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Writer-Producer Simon Kinberg Talks STAR WARS REBELS, His Duties on the Show, and the Thrill of Writing for Original Trilogy Characters
by Matt Goldberg May 9, 2014
Writer-Producer Simon Kinberg is keeping extremely busy these days as he’s playing a huge role in three of Hollywood’s biggest franchises: X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Star Wars. For Star Wars, his role goes beyond the movies; he’s also a co-creator, executive producer, and writer on the upcoming Star Wars animated series, Star Wars Rebels. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the series, it takes place between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, as the Empire looks to tighten its grip on the galaxy while a rebellion begins to form.
During the press day for X-Men: Days of Future Past, Steve spoke with Kinberg about Star Wars Rebels. Kinberg talked about his specific duties on the show, his contributions, and the surreal feeling of writing for original trilogy characters. Hit the jump for more, and in case you missed it, click here for what Kinberg had to say about The Fantastic Four.
Since Kinberg is dealing with three billion-dollar franchises, not to mention all of the smaller movies he’s working on like Chappie and The Martian, he’s obviously not available to be the day-to-day showrunner on Star Wars Rebels. However, I’m still surprised at how much involvement he’ll have:
SIMON KINBERG: I am the co-creator of Star Wars Rebels, the executive producer of the show, and I’ve written a bunch of episodes. So when it airs, it will be in a sort of “Movie-of-the-Week” format where two episodes air back-to-back, and I wrote those two episodes. And then I wrote the season finale that we’re just working on now… And then as the executive producer, I will read all the scripts. I will sometimes run a pen through them and rewrite stuff in the scripts that lots of other really talented writers have worked on. I will watch cuts of the show, I will give notes on whatever I think about performance or score or animation, but they have such an amazing team of people, many of whom are Clone Wars alums like Dave Filoni, who’s as much of a creative voice on the show as anybody. So they put a great team together. They really know what they’re doing. And I will come in, and look at stuff, and give input, and occasionally write episodes. So the first season I’m responsible for writing three episodes—the first two and the last one.
While Star Wars Rebels will introduce plenty of new characters, it will also bring in at least one familiar face: Lando Calrissian (voiced by Billy Dee Williams). Kinberg talked about writing for such a popular character, and may have hinted that Lando might not be the only Original Trilogy character we’ll be seeing in Rebels:
KINBERG: Writing dialogue for any of the legacy characters is as big a thrill as anything I’ve ever had in my life. I said this to [producer Kathleen Kennedy] that when I open up a Final Draft document, and I tab over to “Character” and it’s a character from the original films—to be nameless until people see them—but if it’s a character from the original films, just typing in those letters and then that being the recorded name in that name database for that script is as surreal, and perhaps more so, than anything I’ve experienced in my career.
Star Wars Rebels premieres this fall on Disney XD. Here’s what Kinberg had to say about the show:
Jon Favreau on the New Filmmaking Technology Used in ‘The Lion King’ and ‘The Mandalorian’
Stephanie Corneliussen on 'Legion' and Joining the Final Season of FX's Drama
William Jackson Harper on 'Midsommar' and Saying Goodbye to 'The Good Place'
‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’ Writers on Mysterio, Those Credits Scenes, and Following ‘Endgame’
‘The Lion King’: Jon Favreau and Cast Talk about Translating Performances to the Characters
Miranda Richardson and Sam Reid Talk BELLE, the Incredible True Story, Preparing…
Evan Goldberg Talks about GOON 2; Says They're Trying to Figure out…
• Simon Kinberg • Star Wars • Star Wars Rebels • TV Interview • Video Interview
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Look at your own sins before judging others, pope says at audience
By Junno Arocho Esteves • Catholic News Service • Posted April 20, 2016
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christians must look to their own sins and failings and not fall into the temptation of hypocrisy that causes them to believe they are better than others, Pope Francis said.
“The relationship of salvation” with God cannot move forward if people justify themselves and look at the mistakes of others instead of fixing their gaze on the Lord, he said at his weekly general audience April 20.
“This is the line of salvation, the relationship between me — the sinner, and the Lord,” he told tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square.
The pope reflected on one aspect of mercy exemplified in Jesus’ encounter with a woman who was considered sinful. While Jesus dined with one of the Pharisees, she entered the house weeping, bathed his feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
“Her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little,” Jesus said.
Although the Pharisee questions Jesus’ reason for allowing himself to be “contaminated” by the woman “as if she were a leper,” the pope said Jesus’ reaction is a lesson on how to “distinguish between the sin and the sinner.”
“With sin there is no need to compromise, while sinners — meaning all of us — we are like sick people who are being cured and in order to be cured, we need the doctor to come close, to visit us, to touch us. And naturally the sick person, in order to be healed, must recognize the need for a doctor,” he said.
By allowing himself to be free of prejudice “that impedes mercy from expressing itself,” he added, Jesus puts an end to the isolation caused by the hypocrisy of “ruthless judgments.”
Pope Francis said the encounter between Jesus and the woman teaches “us the link between faith, love and gratitude.”
“Let us allow Christ’s love to be poured in us. A disciple draws from and is rooted in this love. From this love, everyone can be nourished and fed. In this way, through the grateful love we pour out to our brothers and sisters, in our homes and in society, the Lord’s mercy can be communicated,” he said.
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By Editor Thursday, June 13, 2019 0 Uncategorized No tags Permalink 0
On Wednesday, June 12, about seventy-five citizens gathered in a cavernous room in the Toronto Convention Centre to listen to Ports Toronto’s latest version of their draft Master Plan of Toronto City Centre Billy Bishop Airport. The presentations dragged on, but in true Canadian fashion, the group politely listened to the end.
What was remarkable about the presentation was not what was said, but what was not said. In typical bureaucratic fashion, the positives were enumerated in boring detail, and the problems were simply ignored. This was the elephant in the room. In fact, there wasn’t just one elephant, there were a whole herd of elephants that were either ignored or mentioned so briefly that the audience was led to believe these issues were inconsequential. In fact, what was not said was far more important than the detail we suffered through.
These are the issues that were ignored. Unfortunately, we hold no hope that they will be addressed in the final Master Plan.
The Environment: Even a casual follower of the news in this country knows that climate change is an issue that is either at the top or near the top of the political agenda. In the discussion of the Master Plan there was no mention of how the aircraft flying out of Billy Bishop contribute to global warming.
As well, there was no discussion of how the emissions of the planes were contributing to the air pollution in the neighbourhoods, and recreational areas along the Waterfront. Short haul flights, the specialty of Billy Bishop, contribute more air pollution, per km traveled, than long flights. There is an answer to this problem, and that is high speed trains, but don’t expect to find a discussion of this in the Master Plan.
Noise: Noise from Billy Bishop Airport has been a serious issue for people living and working on the Waterfront for a long time. It is a particular problem for those in Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood. This is quote from a Globe and Mail editorial published on June 9, 2019.
“The issue of noise is evolving into a public-health question. Noise has been linked to heart disease and high blood pressure. It has been shown to affect the ability of children to learn – and adults well know the difficulty of concentration in a noisy office. “Excessive noise seriously harms human health,” says the European office of the United Nations World Health Organization.”
To their credit, Ports Toronto have worked on this issue. They built a noise enclosure to muffle the sound of engine run-ups, and they have set up noise monitors, but that is all. The truth is there is no answer to the problem of noise from aircraft other than closing the airport.
Safety: Talk to anyone in the airline industry and you soon understand that safety is a very important issue for them. Lives are at stake. There was no discussion of the safety risks of Billy Bishop Airport at the meeting, and we can only assume that there will no discussion of it in the final Master Plan. However, this airport has a number of very serious safety risks.
The runway used by Porter’s Q400 planes is too short. Bombardier, the manufacturer of the Q400, say the aircraft needs a runway of 1,402 metres for take-off and 1,287 for landing. The main runway at Billy Bishop is only 1220 metres. To compensate Porter has taken out some seats. The safety zones at the end of the runways are also too short. Increasing the length of the runways and safety zones would require approval from regulators for lake filling, and that is unlikely.
Accidents at several airports have been caused by planes overshooting the runways. If that was to happen at Billy Bishop, the plane would end up in the waters of Lake Ontario or Toronto Harbour. It would be very difficult to mount a rescue operation if a plane ended in the water, and the risk would be much greater if the accident happened in winter.
When the airport opened in 1938 the surrounding land was occupied by industry. Today the Waterfront is occupied by live/work neighbourhoods. There are scores of high-rise buildings and more and more are being approved and built along the Waterfront from the Exhibition Grounds in the west to Leslie Street in the east. Virtually all of these buildings are close to the flight paths of planes using Billy Bishop Airport.
Again, sad to say, it would appear that the airport Master Plan will have no evaluation of the safety risks of the airport.
Recreation: Toronto’s Waterfront has long been the major recreational resource of the city’s residents. The Island Park is called, “the jewel in the crown of the Toronto park system.” Lake Ontario and Toronto Harbour are a boater’s paradise. With the transformation of the Waterfront well over a 100,000 people will live, and as many will work there. Soon 400,000 people will be living in the city core and will need recreational facilities. Ontario Place will be refurbished. There will be a waterfront promenade, scores of new parks, restaurants and retail. Already the Waterfront is the city’s prime tourist attraction, and in the future, it will be even more attractive.
A busy airport in the midst of a vibrant place like the Waterfront simply makes no sense. The public is increasingly coming to understand this. Is it a threat to the airport? Yes. But will it mentioned in the airport Master Plan? No.
Alternative uses: The Toronto Centre Billy Bishop Airport occupies 215 acres of land on Toronto Island, perhaps the most valuable, most pristine vacant land in the Greater Toronto Area. If those 215 acres of land were redeveloped with some housing and parkland it would enhance the value of the Toronto Island Park, give much better access to Lake Ontario, and bring in far, far more tax revenue to the city, and all levels of government than an airport. Again, there is no mention of this possible threat to the future of the airport in the draft Master Plan.
During the question and answer session at the meeting Ed Hore, the Chair of Waterfront for All, asked the panel of experts what will happen when the lease between the city and Ports Toronto terminates in 2033. No one could provide an answer. That is fair enough. This issue must be resolved by politicians, not community activists or the staff of the Port Authority, but it is the key question for the future.
What is going to happen? Will we allow the airport, with all of its problems and risks, to continue, or will we have the courage and imagination to transform these 215 acres of airport lands into something wonderful to benefit all of the people of Toronto? The answer will not be found in the Master Plan. It will be up to the citizens of this city.
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Black_cornwallpark_LOGO_RGB Created with Sketch.
Sir John’s gift to
Sir John Logan Campbell gifted Cornwall Park to New Zealand in 1901. His wish was that the park be free for every New Zealander to enjoy, forever.
Today, the Cornwall Park Trust Board, who manages and operates Cornwall Park, continues to honour his wish. Cornwall Park is for you - and all New Zealanders - to enjoy and experience nature in the heart of New Zealand’s biggest city, for free.
It is more than just a park - it is 425 acres/172 hectares of New Zealand’s living history, weaving together our heritage, ecology, agriculture, wildlife, mauri, and community within its lush-landscape.
100 Year Vision
To continue Sir John’s legacy of forward planning to protect the land for future generations, Cornwall Park has a long-term vision for its future. See this vision below, as told by the lead landscape architect, Thomas Woltz of Nelson Byrd Woltz.
Sir John Logan Campbell
Sir John Logan Campbell is often referred to as the father of Auckland, a philanthropically-minded businessman, one of the first European settlers to Auckland, and founder of Cornwall Park. Along with his business partner William Brown, Sir John purchased Cornwall Park - then known as Mount Prospect Estate - in 1853, renaming it One Tree Hill. Due to his love for this land and its history, he gifted it to NZ by placing it into a trust that would establish and manage it as a park for future generations to enjoy. His gift went further - to ensure Cornwall Park would always be free for people to enjoy, he gifted the surrounding land as well to fund it. In 1901 this land became ‘Cornwall Park’ in honour of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York who were visiting New Zealand at that time.
Our Neighbour
Maungakiekie
Cornwall Park wraps around Maungakiekie/One Tree Hill and One Tree Hill Domain. Although their beginnings were as the same land, today One Tree Hill Domain is Tāmaki Makaurau Collective land, and jointly governed by the Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority (Maunga Authority) and Auckland Council. Cornwall Park is however private land, managed by a trust. The exception is the mighty obelisk - Auckland’s beacon at the top of Maungakiekie. It was Sir John’s wish for the obelisk to be installed to honour the Maori people of Tāmaki Makaurau, with Sir John himself now buried beneath. This area remains Cornwall Park land.
Visit Auckland Council’s website for more information on Maungakiekie and One Tree Hill Domain.
Cornwall Park
Trust Board
Cornwall Park is managed by an experienced and passionate team and volunteer Board of Trustees - John McConnell, Adrienne Young-Cooper, John Clark, Keith Smith - who are committed to continuing Sir John’s legacy of creating a park that all New Zealanders can enjoy. They are responsible for the day-to-day, season-to-season management, care and planning of Cornwall Park, along with creating and implementing a vision for generations to come.
Sir Johns philanthropy
Sir John Logan Campbell’s Residuary Estate is held in Trust in perpetuity to distribute its income each year as directed by Sir John’s will.
Sir John Logan Campbell supported many charities and institutions in his life time and his Residuary Estate continues this legacy to this day distributing grants annually.
See more information here.
FOOTER Created with Sketch.
Wedding Enquiries
Park Updates
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Walter von Reichenau
From Kaiserreich
General von Reichenau
Walter von Reichenau (born on October, 8 1884 in Karlsruhe, Germany) is a German general.
Son of a Prussian Generalleutnant, von Reichenau entered the Prussian Army in 1903 after completing his Abitur. An adjutant at the beginning of the Weltkrieg, he served on the Western Front, was promoted to the General Staff, received the Iron Cross First Class and reached the rank of Major by 1919. Serving in China in 1926 as a General Staff officer, he was made Chief of Staff to the Inspector of Signals at the State Secretary of War, where many accused him of links with National-Populism, a claim that the General vehemently denied, pointing Röhm as "an agitator". He is by now General in the Artillery.
Retrieved from "http://editthis.info/kaiserreich/Walter_von_Reichenau"
Categories: People | German-related topics | Army leaders
About Kaiserreich
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Famous Speech Friday: Elyn Saks on her schizophrenia "Please do send flowers"
Elyn Saks had a family, a successful career as a University of Southern California law professor, and a secret: She's a schizophrenic. And while her condition is well-managed with a combination of psychotherapy and medication, she wanted to let the secret out, against the advice of her family, friends and colleagues. She went ahead, anyway, in order to reduce the stigma and secrecy around schizophrenia, publishing The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness .
But after decades of hiding her condition, it was the speaking tour for the book that really made her career take off. As this New York Times profile notes, her courage in speaking publicly about her condition actually helped move research on it forward:
For psychiatric science, the real payoff was her speaking tour. At mental health conferences here and abroad, Dr. Saks, 56, attracted not only doctors and therapists, but also high-functioning people with the same diagnosis as herself — a fellowship of fans, some of whom have volunteered to participate in studies. “People in the audience would stand up and self-disclose, or sometimes I would be on a panel with someone” who had a similar experience, Dr. Saks said. She also received scores of e-mails from people who had read the book and wanted to meet for lunch. She told many of them about the possibility of participating in a research project. She now has two studies going, one in Los Angeles and another in San Diego, tracking the routines and treatment decisions of these extraordinary people. The movie producer Jerry Weintraub has optioned the book.
The book became a best-seller and Saks later was awarded one of the MacArthur Foundation "genius" grants, with which she began a research institute. She continues to speak out about the stigma of mental illness, as she does in the speech below in which she's accepting one of her many awards, this time from the Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. Here's what you can learn from this famous speech:
When your message involves stigma, invoke the ordinary: The taboo topic, by definition, is foreign to your listeners because they've been avoiding it. Speakers can make it familiar and manageable for an audience by breaking it down to ordinary situations and behaviors--as Saks does early on and at the end of her speech, when she urges the audience to visit or send flowers to friends hospitalized for mental illness, something most people avoid. At the very end of her speech, it's a sweet reminder of a practical thing they can do.
Know your audience: Saks's overall message in most of her speeches involves giving the audience members practical things they can do to accept and help family and friends with psychiatric illnesses. In this audience, she pays particular attention to mental health professionals--those working for the center that's giving her the award--but also speaks directly to those in the audience who aren't working for the field. Each one can do something, and her entire speech is clear enough that anyone can understand it, a nod to the fact that she's not just addressing technical experts.
Use contrasts and comparisons to make a foreign subject clear: Saks compares physical illness, a topic both familiar and more comfortable, with mental illness to illustrate stigma and public reaction: "No one would ever say that someone with a broken arm or a broken leg is less than a whole person, but people say that or imply that all the time about people with mental illness."
What do you think of this famous speech?
Use the Evernote clip button, above, to save this post in an Evernote notebook or start an Evernote account. Go here to subscribe to Step Up Your Speaking, my free email newsletter that looks at a different speaking topic in depth each month...then become a fan of The Eloquent Woman on Facebook and join the conversation with thousands of other women (and men) about public speaking skills and confidence.
Posted by Unknown at Friday, December 02, 2011 0 comments
Labels: famous speeches
Famous Speech Friday: Elyn Saks on her schizophren...
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CURRENT OFFICERS OF CANDLEWOOD LAKE COUNCIL
2019-2020 Fraternal Year (Effective July 01, 2019 – June 30, 2020)
Grand Knight: Gregory J. Dembowski
The Grand Knight is responsible for the welfare of the council. He presides over council meetings, acts as an ex-officio member of all committees, appoints a membership and programming director, convenes officers for a monthly meeting, and ensures all necessary reports are submitted to the State and Supreme Councils. He should also be aware of the council’s financial status and ensure that his signature appears on all checks drawn. For more specific duties and responsibilities, refer to the Grand Knight’s Guide (#5085) and the Knights of Columbus Leadership Resources booklet (#5093).
Deputy Grand Knight: Dr. John (Jack) H. Wolk
The Deputy Grand Knight is the council’s second-in-command. He assists the Grand Knight with council affairs and fulfills all duties assigned to him by the Grand Knight. Should the Grand Knight be absent from a council meeting, the Deputy Grand Knight will preside. He is chairman of the council’s Retention Committee. For more specific duties and responsibilities, refer to the Knights of Columbus Leadership Resources booklet (#5093).
Chancellor: Brian K. Frame
The Chancellor has a variety of responsibilities. Primarily, he assists the Grand Knight and the Deputy Grand Knight in the execution of their duties and oversees the council in both their absences. He is charged with strengthening the members’ interests in council activities. The Chancellor is chairman of the Admission Committee.
Financial Secretary: Vincent J. Pia
The Financial Secretary is appointed by the Supreme Knight, upon the recommendation of the council. His main area of responsibility is maintaining all financial and membership records. He collects and receives all monies from all sources, including annual dues from council members. He also handles supply orders for the council officers and members, filing the Report of Officers Chosen (#185), and submitting all membership transactions to the Supreme Council. For more specific duties and responsibilities, refer to the Financial Secretary’s Guide (#5089) and the Knights of Columbus Leadership Resources booklet (#5093).
Treasurer: John D. Siclari
The Treasurer is responsible for the safekeeping and maintaining records of all council funds and accounts. He is responsible for depositing money into the council’s accounts and provides a certificate of such monies to the Grand Knight. He is also responsible for the payment of all council expenses.
Recorder: Thomas F. Jones
The Recorder is similar to a court reporter or a secretary. He is responsible for maintaining a true record of all actions of the council and its correspondence. A Recorder’s Minute Book (#1043) is available from the Knights of Columbus Supply Department to help the Recorder in keeping a record of council meetings.
Advocate: Patrick F. Jennings, Jr.
The Advocate is the legal representative of the council and serves as the council’s attorney at trials and investigations of any interest to the council. While he does not need to be a member of the legal profession, he should be familiar with the council by-laws, the Order’s Charter, Constitution and Laws (#30), The Method of Conducting a Council Meeting (#10318), and Robert’s Rules of Order.
Warden: Thomas A. Insinna
The Warden is the ‘watchdog’ for council property and degree paraphernalia, except the property of the the Financial Secretary, Treasurer and Recorder. He is also responsible for setting up the council chambers for meetings and ceremonies. During ceremonial exemplifications, he will appoint and supervise guards.
Outside Guard: Fred C. Ball
The Outside Guard tends to the outer door, admitting members and any visitors to the inner door.
Inside Guard: Lorenzo F. Chiappetta
Once members and guests are admitted to the inner door, the Inside Guard checks to make sure that all membership cards are current and valid, and that any guests are authorized.
One Year Trustee: James P. McDermott
Two Year Trustee: Joseph A. Wielock
Three Year Trustee: Mark R. Rasmussen
The Board of Trustees consists of three members elected by the council and the Grand Knight, who himself serves as chairman of the Board. They oversee the work of the Financial Secretary and Treasurer, and with the Deputy Grand Knight serve the council’s Retention Committee. During council elections, only the the Three Year Trustee is voted on, with the other two Trustees moving on to become Two Year and One Year Trustees, respectively.
Chaplain: Rev. Shawn W. Cutler – Pastor of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Church in Brookfield, CT
Co-Chaplain: Rev. Karol Ksiazek – Parochial Vicar of St. Joseph Church in Brookfield, CT
The Chaplain is the spiritual advisor of the council. He is expected to make a report at council meetings on religious matters. The Grand Knight appoints a Priest/Deacon to serve as the council’s Chaplain, in accordance with any rules established by the Bishop of the diocese. For more specific duties, responsibilities, and eligibility, refer to The Chaplain’s Handbook (#945).
Lecturer: Scott W. Senete
The Lecturer is appointed by the Grand Knight to provide both educational and entertaining programs to the council. He is responsible for the ‘Good of the Order’ portion of council meetings. In order to provide members with informative and educational programs, he must be knowledgeable and aware of all council programming.
OUR COUNCIL’S NON-OFFICER POSITIONS:
Field Agent: Terrance Petiprin – (860) 614-5771 – E-mail: terrance.petiprin@kofc.org
Knights of Columbus Field Agents serve an exclusive territory of Knights of Columbus families. Working with their brother Knights, the Field Agents present viable financial and insurance solutions and have regular contact with members. Agents also serve existing Knights of Columbus Insurance policy holders and their families, provide survivor assistance, and participate in fraternal functions. Through their relationship with their Field Agent, Knights of Columbus members, their spouses, and their minor children get exclusive access to our product portfolio, which includes: permanent life insurance, term life insurance, retirement annuities, disability income insurance, and long-term care insurance. Agents also perform or provide access to valuable members services, like survivor assistance and financial needs analyses. To learn more about Knights of Columbus insurance, click HERE.
PAST GRAND KNIGHTS OF CANDLEWOOD LAKE COUNCIL
The following is a complete list of those who have served as Grand Knight for Candlewood Lake Council since the Council’s creation – as well as the dates served in that Office…
Dennis W. Herpel Sr. – 1996-1998
William G. Spiro – 1998-2000
Michael K. Emmerson Sr. – 2000-2002
James J. Baker – 2002-2004
Deacon Richard A. Fenton – 2004-2006
Martin A. Badinelli – 2006-2007
Robert S. Terry – 2007-2010
Gary A. Peloso – 2010-2011
Craig A. Worster – 2011-2012
Matthew A. Macri – 2012-2013
Daniel D. Flood – 2013-2015
Vincent Lupo Jr. – 2016-2017
Gregory J. Dembowski – 2017-present
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Home Biz Mobilehelp Expands, Moves Into New Office Space
When Rob Flippo co-founded MobileHelp, its corporate headquarters was located in the Boca Library.
Now, the medical alert system company, is located in a 45,000-square-foot office space at the Boca Raton Innovation Campus.
“We have grown a little bit,” Flippo said during the recent ribbon cutting. “This is a pretty big milestone for us.”
Flippo said he remembers when the company was starting and an IT closet was used as someone’s first office.
The company grew and eventually moved to Research Park at FAU. Flippo said he never thought they would be able to fill up the 13,000-square-foot space.
But not long after they moved in, they needed to expand. Before the company moved to the BRIC location, it was occupying about 24,000-square-feet.
For MobileHelp CEO and president Dennis Boyle, the new office is a homecoming. He worked in the building in 1998.
“This all started with one employee, one business and one customer,” he said.
Now, MobileHelp employs 236 people and has over 300,000 subscribers, he said.
“The state of MobileHelp is strong,” he said. “We have a group of people who care about our customers and who are about MobileHelp. Our mission is to be someone’s hero every day.”
Mayor Scott Singer pointed out that the company has 16 patents and is the type of business that Boca wants to attract to the city.
“It’s staggering to me to see how you have grown,” Singer said. “We wish you much success here.”
Previous articleHigh School Entrepreneur Who Won Honors In Boca, Nationally, Prepares To Launch Business
Next articleBoca Airport’s Customs And Border Protection Facility Exceeds Expectations After Year One
GRUBBRR Offers Restaurants A One-Stop Management Platform
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Kathy Hochul's Responses to DFNYC's 2014 Candidate Questionnaire
Written by Tracey Keij-Denton
Category: Candidates-2014
Candidate for Lieutenant Governor of New York
2014 DFNYC State Candidate Questionnaire
1. Money in NY Politics / Fair Elections (McCutcheon v. FEC)
This year, Albany gave us a budget that failed to reform the role of big money in New York politics. The sky-high campaign contribution limits weren't lowered, disclosure of outside special interest spending wasn't strengthened, and public campaign financing was limited to the 2014 comptroller race. Responsibility for administering the public financing "pilot" falls to the state Board of Elections, which is regarded as dysfunctional, ineffective and underfunded.
Would you support a change to full public financing of campaigns, similar to the Clean Money Clean Elections programs in Arizona, Connecticut and Maine?
What is your opinion of the Supreme Court’s decision of McCutcheon v. FEC and its potential impact on NY campaigns?
I view the McCutcheon decision as one of several that weaken campaign finance regulations. I support campaign finance reform including public funding of campaigns and enhanced disclosure requirements.
What is your opinion of Governor Cuomo’s actions toward the Moreland Commission?
2. Tenant Protection & Cost of Housing / Home Rule (Rent Issue) / Real Estate Development
Do you support rent stabilization and rent control laws? What will you do to crack down on landlords that break the law? Do you support a repeal vacancy decontrol and, more generally, a repeal of the Urstadt Law, so that New York City – and not Albany – can enact its own housing laws?
I come from a part of the state where the cost of housing is a fraction of that in New York City, and a small fraction at that. That reality underscores the importance of government's role in ensuring affordable housing options in a place where in the absence of strong rent regulations, tens of thousands or more would be priced out of the market. I support rent stabilization and rent control laws. In general I favor laws that ensure that affordable housing options be available for New Yorkers. I applaud the Governor for strengthening the state's rent laws and creating a Tenant Protection Unit in the Department of Housing and Community Renewal.
3. Universal Pre-K & After-School
Generally, we at DFNYC are pleased that Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio were able to come together and compromise on a bill for universal pre-kindergarten. While it calls for $300 million in funding for universal pre-K programs the final budget, many of us feel that the funding stream is not sustainable and the budget was unfair to many towns outside of New York City. Would you support state legislation allowing Mayor de Blasio to change the funding stream by raising marginal income tax on the wealthiest residents of the City in order to ensure the long-term viability of the programs?
I support universal Pre- Kindergarten. In Congress, I promoted tax fairness and opposed the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the super-wealthy. I am willing to work with the Governor to explore additional ways to increase resources for pre-K programs statewide.
4. Teacher Evaluation
New York elected officials--through laws, regulations, and negotiation of union contracts-- have sought to enact meaningful evaluation of public school teachers. What is your opinion of using the following factors in evaluation of public school teachers?
a) Improvement in student test scores b) Professional observations by other teachers c) Student surveys d) Whether the teacher has an advanced degree) Classroom observations of the teacher by principals or other education professionals f) Principals’ unannounced observations of teachers.
Agree with the concept of using multiple measures to evaluate teachers. I believe Governor Cuomo's Annual Professional Performance Review Plan teacher evaluation system successfully built on that idea.
5. Mayoral Control of NYC Schools
Albany granted former Mayor Bloomberg's request for mayoral control of the schools in 2002. In 2009, Governor David Paterson and the state legislature voted to renew mayoral control until June 30th of 2015 (less than a year from now). The 2009 changes included requiring the DOE to keep parents better informed of what is happening in the schools, as well as more transparency in approval of large contracts. Mayor Bill de Blasio is the first NYC mayor to have mayoral control after Bloomberg and has indicated he will have a Department of Education that is different in many ways than Mayor Bloomberg.
When mayoral control of the schools is up for renewal next June, it seems likely that it will be renewed, but with significant changes. Do you favor:
• Letting mayoral control expire and going back to a pre-2002 system,
• Renewing mayoral control as is,• Changing to a hybrid system, where power would be shared by the mayor and a school board, or• Renewing it, but with significant changes to the current system.
One of the current parts of mayoral control that has caused the most controversy is the public hearing process. When the DOE proposes a change to a school or school building (co-location of a charter school, approval of a new school, phase out or "closing" of a school deemed to be failing), there is a joint public hearing (a "JFH") at the school building, where parents, teachers, students and other community members can voice their concerns. But the ultimate vote is later, with the city-wide Panel for Education Policy (the "PEP"), a Board of appointees from the Mayor's Office and the Borough Presidents' Office. Critics say far from being a democratic process, the structure of the PEP and its hearings make it essentially a rubber stamp for whatever the DOE has already decided. Even some supporters of mayoral control have conceded this point and found PEP hearings to be mostly a waste of time for all parties involved. On the one hand, government officials need to plan and make decisions about schools and buildings in a timely, efficient matter. On the other hand, important decisions about schools should have a public hearing process and be made with community input. What are your ideas for balancing these interests, specifically in terms of changing the mayoral control legislation?
I am open to adjusting the laws pertaining to mayoral control. I would want to review any specific proposals.
6. Implementation of Common Core Standards.
The NYS Board of Regents recently gave New York public schools five more years to fully implement tougher academic standards known as the Common Core. Supporters have argued that the new high standards – which are internationally benchmarked – will ensure that students in the South Bronx will have the same expectations as students on the Upper East Side, and that all students in New York and across the country are college and career ready at age 18. Critics, however – which include a growing movement of principals, teachers and parents that are on the front lines of education every day - point to problems such as a huge amount of disorganization in the implementation in NY (lack of materials and training), concerns about teaching to the test, and the arbitrariness of using Common Core-based test scores to measure student, school and teacher performance.
Do you favor continued support of Common Core standards in New York? b. Do you support the Common Core curriculum that has been developed in New York? c. What will you do – or have you done – to assist parents, teachers, and others in the education community that have raised concerns about Common Core?
Despite its unsatisfactory rollout, I support the Common Core standards in New York. New York students should be prepared to compete with students from anywhere else in the country and the world.
7. Taxes: City Wage Tax, FTT and general principles.
New York City’s budget depends in large part on the city wage tax, which is only paid by residents, not everyone who works in NYC.
Would you vote to allow NYC to collect the tax from people from the suburbs who work in NYC and benefit from our services (police, fire, etc.)?
Would you support efforts to collect the tax from people who actually live in New York City but use a second home (a loophole not available to middle class New Yorkers with just one home) to avoid the city wage tax?
Do you support progressive taxation?
Would you support a federal financial transaction tax to either raise revenue, reduce the practice of high frequency trading, or both?
I support progressive taxation. In Congress I advocated for extending middle class tax cuts while allowing Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy to expire. I took this stand as a Democrat representing a highly Republican district. I would review along with the Governor individual proposals on a case by case basis, but my past record speaks to my mindset and priorities on this topic.
8. Minimum Wage / Living Wage
New York State's recent minimum wage increased to $8 an hour, 75 cents above the federal minimum and the old state rate. It's the first of three incremental boosts that were approved by the Legislature and Gov. Cuomo . The minimum for most workers will increase at the end of 2014 to $8.75 an hour and to $9 an hour a year after that. The minimums for workers in the restaurant industry who get tips may remain $5 an hour, with employers able to raise the maximum tip credits to $3 an hour the first year, $3.75 the second and $4 after that. Earlier this year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, and legislative leaders quickly shot down a proposal by Mayor Bill de Blasio to let New York City set its own minimum wage. Advocates for New York’s working poor were disappointed, saying the minimum wage should be $15 an hour and include workers who get tips. We at DFNYC feel no one should ever endure the kind of economic humiliation that comes with working a full-time job and making a less-than-living wage. Do you support State Senator Daniel L. Squadron’s bill to raise the minimum wage for many low-paid workers, calling for a $15-an-hour “fair wage” for employees of McDonald’s and Walmart and other businesses with yearly sales of $50 million or more?
I have always supported increasing the minimum wage. A reasonable minimum wage not only increases the standard of living for those earning the minimum wage and is a matter of basic fairness. The increase passed by the Governor and Legislature will increase through the end of 2015. I would gladly work with the Governor to look at other ways to promote fair wages.
9. Real Estate Development / Reform of Scaffold Law.
a. We live in a city where livability is a major issue for the vast majority of its residents. There has been a major upswing in development of late, particularly in areas such as Brooklyn and now the Bronx. Residents are constantly getting displaced despite pledges to protect them from such treatment. For example, Bruce Ratner did not live up to his promise to provide affordable housing and aid to residents and small businesses displaced by the Barclay’s Center. What would you propose to ensure that big businesses and developers are able to achieve success at the hands of the rest of New Yorkers?
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that as part of the plan to accelerate affordable housing construction at the site, the City’s Housing Development Corporation (HDC) will provide financial support to ensure the delivery of two 100% affordable housing buildings, totaling at least 590 units, and construction will begin by December 2014. The buildings will accommodate a broader range of family incomes—including those with very low incomes—and feature a greater mix of family-sized units that reflect the community’s needs. Consistent with its affordable housing plan’s commitment to maximize the returns on every dollar, the administration secured nearly twice as many units of affordable housing for its investment compared to the first building under construction at the Atlantic Yards site.
I view this issue as similar to the rent control issue- affordable housing is necessary for New York City to retain its diversity and is just plain fair.
b. Much has been made of Mayor de Blasio’s pledge to build or restore 200,000 additional units of affordable housing in New York City. However, another issue that has not received nearly enough attention has been the lack of sustainability in New York City. What would you propose to ensure more green buildings are built and greater energy efficiency is met in existing structures?
I support building green and applaud the Governor's Green bank program.
c. Another issue in New York City is a lack of sunlight caused by the amount of tall buildings. Would you support changes to zoning laws for thinner, smaller, greener structures being built?
d. What is your opinion of NY Labor Law 240, otherwise known as the Scaffold Law? Contractors, property owners and insurers argue that the law is antiquated and prejudicial against contractors and property owners, and essentially absolves employees of responsibility for their own accidents, leading to huge settlements. The payouts, they contend, have in turn led to skyrocketing insurance premiums that are hampering construction and the state’s economic growth. But a counter-lobby of unions, workers’ advocates and trial lawyers argue that the law is essential to ensuring the safety of workers in some of the world’s most dangerous jobs, particularly those employed by shoddy contracting firms that cut corners to save money. The law, they say, holds developers and contractors accountable for keeping job sites safe.
I support balancing the needs of business with those of working men and women whom the Scaffold law was designed to protect.
10. Albany Corruption
Albany has been the center of corruption scandals in recent years, during which more than a dozen New York assemblymen and senators have been charged with corruption or convicted. What measures, in your opinion, are necessary to ensure that Albany’s culture of corruption does not continue?
State ethics laws have been strengthened in recent years and state officials have received greater scrutiny by prosecutors, the press and the public. The parade of legislators and state officials who have been arrested for corruption is embarrassing on the one hand, but also reassuring in the sense that the bad apples are having a harder time getting away with malfeasance. Corruption is not necessarily worse than it has been in past years- laws are tougher and law enforcement is more reliable. I would support still stronger laws.
11. Legalization of Marijuana.
Do you support passing legislation allowing the use of marijuana in New York State for medicinal purposes? Recreational? Both?
I agree with the recently passed medical marijuana law.
12. Police Militarization.
Eric Garner, a 40-year old African American man from Staten Island died suspiciously while in N.Y.P.D. custody. Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, was shot dead by police in Ferguson, Missouri. Entire mosques in New York and New Jersey were labelled as "terrorist" organizations by an N.Y.P.D. special surveillance unit, as reported by the AP in the fall of 2013. (Mayor de Blasio shut down that unit in April.) a. What strategies have you taken, or would you take, to deal with the problems of racism and increased militarization of local police? b. Would you be in favor of using the budget process to ensure that police are peace keepers, as opposed to a quasi-military force (i.e. by limiting local, state and federal budget appropriations for additional weapons)?
While not exactly the same situation, in Congress I defended the Muslim community when Republicans conducted a series of anti-terrorism hearings which unfairly cast all American Muslims in a suspicious l (or worse). I would work with Governor Cuomo to explore ways to address police practices that reflect racial disparities. I believe the Governor's past efforts to modify stop and frisk as well as bring party to the law regarding marijuana possession were sound, and I would work with him to further bring greater fairness to the law.
13. Vision Zero
Are you in agreement with the Mayor that the state legislature should allow the city more control in the administration of traffic safety measures such as speed reduction? Are you in agreement with the three elements at the center of the Mayor de Blasio’s plan - reducing the citywide speed limit and increasing the number of cameras to catch drivers who speed or ignore red lights? The City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission has been exploring initiatives to help further the Mayor’s goal of zero pedestrian deaths, such as installing black box recording devices to record driver behavior in TLC-licensed vehicles, forming an enforcement squad with speed guns to enforce speed limits, installing new technology in cabs that could limit vehicle speeds, warn of an impending crash, sound an alarm if the driver speeds and even reduce the fare or shut the meter if the driver is traveling too fast. However, as studies have shown, the crash rate as a result of taxis and livery cabs is actually lower than those of other vehicles. What do you think is most necessary to ensure vehicle safety on the roads and highways?
14. Lightning Round:
Please provide a yes or no answer to the following questions. If you can’t provide a simple yes or no, please provide a brief explanation. (25 words total – all 4 questions.)
Abortion - Do you support a women’s right to choose? Yes.
Marriage Equality: Do you support same-sex marriage? Do you believe all 50 states should allow marriage equality? Yes.
Hobby Lobby: Do you support the "Boss Bill," which would update New York's labor laws to ban an employer from citing religious freedom as a reason to deny women reproductive health care — including access to birth control and infertility treatments? Yes
Do you believe corporations should have the legal status of personhood? No.
Do you support Net Neutrality, and are you willing to publicly state this position? (For example, in a petition or comment letter to the FCC.) Yes.
Thank you! Please return your survey responses to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Responses will be posted at the DFNYC website so that our members can read them to assist with their vote in our endorsement.
These are the responses of Kathy Hochul, candidate for Lt. Governor of the state of New York, to our 2014 issue questionnaire. To read the responses of her opponent Tim Wu, click here.
Tim Wu's Responses to DFNYC's 2014 Candidate Questionnaire
Tim Wu
Wrongly decided and in my view a subversion of the First Amendment’s purpose. I have strong feelings about these kind of uses of the First Amendment and have written them at some length. The basic impact, in my view, is to legalize corruption; and ensure that donors preferences, more than public preferences, will determine policy in New York.
I think steering the Commission away from donors and allies was unethical, and as I’ve stated to the press, I believe actions by members of his staff might have been illegal under state law, as a solicitation of an abuse of government process.
Yes. I live in Chelsea, Manhattan amidst rent controlled housing and it makes the neighborhood much more diverse and interesting. While I’m not in a position to enforce the relevant laws, I should say I am in general extremely annoyed by instances where Albany has taken too much control over issues that rightly belong to New York city, and I count the Urstadt law as among them.
Yes. Once again, a city issue that the state has wrongly taken on itself.
a) Improvement in student test scores
b) Professional observations by other teachers
c) Student surveys
d) Whether the teacher has an advanced degree
e) Classroom observations of the teacher by principals or other education professionals
f) Principals’ unannounced observations of teachers.
I can’t say this is an area of real expertise for me, but based on my experience as a Professor, I feel that the best criteria are professional observation, student surveys, and classroom observation. Factors (a) is not appropriate; factor (f) is disrespectful, and factor (d) is irrelevant as compared with performance.
When mayoral control of the schools is up for renewal next June, it seems likely that it will be renewed, but with significant changes.
Do you favor:
• Renewing mayoral control as is,
• Changing to a hybrid system, where power would be shared by the mayor and a school board, or
• Renewing it, but with significant changes to the current system.
I favor renewing mayoral control as is.
As presented, this is a tricky issue that I admit I do not have direct experience with. I generally believe that these decisions need to have a public hearing process as you describe. All this tends to suggest that the structure of the PEP is wrong, and that it needs to be something other than a rubber stamp.
a. Do you favor continued support of Common Core standards in New York?
No. I think schools should be free to borrow from Common Core standards if they actually like them, but I don’t think they should be mandatory.
b. Do you support the Common Core curriculum that has been developed in New York?
No. While I have not personally been exposed to teachings using the materials, I believe what I’ve read about the overwhelming suggestion that they have not been well implemented.
c. What will you do – or have you done – to assist parents, teachers, and others in the education community that have raised concerns about Common Core?
I would support any efforts to allow schools more freedom to decide whether or not to adhere to Common Core standards.
The United States actually has a federal financial transaction tax on sales of stock, which was once higher than it was now; I would restore 1914-1965 levels, mainly for raising revenue.
I’m not sure the question is phrased exactly as it was meant to be, but I take it you mean to ask what we can do to prevent developers from profiting at the expense of all New Yorkers.
I generally think that we are no longer living in the New York of the 1970s, which was desperately in need of redevelopment and investment, and we should stop thinking that we need to be at the mercy at a few big developers to allow the city to thrive. Among other things, while I’m not running for City Council, it strikes me as obvious that the City Council should consider not just conditioning development, but outright blocking more proposals if it is not believed that the developer will actually keep their promises.
There are many ways to incentivize the building of green structures; among them, by making sure that buildings and developers fully internalize the costs of the energy their businesses use. I have some doubts about using tax subsidies to encourage green buildings, based on the danger of abuse; but if done properly, tax credits are the obvious other choice.
c. Another issue in New York City is a lack of sunlight caused by the amount of tall buildings.
Would you support changes to zoning laws for thinner, smaller, greener structures being built?
I generally support the Scaffold Law based on the tort principle of the “cheapest cost avoider.” However, I would not be opposed to some effort to come up with a workers compensation scheme that made the projected costs of accident slightly more predictable.
Albany has been the center of corruption scandals in recent years, during which more than a dozen New York assemblymen and senators have been charged with corruption or convicted.
What measures, in your opinion, are necessary to ensure that Albany’s culture of corruption does not continue?
I could write many pages about this, and in fact Zephyr already has. I think you’ll have to settle for the highlights. They would include:
- State Constitutional reform, which would reconsider the legislature, and potentially abolish one of the two chambers, and make the remaining chamber a better-paid and full-time position that might attract the best qualified candidates, as opposed to those looking to profit from their position.
- Public financing of elections
- Enforcement of the election and campaign finance laws
- Potentially, a permanent version of the Moreland Commission, or a periodic version (ever few years) with full powers to refer offenders to criminal trials
- Stronger abuse of process laws
- Stronger revolving door laws that remove the incentive to treat government as a stepping stone to lucrative positions
Both, though in a phased-in manner. I also am not happy with the version of the medical marijuana law that passed this year.
12. Police Militarization
Eric Garner, a 40-year old African American man from Staten Island died suspiciously while in N.Y.P.D. custody. Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, was shot dead by police in Ferguson, Missouri. Entire mosques in New York and New Jersey were labelled as "terrorist" organizations by an N.Y.P.D. special surveillance unit, as reported by the AP in the fall of 2013. (Mayor de Blasio shut down that unit in April.)
a. What strategies have you taken, or would you take, to deal with the problems of racism and increased militarization of local police?
I believe in body-cameras for police, and also, as the measure below describing, declining to equip a police force with military weapons and equipment.
b. Would you be in favor of using the budget process to ensure that police are peace keepers, as opposed to a quasi-military force (i.e. by limiting local, state and federal budget appropriations for additional weapons)?
I hate the militarization of the various American police forces and consider it a contradiction of the revolutionary spirit. It is embarrassing that we should allow such a thing when, in the country we rebelled against, the police force does not even carry guns!
Long story short: yes. Things have gone too far in this direction.
Are you in agreement with the Mayor that the state legislature should allow the city more control in the administration of traffic safety measures such as speed reduction?
Are you in agreement with the three elements at the center of the Mayor de Blasio’s plan - reducing the citywide speed limit and increasing the number of cameras to catch drivers who speed or ignore red lights?
The City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission has been exploring initiatives to help further the Mayor’s goal of zero pedestrian deaths, such as installing black box recording devices to record driver behavior in TLC-licensed vehicles, forming an enforcement squad with speed guns to enforce speed limits, installing new technology in cabs that could limit vehicle speeds, warn of an impending crash, sound an alarm if the driver speeds and even reduce the fare or shut the meter if the driver is traveling too fast. However, as studies have shown, the crash rate as a result of taxis and livery cabs is actually lower than those of other vehicles. What do you think is most necessary to ensure vehicle safety on the roads and highways?
This is a serious issue and I should add that, as a regular bicycle rider, I am also concerned about cyclist deaths as well as pedestrian deaths.
While I generally think it is a good idea to lower speed limits and enforce the laws more strongly, I do reach certain limit. It seems hard to be concerned with over-policing on the one hand, and then create systems that allow drivers to be arrested willy-nilly, or represent an excessive technological instrusion (many technologies may not work as well as described). I am open to thinking this issue through because I think it is so interesting.
I also look forward to the day that only electric cars are allowed within New York – it will be much quieter!
14. Lightening Round:
Abortion - Do you support a women’s right to choose?
2. Marriage Equality: Do you support same-sex marriage? Do you believe all 50 states should allow marriage equality?
3. Hobby Lobby: Do you support the "Boss Bill," which would update New York's labor laws to ban an employer from citing religious freedom as a reason to deny women reproductive health care — including access to birth control and infertility treatments?
4. Do you believe corporations should have the legal status of personhood?
I believe that the corporate use of the Bill of Rights is repugnant to the Constitution.
5. Do you support Net Neutrality, and are you willing to publicly state this position? (For example, in a petition or comment letter to the FCC.)
Do I support it? I created the phrase! So yes, and I’ve already filed multiple comments at the FCC and made repeated ex parte appearances there.
These are the responses of Tim Wu, candidate for New York State Lt. Governor. To read the responses of is opponent, Kathy Hochul, click here.
Robert Jackson's Responses to DFNYC's 2014 Candidate Questionnaire
Robert Jackson, former City Councilmember
Candidate for State Senate - Dist. 31 - Uptown & west side of Manhattan
a. Would you support a change to full public financing of campaigns, similar to the Clean Money Clean Elections programs in Arizona, Connecticut and Maine?
b. What is your opinion of the Supreme Court’s decision of McCutcheon v. FEC and its potential impact on NY campaigns?
It doesn’t really effect the need to set real limits on contributions and closing corporate subsidiary and LLC loopholes.
c. What is your opinion of Governor Cuomo’s actions toward the Moreland Commission?
Responses: It should not have been disbanded.
Only by taking the money out of politics can the people get their government back. My five point plan includes: Establishing a public financing program modeled on the successful NYC program; Setting real limits on contributions and closing corporate subsidiary and LLC loopholes; Restricting fundraising during the legislative session, instituting fixed limits on those doing business with the government; Increasing reporting, transparency and enforcement; Prohibiting the use of campaign funds.
Response: We must preserve the affordable housing we have, particularly through strengthening rent laws, repealing vacancy decontrol and the Urstadt law, and providing resources and representation to threatened tenants.. We must fix-up existing housing, particularly through better management of NYCHA. And we must build new housing, through inclusionary zoning and innovative approaches like the effort I lead to build the Sugar Hill project.
Response: I support universal pre-K, worked on the Council to successfully create new Pre-K openings and believe that the City should be able to have a dedicated tax.
a) Improvement in student test scores b) Professional observations by other teachersc) Student surveysd) Whether the teacher has an advanced degreee) Classroom observations of the teacher by principals or other education professionalsf) Principals’ unannounced observations of teachers.
Response: I support the recent legislative agreement saying teachers rated ineffective based on state Common Core tests this year or next will not face negative consequences. Teacher evaluation should be geared to improving teaching and student outcomes, not based on student test scores alone. We must move away from all these high stakes testing. The best evaluators are fellow teachers who participate in a collaborative process of reviewing student work, improving lessons and fine-tuning instruction. The measures of teacher success are well-educated students. We must have a more broad-based measure of teacher effectiveness.
a. When mayoral control of the schools is up for renewal next June, it seems likely that it will be renewed, but with significant changes. Do you favor:
b. Additionally, one of the current parts of mayoral control that has caused the most controversy is the public hearing process. When the DOE proposes a change to a school or school building (co-location of a charter school, approval of a new school, phase out or "closing" of a school deemed to be failing), there is a joint public hearing (a "JFH") at the school building, where parents, teachers, students and other community members can voice their concerns. But the ultimate vote is later, with the city-wide Panel for Education Policy (the "PEP"), a Board of appointees from the Mayor's Office and the Borough Presidents' Office. Critics say far from being a democratic process, the structure of the PEP and its hearings make it essentially a rubber stamp for whatever the DOE has already decided. Even some supporters of mayoral control have conceded this point and found PEP hearings to be mostly a waste of time for all parties involved. On the one hand, government officials need to plan and make decisions about schools and buildings in a timely, efficient matter. On the other hand, important decisions about schools should have a public hearing process and be made with community input. What are your ideas for balancing these interests, specifically in terms of changing the mayoral control legislation?
Response: I oppose Mayoral control. Under Bloomberg Mayoral Control, parents, teachers and students were shut out of the decision making process and it was more a “do as we say [not as we do]” attitude and system. We need a governance system that respects the people directly impacted and involves them as stakeholders in shaping important educational decisions.
Responses: While I'm generally in support of common core standards, New York's implementation has been terrible. Before the test go into effect, we must first get teachers the curriculum and materials they need to help their students succeed.
a. Would you vote to allow NYC to collect the tax from people from the suburbs who work in NYC and benefit from our services (police, fire, etc.)?
Yes, and was mistake of my opponent to vote to repeal the commuter tax. His vote has cost NYC $9.7 billion paid by commuters that could help fund our schools, the arts and essential services.
b. Would you support efforts to collect the tax from people who actually live in New York City but use a second home (a loophole not available to middle class New Yorkers with just one home) to avoid the city wage tax?
c. Do you support progressive taxation?
d. Would you support a federal financial transaction tax to either raise revenue, reduce the practice of high frequency trading, or both?
New York State's recent minimum wage increased to $8 an hour, 75 cents above the federal minimum and the old state rate. It's the first of three incremental boosts that were approved by the Legislature and Gov. Cuomo. The minimum for most workers will increase at the end of 2014 to $8.75 an hour and to $9 an hour a year after that. The minimums for workers in the restaurant industry who get tips may remain $5 an hour, with employers able to raise the maximum tip credits to $3 an hour the first year, $3.75 the second and $4 after that. Earlier this year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, and legislative leaders quickly shot down a proposal by Mayor Bill de Blasio to let New York City set its own minimum wage. Advocates for New York’s working poor were disappointed, saying the minimum wage should be $15 an hour and include workers who get tips. We at DFNYC feel no one should ever endure the kind of economic humiliation that comes with working a full-time job and making a less-than-living wage. Do you support State Senator Daniel L. Squadron’s bill to raise the minimum wage for many low-paid workers, calling for a $15-an-hour “fair wage” for employees of McDonald’s and Walmart and other businesses with yearly sales of $50 million or more?
Response: Yes, I support the statewide increase in minimum wage, and giving local municipalities the power to further increase their wages. I support the Squadron bill.
b. Much has been made of Mayor de Blasio’s pledge to build or restore 200,000 additional units of affordable housing in New York City. However, another issue that has not received nearly enough attention has been the lack of sustainability in New York City. What would you propose to ensure more green buildings are built and greater energy efficiency is met in existing structures? Another issue in New York City is a lack of sunlight caused by the amount of tall buildings. Would you support changes to zoning laws for thinner, smaller, greener structures being built?
Response: Manhattan will continue to grow, but it is important that it grows in the right way that protects neighborhoods, promotes diversity and sustainability, ensures more green buildings are built and greater energy efficiency is achieved and protects existing residents. Instead of giving large tax breaks to luxury developments, we should be using that money to create affordable and sustainable housing. Instead of sitting back and letting Albany control our housing decisions, we must fight for Home Rule, repeal of the Urstadt Law and ending vacancy destabilization. Instead of selling off public land wherever he can find it for luxury development, we should be more concerned with the existing residents. And instead of letting developers off the hook when they fail to meet their commitments, we should be going after them to claw back the benefits they received.
c. What is your opinion of NY Labor Law 240, otherwise known as the Scaffold Law? Contractors, property owners and insurers argue that the law is antiquated and prejudicial against contractors and property owners, and essentially absolves employees of responsibility for their own accidents, leading to huge settlements. The payouts, they contend, have in turn led to skyrocketing insurance premiums that are hampering construction and the state’s economic growth. But a counter-lobby of unions, workers’ advocates and trial lawyers argue that the law is essential to ensuring the safety of workers in some of the world’s most dangerous jobs, particularly those employed by shoddy contracting firms that cut corners to save money. The law, they say, holds developers and contractors accountable for keeping job sites safe.
Response: We need the Scaffold Law to help level the playing field and protect workers.
Elected officials must be role models and held to higher standards. We need more transparency and there should be no tolerance for misconduct. Public officials must set a positive example. I'm proud of who I am and what I have done. That's why I always wore a button, so people can come up to me and tell me what is on their mind. And I'm proud that I've built a record of integrity
Response: As Chair of the Council Black, Latino and Asian Caucus, I took the lead advocating an end to “Stop and Frisk” as it was performed and that the Department’s own numbers showed that hundreds of thousands of law abiding New Yorkers every year were being stopped, and the vast majority are black and Latino.
Response: Through neighborhood based traffic initiatives, we must make the streets safe for all. It means more enforcement, more education and more cooperation and understanding by pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers.
Abortion - Do you support a women’s right to choose? Yes
Marriage Equality: Do you support same-sex marriage? Do you believe all 50 states should allow marriage equality? Yes. And Yes.
Hobby Lobby: Do you support the "Boss Bill," which would update New York's labor laws to ban an employer from citing religious freedom as a reason to deny women reproductive health care — including access to birth control and infertility treatments? Yes.
These are the responses of former Councilmember Robert Jackson, candidate for state senate in District 31. To read the responses of his opponent, Adriano Espaillat, click here.
Adriano Espaillat's Responses to DFNYC's 2014 Questionnaire
Adriano Espaillat's Responses to our Issue Questionnaire
State Senate - Dist. 31 - Uptown & west side of Manhattan
Yes. I have been an outspoken advocate for campaign finance reform that includes a matching funds system and eliminates the “multiple LLC” loophole that has empowered the real estate industry at tenants’ and the general public’s expense.
The McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission verdict is a major setback for reducing the influence of money in politics; I strongly support measures to undo this perversion of the democratic system.
The 31st Senate District has more rent-stabilized units than any other district in New York City – I am proud to have the endorsement of Tenants PAC and committed safeguarding and expanding the emergency tenant protection act that has ensured affordable more than 2 million New Yorkers. I proudly support the repeal of both vacancy decontrol and the Urstadt Law; after it was revealed that 421-a tax breaks had been awarded to luxury developments targeted towards billionaires, I was the first elected official to call for their repeal.
Select news clips from my record on housing issues:
Espaillat Led the Charge for Repealing Tax Breaks Given to Luxury Housing for Billionaires. “A group of state lawmakers wants to undo legislation passed this year that singled out five luxury housing developments in Manhattan for property tax breaks. “Espaillat and Brad Hoylman, along with 10 other pols, sent Gov. Cuomo a letter Wednesday asking him to help repeal the controversial provision. Writing, “It is critical that we correct this outrageous symbol of waste and special interest privilege.” One of the five projects is One57, a 90-story luxury tower on W. 57th St. that reportedly sold two penthouses for $90 million each. [Daily News, 07/24/2013]
Espaillat Named “Democratic Pointman” to Renew Rent Laws in 2011. “Uptown state Sen. Adriano Espaillat is technically a freshman, but he has become the Democratic pointman in Albany's tug-of-war over rent regulations. The regs, which shelter more than 1 million apartments in the city from full market-rate rents, expire June 14…On the strength of his prior 14 years in the Assembly, Espaillat was tapped as the ranking minority Democrat on the Senate Housing Committee. And he's chief sponsor of the same tenant-friendly omnibus rent regulations bill passed three days ago by the Democratic Assembly.” [Daily News, 04/14/2011]
Espaillat Intervened on Behalf of Tenants Facing Unfair Rent Hikes. “State investigators are probing an uptown real estate mogul for hiking tenants’ rent — by double digits rates — sparking a fierce housing battle in Washington Heights. Residents reported their woes to state Sen. Adriano Espaillat (D-Washington Heights), who then contacted the state agency. ‘I’m excited that the state housing agency will be taking action in the near future,’ said Espaillat, who noted that 19 families were affected by the rent hike.” [NY Daily News, 1/15/14]
Espaillat Stood Up for Foreign-Born Tenants Facing Harassment and Intimidation. “A battle cry to mobilize uptown tenants against a disgusting rat problem has ignited a potential court fight to protect foreign-born residents from what they say are bullying tactics on the part of the landlord. Espaillat and Councilman Mark Levine fired off letters Monday to the state Tenant Protection Unit and federal Department of Housing and Urban Development asking the agencies to probe the allegations. “We cannot allow this discrimination to be tolerated,” the officials said. [Daily News,04/29/2014]
Yes, I strongly supported legislation creating a permanent UPK revenue stream by taxing the wealthiest New Yorkers, and will continue to do so. The $300 million we were able to secure this year was an incredible victory, but we must ensure this funding continues, and also allocate the companion afterschool funding the Mayor called.
I have strong reservations over the use of test scores for assessment purposes that do not take into account student composition, including English Language Learners, and student requiring Individual Learning Plans. Doing so encourages schools to game the system, and focus on securing preferred students instead of ensuring all students’ needs are addressed.
In particular, I have continually cited the disproportionally small enrollment ELLs in New York City charter schools as a problem that must be addressed; have stated that until this enrollment gap is closed, their effectiveness cannot be fairly measured.
I support a variety of assessment methods – but I strongly value peer assessment, and the evaluations performed by professional educators. I am proud to have the support of the United Federation of Teachers in this campaign, and I will continue to work with them to fight for appropriate assessment standards that do not penalize teachers for taking on the challenge of providing an urban education in difficult circumstances.
a. Do you favor:
I am committed to using the Mayoral Control reauthorization process to increase parental and community stakeholder power. This includes expanding the role of district CEC and individual School Leadership Teams, particularly on portfolio planning and zoning issues where parents have struggled to obtain accurate growth projections from DOE.
Common Core’s implementation has been disastrous on many fronts: from poor-quality Spanish language materials, to inadequate community outreach and explanation, to the insufficient training that was provided to teachers and educators. I have supported a moratorium on the use of Common Core assessments unlike our community is satisfied it has been given proper resources for this transition. I have specifically raised the quality of non-English language materials issue with SED.
More broadly, I was a staunch supporter of the successful push to reign in the rising and excessive amount of standardized testing that New York kids are subjected to, which interrupts classroom learning, by banning testing in grades kindergarten through second grade.
Would you vote to allow NYC to collect the tax from people from the suburbs who work in NYC and benefit from our services (police, fire, etc.)? Yes.
Would you support efforts to collect the tax from people who actually live in New York City but use a second home (a loophole not available to middle class New Yorkers with just one home) to avoid the city wage tax? Yes.
Do you support progressive taxation? Yes.
Would you support a federal financial transaction tax to either raise revenue, reduce the practice of high frequency trading, or both? Yes. I am on record as supporting the “Robin Hood Tax” bill proposed by Congressman Keith Ellison. In the 2014 13th Congressional District primary, I was the first candidate to support this proposal, and was heartened that other candidates changed their position in response to my statement of support.
Yes. I have been a leader within the Democratic Conference in the fight for minimum wage, and was the first to introduce legislation permitting New York City to set its own minimum wage. It is essential that this be indexed to inflation, so its purchasing power does not erode over time.
I support the push towards an 80/20 development model; closing a variety of loopholes that developers have used to shirk their responsibilities. This year, I proposed an Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) reform plan to shift public subsidies away from big box stores and developments like East River Plaza (in East Harlem, a Bruce Ratner project) towards local small businesses and employers paying good wages and benefits.
I opposed the West Side Stadium project in Manhattan. In contrast, my opponent strongly supported it when he was in the City Council.
A critical way to achieve energy efficiency is through transit-oriented development, to ensure that development occurs near public transportation; and expanding transit options in areas within rising population density. I support a concentrated push for this across the state. I have also pushed to maintain and expand weatherization subsidies, particularly for low-income households and neighborhoods.
Existing laws regulating “sliver buildings” prevent blighted conditions that existed throughout New York’s history and blocked low-income homes from sufficient light exposure. The limitations against conditions like this are sensible.
I do not support amending the Scaffold Law; viable support for this issue does not currently exist within the legislature.
Enacting sweeping campaign finance reform is a critical step for eliminating corruption reducing the influence of special interests in Albany. I have also supported making the NYS Legislature a full time job, as I interpret it to be, to eliminate conflicts of interest.
I have supported and voted for medical marijuana legislation this year; I continue to support marijuana decriminalization.
I have been a persistent critic of counterproductive policing tactics primarily used under the previous mayoral administration, that violated civil liberties, including stop and frisk and the unrestricted surveillance of New York’s Muslim communities. I started my career as a NYPD Precinct Community Council Chair, and I have consistently forged working partnerships between Upper Manhattan communities and the NYPD, through effective collaboration on local issues and sought consensus whenever possible.
Yes. Our Police Department must be given all the resources it needs to be successful, and ensure the well being of its officers. But this does not require the use decommissioned military equipment; I would support using the legislative and budget process to codify this protection.
Yes, and I began sponsoring legislation in 2013 to grant New York City permanent home rule over speed and red light camera governance, so the city does not need state approval for basic lifesaving measures.
I was an early supporter of Vision Zero, and have been endorsed by StreetsPAC in this campaign.
Yes, I have been a co-sponsor these initiatives, including the 2013 bill creating the speed camera pilot program, and this year’s successful push to reduce the city speed limit.
I support an “all hands on deck” approach to reducing the disproportionately high rates of traffic violence in Upper Manhattan and the West Side. I have proposed and supported slow zones, pedestrian plazas, street redesigns, speed cameras. And I believe that new regulations require enforcement to be successful; ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
Marriage Equality: Do you support same-sex marriage? Do you believe all 50 states should allow marriage equality? Yes, I have consistently voted for marriage equality legislation since its first Assembly floor vote in 2007, and worked to build support within the Latino community in the run-up to the successful 2011 Senate vote.
Do you believe corporations should have the legal status of personhood? No!
Do you support Net Neutrality, and are you willing to publicly state this position? (For example, in a petition or comment letter to the FCC.) I support net neutrality, and will continue to state this publicly.
These are the responses from Adriano Espaillat, incumbent State Senator in the 31st District. To read the responses of his opponent, former City Councilmember Robert Jackson, click here.
Zephyr Teachout's Responses to DFNYC's 2014 Candidate Questionnaire
Candidate for Governor of New York
Yes. The way to fix the broken system is to provide public financing for all statewide and legislative elections. In New York City and Connecticut, public funding has increased the influence of voters and small donors, diversified who contributes, and enabled a greater variety of candidates to run for office. Already, public funding has empowered middle class families to shape
policy, achieving reforms like paid sick days, and empowered more women and minorities to stand as candidates. Public funding of elections will bring us closer to achieving real democracy.
Contribution limits are crucial to fighting real and perceived corruption. The devastating impact of this case will be to further amplify our State’s problem with money in politics. Barring the passage of publicly financed elections and increased regulations for state party housekeeping accounts New Yorkers’ faith in our elected representatives.
Governor Cuomo should never have disbanded the Moreland Commission. His decision to close down a public investigation into corruption is deeply disturbing. His justification for it – that negotiations with lawmakers in closed discussions had rendered the Commission obsolete – reveals how little respect the Governor holds for the public and for public accountability. His actions squandered a huge opportunity to bring meaningful change to Albany. Instead, Governor Cuomo has reinforced and replicated existing corruption.
If Governor Cuomo directed or knew about Larry Schwartz’ actions, the Governor should resign. At the very least Schwartz should be fired. It’s hard to believe that Schwartz was not acting with the Governor’s knowledge.
I’m a property law professor. I strongly favor the repeal of the Urstadt law and believe in some degree of local control. The City Council and Mayor should have the authority to set housing laws. I also support rent stabilization and rent control laws.
Yes. We live in an exceptional state in one of the greatest cities in the world. As such, everyone should pay their fair share to enjoy these privileges. I support state legislation allowing Mayor de Blasio to raise marginal income tax on the wealthiest residents of New York City to support this program.
The over reliance on high stakes testing is problematic. Instead, we should be taking steps that keep good teachers in the classroom. There is no evidence to support the idea that basing teacher evaluations on test scores is educationally valid and I have a great deal of concern that this practice will encourage educators to simply teach-to-the-test. The primary objective of teacher evaluations should be to improve the quality of teaching. There is clear evidence that the most effective way to do this is to create a collaborative climate within schools, not a competitive climate between teachers. To facilitate this teacher mentoring programs are key which is why professional observations by other teachers are essential to effective evaluations. Principal observations are important. One positive feedback available from teachers regarding the new evaluation system is that the in depth interaction between principals and teachers is a valuable professional experience. Thorough interactions of this type, both between principals and teachers and between teacher mentors and teachers who are new or struggling are important to improving the quality of teaching and to retaining teachers. Student surveys can also make a valuable contribution to the teacher evaluation process--particularly if the focus is on aiding teachers to improve their craft. The entire issue of teacher evaluations has to be seen in a larger context where blaming teachers for the challenges our schools face is part of a larger political agenda on education reform.
• Changing to a hybrid system, where power would be shared by the mayor and a school board,
One of the current parts of mayoral control that has caused the most controversy is the public hearing process. When the DOE proposes a change to a school or school building (co-location of a charter school, approval of a new school, phase out or "closing" of a school deemed to be failing), there is a joint public hearing (a "JFH") at the school building, where parents, teachers, students and other community members
can voice their concerns. But the ultimate vote is later, with the city-wide Panel for Education Policy (the "PEP"), a Board of appointees from the Mayor's Office and the Borough Presidents' Office. Critics say far from being a democratic process, the structure of the PEP and its hearings make it essentially a rubber stamp for whatever the DOE has already decided. Even some supporters of mayoral control have conceded this point and found PEP hearings to be mostly a waste of time for all parties involved. On the one hand, government officials need to plan and make decisions about schools and buildings in a timely, efficient matter. On the other hand, important decisions about schools should have a public hearing process and be made with community input. What are your ideas for balancing these interests, specifically in terms of changing the mayoral control legislation?
Under Mayor Bloomberg the PEP was in fact a rubber stamp, it voted with Bloomberg 100% of the time. The process of the PEP votes was essentially a meaningless charade. The only time the PEP was prepared to vote against the Mayor he fired several at will PEP members before the vote in order to secure the outcome he desired. New York City has the most extreme form of Mayoral Control in the country. There are reasons for optimism under Mayor de Blasio in that he has appointed educators and parents to the PEP who have real connections to local communities and he has pledged to let them make independent decisions. However, the PEP should have fixed terms to ensure that no matter who appoints them they can make independent decisions. It is important to remember that while Mayor Bloomberg named this panel as the PEP under state law it is actually the school board for the City of New York and it should have all the powers of a school board. School closings and co-locations should be significantly curtailed compared to what happened under Mayor Bloomberg. School closings should be a course of last resort rather than an educational strategy and co-locations that are hostile to existing schools should not be allowed. The Community Education Councils are the bodies you refer to which are responsible for the Joint Public Hearings along with the DOE. The CECs are currently powerless bodies that are supposed to give parents voice, but do not have any structural power. The CECs should have the power to reject closing and co-locations in schools in their districts. This is the only way to ensure that local parents have an actual voice in decision making. In 2014 there were policy changes that are directly relevant to mayoral control. Specifically the state mandated that in New York City if charter schools request a co-location then the City either must provide that co-location or must pay rent for that charter school in other space. This provision, which does not apply to any other locality in the state, should be repealed as part of the renewal of school governance laws in 2015. School governance is important, however, there have been multiple forms of governance in NYC over time. In fact there was a different form of mayoral control over 100 years ago, there has been a central school board that was not controlled by the mayor and there has been 32 locally elected school boards. Each system had flaws in terms of the education of the students. While I have not fully developed all of my positions on this, I do believe that the 2015 school governance legislation should address key educational strategies which may prove more important than governance itself. I would be interested in requirements that make the NYC DOE address overcrowding and require adequate resource investment and supports in struggling schools for instance. The focus on governance process sometimes overwhelms the need to focus on educational strategies--both are important.
a. Do you favor continued support of Common Core standards in New York? NO
b. Do you support the Common Core curriculum that has been developed in New York? NO
Common Core was a top-down approach to a deeply complex problem; there are no silver bullets in education reform. As a lawyer and activist, I participate in press events and rallies to highlight concerns around Common Core. As Governor, I would take what I have learned from families and concerned citizens at these events to reform Common Core for the betterment of New York State’s children. To do this properly it is essential that classroom educators, school administrators, parents and possibly even students are engaged in the development of standards and curriculum. NYS has placed more focus on raising the difficulty of the tests than on raising the quality of curriculum and instruction. If we are going to provide a higher standard of education, we cannot do that by simply making tests harder and expecting more of educators and students. We need to invest in our schools. New York has one of the greatest gaps in the inequity of school funding in the entire nation. The state is obligated to fulfill the Campaign for Fiscal Equity funding in order to begin closing this gap. Governor Cuomo has made no effort to do so. I would make fair and adequate school funding a top priority so we can get past the rhetoric of higher standards and actually provide a higher quality education particularly in poor communities which have suffered from decades of underfunded schools.
I’m not sure. It’s a complicated issue. I would do a comprehensive review of taxation and then carefully think about how to allocate the cost.
Would you support efforts to collect the tax from people who actually live in New York City but use a second home (a loophole not available to middle class New Yorkers with just one home) to avoid the city wage tax? YES
Do you support progressive taxation? YES
Would you support a federal financial transaction tax to either raise revenue, reduce the practice of high frequency trading, or both? YES. I support this both because it will make our markets more fair - by discouraging predatory high frequency trading - and could generate significant revenue in
Yes, I support Senator Squadron’s bill to raise the minimum wage as well as legislation that would give localities control to set the minimum wage above the state level, not below. New York is an extraordinary state, and we should have an economy that matches our capacity. Yet Governor Cuomo’s economy works primarily for a few big businesses, one that enriches the rich and strangles opportunities for the rest of us. Extreme consolidation has enabled a few giants to hike prices, squeeze supply, and unfairly trample competitors. The game is rigged, and the evidence is all around us. We face staggering inequality of wealth and opportunity, at levels unseen since the Gilded Age. Unemployment continues to soar even as corporate profits are booming. I am completely committed to local wage authorization. I strongly support paid sick days and paid family leave insurance, so that no parent has to choose between paying the bills and nursing a sick child. I support making it easier for workers to unionize. If a banker can join his ten friends to form a corporation, why should it be any harder for a factory worker to join his ten buddies to form a union?
This is a huge issue. I would push to eliminate subsidies that incentivize costly high rise buildings at the expense or to the exclusion of affordable housing. One of the best ways to increase affordable housing is to hold on to the affordable housing we have in New York. This means strong laws at the state level that are focused on middle and working class tenants and homeowners, not landlords, real estate developers and banks. I will also work with local officials to bring more resources and a better use of resources to NYCHA so that the problems facing residents can be fixed efficiently and safely.
b. Much has been made of Mayor de Blasio’s pledge to build or restore 200,000 additional units of affordable housing in New York City. However, another issue that has not received nearly enough attention has been the lack of sustainability in New York City.
What would you propose to ensure more green buildings are built and greater energy efficiency is met in existing structures?
I am in support of a public works program that would retrofit existing buildings to make them more energy efficient. We can accomplish this through a combination of mandates, public investments, and incentives should be implemented to ensure our buildings are more energy efficient.
c. Another issue in New York City is a lack of sunlight caused by the amount of tall buildings. Would you support changes to zoning laws for thinner, smaller, greener structures being built
In theory, yes. But I would have to learn more about the issue and existing policy proposals to understand if there might be other costs to these changes in zoning law.
I support the Scaffold law. It protects some of our most vulnerable workers. Everyone deserves the right to a safe and healthy work environment. While we cannot protect construction workers against all accidents we must offer workers the legal protection they deserve by holding those responsible accountable.
First and foremost, New York state should pass a publicly financed elections system modeled after New York City’s. Below is a starting list of policies as Governor I would focus on enacting
Empower the Attorney General to prosecute public corruption cases, especially those involving election law
Webcast all legislative proceedings for both houses
Increase disclosure and itemization of discretionary funds, such as lump sum funds and member items, and require reporting on the funds’ usage
Clarify the definition of coordination between candidates and political committees to ensure proper reporting
Require two periodic campaign finance reports be filed during the session
Close soft money loopholes - transfers from party committees to candidates should be limited to twice the limit that is set for individual contributors
Restrict campaign contributions from those who do business with the state and registered lobbyists
I support the legalization of marijuana. At a minimum, New York State must immediately decriminalize small amounts of marijuana possession, on the path to eventual legalization. This would drastically reduce the number of marijuana arrests, an overwhelming percent of which are just for possession. Worse, these arrests disproportionately target young African-Americans and Latinos.
These arrests cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually and needlessly introduce young people to the criminal justice system while saddling them with permanent criminal records. Being stigmatized this way has huge long-term consequences, making it far harder to find a job or get into school. We should be expanding opportunities for young blacks and Latinos rather than foreclosing them. Ending arrests for 15 grams or less of marijuana would help ensure our criminal justice system doesn’t lock up thousands of our young men for petty crimes. We should support legislation that decriminalizes small amounts of marijuana, and should propose a system to regulate and tax marijuana in ways similar to how state law treats alcohol. This new approach would end decades of costly and counterproductive policies that reinforce racially discriminatory outcomes and foreclose promising futures.
I have called for a review by the Superintendent of Police and chairs of the Judiciary committees into what form militarization has taken in NY.
b. Would you be in favor of using the budget process to ensure that police are peace keepers, as opposed to a quasi-military force (i.e. by limiting local, state and federal budget appropriations for additional weapons)? Yes.
Cities should have much more autonomy, and power should be devolved from Albany.
We have not yet done a policy paper on this yet. I would need to learn more about the issue before prescribing a policy.
Marriage Equality: Do you support same-sex marriage? Do you believe all 50 states should allow marriage equality?
Hobby Lobby: Do you support the "Boss Bill," which would update New York's labor laws to ban an employer from citing religious freedom as a reason to deny women reproductive health care — including access to birth control and infertility treatments?
Do you believe corporations should have the legal status of personhood?
Do you support Net Neutrality, and are you willing to publicly state this position? (For example, in a petition or comment letter to the FCC.)
These are the responses of Zephyr Teachout to our 2014 DFNYC questionnaire. To read the responses of her opponent in the Democratic primary, incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo, click here.
Gov. Cuomo's responses to DFNYC's 2014 Candidate Questionnaire
NY Statewide Hot Races 2014
NYS Assembly District 72 - Manhattan
NYS Senate Dist 20 - Brooklyn
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The 'I love PUCCINI' Gala Concert
Thursday, 21 March 2019 , ora 13.44
The Calea Victoriei Foundation invites you on the 13th of May at 19:00 to the "I love PUCCINI" Gala Concert. The concert will take place in the Grand Hall at the Bucharest National Theatre.
The talented conductor Tiberiu Soare and the Symphactory Orchestra will host two outstanding opera singers - soprano Diana Țugui and tenor Florin Guzgă.
Audiences of all ages are invited to enjoy the spectacular duets by Giacomo Puccini, the last great Italian opera composer known for his great musical masterpieces full of sensitivity and originality such as La Boheme, Tosca, Madame Butterfly, Turandot.
"Puccini can be considered a keystone of Italian opera, much like Bach is the keystone and shutter of what baroque music meant," says conductor Tiberiu Soare in his book about opera. On the 13th of May, we invite you to taste the beauty of the music of this remarkable composer.
At the end of the concert, the audience will have the opportunity to meet the conductor and the two soloists in the foyer. They will also be able to take pictures and share impressions of the concert. Also, Tiberiu Soare will give autographs on his books: "Why Do We Go to the Opera" and "Nine Musical Stories".
The "I love PUCCINI" Gala Concert is the fourth event of "I Love Classics" series, launched by the Calea Victoriei Foundation and dedicated to the great composers of classical and opera music. The first three editions were dedicated to W. Mozart, G. Verdi and P. I. Ceaikovski.
The tickets for "I love PUCCINI" Gala Concert can be purchased via the Eventim network: Vodafone, Orange, Germanos, Carrefour, Carturesti and Humanitas, OMV or online.
Translated by Gabriela Florea,
MTTLC, Ist year, University of Bucharest
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Wednesday, July 12, 2006 0
Superman Returns...As O.J. Simpson
Now before you get into a tizzy, I'm not implying that O.J, Simpson killed his wife. I don't believe he did. But he did do something that Superman does in Superman Returns, and so they have at least one action in common.
To determine what that is, read on.
I came into the theater wanting to like Superman Returns before I saw it. In other words, I came with a bias. I'm one of those who remembers watching the black-and-white "Superman" TV show as a kid. I was never really into the Superman comics, preferring Wonder Woman (!), but I did watch "The Super Friends" and "The Justice League of America" cartoons.
Then there was Richard Donnar's "Superman" -- a masterpiece of a film that launched the career of soap opera actor Christospher Reeve, who we think of as anything but now.
What made Superman an incredible film was that it was faithful to the character I and others of my generation remember as kids: the defender of truth, justice, and the American way.
And that doesn't go for invading Iraq.
In other words, Superman was part of my childhood. I never watched one episiode of the popular TV series "Lois and Clark" or "Smallville" for that matter. (Well, I did see one "Smallville" story, which was pretty good.) They don't present the Superman I remember.
In other words, I don't associate Superman with sex, child support, birth control, jealously, stalking, homelessness, or alcoholism. Yet Brian Singer's deals with all of these issues either directly or indirectly in Superman Returns.
A Work Not Marvelous, But I Do Wonder...
Superman Returns is the result of a 13-year collective quest to make a new Superman movie, an effort that seemed as if it was going to be stuck in development hell until it was saved by Director Brian Singer and Producer Chris Lee. Two years and $250 million later, Superman Returns was released on June 30, 2006.
Superman plays Brandon Routh, who like Reeve before him was a soap opera actor, and who basically looks like a cross between Reeve and Dean Cain from "Lois and Clark" -- he's more Reeve than Cain, to be sure. 23-year old Kate Bostworth takes on Lois Lane, a character set in Zeitgeist stone by Margo Kidder and Terry Hatcher.
The cast is rounded by the appearance of Frank Langella as Perry White, the editor of The Daily Planet. (As a momentary aside, Langella's getting a lot of work of late, and he's sinks his teeth into every role.)
Finally (at least for the purpose of this review) one of my favorite actors, Kevin Spacey, plays Superman's enemy, Lex Luthor.
The question is how does each actor do compared to the ones who've come before them. My answer: not bad at all. It's not the actors that are the problem, it's the material they're given.
It's terrible.
The story goes like this: Superman crash land on Earth -- and right onto his adopted mother's farm -- after a five year absence. Apparently astronomers discovered the remains of Krypton so Superman went back to investigate the find for himself. After all it's his home planet.
The trouble is he left without telling anyone where he was going -- except his Mom. So after enjoying some sleep in a comfortable bed at home and a game of "fetch" so unfair to the dog the canine gives up, Clark Kent returns to Manhattan -- opps, Metropolis -- and to his old job at the newspaper The Daily Planet, courtesy of Editor-In-Chief Perry White.
Jimmy Olsen's there (played by Sam Huntington) as is Lois Lane, at least her chair's there; she's part of a press group on the maiden voyage of a Boeing 777 carrying a new Space Shuttle into the sky.
He's reacquainted with her after a spectacular scene segment -- hampered by one major flaw -- where Clark Kent / Superman saves the 777 from crashing into a baseball stadium after a midair malfunction directly related to the doings of Lex Luthor.
Clark Kent / Superman is obviously anxious to see Ms. Lane, but discovers that she's moved on. She's got a husband-to-be -- Richard, played by James Mardsen -- and a five year old kid with an asthma problem and a weird ability to throw pianos when excited. Right, five years old. When Clark Kent / Superman sees the photo of Lois new family and Olsen fills him in on the new beau, Kent cracks the picture frame in an anger he struggles to hide. This guys jealous, big time. But he's Superman, which means that he could do some damage if he gets pissed. Better a planet than a family, right?
When Clark Kent / Superman leans of the home address of Ms. Lane, he flies off as Superman to -- well, go there. He arrives and while floating in air, uses his X-ray vision to observe the activity of the Lane household. We and he see the action one room at a time, and I feel creepy. At this point, I started to put this segment together with the picture frame cracking accident and think of Clark Kent / Superman as...
O.J. Simpson.
Finally Clark Kent / Superman sees Lois and Richard in the kitchen and with his super hearing listens to her say she's not in love with Superman anymore. At this point, he hangs in the air for a moment just long enough to make you believe he may do something rash, like blow the house down. Just think if he caught them making love, which the segment seems to communicate the possibility of happening. What then? Pound his fist in anger hard enough to make them think there's an earthquake and stop?
Why the OJ comparison? Well, one thing he did was go to the home of the guy his wife was seeing and peer into his window while she was "doing it" with him. What did he do?
Well, both he and Clark Kent / Superman did get angry. In Clark Kent / Superman's case, he flew off to Earth orbit, crying.
He Can't Find A Home...
Clark Kent / Superman can't seem to find a place to live. On three occasions he says he's still looking for one. Never finds one. He just hangs in space listening to just about everyone on Earth, picking and choosing where he goes at any moment in time. That's fine, but it seems to take away from the responsible Clark Kent, who knows he needs a home and one would think a place to entertain other than the Fortress of Solitude. Instead we get the homeless Clark Kent.
On top of all that Clark Kent / Superman reacts with an annoying indifference to the kid he sires and this is where the material show it's problem of lack of passion. In real life, Clark Kent / Superman would have asked Lois why she wasn't on birth control or something. To be fair, he does sneak back to Lois home to see his kid, but then that's what bugs me yet again.
Why couldn't he have just asked Lois to see him?
Moreover, why didn't Lois invite him? I actually liked Kate Bostworth as Lois. She played the role of Lois as Mom real well.
I also liked Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor, that is until he and his men beat up Superman / Clark Kent in a scene way too violent for the Superman movies.
$250 Million For This?
Finally, I come to the matter of the special effects that give shape to this movie. The airplane save scenes were really great. But the whole effect just plain fell apart for me when the 777 was in the baseball stadium. The face that it's not really there is obvious by the bleed lines between the aircraft and the real life stadium. It just takes away from the impact of the scene.
It left me wondering where the $250 million went. For that money, they should have been able to realize resolution so detailed the bleedlines were eliminated, but no. Yes, there's two scenes in King Kong that have the same problem, but they're minor and small in time, and way outnumbered by some jaw dropping effects, like Kong himself.
But in Superman Returns these bleedlines are everywhere, even on Superman himself as he flies. It was disappointing.
Do I Or Don't I Want A Sequel?
As I write this, Superman Returns is being clobbered at the box office. It has two problems: Pirates of The Carribean II and it's $250 million price tag. "Pirates" arrghed up $132 million in just a weekend. That would pay for 50 percent of the cost of Superman Returns, which has made $142 million in two weeks, and it's revenue gain is declining; it only took in $21 million last weekend, and with more flicks coming out, the number of screens it's on will shrink, making the breakeven target of $250 million harder and harder to reach. Ouch.
I believe Superman deserves a better movie life than this. Given what Singer brought to the screen this time, I'm not excited to see the sequel. But given the box office, getting one made may be hard to do.
The lesson here is clear. Don't mess with a kid's view of a comic book legend by making him less of a hero. Adults know heroes are flawed, but we don't want our childhood ones to be.
The Superman in Superman Returns is not the Man of Steel I remember as a kid; he's not the one I want to see today. Apparently, many agree.
Heck, I'll bet O.J would too.
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The Green Hornet Movie Trailer shows promising remake of classic
The Black Beauty
As a kid in the 1960s, The Green Hornet was one of this bloggers favorite television shows. The reason wasn't the character of Britt Reid / The Green Hornet, or Kato, played by Bruce Lee. It was because of the car: The Black Beauty. A cool, lethal vehicle that plays a starring role in the 2011 big screen remake The Green Hornet.
If the recently released trailer is a decent representation of what to expect from the film, it's going to be a hit, and The Black Beauty will be its star.
The Green Hornet stars Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Jay Chao, Tom Wilkinson, and Academy Award-winner Christoph Waltz in what can be described as an "origin" picture which will explain how The Green Hornet came to be. Here's the video trailer:
While the movie is obviously set in modern America, what remains as the connection to its 1960s TV past is the Chrysler Imperial that is converted to become The Black Beauty. It's a car that Chrysler should make for purchase today (without the machine guns, of course); it would turn around that car maker's fortunes overnight.
As was the case when a kid, I'll see The Green Hornet for the car first, then for Cameron Diaz.
Rock the Casbah!
The Green Hornet Movie Trailer shows promising rem...
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The United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, Finds Wrap-Up Exclusion Does Not Bar Coverage of Additional Insureds
by Callie E. Waers, Esq.
The United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, recently took a close look at the application of a “controlled insurance program exclusion” (wrap-up exclusion) to additional insureds on a commercial general liability policy. In Cont’l Cas. Co. v. Amerisure Ins. Co., 886 F.3d 366 (4th Cir. 2018), the Fourth Circuit examined the interplay of an enrolled party’s additional insured status on an unenrolled party’s commercial general liability (“CGL”) policy with a wrap-up exclusion. The court applied North Carolina law and found that pursuant to the policy’s own language, the exclusion only applied to the original named insured, not the additional insureds.
The case arose out of an injury incurred by an employee of a second-tier subcontractor during the construction of a hospital. On this particular project, the owner maintained a “rolling owner controlled insurance program” (wrap-up insurance program) in which all tiers of contractors were required to enroll, but enrollment was not automatic. The general contractor was enrolled in the owner’s wrap-up policy, but neither the steel manufacturer subcontractor nor its sub-subcontractor, the steel installation company, were enrolled. The underlying plaintiff was injured while he was an employee of the steel installation company, but he did not name his employer in his personal injury lawsuit.
The Cont’l Cas. Co. case was instituted by Continental Casualty Company (“Continental”) after it defended and settled the underlying plaintiff’s claims against its insured and additional insured, the steel manufacturer and general contractor, respectively. Continental sought to be reimbursed for the $1.7 million settlement and attorneys’ fees and costs incurred for the defense and indemnity of the underlying lawsuit.
Continental alleged that Amerisure Insurance Company (“Amerisure”) breached its duty to defend and Amerisure’s policy provided the primary coverage for both the general contractor and steel manufacturer, who were additional insureds on the Amerisure policy. Amerisure denied a duty to defend the additional insureds based on the presence of the wrap-up exclusion.
The steel installation sub-subcontractor complied with contractual requirements imposed by the steel manufacturer and obtained a CGL policy that named both the steel manufacturer and the general contractor as additional insureds. This was the Amerisure policy at issue. Amerisure argued that the policy contained a wrap-up exclusion that operated to bar coverage of the additional insureds. The exclusion specifically barred coverage arising out of the named insured’s ongoing operations if those operations were included within a wrap-up insurance program.
The Fourth Circuit applied the language exactly as written, finding that because the underlying personal injury plaintiff’s complaint alleged that certain acts or omissions of the general contractor and the steel manufacturer caused or contributed to his injuries, the claims in question did not fall within the scope of the exclusion. Put another way, the complaint alleged the injuries arose at least in part by acts or omissions that were not part of the original named insured’s operations. Any injuries allegedly arising out of the acts or omissions of the general contractor and the steel manufacturer were not subject to the wrap-up exclusion.
Based on the wrap-up exclusion’s limited applicability, the Fourth Circuit found that Amerisure had a duty to defend the additionally insured parties, and it breached that duty when it denied a defense based on the wrap-up exclusion. It was critically important that the Amerisure policy referred to “your” operations in the wrap-up exclusion, and the policy elsewhere defined “your” as the “named insured.” The named insured was the original policy holder, the steel installation company.
After addressing the duty to defend, the Fourth Circuit went on to find that Amerisure owed Continental the entire $1.7 million paid to settle the claims because Amerisure’s CGL policy and its umbrella policy were primary to Continental’s policy. The Cont’l Cas. Co. case notes that the Amerisure umbrella policy, which provided the amounts over the $1 million limits of the CGL policy, was (1) required by contract between the steel manufacturer and its subcontractor, the steel installation company; and (2) not contingent on the existence of the Continental CGL policy. Over Amerisure’s objection, the Fourth Circuit found that the subcontract between the parties resolved any ambiguities because it required all of Amerisure’s policies to be “primary and non-contributory.”
Finally, the court used the same “primary and non-contributory” language to conclude that Continental’s policy was effectively an excess policy, meaning it had no duty to defend the general contractor and steel manufacturer. For this reason, the Fourth Circuit awarded Continental the full amount of its fees and costs incurred defending the underlying lawsuit.
Owner and contractor controlled insurance programs, and the provisions of enrollees’ insurance policies referencing these insurance programs, add another layer of complexity when analyzing claims related to construction defects and the insurance coverage that may be available to cover those claims. If you have any questions about this decision, or insurance coverage for construction defect claims generally, please contact Ryan M. Charlson at ryan.charlson@csklegal.com or 954-343-3919.
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Home / Defence and security / / Articles
Outreach activities of the terrorist organization ISIL: the basic ways of counteraction
Print version Material posted: Publication date: 14-11-2017
Studying various Islamic groups, their activities and methods of propaganda work, external and internal orientation, come to the conclusion that they affect human consciousness. Particular impact such work has on a believer. In this regard, it should be said that all known to us in the East, terrorist organizations have vivid religious orientation. And this despite the attempt of Western countries headed by USA to give them some "secular" sound [2]. However, these organizations did not hide its religious nature. This work is separately dedicated to the most influential, massive and rich world of the terrorist group – Islamic state of Iraq and the Levant (hereafter ISIL). The organization skillfully and effectively apply the methods and techniques of propaganda, drawing into its ranks all new and new adherents.
1. Peculiarities of activities of ISIS to recruit new supporters
In the course of their terrorist activities, ISIL is affecting Muslims as well as representatives of other faiths who are seeking a modern, imperfect, in their opinion, the world justice. Very often their network gets youth, which tend to search his own way in life.
These organizations join, and those for which acts of terror there is a way to make money. It's unscrupulous people who are able to murder innocent people for personal gain.
Radical Islamist organizations jihadistas sense, and in particular ISIL, and use methods of psychological influence, using the human desire to tanatus, based on the theory of Sigmund Freud about the subconscious desire of every person to death. It should be noted that in the ranks of this organization are professionals in various fields, including professional psychologists who are familiar with the methods of psychological influence on personality.
DAYS is very advanced in terms of information organization. To recruit new adepts, she used social networks, Internet sites and different types of media content, which are formed by professional psychologists, PR managers and programmers of the highest level.
Also common religious object processing, which is expected to draw in a network of ISIL on various religious gatherings in mosques or prayer rooms. In these places, special emissaries, recruiters handle their new victims, its own way of interpreting the various provisions of the Quran. For example, "Holy war" to cleanse the heart from sin – Jihad, without which, according to Islam it is impossible to know the Prophet and through him come to God, is presented as a struggle against the infidels [1]. While jihadists slyly omit verses of Scripture that Muslim a Muslim friend and brother. Lawlessness not only against infidels (kafir), but against those Muslims who do not share their points of view.
Recruitment to ISIS is happening in confidence, has a strong distinctive structure. It includes a network of working agents, which are divided into: "gunners", "recruiters" and "curators".
"Gunner" define the desired candidate is able to be useful for the "Caliphate", but never in contact with the "victim" personally. It only collects and sends the information on the object of recruitment. Additional data on the candidate, but that is all personal, financial, religious and political aspects on which to assess candidate competence to "gunner".
"Recruiter" – the person who directly participated in the recruitment process. He meets a candidate for a "Jihad" or overwritten in the network, possessing a great gift of persuasion.
"Curator" or agent, often located on the territory of some neighboring state, developing the logistics for the delivery of the candidate to travel and controls the entire operation.
To successfully counter the propaganda and campaigning work of ISIS, we need to analyze the risk that may be exposed to radical elements.
Age group "seekers of happiness" in the "Caliphate" is mainly young people aged 16 to 26 years, because their consciousness is open to perception of new ideas, they often yet have a family and permanent employment, they are prone to fantasies and sense of justice, more suggestible, and propagandists use these factors in their activities. The recruitment of young people to ISIS is happening in the Internet space, in the bars and discos, hostels institutions, in mosques and prayer rooms, etc. They promise all conceivable good is love "to the grave" with the Arab beauties, Paradise after death, just the future in case of victory of the jihadists, etc.
The facts of departure of young Russian citizens on the territory controlled by ISIS, confirmed the efficiency of agent networks of jihadists. In November 2014, the future hairdresser Maria Pogorelova from St. Petersburg moved to the Iraqi city of Mosul, where there is an information center for terrorists. She now has a new name − Mary Maryamov. In Russia, the girl are unable to realize themselves. Inclined from the extreme right-wing views to Orthodoxy. And finally became a Muslim.
Registered on a Dating site for Muslims, and soon went to ISIS to the future husband. Maria worked in the Internet recruiting Russian girls to the ranks of the terrorists. To it in Russia opened a criminal case under article "Organization of illegal armed formation or participation therein". If she returns to the country she faces a prison sentence
In February 2015, a Moscow actor Vadim Dorofeev also went to Syria to serve ISIS, leaving Moscow, his wife and small child. He later died at Damascus [7].
The reasons for the popularity of radical terrorist organizations among young people is not only a desire for a possible material goods or the pursuit of social justice for Muslims around the world, but also the presence in the subconscious desire to participate in revolutionary activities with the aim to radically change the system of government. This is especially true in countries with high development of corruption in public administration, where people lost confidence in the government. And in countries where there are no mechanisms to counter the work of the Islamic emissaries.2.
2. Advocacy impact LIH
Some people with paracrine consciousness attracts the maniacal brutality of the ISIS militants. However, in most cases, this does not apply to wide circles of youth. And yet, there is a lot of guys and girls from wealthy families who are changing their prosperity on the romance of Jihad. Why is this happening? What pushes them to leave relatives and friends and resign ourselves to the unknown test? It is imperative to find, to isolate the mechanism of impact on the minds and hearts of the youth who decided to join ISIS. Often, this mechanism is accompanied by loneliness, which is the one, or the other young man or woman. Partly to blame and that the cause is the lack of ideology in the state and, as a consequence, organized and planned youth work by type of the pioneer and Komsomol, in the past, organizations.
Particularly active in the agitation and propaganda machine of the IG works on the controlled territories and in those areas in which they are actively fighting. In one August 2015 IG has organized 38 the provincial or regional media, as well as the 6 Central. Thanks to new information resources in just 30 days the militants managed to release 1146 various promotional materials, such as theological treatises, posters, brochures, magazines, text overviews, summaries of radio news, various audio recordings, videos, photos and more. Noticeable was the fact that during this period of time, information and propaganda material in the amount of 892 different samples were highly professional and in great detail translated into 6 different languages.
Conducting detailed sample campaign materials for 30 days routine work DAYS, we can observe not only the usual news stories about the exploits of ISIS on the fronts, but materials on peaceful civilian life. Published materials about that in ISIS controlled areas flows quite peaceful life, the children go to school, repaired houses and roads. Happy girls come together and discuss their questions, we are all convinced that the Arab "Caliphate" is peace for those who live in it.
The Central ideas of this work are the militant ideas of the so-called religious "purity", constantly growing and evolving "Caliphate", the idea of social justice, as well as ideas are really working the Sharia economy.
And yet we should recognize that propaganda is a multistage character. For example, every day, news of militants of different ideas. For example, the 23rd of the month of Shaval media LIH chose in their work, the military, and it showed footage of offensive operations in the North of the Syrian Arab Republic, and praised those killed under Salah Ad-DIN their fighters. This ordinary day was released 50 different information and propagandistic materials ranging from photos to video materials, among which stood out the pictures of "atrocities" so-called "crusaders" of the Western Coalition, which depicted killed by air strikes women and children. And the next day, the same media can tell about the celebration of any event.
The emphasis of the advocates of DIS sent, surprisingly, not the military, but still more peaceful life. 32 of 50 campaign materials demonstrate the successes of the insurgents in the construction of the so-called "Caliphate of social justice." In the news footage is shown of the following events: 1. The system of training of working professions, and in particular plasterers in the workshops of Mosul; 2. The work of the residents of the "Caliphate" for the dissemination of printed press in Fallujah; 3. Installation of telephone lines in cairate; 4. Asphalt repair in Talavera; 5. Seizure and destruction of illegal cigarettes in LIH; 6. Grazing of cattle in the bir al-Kasaba.
When a more detailed analysis of the activities of the militants and divide it by topics, from 17 July to 15 August, we can observe the following picture:
469 of promotional items dedicated to the civil life in the occupied territories;
331 propaganda element covering military events and victories of the insurgents;
61 advocacy element of praise the sacrifice of the martyrs, their willingness to die on the path of Jihad;
19 promotional items demonstrate sverzellati ISIL militants;
8 promotional items say about the affiliation of certain groups or movements to the ideology of ISIS;
1 promotional item showed mercy martyrs, speaking of amnesties IG.
Separately, you can highlight the advocacy work on vital topics in the so-called Islamic state of Iraq and the Levant:
The activities of local services – 136 items;
Religious activities – 115 elements;
Economic activity – 99 items;
Justice – 41 element;
Nature – 31 element;
Social life – 30 items;
The other 17 items.
A key element in outreach fighters DAYS is the reliance on the news about the Armed forces and news from the fields of fighting. This is more interesting and, conducting her analysis, we see that news threads of the IG on military Affairs are also divided by topics:
Related news from the fields of fighting – 84 element;
The brokenness of sin – 78 elements;
About the success of the offensive – 52 element;
The praise of the martyrs – 48 elements;
The consequences of the fighting - 31 element;
Preparing for combat – 30 items;
About the success of the defense – 8 elements.
ISIS in its propaganda work is an extremely successful organization that produces a large volume of quality media content. In its activities, the militants operate on the principle: "to produce as much as possible". This strategy allows you to make it impossible or extremely difficult the process of surveillance of performance media services DAYS. Also it is not possible to produce a clear analysis of what ISIS does to create counter-measures. This policy allows the IG as to disorient their enemies and also to attract those who are interested in the lives of the fighters.
In the first days of the month of Shaval, for example, in the media ISIS was not shown any violence. The reason for this was the fact that this month starts with the feast of Eid al-Fitr, or "Feast of breaking the fast", dedicated to the end of the Holy month of Ramadan. Media DAIS was to show that, as in the "Islamic state" and beyond with the IG can not do anything even close to compare. To achieve this it was necessary to focus on two main spheres of life – spiritual and social. Active was shown footage of almsgiving to those in need in Libya and Syria, and was shown video footages with festive prayers. Created General atmosphere of the holiday. To enhance the effect, the rebels aired footage of children playing on the rides, and distribution of various sweets and toys to the children left without parents, militants, tourists calmly drinking tea and laughing among themselves. In this period started to act the official radio DAYS "al-Bayan" which aired an interview with the so-called happy "accidental" passers-by.
Gradually, after Ramadan, paintings, broadcast by militants ceased to be exclusively peaceful in tone. In footage from the cultivation of melons, the activities of various enterprises and workshops have started to integrate photos and videos from the combat positions of ISIS – bullying over the dead bodies of enemies, the demonstration of captured militants artifacts and footage of people in masks, firing mortars at enemy positions.
In addition to carefully selected photographs, which was 696, the IG released 64 different videos, among whom was peace (the registration of marriages, the work of the officials), and only the aggressive actions of the so-called "religious police" (the destruction of "idolatrous" monuments, and the destruction of people who are not supporters of the militants).
LIH have made two videos about the peace of life, to release one on the war – training fighters in special camps, carefully prepared and beautifully filmed attack on the enemy positions, rousing speech suicide before his departure on the last job that they will have to meet the cost of his own life, undermining or herself, or the car in which you ride.
Terrorists are actively using the tool of victimization, which is the process that turns the militants themselves in the unfortunate victims in the eyes of the public. Footage, which show the "victim" is usually staged, smeared with ketchup children and women who were subjected to "barbaric RAID of Russian VKS" or air strikes of the coalition, or artillery fire from Syrian armed forces.
With time, the brutality of ISIS keep up neither the pace nor volume. An example of this is event occurred on the fifth day of the month of Shaval, namely the murder of the Syrian military in the province by a shot in the back and further dropping his body off a cliff. Four days later there was video of beheading in Iraq suspected of espionage against ISIS. A few days later was posted online videos where shot as "enemies" DAISH undermined with explosives, after forcing them to sit on it.
Extremely interesting for us was to understand the motives of such brutal actions, and policies a thousands of organizations in principle. Analyzing the events, we came to the conclusion that the main motive for the atrocities carried out in the occupied territories, is the desire of the militants to warn about what will happen with all those who oppose the will of the "Caliphate". A striking feature of these promises is the desire to be convinced of the inevitability of punishment for all those who are planning to act against ISIS, but the main target audience of these promises are not representatives of the international community and the people subservient to the militants territories. They had a pretty serious choice, which in principle was not a choice – namely, become supporters of the DAIS, live in "heaven on Earth" utopian "Caliphate", or die a horrible death. It is interesting to realize that statements of this level appeared less often on the order of other themes used by the militants. The reason for this was the desire to prevent addiction to this kind of violence against the civilian population, keeping people in constant fear, trying to harden their character.
In contrast to the early activities of ISIS, their primary message, dedicated to the ideas of belonging and relief, are gone. These questions began to rise very rarely. Only a few DAYS tried to bring in its own ranks of foreign recruits ideas of fellowship and brotherhood. Still basically the militants as a propaganda tool used perverted religious ideas and promises. Also notable has been the decline in active campaigning that all repentant opponents of ISIS is waiting for Amnesty, although the militants were proud of this policy. Data conversion is the product of changes in the strategies of indoctrination of the population, is associated with more severe subordination to the ideas of the Central government of the "Islamic state".
Did not pass a single day without a new portion of the distribution best DAYS of campaign materials. It's amusing to realize that the mechanisms of the propaganda machine of ISIS cannot be considered separately. That is, it is impossible, after reviewing several videos about the execution of the "infidels" at the hands of militants, to make a conclusion about the whole system of promotional measures and tools used for the development of the system of recruiting new adherents and control over subordinate territories. The reason for this is the lack of a complete picture of the activities of militant agitators.
When exposed to the complete mechanism of advocacy for a single person, that is, each direction of propagation in conjunction with each other, a wide range of possible implementations, like themselves and their desires. An example is the following ideas, which are used for mind control of a single person:
Severe punishment used to demoralize opponents, letting them know that further resistance would lead not only to imminent death, namely the terrible agony before death. This factor also plays a part that helps to attract new supporters who want to join a really influential force.
For people materialistic and greedy, you create separate blocks of advocacy, namely materials showing the successful activities of agricultural and industrial machines, which bring high profit, as most of the IG, and employees of these industries.
Amputation of limbs for theft, stoning for adultery, beheading and executions of those who break the Qur'an – that the direction of influence on those who are looking for a permanent rule of law.
The promotion of the rule of Sharia, a return to the basics of medieval fundamentalist Islam, as well as strict adherence to order and rules, established for compliance by all Muslims are so-called "track star" for jihadists from around the world wishing to be part of the Salafi Islam, which is supposedly strictly follows the path built by the prophet Muhammad.
All the shooting aimed to control human consciousness, are created in a beautiful natural scenic places, which symbolize, as if Paradise on Earth, which also directly affects the formation of a positive image DAYS.
When a more detailed analysis of the outreach activities of ISIS, it becomes clear that the focus of the impact of leverage psychological control affects not only foreign supporters maintain the fascination of those, to whom the organization interesting and influential sponsors, but primarily for internal self-control DAYS.
A major factor in the successful outreach of ISIS is the absence in the controlled territories of possible information resources, which in any way contradicted or opposed recruiting work DAYS. In the occupied territories there is no freedom of information, alternative points of view on those or other questions. In these regions there are only "legal" broadcast news, denounced by militants using improvised media. On the streets exhibited special screens, constantly transmitting the desired jihadists news, and from the loudspeakers regularly hear radiovoice. The population in the occupied territories in direct and figurative sense is under the authority of the information-propaganda machine DAYS. For many supporters of gam and the General population, propaganda was the only possible way to know at least some news on the situation within the state and beyond.
Particularly strong ISIS propaganda on social networks where the person chooses the content they are interested in. If he has the inclination to solidarity or sympathy activities of the ideology of the DAYS, even having the opportunity to choose the subjects of their "groups" in social networks, it will again and again refer to the campaign of IG products, considering them the basis of their own interests. These people become, so to speak, dependent before marketing the product of the action, wanting to get more and more different media components from terrorists.
As mentioned above, advocacy LIH has both intra-regional and international orientation. It should be noted that one of the main areas recruiting work DAYS are the regions of the North Caucasus and Central Asia where the local population traditionally practices Islam. Thanks to their active campaign actions, the number of fighters is greatly increased by the arrival of the new adherents of the above regions.
Serious problems with the increase in the number of militants and strengthen their positions affect the internal state of the Central Asian States and Afghanistan. It is noteworthy that the first cell DAISH appeared in the southern provinces of Afghanistan, the Helmand, and headed them former field commander of the Taliban, sided with ISIS. Rapidly on Afghanistan began to spread the ideology of ISIS militants, an example of this was the fact that soon after the formation of the first cell of the "Islamic state", the impact of this organization has spread already on the border with Turkmenistan territory, and it is in the province of Balkh, where he discovered a large concentration of forces of the is. Evidence of this was the emergence of the ISIS flags over the administrative buildings in the region.
The rise of DAISH in Afghanistan was the result of the split the Taliban into two main parts, the catalyst for which was the two main reasons, namely:
Disagreement is much of the motion search process of the manual movement of the solution of the conflict with us forces permanently stationed in Afghanistan;
The extremely low success of the Taliban in the capture of the territories controlled by the government troops for a fairly long period of time. ISIS for a relatively short time has achieved significant success in this direction, established the rosary Sharia law in the occupied territories.
These factors have played a crucial role in the transition process not only of individual fighters on the side of ISIS, but even entire groups under the command of experienced commanders.
A fairly simple mechanism of recruiting ISIS uses in areas outside the control of the Middle East and Central Asia. On the basis of their work in this area they use a simple populist slogans, which spread among the local population, luring him into their ranks a variety of tempting offers. Also one of the critical success factors in the promotion of DAIS is weak secular education of young men and women and their extreme poverty. For these reasons, the revolutionary romanticism of ISIS, agitating the masses, it becomes so attractive to new young adepts seeking to go to territory controlled by the rebels.
In recent years, the situation for ethnic-based ISIS is beginning to radically change. If previously dominated the organization by immigrants from Yemen and Iraq, it is now possible to observe the trend of increasing the number of followers of jihadists from relatively prosperous countries of Central Asia, such as Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. This is due to the success of creating DAISH militants of a certain positive image, so to speak liberation, the only true and fair organization seeking to create a "Caliphate" with universal social justice. These pseudorotations ideas make ISIS a particularly interesting movement, which at the moment is superior on all counts its parent organization al-Qaeda.
Speaking about the basics of recruitment, we should not forget that fighters use completely different methods of propaganda, about which we spoke earlier. Knowing that ISIS is focusing on the religious dimension in its work on advocacy, we must ask the following question: "Why are the militants so successfully managed to distort the basic pillars of Islam, to change, and in his interpretation of the Sunnah and Surah of the Holy Scriptures, so as to influence the religious feelings of Muslims, calling them anti-human and anti-Islamic Jihad?" The reason for this was the weak theological and religious education of ordinary citizens of the countries of the Middle East, Central Asia and North Caucasus. Many of them after the recruitment, just didn't know their own faith, blindly trusting so-called "Muftis", who used a huge number of lies, adding only a little bit of truth from, for example, the Koran. This mixture allows for an untrained person to create a veil of false truth that many, not having the necessary knowledge, you begin to believe and blindly follow it.
A separate system impact on the propaganda ISIS militants are in the territory of the North Caucasus. For example, in Karachay-Cherkessia was the dissemination of propaganda video with the alleged footage of the oppression and extermination of the Circassians in Syria, Assad's troops. These videos are aimed primarily at discrediting the ruling regime, and sun cap. Using the mechanisms of the psychological impact of this type, fighters, first of all, I want to inflame members of a single ethnic group hate for the "torturers" in order to further make the proposal to organize the fight against "oppressors" of their people abroad. Another way to influence people is to find families with difficult financial condition or high credit debts. Boeviki offer the younger members of the families to solve the problem, but in exchange for service in ISIS. Quite often young and immature minds agree to these terms, are not fully aware of what they faced.
After arrival in the training camp of militants on a newly minted jihadist is a powerful moral and psychological pressure, the purpose of which is to make a new adept to marry. This is done to establish the relationship of the chosen victim from his or her spouse. But if the victim changes his mind to serve as a "Caliphate" and it will not stop even the existence of marriage, the propagandists begin to apply the methods of psychological pressure, namely, to intimidate those wishing to leave the criminal prosecution on the territory of the country for participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation.
LIH perfectly divides the newly arrived recruits for replenishment of the designated groups to define their future role in the functioning of the Caliphate. Replenishment is divided mainly into two main categories: 1. Those who need a peaceful life; 2. Those who needed in the war. Fighters now DAYS are looking for people able to assume control over the occupied territories. This activity really gives the IG a particular shade of statehood. Rather it is even an attempt to create his own country with understandable only to its government laws. Particularly active in the recruitment is aimed at people professions such as: doctors, accountants, engineers and many others. These people extremely necessary for stable operation controlled by ISIS in Iraqi and Syrian territories. But we should not forget that the militants also engaged in propaganda against children, promising them an unforgettable adventure and a real military training, the reason for this is the desire of the IG to expand their illegal, criminal activity.
A separate article in outreach activity of LIH, the process of Subversion of the Central Asian countries. On the personal order of the so-called Caliph of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, from the budget of the organization allocated 70 million dollars to conduct subversive activities to destabilize the political, economic, social, and spiritual state in Central Asia. This work already has the results. For example, in DAYS created a battle group called "Transoxiana", the members of which are natives of Central Asia – namely, the Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks, and many others. Also, an example of the success of jihadist emissaries began the process of infusion of the terrorist group "Islamic movement of Uzbekistan" in the ISIL 26 September 2014. The leader of the IMU swore allegiance to al-Baghdadi, saying that he was ready to conduct a series of terrorist acts on the territory of Uzbekistan.
An additional example of the success of the militants is that the leaders of the Tajik branch of the ISIL declared that for the DAYS of fighting more than 2,000 people from Tajikistan and this figure every day is only growing.
3. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the outreach activities of ISIS
To determine the actual level of effectiveness of advocacy DAYS in attracting new followers into their ranks, we must turn to the statistics of inflow of foreign citizens into the service of the terrorists. The most professional work of this type was carried out by private research firm The Soufan Group (SG). This non-governmental organization that has serious analyses of issues relating to geopolitics, including the increase in followers of ISIS through the influx of foreign mercenaries.
The first study Soufan Group on the issue of foreign fighters in DAYS held in June 2014. The results of this study was to obtain expert estimates, giving us a pretty clear idea of what the number of foreign recruits at the time of the study amounted to about 12 thousand people from 81 countries. It is only in Syria!
Only a year and a half repeated study of this type showed a very negative picture of the situation in the middle East. Despite many preventative measures a number of States to prevent the propaganda influence of the militants on the local population, as well as blocking various channels the flow of volunteers-the jihadists, the number of foreign mercenaries in only one SAR increased from about 27 to about 31 thousand, and already from 86 countries. According to the CIA [8], for September 2015, the number of foreign fighters in Syria was equal to approximately 30 thousand people, and the number of countries to 100. In this regard, we can conclude that efforts at mainstreaming deter flows of foreign mercenaries have only limited.
One of the achievements of SG research was to determine characteristics of the distribution of flows of foreign mercenaries. Data flows in scope are uniform. Certain regions show low levels of the influx of new adherents into the camp of the insurgents, and others – on the contrary, quite high. The second is the Russian Federation. The increase in the number of foreign fighters during the study period of Western Europe has almost doubled, flows from North America remained at approximately the same positions, and the number of fighters coming from Russia and Central Asia in DAYS showed an increase of almost three times[3].
Features of call under the black banner of Jihad in every region are different. For example, in the USA a crucial role in the formation of new fighters plays agitation and propaganda through social networks. And in the countries with the largest percentage of the influx of militants of the crucial role played by family and friendship relations in recruiting new adherents. Today, the estimated average percentage of fighters who fought on the side of ISIS and have already returned to their countries is around 20-30%. This constitutes a serious threat to the security of these countries.
Using open data of UN reports on the number of foreign militants involved in the fighting on the side of the ISIS from different parts of the world, we can see the following data on the numerical composition of mercenaries[4]:
Western Europe – 5 thousand;
The CIS and former Soviet Union – $ 4.7 million;
North America – 280;
The Balkans – 875;
The countries of the Maghreb – 8 thousand;
Middle East – 8240;
South Asia – 900.
By country the largest groups of foreign fighters in ISIS have given:
Tunisia – 6000 (official.) October 2015;
Saudi Arabia – 2500 (official.) October 2015;
Russia – 2400 (official.) for September 2015;
Turkey – 2000-2200 (official.) November 2015;
Jordan – 2000 (official.) on September 2015.
Next, we present information on the countries of the CIS and former Soviet republics:
Azerbaijan – 104 (official), 216 (unofficial.) may 2014;
Georgia - 50 (official.) July 2015;
Kazakhstan – 300 (official.) January 2015;
Kyrgyzstan – 500 (unofficial.) November 2015;
Moldova – 1 (official.) January 2015;
Tajikistan – 386 (official.) for may 2015;
Turkmenistan – 360 (unofficial.) for January 2015.
Analysis of these figures gives us a pretty clear picture of the ethnic composition of the greater part of the group DAYS. We see that the influx of new fighters in the most part comes from countries of the greater Middle East. Still, the Tunisians, the Jordanians, and the Saudis are the dominant nationalities among the militants.
Separately, Turkey stands apart as one of the largest suppliers of personnel to terrorists. For example, according to the report, the Turkish intelligence services from November 2015, 500 of the citizens of this state were imprisoned on charges of aiding and abetting ISIL and another 100 for his work on Jabhat Fatah al-sham.
Unfortunately, the tendency of growth of number of recruits from Western Europe and Russia, but, unlike their middle Eastern counterparts, the European recruits are going on a "Jihad" for personal reasons, not political, not initially planning to train there terrorist activities for its implementation on the territory of their country, but only wanting to participate in the war on the territory of Syria and Iraq. But there are exceptions, an example of this was the terrorist attack on 13 November 2015 in Paris, perpetrated by the Mass and Salah Abdelhamid Abouda, who had experience fighting on the side of ISIS in Syria. It is because of the possible creation of threats to the national security of the country is necessary not only to conduct activities to prevent the departure dzhihadistky volunteers, but also to keep a careful monitoring of all returns from the territories controlled by ISIL.
The areas from which the recruits are called DAIS, are different in size and volume directed fighters. For example, a small centre rekrutingovaya is a district Lisleby in Fredrikstad in Norway. This town, population of only 6 thousand people sent in the LIH 8 of their recruits, if this ratio applied to the United States, the number provided by the recruits would be close to approximately 413 thousand. Most likely, the reason for such successful activities in this small area is the presence of a charismatic person, engaged in advocacy activities.
Examples of large supply areas recruits are Bizerte and Ben Gardanne in Tunisia, Derna in Libya, Pankisskoe gorge in Georgia, the Molenbeek in Brussels. Producing analysis of the origin of Tunisian recruits, we will come to the conclusion that most of them comes from only three regions of Tunisia: 1.Ben-Gardana By 15.2%; 2.The Bizerte – 10.7 percent; 3.Tunisia is 10.7%. An example of the same law is the district of Derna in Libya, a large part of the Libyan insurgents is precisely from these areas. The cause of these events was the fact that these wide regions initially had some confrontation with the state power, as most of the population of these areas were inclined to cooperate with the Wahhabi movements[9].
According to various sources, analytical agencies, around 5 thousand people travelled to Syria from countries in the European Union:
France – 1800 recruits.
UK – 760 recruits.
Germany - 760 recruits.
Belgium – 470 recruits.
These four countries account for the largest volume of recruited fighters people. The reason for this was the strengthening of marginal ideas in the immigrant community who arrived mostly from North Africa. Often people who went to the middle East to join terrorist struggle, in ordinary life, nothing significant was achieved, and often even had a criminal record. DAYS gave them the opportunity to start life anew without looking back at the past, and just seeing what it would be to expect in the future in the case of the triumph of the ideas of the "Islamic state". The age contingent of European fighters is around 20 years.
Is actively campaigning in the Islamic communities of Europe through certain kinship and friendship relations. Referring to the above, the militants who committed the attack in Paris, lived in Molenbeek, Brussels and came from the same community.
In Russia and countries of the former USSR there are several key areas of recruitment of new adherents and followers of ISIS, becoming a fighting way protect Salafi jihadist ideas, as in his Homeland, and in Syria and Iraq.
In Russia of such areas are the regions of the North Caucasus, especially Chechnya and Dagestan. In Azerbaijan, the recruitment of new fighters of IG occurs in three main cities of Sumgayit, Shabran and Quasar. The radicalization of Islam in the North Caucasus is quite stagnant problem. For example, fighters of the terrorist organization "Caucasus Emirate" move EN masse to Syria, seeing there is a more serious perspective in their activities, rather than on the territory of the Russian Federation, even given the fact that the infrared swore allegiance to DAISH.
Central Asian countries are also faced with the strengthening of the outreach activities of the militants in their territories. A United group of supporters of the DAYS of the CA region in Syria and Iraq has about 2,000 people and includes representatives of such countries as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
The Arab Maghreb region, i.e. North Africa, put the largest number of supporters of ISIS. According to the 2015 year, about 6 thousand fighters crossed into Syria from Tunisia, among which were about 700 women. The authorities of Morocco were provided to the world community the figure of 1,200 volunteers who went to search for his happiness in DAYS. This figure seems underestimated, as the data of the Libyan authorities that about 600 fighters of ISIS originates from this country. Data of Algeria about 200-500 volunteers-Wahabi also seem implausible. Each region of the Maghreb, which decrease the recruits for "Jihad", has its reasons for this, although there are General provisions, such as mass unemployment, high population density and low standard of living. Private reasons, though, are: 1.In Libya, the areas of Benghazi and Derna is known as a hotbed of jihadism; 2.In Tunisia, the Ben-Gardanne with naseleniem about 80 thousand people gave the maximum score of the jihadists; 3.In Morocco, slum, Sidi Moumen are not just the abode of a large number of potential terrorists, but also a place of maximum concentration of suicide bombers[10].
Particularly acute problem of terrorism is felt in Libya. The ISIS uses the state as a hub for travel from Syria and Iraq. The consequence of the free movement of jihadists through the once stable Libyan country was a complete closure of the Tunisian border, which is a direct proof that Tunisian jihadists are returning Home through Libya.
Without participation in the Syrian war left the country, the so-called "horn of Africa", although the actual data on the number of participants is extremely limited. January 2015 70 militants Somalia fought on the side of ISIS in Syria. The reason for this was the process of strengthening the jihadist organization "al-Shabaab", which is part of al-Qaeda in Somalia. In September 2015, the official representative of the Sudan announced the participation of 70 of its citizens in the fighting in Syria and Iraq on the side of ISIS. Also in Syria fighting militants from Eritrea.
After the devastating Yugoslav wars, the Balkans became a place of consolidation of Islamic extremists. The main countries that were particularly strong propaganda attacks DAIS were: Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia. The reason for this was a large percentage of Muslims living in the area and are loyal to the ideas of ISIS. In total, in 2015 the number of militants from the Balkans amounted to 875, which is three times more than in 2014.
A significant amount of howling fighters Syria is of South-East Asia. The government of Indonesia announced in November 2015 that 700 Indonesians have joined ISIS. In August 2014, former President of the Philippines said that about 100 citizens of this country sided with ISIS.
In America, the rate of flow of recruits to ISIS consistently low, if you look at the ratio of population. Of James Comey, the FBI Director stated that by September 2015 on the side of the DAIS stood only 150 Americans, although to get to the territory controlled by the insurgents tried 250 people. In October 2015 the government of Canada has announced that about 130 Canadians have gone to participate in "Jihad" in Syria and Iraq. Recruiting well in Latin America is extremely low so that it is absolutely not affect any areas of life as a state and society, and results of the fighting in Syria.
Returning to the methods of recruitment, we recall two main areas of ISIS militants: 1. Campaigning in the Internet space. 2. Campaigning through personal contacts.
Campaigning via the Internet is particularly successful in developed countries, where citizens increasingly have a financial income that allows them to live in decent conditions, but there is no specific life goals. On the formulation of ideas, the creation of the premeditated meaning of life directed propaganda and psychological treatment of the militants. Professional psychologists reveal the idea of social justice in the occupied territories, forcing their victims to think about the superiority of the "Caliphate" over its own government.
Propaganda through kinship and friendship ties are particularly strong character. Previously recruited by close person begins to talk about all the "charms" of life in the Caliphate. To mention the fact that it is their own experiences, their own memories make him return to where he was really good, where he felt needed and loved. These false speech, pre-prepared by experienced recruiters DAYS, bring in the heads of opponents a certain cognitive dissonance, the consequence of which is the adoption of the ideas of "Jihad" and joining the so-called "righteous path" of another recruit.
4. The main ways of combating the advocacy activities of ISIS
Modern historical reality, namely, a large number of Russian citizens, have accepted the truth of ISIS and embarked on a military path with this group, arriving in Syria or Iraq, forcing us to address the issue development of counter-propaganda measures, as an essential element of strengthening national security.
The reason for this was that, returning from their terrorist "trips" on the territory of the Russian Federation, recruited militants pose a threat of carrying out possible terrorist acts. They are also engaged in active dissemination of jihadist ideas among his entourage. This process creates precedents to new followers of the ideologies of the militants.
Russia is a multinational and multi-confessional state had a certain experience of the clash of Christian and Muslim traditions and cultures. This was clearly evident during the Caucasian warrior of the 19th century, where it was opposed by the Russian Empire, the Sunni Imam, who became a bright representative of Salafism – Shamil [5].
According to a prominent analyst of Russia, Lieutenant General of the FSB Sergei N. Leonov, "the current forms of the fight against terrorism has clearly shown their lack of effectiveness... the Fight against any militant ideology needs to be supplemented with political, ideological struggle."
Not addressing fundamental political and social reasons for the war in the North Caucasus of the 19th century, we will only discuss a possible way of solving this type of conflict through the introduction of Sufi ideas in the system of moral values of the Caucasian Muslim of that period, as a possible way of countering the advocacy activities of ISIS today.
تصوف (tasawwuf-Sufism) and mystical teachings to the Islamic religion based on asceticism in everyday life, arose at the turn of VII-VIII centuries It is called "folk Islam," as this trend emerged in the poorest, socially vulnerable part of Islamic society.
The reason for the relevance of the study is Sufism as a counter to the ideas of Salafism in the North Caucasus regions due to the fact that approximately 75% of the population of Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia are committed to exactly the ideas of the Sufis, negatively referring to the attempt by the special services of the USA and Europe, to impose an alien "sudilovskiy" the ideas of jihadism.
Today many theologians and religious leaders of Islam, comes to the front position in the fight against jihadist Sunni interpretation of the role of Sufism as a tool of humanistic fundamentals to the solution of a number of religious and ethnic problems in the North Caucasus, and inside, a blazing fire of civil war, the Middle East.
In the formation of their modern identity, Sufism has undergone three major stages of development, namely[5]:
Stage of zuhd – godliness, piety, asceticism (VII-VIII CC.);
Stage tasawwuf – Sufism itself (IX-XI CC.);
Stage tarikats – obedience (XII-XIII century).
Sudha became a kind of answer and social protest of the poorest of the Islamic society on anti-people actions of the Islamic rulers. The main distinctive sign of zuhd was the proclamation of the way to the ascetic way of life of every Muslim. Known in the middle East, scientific and religious figures of the middle ages once said the following words, describing the concept of the term "ascetic", "Who, having property, dissatisfied with it, wanting to take him, hates him, cautious of his evil and distraction, the true Sufi".
Tasawwuf is a term which is neither in the Quran nor in the Sunnah, but is believed by many Islamic scholars that the foundations of Sufism were laid when the prophet Muhammad through the development of the ideas of asceticism and complete dedication in the service of Allah. This confirms the statement of the Arab scholar Ibn Khaldoun: "Sufism is one of Sharia Sciences, which arose after the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi and welcomed him). It is based on the revival of the old ways (righteous people) of our Ummah... Its core is in worship, turning to Allah, detachment of worldly temptations and denial about just what chases most people – power, wealth, enjoyment."
Muslim theologians in the confirmation of the true Islamic origins of Sufism there are two main steps that are the Foundation of this religious doctrine[5]:
Sharia – a set of Muslim laws;
Tariqat is closest in Christianity to the term "obedience";
Hakikat the truth. Emerging the result after merging the Sharia and Tariqa.
Tariqa includes not only such a thing as "obedience" in the broad sense, but also unique to Islam and Sufism is unique to the phenomenon of Association of murids (disciples) around their Sheikh-Murshid (teacher and mentor) to a closed order with its own Charter and rules. Tariqa in traditional Islam does not play a mandatory role, and does not exempt Muslims, following him from hardy – the basic precepts of the religion.
In the most part to trikatu must be treated, not as to the methods of obedience, but rather as a community of Muslims-minded. The main and most massive trikatu are Rafa Yai, Kadiria, Nakshbandiya and Badawia. Although there are currently many other tariqahs with their specific features and differences.
Returning to the North Caucasus regions, it should be noted that there has long been there are two main Sufi tariqa – Nakshbandiya and Kadiriya.
The founder of the order Kadiriya in the North Caucasus, which first appeared in Iraq, became Kunta-Haji Kishiev born in 1829 in the village Malca-Hee, Chechnya. From his youth he believed that Jihad as a primary religious processes all Muslims, should be directed not against the so-called "infidels" and should be focused on struggling with their vices and sins. Kunta-Haji believed that the best way to implement these ideas is the process of following Sufi wisdom as the ideas that contains are truly humane and philanthropic views.
The most basic and important elements of the teaching Kishiev steel repentance, prayer, dhikr (praise of God), the presence of fear of Allah. To implement these elements, according to the Kunta-Hadji, it was necessary to follow the seven basic principles[6]:
The Murid with his Murshid-ustaz (the master) are sacred, strong and unbreakable spiritual connection.
In the heart of the mureed should not be any manifestation of envy.
Murid have to treat all people, including strangers and people of other faiths, with respect. He also prohibited anyone to be condemned, because it is a grave Haram (sin).
Mureed prohibited the use of negative words in relation to other representatives of Islam, in violation of this, the student must correct the perfect.
Despite the potential for friction or hostility between the ustaz, the mureed shall be treated with a deep respect for each Murshid-ustaz, as if it was his teachers and mentors.
Mureed should always follow their ustaz and ustaz in turn, is fully responsible for the acts of his disciple.
After the death of ustaz needs to be with his Murid, even in the underground interrogation with a formidable angels.
Based on the ideas of the great Arab scholar Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, referred to previously, and said that if the heart is clean, then maybe he brought the Truth, Kunta-Haji Kishiev in its activities had not violated the ancient traditions of the Vainakh peoples (laws of the Chechen and Ingush peoples). He publicly criticized the vices such as greed, pride, lack of respect for people, especially for elders, and also condemned the activities of all those who tried to sow discord among the Caucasus peoples.
Open confrontation between Sufism and traditional Islam led to the process of division of society into two parts. To prevent this event as a peacemaker, a philosopher, addressed Abu Hamid Ghazali, releasing his work under the title "the Resurrection of the Sciences of faith." This work helped to bridge the gap between traditional and Sufi teachings, having redeemed in the eyes of many in the Islamic world mysticism of the Sufis.
Despite the development of society and the resulting process of modernization of world religions and Islam in particular, Sufism retained its basic dogmas and tenets, defending ideas is peaceful and "prochlorococcus" of Islam. This increases the tarikats and the number of their members. For example, according to a Western expert in the study of Sufism John. Treemama in the Chechen Republic and Ingushetia today there are about 32 of the Sufi orders, with about 20 thousand people involved, as in public administration and law enforcement agencies.
From the above we can conclude that Sufi ideas and views can be used as a tool of counter-propaganda against inhumane ISIS views showing the public, and especially individuals who are vulnerable to possible terrorist and Wahhabi influences, the true face of Islam and its role in the development of humane personality of a Muslim. Sufism is an example showing the true essence of one of the world's great religions – Islam. This entity consists of ideas, which call for respect from Muslims, people of all beliefs and all faiths, respecting their right to choice of religion. An example of this is Sura 109 of the Qur'an "al Kyafirú", which reads as follows: "in the Name of Allah, the mercy Which is eternal and infinite. Say: "O unbelievers! I am not inclined to what you worship and you worship that Whom I worship! You have your belief and I have mine!""
Largely Sufis is based on chelovekami ideas and views which they embody by performing various good deeds and strict adherence to the Quran in its true form. Because of this, we can confidently say that the introduction of Sufism to the regions with dominant Wahhabi views will not only reduce the level of aggression of the local population towards representatives of other denominations, but will also reduce terrorist activity to minimum, that will have a positive impact on all sphere of life not only these regions, but also the world community as a whole.
Thus, it can be noted that at the present stage of development of the military-political situation in the world, much active terrorist organization, which is a sustainable associations that pursue political goals of global or regional scale, the achievement of which involves not only the use of terrorist methods, but also information and psychological. All of this suggests that the specialists and analysts is a complex set of tasks for the collection, analysis and compilation of data for timely opening alarming trends, their focus and definition of military-political activity in the interests of ensuring national security of the Russian Federation and its allies[11].
List of used literature
I. L. Alekseev, D. Yu. Arapov, Bobrovnikov V. O.,T. K. Ibrahim;. T. Starodub // Islam/ plasma Radiation, the Islamic salvation front. — M.: Great Russian encyclopedia, 2008. S. 741. — (Big Russian encyclopedia: [35 T.] / chief editor Yu. s. Osipov ; 2004—, vol. 11).
The statement of the chief of National intelligence John. The clapper, made for the world's media, 28.02. 2016.
Borisov, Timofey, "to Whom in Russia to live", Rossiyskaya Gazeta, 08 .08. 2006.;
Polyansky, D. S. Terrorism as a political phenomenon in modern Russia, thesis of candidate of political Sciences, 23.00.02, Stavropol, Stavropol state unver., 2006.
Sokolov V. V. Medieval philosophy/ V. V. Sokolov. – M.,1979
Popenkov O. N. // The origins of Islamic extremism in the Caucasus. What is Sufism? Tariqa qadria Chechen Sufi ustaz Kunta-Hadji.- Herald of the Voronezh state University. 14.02.2017 – p. 83
Tape.ru. from 14.07. 2015
An interview with Fox News That Laszlo, January 2016.
Y. Kedmi . Interview with mark Sorokin, "the eye of the world", on 27.1.2016 g;
Giuliani, R., Fox News interview, 18.07.2016 g;
Ganiev T. A., Hai, A. N., Shur V., Modestov S. A., Zhornik A. E., Cooper, S. M., Karyakin V. V., Torcunov E. G. // Special studies. The factor analysis. Tutorial. M: WOO, 2017
Orlov Denis
ISIS is a terrorist organization whose activity is prohibited in Russia.
Tags: information war , A.Snesariev's competition
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Home › SPRING TALKS SEX - Pap registries: Do it right
SPRING TALKS SEX - Pap registries: Do it right
Sunday, December 1, 2013 - 07:07
By Lyba Spring
Well, it turns out I don’t have cervical cancer. At least, that’s what Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) has told me in an unsolicited letter. Like many women, I usually expect to hear from my doctor if there are abnormal results. No news has been good news in the past. Getting my Pap test results from CCO in the mail was a bit of a shock.
I had heard about these letters from Ayesha Adhami, who runs a women’s sexual health centre in Toronto. She was concerned for her teenage clients, some of whom have little privacy. Lots of moms would find it difficult to resist opening a letter with the word “cancer” in the return address. So a young woman may find that her Pap test results have already been read by a snoopy parent or guardian—and that’s not good.
I called the number provided to ask some questions and to give them feedback about the letter and its accompanying pamphlet. The woman I spoke to was pleasant and took notes.
I first expressed surprise at receiving a letter from the provincial government about my Pap test results.
She said women were supposed to receive an initial letter to advise them of follow-up letters. I didn’t. Like cable companies who operate on an “opt out” system, if you don’t call when you receive the first letter, you will continue to receive them.
I shared my above concerns about confidentiality. She commiserated.
Then I painstakingly reviewed the letter and pamphlet while she listened patiently.
The letter includes the following: “See your health care provider if you have unusual bleeding or discharge from your vagina” [my emphasis]. All women have discharge from their vagina. Even if they had said “unusual discharge” this would hardly be considered a sign of cervical cancer.
The opening statement in the accompanying pamphlet, “Cervical cancer is caused by an HPV...infection” is also concerning. The overwhelming majority of sexually active people will get HPV at some point in their lives and 90% of them will clear the virus without medical intervention within two years. There is a difference between brevity and clarity. In this case, brevity is just plain scary.
Nowhere in the pamphlet do they make the distinction between low-risk and high-risk HPV. The word “wart” does not appear anywhere. When a woman is told she has an HPV wart, she may worry she is at risk for cervical cancer, which is not the case.
On the back page, they give the number to call to opt out. Too little, too late.
The CCO representative told me that within a year, a letter will be sent to Ontario women who haven’t been screened in the past three years. That’s a good start, but it hardly deals with the full scope of the issue.
Women who are at most at risk for cervical cancer are poor, marginalized or Indigenous. These are the most important women to reach. With the advent of a three-year interval between Pap tests, even women who have been regularly screened in the past may not remember to go unless they get a call from their family doctor—if they have a family doctor. If a reminder letter goes out from the province, it will not reach women with no fixed address who are living in shelters, living rough or couch surfing.
There is an additional risk for women over 30, who have had serious abnormal results but don’t get a follow-up examination or treatment.
And that brings me to the big issue: who should run Pap registries across the country, how should they function and how can they inform women in a simple, but not simplistic, manner?
Ayesha checked out the system in Manitoba and discovered the following:
Women have to opt out there too.
Cancer Care Manitoba (CCM) keeps a copy of your Pap results.
CCM allows you to obtain your own test results.
They send a letter to your health care provider if you don't show up for a post-abnormal Pap follow-up.
They send you a letter if you are overdue for your Pap or haven't followed up on an abnormal Pap. (Read more on CCM website)
Although there are some positive innovations here, Ayesha is not entirely sold. She suggests that “to be truly client-oriented and confidential,” a Pap registry should not put the onus on women to opt out. She adds that “all notifications should be restricted to logging into a registry website. The only thing that should come to your home or email or phone via text,” she says, “is a notification to log in to the website for a notification about your healthcare...”
Of course, the problem remains for women who do not have regular access to the Internet. Remote (Indigenous) communities with inadequate Internet access are amongst the women most at risk.
One wonders whether women’s health advocates and consumer groups were consulted at an earlier stage for these systems. Ayesha says she first she heard of the letter when clients came in to her centre, waving it and demanding to know what it was all about. Clearly no advance warning was given to front-line health facilities. Another local sexual health clinic has posted a disclaimer on their website: “Please be advised that Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) has started sending correspondence without patient permission…They are initiating a Cervical Screening Program where they will be mailing your test results and other correspondence to the address associated with your Ontario Health Card. This will happen automatically unless you ‘opt-out’.” (Read the disclaimer).
Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent on the HPV vaccination program. Those of us who have been advocating spending this money elsewhere—on a well researched registry system and coverage for HPV testing as follow-up to abnormal Pap results—are still waiting. In the meantime, I prefer to get the results of my Pap test from my doctor.
Talk to me: springtalks1@gmail.com
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The Anthony Phillips Band — Invisible Men
(Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 22603, 1983/2017, 2CD)
by Peter Thelen, Published 2017-12-04
By the early 80s, Anthony Phillips had already recorded seven solo albums, beginning with the heavily orchestrated The Geese and the Ghost in 1977, then moving on to more song oriented releases like Wise after the Event and Sides, both demonstrating his capability for catchy tunes and clever hooks, all the while remaining true to his progressive rock roots. Interspersed with those were a series of releases of mostly instrumental acoustic based music titled Private Parts and Pieces — by 1982 the first three in that series had already been released. And somewhee in there (1981 to be precise) was 1984, an electronic keyboard-based instrumental suite, on which Richard Scott provided some basic percussion, vocal ideas and effects, and Morris Pert (of Brand X) played additional tuned percussion. Phillips and Scott would continue to colaborate on various projects, and by early 1982 Phillips had the idea to produce another song-based album, but more commercial, in an attempt to widen his audience, and for this endeavor Richard Scott would be his primary collaborator, both in songwriting and all aspects of production. The two went to work creating the album Invisible Men, playing most of the instruments themselves, and bringing in other musicians as needed on drums, saxes, percussion, trumpet, trombone, and more. Percussionist Joji Hirota was included in many of the promotional photos as the third man in the Anthony Phillips Band. The album was first released on the Passport label in late 1983, a rare instance where the US release preceeded its UK counterpart by nearly six months.
The original album comprises most of disc one on this latest two-disc reissue, starting with the brilliant Caribbean flavored “Golden Bodies,” moving onto the powerful “The Women Were Watching,” with lyrics referencing the Falklands war just one year earlier, as did the dark and twisted “Exocet.” Most of the lyrics and accompaniment are lighter and brighter, with tracks like “Sally,” “Traces,” “Love in a Hot Air Balloon,” and others. Vocals are shared by Phillips and Scott, the latter turning in particular effective performances on “Going for Broke” and “Falling for Love.” “Guru” is an especially interesting cut, with Phillips singing lead voice and powerful sax and horn sections highlighting the piece throughout.
Through the years, there was always a rumor of a second Invisible Men album sitting on the shelf somewhere, unreleased. That matter is explored here on the second disc of this reissue set, which contains a dozen songs in varying degrees of completion, some are there with vocals and arrangements, others exist only as instrumental pieces. There are also some alternate versions and demos of songs from the original album release. The booklet features exhaustive documentation on who played what on each of the tracks, as well as some insights into the unreleased material on the second disc. All taken, Invisible Men was the nearest that Phillips ever ventured toward commercial pop music, yet with that said, it still carries his unmistakable signature.
Filed under: Reissues, 2017 releases, 1983 recordings
Related artist(s): Anthony Phillips, Joji Hirota, Morris Pert
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Mick Karn and Co. play "Bestial Cluster"
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“The Dictator” Invades Theatres This May; We’ve Got The Trailer
Home “The Dictator” Invades Theatres This May; We’ve Got The Trailer
, April 8, 2012 November 23, 2018 , Celebrities, Entertainment Industry News, industry, Movies, 0
Set to hit theaters domestically on May 11th, The Dictator is the much anticipated British/American comedy written by and starring Sacha Baron Cohen. Baron Cohen’s fourth feature will “tell the story of a dictator who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed”, according to Paramount Pictures, which is distributing the picture.
Directed by Larry Charles, who also helmed Bruno and Borat, The Dictator was inspired by the novel Zabibah and The King by Saddam Hussein. Producer hats were worn by Baron Cohen, Scott Rudin, Alec Berg, Jeff Schaffer, and David Mandel. The project marks the first collaboration for Rudin (“The Social Network,” “True Grit”) and Cohen, while Berg, Schaffer and Mandel (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm) join him as screenwriters on the movie.
Budgeted at $58 Million, the project appears to be chuck full of lavish sets and set ups. Whether or not the laughs are as plentiful remains to be seen. Finally having been privy to the trailer, most would agree that although still much anticipated, the jury remains out on the latest Cohen shock-fest.
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Hugh Jackman Hints At “The Wolverine” Sequal
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As “The Wolverine” slashes ever closer to its Dec. 3 DVD release, talk of a sequel heats up around...
Sundance 2014: Lanyards, Lines, and Libations
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"Titanic" Embarks On 3D VoyageBox Office Analysis 4-8-12 ...
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Archive | Af-Pak RSS feed for this section
By Rohan Joshi on May 16, 2009 in 2009 Indian General Elections, Af-Pak, Barack Obama, Foreign Policy, India, Politics in India, Sri Lanka, Terrorism
The people of India have spoken. A clear mandate for the UPA government has been given. While this blogger doesn’t consider the verdict to be optimal (considering UPA’s unforgivable lapses in security and foreign affairs), the decisiveness of the victory is pleasing because it allows a less fractious Central government to go about its business. The mandate against the BJP is very clear — the people don’t want any part of their divisive politics. A campaign that was overshadowed by the venom spewing bigotry of Varun Gandhi was only bound for failure. Uttar Pradesh has told Mayawati what it thinks of her self glorifying statues in Lucknow. And Prakash Karat stands amidst the shattered pieces of his non-ideology.
Where does India go from here? The Filter Coffee has repeatedly drawn attention to the dilapidated state of our local law enforcement forces, and national and border defense mechanisms. They need addressing immediately. When Chidambaram took over as Home Minister, he instituted a few changes, come cosmetic, some concrete.
The Congress must stop pretending that it is tied at the hip to the Unlawful Activities Prevention (Amendment) Act and work with the Opposition to construct a meaningful anti-terror law for the nation. Our local law enforcement agencies need money, equipment and training. Our national forces face severe shortages in equipment, which can only be addressed by correcting India’s defense procurement mechanism. The shackles need to be loosened from our intelligence agencies.
India faces two immediate threats with regard to terrorism, from the Maoists and Jihadi groups. With regard to external Jihadi threats, there are some elements that India can control and some that it can’t. However, the Maoist menace is well within India’s realm and decisive action is needed to eliminate this plague that has consumed a third of India.
On the foreign affairs side, the Subcontinent is on fire. Sri Lanka has found itself an effective counterweight to India in China, and its dismissal of India’s pleas was the most telling aspect of this relationship as war against the LTTE drew to a close. Similarly, India lost the plot in Nepal during the UPA administration and as tensions continue to rise between the army and the Chinese backed Maoist government, India has a great opportunity to play the honest broker and demonstrate to that nation that India wants peace and stability in Nepal.
The United States is blowing a sigh of relief that the month long elections in India are at an end. Obama’s immediate concern is to get India to focus on the Af-Pak issue. The repeated calls for India to reduce troop levels along the western border are as absurd as they are misplaced and the UPA would do well not to wilt under American pressure as they have so often done in the past.
With Pakistan, India must continue to use every tool at its disposal to pressure that country to dismantle not just “terror” infrastructure, but specifically the Punjabi-terror outfits that target India. The Pakistanis must be pressed to ensure that those responsible for 26/11 are brought to justice. Pakistan’s “investigation”, as farcical as it was, is now a casualty of all the attention to the existential threat that country faces today. Above all, the UPA must impress upon Islamabad that for India to show any interest in rekindling the “peace process”, there needs to be very credible action from Pakistan on both dismantling terror infrastructure armed at India, and bringing to justice those that were responsible for 26/11.
The mandate for the Congress is conclusive. Manmohan Singh can either show the country that he can act convincingly to address the challenges that face us, as he did in 1991, or he can falter and stumble from one embarrassing embroilment to another as he has done over the past five years. The ball is in his court. What’s it going to be, Mr. Prime Minister?
Obama's Af-Pak Strategy
By Rohan Joshi on March 27, 2009 in Af-Pak, Afghanistan, Al Qaeda, helmand, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, NWFP, Pakistan, Terrorism
US President Barack Obama revealed the much anticipated “Af-Pak” strategy today in Washington. The text of the speech is certainly more candid than previous Bush-era speeches. But how different is this strategy really to what has already been tried and tested?
“So I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future. That’s the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just. And to the terrorists who oppose us, my message is the same: We will defeat you.”
Notice how the “clear and focused” goal makes no mention of the Taliban. The goal now appears to be to aggressively pursue and incapacitate al Qaeda in the region. On the face of it, rendering al Qaeda inoperable is no different from GWB’s own strategy; the one difference now is that the US has “boots on the ground” and is far less reliant on assistance from the ISI. Why wasn’t the Taliban mentioned? Well, because it gives the United States enough wiggle-room to play the “divide and conquer” game that the West has played so well in Asia and Africa: i.e., play the “good” Taliban against the “bad” Taliban. Pit Mullah Omar against Baitullah Mehsud. And Baitullah Mehsud against Maulana Fazlullah. This strategy is going to be challenged in the coming weeks, as Mullah Omar and Mehsud appear to have patched up their differences, as reported in The New York Times.
The plan to go after al Qaeda and the “bad” Taliban without prior Pakistani consent was implemented in November 2008 and will continue to be part of Obama’s Af-Pak strategy. The added goal of holding Pakistan accountable to action reflects Washington’s exasperation with Pakistan’s double handed game, something that India knows all too well. The United States’ strategy towards Pakistan will basically include:
Extending non-military aid by way of the Kerry-Lugar bill ($1.5 billion) and through other international fora. A bad idea, as the lack of transparency in the dissemination of funds invariably results in Pakistan using the money to arm itself against India, or grease politicians’ pockets;
Pressuring India to take the initiative in restarting the “peace process” with Pakistan;
Working with Gen. Kayani on coordinating attacks in NWFP and Baluchistan, while paying lip-service to the civil government and democracy.
In Afghanistan, Obama will deploy an additional 17,000 troops to counter the insurgency, particularly in Helmand province, where the British have been taking heavy fire. In addition, there will be another 4,000 troops designated to train Afghani security forces to counter the “uncompromising core of the Taliban”, basically the Taliban who refuse to be bought by the US.
The forging of the “Contact Group for Afghanistan and Pakistan”, whose members include the US, several Arab states, Central Asian republics, Russia, China, Iran and India shows a shift from the NATO/”coalition of the willing” dominated mandate of GWB’s policies. How effective this new contact group will be will remain to be seen, but there now appears to be a realization in Washington that the future of Afghanistan and Pakistan cannot be decided without consensus from regional powers like Iran and India. In the past, because of Washington’s allergy to Iran, the Islamic republic was never consulted on Afghanistan. Similarly, because of Pakistan’s objections, India was never consulted on either Pakistan or Afghanistan. The thinking has clearly changed.
However, the gaping hole in the Af-Pak strategy is the exclusion of Punjabi terror outfits such as Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Tayiba. These groups present a clear and direct threat to Washington’s goal of strengthening civilian government in Pakistan and to security in India. Whether because they were blind sighted by the situation in NWFP (unlikely) or because of Pakistan’s insistence, these groups were not included as part of the Obama administration’s strategy. The exclusion of these groups in the US’s Af-Pak strategy is a perpetuation of the fallacies of the Bush era.
Which brings me back to my original question — what is Obama’s real objective in Af-Pak? Is it to keep things relatively quiet in Pakistan for a period of time to allow the US to affect a less than ignominious exit from Afghanistan? Or is it to comprehensively engage with the Pakistanis to eradicate terrorism from the region and build a credible and stable civilian government? If it is the latter, it cannot be achieved without Washington’s committment to act against terror groups that operate in heartland Pakistan. Despite utterances to the contrary, the US’s strategy seems to betray an intention to use and dispose of Pakistan, much like it did after the Soviet-Afghan war. An “Af-Pak” strategy is fine. But the question on Indian security analysts’ minds will be: “To what end?”
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Tag Archives | baluchistan
Urdunama: Indian Misadventure
By Rohan Joshi on December 18, 2009 in 9/11, Af-Pak, India, Pakistan, Terrorism, Urdunama
The Daily Ausaf has been fairly regular in the recent past in drawing attention to what it calls an “Indian conspiracy” in Pakistan and the need for Pakistan to counter it. This theme, though not unusual in Pakistan’s vernacular press, has appeared more frequently recently than hitherto. One wonders if there is more mischief at hand than meets the eye.
Below is the December 11 editorial from Daily Ausaf:
Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that proof of India’s involvement in terrorism in Pakistan has been presented to the Foreign Affairs ministry so that the ministry may raise this issue in all international fora. Malik said, “We have ample proof of India’s involvement in terrorist activities inside Pakistan”.
Weapons confiscated from four trucks in Bara had Indian markings. He said his ministry was responsible for accumulating evidence, which is then passed on to the concerned institutions and ministries.
After 9/11, India has benefited greatly from America’s opportunistic wars. But what sort of peculiar logic is this, where Pakistan is forced to make the most sacrifices, while India reaps the most benefits. This situation points to our weakness where our past leaders made policies only to satiate their own power. Pakistan continued to sink as a result of this, and India fully exploited this situation.
On one end, India tried to sabotage the movement for Kashmiri independence, and on the other, it has created a situation of virtual anarchy in Pakistan by sending in terrorists through Afghanistan, in its quest for “Akhand Bharat.”
Despite this situation, the US not only forgot Pakistan’s sacrifices in its war, but also tried to use India as an effective counter-weight to our ally, China. This Indo-US friendship also includes the civil nuclear agreement between the two countries. As a result of the US’s friendship, India’s attitude is getting increasingly bellicose. And India has been trying to avoid any further dialog with Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.
Even if firecracker bursts in India, their media blames Pakistan’s intellegence agencies, while on the other hand despite India’s support to terrorists in Pakistan, our leaders have been silent, and India has been making full use of our silence.
To promote its impure vision for an “Akhand Bharat”, India, via its agents, is trying to dismember and destroy Pakistan. It is also attempting a cultural invasion of our youth. Unfortunately, India’s cultural invasion of Pakistan is being helped by some of our own people.
Even Afghanistan’s external intelligence agency, RAMA, whose name sounds like “Ram”, was founded by India’s RAW. India has increased its budget allocation for intelligence to facilitate RAW’s activities inside Pakistan. India’s intentions are to encircle Pakistan — to that end it has established air bases in foreign countries.
With the ruse of helping reconstruct the airport in Jalalabad, India has deployed about 10,000 troops in Afghanistan, whose job is to support activities against Pakistan. Therefore, India’s espionage and terrorism in sevaral parts of Pakistan — from Wana and Waziristan to Baluchistan — is irrefutable.
Our media has reported India’s hand in several terrorist activities in Pakistan — from the attack on the Manawa training center to the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. The question that needs to be asked is why India’s shameful and alarming acts haven’t been exposed to the world.
India’s politicians and media make it a point to sully Pakistan’s name, without proof, after every terrorist attack, but here, our politicians, despite beomg armed with concrete evidence of India’s terrorism in Pakistan, appear reluctant to present this to the world.
It is time to give India a befitting reply to its misadventures against Pakistan.
Urdunama: "Foreign Hand"
By Rohan Joshi on November 9, 2009 in asif ali zardari, Balochistan, India, NWFP, Politics in Pakistan, PPP, Urdunama, World, Yousaf Raza Gilani, zardari
The Filter Coffee is happy to announce a new regular segment, Urdunama, dedicated to coverage of news and analysis from Pakistan’s Urdu media. As reports ( 2.86 MB) on Pakistan’s media landscape will tell you, Pakistan’s vernacular press dominates English and local language publications and comprises almost 70% of total newspaper distribution.
Yet, while the Internet has provided us the opportunity to read and absorb opinions from Pakistan’s English newspapers, their tone, message and impact on audiences (and indeed on political action) differs greatly from that of the vernacular media. An eye on Pakistan’s Urdu media therefore helps us see what the awam sees and assists us in understanding what informs popular opinion in Pakistan. This is critical, in the opinion of this blogger, in helping India better understand its western neighbor.
As always, comments and suggestions on what readers like about the segment, or would like to see improved are appreciated.
♣♣♣♣
The fires may have died down in India, but as far as Pakistan’s vernacular media is concerned, all Sharm el-Sheikh did was to provide fuel to an incantation summoned by Pakistan’s most imaginative minds.
There is pressure on the Pakistani Army to see Operation Rah-e-Nijat through and to turn a blind eye to US Predator assaults in North Waziristan and elsewhere. A section of Pakistan’s media and intelligentsia wants to know why three Infantry Divisions were moved away from the Indian border and redeployed to assist with NWFP operations.
All these questions cannot be explained without pointing fingers at the Pakistani Army, which is riding a wave of goodwill not seen since the years immediately after the 1999 coup d’état. The simplest solution therefore is to attack the hapless civilian administration, particularly Asif Ali Zardari and those close to him, including Rehman Malik and Shah Mehmood Qureshi.
Rafiq Dogar’s op-ed “Jhoota kaun hai?”, is a rhetorical masterpiece on the subject of India’s involvement in Balochistan. Dogar’s issue in the op-ed isn’t focused so much on the factual accuracy of India’s involvement in Balochistan (this is taken for granted), but on why the “proof” of India’s interference wasn’t presented to Hillary Clinton and the people of Pakistan.
Who does one trust? On 13th October, the spokesperson of the Foreign Ministry informed the media that proof of India’s involvement in Balochistan would be presented to the people at the appropriate time. Prior to Hillary Clinton’s visit, the Interior Minister had informed Hamid Karzai that India was interfering in Balochistan, via Afghanistan.
The same day, the president of the Balochistan People’s Party, Mir Lashkari Raisani, informed the media that Education Minister, Shafeeq Ahmed Khan had been murdered because he tried to raise awareness of India’s meddling in Balochistan. India’s meddling in Balochistan was also corroborated by IG, FC, Maj Gen Salim Nawaz.
Prior to Hillary Clinton’s visit, Interior Minister informed the media that a “foreign hand” existed in supporting the Pakistani Taliban against the army, and had asked the US to ensure that this interference is stopped. Surprisingly, after Hillary’s visit, the spokesperson of the Interior Ministry announced that no such evidence was presented to the US.
If this was indeed the case, why didn’t the Foreign Ministry — whose spokesperson earlier stated as having proof of external interference in Balochistan — provide the evidence to the US? Ayatollah Durrani is also one of Asif Ali Zardari’s ministers who on 18th October stated that the US wanted Balochistan to secede and that Pakistan’s agencies must work to ensure that this doesn’t happen.
But Pakistan’s agencies operate under the same Interior Minister who announced prior to Hillary’s visit that the proof had been handed over to the Americans. Who does one believe?
We cannot accept the notion that those suggesting India’s involvement in Balochistan are lying. It is the word of the Prophet Mohammed (SAW) that a Muslim can neither lie nor present false witness. Our Foreign Minister is a descendant of Muslim makhdooms — are we to now believe that his ministry’s spokesperson was lying?
Even if we are to assume that the spokesperson of the Interior Ministry and the Interior Minister himself were speaking the truth, then why wasn’t (India’s interference) brought up with Hillary Clinton? Were they that scared of her and Richard Halbrooke?
The Interior Minister, Foreign Minister, Zardari and Gilani didn’t have the courage to present the facts to Hillary; but do they have the will to present the facts to the people?
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The blind men of Pakistan
By Rohan Joshi on October 19, 2009 in Foreign Policy, India, Iran, Kashmir, pakistan army, Tehrik-e-Taliban, Terrorism, World
From madrasa to media, the Pakistani awam is being disserved
As the Pakistani army prepared for battle in South Waziristan, a spate of articles appeared in the Urdu press, which while recognizing the combatants as “extremists”, ascribed to the notion that these were merely people who had been led astray by the conjuring of an evil power. This is a theme that has resonated well with the media since major operations commenced against the Taliban. Hence Operation Rah-e-Rast — Operation Right Track — in Swat.
With regard to the operations in South Waziristan, the October 19, 2009 editorial of the Urdu newspaper, the Daily Ausaaf typifies the kind of mindless harangue dished out by Pakistan’s vernacular media on the subject. Replying to it would be futile and unnecessary to the readers of this blog.
That Pakistan can do no wrong is a foregone conclusion and cannot be debated. Therefore, if things are going wrong, it is most likely the work of Pakistan’s enemies. The same indoctrination follows the people, from madrasa to media. The shackles of indoctrination cannot be broken until Pakistan’s terror consortium of the maulvis, ISI and army comes to terms with the rapidity of diminishing returns in such mindless propaganda.
Today those groups that waged jihad in Kashmir have turned their guns on their masters on the streets of Rawalpindi and Lahore. The army is in an all out war against the very Taliban it nurtured. Baluchistan is in the middle of a secessionist uprising. Anti-Shia groups that surfaced as a result of oil money from Saudi Arabia have complicated Pakistan’s relations with Iran.
Who is bleeding by a thousand cuts?
An excerpt of the October 19, 2009 editorial of the Daily Ausaaf is enclosed below. The entire original editorial in Urdu can be read here:
The Daily Ausaaf
The South Waziristan Operation: The Real Enemy also needs to be dealt with decisively
The main cause of this war is the perpetuation of the policies of the former dictator, Pervez Musharraf, as a result of which the real enemy remains hidden. This enemy doesn’t openly confront us, but does so through its agents, who are unfortunately tied to our own existence.
These agents promote the interests of the real enemy by attacking the nation. In actuality, the real force behind this war is the United States, which is being aided by India and Israel in order to destabilize Pakistan.
The roles that the United States has assigned India in Afghanistan are quickly becoming clear. From Afghanistan, India, with the assistance of the United States and Israel, attacks Pakistan at every possible level.
The several Indian missions spread across the length and breadth of Afghanistan have been established for this very purpose. These counsels are a threat to our nation, and it is through them that India provides financial and military support to extremists and terrorists.
It is a wonder that these activities are being conducted under the very nose of the United States, which claims that is it fighting a war against terrorism. However, under the US’s protection, India provides financial support and weapons to terrorists who attack Pakistan.
There is consensus among America, India and Israel to destabilize Pakistan. There is also information that the US and NATO have closed some of their checkpoints near the border, due to which terrorists from Afghanistan are able to enter into Pakistan freely.
It is clear therefore, that the US also wants Pakistani armed forces’ operation in South Waziristan to fail. But this is wishful thinking. It is not easy to defeat the Pakistani Army. The army enjoys the support of the entire nation.
It is amply clear that the US, India and Israel want to weaken Pakistan economically, politically and militarily in order to alienate its people and denuclearize the nation.
Pakistan needs to appreciate the fact that in its war in South Waziristan, it is confronting not only the terrorists, but also the big powers that are their backers. We will not be able to win this war without understanding who the real enemy is and neutralizing their designs against Pakistan.
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Author: - December 12, 2017 0 Kinder Morgan Canada (KML) Shares Up 0%
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She did not explain why she threatened to kill everyone. Curbelo spoke to KOVR from her jail cell. Passenger-recorded video appears to show a woman yelling at crew. The Sacramento Sheriff's Department says Curbelo lives in Sandy, Oregon. "Our reports from Flight Attendants indicate a Customer violated federal laws by both smoking onboard an aircraft and by tampering with a smoke detector in an aircraft restroom.
Author: - December 12, 2017 0 Houston mother, baby kicked off Spirit flight
However, the flight scheduled for 6:30 a.m. was delayed repeatedly because of weather and kept passengers inside the cabin. After sitting there for all that time, Mei began to breastfeed her "exhausted" son. Rui said to the Washington Postthat after waiting an hour for their luggage to be returned, they drove back home to Houston , and her father collapsed and had to be driven to the emergency room.
Author: - December 12, 2017 0 Institutional Holdings and Trade Data for Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc. (FOX)
Finally, its 100-day average volume is 2,979,920 shares with 100% of long-term indicators pointing to Buy. In terms of the mechanics underlying that movement, traders will want to note that the stock is trading on a float of 0.48% with $1.53 Billion sitting short, betting on future declines.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Site C decision coming Monday
The B.C. NDP cabinet has struggled with the decision, with the project two years in and facing a cost of $4 billion to shut down construction of the third dam on the Peace River and put the site back the way it was. Credit rating agencies might consider BC Hydro as a non-commercially viable entity. A recent BC Utilities Commission report found the project, which was pegged at $8.3 billion in 2014, is over-budget.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Providence St. Joseph and Ascension Discussing Merger
If completed, the merged entity would be the largest hospital system in the nation, with presence in 27 states and Washington D.C. Top rivals of comparable size will be government-owned or for-profit systems like HCA Healthcare (with 177 hospitals) and Community Health Systems (with 127 hospitals).
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Kesha, Macklemore bringing co-headlining tour to Denver in June
Tickets for the show ($99.50, $79.50, $59.50, lawn $29.50, $90 lawn 4-packs) go on sale at noon December 15 ( Ticketmaster .com, 1-800-745-3000). Kesha pulls up in a gold auto and matching outfit to save the day, suggesting that the two tour together instead of skating around.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Early holiday gift for motorists: Gas prices continue to fall
Prices are about 24 cents more than at the same point past year. "It's largely because we just see a decrease in the overall demand for gasoline", said Don Redman, fuel analyst for AAA. Florida's per-gallon average price was six cents below the $2.46 national average, while South Florida prices, as usual, remained among the highest in the state due to higher local taxes and a higher cost of doing business.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 San Diego Sheriff's Deputies pull kittens from Lilac Fire rubble
The San Diego-area fire quickly grew to more than 6 square miles and burned dozens of homes at Rancho Monserate Country Club. "Our fire has been pretty low key for us", Ashford said over Skype. San Diego Gas & Electric was expected to restore power to most customers Monday and Tuesday after precautionary shutdowns in wind-prone areas left thousands of customers without power for several days last week.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Latest Tally Of Analyst Opinions: Schlumberger Limited (SLB), BRF SA (BRFS)
It has outperformed by 12.98% the S&P500. Cambiar Investors Llc increased its stake in Schlumberger Ltd (SLB) by 53.8% based on its latest 2017Q2 regulatory filing with the SEC. On Tuesday, February 21 the stock rating was upgraded by BNP Paribas to "Outperform". Sarasin Prtnrs Ltd Liability Partnership has invested 1.15% in Schlumberger Limited (NYSE:SLB).
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Stockton Salvation Army Red Kettles Stolen During Car Break
Captain Melissa Betts stated that the money goes toward funding local services that the Salvation Army provides such as utility help, rent help, and emergency food services. The Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign has raised $151,545, according to a Salvation Army news release. By letting Belk know support for The Salvation Army is an important local priority, customers have made a difference not just here in Haywood County, but in all communities where the organization has a vibrant ...
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 HSBC Holdings plc: HSBC Holdings plc Expiration of 2012 Deferred Prosecution
Its shares rose nearly 2% to 746p on Monday. HSBC said in 2012 it would take action to tighten and improve its policies against being used for money laundering. The bank said on Monday that the monitor, former USA district attorney and financial crime expert Michael Cherkasky, would "continue in that capacity for a period of time at the FCA's discretion".
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Runner That Helped Dallas Marathon Winner Speaks To KRLD
Self ended the race grasping for the finish line and immediately taken by marathon staff for treatment. Luterman, of the Dallas suburb Addison, was running the final two miles of the race with Self, a psychiatrist from NY, as part of a relay team with her elite high school, the Greenhill Academy.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Lookout for Price Target? Anadarko Petroleum Corporation (APC), NetApp, Inc. (NTAP)
The stock increased 0.14% or $0.24 during the last trading session, reaching $173.15. Xilinx, Inc. (NASDAQ:XLNX) has risen 52.08% since December 11, 2016 and is uptrending. Baird on Wednesday, October 12. 6,000 were reported by Supplemental Annuity Collective Of Nj. The firm has "Equal-Weight" rating by Barclays Capital given on Wednesday, March 9.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Enormous black hole discovered after several years of Big Bang
Quasars are incredibly bright objects deep in the cosmos, powered by black holes devouring everything around them. It's a truly gargantuan black hole, some 800 million times the mass of our sun. No one has a scientific explanation of how such an enormous object can be formed in such a relatively short period of time after the birth of the universe.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Bitcoin futures trading starts on CBOE exchange in Chicago
Bitcoin futures expiring in January, 2018 opened at US$15,000 and climbed to US$16,660 within six minutes of trading. They're securities that will track the price of bitcoin on Gemini, one of the larger bitcoin exchanges. Bitcoin now has a market cap of around $272 Billion. There have been other attempts to bring bitcoin investing into the mainstream. And the trading of its futures has predictably come under similar skepticism from doubters, who worry that the new market could be exposed ...
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Steinhoff delays results and CEO quits, shares crash
Steinhoff has been aggressively expanding in developed markets since moving its primary share listing from Johannesburg to Frankfurt in 2015, snapping up Britain's Poundland, U.S-based Mattress Firm and Australia's Fantastic. "PPF is therefore calling on the PIC, Finance Minister Malusi Gigaba, the SA Revenue Service, and Public Service and Administration Minister Faith Muthambi to approach the Hawks to investigate the six chartered accountants on the Steinhoff board of directors".
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Texas A&M DT suspended after allegedly pointing gun at people
College Station police responded to reports that two men pointed a firearm at several people and threatened to kill them at the Campus Village Apartments on Harvey Mitchell Parkway, according to the report. The senior was booked into the Brazos County Jail after 9 a.m. Sunday and is being held on $2,000 bond. Terry Florez, 24, who was driving the vehicle stopped by police, is charged for possession of marijuana.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Some flights cancelled from United Kingdom to Ireland due to snow
Passengers, airlines and airports across the United Kingdom all suffered major flight cancellations and delays yesterday, after snow and freezing conditions gripped the United Kingdom in one of the worst snap freezes to hit the country in the last four years.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Oil Prices Rise On Solid Chinese Demand
Crude palm oil prices declined by 0.52 per cent to Rs 558.20 per 10 kg in futures market today as speculators reduced their exposure, taking negative cues from the spot market on subdued demand. The number of rigs drilling for new oil output in the United States rose by two in the week to December 8, to 751, the highest level since September, General Electric Co's Baker Hughes energy services firm said on Friday.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Allianz Asset Management GmbH Decreases Stake in NXP Semiconductors NV (NXPI)
Allianz Asset Management GmbH decreased its position in NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI) by 95.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It has a 14.69 P/E ratio. It also offers various assessment services; career management; training and development services; and outsourcing services related to human resources functions primarily in the areas of large-scale recruiting and workforce-intensive initiatives.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Bitcoin futures start trading on CBOE exchange
After confirming that the account meets the necessary requirements, buying and selling bitcoin futures is as simple as entering the XBT ticker and clicking "trade". Futures are available for almost every type of security but are most famously used in commodities such as wheat, soy, gold, oil, cocoa and, as dramatized in the Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd movie "Trading Places", concentrated frozen orange juice.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Has $17.12 Million Stake in Coca-Cola Company (The) (KO)
The Company owns or licenses and markets non-alcoholic beverage brands, primarily sparkling beverages and a range of still beverages, such as waters, flavored waters and enhanced waters, juices and juice drinks, ready-to-drink teas and coffees, sports drinks, dairy and energy drinks.
Author: - December 11, 2017 0 Josh Gordon scores first touchdown in four years
But Hundley's play throughout demonstrated a quarterback intent on giving Rodgers a chance to return in Week 15 with a shot at the playoffs. That drive ended in a touchdown. Green Bay took it to overtime and eventually won after a costly DeShone Kizer interception. In overtime, Kizer was chased and hit in the arm by Clay Matthews Jr.as he threw the ball up for grabs.
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Hawai`i has one of the highest
per-capita rates of limited English proficient persons (LEP) in the nation. In 2006, to ensure meaningful access to services, programs and activities by LEP persons, Hawai`i became the first state in the nation to pass a comprehensive language access law that removes language barriers to State and State-funded services. Hawai`i’s law mirrors a similar federal law.
The same law also established the Office of Language Access (OLA). OLA works to ensure that persons who do not speak, read, write, or understand English are able to access services, programs and activities provided by: State government agencies, courts, and schools; and State-funded organizations, including medical and social service providers. OLA also provides oversight and central coordination to State entities, as well as technical assistance to both State and State-funded entities in the implementation of the law.
OLA’s MOTTO
ʻO ka ʻŌlelo Ke Ola – Language is Life We have adopted “‘O ka ‘ōlelo ke ola – Language is life” as OLA’s motto. It reflects the importance of language and how language serves as the life-line for people. The motto also embodies the spirit of equality behind Hawai‘i’s language access laws. Language should be a tool, not a barrier, to the pursuit of a better life. We, at OLA, look forward to collaborating with government, the private sector and the community in making this possible.
About one in four Hawaii residents speak a language other than English at home, which is higher than the U.S. average of 21 percent. For many, English is not their primary language, and they have only a limited ability to read, write, speak, or understand English. Language barriers often prohibit many residents from fully participating in our community and undermine efforts to become self-sufficient and productive.
The Office of Language Access’ (OLA) overall purpose is to affirmatively address the language access needs of limited English proficient (LEP) individuals by providing oversight, central coordination, and technical assistance to the State and state-funded agencies in the implementation of language access requirements.
OLA’s functions are (…read more)
Aphirak Bamrungruan Executive Director
aphirak.bamrungruan@doh.hawaii.gov
Rebecca Gardner Legal Analyst
rebecca.gardner@doh.hawaii.gov
Gail P. McGarvey Secretary
gail.mcgarvey@doh.hawaii.gov
MEET THE ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS
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Human Geography »
Communist and Post-Communist Geographies
Efforts in geography to address the issues of socialism/communism failed to be seminal to the emergence of any powerful theory that could have been the result of putting the perspective of scientific communism on geography. It was the political economic approach of Marxism that imbued the geographies of state socialist countries the profoundly. Human geography was replaced with economic geography. Attention was focused on production.
In the Stalinist era and during the Cold War, ambitions to defeat ‘bourgeois pseudo sciences’ and building a socialist society were assigned as tasks to sciences. Geographical research was under state control and in support of the central planning. Physical and human geography were separated at the level of institutions for a long time.
In the countries of post-socialist transition, geography is characterized by (1) the restoration of the ‘pre-socialist’ relationship between economic and human geography; (2) a wider spectrum of researched areas, specialization; and (3) the emergence of pluralism in philosophy and social theories. The Western versions of post-socialist geographies differ from their Eastern counterparts mainly in terms of their approaches, methodologies, and interpretation of space. They provide evidence of the fact that post-socialism is both an Eastern and a Western phenomenon.
Definitions of Communist Geography
Geographies which (1) use the theoretical framework and concepts of scientific communism (socialism) for studying geographic issues; (2) provide support for a communist social and economic formation (mode of production) and social and political movements fighting for such a society; and/or (3) are institutionalized geographies cultivated in countries building state socialism (communism) can be regarded as ‘communist’.
The main underlying reason for such a multiapproach definition is the numerous meanings of communism. One such meaning is what is called ‘scientific communism’, which is – in addition to dialectical and historical materialism and political economy – an important part of Marxism and Leninism; it is a theory according to which it is inevitable that communism should replace capitalism and which explores the possible directions of building a socialist communist society. One of the tenets of this theory is that history is the story of class struggles. Under capitalism, the bourgeoisie owning the means of production exploits the proletariat that only owns its labor through the surplus value generated by the latter. In the same society, however, conditions for eliminating social exploitation and establishing a new socialist social order, free from the contradictions of capitalism, were also created. Production, which also acquired a social feature through the multitude of workers concentrated in large factories, requires that means of production should be in public ownership. Balance between the forces and relations of production can be restored through the nationalization of the means of production, that is, through the exploitation, for the benefit of the society, of exploiters owning the means of production. The way to a new classless society is a proletarian revolution. Marx and Engels’ theory of scientific communism in the mid nineteenth century was preceded by several other concepts and tenets – ranging from Plato’s Utopia of communism, theories on socialism in the era of feudalism, the petty bourgeois and bourgeois version of socialism to critical utopistic socialism and communism – on the transformation of the society along socialist principles and the principle of a just and equitable society. According to Marx and Engels, however, as class struggle becomes more sophisticated so even critical utopistic socialism and communism becomes an obsolete, reactionary, or even conservative theory on socialism. Advocates of this theory intended to achieve their goals in a peaceful manner. The theory itself is not based on extensive knowledge of the laws and motives of social development and fails to recognize the historical inevitability of a socialist revolution and ‘the vocation of the proletariat in world history’. By contrast, Marx considered scientific communism to be the generalized collective experience of the revolutionary movement of the working classes. Thus, communism also means a sociopolitical movement aimed at overthrowing capitalism and building a communist society.
Finally, communism is also used to refer to a socioeconomic formation which is based on the public ownership of the means of production and which can turn the principle of ‘to each according to his needs, from each according to his ability’ into reality. The first stage of the evolvement of this social formation is socialism, after it has been fully consolidated, followed by full communism with the complete ‘withering away of the state’. Not all the Marxists of the nineteenth century shared the view on the necessity of a socialist stage characterized by the dictatorship of the proletariat or on the characteristics of this stage as were proposed by Marx. Conducted with anarchists, debates focused mainly on how the revolution, socialism, and the exploiting state were interrelated. On the eve of the revolution in Russia, Lenin worked out (and even ‘fine tuned’) both the strategy of the revolution and the theoretical foundations of how a socialist state should be built. In order for practical tasks that emerged during the building of a socialist state, for example, socialist industrialization, the reorganization of agriculture, and the cultivation of a ‘socialist mindset’, to be fulfilled, an increasingly high number of new theoretical issues had to be tackled. The Russian Communist Party took such tasks in its stride and regarded them to be the order of the day.
Considering the fact that the characteristics of communist geography, which later evolved into post-communist (post-socialist) geography, can best be studied in the former Soviet Union and in East Central European countries, which turned Marxism into a state ideology and which are today characterized by a post-socialist (post-communist) social order, what follows describes experience in this region.
Communist Geography as an Approach Linked to the Theory of Scientific Communism
We can hardly speak of communist geography as an approach that is linked to Marx’s theory on scientific communism and one that distinctly differs from other approaches.
Radical Western geographies of the 1960s and 1970s proposed concepts such as ‘integrated labor’ (rather than a division of labor), self sufficient regions (which interchange both products and ideas with other regions), and community control, which used an alternative society based on anarchist principles as its starting point. In geography, the most powerful advocate of what was called ‘anarchist communism’ was Russian theoretician and geographer Kropotkin. Published at the turn of the twentieth century, his works argued against both political and economic centralization. They cherished the idea of communities operating on the principle of cooperation and mutual support, where the ‘mess’ of the people will organize itself by itself. Geographies based on the principle of anarchist communism were, however, diametrically opposed to the Marxist–Leninist interpretation of state level ‘authoritarian communism’.
There is a school, however, which not only has brought Marxism into geography, but has also put geographical perspectives on Marxism. However, not even this school is labeled as communist; rather, it is referred to as Marxist geography, with the adjective ‘Western’ used for the sake of clarity and in order to set it apart from the geography cultivated in state socialist countries in the East. Followers of Marxist geography primarily use political economy and dialectical and historical materialism proposed by Marxism for example, Harvey created a completely new ‘historical geographical materialism’. Fundamentally, they were committed to studying capitalism. They did not dig deep into the theory of scientific communism or the workings of state socialist regimes, toward which they adopted a critical attitude.
In contrast, human geography did address the issues of socialism (communism) in state socialist countries. However, unlike radicalism that characterized the theory of scientific communism (and Western Marxist geography) at its (their) inception, geography in these countries was technocratic rather than radical. It failed to be seminal to any powerful theory that could have been the result of bringing scientific communism into geography. Paradoxically, the creation of such theories was foiled mainly by the very totalitarian system, in which the ruling communist party, reiterating the building of socialism (communism), turned to the theory of scientific communism and Marxism–Leninism as a whole in order to justify its own etatism. Justification, however, came at the price of distorting the original theory. In general, the end of Stalinism also marked the end of an era when social sciences had to meet strict criteria and were under close scrutiny. However, the picture was far more subtle. Brought about by the popular movements/revolutions of the mid 1950s in GDR, Poland, and Hungary, the Prague uprising in 1968 and the cultural revolution in China, etc., changes, which differed from one country to the next, also affected geography.
Especially in the Stalinist era, but several decades later as well, as attested to by the works of a few researchers, geography contributed to a state level corruption of Marxism and Leninism. One of the most frequent manifestations of such corruption was the permanent use of the terminology of scientific communism and, in a broader sense, that of Marxism and Leninism. Thus, for instance, the word ‘population’ in a demographic analysis was only too readily replaced with ‘the forces of production’. Likewise, terms such as ‘mode of production’, ‘relations of production’, or ‘territorial division of labor’ were used left, right, and center in literature. Sentence starters like ‘In compliance with the requirements of our socialist societyy.’ were unlikely to be the results of the actual study of social inevitabilities. Rather, they were prescribed by the communist party or used simply as propaganda sound bites or as declarations of a sense of belonging (the use of the various forms of the first person plural) and personal commitment.
It was perhaps the political economic approach of Marxism that imbued the geographies of state socialist countries the most. Human geography was replaced with economic geography from the outset. Industrial, agrarian, settlement, and population geographies were, as a rule, regarded to be its subdisciplines. Attention was focused while in several countries social and cultural geographies were simply nonexistent on production, in connection with a materialist weltanschauung and the political practice of forced industrialization. It was a common ‘belief ’ that the development of the productive sectors would automatically lead to the development of the nonproductive ones, improve living conditions, and resolve the problems of social reproduction. Research focused on structures, especially on the macro scale. Locational analyses and the quantitative models of the optimal regional allocation of production with a command economy perspective put on them had the most far reaching influence in socialist countries. Theories of the ‘territorial productive complex’ (TPC) and economic regions (rayons), worked out in the Soviet Union, also ‘reached’ other countries, though their feasibility was the subject of heated debates.
In contrast to Marxist geography in Western countries, geography in state socialist countries did not participate in the conceptualization of the issues of class relations. Although descriptions of social structures were ‘sneaked into’ demographic analyses, changes in the ratio of the working classes to peasantry in agricultural cooperatives (and those in their living standards presented in academic literature from the 1970s and the 1980s) and how these changes were interconnected with industrialization and urbanization were the ‘hottest’ topics of the era. At best, geography refrained from going into details regarding the ‘individualism of the peasantry’ or the ‘unprogressiveness of villages’. Marx did not ‘promise’ an equal standard of living for the socialist stage, since it was division according to the principle of labor rather than that of needs that prevailed. Nevertheless, official party ideology made egalitarianism into one of its highsounding slogans. This is very likely to be one of the reasons why the Marxist theory of uneven development was not further elaborated during state socialism. Whenever regional backwardness was identified, it was not its underlying reasons that were examined. The fact that certain elements of the capitalist mode of production prevailed for a while was considered to be a natural outcome of the laws of dialectics. Therefore, whenever backward regions/settlements were studied, it was development opportunities rather than the causes of backwardness on which attention was focused, thereby offering assistance for the state with central planning. There were countries where debates pointing out the negative role of the state were conducted, as was the case in Hungary in the 1980s in the case of sociologists Szele?nyi, Manchin, and Ferge. However, geographical experiences did not feature in such debates. The above debate was about whether market mechanisms offset inequalities generated by the state in the socialist era, or they add their own inequalities, which happen to benefit the same social strata. To give Marxist theoreticians their due, it should be noted that those (e.g., Luka?cs, Bloch, Kolakowski, and Gyilasz) whose oeuvres proved to be influential found themselves in confrontation with the ruling orthodoxy: they were deported, imprisoned, or forced to emigrate from their home countries.
Communist (Socialist) Geography Supporting the Building of State Socialism
Marxism strives to both understand and change the surrounding world. Since the overthrow of capitalism was no longer a topical issue in state socialism, during the Stalinist era and the Cold War struggle against ‘bourgeois pseudo sciences’ and the building of a socialist society were assigned as tasks to sciences. The latter task (i.e., the building of a socialist society) was in conformity with the tenet according to which Marxist–Leninist epistemology was based on practice. Geography, too, would openly identify the satisfaction of the needs of the society with the objective of ‘serving working people’. However, apart from activities aimed at popularizing sciences among workers, such services were a far cry from today’s people’s geography project initiated by Western Marxist and critical geographies. In fact, they mostly meant applied research for and in support of the state. From then on, only within the boundaries of the prevailing status quo was it possible to make any change.
If there is communist (socialist) geography, direct or indirect assistance with central planning is very likely to be its universal characteristic. Economic (human) geography was most closely related to economic, regional, and settlement network development and planning in several different ways. Atlases popularizing the 5 year plans of the ‘people’s economy’, empirical studies ‘laying down the geographical foundations of economic development’, and theories and models that made the delimitation of economic regions possible were the ‘products’ of the era. Staffs at research institutions had to contribute to planning at various scales and some researchers were retained as experts. As tight political control was easing so some criticism was also voiced. Several countries adopted Soviet experience in the participation of geography in the gigantic ‘transformation of nature’ or at least references were made to such utilization of research. It was sometimes the case that geographers, not always making it a point of honor to refer to their sources, imported Western theories such as Christaller’s theory on the central place.
In the 1970s and 1980s, numerous studies (e.g., rural research and in Poland and Hungary social geographic research of German and British origin with an eye on practical application) were carried out in East Central Europe, which did put forward proposals for improving the living conditions of those in need. No comprehensive evaluation of such studies or applied geographic studies is available as yet. Some of the retrospective theoretical studies in the post-socialist era assert that not only geographical expertise but also expertise in social sciences in general were used as a tool for the legitimation of the political will and power.
Geography in State Socialist Countries
The term ‘communist’ geography better known as ‘socialist’ geography was the original ‘official’ term used to set institutionalized geography in state socialist countries apart from other geographies. In this sense, all kinds of geographies cultivated in those countries were socialist (communist). The authoritarian regimes ‘saw to it’ that geography, and any discipline for that matter, was or at least looked ideologically consistent. The most universal characteristic of geographical knowledge produced in such a social environment was, therefore, its attitude toward the ruling powers, which mainly affected the network of geographical institutions.
This institutional system was controlled and, hence, centralized by the state (the communist party). Institutes of geographic research which were spun off from universities and which were parts of the national academies of sciences were established. These institutes, adjusting to central planning in people’s economy, worked according to national research plans. Academies were responsible for using a Soviet type scientific rating system, which proved to be an efficient tool for state controlled cultural policy to establish a cadre system in the profession as a whole. During the Stalinist era, many geographers in several countries were severely criticized, stripped off their academic degrees, dismissed from work, or arrested. As actual cases attest to it, reasons included a World War II role, religious affiliation, a statement negating socialist development (e.g., that a given country is an agrarian rather than an industrial–agrarian country), the use of a ‘bourgeois’ approach (e.g., a morphologic rather than functional approach adopted in urban study), or the taking over of the locational theory from Western geographies. The scale of such ‘cleansing’ was completely different in the German Democratic Republic and Hungary (in the latter country even the Geographic Society, operational since 1875, was banned), due to their roles in the war, from that in Poland, where access to Western literature was easier and which had a wider network of international relations. Soviet hegemony was felt nearly everywhere; for example, guest tutors and researchers contributed to the teaching and the research carried out by their hosts and published in their journals, studies published in the Soviet Union were translated, etc. Generally, the grip of this hegemony only slowly eased, except in China, which broke away from the Soviet Union completely, Yugoslavia, which also kept its distance, and later in Romania and Albania. With dictatorship becoming softer, the number of bilateral Western relations grew and, in addition to the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON) research, wider institutionalized cooperation in the International Geographic Union also played an important role.
The separation of physical geography from economic (human) geography was also reflected in institutional fragmentation. The story of such ‘legal separation’ and later their unification during socialism can be less well interpreted on a philosophical basis than in a political economic context. Since the spread of the dualist approach led to breaking away from the pre-socialist tradition of unified geography in most countries, geog raphers turned to Marxism for explanation. Explanation was provided by the fundamentally different laws that underlay the development of the phenomena in the ‘two geographies’ and the suspected dangers posed by environmental determinism branded as ‘bourgeois’. In the Khrushchev era, prompted by Anuchin, a major debate was sparked between ‘monists’ and ‘dualists’ in the Soviet Union. Finally, the party joined in the debate and declared that the rigid separation of nature from society was erroneous and of a ‘Stalinist nature’, expressing that such separation ran counter to (economic) planning interests. The fact that reasoning had identical roots clearly reflected that ‘theoretical debates’ had nearly nothing to do with philosophy proper. Rather, such debates were a reflection of the power struggle. Both parties sought justification in the tenets of Marxism–Leninism, the practical need for planning and the national geographies of the pre-Stalinist era. At the time of a similar change in paradigms, Romania rediscovered its national roots, and Mihailescu’s 1936 university textbook advocating the unified approach was reissued in 1969. For such, a change in orientation in the Soviet Union was necessary. Nevertheless, the explanation provided for the reissuance of the book was also in line with Romania’s current regime’s concern with nationalism. The fact that, for instance, in China the balance between physical and human (economic) geography could not be restored can be ascribed to its complete confrontation with the Soviet Union. It is another story that the dominance of physical geography being politically less risky prevailed in most state socialist countries even in the era of the new integrative ‘constructive geography’ and despite the spread of the anthropocentric approach of landscape and environmental research.
It is hardly a coincidence that integrated landscape geographic research adopting a new system approach became one of the areas that challenged descriptive static view. This, however, left the empirical or positivist nature of most human geographic research unaffected. The revamping and spread of quantitative methods also occurred in state socialist countries mainly in the 1960s and 1970s and due particularly to the weight of applied geography to which regional science quickly found its way. However, revamping failed to materialize in qualitative methods and social theories, except the Marxist–Leninist ones.
Characteristics of the Post-Communist/Post-Socialist Geographies
Unlike the term ‘communist geography’, ‘post-communist/post-socialist geography’ had a more unambiguous and more uniform meaning and gained more currency: it is used to refer to geography focusing on research on transition from state socialism (communism) into capitalism. Considering the fact that 198991 political changes in East Central Europe and the Soviet Union occurred before communism had been reached (only the Soviet Union declared officially the reaching of the stage of full communism), it stands to reason that the adjective ‘post-socialist’ was more frequently used than ‘post-communist’.
Post-Socialist Geographies in Post-Socialist Countries
Naturally, post-socialist geographies are cultivated in the countries concerned, that is, post-socialist countries. Privatization, market economy, and multiparty democracy have changed the relationship of geographical knowledge production with political powers, its institutional frameworks and nature. The length of time for political, economic, and social transition to occur seems to be varying from one country to the next, which further differentiates, the national human geographies of the former Soviet block. These geographies are in the state of transition themselves: current trends are, in several countries, the organic continuation of the processes that started in the 1980s (or even earlier). In the early 1980s, Kuklinski deemed developments in Polish geography to be a change in paradigm in which the issues/problems of economic, social and ecological crisis, spatial differentiation, new local and regional communities, and the changing system of values must be addressed/resolved with new methods and by using interdisciplinary relations. At an international meeting of the directors of academy run geographic research institutions in September 1989, the representatives of several countries already put the tasks and situation of geography in the context of a ‘political and economical crisis’, ‘social movements’, and ‘perestroika’. By contrast, at the same meeting, a participant from Cuba emphasized the importance of the second edition of a national atlas and a Mongolian attendee pointed out, among other things, the weaknesses of the supply of cadres. In the countries of post-socialist transition, despite their differences, the transformation of human geography shares a few universal characteristics:
The relationship between economic and human geography has become what it used to be: they have ‘changed places’ in terms of their weight, hierarchical relationship, and institutional background. Research institutes, no longer controlled by party politics, found themselves to be subject to market conditions. University faculties have been reorganized – in general, there has been a marked change in direction, with everyone looking to the ‘West’.
Human geography has become more diverse and further specialized. There has also been a renaissance of political geography, boosted by increasingly strong nationalism and as a revival of the traditions of ‘bourgeois geography’. Numerous geographers have been rehabilitated and several areas of research that used to be off limits (e.g., geography of religions) are now again accepted. Charged with new political content, ethnic geography has achieved high visibility. New subdisciplines have emerged including, for example, election geography, which was inconceivable in the era of state socialism owing to the lack of free general elections. And geography of gender, though with low visibility, is already a presence. Obviously, further examples could be put on this ‘list of changes’.
Democratization also paved the way for pluralism in philosophy and social theories. First, challenging Marxism and Leninism rather than the emergence of unmistakably new trends is more common. Currently, experience gained in the totalitarian regimes seems to be supporting ‘value neutral sciences’. ‘Situated knowledge’ has not even been raised as an issue to be debated. Social and cultural theories as fomenters have hardly been able to penetrate into established geography. Critical geography has also hardly been able to gain in popularity in part for the above reasons and in part because of the negative connotation associated with left wing thinking in post-socialist countries.
Some claim that characteristically post-socialist directions of development underlie shifts in views that are relatively comprehensive and in keeping with Western trends. One example that supports this claim is a shift from the earlier dominance of structuralism toward human agents, individuals, their spatial behavior as well as the cognitive and decision making factors involved in such behavior. Underlying this trend is vigorous liberalism represented by individualism. The latter was inspired under the new political circumstances by the need to ‘liberate’ the individual oppressed by the socialist state. There has also been a shift in the political economic focus in several countries. The simultaneous emergence/strengthening of cultural geography has not, however, been a response to an increasingly self conscious cultural policy. Nor has it been inspired by identity based post-colonial or environmental social movements, since such movements are rather weak. This is, in part, the reason why ‘new cultural geographies’ in post-socialist countries are not linked to, for example, the homeless, the disabled, or the homosexuals whose spatiality is rather narrow, relative to dominant cultural realms. For the time being, it focuses on (mainly ethnic) groups that were ‘off limits’ in the socialist era.
Relations of Post-Socialist Geographies in the ‘East’ and in the ‘West’
There have always been researchers in the West who have taken an interest in studying state socialist countries. By today, the Western versions of post-socialist geographies have become institutionalized: in addition to a number of interdisciplinary institutes operational in several parts of the world, there is a Russian, Central Eurasian, and East European Speciality Group in the Association of American Geographers and a Post-Socialist Geographies Research Group in the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers. These organizations help to bring together scholars with an interest in post-socialist issues and organize East–West workshops. Similar to their Eastern counterparts, members of these organizations also contribute to revealing the national and local characteristics of key social, political, and economic trends in post-communist transition. However, while researchers in the West focus on for instance governance, power structure; socioeconomic and gender inequalities, social and cultural identities, and marginalization, those in the East adopt a different approach to such issues, focusing mainly on regionalization, decentralization; regional, settlement inequalities; territorial identities, and underdeveloped areas.
Overall, though both ‘parties’ adopt a wide variety of approaches to research on post-socialism, it seems that in post-socialist countries, at least for the time being, few regard geographical relations to be the outcome of social processes (and when they do, it is to a much lesser extent). Rather, they treat such relations as spatial patterns. One reason is the dominance of the concept of absolute space – space as a container, space as separated from concrete social processes. Furthermore, the mapping of spatial patterns is of quantitative nature. The fact that the development of qualitative methods has been put on the back burner does not help strengthen ‘social’ in social geography. Attention is paid to the real material world rather than the symbolic space. There is also a strong social demand for sticking to reality and empiricism, the current challenge being the understanding of a new era where the importance of mapping and documenting is higher than average. The significance of applied geography not only remains, but in East Central Europe it is also further strengthened because of regional European Union (EU) planning and because it is a source of income for many institutes. Applied geography, however, continues to be used in studies ordered mainly by the state. No studies as yet have been carried out in furtherance of social movements and in order to examine spaces of resistance.
One of the benefits of shared interest in post-socialism and of joint East–West projects is, among other things, that they do examine such subject matters. Nevertheless, with sovietization completed, criticism has been voiced concerning the dangers of the new postcolonializing of geographical knowledge and a Western (and, within that, British and American) hegemony. Advocates of relational geographies and the reflexive approach are seeking to mitigate such risks. The key starting point of research adopting such an approach is that post-socialist transition reshapes East and West alike and post-socialism is both an Eastern and a Western phenomenon.
Communicable Diseases, Globalization of
Commodity Chains
Color, Mapping
Colonialism, Internal
Colonialism II
Colonialism I
Cohen, S.
Cognitive Geography
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Physical Geography »
The Global Scope of Soils
How soils are distributed around the world helps to determine the quality of environments of the globe. That’s because soil fertility, along with the availability of fresh water, is a basic measure of the ability of an environmental region to produce food for human consumption.
We classify soils according to a system developed by scientists of the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service, in cooperation with soil scientists of many other nations. In this book, we’ll discuss the two highest levels of this classification system. The top level contains 12 soil orders summarized in Table 10.1. We’ll also mention a few important suborders that make up the second classification level.
There are three groups of soil orders, as shown in the table. The largest group includes seven orders with well-developed horizons or fully weathered minerals. A second group includes a single soil order that is very rich in organic matter. The last group includes four soil orders with poorly developed horizons or no horizons. Figure 10.16 is a map of world soil orders. Let’s look at the soil orders in more detail.
OXISOLS, ULTISOLS, AND VERTISOLS
The low latitudes are dominated by three soil orders: Oxisols, Ultisols, and Vertisols. These soils have developed over long time spans in an environment with warm soil temperatures and plentiful soil water either in a wet season or throughout the year.
Oxisols have developed in the moist climates of the equatorial, tropical, and subtropical zones on land surfaces that have been stable over long periods of time. We find these soils over vast areas of South America and Africa in the wet equatorial climate 1 , where the native vegetation is rainforest. The wet-dry tropical climate in South America and Africa, with its large seasonal water surplus, is also associated with Oxisols. Figure 10.17 shows a soil profile for an Oxisol in Hawaii.
Ultisols are similar to the Oxisols, but have a subsurface clay horizon. They originate in closely related environments. In a few areas, the Ultisol profile contains a subsurface horizon of sesquioxides called laterite. This horizon can harden into brick-like blocks when it is exposed to the air.
We find Ultisols throughout Southeast Asia and the East Indies. Other important areas are in eastern Australia, Central America, South America, and the southeastern United States. Ultisols extend into the lower midlatitude zone in the United States, where they correspond quite closely with areas of moist subtropical climate. In lower latitudes, Ultisols are identified with the wet-dry tropical climate and the monsoon and trade-wind coastal climate. Note that all these climates have a dry season, even though it may be short.
Before the advent of modern agricultural technology, both Oxisols and Ultisols of low latitudes were cultivated for centuries using a primitive slash-and-burn agriculture. Without fertilizers, these soils can sustain crops on freshly cleared areas for only two or three years at most, before the nutrient bases are exhausted and the garden plot must be abandoned. For sustained high-crop yields, substantial amounts of lime and fertilizers are required. Ultisols are also vulnerable to devastating soil erosion, particularly on steep hill slopes.
Vertisols have a unique set of properties that stand in sharp contrast to the Oxisols and Ultisols. They are black in color and have a high clay content. The clay minerals are of a particular type that swells and shrinks with wetting and drying, producing deep cracks in the soil. Vertisols typically form under grass and savanna vegetation in subtropical and tropical climates with a pronounced dry season. These climates include the semiarid subtype of the dry tropical steppe climate and the wet-dry tropical climate.
Because Vertisols require a particular type of silicate mineral as a parent material, regions of this soil are scattered and show no distinctive pattern on the world map. An important region of Vertisols is the Deccan Plateau of western India, where basalt, a dark variety of igneous rock, supplies the silicate minerals that are altered into the necessary clay minerals.
ALFISOLS AND SPODOSOLS
The Alfisols are soils characterized by a clay-rich horizon produced by illuviation. The world distribution of Alfisols is extremely wide in latitude. Alfisols range from latitudes as high as 60° N in North America and Eurasia to the equatorial zone in South America and Africa. Obviously, the Alfisols span an enormous range in climate types. For this reason, we need to recognize four of the important suborders of Alfisols, each with its own climate affiliation.
Boralfs are Alfisols of cold (boreal) forest lands of North America and Eurasia. They have a gray surface horizon and a brownish subsoil. Udalfs are brownish Alfisols of the midlatitude zone. Ustalfs are brownish to reddish Alfisols of the warmer climates. Xeralfs are Alfisols of the Mediterranean climate, with its cool moist winter and dry summer. The Xeralfs are typically brownish or reddish in color.
Poleward of the Alfisols in North America and Eurasia lies a great belt of soils of the order Spodosols, formed in the cold boreal forest climate beneath a needleleaf forest. They are distinguished by a spodic horizon—a dense accumulation of iron and aluminum oxides and organic matter—and a gray or white albic E horizon that lies above the spodic horizon.
Spodosols are closely associated with regions recently covered by the great ice sheets of the Pleistocene Epoch. These soils are therefore very young. Typically, the parent material is coarse sand consisting largely of the mineral quartz. This mineral cannot weather to form clay minerals, so Spodosols are naturally poor soils in terms of agricultural productivity. Because they are acid, lime application is essential. They also need heavy applications of fertilizers. With proper management, Spodosols can be highly productive, if the soil texture is favorable—they give high yields of potatoes in Maine and New Brunswick.
HISTOSOLS
Throughout the northern regions of Spodosols are countless patches of Histosols. This unique soil order has a very high content of organic matter in a thick, dark upper layer. Most Histosols go by common names such as peats or mucks. They have formed in shallow lakes and ponds by accumulation of partially decayed plant matter. In time, the water is replaced by a layer of organic matter, or peat, and becomes a bog. Peat from bogs is dried and baled for sale as a mulch for use on suburban lawns and shrubbery beds. For centuries, Europe has used dried peat from bogs of glacial origin as a low-grade fuel.
Some Histosols are mucks—organic soils composed of fine black materials of sticky consistency. These are agriculturally valuable in midlatitudes, where they occur as beds of former lakes in glaciated regions. After appropriate drainage and application of lime and fertilizers, these mucks are remarkably productive for garden vegetables. Histosols are also found in low latitudes where poor drainage has favored thick accumulations of plant matter.
ENTISOLS, INCEPTISOLS, GELISOLS, AND ANDISOLS
Entisols are mineral soils without distinct horizons. They are soils in the sense that they support plants, but they may be found in any climate and under any vegetation. They don’t have distinct horizons for two reasons: either the parent material, for example, quartz sand, is not appropriate for horizon formation; or not enough time has passed for horizons to form in recent deposits of alluvium or on actively eroding slopes. Inceptisols are soils with weakly developed horizons, usually because the soil is quite young. Entisols and Inceptisols can be found anywhere from equatorial to arctic latitude zones. Often they occur as patches too small to show on the global soils map.
Entisols and Inceptisols of floodplains and delta plains in warm and moist climates are among the most highly productive agricultural soils in the world because of their favorable texture, ample nutrient content, and large soil-water storage. In Southeast Asia, Inceptisols support dense populations of rice farmers.
Annual river floods cover low-lying plains and deposit layers of fine silt. This sediment is rich in primary minerals that yield bases as they weather chemically over time. The constant enrichment of the soil explains the high soil fertility in a region where uplands develop Ultisols with low fertility.
Gelisols are soils of cold regions that are underlain by permanently frozen ground, or permafrost. They usually consist of very recent parent material, left behind by glacial activity during the Ice Age, along with organic matter that decays only slowly at low temperatures. They are subjected to frequent freezing and thawing, which causes ice lenses and wedges to grow and melt in the soil. This action churns the soil, mixing parent material and organic matter irregularly and inhibiting development of a soil profile.
Andisols are soils in which more than half of the parent mineral matter is volcanic ash, spewed high into the air from the craters of active volcanoes and coming to rest in layers over the surrounding landscape. The fine ash particles are glass-like shards. Andisols have a high proportion of carbon, formed from decaying plant matter, so the soil is very dark. They form over a wide range of latitudes and climates and are generally fertile soils. In moist climates they support a dense natural vegetation cover.
Andisols aren’t shown on our world map because they are found in small patches associated with individual volcanoes that are located mostly in the “Ring of Fire”—the chain of volcanic mountains and islands that surrounds the great Pacific Ocean. Andisols are also found on the island of Hawaii, where volcanoes are presently active.
MOLLISOLS
Mollisols are grassland soils that occupy vast areas of semiarid and subhumid climates in midlatitudes. They are unique in having a very thick, dark brown to black surface horizon called a mollic epipedon. Most areas of Mollisols are closely associated with the semiarid subtype of the dry midlatitude climate and the adjacent portion of the moist continental climate.
In North America, Mollisols dominate the Great Plains region, the Columbia Plateau, and the northern Great Basin. In South America, a large area of Mollisols covers the Pampa region of Argentina and Uruguay. In Eurasia, a great belt of Mollisols stretches from Romania eastward across the steppes of Russia, Siberia, and Mongolia. Because of their loose texture and very high base status, Mollisols are among the most naturally fertile soils in the world. They now produce most of the world’s commercial grain crop. Most of these soils have been used for crop production only in the last century. Before that, they were used mainly for grazing by nomadic herds. The Mollisols have favorable properties for growing cereals in large-scale mechanized farming and are relatively easy to manage. Production of grain varies considerably from one year to the next because seasonal rainfall is highly variable.
A brief mention of four suborders of the Mollisols commonly found in the United States and Canada will help you to understand important regional soil differences related to climate. Borolls, the coldclimate suborder of the Mollisols, are found in a large area extending on both sides of the U.S.-Canadian border east of the Rocky Mountains as well as in Russia. Udolls are Mollisols of a relatively moist climate. They used to support tall-grass prairie, but today they are closely identified with the corn belt in the American Midwest, as well as the Pampa region of Argentina.
Ustolls are Mollisols of the semiarid subtype of the dry midlatitude climate, with a substantial soil-water shortage in the summer months. They underlie much of the short-grass prairie region east of the Rockies. Xerolls are Mollisols of the Mediterranean climate, with its tendency to cool, moist winters and rainless summers.
ARIDISOLS
Aridisols, soils of the desert climate, are dry for long periods of time. Because the climate supports only very sparse vegetation, the soils are low in organic matter. They are pale-colored, ranging from gray to red. They may have horizons with significant accumulations of calcium carbonate or soluble salts. The salts, mostly containing sodium, make the soil very alkaline. The Aridisols are closely correlated with the arid subtypes of the dry tropical, dry subtropical, and dry midlatitude climates. Most Aridisols are still used for nomadic grazing, just as they have been through the ages. With low and sporadic rainfall, it’s difficult to cultivate crops. But with irrigation, Aridisols can be highly productive.
Soil Development
The Nature of the Soil
Global Change and Agriculture
Mapping Global Land Cover by Satellite
Climate and Altitude Gradients
Desert and Tundra Biomes
Savanna and Grassland Biomes
Forest Biome
Terrestrial Ecosystems — The Biomes
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ICCF October 30, 2018 Documents
Guest Commentary: The paradox of Pittsburgh: Nothing fails like success
(Orlando Sentinel, October 29, 2018)
By James Coffin
When we feel hopelessly inadequate to bring true comfort and consolation to those going through indescribable pain because of the evil that has been perpetrated against their family, their friends, their affinity group, their fellow humans, we sometimes search for a silver lining, some deeper implication, some overlooked fact that puts into a slightly different perspective the horror of what has transpired.
I recognize that my comments here will bring little immediate relief from pain. But they may help to inform and inspire our long-term response to the sinister challenge we currently face.
In business, there’s a paradoxical maxim that reminds us that “nothing fails like success.” I would suggest that this maxim is apropos to what the Jewish community and all people of goodwill are experiencing right now.
It’s when a company, a product or a process has become the industry standard that complacency may set in. Quality control may suffer. Research and development may lag. Customer service may deteriorate. In short, the sheer magnitude of success may constitute the enterprise’s greatest vulnerability and threat.
I suggest that’s what happening right now within in the great social experiment we call the United States of America.
On paper, our nation was founded on truly revolutionary principles. But right from the beginning, when it came to actual application, a significant gulf existed between the lofty promises of our foundational documents and the everyday reality for significant segments of society. Throughout our history we’ve been engaged in a slow but steady struggle to give substance to our stated ideals.
It hasn’t been an easy journey.
New inequities have emerged as old inequities have been corrected. Slaves were emancipated, only to face Jim Crow laws. Jim Crow was thrown out, to be replaced by only slightly less overt forms of racism.
Women received the vote, only to discover that voting didn’t automatically create a fair playing field in education, in the workplace, in numerous areas of life. They also learned that greater access to opportunity didn’t remove lower pay and widespread sexual harassment.
To stymie greater inclusion, organizations were formed with the declared goal of thwarting the progress of marginalized-but-gaining-ground groups. In the case of the Ku Klux Klan, for instance, African-Americans, Catholics and Jews were the victims of a range of intimidation, violence and atrocity.
But despite the efforts of those who feared forward progress, great strides have been made. The post-World War II period has seen an inexorable march toward greater equality and inclusion — much to the consternation of those who preferred the well-defined, well-regulated bigotries of an earlier era.
Even more frightening to some, a majority in society have declared that demeaning, denigrating, discriminatory language is no longer acceptable. In our words as well as in our actions, we’re expected to be decent and civil and to honor the humanity and dignity of all.
And the list of marginalized for whom fair treatment is being sought has broadened dramatically. We now even expect the earth itself to be treated with respect.
It’s a scary world for those still committed to yesteryear’s institutionalized inequities. The result is fear and anger — two of humanity’s greatest motivators. Add to this, unscrupulous leaders — who with a steady diet of half-truths, lies and propaganda, seek to stoke fear and fan the flame of anger, for personal and political gain.
That’s the social milieu in which a truly tragic figure in Pittsburgh amassed his weapons of destruction and developed his murderous plans in the hope of putting the brakes on the forward progress of equality and human dignity for everyone.
I fully recognize that my comments here won’t bring peace to those of us mourning the greatest assault on the Jewish community that our nation has ever witnessed.
But as our collective spirit heals enough to begin moving forward, we should take heart in the fact that this epitome of human failure was a misdirected response to the high-but-far-from-complete level of success already achieved in one of human history’s most honorable of humanitarian ventures.
James Coffin is executive director of the Interfaith Council of Central Florida.
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Social and Economic Situation
Structure of the local government of the municipal formation
Municipal symbols
The realized and sold investment projects
Investment grounds
Helpful information for investor
Guide to investment
Goryachiy Kluch district
of Krasnodar region
Investment portal
Hot line for investors
invest@admgorkluch.ru
Information about the municipality
Key Indicators of the Social and Economic Development of the Municipal Formation Goryachiy Klyuch City for 2017 (for Large and Medium-Sized Enterprises)
The average monthly nominal accrued salary for large and medium-sized enterprises (with consideration of the territorially autonomous subdivision) amounted to 30,134.3 rubles (103.2% against the previous year).
The volume of shipped goods of own production, work performed and services rendered for large and medium-sized industrial enterprises, with consideration of territorially autonomous subdivision, increased in 2017 by 5.8% in current prices in comparison with the same period of 2016 and amounted to 3,388.685 million rubles.
By the ‘mining’ type of activity, the volume of shipped goods increased by 6.7% (the Oil and Gas Production Unit No. 1 – a structural unit of Rosneft-Krasnodarneftegaz LLC – increased oil and gas production) and amounted to 1,529.9 million rubles.
According to the enterprises of the ‘processing industries’, the volume of shipped goods increased by 5.2% in comparison with the same period of 2016 and amounted to 1,635.8 million rubles, including by the following types of activity:
on the beverage production, the volume of goods shipped increased by 11.9% and amounted to 78.753 million rubles. (Rucheyok LLC increased the volume by 32.05%, while Goryacheklyuchevskaya Mineral Water Plant JSC reduced its volume by 4.42%);
on the furniture production, the volume of revenue increased by 5.6% and amounted to 8.24 million rubles (Goryacheklyuchevskaya Furniture Factory JSC).
For enterprises engaged in the transmission of electricity, the distribution of natural gas through gas distribution networks, the production of steam and hot water (heat energy), the volume of shipped goods, with consideration of the territorially autonomous subdivision, is increased by 5.8%.
on collection, purification and distribution of water, the volume of shipped goods was increased by 2.8% (Vodokanal Municipal Unitary Enterprise of the City of Goryachiy Klyuch).
During 2017, large and medium-sized enterprises of the city produced 172,599.8 thousand half-liter bottles of mineral and natural drinking water and 329.4 thousand decaliters of soft drinks (125.5% and 111.7% against the same period in 2016, correspondingly), 23,923 pcs. of tables and 19,438 pcs. of cabinets (97.2% and 105.9% against the level of the previous year, correspondingly), 16.98 thousand cubic meters of precast reinforced constructions and parts (137.6% against the same period of 2016), 154.8 mln. wall silicate blocks (81.2% to the level of the previous year), and 196.22 thousand square meters of slabs of cement, concrete or artificial stone (96.2% of the same period in 2016).
Agricultural Production
The volume of agricultural products shipped for large and medium-sized agricultural enterprises amounted to 99.812 million rubles in 2017 (52.2% against the same period in 2016).
In livestock breeding, the number of cattle in large and medium-sized farms amounts to 1,356 (83% against the same period in 2016).
As of January 1, 2018, agricultural enterprises sold 106.8 tons of livestock for slaughter in live weight (66% against the same period in 2016).
27.1 thousand tons of organic fertilizers were delivered to places of its application, of which 29,300 tons were applied on an area of 1,465 hectares.
The sown area in the spring period was 6,586 hectares (100% against the same period in 2016).
As of January 1, 2018, 4,700 tons of pressed hay and 751 tons of straw were harvested.
In the first decade of August 2017, harvesting of cereals and leguminous crops was completed. In total, 3,295.8 tons were collected (100% against the same period of 2016). The average yield amounted to 35 c/ha (109% against the same period of 2016). The increase in the yield of grain and leguminous crops is associated with an increase in cultivated areas of these crops and an increase in yields due to favorable weather conditions.
Harvesting of sunflower was completed in September 2017. In total, 552 tons were collected from 460 ha. The yield of sunflower amounted to 12 c/ha (that is by 2 c/ha more than in 2016).
A complex of afterharvesting works was carried out. 1,400 ha were cultivated (the plan was 1400 hectares).
The volume of work performed for large and medium-sized construction enterprises by using their own resources amounted to 129.867 million rubles in 2017 (or 84.9% against the same period of last year).
A decrease in the volume of work on the construction of buildings and facilities for Terem LLC against the same period of last year is by 29.814 million rubles, or 43.12%. The decrease is due to the fact that in 2017, Terem LLC mainly carried out work on the construction of residential buildings under shared construction participation agreements, and the amount of work performed was accounted for as an economic benefit, determined after completion of construction and commissioning of facilities.
The volume of work performed on the Goryacheklyuchevskoy Division of the Road Construction Department No. 1 CJSC increased by 6,717 million rubles, the growth rate amounted to 108.02% against the same period in 2016.
During the reporting period, the construction of low-rise and multi-apartment houses was carried out in the territory of the Municipal Formation. For the 12 months of this year, 58,734 square meters of housing were commissioned in the territory of the MF (decrease by 17.6% against the same period of 2016), including: 652 apartments with a total area of 35,554 square meters were commissioned, and 114 individual residential buildings with an area of 23,180 square meters of housing were commissioned. The decrease is due to the extension of registration of ownership of individual houses under a simplified system according to the Federal Law No. 93-FZ of June 30, 2006 "On Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation on the Issue of Simplified Procedure for the Rights of Individuals to Particular Real Estate".
A route network consisting of 8 urban and 12 suburban routes operates in the territory of the Municipal Formation, which are serviced by 3 individual entrepreneurs.
The number of vehicles servicing municipal routes is 44 pcs. All carriers serving the municipal route network work under contracts concluded on a competitive basis.
2.513 million people were transported by public transport during the reporting period (98.3% against the same period in 2016). Passenger turnover amounted to 29.9 million passengers-km, or 100.1% to the same period in 2016.
239.1 thousand tons of cargo (102% compared to the same period in 2016) were transported by automobile transport of large and medium-sized enterprises of all types of activities during the reporting period. The cargo transportation was increased in the following enterprises: Rucheyok LLC by 12.2%, and Terem LLC by 12.3%. The cargo transportation was decreased in the following enterprises: Goryacheklyuchevskoy Mineral Water Plant JSC by 1.6%, Rubin Agro-Production Firm LLC by 6.6%, and Goryacheklyuchevskaya Furniture Factory JSC by 25.7%.
The cargo turnover amounted to 11.4 million tons/km (100.5% against the same period of 2016).
The volume of products shipped, works performed and services rendered by large and medium-sized enterprises engaged in transportation and storage by using their own resources amounted to 106.7 million rubles. (a growth rate is 80.3% against the same period of the previous year).
The railway passenger transportation is carried out by the North Caucasian Railway, a branch of Russian Railways OJSC. There is a railway station Goryachiy Klyuch in the territory of the MF, which includes a railway station, a locomotive depot, a gravity hump and turnout tracks. The total length of the station tracks is 10,148 m. And the number of employees is 150 people.
Consumer’s Market
The volume of retail trade turnover for large and medium-sized enterprises (with consideration of the territorially autonomous subdivision) in 2017 increased by 27.7% in current prices against the same period of 2016 and amounted to 30,213.2 million rubles.
The catering turnover for large and medium-sized enterprises (schools located on the territory of rural districts) in 2017 amounted to 10.64 million rubles in current prices, i.e. decreased by 23% against the same period in 2016.
The volume of paid services to the population provided by large and medium-sized enterprises (with consideration of the territorially autonomous subdivision) in 2017, namely by SBSV Holding, amounted to 2,674.1 million rubles, or 91.75% against the same period in 2016.
Resort and Tourist Complex
The volume of services rendered by large and medium-sized enterprises of the resort and tourist complex (with consideration of the territorially autonomous subdivision) in 2017 decreased by 5.8% in the current prices against the same period of 2016 and amounted to 401.35 million rubles.
118,268 people, including unorganized tourists took a rest in the territory of the MF the city of Goryachiy Klyuch during 12 months of 2017. This figure was 97,017 people in 2016.
The average occupancy rate of health resort institutions for the reporting period amounted to 75% in 2017.
The average cost of one bed in a sanatorium amounted to 2,628.2 rubles. This figure was 2,553.2 rubles in 2016.
Currently, the health resort and tourist complex of the MF Goryachiy Klyuch is represented by 53 economic entities. The "Lesnoy Provans" Recreation Center, a countryside residence for 40 rooms, was commissioned in March 2017. And the new motel "Gnezdo Lastochki" was commissioned in June 2017.
In order to ensure the occupancy of the health resort facilities in 2017, the promotion of the health resort Goryachiy Klyuch at the regional and international levels, the Administration of the Municipal Formation Goryachiy Klyuch together with industrial enterprises attended a number of specialized exhibitions in 2017.
Investments and investment projects of Krasnodar region
© Administration of Goryachiy Kluch district of Krasnodar region
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Posts Tagged: britishmainland
The Final Countdown.
On 14/10/2004 - british mainland blog
From Ullapool I headed East to Lairg, changing my initial plans which would have taken me North to Tongue then East along the North coast road to John o’ Groats. I had decided on this course of action following a very close encounter with a vehicle on the way to Ullapool. Facing the oncoming traffic (as you do), means that one is not always aware of vehicles heading in the same direction that perform overtaking manoeuvres without consideration. Just inches away from serious injury or death, I believed the coast road might have too much traffic and reworked my route accordingly.
From Lairg I would be spending the last week camping wild, finding a spot to pitch with suitable shelter from the elements as well as a supply of water. This turned out not to be the case, a good look at the maps indicated a couple of buildings, and although there was nothing to indicate exactly what they were, I sensed that they were bothies, well placed on my route to have short walks for two consecutive days with time to stop and listen to the England v Wales World Cup Qualifier on the wireless.
Into the last week, I was counting down the days to the end, as the forecasts of the maximum night temperatures were dropping in correlation. The number of pairs of socks in my rucksack was also decreasing at a steady rate. Why carry dirty, wet and threadbare socks?
The final three days were spent walking along quiet roads, the wind blowing across the bleak moors and farmland that reminded me of a landscape closer to home. The roads were long and straight and uninspiring, but seeing the coast and the island of Stroma as I approached John o’ Groats raised spirits as the end was now almost literally in sight.
As I walked towards Dunnet Head from Jo’G’s, (day 174), the rain gave way for a brighter afternoon. Spurred on, I quickened along the empty road of the headland, the milestones indicating two miles and then one mile to the lighthouse. At the Northern most point of the island I sat alone and gazed out towards Cape Wrath, the sun casting a beautiful orange glow along the coast. I was 472 miles from my start point at Lowestoft Ness, although I had walked two thousand and seventy odd miles in 174 days to arrive here, (taking the scenic route I suppose). This was the end of my incredible journey and I felt a warm sense of pride from what I had achieved, and privileged to have seen so much of this land, though there is still much more.
britishmainland
The Bothy Run.
From Ardnamurchan the weather was rancid. After such a beautiful day at the Western most point of the mainland, my journey would now continue through a sustained period of wet and windy weather.
The first night I woke as the wind battered my tent. I decided to turn it around as the rain lashed down and settled down again only to wake in the morning in a lochan, comfortable in a waterbed sort of way but with soaking kit. That afternoon I was so wet that I stopped caring about the constant rain and the footpath that was just another tributary, and in a strange sort of way, actually enjoyed the walking. I had two more nights in the tent before I would make Glenfinnan, and from there, the bothy run.
In the next seventeen nights I would spend all but three in sheltered accommodation. This would include 10 bothies, the bunkhouse at Inverie, 2 nights at the Scottish Youth Hostel in Ullapool and a semi-derelict cottage-cum-barn that I happened across (location undisclosed).
As the weather continued to be “inclement”, (more like excrement), it was a major relief and psychological boost to know I would be arriving at a building with room to hang wet kit and on some occasions, sufficient wood for a modest fire. The quality ranged from old cottages to a really basic form of shelter such as a barn or large garden shed. Whatever they were, I was pleased that the route I had plotted passed by so many, carrying me through the Glens at a nice steady pace with not too much distance between them.
The only thing bothering me at this stage of my journey was the number of ticks I had encountered along the way, or rather Lyme’s Disease. It’s very rare (“more likely to win the lottery” the nurse in Minehead informed me), and I’m not one to worry unnecessarily, but I was displaying some of the symptoms and although I could explain each of them in the context of walking nearly 1900 miles in the last 5 months, I thought it best to get checked out. The doctor at Ullapool took a blood sample for testing and said he’d call me in a couple of weeks. I may buy a ticket for the midweek draw, if it’s a rollover.
Way Out West.
I headed down from the summit of Ben Nevis by the tourist trail, a very busy and rather uninspiring route if like most of the people, used for both the ascent and descent. I camped in a sheltered spot offering a splendid view from the North. After another couple of days of gorgeous sunshine, ensuring my recovery from the lurgy was complete, I set off for Ardnamurchan.
Much of the walking was by road and the weather had turned, lots of rain and strong winds. However I reached the Western Limit on a day of clear skies and warmth, sunbathing by the lighthouse, in no particular rush. My progress was slow either because of very bad weather or due to very good weather, there was no happy medium allowing a greater daily mileage.
I really liked Ardnamurchan Point, it wasn’t nearly as busy as the Lizard or Lands End, yet more beautiful, with the views out across the sea to the islands, rising from the clear water. Eventually I headed off along the shoreline on the North coast of the peninsula, passed a group of seals basking on the rocks and pitched my tent as the evening brought the day to an end. The final leg of my journey would begin tomorrow.
Cracking Ben Nevis.
It seemed to be fate. Not reaching the Upper Limit at the first attempt meant I would be there on a day like this. Perfect weather conditions and I didn’t see a soul until I reached the crowded summit.
Onward and Upward (and Down with the Lurgy).
At the end of the Pennine Way I had completed over 1500 miles of my marathon and the legs were feeling a little heavy. Perhaps the heavy going had begun to take its toll or maybe I was feeling sympathy for our Olympic athlete! Who knows? It would be another week before I reached the West Highland Way, through the Scottish lowlands, following the River Tweed and seeing a number of Herons along the way. The walking was a mixture of good paths, non-existant paths and old railways, now part of the National Cycle Network, and canal towpaths.
It was during this time that I was asked the most amusing question so far. Having camped in a field by a track leading to a popular fishing spot, I was woken at about 6 a.m. by a group of three heading home. One was very interested in what I was up to. I peered out of my tent to be greeted by a young fella, can of Tennants in hand, pupils the size of saucers, with 1001 questions, but without the time to ask them all or listen to the answers. It was his 8th or 9th – Are ye on the run ? I assured him I was just walking and he left me to it. Not wanting another visit I headed off by 7.30 and was soon passing through Cumbernauld. Not much to say about the place except that I had probably now seen the worst place on my travels. Never to return.
The West Highland Way was great. Easy walking and lots of interesting people along the way. I had walked over 200 miles in 11 days to reach Kinlochleven, just South of Ben Nevis, including a 3 hour burst from Kingshouse up the Devil’s Staircase where I would meet a colourful character from Falkirk. I had picked up a jacket on the ascent, obviously left in error and returned it to it’s owner on the way down to Kinlochleven at which point he produced a bottle of Scotch from his rucsack and offered me a wee dram. He told me where he was staying and promised me an ale or two for my troubles. I headed down to pitch my tent which was wet from that morning and met up with him later. Looking a little confused I asked if he was OK. “I fell asleep”, he informed me, “on the way down, woke up with midges in my mouth”. At least he was safe.
Meeting a mate from Sheffield the next day we planned our next two days, staying in a bothy overnight before heading along the Grey Corries towards Ben Nevis. It was not to turn out that way. I felt a little out of sorts, not sure exactly what was wrong, yet knowing something wasn’t quite right. I put the consistency of my morning constitutional down to the butterscotch Angel Delight from the previous night, but had little enthusiasm for what should have been a significant day on my adventure. Eventually we had to call it a day and headed down to safety, passed the filming of Harry Potter 4 at Glen Nevis, energy spent.
I lay in my tent the next day, flushing my system with mugs of tea, (NB: Do not attempt to fart!) and had recovered enough the following to eat again and got dropped off where we had left the hills, ready for another attempt.
The Pennine Way Revisited.
It was great to see so many familiar faces again and to catch up with the news, and I set off from Edale along the Pennine Way on a sunny Sunday, refreshed and happy. This, of course, is where the Island Limits story began. I had completed a North-South Pennine Way walk on 6 June, the day before Argentina v England in the 2002 World Cup, and slowly set about devising my next outing. I had no idea how it would turn out, but that chapter is for another day.
It was only a few hours from Edale before I had met up with an old friend who would accompany me for the next two days. We headed towards Bleaklow from the Snake Pass, impressed by our surroundings on such a clear day. After descending for an hour or so, we realised that too much chat and the distraction of not being in thick fog (map and compass would have been used) resulted in a slight deviation from our intended route. No matter.
After another rest day at my Mothers (full laundry service and a roast meal) I set out again, into Bronte country. I had avoided a serious downpour whilst being pampered and would enjoy fine weather for a couple more days, parallels with the first ‘leg’ back in April. It was during this initial period that I came across something rather interesting.
At Pinhaw Beacon on Elsack Moor, my attention was drawn to a piece of litter. I often pocket dropped items in remote areas, except tissue paper, which this was. However, as I approached this offending item, a napkin from a local Fish & Chip shop, I noticed some writing – a note! I have taken the liberty of displaying it in my shop window – call it a Bagpuss moment. Anybody wishing to claim their lost property can contact me in complete confidence.
For the rest of the Way, not a day passed without at least a distant rumble of thunder. Mostly though, it was rain, rain, and just a few more million drops of rain for good measure. The familiarity of the route was at times a double edged sword. Knowing what lay ahead meant few surprises, although knowing what lay ahead (the miles and miles of saturated peat bog) was no surprise.
I had met a number of fellow walkers along the route, many attempting the whole lot. The weather had taken its toll, dampening enthusiasm and sapping spirits, but a determined lot they are, and congratulations to all who completed their trip. It was a trying time.
Ton Up!
Setting out along Offa’s Dyke Path I was again accompanied by acorns, the symbols used to way mark all of the National Trails. The walking was easy going, following the Dyke at times, then dropping down to the River Wye and then a 10 mile stretch to Hay-on-Wye along the high level route offering views across the Brecon Beacons beneath their dark skies. At Hay, apart from many shed loads of books, was a recently arranged rendezvous with a mate, needing to escape city life. A couple of days chillin’ out with familiar company (we didn’t walk a great deal) spurred me towards and beyond the Inland Limit as I made arrangements to meet up with a number of the Poker crowd as well as members of The Death Penguin in Edale.
I crossed back into England for the final time whilst quietly chalking up 1000 miles and I now had a new pair of shoes on my feet. The first had lasted over 900 miles and were now safe from further abuse until mounted on a plinth to commemorate this first challenge. Making haste across the fine Shropshire landscape I was uncertain whether I would make it to Edale on time.
The flat lands far from the sea offered little distraction and were covered quickly through Cannock Chase and along the canal towards Coton-in-the-Elms. On the evening of Sunday 25 July I entered the Shoulder of Mutton in the “Village of the Damned”. After being thoroughly entertained by the punters, I departed into the fading light and found a quiet spot for the night before exploring the area in the morning. The farm in question was unwelcoming to say the least. Everything about the place said “stay away”, “don’t come near” or “Tony Martin lives here”, and as I was satisfied I had reached my intended point (as near as damn it, anyway) I retraced my steps for a number of miles before striking North towards the Peak National Park.
My greatest wildlife coup since watching a basking shark for the first time on the Southern Cornwall coast would occur in Staffordshire with one, two, three badgers crossing the path just a few metres ahead of me late one evening.
Worries about lateness disappeared when two full days from the Edale meetings and only 8 hours walking time remained, allowing the familiar landscape of the Derbyshire Dales to be fully appreciated, along with the weather, very warm and a little sticky. Ninety-nine days had elapsed since departing Lowestoft as I rested up and enjoyed the company of many good friends.
Computer says No.
Text for this section has vanished. Like an old oak table.
There is a team of crack experts working to recover the missing files.
From Kernow With Love.
It’s difficult to find the words to describe this leg of my journey. It is best to tell you that the pace dropped from 15-20 miles per day to no more than 10 m.p.d. The weather, I have pleasure in telling, was hot and sunny. It was so hot and sunny the backs of my hands were blistering despite multiple applications of sun cream each day.
Dotted along this stretch of coast there were people, myself included, lazing in the early summer sun and gazing across the vast ocean. Those that I passed while walking seemed to have been there for hours, and could have stayed for many more. No one appeared to be in much of a hurry. It matters not when time is seemingly at a standstill.
My progress was slow due to the continual inspection of this spectacular coast, carved by the constant action of the sea, and the irony had not escaped me that since leaving Lizard Point my destination was the Inland Limit, yet I was clinging, limpet style, to the shores of this island.
Camping out at the waters edge, high on cliffs and in the coves, watching the setting sun, I could have gone snap happy with the camera, capturing the sights. Yet the sights alone give only a partial view of what makes this corner of our island such a special place.
Roads to Kernow, where?
Heading along the beach from Lyme Regis my attention was immediately drawn to the cliffs as I heard the sound of a rockfall, a reminder, if one were needed, of the instability of this environment as the elements work to destroy that which has been created over millions of years.
I had two half-days on the coast – a taste of what was to come – before heading inland towards Dartmoor (via Exeter to see the FA Cup Final). The route leading to and leaving the National Park required walking along narrow country roads with hedges on both sides, a case of head down and swallow the miles.
I also had the misfortune of having my route blocked by military exercises taking place. Initially ignoring the red flags and declaring, “Today’s a good day to die.” I was to beat a hasty retreat on hearing the crackle of gunfire and seeing a mass of trained killers swarming up the hillside in the general direction of my path across the moor.
On reaching St Austell (mostly by road, occasionally on the coast path) and stopping for a wet break at my Dads static caravan/mobile house, I continued towards Helford Passage, again mostly by road and in the wet. It was here that the magic began for the next stage of my journey.
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Balboa Theatre, San Diego California
Date added: July 12, 2019 Categories: California Theater Retail Hotel Colonial Revival
As a major player in the establishment of live performance theatres and the sweeping business of motion pictures during the 1920's, the Balboa Theatre anchored this national trend in the most southern and western part of the country. In a city with an uncertain economic future following the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition, the Balboa was truly a pioneering effort on the part of its developer, architect and contracting team, and was a landmark the day it opened. The period of significance is from the grand opening in 1924 through 1930 which encapsulates the most successful period of live performance and cinematic presentations.
Following the 1915-16 Panama-California International Exposition in Balboa Park, that attracted 3.7 million visitors, many of means, the city was transformed by the event and an urban sophistication slowly began to happen. San Diego's population doubled in this decade rising from 75,000 to 148,000. The Balboa Theatre was a grand experiment in an economically volatile city.
In 1923 the Balboa Building Company was formed, initially consisting of Robert E. Hicks and Godfrey Strobek. The charge was to build a distinctive culturally based theatre to further exploit the Spanish Revivalism that the Exposition had precedented. The project was financed by the Southern Trust and Commerce Bank. The bank President was G. Aubrey Davidson, mastermind behind San Diego's improbable Exposition venture. The vision that was conjured from personal entertainment experiences of both Hicks, promoter and developer, and Wheeler, opera singer and architect, anticipated the region's potential.
Named for the Spanish explorer Vasco Nuriez de Balboa, the first European to discover the Pacific Ocean in 1513, the Balboa Theatre opened on 28 March 1924 with much promotion and local support. Conceived and developed primarily by Robert Ernest Hicks and designed by architect William H. Wheeler, the Balboa was meant to accommodate legitimate theatre use with a strong cinematic state-of-the-art component. Unlike other theatre houses being built on the west coast at the time, the Balboa was grounded in live performances while providing for the emergent trend of motion pictures.
The word describing live performances as 'legitimate' implies that the motion pictures were somehow 'illegitimate', a lesser art form. The talking 'movies' were beginning their ascendancy whereas vaudeville, in particular, was in its twilight. In this confluence of entertainment the Balboa staged both types of experiences successfully from 1924-1930.
Live performances; i.e.: vaudeville, circus-like acts, musical theatre and even a one time ice rink atop the oversized orchestra pit, were all part of the Balboa's celebrated past. Nationally significant vaudeville acts played on the stage of the Balboa, in particular, Fanchon and Marco who opened the theatre to great pomp. Thereafter this group composed, developed and tested their acts at the Balboa prior to going 'on-the-road'.
With regard to the Balboa's cinematic contribution the San Diego Union reported on 7 December 1923: "Cabrillo and Balboa Theatres affiliate with West Coast, Inc....Signing the largest moving picture theatre affiliation contract on record in California, Bob Hicks of the Cabrillo theatre is to be affiliated in the Cabrillo and the new Balboa theatres with the West Coast company."
Robert Ernest Hicks, developer of The Balboa, son of Charles Beverly and Annie Mathis Hicks, was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, on 22 September 1876. He began work in the newspaper business as a copy boy on The Owensboro Morning Messenger in 1885, starting a journalistic career which reached its peak in the lusty era when F.C. Bonfils and H.H. Tammen were the publishers of The Denver Post. As a reporter and editor on various Colorado newspapers, 'Bob' Hicks became a special correspondent for some metropolitan dailies and the Associated Press, covering big stories in Mexico and the western United States.
During the Spanish American War he was the City Editor of The Denver Times where he worked along side Gene Fowler and Otto Floto. The former became a noted screen writer and the latter a sportswriter and circus magnate. In Denver, Hicks became interested in theatre and managed several expositions and large outdoor enterprises. He met and married Charlotte Elizabeth Lewis of Denver on 21 May 1900. They had two children, James Herndon Hicks and Elizabeth Lewis Hicks.
The family came to San Diego in 1913 whereupon Hicks purchased and opened the Plaza Theatre in 1914. In 1915 he subsequently built the Cabrillo Theatre, less than a 1/2 block from the future site of the Balboa Theatre. Walter S. Keller was the architect on both the modest sized Plaza and Cabrillo Theatres. Keller, a New York City architect who had served in the Army Corps of Engineers prior to coming to San Diego, developed a noted career and became known for his fine craftsmanship and Spanish Revivalist design expertise that led him to several prominent building commissions.
Hicks would later envision building the remarkable Balboa Theatre with architect William H. Wheeler, another noted designer, opera singer and 'man of theatre'. Together they would assemble a stellar construction team that was the who's who of the construction industry, late of the San Diego 1915 Panama California Exposition, and effect their vision.
The Balboa Theatre operated continuously from then on, however, Hicks left the scene by the early 1930's. He returned to the newspaper business and worked for The San Diego Sun. From 1934 to 1938 he served as an editor on The San Diego Union. Additionally, he was a Potentate of the Shrine, a Commander of the Knights Templar, and a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason. He was also a member of Blackmer Masonic Lodge, President of the San Diego Rotary Club and the Cuyamaca Club.
His wife Charlotte was very active in local and national Eastern Star activities and preceded him in death in March of 1939. Robert Hicks was fatally stricken while at the wheel of his car enroute to Wyoming, on business, on 7 November of 1939. He was survived by the passengers of the vehicle, daughter-in-law Helen Lowry Hicks and grandchildren Patricia and Janis Hicks.
Architect: Wheeler, William H.
Location: 868 Fourth Avenue
County: San Diego
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Specialties All Specialties U.S. History (25) European History (14) Latin American History (8) Gender and Women’s History (7) History of Race (11) Military and Naval History (11) Religious History (5) Southern History (12) Asian History (1)
All Faculty and Staff
Faculty(49)
Staff(3)
Adjunct Professors(10)
Instructors(3)
Postdoctoral Researchers(1)
Professors(27)
Emeritus and Retired Faculty(8)
George C. Rable
grable@ua.edu
PhD, Louisiana State University, 1978
A study of the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and George B. McClellan.
American Civilization to 1865
American South to 1865
Literature of American History (Graduate)
Literature of Southern History (Graduate)
Graduate Proseminar on the Civil War
Walter Lynwood Fleming Lectures in the Southern History, Louisiana State University (2014)
SEC Faculty Achievement Award (2014)
Burnum Distinguished Faculty Award (2012)
Blackmon-Moody Outstanding Professor, University of Alabama (2003).
President, Society of Civil War Historians (2004-8).
Damn Yankees! Demonization and Defiance in the Confederate South (Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 2015).
God’s Almost Chosen Peoples: A Religious History of the American Civil War (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2010).
Recipient of the Jefferson Davis Award
Choice Outstanding Academic Title
Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg! (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 2002).
Winner of the Lincoln Prize
Winner of the Society for Military History Distinguished Book Award in American Military History
Winner of the Jefferson Davis Award
Winner of the Douglas Southall Freeman Southern History Award
A History Book Club Selection
The Confederate Republic: A Revolution against Politics (Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press, 1994).
Civil Wars: Women and the Crisis of Southern Nationalism (Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1989).
Winner of the Julia Cherry Spruill Prize
But There Was No Peace: The Role of Violence in the Politics of Reconstruction (Athens, GA: University of Georgia Press, 1984).
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FCA lays out new rules for banks on reporting operational and security incidents to customers
On Wednesday 15th August, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) will enforce new rules requiring providers of personal and business accounts to publish information that will help current customers to compare bank accounts from different providers. Banks will have to report major operational and security incidents that have taken place and disclose whether 24-hour customer helplines are available.
The pressure for banks to report system failures is further compounded by the Bank of England and FCA’s fast approaching 5 October deadline, by which they must report on their exposure to risks and how they will respond to outages. With customers having more visibility and banking options than ever, finding new ways to mitigate risk is top of mind for banks in order to maintain their reputation as secure and trusted institutions.
Financial Services firms are increasingly moving from a product-centric approach to cybersecurity. Instead, they are focusing on compartmentalising and individually securing their critical applications, such as online banking or interbank payments, in order to prevent a domino effect if one area comes under attack.
But due to outdated infrastructure, it can be difficult for financial institutions to gauge how applications are built into the network and communicating with each other in real time. This is a crucial first step when it comes to writing security policies for individual applications, and consequently preventing operational and security incidents, says Nick Hammond, Lead Advisor for Financial Services at World Wide Technology.
Nick Hammond, from World Wide Technology, comments: “Financial Services firms are under significant pressure to be both quick and transparent when it comes to reporting operational and security incidents. To alleviate this pressure and maintain stringent security, they are working towards ensuring a high level of application assurance.
“Whilst older rules required yearly tick-box compliance exercises, new regulations necessitate continued assurance of critical applications. But the complex nature of existing systems throws a spanner in the works. Legacy infrastructures were often built with different and sometimes conflicting metrics over the years, meaning that an intricate patchwork of applications communicate with each other in complicated ways.
Nick Hammond continues: “The network of opaque interdependencies creates a big hurdle for banks, which means many are drawing on infrastructural expertise as the first step towards securing their internal software. By gaining insight into infrastructure, firms can create a real-time picture of the entire network, allowing them to confidently rationalise the way that different applications share data within the system.
“Consequently, firms can fit the right security policies to each segmented application, preventing unnecessary or illicit data flows. In turn, this will help them maintain their reputations as trusted and secure institutions.”
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ILP Institute Insider
Solutions to x: Researching across disciplines
Andreas Mershin researches across fields and disciplines to develop and spawn technologies as they relate to industry, progress, and well-being.
Daniel de Wolff
Andreas Mershin has a general disregard for labels and the boundaries between scientific fields. Hence, his Label Free Research Group. “We focus on doing great research and then we find out what field it is in—after all, Nature doesn’t know or care what field you’re supposed to be in,” Mershin says. His varied background and atypical trajectory, from theoretical physics to biophysics and neurobiology, earning his MSci in physics and cosmology from Imperial College London and his PhD in physics and biophysics from Texas A&M University along the way, have not only fostered his inquisitiveness but have also supplied him with the necessary skillset and mindset to work across fields and disciplines with an uncanny ease that would confound someone with a more rigid scientific belief system. “In science, as in life, you need to be ready to change your mind when the evidence presents you with something different than what you thought,” he says.
Andreas Mershin
Center for Bits and Atoms
When Mershin first came to MIT his work focused on increasing the efficiency of bio-solar cells, which use organic matter to generate electricity. Building on the prior success of Dr. Shuguang Zhang's MIT Lab for Molecular Self Assembly and using photosynthetic materials purified by Professor Barry Bruce's team at the University of Tennessee, he established a new collaboration with Professor Michael Graetzel's group at Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, which had one of only two certified solar simulators available on the planet capable of delivering accurately realistic illumination to such biophotovoltaics. Mershin managed to increase the actual external efficiency of biophotovoltaics by over 4 orders of magnitude, which still stands as the world record for biophotovoltaic efficiency. His team became known as the "folks making electricity with plants," and their reputation inspired a nascent Boston-based startup to approach them with their patented technology for harvesting what eventually became known as "bio-energy" directly from trees.
With the intention of solving the young startup’s inability to sufficiently explain the source and mechanism behind what the newspapers and magazines were calling “tree power,” Mershin hired Christopher Love, then an undergraduate Chemical Engineering student, and they spent several months exploring the process to understand the source of energy. Their research demonstrated that energy harvesting circuitry is in fact powered by the work of a tree’s systems that seek to maintain a constant pH differential between the tree and the soil. Voltree Power, a startup co-founded by Mershin, was spawned out of the realization that a network of wireless tree-powered mesh sensors could be designed for the direct use of the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. Voltree gained traction in the MIT100k competition before deploying two waves of satellite-enabled sensors, including one at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina during a 400acre controlled burn of a forest designated specifically to study the usefulness and technical application of real-time data collected from around and even inside active wildfires.
In 2015, hoping to understand and replicate the calm, focused state of mind he enters while flying his plane, Mershin invented Self-Calibrating Protocols (SCP), and with his team built electro-encephalogram (EEG) sensors to track and reproduce brainwaves. In his own words: “We accidentally invented the first portable, wearable, practical pain detector.” Several years later, Mershin co-founded mindboostr.com, a human performance enhancement company that uses SCP on consumer-grade EEG sensors such as choosemus.ecom combined with proprietary, personalized machine learning algorithms for AR and VR related environments. “We are at the beginning of a new era of human performance enhancement, using, among other things, neural feedback games and EEG signals,” says Mershin. “By externalizing our biosignals and feeding the information back into our cells, we are allowing conscious control of certain automatic system functions—hardware is no longer the issue. It’s about the software, and that is where mindboostr takes center stage in the conversation.” The work casts neurofeedback as a powerful non-pharmacological therapeutic alternative for treating ADD, PTSD, anxiety, addiction and chronic pain, as well as having the potential for providing increased productivity as a result. “Mindboostr provides users with the ability to operate at the level of clinical advice. We have every expectation that this will do as well or better than visiting your clinician for neural feedback treatment,” says Mershin. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mindboostr utilizes the same MIT-devised technology used in another of Mershin’s inventions, which he refers to as The Nose.
Mershin entered the world of machine olfaction in 2004, after reading a landmark study in the British Medical Journal on dogs detecting bladder cancer by smell. A few years later the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contacted him with a request for an electronic nose that would rival the ability and specificity of a canine trained to detect explosives. At the end of the DARPA Microfluidics Integrated Transduction RealNose phase I project, in which his team demonstrated up to 200 times more sensitivity than the DARPA determined limits of detection of a trained canine in specific odorants presented in clean background Nitrogen carrier stream, Mershin obtained sponsorship from GlaxoSmithKline to further understand GPCRs, the "G-Protein-Coupled Receptors” that are integral to scent but also play a role in everything from heat sensing and regulation to pain, toxins and touch, even sound and light. GPCRs, with their seven alpha-helical domains packed into a uniquely recognizable hexagonal 5nm barrel, appear to be nature's go-to sensors, actuators and transducers for all kinds of signals, which drove Mershin and his team's curiosity, as well as big pharma's well-targeted interest, to understand how cells sense and communicate with each other and the outside world of scents, drugs and neurotransmitters.
The nano-nose built by Mershin is the first and currently the only one of its kind, in that it tells you what something smells like as opposed to what it is made of. Think of a bomb sniffing dog: it doesn’t identify the structure or name of the explosive molecule, it perceives the general scent character of it. “We are looking at the emergent character, the scent principle,” says Mershin. “The real research is to figure out how we can replicate the function of trained dogs in identifying early signs of cancer, and we are actively working to devise machine olfaction systems that will fit inside your smartphone and alert you to early cancer so you can get checked out by a non-canine doctor —that is the mission.”
The goal has always been to focus on the research but to realize when it is time to introduce the technology for positive real world impact. “If you disconnect academia from industry you lose sight of what it is really like out there in the world,” says Mershin. Whether he is ignoring boundaries while designing a machine nose, exploring "the emerging physics of consciousness and quantum weirdness,” or nurturing inquisitiveness by co-founding and directing the Molecular Frontiers Inquiry Prize, which awards prizes at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm for the most intriguing questions posed by children, he is always interested in the cross-pollination of ideas, including as they relate to industry, progress and well-being. In fact, he has a message for ILP member companies: “You can’t make an MIT at home. Come to our labs, the Center for Bits and Atoms is happy to host you. Whether you are doing biology or material science, nanotechnology or electronics—we’ve got it all under one roof. We’ll help you figure out what you need for success.”
More ILP News
Designing medical devices to bend with the body July 17, 2019
iSoftStone partners with MIT ILP to solve urbanization and more in China July 9, 2019
Digital help for behavioral health July 1, 2019
Building a silk road for agriculture June 25, 2019
Archiving petabytes in pellets of DNA June 11, 2019
Boosting battery performance April 30, 2019
The inversion factor: Creating experience more than products January 16, 2019
Merging the human body and machines August 21, 2018
Reinventing the neural net chip for local analytics August 14, 2018
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MIT researchers 3-D print colloidal crystals
Technique could be used to scale-up self-assembled materials for use as optical sensors, color displays, and light-guided electronics.
Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office
MIT engineers have united the principles of self-assembly and 3-D printing using a new technique, which they highlight today in the journal Advanced Materials.
By their direct-write colloidal assembly process, the researchers can build centimeter-high crystals, each made from billions of individual colloids, defined as particles that are between 1 nanometer and 1 micrometer across.
“If you blew up each particle to the size of a soccer ball, it would be like stacking a whole lot of soccer balls to make something as tall as a skyscraper,” says study co-author Alvin Tan, a graduate student in MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering. “That’s what we’re doing at the nanoscale.”
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MUSIC AND THE JAPANESE BEETLES
TRABER NORMAN DOBBINS
"He was a Renaissance man," his daughter Carolyn wrote to me when I reached her to find out more about my dad's cousin Traber. I had heard of "Cousin Traber" all my life; as well as Cousin Percy, both of whom were sons of "Uncle Gaston." My dad had left Colorado in 1930, and there were no relatives from his side of the family who followed. Thus, when I started researching my family's history, everything "Dobbins" was new to me.
Traber was born in Las Animas, Colorado on November 25, 1896. His mother died when he was two, and he was raised by his dad and stepmother, along with a half-brother, Percy Dobbins. The Dobbins family were very musical. Gaston and his brother, Scott, were both musicians, playing horns in the Las Animas City Bands for many years and also belonging to the Colorado Springs "Midland Railroad Band." As an adult, Gaston worked as an accountant in the local beet factory, but his passion throughout his life was music, teaching music and leading bands. Traber followed his father's footsteps in music, early learning to play the clarinet, saxophone and well as other wind instruments.
Below is a picture of Traber in the Las Animas band circa 1910.
Traber enlisted in the Navy in March 1918 and served as a musician, 2nd class, in the Naval Band at the Naval Hospital, Ft. Lyon, Colorado, until his discharge in February of 1919, according to his obituary.
But why daughter Carolyn called him a Renaissance Man was that over his lifetime not only was he active in the music field but he was interested and knowledgeable about all wild life (particularly birds and wildflowers), and high school and college sports of all type (football, hockey, basketball, bowling, etc.); he received a medical certificate from the U of Mississippi in 1924, his BS degree from Mississippi State College in May of 1927, and a MS degree from the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas in May of 1932, having completed courses in entomology, bacteriology, pathology, physiology, chemistry and physics and at various times was an instructor in schools of higher learning. In addition, in 1932 he was appointed a field aid in the Division of Fruit Insect Investigations, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, and in 1940 was assigned to the Japanese Beetle Labratory in Moorestown, New Jersey.
He was still actively engaged in his many interests at the time he unexpectedly suffered a heart attack and died in 1952. He left a wife, the former Vera Pruitt, and three children, Robert Norman, Carolyn and Beverly. He was buried with military honors in the National Cemetery at Beverly, N.J.
NOTE: Traber Norman Dobbins had a second cousin named Traber Norman. Their Grandmothers, Nancy Corel Dobbins and Mary Corel Puckett were sisters. My dad's grandma was also Nancy Corel Dobbins.
Posted by Bobby Dobbins Title at 9:17 AM 1 comment:
Labels: Corel, Dobbins, Norman, Percy, Pruitt, Scott, Traber
A CHILD TO REMEMBER
This is Kathy Fiscus, a darling little girl who lost her life way too early but in a way that probably more people in the United States knew of it than any other loss up to that time. You will understand that by the time you read her story.
She, a three-year-old, her five year old cousin, and her 9 year old sister lived in San Marino, California, and on the day of August 8, 1949 the three of them were playing in a vacant lot near her home. Suddenly the older two kids heard some faint screaming; Kathy was nowhere to be seen, but the kids ran toward the source of the screaming and discovered she had fallen through open hole - an abandoned well - in the ground, about 14 inches across and very deep, hidden by a clump of weeds and obviously long forgotten. They ran home to alert Kathy's mother, who ran quickly to the hole and called Kathy's name. She asked Kathy if she was ok, and her little daughter answered "Yes." That was the only and last word ever heard from her.
The story of the her rescue operation, which lasted 3 days, is well documented in news and visual media and it is worth looking up and re-reading. Television was in its infancy, and there is still a smallish group of people alive who sat glued to their new television set for three days, until her little body was finally brought to the surface. She was pronounced dead on April 10, 1949, but it is felt she actually drowned in the water accumulated in that old well shortly after she spoke her last word to her mother - "Yes."
Everyone from family to rescue personnel to volunteer workers on large and small equipment, to movie studios who sent large floodlights were so hopeful of a good result, and as with them, we who watched this event on TV all ended with broken hearts.
There is no good thing that can be said to come from such a terrible loss, but there was one major law enacted across our nation - "Kathy Fiscus Laws" - that requires all abandoned wells to be capped and filled in.
Although there are still a few of us who were alive during this time, it seems somehow improper to label little blond Kathy as an IMMORTAL NOBODY. But my thinking is that once we leave this place, her short life and her name are simply apt to be forgotten. So I gladly consider her a perfect candidate for an IMMORTAL NOBODY, and I would really encourage you to use the internet's wonderful resources to read and see the full story of Kathy Fiscus.
Posted by Bobby Dobbins Title at 3:21 PM No comments:
LILLIE AND RAYMOND MONROE
Clinton, Kansas - June 1917
"The fateful day, June 5, 1917, dawned hot and sultry, without a cloud in the sky. Popular wartime songs such as "Over There" vibrated from Gramophones, and the Clinton Draft Board had set up operations in the Community Hall (formerly the Congregational Church). Sometime after four o'clock, Merritt Woodward noticed a dome of angry clouds forming off to the west, and he decided to keep an eye on them.... Will Cummings, who had been injured by his horse, fretted in bed over his helplessness; the Monroe boy, whose parents worked for the Cummings, skipped to the Hout farm to get a bucket of milk for supper....
"Somewhat later, Merritt Woodward glanced again at the threatening cloud and discovered that its dark billows were swelling rapidly and soon would engulf the town....Suddenly the emergency was there, and no time was left for deliberation. Emma Cummings ...somehow, with her young daughter, conveyed hefty Will Cummings down the basement stairs and were helping him into a chair as the tornado hit. The Monroe boy, terrified, raced toward home, sloshing milk down his legs as he ran.
"Raymond's father, Green Monroe, also saw it coming, but it took him longer than he intended to lead the Cummings' four horses into the barn and tie them securely to a manger. As the fury struck, he decided not to run for the house. It was well he did, for although the barn was totally destroyed in the violence that followed, Monroe, the manger and the four horses were left unhurt. Monroe's family was not so fortunate. His wife, Lillie, was killed, as their house was shattered by the wind, and his son, who didn't quite make it home from Hout's, was struck by a two-by-four and fatally injured...."
The storm passed.
"The two Monroe victims were solemnly carried to the Methodist Church were Dr. Beach examined them and pronounced them dead. There they lay in state for townspeople to view and remember as a grim symbol of the fearsome power of nature.
"Why the tornado destroyed one building and not another, why it killed or injured so few people, and why it missed Bloomington altogether were questions pondered by Clinton residents as they cleared away the rubble and began to rebuild their town."
From Soil of Our Souls: Histories of the Clinton Lake Area Communities" by Martha Parker and Betty Laird, Parker-Laird Enterprises, 1980.
Labels: Bloomington, Clinton, Dr. Beach, Green, Hout, Lillie, Merritt Woodword, Raymond Monroe, Will Cummings
A LADY OF MANY TALENTS
Barbara L. Maineri
I normally do not use full obituaries for my Immortal Nobodies, but I am compelled to do so for Barbara. I knew her as President of the San Bernardino Valley Genealogical Society, and we became friends there. That group is not mentioned in her obituary, and I must confess that I had no idea she was so busy when she wasn't working to make sure our Society stayed functional and helpful! I am sure you will be as dumbfounded as I was when you read about this fabulous woman. I hardly knew her at all. But she was bright, sweet and kind, and all of the SBVGS members are better folk for having known her.
Barbara “Bobbie Nell” Maineri, 80 of San Bernardino, passed away in the early morning hours of February 6th, 2017. Barbara lost her seven-month fight with an extremely aggressive, very powerful cancer. Her passing was peaceful, without pain, and with her loved ones by her side.
She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Ronald Maineri; son Paul Maineri (wife Karen Joy); daughter Susan Madden (husband Patrick); daughter Karen Maineri (husband Michael); grandchildren Paul Nicholas Maineri; Connor, Caroline, and Clara Mae Madden; Pria, Blessing, and Masterson Young; brothers Gary Madden, Wade Rowland, and Bobby Graf. She was preceded in death by her daughter Marianne Maineri Whitehall, mother Fleida “Mimi” Cross, father Wade “Jack” Rowland, and brother Michael Madden.
Barbara LaNelle Rowland was born on October 11, 1936 in Houston, Texas. After meeting on a blind date, she fell in love with and married Cadet Lieutenant Ron. The two traveled the world together for 20 years, living in England, France, the U.S., and the Philippine Islands, and had four loving children along the way.
After Air Force retirement, the family settled down in San Bernardino where Barbara became a Realtor, then later earned her bachelor’s degree in education and a teaching credential from the University of Redlands. She taught elementary school before teaching at Job Corps where she was awarded “Teacher of the Year”. Later, she taught at the San Bernardino Adult School for many years. After retiring from her teaching career, she partnered with Ron to operate their successful rare stamp auction house. She is being recognized this April by the International Philippine Philatelic Society with a Lifetime Achievement award.
Barbara had a life-long love for sewing and was a passionate, prolific, and award-winning quilter. Quilting brought her great joy and was her creative expression. She was an active member of the Citrus Belt Quilters and held several offices including 1st Vice President. She enjoyed spending time with her quilting friends and always looked forward to their fun times creating together.
A long-time member of the First Presbyterian Church of San Bernardino, she made many sweet friends and was active in the Corsairs Mariners fellowship group.
When she was a young girl, her life dreams were to be a mother, a teacher, and to travel the world. She accomplished all these goals with love, grace, beauty, creativity, and humor. A friend to all she met, a protector to every stray animal, Mom and Grandmother to a fortunate few, and partner-in-life to one lucky guy.
Obituary from Citrus Belt Quilters.
THE UNKNOWN SAILOR
NAME UNKNOWN
DOB - DOD UNKNOWN
There is one fact and one observation known about him. This hand-tinted photograph was found in San Bernardino County, California, in the early 2000's loose among some boxes full of ephemera and given to the California Room of the San Bernardino Public Library.
There is an unusual story about these boxes. Some people die as wards of the county, having no relatives, unable to care for themselves and/or who depend on county funds for their very existence. When they die, the county sees to it that they are buried, usually in a Potter's field and mostly in an unmarked grave, and then cleans out the place where they were last living. Personal material such as photos, bibles and the like are boxed up and, in that time period at least, were sent to the California Room. The thought was that perhaps there was something in these boxes that would be of historical interest relating to San Bernardino. It was a good idea, but in practice, the employees did not have time nor experience in opening and sorting through all the material in these boxes.
I moved to San Bernardino County in 2000, and as a genealogist I offered to work in the California room. That is where I saw some 30 boxes of such material in a back room, waiting for someone to care. I cared. Over the course of five years, I sorted through these boxes, and dispersed whatever material I felt of value, threw away things like pictures of pets (a most difficult job!!), and then made an attempt using genealogical research skills at finding someone related to this deceased person - by way of the internet. I had some spectacular successes, a few times of reuniting some family item with a distant relative, and more than a few simply being thinned out and repacked.
In among these 30 boxes, I found this lovely sailor photo lying loose, probably escaping from one of the boxes. There was no identification on it, and it was not connected to any box. However, it was someone's son, and I couldn't bear to throw it away. I have kept it in my possession since I left San Bernardino County in 2005.
This much I have learned: Whoever he was related to died in San Bernardino County, California, sometime between 1990 and 2004. And if the fellow in the Veterans Club of Country Village, where I live, is correct, his uniform indicates that he is a Radioman/seaman apprentice.
I have kept this picture safe since I brought it home, but there will be a time when that will not be the case. I am trusting that by means of this posting on Immortal Nobodies, he will get the honor and respect that he deserves, and mostly, that he will be found by his family. It's up to you who read this to see that this happens and that the picture will always be retrievable.
Labels: Navy, radioman/seaman apprentice, sailor, San Bernardino County California
KEEPER OF THE PLAINS
If you have ever been to Wichita, Kansas, you likely saw The Keeper of the Plains, a 44-foot steel sculpture (shown above) set at the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers. The sculpture is the most famous work of Blackbear Bosin, a Comanche-Kiowa sculptor and painter.
Born Francis Blackbear Bosin on June 5, 1921, he was given the Kiowa name Tsate Kongia, which in English means Blackbear and was the name of his Grandfather, a Kiowa chief. Frank, as he was called, was born in Oklahoma but after high school he moved to Wichita, which he called home for the rest of his life.
He was essentially a self-taught artist, starting with crayons early in the reservation school in Anadarko, Oklahoma, where he was exposed to the paintings of the well-known “Kiowa Five,” a group of Indian Artists about a generation older than he was. In his teen years, which coincided with the Great Depression, he peddled small paintings door to door, selling them for a dollar or so. As an adult, he served in the U. S. Marine Corps during World War II. There was never a time in his life that he wasn’t involved with art; his first solo art show was in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1945. At that time he combined a Southern Plains flat style painting with surrealism. His painting style later evolved through many years of searching out the real lives and histories of the various Indian tribes so he could accurately represent them.
Of special interest is the attractive logo he designed for the Wolf Creek Nuclear Operating Corporation. His other artwork is in many collection.
My connection with Blackbear has a distant family link. It is easiest described in this way: My My Uncle Marvin and Aunt Florence Kimble lived in Wichita for many years. They became friends with Frank “Blackbear” Bosin and his wife, Nola. Nola and Florence had been best friends for years, and the husbands knew each other well. My Aunt Florence died in 1979. Blackbear died in 1980. And long-time friends Marvin and Nola married in the early 1980s. When Jerry and I went to Wichita to do some genealogy on my Kansas families, we visited Uncle Marvin and Nola, who were busy with the Blackbears. Ltd. Indian Jewelry Store. By that time Uncle Marvin was almost blind, and Nola was lovingly caring for him. It was then that we went to see the “Keeper of the Plains” and it was as beautiful a sight as one could hope to see.
FRANCIS BLACKBEAR BOSIN
June 5, 1921 - August 9, 1980
Labels: Blackbear Bosin, Florence, Keeper of the Plains, Kimble, Kiowa, Nola, Wichita
A VERY HAPPY FRIEND
BILL WARCH
The high school I attended (Poly High in Long Beach, CA was large by any standards. I graduated in the class of 1953, and there were about 900 in that class. I took what was then called the “college prep courses” but my real focus was in journalism. And it was the kids in the journalism classes during those three years who became my closest friends. Bill Warch was one of them.
He was one of the funniest kids I ever met – funny to be with and funny to listen to. He could take anything and turn it into something that would cause all of us laboring away under a deadline break into laughter. I was always afraid he was going to tell us we were too deadly serious, but no, he just had a knack for making anything funny.
As I recall, we had a short period of dating, but I really was not focused on my social life, so we just remained very good friends. Our journalism classmates probably were “grinds,” an early “epithet” for kids who were way too focused on work, rather than “play” – but Bill kept us laughing. He remained a special friend.
Finally we graduated, spread out to the various schools of higher learning and started our adult lives. I saw Bill again at our 5th High School Religion, and at that time he was engaged to be married and had already graduated from Long Beach State College. He was also studying with the “Players Ring” Theater in Hollywood, already starting to pick up some acting roles. He and I had met again at the reunion committee planning meeting. He was still funny, but with a little charm by this time.
When planning began for our 10th reunion, he phoned and asked if I’d like to ride with him to the committee meeting, as at that time both of us lived in Orange County and the meeting was in Long Beach. It seemed like a good idea; the big shock was that a very handsome 27 year old knocked on my door. I was still expecting to see the kid I graduated with, slightly pudgy and kind of funny hair, but age and experience had done a very good job on him. Yes, he still could turn things into laughable stories, but it was like we both finally had become adults. And we had, of course! That was the last I ever saw him.
I didn’t go to the 20th reunion because I had shortly before then divorced and wasn’t in any kind of condition to go to such an event. At the time of the 30th reunion, I had just married again, and had no desire to attend a reunion.
One evening in 1979 I opened the evening newspaper and in the obituary column saw that Rev. Bill Warch had died. I read it carefully and yes, it was the same Bill Warch that I knew, my funny friend – who at some point had left the acting profession and was now a well-known fellow in Anaheim who had actually founded a church he called “Church of Christian Living.” Furthermore, he had written books and handbooks that are still being sold today. His religion was not of a standard variety but you’ll get the idea when I quote from one “”If you are getting tired of being called a sinner yet you want to know yourself and God better, you are about to experience the most fantastic revelation in your life….” I could tell that Bill had channeled his own smiling and positive approach to life – the very same kind of mirth that I remember from those high school days – into his life’s work.
Unfortunately, it was a short life for him. I cannot remember the cause of death but it seems that it might have been something like leukemia. I am sorry I could never have told him how much fun being his friend was, not only for me but for the others in our little journalism group. The best I can do is to name him as one of the Immortal Nobodies that I never want to forget!
SHE TOLD ME IT WAS OK
MIV SCHAFF
Date of death - August 6, 1998
Big Lagoon, California
Miv was a writer. My path crossed hers (thought she didn't know it) when back in the mid-1970s I decided to change from the very-conservative newspaper in Orange County (The Register) to the LA Times, which was right up my alley - in all ways. And I always read it cover to cover.
It wasn't long before I discovered that my favorite of all things I read was her weekly column, "Writing for Yourself." I never knew what she would have to say each week, but it was always interesting, touching, surprising and special. Whether it was about family, houses, music or hobbies, after I finished reading it I always had something to think about. Her column reminded me that this kind of writing is what I always had wanted to do.
I can't pin down the year but it was probably in the late 1980s that I went to a talk she gave at UCI called "Writing for Yourself." I sat spellbound as she shared how it was that she came to write such a column and why it was important to her to do it. It was far and away the most life-changing talk I'd ever heard. I knew she was talking to me.
I have always written. I think I had a pattern to follow: from my earliest years I can remember my mother at her old typewriter "writing." In my files I have a copy of a 1941 letter of acceptance sent to her by a religious publishing company for an article that would appear in a handout to Sunday School children. Along with this letter was clipped a crisp $1 bill. This was the only thing she ever published, but she kept on writing all her life.
She also told me of my great-grandma Louise Hall Ryland being the ghost writer for a book on Caldwell, Kansas, where she lived. The family was very proud of her (although later critics called it 'purple prose.)
My younger sister also was a writer; her first recognition (and last) was winning $200 at a Forest Lawn-sponsored writing contest while a student at George Pepperdine College. She was far better than I at writing, but she had no drive for it. Yet when I did my self-published Istanbul cemetery book she edited it for me and it was oh, so helpful.
I have always written. The other day in tidying up my files I found once again all my school report cards from 1st through 12th grade, which had been bundled up and saved by my mother. I looked through them again and was shocked at how many of them had teachers' notes to the effect that I was "a good little writer." (Well, in the later years they didn't use "little"!)
It was Miv Schaaf who gave me permission to write for myself without waiting to publish. My first husband, who was lazy, always nagged me to write a novel so we could have more money. I don't think in "novels". Non-fiction was always my love. But I felt there was not much of a market for someone as mundane as I was, and I certainly was never a "creative" writer or thinker. But oh, how good I feel when I write something I like!
I think my kids are "sort of" aware that I do a lot of writing. I hope when I'm gone they will want to tackle some of it to see just who their mom was. But alas, I suspect I will fall in the category of Rev. Abner Peet as expressed in Edgar Masters' Spoon River Anthology.
I had no objection at all
To selling my household effects at auction
On the village square.
It gave my beloved flock the chance
To get something which had belonged to me
For a memorial.
But that trunk which was struck off
To Burchard, the grog-keeper!
Did you know it contained the manuscripts
Of a lifetime of sermons?
And he burned them as waste paper.
Nevertheless, I owe my pleasure in writing directly to Miv....her legacy to me was making me understand that writing for myself was OK!
Posted by Bobby Dobbins Title at 10:16 AM 1 comment:
COUSINS - OF THE VERY BEST KIND
DONALD RABERNE PUCKETT
9 Feb 1930 - 11 May 2004
In the late 1980s I was at a Family History Center on my lunch break, hoping to get a photocopy of some old marriage records on microfilm, showing 3 Puckett men marrying 3 Corel women in Tazewell County, Virginia in the early 1880s. I wanted to take these photocopies with me when I went to a Corel family reunion in a few weeks.
The fellow at the History Center, of whom I had requested them, insisted that I come with him into the adjacent LDS church because there was a fellow in the church whose last name was Puckett – and he thought we should meet. I advised him that I was on a lunch hour and needed to hurry back, but he was insistent.
Rather grudgingly I followed him into the church, where I saw a man vacuuming the carpet. “Brother Puckett, I have someone you’ll want to meet. She might be a cousin!” and with that, he introduced me to Don Puckett, a man volunteering some time at the facility.
Don said his Puckett was from Virginia, and I said mine was too. He then said his Puckett was from Tazewell County….and surprising both of us, I answered “Mine too.” I began unfolding the photocopies of the marriage licenses I had asked for, while Don, now wide-eyed, said “If you say his name is William Puckett, I’m going to faint.” In a kind of unchurchly-type voice I said, ‘No, Don, but it IT IS William’s wife, Louisa Corel Puckett that I’m looking for” and I handed him the papers showing that William Puckett and Louisa Corel were married on Dec 18, 1842.”
That made Don and me instant cousins, and after we gained our composure over such a fortuitous discovery, we exchanged phone-numbers and from that moment on, Don and I, and our spouses became fast friends and constant researchers. Every find we made in the Puckett and Corel families for the next 15 or so years was sheer fun….for him, it had religious connotations and for me it was a great hobby. Those differences never stood in the way of the wonderful kinship we had discovered.
Don was a smart, dedicated, charming and very funny man, who turned every genealogical “hunt” into a great event. We spent lots of time on the phone puzzling over a half-dozen Nancy Pucketts and which family they belonged to. We shared problems and we shared finds. All were made with more laughing that I’d ever done before or since. Don was a great cousin, a great friend and a fantastic researcher.
I am so thankful that the little man in the Family History Center overrode my desire to get back to work on time. (I was only a little late that day!).
Don passed away in 2004, and I am so thankful that we shared “cousinship” for those 15 years.
And in case you are wondering, we were 4th cousins - the very best kind.
Labels: Corel, Family History Center, genealogy, Puckett, Tazewell, VA
NOT ONE TO GIVE UP!
BLANCHE LANE TOMPKINS
July 6, 1923 - April 30, 2013
When you come late into a person’s life, you rarely have much of an idea about his or her background. I met Blanche in 2000, when I retired at 65, moved from Orange County and joined the San Bernardino Genealogical Society, of which she was a long-time member. I came to know her as a friend and mentor who was knowledgeable about everything San Bernardino-ish, having lived there as an adult for about 50 years.
She died in 2013, and it was in her Obituary I learned about her “other” (than genealogy) life. She was born in New Mexico, and at the age of 4 contracted polio, which left her crippled in spite of many treatments, surgeries and exercises. She spent her life in braces and crutches, but that didn’t stop her from becoming salutatorian at her high school and then graduating from University of New Mexico with a BS in Biology. In 1948 she passed the California State Board Exam for Clinical Medical Technologist and subsequently the exam for Microbiologist. Her first job, which she held for 10 years, was at the San Bernardino County Hospital, and then she spent another ten years as a microbiologist at Saint Bernadine’s Hospital, also in that city.
During this period of time she married Albert Elwood Tompkins and they added two sons to the family, Walter and William. Albert had served in the US Army during WWII, landing in Normandy on Utah Beach in September of 1944. He proceeded through France and Belgium and into Germany, meeting the Russians in Berlin.
In San Bernardino, Blanche was active in the Presbyterian Church, serving as a Deacon, member of the Session, Moderator of Circle of Hope and Presbyterian Women. And she was the one who invited me to a most interesting "Kirkin' O' The Tartans" service, after she learned that my distant ancestor in 1804 was ordained a Presbyterian minister.
Blanche was a lovely woman, warm, helpful, and smart. She knew every square inch of the California Room at the San Bernardino Library. I was lucky to spend five years of working with her as a volunteer; I did not know her background then, as she didn't spend any time talking about herself. She was there to help others.
I am glad I was counted as a friend and she certainly fits well in "Immortal Nobodies." I surely won't forget her.
Labels: California Room, Lane, Microbiologist, polio, San Bernardino, St. Berrnadines, Tompkins
WHO KNEW OF THE JAZZ MAN?
Rudolph Onderwyzer
If I had to characterize my first impression of college, I would have to be honest and say that my matriculation to George Pepperdine College, which took place in the fall of 1953, was the real beginning with my love affair of Progressive Jazz.
I did not know of Mr. Onderwyzer, who over time was the owner of three jazz clubs - Shelly's Manne Hole, The Lighthouse, and Hop Singh's. But what I did learn yesterday is that it was he who brought the venues into being featured progressive Jazz in Los Angeles. It was new, and trendy, and cool, and it touched my soul then and has stayed there for well over sixty years.
I was lucky that my college was so close to these venues. I saw musicians like Shelly Mann, Charlie Bird, Dave Brubeck, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Cal Tjader, Oscar Peterson, Chet Baker, Chico Hamilton, Herbie Mann, Freddy Katz - and others make music that is still my choice of listening pleasure. I'll venture to say that there are many others beside me who still feel that cool jazz running through their veins.
Mr. Onderwyzer later was aware of the changes in the music market, and when the cool jazz market changed, he retired as a Jazz club owner.
I did not know of Mr. Onderwyzer until his picture and bio ran in the Los Angeles Times yesterday announcing his death on October 10, 2017. I wish I had been able to tell him what an impact his life and love of music has made in my life. His family, should they accidentally stumble over this blog as they nose around online, will understand my feelings for Rudolph Onderwyzer and it is true, as his obituary ends with.. "He will be remembered by not only his children, but all the people whose lives his Jazz clubs and the music touched. You will be missed, Rudolph Marco Onderwyzer. Rest in Peace."
Mr. Onderwyzer really is not an "Immortal Nobody." He definitely is a Somebody, but I just didn't know it.
THE FAMILY STORYTELLER
DOROTHY DOBBINS KRETSCHMER
20 May 1904 - 15 October 1997
My dad's older sister, born in Las Animas Colorado, became the family storyteller. I'd like to share a bit of her written legacy - bits and pieces of what it was like growing up in the dry land farming area.
My parents, Maude McConnell and Scott W. Dobbins, were married December 28, 1898, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. They met the year before when Papa and his brother Gaston were members of the Midland Band in Colorado Springs, playing during the summer in Stratton Park. His family lived in Las Animas, Colorado, his father a rancher.
The wedding was held in Colorado Springs at the home of Lillie McCammon, Mama's widowed sister, with family and friends present, her mother Frances McConnell, brother Bert, Aunt Lillie's children, Hazel age 10, Floyd 8 and Frank 6. Papa's brother Gaston was there. His parents were unable to come because of illness. The young couple would live in Las Amimas on the ranch.
Ranch life was a new experience for Mama, different from farm life as a child and city life as a young woman. She would become an expert in the ten years they lived there. I arrived on the scene May 20, 1904, Dorothy Caroline, and was born in town rather than the ranch. My grandfather had died early in 1904 and Grandma soon moved back to Kansas to live. Uncle Gaston married Sophie Swanson in 1901. She was born in Sweden, came to Omaha, Nebraska when she was 22 years old. She had a friend in Las Animas whom she visited and that is how they met.
Papa raised hay and grain for the stock, and garden vegetables and melons. Mamma's very graphic accounts of ranch life never failed to entertain us, the one most exciting was of a bull snake who shared the kitchen with the family for a very short while! It was an adobe house and over the kitchen door was a hollowed out place where he lay at times. Mama's ultimatum was "Either he goes or I go", so Mr. Snake went. There was a pet goat and sheep always into some sort of mischief. One year Papa raised some prize melons which he planned to enter in the county fair. A day or so before the fair opened the goat got in the melon patch and took a bite out of every one of the choice melons! Papa was so angry he could have killed him. By the time he caught up with him his anger had cooled. Lucky goat!
We had two dogs, Beppo, a large shaggy spaniel type, and Tatters, a little short-haired Mexican dog. Both were my constant companions. One day I took a walk down the road, wandering too far. When I was missed, Papa got on his horse and found us near the river! That was a no-no; a whack on the seat of my pants was a reminder not to venture so far away again.
Nearly every Saturday night Papa and his orchestra played for country dances held in various places. Papa played the cornet, Ed Simons the piano, his brother Clyde the violin. Everyone young and old were there. The little ones were bedded down at one end of the dance hall, older children amused themselves or watched the grownups dance. Hazel was about sixteen when allowed to dance. The boys thought it was boring, Mama said! Papa didn't dance. Mama said she always had plenty of partners for dancing.
The years passed. Papa decided to give up ranching and moved the family in town in the early summer of 1908. A new baby was expected; my brother Scott Walter was born July 1st. Everyone was happy. Mama said I went to all the neighbors, telling them about my baby brother. I called him Buzz, as did the family. He carried the name on into late life, he is still Buzz to me. As a little boy he had curly golden hair and brown eyes. As he grew older his hair was dark brown. My hair was brown and straight as a string, my eyes brown. Mama had black curly hair, brown eyes and fair skin. Papa had blond or light brown hair and blue eyes. I think I resemble his family and Buzz our mother's.
Papa continued playing in the orchestra. They did the dances and in addition they played at the moving picture theatre five nights weekly. When we were old enough to go, our friends envied us. We got in free. Papa worked in a furniture store for several years and later was in real estate for dry land farming. I remember going with him in the horse and buggy out south of town to see some of the farmers.
Grandma McConnell (Bonnie) came to visit us in Las Animas often, usually staying a month or so. She always brought her featherbed rolled up, wrapped in canvas and tied with a rope. What a treat for Buzz and me to snuggle up with Bonnie in that feathery heaven. Once in a while Grandma Dobbins came to visit while Bonnie was with us. There was some rivalry between them but they usually enjoyed each other. Since we saw more of Bonnie we felt closer to her. Bonnie lived in a little three room house half way up the alley from the Wheelers. Uncle Charlie owned a lot on the street north of them. He built a house to sell and on the back of the lot he built Grandma's house. I spent many happy vacations visiting them.
We had a variety of pets, dogs, puppies, cats, kittens, chickens, ducks, fish, guinea pigs, polliwogs who lost their tails and became little toads and hopped away. One summer the little ducks followed the dripping ice wagon and we had to gather them up and take them home. Hortense, a large black and white mongrel whose favorite pastime was climbing a tree in front of our house. A nameless cat I loved to dress in my doll clothes and wheel about in my doll buggy. One episode ended when a strange dog came along barking, scared the cat who jumped out of the buggy and climbed up the nearest light pole, clothes in shreds. During the melee, dog barking, me yelling, cat yowling, Papa came to the rescue of the cat. Then my ever-patient father lost his patience and I got a spanking but good.
A favorite chicken, Josephine, grew up to be a beautiful rooster, who any time the screen door was left ajar, came in and made himself at home on the couch. Wow! that made trouble for chicken and kids. Towsie, a beloved mama dog who kept us supplied with puppies, a mama cat who abandoned her five babies and we were unsuccessful as foster parents. Freckles was a battle-scarred reddish cat that was really a rogue. He would be gone for days, dragging himself home to recuperate. Mama would nurse him back to health, only for him to repeat the performance time after time. Our last dog followed Buzz home one day. He named her Sport. We soon learned she would be having puppies. She was a beautiful tan and white, short-haired, nondescript breed, a big dog with a happy disposition everyone loved. She followed Buzz wherever he went. One Saturday night he went to the picture show and when he came out Sport wasn't there. When he got home Sport was having her puppies. By morning there were four darling puppies looking much like their mother. They thrived with Sport's loving care and the attention of family and boarders. We had no trouble finding homes for them.
(Watch for future installments.)
LILLIE AND RAYMOND MONROEClinton, Kansas - June 1...
KEEPER OF THE PLAINS If you have ever been to Wic...
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India’s heaviest communication satellite GSAT-11 launched successfully from French Guiana
Published by Kashmir News Trust on December 5, 2018, 5:20 pm
New Delhi: Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) heaviest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite GSAT-11 was successfully launched from the Spaceport in French Guiana during the early hours today.
The launch vehicle Ariane 5 VA-246 lifted off from Kourou Launch Base, French Guiana at 02:07 am (IST) carrying India’s GSAT-11 and South Korea’s GEO-KOMPSAT-2A satellites, as scheduled. Ariane 5 is one of three launch vehicles operated by Arianespace along with Soyuz and Vega.
After a 30-min flight, GSAT-11 separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The achieved orbit was very close to the intended one.
The 5,854-kg GSAT-11 will provide high data rate connectivity to users of Indian mainland and islands through 32 user beams in Ku-band and 8 hub beams in Ka-band.
“GSAT-11 will boost the broadband connectivity to rural and inaccessible Gram Panchayats in the country coming under the Bharat Net Project, which is part of Digital India Programme,” ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan said.
The Bharat Net Project aims to enhance the public welfare schemes like e-banking, e-health, e-governance among others.
He said GSAT-11 will act as a forerunner to all future high throughput communication satellites. “Today’s successful mission has boosted the confidence of the entire team,” Dr Sivan added.
Post-separation, ISRO's Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka took over the command and control of GSAT-11 and found its health parameters normal.
The scientists will undertake phase-wise orbit-raising manoeuvres in the days ahead to place the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator) using its on-board propulsion systems. GSAT-11 will be positioned at 74-degree east longitude in the geostationary orbit.
Subsequently, the two solar arrays and four antenna reflectors of GSAT-11 will be deployed in orbit. The satellite will be operational after the successful completion of all in-orbit tests.
In the last 21 days, ISRO successfully completed three satellite and two launch vehicle missions.
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Armed Bandit Dies in Attempted Holdup
Pharmacist outguns robber…
Working behind the counter at Good Family Pharmacy in Pinch, West Virginia, pharmacist Don Radcliff noticed a strange man walk in. The man’s head was covered with a hoodie, and his face masked by a white bandana. Since the weather was freezing outside, Radcliff didn’t feel comfortable with the man’s unusual attire.
Attempting to crack a joke, Radcliff asked the man if he was there to rob the store. The man didn’t respond, and that suddenly struck Radcliff as strange. “He didn’t say anything,” Radcliff said. “He didn’t reply. He didn’t laugh or joke with me. He didn’t pull his hood or mask down and that gave me an uneasy feeling.”
Surveillance videos inside the store recorded what happened next.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOq7iUFiXR4
The masked man, later identified as Terry Gillenwater, reached into his pocket and pulled out a handgun. Radcliff later said: “As soon as I saw [Gillenwater’s] gun, I went for mine. You can’t hesitate and I didn’t. I tried to close the distance between us because there was another student and an employee there and I definitely didn’t want them between us in a gunfight. If there was going to be a gunfight, it was going to be between me and him.”
The pharmacist fired three rounds from his .45-caliber pistol. Each bullet struck home. The first round hit Gillenwater in the chest while the second hit the robber’s gun, disabling it. Radcliff’s final round struck the robber in the abdomen. Gillenwater fell to the floor, mortally wounded.
While Radcliff attempted to treat the robber’s wounds, pharmacy staff dialed 911. Gillenwater, however, died on his way to the hospital.
Investigators concluded that Gillenwater’s intent was to steal prescription drugs. He had a history of drug abuse, and had recently entered a treatment center after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute Oxycontin. Kanawha County Prosecutor Chuck Miller stated that “Mr. Gillenwater had done some preliminary efforts to case the pharmacy. He had done some search[es] on his iPhone with respect to drugs in the pharmacy.”
Miller later told reporters that “it took a great deal of courage for Mr. Radcliff to pull his weapon and fire in the face of a weapon being pointed at him that was fully loaded with a round in the chamber. That takes a lot of nerve, but he was completely justified in doing so.”
The pharmacist, who had a concealed carry permit, will not be charged with any crime.
Notes about my blog…
A few days ago, my blog, “Kidnapping, Murder and Mayhem,” surpassed 1 million page views.
Influenced by Laura James’ outstanding blog, “CLEWS,” I wanted an online outlet to publish short true crime stories, as well as narratives about any other subject that struck me. I decided to stay away from political discussion since there are thousands of websites that cater to every nuance of the political spectrum. Two exceptions were the gun issue (I’m obviously pro-gun) and the death penalty (in certain narrow instances, I’m obviously pro-death penalty).
Here are a few facts about my blog.
I refuse to allow any advertisements since I loathe pop-ups and side-ads that distract from the content. In fact, I refuse to read the content of websites that have distracting ads.
I get many comments from readers, and I generally publish them whether the reader agrees with me or not. But I personally do not use profanity either in speech or prose and will not publish comments that contain foul language. I am exceedingly grateful to readers of my blog and always feel blessed when hearing from them.
I enjoy writing reviews about good books that I’ve read. For the last two decades, I’ve read almost no novels. To me, real life trumps fiction every time.
In my blog, I publish only material that appeals to me.
I’m interested in American history, particularly the history of my native Florida; the War Between the States; World War I; and World War II. I also enjoy learning more about unsolved cases. Some of these include the kidnapping of Dorothy “Dee” Scofield from my hometown of Ocala, Florida; the abduction of Amber Hagerman from Texas; and the kidnapping of Jennifer Kesse from Orlando. The brazen, senseless murder of Linda Raulerson, a convenience store clerk in Lake City, Florida, is another case I’d like to see solved. I’ve written two blogs about the Canadian kidnapping and murder of Sharin’ Morningstar Keenan, and her killer Dennis Melvyn Howe. How a career criminal who had never been out of jail for more than a few weeks at a time could escape police and remain undetected for more than 30 years leads me to believe that Howe died shortly after his escape, but I have no proof of that.
So a huge THANKS to those who have clicked into my blog, and particularly those who read it on a regular basis. I hope to continue writing it for many more years.
Posted by Robert A. Waters at 6:12 PM 2 comments:
Family Needs Solution to Sharon Marie Gill’s Unsolved Murder
25 years and counting…
Unknown to forty-two-year-old Sharon Marie Gill, a two-man crime-wave lived just yards away from her new home in Deep Creek, Florida. She and her husband, Percy, were missionaries who planned to retire in the Sunshine State. Sharon and daughter Krista, 17, had moved south a few months ahead of Percy (who was still working in Detroit) to get their new house ready.
On the afternoon of Wednesday, March 21, 1990, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call from Krista. The distraught teen sobbed into the phone that she’d returned home from school and found her mother dead. A report from the sheriff’s office stated that “[Sharon Gill] was found partially nude, stabbed multiple times, lying in a pool of blood on the master bathroom floor of her residence.” In addition to having sustained 38 stab wounds, Sharon had been brutally raped.
Investigators learned that she had been speaking on the phone with her travel agent when she heard a knock at the door. Before hanging up, Sharon informed the agent that she thought landscapers had arrived.
A few yards behind the Gill home, another family of transplants resided. Shawn Edward Malsky and his brother Scott hailed from Massachusetts—each had been in and out of trouble since their early teens. In Florida alone, Shawn had been arrested 30 times. In one case, he was convicted of injecting heroin into his girlfriend’s 4-year-old daughter. According to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, “Malsky landed behind bars again Oct. 31 after he allegedly shot heroin into preschooler Rylee Nantell and put a lighted crack pipe in her mouth. He reportedly told Rylee that smoking crack would give her energy, a sheriff’s report states.” Shawn is currently serving out a 16 year sentence for that crime. He had previously served prison time for crimes such as forgery, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, grand theft, and burglary.
Shawn Malsky is the older brother of Scott Christopher Malsky, who is currently serving a life sentence for raping and killing Pauline Farrington, an elderly Port Charlotte widow. Scott was also convicted of abducting, raping, stabbing, and setting on fire a 14-year-old girl. He is currently serving a life sentence for murder.
Immediately after Gill’s murder, investigators took a close look at the Malsky brothers, particularly Shawn. He was arrested and charged with her murder. However, after spending two years in jail awaiting trial, he was released. Investigators cited a lack of evidence, although to this day they continue to view him as a suspect.
In November, 2014, WBBH TV reported that “Sharon [Gill], 42, was stabbed multiple times in her home on Rampart Blvd. in Deep Creek on March 21, 1990.
“One very strong suspect, Shawn Edward Malsky, was eventually arrested for this murder.
“Malsky was living in the same neighborhood with his grandparents at the time. The charges were eventually dropped against Malsky because of an alibi.
“Cold Case detectives have recently discredited the alibi. Detectives are currently re-examining all evidence and witness testimony.”
Although it’s been 25 years since Sharon Gill’s murder, the family still grieves her loss. Family members have stated that DNA is available, but that no match has been made to any suspect.
If you have information about this case, please call the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office Cold Case Unit at 941-575-5361 or after hours call 941-639-2101, or email them at coldcase@ccso.org.
When Will Pamela Butler’s Killer be Executed?
Justice overdue…
The federal government has a poor record of carrying out executions. Only three men have been put to death since 1988: Timothy McVeigh, terrorist mass murderer; Juan Raul Garza, mass killer; and Louis Jones, rapist, kidnapper, and killer.
Hell impatiently awaits another 59, including Keith Duane Nelson.
The U. S. Court of Appeals published a summary of his crimes: “On October 12, 1999… ten-year-old Pamela Butler was rollerblading in the street near her residence in the same area. Nelson parked his vehicle at the side of the street and lay in wait. As Pamela skated near the slightly ajar door of the truck, Nelson quickly jumped out of the truck, grabbed her around the waist, and threw her into the truck. Pamela’s sister, Penny, observed the kidnapping and saw her sister struggling with Nelson in the cab of the truck. Several witnesses also observed the kidnapping, one of whom gave chase in his own vehicle. Although Nelson eluded him, the witness was able to write down the license plate number of the truck—Missouri plate number 177-CE2. Several other eyewitnesses verified the truck license plate number.
“Later that evening, the custodian of the Grain Valley Christian Church in Kansas City, Missouri, and his wife saw a suspicious white truck with Missouri license plate number 177-CE2 parked in the church lot. The custodian’s wife wrote down the plate number and noticed an afghan in the front seat of the truck. They contacted the police after seeing the kidnapping story on the ten o’clock news and informed them of the location of the truck. When the police arrived at the church, the truck was gone.
“The truck was found abandoned the next day in Kansas City, Missouri. A police dog that had been provided with some of Pamela’s clothing was dispatched to Nelson’s mother’s house and alerted to an afghan found inside the residence. That same day a large manhunt for Nelson commenced. On October 14, a civilian employee of a police department spotted Nelson hiding under a bridge. After he was spotted, Nelson went into the river and attempted to get away. When he made it back to shore, he was surrounded by railroad workers who detained him until the authorities arrived. After the authorities arrived, an onlooker shouted, “Where is the little girl?” Nelson turned to an officer and stated, “I know where she’s at, but I’m not saying right now.” His capture was broadcast live on television. The next day the police found Butler’s body in a wooded area behind the Grain Valley Christian Church. That discovery was broadcast on local television, and the United States Attorney held a live press conference from the discovery site. Subsequent investigation revealed that Pamela had been raped and then strangled to death with wire. The DNA in seminal fluid obtained from Pamela’s underpants matched Nelson’s DNA.”
A few days before snatching Pamela, Nelson had attempted to abduct Michanne Mattson, 20. The pretty medical student fought for her life, refusing to enter his truck even though she had been handcuffed. After hand-to-hand combat that seemed to go on forever, Mattson escaped.
Nelson, a career criminal who had recently been released from prison, was tried in federal court because of the Lindbergh Law—the kidnapping took place in Kansas but the murder was committed in Missouri.
KMBC.com reported that Nelson’s execution has been delayed because the government claims it has a “lack of funds to pay for the [appeals] of poor people charged with federal crimes.”
(Imagine that—the U.S. government can spend $175,000 “to determine if cocaine makes Japanese quail engage in sexually risky behavior,” but they summarily delay executions because, as KMBC.com reports, “federally funded lawyers don’t have the money to pay for travel and witness fees.”)
Pamela’s mother, Cherri West, figures it’s time for the Feds to quit playing around and execute this monster. “This has gone on long enough,” she said.
Posted by Robert A. Waters at 9:38 PM 30 comments:
Still making news…
Larry Flynt has a bounty on Tim Tebow. If you can catch the former quarterback and practicing Christian in a flagrant sex act, you’ll win a cool million dollars. Flynt, owner of Hustler magazine, seems to think everyone is as twisted as he is. So he’s prepared to pay big bucks to prove that Tebow is a hypocrite.
In another round of recent news, Patrick Schmidt, a writer for SI.com, took issue because someone wore a Tim Tebow New York Rangers jersey to a Pittsburgh Penguins game. In fact, Schmidt wrote an entire column describing his outrage, including this gem: “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a cross-sport jersey in my lifetime, but I suppose there is a first (and last) time for everything. It is hard to disagree…about it being the worst jersey on the planet.”
I mean, really! Who cares? On a scale of one to a million (with one million being the least obnoxious thing going on in sports), I’d rank a Tebow “cross-sport jersey” at one million. Schmidt needs to get a life.
In case you missed it, there’s other news about Tebow.
The Tim Tebow Foundation, in partnership with CURE, has opened an orthopedic hospital in Davao City, Phillipines. His foundation reports that “the Tebow CURE Hospital in the Philippines will provide life-changing surgeries for hundreds of children with curable disabilities each year.” All medical treatments are free to patients.
In 2012, Tebow opened his first Timmy’s Playroom, which is for children battling life-threatening illnesses. The brochure advertising this innovative approach to medical rehabilitation reads: “Through allowing children to take their minds off of their medical treatments, a Timmy's Playroom provides them with a place to smile, draw, create, play video games, and enjoy a positive atmosphere.” Nearly a dozen more Timmy’s Playrooms have opened since 2012.
In addition to Tebow’s CURE Hospital and Timmy’s Playrooms, the former football star has launched the W15H (WISH) program and an Orphan Care program.
Tebow spends much of his time making a difference in the lives of children. His latest project is to fund 45 prom nights in the United States, Uganda, and Kenya for special needs teenagers.
And yet some reporter has nothing better to do than criticize a “cross-sport jersey” with Tebow’s name on it.
How about an article on all the good works Tim Tebow is doing?
Posted by Robert A. Waters at 12:03 AM 2 comments:
Family Needs Solution to Sharon Marie Gill’s Unsol...
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New Acting AG Matthew Whitaker is a Former Iowa Hawkeye Tight End – Let’s Hope He Pancakes Deep State Defense!
Matthew Whitaker, the new Acting AG who replaced Jeff Sessions after Sessions turned in his resignation Wednesday afternoon, is a former Iowa Hawkeye Tight End in college who played in the Rose Bowl. Let’s hope he pancakes the Deep State defenders.
Whitaker is also taking over Rosenstein’s job overseeing the Mueller witch hunt. He is described as a “Trump loyalist” who has been privately described as the West Wing’s “eyes and ears” in the Justice Department, says the New York Times.
In August of 2017, Matthew Whitaker penned an op-ed for CNN titled, “Mueller’s Investigation of Trump is Going Too Far” wherein he argued the Special Counsel is roving outside of his jurisdiction to investigate Trump-Russia collusion.
in July 2016, before the presidential election, Matthew Whitaker penned an opinion piece for USA today where he argued that Hillary Clinton should be locked up.
Whitaker wrote:
According to FBI Director James Comey’s statement on Tuesday, former secretary of State Hillary Clinton could have been charged with violating several different code sections, and he detailed the evidence that supports bringing criminal charges.
Yet, Director Comey’s judgment was that “no reasonable prosecutor” would bring the case. I disagree. I believe myself to have been a reasonable prosecutor, and when the facts and evidence show a criminal violation has been committed, the individuals involved should not dictate whether the case is prosecuted…
…A reasonable prosecutor may ask, if on numerous occasions, an unknown State Department employee had taken top secret information from a secured system, emailed that information on a Gmail account, and stored the information on a personal server for years, would that individual be prosecuted? I believe they would.
But perhaps most important is that Whitaker is a former University of Iowa Tight End. Not only was Whitaker a starting Tight End for Iowa in the 1991 Rose Bowl, he also was a scholar athlete –
Whitaker was a top scholar at the University of Iowa. He graduated in three years with a bachelor’s degree in communications, starting his first year of law school during his senior year as a football player, which was considered an extraordinarily difficult task. Besides a law degree, he has a masters in business administration.
Let’s hope Whitaker uses his strength gained on the football field to pancake Deep State criminals and bring them to justice. Time will tell.
← RED WAVE RISES TODAY!!! Early Votes and Rally Participation Indicate Huge Red Wave! VOTE RED TODAY!
Ben Shapiro Again Stands with Wrong Side Against President Trump – He Can’t Determine Difference Between Non-Abuse and Abuse →
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Leyland Cecco
Tahrir and Tear Gas
Leyland Cecco November 28, 2012
I usually try to avoid political photos in Egypt. Not because I don't like politics (I love it!) but it's not productive to define a country but just a single element. And let's be honest- most of what's come out of this country for the last year has been clashes and killings.
However, over the last week, my photos got a bit more political. It started with me sneaking into a press conference led by Hamas leader Khaled Mashal as they announced the Israeli-Gaza ceasefire. I then star-spotted when I saw Nobel Peace Prize winner and presidential contender Mohamed El Baradei and fellow presidential runner-up Hamdeen Sahbahi in Tahrir Square on Friday.
Last night, however, demanded photos. In the previous days, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi issued a decree which essentially stripped the judicial branch of much of its powers, as well as giving himself the ability to reinstate the disbanded Shura Council.
November 27th, 2012 marked the largest protest in Tahrir since the Revolution. Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians poured into the square, chanting for Morsi to rescind his decree. The energy was amazing, and there was a huge variety of people from all walks of life.
On the side streets, protestors fought pitched battles with Central Security Forces. For the last week, fighting had been contained to Mohamed Mahmoud Street (the infamous area of last years battles) and Qasr el Aini Street. Two days ago, the military built up a wall blocking off Qasr el Aini, which shifted the battles to an area near the American Embassy. Canisters of tear gas were shot at protestors, as rocks were hurled back in return. We had no idea what to expect in terms of a 'welcome' from the protestors. We were surprised that they immediately tried to protect us, as well as ensuring we got the photos we needed. Laser pointers were used by people on the ground to spot the tear gas grenades in the air, ensuring that once they landed, no one was hit. It was amazing to see this teamwork and togetherness in an area where it seemed unlikely.
And Amgad Khater deserves a special thanks for his help last night! Without him, we'd have missed out on all of the action.
A man leads the prayer in Tahrir Square as the sun begins to set.
Mohamed Mahmoud Street as been informally renamed 'Freedom Eyes Street' in honour of the protestors who were blinded by police fire last November.
A member of the April 6th Movement (one of the early groups which helped start the Revolution) leads a chant in memory of a member who had been comatose since the beginning of the November 2012 clashes. He passed away three days ago.
This was around 6 in the evening, before most of the marches even arrived in Tahrir Square.
A lone artist works on his mural of famed Egyptian writer Naguib Mahfouz on Mohamed Mahmoud Street.
A protestor clad in a scarf and gasmask poses for the camera as tear gas rains down around in on the street leading to Simon Bolivar Square.
Groups of protestors run to a tear gas canister that had landed a few feet away. The canisters are then picked up and thrown back at the police or over walls.
It takes a fairly large degree of courage or recklessness (depending on how you look at it) for these kids to be in the streets each day fighting. Many of them told me they'd been battling the police for the last year.
A protestor flashes the 'victory' sign as a canister is hurled back at police. Fireworks were soon shot at the police, prompting a barrage of tear gas grenades to come back.
A child holds up one of the canisters that had been shot from the police. The manufacture date for many of the canisters was 2012, meaning it is much more potent than last year's gas, but also dissipates quicker.
← A View From AboveThe Camels of Bawiti →
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Precise, revered, vital: Tallon’s work may save Notre-Dame
By Taylor Stewart
Posted on May 2, 2019 in Arts
Late Assistant Professor of Art Andrew Tallon’s spatial models of Notre-Dame give force to restoration plans after the fire. In Paris and beyond, the laser-exacting images that Tallon created have garnered international attention and applause. Courtesy of Craig W. Stapert
“Nice to have an apartment across the street there, to watch the building as it changes,” muttered Andrew Tallon in a 2017 video, guiding a camera along the roof of Notre-Dame. He looks disconcerted as he points out the disrepair: a broken pinnacle, the remains of a gargoyle (a lead pipe sticks out of what used to be its head), a flying buttress with water damage. Little did Tallon know that years later, he would represent all hopes for a newly restored Notre-Dame.
Now back to that cloudless day in Paris; we can hear construction work and sirens at street level, the sounds of the city. Tallon, who was an Associate Professor of Art at Vassar, discusses the structures and material of Notre-Dame intimately: the oxidized limestone and the structural importance of pinnacles. He worries over the damage like a parent. “What I hope you can see by walking through this forest of stones is that they’re suffering,” he says. “That through exposure to water, through exposure to atmospheric pollution, they need some attention. And they’re gonna get some attention, because there is a restoration campaign afoot right now.”
The art historian is talking about Friends of Notre-Dame de Paris, which he co-founded in the U.S. The Archbishop of Paris and the Diocese of Paris created the charity after the French Ministry of Culture stopped financing repairs to the cathedral. Tallon sounds hesitant when he says restoration is underway. Years after he filmed the vlog, disaster would catalyze preservation efforts.
The Apr. 15 fire attracted the attention of audiences around the world, and alongside with the cathedral in much of the news coverage was Tallon’s name. He died just months before the fire, in November (“Andrew J. Tallon,” The Poughkeepsie Journal).
In the days after the fire, donations reached $1 billion, which the French government encouraged: President Emmanuel Macron promised to “rebuild the cathedral more beautiful than ever” in just five years (“Notre Dame: experts explain why Macron’s five-year restoration deadline is impossible,” The Art Newspaper, 04.26.2019).
This five-year plan is dubious. Beyond the heat and water damage, talks of repairs raise a number of issues about artistic and religious betrayal, and the varying purity of plans for Notre-Dame’s future. Macron’s government announced an international architectural competition for a new spire “adapted to the techniques and challenges of our time,” generating controversy over whether to rebuild the cathedral as it was or modernize a building that was a major cultural center before there even was a Paris. Some fear that Macron is sacrificing structural integrity for speedy reconstruction, especially with the Paris Olympic Games approaching.
The building, however, is no stranger to change. Tallon explains in his video that Notre-Dame underwent a major restoration in the 19th century, when Victor Hugo’s novel “The Hunchback of Notre-Dame” drew attention to the crumbling state of the cathedral. Like Tallon, Hugo shows a parental worry over the decay, albeit in fictional form. “Beside each wrinkle on the face of this old queen of our cathedrals,” he writes, “you will find a scar” (“Notre Dame Cathedral Is Crumbling. Who Will Help Save It?,” Time, 04.15.2019). But the 1844 restoration involved low-quality stone and cement, creating a host of recent structural problems.
Considering the heat and water damage, it might take a decade, but Tallon’s efforts will expedite repairs—or, rather, he will make them possible. In 2015 he created a painstakingly detailed digital model of the cathedral with lasers, providing a near-perfect replica (“Four years ago, an art historian used lasers to digitally map Notre Dame Cathedral. His work could help save it,” CNN, 04.17.2019).
The Vassar community recalled these renderings after the fire. On Monday, Apr. 22, the Department of Medieval Studies, with the support of the Religion and French and Francophone Studies departments, hosted a pop-up conversation about Notre-Dame at Taylor Hall. Professor of Art Molly Nesbit called the conversation “[A] way to call up our dear departed Andrew Tallon, whose work grounds everyone’s understanding of Gothic architecture, especially at Vassar.”
Professor of Religion Marc Epstein also revealed a personal connection to the cathedral: There is a picture book called “Adelaide” by Tomi Ungerer about a kangaroo with wings who visits Notre-Dame. This was Epstein’s first time seeing the building. The kangaroo marvels at the gargoyles. “We all look for ourselves even in buildings as iconic as the Notre-Dame,” he reflected.
Visiting Assistant Professor of Art Lindsay Cook said her first experience of Notre-Dame was clipping out its image in elementary school. Cook discussed her research on its architectural and institutional history, walking us through structural details with an enthusiasm that rivals that of Tallon and Hugo. As she displayed a panorama of the building, the Chapel tolled in the distance—the whole room seemed to mourn.
Cook clarified that buildings change and they are meant to change. The history of Notre-Dame is a series of upheavals and restorations: the emergence of Christendom, the French Revolution, two world wars, the recent blaze. In the early 13th century, masons updated the windows to match contemporary tastes. Anti-clerical Enlightenment ideals inspired a translucent, brighter glass design. Cook said the goal of the 19th-century restoration was to “put back the building in a way that it may never have looked in the first place.” Concerning the Paris cathedral, preservation always aimed at alteration.
Change is inevitable in the face of disasters, erosion, political turmoil and variable aesthetic tastes, making his renderings as important as good upkeep.
After Hugo published “Hunchback,” Parisians took photos and made plaster models, which now serve as historical records. Tallon’s model, with its billions of laser-measured points, is the most meticulous of these records, boding well for the future of Notre-Dame.
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UFC and PRIDE Veteran Semmy Schilt Retires
By Dave Walsh on June 26, 2013 inNews
Semmy Schilt originally made a name for himself fighting under the Pancrase banner before he fought for the UFC and PRIDE FC, known for his height and skillset, which early on in the MMA game was quite advanced. Schilt was always a karate guy, but is also known for his submission grappling skills which were able to keep him out of trouble of lot of the time.
Schilt made a name for himself in Kickboxing, where he was able to walk into the K-1 ring and be dominant, winning four K-1 World Grand Prix tournaments before moving over to his management’s new promotion, GLORY Sports International, last year. Since then Semmy has captured the GLORY Heavyweight Championship and also won the GLORY Heavyweight Grand Slam 16-man one-night tournament at the end of 2012.
It came out today via LiverKick that Semmy Schilt will be retiring, effective immediately, due to a heart condition.
TagsGLORYK-1KickboxingMMAPancrasePrideSemmy Schiltufc
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International Ballistics Society
Past Symposia Locations and Chairmen
The 2019 Hypervelocity Impact Symposium
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News Items - International Ballistics Society
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In Remembrance of Prof. Klaus Thoma
The International Ballistics Society is deeply affected by the sudden death of its former member of the board of directors Prof. Klaus Thoma who died on June 9, 2018 due to unexpected health complications at the age of 68. Prof. Thoma was the director of the Fraunhofer Institute of High-Speed-Dynamics, Ernst-Mach-Institut, EMI in Freiburg, Germany from 1996 to 2014. He was a pioneer in complementing highly instrumented laboratory experimentation with strain-rate dependent dynamic material characterization in order to apply numerical simulation in a predictive way in the field of impact physics and ballistics. He engaged Fraunhofer EMI to host the 27th International Symposium on Ballistics in Freiburg and was member of the board of directors of the International Ballistics Society from 2013 to 2014.
After the terrorist attacks in New York, Madrid, and London, it was he who engaged in building up German and European security research. He received many honors, among others the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
We honor his contributions to the International Ballistics Society as a founding and lifetime member.
© 2019 International Ballistics Society ® Website by Vieth Consulting
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The Effects of Quercetin Topical Cream on Phlebitis Caused by Peripheral Intravenous Catheters: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Sakineh Ghorbani 1 , Mohsen Foadoddini 2 , * , Mohammad Hasanpour Fard 3 , Mohammad Ali Mahdiabadi 4 and Sayed Amir Kazem Vejdan 5
1 Committee Research Center, Faculty of Nursing, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, IR Iran
2 Atherosclerosis and Coronary Artery Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, IR Iran
3 Berberis and Jujube Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, IR Iran
4 Department of Internal, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, IR Iran
5 Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, IR Iran
* Corresponding author: Mohsen Foadoddini, Associated Professor of Physiology, Atherosclerosis and Coronary Artery Research Center, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, IR Iran. Tel: +98-5632440488, Fax: +98-5632440488, E-mail: foadmohsen@yahoo.com
Received: January 5, 2016
Accepted: April 5, 2016
To Cite: Ghorbani S, Foadoddini M, Hasanpour Fard M, Mahdiabadi M A, Kazem Vejdan S A. The Effects of Quercetin Topical Cream on Phlebitis Caused by Peripheral Intravenous Catheters: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Mod Care J. 2016 ; 13(2):e8857. doi: 10.17795/modernc.8857.
Background: Phlebitis is among the most common complications of intravenous therapy. It significantly correlates with the length of hospital stay and mortality rate.
Objectives: This study sought to examine the effects of quercetin topical cream on phlebitis caused by peripheral intravenous catheters.
Methods: This single-blind randomized controlled trial was done in 2015 on 66 patients hospitalized at the internal medicine ward of Valiasr (PBUH) hospital, Birjand, Iran. The patients were conveniently recruited and randomly allocated to a control and an experimental group. The data collection tool was a five-point phlebitis assessment scale. As soon as the symptoms of phlebitis were observed, the related catheter was removed and the catheter insertion site was treated every twelve hours for 72 hours with either 2% quercetin cream (the experimental group) or a eucerin-based cream (the control group). Friedman, Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney U tests were run using the SPSS software for data analysis (v. 14.0).
Results: There was no significant difference between the groups regarding patients’ age (P = 0.068) and gender (P = 0.69). No significant changes were observed in the severity of phlebitis in the control group during the 72-hour course of the study. However, in the quercetin group, the severity of phlebitis decreased significantly after twelve hours from the beginning of the intervention and the trend of its variations was downward (P < 0.001). Consequently, after 72 hours (or six episodes of quercetin cream use), 90% of all phlebitis cases achieved complete recovery without any side effect.
Conclusions: 2% Quercetin cream could be effective in treating phlebitis caused by intravenous catheters and can be used as a useful and safe treatment modality for phlebitis management. The positive effects of quercetin on phlebitis appear very soon after its use.
Keywords: Phlebitis; Quercetin; Intravenous Catheter; and Intravenous Fluid Therapy
Alongside rapid medical advances, Intravenous (IV) therapy has turned into an essential part of patient care. Intravenous therapy includes administrating substances directly into the veins for electrolyte deficit management, medication therapy, blood transfusion, hemodynamic monitoring and fluid supplementation (1). Compared with the other routes, IV therapy is the fastest route for delivering fluids and medications to different parts of the body.
Intravenous catheters are the most commonly used medical devices for hospitalized patients (2). Studies showed that around 80% of patients receive IV therapy during the course of their hospitalization. This means that 180 million patients are catheterized each year by using 500 million catheters (3). It is estimated that about 200 million IV devices are used in the United States each year. Besides, the use of IV catheters in Spain increased from 28% in 1990 to 44% in 1999 (4).
Although IV therapy saves many lives, it is an invasive procedure and is associated with different complications. A large group of patients, who receive IV therapy are at risk of its complications, chiefly phlebitis (5). Phlebitis is the inflammation of the intima layer of the veins and is characterized by local pain, redness, edema and palpable thrombosis (6). Based on its etiology, phlebitis can be categorized into three main groups of chemical, mechanical and infectious. Factors associated with mechanical phlebitis include thick and tall catheters, catheter insertion site, number of catheterizations, length of catheterization, infusion rate, dressing used to fix catheters and infusion set replacement schedule. On the other hand, chemical phlebitis is caused by the reaction of the intima with infused medications or solutions, particularly with solutions of high acidity or osmolarity such as hypertonic fluids, amino acids, some antibiotics, and blood products. Infectious phlebitis usually occurs due to the transmission of infecting pathogens from other parts of the body or from the catheter tip to the catheterization site (7).
As a multifactorial condition, phlebitis is caused by three main factors including patient-, catheter-, and catheterization-related factors. Accordingly, patients with diabetes mellitus or obesity, patients receiving immunosuppressive agents, and very young or very old patients are more susceptible to phlebitis (8). Moreover, femininity, fragility of peripheral veins, venipuncture in lower extremities, and affliction by underlying conditions also increase the risk of phlebitis (9). Studies showed that 20% - 70% of patients receiving IV injections are very likely to develop phlebitis. In China, 80% of patients receiving IV injections experience phlebitis (10). Moreover, cephalosporin injection can enhance the risk of phlebitis so much so that 30% - 50% of patients receiving cephalosporin were reported to have phlebitis (11). Total parenteral nutrition is also known to be among the most common causes of phlebitis (12). The prevalence of phlebitis in our country, Iran, is higher than other countries. The mean durability rate for IV catheters in other areas of the world is two to four days while in hospitals located in Tehran, Iran, most cases of phlebitis occur only one day after catheter insertion (13).
Phlebitis is not only life-threatening and can cause clot formation, thrombophlebitis and emboli, but also can decrease the longevity of IV catheters. Therefore, one of the major reasons behind early removal of peripheral IV catheter is phlebitis. Besides, it can increase healthcare costs, waste nurses’ time, and cause problems such as infections, discomfort, early catheter removal and re-catheterization. Frequent re-catheterizations, in turn, limit the number of suitable catheterization sites, postpone IV drug administration, and extend hospital stay (14).
Due to its high prevalence and life-threatening complications, phlebitis has always been among the main concerns of healthcare providers, particularly nurses. Nurses have the main responsibilities for assessing peripheral IV catheters for probable complications (such as phlebitis) and taking immediate measures for preventing and managing them (15). The results of several randomized controlled trials showed that using filters, hydrocortisone, heparin, topical corticosteroids, transdermal glyceryl trinitrate, or non-steroid anti-inflammatory topical gels at venipuncture site can reduce the rate of catheter-induced phlebitis (2, 14). However, none of these modalities have been publicly accepted due to concerns over their cost-effectiveness and safety. Accordingly, simpler, safer and more cost-effective modalities are needed (16).
Alternative anti-inflammatory therapies such as medicinal plants have received considerable attention during the recent years. Medicinal plants are natural and have fewer side effects and thus, they can be good substitutes for chemical agents that have low effectiveness and cause significant complications (17). One of the natural substances, which have antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and clogging effects, is quercetin. Quercetin is a natural flavone and is found in fruits, vegetables, tea, and most dietary supplements with many beneficial effects on health (18). Quercetin is an antiulcer and peroxidation-reducing agent. It has a wide range of biological anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antiviral functions. Besides, it inhibits lipid peroxidation, platelet aggregation and capillary permeability (19). In vivo studies have shown the strong antioxidant effects of quercetin. The anti-inflammatory effects of quercetin are due to its inhibitory effects on cytokine release. Moreover, quercetin has a significant role in sustaining Th1/Th2 balance in response to inflammatory reactions of human dermal fibroblast. It also induces the expression and production of IL-4 and IFN-g in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (20).
No studies have been performed so far on the effects of quercetin on catheter-induced phlebitis. However, the findings of previous studies denote that it may be potentially effective in reducing the severity of phlebitis.
The present study sought to examine the effect of quercetin topical cream on phlebitis caused by peripheral IV catheters.
This single-blind randomized controlled trial was done in 2015 on 66 patients hospitalized at the internal medicine ward of Valiasr (PBUH) hospital, Birjand, Iran. The ethics committee of Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran, approved the study (approval code: IR.BUMS.1394.28). The study was registered in the Iranian registry of clinical trials with registry code of IRCT2015061422738N1.
After obtaining necessary permissions from the ethics committee of Birjand University of Medical Sciences, we referred to the study setting, recruited eligible patients through convenient sampling, and allocated them to an experimental and a control group (33 patients in each group) via systematic random allocation technique. The sample size was calculated based on the findings reported by Haji-Hossaini et al. in 2007, i.e. a S1 of 0.65, a S2 of 0.01, and a d of 0.52 as well as a confidence interval of 0.95 (21). Sampling was done in three consecutive months during autumn 2015. The selection criteria included having an IV catheter in upper extremities, undergoing venipuncture under sterile conditions, being hospitalized in internal medicine ward for at least 72 hours, age of 18 to 60 years, having no sensitivity to medications or adhesive tapes, receiving no blood products, having a systolic blood pressure of 90 - 180 mmHg, lack of diabetes mellitus or skin lesions at catheter insertion site, not being pregnant or breastfeeding, having at least one of the phlebitis-related symptom (i.e. pain, redness, or inflammation), using no medication or herbal oil for phlebitis, and no sensitivity to quercetin. The patients were excluded if they used contraceptive agents, had known coagulopathies (such as anticardiolipin antibody, antiphospholipid antibody, or vitamin C deficiency), were reluctant to remain in the study, died during the study, or if their hospital-stay was less than three days.
Two instruments were used for data collection. The first one contained items on the patients’ demographic characteristics, catheter insertion site, and the type of fluid infused through the catheter. The second instrument was the five-point phlebitis assessment scale developed in 2014 by Akbari et al. (22). The points on the scale were,
- No phlebitis: There is no phlebitis-related symptom (including pain, redness, edema, and tenderness);
- First-degree phlebitis: There is one phlebitis-related symptom, either pain or redness;
- Second-degree phlebitis: There is pain, redness, or edema at catheter insertion site; the borders of the vein are detectable;
- Third-degree phlebitis: There is pain, redness, or edema at catheter insertion site; the borders of the vein are detectable; the vein is not cord-like;
- Fourth-degree phlebitis: There is pain, redness, or edema at catheter insertion site; the borders of the vein are detectable; the vein is cord-like.
All patients with an IV catheter in place were approached. As soon as the symptoms of phlebitis were identified, the catheter was removed and a new venipuncture was made at another site. Before the intervention, the severity of phlebitis was assessed using the five-point scale and then, patients with first-, second-, and third-degree phlebitis were randomly allocated to the control and the quercetin groups. Accordingly, the first and the second eligible patients were randomly allocated to the first and the second groups. Subsequent patients were alternately allocated to the groups.
Hand-made 2% quercetin cream was used in the study. The cream was made under hygienic conditions in an experimental medicine laboratory by using quercetin (Merck Company, Germany) and eucerin (Emad Darman Company, Iran). Eucerin is water-absorbent and hence, helps stabilize quercetin. A fifteen-gram tube of quercetin cream was prepared for each patient through adding four grams of water and ten grams of eucerin to one gram of quercetin. Patients in the control group were treated with a cream, which only contained water and eucerin. The amount of eucerin in tubes used for the patients in the control group was the same as the amount used for their counterparts in the experimental group. Moreover, the general appearance of the tubes was similar in both groups. Topical creams were applied on the inflamed venipuncture site for 72 hours and on a surface area of 3 × 4. Then, the site was covered with a sterile dressing. Every twelve hours, the dressing was removed, the site was assessed regarding phlebitis-related symptoms (including warmness, redness, pain, tenderness, or edema), phlebitis severity was measured, and the site was cleaned. Then, cream and dressing were applied again to the site. All these steps were taken for patients in both groups.
The covers of the quercetin and placebo tubes were the same. They had been labeled as A and B and thus, the patients were blind to their content. The intervention and the assessments were performed by the one person. Furthermore, all patients in both groups were provided with training regarding the standard conditions of the study. In addition, before the intervention, they were assessed for any sensitivity to the preparations. Accordingly, small amount of each preparation was applied to a 2 × 2 cm2 area of their arms and 20 minutes later, the site was assessed for sensitivity (23). Patients, who showed sensitivity, were not included in the study.
The SPSS software (v. 14.0) was used for data analysis. Primarily, the normal distribution of the study variables was assessed with the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The measures of descriptive statistics (such as mean, standard deviation, and absolute and relative frequencies) were used for data description. The independent-sample t and the Chi-square tests were also used to compare the groups regarding the patients’ age and gender. Moreover, Friedman and Wilcoxon tests were run to assess within-group variations while the Mann-Whitney U test was run to make between-group comparisons. The level of significance was set at less than 0.05.
In total, 66 patients participated in this study. Most of the patients in the quercetin and the control groups were female (54.2% vs. 57.6%). The means of the patients’ age in these groups were 50.54 ± 1.21 and 54.78 ± 8.70, respectively. There was no significant difference between the groups regarding the patients’ age (P = 0.068) and gender (P = 0.69). The most common catheterization site in the quercetin and the control groups were, respectively, the forearm (66.7%) and the antecubital fossa (45.5%) while the least common site in both groups was the wrist (Table 1). Moreover, the most commonly infused IV solution in both groups was the 1/3 -2/3 solution (47%).
Table 1. The Frequency Distribution of Catheter Insertion Sites in Both Groups
Catheter Insertion Site
Control (n = 33)
Quercetin (n = 33)
Antecubital fossa 15 45.5 5 15.2
Forearm 12 36.3 22 66.7
Wrist 3 * 0 0
Dorsal surface of the hand 3 9.1 6 18.1
Before the study intervention, the groups were matched regarding the degree of phlebitis. In other words, the rates of first-, second-, and third-degree phlebitis in both groups were 27.3%, 63.6% and 9.1%, respectively. The Fisher’s exact test revealed no significant difference between the groups regarding phlebitis severity (P = 1.0). Before the intervention, the mean phlebitis severity in both groups was 1.81 ± 0.58. The groups were compared with each other regarding the mean of phlebitis severity at different measurement time points (Table 2). All posttest mean values of phlebitis severity in the quercetin group was significantly less than the control group (P < 0.001).
Table 2. Comparison of the Study Groups Regarding Phlebitis Severity at Different Time Points
Quercetin (n = 33) Mean ± SD
Control (n = 33) Mean ± SD
The results of the Mann-Whitney U test
Before the intervention 1.81 ± 0.58 1.81 ± 0.58 P = 1
12 hours after the intervention 1 ± 0.75 1.66 ± 0.47 P < 0.001
24 hours after the intervention 0.69 ± 0.72 1.60 ± 0.49 P < 0.001
The results of the Friedman test P < 0.001 P = 0.001 -
The results of the Friedman test for within-subject comparisons illustrated that in both groups, there was a significant difference among different time points regarding the mean of phlebitis severity (P < 0.001). Consequently, the Wilcoxon test was run for pretest-posttest pairwise comparisons in each group (Table 3). This test showed that in the control group, the pretest mean value of phlebitis severity was not significantly different from any of the phlebitis severity mean values related to different posttest measurement time points including 12, 24, 36, 48, 60 and 72 hours after the intervention onset (P > 0.05). However, in the quercetin group, all of these differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). It is important to mention that the application of the creams caused no side effects for the participants. Moreover, none of the study participants died, withdrew from the study, or was discharged from the study setting.
Table 3. Comparison of Different Measurement Time Points in Both Study Groups by Using the Wilcoxon Test
Before-12 hours after P < 0.001 P = 0.059
This study was performed to examine the effects of quercetin topical cream on phlebitis caused by peripheral IV catheters among 66 patients recruited from Valiasr (PBUH) teaching hospital, Birjand, Iran. Accordingly, the severity of catheter-induced phlebitis was determined and catheter insertion sites were treated every twelve hours for 72 hours with either 2% quercetin cream (the experimental group) or eucerin-based cream (the control group). The variations of phlebitis severity were monitored in both groups.
The results of the study illustrated that in the control group, the severity of phlebitis did not change significantly during the 72-hour course of the study intervention. However, in the quercetin group, it decreased significantly after twelve hours from the beginning of the intervention and the trend of its variation during the intervention was downward. Consequently, after 72 hours of using quercetin cream, 90% of all phlebitis cases in the quercetin group achieved complete recovery. These findings indicated that quercetin cream significantly reduced phlebitis severity among the study participants (P < 0.001).
In our literature review, we could not find any study on the effects of quercetin on phlebitis. However, in agreement with our findings, previous studies have shown that quercetin can reduce the amount of inflammation mediators. For instance, the results of a study performed in Korea by Jung et al. (2010) revealed that quercetin and tannic acid alleviated the symptoms of atopic dermatitis and reduced the expression of Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-a and the polarization of Th2 in mice (20). The results of another study performed in Egypt by El Goweini and El Din (2005) also illustrated the positive effects of quercetin on skin wounds. They inflicted minor wounds on the ears of rabbits and applied quercetin cream on the wounds for eight weeks. After this eight-week intervention, 40% of the rabbits achieved complete recovery. Moreover, the blood levels of histamine and hydroxyl proline reduced significantly after their intervention (24). Koohpayma et al. (2005) also investigated the effects of quercetin on wound healing among dexamethasone-treated rats. After inflicting skin wounds around the spine, they treated the rats with dexamethasone, quercetin, or both for 21 days. Wound healing was assessed through measuring the percentage of healing, the length of the wounds, the duration of wound healing, and the tensile strength of the wounds. Their findings showed that the rate of wound healing was higher among dexamethasone-treated rats that had received quercetin. Besides, the duration of wound healing among these rats was significantly shorter than rats, which had been treated solely with dexamethasone (25). Zheng et al. (2012) also performed a review study to determine the effectiveness of Aloe vera in the prevention of phlebitis. They found that topical use of fresh Aloe vera, either singularly or in combination with other products, can be effective in preventing and treating phlebitis induced by IV therapy (1).
To the best of our knowledge, the effects of quercetin on phlebitis have not been evaluated among human subjects. In other words, studies on the effectiveness of quercetin are limited to animal experiments. As strong antioxidants that scavenge free radicals, flavonoids like quercetin can be suitable agents for promoting wound healing. Quercetin is a biologically-active compound that has been known to have protective effects on skin tissue cells against oxidative injuries. However, in order to understand its mechanism of action in accelerating phlebitis healing, the markers of oxidative stress need to be measured in the presence of quercetin in future studies.
The findings of the present study indicated that topical use of 2% quercetin cream is a simple, effective, cost-effective, and feasible method for treating catheter-induced phlebitis. Accordingly, it can be used as a treatment modality.
This article was part of a master’s thesis in medical-surgical nursing, which was approved as a research project at Birjand University of Medical Sciences. Therefore, we sincerely thank all administrators of the University for funding the study and granting the necessary permissions. We are also thankful to the staff of the internal medicine ward of Valiasr (PBUH) hospital, who collaborated with us during sampling and data collection, as well as all patients, who participated in the study.
1. Zheng GH, Yang L, Chen HY, Chu JF, Mei L. Aloe vera for prevention and treatment of infusion phlebitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014; (6)[DOI][PubMed]
2. Martinez JA, Piazuelo M, Almela M, Blecua P, Gallardo R, Rodriguez S, et al. Evaluation of add-on devices for the prevention of phlebitis and other complications associated with the use of peripheral catheters in hospitalised adults: a randomised controlled study. J Hosp Infect. 2009; 73(2): 135-42[DOI][PubMed]
3. Pasalioglu KB, Kaya H. Catheter indwell time and phlebitis development during peripheral intravenous catheter administration. Pak J Med Sci. 2014; 30(4): 725-30[PubMed]
4. Palese A, Ambrosi E, Fabris F, Guarnier A, Barelli P, Zambiasi P, et al. Nursing care as a predictor of phlebitis related to insertion of a peripheral venous cannula in emergency departments: findings from a prospective study. J Hosp Infect. 2016; 92(3): 280-6[DOI][PubMed]
5. Wu MA, Casella F. Is clinically indicated replacement of peripheral catheters as safe as routine replacement in preventing phlebitis and other complications? Intern Emerg Med. 2013; 8(5): 443-4[DOI][PubMed]
6. Gupta A, Mehta Y, Juneja R, Trehan N. The effect of cannula material on the incidence of peripheral venous thrombophlebitis. Anaesthesia. 2007; 62(11): 1139-42[DOI][PubMed]
7. Rego Furtado LC. Incidence and predisposing factors of phlebitis in a surgery department. Br J Nurs. 2011; 20(14)[PubMed]
8. Curran ET, Coia JE, Gilmour H, McNamee S, Hood J. Multi-centre research surveillance project to reduce infections/phlebitis associated with peripheral vascular catheters. J Hosp Infect. 2000; 46(3): 194-202[DOI][PubMed]
9. Zarate LJ. Phlebitis rates in trauma patients: Peripheral intravenous catheters started in or outside the emergency department. 2007;
10. Higginson R, Parry A. Phlebitis: treatment, care and prevention. Nurs Times. 2011; 107(36): 18-21[PubMed]
11. Berger S, Ernst EC, Barza M. Comparative incidence of phlebitis due to buffered cephalothin, cephapirin, and cefamandole. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 1976; 9(4): 575-9
12. Kuwahara T, Kaneda S, Sawamoto O, Kohno E. Cyclic infusion is effective in reducing phlebitis caused by peripheral parenteral nutrition solutions: An experimental study in rabbits. Euro J Clinical Nutrition Metabol. 2009; 4(6): 344-7
13. Avazeh A, Elahi N, Asadi Zaker M, Rasekh A, Hajihosseini F. The effect of topical nitroglycerin on the incidence and severity of phlebitis caused by venous catheters (in Persian). J Zanjan Univ Med Sci. 2004; 12(47): 15-21
14. Cokmez A, Gur S, Genc H, Deniz S, Tarcan E. Effect of transdermal glyceryl trinitrate and anti-inflammatory gel in infusion phlebitis. ANZ J Surg. 2003; 73(10): 794-6[PubMed]
15. Hay E, Blaer Y, Shlyakhover V, Katz A, Jafari J. Acute transient phlebitis during eptifibatide intravenous injection: case report. Heart Lung. 2010; 39(3): 235-6[DOI][PubMed]
16. Mestre Roca G, Berbel Bertolo C, Tortajada Lopez P, Gallemi Samaranch G, Aguilar Ramirez MC, Cayla Buqueras J, et al. Assessing the influence of risk factors on rates and dynamics of peripheral vein phlebitis: an observational cohort study. Med Clin (Barc). 2012; 139(5): 185-91[DOI][PubMed]
17. Nekuzad N, Ashk Torab T, Mogab F, Alavi H, Azadeh P, Payam A. Effects of sesame oil in the prevention of chemotherapy-induced phlebitis (in Persian). Journal of Ibn Sina. 2011; 14(1-2): 10-6
18. Aguirre L, Arias N, Macarulla MT, Gracia A, Portillo MP. Beneficial effects of quercetin on obesity and diabetes. Open Nutraceuticals J. 2011; 4: 189-98
19. Vicentini FT, Simi TR, Del Ciampo JO, Wolga NO, Pitol DL, Iyomasa MM, et al. Quercetin in w/o microemulsion: in vitro and in vivo skin penetration and efficacy against UVB-induced skin damages evaluated in vivo. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2008; 69(3): 948-57[DOI][PubMed]
20. Jung MK, Hur DY, Song SB, Park Y, Kim TS, Bang SI, et al. Tannic acid and quercetin display a therapeutic effect in atopic dermatitis via suppression of angiogenesis and TARC expression in Nc/Nga mice. J Invest Dermatol. 2010; 130(5): 1459-63[DOI][PubMed]
21. Haji Hossaini F, Beheshti Z, Nazari R, Rezae R, Haji Ahmadi M. Comparison of warm moist compresses and topical gel Piroxicam on peripheral venous catheter-related phlebitis (in Persian). J Babol Univ Med Sci. 2007; 9(3): 33-8
22. Akbari H, Raufi S, Hekmatpour D, Anbari K. Comparaing the effect of nitroglycerin and clobetazol ointments on prevention of superficial intravenous catheter induced phlebitis (in Persian). Journal of Evidence-Based Care. 2014; 4(1): 71-80
23. Mahdavi MR, Ghaffari J, Mohammadzadeh I. Skin prick test with aeroallergens in patients with chronic urticaria (in persian). J Babol Univ Med Sci. 2012; 14(2): 66-72
24. El Goweini MF, El Din NM. Effect of quercetin on excessive dermal scarring. Egyptian Dermatology Online Journal. 2005; 1(1): 1-10
25. Koohpayma H, Goudarzi I, ElahdadiSalmani M, Ebrari K, Lashkarbolouki T. The effect of quercetin on skin wound healing in dexamethasone-treated rats (in persian). J Arak l Univ Med Sci. 2015; 18(9): 66-73
PDF ( 113.77 KB)
Sakineh Ghorbani: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Mohsen Foadoddini: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Mohammad Hasanpour Fard: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Mohammad Ali Mahdiabadi: [PubMed] [Scholar]
Sayed Amir Kazem Vejdan: [PubMed] [Scholar]
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Adenine nucleotide | definition of adenine nucleotide by Medical dictionary
https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/adenine+nucleotide
adenylic acid
(redirected from adenine nucleotide)
Related to adenine nucleotide: thymine nucleotide
[ad″ĕ-nil´ik]
adenosine monophosphate; a component of nucleic acid, consisting of adenine, ribose, and phosphoric acid.
ad·e·nyl·ic ac·id
(ad-e-nil'ik as'id),
A condensation product of adenosine and phosphoric acid; a nucleotide found among the hydrolysis products of all nucleic acids. 3'-Adenylic acid (adenosine 3'-monophosphate) and 5'-adenylic acid [adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP)] differ in the place of attachment of the phosphoric acid to the d-ribose; deoxyadenylic acid differs in having H instead of OH at the 2' position of d-ribose.
See also: AMP.
Synonym(s): adenine nucleotide
/ad·e·nyl·ic ac·id/ (ad″ĕ-nil´ik) phosphorylated adenosine, usually adenosine monophosphate.
(ăd′n-ĭl′ĭk)
See AMP.
See adenosine monophosphate.
(ad'ĕ-nil'ik as'id)
A condensation product of adenosine and phosphoric acid; a nucleotide found among the hydrolysis products of all nucleic acids.
See also: AMP
Synonym(s): adenine nucleotide.
(as'id) [L. acidus, sour]
1. Any substance that liberates hydrogen ions (protons) in solution; a hydrogen ion donor. An acid reacts with a metal to form a salt, neutralizes bases, and turns litmus paper red.
2. A substance that can accept a pair of electrons; a Lewis acid. See: alkali; base; indicator; Lewis acid; pH
3. A sour substance.
4. Slang term for lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD).
C2H4O2, the acid that gives the sour taste to vinegar. It is also used as a reagent. Glacial (highly purified) acetic acid contains at least 99.5% acetic acid by weight.
CAS # 64-19-7
acetoacetic acid
C4H6O3, a ketone body formed when fats are incompletely oxidized. It was formerly called acetylacetic acid. Synonym: diacetic acid; diacetic acid
CAS # 541-50-4
acetylacetic acid
See: acetoacetic acid
Abbreviation: ASA
Aspirin (1).
C3H4O2, a colorless corrosive acid used in making acrylic polymers and resins.
Adenosine monophosphate.
alpha-hydroxy acid
Abbreviation: AHA
Any of a class of water-soluble acids derived from fruit or milk, having a hydroxyl moiety in the first position in the molecule. AHAs are used in chemical peels and other skin care products to remove the outer layer of the epidermis. This chemical exfoliation is promoted for its cosmetic effects on wrinkled or sun-damaged skin.
alpha-linolenic acid
C18H30O2, an omega-3 fatty acid derived from plants, esp. seeds (canola oil, flaxseed, walnuts and pumpkins) and from some fish (salmon and mackerel).
alpha-lipoic acid
C8H14O2S2, a natural coenzyme and antioxidant, used for short-term treatment of peripheral neuropathies.
CAS # 1200-22-2
See: amino acid
aminoacetic acid
Glycine.
aminobenzoic acid
Para-aminobenzoic acid.
aminocaproic acid
C6H13NO2, a hemostatic drug. It is a specific antidote for an overdose of a fibrinolytic agent.
Glutamic acid.
aminosalicylic acid
Para-aminosalicylic acid.
aminosuccinic acid
Aspartic acid.
arachidonic acid
C20H32O2, an omega-6 fatty acid formed by the action of enzymes on phospholipids in cell membranes. The acid is found in many foods. It is metabolized primarily by the cyclo-oxygenase or 5-lipoxygenase pathways to produce prostaglandins and leukotrienes, which are important mediators of inflammation. Corticosteroids inhibit formation of arachidonic acid from phospholipids when cell membranes are damaged. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents such as salicylates, indomethacin, and ibuprofen inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes.
argininosuccinic acid
C10H18N4O6, a compound intermediate in the synthesis of arginine, formed from citrulline and aspartic acid.
aristolochic acid
C17H11NO7, an acid derived from Aristolochia, a genus of flowering plants, and used as an herbal remedy. It is promoted as an aphrodisiac, a weight loss agent, and an anticonvulsant.
The acid is a known carcinogen, and its use has been associated with and may cause end-stage renal disease and cancers of the urinary tract that may occur many years after usage has stopped.
Vitamin C.
C4H7NO4, a nonessential amino acid that is a product of pancreatic digestion. Synonym: aminosuccinic acid
C4H4N2O3, a crystalline acid from which phenobarbital and other barbiturates are derived.
C7H6O2, a white crystalline acid having a slight odor. It is used in keratolytic ointments and in food preservation. Saccharin is a derivative of this acid.
bile acid
Any of the complex acids that occur as salts in bile, e.g., cholic, glycocholic, and taurocholic acids. They give bile its foamy character, are important in the digestion of fats in the intestine, and are reabsorbed from the intestine to be used again by the liver. See: enterohepatic circulation
binary acid
An acid containing hydrogen and one other element.
H3BO3, a white crystalline acid that in water forms a very weak acid solution poisonous to plants and animals. It is soluble in water, alcohol, and glycerin. See: boric acid poisoning
CAS # 10043-35-3
Boric acid is toxic and should be used only rarely. It is particularly dangerous because it can be accidentally swallowed by children or used in food because of its resemblance to sugar.
C4H8O2, a viscous fatty acid with a rancid odor, derived from butter but rare in most fats. It is used in disinfectants, emulsifying agents, and pharmaceuticals.
Phenol (1).
carbonic acid
H2CO3, an acid formed when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water.
Any acid containing the carboxyl group –COOH. The simplest examples are formic and acetic acids.
cell-free fetal nucleic acid
Free fetal nucleic acid.
cholic acid
C24H40O5, a bile acid formed in the liver by hydrolysis of other bile acids. It is formed from the breakdown of cholesterol and helps digest consumed fats.
C9H8O2, an insoluble white powder derived from cinnamon. It is used as a flavoring agent in cooking and in the preparation of perfumes and medicines.
C6H8O7, an acid found naturally in citrus fruits or prepared synthetically. It acts as a sequestrant, helping to preserve food quality.
Abbreviation: CLA
Any of the isomers of linoleic acid effective against cancer, obesity, diabetes, and atheromata in laboratory rodents. CLAs have not been shown to have similar beneficial effects in humans.
cysteic acid
C3H7NO5S, an acid produced by the oxidation of cysteine. Further oxidation produces taurine.
deoxycholic acid
C24H40O4, a crystalline acid found in bile.
deoxyribonucleic acid
, desoxyribonucleic acid See: DNA
diacetic acid
Acetoacetic acid.
2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid
2,4-D.
p-dichlorosulfamoyl benzoicacid
Halazone.
4,8-dihydroxyquinaldic acid
Xanthurenic acid.
, docosahexanoic Abbreviation: DHA
C22H32O2, an omega-3 fatty acid found in the oils of cold-water fish and in algae. DHA plays a role in the development of nerve cell membranes and is required for the normal growth and development of the infant brain. Lack of DHA has been linked to growing numbers of people suffering from depression.
C15H20NO6, a toxin that resembles glutamate, the main excitatory amino acid of the brain. When ingested, it may cause continuous seizures.
eicosapentaenoic acid
Abbreviation: EPA
C20H30O2, an omega-3 fatty acid found in fish oils, containing 20 carbons and five double bonds.
endogenous uric acid
Uric acid derived from purines undergoing metabolism from the nucleic acid of body tissues.
Abbreviation: EFA
A fatty acid (alpha-linoleic and linoleic) that is essential for health and must be present in the diet because it cannot be synthesized in the body. See: digestion
ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid
Abbreviation: EDTA
C10H16N2O8, a chelating agent that, in its calcium or sodium salts, is used to remove metallic ions such as lead and cadmium from the body and as a food preservative. See: chelation
exogenous uric acid
Uric acid derived from purines from food made up of free purines and nucleic acids.
See: urate; uraturia
Any of numerous monobasic acids with the general formula CnH2n+1-COOH (an alkyl radical attached to a carboxyl group).
Fatty acids are insoluble in water. This insolubility would prevent their being absorbed from the intestines, but the action of bile salts on the fatty acids enable thems to be absorbed. Fatty acids include acetic, butyric, capric, caproic, caprylic, formic, lauric, myristic, palmitic, and stearic acids. Unsaturated fatty acids have one or more double or triple bonds in the carbon chain. They include those of the oleic series (oleic, tiglic, hypogeic, and palmitoleic) and the linoleic or linolic series (linoleic, linolenic, clupanodonic, arachidonic, hydrocarpic, and chaulmoogric). See: fat
C19H19N7O6, a water-soluble B complex vitamin needed for DNA synthesis and amino acid metabolism. It is present in green leafy vegetables, beans, and yeast. It is used to treat megaloblastic and macrocytic anemias and to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) and cardiovascular disease in adults. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age who may become or are pregnant should consume 0.8 mg of folic acid daily to reduce their risk of having a child affected with spina bifida or other NTDs. See: neural tube defect Synonym: folate; vitamin B9
Folic acid should not be used to treat pernicious anemia (a vitamin B12 deficiency) because it does not protect patients against the development of changes in the central nervous system that accompany this type of anemia.
folinic acid
C20H23N7O7, the active form of folic acid. It is used to counteract the effects of folic acid antagonists and to treat folic acid deficiency anemia.
HCOOH, the first and strongest member of the monobasic fatty acid series. It occurs naturally in certain animal secretions, e.g., the sting of insects such as bees and ants, and in muscle, but it is also prepared synthetically.
formiminoglutamic acid
C6N2O4H10, an intermediate product in the metabolism of histidine.
free fatty acid
Abbreviation: FFA
The form in which a fatty acid leaves the cell to be transported for use in another part of the body. FFAs are not esterified and may be unbound (not bound to protein). In the plasma, the nonesterified fatty acids released immediately combine with albumin to form bound free fatty acids.
free fetal nucleic acid
Abbreviation: ffNA
Fetal RNA or DNA in blood or body fluids. It is used to determine the sex of the fetus (as in pregnancies in which X-linked inherited diseases are a concern) or to identify other genetically transmitted illnesses, e.g., trisomies. Synonym: cell-free fetal nucleic acid
C4H4O4, one of the organic acids in the Krebs cycle. It is used as a substitute for tartaric acid in beverages and baking powders.
fuming nitric acid
Concentrated nitric acid (more than 86% nitric acid) that emits toxic fumes that cause choking if inhaled.
See: fumes
gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid
Abbreviation: Gd-DTPA
A radiographic contrast agent, used in magnetic resonance imaging to enhance the appearance of blood vessels.
Contrast agents containing gadolinium should not be given to patients with diminished renal function.
C6H2(OH)3COOH, a colorless crystalline acid. It occurs naturally as an excrescence on the twigs of trees, esp. oaks, as a reaction to the deposition of gall wasp eggs. It is used as a skin astringent and in the manufacture of writing inks and dyes.
gamma-aminobutyric acid
Abbreviation: GABA
C4H9NO2, the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter of the brain.
Abbreviation: GLA
C18H30O2, an essential fatty acid promoted by alternative medicine practitioners as a treatment for skin and inflammatory disorders, cystic breast disease, and hyperlipidemia.
glucuronic acid
CHO(CHOH)4COOH, an oxidation product of glucose that is present in the urine. Toxic products (salicylic acid, menthol, phenol) that have entered the body through the intestinal tract are detoxified in the liver by conjugation with glucuronic acid.
HOOC·(CH2)2·CH(NH2)·COOH, an amino acid formed in protein hydrolysis and an excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Synonym: aminoglutaric acid
glyceric acid
CH2OH·CHOH·COOH, an intermediate product of the oxidation of fats.
glycocholic acid
C26H43NO6, a bile acid that hydrolizes to glycine and cholic acid.
C2H4O3, an alpha-hydroxy acid derivative used to remove the outer layer of skin to rejuvenate its appearance.
glyoxylic acid
C2H2O3, an acid produced by the action of glycine oxidase on glycine or sarcosine.
hippuric acid
C6H5CONHCH2COOH, an acid formed and excreted by the kidneys. It is formed from the combination of benzoic acid and glycine. The synthesis takes place in the liver and, to a limited extent, in the kidneys.
guanidoacetic acid
An acid formed in the liver, kidney, and other tissues. It is metabolized to form creatine.
hexafluorosilicic acid
Silicofluoride.
homogentisic acid
C8H8O4, an intermediate product of tyrosine catabolism. It is found in the urine in alkaptonuria. Synonym: alkapton
Abbreviation: HA
(C14H21NO11)n, an acid mucopolysaccharide found in the extracellular matrix of connective tissue that acts as a binding and protective agent. It is found in synovial fluid and in the vitreous and aqueous humors of the eye. Patients with osteoarthritis have elevated serum levels of HA. Synonym: hyaluronan
HI, an acid used in solution in various forms of chemical analyses. Synonym: hydrogen iodide
HCl, an inorganic acid normally present in gastric juice. It destroys fermenting bacteria that might cause intestinal tract disturbances.
CAS# 7647-01-0
hydrocyanic acid
HCN, a colorless, extremely poisonous, highly volatile acid that occurs naturally in plants but is also produced synthetically. It acts by preventing cellular respiration. Hydrocyanic acid is used in electroplating, fumigation, and in producing dyes, pigments, synthetic fibers, and plastic. Exposure of humans to 200 to 500 parts of hydrocyanic acid per 1,000,000 parts of air for 30 min is fatal. Synonym: hydrogen cyanide
HF, a corrosive solution of hydrogen fluoride in water. It can be used in dentistry to etch composites and porcelain surfaces and is used industrially to etch glass. See: hydrogen fluoride
Exposure to the skin and aerodigestive tract causes severe burns with local necrosis and systemic manifestations resulting from disordered calcium and potassium metabolism. Treatments with calcium gluconate can be beneficial.
hydrosulfuric acid
Hydrogen sulfide.
hydroxy acid
Any of the acids containing one or more hydroxyl (–OH) groups in addition to the carboxyl (–COOH) group, e.g., lactic acid, CH3COHCOOH).
hydroxy-iminodiacetic acid
Abbreviation: HIDA
A chemical that, when bound to radioactive technetium, is used to demonstrate the formation and flow of bile.
See: HIDA scan
hydroxybutyric acid
C4H8O3, any of the acids present in the urine, esp. in diabetic ketoacidosis, when the conversion of fatty acids to ketones increases.
hydroxycitric acid
C6H8O8, an herbal extract promoted for the treatment of weight loss. Placebo-controlled studies have not found any benefit to the treatment.
HClO, an acid used as a disinfectant, deodorant, and bleaching agent. It is usually used in the form of one of its salts.
imino acid
An acid formed as a result of oxidation of amino acids in the body.
An acid containing no carbon atoms.
Synonym: mineral acid
iocetamic acid
C12H13I3N2O3, a radiopaque agent formerly used in cholecystography.
iopanoic acid
C11H12I3NO2 , a radiopaque contrast medium used in radiographic studies of the gallbladder.
keto acid
Any organic acid containing the ketone CO (carbonyl radical).
C3H6O3, an organic acid formed in muscles during anaerobic cell respiration in strenuous exercise. It is also formed during anaerobic muscle activity when glucose cannot be changed to pyruvic acid in glycolysis. It contributes to muscle aches and fatigue. Synonym: lactacid
CH3COCH2CH2COOH, an acid formed when certain simple sugars are acted on by dilute hydrochloric acid.
lignoceric acid
C24H48O2, a saturated, naturally occurring fatty acid present in certain foods, including peanuts. It is also found in wood tar, various cerebrosides, and in small amounts in most natural fats. The acid is also a by-product of lignin production.
linoleic acid
C18H32O2, an omega-6 fatty acid found in vegetables, nuts, grains, seeds, fruits and their oils. Oils rich in linoleic acid include (in descending order) safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean and cottonseed.
linolenic acid
C18H30O2, an omega-6 fatty acid, thought to be cardioprotective. It reduces the production of cytokines and down-regulates serum cell adhesion molecules thought to be intermediates in atherosclerosis.
lithic acid
An obsolete term for uric acid.
lysergic acid
C16H16N2O2, a crystalline acid derived from ergot. Its derivative, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), is a potent hallucinogen. See: LSD
lysophosphatidic acid
Abbreviation: LPA
C21H41O7P, an acid purified from the ascitic fluid of patients with ovarian cancer. LPA stimulates the growth of ovarian cancer and may be a useful screening test for the disease.
C4H6O5, an acid found in sour fruits such as apples and apricots and active in the aerobic metabolism of carbohydrates.
malonic acid
C3H4O4, a dibasic acid formed by the oxidation of malic acid and active in the Krebs cycle in carbohydrate metabolism. Malonic acid is found in beets. Its inhibition of succinic dehydrogenase is the classic example of competitive inhibition.
mandelic acid
C8H8O3, a colorless hydroxy acid. Its salt is used to treat urinary tract infections. Synonym: phenylglycolic acid
mineral acid
Inorganic acid.
C4H6O2, a colorless acid used to make methyl methacrylate.
CAS # 79
monounsaturated fatty acid
A fatty acid containing one double bond between carbon atoms. It is found in olive oil and is the predominant fat in the Mediterranean diet. It is thought to reduce low-density lipoprotein levels without affecting high-density lipoprotein levels.
See: Mediterranean diet
A nontechnical term for hydrochloric acid.
n-3 fatty acid
Omega-3 fatty acid.
nicotinic acid
Niacin.
HNO3, a colorless, poisonous, fuming corrosive acid, widely used in industry and in chemical laboratories.
nitrous acid
HNO2, a weak acid chemical reagent used in biological laboratories.
nonvolatile acid
An acid, such as lactic acid or sulfuric acid, that accumulates in the body as a result of digestion, disease, or metabolism. It cannot be excreted from the body by ventilation but must be excreted by organs other than the lungs, e.g., by acidification of the urine.
NUCLEIC ACID: DNA and RNA
Any of the high-molecular-weight molecules that carry the genetic information crucial to the replication of cells and the manufacturing of cellular proteins. They have a complex structure formed of sugars (pentoses), phosphoric acid, and nitrogen bases (purines and pyrimidines). Most important are ribonucleic acid (RNA) and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). See: illustration
octadecanoic acid
Stearic acid.
okadaic acid
C44H68O13, a toxic acid found in shellfish. The toxin is produced by oceanic phytoplankton consumed by filter-feeding marine animals such as clams, crabs, and mussels and is the cause of diarrheal shellfish poisoning. Ingestion of these shellfish by humans results in profuse watery diarrhea.
C18H34O2, a monounsaturated fatty acid found in most organic fats and oils.
omega-3 fatty acid
, ?-3 fatty acid
Any of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids found in the oils of some saltwater fish, and in canola, flaxseed, walnuts, and some vegetables. These acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Alpha-linolenic acid (found in flaxseed and chia) can be metabolically converted to omega-3 fatty acids in the body. People whose diets are rich in omega-3 fatty acids have a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease. Synonym: n-3 fatty acid
Any of the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid and arachidonic acid, thought to influence cardiovascular and growth function when balanced with omega-3 fatty acids in eicosanoid production. Linoleic acids are derived from vegetable oils; arachidonic acids, from animal fats. Synonym: n-6 fatty acid
Any of the nonessential unsaturated fatty acids that have a double carbon bond in the ninth position from the end of their fatty acid tail. They include oleic acid (present in olive oil), stearic acid, and erucic acid.
An acid containing the carboxyl radical, –COOH. Organic acids include acetic acid, formic acid, lactic acid, and all fatty acids.
orotic acid
C5H4N2O4 , a crystalline acid occurring in milk. It is a precursor in the formation of pyrimidine nucleotides.
osmic acid
Osmium tetroxide.
C2H2O4, the simplest dibasic organic acid. Its potassium or calcium salts occur naturally in rhubarb, wood sorrel, and other plants. It is the strongest organic acid and is poisonous. When properly diluted, it removes ink or rust stains from cloth. It is used also as a reagent.
oxaloacetic acid
, oxalacetic acid
C4H4O5, a product of carbohydrate metabolism resulting from oxidation of malic acid during the Krebs cycle. It may be derived from other sources.
C16H32O2, a saturated fatty acid occurring as esters in most natural fats and oils.
C9H17NO5, an acid of the vitamin B complex, occurring naturally in yeast, liver, heart, salmon, eggs, and various grains. It is part of coenzyme A, which is necessary for the Krebs cycle and for conversion of amino acids and lipids to carbohydrates. Synonym: vitamin B5
para-aminobenzoic acid
Abbreviation: PABA
NH2C6H4COOH, an acid of the vitamin B complex, used as a dietary supplement, an antirickettsial drug, a reagent, and a sunscreen agent. Synonym: aminobenzoic acid
para-aminohippuric acid
Abbreviation: PAH, PAHA
C9H10N2O3, a derivative of aminobenzoic acid. The salt, para-aminohippurate, is used to test the excretory capacity of the renal tubules.
para-aminosalicylic acid
Abbreviation: PAS, PASA
C7H7NO3, a white or nearly white, practically odorless powder that darkens when exposed to air or light. It is a second-line drug used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Synonym: aminosalicylic acid
pectic acid
C17H24O16, an acid derived from pectin by hydrolyzing its methyl ester group.
pentanoic acid
Valeric acid.
peptide nucleic acid
Abbreviation: PNA
A synthetic nucleic acid analog in which natural nucleotide bases are linked to a peptide-like backbone instead of the sugar-phosphate backbone found in DNA and RNA. PNA has numerous uses in gene regulation, splicing, and therapy; in hybridization; and as a molecular diagnostic assay.
HClO4, a colorless unstable liquid compound. It is the highest oxygen-containing acid of chlorine, strong and dangerously corrosive.
phenylglycolic acid
Mandelic acid.
An acid formed by oxidation of phosphorus. The phosphoric acids are orthophosphoric acid, H3PO4; pyrophosphoric acid, H4P2O7; metaphosphoric acid, HPO3; and hypophosphoric acid, H4P2O6. The salts of these acids are phosphates. Orthophosphoric acid, a tribasic acid, is used as a 30% to 50% solution to etch enamel of teeth in preparation for bonding of resin dental restorations.
H3PO3, a crystalline acid formed when phosphorus is oxidized in moist air.
phytic acid
C6H18P6O24, a pale, water-soluble acid that is found in cereal grains and, if ingested, may interfere with the absorption of calcium and magnesium.
C6H2(NO2)3OH, a yellow crystalline powder that precipitates proteins and explodes when heated or charged. It is used as a dye and a reagent. Its salts are used in the Jaffé reaction (used to measure serum creatinine). Synonym: trinitrophenol
poly DL lactic acid
Polyglactin.
(C2H2O2)n, a polymer of glycolic acid anhydride units. It is used to manufacture surgical sutures, clips, and mesh.
polylactic acid
Polylactide.
C3H6O2, a carboxylic acid present in sweat.
4-pyridoxic acid
C8H9NO4, a crystalline acid that is the principal end product of pyridoxine metabolism, excreted in human urine.
C3H4O3, an organic acid that plays an important role in the Krebs cycle. It is an intermediate product in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and amino acids. Its quantity in the blood and tissues increases in thiamine deficiency because thiamine is essential for its oxidation.
quinic acid
C7H12O6, a crystalline acid present in some plants, including cinchona bark, and berries.
retinoic acid
C20H28O2, a metabolite of vitamin A used in the treatment of cystic acne.
ribonucleic acid
See: RNA
C18H34O3, an unsaturated hydroxy acid making up about 80% of fatty acids in the glycerides of castor oil. It has a strong laxative action.
C7H6O3, a white crystalline acid derived from phenol used to make aspirin, as a preservative and flavoring agent, and in the topical treatment of some skin conditions such as warts and wrinkles. See: chemical peeling
salicyluric acid
C9H9NO4, an acid found in the urine after ingestion of salicylic acid or its derivatives.
saturated fatty acid
A fatty acid in which the carbon atoms are linked to other carbon atoms by single bonds.
See: fatty acid; unsaturated fatty acid
silicic acid
Any of a family of acids containing silica, such as H2SiO3 (metasilicic acid), H2SiO4 (orthosilicic acid), or H2SiO7 (pyrosilicic acid). When silicic acid is precipitated, silica gel is obtained.
C18H36O2, a monobasic fatty acid occurring naturally in plants and animals. It is used in the manufacture of soap and pharmaceutical products such as glycerin suppositories. Synonym: octadecanoic acid
C4H6O4, an intermediate in carbohydrate metabolism.
sulfonic acid
Any of the organic compounds having the general formula SO2OH, derived from sulfuric acid by replacement of a hydrogen atom.
sulfosalicylic acid
C7H6O6S3, a crystalline acid soluble in water or alcohol. It is used as a reagent for precipitating proteins, as in testing for albumin in urine.
H2SO4, a colorless, corrosive, oily, viscous acid prepared from sulfur dioxide and used in many industrial processes and in clinical laboratories. Industrial accidents involving sulfuric acid through contact with skin or inhalation of aerosols are common.
sulfurous acid
H2SO3, an inorganic acid and a powerful chemical reducing agent used commercially, esp. for as a bleach.
C76H52O46, a mixture of digallic acid esters of d(+) glucose prepared from oak galls and sumac. It yields gallic acid and glucose on hydrolysis.
C4H6O6, an acid obtained from by-products of wine fermentation. It is widely used in industry in the manufacture of carbonated drinks, flavored gelatins, dyes, and metals. It is also used as a reagent. It is thought to be an allergen.
taurocholic acid
C26H45NO7S, a bile acid that hydrolyzes to cholic acid and taurine.
teichoic acid
Any of the polymers found in the cell walls of some gram-positive bacteria, such as the staphylococci.
tranexamic acid
C8H15NO2, an antifibrinolytic drug that has approx. 10 times the potency of and more sustained activity than aminocaproic acid. It is used to decrease bleeding time during surgical procedures. Loss of blood is decreased when this drug is used.
trans-fatty acid
The solid fat produced by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen and certain metal catalysts. Partial hydrogenation changes some of the unsaturated bonds to saturated ones. The more trans-fatty acids in the diet, the higher the serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol.
Abbreviation: TCA
A drug used as a caustic to destroy certain types of warts, condylomata, keratoses, and hyperplastic tissue.
2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid
2,4,5-T.
unsaturated fatty acid
An organic acid in which some of the carbon atoms are linked to other carbon atoms by double bonds, thus containing less than the maximum possible number of hydrogen atoms, e.g., unsaturated oleic and linoleic acids as compared with the saturated stearic acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids include linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid.
See: fatty acid; saturated fatty acid
CLUMP OF URIC ACID CRYSTALS (×400)
C5H4N4O3, a crystalline acid occurring as an end product of purine metabolism. It is formed from purine bases derived from nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). It is a common constituent of urinary stones and gouty tophi. See: illustration
Uric acid must be excreted because it cannot be metabolized. Uric acid output should be between 0.8 and 1g/day if the patient is on an ordinary diet.
Increased elimination is observed after ingestion of proteins and nitrogenous foods, after exercise, after administration of cytotoxic agents, and in gout and leukemia. Decreased elimination is observed in kidney failure, lead poisoning, and in those who eat a protein-free diet.
valeric acid
C5H10O2, an oily fatty acid having a distinctly disagreeable odor, existing in four isomeric. Synonym: pentanoic acid
valproic acid
Abbreviation: VPA
C8H16O2, an acid used to treat seizure disorders.
vanillylmandelic acid
, vanilmandelic acid Abbreviation: VMA
C9H10O5, a principal metabolic product of catecholamines. VMA makes up approx. 90% of the metabolites of the catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine and is secreted in the urine. People with pheochromocytoma produce excess amounts of catecholamines; therefore there are increased amounts of VMA in their urine.
volatile acid
An acid produced from carbon dioxide (CO2). It can be excreted by the body by ventilation (colloquially, “blowing off CO2”).
xanthurenic acid
C10H7NO4, an acid excreted in the urine of pyridoxine-deficient animals after they have been fed tryptophan. Synonym: 4,8-dihydroxyquinaldic acid
adenosine monophosphate; a component of nucleic acid, consisting of adenine, ribose and phosphoric acid.
Patient discussion about adenylic acid
Q. Differentiate Wheezing & Asthma My sister who is 29 years old is suffering from wheezing for the past 7 years. Its not a genetic problem. Some times she uses inhaler for temporary recovery. She tried English medicine, homeo and other treatments. Is it an Asthma? I find very difficult in seeing her struggle when she find hard to breathe. Please help to make her free out of this struggle.
A. i see what scares you...it's frustrating to see your loved ones suffer and you cannot help. if she is has an inhaler- that mean she has been to the Dr. and he prescribed her some kind of medicine. without giving a diagnose first...?
Q. Should FloMax & Avodart be taken together? Been on Avodart for 5 Mos.FloMax 3yrs.
A. Does one need to have a prescription to buy Flomax and Avodart or are they OTC?
Q. What is the connection between alcoholism & male fertility? If a guy drank heavily for many years, then stayed sober for many years, would his ability to impregnate a woman disappear, or be at all diminished, as a result of his years as a hard-core alcoholic? In other words, would he not have to worry about using any birth control because in his situation it was rendered unnecessary due to the negative effects of long-term drinking? And would such bad effects, if indeed they had kicked in, have been canceled out by a long period of sobriety after the drinking years?
A. i"ve been sober for six years now,drank heavily for 12 years,i now have three kids,so in other words wrap that rascal,lol
More discussions about adenylic acid
<a href="https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/adenine+nucleotide">adenylic acid</a>
adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate
adenosine 3'-phosphate
adenosine deaminase
adenosine diphosphate
adenosine monophosphate
adenosine phosphate
adenosine triphosphatase
adenylate
adenylate cyclase
adenylate kinase
The interaction of quinacrine with adenine nucleotides.
Imaging adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
Halestrap, "Role of critical thiol groups on the matrix surface of the adenine nucleotide translocase in the mechanism of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore," Biochemical Journal, vol.
ROS and ROS-Mediated Cellular Signaling
Increase in plasma levels of adenosine and adenine nucleotides after intravenous infusion of buflomedil in humans.
Human plasma ATP concentration
Decreased resting levels of adenine nucleotides in human skeletal muscle after high-intensity training.
D-ribose: energize your heart, save your life: rejuvenate cardiac cellular energy production
990 For the purpose of these calculations, the [total phosphagen pool]/[total adenine nucleotide pool] ([C.
Functional and evolutionary implications of the distribution of phosphagens in primitive-type spermatozoa
Platelets of patients affected with essential thrombocythemia are abnormal in plasma membrane and adenine nucleotide content.
Platelet distribution width for differential diagnosis of thrombocytosis
Separations of Cr, PCr, and adenine nucleotides were performed on a 2.
Ultra performance liquid chromatography analysis of adenine nucleotides and creatine derivatives for kinetic studies/Adeniinnukleotiidide ja kreatiini derivaatide analuus ultralahutusvoimelise vedelikkromatograafia meetodil
There was no significant difference in the levels of adenine nucleotides, PPi and Pi between non-bleeders and normal subjects but a significant decrease in the levels of adenine nucleotides was observed in bleeders when compared with normal subjects.
Role of cytosolic calcium and actin polymerization on agonist-induced secretion by the platelets of liver cirrhosis patients/Karaciger sirozlu hastalarin trombositlerinde aktin polimerizasyonu ve sitozolik kalsiyumunun etkisi
6) They demonstrated that injection of a specific ecto-5'NT inhibitor, [alpha],[beta]-methylene ADP, suppressed the antiinflammatory properties of methotrexate in a murine air pouch model of inflammation, indicating that adenosine released from methotrexate treatment is derived from adenine nucleotides converted extracellularly to adenosine.
Understanding the mechanisms of action of methotrexate: implications for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
55 +/- 6% of baseline), prevented the development of diastolic contracture and coronary resistance, and reduced myocardial depletion of adenine nucleotides and purines.
Effects of trimetazidine on metabolic and functional recovery of postischemic rat hearts
This phenomenon could be linked to the finding that significant depletion of ATP and adenine nucleotides (which may indicate that they had been metabolized to urate) occurred only in rat liver slices incubated in a medium containing both glycerol and ethanol (9).
Glycerol and ethanol in red wine are responsible for urate-related increases in plasma antioxidant capacity
adelophialide
A-delta fibers
Adema disease
ADEMEX
aden-
Aden fever
Aden ulcer
aden(o)-
adenalgia
adenase
adenasthenia
adendric
adendritic
adenectomy
adenectopia
adenemphraxis
-adenia
Adenia digitata
adeniform
adenine arabinoside
adenine- d -ribose
adenine deaminase
adenine nucleotide
adenine phosphoribosyltransferase
adenine sulfate
adenine-d-ribose
adenisation
adenitis
adenization
adeno-
adenoacanthoma
adenoameloblastoma
adenoangiosarcoma
adenoassociated virus
adeno-associated virus
adenoblast
adenoCa
adenocarcinoid
adenocarcinoma arising in fistula
adenocarcinoma in Barrett esophagus
adenocarcinoma in situ
adenocarcinoma of bronchus
adenocarcinoma of renal cells
adenocarcinoma of the kidney
adenocarcinoma of the lung
adenocarcinoma of uterus
adenocarcinomatous
Adendum
adenectomies
Adenin-Guanin-Adenin
Adenina, Guanina, Adenina, Timina, Citosina
adenine deoxyribonucleotide
Adenine Nucleotide Breakdown Products
Adenine Nucleotide Translocase 3
Adenine nucleotide translocator
adenine nucleotide translocator 1
Adenine Nucleotide Translocator Isoform Transcription Pattern
Adenine Nucleotide Translocator-1
Adenine nucleotides
Adenine,Thymine, Guanine, Cytosine
Adenine-Guanine
Adenine-Thymine
Adenium multiflorum
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NA3HL, Metro Jets alum Nedeljkovic gets call to NHL
Alex Nedeljkovic spent the majority of November and December with the Metro Jets in the NA3HL during the 2012-13 season.
Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, announced that the team has recalled goaltender and NA3HL/Metro Jets alum Alex Nedeljkovic from the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. The team also reassigned goaltender Michael Leighton to Charlotte.
This marks the first NHL call-up for the 21-year-old Nedeljkovic, the Hurricanes’ second-round (37th overall) pick in the 2014 NHL Draft.
The Parma, Ohio, native has split the 2016-17 season, his first season as a professional, between Charlotte and the ECHL’s Florida Everblades. With the Checkers, Nedeljkovic (6’0”, 198 lbs.) has posted a 5-12-0 record, with a 3.30 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage in 18 appearances. In three games with the Everblades, Nedeljkovic has gone 2-0-0 with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.
Nedeljkovic spent the majority of November and December with the Metro Jets in the NA3HL during the 2012-13 season. He made an immediate impact as he was named as the NA3HL Goaltender of the Month in November. He was in goal for all four of the Jets wins in November as he posted a perfect 4-0 record along with a 94.2% save percentage and a 2.00 goals against average. During the month of November, he stopped 129 of a possible 137 shots on goal.
He went on to play five more games in the NA3HL during December and January. In total, he posted a 5-3-0 record with a 2.49 goals against average and a 93.3% save percentage.
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Tahrir Suite
Trade Paper – $16.95
Matthew Shenoda (Contribution by)
6.125 x 8.5
Tahrir Suite is a book-length poem that contemplates immigration, homeland, and diaspora in the twenty-first century. The poem, inspired by recent events in Egypt, cycles through the journey of two Egyptians moving across borders, languages, cultures, landscapes, and political systems while their life in the U.S. diaspora evolves and their home country undergoes revolutionary change.
Written from a perspective and about a place that is virtually unexplored in contemporary American poetry, Tahrir Suite works to capture the complicated essence of what it means to be from a specific place that is experiencing such radical change and how our understandings of “home” and “place” constantly evolve. Tahrir Suite is a musical meditation on what it means to be a global citizen in contemporary times.
Matthew Shenoda is the author of the poetry collections Seasons of Lotus, Seasons of Bone (2009) and Somewhere Else (2005), which won the American Book Award. He is currently Associate Professor and Interim Chair of Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago.
“Matthew Shenoda’s stunning third collection, Tahrir Suite, is unlike any other work in contemporary American poetry. This powerful book-length poem embraces poetry’s epic tradition to follow two Egyptians as they migrate from a place where ‘A dictator swallows the clouds for shade / And the people are left beneath the sun’ to the United States, where ‘There will always be a sense of hunger / A yearning to swim in an open sea.’ In his verses, we see the displacement, the longing, and the adjustments that have always been a part of the immigrant paradox. Shenoda’s tightly woven lyric questions the global community and all of its cultural obfuscation, and it is through that questioning that we see the real beauty of the diaspora—its resilience, its unrelenting humanity. This is a timely and necessary poem for a fragmented world full of people in search of a home.”—Adrian Matejka, author of The Big Smoke
“Readers in North America ignore a poem like this at the risk of incurring deadly and debilitating ‘Western’ myopia and insularity. Tahrir Suite must be read as poem, allegory, dirge, proclamation, and on some level as a political manifesto: ‘This is a crucial thing / That one cannot live without the threads of dignity / That one cannot live without acceptance / That one cannot live without a sun to guide . . .’ It is a timely text that speaks to world events as we are currently experiencing them.”—Sapphire, author of Push
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Horslen Awarded Banting Fellowship
Published: Friday September 7, 2018
Postdoc in labs of Petit Institute researchers receives prestigious award from Canadian government
Brian Horslen
Brian Horslen, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Lena Ting, professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering (BME) at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, is the recipient of the Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship, awarded awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).
In announcement Thursday, Sept. 6, at the University of Alberta, Canada’s Minister of Science and Sport, Kirsty Duncan, presented 167 new Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships and 70 Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships, a total investment of $34.85 million, to a group of Canada’s brightest doctoral and postdoctoral students who are working to make discoveries in the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, as well as the social sciences and humanities.
“Our greatest hope lies with the ambitions of the next generation of Canada’s researchers,” said Duncan, who was representing Minister of Health Ginette Petitpas Taylor at Thursday’s announcement. “Their curiosity and desire to collaborate will lead to new medical treatments, health care programs, and social innovations. Our government is proud to support them as they gain the skills and experienced needed for the jobs of tomorrow.”
Horslen, a Canadian citizen who earned his PhD from the University of British Columbia, is co-advised by Tim Cope, also a professor in the Coulter Department and, like Ting, a researcher in the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience at Georgia Tech.
“This is the most prestigious postdoctoral fellowship awarded by Canadian funding agencies, and I’m extremely honored that my application was accepted,” said Horslen, whose fellowship title is “How current movement shapes future sensory feedback: A multiscale investigation of how changing muscle mechanics affects muscle spindle sensor feedback and control of standing balance.”
The fellowship will allow Horslen to pursue novel research in the Coulter Department.
“It has the potential to have huge impact on my field of sensorimotor control of movement,” said Horslen, who joined the Coulter Department in February 2017. “We are re-evaluating our understanding of how muscle spindles sense of body movement and how we use this information to keep ourselves upright and avoid falling down.”
It’s the kind of work that could require a rewriting of neurosciences textbooks, according to Horslen, and affect how engineers approach the problem of building prosthetics that actually “feel.”
Collaboration between Coulter Department labs will continue to be a cornerstone of Horslen’s postdoctoral training – he works closely with Ting and Cope to anchor a research program integrating human balance behavior and central nervous system electrophysiology.
Additionally, Horslen’s work incorporates the expertise of neuromechanics and movement sciences experts in Emory’s Rehabilitation Medicine and Neuroscience programs, as well as Georgia Tech’s School of Biological Sciences and Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering.
“I hope to lay the groundwork here at BME to becoming a knowledge leader in sensorimotor research,” said Horslen, who added, “the strong research environment in BME, as well as the superb postdoc training resources at both Emory and Georgia Tech were important factors in my application’s success.”
While administered by the CIHR, the scholarship and fellowship programs are funded through three Canadian agencies: CIHR, NSERC, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
In a statement following Thursday’s event, CIHR chief Taylor added, “We are giving researchers, students, and fellows the foundation they need to achieve their dreams and come up with the innovations that will drive the economy and solve the challenges of our time.”
Soaring Like the Astronauts
Two BME students win prestigious Astronaut Scholar Foundation awards
The Next Frontier in Bioengineering
A new HIV treatment aimed at women could be on the horizon with Phil Santangelo’s RNA-based solutions
Artificially Intelligent Neural Interfaces
DARPA funding researchers from Georgia Tech, Emory, and Northwestern
Giving Scientific Research an Artistic Flair
BME student Emily Madsen uses her skills as a painter and sculptor to illuminate complex topics
Cheng Zhu Interviewed at ISTH 2019 Congress
Zhu discusses platelets and activation by shear forces
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What about Royce?
Gromer Jeffers examines the question of whether State Sen. Royce West will jump into the Democratic primary for US Senate in 2020.
Sen. Royce West
For several months, there’s been speculation that Democrats, against the wishes of some party leaders and donors, will have a competitive contest for the party’s Senate nomination.
Former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell of Houston, the Democratic Party’s 2006 nominee for governor, is considering running. Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards is also contemplating a campaign, according to numerous Democrats.
Three mostly lesser-known Democrats are already running: Michael Cooper, Sema Hernandez and Adrian Ocegueda.
But the most intriguing potential candidate is state Sen. Royce West of Dallas, who has contemplated statewide campaigns before. He’s now weighing running for his party’s Senate nomination.
West has not spoken publicly about his plans and has shrugged off questions about the timing of his decision. But he’s been making the rounds in party circles, getting pledges from colleagues in the Legislature and testing whether he can raise the money needed not only to get past [[MJ] Hegar, but also beat Cornyn.
Rice University political scientist Mark Jones said West and Edwards would be formidable opponents for Hegar because they have strong Democratic vote bases in Dallas and Houston. Jones added that West is more of a centrist, which would help him against Cornyn.
The prospect of a contested Senate primary signals that Democrats are entering a new era in Texas politics. They don’t have to find sacrificial lambs to fill out candidate slates.
“We’re at a point where a credible Democrat may not want to give Hegar a free ride,” Jones said.
There are several reasons this may be the year West takes the plunge. It’s kind of now or never. At age 66, his window for a Washington career is closing. And the changing face of Texas means voters could prefer other emerging politicians in future election cycles. West wouldn’t have to give up much to make the run. He was re-elected last year and won’t be up again until 2022, so he wouldn’t have to surrender his Texas Senate seat. In politics, there’s nothing more sought after than a free look at a campaign for higher office. All that would be at stake is pride.
The longtime Texas lawmaker would also come into the Democratic Party contest with the ability to win — and win big — in North Texas. No other candidate can boast such a launching pad. And he’ll be strong in other parts of the state, particularly where black voters are influential, such as Houston and East Texas. West’s challenge would be garnering support where he’s not well-known, which is most of the state. And he’ll have to prove that he can raise tens of millions of dollars, while captivating the fancy of Texas voters.
Hegar is out there campaigning now – she was just in Houston, at an event I was unable to make. Bell has put out some fundraising emails – I got one in my inbox a few days ago. I have no idea what Amanda Edwards is doing, but like Bell she has not said anything formal. As for West, he’s a good State Senator and he’d for sure start out with a sizable base in a Democratic primary. I’ll be honest, I’d be more excited about him if he’d been the first one to jump in, or if he’d run for Governor or Lt. Governor in 2018. But as I’ve said before, I’m happy for there to be a competitive primary. We need to make sure candidates are out there campaigning hard now, not later on once they’ve won the nomination. An awful lot of people are going to vote in the Dem primary in March, so no one who wants to pursue the nomination can sit around and hope for the best. Whatever Royce West – or Chris Bell, or Amanda Edwards, or anyone else – is thinking about doing, my advice would be to think fast.
An early review of the Senate campaign so far
I have thoughts about this.
MJ Hegar
When U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro announced earlier this month that he would not run for U.S. Senate in 2020, the San Antonio Democrat cleared up one major question hanging over his party’s primary. But the field is anything but settled.
Two weeks later, the clock is ticking for Democrats to mount serious campaigns to unseat U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, an uphill battle even with Texas’ changing political landscape. Arguably the most prominent Democrat already running, MJ Hegar, announced her campaign three weeks ago but has been — on the surface, at least — off to a slow start that has done little to dissuade at least three other Democrats from considering their own runs.
Among them is Amanda Edwards, an at-large Houston City Council member who has been mulling a campaign since at least early March and appears to be moving closer to running. She has been in conversations with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and is heading to Washington, D.C, next week to continue those discussions, according to a source familiar with her plans.
Edwards, who is African American, has been emphatic that Texas Democrats need a U.S. Senate nominee who can mobilize the party’s base, particularly underrepresented groups that suffer the most from low turnout.
“It is imperative — there is no way around it,” she told reporters earlier this month in Houston. “If you don’t galvanize people of color, young people under the age of 35 … Democrats are not going to be successful.”
In addition to Edwards, state Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, also continues to draw discussion as a prospective candidate though he has said he is focused on the ongoing legislative session that ends later this month. And Chris Bell, the former Houston congressman, announced Monday that he was seriously considering a bid. Bell, the 2006 gubernatorial nominee, suggested he was not intimidated by the nascent field, saying competitive primaries can be difficult but healthy in the long run.
“It’s sort of like having a family fight, but we all get through Thanksgiving and come together the next day,” Bell said, approvingly citing Castro’s recent declaration — before he opted against running — that the era of “uncontested primaries in both parties in Texas is over.”
While it remains to be seen how viable Edwards, West and Bell would be — Bell is the only one with experience running statewide — they all appear to be undeterred by the opening weeks of Hegar’s campaign. Beyond a barrage of fundraising emails, she has kept a low profile, not holding any public campaign events and doing only a handful of media appearances — all things one would expect as a candidate looks to establish early momentum in a nationally watched race.
“It’s concerning,” said one Democratic strategist unaffiliated with any of the declared or potential candidates. “At this time two years ago, Beto was criss-crossing the state. The question I’m seeing now is where exactly has MJ Hegar been?”
At this point in his blockbuster 2018 campaign, Beto O’Rourke had visited a dozen cities throughout the state and was on his way to hitting twice as many by the end of his first month.
Oh good Lord. You know what else was happening two years ago at this time? Beto was trying very, very hard to raise his name recognition. He started out at a pretty low level. In the first poll I tracked that measured his approve/disapprove numbers, the UT/Trib poll from June of 2017, 55% of respondents answered “don’t know/no opinion” of O’Rourke (question 19). In the next few months, in addition to stories about how O’Rourke was criss-crossing the state, there were also stories about how little known he was, especially compared to Ted Cruz, about whom nearly everyone had an opinion. Just before the primary, in the February 2018 UT/Trib poll, the numbers were 58% “don’t know/no opinion” of O’Rourke. And if you want to be skeptical of the UT/Trib polling methodology, rest assured that other pollsters were finding the same thing. For example, PPP, January 2018 – “Sixty one percent of respondents had never heard of O’Rourke”. Beto’s relentless travel schedule and nonstop live appearances were a huge part of his brand and his strategy, and they paid off bigtime for him. They also took a long time to get off the ground, because Texas is a huge state with millions of voters and you can only ever hope to contact a small share of them via in-person events.
My point here is that if we’re going to be making with the Beto comparisons already, let’s be sure to tell the whole story. It’s not like any of this was a mystery, but as so often seems to be the case, I feel like I’m the only person in the state old enough to remember what had happened. Plus, not to put too fine a point on it, there’s no reason to believe that Beto’s exact strategy from 2018 has to be replicated. I for one would advocate for not having a “visit all 254 counties” strategy, but more like a “visit somewhere between 100 and 150 counties”, with much more emphasis on the counties that have trended Democratic since 2012, and less on the (mostly very small, mostly rural) counties that voted more Republican in 2018 than in 2016. Call it the “Willie Sutton strategy”, where you put a higher priority on the places that have more people who have voted for you and might vote for you. Knowing who those voters are likely to be would be a good optimization on the Beto strategy, too. The advantage that MJ Hegar or any of these other candidates will have is that they can learn from and build on what Beto did. They can do more of what worked well and less of what didn’t. Crazy, I know, but true.
The day after announcing her campaign, Hegar was endorsed by VoteVets, the national progressive group for veterans. Beyond that, other prominent groups are waiting to see how the primary takes shape before potentially getting involved. Among them is EMILY’s List, the influential organization that works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights, which backed Hegar in her U.S. House bid last year and made clear in March that it wanted a woman to challenge Cornyn.
“As of right now, we’re closely watching the race,” EMILY’s List spokesman Maeve Coyle said. “We’re always thrilled to see women step up and take on these tough flip seats, especially fantastic candidates like MJ.”
In addition to Hegar, the Democrats already running include Michael Cooper, Sema Hernandez and Adrian Ocegueda.
Typically, Washington Democrats bristle at competitive U.S. Senate primaries. They often can become bloody affairs, resulting in unelectable candidates who are broke once they win the nomination. But Texas is different from most states.
Despite the renewed interest in flipping Texas, national Democratic operatives are privately shrugging off the notion of a competitive primary in the state. It is no secret that Texas Democrats have miles to go in building out their party infrastructure, and some argue that several candidates fanning out around the state for nearly a year could accomplish some of that goal.
Yet a crowded Democratic primary sets up the possibility of a primary runoff that won’t be settled until next May, leaving the eventual nominee with perhaps three months to replenish a depleted war chest for what is likely to be a multi-million dollar ad war across Texas air waves.
Concern-trolling about runoffs aside, you know that I agree with that assessment competitive primary. I hope we have one, because money spent on it is not an expense that is lost but an investment that is made in engaging voters. And for the zillionth time, MJ Hegar and any other “serious” candidate needs to take the primary seriously, no matter who else is in it. We are very likely to have record turnout in the Dem primary next March. If those voters don’t know who they’re voting for in the Senate primary, then anything can happen and most of it won’t be good. If Hegar is doing behind-the-scenes stuff now, that’s fine. There’s time for that. As long as she and everyone working with her understands that the real campaign season starts a lot earlier than we have been used to thinking that it does.
Joaquin is out for Senate
In the end, it’s hard to see this as a surprise.
Rep. Joaquin Castro
U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro has decided not to seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Sen. John Cornyn, choosing instead to continue pursuing a fast-rising career in Congress focusing on security and border issues.
Castro’s decision could pave the way for a contest in 2020 between Cornyn and Mary Jennings “MJ” Hegar, an Afghanistan war veteran who ran a strong but losing race for Congress last year and who declared her candidacy last week.
Castro, 44, of San Antonio, announced his decision to stay out of the race in an interview with Hearst Newspapers.
“Right now, I’m going to focus on my work in the House of Representatives. I’ve been doing what I feel is important and meaningful work here,” he said. “If and when I run for another office, it is likely to be something that takes me back home to Texas.”
His brother’s presidential campaign could have been helpful to Castro, creating excitement among Latino voters and national attention to the unprecedented effort of twins seeking high office.
But Joaquin Castro’s race also might have produced the uncomfortable scenario of extraordinarily close brothers parting ways on issues.
Joaquin Castro also had a ringside seat to his brother’s struggles to raise money, reporting a modest $1.1 million in receipts in the first three months of 2019. Thus far, Joaquin Castro has paid little attention to his own fundraising, bringing in just $36,000 in the first quarter, his Federal Election Commission report shows.
He said he is impressed with Hegar and others considering the race. “And like I have for many years, I’ll do everything I can to help our Democratic nominee win,” he said.
Barring another surprise at this point, that nominee will be MJ Hegar. The straws were in the wind after Hegar made her announcement. In a way, we’ve come full circle. When we started this cycle, I thought Joaquin Castro would be the best non-Beto option for Senate, but I also thought he’d stay put on the grounds that he’d be giving up too much for an iffy shot at a promotion. I should etch those words into a plaque and hang it on my wall, so I can enjoy being right about something till the end of time. I also noted that MJ Hegar was my next choice, so that all worked out pretty well.
I can totally understand why Joaquin Castro chose not to run. What I can’t understand is why we went through this whole “he’s in!” “he’s surely gonna be in as his friends give him a public pep talk” “um, someone else is in now what in the world is he doing?” “nvm, he’s out” cycle. Maybe someday someone close to him will spill the whole story to a reporter. The main lesson to learn here is don’t allow a story about how you are probably going to run for some higher office to get published unless you have a clear plan and a short time frame for following it up with a definitive answer. People are going to remember this, and when the 2022 and 2024 cycles come around and talk begins about who might run for what (Ted Cruz will be up again in 2024), there will be a strong tendency among the faithful to roll their eyes at the mention of Joaquin Castro. I hate to say this, but he may be on a path to John Sharp status.
One more thing, from the Trib:
Hegar is one of four Democrats who have announced they are running against Cornyn. The others are Michael Cooper, Sema Hernandez and Adrian Ocegueda.
Houston City Councilwoman Amanda Edwards has also said she is considering a run for the seat, and state Sen. Royce West of Dallas has been discussed as a potential candidate. Shortly after Castro announced his decision Wednesday, West told the Tribune that he is focused on the current legislative session and its two big issues: school finance and property tax reform.
I’m not at all surprised about Royce West not being a candidate. He was a very recent mention, and my guess is that it came up from speculation generated by Castro’s dithering rather than an actual desire on West’s part to run statewide. As for Amanda Edwards, I’d say the clock is ticking. MJ Hegar is now raising money and getting a bunch of press, and may soon have Emily’s List in her corner. Make a decision one way or the other. Finally, I stress again that Hegar needs to be running hard now, not just for November but also for March. Don’t let these no-hope candidates get primary votes by virtue of primary voters not knowing who you are. Texas Monthly and the Current have more.
Hegar is in for the Senate
Former Democratic congressional candidate MJ Hegar is running for U.S. Senate in 2020.
Hegar, a former Air Force helicopter pilot, mounted a high-profile bid to unseat U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, in November, fueled by attention-grabbing ads and massive fundraising. She ended up losing by less than 3 percentage points in the traditionally Republican district.
“Texans deserve a senator who represents our values, strength, courage, independence — putting Texas first,” Hegar said in an announcement video made in the style of her 2018 ads. “I didn’t get a pilot slot my first time trying. We Texans don’t give up easy, and everything we’ve accomplished is just the beginning.”
In the video, a motorcycle-riding Hegar emphasized Cornyn’s closeness with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Through last year, the Texan served as McConnell’s majority whip, making him the second highest-ranking Republican in the Senate.
“For those of you who don’t know, Sen. John Cornyn, he’s that tall guy lurching behind Mitch McConnell in basically every single video,” Hegar said. “He calls himself Big John, but he shrinks out of the way while Mitch McConnell gets in the way of anything actually getting done in our government.”
To take on Cornyn, Hegar could face a competitive primary with U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio, who has said he is considering a run and will make an announcement soon. Another Democratic elected official, Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards, has also said she is mulling a campaign.
I’m going to bullet-point this:
– Apparently, I’ve been saying MJ Hegar’s name wrong all this time. It’s “Hey-gar”, not “Hee-gar”, as I’ve been intoning it. I guess her pronunciation of her name in the “Doors” video didn’t make an impression on me.
– With all the attention that’s been paid to a Joaquin Castro candidacy, you have to wonder if Hegar jumping in before he (apparently) makes up his mind will cause him to reconsider. It’s one thing to give up a safe Congressional seat as a member of the majority party with some seniority for at best a coin flip shot at a Senate seat. It’s a whole ‘nother thing to give it up for a coin flip shot at getting that coin flip shot. I have no idea what Castro wants to do, but not having a clear path to the nomination has to make him recalculate his risk/benefit analysis.
– Regardless of whether Castro gets into the race or not, I can’t stress enough the importance of Hegar running a real campaign for the primary. That’s especially true if her only opponents are the no-names currently in the race, plus maybe some others like them. The history of Democrats voting for non-viable candidates in primaries because they have no idea who they’re voting for is long and grisly, and even when it doesn’t lead to the likes of Gene Kelly and Jim Hogan on the November ballot, it far too often leads to embarrassing questions about the lackluster vote totals for the anointed choices. (See: Beto O’ Rourke 2018, Wendy Davis 2014, Rick Noriega 2008, etc etc etc.) I can’t emphasize this enough: MJ Hegar not only needs to start raising money now, she needs to plan to spend a bunch of it between now and March. I don’t care how viral she was in 2018. I guarantee you, she needs to start introducing herself to voters, because she won’t like what happens if the voters don’t know who she is.
– I mean, turnout for the Dem primary in 2020 is going to be off the charts. It’s going to make 2008 look antiquated. Texas is going to play a big role in picking the Democratic Presidential nominee. An awful lot of people who are not in CD31 – millions, quite likely – will be voting in March. MJ Hegar needs to make sure they all know her name. This, more than anything else, is the reason why a high-profile, well-funded, contested primary among quality candidates is a good thing and not a bad thing. It’s the surest way to make sure that the voters do know who their candidates are.
– On a side note, I have no idea who Plan B is for CD31. Doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there, but it’s more likely than not that we don’t know who that person is yet. Alternately, CD31 may slide off the top tier pickup list, which would be a shame. I sure hope we find someone who can do half as well at exciting voters in CD31 as Hegar did in 218.
– The Republicans may express a lot of bravado about their odds of winning, but they’re not taking anything for granted. I got not one but two screeching press releases from the state GOP in the first few hours following Hegar’s announcement, including one that hilariously called on her to “disavow support from Patton Oswalt”. (No, I don’t know why. Life is too short to read stupid press releases.)
– Finally, as a friend said on Facebook, this race needs to be about Donald Trump. Lots of people turned out in 2018 to vote against Donald Trump. We need all of them and about a million more to do it again in 2020. If we do that, MJ Hegar, or Joaquin Castro, maybe even Amanda Edwards, can beat John Cornyn. Mother Jones, Daily Kos, and the Chron have more.
Precinct analysis: Guv and Lite Guv
We move now to the Democratic primaries for Governor and Lt. Governor. I did not analyze any of the other Democratic statewide contested primaries, mostly because they were sufficiently low-profile that I didn’t think there was anything of interest to be learned. My view of the Senate primary is here if you missed it. First up, the Governor’s race:
Dist Valdez White Davis Others
CD02 6,779 16,271 2,163 3,738
CD08 463 808 224 336
CD10 1,837 3,420 883 1,248
CD22 762 1,587 343 563
CD29 5,620 6,785 1,569 3,485
HD126 1,026 2,293 610 820
HD128 780 1,747 239 593
HD129 1,511 3,635 475 1,021
HD131 1,161 4,365 1,775 1,709
HD134 3,251 12,319 384 1,283
HD140 839 944 273 610
HD141 699 2,406 1,358 1,282
HD144 860 930 74 499
I don’t have the room to display nine candidates’ worth of results, so I’m just showing the top three, with the other six aggregated into the last column. Harris County was by far Andrew White’s best county – he won over 51% of the vote here, and nearly thirty percent of his statewide total came from Harris. Most of the other counties he won were our neighbors – Fort Bend, Brazoria, Montgomery, and Galveston were all in his column. As such, I don’t want to draw too broad a conclusion from the numbers you see above. This is White’s home turf, and it’s probably where he did the most campaigning, and it worked for him. If he wants to have any hope for winning the runoff, he’s going to have to do well here in May. The fact that there are also runoffs in CDs 07 and 22, plus in countywide races, helps him, but then there are also runoffs in places like CD32, so it’s not like he has all the advantage. My advice to him would simply be to do more of what he did here elsewhere in the state.
Lupe Valdez
As for Lupe Valdez, again I don’t want to generalize from atypical data. She won in all of the other big urban counties, she won in the big suburbs of Collin, Denton, and Williamson, she won in South Texas, and she won in places like Lubbock and Ector and Midland. There’s a good case to be made that she doesn’t need to do anything special to win in May, and should concentrate on fundraising and sharpening her message against Greg Abbott instead. But as I said before, there were still a lot of people who chose someone other than her or White, and many of them will be in the Congressional districts that have runoffs. This is the only statewide runoff, and that means it’s the main attraction for the next eight weeks. She shouldn’t view invitations to debate Andrew White as opportunities for him to gain ground on her, but as opportunities for attention to be focused on Democratic candidates, Democratic priorities, and Democratic messages. When was the last time we had that?
Lastly, Cedric Davis was the one other candidate in this race that had won an election before, and he did have some traction with African-American voters. If he cares to make an endorsement for the runoff, it could carry some weight. If Valdez and White have not been reaching out to him, that’s a bad decision on their part.
Now for the Lite Guv race, for which there were two candidates and thus no runoff concerns:
Dist Cooper Collier
CD02 11,197 16,416
CD08 929 833
CD09 12,682 8,621
CD10 3,676 3,495
HD126 2,541 2,071
HD134 4,203 11,439
HD140 1,566 966
Collier won Harris County with 50.70% of the vote; he did better statewide, getting 52.37% of the total. Neither he nor Michael Cooper had any money, but Collier’s campaign was visible to me while Cooper’s was not. I got Collier’s emails, I saw his posts on Facebook, and I saw posts from friends about him on Facebook. Looking at where Collier did well in Harris County, I’d say he did well with other voters like me who probably saw evidence of his campaign as well. Collier did very well in some counties, like Travis and Bexar and Williamson, as well as the Dallas suburbs, but trailed by a little in Dallas and Tarrant, and by more in El Paso and the South Texas region. The not Dan Patrick crowd seems to be on board with him. I suspect that’s mostly a matter of making sure his campaign is visible to them as well.
UT/TT poll: Trump approval more or less the same as before
A tad bit more positive than last time, but still nothing to write home about.
With the usual disclaimers about partisan imbalance, President Donald Trump’s job approval ratings are holding steady, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
Overall, equal numbers of Texas voters approve and disapprove of the job Trump is doing. Beneath that, the poll found, Republicans are highly supportive, with 83 percent saying they approve, while 84 percent of Democrats say they disapprove. The president’s numbers are remarkably similar to those in last February’s UT/TT Poll — the first survey after Trump took office. Then, as now, Republicans were solidly behind him and Democrats were solidly against him, making the blended numbers appear balanced.
The contrasting voter impressions of the state’s two Republican U.S. senators continue. John Cornyn had approving marks from 29 percent of all voters, 47 percent of Republicans and 10 percent of Democrats. Overall, 38 percent of voters disapprove of the job Cornyn’s doing as the second-highest-ranking member of the Senate majority’s leadership. That’s driven by the disapproval of 59 percent of Texas Democrats.
Ted Cruz, who is up for re-election this year, gets about the same number of good grades — 40 percent — and bad ones — 41 percent. As with other officeholders, it’s about party, but only Trump’s numbers are as strongly divided on those lines. Cruz’s high grades from 72 percent of Republicans are offset by his bad grades from 73 percent of Democrats.
In another question, voters were asked their opinion of Cruz, which yielded similar results. Overall, 40 percent said they have a favorable impression of him and 42 percent have an unfavorable one. It’s a party thing, with 71 percent of Democrats holding negative opinions and 70 percent of Republicans holding positive ones. Fewer than one in five said they had no opinion at all.
Contrast that with his likely general election opponent, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke. The El Paso Democrat has never been on a statewide ballot, and it shows, with 58 percent of all voters saying they have neither a favorable nor an unfavorable opinion of him. Among Democrats, 52 percent have a favorable opinion of O’Rourke, 4 percent have an unfavorable opinion and 44 percent have no opinion at all. Among Republicans, 8 percent were favorable, 22 percent were unfavorable and 70 percent were neither positive nor negative.
Gov. Greg Abbott remains the most popular elected state official, if job assessments are the measure. Overall, 46 percent said he’s doing a good job and 31 percent said he’s not. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s numbers almost break into three equal parts: 36 percent approval, 33 percent disapproval and 31 percent neutral. And House Speaker Joe Straus, who is not seeking another term, remains the least well-known high official in Austin: 27 percent approve of the job he’s doing, 24 percent disapprove and 48 percent remain neutral.
For comparison purposes:
UT/Trib, February 2017, 46 approve/44 disapprove
UT/Trib, June 2017, 43 approve/51 disapprove
UT/Trib, October 2017, 45 approve/49 disapprove
There are other pollsters that have shown poorer results for Trump in the past year. For apples to apples purposes, the numbers above all come from the UT/Trib poll. This was Trump’s best showing since last February, and it may represent the passage of the tax bill, the onset of primary season and the partisan stirrings that brings, random variations, some combination of the above, or something else entirely. I think his numbers are more likely to sag a big going forward than improve, and there’s always the chance that some factor like the Mueller investigation could cause him to crater. Overall, though, I think this is more or less what we should expect.
What does it mean? Well, overall probably not much. Not because of anything having to do with this poll or any other poll, but because for November purposes I don’t think the right questions are being asked, or more to the point I don’t think the right people are being asked. We all know this election is about who will turn out, so why not focus on the voters who are the biggest variables in that? What I’d love to see are surveys of 1) Democratic voters who turned out in 2016 and 2012 and 2008 but not 2010 or 2014; 2) people who voted for someone other than Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump in 2016 and who have a history of voting in the off years; and 3) Republicans who voted for Clinton in 2016. Ask them what their plans are for this year, and maybe you’ll get a better idea of what to expect in 8.5 months.
And on a related note:
Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick are far ahead of their Republican primary opponents in the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, but the Democrats running for those two high offices face more difficult paths to their party’s nomination.
Two other statewide Republican incumbents — Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller — have the support of a majority of likely primary voters, but with a caveat. When those voters had the option of saying they weren’t ready to make a choice, 44 percent listed no preference in the land race and 60 percent said the same in the agriculture race.
With high numbers of undecided voters, Bush led his primary with 36 percent of the vote, and Miller led his with 27 percent. Only when they were asked how they’d vote if they had to make a choice now did the majorities appear for the incumbents.
The Democratic primary for governor is a muddle, with two clear frontrunners and no candidate close to enough votes to win without a runoff. Former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez had the support of 43 percent of likely primary voters responding to the poll, while Andrew White of Houston had 24 percent. If no candidate gets a majority, the top two finishers will go to a May runoff. Grady Yarbrough and Tom Wakely each got 7 percent in that primary poll, Adrian Ocegueda and Jeffrey Payne got 5 percent, and Cedric Davis Sr., Joe Mumbach and James Jolly Clark each got 4 percent or less.
The Democratic race for lieutenant governor won’t end in a runoff — there are only two candidates. But their names are similar — Mike Collier and Michael Cooper — and their numbers are close. Collier, whose name was on the statewide ballot four years ago when he ran for comptroller, got 55 percent in the latest UT/TT Poll. Cooper got 45 percent.
“You have two lieutenant governor candidates whose names are very similar to one another, who have received very little public attention and who are not very well known,” Henson said.
The Trib’s primary polls from 2014 were, in a word, trash. They were worse than useless, and they didn’t have a strong track record in Democratic primary polls before that. Their November polling has been good, but I emphatically advise you to take any and all of their March numbers as being strictly for entertainment purposes only. You have been warned.
Filing season has begun
Candidate filing season is now open, and it will run for a month, concluding at 6 PM on Monday, December 11. There will be a lot of activity this year – we are already aware of so many candidates – and I’m sure there will be a few surprises. You can find candidate filings on the Secretary of State webpage, though I expect that will lag a day or so behind what county parties have. Here are a few things I can say so far:
– The first candidates to file for Governor are Tom Wakely and sign Grady Yarbrough. Is it written somewhere that in every generation there must be an annoying perennial candidate? Jeffrey Payne and Garry Brown are still to file, and then we have the being wooed/thinking about it trio of Andrew White, Michael Sorrell, and Lupe Valdez. I figure when/if one of them files, the other two will step aside. I will be surprised if more than one of them jumps in.
– Michael Cooper, who has been doing some tandem campaigning with Wakely, has filed for Lt. Governor. Mike Collier has been running for months and should be filing soon.
– Justin Nelson was late in announcing but prompt in filing for Attorney General.
– We have a candidate for Railroad Commissioner: Roman McAllen, who has a preference for bow ties and wordy biographies. He’s on the board of Preservation Texas, which would make him a welcome alternate perspective to the shills and know-nothings that currently serve on the RRC.
– I don’t have a link to point you to for activity in Harris County at this time. I do know from talking to people that Lina Hidalgo (County Judge), Diane Trautman (County Clerk), and Dylan Osborne (County Treasurer) have filed. I also know that we may get a contested primary for County Judge as Mike Nichols is taking the filing period to explore a candidacy. Nichols has worked with the Houston Food Bank, the Houston Long Range Financial Management Task Force, Planned Parenthood, and the Houston Parks Board. We’ll see what he decides.
– At the state level, we still need someone to run for Comptroller and Land Commissioner; Kim Olson is running for Ag Commissioner. We know of two Supreme Court candidates, but we still need one more of those plus three for the Court of Criminal Appeals. We could use someone for CD22. In Harris County, we’re still looking for a candidate for County Commissioner in Precinct 2, a candidate for HCDE Position 4, Precinct 3, and State Rep in HDs 126, 132, and 135.
– Again, I think there will be some surprises. People get in and drop out at the last minute. I think we’re going to have a lot more contested primaries than we’re used to seeing. And of course I have no idea what may happen on the Republican side. It’s going to be an exciting four weeks. What are you looking for?
Garry Brown
We now have at least two officially declared Democratic candidates for Governor.
On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Garry Brown of Austin announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018.
It was a simple affair on Brown’s front lawn in Milwood. A podium. About 30 folding chairs and as many people.
Brown called for better funding education, Medicaid expansion and preserving local control.
Of Abbott, he said, “He dislikes Big Government when it involves the Fed, but he himself practices it eery day. And now he’s begging the Feds to send us money for the Harvey recovery work. This isn’t just irony, folks, it’s hypocritical bullcrap.”
“I didn’t make the decision to run for governor lightly,” Brown said.
Brown said he will keep his day job, that he can’t afford not to. He is a renter and he is also supporting his mother, sister and nephew.
“I moved them all in with me to take care of them,” he said.
Then he offered what I thought was his most arresting image.
“Texas GOP leaders have been in power so long they believe we all have Stockholm Syndrome.”
Brown’s webpage is here and his Facebook page is here. There’s more about him in the story, so read the whole thing. Brown joins Jeffrey Payne, and they may or may not be joined by Andrew White and Michael Sorrell. I’ve not seen an official announcement from Tom Wakely, but he is campaigning, so he’s in as well. He’s also now being accompanied by a gentleman from Beaumont named Michael Cooper who is running for Lite Guv and who Wakley calls his running mate. Looks like we’ll have a contested primary in that race, too. As for Governor, I’ll say again, I look forward to hearing what everyone has to say. There’s plenty of time to decide who to support.
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Francesco Barasciutti
Blography
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CHronological BIography
SArab
מהתקשורת
HOme » COnducting » GErmany
In 2010, Omer Meir Wellber conducted the production of Richard Strauss’ Daphne at the Semperoper Dresden to critical acclaim. According to a review by Julia Spinola at the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on 6 October 2010, “the young Israeli conductor Omer Meir Wellber made a powerful impact that intensified the change of mood and gave the piece a new quality under his leadership… Wellber captured the melancholy (of Strauss) … he captured the composer’s childhood dreams yet also his insecurities and doubts.” For the full review (in German), click here. http://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/buehne-und-konzert/daphne-in-dresd...
His debut with Strauss’ Daphne (2010) led to a profound relationship with the Semperoper and the Staatskapelle Dresden: In 2014, Wellber conducted Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos and a concert performance of Guntram and opened a Mozart/Da Ponte trilogy with Così fan tutte, staged by Andreas Kriegenburg that he will continue in the 2014/15 season with Le Nozze di Figaro, staged by Johannes Erath. In September 2014 he conducted a symphonic concert at the rostrum of the Sächsische Staatskapelle with works by Dvořák and Haydn.
Omer Meir Wellber conducted at the Bavarian State Opera for the first time in the 2011/12 season in performances of Verdi’s La Traviata. In the 2014/15 season he returns to the Bavarian State Orchestra for performances of Carmen (December 2014) plus two symphonic concerts (Akademiekonzerte) in February 2015.
As assistant to Daniel Barenboim, Omer Meir Wellber worked at the Staatsoper Berlin and at the Teatro Alla Scala between 2008 and 2010. "Working with him changed my life and made me an artist,” says Wellber about Barenboim. At the Staatsoper Berlin Wellber conducted new productions of Bizet’s Carmen (2009) and Puccini’s Tosca (2010).
His debut with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin came in October 2012. Andreas Göbel said in RBB Kulturradio about his performance: „Omer Meir Wellber is an impressive talent: serious, highly musical, self-confident on the rostrum. Even though caution is called for when making predictions, we can venture to say that we shall be hearing a lot more of this conductor.” (RBB, 11 October 2012)
In October 2013, he returned to Berlin to conduct the Konzerthausorchester in the award ceremony concert of the ECHO Klassik that was broadcast by German public TV ZDF.
After his debut with the hr-Sinfonieorchester in May 2012, Omer Meir Wellber made his debut at Oper Frankfurt with Verdi’s La Traviata in December 2012. In “Der Neue Merker” Gerhard Hoffmann wrote about the performance: “Musical initiator of this wonderful production was young, Israeli conductor Omer Meir Wellber, who from the conductor’s desk literally set the stage on power. Smooth, rhythmically pointed, the Maestro determined the sound style of the precise, lively, featherweight playing Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra that it was a delight to listen to. Regardless all tempi he still left the singers room to breathe. One should give this ambitious artist more assignments!” (Der Neue Merker, 17 December 2012).
OmerMeirWellber
Debut at the BBC Proms
On 23 and 29 July, Omer Meir Wellber, designated Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, will co
Symphonic Concerts in Dresden
Principal Guest Conductor Omer Meir Wellber will conduct two symphonic concerts with the Staatska
ARTE Concert Stream - Omer Meir Wellber's Elbphilharmonie debut
On Thursday, 21 March, Omer Meir Wellber conducted his debut concert in the Elbphilharmonie Hambu
Guest with the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra and debut in the Elbphilharmonie
From Thursday, 21 March, Omer Meir Wellber will conduct concerts with the NDR Elbphilharmonie and
Omer Meir Wellber channel
Omer Meir Wellber dirigiert Tschaikowsky | NDR
Rising maestro enchants Dresden - musica
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COVER STORY: Taking stock of the wheat scandal
EDITORIAL: Watering Australia: a national priority
BORDER PROTECTION: Why Australia needs naval, air force bases in Torres Strait
NATIONAL SECURITY: Lives endangered by latest intelligence leaks
ENVIRONMENTALISM: How the Great Barrier Reef is mismanaged
STRAWS IN THE WIND: Labor misses the bus / All is vanity / Kosovo's mafia / When the bills come in / Open season on Christianity
REGIONAL ECONOMIC POLICY: The end of international economic cooperation? (Part 2)
PERU: Latest Latin American country to turn left
SCHOOLS: The choice so few parents can afford
MEDIA: ABC's Easter assault on Christianity
THE WEST AND ISLAM: No alternative but to defend our values
Social cost of unfettered capitalism (letter)
Robert Manne's media critique defended (letter)
Why have a Department of Foreign Affairs? (letter)
CINEMA: Caped crusader for the know-nothing left: V for Vendetta
Caped crusader for the know-nothing left: V for Vendetta
by Bill James
Bill James reviews the newly-released film, V for Vendetta.
As an adolescent back in the 1960s, I was impressed by an anarchist poster which carried the slogan, "Vote for Guy Fawkes, the only man to enter parliament with honest intentions."
This film picks up on the same idea - that Guy Fawkes was some sort of proto-libertarian. Historically, this is nonsense. The government of James I which Guy Fawkes tried to blow up was certainly repressive enough by today's standards, but would have been replaced by something even further from our liberal democratic ideals had Fawkes and his co-conspirators been successful.
In 1605 the possibility of toleration and pluralism was a struggling and inchoate theory, held by a tiny handful of visionaries, and Guy Fawkes was not one of them. This has not stopped the makers of V for Vendetta from generating a Zorro-like freedom fighter who wears a Guy Fawkes mask and eventually succeeds in blowing up Westminster.
The opening scenes, which give a realistic portrayal of Fawkes' arrest and execution, are very necessary in view of today's widespread historical illiteracy. (I recently spoke to a friend in his twenties who had never heard of Guy Fawkes Night). Oddly enough, in view of the violence later depicted on the screen, Fawkes is only hanged - not drawn and quartered.
Big Brother figure
Next we are introduced to a dystopian London of curfews and secret police, set around 2020. It is ruled by a Big Brother figure, a Christian from the Conservative Party, projected throughout the city on giant television screens where he rants against doubt and godlessness. Walls carry posters urging faith and unity.
The ambience, indoors and outside, is gloomy, bare and functional, an atmosphere which is reinforced by the comic-book colour scheme of blacks, blues and greys.
Enter another comic-book element, the super-hero known only as V. In his Guy Fawkes mask, wig, hat and cloak, he roams the city wreaking mayhem at will.
Police surveillance is powerless to curb his movements, and police firearms are useless against his swords and daggers.
He hides out in a mediaeval crypt of warm, golden brown stonework, surrounded by beautiful objets d'art he has rescued from the dictatorship's puritanical iconoclasm.
Into this world of freedom and beauty he brings the heroine, played by Natalie Portman (the world's most attractive actress, with whom I am hopelessly and dementedly infatuated). He has rescued her from government thugs and, in an extended sequence of incarceration and abuse, he ruthlessly deprograms her from her fear of the regime.
The film ends with her sending off his body through the Underground on a train packed with explosives, like a Viking chieftain being launched on the voyage to Valhalla in a flaming longship.
The train blows up the Houses of Parliament at the same time as the population of London converges on Trafalgar Square to overwhelm the ranks of militia goons.
V for Vendetta constitutes a comprehensive, if inadvertent, exposure of the contemporary leftist mentality.
According to this mindset, political oppression is the product of manipulation of the false consciousness of the masses, whose conservatism and religion make them vulnerable as fascism fodder. The fact that the worst and most murderous tyrannies of the last 100 years have been, and continue to be, radical and atheist (the two adjectives apply to Nazism as well as communism) is simply ignored, or dismissed as McCarthyism.
The dictatorship's demand for blind, unquestioning faith in the leader is irresistibly reminiscent of Mao's China, Stalin's USSR and Pol Pot's Kampuchea. So are the harsh, utilitarian architecture, and hatred of art, beauty and scholarship.
There is nary a glimpse of hammer and sickle in the film, however - only a juxtaposition of the Stars and Stripes and the Union Jack with a swastika. One of the most fundamental dogmas of the left is the belief that authoritarian predilections are worse in the English-speaking democracies than in any other form of government.
The book on which the film is based was written in the 1980s during Margaret Thatcher's prime ministership. The fact that she actively opposed actual oppression, such as that of fascist Argentina and the communist, pre-Gorbachev USSR, was not allowed to stand in the way of paranoid fantasies that she was paving the way for a British Reich.
(The same intellectual insouciance was exhibited in Australia by baby-boomer supporters of Mao and Hoxha, who condemned as fascist not only parents and teachers, but RSL members who had actually put their bodies on the line in the battle against Nazism).
The film's references have been updated to cater for the rise in anti-American bigotry since the '80s. A prison warder talks with an American accent. There are mentions of "rendition" and "collateral damage". "Terrorism" and "Islamic extremism" are treated as risible bogeys conjured out of thin air by the Administration to rationalise repressive legislation.
In a similar vein, there is a heavy-handed tribute to conspiracy theories about 9/11, in the depiction of a government plot to kill hundreds of children by releasing deadly toxins into a school. The atrocity is blamed on "terrorists" and used to justify mass arrests.
Fashionable causes
In fact, when it comes to fashionable causes, scarcely a box remains unticked. There is a lesbian affair which symbolises the defiance of death and hatred by life and love.
The ubiquitous Stephen Fry, a television host this time, is used to make the point that dictators loathe the subversive power of humour. This is true, of course, but it is true of all power junkies, including those on the left.
Amnesty International reports that dissidents are jailed in Cuba for the crime of "disrespect" toward Fidel Castro, avuncular icon of our suburban guerrillas in their Che Guevara t-shirts. If the film's makers really want to posture as fearless opponents of despotism, they should try taking the mickey out of Kim Jong-il in a production shot on location in Pyongyang! The very fact that they were free to make V for Vendetta in the West constitutes in itself a refutation of its hysterical paranoia.
The claims of inaccuracy and inconsistency which I have made so far could no doubt easily be dismissed by defenders of the film as the pedantic nitpicking of an old codger mired in stale and tedious modernity, who can't cope with postmodern playfulness and comic-book hyperbole.
The problem with that defence is that the film itself engages in straight didacticism when it feels like it. Some of the speeches in support of objective truth and free speech could have been lifted straight out of Orwell. In this respect the film reflects our confused contemporary culture, in which people jump between truth and morality on the one hand, and subjectivity and relativism on the other, as it suits them.
A consistent postmodernism is both terminologically inconsistent and practically impossible. As Dr Samuel Johnson said, "Even the devils do not lie to one another, since the society of hell could not subsist without truth any more than others."
The dénouement is thoroughly self-indulgent, and also propagates a misleading political principle. Paradoxically, for a film which ostensibly deplores violence, the climax begins with a battle between "V" and a group of policemen, who all perish bloodily as a result of his creative employment of a variety of sharp blades.
Then there is a Gotterdammerung with a difference, because as the Parliament buildings disintegrate in climactic cataclysm, the tsunami of Londoners drowning the security forces evokes the promise of political salvation emerging from the destruction.
This is the apotheosis of People Power; mob violence heralds the dawn of freedom. We wish.
Street demonstrations, whether spontaneous or orchestrated, have brought down governments from Thailand and the Philippines to Ukraine and Georgia. Whether permanent stable democracy and the rule of law will emerge from such theatrics is another question.
The credits roll to the sound of the Rolling Stones' Street Fighting Man, anthem of Soixante-Huitard wannabes who are no doubt excitedly monitoring the current anarchy in Paris. I don't think the song was intended as irony.
Reviewed by Bill James
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C7AY meaning and definition
What does C7AY mean? Here you find 1 meanings of C7AY.
C7AY meaning
C7AY-Means a gay person.
c8 meaning
A radio transmission in Counter-Strike, meaning: Negative, but said in normal life
Short for Cloud Nine, or another name for the m249 LMG also known as the "SAW"
C93 meaning
C93 is an acronym commonly used as shorthand when referring to the neofolk group Current 93, especially common amongst fans in instant messaging conversations.
Short for "Cinderella 99". A potent marijuana strain that resulted from a Jack Herer and ShivaSkunk cross that is known for its fruity aroma and uplifting, trippy high. The genetics include Haze, Northern Lights, and Skunk.
C9H8O4 meaning
Chemical formula for aspirin.
c9k meaning
Abbreviation for clusterfuck. the '9' stands for the 9 letters between the 'c' and the 'k'
CA meaning
Combat Arms. combatarms.nexon.net
CA18DE meaning
The CA18DE is a late 1980's motor released by Nissan and fitted to the Nissan Exa's, 180SX and Silvia, as well as the SSS Bluebird. It is a fuel injected, Double Overhead Cam set-up. It came out in two versions N/A and Turbo. It is one of the hardiest motors to be released by Nissan, due to the similar design principles that had been used to create the RB series motors.
CA18DET meaning
Nissan's 4 cylinder, 1.8 litre, DOHC, EFI, Turbo engine used in cars such as pulsars and Silvias. These motors are best paired to automatic gearboxes as it is the only way you can take advantage of the mad shift points they have.
Ca6t meaning
She's the one chick in the crowd who shouts yes when everyone else shouts no. She's all for partying and just having fun. She's got many different sides, and isn't just a typo gone amazing. She knows what to do as long as there's directions, and she tends to be all-around desirable.
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Buffalo Creek & Gauley no. 14 eases out of the author’s S scale Dundon engine house on a summer morning.
Buffalo Creek & Gauley’s Dundon Shops in S Scale
By Brooks Stover, MMR/photos by the author
The Elk River Coal & Lumber Co. of Clay County, W.Va., had, as the name suggests, both coal and lumber operations. The company was in business from 1904 until the holdings were sold in 1958. Steam operations ceased in 1965, but the line soldiered on with a tiny Plymouth for a couple more years. The headquarters of the ERC&L Co. were in the little town of Dundon, located about 45 miles northeast of Charleston.
It was in Dundon that the standard gauge Buffalo Creek & Gauley Railroad’s 18.6-mile-long, coal-hauling, short line owned by the ERC&L Co., had what employees called the “Dundon Shops.” The shops included a small complex of buildings, and a small yard where maintenance was performed on the BC&G’s modest roster of equipment, and where the maintenance-of-way rolling stock was stored. In its fi nal years, the BC&G operated three hefty Consolidations, and a Mack rail bus along with an even smaller FWD 4-wheel rail bus. Besides the engine house, the “shops” included a sand house, sand tower, and yard office.
The Prototype
The engine house was the main structure in the Dundon Yard. It was a modest wood frame building consisting of four parts. The main portion of the building was serviced by two tracks. One ran under the tallest portion of the structure, and just barely accommodated one of the Consolidations. This track passed all the way through the building, and extended about a locomotive-length out the back. There were doors on both ends of the building for this track.
The second track entered a lower portion of the building, and would just handle one of the rail buses. This track did not pass through the building. It seems to me that where the supporting posts must have been, there must have been very little room for the crews to work on the sides of a locomotive inside the shop. Adjacent to the large stall was the second part of the structure, an area under a shed roof that likely contained workbenches or at least work space. Above this section was a wall of windows providing filtered sunlight to the engine house. Attached to the opposite side of the engine shed were the other two portions of the structure consisting of a long machine shop and an open air storage area.
The author left the roofs of the engine house removable so that viewers could enjoy the detailed interior. The doors on both ends of the large stall are mounted on working hinges.
As far as I know, there is no information available about the history of the engine house. It appears in photos into the mid-1970s, but the date of its demise is uncertain. It was a classic short line engine house, adequate to do the job of keeping the railroads equipment in operating condition. The machine shop portion was well equipped, and the BC&G crews prided themselves in being able to do almost all the required maintenance on the locomotive and the steam crane boilers.
Besides repairs of the BC&G’s rod engines, major repairs of the ERC&L Shay and Climax used in the logging operation were also done here. This shop even completely rebuilt Climax #3 before she was sold to a tourist railroad near the end of operations.
Locomotive no. 13 pokes its nose out the door of the engine house on the author’s S scale layout, while BC&G no. 4 simmers on the ready track.
Since I know of no drawings of the Dundon engine house with dimensions, I scaled my drawings using photos with doors, locomotives, and figures as references. The main engine house on my model is an uncompressed model of the prototype, but the machine shop and storage area were selectively compressed in length.
The model differs from the prototype in one other way. The space available on my layout meant that I needed to build the entire Dundon shops scene as a mirror image of the prototype. So, the model of the engine house described here is a mirror image of the prototype structure…
Read the rest of this article in the March/April 2019 issue of Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette!
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Home Press Release History Teams Contact
ESPN EVENTS ANNOUNCES DEPAUL TO REPLACE GEORGETOWN IN PK80 August 1, 2017
ESPN Events has made team changes to PK80. DePaul will replace Georgetown in the PK80 presented by State Farm, and is slated to face Michigan State on Thursday, Nov. 23. DePaul joins the “Victory” bracket, with fellow participants Arkansas, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Portland and UConn.
“We are pleased that DePaul has agreed to participate in the PK80 Victory Bracket and are very appreciative of the efforts of DePaul’s leadership in making this happen,” said Pete Derzis, senior vice president of ESPN Events and college sports programming. “DePaul has a rich basketball heritage and, under Coach Leitao’s direction, is a rapidly rising program that will be an excellent addition to the PK80 field.”
DePaul Athletic Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto
“DePaul is honored to be participating in the PK80. We have such great admiration for the leadership and many contributions Phil Knight has made to intercollegiate athletics and it’s a privilege as one of Nike’s schools to participate in this elite event. We’re also grateful to our colleagues at ESPN for recognizing DePaul’s place in college basketball history as a proud member of the BIG EAST Conference. It’s a compliment to Coach Leitao’s leadership and DePaul’s commitment to being Chicago’s basketball team as we return to playing in the city at the new Wintrust Arena.”
DePaul head coach Dave Leitao
“The opportunity to play in this event to celebrate Phil Knight’s 80th birthday and his impact on college basketball is a thrill and an honor. The eight-team Victory Bracket is full of great programs and we’re excited to make the trip to Portland to face the challenge that only the PK80 presents. DePaul’s basketball history, combined with the other teams competing, illustrates the magnitude of this tournament. It also provides us the great opportunity to play in front of our alumni and fans in the Pacific Northwest in one of college basketball’s signature events this season.”
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Tag Archives: Secrets Crimes & Audiotape
Wondery Launches “Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me” Musical
November 19, 2016 Podcast NewsSecrets Crimes & Audiotape, Wait Wait Don't Kill Me, WonderyJen Thorpe
Wondery, a network of storytellers, has announced the launch of “Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me”. It is the first-ever musical produced as a serialized podcast. The musical is the newest story that is being presented in the Secrets, Crimes & Audiotape podcast.
Secrets, Crimes & Audiotape features dramas and comedies about love, mystery and conspiracy. Each story plays out over multiple half-hour long episodes that are available as free podcasts on iTunes, Stitcher, Wondery.com, and other platforms.
“Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me” was written by Dave Holstein (from the TV show Weeds) with music and lyrics by Alan Schmuckler (from the upcoming Diary of a Wimpy Kid musical). “Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me” is a darkly comedic five-part musical satire that follows Serial host Sarah Koenig as she investigates the 1999 murder of high school student Hae Min Lee. The story explores the controversial thesis: What if Sarah Koening did it?
Sarah Koening is played by Leslie Kritzer (Broadway’s Something Rotten). In 1998, Sarah is working as a struggling beat reporter for the Baltimore Sun. She desperately needs a scoop or she will be out of a job. A few miles away, Hae Min Lee (played by Renée Albulario from Here Lies Love) celebrates her prom night with her prom prince boyfriend Adnan Syed (played by Zachary Infante from Julie Taymor’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
When Sarah’s and Hae’s paths cross, voices in Sarah’s head suggest that Hae’s salacious murder could solve all of her problems. Fifteen years later, Ira Glass (played by Jessie Cannizzario) suggests that Sarah turn the story of Hae’s murder into a podcast. Drama intensifies when as Ira starts to suspect that Sarah was involved in Hae’s death.
In short, “Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me” takes the Serial podcast, and Sarah Koening, and puts them into an alternative universe that involves music and singing. The first episode of “Wait Wait Don’t Kill Me” is available now, and more episodes will follow.
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Transcollines presents five-year plan
Added: Wed, 11/07/2018 - 3:48pm
Carl Hager
MUNICIPALITY OF PONTIAC – Transcollines held a series of four public consultations from October 23 to November 1 to elaborate on its 2019-2023 Strategic Plan and to facilitate input from users and citizens. Meetings were held in Campbell's Bay October 23, and Luskville, October 24.
Benoit Legros, Trans-collines Planning and Marketing representative, presented the plan, noting that the company hopes to improve services by offering more buses and better two-way routes from Aylmer, through the Pontiac, as far as Pembroke. Transcollines is considering lowering fares, which they hope will increase demand and ultimately result in better services.
Negotiations with Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) and Ottawa-Carleton Transportation Commission (OC Transpo) are underway to allow transfers to
those bus lines so riders can arrive at destinations beyond Transcollines’ region; January 2021 is the target date for these links. Meanwhile, discussions continue with the Ministry of Transport and the various MRCs and municipalities involved to secure funding to make the plan possible.
Luskville parents request special route
Nine parents attended the Luskville meeting to request that Transcollines establish a bus route so their children can attend school in Masham offering a program with a concentration in sports, instead of the Grand-Rivière High School in Aylmer, as mandated by law. The school board will not provide the transportation.
Legros said Transcollines has no plans to establish an east-west route, but he agreed to consider the parents’ input for the future. He pointed out that traffic volume and finances are the main factors considered when deciding on additional routes.
Leslie-Anne Barber, a Municipality of Pontiac councillor who sits on the Transcollines board, said she would speak to council about providing financing to
help with the constituents' request. Depending on the bus and how a route fits with other routes, it could cost an estimated $30,000/year.
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Baptists Through the Centuries
A History of a Global People, 2nd Ed.
David W. Bebbington
Waco, TX:
Baylor University Press
, August
David W. Bebbington’s Baptists Through the Centuries explores the Baptist tradition across four centuries and several continents. Building primarily on published research, Bebbington works to synthesize scholarship on Baptists and organize it in a way that gives order to the diverse emphases, theologies, and practices that have characterized the tradition. In this second edition, Bebbington also attempts to broaden the narrative by extending it beyond North America and England to include Latin America, Nigeria, and the Naga Hills of India.
According to Bebbington, Baptists Through the Centuries is “the printed equivalent of a course” (xi) he has taught to seminary students. Not surprisingly, then, the tone is generally that of a textbook. Indeed, the book would provide a helpful resource for students in a Baptist history course. It begins, as one might expect, with an overview of the reformation. Subsequent chapters are arranged both chronologically and topically with the goal of exploring central themes and developments in the Baptist story—especially as it unfolded in England and America. The author includes recommendations for further reading at the end of each chapter but provides only minimal endnotes for those interested in digging deeper into specific topics in the book.
In the midst of providing a broad survey of Baptist history, Bebbington occasionally offers a much more detailed exploration of particular topics. This can particularly be seen in his discussion of the relationship between Anabaptists and Baptists. Here, a number of historiographical controversies receive attention. Bebbington offers both the specific data that supports opposing viewpoints and his own conclusion that Baptists derived little from the Anabaptists except for their non-predestinarian theology of salvation.
A number of qualities make Bebbington’s work particularly enlightening. First, throughout his writing, he weaves together the stories of Baptists in North America and England. He then describes the broader philosophical and cultural trends underlying life in both places. The similarities and differences in context become an interesting story in and of themselves. Second, Bebbington presents each topic in a way that is simultaneously inclusive of the most pertinent details and limited to key elements and figures. The reader is given enough information to be drawn into the story but is not overwhelmed with an unnecessary inundation of names and dates. Third, although Bebbington describes a variety of viewpoints on topics of historiographical debate, he is willing to share his informed conclusions. In a broad history like this one, it is helpful to know where at least one contemporary historical expert lands. Finally, Bebbington’s willingness to address three locations where the Baptist movement spread in the 19th century and beyond gives his story greater depth. Although limited historical resources make research outside the West much more difficult, it allows the reader to understand the important shift in Baptist life toward the Global South.
As Bebbington draws his work to a close, he describes seven distinct strands of contemporary Baptist life, especially as seen in the United States. This helps to make sense of the many Baptist identities present in the early 21st century. Bebbington also offers a summary of what he discovered through his research and writing, and the implications that can be drawn from his work. Ultimately, though, Bebbington, like many other historians, concludes that the Baptist identity may “elude definition” (338). Although this is certainly true, Bebbington has provided an excellent attempt at describing the variety of Baptist identities across time and place.
Lydia H. Hoyle is Associate Professor of Baptist History and Heritage at Campbell University Divinity School.
David W. Bebbington is Distinguished Visiting Professor of History at Baylor University and Professor of History at the University of Stirling. He is also the author of Patterns in History: A Christian Perspective on Historical Thought.
Baptists, missionaries, charismatic renewal, peacemaking
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Who’s visiting?
I’ve just started having a look through Arts and Culture in Australia: a Statistical Overview, which has recently been put out by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. (Download PDF via this page). Now, the ABS is hardly known for its page-turners, but it’s got off to a promising start with some intriguing figures.
In the first section, there are some stats looking at attendance to cultural venues according to age group (% visiting in the past 12 months). I wanted to see if there were any patterns in these data, so I took the numbers and graphed them out:
Attendance rate by age, using figures from table 1.4 in ABS report
It’s a bit hard to see what’s going on here, besides the fact that the cinema is very popular with teens and declines steadily with age (and I don’t think I needed ABS data to tell me that!). So to get a closer look, I took the same data and graphed just the figures given for the cultural / heritage venues (Museums, Art Galleries, Zoos & Aquaria and Botanic Gardens):
Attendance by age, Cultural and Heritage sites only (source: ABS)
This graph is a little more illuminating. Interestingly, despite reports that their audiences have distinct differences, Museums and Art Galleries seem follow a very similar curve – i.e. roughly the same proportion and age of people are visiting. And both show fairly predictable dip in the 18-24 age range (a notoriously hard group to catch).
Zoos also show a similar-ish pattern, although at a higher level of visitation in the middle range. This peak at 25-34 & 35-44 age groups is also not surprising, given these would be the peak age of people taking their children to visit the zoo.
The one that does surprise me out of all of this is the curve for Botanic Gardens – from a similar baseline at age 15-17, the curve defies the 18-24 dip of the others, and reaches a steadier, more sustained plateau.
The meaning of this – who knows? I just made up these graphs with the figures given, and it may or may not be appropriate to re-present the raw figures in this way. So yes, I could be over simplifying, or on the other hand this could be an interesting pattern to investigate further. If the report sheds any further light on the question, I’ll let you know!
Posted on October 10, 2010 November 21, 2011
MA 2010 Conference: Bits ‘n’ Pieces #3
My final list of musings. . .
Museum History: Museums Victoria Director J Patrick Greene presented a quick history of natural history exhibitions from the 19th century to the present day. Developments have reflected the times: in the 1960s, the advent of wildlife documentaries made people think that exhibitions would be soon redundant, and many collections were locked away and even destroyed. Then in the 1970s, increased environmental awareness gave natural history collections a new importance and social relevance. From the 1990s, advances in technology have transformed Natural History exhibitions (as with exhibitions in general).
Another thought-provoking history of exhibitions was presented by Eureka Henrich, who is currently looking at trends in exhibitions presenting migration history over the past 30 years. Exhibitions inevitably reflect the cultural context in which they are developed – they are a product of their time – and thus can themselves be used as a historical resource. I found this idea intriguing, and can see it as a fertile territory for further studies.
Verbs versus nouns: Stephen Heppell from Heppell.net has already inspired a few post-conference blog posts, (see here and here) so I won’t repeat them here. But I did really like his idea of being defined more by our verbs (i.e. what we do) than our nouns (i.e. what we are).
Design in all dimensions: Tim Rolfe from MV Studios (Museum Victoria’s exhibition design arm) described some of their newer exhibitions that allow visitors to get closer to objects and see them from different angles – from above and below as well as from beside. I liked this idea of making use of the full three-dimensions of an exhibition space – often in the design stages, we’re constantly looking at the spaces ‘in plan’ and it’s easy to forget about the possibilities of the vertical dimension.
I’ll close my series of MA2010 conference posts with a quotation from James Morton of the Scottish Transgender Alliance which came via Richard Sandell:
The boundaries need to be pushed . . . or they simply don’t move.
Also, a special thanks to MA Vic for staging the conference. It was great to see so many interesting presentations, catch up with colleagues and meet new people – either face to face or virtually via the Twitter stream. Let’s keep the conversation going . . .
Re-presenting ‘The Lust Branch’
Don’t let the title fool you – this is yet another instalment in my series of posts from the MA National Conference. Allow me to explain . . .
The Conference was held at the University of Melbourne, which is also the site of the Grainger Museum. This museum, built in the 1930s, was established at the behest of Melbourne-born composer, arranger and pianist Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882 – 1961). Grainger created it as an autobiographical museum, documenting his life and influences through a collection of publications, correspondence, musical scores and a range of objects including experimental musical instruments.
There is a link to my current work here, hence the stand-alone post: while Grainger spent the vast majority of his life in Europe and the US, he was buried in Adelaide at West Terrace Cemetery, in the family plot of his Adelaide-born mother. Over the past few months I have been working on interpretive text for a self-guided heritage trail for the cemetery, and Grainger’s grave is one of the stops on the trail. His prolific, diverse and eccentric life have proved challenging to interpret in the context of a small interpretive sign comprising a mere 175 words!
The Grainger Museum has recently undergone a redevelopment, and I managed a quick look around during one of the conference lunch breaks. In addition, Brian Allison from the University presented a paper on the challenges presented by a particular section of the collection.
There was a box of items under lock and key, which Grainger had instructed was not to be opened until 10 years after his death. And so, in 1971, it was time for the curators to open the mysterious box to see what wisdom lay within. Brian said he would have liked to have been a fly on the wall that day. And how. What emerged was ‘The Lust Branch’ – a collection of writings, objects and photographs which graphically explored the darker aspects of Grainger’s sexuality.
To put it bluntly, Grainger was a sadomasochist. He photographed his flagellated body, set out detailed instructions for whipping, and left behind an extensive collection of whips, blood-soaked clothing and other home-made paraphernalia.
A selection of whips from the Grainger museum
Grainger believed his sexual expression was inextricably linked with his artistic expression; thus his creative works could not be fully understood without exploring his darker passions. But this was not a story that early 1970s Melbourne was ready for. Consequently, the collection presented a curatorial headache and has been, in effect, ‘censored’ for the best part of 40 years.
As part of the museum redevelopment, the University decided it was high time to tackle this part of the collection. And while they initially set out to present it no-holds-barred, there were legitimate audience and legal concerns – some of the photographs are sufficiently graphic as to be illegal to put on public display; plus the University had to take into account their target audiences, not least the nearby Ladies’ College who use the museum as an important musical resource.
The resulting display consists of a graphic montage of some of the documents and photographs (not all of them are particularly confronting, but it’s by no means sugar-coated), opposite a case displaying a large collection of whips. It is presented discreetly without being hidden, and I think on balance it is well done and unlikely to cause a furore. Indeed, by 21st century standards, Grainger’s views on racial purity (also covered in the museum) are arguably more controversial than his sexual predilections!
But none of these more controversial elements are presented in a way that overshadows or detracts from Grainger’s talent and achievements in other fields. The majority of the museum is all about the music.
Posted on October 7, 2010 November 21, 2011
A few more notes, comments and observations from the MA2010 conference (see the first chapter here):
Audiences are hungry for new perspectives: Kate Spinks from the Victoria Police Museum gave a presentation on their new exhibition “Ambush”, about the Kelly gang’s attack on a group of policemen at Stringybark Creek. This exhibition interprets the incident from the perspective of the police, drawing upon the recollections of the one policeman who survived the attack. Kate reported that visitors welcomed these new perspectives and points of view – they know that the romanticised tales of the Kelly gang are not the whole story, and are keen to hear the other side.
Customer service benchmarks are continually moving: Melbourne Museum has recently started selling tickets online for major exhibitions like Pompeii (2009) and Titanic (2010). The proportion of online presales is steadily increasing, as are customer expectations regarding the extent and quality of the online purchasing experience. Many people now view the ability to buy tickets online, etc. as a basic level of service, not an added extra.
Watch your language: when visitors use words like ‘interactive’, they don’t necessarily mean what we think. They might mean ‘immersive’ or the ability to get up close to an exhibit. We can’t assume we know the meaning of the terminology that visitors use in interviews. Drawing from her PhD research, Dr Tiina Roppola from the University of Canberra gave out some useful tips for interviewing visitors and drawing out from them what they mean in their own words.
Museum by popular demand: Lindsay Richardson from the 6th Floor Museum in Dallas, TX presented at the conference as part of the MA Historians’ network’s global curator exchange. The ‘6th Floor’ refers to the floor of the Texas Book Depository where Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated President Kennedy. A museum arose at the assassination site ‘by accident’ – originally the municipality wanted to gloss over this chapter of its history, but the public wouldn’t let that happen. Thus the museum opened in 1989, originally intended just as a temporary exhibition to placate the thousands of visitors who made the pilgrimage to the site. However a huge visitor spike (500,000 people) in the year after the ‘JFK’ movie (1990-1991) was the catalyst for the museum gradually gaining permanence and building up a collection pertaining to the assassination’s aftermath (items relating to the assassination itself are more problematic, given they are criminal evidence).
“Dumb blondes of the art world”: David McFadden, Director of the Museum of Art and Design, said this is how craft was often dismissed by the fine arts fraternity. But he described the ‘blur zone’, where the hierarchies and boundaries between art, craft and design are being blurred and eliminated. (Incidentally, David said that 48% of his museum’s collection is by female artists, in comparison to other art museums where the percentage barely gets above single figures . . .)
These tidbits just keep leaping out of my conference notebook – more to come in another installation . . .
Exhibition Critique: “Screenworlds”
One of my favourite sessions from last week’s MA National Conference (see also here) was the ‘Exhibition Critique’ session. This was a thought-provoking peer review of an exhibition, bringing together designers, curators and a panel of expert reviewers to discuss the exhibition from the perspective of both the design challenges and the resulting visitor experience.
The subject of this year’s critique was Screenworlds, the permanent exhibition at ACMI which opened in September 2009.
"Emergence" section of Screenworlds (from ACMI's website)
I’d visited this exhibition not long after it opened, albeit a quick streak through at the tail end of a lightning trip to Melbourne. So I was familiar with the exhibition, but nearly 12 months down the track, was relying on the lasting impressions I had rather than any immediate recollections (probably not a bad starting point really).
The session kicked off with the ACMI team, led by Michael Parry, giving a brief overview of the exhibition’s history, processes and challenges, along with some visitor feedback they’d collected. (This bit was done while the exhibit reviewers were out of the room, so that it could not affect their critiques later in the session). Michael elaborated on some of this at a later conference session, and I’ll summarise the salient points from both sessions here:
ACMI had a difficult first few years, tied in with some of the early teething problems of Federation Square. ACMI hosted numerous temporary exhibitions, but there was no consistent offer. So Screenworlds was unusual in that it was an exhibition conceived to solve a problem.
The Design and Content Development processes were conducted in parallel. The initial intention of this was to save time, however this turned out not to be the case: it often entailed considerable design re-iterations, and sometimes design decisions made early in the process created unforeseen constraints in the way the emerging content could be presented. On the other hand, the parallel process created oppourtunities and exhibits that would not have emerged if all the content decisions had been made before the designers were called in. (This resonates with my experience of contractual tensions in exhibition development process – from a Project Manager’s point of view, the more certainty there is in the project at the outset, the better. You want to limit re-designs and the time, cost and hassle they entail. But on the other hand, steering too hard down that route can stifle creative opportunities.) As Michael said, the only way around this is for all team members (in-house and consultants) to enter the process with their eyes open and ready to navigate the bumps along the road (presumably with contractual and fee structures that allow this).
By definition, the content was overwhelmingly screen-based (there are apparently some 250 screens across the exhibition!). But they couldn’t use all the content they wanted, often due to format and copyright constraints.
The content and the slightly awkwardly-shaped angular cloverleaf exhibition space both lent themselves to the exhibition being divided into three parts:
Emergence (history of the development of different screen based media);
Voices (how the moving image shaped Australia, and how Australians shaped the moving image – from a cultural rather than a production-process perspective);
Sensation (the most interactive and immersive area, looking at commonalities between media. I think this is also the bit that includes the games lab).
The low ceiling and hard surfaces were softened using curved surfaces; these were made of bamboo and other renewable materials.
In the year since opening, some 340,000 people have visited the exhibition, roughly half from outside Melbourne. 24% of these visitors spend longer than 1.5 hours in the exhibition and there is a fair bit of repeat visitation. From visitor surveys, the main complaints they have are density and audio tracks interfering with one another (9% of visitors). The team were aware that this was going to be an issue, but one which was somewhat inherent given the content. The design solution was a self-aware compromise on this front.
At this stage, our reviewers entered the room. They were: Bryon Cunningham (Cunningham Martyn Design), Bliss Jensen (Museum Victoria) and Tim Fisher (Curator at Victorian Arts Centre). They each presented their thoughts upon visiting the exhibition.
Bryon liked the simple graphic map which was handed at the entrance – it clearly set out the space and he thought he would have found navigation difficult without it. He found the opening section (Emergence) overwhelming – a cacophony of activity and noise. But he liked to escape from it into the microcinemas (the white domes in the pictures above). He also thought there was a lot of text. Design-wise, he liked the lighting and curved shapes which he said brought welcome relief from the ubiquitous angles of Federation Square. He made an analogy to a department store – with piles of content to choose from, and mirrors to create an illusion of space.
Bliss was less confronted by the noise – in fact it drew her in and kept her moving from post to post. She liked the Australian perspective in an international context (care had been taken by the curatorial to make this Australian content neither parochial nor jingoistic). She observed that there was so much to take in on a first visit, and it took a while to focus on one thing. She started off looking methodically at each section, but soon lost stamina. Bliss also commented on some of the exhibition’s ergonomics – some of the tabletop viewfinders were positioned very low, and she wondered if the target age of the content and the ergonomic range of the exhibit were compatible in all instances (e.g. more adult-targeted content in low-positioned viewfinders). Compared to Bryon, Bliss was less taken with the physical form of the design, not feeling it was all that consistent with the curatorial messages. (Bryon apparently took the forms at face value, whereas Bliss seemingly wanted them to represent something meaningful).
Tim started out by acknowledging that as a permanent exhibition, this was ‘crying out’ to be done. But again, his critique was in the sheer density of content – was there too much stuff in this exhibition? There was much well-researched and written content, but it was cluttered and he didn’t feel there was any clear direction about where to go first. For Tim, museum fatigue set in from the outset – the sheer overwhelming density causing his attention span to wane “against my will”.
All three reviewers also spent time observing other visitors to the exhibition (indeed, Bryon prefaced his review by asking whether as exhibition ‘experts’, we are in the right place to review an exhibition compared to the general public). They all noticed generational differences in the way visitors used the exhibition – younger visitors seemed more confident in negotiating the visual and aural density (children of the information age?), and in any case, bee-lined for the games area more or less straight away.
The session then broadened out into a more open discussion between the ACMI team, the reviewers and the rest of the audience. Apparently an earlier iteration of the ‘Emergence’ exhibition had even more content. There was colour-coding of different themes in the ‘Emergence’ area, although this detail seemed to be lost on some of the reviewers (I’m starting to have my suspicions about the effectiveness of colour-coding as a visual signpost for the majority of visitors).
Over the weekend, I had another quick trip through the exhibition (cut short as it was near closing time; plus I was already a bit exhibitioned-out, fresh from the Tim Burton exhibition). Again the visual density of ‘Emergence’ struck me, but it seemed less intimidating the second time round. I don’t think I went into the microcinemas the first time (maybe they were all busy) but found them to be useful respite and a good way of delving into more detailed content.
In one of the lower-hanging microcinemas, I observed a kid who was probably no older than three confidently navigating the touchscreen interface. I wonder if our understanding of visitors in exhibitions can keep pace with the ever-increasing savvy of said visitors?
Last week was the 2010 Museums Australia National Conference – “Interesting times for Collections” – hosted by Museums Australia (Victoria) at the University of Melbourne.
About 600 delegates from across Australia, along with a few international visitors, came to hear from an impressive list of speakers including a considerable number of international keynotes.
My first instalment of highlights, notes and observations (which will be in no particular order):
Museums shouldn’t be afraid to have an opinion: Professor Richard Sandell from the University of Leicester opened proceedings with a keynote on the social role of museums from a human rights perspective. He drew upon case studies from the UK and USA showing how museums can play an important role in raising community awareness of marginalised perspectives including sensitive topics surrounding religion, sexuality and disability.
One case study clearly demonstrated that there was no such thing as a ‘neutral’ position – a single text panel in the Walt Whitman interpretive center in USA attracted simultanous protests from both gay rights groups and the Christian community, on the one hand for ‘erasing history’ and on the other for ‘implied sinfulness’. Prof. Sandell said that such controversy was not something that museums should shy away from. He went further, arguing that it was inappropriate for museums to duck controversial issues by ‘presenting all sides and letting visitors make up their minds’. In this there was an interesting parallel to Amanda Lohrey’s criticism of a lack of curatorial courage in exhibition authorship (as mentioned in a previous post).
Does Australia need a museum diet? At the other end of the conference, during the closing plenaries, museum consultant Kylie Winkworth presented a challenging paper about the ‘political and policy vacuum’ which she believes is creating a sustainability crisis for smaller and regional museums. She argued that large scale capital developments in big cities are starving smaller museums of much-needed funds for improving care of and access to collections. She also warned that collections were being amassed haphazardly and unsustainably, with no serious discussion in the sector of deacessioning as the obvious corollary to sustainable collections development.
The audience gasped when Ms Winkworth presented figures showing that Australia has 1 museum per 7,500 people, whereas in the UK and US it is 24,000 and US 17,500 respectively. There was some debate on the #ma2010conf Twitter feed as to whether such a per capita comparison was helpful, but nonetheless it was a brave and provocative presentation. I thought there was also a lot of truth to her assertion that political leaders tend to prefer something shiny and new, with all the associated ribbon-cutting and prestige, rather than adequately fund that which already exists – but then is hardly an exclusively Australian problem.
Exhibition ‘hardware’ vs ‘software’: observing a similar phenomenon, Susanna Siu from the Leisure and Cultural Services in Hong Kong confirmed that there is roughly 1 museum opening every 3 days in China at the moment. She described the current focus of museum development to be more on ‘hardware’ (i.e. statement buildings by celebrity architects) more than ‘software’ (which I took to mean collections, exhibitions and programs). I was reminded of the UK’s Millennium building boom in the late ’90s / early ’00s. How the China experience will pan out in the long run will be one to watch.
Over the coming few days I’ll go through my notes and add further posts – some sessions warrant a post all of their own so much more to come!
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On the Rate of Synthesis of Individual Proteins within and between Different Striated Muscles of the Rat
Hesketh, SJ, Srisawat, K, Sutherland, H, Jarvis, JC and Burniston, JG (2016) On the Rate of Synthesis of Individual Proteins within and between Different Striated Muscles of the Rat. Proteomes, 4 (12). pp. 1-15. ISSN 2227-7382
BF55F3BF-1BE8-40F8-8109-C9297F03A446.pdf - Published Version
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/proteomes4010012
The turnover of muscle protein is responsive to different (patho)-physiological conditions but little is known about the rate of synthesis at the level of individual proteins or whether this varies between different muscles. We investigated the synthesis rate of eight proteins (actin, albumin, ATP synthase alpha, beta enolase, creatine kinase, myosin essential light chain, myosin regulatory light chain and tropomyosin) in the extensor digitorum longus, diaphragm, heart and soleus of male Wistar rats (352 ± 30 g body weight). Animals were assigned to four groups (n = 3, in each), including a control and groups that received deuterium oxide (2H2O) for 4 days, 7 days or 14 days. Deuterium labelling was initiated by an intraperitoneal injection of 10 μL/g body weight of 99.9% 2H2O-saline, and was maintained by administration of 5% (v/v) 2H2O in drinking water provided ad libitum. Homogenates of the isolated muscles were analysed by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation time of flight mass spectrometry. Proteins were identified against the SwissProt database using peptide mass fingerprinting. For each of the eight proteins investigated, the molar percent enrichment (MPE) of 2H and rate constant (k) of protein synthesis was calculated from the mass isotopomer distribution of peptides based on the amino acid sequence and predicted number of exchangeable C–H bonds. The average MPE (2.14% ± 0.2%) was as expected and was consistent across muscles harvested at different times (i.e., steady state enrichment was achieved). The synthesis rate of individual proteins differed markedly within each muscle and the rank-order of synthesis rates differed among the muscles studied. After 14 days the fraction of albumin synthesised (23% ± 5%) was significantly (p < 0.05) greater than for other muscle proteins. These data represent the first attempt to study the synthesis rates of individual proteins across a number of different striated muscles.
R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine
Sport & Exercise Sciences
10.3390/proteomes4010012
http://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/3262
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Powerball jackpot rises to $250 million
Submitted by Georgia Lottery, The GA Lottery
Monday, February 6th, 2012, 11:57am
ATLANTA – Powerball has soared to staggering heights. Wednesday’s jackpot has jumped to $250 million after no one matched all the winning numbers in Saturday’s drawing.
One Georgia Lottery player won $10,000 in Saturday’s drawing. The lucky ticket was purchased in Pooler.
The Powerball jackpot has been growing since Dec. 28 and has rolled 12 times.
Powerball offers two payment options: the $250 million jackpot prize paid over 29 years in 30 graduated payments, or the cash option, which is approximately $156 million.
Powerball tickets are $2 per play.
As with all other Georgia Lottery games, proceeds from Powerball will benefit education in the state of Georgia.
Nominate your favorite do-gooder for the 11Alive Community Service Awards
Saturday, December 31st, 2011, 11:58am
ATLANTA -- Do you know someone who deserves to be recognized for the hard work that he or she does to make metro Atlanta a better place?
Nominate your favorite philanthropist for the 2012 11Alive Community Service Awards.
For the last 37 years, the 11Alive Community Service Awards have honored some of the most caring, giving, selfless members of the community. A total of 11 people are recognized every year during a televised dinner and awards ceremony.
Each recipient receives $1,000 for the charity of his or her choice.
To nominate someone, visit the 11Alive Community Service Awards website to get all the information. Nominations are due no later than Monday, Jan. 9.
Merry Christmas from Gov. Deal
Saturday, December 24th, 2011, 11:11am
ATLANTA -- Governor Nathan Deal issued a special holiday greeting for Georgia residents on Friday.
As Christmas nears, I wanted to wish every Georgian a merry Christmas and a happy holiday season.
Christmas has a special way of reminding us what is really important: our faith in God, family and the well-being of our fellow man.
But Christmas is not limited to a single season or date on a calendar. These feelings of peace and love are always with us throughout our lives. For many, Christmas serves as a rejuvenation of these values and ideals.
After the gifts are all unwrapped and the candles begin to dim, our spirits will once again be enriched and fully restored.
As we reflect on all we have been able to accomplish this past year, we will cary this rejuvenated spirit to achieve all the goals that we have set for the coming years.
Jubilant jackpots: Mega Millions $173M, Powerball $125M
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011, 1:09pm
ATLANTA – As the holidays near and sugar plum fairies jig, massive jackpots from Mega Millions and Powerball will add to this weekend’s magical moments.
Friday’s $173 million Mega Millions jackpot is especially green, while Saturday’s $125 million Powerball jackpot is merry and bright.
Tuesday’s Mega Millions drawing produced four $10,000 winners with tickets purchased in Midland, Columbus, Marietta and Warner Robins. One player, Eddie Hall of Leesburg, won $250,000 in Tuesday’s drawing with his ticket purchased at Lee Pub, 1561 U.S. Highway 195, Leesburg.
The Mega Millions jackpot has grown since Nov. 4, rolling 14 times. Powerball has rolled nine times since Nov. 23.
It only takes $1 to play Mega Millions and Powerball for a chance to unwrap an enchanted jubilee. Players can multiply prizes with the Megaplier and Power Play options for an additional $1 per play.
Salvation Army donations dramatically down
Submitted by Marc Richardson, Where U Live Producer
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011, 12:32pm
ATLANTA -- This is the time of year we're used to seeing Salvation Army volunteers ringing their bells and accepting donations. This holiday season, however, their red kettles are turning up low.
RELATED | Valuable Krugerrand coin found in Salvation Army kettle
MORE | Salvation Army ringer goes for a record
As of Dec.
Elementary school students collecting donations for Goodwill
Monday, December 12th, 2011, 8:58am
ROME, Ga. -- More than 1,300 elementary school students in Floyd County are doing some good for the community this holiday season.
East Central and West End elementary schools are collecting donations for Goodwill of North Georgia all week. Everybody is invited to stop by during school hours and give clothes and other items for people in need.
The donations will be tallied on Friday, and the school with the most items will receive $500.
"With this donation drive challenge, we have the ability to teach our next generation of donors about giving back, protecting the environment and being good citizens," said Elaine Armstrong, public relations director for Goodwill. "We want the students to not only feel a sense of pride because they've helped earn money for their school, but also to feel connected to our mission as we help people in Rome and Floyd County."
Give to 11Alive's Can-a-thon on Dec. 2
Friday, December 2nd, 2011, 7:36am
ATLANTA -- Friday, Dec. 2 will mark 11Alive's annual Can-a-thon food collection for families in need.
Bring a donation of canned goods to one of five locations throughout Metro Atlanta. While you're there, meet and mingle with your neighbors and your favorite 11Alive anchors and reporters.
Pop-top cans are preferable, as they are easier to open for people who don't own typical kitchen utensils. Canned meats, fruits and green vegetables will be warmly welcomed.
Those who bring a minimum of 111 cans of food can enter for a chance to win two round-trip tickets from AirTran Airways. More information and the opportunity to register will be available during the event. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to participate.
Can-a-thon locations include:
Turner Field
* Gold Lot, Hank Aaron Drive -- 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.
* The School Box-Town Center, 50 East Barrett Parkway, Kennesaw -- 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Entergy Named Among Top 50 Community-Minded Companies in the Nation
NEW ORLEANS. – Points of Light, the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, has named Entergy Corporation a recipient of the Civic 50 award for a fourth consecutive year.
Entergy is one of only two utilities recognized by The Civic 50 as one of the top 50 most community-minded companies in the United States. The award serves as the national standard for superior corporate citizenship and showcases how effectively the company uses its time, skills and resources to impact its communities.
Creating and sustaining healthy, vibrant communities is an integral part of Entergy’s mission,” said Leo Denault, chairman and CEO of Entergy. “It is an honor to be recognized among the nation’s top 50 companies who consider corporate citizenship a priority and we are grateful to our employees and our neighbors living in the communities we serve for partnering with us to achieve this national recognition. We look forward to enhancing these partnerships for years to come.”
The recognition by the Points of Light organization reinforces Entergy’s business strategy to grow a world-class energy business that delivers long-term, sustainable value for its customers, employees, communities and owners. In 2018, Entergy employees contributed nearly 112,000 volunteer hours and the company’s shareholders committed approximately $18.4 million to programs dedicated to improving communities across Entergy’s four-state service territory. Learn more about how the company powers life in its communities in the 2018 Integrated Report.
Recipients of The Civic 50 award are both public and private companies with U.S. operations and revenues of $1 billion or more. Selections are made based on four dimensions of community engagement: investment; integration; institutionalization and impact. The winners were recognized at Points of Light’s conference during The Civic 50 Gala in St. Paul, Minnesota. Patty Riddlebarger, vice president of corporate social responsibility at Entergy, attended the gala and accepted the award on behalf of the company.
“The Civic 50 truly highlights the commitment of community and civic engagement of America’s leading brands,” said Natalye Paquin, president and CEO, Points of Light. “Points of Light believes that people drive change in addressing society’s growing and most profound challenges. The business community plays an important role in creating and delivering innovative solutions that drive social good in the communities where they live and work.”
Points of Light mobilizes millions of people to take action that is changing the world. Through affiliates in 250 cities across 37 countries and in partnership with thousands of nonprofits and corporations, the organization engages 5 million volunteers in 20 million hours of service each year.
Entergy Corporation is an integrated energy company engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 9,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.9 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of $11 billion and nearly 13,700 employees. Additional information is available at entergy.com.
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crime, scott jones 0
We are all glad DeAngelo was caught. As the East Area Rapist, there is a shared community interest in seeing that this monster suffers a long and agonizing demise.
But Sheriff “Shoot from the Hip” Scott Jones has jeopardized this case by cutting corners. Once again, the guy who cannot stay out of scandals, has found himself in the middle of yet another one because of ego and poor decision making.
But in criminal cases, the manner in which evidence is collected can be everything. Illegally obtained evidence can be thrown out under the exclusionary rule which states “evidence collected or analyzed in violation of the U.S. Constitution is inadmissible for a criminal prosecution in a court of law.”
Despite a decade to do so, Scott Jones had never set a formal policy on how to proceed with instances of unsolved cases and methods for utilizing DNA evidence. So detectives had no departmental protocol to follow, and were left to devise a strategy on their own.
Without probable cause, Sheriffs detectives created a false ID to access the database under fraudulent means, and then uploaded DNA that was not theirs, and were not authorized to do so as required by the terms of service for GEDMAtch.com. Detectives and the Sheriff had publicly admitted they “just wanted to see” what they could find (i.e. no probable cause to proceed).
Illegally obtained DNA evidence has been thrown out by many other courts due to Fourth Amendment protections against invasion of privacy, and Fifth Amendment protections against self-incrimination (using elements of your body as witness against yourself by way of DNA information). The exclusionary rule is designed to protect privacy rights, with the Fourth Amendment applying specifically to government officials, ever since Burdeau v. McDowell, 256 U.S. 465 (1921).
To proceed, detectives violated the confidentiality standards of the GEDMatch.com website in order to gain access by deception and fraudulent means by creating a fake identity and certifying the (suspect’s) DNA was actually their own personal DNA. Without this initial fraud, detectives would not have obtained the access to the DNA database, the DNA match, and the identity of the East Area Rapist.
According to Erin Murphy, a law professor at New York University and expert on DNA searches, using a fake identity might raise questions about the legality of the evidence. Users of the website only consented to having their DNA uses for genealogical purposes, and not law enforcement investigations. Consent was never given for law enforcement use.
But detectives tricked GEDMatch and its users, and not DeAngelo. Right?
Detectives did trick GEDMatch and its users. An argument can be made that Scott Jones’ department directly violated the privacy of the relatives of DeAngelos who submitted their DNA which was used by detectives in their investigation.
But is that enough for DeAngelo to raise Fourth Amendment claims on behalf of his relatives? Probably.
In Singleton v. Wulff, 428 U.S. 106 (1976), the Supreme Court held that the intimacy of relationship between the third party (i.e. GEDMatch, and DeAngelo’s relatives), and the accused, may establish standing for the accused to assert constitutional protections over that third party.
Apparently detectives didn’t read what they were agreeing to when they clicked “Accept” and accessed the site. According to Blaine Bettinger, an attorney for GEDMatch, “The purpose was to make these connections and to find these relatives. It was not intended to be used by law enforcement to identify suspects of crimes.”
According to the website’s Terms and Policy Statement “Results presented on this site are provided ‘as is’ and no representations are made regarding their accuracy or usability. Changes in software and analysis tools may be made from time to time that could change results from those previously provided.” So, without having first obtained independent verification by a third party expert, the Sheriff lacked authority to verify those results as accurate, and now the People will be faced with going back and trying to prove accuracy as the basis for their developed conclusion which created their probable cause.
All the detectives had to do is go to a judge, and get court approval to proceed. Then, armed with that court order, enlist the opinion of a DNA expert and coordinate efforts to access the database and then verify results.
Cutting corners could set a serial rapist and serial murderer free because Scott Jones couldn’t follow proper law enforcement procedures.
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Relics of past inspire galleries’ joint exhibit
By Colleen Sparks, Staff
Historical objects are getting new life in a novel joint exhibit merging Chandler’s past with contemporary art.
“Object Inspiration: A Collaborative Exhibition with the Chandler Museum” will be on exhibit from May 25 to August 25 at Vision Gallery and the Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery.
An opening reception will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on May 31 at Vision Gallery, 10 E. Chicago St.; and at the Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery, 250 N. Arizona Ave.
About 30 pieces of art inspired by objects in the Chandler Museum’s collection will be on display at both galleries.
The original historical objects will be placed near the paintings, photos, sculptures, prints and other artwork influenced by the objects.
Hair curlers, a suitcase, sewing machines, a typewriter, an adding machine and a theodolite – a tool used to measure angles in the horizontal and vertical planes – are among the historical items artists looked to generate ideas for their creations.
The artists generated a “wide range” of work, said Peter Bugg, visual arts coordinator for the City of Chandler.
Bugg worked with Nate Meyers, curator of collections for the Chandler Museum, to pick objects from the museum to photograph and show the artists. The exhibition allows the public to see pieces from the Chandler Museum while it is closed.
“I think it will help both with the history of Chandler but also (to) see these objects in a new light,” Bugg said. “One of the strengths will be the variety in the objects that are the inspiration and the kinds of objects that the artists are making.”
Spittoons and what are known as “sad” or “flat” irons people used to iron their clothes in the early 1900s are among the oldest items in the exhibit, Meyers said. Other pieces are from the 1920s, 1930s and 1950s, including an electric hairdryer and a radio from the 1950s.
“It’s a great way to get our collection out in front of people a different way than just visiting a history exhibit,” Meyers said. “We were excited to use our collection this way. The bulk of our collection is stuff that people in the community donate.
“Some of these items have been in the museum’s collection 30 or 40 years. I think this is the kind of thing, whether you’ve lived in Chandler a long time or are new here, everybody’s going to find something for them in it.”
Vision Gallery is a nonprofit art gallery the Chandler Cultural Foundation manages. Exhibits are regularly rotated. Information: visiongallery.org.
The Vision Gallery curates the Chandler Center for the Arts Gallery. Chandler Center for the Arts opened in 1989 as a shared structure between the City of Chandler and the Chandler Unified School District. Information: chandlercenter.org.
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11 indep fd sqn reverted back to 11 Fd Sqn 1970
If you want more info on 11 Indep. Fd Sqn Malaya, there's a big website already running at http://www.sapperhanklawrence.blogspot.com/
HISTORY OF 11 FIELD SQUADRON ROYAL ENGINEERS (1787 - 1980)
This is from Chris Smith.
In 1787 the Corps of Royal Military Artificers was authorised and six service companies were raised for work on fortifying the home ports. The officers came from the newly named Corp of Royal Engineers. Six more companies were raised in 1793 for active service in Canada and the West Indies. One of these companies served in Nova Scotia with a detachment in the West Indies, and in 1806 was numbered 11th Field Company. It was based in Halifax whose coat of arms includes the tiny golden-crested kingfisher which was, in time, adopted as the Squadron emblem (known affectionately by the soldiers as the “budgie”) As a result of the increased importance of military fieldworks carried out by the Royal Military Artificers, they were renamed Royal Sappers and Miners in 1813. In 1854 11th Field Company took part in the Crimean campaign, remaining there for two years before moving to India in 1857. The previous year saw the Royal Sappers and Miners integrated with the officers of the Royal Engineers, henceforward becoming known as the Corps of Royal Engineers. The Company was involved in the later stages of the Indian Mutiny until it became a Fortress Company in India from 1858 onwards. It reverted to being called a Field Company again in 1887. Meanwhile the Company moved to Egypt in 1885 and were dispatched to the Sudan as part of the force sent to try and relieve General Gordon besieged by Mahdist dervishes in Khartoum. In 1899, 11th Field Company embarked for service in South Africa as part of 1st Division. Under the command of Lord Methuen they took part in the relief of Kimberley and then remained in Western Transvaal as railway troops for the next three years. (A troop Commander during this period was Lieutenant CB Thompson who later became Lord Thompson, Secretary of State for Air, and was killed in the airship R101 disaster in October 1930) Elements of 11th Field Company were involved in the siege of Mafeking before the Company returned to England in 1901 and was based at Shornecliffe. It was in 1914 that the Company was sent to France as part of 2nd Division and became involved in the infamous retreat from Mons when they marched 256 miles. On the subsequent advance they built pontoon and trestle bridges over the Rivers Marne and Aisne. That same year they acted as infantry during the first battle of Ypres. Still with 2nd Division, in 1928 the Company were to be found in Aldershot but reduced to 4 officers and 132 men and formed into two half companies each commanded by a Lieutenant. The unit MT consisted of one motor cycle, the remaining transport being horse drawn wagons and limbers. The sappers had also designed hand-drawn rool carts. The officers usually owned their own chargers. By 1932 the Company had been reduced further to cadre strength. In 1939, 11th Field Company was mobilised at Aldershot and sent to France as part of 2nd Division in the British Expeditionary Force.
The Company was withdrawn from France in 1940 and trained for the Middle East where they took part in the Western Desert campaign the following year. During the latter stages of World War II the Company moved to North West Europe as part of 44 Division and later became a unit in 30 Corps before being disbanded in 1947. In 1948, 50 Field Squadron, part of 32nd Assault Engineers and based at Perham Down, moved to Honk Kong as 50 Independent Field Squadron. They were based at Castle Peak for a short while as they moved to Sek Kong in the new territories soon after to be renamed 11 Field Squadron, part of 40 Division. The unit was officially designated as 11th Field Squadron on 1 January 1950. In 1951 the Squadron changed its name yet again, becoming an Independent Field Squadron and moving to Klagenfurt in Austria before returning to Chatham two years later. In 1954 the Squadron moved to Malaya and, during the Emergency in 1960, was based at Butterworth, Province Wellesley, becoming the Field Squadron of 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade. The accommodation was in atap partially-open-sided huts within a coconut plantation. A Field Troup of Royal Australian Engineers joined the Squadron and became 2 Troop. During 1960 to 1962 the Squadron carried out many Engineer tasks on behalf of the Malay government, some in support of operations against the Communist Terrorists in Malaya. One notable improvised road project was from Grik to Kuala Rui in Upper Perak where re-supply was by air drop courtesy of 55 Company Air Despatch, also based at Butterworth in a camp adjoining the Squadron. In 1962 the Squadron moved to Terendak Camp, about 13 miles from Malacca town. This camp was purpose built, the size and facilities of a large town, containing the units of 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade. Between July and November that same year, the squadron were in North Borneo at Kota Belud, about 50 miles from Jesselton (now named Kota Kinabalu) on the Tempasuk River bridge project. The squadron was housed at “Paradise Camp” accommodation being tents. All other buildings were GGI huts. The camp had to be built before erection of the bridge could commence. In 1963 the Squadron was involved in exercises and operations in Sarawak before moving to Thailand for Operation Crown, the construction of an airfield and roads for the Thai Government. After 15 years continuous service in the Far East, the Squadron left Malaysia on 14 January 1970. The colours were carried to Ripon by a small cadre lead by Cpl Dave Kelly. The rest of the Squadron’s property being passed on a caretaker basis to 73 Field Squadron who were in Sharjah at the time. On 1 January 1970, 11 Field Squadron was formed from 73 Field Squadron as part of 38 Engineer Regiment in Ripon. The priority one role was support to the RAF Harrier Force in Germany, although in 1971 the Squadron was back in Hong Kong for a 4 month tour.
Later in 1971 the Squadron undertook its first operational tour in Northern Ireland as part of 8 Airportable Brigade. Following this tour the Squadron was split three ways with a troop on the Europa Road project in Gibraltar, a troop in Belize and a third troop and Squadron Headquarters supporting Harrier exercises in BAOR. It was during the Squadrons second tour of duty in Northern Ireland that the Squadron Commander, Major Richard Jarman RE, was killed by an IRA booby trap during a search operation on the border on 21 July 1973. The Squadron was based at Castledillon in County Armagh and supporting 3 Infantry Brigade in the rural areas. The following year the Squadron returned to Ulster again to stand by for assistance to the civil powers during the Ulster workers’ council power strike. The Squadron has had a number of nicknames in the past from the “Uprights” (circa 1900) to “Legs Eleven” (World War II). The emblem of the Golden Crested Kingfisher achieved fame during the 1973 Northern Ireland tour where the Brigade codeword for an unsuccessful search operation was “Duff Budgie” In January 1975, a hundred years after General Gordon, 11 Field Squadron was sent to Southern Sudan to assist the civil administration in recovering from seventeen years of civil war and rebuild Mundri Bridge. In 1977 saw the Squadron in both Salalah and Belize. On return to UK the Fireman’s’ strike meant a busy period when fire engines were manned in Leeds, Huddersfield and Halifax. The Squadron returned to Northern Ireland in 1978 to build the CQBR at Ballykinler. This tour added several honours to the Squadron role with Captain Collett receiving an MBE and Staff Sergeant Smith and Sergeant Peck receiving BEMs. One year later another successful Op Descant tour at Castledillon, Forkhill and Crossmaglen meant 3 MID’s and 5 GOC’s Commendations being awarded to Squadron personnel. February 1979 was an exchange month, when 13 Pioneer Battalion came across from the USA to take the Squadron’s place in Ripon, whilst the Legs Eleven had an enjoyable month in Ripon, California.
From Major Steve Barton, USA Retired - As a participant in that exchange on the American side I suggest that the sentence should say "February 1979 was an exchange month, when B Company, 13 Engineer Battalion came across from the USA to take the Squadron’s place in Ripon, whilst the Legs Eleven had an enjoyable month in Monterey, California." I was a Second Lieutenant and Platoon Leader in B Company and had a thoroughly enjoyable, albeit cold and snowy (!), month in Ripon and environs. The 13th Engr Bn was part of the 7th Infantry Division at Fort Ord, California. Fort Ord is now closed, but beautiful Monterey is still next door. Ripon, California may well have been a place that 11 Squadron visited, but it is in the central valley 120 miles from the Army post and the California coast. Thanks for the memories and all the best,
-In 1980, 11 Field Squadron went on another Harrier exercise in Germany, a commando exercise in Norway and finally the budgie turned crow for five weeks as HMP Frankland was taken over duringPrison Officers strike. Luckily the Regiment got out on good behaviour, two days before Christmas.
JHCFS Aldergrove
Tidworth
Loan & Exchange Service
This is a catch all page for anyone involved in the Loan Service to other forces, or who was part of an exchange programme anywhere else in the world. Please let me know if you need me to add a country to this page.
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Search For: inhabitants
1172. That by "Dedan" are signified the knowledges of the lower celestial things that are in rituals, is evident from the following passages in the Word. In Ezekiel: The sons of Dedan were thy traders; many isles were the mart of thy hand; they brought thee for a present horns of ivory, and ebony (Ezek. 27:15). "Horns of ivory, and ebony" are in the internal se...
1195. That "Mizraim" or "Egypt" is memory-knowledge, was shown at verse 6 of this chapter. That "Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim" are so many rituals which are merely memory-knowledges, is evident from what has just been stated. Those are said to have rituals which are merely memory-knowledges, who explore spiritual and celestial things by means of reasonings, a...
1201. That "Zidon" signifies exterior knowledges of spiritual things, is evident from the fact that it is called the "first-born of Canaan;" for the firstborn of every church, in the internal sense, is faith (n. 352, 367). But here, where there is no faith, because no internal things, there are nothing but exterior knowledges of spiritual things which are in the place of faith;...
1205. The Jebusite, Amorite, Girgashite, Hivite, Arkite, Sinite, Arvadite, Zemarite, and Hamathite, were so many nations, and they also signify so many different idolatries. That idolatries were signified by these nations, is evident from many places in the Word, for they were the inhabitants of the land of Canaan who on account of their idolatries were cast out, and in part extirpated. But in the...
1327. There did Jehovah confound the lip of all the earth. That this signifies the state of this Ancient Church, that internal worship began to perish, is evident from its being said, "the lip of all the earth," and not, as before, at verse 7, "the lip of those who began to build a city and a tower." By "the face of all the earth," is signified the state of the church...
1574. That "the Canaanite" signifies the hereditary evil from the mother, in the external man, was before shown (n. 1444); but that "the Perizzite" signifies the falsity that is from evil, is evident from other passages in the Word where the Perizzite is named. As in the following concerning Jacob: Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me, to make me to sti...
1664. That the wars here mentioned signify nothing else, in the internal sense, than spiritual wars, or temptations, was said above, at the beginning of this chapter. By the wars mentioned in the Word, especially in the Prophets, nothing else is signified. The wars of men can have no place in the internals of the Word; for such things are not spiritual and celestial, such as alone belong to the Wo...
1675. The Horites in their Mount Seir. That this signifies the persuasions of falsity that are from the love of self, is evident from the signification of "the Horites," and from the signification of "Seir." As regards the Horites, they were those who dwelt in Mount Seir, as is evident from Genesis 36:8, 20, etc., where Esau is spoken of, who is called Edom. By "Esau"...
1860. And there was thick darkness. That this signifies when hatred was in the place of charity, is evident from the signification of "thick darkness." In the Word "darkness" signifies falsities, and "thick darkness" evils (as shown just below). There is "darkness" when falsity is in the place of truth; and there is "thick darkness" when evil is in...
1888. That the sense of the letter of the Word is representative of Divine arcana, and that it is the receptacle and thus the repository of the Lord's celestial and spiritual things, may be illustrated by two examples: first, that by "David" is not meant David, but the Lord; second, that the names signify nothing but actual things, and therefore it must be the same with all the rest of t...
1928. By the fountain in the way to Shur. That this signifies that that truth was from those things which proceed from memory-knowledges, is evident from the signification of a "fountain," also of a "way," and likewise of "Shur." A "fountain," as before said, signifies truth. A "way" signifies that which leads to truth and which proceeds from truth...
2039. That every male be circumcised. That this signifies purity, is evident from the representation and derivative signification in the internal sense of "circumcising." Circumcision, or the cutting off of the foreskin, signified the removal and wiping away of those things that were impeding and defiling celestial love, and which are the evils of cupidities (especially the evils of the...
2220. That "Sodom" is all evil from the love of self, is evident from the signification of "Sodom" in the Word. Although in the following chapter it appears as if the evil of the worst adultery was signified by "Sodom," nevertheless in the internal sense nothing else than evil from the love of self is signified by it. In the Word also the abominations that well forth...
2252. Peradventure there be fifty righteous in the midst of the city. That this signifies that the truths may possibly be full of goods, is evident from the signification of "fifty," as being what is full; from the signification of "righteous" as being good (see n. 612, 2235); from that of the "midst," as being what is within (n. 1074); and from that of "city,&qu...
2268. Wilt Thou destroy all the city for five? That this signifies shall man perish for the little which is wanting, is evident from the signification of "five" as being a little (as just stated); and from the signification of a "city," as being truth, also explained before. In regard to the truths in it the human mind is compared in the Word to a "city," and is also...
2311. That the Word is of such a nature, and that it is in this way distinct from all other writing, may be seen also from the fact that not only do all the names signify actual things (as shown above, n. 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888), but all the words also have a spiritual sense; and they thus signify another thing in heaven from what they do on earth, and this most constantly, in both the prophetical...
2314. Further: in the internal sense, by the "inhabitants of Sodom" is described the state of those within the same church who are against the good of charity, and how in course of time evil and falsity increase with them until they have nothing but evil and falsity. ...
2318. The two angels came to Sodom in the evening. That this signifies the visitation which precedes the Judgment, can be seen from the things said by the three men, or Jehovah, in the preceding chapter; and also from the things that follow in this chapter; and likewise from the signification of "evening." In the preceding chapter Jehovah said: "I will go down and see whether the in...
2323. That "evening" signifies the time of visitation, is evident from the signification of "evening." The states of the church are compared in the Word both to the seasons of the year and the times of the day; to the seasons of the year because to its summer, autumn, winter, and spring; to the times of the day because to its noon, evening, night, and morning; for the two thing...
2441. The sun was gone forth upon the earth. That this signifies the last period, which is called the Last Judgment, is evident from the signification of the "rising of the sun," when the subject treated of is the times and states of the church. That in the internal sense the times of the day, and also the times of the year, signify the successive states of the church, has been shown bef...
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Search For: sheep
3869. And said, Because Jehovah hath heard. That in the supreme sense this signifies providence; in the internal sense, the will of faith; in the interior sense, obedience; in the external sense, hearing; in the present case faith in the will, which is from the Lord alone, is evident from the signification of "hearing." That "to hear" is of the sense of hearing, it is needless...
3900. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is the Christ, or there; believe it not; signifies an exhortation to beware of their doctrine. "The Christ" is the Lord as to Divine truth, and hence as to the Word and as to doctrine from the Word. That here the contrary is meant, namely, Divine truth falsified, or the doctrine of falsity is evident. (That "Jesus" is Divi...
3969. And said, God hath gathered my reproach. And she called his name Joseph, saying, Let Jehovah add to me another son. That this signifies in the supreme sense the Lord as to the Divine spiritual; in the internal sense, the spiritual kingdom, or the good of faith; and in the external sense, salvation, also fructification and multiplication, is evident from the representation of Joseph in the Wo...
3994. And every black one among the lambs. That this signifies an own that is innocent that belongs to the good signified by "Laban," is evident from the signification of "black," as being what is man's own (concerning which just above, n. 3993); and from the signification of a "lamb," as being innocence (concerning which below). As regards an own that is innocent, si...
3995. And the spotted and speckled among the goats.* That this signifies that then all the good of truth in which falsity and evil are mingled shall be His, is evident from the signification of "spotted," as being falsity; and from the signification of "speckled," as being evil; as shown above (n. 3993); and from the signification of "she-goats," as being the good of...
4005. And he removed that day the he-goats that were party-colored and spotted. That this signifies that those truths of good were separated that were scattered over and mingled with the evils and falsities that were proper to the good signified by "Laban," is evident from the signification of "removing," as being to separate; and from the signification of "he-goats,"...
4060. Therefore that by the words now before us there is signified the state of the church at that time in respect to good (that is, as to charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord), is evident from their internal sense, which is as follows: But immediately after the affliction of those days; signifies the state of the church in respect to the truth of faith (concerning which ju...
4110. And Laban was gone to shear his flock. That this signifies a state of use and of an end of good, which is the "flock of Laban," is evident from the signification of "shearing," as being use, and thus end, for use is end (concerning which below); and from the signification of "a flock," as being good (n. 343, 2566). This shows that a state of use and of end is si...
4137. And I would have sent thee away with gladness, and with songs. That this signifies the state in which from its own it (that is, the good signified by "Laban") had believed itself to be in respect to truths, is evident from the signification of "I would have sent thee away," as being that it would have separated itself in freedom; but that it had not separated itself when...
4163. Verses 36-42. And Jacob was wroth, and chided with Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? What is my sin, in that thou hast hotly pursued after me? Whereas thou hast felt about all my vessels, what hast thou found of all the vessels of thy house? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, and let them judge between us two. These twenty years have I been with...
4169. Thy sheep and thy she-goats have not cast their young. That this signifies its state as to good and the good of truth, is evident from the signification of a "sheep," as being good (concerning which in what follows); and from the signification of a "she-goat," as being the good of truth (see n. 3995, 4006). By "good" simply so called is meant the good of the wil...
4170. And the rams of thy flock have I not eaten. That this signifies the truth of good, in that He had taken nothing of his, is evident from the signification of "rams," as being the truths of good; for "sheep" signify goods, and hence "rams," because they belong to the sheep, signify the truths of good; and from the signification of "eating," as being to a...
4281. That by "the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint in his wrestling with him," is signified that this conjunction was wholly injured and displaced in Jacob's posterity, is evident from the signification of being "out of joint" in the sense in question, as being to be displaced, and thus to be injured. That the "hollow of the thigh" denotes conjunction, is man...
4286. And he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel. That this signifies the Divine celestial spiritual now, and that "Israel" is the celestial spiritual man which is in the natural, and thus is natural; and that the celestial spiritual man itself, which is rational is "Joseph," is evident from what follows concerning Jacob and concerning Israel, and also conc...
4453. And range through it trading, and get you possession therein. That this signifies doctrinal tenets from what is general that would agree together, is evident from the signification of "trading," as being to acquire knowledges for one's self, and also to communicate them (see n. 2967), hence "to range through the land trading" denotes to enter into the knowledges of good a...
4662. When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats; and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand,...
4748. With their camels bearing spices and balsam and stacte. That this signifies interior natural truths, is evident from the signification of "camels," as being in general those things of the natural man that serve the spiritual, and specifically general memory-knowledges in the natural man (n. 3048, 3071, 3114, 3143, 3145, 4156); and from the signification of "spices, balsam, and...
4769. And killed a he-goat of the goats. That this signifies external truths from delights, is evident from the signification in the Word of a "he-goat of the goats" as being natural truths, that is, truths of the external man from which are the delights of life; and as also being external truths derived from delights, of which hereafter. The truths of the external man, from which are th...
4807. Genesis 38 THE LAST JUDGMENT Before the preceding chapter (n. 4661-4664) a beginning was made of unfolding what the Lord says in Matthew (chap. 25 from verse 31 to the end) concerning the Judgment upon the good and the evil, who are there called sheep and goats. What the internal sense of these words is, has not yet been unfolded, but is now to be unfolded before t...
4808. That this is involved in the internal sense of the words in question will appear from the explication of the particulars according to this sense; but here only those things will be unfolded which are contained in verses 31 to 33: When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be ga...
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Waiting on Death
“I wish I was dead,” says 30-year-old Danyar Asefi, speaking through a translator, “living like this in constant pain is worse than death, I have nothing to live for.”
The pain that Danyar is referring to comes from the gunshot wound he sustained to his head last year in Syria. His face is disfigured, he has lost all sight in his right eye, and doctors have told him he may lose feeling in his entire right side altogether. Danyar feels constant itching in his head, he has trouble getting around alone due to his lack of depth perception, and he has lost control of his emotions, often snapping at people around him. “I need help, I need medical help!”
Danyar is one of the million plus refugees who have surged into Germany through the Balkans since last summer. Arriving in November, he has been living in a growing camp in Wittstock, about an hour and a half north of Berlin. Like many in this crowded, cold camp, he is awaiting a decision on his application for asylum. However, his story is a little different from the countless Syrians and Iraqis who have fled their hometowns as fighting rages on in the region. Danyar is a member of the Kurdish minority in Iran, where a brush with the regime during university, put him on a course to be swept up by the recent crises affecting the Middle East and Europe. The stakes in his asylum application are high, for a rejection would not simply mean a ticket back home to Iran, but could very well spell a death sentence.
While Germany initially carried out an open door policy regarding refugees arriving there, the government has since introduced legislation to speed up applications and subsequent deportations, as well as expanding the list of “safe” countries. Priority for asylum is being given to refugees fleeing the wars in Syria and Iraq while others, even from Afghanistan, are having their applications denied. Iran does not top the list of war torn countries, though with its high rate of execution (Amnesty International reported 694 between January and July 2015 alone) it is definitely not a safe country for ethnic, political and religious minorities living there. The fact that a potential asylum seeker could face persecution, even death, upon being sent back to Iran does not seem to be a guarantee of asylum in Germany. In a September 2015 article, NPR mentioned one man who faced the death sentence for converting to Christianity, whose application was subsequently denied even though the judge knew the facts of his situation. Danyar could soon be in a similar position.
Danyar couldn’t have imagined how much his life would change in one decade. In 2004, he was a tanned, well-dressed engineering student at the University of Sanandaj in Kurdistan. Only a few months away from graduating, he was set to have a normal life going to work in his field. However, being Kurdish also meant Danyar was as passionate about equality for his people as he was for engineering. “I have always believed in justice and equality so I was very involved as a student activist.”
Like many human rights activists in Iran, his affiliation would cost him dearly. One night on his way home from university he was picked up by plainclothes police. They took him to the central prison in Sanandaj, where he was held in solitary confinement for almost a year, before being transferred into the general prison for an additional five months. During this time he attempted suicide on three occasions. Danyar’s family had to spend their entire savings and use their house as collateral to get him released on bail. Eight months later he appeared before a court, charged with crimes against the Islamic Republic, and was sentenced to 12-years in jail, exile to another city and deprivation of certain civil rights. While serving his first year, his mother and other family members worked tirelessly until they were able to get his sentence reduced to parole.
The problems didn’t let up when Danyar returned home though, “The security forces did not stop coming to my house… I had to report to intelligence ministry office every day, and I had to show up and sign their daily booking every day to show I was in the city,” he said. After months of harassment, the pressure became too great and Danyar decided to take action, “I decided to leave the country; they left me with no other choice.”
Danyar left Iran illegally, traveling throughout Turkish and Iraqi Kurdistan for some time. When the Islamic State began taking major parts of Syria and slaughtering the Yezidi, he felt compelled to help his people. He made his way from Turkey to Iraq and then Syria, ending up in the besieged city of Kobani. Danyar hoped there might be an opportunity to use his background in engineering to eventually rebuild the city, but soon the reality of the situation set in, “little by little it became clear to me that there was no opportunity to work on the ground as an engineer so inevitably I joined the fight against ISIS.”
Kurdish forces like the YPG and PKK have been instrumental in fending off or recapturing ground taken by Islamic State militants. The brutal fight for Kobani resulted in a strategic victory for the Kurds, but Danyar was not around to witness it. One evening another soldier had asked him to help two young female fighters who had become frightened and were pinned down in a shallow ditch near the front lines. Danyar helped one of them out, put her in a secure position and then went back for the second. He was almost to safety when he stopped, feeling a sudden warmth in his face, “I did not think I was injured, because right then I felt no pain,” he said, “I touched my face and my hand was completely bloody.”
His next recollection is waking up in a hospital in Turkey, to a surprised doctor who had come to pull the plug on his life support. Danyar had been in a coma for several months, during which time doctors had performed multiple surgeries, however he required more complex operations. Left wondering how to continue with his life, Danyar again considered suicide, before deciding to join some friends to head to Germany where he hoped he could receive better medical treatment and start a new future. They paid a smuggler $1600 each to get them to Greece, where they crossed the border to Macedonia and made their way up the Balkans avoiding border patrols or passing as Syrian Kurdish when necessary. By this point it was October 2015, and the cold weather combined with constant travel was taking its toll on Danyar, who was without any medication for his injuries.
His arrival in Germany has not exactly provided the relief he had been hoping for. Arriving in late fall, the camp has been getting crowded as fast as the temperatures have been dropping in the unheated tents. He said last month alone the numbers nearly doubled from 400 to over 700 people. In addition, the medical services he was expecting have been slow coming, due to his current ambiguous asylum status. While he was allowed several doctors visits and even had a surgery scheduled, it was suddenly canceled by social services. In the meantime, his friends have set up a crowd funding website in the hopes of raising enough to pay for his surgeries. So far donations stand at $0.
More worryingly, Danyar described an atmosphere of “de facto racial discrimination” in the camp. He says everything is clearly geared towards Arabs, from the food being cooked, to the language being spoken by staff and healthcare providers. “Everyone who doesn’t speak Arabic is screwed,” he said. Fights have broken out along religious lines, a phenomenon which has been reported by German media as happening in camps throughout the country. Danyar says many ethnic Sunni Arabs will not interact with him, thinking that all Iranians practice Shi’a Islam, when in fact Danyar comes from a Sunni region. Even 3000 miles from Iran, the discrimination has not ceased for Danyar. For now, all he can do is wait for the status of his asylum to be decided. He would like to remain in Germany and even hopes to return to school for medicine. After his experiences fighting and seeing others injured in his journey, he hopes to one day be able to help others.
The choice, unfortunately, is not his to make. Thousands of refugees are arriving on European shores every day, with the German government reporting it could face a population of 3.6 million refugees by 2020. After widely reported sexual assaults by alleged migrants in Cologne over New Years, fighting in camps, and a rise in right wing nationalist groups, public opinion is starting to wane. The German parliament will soon vote on an even stricter set of regulations for asylum seekers, ever honing in on their preference for those from Syria. The odds are increasingly stacking up against Danyar, and he knows what a rejection means, “If I am deported to Iran they will
put me in front of the firing squad in less than a month.”
Depending on the decision of a German judge, he may get his original wish.
You can contribute to a crowdfunding campaign to help Danyar pay for some of his medical costs in Germany here: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/c15oZf
Photos provided by Danyar Asefi
Tags: Asylum, Crisis, Germany, Injury, Iran, Iraq, Journalism, Refugee, Refugee Camp, Syria, Turkey, war
Refugees in Kilis, Turkey
Kilis is a small town in southern Turkey, situated a few miles away from the border with Syria. Under normal circumstances the town would be just another sleepy border city. However, since the civil war in neighboring Syria started, Kilis has been inundated with Syrian nationals who first began filling the government run refugee camps there, and have subsequently began spilling into the city itself.
I spent some time there staying with two pediatricians who work at the local state hospital. Before doctors can practice in Turkey they must work for a year and half in a hospital in the south, a sort of hardship post. Many of the doctors I met at the hospital were working one of these posts. The Turkish government has had to increase the staff at the hospital to deal with the influx of patients from Syria, many of whom are badly injured, having come from Aleppo and surrounding areas where fighting is heavy.
When I arrived at the bus station there were whole families with large bags of possessions and muddy shoes, possibly having just crossed the border. I was picked up by one of the doctors and hadn’t been in the car for more than 5 minutes before he received a call that he was needed at the hospital immediately. I would get used to him receiving these emergency calls over the next few days, having to make a U-turn and accelerate to the hospital at a rapid pace. This first night it was for a Syrian baby born prematurely. The hospital in Kilis lacks the means to deal with serious cases and has to send some patients to the larger hospital in Gaziantep, about a 45-minute drive north. The pediatricians told me there are many cases of parents not wanting to leave to go with their children to Gaziantep, instead returning to Syria or to one of the camps, effectively abandoning them. “I don’t know what happens to them after they go to Gaziantep,” one doctor told me.
I heard stories about the hospital being filled with victims from Aleppo, lining the hallways, many critically wounded. The doctors save those that they can, but all they can do for some is comfort them until their inevitable demise. All of this is pretty much on display for anyone to witness. I was a bit shocked at the access one has being able to walk around the hospital. Patients were being wheeled openly through large waiting areas, family members wandered through the corridors of the hospital, Syrian rebel soldiers loitered around outside. One man showed me where he had been shot fighting, and removed his shoe to show where he had lost his big toe. The language barrier only further complicates matters, as many Turks don’t speak Arabic and Syrians don’t speak Turkish. You could see the confusion at work with people wandering around trying to find anyone who could answer questions for them, but with the hospital largely relying on a few volunteer translators, most simply have to wait. Continue reading ›
Tags: Camp, Civil, Doctor, Hospital, Journalism, Kilis, Oncupinar, Photojournalism, Refugee, Syria, Turkey, war
Syrian refugees in Istanbul
When I met Zayn Muhammed he was selling packets of tissues outside of a mosque, in the Şirinevler neighborhood in Istanbul. He took me to see the single room that he, his wife and five children currently live in. The family came to Istanbul from Syria in October, after their village northwest of Aleppo was bombed. There the family lived a middle class lifestyle, with Zayn owning a grocery store and selling olives from his orchard. When the family arrived in Istanbul, they moved into tents in Şirinevler park with other refugees from Syria who had nowhere else to go. When the weather turned cold and living conditions in the park became unsanitary, the Turkish government closed down the tent camp, sending many of the refugees to official government run camps, while others decided to take their chances living in urban centers in Turkey. Zayn and his family were offered an unused spare room by a Turkish family he had befriended in the neighborhood. He told me the Turkish people in the neighborhood have been kind to his family, in part because of his five young children, offering them some food, clothes and other supplies. The government is trying to find Zayn a job, but in the meantime he tries to sell his packets of tissues. His wife Nahida spoke of the difficult transition to life in Turkey, with basic amenities like water and electricity costing far more than the family was used to in Syria. Zayn is unsure of what will become of the family, and knows they can’t live in the small room together in the long term. Like other Syrians crossing the border into Turkey every day, Zayn and his family are in limbo unable to get citizenship in Turkey, and unable to return to the village that was once their home, where they lost everything.
Continue reading ›
Tags: Children, Civil, Displaced, Family, I met, Istanbul, Journalism, Photojournalism, Refugees, Syria, Turkey, war
Church bells mingle with the call to prayer as smoke rises from chimneys and sunlight pours through clouds. Sarajevo is a city of contrasts that somehow come together to make something very special. I must have missed something when I came here in the summer, maybe walking the hills in the stifling heat deterred the development of any romantic feelings for the city. I’ve been staying the last week here with good friend and fellow photographer Cat Norman (http://catnorman.com), who’s shown me lovely tree lined parks, small neighborhood mosques with rugged wooden minarets, a smoke filled speakeasy-esque bar (that’s technically not allowed to be open right now for some reason), and of course where to find the best burek. It’s a city teeming with life and smiles, but also harsh memories of the past. Children play next to buildings riddled with bullet holes, while the hillsides are dotted white with tombstones in what were formerly public parks, filled up with bodies from the 1992-1995 siege. I’m always taken by the dates when I walk in these cemeteries, they all end in 1992, 1993, 1994, a stark reminder of the great tragedies that occurred here twenty years ago.
But all that’s in the past now and the people of Sarajevo have made great strides to pick up the pieces of their city and turn it into something truly lovely. It’s got all the beauty and style of cities in Western Europe, with half the price tag and half the crowds. Some magazine called National Geographic put it on their list of hot places to go in 2014, and I’d definitely put it on my list as well. Plus if you come later in the year, my friend Cat will have opened the swankiest new hostel in town. Should be exciting.
I’m heading to Istanbul tomorrow and will be joining a Reuters journalist down in Gaziantep, near the border with Syria. We’ll be investigating the situation with Syrian refugees trying to integrate and survive in cities along the border. It’s something I’ve been interested in working on for a long time now and I can’t wait to get down there and start working. In the meantime, below are some reasons you should visit Sarajevo!
Tags: Balkans, Bosnia, Europe, herzegovina, Mosque, Photography, Photojournalism, Refugees, sarajevo, siege, Syria, Travel, Turkey, war
The People Have Spoken
Yesterday saw more protests throughout Albania, against the US’ request to destroy Syria’s chemical weapons there. The issue greatly mobilized and united the people of Albania, who came out en masse to voice their objection to the offer. Thousands took to the streets in Tirana yesterday as the government was set to make an announcement of their decision at 5:00PM local time. Here in Shkoder the demonstration was smaller, but the people no less determined to make their voices heard. Starting at 3:00PM, people gathered in front of the local municipality building, making speeches, singing, playing music by John Lennon and Michael Jackson. While people were firm in their convictions, the overall atmosphere of both the protests here and in Tirana, was peaceful. They were not anti US protests, or even anti Albanian government protests, it was simply the people of Albania uniting in their opinion that they did not want dangerous weapons brought to their backyard. In the end the government listened to them.
In my opinion, this was a huge, mature step forward for Albania as a country. Rather than sitting back and allowing the government to make an unpopular decision out of apathy, the people united and the prime minister listened to them. I think this is the first step in restoring some level of trust between the people and their elected leaders. It’s a mark of a functioning democracy to have the common people tell their leaders how they feel about an issue and have them respond appropriately. It’s also a sign of self respect to have stood up to the US’ demands and not accept their country becoming a dumping ground for harmful chemical agents, regardless of what incentives might have been on the table. I hope Albania can use the energy I saw in the last few days, and take pride in this victory, and use it to keep moving forward. They have the potential to be every bit as successful as their EU brethren to the West, if only the people will it.
Tags: Albania, Balkans, Chemical, Children, Journalism, Photojournalism, Protest, Syria, war, Weapons, WMD
Tirana Protest
I was in Tirana yesterday afternoon to shoot the ongoing demonstrations there, against the United States’ request to dismantle Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile on Albanian soil. The issue has brought Albania into the international spotlight recently, and the outcry from the public here seems to have been a resounding “NO.” The issue is a tough one for the new prime minister, Edi Rama, who is torn between keeping placating the constituency who voted him in, and keeping good relations with the international community, who expect Albania to “pull it’s weight” as a member of NATO. Either way Albania currently lacks a proper facility to handle the over 1000 tons of chemical agents that need to be destroyed or neutralized. Albania was the first country to dismantle it’s chemical weapons stockpile in 2007, for which they built a facility capable of handling the 16 tons of weapons. Firms in the United States, France and Germany are already making bids to build a facility large enough to handle Syria’s considerable stockpile. The prime minister has promised transparency with the public about the government’s decision on the matter, but has yet to come to any arrangement with the international community about the issue.
Tags: Albania, Chemical, Europe, Journalism, Photojournalism, Protest, Syria, Tirana, war, Weapons, WMD
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The women who questioned Wall Street: Sheila Bair, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Mary Schapiro on holding financial industries accountable
By Christina Pazzanese/Harvard Staff Writer, May 5, 2015
Credit: Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer Three of Wall Street’s toughest critics—Sheila Bair (from left), Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Mary Schapiro—came to Harvard to talk about gender and taking on what’s been called America’s ultimate boys’ club.
Call them the “Cassandras of capital” or perhaps, as a Time magazine cover story in 2010 dubbed the women, the “New Sheriffs of Wall Street.”
In recent years, Sheila Bair, Mary Schapiro, and Elizabeth Warren have been pictured as bold—and often unwelcome—gunslingers who fired some of the earliest warning shots about Wild West excesses and corrupt practices on Wall Street long before the 2008 Great Recession set in. After their warnings went unheeded but proved accurate, they set about trying to institute meaningful financial reforms from inside federal agencies and through politics.
Bair headed the U.S. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) from 2006 to 2011, where she oversaw implementation of the Dodd-Frank Act, which sought to rein in risky bank-run investment schemes and pushed aggressively for greater transparency and accountability.
Schapiro was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009 to chair the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the first woman to hold that post on a permanent basis. As chair, she led a number of comprehensive market reforms to protect investors and minimize the likelihood of future crashes.
Warren, now a U.S. senator from Massachusetts, was a Harvard Law School bankruptcy professor who became a progressive Democratic leader as a vocal critic of government policies that benefit Wall Street but not everyday consumers.
On Monday, the trio talked about women and power in Wall Street finance, where macho culture is celebrated. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind, now a fellow at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at HLS and director of the Project on Public Narrative, which hosted the session, introduced the panel and asked if it was gender or their reform agendas that drove the “skunk in the garden party” receptions they each received. The panelists said it was hard to be certain, and not particularly helpful to spend much time worrying about it.
“Because even if you can figure out if the issue of gender is in the room, there’s not much you can do about it,” said Schapiro, who was the target of an industry-led billboard campaign after trying to put in rules to rein in unstable money market funds. “The way you have to defeat the stereotypes and the negativity around gender, prejudice, and bias is by being really good at what you do, really clear about where you’re going, why you think the path you’re taking is the right path, so that you can always defend it. Because at the end of the day, you have to be able to support what you’ve done.”
Credit: Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ron Suskind, now a fellow at the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics, hosted the discussion at the Memorial Church.
Despite studies that say businesses perform better when women hold key roles on company boards and in executive suites, the panel said the ongoing shortage of women in top positions is a function of the clique-ish nature of the corporate world and the often-closed loop of executive search firms.
“I think of this as ‘The Club,’” said Warren, discussing corporate exclusiveness and the desire to protect and limit who gets to hold the levers of power. “The group who’s there doesn’t want disruption. And when you bring in people who aren’t part of ‘The Club,’ it’s very disruptive—or it can be.”
Referencing President Franklin Roosevelt’s famous 1936 Madison Square Garden remark, ‘I welcome their hatred,’ citing the strong opposition of entrenched power brokers to his New Deal programs, Suskind asked Warren, “Is that something you feel comfortable saying?”
“Sure. Why not?” said Warren. “I didn’t go to Washington to try and help those guys. Believe me, they already have an army of lobbyists and an army of lawyers and plenty of friends on Capitol Hill.
“Federal policy really matters. It is not an abstraction” to regular families, she said. “And if some billionaire wants to fight me over how it’s going to cost them a little if we raise the minimum wage and lift 14 million children out of poverty, then I’m ready for them.”
As for what kind of Wall Street “sheriff” Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton might be if she won the White House, the three were cautious about any predictions.
Bair, a Kansas Republican, said she’d wait to see what Clinton’s policies are, but worries about her willingness to be a reformer given her “very Wall Street-centric” track record as a past candidate.
Saying she has “no idea,” Schapiro, a Democrat, hoped that Clinton would not try to undo existing regulations around corporate disclosure and would focus her efforts on more structural reforms that ensure market integrity and promote transparency and fair dealing. Requiring businesses to disclose bonus payouts and other activities is a key component of any industry cleanup, she said.
“It’s amazing what people will stop doing when they have to tell the world what they’ve been doing,” said Schapiro.
Warren said the 2008 financial crisis flashed an unflattering spotlight on how Wall Street operates and how many federal policies look out for the industry’s bottom line rather than the public good. Even today, many people outside of Washington, D.C., and lower Manhattan view the financial services as insufficiently regulated and not completely safe.
“Hillary Clinton will have a chance over the next few months to lay out what she wants to do, and I think she has a real opportunity here,” said Warren. “I believe there’s a broad, national consensus for making Wall Street more accountable for what they do. This is a moment to seize that.”
This article was first published in the Harvard Gazette on May 4, 2015.
Topics: Constitutional, Public Service, Business, Ethics
People: Elizabeth Warren
Tags: Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics
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Aid as a confrontational device will not bring an end to the suffering of the Venezuelan people
Seeking a solution to gun violence Studying Bill C -71
By The Caribbean Camera Inc. on February 19, 2019 Comments Off on Aid as a confrontational device will not bring an end to the suffering of the Venezuelan people
THE VENEZUELAN CRISIS
Aid as a confrontational device will not bring an end
to the suffering of the Venezuelan people
By Andy Knight
Andy Knight
On February 21 last, President Nicolas Maduro closed the border Venezuela shares with Brazil in an effort to block aid from coming into the country. At least two civilians were killed and dozens were injured when Venezuelan security forces fired on protesters near the Brazilian border.
United States President Donald Trump has issued an ultimatum to the Venezuelan military on February 26 last: either the military should side with the opposition coalition or face serious consequences.
Unfortunately, the US is now using humanitarian aid as a “weapon” of sorts. The intent is clearly to destabilize Venezuela further rather than to ease the suffering of the Venezuelan people. I’m very disturbed by the method of US intervention in the Venezuelan situation. It flies in the face of Article 2(7) of the UN Charter. This use of humanitarian aid as a confrontational device will not bring an end to the suffering of the Venezuelan people.
No doubt, Maduro has badly mismanaged his country’s economy and resources. But much of the suffering in Venezuela, brought on by hyperinflation and scarcity of goods and medicines stems from US sanctions and the various attempts by the US to bring about regime change in that country. Of course, it is also attributed to poor governance by Maduro, amidst sinking oil prices. But let’s call a spade a spade. The US really doesn’t care much about the people of Venezuela. It hasn’t demonstrated that in the past. Even during the days of former Venezuelan President Chávez, the US was trying to overthrow the popular regime in that country.
Now the US is utilizing Juan Guaidó as a tool for its mischief. The appropriate thing to do would have been to allow the UN to step in and provide humanitarian assistance. The US, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council could generously contribute to that assistance, if it wanted to. But instead, it is using Juan Guaidó as a tool to further divide the Venezuelan people and to push the country to the brink of confrontation and possible civil war; with the intention of bringing about regime change in Venezuela. This cannot be good.
We have seen in p recent history the failure of US policy in places like Libya, Iraq, and Haiti when it was bent on regime change without considering what a vacuum of leadership might produce. Just look at the mess those countries were left with as a result of US’ intervention. So I am convinced that if the US decides to intervene militarily, that action will be extremely counterproductive and will have negative impacts on Venezuela and countries in proximity, including Trinidad and Tobago.
The biggest fallout will be an increased exodus of people. Already the United Nations Refugee Agency has announced that over three million people fled Venezuela due to massive shortages of food and medicine. Another one million people may have left in the past year. So we can expect more immigration headaches for countries like Trinidad and Tobago and Colombia as increasing numbers of Venezuelans flee due to rising tension, clashes and violent civil
conflict.
Utilizing humanitarian aid as a weapon to entice the overthrow of Maduro is not a smart policy move. It is actually illegal according to international law. This is not what the drafters of the Responsibility to Protect norm had in mind when they created that norm of international relations.
If the US as well as Canada and the other members of the Lima group are really interested in the people of Venezuela, they should abandon that confrontational strategy of using humanitarian aid as a weapon and instead go through the global legal channel and allow the UN to handle the distribution of aid while the UN Secretary General’s good offices attempt to bring the warring sides to the negotiating table.
(Dr. W. Andy Knight is a Barbados-born Professor of International Relations at the University of Alberta and former Director of the Institute of International Relations at The University of the West Indies.)
Andy-Knight, Donald-Trump, Juan-Guaidó, Nicolas-Maduro
Aid as a confrontational device will not bring an end to the suffering of the Venezuelan people added by The Caribbean Camera Inc. on February 19, 2019
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Seeking Christ’s face: Some believe hilltop shrine holds true relic
April 10, 2019 Catholic News Service Focus on FaithNo comments
MANOPPELLO, Italy (CNS) — At the Shrine of the Holy Face in Manoppello, visitors see a transparent cloth encased between two glass panes within an ornate silver frame above the sanctuary’s altar.
Once light is shined on the cloth of byssus fiber, the image of a bearded man, eyes open and mouth seemingly taking a breath is revealed.
Devotees of the Manoppello veil claim that it is “Veronica’s Veil” and that it was secretly moved to the little hilltop town in Abruzzo on orders from Pope Clement VII to protect it following the Sack of Rome in 1527.
Another image of Christ’s face known as “Veronica’s Veil” is displayed at St. Peter’s Basilica on the fifth Sunday of Lent each year to bless pilgrims as they approach Holy Week.
Although the traditional Stations of the Cross include “Veronica wipes the face of Jesus,” none of the Gospels recount a woman wiping Jesus’ face as he carries his cross to Calvary.
A pious legend says Veronica later went to Rome to leave the relic with St. Clement, one of the early popes.
However, German journalist Paul Badde is convinced that the veil displayed by the Vatican for the past 400 years is a copy and that the true veil is in Manoppello.
“Every year on Passion Sunday, they show a hoax, I would say,” Badde told Catholic News Service Jan. 14.
The Capuchin friars at Manoppello have been the custodians of a veil since 1630.
Capuchin Father Paolo Palombarini, parochial vicar of the Shrine of the Holy Face, explains the compatibility between the Holy Face of Manoppello and the Shroud of Turin as he overlays copies of the images in the museum at the shrine in Manoppello, Italy, Jan. 11. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
For centuries, few people outside the small town knew of the cloth and its image of Jesus. But a Capuchin priest, Father Domenico di Cese, made it his life’s work to spread devotion to the Holy Face of Manoppello.
When he first saw the veil as a young priest in the 1930s, he knelt in shock. The face on the ancient linen looked like the same unidentified man who had rescued him from the rubble of a church after a major earthquake in 1915 when he was a child.
Father Cese died in 1978 and it wasn’t until 1999 that the veil really caught the world’s attention. That was when Jesuit Father Heinrich Pfeiffer, an art historian at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University, announced at a press conference that the cloth was the true “veil of Veronica,” stating that after conducting research, he discovered that the image on the veil could be perfectly superimposed on the face of the Shroud of Turin, the relic many believe is Jesus’ burial shroud.
Some devotees maintain the image’s connection to “Veronica” is not related to a woman who tried to soothe Jesus but is actually a form of the phrase “vera icona,” meaning “true icon.”
Capuchin Father Paolo Palombarini, parochial vicar of the shrine, told CNS, “Both pupils are open. But one can see that the right pupil is more closed than the one on the left because this is the first instance of the Resurrection and it happened just at it does when we wake up in the morning.”
The Holy Face of Manoppello is pictured on display at the shrine in Manoppello, Italy, Jan. 11. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)
“When we sleep,” he said, “we don’t realize it, but our pupils are completely dilated. In the morning, when we open our eyes and see the light, our pupils react by closing because they need some time to settle when passing from darkness to light.”
The Vatican does not formally recognize the authenticity of relics like the Veil of Manoppello or the Shroud of Turin. However, public veneration of such relics by popes often draw the attention of the faithful.
Such was the case when Pope Benedict XVI became the first pope to visit the Manoppello shrine in 2006 and venerate the image, Badde said. He told CNS that Pope Benedict had read his book on the veil and “decided to go there against enormous resistance in the Vatican.”
Still, during what Pope Benedict himself described as a “private pilgrimage,” he made no pronouncement about the image. Addressing priests, religious and pilgrims who packed the shrine, he said those who seek the true face of Christ can find it in their brothers and sisters, “especially the poorest and those most in need.”
“If we persevere in our quest for the face of the Lord,” Pope Benedict said, “at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, he, Jesus, will be our eternal joy, our reward and glory forever.”
Badde said, “He was the first pope after more than 400 years to get on his knees in front of this image, that’s what he did. That’s what will remain of his pontificate.”
Pope Benedict’s visit increased attention to the image, which continues to draw more pilgrims each year.
Tagged: Holy Face of Manoppello relics Shroud of Turin
Executions down globally, but up in U.S., says Amnesty International
Movie: ‘Hellboy’
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Vatican imposes 10-year suspension on Legionaries priest for abuse
April 12, 2019 Catholic News Service Nation/WorldNo comments
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has banned a Legionaries of Christ priest from publicly exercising his priestly ministry for 10 years after he was convicted in Chile of sexually abusing a young girl.
Irish-born Legionaries Father John O’Reilly was convicted in Chile in 2014 and sentenced to four years of “supervised liberty.” When the four years was up in December, he was told to leave the country or face deportation. He moved to Rome, where he still lives, according to the Legionaries.
Father John O’Reilly, center, of the Legionaries of Christ is seen after his trial in Santiago, Chile, Oct. 15, 2014. (CNS photo/Sebastian Silva, EPA)
In accordance with church law, he also underwent a trial by a tribunal of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which also found him guilty of child sexual abuse, the Legionaries of Christ press office said in a statement April 11.
In addition to suspending him from ministry, the Legionaries said, the doctrinal congregation imposed “the perpetual obligation to establish residency outside Latin America and the perpetual prohibition of voluntary contact with minors,” as well as recommending he seek “psychological and spiritual accompaniment.”
“The sentence concludes with the mention of the right to appeal,” the Legionaries said.
Father O’Reilly “is reviewing with his lawyer the sentence, which he received today with faith and with confidence in the authorities of the church,” the statement said.
Born in Ireland in 1946, he entered the novitiate of the Legionaries of Christ in 1965 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1975. He began working in Chile in 1984, serving at a school in Santiago where the abuse occurred.
Tagged: clergy sexual abuse
Sunday Scripture readings: April 14, 2019
Restoration of the Holy Stairs completed
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but are we all Aztecas, really
(Cross-posted.)
Among the many, many things that fascinate me about the World Cup is the creation of team slogans. Partly because they reflect the event's ability to create a (somewhat) equal ground for countries that otherwise differ dramatically in global power, and partly because they are awesome.
The Washington Post did a pretty good roundup of the slogans, but I beg to disagree with a few of them. For example:
Australia: "Socceroos: Hopping Our Way Into History!"
Washington Post says: C+
Hillary says: A-. How can you not admire their commitment to something so profoundly dumb? Also, it's kind of fun, and games are supposed to be fun, the last time I checked.
Cameroon: "A Lion Remains a Lion"
Washington Post says: A- ("smacks of laziness")
Hillary says: A++++++. This is arguably the toughest and most menacing slogan I have ever heard, for anything.
Chile: "Chi Chi Chi Le Le Le! Go Chile!"
Washington Post says: B+
Hillary says: D. I'm pretty sure that this is just a thing you say, and not a slogan per se.
Ecuador: "One Commitment, One Passion, Only One Heart, This is for You Ecuador!"
Washington Post says: B (too earnest)
Hillary says: B-, for different reasons. I am actually a big fan of their sincerity, but much like Chile's "slogan," I don't think this one really qualifies. I mean, look at its length alone.
Ghana: "Black Stars: Here to Illuminate Brazil"
Washington Post says: B, for cheese
Hillary says: A+. It references the nation both symbolically and literally (black star on the flag), and it factually describes the behavior of stars. Plus it strikes a nice balance between being threatening and being terrifying. They're not going to eat you, like Cameroon! They're just going to show you how it's done. They'll show you the light. The black star light.
Greece: "Heroes Play Like Greeks"
Washington Post says: D, although they admit bias
Hillary says: Are you kidding? A++. It's not as breathtakingly baller as Cameroon's slogan, but it's in the same arena. Bonus points for the mythological allusion.
Mexico: "Always United, Always Aztecas"
Hillary says: D. First of all, why does Mexico get credit for its historical reference, when Greece does not? Secondly, this is not even accurate, as there were a multitude of pre-Columbian civilizations in Mexico, including the Toltec, the Mixtec, the Purepecha, and the Maya, all of whom could very well have been good at soccer. We don't know, because colonialism. And now we're even erasing them from our team slogans.
Netherlands: "Real Men Wear Orange"
Washington Post says: C-
Hillary says: B. I don't know, I kind of like it. There's another historical callback in there, and also orange is not a color that America traditionally associates with masculinity.
Portugal: "The Past is History, the Future is Victory"
Washington Post says: A- ("the majesty of a great political campaign")
Hillary says: B+, for slightly different reasons. I appreciate that the essence of this slogan is "We know what you think of us," but I also don't know if that's how you want to start yourselves off. (It's kind of like WMATA's "We get that you don't care that we're working BUT WE'RE DEFINITELY WORKING SO WHATEVER" campaign.)
Russia: "No One Can Catch Us"
Washington Post says: B+ (basically: too soon)
Hillary says: A, for chutzpah. Also, it's short and descriptive, which is how a slogan should be. (Are you listening, Ecuador?)
South Korea: "Enjoy It, Reds!"
Washington Post says: B-, for reduced expectations
Hillary says: B. They really nailed the essence of most of the English that gets translated from Korean - technically clear, but still a little puzzling.
Uruguay: "Three Million Dreams...Let's Go Uruguay"
Washington Post says: B+, because it accurately reflects Uruguay's overall position coming in
Hillary says: B+, but again, this is a concurring opinion. I like that it sums up the World Cup's importance as a global stage. But "Let's Go [team]" is not a slogan. I don't know how many times I have to say this.
Anyway. I do agree with the Post that America's slogan ("United by Team, Driven by Passion") is stupid and probably better suited for a Chevy truck commercial. How about "At Least Our Country Is Kind of Paying Attention This Time"? Another option: "We're Still Not Calling It Football." Team USA, if you're listening, I am available as a brand consultant. Just saying.
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(don't you know that it's) Christmas time again
There were three things I wanted to do in Los Cabos last week, when I was on vacation with my family. One was lay out next to the water, drinking a margarita and watching the ocean crash against the cliffs. The second was assist in a sea turtle rescue. (We were too late in the season.) The third was to visit Cacti Mundo.
Cacti Mundo is a botanical garden that, as one might guess, is devoted to members of the family Cactaceae. According to its website, it is a "magical oasis for cacti aficionados," one that "shimmers with a tropical aura of ecological majesty." Indeed, it is "as if all the greatest cacti species on the surface of the earth were gloriously imprisoned and given new life and freedom." (The cacti presumably do not mind their imprisonment.)
We didn't make it to this magical oasis, unfortunately, but I still want to see it. Am I interested in the cacti? Empirically, yes. They have a magnificent self-defense system and can be eaten in a hundred different ways. (Although I still don't want one on my desk.) What I also want, though, is to meet the people so committed to these succulents that they refer to their garden as a "shining beacon of beauty."
I am telling you this to explain some things about the birth of Jesus, and why one of my favorite holiday songs of all time is Extreme's "Christmas Time Again."
When I think about Extreme, I think about my uncle, my father's youngest brother, who lived with us for a while when I was four or five. He was packed off to live with us by a family friend, Aunt (dì/chị) Phu, who wanted my father to make sure that his sibling stayed out of trouble and went to class.
My uncle was probably in his late teens or early twenties when he lived with us, and in my memory, his aesthetic then was straight out of Wayne's World. I think he had a spiky mullet thing, and I'm pretty sure he wore shirts with the sleeves torn off. He smoked. I have a fairly vivid memory of some argument about beer cans, mostly because "my five year old daughter" (me!) was mentioned. In short, he was living with us for a reason.
I have no idea if my uncle was a fan of Extreme or not, but regardless, I think he fit the profile of their main fanbase. This is a band that titled its second album Extreme II: Pornograffiti. (It's even better when you say it out loud.) This is a band whose average hair length was six inches past the shoulder. It's a band that CALLED ITSELF EXTREME.*
It's also a band that, if their one holiday song is to be believed, feels really strongly about the meaning of Christmas.
Note the open shirts.
"Christmas Time Again" is a song that can only be found on one of my very favorite Christmas albums, 1992's A Very Special Christmas 2. I like it, first of all, because I think it's gorgeous - it starts off with this epic synthesizer/pipe organ thing, cuts away to a melancholy piano backing that somehow manages to be in a major key, and goes back to a chorus with a cappella-style harmonies. It also features the vocal stylings of (I think) Nuno Bettencourt, who a) has an amazing name and b) was kind of a fox back in the band's heyday.
But I also like it because of its unabashed, balls-to-the-wall commitment to the Christmas spirit. Nuno (or maybe it's Gary Cherone, I can't be sure) starts off by bemoaning the transience of those holiday warm fuzzies:
Christmas always goes too fast
It's up to us to make it last
And all I want for Christmas is love
Come that morning and I see you smile
It only lasts a little while
How come we seem to push it all aside?
As if to reinforce his point, the entire band joins in for the refrain: "Don't you know that it's Christmas time again?" Come on. How can you be the kind of person who abandons your festive cheer on the 26th? Don't you know that we're talking about CHRISTMAS? (To further support the idea and also engage the audience, the chorus contains handclaps.)
It only gets more intense from there. Because our narrator feels that this needs to happen sooner rather than later, and that someone has to step up, he offers to make a few modifications for us.
It's times like these we need a change
A calendar to rearrange
I'll make sure it'll last all year
That's right. This man is so committed to retaining the Yuletide feeling that he offers to rearrange the way we perceive time.
This is a song that is both completely a product of its era (an era that included hair metal) and completely, utterly sincere. These are tough men, men whose band logo appeared to be hewn by a seventh grader with a pocketknife. They are men whose jeans are torn. And when it comes to the question of brotherly love, they will smash a guitar over your head if that's what it takes to convince you.
Hannibal Buress (again!) has a joke about how people will say that something is upsetting on "so many levels." He claims that this is overused, and to prove his point cites a bunch of different potential levels ("metaphysical level, eye level, Level Three, sea level").
I hate to say this, Hannibal, but there are different levels at which I like things, and they're all valid. (And none of them are sea level.) For example: I can like something for what it is. I like learning about cacti, and I like the idea of helping out with some sea turtles. I like this song because it's pretty and fun to sing. Those of us who celebrate Christmas from a religious perspective like it because it marks the birth of Jesus Christ, who, as the Son of God and an all-around good guy, is fairly important to the faith.
Another way to like things is related to the common ground that comes with unexpected sincerity. I like this song, for example, because although I am a girl who wears tortoiseshell glasses and is an unabashed fan of The Mindy Project, I too feel strongly about the Christmas spirit, which gives me something to share with these men with denim vests. There's a specific type of delight that comes with finding an unexpected side to someone or something - the poetry- or pastry-loving bully, the tough grandmother. The holy boy, born in a barn. It's a reminder that we're not as different from each other as we might believe.**
And, finally, there's something to be said for open effort. Most people probably do not like cacti. They're not exactly lovable, and they're associated with the kind of environment that kills a man in three days or less. But the people at Cacti Mundo not only love these plants, they proclaim their greatness to a degree that borders on absurd. Extreme doesn't just believe in loving one's fellow man at Christmastime; they created an arena rock chorus about it. In the Bible, God didn't just talk about his love for humanity; he came up with a plan that, on its face, sounds a little bizarre - impregnate a sinless virgin with a Messiah, have him start out as a borderline refugee, and give him roughly thirty years to get people on board with the idea of loving each other before setting him up for an inevitable death. Oh, and have him convince everyone of his divinity by having him come back from the dead, which was probably not at all creepy to the average Elihu or Hepzibah at the time. When we see others who are unafraid to commit to something we find strange, it's admirable, and a useful reminder that we may not know as much as we think. It keeps us humble.
*Apparently the name actually comes from the fact that two of the members were in a band called Dream, and "Extreme" comes from "Ex-Dream." This is ridiculous enough that I'll still give them credit.
**Another excellent example of this is Bob Seger's cover of "The Little Drummer Boy," which adds new meaning to the verses "I played my drums for him/I played my best for him." It accomplishes the feat of adding both softness to the idea of the Silver Bullet Band and a certain layer of grit to the Nativity. Joseph was blue-collar. Why wouldn't he have liked classic rock?
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perspectives on international development and human behavior (and other things)
it's your party
"Axel Witsel" is such a great name.
I love being in DC for the World Cup. It's probably because of all the international organizations that are based here, but my fellow citizens are approximately 1000x more excited about this event than people anywhere else I've ever lived.* And even though I'm not much of an athlete, or even much of a sports fan, I dig it; I think it's the global nature of the event, the fact that fans are sort of required to know about things that are happening in Croatia or Ghana, even if they're only related to soccer. And in a way, it feels more globalized even than the Olympics - maybe because there's only one sport, so the country-level fandoms are way more focused and intense (as opposed to the Olympics, where there are so many sports and affiliated politics that it's easy to lose track).
I'm also really interested in sports and global integration from another angle - the idea of one sports team as a unifier of diverse fans. Which brings me to the point of this post: a fascinating article by Sam Knight in Grantland that explores whether or not the diversity of the Belgian national team is leading to greater "Belgitude" - an attitude roughly analogous to national pride, with a dose of "I guess this country shouldn't split up after all" in the mix. The idea is that, while many Belgians are permanently annoyed that they live in the kind of country that can go for multiple years without a government, the diversity of younger generations has led them to appreciate Belgium for what it is: a weird place, but not necessarily a bad one. For example:
...(T)he article also put forward the idea that the country’s newest citizens might be the first to truly accept Belgium on its own eccentric terms. Leman believes that theory has come true. “How to explain?” he said. “Our national discussions are internal discussions, and very domestic, and these guys coming from outside look at Belgium and they say, ‘Why destroy this country? With its nice system?’”**
As a person who has seen the Mighty Ducks movies,*** I know the trope of sports as common ground is a bit simplistic, but I also think there's something to it - maybe because it's simplistic, actually. Sports fandom is a little bit primal; as much as we might like to imagine that it comes from our head, I think it's probably based in the heart and the gut. Which means that even though there are a million political and economic differences that a sports team will never bridge, that instinctive aspect of being a fan lets us circumvent all of that and, for a moment, find common ground with someone else. It's not everything, but it's also not nothing.
And what's even more interesting about cases like the Belgian team is that, if this analysis holds up, they're actually taking the idea of sports-based unity to the next level by not only bringing people together, but by creating a new reality in order to do so. (Granted, that reality can best be summed up as "This isn't so bad," but again, you've got to start somewhere.) I'll be interested to see if it holds up, and to consider the implications of this narrative creation for the future - after all, as divided states go, Belgium is probably among the tamer examples.
Also, I am kind of obsessed with Stromae and his video about the Red Devils' official song, "Ta Fête" ("Your Party").
*With the possible exception of South Korea, but everyone there would have been cheering for one team.
**A sentiment that reminds me of Tina Fey's turn as Blerta, the Albanian addition to Girls. ("I have roof over head. For this, I thank God.")
***QUACK QUACK QUACK
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Category Archives: Harry Potter Franchise
An Important Harry Potter Franchise Actor’s Views Discussed Posthumously
July 5, 2018 Harry Potter Franchise, Movie Newsadmin
The Screenrant.com website recently posted an item concerning the late Alan Rickman’s views about the development of a character he helped portray during the popular Harry Potter series of films. The IMDb records the renowned British actor played the role of Severus Snape in a string of hit motion pictures: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I (2010), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (2011).
A Talented Actor
Gossip Alan Rickman privately harbored concerns about the slow development of the pivotal character he portrayed in the Harry Potter franchise apparently emerged after his death. The star passed away in 2016. Sadly, his fans will never know how Alan Rickman felt about the Snape character outside of the media interviews he may have provided. The star, who worked extensively in stage and film productions, studied at the Royal College of Art. He garnered well over 80 movie and TV credits during his career.
Private Letters Spark Posthumous Online Chatter
A letter sent to the actor by a producer following the release of the second Harry Potter film reportedly went to the auction block recently. Screenrant.com quotes an online site which concluded from a remark in the correspondence the star harbored artistic concerns about his Severus Snape role. Fortunately the public can still watch his appearances in the many films in which he portrayed the fictional Hogwarts teacher created by J.K. Rowling in re-runs.
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Why a challenge like this?
This is a unique test that follows other events which were similar in nature: vehicles have been demonstrated to be able to move in unknown and extreme environments like the Mojave Desert in Nevada/California back in 2005 during the DARPA Grand Challenge; vehicles showed excellent performance when driving downtown in 2007 during the DARPA Urban Challenge. Autonomous vehicles demonstrated great potential, but so far all these tests were conducted in fairly simplified scenarios (with no other traffic in the first case, and with well structured rules in the latter). Other groups are now trying different extreme tests, such as the equipment of a vehicle to drive a rally race. With this event we would like to test and stress our technology on a route that is long (13000 km) and extreme (including all sort of traffic, weather conditions, road infrastructures, and even off-road) to really assess the performance of our systems.
Has anything like this been tried before?
No one has ever tried anything like this. It’s the first time in history that vehicles with no driver and without using oil-based propulsion travel on an intercontinental route. If everything will go as planned, this will be a huge milestone in the history of mobility and robotics.
Who ideated this event?
VisLab did. The idea dates back to 2007, but it was only in January 2009 that we got in contact with Overland and we started planning also the logistics. In 2007 VisLab proposed a similar project to the Italian Ministry but is still waiting for an answer.
Travelling from Italy to China with no driver? It’s impossible: is there a trick?
There’s no trick: there are rules, instead. Since there are no maps of some of the areas in which the vehicles have to move, it would be impossible to ask the vehicles to determine the route. Therefore the convoy is led by a vehicle in which operators take control every time a decision on the road has to be taken. This is the leader vehicle; it is manned all the time, although it runs autonomously most of the time. It is used to test innovative systems and conduct experiments. The leader also broadcasts its GPS position via radio. The second vehicle, i.e. the follower, receives the leader’s GPS position; this vehicle follows the leader’s route defined by very rough GPS waypoints (remember hat DGPS is not available in many areas) and refines its trajectory via local sensing. If a map would be available, there would be no need for a leader. The second vehicle is readily exploitable as a fully autonomous vehicle.
Why are you using such small electric vehicles for a huge trip like this?
Small vehicles are a must for inner city applications. Electric propulsion is a key to sustainable mobility. Pulling the two factors together results in a straightforward choice for this kind of demonstration. Indeed, a 13000 km extreme trip like VIAC is not a good representation of inner city mobility, but if the vehicles survive, we’ll be sure that they will survive in future urban applications too. In other words, we are pushing this technology to check its limits.
The vehicles look strange: couldn’t you integrate the various systems better?
Yes, it would have been possible to integrate the sensors in a better way, but we didn’t do it for specific reasons:
we are travelling in an extreme environment and each system must be reached easily for quick maintenance. Therfore we preferred ease of use rather than a nice integration
The whole event is a show; therefore we choose to make all sensors and systems clearly visible and sometimes we even indulged towards a more ‘technological’ look rather than hiding all sensors with a nice integration
Other vehicles, like BRAiVE (see www.braive.vislab.it) are definitely more integrated and follow a completely different approach: a cleaner and more professional integration, which makes the vehicle look like a normal vehicle.
Will the vehicles be unmanned for the whole duration of the trip?
Although the vehicles can run unmanned, they are actually unmanned only during demonstrations. During the trip the vehicles will host people on the back seats as passengers: we are committed to deliver a great show but safety plays an basic role. Therefore people onboard can intervene at any time in case of danger; each intervention is also logged to compute the final percentage of autonomous driving.
Is the solar panel used to recharge the vehicle batteries?
No, the solar panel is used to power the autonomous driving system only. Therefore cameras, lasers, PCs, and actuators are all powered by green energy, making the autonomous driving technology self-sustainable. The ‘autonomous driver’ is therefore seen as a plugin that is completely decoupled form the vehicle system and can be virtually adapted and installed on any vehicle.
How do you recharge the vehicles during the trip? Are there power outlets in the remote areas of the Siberia and China deserts?
Well, there are areas in which it is impossible to find power outlets and therefore recharging the vehicles would be impossible. In these areas we are using power generators. Remember that this is a test: should this be turned into a possible product, power outlets would be disseminated in the area covered by the vehicle.
Which is the autonomy and maximum speed of the vehicles?
The autonomoy of the vehicle and its maximum speed are not affected by our autonomous driver, which is self-sustainable from the point of view of power consumption. Therefore the vehicle perormance are the same as the ones of the original vehicles: about 100 km and 60 km/h.
Assuming it will be a success, what’s left for the future?
A lot! Today we are intervening every day to park the vehicle, recharge it, and perform maintenance. A further challenge would be to let the vehicle run alone for the whole duration of the trip and get it back after 3 months. Something like what happened to our TerraMax vehicle in 2005, when the vehicle was launched in the morning, traveled in the desert alone, and then got back the day after, after spending more than 30 hours of autonomous operations.
So this might be just a first step towards fully autonomous intercontinental driving; more has to be done in the future and if somebody else wants to contact us for a future challenge together we are more than glad to open up our systems and work together.
Are you recording the trip?
Not only we are recording the trip, but we are dumping all data coming from every sensor on the vehicle. This will allow us to run again and again the very same route multimple times, in order to fine tune our algorithms, and also develop new ones.
This will be a unique database, that will include almost every situation related to traffic density, weather, road morphology, road
infrastructures,…
It is estimated that at the end we will have recorder about 20 Terabytes of unique data!
Which are the most critical issues in this challenge?
Anything is an issue here: from the most trivial aspects such as data recording to the more complex trajectory planning when driving in very congested areas. Even the smallest aspects can become a real issue when the size of the problem gets so large: 13.000 km in 3 months on real roads is a test that has never been tried and documented. Anything can go wrong and therefore it assumes a terrific importance in the research stage. Every little detail has to be planned carefully.
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Wesley Divinity School Building
Wesley Divinity School (WDS) was established in 1994 by the Philippines Central Conference of the United Methodist Church. It is the only seminary fully owned by this church denomination and is founded on the revered Wesleyan tradition of “vital piety and learning”.
Theological education has been part of Wesleyan University-Philippines from its inception. Wesley Divinity School traces its roots to the former Philippine Wesleyan College which, by offering Bachelor of Arts in Theology degree, gained the distinction of being the first Protestant school of theology in Central Luzon.
Wesley Divinity School offers the following three graduate degree programs:
Master of Arts in Christian Education degree, that aims to equip church workers with skills and competencies to teach and administer church schools;
Master of Divinity degree major in Missiology program, designed to prepare local pastors for ordination in the United Methodist Church connection. This degree program was recognized by the Commission on Higher Education in March 2015; and
Doctor of Ministry, a professional degree program aimed to further develop the research capabilities of ministry practitioners in specialized fields of ministry such as pastoral counseling, transformational leadership, evangelism and church growth, The objectives are to enable ordained pastors to create ministry resources for church use, and to become mentors and coaches to other church leaders, both clergy and lay persons.
In May 2014, Wesley Divinity School was admitted as a member of the International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities (IAMSCUI) and the Philippine Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, Universities and Seminaries (PAMSCUS)
Wesleyan Divinity School takes pride in its distinguished line-up of faculty which includes two current bishops of the United Methodist Church and respected professors in their fields of academic discipline. ###
For inquiries, contact:
Rev. Dr. Homer Wesley O. Refuerzo
Academic Dean
Telephone No. +63 (44) 463-2162 Local 123
Rev. Jayson Andrew Mallari
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Russian involvement in Ukraine’s Donbas “republics”: 10 things you should know
Despite Russia denials of their direct involvement into the secessionist “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR) and “Luhansk People’s Republic” (LPR), there is an increasing volume of evidence available that shows these denials to be simply false. Here are ten key things to know about Russian involvement in Ukraine’s eastern territories.
Some former / current leaders of “DPR”/”LPR” are Russian citizens.Some of the warlords of the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” (DPR) and “Luhansk People’s Republic” (LPR) come from Russia and had absolutely no ties to the Donbas region prior to the start of the conflict there. For example, one of the key actors of the early periods of “Donetsk People’s Republic” Igor Girkin (also known as Strelkov) is actually a former FSB military intelligence agent from Moscow and a Russian citizen. Fighters with the nicknames Motorola, Bezler, Babai are among a large number of individuals who are or have been associated with the “DPR”/”LPR” and are also Russian citizens. Another Russian connection is Alexander Kazakov, who is an image and PR consultant to the “DPR” and the previously unknown “leader” of that unrecognized entity, Alexander Zakharchenko. Even though there are locals in the armies and institutions of the so-called “republics,” few of them have leadership roles or any decision-making capacity.
Donbas separatists receive significant military support from Russia.A study by an international volunteer community called “InformNapalm” and dated 17th September 2016 shows that 31 weapons systems identified in Donbas entered service with the Russian military between 2004 and 2015 and have never been produced in or sold to Ukraine — this study was presented at meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Another report by InformNapalm focused on Russian troops in Eastern Ukraine and it identifies 75 regular Russian military units involved in the war in Donbas. This report was presented at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Istanbul on 19th November.
Numerous international media produced reports about Russia’s involvement in the war. One of the most recent reports from the self-declared “Republics” in eastern Ukraine was produced by France 24. French journalists reported that the militants receive ammunition and equipment from Russia; they are being trained by Russian instructors; receive necessary funding from Russia, as well as humanitarian help (something which is often used as a cover for the rotation of troops).
The economies of the “republics” depend heavily on Russian money.Bild journalist Julian Röpcke from Germany produced another piece of comprehensive research. By analyzing the economics of Donbas secessionist “republics” he showed the extent to which Russia finances the “DPR”/”LPR”, because they simply cannot survive without external financing. Röpcke has also traced how Russia channeled money to the “republics” primarily through banks in the Georgian region of Abkhazia, another self-declared “secessionist” territory which has been under Russian de facto control since the early 1990s, which was formally recognized by Russia as a state after the Russo-Georgian war of 2008.Mr. Röpcke’s investigation also concluded that “heavily guarded trains” bring “tons of bank notes and coins” into Ukraine, with the key rail arrival points being the important distribution points of Ilovayivsk and Debaltseve. The names of these specific places are well known to any person who has taken an interest in the conflict in Ukraine as fierce battles were fought for both cities.
In both cases it is well recorded that regular Russian military units participated in the battles, in the case of Ilovaivsk (link: http://europe.newsweek.com/battle-ilovaisk-details-massacre-inside-rebel-held-eastern-ukraine-282003?rm=eu) Russia’s heaviest (at that time) incursion into Ukrainian territory happened shortly before the first Minsk Peace Agreement was signed. In the case of Debaltseve (Link: https://informnapalm.org/en/5th-tank-brigade-russian-army-battle-debaltseve/) this city was being fought over at the time of the signing of the second Minsk Agreement, the first point of which allowed for a 72 hour window before a ceasefire should commence – presumably how long Russian military planners expected they would need to take this rail hub city. When Debaltseve had not fallen within the stipulated 72 period the Minsk II mandated ceasefire was ignored and the battle to take this city continued for a further week.
The Bild report estimated that Russia spends €79.1 millon per month to pay salaries in the republics.
Reputable think tanks have also presented proof of Russia’s involvement.The Atlantic Council, a well-known American think-tank published a study on Russian role in the life of Donbas “republics.” The presentation of this study begins: “Russia is at war with Ukraine. Russian citizens and soldiers are fighting and dying in a war of their government’s own making. Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to deny Russian involvement in the fighting, but the evidence is overwhelming and indisputable,” this study was published on October 15th 2015. Russia’s denails of military involvement in Ukraine have not been plausible at least since then.It is worth noting that the Atlantic Council report was released simultaneously with a report titled “Puntin.War.” (link: http://www.4freerussia.org/putin.war/) which was the brainchild of Russian opposition figure Boris Nemtsov, who was shot dead in Moscow shortly after he began collecting material for the report.
Kremlin figures are true masters of the “republics”.On 25th October 2016, the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab shared a comprehensive analysis of a wealth of hacked Email communication that was dubbed the #SurkovLeaks. Vladislav Surkov is undoubtedly one of the most influential individuals in Putin’s inner circle, and the leaked communication demonstrate that he is the Kremlin point-man for Russia’s management not only for “DPR”/”LPR,” but also is involved in the management of the self-proclaimed break away/frozen conflict Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Email accounts of Surkov’s two assistants were hacked by a Ukrainian hacker group called “Cyber Junta,” and the resulting picture of his involvement in the Donbas war is quite conclusive. According to other media reports based on the #SurkovLeaks Denis Pushilin, one of the “DPR” leaders, is completely dependent on and subordinate to Surkov.Besides, Russia takes part in Minsk negotiations instead of separatists, who have little to no say. All key negotiations effectively happen within the “Normandy Four” format of meetings, therefore Russian representatives are the only voice of the secessionist “republics” in these talks. At the front line Russians are also speaking for the militants. Ukrainian TV channel Hromadske held interviews with Ukrainian and Russian generals—and they both confirmed they negotiate between themselves.
More detailed evidence of cross border shelling in the summer of 2014 is emerging. Bellingcat’s latest report, published 21st December 2016, is dedicated to Russian artillery strikes against Ukrainian troops, which took place in the early stages of the conflict. The report shows a very large number of firing positions inside Russia, as well as documenting the target sites inside of Ukraine. “Thousands of artillery projectiles were fired by the Russian military on targets inside Ukraine in the summer of 2014,” the report reads. An analysis of maps of the conflict zone clearly shows that Ukraine’s army had significant momentum and was retaking many previously-occupied towns and cities in the period before these artillery attacks. The area where the attacks occurred is part of what is today a 400km stretch of open and unmonitored border between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia is alleged to have used force to kill “DPR”/”LPR” militants who have become an inconvenience.One of the most recent examples is Arseny Pavlov, a Russian citizen who was known as Motorola. The respected British newspaper The Guardian carried an article saying that Pavlov was “killed as result of either an internal feud or Russia removing ‘inconvenient’ separatist leaders in the field.” According to the article, the leadership of the “DPR/LPR” “coordinates its actions with handlers in Moscow, who finance and control the political landscape in the self-declared republics, despite claims to the contrary.” It would appear that those who refuse to follow the rules set by Moscow are being replaced by more obedient individuals. There were three other similar cases during the last six months: Alexander Bushuev, Alexander Nemogay and Alexander Osipov were reportedly killed due to their disobedience or growing personal authority.
The awful MH-17 catastrophe also proves that Russia has been acting in Donbas since early days of war.
The Bellingcat investigative group claimed on 30th September 2016 that the responsibility for sending the Buk missile launcher used to down the MH-17 flight ultimately rests with the command of the Russian military, who had sanctioned the deployment of that missile system into Ukraine. Bellingcat first published an investigation relating to the shooting down of MH17 on 8th November 2014, and even in those early days it was abundantly clear that the missile launcher came from Russia. Those early findings have since been corroborated by the criminal investigation of the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team, who have confirmed that the MH-17 airplane was downed by a BUK missile coming from Russia. “The system was transported from Russian territory into eastern Ukraine” and a short time later transported back to Russia, the report says unambiguously.
Russia’s war dead. “Cargo 200”Despite stipulations in the Minsk Agreements, the OSCE’s Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine is only permitted by Russia to monitor two small spots on the internationally recognised border between Ukraine and Russia. Despite this limitation they are still able to report on vehicle activity at the border check points and it is a regular side note that there is a regular flow of vehicles from Ukraine into Russia carrying the words “Cargo 200” which is a Russian military code indicating that the vehicle carries dead bodies. Almost every weekly update from the OSCE mentions this observation.The exact number of Russian war dead from Ukraine is not known, people trying to investigate the deaths of paratroopers from the city of Pskov have been intimidated (link: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/19/russia-official-silence-for-families-troops-killed-in-ukraine) and threatened (Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28949582) or labeled as “Foreign Agents” (Link: http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/20398.html)
In one recent article by a well known Russian expert Paul Goble draws attention to a statistical anomaly in three Russian regions, specifically Nizhny Novgorad, Voronezh and Krasnoyarsk. Goble points out that in just these three regions the number of recorded deaths in 2014 and 2015 compared to previous years suggests as many as 6,312 “excess” deaths have occurred. (Link: : http://windowoneurasia2.blogspot.com/2016/12/putins-wars-come-home-to-russia-despite.html)
That number of deaths is quite possible given the fact that extrapolating data on how many medals have been awarded to Russian service personnel during the period of the conflict in Ukraine indicates, according to this report (Link: https://www.bellingcat.com/news/uk-and-europe/2016/08/31/russias-war-ukraine-medals-treacherous-numbers/comment-page-2/ ) that “most likely tens of thousands of Russian servicemen participated in or contributed to the war in Ukraine.”
Prepared by Vitalii Rybak, Internews Ukraine, UkraineWorld group
The author thanks Paul Niland, Janet Gunn, Natalya Gumeniuk, Nastya Stanko, Oleksandr Nikonorov, Oleksiy Matsuka, Alya Shandra, Volodymyr Yermolenko for help and consultations.
Tags: "DPR" "LPR" Russian involvement war in Ukraine донбас
Markiv’s sentence, “Normandy format” and more – Weekly Update on Ukraine #22, 8-14 July
Zelenskyi’s lustration draft: pre-election populism or a step towards political repressions?
ANNOUNCEMENT: Press Briefing “EU and NATO in the New Rada: What Reforms Ukraine is Expecting for?”
News on the topic
More than 3 thousand civilians killed over the 5 years of conflict in Eastern Ukraine – UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission
Under construction: Museum open – seven museums of Donbas present winning projects
OSCE SMM: The number of children killed or wounded in conflict-related incidents this year rises to 28
More news on the topic
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Indian Head cent
The featured article for Friday, 2 March 2018 is Indian Head cent.
The Indian Head cent, also known as an Indian Head penny, was a one-cent coin ($0.01) produced by the United States Bureau of the Mint from 1859 to 1909. It was designed by James Barton Longacre, the Chief Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint.
From 1793 to 1857, the cent was a copper coin about the size of a half dollar. The discovery of gold in California caused a large inflation in prices. As gold became more abundant, the price of copper rose. Cent and half-cent manufacture was one of the only profit centers for the Mint and by 1850 the Mint began looking for alternatives. In 1857 the Mint reduced the size of the cent and changed the composition to 12% nickel and 88% copper (copper-nickel), issuing a new design, the Flying Eagle cent. The new pieces were identical in diameter to modern cents, though thicker. This was the first use of copper-nickel by the United States. The copper-nickel made them look brighter and they began to be called "White cent" or "Nicks".
In 1858 the Flying Eagle was replaced with the Indian head design. The Flying Eagle design caused production difficulties and the Mint soon looked to replace it. Mint Director James Ross Snowden selected the Indian Head design and chose a laurel wreath for the reverse that was replaced in 1860 by an oak wreath with a shield. Cents were hoarded during the economic chaos of the American Civil War, when the metal nickel was in short supply. As Mint officials saw that privately issued bronze tokens were circulating, they induced Congress to pass the Coinage Act of 1864, authorizing a slimmer cent of bronze alloy.
In the postwar period, the cent became very popular and was struck in large numbers in most years. An exception was 1877, when a poor economy and little demand for cents created one of the rarest dates in the series. With the advent of coin-operated machines in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, even more cents were produced, reaching 100 million for the first time in 1907. In 1909, the Indian Head cent was replaced by the Lincoln cent, designed by Victor D. Brenner.
For the full current version of the article, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Head_cent.
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Student funding model takes the stage at fees commission.
by Patricia Aruo | Mar 10, 2017
The student-proposed higher education funding model was presented at the fees commission on Tuesday this week.
THE Fees Commission started its final rounds of public hearings in Pretoria on Tuesday, March 7 with the presentation of the student proposed model.
The presentation at the fees commission of the model, a product of efforts primarily by Wits students and some UJ students, focused partly on providing a detailed summary of the four proposals for possible funding sources it makes.
The first two of these proposals target the corporate sector with the Corporate Infrastructure Fund and a restructuring of the Skills Development Levy which would be gradually implemented and whose funds would be exclusively for higher education funding.
“Universities are at the epicentre of skills development. What we are arguing is that universities should actually take the greater share of the Skills Development Levy rather than going to the SETAs.” says Khaya Sithole, an academic who assisted the students in composing the model.
‘The Education Levy would be able to collect from the entire student body.” says Sithole.
This levy would therefore target not only the students who received government funding and would be a permanent levy unlike the current one, he says.
The government subsidies which have declined to 38% over the past few years would be increased to 50%. “This can be done overtime, possibly over a period of eight years.” says Sithole.
The presentation also focused on a recognition of the different family financial backgrounds and as such, groups students into classes on a family income basis ranging from those earning below R300 000 who would receive full state funding and those earning over R600 000 who would remain fully self-funded.
Dylan Barry, one of the Wits student contributors to the model, notes some reservations about the commission but is nonetheless interested in seeing whether their suggestions will be taken into serious consideration and hopes the presentation of the model was well received. “The real question is if some kind of fee-free system is something we as a society want to pursue, and if so what form would the system take,” he says of his preferred mandate of the commission which was established to explore the feasibility of free higher education.
FEE-FREE: Students propose funding model Photo: Nokuthula Zwane
The current hearings are the last set of public hearings, focusing solely on the feasibility of fees. They are scheduled to end on the 24th of March but have been constructive so far, according to the commission’s spokesperson, Musa Ndwandwe. “We are happy with the process and we applaud the level of commitment from all stakeholders who have been forthcoming with their information and knowledge,” Ndwandwe says. Thereafter, the commission will have about two months in which to consider the evidence presented.
Barry hopes that some recommendations on fee-free education are made along with a timeline for implementation. The final report from the commission is expected to be presented in June.
Wits Vuvuzela, : Fees Commission wraps up first round in Gauteng. August 14, 2016.
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“I was very angry at the United States”
AL DIA News
Edwin López Moya
Manuel Portillo, the director of community engagement at the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, is a survivor of the brutality that Guatemala suffered in the armed conflict. Today, he is a weaver of life in Philly.
by Edwin Lopez
By Edwin López Moya
The people’s blood has been the ink with which the vast majority of countries on the other side of the border have written the darkest episodes of Latin America’s history, as the intellectual authors of such tragedies have often lived out the rest of their lives without ever spending a single day in jail.
Guatemala has its own chapter of violence. One of its protagonists was former dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, who died last Sunday at the age of 91 without having been held accountable for the crimes against humanity committed by the Guatemalan army during one of the most atrocious periods of the country’s armed conflict.
It was between March of 1982 and August of 1983 when the Central American country suffered the most massacres in 34-year span of its civil war (1962-1996).
According to Guatemala’s Commission for Historical Clarification (CEH, in Spanish) –as cited by El País– nearly 10,000 people were killed (most belonging to the Mayan Ixil indigenous community), 448 villages were destroyed, and the number of refugees skyrocketed to 100,000 people during Ríos Montt’s 17 months in power.
Trailing only Colombia, which has 82,998 registered cases, Guatemala has the second highest number of people who were forcibly “disappeared” of any country in Latin America, if to the 6,159 victims of this crime against humanity are added the 23,671 Guatemalans that were arbitrarily executed or were murdered in extrajudicial killings.
According to the CEH’s report “Guatemala: Memoria del Silencio” (Guatemala’s Memory of the Silence), “by combining data and other studies about the political violence in Guatemala, the CEH considers that the balance of deaths and disappearances reached over 200,000 people” by the end of the conflict.
Today, 22 years after the war ended, the victims have a long list of unanswered questions, and are still seeking justice — a search that continues not just in Guatemala but also here, in Philadelphia.
A social repairer
Manuel Portillo, the director of community engagement at the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, is a survivor of the brutality that Guatemala suffered in the armed conflict, due in large part to the U.S. government’s involvement. Today, he is a weaver of life in Philly.
Manuel came in to the U.S. in the mid-80's displaced by a war that took the lives of several members of his family. “I made the decision to come to the U.S. because I was angry at the United States. I wanted to tell American people what was going on and what happened to us and, generally, give them information about the presence and the impact their country was having,” he said.
In other words, Manuel wanted to point out those responsible for the crimes that tore apart his life and his country. He wanted to tell American society that a good portion of the human rights violations committed in Guatemala were only possible because of U.S. aid to the dictatorship.
The blatant indifference of the vast majority of Americans to the bloodshed in his homeland deeply pained him.
As reported in 1999 by The Washington Post, declassified U.S. intelligence documents showed that “the United States was intimately involved in equipping and training Guatemalan security forces (...) and that the CIA retained close ties to the Guatemalan army in the 1980’s.” The CEH established that 97 percent of the crimes against humanity that occurred during the conflict were committed by Guatemalan security forces.
With time, though, Manuel’s anger morphed into something else. He knew that the only way to cure his wounds consisted in carrying on the legacy of his parents: promoting and defending others’ rights and working together for the common good.
Since then, he has been committed to the empowerment of thousands of immigrants based in Philadelphia, helping them navigate a strange culture and all of the difficulties that come with starting over in a new country so that they can build their lives here.
For his work in the community and his personal journey as a Guatemalan immigrant and an American citizen, Manuel is one of the finalists for AL DÍA and Cabrini University’s I Am An American Immigrant campaign.
What is it like, being an American immigrant?
I can certainly say that I am an American immigrant. That means to me that I feel very American, I admire this country, I love this country, I love this city, I love my neighbors, that makes me an American. Having a piece of paper that says that I am an American is not what makes me feel I am American.
I don’t think that citizenship is the best way to describe who is an American and who is not. I think it has to do with how you assume, defend and promote your rights, but also with how you assume your responsibilities and deliver your civic responsibilities to and with others.
When was the first time you felt like home here in the U.S.?
I felt Philadelphia was my home when people welcomed me in the neighborhoods. I was kinda surprised.
I started working as a community organizer [and] at some point people were very friendly in the neighborhoods that I worked. I still have a heavy accent and in those years I’m sure it was worse. I don’t even know if people were understanding me clearly but somehow they welcomed me and it was the sense of working together with them [that] made me feel at home.
I realized that people didn’t have any hatred because I was an immigrant, people didn’t mind — they actually welcomed me and we worked together and we addressed issues that affected all of us.
What are the contributions that immigrants do for this society?
We offer a lot of leadership to the city. We are also people that don’t fool around, we are here with a purpose. We are hard workers, we focus on our goals, we are family-oriented and having a job and a useful social role is very important for us.
A lot of times, success stories are viewed more in terms of the person who claims -she or he- went up the ladder and became a millionaire. I [define] success in listening to people and understanding that every person has his right to define his or her own success.
So stories abound. For example, a guy from Colombia who came as an engineer and came to Philadelphia not speaking English… in a matter of three months, he took classes and after learning the language very quickly, [he] received training and began to acculturate –meaning learning the culture of the city and the culture of engineering in the city. hen in a matter of few months [he] found a job and became a junior engineer in a company. From there he began to help other people to connect to similar opportunities that he had. And that story repeats over and over.
"Every person has his right to define his or her own success."
To give you another example, in Philadelphia the vast majority of new businesses are being created by immigrants. That’s a fact that not a lot of people know, there have been a couple of studies recently that say that over 80 percent of new businesses in Philadelphia are being opened by immigrants.
Is there any special reason that explains that?
The entrepreneur experience is very strong among immigrant communities and I believe that is primarily the main reason.
Immigrants are entrepreneurs. We don’t say that immigrants are looking for a job; immigrants are looking for opportunity and the opportunity can come in many different ways.
It’s also interesting that people open businesses a lot of times based on their own resources, which also implies that immigrants invest in the city. Sometime it’s family networks that come out with the money to invest in a new business, or some of them are able to get a loan from somewhere.
The second reason I would say that Philadelphia is a city that has been making a lot of progress welcoming immigrants and acknowledging the contributions that [we] make: We have a mayor that is very committed to supporting immigrants. And having a friendly and welcoming environment of course is a major factor in why immigrants are so open to opening up businesses in this city and being successful at it.
Without that support I think we would see a different picture.
If Donald Trump were in front of you, what would you say to him?
I look at him as a human being, I really do. I think he is mistaken. Underneath everything that he says and does is his humanity, and I look at him like that.
I don’t believe in vengeance, I don’t believe in “payback time.” I believe in justice and my only hope is that the young people, the new generation will not [be] hateful in response, but [that] there will be a new generation that will not forget ever all the damage that Mr. Trump is causing them.
Because we [don’t] see damage now, but wait for a few years and you will see the impact that his policies will have on the new generation. It would be devastating.
I just hope that people will not forget that and that they will take action to make sure that that horrible experience – [of] having a national leader who instead of recognizing the contributions, does hate, insult, and mistreat people – will never repeat.
I AM AN AMERICAN IMMIGRANT
The Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians
Manuel Portillo
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'Sanctuary stories' sheds new light on immigrants’ journeys
How PA Localities Help ICE
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What Obama's First 100 Days Show Us
Washington Matters
By Richard Sammon, Senior Associate Editor
With less than a week to go in President Obama's first 100 days, pundits of all shape and bent are readying their report cards on how the new commander in chief is doing. A hundred days is obviously a pretty arbitrary -- and short -- testing period, but it has its uses, not so much in toting up the pluses and minuses, though that can be helpful, but in figuring out what it tells us about what to expect in the months ahead.
Obama's record is clearly mixed. He jumped out of the box facing massive problems but still intent upon pursuing an incredibly ambitious agenda, undoubtedly knowing the best he could do was get a start. His early days were marked by more partisanship, obvious disappointments, and a slow-starting Treasury Department that needed to move with super speed on super-complicated problems. It is taking Obama longer than he wanted to fill key jobs, and he's suffered setbacks, most notably the withdrawals of Cabinet picks Tom Daschle, Judd Gregg and Bill Richardson.
But he succeeded in passing a big stimulus bill in record time -- though not as big as he would have liked and without the Republican votes he wanted. He's also had to scale back his plan for financing health reform and while he's still pushing for a cap-and-trade emission system, immigration reform and a host of other ideas, it's clear these will take longer and he'll be settling for less. On the other hand, he managed to implement some new programs in the first 100 days, such as wider federal stem cell research and an expansion of national service.
Looking ahead, though, Obama has some reasons for optimism. He's changed the face of the presidency at home and abroad, making it clear he aims to effect major change. He's popular at home and abroad, too, even though he has suffered setbacks and has increasingly riled up the conservative right and upset some on the liberal left. He's also shown he will be a president not outwardly worried about changing his position, which he has done on matters related to past interrogation of terrorist suspects. Obama will strike a compromise if necessary, risking a flip-flop label and the ire of supporters.
Stimulus money will be doled out over two years and Obama will take credit for creating and saving jobs. There are already some signs the economy is improving, though not because of the stimulus. How the economy does will ultimately define Obama's presidency.
Combat troops in
Afghanistan could prove more thorny with an extended stay and little help from European nations. Considering the country is largely ungovernable and tribal, the U.S. mission could get bogged down and an exit plan less certain and Obama will suffer for it.
On the financial rescues, it's possible more bailout money won't be needed from Congress. Still, much of it is messy, and there already are reports of alleged fraud and abuse in how bailout money has been used. That will fan public outrage for awhile yet.
A health care bill on his desk later this year? There's a good chance, and Obama could take credit for something that has been bottled up for decades. He'll have the opportunity to show some good faith with Republicans in negotiating the bill, but Democrats will use budget tools to circumvent a Senate filibuster if Republicans stand united in opposition.
Obama scores well on meetings with foreign leaders in Europe, Canada and Latin America in his few trips to date. While there is criticism in some circles for his meeting and smiling photo-ops with foes of the U.S., he has been well received overseas, even eagerly welcomed in foreign capitals, and he has carried and delivered a positive and engaged image and message. His meeting with the G-20, for instance, was successful, even if not entirely productive on policy. He has also raised the profile of nuclear proliferation, an issue largely ignored by the Bush administration except in isolated cases such as Iran and North Korea. Obama and the Russians have agreed to restart talks to reduce their nuclear arsenals and he trying to create a united global front against countries seeking the materials needed for nuclear weapons.
There are potential pitfalls coming up, though. Age-old tensions in the Middle East, for instance, are not cured in a few months. Iran and North Korea won't drop differences with the West anytime soon. Russia will remain skeptical and standoffish about the U.S., despite entreaties by Obama. China will focus on its own economic rise for years yet, not on partnering in difficult international peace initiatives. The big question is what will Obama do if his outreach isn't reciprocated. At what point, does he try something else?
Partisanship will only intensify, despite early efforts by Obama to reach out to the Republican minority, including in some of his Cabinet picks. Look for much more of it as his administration seasons and fights brew over expensive domestic policy initiatives, deficit reduction and maybe a Supreme Court replacement or two.
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A Teacher's Retirement Plan Flunks
This educator should jettison his 403(b) plan.
By Mary Beth Franklin, Senior Editor
Who: Todd Bolsius, 47
Where: Monroe, N.J.
Question: Is it worth saving for retirement in a high-fee plan?
Todd Bolsius is frustrated with the investment choices in his 403(b) plan, a type of retirement-savings plan commonly used by schools, hospitals, charities and other nonprofit organizations.
"All of my money is in an AIG annuity," says Todd, vice-principal of an elementary school in New Jersey. "I recently found out that there are hidden fees in this account on top of the 1.8% I am already paying" for a managed-portfolio option inside the annuity. Those total fees could take an enormous toll on his long-term retirement savings.
Bolsius would rather invest for the long haul in a low-cost mutual fund with a provider such as Vanguard, which manages his Roth IRA. Fees for Vanguard's target-date funds are a mere 0.19%, one-tenth of what he is paying for his annuity.
Minimize costs. Thanks to a generous pension, Todd is in a healthier position than most folks when it comes to preparing for retirement. Dan Keady, director of financial planning for TIAA-CREF, which specializes in investment services for 403(b) plan participants, suggests that Todd stop funding his costly 403(b) plan and shift his contributions to his Roth IRA.
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Individuals with incomes of less than $116,000 and married couples with incomes of less than $169,000 can contribute up to $5,000 to a Roth IRA this year. That's nearly as much as Todd had been contributing annually to his 403(b) plan. Although a Roth IRA offers no upfront tax breaks, all the money withdrawn in retirement will be tax-free. "That will give him tax diversification down the road," says Keady.
Should Todd have any additional money to invest, Keady recommends that he fund a tax-deductible IRA for his wife, Monique, who is a stay-at-home mother of two. That would restore some or all of the tax breaks he would lose by not funding his 403(b) plan and boost their overall savings.
Tighter rules. Todd would also like to transfer his 403(b) balance to a low-cost financial provider outside his plan. Some 403(b) plans allowed this type of escape hatch in the past. But these so-called 90-24 transfers are severely restricted under new IRS rules.
Transfers made after September 24, 2007, are permitted only if the financial institution receiving the funds agrees to share information about plan participants with the employer, such as any requests for loans and hardship withdrawals.
The new rules are causing some record-keeping problems. "It becomes a nightmare to administer individual agreements, and many mutual funds don't want to deal with it," says Scott Dauenhauer, a financial planner with Meridian Wealth Management, in Murrieta, Cal.
Starting next year, 403(b) sponsors will be required to draw up written agreements, including information-sharing provisions, with all approved vendors. Dauenhauer, who specializes in advising schoolteachers, predicts that many 403(b) plans will end up with even fewer investment choices as some mutual funds abandon the retirement-plan market for nonprofits.
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Acura claims MDX is best-selling luxury 3-row ever
Fri, 11 Jul 2014 14:12:00 EST
Business for Acura has been in a weird place, recently, and the company's latest car launches have been especially rocky. For example, the ILX Hybrid was recently discontinued after just two model years with only about 2,660 sold in that time. The company also delayed the launch of its new TLX by a few months until later this summer. However, despite its issues with sedans, the automaker's utility-vehicle business in absolutely booming. In fact, it now claims that the MDX is the best-selling three-row, luxury SUV, ever.
The MDX is already leading its class this year with 30,664 units sold through June 2014, up 68.4 percent compared 2013. Also, in five of the last six months of reported sales, Acura has posted gains. It appears that the company's utility lineup is really pushing it along.
To take the bestseller ever crown, Acura claims that through its three generations, the MDX has sold a cumulative 692,710 units. The premium model has also been at the top of the annual sales rankings for three-row luxury crossovers every year since 2002. The company believes that its nearest competitor is the Lincoln Navigator with an estimated 420,000 lifetime sales, and even arguably more comparable vehicles like the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M-Class only have 350,000 or fewer sales under their belts. Of course, it probably doesn't hurt that the MDX has one of the lower starting prices in its class.
The first-gen MDX was introduced in 2000 and grabbed accolades almost immediately, including the prestigious North American Truck of the Year. Acura added the third-gen model last summer, and we found it to be a good value in our review but not very engaging to drive. Buyers don't appear to care, though, because the MDX is a certified success. Scroll down to read the company's press release about its sales crown.
Acura MDX Cements Position as America's All-Time Best-Selling 3-Row Luxury SUV
TORRANCE, Calif., July 11, 2014 – Record sales in the first six months of 2014 has strengthened the third-generation MDX's position as America's best-selling three-row luxury SUV – not only in 2014, but of all time. Through June, sales of MDX are up 68.4 percent (compared to the same period last year) to 30,664 units, bringing cumulative sales of the MDX over its nearly 15-year history to 692,710 units, making it the most popular three-row luxury SUV of all time*. In fact, the MDX has topped all other three-row luxury SUVs in the annual sales rankings in every year since 2002. Cumulative U.S. sales of MDX are anticipated to surpass 700,000 units before the end of the year.
"Luxury car buyers have spoken, and we really want to thank our Acura customers for making the MDX the clear winner among three-row luxury SUVs," said Mike Accavitti, senior vice president and general manager of Acura Division. "MDX is the clear benchmark in its class, consistently delivering the best combination of features, function and performance that luxury buyers are after."
Acura pioneered the three-row crossover luxury SUV segment when it launched the first-generation MDX in 2000 as a 2001 model, when the MDX captured both the Motor Trend SUV of the Year and North American Truck of the Year titles. For three generations, the U.S. engineering team responsible for MDX has steadily advanced and refined the original concept of the MDX – a three-row, 7-passenger luxury SUV with superior packaging, fuel efficiency, and ride and handling performance.
The third-generation, 2014 Acura MDX, introduced in June 2013, has undergone a complete makeover, starting with the development of an all-new, more rigid and lightweight body and chassis, dropping more than 275 pounds versus the previous model and boasting major gains in body rigidity, aerodynamic efficiency and low running resistance.
A safety leader, the third-generation MDX applies Acura's next-generation ACE™ body structure and the first-ever use of Acura's new hot-stamped steel, one-piece door stiffener ring. As a result of these and other design enhancements, the MDX obtained class-leading EPA fuel-economy ratings of 20/28/23 mpg city/highway/combined while earning both a five-star Overall Vehicle Score from the NHTSA and a TOP SAFETY PICK+ rating from the IIHS, a feat only one other luxury SUV has matched. The MDX also offers greater interior comfort, advanced connectivity via its next-generation AcuraLink™ system, and greatly improved third-row entry and exit via its kid-friendly One-Touch Walk-In feature.
The MDX has been designed, developed and manufactured in North America for three generations. The third-generation MDX is manufactured exclusively at the company's Lincoln, Alabama automobile and engine production facility, using domestic and globally sourced parts.
About Acura
Acura offers a full line of technologically advanced performance-luxury vehicles through a network of 275 U.S. Acura dealers. The Acura lineup features five distinctive models: the RLX luxury flagship sedan, the TLX performance luxury sedan (arriving this summer), the ILX compact luxury sedan, the 5-passenger RDX luxury crossover SUV, and the 7-passenger MDX luxury sport utility vehicle. Acura was recently recognized by Edmunds.com for the third consecutive year as the top luxury brand for retained value, with products that are projected to hold more of their original value after five years of ownership than any other luxury brand.
Consumer information is available at http://www.acura.com/ . To join the Acura community on Facebook, visit www.facebook.com/Acura. Additional media information including detailed pricing features and high-resolution photography of the Acura line can be found at http://www.acuranews.com/
*Sales numbers based on Automotive News Sales Database 1999-2014; manufacturer data for prior to 1994.
By Chris Bruce
See also: Acura recalls 2013-2014 ILX, ILX Hybrid over fire-prone headlamps, 2015 Acura TLX priced from $30,995*, Airbag recall widens to include BMW, Chrysler, Ford and Toyota.
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Born to an artistic family in Los Angeles on January 30th, 1957, Gregg Alf is widely regarded as one of today’s leading violin makers. Musically inclined, he studied the violin as a child and made his first violin in 1975.
At age 19, he moved to Cremona, Italy where over eight years he graduated from the International Violinmaking School in Cremona and earned a growing reputation for his work. He returned to the USA in 1984 and with his friend, Joseph Curtin, founded the violinmaking studios of Curtin & Alf. From that collaboration grew ALF STUDIOS which continues to this day in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Gregg’s work has won highest honors in international competitions and exhibitions including a full range of awards and Gold Medals and, in 1982, the Violin Society of America’s top honorary designation ‘Hors Concours.’ His unique style has evolved through an in depth study of the rare instruments that pass through his shop combined with a careful and ongoing dialog with the concert artists that own them. While honoring the Italian traditions represented in his replicas, Gregg also looks to science and innovation to better understand the acoustical foundations of his craft and to help him make even better instruments the future. His advocacy of new instruments has helped draw a new generation of string players to the viability of modern instruments in meeting their concert needs.
Alf violins appear regularly on-stage with many of today’s leading symphony orchestras, in new recordings such as Ricci’s November 2001 release “The Legacy of Cremona,”and in concert with some of the most respected performers of our time. Gregg’s list of clients has included Ruggiero Ricci, Elmar Oliveira and members of the Berlin, London, Los Angeles and Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestras, the Symphony Orchestras of Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, Phoenix, Puerto Rico, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, Spokane, Toledo, and Toronto, as well as the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, the Berlin Staatskapelle, the Camerata Musica, the Deutsch-Kammer-Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Met.
As a violin maker, Gregg is exceptionally open about sharing his craft. In years past he has been presented as guest lecturer by educational institutions across the United States from the Juilliard School to USC, and worldwide in summer workshops presented by the American String Teachers Association. He has served on the Oberlin College summer violin making workshop faculty since 1996 and was violin making editor for the Journal of the Catgut Acoustical Society. He contributes regularly to the professional organizations of his trade and holds membership in the Violin Society of America, the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers, and the Entente Internationale des Luthiers et Archetiers d’Art.
Gregg is also respected as a teacher of violin making and many of his students have gone on to distinguished careers of their own. Gregg has served as a workmanship judge at the VSA’s Violin Making Competition in 2002 and 2006 and appears regularly in diverse venues, from the classrooms of many of today’s violin making schools to Cunard’s luxury-liner, the “Q.E.II”.
Founder and Artistic Director of the Amiata Summit, Gregg believes that promoting a new climate of openness between his violin making colleagues and encouraging original new models that look to the future while honoring the past are keys to real progress in the art of violin making. Gregg hosted the 2004 Amiata Summit in Tuscany, Italy where a group of leading violin makers and string players met to discuss innovation and evolution in the future of violin making.
When away from his bench, Gregg may be found scuba diving, cooking Italian food, practicing meditation and yoga, or just enjoying life with his wife, Anna, their two young children, Leo and Amiata, and an adored circle of friends.
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All law - Abogados · Solicitors · Rechtsanwälte
Santiago Lleó
César Ayala
Commercial and Backrupcy Law
Tax Law and Accounting
Lanzarote office
Elimination of Inheritance tax and donation tax reliefs and allowances to British owners in Spain, after Brexit. The upcomming problem and posible solutions
From 1 January 2015, new inheritance tax laws took effect in Spain, streamlining inheritance and gift tax liabilities for EU and EEA nationals who are non-residents of Spain, bringing them into line with a recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling.
On 3 September 2014, the ECJ held that Spain was not acting in the spirit of the European Union by charging different rates of inheritance tax for residents and non-residents.
At the moment, there are 20 sets of rules in Spain in relation with inheritance tax and donation tax, each one stablishing its own tax rates, allowances and releifs: Each one of the 19 regions of Spain has its own set of rules, and then, there is a general set of rules, which only applies to non residents in Spain which are neither citizens of one of the members estates of the EU or the EEA (European Economic Area).
The tax rates and the releifs aproved by the different regions of Spain are in all cases much more favourable than those stablished in the general sets of rules.
In this article, we study the following questions:
1.- Will British homeowners in Spain continue to benefit from the more favourable tax rates and releifs in relation to inheritance tax after the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union?
2.- Would it be possible or desirable for British property owners in Spain to take any action before the departure of the UK from the EU in order to reduce or minimize the negative impact that such an exit may have on their future inheritance tax?
FIRST: Will British homeowners in Spain continue to benefit from the more favourable tax rates and releifs in relation to inheritance tax after the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union?
The question can have a big economic transcendence since there are hundreds of thousands of British who own property in Spain, and in most Spanish Regions the deductions applicable in inheritance and gift taxes are very important.
If we look at the Spanish regions where there is a greater presence of non-resident British owners, we can check the following:
In the Canaries and Madrid there is a tax releif of 99.9% in both taxes for mortis causa transmissions and for donations between spouses and between ancestors and descendants.
In Catalonia there is a 99% releif between spouses on inheritance tax. For ancestors and descendants, the releif is 99% for inheritances of less than 100,000 € and 84,5% for inheritances up to 1,000,000 euros.
In the Region of Valencia, no inheritance tax or donation tax is payable between spouses; Between parents and children there is no tax to be paid for inheritance or donations of less than 100,000 € and there is a 75% bonus for inheritance or donations from that amount onwards.
In Andalucia, there is a tax-free inheritance tax allowance of 250,000 € for direct family members.
On the other side, for non residents who are neither residents of a EU or a EEA member estate, the ISD (Impuesto sobre Sucesiones y Donaciones) on an inheritance could amount, in some cases, to up to 34% of the inheritance, and the tax free inheritance allowance is of only 40.140 € for spouses and for children under 21, and of 23.215 € for older children and for parents.
We next analyze whether the British homeowners in Spain will continue to benefit from the lower tax rates and the reliefs that have been approved by the different Spanish regions, after the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
The better tax conditions currently applicable to residents of EU and EEA Member States will automatically cease to apply to citizens residing in the United Kingdom whenever the exit of Britain of the EU takes effect.
1.- Firstly, if the UK, when leaving the European Union, automatically enters the European Economic Area, British citizens will be able to continue to benefit from tax deductions as before.
The European Economic Area now comprises only three countries: Norway, Iceland and Lichstenstein. If the United Kingdom were to join the EEA, it would ensure that it would continued to enjoy all the benefits of the Internal Market, as well as not having to participate in the Common Agriculture and Fisheries Policy, the Regional Policy and other policies (taxation, etc.) with whom Britain has never feel comfortable.
However, the members of the EEA must assume and abide by all internal market rules adopted by the European Union (the Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament and even the Court of Justice of Luxembourg), without being able to participate in the decision making or to vote.
If the United Kingdom is so sensitive to the EU’s democratic deficit, how is it going to find itself comfortable in a system, such as that envisaged in the EEA, where it will have no choice but to accept rules that it does not vote for?
There are two other reasons that will make it difficult for the UK to enter the EEA. First, the members of the EEA are obliged to accept the free movement of persons without restrictions; and must also contribute financially to an EEA cohesion fund.
In particular, EEA members accept 75% of Community legislation, including the free movement of persons, but without being able to participate or influence on its aproval and development, and would still be obliged to contribute to the EU budget. For the UK, the remedy to enter the EEA would be worse than remaining an EU Member State
2.- Second, it is possible that in the negotiation of the departure of the United Kingdom of the European Union, a specific regime for the British is agreed that maintains the freedom of movement of capital and that prohibits the discrimination by reason of residence between the Citizens of the European Union and citizens of the UK. The judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 3 September 2012, which obliges Spain to apply tax deductions to citizens residing in EU and EEA member states, is based on non-compliance with articles 63 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU and Article 40 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area.
Article 63 TFEU provides:
“1. Within the framework of the provisions set out in this Chapter, all restrictions on the movement of capital between Member States and between Member States and third countries shall be prohibited.
Within the framework of the provisions set out in this Chapter, all restrictions on payments between Member States and between Member States and third countries shall be prohibited”.
The European Court of Justice has ruled in repeated judgments (see, to that effect, Mattner, EU: C: 2010, paragraph 20, and the case-law cited) that the tax on inheritances, as well as the tax treatment of donations, whether they are the object of amounts of money, real estate or movable property, fall within the scope of the provisions of the Treaty relating to free movement of capital.
Consequently, if the EU and the UK would reach an agreement under which the EU provisions on the free movement of capital would continue to be in force for the United Kingdom aswell as the prohibition of all restrictions on movements of Capitals and payments between Member States and the United Kingdom, we understand that the lower tax rates, allowances and releifs that the different Spanish Regions establish in inheritance and gift taxes would continue to be applicable to residents in the UK.
Finally, even if the agreement between the European Union and the United Kingdom mentioned in the previous paragraph were not reached, the Spanish State could legislate in the sense of making the tax deductions enjoyed by residents in member states of the EU also applicable to residents of the United Kingdom. It seems unlikely that Spain will voluntarily agree to apply such exemptions to residents in the United Kingdom; Spain had to be bound by a judgment of the Court of Justice of Luxembourg not to discriminate against residents of the European Union, after being requested by The European Commission, request that the Spanish Government opposed.
In the most likely event that none of the three cases referred to above will be given, the better tax conditions currently applicable to residents of EU and EEA Member States will automatically cease to apply to citizens residing in the United Kingdom whenever the exit of Britain of the EU takes effect.
In many cases it could be very interesting before the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union that residents in that country donate their real estate in Spain to their direct descendants. This could be done while retaining the right of rent and use of the property.
Considering the value of the heritage, the Spanish Region where the property is located and the increase of value that the patrimony in Spain could had experienced since its acquisition, this measure can bring a very important saving in taxes. It has to be considered that donations are subject to capital gains tax. Therefore, each case should be studied individually by an expert in tax law, to analyze the best solution for each person.
Santiago has been advising both international and national companies and particulars for more tan 20 years in the areas of convayencing, Planning Law and Corporate Law in the Canary Island and in Madrid. After having worked in the Commission of the European Union in Brussels, he has developed his practice in GD Silver & Co, in London, in Acedo – Rico y Losada, in Madrid and in Izquierdo, de la Cueva y Lleó, in Canary Islands. He has within his companies mantenance entities of important touristic areas in the canary Islands, hotel consortiums and real estate promotion and constructions groups. He has also assist international corporations in the process of incorporation their companies, subsidiaries and branches in Spain, in their regular businness, and in the responsabilities and functions of the secretary of the board of directors. Finally, Santiago has a broad experience in philantropic prívate equity. President and founder of the NGO Fundación Xaley, presently he works as a full time lawyer while advising a good number of development NGOs.
All Law is a multidisciplinary international Law Office, with a wide experience in Corporate Law, Real Estate, and Tax.
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476th Virtual Fighter Group
476th vFG > Home > About the 476th vFG
About the 476th vFG
About the 476th virtual Fighter Group
The 476th virtual Fighter Group is a flight simulation game multiplayer organisation who play the DCS World series of simulations by Eagle Dynamics.
We endeavour to employ real world tactics, techniques, and procedures wherever practical while also encouraging a sense of camaraderie and friendship amongst our members. We take our virtual flying seriously, but not ourselves.
We aim to provide an extremely high standard of training to both new members and our existing members in order to ensure that we continuously develop our skills and can continue to enjoy the challenge and experience of learning a realistic flight simulation in a multiplayer environment.
The 476th currently fly DCS: A-10C Warthog and DCS: F/A-18C Hornet both by Eagle Dynamics, and F-5E-3 Tiger II by Belsimtek. We intend to adopt other DCS airframes as and when they are released, providing they will meet the standard of fidelity we require and fit in with the other types we operate. In order for an aircraft to be adopted it must also provide a practical capability to the group and we must be able to produce training material to the standard our members and the community have come to expect.
If you’d like to read about how you can become a member of the 476th vFG click the Recruitment link to the left.
Thank you for taking the time to visit our piece of the virtual world, we look forward to seeing you in the virtual sky!
History of the 476th
The 476th virtual Fighter Group was founded on 23rd March 2012 by a group of friends flying DCS A-10C who had a desire to create an international group where realistic flying and the use of real world tactics, techniques, and procedures was the order of the day while also maintaining the friendships and camaraderie that fosters a great atmosphere and enjoyable flight simulation multiplayer experience.
The initial structure of the 476th vFG was based on the US Air Force’s 476th fighter Group based at Moody AFB in Georgia, USA. You can read more about the 476th FG below.
Our founders (Eddie, Gopher, Joyride, Rat, Snoopy, Stuka, and Wolfman) amassed over 5000 multiplayer flight hours in the 476th and hailed from across the world. Our goal from the outset has always been to have a Virtual Fighter Group that, to the best of our ability and within the limitations of Eagle Dynamics’ products, conduct realistic missions using realistic tactics and procedures.
The 65th vAGRS “Aggressors”
The 65th vAggressor Squadron was activated on the 30th of November 2014 to provide a credible air threat in support of training within the 476th vFG. The 65th v AGRS initially operated the MiG-21Bis “FISHBED” by Magnitude 3 LLC. Following its release, the 65th adopted the F-5E-3 Tiger II by Belsimtek as its main airframe, but continues to operate the MiG-21Bis “FISHBED” as a secondary platform in support of training activates where required. The 65th vAGRS is manned by several of the more experienced pilots of the 476th, both as a primary and secondary unit, it does not fulfil a combat role, and members of this squadron also fly at least one of the groups operational aircraft.
The 74th vTS "Flying Tigers"
The 74th was activated the 15th of August 2013 as the 74th vTraining Squadron to act as the initial home to our new members and provide the training required to fulfil a role within the operational squadrons of the 476th. Currently delivering training for the A-10C and F/A-18C, the 74th will also provide training for pilots joining to fly other airframes in the future.
The 75th vAR "Tiger Sharks"
The 75th was activated as the 75th vAviation Regiment on the 22nd of June 2012 as the first Rotary Wing Squadron within the 476th, operating the Ka-50 “HOKUM” in the Air Interdiction and Close Air Support roles. The Squadron was deactivated on the 11th of August 2012 following the retirement of the Ka-50 from the 476th.
The 76th vFS "Vanguards"
The 76th fighter Squadron was the first operational squadron within the 476th vFG and was activated the 23rd of March 2012 alongside the formation of the group. Since its formation the 76th vFS has operated the A-10C in the Air Interdiction, Close Air Support, and Forward Air Controller (Airborne) roles.
The 510th vFS "Buzzards"
The 510th Fighter Squadron was the third operational squadron within the 476th vFG and was activated the 25th of July 2018 with the adoption of the F/A-18C. With the formation of the 510th vFS operation of the F/A-18C in the multiple roles, all being fleshed out over the coming months as Eagle Dynamics introduces more functions to the Hornet.
The 422d vTES "Green Bats"
The 422d Test and Evaluation Squadron was activated the 21st of January 2016. The purpose of the 422d within the group is to allow full members to be active on the NTTR DS with certain aircraft as well as be used to test new "DCS" level (aka on par with the A-10C for system and flight model modeling) aircraft to see if they meet our standards and possibly included as officially supported modules.
The 81st vFS "Panthers"
The 81st fighter Squadron was the second operational squadron to be activated in the 476th vFG. It was formed the 15th of August 2013 and operated the A-10C in the Air Interdiction, Close Air Support, and Forward Air Controller (Airborne) roles for pilots flying in European time zone evenings. The 81st vFS was deactivated the 5th of November 2017.
The 476th vTS “Kittens”
The 476th “Kittens” was activated on the 23rd of March 2012 as the 476th vTraining Squadron, and provided a home to new members of the 476th vFG and delivered the training required to fulfill a role within the operational squadrons of the 476th. The 476th vTS was deactivated on the 15th of August 2013 and replaced by the 74th vTS.
The Real 476th Fighter Group
The 476th Fighter Group, 23rd Fighter Group
Located at Moody AFB, Georgia the 476th Fighter Group** is a Total Force Integration (TFI) USAF Reserve unit geographically separated from but assigned to the 442nd Fighter Wing**.
While Working hand in hand with Air Combat Command’s, the 23rd Fighter Group** 'Flying Tigers,' specifically the 74th and 75th Aircraft Maintenance Units and 76th Fighter Squadron.
The purpose of Total Force Integration (TFI) units are to generate efficiency and cost savings by sharing resources, reducing duplication of efforts and, in some cases, reducing the number of people needed to accomplish a task. TFI provides contingency surge capability. They work with, train with, deploy with, and use the same equipment as the host unit.
IQT
Lead Pilot
FAC(A)
Aircraft Nose Art
DCS World Objects
Snoopy 1 Hour Ago
Welcome, Brian!
Good luck with your AAR practice, and glad you're participating in our forum and Discord channel. Be sure to submit your
Hiccup 2 Hours Ago
Devil 2 Hours Ago
Hello there everyone, I have been flying DCS for about 3 years now 2 of which primarily in the A-10C. Sadly I never had the time to fly more than a handful
Brian 2 Hours Ago
Southpaw 5 Hours Ago
Welcome, Vibe!
A little added info, my first flight sim was Jane's ATF. Spent many many hours with it. I have tried some other flight sims since then, but nothing has
Otter 7 Hours Ago
Howdy! Welcome!
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Natasha Owens: The Cure
Natasha Owens’ latest single: “The Cure” has been circulating radio stations and online music magazines for months, gaining momentum for the young artist’s elegant vocal performance and on its way to becoming a break out hit of the year. The track features a most impressive, flawless lead vocal with soulful lyrics that get deeper with every listen. Her backing band is slick to perfection as well, particularly the rhythm section laying down some interesting grooves that would impress the best of the best Berklee College musicians.
Natasha Owens is from Dallas, Texas. A singer/songwriter who’s quickly making a name for herself in the Christian, Country and Pop world, Owens has something more unique about her music, that being her passion. The song itself, is catchy and lyrically moving, while her words are bluntly honest and emotional. The song is about her relationship with a higher power, the kind of spirituality you only hear in a song from a true-to-heart songstress. She clearly has a distinctive artistic vision, the kind of sincerity you don’t hear often in music these days. The modern world of pop rock tends to be coated in high fructose content, where the producer paints around the core of the song for commercial reasons, but Owens’ music is pure and devoid of any top 40 cliches. “The Cure” is a well crafted single that hits the listener with a profound message of hope, restoration and desire. She has a calling, something more than just a singer or guitar player. Natasha Owens shines in the echelon of heroic performers like Audrey Assad, Lindsay McCall or Heather Williams, performers that give you more than just the music, but a message. I see nothing standing in the way of her success, and would highly recommend listening to her full length album (I Made It Through) for the complete musical journey she was born to deliver.
Labels: 2014, country, I made it through, music, Natasha Owens, Pop, radio, review, rock, single, texas, The Cure
this is a lovely song
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Doing Whatever We Can To Serve Our Community
Additional Service Initiatives
Led by the Arnold & Itkin Foundation
The Arnold & Itkin Foundation’s efforts are far-reaching. From supply drives to monetary donations, the Foundation is committed to helping those in need both in the local community and across the country.
2018 Holiday Toy Drive | December 2018
Arnold & Itkin employees generously gathered toys this holiday season to be donated to BEAR (Be A Resource for CPS Kids) and their “BEARing Gifts” program! This annual program provides holiday wishes to children under the care of CPS. Arnold & Itkin is proud to support BEAR, and we are thrilled that our donations will help bring some holiday cheer to many children under the care of CPS in our Houston community!
2018 Fall Clothing & Diaper Drive | October 2018
Arnold & Itkin LLP was proud to support the Houston Bar Association (HBA) and the HBA Campaign for Homeless Committee by getting involved in their annual Clothing & Diaper Drive. Our team of employees worked to gather diaper donations of all sizes, as well as warm clothing options, and professional attire. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to give back and help keep our neighbors warm during the winter months!
School Supply Drive | August 2018
The Arnold & Itkin team generously collected hundreds of school supplies to donate to the Houston Children’s Charity for their Back2School program. These children in need were able to receive fun school supplies to get them excited about going back to school. The Back2School program has been assisting under-served children in Houston since 2005 and have helped more than 20,000 students prepare for a successful school year. Our team is proud to support children’s education in the Houston community!
Holiday Toy Drive | December 2017
To spread holiday cheer, the Arnold & Itkin team generously gathered hundreds of toys for the Houston Children’s Charity as they partnered up with Toys for Tots. Houston families in need were able to pick out toys for their children to enjoy this Christmas. Our firm was honored to help these families experience joy this holiday season!
Alvin Community College Dolphin Athletics | November 4, 2017
We supported the Alvin Community College Dolphin Athletics at their 12th Annual Dinner and Auction. The event is sponsored by the ACC Foundation and proceeds from the event support scholarships, facility improvements, and equipment upgrades for the baseball and softball teams. We are proud to support this team and excited to see all that these athletes will achieve!
Bike Around the Bay | October 21-22, 2017
The Arnold & Itkin Foundation sponsored the biking team, The Southside Sisters, as they participated in the 2017 “Bike Around the Bay” ride, which benefits the Galveston Bay Foundation. The proceeds from this 2-day, 170-mile ride directly funds the Foundation’s mission to preserve and protect Galveston Bay.
Pasadena Special Olympics | September 30, 2017
More than half of the participants on the Pasadena Special Olympics team lost their homes during Hurricane Harvey, and many believed they would not be able to participate in the Fall Classic State Tournament. A $5,000 donation from the Arnold & Itkin Foundation ensured that every teammate affected by the storm had a room to stay in, food to eat, and new equipment to use at the competition.
2nd Annual Clothing and Food Drive | June 2017
We are committed to supporting our local Houston community. We hosted a Clothing & Food Drive benefitting Target Hunger and Houston Children’s Charity. Thanks to many generous donation, we were able to contribute several hundred articles of clothing, as well as food and household products to help those in need.
RESPECT Contest 2017 | April 27, 2017
We hosted the 2nd Annual RESPECT Contest awards ceremony at the Harris County Civil Courthouse. We invited 5th grade students to tell us what respect means to them along with an illustration to complement their explanation. The winning students were awarded a cash prize, as well as having a donation made on their behalf to their school and a charity of their choice. The chosen charities were St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Ima’s Home for Children, Elephants for Africa, and The Houston Zoo. Matching donations were also made to Keller Middle School, Melillo Middle School, Carpenter Elementary, and Deer Park Elementary. We were honored to meet these incredible students and assist in supporting their schools and local charities. Congratulations to all the winners! We can’t wait to see next year’s submissions.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo | 2015, 2016, 2017
The Arnold & Itkin Foundation is an annual donor to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, contributing over $30K since 2015 which helps support a scholarship program consisting of more than 750 scholarships totalling nearly $13 million annually. Currently, more than 2,200 students are attending 80 different Texas colleges and universities thanks to the scholarship program which has presented more than 16,000 scholarships since 1957.
Holiday Toy Drive 2016 | December 12, 2016
To share our holiday spirit, our team generously gathered hundreds of toys to donate to BEAR...Be A Resource for CPS kids. BEAR is a non-profit organization that offers assistance to abused and neglected children in our community. Many of these children may not know the excitement and joy that comes with the holiday season if it weren’t for the donations received by this fantastic organization.
Donations for the Beacon | December 2016
Some Arnold & Itkin Foundation team members dedicated some of their time on the weekends volunteering for The Beacon. This non-profit organization provides clothing, meals, job opportunities, and a health clinic for those in need. They also donated dozens of supplies to further support the cause.
Kingwood 5K | October 22, 2016
The Arnold & Itkin Foundation sponsored and volunteered at the Kingwood 5k and 1 mile kid run in support of Young Life Houston Northeast in Kingwood, a local non-profit organization devoted to introducing adolescents to Christ and helping them grow their faith.
Pasadena Special Olympics | October 14 and 15, 2016
The Arnold & Itkin Foundation is proud to support the Pasadena Special Olympics, providing equipment and uniforms to benefit the athletes. The Special Olympics provides opportunities for adults and children with special needs to participate in sports.
Neighborhood Longhorns | August 30, 2016
Former University of Texas football player Vince Young joined the Arnold & Itkin Foundation for an event benefiting the Neighborhood Longhorns, an organization dedicated to assisting economically disadvantaged students succeed academically.
BEAR Toy Drive | December 15, 2015
The Arnold & Itkin Foundation gathered hundreds of toys to donate to BEAR -- Be A Resource for CPS kids. BEAR is a non-profit organization offering assistance to abused and neglected children in our community. Many of these children may not know the excitement and joy that comes with the holiday season if it weren’t for the donations received by this fantastic organization.
Humble Girls Softball League | October 17, 2015
We are proud to sponsor the Lady Hawks of the Humble Girls Softball League in support of our local community and our wonderful paralegal Celeste Garza, who coaches the team. #softball
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | October 11, 2015
The Arnold & Itkin Foundation donated $75,000 to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) which strives not only to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgeskin’s disease, and myeloma, but also to to improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Our donation was part of nearly $50 million that LLS invested in 2016, including $1.2 million in co-pay financial assistance to Houston area patients to ensure everyone has access to the care they need. We are proud to be a part of this volunteer-led, staff-driven organization.
Houston Children’s Charities Back-to-School | August 17, 2015
We sponsored the Houston Children’s Charities Back-To-School program, collecting hundreds of school supplies to donate to underprivileged children. We also presented HCC with a substantial donation to help support its various programs, and our volunteers distributed backpacks full of supplies to families.
First Annual RESPECT Contest | April 23, 2015
For our first Annual RESPECT contest, we invited 5th grade students in Pasadena ISD to tell us what respect means to them, why it’s important, and to accompany their description with a drawing.
The winning students were awarded a cash prize and a donation made on their behalf to a charity of their choice. The chosen charites were Scholarship America Dream Award, St. Jude's Childrens' Research Hospital, Pleasant Hills Childrens' Home, and El Cordero De Dios Templo Cristiano.
Matching donations were made to the students' school to help fund a new Outdoor Learning Center. We were very excited and honored to meet these incredible students and support their school and local charities.
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The shining green tsavorite is a young gemstone with a very long geological history. Its home is the East-African bushland along the border between Kenya and Tanzania. The few mines lie in a uniquely beautiful landscape of arid grassland with bare, dry hills. It's dangerous country, the habitat of snakes, and now and then a lion patrols, on the lookout for prey. There, near the world-famous Tsavo National Park, that history began.
In 1967 a British geologist by the name of Campbell R. Bridges was looking for gemstones in the mountains in the north-east of Tanzania. Suddenly he came across some strange, potato-like nodules of rock. It was like a fairy-tale: inside these strange objects he found some beautiful green grains and crystal fragments.
A gemmological examination revealed that what he had discovered was green grossularite, a mineral belonging to the colourful gemstone group of the garnets, and one which had only been found on rare occasions until then. It was of an extraordinarily beautiful colour and good transparency. The find made the specialists sit up and take notice; Tiffany & Co. in New York also soon showed an interest in the newly discovered green jewel. However, in spite of all efforts, it was not, at the time, possible to export the stones from Tanzania. But Campbell Bridges was not one to give up easily. As a geologist, he knew that earth strata bearing gemstones were not necessarily limited to one particular area, indeed that they could extend over much greater areas - and in his opinion the stratum he had found was just such a one. For the rock belt in which most of East Africa's gemstone mines lie is very ancient. It began to form many millions of years ago, while the continents were still very much on the move. At that time, the area concerned had actually been under the sea. The sedimental deposits between the continents were greatly compressed and folded as a result of the movement of the massifs. Through tremendous pressure and at high temperatures, the rocks which had been present originally were transformed. New, exciting, beautiful gemstones came into being - among them the tsavorite. Having said that, the tremendous forces of Nature damaged most of the crystals so badly at the time of their formation that today it is usually only grains or fragments which are found.
Campbell B. Bridges persevered. His surmise that the seam bearing the gemstones might possibly continue into Kenya finally put him on the right track. In 1971, he discovered the brilliant green gemstone for the second time, in Kenya. There, he was able to have the find registered officially and begin with the exploitation of the deposit. It was an adventurous business. To protect himself from wild animals, Bridges began by living in a tree-house. In order not to have any of the gemstones stolen, he set a python to watch over them, making use of the fact that his workers were afraid of snakes. It was a wonderful find. Unfortunately, the gemstone had been known only to specialists up to that point in time, but that changed quickly in 1974, when the Tiffany company began a broad promotion campaign which soon made the tsavorite well known in the USA. Further promotion campaigns followed in other countries, and soon the tsavorite was also known at international level.
Green like a garnet ...
So why is the stone called a tsavorite or tsavolite when it is actually a green grossularite and comes from the colourful gemstone family of the Garnet? The nomenclature of gemstones follows certain rules. According to modern mineralogical methods, gemstones are given a name which ends in 'ite'. In honour of the Tsavo National Park, with its abundance of game, and the Tsavo River which flows through it, the former president of Tiffany & Co. Henry Platt, who had followed the developments of the gemstone from the very beginning, proposed the name 'tsavorite'. Sometimes the term 'tsavolite' is used. However, both names denote the same stone, the latter version simply having the Greek suffix '-lite' (stone).
What is it that makes the tsavorite so desirable? Well, for one thing there is its vivid, radiant green. The colour range of the tsavorite includes a springlike light green, an intense blue-green and a deep forest green - colours which have a refreshing and invigorating effect on the senses. However, this gemstone is also valuable on account of its great brilliance. It has, like all the other garnets, a particularly high refractive index (1.734/44). Not without reason did they use to say in the old legends that a garnet was a difficult thing to hide. Its sparkling light was said to remain visible even through clothing.
Unlike many other gemstones, the tsavorite is neither burnt nor oiled. This gemstone is not in need of any such treatment. Like all the other garnets it is simply a piece of pure, unadulterated Nature. Another positive characteristic is its robustness. It has almost the same hardness as the (considerably more expensive) emerald, - approximately 7.5 on the Mohs scale - but it is markedly less sensitive. That is an important feature not only when it comes to the stone's being set but also in its being worn. A tsavorite is not so likely to crack or splinter as a result of an incautious movement. It is well suited to the popular 'invisible setting', in which the stones are set close by one another, a technique which ought not to be used with the more sensitive emerald. Thanks to its great brilliance, the tsavorite is, in this respect, a partner to match the classics: diamond, ruby and sapphire.
Only in rare individual cases is a raw crystal of over 5 carats found, so a cut tsavorite of more than two carats is a rare and precious thing. But then that is one of the special features of this gemstone: that it can display its great luminosity even in small sizes.
There's something very special about this young gemstone with the very long history. With its fresh, vivid green, its good wearing qualities, great brilliance and relatively reasonable prices, it is surely one of the most convincing and honest gemstones that exist.
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Home Local Honors for WWII-Korea vet at Coffee4Veterans
Honors for WWII-Korea vet at Coffee4Veterans
Photograph by Dennis Anderson
From left: Rep. Steve Knight, Crazy Otto’s owner Jin Hur and Knight aide Christine Ward present Korean government honors to World War II-Korean veteran Woodrow “Pete” Randooph as Assemblyman Tom Lackey joins in the recognition.
LANCASTER, Calif.–A weekly gathering of veterans at a much-loved local diner, with the improbable name Crazy Otto’s, functions as a kind of living history tableau.
Several times a year, the congressman who represents most of the Antelope Valley, Rep. Steve Knight, also a member of the House Armed Services Committee, turns up to preside at awards of overdue medals and decorations. A recent honoree is local veteran Woodrow “Pete” Randooph.
At 90, Randooph is one of the youngest of the surviving “Greatest Generation” veterans of World War II. Randooph is even more of a rarity these days. If you were 17 at the end of history’s greatest conflict, you are on top of 90 years, right about … now.
Knight; his veterans aide, Christine Ward, and Crazy Otto’s proprieter Jin Hur invited Randooph in to be honored with a medal from the government of South Korea.
They were joined at the event by Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, a career first-responder.
Randooph served during World War II and also during the Korean War.
“I was 16 years old when I went to sea,” Randooph said. “They would not take me for the Army,” he said, citing a hearing defect. “I went into the Merchant Marine because they would take me.”
The Merchant Marine was militarized during the war, and early in America’s part of the war, just after Pearl Harbor, it was Merchant Marine mariners who suffered higher casualties than air crew and infantry. Ships were sunk by submarines, by mines and by aerial attack.
“I was in the Atlantic and the Pacific, and when the war ended, I was still very young,” Randooph said.
He did whatever he could to get into the service, because he had a brother who was in the Army and stationed on Oahu when the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor happened.
As a still-young man when the Korean War broke out, Randooph volunteered to enlist in the Air Force. Eventually, he was honorably discharged because he was already a father of two children. Randooph got his first name, Woodrow, because his World War I veteran father named him after President Woodrow Wilson, commander-in-chief during the Great War, also known erroneously as the “War to End All Wars.”
“I had a great-uncle who was first sergeant with Teddy Roosevelt at San Juan Hill,” Randooph said.
As it goes with many in the military community, there are inter-generational families in service. Randooph’s, brother, father and great uncle modeled that tradition.
That is also the tradition in the Knight family. Rep. Steve Knight, R-Antelope Valley, served in the Army with an armored unit during the Cold War in Germany.
Knight’s father, the late state Sen. William J. “Pete” Knight, graduated the military academy and entered service during the Korean War. He became one of the generation of “Right Stuff” test pilots for the Air Force, along with Chuck Yeager and Buzz Aldrin. On completion of his world-record setting speed in the X-15 rocket plane (a record that stands today), Major Knight volunteered for immediate assignment during the Vietnam War and flew 256 combat missions.
Performing the ceremony to award overdue medals and decorations is an honor, Congressman Knight said.
At the recent breakfast, in addition to a congressional recognition for the 90-year old Randooph, Knight awarded service and overseas medals to Kenneth Felton, an outreach worker with Mental Health America’s Military Resource Center, which combats veteran homelessness. Also recognized was John T. Smith, a veteran of both Air Force and Navy service.
“This is one of the things we love to do most,” Congressman Knight said as he pinned the medals carefully on the lapels of each of the veterans. “There are some things about the job that are a real benefit, and for us, nothing makes us happier than recognizing the service of our veterans.”
Assisting Knight with the recognition was Ward, who works at the congressman’s Palmdale field office.
“I just want to urge all veterans, that if you have problems with the VA, if you need your records updated, or if you just need help with something, please get in touch with us,” Knight said.
The Coffee4Veterans gathering happens on Tuesday mornings at 7 a.m., and usually runs until 9 a.m. at the Crazy Otto’s diner and restaurant on Avenue I in Lancaster. The gathering is informal, with no rules except to be polite to speakers and guests, many of whom make appearances with information that can be helpful to veterans.
“What we want is a place where veterans can just be together, socialize and share their stories,” said Juan Blanco, an Army veteran of the Cold War who served as a paratrooper in Europe. “We also want to be able to put out information that is helpful for our veterans and their families.”
Veterans of periods of service and wars ranging from World War II to the current post-9/11 conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan frequent the gathering, which usually takes place in a packed house in the back section of the restaurant.
Restaurauteur Jin Hur has been a frequent booster and supporter of veterans causes. He attributes this to the role that Americans played in defending his native South Korea during the Korean War, 1950-53.
“My family enjoys its freedoms because of what America did in defending South Korea,” Hur said.
Hur’s son, Richard, served with the 3rd Bn., 5th Marine Regiment in Afghanistan, and another son recently became a Sacramento police officer, so the family has a history of service.
For veterans who have a busy Tuesday schedule, there is a Veterans Coffee hosted by the Antelope Valley Veterans Community Action Coalition. It is hosted by Vietnam Veteran and Coalition President Dean Brown at Birdie’s Restaurant on 10th Street West, Wednesday mornings at 8 a.m. The breakfast is also visited by veterans service representatives and elected officials.
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Desert Lightning News – Davis Monthan
Home Air Force AF honors Maj. Ian Holt, Capt. Abby Hall as athletes of year
AF honors Maj. Ian Holt, Capt. Abby Hall as athletes of year
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — Maj. Ian Holt and Capt. Abby Hall were recently named 2017 Air Force Athletes of the Year.
Holt, combat operations division space control branch chief for the 614th Air Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, is a cyclist and past member of the World Class Athlete Program.
“As an Airman, it has been difficult to juggle a career with increasing rank and responsibility, family and inevitable aging,” said Holt, who began cycling competitively at the U.S. Air Force Academy and who was also honored as the Air Force Male Athlete of the Year in 2009. “In many ways, being recognized as the 2017 Air Force Athlete of the Year is more special and satisfying in the twilight of my (sports) career.”
Holt’s competitive cycling career includes representing the U.S. Armed Forces Cycling Team at the 2005 Military World Championships and the U.S. at the 2016 Elite Track World Cycling Championships, where he finished 11th.
“As an Airman, I never would have had the opportunities and motivation to pursue the level of competition that I ultimately reached without the underlying theme of representing my country and the Air Force,” said Holt.
Competing in an endurance sport such as cycling requires extreme dedication and time commitment, as well as significant amounts of readiness and resiliency, he said.
Holt’s readiness and resiliency were tested like never before during a life-threatening crash at the International Tour de Gila last year in New Mexico.
A freak accident sent Holt hurtling off a mountain at more than 30 mph into the Gila National Forest pine trees. He suffered severe bone bruises, tore both posterior cruciate ligaments in his legs and a finger was severed to the tendon.
Despite the injuries, Holt managed to climb the 30 feet up to the road to seek help. He spent three hours in the emergency room to nurse his injuries, yet managed to make his flight home and report to his duty station the next day.
In October, he capped five months of rehabilitation with two bronze medals at the Masters Track World Championships.
“The character traits and requirements to be a great athlete are directly applicable to military service,” Holt said. “Commitment, attention to detail, perseverance and honesty are the markers of great athletes and Airmen. The Air Force must embrace these traits and people because they have the ability to carry the service on their backs.”
Hall, an acquisitions officer with the AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile Program Office at Eglin AFB, Florida, helped the All-Air Force women’s volleyball team win its first Armed Forces championship in five years last May. She then helped the All-Armed Forces team place second in the World Military Games, the highest finish in 23 years.
“As an Airman, I share this award with my teammates,” said Hall, who played at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, before she was commissioned as a second lieutenant in 2012. “Personally, it shows that my hard work and dedication on and off the court is paying off. Volleyball has and continues to open doors for me that I would not have known otherwise. The experience of playing for the Air Force and Armed Forces is more than I could have imagined, and I’m always thankful for the opportunity to grow and play in the sport that I love.”
Hall’s playing and coaching experience complemented her readiness and resiliency during the Armed Forces Tournament and the World Military Games.
Hall, normally an outside hitter, was asked by Coach Nicki Holmes to play middle hitter during the Armed Forces Tournament. She not only filled that role, she thrived, as Air Force won five straight matches to win the gold medal.
“Middle hitter requires the ability to read the game,” Hall said. “Thankfully, with the coaching staff’s help and pulling from my own coaching experience, knowledge, and familiarity of the game, I was able to fill that role.”
Perhaps Air Force’s most memorable match was against the U.S. Navy for the championship. Air Force led 2-0 and was down 24-12 in the third game, but reeled off 14 straight points to win the title.
Holmes approached Hall again and asked her to fill a setter role on the All-Armed Forces Team.
“He knew I could set because the previous year I was the setter for our USAFE team, but I never imagined I would be a setter at this level,” Hall said. “Setter is like the quarterback of the team, so I had to be resilient and change up my leadership style to run our plays.”
Hall said she learned more about herself as a volleyball player this past year than any other.
“It was frustrating, and my mental game was challenged,” Hall said. “But as an Airman, when I was called, I knew my role and I was ready for the challenges.”
“I come back to my duty station a better officer and leader with new tools in my belt,” she added. “I think Air Force Sports is a great opportunity to continue to grow as an athlete but also as an Airman.”
To learn more about the Air Force Sports program or to apply for a spot on one of the teams, visit http://www.myairforcelife.com/Sports/.
Capt. Abby Hall was named the Air Force Female Athlete of the Year.
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Desert Lightning News Digital Edition – July 2019
Desert Lightning News Digital Edition – June 2019
Desert Lightning News Digital Edition – May 2019
563rd RQG Airmen rescue injured Mexican fishermen
48th RQS awarded rescue mission of the year
Retiree Appreciation Day to be held March 17
A widow’s story: Living by faith
Leading the way: A spark to start a fire
‘Wise Guy’ back in sky to replace lost B-52
Wise Guy back in the sky
Published the first Friday of each month, Desert Lightning News is distributed to military and contractor personnel on Davis-Monthan AFB, including all on-base offices and high traffic locations throughout Tucson
News and ad copy deadline is noon on the Tuesday prior to publication. The publisher assumes no responsibility for error in ads other than space used.
The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, or Aerotech News and Review, Inc., of the products or services advertised.
Defense73
354th Bulldogs deployment
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Belated Thoughts on Rob Portman (and Henrietta Lacks, Too)
It's been just about ten days since the announcement by Rob Portman that his previously-held opposition to gay marriage has melted away following the acceptance that his son is gay. There was a minor flurry of commentary and people have moved on to matters both weightier (Cyprus, Middle East) and less so (the aptly-named Shockers). So I'm a touch behind on weighing in on this; such is the life of an intermittent blogger. But so far I haven't seen anyone make the point I wanted to so here goes.
Matt Yglesias of Slate confesses to annoyance with the narcissism of Portman's stance that he had to arrive at gay marriage support only through direct experience. But there's more here than mere narcissism, and it's indicative of the general Republican approach to policy questions. The post-Nixonian Team Elephant doesn't employ reason as the primary tool to solve societal problems. It's the price of the Southern Strategy that shifted political power to the Republicans for nearly two generations. (An emblem: whatever one may think of her, there once was Jean Kirkpatrick addressing a Republican National Convention; now Sarah Palin stands and opines before them to yowling approval.)
Rather than providing a heartwarming tale about new found openness, Portman's reversal only serves to illustrate that very troubling underlying tendency. He didn't simply think about the issue and come to support gay rights. It's not like he hasn't had multiple opportunities to think this matter through. Instead it took something visceral to get him to budge from his bigotry. Although he should surely be commended for embracing a more progressive approach--he could have, in the manner of so many parents, simply cast his son away for either political expedience or genuine hatred or both, and did not--it's very unclear whether that process will be of any help where popular Republican sentiment still skews medieval, such as the understanding of evolution or the reality of climate change or the importance of evidence in public discourse.
As for Henrietta Lacks, today's New York Times brings word that a European research team last week had published Ms. Lacks's genome without anyone's consent. (If you don't know the story, Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a must-read; Skloot is also the author of today's Times piece.) There is a whiff of outrage in Skloot's prose that no consent was sought, although precisely how that could be accomplished is anyone's guess, as Lacks died over 60 years ago, long before current standards of consent even remotely began to address issues like this.
Skloot proposes that the family should have served as the surrogate for consent, but this seems at best to be an unwieldy solution. Who counts as family for a woman who passed away in 1951? What happens when there is a split decision? Based on my experiences with families of patients in end-of-life situations in ICUs, split decisions are the norm rather than the exception. And the publication of Lacks's genome has real--though difficult to quantify--scientific value, as her cells, the so-called "HeLa" cells, remain the workhorse cell line that forms the backbone of all biomedical research on the planet.
I have no idea how this is to be addressed. I am in agreement with Skloot that scientists need to be exquisitely sensitive to these issues. But I fear that our best intentions of outreach may not be sufficient to overcome objections to research--and HeLa cell research really is critical, and has the potential to improve or even save the lives of many people in the future.
--br
Posted by Billy Rubin at 9:57 AM No comments:
Labels: ethics, gay marriage, Henrietta Lacks, NY Times, Rebecca Skloot, Republican Party, research ethics, Rob Portman
Belated Thoughts on Rob Portman (and Henrietta Lac...
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Ariana Grande Shares Her "PTSD Brain" CT Scan Images On IG
Thurs, April 11, 2019 at 11:02 PM
Pop star Ariana Grande has caused quite the discussion on social media. Yesterday, the 25-year-old shared images on her Instagram story where she suggested that a recent CT Scan of her brain revealed severe signs of post-traumatic stress disorder. The singer spoke openly about her condition in an interview with British Vogue last year when she talked about how she'd been emotionally recovering from the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing that occurred immediately after she finished performing.
“It's hard to talk about because so many people have suffered such severe, tremendous loss. But, yeah, it's a real thing,” she says of her PTSD. “I know those families and my fans, and everyone there experienced a tremendous amount of it as well. Time is the biggest thing. I feel like I shouldn't even be talking about my own experience – like I shouldn't even say anything. I don't think I'll ever know how to talk about it and not cry.”
"I think a lot of people have anxiety, especially right now," she continued. "My anxiety has anxiety… I've always had anxiety. I've never really spoken about it because I thought everyone had it, but when I got home from tour it was the most severe I think it's ever been."
Responses on social media were positive overall as fans made claims that the bombing, partnered with the death of ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, were the root causes of her trauma. However, there were some who wanted people to support veterans who live with PTSD as much as they do celebrities. "Look I’m not trying to diminish #ArianaGrande’s #ptsd at all," one person tweeted, "But our soldiers go through this every day, for years...decades. Hopefully by her sharing her tragedy she can shed light onto PTSD for EVERYONE!"
via: https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/ariana-grande-shares-her-ptsd-brain-ct-scan-images-on-ig-news.77086.html
article, Ariana Grande Shares Her "PTSD Brain" CT Scan Images On IG
2012 BET Awards
FMJ Productions - Best Events
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Writing Room Report - Jan. 25, 2015
For those of you who do not follow podcasts, here's incentive to start.
Writing Excuses is a short podcast ("It's 15 minutes long because you're in a hurry and we're not that smart.") featuring professional authors Brandon Sanderson, Mary Robinette Kowal, Howard Taylor and Dan Wells talking about every imaginable writing topic under the sun. Seriously. There are 10 seasons of this podcast and some of them have more than 50 episodes. You do the math.
This season, season 10, they're trying something different. Season 10 is a workshop, a master class, complete with exercises, covering the scope of speculative fiction writing from idea creation through a complete and saleable story.
Because its a podcast, you can listen to the episodes whenever you want and participate in the workshop on your time. They're only 4 episodes into the season. Plus, any of the exercises they're recommending now, they've already discussed in some episode of the podcast, and they're linking back. It's all available here. Go. Do it. It's free. You owe it to yourself.
The Writing Room Report:
The prompt for this meeting asked each writer to contribute a historical setting (e.g. The Civil War) and a character complete with age, sex and one interesting attribute (e.g. an 85 year-old woman with a cleft palate). Onto that foundation, each writer found a way to build a speculative premise, and the writers who read aloud revealed some fascinating stories beginning to take shape. We hope to see some of them at critique meetings soon!
We're offering a prompt to those of you who couldn't attend the Writing Room:
Your main character is a man who travels through time every time he sneezes.
Challenge: Write a story a month in June!
It's always a challenge to keep those words flowing. But we're here to help! Who wants to join an attempt to write a story a week in June?
By short story, we mean SHORT story: 4,000 to 5,000 words. It's a great way to practice all the elements of writing -- character, description, plot, pacing, voice, etc. -- in one small package. Plus, you get the satisfaction of completing something.
And what does BSFW get? More short stories to critique! It's a win win win win.
We're not just leading you to the starting line and saying "go!" Start here, with this fantastic podcast episode on short story writing. You don't have to subscribe to the "Writing Excuses" podcast to listen, but we hope once you've heard this one, you'll be hooked on this amazing resource for writing advice.
We can keep each other appraised of our progress on our Facebook page.
Also, don't forget the BSFW Daily Writing Challenge! It's a worksheet on Google Drive that gives you points for writing at least 250 words each day. And who doesn't love points? Click here to email Brad to get started if you haven't yet. The June spreasheet will be ready by the end of the week.
Let's write some short stories! Who's in?
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It must be my recent angst over this whole blogging thing, because I consider myself a pretty honest person.
But yesterday, I lied. And it was a whopper.
Pubescent One had a ballgame last evening, and the parents, as usual, made idle chit chat while waiting for the game to start. There are quite a few parents that I don't know, because he is playing on a 14 year old team and I haven't had an opportunity to socialize with them over the course of many years, as I have with most of the 13 year old parents.
So, we are getting to know one another slowly. I will be spending a LOT of time with these folks throughout the summer, so I have been tryong to forge as positive a relationship with them as possible.
One gal, who recenlty left her job, was being flip and funny and asking each person in succession, "Where do you work and are they hiring?"
When she came to me, I said "Sorry, I'm self-employed and my salary doesn't really allow for any staff to speak of."
She politely asked what it is that I do.
And that's when I decided I just wasn't going to give the same old answer I have been giving for 13 years. I decided I just couldn't take seeing one more person's eyes go blank with disinterest. I decided I didn't want to be dismissed again, ever.
So I lied.
"I'm a writer."
"Oh really?" she said interestedly, "What do you write?"
I hadn't really thought that far ahead, but, in for a penny in for a pound, as the saying goes. I was obliged to continue.
"Well, I write parenting and education stuff, some related to learning disabilities, specifically ADD and ADHD. I write slice of life commentary, some social commentary, and occasionally I write about pop culture. I try to stay away from political stuff, but every now and then, I do write a political piece."
"Really? How interesting. What publications do you write for?"
Shit. Think fast, B.A. Think fast. Good lies are those that have a healthy dose of truth to them. Keep it simple, don't embellish too much.
"Well, I mostly publish in the online marketplace. I've built a pretty solid reputation there, and I get a fair amount of positive feedback on my work. But I would like to transition to print media sometime in the near future."
"Wow. That's so cool."
"Thanks. I enjoy it."
I should have felt bad because I lied. But the truth is, I didn't feel bad at all. I felt gratified. I spend an awful lot of time feeling like nothing I do matters and I realize that's just part and parcel of being a full time stay at home Mom and housewife.
I try not to let it bother me. But sometimes it really, really does.
Sometimes, I need to matter. Sometimes, I need to feel important.
Maybe God will strike me down for lying. But maybe...he can understand what its like to be overlooked and underappreciated.
Ummm, Sorry?...God.
posted by Blog Antagonist @ 12:16 PM
At 1:56 PM, Poppy said…
You are a writer. There is no lie in that.
We are all writers if we're writing down our thoughts and experiences.
My boyfriend made me little "business cards" for a blogger function we were going to, and he asked me what I wanted written on them. After I told him what credentials to put on he insisted that "writer" be added to the list. "You're a writer," he said. And it took two days to sink in but now I believe it. :) (Kinda. ;)
At 2:38 PM, Hairline Fracture said…
I talked to God and He said you're not in trouble. ;-)
You are a writer. You don't have to be paid for it (yet) for you to matter. What's wrong is her assumption that everyone identifies themselves by a job title.
At 2:41 PM, the only daughter said…
A writer writes...always.
It irks me that people are defined by what they do (or don't). It is but part of the entire person.
At 3:02 PM, Wisconsin Mommy said…
Have to say...don't see a lie in there. You ARE a writer and you DO get positive feedback in the online marketplace. And your salary probably wouldn't support a staff :)
You are waaaaay too hard on yourself.
At 3:06 PM, mrinz said…
I can't see where the lie is! And youa re much appreciated too! :)
At 3:12 PM, jess said…
I agree, where was the lie? You might have deliberately misled a teeny tiny bit, but there's definitely no lie in the fact that you are a writer, and a very good one.
As for any possible future awkwardness, the fib-ee sounds like a decent sort,I bet she'll understand if you feel the need to clarify the details a bit at some point. ;) I think lots of women could relate that your feelings.
At 3:31 PM, Traceytreasure said…
You forgot to tell her that one of your fans (me) wants to start a fan club in your honor. I don't like the reaction from people when I tell them that I'm a SAHM. We should get a paycheck for doing the most important job in the world of keeping the next generation from killing themselves, you or other people. Jeeeze. I don't think you told a lie at all. One of your biggest(hopefully not literally) fans!! Hugs!
Oh, and why didn't you tell her about the Diva cup or the Rabbit thingy? THE LOOK on her face would have made for a laugh!! Don't you think? I know, I'm bad!
At 3:45 PM, Cathy Burke said…
You did NOT lie! You most definitely are a writer and from the sounds of your own job description you should be in Public relations. Now get back to work and write something (in between all the other thankless and non-paying jobs we self-employed moms have.
At 4:10 PM, The Mighty Beluga said…
my dear mother is a stay-at-home mom, and sometimes I can almost SMELL her frustration and other similar feelings that you have so eloquently penned. But then again, it could be the wonderful oven-roasted chicken that she had been preparing for dinner.
At 4:27 PM, that girl said…
You do matter.
At 5:16 PM, West Coast Diva said…
Okay - so how did you lie?
1. You write.
a) here
b) notes for school
c) grocery lists
d) love notes or dear asshole notes.
The fact is you write.
3. You write all the things you listed. And very well I might add.
So screw Miss Flip. You have more zazazoo in your little finger than she will ever have.
And goddammit you do matter.
I don't really think you lied. You do write about all those things and you are published. You just don't get paid for it. It's still a job and you still have a responsibility to do it or get stalked by your fans :)
At 7:12 PM, Christine said…
It sounded like you were telling the truth to me. Sure, she probably had a different mental image of what you do...but still, you do all those things.
Not a lie, just spin.
At 7:20 PM, andi said…
I agree with Christine - not a lie, just spin. People do that all the time. I thought your answers were fantastic!
A writer is not a writer because she gets paid or because she has had her work published in print. You are most certainly a writer.
At 7:59 PM, womaninawindow said…
Ya, ya, what they all say. I was at work today (nothing luminous like being a writer, trust me) and I thought I saw someone from my past. It occured to me then that I would say the same b.s. I, I, I mean, truth in all its stretchiness. Instead, I hid. Who's going to hell, eh? Who? You who stepped up or me hiding behind the T-shirts?
Hey, just throw a few ads on your site and it's a paying job!
At 8:09 PM, margalit said…
You didn't lie. You completely told the truth. You ARE a writer, and you do write about all those topics. Online. So far, all truth.
Are you getting paid for it? Well, no, but that isn't what she asked, was it?
If truth is defined as absolute, literal, and full disclosure, I must say I hope everybody lies. And frequently.
At 8:43 PM, SUEB0B said…
You are a great writer. And I do NOT say that to all the girls.
Hey, that quote over there by Zappa is about ROCK journalism, not journalism in general.
At 8:47 PM, Karen said…
Hello?!
Sweetheart.... You didn't lie.
At 8:52 PM, Angela said…
Um...I'm missing the part where you lied BA. You rock. I'm even reading you on a night where my day has totally sucked and I just want to go to bed.
At 9:02 PM, Laurie said…
I agree with the other commenters...I read and read, looking for the lie, and you didn't lie, my friend. Guess you're off the hook! :) Laurie
sounds like you're manifesting what you want....
At 9:41 PM, Crazed Mom said…
You did not lie. You creatively interpreted what you do and you do write. Quite well.
I know how it feels to not matter simply because I chose to raise my own children.
At 6:35 AM, WrapAroundSam said…
What, are you hallucinating? I don't see a lie in the bunch. You do fine in the online community, and also a pretty decent writer. I think you just wanted us to help you believe in yourself. Nicely done. Compliment, compliment. =)
At 10:14 AM, HeidiG said…
I'm sending my applause for a job well done!
At 4:41 PM, gurukarm said…
wisconsin mommy said it all. Where the "lie" comes in is you not believing what you said. Perhaps a better phrase than "lie" is "positive spin" :-)
You writer you.
At 11:30 PM, JCK said…
You are a writer. A good one. And you described what you do well. Why do we always have to backpedal when we say we are stay at home moms or bloggers? As if those things aren't important contributions.
At 6:31 AM, Rock the Cradle said…
A writer, by definition, is someone who writes.
You didn't say, "Harcourt has recently signed me for a series"
You gave an accurate one minute bio on what it is you do. And are damn good at.
Now that you have your bio,get together a portfolio of your best work and shop it around. Magazines, newspapers, book publishers. You want to get in print. Get a nice trash bin for the rejections, and go to, grrlfriend.
Do what you want.
So, where's the lie?
Seriously - what you said has more truth than lie to it.
At 2:00 PM, Andrea said…
I don't think you lied. I think the only thing you did was omit the bit about not necessarily getting paid for what you write. But everything else you said is utterly, completely true.
And I don't know if anyone else said it, but you matter. To those boys, you matter. To your husband, you matter. To us who read your words, you matter. Personally, I think it's sad that women who stay home with their kids still get the glazed over look from people when they say they're a SAHM. We have come so very far, and yet we still have so far to go.
You matter to me.
At 2:59 PM, sltbee69 said…
Just adding my 2 cents that I don't believe you lied for all the reasons everyone cited.
At 12:27 PM, Lisbeth said…
You didn't lie, you are a writer danggit!
At 4:49 PM, Major Bedhead said…
I don't get paid for it, but I tell people I'm a writer, too. *shrug* So far, no bolts from on high.
At 4:52 PM, ..M.. said…
You didn't lie!
Perhaps you just don't see how important your writing is.
That's no lie - you are a writer, and a good one, and you should be proud of it.
I'd say it was a situation where the right answer landed on your lips at the right time!
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Brichem Group of Companies:
Other Corporate documents
Board Mandate
Majority Voting Policy
Earnings/Conference Call
Compensation & Development
Home/Investor Relations/Audit Committee Charter Print This Page
THE AUDIT COMMITTEE'S CHARTER
The overall purpose of the Audit Committee (the "Committee") of Bri-Chem Corp. (the "Corporation") is to ensure that the Corporation's management has designed and implemented an effective system of internal financial controls, to review and report on the integrity of the consolidated financial statements and related financial disclosure of the Corporation, and to review the Corporation's compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements as they relate to financial statements, taxation matters and disclosure of financial information. It is the intention of the Board of Directors, through the involvement of the Committee that the external audit will be conducted independently of the Corporation’s management to ensure that the independent auditors serve the interests of shareholders rather than the interests of management of the Corporation. The Committee will act as a liaison to provide better communication between the Board of Directors and the external auditors. The Committee will monitor the independence and performance of the Corporation’s independent auditors.
Composition, Procedures and Organization
1. The Committee shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members of the Board of Directors (the "Board").
2. A majority of the members of the Committee shall be independent and the Board, who in the opinion of the Board, would be free from a relationship which would interfere with the exercise of the Committee members’ independent judgment. At least two (2) members of the Committee shall have accounting or related financial management expertise. All members of the Committee that are not financially literate will work towards becoming financially literate to obtain a working familiarity with basic finance and accounting practices applicable to the Corporation. For the purposes of this Charter, an individual is financially literate if he or she has the ability to read and understand a set of financial statements that present a breadth and level of complexity of accounting issues that are generally comparable to the breadth and complexity of the issues that can reasonably be expected to be raised by the Corporation’s financial statements.
3. The Board, at its organizational meeting held in conjunction with each annual general meeting of the shareholders, shall appoint the members of the Committee for the ensuing year. The Board may at any time remove or replace any member of the Committee and may fill any vacancy in the Committee.
4. Unless the Board shall have appointed a chair of the Committee, the members of the Committee shall elect a chair and a secretary from among their number.
5. The quorum for meetings shall be a majority of the members of the Committee, present in person or by telephone or other telecommunication device that permits all persons participating in the meeting to speak and to hear each other.
6. The Committee shall have access to such officers and employees of the Corporation and to the Corporation's external auditors, and to such information respecting the Corporation, as it considers to be necessary or advisable in order to perform its duties and responsibilities.
7. The internal auditors and the external auditors shall have a direct line of communication to the Committee through its chair and may bypass management if deemed necessary. The Committee, through its chair, may contact directly any employee in the Corporation as it deems necessary, and any employee may bring before the Committee any matter involving questionable, illegal or improper financial practices or transactions.
8. The overall duties and responsibilities of the Committee shall be as follows:
(a) to assist the Board in the discharge of its responsibilities relating to the Corporation's accounting principles, reporting practices and internal controls and its approval of the Corporation's annual and quarterly consolidated financial statements and related financial disclosure;
(b) to establish and maintain a direct line of communication with the Corporation's internal and external auditors and assess their performance;
(c) to ensure that the management of the Corporation has designed, implemented and is maintaining an effective system of internal financial controls; and
(d) to report regularly to the Board on the fulfillment of its duties and responsibilities.
9. The duties and responsibilities of the Committee as they relate to the external auditors shall be as follows:
(a) to recommend to the Board a firm of external auditors to be engaged by the Corporation, and to verify the independence of such external auditors;
(b) to review and approve the fee, scope and timing of the audit and other related services rendered by the external auditors;
(c) review the audit plan of the external auditors prior to the commencement of the audit;
(d) to review with the external auditors, upon completion of their audit:
i. contents of their report;
ii. scope and quality of the audit work performed;
iii. adequacy of the Corporation's financial and auditing personnel;
iv. co-operation received from the Corporation's personnel during the audit;
v. internal resources used;
vi. significant transactions outside of the normal business of the Corporation;
vii. significant proposed adjustments and recommendations for improving internal accounting controls, accounting principles or management systems; and
viii. the non-audit services provided by the external auditors;
(e) to discuss with the external auditors the quality and not just the acceptability of the Corporation's accounting principles; and
(f) to implement structures and procedures to ensure that the Committee meets the external auditors on a regular basis in the absence of management.
10. The duties and responsibilities of the Committee as they relate to the Corporation's internal auditors are to:
(a) periodically review the internal audit function with respect to the organization, staffing and effectiveness of the internal audit department;
(b) review and approve the internal audit plan; and
(c) review significant internal audit findings and recommendations, and management's response thereto.
11. The duties and responsibilities of the Committee as they relate to the internal control procedures of the Corporation are to:
(a) review the appropriateness and effectiveness of the Corporation's policies and business practices which impact the financial integrity of the Corporation, including those relating to internal auditing, insurance, accounting, information services and systems and financial controls, management reporting and risk management;
(b) review compliance under the Corporation's business conduct and ethics policies and to periodically review these policies and recommend to the Board changes which the Committee may deem appropriate;
(c) review any unresolved issues between management and the external auditors that could affect the financial reporting or internal controls of the Corporation; and
(d) periodically review the Corporation's financial and auditing procedures and the extent to which recommendations made by the internal audit staff or by the external auditors have been implemented.
12. The Committee is also charged with the responsibility to:
(a) review the Corporation's quarterly statements of earnings, including the impact of unusual items and changes in accounting principles and estimates and report to the Board with respect thereto;
(b) review and approve the financial sections of:
i) the annual report to shareholders;
ii) the AIF, if required;
iii) annual and interim MD&A;
iv) prospectuses;
v) news releases discussing financial results of the Corporation; and
vi) other public reports of a financial nature requiring approval by the Board, and report to the Board with respect thereto;
(c) review regulatory filings and decisions as they relate to the Corporation's consolidated financial statements;
(d) review the appropriateness of the policies and procedures used in the preparation of the Corporation's consolidated financial statements and other required disclosure documents, and consider recommendations for any material change to such policies;
(e) review and report on the integrity of the Corporation's consolidated financial statements;
(f) review the minutes of any audit committee meeting of subsidiary companies;
(g) review with management, the external auditors and, if necessary, with legal counsel, any litigation, claim or other contingency, including tax assessments that could have a material effect upon the financial position or operating results of the Corporation and the manner in which such matters have been disclosed in the consolidated financial statements;
(h) review the Corporation's compliance with regulatory and statutory requirements as they relate to financial statements, tax matters and disclosure of financial information; and
(i) develop a calendar of activities to be undertaken by the Committee for each ensuing year and to submit the calendar in the appropriate format to the Board of Directors following each annual general meeting of shareholders.
13. The Committee shall have the authority:
(a) to engage independent counsel and other advisors as it determines necessary to carry out its duties,
(b) to set and pay the compensation for any advisors employed by the Committee; and
(c) to communicate directly with the internal and external auditors.
14. It is not the Committee’s duty to plan or conduct audits to determine that the Corporation’s financial statements are complete and accurate and are in accordance with international financial reporting standards or generally accepted accounting principles, as the case may be, and assure compliance with governing laws and regulations. This is the responsibility of management and the independent auditors.
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Kim: B | Grade It Now!
Brother's Keeper
Randall needs a liver transplant, but is refusing treatment. The hostages are split between whether they want him to die (Egan, Nick), or live and have to face them in court (Lizzie, Franny, Jeremy, Kathryn). Malcolm wants to put it in God's hands. Lizzie goes to visit Lucas to find out how they can convince Randall to accept treatment. Lucas ultimately offers to donate part of his own liver, and Randall accepts. Eva's ex (Ricky's dad) keeps calling Franny to ask for money from the charitable fund, claiming that gangs in jail will kill him if he doesn't pay up. Kathryn uses her connections to get the jailbird a transfer to another prison and, in the process, discovers that Eva's ex and Randall did time together, raising some suspicions. Egan leaves his wife and moves in with Nick. Jeremy accompanies Egan to a bachelor party for one of his friends, and Jeremy confesses that Lizzie is pregnant, and also does a bunch of flirting with Franny. Later, he vows to Lizzie that he'll be there for her through her pregnancy, on her terms. In flashback news, we learn that Randall and Lucas did actually run out of the bank after getting the money. The hostages wanted to escape, too, but Nick ordered everyone to hide behind the counter so that they wouldn't get caught in the crossfire of a potential shootout. When Randall realized that the cops were close, he urged Lucas to take off with the money, and returned to the bank. But Lucas followed him back. And then at the end of the standoff, Randall threatened to shoot Lucas in the head, but obviously didn't.
We open again with a flashback to the first hour of the standoff. I wonder if they are going to go through the flashbacks in order? That seems to be the case so far; I had assumed that they were going to jump around more, but that might be confusing. Given the two or three minutes we see each week, it certainly could take a while to get through the flashbacks, although with sweeps coming up, maybe they are planning to show some more crucial information. Anyway, Randall is busy cleaning out the cashier's drawers, and it's 3:16 PM. Lucas is anxious to get the hell out of there, but Randall wants to make sure that he's got all the cash. Lucas suddenly hears a voice coming from Felicia's cell phone, saying that the police are on their way. He picks up the phone, stares at it, and gives Lizzie a murderous look, and then looks almost disappointed. He yells to Randall that the cops are coming, and they haul ass out of there.
And now we're in the present, at a church, where a choir is singing a spiritual, which means it's time for a montage. Malcolm prays in the church. Elsewhere, Egan sits, thinking. Nick is at a crime scene. Franny puts on lip gloss and stares at herself in the mirror. Jeremy also stares in a mirror of his own. Lizzie sprints down the street. I know pregnant women are encouraged to exercise and stay fit, but for someone who just had a miscarriage scare, she's really pounding the pavement. She nearly gets hit by a car, and pauses to clutch her stomach. Kathryn and Ed are making out in a bed, but Kathryn pushes him away and sits up. Malcolm continues to pray. Randall wakes up and tries to pull out the many wires and tubes that are presumably keeping him alive.
At the prison, Lucas meets with his lawyer, and is informed that his brother has taken a turn for the worse, and needs a liver transplant. Lucas wonders what this has to do with him, and the lawyer explains that either the hospital can get a donor from a transplant list, or they can use a living donor, most likely a relative. Lucas asks what Randall thinks, and the lawyer says that no one has talked to him about it yet, but the lawyer doesn't think that Lucas should be the living donor, because it would look bad to the jury if he saved his brother. I would think it would make Lucas look like a hero, but I guess if their defense is that Lucas was coerced into robbing the bank by his no-good brother, it might hurt them if Lucas turned around and helped his brother survive. Lucas promises that he's done with his brother anyway. There's a quick flashback of the robbery, with Lucas pointing a gun at Randall, and Randall taunting him and then taking the gun away.
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Taleb makes money where his mouth is
Wall St Journal have a good one on Taleb's fund. Probably the only hedge fund making money at the moment. Likely that if there were more proper contrarians around then the markets might do a little better at expecting the unexpected.
Here's the full text of the WSJ article:
WSJ, 3 November 2008, Scott Patterson
For most of October, it seemed nearly everything that could go wrong with the markets did. But the rout turned into a jackpot for author and investor Nassim Nicholas Taleb.
Mr. Taleb last year published "The Black Swan," a best-selling book about the impact of extreme events on the world and the financial markets. He also helped start a hedge fund, Universa Investments L.P., which bases many of its strategies on themes in the book, including how to reap big rewards in a sharp market downturn. Like October's.
Separate funds in Universa's so-called Black Swan Protection Protocol were up by a range of 65% to 115% in October, according to a person close to the fund. "We're discovering the fragility of the financial system," said Mr. Taleb, who says he expects market volatility to continue as more hedge funds run into trouble.
A professor of mathematical finance at New York University, Mr. Taleb believes investors often ignore the risk of extreme moves in the market, especially when times are good and volatility is low, as it was for several years leading up to the current turmoil. "Black swan" alludes to the belief, once widespread, that all swans are white -- a notion that was proven false when European explorers discovered black swans in Australia. A black-swan event is something that is highly unexpected.
Assets under management at Universa have neared $2 billion since the fund launched early last year with $300 million under management. While Mr. Taleb frequently consults with Universa's traders, the Santa Monica, Calif., fund is owned and managed by Mark Spitznagel, who worked for several years in the 1990s as a pit trader on the Chicago Board of Trade.
To execute its strategy, Universa buys far-out-of-the-money "put" options on stocks and stock indexes. These are bets that the market will see a sharp, sudden downturn. They become extremely valuable in a market decline of 20% or more in a one-month period.
When times are good, such options are cheap and Universa gobbles them up, taking small losses along the way. When the market makes a quick, steep turn south, as it has recently, Universa's positions gain value as investors scramble to protect themselves in the downturn by buying puts. The strategy, which keeps more than 90% of assets in cash or cash equivalents such as Treasury bonds, either breaks even or loses small amounts in most months while waiting for periodic, infrequent spikes in volatility.
Here's an example of a trade the fund made recently. In late September, when the Standard & Poor's 500-stock index was trading around 1200, Universa purchased put options that would pay off if the index fell to 850 by late October. Since such a plunge was considered highly unlikely, such options cost only 90 cents. On Oct. 10, those options cost $60 as the S&P 500 tumbled sharply. Universa sold most of its position in the high-$50 range.
Universa also purchased a number of puts on financial stocks, such as Goldman Sachs Group. In late July, it paid $1.29 apiece for options on American Insurance Group, the insurance giant that by September was on the brink of bankruptcy. The puts were priced to pay off if AIG dipped below $25 a share by September. Universa eventually sold them for about $21 apiece.
The fund has "done what it was supposed to do for us," says John Salib, a partner at Landmark Advisors, a New York fund that invests in other hedge funds and that invested in Universa in July. "We wanted to protect our portfolio against this kind of environment."
Mr. Taleb made his first killing on Black Monday, the crash of Oct. 19, 1987, as a trader with the investment bank First Boston (now a part of Credit Suisse), with a large position in out-of-the-money Eurodollar contracts. Investors fled into the highly liquid contracts as the market crashed, causing their value to surge.
While the black-swan strategy has paid off handsomely this year, it hasn't always. Mr. Taleb's previous fund, Empirica Capital, which used similar tactics, shut down in 2004 after several years of lackluster returns amid a period of low volatility. The strategy may face another test after the current bout of market turmoil.
The task for the fund's managers is to persuade clients to stick around after their big gains. Historically, such dramatic downturns have been rare events, occurring only once or twice a decade.
Mr. Spitznagel cautions against optimism. "You could say that so much value has been destroyed that there just isn't much left," he said. That is "a dangerous assumption, since things can always get worse."
Posted by T1 at 08:42
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Revisiting & Rewriting History: Writing an Autobiographical Play
My wife and son looking at a giraffe at the Columbus Zoo.
I’m going to begin with a personal story, one that has been eating at me for 13 years. It has frustrated, angered, and saddened me and has been given much too much power over me. It’s not as sordid as it sounds, but it’s intensely personal to me.
In the spring of 2001, I was finishing up my BA in Theatre by spending a semester in NYC, tooling around the city, having an internship at PS 122, and devouring as many plays, concerts, and museums as possible. It was one of the most defining experiences of my life.
I had also applied to the directing MFA program at Columbia University and was fortunate enough to have an audition, supervised by the great Anne Bogart. I had the great fortune to throw up into a trash can in front of her after cramming a peanut butter and jelly sandwich into my mouth. That's not the story, but it's a fun detail... There were around 20 of us that were called in to audition and we all went around the circle, telling people our backgrounds or what "defined our experiences," how we defined ourselves, and told a vision from our futures. When it came to me, I said that my ethnic background was Mexican-American (I wasn't using the term "Latino" at the time, mostly said "Chicano."), but said that I didn't want to be defined by that. I wanted my work to stand for itself. I said that my experience was defined by Disney and Jesus Christ Superstar. I said that a moment from my future was to be brushing my teeth and having my future son run in saying "Daddy, cartoons are on!" and my future self rushing out to join him.
A few other people gave their answers and then came Ricky. His name might not be Ricky, but I remember it being Ricky... Anyway, he begins by saying, "I'm Mexican-American, Chicano," and then he turned and gave me the dirtiest look I've ever, seriously ever have received and said, "And I do define myself by it." He gave a story about his grandmother working as a migrant worker and went on and on, getting choked up, and everyone in the room, nodding along with looks of understanding at him and looks of derision at me. I wanted to say, "Dude, my grandma was a migrant worker, too, but that wasn't my experience. That's what I meant." But I couldn't interrupt, I was totally blindsided, but it didn't stop there.
Later on that day we were divided up into groups of three and would each create a little vignette in three parts. When we watched Ricky's, he had two people, one walked over to the other and said, "Hi, I'm White." The other person said, "I'm White, but I don't call myself White." All throughout he looked at me with a look that said, "Gotcha, shithead." Ouch. I bubbled with anger and it completely threw off my groove. I couldn't confront him; I was too busy trying to be a good director, I couldn't waste my time trying to argue and defend my answers to an innocuous question about self-definition and my personal answer. Why was he personally attacking me in this process in front of all these strangers? I'll never know. But it's eaten at me for years because he defined himself one way and looked down on me for not defining myself the same way.
Now, let's get to what this has to do with playwriting. I don't usually write autobiographical plays. Yes, as Julia says in Books & Bridges, "There [are] elements" of life that find their way into the DNA of my plays, but I'm not revisiting specific moments of my life. I have written one autobiographical play, (interestingly enough during my semester in NYC) which was about a hellish week in Atlanta, Georgia in which my girlfriend dumped me. Yay. I wrote that play because 1. I needed to and 2. Because the playwright who was mentoring me demanded "write what you know." No one has ever read that play and no one will. It wasn't meant to be read or performed. And I haven't revisited another specific moment in my life to write a play about... until last night.
This 31 Plays in 31 Days challenge has been exhausting and somewhere in my day, Ricky and the episode at Columbia kept flashing in my mind. I didn't want to write a play about it. It was too upsetting and I didn't want to be exposed. Also, I have found that, in my experience, when people revisit their personal histories, they often revise their personal histories, too. They usually use the autobiographical play to win a fight they previously lost, to get the last laugh, or to, as experienced by Sam Beckett (Quantum Leap, not the playwright), "put right what once went wrong." And that always seemed wrong to me. One playwright said (I wish I could remember who), "Just because it happened to you, doesn't mean it's interesting."
I really didn't want to write about Ricky, but I did. I didn't have the time to fight it before my deadline of midnight to finish the play. I hated writing it. But I challenged myself. I wasn't going to give myself the best lines, the zingers, the witty lines that playwrights who write these autobiographical plays often do. I wasn't going to give myself an advantage. I wasn't going to assume that I would win the argument. I was going to give Ricky his due. I was going to speak from his experience (a made up one based on what I remember and sprinkled, ironically, with experience from my family's personal history), and would make his argument as strong as mine. I was going to see things through his eyes, but was also going to give myself my chance to express what I wished I had expressed at the time. There are a great deal of therapeutic, cathartic "fucks" that fly in my dialogue, but the play I created speaks to a few issues that I think are important to talk about.
One is the label of "Latino playwright." Do I want to be labeled as a "Latino Playwright?" Does it make people judge my work differently if I am labeled as a "Latino playwright?" If I want to be simply known as a "playwright," does that make me a bad Latino? Ricky would think so. I would think that it's akin to a woman wanting to be known as a "playwright" and not placed into the category of "woman playwright" as if "White, male" is implied by the word "playwright." Isn't that equality to not be labeled or categorized as "other?" If anything, can't I be an "American playwright?" It's bad enough to be "emerging," must I be labeled further?
This is something that I've been struggling with, and I think I've found the answer, or, rather, my answer. You can read it in the play "Walls." I never wanted this play to be read, but because I've vowed to put all of my plays written for the 31 Plays in 31 Days challenge on my website, it's out there.
After last night's, I've lost my mind. I'm emotionally spent. So, today's play is about a giraffe in a necktie and a warthog in a bowtie. It's on the website, too. It's called "Second Hand."
Enjoy them both.
And please, I beg you, my fellow theatre-makers, however you define yourselves, however you choose to label yourselves, be excellent to each other.
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Security[remove]21
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You searched for: Content Type Journal Article Remove constraint Content Type: Journal Article Political Geography Arabia Remove constraint Political Geography: Arabia Publication Year within 25 Years Remove constraint Publication Year: within 25 Years Topic Security Remove constraint Topic: Security
1. Chinese Scholarship on Iran and the Middle East
Author: Nadia Helmy
Content Type: Journal Article
Journal: Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs
Institution: Center for Strategic Research
Abstract: In the past three decades, Chinese Iranian and Middle East Studies have become more and more systematic, which is reflected not only in the great volume of publication, but also in the varied research methodologies and the increase in Iranian and Middle East academic journals. The development of Chinese Middle East studies have accelerated in particular after Arab Spring revolutions and the political changes in the Middle East (2000- 2013). Research institutes evolved from state-controlled propaganda offices into multi-dimensional academic and non-academic entities, including universities, research institutes, military institutions, government offices, overseas embassies and mass media. At the same time, publications evolved from providing an introduction and overview of Iran and Middle Eastern states to in-depth studies of Middle East politics and economics in three stages: beginnings (1949- 1978), growth (1979- 1999), and dealing with energy, religion, culture, society and security. The Middle East-related research programs' funding provided by provincial, ministerial and national authorities have increased and the quality of research has greatly improved. And finally, China has established, as well as joined, various academic institutions and NGOs, such as the Chinese Middle East Studies Association (CMESA), the Asian Middle East Studies Association (AMESA) and the Arabic Literature Studies Association (ALSA). However, Chinese Middle East Studies remain underdeveloped, both in comparison with China's American, European, and Japanese studies at home, and with Middle East studies in the West.
Topic: Security, Energy Policy, Government, Politics, Religion, Culture, Authoritarianism
Political Geography: Japan, China, America, Europe, Iran, Middle East, Arabia
2. Roaring in Libya, Whispering in Others: UN Security Council's Posture During the 'Arab Spring'
Author: Berdal Aral
Journal: Insight Turkey
Institution: SETA Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research
Abstract: This paper examines the position of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) during the Arab revolutions of 2010-2013. In the early 1990s, the UNSC devised the doctrine of 'humanitarian intervention' which was premised on the view that systematic and comprehensive human rights violations within a state could pose a “threat to international peace and security.” Nevertheless, the Security Council consistently failed to act during the course of Arab uprisings due to a number of structural and procedural problems, including the primacy of national interests, permanent members' disagreement about the meaning of 'collective security,' and the isolated nature of decision-making whereby the substance of major resolutions is negotiated behind closed doors.
Topic: Security, Human Rights, United Nations
Political Geography: Libya, Arabia
3. Solving the Syrian Knot: Dynamics within the UN Security Council and Challenges to its Effectiveness
Author: Esmira Jafarova
Journal: Connections
Institution: Partnership for Peace Consortium of Defense Academies and Security Studies Institutes
Abstract: This article intends to highlight the dynamics within the UN Security Council 1 (UNSC) with regard to the events in the Syrian Arab Republic that have unfolded in the wake of the so-called "Arab Spring" and perturbed the entire region of the Middle East. What had begun as peaceful demonstrations against the incumbent leadership of the country very quickly transformed into the violent conflict that has raged for about three years. As a primary world body fulfilling the watchdog functions over the protection of international peace and security, the UNSC was overwhelmed by the highly dynamic nature of the situation on the ground, and was embroiled in intensive deliberations on the ways to solve the Syrian crisis.
Topic: Security
Political Geography: Middle East, Arabia, Syria
4. The Future of the Sinai Peninsula
Author: Ruben Tuitel
Abstract: The Sinai Peninsula has been a center of conflict for many years, starting with the first Arab-Israeli war in 1948. After Israel and Egypt signed the Camp David Accords in 1978, it became a peaceful region, strongly controlled by the military during Hosni Mubarak's rule in Cairo. Now, after several years of non-violence, the Sinai Peninsula is once again the center of a complicated conflict. Heavy protests across Egypt in 2011 forced Hosni Mubarak to step down from the presidency, creating a security vacuum in the Sinai that allowed radical Islamists to almost freely operate in the region. During the months that followed, insurgent groups grew in number, recruiting frustrated Bedouin who have been neglected by the Egyptian government for years.
Topic: Security, Government, Islam
Political Geography: Israel, Arabia, Egypt, Sinai Peninsula
5. The EU's Democracy Promotion and the Mediterranean Neighbors Orientation, Ownership and Dialogue in Jordan and Turkey, Ann-Kristin Jonasson
Author: Suna Gülfer Ihlamur-öner
Abstract: The EU has been involved in democracy promotion in the Mediterranean for many years. However, it is facing criticism from its members and partners for prioritizing security and stability over democracy. Particularly following the Arab uprisings, the effectiveness of the EU's efforts have increasingly been called into question and demands for a new approach towards democratization in the Mediterranean are growing. Ann-Kristin Jonasson's book, The EU's Democracy Promotion and the Mediterranean Neighbors: Orientation, Ownership and Dialogue in Jordan and Turkey, systematically evaluates the EU's democratization efforts by focusing on democracy promotion in two Mediterranean countries, Jordan and Turkey, and effectively addresses the major pitfalls in the EU's strategy. Therefore, it is a timely contribution as the Arab revolutions have forced us to reconsider the prospects for democratization in the region.
Topic: Security, Democratization, Human Rights
Political Geography: Turkey, Arabia, Jordan
6. Inherent Governmental Functions and Areas of Further Security Privatization in the Czech Republic
Author: Oldřich Bureš
Journal: Obrana a strategie (Defence Strategy)
Institution: University of Defence
Abstract: This study analyzes the limits and further areas of possible privatization of security in the Czech Republic in the context of a growing number of private security companies (PSCs). With reference to the recent foreign studies of security privatization and interviews conducted with the owners and/or managers of PSCs operating in the Czech Republic, this study shows that the process of security privatization is not taking place somewhere outside the structures of the Czech state because the very (in)activity of its components in providing security, along with the understandable efforts of PSCs to maximize their profits by offering new services, or extending the range of the existing ones, represents one of its key determinants. By outlining possible further areas as well as limits of security privatization in the Czech Republic, this study has the ambition to be the basis for not only an academic, but also a political debate about the ways of ensuring the safety of the citizens of the Czech Republic in the foreseeable future.
Topic: Security, NATO, United Nations
Political Geography: Afghanistan, Europe, Iran, Middle East, Asia, France, Arabia
7. The role of French private military companies in the security privatization sector: Specific features of the French approach and a comparison with Anglo-Saxon private military companies
Author: Zdeněk Ludvík
Abstract: The realm of privatization of security and the consequent existence of private military companies is an important constitutive element of security with regard to international relations. This phenomenon is most strongly developed in the Anglo-Saxon world. However, in the case of the French Republic, we can observe significant developmental and functional disparities. This paper examines externalization processes in the context of the French approach to the legitimacy, legality and territoriality of the privatization of security functions of the state and explains the different causes of their development. It discusses the main aspects of externalization, defines the typical activities of French private military companies, describes their strengths and weaknesses and outlines the problems and possible solutions that lie before the French, which cannot be ignored in the future. Finally, this paper describes the most important French private military companies and their characteristics.
Topic: International Relations, Security, NATO, United Nations
8. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and Its Relevance for the Global Security
Author: Daša Adašková, Tomáš Ludík
Abstract: The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) is one of important international nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament measures. One of its pillars is the verification mechanism that has been built as an international system of nuclear testing detection to enable the control of observance of the obligations anchored in the CTBT. Despite the great relevance to the global non-proliferation and disarmament efforts, the CTBT is still not in force. The main aim of the article is to summarize the importance of the CTBT and its entry into force not only from the international relations perspective but also from the perspective of the technical implementation of the monitoring system.
Topic: Security, NATO, International Law, United Nations, International Affairs
Political Geography: Afghanistan, United States, China, Iran, Middle East, India, Asia, France, Arabia
9. Security Cooperation in SADC: SADC on the Way to Security Community?
Author: Linda Piknerová
Abstract: This text aims to analyze security cooperation in the Southern African Development Community. The article is based on two theoretical approaches, the first one is a concept of security community, the second one is a human security. Both theories have become widely accepted in the early 1990s because of their ability to cover wider international changes. The Southern African Development Community is seen as a regional integration plan which aspires to become a security community in Karl Deutsch's sense. Beside the both mentioned theories, the text deals with the history of security cooperation in the south of Africa and its changes. The main discussed question is wheher the SADC could be understood as a newly emerging security community.
Political Geography: Afghanistan, Africa, Iran, Middle East, Asia, France, Arabia
10. Editorial
Journal: The Goettingen Journal of International Law
Institution: The Goettingen Journal of International Law
Abstract: We are proud to present the Goettingen Journal of International Law's first issue of 2012. After the successful three issues of last year, GoJIL can now turn to its new and exciting projects of 2012! Since our last issue in January 2012, several events of global importance have filled the newspapers, confronting the global community with the need for new judicial and political solutions. The Arab Spring movement still continues, with the situation in Syria aggravating further, which has led to the UN Security Council to authorize the establishment of the United Nations Supervising Mission in Syria (UNSMIS).
Topic: Security, International Law
Political Geography: Arabia, Syria
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Phwoar Elize
SOURCE: Sunday Express S:2 Magazine, April 20th 2003
A lucky break won Elize du Toit the role of sexy Izzy Cromwell (sic) in Hollyoaks, but talent has ensured her success – and she’s loving every minute of it, she tells Quentin Cooke.
She may have spent the past two-and-a-half years playing Hollyoaks’ upper-class crumpet Izzy Cromwell (sic), but Elize du Toit still can’t believe she’s actually on the show. “I got this job so randomly,” she says. “I was at university in Edinburgh, halfway through a four-year course, when I heard about an open audition for Hollyoaks. I went along and got the part.”
She makes it sound so simple but, in reality, some 4,000 hopefuls competed for just four roles.
Elize is delighted with the way everything has turned out. “Hollyoaks is a brilliant environment to be in. We all get on so well,” she enthuses.
Off-screen she shares a home in Liverpool with co-star Sarah Baxendale, who plays Ellie in the popular teen soap about the emotional ups and downs of Cheshire youngsters.
“We get on like a house on fire,” says Elize, whose on-screen character is known for her sharp tongue.
“I’m also really good friends with Ali Bastian (Becca Hayton), and Kate Baines, who used to play Beth.
“We work hard but, because we’re young, we all go out a lot and just hang out. When we go out in a large group, we do get a lot of attention, but you tend to tune I go out on my own, I tend to get comments shouted over, like ‘Oi, Izzy! fancy a drink?’, but I just laugh it off. I’m not anything like my character in real life. Izzy’s a lot sharper and more straight to the point than me.”
Elize says she loves nothing more than going for a night out at the movies, followed by a drink and a dance. “And now I’ve got my new-found passion – the gym,” she adds. “I’m sure that’s going to last about two weeks.”
The former student is also something of a bookworm – and none of your low-brow chick lit for her either. “At the moment I’m into Still Life by A S Byatt, who also wrote Possession,” she reveals. “It’s great.” She’s a linguist, too. Her parents emigrated from South Africa when she was small, and her first language is Afrikaans.
“I don’t get to see my brothers and sisters much,” she says. “My older brother is at Uni in South Africa and my younger sister is studying at Birmingham. I have a much younger brother, who’s 11, and he still lives at home with my parents in Berkshire, so I try to get down there as much as I can. He’s like an only child, as we’ve all grown up and moved away. He’s absolutely amazing and we get on so well – he’s a mate as well as a little brother.”
Elize, 22, has a lot of male mates on the Hollyoaks set, though she insists that any romance is out of the question right now: “No way. I’m happily single at the moment and have been since I split up with my boyfriend last summer. Anyway, I’m too young for anything serious.”
She doesn’t mind the odd love scene, though. “Sometimes it can be embarrassing, but as a rule it isn’t because we all know each other so well. It’s generally all over so quickly, and luckily it doesn’t involve tongues,” she says.
“For me, it would be a lot worse having to appear in my bra and knickers. I wouldn’t like that. And while my parents don’t mind the short skirts and things I have to wear, I don’t think they particularly liked the Hollyoaks bikini shoot we all did…”
While Elize’s family might wish we were seeing a little less of her, the reality is that she’s one starlet we’re likely to see a lot more of. So does she believe the big screen will beckon?
“I’ve no idea what I’m going to do after Hollyoaks – I just want to keep on acting,” she says. “I’m still young and things are so good at the moment. I’m not thinking that far ahead.
“I’m really settled and happy here, and just take one day at a time. But as contracts run from September to September, we’ll just have to wait and see…”
9:28pm on 20th April 2003
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