these details with us.”
Adds Ozgediz, “The clinic gave us an opportunity to take on a great deal of responsibility in a case where our client and her kids had their whole lives at stake. Classroom courses teach us about different areas of the law, but this let us see what it is like to be an immigration lawyer and serve a client in a way that a classroom education can’t.”
Topics: Public Service, International
Clinics: Harvard Immigration and Refugee Clinical Program
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MotoAmerica Superbikes Set To Air On FS2, Announce On-Air Talent
MotoAmerica and FOX Sports are pleased to announce that FS2 is now the “Home of MotoAmerica Superbike Racing” with the network set to deliver 90 minutes of live or same-day coverage of the MotoAmerica Superbike class on both Saturday and Sunday from each of the 10 rounds of the 2019 MotoAmerica Series.
In addition to the live and same-day coverage of the MotoAmerica Superbike Series, there will also be 90-minute re-airs within seven days of each event on FS2 with a total of 45 hours of MotoAmerica action scheduled for the 2019 season. FS2 has a reach of nearly 57 million households, according to Nielsen Media Research.
“We’re very pleased to have FS2 as the home of MotoAmerica Superbike racing,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “This is a big step forward for us as a series as nearly 57 million households will now have the opportunity to see what competitive, exciting racing we have in the MotoAmerica Superbike Series. We know that FS2 will do a great job of bringing our racing into the homes of our existing fans and it will also put our series in front of a lot of new fans as well.”
“Adding the MotoAmerica Superbike Series to FS2 continues a long history of exciting motor sports action available on the FOX Sports family of networks,” said Josh Oakley, FOX Sports VP Acquisitions & Programming. “FS2 is a destination for motor sports fans, and MotoAmerica delivers on the expectations of our viewers.”
Rounds 11 and 12 will take place at the MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship GEICO Motorcycle U.S. Round with MotoAmerica July 12-14. Tickets, camping and VIP hospitality are available by clicking here or calling 831-242-8200.
FS2 Tentative Broadcast Schedule (90-Minute Programs/Pacific Time)
Saturday, April 6: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Superbikes (Race 1), 11:30 a.m.
Sunday, April 7: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Superbikes (Race 2), 11:30 a.m.
Saturday, April 13: Circuit of The Americas Superbikes (Race 1), 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 14: Circuit of The Americas Superbikes (Race 2), 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, May 4: VIRginia International Raceway Superbikes (Race 1), 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 5: VIRginia International Raceway Superbikes (Race 2), 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 1: Road America Superbikes (Race 1), 5 p.m.
Sunday, June 2: Road America Superbikes (Race 2), 3 p.m.
Saturday, June 15: Utah Motorsports Campus Superbikes (Race 1), 3 p.m.
Sunday, June 16: Utah Motorsports Campus Superbikes (Race 2), 5 p.m.
Saturday, July 13: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Superbikes (Race 1), 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 14: WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Superbikes (Race 2) 3 p.m.
Saturday, August 10: Sonoma Raceway Superbikes (Race 2), 6 p.m.
Sunday, August 11: Sonoma Raceway Superbikes (Race 2) 8 p.m.
Saturday, August 24: Pittsburgh International Race Complex Superbikes (Race 1), 4 p.m.
Sunday, August 25: Pittsburgh International Race Complex Superbikes (Race 2), 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 7: New Jersey Motorsports Park Superbikes (Race 1), 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 8: New Jersey Motorsports Park Superbikes (Race 2), 3:30 p.m.
Saturday, September 21: Barber Motorsports Park Superbikes (Race 1), 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 22: Barber Motorsports Park Superbikes (Race 2), 6 p.m.
UPDATE (2/12/2019): MotoAmerica announced that they will retain their on-air personalities during the move to FS2 for the 2019 MotoAmerica season. Greg White, Jason Pridmore and Hannah Lopa will be part of the expansive MotoAmerica coverage.
“I’m pumped to have the opportunity to continue with MotoAmerica as it continues to strengthen its television and digital programming for the 2019 season,” said Greg White. “The series is home to us, and I know I speak for Jason and Hannah in saying that we work well together as a team and we can’t wait to get the season started with FOX Sports.”
(From left to right) Hannah Lopa, MotoAmerica partner Chuck Aksland, Jason Pridmore, MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey and Greg White.
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Laurels: October 2016
Stan Finney, Geological Sciences, has been elected Secretary General of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS). The IUGS is one of the largest non-governmental scientific organizations in the world with 121 nation members. Finney was elected to his new leadership position at the 35th International Geologic Congress in Cape Town, South Africa in September.
Robert D. Francis, Geological Sciences, recently saw the publication of his latest book titled Black Gold in California: The Story of the California Petroleum Industry by the California Independent Petroleum Association through HPNbooks.
Maulana Karenga, Africana Studies, presented a paper titled “Us, Kawaida Philosophy and the Black Liberation Movement: A Critical Reading of the Revolutionary Record” and participated in a roundtable on “Reparations: An Update on the Movement” and served on a panel honoring a founding scholar of the NCBS titled “We Called Her Queen Mother: The Impact and Legacy of Dr. Bertha Maxwell-Roddey” at the National Council for Black Studies Annual Conference, Charlotte, N.C., March 19, 17 and 19. He received “The Eme Visionary Award for Scholarship, Leadership and Community Engagement,” USC Black Alumni Association, University of Southern California, March 10. He also published two articles: “Contemplating Anna Julia Cooper: The Undisputed Dignity of Black Womanhood,” Aug. 4; and “Kinds and Colors of Loss and Grief: Problems of Unity Without Justice,” Part 1, July 21 and Part 2, July 28, Los Angeles Sentinel.
Nate Onderdonk, Geological Sciences, presented an invited lecture at the annual meeting of the Southern California Earthquake Center meeting on “Earthquake displacements and timing of events and Quincy and Mystic Lake, San Jacinto Fault.” He also co-authored with his graduate student Andrew Farris a presentation on “Quantifying Late Quaternary deformation in the Santa Maria Basin: A OSL, GPS and soil Chrono sequence based model for determining strath terrace deformation in the Zaca Creek drainage, Santa Barbara County.”
Laurels is the section of this online newsletter used to highlight faculty/staff achievements.
Write a book, publish a paper, give a talk/presentation?
If so, e-mail the information to the Media Relations office and we can let the world know.
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Posts Tagged ‘gender equality’
056 How to Find Balance Through Spiritual Connection with Jean Houston
By Giovanna Rossi | March 8, 2017 | 0
In the current political climate, it can feel that there’s a split in society. At times, we feel so divided by issues that we can’t even start a conversation with someone who disagrees with us. For Foundation for Mind Research founder and renowned spiritual leader Jean Houston, we must find those things that unite us if we want to make progress. And the things that unite us, she explains, are at the core matters of the spirit. We must be able to overlook the specific issues and remember that we are all humans with drive, compassion, and spiritual depth.
My guest on this episode is Jean Houston. Jean is a Ph.D., scholar, philosopher and researcher in Human Capacities. In 1965, along with her husband Dr. Robert Masters, Jean founded The Foundation for Mind Research. She is long regarded as one of the principal founders of the Human Potential Movement. A prolific writer, Jean is the author of 26 books including “Jump Time”, “ A Passion for the Possible”, “Search for the Beloved”, “Life Force”, and “The Possible Human.” As Advisor to UNICEF in human and cultural development, she has worked around the world helping to implement some of their extensive educational programs. In this episode Jean and I talk about the intersectionality of spirituality and politics, what we can do to use spirituality to connect in our current political climate, the importance of women coming into power, and why community is so important.
What You’ll Discover in This Episode
How Jean is able to unite people by focusing on our similarities rather than those things that divide us
How you can explain to others the importance of gender equality and overcome strife and create greater unity
How you can foster a relationship with spirituality, even if you don’t consider yourself a particularly spiritual person
As intellectual beings, we have developed and evolved in incredibly complex and self-aware ways. One way that is sometimes overlooked, though, is the immense spiritual capacity that we all have. “We are not encapsulated bags of skin dragging around dreary little egos,” she explains. However, when we overlook this potential, we are wasting a source of power and unity and end up existing as “the flight of the alone to the alone.”
One way that Jean encourages spiritual unity is through equal treatment of the sexes. She expresses that “the rise of women to full partnership with men” is one of the largest movements of the modern world. As men and women are no longer “under the heavy thumbprint of the patriarchy,” there is more freedom for both to explore how they define their existences. She acknowledges that “the releasing of thousands of years of expectations… in a few hundred months” can lead to backlash, but as men and women discover and explore this new reality, they find more freedom and compassion.
Just as with pushback of gender equality, we must approach political conflict with compassion and understanding. She suggests that the potential for spiritual depth that exists within all of us can unify us, and help us to overlook political differences. According to Jean, “we don’t just live in the universe, the universe lives in us,” and remembering this unified existence is essential to coming together.
JeanHouston.com
Jean Houston books
Dark Money by Jane Mayer
Tagged connection, Feminism, Foundation for Mind Research, gender equality, human potential, Jean Houston, politics, spiritual leader, spirituality, unicef, unity, well woman
040 The Female Voice in Politics with Ellen Malcolm
By Giovanna Rossi | November 16, 2016 | 0
What does the word ‘feminism’ mean to you? Do you struggle over whether or not you identify as a feminist Many of us exemplify feminism in our actions in its true meaning, yet some of us have an aversion to identify with the term due to negative associations. EMILY’s List founder Ellen Malcolm has seen the rise and fall and rise again in popularity of the term. To her, the word itself is not as important as fighting for what it really means: equality between men and women. Today I speak with Ellen about how she advocates for gender equality and greater female representation in politics.
My guest today is Ellen Malcolm, founder and board chair of EMILY’s List, an organization that seeks to give female political candidates credibility and resources to win by developing a a donor network that encouraged members to contribute to the candidates EMILY’s List recommends. Ellen is a veteran Democratic activist and fundraiser who began her career as an organizer at Common Cause and later served as press secretary for the National Women’s Political Caucus. In 1980, Ellen went to work at the White House as the press secretary for President Jimmy Carter’s special assistant for consumer affairs. Ellen is a recipient of Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Margaret Sanger Award — the organization’s highest honor and has been named one of the most influential women in America by Vanity Fair, one of Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year, and one of Ladies’ Home Journal’s 100 Most Important Women in America. Today I speak with Ellen about the changes and challenges EMILY’s List has faced over the years, the importance of including female voices in politics, and how she has been able to make real, sustainable change nationally.
Get the FREE worksheet “Well Woman Life Cycle” now!
What you can do today to encourage more female and family friendly policies
How Ellen avoids burnout and why she thinks taking a break from work makes her a better, stronger worker
How you can get involved in the political system to make a difference from the inside out
More About Ellen
Ellen has been active in politics since the 60’s. After graduating college in 1969 she became involved in the anti-war movement and participated by demonstrating and becoming active in rallies; fighting from the outside. Ellen says she recognizes herself in Bernie Sanders-supporting millennials today. There is dissatisfaction with the way the government is running, and people want change. For Ellen, after trying to change from the outside and having little success, she “decided that I wanted to go inside the system and make a difference.” She knew that there was little female representation in politics, and decided to take this on as her challenge.
Ellen began EMILY’s List in 1985 to help connect funders with female candidates to ultimately introduce more female voices in to our government. “EMILY’s List is an acronym, standing for “Early Money Is Like Yeast” (i.e., it makes the dough rise),” as Ellen recognized that financial backing is the starting point to get women into office. Thirty years later, EMILY’s List has seen the election of 11 female governors, 19 Senate members, 110 House of Representative members, over 700 state and local office successes, and the first female presidential candidate.
Today, EMILY’s list is proud to have seen such incredible change in a short period of time, but Ellen recognizes that there is still significant work to be done. She suggests the best way to initiate more change is for women to run for office, and she encourages any and all women to consider it.
Walk my dogs.
What advice would you give to your 25 or 30 year old self?
Expose yourself to a lot of different things.
EMILY’s List
When Women Win by Ellen Malcolm
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
Tagged Born to Run, change, democrat, ellen malcolm, Emily's list, equality, family, Feminism, feminist, gender equality, Hillary Clinton, paid leave, political, politics, Pro choice, well woman, When Women Win, woman, women
005: Mom Power with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner (not just for moms!)
By Giovanna Rossi | March 16, 2016 | 0
Todays topic is Mom Power, and hopefully by then end of this show you will be ready to take action, whether you are a mom or not, whether you have kids at home or not. If you’re invested in raising the next generation of kids as a mom, aunt, grandmother or friend, you’ll want to listen up!
My guest today is Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner, Executive Director/CEO and Co-Founder of MomsRising and she’s the author of the Motherhood Manifesto: what America’s moms want and what to do about it.
Today I’m going to talk with Kristin about the power of raising the next generation. Whether you’re a mom, sister, aunt or grandmother you’ll learn about the issues and what you can do to help. That’s what this episode is all about.
I talk to Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner about making time in your busy schedule, juggling things, realizing that you can’t do everything, working in a team so you’re not alone, having lots of partners, finding mentors, and also embracing failure.
And, the free give away today is a worksheet I developed called “The Elements of a Well Woman Life” and listeners can download it here. Get the FREE worksheet “Four Elements of a Well Woman Life” now!
I love the worksheet because it offers a quickie self assessment so you can see where you are with the necessary building blocks and outcome areas for all Well Women. I’m thinking about doing a bonus episode dedicated to this topic so stay tuned for details about that.
Get the FREE worksheet “Four Elements of a Well Woman Life” now!
Motherhood in America
When we reflect on the state of women say, one hundred years ago, it is clear that phenomenal progress has been made toward gender equality. So much has changed and improved to make opportunities more accessible for women that many of us don’t feel that gender equality is an issue anymore; it’s a problem of the past. However, when you take a look at stats in areas such as pay equality and healthcare accommodations, women, and in particular, mothers, come out on the bottom. Many people aren’t aware of these inequalities until they affect us directly as women, wives, or mothers.
For Kristen Rowe-Finkbeiner, Director, CEO and Co-Founder of Moms Rising, that realization didn’t happen until she became a mother, trying to balance her career with the care of an ill child. She suddenly saw that women are discriminated against for fulfilling one of the most important roles a person can undertake: motherhood. This realization led her to embark on a journey to fight for women’s and mother’s rights that has led to a thriving nationwide movement.
Today I talk with Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner about her journey to creating MomsRising, the work that MomsRising does and how she runs a successful business and finds time for friends, family, and herself.
Some of the issues that MomsRising tackles, and why they matter to you
How MomsRising’s work has led to changes on the national scale, and how you can contribute to their work
Kristin’s advice for creating a successful national business, including tips on working with others and bringing together great minds for a greater whole
More About Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner
Prior to founding MomsRising Kristin had worked in environment science. In that field, gender inequality didn’t come up regularly, so she was able to balance her roles as career person and wife fairly smoothly. Only after the birth of her son did it become clear to her that there is something wrong with the treatment of mothers in our country. As she looked more closely at the issue she came to see that not only are there serious barriers for women to maintain a reasonable income while mothering; women are actually discriminated against for being mothers. While she had to leave her job to be a full-time at-home mom, she realized that was lucky. For women who do not have a supportive partner or health insurance, motherhood means poverty. She recalls looking at a ring on her hand, a family heirloom passed down from her mother and her mothers’ mother before her, and feeling a calling to band together with other women and work for women’s rights around this issue.
Today Kristin functions as the Executive Director and CEO at MomsRising. The work she has contributed has led to policy changes such as the banning of junk food from school lunches, the development of laws protecting pregnant workers, and advancements in affordable childcare. MomsRising enacts changes through four avenues:
Bringing the voices and real world experiences of women and mothers straight to local, state, and nation’s leaders
Amplifying women’s voices and policy issues in the national dialogue & in the media across all platforms (from print, to radio, to blogs, social media, and more)
Accelerating grassroots impact on Capitol Hill and at state capitols across the country
Holding corporations accountable for fair treatment of women and mothers & for ensuring the safety of their products.
There are many ways to get involved with the important work that MomsRising does, and as MomsRising likes to say, the door to get involved is open to who has a bellybutton; if you’ve had a mother motherhood impacts you. Check out the links at the bottom of the page to find out how you can get involved!
While Kristin has a lot on her plate, she still makes self-care a priority. She says she can thank her team for creating a work environment that allows everyone to prioritize self-care. Kristin clearly has experience running a successful business, and I was so impressed to learn about some of her leadership secrets. While there’s often a ‘fight your way to the top’ sort of attitude in the business world, Kristin’s success comes from doing the exact opposite. She emphasizes the team over the leader and explains again and again how this team mentality has allowed MomsRising, and her, to find success as well as maintain a social and family life.
The super power of her family legacy to fight for women’s rights.
Stick to it.
Momsrising.com
The F-Word: Feminism in Jeopardy- Women, Politics, and the Future by Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner
Tagged author, book, discrimination, empowerment, Feminism, gender equality, mom, moms, moms rising, momsrising, mother, motherhood, mothers, parenthood, podcast, women’s movement, women’s rights
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What Is a Good Base Pay for Entry Level at a Marketing Company?
by Dana Severson
A marketing team often consists of a writer, designer, researcher and executive.
Thinkstock Images/Stockbyte/Getty Images
1 Salary for a Content Strategist
2 Salary Ranges for Marketing VPs in Pharmaceuticals
3 The Minimum & Maximum Salary for a Media Writer
4 What Does an Average Marketing Entry Level Job Pay?
In the simplest of terms, marketing companies create marketing campaigns to promote products or services. They may handle everything from product and package development to advertising, merchandising and pricing. A number of marketing professionals are usually involved in the development of any given campaign. Those working in entry-level positions are just as specialized in their skills and responsibilities as those at the senior level, and their salaries often reflect this.
Content Salaries
Generally, marketing companies staff copywriters to create promotional content for their clients. These writers pen anything from slogans and ad copy to jingles and web content. A survey by the Creative Group, a national recruiter for marketing professionals, found that entry-level copywriters earned $41,500 to $56,750 a year, as of 2014. Those who specialize in creating web content earned slightly higher wages, earning anywhere from $45,750 to $68,500 at the start of their careers.
Design Salaries
Copy often goes hand-in-hand with design; so marketing companies typically hire a number of designers to work in tandem with their copywriters. Graphic designers, who help conceive the overall design of an advertisement, website or brochure, earned an entry-level salary of $37,750 to $54,500 a year, according to the Creative Group survey. Production and studio artists, who help execute and lay out designs, started at $35,500 to $49,000 and $41,000 to $54,500, respectively.
Market Research Salaries
Any marketing company worth its weight will have at least one market researcher or analyst on staff to research, analyze and forecast market trends. These marketing professionals also measure the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, track the purchase behaviors of consumers and help develop pricing strategies for products and services. As of 2014, entry-level salaries for market researchers often started at $46,000 to $60,250 a year. Marketing analytics specialists started at $55,250 to $72,500, while web analytics specialists started at $72,000 to $97,000 annually.
Development Salaries
Marketing companies rely on account executives to maintain relationships with their clients. They’re responsible for much of the day-to-day activities of an account, such as fielding questions, explaining how certain media channels can promote products, estimating costs of marketing campaigns and even negotiating contracts, depending on the marketing firm. Account executives often start as account coordinators, who assist account executives in their duties. As of 2013, account coordinators earned a starting salary of $36,750 to $51,500 a year. Account executives, on the other hand, started at $50,250 to $70,250 annually.
The Creative Group: 2014 Salary Guide
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook -- Writers and Authors
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook -- Graphic Designers
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook -- Market Research Analysts
Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook -- Advertising Sales Agents
Based in Minneapolis, Minn., Dana Severson has been writing marketing materials for small-to-mid-sized businesses since 2005. Prior to this, Severson worked as a manager of business development for a marketing company, developing targeted marketing campaigns for Big G, Betty Crocker and Pillsbury, among others.
Severson, Dana. "What Is a Good Base Pay for Entry Level at a Marketing Company?" Work - Chron.com, http://work.chron.com/good-base-pay-entry-level-marketing-company-26958.html. Accessed 18 July 2019.
Severson, Dana. (n.d.). What Is a Good Base Pay for Entry Level at a Marketing Company? Work - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/good-base-pay-entry-level-marketing-company-26958.html
Severson, Dana. "What Is a Good Base Pay for Entry Level at a Marketing Company?" accessed July 18, 2019. http://work.chron.com/good-base-pay-entry-level-marketing-company-26958.html
Pay Scale for an Account Executive at an Ad Agency
Salary of Advertising Majors
Salaries for a Master's in Web Development
Salary Information for a Creative Director of Marketing
How Much Money Do Retail Copywriters Make?
Telecommunications Specialist Pay Scale
Jobs in Online Marketing
The Average Salaries of Front-End Web Developers
What Is a Press Photographer's Starting Income?
The Salary of a Senior QA Analyst for Video Games
Salary Range for an Independent Contractor Web Designer
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Nature Tours in China
Each of the many sites we’ll be visiting in Sichuan Province is different, with its own appeal and its own very special birdlife. During our explorations we will visit such exciting areas as the borderland between the Sichuan Basin and the Tibetan High Plateau, visiting the Wolong area and Wawushan National Park. In the high mountain ranges we will visit, amongst others, Jiuzhaigou National Reserve and Mengbi mountain range, which offer numerous bird species, especially in the vicinity of the Monasteries or Sacred Mountains where the animal world is still totally unspoilt. We also visit the grasslands of the Tibetan High Plateau, many birds living within the grasslands prefer areas with abundant water resources such as wetlands, marshlands or meandering streams, thus we visit the huge wetland in Ruoergai and Hong Yuan. Why not find out more by reading the tour details?
Tour dates 5th - 19th of May
We have put together a very special tour to a very special destination, Yunnan Province. Yunnan, in the south of China, is a great destination for those who are more interested in flowers and plants, but also for the keen bird enthusiast. In fact, the tour has been designed for those with a combined interest. During the late 19th and early 20th century the southwest corner of China was one of the most important areas for ‘plant hunters.’ These dedicated people endured enormous difficulties and many gave their lives in the hunt for new and exotic plants to adorn the gardens of Europe and America. Among many famous areas, we will be visiting the Azalea Forest, one of the most beautiful areas in the whole of China, which is in the Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, here plants and birdlife thrill the visitor, not to mention several rare species of mammal. With terrain ranging from tropical rainforest to snow-capped peaks, Yunnan is the most varied of China’s provinces and is one of the most important and interesting for nature enthusiasts. We are certain you will not only enjoy this “recce” tour, but will return enriched by the experience.
China - Sichuan Province of four streams
Tour dates 9th - 21st of May
After a very successfull trip this year we have chosen to visit the Sichuan Province in 2013 again.
Sichuan lies at the eastern edge of the Tibetan High Plateau and south of the Qinlin Mountain Range. There are about 650 species of birds recorded in Sichuan. Most are resident, some are summer visitors and some are migrants. Sichuan features 37 endemic bird species which comprises almost two thirds of the endemic birds of the whole of China. Game birds and laughing thrushes rank top of Sichuan’s "specialty" birds. Not only does Sichuan offer the best opportunities for seeing China’s prime specialties, but due to the great diversity of its habitats, ranging from the subtropical lowlands of the Red Basin and rich evergreen foothill forests to cool temperate zone forests, alpine meadows and dramatic snow-capped mountain peaks, the province has a remarkable wealth of birds in general.
Visit to Tibet
Tour dates 21st - 26th of May
The high elevations of the upland plateau in Tibet are one of Asia’s natural wonders, providing a wilderness and haven for so many birds and animals. Our tour will focus on the very special birds of this region and with a total of 488 species recorded here; we hope to give friends the thrill of seeing at least some of the 72 species considered under threat and rare in this part of our world. The area has a total of 18 nature reserves and 5 of these are National Nature Reserves, where both rare animals and birds are protected. From open plains, salt lakes and forest we will give ourselves the possibility to observe a wide range of species, so why not join us on our visit to the ‘Roof of our World’….
Birding in China
With extension to Tibet
Search for the Pheasants
& endemics for China
And only with us -
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This is the HTML version of Annual Performance Report 2017-2018 Page 30
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Thank you for making time to learn how Windham School District (WSD) is growing.
Windham School District programs, outlined in this annual performance report, support the ongoing transformation of our students as they transition out of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). A strategic planning session five years ago sparked the diligent work Windham continues to do in order to upgrade the program offerings and enhance the learning opportunities for students.
The plan, developed by staff members, teachers, administrators, and stakeholders, created a vision of what Windham should be. We used extensive data analysis to determine where programs could improve with better outcomes. The implementation of the strategic plan required changes to curricula, new teaching materials, and expansion of program offerings. It also required significant restructuring to achieve set goals. Since recidivism is measured three years after release, the results have now started to appear, showing positive gains in all areas of programming.
Windham completely revised the Cognitive Intervention Program (CIP) and Changing Habits and Achieving New Goals to Empower Success (CHANGES) curricula to provide research-based strategies and assessments to measure student gains. In the past, these courses provided benefits over time, but with the new additions, individual behavior changes can be measured more accurately and in a timelier manner. The outcomes of the current programs, fully implemented in the 2017-18 school year, will begin providing beneficial proof of these revisions.
Academic gains in the 2017-18 school year continue to show some of the highest results in the nation among correctional education programs. Students can expect to see more than two years gain academically in literacy classes for every one year of study–630 hours of classroom instruction. Windham completed the implementation of computer-based testing for the High School Equivalency Certificate (HSE) in 2017-18, which allows students to test and receive results more quickly.
Extensive vocational programming continued to grow, reaching more students and providing essential credentials and skills needed for them to gain high-paying jobs after release. The program expanded the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) occupation training and provided more opportunities for female students. The continued expansion of Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) machining and telecommunications connectivity opened up new career paths for all students. In addition, the expansion of non-traditional job skills training for females in the 2017-18 school year included electrical trades, cabinetmaking, and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). The number of female-offered trade certification courses has doubled to 22 programs over the past five years. During that same time, Windham programs saw a 470 percent increase in the number of industry-recognized certifications awarded to females, according to last year’s certification data. Windham continues to enhance programs in all areas and expand opportunities for employment by connecting with employers to obtain guidance on program changes and job connections for releasing students.
This report shows the progress of the change efforts occurring within Windham. This team effort from Windham staff, TDCJ, and external stakeholders fuels the continued improvement of our district and students. We are proud of the work everyone does to make Windham a top-performing correctional education program, and we look forward to continued improvement in support of our shared mission.
NEW - They didn’t give up - "It makes me feel really good to know that these guys aren’t giving up just because they’re in prison."
NEW - I’m so grateful I took welding -
"I’m so grateful I took welding; I’ve come so far in my career because the things I was taught in that program".
NEW - Better future after prison - "It's mind-blowing and inspirational to know that you can have a better future after prison"
Role Model - Success Story -
"I talk to them about how important education is and how hard I'm trying to prove that to them."
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Dance of the Ancestors
18 Mar — 14 Jun 2015 at the Martin Gropius Bau in Berlin, Germany
Mask, Museum der Kulturen Basel, © Museum der Kulturen Basel
For the first time artworks from Oceania are the subjects of an exhibition at the Martin-Gropius-Bau. They come from an area on the middle and lower reaches of the river Sepik in Papua-New Guinea. About 220 artworks from twelve lenders – some of Europe’s most prominent museums are involved – will be on view. As early as the beginning of the 20th century the aesthetics of the art of the Sepik region were fascinating European scholars and artists, Berlin and Basel being centres of Sepik scholarship.
Although ethnological explorers were quick to speak of a “Sepik art”, the art world was more reserved, preferring to formulate theories of “Primitivism” – until well into the 1980s. The major exhibition on “‘Primitivism’ in 20th Century Art – Affinity of the Tribal and the Modern” (1984) put on by the Museum of Modern Art in New York is a reminder of this lengthy discussion. Today it is perfectly normal to view such artworks – previously held, like those of the Sepik region, to be “primitivistic”– for their aesthetic qualities. An opportunity to do so is provided by the present exhibition.
The Sepik plain is a large area of water and marshland. The banks of the Sepik, which extends for almost 1,200 kilometres, are inhabited by small tribal groups who speak over a hundred different languages. On the middle and lower reaches of the Sepik alone over ninety different languages are spoken, so one cannot think of the region as a relatively homogeneous settlement area. No sooner had the Sepik been discovered and named (in 1886) Kaiserin Augusta River by the German colonialists (who also drew on the same nomenclature for the Bismarck Sea into which it flowed), than the highly elaborate material culture aroused the attention of collectors and museologists all over the world.
The deeds of the ancestors created the human world. The changes they wrought are manifested in the environment and cultural relics. The ancestors, it is supposed, created the broad river basin of the Sepik, on whose embankments stand the dwellings and the houses of the men. Of key significance are the dance floors in front of the men’s houses; that is where the ancestor figures perform, recalling the great deeds of yore. The dancers embody these ancestors with their rich jewellery and brightly coloured masks and become one with them.
In walking through a village one finds that the rooms are arranged to reflect the social order: there is a clear division between the world of women and that of men, between the public sphere, where everyone is allowed to move about freely, and the sphere which is reserved for male initiates. Within the village the women are mainly assigned to the dwelling houses. The objects are visible. The men, on the other hand, chiefly congregate in the big men’s houses and on the dance floors. The objects are hidden and secret and are only on display when rites are performed.
In the forefront of the selection of ethnological art shown here, is the motif of the human figure, which is common to all cultures: the male or female founder-ancestors of settlements, human communities, and their natural environment. In Sepik societies this an-cestor figure is not shown directly. It always unravels itself gradually in complex patterns. The course of the exhibition will enable visitors to understand the various forms in which these ancestor figures manifest themselves, beginning with the more public ones which become progressively more secret.
The works are fascinating for their extremely rich decoration on small and large objects and the blending of creative genres which in Europe are kept strictly separate (painting, sculpture): a combination of sculptures in human form and surface decoration; of ornaments on palm leaf stalks and ceremonial buildings; of ceramics in the shape of model figures, used for storing or preparing food.
On display will be a large outrigger boat and a dug-out canoe, richly decorated door posts for men’s houses, huge slit drums, mighty ancestor figures, and splendidly ornamented masked figures. The river basin is a mosaic of linguistic groups. The ninety-odd languages partially explain the variety of created objects. Together with the elaborate rites there is a remarkable abundance of objects, whose formal design is frequently astonishing, fascinating and exotic.
For a long time the Sepik was overlooked by European, Amer-ican and Australian explorers and travellers. It was only towards the end of the 19th century that its mouth was discovered and the river navigated by a German ship (the Ottilie). Years were to pass, however, before scientific expeditions were organized. Leading German institutions launched voyages of exploration, from Hamburg in 1909 and from Berlin in 1912-13. The then Königliches Museum für Völkerkunde (Royal Museum of Ethnology) in Berlin mounted a full-blown interdisciplinary expedition, some of whose results can only now be published. One of the protagonists of these expeditions had just discovered the sources of the Sepik River, when the First World War broke out in 1914 and soon spread to the South Seas. Australia conquered and took over control of the colony of “German New Guinea” in 1899-1914.
The present exhibition, put on a hundred years after the last Berlin expedition, will go a long way towards bringing this great Berlin enterprise to public attention, for it was only with this expedition that the Sepik area became one of the most significant regions for ethnographical and scientific research in the South Seas.
As early as 1911 a Berlin Museum employee recognized the extraordinary aesthetic value of the carvings from the Sepik. As a result numerous collectors from all over the world have exchanged and acquired these works in the course of adventurous journeys up the riv-er and its numerous tributaries. Soon these masks, figures and paint-ings came to be found in those art galleries which in the 1920s in Eu-rope and later also in America offered the art of the “Primitives” side by side with the art of the Modernists. The carvings from the Sepik thus became part of the visual repertoire available to the artists of Modernism at the beginning of the 20th century. They were also, however, the occasion of much other research which was to be carried out in the course of that century with the aim of obtaining more information about the significance and iconography of the objects. The exhibition shows a synthesis of this field of art, which also details the scientific expeditions of the last fifty years.
Martin Gropius Bau
The Martin-Gropius-Bau is a Berlin building in the district of Kreuzberg. The building was built to house the Museum of Arts and Crafts, which has now found its definitive seat in the Kunstgewerbemuseum.
Place profile
Mask, Ethnologisches Museum Berlin, © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbe-sitz, Ethnologisches Museum, Photo: Martin Franken
Mask, Museum der Kulturen Basel, © Museum der Kulturen Basel, Photo: Claude Germain
Mask Murik, Linden-Museum Stuttgart, © Linden-Museum Stuttgart
Komb, Ethnologisches Museum Berlin, © Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Preußischer Kulturbesitz, Ethnologisches Museum, Photo: Martin Franken
Men's house: mask, Linden-Museum Stuttgart, © Linden-Museum Stuttgart
More from Martin Gropius Bau
26 Jul — 1 Dec 2019
The Black Image Corporation
25 Apr — 28 Jul 2019
Restless Times
21 Sep 2018 — 6 Jan 2019
1 Sep 2018 — 1 Jan 2019
More in Berlin, Germany
Preis der Nationalgalerie 2019
16 Aug 2019 — 16 Feb 2020 at Hamburger Bahnhof
Connecting Afro Futures
24 Aug — 1 Dec 2019 at Kunstgewerbemuseum
László Moholy-Nagy and New Typography
28 Aug — 15 Sep 2019 at Kunstbibliothek
More in Germany
19 Jul — 10 Nov 2019 at NRW-Forum in Dusseldorf
23 Jul — 3 Nov 2019 at Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig in Leipzig
Consistant. Controversial. New.
23 Aug — 10 Nov 2019 at Hamburger Kunsthalle in Hamburg
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Previous Story Saturday From the Betting Window: College Football Week 4 Picks Next Story Saturday From the Betting Window: Week 5 College Football Picks
Healthier living helps USA veterans Bird, Taurasi on court
By Associated Press September 27, 2018 12:28 pm
SAN CRISTOBAL DE LA LAGUNA, Spain (AP) — Veterans Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi each had one of their best WNBA seasons.
Both players credit changing the way they take care of their bodies off the court for their successes on it. Eating healthier, getting more rest and doing more stretching has helped. Also, the USA Basketball mainstays are only playing in the WNBA during the summer and not overseas in the offseason.
For nearly a decade, the duo played more than 100 games a year with little time for rest and recovery. WNBA players make most of their money playing in more lucrative leagues in Russia, China and Europe during the winter.
“I think there’s so much more information on diet and recovery and taking care of the body,” said the 36-year-old Taurasi. “In my career, my first couple of years, until now. I changed the way I lived my life — from what I eat to how I rest. Therapy to the stuff off the court that makes sure you are fit on the court. I had to change the way I looked at basketball and myself and my career.”
Bird made the changes a few years back and credits working with sports performance consultant Susan King Borchardt. It’s clearly paid off, with Bird and her Seattle Storm teammates winning the WNBA title this month.
“She’s the one I credit for saving my career,” said Bird, who turns 38 next month. “I started working with her four years ago, do the math.”
One innovation Bird uses is the WHOOP fitness tracker. It’s a little black band on her wrist, along with teammates Breanna Stewart and Jewell Loyd.
“Basically, it’s a heart monitor, on top of that, it has a unique tracking system that helps you with your recovery,” Bird said. “It monitors if you have a workout, what your heart rate is, how hard your workout was. Where it really comes in will be to tell you how much sleep they recommend for you that night. Tonight, you need eight hours or 10 hours, it varies.”
For the past year and a half, Bird answers a few questions on her phone and the WHOOP app tells her how much sleep she got. That data is also available to Borchadt. They come up with a plan to figure out what Bird needs for peak performance.
The younger players have taken notice. Stewart, the WNBA MVP of the regular season and finals, approached Bird in late March about her routine.
“The thing she said is that you have to be all the way invested in it, you can’t do it (halfway),” Stewart said. “I said ‘Would you do this if it was available when you were 23?’ and she said ‘Absolutely. It’s a no-brainer.’ I want to have as successful a career as Sue has had and to play that long. Do it early. Change my diet. Not just going hard in basketball workouts, but doing things to make sure I’m well-rounded in all areas of my life.”
Dawn Staley played with Bird and Taurasi on a few Olympic and World Cup teams. Now she is coaching them on the U.S. national team.
“You’re looking at iconic figures in our sport,” Staley said. “We see what they’ve done on the court. The sacrifices they’ve added to their lifestyle should be commended and what younger players should implement in their lives.
“Am I amazed? Not at all. I’ve seen them grow up. First-time Olympian, first-time World Cup participants, I knew back then. The basketball part of it will take them a long way. What they’ve added to their diets and lifestyles, they’ve already beaten Mother Time to be able to play at a high level today.”
Bird and Taurasi deflect questions about retirement and who can blame them. Bird helped Seattle win its third WNBA title. Taurasi had Phoenix within a game of reaching the championship round before falling to her friend’s team.
Neither hesitated about joining USA Basketball again. Bird is playing in a record fifth World Cup and Taurasi in her fourth. Both know they don’t have to do much heavy lifting for the U.S.
“I think that’s one thing about USA Basketball that’s nice, is that the load is going to be distributed evenly. Everyone has a little piece,” Taurasi said. “Literally, I come down, pass the ball to the best post players in the world and wait for an open 3. That’s my job for USA Basketball for 12 years. I’m really content with that.”
Asked if she could do it another 12 years, Taurasi smiled and said, “Why not?”
AP Online - Sports AP Online Basketball News Basketball Breanna Stewart Dawn Staley Diana Taurasi Europe Jewell Loyd Professional basketball s Seattle Storm Spain Sports Sue Bird Susan King Uncategorized Western Europe WNBA basketball WNBA Western Conference Women's basketball Women's National Basketball Association Women's sports
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HEARTTHREADS
On the front lines of war, his imagination was his escape. Today, it's a fantasy novel.
This veteran is breaking stereotypes by being himself.
Author: Andie Judson
Published: 10:22 AM MST April 15, 2019
Updated: 10:22 AM MST April 15, 2019
Fantasy author and military veteran are two seemingly contrasting paths in life. By simply being himself, D.L. Jennings is intertwining the two and breaking stigmas along the way.
For Jennings, falling asleep and dreaming wasn’t his escape to another world. It was prior to bedtime when another landscape would fill his imagination.
Every night, Jennings’ mother would tuck him in and read C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia.”
“It was so magical,” recalled Jennings. “These worlds, these universes that the authors are creating. There’s just no limit.”
Jennings’ love of fantasy grew from there. Throughout middle and high school, Jennings and his closest friends bonded over a shared passion of the X-Men comics and other fantastical worlds.
Yet as Jennings came of age, he like most Americans struggled to find answers and an escape from a tragedy that changed the course of history: September 11, 2001.
At the time, Jennings was 20 years old without a clear future in mind. He worked at a record store and was struggling to find motivation to continue his college education. It wasn’t until his father brought up the idea of enlisting in the service that Jennings could see a future career for himself.
Jennings decided to join the Air Force.
U.S. Air Force/D.L. Jennings
“I said to myself, ‘If I can do this, I can do anything,’” said Jennings. “Joining the military opened up an entire world to me.”
For the next 14 years, Jennings would serve as a linguist and an airborne intelligence and surveillance recon operator. His time in the service took him around the world, including 11 deployments to war zones in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa.
While he regards his time in the military with great respect and appreciation, Jennings also admits it was scary.
He lost three close friends and colleagues in three separate crashes.
“I think that’s where writing as an escape really came out for me,” said Jennings.
While deployed in a remote area in Africa, Jennings decided he wanted to find both an escape and way to pass the time by doing something meaningful. He began thinking about his childhood, filled with stories from “Lord of the Rings” and “Chronicles of Narnia.”
“I began thinking, ‘Maybe this is something I can do,’” recalled Jennings. “So, I sat down without a real clear story in my head -- and I just started writing.”
Little did he know, this was the start of his own epic fantasy novel.
Jennings would return each day and try to write, typing everything out on the touch keyboard of his iPad. After some difficult days he couldn’t manage it. Other days, he needed to write.
But all along to Jennings, his writing was something just for himself. He never thought anyone would want to read it. Until his friends got their hands on some excerpts.
“I had no clue that someone would look at what I’d written and say, ‘This is good. This is very good,’” said Jennings. “I had no intention of finishing the book before that.”
With encouragement from friends, Jennings decided to not only complete the 456-page book but pursue publishing.
“Gift of the Shaper” was born.
D.L. Jennings
Jennings describes the novel as a David and Goliath story, continually revolving around the idea of overcoming adversity and being bigger than the roles you were born to play.
For Jennings, the novel drew from his own story – one of breaking boundaries.
“People can take away from [my story and the novel] that anything is possible, you don’t want to limit yourself,” said Jennings.
After 14 years in the Air Force, Jennings retired in pursuit of a full-time writing career.
“I hope people can look at me and see an example of someone who definitely followed their dream of something that was the furthest thing from his mind,” said Jennings.
For more information on Jennings and Gift of the Shaper, click here.
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Glen Elgin was founded during the midst of a whisky boom towards the end of the 1800’s that came abruptly to a halt with the dawn of the Pattinson Crash. During the last decade of the century, 40 distilleries were built as the industry actively sought to meet rising demand.
Glen Elgin was founded during the midst of a whisky boom towards the end of the 1800’s that came abruptly to a halt with the dawn of the Pattinson Crash. During the last decade of the century, 40 distilleries were built as the industry actively sought to meet rising demand. Then one of the leading merchants of the whisky industry was exposed as not the financial flagship everyone had thought it was.
The fallout was dramatic for distilleries caught up in the mess, others were closed and some sold off as the public confidence in Scotch was severely diminished. For Glen Elgin, the partnership of William Simpson (former manager of Glenfarclas) and James Carle (a banker) continued with their project to establish a new distillery on the fringes of the town of Elgin. They employed the renowned architect Charles Doig, who even commented that Glen Elgin would be the last Speyside distillery for several decades. A remarkable premonition, given it wasn’t until 1957 with the arrival of Glen Keith that another Speyside distillery was born.
Production at Glen Elgin commenced on 1st May 1900, but the owners had underestimated the cost of maintaining a functioning distillery with it closing just 5 months later. The site was sold at auction for £4000 to the Glen Elgin-Glenlivet Distillery Co. Ltd., but the distillery was kept silent until the whisky merchant, John J. Balanche & Company Limited, took over in 1907 at a cost of £7000.
Glen Elgin survives the economic problems associated with the First World War, Great Depression and Prohibition only to be sold in 1929 when its owner passes away. The purchaser is Scottish Malt Distillers, which begins the realm of corporate ownership for the distillery. Almost immediately the license for Glen Elgin passes to the White Horse Distillers, who were actively seeking new producers for its increasingly popular blended scotch. This marks a long association with this iconic blend that continues today, although it is rarely seen in the UK, it does remain popular in key markets abroad.
The distillery is extensively modernised in 1964, when it jumps from a single pair of stills to the trio that remain today. The upgrade unfortunately involved the demolishing the original distillery designed by Charles Doig and a new facility being built upon its former residency. Lost to history, Glen Elgin was one of several distilleries across the industry to receive this blanket modernisation. The Glen Elgin stills are unusually small, resulting in an annual capacity of 2.7 million litres due to their size. They are unusually tall, but modestly thin with a distinctive inclined Lyme arm that then leads onto the traditional worm tubs. During the 1960’s the tradition floor maltings were decommissioned and now like other Diageo distilleries, it relies on malt from a central facility.
The distillery closed in 1992 to allow for further modernisation including the replacement of its stills, before reopening in 1995. Only in 2001, did we see the debut of Glen Elgin as a single malt with a bottling as part of the Fauna & Flora range. This series was designed to showcase normally unseen distilleries that were engaged in supporting the blend market. Glen Elgin was one of several to receive its debut via the Fauna & Flora editions, with some entries being rarer than others. Many are still available on sale to visitors across the Diageo distilleries today, but sadly Glen Elgin is closed to the public.
Since 2001, Glen Elgin has enjoyed sporadic special releases thanks to the Manager’s Cask series and Diageo’s Annual outturn with a 16-year-old in 2008. Nowadays the most common sighting is the staple 12-year-old that is available from most specialist retailers along with widespread support from the independent sector. The whisky from Glen Elgin has often been described as soft and gentle, with an emphasis on honey and barley with honeycomb and hints of spice.
Over £500 (1)
Glen Elgin 14 Year Old / Christmas 1990
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AFL throws its support behind campaign for national childcare program
Posted by · November 17, 1999 10:00 PM
EDMONTON - If Jean Chretien's Liberals really want to do something significant to mark National Child Day on Saturday, they should live up to their promises and establish a comprehensive national childcare program, says the president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.
Audrey Cormack says the AFL - the largest union organization in the province - will be throwing its support behind a campaign calling for a new national strategy on families and children. The campaign is sponsored by the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC) and supported by dozens of unions, churches and community groups.
"Unions across this country have been working hard to negotiate better child care provisions for their members - it is fast becoming one of our top priorities," says Cormack. "But we can never win these kinds of benefits for all unionized workers, let alone the millions of Canadians who don't belong to unions. That's why we feel so strongly about the need for a national childcare program. All working families in Canada should have access to high quality care for their children."
Cormack's announcement of support for the national childcare campaign coincides with National Child Day. In 1993, the federal government designated November 20 as National Child Day to commemorate two historic United Nations events: the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1959 and the adoption of the more comprehensive Convention on the Rights of the Child on November 20, 1989.
"I can think of no better way for the Liberals to mark the tenth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child than by committing themselves to a new national strategy on children and families," says Cormack. "Now that the federal government is recording multi-billion dollar surpluses it's time for the Liberals to live up to the promises they made about national child care when they were in Opposition."
Cormack says the need for a national childcare program is being felt particularly keenly by parents in Alberta, where the provincial government recently eliminated all operating allowances for daycare facilities. The Conservative government has also restricted full daycare subsidies to families earning less than $24,000 per year (net income) and single parents earning less than
$20,000 per year (net income). These changes have forced up the cost of daycare and caused tremendous hardship for many working families - especially those in middle-income brackets, says Cormack.
"Access to high-quality child care and early childhood education is extremely important for children, parents and society as a whole," she says. "But here in Alberta, quality child care is being priced out of reach for many working families. The need for federal action in this area has never been clearer."
Cormack says the AFL will support the national childcare campaign by lobbying politicians, participating in rallies and forums and educating union members and the general public.
"In the end it boils down to political will. We at the AFL will do everything we can to remind the federal government of their responsibility to children and families. We will also remind politicians and the public of the many benefits that would come with a national childcare program. It's a win-win proposition."
Audrey Cormack, President @ 499-6530(cell)/483-3021(wk)/428-9367(hm)
Klein misleading Albertans about the future of health care
EDMONTON - Premier Ralph Klein wasn't fooling anyone this evening when he attempted to portray himself as a defender of Medicare during a ten-minute, publicly-funded television spot, says Audrey Cormack, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.
"Ralph spent a lot of time talking about his commitment to public health care and the Canada Health Act. And he tried hard to reassure Albertans about the future of Medicare," says Cormack. "But this government's actions over the past few years speak louder than the Premier's words. The Tories have gutted what was once one of the best health care systems in the world - and the Premier's new privatization plan is just going to make a bad situation worse. It's a plan that is deeply flawed and dangerous."
Cormack was particularly critical of Klein's comments on private, for-profit health care. In his address, Klein said his government will introduce legislation in the spring that will allow regional health authorities to hire private, for-profit health companies to provide core medical services. The Premier said the legislation will give RHAs more "choices" for dealing with problems like bed shortages and long waiting lists.
"The Premier talked about choices," says Cormack. "The problem is that he ignored the most obvious choice - and that's the option involving re-investment in the public system. As it stands right now, there are literally thousands and thousands of hospital beds sitting idle in public hospitals because of chronic under-funding. Why should taxpayers' money be spent on private hospitals when resources that already are in place in the public system are not being fully utilized?"
Cormack says that if Klein was really interested in reducing waiting lists he would open more hospital beds and hire more nurses, doctors and other medical staff. She also said she finds it hard to understand why the Alberta government would want to copy a public-private health care model that has failed so miserably in other countries.
"Ralph made it sound like he's the first politician on the planet to think of a health care model based on the idea of private delivery of public services," says Cormack. "The truth is that this model is not new. It has been tried before - and it has failed before."
The most recent example of a government experimenting with private delivery of public health services comes from Australia, says Cormack. In the Australian state of New South Wales, a conservative government contracted out a significant portion of it's health care services to private companies - only to discover that the private health companies cost more and delivered a substantially lower quality of care than the public sector.
Cormack says that the Premier's privatization plan is particularly dangerous because it will act as a "foot-in-the-door" for major health care corporations - especially large and aggressive private firms from the United States who will be guaranteed access under the terms of NAFTA.
"Anyone who believes that these large, profit-hungry corporations will be content with a small piece of the pie is being extremely naive," says Cormack. "That's the real danger of the Premier's new health care plan: it will allow private health care companies to establish deep roots in Alberta. Over time, they will chip away at foundations of Medicare. Eventually, our entire system of public health care will be undermined."
Cormack says that Premier Klein's address should be seen as a "call-to-arms" for all Canadians who believe in Medicare.
"On two separate occasions now, Medicare supporters have been able to beat back legislation designed to pave the way for private hospitals," says Cormack. "But this time Premier Klein is taking charge of the campaign himself. That means this is the final showdown. Albertans who believe in Medicare are going to have to speak out even more forcefully than ever. We simply cannot afford to let this government proceed with this privatization plan. It would be the beginning of the end for public health care in this province."
Tories giving away oil and gas at "bargain basement prices," says AFL
Deep cuts to health care, education and other services would have not been necessary if Klein had been a better steward of Alberta's petroleum resources
EDMONTON - Premier Ralph Klein owes Albertans an explanation about why his government has failed to collect appropriate levels of royalties from the province's booming oil and gas sector, says the president of Alberta's largest labour organization.
Audrey Cormack, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, says the province could be collecting billions of dollars more each year in royalties, taxes and other fees - money that could be used to improve health care, education and other cash-strapped public services.
"Premier Klein likes to portray himself as a smooth operator and a tough bargainer," says Cormack. "But it looks like he's been a real push-over when it comes to negotiating royalty rates with big oil and gas companies. His government has been giving away our collectively-owned petroleum resources at bargain basement prices."
Cormack's comments were made in response to a study released yesterday by the Parkland Institute, a public policy think-tank at the University of Alberta. The study shows that the Klein government collects royalties at a much lower rate than other resource-rich jurisdictions and at a lower rate than previous Alberta governments.
"What this study shows is that deep budget cuts weren't the only option open to the government in the mid 90s," says Cormack. "It's clear now that the government's so-called debt problem could also have been solved with a more aggressive approach to the collection of resource revenues. If Albertans had known they were getting such a small return from their resources - especially when compared to the returns enjoyed by citizens living in other resource-rich jurisdictions - they probably would have been even more opposed to deep cuts to important public services like health care and education."
Cormack rejects the government's argument that low royalty rates are necessary to encourage new investment, especially in the oilsands. She points out that the government's royalty holidays are available to all tar sands projects, not just the new ones. She also dismisses the argument that lower royalties are justified by the higher costs of oilsands production. The Parkland study shows that - thanks to new technologies - the production costs are now lower in the oilsands than in conventional oil. The study also show that places like Norway and Alaska - where most of the oil is offshore - also faced higher production costs. Despite these higher costs, these jurisdictions still manage to collect significantly higher royalties than Alberta.
"It sounds like Klein and his ministers have been duped by the energy industry - they've bought the sales pitch hook line and sinker," says Cormack. "The truth is that the same companies that are involved in major oilsands projects here in Alberta - companies like Shell and Exxon - are also investing billions in Alaska and Norway. The governments in those jurisdictions have been much more aggressive in getting a bigger share of the pie for the public - but this has not driven away investment."
Cormack says the bottom line is that the Klein government has failed in its role as steward of Alberta's natural resources.
"The government is letting Albertans down," she says. "The Premier says Albertans will get their 'pound of flesh' when the new oilsands projects have been finished and paid for - maybe fifteen years from now. But it the meantime billions and billions of barrels of oil will be pumped out of the ground with very little return for the public. And once that oil is gone, it's gone for good. That means money that could have been used for health care, education and other services is also gone for good."
Audrey M. Cormack, President @ 499-6530(cell)/483-3021(wk)/428-9367(hm)
Conrad Black out to break union, says AFL
The antics of the Calgary Herald this past weekend demonstrate that Southam newspaper magnate Conrad Black is not interested in finding a mutually-acceptable agreement, but out to bust the newly-certified unions, says the president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.
"From the beginning, Conrad Black has made it clear he has no intention of accepting the democratic decision of his workers," says Audrey Cormack. "In classic southern-U.S. style, he is out to bust the union rather than negotiate a fair deal."
Cormack points to the lock-out of Herald employees this past Sunday as evidence that the Southam paper has no intentions of bargaining fairly. The workers were sent home two days before they were in a legal strike position. Southam has already begun using replacement workers.
"Conrad Black is not in the habit of giving his workers two days off with pay," observes Cormack. "Sending his workers home had one goal and one goal only. To clear the plant out so he can start bringing in replacement workers."
"In any other province, this act of provocation would have been met with severe penalties from the Labour Relations Board," adds Cormack. Cormack criticized the Alberta Labour Relations Board for its poor decision on the legality of the lock-out. "The Board decision flies in the face of common sense."
The Alberta Federation of Labour is throwing its support behind the striking workers, members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union and the Graphic Communications International Union. These unions were recently certified and are attempting to negotiate their first agreement.
"This is a fight about the fundamental democratic right to join a union. These workers followed the rules and decided they wanted union representation. Southam has an obligation to respect that decision," Cormack concludes.
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Liberals must resist pressure from business and Reform Party to recklessly slash taxes
EDMONTON - Members of the federal government are allowing themselves to be unduly swayed by pressure from the Reform Party and other advocates of radical tax cuts - and ordinary Canadians will pay the price, says the president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.
"Finance Minister Paul Martin tells us that there needs to be a broad public debate among Canadians about what should be done with budgetary surpluses," says Cormack. "But based on his remarks yesterday, it appears that the debate is already over - and Preston Manning and the National Post won."
Cormack's comments were made in the wake of a speech delivered by Martin yesterday afternoon to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance. In the speech, Martin promised that tax cuts would become one of the government's main priorities over the next few years. No promises were made about increased funding for Medicare or other important government services.
The speech was a great disappointment for advocates of public health care and supporters of other programs and services aimed at improving the lives of middle and low-income families, says Cormack. She also says the federal government is missing an important opportunity to fix damage to public services and infrastructure caused by years of brutal budget cuts.
"The foundations of important public programs like Medicare have been seriously weakened by years of under-funding," says Cormack. "Canadians want to see these programs protected and strengthened - but that's not going to happen unless the government makes a more substantial financial commitment."
Cormack says the country's biggest threat now comes not from debt or inflation, but from people in conservative business, media and political circles who are calling for deep tax cuts. Cormack says such cuts will rob the government of the revenue needed to properly fund public services.
"If the government wants to maintain the quality and accessibility of public services like Medicare then it is imperative that they resist pressure from the Preston Mannings and Conrad Blacks of the world," says Cormack. "Reckless and irresponsible tax cuts may help wealthy individuals and corporations pad their bank accounts - but, for the vast majority of Canadians, these kinds of cuts will do much more harm than good."
Instead of yielding to pressure from right-wing ideologues, Cormack says the federal Liberals should listen to the majority of working Canadians who want more attention paid to public programs and services. In particular, she says surplus funds should be used to shore up Medicare; to repair and expand the country's crumbling infrastructure; to increase access to UI benefits for the unemployed; and to finance new initiatives like a national daycare system and a nation-wide Pharmacare plan.
Reforms need to be made to Canada's tax system, Cormack admitted, but she says they should be aimed exclusively at low and middle-income earners - not high-flying CEOs and managers. An increase in the basic personal exemption; the introduction of more progressive tax brackets; or the full indexation of tax brackets to inflation are the only kinds of changes that could be justified, she says.
"Paul Martin and the federal Liberals are playing a dangerous game," concludes Cormack. "Reckless and poorly-planned tax cuts could spell the end for Medicare and other public programs that have helped define Canada as a nation. Let's just hope the Liberals come to their sense before they follow Preston Manning and Conrad Black off a cliff."
Audrey Cormack, AFL President @483-3021(wk)/499-6530(cell)428-9367(hm)
Cormack applauds federal pay equity settlement: urges Alberta to follow federal lead
Posted by · October 28, 1999 10:00 PM
EDMONTON - The federal government has finally acted in an appropriate manner in its pay equity dispute with its own employees, says Audrey Cormack, President of the Alberta Federation of Labour.
Cormack says the agreement announced today between the Public Service Alliance and the Treasury Board will finally provide some justice for the 200,000 current and former employees who have been consistently underpaid in the past.
"I applaud the Federal government for deciding to finally abide by the original Canadian Human Rights Tribunal decision," says Cormack. "Any further judicial appeals against the decision would have been grossly unfair to these women - and a total waste of taxpayers money."
However, it is the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) that deserves all of the credit for this victory for working people, according to Cormack. "The PSAC has been fighting this battle for the past fifteen years - and they deserve heartfelt thanks from working women, trade unionists and social justice advocates across Canada," says Cormack.
Women workers under federal jurisdiction in the private sector should now expect some action to address their pay inequities, according to Cormack. "Now that the federal government has finally set a standard, I believe that private sector employers under federal jurisdiction must act promptly to meet those same standards with their own employees," says Cormack.
The labour leader also believes that this settlement should convince the Alberta government to reconsider its opposition to pay equity.
"The Alberta government has consistently refused to address the inequity of its own pay structures," says Cormack. "But, they are now clearly lagging behind the mainstream of Canadian society in the area of women's pay. I urge them to take this settlement as a sign that it is time to correct their own unjust treatment of women workers - and to pass pay equity legislation that will create fairness for women working for other private and public employees in Alberta."
Audrey Cormack, President: 780-483-3021 (wk) / 780-499-6530 (cell) / 780-428-9367 (hm)
Cormack urges federal government to "stop dragging its feet on pay equity"
EDMONTON - The time has come for the federal government to stop dragging its feet on the issue of pay equity for public employees, says Audrey Cormack, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour.
Cormack says a decision handed down this afternoon by the Federal Court reinforces the need for sweeping changes in the way the federal government pays its employees. It also underscores the need to compensate thousands of employees for years of discriminatory pay practices.
In a written judgement, Justice J. Evans of the Federal Court rejected a federal government appeal of a landmark pay-equity decision made last year by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
In July 1998, the Tribunal ruled that the federal government had, for years, been underpaying thousands of employees working in female-dominated job classifications. To remedy the situation, the Tribunal ordered the government to give 13 years of back pay to almost 200,000 current and former employees - most of whom are women.
"These women have waited long enough for fairness," said Cormack, pointing out that the complaint that started the whole debate on pay equity was originally filed with the Human Rights Tribunal in 1985. "Fourteen years is a long time. Now that the Federal Court has upheld the Tribunal's decision, the government should do the right thing and give these workers what they are owed."
Cormack acknowledged that the government could still appeal the decision to the Federal Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. But she said further appeals would benefit no one.
"There is absolutely no doubt that the Human Rights Tribunal's decision was the right one - both morally and legally - so any appeal to the Federal Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court would simply be a further waste of taxpayers money," said Cormack. "With this in mind, we are calling on the federal government to procedure with the implementation of the Tribunal's decision without further delay. People like Prime Minister Chretien and Treasury Board President Lucienne Robillard should remember that old saying: 'justice delayed is justice denied.' In this case, we think that justice has already been denied for too long."
Is government set to drop "atom bomb" on provincial public service?
EDMONTON - The provincial government's recently announced plan to establish a so-called Corporate Services Centre and outsource certain administrative functions is much more serious than it appears at first blush, says the president of Alberta's largest labour organization.
Audrey Cormack, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, says the government is deliberately trying to downplay the significance of the privatization plan announced by Premier Klein yesterday - but she says it has the potential to act like an "atom bomb" dropped on the provincial public service.
"Based on the information we've been able to gather from conversations with government officials, it seems clear to us that this proposal involves much more than a small cosmetic change," says Cormack. "What they're talking about is privatizing a large portion of the day-to-day operations of all government departments. This has radical implications both in terms of jobs and the quality of public services."
According to government media statements, many of the so-called "transactional elements" of the government's day-to-day operations will be centralized in a new agency called the Alberta Corporate Services Centre. Once this has been done, many (and possibly most) of these services will be outsourced to the private sector, said government spokesperson Peter Tadman in a telephone conversation with the AFL. Tadman defined "transactional" services as all those services that don't involve policy-making or strategic planning.
"By Tadman's definition, more than 75 or 80 percent of the jobs in the provincial public service are transactional in nature," says Cormack. "That means that thousands of jobs could be effected. This could be the biggest privatization initiative that the Alberta government has ever embarked upon."
Premier Klein has said that the introduction of the Corporate Services Centre could reduce administration costs by up to 20 per cent, but Cormack wonders if that is the government's real motivation. She also says the government's deliberately vague media statements have left the public with more questions than answers.
"Is this really about saving money or are they simply attempting to use outsourcing as a way to get rid of pesky public sector unions?" asked Cormack. "How many jobs are going be affected? And where did the idea for these changes come from? This kind of initiative was never mentioned at the Growth Summit - and it's not something that Albertans have been lobbying for. The public deserve answers for these kind of questions."
Cormack scoffed at reassurances from Premier Klein that most of the affected employees would find new employment with private sector contractors.
"This is the Alberta government's favourite dirty trick," says Cormack. "First they privatize a service and then they hire all the original employees back to work for the private contractor. The workers are sitting in the same desk and doing the same job - but they are paid less and they loose their pensions and benefits. This is a shameful way to save money and it's a shameful way to treat employees - especially at a time when the government is recording huge surpluses."
Cormack says that Albertans should be concerned about any plan that involves funneling huge amounts of tax-payer dollars to for-profit corporations who are, by their very nature, unaccountable to the public.
"Ralph Klein and members of his government have spent a lot of time saying that they're no longer in the business of business. With this plan, it sounds like they're trying to get out of the business of government as well. They seem willing to hand the keys of government over to their unelected cronies in the private sector. It's a frightening prospect - and I think it's time for Albertans to say 'enough is enough'."
Audrey Cormack, President @ 483-3021 (wk) /499-6530 (cell) / 428-9367 (hm)
AFL Reminds College of Physicians Of Its Duty to the Public Interest
Posted by · September 29, 1999 10:00 PM
The AFL is reminding the Alberta College of Physicians and Surgeons that it has an overarching responsibility to the public when considering proposed guidelines allowing overnight stays in health facilities.
The Council of the College is meeting on Friday to decide whether to implement guidelines for "long stay non-hospital surgical facilities" which would allow procedures requiring overnight stay to be performed in private, for-profit facilities.
"The College's primary duty is to ensure the public interest is protected in matters relating to doctors and health facilities," says Audrey Cormack, President of the AFL. "If they approve the proposed guidelines, it will permit private, for-profit hospitals in Alberta, which are clearly not in the public interest."
Cormack points out that time after time, the Alberta public has loudly proclaimed its opposition to private, for-profit hospitals. "Whether it be Bill 37, or College guidelines, Albertans have been clear - they don't want for-profit hospitals."
"I don't care what you call it, if it does overnight stays, it is a hospital," says Cormack. "Finding some bureaucratic title doesn't change its functions."
"The future of Medicare is an inherently political matter and the College should not be meddling in politics," adds Cormack.
Cormack also takes aim at the Health Minister for trying to blame opponents of Bill 37 for the situation. "If the minister is so concerned about Medicare, why doesn't he just pass a law banning private, for-profit hospitals? That would solve the problem in one stroke."
Cormack states that the Minister is trying to get the College to do his dirty work. "The College shouldn't be bullied by the Health Minister into making a bad decision. Instead they should be listening to the concerns of Albertans," adds Cormack.
The legislation governing the College stipulates that as a body it must protect the public interest when fulfilling its mandate. Allowing private, for-profit hospitals undermines the fabric of Medicare and establishes a path toward two-tier health care. International studies have demonstrated that two-tier health care and private, for-profit hospitals provide less adequate care for the majority of the population.
"Friday's decision is not about boring technical guidelines. It is fundamentally about whether our health system is here to benefit the public interest or just the interest of a private few with connections and capital." Cormack concluded.
Audery Cormack, AFL President: 483-3021 (wk) 499-6530 (cell) 428-9367 (home)
Latest minimum wage increase offers little cause for celebration
EDMONTON - Starting October 1, Albertans earning the minimum wage will see a slight boost in their earnings - but the increase offers little cause for real celebration, says the president of Alberta's largest labour organization.
"Alberta may no longer have the lowest minimum wage in the country," says Audrey Cormack, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour. "But it's still not nearly enough to make ends meet. The sad truth is that our minimum wage is still a poverty wage."
Alberta's minimum wage has been increased in three stage over the past year - from $5.00 to $5.40 per hour on October 1, 1998; from $5.40 to $5.65 on April 1, 1999; and finally from $5.65 to $5.90 on October 1, 1999.
As a result of the changes, Alberta has moved ahead of the four Maritime Provinces in terms of provincial minimum wage levels. But Alberta still lags far behind B.C., Quebec and Ontario where the minimum wages are $7.15, $6.90 and $6.85 respectively.
Cormack points out that Alberta's new minimum wage is still not high enough to keep low-wage workers out of poverty. According to Statistics Canada, an individual living in Edmonton or Calgary would have to earn about $17,500 per year in order to live above the poverty line.
"Even with the latest increase, minimum wage earners working full-time and year round would only earn about 70 per cent of the amount necessary to stay out of poverty," says Cormack. "There is something seriously wrong with this picture. The minimum wage should be high enough to allow people to live with dignity."
Another major problem with the Klein government's approach to the minimum wage is that they have failed to put in place any mechanisms to adjust the wage for inflation, says Cormack.
She points out that between 1977 and 1997; the real value of Alberta's minimum wage dropped by more than 40 per cent. This was the direct result of the government's refusal to introduce regular increases that compensated for inflation, she says.
"One time increases to the minimum wage will not solve the problem," says Cormack. "What we really need is a system that makes regular adjustments for inflation. This is crucial because a wage that keeps people out of poverty today may not be enough to keep them out of poverty in the future. If the government doesn't recognize this problem and institute some kind of system for regular adjustments, then we're going to be right back where we started five or ten years from now."
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Miami football: Alex Rodriguez revealed as College GameDay celebrity picker
Mitchell Forde, Diehards
Along with whose mascot Lee Corso will put on his head at the end of the show, one of the great mysteries surrounding America’s most popular college football pregame show, ESPN’s College GameDay, is who will be invited onto the set to serve as a guest picker.
Miami, which hadn’t hosted College GameDay since 2006, offered plenty of football legends for ESPN to chose from. In the end, however, it appears the network settled on a star from another sport.
Alex Rodriguez, a Miami native and former professional baseball player, tweeted Friday that he will join the GameDay cast on set Saturday.
There’s no place I’d rather be on Saturday morning than making some picks on @CollegeGameDay in my hometown of Miami! Tune in! #THEU
— Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) November 10, 2017
Rodriguez played 22 seasons in the major leagues and hit 696 career home runs — fourth-most all time. He is also a noted Hurricanes fan. Last week, when Miami played Virginia Tech, he was spotted in Hard Rock Stadium rocking a replica of Miami’s now-famous Turnover Chain.
The post Miami football: Alex Rodriguez revealed as College GameDay celebrity picker appeared first on Diehards.
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PEOPLE IN THE EUROPEAN RETAIL REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY
Recruitments, promotions and appointments in the European Retail Real Estate Industry.
Ramanurup Sen
Image: Amrest
Recently, Ramanurup Sen has been appointed Food Service President at AmRest. In his role, he will be a part of the Executive Team with the responsibility to lead all related aspects of the company’s supply chain management, investments, food production, and related services.
Sen has over 30 years of experience in procurement and supply chain management, mainly for consumer-packaged goods and in the restaurant industry. As an industry expert he has worked for companies like Danone, Yum Brands, Starbucks, and Nando’s.
Prior to joining AmRest, he was Group Procurement and Supply Chain Director for Nando’s overseeing Procurement and Supply Chain Strategy across 23 countries across Europe, Africa, Asia, and America for both the restaurant as well as the consumer pack division. As Food Service President he will manage all of the company’s food processes on a global level.
Apleona
Image: Apleona
On October 1, 2018, Michael Lange was appointed Chief Digital Officer (CDO) of Apleona. In this function, he reports directly to the CEO, Jochen Keysberg.
Lange, who holds a doctorate in computer science in construction, will be responsible for the Apleona Group’s digitization initiatives with Chief Information Officer (CIO) Bernhard Götze. This includes, in particular, the development and implementation of digital solutions that improve the management and use of buildings and facilities in terms of efficiency and user friendliness.
The 43-year-old graduate engineer will contribute his many years of expertise in the real estate services business in the area of corporate strategy and as the key account manager for Apleona’s major international customers, while the 52-year-old Götze, who has had overall responsibility for the group’s IT since September 2017, will be responsible for technical development, IT strategy, and the implementation of digital solutions.
Simon Blore
Image: Broadway Malyan
Broadway Malyan has announced a new consultancy partnership with Simon Blore of Blore Design to build on its expertise in the global retail and mixed-use sectors.
Blore was previously based in Hong Kong, where he was Global Managing Director of Benoy before co-founding Lead8, which he left to establish Blore Design in 2018.
He has nearly three decades of experience designing and delivering major international projects, with a specific expertise in mixed-use, transport-oriented developments, and urban frameworks, and said: “Increasingly, our cities and towns are becoming mixed use, denser, more diverse, and more reliant on public transit, but, at the same time, there is a need for each place to be authentic and to celebrate its own uniqueness. Much of our collaboration will be founded upon these principles, and, having met and explored the potential of our collaboration with the senior team at Broadway Malyan, I have no doubt that we have a shared culture and vision of how we see mixed-use design.”
Mark Calder
Image: CBRE
CBRE has announced the appointment of leisure specialist Mark Calder as Director of its Central London retail team as it continues to bolster its restaurant and leisure offer.
Calder previously worked at BNP Paribas Real Estate, where he led the Central London Restaurant and Leisure team; prior to that, he worked for Restaurant Property. He has more than 10 years of experience in the leisure sector and has advised clients, such as The Portman Estate, Aberdeen Standard, the Berkeley Group, and CBRE Global Investors.
In his new role, Calder will be responsible for leading the leisure team and will focus on strengthening CBRE’s leisure expertise in London. He will work with landlords and occupiers to provide strategic advice on new rentals and developments.
Luke Holland, Head of Central London Retail, Investor Services at CBRE, commented: “Mark’s appointment will strengthen our leisure offer at a time when the sector is evolving with new innovative concepts. Mark has a wealth of unrivaled experience, strong relationships, as well as a strong reputation in the sector amongst clients, and he will be a fantastic addition to our retail team.”
Cromwell Property Group
Gwendal Kalkofen
Image: Image: Cromwell
Real estate investor and manager Cromwell Property Group has promoted Gwendal Kalkofen to Head of Real Estate Finance, Europe. In this role, he will be responsible for managing the Group’s lending relationships in Europe.
Kalkofen joined Cromwell in 2015 as Capital Markets Manager and oversees the European real estate finance function. He has responsibility for raising new debt and managing existing facilities on behalf of all Cromwell’s European funds and mandates, as well as providing advisory and execution services on interest rate hedging and credit risk issues.
Prior to joining Cromwell, he worked within the property finance sector from 2010, holding positions at pbb Deutsche Pfandbriefbank AG and Wells Fargo Bank, acquiring over 10 years of pan-European structured finance experience. He holds an MSc in Economic Geography from the University of Augsburg.
Mark McLaughlin, Managing Director, Europe at Cromwell Property Group, commented: “We are delighted to be able to promote Gwendal from within the organization, which is a testament to the strength of the talent we have in the Cromwell team. I am looking forward to working with him as we continue to grow assets under management in Europe”.
GRR Group
Oliver Groß, Andreas Freier
Oliver Groß Image: GRR
As of October 2, 2018, the Commercial Director, Oliver Groß (photo), and Director of Transaction Management, Andreas Freier, have been appointed to the management team of GRR Real Estate Management GmbH. The management team was expanded due to the strong growth of the Nuremberg-based company, which is specialized in German retail properties.
Just recently in August, the GRR Group started the GRR German Retail Fund No. 3, a new investment fund for retail properties, and took over the biggest portfolio the group has ever acquired for one of its investment funds, for a total amount of approximately 150 million euros.
“It is important that we assign the management team’s tasks to a wider team. With this step, we ensure that we are well-positioned for the future to drive our consistent growth,” says Susanne Klaußner, CEO of the GRR Group. “Our strong positioning in the market as experts for retail properties means that we can consistently increase our reputation. The board can now focus on fund business and negotiations with national and international investors.”
Habona
Hans Christian Schmidt
Image: Habona
Frankfurt-based fund initiator and asset manager Habona Invest GmbH appointed Hans Christian Schmidt as an additional managing director of the company as from October 1, 2018, alongside Johannes Palla and Guido Küther.
In this function, he will be particularly responsible for asset management and corporate structuring. Schmidt previously spent 13 years as Managing Director at Munich consulting firm Comes Real. Other stages in Schmidt’s career included positions at Wertgrund Asset Management GmbH, IC Immobilien Gruppe, Luxembourg open-ended real estate fund IC Invest SICAV, and Aareal Bank.
As a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, Schmidt has been committed to the further professionalization of the real estate industry for many years. He has been a member of the Advisory Board of Habona since 2009.
HB Reavis
Steven Skinner
Image: HB Reavis
HB Reavis has announced the appointment of Steven Skinner as its new UK Chief Executive. He will oversee ambitious plans for growth across the UK market and will be responsible for the delivery of the current UK portfolio. This includes the major redevelopment of Elizabeth House in Waterloo and over-site development at Farringdon West Crossrail station in the heart of Clerkenwell.
Skinner joined HB Reavis UK in April 2017 as a Director, assuming responsibility for acquisitions, leasing, financing, asset management, and marketing. He will lead an experienced team that includes Kiran Pawar, Development Director, Jan Vesely, Country Head of Procurement, and Joe Martin, Construction Director.
Announcing his appointment, Radim Rimanek, Deputy CEO of HB Reavis Group, said: “I couldn’t be more excited to announce Steven’s promotion to UK CEO. Since joining HB Reavis, Steven has contributed to the significant growth of our business in the UK, he has been a passionate ambassador of our strategy to deliver remarkable experiences and is an inspiring character.”
Emma Tattersall
Image: JLL
JLL has appointed Emma Tattersall as an associate director in its EMEA retail capital markets team, based in London. As part of the pan-European team, Tattersall will work with local colleagues to provide advice to a broad range of domestic, regional, and global investor clients across the continent.
She joins JLL after four years at Cushman & Wakefield, where she was most recently an associate director on the EMEA retail capital markets team. She is active in diversity groups as Founder of Ladies-Who-Launch, a member of Women Talk Real Estate, and Vice-chair of the ICSC NextGen group. She holds an MSc in Real Estate from the University of Westminster.
Jeremy Eddy, Head of Retail Capital Markets, EMEA, JLL, said: “As the retail industry continues to experience structural change, clients require the most in-depth and up-to-date advice to navigate a changing market and identify the best opportunities. We are delighted to have Emma on board; her relationship management skills and regional experience will make her an asset to clients and colleagues alike.”
McArthurGlen
Susie McCabe
Image: McArthurGlen
McArthurGlen Group has announced the appointment of Susie McCabe as Deputy Chief Executive Officer. She joins the team from Under Armour, Inc., where she was Senior Vice President of Global Retail for four years, creating and implementing all aspects of the group’s worldwide retail strategy.
Prior to that, she spent 16 years at Ralph Lauren Corporation in a number of senior positions in both Ralph Lauren’s full price and outlet businesses. In her new role, McCabe reports jointly to McArthurGlen Chairman, J. W. Kaempfer, and CEO, Julia Calabrese.
Kaempfer said: “Julia and I are delighted to welcome Susie to McArthurGlen to support us and the team in this newly-created position. Her extensive retail and management experience and her deep knowledge of satisfying the customer will be invaluable as we continue to drive growth, primarily by focusing on the experience of our guests and our brand partners.”
Multi Turkey
Pınar Yalçınkaya Hacaoğlu
Image: Multi
Multi Corporation is pleased to announce the new Management Board of Multi Turkey. Since September 1, 2018, Pınar Yalçınkaya Hacaoğlu has served as Chief Executive Officer.
She succeeds Patrick van Dooyeweert, Managing Director from 2014 to 2018, who is now able to fully focus on his responsibilities as CDO/CIO of Multi Corporation.
Antoine Mocachen has been appointed as Chief Operational Officer. He was previously Senior Director Asset Management.
Lucien Smits has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer and succeeds Michiel Wolters, who will replace Lucien Smits as Financial Director of Multi Ireland.
Yalçınkaya Hacaoğlu has over 19 years’ experience in leasing, asset management, shopping center management, acquisition, development, and redevelopment. She previously worked for Bilkent Holding, where she was responsible for the development of various shopping centers. In 2006, she joined ECE Turkey, where she held several positions and was appointed CEO in 2017.
Nordic Council of Shopping Centers
Kajsa Hernell
Image: NCSC
The Nordic Council of Shopping Centers (NCSC) is pleased to welcome Kajsa Hernell as the new Managing Director. Hernell previously served as the manager of the Sveriges Textilhandlare organization and began her current position in mid-September.
She succeeds Marika Wærn, who is leaving NCSC after five years. Hernell has broad experience working for member and nonprofit organizations as well as commercial organizations. In addition, she has both professional and academic international experience. During her time at Sveriges Textilhandlare, the association became a stronger player in the industry.
“I am extremely honored to take on the role as the new Managing Director of NCSC. The industry is experiencing major structural changes, and it is very important that a member organization addresses issues that are relevant and beneficial to its members. Together with the team, I am looking forward to extending the dialogue with members, increasing the value of membership, and being a relevant voice in order to meet the new challenges of the retail landscape”, she said.
NREP
Claus Mathisen
Image: NREP
NREP has announced that Claus Mathisen has replaced Mikkel Bülow-Lehnsby as Chief Executive Officer. Bülow-Lehnsby, one of three co-founders of NREP, will continue on a full-time basis on the Executive Committee and will take part in setting the strategic direction, new investment strategies, and business plans for the firm.
“We are fortunate to have someone of Claus Mathisen’s caliber and experience for the next step of our journey. Since its establishment in 2005, NREP has gradually incubated and built up several customer-centric real estate businesses and products and has grown to more than 140 professionals in the core investment management organization. It has now reached a size that requires a different mindset and different leadership, which Claus Mathisen brings, while ensuring continuity,” commented Bülow-Lehnsby.
From 2008 to 2017, Mathisen was the CEO of Pelican Self Storage, one of the operating platforms that NREP built, which he developed from an idea to one of the leading self-storage companies in Europe. Mathisen has been a core member of NREP’s strategic management team since 2008 and has professional experience working at Boston Consulting Group and J.P. Morgan.
Andrew Davison
Image: Queensberry
Queensberry has announced three new hires and has made a strategic decision to open a second office located in Sheffield to support expansion of business in the North. The opening of a Northern office will create a more agile and efficient company with immediate access to an increasing number of clients.
This news follows the announcement that Andrew Davison (photo), who has a wealth of redevelopment experience spanning over 10 years in the industry, will join Queensberry as Project Director from Turner Townsend. Davison, a Sheffieldonian, will kick-start the opening of the Northern office and will bring a wealth of local expertise to add to the great regional knowledge the company already has.
He will be joined in October by Michael Norris, who previously worked for Centre Parcs, adding further Project Manager resources. In London, Queensberry has welcomed Charlie Hibbert to its London team. He joins the team from Arcadis LLP and will assist the company in its effort to focus, among other things, on investment analysis and acquisitions for clients and co-investors.
Real I. S.
Image: Real I. S.
On October 1, 2018, Jochen Schenk became Chairman of the Management Board at real estate asset manager Real I.S. AG, which is part of the BayernLB Group. He succeeds Georg Jewgrafow, who was the head of Real I.S. from 2014 to 2018 and is set to retire at the end of the year. Schenk’s deputy will be Bernd Lönner, who has been part of the Management Board since 2017.
There will also be another change in the Management Board: On June 30, 2019, Brigitte Walter is leaving at her own request at the age of 60.
Dr. Edgar Zoller, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Real I.S. and Deputy CEO of BayernLB commented: “I am pleased that Jochen Schenk, as a superior real estate professional, an outstanding asset management expert, and a seasoned member of the Real I.S. Management Board, is taking over as Chairman of the Board. He provides unparalleled expertise, market proximity, and continuity. I am convinced that he, together with the company’s Board of Management team, will lead Real I.S. to continued success in the future. At the same time, I would like to sincerely thank Georg Jewgrafow for his great service to the company, and I wish him all the best for the next stage in his life. I would also like to extend my thanks to Brigitte Walter for her many years of successful service at Real I.S.”
Schwitzke & Partner
Marie Ernst
Image: Schwitzke GmbH
New dual leadership at Schwitzke & Partner: At the beginning of August, Marie Ernst joined the Management Board of the brand experts. Together with Tina Jokisch, she will be tasked with leading the internationally active subsidiary of the Schwitzke Group as well as its teams located in Düsseldorf and Dubai.
Ernst succeeds Richard Wörösch, who led the company for 10 years. By means of the new management duo, Schwitzke & Partner has further positioned itself as future-oriented, with the competence to develop spaces for brands.
With her many years of experience, Ernst provides extensive brand know-how, knowledge of target groups, and expertise in the company’s industry. After studying Interior Design at Peter Behrens School of Arts in Düsseldorf, she worked in retail and wholesale at American textile company American Apparel. Afterwards, the Westphalian proved herself in the trade industry by founding her own company, which distributed furniture and interior pieces.
Ernst joined Schwitzke in 2012. Since then, she and her team have developed and implemented holistic retail and shopping center concepts that have received great acclaim in the international industry. The most recent outstanding project that the 38-year-old was responsible for was the Mall of Switzerland, which opened at the end of 2017.
Friedrich Einböck
Image: SES / René Wimmer Photography
On September 1, 2018, Friedrich Einböck took over as Head of Leasing at SES Spar European Shopping Centers. In this key strategic position, this native of Ried is responsible for the leasing agendas of the approximately 30 shopping locations in six countries and heads the international leasing team. As an experienced real estate expert, Einböck can draw on his professional experience in leasing and shopping center management and is familiar with the industry. After studying business administration and holding several positions in the real estate sector in Vienna and Salzburg, the 37-year-old joined SES in 2010: As a leasing manager, he was responsible, among other things, for the sector mix at the SES centers, and he familiarized himself with international and regional markets as well as current trade trends from the bottom up. In 2014, Einböck was promoted to Senior Leasing Manager. Among his professional highlights were the lease of the Fischapark, Wiener Neustadt, which was expanded in 2015, and the operative participation in the Primark premiere in Sillpark, Innsbruck. In 2016, he took over the center management of the Weberzeile shopping center in Ried as part of the SES portfolio. He will continue to perform this function until the end of the year.
VIA Outlets
Otto Ambagtsheer, Peter Stals
Otto Ambagtsheer Image: VIA Outlets
Peter Stals Image: VIA Outlets
VIA Outlets is pleased to announce the appointment of two newly-created senior management positions to join its growing team of experienced real estate professionals. Otto Ambagtsheer (left) joins as Chief Operating Officer and Peter Stals (right) as Chief Financial Officer.
Ambagtsheer most recently served as Managing Director at Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield for Benelux, a role he held since May 2015. His previous experience includes working as Managing Director Consumer Products & Services at Schiphol Group. Prior to that role, he worked as Director of Real Estate Development at Schiphol Real Estate. He is a graduate of London Business School and holds a Law Degree from Radboud University of Nijmegen.
Stals joins VIA Outlets after nearly five years at BlackRock, where he worked as Vice President and then as Director, serving as Head of Transaction Support and Valuations Secretary for EMEA Real Estate. Prior to that position, he held roles at private equity real estate management firm MGPA (acquired by BlackRock) and within Audit and Advisory at Deloitte.
Studies & Reports MORE
European Retail in 2019
GfK study on key retail indicators: 2018 review and 2019 forecast
Study from Deloitte | Global Powers of Retailing 2019
Deloitte’s latest “Global Powers of Retailing 2019” study has listed the 250 top-selling retail companies for the 22nd time.
PWC: Customers Want Better Retail Service
According to a recent study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), more and more Germans are returning to shops – where they often find a range of services with room for improvement.
Taking a closer look at the retail market of a relatively young capital
The ultimately 382-meters high “Abu Dhabi Plaza” in Astana is about to become the highest building in Central Asia. It also accommodates a shopping center, among many other things.
BRICKS DRIVE CLICKS
A Physical Presence is Key to Consumer Engagement and Success.
STEP AWAY FROM THE DESK: WHY ATTENDING A CONFERENCE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
In a time-poor working week, we may find ourselves wondering how we can justify the expense and time away from the office that inevitably come with attending industry events. ICSC Europe Managing Director, Bill Kistler, interviews leading consumer behaviouralist, Ken Hughes, to ask “Are conferences really worth it?”
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Federal judge sides with Pebble to halt EPA mine action for now
Author: Lisa Demer
A federal judge on Monday ruled in favor of the Pebble mine project and put a temporary halt on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to protect Bristol Bay.
The ruling is a "procedural victory," but it doesn't settle Pebble's claims that EPA overstepped the law, Tom Collier, Pebble Ltd. Partnership CEO, said Monday afternoon in a written statement. It will take months more to resolve the lawsuit at issue, Pebble said.
Activists fighting the mine noted that U.S. District Judge Russel Holland rejected two of Pebble's three arguments to halt EPA over a theory that it colluded with anti-mine activists and scientists. Rather, the judge determined that Pebble had a chance of winning on one claim, that EPA improperly turned to an anti-mine team as it worked on its study of how a big mine would affect the Bristol Bay watershed.
The EPA in July announced that it intended to take extraordinary steps to protect Bristol Bay's world-class salmon runs and proposed restrictions that would prevent the mega-mine from being advanced by the Pebble Partnership. While it stopped short of an outright veto of the project, the EPA said it would place caps on how many miles of streams and acres of wetlands could be lost if the mine were developed.
Pebble responded with three lawsuits.
In U.S. District Court in Anchorage on Monday, the focus was on one of them, and whether Pebble has a chance of winning.
The 138-page lawsuit is rooted in an obscure 1972 federal law, the Federal Advisory Committee Act, that requires the government to follow basic rules of open government.
Pebble asserted the EPA relied on "de facto advisory committees that worked behind the scenes, and out of the public eye," for its Bristol Bay watershed study, which Pebble derided as "biased, junk science." EPA worked secretly with Pebble critics, the lawsuit contended.
An anti-mine team played a critical role in developing EPA's strategy of using the Clean Water Act to restrict a big mine, "precisely the kind of backroom influence peddling that FACA was enacted more than 40 years ago to prevent," the lawsuit contends.
In his ruling from the bench, Holland granted Pebble's request to block EPA from taking additional steps to finalize its restrictions on the gold and copper mine until the lawsuit is fully aired and decided.
The judge also directed Pebble to rewrite the complex lawsuit "as soon as possible."
"We expect the case may take several months to complete," Collier said. "This means that for the first time EPA's march to preemptively veto Pebble has been halted."
Pebble is separately challenging whether EPA has the authority to impose restrictions through the Clean Water Act even before a mine plan is submitted. It lost the first round and has appealed. It also is suing the EPA for public records. Records already released show more than 500 contacts between EPA and activists, Collier said.
"We fully expect that once we have access to all the documents that there may be many times that number," he said in the statement.
EPA said it was waiting for the written ruling.
The decision wasn't on the merits of Pebble's claims, EPA said.
Its work leading up to the decision to restrict the mine was based on extensive, peer-reviewed science, EPA said. The mine would be nearly as deep as the Grand Canyon in a region rich with salmon and with unparalleled natural habitat. It would straddle the headwaters of salmon-producing streams that feed into Bristol Bay.
Advocacy groups that have been fighting the mine were disappointed with the ruling. They said that Pebble's characterization of EPA's work is wrong.
The process that EPA used to develop its Bristol Bay watershed study was a model of good government, said Kim Williams, executive director of Nunamta Alukestai, a group that now includes 10 tribes opposed to Pebble.
She participated on EPA's intergovernmental technical team as a representative of Curyung Tribal Council, the tribe for Dillingham. The team also included representatives from the state of Alaska, which sued the EPA over Pebble, and tribal organizations that support Pebble, Williams said.
"I sat in on those meetings. It wasn't one-sided. EPA has this model process where they allowed all the stakeholders to participate," Williams said. "That's government in action as it should be. It's very transparent."
EPA didn't follow every critical thread, she said. For instance, she questioned whether power generation at the mine site would create environmental problems, but EPA didn't include that angle in its study.
EPA spent more than three years on its Bristol Bay assessment. Tribes have been asking for protections even longer.
"It is unfortunate that Judge Holland does not see harm in delaying a final decision that would provide our residents the peace of mind they have been waiting on for nearly a decade," Alannah Hurley, executive director of United Tribes of Bristol Bay, said in an email.
Sue Aspelund, executive director of the organization that represents driftnet fishermen, the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, said in a written statement that "political games and courtroom stalling tactics" were bringing uncertainty to the region.
The stakes are huge. The Pebble prospect is estimated to be one of the largest deposits in the world. Half of the world's wild runs of sockeye salmon originate in the Bristol Bay watershed. The state Department of Fish and Game has predicted next year will bring the biggest run of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon in 20 years.
"This decision is far from damning, but it does nonetheless represent an unfortunate example of Pebble throwing up legal and procedural roadblocks against scientific fact and the will of Alaskans, which has consistently spoken out against Pebble Mine," said Tim Bristol, Alaska program manager for Trout Unlimited, a trout and salmon conservation organization.
Lisa Demer
Lisa Demer was a longtime reporter for the Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Dispatch News. Among her many assignments, she spent three years based in Bethel as the newspaper's western Alaska correspondent. She left the ADN in 2018.
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You are here: Home » Adult Webmaster News » Interview: The Irrepressible Katie Morgan
Interview: The Irrepressible Katie Morgan
This article originally ran in the January 2016 issue of AVN magazine. Click here for the digital edition. Anybody who has a passing acquaintance with porn has heard of Katie Morgan—as much for what she accomplished after she left the industry as the time she spent as a bona fide adult star. Morgan spent seven years in porn in the early 21st century, followed by another seven years as mainstream’s go-to industry expert. But search the Internet Movie Database (IMDB.com) for “Katie Morgan” and ... lotsa luck; she's not there. Actually, she is there, but you have to go to Zack and Miri Make a Porno, the popular Kevin Smith movie, and scroll down the cast list to find her. If you click on her name (followed by the Roman numeral II), it does take you to her IMDB page—but that's the only way you'll find it. And even then, that database doesn't bother to list her myriad HBO appearances: A Real Sex Xtra: Pornucopia – Going Down in the Valley; Katie Morgan on Sex Toys; Katie Morgan: Porn 101; Katie Morgan's Sex Tips: Questions, Anyone?; or even her HBO documentary, Katie Morgan: A Porn Star Revealed! (Fortunately, Wikipedia has them all.) IMDB does mention her stint on Entourage, but not her call-in talk show on Logo TV, That Sex Show, from 2013, nor her three-year stint as hostess of Having Sex, With Katie Morgan on Kevin Smith's Smodcast.com network, nor her co-hosting position with Wankus on The Wanker Show on KSEX radio. Think of her as the Zelig of softcore porn. But when we caught up to the bubbly blonde—and we do mean bubbly; there's at least one giggle in every other sentence that comes out of her mouth—she'd only recently signed with Nexxxt Level Talent Agency, in part because Back In The Day, she'd shot movies with one of the agency's principals, director Jonathan Morgan (Space Nuts). "I've been back like six, eight weeks," Katie reported in late October. "I want to say I've done about 10 scenes in that time. They're coming pretty quick, but I'm always traveling in between to dance. I just got back from Florida and Columbus, Ohio, and San Diego—I think I've had three or four dance gigs since I've been back in porn. I've been so busy." And considering that adult actresses generally make more featuring at strip clubs than they do making movies, we were curious as to why she returned to hardcore. "Honestly, I just missed it," she almost sighed, "and I thought 'I can do that again,' and it turns out, I can! So surprise! It's like that debate: Can you do it one more time, or do you stay gone? But I was like, 'No, I really, really want to,' and then, I miss having too much fun, way too much fun. It feels like college all over again, but sex college. "I still sell my old videos in between sets at the clubs," she added. "That was literally one of the factors in my saying, 'Come on, I should do this again': because I'm still selling those movies, and I'll get back to a club like five years later, and they're like, 'Oh, we got that one last time,' so I'm like, 'Oops, I need new movies.' But I still sell some of my favorite ones." And those "favorite ones" would be ...? "Well, there's Key Party (Vivid). That was my first really, really big, big feature that we did. I think it was actually on film back in the day. I want to say that was like 2004; it was before the first boobs, but still one of my all-time favorites as far as experiences. PT directed it; it was one of those awesome ones where I had like 18, 20 hour days." She's also proud of 2006's God's Will (officially Black Label 41: God's Will) from Private—“That one was also really fun. I was God and Steven St. Croix was the Devil, and we got to fuck. It was hot.”—and Sex Across America 12 from Luc Wylder and Alexandra Silk's company Fallen Angel: "That was so much fun! Anytime we went away and did a trip with other people, it's so much fun." We asked how she got into porn in the first place, and it turns out that she had the same attorney as retired star Lola, and she peeked at the attorney's address book to find the number for World Modeling—and the rest is history. In all, Katie's appeared in nearly 230 original features—and now that she's back, she's happy to find that some of her favorite male talent are still working. "I'm lucky that two out of three of my favorites are still active or active again: Evan Stone and Steven St. Croix," she ticked off. "Randy Spears was always my other one of the top three, but he's a generation past. I still talk to him, but I feel like I'm never going to fuck him on film again. New guys, there's some great new guys. Danny Mountain was awesome; Small Hands was freakin' amazing. Chad White, ohmigod, that man has a gigantic penis, and it was a really great scene we did. But I'm making all kinds of new friends. I get along with most everyone." The giggling definitely helps. Katie revealed that she hasn't seen any of her new features yet, but she's pretty sure they're going to be winners. "I worked with Lex and he's great," she declared. "He has a giant penis and he put it in me. It was pretty straight up, but campy. I was like, 'Show me your couch,' and we went and looked at his couch. It was pretty straightforward but it was fun. And I don't know any of the titles because they aren't out yet—I usually find out the title when I read the review in AVN and go, ‘Oh, there's my name’—but just today, I played a busty cop, and I had that down; that was totally believable: 'Hey, you're under arrest!' That was for Elegant Angel. And I've done stuff for Naughty America and Brazzers, Penthouse a couple of things, but I don't know what the titles are. I like shooting for Penthouse because they're so much more my style of sex, with the 'Let's make out and eat your pussy for like 20 minutes and then fuck.' "There was a really fun one I just did for Hustler. It was Republican Wife Swap; I'm so excited! It's a spoof of the Republican debates. It was friggin' hysterical! I played Megyn Kelly, the moderator. It was awesome, so much fun; I can't wait to see that one." Of course, living in Las Vegas does make for a lengthy commute, but she's up for it. "I so rarely work in Vegas because I live there, so I fly other places and I drive to L.A. for work; it's fun," she said. "I prefer driving to flying. If I have my choice, I'd rather pilot my own vehicle." But considering that one of her future destinations is Europe, where her "dream scene" will undoubtedly one day be shot, she'd better get comfy with air travel. "Shooting anywhere in Europe would be fabulous!" she exclaimed. "These things happen. I was recently told I should get my passport re-upped. I'm thinking positive and knocking wood. There was some discussion of something that might be coming up, but it's always been my dream. I've always wanted to do that. It's so old school; they were doing that like in the ’70s and ’80s, back in the day with the big ‘Let's go make a real movie, only we'll have sex in it.’” And what country would that be shot in? "France!" she twittered. "Let's go to the south of France and fuck all over the beaches—or Greece or Spain; I'm not picky. I really like beaches in Europe. I've gone topless there." And what does Katie do with her down time—aside from spending quality time with her husband, of course? "I'm a degenerate gambler. I did move to Vegas for a reason. It's only fun if you're losing. I like poker but it's so much work. It's embarrassing. I win the most at Keno; I love Keno and Bingo. I like Bingo with the old ladies; it's so much fun. I'll catch up with them eventually; I'll be old someday and I'm sure I'll still like Bingo." Anything else? "I have a little bit of a zoo in Vegas," she admitted. "Lots of dogs, lots of cats, 13 turtles, some frogs, a ferret, a parrot, some sugar gliders, a wallaby. They're not really rescued so much as acquired over the years. Well, some are rescued; some actually just showed up on my front porch. Some were gifts. The wallaby, I bought myself because I went to the pet store for a turtle and came home with a wallaby because they're so cute, but it turns out I'm desperately allergic to him, but he gets along well with my husband. I was not allergic to him when he was little, but when he became mature and musky, I was suddenly all ‘I can't breathe around him.’ But it's okay; I just don't smell the wallaby; I'll be fine. He just can't come in my bedroom anymore." But we have no doubts that there are plenty of fans who’d love for Katie to come into their bedrooms! Photo by Chris King/ReelSeduction.com
You are here: Home » Adult Webmaster News » Interview: The Irrepressible Katie Morgan
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Netflix France Today All New Releases Get American Netflix
How to watch Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005) on Netflix France!
Sorry, Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is not available on French Netflix, but you can unlock it right now in France and start watching! With a few simple steps you can change your Netflix region to a country like Argentina and start watching Argentine Netflix, which includes Cheaper by the Dozen 2.
We'll keep checking Netflix France for Cheaper by the Dozen 2, and this page will be updated with any changes.
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)
on Netflix France?
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 is not available in France BUT it can be unlocked and viewed!
Children & Family Movies, Movies for ages 5 to 7, Movies for ages 8 to 10, Family Features, Family Comedies, Comedies
Director(s): Adam Shankman
The Bakers continue to juggle the demands of an extra-large brood in this sequel that has the family meeting its nemesis: the gigantic Murtaugh clan. An overflowing family embarks on a lakeside vacation -- but they're not the only big brood there. Let the games begin!
Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Bonnie Hunt, Tom Welling, Piper Perabo, Carmen Electra, Jaime King, Hilary Duff, Taylor Lautner, Alyson Stoner, Jonathan Bennett, Jacob Smith, Liliana Mumy, Morgan York, Kevin G. Schmidt, Forrest Landis
Watch "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" on Netflix in France
There is a way to watch Cheaper by the Dozen 2 in France, even though it isn't currently available on Netflix locally. What you need is a system that lets you change your Netflix country. With a few simple steps you can be watching Cheaper by the Dozen 2 and thousands of other titles!
Watch "Cheaper by the Dozen 2"!
Beethoven's 2nd
Monsters, Inc. (Taiwan Version)
Monsters, Inc. (Hong Kong Version)
The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl
Bringing Down the House
Like Mike
Father of the Bride: Part II
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid
Want to learn how to get American Netflix in France?
What's New on Netflix France
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Eric Hutton & Gerard McGowan at Surry Hills Comedy Club
Experience some of the best and brightest comedy around
Come on over to the Hills of Surry for an intimate night of standup comedy in the kicked-back, velvet-clad, cocktail-infused comfort of Low302.
“The Japanese Seinfeld” Eric Hutton will be tackling headline duties for this month.
Gerard McGowan be joining Eric Hutton who will be your host and MC for the evening.
Support acts to be confirmed.
Proud owner of the coolest little stage in town, Low302 is home to the Surry Hills Comedy Club.
Eric Hutton
Eric Hutton has been a comedy guy for 13 years, during which time he’s done TV and radio and all the stuff you normally put in a bio, as well as performing in places as diverse as London, Paris, Hong Kong, Latvia, Finland, Estonia, Scotland, New York and Maitland – the town that you could easily pronounce ‘Mate-land’ if you wanted to’. Come see the guy they call “The Japanese Seinfeld” doing his thing live on stage!
Gerard McGowan
Writer/Comedian Gerard McGowan was twice Raw Comedy State finalist (2013,2015), hand picked for the Sydney and Brisbane Comedy Festival Breakout showcases (2016). And has been featured on FBI, 2Day FM and Triple J Radio stations as well as appearing on ABC’s the Checkout and most recently had a major part in Comedy Central’s Nippers (2018).
A regular guest at the Sydney Comedy Store as well as all of Sydney’s top comedy venues he been lucky enough to share the stage with Matt Okine, Ronny Chieng, Chris Rock and Amy Schumer, as well as touring theatres across Australia with the Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase in 2015, 2016 & 2017.
302 Crown Street, Surry Hills
Tuesday 25 June 2019 from 6pm to 11.45pm
GA: $11.73
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Graham Holter, Editor and Publisher (01323 871836)
Graham set up The Wine Merchant magazine in 2012. He’s an award-winning journalist who edited Off Licence News for six years and also had stints on The Morning Advertiser and Wine & Spirit. As a freelance writer he contributed to most of the main drinks trade publications in the UK, and several overseas, and has also written for The Guardian and The Times. He’s a Brighton & Hove Albion season ticket holder who enjoys collecting driftwood and keeping pointless lists of the wildlife he encounters.
Email Graham
Claire Harries, Assistant Editor (01323 871836)
Claire joined the team in 2015 and co-ordinates the various reader trips and events that the magazine organises throughout the year. She’s worked as a journalist on a range of glossy consumer magazines and has lots of anecdotes about the rich and famous, many of them actionable. Claire also writes for the magazine and helps make sense of the growing mountain of admin.
Georgina Humphrey, Business Development (07974 233489)
Georgina has a long track record in the commercial side of trade magazines and was a key member of the Square Meal and Imbibe team before taking a break to start a family. At The Wine Merchant, Georgina works with clients to develop a programme of activity that suits their objectives and their budgets. She’s a spirits girl at heart but we suspect that wine is gradually winning her over.
Email Georgina
Naomi Young, Accounts (01323 871836)
Every so often we find it necessary to invoice people and Naomi is the person we turn to on these occasions. She joined us in 2014, at a time when our spreadsheets were nearing Bletchley Park levels of complication, but she has tamed them. Naomi is widely travelled, and lived in California for a while. We live in constant dread that she might do so again.
Email Naomi
Nigel Huddleston, Contributing Writer
Nigel is also an award-winning freelance journalist and former Off Licence News editor with an encyclopaedic knowledge of drinks, and the people who produce and sell them. You’ll find his work in every edition of The Wine Merchant, and we particularly value his expertise in the spirits and beer categories. Nigel is a devoted Nottingham Forest supporter who is trying to find the time to finish a book which was supposed to be about Public Image Ltd but may now be about something else.
Email Nigel
David Williams, Columnist and Contributor
David is one of the UK’s most talented wine writers. His career began on Harpers, and he then joined Wine & Spirit where he worked with Graham Holter and subsequently took over as editor. He is now wine critic for The Observer, and is deputy editor of The World of Fine Wine. He writes the Just Williams column for The Wine Merchant and most of our wine features. He is also competition director of The Wine Merchant Top 100. He divides his time between the UK and his home in Catalonia, where he writes investigative poetry.
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The charity sector faces challenges as fewer Britons donate
Public trust in charities has been dwindling these past three years as the result of a spate of scandals which have rocked the sector.
A survey released last week by the Charities Aid Foundation revealed that fewer people are giving to charity. The proportion of the UK public who gave money direct to charity in 2018 dropped to 57%, compared with 60% the previous year and 61% in 2016. Numbers giving money or sponsoring someone fell to 65%, compared with 67% in 2017 and 69% the year before.
Forty-eight per cent of people believe charities are trustworthy, according to CAF’s figures. The proportion explicitly disagreeing has risen to 21%, with the remainder neither agreeing or disagreeing. Among those aged 65 or over, traditionally the most regular supporters of charities, 46% agree and 23% disagree.
But the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO), the leading umbrella body for charities, believes the CAF figures say less about trust and more about deliberate changes in fundraising in 2018 in response to the earlier controversies and GDPR data protection rules that took effect last May.
Significantly, the CAF survey revealed that fewer people had been approached to make a donation in the street or on the doorstep last year or received direct mail requests. The overall amount raised from household donations remained steady, however, at £10.1bn.
In an increasingly challenging environment, the figures are a reminder of the need for charities to continue to work hard to re-establish public support. Whether it’s dented trust, the impact of GDPR or a combination of both, complete transparency and hard work will be crucial in the years to come.
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A Poem From The Cat
Missing You Poetry For Her 2019 Frost Farm Prize for Metrical Poetry. Thank you everybody who entered this year’s contest! Your entries provide much needed support to the Hyla Brook Poets and the Trustees of the Robert Frost Farm in their mission to promote the teaching and writing of metrical poetry–the kind of poetry Frost wrote. Romantic Good Morning Messages
Tennessee Williams wrote lines for his three main characters in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof that sway and lilt and sweat like.
Felis Cattus, is your taxonomic nomenclature, an endothermic quadruped carnivorous by nature? Your visual, olfactory and auditory senses contribute to your hunting skills, and natural defenses.
Synopsis "The Owl and the Pussycat" features four anthropomorphic animals – an owl, a cat, a pig, and a turkey – and tells the story of the love between the title characters who marry in the land "where the Bong-tree grows". The Owl and the Pussycat set out to sea in a pea green boat with honey and "plenty of money" wrapped in a five-pound note.
The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea In a beautiful pea-green boat: They took some honey, and plenty of money Wrapped up in a five-pound note. The Owl looked up to the stars above, And sang to a small guitar, "O lovely Pussy, O Pussy, my love, What a beautiful Pussy you are.
Free Printable Beginning Reading Books A set of 52 beginning readers by SWRL. funded research program in beginning reading and as such the books are in the. I See Sam Readers – free to print. Free Second Grade Language Arts, History, and Science Worksheets. Welcome to tlsbooks.com, where you’ll find a variety of free printable second grade worksheets for home
Twenty years into a marriage that included children, a minivan and three cats, my husband announced the following. A few.
Full list of poems and authors for Poetry 180. Poetry can and should be an important part of our daily lives. Poems can inspire and make us think about what it means to be a member of the human race. By just spending a few minutes reading a poem each day, new worlds can be revealed. Poetry 180 is designed to make it easy for students to hear or read a poem on each of the 180 days of the school.
She is mourning both her infertility and the end of her marriage—six weeks earlier, her husband, Nathan, abandoned her in their three-story walkup, leaving only his cat behind. She teaches poetry at a.
That means on Jan. 1 of this year a trove of cultural gems published in 1923 — from the early “Felix the Cat” comics to E.E. Cummings’s first poetry collection, “Tulips and Chimneys” — have finally.
Poem of the Day for: 2018-05-27. Pets have distinct characteristics. In this funny poem, the poet expands on his cat’s love of eating (and even uses that to get out of doing homework).
The opening poem, “Visit,” anchors us to the feel and subject matter. “stay in your pajamas half the day /. take a nap with the cat /. share popcorn with dog.” Indignation and outrage are part of.
This event is a lot of fun and it is truly moving hearing residents recite the poems and works that carry a special meaning to them.” As the crawl moves down the street to Fat Cat Pie Co., Assistant.
Who Was The Author Of Pride And Prejudice As Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a novel rather than an essay, it doesn't really have a singular abstract meaning. To a great degree, it was intended as. Authored By Staff Writer | Last Updated: 4/10/2018. Pride and Prejudice became Jane Austen's second published novel and one of her most memorable works. Jan
Lear is perhaps best known for his whimsical poem, The Owl and the Pussycat. Edward Lear had begun to pen the sequel, The Children of The Owl and the Pussycat, but sections of the poem still remained incomplete at the time of his death in 1888.The portion that was complete, was published posthumously (meaning, after his death) in 1938. It begins;
She went on to study poetry under April Bernard at Skidmore and graduated magna cum laude from the English program. She was also the recipient of the Academy of American Poets College Prize. She lives.
Vivien Noakes fittingly subtitled her biography of Edward Lear The Life of a Wanderer.On a literal level the phrase refers to Lear’s constant traveling as a self-proclaimed "dirty landscape painter" from 1837 until he finally settled at his Villa Tennyson on the San Remo.
Poetry has many faces, many voices. It ranges from the sacred to the humorous, the serious to the sensuous, the everyday to the far away. From the 23rd Psalm to “The Cat in the Hat.” From.
A poem can stir all of the senses, and the subject matter of a poem can range from being funny to being sad. We hope that you liked this poem and the sentiments in the words of Macavity – The Mystery Cat by T S Eliot you will find even more poem lyrics by this famous author.
I: The Owl and the Pussy-cat went to sea In a beautiful pea green boat, They took some honey, and plenty of money, Wrapped up in a five pound note. The Owl looked up to the stars above,
a small-throated/mercy.” Islam’s distilled, intricate poems are packed with striking images and associative leaps; she writes of a cat “bent after new thought” — a phrase that fits her poetic method,
The highly anticipated film adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats is making its way to theaters. The story is based on T.S. Eliot’s book of poems titled Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats.
Greek Mythology Religion Name Ancient Greek mythology is an example of how early. "All meteorological forces, each direction of the wind had a name and was worshiped as a god," said Dr. Clint Corcoran, head of the Religion and. Religion. The Arawak/Taíno were polytheists and their gods were called Zemi. The zemi controlled various functions of the universe, very
Mar 13, 2019 · (4/14/2018 10:29:00 AM) I lived near San Francisco while I grew up, and enjoyed seeing the fog come on little cat feet. It is very silent and glides lithely along.
This expression is known as the Victorian Flower Language, also known as Floriography, a language that can help you create.
Best poems and quotes from famous poets. Read romantic love poems, love quotes, classic poems and best poems. All famous quotes.
End Of The World Poetry World Poetry Day is a time to appreciate and support poets and poetry around the world. It is held on March 21 each year and is an initiative of the United. Greek Mythology Religion Name Ancient Greek mythology is an example of how early. "All meteorological forces, each direction of the wind had a name
Medieval cats: “Perhaps the most famous tribute to a scholar’s cat is the 9th-century poem known as Pangur Bán, named after the cat that inspired it (the cat’s name indicates his soft, white coat).
The cat against all commotion sat. and scoff her comment, she continues: “but now is good.” This Poem, Write Here is meant to be a series of poems released every Monday. When I was in college I.
a limited vocabulary produced a more poignantly memorable poetry and constraints made for cultural advance — or at least for.
The poem describes the loneliness of the speaker, who has no one but her cat for company. Winter isn’t made for much activity: It’s about eating fatty foods and watching hockey and letting your cat.
As they navigate the building, guests don puffy headphones and watch a pre-recorded video, on a Disney Hall-provided iPad.
It didn’t matter then that there were multiple renditions of his poem, ‘Cats have no language’ — Mindy Kaur Gill’s hushed voice floating in the room like a whisper or Kirtana Kumar’s theatrical take.
Synopsis. The poem follows the life of a Turkic conqueror historically known as Tamerlane.The name is a Latinized version of "Timur Lenk", the 14th-century warlord who founded the Timurid Empire, though the poem is not a historical depiction of his life. Tamerlane ignores the young love he has for a peasant in order to achieve power. On his deathbed, he regrets this decision to create "a.
More than 40,000 poems by contemporary and classic poets, including Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Sylvia Plath, Langston Hughes, Rita Dove, and more.
Nicole Nadler and Kevin Rowe are great in the roles of Maggie "the cat" and the alcoholic Brick. our age of feminism it.
Lost in thought, I looked up to see that kitty Lark had climbed to a higher shelf and settled herself on top of a row of Robert Browning poetry volumes. This was noteworthy, because I had always.
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Laocoon Torso bronze statue
Made of 100% pure bronze (lost wax)
Dimensions: 34" (86cm) High
Item No. IT041
Vatican Museums, Rome, Vatican City
Period: Hellenistic Age (4th-1st century B.C.)
This Item is an Identical Museum Reproduction
The statue of Laocoön and His Sons (Italian: Gruppo del Laocoonte), also called the Laocoön Group, is a monumental sculpture in marble now in the Vatican Museums, Rome. The statue is attributed by the Roman author Pliny the Elder to three sculptors from the island of Rhodes: Agesander, Athenodoros and Polydorus. It shows the Trojan priest Laocoön and his sons Antiphantes and Thymbraeus being strangled by sea serpents. Laocoön the son of Acoetes is a figure in Greek and Roman mythology, a Trojan priest of Poseidon (or Neptune), whose rules he had defied, either by marrying and having sons, or by having committed an impiety by making love with his wife in the presence of a cult image in a sanctuary. His minor role in the Epic Cycle narrating the Trojan War was of warning the Trojans in vain against accepting the Trojan Horse from the Greeks-"A deadly fraud is this," he said, "devised by the Achaean chiefs!"-and for his subsequent divine execution by two serpents sent to Troy across the sea from the island of Tenedos, where the Greeks had temporarily camped. Laocoön warned his fellow Trojans against the wooden horse presented to the city by the Greeks. In the Aeneid, Virgil gives Laocoön the famous line Equo ne credite, Teucri / Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes, or "Do not trust the Horse, Trojans / Whatever it is, I fear the Greeks even bearing gifts." This line is the source of the saying: "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." When the statue was discovered, Laocoön's right arm was missing, along with part of the hand of one child and the right arm of the other. Artists and connoisseurs debated how the missing parts should be interpreted. Michelangelo suggested that the missing right arms were originally bent back over the shoulder. Others, however, believed it was more appropriate to show the right arms extended outwards in a heroic gesture. The Pope held an informal contest among sculptors to make replacement right arms, which was judged by Raphael. The winner, in the outstretched position, was attached to the statue. In 1906 Ludwig Pollak, archaeologist, art dealer and director of the Museo Barracco, discovered a fragment of a marble arm in a builder's yard in Rome. Noting a stylistic similarity to the Laocoön group he presented it to the Vatican Museums: it remained in their storerooms for half a century. In the 1950s the museum decided that this arm-bent, as Michelangelo had suggested-had originally belonged to this Laocoön. The statue was dismantled and reassembled with the new arm incorporated.[7] The restored portions of the children's arm and hand were removed. In the course of disassembly, breaks, cuttings, metal tenons, and dowel holes have suggested that a more compact, three-dimensional pyramidal grouping of the three figures was contemplated or used in Antiquity before subsequent ancient and Renaissance restorations were made; the more open, planographic composition along a plane, familiar in the Laocoön group as restored, has been interpreted as "apparently the result of serial reworkings by Roman Imperial as well as Renaissance and modern craftsmen" There are many copies of the statue, including a well-known one in the Grand Palace of the Knights of St. John in Rhodes. Many still show the arm in the outstretched position. The copy in Rhodes has been corrected. The discovery of the Laocoön made a great impression on Italian sculptors and significantly influenced the course of Italian Renaissance art. Michelangelo is known to have been particularly impressed by the massive scale of the work and its sensuous Hellenistic aesthetic, particularly its depiction of the male figures. The influence of the Laocoön is evidenced in many of Michelangelo's later works, such as the Rebellious Slave and the Dying Slave, created for the tomb of Pope Julius II. The tragic nobility of this statue is one of the themes in Gotthold Lessing's essay on literature and aesthetics, Laokoön, one of the early classics of art criticism. The Florentine sculptor Baccio Bandinelli was commissioned to make a copy by Pope Leo X de' Medici. Bandinelli's version, which was often copied and distributed in small bronzes, is at the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.[9] A bronze casting, made for François I at Fontainebleau from a mold taken from the original under the supervision of Primaticcio, is at the Musée du Louvre.
Made of bronze (lost wax). "Lost Wax" bronze (or hot-cast bronze) is actually 100% pure Bronze - essentially copper and tin. The most known and used process for making "lost wax" involves pouring of molten bronze. This is the same method used by the ancient civilizations to create bronze sculptures. The making of a "lost wax" bronze is a complex and time consuming process, and specific technical expertise is needed to accomplish the task of making a bronze.
Please allow 30 days for delivery. We ship worldwide. Shipping to US and Canada is free $0. Please contact us to obtain shipping cost quote if you are not ordering from US/Canada.
Item is returnable within 7 days for money back guarantee (minus 20% restocking fee) provided it is returned undamaged in original condition and packaging
You're reviewing: Laocoon Torso bronze statue
Boy Youth Ephebe of Marathon Museum Sculpture Statue (reduction)
Dimensions: 53cm or 21"H
Trojan Horse statue sculpture
Dimensions: 9.1" (23 cm)
Goat Bronze Greek sculpture - Identical Reproduction
Dimensions: 2.5" (6 cm)
Zeus of Dodona Statue
Dimensions: 4.3" x 6.3" x 1.8" (11 cm x 16 cm x 4.5 cm)
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All eyes on Eyman: Human Rights and the SMU.
Following are two posts about Supermax prisons / Special Management Units (like ASPC-Eyman), and solitary's harmful effects from David Fathi in the ACLU Blog of Rights. If you have a loved one in AZ prisons with a mental illness being managed by moving them into more restrictive/non-therapeutic settings (like detention or SMU) instead of providing them with adequate psychiatric treatment services, please contact me. We need to work together on this.
Turning the Corner on Solitary Confinement?
This week, Colorado state Sen. Morgan Carroll and Rep. Claire Levy introduced a bill that would substantially limit the use of solitary confinement in the state's prisons. S.B. 176 would restrict solitary confinement of prisoners with mental illness or developmental disabilities, who currently make up more than one-third of the state's solitary confinement population. It would require regular mental health evaluations for prisoners in solitary, and prompt removal of those who develop mental illness. And it would significantly restrict the practice of releasing prisoners directly from solitary confinement into the community, where they are more likely to re-offend than prisoners who transition from solitary to the general prison population before release.
The shattering psychological effects of solitary confinement, even for relatively short periods, are well known. "It's an awful thing, solitary," John McCain wrote of his time in isolation as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. "It crushes your spirit and weakens your resistance more effectively than any other form of mistreatment." The American journalist Roxana Saberi, imprisoned by the Iranian government, said that she was "going crazy" after two weeks in solitary. Imagine, then, that 54 prisoners in Illinois have been in continuous solitary confinement for more than 10 years.
These reforms are long overdue for Colorado and for the nation as a whole. Solitary confinement is an expensive boondoggle – in Colorado, it costs an additional $21,485 per year for each prisoner. And all we get for that investment is an undermining of our public safety. The vast majority of prisoners who are forced to endure long-term isolation are eventually released back into the community, where the devastating impact of solitary confinement leaves them more damaged and less capable of living a law-abiding life.
The United States uses long-term solitary confinement to a degree unparalleled in other democracies, with an estimated 20,000 prisoners in solitary at any one time, and it's attracting increasing criticism from international human rights bodies. The U.N. Human Rights Committee and Committee Against Torture have both expressed concern about the use of prolonged isolation in U.S. prisons and recommended scrutinizing this practice with a view to bringing prison conditions and treatment of prisoners in line with international human rights norms. And the European Court of Human Rights has temporarily blocked the extradition of four terrorism suspects to the United States on the ground that their possible incarceration in a Supermax prison, where solitary confinement is the norm, could violate the European Convention on Human Rights.
Last week the ACLU urged the U.N. Human Rights Council to address the widespread violations of the human rights of prisoners in the United States associated with solitary confinement. Many of the measures we call for, such as prohibiting solitary confinement of the mentally ill and careful monitoring of prisoners in solitary for mental illness, are also part of Colorado's S.B. 176. Colorado may be only one state, but the bill's introduction is a hopeful sign that the United States may, at last, be turning the corner on solitary confinement.
Supermax Prisons: Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading
This week the European Court of Human Rights temporarily halted the extradition of four terrorism suspects from the United Kingdom to the United States. The court concluded that the applicants had raised a serious question whether their possible long-term incarceration in a U.S. “supermax” prison would violate Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits “torture or … inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.” The court noted that “complete sensory isolation, coupled with total social isolation, can destroy the personality and constitutes a form of inhuman treatment which cannot be justified by the requirements of security or any other reason,” and called for additional submissions from the parties before finally deciding the applicants’ claim.
The court’s decision was not a surprise. International human rights bodies have repeatedly expressed the view that supermax prisons — in which prisoners are held in near-total social isolation, sometimes for years on end — may violate international human rights law. In 2006, the U.N. Committee Against Torture expressed concern about “the extremely harsh regime” in US supermax prisons, which it said could violate the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, a human rights treaty ratified by the United States in 1994.
Despite these warnings, supermax prisons are common in the United States. In the 1990s they were a raging fad, yet another round in the perpetual “tough on crime” political bidding war. Suddenly every state had to build one — Virginia was so tough it built two. By the end of the decade, more than 30 states, as well as the federal government, were operating a supermax facility or unit.
The devastating effects of isolated confinement on the human psyche have long been well known. In 1890, the Supreme Court described the results of solitary confinement as it had been practiced in the early days of the United States:
A considerable number of the prisoners fell, after even a short confinement, into a semi-fatuous condition, from which it was next to impossible to arouse them, and others became violently insane; others still, committed suicide; while those who stood the ordeal better were not generally reformed, and in most cases did not recover sufficient mental activity to be of any subsequent service to the community.
Conditions in modern supermax prisons are, if anything, even more damaging, as technological advances like video surveillance have made possible a greater degree of social isolation than in earlier times.
The ACLU has been bringing challenges to supermax prisons for over a decade, and what we’ve found is troubling. The official line is that these prisons are reserved for the “worst of the worst” — the most dangerous and incorrigibly violent — but most states have only a few such prisoners. In overcrowded prison systems, the typical response has been to fill the remaining supermax cells with "nuisance prisoners" — those who file lawsuits, violate minor prison rules, or otherwise annoy staff, but by no stretch of the imagination require the extremely high security of a supermax facility. Thus in Wisconsin's supermax, one of the "worst of the worst" was a 16-year-old car thief. Twenty-year-old David Tracy hanged himself in a Virginia supermax; he had been sent there at age 19, with a 2 ½ year sentence for selling drugs.
The mentally ill are vastly overrepresented in supermax prisons, and once subjected to the stress of isolated confinement, many of them deteriorate dramatically. Some engage in bizarre and extreme acts of self-injury and even suicide. In an Indiana supermax, a 21-year-old mentally ill prisoner set himself on fire in his cell and died from his burns; another man in the same unit choked himself to death with a washcloth. It’s not unusual to find supermax prisoners who swallow razors and other objects, smash their heads into the wall, compulsively cut their flesh, try to hang themselves, and otherwise attempt to harm or kill themselves.
Lawsuits by the ACLU and others have mitigated some of the worst features of supermax confinement, but thousands of prisoners remain entombed in these facilities throughout the United States. Fortunately, with states facing record budget deficits, supermax facilities, which are far more expensive to build and operate than conventional prisons, have lost much of their appeal. Bills have been introduced in the Illinois and Maine legislatures to substantially restrict supermax confinement in those states. There’s a long way to go, but these are important first steps toward bringing U.S. prison conditions into line with human rights norms, and with basic human decency.
(Originally posted on Huffington Post.)
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Posted by Margaret Jean Plews at 10:26 AM
Labels: 8th amendment, ACLU, arizona department of corrections, conditions of confinement, cruel and unusual, drug smuggling, Eyman, mental illness, solitary, supermax
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Prisoner Post: Surviving Parole in AZ.
FEDS OK AZ to cut more AHCCCS patients.
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Hawaiian prisoners coming home.
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The term Art Deco is used to describe stylistic changes that occurred to nearly every visual medium with a design element in the interwar years and for a number of years before and after. It covers “modern” approaches to architecture, fashion, art, graphics and film. The new aesthetics were also found in industrial design, furniture, transport, communications, and in household items. The style, which was universal, represented a move away from traditional values and was characterised by clean, geometric and elegant lines that replaced the excessive decoration of previous styles. It drew its inspiration from many cultures but is generally regarded as having its origins in pre-WWI Europe. Its introduction occurred concurrently with massive changes in technology that saw the introduction of new materials and manufacturing techniques that allowed goods and items to become available to the masses.
It remains popular around the world and is increasingly appreciated by new generations who are enchanted by its simplicity, style, design, superior materials and finishes.
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Later posts
Torture on Trial in the US Senate, as the UK Government Unreservedly Apologizes for Its Role in Libyan Rendition
I wrote the following article for the “Close Guantánamo” website, which I established in January 2012, on the 10th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo, with the US attorney Tom Wilner. Please join us — just an email address is required to be counted amongst those opposed to the ongoing existence of Guantánamo, and to receive updates of our activities by email.
In the last few days, two very different approaches to torture have been on display in the US and the UK.
On Wednesday, the US Senate conducted confirmation hearings for Gina Haspel, Donald Trump’s nomination as the next Director of the CIA, who has attracted widespread criticism since her nomination was announced back in March, for two particularly valid reasons: firstly, because, towards the end of 2002, she was in charge of the CIA’s first post-9/11 “black site” in Thailand, where several “high-value detainees” were held and tortured, and secondly because, in 2005, she was involved in the destruction of videotapes documenting the torture of prisoners, even though a court had ordered the tapes to be preserved.
At the time of her nomination, we signed up to a letter from a number of rights groups opposing her nomination, and also published an article on our website, entitled, The Torture Trail of Gina Haspel Makes Her Unsuitable to be Director of the CIA. Read the rest of this entry »
Donald Trump, Extraordinary rendition and secret prisons, FBI/CIA, John McCain, Libya, UK complicity in torture, UK politics
On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, It’s Time for Someone to Leak the Whole of the US Senate Torture Report
Today is an important day — 30 years since the entry into force of the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and 20 years since the establishment, on that anniversary, of the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, and to mark the occasion it would be wonderful if someone in the huge, sprawling organization that is the United States government would release — leak, if you prefer — the full Senate Intelligence Committee Study on CIA Detention and Interrogation Program.
The report took five years to compile, contains 6,700 pages, and cost $40m, and it was approved for publication by the committee members on December 13, 2012, by nine votes to six, although it was not until December 9, 2014 that a partly-redacted 525-page document — the executive summary and certain key findings — was released. See Senator Dianne Feinstein’s page on the report for all the publicly available documents.
The executive summary was a profoundly shocking document, despite the redactions, and despite consisting of less than one-tenth of the total, as I explained at the time, when I wrote that the report found that: Read the rest of this entry »
American torture, Barack Obama, Extraordinary rendition and secret prisons, FBI/CIA, International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
Please Ask Your MP to Join the Shaker Aamer All-Party Parliamentary Group, Working to Secure Shaker’s Release from Guantánamo
It’s eight months since the Labour MP John McDonnell MP, an indefatigable campaigner for justice, established the Shaker Aamer All-Party Parliamentary Group, to call for the release from Guantánamo of Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in the prison, who is still held, despite being approved for release by the US authorities twice — in 2007, under George W. Bush, and in 2009, under Barack Obama.
With support from the Save Shaker Aamer Campaign, which spent many years working to get the Parliamentary Group established, and also from We Stand With Shaker, the campaign group established by Andy Worthington and Joanne MacInnes, which was also launched eight months ago, the Parliamentary Group sent a delegation to Washington D.C. after the General Election in May. The four MPs involved — the Conservative MPs David Davis and Andrew Mitchell, and the Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Andy Slaughter — met with Senators, including John McCain and Dianne Feinstein, and Obama administration officials, in the hope of securing a timeline for Shaker’s release, although no date has been given, despite repeated rumors that it would be this summer, and despite a hard-hitting op-ed in the New York Times by the MPs, who wrote, “There is simply no reason, domestic or international, for the United States to keep Mr. Aamer in custody,” and also stated, “It is difficult for us to shake off the depressing notion that the Obama administration is indifferent to the repeated requests of the British government,” adding that this is “a slap in the face for America’s staunchest friend.”
Prior to this, in March, the Parliamentary Group also secured a hugely important debate in the House of Commons, which led to the government supporting the motion “call[ing] on the US Government to release Shaker Aamer from his imprisonment in Guantánamo Bay and to allow him to return to his family in the UK.” Read the rest of this entry »
British prisoners in Guantanamo, Guantanamo, Guantanamo campaigns, Shaker Aamer, UK politics
Six Months After the CIA Torture Report, We’re Still Waiting for Accountability
I’m sure many of us remember where we were on December 9, 2014, when, two years after it was completed, the 500-page executive summary of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s five-year, 6,700-page, $40m report into the CIA’s post-9/11 torture report was released, which I wrote about here and here.
It was a momentous occasion, for which Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and everyone who worked with her to compile the report and and to publish it (or its executive summary, at least), deserve profound thanks. In dark times, in which the US system of checks and balances has gone awry, this was a bright light in the darkness. It also caused British commentators like myself to reflect on the fact that it was something that would never happen in the UK.
That said, however, the widespread sense of horror that greeted the publication of the executive summary, with its profoundly disturbing details that were unknown before — like the “rectal feeding” of prisoners for example — has not, in the six months since, led to firm action to hold accountable those who authorized and implemented the program, which is, of course, unacceptable. As I wrote at the time in my article for Al-Jazeera: Read the rest of this entry »
American torture, Barack Obama, Eric Holder, FBI/CIA, International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
New York Times Publishes British MPs’ Hard-Hitting Op-Ed Calling for Shaker Aamer’s Release from Guantánamo
I wrote the following article for the “Close Guantánamo” website, which I established in January 2012 with US attorney Tom Wilner. Please join us — just an email address is required to be counted amongst those opposed to the ongoing existence of Guantánamo, and to receive updates of our activities by email.
Regular readers of “Close Guantánamo” will be aware of the case of Shaker Aamer, the last British resident still held in the prison at Guantánamo Bay. Shaker, a Saudi national who was given indefinite leave to remain in the UK, has a British wife and four British children, and is still held despite being approved for release under President Bush in 2007 and under President Obama in 2010.
I wrote about Shaker’s case soon after the “Close Guantánamo” campaign and website was established, on the 10th anniversary of the opening of Guantánamo in January 2012. To mark the 10th anniversary of Shaker’s arrival at Guantánamo, on February 14, 2012, I wrote an article entitled, 10 Years in Guantánamo: British Resident Shaker Aamer, Cleared for Release But Still Held.
One of his lawyers, Ramzi Kassem, then made available notes of his meetings with Shaker, which we published as two articles in April 2012, and again in October 2012, at Shaker’s request. In October 2013, we published an exclusive article about Shaker’s request for an independent medical evaluation, and also published Ramzi Kassem’s supporting statement, and in April 2014, after that medical evaluation had been allowed, we followed up with an article about Shaker’s ultimately unsuccessful request for a judge to order his release because of the findings by the expert, Dr. Emily Keram, that Shaker was suffering from a host of physical and psychological problems. Read the rest of this entry »
British prisoners in Guantanamo, Guantanamo, Guantanamo and US Senate/House of Representatives, Guantanamo campaigns, Guantanamo media, Guantanamo op-eds, Shaker Aamer, UK politics
MPs Visit US to Discuss the Release of Shaker Aamer from Guantánamo with John McCain and Dianne Feinstein
On Tuesday, in an open letter to President Obama and defense secretary Ashton Carter that I drafted, 13 rights groups, including Close Guantánamo and We Stand With Shaker, as well as Amnesty international USA, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Reprieve and others, called for the release of 57 men from Guantánamo (out of the 122 men still in the prison), who are still held despite being approved for release, the majority for over five years.
One of the 57 is Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in Guantánamo, and one of the reasons I initiated the letter was to coincide with a visit to Washington, D.C. by a delegation of British MPs, from the Shaker Aamer Parliamentary Group, which was established last November, and, in March, secured the support of the government for the following motion — “That this House calls on the US Government to release Shaker Aamer from his imprisonment in Guantánamo Bay and to allow him to return to his family in the UK.”
The MPs who flew to the US for meetings to try to secure Shaker’s release are the Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn (a longtime colleague of the Shaker Aamer Parliamentary Group’s chair, John McDonnell) and Shadow Justice Minister Andy Slaughter, and the Conservative MPs David Davis (a former Shadow Home Secretary) and Andrew Mitchell (a former Chief Whip and former International Development Secretary). Read the rest of this entry »
British prisoners in Guantanamo, Guantanamo, Guantanamo and US Senate/House of Representatives, Guantanamo media, John McCain, Shaker Aamer, UK politics
Senators Leahy, Feinstein and Durbin Tell Obama to Free 57 Cleared Guantánamo Prisoners “As Quickly As Possible”
It’s now nearly five months since the last prisoners were released from Guantánamo, even though 57 of the 122 men still held have been approved for release from the prison, the majority since President Obama’s high-level, inter-agency Guantánamo Review Task Force issued its recommendations about the disposition of the remaining prisoners in January 2010.
As any decent person would agree, still holding men five years after you said you no longer wanted to hold them is a particularly offensive betrayal of any notion that you believe in justice and fairness.
President Obama released dozens of prisoners — 66 in total — from when he took office in January 2009 until September 2010, at which point restrictions on the release of prisoners, which were cynically imposed by Congress, made it more difficult. This was not because the administration was unable to release prisoners, but because the process of certifying to Congress that it was safe to do so, which were the conditions imposed by lawmakers, made the release of prisoners much more politically sensitive than it should have been. Read the rest of this entry »
Barack Obama, Closing Guantanamo, Guantanamo, Guantanamo and recidivism, Guantanamo and US Senate/House of Representatives, Guantanamo media
Sen. Dianne Feinstein Urges Pentagon to End “Unnecessary” Force-Feeding at Guantánamo
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, recently sent a letter to Ashton Carter, the new defense secretary, urging him to “end the unnecessary force-feedings of detainees at the Guantánamo Bay detention facility.”
Sen. Feinstein, who, until recently, was chair of the committee, and oversaw the creation of the hugely important report into the CIA’s use of torture whose executive summary was released in December, has long been a critic of Guantánamo. After a visit to the prison in July 2013, with Sen. Dick Durbin, she and Durbin “asked President Barack Obama to order the Pentagon to stop routinely force-feeding hunger strikers at the U.S. Navy base at Guantánamo and adopt a model that feeds out of medical necessity, like in the federal prison system,” as the Miami Herald described it.
As she noted in her letter to Ashton Carter, “The hunger strikes themselves stem in part to the fact that many detainees have remained in legal limbo for more than a decade and have given up hope. Therefore, it is imperative that the Administration outline a formal process to permanently close the Guantánamo facility as soon as possible. I look forward to continue working with you to achieve that end.” Read the rest of this entry »
Guantanamo, Guantanamo and US District Courts/Appeals Courts, Guantanamo and US Senate/House of Representatives, Hunger strikes in Guantanamo
The 9/11 Trial at Guantánamo: The Dark Farce Continues
In two articles — this one and another to follow soon — I’ll be providing updates about the military commissions at Guantánamo, the system of trials that the Bush administration dragged from the US history books in November 2001 with the intention of trying, convicting and executing alleged terrorists without the safeguards provided in federal court trials, and without the normal prohibitions against the use of information derived through torture.
Notoriously, the first version of the commissions revived by the Bush administration collapsed in June 2006, when, in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, the Supreme Court ruled that the commission system lacked “the power to proceed because its structures and procedures violate both the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the four Geneva Conventions signed in 1949.”
Nevertheless, Congress subsequently revived the commissions, in the fall of 2006, and, although President Obama briefly suspended them when he took office in 2009, they were revived by Congress for a second time in the fall of 2009. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdul Rahim al-Nashiri, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, American torture, FBI/CIA, Guantanamo, Guantanamo and US Senate/House of Representatives, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Military Commissions, Mustafa al-Hawsawi, Ramzi bin al-Shibh
“I Wish I Was Dead,” Shaker Aamer Says from Guantánamo, as David Cameron Writes to His Daughter
In a desperate message from Guantánamo, Shaker Aamer, the last British resident in the prison, told one of his lawyers by phone, “The administration is getting ever more angry and doing everything they can to break our hunger strike. Honestly, I wish I was dead.”
Shaker, who was cleared for release from the prison under President Bush in 2007 and under President Obama in 2009, was speaking to Clive Stafford Smith, the director of the legal action charity Reprieve, and his words were reported in the Observer, which also noted his claims that “the US authorities are systematically making the regime more hardline to try to defuse the strike, which now involves almost two-thirds of the detainees.”
As the Observer explained:
Techniques include making cells “freezing cold” to accentuate the discomfort of those on hunger strike and the introduction of “metal-tipped” feeding tubes, which Aamer said were forced into inmates’ stomachs twice a day and caused detainees to vomit over themselves.
The 46-year-old from London tells of one detainee who was admitted to hospital 10 days ago after a nurse had pushed the tube into his lungs rather than his stomach, causing him later to cough up blood. Aamer also alleges that some nurses at Guantánamo Bay are refusing to wear their name tags in order to prevent detainees registering abuse complaints against staff. Read the rest of this entry »
British prisoners in Guantanamo, Conditions at Guantanamo, Guantanamo, Guantanamo lawyers, Guantanamo media, Hunger strikes in Guantanamo, Shaker Aamer
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Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad
Centre using Governors to topple state governments: Ghulam Nabi Azad
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 10 (ANI): Amid the ongoing political crisis in Karnataka, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday alleged that the BJP-led Central government has been using the governors office to topple governments in various states.
"The Raj Bhawan (governors) were meant to be neutral and protect the democracy and rule of law. But in the past 4-5 years, they were used by the Centre in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Goa to topple the Congress or Congress majority government," said Azad.
"We are witnessing the same thing in Bengal, where the TMC leaders are being taken by the BJP. There are dozens of such examples in the period of 4-5 where the governments have been toppled by the government of India," the senior Congress leader added.
The 13-month old Congress-JDS government slumped into crisis following the resignation of 11 MLAs from the membership of the state Assembly on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Nabi was detained while protesting outside the Raj Bhawan in Bengaluru. The protest was held by Congress and the JDS against the alleged Central government's involvement in toppling the coalition government in the state.
JDS Chief HD Deve Gowda, as well as Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and KC Venugopal were also present at the protest site. (ANI)
Ghulam Nabi
raj bhawan
topple
New Delhi (India), July 19 (ANI): Former president Pranab Mukherjee said that the foundations of modern India were laid by our founders who firmly believed in a planned economy, as opposed to today, when the Planning Commission has been disbanded. He was speaking at an event at the Mavalankar Hall, Co
Kejriwal writes Shah seeking hike in Delhi's share in central taxes
New Delhi (India), July 18 (ANI): Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah demanding a hike in New Delhi's share in central taxes as it has met the expenses caused by the rising population.
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India’s Judicial Activists Strain Constitutional Mandate
By: John Elliott
For more than 30 years India’s courts have issued instructions about how the country should be run, usually filling gaps left by inefficient and indolent governments.
On Dec. 1, however, the Supreme Court arguably went too far with judicial activism when it unexpectedly said that cinemas should play the national anthem before every film screening. Images of the Indian flag should be shown on the screen and “all present in the hall must stand while it is played” with the doors shut.
The aim is to instill “a sense of committed patriotism and nationalism,” said two Supreme Court judges, displaying a degree of compulsive nationalism that one might expect from some members of Narendra Modi’s governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), not from independent members of the country’s top court.
“Be it stated, the time has come, the citizens of the country realize that they live in a nation and are duty bound to show respect to the national anthem,” said the judges.
“But first, our National Anthem” – The New Yorker
It is of course difficult for Indians, or most other people, to object to standing for the national anthem in any country, but this judgment, which comes into force in 10 days’ time, is being widely criticized.
“The order appears to have erred the realm of judicial legislation and gone much beyond the constitutional mandate,” said Soli Sorabjee, a veteran internationally recognized lawyer and former attorney general.
Other commentators wondered about concerts, sports matches and other public events, while some wryly hoped that the courts and parliament would similarly play the anthem. Currently the law and practice varies around India, as it has done for many years.
There is concern about how the order could be implemented, and a fear that nationalist extremists linked to the BJP will use it to persecute people and cause havoc inside cinemas. In October, a wheelchair-bound international tennis player was reported to have been kicked in a Goa theatre for not standing while the anthem was played.
Activist petitioners
The Supreme Court ruling was issued in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition by Shyam Narayan Chouksey, 78, an activist who 13 years ago complained to the Madhya Pradesh high court that a film depicted the anthem in a poor light and should be banned. The judge then was Justice Dipak Misra, one of yesterday’s two supreme court judges. In 2003, Misra ruled in favor of Chouksey, but was overruled by the Supreme Court.
Petitioners like Chouksey have used PILs since the end of the 1970s to develop judicial activism and mobilize the courts to intervene in government. Cases were first accepted and adjudicated by judges to provide people with protection and social justice, irrespective of whether they were brought by aggrieved parties or other plaintiffs.
Such judicial activism is a controversial issue in many countries. In India, judges have radically extended their remit since the 1970s and have taken over the role of government. They frequently reflect public opinion or a national need for action, though yesterday’s national anthem order was issued suddenly without any public demand or debate.
Cases have ranged from protecting bonded labor and enforcing environmental regulations to ordering buses to be powered by compressed natural gas, cancelling telecom and mining contracts, and challenging food distribution systems. In 1996, a judge in Delhi even started her own case against the municipal authority for allowing rubbish to pile up in the streets, which was quickly cleared.
In the past year, the Supreme Court has ordered state government to stop temples encroaching on footpaths, told Delhi state government to use helicopters for emergency air services and to ban new diesel car registrations. It has asked which airlines would benefit from national aviation agreements with the UAE, has chased the national cricket board (BCCI) to implement reforms, and has tried to intervene in how the country’s disaster management is funded.
In April, Pranab Mukherjee, India’s president and a former top Congress politician, warned against excessive judicial activism. In a speech at the National Judicial Academy (above), he acknowledged that “for the enforcement of fundamental rights, the Supreme Court, through judicial innovation and activism, has expanded the common law principle of locus standi.” He also said however that, “Each organ of our democracy must function within its own sphere and must not take over what is assigned to the others…Judicial activism should not lead to the dilution of separation of powers, which is a constitutional scheme”.
Arun Jaitley, the finance minister and a top lawyer, went further and said that “step by step, brick by brick, the edifice of India’s legislature is being destroyed.”
These remarks came at a time when the government and courts have been battling over the degree of public influence on top judicial appointments and when there is growing concern about the massive backlog of cases in the judicial system – more than 20 million cases are pending.
That has led many commentators to wonder today whether the courts, and especially the Supreme Court, wouldn’t serve the country better by processing outstanding cases instead of pandering to the whims of a veteran campaigner with an unnecessary order that will be hard to implement and could cause social problems.
John Elliott is Asia Sentinel’s New Delhi correspondent. His blog, Riding the Elephant, can be found at the right side of Asia Sentinel’s homepage.
Indiapoliticspremium
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