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123 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2
Company & Commercial Law
Pensions & Trusts
Gordon Judge
Páraic McKeogh
Eoin Dennehy
Jemma Lyons
Lorraine O’Carroll
Aisling Esmonde
Molly Burke
Pamela Jackson
Floating Charges vs. Preferential Creditors – Belgard Motors
In what has become widely known as the Belgard Motors case, relating to competing priorities between claims under floating charges which have crystallised and preferential creditors in insolvency, the High Court has held that a floating charge that has crystallised (i.e. become fixed) prior to a liquidation will not rank in priority to the claim of a preferential creditor. The court also considered the validity of automatic crystallisation of a floating charge.
In the matter of JD Brian Limited (In Liquidation) and Others [2011] IEHC and [2011] IEHC 283 (“Belgard Motors”) Bank of Ireland’s security contained a clause which entitled the bank to, at any time, by notice in writing convert the floating charge into a fixed charge if in the bank’s judgement the assets secured by the floating charge were in any way in jeopardy. The bank served just such a notice on the company notifying them that the floating charge had crystallised prior to the initiation of wind up proceedings against the company. The bank was owed in the region of €16.25 million and the projected realisation of assets in liquidation was in the region of €12.5 to €14.5 million. It was estimated that the available floating charge assets were in the region of €2 million.
The Revenue Commissioners had a substantial preferential claim in relation to unpaid taxes and the question then arose as to whether the floating charge assets should go to the bank as the holder of a floating charge that had crystallised or to the Revenue Commissioners as a preferential creditor.
Under Section 285 of the Companies Act, 1963 (“Section 285”) certain preferential creditors are afforded priority ahead of the claims of the holders of a floating charge. The court considered the proper interpretation of Section 285 and concluded that the claim of a floating charge holder is as the holder of a floating charge albeit that the charge has become a fixed charge. Therefore a claim arising on foot of a floating charge even where the floating charge had crystallised prior to liquidation does not rank ahead of the preferential claim.
The Court also concluded that there was no rule of law which precludes parties to a debenture creating a floating charge agreeing that, as a matter of contract, the floating charge will crystallise upon the happening of an event or a particular step taken by the floating charge holder. Whether the parties actually achieve their intention is a separate issue by reason of among other things the reasoning of the Supreme Court laid down in Re Keenan Brothers [1985] IR 401.
In a supplementary judgement the Court, following the reasoning of the Supreme Court in Re Keenan Brothers, concluded that the service of the notice by the Bank did not have the effect of converting the floating charge to a fixed charge as the debenture contained no restriction on the company’s use of the property after service of the notice. In effect just because it was labelled as a fixed charge did not mean that it was a fixed charge.
The determination in the Belgard Motors Case is under appeal to the Supreme Court.
Defined Benefit Pension Schemes – still the best pension you can have? Some legal issues.
GDPR – Cyber attacks, big data, new data protection regulations. Is my business ready?
The Family Home Protection Act 1976 – The Importance of Spousal Consent
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Latin America and the World Cup: An Interview with Joshua Nadel
July 6, 2018 by Sean Mannion | 0 comments
1. What historically accounts for soccer’s popularity in Latin America?
Soccer arrived in the region just as modern nation-states were beginning to consolidate in the late 1800s. Massive waves of immigration began to alter many of the societies, while the end of slavery broadened the polity in others. At the same time, export-led growth and the development of national infrastructure altered people’s outlook. The sport got to the region at this moment, as a part of the neocolonial landscape. It was brought by the English (and Scottish), paragons of civilization. As a result, the sport, as played by men, became associated with notions of progress, modernity, and nation. So soccer tied into the way that nations and people saw themselves, acting as both a reflection of and an idealized projection of what people wanted the nation to be. To some extent, the sport continues to perform this role.
It’s important to note that women played soccer in the region starting in the early twentieth century (maybe earlier), but their activity was seen as transgressive and threatening. While women fandom was acceptable, women playing in soccer was not.
2. What is the significance of the World Cup for Latin American nations?
The men’s World Cup is one place where Latin American nations, still beholden economically (and to a degree culturally) to Europe, can compete and beat politically more powerful and more developed nations. Winning the men’s World Cup, or defeating a rival nation in it (either from within or outside the region), offers a symbolic victory to the nation on a level playing field and allows the nation to highlight their ability. For example, in 1924, when Uruguay won the Olympic soccer competition (which is considered the first men’s world championship by FIFA), it was seen as a triumph of the Uruguayan nation as a whole. It literally, paraphrasing one journalist at the time, put the country on the map (the Uruguayan flag was flown upside down at the opening ceremony). So there’s a psychological aspect to the men’s World Cup that plays into national pride. At the same time, let’s not forget that there’s a practical side too. During the month of the tournament, when the national team plays, people don’t go to work. Kids don’t go to school.
Uruguay v. Argentina, 1930 World Cup.
3. In your book on soccer in Latin America, you carefully trace how national teams help to mediate differences internal to a country and create a unified sense of national identity. How does this dynamic hold for this year’s World Cup, when the tournament coincides with contentious elections in Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia?
While soccer can help unify nations, I think that the idea can be taken too far. For example, in 1978 the World Cup didn’t really unify Argentina—it gave the military dictatorship the veneer of international legitimacy that covered over its continued persecution and murder of political opponents. That said, armed groups did call a ceasefire for the duration of the tournament. It’s also important to distinguish between helping to unify a national identity and helping to create common ground politically. I don’t think that soccer is particularly well suited for the latter. Soccer may transcend politics in that everyone can back the selección/seleção or that people from across the spectrum can support a particular team, but it doesn’t bridge divides between political ideologies. In fact, soccer is used by all parties on the political spectrum to mobilize support for their viewpoints.
As far as elections go, in other words, I don’t think soccer, even the national team, is particularly unifying. It may—as Brenda Elsey pointed out in Citizens and Sportsmen—act as a training ground for political practices such as campaigns and voting, as well as for politicians themselves. She notes that many politicians from the working class got their start in union-based or community-based soccer teams. This happened elsewhere in the region too. Soccer also offered politicians patronage opportunities. In the past, stadium construction was seen as a way to build support for a government, while in some cases politicians offered houses and/or jobs to national team members for good performance. As a senator, for example, Salvador Allende suggested that the 1962 Chilean men’s World Cup team be given houses.
I don’t think that the men’s World Cup played a large role. There was some talk in 2014 that a Brazil victory would help Dilma Rousseff’s reelection bid, but Brazil was the tournament host, which gives the discussion a slightly different flavor. Some studies show that incumbents can get a 1-2 percent bounce with major victories, but only within days of the victory. So even if Brazil were to win, it likely wouldn’t affect the election in October. There was some posturing in Colombia—Ivan Duque appeared in a Colombian jersey on fake Panini stickers and Gustavo Petro showed up to the polls with his daughter in a national team shirt—but those are little more than gimmicks. As for Mexico, while the election campaign was contentious, Lopez Obrador’s margin of victory was too large for any World Cup effect to matter.
Brazilian team, 1950 World Cup. Public domain / Arquivo Nacional Collection
4. You’ve discussed the idea of the importance of national teams playing up to a putative “national style”; indeed, in your book you recount an anecdote of Argentine fans reacting better to a loss than a win because the former was played with “la nuestra.” Can you explain a bit more the origins of this idea of national style, and how are the Latin American teams faring in this year’s World Cup according to that metric?
The origins of national styles stem from the desire on the part of organic elites—be they politicians, journalists, and others—to forge some sense of national unity. This ties back to the timing of the arrival and popularization of soccer in the region. In the case of Argentina, journalists in the magazine El Gráfico (and others as well) began crafting the idea of the Argentine style as a way to distinguish Argentine soccer—and thus the Argentine nation and the Argentine people—from their neighbors and from their European opponents. The basis of Argentine style was the pibe—a young boy (and it was always a boy)—who dribbled the ball the same way that he maneuvered through life’s hardships; poverty, hunger, whatever. The construction of the pibe as a national type coincided with the widening of suffrage in the second decade of the twentieth century and the renovation of folklore and the gaucho, that Oscar Chamosa has written so eloquently about, in the early 1920s. It came at a moment when Argentina was looking to alternatives to Europe for models of society and culture, and at the same time that it was working out how to deal with turning immigrants into citizens.
The same can be said for Brazil, though the Brazilian discussion on national style starts a little later, in the 1930s. Here, instead of immigrants, the development of national style helped to incorporate, at least rhetorically, the Afro-Brazilian population. Gilberto Freyre opened the discussion of futebol mulato when he was in France to cover the 1938 men’s World Cup. Freyre’s writing was followed by Mario Filho, who wrote O Negro no Futebol Brasileiro, in 1947. These two, along with others, really suggested that there was a Brazilian style based on the rhythm and playfulness of the Afro-Brazilian population. These ideas resonated with Getúlio Vargas, who foregrounded this style of soccer (the jogo bonito—a term coined by the Brazilian journalist Tómas Mazzoni), capoeira, and samba as important Afro-Brazilian contributions to Brazilian society.
In reality these national styles also played on nineteenth-century ideas of scientific racism. Innate soccer traits hewed pretty closely to ideas about race more generally. Europeans were logical and level-headed, Latin Americans improvised everything and played with more passion, Latin Americans of African descent played as though they were dancing. And I’d also be remiss not to mention again that the use of soccer as a way to define the nation was a strictly masculine affair. That is, men playing the game helped to define the nation, for men. Women’s soccer was actively suppressed in much of the region (the Vargas government banned the sport in 1941 and the ban remained in place until 1981). While women continued to play the sport, they were criticized and ridiculed for doing so.
As far as how the teams are doing based on these supposed styles, Argentina surely failed to play well and to play “la Nuestra.” It’s been a long time since the Argentine team played this way, if it ever really did. Brazil, I think, is living up to some of the hype. The opening game draw notwithstanding, there have been flashes of futebol arte in the tournament. And Uruguay, which is known for playing with garra Charrúa, has probably done the most to live up to the hard-nosed, perhaps overly physical style that is associated with the nation.
Lionel Messi, 2011. Photo by Christopher Johnson, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license
5. This is set to be the last World Cup for the legendary Argentine star Lionel Messi. How are that country’s fans reacting to this last run, and is there a particular historical context for this reaction? (On a somewhat related note, why is Messi known as “la pulga” [the flea]?)
The nickname is because he is small and quick. As far as Argentine fans. . . . He’s a bit of a lightning rod in Argentina. He faces incredible amounts of criticism when the team loses—and even sometimes when they win. He is often (incorrectly) assumed to be aloof and unconcerned about national team performances. Much of the reason for this is that he left Argentina for Barcelona at age 13, and part of it is because Messi is always compared to Maradona. Maradona always wore his heart on his sleeve. He appeared to be trying hard even when he wasn’t, and he played the first six years of his career (and the final four) in Argentina. Where Maradona lived in neon, Messi shies away from the spotlight. Where Maradona was demonstrative, Messi prefers to lead quietly. In fact, much was made of the way he visibly took over leadership of the team during the Nigeria game. But Maradona has always been incredibly supportive of Messi, suggesting—as others do—that he can’t be expected to singlehandedly bring the team a championship.
But many fans in Argentina have reacted the way they often do: with a healthy dose of amnesia. Messi led Argentina to two straight Copa America finals and one World Cup final, in the space of three years. That they did not win one shouldn’t diminish Messi in anyone’s eyes, but it does. Some have criticized him for returning directly to Barcelona after Argentina’s elimination from the 2018 men’s World Cup, instead of going to Buenos Aires. At the same time, as far as I know, Messi is the only player to have a special section of a newspaper devoted to him, as Olé (Argentina’s biggest sports paper) does. And as far as they’re concerned, he might not have played his final World Cup. A recent article pointed out all of the players over 30 who have played important roles for their countries at the men’s World Cup.
6. What further reading would you recommend to someone interested in learning more about soccer and the World Cup in Latin America?
Brenda Elsey’s Citizens and Sportsmen is my favorite book on soccer in Latin America. It’s at once a great social history of soccer and of the formation of social class and working-class citizenship. Julio Frydenberg’s Historia social del fútbol: Del amateurismo al profesionalismo is another that traces the social history of soccer. A lot came out around the 2014 World Cup, much of which focused on Brazil. Roger Kittleson’s The Country of Football and Bernardo Buarque de Hollanda and Paolo Fontes’s edited volume by the same name are both important and worth checking out. Gregg Bocketti’s book on soccer and modern Brazil is also a really good read. Pablo Alabarces has a number of great books and articles on Argentine soccer, and his work with Maria Graciela Rodríguez really stands out. What I’ve been reading most about lately is women’s soccer, and there are a lot of great articles but very few books. Among the authors to check out regarding women’s soccer are: Silvana Vilodre Goellner on Brazil, Adolfina Jansen on Argentina, Luz Elena Gallo Cadavid on Colombia, Fausta Gantús and Martha Santillán Esqueda on Mexico, and Esther Lopez-Portillo. For something outside Latin America, Laurent Dubois’s Soccer Empire is phenomenal. I haven’t had a chance to read his Language of the Game yet (hard to get where I live), but I look forward to it on my return.
Joshua Nadel is an associate professor of history at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. He is author of Fútbol!: Why Soccer Matters in Latin America (University Press of Florida, 2014) and co-author (with Brenda Elsey) of Futbolera: A History of Women and Sports in Latin America (forthcoming, University of Texas Press). He has also been curating a playlist for the men’s World Cup on Tropics of Meta, a blog edited by (among others) Alex Cummings and Romeo Guzmán.
Tags: football, Joshua Nadel, Latin America, Messi, soccer, World Cup | Permalink
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Haley Reinhart Forum › Topics › Other Musical Subjects
I just watched the documentary Muscle Shoals on Netflix.
I highly recommend it.
It's a remarkable history given this town had just 8K people (13K today).
It basically begins with some local teenagers learning how to become studio musicians from Rick Hall, a producer about ten years their senior who's determined to make it in the music business.
Their playing had a rawness to it ("we didn't know how to play smooth"). And the signature sound that developed was from closely mic-ing the drum and a prominent bass line.
08-24-2015, 04:34 PM, (This post was last modified: 08-24-2015, 04:56 PM by Miguel.)
RE: Muscle Shoals
I also watched The Wrecking Crew this weekend. It's about a small group of studio musicians on the west coast who played on many of the big rock-n-roll hits of the 1960s and early 1970s.
There are parallels between them and the Swampers:
-- They were both groups where the musicians played together every day while performing a variety of music
-- That made them very tight personally and musically
-- Prior to this time period, the music industry was based in NYC. The musicians there were more formally trained and would play the music as it was written
-- The Swampers and The Wrecking Crew often created arrangements or added embellishments on the fly. This gave the music more of a groove or feeling.
In the late 1960s, the Swampers left to form a rival studio in the Muscle Shoals area that was also wildly successful. The Wrecking Crew reached its end with the rise of singer-songwriters who brought with them their own bands.
The king of the WC session musicians was Tommy Tedesco. He was described by Guitar Player magazine as the most recorded guitarist in history, having played on thousands of recordings, many of which were top-20 hits.
Her performed this song on the Gong Show while wearing a pink tutu:
His son, who put together the Wrecking Crew documentary (using kickstarter to raise funds to pay for the music rights) in the YT comments:
Quote: DennyTedesco 4 years ago
This was recorded as a tongue in cheek song to his friends. He had won 4 straight NARAS awards as session guitar player in town and then Larry Carlton won the next year. So he sang this at the awards. He would have been 81 3 days ago. Miss him still
Sidenote: A young Aretha Franklin had made nine albums while under contract to Columbia Records but had remained commercially unsuccessful. They had produced a smooth sound for her that didn't capture the public's attention. Her new label brought her to Muscle Shoals. The Swampers and her didn't gel at first. They were struggling with the song she had brought. But someone improvised something and that sparked the others. It became her first hit and launched her to stardom.
They actually recorded most of her hits. This initial session ended abruptly when her ex-husband became enraged by a trombone player who was flirting with her. Her manager said he would bury the studio. He subsequently relented though and flew the Swampers to NYC where they produced other songs, including this number:
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The Last Reel
Hanuman Films, 2013-2014
The Last Reel is Hanuman Films first full production and marks a new direction Cambodian-made films. The Last Reel enjoyed its world premiere at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2014 where Director Sotho Kulikar scooped the Spirit of Asia Award by the Japan Foundation Asia Center.
When Sophoun, the directionless daughter of a hard-line Khmer Colonel runs away from an arranged marriage, she finds refuge in an abandoned cinema. There she discovers an incomplete melodrama from pre-Khmer Rouge times, a film which starred her now desperately ill mother as a young woman; a different world, a different time. With the help of the elderly projectionist, she decides to remake the missing last reel. By screening the film to her mother, she hopes to remind her of a life she’d once lived and try to mend the psychological scars that still torment her. But no one and nothing is what it seems. Remaking the last reel offers Sophoun a chance to dictate her own destiny but at the cost of uncovering some painful truths about her family and their past.
Director Kulikar Sotho said this about the story: “The Last Reel is really about the overwhelming human need for storytelling as part of healing process; healing across generations, and healing towards a country and culture that has been decimated by decades of civil war and genocide. Cambodia needs to find the courage to tell these stories and start a dialogue with itself and to the outside world. If having watched our film, people in Cambodia are inspired to talk to their parents about the past, and vice-versa, the film will have contributed to this healing process.”
Filming on The Last Reel took place over six weeks during May and June and included locations as diverse as Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Battambang. Starring 1960s film star Dy Saveth, rising star Ma Rynet and experienced Cambodian actor Sok Sothun, the film’s cast is all Cambodian in a Khmer-language film with English subtitles. Directed by our very own Kulikar Sotho, the script was written by British scriptwriter Ian Masters.
The Last Reel is reviewed on The Playlist on the Indiewire website. The debut feature film from Sotho Kulikar is described as “affecting and gripping” and “a passionate cri de coeur”. “The real story that emerges, somehow all the more evocative for being told in glimpses, builds into a desperately moving, and surprising tale.” Indiewire scribe Jessica Kiang says the film “has both educational and deeply emotional impact”.
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Atlanta Trademark Dispute Spills Over Into the Internet
An unfair competition suit against an Atlanta-area garage door company has taken on another dimension, with claims that purported trademark violations that were effectively halted in the physical world are now taking place via the defendant’s Internet and keyword advertising.
The claims, including unfair competition and deceptive trade practices in relation to the plaintiff’s (and its licensor’s) registered trademarks and logos, are being litigated in the Federal District Court (Northern District of Georgia), which sits in Atlanta. A settlement agreement was entered, in which the defendant agreed not to use:
“Overhead” in a trademark or trade name that also includes an Atlanta-related name;
“Overhead Garage Door[s]” as a trademark or trade name;
a trademark or trade name that emphasizes the word “Overhead,” “Overhead Door[s]” or “Overhead Garage Door[s]”;
any Atlanta-related name along with the word “Overhead” in any domain name; and
the phrases “Overhead Garage Door[s]” or “Overhead Door[s]” in any online or print advertisement, except in a purely descriptive sense.
Portion (4) concerning the domain names is fairly easy to police, but at issue now are sponsored advertisements appearing in Google results and other potential breaches of the settlement agreement that can be more clandestine. The plaintiff submits that trademark infringement and unfair competition are recurring, and has now asked the Court for a permanent injunction to prevent the defendant’s continued use of plaintiff-related trademarks. The motion also seeks multiple forms of monetary damages, attorneys’ fees, and disgorgement of profits.
Evidence of the complete usurpation of the world by the Internet resides in the fact that two garage door companies are fighting about trademark infringement ocurring via use of branding marks on the Web. At what point in time did things like this stop being unfathomable?
Atlanta, Domain Name Law, e-Commerce, Georgia, Google, Intellectual Property Rights, Internet Law, Trademark, Trademark Infringement
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Get Lit! Festival
Downloadable Guide
Festival Authors
Where to Stay & FAQs
Inspired Partnerships
Visiting Writers
Past Authors
Spokane Literary Events Calendar
Alexis Smith
Alexis M. Smith was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Her debut novel, GLACIERS, has been translated into Spanish and Italian. It was a finalist for the Ken Kesey Award for Fiction and a World Book Night 2013 selection. MARROW ISLAND is the winner of a Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Award and a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award.
Alexis attended Mount Holyoke College, Portland State University, and holds an MFA from Goddard College. In 2015 she received a grant from Regional Arts & Culture Council and a fellowship from the Oregon Arts Commission. She has written for Tarpaulin Sky, The Portland Monthly, Bon Appétit, The Portland Review, and in Lilac City Fairy Tales Vol. III. She lives with her wife and son in Spokane.
Represented by Seth Fishman at The Gernert Co.
Site design by David Ratcliff
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Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH
Member: Silver
Leoforos Andrea Syngrou 340, 176 73 Kallithea, Greece
Boehringer Ingelheim: Initial results from EMPRISE real-world evidence study
Empagliflozin was associated with a 44 percent reduction in relative risk of hospitalization for heart failure (HHF) compared with commonly used dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors1
Effect of empagliflozin on HHF was consistent in patients with and without established cardiovascular disease1
Findings support data from the landmark EMPA-REG OUTCOME® trial, in which empagliflozin reduced the relative risk of HHF by 35 percent in people with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease2
Initial effectiveness results from the real-world EMPagliflozin compaRative effectIveness and SafEty (EMPRISE) study showed empagliflozin was associated with a 44 percent relative risk reduction in hospitalisation for heart failure (HHF) compared with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors in routine clinical practice in the U.S. The EMPRISE analysis of data from approximately 35,000 people with type 2 diabetes between August 2014 and September 2016 will be presented at the American Heart Association® (AHA) Scientific Sessions 2018 in Chicago, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE: LLY) announced.
These results support findings from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME® trial, which showed a 35 percent relative risk reduction in HHF (a secondary endpoint) with empagliflozin, compared with placebo, when added to standard of care, in people with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease.1,2
“With more than a million hospital admissions for heart failure in the U.S. every year, it’s important to understand whether the relative risk reduction in hospitalisation for heart failure seen in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial translates into routine clinical care,” said Elisabetta Patorno, M.D., DrPH, of the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and study co-investigator. “These first results from the EMPRISE study show that empagliflozin is associated with a reduction in hospitalisation for heart failure, and the effect is consistent in people with type 2 diabetes with and without history of cardiovascular disease.”
The full EMPRISE real-world evidence study will provide a clinical picture of empagliflozin in routine clinical care including comparative effectiveness, safety and healthcare resource utilisation and cost outcomes compared with commonly used DPP-4 inhibitors between 2014 and 2019. Early findings from EMPRISE, which at completion will assess the first five years of empagliflozin use in the U.S. through 2019, represent data collected between August 2014 and September 2016. The effectiveness findings will be updated as more data are gathered. Safety data from EMPRISE are not yet available and will be presented at a future time. EMPRISE was initiated, and is being led by academic partners from the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. The study is part of an academic collaboration between Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boehringer Ingelheim.
“Insights from the EMPRISE real-world evidence study are critical in today’s healthcare landscape to understand how gold standard clinical trials, such as the EMPA-REG OUTCOME® trial, can reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in patients seen in everyday clinical practice,” said Waheed Jamal, MD, Corporate Vice President and Head of CardioMetabolic Medicine, Boehringer Ingelheim. “Initial results from EMPRISE suggest that, compared with DPP-4 inhibitors, empagliflozin provides cardioprotective benefits in people with type 2 diabetes with and without cardiovascular disease.”
By study completion, EMPRISE is expected to have analysed health records of more than 200,000 people with type 2 diabetes from two commercial U.S. healthcare providers and Medicare. From 2019, additional EMPRISE studies including Asia and Europe will provide insights from different regions of the world with an international perspective on the use of empagliflozin in routine clinical care.
“The Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Diabetes Alliance is committed to building a comprehensive clinical picture of empagliflozin across the cardiovascular risk continuum in type 2 diabetes,” stated Sherry Martin, M.D., vice president, Medical Affairs, Lilly Diabetes. “Physicians need better options to help their patients avoid hospitalisation for heart failure, and we are encouraged that these findings from EMPRISE complement cardiovascular results from the EMPA-REG OUTCOME® trial. We are committed to further understanding whether empagliflozin may have potential in this area and look forward to sharing the future results of the EMPRISE study.”
As part of their efforts to help address unmet needs, Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly have initiated two large clinical trial programs focused on improving outcomes and reducing morbidity and mortality for people with heart failure. EMPEROR HF comprises two Phase III outcome trials investigating empagliflozin for the treatment of adults with chronic heart failure. The trials include not only adults with type 2 diabetes who have heart failure, but also people with heart failure who do not have diabetes.3,4 EMPERIAL comprises two Phase III studies evaluating the effect of empagliflozin on exercise ability and heart failure symptoms in people with chronic heart failure with or without type 2 diabetes.5,6
About EMPRISE (NCT03363464, EUPAS20677)1
EMPRISE was initiated in 2016 to complement the EMPA-REG OUTCOME trial results by providing data on the comparative effectiveness, safety, healthcare resource utilisation and costs in routine clinical care compared with DPP-4 inhibitors in people with type 2 diabetes with and without cardiovascular disease.
The study will assess the first five years of empagliflozin use in the U.S. between 2014 to 2019. Over 200,000 people with type 2 diabetes from two commercial U.S. healthcare providers and Medicare are projected to be included by study completion. From 2019, additional EMPRISE studies including Asia and Europe will provide insights from different regions of the world with an international perspective on the use of empagliflozin in routine clinical care.
The EMPRISE study was initiated, and is being led, by academic partners from the Division of Pharmacoepidemiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA. The study is part of an academic collaboration between Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Boehringer Ingelheim.
About EMPA-REG OUTCOME® (NCT01131676)2
EMPA-REG OUTCOME® was a long-term, multicenter, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of more than 7,000 patients from 42 countries with type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease.
The study assessed the effect of empagliflozin (10 mg or 25 mg once daily) added to standard of care compared with placebo added to standard of care. Standard of care was comprised of glucose-lowering agents and cardiovascular drugs (including for blood pressure and cholesterol). The primary endpoint was defined as time to first occurrence of cardiovascular death, non-fatal heart attack or non-fatal stroke.
The overall safety profile of empagliflozin was consistent with that of previous trials.
About Heart Failure
Heart failure is a progressive, debilitating and potentially fatal condition that occurs when the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body.7 Symptoms of heart failure include difficulty with breathing, swelling – most commonly in feet, legs and ankles – and fatigue, among others.8 Heart failure is a prevalent disease; 26 million people around the world have chronic heart failure.9 There is a high unmet need in the treatment of heart failure, as upto 45 percent of people diagnosed with heart failure will die within one year.10 Additionally, heart failure represents the most common cause of hospitalisation among individuals aged 65 years and over in the United States and Europe.9 Heart failure is highly prevalent in people with diabetes, but approximately half of all people with heart failure do not have diabetes.9,11,12
About Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease
More than 425 million people worldwide have diabetes, of which over 212 million are estimated to be undiagnosed.13 By 2045, the number of people with diabetes is expected to rise to 629 million people worldwide.13 Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes, responsible for around 90 percent of diabetes cases in high-income countries.13 Diabetes is a chronic condition that occurs when the body either does not properly produce, or use, the hormone insulin.13
Due to the complications associated with diabetes, such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure and obesity, cardiovascular disease is a major complication and the leading cause of death associated with diabetes.14,15 People with diabetes are two to four times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people without diabetes.14,15 In 2017, diabetes caused four million deaths worldwide, with cardiovascular disease as the leading cause.13 Approximately 50 percent of deaths in people with type 2 diabetes worldwide are caused by cardiovascular disease.16,17
Having a history of diabetes at age 60 can shorten a person’s life span by as much as six years compared with someone without diabetes. And having both diabetes and a history of heart attack or stroke by age 60 can shorten a person’s life span by as much as 12 years compared with someone without these conditions.18
More than 50 guidelines have been updated to endorse type 2 diabetes agents with proven cardiovascular benefits since 2016, including a recent Consensus Report initiated by the American Diabetes Association® and European Association for the Study of Diabetes, recommending that, in patients with type 2 diabetes and established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, SGLT2 inhibitors (such as empagliflozin) or GLP1 receptor agonists with proven cardiovascular benefits are recommended as part of glycaemic management.19,20
About Empagliflozin
Empagliflozin is an oral, once daily, highly selective sodium glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor and the first type 2 diabetes medicine to include cardiovascular death risk reduction data in the label in several countries.21,22,23
Inhibition of SGLT2 with empagliflozin in people with type 2 diabetes and high blood sugar levels leads to excretion of excess sugar in the urine. In addition, initiation of empagliflozin increases excretion of salt from the body and reduces the fluid load of the body’s blood vessel system (i.e. intravascular volume). Empagliflozin induces changes to the sugar, salt and water metabolism in the body that may contribute to the reductions in cardiovascular death observed in the EMPA-REG OUTCOME® trial.
About Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company
In January 2011, Boehringer Ingelheim and Eli Lilly and Company announced an alliance in diabetes that centers on compounds representing several of the largest diabetes treatment classes. The alliance leverages the strengths of two of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. By joining forces, the companies demonstrate commitment in the care of people with diabetes and stand together to focus on patient needs. Depending on geographies, the companies either co-promote or separately promote the respective molecules each contributed to the alliance.
1 Patorno E et al. AHA Scientific Sessions 2018; poster Sa1112/1112.
2 Zinman B, Wanner C, Lachin JM, et al. EMPA-REG OUTCOME Investigators. Empagliflozin, cardiovascular outcomes, and mortality in type 2 diabetes. N Engl J Med. 2015;373(22):2117-28.
3 EMPagliflozin outcomE tRial in Patients With chrOnic heaRt Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction (EMPEROR-Preserved). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03057951?term=emperor&rank=2. Last accessed October 2018.
4 EMPagliflozin outcomE tRial in Patients With chrOnic heaRt Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction (EMPEROR-Reduced). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03057977?term=emperor&rank=1. Last accessed October 2018.
5 A phase III randomised, double-blind trial to evaluate the effect of 12 weeks treatment of once daily EMPagliflozin 10 mg compared with placebo on ExeRcise ability and heart failure symptoms, In patients with chronic HeArt FaiLure with preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) (EMPERIAL – preserved). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03448406?term=EMPERIAL&rank=1. Last accessed October 2018.
6 A phase III randomised, double-blind trial to evaluate the effect of 12 weeks treatment of once daily EMPagliflozin 10 mg compared with placebo on ExeRcise ability and heart failure symptoms, In patients with chronic HeArt FaiLure with reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF) (EMPERIAL – reduced). Available at: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03448419?term=EMPERIAL&rank=2. Last accessed October 2018.
7 American Heart Association. What is Heart Failure? Available at: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartFailure/AboutHeartFailure/What-is-Heart-Failure_UCM_002044_Article.jsp#.WleEeLSFjBI. Last accessed October 2018.
8 Watson RDS, Gibbs CR, Lip GYH. Clinical features and complications. BMJ. 2000;320(7229):236-39.
9 Ambrosy A.P., et al. The Global Health and Economic Burden of Hospitalizations for Heart Failure. J Am Coll Cardiol 2014. 1;63(12):1123-33.
10 Ponikowski P, Anker SG, AlHabib KF, et al. Heart failure: Preventing disease and death worldwide. ESC Heart Fail. 2014;1(1):4-25.
11 Yancy CW., et al. 2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for the management of heart failure: a report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/ American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 62(16):e147-e239.
12 Suskin N, et al. Glucose and insulin abnormalities relate to functional capacity in patients with congestive heart failure. Eur Heart J. 2000;21:1368-75.
13 International Diabetes Foundation. Diabetes Atlas 8th Edition. Available at: http://www.diabetesatlas.org. Accessed: October 2018.
14 World Health Organisation. Diabetes: Fact Sheet no. 312. Available at: www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs312/en/#. Last accessed October 2018.
15 World Heart Federation. Diabetes as a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease. Available at: www.world-heart-federation.org/cardiovascular-health/cardiovascular-disease-risk-factors/diabetes. Last accessed October 2018.
16 Morrish NJ et al. Mortality and Causes of Death in the WHO Multinational Study of Vascular Disease in Diabetes. Diabetologia. 2001;44(2):S14–21.9.
17 Einarson TR, Acs A, Ludwig C, et al. Prevalence of cardiovascular disease in type 2 diabetes: a systematic literature review of scientific evidence from across the world in 2007–2017. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2018;17:83.
18 The Emerging Risk Factors Collaboration. Association of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity With Mortality. JAMA. 2015;314(1):52-60.
19 Davies MJ, D’Alessio DA, Fradkin J, et al. Management of Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes, 2018. A Consensus Report by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Diabetes Care. 2018;dci180033.0033.
20 Data on file. Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
21 Jardiance® (empagliflozin) tablets U.S. Prescribing Information. Available at: http://docs.boehringer-ingelheim.com/Prescribing%20Information/PIs/Jardiance/jardiance.pdf. Accessed October 2018.
22 European Summary of Product Characteristics Jardiance®, approved May 2018. Data on file.
23 Jardiance® (Full Prescribing Information). Mexico; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc; 2017.
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Home » News & Events » Youth Program Sponsored by the American Jewish Archives at HUC-JIR/Cincinnati Inspires Emerging Student Leaders
Youth Program Sponsored by the American Jewish Archives at HUC-JIR/Cincinnati Inspires Emerging Student Leaders
During the weekend of October 12-14, 2012 the Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College welcomed 22 high school students from throughout the country and Canada to participate in a youth program entitled, “Teaching to Fish or Giving a Fish: Tzedek vs. Tzedakah.” The event was a collaborative initiative of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA), The National Federation of Temple Youth (NFTY) and the Religious Action Center (RAC).
Students were nominated by peer leaders or Jewish communal professionals as delegates to attend this program, which focused on the themes of social justice and social action. “We wanted to identify emerging Jewish student leaders from throughout the country and then create a powerful program based in Jewish values and thought,” explained Ari Lorge, a senior rabbinical student on the Cincinnati campus and one of the weekend’s organizers. “ The program we developed was designed to inspire them to think deeply about their obligations as Jews to help and empower marginalized populations. We wanted them to wrestle with questions like how to meet that responsibility--- and how to create real and lasting change. In the end, it was our hope that they would discover their own personal philosophy about engaging in justice work, and that they would be able to identify the issues they care about most to bring about social change.”
The students had opportunities to learn from HUC-JIR professors and other rabbinical students throughout the weekend. Dr. Gary P. Zola, Executive Director of The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives (AJA) and a Professor of the American Jewish Experience at HUC-JIR used archival materials from the AJA’s collections to help the participants explore various models of “change” within the Reform movement. Dr. Zola led a documentary study focusing on the social action planks in the four major platforms of American Reform Judaism. Participants also had an opportunity to listen to historic recordings of civil rights leaders such as Rabbi Stephen S. Wise (1874-1949) and Rabbi Joachim Prinz (1902-1988).
The group also visited Venice on Vine—a restaurant project in downtown Cincinnati that works with people having difficulty re-entering the workforce. Venice on Vine provides job training within the restaurant; and clients use that training to secure jobs and leave the cycle of unemployment.
“At the end of the weekend, it was clear that a solid community had already formed,” continued Lorge. “New relationships were forged, and the staff put up a Facebook community to help cement these meaningful connections.. Now they are building conversations about Reform Judaism and social justice around the country.”
There have been dozens of online posts, including one that read, “Wanna talk about amazing weekends? Okay here we go…This weekend, I participated in a life changing experience. I went to Cincinnati, Ohio where I learned, laughed, met some incredible people, and so much more. This weekend reminded me that my Judaism plays one of the biggest roles in my life. I may have only met these people on Friday, but we became a family instantly. Thank you HUC Cincinnati, AJA, and the RAC for letting me experience something that has made such an incredible impact on my life.”
Organizers, including Beth Avner, NFTY Director of Education and Special Projects; Molly Benoit of RAC; and Leah Citrin and Dana Benson, third year rabbinical students at HUC-JIR Cincinnati, asked the participants to complete an evaluation of the weekend. One student wrote, “This was my second weekend here and it was good to be back home. I will be back for rabbinical studies and am looking forward to representing California in upcoming retreats. I LOVE HUC-JIR!”
Founded in 1875, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is North America's leading institution of higher Jewish education and the academic, spiritual, and professional leadership development center of Reform Judaism. HUC-JIR educates leaders to serve North American and world Jewry as rabbis, cantors, educators, and nonprofit management professionals, and offers graduate programs to scholars and clergy of all faiths. With centers of learning in Cincinnati, Jerusalem, Los Angeles, and New York, HUC-JIR's scholarly resources comprise the renowned Klau Library, The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, museums, research institutes and centers, and academic publications. In partnership with the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, HUC-JIR sustains the Reform Movement's congregations and professional and lay leaders. HUC-JIR's campuses invite the community to cultural and educational programs illuminating Jewish heritage and fostering interfaith and multiethnic understanding. www.huc.edu
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Tag: Jazmyne M. Sturgeon
Posted on December 25, 2016 December 25, 2016 by Director
The Academy of Jundishapur
The Academy of Jundishapur stood proud as a temple of learning in the Persian Empire. The Academy was founded by Khusru Anusharvan in the city of Jundi Shapur during the Sassanid Dynasty at around the mid 200’s A.D., although the exact date is unknown. Khusru encouraged the advancement of learning throughout Persia with the foundation of the Academy (Arberry 1953). The Academy of Jundishapur was a place of learning, a place where ideas gathered, smoldered, and blossomed; because of this, The Academy of Jundishapur impacted future developments of Islamic medicine and arts.
Perhaps the most prominent feature of the Academy is its impact on medical society. The Academy of Jundishapur is considered the most advanced center of higher education in 6th century Persia. Scholars from various backgrounds had gathered at Jundishapur to share manuscripts and exchange ideas; those scholars included Greeks, Jews, Christians, Syrians, Zoroastrians, Hindus, and Persians. It is interesting to note that even though Jundishapur collected knowledge from many different cultures, the Academy did not adapt cultural aspects, especially those that conflicted with Islam and the Quran (Stanton 1990). In the pharmaceutical world, names are most commonly Persian, as opposed to anatomical terms that are of Greek or Latin origin. This should not come as a surprise seeing that such an important school of medicine, the Academy of Jundishapur, is in the Middle East (Arberry 1953). Because of its location, the Academy of Jundishapur was able to combine Greek, Indian, and Iranian medical traditions in a cosmopolitan atmosphere, which laid the foundation for future developments in Islamic medicine (The Cambridge History of Iran 1975).
Ibn Bukhtishu was a famous doctor during the time of al-Mansur who headed the medical school until his death in AD 771. The Bakhtishu family carried the medical traditions of Jundishapur when they served several Abbasid caliphs as their personal physicians (The Golden Age of Persia). The Cambridge History of Iran expands:
The members of the Bukhtyishu family were directors of the Jundishapur hospital and produced many outstanding physicians. One of them, Jiris, was called to Baghdad by the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur, to cure his dyspepsia. Due to his success he becamse court physician of the caliphs, and after them the whole school was transferred to Baghdad marking the real beginnings of Islamic medicine. (The Cambridge History of Iran 1975)
The Abbasid Dynasty began its rule in AD 750. Under the rule of the Abbasid caliphs, the Muslim nation stretched from Asia to as far as the Atlantic Ocean at one point. The Muslim nation flourished and reached its peak; features included a stable, universal currency, multi-ethnic and multi-religious political systems, a strong legal system, and a trade route that stretched from Africa, to China, to Northern Europe (Jackson 2012). For the Bukhtishu family to serve as an Abbasid caliph’s personal physician is a high honor; and the education Bukhtishu’s received from Jundishapur gave them the ability to fulfill that role.
The Masuyas were a Christian family of Persian origin. The father was a genius who received his medical knowledge through experience at Jundishapur. He later moved to Baghdad where his three sons also became physicians. One of which, Yuhanna b. Masuya, was the first in Islamic civilization to perform animal dissection and write on ophthalmology, or the study of the eye (The Cambridge History of Iran 1975).
Sabur b. Sahl was another Persian physician of Jundishapur. He wrote one of the first books on antidotes called Aqrabadhin, which inspired many successors (The Golden Age of Persia 1975). Of course, the Academy of Jundishapur produced many fine students who made major impacts in Islamic society in the field of medicine and other studies.
Many scholars have agreed on the Academy of Jundishapur’s lasting impact on the hospital system. The Cambridge History of Iran states:
To a very large extent the credit for the whole hospital system must be given to Persia. The hospitals of the Mohammadan period were built very largely upon the ideals and traditions of the Sasanian hospital of Jundishapur.’ The well-known hospitals of ‘Adud al-Daula in Shiraz and Baghdad, as well as the later hospitals of Damascus and Cairo, were based upon the Jundishapur model. The first products of Islamic medicine were also from this important medical centre. (The Cambridge History of Iran 1975)
A.J. Arberry concurs in his work The Legacy of Persia. His assertion is that the greatest and longest lasting legacy that Persia contributed to Europe was their conception of hospitals. Arberry also claims that the modern hospital is a direct growth from Persian foundations, especially from Jundishapur (Arberry 1953). When it comes to medical and biological sciences, Jundishapur was a thriving center where medicine of many traditions have been preserved alongside Persian and Indian traditions, making the transition from the world of ancient science to the modern Islamic science flow naturally (The Cambridge History of Iran 1975). The Academy of Jundishapur was a thriving hub of medical knowledge. It took in vast amounts of information from a multitude of cultures and combined them into what was to become Islamic medicine. The medical center at Jundishapur, along with the medical knowledge that thrived there, had lasting impacts on European medicine.
Although medical studies were the Academy of Jundishapur’s cornerstone, it did have a range of other studies, including the arts. Persian weaving industry boomed in the city, and the native craftsmanship was celebrated in the West (Arberry 1953). Also, various types of fine silk were woven for export and personal use: the Sassanid weaves created in Jundishapur birthed a new type of decorative silk that would later influence medieval silk weaving in Syria, Egypt, Byzantium, and other places further west (Jackh 1952). Apart from weaving, The Academy of Jundishapur also toyed with astronomy:
In complete contrast to the impossibility of giving a clear and straight-forward account of early Abbasid astronomical theory, the materials on astronomical observations, although incomplete, are ample and precise… The earliest reported activity supplied a link with the Sasanian past. About AD 800, one Ahmad Nihavandi was making observations of the sun at Jundishapur, the garrison town and centre of medical studies established in Khuzstan by Shapur I. This is the only mention of the place in connection with astronomy, and subsequent reports for a long time thereafter are centered upon in Baghdad. (The Cambridge History of Iran 1975)
Cultures traveled from regions as far as Asia and the Atlantic Ocean to share their knowledge at The Academy of Jundishapur. The Academy served as a nesting ground for information to gather and flourish. Later, medical facilities based their hospitals on the Jundishapur model and used much of Jundishapur’s medical knowledge to increase their own. The Academy of Jundishapur produced many noteworthy students, some of which whose family went on to do great things. All of these things have contributed to making the Academy of Jundishapur Sassanid Persia’s center medicine and the arts.
Arberry, A. J. The Legacy of Persia. Oxford: Clarendon, 1953. Print.
Frye, R. N., ed. The Cambridge History of Iran Volume 4: The Period from The Arab Invasion to The Saljuqs. London: Cambridge UP, 1975. Print.
Frye, Richard Nelson. The Golden Age of Persia: The Arabs in the East. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1975. Print.
Jackh, Ernest. Background of the Middle East. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 1952. Print.
Jackson, Steve N. “The Thin Tweed Line: The Caliphate and the Muslim Renaissance.” DHC 261: The University. Black Hall 151, Ellensburg, WA. Jan. 2012. Lecture.
Stanton, Charles Michael. Higher Learning in Islam: The Classical Period, A.D. 700-1300. Savage, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1990. Print
Posted in The History of Higher Education Tagged Jazmyne M. Sturgeon, Steve Jackson, Thin Tweed Line
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From Gretchen McNeil, the author of Ten and Possess, comes this teen horror novel perfect for young fans of Stephen King, and Lois Duncan's I Know What You Did Last Summer.
For Annie Kramer, the summer before college is bittersweet—both a last hurrah of freedom and the last days she'll spend with her boyfriend, Jack, before they head off to different colleges. So she and her friends plan one final adventure: a houseboating trip on Shasta Lake, complete with booze, romance . . . and an off-limits exploration of the notorious Bull Valley Mine.
The legends of mysterious lights and missing persons on Shasta Lake have been a staple of sleepovers and campouts since Annie was a kid. Full of decrepit bridges that lead to nowhere, railroad tunnels that disappear into the mountains, and terrifying stories of unexplained deaths and bodies that were never recovered, Bull Valley Mine is notorious and frightening—perfect for an epic conclusion to their high school lives.
The trip is fun and light—at first. But when a deranged stranger stumbles upon their campsite, spouting terrifying warnings and pleas for help, it's clear that everyone is in danger. And when their exploration of the mine goes horribly wrong, Annie and her friends quickly discover that the menace of Bull Valley Mine doesn't stay at Shasta Lake—it follows them home.
As one by one her friends fall victim to this mysterious and violent force, Annie must do whatever it takes to discover the ancient secrets of the mine and save her friends . . . if she's not already too late.
I finally, finally read Gretchen McNeil's Relic! It's novella length, longer than a short story and shorter than a novel and it's the perfect creepy, horror read for Halloween! It was a story I wasn't expecting to hit me the way it did, it was totally surprising and shocking! I will admit to still being a tad confused with the history and lore of the legend within the story, but I blame that for stretching out the reading of this one to over a week long due to a vacation!
Annie and her friends and boyfriend decide for their last summer together before heading off the college they would take a trip to the legendary mines. Bully Valley Mines isn't a place people go to, in fact, it's really forbidden to go there because of all the strange and dangerous things that have taken place there over the years, but naturally, the teenagers decide to forgo the rules and do what they want. The majority of them don't really believe in the curse anyway.
After an eerie encounter with a strange man the night before, they are almost scared off from their trip, but they all persevere and head there anyway. Strange things happen in the mine when they get separated, but it's not long before they all find their way out and head home.
Then the first body is found...that of the man that accosted them, one who's mummified body is claimed to be years old, though it was very much a lively body when they saw it. And that is only the beginning of the horrors to come. Soon Annie realizes something very, very strange and wrong is occurring when the next bodies that start dropping are those of her friends.
Annie is the only one who seems to believe that the curse they all wrote off is real and if she doesn't figure out a way to stop it, there's no telling who else she might lose. It will be up to her to save what friends she has left.
Wow. Just wow! This story was pretty intense! There was a heavy creep factor going on and yet, at the same time it was very mysterious because you couldn't quite pin down what was happening. Was it supernatural in nature or a simple madman-psychopath going on a killing spree? It's hard to say considering Gretchen's previous works! Lol! And that's what I loved about this one!
I didn't realize that Relic was already over two years old, nearing its third "birthday" in March and just whoa! Because that ending was just slightly teasing. Is there more story to tell? Since it's been almost three years, I am kind of leaning towards the no, but you never truly know with authors! Needless to say that this bizarrely twisted and creepy read was a perfect choice for Halloween reading time! If you like a good creepy book that keeps you guessing long past its finale, then this is definitely one you will want to check out asap!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
Sherry Fundin October 24, 2018 at 9:26 AM
Love your review and this does sound like for my reading list. I do wonder what lurks in the mine.
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"JOE DOUCET IS A LIVING BLUEPRINT FOR THE 21st CENTURY DESIGNER" -FORBES
We are an award-winning multidisciplinary practice who believe that design is a tool to create opportunities. We believe that creative vision can transform an object into an obsession, a product into a paragon and a business into a brand. We believe that by partnering with the world’s most exciting brands, we can create innovative ways for product design, packaging, architecture, retail design, furniture and technology to shape tomorrow.
A designer, entrepreneur, inventor and creative director, Joe Doucet is one of the most sought-after creative talents working in America today. After graduating from the Art Center College of Design, Doucet quickly began exporting his vision into product, furniture, environment, and technology to find solutions for daily and societal challenges through design. His work deftly hybridizes function and visual appeal while conveying layers of meaning and message. Doucet believes that design and, more importantly, a designer’s thought process can play a larger role in innovation and problem solving, as well as aesthetics. He currently holds numerous patents for his designs and inventions.
Doucet’s work has been exhibited globally, including the London Design Museum and the Biennale International Design in Saint-Etienne. He has received numerous international awards, including a World Technology Award for Design Innovation and multiple Good Design Awards. He was also named the only ever AvantGuardian for Design by Surface Magazine. In 2017, Doucet was named the 2017 Winner of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award as Product Designer—the highest honor in his field.
As an entrepreneur, Doucet has created and launched a myriad of businesses aimed at making the world a better place though design, including OTHR and Citizen A.
Photo Marc Hom
RICHARD HINZEL | PARTNER | MANAGING DIRECTOR
Richard Hinzel studied Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science before going on to a career path which took him from journalism at Wallpaper* magazine to advertising and brand design management. With experience in Europe, the USA and Australia, working on brands asdiverse as Swiss International Airlines, Bacardi, Hugo Boss, H&M, Selfridges & Co, Moncler, Puma, Coty, Lancaster and Davidoff Fragrances, he brings a decidedly global viewpoint and understanding of growing brands and businesses in the international market place. What ultimately brought Hinzel to the design industry is his belief that innovation is as vital to a brand commercially as it is creatively.
Photo: Kendall Mills
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Arc 5.5: Rachel in Infinity City, Area 551
Rachel in Infinity City: Part 22
“Hey,” I said.
She held up her left arm, looking down at the League communicator on her wrist. It looked just like the ones Nick made for us when we were in costume.
She tapped on the screen, waited, and then said, “It’s her. Thank God.”
Then she pulled a roll of duct tape out of her utility belt, floated down, and taped Julie’s mouth shut.
I laughed. “Duct tape? Did Nick put that in there?”
She froze. “No. I… Wait a second.”
She pulled up the communicator again, and this time she pointed it at me. After tapping the screen she said, “OK, this is going to be weird, but we split off early last summer—your time.”
“My time?”
She shook her head. “That’s the weird part. Sometimes when universes split the timestream speeds up or slows down. Whichever it was, I’m three years older than you.”
I took that in. “Was it a good three years?”
She didn’t answer quickly, and by the time she did, I almost didn’t need the answer.
She looked me in the eye, and said, “Nick’s dead in my world.”
She hesitated for a second, and then started talking. “I don’t know all the details. Early in his second semester, he discovered something was going to go wrong in St. Louis. He tried to get a hold of Isaac Lim and local heroes, but he couldn’t get the response he wanted, so he went down himself. He died in an explosion there. No one quite knows what happened, but along with Daniel, and Haley, he saved most of the city.”
“Daniel and Haley?” I asked.
“They died too. It was supposed to be worse,” she said. “They still don’t know who put it in, but they found technology like the kind in St. Louis in major cities all over the world.”
“Hold it,” I said, “does this have something to do with the alternates that fought the League last summer?”
She tilted her head a little. “I don’t know anything about that.”
“You said we split early summer? My mistake. This was mid-summer. Part of the League ran into a crazy version of Nick called War. His whole world had died.”
She frowned. “I don’t know if what we found could have killed everybody, but when Dr. Nation analyzed it he did say they might have killed millions.”
I wanted to ask her more, but it didn’t sound like she knew anything. I don’t know that I had high hopes for what might happen if I ever met myself, but it would have been nice if she knew a little more about something that major. Anyway, even if I’d had a question to ask, I didn’t get the chance.
Grandpa walked around the corner, relaxed in his armor, smiling. I’d never seen him looking that young. He’d been in his seventies in my earliest memories. He even seemed to have a little bit of a swagger.
Well, he did until he saw me. He hesitated so briefly I wondered if I’d imagined it, and then he said, “You look… remarkably like my late wife. She had blond hair, not brown, but except for that you look like she did when we met.” He looked over at Ghostgirl. “She’s from your end of things?”
“Almost exactly,” Ghostgirl said.
Grandpa nodded. “Good. Good.” He looked past me toward Travis, Rod, Samita, and Tara. “They’ll be fine?”
Ghostgirl said, “I’m sure Julie just ordered them to stand still. It’ll wear off.”
He nodded, and looked like he was just about to step back out of the alley. He didn’t though, because that’s the moment Red Lightning choose to walk around the corner.
He smiled widely at everyone. “Great work, all of you,” he said, and then he turned to me. “Did Joe mention just how much you look like his late wife? I’m sure both of you do, but I don’t recall ever seeing you,” he smiled at Ghostgirl, “without a mask. Nonetheless, she was a brave woman. I hope you both got to know her.”
“We did,” I said.
“Wonderful,” he said. “If she’d just lived a few years more, we might have saved her, but alas.”
Grandpa cleared his throat. “Giles, I’d like some help checking on the captives.”
Giles smiled, “Of course.”
They began to turn, but I said, “Rocket, who designed that armor? It looks exactly like something my brother imagined once.”
Grandpa smiled, but it was a very thin and a very, very fake smile, and said, “My grandson. He died recently. The alien invasion.”
While that rolled around in my head, I found a few words, and tried to deliver them smoothly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
He said, “There’s no reason you could. It’s no problem,” He kept the smile on his face as he turned, but I only saw the back of his head as he walked away.
“He’s had a hard year,” Red Lightning glanced after him. “Give us a moment, and we’ll help you get the slaver back to your home universe.”
Ghostgirl nodded. “Take all the time you need.”
He smiled at her, but not a happy smile. “You can’t afford to wait that long,” he said.
GhostgirlJulieRachelRed LightningRodolfoSamitaTaraThe RocketTravis
Previous PostRachel in Infinity City: Part 21Next PostRachel in Infinity City: Part 23
14 thoughts on “Rachel in Infinity City: Part 22”
Amaral says:
This was surprisingly… weird. So, the Ghostgirl and the old timers are from different realities? I’ll admit that I hadn’t even considered the effect of time shifts on top of alternate universes before, but it sure is enough to give one a headache…
Tieshaunn Tanner says:
when exactly did they meet this “War”? Has it been published, because I can’t remember reading about him
they meet war in “Crossovers: The Omnisphere”
i thought that it was made to be not part of the real story. but im happy that its going to be part of the timeline. it was realy cool.
Luke Licens says:
It was tentatively non-canon, but was both so well written and so well received that it became tentatively canon, if I recall correctly.
Amaral: It is weird, and intentionally so. I’ve always wanted to tell a few stories set in Infinity City. I came up with the setting separately from this story, but some of the things I intend to write in it someday are weirder than this. I originally intended this as a science fiction setting, and it’s probably way too influenced (at least originally) by watching X-Files and a tabletop role-playing game called “Over the Edge” and thus indirectly by William Burroughs.
Tieshaunn: It’s a crossover written by Robert Rogers. You can start reading it here: http://inmydaydreams.com/?p=2578
Rain/Luke: Roger and I agreed that it would be part of the timeline (though I reserve the right to change details if I need to). He was willing to have it not be, but I don’t mind the idea of his story “The Last Skull” affecting mine in some way.
Psycho Gecko says:
They remind me a little bit of that one team Marvel has had. They have to travel around and help out in other dimensions and they’re made up of heroes and villains from other dimensions. It is an interesting idea even if I’ve never read them. Just could be a very useful take on various characters. Especially in light of City of Heroes ending.
Should be enough characters left over from that to fill two whole new comic book universes for another 70 years.
And the crazy thing is that I know exactly which team you mean, but can’t think of that the name at all.
Phizle says:
I was wondering when and if the crossover was going to come up again- badass! Also it seems like the universe is out to get Nick.
@Phizle: He’s a protagonist, that kinda goes with the territory. 😉
Wildbow says:
I’m pretty sure the team you’re referring to is Marvel’s Exiles.
Jim Zoetewey says:
I think you’re right.
@Phizle It’s because War was right. I mean, really, the guy hit it dead on the head. Nick just plays at being a Superhero. Not only the bit about not killing – which is stupid, he constantly lets mass murderers and other nasty sorts go free rather than kill them, or runs away from the same sort (such as the nine) when he could easily kill them even with just the gear he carries around (primarily the guitar).
Also, though, he’s not even much of an inventor. He’s not the type to sacrifice his life for the cause, to put his all into heroing and improving his gear. He’s more the type to blow off repairing or upgrading his armour for months in favour of watching movies and eating pizza with his friends or just reading for fun. I mean, it’s been a couple of years now and he’s still running around in THE SAME horribly outdated rocket armour. He’s done, what, added a cell-phone into it? Put in some controls for the roach-bots and done some small upgrades to them? Cobbled together a terrible unsecure comms system for the team using his grandfather’s old work? Hell, he hasn’t even cleaned up the headquarters yet.
He’s lazy, he doesn’t take the whole hero thing or his responsibility to keep people safe (even if it means killing monsters) seriously, and honestly I’m not even sure he’s any kind of genius. He’s certainly not a ‘super genius’ or posessing any gadgeteer/mad scientist type superpower like his grandfather had to to build power armour in wwii (not to mention to come up with the power system for the Rocket suit, which going by the sketchy descriptions so far is a perpetual motion machine; it uses the ‘wearer’s motions’ to amplify those motions to superhuman strength, there’s not conservation of energy at all).
Still, even with his limited capabilities, he could have improved the hell out of the suit by now. He’s got the design for super batteries that are apparently astounding even in this universe (according to Rook anyway), so he could add an actual powersource to the rocket suit and make it pretty much the strongest power armour in universe (because it could afford to expend the most energy). For that matter he’s got the reverse engineered specs for alien fusion plants, so maybe he could miniaturize that to power the suit (or perhaps just use it in a rocket mecha for when shit gets real). He’s got the laser, which in combination with the tiny battery in the guitar can apparently cut through battleships (as well as the toughest tough-man type supes presented in universe so far). It stands to reason that hooked into the larger version of that battery he’d use for his suit, or perhaps just larger batteries in a laser rifle that can be exchanged like magazines, that would take out pretty much any enemy in universe. He’s also got the gravity plates he could switch out for his propulsion and force field tech for protection if he could get micro fusion reactors going to power them.
Essentially, the Rocket could be the most powerful superhero in this universe. However, he’s either too stupid, lazy, or immature to put together all the tech he has at hand, not to mention too much of a moral idiot (and not saying he’s an idiot because he has morals, but that his morals are idiotic and childish and cribbed from superheroes like superman who never have to worry about dying and can take any enemy captive without killing them or expending any real effort, but who still allow millions to die as their fights tear down whole cities instead of just putting the threat down immediately with a bit of laser vision or a nice solid punch), or more likely a combination of all of the above.
Unfortunately he still ACTS like he’s up to any challenge in the universe without putting forth the effort, so yes the end result is that it looks very much like the universe hates him. Fortunately he’s also the protagonist so he is always saved by blind luck in the end no matter how much he screws up.
sevenfoldrage says:
I’ve always thought Nick didn’t do as much as he could. As an inventor, he’s mainly working on modifying his grandfather’s inventions… Sometimes. I want to see him make something new, something useful. Where his grandpa used sound, and man-machine used light, Nick needs his own strength.
mathtans says:
Okay, way to go TOTALLY deflating my squee at having two Rachels around. >.< So in other realities, Nick died not once but TWICE? Once in St. Louis, and then again in an alien invasion. And a THIRD Nick lost everybody and became crazy War! (I have read the crossover story.) Not only does her brother have the worst luck, this does not set the stage for a nice multi-Rachel chat over coffee about Travis and other gossipy relationship things! … Fine, it makes for good drama, and the time stream thing is interesting. I also found the Red Lightning cameo was cool, yet somehow creepy.
John Campbell on Dealing With It: Part 10
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Home page > 1. IV Online magazine > 2019 > IV533 - June 2019 > Austerity Economics Russian Style: “The state never asked you to be (...)
Austerity Economics Russian Style: “The state never asked you to be born”
Saturday 29 June 2019, by Ilya Budraitskis
For two decades steadily rising living standards and high rates of economic growth have served as the standard explanations for Vladimir Putin’s overwhelming support among Russian voters while a key theme of Russian state propaganda has been the championing of Putin-style “stability” (as opposed to the chaos and poverty of the 1990s) and the unfettered consumption that has been made possible in Russia today. The effectiveness of such propaganda never really depended on the extent to which its depictions of reality were true, as much as it did on confidence in its promise for the future: your salary might hardly make ends meet today, but it will grow tomorrow, this way you can keep your job while inflation stays in check.
If in the political arena aspirations for a certain kind of stability expressed themselves in votes for Putin, at the level of economic behavior it led to a massive increase in consumer loans. Even obscene 10-12% interest rates did not deter the majority of Russians from taking out credit to buy cars, apartments, refrigerators, furniture, clothes, or simply to spend on drinking and eating. Official “stability” propaganda merged into one with endless barrages of advertising, creating a situation in which the actual drop in incomes over recent years was doing nothing to slow consumption, while consumer debt was constantly rising. So much so that by the beginning of 2019 almost 80% of all Russians in debt earned less than 50,000 Rubles (680 Euros) per month, a quarter of whom faced monthly loan repayments higher than their salary. Poverty multiplied by growing debt is the root formula for social reality in modern Russia.
Putin’s campaign for re-election in March 2018, in addition to calls for national unity in the face of the threat posed by the West, was likely the last time state propaganda made active use of the “stability” motif. Immediately after the elections, the government began to carry out “structural reforms,” at the heart of which were a series of measures to cut the state budget and increase taxation. The key and most painful policy, to raise the retirement age to 65 for men and 60 for women, was approved by the president in September 2018. No longer was the state promising good things to come in the future. Quite the opposite, this was an attempt to bring the population face to face with the harsh reality. The year 2018 saw a new theme in Russian propaganda, not previously characteristic of Putin’s regime, but well-known in the countries of the European Union—the rhetoric of “austerity”.
The defining characteristic of this new style of politics is that, whereas in the past, cuts in social spending and lowering of incomes in real terms were accompanied by elites’ attempts to make excuses or offer consoling promises of prosperity in the future, now budget cuts, falling incomes, and tax increases are presented as the “naked truth” that must simply be accepted. There is no choice between a range of solutions, one simply needs to come to terms with—or, as Putin put it in his address to the nation on the need for pension reform, “have some understanding for”—what is being presented as the only feasible course of action. In this case, the call for “understanding” is more akin to a formality at the end of a train cancellation announcement than a politician addressing the nation.
This austerity rhetoric isn’t just about such robotic ultimatums. Amazingly, it has also incorporated appeals to Russians’ morality as well as aggressive attacks on so-called “losers” who have become accustomed to living on state handouts. These messages appear designed to be simultaneously depressing and shocking, to make people feel personally responsible for the state of the country, and to cultivate a set of expectations that one can only rely on oneself.
While President Putin mechanically reported that raising the retirement age was unavoidable, like the laws of nature, numerous officials and deputies from the ruling party United Russia subjected the public to some shocking moral preaching. Over the past year, such performances have often racked up millions of Youtube views, accompanied by a flurry of angry comments. In November 2018, the whole of Russia was atwitter over a speech by the head of the Yekaterinburg Youth Policy Department Olga Glatskikh, where Glatskikh complained that “the younger generation believes that the state still owes them.” On the contrary, according to Glatskikh as she addressed Russia’s mistaken youth, “It’s your parents who owe you. They gave birth to you. The state never asked them to.” Following Glatskikh’s lead, the governor of Lipetsk Region Igor Artamonov declared, “if young people think things are expensive it’s because they’re not making any money, not because prices are high.” Condemning “professional whiners” with higher educations who will only work for high wages, Sergey Vostretsov, a deputy from United Russia, suggested that some Russians “can look for work that suits them for ten years and still never find it, while those who want work will always find what they’re looking for.”
Far from stopping these political elites, the streams of public condemnation that their retorts have met have only seemed to intensify production of this new Russian austerity rhetoric. Its distinguishing feature is its appeal to the moral sensibilities of a population that it simultaneously asserts has been corrupted by consumption gone wild, overinflated salaries, and the state’s social safety net. As such, Russian ballet dancer and socialite Anastasia Volochkova recently called on less well-off Russians to “get up and ask your conscience a question: if each one of them and every one of us for that matter worked and thought about it, what could we do for the good of our country?” The call to consume less and work more in these types of statement organically becomes tied to norms surrounding patriotic duty and personal modesty. For example, Senator Ekaterina Lakhova drew a stark contrast between today’s supposedly irresponsible generation and “those who went through the war, who survived such horrors and hunger,” admiring that, “having gone through so much, they still display such wisdom, such clear-headedness!” suggesting finally that, “Maybe it’s precisely the stress and deprivation they suffered that made them that way?”
Analyzing the British government rhetoric that ushered in budget cuts in the late 2000s, Owen Hatherley has written about what he calls “austerity nostalgia.” Then, the representatives of the political mainstream also called on people to recall times during the Second World War, when the British had to sacrifice their freedom of consumption to something “more important.” According to the canon of austerity rhetoric, economic crisis and cost-cutting policies present challenging circumstances that help to strengthen character and teach people to make responsible decisions. Comparisons to the sufferings and shortages that fell to the lot of past generations help the current one to realize the scale of their responsibility before the country and their own children. In order to accept this challenge, the population needs, as one of the deputies of the Russian parliament put it during the discussion of the pension reform, to “get out of their comfort zone” and grow up at last.
The majority of the Russian authorities’ liberal critics have explained away this avalanche of aggression as a symptom of the extent to which the political class is out of touch with popular sentiment. According to them, the absence of democratic turnovers of power and a lack of full-fledged public debate have led to a situation in Russia where officials have simply forgotten how to talk to the public. However, the scale and frequency with which austerity rhetoric is being generated in Russia clearly show that this is not just a matter of the political insensitivity of individual representatives of the authorities. Moreover, the content and logic of these statements differs little from similar rhetoric found in countries considered liberal democracies.
These moral teachings of the rich addressed to the poor not only clearly indicate the presence of a class consciousness among the Russian elite, they also have a specific political goal. These shocking and aggressive statements are being used to remind Russians of the rules of the game that they have come to internalize passively in their everyday lives: only rely on yourself and don’t be fooled by the mirage of collective interests. This is the truth of neoliberalism in Russia that over the twenty years of Putin’s rule has penetrated much deeper into the pores of Russian society than in Western Europe. A spirit of competition and mutual distrust has formed the foundation for mass depoliticization and submissiveness, allowing for the dominance of the Putin regime, even under conditions of economic stagnation. In order to challenge this, the Russian opposition must question the very logic of neoliberalism that rejects the very idea of society as a phenomenon.
Russia: The Protest Movement is Younger, Poorer, and More Left Wing
Desperately seeking socialism
The Protests against Russia’s Pension Reform and the Reasons for Their Defeat
Bolsheviks and Feminists: In Cooperation and Conflict
With its controversial pension reforms, Russia is looking after its rich
Argentina in its Labyrinth
Controlled slowdown or early depression?
Behind the Economic Turbulence
Worrying About Huawei: Is China Winning the G5 Race?
Ilya Budraitksis is a leader of the "Vpered" ("Forward"), Russian section of the Fourth International, which participated in the founding of the Russian Socialist Movement (RSD).
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In battle for the House, many Dems start from scratch
By SARA BURNETT , Associated Press
NAPERVILLE, Ill. — When the Democratic Party told Lauren Underwood she needed to raise $100,000 in six weeks to get her campaign for Congress off the ground, she wasn't sure what to do. The nurse from suburban Chicago had never run for office, and her fundraising experience was mostly limited to selling Girl Scout cookies for $4 a box.
"Why would I know how to do this?" recalls the 31-year-old, who missed that target but went on to defeat six men in her Democratic primary and become one of the party's top prospects in November. "We were figuring it out, the whole way through."
As the party tries to recapture the House this year by winning 23 more seats, they're counting on an unusual crop of candidates: people who have never done anything like this before. People who've never run for school board or city council, much less a high-stakes race like Congress in a year when Democrats are desperate to win more leverage against President Donald Trump.
Of the more than 50 candidates running in GOP-held districts given the best chance for flipping, almost two-thirds are seeking office for the first time. That's a significant increase over 2016, when less than half of those running in targeted districts were first-timers.
The rookie candidates are a wide range of ages, races and backgrounds, from entrepreneurs to veterans, teachers and a former professional football player. Several, like Underwood, held jobs in President Barack Obama's administration.
Their bids represent a different approach for Democrats, after progressives accused the party of rigging Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential nomination, and after both Bernie Sanders and Trump ascended as party outsiders.
This time around the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee made a point of telling prospects they didn't have to work their way up the political ladder — that if someone had a connection to voters, they should try.
And while the learning curve may be huge, Democrats say today's political atmosphere is primed for different faces.
Voters "want to see a different kind of political culture, and they want to see themselves in the candidates that are running," said Kate Catherall, who worked on Obama's 2008 campaign and now advises new candidates and campaign managers.
Republicans also have first-time candidates, but fewer because the party is mostly focused on defending incumbents. And Dick Wadhams, a GOP strategist and former Colorado Republican Party chairman, says there may be drawbacks in the newcomers.
"Mainstream and establishment Democrats have got to be a little nervous about these candidates," he said, especially those from the far left. If they're elected, "where does that move the party long-term?"
Many of the rookie candidacies arose from the anti-Trump marches and organizations that formed after the 2016 election. Many of the targeted GOP districts are places where Democrats didn't have a deep bench of political talent or infrastructure.
Elissa Slotkin, a former CIA analyst who is now trying to unseat Rep. Mike Bishop in Michigan's 8th Congressional District, said she didn't even know what the DCCC was before this election cycle. She was stunned by how much money she'd need to compete against an incumbent who's raised millions in his last two elections.
"My husband and I had never been to a political event. We had never made a political donation," she said. "It just wasn't our world."
Underwood is trying to unseat GOP Rep. Randy Hultgren in Illinois' 14th District, a rural and suburban area north and west of Chicago once represented by GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert.
She got into the race after Hultgren told a town hall meeting that he'd vote to protect health care coverage for pre-existing conditions then supported legislation that made that coverage more expensive. She tells that story at campaign stops, saying the issue resonates with her both as a nurse and a person with a manageable heart condition.
"So I said, 'You know what? It's on. I'm running,'" she says, a line that always generates cheers and applause.
She and a friend wrote the script to her first campaign video and made phone calls to reporters, and they searched the internet for any free resources they could find. Neither Clinton nor Obama campaigned in the district and Hultgren hasn't had a serious challenge since winning office in 2010, so Underwood's campaign has had to train people on how to phone bank and knock on voters' doors.
"This was very DIY," she said. "There are a lot of places in this country you walk in and say 'I'm running' and you have 300 people with clipboards and tennis shoes laced up and ready to go. That is not what's happening here."
The district has sent a Democrat to Congress only once in the past three decades, in a 2008 special election after Hastert retired. If elected, Underwood, who is African-American, would be the first woman and first minority to represent the predominantly white district, which includes swaths of farmland and upscale subdivisions.
Democrats say they're hopeful about the race because Clinton lost to Trump by only 4 points there. The party's March primary vote almost matched the number of GOP ballots cast for the first time.
Last month a PAC backed by Republican House leaders opened a new field office in the district to help Hultgren. The former state lawmaker says he's confident voters will see the clear differences in both policy and experience between him and Underwood.
"Hopefully it points to a track record of someone who's not just talk, but someone who can actually get things done," he said.
The swell of progressive activism in the wake of Trump's election also inspired groups that are training potential Democratic candidates and campaign staff.
Catherall founded The Arena with other Obama campaign alums. The group expected 50 or so people at the first seminar, held just after Trump's election. About 400 showed up, for sessions like "Campaigns 101" and "How Do I Finance a Race?"
For Underwood, fundraising is getting easier since her first spate of pub fundraisers and cold calls. Last quarter she outraised Hultgren, though he still has more cash on hand. Her target for the current quarter is $1 million.
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The Two-State Solution: What It Is and Why It Hasn’t Happened
“The two-state solution has for decades been the primary focus of efforts to achieve peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Here’s a basic guide.”
“With few viable or popular alternatives, the most likely choice may be to simply maintain the status quo — though few believe that is possible in the long term.”
Yet Israel has managed for 68 years. — Kevin Walsh
MAX FISHER, The New York Times, December 29, 2016
A construction site in the Israeli settlement of Efrat in the West Bank. (Credit: Baz Ratner/Reuters)
Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday joined a growing chorus warning that the so-called two-state solution, which he called “the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians,” could be on the verge of permanent collapse.
The two-state solution has for decades been the primary focus of efforts to achieve peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but the contours of what it would actually look like — and why it has been so hard to achieve — can get lost. Here’s a basic guide.
What is the two-state solution?
It helps to start with the problem the solution is meant to address: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At its most basic level, the conflict is about how or whether to divide territory between two peoples.
The territory question is also wrapped up in other overlapping but distinct issues: whether the Palestinian territories can become an independent state and how to resolve years of violence that include the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, the partial Israeli blockade of Gaza and Palestinian violence against Israelis.
The two-state solution would establish an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel — two states for two peoples. In theory, this would win Israel security and allow it to retain a Jewish demographic majority (letting the country remain Jewish and democratic) while granting the Palestinians a state.
Most governments and world bodies have set achievement of the two-state solution as official policy, including the United States, the United Nations, the Palestinian Authority and Israel. This goal has been the basis of peace talks for decades.
Why is the solution so difficult to achieve?
There are four issues that have proved most challenging. Each comes down to a set of bedrock demands between the two sides that, in execution, often appear to be mutually exclusive.
1. Borders: There is no consensus about precisely where to draw the line. Generally, most believe the border would follow the lines before the Arab-Israeli war of 1967, but with Israel keeping some of the land where it has built settlements and in exchange providing other land to the Palestinians to compensate. Israel has constructed barriers along and within the West Bank that many analysts worry create a de facto border, and it has built settlements in the West Bank that will make it difficult to establish that land as part of an independent Palestine. As time goes on, settlements grow, theoretically making any future Palestinian state smaller and possibly breaking it up into noncontiguous pieces.
2. Jerusalem: Both sides claim Jerusalem as their capital and consider it a center of religious worship and cultural heritage. The two-state solution typically calls for dividing it into an Israeli West and a Palestinian East, but it is not easy to draw the line — Jewish, Muslim and Christian holy sites are on top of one another. Israel has declared Jerusalem its “undivided capital,” effectively annexing its eastern half, and has built up construction that entrenches Israeli control of the city.
3. Refugees: Large numbers of Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes in what is now Israel, primarily during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that came after Israel’s creation. They and their descendants now number five million and believe they deserve the right to return. This is a nonstarter for Israel: Too many returnees would end Jews’ demographic majority and therefore Israel’s status as both a Jewish and a democratic state.
4. Security: For Palestinians, security means an end to foreign military occupation. For Israelis, this means avoiding a takeover of the West Bank by a group like Hamas that would threaten Israelis (as happened in Gaza after Israel’s 2005 withdrawal). It also means keeping Israel defensible against foreign armies, which often means requiring a continued Israeli military presence in parts of the West Bank.
Why do some consider the two-state solution dead?
There is plenty of blame to go around. The Palestinian leadership is divided between two governments that cannot come to terms. The leadership in the West Bank lacks the political legitimacy to make far-reaching but necessary concessions, and the leadership in Gaza does not even recognize Israel, whose citizens it frequently attacks. The United States, which has brokered talks for years, has taken more than a few missteps.
And most important, the current Israeli leadership, though it nominally supports a two-state solution, appears to oppose it in practice.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister since 2009, endorsed the two-state solution in a speech that year. But he continued to expand West Bank settlements and, in 2015, said there would be “no withdrawals” and “no concessions.”
Mr. Netanyahu appears personally skeptical of Palestinian independence. His fragile governing coalition also relies on right-wing parties that are skeptical of or outright oppose the two-state solution.
Israeli public pressure for a peace deal has declined. The reasons are complex: demographic changes, an increasingly powerful settler movement, outrage at Palestinian attacks such as a recent spate of stabbings, and bitter memories of the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, which saw frequent bus and cafe bombings.
And the status quo has, for most Israelis, become relatively peaceful and bearable. Many see little incentive for adopting a risky and uncertain two-state solution, leaving Mr. Netanyahu with scant reason to risk his political career on one.
Are there other solutions?
There are, but they involve such drastic costs that the United States and many other governments consider all but the two-state solution unacceptable.
There are multiple versions of the so-called one-state solution, which would join all territories as one nation. One version would grant equal rights to all in a state that would be neither Jewish nor Palestinian in character, because neither group would have a clear majority. Skeptics fear this would risk internal instability or even a return to war.
Another, advocated by some on the Israeli far right, would establish one state but preserve Israel’s Jewish character by denying full rights to Palestinians. Under this version, Israel would no longer be a democratic state.
What happens if there is no solution?
A common prediction, as Mr. Kerry stated, is that Israel will be forced to choose between the two core components of its national identity: Jewish and democratic.
This choice, rather than coming in one decisive moment, would probably play out in many small choices over a process of years. For instance, a 2015 poll by the Israel Democracy Institute found that 74 percent of Jewish Israelis agreed that “decisions crucial to the state on issues of peace and security should be made by a Jewish majority.” That pollster also found that, from 2010 to 2014, Jewish Israelis became much less likely to say that Israel should be “Jewish and democratic,” with growing factions saying that it should be democratic first or, slightly more popular, Jewish first.
Many analysts also worry that the West Bank government, whose scant remaining legitimacy rests on delivering a peace deal, will collapse. This would force Israel to either tolerate chaos in the West Bank and a possible Hamas takeover or enforce a more direct form of occupation that would be costlier to both parties.
This risk of increased suffering, along with perhaps permanent setbacks in the national ambitions of both Palestinians and Israelis, is why Nathan Thrall, a Jerusalem-based analyst with the International Crisis Group, told me last year, “Perpetuating the status quo is the most frightening of the possibilities.”
Follow Max Fisher on Twitter @Max_Fisher.
A version of this article appears in print on December 30, 2016, on Page A10 of the New York edition with the headline: The Two-State Solution: What It Is and Why It Still Hasn’t Happened.
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Preacher: Greig Garratt (125), Kurt Davis (21), Burger Pretorius (9), Rory Mole (8), Michael Smalley (7), GertJan (7), Steve Wilson (6), Andre Pienaar (6), Cathi Mole (6), Peter Rasmussen (6), Nic Fester (5), Grant Crawford (4), Jonathan Isaacs (4), Smalleys M&A (4), Jannes Labuschagne (4), John Mphaphuli (4), John D'achada (3), Thean Kotze (3), Derek Chester-Browne (3), Mike Hanchett (3), Martin Pohlmann (2), DJ Strydom (2), Amy Smalley (1), Brad Sadler (1), Julius Mullinder (1), Q & A (1), Tyrone Daniel (1), Mike Gooch (1), Anton Keyter (1). … (23 more)
Book: Ecclesiastes (4), Romans (1).
Series: Ignite 2018 (10), Me Myself and I (11), Going Big On God (11), Anybody Out There (2), Facing The Storm (3), Leadership (5), Becoming, being and belonging (12), Ignite 2017 (10), Uncategorised (97), Fight Club (5), Marriage Enrichment (8), Embracing Worship (6), Let's Think (19), Prophetic School (6), Series' name (1), Ignite 2016 (10), Discovering the Holy Spirit (15), Stop It (12), What's Life About? (Ecclesiastes) (6). … (10 more)
Service: Sunday Morning (89), Sunday Evening (86), Ignite (30), Sunday Morning (18), Weekday Evening (15), Sunday Morning (6), Christmas Day (2), Passion Friday (2), Thursday Evening (1).
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ICTA launches Facebook page
Jul 6, 2017 | ICTA, News
The Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA) is now on Facebook. The association’s new social media site is a place where visitors can learn more about the association and members can stay up to date on association activities.
“Facebook is a great way to highlight the breadth of the work that ICTA does,” said ICTA chief operating officer David Crenshaw. “Our new Facebook page will highlight how our association works to protect coin businesses from onerous state and federal laws and regulations, to protect collectors’ access to the numismatic marketplace, and to protect the integrity of U.S. coinage.”
The association’s new Facebook page features information on new state and federal laws and regulations, association events and promotions, counterfeits, videos, photos, news releases, and more.
“As with many other industries, social media has transformed the way business gets done,” said Kathy McFadden, ICTA’s executive director. “ICTA is pleased to embark upon this social media endeavor.”
Visit the ICTA page and “Like” them at www.facebook.com/IndustryCouncilTangibleAssets.
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The Mayor of Bath
The Mayoralty
Election of Mayor and Mayoral Duties
The Mayoral Title
Mayor's Citizen of the Year
Young Citizen of the Year
The Function of the Mayor
Noteworthy Mayors
Mayor's Awards
The Charter Trustees of the City of Bath
Patronage, Honorary Presidencies and Memberships of the Mayor of Bath
Mayor of Bath's Relief Fund
City Arms
Twinning Associations
Previous copies of Connections
History of Bath
21st Century Bath
20th Century Bath
Victorian Bath
Georgian Bath
Renaissance Bath
Medieval Bath
Norman Bath
Saxon Bath
Royal Charters
Honorary Guides
The City Plate
Civic Insignia
Civic Regalia
Three men were to be instrumental in transforming a medieval walled city of 3,000 people into an elegant Georgian City with a population of 30,000.
Richard 'Beau' Nash (1674-1762)
Richard Nash was born in South Wales in 1674 and educated at Jesus College, Oxford. He served as a Guards Officer and studied law at the Inner Temple in London, but opted for a career as a gambler. Nash was the power behind gaming dens in Tunbridge Wells and came to Bath in 1703 as an aide de camp to the Master of Ceremonies, Captain Webster. The young Richard Nash took his place when the Captain was killed in a duel.
He set about changing the social behaviour of the citizens, creating a strict code of etiquette which became the norm for all walks of life, and made the city a pleasanter and safer place. He became the "Arbiter of Elegance" and was known as the "King of Bath", becoming one of the most influential men in the social history of England.
He lived with his mistress, Juliana Popjoy, in a fine house, which is now the Theatre Royal in Sawclose and maintained his luxurious mode of living by gambling until gaming was outlawed in 1745. Nash died a pauper but was buried in Bath Abbey.
John Wood (1704-1754)
John Wood the Elder was an architect whose vision of building the "Rome of the North" gave Bath its architectural gems.
Wood studied Palladio, a 16th Century Italian architect, and created the buildings of Bath with symmetry, balance and proportion. As a 22-year-old working in the city in 1726/7 he was commissioned by the Duke of Chandos to rebuild part of St Johns Court Hospital. Wood seized the opportunity to realise his vision and, for the first time local stone was used to create a unified street as he designed a number of houses to look like one, in the classical Greek/Roman style.
There are three main creations that exemplify Wood's vision: Queen's Square (1729-39), the King's Circus (1754-67) and the Royal Crescent (1767-74). Wood the Elder laid the foundation stones of the Circus, but died in 1754. His son, John Wood the Younger, completed the project. The Circus incorporates three classical styles of architecture: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The carved frieze of 158 Metopes represent the arts and the sciences, while the 138 masks and 108 acorns crown the roof line to commemorate the legend of Bath.
Ralph Allen (1693-1764)
Born in Cornwall, Ralph Allen came to Bath aged 17. He joined the postal service. By 19 he was sub-Post Master and made his fortune as a Post Master when he re-organized and developed the national service. Being a man of enterprise, Allen invested his money in the stone quarries of Bath and was able to supply John Wood with the material crucial to the design of the city.
Known as the "Benevolent Man", Allen was made an Honorary Freeman in 1725. He became Mayor in 1742 and was the MP for Bath between 1757-64.
Thanks to Nash, Wood and Allen, Bath grew in wealth and popularity, becoming known as the finest city in Europe, epitomizing the height of style and fashion. In 1738 they founded one of the first hospitals outside London. It provided treatments using the hot springs and became known as 'The Royal Mineral Water Hospital'. Now 'The Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases', it is stil 'The Min' to Bathonians. The first physician was Dr William Oliver and the foundation stone was laid by William Pulteney.
The Pulteneys, one of the richest families in England, owned land on the eastern side of the river. In 1770 they employed the Scottish architect Robert Adam to design Pulteney Bridge to connect the Bathwick estate with the city. Based on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, with shops on either side, it was completed in 1774 and unique in England at that time. The Pulteney estate continued to expand with the building of the main thoroughfare, Great Pulteney Street, in 1788. The culmination of this project came in 1796 with the building now known as the Holburne Museum.
The original Guildhall, designed by the classical architect Inigo Jones 1626-27, was demolished. In 1776 the City Surveyor, Thomas Baldwin, designed and built what is now the central section of the Guildhall. This includes the Banqueting Room, elaborately decorated in the Adam style.
Bath suffered a drop in popularity as the French Revolutionary Wars began. Banks and builders went bankrupt and construction halted. The city became less fashionable as society began to favour the salt water of the sea to the mineral water of Bath.
However, during the 18th and 19th Centuries, as a cultural centre the city still attracted a wide variety of the rich and famous. This included writers Jane Austen, Oliver Goldsmith and Charles Dickens; artist Thomas Gainsborough; poets William Wordsworth, Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Walter Savage Landor; and actors David Garrick and Sara Siddons. Bath also attracted Lord Nelson, Josiah Wedgwood, William Pitt, Lord Clive (later Governor of Bengal in India) and the explorer and missionary Dr David Livingstone.
In 1805, nine days before the Battle of Trafalgar, the Theatre Royal was opened. This was the City's fourth since 1705. The original entrance on the north side of the theatre was adorned with the Royal Coat of Arms. The railings around the lawn are replicas of the seamen's pikes used at the time of Lord Nelson's death and placed there in his memory.
The Kennet and Avon Canal was opened in 1810, connecting the River Thames with the Severn Estuary. It was mainly used for the transportation of coal and other merchandise.
"Floreat Bathon" May Bath flourish
BA1 5AW
© 2019 The Mayor of Bath
Email: mayorofbath@bathnes.gov.uk
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June 3 Radio History
➦In 1940...WPG-AM, Atlantic City, New Jersey, consolidated with WBIL-AM and WOV-AM to become the "New" WOV-AM.
WPG, "The Voice Of The World's Play Ground", signed on January 3, 1925.
Owned by the municipality of Atlantic City, they had no trouble finding public property to house the station.
WPG cost the city $13,000, but since it promised millions of dollars in publicity, the management felt comfortable exaggerating the figure to $50,000.
During the summer of 1927, WPG hired popular announcer Norman Brokenshire, who quickly became a local celebrity tooling around the "World's Play Ground" in a blue-and-orange Packard.
He broadcast from the glass-enclosed "Marine Studio" at the Steel Pier and once lowered a mike from the booth to allow the world to hear the ocean waves.
Almost every club and hotel provided a venue for WPG's broadcasts, and in 1929, the station was granted permission to sell commercial time.
In May 1929, the facilities were moved to the newly opened Convention Hall, with the "Neptune" and "Marine" studios, and a listening room, open to the public.
In 1931, under economic difficulties associated with the Depression, WPG joined the Columbia Network. The network leased the station, assumed the operating costs and shared the profits with Atlantic City. The affiliation lasted until 1935 and yielded no profit.
Starting in 1928, WPG shared time with WLWL (later WBIL) from Kearney on 1100 (see below). However, by 1935, WLWL was seeking full-time hours on the frequency.
The Federal Radio Commission (FRC) cited both stations on a failure to reach an agreement on their time-sharing and granted only a temporary license renewal to both of them.
By July 1938, WPG had become a burden to the city government, with the station adding $10,000 to its annual debt.
Despite protests from the Atlantic City business community, the station was sold for $275,000, and 1100 AM was taken over by WBIL.
Programming on WBIL consisted mainly of Italian language shows.
On January 3, 1940, WBIL was dissolved into WOV. WOV would eventually become WADO 1280 AM.
Today, Talk WPGG 1450 AM brands itself as WPG.
➦In 1946...Mutual Radio debuted “The Casebook of Gregory Hood” starring Gale Gordon, as a summer replacement series for Sherlock Holmes. ‘Hood’ was popular enough to win its own time slot in the fall, and continued for three years. A variety of other radio veterans played musical chairs with the title role, including George Petrie, Elliott Lewis, Jackson Beck and Martin Gabel.
➦In 1949...singer/songwriter Hank Williams made his last appearance on Shreveport’s “Louisiana Hayride” radio show before moving to Nashville.
➦In 1949...the last episode of “The Admiral Broadway Revue” was broadcast. The first comedy variety program on television ran only 7 episodes, and starred Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca. The program had aired Friday nights simultaneously on NBC TV & Dumont.
➦In 1949…Dragnet (with Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday) was first broadcast on radio (KFI in Los Angeles). It went national on NBC Radio a month later and continued through 1957; it began on TV in December 1951.
➦In 1975...bandleader/actor/producer Ozzie Nelson lost his battle with liver cancer at age 69. After leading his own dance band & being musical director for radio’s Red Skelton Show, he got his own radio sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet in 1944, which he transferred successfully to TV in 1952.
➦In 1987...the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first female artist, Aretha Franklin.
➦In 1993...Bob Fitzsimmons, NY radio DJ (WNEW AM/WABC AM/WHN AM), died at 53.
He was the morning man on WNEW-AM from 1989 until the station's demise in late 1992. He began his broadcasting career in 1962 as an assistant to Ted Brown and William B. Williams at WNEW.
He appeared as the character Trevor Traffic with the team of Gene Klavin and Bob Finch. Bob later appeared on WRKL in Rockland County, NY, WFMJ in Youngstown, Ohio, and WPEN in Philadelphia. From 1970-73 he was a talk show host for WHN in New York before returning to WNEW. Before returing to WNEW in 1989 he was a talk show host and announcer for WABC.
➦In 2005...Infinity Broadcasting changed formats of two of the country's most notable Oldies-formatted stations: WCBS 101.1 FM in New York and WJMK 104.3 FM in Chicago.
Both stations adopted the "Jack" format while the former Oldies FM stations were moved to online versions. In New York WCBS-FM was renamed "101.1 Jack FM" and in Chicago, WJMK-FM became "104.3 Jack FM.
The "Jack" format experiment at WCBS-FM is widely regarded, inside and outside the industry, as one of the greatest failures in modern New York radio history, as the station fell to the very bottom of the ratings of full-market-coverage FM stations in the New York market.
CBS Radio dropped the Jack Format on HD1 on July 9, 2007 and resumed ‘oldies’ under a Classic Hits umbrella.
On March 9, 2011, CBS announced that on March 14, beginning at 1:04 p.m., WJMK would switch to a classic hits format known as "K-Hits", dropping the Jack FM format and brand. The change marked the station's return to an updated version of the oldies format it dropped in 2005.
➦In 2016…Veteran radio personality (XM Satellite Radio, WBCN, WCOZ and WRKO in Boston, WABX and WKNR in Detroit, WORC-Worcester) Mark Parenteau died at the age of 66.
Geoffrey Starks Nominated To Be FCC Commissioner
Geoffrey Starks
President Donald Trump has nominated Geoffrey Starks to become a member of the Federal Communications Commission for the remainder of a five-year term ending June 30, 2022, the White House said on Friday.
Starks, who currently serves as assistant bureau chief of the FCC’s enforcement bureau, also served as senior counsel at the U.S. Justice Department, the White House said in a statement.
His nomination, which is subject to Senate confirmation, was backed by Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, according to Reuters.
Starks is set to fill the seat now occupied by Democrat Mignon Clyburn, whose term nominally ended on June 30, 2017, but who can remain on the commission until her successor is confirmed.
Starks’ nomination is expected to be considered in the coming months along with a new term for Republican Commissioner Brendan Carr.
D-C Radio: WMZQ Adds Corey Calhoun As MD, Host
Corey Calhoun
iHeartMedia/Washington DC has announced Corey Calhoun as Music Director and evening air personality for Country WMZQ 98.7 FM.
He joins the iHM outlet from WAMZ-FM/Louisville, where he most recently served as morning host for the past two years. Prior to that, Calhoun was the afternoon host and Assistant Program Director for WAMZ before moving to mornings. He has also served as PD/afternoon host for WQGA, midday host for WYNR where he got his first taste in Country Music, and later went to Lexington, KY, as PD/afternoon host for WLTO.
"What an amazing opportunity it is to be able to work in the Nation's Capital alongside Jeff Kapugi and Ty Bailey," said Calhoun. "The WMZQ team is extremely talented and I can't wait to do big things with them!"
He will report to Jeff Kapugi, RVP of Programming for iHeartMedia DC-Baltimore. "Corey completes the WMZQ team," added Kapugi. "He brings a fresh new energy to the station and some great experience spanning multiple markets and formats."
WMZQ 98.7 FM (50 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
Calhoun began his career as an intern at WWWQ in Atlanta for the Adam Bomb Night Show, and was later hired as a full-time night talent for WFIZ. He graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Media Studies.
S-F Radio: KNBR, MLB Giants To Stream Games
As part of its new multi-year agreement with broadcast partner KNBR 680 AM, the Giants will become the first team in Major League Baseball to offer free, in-market live streaming of its radio broadcasts.
“KNBR has been part of our Giants family for most of our 60 years in San Francisco. We are thrilled to continue our partnership and to provide fans with additional access to our radio broadcasts and the best play-by-play announcers in all of baseball through live streaming,” said Giants President & CEO Larry Baer.
The live stream started Friday, June 1. The live streams will be delivered by TuneIn and can be accessed through KNBR.com or by downloading the TuneIn app.
“KNBR and Cumulus Media are proud to continue our 40 year partnership with the San Francisco Giants. At the same time, we're extremely excited to announce that KNBR, in partnership with TuneIn, will be the first radio station in Major League Baseball to offer Giants fans the ability to stream the games, live and free of charge in Northern California,” said Dave Milner, Executive Vice President, Operations, Cumulus Media. “Now every Giants game broadcast over the air on KNBR 680, will also be heard online at knbr.com, or the KNBR channel on TuneIn’s mobile app."
Earlier this year, the Giants and KNBR 680 finalized a multi-year extension to broadcast Giants games on the Sports Leader into the next decade.
NYC Radio Jayde Donovan To Host Annual iPad Giveaway
Cumulus Media’s 95.5 PLJ in New York is supporting morning show co-host Jayde Donovan’s Apple-A-Day Foundation to spread joy to pediatric cancer patients by honoring the memory of her friend Brittany, who passed away from bone cancer.
Jayde, co-host of the station's "Todd & Jayde In the Morning," launched the program on what would have been Brittany’s birthday, April 22, 2011. Since that time, she and her team of volunteers have surprised 600+ pediatric cancer patients with new iPads.
Every weekday in the month of May, Jayde has surprised a pediatric cancer patient with their very own iPad! 95.5 PLJ listeners got to hear the stories of patients battling pediatric cancer and how much they will benefit from receiving their own iPad. The station’s efforts to support this cause will culminate in the giving of iPads to 20 brave kids from the tri-state area at the “iPad Party” hosted by Jayde and the crew at 95.5 PLJ this Sunday, June 3rd. The iPad recipients will get to bring their families along for a day of fun at the radio station at Hackensack Meridian Health Stage 17.
The Apple-A-Day Foundation motto is: “Helping Kids Stay Connected While Fighting Cancer," providing pediatric cancer patients (ages 2-17) with devices (tablets, smart phones) so that they may experience simple joys such as listening to music, FaceTime, taking pictures, and watching movies, enabling them to stay in contact with family, friends, and the outside world.
Chad Lopez, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-New York, said: “Congratulations to Jayde and Apple-A-Day! I look forward to this event year and seeing the joy this brings to these families and children makes it all worthwhile.”
Donovan said: "Kids should be outside playing and having fun. When they get sick, it can get very lonely in the hospital. The gift of an iPad allows them to connect with friends and family when they would otherwise be limited. Technology becomes a bridge to a world they temporarily can’t be a part of. That’s what Apple a Day is all about.”
To make a donation to Apple-A-Day, please visit www.appleaday.org.
Report: Joe Ianniello In Crossfire of CBS Feud
Les Moonves and Joe Ianniello
Until just a few weeks ago, Joe Ianniello, the chief operating officer of CBS seemed poised to succeed his mentor, Les Moonves, as CEO of the media giant.
Not only had Moonves and the CBS board been heaping praise on Ianniello — the company said it would be able to hit its financial targets through 2020 in large part because of Ianniello-developed projects like CBS All Access and Showtime’s streaming app — together the duo had made the tiffany network the most-watched broadcast outlet for the past several years.
And of course, Moonves, faced with a possible merger with Viacom, famously insisted Ianniello continue as the COO of the proposed combined company — a gutsy call that would basically kick Viacom Chief Executive Bob Bakish to the curb.
The Moonves-Ianniello team, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this month, seemed to be on top of the world, according to The NYPost.
But then May 14 happened.
On that day, members of the CBS board, with Moonves’ backing, went nuclear and sued controlling shareholder Shari Redstone and the family’s National Amusements Inc. — which controls 80 percent of the voting power at CBS.
Redstone, the board members claimed, violated her fiduciary responsibilities by insisting CBS merge with Viacom — a company the Redstone family also controls — and no one else.
A Delaware judge will now decide (on June 12) whether CBS will be able to dilute Redstone control of the media company to about 20 percent. If the judge rules against CBS, Moonves could be toast — and Ianniello, 50, could very well be collateral damage.
“Time is of the essence whether or not Moonves believes it,” said BTIG analyst Rich Greenfield. “Ultimately, we believe it is hard to imagine Moonves having a role in the combined company,” Greenfield told The Post.
The analyst turned to Moonves and Ianniello: “Honestly they both just need to be terminated. The media industry house is on fire. They need to get even bigger than merged.”
With big media deals beginning to crystallize with Disney and Comcast vying for Fox and Comcast trying to buy Sky — not to mention AT&T and Time Warner looking to merge — many experts believe that time is of the essence for CBS and Viacom to combine and then hunt for a larger suitor.
MSNBC Still Publicly Supports Joy Reid
MSNBC on Friday broke two days of silence and issued a statement in support of Reid. People at the network said she will host her program as scheduled on Saturday, according to The Washington Post.
In her statement, Reid said, "There are things I deeply regret and am embarrassed by (in her blog), things I would have said differently and issues where my position has changed. Today I'm sincerely apologizing again."
She added, "I'm sorry for the collateral damage and pain this is causing individuals and communities caught in the crossfire. ... I've also spoken openly about my evolution on many issues and know that I'm a better person today than I was over a decade ago."
In particular, Reid repudiated comments she made in 2006 that echoed a discredited conspiracy theory that the federal government was behind the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people in New York and Washington.
In another post in 2005, she appeared to agree with then-Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Jews should be forced to move from Israel to a colony in Europe. "God is not a real estate broker," Reid wrote in reference to Israel. "He can't just give you land 1,000 years ago that you can come back and claim today."
However, Reid said on Friday, "There is no question in my mind that al-Qaida perpetrated the 9/11 attacks or about Israel's right to its sovereignty."
As criticism of Reid mounted this week, MSNBC faced a delicate decision - whether to fire the only African-American woman to host her own show or to stand by her as controversies over Roseanne Barr and Samantha Bee swirled at other networks.
After two days of internal deliberations, the network's executives chose to side with Reid.
Reid's apology was the third one she has issued for comments on her blog, written while she was a TV host in Florida starting in 2005. She apologized in December for old posts suggesting that then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was secretly gay and had gotten married as a cover. She also apologized to conservative commentator Ann Coulter for suggesting she was a man.
Meanwhile, The Hill reports Fox News host Sean Hannity defended MSNBC's Joy Reid on Friday amid scrutiny over newly surfaced blog posts of hers promoting conspiracy theories and offensive content, arguing that she should not be fired and that she be "given a chance to make it right."
"It's good to see Joy (who is no fan of mine) starting to take responsibility for her past remarks," Hannity said in a statement. "My suggestion is that she follows up with the groups and people who she offended, and learn from all of this. Her apology should be accepted, and she should be given a chance to make it right and not fired."
Hannity said he was trying to set an example by forgiving the "AM Joy" host.
Reid Hacking Claim Goes Unanswered
MSNBC‘s failure to address that dubious hacking claim has irked some inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Several employees who spoke to The Daily Beast—on condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize their employment—said they were largely unimpressed with the statements, noting that many questions remain conspicuously unanswered.
“Everyone in the building is laughing at the idea that it was a hacker,” one MSNBC staffer told The Daily Beast.
“It’s just a joke,” said another employee.
According to several NBC insiders, however, some staffers on Reid’s show believed she was hacked—a sentiment shared by several of her friends in the media who first defended her in April.
Other staffers expressed a growing sense of alarm about how this ongoing saga may damage MSNBC’s reputation as a news outlet.
While Reid is well-liked and respected by colleagues, said one staffer, they are waiting for Reid and MSNBC management to demonstrate a sense of accountability for her inconvenient past writing beyond boilerplate apologies. “It’s very problematic,” said an MSNBC insider.
Particularly, several LGBT staffers at the network expressed feeling insulted by how Reid seemingly suffered no consequences for her old homophobic blog posts or transphobic tweets.
“How many apologies do we need?” another staffer asked.
Others pointed out that this ordeal makes it difficult for Reid to freely comment on the news without viewers calling out some hypocrisy. Multiple staffers pointed to how Reid was roundly mocked online when—amid outrage over Roseanne Barr’s racist tirade—daytime host Andrea Mitchell asked Reid, without irony, “What do you have to do on social media to get fired from a top rated show on an American broadcast network?”
Stingrays Threaten Cellphone Privacy
The Department of Homeland Security last year found evidence of devices that can secretly catch cell phone communications around the White House and other "potentially sensitive" areas of Washington, D.C., according to CNBC citing a letter made public Friday reveals.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said that the letter, written to him by Homeland Security official Christopher Krebs, is "more evidence" that Americans are "being spied on, tracked, or scammed," possibly by foreign spy agencies in some cases.
Wyden said phone companies and the Federal Communications Commission should be taking action to strengthen cell phone security on the heels of the letter.
Homeland Security said sensors it deployed from January 2017 through November spotted activity that appeared consistent with the devices, which can monitor individual cellphone calls and texts. Known formally as International Mobile Security Identity devices, they are commonly known as StingRays.
And Homeland Security said the evidence of cell phone tracking it detected in some cases apparently resulted from "legitimate cell towers."
The Washington Post on Friday noted that Homeland Security's findings support independent research that has concluded that foreign spies have used such technology to conduct surveillance on U.S. officials in D.C.
Wyden said in a prepared statement, "The cavalier attitude toward our national security appears to be coming from the top down. It is high time for the FCC and this administration to act immediately to protect American national security."
Some 'Hate Conduct' Seems OK With Spotify
Variety reports Spotify has swiftly reversed course on its recently introduced policy to ban artists who have engaged in “hate conduct” from promoted playlists, announcing Friday that it was dropping the plan.
“[W]hile we believe our intentions were good, the language was too vague, we created confusion and concern, and didn’t spend enough time getting input from our own team and key partners before sharing new guidelines,” the company said in a statement.
However, Spotify said it was keeping the ban against “hate content” in place.
Daniel Ek
“Spotify does not permit content whose principal purpose is to incite hatred or violence against people because of their race, religion, disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation,” the company said. “As we’ve done before, we will remove content that violates that standard. We’re not talking about offensive, explicit, or vulgar content – we’re talking about hate speech.”
On May 11, Spotify announced the new two-part policy against “hate content” and “hateful conduct” regarding the artists it chooses to promote — and was met with an immediate backlash in the music biz. Last week, reports emerged that Spotify was rethinking the decision to ban certain artists from playlists based on their “hateful conduct.” The company reinstated rapper XXXTentacion, but not another artist, R. Kelly.
CEO Daniel Ek, speaking at an industry conference this week, admitted Spotify botched the rollout of the new policy. “We rolled this out wrong and could have done a much better job,” Ek said Wednesday night, speaking at the Code Conference in a keynote Q&A.
In explaining the move Friday, Spotify said the “hate conduct” provision applied only to “rare cases of the most extreme artist controversies.”
➦In 1896...Marconi files full specs for first (radio) wireless patent. He had succeeded the previous year in sending long-wave radio signals over a distance of about two kilometres. And in 1897, Marconi formed a wireless telegraphy company to develop its commercial applications. In 1901, he sent the letter ”S” across the Atlantic from Cornwall, England to a receiving station in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Ben Grauer
➦In 1908...radio & TV announcer Ben Grauer was born in Staten Island NY.
Starting in 1932 on NBC Radio, Grauer covered the Olympic Games, presidential inaugurations, and international events. He is best remembered as the NBC radio and TV host of the annual New Year’s Eve broadcasts live from Times Square. During his 40-year broadcast career, he hosted over half a dozen TV programs on NBC including game shows, quiz shows, concerts and news programs.
His career at NBC ended in 1973, and he died after a heart attack May 31, 1977 at age 68.
➦In 1915...actor Walter Tetley was born in New York City. At age 23 he moved to Hollywood where his radio career as a series of brash teenagers blossomed and lasted more than 25 years, by which time he was in his late 40’s. His best remembered roles are as Gildy’s nephew Leroy on NBC radio’s The Great Gildersleeve, and as Julius Abbruzio on The Phil Harris-Alice Faye Show. He also voiced many popular cartoon characters. He died at age 60 Sept. 4 1975, four years after a serious MVA had left him confined to a wheelchair.
➦In 1922..actor/sportscaster Gill Stratton Jr. was born in Brooklyn. While appearing in supporting roles in film in the late 40’s he began working as a radio actor in such shows as Lux Radio Theater, The Great Gildersleeve, and My Little Margie. He worked opposite Judy Garland in the 1950 radio version of The Wizard of Oz, and opposite Shirley Temple in an audio adaptation of The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer. In the 1954 television season, Stratton was a regular on the CBS situation comedy That’s My Boy. That same year he began a 16 year run as sportscaster on KNXT Los Angeles, and over time also covered sports for KNX radio and KTTV.
He died of congestive heart failure Oct. 11 2008 at age 86.
➦In 1933...WNJ 1450 AM, Newark, New Jersey went off the air.
This station originally went on the air as WRAZ in June 1923, located at 1290 AM.
It was owned by former naval radio operator Herman Lubinsky, who established the Radio Shop of Newark at 58 Market St., for the home of WRAZ. In April 1924, calls were changed to WCBX.
Then, on October 15, 1924, Lubinsky requested the calls WNJ, which he said stood for "Wireless New Jersey," and received his third set of call letters in 16 months.
In 1925, Lubinsky built a studio in the Paradise Ballroom in Newark and operated a shortwave transmitter for local remote pick-ups.
In July of that year, WNJ moved to 1190 AM and shared time briefly with New York station WGCP.
In July 1926, WNJ broadcasted "unauthorized" on 850 and 860 AM.
In April 1927, the station moved to 1070 AM and shared time with WGCP and Newark station WDWM.
Later that year, WNJ moved to 1120 AM and finally in November 1928, the station settled on 1450 AM, sharing time with Fort Lee station WBMS, Elizabeth staation WIBS and Jersey City station WKBO.
WNJ, "The Voice Of Newark", presented programming in Polish and Lithuanian and featured some of the earliest Italian programming in the New York metropolitan area, featuring Ben D'Avella.
In November 1932, the FRC (Federal Radio Commission) denied WNJ's request for license renewal. Lubinsky fought the action in the federal courts, but lost and was ordered off the air.
(H/T: Angelfire.com)
➦In 1937...The Fabulous Dr. Tweedy was broadcast on NBC radio for the first time, the summer replacement for Jack Benny. Frank Morgan starred as the absent-minded Dr. Tweedy.
➦In 1937...CBS radio presented the first broadcast of Second Husband. The show continued on the air until 1946.
➦In 1959...DJ Alan Freed did his first show on WABC 770 AM, New York after being fired from WINS 1010-AM, New York. He left WABC in November of that same year.
MSNBC Stands By Joy Reid Over Blog Posts
UPDATE 6/1/18 2:30PM: MSNBC is backing Joy Reid, even as more of her controversial, offensive blog posts have been resurfaced.
The cable network issued a statement of support for Joy Reid on Friday, coupled with a new apology from the host about her past blog posts. However, she did not take ownership of a new set of posts allegedly written by her more than a decade ago.
"Some of the things written by Joy on her old blog are obviously hateful and hurtful," the network said Friday. "They are not reflective of the colleague and friend we have known at MSNBC for the past seven years. Joy has apologized publicly and privately and said she has grown and evolved in the many years since, and we know this to be true."
In her own, lengthy statement, Reid said she's "sincerely apologizing again" for her past writings, which are alleged to include homophobic blog posts.
Earlier Posting.....
MSNBC host Joy Reid’s now-defunct blog published an image of Sen. John McCain’s head photoshopped onto the body of Virginia Tech shooter Seung-Hui Cho, according to a newly discovered post reviewed by BuzzFeed News.
The October 2007 post, titled “Baghdad John Strikes Again,” discusses the infamous claim from McCain, then the GOP presidential nominee, that he would “follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell.” The image appears at the end of the post, which was apparently penned by Reid.
The McCain post is the latest in a series of archived items from Reid’s blog that have embarrassed the AM Joy host and her network. Though Reid apologized for several anti-gay posts last December, she later attributed others to a hacker. Reid subsequently admitted that she could not substantiate this claim after news reports knocked down the evidence her private cybersecurity expert provided.
Joy Reid
Reid and MSNBC have both pointed to an ongoing FBI investigation into the alleged breach.
Friday morning even more controversial posts surfaced, adding to pressure on MSNBC and Reid To offer an explanation.
One post includes sharp criticism of CNN's Wolf Blitzer for being "a former flak for American Israeli Public Affairs Committee" (AIPAC) while accusing the veteran anchor of not hiding "his affinity for his Israeli guests, or his partisanship for their cause."
The Blitzer post, which was discovered by The Federalist on Thursday, a conservative online publication.
"With the Israeli ambassador, Blitzer was solicitous, even posing the incredible question of ‘what can we do’ about the deteriorating situation," reads the Reid blog post from 2005.
The National Review reports the other blog post from 2006 that denounces illegal immigration and insecure borders.
Mike Novak To Retire as CEO of Educational Media Foundation
Mike Novak, the chief executive of the largest non-commercial contemporary Christian radio organization in the U.S., announced today he will retire as CEO of the ministry that operates the popular K-LOVE and Air1 radio networks in the coming months.
Novak and Educational Media Foundation’s (EMF’s) Board of Directors have been working closely the past couple of years on the timing of his retirement. Mr. Novak will continue to serve as CEO, while working with the Board of Directors in their search for his successor.
Mike Novak
Mr. Novak, 68, joined EMF in 1998 and became CEO in 2007. He led dramatic growth of the networks, now heard on more than 800 stations in all 50 states and streamed around the world online. When he began as CEO, K-LOVE and Air1 were heard on more than 600 stations in 45 states.
“It has been a great honor to be a part of God’s plan to use this radio ministry to connect people to Jesus Christ,” Mr. Novak said. “I know there is a season for everything and my season for leading this organization is coming to an end. I am looking forward to serving EMF in an emeritus role, staying involved in the broadcasting world, and spending more time with my amazing wife, Cheri, and my family.”
“Mike Novak has provided outstanding leadership to our organization for these last 11 years as CEO,” said Dan Antonelli, Chairman of the Board of EMF. “Mike has used his deep knowledge of the broadcasting industry and his passion and commitment to our ministry to create an organization that today reaches more than 20 million people each week.”
Mr. Novak’s involvement with K-LOVE goes back to 1982 when he served as the voice of the station and then joined EMF full time in 1998 as an air talent and later program director, network program director, vice president of programming, and senior vice president, before being tapped to be President/CEO in 2007. Prior to joining EMF, he held a number of positions at for-profit radio stations in major markets in California for many years.
Facebook To Discontinue 'Trending'
Alex Hardiman, Head of News Products for Facebook today the Trending section would soon make way for 'future news' experiences on Facebook.
Trending was introduced in 2014 as a way to help people discover news topics that were popular across the Facebook community. However, it was only available in five countries and accounted for less than 1.5% of clicks to news publishers on average. From research we found that over time people found the product to be less and less useful. Facebook will remove Trending next week and we will also remove products and third-party partner integrations that rely on the Trends API.
According to Hardiman, "We’ve seen that the way people consume news on Facebook is changing to be primarily on mobile and increasingly through news video. So we’re exploring new ways to help people stay informed about timely, breaking news that matters to them, while making sure the news they see on Facebook is from trustworthy and quality sources.
Breaking News Label: A test we’re running with 80 publishers across North America, South America, Europe, India and Australia lets publishers put a “breaking news” indicator on their posts in News Feed. We’re also testing breaking news notifications.
Today In: We’re testing a dedicated section on Facebook called Today In that connects people to the latest breaking and important news from local publishers in their city, as well as updates from local officials and organizations.
News Video in Watch: We will soon have a dedicated section on Facebook Watch in the US where people can view live coverage, daily news briefings and weekly deep dives that are exclusive to Watch.
Hardiman added, "People tell us they want to stay informed about what is happening around them. We are committed to ensuring the news that people see on Facebook is high quality, and we’re investing in ways to better draw attention to breaking news when it matters most."
And The 2018 Radio Mercury Awards Winners Are...
McCann NY Co-Chief Creative Officer, Sean Bryan; John Bleeden, FCB Chicago, and Erica Farber, RAB President-CEO
Winners for the 2018 Radio Mercury Awards were announced Thursday evening at the 27th annual awards presentation held at The Cutting Room in New York.
This year’s $50,000 Best of Show award was split between FCB Chicago for their "Tours" Radio Flyer Campaign and Fitzco//Casanova McCann for their "Share A Coke 1,000 Name Celebration" Campaign.
"We were really torn over this classic incredibly creative storytelling for Radio Flyer and then this innovative and exciting use of the medium for Coke," noted Sean Bryan, chief judge and co-chief creative officer, McCann NY. "Splitting the Best of Show award is the best option with a nod to the heart of the medium, and a wink to the future."
"This was a fantastic year for radio creative. Our two Best of Show winners, along with all of tonight’s winners, showcase radio’s ability to share creative stories that encapsulate a brand’s message, and use the medium in a multi-platform environment, much like how consumers digest media and advertising today," said Erica Farber, president and CEO, Radio Advertising Bureau and chair of the Radio Creative Fund.
Sean Bryan with Alejandro Ortiz Casanova McCann; Mitch Bennett,Michael Groenwald, Bowen Mendelson, Fitzco and Farber
This year’s Radio Marketer of the Year Award was presented to Comcast’s Xfinity. Drew Horowitz, president and chief operating officer of Hubbard Radio presented this year’s award to Eileen Diskin, senior vice president, marketing communications at Comcast. Erica Farber noted that "Xfinity’s brand efforts activated during the past year consistently demonstrate how to leverage radio’s multi-platform capabilities. They created significant programs to support their suite of video, broadband, mobile, phone and home security products and services that showcase the very best of radio."
The lively ceremony was hosted by the radio team of Sherman & Tingle from Hubbard Radio’s 97.1 The Drive WDRV in Chicago and included the following presenters: Chuck Meehan, Doner Detroit; New York radio personalities – Rita Cosby, WABC; Shelley Rome, Z100; Shalia, WBLS, Omar Torres, Alt 92.3; and Garrett Vogel, Z100. DJ Whutever from iHeartMedia’s Power 105.1 served as the guest DJ for the night.
Numerous leaders from the creative and advertising community including the aforementioned Sean Bryan, Chuck Meehan,Ciro Sarmiento, Dieste, along with Sal DeVito and Ellis Verdi, co-founders of DeVito/Verdi, and SVP, executive creative director from Fitzco, Mitch Bennett were in attendance. Also in attendance were creative teams from barrettSF, BBDO NY, JWT Puerto Rico, Publicis NY, PureRed, and W+K.
Spanish-Language Stations Call Nielsen Foul
The Spanish Broadcasting System says it was informed this week by Nielsen of what its calls 'sweeping, retroactive changes' to the radio measurement of Hispanic households. The company alleges the changes are 'attacks' on Hispanics.
Richard D. Lara, General Counsel for Spanish Broadcasting Systemissued the following statement:
“Earlier this week, Spanish Broadcasting System, the owner and operator of 17 radio stations serving the top Hispanic markets throughout the United States for over 30 years, received disconcerting news from The Nielsen Company.
Nielsen announced its intention to make sweeping, retroactive changes to its audience measurement service based on an internal decision to remove a number of Hispanic households from its ratings sampling pool. SBS, and other Spanish-language broadcasters, vehemently object and protest such unilateral, and seemingly, discriminatory actions taken by Nielsen, which unfairly and disproportionally exclude Hispanic-listener households from the ratings methodology.
The restated ratings and rankings reports are, in SBS’s view unreliable, and inaccurately suggest that Spanish-language stations have dropped from top 5 rankings to number 15 or lower. This cannot stand. SBS will continue to faithfully serve its Hispanic-listener communities and will not tolerate unfair and discriminatory attacks on Spanish language broadcasters. We will not stop until Nielson’s prejudicial and discriminatory attacks on U.S.-based Hispanics ceases.”
The statement was issued after removed four households from its L.A. PPM ratings sample and began to reissue seven surveys of ratings. SBS calls “unreliable” the reissued ratings, which caused its “La Raza” KLAX-FM to drop a full share, and says Nielsen’s actions “unfairly and disproportionately exclude Hispanic-listener households.”
According to MediaPost, Nielsen has historically been under the microscope for its representation of minority viewers in its audience measurement samples, so the removal of some Hispanic household representation in a heavily Hispanic market like Los Angeles merits attention.
For its part, Nielsen says the move was made purely for “quality” reasons and that the households that were removed did not live up to its quality control standards, but that the result is that the representation of Hispanic persons and households in its sample continues to meet its targets.
“The integrity of our data is paramount and that is why Nielsen removed four homes from the Los Angeles PPM panel effective with the April monthly audio currency data,” a Nielsen spokesperson stated. PPM stands for “portable people meter,” which is a portable device panelists carry with them to detect what audio signals they exposed to throughout their day.
“An internal review concluded that these homes did not meet our data quality and integrity standards,” the spokesperson continued, adding, “We conducted an analysis of data from October 2017 to March 2018 and determined that the data for these months will be reissued without these homes included.”
The spokesperson said Nielsen reviewed the composition and characteristics of the balance of its Los Angeles panel and deteremined it meets its standards.
Nielsen’s sample target for Hispanic persons 6 years and older in Los Angeles is 1,192 and its average daily “in-tab” -- or the portion of its sample reporting useable data -- is 1,475.
Report:Cable News Viewing Slows Down
Cable news networks had a general overall viewing pullback in May, in part, due to NBA playoff viewing, according to Wayne Friedman at MediaPost.
Fox News Channel still leads all cable news networks.
While prime time grew 6% to 2.38 million viewers and 2% among key 25-54 viewers to 461,000, it slipped in total day (6 a.m. to 6 a.m. viewing). It was down 2% in total viewers to 1.4 million and 8% lower in 25-54 at 279,000.
Fox News Channel came in second place overall to TNT -- which had heavy NBA playoff programming.
After almost a year of nonstop growth, second-place cable news net MSNBC lost some ground. In prime time, the network was down 2% to 1.65 million and 21% lower in 25-54 viewers to 329,000. Total day viewing went south: 1% to 914,000 and 11% lower in 25-54 to 196,000.
Still, MSNBC says in looking at 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., it witnessed growth -- while Fox News and CNN declined. For May, in total viewers, MSNBC was up 4% with Fox News down 9% and CNN losing 21%.
Fox Plans For Limiting Commercials Hits RoadBump
Fox Networks Group had grand ambitions to reduce commercials this season, specifically in its Sunday night block of animation and comedies. The plan was to knock off as much as 40 percent of ad time in more than 40 Sunday nights of the year.
But its plan has hit a snag, according to AdAge.
While Fox is still out selling its one-minute commercial breaks, dubbed "just a and z" pods, or Jaz for short, they're currently slated to run on only three Sunday nights next season. Those nights are Oct. 14, Oct. 21 and Nov. 11, according to people familiar with the situation, who note that the dates have changed before and could again.
Fox was out early with its idea for limited commercials, which it pitched before its upfronts presentation to advertisers this month. But the execution has changed course along the way.
The roadblocks have come both from Fox's affiliates and its programming division, buyers surmise. Fox's head of ad sales Joe Marchese had been talking with affiliates in an attempt to move local ad breaks out of many Sunday nights, but it doesn't appear that he'll have deals in place in time for this year's upfront negotiations.
(The Jaz pod gets its name from the "A" and "Z" positions in a typical commercial break, the first and last ones to run, with others in between; a Jaz pod would include only those two spots.)
While Fox's plans are more modest for next season than perhaps its initial pitch to the marketplace, most of the industry agrees the efforts are commendable, and on the nights Fox does air its shows with a reduce commercial load, viewers will see a noticeable difference.
Fox News To Expand 'America's Newsroom' Time Slot
Fox News Channel announced Thursday it will expand its signature morning news program, America’s Newsroom, to three hours, starting Monday, June 11.
The show, co-anchored by Bill Hemmer and Sandra Smith, will air from 9:00am to 12:00pm ET, replacing "Happening Now," which currently airs at 11:00am ET.
"Bill and Sandra’s ability to cut through the headlines and provide hard-hitting interviews with the nation’s leaders have made it must-see television and we’re excited to add an extra hour of this informative program to the weekday lineup," Fox News president and executive editor Jay Wallace said.
"Happening Now" host Jon Scott will anchor "Fox Report Weekend" on Saturdays at 7:00pm ET and on Sundays at 6:00pm ET, kicking off on Saturday, June 16.
Scott, who has been with Fox News Channel since its October 1996 launch, will also contribute to weekend breaking news coverage.
"Adding Jon Scott’s extensive experience in breaking news will help ensure our weekend coverage remains unparalleled in the industry," Wallace announced.
Geared towards providing hard news and interviews with key newsmakers, "America’s Newsroom" has averaged 1.6 million total viewers, making it the number one news program in its timeslot.
Hemmer has anchored the program since its inception in 2009 and for the majority of his 10-year tenure at the network. Smith joined him as co-anchor last fall and has co-hosted "Outnumbered" since its debut in 2014.
NYC Radio: Dave LaBrozzi Named WPLJ PD
Dave LaBrozzi
Cumulus Media announces that it has named David LaBrozzi as Program Director for WPLJ 95.5 FM in New York.
LaBrozzi joins Cumulus Media from Entercom-Baltimore, where he was Vice President, Programming, for the company’s four-station cluster for 14 years. Prior to that, he was Regional Vice President of Programming for Clear Channel/iHeart Media, overseeing stations in Pittsburgh, PA; Wheeling, WV; and Johnstown, PA. LaBrozzi’s career includes programming stops in Dallas, TX; San Antonio, TX; Austin, TX; and Nashville, TN.
Chad Lopez, Vice President/Market Manager, Cumulus Media-New York, said: “We’re excited to welcome Dave LaBrozzi to the heritage brand that is WPLJ. We look forward to what he’ll bring to the Big Apple. I want to thank Mike Allan as Interim PD and the programming team at 95.5 for all of their hard work these last few months.”
WPLJ 95.5 FM (6.7 Kw) Red=Local Coverage Area
LaBrozzi said: “WPLJ is truly one of America’s Iconic Radio Stations. I am thrilled, honored and humbled to join Chad Lopez, Dave Milner, Mike McVay and the incredible team at 95.5 PLJ. While I can’t wait to get started in New York, I want to thank Entercom and CBS for a great experience and for being an important part of my life.”
MO Radio: Cumulus Media Silences KZJF
KZJF 104.1 FM in Jefferson City, MO went off the air last Friday, according to the News-Tribune citing documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission.
KSJF 104.1 FM (5.3 Kw)
Station owner Cumulus Media in November filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and agreed to a restructuring agreement to reduce its more than $1 billion in debt. As part of the restructuring process, Cumulus agreed to divest KZJF along with stations in Albany, Georgia; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Toledo, Ohio.
Cumulus discontinued operations at the KZJF on Monday, according to documents filed with the FCC.
In 2013, the station switched from a country radio format to a sports-talk-radio format and had an affiliation with CBS Sports Radio. During that period, KZJF also carried Westwood One programming including NFL broadcasts, the Super Bowl and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
In June 2015, KZJF switched its format to classic hits and Cumulus re-branded the station as Z104.1 Jefferson City’s Classic Hits.
Because of the change, Cumulus-owned KJMO 97.5 FM will switch from an oldies format and assume KZJF’s classic hits format.
Shareholder Pension Fund Backs CBS In Redstone Fight
A Pennsylvania state pension fund claims Shari Redstone’s National Amusements Inc. breached its fiduciary responsibility by interfering in a CBS board vote that diluted the heiress’ grip on the media giant.
In addition, NAI, owned by the Redstone family, violated Delaware law when it pushed through at the 11th hour a change in the CBS bylaws aimed at blocking the dilutive vote, the suit, filed in Delaware Chancery Court by the Westmoreland County Employees Retirement System, claims.
A Delaware judge is weighing whether the bylaws change is legal.
According to The NYPost, the suit by the pension fund, a shareholder in CBS, is the latest salvo in the weeks’ long warfare between the New York media giant and the Redstone family — which controls 80 percent of the voting power at CBS through coveted A shares.
CBS, led by Chairman and Chief Executive Moonves, claims in court papers that Redstone is pushing a merger only with Viacom, also controlled by the family, because it is in her best interest.
CBS shareholders would be better served if CBS merged with another company, it said in court papers. Indeed, Redstone blocked an approach by an unidentified third party interested in a possible merger, court papers claim.
Redstone, the daughter of ailing media mogul Sumner Redstone, claims through NAI lawyers that the move to amend CBS bylaws — to require a 90 percent vote on certain matters — was perfectly legal.
The CBS board in May voted 11-3 to issue a dividend of A shares to every CBS shareholder. The move would dilute the Redstone family control from 80 percent to about 20 percent.
Report: Facebook Shareholders Flirt with Revolt
Anger and frustration boiled over at Facebook’s annual shareholder meeting on Thursday, turning the typically uneventful gathering into a chance for investors to confront company executives after a scandal-ridden year.
NBC News reports the meeting felt like a revolt at times, as investors hammered CEO Mark Zuckerberg with qestions about his leadership, control of the company and handling of the Cambridge Analytica data-harvesting scandal.
Facebook’s shareholder meetings are mostly a formality, as voting power in the company is still controlled by Zuckerberg and his inner circle. This makes it nearly impossible to pass any shareholder initiatives unless they’ve been blessed by Zuckerberg. All six shareholder initiatives put forward on Thursday were voted down.
During the election of board members, one woman interrupted and urged shareholders to vote down Zuckerberg’s re-election to the board. Despite the interruption, all eight members of the board, including Zuckerberg, were re-elected.
A shareholder proposal that would have given everyone one vote per share, stripping Zuckerberg of his special voting rights, did not pass.
Zuckerberg and board members were hit hard with concerns over the company’s handling of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
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Report: Redstone Wants To Sell Combined Company
Fox Sets Date for Disney Vote
The Donald-Kim K: 'The Other Big Ass Summit'
Kid Reporter Asks Question At TWH Briefing
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NFL Owners Pushed By Trump On Anthem Policy
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BMI: Radio's Influence On Music Has Eroded
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Disney Quick to Act When Image Is Threatened
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Shreveport Radio: Aaron Criswell To Manage Cumulus...
Morgan Freeman's Lawyer Demands CNN Retraction
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Stacy Conradt
Follow @stacy_writes
Stacy Conradt is a staff writer who's been contributing to mental_floss since 2008. As an avid board game lover, she is especially fond of her work on Split Decision and Mixed Nuts. In her spare time (ha) she likes to run badly and visit roadside attractions that make most people cringe. She never met an Abe Lincoln tribute she didn't love. If you have one to suggest, let her know at twitter.com/stacy_writes.
Meet George Murphy, the Tap-Dancing Senator
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The phrase didn’t originally refer to the group of guys most people think it does—and actually, it wasn’t even a group of all guys.... READ ON
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Happy Birthday to the Drive-In Movie Theater!
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Artist Yarnbombs 130-Year-Old Building With Over 1000 Knitted Squares
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NEJM Interactive Medical Cases
The New England Journal of Medicine, one of the best medical journals in the World, has just started an innovative new series on their website, Interactive Medical Cases. These interactive cases, so far just one, allow you to virtually manage an actual patient’s case, from presentation to outcome. The first case is just fantastic and I am really looking forward to new ones in the future. You absolutely have to try this unique combination of videos, animations, quizzes and other interactive content.
Here are some screen shots to get you excited:
Interpret acid-base results on your iPhone
During my medical school years and now when I myself practice medicine, I have noticed that a lot of people have trouble interpreting the arterial blood gases (ABG) test. This test normally provides partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2), partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2), pH and bicarbonate (HCO3) values. It is important and quite easy to notice if some of these figures are not normal, but interpretation is crucial and sometimes difficult. For these reasons I am sure a lot of practicing medical workers will be pleased to hear that there is now a great application for the iPhone which can be of big help during the interpretation of the ABG test.
The mentioned app is called Acid Plus and is available through the iTunes Store for only $1.99. Acid Plus is extremely easy to use. You open it, enter the ABG test values and the app interprets it for you. Take a look at some of the screen shots.
If you turn the iPhone to landscape view, you will see a colorful graph with an arrow pointing to the disorder.
Acid Plus will also provide you with common causes of the primary acid-base disorders.
Acid Plus rapidly found its way into my top most useful medical apps for the iPhone. If you are practicing medicine and own an iPhone, you need to have it.
Lab in your cellphone
There are many healthcare problems in the developing countries, like lack of medical staff and equipment, and this is why I helped start the openECGproject. Now, a great concept to try an fix these problems is to utilize devices that are already present and hack them to be useful for patients. Devices like cellphones are a perfect example. And, this is exactly what the research team led by Dr. Aydogan Ozcan from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) has done. They have developed an innovative lens-free technique for rapidly and accurately counting targeted cell types in a homogenous cell solution. Their vision is that individuals would one day be able to draw a blood sample into a chip the size of a U.S. quarter, which could then be inserted into a cell phone that would quickly identify and count the cells within the sample. The read-out could be sent wirelessly to a hospital for further analysis. This could have significant impact on medical diagnostic procedures related to health problems such as HIV or malaria.
Learn more from Wired.
EyePhone for iPhone
EyePhone is the new application for iPhone which might prove useful to an ophthalmologist in the field to quickly assess a persons vision. It includes several ophthalmic tests such as Ishihara, near vision acuity, amsler grid and fixation target. Flashlight and pupil gauge are also there.
EyePhone was developed in Brazil by Valemobi for a company called Eyecare and it is available for free in the iTunes app store.
Take a look at various tests it offers.
Near Visual Acuity Test
Distance E Test
Fixating Test
Color Test – Ishihara
Amsler Grid
Pupil Gauge
I am not sure how much useful this app will turn to be. If nothing, those Ishihara test plates look pretty amazing. Nevertheless, it is very exciting to see that creative medical apps for the iPhone seam to be appearing on regular basis.
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Bryan's Rant
Ethan Small: Breakout Pitcher
Photo courtesy Mississippi State Athletics
By Bryan Flynn Thursday, June 6, 2019 1:04 p.m. CDT
In the long and bright history of Mississippi State University baseball, it might be hard to find a player with a bigger breakout season than redshirt junior Ethan Small. The pitcher is enjoying his best season on the mound as a Bulldog in what could be his final year.
Small's career started with 15 appearances as a freshman with all his appearances coming in relief. He won just one game and posted a 13.07 ERA with 20 strikeouts. In eight of the times he entered the game, he went an inning or longer. His work in the classroom earned him SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll.
The left-handed pitcher missed all of his sophomore season in 2017 due to an elbow injury which required surgery. Small then had a redshirt season as he went through rehabilitation to get ready for the 2018 season.
He returned in 2018, staring in 18 games and tying the team lead with five wins. Small went 5-4 on the season with 122 strikeouts in 110 innings of work. His ERA fell to 3.20, as he gave up three or fewer runs in 15 of his 18 starts.
The Arizona Diamondbacks drafted the Lexington, Tenn., native in the 26th round of the 2018 MLB Draft. However, he chose to return to school instead—a decision that could not have turned out better for the pitcher.
This season, Small has been outstanding. He owns a 9-2 record with 16 games started. He did not suffer his first lost until April 2019 in this 10th start of the season against the University of Arkansas.
He experienced his second loss this season in May against Vanderbilt University in the SEC Tournament. Small went 7-1 in SEC play during the regular season. He went 5-2 against ranked foes the Bulldogs faced this season with nine starts against the teams.
Small has yet to allow more than three runs in his 16 starts this season, and in 15 of those starts, he allowed two or fewer runs. In 96 innings of work, Small has posted an outstanding 1.88 ERA with 160 strikeouts. He has allowed just 53 hits, 22 runs, 20 earned runs and walked 27 batters he has faced.
His 302 career strikeouts make him the third pitcher in MSU history to reach that mark behind Eric DuBose (428 strikeouts) and Jeff Brantley (364 strikeouts). He is the sixth MSU pitcher with multiple 100 strikeout seasons.
The 160 strikeouts for Small this season is the second best in school history. It is the ninth best for a single season in SEC history, and is second in strikeouts in the NCAA this season.
Small was a finalist for the 2019 Ferriss Trophy but lost to teammate Jake Mangum. He earned SEC Pitcher of the Year and First-Team All-SEC honors for his work on the mound. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper named him First-Team All-American.
The accolades might not stop pouring in for the pitcher. He is a finalist for the College Baseball Foundation's National Pitcher of the Year. His work has earned him a semifinalist spot for the 2019 Golden Spikes Award and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association's Dick Howser Trophy.
When Small arrived in Starkville, Miss., his fastball topped out 96 miles per hour as a freshman. Since his surgery it is closer to between 86 to 92 miles per hour, which is different since most pitchers' velocity stats increase after the surgery. Where Small's game has improved is in his command and location. He earns strikes with swings and misses, and outs with weak ground balls.
In the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft, the Milwaukee Brewers selected Small with the 28th overall pick. He will have a decision to make after the season to return to MSU for a senior season or leave as he begins his path to the majors.
Small and his teammates will be in action this weekend as the Bulldogs host Stanford University in the Starkville Super Regional. Game one is Saturday, June 8, on ESPN2 with a 2 p.m. first pitch. The second game of the regional will start at 8 p.m. on ESPNU on Sunday, May 9, with a third game on Monday, May 10, if necessary, with a 6 p.m. start on ESPN2.
The winner will advance to the 2019 College World Series.
More stories by this author
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Ockley Dramatic Society
Ockley Free School
Ockley Society
Doctors' Surgery
Public Houses
Back ground
New text
The Parish Council meeting on 7th September 2018, attended by the Diocesan representatives, was reported in the November Magazine and more fully in the Parish Council minutes available on their website. I wanted to elaborate and correct some of the comments.
The land on which the school and school house was built was transferred by the Lord of the Manor in 1843 to a trust set up under Jane Scott’s will, using the process provided by an Act of Parliament in William IV’s reign. Up to ½ an acre could be enclosed for the purpose of building a school. The Trust paid a small amount covering the legal fees. If the transfer had used the process of the similar Queen Victoria Act which was enacted before the transfer, the School would have reverted to the Lord of the Manor when it closed and the village would have a full say in what happens to the site! Jane Scott, the retired governess at Elderslie left money to construct a well on the Green and to build a school to educate Ockley children. There wasn’t sufficient money for both so various people supplemented the fund.
The executor of her will was George Arbuthnot of Elderslie her ex employer and he set up a Trust to build the school and school house with the Trustees being the Rector and Churchwardens of Ockley Ecclesiastical Parish.
The Trustees ran the school successfully for many years The Diocese of Guildford, which was only created in 1927, started running village schools under the aegis of the Diocesan Board of Education
(DBE) and the Surrey County Council (SCC) Education committee. The SCC bought land next door for the playing field, later the site of school classrooms which were paid for by local fundraising with a contribution from DBE.
Some years ago Ockley School was amalgamated with Capel Broadwood School to form Scott-Broadwood and to save administrative expenses. Now that the Ockley site is closed, the DBE is telling the Trustees that they are not fulfilling the conditions of the Trust, namely the education of Ockley children. Indeed they queried whether the School house can be let commercially as it is because it must be used to house a school master or mistress. The DBE also says that if no suitable acceptable use can be found
for the school buildings they will be transferred to the DBE under section 554 of the 1994 Education Act presumably for the benefit of the Diocese.
Negotiations are continuing to find a suitable use for the school buildings. It might be possible to apply to the Charity Commission to vary the terms 13 of the Trust, a similar situation occurred in Dunsfold and the Charity Commission allowed a ‘fully regulated Scheme for the charity following representations from the public’. In that instance the Secretary of State for Education refused the section 554 order and 7 years after the school buildings became vacant the Charity Commission agreed a scheme to allow the DBE to lease (but not sell) the property either at full or nominal rent to allow it to be used for educational
Gordon Lee-Steere
Update March 2019
An extract from a letter concerning the immediate future of the site:
I am writing on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education to thank you for applying to establish a free school in Surrey, and for the effort, dedication and commitment shown by you and your colleagues in doing so.
We regret to inform you that on this occasion, we will not be taking your application further.
Our research showed that there was no need to open a new school in this local area as there are surplus places. The two neighbouring planning areas do not have significant shortfalls and both have a pipeline free schools that would accommodate any need arising in those areas.
We want to thank you and your colleagues again for your work and efforts on this application.
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DD Kohima have started on Insat 4B
G-Sat 15 – Insat 4B @ 93.5° East
DD KOHIMA
DD Nagaland
Prasar Bharti
English & Hindi
Dimapur, Nagaland, India
DD Nagaland is an English TV channel owned and operated by Prasar Bharati under Doordarshan, supported by Doordarshan studios in Kohima and Dimapur. Launched in 1992 DD Nagaland has entertainment serials, infotainment programmes, news and current affairs, social programmes and film programmes as its major content. In terrestrial mode, DD Nagaland is available to 96.7% of the population of Nagaland.
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Guest Post: Tearing Down Sovereign Immunity’s Fence–The Italian Constitutional Court, the International Court of Justice, and the German War Crimes
19 Nov Guest Post: Tearing Down Sovereign Immunity’s Fence–The Italian Constitutional Court, the International Court of Justice, and the German War Crimes
19.11.14 | 6 Comments
[Andrea Pin is senior lecturer at the University of Padua, where he teaches constitutional law, comparative public law, and Islamic law. He is also a fall 2014 Kellogg visiting fellow at Notre Dame.]
A few weeks ago, the Italian Constitutional Court’s decision no. 238 of 2014 struck blows to the theory and practice of sovereign immunity, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), German-Italian relationships, and even the Italian Government. On October 3, 2012, the ICJ decided that the customary sovereign immunity from jurisdiction protects Germany from suits brought before Italian domestic courts seeking compensation for Nazi crimes perpetrated in Italy during World War II.
Later on, new suits were filed against Germany in Italian domestic courts. This time, Italian judges requested a preliminary ruling from the Italian Constitutional Court to ascertain if the sovereign immunity protection, as crafted by the ICJ, was against the Italian Constitution. If the Court found that such immunity violated the Constitution, the judges would process the suits.
The Constitutional text proclaims that “The Italian legal system conforms to the generally recognised rules of international law” (Art. no. 10). International customary law falls in this category and therefore prevails over incompatible domestic legal provisions. But there has always been a caveat: the generally recognized rules of international law cannot be enforced in Italy if they conflict with the supreme principles of the Constitution. This is the doctrine of counter-limits, which the Constitutional Court shaped with special regards to the European Union integration: according to this doctrine, core constitutional values would set exceptional boundaries to the domestic enforcement of EU laws, which can ordinarily subordinate constitutional provisions.
The hypothetical non-enforcement of international law for violating a supreme constitutional value had never become reality—until now. The 2014 decision of the Constitutional Court found that Art. no. 24 of the Constitution (“All persons are entitled to take judicial action to protect their individual rights and legitimate interests”) encapsulates a fundamental principle of the Constitution. Therefore, the Court blocked the application of sovereign immunity from jurisdiction, and allowed the referring Italian judges to proceed with the relevant trials.
This unprecedented decision surely is in conflict with the ICJ Statute. In fact, the Italian Court consequently struck down the pieces of Italian legislation that commanded the enforcement of the ICJ’s judgments in cases of gross human rights violations as well. But it will also create some turbulence in the relationships between Italy and Germany.
The Constitutional Court’s decision, finally, is in conflict with the Italian Government’s attitude. After the ICJ’s judgment, the Government signed and had the Parliament execute the New York Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property (2004). This Convention confirmed the ICJ’s approach to sovereign immunity: practically speaking, after losing at the ICJ, the Italian State happily legitimized Germany’s jurisdictional immunity. The Constitutional Court also needed to quash these pieces of Italian legislation.
But this is just the beginning. The Constitutional Court sets the ground for domestic courts’ decisive role in changing customary law. The Court formally does not challenge the CIG’s understanding of sovereign immunity – in fact, it simply affirms that it cannot be enforced in Italy. However, it maintains that domestic jurisdictions can modify the “generally applicable international law.” Once they change their habits, it is up to the ICJ to affirm that this new law exists and to enforce it. It is a polite way of telling the ICJ that it should follow this judgment and acknowledge that the relevant custom is changing.
So, behind the theory of counter-limits, the Constitutional Court doesn’t simply protect Italian core constitutional values; it pushes for a change of international law. The theory of the Constitutional Court is laid down in rather frank terms: a) the Court acknowledges the ICJ ruling on sovereign immunity; b) it finds that this ruling violates a fundamental principle of the Constitution; c) it then stops the enforcement of the sovereign immunity rule; d) it acknowledges that domestic courts make customary international law; and e) it hopes that a new custom thus will be born out of domestic decisions like this one.
The Constitutional Court reserves to itself the power to ascertain the compatibility of international customary law with the Italian fundamental constitutional principles. This power, the Court maintains, is not dispersed throughout the judiciary. Each time there is a doubt about the compatibility between an international custom and the Italian Constitution, domestic jurisdictions must request a preliminary ruling from the Constitutional Court. This is a wise specification, since it avoids scattered, conflicting decisions by different Italian judges.
It would be mistaken to believe that the Italian Constitutional Court understands its blockade of international customary sovereign immunity as a protection of the Italian Constitution only. The Court backs its international-relationships-disrupting decision by highlighting that the right to judicial protection is “surely among the great principles of law recognized by any democratic civilized nations in our time.” This affirmation clearly echoes Art. 38 (1) of the statute of ICJ (“The Court … shall apply: … the general principles of law recognized by civilized nations”). And, the Court adds, the European Court of Justice also has declared that “the obligations stemming from an international agreement cannot violate fundamental rights.” In other words, the Italian Court justifies its attitude in saying that the kind of values it is protecting characterizes democratic legal civilizations and the EU. All things considered, the theory of counter-limits was conceived to shield the Constitution against EU laws, but was never used; here it is backed by the European Court of Justice’s decisions. What used to menace, specifically the EU, has now become a powerful source of legitimization.
Courts & Tribunals, Featured
Rob Howse
Very interesting. I was very disappointed with Germany v. Italy, a kind of Westphalian atavism where the ICJ placed the values of sovereignty over those of humanity. I haven’t yet read the judgment, so this is tentative and based on your account, but this muscular response of the Italian court is encouraging for what Ruti Teitel has termed Humanity Law. I cannot but note, based on your description, a strong parallelism with the spirit at least of the Kadi decision of the ECJ Grand Chamber. In both instances we must think about the relationship of legality and legitimacy. Should not the obligation to follow judgments of the ICJ be conditioned on the consistency of the Court’s rulings with the fundamental principles of legal order including international legal order, which arguably now include the individual right of accountability for gross human rights violations? Should a court like the ICJ, in which individual victims have no standing to make their case, take away their rights before the courts of their own country? Bravo, Italia! Che l’antico valore Nell’italici cor non e anor morto (Machiavelli/Petrach)
I concur that this whole incident is very interesting. Although I didn’t like the result in Germany v. Italy in the ICJ two years ago, I am also worried that this experience may give some sort of basis (and legitimacy) to national courts to simply disavow ICJ judgments which (as we all know) in accordance to that Court’s Statute are binding and final. The effects in the international system would be regrettable. An argument under national law can always be made in order to ignore international law.
Italy (and hence its Constitutional Court) should have found a way to comply with the ICJ judgment but at the same time expressing its repudiation to the rule it entails, thus trying to shape the customary international law of State immunity. Obviously, that’s a very difficult task.
Markiyan
Decision of the Italian Constitutional Court is another blow to the post World War II system of dispute settlement. What’s the reason of expressing consent to the jurisdiction of the ICJ and then challeng it on the grounds of constitutionality?
Theodor Schilling
Response…As I have argued elsewhere (http://www.ejiltalk.org/the-dust-has-not-yet-settled-the-italian-constitutional-court-disagrees-with-the-international-court-of-justice-sort-of/), the result of the Constitutional Court`s judgment under international law appears to be that Italy will be obligated to pay for Germany`s war crimes, in favour of the Italian as well as the Greek victims of those crimes. While this result may well be seen as somewhat perverse, it serves the victims as well as international law. Fiat justitia …
סקירת חדשות מעולם המשפט | 23.11.2014 | משפט ועסקים
[…] לחוקה באיטליה נדרש לאחרונה לשאלה אם העקרונות הבינלאומיים בדבר החסינות הריבונית הניתנת למדינה מפני תביעה […]
I·CONnect – What’s New in Comparative Public Law
[…] Pin, Tearing Down Sovereign Immunity’s Fence–The Italian Constitutional Court, the International Cour…, Opinio […]
Andrea Pin
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The Catholic Historical Review
Litterae missionariorum de Hungaria et Transilvania (1572-1717), Vol. 1 (review)
Z. J. Kosztolnyik
The Catholic University of America Press
Volume 89, Number 3, July 2003
10.1353/cat.2003.0161
The Catholic Historical Review 89.3 (2003) 557-558
[Access article in PDF]
Litterae missionariorum de Hungaria et Transilvania (1572-1717), Vol. I. Edited by István György Tóth. [Bibliotheca Academiae Hungariae, Roma, Fontes 4.] (Rome-Budapest: History Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. 2002. Pp. 756. 3000 Forint.)
This very thick first volume of a source collection contains the carefully edited letters, one ought to say reports, forwarded to the Congregatio de propaganda fide in Rome, by mainly Franciscan missionaries active in the regions of historic Hungary under the Turkish yoke, and of Transylvania ruled by Protestant princes in that time period. The originally researched and edited material is based upon written documents preserved in various archives in Rome. The first document printed in this first volume of a multi-volume set is the letter (report?) by Bonifacio di Ragusa, Bishop of Stagno, addressed to Pope Gregory XIII, dated in Ragusa on December 18, 1572. The last (n. 242) published document, the letter (report) by Archbishop Michele Magych of Antivar, sent from Nijemci (datum in Niemczi, diocesi Syrmiensi), and addressed to Cardinal Antonio Barberini, Prefect of the Congregatio de propoganda fide, is dated from July 14, 1636.
Professor Tóth's most conscientious editorial work is similar in approach to Epistolae et acta Jesuitarum (1575-88), and to Annuae litterae Soc. Jesu de rebus Transylvanicis temporibus principum Báthory (1579-1613), Vols. II and V of Fontes rerum Transylvanicarum series, edited by Andreas Veress (Budapest, 1913 and 1921, respectively). One has to bear in mind that, at this time, from the 1540's to the 1690's, historic Hungary was broken up into three parts: the mid-section, occupied by the Turks, belonged to the Ottoman empire; the western part including the north and northwest formed the Hungarian kingdom under Catholic Habsburg rule and was regarded as a part of the Habsburg world empire, while the east became the principality of Transylvania, though its princes frequently paid their dues to the Sublime Porte in Istanbul. Therefore, the reports—sometimes of personal nature—sent by mainly Franciscan missionaries, or by Jesuits dressed as secular clergymen, to the Sacred Congregation in Rome about their activities in regions under direct Turkish rule, or in areas of Protestant Transylvania, essentially provide original, frequently eyewitness and honest records that depict the spiritual well-being, religious and social status, everyday living, economic and cultural conditions among the sparse population under Turkish rule and in the principality; they report on various ethnic groups, their number, their colorful folk and religious customs, even their pagan superstitions.
Each of the letters (reports) written in Latin or in Italian, and published here in their entirety is provided with well edited, richly annotated material, and solid summaries in Hungarian. The Introduction by the editor, thoroughly documented (pp. 27-80), and accompanied by an English translation (though without the annotations, pp. 81-97), is informative and most useful. Tóth describes his ideas of editing and his editorial method, speaks of the circumstances of the establishment of the Congregatio de propaganda fide (under Pope Gregory XV in 1622), and does not ignore the difficulties the usually non-Magyar speaking, mainly Franciscan friars from Bosnia must have had among the slightly similar, [End Page 557] and yet different population that spoke other languages and observed perhaps less-known folk-customs. Tóth points out the sometimes utterly hapless situation of the famous Franciscan monastery of Csíksomlyó in eastern Transylvania, for centuries the bulwark of western Latin Christendom, and he cleverly inserts a detailed paragraph on the relationship the Congregatio de propaganda fide maintained with the missionaries in Turkish-occupied Hungary.
Tóth is due full recognition for the cleverly arranged multi-page tables of contents in Hungarian and in English, and most of all for the careful and conscientious work he has done with the material at his disposal. The volume is published in soft cover, with artistic good taste. The front cover appropriately carries the picture of a seventeenth-century Franciscan friar.
Texas A&...
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Sexual McCarthyism: Clinton, Starr, and the Emerging Constitutional Crisis by Alan M. Dershowitz (review)
Alan Hunt
Book Reviews 143 Book Reviews Alan M. Dershowitz. Sexual McCarthyism: Clinton, Starr, and the Emerging Constitutional Crisis. New York: Basic Books, 1998. Pp. x + 275. Marx pointed out, with a healthy dose of irony, that "the criminal augments the market by producing the professor of criminology, who produces the commodity, the textbook of criminology" (Theories of Surplus Value, Vol.1, Lawrence and Wishart, 1969, 387). So likewise, attempts to impeach the president of the United States have been a boon to the media in general and to American law professors in particular. Alan Dershowitz of the Harvard Law School is one of the media's favourite law professors; he achieved perhaps wider public notice than any law professor during the course of the O.J. Simpson trial. Now Dershowitz has contributed to the flood of material on the tortured history of the controversies that have surrounded Bill Clinton's presidency. Aside from a substantial introductory chapter, his book is made up of occasional short pieces covering the period 1994 to 1998 (written, it would seem, for use as class materials). They reveal Dershowitz, a committed Democratic and Clinton supporter, moving from a professorial detachment defending the rule of law to a passionate denouncer of the Starr-Republican indictment juggernaut. The pieces gathered together trace the labyrinthine interconnections that stretch from the collapse of the Madison Guaranty savings and loans bank in 1989 that led into the Whitewater investigations that then became caught up with allegations by Paula Jones of sexual harassment by Clinton while Governor of Arkansas, which in turn led to the evidence given by Monica Lewinsky that was to culminate in the impeachment procedure. One decidedly irritating feature of Dershowitz's treatment is his tendency to blame the Clinton lawyers for screwing up and suggesting that if only 144 Canadian Review of American Studies Revue canadienne d etudesamericaines Clinton had followed Dershowitz's advice all would have been well or at least less damaging. On the positive side, Dershowitz underlines two very important features of the American politicojudicial system that are frequently forgotten by Canadians. He reminds us that the United States is not a parliamentary system. While parliamentary majorities can and do eject prime ministers, under the U.S. Constitution it is the people that directly elect the president and, as we know, the president often wears different political colours from the congressional majority. Yet the Republicans have sought to use their congressional majority to overturn the popular mandate of the incumbent president. Second, Dershowitz draws attention to one of the most glaring defects of the U.S. Constitution; namely, that in the separation of the executive and legislative functions no provision was made for an autonomous prosecutorial mechanism. These functions are variously divided; at the federal level, they are within the executive itself and at the local level district attorneys are generally subject to some form of direct election. Hence the often highly politicised nature of prosecutorial decisions. At the federal level, this deficiency is glaring since the attorney-general cannot be an impartial investigator of allegations against the president; the result has been the political and constitutional nightmare of the 'independent counsel.' Dershowitz looks at the twists and turns that led to the appointment of Kenneth Starr, who it should be remembered replaced the much less controversial Robert Fiske through the machinations of a strongly Republican bench of the U.S. Court of Appeals. Dershowitz latches on to this to provide an overly psychologistic interpretation of the events leading up to impeachment . He explains the dynamics of the process in terms of the conflict between Clinton and Starr as a story of a battle between two men who are obsessed by forbidden sex-Clinton with engaging in it and Starr about exposing it. This personalised battle over sex provides Dershowitz with his book's title and its major theme, namely, 'sexual McCarthyism.' While at first glance this has a certain plausibility it is, I will suggest, unsatisfactory. His point is that in the 1950s Senator McCarthy and FBI-chief J.Edgar Hoover used investigations of the sex lives of potential witnesses who were threatened with exposure unless they admitted links with the Communist Party or...
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Carnaby Street London Shops
Carnaby Street London Shops: Carnaby Street is a pedestrianized shopping street in London, United Kingdom, located in the Soho district, near Oxford Street and Regent Street. It is home to numerous fashion and lifestyle retailers, including a large number of independent fashion boutiques.
Streets intersecting, or meeting with, Carnaby Street are, from south to north, Beak Street, Broadwick Street, Kingly Court, Ganton Street, Marlborough Court, Lowndes Court, Fouberts Place, Little Marlborough Street and Great Marlborough Street. The nearest London Underground station is Oxford Circus tube station (on the Bakerloo, Central and Victoria lines).
In the 16th century, the Carnaby area was open fields used by the Court as a hunting ground. The Huntsman used the cry “Soho” rather like Tally o and the area became known as Soho Fields. The main features were Oxford Street, running east/west and Swallow Street, running north/south roughly on the line of Regent Street. There was also a small lane to the east, which became King Street and later, Kingly Street.
Carnaby Street Market
The original houses built in the 17th century were rebuilt about the 1720s and some of these buildings will remain at 17 Newburgh Street, 10/12 Ganton Street, and 7/8 Kingly Street. The market was developed in the 1820s to provide the present Newburgh Street, Marshall Street, and 2/8 Ganton Street block.
Carnaby Street Fashion
The 13 streets of Carnaby are known for unique boutiques and global brands, making it one of London’s most popular and distinctive shopping destinations. Step under the iconic arch of the world famous Carnaby Street London for fashion and lifestyle from concept flagship stores and global brands.
Carnaby Street Restaurants
Just a step away from Carnaby Street is the creative hub of the Newburgh Quarter where you can discover independent boutiques, restaurants and iconic brands offering a unique concept.
Carnaby Street Food
For new talent and emerging brands in food, fashion, and lifestyle, Kingly Court offers three floors of independent retailers in a stunning open-air courtyard. Carnaby is known for holding fantastic shopping events, live music gigs and one-off pop-up concepts regularly.
Carnaby is located just a five-minute walk away from Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus tube stations in the heart of London’s West End
More Info On- Cenotaph in London, Cirencester Cotswolds Places to see,
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Reflections on life with animals
Symbols of Love: Designing Dog Shaped Jewlery
Dog Fever Boston Terrier Hug Ring
Friendship has many facets. The symbols that remind us of our unconditional love to one another come in many forms. But the most common one we see, the daily reminder of our devotion, is a ring. We wear them proudly, and in return are given a sense of comfort and belonging. They become our pledge to our partner, to our friend, that we will love, honor, and remember them forever.
Two years ago in Milan, Italy, four friends - Emanuele Brambilla, Giorgio Bisi, Roberto Dibenedetto, and David Dibenedetto - birthed a new idea that took the symbolism of love to a whole new level. The group aspired to capture our euphoric feelings of love and commitment for our pets and turn them into tangible symbols. They created a unique jewelry brand, Dog Fever, which designs rings, pendants, bracelets, earrings, and more in the shape of dogs.
The first collection was launched in 2014 and in two short years has become quite a hit. In the beginning the team faced challenges with strategic direction and planning, as starts-up tend to do, but were able to overcome them. They have grown to a team of seven persons and have established a presence in over 160 stores across USA, Australia, and Italy.
As a way to give back to the community the group started a partnership with a local rescue organization, Una Cuccia per la Vita, which takes care of abandoned animals across Europe. A portion of their proceeds are donated to the organization, and they hosted events called Photo Parties, where rescue dog owners and their dogs could have their photograph taken by a professional fashion photographer.
Sterling Silver German Shepard Earrings
Dog Fever currently features fifty different breeds of dogs in their jewelry collections. And if your breed falls within one of the fifty, they offer a unique customization capability to incorporate the characteristic features of your dog. Their best product for customization is the classic Hug Ring, but it is also possible to customize earrings, and other items on special request. Customers can also have their dog’s name engraved into the ring adding another element of personal touch.
Inspired by their passion and love for animals, especially dogs and cats, the Dog Fever team’s character resembles that of a Jack Russel – bursting with energy and endless perseverance. In October they will be launching a new advertising campaign, and at the same time are working to design a men’s line of cufflinks, key rings, and more to be launched in 2017. The team has also designed the brand, Cat Fever, and are working to combine it with Dog Fever and create a synergic union.
When speaking with their sales director and founding father, Emanuele, he explained that quality is one of their strongest pillars. Their individual strengths and talents combined with years of friendship have been key elements in their success.
"We love dogs and we wanted to develop a collection that makes sense. Dog fever has to be a brand that is remembered in the minds of people.” ~ Emanuele
Sterling Silver Labrador enamelled dog tag
My parents told me that I came out of the womb adoring animals, and the love affair has continued ever sense. As a pet owner I can immediately relate to the brand and applaud their mission. The memories that I have created over the years with my pets will remain with me for eternity. But wearing a daily reminder, a symbol of our eternal friendship that remains close to my heart, is something I not only believe in, but am eager to share with the world.
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Home » Uncategorized » Outreach Spotlight: CatchLight + Everyday Projects
Outreach Spotlight: CatchLight + Everyday Projects
Return to our CatchLight partnership overview for additional videos and media
CatchLight + Everyday Projects
Present: Everyday Bay Area
Everyday Bay Area, a project of CatchLight, the Everyday Projects and KQED, focuses on the power of visual storytelling to help SF Bay Area residents see and understand each other across identities, ages, demographics and geography. PhotoWings partnered with CatchLight to interview some of their fascinating participants - to learn about them and their thinking. In this compilation video we explore their early influences and what sparked their interests in photography.
The EDBA project curator, Pei Ketron, has brought together a group of local professionals and amateurs to make “photography that matters”, primarily an Instagram feed. It highlights stories that connect people to ignite curiosity and promote inclusion, tolerance and respect. EDBA explores issues that are unique to life in the Bay Area with the theme, Picturing the New California Dream. The California Dream has always meant seeking fame and fortune, from the Gold Rush to Hollywood to Silicon Valley. But now, California faces vast economic disparity among its residents. What is the California Dream today?
The public can participate by using the hashtag #everydaybayarea on Instagram to be considered for inclusion in their Instagram feed and exposure at live events and exhibitions. There is also a page on Facebook.
Watch: Co-Founder Austin Merrill on the Everyday Projects
www.catchlight.io
www.everydayprojects.org
Meet the Everyday Bay Area Photographers
Featuring Austin Merrill, Pei Ketron, Mark Murrmann, Brenton Geiser, Felix Uribe, Pendarvis Harshaw, and Rasta Dave
Everyday Bay Area Photographer Pendarvis Harshaw – OG Told Me
Photographer Pendarvis Harshaw’s introduces his project and blog, OG Told Me, a series of stories, lessons and photographs of older men in the Bay Area community. "OG” is a term of respect that has transcended its literal meaning, “original gangster.” Nowadays, as one of Harshaw’s interview subjects points out, it really just means “old guard.”
Featuring: Brenton Geiser, Pei Ketron, Pendarvis Harshaw, Felix Uribe, and Rasta Dave
Alpana Aras-King – Based in the East Bay, Alpana is an award-winning lifestyle and portrait photographer originally from Mumbai, India. Her formal art-school and advertising agency background goes hand in hand with her ability to see the big picture. Clients hire Alpana for her authentic storytelling and ability to create unique and engaging content. With her masterful eye, she has the ability to find a story in life’s everyday moments.
Jen Baxter is a writer, photographer and San Francisco native. Her stories encourage people to be more independent, aware and creative. You can find more work at JenBaxter.com or follow along on Instagram @JenBaxterSF
Emma Marie Chiang is an independent visual journalist and proud San Francisco native. She thrives by telling photo and video stories of people in her home city. Emma focuses on documenting stories of displaced communities and cares about the rights of marginalized people and women. She believes storytelling has the power to plant seeds of curiosity, dialogue, inclusion, reconciliation and hope between individuals and communities. Her work is featured in publications and non-profits in the Bay Area. She received her B.A. in photojournalism, and minor in Holistic Health at San Francisco State University. She has interned at the San Francisco Business Times, San Francisco Examiner, SF Weekly and participated in the Missouri Photo Workshop, Cuba68. Her work can be seen on emmamariechiang.com / Instagram @echiangphoto
Dubbed the “hood historian,” Rasta Dave was born and raised in San Francisco, California’s vibrant Excelsior District. His captivating and unapologetic candid street scenes and portraits give viewers an inside view–not always pleasant–of whats really happening on these California corners. As he uses the City Life as his art and the streets as his canvas he gives you a taste of reality. His motto: one camera, one lens, no studio no rehearsal…strictly REAL street life and culture. With street credentials that span from the Bay down LA, Rasta is able to document neighborhoods on few outsiders get to see.
Tate Drucker is a New York born award-winning photographer whose love affair with travel and photography has taken her all over the world Her work has been featured in publications and nonprofits across the globe, but always circles back to where she now resides in San Francisco. Her work can be seen on www.tatedruckerphoto.com / Instagram: @tatedrucker, and you can follow along with her travels on her blog: www.theupwardbound.com
Brenton Gieser is a photographer, documentarian, and visual storyteller originating from Half Moon Bay, California and currently producing the majority of his work in San Francisco. He approaches his work as a personal mandate to help raise questions around social and economical injustice with a desire to move us towards deeper community understanding and social equity. His current work centers around a long-term photo-documentary called Tender Souls, where he and project partner Felix Uribe documents the lives of a wide range of Tenderloin community members through a combination of spoken interviews, portrait photography and photo journalism. His work has been published by publications such as the New York Times, Vice, Upworthy, amongst others.
Pendarvis Harshaw is a Senior Communications Associate at PolicyLink, working to amplify stories of policies and practices that are moving us toward a more equitable world. Prior to becoming a member of the PolicyLink family, Pen earned a degree from UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism, and an undergraduate degree from Howard University’s School of Communications. Pen is a published journalist with bylines from Youth Radio, Fusion, The Huffington Post, National Public Radio and more. He runs a website dedicated to documenting the wisdom of elder African American men in his community, OGToldMe.Tumblr.Com. And although he is no longer a high school teacher, he is forever an educator. Oh, and he’s from Oakland. And proud of it.
Christie Hemm Klok (b. 1985) was born and raised in Southern California, where she graduated from Art Center College of Design with a BFA in Photography and Imaging. Christie was initially drawn to documentary photography for its ability to educate people about social issues. From there she discovered the importance of telling all kinds of stories and continues to do so through her work. Christie is currently based out of San Francisco.
Duc Le grew up in a small town in Texas. His passion for art and technology led him to the SF Bay Area where he enjoys a career in design. He finds inspiration exploring the beautiful Bay Area with his family. Follow along on Instagram @ducstar
Christopher Michel is an accomplished photojournalist. His collection includes photographs from extreme locations like the North & South Poles, Everest, Papua New Guinea, DR Congo and at the edge of space (aboard a U-2 Spy Plane). He’s also had the opportunity to photograph a variety of global leaders, including the 14th Dalai Lama. His work is prolific and his photographs have been used by National Geographic, the Smithsonian, the New York Times, the BBC, Outside Magazine, and others. His photos have been seen millions of times and have appeared on the covers of many newspapers & magazines. His “Flying Emperor” photograph was the 2nd place finisher in the 2014 Wikipedia Picture of the Year.
Mark Murrmann is Mother Jones’ photo editor. Mark came to Mother Jones in 2007 with a background as a freelance editorial and documentary photographer. He studied photography at the University of California-Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. He was a student winner of the Alexia Foundation Photography Grant and attended the Eddie Adams Photography Workshop.
Omid Scheybani was born and raised in Germany to parents from Iran, and has been calling the Bay Area his home since 2011 when he moved to SF through his tech employer. Omid is currently an graduate student at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and considers photography one of his three big passions in life (next to storytelling and writing). He is specialized in a variety of photography styles which are mostly driven through his travels around the world from Cuba to Iran to North Korea.
Courtney Stack is a multimedia journalist, fiction writer, artist, and dance choreographer living in San Francisco.
Felix Uribe – As a Bay Area native, Felix Uribe has been documenting life on the streets in San Francisco for the past 10 years. Passionate about life’s “in between moments”, Felix’s work displays a sensitivity for true human authenticity and uniquely beautiful aesthetics. With his one of a kind street portraiture, Felix portrays people as they are while simultaneously pulling back the layers often revealing more about the subject than text or video would be capable of sharing.
Kaitlin Yapchaian is a digital experience lead working in global retail marketing. Outside of work she devotes her creative energy to a variety of photography pursuits. Kaitlin grew up in New England and received a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of Richmond. She called New York City home for almost a decade before moving to the West coast, where she currently resides. You can follow along at kaitlinyap.com, kaitlinyap.photos or @kaitlinyap.
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Neutral Civil Servants, Strong and Independent Bureaucracy
JAKARTA - “Millennial Civil Servants, Pioneer of the Civil Servant Neutrality Movement”, “Out of Date, if Civil Servants do Politics”, “Watch and Report Civil Servant Neutrality Violations”, these are slogans campaigned by the State Civil Apparatus Commission (KASN) in the public campaign movement of Neutrality of the State Civil Apparatus on Sunday (03/10/2019) on Car Free Day (CFD) in Jakarta.
Nurhasni, Assistant Commissioner for the KASN Promotion and Advocacy Division said this activity was motivated by the fact that there are still many civil servants that conduct practical political activities in the 2019 Election. “Although in PP No. 53 of 2010 concerning Discipline of Civil Servants, civil servants have been banned from politics, but currently many civil servants are involved in politics, such as providing support to one of the participants in the Legislative Election and/or the President and Vice President Election, openly and through the social media,” said Nurhasni.
“Violations by civil servants are often found in the form of statements of attitude, giving likes and comments, photos or attending campaign activities by using civil servant attributes or attributes/symbols that are the same or identical to those used by participants,” Nurhasni added.
The public campaign with the theme “Neutral Civil Servants, Strong and Independent Bureaucracy” aims to provide education or socialization to civil servants, the community, and other stakeholders, regarding the importance of the civil servant being neutral.
Prof. Prijono Tjiptoherijanto, KASN Commissioner for Promotion and Advocacy said that with this public campaign it is hoped that the public can partner with the Civil Apparatus Commission and as social control in maintaining civil servant neutrality. ”With this public campaign, it is hoped that there will be a synergy and the establishment of a partnership between the community and KASN in maintaining civil servant neutrality,” said Prijono.
“This public campaign is also expected to introduce the existence of the Civil Apparatus Commission as a supervisory institution that is independent and free from political intervention, where one of the important tasks is maintaining the neutrality of the civil servants, which is not only in the implementation of public services, civil servant management, decision making, but also very important in the implementation of elections.” Prijono added.
This public campaign activity was attended by all employees of the Civil Apparatus Commission, several public relations management and public communication officials at several Ministries and Institutions, partners of the Commission such as the media, including television, print and online, and PATTIRO.
PATTIRO and KPPOD as Non-Governmental Organizations concerned with the issue of bureaucratic reform are also actively involved in campaigning for civil servant neutrality. Together with CSOs in 4 regions, namely Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, and Semarang, they monitored violations of the civil servant code of ethics during the General Election. Maya Rostanty, Director of PATTIRO, said that with the monitoring carried out by CSOs, it is hoped that the community can encourage public participation in maintaining civil servant neutrality. ”We hope that the monitoring carried out by CSOs can have a positive impact on the community to monitor violations of the civil servant code of ethics, and civil servants can be more careful in maintaining professionalism and able to maintain its function as an adhesive for the national unity,” Maya said.
Tagged as: Advokasi KASN, Aparatur Sipil Negara, ASN, ASN Berpolitik, ASN Milenial, ASN Netral, Awasi ASN, KASN, Netralitas ASN, Pelanggaran ASN
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Airlines welcome vote to expand Heathrow
The International Air Transport Association has welcomed the UK House of Commons vote in favour of the National Policy Statement (NPS) on airports. This opens the way to the long-overdue expansion of Heathrow airport.
“After years of delay, the approval of the NPS is a momentous day for air travel not just in the UK, but for the global air transport network. This decision will create new jobs and new economic opportunities in the UK and strengthen ties to growing export markets. But these benefits will only be safeguarded if the expansion is delivered at a competitive cost. Passengers and airlines must not pay increased charges. And operational flexibility is essential, especially to continue to allow a small number of essential early morning flights. It would be a shame if, having waited so long for the fruits of expansion, the UK were to shoot itself in the foot by creating an overpriced, uncompetitive airport,” said Rafael Schvartzman, IATA’s Regional Vice President for Europe.
The reality of violence at work in Madagascar
Growth of Nigerian economy depends on maritime sector – Gov Okowa
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Putin ‘has exhausted his potential’
Mikhail Gorbachev said Thursday that Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has “exhausted” his potential as Russia’s leader and his inability to change the Kremlin’s political system might prompt more massive anti-government protests.
Putin – who became prime minister after serving as Russia’s president in 2000-2008 – is almost certain to become president again during the March election, despite recent opposition rallies that have been the largest protests Russia has seen since the Soviet collapse.
Gorbachev, a former Soviet leader, said of Putin: “He won’t carry that weight. By now he has exhausted himself. Looks like that.”
Gorbachev recently urged Putin to give up power and annul the results of December’s fraud-tainted parliamentary vote, which triggered the rallies. The thousands of protesters also have joined Kremlin critics in accusing Putin’s government of cracking down on dissent, limiting press freedoms and breeding widespread corruption in Russia.
“If he does not overcome himself, change the way things are – and I think it will be difficult for him to do that – then everything will end up on city squares,” Gorbachev said at a news conference.
“We can’t let it happen. We’ve already seen what happens on city squares,” Gorbachev said, referring to the Arab Spring rallies in northern Africa and the Mideast.
Gorbachev led the Soviet Union from 1985 until its collapse in 1991. He remains admired abroad, but he is regarded as insignificant at home and his comments are not likely to affect public opinion or threaten Putin’s grip on power.
Author Dan RoodtPosted on February 9, 2012 Categories Europe, NewsTags Gorbachev, Russia, Vladimir Putin
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Pack like a pro: How to fit more in your luggage
Like most Singaporeans, we love to travel. But while we’re big fans of holidays, we can’t say that we’re quite as excited when it comes to packing for a trip. Like most people, we want to look good when we travel, which means that packing...
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Get Split Enz essential facts below. View Videos or join the Split Enz discussion. Add Split Enz to your PopFlock.com topic list for future reference or share this resource on social media.
New Zealand band
Split Enz at Rod Laver Arena, 13 June 2006
New wave, art rock, pop rock, post-punk[1]
Reunions: 1986, 1992, 2002, 2006
Mushroom, Chrysalis, A&M
Crowded House, Finn Brothers, Schnell Fenster, The Makers, Enzso, Citizen Band
frenz.com
Phil Judd
Mike Chunn
Miles Golding
Mike Howard
Div Vercoe
Wally Wilkinson
Robert Gillies
Geoff Chunn
Eddie Rayner
Emlyn Crowther
Noel Crombie
Malcolm Green
Nigel Griggs
Paul Hester
Split Enz at the Nambassa festival, New Zealand, January 1979
True Colours Tour, Commodore Ballroom
Split Enz were a rock band from New Zealand that was popular during the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was founded in 1973 by Tim Finn and Phil Judd, and had a variety of other members during its existence. Split Enz had eight songs listed in the APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time, more than any other band.
Split Enz had ten albums (including seven studio albums) reach the top ten of the Official New Zealand Music Chart. From 1980 to 1982, the band had four number-one albums in New Zealand and three in Australia. It also had two albums break the top ten of the Canadian Albums Chart, two break the top fifty of the Billboard 200, and one break the top fifty of the UK Albums Chart. The only number-one single for Split Enz was "I Got You" (1980), which topped the charts in both New Zealand and Australia. Other top-ten singles include "One Step Ahead" (1980), "History Never Repeats" (1981), "Dirty Creature" (1982), and "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" (1982).
This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful.
Find sources: "Split Enz" - news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (August 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The New Zealand years
In late 1972, university friends Tim Finn and Phil Judd founded a largely acoustic band called Split Ends in Auckland, New Zealand. Finn sang and played piano, while Judd sang and played guitar. Both wrote songs. They were accompanied by Tim's old school friend Mike Chunn on bass, Miles Golding on violin, and Mike Howard on flute. Finn and Judd quickly became close friends; after moving out their campus accommodation they shared Room 129 in a rambling boarding house called "Malmsbury Villa" and both their room number and the name of the house would later both be commemorated in song. Another key personality in this period was Phil Judd's university friend Noel Crombie, who occasionally performed with them over the next few years. Another powerful creative influence was Phil and Tim's love for British author and artist Mervyn Peake, whose Gormenghast novels inspired a number of their early songs.
Originally named "Split Ends" they were an odd and eclectic mix for a pop band, Golding having been educated in classical music and Finn influenced by the Beatles, the Move, and the Kinks. With financial backing from friend and fan Barry Coburn (who became the band's original manager) they issued their first single, "For You"/"Split Ends", in April 1973 and undertook their first short first tour, supporting British blues legend John Mayall. It was at this point that Mike Chunn's brother Geoff Chunn was brought in to replace their original drummer Div Vercoe. Golding and Howard left soon after, and Chunn wanted the band to become electric, so extra members were added: guitarist Wally Wilkinson, and saxophonist Robert Gillies. By this time Split Ends had become Tim's primary focus and he dropped out of university to concentrate on the band.
In late 1973 Split Ends entered the New Faces television talent contest, and in preparation for their performance they recorded two new Judd-Finn songs: "129" and "Home Sweet Home". Soon after, they also recorded "Sweet Talking Spoon Song", which would become the second single. In the event - and much to the dismay of the Finn family watching at home - Split Ends finished second-last in the contest. Although this first television appearance was not recorded by TVNZ, the Finn family still have the shaky, silent 8mm b/w home movie footage they shot directly off the TV screen and a portion of that was later included in the Split Enz documentary Spellbound. Despite their loss on New Faces, the group made a sufficiently strong impression to secure them a 30-minute concert special for Television New Zealand, which was recorded soon after. Typical of the time, the performances were mimed to pre-recorded backing tracks, so the band put down four more songs including "No Bother To Me", "Malmsbury Villa" and "Spellbound". It was around this time that their group altered its name to the punningly patriotic Split Enz. In November 1973, EMI NZ issued the band's second single, "129" / "Sweet Talking Spoon Song".
Over the next eighteen months Split Enz honed their material and performances. The TV special exposure enabled them to undertake their first national concert tour, although Phil Judd did not take part. He disliked performing live, was uncomfortable with negative reactions to the band, and also felt that their developing music was too complex for successful stage presentation, so he initially decided to stay at home to write and record new material while the rest of the band toured, although he later returned to make occasional live appearances and eventually rejoined full-time.
In early 1974 the group's sound took a major step forward when Tim acquired a Mellotron and in February keyboard player Eddie Rayner joined the band. Rayner's accomplished playing soon became a crucial part of the group's sound (and also allowed Tim to step out from behind the keyboard) and he was one of two members who remained with the band for its entire subsequent career, the other being percussionist Noel Crombie. The latter joined later that year, along with Paul Crowther, while Geoff Chunn and Rob Gillies departed.[2]
Early in their career, the group made the decision to treat records, live shows, publicity photos, stage design, costumes, hair and even makeup as a total package, and this was greatly assisted by their wide-ranging interests in literature and the visual arts: Judd was already an accomplished painter and subsequently created cover paintings for two Enz albums. His artist friend Noel Crombie was soon roped in to become the group's "stylist" and Noel went on to create all the extraordinary costumes, hairstyles, makeup and stage sets which soon became their trademark, as well as coordinating all their single and album artwork and associated promotional material (such as buttons and posters), and he directed all their music videos.
In early 1974 Split Enz undertook a series of radio-sponsored "Buck-A-Head" ($1 per head entry) shows which played in theatres rather than in pubs or clubs. Taking advantage of this, Phil and Tim decided that, rather than slogging it out on the traditional pub circuit, they would now only perform in theatres and concert halls, which were better suited to the band's unique performance style and enabled them to stage a full theatrical presentation. Under Noel Crombie's guidance the band developed elaborate sets, costumes, hairstyles and makeup, and performances were punctuated by odd happenings. At one concert, they brought Rayner's auntie on stage to perform an impromptu tap dance during one of the songs and this was a great success, but they realised that they couldn't really take her on tour with them, so it Crombie's spoon playing routine was substituted and soon became an essential part of each show. For an early NZ TV performance with a "desert island" theme they brought in a load of sand and created a miniature indoor beach, complete with palm trees and a wading pool, with band members dressed as hankie-hatted tourists, reclining on deck chairs and sipping drinks. For another now-legendary live performance of their live epic "Stranger Than Fiction", a female friend was recruited to crawl across the stage during the song, under pulsing strobe lights, with a bloodied axe apparently embedded in her skull.
Encouraged by a triumphant live concert on this tour, Judd decided to return to live performance and began making occasional appearances, as did Noel Crombie. The Buck-A-Head tour finished in May 1974, and the next month both Geoff Chunn and Rob Gillies left the band. Paul Emlyn Crowther (ex-Orb) replaced Chunn on drums in July, but Gillies was not replaced at this time, although he rejoined the following year.
Move to Australia: 1974-1976
By the end of 1974 their fanbase in New Zealand, although small, was extremely strong and very dedicated, but the chances of further progress in that small market were obviously limited. In March 1975, the band issued its third single, "No Bother To Me", on the independent White Cloud label, and a few weeks later, Split Enz became the latest in a string of successful NZ groups and solo artists who moved to Australia to further their career. Although their highly unusual visual presentation and complex music were markedly out of step with the blues-based "pub rock" that was dominating Australian music at the time, and many concert-goers were puzzled by them, the band's powerful performances and the quality of their material impressed and as in New Zealand they soon acquired a small but fiercely loyal fan base. After nine months on the Australian pub and concert circuit they were spotted by Melbourne-based entrepreneur Michael Gudinski, who signed them to his new Mushroom Records label, which was then enjoying unprecedented success with the band Skyhooks, whose 1974 debut album had shot to the top of the charts, spawning a string of hit singles and becoming the highest-selling Australian LP ever released up to that time. Thanks to Gudinski's associated booking agency (Consolidated Rock) Split Enz were soon touring nationally and gaining valuable exposure playing prestigious support slots for several major international acts including Flo & Eddie, Lou Reed and Roxy Music.
In May 1975 the group went into Festival Records' Studio 24 in Sydney to record their first album, which was produced by their tour manager of the time, David Russell, a veteran NZ rock/pop musician who had previously played with Ray Columbus & The Invaders, Ray Brown and the New Whispers and Max Merritt & the Meteors. Their debut LP Mental Notes (Mushroom, 1975) did remarkably well, selling 12,000 copies on its first release and going to #19 on the Australian album chart and #7 in New Zealand. Not long after the album was released Wally Wilkinson was sacked and Rob Gillies returned to the band.
The UK years: 1976-1980
Having seen and been greatly impressed by Split Enz' support slot on Roxy Music's first Australian tour, Roxy guitarist Phil Manzanera offered to produce their second album. With support from Manzanera and Gudinski, the band secured a UK recording deal with Chrysalis Records and they flew to England to record Second Thoughts (Mushroom, 1976), Recorded at the Basing Street Studios in London, Second Thoughts was issued in Australia in July 1976, and in the UK (as Mental Notes) in September. It comprised four re-arranged and re-recorded tracks from Mental Notes, their second Australian (non-album) single "Late Last Night", three new songs, and a new version of one of the earliest Judd-Finn compositions, "129", retitled "Matinee Idyll (129)". This song was released, backed by "Lovey Dovey", as a single in December 1976 and during the recording they were able to meet up with their old bandmate Miles Golding, then living in London, at a recital he gave at the Australian Embassy.
To promote the album they toured as support to English folk-rockers Jack the Lad.[3] In November 1976 Emlyn Crowther was sacked and replaced by British drummer Malcolm Green.
The band's next single was another non-album track "Another Great Divide", released to promote their return to Australia/New Zealand in January 1977 for the "Courting the Act" tour. Chrysalis issued Mental Notes (the American title of Second Thoughts) in the USA, and at the end of February they set off for the US to support the album. The 23 day/40 show tour was a first attempt to establish themselves in America but it marked the end of an era in the band and proved to be the last tour with founding members Phil Judd and Mike Chunn. Chunn decided to leave at the end of the US tour, partly because he wanted to spend more time with his family but also because he suffered from agoraphobia. But tensions were also increasing between Phil and Tim. Although the band received a standing ovation in San Francisco, audience reactions in more remote areas ranged from puzzlement to outright hostility, and Phil was extremely sensitive to such negative reactions. Also like Mike Chunn he had a young family back in New Zealand and was tired of the endless grind of touring. The tensions climaxed after a concert when Phil, who was having trouble with an out-of-tune guitar, stormed off before the end of the set and when Tim challenged him backstage about what had happened, Phil punched him. The tour ended in April, and Phil left the band. They were due to begin their third English tour later that month, so Tim now took charge and hastily reorganised the group. On 4 April English bassist Nigel Griggs (ex-Octopus) was hired to replace Mike Chunn, who gave Tim a crucial piece of parting advice--he suggested Tim's younger brother Neil as the replacement for Phil Judd. At the time Neil was playing in local Auckland band Afterhours, led by Geoff Chunn, plus Neil and Mark Hough, (aka Buster Stiggs who later joined The Swingers with Phil Judd). Neil flew to England as soon as he received the call from Tim and he officially joined Split Enz on 7 April 1977.[2]
Split Enz' third album was recorded at London's AIR Studios with producer (and former Beatles engineer) Geoff Emerick from June to July 1977. Dizrythmia (a title taken from the medical term for jet-lag, circadia disrhythmia, meaning 'upset body rhythm') made no appreciable impact in the UK, but was very successful in Australasia, and gave them their first simultaneous hits on the Australian and New Zealand singles and album charts. They returned to Australia in August, coinciding with the release of the album, and began a 28-date tour Australasian tour in October/November. The album reached #18 in Australia. The first single, "My Mistake" (August), peaked at #18 during October, bolstered by the national tour and aided by another distinctive promotional video. In New Zealand Dizrhythmia reached #3, and "My Mistake" peaked at #21. The second single, "Bold as Brass" (December), which unfortunately failed to chart in Australia, was accompanied by another specially-made video, co-directed by Noel and Rob.
Between November 1977 and February 1978 Split Enz toured solidly throughout the UK and Europe. At the turn of the year Rob Gillies left and despite their earlier falling out, Phil Judd returned, briefly, in early 1978 after Tim and Eddie heard some of his new material, but he apparently felt uncomfortable with their changing musical direction and style, and left the band for good about a month later. The Enz struggled to survive through 1978: they lost their Chrysalis contract and spent most of that year without a UK record deal, a booking agent or a manager. Debts mounted and, unable to get gigs, they were forced to go on the dole, but they continued writing new material and rehearsing constantly. It was at this point that the New Zealand Arts Council came to the rescue with a grant of $5000. This crucial break allowed them to book a tiny 8-track studio in Luton and with the help of 18-year-old English engineer David Tickle they made demos of 28 new songs in less than five days. These now-legendary sessions--known as the "Rootin', Tootin' Luton Tapes"--became the basis for the group's new direction. One of Tim's new songs from these sessions - which showed the clear influence of British punk and New Wave - became their next single, "I See Red".
Split Enz entered Manor Studios in November 1978 to record a new album with producer Mallory Earl. The cover of Frenzy signalled the changes in the group--the wild costumes, hair and makeup were gone, and the Phil Judd's painting depicted them in casual clothes, standing in front of a farm shed in a pastoral New Zealand landscape. The album included re-recordings of many songs from the Luton tapes, but the band felt that Earl had not fully captured the raw energy of the Luton demos. Many of the other Luton songs were never re-recorded, and were left as demos, although some eventually surfaced on A&M's American version of Frenzy, released in North America in 1981). The same month, Mushroom issued "I See Red" as a single in Australia. It marked a significant move away from the band's earlier and more 'progressive' style and harked back to Tim's first love--simple, concise, accessible, high-energy guitar-based power pop. Although it didn't chart in England, "I See Red" gained a lot of critical attention and considerable airplay, and is credited as being the song that began the turn-around in their reputation in the UK.
The group went home to New Zealand for Xmas 1978 and before they headed back to the UK, they decided to play some local shows. Just after Xmas there was a serious setback when their equipment was destroyed in a suspicious fire at a rehearsal studio. Using borrowed equipment, Split Enz played what proved to be a pivotal concert in their later career, stunning friends and fans alike with their now-legendary performance at the second Nambassa Festival in January. "I See Red" eventually peaked at #15 in Australia in February 1979, and was followed by another historic release - "Give It a Whirl" (May 1979) - the first Enz single to be written by Neil Finn. Neither Frenzy nor "Give It A Whirl" charted, but one album track, "She Got Body She Got Soul", was later reworked for the soundtrack to the musical feature film Starstruck. A self-produced, non-album single "Things" / "Semi-Detached" was released in October but failed to chart.
Breakthrough and commercial success: 1980-1984
For their next (fifth) studio LP, David Tickle was brought to Australia to produce. The result True Colours also marked the emergence of Neil as a significant pop songwriter. His song "I Got You" seems in retrospect an obvious choice as a first single although Mushroom didn't think there was a commercial track on the record; that they had wasted their $A34,000 budget. Nevertheless, it proved to be a massive hit that finally established the group in the front rank of bands in Australasia. True Colours and "I Got You" were simultaneously released in January 1980 and simultaneously topped charts in both Australia and New Zealand during March - the album stayed at #1 in Australia for ten weeks, and the single for eight weeks and "I Got You" went on to become the highest selling single in Australia for the year - and the biggest international success of the band's career.
The Band and Management developed the entire marketing campaign, which included several 'world firsts' - they created a VHS video album (the first of its kind) with music videos for each song and released each new pressing of the LP in different coloured jackets, designed by band member Noel Crombie including once released in the USA, a special laser-etched edition, courtesy Jeff Ayeroff of A&M. This version harnessed laser technology to etch geometric patterns into the playing surface of the album, creating prismatic effects without affecting the music playback. True Colourswas a huge commercial success and went on to sell over 250,000 copies in Australasia. A&M issued the album in the UK, Canada and the USA. "I Got You" reached #12 on the UK charts during August and True Colours reached #42. The next single, "I Hope I Never" (b/w "Hypnotised" and "Carried Away") was released in May and reached #18 on the Australian charts during June.
The group toured extensively behind True Colours before returning to the studio in 1981. Their next album was released in Australia only as Corroboree and everywhere else as Waiata (Maori for "songs"). It continued the winning streak initiated by True Colours but their relationship with producer David Tickle had become strained and it would be their last collaboration. Notably A&M Records refusal to release Waiata in America with Noel's Maori-inspired original white-brown-black cover design (reportedly protesting that "brown is the colour of shit") and much to Noel's chagrin, they changed it to a feeble pastel blue, completely ruining the effect. Although not as well received by critics, the album gave Split Enz their second joint Australian and New Zealand #1 LP, led by Neil's "One Step Ahead" (#5 in November) and "History Never Repeats" (#4 in April 1981). The album's third single, Tim's "I Don't Wanna Dance" (June) failed to chart but "History Never Repeats" reached #63 in the UK during May.
It was also at this same time that Split Enz founder Phil Judd re-emerged with his new band Swingers and scored a huge Australian/New Zealand #1 hit with their debut single "Counting The Beat" produced by David Tickle, who Produced the Enz albums True Colours and Waita. Internal tensions saw drummer Mal Green leave Split Enz in mid-1981 to work on solo projects; Noel Crombie took over as drummer, and the band began on a world tour including North America, where they co-headlined with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers.
In late 1981, after months of intensive touring, Split Enz returned to the studio to record what many critics regard as their most personal and creative album, Time and Tide. Much of the material came out of Tim's recent personal turmoil--in January that year he had married English dancer Liz Malam, but the marriage collapsed in October and he suffered a nervous breakdown, an ordeal he recounted in "Six Months In A Leaky Boat", specifically the track 'Dirty Creature'. The album was produced by rising English producer/engineer Hugh Padgham. He was already well-known on the music scene for his engineering work with producer Steve Lilywhite on landmark recordings by artists like Peter Gabriel, XTC and Genesis and he is credited with inventing the "gated reverb" drum sound that became Phil Collins' trademark. Padgham reportedly had a much more relaxed style than Tickle which the Enz found ideally suited them. Released in April 1982, Time and Tide became Split Enz' third successive #1 album in Australia and New Zealand. The advent of MTV in America, and its interest in new wave acts also helped the band's growing cult status in America--both "Dirty Creature" and "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" (as well as earlier videos) were given wide airplay on the channel. "Dirty Creature" reached #6 in Australia in April and "Six Months In A Leaky Boat" went to #2 in June. "Never Ceases To Amaze Me" (August) was issued as the third single from the LP but it did not chart.
Initially, "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" also looked like it would at last furnish Split Enz with the breakthrough UK hit that they had been hoping for, but this failed to materialise; after the controversial sinking of the Argentine warship 'General Belgrano' by the British Navy during the Falklands War the BBC reportedly included the song on a covert "blacklist" of songs that were not to be played on air due to supposedly negative references to the war. (Although the BBC vehemently denied the blacklist at the time, they finally admitted to its existence in 1999.) The year ended with the release of the band's first "Best of" collection Enz of an Era, which went to #8 in Australia (December) and sold 30,000 copies in New Zealand alone.
Early in 1983, Tim took a break from the group to record a solo album with an all-star session group including producers Mark Moffatt (Divinyls, Ross Wilson) former Beach Boy Ricky Fataar, and legendary session singer Venetta Fields. Escapade, released in June, was a major success in Australasia, spawning several hits singles including "Fraction Too Much Friction" and the gospel-styled "Made My Day". Tim won the 'Best Songwriter' gong at that year's TV Week/Countdown Awards, and Split Enz won 'Best Album' (for Time & Tide) and Most Popular Group awards.
In March 1983 Noel Crombie briefly stepped into the limelight and issued a quaint novelty solo single, "My Voice Keeps Changing On Me" and the same month, the new Enz single "Next Exit" was released as a stop-gap until the band could record a new album, but it failed to chart. Up to this time, Tim had been the primary writer in the group, but on the next LP his contributions were overshadowed for the first time by Neil, who wrote the majority of songs. The aptly titled Conflicting Emotions (November 1983) was less cohesive than the previous three albums, and (perhaps inevitably after three successive #1 LPs) it was a commercial letdown, reaching only #13 on the national chart in January. Nevertheless, Neil's songs fared well commercially -- the jazzy "Straight Old Line" (October 1983), the anthemic "Message To My Girl" (January 1984) and "I Wake Up Every Night" (April 1984) all appeared as singles. Lead single "Straight Old Line" was a disappointment on the Australian chart, struggling to #42, but second single "Message To My Girl" became a major hit and reached #12 in February 1984.[4]
For the "Conflicting Emotions" tour, Tim again felt that the band needed a change in the rhythm section, so Paul Hester (ex-Deckchairs Overboard) was brought in on drums, and Noel returned to percussion (and spoons). However growing tensions between Tim and Neil and his solo success with Escapade eventually led to Tim's decision to leave Split Enz and in June 1984 he ended months of speculation by announcing that he would quit before the next LP was recorded, in order to promote the release of Escapade in Europe.
The remaining members decided to continue, but their next album See Ya 'Round proved to be their last. It came out in November 1984 and was dominated by Neil Finn songs, although Hester, now a permanent member, contributed one number. The first single from the album was Neil's stirring, bittersweet farewell to Tim and the Enz, "I Walk Away" which was released in September. It was followed by the darker "One Mouth is Fed" in November. By this time the group had finally decided to call it a day, and they reunited with Tim and embarked on the rapturously received "Enz with a Bang" Australasian farewell tour in October/November 1984. Split Enz played its last show on 4 December 1984 in Auckland. A double album recorded on the farewell tour, The Living Enz, was released in December 1985.
After Split Enz
Neil Finn and drummer Paul Hester founded Crowded House. Tim Finn briefly joined Crowded House later on and also recorded two albums together as the Finn Brothers.
Phil Judd released a solo album and formed the Swingers with Buster Stiggs and Bones Hillman. He also formed Schnell Fenster with Noel Crombie and Nigel Griggs. They were joined by Eddie Rayner, but Rayner left to form The Makers. His group Enzso performed Split Enz songs in an orchestral setting with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Rayner also pursued a solo career. Geoff Chunn and Mike Chunn returned to New Zealand and formed Citizen Band.
In 1986, two years after Split Enz broke up, it reunited for a Greenpeace benefit concert.[5][6] Three years later, Crowded House toured with Schnell Fenster, assembling an assortment of Split Enz alumni. The band reunited in 1992 for its twentieth anniversary tour and appeared on TV in 2002 to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary. In 2006, Split Enz toured with a membership consisting of the classic 1979-1981 line-up of Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Nigel Griggs, Eddie Rayner, Noel Crombie, and Malcolm Green.
Mental Notes (1975)
Second Thoughts (1976)
Dizrythmia (1977)
True Colours (1980)
Waiata/Corroboree (1981)
Time and Tide (1982)
Conflicting Emotions (1983)
See Ya 'Round (1984)
List of Split Enz members
^ Julian Henry. "Crowded House: In With The In-Crowd". Rock's Backpages. (Subscription required.)
^ a b Woodstra, Chris. "Split Enz". AllMusic. Retrieved 2017.
^ Robertson, Donald. "Walking Down The Road". Roadrunnertwice. Retrieved 2017.
^ "Forum - ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts - Top 100 Singles 1984". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2018.
^ "Rainbow Warrior music festival". NZHistory. History Group of the New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 2014.
^ "Rainbow Warrior concert 1986". Frenz Forum. 14 July 2006. Retrieved 2014.
Chunn, Mike. Stranger Than Fiction: The Life and Times of Split Enz. GP Publications, 1992. ISBN 1-86956-050-7
Chunn, Mike. Stranger Than Fiction: The Life and Times of Split Enz (revised ebook edition). Hurricane Press, 2013. ISBN 978-0-9922556-3-3
Dix, John. Stranded in Paradise: New Zealand Rock and Roll, 1955 to the Modern Era. Penguin Books, 2005. ISBN 0-14-301953-8
Green, Peter. Letters to My Frenz. Rocket Pocket Books, 2006. ISBN 0-9579712-3-0
Green, Peter, and Goulding, Mark, Wings Off Flies. Rocket Pocket Books, 2002. ISBN 0-9579712-2-2
Split Enz Collection at the Performing Arts Collection, Arts Centre Melbourne
AudioCulture
Split Enz - GTK (1975)
Add to List Share
Split Enz - Six Months In A Leaky Boat
Split Enz History Never Repeats
Split Enz - Shark Attack
Split Enz- One step ahead
Split Enz : She's Got Body
Split Enz Message To My Girl
Split Enz - Pioneer / Six Months in a Leaky Boat
Split Enz Poor Boy
Message To My Girl - Split Enz
Split Enz - Message to My Girl
Split Enz - Message Boy
Split Enz - Dirty Creature
SPLIT ENZ TIM FINN EXPLORES IMAGINARY KINGDOM
Split Enz - That Was My Mistake
Split Enz - I Dont Wanna Dance
Split Enz - Message To My Girl (1984)
Split Enz - Lovey Dovey
Split_Enz
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Storyline:- A mild-mannered guy, who is married to a monstrous woman, meets the woman of his dreams, and schemes to find a way to be with her.
Director: Brian Robbins
Actors: Clifton Powell, Cuba Gooding Jr., Eddie Murphy, Katt Williams, Lester Speight, Terry Crews, Thandie Newton
Keywords:HD Norbit
Storyline:- Inspired by a true story, a comedy centered on a 27-year-old guy who learns of his cancer diagnosis and his subsequent struggle to beat the disease.
Mr. Bean’s Holiday
Storyline:- Mr. Bean wins a trip to Cannes where he unwittingly separates a young boy from his father and must help the two come back together. On the way he discovers…
Country: France, Germany, UK, USA
Storyline:- Gru meets his long-lost charming, cheerful, and more successful twin brother Dru who wants to team up with him for one last criminal heist.
Genre: Action, Animation, Comedy, Family
Fist Fight
Storyline:- When one school teacher unwittingly causes another teacher’s dismissal, he is challenged to an after-school fight.
Storyline:- A spelling bee loser sets out to exact revenge by finding a loophole and attempting to win as an adult.
Storyline:- Newlyweds Nick and Suzanne decide to move to the suburbs to provide a better life for their two kids. But their idea of a dream home is disturbed by a…
Storyline:- After being set-up and betrayed by the man who hired him to assassinate a Texas Senator, an ex-Federale launches a brutal rampage of revenge against his former boss.
Dumb and Dumber To
Storyline:- 20 years since their first adventure, Lloyd and Harry go on a road trip to find Harry’s newly discovered daughter, who was given up for adoption.
Storyline:- Four men who form a neighborhood watch group as a way to get out of their day-to-day family routines find themselves defending the Earth from an alien invasion.
Genre: Action, Comedy, Science Fiction
Storyline:- Tim Lippe has no idea what he’s in for when he’s sent to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to represent his company at an annual insurance convention, where he soon finds himself…
Our Family Wedding
Storyline:- The weeks leading up to a young couple’s wedding are comic and stressful, especially as their respective fathers try to lay their long standing feud to rest.
Brüno
Storyline:- Flamboyant and gay Austrian Brüno looks for new fame in America.
Trailer: Norbit
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Tag Archive: predictive policing
Jail Video Visits Are No Substitute for the Real Thing
Prison Books Collective February 19, 2015
A video visit does not replace an in-person visit, in any universe.
From Truth Out/By Maya Schenwar
As the word “reform” swirls around current conversations about the criminal legal system, many proposed ideas involve new technologies. The techier, the assumption goes, the better! Data-driven “predictive policing” is branded as a route to figuring out where crime is going to happen. (In reality, such tactics involve using previous arrest data to increasingly target neighborhoods of color.) “Risk assessment tools” are sold as key to determining who can safely be paroled – but depending on how they’re used, they may deepen the racist disparities they supposedly counter. Electronic monitoring is advertised as a path toward reducing incarceration, but monitors are actually enlarging the bounds of who is caught inside the carceral system.
All the while, these technological “solutions” are padding the pockets of private companies – at the expense of people of color and the poor.
Video visitation is one such shiny-yet-insidious technology, which has rapidly spread over the past couple of years: More than 500 jails and prisons around the country are now experimenting with it. On the one hand, for people incarcerated far away from their loved ones, video visits could be a welcome channel of communication, allowing them to “meet” face-to-face without requiring long, expensive journeys. The “visits” also offer young children, the elderly and people with disabilities – who might be less able to travel – the opportunity for some face time.
Still, a video visit is no real substitute for an in-person visit, in any universe. However, as a recent report by Prison Policy Initiative documents, the introduction of video visitation often forcibly replaces in-person visits, in order to maximize profits for the private companies that provide the technology. Family and friends, most of whom don’t have much money, are then compelled to pay for the (heftily priced) video calls if they want to see their loved ones’ faces. Add to this the fact that many poor families don’t have access to the equipment necessary to receive a video call – and so, for some, video visitation simply spells the end of visits. (more…)
extortion, Maya Schenwar, monopoly, predictive policing, prison industrial complex, Prison Policy Initiative, reform, report, technological solutions, video visit
Your Home Is Your Prison
Prison Books Collective January 20, 2015
On January 27th, domestic violence survivor Marissa Alexander will walk out of Florida’s Duval County jail — but she won’t be free.
Alexander, whose case has gained some notoriety, endured three years of jail time and a year of house arrest while fighting off a prison sentence that would have seen her incarcerated for the rest of her life — all for firing a warning shot that injured no one to fend off her abusive husband. Like many black women before her, Alexander was framed as a perpetrator in a clear case of self-defense. In November, as her trial date drew close, Alexander accepted a plea deal that will likely give her credit for time served, requiring her to spend “just” 65 more days in jail. Media coverage of the development suggested that Alexander would soon have her “freedom,” that she would be “coming home.”
Many accounts of the plea deal, however, missed what Alexander will be coming home to: she’ll return to “home detention” — house arrest — for two years.
In other words, an electronic monitor, secured around her ankle at all times, will track her every movement. Alexander will also be paying $105 per week to the state in monitoring fees, as is the custom in Florida and more than a dozen other states.
Such a situation is certainly preferable to being caged in a prison cell. However, does Alexander’s release — and that of others in her shoes — mean freedom? In reality, an ever-growing number of cages are proliferating around us, even if they assume forms that look nothing like our standard idea of a cage.
As mass incarceration is falling out of fashion — it’s been denounced by figures across the political spectrum from Eric Holder to Newt Gingrich — a whole slate of “alternatives to incarceration” has arisen. From electronic monitoring and debilitating forms of probation to mandatory drug testing and the sort of “predictive policing” that turns communities of color into open-air prisons, these alternatives are regularly presented as necessary “reforms” for a broken system.
It’s worth remembering, however, that when the modern prison emerged in the late eighteenth century, it, too, was promoted as a “reform,” a positive replacement for corporal or capital punishment. Early prison reformers — many of them Quakers bent on repentance and redemption — suggested that cutting people off from the rest of the world would bring them closer to God. (The word “penitentiary” comes, of course, from “penitence.”)
drug testing, electronic monitoring, house arrest, Marissa Alexander, panopticon, predictive policing, prison society, probation, sex offender, sex offender registry, surveillance
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Tag Archives: Clarence Ditlow
SYNDICATED COLUMN: Death and Trivia
Bankrupt and Corrupt, U.S. Can’t/Won’t Address Issues We Care About
Millions of Americans won’t vote this November. “Voter participation in the U.S. remains consistently below corresponding levels in most other western democracies,” the International Business Times reported last year. “In countries like Italy, Belgium, Austria and Australia, more than 90 percent of the voting public cast ballots at election time.”
They—the corporate politicians and their media mouthpieces—call it apathy. Obama advisor David Axelrod blamed it for the Iraq War. “There was apathy in 2000, and Al Gore lost that election to George W. Bush by 300 votes, and as a result we wound up in Iraq,” he told the Harvard Crimson. That’s crap. People don’t boycott elections because they don’t care. They are alienated.
We don’t care about two-party electoral politics because two-party electoral politics don’t care about us.
What are Americans most worried about this election season? The same thing we’ve been most worried about for years: the economy. You name the poll: local or national, liberals or conservatives doesn’t matter. Tens of millions of people are unemployed. People who still have jobs live in terror of layoffs. Real inflation is out of control but salaries are frozen or falling. (The fact that we have to specify “real” says a lot about the gap between life out here “on the ground” and over there “inside the Beltway.”)
We’re being ground down. Demoralized. Bankrupted. And they don’t care. Not only do they not care, they don’t notice.
The Fed and the White House are colluding in their quadrennial tradition of ginning up a pseudo-boomlet to support the incumbent. Thus the latest Dow bubble and phony 8.3 percent unemployment rate, which count people who have given up looking for work as “employed.”
Everyone knows the recovery is fiction. Who are you going to believe—the talking heads or your lying, overdrawn, second-mortage line of credit? According to the latest Gallup tracking poll, which actually asks actual people how they’re actually doing in the actual world, 9.1 percent of Americans are unemployed and 19.0 percent are underemployed. When 28.1 percent of Americans are broke, that affects everyone, including the richest 1% trying to sell goods and services.
People expect their “representative” democracy to represent their interests. To address their problems. And solve them.
No wonder why we’re so apathetic. Our “leaders” hardly talk about the economy.
Santorum is more worried about how easy it is to get sex than how hard it is to find work.
Romney thinks it’s 1992 and that he’s Ross Perot, the businessman who promised to run America like a corporation. As though it wasn’t already. As if that wasn’t the problem.
Obama imagines that we didn’t notice that he only started asking Congress to work on the economy after Congress fell under the control of the other party. We’re slow. We’re not deranged.
Our dying political system is unwilling and unable to address joblessness and the widening class divide because our misery isn’t an aberration. It’s an inherent manifestation of corporate capitalism. Ordinary Americans understand this. Half the citizens of this “conservative” country already prefer socialism or communism, according to a Gallup poll conducted in December—watch that go up—yet the political class dares not question the Crappy Economic System That Must Not Be Named.
Since they can’t take on the real issues the elites are reduced to the politics of distraction.
Kids and death.
Those are the D-grade “issues” the powers that be are using this week in order to avoid talking about the atrocious economy.
Federal regulators announced on February 27th that all cars manufactured after 2014 must feature rearview cameras that allow drivers to see what is behind them. The National Highway Traffic Administration says that “95 to 112 deaths and as many as 8,374 injuries could be eliminated each year by eliminating the wide blind spot behind a vehicle,” reported The New York Times. The estimated cost of the devices is $2.7 billion per year.
“In terms of absolute numbers of lives saved, it certainly isn’t the highest,” admitted Clarence Ditlow of the Center for Auto Safety. “But in terms of emotional tragedy, backover deaths are some of the worst imaginable. When you have a parent that kills a child in an accident that’s utterly avoidable, they don’t ever forget it.”
No doubt. I can imagine. By all means, put in those cameras.
But there’s something screwy about a political culture that slaps this trivial story on the front page of the biggest newspaper in the country and makes it a Congressional priority while the elephants in the room go unaddressed. Every year 17,000 Americans die in slip and fall accidents—151 times the rate from backover car accidents. Maybe we should install cameras on the backs of our heads.
Yo, moron journalists and politicos: Jobs! We care about jobs!
If you idiots must obsess over cars, why aren’t you pushing through radical improvements in fuel efficiency, like requiring that every car made after 2014 be either electric or a hybrid? Autos are a major cause of air pollution, which triggers asthma attacks, which kill at least 5000 people annually in the U.S.
It’s not just about the kiddie-poos. The establishments is still wallowing in Bush’s hoary post-9/11 death cult.
The day after its hold-the-presses car-cameras scoop the Times was back with another page-one heartstopper:
“The mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware disposed of body parts of some victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks by burning them and dumping the ashes in a landfill,” began the story. The victims were killed on Flight 93, which crashed in western Pennsylvania.
Gross? No doubt. Inappropriate? Unquestionably. Important? Hell no.
The worst thing that could ever happened to the people to whom those body parts belonged occurred before. They were dead. Murdered. What went down after that was comparatively trivial.
Not to stir up the Truthers (with whom I disagree), but a more appropriate front-page story would ask: “More Than 11 Years After 9/11, Why Hasn’t There Been an Independent Investigation?”
Here’s what we’ve come to: Get killed on Flight 93 and no one bothers to find out what really happened to you. Have your remains disposed of in a culturally insensitive manner and it’s a scandal.
What if Flight 93 had landed safely? Some passengers would gotten laid off. Some would have been foreclosed upon. And the government wouldn’t have given a rat’s ass about them.
Why don’t people vote?
A better question is: Why do people vote?
This entry was posted in Blog and tagged 2012 presidential campaign, 9/11 attacks, accidents, Al Gore, Alienation, Apathy, automobiles, Barack Obama, Body Parts, Center for Auto Safety, Clarence Ditlow, David Axelrod, Death, death cult, Dover Air Force Base, Economy, Gallup Poll, Harvard Crimson, Iraq War, Joblessness, Jobs, media, mitt romney, mortality, National Highway Traffic Administration, Press, priorities, rearview cameras, representative democracy, Rick Santorum, Ross Perot, Unemployment, Victims, voting on February 29, 2012 by Ted Rall.
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You are here -allRefer - Reference - Country Study & Country Guide - South Africa >
In early 1994, after a fifteen-year break, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs began preparing to reestablish formal ties by ending the oil embargo against South Africa. Iran had been South Africa's primary oil supplier until the fall of the shah in 1979, when open economic and political ties were suspended. Limited economic relations continued between the two countries, although at a discreet level. For example, the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) continued to maintain its 17.5 percent share in the Sasolburg refinery of the National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa, even after other ties between the two countries were suspended. In 1995 and 1996, South Africa pressed for closer ties to Iran, both to acquire oil imports on favorable terms an d to demonstrate Pretoria's willingness and ability to defy United States pressures to shun Iran.
One of the most hidden but critical of South Africa's strategic relationships during the apartheid era was that with Israel, including both the Labor and the Likud governments. Israel officially opposed the apartheid system, but it also opposed broad international sanctions against Pretoria. For strategic reasons, much of the debate in Israeli government circles stressed coordinating ties to Pretoria within the framework of the tripartite relationship among Jerusalem, the United States (Israel's prima ry benefactor), and South Africa. Israel was also opposed to international embargoes in general, largely as a consequence of its own vulnerability to UN and other international sanctions.
South Africa and Israel had collaborated on military training, weapons development, and weapons production for years before broad sanctions were imposed in the late 1980s. Military cooperation continued despite the arms embargo and other trade restric tions imposed by the United States and much of Western Europe. Israel and several other countries discreetly traded with, and purchased enriched uranium from, South Africa throughout the 1980s. Romania's former president Nicolae Ceausescu, for example, us ed Israel as the "middleman" for exports to South Africa. In a few cases, joint ventures between Israel and South Africa helped to reduce the impact of sanctions on South African businesses.
The Israeli interest in South Africa sprang in part from the presence in South Africa of about 110,000 Jews, including at least 15,000 Israeli citizens. Israeli leaders sometimes justified trade with South Africa as support for the South African Jewis h community, and South Africa provided a market for some of Israel's military exports. Israel's arms trade with South Africa was estimated at between US$400 million and US$800 million annually (see Arms Trade and the Defense Industry, ch. 5). In 1986 Isra el also imported approximately US$181 million in goods, mainly coal, from South Africa, and exported to South Africa nonmilitary products worth about US$58.8 million.
In 1987 Israel took steps to reduce its military ties to South Africa to bring its policies in line with those of the United States and Western Europe. Then Minister of Foreign Affairs Shimon Peres announced the Israeli plan to ban new military sales contracts with South Africa, to reduce cultural and tourism ties, to appoint a committee to study sanctions proposals, and to condemn apartheid--which Peres characterized as "a policy totally rejected by all human beings." Israel also established educatio nal programs in Israel for black South Africans. Nevertheless, through the early 1990s, several secret treaties remained in force, continuing the military relationship between the two countries and their joint research in missile development and nuclear t echnology.
Data as of May 1996
South Africa - TABLE OF CONTENTS
System of Government
Constitutional Change
The Interim Constitution
Executive and Legislative Authority
Volkstaat Council
Provincial and Local Government
Drafting a Final Constitution
The Apartheid-Era Legal System
The New Legal System
The 1994 Elections
South African Communist Party
Inkatha Freedom Party
Freedom Front
Other Political Parties
Afrikaner Broederbond
United Democratic Front
Mass Democratic Movement
Political Elites
Communications Media
Newspapers, Magazines, and Journals
Relations with African States
Relations with Non-African States
Relations with Other Countries
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Nelt receives "The Victor" award >
Nelt receives "The Victor" award
T h e traditional annual awards of the Serbian Chamber of Commerce - Belgrade Chamber of Commerce "The Victor" (srb. Beogradski pobednik) were presented on Friday, December 21. For 33 years now, awards are being bestowed to the best companies and individuals for the results in the economy, development and contribution to the success of the Belgrade and Serbian economy.
Nelt is one of six companies that received this year's award. At the ceremony in the Belgrade City Assembly, Marko Milanković, Nelt Group Communications Manager, received the prize in the name of Nelt. On this occasion, he thanked the business community and stated that the award "The Victor" has a special significance for Nelt, as an international company based in Belgrade, which has over the years become one of the largest private Serbian companies, with business operations in two continents and 11 markets.
The recipients of this year's "The Victor" award are also DM, Ball Packaging Europe, Grand Kafa, Servoteh and Svetlost teatar, as well as the Deans of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Belgrade.
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Home/Featured Music Artist/Vinx
Vinx
31st October 2011 Posted by Frances Jaye Filed in: Featured Music Artist
Who is Vinx? Most people know him as…One man. One voice. One drum. As you will discover, Vinx is much more. Vinx’s music transcends languages and borders. This is evident from his international touring schedule and cult-like popularity. Vinx has taken the wisdom of his mother to heart. She often told him that “You can’t sing of life unless you live.”
So… the journey starts in 1976, when Vinx attended Kansas State University on a track scholarship. In 1977, hate nearly took away Vinx’s athletic career and his life when racists burned down his house, along with the home of another black family living in his Kansas City suburb. Vinx was severely burnt by the fire. He overcame his injuries and three years later made the world’s second longest leap in the triple jump. This qualified Vinx for the 1980 Moscow Olympics. When President Jimmy Carter called for an Olympic boycott that year, Vinx’s athletic goals were put on hold.
A deejay in college, Vinx also performed with the Kansas State Jazz Band. In 1978, Taj Mahal invited Vinx to perform with him at the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. When Vinx’s Olympic dream was deferred, he turned his back on track, but after two years returned as an assistant coach for the women’s track team at the University of Texas. In Texas, Vinx rediscovered his Olympic ambitions and began working toward the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. After an injury at the trials took him out of the running for the ’84 Olympics, Vinx stayed in Los Angeles and began working as a fitness trainer for the rich and famous. His clients included Stevie Wonder, George Hamilton and Marisa Tomei.
Vinx’s early years in Los Angeles brought him much triumph and tragedy as he transitioned from his athletic past to his musical future. In 1987, Vinx landed his first recording session with Ernie Watts on his Grammy awarded Musican project. Following Tom Jones’ recording of Vinx’s ballad “Touch My Heart,” Vinx toured extensively with the likes of Rickie Lee Jones, The Bus Boys, Teena Marie, Toni Childs and Robben Ford. His commercial agency work included appearances in both Sprite and Levi’s 501 Blues ads.
In 1989, Vinx’s father, Leslie Jackson Parrette Sr. (Vinx’s greatest musical influence) was mugged and murdered during a family vacation in Detroit.
Vinx left the United States for Europe with his all drum band. Vinx and the Barkin’ Feet played to capacity audiences at the Montreaux Jazz Festival, performing after Miles Davis and before Wayne Shorter. Back in the states, Herbie Hancock invited Vinx to perform on his Showtime Coast to Coast TV Special, where Vinx played with Bonnie Raitt, Bruce Hornsby, Lou Reed, B.B. King, Herbie Hancock, Kenny G. and Woody Harrelson.
In 1990, Sting and Miles Copeland signed Vinx to Pangaea/I.R.S. Records. Following Vinx’s performance on Sting’s Soul Cages CD, Vinx recorded his first release (Rooms In My Fatha’s House) for Pangaea. The album featured guest performances from Sheryl Crow, Sting, Herbie Hancock, Taj Mahal, Branford Marsalis, Roscoe Lee Brown and Mother’s Finest. Vinx toured for 13 months with Sting’s “Soul Cages” tour as the solo opening act and the percussionist/ background vocalist. The tour ended with a Carnegie Hall taping of MTV Unplugged with Sting. Vinx’s “While The City Sleeps” was used in the opening dance sequence of the prime time TV show In Living Color.
In 1992, Vinx moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico and released his 2nd CD titled I Love My Job. The album featured Zap Mama, Patrice Rushen and Dan Kuramato. Vinx toured the world jazz festival circuit with great response and returned to the States for an appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show and The Tonight Show with old friend Branford Marsalis. Vinx’s song “There I Go Again” was chosen for the highest rated episode of the hit TV series Northern Exposure. The network received so many calls about the song that it was chosen for an album release of Northern Exposure’s most requested music. In 1993, Vinx released his 3rd CD, The Storyteller, which featured Stevie Wonder, George Howard, Cassandra Wilson and Omar. Vinx toured the world and recorded on Cassandra Wilson’s award winning CD Blue Light Til Dawn.
In 1994, Vinx moved to Boston and started the year with the Stewart Copeland and the Rhythmatists tour. The summer brought Vinx out for a three month tour with the Spin Doctors, Cracker and the Gin Blossoms, an appearance on the Bertice Berry Show, and performances and CO-MC work for all three days of Woodstock’ 94. In 1994, 1995 and 1996, Vinx was invited by Miles Copeland to his 12th Century French castle for a writer’s retreat. Vinx co-wrote at the castle with such notables as Brenda Russell, Cher, Michelle Shocked, Jil Sobule and Patty Smyth. 1995 brought Vinx to Africa for a five week tour of nine countries in West and Central Africa. Vinx and his drum trio were cultural attaches for the U.S. State Department. On his return, Vinx recorded on Stevie Wonder’s Conversation Peace CD.
In 1996, Vinx was inducted into the Kansas State University Athletic Hall of Fame. Vinx released his 4th CD titled Lips Stretched Out. Vinx-the-painter got a rep and held his first gallery showing of his paintings. Vinx headed to Atlanta for his performance at the 1996 Olympiad.
Vinx created an innovative Euro dance project called Jungle Funk which featured ex-Living Colour rhythm section musicians Will Calhoun and Doug Wimbish. 1997 – 1999 brought Vinx and Jungle Funk to over 150 shows throughout Europe and Australia with the release of Jungle Funk’s first limited edition disc; highlighting the early days of the band. Vinx returned to the U.S. for work with the Baltimore based dance guru’s “The Basement Boys” and some recording on Crystal Waters’ track “Mama Told Me.” In 1998, Jungle Funk got signed to the German label, ESC Records (Zebra/Warner Brothers in the U.S.) with a new release, recorded live in Austria. Vinx received a grant from AT&T to work with Washington D.C.’s famed Eastern High School Choir.
In 1999, Vinx traveled to Berlin to record an album with Traumton Records titled Big ‘n’ Round. Vinx relocated back to Los Angeles to co-write with Brenda Russell, Stewart Copeland, and Darius Rucker. Vinx established his own StankFish Recording Studio, Midnight Archer Publishing Co. and a film production company — Dreamsicle Arts & Entertainment. In 2000, Vinx’s recording studio was robbed with a loss of over $100,000 of recording equipment and masters…
2002-2004, Will Downing recorded “Don’t Talk To Me Like That” – written by Vinx and Brenda Russell – on his Sensual Journey (Universal) release. Vinx lent his background vocals to the track, which was chosen as the single and charted on the Urban AC charts.
Vinx and Peermusic Publishing have released a standards record comprised of Hoagy Carmichael ballads and other classic songs written by songwriters on the Peer roster. Vinx has added his eclectic twist to songs like “Stardust”, “Sway”, “Skylark”, “Georgia” and “Up The Lazy River” to name a few.
2004-2006, Vinx continued working with the US State Department as a Cultural Attache’ steering his efforts towards HIV awareness in Mozambique. In between his European tours Vinx produced GROOVE EXOTICA a percussion project that teams him up with Jason Hann (String Cheese Incident and EOTO) and Tony Phillips (Seal,Lion King) and a young artist named Samantha Stephens, she shows great promise. Vinx and Native Vibe recently toured Sierra Leone to raise funds for the Ballanta Music School in Freetown. This school was destroyed from the countries brutal cival war. Vinx traveled to Accra, Ghana to perform during the 49th birthday of Ghana’s independence. Vinx continued with his many social and cultural projects. Vinx was honored to produce Druzina, the award winning Slovak folkloric band. Professor Vinx joined the faculty at BERKLEE SCHOOL OF MUSIC in Boston for the summer sessions.
2007-2009 Vinx returned to Accra Ghana as artistic director… 50th independence day of Ghana Nu Jazz Festival. Vinx turns 50 and completes “50 Memoirs of a Hip Old black Man” A 4 volume CD with 50 new songs. Songwriter Soul Kitchen goes International with a week long workshop in Riga, Latvia. 2008 He launches the Troubadours Gathering Festival which met with great success. Vinx founded this event that focuses on singer-songwriters. 2009 vol 2 of “50 memoirs of a hip ole black man” is released…. Vinx the educator conducts a 2 week creativity project at the East New York/ Brooklyn charter school for the entire 4th grade. Vinx continues teaching summers at Berklee College of Music in Boston and continues to help area track coaches as a Triple Jump specialist and consultant .. this year was the University of Maine.
2010 Vinx moves to the northeast (Vermont and New Hampshire). Forms the European super group GROOVE HEROES and begins touring. Soul Kitchen travel to Regensburg, Germany. Vinx’s parent company Dreamsicle Arts & Entertainment creates a community-building and rural cultural exchange program at the Rivendell Academy in Orford, New Hampshire. The Dreamsicle team led by Jennifer Lambert and Vinx, directed the students through the process of creating their first (student-run) music festival “ICE JAMZ” which was successful beyond expectations!
2011 the Songwriter Soul Kitchen moves to New Hampshire with events in Keene NH, Belize, Cozumel, Ocho Rios and Lakeside Michigan. In between European tours solo and with Groove Heroes, Vinx produced Keene, NH Indie/Americana band “Girl and Piano” on their new release and Poppy, aka Jim Boyd, with a children’s lullaby CD called “soundtrack for dreamers”. On the coaching front, Vinx worked with the Concord High School triple jump team. Vinx travels again to Accra Ghana to work with World Fusion stars Native Vibe. Plans for the rest of the year include Recording and touring with “Hiroshima” ..a 3rd Troubadours Gathering and an international DRUM/DANCE Festival in Vermont. AND the release of a Groove Heroes CD and the long awaited vol 3 of “50 memoirs of a hip ole black man” With Vinx….. the best is yet to come………
www.vinx.com
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Researchers: VW’s Emissions Cheat Will Kill Hundreds
Fabian Rivera
Faked emission tests between 2008 and 2015 allowed Germany’s Volkswagen Group – the world’s largest car maker – to sell cars that emitted four times the allowable concentrations of pollutants.
Volkswagen admitted rigging the tests in September 2015.The company says it installed technology in 11 million diesel automobiles, allowing them to pass environmental tests for the presence of nitric oxides.
VW has recalled the vehicles, but scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology contend that excess emissions from the cars have had a measurable impact on public health.
MIT researchers previously reported that emissions generated by 482,000 noncompliant diesel cars in the United States would be responsible for approximately 60 premature deaths.The researchers have now set the sights on Europe, where Volkswagen does most of its business.
The results, according to a report published in Environmental Research Letters, is that Volkswagen’s cheating will result in the premature death of 1,200 in Europe.Germany, Poland, France, and the Czech Republic are hardest hit by the emissions.
Each affected person will lose as much as a decade of life due to the excess pollutants from Volkswagen cars sold under the VW, Audi, Skoda, and Seat brand.
Germany is hardest-hit, the researchers said, with 500 premature fatalities.
Pollution “doesn’t care about political boundaries,” said study coauthor Steven Barrett, who teaches aeronautics and astronautics at MIT. “It just goes straight past.Thus, a car in Germany can easily have significant impacts in neighboring countries, especially in densely populated areas such as the European continent.”
Photo: Volkswagen
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Posts tagged: rumba
Post-war America dances to a Latin beat
By Recorded Sound Archives, September 2, 2010 3:45 pm
Several of the Vogue Picture records in the Recorded Sound Archives at FAU Libraries capitalize on America’s love affair with Latin rhythms during the 1930s , 40s and 50s.
During the Prohibition Era (1920-1933), Havana, Cuba was a popular tourist destination for Americans seeking fun and excitement. One of the pleasures they discovered there was the rhumba. Popularized by performers such as Spanish-Cuban bandleader Xavier Cugat and Desi Arnaz, Latin ballroom dances and rhythms became a common staple of American entertainment for decades.
Riding this wave of popularity Sav-way produced several Latin-themed recordings and a series of recorded rhumba ballroom dance lessons. By today’s standards the music seems somewhat watered down and mild. Nevertheless, these recordings give us a true representation of Americanized Latin music as it actually was during the mid-20th century.
About the RSA, Judaic Collection, On-line music collections, Online Access, Restoration & Preservation, Vintage Collection, Vintage Recordings Pre-1950 | 78 rpm records, Latin rythms, Post-War America, rhumba, rumba, Vogue Picture Records
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Home > Theological Education between the Times: Reflections on the Telos of Theological Education
Theological Education between the Times: Reflections on the Telos of Theological Education
by Antonio Eduardo Alonso, Emory University
The articles that form this issue of Spotlight on Theological Education emerged out of the work of Theological Education Between the Times, a project funded by a grant from the Lilly Endowment to the Candler School of Theology. This project seeks to renew and resource conversations on the purposes of theological education in a season of profound change. The empirical origins of this project are the kinds of dramatic shifts that most of us committed to the work of theological education can easily narrate even as the degree to which each of us feels those shifts on a day-to-day basis varies widely with our institutional contexts. The changes are substantial. Some schools are closing, merging, or changing their fundamental missions. Many schools face declining enrollments. New degrees are displacing the MDiv for many students. Student debt is rising. New kinds of institutions are emerging. Distance learning is expanding. And these deep changes only begin the list.
For many institutions, these and other fundamental shifts in theological education raise practical questions. How do we reach our enrollment quotas for next year? Should we invest in infrastructure or new faculty when the future seems uncertain? Or, perhaps more immediately, how do we keep the doors open another day, another week, another year?
In the daily stress of finding ways to answer these urgent questions, we can often settle into a managerial mindset in which the larger question of the purpose of theological education is subordinated or even lost. Practical questions are of course crucial. Changing institutional configurations demand our very best management. But these new shifts make old questions about purpose even more vital. Why are we doing this in the first place? What is all of this for? To what end is theological education oriented?
Rooted in an awareness of clear cracks in previous forms of theological education and attentive to the kinds of larger questions that managing such fissures often obscures, two central commitments have guided the work of the grant and give rise to this collection of essays. First, the project centers on a clear conviction that what is needed in the present moment is a renewed focus on the telos of theological education. If empirical shifts raise urgent practical questions that rightly consume much of our energy, the work of this project is focused on slower, deeper discernment of the meaning of our work. The work of the project, then, is about more than the goal—more even than the mission—of theological education. This project focuses on the end of theological education. This requires thinking theologically about its meanings and purposes. It requires reading the signs of the times. And, as the title of the grant suggests, we think it requires an eschatological cast of mind. For Christians, the present is not only between the times of institutional configurations, but also between the times of the resurrection and the fullness of redemption yet to come.
A second conviction is that no single testimony will be fully truthful or comprehensive to the work of answering these questions. Anything like an adequate understanding will require knowledge from multiple perspectives. The pluralism essential to our discernment requires diversities of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, faith, region, discipline, and vocation. It also requires diversity in the kinds of institutions represented. And so this work demands we think within and beyond the limits of the Association of Theological Schools, as generous and expansive as those limits have become. For part of the work before us involves rethinking exactly those boundaries.
These commitments are reflected in the work of the first phase of the project, which we completed last year. The first phase convened five different consultations—involving nearly sixty participants from four different countries—that sought to cultivate public deliberation among diverse groups of people about the telos of theological education. The pluralism on which this work depends was present not only in the diversity of its participants—including twelve from non-ATS institutions—but also the diversity of institutions in which the consultations took place: Saddleback Church in Orange County, CA; Howard University Divinity School in Washington, DC; Candler School of Theology in Atlanta; Esperanza College in Philadelphia; and Mundelein Seminary in suburban Chicago.
The conversations of diverse groups of people in these very different locations resist reduction to a summary or a set of bullet points. They also challenge the easy narratives of decline or progress that so often shape discourse about theological education. For example, a conversation on the campus of Saddleback, an evangelical Christian megachurch affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention, brought together a Catholic professor of theology at a university in rural Minnesota that is steeped in the Benedictine tradition and a Pentecostal president of a well-established Bible institute in Los Angeles that serves primarily Latino/a communities. The professor described a number of changes that often get read as a kind of decline. The president described the problems that arise from not having enough leaders to respond to the exploding demand for his school’s weekly gatherings. Their exchange reveals just one glimpse of the kind of deep plurality that complicates any flat story we might be tempted to tell about theological education in the United States.
The second phase of the grant, which began recently and stretches into 2019, sustains and deepens the work of the first. It will involve sharing of some of the fruits of the first phase through panels, lectures, and collections of essays like those presented here. It will also try to add to the literature produced by the first phase. Shaped by the wisdom of the first round of consultations, a group of twelve people will meet together over the next three years to write a series of short, smart, accessible books that are grounded in and conscious of particular social locations even as they continue to think about the telos of theological education.
Our conviction that any singular story would flatten out the pluralism that has been a hallmark of the project informs the decision to present a range of contributions in this issue of Spotlight. Each of the authors shared in a consultation in the first phase and offered thoughtful and profound insights in the course of the consultation. Each wrote important pieces before and after the consultation. These essays share some of the ideas that came out of that process. Each one offers distinct insights grounded in the life of some living, breathing community. They are rich individually. They are richer still as a conversation.
The essays are rooted not just in particular communities, but in a particular time. The first public life of these essays was in a panel presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Religion in San Antonio in November of 2016, just two weeks after the US presidential election. Many of the essays reflect anxieties, hopes, and commitments that have become even more urgent for those who articulate them in the months since the election. These months have underscored the need to think again about the telos of theological education in a time between the times.
Antonio Eduardo Alonso is a doctoral candidate in the Graduate Division of Religion at Emory University and a dissertation fellow of the Hispanic Theological Initiative. In the fall, he will begin work at Candler School of Theology as visiting instructor in the practice of theology and culture, and director of Catholic studies. In addition to his academic work, he is a widely published composer of liturgical music. Alonso currently serves as graduate research assistant for the Theological Education Between the Times project.
Source URL: http://rsn.aarweb.org/spotlight-on/theo-ed/between-the-times/theological-education-between-times-reflections-telos-theological-education
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The Long and Winding Road for Harley-Davidson in California Apportionment Land
Tax Development Aug 24, 2018
By Mark L. Nachbar
The case of Harley-Davidson alleging discrimination by the California income tax apportionment structure has had a long history through the California court system. The essence of the challenge is that under California law, a unitary group of intrastate taxpayers has the choice to file a combined California income tax return or separate returns. However, a unitary group of interstate taxpayers may only file a combined tax return.
The first hearing on this issue at a trial court was in the Superior Court of San Diego County. The state filed a demurrer to dismiss Harley-Davidson’s action for a refund, which was denied by the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB). A demurrer is a pleading that objects to the pleading by the opposing party. Here, the FTB asked the court to dismiss Harley-Davidson’s refund complaint, saying that there was no discrimination. The trial court sustained the Board’s demurrer to Harley-Davidson’s commerce clause challenge to the California Tax Code. The Court of Appeal, Fourth District reviewed the trial court’s decision, overruled its finding,1 and remanded the case back to the trial court.
The case was reheard on the facts at the Superior Court of San Diego County, with a finding that whether or not the state’s disparate of apportionment methodology for intrastate versus interstate unitary groups was discriminatory, the state had a legitimate purpose for the discrimination. The legitimate reason was to apportion and tax all California source revenue, and the court ruled this goal could not be accomplished by any other reasonable method.
On August 23, 2018, the California Court of Appeal, Fourth Appellate District, in a decision not certified for publication, agreed with the trial court. The Court of Appeal reasoned that the state has a legitimate interest in taxing all income of an interstate unitary group. The combined method of reporting for unitary groups has been upheld as constitutional in numerous cases.2 Interstate unitary groups have the ability to shift income out of California if they were allowed to file their returns on a separate company basis. While intrastate California unitary groups earn all their income in California, reporting on a separate or combined basis is virtually irrelevant because all income of the group is attributable to California in either case. The Court of Appeal did not address Harley-Davidson’s claims that different reporting mechanisms also affect the use of tax attributes among the group. However, unless Harley-Davidson steers for the California Supreme Court, this would appear to be the end of the road for this motorcycle adventure.
1 Harley-Davidson v. FTB, 237 Cal. App. 4th 193 (5/28/2015).
2 Container Corp. of America v. FTB, 463 U.S. 159 (1983); Barclays Bank PLC v. FTB, 512 U.S. 298 (1994); Butler Brothers v. McClogan, 315 U.S. 501 (1942).
TECHNICAL INFORMATION CONTACTS:
Mark Nachbar
mark.nachbar@ryan.com
Mary Bernard
mary.bernard@ryan.com
Mark L. Nachbar
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Sports, Sports Hall of Fame
Southington Sports Hall of Fame celebrates century-long sports legacy
by jgoralski • July 6, 2016 • 0 Comments
Jimmie Savage broke into the major leagues in the early 1900s, earning a spot as an everyday player with the Pittsburgh Rebels in 1914.
By JOHN GORALSKI
Commuters racing across town might not stop to think about the origins of Savage Street or the family that lent its name to the Southington landscape. Sports fans, boasting about the town’s rich sports history, might pass over James “Jimmie” Savage when they argue about which athlete launched Southington’s rich sports legacy.
That’s why the Southington Sports Hall of Fame selection committee highlighted Savage as the cornerstone of their seventh class of inductees. For most local sports fans, his name has been lost to history.
“He might be the original professional athlete to come out of Southington,” said Southington Sports Hall of Fame chairman Dennis Stanek, Jr. “That’s exciting, and I think we did a good job of finding him and revealing him to the town.”
James “Jimmie” Savage was born in Southington on Wednesday, Aug. 29, 1883, and he was 29 years old when he broke into the big leagues on Sept. 3, 1912 as the second baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Savage appeared in a major league lineup for three seasons, including 1914 when he played as the regular outfielder for the Pittsburgh Rebels of the old Federal League. Over 66 games with the Rebels in 1914, Savage played primarily in left field but shifted to shortstop and third base as he was needed. He finished his short career with a .276 batting average, 139 hits, one home run and 26 runs batted in.
“We know that he’s buried at St. Thomas Cemetery. We know that he was born in Southington, and most likely Savage Street is named after his family,” said Stanek. “Who knows? We might be able to track down a long lost heir to him that can come forward with a picture of him playing ball. I think this an exciting part of what we’re trying to do here with the hall of fame. We want to recognize athletes, coaches, boosters, supporters, and fans that have been a part of Southington sports for over 100 years.”
With his posthumous induction, Savage will be joined by another strong class in 2016, which includes an array of athletes from football, wrestling, and soccer to baseball and softball. The Class of 2016 athletes includes household names such as Andy Liseo, Kim Lynch, Lisa Matukaitis, Ted Wallace, and Jessica Gianatti. All were leaders in their sports, and many went on to contribute to sports well beyond graduation.
In addition, they’ll be joined by Pete Sepko, a multi-sport athlete at Southington High School during the football team’s storied 33-game undefeated streak (1962-1966). But Sepko is best known for his work after graduation.
When the wrestling team was in danger of folding, Sepko rolled up his sleeves and threw himself into the fray. In the spring, he coached the local track teams for more than two decades, marshaling the Knights through the postseason to their best finishes in program history. This fall, he will be honored for his 26 years as a coach for the Blue Knights.
Off the field, the late Doug Topshe made just as big of an impact. The former owner of Tops Supermarket lent his time and money to developing Southington athletes. He was a founder of the town’s midget football leagues and a former UNICO gold medal winner for his work around town. Topshe will be honored posthumously as a local booster.
“It gets more difficult as each year progresses to limit the list of athletes and coaches getting in,” said Stanek. “We’re getting down to the nitty gritty now. We’re looking at stats, not just name recognition because this is not a popularity contest. We’re getting down to those hardcore stats.”
That’s why the hall of fame will welcome two more Southington High School teams to its roster—the 1994 baseball team coached by John Fontana and the 1986 softball team coached by Joe Piazza. Both were littered with hall of fame athletes as they marched their way to state championships.
“I think it’s really exciting that we have some great men and women that are getting inducted this year,” said Stanek. “They’ve all proven themselves and their value. We’re going to have a lot of fun.”
On Wednesday, Nov. 9, they will be honored in an induction ceremony at the Aqua Turf in Plantsville. Tickets will be available soon and will cost $50. To reserve tickets, contact Jim Verderame at (860) 628-7335 or Val DePaolo at (860) 620-9460, ext. 104.
“The dinner is always a huge success, and it’s a sell-out every single year. As a matter of fact, every year we end up asking the maitre d’ to set up a few more tables because we get more people than we expected,” said Stanek. “We think that friends and family are going to come out in droves to celebrate this class of athletes, and it’s going to be a great time.”
The committee has already begun compiling statistics for next year’s induction class, and they continue to welcome nominations from the public. To nominate a team, player, booster, or media member, send a request along with supporting documentation, statistics, and contact information to: Mike Boissonneault, 115 Panthorn Trail, Southington, CT 06489, (860) 628-5225, email – mikeboissy@cox.net.
Tags: Class of 2016 Jimmie Savage Southington Sports Hall of Fame
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15 x 22 inches (38.1 x 55.88 centimeters)
Framed: 21 x 28 inches (53.34 x 71.12 centimeters)
Signed and dated lower left: Rosa Bonheur 1889
Schweitzer Galleries, New York
Private Collection, U.S.
Annie Paule Quinsac has kindly confirmed the authenticity of this work.
While Rosa Bonheur’s oeuvre includes paintings of a broad variety of animals, both domestic and wild, from rabbits to dogs to elk, her most recognizable and widely known images are perhaps her paintings of horses. Bonheur made her career on works such as The Horse Fair (1853-55, Metropolitan Museum of Art), and continued to paint equine subjects on both a small and grand scale throughout the remainder of her career. In the current work, a wild bay stands in an open pasture, while other horses graze in the distance. Bonheur’s understanding of the animal is apparent in her depiction: the horse’s flickering, attentive ears, wide eyes and flaring nostrils show his wild mistrust at the viewer’s presence.
Rosa Bonheur (French, 1822 - 1899)
Although she was one of the most celebrated animal painters in France during the Second Empire, Rosa Bonheur’s renown was even more widespread in Britain and America than in her own country. She made her fame on several large works executed early in her career which were exhibited internationally. Her father, Raymond Bonheur, a social radical, painted portraits and landscapes and taught drawing in Bordeaux. All five of his children became artists as well. In 1828 Raymond Bonheur moved to Paris to further his career and was followed there by his family the next year.
Rosa proved precocious and began to study with her father at an early age. She sketched in the Paris parks, copied Old Masters in the Louvre and studied animal anatomy in the Roule slaughterhouse, where she first adopted male attire for its greater convenience. After exhibiting a painting of two rabbits and one of goats and sheep at the 1841 Salon, she continued to participate in the Salons throughout the decade, winning many medals. Her Ploughing in the Nivernais, commissioned by the State in 1848, entered the Luxembourg Museum in 1849, the year she succeeded her father as director of the Paris Free School of Design for Young Girls. Her early travels included the Auvergne, southern France, the Pyrenees and Germany. About 1852, work commenced on The Horse Fair (Metropolitan Museum), which was shown at the 1853 Salon, when the artist was awarded membership to the Société des Artistes Français, which granted her exemption from the judging at all future Salons. This enormous painting of rearing and thrashing horses at the Paris Horse Market, which remained unsurpassed in her work for grandeur of composition and directness of observation, was eventually purchased by Ernest Gambart, who featured it in the 1855 French Exhibition in his Pall Mall Gallery in London. The following year Gambart conducted Rosa Bonheur on a triumphal tour of England and Scotland, during which she was befriended by Queen Victoria and met Sir E. H. Landseer, whose pictures of animals she had previously known only through engravings.
After exhibiting in 1855 Haymaking in the Auvergne, acquired by the Luxembourg, she ceased almost entirely to enter works in the Salons, although she was represented in the 1867 Exposition Universelle by nine works, including Sheep by the Sea belonging to the Empress Eugenie. In 1858-59, Rosa Bonheur bought a chateau in the hamlet of By, near Fontainebleau, which provided her with adequate space for the large menagerie of animals that she used as models. There she remained with her constant companion, the still life painter Nathalie Micas, producing her animal subjects, many of which were sold abroad through her dealer Gambart. Late in her career she turned to American western subjects, inspired by the 1889 visit to France of Colonel William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) and his traveling show. Among her many awards was the Cross of the Legion of Honor presented to her personally in her studio by the Empress Eugenie, membership in the Antwerp Institute offered in 1868, the Leopold Cross, and the Commander’s Cross of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic, both presented in 1880, and elevation in 1894 to the rank of Officer of the Legion on Honor.
Bordeaux, Musée des Beaux-Arts; Buffalo, NY, Albright-Knox Art Gallery; Chantilly, Musée Condé; Cleveland Museum of Art; Copenhagen, Statens Museum for Kunst, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek; Detroit Institute of Arts; Evreux, Musée de l’Ancien Evêché; Fontainebleua, Musée national du château; Hanover, NH, Hood Museum; Lille, Palais des Beaux-Arts; London, Wallace Collection, National Gallery; Minneapolis Institute of Arts; Montauban, Musée Ingres; New York, Metropolitan Museum, Dahesh Museum; Paris, Musée d’Orsay, Louvre; Philadelphia Museum of Art; Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco; Sarasota, FL, Ringling Museum; Stockton, CA, Haggin Museum; Vernon, Musée Alphonse-Georges Poulain; Washington, D.C., National Museum of Women in the Arts;
Look at recent acquisitions by Rosa #Bonheur , #Dagnan Bouveret, and #Bouguereau at the Dahesh Museum @DaheshShop http://t.co/9cUegAZhdh
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Attorneys' fee petition denied for jailer acquitted of federal perjury charge
In Hicks v. U.S. Attorneys Office, Chief Judge Jones of the W.D. Va. denied the petitioner's claim for attorneys' fees under the Hyde Amendment, concluding that notwithstanding the petitioner's acquittal on the perjury and obstruction of justice charges brought against him related to his testimony in a civil case, the charges were not "vexatious, frivolous, or brought in bad faith."
In the civil case of Stiltner v. Crouse, Judge Jones granted summary judgment for the defendants, including Hicks, in connection with the wrongful death case brought in connection with the death of a woman who had held in custody at the jail in Buchanan County.
State court ruling on grievability precludes procedural due process claim
In Etters v. Spencer, Chief Judge Jones of the W.D. Va. dismissed in part the section 1983 claim of a former employee of Tazewell County, who claims that he has been deprived of liberty and property without due process.
The Court ruled that the plaintiff was bound by the determination in state court that the plaintiff had no grievance because he was a department head, excluded by the county government from application of the policy, and therefore he had no basis for his procedural due process claim (having received all the process he was due, which was none).
Oops, no joy on this one
In Casteel v. Davidson, the Fourth Circuit in a per curiam decision by the panel including Judges Michael, Traxler, and Duncan, affirmed summarily the opinion of the District Court, without hearing oral argument.
Since we were the ones hired to bring the appeal, I was hoping for a different outcome.
Local litigators Roy Jessee and Bill Moffet were up in Richmond earlier this week, arguing before a panel of Judge Motz, Judge Shedd, and Senior Judge Hamilton. I must remember to inquire about that when next I see those gentlemen.
Latest qualified immunity opinion from Supreme Court
Yesterday, in Los Angeles County v. Rettele, the Supreme Court reversed the denial of qualified immunity by the Ninth Circuit to law enforcement officers sued for unreasonableness in the conduct of a search where they were looking for African-Americans in a house where everyone there was Caucasian.
The Court concluded there was no constitutional violation.
In a concurring opinion, Justice Stevens suggested three items of interest: (1) he bashed the Ninth Circuit for deciding the case in an unpublished opinion, and (2) he thought it was obvious that the rights at issue were not clearly established, not even on the authorities the Ninth Circuit cited, and (3) he continues to object to the idea that qualified immunity should be decided by always going first to the merits question.
On the latter point, I think that some opponents of qualified immunity would disagree, that the law never gets clearly established unless somebody rules on the merits every now and then.
A collection of Jerry Falwell posts
The Falwell forecast on Alito
In this story from the Lynchburg paper, the Reverend Jerry Falwell predicts that the number of votes in the U.S. Senate in favor of the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court will be "in the high 50s or low 60s."
Jerry Falwell hoping for Protestant Knute Rockne
Explaining why he fired the football coach at Liberty University, Jerry Falwell here: "I don't have much time to get the football program in the Top 20."
Falwell's sterling character denies him relief once again in the federal courts
Years ago, in the libel case brought by the Rev. Jerry Falwell against Larry Flynt over an ad parody in Hustler magazine, the jury found for the defendant, finding that "no reasonable man would believe that the parody was describing actual facts about Falwell." Falwell v. Flynt, 797 F.2d 1270, 1273 (4th Cir. 1986). The U.S. Supreme Court relied in part on this finding to overturn the verdict in favor of Falwell on his claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress. See Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, 485 U.S. 46, 56 (1988) ("We conclude that public figures and public officials may not recover for the tort of intentional infliction of emotional distress by reason of publications such as the one here at issue without showing in addition that the publication contains a false statement of fact which was made with 'actual malice,' i.e., with knowledge that the statement was false or with reckless disregard as to whether or not it was true.")
Last week, in Lamparello v. Falwell, the Fourth Circuit in an opinion by Judge Motz, joined by Judges Michael and King, reversed the district court's entry of an injunction prohibiting the defendant from maintaining a "gripe website critical of Reverend Jerry Falwell." The Court concluded that there was no likelihood of confusion between Falwell's trade names and the defendant's "gripe website." The Court said: "After even a quick glance at the content of the website at www.fallwell.com, no one seeking Reverend Falwell’s guidance would be misled by the domain name — www.fallwell.com — into believing Reverend Falwell authorized the content of that website. No one would believe that Reverend Falwell sponsored a site criticizing himself, his positions, and his interpretations of the Bible."
So, I conclude from these two cases, under these cases based on the First Amendment, Rev. Falwell's protection from those who would say transparently bogus things about him is that no one would believe them, and he can obtain a judicial remedy against only those commentators with expression that has some verisimilitude (but is not quite true, as truth, presumably, might also defeat some kinds of claims).
Here are reports on the opinion from Anne Broache of CNET news.com, Eric Goldman, Paul Alan Levy, the AP, Brian Peterson, SC Appellate blog, Susan Crawford, and Warwick Rothnie, among the many to comment on this case which involves the intersection of intellectual property law with the underlying clash of views between Mr. Lamporello and Rev. Falwell over homosexuality - there's something in it for all variety of different blogs.
Might as well, since the law and politics thing did not work out
In this story about a Eastern Kentucky politician who was sentenced today in federal court, where the defendant explained what he has been doing lately while he waited for his case to get finished: "With his law license suspended, Hays said, he has been attending Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary, run by Jerry Falwell in Virginia."
Falwell says he's not recommending anyone for the Supreme Court
How Appealing links here to this article from the Lynchburg paper in which the Rev. Jerry Falwell says he's not making any recommendations to the White House about who should be named to the Supreme Court.
Two more summaries on the candidates for the Republican nomination for AG
This article by Christina Nuckols for the Norfolk paper about Steve Baril and Bob McDonnell is sort of a fair summary of the main points that have come across in the media during the campaign.
It does not mention some other things, like tort reform or where their money comes from, that might be of interest to some voters. This article by Tammie Smith in today's Richmond paper fills in some of that gap.
In this post, Barnie Day says that "Main Street Republicans" like Baril because, well, he is a Main Street lawyer, which I always thought was the main part of his appeal, although his campaign has not made it a point of emphasis in any way that I have noticed, preferring more populist themes. Strangely, Day points out that McDonnell is tied to Pat Robertson, without mentioning that Jerry Falwell was an early supporter of Baril.
Rev. Falwell double-dog dares Sen. Warner to defy him on filibuster vote
Via How Appealing, I see that the Lynchburg paper is reporting here ("Falwell lays down marker for Warner," 4/30/05) that SW Virginia's own Rev. Jerry Falwell is challenging Sen. John Warner to come across on the vote to limit filibusters on the President's judicial nominees.
Senator Warner, I suspect, is not going to run again and will do whatever he pleases.
Look, bloggers made Jerry Falwell's Thanksgiving prayer list
It says here that among other things for which Jerry Falwell is offering a prayer of Thanksgiving: "I thank God for the Internet bloggers."
Falwell gives law clinic for church leaders on how to politic from pulpit
The AP reports here that Jerry Falwell and his lawyer son and others gave a how-to session for ministers on where to draw the line when mixing religion and politics.
More on new Liberty Law School
Somebody sent me a link to this humor piece published by the ABA e-journal. Apparently, the idea that Jerry Falwell plans to turn out Christian lawyers to infiltrate the legal profession is viewed to be almost as funny as his pronouncement years ago that the Liberty football team would beat Notre Dame.
I believe that there are people - not most, and perhaps not even many - who go to law school, every law school, with the intention of changing the world, and a few of these highly-motivated people manage to pull it off, and when they make their mark, their law schools send out a press release bragging of the connection. Some of these people are conservatives and even Christians, and I won't be surprised if some Liberty graduates create some noticeable ripples in the flowing river of the law - and that this happens even before Liberty beats Oklahoma or even Notre Dame in football.
Can Liberty Law School be accredited?
Law.com has this article describing "questions" about whether the new law school at Liberty in Lynchburg can ever be accredited.
Since Regent is accredited, and Ave Maria is provisionally accredited, I'd have to say that this article is mainly full of anti-Christian nonsense, which is never hard to find, but probably the whole thing is part of the marketing plan cooked up by Rev. Falwell. I'm thinking maybe he called up Barry Lynn and said, hey, why don't you put out some outrageous quotes against my law school, and that will get us some publicity, and help with our admissions and fund-raising, and if you do, I'll treat you to a fried-chicken dinner after church the next time you come to see us down at the Thomas Road Baptist.
Catholics and Baptists unite at Liberty Law School, wherever that is
I enjoyed this Bainbridge post about Catholics (including the Dean) and Baptists (including Jerry Falwell) at the new Liberty law school, until I got to the part where he said it was in "southeast Virginia." No place called the "Hill City" and the "City of the Seven Hills" can be found over in the flatlands of Southeast Virginia.
I myself grew up going to the Abingdon Baptist Church (until we moved away) then was married (by a Jesuit priest) in Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown.
Virginia Democrats on the new Jerry Falwell law school
From the Virginia Democrats' blog, this post laments the opening of the new law school at Liberty as likely to result in the further breakdown of the separation of Church and State.
Now, to me, there's something wrong in singling out for criticism the Southern Baptists and other Christians, when they engage in the naked pursuit (so to speak) of their agenda, as they are surely entitled to do, as much as anyone else. The Southern Baptists are not a threat to Our American Way of Life - anyone who has ever been to a Sunday School picnic knows that.
Opening of the Liberty University School of Law
Jurist has this post with links about the opening next week of the new law school at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University in Lynchburg, including this AP report and the Dean's blog.
More on the Falwell case
Here from Slashdot is a string of comments on the "Jerry Falwell" trademark beats fallwell.com case.
Website of gay rights activist held to infringe on the IP of Jerry Falwell
The AP reports here that Judge Hilton of the E.D. Va. has ruled that the domain name "fallwell.com" was too close to the registered trademark "Jerry Falwell" and was likely to confuse web surfers.
Best law school in Michigan
Via Politics & Law, this story ("Hail Mary Passes - How to build a great law school," 12/2/03) from the National Review Online about the Ave Maria Law School in Michigan makes me think that this kind of success is what Dr. Pat Robertson had in mind for Regent and what the Rev. Jerry Falwell hopes to accomplish with the law school coming to Lynchburg, but neither of them ever owned Domino's Pizza (or the Detroit Red Wings).
Jerry Falwell endorses Steve Baril for Virginia AG in 2005
According to this report ("Baril picks up endorsement from Falwell," 11/29) from the Richmond paper, the minister of the Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Jerry Falwell, has endorsed Steve Baril for Attorney General. Baril is a partner in the Williams Mullen firm and the son-in-law of the late former Governor John Dalton.
Jerry Falwell's explanation of how he got back jerryfalwell.com
Jerry Falwell, the Baptist minister from Lynchburg, explains here the legal strategies he employed in an effort to wrest from one of his opponents the use of "jerryfalwell.com."
SW VA's own Jerry Falwell gets rights to jerryfalwell.com without litigation
This press release describes how Jerry Falwell, the Baptist minister from Lynchburg, got the rights to jerryfalwell.com, without litigation.
JIRC recommends discipline against Judge Shull
The VLW blog had this post about the findings of the Judicial Inquiry and Review Commission on Judge Mickey Shull.
This is very disappointing, as I like Judge Shull. I don't know what happens next, or who might get the job if Judge Shull if these findings are upheld.
Another good book
I just read Gary Giddins' collection of favorites from his career as a movie/music/book critic, in Natural Selection: Gary Giddins on Comedy, Film, Music, and Books.
I didn't know half of what he was talking about, but the writing is great. The book sort of makes me think I've been wasting my DVD player. In fact, it ought to come with a few DVDs of the movies and music.
In particular, I liked the pieces toward about his professor from Grinnell and his editor at the Village Voice.
On the cover of the latest Travel + Leisure magazine is a view of The Reefs - where we spent our honeymoon, back in the day. The Reefs is also on the cover of T+L's 2007 hotel book.
At one time, some of its owners were engaged in a long-run bit of litigation, which is a bit hard to follow. See Koehler v. The Bank of Bermuda, Ltd. No. M18-302, 1994 WL 48825 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 16, 1994) ("Koehler I"); Koehler v. The Bank of Bermuda, Ltd., 101 F.3d 863 (2d Cir. 1996) ("Koehler II"); Koehler v. Bank of Bermuda (New York) Ltd., 96 Civ. 7885, 1998 WL 557595 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 2, 1998) ("Koehler III"); Koehler v. Dodwell, 152 F.3d 304 (4th Cir. 1998) ("Koehler IV"); Koehler v. The Bank of Bermuda (New York) Ltd., 209 F.3d 130 (2d Cir. 2000) ("Koehler V"); Koehler v. The Bank of Bermuda, Ltd., No. M18-302, 2002 WL 519740 (S.D.N.Y. Apr. 5, 2002) ("Koehler VI"); and Koehler v. The Bank of Bermuda, Ltd., No. M18-302, 2002 WL 1766444 (S.D.N.Y. July 31, 2002) ("Koehler VII").
The year before I got married, I lived at Mom and Dad's house, working for Judge Williams. People sometimes asked what did I do with all the money, having a salary for the first time and no expenses. And, the answer is I bought a wedding ring, made (only part of) a down payment on a house, paid for a week at The Reefs, and must have squandered the rest.
Will the Roanoke Times start liking him now?
Via Waldo, I saw this report that says at one time the Justice Department was looking at giving John Brownlee the boot for not prosecuting the pork rinds and cigarettes voter fraud cases that were later concluded in state court by Tim McAfee.
So, if Karl Rove was against him, you'd think the Roanoke paper would be for him.
UPDATE: Instead, the Roanoke paper wrote, huh?
Chief Judge Jones upholds federal sex offender registry statute
Last week, in U.S. v. Hinen, Chief Judge Jones of the W.D. Va. overruled the constitutional challenge raised by the defendant to the validity of his federal prosecution for failure to register as a sex offender.
Judge Jones offered this background of the statute at issue:
"Title I of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 ('Adam Walsh Act') encompasses the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”), Pub. L. 109-248, §§ 1-155, 120 Stat. 587, 590-611 (2006). The Adam Walsh Act, including SORNA, was approved by the President on July 27, 2006. SORNA created a new federal offense of failing to register as a sex offender ('FFR'), with a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment. See 18 U.S.C.A. § 2250.2 The elements of the crime as applicable to the present case are that the defendant (1) was required to register under SORNA; (2) traveled in interstate commerce; and (3) knowingly failing to register or update a registration as required by SORNA. Id. at § 2250(a). SORNA requires a person convicted of a sex offense to register, and keep the registration current, in each jurisdiction where the offender resides. 42 U.S.C.A. § 16913 (West Supp. 2007)."
Attorneys' fee petition denied for jailer acquitte...
State court ruling on grievability precludes proce...
Latest qualified immunity opinion from Supreme Cou...
Chief Judge Jones upholds federal sex offender reg...
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music essential-guide Related Tags
IMPROV & AVANT-GARDE
SOUL, FUNK & WORLD
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When it comes to extreme metal, Cannibal Corpse unquestionably lead the pack. Their success and popularity is unparalleled in their genre, w...
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The B-52s, OMD & Berlin Roll Into Ironstone Amphitheatre on August 11th!
Murphys, CA...Now with over 20 million albums sold into their career, there can be no doubt as to why The B-52s remain one of rock music’s most beloved and enduring bands. As the B-52s continue to celebrate their 40th Anniversary, the band announced a world-wide tour today that is expected to cover more than 10 countries and will include a headlining North American summer tour. The 40+ city tour will kick off May 4 in West Palm Beach, FL at Sunfest and finishes in New York City on September 24 at Summer Stage in Central Park. Tickets for the tour are on sale on April 12 at 10am local time. Click HERE to purchase. Full tour dates below with more expected to be added in the future. OMD and BERLIN will support on select North American dates.
In 2018, the B-52s began their 40th anniversary celebration in style, co-headlining a massively successful American tour with Culture Club and Thompson Twins, taking over venues across the country. Continuing the festivities, Da Capo Press/Hachette Books has announced plans to publish the first-ever official history of the band in 2020. Meanwhile, the B-52s have joined forces with Executive Producer Fred Armisen and Director Craig Johnson [Skelton Twins, Wilson, Alex Strangelove] to develop an authorized documentary film of the group.
“Who knew that when we played our first house dance party in Athens, Georgia in 1976 that we would be still be rocking the house in 2019!” says vocalist Kate Pierson. Adds fellow vocalist Cindy Wilson, “Visiting over 10 countries to perform for our fans around the globe makes us so incredibly happy. Let’s rock!” Front man Fred Schneider gives fair warning, “Woo-hoo! Europe and then all over North America! Dust off those go-go boots and shine your dancing shoes because the B-52s are coming!”
You don’t need to look too hard to see or hear the multi-dimensional influence of the B-52s. As they take their party-music revolution into the 21st century, the B-52s show no signs of slowing down, serving up their own unique blend of music and showmanship to millions of fans around the world.
THE B-52’s WORLD TOUR DATES
May 4 West Palm Beach, FL Sunfest*
May 12 Arlington, TX KAABOO Texas*
May 26 Nashville, TN Nashville Boogie Vintage Weekender*
June 21 Vitoria, Spain Azkena Rock Festival*^
June 23 Amsterdam, Netherlands Paradiso**^
June 24 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique**^
June 26 Cologne, Germany E-Werk**^
June 27 Berlin, Germany Columbiahalle**^
June 29 Gateshead Sage, UK Gateshead Sage**^
June 30 London, UK Eventim Apollo**^
July 2 Nottingham, UK Royal Concert Hall**^
July 3 Manchester, UK O2 Apollo**^
July 5 Paris, France Olympia**^
July 7 Argeles Sur Me, France Festival les Deferlantes*^
August 1 Costa Mesa, CA Pacific Amphitheatre**
August 3 San Diego, CA Bayside Summer Nights @ Embarcadero Marina Park**
August 4 Los Angeles, CA Microsoft Theater
August 6 Portland, OR Oregon Zoo Amphitheater
August 7 Seattle, WA BECU ZooTunes Concert Series
August 8 Missoula, MT Kettlehouse Amphitheater
August 10 Bend, OR Les Schwab Amphitheater
August 11 Murphys, CA Ironstone Amphitheatre
August 12 Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery
August 14 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
August 16 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Garden Amphitheatre
August 17 Dillon, CO Dillon Amphitheater**
August 18 Greenwood Village, CO Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
August 21 San Antonio, TX The Majestic Theater
August 22 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall
August 24 Sugarland, TX Smart Financial Centre
August 25 New Orleans, LA Saenger Theatre
August 28 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
September 6 Greensboro, NC White Oak Amphitheatre at Greensboro Coliseum Complex
September 7 Atlanta, GA Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
September 8 Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center at the Heights
September 11 Grand Rapids, MI Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens
September 13 Toronto, ONT, CA Sony Centre for the Performing Arts
September 14 Detroit, MI Meadow Brook Amphitheatre
September 17 Washington, DC The Anthem
September 19 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for the Performing Arts
September 20 Mashantucket, CT Foxwoods Resort Casino – Grand Theater
September 22 Asbury Park, NJ Sea.Hear.Now Festival*
September 24 New York, NY Summerstage – Central Park
All dates are with The B52s, OMD and Berlin unless noted below
*Festival Date
^European Tour
**Headline Date
About The B-52’s
Selling over 20 million albums worldwide, The B-52s—Fred Schneider [vocals], Kate Pierson [vocals], Cindy Wilson [vocals], and Keith Strickland [guitar, drums, keys, programming]— have quietly impacted alternative music, fashion, and culture over the course of four-plus decades. They count John Lennon, Madonna, James Murphy, and Michael Stipe among their disciples. Panic! At The Disco, Blood Orange, The Offspring, Pitbull, Roger Sanchez, and DJ Shadow have sampled classics from the band’s discography as Seth MacFarlane’s Family Guy, The Simpsons, Sugarland, and more offered up covers of their own. They inched towards the forefront of the post-punk movement in America codified by 1979’s self-titled The B-52s. Not only did the record go gold, but it also placed at #152 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” and #99 on VH1’s “Greatest Albums of All Time.” The gold-selling Wild Planet arrived hot on its heels in 1980. With Keith brilliantly filling the void in with music composition and live show guitar duties, 1989’s watershed Cosmic Thing elevated the B-52s to another galaxy altogether. It moved 5 million-plus units and spawned a string of Top 10 smashes in the form of the GRAMMY®-nominated “Roam” and “Love Shack”—which Rolling Stone lauded on the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time.”
After a 16-year hiatus, The B-52’s proved as bright, bold, and boundless as ever on 2008’s Funplex. The momentum only ramped up when they roamed on tour in 2015. As they prepare a high-profile documentary and first official book, The B-52s look forward to inspiring future generations.
About OMD
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), the synth-pop duo from Wirral, England, pioneered their genre combining massive chart success with experimentation on albums such as "Organisation"(1980) "Architecture and Morality" (1981) and "Dazzle Ships" (1983). Hits such as ‘Enola Gay’, ‘So in Love’ and ‘If You Leave’ propelled them into the stratosphere. The latter of which was heavily featured in the John Hughes ’Pretty In Pink’ film. The band has sold over 15 million albums and 25 million singles. OMD re-united in 2007 and have been playing sold out concerts worldwide to critical and fan acclaim ever since. Their recent studio albums ‘English Electric’ and ‘Punishment of Luxury’ show the band to be one of the few of their generation still able to create music that inspires. Their live show never fails to impress, full of hits and full of energy. “Electronic music is our language”, Andy says. “It’s how we talk.” The band will be celebrating their 40th anniversary with the release of a Singles collection and collectors box set that spans their truly remarkable career. OMD live are Andy McCluskey, Paul Humphreys, Martin Cooper, Stuart Kershaw.
BERLIN will forever be recognized as the American progenitor of electro-pop artistry with sensually appealing lyrics. Few bands emerging from the era of BERLIN have achieved as far-reaching and long-lasting an impact and, rarely, such a timeless array of musical grooves. The Los Angeles-based band made its first national impression with the provocative single "Sex (I'm A...)" from the platinum-selling debut EP Pleasure Victim in 1982. “The Metro” and “No More Words” were also chart toppers, but it was the unforgettable, intimate, and strikingly beautiful love song, “Take My Breath Away” that took the band to another level. The ballad’s defining role in the Tom Cruise film, Top Gun, helped solidify BERLIN’s everlasting place in American pop-culture. The song was a #1 international hit and received both the Golden Globe and Academy Award for “Best Original Song” in 1986. BERLIN’s discography has yielded twelve gold and platinum album awards. The band—founded by Nunn, bassist John Crawford, and keyboard player David Diamond—made its everlasting place in American pop-culture. Nunn’s ongoing influence earned her the #11 spot on VH1.com’s “100 Greatest Women in Rock,” while, as an actress, she played leading roles in films including Katie: Portrait of a Centerfold with Kim Basinger, and Thank God It’s Friday with Jeff Goldblum and Debra Winger. Along with comedienne, Wendy Liebman, Nunn also previously hosted the critically acclaimed radio show Unbound with Terri Nunn on 88.5 FM KCSN Los Angeles. Nunn, Crawford and Diamond have just finished recording a brand new BERLIN studio album, scheduled for release in July 2019. The album marks the first studio collaboration by Nunn, Crawford and Diamond since Love Life, the third BERLIN album, released in 1984.
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Tax Protesters!
N. Dakota wants hired protesters to pay state income taxes: Pipeline agitators profit via hazy Paths
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jan/30/north-dakota-wants-hired-pipeline-protesters-to-pa/
Trump names Judge Gorsuch as Supreme Court choice
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/01/31/trump-names-judge-gorsuch-as-supreme-court-choice.html
Liberals will be shcoked. They expected Eric Holder. ~Bob
20 “vetted” Muslim refugees who turned to jihad terrorism after being allowed into the U.S.
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/01/20-vetted-muslim-refugees-who-turned-to-jihad-terrorism-after-being-allowed-into-the-u-s
Posted by TartanMarine at 11:11 AM No comments:
Why Yates Had to Go
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/444418/why-sally-yates-was-fired-insubordination?utm_source=jolt&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Jolt%201/31/2017&utm_term=Jolt
Saudis Attacked
Pentagon believes attack on Saudi frigate meant for US warship
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/31/exclusive-pentagon-believes-attack-on-saudi-frigate-meant-for-us-warship.html
Gays for Islam
Chicago Storm
CHICAGO - The city of Chicago is steadily recovering from an overnight snowstorm that delayed hundreds of shootings on Saturday night and will likely continue to push numerous homicides across the city drastically behind schedule, public authorities announced.
"As we speak, maintenance crews are working diligently to restore public transportation, de-ice roads, and clear back alleyways so that Chicagoans can quickly resume shootings again," Department of Streets and Sanitation spokesman Dave Michelson said of the heavy blizzard, which caused numerous homicide cancellations last night at peak murder times.
"Unfortunately, we're backed up by about 35 deadly shootings at the moment, but we hope to restore regular death tolls as soon as possible.
We apologize to anyone forced to postpone shootings and other killings today and assure concerned murderers that they will be able to resume slayings by early Monday afternoon." At press time, authorities reported that murders were up and running in many parts of the city, with four teenagers already gunned down on Chicago's South Side.
Democrats today are a bunch of Hypocrites - Protests are being organized & funded by the left, & foreign influence: CAIR, Soros, Muslim Brotherhood, etc. Just listen to Bill Clinton's Speech on Immigration in 1995:
https://youtu.be/m3yesvvYEvs
Tammy Baldwin appears to have broken Senate video rule
http://watchdog.org/287062/tammy-baldwin-senate-video/?roi=echo3-41546247648-40216275-0cc2f98e27122a2af198f51fea05be2e
Excerpt: In her haste to make political hay, U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin appears to have violated a 30-year-old Senate ethics rule. Baldwin used video from a Senate committee confirmation hearing earlier this month on Tom Price, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services secretary.
Blocking Refugees
AUTHOR: BIDEN HELPED 'SEAL FATE' OF VIETNAMESE. 'Ride the Thunder' writer cites vote to cut off support
http://dailycaller.com/2017/01/29/flashback-when-liberal-democrats-opposed-refugees-and-even-orphans/
Excerpt: Vice-President Joe Biden was one of the members of the U.S. Senate to seal the fate of the South Vietnamese by voting to cut off U.S. support for those battling the communists from the north, according to the author of a new book. Richard Botkin, author of “Ride the Thunder,” toured battlefields in Vietnam and chronicled accounts of the Vietnamese military organization called TQLC, whose members, with their American advisers, “fought, bled, endured and triumphed against communism.” (Our former VP was involved way back when with the betrayal of South Viet Nam. That's a legacy of shame that cannot be washed away. But below is a link to a current article about how certain people, including Biden, opposed strongly the acceptanae of refugees from Viet Nam. They helped North Viet Nam to win the war and then didn't want to take in those fleeing the terrible result. A black mark against all their names. --Del)
Opposing Refugees
FLASHBACK: Democrats Tried To Block Thousands Of Vietnam War Refugees, Including Orphans
http://dailycaller.com/2017/01/29/flashback-when-liberal-democrats-opposed-refugees-and-even-orphans/#ixzz4XH8mxrkx
Excerpt: Despite today’s outrage over President Donald Trump’s refugee executive order, many liberals in 1975 were part of a chorus of big name Democrats who refused to accept any Vietnamese refugees when millions were trying to escape South Vietnam as it fell to the communists. They even opposed orphans. The group, led by California’s Gov. Jerry Brown, included such liberal luminaries as Delaware’s Democratic Sen. Joe Biden, former presidential “peace candidate” George McGovern, and New York Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman.
Canada: Gunmen screaming “Allahu akbar” open fire in mosque, murdering multiple people
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/01/canada-gunmen-screaming-allahu-akbar-open-fire-in-mosque-murdering-multiple-people
Posted by TartanMarine at 12:18 PM No comments:
There Were Too Many Unforced Errors Over the Weekend. Slow Down the Trump Train. By Erick Erickson
http://theresurgent.com/slow-down-the-trump-train/
Excerpt: Then there is the immigration ban. I support it. It is not anti-Muslim. It targets a half-dozen countries previous administrations have listed as being suspect for immigration, but it exempted persecuted religious minorities. It makes a lot of sense. It was also rushed. It confounded American corporations as to its extent. It did not provide exemptions for American collaborators in those affected countries. The Administration did not adequately brief and educate the Executive Branch on its implications, so immigration officers were left confused. Objectively, the Administration did not draft a clear, easily understood executive order. The Justice Department, State Department, Defense Department, and Homeland Security Department did not review it in advance of its release or give any input into its drafting.
The Assassination of a Revered Muslim Lawyer Stuns and Saddens Myanmar
http://time.com/4653103/myanmar-ko-ni-assassinated/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning%20Brief%201/30&utm_term=%2AMorning%20Brief
Smoking Out Islamists via Extreme Vetting
http://www.meforum.org/6505/smoking-out-islamists-via-extreme-vetting?utm_source=Middle+East+Forum&utm_campaign=325aeb3a0d-pipes_daniel_mef_2017_01_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_086cfd423c-325aeb3a0d-33858697&goal=0_086cfd423c-325aeb3a0d-33858697
Well done article on how to try to vet incoming immigrants. Would it stop everyone who is really a dedicated jihadist? No, the super dedicated ones will prepare and lie like the most beautiful rug you have ever seen. But it will detect most of the people who are really fundamentalist Islamists, whose mindsets are such that they are not about to assimilate into a westernized, liberal culture. Simply put, anyone who believes that Sharia Law should be ascendant in this country really doesn't belong here. It is quite possible to be a religious Muslim and accept the idea of living peacefully among others and respecting the laws of this land, and such people are not our enemy. But those for whom fundamentalist Islam is their highest value need to live in countries where that is the system already, not try to bring it here. Doing things this way will take more trained people, more resources, more money, more time. But it's the right answer. --Del
How not to be poor
Avoiding Poverty
It’s true that there are many happy people who are poor, and many unhappy people who are well-off or even rich. But as the joke goes, “Money can’t buy happiness, but it can keep you comfortable and amused while you wait for happiness to come along!”
And grinding poverty, where you cannot pay the bills, or provide the necessities of life for your family, never mind the little amenities that make things pleasant, presents a hard circumstance to be joyful in.
It’s also true that many people in this world are poor through no fault of their own. Perhaps they were born into a third-world country where corruption and the lack of respect for property rights means that the development of affluence for most people is impossible. No one invests in starting a business that gives jobs to people if the government is likely to steal the business from you.
Even in our country and the other wealthy democracies, people can be born into situations where the culture, crime and lack of good educational opportunities make climbing out of poverty very hard. And, of course, “poor” is a changing concept. Many of the “poor” in America have air conditioning, cars and more TVs than the middle class did in 1950. I make a good salary, but compared to Bill Gates, or a Hollywood Star or successful professional athlete, I’m “poor.” So it can be relative.
Some people become poor because they have a disability or disease that prevents them from becoming successful, or they had a father or mother—perhaps both—die when they were young, making it hard for them to get an education.
But it’s also true that many people in our country are poor because they made bad choices. I didn’t make up the following rules; I’ve read variations of them over the years. But if you look at the statistics, there are four ways to avoid poverty:
1. Don’t have babies until you are married, your relationship is stable, and you both have good jobs.
2. Get an education, preferably a college education, or at least an education in some marketable skill.
3. Get a full-time job, work at it, and always work full time (that’s a 40-hour week) when you can.
4. Manage debt carefully; avoid it when you can.
Absent some terrible event, like a tragic disease, people who follow these four rules may not be rich, but they are seldom poor. Unfortunately, following these rules requires maturity, discipline and good decision making when you are a teen or in your twenties—just when these things are in short supply!
Let’s look at these four rules in more detail.
No factor is more closely aligned with poverty in America than being a single mother. The vast majority of the children in poverty have no father in the house. Sometimes they are fortunate enough to have grandparents who can help the grandkids have something like a normal childhood. But even then, the grandparents get old, and need to save money for their retirement.
Faced with the costs and time commitment of rearing a child, the young father who promised to love and care for you forever when enthusiastically helping you make the baby, often walks away. Trying to support yourself and a baby—or babies—with no help and a limited education is difficult. Yes, the government will take money from the people who earned it (taxes) and give it to the single mothers who didn’t earn it, punishing those who made good choices and encouraging more young women to make bad choices. But it’s not a lot of money, it doesn’t provide much of a life-style for the kids, and as I write, government is fast running out of money.
Yes, sometimes young women marry men without character, who desert them, putting them in the same circumstances. At least they tried to give their kids a decent life.
The numbers are staggering, especially for minorities in our cities. About 70% of black kids are now born to unmarried mothers. Hispanics and whites are gaining on them. Poverty is more about a culture that leads to bad choices, and government programs that encourage bad choices, than any other factor. In 1950, about 78% of American households were married couples. Now it is down to 48%. Until and unless we can change this culture, we cannot hope to reduce poverty.
The kids grow up without a father in the house, which hurts their development. They also tend to emulate the mother, and have children of their own without being married, passing poverty from generation to generation like a hereditary disease. Single mothers can find lots of dates, but finding a man with a good job who wants to marry them and take on someone else’s kids is much harder.
It is my belief that having a baby without being married puts the child at risk. Don’t do it to your kids.
2. Get an education, preferably a college education, or at least an education in some marketable skill. The last time I checked, the average lifetime earnings was over a million dollars higher for those with college educations as for those with just a high school diploma. Those folks who don’t graduate from high school are in very bad shape, and it’s getting worse. And even in the recent recession, the unemployment rate was much lower for those with a college degree than for those without one.
And when you go get that education, look at how many jobs there are and income levels of people with degrees like the one you want. There is a bitter joke among parents, that goes, “If your kid is majoring in something that ends in ‘studies,’ don’t turn her bedroom into a den. She’s coming home after college, because she won’t be able to support herself.”
There are a lot of popular subjects to study that are fads. Academics—whose own income is protected by tenure—are happy to teach these subjects, and the colleges are happy to take the money the students borrowed to go there. The future employability of their students seems to be no concern of theirs. When you are ready for college, do some research on what fields have the best job opportunities. As I write, social work, education and architecture are among the worst, but this may change. If there are five people with social work or education degrees for every job opening, four of them are going to be unemployed, or working at something else.
It should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway. Postpone having babies not only until after marriage, but until after you get your education. One of the saddest and most common stories is the young couple who are in love. They get married—or just live together—and decide that he will go to school while she works long hours at bad jobs to support them. Once he gets his degree and establishes a professional career, his waitress wife with two babies no longer seems a suitable partner. He divorces her—if they bothered to get married in the first place—and leave her in poverty, with some child support if she is lucky. He has a good job, a new wife who is well employed, and a nice house and car. The ex-wife and kids live in a crummy apartment. Getting an education and getting out of poverty is now ten times as hard.
None of the tens of thousands of women to whom this has happened would have believed it if you had told them on their wedding day. “He’s not like that,” they’d have said. “We’re in love.” If he really loves you, he’ll wait until you get your degree. If he doesn’t wait—you dodged a bullet.
3. Get a full-time job, work at it, and always work full time (that’s at least a 40-hour week) when you can. Many teens get in the habit of working a part time job here for a few months, another there for the summer, and living off their parents. Unfortunately, some never break the habit and carry it with them into their twenties and thirties. Unless they inherit money or win the lottery, they are always poor.
Working full time, no matter how bad the job, gives you a work record, references and job skills that you can take with you to the next job. It brings in more money than working part time, and usually has benefits, which is an important, though often over-looked part of your income. It makes you more attractive to future employers. And it lets you build up a network of contacts who will help you get better jobs down the road.
And don’t hop around from job to job. I’ve been the hiring manager in my office for 38 years, so I’ve looked at a lot of resumes. When I see one where the applicant had five jobs in seven years, nine months here, sixteen months there, and so on, that resume goes into the “do not bother calling” pile.
4. Manage debt carefully; avoid it when you can. Debt is very tempting. It think it’s unconscionable that credit card companies push credit cards on college kids. They are too inexperienced to understand that a few thousand dollars of debt, to buy that nice stereo or new beach clothes, can take twenty years to pay off at minimum monthly payments and cost ten thousand dollars in interest payments.
I didn’t have a credit card when I was in college. I paid cash or did without. That may not be practical in today’s world, but I recommend it. If you have to have a credit card, make sure you don’t use it for more than you can pay off every month. Interest payments on credit cards are high. They help the bankers have nice life styles, but do nothing for you but make you poor.
Many kids run up debt so high they just default. That is, they don’t pay. That sticks the banks with the lost money, but they get it back by charging higher rates to those who do pay to make it up. So when someone defaults on a credit card, they are really stealing money from everyone else who has a credit card, and who pays the bills.
Bad use of credit, such as defaulting on payments, or even being late on payments, also gives you a bad credit rating.
Having a good credit rating helps you avoid poverty, for several reasons. First, it helps you borrow money when you do need it, for something big, like a house or a car. Your Grandmother and I have a credit rating over 800, which is very good. It means we can be trusted to lend money to, because we always pay our bills on time—or often in advance. So when we wanted to buy our condo in the Chicago area in 2009, in the midst of the credit crunch, we were able to borrow the money.
As I said earlier, having a bad credit rating also hurts your chances of getting a good job. Employers check them to see if employees are trustworthy. People who are behind on their bills or over their heads in debt are not the people you want in your organization, especially handling money, because they are more likely to get desperate and steal from you.
So being poor often means people misuse credit, get bad credit ratings, can’t get better jobs—and get even poorer.
Just because someone will lend you money doesn’t mean you should borrow it. A lot of people bought the biggest house they could get a mortgage on, paying only the minimum every month. Then when the housing market collapsed in 2007, they ended up owing more than their houses were worth. The saying is, their mortgages were “under water.” They were drowning in debt.
My dad was a school teacher, who worked two jobs to support the family. All the college support he could provide was a roof over my head, and food—if I was there at meal time. Yet I came out of college with my degree and no debt. I had the GI bill, which folks said made me “lucky.” But I didn’t notice any of them behind me at the Marine recruiter trying to get “lucky” by going to Vietnam with me. I went to state schools, which were cheaper (then), and have been well enough employed since to pay it all back and more to the states I’ve lived in through my taxes. And I worked 20 to 36 hours per week in college, which carrying a full load—or more—of credits and a good GPA. Debt is a killer.
One of the reasons your Grandma and I aren’t poor, is that we always settled for smaller houses and cheaper cars than we could afford, and we paid more than the minimum payments, so we’d get ahead. We also don’t charge more on our credit cards than we can pay every month, so we don’t have interest payments making us poor.
As I write this, we owe only one debt, $98,000 on the condo we bought two years ago for $160,000. We put $16,000 down and paid off more over three years. With that kind of payments, we could have had a much larger and nicer condo, paying twice the mortgage, but we would have put ourselves at risk of being poor if something went wrong.
Following these four rules takes discipline and maturity, but they will help you avoid being poor. You must be willing to settle for less than you want, less than you can get right now, for having a more comfortable lifestyle in the future.
Advice for my Granddaughter: For When I’m Gone
http://www.amazon.com/Advice-Granddaughter-When-Im-Gone/dp/147004238X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417188860&sr=1-1&keywords=Advice+Granddaughter+Robert+A+Hall
Advice for Boys: From an Old Marine by Robert A. Hall
http://www.amazon.com/Advice-Boys-From-Old-Marine/dp/1491295775/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375985830&sr=8-1&keywords=Advice+for+Boys+Hall
All royalties go to charity.
Posted by TartanMarine at 8:42 AM No comments:
Message?
Black Fathers Matter
https://www.prageru.com/courses/race-relations/black-fathers-matter#.V17j
More Snowflakes: Colleges Expanding Definition of 'Disabled Student'
https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2016/12/20/more-snowflakes-colleges-expanding-definition-of-disabled-student//?singlepage=true
Many years ago I was taking a class in Anatomy and Physiology at a local college, and there were some political demonstrations going on. Students in the class told the professor they would have to miss two classes and the material covered in them in order to take part in the demonstrations. She said she understood, and that they would not be responsible in the final exam for the material covered in those two classes. I stood up and asked her if she accepted the idea that awarding a student a mark was her professional testimony that the student had demonstrated that level of mastery of the course material. She looked a little uncomfortable and said that was generally true. At which point I asked how she could exempt anyone from portions of the exam that everyone else took and thus not demonstrate their mastery of that part of the course material, and yet still award a grade that would be interpreted by the world as a full and fair rating of the student's learning all the material. She got very uncomfortable and said something about a "special case" and that was it. But that is what a mark is supposed to be, the teacher's professional testimony as to the student's demostrated mastery of the course material, with the same opportunity to learn for all, barring really extreme cases. Expanding disability considerations so widely means that they will be exploited by some, and still give others marks they actually do not rate. Does anyone want to be a passenger on the plane where the pilot really didn't meet all the requirements for showing full skill in landings? This is how things really deteriorate in a society, when not only does the high school diploma not necessarily mean much, but maybe not the college degree or even postgrad degrees as well. --Del
GOP Health Plan
DALLAS - January 18, 2017 - Most Republican plans to replace Obamacare envision spending all their health insurance subsidy dollars in the individual market, just like Obamacare does. But a new plan takes a radically different approach. Noting that the individual market in many states is "dysfunctional' and may end up in a "death spiral," the sponsors ask, "Why throw good money after bad?"
The plan instead proposes allowing people a tax credit for enrolling in group insurance through an employer - where the premiums are often lower and the benefits better.
Legislation to do just that has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Pete Sessions (R-TX), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, and in the Senate by Bill Cassidy (R-LA). In an article posted today at the Health Affairs Blog<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001JfKopt5YhC5VwmuaRIw8UkUX8og1LwLXcu_tj6IUimFJfXA2BAkuyd2XGjwUQ1N1qUu5gFKbkyfU4yGP4Su2b62fKtMKz8-hQuBzXumYAUt87UFO7VbIIqRCEYS7z4PE38MWOhZlBi5gOuJkGReAjBm4PRKs7EcT4A2JI6AlpPY=&c=DyeWZ3biZcEK6J467jTuFnTE1mb8Q-hNiREngTCKRHYfd1O3AaLU_A==&ch=UW5z5tXyToGPfG-V22mYv8iX8TZ_QE9PmjvaDary-7pzvt50uVwchA==>, Sessions and Cassidy along with John Goodman (the health economist who helped create the plan) make these points:
* Almost 30 million people are currently uninsured and that number is unlikely to change very much under Obamacare or under other Republican replacement plans.
* About 85% of the uninsured live in a household with at least one worker and three fourths live in a household with at least one full-time worker.
* More than half of the uninsured live below 200% of the poverty level and the main reason why the uninsured say they are uninsured is because of "cost."
* Yet neither Obamacare nor other Republican plans offer any substantial assistance to people who potentially could become insured through their employers.
The proposal would create a universal tax credit for health insurance and the same credit would apply in the individual and group markets. The authors say it would be generous enough "to allow the average person access to a plan that is similar to well-managed, privately administered Medicaid."
Employers would have the option to continue under the current tax system (purchasing insurance with pre-tax dollars) or the tax credit system. They would also be able to help their employees obtain insurance in the individual market or in the group market.
The proposal would also do something else no other proposal does. If there remain any uninsured, some portion of unclaimed tax credits would be sent to safety net institutions in the communities where the uninsured live in case they cannot pay their medical bills from their own resources. People would have access to health care, even if they lack health insurance.
The authors say that with a tax credit independent of income electronic enrollment would be easy, using off-the-shelf technology. States could use existing systems to automatically enroll people - making them insured unless they choose to opt out.
The authors also say that they believe that the goal of universal coverage can be achieved with money already in the system. "We don't need any new taxes or any new spending," they write.
About the Goodman Institute
Led by Dr. John C. Goodman, the Goodman Institute for Public Policy Research (GIPPR) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy research organization that promotes private alternatives to government regulation and control, solving problems by relying on the strength of the competitive, entrepreneurial private sector. Topics include reforms in health care, taxes, and entitlements. Visit www.goodmaninstitute.org.
J. Waylon & Associates LLC
O 214-613-00730073>
Waylon Tate | waylon@jwaylon.com<mailto:waylon@jwaylon.com>
Kourtney Hamilton | kourtney@jwaylon.com<mailto:kourtney@jwaylon.com>
ISIS Child Soldiers
This is real killings of bound prisoners by ISIS child soldiers. VERY BRUTAL SCENES! President Trump has it right by stopping immigrants from terrorist oriented Middle East countries. ISIS, al-Qaida, and other like minded extremist organizations must be eliminated from this world. --GBH In its latest video, ISIS places bound prisoners in an abandoned building and then lets loose child soldiers to hunt and kill them. Clarion Project condemns ISIS and its action with every fiber in our collective body but believes the truth must be told about the evil that is ISIS. That is why we decided to publish this video.
WARNING: EXTREMELY GRAPHIC CONTENT:
http://m.clarionproject.org/news/isis-graphic-video-kids-shooting-exercise-living-targets
The soldier's Load. II & III
The Soldier's Load: Two more excellent articles by Tom Kratman
A Closer Look at Our Soldiers’ Preposterous Loads
http://www.everyjoe.com/2014/06/30/politics/examining-our-soldiers-loads-what-are-they-carrying/#ixzz4XBVDnlDH
When Body Armor Makes Sense and When It Absolutely Doesn’t
http://www.everyjoe.com/2014/07/07/politics/body-armor-doesnt-always-make-sense-for-our-soldiers/#ixzz4XBVT8a00
Tom Kratman is a retired US Army LtCol, an occasional contributor to my blog, and an outstand author of military science fiction, including the A Desert Called Peace series. http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Called-Peace-Carrera-Book-ebook/dp/B00B5HJOFY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426715332&sr=8-1&keywords=Peace+Kratman I expect that in 20 years they will move his novel Caliphate to the history section. ~Bob
Illegal Aliens Really Do Vote – a Lot. By William Campenni
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2017/01/illegal_aliens_really_do_vote_a_lot.html#ixzz4X9bFGlnV
Excerpt: While wandering around the festivities, I noticed a table with three nice ladies in front of a "Register To Vote" sign. Curious about its presence at a festival where the bulk of the crowd was either illegal alien day laborers or legal non-citizens, I went over to inquire. Before I spoke, one of those nice ladies asked me if I was registered to vote. Wanting to see where this would go, I said no, and asked how to sign up. A voter registration form was thrust in my hands. The very first item on these forms, in Virginia and the rest of America, was "I am a citizen of the United States of America," with YES and NO blocks to check. "Don't I need to show you some proof of citizenship?" I asked. She replied "no." I asked her how she could verify that I wasn’t lying. Sensing she might be on a slippery slope, she called over a supervisor from the Registrar's Office and told the woman of my concern. The official told me they never checked citizenship status because I would be penalized if I lied. Really? So I asked her how she would verify my truthfulness, or those of the dozens of new voters being registered that day. Defensively, she replied that they checked all registrations for accuracy at the Registrar's Office when they were turned in. I called the Registrar Monday, and asked if they do indeed verify citizenship status. I was told that they didn't unless someone made a specific complaint against an individual applicant. (The data indicate that voter fraud is a real thing. How much it changes elections is still hard to determine, although we know in some close elections it can make a critical difference. But the bottom line is that the right to vote is sacred to citizens and forbidden to others, and that is how it should and must be treated. Verification of citizenship needs to be done rigorously, and that certainly is not the case now. And gee, is one Party more likely to benefit from illegal voters than the other? Maybe that explains the fierce defensiveness of open registration and no verification. --Del)
Flag Burning
A FedEx driver named Matt Uhrin has received support from the company after preventing a small group of protesters from burning an American flag.
http://hotair.com/archives/2017/01/28/fedex-supports-driver-who-stopped-protesters-from-burning-american-flag/
Prof with hookers
Islamic Terrorist Recruiter Hired By George Washington U. Has Been Busted For HOOKERS AND BLOW
http://dailycaller.com/2017/01/26/islamic-terrorist-recruiter-hired-by-george-washington-u-has-been-busted-for-hookers-and-blow/#ixzz4X9mxFAl5
Honor killing
Honor killing in Trinidad: Teen Muslima murdered for being seen with non-Muslim man
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/01/honor-killing-in-trinidad-teen-muslima-murdered-for-being-seen-with-non-muslim-man
Killing al Qaeda
One U.S. service member was killed and three wounded in a raid against a group of senior Al Qaeda leaders in central Yemen.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/01/29/one-us-service-member-killed-3-injured-in-raid-on-al-qaeda-in-yemen.html
Protest not riots
The Soldier's Load
Older Column, Worth Reading: "The Soldier’s Load and the Immobility of a Nation." By Tom Kratman
http://www.everyjoe.com/2014/06/23/politics/the-soldiers-load-the-immobility-of-a-nation/#ixzz4X6PkKOCp
Tom Kratman is a retired US Army LtCol, an occasional contributor to my blog, and an outstand author of military science fiction, including the "A Desert Called Peace series." http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Called-Peace-Carrera-Book-ebook/dp/B00B5HJOFY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1426715332&sr=8-1&keywords=Peace+Kratman I expect that in 20 years they will move his novel "Caliphate" to the history section. ~Bob
Congresswoman Mia Love
Congresswoman Mia Love's Speech at the March For Life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iq-8EeEUtA
UK: Sharia court hands down sentence approving of honor killing
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/01/uk-sharia-court-hands-down-sentence-of-honor-killing
UK: Muslim taxi driver refuses to carry a guide dog because it is against Islam
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/01/uk-muslim-taxi-driver-refuses-to-carry-a-guide-dog-because-it-is-against-islam
Can Trump Make Priority Status Happen for Christian Refugees?
http://theresurgent.com/can-trump-make-priority-status-happen-for-christian-refugees/
Good Mollie Hemingway Piece
4 Recent Examples Show Why No One Trusts Media Coverage Of Trump. By Mollie Hemingway
https://thefederalist.com/2017/01/19/4-recent-examples-show-why-no-one-trusts-media-coverage-of-trump/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=170127_G-File&utm_term=GFile
Fake Experts
Fake Experts. By Jonah Goldberg, The Goldberg File
http://www.nationalreview.com/newsletters
Much of the Post’s “reporting” hinged on a lengthy, catty quote from a member of the Union of Concern Scientists. As I noted, the Union of Concerned Scientists has always been a political operation. It’s a classic example of an outfit that liberal journalists invest with non-partisan authority so they can pass off partisan views as “science” or some other objective expertise.
In 1985, the editors of National Review wrote: "The Union of Concerned Scientists, except for the publicity it commands, can be dismissed. It has been a scandal for years — a letterhead with a few distinguished names acting as shills for a membership of left-wing laymen (anyone can be a Concerned Scientist, just by paying the membership fee)." Countless activists-in-experts-clothing organizations run on some variant of this model, from the Women’s Sports Foundation to the National Resources Defense Council. Reporters routinely call experts they already agree with knowing that their “takes” will line up with what the reporter believes. Sometimes this is lazy or deadline-driven hackery. But more often, it’s not. And that shouldn’t surprise us. Smart liberal reporters are probably inclined to think that smart liberal experts are right when they say things the smart liberal reporters already agree with. For these and similar reasons, liberal ideas and interpretations of the facts sail through while inconvenient facts and conservative interpretations send up ideological red flags. Think of editors like security guards at a military base. They tend to wave through the people they know and the folks with right ID badges. But when a stranger shows up, or if someone lacks the right credential, then the guards feel like they have to do their job. This is the basic modus operandi for places like Vox, which seek to explain not the facts or the news, but why liberals are right about the facts and the news.
It’s the Substance, Stupid. By Charles C. W. Cooke
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/444231/anthony-de-rosa-doesnt-understand-executive-power?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=170127_G-File&utm_term=GFile
Excerpt: As far as I can see, De Rosa’s contentions here are a) that conservatives deemed many of Obama’s executive orders to be illegal, b) that they have thus far been fine with Trump’s, and c) that they are therefore guilty of hypocrisy. But to arrive at this conclusion one has to be completely ignorant of the rationale on which many of Obama’s orders were critiqued. Outside of a few voices within the fever swamps, the conservative charge against the last president was not that executive orders were illegal per se, but that Obama used executive orders to wield power that he had not been accorded (i.e. ultra vires); to change the meaning of laws that had been passed by Congress (appropriation of legislative power); or to assert authority that the federal government does not enjoy. Or, put another way, the argument against Obama revolved around the substance of some of his orders, not around the orders themselves.
You will be made to pay...
Milwaukee County supervisor’s resolution asks taxpayers to pay for illegals legal defense fund
http://watchdog.org/287038/illegal/?roi=echo3-41494834212-40165427-42fa12ebcb3089bfe2b59d4c6a1d2787
The page views from Russia have dropped off, but those from France are almost as high as from the US. I don't know why, but I thank my French readers. Please comment if you wish. ~Bob
A president can do great damage pushing "alternative facts." For example, the president might state as a fact that, "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan," while pushing a bill that makes thousands of plans illegal. Or he might state as a fact, "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor when every one knows if you loser your plan, you often have to change doctors." Or he might state as a fact, "your premiums will go down" when pushing a plan that covers many more people and requires extended coverage for things like birth control, knowing that all these things will cost more. not less. Or he might state as a fact," Benghazi was caused by a video," when he knew from the get go it was a terrorist attack." Or he might state as a fact, "I ended the war in Iraq," when he knew ISIS was gearing up to enlarge and spread the war. yes, alternative facts can be a problem. If the media isn't coving for you.
The fabulous wealth of the ‘Oxfam 8.’ By Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe
https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/01/18/the-superrich-have-gotten-richer-the-superpoor-have-too/CaYUtxTHtAkXYaeteLBdEO/story.html
Sweden: Two Afghan Muslim migrants revealed as those who streamed 3-hour rape on Facebook
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/01/sweden-two-afghan-muslim-migrants-revealed-as-those-who-streamed-3-hour-rape-on-facebook
Don't be Islamophobic
Germany: Muslim migrant killed “infidel” landlady, scrawled Qur’an verses on wall
https://www.jihadwatch.org/2017/01/germany-muslim-migrant-killed-infidel-landlady-scrawled-quran-verses-on-wall
Excerpt: Remember: if you think this is reprehensible, you’re a racist, bigoted “Islamophobe.”
Trump's Right: Law-Breaking 'Sanctuary Cities' Must Obey The Law
http://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/trumps-right-law-breaking-sanctuary-cities-must-obey-the-law/
Deciding that you, as mayor, chief of police, governor, or whatever, have the authority to defy federal law is generally a bad and dangerous idea. Only in the most extreme case, where some clearly horrible injustice is to be visited upon total innocents, can this ever even be considered. Immigration laws that say people who have crossed our borders illegally must be found and processed by the federal agencies responsible for them are totally reasonable. It doesn't matter if it's someone who's overstayed a student visa, or who was brought here illegally as a child, or who came across just to work and send money home, or someone who is a vicious criminal who'd rather face US jails than South American ones. If they are here illegally the system has to handle them, and if there's something too harsh in that system, the answer is to start a campaign in Congress to fix it. But the law is the law, and if you break it, you need to be prepared for penalties to come your way. Cities with such policies need to have all federal aid cut off, every penny of it. Yes, that's harsh and will cause hardship to lots of people, many of whom have little to nothing to do with setting the city's policy. But the blame for that has to go to the ones who did adopt the policy, and either they figure out that serving their citizens means backing off on defying federal law, or they get to answer for all the hardship that their citizens will be facing. They might try to make the government the Bad Guy, and of course that will play well with some, but that lack of all federal funding is going to cause so much pain to so many that reality will have the final impact. Meanwhile, the federal budget is that much better off with less money going out. --Del. Slavery is illegal, but I suppose the left would have no problems if you established a "sanctuary city" for slave holders. ~Bob
First 'sanctuary city' caves to Trump demands
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/01/26/first-sanctuary-city-caves-donald-trump-demands/97111048/?utm_source=jolt&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Jolt%201/27/2017&utm_term=Jolt
You're too dumb...
New York Times: Our Readers Are Too Dumb To Understand Global Warming Numbers. When I challenged him about the 'hottest year on record,' a New York Times reporter explained that his readers are too dumb to understand numbers.
http://thefederalist.com/2017/01/27/new-york-times-our-readers-are-too-dumb-to-understand-numbers/?utm_source=The+Federalist+List&utm_campaign=2738595101-RSS_The_Federalist_Daily_Updates_w_Transom&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cfcb868ceb-2738595101-83813741
4 Core American Principles That Can Rejuvenate Our Country
http://thefederalist.com/2017/01/27/4-core-american-principles-can-rejuvenate-country/?utm_source=The+Federalist+List&utm_campaign=2738595101-RSS_The_Federalist_Daily_Updates_w_Transom&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cfcb868ceb-2738595101-83813741
Did you hear that Disney is remaking "Lady and the Tramp"? Lady will now be a transgender pit bull who self identifies as a poodle. Tramp is a former junkyard dog and disillusioned Trump supporter who was enlightened by the Women's March on Washington and is seeking a new career as a sensitive lapdog if someone will give him a safe space.
End Racism
Racist not to
Elizabeth Warren Can’t Win for Losing When It Comes to Her Vote for Ben Carson
http://theresurgent.com/elizabeth-warren-cant-win-for-losing-when-it-comes-to-her-vote-for-ben-carson/
Trump's Start
Donald Trump’s Start is Rocky, But Far Better Than Many Skeptics Hoped, Which Brings Me to Evan McMullin
http://theresurgent.com/donald-trumps-start-is-rocky-but-far-better-than-many-skeptics-hoped-which-brings-me-to-evan-mcmullin/
New Medal
Trump's Crowd?
CNN’s report was proven false by their own reporting. CNN released a gigapixel of President Trump’s Inauguration and the areas they show as empty in their article from their January 21st report were filled to the brim in their more recent picture which was taken at the time of Trump’s speech during the Inauguration ceremony.
Today's recipies
Peaceful Prayers?
The Men's March Against Fascism didn't have nearly...
Lip Reading?
Deport Cuomo
The anti-science left
Trump's pick?
Degraded women?
Protesting for Women
Still pimping for his tyrant buddies
Hurting immigrants
In case you can't keep up...
Europe Catching On
Chicago loses another
Trump protester kicked off plane
Double Standard
The world didn't end?
What they mean
Tolerance where love trumps hate...so they say.
Pardons
Message for the Troops
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Japan, South Korea, United States
Seoul-Tokyo relations at heart of US ‘Asian pivot’ wishlist
April 29, 2015 Kevin Lees Leave a comment
Photo credit to AFP / Getty.
Courting controversy for his refusal to issue a formal apology from Japan to South Korea and other Asian neighbors whose nationals were conscripted into service as ‘comfort women’ during World War II, Japanese prime minister nevertheless embraced the United States in a joint address to the US Congress Wednesday:
My dear friends, on behalf of Japan and the Japanese people, I offer with profound respect, my eternal condolences to the souls of all American people that were lost during World War II.
Though Abe expressed deep repentance for Japanese actions that caused suffering to Asian neighbors, and though Abe said that Japan must not avert its eyes from that, he bluntly noted that ‘history is harsh’ and that ‘what’s done cannot be undone.’ Presumably, that includes the abduction of women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese army during World War II across much of Asia, chiefly in Korea, which remained under Japanese occupation from 1910 to 1945. Even discussing the issue today is still widely controversial in both Japan and South Korea, but it’s enough of an affront to South Korea that South Korean president Park Geun-hye has only met with Abe once — and apparently, she was less than impressed with Japanese diplomacy.
RELATED: Japan is once again an essentially one-party country
Abe’s refusal, and the refusal of prior Japanese prime ministers, to apologize has caused diplomatic tension with China and, more importantly for US purposes, South Korea, which US officials hope can become a closer Japanese ally in their mutual quest to balance China’s growing regional power. Though the US-Japanese relationship is strong today, it’s odd, upon reflection, that a Japanese official would apologize to the country that deployed not one, but two, atomic bombs on Japan while remaining recalcitrant vis-a-vis Korea.
Mike Honda, a Democratic member of the US House of Representatives from California and himself an American of Japanese descent, brought Lee Yong-soo, a Korean woman forced into service as a ‘comfort woman’ in 1944 at the age of 16, to Abe’s congressional address in protest.
Mistrust between the two countries runs deep. Surveys show that Abe is more unpopular throughout South Korea today than North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un.
The apology issue was the most contentious of a broad portfolio of policy issues between the United States and Japan, as Abe continues his red-carpet visit to the United States, which included a personal tour of Washington’s monuments with US president Barack Obama (pictured above with Abe) and a state dinner on Tuesday night.
Continue reading Seoul-Tokyo relations at heart of US ‘Asian pivot’ wishlist →
abearticle 9chinajapanLDPliberal democratic partyobamaparkpark geun-hyeshinzo abesouth koreaTPPUnited Statesyasukuni
Bali Nine executions highlight Jokowi’s weakness
Despite widespread international opprobrium, Indonesia executed eight prisoners earlier today, including two members of the ‘Bali Nine’ group of Australians convicted for drug offenses, four Nigerian nationals and a Brazilian national.
Indonesian president Joko Widodo, known as ‘Jokowi’ throughout the country, was elected on a platform of reform and good government. With today’s executions, and with the executions of Brazilian and Dutch nationals for similar drug offenses earlier this year, Jokowi’s international reputation lies in tatters, just six months into his administration. Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino woman convicted of similar drug offenses, however, won a last-minute reprieve after conversations between Jokowi and Philippine president Benigno Aquino III. Veloso was allegedly duped into smuggling drugs into Indonesia, and Aquino had argued that she should be granted a stay of execution for the purposes of testifying against the traffickers who sent Veloso to Indonesia with drugs.
It’s a stupendous fall for Jokowi, who swept into office with high hopes domestically and abroad. Though the executions are not especially controversial in Indonesia, where the death penalty for drug-related offenses is popular, its beleaguered president is facing other pressures that have made it virtually impossible for him to grant clemency to the ‘Bali Nine’ and other foreign drug convicts without incurring additional political backlash, most of all from within the party that sponsored his presidential candidacy, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P, Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan). Until the executions earlier this year, Indonesia had been under a sort of unofficial moratorium for the prior four years.
RELATED: It’s official — Jokowi wins Indonesian presidential election
RELATED: Death penalty diplomacy presents challenge to Jokowi
Notwithstanding the executions, when viewed in tandem with other missteps, Jokowi risks being viewed as a coward at home and a murderer abroad. For now, Jokowi’s decision, at least domestically, is a nationalist moment reaffirming the sovereignty of the world’s fourth-most populous country, but it comes at the risk of painting Indonesia as the number-one target of anti-death penalty activists worldwide.
Though Brazil and The Netherlands recalled their ambassadors from Jakarta after the January executions, the latest round of executions could bring far more destabilizing consequences for Jokowi. Australian prime minister Tony Abbott and foreign minister Julie Bishop have objected strenuously to the Indonesian government’s decision to carry out the executions.
Though ties between Australia and Indonesia are not perfect, the bilaterial relationship is seen by both countries as vital to security and trade interests. Indonesia is the largest recipient of Australian foreign aid, with Australia contributing nearly $650 million in aid to Indonesia in 2013. Cooperation, however, is an important issue with respect to the smuggling of migrants into Indonesia by boat, which peaked (along with deaths at sea) in the mid-2000s.
When Jokowi came to office, he quickly moved to reduce fuel subsidies that had hogged up nearly one-quarter of the Indonesian national budget. By January, his administration had eliminated them entirely, and the world watched with high regard for a president who seemed willing and, even more surprisingly, able to take bold steps that could liberalize Indonesia’s economy. Record-low oil prices, moreover, made early 2015 a perfect time to eliminate those subsidies.
Since then, however, Jokowi’s record has been much less impressive.
Instead of taking on widespread corruption, Jokowi instead seems to have weakened it. His initial appointment of Budi Gunawan to the Anti-Corruption Commission (KPK) was put on hold when it became clear that the KPK was investigating Gunawan for corruption. Though the entity is just a decade old, the KPK has earned considerable respect for impartiality and success. Gunawan’s appointment appeared to make a mockery of the KPK’s work, and it called into severe question Jokowi’s commitment to anti-corruption efforts. Jokowi quietly dropped the nomination, but nevertheless appointed Gunawan as the deputy national police chief earlier this month.
After signing an executive order establishing a broad increase in car allowances for government officials, Jokowi feebly responded to criticism that he hadn’t had time to read every regulation that crosses his desk. He’s now reconsidering that as well.
Most emasculating of all, Jokowi sat at the PDI-P party congress last month while its leader, former president Megawati Sukarnoputri (pictured above), the daughter of Indonesia’s founding president, Sukarno, essentially scolded Jokowi for not lining up behind Megawati:
“It goes without saying that the President and Vice President must toe the party line, because the party policies are consistent with what the public wants,” she claimed. Her voice rising, Megawati warned Jokowi against breaking his campaign promises. “I have said this again and again, please stick to the Constitution. Fulfill your campaign promises because they are your sacred bond with the people,” Megawati said, to the thunderous applause of party members attending the national congress at the Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel.
Megawati has mocked Jokowi for not expediting the executions of the ‘Bali Nine,’ and she has somewhat controversially linked drug offenses with the rise of HIV/AIDS in Indonesia. As vice president, Megawati became president in 2001 when Abdurrahman Wahid was removed from office. She failed in both 2004 and 2009 to win election in her own right, losing both times to popular former army general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who left office to middling reviews last October. Jokowi’s push to reinstate Indonesian executions contradicts the conventional wisdom that Yudhoyono (who is known by his initials, ‘SBY’) cared too much about international opinion.
In the meanwhile, Jokowi has raised eyebrows by reaching out to his former rival in last year’s presidential election, Prabowo Subianto, who leads a nationalist party, Gerindra (Partai Gerakan Indonesia Raya, the Great Indonesia Movement Party) that, along with the more market-friendly Golkar (Partai Golongan Karya, Party of the Functional Groups); and SBY’s own Partai Demokrat (Democratic Party) controls the Indonesian legislature.
If Jokowi were to abandon the PDI-P and Megawati’s iron fist, and turn to the Golkar-Gerindra-Demokrat alliance instead, he could conceivably effect more control over Indonesia’s government. Though such a sudden switch would be unprecedented in the history of the country’s brief democratic era, it reflects the fluid nature of Indonesian presidential coalitions. Moreover, Jokowi’s vice president, Jusuf Kalla, is a former Golkar leader who also served as SBY’s first vice president in the 2000s.
Nothing, at this point, will bring back any of the executed victims of Indonesia’s death penalty. Jokowi, whose term runs through 2019, will eventually have to make amends with Australia and the international community. For now, though, his global legacy begins with the stain of reintroducing the death penalty to his country, even as capital punishment is quickly being eradicated throughout much of the developed and developing world alike.
abbottaustraliabali ninedeath penaltyfuel subsidygerindragolkargunawanindonesiajoko widodojokowijulie bishopjusuf kallaKPKmegawatimegawati sukarnoputriPDI-Pprabowoprabowo subiantoSBYyudhoyono
Rahul Gandhi returns to Indian politics — but does anyone care?
Nearly a year after Narendra Modi won a landslide victory in India’s parliamentary elections, it sometimes feels like Modi is governing the world’s largest democracy unopposed.
To some degree, that’s true, because his party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (the BJP, भारतीय जनता पार्टी), won so many constituencies that no other party emerged with enough seats to become the official opposition in the Lok Sabha (लोक सभा), the lower house of India’s parliament.
That was an especially humiliating result for India’s traditional ruling part in the post-independence era, the Indian National Congress (Congress, भारतीय राष्ट्रीय कांग्रेस), which was swept from power after presiding over a decade of accelerating corruption and stagnating economic growth.
But as Modi prepares to fight for a land reform bill that would make it easier to acquire farmland for development and to build new industrial corridors, better transport links, and other infrastructural improvements that are central to Modi’s goal of greater economic development, urbanization and modernization, Rahul Gandhi has returned from a two-month sabbatical to lead the movement against the land reforms. He was set to travel to Punjab today to attack a bill that’s attracted widespread opposition among India’s farmers. Gandhi, anxious to pit Congress on the side of India’s poor, is waging an uncharacteristically energetic battle to become the leading figure in what could be the first major hurdle in Modi’s reform plans.
Nevertheless, there’s some question whether he or anyone in his family is best suited to lead the Modi-era opposition. Continue reading Rahul Gandhi returns to Indian politics — but does anyone care? →
bharatiya janata partyBJPINCindiaindian national congressland reformmodinehru-gandhi familyrahul gandhisinghsonia gandhi
Nkurunziza’s reelection effort brings violence in Burundi
Photo credit to AFP.
It was all so very predictable and very preventable.
The decision by Burundian president Pierre Nkurunziza to seek a third term in the country’s upcoming May 26 elections is spawning a violent and deadly response in a country where Nkurunziza’s agreement to presidential term limits was a key element of the Arusha peace accords that ended the landlocked east African country’s civil war over a decade ago.
Amid growing repression in the last two years, and reports of intensified attacks at the hands of the Imbonerakure, a militia and youth wing of the country’s governing party, Nkurunziza’s push to win a third consecutive term in office now threatens to engulf the country once again in political violence that could morph into deeper ethnic conflict. Nkurunziza and his advisers are taking the position that because he was appointed to the presidency in 2005 and elected in 2010, he is technically entitled to run for a ‘second’ term in 2015. Nevertheless, political opposition figures and international observers alike disagree strongly with that rationale.
RELATED: As world remembers Rwanda genocide,
Burundi tilts into political crisis
With protesters defying government efforts to disperse crowds in the capital city of Bujumbura, a handful of people have already been killed, and aid workers report that hundreds of thousands are fleeing their homes. In addition, reports indicate that Burundi’s borders were being closed today to foreigners trying to enter the country, and the government is shutting down independent radio outlets.
I wrote last summer for The National Interest just how toxic a Nkurunziza reelection bid could become. Above all, the political instability exacerbates the lack of foreign investment in Burundi, which is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s poorest countries. Descent into further political chaos, and resulting internal displacements, would only emphasize the widespread poverty and lack of development throughout the country.
The best-case scenario for Burundi would be for Nkurunziza to rethink his reelection plans. It’s difficult to fathom that the governing Conseil National Pour la Défense de la Démocratie–Forces pour la Défense de la Démocratie (CNDD-FDD, National Council for the Defense of Democracy–Forces for the Defense of Democracy) would lose power, even without Nkurunziza leading it as a formal matter. Conceivably, Nkurunziza might even continue to exercise discretion over top government functions, even if he is no longer Burundi’s head of state.
If Nkurunziza goes forward for a third term, the opposition will almost certainly boycott the vote, as they did in 2010 when the process was deemed unfair and unfree. That’s not a great outcome, and it would invalidate the election, as a matter of international opinion. That, however, would still be much better than a slide into civil war. Avoiding further bloodshed as the 2015 vote approaches is more important than achieving a milestone for democracy in a country where democracy has never been a priority — and will not be a priority in the midst of a violent clash. The risk is that political confrontation will eventually mutate into the kind of ethnic hatred between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority that devastated neighboring Rwanda and culminated in the 1994 genocide. No one today believes that Burundi is necessarily destined for ethnic conflict, but a new civil war, based on either political or ethnic differences, should be a major concern for regional leaders.
Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, met with Nkurunziza earlier this month, ostensibly to discuss the rising number of Burundian refugees fleeing to Rwanda. But the term-limited Kagame has pledged to step down as Rwanda’s president in 2017, and there are already rumors he may seek to extend his own mandate. Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete in March warned Nkurunziza not to seek a third term, imploring him to respect the terms of the Arusha accords signed in Kikwete’s country a decade ago.
africaarusha accordsburundicivil warCNDD-FDDhutuimbonerakurekagamekikwetenkurunzizarwandatanzaniatutsi
Alberta’s Prentice could fall prey to oil price collapse
When former federal minister Jim Prentice (pictured above), once among the closest allies of prime minister Stephen Harper, took on the office of Alberta’s premier last September, there was a sense that the province’s long-ruling Progressive Conservative Party was back on track.
In the nine years since the indefatigable Ralph Klein left office, the PC held onto power under a series of increasingly ineffective leaders. The well-meaning Ed Stelmach, one of Canada’s leading officials of Ukrainian descent, lasted five years, and responded to the province’s first budget deficit in a generation by trying to tax the corporate oil interests that command so much power in both Alberta’s public and private sectors. Alison Redford, who won a poll-defying landslide in the 2012 provincial elections against the populist, right-wing Wildrose, so alienated voters with extravagant expenses, including a $45,000 bill for her trip to attend former South African president Nelson Mandela’s funeral, that she was forced out by her own caucus in March 2014.
So Prentice’s return to provincial politics, after a successful stint in the Harper administration and a detour to the private sector, signaled that the responsible adults had returned. There’s nothing particularly flashy about Prentice, But he oozes the quiet competence of a business consultant, and he has the Tory instincts of a rare Western Canadian politician who was never part of the Reform/Alliance (like Harper), but instead the old Progressive Conservative Party that merged into the Alliance to form today’s Conservative Party.
Just a few months into the Prentice era, the sometimes controversial leader of Wildrose, Danielle Smith, resigned the leadership and caucused with the Progressive Conservatives, bringing half of Wildrose caucus with her.
Even as oil prices started a precipitous fall last autumn, Prentice appeared like a premier in command, even if the sudden change in global oil markets suddenly left Alberta with a gaping hole in its budget. Prentice, who spent his first months in office shaking up the Albertan bureaucracy, seemed as much up to the challenge as anyone, and he promised his government would take the hard choices to close the budget deficit in three years, taking care not to raise corporate taxes to chase away potential business at a time of uncertainty for an economy so dependent on natural resources. Continue reading Alberta’s Prentice could fall prey to oil price collapse →
albertaalison redfordbrian jeancanadadanielle smithndpnew democratic partynotleyoil pricesPCprenticeprogressive conservativesroyalty reviewstelmachtrudeauwildrose
Canada, Quebec
Péladeau continues march to PQ leadership
Barring any surprises, Pierre Karl Péladeau, a successful businessman in the Québéc media space who entered politics for the first time last year, will become the new leader of the separatist Parti Québécois (PQ).
Though he was already the overwhelming favorite in the leadership election, Péladeau’s leadership hopes were almost reinforced by Bernard Drainville’s decision earlier this week to drop out of the contest, endorsing Péladeau. Drainville was the architect of the last PQ government’s disastrous attempt to enact the charte de la laïcité (Charter of Rights and Values) that would have banned government employees from wearing religious symbols and that critics argued would unfairly restrict the freedom of Muslim and other non-Christian recent migrants to Québec.
Drainville left the race after falling not only far behind Péladeau, but also behind Alexandre Cloutier, a member of Québec’s National Assembly since 2007, and a former minister for Québec’s north and Canadian intergovernmental affairs.
RELATED: Péladeau candidacy transforms Québec provincial elections
RELATED: Québec election results — four reasons why the PQ blew it
The vote follows the swift defeat of Pauline Marois’s minority government in April 2014. After Marois lost her own constituency in the election, she announced her resignation as party leader. When former Bloc québécois leader Gilles Duceppe declined to run for the leadership, Péladeau quickly emerged as the leading candidate. PQ members will cast a first ballot between May 13 and 15, with a second ballot to follow if no candidate wins a majority.
In the latest Leger poll from early April, Péladeau had the support of 59% of PQ voters, compared to just 13% for Cloutier and 9% for Drainville.
If he succeeds next month, Péladeau will lead a party as much in the wilderness as it’s been since its creation in 1968. Continue reading Péladeau continues march to PQ leadership →
bloc quebecoisBQcanadaCAQcloutierdrainvilleharperindependenceliberal partymaroisparti quebecoispeladeauPLQPQquebecquebec solidaire
Would David Miliband be doing better than Ed?
Earlier this month, former British foreign secretary David Miliband penned a letter to the editor for The New York Times.
It had nothing to do with the United Kingdom’s general election on May 7, but instead implored the international community to place greater emphasis on the humanitarian and poverty crises in Afghanistan’s post-occupation rebuilding efforts.
Back in December 2010, however, Miliband had hoped that he would be hitting his stride this month to bring the Labour Party back to power. Instead, he’s the chief executive of the International Rescue Committee, a New-York based NGO, after narrowly losing the Labour leadership to his brother, Ed Miliband.
There were many reasons for David Miliband’s loss: the skepticism of labour unions and the party’s leftists that he would perpetuate the centrist tone of Tony Blair’s ‘New Labour’ platform; the resentment that he never stepped up between 2007 and 2010 to challenge then-prime minister Gordon Brown for the leadership, which may have helped the party to avoid losing power; and the desire to turn the page from the Blair-Brown civil war that increasingly consumed Labour in its third term of government.
After his narrow loss, David never joined his brother’s shadow cabinet and, in April 2013, he left his seat in the British House of Commons to take on the IRC leadership position.
Meanwhile, back in Westminster, Ed Miliband has been Labour Party leader for nearly five years — now much longer than Brown, who had coveted the leadership from his fateful decision in 1994 to support Blair instead of challenging him. From afar, brother David is fully supportive, and there’s a feeling that he left politics altogether out of sense that his lingering presence loomed darkly over Ed Miliband’s leadership.
RELATED: It’s too late for Labour to boot Ed Miliband as leader
It’s been one of the best weeks yet for Ed Miliband. For the first time, British bookies believe that it’s more likely that Miliband will emerge as prime minister after the election, not the incumbent, David Cameron. A teenage girl caused a viral sensation on Twitter when she proudly proclaimed her #milifandom for the prime ministerial hopeful. Though Miliband’s Labour never reclaimed the 10-point advantage that it enjoyed at the nadir of the current Conservative-led government’s tenure, it narrowly leads most seat predictions in a race where no one party seems capable of achieving a majority. But there are still two weeks to go, and it’s worth remembering the #Cleggmania that swept Great Britain during the prior 2010 campaign. There’s a lot of time left for the electorate to shift in either direction.
British politics is full of what-if prime ministers. John Profumo. Denis Healey. Michael Heseltine. Neil Kinnock. John Smith. Kenneth Clarke. Michael Portillo. But none of them resonate quite like David Miliband, whose own younger brother outmaneuvered him to the leadership crown that he almost certainly expected would fall to him.
With the Liberal Democrats subdued after joining Cameron in government for the past five years, it seems unlikely that anyone will command the 326-majority in the House of Commons without the support of the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP), which is forecast to win almost all of Scotland’s 59 constituencies. Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has made it clear, nonetheless, that she’ll back a broad left-wing government under Miliband and under no circumstances a renewed Tory mandate.
In two weeks’ time, unless the campaign drastically changes, Ed Miliband will be the newest resident of 10 Downing Street. It would be to his credit to coax his older brother back into politics to finish the work he began as foreign minister — it’s not difficult or unprecedented to arrange a by-election in a safe constituency.
Yet there’s still a nagging feeling about Ed Miliband’s leadership. Forget that, so many years ago, it was David Miliband who narrowly won more votes than Ed among the parliamentary Labour caucus and among party voters (Ed narrowly defeated David with stronger support among unions and interest groups that comprised the third group of voters in the tripartite electorate in 2010’s contest). Notwithstanding what the bookies say, Cameron still gets higher marks than Miliband in personal approval ratings, though that gap has narrowed throughout the race. The sudden #milifandom moment aside, Miliband remains in the eyes of many British voters a geeky technocrat with none of the showmanship of Margaret Thatcher or Tony Blair nor Gordon Brown’s sense of history nor John Major’s happy-warrior statesmanship.
He may become prime minister after May 7, but not because of a groundswell of support among the British electorate for an Ed Miliband premiership. It’s too soon to tell if a Labour minority government propped up by the SNP will prove a poisoned chalice. Throughout the campaign, it’s been Sturgeon, not Miliband, savaging the budget cuts of the Tory/Lib Dem government of the past five years. Miliband, instead, curiously focused his campaign’s efforts on more funding for the National Health Service — it’s not an entirely original basis for a center-left platform. After all, the NHS survived the market-happy years of the Thatcher government, and it will survive the ever-so-gentle austerity of a second Cameron term.
But it’s tantalizing to wonder whether David Miliband, had he defeated his brother for the leadership in 2010, would have pushed Labour into striking distance of a majority government. Certainly, even today, he has more gravitas and charisma than anyone else on Labour’s front benches. That includes his brother, but it also includes other potential leaders, including shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, the pugnacious Brownite shadow chancellor Ed Balls (Cooper’s husband) and health secretary Andy Burnham.
If there’s a turn in the polls, and Cameron ekes out reelection, David Miliband would stand a good shot of winning the leadership against Balls, Cooper, Burnham or just about anyone in Labour today.
Even if Brits are starting to warm to geeky younger brother Ed as a potential prime minister, it’s taken more than four years for him to get to this point. A year ago, the British press was savaging him for not knowing how to eat a proper bacon sandwich, and as recently as last autumn, Labour sources were musing openly about replacing him as leader.
David Miliband would have instantly become prime-minister-in-waiting from the first day of his leadership, and he would have done so with the warm-hearted support of Blair and the only living generation of Labour officials who have held power, officials who have only begrudgingly supported Ed Miliband. It’s not outrageous to believe that David Miliband would have been such a compelling opposition leader that he could have pressured the Cameron-led government into a no-confidence vote, toppling the coalition before the end of its five-year term.
You can’t prove a negative, of course, so we’ll never know. But it’s not difficult to imagine that the #milifandom would have started earlier with much more fanfare had the other brother won.
blairbrownburnhamCameronconservativedavid milibanded ballsEd Milibandlabourliberal democratsmilifandomnew labourNHSSNPsturgeonUnited Kingdomyvette cooper
Major’s scare tactics show Tories running scared
If it was surprising to see former prime minister Tony Blair two weeks ago back in the spotlight of British politics, it was even more surprising Tuesday to see his predecessor, Conservative prime minister John Major, stealing the show with just over two weeks to go until the United Kingdom’s general election.
His remarks, a calculated warning about the potential rise of the Scottish National Party (SNP), which is now forecast to win nearly all of Scotland’s 59 seats to the House of Commons, show just how worried the Conservatives are about a potential coalition between the center-left Labour Party and the SNP.
RELATED: Scotland could easily hold the balance of power in Britain
With Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon apparently impervious to attack from Tories or from Labour in Scotland, Major delivered a rare speech on Tuesday warning that a Labour-SNP government would be a ‘clear and present danger’ to British unity, echoing in softer tones the warnings of prime minister David Cameron a few days ago, who declared a potential Labour-SNP alliance a ‘coalition of chaos.’
In typical Major style, there were few histrionics in his speech, but the only living former Conservative prime minister made it clear just how seriously the Tories are taking the joint Labour-SNP threat by warning that the SNP would ‘blackmail’ a Labour government led by Ed Miliband, pushing for small victories that will secure the SNP’s popularity prior to regional Scottish elections in 2016, en route to demands for another referendum on independence:
It is to drive a wedge between Scotland and – especially – England. They will manufacture grievance to make it more likely any future Referendum would deliver a majority for independence. They will ask for the impossible and create merry hell if it is denied. The nightmare of a broken United Kingdom has not gone away. The separation debate is not over. The SNP is determined to prise apart the United Kingdom.
With just two weeks until British voters choose their next government, there’s no sign that either the Conservatives or Labour can win a majority to govern alone. Even with the support of the Liberal Democrats, neither party is projected to win the 326 seats they will need to form a majority. With Sturgeon’s surging SNP set to win nearly all of the 59 seats in Scotland, that’s made her the potential kingmaker for the next British government.
Unlike Liberal Democratic leader Nick Clegg, who has made it clear that he could partner with either major party, Sturgeon has made it clear that she will not support a Tory government at Westminster. With little support to lose in Scotland itself, Major’s return indicates that the Conservative strategy for the next two weeks will be to scare English voters into supporting Tories with the threat of a Scottish-controlled parliament. Continue reading Major’s scare tactics show Tories running scared →
CameroncleggsconservativeEd Milibandfarageindependence referendumjohn majorlabourliberal democratsminority governmentnorthern irelandscottish national partySNPsturgeontoryUKIP
France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Scotland, Spain, United Kingdom, United States
Nine European women who could join Hillary Clinton at the top
Part of the undeniable appeal of Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign is her push to become the first woman to lead the United States, enhanced by the fact that she aims to succeed the first African-American president.
But, if elected, Clinton will be far from the only powerful woman on the world stage.
If she wins the November 2016 presidential race, she’ll join a list of world leaders that includes German president Angela Merkel, Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite, Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff, Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Chilean president Michelle Bachelet.
What’s more, there’s never been a better moment for women leading their countries. Assuming that Clinton wins the presidency in 2016 and serves two terms, it’s not inconceivable that she’d lead the United States at a time of ‘peak’ female leadership. But nowhere is that more true than in Europe. In fact, it’s not inconceivable that each of the six largest member-states of the European Union could have women in charge during a potential Clinton administration.
Here’s who they are — and how they might rise to power. Continue reading Nine European women who could join Hillary Clinton at the top →
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As US drug policy loosens, Dutch laws tighten
Increasingly over the past three decades, The Netherlands has become a haven for controversial policies on social issues — prostitution, physician-assisted euthanasia and, of course, drug legalization.
Just this week, the Dutch made global headlines by firing an employee of its central bank who failed to report that she was moonlighting as a sex worker.
But even as states like Washington and Colorado experiment with legal marijuana regimes, and as the US justice department falls back from the aggressive prosecution of a ‘war on drugs’ that for decades swelled the US prison population with non-violent drug offenders, it’s the Dutch who are now second-thinking the permissive regulatory approach that transformed Amsterdam into a pleasure capital, where locals and tourists alike could indulge in vices prohibited elsewhere in the world. The bold steps toward full legalization in Washington and Colorado, however, are bringing marijuana into the mainstream. Seattle, Denver and Boulder are now the laboratories for the world’s most progressive drug reforms, not Amsterdam.
RELATED: Jamaican government targets legalizing ganja by September [June 2014]
Dutch liberalization, which dates back to the 1970s when officials embraced a policy of gedoogbeleid (tolerance) for soft drug use, was always an experiment in half-steps. Selling small quantities at Dutch ‘coffee shops’ or growing cannabis for personal use were decriminalized, but the wholesale trade in marijuana remained illegal. That kept the weed trade firmly in the ‘gray market’ — neither fully prohibited nor fully welcomed.
Though Amsterdam’s tourism industry resisted attempts to restrict marijuana use to Dutch citizens alone, it hasn’t stopped Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte’s government from introducing new restrictions that make it more difficult for non-nationals to smoke weed in The Netherlands. Since 2011, new laws give municipalities a wide berth to establish just how permissive they’d like to be. That means that while Amsterdam has largely resisted the crackdown, other cities, especially border towns like Maastricht, have embraced the tighter restrictions with enthusiasm. New police powers took effect last month allowing officials to prosecute those who facilitate the widespread cultivation of marijuana, such as ‘grow shops’ that sell the the equipment necessary to grow marijuana plants.
The result? A greater role for organized crime in the marijuana trade:
The result: Coffee shops are increasingly buying buds from criminal organizations willing to absorb the risk of prosecution by growing large amounts of cannabis in shipping containers buried underground, with little regard for quality or mold abatement. “It’s amazing how bad the quality has become,” says Bergman. “And the price is up. It’s what we’ve all predicted.”
It’s an ironic result for a party like Rutte’s Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie (VVD, the People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy), one of the most successful economic liberal parties in all of Europe. Rutte’s predecessor, the Christian democratic Jan Peter Balkenende, was even more hostile to marijuana, and he pushed for legislation that would require all coffee shop visitors to acquire a ‘weed pass.’ Though that didn’t happen, subsequent Dutch governments have chipped away at drug liberalization, and the number of coffee shops in Amsterdam alone fell in the last decade by about one-third.
Nevertheless, the Dutch lessons were palpable. The most enduring lesson for US policymakers was the distinction between soft drugs and hard drugs. By taking a more permissive attitude to soft drugs like marijuana, Dutch officials could devote more resources to reducing the trade in harder drugs like heroin. While the United States took a tougher approach to hard-core drug users in the 1990s, The Netherlands treated heroin use, for example, as a public health issue instead of a crime problem. Twenty years later, with heroin use once again on the rise globally, it’s the United States that is taking the Dutch approach to addiction at every level of government — from US attorney general Eric Holder, who has pushed to end long, mandatory sentences for drug offenses, to Vermont governor Peter Shumlin, who’s made heroin treatment a pillar of his state government.
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Finland election results — and what they mean for Europe
Photo credit to Jari Laukkanen/Suomenmaa.
As expected, the liberal Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) won the largest share of the vote in Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Finland after a campaign dominated by Finland’s flagging economic recovery.
That means Juha Sipilä, a former telecommunications executive who entered Finnish politics just four years ago, will become the country’s next prime minister, and he will prioritize an agenda of economic reform that includes personal and business tax cuts, further budget-trimming and steps designed to increase the competitiveness of Finnish industry.
The Centre Party led Finland’s government most recently between 2003 and 2010 under former prime minister Matti Vanhanen, who also emphasized tax cuts and promoted innovation — Vanhanen’s government was the first in the world to introduce a legal right to broadband internet. Olli Rehn (pictured above), who from 2004 to 2014 became the European Commission’s chief official for economic and monetary policy, won a constituency in Helsinki to return to the Finnish parliament, where he’s expected to play a leading role in the new government — quite possibly as Finland’s next finance minister.
But the Centre Party’s narrow victory wasn’t the most convincing — it only defeated the governing center-right Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) by just over 3%. Another two parties, the far-right Perussuomalaiset (PS, Finns Party) and the center-left Suomen Sosialidemokraattinen Puolue (SDP, Social Democratic Party) weren’t far behind.
Each of Finland’s four major parties won between 17% and 21% of the vote, hardly a ringing endorsement for anything other than the traditional moderation and consensus that has marked past Finnish governments. For now, the Centre Party’s victory will end talk of Finland’s potential accession to NATO, a position that outgoing prime minister Alexander Stubb favored and that Sipilä (along with most Finns) opposes.
RELATED: Who is Juha Sipilä?
The man who wants to become CEO of Finland, Inc.
But it also means Sipilä’s government will almost certainly depend on the Finns Party in some form. Throughout the Finnish election campaign, that has caused trepidation throughout Europe for two reasons. First, the eurosceptic far right will now hold the balance of power in Finland, a scenario that’s becoming increasingly common in the Nordics as anti-EU nationalists continue to gain support throughout all of Europe. Second, because the Finns Party are opposed to future Greek bailouts, Finland’s new government could complicate efforts to reach a new deal on Greece’s financing that will allow it to remain in the eurozone.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in Sunday’s vote was the strong showing of the Vihreä liitto (Green League), which gained five seats (for a total of 15) in the 200-member Eduskunta, the unicameral Finnish parliament.
Sipilä hopes to avoid the same unwieldy coalition that hampered the National Coalition-led government since 2011, first under Jyrki Katainen and under Stubb for the past 10 months after Katainen joined the European Commission (where he currently serves as vice president for jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness). Katainen was disappointed in his plan to enact deeper reforms, in part because he was forced to balance an unwieldy six-party coalition that included not only the center-right National Coalition, but the Social Democrats, the Green League and the Left Alliance (Vasemmistoliitto).
Sipilä starts out with less than half the seats he needs for a coalition. If Sipilä includes the conservative Kristillisdemokraatit (Christian Democrats) and the Svenska folkpartiet i Finland (Swedish People’s Party), a small party devoted to the interests of Finland’s Swedish-speaking population, he’ll have just 63 seats.
Continue reading Finland election results — and what they mean for Europe →
eurogroupfinlandfinns partygreecegreen leaguekansallinen kokoomuskatainenleft alliancenational coalitionolli rehnperussuomalaisetsipilasocial democratsstubbvanhanen
Who is Juha Sipilä? The man who wants to become CEO of Finland, Inc.
April 17, 2015 Kevin Lees 1 Comment
If the voters of Finland elect challenger Juha Sipilä as its next prime minister, the former telecommunications minister will have the iPhone to thank.
That’s because the Finnish economy was in recession in 2012 and 2013, and it registered only tepid growth last year. In part, it’s due to Nokia’s loss of market share. Once a synonym for state-of-the-art technology in mobile phones, the exponential rise of the iPhone in the past eight years left the Finnish champion reeling for new areas of growth and shedding jobs near the Finnish capital of Helsinki.
Notwithstanding plans for Nokia to merge with French telecoms equipment provider Alcatel announced last week, Nokia’s global dominance in mobile smartphones collapsed over the course of the four-year government of the center-right, liberal Kansallinen Kokoomus (National Coalition Party) while Samsung and Apple increasingly pushed Nokia out of the market. Nokia ultimately sold it devices and services business to Microsoft in 2013. Simultaneous woes have afflicted Finland’s once-thriving timber market.
So it’s not surprising that voters are poised to elect Sipilä as their next prime minister, a former telecommunications executive who aims to run Finland like a private-sector company.
There’s a sense that voters also want to punish the National Coalition. Even former prime minister Jyrki Katainen appeared to sense that when he stepped down last spring to take a position at the European Commission, where he currently serves as the Commission’s vice president for jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness. Katainen left it to his former European affairs minister, Alexander Stubb, to lead his party into the March 19 elections. Polls suggest that has become increasingly difficult over the course of the past 10 months since Stubb assumed the premiership.
A victory for Sipilä would return the Suomen Keskusta (Centre Party) back to power after a four-year hiatus in opposition. Sipilä came to politics only recently, elected for the first time in 2011 to the Eduskunta, Finland’s 200-member unicameral parliament after a successful career in the telecommunications industry. Continue reading Who is Juha Sipilä? The man who wants to become CEO of Finland, Inc. →
centre partyEuropean Unionfinlandfinns partygreecekansallinen kokoomuskatainennational coalitionNATOnokianordic modelnordicsperussuomalaisetrussiaSDPsipilasocial democratsstubbsuomen keskustavanhanen
Italy, Puglia
Exit Vendola, stage left, as Puglia’s regional president
Nichi Vendola, the openly gay, openly socialist president of Puglia, the southeastern Italian region, was once the new face of the Italian left — and was regarded as a potential prime minister by fawning profiles in the global media in 2010 and 2011.
That praise came with good reason.
Vendola (pictured above), in the waning days of former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s domination of Italian politics, was the anti-Berlusconi. In a conservative region like Puglia, where Catholicism is still a strong force, Puglia became an unlikely leader.
This week, however, Vendola announced that while he would always be a militante of the left, he will step aside as the leader of his democratic socialist party, Sinistra Ecologia Libertà (SEL, Left Ecology Freedom), when he leaves office in Puglia later this year. Italy will hold regional elections in seven regions, including Puglia, on May 31. In recent days, Vendola has spoken about marrying his longtime partner, speculating about fatherhood.
There’s one major reason, among many, that Vendola is headed for retirement instead of to Rome.
It’s the ascendance of Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, the former Florence mayor who won the leadership of the center-right Partito Democratico (PD, Democratic Party) in November 2013 and who wrested the premiership in February 2014 from his technocratic PD colleague Enrico Letta. In one sense, Renzi’s rise has been great news for the Italian left. Renzi’s youthful image and reform-minded approach to government has positioned the Democratic Party as the most dominant centrist force since the fall of the old Christian Democratic Party in the early 1990s.
While that’s been wonderful for moderates, plenty of die-hard leftists are not thrilled with Renzi, especially among the labor unions that have traditionally controlled the political left. For Vendola, an avowed communist, Renzi’s dominance will almost certainly close the door to any further ambitions for Vendola. Despite his widespread popularity in Puglia, where he won two consecutive elections, Vendola failed to win much more than 3% of the vote nationally in the 2013 general election. Though SEL is still polling between 3% and 5% in national polls, it’s difficult to see much of a future for the party without Vendola, whose star quality and charisma propelled it as a wary electoral partner for the Democratic Party, even if Vendola has increasingly distanced himself from Renzi over the past two years. With Vendola’s retirement and with the 2008 collapse of the successor to Italy’s Communist Party, Partito della Rifondazione Comunista (PRC, Communist Refoundation Party), it will be difficult to find any bona-fide communists in the homeland of Gramsci. Continue reading Exit Vendola, stage left, as Puglia’s regional president →
bariberlusconicivil unioncommunist refoundation partycrocettademocratic partyilva steelItalyleft ecology freedommichele emilianoPDpugliarenziSELvendola
Cuba, United States
Obama’s move to remove Cuba from terror list was long overdue
Photo credit to Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty.
Fully 15 out of 19 hijackers in the September 2001 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington were Saudi nationals, products of a country governed by a royal family in a centuries-long symbiotic relationship with fundamentalist Wahhabism. When US special forces finally found and killed Osama bin Laden (also a Saudi national) in 2011, he was being protected by Pakistani forces, with plenty of sympathizers within Pakistan’s military and intelligence community.
Neither Saudi Arabia nor Pakistan, however, have ever been designated by the US State Department’s State Sponsors of Terrorism’ list, which has always had more to do with the geopolitics of American foreign policy than with reality.
So on the heels of US president Barack Obama’s meeting with Cuban president Raúl Castro at the Summit of the Americas last weekend (pictured above), the Obama administration announced on Tuesday that it would recommend removing Cuba from the ‘State Sponsors of Terrorism’ list. The recommendation will take effect in 45 days, following the Obama administration’s notification to the US Congress. Though Congressional action is unlikely to halt Obama’s decision, Obama will need the Republican-controlled Congress to approve any measure to lift the embargo initially imposed on Cuba in 1960 by the United States. Former president George W. Bush took a similar decision with respect to North Korea in June 2008 in consideration for the reclusive country’s decision to allow greater inspection of its nuclear sites.
RELATED: Six key questions about the landmark Cuba deal
Republican president Ronald Reagan initially added Cuba to the list in 1982, when it became clear that its leader Fidel Castro was supporting leftist guerrilla movements across Latin America that the Reagan administration believed imperative to stop. Nevertheless, Sandinista-controlled Nicaragua in the 1980s and Hugo Chavez’s firmly anti-American government in Venezuela in the 2000s never landed on the list. The most recent 2013 State Department review that justified Cuba’s continued ‘terror sponsor’ status reads like satire, noting that the Cuban government is harboring fugitives from the US justice system, Basque nationalists and Colombian rebels. Never mind the Spanish government concluded a ceasefire with the Basque guerrilla ETA in 2011 and even though Havana was by 2012 hosting talking between the Colombian government and the left-wing FARC.
Though a few dozen US nationals are currently in Cuba evading American law, Cuba is hardly the only country guilty of this. Edward Snowden has been in Russia nearly two years. Yemen, Somalia and dozens of other countries are likely harboring individuals who pose much greater threats to US national interests than Cuba these days. The decision leaves just Syria, Sudan and Iran on the list, all of which have ties to the Lebanese militia Hezbollah or the Palestinian group Hamas.
Cuba participated in the pan-American summit last week in Panama City only for the first time since 1994 when the first summit was held, and though Obama and Castro outlined their countries’ respective differences at length, Obama argued that the longstanding enmity between the two countries originated in another time:
“The United States will not be imprisoned by the past — we’re looking to the future,” Mr. Obama, 53, said of his approach to Cuba at the summit meeting’s first plenary session on Saturday. “I’m not interested in having battles that frankly started before I was born.”
“The Cold War,” he added, “has been over for a long time.”
Critics, from hawkish Republicans to Democrats like former Senate foreign relations committee chair Robert Menendez condemned Obama’s decision, and it’s not clear that Obama will succeed in his quest to lift the embargo in the remainder of his administration. Obama’s critics also include the Miami-born Marco Rubio, a Republican senator from Florida and the son of Cuban immigrants. Rubio, who became the third major Republican to announce a presidential campaign on Monday, sharply denounced the Obama administration’s overtures to Cuba, putting him out of step with many American voters, including increasingly younger Cuban Americans.
Though the decision to remove Cuba is mostly symbolic, it will open Cuba to the global payments system because international banks with links to the United States have largely avoided handling Cuban funds, out of fear of repercussions from the US department of justice. That, in turn, will facilitate the formal re-opening of embassies in both Havana and Washington. Lifting the designation also means that the US government may now provide greater economic assistance.
Domestic policy considerations have long delayed the thawing of US-Cuba relations, but Cuba hasn’t been sponsor of terrorism in decades, and there’s no evidence that Cuba ever supported any kind of terrorism that truly threatened US national interests. Even in the absence of the parallel US opening to Cuba, the Obama administration’s decision to remove Cuba from the list of terrorism sponsors was long overdue.
cubademocratfidel castrofinancial regulationobamaraul castrorepublicanrubiostate sponsors of terrorismterrorismvenezuela
Maimane, sudden favorite to lead the DA, faces uphill battle
Photo credit to Lulama Zenzile / Foto24.
With four years to go in her second term as premier of Western Cape province, Helen Zille announced Monday that she would not go forward as the leader of South Africa’s opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA).
That opens the way for the DA’s parliamentary leader, Mmusi Maimane, to win the leadership in three weeks’ time at the party congress. If he wins, as is very likely, it will be the first time that a black South African will lead the country’s chief opposition party. It comes at a time when both Maimane and Julius Malema, the leader of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), are making headlines by challenging president Jacob Zuma, whose ruling African National Congress (ANC) has dominated South African politics and governance since the end of apartheid in 1994.
At age 34, Maimane is part of the generation a bit too young to join the resistance struggle against apartheid. Nevertheless, he has consistently outperformed his party as a member of the South African National Assembly from Gauteng — the largest of South Africa’s provinces, and home to both Johannesburg, the country’s largest city, and Pretoria, its capital. In the 2014 election, Maimane won 30.8% of the vote in Gauteng to just 53.6% for the ANC, and also he performed strongly in the 2011 Johannesburg mayoral election. Strong performances alone, however, that boost the DA’s support to the 30% threshold, will not create a true two-party system in South Africa.
RELATED: Who is Mmusi Maimane?
Possibly the next premier of Gauteng.
RELATED: Even with victory assured, is the ANC’s future at risk?
In contrast to ANC propaganda that sharply denounces the Democratic Alliance as a white-dominated vehicle for post-colonial oppression, Zille was a celebrated journalist who worked to uncover the injustices of minority rule in South Africa during the 1980s and 1990s. In 2004, the Democratic Alliance won just 12.4% of the popular vote. After Zille took control of the leadership, the party won control of Western Cape province and increased the DA’s national share of the vote to 22.2% in the May 2014 general election. Nevertheless, when the ANC, under Zuma’s weak leadership, can still command over 62% of the vote, it’s clear that there’s a ceiling to the support that a party led by a white South African will command in a country where the racial nature of politics runs deep.
That doesn’t mean that Maimane’s probable ascension as the party’s next leader will solve the party’s image problem, and Maimane might be well-advised to rename and rebrand the party as his first priority if elected as its next leader. Even under the best conditions possible for the Democratic Alliance, it’s inconceivable to believe that the ANC will be dislodged in the next election in 2019 or even perhaps the 2024 election. But Maimane, whose father grew up in the notorious Soweto slum, can present a fresh contrast to an increasingly geriatric ruling class. Zuma will be 77 when his second term ends. His most likely successor, vice president Cyril Ramaphosa, is currently 62 years old, and he first seriously contested the ANC’s leadership in the late 1990s, when Thabo Mbeki edged him out for the opportunity to succeed Nelson Mandela. Continue reading Maimane, sudden favorite to lead the DA, faces uphill battle →
african national congressANCCOSATUDAdemocratic allianceeconomic freedom fightersEFFgautenghelen zillejohannesburgland reformload sheddingmaimanemalemamandelankandlanumsaramaphosasouth africavaviwestern cape
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Home › blog › Men In Black III
Men In Black III
by bloodhoundlord on 2012/06/07 at 3:01 pm
It’s been almost 14 years since the original Men in Black came out. At the time I was unaware that the movie had been spawned from an sci-fi comic would later become the modern day Marvel comics. The movie stared Will Smith, and Tommy Lee Jones.
The original movie had us following a young cop, James Edwards III, Will Smith, as he became the newest member of a secret organization tasked with monitoring extraterrestrial activities on Earth, and dealing with the fact that his life isn’t what it seemed to be, while stopping an alien roach from stealing an galactic weapon and destroying Earth. This lead to Agent K, Tommy Lee Jones, to retire.
A few years later we were introduced to a Agent J as a Senior Agent. Another alien now has come to Earth to consume, yet another weapon in the attempt to destroy the planet. The only one who knows how to find the weapon is the former Agent K. So they bring him back to save the day, and J learns a little more about his universe.
14 years later we’re brought back into the world of alien life forms hanging out and doing somethings we find normal. We’re also introduced to this films plotter of mass Earthly destruction, Boris the Animal, and a new concept…Time Travel…okay, okay it’s really not that new, but still. So in this film instead of K being brought back after retirement. He’s just gone entirely, and it up to J to go back in time to the summer of ’69 to find him. First thing I’m going to say right off the back is that the racist jokes aren’t really meant to be jokes, but they are sooooo funny, just the same. J mets up with young K, and they’re off to do that thing where they save the world.
Now a few things that I loved, first off. This movie takes everything we know about the ’60’s and puts them all in your face. Everything back the, not that I’d know this, as I was born 20 years later, seemed pretty weird. A perfect time for alien life forms to just come in and hang out. We also get to see what K was like when he was younger. The way J and K interact later in life versus the way they act earlier in life is astoundingly different. I can be said that throughout the three movies all J wants from the MIB is knowledge, and K is there to provide him with the warning of what that knowledge could do to him. This film really hits that home. I’m not going to spoil it, but it really brings the other movies full circle, and there’s a sense of closure for everyone involved, like a true trilogy should have. I had no questions that needed answering, no issues that needed to be resolved. It’s done. All of the gadgets were time period specific and really fit. The “Ring Cycles” and jet packs, all look like they’d be from that time period.
A few things I didn’t like…Firstly, this movies is 7 years TOO LATE. The movie seemed like it had been written a long time ago, and just never filmed. It doesn’t hurt the movie too much, but this isn’t a good Scotch we’re talking about, it’s a movies. Hell Tommy Lee Jones wasn’t in the movie but for maybe 40 minutes tops. Even he couldn’t be bothered to be in it for a long time, or just physically couldn’t be in it for a long period of time….who knows…but still.
For an alien movie this one seemed to have less, or not as well thought out aliens. Seriously, the Glamorians are all super models…cop out. The aliens we see are from the ’60’s but that’s all the more reason to play with them. Some of them can hide, some can out there in plain sight, but they weren’t as inventive this time around. The action scenes weren’t as inventive either, they make the movie seem like a buddy cop movie then a sci-fi action. I guess MIB really is just a sci-fi buddy cop movie, but the first movie, they fought a roach in a flying saucer and it took out half a park, the second movie half of the MIB HQ was pretty badly beaten. In this one…a space shuttle launches…*shrug*
To be perfectly honest, I loved the shit out of this movie. I will definately get all three when they’re released on Blu-ray or something, but it seems like its a series you have to watch from beginning to end, in one sitting, and that’s cool. Go see that shit.
Men In Black 3 stars Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Jermaine Clement and Josh Brolin
└ Tags: action, alien life, bad ass, boris, characters, comic, cop, cyber, extraterrestrial activities, james edwards, jermaine clement, marvel comics, men in black, mets, perfect time, racist jokes, retirement, roach, sci-fi, secret organization, somnio talis in tempus hortus, summer of 69, time travel, tommy lee, tommy lee jones, trilogy, villain, will smith
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Jones G.W.
Private G.W. Jones Service number CH/20137
Regiment Royal Marine Light Infantry 4th Bn
Date of death 23rd April 1918
George was born in Bromley-by-Bow on 22 August 1897. He enlisted just after his eighteenth birthday, on 22 August 1915. His address, as shown on both the 1911 Census and Death Certificate, is 40 Devas Street, Bromley-by-Bow, London. He was killed in action at Zeebrugge.
The raid on Zeebrugge was a precursor of the commando raids of WW2. In addition to the purpose of the raid, to stop German submarines from leaving their pens and attacking merchant shipping in the English Channel, it was seen as a morale-booster for the public. There was a lot of media attention in the aftermath of the raid. An elaborate funeral for Jones and West was held, with an honour guard of Royal Marines in attendence. Photos of the funeral and an accompanying write-up appeared in the Daily Mirror on 3 May 1918.
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Anton_Ivanov / Shutterstock.com
Why archaeological antiquities should not be sold on the open market, full stop
July 13, 2017 7.29am EDT
Alice Stevenson, UCL
Alice Stevenson
Senior Lecturer in Museum Studies, UCL
Alice Stevenson receives funding from the UK's Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and is Chair of the Association of Curators of Collections for Egypt and Sudan.
University College London provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.
Illicit antiquities are once again in the headlines. US retailer Hobby Lobby was recently fined US$3m (£2.3m) for illegally acquiring antiquities that were most likely looted from Iraq. Collectors and museums are therefore being reminded to undertake due diligence in checking collections’ histories before purchasing cultural property.
The implication here is, of course, that when the item on the auction block has been legally excavated and diligently recorded by archaeologists, there isn’t a problem. This is an enormous mistake. Such sales may be legal, but they are still ethically problematic.
At its most direct, the public auction of archaeologically procured finds puts those objects at risk of disappearing into the private domain, where their integrity is no longer assured. There are no international legal protections, no “obligations of ownership”, for cultural property in private possession.
More broadly, the legal status of these sales confers an air of legitimacy to the antiquities trade. Yet as scholars have demonstrated, however one looks at it this is a “grey trade”. Illicit antiquities – that is things without provenance, accompanied by fake documents or with opaque ownership histories – are likely to be offered at the same sales. Examples of illicit antiquities pulled from a Christie’s auction in 2015 are a case in point.
Flinders Petrie in the field documenting recently excavated artefacts, c. 1900. Courtesy of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL
Inflating prices
The origin of items offered by auction houses is supposed to be subjected to close scrutiny. This seems reassuring, but there’s a worry that the records of discovery made by archaeologists now not only certifies auction lots, but also inflates their monetary worth. And this in a wider art market where prices have never been higher and is at risk of severe overheating.
Whether they covet Old Masters or ancient pots, many bidders seek to acquire cultural capital – not out of some sort of honed connoisseurship or a sense of societal patronage – but as immediate monetary investments and as symbols of financial wealth. Exceptional prices are translated into headline news, reducing heritage to economic value and undermining attempts to promote meaningful engagements with the past. Sales from museums in this context threaten public trust in them.
Most seriously of all, these exorbitant prices and their media profile fuel market demand and become an incentive for looting. When heritage is sold by and for the privileged it is those that live in proximity to archaeological sites that stand to lose the most. It denies source communities the long-term touristic potential of sites, especially in countries where there is political and economic volatility or instability.
Looting can have devastating consequences – lives have been lost. Well-meaning efforts to protect heritage in situ have been advocated, but there needs to be more recognition that the problem often begins and ends with the art markets of Europe, North America and Asia.
Public to private
Despite all of these problems, sales of “licit” archaeological finds are still generally seen as unproblematic. Just how embedded this problem is can be seen from a case from October 2014, when two lots of Egyptian antiquities from the Archaeological Institute of America (AIAs) St Louis Chapter were offered for sale at Bonhams, London.
Lot 160 was billed as “the treasure of Harageh” and comprised a group of 4,000-year old stone vessels and rare examples of inlaid silver jewellery. Lot 162 was made up of a single stone headrest. The former was removed from auction following the intercession of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a private sale to it for an undisclosed sum, while the latter exceeded its estimated price at auction and disappeared into private hands.
The Bonhams material in 1914. Petrie Museum
These artefacts were originally discovered during excavations conducted under the auspices of Flinders Petrie’s British School of Archaeology in Egypt (BSAE), who had regulations on where objects should go. The finds were legally removed from Egypt, they were fully documented, duly published by the BSAE and a few delivered to the St Louis Museum in 1914 under the understanding that these were for public benefit, not for private profit. A century later the St Louis AIA branch contravened that agreement.
There were other options. The objects could have been donated to another institution capable of ensuring their long-term care and public accessibility (even if held in storage). But instead, they went straight to the auction house.
Time to speak out
When this auction was announced, a colleague and I condemned it in a public statement. But many believed our reaction was melodramatic. As far as they were concerned the sale was completely above board. It did not even breach AIA’s own ethical codes, which at the time only denounced the “trade in undocumented artifacts”.
But given the hugely problematic implications of selling material on the open market, we must be vocal in denouncing instances in which archaeological heritage is commercialised in this way. The former editor-in-chief of the American Journal of Archaeology agreed. This is especially important given the current ideology of austerity in many countries, leading to concerns that institutions may begin to consider their public collections as financial assets rather than as cultural obligations.
Yet museums still dispose of heritage from other countries on the open market. Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio sold ancient Egyptian artefacts from its founding collection in Winter 2016 through Christie’s, despite an outcry from the Egyptian authorities. At the same time, it has been shown that other parts of Toledo’s collection which are being retained are likely to include illicit antiquities.
We have a strong moral obligation to challenge these “legal” sales. Over the last two centuries, millions of archaeological artefacts have been excavated and exported by rich colonial nations from developing countries whose own resources are now desperately stretched as they attempt to halt the destructive looting of their heritage for a first world market. At the very least we should be responsible and accountable on their behalf for material we excavated and exported. We should not condone those that seek financial profit from the past, which is the sole objective of auction houses.
Archaeological looting
Mme Soazig de la Moissonniere/Elysee.
Why French president Emmanuel Macron is a gift for would-be sleuths everywhere
The Mummy: what our obsession with ancient Egypt reveals
Sections of the Parthenon (Elgin) Marbles in London’s British Museum. Matthew Fearn/PA
While Elgin Marbles debate rages, there is still a market for looted antiquities
A handout aerial image made available by the Combined Joint Task Force shows the destroyed remains of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri. EPA/Combined Joint Task Force Handout
After years of destruction, Iraqis are rescuing their cultural identity
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"Did Ballistics Forensics Ever Come into Play in ..." Topic
Back to The Old West Message Board
…Solving Crimes in the Old West?.
"Ballistics science has been around since the 1500s. Prior to the advent of mass production firearms, when each gun was handmade, it was possible to identify the bullet fired by a particular weapon. The first documented case was in 1835 in London; police were able to get a conviction when they matched the bullet found at a murder scene to the mold used by a suspect. The same guy had a barrel that matched the bullet.
That all changed when manufacturing replaced hand tools, making the ability to compare bullets impossible…."
brave face 14 Apr 2019 1:55 p.m. PST
Didn't Tom Berenger star in a short-lived tv show along those lines?
Don't remember….
Lee494 15 Apr 2019 10:03 p.m. PST
There was also an episode of The Rifleman on the topic.
Eagle76 16 Apr 2019 4:05 p.m. PST
Little Bighorn Battlefield.
79thPA 22 Apr 2019 6:36 a.m. PST
There are cases of bullets being extracted to determine caliber, which were used to help identify or exclude possible suspects. Hoof prints were measured, and soil samples were sometimes taken. Not everyone was strung up from a tree: there were areas that were trying to use science and observation in determining facts.
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You are here: Home / Campus Life / A military rivalry is reborn at Sabine Field
Campus Life, Sports
A military rivalry is reborn at Sabine Field
By Chris Ryan, Guidon Staff Writer
Players line up and get ready to play for Norwich University vs. US Coast Guard Academy.
Photo by Darwin Carozza
The renewal of a historic rivalry with Coast Guard did not go the way Norwich football hoped, but the team was excited to play another military school. They are already looking forward to revenge next year, players said. The “Little Army-Navy” game “will always be a game we look forward to as they are one of our biggest rivals, and losing to them is hard to take,” said sophomore defensive lineman Ferron Greene.
Leading up to the game, Norwich (0-3) had lost to Castleton in the previous week by a score of 28-14, in the annual Maple Sap Bucket rivalry game. This game however showcased Matthew Chaffee, sophomore quarterback, who saw his first collegiate career action late in the third quarter, where he put up two touchdowns and recorded 148 yards passing. Prior to the “Little Army-Navy” game, Coast Guard (2-1) was coming off a 13-0 shutout win over Nichols College, where its defense only let up 123 yards of total offense, and recorded four interceptions. Coast Guard’s quarterback was off to a quick start this season, passing for 753 yards and four touchdowns.
Norwich has seen some tough opponents early in their season and has had some difficulty overcoming these challenges after a number of key injuries, but were able to build up momentum leading up to the game as they put the previous three games behind them. The excitement was in the air throughout the whole week leading up to the big game. Practices were long and hard, players were determined, and the students’ energy was through the roof.
In the first quarter Norwich was able to pull ahead of the Bears, leading 3-0. Their lead carried on into the second quarter when they were able to obtain another field goal, entering half-time with a 6-0 lead. The Cadets start was powerful and athletic; however, the Bears were not going to give up as easily as Norwich may have wished. In the third quarter the Bears got going and tied the game, thanks to their kicker, Cole Austin, who was 2 for 2 on the day. Likewise, again in the fourth quarter, the Bears took possession and scored another 7 points. Unfortunately, that was it and the score ended in a 13-9 loss for the Cadets.
This however was an important date for many individuals and families that gathered in Northfield, Vermont as it was alumni weekend. Not only was this weekend a time where the football players were supported by the alumni, but many Cadets were also supported by their families and loved ones. “I thought it was the best atmosphere that I’ve experienced in the four years playing here,” said senior inside linebacker Nicholas Ferrara. The team was supported by almost 5,000 fans packing the stands inside the newly renovated Sabine Field.
Rivalry games are based on winning and losing and when you lose to a rival “there is nothing you want more than to play them the next year and beat them,” said Greene. When you have a rivalry as old as the “Little Army-Navy” game, there is plenty of history and stories that go along with it.
One of the most famous stories that came out of this rivalry is when Norwich University Corps of Cadets members went to Coast Guard and stole their mascot. “I believe it was before the big game in 1974 – Norwich stole the Coast Guard Academy mascot Objee the bear and the Coast Guard Academy cadets kidnapped the Norwich Regimental Commander! I remember him being introduced at breakfast…it still amazes me how all that happened – it’s not exactly a short trip between the two schools,” said Dick Walleshauser, a Coast Guard grad.
Norwich has felt the agony of defeat since the last time these two teams met in 2005, and had hoped to change that feeling on Sept. 23 at Sabine field. While a loss can be seen as a setback, Norwich does an exceptional job at teaching not only athletes, but all students how to accept hardships and overcome them. All the players were disappointed with the result, but tried to keep positivity in the air at this special event. “It was a game we should’ve won,” said Ferrara. “We should have brought the game home, especially it being alumni weekend.”
Alumni weekend is a cherished tradition for Norwich’s football team, as players from last year all the way back to players who graduated decades ago, come to watch their former team play and continue the long legacy. “It’s not about us, it’s about years past and the guys coming back to support the program,” said junior tight end Garrett Chapell, “We knew it was a big game.”
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The Immigrant World of Ybor City:
Italians and Their Latin Neighbors in Tampa, 1885–1985
Gary R. Mormino and George E. Pozzetta
Series: Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series
Paper ISBN 13: 9781947372641 - Pub Date: 2/26/2018 Details: 400 pages, 6x9 Subject(s): Floridiana - Culture
The books in the Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series demonstrate the University Press of Florida’s long history of publishing Latin American and Caribbean studies titles that connect in and through Florida, highlighting the connections between the Sunshine State and its neighboring islands. Books in this series show how early explorers found and settled Florida and the Caribbean. They tell the tales of early pioneers, both foreign and domestic. They examine topics critical to the area such as travel, migration, economic opportunity, and tourism. They look at the growth of Florida and the Caribbean and the attendant pressures on the environment, culture, urban development, and the movement of peoples, both forced and voluntary.
The Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series gathers the rich data available in these architectural, archaeological, cultural, and historical works, as well as the travelogues and naturalists’ sketches of the area in prior to the twentieth century, making it accessible for scholars and the general public alike.
The Florida and the Caribbean Open Books Series is made possible through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, under the Humanities Open Books program.
Other Gary Mormino Books
Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida
The Architecture of Leisure: The Florida Resort Hotels of Henry Flagler and Henry Plant
Made in Florida
Center of Dreams
The Mojito
Slavery and Plantation Growth in Antebellum Florida, 1821–1860
First Encounters
Jacksonville After the Fire, 1901–1919
Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe
The Architecture of Leisure
Notes on the Life and Works of Bernard Romans
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Browse by Subject: Anthropology and Archaeology
Maritime Communities of the Ancient Andes
Edited by Gabriel Prieto and Daniel H. Sandweiss
Pub Date: 1/7/2020
Hardcover: $125.00
Maritime Communities of the Ancient Andes examines how settlements along South America’s Pacific coastline played a role in the emergence, consolidation, and collapse of Andean civilizations from the Late Pleistocene era through Spanish colonization. Providing the first synthesis of data from Chile, Peru, and Ecuador, this wide-ranging volume evaluates and revises long-standing research on ancient maritime sites across the region.
The Odd, the Unusual, and the Strange: Bioarchaeological Explorations of Atypical Burials
Edited by Tracy K. Betsinger, Amy B. Scott, and Anastasia Tsaliki
Abnormal burial practices have long been a source of fascination and debate within the fields of mortuary archaeology and bioarchaeology. The Odd, the Unusual, and the Strange investigates an unparalleled geographic and temporal range of burials that differ from the usual customs of their broader societies, emphasizing the importance of a holistic, context-driven approach to these intriguing cases.
The Archaeology of Southeastern Native American Landscapes of the Colonial Era
Charles R. Cobb
This volume describes the ways Native American populations accommodated and resisted the encroachment of European powers in southeastern North America from the arrival of Spaniards in the sixteenth century to the first decades of the American Republic. Tracing changes to the region’s natural, cultural, social, and political environments, Charles Cobb provides an unprecedented survey of the landscape histories of Indigenous groups across this critically important area and time period.
The Archaeology of Human-Environmental Dynamics on the North American Atlantic Coast
Edited by Leslie Reeder-Myers, John A. Turck, and Torben C. Rick
Pub Date: 12/3/2019
Using archaeology as a tool for understanding long-term ecological and climatic change, this volume synthesizes current knowledge about the ways Native Americans interacted with their environments along the Atlantic Coast of North America over the past 10,000 years.
Migrations in Late Mesoamerica
Edited by Christopher S. Beekman
Bringing the often-neglected topic of migration to the forefront of ancient Mesoamerican studies, this volume uses an illuminating multidisciplinary approach to address the role of population movements in Mexico and Central America from AD 500 to 1500, the tumultuous centuries before European contact.
Archaeology of Domestic Landscapes of the Enslaved in the Caribbean
Edited by James A. Delle and Elizabeth C. Clay
While previous research on household archaeology in the colonial Caribbean has drawn heavily on artifact analysis, this volume provides the first in-depth examination of the architecture of slave housing during this period. It examines the considerations that went into constructing and inhabiting living spaces for the enslaved and reveals the diversity of people and practices in these settings.
Bioarchaeology of Frontiers and Borderlands
Edited by Cristina I. Tica and Debra L. Martin
Essays in this volume examine borderland settings in cultural contexts that include Roman Egypt, Iron Age Italy, eleventh-century Iceland, and the precontact American Great Basin and Southwest. Contributors look at isotope data, skeletal stress markers, craniometric and dental metric information, mortuary arrangements, and other evidence to examine how frontier life can affect health and socioeconomic status. Illustrating the many meanings and definitions of frontiers and borderlands, they question assumptions about the relationships between people, place, and identity.
Captain Kidd's Lost Ship: The Wreck of the Quedagh Merchant
Frederick H. Hanselmann
The troubled chain of events involving Captain Kidd’s capture of Quedagh Merchant and his eventual execution for piracy in 1701 are well known, but the exact location of the much sought-after ship remained a mystery for more than 300 years. In 2010, a team of underwater archaeologists confirmed that the sunken remains of Quedgah Merchant had finally been found off the coast of the Dominican Republic.
Fort St. Joseph Revealed: The Historical Archaeology of a Fur Trading Post
Edited by Michael S. Nassaney
Fort St. Joseph Revealed is the first synthesis of archaeological and documentary data on one of the most important French colonial outposts in the western Great Lakes region. Located in what is now Michigan, Fort St. Joseph was home to a flourishing fur trade society from the 1680s to 1781. The site—lost for centuries—was discovered in 1998 by volume editor Michael Nassaney and his colleagues, who summarize their extensive excavations at the fort and surrounding areas in these essays.
The Market for Mesoamerica: Reflections on the Sale of Pre-Columbian Antiquities
Edited by Cara G. Tremain and Donna Yates
This timely volume explores past, current, and future policies and trends concerning the sales of antiquities from pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, which are among the most popular items on the international antiquities market
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WHAT IS THE UPPER SARANAC FOUNDATION?
It’s all about water quality.
It was created in 1989 by Upper Saranac Lake Association members to be the charitable fundraising vehicle for major projects on the Lake.
It is accountable and responsible to its donors and an independent Board of Directors.
It is managed by Officers elected by the Board of Directors.
It successfully rebuilt the failed Bartlett Carry Dam, on time, on budget, preventing the Lake level from dropping by three feet or more.
It successfully sued the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, leading to a 90% reduction in pollution flowing from the New York State Fish Hatchery directly into Upper Saranac Lake’s inlet at the northern end.
It successfully completed a three-year, $1.5 million program to control Milfoil – a highly destructive invasive species – on time and on budget.
It manages an annual Milfoil Control harvest program to prevent uncontrolled re-growth and spread of this harmful plant.
It monitors septic systems, both large and small, for compliance with New York State laws.
It monitors construction, land use and development, and the Bartlett Carry Dam, to ensure compliance with all regulations and codes.
It monitors the New York State Department of Conservation Fish Hatchery for compliance with a court-ordered settlement.
It employs a Lake Manager, who serves as the eyes and ears of the Foundation and the Lake community and oversees all of the Foundation’s projects.
The Lake Manager is constantly looking for the next invasive species – for early identification and remediation.
It is responsible for the scientific data involved with the Lake’s water quality – sample collection, testing and analysis.
At the request of the Upper Saranac Lake Association, it has provided funding for the Lake Steward Program and ad-hoc issues that have confronted the Lake Community, including legal action where required.
What is the difference between the Upper Saranac Lake Association (USLA) and the Upper Saranac Foundation (USF)?
The Association and the Foundation have virtually the same mission, i.e. to protect the Lake and its environs. It is important to understand that the two organizations cooperate and complement each other. However, although the organizations were designed to pursue a common mission, they are structured differently from a legal perspective and must therefore serve as separate entities functioning independently and having individual accountability. Listed below are a few characteristics that distinguish the two organizations:
USLA is a voluntary, dues-paying membership entity. The Foundation is not.
The USLA is a not-for-profit home-owners organization. The Foundation is a tax-exempt, charitable organization as defined under section 501 (c) (3) of the IRS code. Each organization has its own set of accounting responsibilities.
USLA depends primarily on dues to fund its activities. The Foundation solicits tax-deductible gifts from donors. Each organization must file detailed reports for tax purposes separately.
While the mission statements of both organizations are similar, the purpose and function of the USLA is more akin to a traditional “Property Owners Association,” while the purpose of the Foundation is to raise funds to manage projects considered to be of vital importance to the health of the Lake and its immediate surroundings.
USLA holds scheduled annual membership meetings. Paid members vote on certain issues and elect the executive officers of the organization. The Foundation is not a membership organization; its Board elects its officers.
USLA is permitted to be more politically active than the Foundation.
What is the history of the two groups?
The Upper Saranac Lake Association (USLA) was founded in 1901. Through the first three quarters of the 20th century, the Association was used largely as an information clearing house about fishing in the Lake. It mostly served a social function, though it did report extensively about the health and welfare of the lake fishery and fishermen. It raised and contributed funds used to rebuild the Bartlett Carry dam in the early 1920s. Saranac Inn played a significant role in the USLA until after World War II. Early on, there were few problems, environmental or otherwise, demanding the Association’s attention. Following the war, Lake usage increased rapidly and led to growing water quality challenges. The community’s awareness of these problems grew, and the Association recognized a need for a greater understanding about water quality issues. Today, Association membership has grown to over 550, and the USLA has become increasingly involved and active at the local and state levels, serving as an advocacy group for property owners and for the interests and concerns facing the Lake and its environs.
The Upper Saranac Foundation (USF) was founded in 1989. In the late 1980s, the Bartlett Carry Dam was leaking badly. Lake owners noted the water level was erratically lower. The USLA concluded, after extensive study and expert consultation, that the dam needed to be rebuilt without delay. The risk of doing nothing, aside from potential dangers downstream, was the loss of about 3-1/2 feet of water depth.
Since the dam was privately owned, no funding would be available from governmental sources. The leaders of the Association quickly recognized that significant funds would need to be raised from the Lake community to rebuild the dam. To facilitate the necessary fundraising, a 501 (c) (3) charitable organization was formed: The Upper Saranac Foundation. All gifts to the new Foundation would be tax deductible. The dam and necessary adjoining land rights were purchased for one dollar. Over $500,000 was successfully raised to rebuild the dam (to our specs, not the State’s). It was a very difficult job during the particularly harsh winter of 1993/1994 but was completed on time and on budget!
In the winter and summer of 1989/1990, a massive, Lake-wide blue/green algae bloom occurred in the Lake. The Lake was essentially unusable during that summer. Extensive research and testing traced the source of the algae bloom to the New York State DEC’s Fish Hatchery in the town of Lake Clear. The hatchery was releasing a nutrient-rich broth directly into a stream that feeds into Upper Saranac Lake via the Lake Clear Inlet. The nutrients were gobbled up by the voracious algae, which multiplied rapidly. The alarm was sounded. It was clear that no one else was going to take care of this priceless place; that we had to do it ourselves. The Association’s Executive Committee, together with its very strong Environmental Committee, spearheaded legal proceedings, which led to a lengthy court battle. The result: The NYS/DEC Fish Hatchery lowered its nutrient load into the Lake by a full 90%. Monitoring of outflows continues on a regular basis to assure continuing compliance.
The next threat to the Lake was an invasion of Eurasian Water Milfoil. For two years, the Association, with funding from the Foundation, attempted to control the spread with a small team of divers hand harvesting the invasive weed. By 2004, it was evident that this program was inadequate. Milfoil was spreading faster than it could be harvested by the divers. Recognizing the scope, severity and threat, the Foundation, with professional consultants, designed a three-year, $1.5 million project to gain the upper hand. Once again the Lake community rose to the occasion, donating the entire cost of the project.
Because of the size of the Milfoil operation and the Foundation’s fiduciary responsibility to its donors, the Foundation oversaw the successful project. Milfoil growth was dramatically reduced and contained. The challenge for the future is to continue to contain Milfoil at its current level of infestation, with a reduced crew and budget. Milfoil cannot be eradicated, so it must be annually controlled.
Other concerns on the Foundation’s agenda include monitoring of septic systems, large and small, and “smart growth”- monitoring environmental breeches and regulation violations by contractors and property owners. Both need to be closely watched to maintain the water quality of the Lake. The Foundation is also responsible for the science involved with water quality – its testing and analysis. Upper Saranac Lake has one of the largest databases covering the scientific history of its waters and quality in the Adirondacks.
The water quality of Upper Saranac Lake has always been, and will always be, the top priority of both the Upper Saranac Lake Association and the Upper Saranac Foundation – sister, but legally arm’s length, organizations.
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Data From Pan-STARRS Publicly Released
The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, in conjunction with the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy in Honolulu, Hawaii, publicly released data from Pan-STARRS — the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System — the world’s largest digital sky survey.
The Pan-STARRS1 Observatory is a 1.8-meter telescope located at the summit of Haleakala, on Maui, Hawaii. For four years beginning in May 2010, this first Pan-STARRS observatory surveyed the entire three-quarters of the sky visible from Hawaii many times in many colors of light. One of the survey's goals was to look for moving objects and transient or variable objects, including asteroids that could potentially threaten the Earth. Credit: R. Ratkowski
“The Pan-STARRS1 Surveys allow anyone to access millions of images and use the database and catalogs containing precision measurements of billions of stars and galaxies,” said Dr. Ken Chambers, Director of the Pan-STARRS Observatories. “Pan-STARRS has made discoveries from Near Earth Objects and Kuiper Belt Objects in the Solar System to lonely planets between the stars; it has mapped the dust in three dimensions in our galaxy and found new streams of stars; and it has found new kinds of exploding stars and distant quasars in the early universe.”
“With this release we anticipate that scientists — as well as students and even casual users — around the world will make many new discoveries about the universe from the wealth of data collected by Pan-STARRS,” Dr. Chambers added.
The four years of data comprise 3 billion separate sources, including stars, galaxies, and various other objects. The immense collection contains 2 petabytes of data, which is equivalent to one billion selfies, or one hundred times the total content of Wikipedia.
This research program was undertaken by the PS1 Science Consortium — a collaboration among 10 research institutions in four countries with support from NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Consortium observations for the sky survey, mapping everything visible from Hawaii, were completed in April 2014. This data is now being released publicly.
The roll-out is being done in two stages. The first release is the “Static Sky,” which is the average of each of those individual epochs. For every object, there’s an average value for its position, its brightness, and its colors. In 2017, the second set of data will be released, providing a catalog that gives the information and images for each individual epoch.
The data can be accessed at panstarrs.stsci.edu.
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Immediate Arrangements
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Elaine Conder
11/21/1933 — 7/8/2019
Elaine Barney Conder, loving wife, mom, grandma, great-grandma and great-great-grandma, was born Nov. 21, 1933, at her grandparents’ home in Layton, Utah. She returned to her heavenly father, her loving husband and other loved ones peacefully Monday, July 8, 2019, at her home in Lewiston with her son, daughters, daughter-in-law, brother and sister-in-law by her side.
Elaine was born to Vird and Verla (Bone) Barney, the third of five children. She married her high school sweetheart, Joseph Wade Conder, Jan. 2, 1953, in Elsinore, Utah, and they enjoyed more than 61 and a half years of wedded bliss before Wade passed away. Their marriage was later solemnized for time and all eternity in the Los Angeles temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Feb. 11, 1967. Together, Wade and Elaine welcomed to their family three children, raising them while living in Utah, Nevada, California and Idaho.
Elaine was an active member of the church and loved her heavenly father and savior. She served in many callings, including Relief Society, Young Women’s and Primary.
She graduated from high school in Monroe, Utah, where she was a cheerleader. Elaine worked as a telephone operator in Utah and a school bus driver in Los Angeles before she started building her career with Jafra, where she became the first district director in the state of Idaho, traveling and training many others throughout the Northwest.
Elaine enjoyed hunting, fishing, boating, camping and spending time with dear friends. But most of all, she enjoyed spending time with her family. Her family was the most important thing in her life.
Elaine is survived by her children, Debra (William) Freudiger, Joseph (Mary) Conder and Kymberly (Bryan) Oliver; seven grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; and a soon-to-be-born great-great-grandchild; her youngest brother, Nolan (Carol) Barney; and numerous nieces and nephews.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, her brothers, William Dale and Reid, and her sister, Carol.
Funeral services will be held 10 a.m. Friday at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stake center at Ninth and Preston in Lewiston. Viewing will be held at 9 a.m. prior to the funeral. Burial will take place at 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 16, at the Monroe, Utah City Cemetery, with family and friends.
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HMS St Vincent (1908)
The featured article for Saturday, 3 March 2018 is HMS St Vincent (1908).
HMS St Vincent was the lead ship of her class of three dreadnought battleships built for the Royal Navy in the first decade of the 20th century. After commissioning in 1910, she spent her whole career assigned to the Home and Grand Fleets, often serving as a flagship. Aside from participating in the Battle of Jutland in May 1916, during which she damaged a German battlecruiser, and the inconclusive Action of 19 August several months later, her service during World War I generally consisted of routine patrols and training in the North Sea. The ship was deemed obsolete after the war and was reduced to reserve and used as a training ship. St Vincent was sold for scrap in 1921 and broken up the following year.
This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:35 UTC on Saturday, 3 March 2018.
For the full current version of the article, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_St_Vincent_(1908).
This has been Matthew. Thank you for listening to featured Wiki of the Day.
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Explore > Home / Articles
Homo principis et homo statuum-banska služba za vladavine Marije Terezije / The Office of Banus During Maria Theresa's Reign
by Ivana Horbec
Ivana Horbec
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Updated: June 7th, 2013
"This essay explores the status of the banus as the intermediary between the monarch and the Croatian estates in the government of Civil Croatia. The study focuses on the rule of the Empress Maria Theresa (1740–1780) and the contemporary administrations of two banus, Count Karlo Batthyány (1742–1756) and Count Franjo Nádasdy (1756–1782). Changes in the office of the banus are placed in the context of the strengthening of the royal sovereignty and the development of the public service of royal governors in
Habsburg Monarchy as well as in early modern European monarchies more generally. In Civil Croatia, the intermediary character of the office of the banus brought together accountability towards the monarch as the bearer of royal authority within the countryand an equal accountability towards the Croatian estates, as banus was regarded as the basis of the rule of law and the holder of the political authority within Civil Croatia. Within the territory of his jurisdiction, the banus first and foremost occupied the role of the chief military commander. At the same time, he also, in collaboration with the
Croatian estates, controlled the civil government that encompassed a large complex of the political, legal, administrative and fiscal rights of the ruler. During the early modern era, the growth of the sovereignty of the monarchs and the centralization of their authority, in relation to the powers of the representative bodies of the estates, came to have a significant impact on the authority and the scope of services of the office of the banus. The key period for both the growth of the royal sovereignty and the centralization of the authority of the monarch was the rule of Maria Theresa, aimed
at internal integration of the Monarchy and marked by numerous and far-reaching reforms of the Croatian government. It was in this period that the reform of the tax administration was conducted, the governing structure of the counties as the lowestlevel administrative units was put into place, the terrier regulation was introduced and the public schooling and healthcare were established. The Croatian Royal Council, as the first institution of the executive rule in Civil Croatia, was first established and then abolished. In this period, military skills of the banus came to be seen as of secondary
importance, while the Viennese court viewed his office primarily through its role of the royal governor. The office of the banus was integrated into the hierarchy of the state government and bound to obedience to the monarch. At the same time, part of the Croatian estates clung to the idea of their own statehood and of their role as the guardian of the traditional political organization into estates."
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Murali Kartik
Previous (Munich massacre)
Next (Murasaki Shikibu)
Batting style Left hand bat
Bowling style Slow left arm orthodox
Tests ODIs
Matches 8 34
Runs scored 88 110
Batting average 9.77 13.75
100s/50s -/- -/-
Top score 43 32*
Balls bowled 1932 1751
Wickets 24 35
Bowling average 34.16 42.17
5 wickets in innings - 1
10 wickets in match - n/a
Best bowling 4/44 6/27
Catches/stumpings 2/- 10/-
As of 18 October, 2007
Murali Kartik (born September 11, 1976 in Madras, Tamil Nadu, India), an Indian cricketer who occasionally represented the Indian cricket team from 2000 to 2007. A specialist slow left arm orthodox bowler, he has earned fame for his loopy trajectory and ability to spin and bounce, but has found international selection blocked by the presence of Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh.[1] A left-handed batsman, he has had some success with the bat at first-class level with eleven half-centuries, he has yet to repeat that at international level.[1]
2 Early international career
3 Later career
Cricket has a history of over 200 years in India, becoming the unofficial national sport. Since independence in 1947, and the partition of Pakistan from India, the sport has become an important source of national pride. India and Pakistan have an especially intense rivalry, especially in light of the several wars they have fought with each other since 1947. Marali Kartik stands among the best of India's cricket players, achieving international fame for his performance in international matches as both a bowler and a batsman.
In his early years in cricket, Kartik played as a medium pacer,[2] before switching to a left arm finger spinner in the classical mould. Kartik grew up trying to emulate past Indian orthodox spinners Bishen Singh Bedi, Maninder Singh and Venkatapathy Raju. He also garnered attention for a fiery attitude, but took pride in Kapil Dev saying "I have never seen a player with such an attitude towards the game in my twenty years of international cricket."[3] Kartik made his first class debut for Railways in the Ranji Trophy in 1996/1997, against Vidarbha, and marked his debut with a hat trick in the first innings, finishing with 10/55.[4][5] He ended the season with 16 wickets at 19.37,[6] and 185 runs at 20 including a 74,[7] but failed to win the Central Zone selection for the Duleep Trophy.[8] The following season he managed 14 wickets at 18.42,[9] but got dropped in the later stages of the tournament.[10] He played more regularly in 1998/1999, taking 29 wickets in seven matches at 19.3 placing the thirteenth highest wicket-taker.[11] He won selection for Central Zone and claimed 7/95 in the final to help them defeat West Zone in Aurangabad to claim the Duleep Trophy,[12] and came in the leading wicket-taker during the tournament.[13]
Early international career
India v England
After further strong Ranji performances in the 1999/2000 season, taking 17 wickets at 10.11 including a haul of 12/93 against Vidharbha,[14] Kartik made his debut in February 2000, playing in both Tests against South Africa at Mumbai and Bangalore as India sought a second spinner to accompany Anil Kumble, after Harbhajan Singh's performance in the role in the previous season had been deemed inadequate. Kartik performed steadily, taking six wickets at 33.5.[15]
Kartik won selection in 2000 for the first intake of the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore, after earlier having made his Test debut in early 2000 in a home series against South Africa.[16] His stay proved short along with that of Harbhajan Singh, when the director Hanumant Singh expelled them over disciplinary issues.[17]
In the 2000/2001 season, he played in one Test against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe respectively in India, taking 1/42 and 2/66. Captain Sourav Ganguly showed little confidence in him, only affording him frequent but short spells.[2] Kartik compounded his problems by taking his Duleep Trophy wickets at an average of 131, taking only three wickets in three matches.[18] The selectors felt unsatisfied by those performances, and despite a shoulder injury to Kumble, they discarded Kartik as India hosted Australia in the 2001 Border Gavaskar Trophy.[15] Harbhajan recalled, he took 32 wickets at 17 to permanently establish himself as India's favored spinner.
A serious back injury in 2001 forced Kartik to travel to Adelaide for treatment, funded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India.[3] He managed to make a successful comeback in the 2001/2002 Duleep Trophy, being the fourth highest wicket taker, with 34 at an average of 17.[19]
Since then, Kartik has been India's third choice Test spinner behind Kumble and Harbhajan, only playing due to their injuries or when India selected three spinners. Kartik received a call into the Test squad to tour New Zealand in late 2002 after Kumble withdrew,[2] but miss a chance to play as India only fielded one spin bowler. As a result, Kartik sat out Test matches until early 2004, almost three years later. After taking 6/117 and 5/140 for India A against Sri Lanka A,[20][21] Kartik made his first overseas appearance for India, after replacing the injured Harbhajan midway through the 2003/2004 tour of Australia.[22] He played in the final Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground when India fielded two spinners. The Australian batsmen punished him, taking 1/211.[15]
Kartik had opportunities in the ODI format in the intervening period, playing in four consecutive matches in 2002/2003 in India against the West Indies, but after taking four wickets at 49.75, he got overlooked for the 2003 Cricket World Cup as Harbhajan and Kumble took the nod. After the World Cup, Kartik gained semi-regular appearances during the TVS and on the Australian tour, competing with Kumble for a regular position in the team. Despite only taking 1/178 in the VB series, he continued for the ODI tour of Pakistan, taking five wickets at 32.8. Harbhajan's return from injury in late 2004 meant that he would only play two ODIs until late 2005.[23]
Kartik played his next Test October 2004, in the Third Test against Australia in Nagpur, when Harbhajan fell ill, taking 5/131. He held his place for final Test in Mumbai as India fielded three spinners, and took 7/76 in a man of the match performance which saw India win by 13 runs. Both of those performances occurred under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid with Ganguly injured, in which Kartik netted his wickets at an average of 17.5 compared to 51.08 under Ganguly's leadership. Kartik played the last of his eight Tests in a subsequent match against South Africa in Kanpur, taking 2/93 under Ganguly's command, being dropped after India used two spinners in subsequent matches.[15]
He enjoyed more opportunities in the ODI arena in 2005, when the newly appointed coach Greg Chappell dropped Kumble due to his lack of athleticism, as well as the introduction of the experimental rules which allowed the use of substitutes, thus opening an extra position in the team. Kartik played in ten of the twelve ODIs which India hosted during the summer, he took eight wickets at 30 in the series against Sri Lanka, but went wicketless in the South African series. After conceding 64 runs against Pakistan, 17-year-old legspinner Piyush Chawla and off-spinner Ramesh Powar respectively replaced him in early 2006 in the Test and ODI squad.[23]
In late 2005, he appeared as a late-season overseas player substitute for Lancashire, and became the first overseas Lancashire player to take ten wickets on debut against Essex with 10/168. His 16 wickets placed him second on the season's bowling averages, and helped the team to receive a promotion from Second Division. He initially received no contract offer for 2006. In August 2006 he again signed as a late-season overseas player for Lancashire just in time to appear in the C&G Trophy final against Sussex.[24]
He has joined Middlesex as an overseas registration for the 2007 season.[25] He made his debut as the county club's 700th first-class cricketer against Somerset at Taunton in April 2007. He received a call to the Indian ODI team for the late 2007 series against Australia, after the team dropped Powar. He took 1/48 and conceded only two runs in the 48th over as Australia stumbled in a tight run chase. His captain MS Dhoni cited that as one of the key points in the match.
On October 17, 2007 he took 6-27 from 10 overs in the 7th ODI between India and Australia and chipped in with 21 not out (34 balls) to win the game for India and the selection as the Man of the Match.
↑ 1.0 1.1 Rajesh, S. Murali Kartik. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Vasu, Anand, "Murali Kartik, belligerent practitioner of a difficult art", Cricinfo, 2002-11-26. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ 3.0 3.1 Santhosh S, "Murali Kartik - on the comeback trail", Cricinfo, 2001-11-23. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
↑ Krishnan, Sankhya, "He sees something positive in every situation", Cricinfo, 2000-04-30. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
↑ Railways v Vidarbha at Delhi 7-10 Nov 1996. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
↑ Bowling - Most Wickets. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
↑ Batting - Most Runs. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
↑ Best Bowling Averages. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
↑ Ranji Trophy 1997-98, Super league. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ Final: Central Zone vs West Zone at Auranagabad, 17-21 Dec 1998. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ Vidarbha v Railways at Nagpur 31 Oct - 3 Nova 1999. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 M Kartik - Tests - Innings by innings list. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ Ramchand, Partab, "First list of NCA trainees", Cricinfo, 2000-04-15. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ Ramchand, Partab, "Three players offloaded from National Cricket Academy", Cricinfo, 2000-06-20. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ "Kartik fashions India A triumph", Cricinfo, 2003-12-03. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ Sri Lanka A in India, 2003-04, Cricinfo. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ "Kartik joins Indian team in Australia", Cricinfo, 2003-12-11. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ 23.0 23.1 M Kartik - ODIs - Innings by innings list. Cricinfo. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ "Kartik joins Lancashire", Cricinfo, 2006-08-23. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
↑ "Kartik joins Middlesex for 2007", Cricinfo, 2006-10-18. Retrieved February 4, 2009.
2004. "Bowled Over: India and Pakistan Go Cricket Crazy." Maclean's. 16. OCLC: 109485898
Bose, Mihir. A Maidan View The Magic of Indian Cricket. New Delhi: Penguin Books, 2006. ISBN 9780143032175
Majumdar, Boria. A Social History of Indian Cricket 22 Yards to Freedom. Sport in the global society. London: Routledge, 2006. ISBN 9780415400145
Majumdar, Boria. Lost Histories of Indian Cricket Battles Off the Pitch. Sport in the global society. London: Routledge, 2006. ISBN 9780415358859
All links retrieved October 31, 2018.
The Hindu: Murali Kartik waiting for his time.
Murali Kartik history
History of "Murali Kartik"
Retrieved from http://web.newworldencyclopedia.org/p/index.php?title=Murali_Kartik&oldid=1015602
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Christopher Reeve quotes
His role as the Man of Steel in 'Superman' (1978)
Man of SteelBackground:"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." Christopher ReeveDeceased actor Christopher Reeve is widely remembered as the Man of Steel, Clark Kent/Superman, in Superman films (1978, 1980, 1983 and 1987). He received critical acclaim for starring in the TV movie Rear Window (1998) and for directing the TV movies In The Gloaming (1997) and for narrating the documentary Without Pity: A Film About Abilities (1996). The actor, who received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1997, released the best-selling autobiography Still Me (1998) and the Grammy-winning spoken word album with the same title in 1999.Christopher Reeve was paralyzed in a horse-riding accident in 1995 and was paralyzed for the rest of his life. Along with his wife, Reeve established the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Resource Center, which trains paralyzed people to live more independently. An outspoken advocate for stem cell and spinal-cord-injury research, Reeve chaired the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, which funds research on paralysis and supports the disabled. He was also honored with a special OBIE Award and recognition from the Walter Briehl Human Rights Foundation for his courageous work on defending Chilean artists.The inspiring actor passed away on October 10, 2004, at age 52, from heart failure. Inspiring TophChildhood and Family:On September 25, 1952, Christopher Reeve, nicknamed Toph (as a child), was born in New York, New York, to Franklin Reeve (professor/writer) and Barbara Johnson (journalist). At age 4, his parents divorced and Christopher and brother Benjamin Reeve (lawyer; born in 1953) moved with their mother to Princeton, New Jersey. Their mother later married her second husband, an investment banker, and Christopher has two half brothers named Jeff and Kevin Johnson. After finishing high school, Christopher enrolled at Cornell University as a member of the class of 1974, majoring in Music Theory and English. He also spent some time studying theater in England and France, and worked at the prestigious Old Vic Theater in London and the Comedie Francaise in Paris. Having performed in school plays at age 8, Christopher was selected to study at the prestigious Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York, alongside future life-long friend Robin Williams, under the famed acting coach John Houseman.Christopher Reeve was involved with modeling executive Gae Exton (born 1951) from 1977 to 1987. They have two children: son Matthew Reeve (born in 1979) and daughter Alexandra Reeve (born in 1983). In 1992, Reeve married actress and singer Dana Reeve (a.k.a. Dana Morosini; born in 1961) and they have one son, Will Reeve (born in June 7, 1992). In May 1995, Reeve was paralyzed in a horse riding accident near Charlottesville, Virginia. He once considered suicide because of his severe disabilities, but wife Dana Reeve pulled him out of the depression by saying, "I still love you no matter what. You are still you."Christopher died of heart failure on October 10, 2004, in Mount Kisco, New York, New York. Christopher Reeve was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey and an honorary degree at Stony Brook University in May of 2005. Rear WindowCareer:"Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool, or you go out in the ocean." Christopher ReeveTeenage Christopher Reeve worked at Princeton's McCarter Theater after school and apprenticed at Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts in 1968. He toured the state with the play "Irregular Verb to Love," opposite veteran actress Celeste Holm, and once lived in England working as a stagehand. Returning to the US, Reeve was cast to play Ben Harper (1974-1976) on the CBS daytime soap "Love of Life."During that time, Reeve was cast to play opposite screen legend Katharine Hepburn in his Broadway debut, “A Matter of Gravity,” and made his film acting debut with a bit part in the submarine adventure flick, Gray Lady Down (1978). After appearing in an off-Broadway production of “My Life,” Reeve joined the audition for the title role in Superman: The Movie (1978). Despite his skinny figure, Reeve won the role and had to gain muscle and weight for the role. He subsequently underwent an intensive bodybuilding program under British weight lifting champion David Prowse, who played Darth Vader in the original series of Star Wars films. The portrayal of the muscular, handsome and brainy super hero catapulted Reeve’s name toward stardom. He nabbed BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Award’s Most Promising Newcomer and later reprised his role in the Superman sequels in 1980, 1983 and 1987."Look, I've flown, I've become evil, loved, stopped and turned the world backward, I've faced my peers, I've befriended children and small animals, and I've rescued cats from trees. What else is there left for Superman to do that hasn't been done?" Christopher ReeveReeve also appeared in other films, playing a role in a tale of time-travel and romance in Somewhere In Time (1980, costarring best friend Jane Seymour), portrayed Micheal Caine's playwright lover in Deathtrap and became an American priest in Monsignor (both in 1982). He continued to perform on stage, starring as Ken Talley in the Broadway production of Lanford Wilson's "Fifth of July" (1980) and debuted on the London stage opposite Vanessa Redgrave in "The Aspern Papers" (1984). Reeve then appeared in two period dramas, The Bostonians (1984) and a CBS movie version of Anna Karenina (1985, opposite Jacqueline Bisset), playing Count Vronsky. He also hosted the "Saturday Night Live" show in April of 1985.In Street Smart (1987), Reeve costarred with Morgan Freeman and followed it up with a string of films, including Switching Channels (1988), Earthday Birthday (1990), Noises Off... (1992), The Remains of the Day (1993) and Speechless (1994, opposite Michael Keaton and Geena Davis). He also hosted the second season of the Discovery Channel's compilation documentary "The Hollywood Stuntmakers" (1992-1993) and the Travel Channel's ecology series "Earth Journeys with Christopher Reeve."Four months after being paralyzed in a horse riding accident in May of 1995, Reeve appeared in a 20/20 interview with Barbara Walters on ABC. In the interview, he was quoted as saying, "I am getting older and time is ticking. The more time goes by the more I feel a sense of urgency and I can accept anything except for complacency."The next year, Reeve was invited to appear at the Academy Awards, to host the Paralympics in Atlanta and to speak at the Democratic Convention. On screen, he could be seen in Village of the Damned, Above Suspicion (both in 1995) and A Step Toward Tomorrow (1996). He also made his directorial debut with the HBO’s movie In The Gloaming (aired in April 1997, starring Glenn Close) and netted five Emmy nominations as well as six CableAce Awards, including Best Dramatic Special and Best Director. Additionally, Reeve took home an Emmy’s Outstanding Informational Special for narrating the HBO’s documentary Without Pity: A Film About Abilities (1996).On April 15, 1997, Reeve received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and subsequently released his autobiography, Still Me, on April 25, 1998. The book was published by Random House and became a bestseller. He also released the recording of the book and won Grammy’s Best Spoken Word Album in 1999.A TV remake of Rear Window (1998, also executive-produced) was Reeve’s first acting performance after his accident. The portrayal of Jason Kemp handed Reeve a Golden Globe nomination and he won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries. Commenting on his post-accident role in Rear Window (1998, TV), Reeve said, "I was worried that only acting with my voice and my face, I might not be able to communicate effectively enough to tell the story. But I was surprised to find that if I really concentrated and just let the thoughts happen, that they would read on my face."On his 50th birthday, in September of 2002, Reeve released his second book, Nothing Is Impossible: Reflections on a New Life. The spoken word album of the book received a Grammy nomination. He did a second interview with Barbara Walters on ABC in 2002 and guest starred as mysterious scientist Dr. Swann in an episode of WB’s "Smallville" in February 2003. Reeve also served as the executive producer for the PBS documentary series "Freedom: A History of Us" (2003) and reprised his Dr. Swann role on the WB series "Smallville" in April 2004. After his death, A&E aired Reeve's second directorial project, the true-life based The Brooke Ellison Story (starring Lacey Chabert), on October 25, 2004."What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely. From an acting point of view, that's how I approached the part." Christopher ReeveAwards:Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a TV Movie or Miniseries, Rear Window, 1999Grammy: Spoken Word Album, Still Me, 1999Emmy: Outstanding Informational Special, Without Pity: A Film About Abilities, 1997Young Artist: Jackie Coogan Award, 1996Special OBIE: Courageous work on behalf of Chilean artists, 1988Fantafestival: Best Actor, Somewhere in Time, 1981BAFTA: Best Newcomer, Superman, 1979
I never said I will stand, I said I hoped to stand. It wasn't a prediction.More Christopher Reeve quotes [03/29/2018 05:03:36]
I am a very lucky guy. I can testify before Congress. I can raise funds. I can raise awareness.More Christopher Reeve quotes [04/21/2006 12:04:00]
My blood pressure has been stabilized and I am in no danger.More Christopher Reeve quotes [04/21/2006 12:04:00]
I don't have to prove anything to anyone. As a result, I am ready to take up again the characters who are closer to what I really am.More Christopher Reeve quotes [03/29/2018 05:03:36]
Your body is not who you are. The mind and spirit transcend the body.More Christopher Reeve quotes [03/29/2018 05:03:36]
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In one parish the girls in the youth group told me that 1 Corinthians 13 was their school reading. In another parish and referring to a different school the girls in the youth group told me that 1 Corinthians 13 was their school scripture reading. Today I wonder if our schools have selected scripture readings as they seek to be all things to all people, but is that the cynic in me talking?
In 1 Corinthians 13 the author, Paul, introduces the theme of love just at the right time, after being critical of the local church. Love can mean so many different things. Some people here might remember the free love movement of the 1960’s. Was that about love or about breaking down moral standards of behaviour?
The church in Corinth had wandered from Christian standards. There were factions, the misuse of Christian liberty and an abuse of spiritual gifts. Paul had been correcting the Corinthians, but then decides to offer a positive model of how the church should exist, which was quite a contrast to their model.
Have you heard that the Greek language had more than one word for love? There was eros, which was the love of deep desire and sensuous longing. You won’t find this word in the Bible, but in The Song of Solomon we read of erotic love. The word storge is the love that exists between members of a family. Again, this is not found in the New Testament, but the opposite astorge is in Romans and elsewhere. The two forms of love that we are familiar with from the scriptures is philia and agape. Philia is brotherly love or the deep love of friendship. An example is “love one another with mutual affection” Ro 12.10 Agape love is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love. It is the love expressed towards us through Jesus. It implies loving when there is nothing worthy to evoke love. This is the word Paul used in chapter 13 of his first letter.
So, when we think of love as romantic and that 1 Corinthians 13 is appropriate for weddings please note that the original intention was referring to a very different love.
The final verse is “And now faith, hope and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.” And Margie likes to remind me that in heaven only love will exist, because the other two will have been fulfilled.
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For our 2014 Grammys campaign, Ryan Heffington choreographed Aloe Blacc's 'Love is the Answer,' a seamless five-in-one music video, and taught the moves to a troupe of 50 dancers in merely two days (let me just say here that he is a genius). It is all perfectly timed and incredibly advanced, as choreography weaves the narrative together. We stole a few moments with Heffington to capture the story, and through it we were able to bring the campaign to new audiences interested in the performing arts.
CHOREOGRAPHER Ryan Heffington
Five-Part "Love Is The Answer" 2014 Grammys campaign for Lincoln MKZ, choreographed by Heffington
Watch Aloe Blacc’s “Love Is the Answer” and you might be in awe of the perfectly timed – and incredibly advanced – choreography woven throughout the story, perfectly synced for audiences to toggle through 5 distinct views of a performance that unfolded throughout the historic Park Plaza Hotel in LA, ending in the new Lincoln MKZ.
In just two days, choreographer Ryan Heffington created and taught a talented team of more than 50 dancers moves that were so seamless they flowed like the music itself. And we were there to document the experience.
We stole a few minutes here and there during the making of the campaign to produce the above documentary-style content. By providing the context behind the challenge Heffington faced of coordinating dozens of dancers to interpret the feeling of a song, we were able to create an introduction into the campaign content for cultural audiences who were interested in his creative process and then compelled to explore the campaign he helped to create.
We extended the story several times over, as long-form content on LincolnNow, including the short film that explored the choreographer's process (above), and through countless photos we shot as the project came together.
Using paid media across Facebook and Twitter, we published the content to audiences targeted in social channels as being interested in Heffington's work (usually associated with the award-winning music videos he choreographed), or to individuals interested in performing arts.
As Heffington's career boomed with the work he did for Sia (winning a VMA for the choreography in Chandelier and further blowing our minds with Elastic Heart), Chet Faker, FKA Twigs, and Arcade Fire, we had an inside story about his process that fans were curious to see. This content helped Lincoln join cultural conversations that would have otherwise been impossible, and led new audiences to view the "Love Is The Answer" MKZ campaign after seeing the process documentary. Engagement went through the roof, particularly during the VMAs and when Sia's uniquely choreographed music videos launched, and we brought more people into Lincoln's Grammys campaign in that following year through related social posts than we garnered with the initial media launch the year prior. In the process, we showed that extended content not only extends the ROI of a campaign, but that relevant content, respectfully delivered to the right audiences within the appropriate cultural context, can introduce a brand to audiences previously thought "unreachable". Art and commerce. Win.
(On another note, I wish I had made this work on Ryan's choreography for the aforementioned Sia video. Alas, I did not, but you should still see it because it's great content!)
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KASU Bluegrass Monday To Present Monroe Crossing Concert
JONESBORO — Monroe Crossing will perform a concert of bluegrass music Monday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Collins Theatre, 120 West Emerson Street, in downtown Paragould, Arkansas. The concert is part of the Bluegrass Monday concert series presented by Arkansas State University’s public broadcasting service KASU 91.9 FM.
(From left) David Robinson, Lisa Fugile, Derek Johnson, Matt Thompson, and Mark Anderson.
Named in honor of the creator of bluegrass music Bill Monroe, Monroe Crossing plays traditional bluegrass music, gospel songs, original melodies and their own unique treatments of songs that weren’t originally bluegrass tunes. The band performed over 150 concerts in 2014 at bluegrass festivals, churches and venues across the country. Monroe Crossing has recorded 13 CDs and has produced a concert DVD. The band will release a new CD, including music recorded live at past Bluegrass Monday performances, in early 2015.
Based in Minnesota, Monroe Crossing is the only bluegrass band ever to be named “Artist of the Year” (2004) by the Minnesota Music Academy. The group has also been inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame and has received numerous awards from the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association. In both 2007 and in 2014, the band received the prestigious invitation to appear at the showcase concert at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s annual convention.
Members of Monroe Crossing include Lisa Fugile who plays fiddle and sings. She was raised in Nigeria, Africa, and first discovered bluegrass music through a 78-RPM record of music by Bill Monroe.
Matt Thompson of Mankato, Minnesota, plays mandolin and fiddle. He is a past winner of the “Mandolin Player of the Year” award given by the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association. He also serves as emcee for the band during their concerts. Thompson has been playing bluegrass music in many bands over the past 30 years, including True Blue, a group that appeared on Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” nationally syndicated public radio program.
Mark Anderson plays bass in the group. His first musical experience was playing in alternative rock bands, but his musical tastes changed dramatically after being introduced to bluegrass music in 1995.
Derek Johnson sings and plays guitar. He co-founded the High 48s Bluegrass Band, a group that released four CDs, toured nationwide and won the prestigious Rocky Grass bluegrass band competition in 2008.
David Robinson plays banjo for the band. He became interested in folk and blues music at a young age, but exposure to a local bluegrass band led him to begin playing banjo at age 14. His banjo playing is influenced by David Holt and Earl Scruggs, and he also taught himself how to play guitar, mandolin and harmonica.
Monroe Crossing has been a full-time, professional bluegrass band since the year 2000. More details about the band, including videos of past performances, are available at www.monroecrossing.com.
Seating at the concert is first-come, first-served. Doors to the theatre will open at 5 p.m. KASU will literally “pass the hat” to collect money to pay the group. The suggested donation is $5 per person.
In addition to the concert, Terry’s Café, 201 South Pruett Street in Paragould, opens on Bluegrass Monday nights to welcome bluegrass music fans. The café serves a catfish buffet meal beginning at 4:30 p.m. on the evenings of Bluegrass Monday concerts. Concessions will also be available at the Collins Theatre.
Bluegrass Monday concerts are held on the fourth Monday night of each month. These concerts are presented with support from Bibb Chiropractic, the Posey Peddler, Holiday Inn Express and Suites of Paragould, the Northeast Arkansas Bluegrass Association and KASU.
KASU, 91.9 FM, is the 100,000-watt public broadcasting service of Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. For more information, contact KASU Program Director Marty Scarbrough at mscarbro@astate.edu or (870) 972-2367. Bluegrass Monday is also on Facebook (search “Bluegrass Monday”).
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Structure – Gallery
Interior – Gallery
Animals – Gallery
Price list & offers
Castiglione del Lago, one of “The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy” for the remarkable artistic heritage, environmental and cultural. The small town of Etruscan origin is located on a promontory on the western shore of Trasimeno Lake. The old town is surrounded by medieval walls with three gates: Perugina, Senese and Fiorentina. To visit is the medieval fortress, built in 1247, that it consists of five towers, three gates and is dominated by the characteristic triangular tower about 30 meters high, from which you can admire a beautiful view of the lake. Of great artistic value is Palazzo della Corgna, built in 1560 is the only small “palace” existing in Umbria. The beautiful rooms, painted by Nicholas Circignani “The Pomarancio” and Salvio Savini, with mythological scenes and businesses of the captain of Ascanio della Corgna.
Città della Pieve, situated in the western part of Umbria, thanks to its scenic location overlooking Trasimeno Lake and the Valdichiana. The small medieval town rich in art, history and culture is home to one of the most important painters of the Italian Renaissance, Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino. The urban form of Citta della Pieve takes the form of an eagle, where the three parts of ‘”eagle” coincide with the three neighborhoods, the administrative subdivisions of the city Terziere Castello, Terziere Borgo Dentro and Terziere Casalino. To visit is the Cathedral of Saints Gervasio and Protasio that preserves the works of two important painters of Città della Pieve, Perugino and Pomarancio. Also interesting is the church of Santa Maria dei Bianchi, where is the beautiful “Adorazione dei Magi”” by Perugino
Panicale, defined a natural terrace overlooking Trasimeno Lake, is a medieval village which lies on the hill at the foot of Mount Petrarvella and placed between the valley of Trasimeno Lake and the valley of the Nestòre River. Besides being one of the ” The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy ” for its natural beauty, history and culture, is also Orange Flag of Italian Touring Club since 2007 thanks to the relevance of its artistic heritage and landscape and numerous events. Panicale retains the typical structure of a medieval castle, with two entrances to and from Florence and Perugia with its three squares, the most significant is definitely Piazza Umberto I, that is the ancient cistern of the country, fifteenth century, which was turned into a fountain in the ‘900 and the majestic Collegiata di San Michele Arcangelo.
Perugia, capoluogo dell’Umbria, è una città d’arte, ricca di storia e monumenti, fondata dagli Etruschi, è polo culturale della regione, meta turistica e sede universitaria. Uno dei principali monumenti della città e di tutta la scultura medievale è la Fontana Maggiore, risalente al 1275-1278 e collocata nella piazza principale della città. La più grande e monumentale delle porte di accesso alla città vecchia è l’Arco Etrusco, dove a tutto sesto è incisa la scritta “Augusta Perusia”. Costruita tra il 1540 e il 1543 per volere di papa Paolo III, la Rocca Paolina è sicuramente uno degli edifici più importanti della città, fino al 1860, ha rappresentato, il simbolo del potere papale sull’antico comune. Oggi la Rocca Paolina è attraversata da un percorso di scale mobili che collegano Piazza Partigiani a Piazza Italia, in centro.
Cortona, near Arezzo, is an important cultural and tourist center of the ValdiChiana. Ancient “lucumonia”, part of “Dodecapolis Etruscan”, Cortona is located south of the province of Arezzo and in the southeast region of Tuscany, on the border with Umbria and just a few kilometers from Trasimeno Lake. From its 500 meters high dominates the ValdiChiana, the view reaches the horizon to find the peaks of Mount Amiata and the Trasimeno Lake. The walls surrounding Cortona, the medieval structures and narrow streets are a characteristic feature of the landscape, giving an immersive atmosphere to the entire city. Out of town, at the foot of the hill, are the Meloni I and II of Sodo, Etruscan tumulus tombs of the sixth century BC.
Assisi is situated in province of Perugia, in Umbria, and is located on the northwestern slope of Mount Subasio, in a moderately raised above the northern Valle Umbra. It is known for being the city where they were born, they lived and died in San Francesco, patron saint of Italy, and Santa Chiara. Destination for many tourists, Basilica of San Francesco di Assisi, is the place that preserves, from 1230, the mortal remains of the saint seraphic. Ordered by Pope Gregorio IX, in 1754 Benedetto XIV he has elevated to the dignity of the Patriarchal Basilica, today “Papal” and Papal Chapel. In 2000, along with other Franciscan sites of the district, the basilica was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. An important place of worship of the historic center of Assisi is also the Basilica of Santa Chiara, built between 1257 and 1265.
Montepulciano, Tuscan town in province of Siena, is a common place to 605 meters above sea level, between the ValdiChiana and Val d’Orcia. Of ancient and long history, Montepulciano has origins from the Etruscans. Its fame derives from the wealth of excellent vineyards from which we can obtain the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG. One of the most beautiful squares in Italy is Piazza Grande, the monumental center of the city and the highest part of Montepulciano. Here is the beautiful cathedral, in the small open space between the Palazzo dei Nobili Tarugi and the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo is the characteristic Pozzo dei Grifi e dei Leoni with Medici coat of arms, and some of the most beautiful buildings of Montepulciano designed by the best architects of Renaissance.
Siena is a Tuscan city known for its historical, artistic, landscape and for its medieval urban layout, its historic center has been awarded by UNESCO as a World Heritage site in 1995 Siena it is also famous for the Palio , a race of horses ridden bareback, between different districts of Siena that monopolizes the attention of the city for several days. The event is extremely important for the city, is the expression of the ancient and rooted Sienese tradition. In the town the seat of the Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, founded in 1472 and thus the oldest bank in business as well as the longest in the world.
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ZF TRW Announces The Sale Of Its Global Engineered Fasteners And Components Business
Business will be sold to Illinois Tools Works (ITW), a significant manufacturer of fasteners and components for approximately $450 million USD
ZF TRW, the Active and Passive Safety Division of ZF Friedrichshafen AG, today announced it has entered into a sale agreement for its global Engineered Fasteners and Components business to Illinois Tool Works (ITW) for approximately $450 million USD.
"ZF TRW's Engineered Fasteners and Components business is a well known and respected manufacturer of highly-engineered fasteners and components serving leading automotive manufacturers in all major regions," said Franz Kleiner, CEO of ZF TRW and a member of the ZF Board of Management. "We are fortunate to be selling this business to a highly respected expert in the development and supply of fasteners and components that is seeking to grow their worldwide business."
While the Engineered Fasteners and Components business is successful and profitable, ZF is primarily concentrating on the growth of its core businesses in advanced safety, efficiency, electrification and the further development of automated driving. ITW intends to run the Engineered Fasteners and Components business as a standalone division and highly valued business within their automotive OEM segment.
ZF TRW's Engineered Fasteners and Components business unit, headquartered in Enkenbach, Germany, operates 13 locations with a global manufacturing and engineering footprint that serves its customers in Europe, Asia, and North America with 3,500 employees located in nine countries.
BNP Paribas acted as the exclusive financial advisor to ZF TRW on the sale, with Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP providing legal advice.
Pending customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, the transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2016.
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As I write about God being the Author of these incredible stories we're blessed to live, I can't help but wonder what the characters in other stories feel like. Do they see the way their stories are woven together? Do they know the threads that run through them? When we see them again and again in what seems like the same situation with a new outcome, do they comprehend the redemption that's taking place in their development?
Do we?
Redemption is a funny thing, at least as you're living it. You keep finding yourself in these scenarios that feel so strangely familiar that your heart just seems to stop all on its own. You have opportunities maybe you didn't have the first time around, or things have changed just enough that they're about to change big time. All you have to do is remember that yesterday is gone and today is something new and tomorrow is filled with the promise of hope and a thousand amazing things and then...do it again.
Whatever it is. Whatever second chance you have that you blew the first time. Whatever opportunity has come knocking once more. Whatever choice finally feels like one that you can make. Whatever it is. Do that.
But don't expect it to heal you.
That's what's funny about it, I guess. We think that redemption is meant to heal us. And I think in the long term, it probably does. We think that second chances are supposed to be mending. We think that when one thing seems to come together in a new way, the rest of things ought to, too. Isn't that what redemption is? Doesn't it put us back together?
No. It doesn't.
A few months ago, I would have told you that it does. I would have told you that it has to. Because I needed for it to do just that. I needed redemption, and I needed redemption to be the thing that would put me back together because, I swear, there were days even recently that I didn't think I could feel more broken. And then, redemption happened.
There's not even a good way to explain this to anyone who hasn't yet been there, but all these stories that had lived so long in the recesses of my heart, all these tales that had dwelt in darkness and been cast in shadows, came to play again on the main stage of my life. In almost the exact same ways except, well, except that I am different now. My heart is different. My body is different. My strength is different. My faith...is different. I didn't realize what was happening until I couldn't catch my breath and I couldn't figure out why. I didn't understand what was going on until my heart stopped and felt frozen in time, in this broken story, in this place marked by failure and fear and ache. Marked by woundedness. There's a Danny Gokey song right now called "Tell Your Heart to Beat Again," and I had to learn to do that. Because here was my redemption.
And it broke me.
Redemption broke me. It's still breaking me. The realization of the way that the threads run through my life, the recognition of a God who is taking what felt like frayed ends and tying them together...it breaks me. It cracks open all of this pain, all of this fear, all of this burden that I've been carrying for so long in what has long since become merely a shell of me, and in the way that our beautiful, paradoxical God does things, I have never felt either more broken or more whole than I do right now. And I know that redemption is only beginning in me.
I know that there's more darkness to face. More chapters to revisit. More scenes to replay. More second chances that are coming my way. More times when I won't be able to catch my breath until, with a sudden gasp, I realize that I've been here before. Not exactly here, but close enough. Close enough to try again. More times when my heart will stop and I'll have to learn the rhythm of my life all over again. There's more of this coming, and...and I already feel so broken.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not complaining. Far from it. I'm...shaking my head in that way we do when we just can't believe something is real. I'm pushing back tears that I'm not yet ready to let pour out. I'm trying to pray and finding myself too overwhelmed, then wondering what the Spirit is groaning on my behalf because I tell you - I have never been more sure that God is hearing me than in moments like this when I can't...even....
So I'm thinking about the Author of this story. This broken, beautiful, messed-up, redeeming story that I'm trying to live. I'm thinking about all the scenes we've played out together, all the chapters already done. I'm picking at my own broken threads and wondering when...and how...they'll all be tied together. I'm going back over pages marked up and marked out with red ink, then flipping forward to a thousand blank pages yet to come. And I'm wondering how other characters feel in their stories....
Posted by Aidan at 5:07 AM No comments:
Yesterday, we looked at one of the servants of the Lord in Ezekiel 9, sent out by God with a pen and paper ahead of the destruction of God's judgment. I said that I don't think the paper was simply for making a list of the marked and the unmarked, as there's something theologically troubling about a God who makes lists.
And yet, we're pretty sure that's exactly what God does.
We read these passages about something called the Book of Life and the names written therein, and we think that God has some master list of every life that has ever lived, every created man, woman, and child in His eternity who has merited somehow the gift of heaven. Troubling theology abounds. First, as this seems to imply that some names simply don't make it into God's book. He neither loves nor redeems everyone. Second, it implies that we somehow do something to merit our names being in the book at all. Even if it's just making the decision to accept the sacrifice of Christ on our behalf, it still sets up a bit of a works-based salvation that we should not be comfortable with.
Moreover, it puts us back in this sticky place where we are but objects of a God who makes lists. Who sorts us into categories. Who has both a this and a that instead of just one thing. That bothers me. It ought to bother all of us.
But if this God, this God who knows our names in the first place, is, as I said yesterday, not a list-maker but an author, then the book of life is not a sorting but a story. It's not a list; it's a narrative.
And it's not a story we need to be afraid of. It's not a story we need to be ashamed of. We have this idea somehow that when we get to heaven, God and all the saints gather 'round to watch a filmstrip of our finest, and not-so-fine, moments and critique our lives. As though there's still some sort of sorting process going on. I don't think it's going to be like that.
I think it's going to be like good friends around a bar. God opens His Book of Life and sees not our names, but our stories, and we sit around reminiscing about all those crazy adventures we had, all those wild moments, all those "you had to be there" times that don't even take words. Just a look between Him and us puts us both in the same place, and we get it.
We're going to uncover all the wordplay we never noticed on a first read through, as though we weren't quite speaking the language of our own stories when we were living them (the way that footnotes in our English Bibles help us to understand some of the subtleties of the Hebrew and Greek). We're going to see all the side stories that were developing around us, all the backdrop of the characters that came into and out of our scenes. Just what we need to know to understand the real impact they've had on us...or we on them.
We're going to see some of the smudges where the Author went back and rewrote this or that chapter, where He worked His creative genius into our stories in a way that maybe He hadn't planned full out but He made it work because, well, He worked it for good. We're going to see, I think, some of the cuts on the editing floor, and we're going to look together at the way that these lines might have changed our stories forever - for better or for worse. Decisions we made, and decisions we almost made. Paths we took and paths we abandoned. Storms that laid ahead and storms we avoided. It's all going to be there.
And best of all, we're going to see exactly where our stories lie in His. In the Book of Life, it's all woven together. Not separate books. Not a compilation of my story and your story and great-grandmother's story and ancient stories all back to back to back, but threads of a single story all running together. I'm going to be able to turn back a few pages and see whose stories lead into mine, and turn ahead and see whose stories mine leads into. I'm going to be able to read how God's story works its way through all of them, how it is the single thread holding them all together. How no matter what page I'm on, whether it's page 1 or page 43,395,341,438 of the Book of Life, God's story is constant through every page, even through my few pages.
But there I will be, my name not in a list but in a story. In full living color. The story of Aidan in the story of God in the stories of Creation from the beginning unto eternity. In the Book of Life. Written by one incredible Author.
Saved by Story
In Ezekiel 9, the Lord unleashes a small band of men with powerful weapons against His people as the consequence of their turning away from Him and living wicked lives. But before these powerful weapon-bearers are permitted to touch a single soul, He sends out also a servant with pen and paper.
This servant's job is to go through the streets and encounter each and every living soul and determine whether that soul serves God or not, loves God or not. If it does, that person receives a mark on the forehead, and the posse moves on. If the person is not marked, out come the weapons and the person is killed, only seconds after being rejected by the servant with the pen and paper.
But here's the thing: Ezekiel doesn't tell us what the servant does with the paper.
The pen, of course, could be used to make the marks. It could be used to write on the foreheads of the faithful. But the paper? Maybe the paper just makes the guy look more official. You know, like giving him a clipboard or something. If someone knocks on your door with a pen, you might wonder what this crazy guy is up to. But give him a clipboard, and you know he's legit. Maybe the paper just makes this servant of the Lord legit.
As though anyone sent by the authority of God, with a posse of armed angels behind him, needs any help looking legitimate.
Maybe he was keeping records. Maybe the paper was for the servant to write down the names, in two neat columns, of those he marked and those he did not mark. For collecting bodies later. Or handing out awards. Or whatever. Like Santa's naughty and nice list; the servant of the Lord must be writing down marked and unmarked. Bill - marked; Bobby - slaughtered.
The trouble with this idea is that it puts us into a theology that's difficult to swallow. Here we are face-to-face with a God who keeps lists, and if God keeps lists here, what's to keep Him from keeping lists in other places? For other things? For any reason. Actually, this is exactly what we tend to think about God, and many of us spend far too much time wondering which of God's lists we're on at any given time. Are we on the nice list? The naughty list?
It also brings us into a theology where we are not much more than names to God, an inventory of creatures, if you will. God collects persons the way we collect baseball cards. Oooh...He's got a 1985 Aidan. (That'll go for a good 5 cents.) Quite an impressive collection, God. As though God is just walking around some museum or something, looking at each of His persons in little glass cases, His treasured possessions. Actually, we think this about God, too. That we are just part of His collection, that we rotate in and out of display cases as His tastes and seasons change. That we are, to God, just one of many.
Neither of these, then, is theologically pleasing. We don't really want a God who keeps lists, and we aren't too keen on being the possessions of a collector. Which brings us back to the servant of the Lord in Ezekiel 9.
What was the paper for?
I think it was for notes. I think it was for scribbling ideas about His next chapter. I think it was for looking into the eyes of men and women and writing down some character development ideas, some ideas about how things are going to play out as the story continues to unfold. I think it was for coming upon the characters in God's story and sketching out where things might go from here, maybe even sketching out some knots to tie up loose ends. Because I don't think even the wicked just die here; I think the servant scratches notes of redemption on those papers. I think he figures out how to reconcile the sinner and the wounded heart, even after the character seems to have been written off the page.
And this...this is good theology, I think. Because it invites us to understand God as author. As someone whose characters are always on His mind. As someone who keeps the story front and center. As someone who is always thinking ahead to the next chapter or two. As someone who understands that a good story is only as good as its ending, but the middle can't be boring, either. As someone who burns the candle longs nights when He's under the inspiration of something good. As someone who captivates us with the finest details of how things come together. Not as a puppet-master, who speaks the lines of all of Creation, but as an author who gives His characters lines of their own.
Yes, I think the servant must have been taking notes. Because God is an amazing author.
And He's always working on this incredible story.
People of the Second Chance
Within the past week, I received in the mail an advanced copy of People of the Second Chance by Mike Foster. He didn't ask me to write this, and he hasn't seen what I'm about to write, but there are a couple of reasons that you have to know about this book/organization.
Anyone who's been around awhile knows some of my story, and so it should come as no surprise that I have read a lot of books and been through a lot of curriculum for broken people. It comes with the territory of being broken. One of the things that's always troubled me about these curricula is that they seem to want us to drag our stories around with us in suitcases, albatrosses around our necks, and "unpack" them at various points in our journey, spreading them out like treasures at a garage sale, inviting others to pick through the unwanted trinkets of our lives. It's a burden that, to be quite honest, I just got tired of toting around.
But People of the Second Chance, in the language that it uses, in the general tone that it takes, does things different. I haven't had a chance to go through the group curriculum yet (Freeway), but it's on my list. Still, every sense I get from the snippets I've had here and there tell me that with POTSC, your story isn't a burden; it's a person. It's a buddy. It gets an invite to the party, too. You come together, sit down on the sofa next to one another, chat like old friends. You don't unpack your brokenness; you introduce it. And you let it make friends.
That's the way we ought to be doing it. That's what I love about POTSC.
So when the book came out, naturally, I wanted to read it. A teaser chapter popped up in my email, and I had to read more. When the print copy arrived in the mail, I couldn't wait to devour the book.
But it's not a book you can eat in one sitting. Not if you want it to mean anything to you. It's so nuanced, and yet so plain, that if you just read through it, you're going to miss something. You've got to chew on it a bit. You've got to take it slow and really consider the truth of what Mike Foster is feeding you. Otherwise, you may come away with the idea that this was a good book.
And you ought to know so much more.
At first, I thought the book was a bit schizophrenic, as though Mike didn't know what book he was writing. At times, it speaks straight to the broken in every one of us, a balm for the wounded heart. He speaks about our woundedness with such truth and tenderness that we can't help but be drawn deeper into our stories. At least, I couldn't. But then, in what almost feels like the same breath, he starts talking about what we do to get others to the same place.
He invites you to the party, then he tells you how to throw one.
All through the text, there's kind of this back and forth between words that are meant to be for your heart and words that are meant to be for your hands, messages that are supposed to help to heal you and invitations to do some healing of your own. A few times, there's a bit of this detached general information about grace and second chances. And for the first few chapters, I didn't know what to make of this. What is this book even about?
It's about grace. It's about love. It's about second chances.
So much of our lives are spent in projects. And so many books like this define so clearly what the project is: it's either us or it's other people. We're either broken or we're helping the broken. We read books like this to "get better" or to help others "get better," but we rarely think it could possibly be both. We rarely consider what we're doing.
And what we're doing is making people projects. I'm either working on me or I'm working on you. That's what most of these books call us to do. At some point, I realized that some of my frustration with the unsettled nature of this book was that it wasn't real clear to me who the "project" was. Am I a second chancer or do I create second chances? What do you want from me, Mike?
But the more I sat with my discomfort with this, the more it started to grow on me: the answer was both. Not that everyone was a project. That would be too much to bite off for anyone. No, the project...is grace itself. The project is love. The project is second chances. By making these stories about you and then about me and then about others and then about us and then about grace and then about love and then back again, it becomes clear that it's not about fixing you, it's not about fixing me, it's not even about fixing us. It's about doing grace. It's about doing love.
Second chances are the first things. I love that.
I cannot recommend this book, and this group, strongly enough. I support them with my AmazonSmile account, follow both POTSC and Mike Foster on Twitter (@POTSC | @MikeFoster) and Facebook, and receive regular email updates from what's going on. (Fun fact: Mike is the guy behind XXXchurch, a project I stumbled upon more than a decade ago as a freshman in college. I still have the t-shirt that says "#1 Christian Porn Site" emblazened across the front. I didn't know it was the same guy until he told me in chapter eleven.) The book drops on September 20, but don't wait. Put it on your Christmas list now, then don't wait for that either. Pre-order a copy. Pre-order ten. Give them to your friends with a little note that says, "Let's do this."
You'll understand when you read the book.
The Jesus Pit
Here is the great paradox for the sinful woman, and for all of us who come broken to Jesus: though He has forgiven her, she does not simply cease to be "the sinful woman." Though He has healed us, we do not simply cease to be broken.
We can't.
It's not because there is some fatal flaw in us that does not accept healing (although one might be able to make a case for this, given all evidence). It's not because Jesus does not truly heal this side of Heaven; He absolutely does. It's not because the healing is somehow metaphorical or somehow requires something more that hasn't happened yet or anything of this sort. No, to argue any of these things would be foolish in light of the incredible power of God, especially His power to heal.
But we cannot cease to be broken, we do not simply stop being "the sinful woman," because to do so would cheapen both the story of us and the story of God.
Imagine if the sinful woman leaves Simon's home and ceases to be the sinful woman. Imagine she pretends that she never was a prostitute, that she's always been a penitent. Imagine that no matter who she encounters, no matter what they say, no matter what someone claims to know about her, she says, "Oh, no. That's not me. I'm a Jesus girl, through and through."
A Jesus girl. What does that even mean? We do this sometimes. A lot of times. We pretend we're Jesus people, but not sinners. We're healed, but were never broken. As though Jesus Himself would be disappointed if we kept talking about our brokenness, if we kept owning our sin (even once, we must say, we have been freed from it and are no longer sinning). But how can we possibly testify to the healing, restorative, amazing power of Jesus if we've never been a people in need of it? What good can we say about God if His goodness has not stood in contrast to our own depraved hearts?
Even after we're healed from it, we still need our brokenness. God still needs our brokenness. It's what makes Him - and us - real.
See, the problem is that somewhere, we got this idea that when Jesus heals us from something, He pulls us out of the pit. He raises us up, sets us on higher ground, and lets us walk away from everything. That's not really how it works. Jesus spends less time pulling people out of pits than He spends crawling down into pits with them. He spends less time lifting up than He does digging out. What happens when you ask God to heal you is not that He brings you up out of your brokenness; it's that He comes down into it with you.
And together, you make the space bigger.
Together, you start beating against the walls. You start clawing your way not up, but out. Making this space that once was your prison your platform. Until there's room for more broken people down here with you and Jesus. Until this is no longer a cistern, but a grand reservoir; not just for watering, but for water sports. You start changing the landscape of your pit until it's no longer a tourist trap, but a destination. Yes, you heard me - brokenness becomes a destination. For no other reason than that Jesus is there.
And if the Gospels have taught us anything, it's that people will go almost anywhere to see Jesus.
Even into the pit of your brokenness.
In fact, something amazing happens here. When people discover Jesus in your pit, they kind of want to get to work on their own. They want to start breaking wide open their own ground. They want to create a space in their pit for Him, and then they want to blow this joint apart. All of a sudden, these pits of brokenness, these places where Jesus is so evident, start popping up all over the map like (name your favorite fast food chain). Everywhere you go, there are these wide open spaces that used to be pits, full of broken people and Jesus.
It has to be this way. It has to. It's the only way to do justice to the amazing grace of God. It's the only way to truly tell His story. Not by being "Jesus people," people who go to church and tithe and read their Bibles but have never needed them. But by being people who live in Jesus pits, by being people who continue to inhabit the broken places of our lives even though they've been redeemed. By being people whose cisterns have become reservoirs of living water, a place where sinners and broken people drop in and wait for a tow, knowing that Jesus boat is about to circle around and pull them up on their skis. These ought to be our lives. These ought to be our testimonies.
We ought not pretend we were never broken. For Lord, if that were the case, what would we ever do with a Savior?
For the Love of Sin
Why is that we're much better sinners than lovers? Why are we more drawn to the prostitute than to the penitent woman?
It's quite simple, really: nobody has ever loved us like Jesus.
What I mean is this - we're already pretty good at second chances. Our world is built around them. We are wounded in relationship again and again and again, and still, we live with each other. This world is full of people who lie to us, people who cheat us, people who seek to kill us or, at least, kill our spirits. It's full of prostitutes and whores and hypocrites and sinners, and far more than we have been loved in our lives, we have been sinned against, or so it seems. So we understand sin and second chances; we have both given and received an abundance of them.
What we don't understand is love.
We don't understand what possesses a woman to bust into a party and make a spectacle out of herself if it's more than merely a sin transaction. We don't understand this kind of devotion. So we tell the story from sin, making it something far less than it truly is. It's a sad commentary on the state of our world, yes, but sadder still on the state of our hearts.
So how do we change it? What do we do? Do we simply become lovers in a sinful world?
Yes, we must become lovers; that is what Jesus calls us to be. (He never, for what it's worth, calls us to be sinners. He never even calls us sinners at all. We are His beloved, so you'd think we ought to act like it.) It's not easy. It takes vulnerability. It takes a willingness to enter into the ache. It takes a certain ability to stand naked in a shameful world and not care who's watching.
But our ability to become lovers goes far beyond what it does for us. It goes far beyond whatever one party we crash. It goes beyond the living room of one Pharisee.
You see, we are sinners because we are surrounded by sinners. Because at every turn, we are sinning against each other. We are liars because we have been lied to. We cheat because we have been cheated. We wound because we have been wounded. It's what we've come to expect of the world, so it's what we've come to expect of ourselves.
But if we become lovers, if we are willing to crash parties the way the sinful woman does, if we will fall at His feet in aching devotion, pour out our tears, let down our hair, and love without shame, then that love spreads from our Savior to His beloved. We start to love people around us, too. Not as prostitutes love them, but as prodigals love them. And then something amazing happens.
Our kids grow up in a world that loves them. Our neighbors live in a community that loves them. People become lovers more often than they are sinners, and before we know it, we've raised up a new generation that loves God wildly. Because love is the new norm. Love is the thing we do. Love is what we expect from each other, what we give each other. It's our M.O.
And all of a sudden, we're reading the Scriptures and telling the story of a sinful woman whose incredible act of love will be told around the world...instead of the story of a prostitute whose sins are forgiven.
Party Crashers
We have invested a great deal of our theological energies in figuring out more of the details of the Gospel sinners than we are given in the Gospel stories. There is no greater example of this than what we have done with the sinful woman in Luke 7, who we have concluded not only is a prostitute, but is a prostitute named Mary, who later traveled with Jesus.
Jesus Himself told us that this woman's story would be told everywhere, that everyone would know what she had done. When He said it, He wasn't talking about her sin, but that's what we can't stop talking about. When He said it, He meant it would be her story of devotion, her act of faith, her broken heart - not her broken life - that would be on display. He intended us to tell the story the way it's given, with the emphasis on repentance. There was a sinful woman, and she could not hold herself back from Jesus. To all social shame and embarrassment, she walked into a place she wasn't invited, among people who condemned her, and she collapsed into a puddle of tears and ache at the feet of Jesus himself. She wept as she anointed Him, her tears and her hair washing over His feet, and He looked tenderly at her, waiting for her to lift her eyes. Waiting for her to see His. When the two finally looked at each other, she knew....
That's not how we tell the story. See, we worked really hard to fill in the details that seem to matter most to us, and so when we tell the story, it goes something like this: There was a sinful woman in the area, a prostitute. Her name was Mary, you know...one of the Marys who we hear about in other places. Well, everyone had heard about this Mary. She was a whore. The town whore. Most of the men in the room had probably either slept with her or knew someone who had. And she was not invited to this party. She was not invited, and she was not welcome. But she came anyway. AndshedidsomethingtotallyaudaciousoutofherloveforJesuswithsomeperfumeorsomething. And Jesus forgave her for her sins.
It loses something in our translation. Something beautiful. Something called...heart. It's a very pragmatic theological story, but it's no longer a human story. It's a business transaction, not a relationship of redemption.
And we like it that way. That's how we like to see our sin. Not as some human thing, but as some business thing. Not as a heart thing, but as just a common thing. We love the idea that we're sinners and God forgives us, forget that mess in the middle about us being a mess. Forget that part about our pleading.
The truth is it's easier for us to be party crashers than puddles of tears. It's easier for us to break down the door than to fall at His feet. It's easier for us to consider ourselves mild sinners than passionate lovers.
So we tell the story of the sinful woman, and we tell the story of forgiveness, but we skip right past the part in the middle, the part where her heart aches in the tension between forsaken and forgiven, between too many lovers (if, in fact, she is the prostitute) and being the beloved. We skip right over the part where she actually cares about what's happening here, where she actually loves Jesus.
That's just too messy for most of us.
But that's the story. That's what makes this scene so beautiful. That's what calls us out of our complacency and demands more from us. It is what calls us to the same kind of wild, shameless, spectacle of a love affair with our Savior.
Maybe we're confused because all the voices at the party said this was not okay. Maybe we're confused because all the voices at our parties say the same thing. This is not appropriate behavior. It's social taboo. The overwhelming consensus is that the woman should never have done this - she should not have come to the party, she should not have pushed her way through the crowd, she should not have fallen at His feet, she should not have cried (Lord, what is with women crying?), she should not have poured out such an expensive perfume, she should not have let her hair down, she should not have dared look up, she should not.... They are the same voices we hear, all the time. We should not....
Yet none of those voices matter. There is only one voice in this story that matters, and it is the voice of the anointed one, the one whose feet now reek of expensive perfume and whose toes are tickled by the fallen hair of the fallen woman, the sinner. Not once does Jesus say she shouldn't have.
He says this is beautiful.
And He's right.
(Of course.)
Infamous Sinners
There are a few stories in the Gospels which feature rather prominently...sinners. Not average, run-of-the-mill sinners like most of us consider ourselves to be, not sinners that we label ourselves, as readers, when we discover their hidden motives or secret stories, but sinners as declared by their own reputation - usually women of some kind of ill repute.
There's the woman at the well, who has had a handful of husbands and is not married to the man she is sleeping with now. There is the woman caught in the act of adultery. There is the woman who comes into the home of Simon the Pharisee and makes a spectacle of herself by falling at the feet of Jesus. (Off-hand, the only male "sinner" I can think of in the Gospels is the one who stands in contrast to the Pharisee in prayer.)
The woman at the well is no mystery; her encounter with Jesus tells us plenty about her. It tells us almost as much about her as everyone else seemed to know. The same is true of the woman caught in adultery; it's pretty clear from the Gospel stories what she's guilty of, and many a sermon has been preached about the woman dragged naked before Jesus while He just doodles in the sand.
But much theological energy has, for some reason, been expended on uncovering more about the sinful woman in Luke 7, the one who comes uninvited to the party at Simon's house. We've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what her sin was.
And what her name was.
The general consensus is that this woman was a prostitute, although you might not get that from just a plain reading of the Scriptures. It might be easy to assume that "a woman who lived a sinful life in that city" is code for "the town whore," but does that mean it's necessarily right to do so? And what do we really care?
It doesn't change the story much if the woman is a thief instead of a prostitute, does it? Maybe it does. If she's a prostitute, when she pours out her perfume, she is pouring out the tools of her trade. If she's a thief, she's pouring out her bounty. It's a subtle difference, but important maybe. Or maybe not. What if she's the town liar? I think we have all come across one or two of these individuals in our lives, who can't seem to let truth touch their lips at all. You can't trust anything they say. All of a sudden, she does this one powerful, very true thing...and people don't know what to do with themselves. Maybe that changes the story. Or maybe not at all.
Then we took it one step further and someone, somewhere, determined that this sinful woman in Simon's house is probably Mary. Not Mary of Martha fame, but Mary of Magdalene. It's weird, right? At one point, we're given the names of several women who traveled with Jesus, and to my knowledge, we haven't invested much time in trying to figure out where the others might pop up in His story. Was Salome also the bleeding woman? Who was the one caught in adultery? Nobody knows, nobody cares. But we're pretty sure Mary was the whore.
Because it's oh, so important to know who the whores are.
I don't know what our obsession is with the details, with figuring out the nitty-gritty of the non-essential elements of the Gospel, especially when we aren't getting the big stuff right. Nobody's asking about the prostitute because they want to love her better. We aren't asking about the naked woman because we intend to clothe her. We aren't planning on befriending the wife of many husbands, even though she could probably use a stable relationship in her life. We just want something to talk about besides Jesus, I guess. So we talk about the women, the sinners, and the sin.
Maybe they shame us. I don't know. I think they probably should. Jesus said this sinful woman's story would be told everywhere, that everyone would know what she did. And He was talking about the scene in Simon's house. He was talking about her act of devotion. He was talking about her grand gesture of love. He was talking about the scandal of a woman who, living in shame, was unashamed to be at His feet.
And we're talking about a prostitute. As though that's her story.
We took Jesus at His word. Her story is being told. It's being told everywhere, used in sermons all the time. Oh, we know her story. But we tell it our way. We tell it through our eyes. We aren't looking at a woman in tears at the feet of her savior. No, that puts us to shame. We're looking at a prostitute who crashed the party. We're talking about a woman of ill repute, gossiping about her 2000 years later. Jesus gave us her story, but we've given her one of our own, and that's the one we're telling.
Why? Because it's easier.
Dens of Thieves
In the same breath that God tells His people that the Temple (church) cannot save them, He scolds them that this type of behavior has turned His house into a "den of thieves." (Jeremiah 7, see yesterday's post.) It's not the only time in Scripture that He has used these words (Jesus, anyone?).
And we, in all our mock piety and pretentious righteousness, think this has something to do with the mere presence of thieves. So we decide that sinners aren't welcome in God's house. That is what He's so mad about, isn't it? Sinners in the house of God?
No, that's not at all what God is mad about. And that's good news for us because it's so incredibly difficult for us to reconcile this condemnation with our profession that God loves sinners, which is quite well-documented throughout the pages of His story.
God does not condemn that there are thieves in the church; the Cross made perfectly clear that sinners, even thieves, are welcome. (Isn't it interesting that one of God's favorite curses against the people of the church is that they have become a 'den of thieves,' and then He is crucified between two of the very criminals?) What God condemns is what the thieves are doing in His church - they have made it a den.
A den, a place where they come to conspire. A place where they come to count up the loot. A place where they come to hide out. When you think about thieves gathering in a den, you can almost imagine them sitting around a dimly lit table, planning their next heist. Planning their next theft. Emptying their bags to go back out and get more. Counting the haul. All kinds of conspire-y things that bands of thieves do.
This is what God is so against taking place in His house. It's what He condemns here in Jeremiah, as the people attempt to use the Temple as a home base, as a free space, all the while letting their minds cook up their next grand scheme. All the while thinking about lying, cheating, stealing. All the while waiting on the chance to burn incense at another altar. They're in this Temple for only one reason - to try to reap the benefits of this God, as though He is but one stop on the smorgasbord of human experience that they are sampling from. They don't care about Him, His laws, His promises, His ways.
It's what Jesus condemns in the Gospels. The moneychangers and merchants have set up shop in the Temple. They're there not to offer sacrifices, but to sell them. It's a transaction for them and nothing more. They don't care about Him, His laws, His promises, His ways.
So the trouble is less that the Temple is full of thieves and more that it has become their den. This just ought not to be.
We ought to come to our churches not to conspire in sin, but to conspire toward grace. We ought to come, sinners all, and figure out together a better way. We ought to come humbling ourselves, not counting our haul. We need to worship in wide-open, brightly-lit place, not dim, smoke-filled dens of debauchery. We ought to come to our churches in search of the God who lives there, not to take Him for all He's worth but to offer Him our own. We ought to come offering sacrifices, not selling them.
Thieves included.
Oxen-Free
The people of God in the time of Jeremiah are an interesting people, and part of the reason for that is that the people of God in the time of Jeremiah are so much like the people of God today. Take a look at the condemnation given of them in chapter 7:
You steal, murder, commit adultery, lie when you take oaths, burn incense as an offering to Baal, and run after other gods that you do not know. Then you stand in my presence in the house that is called by my name. You think that you're safe....
In other words, the people of God go out and do all kinds of despicable things, sin as much as they possibly can, set their lives on the wrong course...and then go running to the church, expecting that this act alone somehow makes them the people of God. As long as they show up on Sunday (Saturday, in the Old Testament times), then God cannot be too displeased with them. Condemnation cannot fall too hard on them. Life can't go too terribly.
After all, are we not at the Temple?
The people of God then, as the people of God today, thought this is what would make them "safe." This is what would secure their place in both this world and God's world - being at the Temple when it was time to be at the Temple. Having their butts in a pew somewhere on a Sunday morning. It's as though we run around all week, chasing and being chased, part of some big game this world has set out before us, and then on Sunday morning, we tag home and declare, Olly-olly oxen-free!
Nothing can no longer touch me, for I am at church.
I am in the house of the Lord, and nothing evil can beset me here. My life cannot catch up with me in the sanctuary of the living God; it's stuck outside the gate. And here I sit, home, free, able to catch my breath for just a minute, knowing that at least here, I'm safe.
Safe from the consequences of my own sin. Safe from the depravity of a fallen world. Safe from the darkness that tries to swallow me. For some reason, we think these things can't make it into our churches, that there's some kind of holy force field that pushes out all the things detestable to God and makes us, for one hour a week, a people pleasing to the Lord. (And this, by the way, is all the pleasing that we think He requires of us.)
Church on Sunday, sinnin' on Monday.
But church cannot save you. It cannot save you in the short term, and it cannot save you in the long term. Your salvation does not lie in the holy hour; it rests in the holy Lord. It does not come in respite, but in resurrection. It does not depend upon some so-called sacred space where you feel like you can breathe again, if only for a short while; it comes in the breath of the living God filling your very lungs. There's nothing safe about oxen-free; our security rests in a yoke that is easy, a burden that is light.
The problem with God's people is not that they think they're safe in the church. Heavens, no! Our churches ought to be safe places, and they ought to be places that are bringing us into the presence of God where we can truly be saved.
The problem with God's people is that they've convinced themselves that this one hour a week is what saves them. That it doesn't matter what else they do as long as they're present on Sunday morning. That God doesn't care about the other six days of the week, or even the other twenty-three hours on Sunday. That it doesn't bother God that we lie, cheat, steal, murder, prostitute ourselves, as long as we keep coming home to Him.
That's the lie. Even the prophet calls it a lie.
And the Lord Himself says it cannot save us.
In Jeremiah 10, the prophet addresses the people's idols directly, as so many prophets do, but he uses a powerful image to do so. He says,
These trees are like scarecrows in cucumber gardens. They aren't able to speak. They have to be carried, because they can't walk. Don't be afraid of them. They can't harm you. They can't do you any good either.
One of the things about a passage like this that we must take note of is the multiple layers of meaning, the many metaphors that are being used. It's easy to say that this is a passage just about idols, particularly since it follows a description of how these idols are made by human hands, but there's more going on here than just that.
For example, Jeremiah chooses to specify a cucumber garden. The people grew many kinds of gardens, for all different reasons, but the prophet says this particular garden grows cucumbers. Why? Cucumbers are a staple of a Mediterranean diet; they go with almost everything. The people would have been very familiar with them. They also, however, are mostly water and have essentially no nutritional value whatsoever. It's not like their chock-full of anything; they're just water. And a little bit of a flavor. Maybe. So our scarecrows, our idols, stand over something that's essentially empty anyway, but we've convinced ourselves is so central to our diets. And wouldn't it be that its emptiness is in non-living water?
Another layer here is the image of the tree. The idols most often discussed in the Old Testament look like humans, animals, celestial bodies; there aren't many, if any, that are specifically trees. It's a metaphor for the way they are rooted down into our culture and then stood up to tower over all that we do. But the time is also coming when we will talk about another tree, a tree on which our Lord was hung, casting all of the holy city in His shadow.
What's striking about reading this is how easily these words of the prophet Jeremiah condemn us even today. We would laugh at this and say there's no way, but what the people of Jeremiah's time are doing with their idols is precisely the same thing we are doing with ours - it's just that we call ours "Jesus."
It's that we have this God who hung on this tree, and we spend our lives setting the Cross up over our gardens, as though it is some magical talisman. As though its mere presence, as an icon or even as an idol, does something to scare the bad things away. We stake this Cross into our cucumber gardens, into all these places that we have decided are so integral to our way of life, such a central part of who we are, but they are empty things in and of themselves. They are non-living water.
And we stake this Cross in the ground to protect them, but we do not allow this Jesus to speak. We do not expect Him to walk. He's supposed to just stand there, wherever we put Him, and do Jesus things. He's supposed to stand over our toil of emptiness and, without a word, without a movement, heal the sick. Strengthen the weak. Free the imprisoned. Feed the hungry. Yes, we ask Him to stand over our cucumber gardens and feed the hungry.
How foolish we are!
But this is how we live. This is how we do it. This is how we relate to our God, as nothing more than a scarecrow. And we call this "faithfulness."
We call this something, even though it is nothing at all. We rely on its power, even though it is powerless. We say that this is what God desires of us, but it is nowhere close. This Jesus, He cannot harm us here. He cannot condemn us. He cannot call us to account. But, as Jeremiah so poignantly points out, He cannot help us, either.
So we keep moving our scarecrow, trying to find the best place to put Him. Trying to find the best ground in which to stake this tree. And when it seems we have found just the spot, when it seems we have discovered just where best to put our Jesus in our cucumber garden, we discover the emptiness of the way that we do this. Then, something most heinous happens.
We stuff our scarecrow with dry theology in order to try to puff Him up, in order to try to make Him more intimidating.
And it's as laughable to the world as any idol talk is to us. Our God is powerless here, our precious treasure empty. The world knows it. God knows it. The only ones who haven't seemed yet to catch on are us, the so-called "faithful."
Propositional
If the givens are that God is our God and we are His people, then what we're left with from Jeremiah 21 is "maybe He will do miracles." Maybe is not a conditional statement; it does not logically follow from an if or a since. You cannot logically conclude a maybe. Maybe...is propositional.
We're not really fond of propositional things. They require of us two things, perhaps three, which we are not particularly gifted at as a people, at least not in today's present age: they require that we ask.
And wait.
And maybe even trust.
Any of those strike you as tops on your list? Any of those you recognize as things you just love to do? Of course not. We live in a world that says, demand, take, seize, and conquer. Go out and get what you want. Now. By the strength of your own hand. You want something? Go get it.
We leave no room for "maybe."
We leave no room for asking because we don't know who to ask. We ask God, sure, but we really ask our image of God, which is more of a wisp or a spirit or a wind than a real person, a presence in the room. We don't know how to ask. Do we pray? How do we know that we're praying? Does God hear us? Should we write a note and tie it to a balloon? Should we bow our heads and close our eyes and not open them again until we've been answered? Who do we ask? How do we ask? Asking...is not our strong suit.
But ask we must because maybe is not a given. We don't know. We can't know. Maybe it will be but maybe it won't be; it depends on a lot of things that we either can't predict or just don't know. We must ask because maybe is not conditional. We can't simply bring about whatever it is that we want. We can't make God do miracles. We must ask because maybe is propositional; it depends, among other things, on our asking.
And if we ask, we must wait. Waiting is something else we're not good at. Right now, I can get almost anything I want through a simple search engine or Amazon. I can find the answer to any question, the best price on any product, and free two-day shipping all at the tips of my fingers. What is this "waiting" thing?
But wait we must because a proposition makes no demands. Wait we must because asking is not telling, requesting is not requiring. We cannot make God do miracles. We cannot order them with a click of the mouse. We cannot expect two-day shipping on answered prayer. We ask, and then we must relinquish our asking and simply wait. It will happen or it won't; it will come in good time or come not at all. All of a sudden, we're back where we began: with "maybe."
Maybe requires at least these two things: asking and waiting. And then, perhaps, we add an element of trust. Or hope. Two more things we are no longer skilled at.
Maybe doesn't require that we trust. It couldn't care more or less either way; it's not dependent upon trust. Maybe will answer whether we trust or not. But the givens that we have, the things we know for sure before we even get to our maybe, are a different story altogether. They require some measure of faith, either trust or hope. (And trust and hope are fundamentally different.)
They require that we recognize that it's out of our hands, that there's nothing we can do about it. We cannot do the miracles we seek, nor can we make God do them. No one ever made Jesus perform a single miracle. They asked sometimes, but they could not force Him to do anything. Therefore, we have to either trust that God is who He says He is and that we are who He says we are, based on our intimate knowledge of His heart and ours, or we have to hope that God is who He says He is and that we are who He says we are out of a heart that holds honest questions. That's all we can do.
That's tough for a people who keep being told they can do anything they want to do.
Especially because most of us discover, particularly in faith, that this is not quite true. We may want to trust, but we do not know how. We may want to hope, but what is hope? We realize in our very wanting to do something that we cannot, in fact, do anything that we want to do, for we continue to fail again and again at doing faith. We continue to fail at the propositional. Not because we can't do it. No, we were made to do it, but because we can't figure out how to do it. We can't will ourselves to do it. It doesn't work like that. Faith, hope...they don't work like the rest of the world works, we don't do them like we do anything else. It takes something special.
And maybe that's why we don't like maybe. It's not so easy to do. It requires something of us that we're not used to giving. It demands things we just aren't so good at any more. It's not a given. It's not conditional. It's propositional, which means we have to invest ourselves in maybe without knowing whether that maybe will ever be a yes or a no.
We have to ask. We have to wait. And for people of faith, we have to either trust or hope.
And then maybe....
Maybe Miracles
There's this interesting passage in Jeremiah 21 where the people declare, "Maybe God will do miracles for us." The people are, of course, at that moment in need of some miracles, some acts that only God can perform.
What's interesting about this is the way the people conceptualize the relationship between themselves, their God, and His miracles.
To the people who make this declaration, there is no question that this is their God. They do not doubt that they are His people. These are what we'd call in mathematics, "givens" - they are what they are, and they are not going to change. The miracles, then, are the variable. Maybe God will do miracles for us. Inherent in such a maybe is just its opposite - maybe He won't. Whether or not there are miracles does not change the nature of either of the givens.
Whether or not there are miracles, this is still our God, and we are still His people.
Fast-forward a couple of thousand years, and the equation is much different. There are no longer any givens, no longer any values that don't change. There may be a God. We may be His people. There may be miracles. Who knows? But that's not our most tragic math. No, we take it a step further and turn what was once a set of givens with just one variable into...
...a conditional statement.
If He does miracles for us, then He must be our God and we must be His people.
Of course, we might read this any number of ways. If He is our God, then maybe He will do miracles for us; if He does said miracles, then we are His people. Or If we are His people, then maybe He will do miracles for us; if He does miracles, then He is our God. Or maybe we take out the maybe altogether: If He is our God, then we are His people and He must do miracles for us.
All of a sudden, faith is an SAT question. And I don't know about you, but that significantly lowers my probability of getting it right.
What we need as the foundation of our faith is a good set of givens. We need to know that there are some things that never change, some things that just...are. Things like "This is our God" and "we are His people." What if you knew, without a doubt, that those two things would never change? What if you knew that nothing could change them? Everything else becomes a variable, but faith is certain.
The key is getting the givens right. See, we have a set of givens that we think ought to define our faith. It's these - "God is God" and "God does miracles." If God does not then do miracles for us, then He can still be God, but He cannot be our God. This makes faith the variable, and only God is certain. (But if we are uncertain about Him, He is not certain after all.)
Or maybe we say "God does miracles" and "we are His people." If these are the givens, but God does not do miracles for us, then God cannot be our God. The very nature of God has become the variable; He has become unknowable. That's no good, either.
So we have to get our givens right, and our givens lie not in what is done or not done, but what is and is not. What exists and what does not. What is the fundamental nature of things and what is not. God is God - that is the fundamental nature of God. God is - He declares this over and over again; He exists. The nature of Him does not change. Therefore, God is is a given. And if God is, then He must also be, as He says He is in His fundamental nature, our God. This is also a given.
We are His people. Our existence depends entirely upon Him. We are His creation. He formed us with His very hands. There is nothing we can do to change this, nothing we can say that makes this less than true. There is no explanation for our being other than that God has given us this very life. And so, like any work of the artist's hands, we are His. Given.
God is our God. We are His people. This much is true. On these facts alone, our faith is secure.
And maybe....there will be miracles.
That's Cool
It is difficult for us to live a convincing life as people of the New Covenant when we have a relationship with the promise of Heaven more like Hezekiah's than Paul's. But what is perhaps even more detrimental to our Christian faith, and to our proclamation of our Lord, is the second part of Hezekiah's story, which has become far too much a part of our own.
As Hezekiah nears the end of his life for a second time, he asks the Lord what is going to happen. Actually, he specifies what he'd like to have happen and sort of gives God his take on things, and God replies that things are not going to go that well. The people will be conquered, captured, and exiled, and there will be war, disaster, and terror, all because the people have not been faithful to the Lord. Hezekiah's response?
That's cool. As long as things are okay for the rest of my time here. As long as things are good until I die. Then, whatever, God.
We might today call this some version of the "prosperity gospel," although it's far less cute than this criticism would tend to make it. What we have done is taken a God who has always been about His people and essentially demanded and declared that He's all about us as individuals. He's all about me. He's all about you. And most of us, to be honest, don't really care what God does, what He thinks, what He plans, what He promises except as it relates to us.
We don't really care about our neighbor. Just as Hezekiah, the king of God's people, no longer cares about God's people.
He's only out for himself.
There are only about a thousand problems with this theology, not all of which that we have time to get into. For starters, it sets up this idea where there can be no accountability. Your relationship with God is your relationship with God, and my relationship with Him is mine, and how dare anyone claim to know anything about someone else's relationship with God. There's no ground to hold anyone to anything called "truth" any more.
Not only this, but we've set ourselves into a contradictory idea that almost begs our reality to lie to us, to some degree. We hear the word of the Lord declaring war and disaster and terror, and we know that this is going to be the case, but we've begged for mercy and received it; our lives are actually okay. So we too easily forget about war and disaster and terror. We too easily put them into categories of things that are real, but not real to us. And we let something as amazing as grace lie to us, in a sense, until we're lulled into a sense of false security - our happy little bubble is the real God; all that destruction and terror stuff is just some story meant to scare us. Some myth.
When we start to think this way, we start to question disaster and terror at all, as though these are not ultimate realities in the same way that the temporary respite is. People who are troubled, people whose hearts ache, people who struggle in this world...they just haven't come to the place of peace that we have. They just don't know God the way that we do. God, see...He doesn't do all this destruction stuff. He doesn't Lord over a world where things are hard. He's all peace and flowers and rainbows. So we start to look down on one another for struggling. We start to look down on one another for hurting. If only these people knew God....
They did know Him; we led them astray.
And this is how we start to eat away at our community as the people of God. This is how we start to crumble as a people and start to break off into our own persons. This is how we stop caring about others. Because things are going well for us. Because we have peace. Because we have bought into the grace more than the truth. Because things are okay for us....and we no longer care what else God decides to do in the world. We no longer care what truth He speaks into anyone else's life, or even into our communal life. Whatever God is doing, that's cool, as long as things continue to go well for us.
That's no way to be a people of God. That's not even a good way to be a person of God. In a sense, it's smoke and mirrors - a small reflection of what's real, but by no means the entire picture. And all of this out of a people who know all too well that there are two things we must do - love God and love each other.
We can't love each other if we don't care what happens. We can't love each other if our only love of God is of what He does for us. We can't love each other if we hear the truth of God's Word and say, That's cool. As long as things are good for me.
That's not cool.
Fifteen More Years
There are two big takeaways that we have to consider from the contrast between Hezekiah, who lived without the promise of Heaven, and Paul, who very much embraced eternity through Christ. And the first of these takeaways is this:
Most of us face death, and therefore, life, like Hezekiah, not like Paul.
Most of us, when faced with things that could signal the end of our lives, do not say, "Yes, Lord! For whether I live or whether I die, it is all for You, and oh, how I long to be with You and so Heaven is truly a gift." Rather, we cry out, "Oh Lord, please no! I'm sorry! I'm horribly sorry! I have done a wicked, terrible thing...."
As though death is some sort of punishment for us.
And here, of course, is where theology necessarily gets a bit muddled. Because death is some sort of punishment for us; it's the byproduct of the curse, the natural consequence of our sin. There's not a man among us who can argue anything different, at least not successfully. We are all aware that death was not part of the original plan, that it was not woven into the essence of Adam and Eve but was knit into the fabric of the first fig leaves, the coverings of their shame. So to a certain extent, we are right when we cry out against death, when we repent and turn away and turn back to God and long for death to be delayed, or better yet, defeated.
On the other hand, death has already been defeated. Of this much, we can also be sure. It's written right there in the pages of the Gospels. The story of Jesus is the saga of death's defeat; that's one of the main points of the whole thing. So when we cry out against death, we are confessing some hesitation at the Cross. We are admitting there is something we have not quite grasped onto yet, something we do not quite yet believe.
None of this has to do with faithfulness, by the way. Hezekiah was a faithful man, an incredibly faithful man as far as kings in the Old Testament go. He did amazing things for the sake of God's name among a people who had turned away from Him. But the kind of faithfulness possible for Hezekiah without the promise of Heaven is profoundly different from the kind of faithfulness possible for Paul with it, and Paul, too, was a faithful man. An incredibly faithful man.
The problem is, as people of the new covenant, we are far too often living like people of the old covenant. We are far too desperate for, and content with, fifteen more years (the mercy given to Hezekiah in his pleading) than desperate for, and content with, eternity (the promise of Heaven under which Paul lived).
And if God's people are longing for more of this world, if we are satisfied with fifteen more years, what hope do we offer to this same world that is perishing? What convincing argument do we have that our God is any good thing at all, if the best He can offer us, according to our own assertion, is more of the same? More of this world?
It's hard to hold on to Paul's theology. It's hard to say, "You know what? I could take this place or leave it because God is with me wherever I go." It's hard because there are a lot of things in this world that we're attached to, a lot of people and places we never seem ready to let go of, even for the sake of greater things. It's hard because there's so much about Heaven that exists beyond our imaginations, and our imaginations have even lied to us a little bit. (Anybody that's never had a vision of Heaven that includes us all floating around in bath robes on fluffy clouds, playing harps? Anybody looking forward to that?) It's hard for us to live like a people in anticipation and embrace of Heaven.
But these fifteen more years are killing us.
So that's the first thing we have to recognize about the difference between Hezekiah and Paul: most of us are living like Hezekiah, and it's a disgrace. It's a disgrace to the promise of Heaven and to the God who makes that promise. It's a disgrace to us, who are more willing to live under the curse than in living hope. It's a disgrace to the theology that we profess to proclaim, a theology that has not taken hold of Heaven at all except, perhaps, as a good idea and maybe a little bit of mystery. And it's not because we don't love God. We do.
We just don't necessarily believe Him.
And that's...a big problem. A big, big problem.
But there might be an even bigger problem.... The second thing we need to understand here, tomorrow.
The Promise of Heaven
There is a great contrast to be made between the faithful of the Old Testament and the faithful of the New, and this contrast centers around the promise of Heaven.
As people of the new covenant, it is easy for us to assume that God's people have always taken heaven for granted the way that we do, that His children have always known there was an eternity to spend with Him and that He awaits that eternity as much as we do. But that's simply not the case. Remember, before the Cross, death appeared to have the upper hand. Death appeared to have the victory. O death, where is your sting? Right here.
To understand the difference that the promise of Heaven makes in the life of even the most faithful of God's people, we need look no further than the lives of Hezekiah in the Old Testament and Paul in the new. Paul is a bit of an easy reference for us. We know quite well how often he says things like, "Whether I live or die, it doesn't matter; it's all for Christ. I'd rather die because then, there is heaven, but I'm here right now, and that's cool, too."
Hezekiah is less of a familiar story for many.
Hezekiah was one of the kings of Judah, a king who "did what was right in the Lord's eyes." (You can find his stories in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles.) He's one of the kings who found some of the words of the Lord in the Temple and mourned over how God's people had forsaken them over the years. He's one of the kings who reinstituted the Passover festival, a yearly sacrifice and celebration that God's people had not celebrated for many, many generations. He's one of the kings who undertook the work of rebuilding the Temple, cleansing the people, purifying the priests, tearing down the idols, and turning toward the Lord.
At some point in his life, after committing a sin that the Lord seemed not willing to overlook, Hezekiah becomes ill. The prophet says he is going to die; he will not recover from this illness. For most of us, this would be perhaps a bittersweet moment. Like Paul, we understand that on the other side of death lie something indescribable. But for Hezekiah, it was a moment of panic. He changed his entire tune. He tore his clothes. He cried out to God. Please, Lord. Do not let me die. Death is so horrible. I'm not ready for this life to be over.
Because Hezekiah had no promise that at just such a time, life was not over; it was only about to begin.
God grants mercy to His faithful king, and Hezekiah lives another 15 years. For us, that'd probably be enough. That's probably good. After another 15 years, most of us would be ready. But not Hezekiah. He's still not sure about leaving this place. He still has some concerns. As his death approaches once again, he asks God to reveal to him what's going to happen. And God lays out a story of destruction and exile that is being written for His wicked people.
Hezekiah's response? That's good. That's all good. Just let there be peace while I am still alive.
Again, here we have this faithful man of God who does not have a promise of Heaven, and here he is begging for peace while he is living. That's all he can hope for. Not once when he faces death does he ask for God's grace for eternity. Not once does he speak of anything that might happen once he dies. His entire focus is on this life that he's now living, on the world that he will have to leave. Because this world is all he has.
Quite a contrast to Paul's whatever happens, happens. I have either now or I have eternity, and either way, I am blessed.
The promise of Heaven is a game-changer, even for the most faithful of God's children. Or at least, it should be.
More on this, tomorrow....
Oaks of Righteousness
As I reflect on these words from Isaiah 61 (see yesterday's post), I cannot help but be struck by the fact that although in terms of my own ministry, I resonate with the first three verses, there is a certain element of my story (a fairly large element of it) in which I have been not the anointed, but the comforted. Not the sent, but the received.
And I owe my life to the anointed ones.
I owe my life to those who have done the dirty work, who have delivered good news to me in moments of my greatest humiliation. Who have been the healing salve to my broken heart. Who have broken into the prison to set me free and done battle in the darkness with my captors that I might be released. I owe my life to to those who have comforted me, who have provided for me, who have spent their countless breaths trying to convince me to trade my ashes for a crown. To those who have made it possible for me...even me...to restore, rebuild, and renew.
I think this is the way that it ought to be. No, that it must be. There must be, even in the stories of the anointed ones, some narrative of God's glory - a glory that does not come from the anointing but from something much more human. In that weird sort of way that God works, we must be aware that even those of us who have been called to do the dirty work must have some mud and muck in our own lives if we are to be of any value at all.
See, I owe my life to the anointed ones, and it's easy for me to say it in those words. But what that also means is that I have been humiliated. Yes, I know what it is to be humble and not by choice. I know what it is to be mocked and teased and taunted and tortured. It also means that I have been brokenhearted, that this life has not always gone the way that I hoped it would. That I have been told no. That I have missed out. That I have been disappointed. That I have struggled with agony and angst and ache. It also means that I have been imprisoned, that I have lived some of my life behind bars that I couldn't break free from; that I have been captive, that I have been held by forces that just would not let me go. It means that I have grieved, that I have mourned, that I have felt lost, abandoned, lonely. That I have covered myself in ashes and for good reason.
These are not so much the easy stories to tell. These are not the moments I relish to relive when I talk about who I am, who God has made me to be, how my story has taken shape.
And yet, it is these stories that reveal something else about my story: all the little threads of God's glory that run through it. That's what Isaiah 61 reminds us. It tells us, in beautiful language, that it is here in these broken places that God's glory is on full display. Not in the anointed, but in the comforted. Not in the sent, but in the received. It is in this mud and muck that the seed is planted and that God's people become not the anointed ones, but Oaks of Righteousness. Becoming anointed is something else altogether.
But the two are not entirely disconnected. I think if you're ever anointed, if you're ever one that God calls to do the dirty work in this world, then you have to have a story of glory. You have to have some of this muck and mud and dirt in your own narrative. You have to understand what it's like to be brokenhearted, to be comforted, to mourn. You have to have at one point been an Oak of Righteousness in order to appreciate at all the acorn.
An acorn that will grow into its own oak and reveal in greatest majesty the glory of the Lord. As they restore, rebuild, and renew.
Isaiah 61 is powerful encouragement for any of us who would seek to do God's work in the world. This passage struck me last week as I read it in my morning Bible study, and they are words that I cannot get out of my head. Or my heart. In fact, I'd kind of like to plaster them all over my walls so that I never forget what the Lord speaks here through the prophet.
I've underlined, at some point over the years, the first three verses of this chapter. They read as follows:
The Spirit of the Almighty Lord is with me because the Lord has anointed me to deliver good news to humble people. He has sent me to heal those who are brokenhearted, to announce that captives will be set free and prisoners will be released. He has sent me to announce the year of the Lord's good will and the day of our God's vengeance, to comfort all those who grieve. He has sent me to provide for all those who grieve in Zion, to give them crowns instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of tears of grief, and clothes of praise instead of a spirit of weakness.
These words struck me, and continue to strike me, I'm sure because of the powerful anointing that is written within them. This is what we think of ministry, isn't it? This is what we do, right? I read passages like this, and I want to remember them because this is the kind of good, holy work that I want to do. This is the sacred ground that I want to walk on.
But if I want to be faithful to these words (and I do), then I have to keep reading. Because the next verse is humbling in an entirely different way.
They will be called Oaks of Righteousness, the Plantings of the Lord, so that he might display his glory. They will rebuild the ancient ruins. They will restore the places destroyed long ago. They will renew the ruined cities, the places destroyed generations ago.
See, I thought that the first part of this prophecy was the holy work, and it is, but there's other holy work going on here, and it's not done by the one who has the Spirit of the Lord. It's not done by the one who has been anointed and sent; it's done by those that the anointed one has been sent to.
Let that sink in for a minute. Read these passages again.
There is one who is sent, and that one is doing a certain sacred work. And that's where most of us stop - with our own sacred work. But look at the work that the recipients of the first ministry are doing. They are the ones who are called Oaks of Righteousness - not the ministers, but the ministered. They are the ones who display God's glory. They are the ones who rebuild, restore, and renew.
*breathe*
That's why I need to have these words plastered on my walls, scribbled on my dashboard, tattooed on my hands. Not the first three verses, not the ones that make me feel like I'm doing some special thing or anything, but the fourth one - the one that reminds me of the work that's being done by those who receive my work. The sacred things that are being done, and will be done, by those who are on the receiving end of my sacred thing.
Because I...maybe I'm anointed. Maybe I've been sent. Maybe I deliver good news and heal the brokenhearted; I certainly have ample opportunity to ache with them. Maybe I declare freedom, shout Freedom! from the mountaintops. Maybe I announce good will and vengeance and provide some meager comfort to those who grieve.
But they are the ones who will rebuild the ruins. They are the ones who will restore the rubble. They are the ones who will renew what's been destroyed. They are the ones that do glorious things in the name of the Lord, even though it's far too easy for me to convince myself that I'm the one doing the glorious thing.
I'm not. I'm doing the dirty things. I'm doing the dirty work. I'm sopping up the blood, soaking up the tears, picking up the tissues, and trying to hold a broken world together so that one of these might have the strength to stand again. It's sacred work. It's holy work. But it's hardly glorious. At least, not in the terms in which we look at things like glory. Not in the way in which the world sees glory, even the glory of the Lord.
So I'm struck by these words in Isaiah, by the words that always seem to strike me, sure, but now, by the words that follow. I'm struck not by the words that speak not only of the holy work that I am called to do, but of the glorious work that others will do if I am faithful to love them, to heal them, to hold them the way that God has called me to do. I'm struck by this poignant reminder that no matter what I think I'm doing, others will do things greater still.
That's why I do what I do. So that they can do what they will do. I do the dirty work so that these others can do something glorious. These Oaks of Righteousness, for the glory of God.
One of the ideas that seems to have taken a backseat to our individualistic, self-centered culture is this idea of true community. We live in a world that believes that truth is relative, that what works for you doesn't have to work for me, and that our stories sometimes butt up against each other but do not necessarily meet.
Of course, we understand that there are some people we can't seem to get rid of, but that's just one of life's little annoyances.
And the problem with this is that it changes the way that we read our Bibles. It changes the way we comfort and encourage ourselves. It changes the way we let God comfort and encourage us.
Take, for example, one of the most oft-quoted passages in all of Scripture: Jeremiah 29:11.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; plans to give you hope and a future.
We take great comfort in these words. The Lord Himself has a plan for me. The Lord knows what He's doing, where He's leading me, what I'm going through. He is going to prosper me. He gives me hope.
But here's the thing - He's not talking about me. He's not talking about you. The word used here, as in so many other places in Scripture, is not really you.
It's ya'll.
We don't distinguish, in English, between the singular second-person and the plural second-person; to us, they are both simply you, and we are left to figure out whether it's just me or a collective we all by context. But we don't read our Bibles in context. Not in the Bible's context, anyway; only in ours. And in ours, it's never we all; it's always me.
That's tragic, I think, on many levels. Most troubling, I think, is that it gives us a distorted view of God. We start to get this idea of a God who is for me personally, who is doing something unique on an individual level, but who has seemingly forgotten or forsaken the entire idea of community in the same way that we have. This God, who throughout His entire Book is a God of community, has become our God of self.
It changes the way we read Scripture. It changes the way we feel about others. It changes the way we feel about our stories. And it changes the way we feel about God.
Think just about this passage. Think about what it means to think that God has a plan for you, specifically you. Think about the encouragement you get from thinking that these words are about the individual you. There are still so many things outside of you that don't seem to change based on this word. This world is still a mess. There are a thousand things you cannot control, a million more that don't seem to make sense. And we're left trying to stuff all these things into our smallest stories and come up with excuses or reasons why it's still okay and God is still God and I'm still amazing and there's still hope, despite all these loose threads that don't seem to be able to be woven into what we, individually are doing.
It's exhausting, really.
But now, read these words in the way in which they were written. Not that God has a plan and hope for you, but for ya'll - or us all. Think about how it changes things when it's about so much more than just you. When it's all of us. Think about the possibilities of the way that all those threads are being woven together not just for your good, but for our good. For each other's good. For the sake of the people of God, who have never been individuals but have always been communities.
It's powerful.
Maybe this is a little thick in the English grammar. Maybe it grates against some deep-held belief you have about your individual uniqueness or your own need for hope. I'm not trying to dash that, but we have to be willing to see God for who He really is, to read the words He really gave us, and to understand what that means. And the truth is that when I'm feeling most discouraged, when I'm feeling most stressed, I take less comfort from a God who promises me it's okay despite all the evidence than I do from a God who is writing a story that is bigger than me. When life is troubling, I have to get out of my own pages and deeper into His. I'm encouraged by the fact that it's not all about me, that it's not just me and God against the world; it's God and God's people (who I happen to be one of) who are doing this thing. This real thing.
The way God's people always have. The way God's people always will.
And I don't know, I think it just goes a long way to remember that our God has always been a God of community. Our story has always been bigger than ourselves. So very, very often in the Scriptures, God is not speaking to you; He's talking to ya'll. And there's a reason for that. It's to remind us that we belong to one another, and together, we belong to Him.
With hope...and a future.
Rattle My Chains
Free Indeed
Chains Rattle
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ALA > News > Nominate a superstar librarian for the national I Love My Librarian Award
Nominate a superstar librarian for the national I Love My Librarian Award
Heather Cho
Communications and Marketing Office
hcho@ala.org
CHICAGO–The American Library Association (ALA) is inviting all library users to nominate their favorite librarians for the prestigious I Love My Librarian Award. The national award recognizes the outstanding public service contributions of librarians working in public, school, college, community college or university libraries who transform communities and improve lives. Nominations are being accepted online now through Oct. 21, 2019.
Ten librarians will receive $5,000, a plaque, and a travel stipend to attend the I Love My Librarian Award ceremony on Jan. 25, 2020, which will take place during ALA’s Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits in Philadelphia. Last year’s award winners included an academic librarian who stocks the library with non-perishable foods and toiletries for low-income students, a public librarian who created a book project to preserve refugees’ stories, and a school librarian who uses therapy and certified reading dogs to help students who are struggling with anxiety or have disabilities.
Since the award was established in 2008, library users nationwide have shared more than 19,000 nominations detailing how librarians have gone above and beyond to connect them to information, educational opportunities, and critical technology. Over the last decade, only 110 librarians have received this distinguished honor.
To be eligible for the award, each nominee must hold a master’s degree in library and information studies from a program accredited by the ALA or a master’s degree with a specialty in school library media from an educational program accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education. Nominees must also work in either a public library, a library at an accredited two- or four-year college, or university or at an accredited K-12 school in the United States.
The philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York generously sponsors the I Love My Librarian Award. The New York Public Library and the New York Times are co-sponsors of the award. The ALA administers the award through ALA’s Communications and Marketing Office, which promotes the value of libraries and librarians.
About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 “to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding.” In keeping with this mandate, the Corporation's work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.
About The New York Public Library
The New York Public Library is a free provider of education and information for the people of New York and beyond. With 92 locations—including research and branch libraries—throughout the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, the Library offers free materials, computer access, classes, exhibitions, programming and more to everyone from toddlers to scholars, and has seen record numbers of attendance and circulation in recent years. The New York Public Library serves nearly 17 million patrons who come through its doors annually and millions more around the globe who use its resources at www.nypl.org. To offer this wide array of free programming, The New York Public Library relies on both public and private funding. Learn more about how to support the Library at nypl.org/support.
About the American Library Association
The American Library Association is the foremost national organization providing resources to inspire library and information professionals to transform their communities through essential programs and services. For more than 140 years, the ALA has been the trusted voice of libraries, advocating for the profession and the library’s role in enhancing learning and ensuring access to information for all. For more information, visit ala.org.
Awards, Public Awareness, American Library Association, Public Awareness Office
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Has the Premier League lost its spark?
By Christian Stevens on March 19, 2015
With the majority of teams having just nine games to go to ultimately decide their seasons, only eight points separate seventh place Spurs from second place Manchester City. With many of the teams in between all set to play each other, the battle for top four has become much more competitive than in recent years. But is this a sign of the drop in standards in the Premier League?
Consider Chelsea. At the start of the season, winning the first ten games in a row was a sign of a new Invincibles team, they were clinical, ruthless and physical, only dropping points in their second ten games because of late equalisers away against Manchester City and Man United. This Chelsea team never looked to be hitting top gear, yet still getting results, though it was assumed that Jose Mourinho was telling them to hold back, to make the push for the final part of the season. Ultimately, they suffered a shock draw at Sunderland in November and, once again, defeat at Newcastle, before a surprising 5-3 defeat against Tottenham on New Years’ Day cut their original 8 point lead to nothing, leading Manchester City only on alphabetical order. Since then, mostly due to City’s own incompetence and lackadaisical approach than any sort of Chelsea renaissance, they have re-opened a six point lead with a game in hand, and have already played City twice.
With the majority of games still to play at home (minus a tricky fixture at the Emirates), Chelsea could conceivably win the league with less than 80 points. Consider that for a moment. There are 114 points to play for in the course of a season. Chelsea could drop 34 of those, the equivalent of losing 11 games and drawing one, and still win the title. While winning any title is a feat to be commended, it does show how far the rest of the league has fallen behind. Chelsea will probably win the Premier League simply because someone has to, even with the decline of their most significant players, Diego Costa, Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas, in the second part of the season. Though with ten games remaining, they can still feasibly be caught.
The European places between second and seventh place are separated only by eight points. Though this is great for the neutrals, it is a sign that the elite of the Premier Leagues of yesteryear are being dragged back, rather than pushed forward. The Liverpool team that achieved second in 2014 was half of that which achieved the same fear in 2009. At the time of writing, Arsenal and Manchester City are staring down the barrel of Champions League elimination at the last 16 stage yet again. Chelsea were awful across over 210 minutes of football against PSG, 120 of those against 10 men, whilst Liverpool didn’t even make it out of the group stages. As someone with Premier League insight (my ex-housemates’ girlfriend’s family once sold a dog to Stoke midfielder Glenn Whelan), this shows that English teams have taken their foot off the pedal when it comes to Europe, but also when it comes to dominating performances.
The £5 billion plus injection into the Premier League has done little to improve our standard of play. Chelsea, who are leading the league, drop off constantly every game. Champions Manchester City have won only three of their last ten games. Liverpool, after a poor first half of the season, could easily reclaim second place. This is not good enough. A lot has been blamed on money, but massive transfer fees don’t guarantee success. Both of Manchester City’s titles have been won very late on, and not without scares along the way, due to the mismanagement of Manuel Pellegrini and predecessor Roberto Mancini. Ten years before, Chelsea won their league titles in dominant, if not beautiful, style under the vastly more competent Jose Mourinho. Ten years on, the team is much better, but the belief is lacking.
So then, has the standard been falling for a while? Liverpool last year were uninspiring until the latter part of the season, whereas City lost twice to Chelsea and at Anfield on their way to the title. The year before, Robin van Persie fired Manchester United to Alex Ferguson’s last title, which they had won virtually by February. The level of title challengers has completely dropped. In 2012, City were winners on the last day of the season, a last minute Aguero goal against QPR seeing them claim their first title since 1968. In 2005, Jose Mourinho led Chelsea to a record 95 points.
It’s hard to see any team even making 90 now. On one hand, this is a testament to the fact that anyone can beat anyone in the Premier League. On the other, it shows that no team in England is ready to grab the game by the scruff of the neck. There is no new playing style, no imitation of the tiki-taka-based dominance with which Barcelona ruled the world between 2009 and 2011. On the other hand, there is no defence-based solidarity which served Jose Mourinho so well at Inter Milan. It is about more than transfers, about fans or passion, it is about innovation.
Because in the Premier League, the top talent is becoming wasted. Alexis Sanchez is arguably the player of the season, but has the tendency to go missing in big games, such as against Monaco. Mesut Ozil is the same, but has been unfairly scapegoated. Angel Di Maria is heavily scrutinised because of his transfer fee, but he hasn’t really been put into a system to suit his unique abilities. Eden Hazard has the potential to be a Ballon D’or winner, but often will play past two or three players with no end product. Combine this with the propensity of managers to stay at clubs. Sam Allardyce is the longest serving manager in Premier League bar Arsene Wenger, and has been on the verge of being sacked multiple times.
In December, there were calls from a large minority of Liverpool fans to sack Brendan Rodgers. Jose Mourinho came back to Chelsea with dreams of building a legacy, but his paranoia and siege mentality could put paid to that. Managers aren’t given time to build a lasting dynasty, and as time goes on, a plyer that hasn’t scored for three or four games is going through a ‘drought.’ Cesc Fabregas was jeered by some Chelsea fans, unfairly, for not producing an assist. Premier League fans look at Real Madrid’s 22 game winning streak and want to emulate it. They forget that there is no way to build a lasting legacy without stability.
Finally, there is a problem with English youth coming through. In Spain, even Real Madrid have a quotient of young Spanish players. In England, current league leaders Chelsea have only Gary Cahill and John Terry as first team English players. For City, only James Milner and Joe Hart get regular games. Even at Liverpool, only Jordon Ibe and Raheem Sterling are their current young English players (Adam Lallana, at 26, cannot be called ‘The Future’ of English football).
Jose Mourinho has promised to bring English youth through the academy. Manchester City recently spent millions on a new youth training centre. Even so, it could be years before we see any development in our current game. Whilst he was at Spurs, Andre Villas-Boas suggested the creation of ‘B’ teams, such as that in Spain. Whilst this would possibly improve the chances of elite young players fulfilling their potential, it would undoubtedly cause only the richest teams to really benefit from bringing in youth.
So is the Premier League the best in the world? I believe it is going through a blip in the standard of play, but in terms of sheer entertainment, and passion, it can’t be beaten. Though many of the Premier League’s best players seem to be moving abroad, they are heading only to Real Madrid or Barcelona, teams that can market them for billions.
At the same time, the notorious fickleness of these teams supporters mean that players very rarely can sustain a long term legacy; a problem largely exacerbated by inflated transfer fees. Ronaldo was whistled after not scoring in three games. In terms of sheer passion, entertainment, unpredictability, and loyalty, you can’t beat the Premier League. But if you’re looking for a dominant team in Europe, look abroad.
by Chris Stevens
When Wilfried Zaha sent two Burnley defenders sprawling in vain …Read More »
In 2011, Barcelona snatched the signature of one of the …Read More »
The World Cup is one of the biggest tournaments in …Read More »
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The World Bank's Neo-Apartheid System A
Dr. William A. Jones’s Media White
Sharpton, AFT, Say "Every Student Succe
The Rise of Trump and America's Looming
Why Black History Month Remains Relevant: Much Progress Achieved But Many Stark Disparities Persist
Marc MorialFebruary 12,2014
[Black History Month]
This is how Lonnie Bunch, founding director, National Museum of African American History and Culture puts it: “There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history. And there is no higher cause than honoring our struggle and ancestors by remembering.”
Ever since the 2009 election of Barack Obama as America’s first Black President and the 100th anniversary of the National Urban League in 2010, the perennial debate about the need for Black History Month has intensified. Some have questioned the need for a special month to recognize the many unknown and unsung achievements of African Americans. With Obama as President, the logic goes, we have now achieved Dr. King’s dream of a non-racial America where everyone is judged by the content of their character, not the color of their skin. I wish it were so.
Last year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the passage of the Voting Rights Act. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and the repeal of the Poll Tax. But unfortunately, the suppression of voting rights and other instances of racial discrimination remain.
All one needs to do is look at the glaring disparities between Blacks and whites in income, employment, incarceration rates, educational achievement and health status to see that race still matters in America. Income inequality and equal opportunity are still part of the unfinished business of American democracy.
In 1926, after centuries of Blacks being excluded, not only from the mainstream of American life, but also from the textbooks in our schools, the African American historian, Carter G. Woodson, did a service to all Americans when he created Negro History Week, which was expanded to Black History Month in 1976. Woodson’s vision was one of unity and inclusion. He said, “What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race, hate and religious prejudice.” That is a goal that America is still struggling to achieve.
In fact, legislatures in a number of states, including New York, Illinois, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, have passed laws mandating or encouraging teachers to broaden their history courses to include more ethnic, racial and gender diversity. That is why we still recognize March as Women’s History Month, May as Jewish American History Month, September 15 to October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month and February as Black History Month.
These celebrations serve a dual purpose: first to build self-esteem among historically oppressed people, and second to remind all Americans that in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, our diversity is our greatest strength.
Black history is American history. While the story and achievements of African Americans are especially celebrated this month, the contributions we have made and the struggles we still face deserve recognition every day of the year.
Next year, for the first time, Black History will enter the mainstream when the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture opens on the National Mall in Washington. The Museum describes itself as “a place of meaning, of memory, of reflection, of laughter, and of hope. It should be a beacon that reminds us of what we were; what challenges we still face; and point us towards what we can become.”
As we honor those who have made history, we must also recognize that we are history in the making. Through our work, commitment to equality and civic engagement, we can and we must, in the words of President Obama, continue to “right the wrongs of history and make our world anew.”
Marc H. Morial is President and CEO, National Urban League
Marc H. Morial
National Urban League
Lonnie Bunch
founding director
Obama as President
the logic goes
Dr. King’s dream of a non-racial America
50th Anniversary of the March on Washington
Voting Rights Act
Big Brother Crushes Protest At Delaware State University
Role of the Diaspora in Shaping U.S. Policies Toward Africa
Black Lawyer's Case Against OCC Will Test Zach Carter, City's New Top Lawyer
Canadian-Born Ted Cruz Who Shut Govt In 2013 Can't Win U.S. Presidency
The Black-Listing of African American Nurses
Countering Hate: Immigrants Fight Donald Trump's Racist Slurs
U.S. Ambassador To U.N. To South Sudan's Salva Kiir -- "Send Troops Back to Barracks"
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Surviving Rape Charge, Movie Star Ringgold Says This Was The Real Deal
As Dr. King Said -- The Time is Always Right to Do Right
ADOS Final Call Response and
Mueller President Trump Report,
Reparations to Inheritance:
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Championship Match Of The Titan Sisters Goes To Serena
Serena Williams, 2009 Sony Ericsson Champion
(Photos by KARIM JAAFAR/AFP/Getty Images)
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Serena Williams bested big sister Venus again Sunday, winning 6-2, 7-6 (4) in the season-ending Sony Ericsson Championships final.
Serena broke twice in the first set and lost just seven points on serve in her last match of the year. She looked sharper than Venus in every facet of a match that featured few long rallies and little of the spectacular tennis the two have provided in some of their previous meetings.
Serena sealed the match with a crosscourt forehand winner, and celebrated calmly with a simple fist pump before hugging her sister at the net.
"It feels great," said Serena, who also won the WTA Tour's season-ending event in 2001. "I totally didn't expect to come here and win."
It was Serena's fourth straight win over her sister. She also beat Venus in the round-robin stage of the Doha tournament, the Wimbledon final and the semifinals in Miami this year. She leads their head-to-head record 13-10.
"Playing a final against Venus is really tough," Serena said. "Even though she wasn't really feeling great, she kept hitting every ball back."
Serena earned $1.55 million for the win after finishing the event undefeated. She also clinched the year-end No. 1 ranking earlier this week after Dinara Safina of Russia pulled out injured in her first match.
The tournament featured the eight top-ranked women in the world divided into two groups, with the semifinalsts decided by a round-robin stage.
Venus lost two of her three round-robin matches but still advanced. The defending champion looked tired after rallying for a three-set win over Jelena Jankovic on Saturday, and each of her other group matches went three sets.
She played with her left knee strapped while Serena had strapping on her left thigh.
"It was the end of the season, so I have no complaints," Venus said about her fitness level. "You have to show up and play no matter what. So that had nothing to do with it."
Serena, who advanced after U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki retired injured in the semifinals, held five of her last seven service games at love and lost just one point in each of the other two.
It was her third tournament win of the season after Wimbledon and the Australian Open.
"I haven't won a tournament that wasn't a Grand Slam in a while, so that was even more exciting," she said. "My losing streak in (other) tournaments in over."
Posted by Shelia at 5:28 PM
0 comments: to “ Championship Match Of The Titan Sisters Goes To Serena ”
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Release Boost for Sir by D.L. Hess
Title: Sir
Series: The Awakening Series #1
Author: D.L. Hess
I look at him and my body reacts in a way that it never has before, even in the throes of passion. I look at him and I start aching so deep inside it takes all I can to think, to breathe, to speak. He’s like the brightest flame and it takes everything in me to resist its call.
I know that if I give in, I’ll get burned so deeply, there might be nothing left once I come out the other side.
But, god, I want to step into that flame.
Hollywood movie star Nate Stone only dates supermodels, movie stars, and socialites. So why can't he keep his mind off of diner waitress Tori?
Nate never thought he’d return to Boden, Louisiana. Running off to Hollywood after high school to make it big, the kid from the wrong side of the tracks meant to leave his hometown in the dust. But twelve years later he’s preparing to make his directorial debut—and Boden is the perfect place to shoot his film. But he gets more than he bargained for when he ends up at the local diner and discovers the best cup of coffee in town is poured by a pretty waitress who dominates his every thought and fantasy. Now all he wants to do is to return the favor and make those fantasies a reality…
Tori Wilson never thought she’d end up a small-town diner waitress, but a couple of bad decisions paired with an unforeseen tragedy left her with no choice. Now the shy baker spends her days clocked in at Boden’s Finewhile Diner, whipping up her famous cherry pies and serving her customers hot coffee with an extra side of sweetness, until one day, she finds People’s Sexiest Man Alive sitting in a corner booth. The powdered sugar flies as Nate uses all his tricks and charm to attempt to seduce the headstrong waitress into his bed.
A man like Nate could have anyone he wants—but somehow, for some reason that Tori just doesn’t understand, he wants her. But maybe, just maybe, being with Nate, even for a short time, will be worth the heartache when he’s gone.
People say that when something sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
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“One day, pretty Tori,” he murmured, “You’re going to let me in.”
He took a moment to sip his drink, letting that sink in before continuing, “I’m not going to deny that I want to fuck you. I can’t promise a future or that I’ll be some sniveling boyfriend who pines away after you once I go back to L.A. But I will say that I have plans for you if you say yes.
“I can promise you that I’m going to take you to new heights that you’ve never imagined. That I’ll make you feel pleasure so intense that you forget your name. I’ll fuck you so good, for so long that the only thing you’ll crave is my hands on your skin, my cock deep in your pussy.
“If you let me, Tori, I’ll open up a whole new world to you. I’ll make you fly.”
D.L. Hess picked up her first romance novel when she was ten years old. It was Judith McNaught’s Once and Always, and she spent all night hiding in the closet and reading. It left an imprint, an imprint she hopes to leave with you.
D.L. Hess grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and now goes between her hometown and Los Angeles. Her partner-in-crime is a nine pound Pomeranian-Chihuahua mix named Busby Berkeley who goes with her everywhere. D.L. Hess is an avid fan of cooking, traveling, and discovering new experiences. Her travel bucket list includes cruising all the major rivers in the world. So far, she has only hit two of them.
Labels: GIVEAWAYS, Release Boost
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San Francisco Giants get Bengie Molina for a Bargain
Let's get this out of the way right now: Bengie Molina is not a bad baseball player.
Granted, he's not great. But he is good.
The news out of Bay City this morning is that erstwhile Giants' catcher Bengie Molina will also be the future Giants' catcher, at least for 2010. Having spurned a similar offer from the Mets, where a lot of people expected him to wind up, he's returning to the safety (and relative non-dysfunctionality) of San Francisco. ESPN is reporting that he's signed a one-year deal for $4.5 million, and apparently no buy-out or vesting options (as the Mets had offered), though there are incentives for up to another million and a half dollars based on playing time.
The Giants had reportedly lost out on the chance to re-sign Molina, as GM Brian Sabean said after the winter meetings in December, but this sudden news obviously negates all of that. Perhaps Molina saw the difficulty the Mets are having replacing their departed free agents, or started thinking more seriously about all the bizarre stuff that seems to happen there. Perhaps he remembered his career .130 batting average at Shea Stadium, and forgot that they don't play there anymore. Perhaps he feared living up to the high standard for Molina catchers in New York put up there by his kid brother...no matter. That's all ancient history now.
The thing I don't get is why Giants' fans are so upset about this. McCovey Chronicles has a fairly hilarious take on it (H/T to Rob Neyer), and Brian Sabean has done some pretty dumb things in his tenure as General Manager there, but I'm not sure this is one of them. The argument against the signing is that Molina's not a very good hitter and he's a terrible baserunner (so much so that commenters on a Joe Posnanski blog post once suggested that slowness could be measured in "Molinas"). But the reality is that Molina's not so terrible, and neither is the deal. In any case, somebody has to catch the ball, right?
The supposed plan was to use rookie Buster Posey as the Giants' starting catcher, but Sabean had second thoughts, or at least managed to convince Molina that there was nothing better out there (i.e. a multi-year deal). I suppose the fans are upset because they were looking forward to their wunderkind backstop, much as another team's fans, also wearing orange and black but 3,000 miles away, were looking forward to Matt Wieters at this time last year.
For his part, Wieters struggled in his first few months in the majors, hitting just .259/.316/.407 before the All-Star Break,before finding his stroke in the second half (.301/.351/.415). Overall, he was just an average major league hitter, which is pretty good for any rookie, much less a catcher. But he was far from the second coming of Mike Piazza that the pundits expected.
And Posey's projections for 2010 aren't even as good as Wieters' were for 2009. FanGraphs suggests that Posey could put up an OPS in the neighborhood of about .740 next season, though it's worth noting that he's got only about 40 games of experience above high-A ball. Compared to Molina's projection of about a .720 OPS, based on more than a decade of MLB service, the difference is all but negligible.
Granted, at just 22 years old, Posey's got a lot more upside, and the additional $4 million they'll have to pay Molina isn't negligible, but for a major league team, it's close enough. If Molina's suddenly a live option, at least for 2010, better to put off Posey's promotion for all or part of a year and give him a good chance to adjust to the majors than to rush him in and risk ruining one of the game's best prospects.
And this is where my initial statement, about Molina not being such a bad player, comes in. According to FanGraphs, Bengie was worth $8.1 million in 2009...and made "only" $6.5 million. This year they expect him to be worth between six and seven million dollars, depending on whose projections you want to believe, and he will again make about a million dollars less than that. This, my friends, is the very definition of a bargain.
Is he the best catcher in the majors? No, not by a long shot.
But was he the best catcher available? Yes. By an even longer shot.
He's as slow as pond water on the bases, on the rare opportunities he has to "run" them, because he only takes an unintentional walk about once every three weeks. But he does hit for a modest batting average and has enough pop in his bat to keep pitchers somewhat honest. He seems to call a good game, though his ability to catch would-be base stealers is less than stellar. Still, with a staff that doesn't allow a lot of baserunners and strikes a lot of men out, this is not such a big deal.
Take a look at the alternatives:
Brad Ausmus, Age 40
Positive: Posted his first OPS above .700 for a season since Y2K!
Negative: Needed a week off between starts to do it.
Ausmus has been the archetype for the good-field, no-hit catcher for more than a decade, surviving on his supposedly legendary pitch calling ability, his tenacity as a competitor and his "brains" (which Ausmus himself admits is a nice way of saying that he can't hit) for far longer than anyone would have guessed. He gives hope to all the Dusty Ryans and Francisco Cervellis of the world.
But he's old. He can't hit. He can't catch often anymore. He's not an option for the Giants.
Paul Bako, age 37
In his first two seasons in the majors, he was a semi-regular and posted a combined .690 OPS in 580 plate appearances, a useful amount of production out of a backup catcher. But in the 10 years and more than 600 games he's played since, he's hit .220/.299/.307. The only other players who have appeared in at least 600 games in that span without hitting better are John McDonald, a defensive wiz who plays three infield positions, and seven relief pitchers.
Jose Molina, age 34
A year younger than his brother, but can't hit even more (less?) than Ausmus can't, and never could. He parlayed a couple of months of hitting a little bit while backing up Jorge Posada into an extra two years with the Yankees, and has a World Series ring for his efforts, but doesn't have a clue with the bat or any business starting regularly for a major league team.
Yorvit Torrealba, age 31
Not so old, and seemingly better with the bat than some of the other options, except that his home road splits during his time in Colorado suggest that he's really just as bad, if not worse. His road OPS from 2006-2009 is about .650, which would make him one of the half dozen or so worst hitters in the majors if he got enough playing time.
Rumors are now that the Mets may sign him. That makes sense.
Shawn Riggans, age 29
The youngest of the group, and he's not all that young. He's hit around the Mendoza Line in parts of four seasons with the Rays, and his minor league numbers are unimpressive.
Rod Barajas, age 34
Barajas is Bengie Molina without the "batting average". He's almost the same age, hits a few homers, doesn't walk and doesn't run, though he can at least keep base swipers in check, having caught about one out of every three who ran on him in 2009, 4th best in the majors. there's no particular reason to choose him over Molina, especially considering that Molina has a relationship with the team already.
And that's it, really. Those are the free agents, and there's really nobody on the trading block at the moment who can catch. Sure, Posey will be very good, eventually, but probably not this year. He had about 150 at-bats at AAA last year, and that's it. A little more seasoning certainly won't hurt him, but forcing him into a starting role on the sport's biggest stage might.
The Giants are inexplicable contenders in 2010, and don't want to risk that, and surely don't want to risk Posey's future if they can lean on Molina for another year. They finished 88-74 in 2009, and were within a couple of games of the Wild Card lead in mid-September. The team's got some stiff competition with the Dodgers and Rockies in their division, but with their pitching, they could make a run.
The offense, though, was atrocious in 2009. The team's ranks in OPS at each position in 2009:
C: 16th
1B: 26th
3B: 1st
SS: 21st
LF: 22nd
RF: 28th
CF: 19th
That's seven of eight positions where the team's hitters overall were below average, including Molina, who's just barely below average. Actually, he posted a .711 OPS and the NL average was .709, so he's a shade above the mean. Aubrey Huff isn't great, but he hit only .260 on balls he put in play in 2009, and should therefore bounce back a bit himself. Keeping Molina should at least maintain their position at catcher.
But the rest of the team, outside of Kung Fu Panda, was atrocious. In 2010, with a whole year of the flawed-but-useful Freddy Sanchez instead of Emmanuel Burriss, a full year of Mark DeRosa instead of Eugenio Velez, Fred Lewis and Randy Winn, they should be improved in two positions. Nate Schierholtz always hit well in the minors and will be 26, so he looks like he could improve. Edgar Renteria was supposedly hurt last year, and therefore could bounce back a bit himself.
A few runs here, a few runs there...and maybe the Giants can give the Rockies a run for their money, if not the Dodgers. In 2010, at least, Molina will help them to that end more than he will hurt them.
Posted by Travis M. Nelson at 1/20/2010
San Francisco Giants get Bengie Molina for a Barga...
Jon Heyman's Wacky World of Hall of Fame "Logic"
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Messiah Masipa
Messiah Masipa (°1997, Limpopo At Ga-mamaila Village, South Africa) is an artist who works in a variety of media. By contesting the division between the realm of memory and the realm of experience, Masipa wants to amplify the astonishment of the spectator by creating compositions or settings that generate tranquil poetic images that leave traces and balances on the edge of recognition and alienation.
His collected, altered and own artworks are being confronted as aesthetically resilient, thematically interrelated material for memory and projection. The possible seems true and the truth exists, but it has many faces, as Hanna Arendt cites from Franz Kafka. By applying a poetic and often metaphorical language, he absorbs the tradition of remembrance art into daily practice. This personal follow-up and revival of a past tradition is important as an act of meditation.
His works focus on the inability of communication which is used to visualise reality, the attempt of dialogue, the dissonance between form and content and the dysfunctions of language. In short, the lack of clear references are key elements in the work. By investigating language on a meta-level, he tries to grasp language. Transformed into art, language becomes an ornament. At that moment, lots of ambiguities and indistinctnesses, which are inherent to the phenomenon, come to the surface.
His works appear as dreamlike images in which fiction and reality meet, well-known tropes merge, meanings shift, past and present fuse. Time and memory always play a key role. Messiah Masipa currently lives and works in Cape Town.
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Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Master of Architecture
Homepage Faculties, Colleges, and Schools The School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture Master of ArchitectureAdmission
The selection of university courses anticipating graduate studies in architecture should emphasize a breadth and mix of academic experience, including exposure to some aspect of visual communication. Irrespective of specific degree requirements within various faculties or universities, university-level coursework in mathematics, physics, English literature, and composition is desirable. Beyond specific academic experiences, students entering the Master of Architecture program should demonstrate interest and potential in the creative arts and architecture.
Please visit the School for information and guidance in preparation for entry.
Candidates for admission to the Master of Architecture program are generally required to hold the academic equivalent of a four-year baccalaureate degree from UBC. In at least four years of study, candidates should have obtained a B+ average in third- and fourth-year coursework. Applicants must in addition demonstrate creative potential and aptitude for the study of architecture.
Applicants must submit all of the following by January 4:
Application Form and fee information.
Biographical statement. A brief summary (in resumé form) including work experience, travel, or other relevant experience.
Statement of interest. A brief statement of the reasons for desiring to study architecture as well as reasons for selecting Architecture at UBC.
Portfolio. A portfolio of work demonstrating aptitude and experience in creative endeavours and evidence of graphic skills. Additional information and instructions pertaining to the presentation of the portfolio are available by email.
Transcripts. Two official transcripts of all post-secondary study completed to date (up to, and including, December grades) received in sealed, endorsed envelopes. If an applicant is currently completing a degree, an evaluation will be made on the transcripts to date. Acceptance will be conditional on the successful completion of the bachelor's degree according to the academic requirements, and receipt of a final, official transcript confirming the degree awarded.
Letters of reference. A minimum of three letters of reference from persons who can best assess the applicant's initiative and academic, analytical, and creative abilities. These must be received through the online application system (see the School's website) or in sealed, endorsed envelopes.
Places are awarded on a competitive basis as interest in the program far exceeds available resources and facilities. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to not admit applicants who nominally meet the entrance requirements. All admissions must be approved by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
A week-long workshop course in late August is mandatory for entering students. Details about the workshop course are provided with the letter of offer. Students who are unable to attend must re-apply for admission at a later date.
Readmission and Reinstatement
For regulations concerning readmission and reinstatement, see Withdrawal, Reinstatement and Readmission.
Page last updated: June 4, 2019
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The Castle Pines Connection
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2018 news from 80108
Unearthing a lost Lord Keeper
C P C - Sunday, July 01, 2018
For three years, Greg Sherwood has been on a quest to unearth the author of a book from 1657, an English lord and an extraordinary man who had been lost to history. Sherwood’s quest has taken him to the island of Jersey near France to meet with colleagues at the Société Jersiaise (bottom, right), as well as to Oxford, England (top, center) and the Middle Temple Library in London (bottom, center) among other locales. As much as his quest has captivated him, Sherwood has still taken time for his other pursuits: his weekly “Band Nite” (top, left) with friends and a backpacking trip (top, right) into a remote part of the Grand Canyon with a friend as part of a larger group.
By Susan Helton; photos courtesy of Greg Sherwood
Resident Greg Sherwood never expected to become a history sleuth when, in 2015 at Denver antiquarian bookseller Gallagher Books, he inquired about the oldest book they carried. Curiously titled “Reports in the Court of Exchequer, Beginning in the third, and ending in the ninth year of the Raign of the late King James,” the oldest book’s publication date was 1657.
“I didn’t realize its significance,” stated Sherwood. “I was fascinated to hold something so old, so I bought it!”
Researching his new acquisition, Sherwood learned that the author, Lord Keeper Sir Richard Lane was historically notable. The worn volume, known as Lane’s Reports, turned out to be a copy of the first published court cases in the English Exchequer Court, making it a root precedent document of English Common Law, and by extension, of American laws. Sherwood’s satisfaction changed to frustration as he tried to learn more about Lane: his fate – he died in exile, with conflicting claims about where; his gravesite – unknown; his only known portrait – apparently vanished. A man seemingly lost to history.
That changed when Sherwood stumbled onto a genuine clue that Lane was buried under a 1,000-year-old church on Jersey, an island near France. “My inquiry had just become a quest…to solve the mysteries of an obscure central figure in the dramatic English Civil War of the 1600s,” stated Sherwood in his quest’s online journal.
Uncovering scattered bits of information, Sherwood discovered that, on his own merits, Lane rose to knighthood and to the position of Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, the highest role in the monarchy for a non-royal.
“The best surprise was to find out just how noble the guy was. I’ve found good evidence that he was admired and respected, an honorable husband and father…a man worth knowing, worth history remembering,” said Sherwood. “I wasn’t looking for this. But to actually unravel the story and rescue somebody from obscurity who was worth rescuing…that feels like a real contribution.”
Serendipity, surprises and thrills characterize Sherwood’s quest. An obscure diary from Jersey hid a clue to Lane’s unmarked gravesite. A randomly-chosen audio book led to Lane’s familial connection to Thomas Jefferson. And recently, Sherwood was thrilled to find himself at Westminster, London presenting an analysis of “The Trial of Strafford,” a 9-foot wide painting in the House of Lords.
Greg Sherwood (center) and his son, Casey, and daughter, Alyssa, at a recent family reunion in Kansas.
In this 1844 painting of a pivotal event in which Lane played a key role, Sherwood identified a previously unrecognized image of Sir Richard Lane himself. “To be able to share that work with the staff of the Curator’s Office was an honor. It’s a remarkable and ironic outcome that I have found my Lost Lord Keeper in a dramatic depiction of the most important event of his life,” stated Sherwood.
A Renaissance man himself, Sherwood holds five patents, and degrees in electrical and computer engineering and computer science. He has worked in oil-field instrumentation, as a ground system architect for a major satellite system, and has helped build a gravity measuring instrument, satellite systems, marine navigation and now aviation navigation systems. For fun, Sherwood plays drums with his weekly studio band, a 15-year passion still going strong, and enjoys hiking, backpacking and mountain biking. Sherwood also volunteers at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where he loves explaining aspects of the temporary exhibits to help people grasp them meaningfully. Originally from Wyoming, Sherwood has a son in North Carolina, with his first grandchild arriving soon, and a daughter in the Denver area.
Sherwood’s quest is far from complete. Each discovery and revelation about Lane opened new avenues to explore and produced further questions for Sherwood to investigate. Ultimately, Sherwood plans to write a few books. “I can see three different books as a result of the quest: a historical reference, my story of how I found him, and one really good historical drama!” said Sherwood.
To follow Sherwood’s ongoing quest and new discoveries in his online journal, visit 5280explorer.blog.
Federal road funding makes its way to Douglas County
Information and photo provided by Douglas County
An 18-mile segment of I-25 from Monument to Castle Rock referred to as the “gap” is now fully funded and, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), is on track to begin construction by late summer of this year.
CDOT Executive Director Michael Lewis made the announcement that Colorado will greatly benefit from the $90 million U.S. Department of Transportation Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant, of which $65 million will go toward the project.
Following more than a year of study, CDOT found that having an express lane added in each direction would be the best option to meet the project’s purpose and need to improve safety, travel reliability and mobility.
Motorists will have a choice to either take the two general purpose lanes for free or travel the express lane, one in each direction, for a variable toll. Tolls would be higher during peak travel times and lower during non-peak times to ensure the choice of a free-flowing lane. CDOT estimated that travel times would improve across all lanes. Additionally, the project will widen shoulders, build additional wildlife crossings and make other improvements to increase driver safety.
The $65 million INFRA grant completes the $350 million funding needed to build the project. Funding sources include $250 million from the State of Colorado, $35 million from El Paso and Douglas counties and $65 million from the INFRA grant.
A bird’s-eye view of building
By Terri Wiebold; photo by Bob Wiebold
Construction is well underway and two model homes are now open at Prato at Castle Pines Village, located just north of Santa Fe Drive and east of Daniels Park Road in Castle Pines Village.
According to Infinity Homes Collection Community Sales Manager Matt Cassidy, the development is comprised of 46 lots, averaging roughly 7,500 square feet each. “The patio homes range in price from $1.1 million to $1.4 million, depending, of course, upon the finishes and upgrades each homeowner selects,” he said. Infinity first broke ground in mid-March, and as of press time, there were 19 lots sold, with three homes in the framing stage and eight more foundations underway. “We are shooting for three a month,” said Cassidy.
The development is part of unincorporated Douglas County and homeowners will be part of the Village Homes Association which will be serviced by the Castle Pines Metropolitan District. “We also have a sub association that handles lawn maintenance and snow removal, which visitors seem to like,” said Cassidy.
The two model homes are open to the public and can be accessed from Gate 3 off Happy Canyon Road, Monday through Saturday during normal business hours and Sundays from noon until 4 p.m.
“We get a lot of visitors from within the 80108 area, so come by and check us out,” encouraged Cassidy.
Note: The open space land west of Daniels Park Road is owned by the Castle Pines Tournament Company, LLC and is zoned primarily agricultural. There are currently no plans for development of this land.
Taller tower in The Village?
By Terri Wiebold; courtesy photo
Castle Pines Golf Club, Inc. has submitted a Planned Development (PD) amendment that would establish a GCCH Planning Area over the existing clubhouse and parking area. The amendment proposes to replace the existing observation tower (approximately 78 feet in height) at the clubhouse adjacent to Hummingbird Drive, with a new tower approximately 92 feet from grade (maximum of 110 feet). According to Mike Tobler of Civil Design Group, Inc., “The tower will increase in height, but the overall aesthetic of the tower will remain the same.” The amendment also allows for additions to the existing clubhouse to include a fitness center and wine cave.
Neighboring community referral comments are due by July 2, and the PD amendment will have both a Planning Commission and a Board of County Commissioners hearing. The applicant is required to provide both published and posted notice of those hearings when a date is given to them, although as of press time, these had not yet been scheduled.
To review the project, visit douglas.co.us and click on “Project Records Online” at the bottom of the landing page, then “Planning Project” (top search result) then scroll down to “Project Search” and then enter the “Project Number” ZR2018-012. Additional questions may be directed to Douglas County Principle Planner Matthew Jakubowski at mjakubow@douglas.co.us.
A tale of adversity turned into a vision, then action
Pictured above: Schweiger Ranch property – future home to Tall Tales Ranch.
Several years ago, Susan and Pat Mooney jumped in “boots” first to establish a safe and supportive community for adults challenged with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Thus began the story and growing reality of Tall Tales Ranch (TTR).
Their son, Ross, who is now 20 years old, was diagnosed at age 14 with an aggressive genetic disease that eventually would lead to death. Fortunately for the family, Ross received a bone marrow transplant that was successful at halting the advancement of the disease. “He does have an acquired brain injury,” stated his mom and dad. “We both realized he needed a higher level of support for his future. We have talked with many other families who are also concerned for their children who also have these disabilities.”
The Mooneys decided to take action and established TTR. Through dedication and hard work, they wanted to make sure their son and other children who reached adulthood and had special needs lived in a “home” – a real home with chores, activities, responsibilities, opportunities and pride. Working tirelessly, the Mooneys have come a long way not only by planning the physical ranch itself but also by educating the community about children and adults with intellectual and development disabilities. As Susan stated again and again – “celebrate don’t isolate.”
Susan, the executive director of TTR, exudes enthusiasm, strength and a positive and uplifting attitude. “The good news,” she smiled, “is that the tide is turning and there will be more options for children and adults in the future. Our core desire is to provide accommodations and programs for success, celebrate uniqueness and inclusiveness for everyone – we can all be together. Not only at the ranch, but throughout all communities.”
Speaking with one supporter of TTR, she stated, “We appreciate the recognition that individuals with special needs are getting now. When I was growing up, people with special needs were forgotten or pushed aside, but now they are starting to gain recognition in society. I am excited for the future with Tall Tales Ranch.” Another person said, “I feel good about the future of these children and adults. It makes me happy to see those who genuinely want to help.”
While the actual construction of TTR has not begun, it does have a permanent home on the Schweiger Ranch property in Lone Tree. The Schweiger Ranch Foundation donated the land to TTR. “It has been baby steps organizing, planning, fundraising and getting this dream off and ‘on’ the ground,” Mooney explained. “We are overwhelmed with happiness being able to establish the ranch on the Schweiger property.”
Lauren and Casey, who have been involved in Tall Tales programs, enjoying themselves at a fundraiser for the ranch that was held in June at the Lone Tree Hub.
Currently, Mooney and the board of TTR are working on the site improvement plan with the hope of presenting it to the Lone Tree building department by the end of 2018. If approved, the infrastructure for the ranch could possibly begin in 2019.
Until then, throw on your jeans, polish your belt buckle, grab your cowboy hat and jump into your boots for a rip-roaring jamboree celebrating difference and an all-inclusive community at the annual 2018 Tall Tales Ranch Hoedown fundraiser. Held on September 29, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at CU South Denver, do-si-do and swing your partner in support of a safe and loving home for special adults with needs. And, grinned Mooney, “We are planning to unveil the architectural drawings of the Tall Tales Ranch buildings and barn.”
For more information about Tall Tales Ranch, visit https://talltalesranch.org/ or www.facebook.com/Tall-Tales-Ranch-551202905002694/.
Author’s Note: I encourage you to please visit the Tall Tales Ranch website at https://talltalesranch.org/ and watch the video on the upper right. I hope it moves you as it did me – in a happy way.
Castle Pines begins move to a home rule community
By Daniel Williams; graphic courtesy of the City of Castle Pines
As local governance goes, the City of Castle Pines remains something of an anomaly in the metro Denver area, as it’s the only statutory community in all of Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson counties. But that distinction could be going away, as initial steps have begun for Castle Pines to switch to a home rule municipality, a move that would wrestle power away from state control and shift it locally.
“Home rule is important for our local citizens for a number of reasons,” said Michael Penny, city manager for the City of Castle Pines. He explained that home rule offers “more local control and protection of authority, broadens authority to enact laws not available to a statutory city, and allows a municipality to respond more quickly to local solutions rather than having the state legislature acting on behalf of municipalities.”
And home rule has a long history in the state. “In 1902, an amendment to the Colorado Constitution provided the right to citizens in cities of the first and second class to adopt home rule,” according to the Colorado Municipal League. In 1970, another amendment was added to Article XX of the Colorado Constitution, extending “the right to adopt home rule to the citizens of each municipality, regardless of population or when incorporated.”
Survey says ...
Earlier this year, the city began laying the groundwork for a move to a home rule municipality by surveying 541 registered voters who are likely to vote in the next election. Themes emerged from the survey. On the con side, respondents said they had a lack of information and understanding about home rule, they were misinformed about home rule in general, and they worried it would increase the size and cost of government. On the pro side, they said they preferred local control over state control, they trusted the City Council in place, and they want to be able to collect taxes.
Penny said tax collection remains one of the major sticking points for statutory municipalities. Under statutory rule, sales tax is paid and collected by the Colorado Department of Revenue, and the state can sit on those collections for up to 30 days, depriving the city of valuable dollars, according to Penny. “Under home rule, the city will be able to recover more tax revenues that are potentially diverted to other communities due to a lack of enforcement or audit by the state. One of the biggest benefits of local sales tax collection is that we can collect internet sales taxes that we are currently paying but are not coming back to the city,” he added.
City spokesperson Kristen Knoll said home rule has other benefits locally that will add to the overall community vision, including “better control over land use and zoning, and code enforcement matters.” Knoll agreed these might not sound like sexy topics, but they will give the community the ability to enact land use laws beyond what is allowed in the state statute and allow more local say-so on matters such as construction defects and planned unit developments. Penny also added that, “state constitutional items like TABOR and voting on all taxes still trump a home rule charter.”
“One of the best things about home rule,” Knoll said, “Is that the local citizens have the ability to tailor our charter to meet our unique circumstances and preferences. Right now, through our community engagement efforts, we’re asking community members what they want in a community, what they love about Castle Pines and what would they want to see it become.” With home rule, she said, the community can make those choices.
The public is invited to attend a presentation at the City Council study session on July 10 at 5 p.m. (first reading - no public comment), and again on July 24 (second reading - public hearing), at which time City Council may refer this measure for the November ballot. The presentation will also be video streamed and recorded for those unable to attend. Residents are encouraged to participate and get engaged in the process.
Douglas County Stage 1 Fire Restrictions in Place
Per Douglas County, the ordinance restricts open fires, open burning of any kind and the use of fireworks. Allowable activities include: Fires within liquid-fueled or gas-fueled stoves, fireplaces within buildings, charcoal grill fires within developed residential or commercial areas, and fires within wood burning stoves within buildings only.
Professional fireworks displays that are permitted according to section 12-28-103 of the C.R.S. are permitted, as well as fire suppression or fire department training fires.
Small recreational fires at developed picnic or campground sites contained in fixed permanent metal/steel fire pits (rock fire rings are considered temporary and not permanent) with flame lengths not in excess of four feet are allowed; and the residential use of charcoal grills, tiki torches, fires in chimineas, or other portable fireplaces or patio fire pits are also permitted, so long as said fires are supervised by a responsible person at least 18 years of age.
Violation of these fire restrictions is a Class-2 Petty Offense, punishable by up to a $1,000 fine and a $10 surcharge. Additional/updated information on fire restrictions stages can be found at the Douglas County Emergency Management website, www.dcsheriff.net/emergencymanagement/fire-restrictions/.
The goats are ‘baaa’ck
Caption and photos by Daniel Williams
The goats have returned to Castle Pines. Five local neighborhoods – PineRidge, HOA1, The Estates at Buffalo Ridge, The Retreat and Glen Oaks – have partnered with South Metro Fire Rescue and local businesses to use more than 300 goats from Goat Green, Inc. as part of an energy-efficient fire mitigation program. The goats will help reduce fire risks by grazing on more than 40 acres this summer and will be in the area for about 40 days.
Challenge, Overcome, Persevere, Succeed
COPS Camp teens work together to complete team building challenges.
Article and photo by Catalin Varela
Leadership and teamwork are the most important qualities to foster in the teens who are pioneering the future. This is what Commander Sam Varela of the Castle Rock Police Department thought when he started COPS Camp almost nine years ago. In fact, the catalyst for the camp was when a group of sworn officers realized that some of their various skills would not only be very useful, but also really fun for young adults to learn. As Varela put it, “The value of the program is getting young adults outside their comfort zone. Current American culture is such that many of us can be raised in an environment that doesn’t create challenge.”
Camp goers spend the week working with their peers in team building exercises, learning basic climbing knots, rappelling techniques, land navigation, and many more skills. One 80108 teen who is actively involved in the camp said “It is a great experience for kids who want a little bit of adventure and are looking for something different to do over the summer.”
She was also quick to mention “I had a blast my first time and that is why I have continued to do it for the past three years and had the honor of being an assistant instructor last summer. I always look forward to it; it is the highlight of my summer!”
This annual camp will take place on July 30 through August 2. Led by Castle Rock Police Department officers, teens ages 13 to 17 not only learn the priceless skills of leadership and teamwork, but spend a week developing close relationships with the officers. Overall, it is a rewarding experience for both the teens and officers alike.
To secure a spot in COPS Camp, visit their website at www.crgov.com/1770/COPS-Camp.
Big winners at 22nd Annual Rotary Club Ducky Derby
Castle Rock Rotary Club member Gordon Allott (left) and Ducky Derby visitor Richard West (right).
Article and photo by Elizabeth Wood West; photo courtesy of Rich Bangs
There were three cash prize winners at the 22nd Annual Rotary Club Ducky Derby event in June. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Castle Rock, High Noon Rotary Club of Castle Rock and Castle Pines Rotary Club at Festival Park in downtown Castle Rock, the ever-popular family-fun street festival centered on the launching of nearly 10,000 rubber duckies (each one sponsored by an anxious Ducky Derby ticket holder) into East Plum Creek and a race to the finish line. The winner of the $2,000 cash prize was Kristina Rourke, the $750 cash prize winner was Chris Bellino, and the $250 cash prize winner was Henry Bruce. Ducky Derby featured live entertainment, food and beverage vendors, crafts and other business vendors, silent auction, and a children’s coloring contest.
Proceeds from Ducky Derby are distributed to local Douglas County nonprofit organizations; this year’s recipients include Douglas/Elbert Task Force, Castle Rock Senior Center, Colorado HorsePower, Sky Cliff Center, Crisis Center, Wellspring Community, student scholarships, youth leadership training, and Boy Scouts of America projects. Early estimates indicate that between $40,000 to $50,000 was raised from this year’s event. For more information about Rotary Club of Castle Rock, visit www.rotaryclubofcastlerock.org.
Approximately 10,000 rubber duckies raced to the finish line in East Plum Creek during the 22nd Annual Ducky Derby in downtown Castle Rock.
Christmas cool with cozy cocoa cookies
Whole Foods coming to Castle Rock
Election Results Official
Delivering holiday cheer via the mail
Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) available for individuals and families
Castle Pines Chamber of Commerce welcomes Tina Hansen
Navigating resources on THE CONNECTION website
A special Thank you to our 2018 business partners
New board members join Douglas County Community Foundation
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7437 Village Square Drive, Suite 220, Castle Pines, CO 80108 | 303-785-6520
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Catalan Government
Articles tagged with: Catalan Government
The CiU proposes an independent Catalan state within the EU by 2020
The Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU) presented its electoral programme for the next Catalan elections, to be held on the 25th of November. CiU’s leader and incumbent President of the Catalan Government – who is running for...
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World pioneering technique developed by a Catalan hospital removes two tumours without surgery
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Catalan chemists go on strike because of public payment delays
Chemists in Catalonia had called to go on strike on Thursday because the Catalan Government owed them two payments for publicly funded drugs. According to the Catalan Government, the payments were delayed as they depended on receiving the funds...
The Catalan President accuses the Spanish Prime Minister of imposing his views instead of negotiating
The Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, had previously accused the President of the Catalan Government, Artur Mas, of having blackmailed him by trying to “impose the fiscal agreement or accept the consequences” in last September’s...
The Catalan Government accuses the Spanish Executive of invading competences and duplicating rules and services
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Judges will not have to know Catalan to work in Catalonia states the Constitutional Court
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The PP excludes any referendum and one of its leaders proposes “facing” Catalan independence as ETA
The day the United Kingdom and Scotland signed the agreement to organise the Scottish independence referendum in 2014, the Spanish Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, states that the Spanish Government will not agree to organise or even...
The Catalan Government’s will finally request €5.43 billion from the Spanish Government’s Liquidity Fund
The Catalan Government increased the amount initially requested from the Spanish Government Liquidity Fund for the Autonomous Communities (FLA) adding €410 more million in order to include payments to service providers and local councils. The...
74% of Catalan citizens are in favour of holding an independence referendum in Catalonia
A poll taken by the Catalan Survey Institute points out that only 19.9% of Catalans would be against organising a referendum asking if Catalonia should be a new independent European state. 6% would be undecided. The poll also reflects electoral...
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Predestination Review
I love being surprised by films in the early part of the year. January and February, as we know, is where films get dumped when the companies think they’ve got a stinker and maybe it’ll make a small splash, where any other time of year, it would die a horrible death. But then, every once in a while, you get a sleeper film that’s above the rest of the usual fare this time of year. Amazingly, I’m going to talk about the SECOND surprise of January.
Yes, Predestination is one of those pleasant surprises. It’s even more surprising because it’s a science fiction film that has time travel as it’s subject. Most people get time travel wrong, or they simply leave gaping holes in their plots and they fall apart. But Predestination has the benefit of being based on a short story by the legendary Robert Heinlein. Pretty solid bones to be working from.
Ethan Hawke plays a Temporal Agent that has spent some 30 years preventing serious crimes from happening through various points in history. Now, as his last mission, he must pursue the one criminal that has eluded him throughout time.
Predestination is directed by The Spierig Brothers (Michael and Peter) who also made Daybreakers, which was an interesting idea that I felt didn’t pan out. But they’ve easily shown what they’re capable of with this film. The Spierig Brothers also wrote this screenplay, based on the short story by Heinlein. It’s funny, I love science fiction, but had not ever heard of the short story this was based on, called “All You Zombies”. (If you haven’t read that short story, I’d wait to read it after you see the film because of spoilers.)
So, after seeing Predestination and then reading about it, I found the short story and read that. In doing so, I came to an opinion that is pretty rare for me. As great as the story is, The Spierig Brothers fleshed it out and actually improved upon the original. Oh, it’s basically the same, but these guys managed to add some great material to deftly create a rich narrative that adds depth and accentuates the emotional aspects of the story.
Predestination also stars Sarah Snook who’s absolutely stellar in this. She’s relatively new, having only been really active since about 2009. But she is, well, just amazing here. And she has so much to work with. Hawke is really great, too, as well as Noah Taylor and the rest of the cast.
So, as I’ve said, Predestination certainly has a compelling emotional story. But it also manages to keep it’s science fiction elements in check. They stick to their rules about time travel and when all is said and done, all the pieces seem to fit together without any glaring flaws. And they give you all the information you need to follow the film to its’ conclusion. I don’t know if you’ll see where it’s going early on, but even if you do, you’ll have fun getting there.
I really like Predestination. Such an unexpectedly enjoyable surprise for a sci-fi film. I’m lavishing a solid four kittenhands on this. Definitely recommend it. I mean, how watchable could Mortdecai really be? Ack.
~ Neil T. Weakley, your average movie-goer, liking Ethan Hawke a lot more than Johnny Depp these days.
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You Are Here: Home → 2016 → March → Reginald Massey’s Book Page: The Lady And The Generals
Reginald Massey’s Book Page: The Lady And The Generals
Author March 12, 2016 Aung San Suu Kyi, Burma, Peter Popham, The lady and the generals
Burma is almost a forgotten country for many reasons. It is comparatively small with a population of about 54 million. For decades the army has kept it in isolation in order to keep the people in its iron grip and the world at large has simply ignored the existence of the country. For example, few know that the Indian states of Manipur and Assam were once under Burma’s hegemony before the British acquired them by force of arms and made them parts of British India. What Indians do know is that the senile Mughal Bahadur Shah II was exiled to Burma where he died in penury. At one time hard Burmese teak was greatly valued by makers of expensive furniture as were high quality blood red rubies.
The East India Company was too busy in Bengal and other parts of India and only as late as 1824 did it turn its attention to Burma. There were three Anglo-Burmese wars and in 1886 Lord Dufferin annexed the country and sent King Thibaw and his wife Supayalat into exile in India. They were deported to Ratnagiri, by the Arabian Sea, where they too died in poverty. Note the irony. The last Mughal emperor of India died in Rangoon and the last king of Burma died in Ratnagiri. The proconsuls of empires were more rapacious than the emperors they served.
In 1897 Burma was incorporated into British India. It became a province under a British governor. However, it was often dubbed ‘the Scottish colony’ because of the number of Scots who manned the administration. The beauty of Burmese women impressed the white men and many married Burmese girls. Thus emerged the Anglo-Burmese, an important component of educated Burmese society. Lord Dufferin himself was impressed with the natural grace of Burmese women as was Kipling, the great poet of empire. Kipling writes that when he was in Rangoon he instantly fell insanely in love with a Burmese girl. Later in his best known poem Mandalay he describes her charms in the demotic language of an ordinary British soldier who is sick and tired of the filth and fog and the cold of London and remembers his beloved in a distant greener, cleaner land on the road to Mandalay.
This introduction to Burma has been provided as a background to Peter Popham’s latest book The Lady and the Generals: Aung San Suu Kyi and Burma’s Struggle for Freedom (Penguin Random House: ISBN 9781846043710) which honestly details the life of the Nobel prizewinner who has suffered for her people with poise and
immense dignity. Her father was General Aung San, a former near-communist student leader against British rule, who actually joined the Japanese when they occupied Burma. However, he soon realized that the Empire of Japan was more repressive than the British Empire. I have read what Field Marshal Lord Slim who led the 14th Army (‘The Forgotten Army’) had to say about Aung San. (My father fought on the British side against the Japanese in Burma).
Aung San was a man of great potential. He made an agreement with the British Prime Minister Attlee and the UK agreed to grant Burma independence on its own and not as a part of the India – Pakistan deal. Aung San, essentially a fervent nationalist, was aware that Burma (a Buddhist country) was not a part of India nor Pakistan. Unfortunately there then descended dissensions in Burma, too long to detail here. Aung San and many of his colleagues were assassinated in cold blood. To stem disintegration military juntas took charge and even today though the country has a functioning parliament it is the army that has the last word. The current President Thein Sein is a former general who is very slowly, initiating reforms.
To placate the people of Burma the dictators sent Suu Kyi’s mother to India as ambassador. After graduating from Delhi University Suu Kyi went to Oxford where she married Dr Michael Aris, a scholar of Tibetan culture. My friend Rehana Hyder was there at the time and often met Suu Kyi and Benazir Bhutto. Both women made a great impression on Rehana. It is refreshing to know that thanks to writers such as Peter Popham, Burma is now at last, being noticed by the international media. This is chiefly because of the immense respect that Suu Kyi commands throughout the world.
However she has problems within Burma itself. Though her National League for Democracy won a landslide victory last November the military will not permit her to stand for the presidency because she married a foreigner and both her sons are UK citizens. However, she will lead the country from the sidelines. Her close aide Htin Kyaw is very likely to become president.
Burma is beset with several problems. The ethnic minorities such as the Chins, the Shans, the Kachins and the Karens are restless.
Above all, there is the problem of dealing with the fascist Buddhist brotherhood who are intent on ridding the country of all Muslims, especially those on the Arakan coast. Buddhism, a belief based on compassion, does not permit genocide. And Suu Kyi, a devout Buddhist, will have to confront the mad monks who are as diabolical as the mad mullahs.
R eginald Massey has been writing a regular Book Page for CONFLUENCE for years. His poetry and prose on a variety of subjects have been widely published. Most of his books are available from Amazon UK.
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ABHAY K’s CAPITALS: A POETRY ANTHOLOGY
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Browse Published Resources - R
Browse Published Resources
Rains, Kevin, Cedars of the west : the Ah Foo family story, Chinese Heritage in Northern Australia Inc, North Melbourne, Victoria, 2011. Details
Rains, Kevin, Webs of association: Examining the overeseas Chinese social landscape of early Cooktown, Chinese Southern Diaspora Studies, Special issue: 'Sources, Languages and Approaches in Chinese Australian History' edited by Bagnall, Kate and Couchman, Sophie, vol. 6, 2013, 25-44 pp, http://www.chl.anu.edu.au/publications/csds/csds2013/csds2013_05.pdf. Details
Rankine, Wendy, 'From Nauru to nowhere: Pacific Island Chinese evacuee workers in Central Australian wolfram mines, 1942-43', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 152-160. Details
Rannard, Ian, The Forgotten Gardens: The Story of the Last Market Gardens in Willoughby and Northbridge, NSW, Parker Pattinson Publishing, Douglas Park, New South Wales, 2005. Details
Rasmussen, Amanda, 'Networks and negotiations: Bendigo's Chinese and the Easter fair', Journal of Australian Colonial History, vol. 6, 2004, pp. 79-92. Details
Rasmussen, Amanda, 'The rise of Labor: A Chinese-Australian participates in Bendigo local politics at a formative moment, 1904-1905', Journal of Chinese Overseas, vol. 9, no. 2, 2013, pp. 245-271. Details
Read, Peter (ed.), Darwin life 1870-1940 : spoken, written and photographed by those who took part, A Social History of the Northern Territory, vol. 6, Professional Services Branch, N.T. Department of Education, Darwin, 1979. Details
Read, Peter, 'Aborigines, Chinese and the Bicentennial: The Inverell District Bicentennial Memorial', in Penny Edwards and Yuanfang Shen (eds), Lost in Whitewash: Aboriginal-Chinese Encounters from Federation to Reconciliation, Humanities Research Centre, Australian National University, Canberra, 2003, pp. 125-134. Details
'Reaney Wong on the abacus', The Sun, 26 February 1964, p. 5. Details
'A red letter day at Liverpool Asylum [illustrated montage]', Illustrated Sydney News, 14 August, p. 16. Details
Reeder, Warwick, 'The democratic image: The carte-de-visite photograph in Australia 1859-1874', Mlit, 1995. Details
Rees, Mary, 'Nellie (Shu Ack Chan) Fong', Journal of Northern Territory History, no. 6, 1995, pp. 45-51. Details
Reeves, Keir, 'Chinese Anti-Poll Tax', in eGold: Electronic Encyclopedia of Gold in Australia, http://www.egold.net.au/biogs/EG00220b.htm. Details
Reeves, Keir, 'Jacjung, Lee Heng', in eGold: Electronic Encyclopedia of Gold in Australia, http://www.egold.net.au/biogs/EG00220b.htm. Details
Reeves, Keir, 'The Chinese in central Victoria', in eGold: Electronic Encyclopedia of Gold in Australia, http://www.egold.net.au/biogs/EG00193b.htm. Details
Reeves, Keir, 'Historical neglect of an enduring Chinese community', Traffic, no. 3, 2003, pp. 53-77. Details
Reeves, Keir, 'A songster, a sketcher and the Chinese on central Victoria's Mount Alexander diggings: Case studies in cultural complexity during the second half of the nineteenth century', Journal of Australian Colonial History, vol. 6, 2004, pp. 175-192. Details
Reid, John & Chisholm, John, Ballarat Golden City: A Pictorial History, Joval Publications, Bacchus Marsh, Victoria, 1989. Details
Rendell, Margaret,, 'The Chinese in South Australia and the Northern Territory in the nineteenth century: A study of the social, economic and legislative attitudes adoped towards the Chinese in the colony', MA thesis, University of Adelaide, 1952. Details
Reynolds, Barrie, Grimwade, Gordon, Knight, Ralph, Report on Atherton Chinatown, Northern Queensland, vols 1, 2, 3, 4, Report to National Trust of Queensland, Material Culture Unit, James Cook University of North Queensland Townsville, 1987-1986. Details
Reynolds, Henry, North of Capricorn: The Untold Story of Australia's North, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW, 2003. Details
Riddett, Lyn, 'On the ouside gazing in: European settler impressions of the Chinese community in Darwin - The first sixty years', in Glenys Dimond (ed.), Sweet and Sour: Experiences of Chinese Families in the Northern Territory, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Darwin, 1996, pp. 22-24. Details
'Robert Fun Yet, a familiar figure in the Creswick district. He is probably the last survivor [with photograph]', Sun [Victoria], 21 October 1922. Details
Roberts, Claire, Evolution and Revolution: Chinese Dress 1700s-1900s, Powerhouse Publishing, Haymarket, Sydney, NSW, 1997. Details
Roberts, Mark, 'Hostile welcome for Chinese men', Examiner Express, 23 August 1980. Details
Rogers, J.G., Jericho on theJordan: A Gippsland Goldfield History, J.G. Rogers, Moe, Victoria, 1997. Details
Rolls, Eric, Egge, John (c. 1830 - 1901), Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 1-14, Melbourne University Press, Melbourne, 114-115 pp, http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/AS10144b.htm. Details
Rolls, Eric, 'The erratic communication between Australia and China', in Northern Territory Library Service Occasional Papers, Northern Territory Library Service, Darwin, 1990. Details
Rolls, Eric, Sojourners: The Epic Story of China's Centuries-old Relationship with Australia; Flowers and the Wide Sea, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, Queensland, 1992. Details
Rolls, Eric, 'The flow of life: Doctors and herbalists', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 7-14. Details
Rolls, Eric, Citizens: Flowers and the Wide Sea; Continuing the Epic Story of China's Centuries-old Relationship with Australia, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, Brisbane, 1996. Details
Rootes, Trevor, 'Miners of the North-East', 40 [Degrees] South: Tasmania and Beyond, vol. 37, 2005, pp. 42-43. Details
Rowse, Gregory, ''Towards a methodology of class, race and ethnicity'', BA (hons) Thesis, School of History, Philosophy and Politics, Macquarie University, 1985. Details
Rubenstein, Kim, 'The influence of Chinese immigration on Australian citizenship', After the Rush: Regulation, Participation and Chinese Communities in Australia 1860-1940 (Otherland Literary Journal), vol. 9, 2004, pp. 21-34. Details
Chun Yut, http://arrow.latrobe.edu.au/store/3/4/5/5/1/public/chun_yut.htm. Details
Rule, Pauline, 'A tale of three sisters: Australian-Chinese marriages in colonial Victoria', in Kee Pookong, Ho Chooi-hon, Paul Macgregor & Gary Presland (ed.), Chinese in Oceania, Association for the Study of the Chinese and their Descendants in Australasia and the Pacific Islands; Chinese Museum; Centre for Asia-Pacific Studies, Victoria University of Technology, Melbourne, 2002, pp. 65-76. Details
Rule, Pauline, 'The Chinese camps in colonial Victoria: Their role as contact zones', After the Rush: Regulation, Participation and Chinese Communities in Australia 1860-1940 (Otherland Literary Journal), vol. 9, 2004, pp. 119-132. Details
Rule, Pauline, 'The transformative effect of Australian experience on the life of Ho A Mei, 1838-1901, Hong Kong community leader and entrepreneur', Journal of Chinese Overseas, vol. 9, no. 2, 2013, pp. 107-134. Details
Russell, Bruce, Mongarlowe and the Little River Goldfields, Braidwood and District Historical Society, Braidwood, 1989. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'Chinese immigration into the Colony of Western Australia: From a loose controlled system to prohibitive legislative control 1870-1901', BA (hons) Thesis, Department of History, University of Western Australia, 1983. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'A comment on historical source materials held in WA relating to Chinese emigration to Western Australia', in Symposium on the History of Chinese Emigration, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 14-17 December 1984. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'A study of the origins and development of Chinese immigration into Western Australia: the Colonial recruitment system and its effects on the Chinese from different dialect groups, as evidenced in the areas of law, morbidity and morality 1880-1901', PhD thesis, Department of History, University of Western Australia, 1989. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'Chinese burials in Western Australia in the nineteenth century', Studies in Western Australian History, vol. XII, University of Western Australian Press, 1991, pp. 8-16. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'Book review: Eric Rolls, The epic story of China's centuries old relationships with Australia', Australian Historical Studies, vol. 101, October. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'Humour and exclusions: The press and Chinese minorities in nineteenth century Western Australia. The history of the Western Australian Press', Studies in Western Australian History, vol. XV, University of Western Australian Press, 1994. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'Australia and its links with Chinese emigration in the nineteenth century', Journal of Australian Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, 1994. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'It's a crime! Chinese immigrants and the law in Western Australia', in P. Macgregor (ed.), Histories of the Chinese in Australasia and the South Pacific, Museum of Chinese Australian History, Melbourne, 1995, pp. 341-353. Details
Ryan, Jan (ed.), Chinese in Australia and New Zealand: A Multidisciplinary Approach, Wiley Eastern Ltd, New Delhi, London, 1995. Details
Ryan, Jan, Ancestors: Chinese in Colonial Australia, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, Fremantle, WA, 1995. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'Multiculturalism and the histories of the nation: Chinese Australian history', in W. Hudson & G. Bolton (ed.), Reinterpreting Australian History, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 1996. Details
Ryan, Jan, 'No man's land: Conflicting allegiances of Malaysian Chinese women in Australia', in C. Longe (ed.), Ethnicity and Citizenship, University of Western Australia Press, Nedlands, 1996. Details
Ryan, Jan, Chinese Women and the Global Village: An Australian Site, University of Queensland Press, Brisbane, 2003. Details
Ryan, Jan & Harris, Karen, 'Chinese immigration to Australia and South Africa: A comparative analysis of legislative control', in E. Sin (ed.), The Last Half Century of Chinese Overseas, Hong Kong Press, Hong Kong, 1996. Details
Ryan, Kelly, 'Olive's eyes keep smiling', Moorabin Standard News, 1 February 1984, p. 7. Details
http://www.chia.chinesemuseum.com.au/bib/br_r_bib.htm
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Clayton Barr MP / Speeches / Workers Compensation Amendment Bill 2015 State Insurance and Care Governance Bill 2015 (second reading)
Workers Compensation Amendment Bill 2015 State Insurance and Care Governance Bill 2015 (second reading)
I lead for the Opposition in debate on the Workers Compensation Amendment Bill 2015 and the cognate State Insurance and Care Governance Bill 2015. I outline from the start that there is some bipartisan support for, and even some suggested further improvements to, the Workers Compensation Amendment Bill 2015. I further outline that the Opposition is opposed to the State Insurance and Care Governance Bill 2015 in its current form. I have sought advice from the Clerk about having the bills declared no longer cognate and putting the questions separately at the end of the second reading debate, and I hereby give notice that I will seek to do that at that time. I have informed the Leader of the House and the Minister with responsibility for the bills of my intentions in that regard.
Specifically with regard to the State Insurance and Care Governance Bill 2015, while we are not opposed to the restructure of the New South Wales WorkCover Authority or to the categories and alignment that the Minister has arrived at, we oppose the formation of the Insurance and Care NSW body inasmuch as it seeks to abolish the independence and autonomy of a number of bodies, in particular the board of the Workers’ Compensation Dust Diseases Board. In the State Insurance and Care Governance Bill 2015 we are also opposed to the perplexing prospect of some staff—not all staff, but some staff—being excluded from employment as public sector employees under the Government Sector Employment Act 2013.
To that end, I pay tribute to the Minister and his staffer Audrey for taking the time to discuss with me last week the confusion that many in our community, in this Parliament and in the media may have about who exactly constitutes the Workers’ Compensation Dust Diseases Board. The Minister issued a release on 5 August clarifying exactly that. He also provided a current organisation chart, which I recommend that members examine prior to contributing to the debate. Two bodies with almost identical names sit side by side. One is called the Workers’ Compensation Dust Diseases Board and the other is called the board of the Workers’ Compensation Dust Diseases Board. In those names we find much confusion.
There have been media announcements, advertisements and coverage trying to reassure those employed under the Workers’ Compensation Dust Diseases Board—those who largely administer, deal with and implement the decisions of the board of the Workers’ Compensation Dust Diseases Board—that the administrative arm of the Workers’ Compensation Dust Diseases Board will in future be called the Dust Diseases Authority and that they will continue to be employed and exercise their obligations as they do now. Our concern is not at all with those people and the assurances they have been given about the longevity of their future employment other than the fact that they will not be employed as public sector workers. Our deep concern is with the removal of the autonomy and independence of the second body, which is known as the board of the Workers’ Compensation Dust Diseases Board.
The current structure of that board is: an independent chair, who is currently the chief executive officer of WorkCover; three representatives from employer groups; and three representatives from employee groups. This group is often referred to as being tripartite and it currently makes decisions at the pointy end of a person’s claim for compensation for dust disease injury in the workplace. I hope I have clarified that for some people and, at the very least, helped people to understand that there are two bodies with almost identical names. We need to take care about what we say each time we refer to those groups. I hope also that I have clarified the Opposition’s position at the outset of my contribution.
What we have today is something of a road to Damascus moment for the Coalition Government. The New South Wales Coalition Government realised in the lead-up to the 2015 election that it had created a real electoral problem with its 2012 workers compensation reforms. The problem created by the 2012 reforms was not news to anyone who had been listening and watching this space for the 2½ years prior to the 2015 election. In fact, as a local member of Parliament I have had some of the most emotional and gut-wrenching conversations with grown men and women who have been impacted by these terrible and draconian 2012 measures.
I have spoken to injured workers from across the Cessnock electorate about their many and varied losses as a result of their workplace injury and the subsequent 2012 reforms. They spoke about the complete loss of self-esteem and self-confidence, about their loss of identity and their social network, about their loss of mental and physical health, about their financial losses and, in many instances, about the loss of their family home. They spoke about the loss of their husband or wife due to the stress and strain, and the subsequent loss of contact with their children. Finally, chillingly, they spoke to me about the loss of their will to live and about the idea that death is more appealing than living with their injury and the 2012 legislation. From this authentic and genuine reality—my reality—I declare the Government’s current proposition that it is interested in placing “the customer and their needs at the centre of decisions, not at the end” is complete and utter rubbish.
From the outset, let us be clear: An injured worker is not a customer. Whichever moron thought of that term, proposed that term, approved that term and implemented that term needs to find themselves a role as a fencing contractor way out in western New South Wales, because they have as much empathy and human compassion as a fencepost and should not be working in public policy. There could not be a more insulting term than to refer to an injured worker as a “customer”. These people do not choose to be injured; they do not choose to have their lives irreversibly altered for the worse. They do not choose to lose their husband, wife, children or life as they know it. I wonder who could have come up with the term “customer”. I wonder what that person would make of a worker killed at work. Would they be another “customer”—a “customer” of death?
I make no apology if the person responsible for the term “customer” finds my words insulting or demeaning. That person had a choice; injured workers did not have that choice. Injured workers did not have the choice that this individual had. The use of the term “customer” shows just how little this Government understands and cares about injured workers. The Government, from Premier Mike Baird and Minister Perrottet down, should be entirely ashamed that it ever used this term and it should cease and desist immediately. I ask those sitting on the Government benches preparing to contribute to this debate to refuse to refer to injured workers as “customers”. It is heartless and it is stupid.
I turn now to comments made by the Minister in his second reading speech. In particular, I refer to the imaginary $4.1 billion deficit. In 2012 it was put to the community that there was a projected $4.1 billion deficit in the workers compensation scheme. This figure, or projection, was subsequently debunked by all and sundry as extreme and irrational. Even the actuarial report that arrived at the $4.1 billion figure acknowledged that to arrive at that point investments would have to do a number of things: They would have to stay at the record low levels of the global financial crisis, every injury would have to be realised at the worst-case scenario, and every worker’s lifespan and draw down on the fund would have to be at or greater than average life expectancy. That is how the Government arrived at the figure of a $4.1 billion deficit. In other words, the actuarial report was asked to dig down to the lowest level—to the worst-case scenario—ignoring the global norms of recovery following the global financial crisis and disregarding any other realities of life expectancy and recovery from injury. That is how we got the $4.1 billion figure. It was the disastrous and frightening figure that the Government wanted.
The Government claims to be transparent, honest, open and up-front with people. But it sought, paid for and reported an actuarial assessment that was the complete opposite of those very same qualities. It is now time to be honest. Having done that in 2012, one might have thought the Government would subsequently move on and leave those types of $4.1 billion skeletons and misleading assumptions in the past. Surely the announcement about the changes and improvements to be made in the bill we are debating today—be it electorally convenient or otherwise—is the time to recognise the error of its ways and move on. Again, I am surprised at Premier Mike Baird: He could have sought to distance himself from the methodology and ethos of the O’Farrell period by not allowing this nonsense to continue.
Even as the legislation was being introduced back in 2012, investment returns on the workers compensation scheme were improving. There was never a need for such knee-jerk reactions. There was never any genuine need to increase premiums by 28 per cent, as put forward by the Government. Let us take a moment to be honest about the infamous and threatening claim of a 28 per cent increase, which “would also put at risk 12,000 jobs”. The 28 per cent increase would have been 28 per cent of an approximate 2 per cent premium at the time. It would have increased premiums from 2 per cent to 2.56 per cent. Had we been honest with people—the worst-case scenario was that premiums would change from 2 per cent to 2.56 per cent—then the alarm in the community, in the industry and across employer groups would have been nowhere near as bad as the alarm the Government sought to evoke. Hence we were dealt the hand that there would be a 28 per cent increase.
My point is not that a rise in premiums would have been a good thing; I do not stand here and make that claim. It is quite the opposite: My point is that the rise in premiums would have been either not needed at all or far more modest and very short term if required. In fact, some people argue that if nothing had been done in 2012 the scheme would have been back in balance and even in surplus by today. I will leave that argument to the actuaries. These were the alternatives the Government had back in 2012 that it never discussed or shared with the community. It could have done things so differently back them. It did not need to create fear and hysteria. It did not need to destroy people’s lives. It did not need to cruel businesses with massive increases in premiums. It did not need to be dishonest or manipulative with the community. It did not need to strip conditions from injured workers—conditions that we stand here today to in part repair.
I will clarify what I mean by the phrase “in part repair”. In 2012 in essence the workers compensation scheme took five steps backwards. The bill before the House today takes one step forwards—we might argue that it takes two steps forwards. But in no way are we going to recover the ground lost in 2012. I refer to all that history because it anchors the detail of the 2012 reforms, and this House and people in the public gallery need to be aware of it. It sheds some light on the commentary from the Minister in his second reading speech, and on the soon-to-come scripted contributions from Government members. In his speech the Minister referred again to the constructed and manipulated conditions that were used to develop the $4.1 billion figure that was then used as a prompt for the draconian 2012 workers compensation changes. I am not suggesting that the Minister called the figures constructed or manipulated; but he would have been correct if he had done so.
The Workers Compensation Amendment Bill 2015 will make some positive changes to the plight of injured workers and their families. It will amend the limitation of payments and provision for medical and related treatments insomuch as they will no longer apply to crutches, artificial aids, home or vehicle modifications or secondary surgery. The limitations will no longer apply to a worker with a 21 per cent to 30 per cent permanent impairment. The limitations will be changed from 12 months to two years for workers with a less than 10 per cent impediment and from 12 months to five years for workers with an 11 per cent to 20 per cent impediment. Some other positive changes in the bill relate to the scheme for the payment of weekly compensation to injured workers during periods of incapacity. A worker who receives an injury in the lead-up to retirement will be eligible for payments for 12 months after reaching the retirement age of 65.
I want to talk for a moment about a worker I met on the Central Coast. He was 64½ years old when he suffered an injury at work. At 65 his compensation payments ceased. I was sitting in a room with him and a dozen other people who were all talking about their plights. No journey was worse than any other; they were just different. This man made a salient point about the value of a worker at the age of 64, 64½ or 64¾ and whether their work was any more or less important to the business or firm for which they worked. He also made the revelation, which was alarming to me, that had he chosen to work beyond retirement age—which for him was 65—he believed he would have been dealt with differently and would have been able to obtain workers compensation for a period of two years. As a 64½-year-old he received six months of workers compensation; if he had been 65 years and one day at the time of injury he would have received two years compensation. I appreciate that in some way this bill will address that issue.
I return to other positive changes in this bill with respect to weekly compensation. A worker with an injury assessed at more than 20 per cent impairment will no longer be required to complete 15 hours of paid work to meet the standard for weekly compensation payments. The minimum weekly amount a worker with more than 30 per cent impairment will be paid will now be $788.32, indexed twice per year. Regulations pertaining to the method of calculating a person’s pre-injury weekly earnings will be changed, and variations will be permissible. That is fantastic. Paid legal advice will be accessible to injured workers who seek to challenge a work capacity decision. A work capacity decision happens at the tail of this process. Labor would have liked that paid legal advice was made available earlier than that but we take on board that this is part of the improvements in the bill.
A reviewable work capacity decision will operate to stay the decision if an application for review is made within 30 days. At the moment, when a person seeks to review a work capacity decision their compensation is immediately stopped and they do not receive payments during the time they are objecting to or appealing the decision on work capacity. The change in this regard is another good improvement. Amendments will be made to clarify the effect of a review of work capacity.
The Labor Opposition stands with the Government in respect to elements of these cognate bills, particularly the Workers Compensation Amendment Bill 2015. We find common ground. The amendments do not go as far as we would want but they represent improvements for injured workers of New South Wales. I reiterate that we support and congratulate the Minister on these improvements. Dependent on whether or not the cognate bills can be split further down the track, it might be suggested that we do not support the changes made by the Minister. I indicate that we do support the changes, particularly around workers compensation.
Further improvements in this bill include: payments of up to $1,000 to assist an injured worker to gain employment with a new employer; payments of up to $8,000 for the cost of educating or retraining an injured worker for a new career path; lump sum compensation for permanent impairment, indexed annually; lump sum compensation for the death of a worker to be increased from $524,000 to $750,000, which is a significant improvement but a point I will come back to; and an increase in funeral expenses payable following the death of a worker from $9,000 to $15,000. It is important to realise that approximately 100 worker deaths occur each year in New South Wales. So when we talk about compensation relating to the death of a worker, we need to understand that the multiplier is about 100.
I readily acknowledge at this point, as I have previously in my contribution to this debate, that some of the changes in the legislation are very good and will be welcomed by injured workers in New South Wales. The Government is to be congratulated. Examples in this regard include the lump sum payment for deaths and funerals. However, I point out that with average house prices in Sydney at around $1 million, a lump sum payment of less than $1 million would not provide certainty for surviving family members—a spouse and children—of a roof over their heads.
The bill proposes a $226,000 increase in the lump sum compensation payable in respect of the death of a worker. Given that there is an average of 100 deaths of workers per year in New South Wales, this improvement will come at a cost to the scheme of $22.6 million. The scheme currently has surplus funds well in excess of $2.6 billion, so $22.6 million is quite modest. Increasing the death benefit lump sum payment to $1 million would cost the scheme, on average, just $25 million more per annum. Surely this is worthy of consideration given the enormous difference it would make to families who have suffered the ultimate workplace injury.
I also acknowledge that some of the changes in the legislation are akin to putting lipstick on a pig and would not be necessary if the Government had taken different policy positions. For example, the fact that the Workers Compensation Scheme will now provide $8,000 for retraining injured workers under the ridiculous Smart and Skilled—or dumb and dumber—TAFE approach offered by this Government must be incredibly frustrating to employers, the payers of workers compensation premiums. This cross-subsidisation would not have been required under previous governments or even under this Government prior to its efforts to destroy TAFE and vocational education.
The sad reality is that even this $8,000 contribution, funded by employer premiums, will not be enough for an injured worker to obtain alternative qualifications. Under Smart and Skilled, qualifications cost far more than that, and injured workers will have to fund the remaining cost. At worst, and in spite of the positive steps taken by the Government on the workers compensation front, workers who are forced to change career due to injury will have to put their hand in their own pocket to fund that change. That is a terrible shame.
Other changes that the Labor Opposition would like to see in the workers compensation bill will come as no surprise. We would like all time limits to be removed from medical expenses and treatments. We believe that injured workers are entitled to the necessary treatment required to restore their health and wellbeing as far as possible to a pre-injury standard. In some instances that takes time, sometimes longer than the time limits imposed by this bill and the 2012 bill. The Labor Opposition would like the Workers Compensation Commission to have full powers to determine who pays legal costs involved in workers compensation claims.
Labor also would like to see journey claims reinstated as a means of acknowledging that the employer has a responsibility for and impact on the safety of the worker based on the time of day and conditions in which staff are required to arrive or depart work. I will use this Parliament as an example. My understanding is that at times when this Parliament sits beyond 8 o’clock staff are given Cabcharge cards to travel home. This is to ensure the safety of staff who have been required to work late and will be travelling at a time when it may be considered unsafe to catch public transport, to ride a bike or to walk. I applaud that initiative.
I live in Cessnock. Many of my friends and associates are mineworkers who work rotating rosters. Until they open the blinds of their bedroom, they do not know if it is day or night. They could be travelling to and from work on a Saturday morning, a Sunday night or a Wednesday afternoon. A mass of medical evidence suggests that this type of disruption to our body clocks is unhealthy and causes undue fatigue. These men and women get in a car in a state of fatigue and drive to work and, more importantly, home from work. I would struggle to name a single friend of mine who, as a result of rotating rosters and shifts, has not fallen asleep at the wheel on their way home. Fortunately, they have escaped death. This is the responsibility of the employer. The employer who wants the coalmine to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year on a rotating roster has to take responsibility for that.
More importantly in relation to journey claims, I make a significant point about people with a disability. A Macquarie University study noted that a person with a disability is more likely to suffer an injury while travelling to or from work than in the workplace. For people with a disability, their mobility can pose a risk. Getting to and from public transport, getting on and off public transport, using stairs at train stations that do not have lifts and escalators can be the cause of injury for people with a disability. As a wealthy and prosperous society, it is our duty and responsibility to embrace people who live with a disability and to ensure that their role in society is valued, meaningful and safe. That includes people with a disability being active participants in the workforce. Their safety must be protected through legislation such as this workers compensation bill.
Labor would like to have seen more explicit instructions and conditions placed on work capacity decisions. At the moment, there is no need for a work capacity decision to have regard to the availability of a genuine position or to the geographical location of a position. To give an extreme example, an injured worker in Broken Hill might be deemed as having the capacity to work as a wharfie on the shores of Botany Bay. Following a work capacity assessment that the injured worker could be a wharfie at Botany Bay, compensation payments cease. It can be determined that a suitable job or workplace for a worker from Broken Hill is somewhere on the coast. Labor would like to have seen more explicit instructions and conditions placed on work capacity decisions in this amendment bill.
Labor would like to acknowledge one of the good things to come out of the 2012 amendments, that is, the WorkCover Independent Review Office [WIRO]. We would have liked this body to be further empowered through this amending bill by wresting its independence from WorkCover to become a stand-alone, separately funded body. Government members may think that this is a pie-in-the-sky wish list from Labor that cannot possibly be funded. But the truth is that until 2012 all this, with the exception of the WIRO, used to be funded, and it could still be funded today.
Since 2012 employers have been given three separate reductions in their premiums, totalling a 17 per cent decrease. In spite of those reductions, the scheme still funds itself and has a massive surplus well in excess of $2.6 billion. So it is affordable and it is able to be done. The cost of the scheme is much lower than most people would realise. I turn now to the cognate bill, the State Insurance and Care Governance Bill 2015. In essence, this bill is about breaking WorkCover into three separate units to increase efficiency and to ensure greater definition and distinction of its roles. The State Insurance and Care Governance Bill 2015 has as its object:
… to reform the governance and regulatory arrangements for various insurance and compensation schemes established under legislation.
For that purpose, the proposed Act will constitute the body to be known as Insurance and Care NSW, which will act for the Workers Compensation Nominal Insurer under the Workers Compensation Act 1987 and provide services in relation to various insurance and compensation schemes. This bill provides for the constitution of the State Insurance Regulatory Authority, which will take over the regulatory functions of WorkCover and the Motor Accidents Authority, both of which will be abolished by the proposed Act. It also provides that the work and safety functions of WorkCover will be assumed by the Secretary of the Department of Finance, Services and Innovation. The body will be referred to as SafeWork NSW.
I said at the outset and I repeat that Labor does not disagree with the restructuring of WorkCover. Labor is happy to support the Minister in this regard. I am sure that the Minister and his team have put a significant amount of time, energy and effort into formulating the structure of this body. Labor also has no problem with the State Insurance Regulatory Authority or SafeWork NSW. They are referred to in part 3 of this bill. The problem we have is with the Insurance and Care NSW body that is to be established. The purpose of Insurance and Care NSW is to bring under the one authority a number of smaller independent bodies that currently exist separately. The bodies to come under the authority of Insurance and Care NSW include: the Safety, Return to Work and Support Board; the Workers Compensation Dust Diseases Board; the Lifetime Care and Support Authority, for those injured in motor accidents; the Sporting Injuries Compensation Authority; and the NSW Self Insurance Corporation, which includes the Bush Fire Fighters Compensation Fund and the Emergency and Rescue Workers Compensation Fund.
It is important to note that a large number of public sector workers will transition to Insurance and Care NSW. Unfortunately, none of those workers will be deemed to be public sector employees. None of those workers will be covered by the New South Wales Government Sector Employment Act 2013. I am alarmed not so much by the reality of this body. However, I am alarmed by this. If WorkCover is broken into three different parts, why has the Government afforded the opportunity for employees in two of those parts to be public sector employees and not in the other part?
There seems to be a lacuna and the Minister needs to explain that gap. As the Minister made scant reference to this aspect in his second reading speech, I ask him to address it in his reply. The various bodies currently operate with independence and autonomy for varying lengths of time, the longest of which is probably the Dust Diseases Board for about 75 years. In regard to this board, there has been no scandal, no suggestion of misappropriation of funds and no suggestion that it has made poor investment choices or managed the money badly or that it should have or could have done better. Indeed, last year in the upper House the Standing Committee on Law and Justice gave a glowing recommendation of the work of these bodies, particularly the Dust Diseases Board.
For those reading Hansard or who are in the gallery, the Standing Committee on Law and Justice is a bipartisan committee, chaired by a member of the Liberal Party. Last year the committee, chaired by Mr David Clarke, gave a glowing report on the work of the Dust Diseases Board. Yet less than 12 months later we are talking about abolishing the Dust Diseases Board and abandoning its employees. To what end? Under the bill, all these independent and autonomous bodies, which have been doing such good work for such a long time, will be brought under a single umbrella called Insurance and Care NSW [ICNSW]. That in itself may not seem too bad. Structurally that might seem to be reasonable and sound if, and only if, each of those bodies maintains its independence and autonomy. But what we have in the bill is the opposite.
In the bill all these bodies lose their independence and autonomy. Instead, they will be answerable to a chief executive officer and a new board will be established. The Minister will appoint the board, which will oversee these previously independent and autonomous bodies. The board will then appoint the chief executive officer, which in essence will make the chief executive officer an extension of the Minister of the day. Here is the great concern. These independent bodies, which have been at arm’s length and immune to government interference, now will be directly controlled by the policies, agenda and ideology of the government of the day. That is not an improvement for the people of New South Wales.
I find it ironic in some regards that the Coalition Government—which claims to be a government with a small “g” and to let competition reign—is making these bodies an extension of government departments under the direct control of the Minister. I ask the Minister to address this in his reply. The explanatory notes for these bodies in schedules 1 to 12 state that the bill enables the fund to be applied to meet the costs of the State Insurance Regulatory Authority [SIRA]. Indeed, in relation to the Dust Diseases Board, the bill states:
(d) to enable the Fund to be applied to meet the costs incurred by or on behalf of a NSW Government agency in providing services for or in connection with the compensation scheme established under the Act,
That is reasonable. That is what the board currently does and it should continue to do so in the future. Paragraph (e) states:
(e) to enable the Fund to be applied to meet the costs incurred by SIRA in exercising functions in connection with that compensation scheme.
That means that money will be transferred from Insurance and Care NSW [ICNSW] to SIRA. Money will be transferred from a body that has been deemed not worthy of public sector employment to another body that is entirely worthy of public sector employment. There seems to be a logical inconsistency with how, where and why these funds will be transferred. While that does not seem to be as clear or apparent in the remainder of the bill, I ask the Minister to clarify that in his reply for the sake of members and those who are interested in the progress of the bill.
One point I make about the establishment of Insurance and Care NSW with regard to the Dust Diseases Board relates to part 2, section 9, under the heading “Committees of ICNSW board”. I refer specifically to the final sentence in that part. Before I go through this, members should remember that the Government has issued media releases providing assurances that the members of the expert board—the tripartite board that currently entertains all applications; the board that has expertise and decades of experience, knowledge and awareness— will not be lost. The board will simply sit alongside the decision-making process and will still be a point of reference going forward. In legislative terms, of all these independent bodies—this is true, and I give the Government credit for this—only one must establish an advisory committee, and that is the Dust Diseases Board. If that is provided in the legislation, one would think that that will be the base forever more. Part 2, section 9 (1) states in part:
The expert committee is to operate for such period as the ICNSW Board considers appropriate.
Let us be clear on this. The board, which the Government is seeking to use as a cover from the criticism it is experiencing more broadly in the community at present, has absolutely no guarantees beyond next week, next month, next year, the next Minister or the next government. That is a little insincere. Although the Government intends to use this positive, proactive opportunity to retain its integrity and to keep the board within the decision-making process—it is no longer in the decision-making process—it has not provided the board with any certainty, future or guarantees in the bill.
I again ask the Minister to address that issue in his reply. When the motions for these bills are put I will be seeking to have these cognate bills separated. In my contribution today I have gone to some length to make clear the logic that sits behind doing that. To the Government’s credit, this is very clever wedge politics. It brings forward some things that might be deemed positive by way of improvements to workers compensation amendments. I reiterate that in 2012 we took five steps back and this legislation will take us only one or two steps forward, so we have not returned to where we were. It is certainly incontestable that there are improvements to the Workers Compensation Amendment Bill 2015 which the Labor Party will not oppose.
We agree with much but not all of the State Insurance and Care Governance Bill 2015. Here is the wedge: If we want improvements to workers compensation we have to vote to get rid of the Dust Diseases Board. We cannot do that. On the other side of the wedge, if we want to keep the Dust Diseases Board we have to vote against improvements to workers compensation. We cannot do that. I acknowledge that it is a great wedge by the Government. But this is the challenge to the Government: Let us deal with workers compensation on a bipartisan basis, find the things that we can agree on and get the legislation through this Chamber, through the upper House and enacted so that the lives of people who are injured in the workplace can improve and go forward.
When the motion is put at the conclusion of this debate the Government should support us by separating these bills so that members of the Labor Party can vote to support the workers compensation elements and vote against the State Insurance and Care Governance Bill in its current format. We are happy to work with the Government to improve the bill. We would be happy to see it back in the Parliament in a slightly different format but we will vote against it in its current format. The Government should work with us on this—it will still win the vote because it has the numbers in the House. The bills will go through even if the Government agrees to separate them.
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Home > The Fight to Save Covent Garden > The Covent Garden Community Association fights back >
The Covent Garden Community Association fights back
By Anne Bransford
In response to the looming development upheavals taking place in Covent Garden, the community began to organize itself. Brian Anson, a disillusioned former member of the Planning Team, and Reverend Austen Williams, vicar of St.-Martin’s-in-the-Fields, were two key figureheads of the grassroots movement to stop the GLC Plan. Brian Anson realized late in 1970, while he was still on the Planning Team, how destructive the GLC Plan would be. He circulated a letter to residents in which he described his “grave misgivings” about the Plan, a sentiment shared by many by expressed by few at the time. The letter found its way back to GLC headquarters and Anson was removed from the Team. The Reverend, whose parish district included part of Covent Garden, also became involved in the battles to save the community. A protest meeting on 1 April 1971 brought together about 500 people who were ready to do something about the situation.
The striking feature of this rally was the amazing variety of people who showed up – a “remarkable mix of class and ages,” describes Jim Monahan, who was there. Kathy, a current member of the Covent Garden Area Trust, said it was:
“quite interesting that is was a wide variety of people who joined [the protest]: old community, working class people who lived in the area, people who had worked in the market, the print, and the theatres, the young architectural strain who were interested…and some quite high profile people who were interested because they knew the area.”
In his book Neighbourhood Survival, Terry Christensen gives us a look at what happened that day:
"On April 1, 1971, a public meeting was organised by Anson, Austen Williams…and Jim Monahan and a group of young architects who had been studying the plan. ‘More than 500 housewives, vegetable porters, students, company directors, artists, pensioners and clergymen’ attended and ‘voted to send a deputation to the GLC immediately.’ [quoting The Times, April 2, 1971] The Covent Garden Community Association (CGCA) was formed…Chaired by Lord Soper, the meeting passed this resolution:‘This meeting called upon the GLC to publish in clear terms what the GLC intends to do in Covent Garden to guarantee that the existing residents will be accommodated in Covent Garden at rents and rates comparable to those they are paying today; to guarantee to people and organisations working in the area that they will not be bought or priced out by the GLC and/or private developers; and to give a promise that the GLC will strive to assist the conservation of the present community in Covent Garden.’”
Thus the CGCA was born. This “motley vociferous collection of locals who had no evident power or influence and were for the first few years largely ignored” (Monahan) immediately got to work in setting up community meetings, a newsletter, protest posters and exhibitions, fundraisers, and a system of street representation that included 11 working committees and 33 elected representatives. A major goal was to educate the community on what the Plan would mean for them – something the GLC had utterly failed to do. Brian Anson states that the CGCA: “had done more in these few [first] weeks to familiarise people with the proposals and elicit their views than the Planning Team had done in the five years from 1966 to 1971…”
Demonstrations were another way the Covent Garden community made its voice heard. “The largest took place in 1973 when the CGCA co-ordinated London community groups in a huge demonstration that filled Trafalgar Square to protest the destruction of their communities by way of official plans and crude speculation by private developers,” says Monahan, who also mentions that they: “thought nothing of taking over GLC press conferences, squatting buildings, organizing demonstrations, circulating ‘scurrilous leaflets full of untruths’ and organizing demonstrations to Lady D[artmouth]’s Mayfair home.”
Things came to a head in the autumn of 1971 as a public Inquiry was held to decide whether the Plan was truly appropriate and beneficial to Covent Garden. The roguish rabble-rousers buckled down to do serious battle as formal objectors to the plan. The CGCA was one group of many: objectors “ranged from national amenity societies and financial interests to local pressure groups and individual residents or business people.” (Christensen) Those who testified were eager to have their voices heard at last. However, Monahan describes that “what purported to be an independent enquiry was evidently a charade and the result preordained. True to form, the enquiry approved the GLC’s proposals.” All hope was not yet lost, however. The Secretary of State for the Environment, Geoffrey Rippon, had the final say. In January of 1973, while appearing to approve the Plan, he listed over 250 Covent Garden area buildings as sites of historical protection and made critical recommendations for amendments to the Plan. The CGCA and everyone who had supported the cause of the community had, by the skin of their teeth, saved Covent Garden.
The CGCA is still active today, protecting the interests of those who live and work in Covent Garden. They work with Westminster and Camden Councils as well as local businesses to maintain quality in areas like housing, street environment, business licensing, town planning, and health care. Over the years the CGCA has been responsible for a wide range of projects, including the Seven Dials Community Centre, Jubilee Hall Sports Centre, the Covent Garden Area Trust, community gardens, tenants’ associations, and a variety of others. Without this group, made up of and supported by the Covent Garden community, Covent Garden as we know and love it today would not exist. For more information see their website.
"Rhubarb to the Covent Garden Plan." Timeout 14 May 1971: 8-13. Print.
Monahan, Jim. "Rev Preb Austen Williams CVO - An Appreciation." Covent Garden London.
Covent Garden Community Association, Dec. 2001. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.
Lane, Sarah. Personal interview. 9 Oct. 2012.
Christensen, Terry. Neighbourhood Survival. N.p.: Prism, 1979. Print.
Pembroke, Simon. An Independent Report of the Objections Raised at the Inquiry into the Covent Garden Plan . London: n.p., 1972. Print.
Anson, Brian. I'll Fight You for It!: Behind the Struggle for Covent Garden. London: Cape, 1981.Print.
This gallery was added by Anne Bransford on 07/11/2012.
The Development Battle
Geraldine Pettersson
Reverend Austen Williams
The Battle for Covent Garden Film
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Red Bull Music
Cultural Event Documentation
Red Bull Music and Black Monument Ensemble
“The inspiration for Black Monument Ensemble, the latest project by Chicago musician and visual artist Damon Locks, came to him in prison.” -Mark Guarino
For an electrifying night at the Garfield Park Conservatory, the Black Monument Ensemble performed its singular, multi-sensory show, Black Monument Ensemble: Where Future Unfolds – Flowers for Chicago. An 80-minute musical and visual odyssey that investigated the circularity of history, the show was inspired by the church-rooted black activism of the ’60s and ’70s. The brainchild of visionary Chicago-based artist, educator, vocalist, musician and DJ, Damon Locks, the Black Monument Ensemble formed to address today’s pressing civil rights issues, and utilized samples and drum machines alongside vocals and percussion. Throughout the show the Ensemble projected Locks’ riveting visuals in tandem with the music. In our politically fraught times, Where Future Unfolds offers an escape from the present and began the work for the hurdles ahead.
After successfully working with Damon Locks on an exhibition project, Damon invited us onto another project that he was involved in for the Red Bull Music Festival in Chicago. At Damon’s request we were put in contact with Red Bull Media House to assist in documenting his performance. We worked with a team of photographers and videographers to capture behind the scenes, the audience’s interaction with products, branding and signage, and the production onstage.
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This project was important to us because it represented and included some of Chicago’s most brilliant jazz composers, singers, and dancers that collectively produced a new and original interpretation of, along with a new perspective on the music that came out of the Civil Rights Movement. We felt that it was necessary to capture the emotions and harmony of each element of the performance to really put focus on the extraordinary talent and artistry involved.
The experience went smoothly because of clear communication and expectations. The process began with a photographer debrief that included workflow, scheduling, shot lists, post production, metadata requirements, and deliverables. The procedure was efficient and resulted in high quality images delivered by the beginning of the following day (within 10 hours) to be utilized for press releases, social media, and web content for the Red Bull Music brand.
While working with Red Bull we learned how to speed up our production workflow to meet the demands of a leading international brand with high standards and guidelines. We were able to utilize our unique perspective of storytelling through photography to provide beginning to end documentation of the evening that would resonate with Red Bull Music’s audience.
The still images that were captured at the Red Bull Music Festival were later utilized for Black Monument Ensemble’s Album that was released in June of 2019. The images were also used for the album’s press release and have been published in Afropunk, Chicago Reader, The Wire, Ghettoblaster, The Visualist, Pan African Music, and more. We continue to work with Black Monument Ensemble documenting their live performances.
Culture Saving © 2019
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Adam Lamberg Horoscope Virgo and Zodiac Rat
Adam Lamberg, age 34, was born on September 14, 1984. Adam Lamberg's horoscope sun sign is Virgo and Chinese zodiac sign is Rat. Adam Lamberg was famous for Popular as Gordo, loyal friend of "Lizzie McGuire".
Meanings of Name Adam
The name Adam was originated from Hebrew. It is used as a male name. The name Adam is of the meaning of Man; earth; to be red. The name Adam is used in English, Hebrew and Polish speaking countries. In Hebrew this is a generic word for 'man' not used as a name, but it is also associated with 'adama' (earth), from which God was supposed to have made the first humans. According to the Bible Adam and Eve were the first humans, and lived in the Garden of Eden until the original sin.
St. Adam is the patron saint of gardeners.
Adam Smith was a Scottish economist and author of the 'Wealth of Nations' - an early study on the development of industry and trade in Europe, which advocated free trade. He currently appears on the British �20 banknote..
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Adam Lamberg (September 14, 1984): Details and Pictures
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Adam Lamberg Pictures - click to enlarge
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The Reality of "Separate Issues"
Healthcare was a major issue in this election. And Gallup data from back in December suggests that 40% of Americans are dissatisfied with the care they receive. Many people who voted for Trump were likely motivated by that and his promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act (probably one of the most misunderstood pieces of legislation in recent history).
Trump also made many promises with regard to immigration, especially of people from predominantly Muslim countries. Many people probably thought of these two promises as separate issues.
Spoiler alert: They're absolutely connected:
Like many Western nations, the U.S. has come to rely heavily on medical graduates who trained internationally, although these graduates face significant barriers to being allowed to practice in the U.S., including burdensome licensing processes and duplicative training. Still, foreign medical graduates comprise more than one-fifth of all practicing physicians in the U.S. Where a doctor trained does not necessarily tell us where that doctor is originally from — and thus whether he or she may be subject to the immigration order — but it serves as a useful proxy, if we assume that most doctors train in the country where they are born.
Our research finds that foreign-trained doctors play an even larger role than their share of the physician workforce would suggest because of the areas and specialties in which they often practice: rural, underserved regions and specialties facing a large shortage of practitioners. And of the foreign-trained doctors in our sample, about 5 percent — approximately 8,000 people and 1 percent of all doctors — completed medical school in the countries that are affected by the ban.
Many of the issues affecting healthcare today can be directly attributable to the physician shortage. This is part of the reason for the waitlists uncovered in VA hospitals and medical centers. (Not to excuse those waitlists, but at least to explain them and identify a potential solution - VA needs more doctors, and Trump's hiring freeze for federal agencies is doing the opposite of what VA needs right now.)
And new movements in the area of medicine and portion of the Affordable Care Act are also strongly affected by this shortage. In fact, other medical professionals, such as physician's assistants and nurse practitioners, are being given increased responsibilities and privileges, to help counteract this shortage - PAs and NPs can do many of the things physicians can, and I'm hearing more and more about people whose primary care provider is one of these two types of professionals.
Yes, we're facing a physician shortage in this country, especially for primary care providers. Medical school is expensive, and add to that years of post-med school training that also has a cost of lost salary. For the people who make it through all of that, they're likely to be drawn to certain specialties, which promise much larger salaries than primary care. You can call it greediness, but I can't blame people for wanting to decrease how long it takes to get out from under the crushing debt of attending medical school. This leaves a lot of empty primary care offices that could be (and are being) filled by physicians who want to come to the US.
The physician shortage is absolutely connected to the issue of immigration. The problem is that, as with his hiring freeze, Trump's order is doing the exact opposite of what this country needs.
by Sara at 2:12 PM
Labels: higher education, politics
Introducing the Cement Factory Home
Top-Down, Bottom-Up, and the ABCD of Personality
"So, What Did I Miss?"
Finding the Most Depressing Radiohead Song with R
"It Says 'I Beat Meryl'"
Fluff Friday
Why Aren't There Any More Movies About Rainbows?
Dem Bones, Dem Bones, Dem Dinosaur Bones
Two New Books on Psychology History
Reading List for the Day
Why Same-Sex Marriage Laws Matter
The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Tr...
Goodreads for Film-Lovers
Movie Review: Split
Be the Very Model of a Modern Academy Awards Show
For Crafty Science Lovers
Terrifying but Entertaining
Video Day
Why I Love the Academic Community
GrubHub for Books
Booze Clues
Bonus Post: Overheard Conversation
Big Changes to Blogging A to Z
Just in Time for the Super Bowl
Strong Psychological Science in an Age of Uncertai...
Trump's Next Order: Work Visa Programs
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League of Legends Re-Review
New Review 2012
Publisher: Riot Games
Genre: MOBA
Ready to play now? Click the image!
League of Legends is one of the first wave of games that took the MOBA genre mainstream. After years of the DotA mod taking names and breaking hearts, LoL (as it’s affectionately known) was an attempt at making the genre standalone and it was a complete success, becoming a staple of online PC gaming (of course, you’ve read our history of the genre and know all this, right?). Since then there has become a constant influx of new games to the genre, but Legends has remained important, well-populated and relevant. Does it still measure up to what the genre has become? We took a look to find out. This is our second review of League of Legends and first in 2012.
League of Legends Review - Video Review of LoL
Remember, if you enjoy this League of Legends video review, subscribe to DevilsMMO on YouTube for instant access to all our latest video reviews and gameplay showcases.
Cel-shaded Graphics – League of Legends might not have the graphical power behind it to compete with new games in the genre (including the stunning looking DotA 2 from Valve) but it does have one thing going for it – a unique, stunning looking cel-shaded graphical style that suits it perfectly and is a joy to look at.
Plenty to Do – There’s always plenty to do in a MOBA game – part of the fun is unlocking new things and experimenting with different methods of playing. League of Legends embraces that entirely, with a huge variety of options and things to do. If you want to unlock everything, you’ll probably need to bring your wallet, but for the most dedicated LoL players, you won’t find yourself finished for a long, long time.
Gameplay adjustments for fair competition - Riot Games is doing a great job with League of Legends gameplay updates to keep the competition at a fair level. They keep releasing gameplay adjustments. They follow the community and when there is a clear problem with a champion, which causes an imbalance between champions or cause significant advantage or disadvantage to a particular champion, they release another update to address the issue. From what we have seen so far, they have been able to keep the competitive balance between most champions in League of Legends.
Where are the Heroes? – It’s difficult to get too excited about a game in this genre that withholds characters from free-only players. It was an issue in Heroes of Newerth and they fixed it. You can unlock characters through hard work if you choose, but by the time you’ve earned enough you’ll probably have decided which characters you like and are decent enough with them that you probably won’t want to explore other avenues too much.
Narration – I’ve recently decided that the narrator for these games is one of the worst things about the genre. It’s a necessary evil, a way to know what’s going on while at the same time a way to be annoyed out of your skin. Repetition, repetition, repetition – oh boy does the ice wear thin, but I can’t think of a better way of delivering the news and I can’t imagine what the game would be like without it. It’s the very definition of our neutral point.
League of Legends Interfacing – Having played Heroes of Newerth and DotA 2 religiously over the last few weeks, coming to League of Legends definitely feels like a step back in terms of actually doing things. Almost everything you’ll come across in a game (or out of it) will feel like it’s been improved upon elsewhere, and, considering this is part of a genre designed to streamline something more complicated, it feels overly stuffy in its interface.
League of Legends Balancing – It might just be the luck of the draw here, but playing League of Legends sometimes makes me wonder about the balancing of the heroes. Some games have champions that seem so overpowered from the get go that there’s no way you can fight them. The downside is I suspect the better characters are of the paid-for variety, butI’d need to look into it a bit more before deciding if that was the case.
League of Legends Community – It’s the traditional MOBA complaint and it’s a perfectly valid one. Anonymity means that the people you play with can be and will be utterly terrible. It’s a problem that’s been solved by a decent report system (and the reminder of such a system) in DotA 2, but if you play League of Legends at any level expect to be insulted if you at all differ from their idea of how you should be playing. Somebody really needs to teach the LoL community how to converse with others. For now though, avoid if you’re not thick skinned.
Despite this being one of the original stand-alone MOBA games and perhaps the one that really kick-started the genres popularity, it feels tired now. I know there are thousands of fans that would disagree with me, but playing it makes me feel that League of Legends 2 is long overdue and would breath a bit of fresh air into a game that desperately needs something of a spring clean. Of course, given that the genre is what it is and that there are so many similar games out there, it seems useless to suggest a sequel and there’ll come a point (probably as DotA 2 is officially released and polished up) that a game like this will become yesterday’s news.
That doesn’t mean it’s a bad game though and it’s still well worth your time and effort. Just not your money. There are other options I’d rather try first.
You may take a look at our History of MOBA Games and Dota 2 vs Heroes of Newerth articles too
Heroes of Newerth, DotA 2
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Drew Jacobs talks 'If She Ain't Country' single, Shania Twain Special
By Markos Papadatos Sep 11, 2018 in Music
Rising country artist Drew Jacobs chatted with Digital Journal about his new single "If She Ain't Country," its music video, and he revealed his dream female country duet choices.
On the idea for the song, Jacobs said, "We all got together and we wanted to write a really fun song. John Pregler actually brought that chorus to the table, and we wanted to make it the 'Uptown Funk' of country. That was our goal. Once we had the chorus, it took us a day to write the verses, and it just came so easy."
Jacobs admitted that it was a great deal of fun to do the music video for the song. "The choreographer, Glenn Douglas Packard, did a great job with the dancers," he said.
He revealed that he has a new video in the works for a song called "Jesus and You." "That was a huge production. We had our local fire department come out and the paramedics come out, and they all volunteered their time. The video is going to look amazing. We had a blast," he said. "We rented a Red Dragon camera and the video looks cinematic. It is so beautiful."
Digital transformation of country music
On the impact of technology on the country music business, Jacobs said, "Technology makes my job a lot easier. There is no doubt about it. Technology has helped me quit three jobs essentially, so I get to do this full-time, and there is nothing else that I would want to be doing."
"I use technology to write my songs, record videos and I use my upgraded camera to post my videos," he said, about his use of technology. "I use my Notes in my phone to record song lyrics, and I have so many choruses and verse ideas on my Voice Memos. I wouldn't be on any map if it weren't for technology."
Jacobs listed songstresses Danielle Bradbery and Shania Twain as his dream female duet choices. "I love Danielle's voice, and I think we would match well together. Shania Twain was a big influence on me and I have always loved her since I was a kid, so that would be a dream come true," he said. "My goal one day would be to sing 'Party For Two' with her. That's my dream right there. At that point, I would be done."
Drew Jacobs' "If She Ain't Country" is available on iTunes. "I would like to thank my fans for all of their support. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be releasing music," he said, graciously. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart."
To learn more about Drew Jacobs and his music, check out his Facebook page.
Read More: Digital Journal reviewed "If She Ain't Country" and Jacobs' music video for the song.
More about Drew Jacobs, if she ain't country, Country, Shania twain, Single
Drew Jacobs if she ain t country Country Shania twain Single
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Review: Country artist Drew Jacobs releases 'If She Ain't Country' single Special
By Markos Papadatos Aug 17, 2018 in Music
On August 17, rising country artist Drew Jacobs has released his new single "If She Ain't Country," which is a rocking track.
The song is a neat and fun summer anthem; moreover, it blends traditional country with rock and hip-hop. Jacobs collaborates with some of Nashville's finest session musicians, which included the talented musicians of Blake Shelton's band. The tune's guitar riffs are electrifying. Jacobs' sound would be a refreshing addition to the modern country airwaves.
"If She Ain't Country" is available on iTunes, and on Spotify.
Overall, Drew Jacobs showcases a tremendous deal of talent with "If She Ain't Country." The song is spitfire, edgy and he knows how to rock out in the best country was possible. Jacobs deserves to become the next Jason Aldean or Brad Paisley in the genre. "If She Ain't Country" garners an A rating.
To learn more about country singer-songwriter Drew Jacobs and "If She Ain't Country," check out his official website.
More about Drew Jacobs, Country, Single, if she ain't country
Drew Jacobs Country Single if she ain t country
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Zürich, Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum, SH 228, f. 23 – The Housebook of the Lords of Hallwil
http://www.e-codices.ch/en/snm/SH000228/23
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Zürich, Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum / SH 228 – The Housebook of the Lords of Hallwil / f. 23
Page: Front cover Front paste-down V1 V2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 Rear paste-down Back cover Spine Fore edge Head Tail View front cover View back cover Open view Ruler on binding Ruler on page QP card on binding QP card on page Digital Colorchecker
Zürich, Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum, SH 228, f. 23 – The Housebook of the Lords of Hallwil (http://www.e-codices.chen/snm/SH000228/23)
Zürich, Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum, SH 228
Paper · 74 ff. · 43.7 x 30.9 cm · second half of the 16th century
The Housebook of the Lords of Hallwil
Manuscript Summary: The Housebook of the Lords of Hallwil, also known as Turnierbuch, is a combination of family chronicle, tournament book and book of heraldry. This paper manuscript from the second half of the 16th century probably replaces an older copy. On the inside of the cover are found the large coats of arms of Burkhart von Hallwil and his two wives Judith von Anwil and Margaretha von Löwenberg. Pp. 4-10 contain a late version of the poem Ring von Hallwil, a saga about the endangerment and saving of the inheritance of the Hallwils. On pp. 11-17 there follow texts about family history and then a second, older version of the poem Ring von Hallwil (pp. 19-21). After a number of empty pages, there are six empty crests (pp. 48-50), meant for the three brothers Thüring I von Hallwil († 1386) und Katharina von Wolfurt, Walter V († after 1370) and Herzlaude von Tengen, “Hemann” (Johannes IV, † 1386) and Anna vom Hus. On p. 51 there is a view of the ancestral home of the Hallwil family. It is followed by pictures of Caspar (p. 54) and Burkhart von Hallwil (p. 55), scenes from tournaments (pp. 56-59), and images relating to the Ring von Hallwil (pp. 60-66). At the end of the manuscript, there are more coats of arms of the Lords of Hallwil and their wives (pp. 68-96), the last ones only sketched out but not completed (pp. 97-118). The manuscript was donated to the Swiss National Museum in 1907 by Count Walther von Hallwil, the last occupant of the castle, and his wife Wilhelmine. A second version is held by the Basel University Library (Ms. H I 10). (ber)
Zürich, Schweizerisches Nationalmuseum, SH 228, f. 23 – The Housebook of the Lords of Hallwil (https://www.e-codices.ch/en/list/one/snm/SH000228)
10.5076/e-codices-snm-SH000228
http://www.e-codices.ch/metadata/iiif/snm-SH000228/manifest.json
http://www.e-codices.ch/en/list/one/snm/SH000228
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King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain during his speech at the opening session of the 29th Arab Summit held in Dhahran on April 15 - Screenshot of Sky News
Bahrain’s king: cooperation preserves Arab security, stability
Sun, Apr. 15, 2018
CAIRO – 15 April 2018: King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain said that the cooperation between Arab countries would enable them to repel repetitive attempts of foreign intervention in the domestic affairs of some Arab nations.
In his speech in the 29th Arab Summit that kicked off Sunday April 15, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, King Hamad said that the Arab nations’ cooperation is the way to preserve their security and stability.
King Hamad asserted his country’s support to the Palestinian people and leadership. He said that the Palestinian issue is a priority for Bahrain, calling for the necessity of the establishment of the independent state of Palestine.
King Hamad affirmed the necessity to achieve a “fair” political solution, including the establishment of the independent state of Palestine on the 1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital, according to the two-state solution.
In December 2017, Trump reversed decades of U.S. policy by announcing the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the move of its embassy to Jerusalem.
King Hamad expressed his country’s continuous appreciation of Saudi Arabia’s supportive and courageous stance rejecting the intervention in the Arab nations’ domestic affairs.
King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Arab League Summit
Israeli forces target Palestinian fishermen in northern GS, storm eastern Rafah
Israeli forces storm Bab al Rahma prayer area
Putin, Abbas highlight Egypt’s role in Palestinian reconciliation
Fri, Jul. 12, 2019
Egypt, Bahrain sign MoU on environmental cooperation
Bahrain's Foreign Ministry summons Iraqi Charge d’Affaires
Fri, Jun. 28, 2019
Sinai is not part of the “Deal of the Century”, FM
Who is the hero Ahmed Abdel Aziz?
‘Hona al-Quds’ musical concert to be performed in April
Fri, Mar. 29, 2019
Unrest at Jerusalem holy site and two Palestinians killed in West Bank
Tue, Mar. 12, 2019
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Back to Media Resources
Energy Recovery Awarded $4.4 Million for Desalination Projects in the Sultanate of Oman
SAN LEANDRO, Calif. — January 24, 2019 — Energy Recovery, Inc. (NASDAQ:ERII), the leader in pressure energy technology for industrial fluid flows, today announced total awards of $4.4 million (USD) to supply its PX® Pressure Exchanger® technology for desalination projects in the Sultanate of Oman. These desalination projects are expected to ship in Q2 and Q3 of 2019.
Energy Recovery will supply its PX-Q300 Pressure Exchangers for multiple facilities, which will collectively produce up to 200,000 cubic meters (m3) of water per day, the equivalent of filling 80 Olympic-size swimming pools. Energy Recovery estimates the PX devices will reduce the facilities’ power consumption for all projects by 16 MW, saving over 138 GWh of energy per year and helping the facilities avoid over 82,800 tons of CO2 emissions per year.
Chris Gannon, Energy Recovery’s President and CEO, stated, “This award is a strong start to 2019, which is shaping up as a high-growth year for our water business based on our current backlog and pipeline. We are continuing to see growth in the global desalination market, in part because desalination offers one solution to the growing water scarcity in different parts of the world. Among other impacts, scarcity can threaten economic growth because water is a core ingredient of many industrial processes.”
Rodney Clemente, Energy Recovery’s Vice President, Water, added, “We have seen unprecedented large-scale desalination activity in the Sultanate of Oman over the past five years. I am proud that Energy Recovery’s PX, turbocharger devices and pumping technologies can be found in many SWRO facilities in-country, representing nearly 1 million m3/day of installed capacity. Our attractive life-cycle-cost value proposition and ability to deliver meaningful energy savings continues to resonate with our valued customers.”
Energy Recovery, Inc. (ERII) is an energy solutions provider to industrial fluid flow markets worldwide. Energy Recovery solutions recycle and convert wasted pressure energy into a usable asset and preserve pumps that are subject to hostile processing environments. With award-winning technology, Energy Recovery simplifies complex industrial systems while improving productivity, profitability, and efficiency within the oil & gas, chemical processing, and water industries. Energy Recovery products save clients more than $1.9 billion (USD) annually. Headquartered in the Bay Area, Energy Recovery has offices in Houston, Shanghai, and Dubai. For more information about the Company, please visit www.energyrecovery.com.
Certain matters discussed in this press release are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including expectations regarding the timing of shipments of the orders, reductions in power consumption from the technology, and the potential of 2019 being a high-growth year for our water business. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us and on management’s beliefs, assumptions, estimates, or projections and are not guarantees of future events or results. Because such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, our actual results may differ materially from the predictions in these forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are made as of today, and we assume no obligation to update such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
ir@energyrecovery.com
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Home > Obituaries > Larry J. Cline, 66, Stevens, worked at Weaver Precast, Paul Burkholder, father of four
Larry J. Cline, 66, Stevens, worked at Weaver Precast, Paul Burkholder, father of four
By mhunnefield on October 31, 2018
Larry J. Cline, 66, of Stevens, entered into rest at Lancaster General Hospital on Friday, Oct. 26, 2018. Larry was diagnosed with cancer in June of this year.
Larry was the husband of Kathleen (Stuber) Cline. They would have celebrated 44 years of marriage in December. Born in Welch, W.Va., he was the son of the late Ira Kenneth and Mabel (Coleman) Cline.
Larry was employed by Weaver Precast for 33 years and part-time for Paul Burkholder for 20 years.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a daughter: Amy L. Cline (Blackburn); three sisters: Wilma, Linda, and Barbara; a half-sister: Rosemary; and two half-brothers: Nelson and Donald Keaton.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by three daughters: Virginia, wife of Todd Zimmerman; Lisa Cline, and Laurie Cline; nine grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; four brothers, Robert, Dennis, Danny, and James; a sister: Wanda, wife of Warren Oswald; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m., on Friday, Nov. 2, at the Carpenters Community Church, 378 Glenbrook Road, Talmage. A meal will follow the service.
Arrangements by Roseboro Stradling Funeral & Cremation Services, Denver. Online condolences can be given at roseborostradling.com.
About mhunnefield
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Jason Aldean Bristow VA Tickets
Jason Aldean is an American musician, specializing in the art of country music. The singer was born in Macon, Georgia, and was raised by his mother, after his parents separated when he was 3 years old. He got involved into music with the help of his father, who he used to visit in Florida during the summers. Before heading out for work, his dad would often tell him a bit about guitar chords and finger placement on the guitar. And then Jason would spend the whole day practicing. Soon after such frequent practicing, Jason started playing complete songs. And from there onwards, his musical skills only developed further. Grab these Jason Aldean Bristow VA tickets to find out what the artist is up to now, all these years later!
View Jason Aldean Bristow VA Tickets
Jason Aldean & Kane Brown Jiffy Lube Live
Bristow VA
Buy Jason Aldean & Kane Brown, Jiffy Lube Live Tickets for Sat Sep 07 2019 Sat Sep 07 2019Jason Aldean & Kane Brown, Jiffy Lube Live tickets for 09/07 07:30 PM at Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow ,VA
Starting out with small performances in high school and universities, Aldean soon became a household name. Let’s take a look at the journey of this wonderful country musician.
Jason Aldean’s Musical Career
After being approached by Warner-Chappel, a song publishing company, Aldean relocated to Nashville in 1998, at the age of 21. He was initially offered a recording contract, but was subsequently dropped. After multiple such attempts, Aldean was finally noticed by Lawrence Mathis and he signed the singer. Soon, he was offered a deal by Broken Bow Records and he began working on his first album. After the release of his debut album, the singer signed on with Kevin Neal, who, till this day, is his agent.
Jason Aldean released his self-titled debut album in 2005. This album put the singer on the map by earning him the tenth spot on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. Soon after the huge success of his first album, Aldean released his second work, titled, Relentless, which was certified platinum. Next, he released Wide Open in 2009-10. The album debuted at No. 51 on the Hot Country Songs chart. In 2010-12, Jason released My Kinda Party, followed by Night Train, in 2012-14. On July 22, 2014, the well-established country star released a new single “Burnin’ It Down” that was the lead single off of his new album, Old Boots, New Dirt. And finally, in 2015, the singer released They Don’t Know.
All of this combined with the 2016 ACM Award for the Entertainer of the Year, Jason Aldean is certainly an act you do not want to miss! Get your hands on these Jason Aldean Bristow VA Tickets now.
Other Concerts in BRISTOW
Buy Florida Georgia Line, Dan and Shay & Morgan Wallen, Jiffy Lube Live Tickets for 08/03 07:00 PM Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VAFlorida Georgia Line, Dan and Shay & Morgan Wallen, Jiffy Lube Live, 3 August
Buy Zac Brown Band, Jiffy Lube Live Tickets for 08/25 07:00 PM Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VAZac Brown Band, Jiffy Lube Live, 25 August
Buy Jason Aldean & Kane Brown, Jiffy Lube Live Tickets for 09/07 07:30 PM Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow, VAJason Aldean & Kane Brown, Jiffy Lube Live, 7 September
Jason Aldean Bristow VA Tickets Prices
Currently the average price for Jason Aldean Bristow VA tickets is $205. The date and location for this event is 7-Sep-19 at Jiffy Lube Live, Bristow. The minimum get-in price for Jason Aldean Bristow VA tickets is $25.
Jason Aldean & Kane Brown Bristow 7-Sep-19 $205 $25
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Kingston Trio Tickets
The New Year has brought along a lot of incredible opportunities for the music lovers. A number of talented bands and solo performers are scheduled to entertain people in different parts of the world. Likewise, a legendary ensemble, The Kingston Trio is hitting your nearest venues as well. These men are best known for reviving folk music in the 50s and the 60s, and are still highly regarded for all that they’ve done for the industry. The group started off as a nightclub act in San Francisco Bay Area. After just a few years, they garnered widespread popularity both nationally and internationally. In no time the Kingston Trio managed to become the most prominent band of the pop-folk boom era. At that time, many other emerging musicians began to follow their footsteps in order to achieve mainstream success
View Kingston Trio Tickets
Kingston Trio Cities
Kingston Trio Alexandria VA
Kingston Trio Morristown NJ
Kingston Trio Palm Desert CA
Kingston Trio Clearwater FL
Kingston Trio Honolulu HI
Buy Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four & The Limeliters, Birchmere Music Hall Tickets for 09/15 07:30 PM Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four & The Limeliters, Birchmere Music Hall tickets for 09/15 07:30 PM at Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA
Buy Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four & The Limeliters, Community Theatre At Mayo Center For The Performing Arts Tickets for 09/22 07:00 PM Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four & The Limeliters, Community Theatre At Mayo Center For The Performing Arts tickets for 09/22 07:00 PM at Community Theatre At Mayo Center For The Performing Arts, Morristown, NJ
Buy Kingston Trio, Mccallum Theatre Tickets for 11/17 03:00 PM Kingston Trio, Mccallum Theatre tickets for 11/17 03:00 PM at Mccallum Theatre, Palm Desert, CA
Buy Kingston Trio, Hawaii Theatre Tickets for 12/19 07:00 PM Kingston Trio, Hawaii Theatre tickets for 12/19 07:00 PM at Hawaii Theatre, Honolulu, HI
Thu Dec 19 2019
Buy Kingston Trio, Ruth Eckerd Hall Tickets for 01/20 01:00 PM Kingston Trio, Ruth Eckerd Hall tickets for 01/20 01:00 PM at Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL
Mon Jan 20 2020
The Kingston Trio was now a pop-folk sensation coming up with one hit after another, raising the bar for fellow musicians as well as upcoming artists.. Their very first self-titled album was a blockbuster, receiving a Gold certification by the RIAA and also debuting at number one on the US Billboard Pop Album chart. The song "Tom Dooley" turned out to be a huge hit, selling more than 3 million copies worldwide. The track earned the band a Grammy Award for the "Best Country and Western Recording" along with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. That was just the beginning; The Kingston Trio still happens to enchant the audience every time it gets on the stage. Their electrifying performance urges the crowd to get on its feet, and dance and sing along to their tunes. The ambiance at their live concerts is spectacular, with energy buzzing all around.
After looking at the worldwide success of the band’s debut album, Capitol Records was now certain to not let go off the talented ensemble. In association with the label, The Kingston Trio released eighteen studio albums, most of them managing to debut at number one on the music charts as well as earning critical and commercial acclaim. Till now the band has made many world records. The Kingston Trio is known for having the most top ten albums, the most consecutive number one albums and remaining at number one spot for the most number of weeks, among others. Missing out the upcoming concert will deprive you of one of the New Year’s biggest musical events. You must secure your Kingston Trio tickets fast in order to attend this one.
In its stellar career so far, The Kingston Trio has released more than thirty studio albums along with several compilations and live albums. The band is responsible for producing a huge variety of top charting singles that are still buzzing on the radio and television. The members have been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Hit Parade Hall of Fame. Many young musicians look forward to their compositions in order to get inspiration and motivation.
Even after spending so many years in the industry, the band has still got that X factor which you will witness in the upcoming Kingston Trio concert. Like always, they have lined up all your favorite numbers and will make sure that each one of you goes home thoroughly entertained. Attend the concert with your friends to add to the fun. This upcoming event is surely going to be one of the headlining musical extravaganzas of the year 2014. Most of the seats have already been reserved which means you need to purchase your tickets as soon as possible. Secure your Kingston Trio tickets right away.
Kingston Trio Tour Dates 2019 & Concerts
Nothing beats the joy of watching your favorite music artist perform live! Kingston Trio's concert dates are out and fans are looking forward to the upcoming shows. The next concert will be held in Alexandria at the Birchmere Music Hall on 15-Sep-19, while the last available date is for the event scheduled for Honolulu at the Hawaii Theatre on 19-Dec-19. For complete information regarding dates and venues, please visit our website.
Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four & The Limeliters Birchmere Music Hall Alexandria, VA Sun Sep 15 201907:30 PM
Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four & The Limeliters Community Theatre At Mayo Center For The Performing Arts Morristown, NJ Sun Sep 22 201907:00 PM
Kingston Trio Mccallum Theatre Palm Desert, CA Sun Nov 17 201903:00 PM
Kingston Trio Hawaii Theatre Honolulu, HI Thu Dec 19 201907:00 PM
Kingston Trio Ruth Eckerd Hall Clearwater, FL Mon Jan 20 202001:00 PM
Kingston Trio Ticket Prices
The average price for Kingston Trio Tickets start from $70. The minimum get in price is $36 for Kingston Trio Tickets at the Mccallum Theatre, Palm Desert. For a detailed look at ticket prices and amazing discounts, visit our website.
Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four & The Limeliters Alexandria 15-Sep-19 $98 $83
Kingston Trio, The Brothers Four & The Limeliters Morristown 22-Sep-19 $221 $52
Kingston Trio Palm Desert 17-Nov-19 $130 $36
Kingston Trio Honolulu 19-Dec-19 $70 $60
Kingston Trio Clearwater 20-Jan-20 $193 $71
Q:Can I buy Kingston Trio Tickets after normal working hours?
A:Yes, you can buy Kingston Trio Tickets from our website anytime of the day you want and that too at amazing prices.
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