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(Illustration: Tablet Magazine)
Fiction and Essays
My Virginia Woolf Doll
Published 100 years ago this month, ‘To the Lighthouse’ still shines as a beacon for writer Daphne Merkin
I have always been fascinated by the concept of the transitional object—that first possession, be it a stuffed animal or a blanket or other favorite toy, that an infant becomes attached to, declaring it as his or her own, staking a claim. The phrase originated with the great British child psychiatrist, D.W. Winnicott, who coined it in a 1951 paper that was given at a meeting of the British Psychoanalytical Society, titled Transitional Objects and Transitional Phenomena—a Study of the First Not-Me Possession. Although other terms exist for this phenomenon, including “comfort object” and “security blanket,” I think the term “transitional object” carries with it a greater psychological import, alluding as it does to the developmental progress of the infant away from the mother and toward the world. It also suggests, according to Winnicott, the child’s beginning awareness of an objective reality, outside the “subjective omnipotence” with which it is originally endowed, in which the mother and infant are viewed as one and a wish is experienced as creating the object of its own desire. The power of a transitional object is not to be underrated; according to one survey, 35 percent of British adults still sleep with a teddy bear.
As far as I know, I never had a transitional object, à la Linus van Pelt in the Peanuts comic strip—trailing a blue blanket that he clutched to himself while sucking his thumb, the better to feel safe while navigating his Lucy-imperiled surroundings. I often think it would have done me a world of good—it would certainly have eased my anxious absorption of the reality I was facing—if I had made use of a blanket, or a bunny rabbit, or rag doll, to snuggle up with in my crib and later my bed. I was the fourth of six tightly-spaced siblings, and my family was, to put it mildly, a difficult one. It is probably a bit of a simplification to say that I experienced too much of the “Not-Me” and too little of the Me growing up, but not by a great deal. Having such an object might also have helped me understand that the world was not entirely ruled over by my mother, a conviction that held me in its grip for far too long despite years of therapy and introspection.
Would I have sailed through life with greater ease—not had a tendency to scratch insect bites into bloody puddles or grind my lower teeth into stumps—if I had trailed a pink (surely pink!) blanket behind me in those early years? I’ll never know, but meanwhile, I have made my way into the universe all the same, perhaps a bit more tentatively than I otherwise might have and certainly with but the blurriest idea of where my mother stopped and I began. And then one day, I think I was in my early 20s, my mother bought me something—a handmade Virginia Woolf doll, to be exact—that I have come to think of over the years as approximating an adult version of a transitional object. For one thing, although I have a tendency to lose anything and everything of importance to me, I have managed to hold on to this Virginia Woolf doll over four decades. She has moved with me through four changes of address and has stuck with me through thick and thin—through marriage and divorce, motherhood, paralyzing depressions and moments of relative joy. True, she has lost some components of her original costume along the way—the miniature envelopes that were addressed to her care of Hogarth Press in a spidery handwriting got mislaid somewhere, as did first one, and then the other, of her sock-like shoes. But she is still wearing the knitted maroon cardigan with pockets and straight gray wool ankle-length skirt she came in.
The Virginia Woolf doll. (Photo courtesy the author)
Virginia Woolf was one of my mother’s favorite writers, and she in turn became one of mine. My mother emigrated from Nazi Germany to Palestine together with her family in 1936 and in 1949 she came to New York City on what was supposed to be a yearlong visit—she had a job lined up teaching at a school in Washington Heights run by the branch of her family that had emigrated to America instead of Palestine—but ended up meeting my father at a dinner party and staying. My mother had literary aspirations and intermittently pursued them, taking writing courses at Columbia and The New School. I remember her talking about Virginia Woolf’s novels before I ever got to them and I have an image of her, whether true or patched together I’m not entirely sure, reading To the Lighthouse on a couch when I came home from school one day.
I began my own immersion in Woolf’s opus with Mrs. Dalloway, seduced by the in situ opening—“Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself”—and the immediate plunge into Clarissa Dalloway’s consciousness, a jumble of memories and sensations as she crosses Victoria Street in the middle of June, 1923. From there I went on, unchronologically, to The Voyage Out, Jacob’s Room, and other novels, with To The Lighthouse coming in as my favorite. This was followed in turn by the essays and the diaries, the letters and biographies and memoirs, until I became an expert on all matters Bloomsburyian. If we all have visions in our heads of an ideal society to which we would have liked to belong, Bloomsbury was mine. Although it was not perfect, marred by snobbiness and cattiness and a fair amount of faithlessness, which resulted in various members of the group sleeping with each other despite being married to other members, it exhibited a certain spirit of intellectual curiosity and emotional openness that I found enchanting. It was, for example, within the unshuttered precincts of Bloomsbury that Lytton Strachey, one of the group, first uttered the word “semen?” upon spotting a stain on the dress of Virginia Woolf’s sister, Vanessa Bell. Virgnia’s first thought, as she put it in her autobiographical Moments of Being, was: “Can one really say it?”; but then, a moment later, “everyone burst out laughing” and a new, unfettered age was born: “All barriers of reticence and reserve went down.”
Bloomsbury even had its own resident Jew in Leonard Woolf, who joined the group as a Cambridge friend of Thoby Stephen and would go on to marry Thoby’s younger sister, the virginal and fragile Virginia. In announcing their engagement, Virginia referred to Leonard, rather gracelessly, as a “penniless Jew” and took to her bed immediately afterward, there to contemplate the wisdom of her decision. (She also wrote in her diary, “I do not like the Jewish voice,” and, “I do not like the Jewish laugh.”) As has been much observed, British anti-Semitism of the most casual kind was an inherent part of the educated, upper-class society Leonard and Virginia moved in—according to Victoria Glendinning’s biography of Leonard, Virginia used to refer to him at mealtime by saying “give the Jew his food”—but Leonard appeared to take this animosity in stride. Although vastly different interpretations have been put on the Woolfs’ marriage, the most extreme being the one proffered by Cynthia Ozick in her 1973 Commentary essay titled “Mrs. Virginia Woolf,” in which Leonard is portrayed as a madwoman’s keeper, one might also postulate that theirs was a curiously well-matched union of two exotics, one by virtue of ethnicity and the other by virtue of sensibility. Viewed in this way, their shared outsider status—his as a Jew, hers as an emotionally unstable writer—may have helped pave over the things that divided them, not least their irregular, possibly unconsummated sexual life.
These days my Virginia Woolf doll sits in a rocking-chair in my office, overseeing my own writerly labors. Her hair, made of what appears to be grayish-brown yarn, is swept back into a bun that threatens to come apart and her heavy-lidded, hooded eyes—but why are they brown when hers were gray?—stare out dolefully into the famous middle distance. Her elongated body is made of cloth; she looks thin, almost neo-aneroxic, as Woolf was. Pinned to her simple, round-necked beige cotton shirt is a badge that announces “The Brearley School/ VISITOR” from the days when my daughter went there; another round pin that says “AGING TO PERFECTION” is clipped to the bottom left side of her sweater. Did I put these there or did one of my humorously inclined assistants? I’m not sure, but I like their incongruity, the way they bring Virginia into my world and into the present. Once upon a time, I used to put little stones into the pockets of her maroon cardigan, in some kind of gesture of identification with her eventual suicide, but lately I prefer to think of her as radiant with life, waving not drowning, keeping me perpetual company.
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Daphne Merkin, a contributing writer at the New York Times Magazine and a contributing editor at Elle, teaches writing at Hunter College. Her latest book is a memoir, This Close to Happy, a reckoning with depression.
British anti-Semitism
Winnicott
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We Found the 12 Cutest Bathing Suits on Amazon – All Under $35
Bianca Nieves
What Life Is Like for Latinx Teens 1 Year After Trump's Election
It's been one year since he was elected President.
Isabella Gomez Sarmiento
WASHINGTON, DC - Speaker of House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announce the Republican tax reform initiative accompanied by members of the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee, (L-R) Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA), Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), and Rep. Mike Bishop (R-MI), on Capitol Hill in Washington DC Wednesday September 27, 2017. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post via Getty Images)The Washington Post/Getty Images
When Donald Trump was elected President last November, immigrant communities across the country felt scared of what the future could hold for them. Trump’s campaign was littered with promises of increased deportations and to build a wall along the border with Mexico, which contributed to an already tense feeling amongst Latinx people, especially those without legal documentation to live in the United States.
As president, Trump began rolling out executive orders that affirmed his immigration stance, and activists geared up to fight back. Then-19-year-old Valeria Alvarado, who moved to the U.S. from Mexico when she was four years old, co-founded a website called We, Too, Are America (WAA) to combat Trump’s weekly list of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. Every week, WAA published stories that show the accomplishments of immigrants, as a way to reclaim their voices. Although she believes Trump has emboldened discriminatory practices, especially by pardoning former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, she tells Teen Vogue that she does not think they are solely the result of his policies.
“I truly believe that the Trump administration is not dividing us; he is only revealing and intensifying the divides that were already there,” she says. “Racism, homophobia, sexism, transphobia, ICE raids, and deportation has been happening far before Trump was elected.”
With co-founder Sarah Vasquez and countless contributors, Valeria’s platform has developed to include the College Application Project, an initiative that allows college students to guide high school seniors through the application process, and two film projects currently in the works, including a planned documentary about social media’s role in activism and a digital series highlighting DACA recipients in Los Angeles.
The latter has become a particularly prevalent topic since Trump announced plans to rescind the DACA program on September 5 if Congress doesn't take action, which could undo protections currently in place for approximately 690,000 people brought into the United States as children. As Congress scrambles to come up with an alternative solution, many recipients fear they will have to go back to living in the shadows. For others like 19-year-old Gloria Rinconi, however, they believe the threat also serves as a call to action.
“Since the Trump administration, for the first time, I told everyone I was a DACA recipient and what the Trump administration meant to me. When September 5th came around, I was very vocal about the administration’s decision and how it affected my life,” she tells Teen Vogue. “It gave me the fire to fuel my activism.”
While in school at Richland College in Texas, she works closely with FWD.us to rally behind the DREAM Act and oppose anti-sanctuary policies, such as Senate Bill 4 in Texas, which critics claim would allow for more racial profiling by law enforcement.
Dan* [who chose not to disclose his name for this piece], a DACA recipient currently living in Maryland, believes U.S. citizens can also play a powerful role in defending the program by asking their representatives to support new legislation. “You’re the only voice that I can get for a Congressman to listen to me, because I have friends with DACA who talk to their Congresspeople but aren’t really taken seriously since they don’t vote,” he tells Teen Vogue.
As he suggests, many documented people across the country have responded to increased ICE arrests and the proposed RAISE Act , which one study suggests could negatively impact the U.S. economy, by showing up for their undocumented friends.
In Oakland, California, the Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigrant Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) leads a community-based campaign to defend its undocumented members. The network, which is called “Don’t Walk On By,” encourages neighbors to call BAMN if they see any ICE presence so students and residents can gather outside the homes or workspaces of undocumented people and prevent arrests from being made.
Michelle* [who also chose not to disclose her last name for this piece], an 18-year-old freshman at UC Berkeley, actively works with the campaign. She identifies as Chicanx and Indigenous and used to dream of becoming a lawyer to help people who she feels are unfairly targeted by immigration laws. In the past year, however, she has grown disillusioned with the U.S. criminal justice system and hopes to make a difference through grassroots organizing instead.
“We can’t just expect people in higher positions to do the work for us,” she tells Teen Vogue. “We have to do it ourselves.”
In Puerto Rico, sentiments amongst young people seem to be the same. After Hurricane Maria hit the island on September 20, many residents, including San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz felt that the Trump administration did not provide adequate relief. Seventeen-year-old Francisco Ramos from Caguas explained to Teen Vogue that after his community was mainly left to pick up for itself, he felt disrespected by Trump’s assertion that he had things under control. Although Francisco believes that Trump is not the first U.S. President to neglect Puerto Rico, he says treatment has gotten worse. However, he says that he has faith in what the future holds.
“I think what we need to take from all of this is that as young people, we need to push our country forward,” he says.
*Names have been changed.
Related: DACA Renewal Cost Dreamers Hundreds of Dollars
Keywordsdacadreamerslatinxundocumented immigrants
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Almost thirty years ago, tiny Archer City was invaded by Hollywood: Peter Bogdanovich and company came to town to film Larry McMurtry’s The Last Picture Show. Here, Bogdanovich, Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges, and others in the cast and crew look back at the moviemaking experience that changed them—and us—forever.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/picture-perfect-2/
Plus: A few words from the late Ben Johnson, and an exclusive excerpt from Larry McMurtry’s new novel Duane’s Depressed.
In the fall of 1970 the magic of Hollywood descended on Archer City, Texas, population 1,722. Director Peter Bogdanovich, 31, arrived with the cast and crew to begin shooting Larry McMurtry’s The Last Picture Show, a bittersweet, no-holds-barred story about growing up in Texas in the fifties. Tongue firmly in cheek, McMurtry had “lovingly dedicated” the novel to his hometown, and many of its citizens had not forgotten. Ministers railed and townspeople arched their brows at the sinfulness of this “dirty” book, which McMurtry’s mother was said to have hidden in the closet. And then, adding insult to injury, they were making a moving picture to go with it. One letter to the local newspaper spoke of both the end of an era and the wayward day dawning on the horizon, where wicked larger towns like Wichita Falls loomed: “I, for one, feel that Archer City will come out of this with a sickness in it’s [sic] stomach and a certain misgiving about the support the City is lending to the further degradation and decay of the morals and attitudes we foist upon our youth in this County…”
Undeterred, Bogdanovich and company persevered, and after ten weeks of production and a year of cutting by the director, their joint effort yielded an American masterpiece. (In 1991 Bogdanovich restored seven minutes of footage cut from the original film—three scenes in all—for a laserdisc letterbox edition, but this “director’s cut” version is no longer available.) The Last Picture Show won eight Academy award nominations and garnered Oscars for Ben Johnson and Cloris Leachman (best supporting actor and actress). The film also won three British Academy awards, one Golden Globe award, seven New York Film Critics awards, and one National Society of Film Critics award. In 1998 the Library of Congress selected it for the National Film Registry.
Nineteen years after making The Last Picture Show, Bogdanovich and most of the original cast returned to Archer City to film its sequel, Texasville. This time a starstruck town embraced the celebrities and welcomed the influx of fresh money into an oil-slump-depressed economy. Several of the performers who had been young, unknown actors were now established figures: Cybill Shepherd, Jeff Bridges, Timothy Bottoms, Randy Quaid. The production had the air of a high school reunion.
McMurtry’s latest fictional visit to Archer City, Duane’s Depressed, has just been published, taking up the stories of several characters from the two earlier novels (an excerpt appears on page 81), and so it seems a fitting time to revisit the making of The Last Picture Show, in the days before the Texas Film Commission, the Third Coast, and the current lively motion picture scene in Texas.
A film is the result of a vast collaboration over time, and what happens off camera can have a crucial impact on what happens on-screen. On the set of The Last Picture Show, the private lives of the actors intersected with those of the characters they depicted; passions swirled around the picture with the same force as the winds that blew through the empty streets of the little Texas town. How the movie was made is a story best told by the participants: Peter Bogdanovich (director), Cybill Shepherd (Jacy Farrow), Timothy Bottoms (Sonny Crawford), Jeff Bridges (Duane Jackson), Cloris Leachman (Ruth Popper), Eileen Brennan (Genevieve), Sam Bottoms (Billy), Polly Platt (production designer), and Gary Chason (assistant to the director).
Bogdanovich: Well, the truth is that Archer City sort of picked us. We went down to look at locations, and Larry had volunteered to take us around Texas—he loves to drive around—so he drove me and the production designer, Polly Platt [Bogdanovich’s wife at the time], around. He met us at the Dallas airport, and he said, “Where you wanna go? You wanna go north or south? You wanna go to Archer City?” And I said, “Well, let’s go there last. Let’s see everything else that there is,” thinking that probably Archer City wouldn’t even be right. I thought, “That’d be his hometown. Why would that be right?” So we spent a couple of days driving around Texas, more than a couple of days, and we said, “Let’s fly back to Dallas and drive up to Archer City.” And the minute we drove into town, the minute I could see that stoplight blinking at me, and it was kinda getting a little late as we drove in, I said, “This is it.” And Larry of course said, “Well, it oughta be. It’s the town I wrote about.”
Platt: I was asleep in the back seat listening to Larry and Peter in the front talking about the movie, and I would sort of go to sleep and wake up and listen to their murmuring voices. It was very, very special. And we got into the town—it was a stormy, rainy, sleety March—and the town was as gray and ugly as you’ve ever seen. There were tumbleweeds blowing through the town; it was closed down. And we saw that it had the tank dam, it had the lake, it had the high school, it had the square—and even though the main square needed a lot of work, we decided to do it. We decided to do it there.
Bridges: It’s funny. When you’re making a movie like that, the place you’re shooting almost seems like a set. That whole town, we used that whole town as a big set, basically. It was wonderful coming back for Texasville, because the town hadn’t changed really that much at all. I think the only difference was this black glass bank that was stuck in the middle of all this other stuff.
Brennan: Shooting in the town did a lot of the work for the actors because the town is extremely bleak. Bogdanovich They were not happy that we were there. They did not like the book; the town was hostile to the book, which by the way had not been a successful book. I don’t believe it sold more than about six thousand copies in hardcover. So the success of the picture and Larry’s subsequent success made Archer City like us a lot better when we went back for Texasville.
Platt: I remember we went into the McMurtry house, and Jeff McMurtry, Larry’s father, instead of saying hello to Larry—Larry said, “This is Polly and Peter,” and Hazel [his mother] was all friendly and everything, and she gave us a pecan pie—Jeff McMurtry just came right over to me and was looking at Larry, and instead of saying “How do you do?” or “Nice to meet you” or the usual Texas thing, he said, “You know what?”—he was looking at Larry—“You pour kerosene on him, and I’ll light the match.”
Leachman: This is a very hard-bitten place; you felt the lives, living there. It’s so painful. I mean it’s so, what do they call it? Quiet desperation. Everybody knows everybody. I don’t know if you can really share when you have to protect your pride. I think that’s why it can be awfully lonely if you feel you can’t share, like my character. Ruth had nobody to share with, nor did she even think she had the right to feel she was suffering at all; that was her lot in life.
Chason: Since The Last Picture Show and McMurtry’s work are so rooted in the land, so site-specific, I felt that it was very important, as did Peter Bogdanovich, that the regional accents be accurate. Peter loved to talk to Orson Welles on the phone as often as possible, and Orson advised him to get a dialect coach. I had strong reservations about anybody from Los Angeles coming to Texas and creating an authentic Texas accent. My fear was that for one thing it would be too broad and secondly that it would be Southern and not Texan. Most of the Californians or New Yorkers that I’ve met could not distinguish between a Texas regional accent and a Southern one. The only one who struggled was Timothy Bottoms. And he was the only one that I think f—ed it up. Early in the movie, when he’s making out with Charlene Duggs in the pickup truck, he’s supposed to say, “Let’s do somethin’ different.” And he refused to do that after many, many coaching sessions to tell him to say “somethin’”; he had to say “somethang.” “Let’s do somethang different.” And it’s in the movie, “somethang.” It was one of those days I couldn’t be on the set, and it snuck by me. And Peter didn’t know the difference.
Bridges: When we were in Archer City there, shooting, somebody would nudge me and say, “Look, there’s the real Duane.” A lot of these characters were still walking around. All of us, the young guys especially, were fortunate to link up with a young fellow named Loyd Catlett. He was a young kid living in Wichita Falls at the time, and he was hired to play a part and to also coach us in dialect and just for us to observe and see what growing up in Texas was like. He was a wonderful help and a great friend to us all.
Platt: The hardest thing about making the movie was the climate, because we needed to shoot summer sequences and we got there in September. We started shooting in October, and we were desperate to get finished before Christmas. And we had to do the summer sequences in the coldest, freezingest—and only people in Texas know what I’m talking about, that wind coming down, right across the plains, flat, flat, flat. So the climate was hostile, and we had to have the kids in the movie—I was just a kid myself—but we had to have the kids in this little scanty clothing.
Neachmal: When we were shooting in the main part of town, there was [a restaurant], I think it was called the Golden Rooster; we would always go in there, and while we’d be waiting, Ellen [Burstyn] and me, a woman we met at the restaurant would sit with us. And one day she was just beside herself. She finally burst into tears and said that she was married and everything, and we knew she was married anyway, and she was crying so uncontrollably. And we were consoling her and feeling very sorry, and she said, “No, not my husband; my lover.” I mean, we were in the middle of Last Picture Show without even realizing it.
Chason: [Peter] pretty much had Cybill in mind going in. He didn’t really want to see anybody in Texas for the role of Jacy. However, I got him to agree to look at one actress in the state of Texas for that role, a girl from Dallas by the name of Patsy Calmes. I know the name Patsy Calmes doesn’t ring any bells because Patsy moved to New York City and changed her name and got a job in soaps and is still working to this day. Now she lives in L.A., and the name that she changed her name to is “Morgan Fairchild.”
Bogdanovich: Cybill was the only person I ever considered for the part. I saw her on the cover of Glamour magazine. I had never bought Glamour or even noticed it, but for some reason her expression on this one particular cover caught my attention in the supermarket, and I bought the thing and asked my assistant to find out who the girl was. And I went to New York and I thought she’d be perfect. She had a kind of offhand, destructive quality. I remember she came in to see me with her agent or her manager—I was at the Essex House, on Central Park South—and she came in wearing a Levi’s jacket and Levi’s jeans, a big girl. I had just had breakfast, and I was sitting on the couch with the coffee table in front of me and the remains of my breakfast—you know, sometimes they put a flower in a little vase, a little rose? So she sat on the floor on the other side of the coffee table, and we’re talking, and she kind of offhandedly was fiddling with that little flower. And the way she did it, I thought, “Well, that’s kind of the way she plays with guys, just kind of offhandedly.” And that little gesture made me feel that she could do this part.
Platt: When I saw [Cybill’s] picture—Peter leaves me out of this story—but I saw it and said to Peter, “Doesn’t she look like Jacy?” We were shopping in the supermarket; he would never be in a supermarket without me. Well, it was interesting, because I had very high standards, and she was perfect. She had this sexual chip on her shoulder, certified, and I’ve never seen anybody who was more—she was gifted, a very gifted girl.
Bogdanovich: Polly had nothing at all to do with the casting of the movie. And of course I was in the supermarket alone. At that time in my life I chewed toothpicks, and I remember going to the supermarket on the way to the office to pick some up. Polly was already at the office, so she couldn’t have been with me.
Shepherd: About the magazine cover and everything? I don’t know who found it. What I always knew to be the case was Peter saw it in the grocery store and said, “Find this girl. That’s Jacy.” But now I’ve also heard that Polly says she found it. But, you know, who cares? It’s like who designed Chartres.
S. Bottoms: I’ve always thought of Texas as my home away from home because I was, of course, discovered there, as an actor, and I’ve done some other work there. I never had a chicken-fried steak till I went to Texas. I never had a pecan pie till I went to Texas. I ate my first peanut pattie in Texas. A lot of firsts for me in Texas.
Bogdanovich: First day of shooting, as we were driving through town I saw this kid sitting on the steps; he was just sitting there, with his knees up, just sitting and watching. And I said, “Wait, stop the car, lemme get out a minute.” And I went over and I said, “Who are you?” He said, “Well, I’m Sam Bottoms. I’m Tim’s brother.” I said, “Can you act?” He said, “Well, I don’t know.” I said, “You wanna be in the picture?” And he said, “Sure.” He had braces all over his teeth, and I said, “Can you take your braces off?” And he said, “I don’t know. I’ll have to call my mom.” And I said, “Well, go ahead, and if they let you do it, you can be in the picture.” And that’s how he got in the picture. He just looked right.
S. Bottoms: I didn’t read the script. I didn’t read the book. I didn’t know what the story was about. I’d just come to work when they’d tell me to and I’d just stand where they’d tell me to.…Larry was real nice. He came out to the set. He paid me a nice compliment. He said, “I always kind of imagined Billy looked something like you.”
Bogdanovich: Not only was John Ritter in the running [for the part of Sonny], he was the runner-up. His father came in to see me, with John—that’s how I met Tex Ritter. I had met John, I liked him, and he read, I think, three or four times for the picture. Tex wanted to play Sam the Lion; he was sort of the runner-up for that. And he would have been good. I thought Ben was wonderful, though. Ben turned the picture down four times. I finally got John Ford to call him. Ford told him, “What are you gonna do, be Duke’s sidekick the rest of your life?” Of course, Ben called me after that, and he said, “You put the old man on me.” I said, “Ben, I really want you to do this.” “Oh, Pete, I don’t know,” he said. “There’s too many words in this picture. There’s too many words.” I told that to Ford, and he said, “Yeah, he always says there’s too many words. He said there was too many words in She Wore a Yellow Ribbon. He just likes to ride.” Finally, in the last meeting with him, I said, “Ben, you don’t understand. If you do this picture, you’re gonna get an Academy award; you’re gonna get a nomination at least.” When I said it to him, he got angry. He said, “Why do you say that?” And I said, “Because I think so.” “Goddammit,” he said. “All right. I’ll do the goddam thing.”
Bogdanovich: We were ready to shoot [the scene where Duane and Sonny are about to drive down to Mexico], and there was this line Ben’s supposed to say—after [Sonny says,] “Oh, we’re just gonna drink beer and tequila”—and he says, “Well, you catch the clap, you’ll wish you hadn’t drunk nothin’.” And he says, “You, you, you— catch the miseries, you’ll wish you hadn’t drunk nothin’.” And I said, “Cut. You catch the miseries—what the f— is that?” And he said, “I don’t wanna say that other word.” And I said, “Come on, Ben. What’s miseries?” He said, “You know, like diarrhea.” I said, “I don’t know that anybody’s gonna get that. Plus, it’s not as funny as clap.” And he said, “My mother might wanna see this picture, and I’m not gonna speak those dirty words.” He wouldn’t do it for about two takes, and I said, “Come on, say it with clap.” And he said, “All right, goddammit.” So he said it.…
There were a lot of things we didn’t plan. The most famous example for me was the scene by the tank dam when Ben has his big scene about the past, during which the sun came in and out about five times, really almost on cue. I mean, if somebody had asked me, “Where would you like the sun to come out and where would you like it to go back in again?”—it was absolutely extraordinary. It was the first take, which was a long piece of film. It was three or four minutes; there are some cuts in it now. And right toward the end of the scene, when the sun had done all these extraordinary things, the clouds and the sun, Tim Bottoms forgot one of his lines, and it was a long, like, twenty-five-, thirty-second pause, which effectively screwed up my notion that we wouldn’t have a cut in it. And, well, I didn’t know what to do. I mean, we got it, we printed that, and I said, “Let’s do one more, to be safe.” We did one more, and of course there was no pause but there were also no pirouettes from the sun, and anyway, there was no contest. I think Ben won the Oscar for that scene.
Chason: It fell to my department to find a photo double for Cybill [for the nude swimming party scene], somebody that was shaped like she was, and Peter wanted the actress, the photo double, to have tits that looked as much like Cybill’s as possible. But Cybill would not allow a photograph or anything and wouldn’t let me see them, so then she tries to describe to me in words what her tits look like. And they took a tape measure and measured and everything, and I went out looking for girls to double her. And I have to say it was not that unpleasant a task. I went to the talent agencies in Dallas, and they didn’t blink an eye. They brought girls in and, you know, the girls would take off their tops and show their breasts. I wouldn’t do the tape measuring myself. We had a woman there, like a nurse. But ultimately, if you look at how that scene was shot, it would have been extremely difficult to pull it off. Peter was able to talk Cybill into actually showing her breasts in the film and stripping down entirely, although you don’t see anything below the waist.
Bogdanovich: The nude scenes were nervous-making. All of them. I didn’t really want to shoot it that way, and the producers really wanted it that way, and I reluctantly did it. I was uncomfortable with it, but we did it. We had a lot of trouble finding an indoor swimming pool for that one scene; we just couldn’t find one anywhere in Archer City or Wichita Falls. Finally somebody found one of those little kind of health spas in Wichita Falls, and we rented that. And we needed some kids who wouldn’t mind getting stripped for the scene. And so we found some who agreed to do it, and I thought, you know, that I was going to be very delicate. All these kids, they came out buck naked; they didn’t give a shit. And I was just looking up at the sky, saying, “Oh, shit.” I was embarrassed; they weren’t. Cybill and I were the only two who really didn’t enjoy it. And those are the scenes that I’m still not that thrilled with.
Shepherd: I just recently looked at the movie, at his long version where he put the footage back in and he cut out one shot of my breasts. It’s a funny, moving film that was very shocking and has more sex in it and more nudity than film today—you hardly see it anymore. And actually I ended up preferring, you know, like more nude scenes with me. You know, if you’d asked me—well, up until this last year, I would’ve probably said, “Oh, doing those nude scenes was so uncomfortable.” But God, I look great. I—I would leave it all in there.
Leachman: (on the scene in which her character first sleeps with Sonny): So the three of us got in the room together, this tiny little bedroom, Peter and Timothy and I, and the first thing out of anybody’s mouth was Timothy saying, “I ain’t taking off my clothes for this scene.” So starting with that, we began to figure out how to do it. Each of us would go to a separate corner and undress down to our underwear, and then we would get into bed, but we wouldn’t take off our underwear; another set of underwear was planted there. So Peter says, “Action,” and we start taking off our clothes and we get into bed and he throws out his underwear, the plant, and I take off my bra and panties and throw them out. Completely. My character did it, I didn’t. Of course we had to do it again; we couldn’t stop laughing.
T. Bottoms: She was my mom’s age. Sort of like being intimate with your mother. Very weird. And you know that Cybill Shepherd is just outside.
Bogdanovich: When I met Marlene Die-trich about a year and a half later—we were flying to Denver, and she was on the same plane with us, with Ryan O’Neal and me, and Ryan was bragging about me. And so he says, you know, “He directed The Last Picture Show. Didya see that?” And Marlene says, “Yes,” and Ryan says, “What’d ya think?” And she says, “I thought if one more person strips slowly I vill scream.” I must say I kind of understood what she meant, because that did make me a bit nervous; I thought there was an awful lot of sex in the picture.
Shepherd: Well, the first scene was very tough for me because of two reasons. I couldn’t keep my eyes open ’cause it was very glary out by the lake. It was a love scene in the convertible with Tim Bottoms. Now, the first time I ever acted on-screen, I had to let this guy feel me up. He’s very attractive, Timothy Bottoms, but frankly, I mean, I was not an experienced actress. The close-up—I think probably I look as good there as I ever looked on-screen. But it was kind of wild to be making out and have this guy feeling up my breasts, and of course we rehearsed quite a bit. And I tell you, we rehearsed. It was a very sexy thing, I mean, because Jeff Bridges is very attractive and very kind and very fun and Timothy Bottoms was, you know, very attractive and Peter Bogdanovich was very attractive. It was wild! It was just like—you didn’t have to do drugs; the sexual thing of it was so, it was so exciting. I think I was aroused the whole entire shooting schedule, but don’t let my mother read this article, ’cause she says, “All you do is talk about sex.” Well, I don’t care. I think that talkin’ about sex is fun.
Bogdanovich (on the restored scene in which Jacy and Abilene, the oil-field foreman memorably played by Clu Gulager, have sex on the pool table): I had actually taken it out myself. Even now I’m not sure about it, but it’s in there. It’s an interesting scene, and it does help to explain Jacy’s character a bit. It shows that she had an orgasm, and all that. At the time, I just thought it was too much about sex.
Chason: (on the classroom scene in which the teacher is trying to interest the students in Keats’s poetry): [Bogdanovich] wanted Sonny to look out the window and see some dogs screwing in the school yard. Well, the propman just threw his hands up in despair and refused even to try, said it couldn’t be done, forget it. And that’s what led Bogdanovich to say, “Well, I’ll bet Gary Chason can do it.” So I went to one of these old rancher guys and laid out my problem, and you know, it didn’t take me any time, I was amazed. This ol’ boy said, “Yeah, I got a bitch who’s gonna be in heat next Saturday”—totally mysterious to me. But he knew. I mean, that’s a man who really knew his dog. I said, “Okay, good. Do you have a male that she will mate with?” “Oh, yeah, a buddy of mine’s got one.” Those dogs cost me $25 a day; I mean, they were expensive. But then of course we weren’t asking any of the other extras to do anything near like what we were asking the dogs to do.
Bogdanovich: When they voted at the school council on whether or not they’d let us shoot in there, we only got permission by one vote; it was that close. And they weren’t happy with us at all when we shot that scene with the two dogs on the lawn of the school—we almost got thrown out of town for that one. Well, you can imagine what they thought—it’s hard to imagine—but the camera was actually on the inside for that shot. You couldn’t see the camera, you couldn’t see anything except two huge lights outside lighting up these two dogs that are going at it. Just a few seconds; you don’t actually see them do anything. You just see them sniffing around and the audience gets the idea; it gets a big laugh. But people driving by were horrified.
Chason: The propman had a long-standing relationship with Pabst Brewery, so the beer that the actors were going to drink in the movie was going to be Pabst Blue Ribbon. I said no way, and the propman was so pissed at me. I said, man, nobody in 1951 drank Pabst Blue Ribbon; it was unheard of here. It’s gotta be Pearl and Lone Star; it can’t be anything else. And so we’re calling Pearl and Lone Star and getting labels and shit like that. You’ll notice, though, we didn’t have ’em in time for the big fight with Sonny and Duane over Jacy, when Duane hits him with the beer bottle. Jeff Bridges covered up the label because we didn’t have the proper period labels yet.
Bogdanovich: One of those happy little accidents was Coca-Cola. There were several lines in the picture, “You wanna Coke?” And Columbia sent the script to the Coca-Cola Company—this was before Coke bought Columbia—and Coca-Cola said they didn’t want to give us any product because they thought it was a dirty movie. That irritated me so much that I decided to remove not only any references to Coke but any casual shot in the background where you might see a Coke machine. And when I was down there researching, you know, getting ready, I noticed that a lot of people drank Dr Pepper. So I tried it—this was a regional drink; at the time, Dr Pepper was not known in the north—and I said, well, I’ll just use Dr Pepper, and we changed the line to Dr Pepper; I thought it had more of an unusual sound anyway.
Chason: The town’s name in the book is Thalia, but there was this town that had disappeared, called Anarene, and Peter thought that that sounded good, and so he wanted to name it Anarene. And we needed a school song because there’s a time when they’re driving in a car, in Jacy’s convertible, and they sing it from beginning to end, at least in the director’s cut. We needed lyrics, and so I ended up writing the lyrics to the school song.
Bogdanovich: There’s one very nice scene that Larry always regretted wasn’t in the original, which is early on in the picture when the three principal kids—Cybill, Tim, and Jeff—they get out of school and they jump into her car, and they’re going to the place where they have the french fries. And before they get there, there’s a scene where they’re riding and Jeff imitates the coach and kind of spits like the coach, and kind of sarcastically they start to sing the school song. And they’re sitting in the front seat, all of them singing the school song. I always regretted that we cut that. So that was one of the things we put back.
Chason: At the big graduation ceremony, for the state song they were gonna have “The Eyes of Texas.” No, no, no, folks, “The Eyes of Texas” is the University of Texas song. The state song is called “Texas, Our Texas.” I told Bogdanovich, and once he found out, he wanted authenticity, he wanted it to be real, so “Texas, Our Texas” is in the movie.
Bogdanovich: In the book, you know, [the last picture show] was quite different. In the book it was a rather poor Audie Murphy movie, and I thought that the picture show ought to go out with a little bit more of a bang. You know, being a bit more romantic about the movies than Larry, who hates movies. He does. So I wanted to have a movie that had an adventure to it, some kind of movement, a trek of some kind. And there were really only two movies that I like—that fell within the range of directors that I like—and one was Red River and the other was John Ford’s Wagonmaster. But because Red River is a Texas story—it starts in Texas and then they go north—and it was John Wayne, I thought it was more theatrical and more appropriate to the story, a bigger contrast between the adventurous past and the mundane present.
Bogdanovich: Life did intrude; my father passed away while we were shooting. Suddenly, of a stroke. And my marriage ended. And it couldn’t have been more traumatic on a personal level. And yet, that’s what movies are like. You just kind of keep going. So the present definitely intruded personally on our lives during the making of the film, but it was an obsessive—movies are an obsessive thing.
Shepherd: We were in Olney, Texas, and we were sitting in the theater—you know, ’cause the picture show in Archer City had burned down, we used the interior of Olney and the exterior we used in Archer City. So Peter and I are sitting in that theater, and we’re talking and stuff, and I guess he knew that I was kinda having an affair with Jeff Bridges. And he said something—“Well, I guess you’re lonely tonight”—and I said, “Oh, I’m lonely every night.” And he said to me, “I can’t decide who I’d rather sleep with, you or Jacy.” I was very attracted to Peter. I knew he was a married man; I think I didn’t have much of a conscience. I would try not to be involved with married men; I didn’t think it was a great idea. It was very uncomfortable for all of us. But you know, looking back on it, would I do it differently? That’s another question.
Platt: I was jealous, of course, wildly. I did Cybill’s hair every day. I cut her hair, you know. I was tempted, but Cybill was irresistible. I thought about it—I thought if I was a man and a beautiful girl like that was making a pass at me, I don’t know what I would do. I could see why Peter was so head over heels in love with her.
Brennan: I knew nothing of that. I had no idea it was going on. When we got home, I called Peter and said, “I want you and Polly to come to dinner.” And he said, “Well, she won’t be coming with me; better ask Polly separately.” That’s how I found out.
T. Bottoms: After work nobody really wanted to see anybody. Except Peter. He wanted to see what’s-her-name. I think we all wanted to see her. Naked. I never saw her naked. I think Peter may have.
Bridges: The scenes with Cybill were very exciting to me; you use what’s going on in your life. I was probably a little older than Duane was supposed to be, but all that—that young kind of feeling of sexual oats and all that stuff. Sure could call on that.
S. Bottoms: I was a youngster, so everybody kind of looked after me. I didn’t get involved in a whole lot of the other stuff that was going on. I would actually have liked to. I didn’t have a girlfriend then, but I was interested in what was going on after hours. It was pretty frustrating to a fifteen-year-old.
T. Bottoms: I really enjoyed Peter and Polly in the beginning, before we started shooting. But I know when Peter left Polly—she had just had a baby, I mean, a brand-new baby—and I don’t know, I watched this beautiful marriage just destroyed. I watched it come apart, and it broke my heart, because at home my mom and dad were coming apart, so it was very personal, it just really hurt me, and I think that got reflected in my acting. Things just don’t last—that’s probably the worst feeling, a hopeless feeling, kind of like Sonny Crawford: hopeless despair.
S. Bottoms: It was painful to see all of this other stuff going on with all of these other people, in their lives. For me it was sort of a validation that everybody else’s lives were pretty screwed up too and I wasn’t the only one coming from a screwed-up background.
Bridges: We kind of had our own small town going; you know, you get very tight making a movie. It was almost like little incarnations, little lifetimes, and so there was like a bit of our own soap opera going there, and that was kind of like the life going on in the story.
Bogdanovich: The reason I wanted to shoot it in black and white is because I thought we would get a sense of the period better and more quickly. Period pictures in color are always troublesome, particularly if they’re color at a time when there were movies. It’s different if you’re doing Gone With the Wind, ’cause there were no movies in that period. But when you’re doing movies in a period that was essentially a black-and-white period, they’re more realistic. Everything does seem more realistic in black and white, strange enough, even though it’s an abstraction; it’s one of those peculiarities. Also, I thought that the performances would resonate better. Orson Welles and I were talking about that, and I was telling him that I was trying to get something of what he did in terms of the depth of field in Citizen Kane or [The Magnificent] Ambersons or Touch of Evil and so on, and he said, “You’ll never get it in color.” And I said, “Well, what am I gonna do?” He said, “Shoot it in black and white.” I said, “I don’t think they’ll let me.” And he said, “Well, why don’t you ask ’em?”
Leachman: I remember feeling that this picture, The Last Picture Show, it was as if—you’ve seen those books where you open the pages and the pages pop up and form things. That’s what this seemed like; it just seemed like it just put itself up on the screen.
Platt: I think there are two huge, important things about that film. One is what we call the “environment,” the atmosphere of the picture. The other was the fabulous nature of the material—great script, great land.
Bogdanovich: We had a hard time figuring out who was going to play Sam the Lion; we couldn’t decide, and at one point people thought, well, what about Jimmy Stewart? We sort of thought about it, but I said, no, we really can’t go all the way down there to the little town and end up with a movie star. And then Orson made a suggestion. He said, “How ’bout going down to Nashville; maybe you’ll find some older, aging country singer that just might be perfect.” So I did go to Nashville for that express reason, and while I was in Nashville I used the time to kind of do some research about country music of that period and found, to my amazement, that songs that I knew, like “Cold, Cold Heart,” which I’d known as Tony Bennett’s song, turned out to be originally a Hank Williams song. And I did a lot of research about the country hits during that period. The book is rather general about what years, it’s very general in terms of the fifties. But I decided to be very specific, so the picture, as far as I was concerned, began in October 1951 and ended in October 1952, so I was very careful with that. A hit song in October 1951 on all the charts was Hank Williams’ “Cold, Cold Heart.” At the same time, Tony Bennett’s version was popular in the north. So I decided to use mainly country music for the picture and the pop stuff more for Jacy, figuring that she was snobbish and didn’t really like country music because it was too square as far as she was concerned.
Shepherd: One of my happiest memories was, oddly enough, getting up before light and riding out to work—to Archer City—and seeing that light. The light is so extraordinary! And that flat landscape makes the sky enormous. And I was just so thrilled to be going out, you know, and I think the whole crew—we all rode together—that was really fun. That’s a more adventurous type of moviemaking than I’ve experienced since then.
Bridges: It was a very exciting time. Just making movies back in those days was very different. The movie was produced by a group of guys who had this company, BBS. BBS stood for Bert, Bob, and Steve. Any company that would give their first names as the company lets you know how loose creatively the company was. They produced Easy Rider and Five Easy Pieces and The King of Marvin Gardens and The Last Picture Show and some wonderful movies.
Brennan: To me it is a delicious, delicious memory. Camaraderie and all of that—and the time. Ten weeks. You know what they do now? Three. We would never be able to do that in three weeks. It’s budgets.
Shepherd: When I got back to New York and I went back into modeling, I said, “I just had this incredible experience, making what I think could be a great movie.” And everybody goes, “Well, who’s in it?” And I listed the people, and nobody had ever heard of anyone in the film. I could see ’em click off—like, “Oh, yeah. Right.”
S. Bottoms: If you ask my honest opinion, Tim’s the movie. It’s all coming from Sonny. I think Larry is Sonny. He doesn’t want to admit it. Larry’s Sonny, in an introverted, sort of twisted way. Shy.
Bogdanovich: I think Picture Show certainly had a tremendous impact and continues to have an impact. When you do something so meticulously within the period, you’re dating it as you’re making it. You’re putting it in a time capsule. The ambience, the songs—everything is very much of that moment.
Bridges: I can recall after the first week of shooting, sitting around a table with Cloris Leachman and Ellen Burstyn and Cybill Shepherd, Eileen Brennan, and Tim was probably there, just the whole group of us, and we were having some breakfast together and we were all talking about—this is feeling very special, there’s something kind of magical about this. So I remember having those feelings early on in the shooting, and I still have them today. I think The Last Picture Show really kind of stands alone. I can’t think of any movie that it’s like or is like it; it kinda sits there by itself.
GENTLE BEN
In 1992, four years before he died, Ben Johnson gave an interview to Ronald L. Davis, the director of Southern Methodist University’s Oral History Program on the Performing Arts. Here are excerpts from that interview:
ON HIS ROLE IN THE LAST PICTURE SHOW
Well, I turned it down for, I don’t know, three or four months because of the dialogue. There was a lot of four-letter words in my part, and I don’t do that on the screen. I’m liable to do anything in front of us old boys, but I don’t talk very bad in front of women and kids. So I turned it down. So Pete [Bogdanovich], he kept after me all the time to do it. They offered me ten percent of the picture and I don’t know what all, a good salary and everything, and I didn’t take it.…One morning about seven o’clock the phone rang and it was John Ford, and he said, “Ben, would you do me a favor?” I said, “Yes, sir.” I didn’t even ask him what it was. He said, “I want you to do Bogdanovich’s picture.” So I called Pete up and I told him, “I’ll do the picture for a salary if you let me pick up the script and rewrite my part.” He said, “I’ll do it.”…And I won the American Academy award, the English Academy award, the Golden Globe award, and the New York Film Critics award, all for that one show. To me that shows that you don’t have to say dirty words to get noticed in the movies.
ON HIS BIG SCENE AT THE STOCK TANK
I’ll tell you why that was pretty easy for me: My growing up on those old ranches. I have seen those old cowboys outgrow their usefulness, get old and try to retire and move to town. Well, it never works. And in my growing up I had seen two or three of those old guys who was worn out and wanted to retire but just couldn’t. So that’s the way I created my character.…But what made that scene work, [was that] this storm came in and the waves on this lake kept coming up and finally they white-capped. And the eerie background in that scene, I think is what made it work as well as it did.
[Bogdanovich] got out of the car, and he came over there to me and said, “Ben, do you know your dialogue?” I said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “Do you mind running it?”…We ran it one time, and he told the camera guy, “Set the camera up right there.” And here’s this storm, it’s rolling in all the time, and a drop of rain once in a while, and the wind ablowing and the waves coming up. We sat down there on that log and we got it the first rattle out of the box.
ON HIS TALENT
No, I’m not that good an actor. I can play the hell out of Ben Johnson, and that’s about all I need to do at this point. I don’t need to subject myself to a lot of—I see some of these new actors go bump their heads on the wall and do all those kind of things to get ready for a scene. I’m so glad I don’t have to do that. I don’t think that’s real.…I’m so fortunate to have people accept my characters. Everybody in town is a better actor than me, but nobody can play Ben Johnson as good as I can.
Tags: archer city, larry mcmurtry, the last picture show
Remembering Don Graham, the Demanding Critic Who Helped Put Texas Literature on the Map
By Jeff Salamon
The Texanist: What Are the Ten Best Texas Movies?
By David Courtney
Elizabeth Crook’s Unfinished Business With ‘Lonesome Dove’
By Elizabeth Crook
Wonderful Political Tales for Beach Reading
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BONHOMME WINS ROUND 7 OF RED BULL AIR RACE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP AT TMS
FORT WORTH, Texas (September 27, 2015) – Great Britain’s Paul Bonhomme won Round 7 of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship on Sunday to extend his championship lead before an estimated crowd of more than 20,000 at Texas Motor Speedway.
>Bonhomme arrived at Texas with a five-point lead over Australia’s Matt Hall and was able to pad the advantage to eight, 67-59, with his fourth Master Class win of the season and 19th of his career. Bohomme and Hall both advanced to the Final 4 segment through the elimination-style format for the 14-pilot field, setting the stage for the showdown among the two championship contenders.
Bonhomme recorded a lap of 55.285 seconds on the challenging layout above the speedway infield to edge Hall (56.052) by 0.767 of a second for the victory in the four-pilot finale based on time. Japan’s Yoshihide Muroya finished third (59.413) and Czechoslovakia’s Martin Sonka was fourth (1:02.900).
The championship will be decided in the season finale Oct. 17-18 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a Speedway Motorsports, Inc. sister track to Texas Motor Speedway. Bonhomme is pursuing his third world championship – he won back-to-back titles in 2009 and ’10 – while Hall is seeking his first crown.
“I’ve been asked about winning the championship and I’m not even thinking about it,” Bonhomme said. “There’s absolutely no point in me worrying about the world championship because up until that Sunday afternoon at Las Vegas we are not going to know.”
In the Challenger Class, France’s Mikael Brageot won at Texas Motor Speedway for the second consecutive year and the victory moved him back in the thick of the championship race. Brageot posted a lap of 1 minute, 7.614 seconds to nip Slovenia’s Peter Podlunsek (1:07.822) by .208 of a second among the six-pilot field. Germany’s Florian Berger took the final podium position, finishing third.
It was Brageot’s second consecutive win on the season – the other came Sept. 6 at the Red Bull Ring in Austria – and the victory allowed him to move into a three-way tie for the Challenger Cup championship with Czechoslovakia’s Petr Kopfstein and Sweden’s Daniel Ryfa.
“I’m really comfortable in these races over land where you have marks on the ground and other reference points to target in lining up for the Air Gates, although it’s far from easy because there are obstacles that you don’t have when flying over water,” said Brageot, whose three career wins have all come at motorsport venues. “I’m feeling really great heading toward Las Vegas, but it'll be a clean slate and the winner there will be the champion. The most important thing now is not to get over-confident just because I’ve won two races in row.”
The second Red Bull Air Race World Championship event at Texas Motor Speedway attracted more than 30,000 spectators over the course of the two-day competition.
Round 7 of the Red Bull Air Race World Championship will be re-aired on FOX Sports 1 on Sunday, Oct. 11, beginning at 9 a.m. CT.
Round 7 at Texas Motor Speedway
Sunday’s Final Results
Round of 14: Heat 1 – Martin Sonka, Czechoslovakia, 55.846 seconds, def. Kirby Chambliss, USA, 57.952; Heat 2 – Nigel Lamb, Great Britain, 54.620, def. Matt Hall, Australia, 54.800; Heat 3 – Paul Bonhomme, Great Britain, 56.039, def. Hannes Arch, Austria, 57.623; Heat 4 – Pete McLeod, Canada, 56.476, def. Michael Goulian, USA, 57.307; Heat 5 – Nicolas Ivanoff, France, 59.948, def. Juan Velarde, Spain, 1:00.443; Heat 6 – Yoshihide Muroya, Japan, 59.121, def. Peter Besenyei, Hungary, 1:00.308; Heat 7 – Matthias Dolderer, Germany, 57.840, def. Francois Le Vot, France, 1:02.940. Seven winners advance and fastest loser (Hall).
Round of 8: Heat 1 – Sonka (CZE), 58.046, def. Lamb (GBR), 1:00.003; Heat 2 – Bonhomme (GBR), 56.452, def. McLeod (CAN), DNF (Did Not Finish); Heat 3 – Muroya (JPN), 57.477, def. Ivanoff (FRA), 1:00.334; Heat 4 – Hall (AUS), 56.290, def. Dolderer (GER), 56.650.
Final 4: 1. Bonhomme (GBR), 55.285; 2. Hall (AUS), 56.052; 3. Muroya (JPN), 59.413; 4. Sonka (CZE), 1:02.900.
Challenger Class
Championship Results: 1. Mikael Brageot, France, 1 minute, 7.614 seconds; 2. Peter Podlunsek, Slovenia, 1:07.822; 3. Florian Berger, Germany, 1:10.272; 4. Cristian Bolton, Chile, 1:10.422; 5. Francis Barros, Brazil, 1:16.143; 6. Petr Kopfstein, Czechoslovakia, SCO (Safety Climb Out).
Posted by Texas Motor Speedway Media Relations on 27 Sep 2015
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PM Tells Public Service Commissioners Solomons Has Improved
Thursday, 01 October 2009 10:50 AM
The Prime Minister, Dr Derek Sikua has told a Pacific Public Service Commissioners Conference in Honiara that Solomon Islands has improved a lot since the ethnic tension period.
He says then the State Services were non-effective including the Public Administration, but a lot of efforts has been put into ensuring the improvements and coupled with the help of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands and the development partners.
Prime Minister Sikua says security, government finances and the public service have been restored as a result of the concerted efforts. He offered sincere gratitude to the regional governments for what they have done for his country through RAMSI.
Dr Sikua told the regional public service commissioners that the important decisions they and their governments have made to help Solomon Islands have certainly contributed towards restoration of peace and harmony.
He says he paid special attributes to the public service commissioners because some of them may have been involved in the decision to deploy public officers to his country under RAMSI.
The Prime Minister says the strength of any government system lies to the extent from which it earns and holds its citizens' respect.
And he adds it is in the interest of politicians to show to their electorates the effectiveness of their policies during their term in office, but whatever they can do depends on the machinery that is responsible for delivering the services to the people.
The three-day Pacific Public Service Commissioners Conference which kicked off in Honiara today will be discussing the theme 'Developing Strategies for Talent Management'.
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Methods of Colonisation In India
When the industrial revolution started in Europe, European states did not have sufficient raw materials for their industries, or markets for their finished goods. These countries now started looking for markets in Asia and Africa. England succeeded in controlling trade with India and established the East India Company in 1600.
This company was supported by the British government. With its help England was able to extend her territorial frontiers to the Indian subcontinent. The first factory was established at Surat in 1613. In 1615, Sir Thomas Roe got permission from the Mughal emperor Jahangir to open more factories at Agra, Ahmadabad and Broach.
Their most important settlement on the southern coast was Madras where they built a fortified factory called Fort St. George. This was the first proprietary holding acquired by the company on Indian soil.
Gradually the company expanded its trading network. By that time the company was well established in India. It had also succeeded in eliminating the other rival European powers from India. They also started interfering in the political affairs of the Indian rulers.
There were many big and small independent states in the 19th century India. These states had their own rulers, economy, language and culture. These states were constantly at war with each other. They fell an easy prey to the European powers especially the British.
It was the battles of Plassey (1757) and Buxar (1764) which provided the ground for the British success in India. Through these battles, a long era of British political control over India began.
The Battle of Plassey was won by the English in Bengal. The British made Mir Jafar, the new Nawab of Bengal, in return for which they receive an enormous sum of money as well as the territory of 24 Parganas from the Nawab.
But Mir Jafar was not able to make further payments to them. As a result he was replaced by Mir Qasim who proved to be a strong ruler. Mir Qasim was not ready to meet their demands for more money or control. As a result, Mir Qasim was removed and Mir Jafar was made the Nawab again.
Mir Qasim then joined hands with the Nawab of Awadh, Shiraj-ud-daula and the Mughal emperor Shah Allam II in plotting against the British, the battle took place at a place called Buxar on 22 October 1764. Their defeat proved to be decisive.
Though the British successfully gained control over Bengal, the imposition of British rule throughout India was not an easy task. A number of regional powers opposed them and tried to resist the efforts of territorial expansion of the British.
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Powerful photography series presents uplifting images of domestic violence survivors
Amy Swales
“When I told my story to some people, they said, ‘Oh. Well you don’t look like domestic violence.’ What does it look like?”
Artist Chantal Barlow started the Unconventional Apology Project (UAP) to honour women impacted by domestic abuse, creating uplifting, positive portraits of survivors to enable them to tell their stories, inspire others and “show these women as whole human beings” – with no one definition of a ‘typical’ survivor.
The fact she uses her grandfather's camera to do so is incredibly significant: Barlow was a teenager when she found out that the man she had a strong, loving relationship with had shot and killed her grandmother in the street. His 16-year-old son – Barlow's father – survived purely by chance.
Tamieka Smith: “The last experience that I had was him holding his hands around my neck, looking me in my face, with a whole bunch of rage and anger telling me, ‘You’re gonna die today.’”
Maybleine Nelson Barlow disappeared from Barlow's family history and the 1975 murder of a 36-year-old woman was swept under the rug. Barlow says her grandfather's actions went unpunished and he died two years ago, aged 84, surrounded by friends and family.
Now the Los Angeles-based artist uses her camera to help women share their experiences, and, as she tells Stylist.co.uk, she felt it was important to make the images as uplifting as possible – despite the powerful, upsetting interviews that accompany them often being difficult to read.
“There is a lot of trust gifted to me when someone is participating in UAP. Having a positive photo is a reflection of my attempts in respecting that trust,” she explains. “I knew that I wanted to highlight the best moments I shared with the participants during the interview.
“I wanted them to feel positive about the photo, even if the photo is ever taken out of its original context. Showing the participants defeated and broken down would really serve no healthy purpose. It was important to me to show these women as whole human beings.”
Dr. Susan Hammoudeh: “He deemed me his ‘saviour,’ which was a horrible role for me. And the minute he found out I wasn’t perfect, all hell broke loose.”
Barlow asks each subject to wear something blue (her grandmother's favourite colour) and reflective of their personalities, and photographs them as they share their stories – aiming to picture 36 to mark each year of her grandmother's life. The participants were intially people she knew, but now people reach out to her through Twitter and the website wanting to take part.
And the women involved find it cathartic. For some, it's the first time they've ever told the full story to anyone. Isabel Flores described the process as “healing”, while Tamieka Smith said, “Sharing it made me feel strong again. I didn’t feel worthless after that”.
The project has opened up discussion with her own family too, and Barlow tells Stylist.co.uk that they've been supportive of her endeavours.
“I turned to my family first before I embarked on this journey. I wanted to be sure we were all on the same page about my idea and we flushed out any potential concerns or questions,” she says. “They’ve been very encouraging and supportive every step of the way. I receive ongoing feedback about how this has been a healing experience for them.”
Barlow didn't confront her grandfather when she was told what he'd done, “mostly due to the fact that I was still wrapping my head around the murder. My dad was very open to me asking questions and allowing me to go through my own emotions in the moment. I had more questions for my dad than I did for my grandfather.
“For me, I wanted greater insight into how my dad dealt with the tragedy of losing his mom by the hand of his own father with whom he had a close relationship. There was still a certain amount of secrecy after he told me; it was though we were still obliged to not speak about it around him. This changed after his death.”
Joquesse-Eugenia Chambers: “My dad just could never understand why. He said that I had always been like a fighter and I just didn’t seem to fight anymore.”
Artist Chantal Barlow
Although the initial project honours her grandmother and focuses on women, Barlow has said she intends to use other demographics for future projects and is happy it's been received so well.
“I feel a great sense of responsibility with all of the positive feedback. I feel the greatest amount of responsibility towards my family and the participants; I want them all to feel continually uplifted by the project’s movement and impact.
“What I did not expect are the ongoing messages I receive about the positive impact the project has made on someone. Moving someone is such a humbling feeling as an artist, especially when the impact prompts wanting to do something actionable. Many of the emails are from all over the world, from all gender pronouns, and include people wanting to make a difference in their own communities. It’s beautiful and motivating.”
See some more images from the project below, and read each participant's story in full at unconventionalapology.com.
Isabel Flores
“I would just like to say, for all women and young ladies, that we can all be the target. For everyone to know that this can happen to you [...] The only thing that I can advise in all ages is always have your eyes open. Because the red flags are always there.
“As soon as you get the first sign, that’s the warning sign. Take the flag and run.”
Read Isabel's story here
Peggie Reyna (in honor of her daughter, Dream Morse)
“He jumped on my head and snapped my neck sideways. Left me with a broken jaw… my nose broken, all my teeth kicked out, blood running out of my ears and profoundly deaf.
“Dream was already into teen age when I got free from domestic violence. She was already dating the person that she would eventually marry that was her abuser. Through the years, I talked to her a lot about domestic violence, about leaving him, about getting restraining orders. She always, always went back, same as her momma always went back for so many times. And in 1995, he put a gun to her head and he killed her.”
Read Peggie's story here
Zoë La Placa
“I remember my mom telling me, ‘Don’t make him your world! Don’t make him your world!’ You know? I now understand what she meant by that. That’s what I did.”
Read Zoë's story here
All images courtesy of Chantal Barlow / Unconventional Apology Project
Amy Swales is a freelance writer who likes to eat, drink and talk about her dog. She will continue to plunder her own life and the lives of her loved ones for material in the name of comedy, catharsis and getting pictures of her dog on the internet.
More from Ask A Feminist
More from Amy Swales
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How does Disney's new ‘Aladdin’ differ from the animated movie? Stars explain 12 big changes
By Christina Schoellkopf
Mena Massoud (Aladdin), left, and Naomi Scott (Jasmine) at the world premiere of Disney's "Aladdin" at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. (Etienne Laurent / EPA/Shutterstock)
The story of the diamond in the rough is back, with some of the rough spots worked out.
Disney’s live-action version of “Aladdin” debuts Friday, 27 years after its animated original. Writer-director Guy Ritchie gives the story some necessary updates, like having Jasmine (Naomi Scott) aspire for more than choosing the right husband.
“We love the original movie, but when you watch it now, there are some things that are dated,” said producer Dan Lin on the purple carpet of Tuesday’s world premiere at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre. “Some of the political issues and the way they treat women just needed to be updated for today.”
The Times spoke with Scott, Mena Massoud (Aladdin), and other cast and crew members about the many modifications made to the 1992 classic.
REVIEW: 'Aladdin' review: A whole new same old world ... this time with Will Smith
Nasim Pedrad, from left, Marwan Kenzari, Naomi Scott, Mena Massoud, Will Smith, Navid Negahban and Numan Acar react as confetti falls at the premiere of "Aladdin" on Tuesday, May 21, 2019, at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello / Invision)
1. The costumes are more conservative
Sorry, Mena Massoud stans, Aladdin is not shirtless in the new film. Those midriff tops worn by Jasmine and other women of Agrabah did not make it past costume designer Michael Wilkinson, either.
“I think my wife told me, ‘If you put Jasmine in a midriff, I’m divorcing you,’” said producer Jonathan Eirich.
"Aladdin and the King of Thieves" (Walt Disney Pictures)
2. The original ‘Arabian Nights’ lyrics that sparked controversy have been nixed
The verse that was slammed as racist was, “Oh, I come from a land / From a faraway place / Where the caravan camels roam / Where they cut off your ear / If they don't like your face / It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.”
Those lyrics were changed in 1993, a year after the theatrical release, once the studio obtained approval from the estate of late lyricist Howard Ashman and his collaborator Alan Menken.
The song was updated again for the live-action movie. It doubles in length, with new lyrics that make the description of the Arabian city more positive.
“As soon as you read them, you just know it’s a new time. It’s a different time,” said music producer Matthew Rush Sullivan of hearing the 1992 song. “There was an automatic rewrite.”
3. That cringe-worthy moment when Jasmine becomes a sexual slave was cut
Thankfully, we don’t have to watch Scott reduce herself to this original Disney scene. In the 1992 film, Jafar takes Jasmine against her will, as he attempts to forcibly make her his wife.
She appears to give in, using powers of seduction to distract Jafar — and even kisses him — to help Aladdin sneak into the room and set her free.
In Guy Ritchie’s film, Jasmine makes more choices for herself, but it still takes a man to save her.
Naomi Scott describes the plot changes as “a natural progression” from a script written 27 years ago.
“I love what Disney is doing with their Disney heroines and I had no worries with Jasmine that they were going to do the same thing,” she said in front of the El Capitan marquee.
“She was outspoken, [but we’re] pushing those themes, making her even more ambitious.”
4. Nor are there any dancing ladies in bikini tops in any of Genie’s imaginations
Massoud’s Aladdin admires only one woman.
5. In fact, Genie becomes more family-oriented, and his story line bookends the film
It was important for the producers to continue the Middle Eastern tradition of having a story within a story. But instead of a shopkeeper narrating Aladdin’s journey, a human version of Will Smith’s Genie introduces viewers to Agrabah’s infamous “street rat.”
US actor Will Smith and his wife actress Jada Pinkett Smith attend the World Premiere of Disneys Aladdin at El Capitan theatre on May 21, 2019 in Hollywood. (Valerie Macon / AFP/Getty Images)
6. After stealing, Aladdin is never sentenced to be beheaded
Jafar is still a threat, but the biggest challenge for Massoud’s Aladdin is arguably his flirt game. Luckily for him, Genie steps in to coach.
“It’s like ‘The Hitch’ element,” said producer Dan Lin, referring to Smith’s 2005 flick with Kevin James.
[More in Going Out] Documentary on Florida’s celebrated Hobgood twins highlight of Surf Film Fest in Fort Lauderdale »
Working with the Genie actor was “a dream come true” for Massoud, he shared at the premiere, as Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and son Jaden navigated the crowd behind him.
Ad-libbing with Smith came naturally to Massoud.
“I was like that in high school, man. I didn’t even get to the flirting part, I was so shy. So, I just pulled from some of that,” he said with a laugh.
Marwan Kenzari is the powerful sorcerer Jafar in Disney's live-aciton "Aladdin." (Daniel Smith / Disney Enterprises, Inc.)
7. There’s less shapeshifting, but you can probably blame that on the live-action
While Robin Williams’ Genie transformed into countless creatures and even impersonated Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jack Nicholson in the 1992 film, we see fewer variations with Smith’s take.
But both movies show Genie in drag. Pay close attention during the “Prince Ali” parade.
8. Jasmine gets a new friend
“Saturday Night Live” meets Disney with the addition of former cast member Nasim Pedrad, who portrays Jasmine’s best friend and confidante.
Nasim Pedrad is Dalia, the free-spirited best friend and confidante of Princess jasmine (Naomi Scott) in Disney's ALADDIN, Guy Ritchie's live-action adaptation of the studio's animated classic. (Daniel Smith / Disney Enterprises, Inc.)
9. There’s a surprising new love story
Smith’s Genie practices what he preaches and impresses his crush.
“When you have Will Smith in a movie, you want to feature him as much as possible and give as much as you can for his character to go through,” producer Lin explained. “And to honor what Robin did in the past, but bring something new to it — to the performance and the character itself.”
10. While Jasmine has always been defiant, she breaks gender norms this time
Jasmine’s trajectory shifts from resisting a forceful marriage to wanting to become sultan. The producers discussed the change with Scott early on.
“Quite honestly, she wouldn’t have done the role if it weren’t for that,” said producer Eirich. “A lot of that character came out of conversations with her, and who she wanted to embody for a new generation of women.”
Scott added, “I kind of want people to come out of the cinema and go, ‘Oh, it makes sense that she leads. It’s not just something she wanted.’
“She does showcase the skills necessary to lead and she cares about her people,” she added, “so for me that’s what I want little girls to take away from it — the idea that you can lead, and you can have love. You can have both.”
Museum’s date night and other events postponed or canceled after water main break
Documentary on Florida’s celebrated Hobgood twins highlight of Surf Film Fest in Fort Lauderdale
Free $8 ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’ movie ticket
Moments later, Scott knelt on the carpet to give two aspiring princesses some advice.
11. There’s hip-hop
Letting Smith add some of his flair to “Friend Like Me” was a “no-brainer,” said music producer Sullivan.
“The way Robin Williams attacked the song is all Robin. So when you hire Will Smith, you want to show his strengths and abilities,” Sullivan said.
Aladdin (Mena Massoud) meets the larger-than-life blue Genie (Will Smith) in Disney?s live-action adaptation ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie. (Disney Enterprises Inc.)
12. And DJ Khaled is on board, too
DJ Khaled’s own spin on “Friend Like Me” is the first song you hear as the credits roll, a decision made during post-production. It’s followed by Zayn and Zhavia’s “Whole New World” collaboration.
“[Zayn] looks like Aladdin and he just exudes it. We just knew right away we wanted to work with him,” Sullivan said.
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A documentary film BY ALEX TYSON
PRODUCED BY SALEEM H. Ali, MAYA E. RUDOLPH & ALEX TYSON
A feature documentary on the resources and minerals that power cryptocurrency, blockchain and AI.
SUPPLY CHAIN is an unprecedented look at an invisible mining boom.
But why does cryptocurrency use the mining analogy to “unearth” digital resources? We begin to answer this question by dissecting a Bitcoin mining computer, which is comprised of Gold, Tantalum, Aluminum, Silicon and elements from over 13 countries. An impossibly complex supply chain is revealed– where nanoscopic components rely on labor practices from the Neolithic. This is the story of these minerals, and how powerful technologies are inextricably tied to stone.
“Our treasure impulse has led us to use computational technologies to mine wealth. Yet even in the realm of virtual currency there are
very palpable material needs that we cannot afford to ignore.”
– Saleem H. Ali, Author
Treasures of the Earth: Need, Greed and a Sustainable Future
SUPPLY CHAIN integrates archival media and rare observational footage with perspectives from leading technologists, historians and theorists. The film transports the audience to Rwandan mine shafts, a smelter in China, a secretive quartz deposit in the Appalachian Mountains, and a town dealing with an illegal Bitcoin mining problem in rural Washington.
The result is a visual essay on the human impulse to dig, and an urgent look at the geopolitics that are driving a digital gold rush.
Alex Tyson is an American filmmaker and artist known for his films Mountain Fire Personnel (2015), Divieto 2 (2018) and his work on the Oscar nominated and Emmy winning documentary Gasland (2011, HBO) for which he won a Cinema Eye Honor. He has worked as a cinematographer in Brazil, China, Italy, The South Pacific, Scandinavia and extensively throughout the USA. His first documentary was awarded the Prix du Jury La Mobilière at Visions du Réel (2015) and screened at MoMA Documentary Fortnight (2016). He recently contributed special photography to National Geographic's 2017 Emmy-winning documentary LA92 and his film Divieto 2 premiered at The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Art of The Real festival in 2018. Supply Chain will be his directorial debut for a feature film. >>>
Maya E. Rudolph is a producer of nonfiction films and series. Her recent credits include the 7-episode VICE China series Future Homes; a 2019 four-part Netflix documentary series and the feature documentary SHIRKERS (dir. Sandi Tan), which was awarded the Directing Prize for World Cinema Documentary at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. As a post supervisor, she has overseen editorial workflow, technical finishing, and distribution on films and series for studios such as Vice, IFC, Netflix and A24. She is based in Los Angeles and Beijing and speaks and reads fluent Mandarin. >>>
Dr. Saleem H. Ali is a leading academic focusing on sustainability and mineral extraction. He was recently named to the United Nations International Resource Panel, a select group of 38 scientists and practitioners worldwide chosen to advise the UN system on resource management issues. He is currently the Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at the University of Delaware and has held the Chair in Sustainable Resources Development at the University of Queensland, Australia. Ali was chosen as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2011 and received an Emerging Explorer award from the National Geographic Society in 2010. He is the author of 3 books and over a hundred peer-reviewed publications. His research focuses on environmental conflicts in the extractive industries and how ecological cooperation can promote peace in international relations. >>>
Estelle Levin-Nally is an impact entrepreneur, advisor and leader in responsible, sustainable and ‘better’ business practices linked to mining and minerals. Estelle contributes to projects, programmes, policies and strategies that drive transformational change across supply chains. Named as one of the Top 100 Conflict Minerals Influence Leaders in 2016 & 2017 and Top 100 Modern Slavery Influence Leaders in 2018, Estelle has delivered traceability, risk management and responsible sourcing solutions for mining companies, luxury brands, multi-lateral donor organisations, governments and civil society. She is closely affiliated with various boards and committees dedicated to driving responsible sourcing practices, including the Responsible Jewellery Council, Ethical Metalsmiths, Fair Luxury, and the Alliance for Responsible Mining’s CRAFT Code. Estelle is based in Cambridge, UK, where she leads management consultancy and social venture Levin Sources. >>>
We are currently seeking co-production support from platforms, institutions and foundations. Your info will be kept confidential. Direct contact: alextyson @ gmail dot com
Supply Chain Images
© 2018 Alex Tyson | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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213 N Nugent Ave
Fine Contemporary Art by Texas artists
About Mary Bechtol
Mary has had a love affair with the arts ever since a third grade teacher in her native Oklahoma taught her to paint to music. “I can still do the demonstration to Old Man River,” she recalls fondly.
She studied art at West Texas A&M University, Canyon, Texas and has also had the good fortune to study with many “greats” in classes and private workshops. Watercolorist Stephan Kramer taught her how to adjust color temperature. Charles Reid and Charles Sovek were also eager to share their expertise along with Scott Burdick who taught her to appreciate color value. Mary’s latest mentor is Rick Howell who, she says “gave me the courage to do what I do.” Some of her most avid collectors are other artists which Mary finds both affirming and complementary.
Mary paints as a way of expressing her personal views of the world around her. She paints primarily in oils. She is inspired by “Light. Light. Light.” and the way it plays on an object. She frequently paints in series. Once something stirs her imagination she finds it hard to say everything about the subject on one canvas. She uses a limited palette of 4 or 5 colors and focuses on making each canvas predominately cool or warm. Even with a limited palette, Mary is able to create a rich rainbow of color in each piece.
Mary is a registered nurse, has worked as a commodity and stock broker and raised a family of three daughters alongside her husband David, a large-animal veterinarian who is also an accomplished and published wildlife nature photographer. She is an avid bird-watcher so you will always find at least one bird in her landscape paintings. Mary and David live on a farm in Canyon, Texas.
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Kathleen Parker: The sirens of the Pentagon
Kathleen Parker
It must be true what they say about women -- that they are smarter, stronger, wiser and wilier than your average Joe.
How else could one explain the magical thinking that apparently has prompted Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to abandon all reason and lift the ban on women in direct combat?
Methinks the boys have been outmaneuvered.
This is a terrible idea for reasons too numerous to list in this space, which forces me to recommend my 2008 book, "Save the Males," in which I devote a chapter to the issue. The most salient point happens to be a feminist argument: Women, because of their inferior physical capacities and greater vulnerabilities upon capture, have a diminished opportunity for survival.
More on this, but first let's be clear. Arguments against women in direct combat have nothing to do with courage, skill, patriotism or dedication. Most women are equal to most men in all these categories, and are superior to men in many other areas, as our educational graduation rates at every level indicate. Women also tend to excel as sharpshooters and pilots.
But ground combat is one area in which women, through quirks of biology and human nature, are not equal to men -- a difference that should be celebrated rather than rationalized as incorrect.
Remember, we're not talking about female officers of a certain age pacing the hallways of the Pentagon when we speak of placing women in combat, though perhaps we should be. My favorite bumper sticker remains: "I'm out of estrogen and I have a gun."
We're potentially talking about 18-year-old girls, notwithstanding their "adult" designation under the law. (Parents know better.) At least 18-year-old males have the advantage of being gassed up on testosterone, the hormone that fuels not just sexual libido but, more to the point, aggression. To those suffering a sudden onset of the vapors, ignore hormones at your peril.
Now, hold the image of your 18-year-old daughter, neighbor, sister or girlfriend as you follow these facts, which somehow have been ignored in the advancement of a fallacy. The fallacy is that because men and women are equal under the law, they are equal in all endeavors and should have all access to the same opportunities. This is true except when the opportunity requires certain characteristics. Fact: Females have only half the upper-body strength as males -- no small point in the field.
Further to the fallacy is the operating assumption that military service is just another job. The rules of civil society do not apply to the military, which is a top-down organization in which the rules are created to maximize efficiency in killing enemies. It is not just another job that can be managed with the human resources department's Manual on Diversity and Sensitivity.
The argument that women's performance on de facto front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan has proved concerns about combat roles unwarranted is false logic. Just because women in forward support companies can return fire when necessary -- or die -- doesn't necessarily mean they are equal to men in combat.
Unbeknownst perhaps to many civilians, combat has a very specific meaning in the military. It has nothing to do with stepping on an IED or suffering the consequences of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It means AGGRESSIVELY ENGAGING AND ATTACKING the enemy with deliberate offensive action, with a high probability of face-to-face contact.
If the enemy is all around you -- and you need every available person -- that is one set of circumstances. To ask women to engage vicious men and risk capture under any other is beyond understanding. This is not a movie or a game. Every objective study has argued against women in direct combat for reasons that haven't changed.
The threat to unit cohesion should require no elaboration. But let's leave that obvious point to pedants and cross into enemy territory where somebody's 18-year-old daughter has been captured. No one wants to imagine a son in these circumstances either, obviously, but women face special tortures. And, no, the rape of men has never held comparable appeal.
We can train our men to ignore the screams of their female comrades, but is this the society we want to create? And though some female veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have endured remarkable suffering, their ability to withstand or survive violent circumstances is no rational argument for putting American girls and women in the hands of enemy men.
It will kill us in the end.
Kathleen Parker's email address is kathleenparker@washpost.com.
Washington Post Writers Group
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Team USA bloggers
Kara Patterson
Track and Field Qualifying Explained
Next Stop is Track and Field Worlds
Professional Track and Field
Excited to Share the Journey
I meet people regularly who have no idea that there are ever any competitions for track and field outside of the Olympic Games. People that I sit next to on planes who decide to strike up conversation are in for a confusing journey through a sport they didn’t know existed three out of every four years. It’s so difficult sometimes to get people to understand professional track and field that I’m tempted to lie and say that yes, I am in fact a basketball player, because YES, I’m SO TALL. Once, someone innocently and naively asking questions about what I do said, “So, your sport doesn’t matter in non-Olympic years?” That felt good.
I’d like to explain Track and Field to you. There is Indoor Track and Field and Outdoor Track and Field, but since I’m a javelin thrower (and do not compete Indoor), I’ll focus on Outdoor. This post will focus on World Championships and the Olympic Games, although we compete in many more competitions than just those two important events.
First of all, the Summer Olympics (which Track and Field is contested in) are every four years (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and so on). You might have known that, but you’d be surprised how few people do. In Track and Field, we have a World Championship meet every other year (2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, etc.), and every single year, USA Track and Field (USATF) hosts our National Championshipmeet at the end of June. That means that, annually, we have a chance to prove that we’re the best in our event in the United States, regardless of whether or not the Olympics or World Championships are being contested that summer.
If it’s a World Championship (this summer in Daegu, Korea) or Olympic year, our USA National Championship meet (the one at the end of June) serves as our qualifier to make that World Championship or Olympic team. Generally speaking, if you place in the top 3 at USA National Championships, you get to compete at World Championships or the Olympics that same summer. In an Olympic year (2012, for example), the qualifier is called Olympic Trials, and there is a qualifying round in each field event, but it is for all intents and purposes the same meet as every other year.
There is another requirement we must meet in our quest to make Team USA. Each event has a World A Standard and a World B Standard. The A Standard is a little better (farther, faster, higher) than the B Standard, and holds more weight when it comes to qualifying for a team. See a list of A and B Standards for the 2011 World Championships here (distances in meters). These standards are simply measurements that athletes must record to be eligible to compete at the World Championships and Olympic Games. They ensure excellence of competition.
Weird things happen sometimes in team selection, so it’s always the safest bet to throw the A Standard and win USAs. Guaranteed team spot.
Once you get to World Championships or the Olympics, there is a qualifying round first, and then a final. There can be lots and lots of people in the qualifying round, but only 12 go on to the final in field events. In the throws, only 8 of those 12 get six attempts (3 in preliminaries and 3 in finals), as the four with the lowest performances after three rounds are removed from the competition.
There are many, many more events in professional track and field outside of National and World Championships and the Olympics, but I’ll explain those in a subsequent blog. In the meantime, check out www.iaaf.org to see if you can discover our world a little bit on your own. J The video included in this blog is a PSA filmed by the Big Ten Network after I made the Olympic Team in 2008!
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/ The 10 Best FPS Games for 2019
The 10 Best FPS Games for 2019
By TechCommuters / December 21, 2018
FPS is one of the most popular gaming genres in the world. We had numerous classics such as IGI, Doom, COD, and many more. And, we still are being blessed with many such fabulous games. Actually, FPS games take you through a tale, where you’ll play the protagonist and mend your way through the story.
Modern technology has helped the genre by leaps and bounds, by offering amazing graphics. Now, you can enjoy high-end FPS games, which not only offer great gameplay, but also superior graphics, engaging stories, and many more. With FPS games, you get to know many memorable and iconic game characters. Anyhow, here’s out carefully compiled list of the 10 best FPS games for 2019.
Also Read : The 10 Best Racing Games for 2019
Top 10 First Person Shooter games for 2019
Our team had spent quite an amount of time, preparing this list of some of the great games that you could play in 2019. So, please keep on reading to know about these games:
World War 3: Developed and published by The Farm 51, World War 3 is one of the most hyped games in the recent times. It’s a multi-player FPS game, which is set in the global conflict between the major countries. The best thing about this game is, the players control how the game evolves. A lot of advanced combat techniques have been placed into this game. With interesting theme, extraordinary graphics, and unique gameplay, this game is definitely one to watch out for.
MOTHERGUNSHIP: When the Grip Digital announced their project, MOTHERGUNSHIP, everyone in the gaming fraternity were excited. But, only a few details were available until the release. Since the game’s release, it has managed to rake up overwhelmingly positive reviews. Basically, you’ll play as solider who fights against an alien invasion. In this game, you’ll have to craft your own weapons and destroy huge alien bosses. The game is very fast-paced, which will be a treat for FPS enthusiasts.
Dusk: With a rating of 10 out of 10 on Steam, you can already imagine how good a game Dusk is. This is a retro themes FPS game, where you’ll battle against different types of enemies. With Dusk, you can fight possessed militants, backwater cultists, and many other dark forces. The game is based on a large variety of old legends. The mystical theme makes it one of the best FPS games for 2019.
Insurgency – Sandstorm: The second multiplayer FPS game of the list, Insurgency Sandstorm, is a team-based first person shooter game, which mostly relies on your tactical prowess. Team work is enormously rewarded in this game, so make sure that you pick the right team mates. It not only features amazing shooting battles, but also some thrilling close quarters combat as well. This game has been receiving extremely positive reviews for its realistic gameplay.
Battlefield V: Majority of you may already be aware of this super-hit gaming franchise. Battlefield’s latest edition has been released recently. The game introduces a lot of new features. The best thing about this game is, the graphics section. With amazing locations and stunning visuals, this game takes you to places. You can choose to play either single player or multiplayer. The game also features tons of maps, so you will get enough play time.
Overkills’ The Walking Dead: For those of you who read comics regularly, The Walking Dead should be a familiar name. The gameplay is based on 4-player multiplayer co-op missions. You’ll be hunting zombies in the fictional version of Washington D.C. The game requires you to stress your brain, since you have to plan and execute your attacks perfectly, to stop the zombie horde.
Call of Duty – Black Ops 4: Another super-hit franchise, Call of Duty had recently released the 4th edition of their famed Black Ops series. The game brings a lot of new features with it, as you can now play multi-player missions along with Battle Royale as well. If you’re bored with Fortnite and PUBG, COD Black Ops 4 will definitely offer you a fresh experience. The graphics and game play of this game are excellent.
Fear the Wolves: A battle royale first person shooter game, which is set in the radio-active locations of Chernobyl, Fear the wolves is one of the best FPS games for 2019. In this game, you will have to compete against the other players, and combat mutants, anomalies, radiation, and many more horrific elements. If you like playing games that feature dark and horror theme, you must try out this game.
Deep Rock Galactic: Are you a fan of Sci-Fi themes first person shooting games? If yes, you should try Deep Rock Galactic. This game is very fast-paced, as you have to move forward, killing hundreds of space monsters. It’s a co-op shooting game, where a team can consist of one to four members. You’ll play the game as a space dwarf and battle different types of aliens across the galaxy.
Evasion: Another sci-fi FPS game, Evasion is a next-gen shooting game, where you can either play solo or team up with others. But, the special part is, Evasion is a VR game. If you haven’t played a virtual reality game yet, this is the time to start with one. This game features several unique combat styles, amazing set of graphics, interesting game play, and more importantly the virtual reality.
Also Read : The 10 Best Video Games for 2019
There are tons of games being released into the market every day. But, not all of them are really good. Especially, when it comes to FPS genre, it’s quite hard to find decent games to play, which is why we’ve created this list of best fps games for 2019. If you’ve got any suggestions, please let us know by commenting below about your favorite game.
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£1.2 million fund opens to help grassroots community groups offering support to young people facing barriers to employment
Big Lottery Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, has today opened a £1.2 million fund using money from dormant bank accounts. This fund will help small community groups grow so they can better support young people facing barriers to employment.
The new scheme, the Youth Capacity Fund, will go to grassroots community groups in Birmingham, Bradford, and Barking & Dagenham, three areas facing particular challenges in relation to youth unemployment. Funding will enable organisations to improve their capacity to work with young people and build partnerships across their local area. It is being administered and managed by the Big Lottery Fund, which will give grants of up to £50,000 to successful applicants.
This follows the Government’s announcement at the beginning of 2018 that £90 million from dormant bank and building society accounts will be allocated to an ambitious youth initiative. A new organisation will be established to distribute this funding to help young people facing barriers to work to reach their full potential, with a focus on data from the Race Disparity Audit. The Youth Capacity Fund has been drawn from the £90 million to provide funding to small groups while the new organisation is setting up.
Big Lottery Fund held a series of engagement events across the country between March and July this year. Young people from diverse communities took centre stage at these sessions to explain the issues they face and discussed ideas to remove barriers to education, employment and training, including the importance of being supported by people they trust, working within their communities.
The Youth Capacity Fund will help those trusted, small groups already embedded within communities and engaged with young people to develop partnerships and build on their work and capacity to deliver more for young people.
Tracey Crouch, Minister for Sport and Civil Society, said: “We are committed to ensuring that everyone has the chance to reach their full potential. This fund will support organisations that help young people find a job by teaching them important life skills."
Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “Speaking to young people, stakeholders and youth groups earlier this year really highlighted the important role grassroots community groups play in supporting and engaging young people. This new funding will support some of those groups to strengthen their offer and widen the impact of their work, whether that’s by improving their fundraising capacity, developing their staff or working in collaboration with other organisations.”
To find out more or apply for funding from the Youth Capacity Fund, visit https://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/funding/programmes/youth-capacity-fund
The Big Lottery Fund uses money raised by National Lottery players to help communities achieve their ambitions. From small, local projects to UK-wide initiatives, our funding brings people together to make a difference to their health, wellbeing and environment. Since June 2004 we have awarded £8.5 billion to projects that improve the lives of millions of people.
Ethnicity Facts and Figures
Find out about how ethnicity effects people's everyday lives on the Ethnicity Facts and Figures website.
Dormant Accounts
Dormant accounts are funds that have lain dormant in consumer bank and building society accounts for more than 15 years. The Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act (2008) set up a scheme whereby dormant funds can be transferred by banks on a voluntary basis to a reclaim fund. The Reclaim Fund Ltd. (RFL) maintains a reserve to meet potential reclaims from customers and surplus funds are then transferred to the Big Lottery Fund for distribution to good causes in the UK. Funds are split on a percentage formula set out in legislation between England and the Devolved Regions and a total of more than £500m has been made available since the scheme came into effect in 2011.
Youth Capacity Fund
The Government has directed The National Lottery Community Fund to invest up to £1.2 million from dormant bank and building society accounts in England, to develop the capacity of local, frontline grassroots organisations who help young people facing barriers to work.
Claire Fudge: Claire.Fudge@biglotteryfund.org.uk, 0121 345 8856
Press Office: 020 7211 1888
Out of hours media contact: 07867 500572
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Female acts, rap songs win big at the Grammy Awards
LOS ANGELES — Women and rap triumphed at the Grammys on Sunday as female acts took home top prizes including album of the year and best new artist, and Childish Gambino made history when his hit “This Is America” became the first rap-based track to win record and song of the year.
Kacey Musgraves’ country-pop release “Golden Hour” won album of the year, and British singer Dua Lipa won best new artist — a year after female voices were somewhat muted at the 2018 ceremony and the Grammys were criticized for the low number of female nominees.
Six women were nominated for best new artist, and five of the eight album-of-the-year nominees were women, including Brandi Carlile, who described herself as “a kid from the ’90s from Lilith Fair.”
“Those women were just dominating those platforms. They were dominating those arena and amphitheatre stages. They were getting record deals. They were becoming record executives themselves,” Carlile said. But watching those gains “backslide for the last 20 years has been heartbreaking.”
“Tonight gives me hope as a mother of two young daughters,” said Carlile, who won three honours in the Americana category and was the most nominated women with six.
Musgraves and Gambino were the night’s top winners, taking home four awards each. “This Is America” also won best music video and best rap/sung performance.
Ludwig Goransson, who co-wrote and produced Gambino’s song, said he was surprised a rap song had never won in the past.
“If you listen to the radio or if just you watch our culture or look at the most downloaded and streamed artists and bought albums, you see what’s at the top and what people listen to and you see what people get inspired by. It’s about time something like this happened,” he said backstage.
Gambino’s historic win comes years after rappers have struggled to win in the top categories, including Jay-Z, Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar. Drake, who has lost in the big four categories over the years, told the room of musicians that winning awards isn’t necessary if you have real fans attending your concerts and singing your songs.
“Look, if there are people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain and the snow, spending their hard-earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here. I promise you. You already won,” said Drake, who won best rap song for “God’s Plan.”
He tried to continue speaking but was cut off as the ceremony suddenly went to a commercial.
The last time a rapper won album of the year was in 2004 with Outkast. Only a handful of rappers have won best new artist. Cardi B also made history as the first solo female to win best rap album (Lauryn Hill won as a member of the Fugees at the 1997 Grammys).
She was shaking onstage as she tried to give a thank-you speech with her rapper-husband Offset holding her arm.
“The nerves are so bad. Maybe I need to start smoking weed,” she said as the audience laughed. “I just want to say thank you everybody that was involved … I want to thank my daughter.”
At the 2018 Grammys, male acts dominated in nominations, and the only woman competing for the top award, Lorde, did not get a chance to perform onstage.
Recording Academy CEO Neil Portnow, who last year said women need to “step up” and later acknowledged that it was a “poor choice of words,” seemed to address his 2018 comments during Sunday’s show.
“This past year I’ve been reminded that if coming face to face with an issue opens your eyes wide enough, it makes you more committed than ever to help address those issues. The need for social change has been the hallmark of the American experience, from the founding of our country to the complex times we live in today,” said Portnow, who did not seek a renewal on his contract, which ends this year.
Lipa alluded to Portnow’s 2018 words when she won best new artist: “I guess this year we’ve really stepped up.”
The Grammys kicked off with a group of powerful women, including Michelle Obama, describing the role of music in their lives.
“Music has always helped me tell my story,” said Obama, who surprised the audience with her appearance. “Whether we like country or rap or rock, music helps us share ourselves. It allows us to hear one another.”
Gaga, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jennifer Lopez also spoke and stood in solidary with Obama, Gaga and Alicia Keys, who hosted the show.
“Yes, ladies,” Keys said. “There’s nothing better than this.”
Gaga won three Grammys, including best pop duo/group performance for the Oscar-nominated hit “Shallow,” a win she shared with Bradley Cooper. Gaga performed the song solo since Cooper was in London for the British Academy Film Awards.
Dolly Parton was honoured and performed alongside Miley Cyrus, Musgraves, Maren Morris and Katy Perry. But the country music icon truly shined when she sang “Red Shoes” with country foursome Little Big Town providing background vocals.
Yolanda Adams, Fantasia and Andra Day teamed up for a stirring performance of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman” in honour Aretha Franklin, who died last year.
Diana Ross earned a standing ovation when she emerged onstage in a bright red dress to perform “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)” and “The Best Years of My Life.” She celebrated her 75th birthday early with the performance, saying afterward, “Happy birthday to me!” Her actual birthday is March 26.
R&B singer H.E.R., who won two R&B awards, stunned as she played her guitar and sang. Chloe x Halle, nominated for two awards, impressed when they sang Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack’s “Where Is the Love.”
Ariana Grande won her first Grammy in the same week that she publicly blasted Grammys producer Ken Ehrlich and accused him of lying about why she was no longer performing at the show.
Beck was a double winner during the pre-telecast, taking home best alternative music album and best engineered album (non-classical) for “Colours.” Emily Lazar, one of the engineers who worked on the album and won alongside Beck, was the first female mastering engineer to win in the latter category.
Beyonce, Jay-Z, Ella Mai, Pharrell Williams, Hugh Jackman, Sting, Shaggy, Dave Chappelle, “Weird Al” Yankovic, the late Chris Cornell, Greta Van Fleet and even former President Jimmy Carter also picked up early awards ahead of the live show.
AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. contributed to this report.
Online: https://www.grammy.com/
Mesfin Fekadu, The Associated Press
Do not disturb: Calgary Zoo wildlife centre aims to save endangered species
Trudeau says Liberals will win in B.C. byelection where Singh seeks seat
BOSTON — Prosecutors dropped a case Wednesday accusing Kevin Spacey of groping a young man at a resort island bar in 2016 after the accuser refused to testify about a missing cellphone the defence says contains information supporting the actor’s claims of innocence.
Spacey was charged with indecent assault and battery last year in the only criminal case that has been brought against the actor since his career collapsed amid a slew of sexual misconduct allegations. The two-time Oscar winner was among the earliest and biggest names to be ensnared in the #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment that swept across the entertainment and other industries.
Spacey denies groping the man, whose mother first went public with the allegations in 2017.
A phone message seeking comment was left with Spacey’s lawyer.
The actor’s accuser was ordered to take the stand earlier this month after he said he lost the cellphone he used the night of the alleged groping. The defence said it needed the phone to recover deleted text messages it says would help Spacey’s case.
The man denied deleting messages or manipulating screenshots of conversations he provided to investigators. But when he was pressed by the defence about whether he knew that altering evidence is a crime, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination , and the judge said his testimony would be stricken from the record.
The judge then questioned how prosecutors would be able to bring Spacey to trial if the accuser continued to refuse to testify, and prosecutors told the judge they needed time to decide how to proceed.
On Wednesday, Cape and Island District Attorney Michael O’Keefe said in court documents that they were dropping the charge “due to an unavailability of the complaining witness.”
Prosecutors said in an emailed statement that they met with the man and his lawyer Sunday and told him that if he wouldn’t testify in further proceedings, they couldn’t move forward with the case. The man “elected not to waive his right under the Fifth Amendment,” prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said they could further pursue the case and grant the accuser immunity but then they would need more than his uncorroborated testimony.
Furthermore, “a grant of immunity compromises the witness to a degree which, in a case where the credibility of the witness is paramount, makes the further prosecution untenable,” they said.
Mitchell Garabedian, a lawyer for the accuser, said in email that the man and his family “have shown an enormous amount of courage under difficult circumstances.” Garabedian said he had no further comment.
The hearing at which the accuser testified came days after the man abruptly dropped a lawsuit he had just recently filed against the actor that sought damages for “severe and permanent mental distress and emotional injuries.” The suit was dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled.
The man did not receive a settlement to drop the civil case, his mother said. His lawyer said he dropped it because he was emotionally overwhelmed and wanted only “one roller coaster ride at a time” and so chose to focus on the criminal case.
The man’s mother, former Boston TV anchor Heather Unruh, alleged in 2017 that Spacey got her son drunk and sexually assaulted him at the Club Car, a bar on Nantucket where the teen worked as a busboy.
The man told police he went over to talk to Spacey after his shift because he wanted to get a picture with the former “House of Cards” star. He said Spacey bought him several drinks and tried to persuade him to come home with him before unzipping the man’s pants and groping him for about three minutes.
Unruh’s son told police he tried to move Spacey’s hands, but the groping continued, and he didn’t know what to do because he didn’t want to get in trouble for drinking because he was underage. The man said he fled when Spacey went to the bathroom.
Shortly after Spacey was charged, he posted a video on YouTube in the voice of his “House of Cards” character who was killed off after the sexual misconduct allegations emerged, saying “I’m certainly not going to pay the price for the thing I didn’t do.”
Spacey has faced several other accusations.
His first accuser, actor Anthony Rapp, said Spacey climbed on top of him on a bed when Rapp was 14 and Spacey 26. Spacey said he did not remember such an encounter but apologized if the allegations were true.
The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they are the victims of sexual assault unless they identify themselves publicly. Rapp has; Unruh’s son has not.
Follow Alanna Durkin Richer at http://www.twitter.com/aedurkinricher
Alanna Durkin Richer, The Associated Press
TOKYO — A man screaming “You die!” burst into an animation production studio in Kyoto, Japan, and set it on fire early Thursday, authorities said, killing 13 people and leaving more than 10 others presumed dead.
The blaze injured another 36 people, some of them critically, Japanese authorities said. Most were workers at Kyoto Animation, known for mega-hit stories featuring high school girls, with places featured in the stories even becoming “pilgrimage sites” for their fans.
The fire started in the three-story building in Japan’s ancient capital after the suspect sprayed an unidentified liquid accelerant, Kyoto prefectural police and fire department officials said.
Thirteen were confirmed dead on the first and second floors, Kyoto fire department official Kazuhiro Hayashi said. On the third floor, more than 10 people were found unresponsive, he said. Some of them were found on the stairs, where they apparently collapsed while gasping for air and trying to go out to the roof.
Hayashi says firefighters were still searching inside the building in case anyone else was left behind.
Kyoto police said the suspect was injured and taken to a hospital for treatment. They are investigating the man, who is 41 and not a company employee, on suspicion of arson, police said.
A witness who saw the suspect being approached by police told Japanese networks that the man admitted spreading gasoline and setting a fire with a lighter. She told NHK public television that the man had burns on his arms and legs and that he was angrily complaining that something of his had been “stolen,” possibly by the company. NHK footage also showed sharp knives police had collected from the scene, though it was not clear if they belonged to the suspect.
Survivors who saw the attacker said he was not their colleague and that he was screaming “(You) die!” when he dumped the liquid and started the fire, according to Japanese media reports. They said some of the survivors got splashed with the liquid.
Kyoto Animation, better known as KyoAni, was founded in 1981 as an animation and comic book production studio, and its hits include “Lucky Star,” ”K-On!” and “Haruhi Suzumiya.” The company does not have a major presence outside Japan, though it was hired to provide secondary animation work on a 1998 “Pokemon” feature that appeared in U.S. theatres and a “Winnie the Pooh” video.
Footage on Japan’s NHK television showed gray smoke billowing from the charred building. Other footage showed windows blown off.
“There was an explosion, then I heard people shouting, some asking for help,” a female witness told TBS TV. “Black smoke was rising from windows on upper floors, then there was a man struggling to crawl out of the window.”
Witnesses in the neighbourhood said they heard bangs coming from the building, others said they saw people coming out blackened, bleeding, walking barefoot, Kyodo News reported.
Rescue officials set up an orange tent outside the studio building to provide first aid and sort out the injured.
Fire department officials said more than 70 people were in the building at the time of the fire and many of them ran outside.
With at least 23 killed or presumed dead, the fire was the worst mass killing in Japan since a man stabbed and killed 19 people at an assisted living facility in western Tokyo in 2016.
A fire in 2001 in Tokyo’s congested Kabukicho entertainment district killed 44 people in its worst known case of arson in modern times. Police never announced an arrest for setting the blaze, though five people were convicted of negligence. In 2008, 16 people died in a blaze at a movie theatre in Osaka, near Kyoto.
Follow Mari Yamaguchi on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/mariyamaguchi
Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press
National Entertainment10 hours ago
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The Capitol Lounge SaRyoh
Japanese Restaurant "Suiren"
Chinese Restaurant "Star Hill"
All Day Dining "ORIGAMI"
Lounge "ORIGAMI"
"The Capitol Bar"
Pastry Boutique "ORIGAMI"
Banquet staging
Meeting Plan
Barber Menu
Guide to Tokyo’s Cherry Blossoms Around the Hotel
Hie Shrine
Jogging Course Guide
Hie Jinja
The Imperial Palace
Akasaka: Restaurants and Geishas
National Diet Building
Kioi Hall
Nagatacho Kurosawa
Akasaka Sacas
Omotesando Hills
The area around the hotel is most suitable for jogging.Please ask a member of staff for a jogging map that includes a popular course around the Imperial Palace.
Hie Jinja surrounded by luxuriant greenery is located on an adjacent hill.
In 1657, Hie Jinja and much of Edo (Tokyo) was destroyed by fire. However, in 1659, Shogun Ietsuna Tokugawa rebuilt the shrine at its present location. The shrine buildings were constructed in the Gongen-Zukuri style with vermilion-lacquered finishings. Regrettably, the shrine buildings were burnt down in the bombing of Tokyo during the Second World War, in 1945. The present shrine buildings were constructed in 1958 with contributions from numerous parishioners and worshippers.
The Sanno Festival is held annually around June 15.
Distance from Hotel
About 2mins by walk
The Imperial Palace with its grounds is located on the site of the former residential palace of the successive Tokugawa Shoguns in the Edo Period. Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Emperor Meiji moved here from Kyoto which had been the imperial capital for more than a thousand years. Since then, there are the Imperial Residence where Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress reside Imperial Palace, where the various ceremonies and functions are held, the Imperial Household Agency Building, the Momijiyama Imperial Cocoonery and the East Gardens including the Tokagakudo Concert Hall etc. are located.
The Akasaka district, which is in the vicinity of the hotel, flourished in former times as Tokyo’s restaurant zone. It was home to exclusive restaurants, called ryotei, that were intimately connected with the region’s business and political sectors, providing places to be used for politicians to talk in private or for high-class business entertainment. The ryotei restaurants have offered Japanese cuisine in settings that exemplified Japanese culture in its various forms — food and tableware, sukiya-style architecture, Japanese gardens, works of fine art, furniture, geishas, traditional music, and other aspects of orthodox Japanese culture in general. With such their formality and pride, they have remained dedicated to their policies that only private rooms are provided and “no first-time customers are welcomed” while having also come to be established as places of celebratory entertainment and traditional dance performances that were continuously provided by geishas. Four ryotei restaurants are still in business in Akasaka today, including Asadaya. Joining forces with the Akasaka geisha district, this aspect of Japanese culture has been introduced to the wider world. We invite you to take the opportunity to enjoy the authentic Japanese cuisine and remarkable hospitality of these high-status, dignified establishments.
Construction on the current Diet Building began in 1920 and was completed nearly 17 years later, in November 1936. Meeting rooms for the committees are located in the Committee Room Annex while offices for the members of the House of Councillors are located in the Member's Office Building of the House of Councillors. These buildings are connected to the Diet Building by underground passageway.
National Diet Building Tour
The National Diet Building is the building where the National Diet holds sessions. As the highest organ of state power and the sole law-making organ of the state, functional proceedings held within include legislations, budget appropriations, treaty approvals, designation of the Prime Minister and constitutional amendment proposals. The National Diet Building tour takes about 60 minutes, with a Diet guide escorting visitors to the chamber of the House of Councilors, the Emperor's Room, the Central Hall and the Front Courtyard . Tours of the House of Councilors are open to all visitors during the weekdays.
* For groups with over 10 persons, reservations are required for group tours.
About 8mins by walk (There is a steep slope.)
Tour of the Diet Building
Kioi Hall is a concert venue containing an 800-seat classical auditorium and a 250-seat auditorium specifically for traditional Japanese music. This concert hall was established in 1995 as part of the 20th anniversary commemoration project by Nippon Steel (now Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal), a company that has continuously supported Japan’s musical culture for many years. Known as one of Japan’s top concert halls, Kioi Hall gives its audience members a comfortable and pleasant music experience with the advanced acoustic design and the warmth of the wood-based interiors. It bustles on a daily basis with concerts put on by famous performers both from Japan and abroad.
About 10mins by car
Nagatacho Kurosawa is a restaurant that pursues unique cuisine in the Nagatacho neighborhood, the best place to introduce Japanese cuisine to the world. Based on the concept of recreating the feel of director Akira Kurosawa’s films through food, the lighting and other aspects of interior design are created by the art-related personnel in Kurosawa’s production crew. Our menu recommendation is the shabu-shabu and handmade soba noodles, which were some of the director’s favorite dishes.
"Akasaka Sacas" was opened on March 20, 2008, following Akasaka Biz Tower Shops & Dining. It was created for the recreation of the area around the TBS(Tokyo Broadcasting System).
Roppongi Hills - a symbol of Tokyo, sophisticated, contemporary architecture. Enjoy the landscape of Greater Tokyo from 250 meters above sea level.
The National Art Center, Tokyo is a unique and innovative art exhibition facility: Instead of maintaining a permanent collection, it makes the most of a total of 14,000 square meters of exhibition space, one of the largest in Japan, and focuses on serving as a venue for various art exhibitions. The Center also promotes outreach activities through its educational programs, and the Art Library serves to collect and disseminate information related to art.
Located in Tokyo, an international city that attracts people, products, and information from all over Japan as well as the rest of the world, the Center will provide people with opportunities to experience diverse values and contribute to bringing forth a new culture based on the idea of mutual understanding and symbiotic relationship.
Omotesando Hills was built in 2005, in a series of Tokyo urban developments by Mori Building. It occupies a two hundred and fifty meter stretch of Omotesandō, a famous shopping and (previously) residential road in Aoyama sometimes termed Tokyo's Champs-Élysées. It was designed by Tadao Ando, and contains over 130 shops and 38 apartments.
［the Ginza subway line from Tameike-sanno Sta. to Omote-sando Sta. (4stops / 6mins)
About 2mins by walk from Omote-sando Sta. Exit "A2"
The Capitol Hotel Tokyu
2-10-3, Nagata-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0014
TEL: +81-3-3503-0109 FAX: +81-3-3503-0309
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Massive plant that waited 80 years to flower is taken down
“It was time. It’s sad.”
Massive plant that waited 80 years to flower is taken down “It was time. It’s sad.” Check out this story on thetimesherald.com: http://bwne.ws/1yevbMr
MIKE HOUSEHOLDER Published 8:36 p.m. ET April 8, 2015
From left, Matthaei Botanical Gardens facilities assistant Mike Stadler, natural areas collection specialist Paul Girard, horticulturalist Mike Palmer and seasonal horticulturalist Chad Machinski carry the stalk of a 20-plus-foot-tall America agave plant, after cutting it down on Wednesday at the gardens in Ann Arbor. The towering plant lived an unexpectedly long 80 years before completing its one-time-only flowering process.(Photo: Photos by Melanie Maxwell / AP)
ANN ARBOR – An American agave’s job is to flower once and then die.
One of the plants that called the University of Michigan home for an unexpectedly long 80 years accomplished the former last year.
On Wednesday, its life came to an end.
Mike Palmer, the horticulture manager at the university’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens, used a hand saw to bring down the agave’s 20-plus-foot-tall stalk.
“It was time. It’s sad. Many people have said to me though they enjoyed the whole flowering that they were anticipating the sadness of its final days,” Palmer said after he and some workers carried the fallen stalk away, leaving a stump where it once stood.
Still, “the agave lives on,” said Palmer, who added new plants will be grown from its seedlings and eventually sold. Plus, university music professor Michael Gould plans to make a flute from the stalk.
Once the new instrument is created, Gould and a colleague who plays the shakuhachi, or Japanese bamboo flute, plan to perform a concert at the botanical gardens “to give the plant a life again.
“There are instruments that are hundreds and hundreds of years old, so the agave can live on,” Gould said.
And a couple getting married this weekend at the botanical gardens have requested a seedling so they can use it as part of their wedding ceremony.
The agave had called Ann Arbor home since 1934. It grew to 28 feet after a rapid growth spurt in the spring of 2014 that preceded its flowering, which ended later in the year. The agave then went into rapid decline, which is normal for the species, Palmer said.
Although it is known as the century plant, the American agave typically lives up to 30 to 35 years. Palmer, who cared for the plant during the past 15 years, said he doesn’t know why it took this agave so long to bloom.
Regardless, “it was time to take it down. It was the natural process for the agave to die after it flowers and sets seeds,” he said.
“We have seedlings now, so they will create the circle of life.”
Read or Share this story: http://bwne.ws/1yevbMr
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Anglophobia
For prejudice against British people as a whole, see Anti-British sentiment. For hostility towards the British state, see Foreign relations of the United Kingdom.
Anti-English sentiment or Anglophobia (from Latin Anglus "English" and Greek φόβος, phobos, "fear") means opposition to, dislike of, fear of, or hatred towards England or the English people.[1] The term is sometimes used more loosely for general anti-British sentiment.[1] Its opposite is Anglophilia.
within the united kingdom
outside the united kingdom
In his essay "Notes on Nationalism", written in May 1945 and published in the first issue of the intellectual magazine Polemic (October 1945), George Orwell wrote that "Welsh, Irish and Scottish nationalism have points of difference but are alike in their anti-English orientation".[2]
See also: Scottish national identity and Category:England–Scotland relations
In a 2017 survey of 500 English people living in Scotland, more than half said that they had been harassed or discriminated against by Scottish people.
A 2005 study by Hussain and Millar of the Department of Politics at the University of Glasgow examined the prevalence of Anglophobia in relation to Islamophobia in Scotland. One finding of the report suggested that national "phobias" have common roots independent of the nations they are directed toward. The study states that:
Scottish identity comes close to rivalling low levels of education as an influence towards Anglophobia. Beyond that, having an English friend reduces Anglophobia by about as much as having a Muslim friend reduces Islamophobia. And lack of knowledge about Islam probably indicates a broader rejection of the ‘other’, for it has as much impact on Anglophobia as on Islamophobia.[3]
The study goes on to say (of the English living in Scotland): "Few of the English (only 16 percent) see conflict between Scots and English as even 'fairly serious'." Hussain and Millar's study found that Anglophobia was slightly less prevalent than Islamophobia, but that unlike Islamophobia, Anglophobia correlated with a strong sense of Scottish identity.
In 1999 an inspector and race relations officer with Lothian and Borders Police said that a correlation had been noticed between the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and anti-English incidents.[4] However, Hussain and Millar's research suggested that Anglophobia had fallen slightly since the introduction of devolution.
In 2009, a woman originally from England was assaulted in an allegedly anti-English racially motivated attack.[5] Similar cases have been connected with major football matches and tournaments, particularly international tournaments where the English and Scottish football teams often compete with each other.[6][7][8] A spate of anti-English attacks occurred in 2006 during the football World Cup.[9] In one incident a 7-year-old boy wearing an England shirt was punched in the head in an Edinburgh park.[citation needed]
See also: Cultural relationship between the Welsh and the English
The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542, also known as the "Acts of Union", passed by the Parliament of England, annexed Wales to the Kingdom of England, and replaced the Welsh language and Welsh law with the English language and English law.[10][11] In particular, Section 20 of the 1535 Act made English the only language of the law courts and stated that those who used Welsh would not be appointed to any public office in Wales.[10] The Welsh language was supplanted in many public spheres, with, for example, the use of the Welsh Not in some schools. This would later be adopted as a symbol of English oppression, although evidence suggests its enforcement may have been largely voluntary.[12]
Since the Glyndŵr Rising of the early 15th century, Welsh nationalism has been primarily nonviolent.[13] However, the Welsh militant group Meibion Glyndŵr (English: Sons of (Owain) Glyndŵr) were responsible for arson attacks on English-owned second homes in Wales from 1979–1994, motivated by cultural anti-English sentiment.[13] Meibion Glyndŵr also attempted arson against several estate agents in Wales and England, and against the offices of the Conservative Party in London.[14][14][15]
In 2000, the Chairman of Swansea Bay Race Equality Council said that "Devolution has brought a definite increase in anti-English behaviour," citing three women who believed that they were being discriminated against in their careers because they could not speak Welsh.[16] Author Simon Brooks recommended that English-owned homes in Wales be "peacefully occupied".[14] In 2001 Dafydd Elis-Thomas, a former leader of Plaid Cymru, said that there was an anti-English strand to Welsh nationalism.[17]
During the Troubles, the IRA mainly attacked targets in Northern Ireland and England, not Scotland or Wales,[18] although the IRA planted a bomb at Sullom Voe Terminal in Shetland during a visit by the Queen in May 1981.[19] However, the ancestry of most people in the Loyalist and Unionist communities is Scottish rather than English.[citation needed]
In the Protestant community, the English are identified with British politicians, and are sometimes resented for their perceived abandonment of loyalist communities.[20]
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Education Welfare Assistants Appointed
Families will benefit from further support following the appointment of two Education Welfare Assistants.
Petra Crossley-King and Hayley Davies will work with families to improve student attendance and punctuality, to ensure students make the most of their time at TCA.
Between them, the pair boast a wealth of experience in educational settings and family support work.
Petra’s previous experience includes working on a one-to-one basis with SEN students and home tutoring young people with mental health issues. She has also worked at a pupil referral unit.
Hayley’s previous roles include working in a reablement team to support people who have been discharged from hospital. She has also been an early intervention family worker, has worked in a children’s centre and children’s homes and was part of a specialist young person’s team working with the youth offending service.
Hayley said: “As Education Welfare Assistants, we’ll be working with families to look at the reasons why students are not attending or are arriving late.
“Not attending school doesn’t just impact on their learning, but it also affects their friendships and the social aspect of school, and growing up that’s very important. It’s also about getting them into routines because when you have a job, you have to get there on time.”
Petra said the role appealed to her because of the opportunities to help more families. She said: “I wanted to go back to working with children and their families. I want to make a difference to more children and give the families who need it extra attention.”
Petra and Hayley, who have been at TCA for two weeks, have already met several families and said the meetings have been positive.
They will work closely with family workers and there are also plans for them to link up with support workers in local primary schools.
The Academy is keen to ensure those experiencing barriers to education can overcome them, in order to improve outcomes and ultimately, ensure young people leave school prepared for the world of work.
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Insider Selling: Sempra Energy (SRE) CAO Sells 723 Shares of Stock
Posted by Shane Hupp on May 26th, 2019
Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) CAO Peter R. Wall sold 723 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.47, for a total value of $97,944.81. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 2,359 shares in the company, valued at $319,573.73. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website.
NYSE SRE opened at $134.35 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $36.86 billion, a PE ratio of 24.12, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15. Sempra Energy has a 1-year low of $100.49 and a 1-year high of $135.91.
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Sempra Energy (NYSE:SRE) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 7th. The utilities provider reported $1.92 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.69 by $0.23. The firm had revenue of $2.90 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.12 billion. Sempra Energy had a return on equity of 10.57% and a net margin of 9.89%. The company’s revenue was up 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.43 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Sempra Energy will post 6.02 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Several research firms have recently weighed in on SRE. Zacks Investment Research cut Sempra Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Monday, February 4th. ValuEngine raised Sempra Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, May 10th. Wells Fargo & Co increased their price target on Sempra Energy from $130.00 to $137.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, March 28th. TheStreet raised Sempra Energy from a “c+” rating to a “b” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 26th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Sempra Energy from $131.00 to $132.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Sempra Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $131.57.
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SRE. Vanguard Group Inc increased its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc now owns 20,783,386 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $2,364,110,000 after purchasing an additional 997,607 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Sempra Energy in the 4th quarter worth $653,205,000. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,750,132 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $471,154,000 after purchasing an additional 228,380 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,633,635 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $457,329,000 after purchasing an additional 51,955 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund increased its stake in shares of Sempra Energy by 10,582.1% in the 4th quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 3,099,319 shares of the utilities provider’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 3,070,305 shares in the last quarter. 94.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
WARNING: “Insider Selling: Sempra Energy (SRE) CAO Sells 723 Shares of Stock” was originally published by Ticker Report and is the property of of Ticker Report. If you are viewing this story on another domain, it was stolen and reposted in violation of US and international trademark & copyright legislation. The legal version of this story can be accessed at https://www.tickerreport.com/banking-finance/4353248/insider-selling-sempra-energy-sre-cao-sells-723-shares-of-stock.html.
About Sempra Energy
Sempra Energy, together with its subsidiaries, invests in, develops, and operates energy infrastructure, as well as provides electric and gas services in the United States and internationally. The company's San Diego Gas & Electric Company segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity; and supplies natural gas.
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Atlantica Yield (AY) Upgraded at ValuEngine
Future Generation Investment Company Ltd (FGX) Insider Acquires A$24,754.32 in Stock
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Time Warner Cable Honored with Two 2013 Emmy® Awards for Technology and Engineering
Time Warner Cable (TWC) today announced that the company is the recipient of two Emmy® Awards for Technology and Engineering for 2013. The announcements were made by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in letters to the company dated July 22, 2013. The first award recognizes Time Warner Cable’s “Pioneering Work in Implementation and Deployment of Network DVR (NDVR).” The second award recognizes the company’s efforts in “Pioneering Development of Video on Demand (VOD) Dynamic Advertising Insertion.”
Emmy Win: Pioneering Work in Implementation and Deployment of Network DVR (NDVR)
NDVR enhances the time-shifting convenience that DVR brought to video customers, by recording and storing multiple linear channels in “the network” rather than by deploying mass-storage devices in consumers’ homes. Even before the successful launch of the DVR set-top, the cable industry had a desire to have a NDVR product. TWC was the first to develop much of the underlying technology with the company’s Mystro TV effort, which began in late 2001. Generally, the technology enables different consumer experiences: to act as a remote site for customers, making individual recordings of their selected programming (known as RS-DVR), and to simultaneously record many channels and permit enabled consumers to have flexible access to recorded programs, including, but not limited to, ‘Start Over’ programs that were recorded prior to consumers’ viewing. TWC continues to lead in the discussions with programmers on how to make NDVR a valuable service—not only for customers and cable companies, but also as a benefit to content providers.
Emmy Win: Pioneering Development of Video on Demand (VOD) Dynamic Advertising Insertion
Video consumers want access to a large library of high-quality video content—on their time and schedule. The challenge was to create a VOD-based ecosystem that rewards content owners for contributing to that large library of high-quality, on demand video. Time Warner Cable helped to create a world in which content owners monetize their content with the dynamic insertion of national ad campaigns into millions of hours of VOD content per month.
Commenting on the awards, Glenn Britt, Chairman and CEO of Time Warner Cable stated, “Time Warner Cable takes great pride in the technological innovations we have pioneered over the years. Our commitment to delivering communications services that give our customers increased flexibility and control is woven into the fabric of our daily work. I am grateful to the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for publicly recognizing that commitment in the achievements of our talented engineering and technology teams, whose behind-the-scenes work has been acknowledged in such a visible way.”
Mike LaJoie, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Network Operations Officer for the Company added, “I am very proud of our team and the work they do to position Time Warner Cable as a technology thought leader. The Cable industry has a rich entrepreneurial history, fueled in part by the creative use of technology, and these awards recognize the innovations taking place inside our industry and, specifically, our company—for the benefit of the more than 15 million customers who use Time Warner Cable’s services every day.”
In the mid-1990’s, Time Warner Cable became the first cable company to be honored with an Emmy® Award by winning the Engineering Award for Outstanding Achievement in Technological Development. This recognized the company’s pioneering work in using fiber optics to transmit broadband signals, a development that helped enable the convergence of the cable television, computer and telephone industries. Since then, the company has earned seven more Technical and Engineering Emmys:
Best Use of On Demand Technology Over Private Networks for Start Over® (2005-2006)
Development, Productization and Commercialization of Interactive Video on Demand Two-Way Infrastructure and Signaling (2006-2007)
Full-Service Network (2011)
Pioneering the Development of Multi-Room DVR (2011-2012)
Development and Commercialization of Cable Interconnects for Local Video Ad Insertion (ADLINK, 2011-2012)
Pioneering Work in Implementation and Deployment of Network DVR (2012-2013)
Pioneering Development of Video on Demand (VOD) Dynamic Advertising Insertion (2012-2013)
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Home / About Us / News and events / Archive / Science fun in the sun for thousands of youngsters
Science fun in the sun for thousands of youngsters
Enoch Adebeko, from Sacred Heart RC Primary School, learning about the science behind racing cars.
Eighth annual Lancashire Science Festival attracts huge crowds to the free event in Preston
Thousands of youngsters have once again been inspired by the award-winning Lancashire Science Festival.
Organised and hosted by the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), the popular and action-packed fun fest showcased the very best in electrifying shows, fantastic workshops, exciting exhibits and hands-on activities.
Among the highlights for many youngsters at this year’s three-day extravaganza were the From Plate to Poo show, Science Dome Planetarium and the Animal Detectives show.
Other exciting demonstrations and shows revealed the science in your favourite sci-fi shows and the maths that make thrilling theme-park rides. Many companies and organisations also brought hands-on activities to share the science and technology in the world around us.
It’s been amazing to see thousands of people fully engaged with the wide variety of science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM) activities we had on offer.
Among the attendees was 10-year-old Adeite Oludotun-Fasanya from Barton St Lawrence’s CE Primary School. He said: “It’s been an amazing day. The ‘Maths, Disney and Pixar’ event was mind-blowing as I learnt about how the films are put together and the mistakes that are made.”
Eight-year-old Edeson Ogunlana-Aresin, from Grange Primary School in Preston, added: “I have enjoyed learning about being a scientist for the day and it’s been lots of fun to play with all the exhibits.”
The annual event offers a wide variety of activities to inspire youngsters about the real-world applications of science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine. The Festival has previously won the Best Community or Business Engagement Campaign prize at the Heist Awards for Education Marketing and Best Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign at the Northern Marketing Awards.
Dr Liz Granger, Lancashire Science Festival Director, said: “It’s been amazing to see thousands of people fully engaged with the wide variety of science, engineering, technology and maths (STEM) activities we had on offer.
“This has been our eighth year and it’s been bigger and better than ever. We’ve had such a great selection of science, technology, engineering and maths events with shows, workshops and drop-in activities that appeal to all ages. To see the mass appeal of a free STEM related festival is wonderful and it shows the appetite of schools and parents to bring children along and inspire the next generation.
“Once again our sponsors have been great this year. It’s been a real team effort, with contributions from staff, students, volunteers, regional businesses and organisations and the result has been seeing thousands of youngsters leaving with huge smiles on their faces with an understanding that science is really fun.”
To see images from across the three days, see our Flickr gallery.
Rachel Atkinson | 01 July 2019
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This Photoshop genius takes requests on Twitter and the results are hilarious.
We live in a world of Photoshop, Autotune, and computer-generated graphics where beauty, talent, and reality can be easily manipulated at the click of a mouse.
But you can’t fake funny.
Photoshop wizard James Fridman has been bending reality in a hilarious way on social media by manipulating photos sent to him by his followers. Like a DJ taking requests, he reworks the photos, but they never come out like you’d think.
While at first glance it looks like trolling, Fridman is simply poking fun at the all the vapid self-promotion you see on social media.
“I don’t consider myself a graphic designer, it is more of a hobby,” he told The Telegraph. “When I first started using image manipulation software, it was something new and not as widespread as it is now, so everyone was learning and experimenting."
"I did some funny edits for friends and family, and they ended up on the internet," he continued. "Apparently, people found it quite entertaining and asked for more – that’s how I ended up creating my Twitter account.”
Here are some of Fridman’s greatest hits.
He just wanted to talk. Then he wanted a hug. This woman's story is a must-read for men.
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Be a URAA Board Member
Alumni and Community Engagement
University Advancement & Communications
Alumni Leadership Groups
UAC Home > ACE Home > Alumni Association
University of Regina Alumni Association
As a graduate of the University of Regina, you are automatically a member of the Alumni Association, a family more than 75,000 strong.
The Alumni Association, a non-profit charitable organization, was formed in 1974 and is governed by a volunteer board of directors. The association's mandate, then as now, is to promote the accomplishments and support the future development of the University of Regina, its students and alumni. This is reflected in the Alumni Association's vision statement: "We are the leading proponent of our University and our alumni throughout the world."
As a member of the University of Regina Alumni Association, you are entitled to benefits and services that are exclusive to U of R graduates. The University of Regina and the Alumni Association board strive to develop programs that are meaningful and valuable for its members. Check out the privileges in our Benefits and Services section of the website.
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The mystery of ancient Canaanites is finally solved, genetic research shows
The DNA of the mysterious ancient Canaanites was found in modern-day Lebanese people, new genetic research shows.
The mystery of ancient Canaanites is finally solved, genetic research shows The DNA of the mysterious ancient Canaanites was found in modern-day Lebanese people, new genetic research shows. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: https://usat.ly/2vegJYA
USA Today NetworkSydney C Greene, USA TODAY Published 11:00 a.m. ET July 28, 2017 | Updated 1:07 p.m. ET July 31, 2017
Scientists have found the mysterious Canaanites never actually disappeared as the Bible claims. Nathan Rousseau Smith (@fantasticmrnate) dives in. Buzz60
The DNA of the once believed extinct ancient Canaanites was found in modern-day Lebanese people, new genetic research shows.(Photo: nexusimage, Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Corrections and Clarifications: This story has been updated to reflect the Bible references that some Canaanite people may have survived the initial order.
The Bible claimed God ordered the Canaanites to be wiped out, but a new genetic research study suggests the ancient people survived that initial order.
In later excerpts of Judges and Ezra, there is evidence that not all Canaanites were destroyed by the Israelites—some fled or became servants. Over the years, little information had been discovered about the Canaanites—until a new genetic research study found their DNA, confirming they did survive.
The Canaanite's DNA lives on in Lebanon, where over 90% of Lebanese derive their ancestry from Canaanites, according to a study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.
“We know about ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks, but we know very little about the ancient Canaanites because their records didn’t survive,” lead author Marc Haber told the New York Times.
The history of the Canaanite people has been a mystery, Geneticist Chris Tyler-Smith told TheWashington Post.
“We haven't found any of their writings,” said Smith. “We don't have direct information from them. In that sense, they are a mystery.”
The Canaanites once roamed in the Near East region and beyond, mostly known as modern day parts of Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan.
To learn more about the Canaanites, DNA was retrieved from the ancient skeletons found at the Sidon excavation site in Lebanon. Out of the two dozen bones that were investigated for genetic material, only five contained ancient DNA.
The DNA was then compared with a database containing genetic information from hundreds of human populations. Results were further compared with the genomes of nearly 100 of modern-day Lebanese people, showing about 93-percent of them shared DNA with the samples from the Bronze Age.
“What we see is that since the Bronze Age, this ancestry, or the genetics of the people there, didn’t change much,” Haber said. “It changed a little, but it didn’t change much, and that is what surprised me.”
Haber added that genetics are powerful in helping answering the questions that can't be necessarily answered by archaeology or historical records.
Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2vegJYA
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USHL Recap: Tuesday, Oct. 16
10/17/2018, 9:15am CDT
By USHL
Tri-City knocks off Lincoln 3-1 to get off to best start in team history.
Chase McLane, Tri-City Storm (courtesy Hickling Images)
TRI-CITY STORM [3], LINCOLN STARS [1]
The Tri-City Storm are off to the best start in team history, as they moved to 5-0 on the year with a 3-1 victory over the Lincoln Stars at the Viaero Center on Tuesday.
Chase McLane opened the scoring with a wraparound goal just 52 seconds into the contest, giving the Storm a 1-0 lead. It was the Penn State commit's first goal of the season.
The @TriCityStorm score on their first shot of the game! #WhosNext pic.twitter.com/RnlJuEGMPO
— USHL (@USHL) October 17, 2018
It remained a 1-0 game until late in the first period, when Colby Ambrosio found the back of the net for the first time in his USHL career to give the Storm a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes of play.
Tri-City wasted no time picking up where they left off in the first period, making it a 3-0 game just 1:38 into the middle frame courtesy of Khristian Acosta's first of the year. A Mason Klee tally got the Stars on the board and cut their deficit to two, but that's as close as they would get, as Tri-City held on for the remainder of regulation.
The Storm are now 5-0 to start the year, the best start to a season in team history. In addition to his goal, McLane added an assist for a multi-point night. Reigning USHL Goaltender of the Week Isaiah Saville continued his stellar play between the pipes as he stopped 27 of the 28 shots he faced for his fourth win of the year.
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrates its 17th season as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league in 2018-19. The USHL had a record 45 players selected at the 2018 NHL Draft, more than any junior league in the world, and more than 400 players on team rosters last season committed to NCAA Division I schools, further establishing the USHL as the world’s foremost producer of junior hockey talent.
USHL.com
Tag(s): Recaps
USHL Tier 1 Junior Hockey
©2019 USHL / SportsEngine. All Rights Reserved.
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> Home > TruckStore locations > Valencia
TruckStore Valencia – Your first address for used trucks in Valencia - {{$rootScope.tsoSearchWidget.totalSearchCount}} Vehicles
TruckStore is represented across Europe, including in Valencia. Here in eastern Spain, you'll find us to the west of Valencia, right on the E-901 with a connection to the A-7. Awaiting you at TruckStore Valencia is a competent advisory and sales team as well as an extensive range of used trucks. TruckStore Valencia is always there for you!
Overview of truck manufacturers
The competition in Europe’s truck sector is made up of 8 brands.
Mercedes-Benz:
As the world’s largest established manufacturer of trucks weighing over 6 metric tons, the Daimler Trucks division of Daimler AG develops and builds trucks of the Mercedes-Benz, Freightliner, Western Star, Thomas Built Buses and Fuso brands as part of a global group.
The company’s head office is in Stuttgart. The total of 28 production locations are situated in NAFTA, Asia, Europe, South America and Africa.
The product range of Daimler Trucks covers light, medium and heavy-duty trucks for long-distance, distribution and construction operations, as well as special vehicles for use in the municipal sector. Since 1965, the most important production location of Mercedes-Benz Trucks has been the plant at Wörth am Rhein. The main truck models, including the Actros, Atego and Axor, are built in Wörth; specifically this involves cab production and vehicle assembly.
MAN SE is a global vehicle and machine-building company. The company’s head office is in Munich.
The MAN Group is divided into two divisions: One division is Commercial Vehicles, which itself comprises two sub-groups: MAN Truck & Bus and MAN Latin America as well as stakes in the manufacturers MAN Force Trucks (India), MAZ-MAN (Belarus) and Sinotruk (China).
The second division is Power Engineering. This consists of the sub-group MAN Diesel & Turbo and a majority stake in transmission manufacturer Renk AG.
Iveco:
Iveco, part of the Fiat group, is an Italian manufacturer of commercial vehicles based in Turin. The name Iveco came about as an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation.
The core fields of production at Iveco include construction vehicles and fire appliances, as well as medium to heavy-duty trucks for local and long-distance operations and transporters. Iveco also manufactures diesel engines for various sectors. Iveco operates a global network of 49 factories and 15 development departments. The Iveco subsidiary “Iveco Magirus” is a household name in the fire protection sector around the world. According to Iveco’s own data, the company is the biggest manufacturer in the turntable ladder sector.
Scania:
Swedish manufacturer Scania is a listed manufacturer of commercial vehicles and one of the main manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks in Europe and South America. Scania is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG.
For a number of years, Scania has only offered trucks for heavy-duty distribution and long-distance operations as well as construction and special vehicles (e.g. for fire departments) of the higher weight classes in the truck sector. The product range currently starts at 18 metric tons total weight and 230 hp rated output. The heaviest solo vehicles for road use have a total weight of 40 metric tons and are used in Switzerland. The engine range peaks at a rated output of 730 hp.
Volvo:
Volvo is a Swedish commercial vehicle company. Volvo was originally founded in 1927 as a manufacturer of automobiles. Today, the Volvo Group produces buses, various chassis and trucks for the Volvo, Renault, Mack and Nissan brands. The company’s head office is located in Gothenburg, Sweden.
The product program for commercial vehicles ranges from light-duty trucks for urban distribution through to heavy-duty trucks for long-distance goods transport and special vehicles.
The majority of sales is concentrated in Western Europe, North and South America and Asia.
The French truck manufacturer Renault Trucks, with its head office in Saint-Priest near Lyon, has been part of the Volvo Group since 2001.
Renault Trucks offers all types of commercial vehicles: from medium-duty trucks for urban distribution operations to special vehicles and heavy-duty trucks for long-distance goods transport.
DAF:
The Dutch truck producer DAF (Van Doorne’s Automobiel Fabriek N.V.) is a brand of the American Paccar Group.
DAF offered front-wheel steering cabs from the outset; these initially had a rounded design, which was squared off in the 1960s. Nothing has changed in this area to this day. This early offering of front-wheel steering cabs was one of DAF’s truck production strengths. DAF offered short-nose trucks from 1950 to 1972.
In 1996, the remaining DAF truck division was acquired by the Paccar Group in the USA. However, the DAF brand is still represented on the market.
Like other commercial vehicle manufacturers, DAF has divided its models into series, which are assigned to the light, medium and heavy-duty classes.
Fuso:
The Fuso Canter is a light and medium-duty commercial vehicle from Fuso. Initially, the model was only available in Japan and a number of other Asian countries. From the late 1980s, this model was also sold in the USA.
Production of the first Fuso Canter vehicles to be exported from Asia began in 1962. The Fuso Canter was still exported to other regions, such as Europe, North America and the Middle East. Most models of the city truck can be identified by the Fuso Canter logo at the front. The Mitsubishi logo is usually applied at the rear. In 2003, the commercial vehicle division of Daimler was able to acquire an 85% stake in Fuso following a spin-off of the division from the Mitsubishi Group. The same proportion of the Fuso Canter model series thus also belongs to Daimler Trucks.
The Fuso assembly plant in Tramagal, Portugal, is the exclusive supplier of Fuso Canter vehicles to the European market. The vehicles are available as single or double-cabin models.
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BevTec Asia Will Launch in Thailand in 2014
A new exhibition for the brewing and beverage manufacturing industries, BevTec Asia 2014, will be launched by Germany’s Messe Duesseldorf and Asian Exhibition Services in collaboration with the with the Thailand Beer Industry Guild.
The show, scheduled February 2014 at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Center, will take advantage of the growth in Thailand’s alcoholic and non-alcoholic manufacturing sectors.
Thebiennial exhibition will be geared toward international and regional manufacturers and suppliers of machinery, technology and materials for breweries, distilleries and wineries, as well as the soft drinks, fruit juice, mineral water and dairy industries.
Besides Messe Duesseldorf, the organizer of interpack - the world's leading international trade fair for the packaging industry held every 3 years in Düsseldorf, Germany, the Ministry of Industry, the Food Science and Technology Association of Thailand also is supporting the show.
“As Thailand‘s importance as a regional hub for Asia’s food and beverage manufacturing, processing and packaging sectors increases, Bangkok is an ideal location to stage this dedicated trade exhibition which will not only attract trade professionals from Southeast Asia but also from Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and the Middle East,”said Gernot Ringling, managing director of Messe Duesseldorf Asia.
He added, “Acomprehensive marketing and publicity plan, the collaboration with established local industry partners and associations and our strong network of international representatives will ensure that Bevtec Asia 2014 will be a success for the exhibiting companies and visitors from the beverage manufacturing industry.”
Alongside BevTec Asia 2014 will be the Brewing Conference 2014, organized by the Thailand Beer Industry Guild and supported by the research and training institution for the brewing industry, Versuchs und Lehranstalt für Brauerei Berlin.
Thailand already is one the world’s largest exporters of canned fruit juice and concentrates and is poised to expand even further in the future, according to show organizers.
“Investment in production technology is growing at an average rate of 18 percent, with processing equipment accounting for 60 percent of market value,” explained David Aitken, managing director of Asian Exhibition Services (AES).
He added, “With 70 percent of beverage production technology being imported, there is a huge opportunity for international beverage product and equipment manufacturers to develop their market share in Thailand and the region. The free trade markets of ASEAN will provide a gateway for Bevtec Asia exhibitors to expand into the growth markets of Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and the emerging neighboring markets of Cambodia and Burma.”
E.J. Krause & Associates Will Launch New Show for Non-wovens in Thailand
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Inaugural Bevtec Asia Draws 150+ Exhibitors
Jointly organised by Messe Düsseldorf Asia and Asian Exhibition Services (AES), the inaugural edition of Bevtec Asia attracted more than 150 exhibiting companies from 24…
First Staging of Bevtec Asia Draws 112 Exhibitors to Bangkok's BITEC
With 112 exhibitors and visitors representing 890 beverage producers, suppliers and industry-related companies from 30 countries, the inaugural staging of Bevtec Asia 2015,…
Shanghai Smart Home Technology Will Launch This Fall
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Travel Weekly Will Launch CruiseWorld China in Shanghai
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LeftField Media Will Launch Anime NYC
LeftField Media will launch Anime NYC, a new convention focused on anime, manga and Japanese pop culture, next year in New York City. The first Anime NYC will take place Nov…
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Alex Doherty
Ken Silverstein's The Secret World of Oil in the Financial Times & in London
Guy Chazan, energy editor of the Financial Times, praises Ken Silverstein's The Secret World of Oil in his review, stating that "Silverstein has shone a bright light on some of the industry’s darkest secrets and revealed the moral dangers inherent in our addiction to oil."
In London, on Tuesday, 3rd June Ken Silverstein will be in conversation with Laleh Khalili at SOAS, University of London, and on Wednesday, 4th June he will be in conversation with Global Witness.
Guy Chazan's Financial Times review states:
Oil is the world’s most important traded commodity. It powers our cars and drives our industry. And surging energy demand in developing countries from China to Brazil means its significance will only grow.
But how much do we really know about the business? Some of its public faces are familiar – the Gulf potentates, the bosses of BP and ExxonMobil, energy ministers in Europe and the US.
There is also a dark side – an army of fixers, traders, intermediaries and lobbyists who grease the wheels, keep the industry humming and form big oil’s connective tissue.
Such people normally inhabit the shadows. But Ken Silverstein, an investigative journalist and former Washington editor of Harper’s Magazine, has put them centre stage in his new book, The Secret World of Oil. The result is an engaging journey through the sector’s murkiest crevices, shot through with ill-concealed disgust at the corruption at its heart.
But there is an irony embedded in The Secret World of Oil: the world of oil is becoming a lot less secret than it used to be. For a start, the role of fixers has been diminishing since 1977, when the FCPA outlawed bribery abroad. That, combined with greater public scrutiny of big oil and more careful government monitoring of bank transfers, has made it much harder for energy companies to pay off foreign officials.
Visit the Financial Times to read the review in full.
The Secret World of Oil
by Ken Silverstein
288 pages / May 2015 / 9781781688670
May 2014 / 9781781681930
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by River Donaghey
Jun 19 2018, 4:23pm
Wikipedia Added US Border 'Detention Centers' to Its List of Concentration Camps
Alongside Dachau and Japanese internment camps.
Photo via the US Border Patrol and Customs agency.
The detention centers along the US-Mexico border housing hundreds of migrant children who have been separated from their parents in the last six weeks are now included in Wikipedia's list of concentration camps, Gizmodo reports. It joins a dishearteningly long list of other sites of atrocity throughout history, from Dachau to the Soviet gulags to America's WWII-era Japanese internment camps.
"As part of the 2018 Trump administration family separation policy, nearly 2,000 immigrant children have been taken from their parents and placed in 'detention centers,'" the new section of the Wikipedia article currently reads. "These centers have been described by those in opposition to the policy as 'concentration camps.' The centers had previously been cited by Texas officials for more than 150 health violations."
The section has, unsurprisingly, ignited a string of debate and revisions since it was first added, with editors of the online encyclopedia arguing about the appropriateness of including these immigrant detention centers alongside Nazi extermination camps like Auschwitz. One user has called for the section to be locked "to prevent vandalism," but it is currently still open for edits.
"No comparison with extermination camps or the Holocaust is being made here," a Wikipedia editor named The Anome wrote in defense of the new addition, arguing that, while the border detainment centers differ from Nazi death camps, they still fit uncomfortably well within the broad definition of concentration and internment camps.
"This is a list of concentration and internment camps, and these are very clearly internment camps," The Anome wrote. "For children. In America. In 2018. For shame."
Even Melania Trump's own immigration lawyer, Michael Wildes, spoke out against the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance" immigration policy, calling it "reminiscent of detention centers of Nazi Germany, of the slave trade" during an interview Tuesday, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions continues to shrug off any attempt to compare the policy to Nazi concentration camps.
"[Nazi comparisons are] a real exaggeration, of course. In Nazi Germany, they were keeping the Jews from leaving the country," Sessions told Fox News' Laura Ingraham Monday night. Ingraham, of course, is the same person who said that the border detention facilities currently holding migrant children are "essentially summer camps."
Unfortunately, all you have to do is listen to the heartbreaking recording of terrified, sobbing children left in detention shelters while the guards crack jokes to know that this is a reprehensible piece of American history and likely deserves its place on Wikipedia's list.
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How Some Cities Are Helping Drug Offenders Instead of Arresting Them
A genuine alternative to the war on drugs is closer than you might think.
by Camille Pendley
Dec 2 2015, 6:30pm
Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion programs in cities like Seattle primarily help low-level offenders, especially the poor and homeless, avoid jail. Photos by the author
A man is stopped by the police. He has seven grams of crack, and is selling it on the street. He's black. The cop asks him a series of questions, ending with, "Would you like some assistance with the problems that led you to selling drugs on the street today?" In this case, "assistance" doesn't mean a jail sentence, but a case manager that can offer help finding the man housing, a job, health care, and substance abuse treatment.
It sounds like some kind of Scandinavian dream, but in some American cities, this is actually happening. Take Seattle, where former public defender Lisa Daugaard wanted to take on racial inequality in the justice system. "But you can't be serious about that if you don't take on drug enforcement," she says. For years, she filed motions accusing the Seattle police of racial profiling, before meeting with cops to work out a way to avoid locking up so many people of color for minor offenses.
The population of King County, where Seattle is located, is only about 8 percent black, but black inmates represent roughly 36 percent of county jail inmates. Nationally, the war on drugs has had a similarly disparate effect on people of color: While America is 13 percent black, black inmates make up 40 percent of the over two million people incarcerated in this country. A black man between the ages of 20 and 34 is nine times more likely to be jailed than his white counterpart. Together, blacks and Hispanics make up just over a quarter of the country's population but nearly 60 percent of those incarcerated.
In July this year, more than 30 jurisdictions were represented at a White House event where Daugaard and others presented on the success of Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion, or LEAD, since it began in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood in 2011. The program is designed to replace some policing practices and divert some low-level drug and sex work offenders from local jails. In Seattle, as in many cities in the US, these offenders are often chronically homeless and struggle with either mental health or substance abuse issues, or both.
Santa Fe, New Mexico, implemented LEAD in April 2014 , targeting heroin and opiate users and subsistence dealers. Albany, New York, has signed a memorandum of understanding between local government entities to get their own program off the ground. City officials in Atlanta are expected to vote this month on the creation of a design committee for their own LEAD pilot, which would be supported by an Open Society Foundation grant also awarded to Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and four others jurisdictions devising their own LEAD program. Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, New Orleans, San Francisco, and others are considering LEAD, too, suggesting a genuine alternative to some of the worst policies of the war on drugs is closer than you might think.
One evaluation of LEAD in Seattle found that participants were 87 percent less likely to be incarcerated after their initial diversion than members of the non-LEAD control group. (Another study found a 58 percent reduction.) The annual cost associated with people in the LEAD group dropped by an average of $2,000, while control group costs rose nearly $6,000. Daugaard argues that a better measure of cost savings could be done after LEAD is implemented to scale—since right now it's limited to Belltown, a notoriously crime-ridden part of downtown—when perhaps a courtroom or wing of a jail could be shut down. But even now, she argues, LEAD "achieves significantly better outcomes and is somewhat less expensive... so there's not much of a case to keep doing the system as usual".
The program is addressing longstanding racial inequality in the city's justice system, one that offers hope for the rest of the country.
"When LEAD came I feel like we managed to identify a whole community of people that we had not been serving, that were mostly African-American," says Chloe Gale, co-director of a program within Evergreen Treatment Services, a local social services nonprofit that houses LEAD. The new clientele had similarly severe mental health and substance abuse issues and medical conditions, but had lacked the same level of access to services as others. "Their constant movement through the criminal justice system was so disruptive to them making any progress in any other service system," Gale argues.
Daugaard and the Defender Association's Racial Disparity Project brought together the American Civil Liberties Union, law enforcement officials, the elected prosecutor, the city attorney, a local social services organization, and the neighborhood business association back in 2011 to spearhead the first known US pre-arrest diversion program for narcotics and sex work charges. Years of litigation during which the ACLU challenged Seattle's alleged "selective enforcement of drug laws against African Americans" did little to resolve the dispute between prosecutors and public defenders, but both sides acknowledged that policing and prosecuting tactics at the time weren't effective, regardless of whether that was a result of racial bias. Ultimately, Steve Brown, the Seattle Police Department's narcotics captain at the time, posed a question that led to LEAD's creation: What do you propose we do instead?
"We were coming at this possibly for different reasons but with the same degree of commitment to ending a stupid—a really stupid—era in American history," Daugaard says.
"In most cities there is a population of very high-rate, low-level repeat offenders," explains David Kennedy, a professor at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice in New York. "There's a heavy overlap between these folks, and drug and alcohol problems, [and] mental illness."
While enforcement-based approaches, such as incarceration and probation, are appropriate for some, Kennedy says, when people seem to become "immune" to punishment, continuing to punish them is ineffective and inefficient. For evidence of this we need look no further than the regularity with which they commit low-level crimes: "If what we were doing was working, they would not be high-rate repeat offenders," he says.
LEAD's success using case management that does not require abstinence to reduce arrests came as no surprise to a Seattle man named Ron Jackson who has been receiving social services for 30 years. "I mean if you look around [and] see a homeless, single adult, that typically means that either they're addicted and/or mentally ill, and in many cases it's both of those," he says. "Expecting them to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps is just ludicrous."
Another local man named James, who was sober for 76 days when we met—the longest he'd gone without using in years—could be in a very different place in his life had LEAD existed a decade ago. The black 31-year-old has been homeless in Seattle for over eight years, and addicted to methamphetamine. He was arrested for trespassing years ago, he said, just the kind of homelessness-related offense that can connect individuals to case management today.
Regardless of whether a crime has been committed, LEAD police officers—those in the department who are trained in and implement the program—can refer low-level offenders to case managers before any arrest is made, allowing the individual to evade the barriers that come with an arrest or conviction on their criminal record.
Discretion as to which low-level offenders are offered participation in the diversion program is left to law enforcement officials. There are roughly 320 participants in Seattle's program so far, many of whom are referred not as an alternative to arrest but through "social contact referral," an avenue designed to allow law enforcement officials to refer individuals they think would benefit from the program.
These people are given 30 days from the referral to enroll in the program, after which a warrant is issued for their arrest. (According to Daugaard, over 90 percent of those referred to LEAD in Seattle enroll.) If they do choose to participate, individuals are asked to create a list of goals, which the case manager generally supports, financially and otherwise. Participants' goals range from reconnecting with estranged family members to receiving job training. But unlike many pre-trial diversion programs that take place within drug courts, LEAD participation is not contingent on being—or even aspiring to—abstinence from drugs. Examples of support include housing, meals, clothing, job training, help with civil legal matters such as Medicaid or disability benefits enrollment, rehab and methadone treatment, and a range of recreational activities, like a gym membership or art supplies, that case managers say help quell drug dependency.
"We like to think of it as the bridge you cannot burn," Gale of Evergreen Treatment Services says, referring to the participant–case manager relationship. Once enrolled in LEAD, the participant is eligible indefinitely as long as they don't end up in drug court and aren't sentenced to prison for a year or more. Participants aren't required to meet goals or reduce drug use, but only to engage with caseworkers in some way.
The program's use of a "harm-reduction model," where abstinence is markedly absent from the conditions required to receive services, is a central component of LEAD. Some elements of the public health approach founded in the 80s may sound familiar thanks to needle exchange programs and the use of designated drivers. Harm reduction is centered around acceptance of licit and illicit drug use —"a part of our world," as advocates say—and aims to minimize harmful or negative effects on the individual and the community. Lately, the approach has gained traction as largely white, suburban communities search for ways to reduce heroin overdosing.
"The goal in drug court is, 'Are you drug-free?'" explains Dan Satterberg, Seattle's prosecuting attorney. Treatment programs in drug courts require abstinence and are offered after the arrest and booking has been recorded. If the individual has a "dirty" urine analysis—random testing is often part of the program—they are sent to jail. But public health and criminal justice reform advocates argue that relapse when reducing or eliminating drug use is likely, and "does not mean that treatment has failed," as noted by the government-funded National Institute on Drug Abuse. Satterberg says the emphasis in LEAD is instead placed on getting people off the street and committing fewer crimes, which he believes is working. "If you try to help people on the margins of society, it turns out you have better luck than if you punish them," he says.
A prominent homeless encampment, or village, in Seattle
King County Metro Police Captain Marcus Williams and his colleagues knew a large majority of the "frequent flyers" in the jail system, now LEAD participants, before the diversion program began. The program gave him a chance to offer help for the drug dependency, psychosocial illness, and homelessness issues he saw long ago. "I think it's really changed the attitude of police [downtown] as far as how do you best deploy your resources," he says. "Do you spend your time continuing booking people in jail for small offenses, or do you try and engage them in something different than what you've been doing for a long time that isn't working?"
The culture change hasn't gone unnoticed among Seattle's most vulnerable citizens.
"None of our clients—the people sleeping on the street—had much experience with the cops helping them," Daugaard says. The idea that an officer would ask if you wanted help, and would then take you to a case manager and not a jail cell was, for them, unprecedented, she says. "People were very skeptical of that." So skeptical, in fact, that some who witnessed the police diverting a LEAD participant by opting not to make the arrest suspected they were confidential informants for the cops.
In Santa Fe, New Mexico, LEAD has been ongoing since last spring and primarily targets opioid users. New Mexico has seen one of the highest rates in the nation for unintentional overdose deaths for two decades, about a third of which were caused by heroin. But the state has seen a sharp rise in the number of deaths due to opioid pain relievers such as morphine and oxycodone.
Unlike in Seattle, LEAD participants in Santa Fe are largely Hispanic, the majority of them young women, and "marginally housed," which is to say lacking a stable home of their own but finding places to stay with friends or family, according to Emily Kaltenbach with the Drug Policy Alliance in Santa Fe. Social contact referrals are a crucial avenue for many—nearly half of the participants accessed services this way. An evaluation of the program is underway, but Kaltenbach expects it to show reduced recidivism, which would save the city money since it currently has a contract with the county jail to pay per bed.
Still, it's not what Kaltenbach argues would be best from a public health perspective. "Ideally it would look like Portugal, where all drugs have been decriminalized and problematic drug use is treated as a health issue and not a criminal one," she says, pointing to the policy the country adopted in 2001 when it decided that, after decades of waging a war on drugs, individuals found with any drug would be sent to a team of a doctor, a lawyer, and a social worker for treatment or a minor fine and no penalty otherwise. LEAD, she says, is as close to the Portugal model as American has gotten to date. "Although it still resides in the law enforcement criminal system, it's at least considered to be treated as a health issue pre-booking, so we're eliminating the entry into the criminal justice system."
Albany, too, is set to begin the pre-arrest diversion program after help from Kaltenbach and others at the Drug Policy Alliance. Like those Seattle and Santa Fe, the New York capital's program would be partially funded by private foundations, but will also be supported by the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare.
All three cities implementing LEAD are in states that have expanded Medicaid, critical to the program's affordability. "That is the key in making a lot of this happen," explains Steve Krokoff, former police chief in Albany and chief of police in Milton, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. He says that having the insurance in place makes staying on medication for mental illness, for instance, much easier, and the individual in turn is less likely to commit a crime related to their illness.
This month, Atlanta's city council will vote on whether to establish a committee of stakeholders to design a pilot LEAD program of their own. But funding sources remain uncertain. Atlanta Police Department Deputy Chief Joseph Spillane says the best-case scenario is one where a non-profit organization "takes the lead" and secures funding for the social service resources and case management support.
"The resources have to be there for us to divert them to," he says. And with state leadership historically opposed to Medicaid expansion, the poor, homeless, mentally ill and/or substance addicted population LEAD advocates want to target in the city will be hard-pressed to secure the support the diversion program is based on.
Some things change faster than others.
Follow Camille Pendley on Twitter.
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12 Notable Brooklyn Books from the Last 12 Years
by Kristin Iversen |
Say what you will about the last dozen years, but don’t say there hasn’t been good stuff to read. Here are 12 books we think stand out from this time in Brooklyn’s history.
Fortress of Solitude
Jonathan Lethem (2003)
This semi-autobiographical novel takes readers on a deep dive into what it was like to grow up in the pre-gentrification Brooklyn of the early 70s. Oh, and there’s a magic ring.
What I Loved
Siri Hustvedt (2003)
Simultaneously managing to engage the themes of art, love, and neuroscience, Hustevdt composed one of the most compelling New York novels we’ve read.
Jhumpa Lahiri (2004)
Lahiri’s debut novel tracks the journey of a Bengali family who have come to America and try to build their lives, but maintain their identities, in this wholly foreign land.
Nicole Krauss (2005)
Krauss captured multiple narrative voices and wove together so many seemingly disparate storylines that this book risked feeling like more novelty than novel, but somehow it all works out in the end.
Then We Came to the End
Joshua Ferris (2007)
Though set in Chicago, any Brooklyn-based office drone can recognize him- or herself in this darkly funny cubicle-set debut novel.
Joseph O’Neill (2008)
This could fairly be called a “9/11 novel;” it could also fairly be called one of the most beautiful meditations on how a rapidly changing world is forever altering our conception of what our society is.
Colson Whitehead (2009)
Set in a predominantly African-American part of the Hamptons, Whitehead’s novel beautifully wrestles with issues of race, class, belonging, and life.
A Visit from the Goon Squad
Jennifer Egan (2010)
This novel, which reads as much like a collection of short stories, experiments with voice, theme, and medium (one chapter is done in PowerPoint), and is easily one of the most memorable books of the last twelve years.
Paul Auster (2010)
Consummate Brooklyn author Auster tackles the the era of the Great Recession and gives us an at-times haunting look at how we struggle to recapture that which is fully gone.
The Residue Years
Mitchell S. Jackson (2013)
Jackson’s writing begs you to read at a fast pace, one that matches the harrowing nature of the narrative, which deals with the problems of a mother and son, as seen through the lens of addiction and poverty, race and redemption.
Nobody Is Ever Missing
Catherine Lacey (2014)
In her debut novel, Lacey covers themes of loss, forgiveness, love, and escape. And she does it in some of the most lyrical prose we’ve ever encountered.
Brown Girl Dreaming
Jacqueline Woodson (2014)
The beauty of this incredibly moving meditation on Woodson’s childhood in New York and South Carolina will stay with you long after you finish it; it will stay with, or, really, in you forever.
Where the Crowds No Longer Gather: A Look Back at 12 Years in the Brooklyn Music Scene
Still Franny’s After All These Years
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Three Kings bring Epiphany to Austria
Photo: Kurt Forstner/Wikimedia
The Local Austria wishes our readers a happy "Heilige drei Könige" on Tuesday, which is a bank holiday in the country. Watch out for Sternsinger - children traveling around, dressed as the Three Magi and singing Christmas hymns. We also wish our Orthodox readers a Merry Christmas!
The arrival of the Three Wise Men symbolizes the tradition of the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles, as represented by the Magi. Known in the English-speaking world as Epiphany, the holiday is celebrated in Austria with singing and graffiti.
Specifically, the initials of the three kings - Kaspar, Melchior and Balthazar - are written in chalk above the doorway of houses, in return for a small donation to a designated charity.
Catholic children dress as the three wise men, one of whom is presumed to come from Africa, and therefore blackface is worn. This usually isn't considered racist in Austria, but is rather thought to be a quaint religious tradition.
Photo: IMa
For Orthodox believers, January 6th is also Christmas eve. This is based on the fact that Orthodox Christians use a different calendar.
Archimandrite Christopher Calin, dean of the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Protection, explained why so many Orthodox churches celebrate Christmas later than most other people.
“The majority of the Orthodox churches worldwide use the Julian calendar, created under the reign of Julius Caesar in 45 BC, and have not adopted the Gregorian calendar, proposed by Latin Pope Gregory of Rome in 1582,” said Calin.
There are 13 days in difference between the two calendars, the Gregorian calendar being the one long adopted by Western nations.
“December 25 on the Julian calendar actually falls on January 7 on the Gregorian calendar. So strictly speaking, Christmas is still kept on December 25, which just happens to fall 13 days later on the Julian calendar,” said Calin.
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Theme Park Insider - Staff Columns - Entry
The BLOG FLUME -- It's a Scary, Incredible, Wacko Halloween Season
Eisner fends off another lawsuit, Steve Jobs hints at a Disney reconciliation, wackos go nuts over Universal’s ads, Dolly expands and other news.
Written by J. Dana
Published: October 18, 2004 at 3:25 PM
Skeletons in Eisner’s Closet make for a scary October
New York Times, Oct. 18, 2004
We always knew that Michael Ovitz’s $140 million severance package would come back to bite Eisner in the butt. But what took so long? On the none-too-soon eve of his departure, Eisner is having to face down another lawsuit, this one brought by disgruntled (and rightly so) shareholders arguing that the board of directors “breached its fiduciary responsibility when Mr. Eisner hired his friend, Michael S. Ovitz, as president in 1995 and then signed off on Mr. Ovitz's $140 million severance package 14 months later.” A close examination of records shows that Ovitz spent $2 million to renovate his office, $6,100 on a home x-ray machine, and $48,000 for a home screening room. Now remember how pissed you were when Epcot parking went up to $8. If we only knew then that we were paying for Ovitz’s Playboy magazine subscription. Plaintiffs are seeking nearly $200 million. Sadly, they probably won’t get it. They’ll win, but I’ll be surprised if any money ever changes hands.
It’s an Incredible Proposition
The Daily Review, Oct. 17, 2004
Okay, so we’ve all tired of the Pixar/Disney battle, right? Well it seems Pixar Chief Executive Steve Jobs may not yet be tired of the imbroglio. This entire story can be boiled down into the following line: “People close to Jobs say he would be open to resuming talks with Eisner’s successor.” Although many may think it’s beating a dead horse, I’m putting my money on a Disney/Pixar reunion. It’s gonna happen, folks. Theme parks and special anniversary releases keep DVDs selling. That’s Disney’s forte. Jobs knows it.
Wackos are all wacked out
The News Press (Florida), Oct. 18, 2004
Not to sound too insensitive (too late for that), but mental health officials in Florida are bent out of shape because Universal’s ads for Halloween Horror nights feature a restrained, writhing patient in a straight jacket. From all of us to all you Florida mental health sickos: GET A LIFE! And to the mental health facility executive in the story who said, “I personally was insulted, hurt and felt ashamed by what I saw and read," all I can say is that if you’re that easily dismayed, then lady, you’re in the wrong line of work. A friend of mine is a mental health provider and had to deal with a dude having sex with chickens. Believe me, these ads are the least of your worries.
Halloween is big business for theme parks across the country
Kane County Chronicle, Oct. 18, 2004
Tampa Tribune, Oct. 18, 2004
It used to be that deep discounts and short lines greeted guests at the major theme parks during the autumn months. That may still be somewhat true, but theme parks have capitalized on the month-long Halloween celebration in October to turn sliding profits into mega-bucks. This is something those of us on this site already know, but it’s interesting to see that the rest of the general population is now catching on.
And a Roundup of Other Small Tid-Bits:
Cypress Gardens held auditions, will open in November
Orlando Business Journal, Oct. 14, 2004
New White Rhino at Busch Gardens in Tampa
Miami Herald, Oct. 18, 2004
Dollywood Expanding
Chicago Sun-Times, Oct. 18, 2004
Six Flags 2004 attendance lower than anticipated
Yahoo! News, Oct. 15, 2004
Readers' Opinions
From Derek Potter on October 18, 2004 at 7:51 PM
A home X-ray machine? What the hell is that? 2 million for an office renovation... Corporate bullcrap at it's finest. I just had another reminder of why I hate Disney. Disney reunion with Pixar??? sure...as soon as Eisner is gone.
From luis gonzalez on October 18, 2004 at 9:14 PM
this is a much better representation of the blog flume. i dig the quickies and the format was true to the old blog flumes. very good flume, im looking foward to future installments
From Jason Moore on October 19, 2004 at 6:35 AM
Excellent work J.Dana. It was easy to read, and you quickly got to the point of what each article was about.
From steve lee on October 19, 2004 at 9:08 AM
J Dana, you had me at "sex with chickens."
I'm sure Kevin would agree.
From Robert OGrosky on October 19, 2004 at 9:25 AM
I went to SFGAM this past friday-Oct 13 and the weather was cold and it did rain. The park had low attendance so i can already see another weather related excuse for the next quarter-inclement weather hold down halloween attendance!!!
From kyle sussman on October 19, 2004 at 1:56 PM
It was great, exept some times you should have put a little more in it. You only touched on the news stories.
From J. Dana on October 19, 2004 at 4:12 PM
Guns and Spinnig back at Disneyland
The Boston Channel, Oct. 19, 2004 (copy the link below into your browswer for story)
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/travelgetaways/3828896/detail.html
As an adendum, I thought the attached article is great. Although many of you already read about this, the article says that Disney is putting Guns back on the Jungle Cruise and Spin back into the teacups...in short, they're swinging back (slighly) from their Politically Correct stance of the past few years. Good for them...long live the good stuff!
Six Flags overestimated their earnings by 60 million dollars. That's some pretty bad weather...seeing as though the other parks didn't seem to overestimate that badly.
From Jason Lester on October 19, 2004 at 7:25 PM
Sex with chickens?
Who here watches South Park? There's an episode called Chickenlover which sounds exactly like that! LOL!
From Robert OGrosky on October 19, 2004 at 8:12 PM
That was a great South Park Show!!! The chickenlover show was very funny!!!
From Rhys Evans on October 19, 2004 at 8:32 PM
J. Dana, the local news also said that Disneyland is removing some of the "Politically Correct" items in Pirates, too. It's back to the pirates chasing women, not pirates chasing women carrying food. Who was ever offended by that, anyway?
Yeah, sex with chickens...the only image (besides the obvious) that I can conjure is the bluebird in Shrek that blows up when the princess hits the high notes. Ugh.
But seriously, those ads for HHN are great...grisly, yes, but no less disturbing than last year's caretaker (which won awards). Okay, so the guy's wearing a straight jacket--does that mean we're impugning the mentally deranged?....well, maybe. That's what good horror movies (and Horror nights) are all about. The article just made me laugh, mainly. It's another case of the "professionally offended." There are people who try to be offended...it's their profession. That's what 90% of ACLU cases are all about.
Now, about that Six Flags accounting trick...I bet the three biggies (four if you count Busch Gardens) might use the hurricanes as excuses as well. Considering that the parks all closed down, this isn't a far-fetched notion. Disney and Universal, at least, cashed in on full hotels and restaurants.
The whole Michael Ovitz golden umbrella story is really making some hay all across the business world. According to the reports I've been reading, many companies are keeping a close eye on this case because it will have far-reaching effects.
So, the sexually predatory pirates are back? Speaking of the ACLU....
All park chains use the weather as an excuse for lower revenue. That's the easiest thing to hang failure on. While there was some terrible weather down south, there are only a couple of Six Flags parks down there, and Florida, which was hit the worst, has Disney, Universal, and Busch properties. Bad weather does affect the business, but was it really responsible for a 60 million dollar gap in revenue? Of course they would never ever look in the mirror.
From TH Creative on October 20, 2004 at 2:50 AM
Seems kind of pathetic the way Steve Jobs is handling the Disney/Pixar agreement via the media. The fact that it is Mr. Jobs who is now struggling to keep hope alive regarding a Disney deal makes him look rather desparate.
First he announces (rather LOUDLY) that he's walking away from the negotiations. He times this very public announcement just before the Disney shareholder's meeting.
The response from Disney executives is basically a shrug of the shoulders. At the shareholders conference Mr. Eisner meets with the business media and shows absolutely zero concern about Pixar. He knows that Pixar can shop itself around but no other studio will be able to make a better offer. With regards to exactly what Mr. Jobs walked away from, Eisner tells reporters, "you'd be killing me today" if Pixar had agreed to what Disney put on the table.
In the meantime, whatever leverage Pixar ever had in the negotiations is now GONE. In the eight months since Mr. Jobs stomped away from the table, Pixar has not been able ink a deal with another studio -- prompting the question, where else are they gonna go? As Mr. Baxter has noted before, studio distribution deals generally don't vary that much. If this is the case why hasn't Mr. Jobs found another contract?
Second, the nation's movie theatres are now lousy with CG animation ('Shrek,' 'Shark Tales,' 'Polar Express,' 'Madagascar,' blah, blah, blah...) making Pixar's product seem a bit less cutting edge.
Further, it is becoming clear Disney couldn't care less about Pixar's intention. Current Disney Prez and potential Eisner successor Robert Iger recently told the press he didn't think Disney would ever sign another deal with Pixar. I think he actually began the statement by saying "Pixar who?" but I could be wrong.
Now after Mr. Iger's remarks, Mr. Jobs boldly leaks hints that he may be willing to talk? Please!
Meanwhile it's too late for Mr. Jobs to get a larger share of the profit on 'The Incredibles.' Had he signed the deal offered by Disney his company may have gotten a bigger piece of that pie.
And, once again, with the 2005 release of the Disney contracted 'Cars' and all the DVD anniversary product still pending, if Pixar does run away to another studio, Disney's bottomline will not feel an impact until 2006.
Face facts: When the dust settles, should Disney decide to do business with Mr. Jobs, the deal may well be a little better than the one offered by other studios, but a little worse than the deal Mr. Jobs walked away from earlier this year.
From James Adams on October 21, 2004 at 10:51 AM
Actually, I am a clinical therapist and while I was not personally (or professionally) offended (it really never even crossed my mind until you brought it up), I can see their point. The mental health field has worked hard at educating the public that mental health treatment is not scary or weird but instead humane, kind, and helpful. Believe it or not, there are many, many people who do not receive much needed services for their distress because mental health treatment seems unknown and scary. So instead they continue to have sex with chickens, beat their children, use drugs, etc... At times, it does feel like the entertainment industry works against mental health practitioners in this regard. I don't think any occupation likes having stereotyping involved whether its postal workers, lawyers, etc.
I think I was more concerned about some of the HHN commercials on TV. Especially when the bloody operating room came on while my 5 year old was watching cartoons at 4:00 in the afternoon. I think it would been a little more responsible to air those after 8:00 or 9:00 pm. Good commercial, bad timing.
James Adams
From Robert Niles on October 21, 2004 at 12:37 PM
I think the proper way to look at the imagery in the Universal commercial is not as a commentary or depiction of mental health treatment, but as representation of the horror of being trapped somewhere you're not supposed to be. You're not supposed to be in Dracula's castle. You're not supposed to be in a haunted graveyard. And you're not supposed to be in a mental ward, restrained for your safety and possibly shocked and/or drugged for therapy.
But such imaginary scenarios provide the entertainment in an event like this -- you can imagine being trapped in a horrific situation and enjoy the scare because you know you'll ultimately be safe.
Funeral homes don't freak out when someone depicts a person being buried alive. (Though I, for one, would get a good laugh out of something like "The National Funeral Directors Association deplores such images, as in more than a century of operation, no person has ever been buried alive under an NFDA member's watch....") Mental health pros should chill, too.
From TH Creative on October 25, 2004 at 10:31 AM
The Wall Street Journal published an article, which I have not had the chance to read (yet) that takes note of how Pixar has yet to find a new studio to work with.
Please excuse me while I roll over to Barnes & Noble.
From James Adams on October 25, 2004 at 7:37 PM
I would imagine the argument was not against the presence of using mental health facilities in horror in movies or in the parks. The issue pertains to the presentation of an advertisement that everyone is exposed to. With a movie or an attraction of some kind, there is an informed consent issue - the individual knows what they are getting themselves into. An advertisement is forced onto the viewer (of sorts) without their consent. Therefore, it is held to a higher code of ethics.
Ultimately, this is starting to look like the classic debate of the influence of media on the mind. Research tells us that media does, in fact, influence the decisions people make, our biases and worldviews, and our discriminations. The business and media world are so aware of this fact that they are willing to pay millions of dollars for a 30 second time slot during the Superbowl. Media has a subtle (dare I say unconscious) way of shaping our views. I am not sure that caretakers would ever "rise up" against popular media representations of their presentation. Afterall, it's not like people volunteer for burial like they do mental health treatment (of course, they can opt for burial, cremations, etc.). But, if people started keeping their dead relatives around out of fear that they would be buried alive, then perhaps caretakers would start rising up.
Nevertheless, I think when people of any profession stop standing up for how they see big business impacting society, then we've got problems. Universal was not thinking about social responsibility, they were thinking of $$.
Interestingly enough, a few years back there was a movie about an insane dentist who would cut people up while they were in the chair. Dentists took incredible offense to it.
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80,000 Muslims Pray on Moscow Street
Muslims praying near a reproduction of a Russian Orthodox icon during the Eid al-Adha festival on Sunday. Some 80,000 showed up in Moscow. Sergei Karpukhin
Tens of thousands of Muslim men knelt shoulder-to-shoulder in prayer on the freezing streets of Moscow on Sunday to celebrate the religious holiday of Eid al-Adha.
Estimates of the number of Muslims living or working in the Russian capital run from 2 million to as high as 5 million, but the city has few mosques.
Police said 170,000 people celebrated the holiday in Moscow, including 80,000 who gathered on the street outside what was once the main mosque. The 100-year-old pastel green Cathedral Mosque was torn down in September and a new mosque being built next to it is still under construction.
Many of those who braved temperatures of minus 8 degrees Celsius to pray on Sunday morning were migrant workers from countries in Central Asia that were once part of the Soviet Union.
"Of course, new mosques are needed," said Maruv, a shop worker from Tajikistan who gave only his first name. "Look at how many people are in the street, and it's cold. They have been standing here waiting for the beginning of prayers since 6 a.m., and there are no facilities."
Police cordoned off the area and set up metal detectors to screen worshippers. The mosque is located next to the Olimpiisky Sports Complex, where this weekend women tennis players from Russia and the Czech Republic played the Fed Cup final.
Eid al-Adha, or "festival of sacrifice," known as Kurban-Bairam in Russia, is a feast celebrated by Muslims worldwide. The holiday commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, to show obedience to God, but God provided a sheep for him to sacrifice instead.
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Reflections from an Inc. 500 Company
By Marketing Department in The Newsletter Pro Way, Pro Press 0
In soccer, there is a higher probability of a penalty kick being blocked if the goalkeeper remains in the center of the goal, rather than leaping to one side or the other. Therefore, it would seem logical that goalkeepers should stay in the middle of the net for the highest probability of blocking the ball, right? Well, that’s not the case.
A study of professional soccer penalty kicks showed that goalkeepers almost always jump to their left or their right. The reason behind this phenomenon: It was found there is a psychological aversion to inaction and a bias toward action. If the other team scores a goal on the goalkeeper’s watch, it is better socially and emotionally for the goalkeeper to have acted, even by diving in the wrong direction, than to watch the ball fly into the net without moving to either side.
Action is a huge part of American culture. We love taking action. We’re working longer and longer hours, and we champion the idea of learning by doing. It seems that the opposite — inaction — is a sure way to fail, and we stigmatize it. That’s why every December people start making lists upon lists of the big things they’re going to accomplish in the coming year, and how they’re going to make up for the things they didn’t do over the past 12 months.
“I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me.” – Anaïs Nin
Let’s face it. Most New Year’s resolutions fail miserably. The odds are not in our favor this year, either. It’s well-known that around 80% of New Year’s resolutions don’t stick, and if they do, it’s not for long. So why do we take the same approach year after year?
Research suggests that a much better way of approaching our goals is to engage in reflection on a daily basis. The Harvard Business Review cites a paper called “Overcoming the Bias for Action Through Reflection,” which found that reflection on a task was key to improvement.
Researchers evaluated employees during a training program over the course of 30 days. During the training program, some employees were asked to simply continue doing their work as usual, while the other sample was asked to take the last 15 minutes of their day to reflect upon and record what they learned that day.
At the end of the training the employees were given a skills test. Employees who practiced reflection performed 23% better than those who did not. The study concluded that people learn better when they take time to think about what they’re doing.
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” – Confucius
In business, a little reflection goes a long way, and the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. is rife with accomplished folks who have a lot to sing about this year, the pros here at TNP included. With nearly 3,000% growth over the past three years, The Newsletter Pro. landed at No. 120 on the list.
There is so much talent on this list, I decided it would be a shame not to give a nod to the achievements of these all-star companies, and reflect upon and learn a few things from the CEOs who managed to land themselves on the list. Here’s what I found.
They take insane risks: Coming in at numero uno on the list is telecom company Ultra Mobile, whose ingenuity is matched only by their confidence. Taking a sort of “fake it ‘til you make it” approach, CEO David Glickman suggests acting bigger than you are to foster incredible growth. With fingers crossed, Ultra licensed $50 million in service from T-Mobile, unsure of how much they’d earn back. They took a huge risk — and it paid off. The company’s confidence earned them 100,849% growth and $118 million in revenue in just three years.
TNP “Kill it in the New Year” Tip: Reflect on one major business risk you regret not taking. What was holding you back? Now, think of a risk you’ve been tossing around in your head, and see the response it gets. Do people think you sound crazy? It’s probably just the type of risk you’re looking for.
They manage with extraordinary empathy and trust: Taking a very unconventional approach to empowering her team, Jessica Mah, founder and CEO of InDinero, a full-service financial software firm out of Walnut, California, took couple’s counseling with her platonic business partner and co-founder/CEO Andy Su to maintain a healthy working relationship with him and learn how to better deal with conflict.
This people-first approach goes beyond the founders, too. Mah and Su empower their team by completely taking away the element of middle management and giving team members more power to make decisions and take on responsibility. By taking care of their people and trusting them to grow and change with the company, InDinero has experienced great success. At just 25 years old, Mah has grown her company to see a three-year growth rate of 2,685%.
TNP “Kill it in the New Year” Tip: Want to empower your team? Make a list of duties or decisions you made this year that you think could be taken from the shoulders of management and given to the team. With more responsibility will come more trust, passion, and accountability among team members.
They hire the best of the best: When an extremely proficient CEO can admit what they don’t know and hire people who can do it better, they’re doing it right. Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan, founder of Drawbridge, which connects consumers and brands across devices, is a great leader because she is not only extremely intelligent and capable, but she also hired the right people.
With roots in engineering and mathematics, Sivaramakrishnan took on entrepreneurship and teamed up with people who knew business inside and out. Her ability to grow the company organically depended on hiring the best minds to push it forward. Her company is now No. 6 on the Inc. 500 list, has a 23,484% growth rate, and made $32.9 million in revenue in 2014.
TNP “Kill it in the New Year” Tip: Reflect on a time you hired to your weaknesses. What was the result? Think of your new team members as prosthetics. You wouldn’t replace a weak leg with another weak one, would you? Review the quality of your job ads, salary packages, and screening processes in order to attract the strongest applicants, then whittle down the list until you find the right fit.
They believe wholeheartedly in the value of their product: StartApp, a monetization platform for Android apps, landed at No. 7 on the list. Many of the team at StartApp had experience using the same monetization model at other companies, so when they came together, they were a force to be reckoned with.
Itay Rokni, VP for marketing at Israeli StartApp, said that by understanding the value of the model, StartApp is able to provide a product that is profitable and simple for app developers.
At StartApp, they invest in learning more about what users want from ads and use that information to design the most desirable ads for mobile users. StartApp grew by an incredible 22,036% in three years, and earned $37.2 million in revenue in 2014.
TNP “Kill it in the New Year” Tip: It’s easy for product value to get convoluted and watered down when a business lacks confidence in what makes their product special. Think about how and when your product was most profitable in 2015. Why was it profitable? What was the context? With those factors fresh in your mind, you’ll be more likely to spend your time, energy, and money exploring and expanding those areas next year.
This month, take a moment to look back on the year and take note of what you’ve accomplished. If you aren’t exactly where you want to be, think about what these CEOs have done, and what you could do to emulate their success.
Know an amazing CEO? Give them a shout-out on our Facebook page! Share who they are and how they make their company so successful.
inc 500, new year success, kill it in 2016, effective business tips, hire the best, take risks, believe in your product
Lessons From a Tragic Business Failure
Stop the Madness — Do You Have Business Values?
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This project is no longer active. It remains on the website for historical interest.
Joseph's House: Seeing God in Everybody
General Topics:
Previous or Inactive Projects
The big gray house. Gwendolyn, a member of the Washington DC Theosophical Society (TS) group, often wondered what went on in the big gray house up the street from where she lived. It was “Joseph’s House,” a hospice caring for the dying homeless. After taking a tour, Gwendolyn told her fellow TS members they just had to see this for themselves. So Rozi Ulics, the group's Theosophical Order of Service (TOS) Co-Liaison, and the others went, wondering what they were walking into. For Rozi, as for most of us, “Death is an intimidating thing and when you throw in homelessness, it almost seems hopelessly overwhelming.”
Hospice on steroids. Hospice provides support and care for persons in the last phases of an incurable disease so they may live as fully and comfortably as possible. Hospice sees the dying process as part of the normal process of living and focuses on enhancing the quality of remaining life. Joseph’s House is an intentional community affiliated with a Christian church, but they also include Zen Buddhist practices in their daily routine to ensure that the residents get the most loving care possible, and also to prevent burnout and depletion among the staff and volunteers. “You really have to see it to believe it,” Rozi says. The staff practices compassionate care “so that the act of service itself becomes a source of healing, both for the served and the server.” Founder David Hilfiker explains, “Our hope is not to present God to anybody, but to SEE God in everybody."
Rozi saw how precious each resident is to the staff, who make sure the residents’ last days “are filled with all the compassion and dignity and love they didn’t get on the streets. Then they memorialize them after they die so they are not forgotten.” Joseph’s House calls it “healing into death.” Rozi calls it “hospice on steroids” and noticed that the healing doesn’t stop with the residents. Staff members love to tell stories about the profound impact each resident has had on their lives.
Love grows. Director Patty Wudel wrote, “I don’t know what I thought love in a hospice for the homeless could look and sound and feel like long ago before I first encountered Joseph’s House, but I can tell you that at Joseph’s House it is gloriously different from anything I could have imagined!” Patty tells the story (one among so many) of James, a resident with end-stage lung cancer, and Brittney, a young volunteer. Patty says that James “knows he is dying, but he is not waiting to die. Every day James [an artist] opens his heart and mind and he attunes to the world around him. Others attune to James.
Over the six months or so that he has lived at Joseph’s House, James has fallen in love. He fell in love with Brittney, a beautiful young lover of life if ever there was one – and she fell in love, gradually, with James. In her mind he went from being a suffering, grumpy old man whose life experiences had nothing in common with her own to being James, who she delights in. They have become each other’s favorite. When James and Brittney are together the rest of us feel happy. We feel the love. For Brittney, this is surely God’s love; so steady and generous and real.”
Magic is not a metaphor. Don’t miss Patty Wudel’s short video “The Blue Dress” where she tells about the magic that happened around midnight one Christmas Eve as she sat up late with Randi, a former singer with end-stage AIDS. Enjoying the stillness, twinkling lights, and Nat King Cole playing softly as everyone else slept, Randi made an unusual request--she asked to borrow Patty’s special blue dress. Patty will never forget what happened next, and when you hear Patty tell the story, you’ll know that “the magic of Christmas” is no mere metaphor.
New Friends. Watch this brief PBS video for a glimpse of the work being done at Joseph’s House. If you feel moved to help (just $25 provides breakfast for 12), you can donate here.
Joseph’s House has found new friends in the Washington DC TOS group. TOS workers have helped with fund raising, monetary contributions, and have donated specialized professional expertise. Rozi says, “There are just so many lessons they have for us about living intentionally and loving whole-heartedly. It applies to all of us.”
see all current projects
see all previous projects
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Top Ticket: Three shows to see Oct. 2 to 8
By Carly MagaTheatre Critic
Sun., Oct. 2, 2016timer2 min. read
“Master Harold” . . . and the Boys
Watch this if: A weekend in wine country wasn’t in the cards this summer.
Depending on your schedule of summer weddings, a visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Shaw Festival isn’t always possible. Luckily, one of the best-reviewed productions in this year’s festival is coming to Toronto. Obsidian Theatre artistic director Philip Akin directed Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold” . . . and the Boys, which the Star said had the audience “gasping, sniffling and then instantly on its feet.” The last two productions from the Akin/Shaw partnership have been major hits (The Mountaintop, Topdog/Underdog). Now that it’s closer to home, you don’t have an excuse to miss Master Harold.
Oct. 8-23, Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Yonge St.
Rutas Panamericanas
Watch this if: You want a 10-day performance tour of the Americas.
Aluna Theatre and Native Earth Performing Arts are back with the annual Rutas Panamericanas festival, featuring Canadian, Latin and indigenous performers from all around the world. This year’s edition has some especially unique adaptations of the classics: two different Shakespeare productions (Hamlet de los Andes from Bolivia and solOthello from New Zealand) and a Colombian take on Antigone, set at a fictional human rights tribunal. Another highlight is a new work by acclaimed novelist, playwright and performer Carmen Aguirre, whose Broken Tailbone is a public dance lesson spiced with Aguirre’s signature searing stories of politics, culture and personal history.
Oct. 5-16, Artscape Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas St. E.
Watch this if: Your fall calendar could use some Italian romantic tragedy.
If you think your karaoke skills are straight out of the bel canto era of opera, let the Canadian Opera Company show you what real singing is. Vincenzo Bellini’s Norma opens the COC’s 2016/17 season in a co-production with the San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu. Its San Francisco run received great reviews for its musical accomplishment, especially for its lead, Toronto-based soprano Sondra Radvanovsky. In Toronto, Radvanovsky shares the role of Norma with South Africa’s Elza van den Heever — two powerhouse Normas, same tragic love story.
Oct. 6-Nov. 5, Four Seasons Centre, 145 Queen St. W.
Canadian Opera Company
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Defence minister stays mum on role of Canadian soldiers in Mosul offensive
Tues., Oct. 25, 2016timer3 min. read
OTTAWA—Photos have emerged that apparently show Canadian special forces soldiers near front-line action in northern Iraq, even as Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan stays mum about their involvement in the ongoing offensive against Daesh extremists.
One photo shows Canadians in what appear to be heavily-armed Humvees. Another shows soldiers setting up a heavy anti-armour weapon atop an armoured vehicle, a Canadian flag is clearly visible on the uniform of one of them.
The Star could not independently verify the photos or when they were taken. The defence department said it does not comment on ongoing operations but did not dispute the authenticity of the pictures.
The Canadian military has become more guarded in recent months about the work of some 200 soldiers deployed in northern Iraq to help train and advise Kurdish peshmerga forces, a mission that is supposed be non-combat.
It’s believed the photos show troops operating in an area east of Mosul, where peshmerga forces have been reclaiming territory that had been held by Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL.
In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Sajjan was asked about the photos, including one that shows Canadian soldiers setting up the heavy weapon.
Sajjan also did not question the photos, but said any weapons the Canadians have would be for their own self-defence and protection of the Kurdish peshmerga troops they are advising.
“Our troops have all the necessary equipment to be able to apply the rules of engagement if necessary,” Sajjan said, adding that their arsenal now includes anti-armour weapons.
“I want to make sure that our troops have the necessary equipment in place to mitigate any threat,” Sajjan said.
Earlier this month, Iraqi and Kurdish security forces, backed by coalition militaries, launched a long-awaited offensive against Daesh fighters holed up in Mosul.
Yet Sajjan and the military have refused to provide any details about the role Canadian forces are playing as the Kurdish forces they are mentoring try to clear territory around Mosul.
Sajjan offered few clues Tuesday during a conference call with reporters from Paris, where he had attended a meeting of nations involved in the fight against Daesh.
“In terms of their role and exactly what’s happening, for operational security and force protection reason, I can’t give you the details,” Sajjan said.
“When the time is right I will be providing details . . . but right now these are the absolute early stages of the operation,” the minister said.
“Absolutely, Canadians deserve to know how the mission is going, what our troops are doing,” he said.
In the Commons Tuesday, the Conservatives ridiculed the secrecy and questioned why Canadians are being kept in the dark.
“Images of Canadian troops operating Iraqi vehicles, sighting targets with sniper rifles, and painting targets near Mosul have emerged on social media,” Conservative MP James Bezan said.
“Why should Canadians have to learn on Twitter what our troops are doing to defeat ISIS rather than from the government,” he said.
In an interview later, Bezan, who served as parliamentary secretary to the defence minister in the previous government, accused the Liberals of hiding “behind a curtain of secrecy.”
Even allowing for security concerns, he said there is ample room for more “transparency” about military operations.
He said the photos show Canadian soldiers “painting targets”— using a laser to mark targets for air strikes by coalition aircraft.
“This is definitely part of the support for combat operations and the offensive that is taking place to liberate Mosul,” Bezan said.
“They’re right at the front line and we know that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sajjan revealed that a Canada-led hospital — meant to be ready to treat casualties from the Mosul fight — is still not up and running.
“There was some delays from the Iraqi government side in terms of getting all the resources. . . . That has been dealt with and things are moving along,” Sajjan said.
The hospital will have two operating rooms staffed by some 50 personnel — doctors, nurses, medics and support staff. According to the armed forces, it will be able to provide triage, resuscitation and emergency surgery.
Given that the Mosul offensive is still in its early stages, Sajjan said the hospital will still be “timely and needed.”
In a statement, the defence department said the hospital should be operating within “several weeks.” In the meantime, the department said it was working with its partners to ensure that there were no gaps in medical care because of the delay.
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‘We’re not afraid.’ Danforth Strong run, vigil planned to honour victims of Toronto mass shooting
By Inori RoyStaff Reporter
Tues., July 24, 2018timer2 min. read
In the wake of Sunday night’s tragic shooting on the Danforth, the community is coming together to show solidarity through various events.
Local resident Sarah Ruuska-Kiriliuk is organizing a Danforth Strong run on Tuesday night.
The idea first came to her when a number of violent crimes took place years ago in the Danforth neighbourhood. While she didn’t organize the event then, Ruuska-Kiriliuk saw Sunday’s tragedy as a time to bring people together.
“What we saw at the time was a community that was scared to walk along the Danforth,” she said, drawing parallels to today’s climate.
The three-kilometre run is at 10 p.m., the time of the shooting two days prior. It will take place along the Danforth, starting from Coxwell Ave. and ending at Logan Ave. All are welcome — including first-time runners and people who prefer to walk, Ruuska-Kiriliuk said.
“We need to show the community that we’re strong, together and that we’re not afraid,” Ruuska-Kiriliuk said.
Gun violence tops city council agenda
A semblance of normal returns to the Danforth
What we know and don’t know about the shooting
On Wednesday night, the Danforth Church and Eastminster United Church are holding a vigil at 7 p.m. at Danforth Ave. and Bowden St.
The vigil will begin at Danforth Church, and will be followed by a walk to the site of the shooting and a moment of silence.
The event welcomes people of all faiths, or of no faith, and people from all communities, said Rev. Sarah Miller of Eastminster United Church.
“For me, it’s very important to name in this situation that gun violence is happening in other parts of the city,” Miller said. “And to name the importance of being in solidarity with communities where gun violence is happening and there isn’t the same kind of response by the media, and the same kinds of community supports being put in place.”
Miller added that solidarity with the Muslim community was also crucial for the church, saying that, “this wasn’t an incident that had anything to do with Islam.”
“I think it’s also important to name that people who have mental health challenges are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators,” Miller added. “We very much hope that this doesn’t further stigmatize or demonize those with mental health challenges and make it more difficult to access support.”
The first vigil for the shooting took place Monday night near the scene, with people writing messages of love and loss on scaffolding, while others left flowers or wrote on the pavement in chalk.
These signs are being seen across the city, with messages like “community is stronger than hate,” and “Danforth is not alone.”
On Monday, the Social Capital theatre is hosting a fundraiser to help cover the various costs for the people involved in the shooting. All proceeds will be going to the Danforth Strong GoFundMe campaign, which has raised $21,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. To buy tickets, check out the Social Capital theatre on Facebook.
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‘She’s such a fighter’: Michelle Wie plays through pain at Women’s PGA Championship
By Karen CrouseThe New York Times
CHASKA, MINN.—Arthritic wrists kept Michelle Wie out of competition for two months before the Women’s PGA Championship. She resumed hitting golf balls only a week before tackling the host course, Hazeltine National Golf Club, preparation that she acknowledged was far from ideal.
But after struggling to a 12-over-par 84 in the first round Thursday, Wie, one of the most prominent players in the history of the women’s game, was forced to confront an even harder truth.
“I’m not entirely sure how much more I have left in me,” the 29-year-old Wie said, choking back tears. “So even on the bad days, I’m just like trying to take time to enjoy it. But it’s tough, I just love being out here.”
Wie was speaking outside the clubhouse, sheltered from a cold rain that had started during her second nine, adding to her misery.
She had played the last few holes applying an ice pack to her right wrist between shots to numb the pain. Grouped with Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee, Wie started on the 10th hole with a bogey, and then had two more bogeys to go with two double bogeys and two birdies on her first nine. Her final nine included three bogeys and a quadruple bogey, on the par-3 eighth hole.
Ko, who carded a 1-under 71, said that Wie never sulked and never stopped saying “good shot” when one of the players in her group hit a drive long and straight or an approach close to the hole.
“She was positive,” Ko said, adding, “She’s such a fighter, and I think she’s an amazing role model to many girls and boys, and I think she’s showing that nothing is impossible.”
This was the 281st LPGA start for Wie, who has five victories on the tour, including in the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open. She has spent more than half of her life in the spotlight, emerging at age 13 on the grandest stage in women’s golf by playing her way into the last day’s final group of the major now known as the ANA Inspiration. She finished in a tie for ninth.
As a 15-year-old amateur in 2005, Wie nearly won the Women’s PGA Championship at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Maryland. She finished second, three strokes behind Annika Sorenstam. In the ensuing 14 years, Wie’s passion for the game has remained stout, but her back, hip, knees and wrists have broken down at various times.
She followed an unorthodox path in the sport, prioritizing LPGA events over junior championships and periodically competing on the PGA Tour early in her career, and then entering college well after she had established herself as a professional golfer.
Wie earned a degree in communications from Stanford in 2012, and she became engaged in March to Jonnie West, the Golden State Warriors’ director of basketball operations and the son of Jerry West, the hall of fame basketball player.
Wie said that she had recently considered applying for a medical leave and shutting down golf for the rest of the season but that she had been inspired to come back and play this week after watching the Warriors’ six-game loss to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals.
Specifically, Wie said, she was motivated to fight through her injuries when she saw the Warriors’ Klay Thompson make two free throws after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, and also when his teammate Stephen Curry played on after dislocating his finger.
“It was a confirmation to me being like, ‘It’s OK, it’s OK that you’re hurt,’” Wie said Tuesday in her pretournament news conference. “That’s just part of being an athlete, and you just have to go through it and find a way to compete.”
Before this week’s tournament, Wie said she had achieved her two biggest childhood goals by winning the U.S. Open and graduating from Stanford. As a pro, she has earned nearly $7 million (U.S.) in prize money and much more than that in endorsements.
Wie said earlier this week that she was motivated to extend her career because “there’s still so much more I want to accomplish.”
After Thursday’s round, she told reporters that she knew she had to be patient with her injuries and her game. “Thankfully,” Wie said, “I have all afternoon to get warm again and take care of my wrist.”
Before she was led away by her mother, Bo, who hugged her daughter close as she cried, Wie said: “It was kind of a little foolish to think that I would shoot really well, just hitting golf balls last week, at Hazeltine. It’s a tough golf course, but I’m really, really happy that I played. Just feeling a lot of joy just being out there and, you know, competing again.”
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Dad writes children's book on daily commute
By Angelika Rusbridge
Author Will Mabbitt
A DAD used his daily rail commute in which to write his debut book.
Will Mabbitt had always wanted to write a children’s book, but never had the time.
But the 37-year-old’s debut is set to be released today after he wrote it while stuck on the train during his daily commute between Lewes and London.
The Unlikely Adventures of Mabel Jones, The Voyage of the Feroshus Maggot, will be released on June 4 by international publisher Penguin.
Speaking to The Argus ahead of the release, he said he wrote the story so he could read it to his daughter, who has now read the book herself.
Mr Mabbitt said: “I write on my laptop, when I get a seat on the train, and usually only if there is no one sitting next to me because I get a little embarrassed.
“The best time for writing is in the 10 minutes when the train stops outside London Bridge Station, that was my best area I think.”
He has now finished the second book of the series and is currently working on a third along with a picture book and what Mr Mabbitt calls a “secret project”.
The Voyage of the Feroshus Maggot will be published in ten languages, including German.
Mr Mabbitt said: “The fact that it’s being translated is really exciting, but you do loose a bit of control, like with the illustrations for the book.
"But Ross Collins is so good and has drawn the pictures better than I ever could have imagined.
"In the German version, they had to change Mabel’s name because it was difficult to pronounce, and changed some of the other names as well.
“They are almost as good as mine, it’s just such a wonderful language for pirates.”
The story follows Mabel Jones, a young girl who gets taken away onto a pirate ship by Idryss Ebeneezer Split.
Daughter Izzy, age seven, said: “I really liked it because she’s really adventurous and she meets loads of pirates and it’s really fun to read with mummy.”
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A Literary Agent's Advice to Children's and YA Authors
Author Basics
Author Finances
Your Writing Life
Book Publishing Author Basics
Read to Get Connected to the Audience
••• Image Source / Getty Images
By Valerie Peterson
For many aspiring authors, publishing a children's book is the dream. One of the first cautions most publishing professionals give, though, is that the children's book market is quite different than the adult book market.
A vice president at Curtis Brown Ltd. literary agency, Elizabeth Harding represents authors and illustrators of juvenile, middle grade, and young adult fiction. Her list includes New York Times bestsellers, Newbery, National Book Award, Printz, and Coretta Scott King honor and award winners. With decades of literary agent experience, she is well-qualified to understand the marketplace.
To Write Children's Books, Read Children's Books
Valerie Peterson: When someone says to you, "I want to write a kid's book," what do you say?
Elizabeth Harding: I'd ask: "Have you read any recently?"
I think people feel so connected to kid's books—especially with picture books—because if you read "Goodnight Moon" or "Madeleine" or one of many other picture books when you were young, I think that you feel like you just read them yesterday. There's a whole association with the books that you read as a child.
But I think it's very important for aspiring authors to take a look at and really familiarize themselves with what's being published today.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Children's Librarian
VP: So, go do your book market research in a bookstore…
EH: I'm in publishing, so I bring books home all the time, and being in New York City, my kids are more attuned to the bookstore than the library.
Social media has helped spread the word about books. There are so many advocates of children's books in the publishing community, and they're really active on social media.
But for someone who is new and starting out writing a children's book, it's worth it to befriend your local librarian because she or he is probably the most knowledgeable person about kids' books. Not only will the librarian know what's selling—which is not always what's the best—they'll know what is the best.
That goes especially for picture books and middle-grade books. Teachers and librarians are a fierce group of advocates and gatekeepers for children's books.
VP: Are teachers and librarians gatekeepers for Young Adult books and authors, as well?
EH: Yes, but in the case of YA and teen books, the kids are finding and/or buying the books themselves, whereas a picture book and a middle-grade book are often recommended by a teacher or librarian.
The Children's Book Market
VP: You've been agenting kids' books for nearly 20 percent of Curtis Brown's 100 years. Can you comment on the state of the kids' book market today?
EH: The children's book market has always been totally distinct from the adult market.
The difference today from when I started in the business is that children's books were a little more below the radar they are now—now, it's a big business. I mean, it's always been a business, but now it's recognized as such. Children's book publishing is estimated to be a $3 billion business.
VP: Could you elaborate on that?
EH: Basically, after successful books and series like Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket, "Twilight," and "The Hunger Games," the industry now recognizes that children's books and Young Adult books make money. In that respect, the publishing perspective on it is similar now to its perspective on the adult market—the realization that there's money to be made focused industry attention on the market and its potential.
School and Library Sales
VP: So, aside from the age ranges of the intended readers, what factors distinguish the children's market from the adult?
EH: Where the retail booksellers have been the primary market for adult books, for children's books, the school and library markets have always been really important to sales—and there's been a recent resurgence there.
To give some historical perspective—20 years ago, the school and library market was very robust and, at the time, it was great if your children's book sold in bookstores, obviously, but it wasn't the focus.
Then Barnes & Noble and other superstores and Amazon came into the picture, and it became really important to be able to sell your books through those venues; a lot of weight was put on those sales.
The focus shifted [from schools and libraries] to getting books onto the picture book wall at B&N. The children's market began to rely heavily on those retail sales, which hadn't traditionally been the case, and which was more in tune with how adult books were sold.
There still is a lot of weight put on those sales, but we're back to having the school library market being really critical.
VP: So that would support your suggestion to aspiring authors that they engage their local librarians for advice and input.
EH: Yes. The picture book market is starting to tick back up, and it's coinciding with all the buzz about standards and Common Core, and so now the teachers and the librarians and the school market are once again really important to the success of a book.
Schools and libraries never really lost their importance, but I think they're back in the spotlight.
VP: How have shifts in retail bookselling affected the children's book market?
EH: One interesting thing is that independent booksellers have been compelled to be so much more nimble and creative to stay competitive and so many of them have gotten really good at selling picture books and middle-grade books.
There would sometimes be a situation when I'd hear that Barnes & Noble "passed" on an author's book and it used to be devastating—devastating. I would have an inconsolable author and have nothing to really to be able to tell him or her. That's become less and less the case.
Of course, it's great if the book is at Barnes & Noble, but it doesn't need to be there. If they pass —while it's not ideal—between school, library, and the indies, now we're able to say, "That's OK. There are other ways to sell the book."
The Young Adult (YA) Market
VP: Young Adult has become so popular in recent years. Any words of wisdom for aspiring YA writers?
EH: First, I'd caution anyone writing for that audience that I think YA readers can sniff out things that are not authentic faster than anyone else. Again, that's why I think it's important to read—because it's important to understand that your readers are complex, emotional, smart, interesting kids and your characters better be the same. You can't get anything by a YA reader.
VP: Any personal recommendations for YA research reading?
EH: I think three of the cornerstones of YA are "The Outsiders" by S. E. Hinton, "The Pigman" by Paul Zindel, and "The Chocolate War" by Robert Cormier. Those happen to all have been represented by my Curtis Brown predecessor Marilyn Marlow, and they are absolutely great examples of excellence in the genre.
VP: No dystopian battles or vampires among those. Can you speak to Young Adult trends?
EH: The YA market is cyclical, like many. Right now there's a trend toward contemporary—eventually, we'll get back to dystopian, vampires, and werewolves. Then fantasy, romance, and back to contemporary. Mermaids even had their moment for a bit.
The readers don't disappear just because the trend changes—the readers are there!
Getting a Literary Agent
VP: The conventional wisdom used to be that children's authors don't need an agent, but that seems to have changed pretty dramatically. Can you speak to today's necessity of having an agent?
EH: It's interesting but when I started almost 20 years ago, there weren't so many agents handling children's books, and the YA/teen market was much smaller than it is now, so there were fewer kids book agents and the author-editor relationship was forged directly, and there was a lot of intimacy in that.
I think the author-editor intimacy is still there, but making that initial connection is harder than it was when I started because the business is so much bigger now—there are so many more authors and editors. That's where an agent comes in.
VP: You also represent illustrators. How does that differ from representing writers?
EH: It's a little bit harder to represent an illustrator, only because you're selling style, rather than a concrete manuscript.
As an illustrators' agent [my getting them a book deal] is a lot of making sure that people have eyes on their portfolios. It's also an outgrowth of my constantly talking to editors. Sometimes it will come up as "I have a great manuscript about such-and-such topic—do you know anyone who has that kind of look or feel?"
It's a lot about staying in front of people, keeping the illustrator's work under their noses.
VP: What advice would you have for someone looking for a literary agent?
EH: Be professional. The level of querying since I started has gotten much more elevated. I think it's because people are doing much more research, and there are many more opportunities to come to a site like yours and learn more about the process before taking a step out into the world…
But it's surprising how many interactions I have with someone who doesn't act professionally. Even if it's someone who sends me an email query.
Email queries all start to look alike, but if I email back and say I'd be interested in reading 50 pages, don't send back a response in all caps "OMG!" You have to continue that professionalism, carry it through. It's important; again going back to the fact that children's book publishing is a business, it's important.
VP: How do you find the authors you want to represent?
EH: I get a lot [of manuscripts] over the transom—I have a pretty big list at the moment so generally if I ask for material it's either that I find the subject matter interesting or it fills a hole in my list—it's something that I don't have on my list.
I get a lot of referrals from other authors I represent, which is always very flattering.
I have four kids, so I don't do a lot of conferences at the moment—but I used to do a ton, and I find them very energizing. I like meeting someone in person and putting a face to a name. Whether the material is right for me or not, I like to meet people.
I do think it's important for aspiring authors to attend conferences. I do think they are worth it. As someone who has presented, I also feel they are worth it. At conferences, you're among a group of people who are all there for the same reason—there is always an interesting dialogue.
VP: Say you have an offer from an agent. How can you tell if he or she is "the one"?
EH: Having an agent is a personal decision—and there are so many out there that I think it's important to find someone who is similar to you in philosophy. Whether your and your agent have similar personalities, I think it's important that you agree on how things should be handled. Some people may prefer someone who is really aggressive in the way they handle things; some people are more laid back and would prefer to have someone with a similar temperament.
It's exciting for an agent to be interested in your work, but if it's not the right agent for you, it's not going to be a great experience.
VP: Thanks so much for your time and thoughts, Elizabeth.
Digital Book Publishing: How Tech and Money Affect the Author's Bottom Line
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Get Publishing Advice from Editor Jeanette Perez of HarperCollins
How to Self-Publish Children's Books or eBooks: Advice from Authors
A Look at the Book Production Process, From Copy editing to Shipping
The Importance of Book Jackets
Learn How to Sell and Promote Self-Published Books at Barnes & Noble
New York City Is the Epicenter of U.S. Book Publishing
Learn About Major U.S. Brick-And-Mortar Bookstores and the Importance
Here's a List of Popular Book Festivals Around the United States
Should You Attend That Book Publishing Conference?
Unique, Local Benefits of Independent Booksellers
The 7 Types of Book Publishing Companies
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Advanced Nuclear
Cheap Nuclear
UC Berkeley's Per Peterson Pursues Radical New Design with Off-the-Shelf Technologies
What is the best design to make next generation nuclear reactors safer and cheaper? That’s the question everyone from Bill Gates to the Chinese government is asking. The US Department of Energy has recently bet that smaller will be cheaper, funding small modular reactors with passive safety features. But much of the action is on molten salt reactors, which are being pursued by Gates-backed Terrapower, Transatomic, and UC Berkeley Nuclear Engineering Professor Per Peterson.
Peterson is a Breakthrough Senior Fellow and came by the office to discuss his fluoride-salt-cooled design. The strategy to make it cheap is to use two off-the-shelf technologies: a modified combined-cycle gas turbine based on current natural gas technology, and high-temperature ceramic fuel that the US Department of Energy has developed, and that is also being used in China. This strategy reduces the huge construction costs behind the rise of the cost of building nuclear power plants.
The gas turbine also allows the reactor to have a conversion efficiency of 42 percent with nuclear heat, much higher than the 32 percent of current reactors. Equally interesting, the power can be boosted by injecting natural gas or hydrogen, and converted into peak electricity with an efficiency of 66 percent, even higher than the 60 percent for the very best natural gas combined cycle plants today. So these reactors could provide steady nuclear base load with almost zero carbon dioxide emissions, while also producing peaking power when needed with much lower carbon emissions than current peaking plant technology (and zero emissions if they use nuclear hydrogen as their fuel).
For the public, the most important design feature may be its inherent safety. The fuel pebbles and salt cooling, Peterson says, eliminates meltdown risk. “Our fuel pebbles are complete ceramic, and have been tested by the DOE up to 1800°C, far above the melting temperature of current fuels and even the melting temperature of steel, without releasing any radioactive material — the maximum temperatures that can occur in accidents is under 1000°C.”
The Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics is now designing a salt-cooled test reactor, which it plans to start operating in 2017. This achievement, says Peterson, could have important consequences for the commercialization of salt-cooled reactors in the United States and abroad. Paying close attention to what is happening in China – and encouraging international cooperation – will be essential for the large-scale deployment of nuclear, he says.
Tell us more about the advanced nuclear reactor that your team is working on.
We have a design for a molten salt-cooled reactor that couples to a conventional General Electric (GE) gas turbine. Our Mk1 reactor design can generate 100 megawatts (MWe) of baseload nuclear power, but can also be co-fired with gas to rapidly adjust power output between 100 MWe and 240 MWe. The ability to rapidly adjust power output helps balance variability in the grid and is thus attractive to grid operators. And because the turbine remains “hot and spinning,” efficiency losses to provide peaking and spinning reserve services are low. The thermal efficiency of our design in converting peaking fuel into electricity is 66 percent, compared to about 60 percent for today’s best combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plants. To top things off, our molten salt design is much more compact than other advanced reactor designs. We believe it offers one of the most cost-competitive alternatives to conventional water-cooled reactors.
How safe is your design? Is there a risk of meltdown?
Our design has passive safety, and requires no electrical power to shut down and remove residual heat. The fuel, which is the same design as used in high-temperature gas-cooled reactors, is fully ceramic and cannot melt. Recent tests at the Idaho National Laboratory have shown that the most recent methods for fabricating these fuels make them even more robust, and that they can survive an amazing 1800°C (well above the melting temperature of steel) without releasing and significant amount of radioactive material. Moreover, the molten salt used in our reactor is good at absorbing and retaining fission products, meaning that any radioactive elements that did escape from fuel, perhaps if it were not manufactured correctly, would get caught in the salt. We recently held a workshop in Berkeley, California, where we asked expert participants to create scenarios where radioactive material would be released following an accident. We could not find a way that this would be physically plausible.
Your molten salt design sounds foolproof. Are there any drawbacks?
The major caveat with molten salt reactors (MSRs) is that, compared to pressurized water reactors (PWRs), they produce a lot of tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. PWRs produce small amounts of tritium that are released into the environment with very low risks. On the other hand, because MSRs produce relatively large amounts of tritium, we need to find ways to retain and recover it. Moreover, this key technical challenge needs to be solved in an affordable way.
That sounds like a big challenge. How is it being addressed?
There are two ways. The first is to reduce the amount of tritium that is released into the power conversion system. This is technically solvable if you replace traditional steam-based Rankine or an air-Brayton cycle with a closed gas power cycle (like helium or CO2), but these technologies are not yet mature. The second way, which is more desirable today, involves restricting the release of tritium and using a sink to collect the tritium. Our lab has found that the graphite surface on the fuel pellets that we use have a large capacity to absorb and retain the tritium. Massachusetts Institute of Technology has been doing tests with this graphite material and has found that less than 1 percent of the amount of tritium that is generated gets released. Thus, the retention of tritium appears to be solvable. We also need to study the design of heat exchangers that use barriers to reduce tritium release.
What about waste? Does your design generate any of that?
Yes, it’s still a once-through fuel cycle. No matter what, we’ll have to develop the capability to place nuclear waste into geologic disposal. Even integral fast reactors (IFRs), which recycle most of their waste, leave behind materials that have been contaminated by transuranic elements and so cannot avoid the need to develop deep geologic disposal. We’re already doing deep geologic disposal at a repository in New Mexico, 2000 feet below ground. Another option would be to store waste in very deep boreholes. There are many other options, so geologic disposal is a solvable problem.
I’ve heard a lot about small modular reactors (SMRs) these days. Is the US interested in those?
Yes. The US DOE is supporting the licensing of light-water small modular reactors (SMRs). If such SMRs are successfully licensed it could address a number of issues for advanced, next-generation reactors, whose first commercial designs will also be small and modular. Much of the onus of ensuring that such issues are addressed will fall on the engineering firms that receive the DOE grants. All in all, DOE support for SMRs could help create domestic markets for small, modular, advanced nuclear designs. The creation of such markets will require thinking about where small reactors make the most sense. DOE has had previous success with competitive grants for advanced nuclear designs. Its big success was the advanced light-water reactor program, which led to the development of reactors that incorporate passive safety features, such as General Electric’s advanced boiling water reactor and Westinghouse’s AP600/1000.
Where do SMRs make the most sense?
Because SMRs are small and modular, unlike large reactors (which typically have to be shipped by barge), they lend themselves to landlocked locations accessible by rail. They also lend themselves to sites where old coal power plants have been shut down. Rather than building many modules at a single site, single modules could be placed diffusely across a large grid, like today’s coal plants tend to be. Most coal sites are already equipped with transmission infrastructure and water for cooling, which would reduce installation costs of SMRs. Policy incentives to support this kind of development would go a long way, particularly since today’s low natural gas prices make it challenging for light-water reactor SMR vendors to recoup money spent on developing their reactors. But with the current very low natural gas prices in the US, compared to the rest of the world (due to shale-oil fracking, which produces natural gas as a byproduct), its also critical that US SMR vendors access international markets effectively, where gas prices are much higher, so that their development costs can be recovered. The most innovative US SMR designs are the most likely to be successful in reaching international markets.
Could you tell us about NuScale?
NuScale Power is one of the companies that received a DOE grant, along with the firm Babcock and Wilcox. NuScale is a very unique business model; it’s very exciting. They’re a venture-capital funded company based on a new reactor design that was developed at Oregon State University in 2000. The company was granted a DOE contract to develop a reactor that had a sealed core and was transportable. Once they tested the initial design, an integral pressurized water reactor (IPWR), they realized it would have limited near-term appeal for developing countries. But the team realized that if you configured these reactors into multi-module, larger plants, utilities could finance their construction much more easily. In my opinion their design is very promising.
What are China’s plans for advanced molten salt nuclear reactors?
China has a huge nuclear program and is building almost every kind of reactor possible, including a number of experimental advanced reactors. Two years ago the Chinese Academy of Sciences decided to pursue a thorium liquid-fueled molten salt reactor, but first decided to build an intermediate reactor that uses a solid fuel with salt as coolant. (The choice to build a solid fuel reactor reduces the licensing risk without heavily compromising performance.) In 2015, China will be starting the construction of the 10 MW solid-fueled thorium molten salt test reactor. By 2017 they hope to have this reactor operating. And by 2022, they hope to have commissioned a 100 MW thorium molten salt commercial prototype reactor. Alongside this effort, the Chinese will be developing a 2 MW liquid-fueled reactor that will enter the final stages of testing in 2017.
Are you collaborating with the Chinese on this effort?
There is an ongoing formal collaboration between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the US Department of Energy (DOE). The DOE has a memorandum of understanding with the CAS. Under this formal umbrella, our research group has an informal relationship with the Shanghai Institute of Physics. There is also a cooperative research agreement being developed between China and Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, which would provide funding for China’s thorium molten salt research effort.
Tell us more about US involvement in the Chinese effort to commercialize advanced nuclear technologies.
The US DOE has been reviewing the Chinese effort to build a molten salt reactor. The Chinese program has been using US expertise in reactor safety, and US experts have reviewed the early test reactor design and remain engaged. So far, China’s nuclear regulatory policy has been to adopt and follow the safety and licensing regulation of the exporting country. Russian-built reactors in China are have adopted a regulatory approach similar to that of Russia. Likewise, licensing for the Westinghouse AP1000s that are being built in China is following a US approach. There appears to be an emerging, consensus approach in the US and in China for safety for molten salt reactors as well.
How should the US participate in the commercialization of these reactors?
My view is that the United States needs to maintain the capability to independently develop advanced nuclear designs that are being studied and will be commercialized in China. Maintaining such capability could encourage US-China joint ventures, which could accelerate development and thus ensure that commercial designs are deployed at large scale as soon as possible. The United States has a lot of expertise in the areas of nuclear safety and licensing, and could bring such expertise to US-China partnerships. If new advanced nuclear designs are simultaneously licensed in both the US and China, the possibility for large-scale deployment increases.
Do you think such reverse engineering is possible? Isn’t China keeping their plans secret?
The Chinese Academy of Sciences has been remarkably open and transparent in their effort to build their thorium molten salt reactor. They’ve been doing a lot of international collaboration. All of the reports are published in an extraordinary level of detail. This collaboration is really important if we want to see this technology developed and deployed soon enough to make a real difference in helping reduce climate change. If China can stay on track to commission a 100 MW commercial scale reactor by 2022, it would be fantastic if this reactor could include substantial contribution by US industry as well. This kind of collaboration could lead to a joint venture effort that could result in more rapid and larger near-term deployment.
Is the DOE exploring molten salt reactor technologies, outside of its involvement with China?
The DOE is learning more about molten salt reactor technologies through university consortia, as well as targeted research in the US national laboratories. The US is investing far less in nuclear energy R&D than it should, but the current DOE program is well balanced to address all of the technical areas needed for US leadership, particularly high temperature fuels, graphite, high-temperature structural materials, advanced high-temperature power conversion methods, and licensing of multiple-module SMR facilities—the configuration that Generation IV technologies including molten salt technologies can most easily be deployed in.
What is being done to license advanced reactors in the United States?
Our research group and our collaborators have been working on the licensing framework for molten salt reactors in the United States. A year ago we petitioned to the American Nuclear Society (ANS) and were delegated to develop a safety standard for a fluoride-salt-cooled high temperature reactors (FHRs). Recently, the US DOE launched an effort to develop new “general design criteria” that can be applied to non-water-cooled reactors, which is expected to be completed by the end of summer. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) will review that effort, and their response will reduce the future uncertainty in how to design new Gen IV systems so they can be licensed by the NRC.
How should the US contribute to an international advanced reactor industry?
If the US is going to lead in the innovation in developing new reactors, it should first try to facilitate a larger domestic market for small modular reactors. One way to do this would be to provide incentives for utilities to repower coal sites with nuclear SMRs instead of natural gas. We should also be thinking about how to gain better access to international markets. Our export control system makes it very time consuming to obtain the necessary approvals to sell anything into international markets. Export control approval takes over a year, compared to a few months in most other countries. This imbalance gives other countries incentives to procure nuclear components from Japan, Korea, Europe, and other places. The reason the US export process is so slow is because parts require multi-agency review. The Nuclear Energy Institute has been advocating for a more streamlined process. Instead of having to approve every component for export, it would be more efficient to approve an entire project.
Why did the costs of nuclear power increase in the United States?
You can attribute most of the increase in cost of nuclear power in the United States to the underutilization of skilled labor and specialized manufacturing capabilities. As the country started building fewer reactors in the 1980s and 1990s there was a surplus of skilled labor and specialized manufacturing, and much of it was used inefficiently, driving costs up. The airline industry is a good example of a similar, capital-intensive industry that has avoided this trap. Airplanes are extremely expensive to build and require a lot of specialized labor and manufacturing, but since today airlines manage to fill every seat (or nearly so), the price per seat is amazingly low (much different from a couple of decades ago). If you frame the nuclear cost issue as an efficiency of labor and specialized manufacturing issue, solutions begin to emerge. One good way to reduce the need for skilled labor and manufacturing would be to procure more nuclear components from pre-existing supply chains, where current quality levels can be very high compared to a couple of decades ago, and then test these components to certify them for nuclear use.
Do you foresee a global industry for advanced nuclear power?
Yes, we already see one emerging. The ongoing construction of AP1000 reactors in China has created a partnership between the Chinese State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation (SNPTC) and Westinghouse (and Toshiba, which owns Westinghouse). Toshiba just purchased land in the United Kingdom where AP1000s will be built. Bulgaria and Czech Republic may also build AP1000s. The best thing for nonproliferation is multinational ownership of nuclear fuel cycles and infrastructure, which creates a firm legal basis for international response if a national attempts to “nationalize” the fuel cycle and infrastructure, which in turn deters the political decision to misuse the fuel cycle for proliferaiton. A shift toward multinational reactor sale and construction, drawing resources from multiple nations, will give countries greater confidence that the nuclear infrastructure is being deployed for peaceful purposes. Thus, the formation of a joint venture between the Chinese SNPTC and Westinghouse to build AP1000s internationally is a positive development.
Still, the US has clear areas of policy disagreement with China. World powers during the Cold War also had fundamental disagreements, but were able to take actions in fundamental areas where the future of the world and humanity were in balance, such as in reaching agreements to stop the above-ground testing of nuclear weapons and to then greatly reduce their numbers.
Today the accelerating increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere creates real risks that we will destroy the capacity of our climate to support water and food supply for our future world population. Nations with high population densities, such as China, are particularly vulnerable to the water and food disruption caused by major climate shifts, which we expect can happen in a few decades or less.
It is now 60 years since the US launched the first nuclear powered submarine, using a water-cooled reactor, and what is remarkable is how little the technology has changed during this six decades. For nuclear energy to make any major difference in the future, we must greatly accelerate our rate of innovation, and this will occur more rapidly if joint international efforts emerge and are successful to develop these next-generation technologies.
For a detailed look at how the US can reboot its nuclear industry, check out Per Peterson’s latest article in Foreign Affairs, “Nuclear Freeze,” coauthored with Mike Laufer and Edward D. Blandford.
Per Peterson, the Floyd Professor of Nuclear Engineering at UC Berkeley, is working with America’s national energy laboratories on the development of breakthrough nuclear technologies that are safer, less expensive, and more efficient and flexible than current technologies. Peterson’s early research was critical to the development of passive safety systems adopted in new reactors currently being built in the United States and China, and he is a co-inventor of fluoride-salt cooled high-temperature reactor technology now being developed in the United States and China. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu appointed Peterson to the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future in 2010.
Breakthrough Staff
All content © 2018 The Breakthrough Institute
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Abbott, Louise. "Kryn Taconis". The Canadian Encyclopedia, 15 December 2013, Historica Canada. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/kryn-taconis. Accessed 18 July 2019.
Abbott, L., Kryn Taconis (2013). In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/kryn-taconis
Abbott, Louise, "Kryn Taconis". In The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada. Article published February 06, 2008; Last Edited December 15, 2013. https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/kryn-taconis
Abbott, Louise. The Canadian Encyclopedia, s.v. "Kryn Taconis", Last Edited December 15, 2013, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/kryn-taconis
Kryn Taconis
Article by Louise Abbott
Published Online February 6, 2008
Kryn Taconis, photographer (b at Rotterdam, Holland 7 May 1918; d at Toronto 12 July 1979). In the 1960s and 1970s, he became one of Canada's leading photojournalists, known for his integrity and compassion. The outbreak of WWII shaped his career in still photography.
Taconis, Kryn
Kryn Taconis, photographer (b at Rotterdam, Holland 7 May 1918; d at Toronto 12 July 1979). In the 1960s and 1970s, he became one of Canada's leading photojournalists, known for his integrity and compassion. The outbreak of WWII shaped his career in still photography. He joined the Dutch resistance movement and clandestinely recorded the appalling suffering resulting from acute food shortages. In 1950 he became a member of the free-lance photo agency Magnum. He travelled throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Australia, and his work appeared in the great picture magazines of the day, including Life and Paris-Match. In 1959 Taconis and his wife moved to Toronto, where he began to free-lance for publications such as the Star Weekly. He also worked for the National Film Board for 3 years. Among his best-known Canadian work is a photo-essay of HUTTERITE communities in the West.
William Notman
Alexander Henderson
Barbara Astman
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Group 1 Crew Debuts Music Video For "People Of A Second Chance"
Group 1 Crew,
Just last week, the second song "People Of A Second Chance," from Group 1 Crew's upcoming album, POWER, released. This week Group 1 Crew's Manwell Reyes revealed the song's video sharing, "I'm so excited to release 'People Of A Second Chance,' a song I wrote for an anti-human sex trafficking organization called Unlikely Heroes. I wanted to write an anthem that would shed light on the issue and bring awareness to this amazing ministry that is doing real work! I want to use every resource I have to help raise money and bring attention to this horrible reality. I hope you all are inspired by this song and know that you are never too small to make a difference!"
Unlikely Heroes is an organization that provides safe homes and restoration for child victims of sex slavery. They have teams on the ground in high-risk areas working to rescue kids out of sex slavery in the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico and right here in the U.S. Unlikely Heroes also operates restoration homes that provide housing, safety, food, medical care, education, like skills and therapy to rescue children. Through awareness and prevention campaigns, their teams have educated over 20,000 people on the issues of human trafficking and how to respond. Find out more at UnlikelyHeroes.com.
With three No. 1 singles, six top 5 radio hits and music featured on MTV, VH1, NBC and Fox to name a few, five-time Dove Award-winning Group 1 Crew will debut their fifth full-length studio album POWER on July 29 (Fervent Records). The pre-sale for the album is available now, where every advance purchase will include an immediate download of the title track "Power" and "People Of A Second Chance." Visit iTunes to find out more.
Group 1 Crew just wrapped their tour with Reyes' wife Anjelah Johnson on the Bon Qui Qui Tour. For the latest information, visit Group1Crew.com.
POWER song listing:
Power (feat. My Kid Brother)
Download (feat. Anjelah Johnson & Glory)
Wake Me Up (Amnesia)
Bad Day (feat. Mr. Ree)
Take It All In
Burn (feat. Lauryn Taylor Bach of 1GN)
On Again Off Again
I Know (feat. Jor'dan Armstrong)
Inevitable (feat. Chris Cleveland)
People Of A Second Chance
Best Is Yet To Come
Hold Back The Rain (feat. Jason Walker and Bethany Cruz)
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Desmond English Bio
Check out all that you wanted to know about Desmond English, the famous YouTuber and Viner; his birthday, his family and personal life, his wife, fun trivia facts and more.
Nick Name: Mightyduck
Birthday: August 8, 1993
Sun Sign: Leo
Born in: Atlanta, Georgia
Famous as: YouTuber, Viner, Comedian
Height: 6'0" (183 cm), 6'0" Males
Spouse/Ex-: Elizabeth
siblings: MightyNeicy (sister)
U.S. State: Georgia
Viners #39 Comedy YouTubers #35 YouTube Pranksters #33 Social Media Stars #141 Instagram Stars #86
Logan Paul
Nash Grier
If you are a fan of funny videos then there is absolutely no way you would not have come across Desmond English. He is one of the most popular pranksters on YouTube and it is his comic timing that appeals to the audience the most. Desmond is known by the name ‘Mightyduck’ in the world of YouTube. Apart from creating a niche for himself in the world of videos, Mightyduck is also one of the most popular Vine stars. Apart from being lucky at whatever he places his hand on, Desmond is also exceptionally hard working and goes out of his way to fill people’s life up with fun and frolic. After a tough day at work all you need is to watch a couple of Desmond videos and you will again be happy as a fiddle. Saying that he is popular would probably be an understatement thanks to the huge fan base that he has built over the years with exceptional dedication towards his work. Let’s scroll down to know more about Desmond English’s personal life apart from what is visible on social platforms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9L3HJ1kF7A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N6ZuLxaTx4
http://www.famousbirthdays.com/people/desmond-english.html
YouTube Pranksters
Desmond English
Desmond English always had a funny bone in him, even before he made a name for himself on YouTube or Vine; he had an amazing sense of humor. He has always been surrounded by tons of friends and him being the social magnet of any group is not really an amusement, thanks to his phenomenal sense of humor. Before Desmond stepped into the digital world, he did a lot of research of the kind of clips that go viral and those that are loved among the masses. After spending a good amount of time in doing research, he decided to make his entry with a big bang and introduced his unique style of comedy for the people to love and enjoy. His work has reached so many people that other big Vine stars like, Head Capone and Chaz Williamshas have also featured with him in his clips. Desmond entered the world of YouTube on February 10th, 2014 and in a short span of just 2 years, he has over 7 lakhs followers on YouTube. He has also managed to make a huge mark on other social platforms and has a whopping 1 million followers on Instagram, way more than twenty five thousand people following his twitter handle and close to 3 million followers on Vine.
Georgia YouTubers
Tall Celebrities
Tall Male Celebrities
Male Viners
What Makes Desmond English So Special
Inspite of being a rock star in the field of comical videos, Desmond is extremely approachable and warm person. He has absolutely no airs about himself after the kind of success he has achieved. The reason most people are attracted to his videos is its humorous angle attached to it. After the whole tough day a couple of funny videos which make you laugh is all you need for a good laugh, to take away all your stress. People tend to relate to his videos and keep coming back to his channel to watch more of his work. His YouTube channel is flooded with comments like, “Much love to you and your family Duck!” and “you made my day I saw your ooo hes stealin cheese vine LMAO!” among the many other positive feedbacks. It is this positivity from his fans that is the major driving force behind Desmond’s phenomenal work.
American Viners
Beyond Fame
Desmond is a strong believer of God, so much so that he has even mentioned about his faith on his twitter handle. He has writer the following sentences about himself on his official twitter page, “I'm black and white. I love God. I love my family. I love you.” He believes in the institution of marriage and loves his wife to death. There has never been any rumor of Desmond having an extra marital affair. Even his Instagram channel speaks of how much he loves his wife and son.
Male Social Media Stars
American Comedy YouTubers
American Social Media Stars
Desmond was born on August 8, 1993 in Atlanta, Georgia. His sister is also a Vine star and is known by the name, MightyNeicy. She is also pretty popular and has a huge fan base to her credit. Desmond has married his childhood sweetheart, Elizabeth with whom he is madly in love. These two love birds have a son called, Channing about whom he has spoken about on his Instagram account.
Leo Men
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Last Updated : May 11, 2018
Desmond English Bio As PDF
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21st Century | Celebrity Names With Letter D | Male Celebrity Names With Letter D
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Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Coalition demands ABC publish list of staff earning more than $200,000
Communications minister Mitch Fifield says details should be made public by the end of November
Amanda Meade
Thu 12 Oct 2017 21.19 EDT Last modified on Tue 13 Mar 2018 12.07 EDT
ABC boss Michelle Guthrie has described the measure as ‘political vendetta’. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP
The Coalition has demanded the ABC publish a list of the names and salaries of all staff who earn more than $200,000 by the end of November or it will change the law to force the broadcaster to comply.
The communications minister, Mitch Fifield, has written to the corporation’s chairman, Justin Milne, ahead of the introduction of legislation to change the ABC Act – which was part of a deal with Pauline Hanson’s One Nation to get the media reform package through the Senate.
“Taxpayers are entitled to expect a high level of transparency about how their taxes are being expended on their behalf,” Fifield wrote in a letter which was leaked to the Herald Sun on Friday. “I request that the ABC voluntarily agree to provide this enhanced level of reporting and disclosure.”
BBC facing backlash from female stars after gender pay gap revealed
The ABC has refused to release the information on commercial-in-confidence grounds and believes that such a disclosure is contrary to the Privacy Act.
Salaries at the public broadcaster are much lower than those on the commercial networks, where stars can earn as much as $1m for reading the news.
The letter appears to be a response to managing director Michelle Guthrie’s dinner speech at the ABC Friends conference last week. In a reference to One Nation, she described the legislation as “a political vendetta by one party uncomfortable with being scrutinised by our investigative programs”.
Hanson told the Australian this week that the list of salaries was needed to prevent taxpayer dollars from being “squandered on dud talent”.
“Ms Guthrie has been drinking the ABC Kool-Aid for too long,” she said.
“Some of the television and radio personalities wouldn’t cut it in the real world of media and would likely end up throwing pots in Nimbin without the ABC providing a safe haven for their pathetic talent.”
In May, One Nation complained the party had received “unfair treatment” from the ABC and planned to reject “all bills associated with the budget” unless the broadcaster’s $1bn a year funding was cut by $600m over four years.
In April, Four Corners revealed bitter infighting among One Nation members in its program Please Explain.
Britain’s Tory government forced the BBC to reveal the salaries of stars in July, encouraged by newspapers often hostile to the corporation.
As well as the salary disclosure, Hanson secured a clause which says the ABC has to be “fair and balanced” and for the government to establish an inquiry into whether the ABC has an unfair advantage over commercial competitors.
Labor, the Greens and the Nick Xenophon Team have said they will reject the proposed changes.
Fifield also responded to Guthrie’s speech with an opinion piece in the Australian on Monday in which he said opposition to the proposed changes to the ABC Act were “hysterical” and “unhinged”.
“The government will also require the ABC and SBS to disclose the salaries of its highest paid staff,” he wrote. “Our inspiration for this is the actions of that right-wing haven the BBC. In Australia the salaries paid to ministers, MPs, judges, military officers and senior civil servants are all public. It is in keeping with the temper of the times to expect similar transparency from the national broadcasters.”
A spokeswoman for Fifield said she could not give Guardian Australia the Fifield letter because it had been “an exclusive” for the Herald Sun.
The ABC declined to comment on the letter.
Pauline Hanson
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Health watchdog warns of UK sexual health crisis
David Batty
Fri 23 Nov 2007 10.25 EST First published on Fri 23 Nov 2007 10.25 EST
The UK has one of the highest rates of HIV infection in Europe largely due to a growing epidemic of the disease in the black African community and among gay men, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) warned today.
The sexual health crisis is also worsening due to rising rates of other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among young adults, the government health watchdog also warned.
There were 376,508 diagnoses of new STIs in 2006 - up from 368,341 in the previous year, said the HPA, which monitors infectious diseases in the UK.
Young people aged 16-24 accounted for the majority of new cases of some of the most common sexually transmitted infections, despite concerted efforts to encourage them to practise safer sex.
Last year, young adults accounted for 65% of all new cases of chlamydia, 55% of all genital warts cases and 48% of cases of gonorrhea. One in 10 of the 14,939 young adults tested in the national chlamydia screening programme in England tested positive for the disease, which is linked to infertility.
The findings came as a separate report found that the UK had one of the highest rates of new HIV infections in Europe last year.
The report by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) found the UK HIV infection rate was more than double the European Union average - almost 149 cases per million inhabitants compared with an EU average of 67 cases per million.
The ECDC found that HIV/Aids cases in Europe have doubled in six years, bucking the trend elsewhere in the world where infection rates have fallen.
Three-fifths of new HIV infections diagnosed in the UK last year were acquired abroad, according to the HPA. Black Africans accounted for half the total number of new HIV infections last year. More than four-fifths (84%) of them contracted HIV in Africa.
There has been a fivefold increase in HIV infections in black Africans since 1997.
The HPA, which monitors infectious diseases in the UK, also raised concern about the "disturbing" rise in HIV among gay men.
There were 2,700 new cases of HIV in this group last year, breaking the previous record high of 2,650 set in 2005. There were 31,100 gay men living with HIV in the UK last year - more than 40% of the total number of people infected, which is 73,000.
Rates of other STIs in gay men have also risen dramatically in recent years, which the HPA blamed on a growing failure among this group to practise safer sex.
Between 2002 and 2006, rates of newly diagnosed gonorrhoea rose by 25% in gay men, syphilis by 117%, chlamydia by 97%, non-specific urethritis by 24% and genital warts by 21%.
Dr Valerie Delpech, the head of HIV surveillance at the HPA, said: "In recent years we have seen steady increases in all sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, in gay men and since 2003, the number of HIV diagnoses reported annually has consistently increased and exceeded the annual number of diagnoses throughout the 1980s and 1990s."
Professor Pete Borriello, the director of the HPA's centre for infections, said it was imperative to get across the importance of practising safer sex, particularly among high-risk groups such as gay men and young adults.
He said: "We recommend that gay men should have regular HIV tests, STI clinic attendees should be tested for HIV at every visit and young sexually active adults should be screened for chlamydia annually and after a partner change.
"We need to reinforce the safe sex message for gay men, young adults and the broader community. The best way to protect yourself from contracting an STI including HIV is by practising safer sex by using a condom with all new and casual partners."
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Developer to invest $6 million to renovate vacant Holcomb Elementary in Old Redford
By Marge Sorge on 07/23/2018 No Comment
The vacant Holcomb Elementary school and the surrounding area in Old Redford are getting a new lease on life with a $6 million investment
The school, which has been empty for nearly 10 years, will become a 32-unit senior cooperative housing community called the St. Matthew Cooperative. The renovation will also include walking paths, parks and other public open space in the 5.5-acre footprint of the school.
A development group, DDC Group & Anchor Team, was selected by the City of Detroit to redevelop the school and adjoining vacant land after requesting proposals late last year. The decision was reached after a community engagement process to choose a proposal. The process started in summer 2017 with 10 community meetings held over a 12-month period before the development team was selected.
“The community engagement process for the Holcomb School Development has not just yielded robust conversation between the city and neighborhood but also contributed to the reinvigoration of inactive community groups and block cubs,” says Tommie Obioha, community representative on the proposal selection committee. “It has helped foster a renewed spirit of collaboration in the neighborhood. It means that the community can play an active role in deciding the course of its future.”
DDC Group and Anchor Team will continue the community engagement process to settle on final designs for the renovation of the school and the surrounding land before construction begins. Once complete, the developers expect to break ground as soon as summer 2019. Construction is expected to take about a year, with the building opening in summer 2020.
Holcomb is the first of the 77 vacant Detroit Public Schools buildings to be put back to use since the city acquired them from the Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) in 2015.
“The redevelopment plan for the old Holcomb Elementary School is exactly the type of development that we encourage as our neighborhoods grow,” says Donald Rencher, director of Housing and Revitalization. “This school has been an eyesore to everyone living in this neighborhood for nearly a decade. Now it will see new life, provide affordable housing for our senior citizens, and build new public spaces for the entire community.”
The school, located at 18100 Bentler St., is in the middle of the Grand River Northwest planning area. It is within walking distance of the vibrant commercial core of Old Redford near the intersection of Grand River Avenue and Lahser Road. Businesses like Motor City Java House, Sweet Potato Sensations and more line the streets bordering the neighborhood. The neighborhood is also within walking distance of the new Meijer grocery store along Grand River.
The school will be renovated into 32 cooperative units for senior citizens aged 62 and older, with 29 one-bedroom units and three two-bedroom units. All 32 units will be affordable for seniors making 80 percent of the area median income. The area median income at 80 percent, set by federal housing rules, is about $39,760 a year for a single person household.
The redevelopment will also include a community room, salon, fitness center, community kitchen, two courtyards, indoor reading alcoves, a café lounge and outdoor patio for the members of this unique cooperative facility. The community will be able to use the school’s former auditorium and have access to the community kitchen.
There are also plans for a new park and open space, including recreational space, a walking and biking trail and other park amenities, on the nearly four acres of vacant land surrounding the school. The walking and biking trails will eventually connect to the planned Arts Loop Neighborhood Greenway, which will begin design this fall. The three-mile trail will feature public art along the way and connect homes to the nearby Artist Village area as well as to the City’s planned open space amenities at the former Rogell golf course.
The open space and parking areas will include improved storm water management infrastructure, which will reduce flooding in the area.
“The development team considers the renovation of the Holcomb School as the center piece of a focused effort to reintroduce cooperative housing as an alternative homeowner model in this Old Redford Community,” says Armeace Williams, vice president of Anchor Team. “In the coming weeks the development team will submit plans to the appropriate city departments that proposes an additional phase of cooperative housing situated on both the school campus as well as contiguous blocks adjacent to the campus and community park. This cooperative phase will introduce both townhouse and ranch style units for families”
The development, located in the Old Redford neighborhood, is part of the larger Grand River Northwest planning area, where the city is implementing a plan that includes strategies for small business, streetscapes and public space, housing, and parks. The plan, under the $130 million Strategic Neighborhood Fund effort, was developed in an intensive year-long engagement process in the Grand River Northwest area, in which residents worked with city officials to develop these strategies.
City of Detroit, DDC Group & Anchor Team, Detroit Public Schools, Detroit Public Schools Community District, Grand River Northwest, Holcomb School, Motor City Java House, Old Redford, renovating vacant schools in Detroit, St. Matthew Cooperative, Strategic Neighborhood Fund, Sweet Potato Sensations
Developer to invest $6 million to renovate vacant Holcomb Elementary in Old Redford added by Marge Sorge on 07/23/2018
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Home/Honors College/University Forum 2017-8
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National Book Award Winner
The Good Lord Bird: A Talk and Musical Performance Exploring Faith & American Slavery
Bennett Auditorium
James McBride is an award-winning author, songwriter, and screenwriter. His memoir, The Color of Water, spent two years on The New York Times bestseller list and his novel, The Good Lord Bird, was the 2013 recipient of the National Book Award. His musical compositions have earned him the American Music Festival's Stephen Sondheim Award and the American Arts and Letters Richard Rodgers Award. When he was presented with the 2015 National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama, he was applauded for “humanizing the complexities of discussing race in America” and for “his moving stories of love” that “display the character of the American family.” One of America’s most distinguished writers and musicians, James McBride will bring his Good Lord Bird Band to Southern Miss to present a special night featuring material from the novel and music inspired by the life of John Brown.
Forum Schedule
Septempber 5 in Bennett Auditorium
James McBride and the Good Lord Bird Band
National Book Award-winning author of the Good Lord Bird, James McBride will speak about faith and American slavery when he visits the University Forum. And, the accomplished composer, will perform music inspired by the life of John Brown with his jazz band.
October 24 in Bennett Auditorium
Dan-el Padilla Peralta
Author of Undocumented, Dan-el Padilla Peralta rose from poverty as an undocumented immigranted from the Dominican Republic to become a classics professor at Princeton. He will share his story with the University Forum.
November 14 in Thad Cochran Ballrooms
Yuval Levin, the founding editor of National Affairs and a leading conservative intellectual, will speak about the failures of both the left and right to craft a message for our time.
February 20 in Bennett Auditorium
John Asher Johnson
The Harvard astronomer, John Asher Johnson, leads a program that introduces black and Latino students to science. He will speak about racial progress in the sciences.
March 6 in Bennett Auditorium
Mississippi writer and author of The Hate U Give is bringing the themes of the Black Lives Matter movement to young adult literature. She will speak about the challenges of activism.
April 10 in Bennett Auditorium
The New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prizer winner will speak about sex trafficking, genocide, and other challenges faced by the global community in the 21st century.
And the Armstrong-Branch Lecture on February 27 in Bennett will feature the author of The Butler and Showdown Wil Haygood! To learn more about this year's University Forum and Armstrong-Branch Lecture, visit Southern Miss Now.
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The 713 Area Code (or Area Code 713) is located in the state of TX. Area Code 713 is one of the 269 3-digit telephone area codes in the USA. It covers roughly 2.86 million unique phone numbers and 9.73 million individuals near the city of Houston
Area code 713 was put into service. In 1982 area code 713 was split to form area code 409. In 1996 area code 713 was split to form area code 281. In 1999 area codes 713 and 281 were recombined and overlaid with area code 832.
Area code 346 was put into service on July 1, 2014 as an all services overlay of the existing area code overlay 832, 713 and 281.
Atascocita, TX>Baytown, TX>Channelview, TX>Cloverleaf, TX>Deer Park, TX>Friendswood, TX>Houston, TX>La Porte, TX>League City, TX>Mission Bend, TX>Missouri City, TX>Pasadena, TX>Pearland, TX>Rosenberg, TX>Spring, TX>Sugar Land, TX>The Woodlands, TX
Texas - TX Population
Texas - TX
Latitude: 25° 50′ N to 36° 30′ N Longitude: 93° 31′ W to 106° 39′ W
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Stephanie Harris, left, and Inga Gerard are two of the organizers of a 20-year reunion to mark the closing of the Eaton’s store in Nanaimo. (CHRIS BUSH/The News Bulletin)
Department store used to be an anchor tenant at Woodgrove Centre but closed in 1999
Greg Sakaki
It was once an anchor store at Nanaimo’s Woodgrove Centre, and for some, it’s hard to believe it’s been closed for 20 years now.
Eaton’s shut its doors for the last time in the fall of 1999, and so former employees have decided a 20-year reunion is in order this summer.
“We decided, everybody’s getting old, we’d better do it,” said Inga Gerard, who is organizing the July 13 event with Stephanie Harris and Glenna McCaffery.
More than 80 people are expected, possibly from as far away as Toronto. Gerard said with about 120 people working at the department store at any given time over the years, with even more during the Christmas seasons, “there’s so many Eatonians.”
“It was an absolutely wonderful place to work in the hey years,” Gerard said. “In the last couple of years they went into receivership and that’s not very pleasant.”
As loss prevention manager, she said she was the very last person to leave the store when closed. Having worked for Eaton’s since the mid-1970s, she left with fond memories.
“They cared about the people,” Gerard said. “Lots of great store managers and lots of good people, really.”
The reunion is being held at a private residence on July 13, from 3-8 p.m., and there will be dinner and goodie bags and organizers are thankful to Woodgrove Centre for offering gifts.
For details about the event, call Gerard at 250-758-5786, Harris at 250-390-4243, or McCaffery at 250-802-9852.
READ ALSO: Box of old movies recovered from Winnipeg Eaton’s store in 1940s contains ‘lost’ film
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Trans Mountain bid could be ready next week, Indigenous group says
Parksville not ready for waterfront skyscrapers — yet
IAG Developments go back to drawing board after high-rise application deferred by council
Passion for the harbour fuels Victoria waterfront entrepreneur
Purchase of Esquimalt Drydock is the latest example of what drives Ian Maxwell
Dormant Chemainus Foods building soon to be revived
Market expected to bring new life to the downtown core
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Perricone and E.l.f. Said to Be on Block
15-Oct-2013 | By: Evan Clark
THE BEAUTY DEAL MARKET is waking back up. Investment bank Goldman Sachs is within weeks of finalizing an agreement to sell Perricone MD, while Financo is fielding interest for E.l.f. Cosmetics, according to sources.
The first half was relatively slow for beauty dealmakers after potential changes to the tax law pushed a raft of deals into the fourth quarter last year. But now strategic and financial buyers are getting back down to business — the one caveat is that many of the companies that are being bandied about have been in play for some time and have yet to make a connection.
“It is a pretty robust market for beauty,” said Arash Farin, vice president at investment bank The Sage Group, noting the sector has seen about 17 deals so far this year. “For the right growth story and the right management team, there’s an abundance of capital, making it an opportune time for certain companies to explore liquidity alternatives.”
e.l.f. brushes
Farin said the market still wasn’t at the “fever pitch” it experienced in the fourth quarter, but that it had “rebounded significantly.
“The lending markets are back in a pretty strong way,” he said. “The stock market’s performing very nicely and, in our universe, very few companies have not done well this year. There are many companies that are small and nimble and the L’Oréals out there are always looking for companies with sound technologies which also offer footprints in new or desirable locations.”
Perricone’s founder, Dr. Nicholas Perricone, declined to comment, as did Joey Shamah, chief executive officer and a founder of E.l.f.
TSG Consumer Partners holds a majority stake in Perricone and is a minority investor at E.l.f. A spokeswoman for the private equity firm and a spokesman for Goldman declined to comment Monday. Financo could not be reached.
Perricone founded his company in 1997 with an approach to help repair damaged skin with nutrient antioxidants in cosmeceutial formulations. The company sells a range of products — from moisturizers and foundations to facelifts and supplements — and introduced the OVM antiaging cream on QVC this summer. The dermatologist used eggshell membrane as his starting point for the proprietary Bio-Matrix Technology in the cream, a 2-oz. jar of which retails for $165.
Sources said E.l.f. hired Financo last year after it was approached for a buyout. The bank was kept on and has been taking bids from would-be buyers. The company is believed to have revenues of $110 million and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of about $25 million.
The digitally savvy E.l.f. was founded in 2004, finding its initial success online with beauty products priced at $1, $3 and $5.
Despite signs of a recent pickup in beauty M&A, Elsa Berry, founder of Vendôme Global Partners, said the last two years have been “kind of ho-hum” in the luxury beauty space, with many companies sitting on the market for extended periods or never selling.
Urban Decay and StriVectin were both buzzed about in financial circles, but never traded.
Prices on hot brands have gone up and competition is starting earlier, with big players looking to round out their portfolios and private equity companies wanting to put their money to work and take advantage of favorable interest rates.
“Now in beauty, if you are a private equity group, you need to be prepared to buy smaller because the thresholds of where strategics get involved has become smaller,” Berry said. “You have to be prepared to jump in earlier in the growth curve.”
While the recently red-hot nail market has cooled some, Berry said there were several sectors that should be of interest to dealmakers looking toward the future. They include: hair care, skin-care products that are both natural and effective and men’s.
“Men’s is high growth, but not a huge market,” she said. “Not everyone is going after it.”
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French American ChamberAlejandra Galindo December 3, 2018
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GUESTS at the Welsh Curry House of the Year awards will be able to sample a very unusual treat – curry-flavoured ice cream.
The ice cream has been specially made by Cadwaladers Cafe for the awards, which take place at the Red Dragon Centre at Cardiff Bay on Monday.
The company is offering two flavours: the spicy Phaal Surprise and the more soothing Cucumber Gaita, which will be served to the 200 guests at the gala dinner.
Rebecca White, of Cadwaladers, said: “We wanted to do something different for the awards so we suggested a curry ice cream to our head of production. He went down to his local curry house and got some recipes and the end result was a really nice ice cream with a bit of a kick.”
This year’s award nominees are The Suhail in Prestatyn, Bengal Spices in Llanymynech and the Purple Poppadom in Cardiff.
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October 3, 2018 at 3:18 pm EDT | by Mariah Cooper
Local gay couple has twin girls, expecting another set in early ’19
Yaroslav Koporulin, on left, and John O’Mahony with their twin daughters Claire and Violet. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Yaroslav Koporulin and John O’Mahony are typical parents to their 2-year-old twin daughters, born via surrogacy, Claire O’Mahony-Koporulin and Violet O’Mahony-Koporulin. They proudly gush about their girls counting to 20 and reciting the whole alphabet. Their affection for their children can be heard in their voices as they recount the first time they were able to take the twins home from the hospital.
Claire and Violet are already showered with love from their dads but soon they will take on new roles in the family — big sisters to another set of twins. Koporulin and O’Mahony’s status will also change from simply parents to the first known gay couple in the U.S. to have two sets of twins via surrogacy.
Koporulin and O’Mahony’s journey first began when they met in 1996. Koporulin, now an artist, sculptor and graphic designer, came to D.C. from Moscow, Russia on a Russian American art exchange. O’Mahony, who originally hails from New York City, moved to D.C. after college when he was 23. A year and a half after meeting, O’Mahony went back to Moscow with Koporulin and worked at the U.S. embassy for four years before the couple moved back to D.C.
They decided to open two bed and breakfasts in downtown D.C. which they operated for 14 years. Eventually, the couple married in 2013 and started thinking about starting a family.
John O’Mahony, on left, and Yaroslav Koporulin with their children. (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
The couple says they first considered adoption but found the process difficult. They also knew foster care wasn’t for them.
“We don’t like foster care because it’s meant to get the parents back on their feet and then you have to give the children back” O’Mahony says. “It doesn’t make any sense to us because you can love a child and take care of them for three months and then you have to give them back. It’s not healthy for them or us.”
Another factor in their decision was Koporulin’s father who died in Russia in 2012. Koporulin says his father was close with them both and wanted them to have biological children.
The best option for Koporulin and O’Mahony became clear. They needed a surrogate.
Koporulin and O’Mahony found their surrogate, whom they now call a friend, through an agency. They also went to Shady Grove Fertility Clinic where O’Mahony says they didn’t have a great experience because, “They just have dollar signs on their faces.”
The process involved a lot of components. They found an egg donor, who was not the surrogate, and used sperm from Koporulin and O’Mahony with the same mother’s eggs. This way all of the children would be half siblings. Both embryos took and the couple became fathers to twin girls, Claire and Violet, in 2016.
The new arrivals changed their lives. They realized that working 13-15 hour days 365 days a year made parenting difficult. O’Mahony, who is an animal lover, decided to become a dog walker at DWDC (DogWalkingDC) to utilize a more flexible work schedule.
As the couple got into the swing of parenthood, they realized they wanted to expand their family.
“We weren’t like, ‘Let’s have two sets of twins.’ We were like, ‘Let’s have one set of twins one from my partner and one from me.’ We had frozen embryos left over. We were like, ‘OK, we’re stable and we’re enjoying raising our two girls so let’s do it again,’” O’Mahony says.
This time they decided to switch fertility clinics. They chose Columbia Fertility Associates and were thrilled with their experience.
Yet again, both embryos took to their surrogate and a second set of twins are due in February or March. The remarkable achievement will make Koporulin and O’Mahony the first known gay couple to be the father of two sets of twins.
They find out the sex on Oct. 27.
“We’re so excited so we can start picking out names,” O’Mahony says.
For other couples considering surrogacy, Koporulin and O’Mahony offer some advice.
“The hardest part is finding a surrogate. If you don’t have a good surrogate and they don’t text you back and they’re not reliable, the whole thing can take years and years. We did have someone who was going to be our surrogate before and she stopped picking up the phone. I’m not saying one minute, but if they don’t text back that day it’s not a good surrogate and go on to someone else right away,” O’Mahony says.
Koporulin adds: “Chemistry matters as well. Just trust your feelings.”
Their surrogate is also from Pittsburgh which was a benefit for the couple.
“Pennsylvania has the best surrogacy laws in the country. In Pittsburgh Yaroslav goes on as parent one and I go on as parent two. So on the birth certificate it says Yaroslav’s name and mine. Our surrogate is not even listed on the birth certificate,” O’Mahony says.
Koporulin and O’Mahony have a lot of plans for their future. They’re considering doing a reality show to document their growing family. They also are planning to sell Russian food at the 14th and Kennedy Farmers’ Market in April. They hope to open their own Russian restaurant in D.C. when their children are older. In the meantime, they invite people to keep up with their kids on Instagram @wodieblumensind or @omahony34.
Despite all the exciting changes, the best part about fatherhood for them are the little things.
“They call me ‘daddy’ and they call Yaroslav ‘papa’ because ‘papa’ is dad in Russian. When you hear them say daddy you’re like ‘Wow, I’m a father.’ It’s cute,” O’Mahony says.
Koporulin says that every stage of their lives brings something new to marvel over.
“When you’re in the hospital and they bring you your baby and you hold them for the first time. The first bottle, the first change of diapers. When you take them out in the car and drive them through D.C. and take them to your home. You know that they’re your children,” Koporulin says. “Right now, it’s the age where you see them learn and developing. When they come to you and run to you. They are sponges and they know so much and it’s so refreshing to see that happening.”
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
adoptionColumbia Fertility AssociatesD.C.District of ColumbiaDogWalkingDCfoster careJohn O'MahonyMoscowNew York CityRussiaShady Grove Fertility ClinicsurrogacyYaroslav Koporulin
Mariah Cooper
Gay male parents cited as beneficiaries of ‘diaper changing’ bill by Lou Chibbaro Jr. | posted on July 18, 2019
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9 million kids get health insurance under CHIP. Congress just let it expire.
Congress just allowed the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provided low-cost health insurance to 9 million children, to expire.
If action is not taken soon to restore the funding, the effects will become obvious in schools across the country, with many of the children in the program unable to see a doctor for routine checkups, immunizations, visits when sick and other services.
The program, created under a 1997 law passed with bipartisan support during the administration of President Bill Clinton, provided coverage for children in families with low and moderate incomes as well as to pregnant women. It was instrumental in lowering the percentage of children who were uninsured from nearly 14 percent when it started to 4.5 percent in 2015. It was last reauthorized in 2015 and was due to be renewed by Sept. 30, 2017.
Amid unsuccessful efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, the Republican-led Congress allowed the CHIP deadline to pass without action.
The program was primarily funded by the federal government, with states paying a good deal less. States still have some CHIP money available, but if Congress does not act quickly to restore the program, they will start to run out. Several states and the District of Columbia are expected to drain CHIP funding by the end of this year and many more by March 2018, according to this government report.
[D.C. has one of the highest rates of children with health insurance, report says]
The program cost the federal government about $13.6 billion in 2016. The program provided services that included, according to the government’s website:
Routine checkups
Dental and vision care
Inpatient and outpatient hospital care
Laboratory and X-ray services
How much did it cost families? The website said:
Routine “well child” doctor and dental visits are free under CHIP. But there may be co-payments for other services. Some states charge a monthly premium for CHIP coverage. The costs are different in each state, but you won’t have to pay more than 5% of your family’s income for the year.
That could soon change.
Dorothy R. Novick, a pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, recently penned a plea to Congress to save CHIP, writing in The Washington Post:
Every day I see patients in my practice who stand to lose their health care if Congress does not act to extend CHIP funding. Consider my patient who grew up in foster care, put herself through college and now earns a living as a freelance clothing designer. She is now a mother herself, and I treat her children. Her 1-year-old son has asthma and her 3-year-old daughter has a peanut allergy. They are able to follow up with me every three months and keep a ready supply of lifesaving medications because they qualify for CHIP.
Or consider the dad with a hearing impairment whose wife passed away two years ago. He supports his teenage daughters by working as a line cook during the day and a parking attendant at night. He sends the girls to a parochial school. He lost their Medicaid when he was given extra hours at his restaurant last year. But I still see them because they qualify for CHIP.
That could change soon, too.
[Will Congress force me to deny health care to children once again?]
Excessive heat watch Friday through Sunday as D.C. faces 100-degree temperatures
A GOP lawmaker thinks rise in Lyme disease is due to a secret tick experiment. A scientist squashes that idea.
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Federal Insider
Pay gap: How salaries compare by gender for federal employees
President Obama signs executive actions aimed at closing a compensation gender gap that favors men, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, April 8, 2014, during an event marking Equal Pay Day. Lilly Ledbetter watches at left. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
By Eric Yoder
Eric Yoder
National reporter focusing on internal federal government personnel, management and budget policies
Women working for the federal government earn less than men overall but the gap is shrinking and most of the difference is due to women being more concentrated in occupations that are lower-paying, a government report issued Friday found.
The report from the Office of Personnel Management shows an overall gender pay gap for white-collar occupations of 12.7 percent as of 2012, down from 19.8 percent in 2002 and 30 percent in 1992. However, it added that all but 3.8 percentage points of the 2012 gap can be explained by differences in occupation and certain other factors.
“The differences in the distribution of males and females across occupational categories appear to explain much of the pay gap,” the report says.
OPM’s report — which shows a closing gap but still significant work to do — caps a week of intense debate over the issue of gender pay equity. On Tuesday, President Obama issued two executive orders meant to push federal contractors on pay equity, a move that drew praise from advocates and criticism from conservatives who debated the legitimacy of a pay gap between men and women and accused the administration of pandering to female voters for the November midterm elections.
Also, the Senate this week failed to muster the needed 60 votes to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act that would have strengthened employee protections under the Equal Pay Act. Obama’s orders require government contractors to report on salaries they pay by gender and bar them from retaliating against employees who discuss salaries among themselves.
The raw pay gap number for the federal workforce falls well below the 23 percent figure that the White House and some outside groups commonly use as the overall difference between male and female salaries, a figure that some others criticize for not taking into account differences such as work experience and hours of work.
OPM said that while its study “shows that some portion of the male-female pay gap is unexplained—that is, not explained by the factors included in our analysis—that does not mean that the unexplained gap is necessarily attributable to discrimination.”
A 2009 report from the Government Accountability Office similarly found an average pay gap of 7 percent that could not be explained by occupational or other factors. GAO said its analysis “neither confirms nor refutes the presence of discriminatory practices.”
Factors other than discrimination that could contribute to the difference include differences in prior work experience, care-giving responsibilities, motivation and work performance, OPM said. However, it added: “To the extent that the explaining factors are subject to employee or employer control, some unknown portion of the explained gap may reflect the effects of discrimination (either societal or employer-specific).”
Romina Boccia, a policy analyst with the Heritage Foundation, said some of the report findings support conservative arguments that the wage gap is shrinking and that much of the remaining disparity is due to factors beyond discrimination.
“The report’s findings show that once key factors such as occupation, education, and length of service are taken into account, the wage gap in the federal workforce all but disappears,” Boccia said. “The same applies to the economy-wide gender pay gap.”
Boccia said other factors besides discrimination can play a role in creating pay disparity, including womens’ willingness to negotiate, particularly when it comes to starting pay. “The federal report states that female federal workers were more likely to receive promotions, while men were more likely to enter the federal workforce at higher starting levels,” she added.
Stephanie Jaros, a social scientist for the Department of Homeland Security, said she has not experienced a pay gap as she did while working in the private sector. She credits the highly structured pay system for the federal workforce and the fact that federal salary rates are public information.
“Part of the reason for the pay gap in the private sector is that salaries are not transparent,” she said. “Transparency allows communication, so people would know about disparity much quicker in the federal government.”
The report said the narrowing gap over the 20 years studied reflects the changing nature and mix of federal employment: a shift away from occupations such as clerical jobs that are lower-paying and traditionally held by women disproportionately, and growth in higher-paying professional and administrative jobs that now are increasingly held by women–68 percent of federally employed white-collar women are now in those fields, compared with 45 percent in 1992.
The portion of the white-collar federal workforce in clerical positions dropped by two-thirds to 5.3 percent in that time, while professional and administrative positions now make up 71.9 percent, up from 59.2 percent. Women make up 69 percent of clerical workers, however, compared with their 46 percent share in the overall federal workforce.
The report further found that even the raw gap is smaller at higher-paying levels. For supervisors and managers, it’s 4.4 percent and among senior executives it’s less than 1 percent. However, it added, women make up only about a third of employees at those levels. Women also are under-represented in higher-paying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.
Some female federal workers believe there were fewer opportunities to advance in the past.
“Personally, I feel like I could have gone further, but I’m fortunate to be employed by a terrific agency,” said Pamela Jones, a 50-year-old Justice Department analyst from Arlington.
Jones added that she thinks pay gaps affect minorities as well as women.
The raw gap varied by age, from 5 percent for those 25 to 34 to 17 percent for those in the 55-64 age range, which the report said “may reflect the differences in occupational distribution at those ages.”
After occupation, differences in educational levels were the second-largest factor helping to explain the gap but that is growing less significant as women’s average education levels increase, it said.
OPM meanwhile found that agencies more commonly use special authorities to set higher starting salaries when hiring men than when hiring women, giving men on average a bit of a head start. However, even much of that difference is occupation-based and afterward women receive promotions and performance-based increases up the steps of their pay grade slightly more frequently, it said.
In a blog posting, OPM Director Katherine Archuleta said that while the report “shows the progress that we’ve made, we won’t be satisfied until women working in federal jobs earn the same as their male counterparts, at every level. That’s why our report also lays out a roadmap for how we can continue to address this pay disparity. For starters, we need to address the imbalance of hiring in all occupations. We need to build stronger pipelines for women across the board. We also must improve the transparency of our pay tables, particularly when it comes to starting salaries for women, which tend to lag behind men’s.”
She meanwhile issued a memo to agencies telling them to collect data on occupations in terms of grade patterns by gender, review how they classify jobs for pay-setting, and publicly post the salary rates of agency-specific pay systems, among other steps.
OPM further said it will clarify pay-setting flexibilities and share best practices on setting starting salaries in gender-neutral ways, and will develop recruitment and outreach strategies for increasing female populations in occupations and higher levels where they are underrepresented.
Janet Kopenhaver, a spokeswoman for Federally Employed Women, said while the federal government’s efforts are appreciated, her nonprofit advocacy organization is more concerned about the inability of women to be adequately represented at the GS14, GS15 and SES levels in the government.
“This is really the ‘pay’ problem in the federal government – women face many hurdles in getting into the higher-paying jobs,” she said, adding that mentoring programs and other initiatives are necessary to help women advance in their careers.
“That is why FEW has been working so hard with OPM and the administration to get them to do something about the serious demise of the Federal Women’s Programs in federal agencies…. That is why we are a little disappointed that in the OPM report just released, no mention is included in the recommendations section of revamping these offices.”
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WHO’s annual travel budget: $200 million
By Maria Cheng
LONDON — The World Health Organization routinely spends about $200 million a year on travel — far more than what it doles out to fight some of the biggest problems in public health including AIDS, tuberculosis or malaria, according to internal documents obtained by the Associated Press.
As the cash-strapped United Nations health agency pleads for more money to fund its responses to health crises worldwide, it also has been struggling to control its own travel costs. Despite introducing new rules to try to curb its expansive travel budget, senior officials have complained internally that U.N. staff members are breaking the rules by booking perks such as business-class airplane tickets and rooms in five-star hotels.
Last year, WHO spent about $71 million on AIDS and hepatitis. On malaria, it spent $61 million. And to slow tuberculosis, WHO invested $59 million. Still, some health programs do get exceptional funding — the agency spends about $450 million trying to wipe out polio every year.
On a recent trip to Guinea, where WHO Director-General Margaret Chan praised health workers in West Africa for triumphing over Ebola, Chan stayed in the biggest presidential suite at the Palm Camayenne hotel in Conakry. The suite has an advertised price of 900 euros ($1,008) a night. The agency declined to say who picked up the tab, noting only that her hotels are sometimes paid for by the host country.
But some say that sends the wrong message to the rest of the agency’s 7,000 staff members.
“We don’t trust people to do the right thing when it comes to travel,” Nick Jeffreys, WHO’s director of finance, said during an in-house seminar on accountability in September 2015 — a video of which was obtained by the AP.
Despite WHO’s numerous travel regulations, Jeffreys said staff members “can sometimes manipulate a little bit their travel.” He said the agency couldn’t be sure they were always booking the cheapest ticket or that the travel was even warranted.
Ian Smith, executive director of Chan’s office, said the chair of WHO’s audit committee said the agency often did little to stop misbehavior.
“We, as an organization, sometimes function as if rules are there to be broken and that exceptions are the rule rather than the norm,” Smith said.
Earlier that year, a memorandum was sent to Chan and other top leaders with the subject, “ACTIONS TO CONTAIN TRAVEL COSTS” in all-caps. The memo reported that compliance with rules that travel be booked in advance was “very low” and also pointed out that WHO was under pressure from its member countries to save money.
In a statement to the AP, the U.N. health agency said “the nature of WHO’s work often requires WHO staff to travel” and such costs had been reduced 14 percent last year compared to the previous year — although that year’s total was exceptionally high because of the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa.
Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news
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Obama signs executive orders on cybersecurity
Business_Finance
By Shaun Waterman - The Washington Times - Tuesday, February 12, 2013
President Obama on Tuesday signed two orders tasking federal regulators to enforce cybersecurity standards for banking, telecommunications, energy and other industries, according to White House officials.
An executive order and an accompanying presidential directive make “use of existing authorities and partnerships” with the private sector, said a senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity to brief reporters.
The orders give government scientists a year to devise a “baseline framework” for cybersecurity incorporating “voluntary consensus standards and industry best practices,” the official said.
The aim is to protect the computer systems of key industries from cyberattacks by hackers, criminals, spies and enemy states.
The cybersecurity orders, which Mr. Obama highlighted in his State of the Union address Tuesday, were welcomed by the chairman and ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
“We will closely review the President’s executive order once it is released but we agree that our biggest barriers to bolster our cyber defenses can be fixed only with legislation,” Reps. Mike Rogers, Michigan Republican and committee chairman, and C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger, Maryland Democrat, said in a statement.
Work on the executive order, which will rely on existing U.S. regulatory authorities and voluntary standards, began last year after Congress failed to pass even one of several bills aimed at improving cybersecurity in the nation’s vital industries.
White House officials say the order is not a replacement for legislation, and lawmakers already have begun to reintroduce several of the bills drafted last year.
Cybersecurity is a complex issue, affecting every government agency and sector of industry — from defense and banking to utilities and health care.
“There have been very lengthy negotiations about [the] roles and responsibilities [of government agencies], especially for the Department of Homeland Security,” former White House cybersecurity coordinator Howard A. Schmidt told The Washington Times.
Mr. Schmidt said the executive order defines “specific responsibilities” for Homeland Security to secure federal computer networks — the .gov domain.
The federal government already has established channels through which to share threat information with 17 key industrial sectors, from banking to telecommunications to transportation.
But Mr. Schmidt said that effort would have to be stepped up.
“Somehow, you need to get a stronger, more intimate relationship” between Homeland Security and the private sector,” he said. “There needs to be better information sharing on threats.”
The executive order directs the Homeland Security secretary to review the information-sharing processes and come up with improvements within 180 days.
Last year’s legislative effort in Congress stumbled over the issue of what authority Homeland Security should have over computer security standards in the private sector.
A bipartisan Senate bill would have given Homeland Security the power to impose cybersecurity standards on the computer networks for vital private sector industries such as oil and gas.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, other business lobbies and Senate Republicans fiercely oppose the plan, pointing to Homeland Security’s troubled history in regulating security in the one sector for which it already has responsibility — the chemical industry.
The orders are slated to be unveiled at a special event Wednesday at the Commerce Department.
White House cybersecurity policy chief Michael Daniel and Air Force Gen. Keith B. Alexander, commander of the U.S. military’s Cyber Command and director of the super-secret National Security Agency, will appear with Deputy Commerce Secretary Rebecca M. Blank, Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Jane Holl Lute, and Deputy Attorney General James M. Cole.
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See How They Run (Embassy Row, Book 2) (Hardcover)
By Ally Carter
Ally Carter, in my humble opinion, has a gift for creating female characters who live implausible, but awesome (see: Gallagher Girls for spies and Heist Society for art thieves), lives and yet make them completely and utterly relatable.
The girl in question here is Grace Blakely, the granddaughter of the ambassador to the fictional European country of Adria. She's in Adria permanently because her mother was murdered three years ago (I'll leave you to discover the details of that yourself) and her father is in the U. S. military. So, Grace, with all her PTSD from witnessing said murder, is in Adria to rest and recover.
Except, as detailed in the first book of this series, All Fall Down, there isn't much rest to be had in Adria. Especially now, as the Festival of the Fortnight -- a local festival celebrating the overthrow of the monarchy -- begins, Grace is increasingly aware that her life and the people's lives of those around her are in danger.
I really don't want to give away much more than that, because much of the enjoyment of this book (nay, this series) is the thrill ride of twists and turns that Carter takes you on. This book does stand on its own fairly well, but if you want the whole story, you definitely need to start at the beginning. There are spies and assassins, there are secret tunnels and hidden societies, and tons of secrets to be both kept and found out.
A heads up: Grace is not as affable as Carter's other heroines. But, she's suffering from PTSD and anxiety, and I (at least) was willing to forgive her for that. It also makes her an incredibly untrustworthy narrator, which I found to be fascinating, especially in a thriller setting.
It's a unique direction for Carter, one that I think readers will enjoy.
— Melissa Fox
For the past three years, Grace Blakely has been desperate to find out the truth about her mother's murder. She thought it would bring her peace. She thought it would lead her to answers. She thought she could put the past to rest.But the truth has only made her a target.And the past?The only way to put the past to rest is for Grace to kill it once and for all.On Embassy Row, power can make you a victor or a victim; love can turn you into a fool or a fugitive; and family can lead you forward or bury you deep. Trust is a luxury. Death is a very real threat. And a girl like Grace must be very careful about which secrets she brings to light.
Ally Carter is the New York Times bestselling author of the Gallagher Girls, Heist Society, and Embassy Row series. Not If I Save You First is her first standalone novel. Her books have been published all over the world, in over 20 languages. She grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and has never caused an international incident (to her knowledge). You can visit her online at allycarter.com.
Praise for All Fall Down (Embassy Row Book One):
A New York Times Bestseller
“Carter knows how to construct a gripping thriller.” -- Publishers Weekly
“Action packed and meticulously plotted, All Fall Down keeps readers guessing.” -- Booklist
“With its intrigue and clever plot twists, this series opener will leave readers hungering
for more. -- SLJ
“Will appeal not only to psychological-thriller fans, but to those who want a little glamour, some A-list social politics, and a bit of high school nastiness mixed in with their suspense.” -- Kirkus Reviews
“Grace is a fighter, and she will stop at nothing to find out what happened to her mother. Readers will love this first book in what promises to be an exciting, thrilling mystery series.” -- VOYA
“An amazing book.” -- The Guardian
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: December 22nd, 2015
Series: Embassy Row
Young Adult Fiction / Action & Adventure
Young Adult Fiction / Mysteries & Detective Stories
Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes
Kobo eBook (December 21st, 2015): $5.99
Paperback (December 27th, 2016): $9.99
Prebound (December 27th, 2016): $22.94
CD-Audio (December 22nd, 2016): $97.49
Pre-Recorded Audio Player (January 2016): $77.99
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Home iran Iran UN envoy: Golan will remain integral part of Syria
Iran UN envoy: Golan will remain integral part of Syria
Iran's Ambassador to the United Nations, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi
Iran’s UN ambassador condemns the world body’s inaction in the face of the US’s increasing support for Israel’s territorial violations, including Washington’s recent recognition of Syria’s Golan Heights as an “Israeli territory.”
Majid Takht-e Ravanchi made the remarks at an open debate in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday. “We stress that the Golan is and will remain an integral part of Syria,” the envoy said.
In late March, US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israeli “sovereignty” over the territory, which the Tel Aviv regime occupied in 1967.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran once again condemns, in the strongest possible terms, these internationally wrongful acts,” he noted about both the move and Washington’s decision to relocate its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem al-Quds in May 2018 after recognizing the occupied holy city as Israel’s “capital.”
“Both acts are against the peremptory norms of international law, let alone Council’s resolutions,” he said. “According to international law, the territory of a State shall not be the object of acquisition resulting from the threat or use of force, and no such territorial acquisition shall be recognized as legal,” the official added.
Using its veto power as a permanent member of the UNSC, the US has vetoed all the proposals, 44 in total, intending to force Israel to implement the Council’s resolutions.
“This Council has been both inactive and ineffective because of the unreserved support of the US for Israel,” Takht-e Ravanchi said. “Indeed, the continuation of this situation would further erode the credibility of the Council and deteriorate its already trust and confidence deficit,” he added.
The international community has been resorting to the UN General Assembly for adoption of anti-Israeli resolutions, where the US does not wield a veto power.
Shortly after the US move concerning al-Quds, members of the Assembly overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution asking on Washington to withdraw its recognition.
Takht-e Ravanchi reminded that the Council’s “primary responsibility is the maintenance of international peace and security,” and that it “has an explicit legal obligation to counter aggression and occupation.”
“It must, therefore, take the necessary measures to force the Occupying Power to end the occupation,” he added.
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County considering new voting system
By AMANDA KIMBLEStaff Writeramanda.kimble@empiretribune.com
During Monday�s meeting of the Erath County Commissioners, the court approved a request to go out for bids for new election software. According to County Clerk Gwinda Jones, the county has applied to participate in a pilot program that was established by the Texas Secretary of State. The program, if implemented, will establish a system of county wide polling places and will be implemented for the upcoming presidential election in November.
Jones said the biggest benefit of the updated voting system would be the reduction in the number of polling places needed to conduct an election.
�The new software would reduce the number of polling places in the county to 11. The system will allow for open polling. Registered voters will be able to go to any of those 11 locations to vote no matter where they live or their precinct,� Jones said. �It will also reduce the number of workers needed to conduct an election. If the program is successful, voters will be able to go to any of those 11 locations for each November election rather than wondering where to vote from year to year.�
Jones also explained that the computerized system would mark each voter as already voted as soon as his or her vote has been cast to guarantee that nobody is able vote more than once.
County Judge Tab Thompson explained that there is money in the budget that can be used to purchase the software and added that Jones and Tax Assessor/Collector Jennifer Carey had been to Lubbock County to view the software, which they have been using since the November 2006 election. He said they came back with favorable reports on the ease of use and accuracy of the system.
Finally, Jones explained that before the system can be implemented, law requires that a public hearing be held on the possible implementation of the new voting system. A hearing has been scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, May 26, at the courthouse to allow citizens a chance to voice their opinions.
If the decision is made to join the pilot program, a mock election will be held prior to November to familiarize county officials with the new software and allow any problems to be detected prior to Election Day.
Meanwhile, the court heard the annual report on tax collections for the county. The report showed that there are no major outstanding delinquent items on the county�s property tax role.
In addition, the court granted permission to once again go out for requests for proposals (RFPs) for jail architects. Thompson explained since it had been sometime since the county last requested RFPs for the jail house renovation, it is necessary to begin the process again to guarantee that the information provided is up to date.
Finally, the commissioners voted to approve specifications for the EMS expansion project. The next step in the process will be to go out for bids on the project, which will allow more space and separate housing for the EMS and fire departments at the current location.
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Tickets basket
Eat & Drink: The Whitechapel Refectory
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2019 Exhibition Highlights
Is This Tomorrow?, 2019. Courtesy Whitechapel Gallery. Photo: Dan Weill
Is This Tomorrow?
14 February – 12 May 2019
Galleries 1, 8 & 9
Visions of the future from leading architects and artists are unveiled at Whitechapel Gallery in February 2019 for headline exhibition Is This Tomorrow? . Creative practitioners from around the world are brought together in 10 groups specially selected by Whitechapel Gallery with participants working together for the first time, highlighting the exciting potential of collaboration. They present original projects addressing today’s key issues including new technologies, the environment, migration and resource scarcity. More than 60 years on, Is This Tomorrow? takes as its model the groundbreaking 1956 Whitechapel Gallery exhibition This is Tomorrow.
“la Caixa” Collection of Contemporary Art
17 January – 28 April 2019
8 May – 1 September
Internationally acclaimed authors explore Spain’s leading collection of contemporary art in this series of four displays taking place over the course of a year. Each writer curates a display of artworks and contributes new writing based on their selection. Preeminent Spanish novelist Enrique Vila-Matas (b. 1948, Spain) brings an intuitive and personal approach to “la Caixa” Collection of Contemporary Art for the first display, opening in January 2019. Selecting figurative works by artists Gerhard Richter (b. 1932, Germany), Dominique González-Foerster (b. 1965, France) and Dora García (b. 1956, Spain), he also includes landscape by Spanish and European artists of his generation. The first institutional collection to focus on contemporary art in the post-Franco era, “la Caixa” was founded in Barcelona in 1985 to foster dialogue between Spanish and international art. It now includes more than 1,000 works by international artists across the mediums of painting, sculpture, photography, installation and film.
Queer Spaces: London, 1980s – Today
2 April – 25 August 2019
How has the changing landscape of London affected the lives of queer people? This exhibition considers the loss of hundreds of community venues around London through market-led redevelopment and how this has changed the capital’s queer scene. It presents work by artists concerned with the disappearance of spaces where LGBTQ+ communities have gathered to socialise, explore their sexuality and try out new identities. Featuring rarely displayed archive material relating to the city’s queer spaces, gathered through extensive research by University College London’s Urban Laboratory. With works by Tom Burr (b. 1963, USA), Ralph Dunn (b.1969, UK), Evan Ifekoya (b.1988, Nigeria), Hannah Quinlan & Rosie Hastings (both b. 1991, UK) and Prem Sahib (b. 1982, UK) on show, the exhibition explores the radical inventiveness, creativity and unpretentiousness inherent within London’s queer spaces.
City Poems and City Music: Adrian Henri and Friends
11 April – 16 June 2019
Poets, artists and musicians respond to the experience of urban life in this series of live events and exhibition. A live programme presents contemporary work on the theme of the city with performances from musician Thurston Moore (b. 1958, USA), poet CAConrad (b. 1966, USA) and British punk trio Big Joanie. The events accompany an exhibition drawing on the archives of Liverpool-based painter, poet and pioneering performance artist Adrian Henri (1932 – 2000), whose works from the 1960s and early 1970s focused on the city. The artist also featured in a Whitechapel Gallery 1975 exhibition which inspires this project. City Poems and City Music is guest curated by Catherine Marcangeli, Thurston Moore and Eva Prinz.
Sophia Al-Maria: BCE
Gallery 5 & 6
Marking the culmination of a year-long collaboration as Whitechapel Gallery’s Writer in Residence, this new project from artist, writer and filmmaker Sophia Al-Maria (b. 1983, US) draws on feminism and radical queer politics to consider themes of history and narrative. BCE presents two distinct creation myths side by side – one ancient, one new. It celebrates Al-Maria’s collaboration, established over the course of the residency, with artist Victoria Sin (b. 1991, Canada) who contributes a new creation myth in a specially-commissioned film work.
Michael Rakowitz
4 June – 25 August 2019
Iraqi-American artist Michael Rakowitz’s (b. 1973, USA) first major European survey presents a sequence of installations drawing on architecture, cultural artefacts and cuisine to tell stories of social ritual, conflict and loss. It encompasses work considering the citizen visionaries of post Soviet Hungary, Middle Eastern Beatles fans and the stone carvers of Afghanistan, with Rakowitz’s casts of players and objects revealing the legacy of colonisation, modernism and globalism. The artist’s life size replica of the gigantic lamassu, one of two monumental winged bulls that once guarded the gates of Nineveh in Iraq, currently features on Trafalgar Square’s Fourth Plinth. This recreation of an ancient mythological creature is made from everyday date syrup cans and is part of an epic endeavour to recreate all 7,000 objects looted from the Iraq Museum in 2003, as well as those destroyed more recently at archaeological sites like Nimrud, which will be represented in the exhibition.
The exhibition is co-curated with Castello di Rivoli, Turin
Max Mara Art Prize for Women: Helen Cammock
26 June – 1 September 2019
Helen Cammock (b. 1970, UK) presents an exhibition of new work exploring women’s voices, the result of an extraordinary six-month Italian residency in six Italian cities awarded to her as the winner of the prestigious Max Mara Art Prize for Women. Working with moving image, photography, writing, song, performance and printmaking, Cammock is interested in histories, storytelling and the excavation of lost or unheard voices – often mapped through her personal, social and political concerns around notions of blackness and womanhood, wealth and poverty. Her research for the Prize focuses on the expression of lament as a means of mourning, resilience and survival. Exploring women’s voices across Italian histories, her exhibition aims to create a collective, contemporary outcry for our times.
Myvillages
7 May – 18 Aug
From Ballykinlar in Ireland to Ekumfi-Ekawfo in Ghana, international artist collective Myvillages explore the rural as a space for and of cultural production. Founded by artists Kathrin Böhm, Wapke Feenstra and Antje Schiffers, Myvillages counters the assumption that culture is an exclusively urban phenomena. This exhibition collects material from the course of their career and runs in dialogue with the research and events programme on The Rural hosted by Whitechapel Gallery from 2017-2019. Through long-term approaches embedded within the existing activities of communities, they question who is producing culture,. By committing to work in the rural, their projects subvert established power relationships between the city and the country.
25 September 2019 – 12 January 2020
Fifty years of Brazil-based artist Anna Maria Maiolino’s (b. 1942, Italy) extraordinary multi-dimensional career is presented by Whitechapel Gallery in the first major UK solo exhibition of the artist’s work. Bringing together emotive clay sculptures, politically-charged films and performances, drawings, photography and installations, the large-scale survey will feature highlights of Maiolino’s work from the late 1960s to the present. Maiolino’s work considers speech, language and the body and frequently takes inspiration from her experience as an immigrant coming of age under Brazil’s military dictatorship. From her personal perspective as a woman, a feminist and a mother, she charts five decades of political, military and cultural shifts in Brazil, and further afield.
Exhibition organised in collaboration with Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Milan.
Sense Sound/ Sound Sense
3 September 2019 –22 March 2020
This exhibition is dedicated to musical scores, records and their relationship with the music of the Fluxus movement. Fluxus has, over time, been recognised as one of the most influential artistic movements of the 20th century and the forerunner of subsequent artistic trends from conceptual to performance to video-art. Fluxus scores followed an equally radical approach, breaking free from the need to represent sounds through symbols and introducing notation through graphics, poetry and the visual arts.
Coproduced by Fondazione Bonotto and the Fondazione Musica per Roma
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Emmy-winning actor Rip Torn dies at 88
By BOB THOMAS Associated Press |
Posted: Tue 10:51 PM, Jul 09, 2019 |
Updated: Wed 8:23 AM, Jul 10, 2019
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Rip Torn, the free-spirited Texan who overcame his quirky name to become a distinguished actor in theater, television and movies and win an Emmy in his 60s for his comedy turn on TV's "The Larry Sanders Show," has died. He was 88.
Rip Torn's career on stage and screen spanned seven decades, ranging from an early career of dark, threatening roles to iconic comedic performances later in life. (Source: AP Photo/Jack Plunkett)
Torn died Tuesday afternoon at his home with his wife, Amy Wright, and daughters Katie Torn and Angelica Page by his side, according to his publicist Rick Miramontez. No cause of death was given.
His career on stage and screen spanned seven decades, ranging from an early career of dark, threatening roles to iconic comedic performances later in life.
After acclaimed performances in "Cross Creek," ''Sweet Bird of Youth" and other dramas, Torn turned to comedy to capture his Emmy as the bombastic, ethically challenged television producer in "The Larry Sanders Show." Created by and starring Garry Shandling, HBO's spoof of TV talk shows aired from 1992 to 1998 and is widely credited with inspiring such satirical programs as "30 Rock" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm."
Born Elmore Rual Torn, the actor adopted the name Rip in his boyhood, following the tradition of his father and uncle. It was the subject of endless ridicule during his early days as a stage actor in New York, and fellow drama students urged him to change it.
With customary stubbornness, he refused, eventually overcoming the jokes with a series of powerful performances that led to his being regarded, along with Marlon Brando, Paul Newman and James Dean, as actors of a postwar generation who brought tense realism to their craft. He was also a political activist who joined James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte and other cultural and civil rights leaders for a frank and emotional 1963 meeting with then-Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy about the country's treatment of blacks.
Torn made his film debut in 1956 in an adaptation of Tennessee Williams' "Baby Doll," and within a few years was a respected film and television actor, working on occasions with his second wife, Geraldine Page. At the Actors Studio, he gained the attention of Elia Kazan, who hired him as understudy to Alex Nicol, then playing Brick Pollitt in the Tennessee Williams classic, "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof." Toward the end of the show's Broadway run, Torn took over the role of the alcoholic, emotionally troubled former football hero. He did so billed against his wishes as Elmore Torn.
Cast later in a "U.S. Steel Hour" production for television, he was told to either change his name or forfeit the role. He threatened to return to his native Texas, but finally agreed to be credited as Eric Torn. He was billed as Rip Torn thereafter. His success eventually inspired a younger cousin to take up acting, too — Oscar winner Sissy Spacek.
Other film credits included "Critics Choice" and "The Cincinnati Kid." In Albert Brooks' "Defending Your Life," he was featured as a gregarious attorney in the afterlife.
Brooks tweeted Tuesday night, "R.I.P Rip Torn. He was so great in Defending Your Life. I'll miss you Rip, you were a true original."
On television he played such figures as Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson and Walt Whitman.
His career hit a dry spell in the 1970s, and he blamed it on the buzz in Hollywood at the time that he was difficult to work with, a reputation sealed when tension on the set of "Easy Rider" led to his being replaced by Jack Nicholson for the 1969 release and missing out on one of the biggest hits of the era.
"I wouldn't say that I was blacklisted," he told The Associated Press in 1984, "but the word got around that I was difficult and unreliable. Unreliable! In all my years in the theater I have never missed a performance."
He managed to keep working in small projects in theater, films and TV, returning to the mainstream in 1983 with "Cross Creek," in which he played table-smashing backwoodsman Marsh Turner. The role brought him his only Oscar nomination, for best supporting actor.
Among his other films: "City Heat" and "Men in Black."
But he never entirely shook his rebellious reputation.
"What do they say about all the guys that are tremendous actors?" he told The New York Times in 2006. "Don't they say they have a volatile temper and emotions? Yeah, sure they do! They're not saying they like a nice, mild guy. Look at Sean Penn."
In 1994, actor-director Dennis Hopper said on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" that Torn once pulled a knife in a New York restaurant as he complained about being replaced in "Easy Rider." He sued Hopper for slander and won a $475,000 judgment.
He remained active in film and television in later years, including a recurring role in "30 Rock" and a voice acting gig in the 2007 animated "Bee Movie."
He weathered a couple of drunken driving arrests, including one in December 2008 near his home in Salisbury, Connecticut, that led to his placement in an alcohol education program.
Born in Temple, Texas, Torn initially studied agriculture at Texas A&M and acting at the University of Texas. After service as a military policeman during the Korean War, he hitchhiked to Hollywood. Landing only tiny roles in movies and TV dramas, and supporting himself as a fry cook and dishwasher, he decided to shift to New York and seek more training as an actor.
Torn and his first wife, actress Ann Wedgeworth, had a daughter, Danae, before divorcing. In 1963 he married Page, with whom he had co-starred in the touring production and movie version of "Sweet Bird of Youth." They had three children, a daughter, Angelica, and twins Jon and Tony, and appeared in productions together until her death in 1987. Torn also had two children, Katie and Claire, with actress Amy Wright.
Former AP Entertainment Writer Bob Thomas in Los Angeles compiled this report before his death in 2014.
"Never think you're better than anyone else, but don't let anyone treat you like you're worse than they are." Rest in peace, Rip Torn, an unapologetic maverick and gifted actor whose singular presence on screens big and small was always welcome. pic.twitter.com/BnQEwzuFgz
— Tribeca (@Tribeca) July 10, 2019
Video: Court Docs: De Pere man repeatedly beat, drugged 14-year-old Wausau girl
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The impact homelessness and the opioid crisis are having on San Francisco streets
Outside the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in downtown San Francisco, a woman urinates on the sidewalk and s...
Posted: Dec 31, 2018 11:21 AM
Updated: Dec 31, 2018 11:21 AM
Outside the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in downtown San Francisco, a woman urinates on the sidewalk and smokes a crack pipe.
Inside her purse are about a dozen used heroin needles. She shoots heroin up to 10 times per day, she says.
Drugs and society
Political Figures - US
Social and economic status
Southwestern United States
Epidemics and outbreaks
Pharmaceuticals and prescription drugs
About 50 yards away, a man injects another woman in the neck with a needle. She puts her thumb in her mouth and blows on it to make her vein more visible. Her right arm is caked with dried blood.
This San Francisco neighborhood is home to the headquarters of Uber, Twitter and Salesforce. But stroll around here, and you're also likely to find used drug paraphernalia, trash, and human excrement on the sidewalks, and people lying in various states of consciousness.
Public drug usage and homelessness are not new problems for the city of San Francisco. But residents say the situation has gotten worse in recent years. As of October, 7,500 complaints about discarded needles have been made this year, compared with 6,363 last year. In 2015, the number was less than 3,000.
It's moved some locals -- so-called "video vigilantes" -- to document the mess they see, in an attempt to get the city's attention.
Adam Mesnick, a restaurateur who lives and works in the South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, started posting daily photos and videos of people using drugs in public, urinating near his restaurant, or lying passed out on the sidewalk.
"More mrsa and staph on the streets of San Francisco," Mesnick wrote in one post, accompanied by photos of angry sores on people's backs, hands and legs.
One photo shows a man planted face down on the sidewalk, his shorts pulled down exposing his rear. In another, human feces lies nestled in front of a doorway. In a video apparently taken from inside Mesnick's restaurant, a man can be seen urinating in a doorway across the street.
Mesnick isn't trying to shame homeless people with his Twitter posts, he says, but "to actually find help for these people." He's been giving leftover food from his restaurant to the homeless for the past ten years, he said.
Over the past five or six years, Mesnick says, visible homelessness and drug use on the streets have seemed to spread from areas of San Francisco where they were once concentrated, like the Tenderloin.
"It's like third world squalor," Mesnick said. "I'm a small business (owner) trying to exist, and basically surrounded by decay that continues to get worse and worse and worse."
Others fear that the situation will impact tourism. "If we can't find a solution to this problem," said Joe D'Alessandro, CEO of the San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau, "it will tarnish the city's brand."
Another longtime resident tweets about the state of the neighborhood using the handle @cleanupwestsoma. He asked to remain anonymous because his friends don't know he runs the account, and says he's lived in San Francisco for 21 years, 12 of them in SoMa.
"I post as I go to work. I'll sometimes come home from lunch and see a giant drug deal going on," he said. "I'll leave and go back to work and see someone going to the bathroom in the street. It blows me away that this continues to happen in the city."
Mesnick and @cleanupwestsoma want to send a message to city officials about what's happening in their neighborhoods. They often tweet at San Francisco Mayor London Breed, who took office in a special election in July after the death of Mayor Ed Lee.
"You know what? I already had the message, as a native San Franciscan, as someone who's been here all my life," Breed told CNN. "It isn't acceptable."
Breed, 44, made tackling homelessness and drug addiction a signature of her campaign platform. She says the city has been making changes since she took office, and that they're slowly starting to have an impact. "It's not an unsolvable problem," she said.
Last week, the mayor announced a detailed plan to direct a $181 million cash windfall the city received from the state to homelessness, affordable housing and related problems. The proposal includes nearly $20 million to be spent on beds for patients who have addiction and mental health problems. An additional $4 million would go toward expanding street cleaning.
And Breed says visible progress has already been made.
"If you walk with me right now, you will see the difference," she said. "You'll see more police officers. You'll see the homeless outreach team. You'll see people power-washing on a regular basis and picking up trash." Tent encampments are down by 27% since she took office, she said.
Kevin Schwing, who works in SoMa, said that despite the city's efforts, he doesn't see a change in the numbers of people on the streets.
"I don't really know what the city can do," he said. "The city cleans up sidewalks every day. But I don't see any difference in terms of the amount of people."
"I see human waste. Injections. Probably 10 times per day," he said. "Sometimes people look like they're dead."
Breed says the city is cracking down on drug dealing, and aims to open at least 1,000 new shelter beds by the end of 2020.
And she's looking at new ways to approach these entrenched problems, she says. Breed supports safe injection sites -- facilities where people can inject heroin in a private setting and under the supervision of health care workers. The sites would "not only be a way to get people off the streets and get the needles off the streets, but to get people into treatment," Breed said. California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed legislation earlier this year that would have allowed safe injection sites in the state.
She also supports conservatorship programs for the severely mentally ill, which would allow the state to "make decisions for them in order to place them into mental health stabilization beds, instead of our criminal justice system." Gov. Brown recently signed a bill that would allow such action to take place.
Breed says she hopes the "video vigilantes" tag 311, the city's non-emergency complaint service center, in their posts. The information they're putting out helps the city address challenges in specific neighborhoods, she said.
The city's Department of Public Health recently partnered with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, essentially hiring contract workers to fan the streets and collect used needles.
Crisis intervention teams have also stepped up their efforts to provide addicts with the drug buprenorphine, a narcotic to help reduce a person's addiction to heroin and other opioids.
"We go to people that are using drugs and offer them treatment instead of the traditional model which has people coming into a clinic," said Dr. Naveena Bobba, the department's deputy director of health.
The city has also launched the so-called "poop patrol," a team that responds to complaints of feces on city streets.
SoMa resident Alesia Panajota said she sees an impact. "They're doing the best they can," she said. "I think things are getting better under London Breed."
San Francisco may also see an influx of cash to help solve the crisis, after a controversial ballot measure passed in November. Known as "Prop C," the measure is viewed as a "homeless tax" -- it aims to raise $300 million a year to spend on homeless services by taxing big businesses.
Salesforce Chairman and Co-CEO Marc Benioff spent at least $7 million of his own money to help ensure Prop C's passage. "We have to say enough is enough," he recently told CNN.
But legal challenges could prevent the city from receiving the funds for several years.
In the meantime, Mesnick keeps posting. He recently put up a video interview with a homeless man talking about how difficult it is to find a place to go to the bathroom after dark.
"Help this guy," Mesnick wrote. "Keep the restrooms open at night? Perhaps we change usage of our space and make it a bathroom share? Better than on our front stoop..."
"We are in a severe epidemic here," he told CNN. "My angle may seem to be a little rough around the edges, but it's really about compassion."
See the opioid crisis plaguing San Francisco
Inside the battle over San Francisco's homeless tax
San Francisco voters approve homeless tax on businesses
Upscale San Francisco street will go back to homeowners
Opioid Crisis Fast Facts
Coyote Captured On San Francisco Roof
Tech CEOs Dorsey and Benioff face-off over San Francisco homeless tax
San Francisco Homeless Man Helps Save Gas Station Clerk From Strangler
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Tropical Storm Michael Headed Into the Gulf of Mexico
Dr. Jeff Masters · October 7, 2018, 1:56 PM EDT
Above: GOES-16 image of Tropical Storm Michael at 1:35 pm EDT October 7, 2018. Image credit: Levi Cowan, tropicaltidbits.com.
Updated as of 9 pm EDT Sunday: Tropical Storm Michael is headed northward over the warm waters of the Western Caribbean, and is expected to make landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast between Alabama and the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday, most likely as a Category 2 hurricane. An Air Force hurricane hunter airplane arrived in the storm Sunday afternoon found surface winds of 60 mph and a central pressure of 997 mb by the end of their flight.
Satellite images on Sunday afternoon showed that Michael was sloppily organized, with an elliptical low-level center of circulation that was partially exposed to view. The system did have an impressive area of very heavy thunderstorms, with cloud tops that were as cold as -80°C. Cloud tops this cold can only occur if the updrafts pushing them upwards are very vigorous. The thunderstorms were not well organized, though, with a clumpy appearance, although more low-level spiral banding was developing. Michael was under a moderately high 20 knots of wind shear, due to strong upper-level winds out of the west from an upper-level trough of low pressure. Michael was embedded in a moist atmosphere with a mid-level relative humidity of 70%, and was over very warm waters of 29.5°C (85°F). These warm waters extended quite deep, and had a very high heat content.
Michael was bringing heavy rains to western Cuba, as seen on Cuban radar. NHC was calling for total rainfall amounts of 3 – 7” over western Cuba, with isolated totals of 12”. Lower rainfall amounts of 2 – 4” were predicted for the Florida Keys and Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.
Michael is embedded on the north side of a large area of surface low pressure called a Central American Gyre, which is straddling Central America. The counter-clockwise flow of air around this low has brought a moist flow of Pacific air inland over Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, bringing 48-hour rainfall amounts in excess of 10” to portions of those nations. This low will continue to bring heavy rains to portions of the Pacific coasts of El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras through Monday, bringing dangerous flash flooding and mudslides. Over 2700 people were in shelters in Costa Rica due to flooding, and over 1000 in Nicaragua.
[#TweetForScientists] Landfall point for #TD14 (future #Michael) is coupled to forward speed. As Rockies trough lifts northeastward, east coast ridge weakens and flow over GOM becomes more southwesterly. If Michael slower, this gives opportunity for right turn before landfall. pic.twitter.com/ttaNHt0Q1x
— Levi Cowan (@TropicalTidbits) October 7, 2018
Track forecast for Michael: Florida Panhandle at highest risk
There is fairly high model consensus on the general track of Michael, but some important details are yet to be resolved. Michael will be shuttled north to northeast between a summerlike ridge of high pressure along the U.S. East Coast and a seasonally strong trough across the West. The flow between the two features is pulling large amount of moisture across the Great Plains, where a corridor of heavy rain will drop 5” – 10” from Texas to Michigan early this week (a rainfall event that may be just as heavy and impactful as the rains from Michael).
The eastern ridge will be gradually weakening into midweek as the western trough moves into the heart of the country. Together, these features will pull Michael northward, then northeastward. With this steering, Michael will reach the central Gulf Coast by midweek and then head back off the Southeast or mid-Atlantic coast by late week; it’s possible that Michael will drop 1” – 3” of unwanted rain across parts of South and North Carolina that were inundated by Hurricane Florence last month. Similar amounts could fall from the mid-Atlantic toward southern New England, depending on exactly how Michael tracks.
Here’s the diagnosis from several of our top track models:
—The last several runs of the GFS model (though 12Z Sunday) brought Michael to the western Florida Panhandle coast on Wednesday, across the central Carolinas on Thursday, and off the mid-Atlantic coast by Thursday night.
—The experimental FV3-GFS model’s track is similar but a bit further to the northwest.
—Sunday's 0Z and 12Z runs of the European model agreed on a western FL landfall, but not until Wednesday night or Thursday morning. The slower Euro solution also takes Michael on a more southerly inland track that would roll along or near the Carolina coast late Thursday into Friday and off the Outer Banks by late Friday.
—Sunday’s 0Z and 12Z UKMET tracks were similar to the Euro’s. The 12Z UKMET and Euro model runs were concerning, as they showed the potential for Michael to emerge over water off the coast of South Carolina. Michael thus has the potential to affect a large portion of the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina as a strong tropical storm or Catgeory 1 hurricane.
In general, the track solutions for the central Gulf Coast are close enough that they all fall comfortably within the NHC forecast cone, more so than usual for a prediction three days out. Michael’s greatest landfall impacts are likely to be along the Florida Panhandle coast, although residents of the Mississippi and Alabama coasts should remain on guard for now. Timing is a somewhat bigger uncertainty: Michael could make landfall as early as Wednesday morning (as predicted by NHC) or as late as Thursday morning. With this in mind, preparations should be completed on Monday wherever possible.
Figure 1. Ocean Heat Content (OHC) levels in the Gulf of Mexico for October 6, 2018. Michael is predicted to pass over a cool eddy with low heat content on Monday night after it passes through the Yucatan Channel between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula. But on Tuesday, Michael’s center will pass just to the east of a warm Loop Current eddy with high heat content, and if the system is well organized when it passes over the warm eddy, rapid intensification is possible. Image credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science
Intensity forecast: a Cat 2 at landfall
The main impediment to intensification will be wind shear. An upper-level trough of low pressure was bringing 20 knots of shear to Michael Sunday afternoon. This trough is forecast to weaken to pull to the west, allowing shear to drop to 10 – 20 knots on Monday – Wednesday as the strongest upper-level winds arc around Michael's north side. Shear of this magnitude and type should allow at least steady strengthening, and possibly rapid intensification. The 0Z Monday run of the SHIPS model gave a 23% chance that Michael would intensity into a 130 mph Category 4 hurricane by Wednesday night. However, the model's most likely intensity estimate was for a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds at that time. The 18Z Sunday run of our top intensity model from 2017, the HWRF model, predicted landfall on Wednesday morning as a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph winds. Our other two top intensity models, the HMON and LGEM, were more restrained, predicting that Michael would make landfall as a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds.
Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are between 29 - 30°C (84 - 86°F) across the northwest Caribbean and eastern Gulf, which is 1 - 2°C (2 - 4°F) above average for this time of year. Until Monday morning, Michael will be over waters in the Northwest Caribbean. These waters have some of the highest heat content of anywhere in the North Atlantic, since very warm water extends to a great depth. However, Michael is predicted to pass over a cool eddy with low heat content on Monday night after it passes through the Yucatan Channel between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula. But on Tuesday, Michael’s center will pass just to the east of a warm Loop Current eddy with high heat content, and if the system is well organized when it passes over the warm eddy, rapid intensification is possible. Even though it is early October, no cold fronts have yet chilled the waters near the central Gulf Coast, so very warm surface waters are in place to support Michael right up to landfall. Bottom line: expect Michael to be a Category 2 hurricane at landfall, with at least a 20% chance of being a Category 3.
Figure 2. Maximum of the "Maximum Envelope of Waters" (MOM) storm tide images for a composite maximum surge for a large suite of possible mid-strength Category 2 hurricanes (sustained winds of 105 mph) hitting at high tide along the Florida Panhandle. What’s plotted here is the storm tide--the height above ground of the storm surge, plus an additional rise in case the storm hits at high tide. Empty brownish grid cells with no coloration show where no inundation is computed to occur. Inundation of 8 – 19’ can occur in a worst-case scenario along most of the coast. Note that not all sections of the coast will experience this surge level simultaneously; the peak values would occur near and to the right of the storm's center where it makes landfall. These images were created using the National Hurricane Center’s Sea, Lake, and Overland Surge from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model. See our storm surge inundation maps for the U.S. coast for more information.
Expect a maximum storm surge of 8 – 19’ for a Cat 2 in the Florida Panhandle
Persistent onshore winds had already created a storm surge of around 1 foot along much of the Gulf Coast from Southeast Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle on Sunday afternoon, as seen using our wundermap with the “Storm Surge” layer turned on. When the center of Michael crosses into the Gulf of Mexico on Monday afternoon, we are likely to see a rise of an additional 0.5 – 1.0 feet, as typically happens when a big storm barges into the large bathtub that we call the Gulf of Mexico.
There are very shallow waters along the coast where Michael is expected to make landfall, where the continental shelf extends out about 70 – 90 miles from shore. The winds from the storm will thus be able to pile up a large storm surge along the east side of the storm’s center. When this surge rides ashore at landfall, the water may reach heights of 8 – 19 feet above ground, assuming that Michael will be a Category 2 hurricane with 105 mph winds and hits at high tide. This is a worst-case scenario; a lower storm tide is more likely, particularly if the storm hits at low tide. The 5 pm EDT Sunday official NHC forecast had Michael hitting with winds 5 mph weaker: 100 mph. The highest storm surge vulnerability is in Florida’s Apalachee Bay, where the Florida Panhandle joins with the Florida Peninsula, since the concave-shaped coast there acts to concentrate storm surge.
High tide is between 12:30 – 1 am on Wednesday and Thursday at Pensacola, FL. There is only one high tide per day in the Gulf, and the difference between high tide and low tide is just over one foot. The high tides in the Gulf this week will not be increased by the fact that the new moon occurs on Monday. This is unlike the situation along the Southeast U.S. coast, where the new moon will bring the king tides—some of the highest tides of the year. Because of the king tides and the onshore flow of air affecting the Southeast U.S. coast from Michael, we are likely to see moderate coastal flooding in Charleston, SC during high tide Monday through Wednesday.
Bob Henson co-wrote this post.
Dr. Jeff Masters co-founded Weather Underground in 1995, and flew with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 1986-1990.
jeff.masters@weather.com
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Dr. Roni Mann
Udo Borchert
roni.mann [at] barenboimsaid.de
Ehemalige Mitarbeiterin des
Ehemalige Mitarbeiterin der Forschungsprofessur
Legal, Social and Political Theory | Global Financial Regulation | History of Economic Thought
Since 2015 Director of Humanities and Professor of Philosophy and Social Thought, Barenboim-Said Akademie Berlin
2012 - 2015 Research fellow of the research professorship "Rule of Law in the Age of Globalization", WZB Berlin Social Science Center Berlin 2004 - 2011 Harvard Law School, S.J.D. Program Dissertation title: “Financial Regulation and the Leverage Argument: an intellectual history".
2009 - 2010 Dissertation Fellow, Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Harvard University, Project on Justice, Welfare and Economics
2005 - 2008 Teaching Fellowships: Harvard Law School, Byse Fellow, “Law and Economics as Normative Theory” (Fall 2008) Harvard University Committee of Degrees in Social Studies, Tutor, “Introduction to Social Theory” (Fall 2007 - Spring 2008) Harvard College, Teaching Fellow, “Justice” (Prof. Michael Sandel, Fall 2008); “American Constitutional History” (Prof. Morton Horwitz, Fall 2005) Kennedy School of Government, Teaching Fellow, “Ethics in Public Life” (Prof. Kenneth Winston, Fall 2006)
2003 - 2004 Harvard Law School, LL.M. Thesis title: "The Liberalisms of Rawls and J.S. Mill: A dialogue on how to argue for liberty". 2001 – 2003 Legal clerk and associate, Herzog, Fox & Neeman (Tel Aviv); Israel Bar Exam
1998 - 2001 Cambridge University, LL.B.
Mann, Roni/Hübner Mendes, Conrado (2015): "What Judges Don't Say. Judicial Strategy and Constitutional Theory". In: WZB Report, Vol. 2015, S. 21-24.
Mann, Roni/Hübner Mendes, Conrado (2014): "Worüber Richter schweigen. Strategie und Theorie in der Verfassungsgerichtsbarkeit". In: WZB-Mitteilungen, H. 146, S. 40-43.
Mann, Roni (2012): "The Regulatory Road not Taken. The Proposed Financial Transaction Tax in a Historical Context". In: WZB-Mitteilungen, No. 137, S. 13-16.
Mann, Roni (2012): "The Regulatory Road not Taken. The Proposed Financial Transaction Tax". In: WZB Reports, No. 1/Winter 2012/13, S. 12-15. (Zuerst publiziert in: WZB-Mitteilungen, H. 137/September 2012)
Dr. Roni Mann has joined the Barenboim-Said Akademie as Professor of Philosophy and Political Theory.
Website at the Barenboim-Said Akademie
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Spotify Coming to PS4 and PS3, Music Unlimited Closing in March 2015
January 28th, 2015 / Niraj Shah / News
Sony has announced that it has partnered with Spotify to bring its digital music service to the PlayStation Network this spring, and will be launching in 41 markets around the world. The new app will be called Spotify on PlayStation Music and will give you access to Spotify’s 30 million song catalogue. The app will also be usable during gameplay, letting you soundtrack your gaming sessions.
The new service will launch initially on PS4 and PS3, as well as Xperia smartphones and tablets. You’ll of course be able to listen to your favorite playlists – including existing playlists from current Spotify users as well as Spotify curated playlists – and enjoy the service on all of Spotify’s supported devices.
Prior to the launch of Spotify on PlayStation Music, the Music Unlimited service will close in all 19 countries on 29th March 2015. Nearly all of these countries will be among the 41 markets where PlayStation Music featuring Spotify will be available at launch, including the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy. From 28th February 2015, Music Unlimited users with active subscriptions will receive free access to Music Unlimited until it closes on 29th March 2015.
Music, PS3, PS4, Spotify
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Home/ Artists/ Pictorialism / Robert Demachy
Born: July 7, 1859; Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Paris, France
Died: December 29, 1936; Hennequeville, Normandy, France
Art Movement: Pictorialism
Genre: photo
Field: photography
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Demachy
Поделиться: Wikipedia article
Robert Demachy (1859–1936) was a prominent French Pictorial photographer of the late 19th and early 20th century. He is best known for his intensely manipulated prints that display a distinct painterly quality.
Léon-Robert Demachy was born in the home of his grandmother in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, on the outskirts of Paris, on 7 July 1859. His parents, Charles Adolphe Demachy (1818–1888) and Zoé Girod de l’Ain (1827–1916), had two other sons, Charles Amédée (1852–1911) and Adrien Édouard (1854–1927), and a daughter, Germaine (1856-1940?). The elder Charles had started the highly successful financial enterprise of Banque Demachy, and by the time Demachy was born the family was very wealthy. He had no need to earn a living, and there is no record of his having ever been employed anywhere. He dropped the first part of his name in his childhood and was always known as "Robert".
After his birth his family returned to their mansion at 13 Rue François Premier in Paris, where Demachy continued to live for the next fifty years. His early years were quite idyllic, and each year his family would spend several months at their summer villa near Villers-sur-Mer in Normandy. The rest of the year he was educated in Jesuit schools in Paris, and he became fluent in English by the time he was a teenager. His education also included extensive musical lessons, and he became an accomplished violin player.
About 1870, Demachy, his mother and his siblings left Paris for Brussels due to the increasing dangers of the Franco-Prussian War. His father stayed in Paris as part of the Commune and the Banque Demachy played an important role in financing the resistance efforts.
When he turned eighteen Demachy briefly served a year as an army volunteer, but he soon returned to his life of comfort. In the mid-1870s he began frequenting the artists’ cafés and, perhaps in rebellion to his gentrified life, he became involved in the growing bohemian culture that was beginning to take hold in Paris. He began making sketches of café patrons and people on the street, a practice he continued throughout his life.
Sometime in the late 1870s he began experimenting with photography. It’s not known what or who influenced him to become involved, but he could devote as much time and money to this endeavor as he wanted and he quickly became highly proficient with a camera. For the next thirty years he devoted all of his time to both taking photographs and writing extensively about photography.
In 1882 Demachy was elected to the Société française de photographie, where he interacted with some of the leading photographers in Europe. Within a few years he became frustrated with the conservative views of many of the photographers around him, and in 1888 he joined with Maurice Bucquet to form the new Photo-Club de Paris. The members of the Photo-Club advocated the aesthetics of Pictorialist photography, and soon the Photo-Club was playing a similar role in France as that of the Photo-Secession in the U.S.
In 1889, while visiting the Exposition Universelle in Paris, he met a young woman from Detroit, Michigan, named Julia Adelia Delano. Adelia, as she was called, was a member of the important Delano family in America and a distant relative of future American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Little is known about their courtship, but on 2 May 1893 Robert and Adelia were married in Paris. They lived in the family mansion on Rue François Premier. Their first son, Robert-Charles, was born in 1894, followed by son Jacques François in 1898. Jacques later became a very well known fashion illustrator
This is a part of the Wikipedia article used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Unported License (CC-BY-SA). The full text of the article is here →
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Demachy
Female nude draped in a blue veil Robert Demachy 1907
Touques Valley Robert Demachy 1906
Study Robert Demachy 1906
Behind the Scenes Robert Demachy 1906
A Model Robert Demachy 1906
Struggle Robert Demachy 1904
Speed Robert Demachy 1904
Severity Robert Demachy 1904
In Brittany Robert Demachy 1904
Behind the Scenes of the Opera Robert Demachy ?
Hedgerow Under the Snow, Villiers Robert Demachy ?
Jack and His Dog Robert Demachy ?
Jack, 8 Years Old Robert Demachy ?
Le Pont des Arts Robert Demachy ?
Madeleine Robert Demachy ?
Miss S Robert Demachy ?
Study Robert Demachy ?
Three Trees in a Snowy Landscape Robert Demachy ?
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This Four-Time Grammy Winner Brings His Latest Album to Atlanta
If you thought Lenny Kravitz was done making music, guess again. The rocker will kick off his fall tour honoring his new release, Raise Vibration, here in Atlanta on September 21st. Support comes from Curtis Harding on select dates.
Lenny Kravitz is a rock and soul singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and actor from New York. Known for his unique blend of just about every music genre including rock, soul, reggae, psychedelic rock, R’n’B and ballads, Lenny Kravitz is a multi-talented artist whose craft has been perfected since 1978 (when he was just 14 years old). His penchant for producing music that spans a plethora of genres and cultures could be attributed to his multi-cultured heritage (his mother is of Afro-American and Afro-Bahamian descent and his father is from a Russian-Jewish family originating from Ukraine). Then again, it could simply be down to growing up on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York, with his parents taking him to concerts form an early age.
He has been nominated for and won awards from the likes of BRIT Awards, American Music Awards and MTV Video Music Awards. Since 2011, Kravitz has also been an Officer of the Odre des Arts et des Lettres in France. Kravitz also won the Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance for four consecutive years (1998-2002), which broke the record for most wins in that category and most consecutive wins in one category by a male artist.
Raise Vibration (September 2018) is the newest release from the distinguished musician. Kravitz will perform a catalogue of hits old and new in support of the new release at his show on Friday, September 21st, at State Bank Amphitheatre. Tickets are now available for purchase.
Even though Windward Place Apartments in Alpharetta, Georgia provides you with all of the comfort, convenience, and entertainment you could possibly desire, we encourage our residents to venture outside of our apartment community and explore all that the city has to offer!
Friday, September 21, 2018 - 8:00 PM
State Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park
4469 Stella Drive North West
Alpharetta Concert
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Arts & SciencesArt & Art History
Professor connects ancient Chinese landscapes, art objects to now
Landscape study: Xin Conan-Wu. associate professor of art and art history at William & Mary, studying a Song dynasty scroll of landscape in storage at the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery of Art in Washington. Photo courtesy of Xin Conan-Wu
Andrews Gallery
Support Art & Art History
by Jennifer L. Williams | October 4, 2018
Past informs present, even an antique art object or the landscape of a long-defunct academy, Xin Conan-Wu would like her students to remember.
This idea pervades her research and even more so her teaching.
Conan-Wu, associate professor of art and art history at William & Mary, has been moving back and forth between the two a lot. She spent the 2016-17 academic year doing research on a Kluge Fellowship at the John W. Kluge Center of the Library of Congress, the spring of this year on the same project and will continue the research next spring on the last leg of her research leave.
This fall she is teaching a new COLL 200 survey course on the history of Asian art that covers South, Southeast and East Asia, primarily from India to China, Korea and Japan, as well as a higher-level course on modern and contemporary Chinese art from the late 19th century to the present.
Conan-Wu values students’ personal engagement with artworks and wants them to discover through personal reflection how art can be relevant for them, she said. This goes beyond reproducing her judgment, either aesthetic or otherwise.
One assignment she designed asks students to write about an aspect of the course material probing at the most unfamiliar. She asked them, for example, to write a letter to a fictional friend explaining why Neolithic Chinese jade or pottery is a work of art.
This projective technique enables students to distance themselves from applying contemporary notions to ancient people’s practices and judgments and to creatively explore the objects’ deeper meanings, artists’ motivations and users’ responses from an art-historical view, she said.
“We try to make students understand that there’s a historical perspective about the artwork and to see the creation of art as part of human development, as part of our history and our culture,” Conan-Wu said.
Her current research is a book project examining the role of landscape in the pedagogy of Confucian academies in 12th-century China. It describes the ancient philosophical schools where Neo-Confucianism formed, just before it became the source of interpretation demanded at the imperial exams for the recruitment of scholar officials, and later the official ideology of the empire until the very beginning of the 20th century.
It is well known among scholars that this pedagogy demanded a thorough study of classical texts. But it is not at all recognized, even in China, that a fundamental Neo-Confucian principle recommended investigating all things under heaven and Earth, even a blade of grass, to understand how it contributed to the harmony of the cosmos, Conan-Wu said. This was a slow cumulative task that was a prerequisite for reaching complete wisdom, and thus to be able to pass intuitive judgment on any event or topic of government without ever being wrong.
Research has included field studies in her native China and archival work at the Library of Congress and around the world. Conan-Wu plans to have a first draft of her manuscript complete next summer.
The idea of landscape includes gardens, wilderness, planting and architecture, and all the cultural significations that were attached to space, she said. This landscape was a symbol of the timeless presence of the community of Confucian sages, not a symbolic representation. Thus its contemplation led to immersion and Confucian reflexivity that made it part of the learning process.
“Being there was a way of engaging with the longer history of a larger culture,” Conan-Wu said. “Your body was being there. So it was a different way of learning as opposed to just reading books in the library.
“So that’s how the landscape part was tied together with pedagogy and memory, how students were making use of that cultural construction of landscape, which is at complete variance with ours, separating time and space, aesthetics and ethics. The time spent in the landscape could erase centuries and lead to dialogue with the ancients and the sages, as the classical arts did for European nobilities in the age of humanism.”
This may seem extremely specialized and out-of-touch with the present world. Yet, landscape, she said, allows her to branch out from there and connect the historical to the contemporary. Even for a superficial observer, it is manifest that landscape architecture in the U.S., Europe and China has been engaged in ethical debates about the relationships between humans and nature, the ancient Chinese said between humans and the cosmos, Conan-Wu said. They are much closer than it would seem at first sight.
“For students, it’s a very important experience to be exposed to a longer history and a bigger world,” she said. “Then also in my own experience, I always think comparative studies are very useful. It’s never enough to put things side by side, but we can learn much when we try to understand both differences and similarities together.”
Research at W&M
A research university holds a myriad of projects and relationships — large, small and in-between. Like these...
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Visualizing a Global Shift in Wealth Over 10 Years
The world has now accumulated $215 trillion in private wealth, a 12% increase over 2017, according to the latest report by market research company New World Wealth.
This number today includes wealth held by the general population, as well as the 15.2M millionaires ($1M+ in assets), 584,000 multi-millionaires ($10M+ in assets), and 2,252 billionaires ($1B+ in assets) in the world.
But the picture of global wealth hasn’t always been constant – in fact, it’s always shifting based on market performance, the movement of high net worth individuals (HNWIs), demographic trends, and other factors.
Top Countries Adding Wealth
Over the last decade, from 2007 to 2017, here are the top countries based on percentage of new wealth added (in $USD terms):
Wealth Growth (2007-2017)
#1 Vietnam 210%
#2 China 198%
#3 Mauritius 195%
#4 Ethiopia 190%
#5 India 160%
#6 Sri Lanka 133%
#7 Panama 125%
#8 Uruguay 117%
#9 Malta 95%
#10 Indonesia 92%
Not surprisingly, plenty of developing markets made this list.
Vietnam, which had a 210% growth in wealth held over the last decade, is an emerging manufacturing hub. The market is projected by New World Wealth to grow a further 200% in the next 10 years, bolstered by strong growth in its local healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services sectors.
The small island nation of Mauritius is one of Africa’s brightest success stories, with a 195% growth in wealth over the last 10 years. With favorable tax policies, beautiful beaches, and better relative safety ratings, HNWIs have been moving to the island en masse.
Just missing the Top 10 list above are two developed economies: New Zealand and Australia. Interestingly, these two markets grew in wealth 90% and 83% respectively over the last decade, which is extremely impressive for countries that already had a solid base of wealth to start with.
Countries That Lost Wealth
Here are the markets that saw total wealth decrease over the last 10 years, in terms of U.S. dollars.
#1 Venezuela -48%
#2 Greece -37%
#3 Italy -19%
#4 Spain -19%
#5 Norway -17%
#6 Portugal -13%
#7 Netherlands -12%
#8 France -11%
#9 Finland -11%
#10 Egypt -10%
The crisis in Venezuela had a particularly rough impact on wealth. The country, which was once the richest in South America, lost 48% of its wealth in $USD terms over the last decade.
It’s also worth mentioning that many of the countries that saw wealth decrease over this time period are European – that’s because the 2008 financial crisis (and the ensuing sovereign debt crisis) hit Europe particularly hard.
Greece bore the brunt of this impact, losing 37% of its wealth in the 2007-2017 period.
Related Topics:assetscountriesmarketsmoneyshiftwealth
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Trump’s Relationship with the Price of Oil
What goes through the head of a U.S. president? The tweets of U.S. President Donald Trump reveal a contentious relationship with the price of oil and OPEC.
Nicholas LePan
Visualizing Trump’s Relationship with the Price of Oil
What goes through the head of a U.S. president?
That is a question that both voters and leaders alike would love to know the answer to. As it stands, scores of pundits and analysts already dissect everything from the choice of a tie, to whom a leader sits next to at a state dinner, to glean the potential direction of government policy.
Financial markets rely on the accurate interpretation of government policy to guide investment decisions. But what happens when you’re faced with a world leader who broadcasts his unfiltered thoughts instantaneously and globally? It’s sure to stir up international attention.
This week’s chart is inspired by work done by John Kemp, an energy reporter for Reuters. Kemp tracked all instances of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tweets mentioning oil and OPEC, against the shifting price of oil.
Where’s Your Head At?
U.S. President Donald Trump has actively worked to tie the success of his administration to the fortune of the economy and stock market.
If the economy does well, Trump hopes cheap gas at the pump will help translate into votes at the ballot box in 2020.
The key to keeping the economy growing is access to cheap energy, and oil is the critical commodity that’ll keep a fragile economy on the road. This is a line of thinking that can be seen throughout Trump’s tweets on the subject.
Tracking Trump’s Tweets
This week’s chart tracks President Donald Trump’s tweets from April 2018 to March 2019 that mention oil and OPEC.
Pre-Sanctions
The tweets start five months before the deadline of sanctions on Iran. During this timeframe, speculation that Trump would place sanctions on the oil-producing nation drove up the price with the prospect of a restricted supply of oil and increased tensions in the Middle East.
Despite the implications of U.S.-imposed sanctions, Trump squarely put the blame on OPEC for this period of rising oil prices. Tweets such as “OPEC is at it again. Not Good!” or “The OPEC monopoly must get price down now!” can be seen in this period.
Whether these tweets had any influence on oil producers is unclear, but they certainly outline a policy preference for cheap oil and a general animosity towards OPEC.
Post-Sanctions
On Nov. 4, 2018, Trump did impose sanctions but excluded Iranian oil exports, deflating a speculative bubble around the price of oil, and the president’s ire towards the region.
In the aftermath of sanctions, repeated news of record oil production and growing energy independence in the U.S. helped drive the price of oil back down. Though the president’s mood lightened, he still persisted in his accusations of OPEC manipulating the price.
Hopefully OPEC will be keeping oil flows as is, not restricted. The World does not want to see, or need, higher oil prices!
Prices continued to fall, plummeting to nearly $50 per barrel by the end of 2018. Cheap oil is a direct threat to the profits of OPEC nations, but higher prices can create an array of challenges for the U.S. economy.
So despite a U.S. alliance with Saudi Arabia, this is a natural tension baked into the relationship.
We protect the countries of the Middle East, they would not be safe for very long without us, and yet they continue to push for higher and higher oil prices! We will remember. The OPEC monopoly must get prices down now!
So, what would a U.S. foreign policy look like without dependence on the Middle East?
The Middle East has had a considerable influence on U.S. foreign policy since the harsh lessons of 1970s energy crisis. Multiple wars of intervention to protect Saudi oil interests—and in turn, ensuring continued American access to oil—have ravished the region and led to a state of dysfunction and constant tension.
However, with the recent declaration of American energy independence, this relationship may change with a renewed prospect for peace. Trump may work to further undermine the power of OPEC to control oil prices, as well as the Middle East’s influence on U.S. foreign policy.
American energy independence is already challenging established relationships around the world. For example, Ukraine just recently accepted its first shipment of American oil in a move to counter Russia’s influence in the region.
Diplomacy by Twitter has yet to prove to be an effective bridge in sustaining good international relations. That said, charting the tweets of world leaders is a unique way to interpret government policy and energy economics in this new era of social media.
It seems that the next time you want to know what is going through a leader’s head, you can simply try checking their tweets.
These 10 countries hold 74% of the world’s $204 trillion in private wealth. How will this wealth of nations change over the next decade?
Just as there exists a longstanding inequality in the distribution of household wealth, so exists a considerable differential in the amount of wealth held by countries on the international stage.
Simply put, some nations are “haves”, while many others are “have-nots”.
“Wherever there is great property, there is great inequality.”
– Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations
Ranking Riches
We previously showed you how the ranking of the richest countries in the world has changed over the course of the last 10 years (2008-2018).
Today’s chart keys on a slightly different question.
What are the wealthiest nations today, both in absolute and per capita terms, and how is this list projected to change over the next decade? Let’s see how the wealth of nations stack up.
Private Wealth: Now and in the Future
Using data from the Global Wealth Migration Review, here are the 10 wealthiest nations both now and as forecasted in 2028.
Wealth (2018)
Wealth (2028F)
Approx. Growth
#1 🇺🇸 United States $60.7 trillion $72.8 trillion 20%
#2 🇨🇳 China $23.6 trillion $51.8 trillion 120%
#3 🇯🇵 Japan $19.1 trillion $24.9 trillion 30%
#4 🇮🇳 India $8.1 trillion $22.8 trillion 180%
#5 🇦🇺 Australia $6.0 trillion $10.8 trillion 80%
#6 🇬🇧 United Kingdom $9.1 trillion $10.0 trillion 10%
#7 🇩🇪 Germany $8.8 trillion $9.7 trillion 10%
#8 🇨🇦 Canada $6.0 trillion $7.8 trillion 30%
#9 🇫🇷 France $5.9 trillion $6.4 trillion 10%
#10 🇮🇹 Italy $3.8 trillion $4.2 trillion 10%
It’s worth noting that these figures are meant to represent wealth, which is defined as the total amount of private wealth held by individuals in each country. It includes assets like property, cash, equities, and business interests, minus any liabilities.
China has been the best performing wealth market in the last decade, and these projections show the country as continuing on that track. In fact, both China and India are expected to see triple-digit growth in private wealth between now and 2028.
As far as developed countries go, it’s not surprising that growth rates are much more modest. In Europe, countries like Great Britain, Germany, France, and Italy are only expected to add 10% to private wealth in 10 years, while Canada (30%) and the U.S. (20%) do marginally better.
One notable exception here is Australia, which is expected to add 80% to private wealth over the timeframe – and it will leapfrog both Germany and the U.K. in the rankings in the process.
Wealth per Capita
Here’s a look at the wealth of nations in a different way, this time with numbers adjusted on a per capita basis.
Est. Population
Wealth per capita (2018)
#1 🇲🇨 Monaco 38,695 $2,114,000
#2 🇱🇮 Liechtenstein 37,810 $786,000
#3 🇨🇭 Switzerland 8,420,000 $315,000
#4 🇱🇺 Luxembourg 590,667 $300,000
#5 🇦🇺 Australia 24,600,000 $244,000
#6 🇳🇴 Norway 5,258,000 $198,000
#7 🇺🇸 United States 327,200,000 $186,000
#8 🇸🇬 Singapore 5,612,000 $177,000
#9 🇭🇰 Hong Kong 7,392,000 $169,000
#10 🇨🇦 Canada 36,540,000 $163,000
When using per capita numbers, it’s absolutely no contest.
Monaco, the city-state on the French Riviera, is a money magnet with $2.1 million of private wealth per citizen. This means the average Monacan is at least 10 times richer than the average North American or European.
Liechtenstein, a microstate that sits in the Alps between Switzerland and Austria, also has a high average wealth of $786,000 per person. Like Monaco, its population is well under 50,000 people.
Finally, it’s worth mentioning that three countries on the per capita list also made the overall list. Put another way, the countries of Australia, Canada, and the United States can all claim to be among the wealthiest of nations in both absolute and per capita terms.
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Conduct Together (Switch eShop) Review
by Laura LockwoodDecember 16, 2018
Conduct Together is mayhem and it’s delightful.
The multiplayer train-puzzler from NorthPlay on Switch is an adaptation of the same concept previously released as Conduct This! and Conduct Deluxe on PC, but the developers have said (see in the comments) that the Switch version has been tweaked with co-operative play in mind. And I’m assuming by co-operative play, they mean mayhem because oh boy, does this game have that in spades.
The bus in the centre is being detained for its crimes
Starting up the game throws you directly into a mini-tutorial. You control trains with A, B, X, or Y, to start or stop them – the button you’ll need to use for each train is shown on-screen. You’ll also need to manipulate the tracks, controlled with the directional buttons on the left Joy-Con; this is also shown on-screen. Trains automatically stop at coloured stations and from there, the train will also change colour. Your goal is to move the appropriate train to the station of the same colour and repeat this until you drop off the required number of passengers before time runs out. If you manage to successfully complete the level, you’ll be given a rating out of three stars depending on how long it took you to finish. You can also tell how many stars you’ll get based on the coloured pie chart next to the countdown in the upper-right corner of the screen – red is one star, yellow is two, and green is three. Sounds easy enough, right?
Well, if you don’t manage to complete a level in time, the trains explode like you’re in a 1994 Keanu Reeves film. That’s if you even make it to that point because the trains have a habit of colliding with each other, or with cars, or with larger trains not under your control and exploding. MAYHEM.
Ah, just like Mamma used to make
The levels are not what most people would deem “safe” or “legal” in real-life. Trains have to stop for cars crossing over the tracks, for example. Some levels require you to manipulate the tracks so that other, larger trains not under your control won’t collide with your trains or be sent down the wrong track and make a nuisance of themselves. Sometimes there are multiple stations of the same colour, tunnels that you need to memorise their destination, multiple track changes that need to be made, and so on. There’s a lot going on. On top of that, every now and then another train for you to control will appear midway through the level, causing yet another explosion. The amount of dynamite onboard these trains must’ve been terribly expensive.
The levels are also divided into themed regions, and it keeps things fresh and exciting. There are some cute visual changes between them, and overall the music and the visuals are very charming. Moving between regions requires you to spend coins you earn for successfully completing a level, and once you’ve completed a region with enough stars, you’ll unlock a new train model based on a real-life train! You don’t have to complete a region before you move on and you can replay completed levels to earn more coins, but gosh darn it, once you unlock a cutesy train, you’ll want to try for more.
Make-over of the century (Adaptation of VIRM6 by Willem_90, CC BY-SA 3.0 licence)
This is a game where you’re going to need to be able to laugh at yourself and embrace the deliciousness of your own failure, especially if you’re in the habit of always pressing the wrong buttons like I am. It’s unlikely you’re going to complete a level first-try, so you’re going to see a lot of explosions. I found myself swearing through my bemused laughter a lot so ironically, this might not be a good choice to play on public transport.
There is no dedicated multiplayer mode, per se; you have the option to play the levels solo or grab a friend or three and play together. The game doesn’t make figuring out how to play multiplayer very explicit; I eventually managed to figure out that all you have to do is connect the additional controllers and start up a level as normal. One vertical Joy-Con will control the tracks or the trains, and a Pro Controller can do both. You’ll need to sort out amongst yourselves who is doing what on each level. Some of the levels don’t seem to have quite enough in them for four players, but multiple people controlling the same thing does provide an opportunity for mischief, should you be so inclined.
You can probably guess what happened next
Overall, I had a really good time with Conduct Together. The difficulty of some of the challenges can grate on you if you’ve been playing too long, so short bursts of play is definitely the way to go here. Playing with a friend or two definitely adds the sort of frantic fun that games like Overcooked are known for, and you can pick it up, play for a little bit, put it down for days, and jump back in without much difficulty. The earlier levels are pretty forgiving, but I found the later levels quite challenging on my own, so you might not be able to complete the entire game solo. That being said, it’s nice that you can choose between trying it yourself or roping in friends to help you. There’s enough puzzle variation here to keep things fresh, and it helps that the game is just adorable.
If you’re looking for a new type of mayhem to unleash on your unsuspecting friends, Conduct Together is definitely for you. You could say I’m… all aboard.
+ MAYHEM
+ Levels are a decent challenge
+ Charming design and cute trains!
+ Don’t have to marathon the game to have fun
- Multiplayer set-up unclear
- Some levels don’t have enough complexity for four players
Conduct TOGETHER!, Nintendo Switch, Reviews
Laura Lockwood
RPG fanatic but willing to try most games. Usually obsessing over cats or Dungeons & Dragons.
Conduct TOGETHER!Nintendo SwitchSwitch
Games announced for Switch this week – 26/11 – 2/12
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Do you trust your eyes or ears with Justify?
Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Justify worked out Tuesday with Martín García riding him at Churchill Downs. (Coady Photography)
Were you thinking what I was thinking at the end of Justify’s victory in the Preakness Stakes? His trainer Bob Baffert admitted that he was.
“I was like everybody else after I saw that race,” he said. “I thought, well, maybe this is it. We’re getting to the bottom of this horse. He’s starting to react to all these races.”
But with a Triple Crown bid at hand in next Saturday’s Belmont Stakes, Baffert said that jockey Mike Smith’s post-race assessment continues to resonate with him.
“Mike said he was cruising home,” Baffert said in an interview with VSiN at Santa Anita. “He never did see that horse (Bravazo) on the way outside coming until he passed the wire. He said there was more there. I felt good about that after talking to Mike.”
For bettors, then, it comes down to the eyes vs. the ears. Do you believe what you saw at the end of the Preakness and figure that Justify will not last the extra 550 yards of the Belmont – a feeling burnished by dwindling speed figures? Or do you believe what Baffert and Smith are saying – that the Preakness may have been Justify’s “bounce” race?
“I’m not seeing it that way,” said Johnny Avello, the respected race-book director at the Wynn Las Vegas. “I don’t think there was much in the tank at the end of the race. It didn’t look that way. That doesn’t mean he can’t go on and win the Belmont. I still believe in the Preakness that (Smith) used a lot of horse to hold off Bravazo.”
Avello still makes Justify an 11-10 favorite to win the Belmont and complete the Triple Crown – and 10-13 that he does not.
“The sophisticated players have been betting against Justify to win the Triple Crown,” Avello said. “Anything could happen. If you make the wager now and he doesn’t run, you don’t get your money back. That’s the way it has to be, because if I set the odds and Justify doesn’t run, and you know he’s not going to run, you can certainly bet a couple other horses and get a much more favorable price.”
As he was at the Kentucky Derby, Hofburg is the buzz horse for the Belmont. After finishing a troubled but late-gaining seventh at Churchill Downs, the lightly raced Florida Derby runner-up has shortened from opening odds of 12-1 down to 6-1.
“We have a lot of respect for Justify, and he’s the horse to beat,” Hofburg’s trainer Bill Mott said. “But we can’t let him go around there by himself. We think we’ve got a good horse. We feel like he fits the profile of a horse that could be competitive in the Belmont. He has plenty of stamina, and he keeps coming. We skipped the Preakness, so we hope he’s fresh and ready to go.”
Wood Memorial winner Vino Rosso, well rested after a wide-running ninth in the Derby for three-time Belmont-winning trainer Todd Pletcher, is also gathering some wise-guy steam and has shortened from 11-1 to 6-1. After his late charge to finish second in the Preakness, Bravazo is a steady fourth choice at 7-1. Tenfold comes back from finishing third in the Preakness to be 12-1 for the Belmont.
Avello said he is reluctant to pick one horse that he believes will beat Justify and win the Belmont. “If you’ve been looking at my odds,” he said, “I’ve had horses in, out. One day this horse is out. The next day this horse is in. We’ll see if there’s going to be any new blood for the race.”
Headed into his fifth trip to the Belmont with a live chance for the Triple Crown, Baffert agreed that this group of 3-year-olds is more accomplished than the group that challenged American Pharoah on his way to the drought-ending sweep three years ago.
“This is a tough crop,” he said. “It’s probably the deepest I’ve seen, and everybody keeps waiting for (Justify) to win by 10. These are good horses. It’s not possible.”
Then again, Justify fired an eye-catching bullet with a Tuesday workout at Churchill Downs, clocked at 46 4/5 seconds for a half-mile with a gallop out to five furlongs in 59 4/5.
“He shipped back to Kentucky, and everything’s been really positive,” Baffert said. “He’s been running himself into shape. He’s an elite athlete. I think he really knows that he’s really that good. He’s got that attitude about him.”
(The full interview with Baffert may be heard on the latest Ron Flatter Racing Pod posted at VSiN.com/podcasts.)
Racing notes and opinions
Which horse is the best 3-year-old in the world? Justify is staking his claim, but so is another undefeated albeit lightly raced colt. Saxon Warrior (11-10), trained by Aidan O’Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, will be the heavy favorite in England at 11:30 a.m. EDT Saturday for the 239th running of the $1.13 million Group 1 Investec Derby over 1½ miles on the turf at Epsom. Sired by Deep Impact out of a Galileo broodmare, the winner of last month’s 2000 Guineas is 4-for-4, each at a mile on ground ranging from good to yielding. Young Rascal (8-1) has shown the ability to stay the distance, but this is his first group race for trainer William Haggas. The Aga Khan colt Hazapour (9-1) and the California-bred Roaring Lion (9-1) come in off group wins at 1¼ miles. With two days of rain before race day, the course is expected to be soft.
Unique Bella (3-5 on the morning line) and Paradise Woods (2-1) are expected to set the pace with Vale Dori (4-1) chasing them at 7:30 p.m. EDT Saturday in the $400,000 Grade 1 Beholder Mile on Santa Anita’s main track. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer and ridden by Smith, Unique Bella is 6-for-7 at Santa Anita, where she drew wide in the field of six. She is coming off a second-place finish to Unbridled Mo in the Apple Blossom Handicap at Oaklawn Park. Trained by Richard Mandella, Paradise Woods lost to Unique Bella in the La Brea on Dec. 26 and finished fourth 2½ months ago in the Santa Monica Stakes. Vale Dori is coming off a fifth-place finish in a Grade 3 race last month at Santa Anita, her first race after Baffert gave her a nine-month layoff. The value play is the mid-pack runner Mopotism (15-1), returning to the dirt and cutting back from nine furlongs for Doug O’Neill.
After wearing the white silks with the green star of WinStar Farm while riding Justify in the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, Smith will wear the red colors with gold stars of the China Horse Club in the Belmont Stakes. The two major owners are in a rotation with the China Horse Club silks coming up every fourth race after they alternated the first two. If Justify were to follow the American Pharoah trail and race in the Haskell, the Travers and the Breeders’ Cup Classic, Smith would be back in WinStar white for all three. Got all that?
Ron Flatter’s racing column is posted every Friday morning at VSiN.com and will appear daily from the Belmont Stakes in New York starting Tuesday. You may also hear the Ron Flatter Racing Pod, also posted Friday mornings at VSiN.com/podcasts in addition to next Wednesday’s pop-up to handicap the Belmont. Guests this week include Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, who discusses Justify’s bid to win him a second Triple Crown, and CBS Sports Radio morning host Marc Malusis, a New York-based horseplayer who provides his thoughts about Justify and the rest of the Belmont Stakes field. Please subscribe and post a review where available at Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music and Stitcher.
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Next-gen Wi-Fi could end the battle for office bandwidth
Super-fast Wi-Fi in the 5GHz and 60GHz ranges is set to revolutionise connectivity in the workplace, according to Edgar Figueroa, head of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
By Jon Yeomans | October 10, 2012 -- 16:24 GMT (09:24 PDT) | Topic: Networking
The Wi-Fi Alliance is getting set to certify products for 5GHz and 60GHz Wi-Fi, which it says will deliver gigabit-speed connectivity in homes and businesses — and even provide a completely wireless workplace.
"Imagine coming into your office in the morning, booting up your laptop and all of a sudden your three HD screens turn on, your wireless keyboard, your wireless mouse," says Edgar Figueroa, CEO of the Wi-Fi Alliance.
Wi-Fi in the 5GHz and 60GHz ranges could transform connectivity at home and in the workplace.
The trade group, which counts Apple, Microsoft and RIM among its members, is gearing up to launch a certification programme for 802.11ac , a new standard for wireless networks in the 5GHz frequency. This will have capacity for 80MHz and even 160MHz channels, compared with the 40MHz channels used in its predecessor, 802.11n. This should add up to speeds of around 1 gigabit per second, used in more powerful devices.
READ THIS: Tech Guide: Next-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi
"This is a pretty big pipe that we're providing for connections," Figueroa explains.
The ratification of 802.11ac (5G Wi-Fi) is expected in early 2013. Beyond that is another forthcoming standard, 802.11ad, which operates in the 60GHz range and promises speeds of 6 to 7 gigabits per second.
Edgar Figueroa. Image: Wi-Fi Alliance
"This is a new frequency domain, so the physical characteristics of the link will be different," Figueroa says. "There'll be another radio in your device that will operate at 60GHz. That's available in a lot of the world, and sometimes you can get up to 2GHz of spectrum that's available for connections.
"And since it's an in-room application only, it doesn't penetrate walls, you can use the full available spectrum to push a lot of data through that."
In effect, 60GHz Wi-Fi will let people stream uncompressed HD video to multiple devices in the same space — no more scrapping over Wi-Fi bandwidth in crowded rooms. But its uses don't end there: 'kiosk applications' could let people stop off at a stand and download a full HD film prior to boarding a plane, for example.
These new Wi-Fi technologies could also have an impact in the business domain, where the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend means more and more employees are using their own consumer devices to work. In particular, the use of 802.11ad should help with faster access to cloud-based resources, faster backups and better video streaming.
"Many folks are interested in... enabling 60GHz for network storage, which would mean instant backups, just taking a few seconds to back up what essentially would be a full hard drive," Figueroa points out.
Adventures in 60GHz
While there have been efforts in the 60GHz spectrum before, the Wi-Fi Alliance believes the technology is now ready for the market. Moreover, because 11ac and 11ad work at different frequencies, "they can elegantly operate simultaneously", Figueroa says. "So at the same time you might have a 5GHz connection to your network, and a 60GHz connection to your peripherals", such as wireless dock or keyboard.
"It's likely that in the next two to three years we'll have more devices that are Wi-Fi enabled than people in the world"
In a panel session at the Interop conference in New York last week, Mark Hamilton, CTO of Polycom's SpectraLink, described 60GHz Wi-Fi as "low-hanging fruit" — that is, "well-understood technology".
"One of the easiest ways to improve speed is to improve bandwidth," he said, pointing out that having 2GHz channels will do this.
"60GHz is also really highly directional — it's very focused. This allows a great amount of spectrum use," he added.
Highly directional antennas make the focus of the signal just a few degrees, which means you could have lots of 60GHz Wi-Fi devices very close to each other using the same spectrum, but not interfering with each other.
The Wi-Fi Alliance expects to launch its certification programme for 11ac products in the first half of 2013 (products are already on the market); 11ad is a little further out, as the certification scheme is still in development. As for the power demands of these new technologies, Figueroa gives a politician's answer: it depends on which bits of the protocols are implemented in a given product, he says.
"You could get better [power] efficiency with some of these higher frequency radios," he points out. "So it just really depends on the implementation, on the product, on the application and how you're measuring it."
Power consumption will remain an issue, of course, as Wi-Fi finds its way into an ever-increasing array of devices, small and large. Some two billion devices are already Wi-Fi enabled — and the number is soaring.
"It's likely that in the next two to three years we'll have more devices that are Wi-Fi enabled than people in the world," Figueroa predicts.
"We have certified door locks, medical devices, and devices that go into the loo, for measuring and metering and such like"
This connected world — coupled with the BYOD trend — was very much on the mind of speakers at Interop. With everything from phones, trains and car parks becoming networked, "it's a very different landscape for all of us", Cisco's Doug Merrit said in a keynote. Machine to machine communication (M2M), or the 'internet of things' , will see devices from smart meters to fridges coming online. "The explosion of data that we need to analyse is just going through the roof," IBM's Ric Telford added.
"We've already certified refrigerators that have Wi-Fi, so we're on to the next stage," Figueroa continues. "We are seeing very interesting devices like heating and air-conditioning systems that are Wi-Fi certified. We have certified door locks, medical devices, and devices that go into the loo, for measuring and metering and such like."
Voice over Wi-Fi
In May, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced it would begin certifying products for its Voice Enterprise program — in effect, a voice-over-Wi-Fi system that lets people phone each other without using a cellular network. The signal is handed off from one access to point to another within a defined space, for example, on a campus or business premises.
"We expect that the popularity of voice over wireless should increase over the next few years," Figueroa says. "It's an application that can be used when people are mobile, in an elevator or going across a campus while on one call."
The Alliance says it has done a lot of work to ensure that the connection is secure and doesn't drop out mid-conversation.
And while it seems like the group is moving into an area traditionally dominated by the mobile operators, Figueroa insists there's no rivalry. He points out that around 50 mobile companies worldwide are members of the Alliance, and operators themselves are getting into Wi-Fi in a big way. Indeed, in the UK alone, O2 , BT and Virgin Media — among others — have all dabbled in public Wi-Fi networks.
"They realise that the premium applications are those bandwidth-hungry applications like video, gaming and location-based services, so they're very eager to exploit the benefits of Wi-Fi," Figueroa says.
In addition, shortage of spectrum means that mobile operators have to look at other channels. "Eventually it becomes a real capacity concern. That problem is not one you can solve without looking at solutions like Wi-Fi," he argues.
In September, the Wi-Fi Alliance launched Miracast, a standard for instantly transmitting video and images from one device to another. And Figueroa is also talking up Wi-Fi Direct, which allows devices to connect to each other without a network being present.
"People today want to be connected and enjoy the freedom that wireless provides," Figueroa concludes. "We are just beginning to touch the surface of what they'll be able to do with connected devices."
Innovation Cloud Internet of Things Security Data Centers
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The voice of the personal lines consumer
By Sam Friedman, Aditya Udai Singh
The voice of the personal lines consumer Buyers in the driver’s seat
Sam Friedman
Aditya Udai Singh
What makes personal lines insurance buyers tick in the current business environment?
While some respondents are committed to buying with an intermediary and others without, there is a significant percentage of “independents” who are more open to switching from agents to a direct purchase (or vice versa) given the right circumstances.
Personal lines insurers are locked in a never-ending battle for market share, one which has only intensified over the past few years as auto and homeowner carriers struggled for organic growth during a down economy and depressed housing market, with premium increases reflecting the need to offset high catastrophe losses rather than any increased demand for coverage.
However, while the environment for exposure growth is looking brighter with unemployment declining, auto sales beginning to rebound, and some signs of recovery in the home-building sector, insurers face more fundamental challenges beyond the ups and downs of the macro-economy.
Indeed, most carriers are reassessing their marketing, sales, and service systems to adapt to the fast-paced evolution in consumer behavior and preferences, driven primarily by advances in web and mobile technologies. More people are living their lives in the virtual world, whether through their laptop, tablet, or smartphone, and they expect their insurers to be there with them. These consumers are surfing the web over multiple Wi-Fi-enabled devices to learn about products and services, to price-shop, and to exchange customer experiences over social media. Many are going on to ultimately buy a policy and even file their claims online.
Yet there is a sizable group of consumers who still prefer the human touch in personal lines, choosing to establish a trusted relationship with an insurance professional who can help them shop for a policy (sometimes for more than one type of coverage) as well as show them how to navigate the claims process and be their advocate in case of a loss.
As a result, fewer companies are dedicated to distributing through any one channel. Many are looking to reach prospects and more regularly communicate with policyholders over multiple platforms, both to take business away from competitors as well as improve the retention of their own customers.
The challenge is to determine what makes personal lines insurance buyers tick in this new environment. What motivates them to choose and remain with a particular carrier and channel—whether they buy through an independent or exclusive agent, or skip an intermediary entirely to deal directly with an insurer? More importantly, what might prompt a personal lines consumer to switch carriers, and perhaps channels as well?
These were some of the key questions explored by Deloitte Research in an online survey of 1,080 auto policyholders and an equal number of those with homeowner coverage conducted over the summer of 2011. Among the critical takeaways from the survey:
While the vast majority of respondents appear to be satisfied with the price charged and service provided by their current carriers and agents (if they use one), there are demographic factors at work that make some prospects more viable than others in terms of taking them away from the competition.
The same can be said when it comes to channels—while some respondents are committed to buying with an intermediary and others without, there is a significant percentage of “independents” who are more open to switching from agents to a direct purchase (or vice versa) given the right circumstances and enticements.
Age was by far the most significant differentiator among the various demographic factors examined in these surveys, whether in terms of the openness of younger consumers to changing carriers and channels, their willingness to do business without an intermediary, or their interest in high-tech options for sales and service.
Technology, especially mobile options, is likely to play an increasingly critical role in the marketing, sale, servicing, and retention of insurance customers—particularly those coming into the market as new drivers and homeowners.
Trust is a big issue when doing business with insurers and their agents, and it’s an attribute in short supply in the view of many respondents. Establishing brand recognition, maintaining a positive reputation and strong ratings, as well as overcoming suspicions about the integrity of insurers and agents can play a major role in drawing prospects away from rival carriers and channels.
Price remains the single biggest element respondents consider when purchasing personal lines insurance. However, the survey results also indicate that price is far from the sole decision point when a prospect is determining whether to become (or remain) a policyholder. The surveys identify a number of other factors insurers might leverage to convince a prospect to switch companies and/or channels.
In the following report, we offer highlights of the survey results, focusing on the customer experience, the influential role age plays in a prospect’s approach to insurance, the channel preferences and decision points most prominent in the minds of consumers, as well as the increasing prominence of web and mobile technology as potential differentiators for carriers. We’ll conclude with a brief look at how economic conditions might impact personal lines insurers, as well as provide a profile of the survey respondents.
The customer experience: Are insurers and agents keeping consumers satisfied?
High satisfaction levels and renewal inertia pose stiff challenges to auto and home insurers looking to grow organically. Indeed, nearly a quarter of survey respondents said they never shop for alternatives to their current auto insurance at renewal, while one-third rarely do so. Only 16 percent shop every few years. One in 10 shop every other year and fewer than one in five (18 percent) do so annually.
The challenge to convince policyholders to change carriers is even greater in the homeowners market, where only one in 10 shop annually, while another 10 percent do so every other year. A little over one in four (27 percent) said they never shop for a new homeowners policy at renewal, and a third rarely do.
This certainly helps explain the staying power of this survey sample, although auto policyholders queried for this study were more likely to change carriers than were homeowner insureds. But among homeowner respondents, even fewer—one in 10—reported a change in insurers in either the prior 24 months, or over the past year.
Sky-high satisfaction levels among this survey sample likely is a prime reason for the lack of movement among consumers polled. In terms of price (the most important factor for the vast majority of buyers surveyed), 80 percent of auto consumers reported being very satisfied (37 percent) or at least satisfied (43 percent) with what they are paying for coverage, with only a handful either dissatisfied (6 percent) or very dissatisfied (1 percent). Results among homeowner respondents were similar.
The two samples produced even higher satisfaction rates when it comes to the service they receive from their insurance carriers—with 88 percent of auto consumers and 82 percent of homeowners reporting they are satisfied. However, auto policyholders had a higher percentage of those who were very satisfied—46 percent versus 39 percent among homeowner respondents.
These factors would also seem to support the strong likelihood that the vast majority of both sets of respondents expected to renew with their current carriers. About 90 percent of auto policyholders said they expected to stay put (including 61 percent who said they were very likely to renew). Only 5 percent said they were unlikely or very unlikely to renew, while another 5 percent did not know. The numbers were similar on the homeowner side.
In reviewing this set of responses, high satisfaction levels with current carriers and a general lack of initiative when it comes to seeking out alternative sources of coverage might make it difficult for carriers to take business away from their rivals, at least among those in these two survey samples.
However, as we’ll document in the next section of this report, not all consumers are created equal. There are policyholders who do put their business into play more routinely—particularly younger consumers, who are more open to a change at renewal time than were many of the older survey respondents.
The young and the restless: Should insurers seek the fountain of youth?
The survey results indicate that carriers that can most effectively bridge the generation gap and attract consumers when they are young have a better shot at improving retention rates and achieving organic growth in personal lines.
A key lesson suggested by the results of these surveys could be summed up with the following advice to personal lines insurers: Get consumers while they’re young!
Indeed, the surveys found that the two youngest age segments (respondents aged 18-25 and 26-34) were the least inclined to renew their current coverage and the ones who shopped for their personal lines business most frequently. In addition, a higher percentage of younger respondents bought directly from carriers (even though they had the most serious trust issues in dealing with the industry), while those young consumers who had bought through agents expressed less loyalty to their intermediaries.
Younger respondents were also more tech-dependent, putting a greater emphasis on the value of online services and mobile applications than did older consumers responding to the survey. They are also far more influenced by their family and friends when it comes to buying insurance than by professional sales people.
Around 20 percent of those in the 18-25 and 26-34 segments had changed auto carriers in the prior 12 months, compared to only 10 percent of those 51 and older. About 15 percent in the two younger age groups signed with a new auto insurer in the previous two years, compared to 9 percent of those over 50. Among homeowners queried, about 12 percent of the two youngest groups had changed insurers in the previous year, compared to just 5 percent of those 51 and older. Over the prior two years, 15 percent of the two younger segments bought from a new carrier, compared to 6 percent of the oldest segment.
That means 33 percent of auto consumers surveyed who are under 35 reported changing carriers over the prior 24 months, compared to 19 percent of those over 50. About 27 percent of the two younger sets of homeowners surveyed had bought coverage from a new carrier over a two-year period, compared to just 11 percent of the oldest buyer segment.
Looking ahead, 47 percent of the youngest auto consumer respondents (18-25) and 56 percent of the next youngest (26-34) said they are very likely to renew their policy—far below the nearly 70 percent likely renewal rate recorded among those 51 and older. The generation gap was echoed among homeowners, with about 45 percent of respondents under 35 saying they are very likely to remain with their current insurer, against 62 percent of those over 50.
There wasn’t much difference among the various age segments on auto insurance when it came to price satisfaction, with between 37 and 40 percent of respondents reporting they are very satisfied with what they are paying. When it comes to service, however, only about 40 percent of the youngest segment (18-25) said they are very satisfied, compared with 53 percent of those over 50. A similar comparison emerged among homeowner respondents.
Meanwhile, younger respondents were much more likely to buy direct from an insurer rather than through an agent. On auto, about 58 percent of respondents under 35 bought direct compared with 45 percent of those over 50. The gap was even wider for homeowners insurance, with 65 percent of respondents between 18 and 25 years old and 55 percent of those under 35 buying direct, compared with 42 percent between 36 and 50 years old and only 37 percent of those over 51.
Younger buyers surveyed were also far less loyal to their agents if they used one. Indeed, while 34 percent of auto respondents and 29 percent of homeowners over 50 said they would not buy insurance without an agent, those numbers dropped to 19 percent and 17 percent, respectively, for those between 34 and 50 and 11 percent for both coverages among those 26-34. For those below 26, only 15 percent indicated they would never buy auto insurance without an agent, along with just 5 percent for the youngest homeowner respondents.
One factor might be that younger respondents have not worked with their current agents for nearly as long as older buyers surveyed. The percentage of respondents working with the same agent for a decade or more climbs in each age segment, topping out at around 57 percent for auto and homeowners over 50, while only a handful of respondents in the youngest age segments have been with the same agent for even as long as five years.
Among those surveyed who use agents, younger buyers tend to believe more strongly that an agent will get them a better price than if they buy on their own—71 percent of auto insurance respondents under 26 agreed with that sentiment, compared to 53 percent for those over 50 who were surveyed. Among homeowner respondents, 75 percent of those under 26 think using an agent will get them a better price, compared with 56 percent of those over 50.
Trust was a big factor for a significant number of respondents, with four out of 10 auto and homeowners surveyed indicating they use an agent because they don’t trust insurers to deal with them fairly. But younger respondents were less trustful toward carriers than were older respondents. Among the youngest age segment (18-25), 54 percent of auto respondents with agents cited a lack of trust when dealing with insurers, but that sentiment fell with age to 40 percent for those 26-34 and around 36 percent for those 35 and older. The feeling was even stronger among the youngest homeowners (69 percent of those under 26, along with 50 percent of those 26-34), dropping to 38 percent for those 35-50 and 34 percent for those over 50.
From this set of responses, it appears carriers that can most effectively bridge the generation gap might have a better shot at organic growth in personal lines. To accomplish this, however, the results indicate that insurers will likely have to overcome trust issues on the part of younger buyers, as well as demonstrate that they can deliver a better price directly than is available through an agent. More effective marketing with a strong educational component in terms of both reputation and cost will therefore be in order.
Channel surfing: Can insurers convince “independents” to switch distributors?
Disintermediation won’t be easy in the personal lines market, at least among those who work with agents today, with one in four auto policyholders and one in five homeowner respondents indicating they would not buy without their agent or some other intermediary.
However, while the surveys found that a number of auto and home insurance buyers say they cannot do without an intermediary, the vast majority of respondents working with an agent appear to be “independent” in that they are at least open to the idea of leaving their intermediary and going direct, given the proper incentives and services.
Indeed, when those who used an agent were asked what would be their preferred way to purchase a new insurance policy, 22 percent of auto respondents and 20 percent of homeowners said buying direct from an insurer instead would be their top option.
In addition, when this segment was asked if the price of coverage was relatively equal, how likely would they be to change auto insurers to buy over the Internet without an agent or broker, 26 percent of auto respondents said they would be very likely (9 percent) or likely (17 percent) to do so. Among homeowners, 27 percent who used an agent said they would be very likely (8 percent) or likely (19 percent) to buy direct over the web.
On the other hand, “independence” is not a one-way street, as the potential for some buyers to change channels was even more pronounced for those who last bought direct. Among direct homeowner respondents, 39 percent said their top preference the next time they buy a new policy was to work with an agent or some other intermediary, along with 30 percent of auto respondents. (Among the direct auto respondents, 15 percent said they would prefer to work with an agent exclusive to one carrier, while 11 percent prefer to go to an independent agent representing multiple carriers. Among homeowners, the breakdown was 19 percent exclusive agents, 16 percent independents).
And when asked if the price of coverage was relatively equal, how likely would they be to change insurers to work with an insurance agent or broker rather than shop and buy on their own, 29 percent of auto respondents who had bought direct said they would be very likely (9 percent) or likely (20 percent) to switch channels, along with 36 percent of homeowners who said they would be very likely (15 percent) or likely (21 percent) to go with an agent.
Interestingly, both sets of “independents”—agent respondents looking to go direct as well as direct respondents likely to switch to an agent of some sort—generally featured in the same demographic profile: older, with less education and often with lower household incomes.
What specifically might prompt consumers to switch channels?
Because price in general was by far the biggest decision point cited by the overall sample (54 percent of auto buyers and 45 percent of homeowners said price was extremely influential, while another 28 percent and 30 percent, respectively, characterized it as very influential in their purchase decision), it’s only natural that a majority of those buying through an agent (56 percent of auto respondents and 58 percent of homeowners consumers) said they used an intermediary to secure a better price. Similarly, about 55 percent of each sample said an agent would get them more coverage for the same price.
These feelings were stronger among those who said they work with an agency representing more than one carrier. Seventy-five percent of both samples said their independent agent can deliver a better price, while 70 percent of auto buyers and 74 percent of homeowners believe their independent agent can get them more coverage for the same price. Therefore, demonstrating to agency buyers that they can save significant money on their premiums by going direct would appear to be the first challenges facing direct carriers. The question is how these prospects would define “significant.”
Indeed, of those with agents who would consider buying direct, it came down to how much the respondent could save on the auto or home insurance premium.
About 23 percent of auto buyers and 21 percent of homeowners said they would not abandon their agent and buy direct unless they could save more than 20 percent on their premium. Around 15 percent of both samples would go direct for a price difference between 16 and 20 percent, with 20 percent willing to consider a shift for 11-15 percent in savings. About 15 percent would drop their agent for a price cut of 6-10 percent. Only a handful (around 5 percent) would go direct if they could save only 5 percent or less on their premium.
In looking at another aspect of cost—value for the premium dollar—about 62 percent of those using agents would consider going direct if they could get more coverage for the same price.
Still, while price is important, it’s not the sole factor respondents cited when asked why they work with an agent. In fact, price wasn’t even the most highly rated factor.
Among respondents who use intermediaries rather than buy direct, consumers in much higher numbers are attracted to the support and services agents can provide. They cited the belief that an agent would more clearly explain their coverage (a little over 80 percent of both samples), could identify all of their potential losses and make sure they are covered (75 percent), as well as be their advocate to help get claims paid quickly and fairly (75 percent).
In addition, between 70 and 75 percent of the respondents said agents would give them more objective advice, better represent their interests, and take care of all their insurance needs beyond either auto or homeowner coverage. Seventy percent of both groups also said it would be more convenient to buy coverage through an agent.
Trust was a big factor as well for a large segment of respondents. Four in 10 of both samples said they use an agent because they don’t trust insurers to deal with them fairly.
Among other motivating factors cited, about half of the respondents using agents said they might buy directly from a carrier if the insurer more clearly explained their coverage, offered more expert advice, took care of all their insurance needs beyond just auto or home coverage, and if it were easier and more convenient to buy straight from the company. However, fewer than one in five strongly agreed about the influence of any of these factors in their decision on whether to go direct.
In any case, disintermediation will not come easy. For those respondents who work with agents—representing half of auto consumers and 55 percent of homeowners surveyed—satisfaction levels and loyalty were very high. Indeed, 89 percent of auto consumers are either very satisfied (47 percent) or at least satisfied (42 percent) with their current agent, a result echoed by respondents with home policies.
As a result, about half (49 percent for auto and 55 percent for homeowners) have been with the same agency for at least six years, while four in 10 auto and homeowner respondents have been with the same agency for over a decade. Fewer than a third of auto respondents and only one in five homeowners reported being with their current agency for two years or less, most commonly among the younger age segments.
However, one possible point for insurers to leverage is the fact that a large segment of respondents were not aware whether their intermediary is independent or exclusive to their current carrier. Among auto respondents, half said their intermediary only represents their current insurer and 21 percent said their agent is independent and sells coverage for multiple carriers.
But 30 percent said they did not know whether their current agent represents just their current insurer, or additional carriers as well. The finding was even more pronounced among homeowner respondents, as 39 percent said they don’t know whether their agent represents just one or multiple carriers, while 38 percent work with exclusive agents and 23 percent with independents.
Once again, delving deeper into this particular subgroup, respondents who don’t know how many carriers their agent represents are generally older (about half of both samples are over 50, while about a third are between 35 and 50), less educated (65 percent of auto and 57 percent of homeowner respondents had less than a four-year college degree), and had lower incomes (although this was more pronounced among auto respondents, with 60 percent earning less than $50,000 annually, compared to 40 percent for homeowners, perhaps because lower-income individuals are less likely to own a home).
Another point of distinction is that those who do recognize their agents as independent producers are the most enthusiastic about the benefits their intermediary has to offer, while their expectations of what agents can deliver in terms of price and service are the highest recorded in the survey.
So, why do certain respondents prefer to deal directly with a carrier, without an agent?
Price and convenience are the two key factors. About 60 percent of direct personal lines buyers responding to the surveys indicated that intermediaries just add cost to the transaction, while two out of three auto respondents (and 59 percent of homeowners) believe that buying direct would get them a better price. In addition, three out of four auto buyers (including a third who strongly agree) said it’s more convenient to buy direct, a view echoed by 70 percent of homeowner respondents (including 29 percent who strongly agree).
And as noted earlier, among these two samples, younger respondents were more likely to go direct, perhaps in part because of their greater proclivity to live their social lives and do their business online.
Interestingly, there is another side to the coin on the trust factor cited earlier, as around four out of 10 in both samples said they buy direct because they don’t trust agents to objectively represent their interests.
However, on a wide array of additional factors, from whether insurers will manage claims fairly, cover all their exposures, or handle all of their insurance needs beyond a single policy, direct buyer respondents were less enthusiastic about the benefits of going direct than were those who had bought through agents.
But no matter how consumers buy personal lines insurance, the survey results also indicate that respondents are keen on accessing information and interacting with carriers via a variety of channels, as our next section shows.
Tech rules: Do consumers value multi-platform access and mobility?
While Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “the medium is the message” back in 1964, his hypothesis still resonates today when it comes to personal lines insurance marketing in that the medium itself—not merely the message it delivers—has intrinsic value by establishing a symbiotic relationship between insurer and consumer.
Indeed, across the board, the vast majority of respondents in both surveys say that the ability to interact with their insurers over a multitude of channels—in person or on the phone, over the Internet or via applications on their smartphones—will be a critical consideration when they make their next personal lines policy purchase, regardless of how or from whom they buy their coverage.
However, delving deeper into the importance of technology in personal lines, a generation gap emerges here as well, with younger respondents far keener on having multi-channel options available. For example, the younger segments were at least twice as likely as older respondents to say they would change carriers to secure online services.
And while the use of smartphone applications (better known as “apps”) is in its very early stages in insurance, younger consumers were much more enthusiastic about the need for them. (There was one glaring exception, however—when it comes to those who would agree to have telematic technology installed to monitor their driving in return for a potential auto premium discount, the younger the respondent, the less open they were to the idea.)
In any case, demand for web-based, social media, and smartphone capabilities is likely to rise as younger, more tech-dependent drivers and home buyers enter the market, and older policyholders fully adopt the latest tech tools.
Twenty-eight percent of auto buyers surveyed said having multiple touchpoint options to communicate with their insurer was an extremely or very influential factor the last time they changed carriers. However, age was a big differentiator, as 42 percent of those 18-25 and 46 percent in the 26-34 segment listed this element as extremely or very influential, compared with 26 percent of those 35-50 and only 21 percent of respondents over 50.
Moreover, looking ahead, 84 percent of auto insurance buyers surveyed said having multiple touchpoint options would influence their decision when they next shop for coverage (including 59 percent who cited this as an extremely influential factor prospectively), with each of the age groups ranking this element very high. With price being equal, 41 percent of the total auto sample said they would be very likely (15 percent) or likely (26 percent) to change carriers to secure the ability to communicate in multiple ways with their carriers. However, that figure jumps to 50 percent among those 18-34, against only 31 percent for those over 50.
Homeowners showed a similar disparity among age segments, with 31 percent overall indicating that having multiple options to communicate with their insurer was extremely (11 percent) or very (20 percent) influential in their decision to change carriers, compared to 51 percent of those 18-25 and 44 percent of those 26-34, as opposed to only 19 percent among respondents over 50.
Prospectively among homeowner respondents, there was much less enthusiasm overall for this element (23 percent), although again age is a key factor, with the response jumping to 40 percent among those 18-25 and 35 percent for those 26-34, compared to 14 percent for buyers over 50. Price being equal, 42 percent overall said this would be a very influential factor, rising to 55 percent among those 18-24 and 51 percent for those 25-34, while dropping to 34 percent for the over-50 crowd.
When it comes to web-based services, among the features rated as extremely or very useful to auto buyers surveyed (cited by nearly three of four respondents) was the ability to check on the status of a claim, get information about products and services, and secure price quotes. The second tier of responses (cited by about two out of three) focused on renewing a policy, updating account information, locating an insurer-recommended repair facility, paying a bill, contacting an agent or finding one nearby, and submitting a claim online. The third tier (named by over half of respondents) cited insurance card access and policy information, the ability to cancel a policy, and getting information on coverage besides auto.
Among the web services rated as very or extremely useful by fewer than half of those surveyed were options such as online chat capabilities to clarify coverage or claims questions (41 percent), the ability to share accident or claims experience with other policyholders (37 percent), or view videos on safety, security, and maintenance (35 percent).
The individual percentages were slightly different among homeowner respondents, but the online service preference rankings were closely aligned with those of auto insurance buyers.
Meanwhile, apps are being introduced by a growing number of personal lines insurers, but such options are not yet on the radar for most of those responding to this survey. Indeed, three out of four auto and homeowner respondents didn’t even know whether their carrier offered mobile apps.
However, those who do have mobile apps like them a lot. Among auto respondents, one in three found them to be very useful, and an additional one in four said they were extremely useful. Age again is a major factor, with younger consumers more likely to find the apps useful. The numbers are similar among homeowner respondents.
At this point, only about one in 10 of both samples indicated they would be likely to change insurers based on the availability of smartphone apps, but that number is likely to rise as more apps are introduced and more consumers come to depend on smartphones to conduct their everyday business. Age is the big differentiator again, as a much higher percentage of those between 18 and 34 said having options similar to those listed in the web services section available on their smartphone would be very useful to them. Indeed, the next generation of personal lines insurance consumers who are growing up with smartphones as part of their everyday lives are likely to expect mobile apps from insurers as part of their standard service options.
Similarly, the use of social media sites to share information and maintain more regular contact between insurers and policyholders is still in the embryonic stage. (Only one in five surveyed said their auto or homeowner insurers provide information over social media.) Once again, however, a significant number of those who did receive information from their insurer via social media liked what they received (around one in four found such information very useful, while 13 to 15 percent found it extremely useful), although overall the enthusiasm for insurance on social media was weaker than it was for apps. Age was a significant point of distinction here as well, particularly among auto respondents, with 56 percent of those 18-25 finding insurer information delivered via social media to be extremely (16 percent) or very (40 percent) useful, compared to 35 percent among those 35-50, and only 8 percent of those over 50. This would indicate that as the next generation of insurance consumers enters the market, demand for social media services will only continue to grow.
Once again, a major divide among the generations of respondents is apparent. Younger policyholders are much keener on the value of multiple touchpoint options, web-based and mobile services, as well as social media. And while those who are enthusiastic about these new communication capabilities remain in the minority, the tidal wave of mobile apps supporting smartphones and tablets, as well as the growing number of consumers making social media part of their everyday lives, appears to indicate that a growing number of “tech-head” consumers will emerge, demanding more and better communication and service options from their personal lines insurers as time goes on.
Price check: Cost is still critical, but is it the sole decision point?
While price is a critical element for personal lines buyers, there are other factors they consider when choosing a carrier, offering insurers a variety of decision points they can leverage to differentiate themselves.
In terms of deciding whether to change personal lines insurers and which new carrier to choose, price was the primary—but not the only—factor for respondents. And while price was somewhat less of a priority for older buyers, it remained the dominant consideration for each of the age segments surveyed.
When asked about their decision points when placing auto insurance, eight out of 10 of those surveyed said price was either extremely (54 percent) or very (28 percent) influential in their decision the last time they changed carriers. Price was still strong but not quite as important among homeowner respondents—as a lower share (45 percent) cited cost as extremely influential, along with 30 percent who said the cost was very influential.
Interestingly, among the four age segments surveyed, those 26-34 recorded the largest percentage (71 percent) of those ranking the price of auto coverage as extremely influential, but also the lowest percentage (31 percent) among homeowner respondents. This could perhaps be explained by the fact that having the right coverage for a home—most likely the consumer’s biggest investment—is simply more important than price.
Another intriguing point is that while respondents cited price in retrospect as the most influential factor in their decision to change personal lines carriers, when asked prospectively what would influence them, price did not rank nearly as high. Among auto respondents, 58 percent said price would be either extremely (27 percent) or very (31 percent) influential when they next shop for a new policy, compared to about a third each among homeowners.
However, many of the consumers surveyed indicated they would respond favorably to multi-policy discount offers. Looking back, four in 10 auto respondents cited the availability of an auto/homeowner insurance multi-policy discount as extremely (17 percent) or very (21 percent) influential in their last decision to change carriers, while one in three said such discounts would be extremely (14 percent) or very (20 percent) influential the next time they shop for coverage.
Bolstering this point, among the homeowners surveyed, the influence of multi-policy discounts was even stronger, at least retrospectively, with 58 percent citing this factor as extremely (28 percent) or very (30 percent) influential the last time they changed carriers. Looking ahead, however, it is interesting to note that only 30 percent said such a discount would be extremely (11 percent) or very (19 percent) influential in their purchase decision. Again, coverage and other factors might simply be paramount to a homeowner over just getting the lowest price.
Many auto respondents noted that the availability of telematics—technology to monitor driving experience in return for a potential break on the price of coverage—might prompt them to change carriers. Indeed, three in 10 said getting a discount for installing such a device would be extremely (12 percent) or very (17 percent) influential in their next purchase decision.
However, about 30 percent said they would not agree to install such a device. Another 30 percent said they would. But 42 percent said their answer would depend on the premium discount being offered. Nearly half said they would expect more than a 20 percent discount to make such electronic monitoring worth their while, while another 22 percent would want a price break of 16-20 percent. Only a handful (2 percent) would agree for less than 6 percent in savings, and only one in 10 would go along for even a 6-10 percent discount. About one in five would install the device for a potential discount of 11-15 percent.
Age is a factor here as well, but interestingly in this instance it is the two older segments that are likely to agree to have a monitoring device installed.
The amount and type of coverage offered was the second most important decision point among respondents retrospectively, but not nearly as strong a consideration as price, with only 31 percent of auto respondents citing this as extremely influential (compared to 54 percent on price). The same pattern held for homeowners (24 percent on coverage versus 45 percent on price).
Prospectively, however, coverage appears to be a slightly more compelling factor than price, with nearly three out of four respondents from both samples citing it as extremely or very influential.
Reputation and trust were also key factors. Three out of four auto respondents said brand name, reputation for financial strength, and the insurer’s rating were important, including one in five who considered these elements extremely influential when they last changed carriers. Looking ahead, eight out of 10 cited reputation for financial strength and claims service as important, again including 20 percent who said these would be extremely influential factors. The numbers were similar for homeowners.
Brand name recognition was a very important decision point among both auto and homeowner respondents. About three of four bought through an exclusive agent because they represented a widely known insurer, two-thirds bought direct because they prefer to do business with a widely known insurer, and about half would be more willing to buy direct if the insurer had a widely known brand.
The importance of brand recognition and perceptions of integrity highlights the need for more proactive reputational risk management efforts by insurers in general and the industry as a whole.
One particular area impacting brand reputation is claim service, which was a significant decision point among both samples, with about one in three indicating that poor claims-handling was extremely or very influential in their last decision to change carriers.
In terms of which individuals influence personal lines buyers in their purchase decisions, respondents indicated they were swayed more by recommendations from family, friends, and colleagues than from an agent. However, once again age plays a big part, with younger buyers indicating they are much more influenced by their family and acquaintances, with that influence waning as buyers get older.
A significant percentage (41 percent) indicated that an affiliation between their bank and their auto insurer would be extremely (18 percent) or very (23 percent) influential in their decision on whether to buy coverage. The numbers were similar among homeowner respondents. However, an affiliation with the respondent’s employer did not score nearly as high.
There was a split when it came to the influence of an endorsement from a group or association to which the respondent belongs. This was cited as a major factor among auto insurance buyers, cited by half of the respondents as either extremely (17 percent) or very (33 percent) influential. Among homeowners, however, this was cited by fewer than half that number—20 percent overall, and only by 8 percent—as extremely influential.
About one in four of both samples said a recommendation from their auto dealer or real estate agent would be influential in their insurance purchase decision, including about one in 10 who said these referrals would be extremely influential.
Interestingly, while about one in five said advertising was either extremely (9 percent) or very (14 percent) influential in their decision to buy auto insurance, more than half said ads were not very influential (17 percent) or not at all influential (35 percent). The numbers were similar among homeowner respondents.
When asked what would be their three most preferred ways to shop for a new auto policy, “checking a website offering quotes from multiple carriers” scored the biggest response, cited by 41 percent of those surveyed (including 15 percent who cited this as their most preferred channel). Next came independent agents representing multiple insurers at 36 percent (also including 15 percent as most preferred), followed by agents selling exclusively for one carrier at 31 percent (although this option drew the largest percentage of the top preferred choice at 17 percent).
Among homeowner respondents, about 40 percent chose either independent or exclusive agents among their top three choices, with one in five citing either one as their first choice. Checking a website offering quotes from multiple carriers made the top three among one in three respondents, but was cited as the first choice by only 13 percent.
These responses indicate that while price is a critical element for personal lines buyers, there are other factors they consider when choosing a carrier, offering insurers a variety of decision points they can leverage to differentiate themselves and thereby secure and retain new customers.
Conclusion: Where do insurers go from here?
Based on these two survey samples, auto and home insurers have a tough road ahead of them when it comes to expanding market share organically.
The good news for those worried about retaining business is that the two groups surveyed expressed high levels of satisfaction with both the price they pay for insurance and the services they receive, regardless of whether they bought coverage through an agent or directly from a carrier.
The bad news for those looking to grow by taking business away from competitors is that such high satisfaction levels means it won’t be easy to pry these prospects loose and convince them to buy from a different source. But the surveys did find a significant percentage of respondents not only open to changing carriers, but channels as well, if the price and benefits are perceived to be worth the switch.
Perhaps the most marketable finding from these surveys is that carriers would be wise to redouble their efforts to capture the business and maintain the loyalty of drivers and homeowners when they are young, as the results suggest that inertia sets in as a policyholder ages—they become less likely to shop for their business aggressively at renewal or to change carriers.
The same goes for those working with agents—the longer respondents remain with their agents, the less likely they are to change intermediaries or to buy direct. Targeting those in their mid-30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond might be tough sledding—the surveys indicate that insurers will likely find much more open-minded prospects among the under-35 crowd when it comes to changing carriers and distributors.
In contrast, those depending too heavily on a single channel either for distribution or service also could find themselves vulnerable, as consumers increasingly seek multiple touchpoint options to interact with their personal lines insurers.
And while carriers scramble to find a viable business model during this bleeding-edge phase of developing online and particularly mobile app capabilities, they should keep in mind that younger respondents are more demanding when it comes to getting their services wherever they are, at any time of the day or night, over whichever device they choose.
Some policyholders might not yet fully appreciate the value of such multi-channel options, and perhaps some won’t in the future. But the majority of individuals, no matter what their age, have fully integrated the web into their daily routines and are increasingly living their personal and professional lives at least part of the time online. Most are open to the idea of doing some of their shopping for products and services and concluding transactions over the Internet.
Demand for more insurance information, sales, and service options online are sure to follow.
Most consumers today already expect 24/7 service delivered over their computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone via websites, mobile apps, and social media. Demand for multi-channel access is therefore likely to increase as today’s tech-immersed teenagers enter the workforce and start insuring their cars and homes.
However, those carriers looking to substitute technology for the human touch by disintermediating their agents and selling personal lines policyholders direct might be in for a rude awakening, at least in the short term, as a large segment surveyed expressed a very high degree of both satisfaction with and loyalty to their current intermediaries. In addition, a significant segment who now buy direct indicated strong interest in using an agent the next time they purchase a new policy.
But at the same time, a number of those using agents appear poised to switch to direct channels. These trends bode well for those offering online sales, or at least a direct purchase option to complement their exclusive or independent agency force.
Offering more options, not fewer, for shopping, transactions, and service appears to be the key attribute for any successful personal lines carrier going forward, no matter how their customers choose to buy a policy.
Indeed, how carriers respond to the mounting demands and rising expectations of today’s increasingly high-tech, mobile consumers may very well determine whether they can survive and prosper in the competitive, multi-channel market that’s emerging—not in the distant future, but even as we speak.
Appendix I: How might the economy impact personal lines insurers?
While sales of new automobiles are on the rise, the home building market has been slower to recover, making for a mixed outlook for personal lines in terms of growth in insurable exposures.
Beyond overcoming the marketing, sales, and service challenges facing carriers as indicated by the results of these Deloitte consumer surveys, economic conditions are also likely to be a key driver in personal lines insurance growth.
The picture was far brighter for auto than for homeowner carriers as 2012 got underway. Indeed, American auto manufacturers reported their most impressive sales figures since the economy tanked in the fall of 2008, thanks to a steady increase in demand for new cars. Auto sales were up 10 percent last year compared to 2010, closing out 2011 with seven straight months of gains.1
The momentum continued into January 2012, with US sales of new cars up 19 percent over the same month a year earlier, according to The Wall Street Journal Market Data Center.2
Sales are expected to increase even more in 2012 because of rising consumer confidence, cheap financing options, and the aging of current vehicles. Indeed, the National Automobile Dealers Association expects 13.9 million new cars to be sold this coming year.3 This is good news for auto carriers, which generally see insurable exposures grow along with new car sales.
There is also considerable upside potential in the market as the auto industry has a ways to go before a full recovery can be confirmed. The 12.8 million vehicles sold last year is well below the 16 million in average annual sales before 2008.1 However, with the average age of a US vehicle at a record 10.8 years—two years older than a decade earlier3—the stage appears to be set for consumers to push sales higher and thereby generate new exposure growth for auto insurers. The short-term outlook for insurers of homeowners is not as rosy, as the market remains glutted with foreclosed properties. However, there are some early signs of the start of a recovery, as the US commerce department reported that builders had broken ground on some 685,000 homes as of November 2011, up 9.3 percent from the month before and up 243percent from November 2010.4 But this figure is still well below the 1.2 million annual figure considered healthy by economists.5
What’s more, the vast majority of construction was in the rental market, up 32 percent compared to a gain of just 2.3 percent for single-family homes, the commerce department noted, as more Americans who lost their homes, their jobs, or both last year opted to rent rather than buy.5 These trends and the glut of foreclosed and distressed properties already on the market could dampen exposure growth for homeowner insurers in 2012.
The still struggling housing market might be one reason why carriers primarily writing personal lines saw new written premium growth slow a bit to 3.1 percent through the first nine months of 2011, down from 3.6 percent over the same period in 2010, according to statistics produced by the Insurance Services Office and the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.6 However, Deloitte Research believes that higher catastrophe exposures and increased demand for coverage in a recovering economy will likely prompt personal lines insurers to raise premiums by a higher rate over the course of this year.
Indeed, a survey of insurance company CEOs and industry association leaders at the Property-Casualty Insurance Joint Industry Forum in January 2012 found that 63 percent think personal auto profitability will rise, along with 67 percent on homeowners. 7
Appendix II: Survey methodology and profile of respondents
Deloitte Research contracted with an independent financial services survey specialist, Andrews Research, to conduct an online survey of 1,080 US-based auto insurance policyholders and 1,080 homeowner insurance policyholders in June 2011.
The core demographic segments identified for the surveys were age, education, family status, and household income. A minimum of 150 completed surveys were obtained for each of the sub-categories within these four segments. The surveys also captured a set of non-core demographics, which did not have a pre-specified minimum quota, including gender and type of community.
In terms of age, the largest percentage of respondents in the surveys came from the 35-50 age segment (32 percent in auto and 31 percent in homeowners). The smallest percentage came among the youngest age segment, 18-25 (14 percent for auto and 13 percent for homeowners). The other three segments each represented about one-fifth of the total sample.
In terms of education, the majority among both surveys had less than a four-year college degree—60 percent for auto insurance and 51 percent for homeowners.
As for family status, about half (48 percent) of the auto survey respondents were either married or in a committed relationship, compared to 63 percent for the homeowner respondents.
With regards to household income, nearly two-thirds among the auto sample made less than $50,000, including 29 percent who made below $25,000. Income was higher among the homeowner survey respondents, with 44 percent making more than $75,000, compared to only 21 percent among the auto respondents making that much.
The gender split for both surveys was reasonably even with 47 percent male and 53 percent female for the auto insurance survey and 46 percent male and 54 percent female among the homeowners. (These figures quite closely reflect those in the 2010 US census, which found 49 percent of the population to be male and 51 percent, female.)
Of the various community types, for both surveys, half of the respondents lived in suburban communities, with a quarter each living in either urban or rural areas.
The margin of error for both surveys is +/– 3 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
Written by: Sam Friedman, Aditya Udai Singh
Cover image by: Jon Reinfurt
Deloitte Research would like to thank the following Deloitte professionals for their contributions to this report:
This report was developed under the stewardship of Rebecca Amoroso, vice chairman and US insurance industry leader at Deloitte LLP, and with subject matter guidance from Boris Lukan, US property & casualty consulting leader at Deloitte Consulting LLP. In addition, marketing and project management assistance from Bridget Sweeny is gratefully acknowledged.
“Good Year For Autos, But A Test Waits In ’12,” New York Times, January 4, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/05/business/chrysler-sales-climbed-26-last-year.html. View in article
“What’s Moving: U.S. Auto Sales,” Wall Street Journal/Market Data Center, February 1, 2012, http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3022-autosales.html. View in article
“NADA: Top 3 Factors Why New Car Sales Will Increase In 2012,” National Automobile Dealers Association press release, January 5, 2012, http://www.nadafrontpage.com/NADA_2012_Auto_Sales_Forecast.xml. View in article
“Statement From U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson On New Residential Construction In November 2011,” US commerce department press release, http://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2011/12/20/statement-us-commerce-secretary-john-bryson-new-residential-construct View in article
“Housing Starts Were Up In November”, New York Times, December 20, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/21/business/economy/housing-starts-were-up-in-november.html. View in article
“ISO: P/C Insurers Underwriting And Overall Financial Results for Nine-Months 2011 Show Deterioration Driven By Spike In Catastrophe Losses,” Insurance Information Institute press release, December 27, 2011, http://www.iii.org/press_releases/iso-p-c-insurers-underwriting-and-overall-financial-results-for-nine-months-2011-show-deterioration-driven-by-spike-in-catastrophe-losses.html. View in article
“Insurance Industry Leaders Believe The Worst Of Financial Crisis Now Behind Us; Industry Now In Early Stages Of Hard Market, I.I.I. Survey Finds,” Insurance Information Institute press release, January 11, 2012, http://www.iii.org/press_releases/insurance-industry-leaders-believe-worst-of-financial-crisis-behind-us-industry-now-in-early-stages-of-hard-market-survey-finds.html. View in article
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← Mainstream media finally reveals truth about Rwanda’s dictator
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October 19, 2016 · 19:03
Global affairs scholars too close to institutions they study
Should social scientists seek the truth regardless of whose toes may be stepped on and cite, up front, possible conflicts of interest regarding matters they study?
All academia disciplines certainly claim independence of thought and transparency are critical principles that guide good research.
So, what then are we to make of academic discussion of Canada’s foreign policy, which is dominated by individuals with ties to the very decision-making structures they study?
The highly regarded Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) is a prime example.
The oldest global affairs school in Canada, Carleton University’s graduate program was established in 1965 with $400,000 ($5 million today) from long-time Senator Norman Paterson, a grain-shipping magnate.[i] During World War II his company provided vessels for Atlantic convoys and Paterson was a major player within the Liberal Party.
Twice under-secretary of External Affairs and leading architect of post-World War II Canadian foreign policy, Norman Robertson was the school’s first director. Unhappy in a diplomatic post in Geneva, External Affairs colleagues secured Robertson the NPSIA position.[ii] During his time at Carleton, Robertson continued to be paid as a “Senior Advisor” to External Affairs, overseeing a major review of a department concerned about growing criticism that it was acting as a U.S. “errand boy” in Vietnam.[iii]
The initial chair of Strategic Studies at NPSIA was a former deputy minister of Veterans Affairs and Canada’s principal disarmament negotiator between 1960 and 1968.[iv] Lieutenant-General Eedson L. M. Burns left government to take up the Carleton post.[v]
Three months after stepping down as prime minister in 1968 Lester Pearson began teaching a seminar on Canadian foreign policy at NPSIA. In a foreword to Freedom and Change: Essays in Honour of Lester B. Pearson, Senator Norman Paterson wrote, “the idea of creating a School of International Affairs in Canada and thoughts on how Lester Pearson might spend part of his time after retiring from public life became intimately bound together in my mind.”[vi]
After Pearson died in 1972 his friends raised funds to establish the Lester B. Pearson Chair of International Affairs at NPSIA.[vii] A former Canadian ambassador to Egypt and the USSR, as well as secretary-general of the Commonwealth, Arnold Cantwell Smith, was the first Lester B. Pearson chair.[viii]
The close association between NPSIA and Global Affairs continues. Former Canadian ambassador to the UN, president of the Security Council and director of the government-created Canadian Institute for International Peace and Security, William Barton gave $3 million to establish a chair at NPSIA in 2008.[ix] The NPSIA faculty includes numerous former Canadian diplomats, including ambassador to Washington Derek Burney, long-time diplomat Colin Robertson and former ambassador to Jordan, Egypt and Israel Michael Dougall Bell.[x] A former director of DND’s Directorate of History, Norman Hillmer, security analyst Stephanie Carvin and special advisor to the external minister Gerald Wright are also faculty members.[xi]
NPSIA is but one example of the foreign-policy government apparatus’s influence in academia. Into the late 1960s individuals who’d worked in the military’s historical sections dominated academic posts in military history and associated fields while current or former DND and Global Affairs historians remain influential within academia.[xii]
DND has also instigated a handful of “security studies” programs and its Security Defence Forum funds more than a dozen of these university initiatives. Similarly, the Canadian International Development Agency spawned and financed various “development studies” programs.
Is it any wonder that critical discussion of Canadian foreign policy is almost non-existent? Or that much of what does exist seems more like cheerleading than serious academic research?
Canadians deserve better from the institutions they rely upon to tell them the truth.
A version of this article first appeared in The Hill Times
[i] Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Paterson_School_of_International_Affairs)
[ii] J. L. Granatstein, A Man of Influence: Norman A. Robertson and Canadian Statecraft, 1929-68, 371
[iii] Ibid, 372/374
[iv] E. L. M. Burns (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._L._M._Burns)
[v] Ibid
[vi] Michael Fry, Freedom and Change: Essays in Honour of Lester B. Pearson, Foreword
[vii] Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Paterson_School_of_International_Affairs#cite_note-13)
[viii] Ibid
[ix] William and Jeanie Barton Chair in International Affairs (https://carleton.ca/npsia/about/william-and-jeanie-barton-chair-in-international-affairs/)
[x] Faculty (http://carleton.ca/npsia/faculty/)
[xi] Ibid
[xii] Tim Cook, Clio’s Warriors, 210/221
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TOBY PRICE AND KTM WIN DAKAR 2019
News vom: 17.01.2019
Toby Price has won the 2019 Dakar Rally. At the end of what has been an incredibly successful race for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, Toby Price, Matthias Walkner and Sam Sunderland have rounded out the final podium positions with Price securing KTM their 18th consecutive victory at the iconic event.
Leading the overall standings by just over one minute going into Thursday’s 10th and final stage, Toby Price had no choice but to give his all on the day’s short 112-kilometre timed special. With competitors setting off in the reverse order to that of their position in the overall standings, Price was the very last motorcycle rider to enter the stage.
Pushing right from the start, Toby knew he couldn’t spare a single second on the well-travelled route. Just 10 kilometres into the stage however, the Australian’s nearest rival fell, leaving Price free to complete the special at a steadier pace. Putting in a champion’s ride, he still pushed on to ultimately claim the stage win and with it, his second Dakar title.
In what has been a superb display of riding, determination and bravery, Price has overcome all the odds to take a well-deserved win. Breaking his wrist just weeks before the event put doubts on whether the 2016 Dakar winner would even complete the rally. Showing immense resolve, Toby took each stage as it came, riding consistently, and at the end of the 10-day event his perseverance paid off. It’s been a great few months for Price and KTM – 2018 FIM Cross Country Rallies World Champion and now 2019 Dakar Rally Champion.
Toby Price: “It feels amazing to stand here knowing I have won the Dakar, I don’t think it has really sunk in yet. I thought at the beginning of the event I would be lucky to even make the rest day. My Red Bull KTM bike has been amazing, I want to say a big thank you to my mechanic for that. The whole crew here do an amazing job – without them I would be no one. The team put in so much work on the lead up to the event and when we get here it’s down to me out there on the track so it feels amazing to be able to reward them all with this result and keep KTM’s winning streak going.
“It was so tight going into the stage this morning, both Pablo and I knew we would have to push right from the start. Unfortunately for him, he went too hard off a dune but he really deserves a win too – everyone that starts this race deserves a win. The plan now is to go home and relax for a little while, I know I need to have my wrist seen to, so I’ll get that sorted and then it won’t be long before we start it all over again.”
Finishing third fastest on today’s stage has secured Matthias Walkner the runner-up spot at the rally. Hurting his ankle earlier on in the event following a hard landing off a dune was not enough to slow the Austrian’s progress through the race. Excelling on the stages where accurate navigation was supremely important, Walkner stayed in touch with the rally’s leaders right to the finish.
Matthias Walkner: “This means so much to me. I wanted so badly to be back on the podium. The race has been so close this year and I truly believe I have ridden my best Dakar ever. The whole 10 days have gone well and I have made the minimum of mistakes. There have been a couple of times where the start position has been tough or we’ve had trouble with the road book, but overall, I feel really happy with my performance. I did hit one of the dunes very hard today and nearly came off, it sounds like that’s what happened to Pablo, so I wish him all the best. Of course, I want to say congratulations to Toby too, he’s like an animal to ride with his wrist like that, and win. It’s such an emotional race for me – to put so much into something, so much hard work, and to get something back at the end is an amazing feeling.”
Following the removal of the one-hour penalty issued for missing the start of stage eight, Sam Sunderland has been promoted to third overall at the close of the rally. Riding to fourth on stage 10 to claim the final step on the podium, Sam’s result makes it a Red Bull KTM Factory Racing one-two-three.
Sam Sunderland: “It always feels good to cross the finish line at the Dakar. It’s been a seriously tough race for all involved, not just for me, but for all the teams, the riders and the organisation. The bike has been flawless all week, so I have to thank my mechanic. I’m over the moon to take third position, it’s not quite the result I was hoping for but even a finish at the Dakar is an achievement in itself. Congratulations to Toby, he has put in such a brave ride all week.”
Improving and learning more each day at the 2019 Dakar, Luciano Benavides has shown great maturity and skill at the world’s toughest rally. Claiming fifth on the final stage, just one second behind Sunderland, was enough to secure the Argentinian eighth place in the overall standings. Following his retirement from the 2018 Dakar where he crashed out on stage 10, Benavides' result this year is testament to the hard work he has put in throughout the months leading up to the rally.
Luciano Benavides: “This is a really crazy feeling. After my crash last year and the injury, it’s been a long journey to get back up to full fitness. I have worked so hard on my riding, my navigation and it has all paid off – I couldn’t be happier right now. My goal coming into the rally was to finish inside the top 10, which I have done and more. I can’t describe how this feels.”
Completing her ninth consecutive Dakar, Laia Sanz has once again impressed with her ride at this year’s event. Suffering from a virus late on in 2018 meant that it was almost impossible for Sanz to train properly for the race. Despite the disadvantage, the Spaniard used all her skill and experience to ride with both speed and consistency each day to ultimately claim an incredible 11th overall at the end of over 5,000 kilometres of racing – Laia’s second best ever result at the event.
Laia Sanz: “I think I was more nervous before this final stage than any other, possibly because of what I have been through to get here. This year has been special and I have achieved a great result so I am very happy. It feels great to finally arrive at the finish and I want to thank the team and my mechanics for getting me here. As we have seen this year, the rally has been very tough on the bikes as well as the riders. I am very proud to be able to ride the best machine for the best team.”
Jordi Viladoms (KTM Rally Team Manager): “It’s been an amazing race with many ups and downs, often stressful, but I am extremely proud of the whole team’s performance. The rally has been far tougher than expected. Despite being shorter than usual it has included days with tricky strategy, navigation and the level of riding has been so close. To win our 18th consecutive Dakar is incredible and a lot of it is thanks to Toby, he won the race even with a lot of pain in his wrist. Personally, I would like to thank KTM for their ongoing support of this rally programme, but all of this is only possible because of how the team works together.”
Provisional Results Stage Ten – 2019 Dakar Rally
1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 1:14:01
2. Jose Ignacio Cornejo), Honda, 1:16:22 +2:21
3. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 1:16:39 +2:38
4. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 1:17:20 +3:19
5. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 1:17:21 +3:20
Other KTM
15. Laia Sanz (ESP), KTM, 1:29:33 +15:32
Provisional Final Standings – 2019 Dakar Rally
1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 33:57:16
2. Matthias Walkner (AUT), KTM, 34:06:29 +9:13
3. Sam Sunderland (GBR), KTM, 34:10:50 +13:34
4. Pablo Quintanilla (CHL), Husqvarna, 34:18:02 +20:46
5. Andrew Short (USA), Husqvarna, 34:41:26 +44:10
8. Luciano Benavides (ARG), KTM, 35:06:26 +1:09:10
11. Laia Sanz (ESP), KTM, 37:21:26 +3:24:10
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District holds first meeting on future of Chugiak-Eagle River schools
Chugiak-Eagle River Star
Wed, 02/13/2019 - 12:56am
Members of the Anchorage School Board and Anchorage School District officials speak to the crowd in the Chugiak High gym during a public meeting on the future of secondary eduction in Eagle River on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019 at Chugiak High School. (Matt Tunseth / Chugiak-Eagle River Star)
People in the crowd listen to Anchorage School District superintendent Dr. Deena Bishop during a public meeting on the future of secondary eduction in Eagle River on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019 at Chugiak High School. (Matt Tunseth / Chugiak-Eagle River Star)
Anchorage School Board member Elisa Snelling, left, talks with Anchorage School District superintendent Dr. Deena Bishop before the start of a public meeting on the future of secondary eduction in Eagle River on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019 at Chugiak High School. (Matt Tunseth / Chugiak-Eagle River Star)
The task of untangling the complex web of choices, courses, controversies and complications concerning Chugiak-Eagle River schools began Tuesday night at Chugiak High, where about 200 people gathered for the first in a series of public meetings that will help determine the future of virtually every Anchorage School District student living north of Muldoon Road.
“We have a lot of work to do,” ASD superintendent Dr. Deena Bishop said that the outset of the meeting, which was attended by district officials and members of the Anchorage School Board.
The hastily scheduled meeting was the first of four planned in Chugiak-Eagle River over the next week to gather community input on “short-term” solutions for how to best deal with the community’s roughly 1,000 earthquake-displaced elementary and middle-school students.
Tuesday’s meeting was specific to secondary school issues, while a 6 p.m. meeting Wednesday at Eagle River High School will deal with elementary school issues. Follow-up meetings to give the public a summary of input gathered will be held Feb. 20 at Eagle River High and Feb. 21 at Chugiak High.
District officials began the meeting by giving a brief recap of the situation on the ground in Eagle River, where both Eagle River Elementary and Gruening Middle School have been shuttered indefinitely due to damage sustained in the Nov. 30, 2018 earthquake. Though there were few new details to give, ASD chief operating officer Tom Roth said the district will have a comprehensive engineering report by the end of the month.
“We are waiting for the actual analysis,” said Roth, who told the crowd initial assessments showed Gruening may have suffered soil displacement as well as a cracked stairwell and at least one detached wall.
The Gruening closure had forced the school’s nearly 600 students to be housed at Chugiak High, which was at about half its 1,618-student capacity before the quake. Roth said the fact Chugiak was able to absorb an entire school population was fortunate because it allowed Gruening students and teachers to remain together under one roof.
However, he said school officials also recognize the solution isn’t perfect.
“We know we put a middle school inside a high school,” he said.
Following the introductory remarks, the crowd was split into seven classrooms where ASD staff moderated small group sessions in which people shared their ideas for how secondary education in Chugiak-Eagle River should look in the near future.
Among the main options being floated by the district for next year include combining Chugiak and Eagle River High into one high school and sending Gruening students to Eagle River High; keeping Gruening kids at Chugiak; or shifting boundaries to split Gruening students between Mirror Lake, Central and Clark Middle schools. Based on comments during Tuesday’s breakout sessions, the latter option appears to be a nonstarter among independent-minded Chugiak-Eagle River residents.
“It’s a horrible idea to send kids to Anchorage,” one woman said to a smattering of applause during a breakout session held in Paul McDonogh’s science classroom.
Versions of the other two options, however, have drawn significant debate in coffee shops and social media comment sections since the district included them in an online survey released last week. On Tuesday, some people spoke in favor of combining the area’s two high schools, while others argued preserving the schools’ distinct identities should be taken into consideration.
Some did not speak at all, preferring to comment online rather than at Tuesday’s meeting. Roth said more than 2,000 people have filled out the district’s online surveys so far, which school officials will use to inform their decisions going forward. The survey period closes Feb. 15, and on Feb. 20 the district will release all public comments on its website.
The district also provided some school enrollment numbers at Tuesday’s meeting. According to ASD, there are currently 587 middle school students enrolled at Gruening and 666 enrolled at Mirror Lake (which has a capacity of 978) for a total Chugiak-Eagle River middle school population of 1,253. Of those, about 300 live on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Chugiak High’s enrollment is currently 886 and Eagle River’s is 819 for a total high school population of 1,705. Eagle River’s capacity is 973. According to ASD, 84 Chugiak students and 273 ERHS students live on base. Bartlett High — which also serves JBER — has a current enrollment of about 1,400 and a capacity of around 2,000.
Whatever is ultimately decided, parents said their most pressing concern is finding a way for Gruening students to regain their identity. Although Chugiak has been a welcoming environment, many parents said they’d like to see more done to keep middle- and high-school students separated in the future.
“It doesn’t feel like a school within a school,” said parent Katy Masterson.
Some parents worried that having Gruening students at school alongside older teens has exposed the middle schoolers to bad influences.
Also looming over Tuesday’s discussions were the still unaddressed long-term solutions. It’s unknown if Gruening will ever be usable again, and some parents worried Tuesday that any “short-term” fix could morph into a long-term solution.
“It frustrates me it’s being called short term,” Masterson said.
Oscar Hall said military families in the area need to know how to best plan for the future, and asked aloud when long-term plans would be made. But district officials say there’s still just too many unknown variables — including structural reports and how much federal disaster aid the district will receive — to make those decisions just yet.
“Sometime here very shortly we hope to be talking long term,” said assistant superintendent Dr. Mark Stock.
Elisa Snelling, who chairs the school board ad hoc committee that oversaw the introductory meeting, said she was pleased with the tone and turnout Tuesday.
“It warms me to see an engaged community,” she said.
Snelling urged patience with the process, and said more information will be available for the public to weigh during the Feb. 21 meeting.
“We have to do this one piece at a time.”
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Less Tobacco Exposure Required In Women To Increase Colon Cancer Risk
While smoking poses a health threat to both men and women, women require less tobacco exposure than men to have a significant increased risk for colorectal cancer, according to new research presented at the 73rd Annual ACG Scientific Meeting in Orlando. In a separate analysis, researchers found smoking may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer precursor lesions, particularly in patients with a strong family history of the disease.
While research has demonstrated that smoking is associated with a two-fold risk for colorectal neoplasia, less is known about the exposure quantity needed. Joseph C. Anderson, M.D., of the University of Connecticut in Farmington and Zvi A. Alpern, M.D. of Stony Brook University in New York compared the quantity of tobacco exposure to increased colorectal cancer risk in men and women. The levels of tobacco exposure were measured by multiplying the packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years smoked ("pack years.")
In a large cross-sectional study, Drs. Anderson and Alpern analyzed data of 2,707 patients (average age 57.3) who underwent colonoscopy between 1999 and 2006. Data collected included age, height, weight, family history of colon cancer, medication use, surgery, exercise, diet and smoking history.
Patients were divided into three smoking groups: heavy exposure, low exposure, and no exposure. The heavy exposure group was placed into two different groups: those who smoked 30 pack years or less and those who smoked more than 30 pack years.
Women's Risk Higher for CRC with Fewer "Pack Years" After adjusting for potentially confounding factors such as age, body mass index, and family history, researchers found women who smoked less than 30 pack years were almost twice as likely to develop significant colorectal neoplasia compared to women who were not exposed to cigarette smoke.
"While men and women shared a similar two-fold risk for developing significant colorectal neoplasia, women required less tobacco exposure in pack years than men to have an increase in colorectal cancer risk," said Dr. Anderson.
Cigarette Smoking May Increase Risk of Pancreatic Cancer Precursor Lesions in At-Risk Patients
In a separate study conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, Dr. Emmy Ludwig and her colleagues examined tobacco exposure and the risk of pancreatic cancer precursor lesions in patients enrolled in a familial pancreatic cancer registry and screening program.
In this analysis, at-risk relatives of familial pancreatic cancer patients were screened using MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography) or CT scan with an endoscopic ultrasound performed if imaging showed any pancreatic abnormality. Patients underwent surgery if suspicious lesions were found.
Of the 113 relatives who completed at least one screening study, 8.9 percent had a significant pancreatic lesion, 6 of whom underwent surgery. In a key finding, researchers found 70 percent of relatives with pancreatic abnormalities had a history of smoking compared to 40 percent of participants who did not smoke.
According to lead investigator Dr. Ludwig, "Because more of the relatives with positive findings smoked than did relatives without positive findings, our study suggests that smoking may have been responsible for the development of the precursor lesions, especially in light of the fact that smoking is a known risk factor for pancreatic carcinoma."
About the American College of Gastroenterology
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of more than 10,000 individuals from 80 countries. The College is committed to serving the clinically oriented digestive disease specialist through its emphasis on scholarly practice, teaching and research. The mission of the College is to serve the evolving needs of physicians in the delivery of high quality, scientifically sound, humanistic, ethical, and cost-effective health care to gastroenterology patients.
The ACG is committed to providing accurate, unbiased and up-to-date health information. Visit the ACG Web site acg.gi/ to access educational resources for patients and their families spanning the broad range of digestive diseases and conditions - both common and not-so-common. Organized by disease, state and organ system, these educational materials, developed by ACG physician experts, are offered for the information and benefit of patients and the public.
Source: Rosanne Riesenman
American College of Gastroenterology
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Midlife Suicide Rate Increased By Baby Boomers
Baby boomers appear to be driving a dramatic rise in suicide rates among middle-aged people, a new study finds. The journal Public Health Reports published the analysis by sociologists Ellen Idler of Emory and Julie Phillips of Rutgers University.
"The findings are disturbing, because they're a reversal of a long-standing trend," Idler says.
The suicide rate for the U.S. population overall has been declining for decades, Idler notes. And people aged 40-59, in particular, have long had a moderate suicide rate.
The baby boomers, people born between 1945 and 1964, have broken that pattern. By 2000, most people aged 40 to 59 were baby boomers and the suicide rate started climbing steadily for these middle-age ranges. The authors found significant increases of more than 2 percent per year for men, and more than 3 percent per year for women, from 1999 to 2005. (By 2005, all middle-aged people were baby boomers.)
The post-1999 increase has been particularly dramatic for those who are unmarried and those without a college degree, the analysis showed. For example, from 2000 to 2005, the suicide rate jumped nearly 30 percent for men and women aged 50 to 59 with some college but no degree. Middle-aged people with a college degree appeared largely protected from the trend.
The baby boomers also experienced higher suicide rates during their adolescence and young adulthood, doubling the rate for those age groups at the time. Their suicide rate then declined slightly and stabilized, before beginning to increase again in midlife.
"You might think that the higher rates in adolescence would lead to lower rates later because the most suicide prone people would be gone but that doesn't appear to be the case," Idler says. "Clinical studies often show that knowing someone who committed suicide is considered a risk factor for later doing it yourself, and that may be one factor here. The high rates in adolescence could actually be contributing to the high rates in middle age."
Higher rates of substance abuse and the onset of chronic diseases are among other possible factors in the rising baby boomer suicide rate. "As children, the baby boomers were the healthiest cohort that had ever lived, due to the availability of antibiotics and vaccines," Idler says. "Chronic conditions could be more of a rude awakening for them in midlife than they were for earlier generations."
Traditionally, midlife has been considered a time when people are at their peak of social integration. "We need to pay attention to this new increase in suicides, during a period of life previously thought to be stable and relatively protected from suicide, and in an age group now occupied by extraordinarily large numbers of people," Idler says.
Data for the study were drawn from the National Center for Health Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. Preliminary data from 2006 and 2007, the latest time that statistics are available, indicate that the upward pattern in midlife suicide is continuing, Idler says.
Beverly Clark
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Third Set Of 2009 Pesticide Residue Figures Released, UK
The Pesticide Residues Committee today published its third quarterly report for samples collected in 2009.
The report found that the majority of foods had no detectable residues and those that did contain pesticides were not likely to be harmful to health. Tests found that 656 out of 911 samples of 14 different foods tested had no detectable residues. Also, 248 samples contained levels below the maximum residue level (MRL) - the legally permitted amount.
Chairman of the committee Dr Ian Brown said: "The majority of food sampled either does not contain detectable residues, or where residues are found, they are in accordance with legal limits. The committee has looked carefully at all of the residues above the MRL and we are satisfied that all the results are unlikely to be of concern for consumer health.
"The results show 7 samples (0.8% of samples covered by the report) contained residues above the legal levels. We have looked carefully at the findings and concluded that in all cases the residues found were unlikely to have resulted in any health effects for consumers.
"These results should reassure consumers that the food they eat continues to be safe. I can understand that some people have concerns about pesticide residues in their food, but as a doctor I cannot over-emphasise the importance of continuing to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Scientific evidence shows that the health benefits far outweigh any concerns about pesticide residues."
The Pesticide Residues Committee is an independent body which advises the Government, the Food Standards Agency and the Chemicals Regulation Directorate.
Today's results are part of a £2 million food and drink monitoring programme which takes place each year. The results cover a sampling period up to September 2009.
The MRL is the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue - expressed as milligrams per kilogram, or parts per million - legally permitted in or on our food and animal feeds. The levels are not safety limits, but are set at levels which protect the consumer. They are primarily a check that good agricultural practice is being followed, and an MRL exceedance does not automatically imply a hazard to health.
The full report is available online at: pesticides/prc.asp?id=2791
1. Dr Ian Brown OBE BSc (Agric) FRCP FFOM is Director of Occupational Health at the University of Oxford and Honorary Consultant Physician in Occupational Medicine to Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust Department of Public Health.
2. The survey was carried out on behalf of the Pesticide Residues Committee, an independent body that advises Ministers, the Chemical Regulation Directorate and the Food Standards Agency. More information about the Pesticide Residues Committee and its work is available via its website: pesticides
3. The Committee oversees a programme to monitor the UK food and drink supply for pesticides residues. It tests samples from a range of foods from retailers, wholesalers, packers, farmers, ports and processors every year. The purpose of the programme is to:
a. Back up the statutory approvals process for pesticides by checking that no unexpected residues are occurring;
b. To check that residues do not exceed statutory maximum residue levels; and
c. To check that human dietary intakes of residues are within acceptable levels.
4. The Pesticide Residues Committee is interested in feedback on their quarterly reports and welcome contact from readers about the content and style.
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Statement by the ACP Secretary General at the Opening Session of the East Africa Regional Consultations of the Eminent Persons Group, Addis Ababa - Ethiopia
Your Excellency, Alemayehu GUJO, State Minister of Ministry of Finance and Economic Development
Mr Peter GAKUNU and other Esteemed Members of the Eminent Persons' Group (EPG)
H.E. Dr Diodurus KAMALA, Chair of the Committee of Ambassadors
H.E. Ambassador Berhane Gebray, Former Secretary-General of the ACP
Honourable Members of Parliament
Highly distinguished personalities and resource persons,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps
Honourable Minister,
At the outset, let me express my profound pleasure in welcoming you this meeting that has brought together leading personalities from the ACP East African region, with the objective of consulting on the future of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) Group beyond 2020.
Through you, Honourable Minister, I would like to thank The Right Honourable Prime Minister, the Government and the Peoples of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia for the warm welcome and generous hospitality that has been accorded to me and indeed all the delegates here present, since our arrival in this beautiful country - Ethiopia.
I also wish to thank you, Honourable Minister, for accepting to grace this meeting by taking time off your busy schedule to come here this morning to deliver an opening statement.
We should also express our deep gratitude to Ethiopia for offering to host this meeting in this beautiful city of Addis Ababa. The City of Addis Ababa is recognized as the “political capital of Africa" due to its historical and diplomatic significance for the continent. Therefore, it is fitting and relevant that the consultations that will guide us on how we chart out the future of the ACP Group should be held in this capital.
In addition, I thank the ACP East African Ambassadors in Brussels, particularly their coordinator, Ambassador Teshome Toga CHANAKA of Ethiopia who, together with his colleagues from the region, has played a key role in making this consultation process a reality.
Most of these Brussels-based Ambassadors are with us today. I recognize those from Burundi, Comoros, Kenya, Mauritius and Uganda. We also have in our midst, His Excellency Ambassador Dr. Diodorus KAMALA of Tanzania who is also currently providing leadership to the ACP Group, in his capacity at the Chairman of the ACP Committee of Ambassadors.
Last, but certainly not the least, let me note and welcome the presence of Ambassador Patrick Gomes, who although not from this region, is a key figure in the work that we are carrying out related to this meeting. Ambassador Gomes is the Chairman of the Ambassadorial Working Group on the Future Perspectives of the ACP Group. I think it will be useful to afford Ambassador GOMES an opportunity to update you on the work of his Group as well as the tasks that it has accomplished so far.
Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests
As I have had the occasion to say in other regions that have concluded the consultations, it is worth reminding us that the ACP Group embraces 79 member countries from Africa, the Caribbean and the islands of the Pacific. I am privileged and honoured to head its Secretariat in Brussels and we operate with an elaborate network of institutions and stakeholders.
Our grouping is a product of history dating back to the Rome Treaty 1957 when the former French African colonial dependencies were brought into Association status with the European Economic Community. The membership was later expanded in 1973 when Britain acceded to the Community, bringing with it her erstwhile colonial dependencies that were now members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.
With the further expansion of the European Economic Community that brought Spain and Portugal into the European system, the former Portuguese and Spanish colonies in Africa and the Caribbean also became members of the ACP Group.
The ACP Group emerged largely as an association of countries that share particular ties with the former European colonial powers and that are bound to Europe through history, economics and trade arrangements. But the ACP does not define itself solely in its relationship with Europe.
Indeed, the Georgetown Agreement of 1975 sought to establish the ACP as an intergovernmental body bound together by a shared sense of South-South solidarity and commitment to the pursuit of equity in world economics and international trade and in the use of dialogue as the primary instrument of international cooperation.
The ACP is the largest trans-regional intergovernmental organisation of developing countries in the international system. The collective strength of the ACP Group derives from decades of inter-regional solidarity, international trade negotiations, development finance cooperation political dialogue and relations with other international organisations.
There is potential to build on this numeric strength to promote the collective cause of some of the poorest countries in the world, with opportunity to establish crucial alliances not only with Europe but with some of the emerging global players in the world economy.
At the various levels these relations need to be nourished to allow for greater intra-ACP cooperation and coordination, and a more cohesive, proactive and vibrant Group.
Indeed, the call for solidarity, greater visibility, relations with other international groups, streamlining of the core business of the ACP and empowering its Secretariat has been a constant theme of all of the Summits of ACP Heads of State and Government since the last two decades.
The ACP Group has existed for more than 30 years without having lost a single member. Since 1975, its membership has nearly doubled to its current 79 developing countries, soon to be 80 with the accession of South Sudan which currently has an observer status. We continue to pray and hope that the political and security situation in South Sudan will be resolved soon rather than later.
The call for action to justify the ACP’s relevance today is also an urgent reminder that the global context in which we have operated hitherto has been radically transformed. At the same time, it is a call to reaffirm our solidarity and the inherent dynamism and durability of the ACP ‘family of nations.
It is for this reason that the Eminent Persons Group on the future of the ACP beyond 2020 was formed and launched on March 25, 2013. It is comprised of 12 distinguished luminaries and statesmen from the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions. The Group is chaired by Chief Olusegun OBASANJO, former President of Nigeria.
The members of the EPG include former heads of state or government, executives at international organisations, accomplished academics, and former high level government officials. The eminent persons were selected for their distinctive leadership skills, far-reaching experience in international affairs and development, and sound technical knowledge in their various fields. Each possesses the demonstrated ability to ‘think out of the box’ to find solutions for complex problems.
But most importantly, the EPG members represent the African, Caribbean and Pacific people who would be the main beneficiaries of a sturdier, more dynamic ACP Group.
The significant task assigned to the Group is that of independently reviewing the 79-member ACP Group as an international organisation and to offer the future perspectives that the Group should pursue post 2020 when the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement, commonly known as the Cotonou Agreement comes to an end.
So far the EPG has held three consultations - in the Pacific, the Caribbean and West Africa regions. This is the fourth such consultation. We hope that the remaining two regions of Central Africa and Southern Africa will also meet soon, so that they too can have their say. Ultimately, the objective is to garner key contributions that must be compiled, reviewed and reflected in the EPG’s final report. At the same time, inputs from ACP peoples from all walks of life are strongly encouraged, through online discussions on a webpage that the ACP Secretariat has opened on its website.
The EPG is expected to make recommendations on the future orientations of the ACP and present its views and final report to the 8th Summit of Heads of State and Government in December 2014. I can indicate that the Summit will take place in Suriname, in the Caribbean in December.
That is why we are here today. We would like to hear your views in your various capacities as government officials, parliamentarians as well as non-state actors drawn from the private sector and civil society. And for that reason, as I have done in other regions that have already held their consultations, I encourage and urge you to be frank and candid because it is only by being open that we will comprehend what you want your organization to be and to do for you in the future.
I thank you all for your kind attention.
H.E Alhaji Muhammad Mumuni
ACP Secretary General
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Justice, Punishment and the Medieval Muslim Imagination
$119.00 (C)
Part of Cambridge Studies in Islamic Civilization
Author: Christian Lange, University of Edinburgh
$ 119.00 (C)
How was the use of violence against Muslims explained and justified in medieval Islam? What role did state punishment play in delineating the private from the public sphere? What strategies were deployed to cope with the suffering caused by punishment? These questions are explored in Christian Lange's in-depth study of the phenomenon of punishment, both divine and human, in eleventh-to-thirteenth-century Islamic society. The book examines the relationship between state and society in meting out justice, Muslim attitudes to hell and the punishments that were in store in the afterlife, and the legal dimensions of punishment. The cross-disciplinary approach embraced in this study, which is based on a wide variety of Persian and Arabic sources, sheds light on the interplay between theory and practice in Islamic criminal law, and between executive power and the religious imagination of medieval Muslim society at large.
Spans the gap between traditional Islamic studies and the study of religion and allows readers to understand how Islamic religion 'works' in its social and political context
The book is cross-disciplinary (unusual in Islamic studies) and is based on a wide variety of Persian and Arabic sources
Features the first full-scale description and analysis of the traditional Muslim idea of hell
Part I. The Politics of Punishment:
1. Spheres and institutions of punishment
2. Types of punishment
Part II. The Eschatology of Punishment:
3. The structure of hell
4. Hell's creatures and their punishments
Part III. Legal Dimensions of Punishment:
5. Circumscribing hadd in Sunnī law
6. Discretionary punishment and the public sphere.
Christian Lange, University of Edinburgh
Community, Trade, and Networks
Southern Fujian Province from the Third to the Thirteenth Century
Law, Society and Culture in the Maghrib, 1300–1500
The Writing of Official History under the T'ang
Turko-Persia in Historical Perspective
Incroyables Gazettes et Fabuleux Métaux
Les Retours des Trésors Américains d'Après les Gazettes Hollandaises (XVI–XVII Siècles)
Paradise and Hell in Islamic Traditions
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The Republican Party and American Politics from Hoover to Reagan
Author: Robert Mason, University of Edinburgh
During a long period of the twentieth century, stretching from the Great Depression until the Reagan years, defeat generally characterized the electoral record of the Republican party. Although Republicans sometimes secured victory in presidential contests, a majority of Americans identified with the Democratic party, not the GOP. This book investigates how Republicans tackled the problem of their party's minority status and why their efforts to boost GOP fortunes usually ended in failure. At the heart of the Republicans' minority puzzle was the profound and persistent popularity of New Deal liberalism. This puzzle was stubbornly resistant to solution. Efforts to develop a Republican version of government activism met little success. The same was true of conservative strategies that stressed a more fundamental rejection of the Democrats' arguments. Technocratic initiatives to improve party organization and communications similarly failed to facilitate an electoral breakthrough. Only the Democratic party's decline eventually created opportunities for Republican resurgence. This book is the first to offer a wide-ranging analysis of the topic, which is of central importance to any understanding of modern U.S. political history.
The first book that investigates how Republicans tackled the problem of their party's minority status between the 1920s and 1980s
Based on extensive research, it draws on more than 100 manuscript collections housed in some 20 archival repositories
The topic of the Republican party's response to electoral misfortune has contemporary as well as historical interest
“History is written by the victors, says the old saw, and so it always seems with the Democratic Party and the long New Deal era. Robert Mason has set out to correct this imbalance with a rich and careful study of politicking inside the Republican Party from the arrival of Franklin Roosevelt to the arrival of Ronald Reagan. We meet the major players, the major factions, the major policies, and the major strategic gambits, all jousting for the chance to bring that long era to an end. Along the way, we are reminded how difficult it is to make sense of our own time while it unfolds and how difficult it is, as a result, to line up the coalition behind some alternative vision.” – Byron E. Shafer, Hawkins Chair of Political Science, University of Wisconsin
“Analytically astute, empirically sound, and lucidly written, Mason’s history of the Republican Party’s long years in the minority is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand America’s two-party political system in the modern era. This is the best single-volume history of GOP leaders’ struggle to find and articulate a winning response to New Deal and Great Society programs and ideology that I have read.” – David Farber, author of The Rise and Fall of Modern American Conservatism
"Recommended." -Choice
"Mason’s history is a well-researched assessment of intraparty battles within the Republican party as it dealt with the legacies of New Deal liberalism." -Gregory L. Schneider, The Journal of American History
"...ranks among the best." -Michael K. Fauntroy, Political Science Quarterly
1. From old Home Melodies to jazz music:
2. As Maine goes, so goes Vermont:
3. The simple barefoot Wall Street lawyer:
4. Liberty versus socialism:
5. Modern Republicanism:
6. A choice, not an echo:
7. There's a realignment going on:
8. You are witnessing the great realignment:
Robert Mason, University of Edinburgh
Robert Mason is Senior Lecturer in History at the University of Edinburgh, where he has worked since 1998. In 2004–5 he held a fellowship at the John W. Kluge Center, Library of Congress. Professor Mason is the author of Richard Nixon and the Quest for a New Majority (2004).
Conservative but Not Republican
The Paradox of Party Identification and Ideology among African Americans
James Madison and Constitutional Imperfection
The Political Origins of Religious Liberty
The Journal of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era
Published for the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age and Progressive Era The Journal of the Gilded Age and…
Modern American History
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Politics, Kingship, and Poetry in Medieval South India
Moonset on Sunrise Mountain
Author: Whitney Cox, University of Chicago
In this compelling new study, Whitney Cox presents a fundamental re-imagining of the politics of pre-modern India through the reinterpretation of the contested accession of Kulottunga I (r.1070–1120) as the ruler of the imperial Chola dynasty. By focusing on this complex event and its ramifications over time, Cox traces far-reaching transformations throughout the kingdom and beyond. Through a methodologically innovative combination of history, theory and the close reading of a rich series of Sanskrit and Tamil textual sources, Cox reconstructs the nature of political society in medieval India. A major intervention in the fields of South Asian social, political and cultural history, religion and comparative political thought, this book poses fresh comparative and conceptual questions about politics, history, agency and representation in the pre-modern world.
Combines the evidence and methodology of social history with literary/cultural studies, providing a model for multidisciplinary scholarship
Introduces South Asian evidence into otherwise Eurocentric scholarly conversations
Reconstructs the nature of political society in medieval India
'At once profoundly erudite, engaging to read, and methodologically innovative, Whitney Cox's book reveals the inner dynamics of the Chola state-system through a close study of one major king and fine-grained, sensitive readings of the inscriptions and literary classics that were produced at his court. In short: a remarkable book, rich in insight, about one of the most remarkable periods in South Asian history.' David Shulman, Hebrew University, Jerusalem
'In what is essentially a biography of a great South Indian king, Whitney Cox tells a splendid tale, but one that challenges us as well. I cannot imagine a more welcome contribution to scholarship on the history of India - and indeed to much more (Indian literature, historiography, political theory …).' Leslie C. Orr, Concordia University, Montreal and author of Donors, Devotees and Daughters of God: Temple Women in Medieval Tamilnadu
contains: 5 b/w illus. 4 maps 1 table
Note on the transliteration and presentation of texts
1. Râjiga, before 1070
2. Râjendracola, June 1070–May 1074
3. Kulottunga: the King and the Poets, ca.1087–1115
4. The Emperor of the Three Worlds and the Lord of the Little Shrine
Whitney Cox, University of Chicago
Whitney Cox is an Associate Professor in the Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago. His principal interest lies in Sanskrit language and literature, pre-modern Tamil, and in the cultural, political and social history of far southern India. He has been a member of the Collegium of the Berlin-based Zukunftsphilologie project since 2011 and has held awards from Fulbright-Hayes, the British Academy, and the UK Arts and Humanities Research Council.
A Concise History of Modern India
The Shi‘a in Modern South Asia
Religion, History and Politics
Subordination, Poverty and the State in Modern India
The Politics of the Urban Poor in Early Twentieth-Century India
A Muslim Conspiracy in British India?
Politics and Paranoia in the Early Nineteenth-Century Deccan
The International Journal of Asian Studies
International Journal of Asian Studies (IJAS) is an interdisciplinary, English-language forum for research in the…
Modern Intellectual History
This important journal serves as a focal point and forum for scholarship on intellectual and cultural history from…
The Journal of Asian Studies
Published for the Association for Asian StudiesThe Journal of Asian Studies (JAS) has played a defining role in the…
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society
The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society has been published by the Society since 1834 and is distinguished not only…
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The WTO and International Investment Law
Converging Systems
Part of Cambridge International Trade and Economic Law
Author: Jürgen Kurtz, University of Melbourne
International law has historically regulated foreign trade and foreign investment differently. Distinct evolutionary pathways have led to variances in treaty form, institutional culture, and dispute settlement. With their inevitable erosion through the late twentieth to early twenty-first centuries, those weak boundaries have become porous and indefensible. Powerful economic, legal and sociological factors are now pushing the two systems together. In this book, Jürgen Kurtz systematically explores the often complex and little-understood dynamics of this convergence phenomenon. Kurtz addresses the growing connections between international trade and investment law, proposing a theoretically grounded and doctrinally tractable framework to understand the deepening relationship between them. The book also offers reform ideas and possibilities, providing treaty negotiators and other government officials with a set of theoretical insights and doctrinal models that can guide actors in building a justifiable and sustainable level of commonality between the two legal systems.
Proposes a new understanding of the relationship between international trade and investment law
Offers theoretical justifications for levels of convergence between the two regimes and expands the potential readership base beyond law to other disciplinary areas
Identifies vectors by which both legal regimes may achieve systemic maturation and will appeal to treaty negotiators and policy makers who are seeking to reform both systems
'Professor Kurtz's book is a stimulating and evocative treatment of a field of contemporary and growing importance. His thorough scholarship impresses, and his analysis and insight both inform and challenge. This is a very important work.' Donald McRae, Jerusalem Review of Legal Studies
'The WTO and International Investment Law by Professor Jürgen Kurtz is without a doubt the most comprehensive and thorough study to date of the evolving relationship between international trade law and international investment law. It is magisterial in its scope, covering a broad range of international disputes (within the World Trade Organization) and relevant investor-state arbitrations. It engages with both trade law, and investment protection law, each on its own terms, with a fluency of discourse that will surely be appreciated by scholars and practitioners in both fields … [It] will be the standard against which all academic forays into this area of regime interaction will be measured.' Tomer Broude, Jerusalem Review of Legal Studies
'Without doubt, this book is a comprehensive and stimulating study by an expert in both fields that will deepen understanding of the relationship between trade and investment. The author masterfully brings together discourses that are taking place between scholars and practitioners in each regime but frequently in relative isolation from each other.' Rhea T. Hoffmann, European Journal of International Law
'… remarkable for the richness of its approach, covering both black letter law and doctrine as well as the conceptual and historical context of the converging, overlapping and still diverging systems - which makes for a book valuable even to those outside the immediate fields treated.' Joseph Weiler, European Journal of International Law
'This is a challenging and inspiring book, with powerful arguments that will set the benchmark for future discussions on the relationship between WTO law and international investment law, their cross-fertilization and convergence, cross-inspiration and the borrowing of institutions, rules, interpretive methods and arguments.' Catherine Titi, Common Market Law Review
'The WTO and International Investment Law offers the reader an intriguing picture of the current state of international investment law … highly recommended reading for everyone interested in the current as well as the future development of international investment law.' Ondřej Svoboda, Czech Yearbook of Public & Private International Law
3. National treatment
4. Science as a common proxy for rational regulation
5. Common exceptions and derogations
6. Dispute settlement
7. Conclusion.
Jürgen Kurtz, University of Melbourne
Jürgen Kurtz is a Professor and Director of International Economic Law Studies at the University of Melbourne, Australia. He also teaches as Visiting Professor of Law in the LLM in a European and Global Context at Universidade Catolica in Portugal, the LLM in International Economic Law and Policy at the University of Barcelona, and also teaches at the Singapore International Arbitration Academy and the Pearl River Academy of International Trade and Investment Law in Macau and Shenzhen, China. He is currently a director of the Society of International Economic Law and serves on the editorial board of the Journal of World Investment and Trade.
China in the International Economic Order
New Directions and Changing Paradigms
The Challenge of Safeguards in the WTO
Judicial Acts and Investment Treaty Arbitration
World Trade Review
The World Trade Review was established at the initiative of the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization (WTO)…
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Borgward to launch pure electric SUV with range of 300km at Auto China 2018
Nancy From Gasgoo| February 09 , 2018
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- The BXi7 is Borgward's first pure electric SUV model. Previously, its concept model was debuted at the Shanghai Motor Show 2017. According to the insider from Borgward, the BXi7 will be launched at Auto China 2018. The new model basically retains the design style of its gasoline version model with a range of 308km, delivering the highest speed of 195km/h.
Inheriting the exterior design cues of the BX7, the BXi7 only adjusts the design in some details. It features an octagonal intake grille and a grey and white logo at its front end. In addition, it undergoes changes on the openings on both sides of front bumpers, and its rear end also remains almost the same with the concept model.
The pure electric SUV measures 4713mm in length, 1,923mm in width and 1,690mm in height and sits on a 2,760mm wheelbase. What's more, it has a weight of 1,950kg, 171kg heavier than that of the five-seat four-wheel drive BX7.
According to its official images, the BXi7 basically remains the same interior design style as the gasoline version. The model stresses its identification of a NEV with several blue decorative trims in its interior. Moreover, the BXi7 also takes some coordinative changes in some detail, such as instrument panel.
Equipped with the e-Propulsion system which can flexibly adjust engines, electric motors and batteries based on demands, the model offers a range of versions, such as PHEV and EV. According to the patent information from MIIT, the Borgward BXi7 delivers a maximum power output of 89kW and a peak torque of 195Nm.
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Sawtooth Society seeks new leader
By GREG STAHL
Following little more than a year under new leadership, the Sawtooth Society is back under the control of longtime founding Executive Director Bob Hayes.
Dave Genter, who was hired in June 2007, left Aug. 23.
"Dave's a very capable, competent guy and brought some real strengths to the job," Hayes said. "(But) Dave came from Helena, and he never fully made the move down to the SNRA. And so he was constantly on the road, and he had some business and personal issues that he needed to work on that were distractions as long as he was spending time down here."
Hayes said that all involved agreed it was best if Genter moved back to Montana, and the society looked for a new executive director.
Hayes, who is also president of the society's board of directors, said a search for a new director is under way, and the organization hopes to have someone on board within the next couple of months.
Hayes said the Sawtooth Society continues to keep its fingers in a lot of pies. New development, for example, continues to be a concern.
"I think we've got a new threat, and that relates to the lands owned by the state of Idaho within the boundaries of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area," he said.
The state trust lands, of which there are four parcels in the SNRA, are required to be used to benefit public education in Idaho, but that charge is antithetical to a federal mandate to preserve the area's scenic, pastoral and wildlife attributes.
"Thus far, the only inappropriate use of state land in the SNRA was the gravel the state was mining next to Fourth of July Creek in 2006," Hayes said. "The state has a legal right to do what it sees fit with its property, but we think an industrial gravel mining facility has no place in the Sawtooth Valley or Stanley Basin."
Hayes said the Sawtooth Society continues to work with the state and federal governments to try to find an alternative source of gravel.
The mission of the nonprofit group is to protect the scenic, natural and historic qualities of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, north of Ketchum.
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Series117 - Richard van der Riet Woolley's correspondence files
ItemA1/1 - Addresses given by Commonwealth Astronomer
ItemAB1/1 - Board of Visitors annual reports, minutes of meetings
ItemAH1 - Australia 1949 - Herald year book
Series 117 - Richard van der Riet Woolley's correspondence files
AU ANUA 117
Richard van der Riet Woolley's correspondence files
1.0 m (5 type 1 boxes)
Woolley, Richard van der Riet
Sir Richard van der Riet Woolley was born at Weymouth, Dorset, England on 24 April 1906. He was educated at the Universities of Cape Town (MSc) and Cambridge (BA 1928, PhD 1931, ScD 1951). He held a Commonwealth Fund Fellowship, Mt Wilson Observatory, California 1929-1931; Isaac Newton Student, Cambridge 1931-1933; and appointed to Chief Assistant, Royal Observatory, Greenwich 1933-1937; John Couch Adams Astronomer, University of Cambridge 1937-1939. Woolley was Director, Commonwealth Solar Observatory at Mount Stromlo (later renamed Mount Stromlo Observatory) from December 1939 to December 1955, and appointed Professor of Astronomy, Australian National University from 5 July 1950 to 31 December 1955. In 1957 the Commonwealth Observatory was renamed the Mount Stromlo Observatory and joined the ANU as a department within the Research School of Physical Sciences. From 1 January 1957, Woolley was appointed Honorary Professor. His fellowships and awards included President, Royal Astronomical Society 1963-1965; President, ANZAAS 1955; Fellow, Royal Society 1953; and Foundation Fellow, Australian Academy of Science 1954. Woolley was appointed as Astronomer Royal, United Kingdom 1956-1971 and Director of the South African Astronomical Observatory 1972-1976. He died on 24 December 1986.
Commonwealth Solar Observatory
The Commonwealth Solar Observatory was established in January 1924, one of its purposes being the study of solar phenomena. By 1950 the Observatory's name had changed, becoming the Commonwealth Observatory. In 1957 the observatory located at Mount Stromlo became part of the Australian National University as the Department of Astronomy in the Research School of Physical Sciences.
The correspondence files are organised into an alphanumeric subject system and cover addresses and visits by the Commonwealth Astronomer, visits to the Observatory, meetings of the Board of Visitors (Advisory Board) and annual reports. There are some staff files and photographs of observations, eg comets, on some files.
Researchers must sign an access agreement
National Archives of Australia: A9103, Files of Commonwealth Solar Observatory
Woolley, Richard van der Riet (Creator)
Commonwealth Solar Observatory (Creator)
Prepared by Maggie Shapley on 5 October 2007
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Sonoma Runoffs Supps and Test Days Regulations Released
Albert J Llewellyn IV
TOPEKA, Kan. (June 13, 2018) -- As the Hoosier Racing Tire SCCA® Super Tour nears completion for 2018, all eyes now begin to focus on the SCCA Runoffs® taking place Oct. 16-21 at Sonoma Raceway just north of San Francisco in California. In preparation, the SCCA Road Racing Department has released an event schedule, as well as current Supplemental Regulations and Test Day Regulations for the National Championship. Please note that the Chief Steward may alter the Supplemental Regulations and schedule prior to September 8, 2018, so competitors should occasionally check for updates at the Runoffs webpage.
The 55th Runoffs will again crown national champions in 28 separate classes. The event is preceded by three days of testing Oct. 13-15, with qualifying running Tuesday, Oct. 16 through Thursday, Oct. 18; followed by three days of racing Friday, Oct. 19 through Sunday, Oct. 21.
Earlier this year, SCCA announced Sonoma Raceway’s traditional 12-turn, 2.52-mile layout will be utilized for the Runoffs. The configuration is the same that made Sonoma a favorite of drivers, starting with the venue’s first-ever race on Dec. 1, 1968, which was an SCCA enduro.
The Runoffs has evolved into what is now commonly agreed to be the pinnacle of American motorsports. Since 1964, the SCCA has crowned Road Racing’s National Champions at the winner-take-all, single race Runoffs format through dozens of separate races over three days. As host of the 55th Runoffs in 2018, Sonoma Raceway will become the third California track to host the SCCA’s National Championship, joining Riverside International Raceway and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
About an hour’s drive north of San Francisco, Sonoma Raceway’s road course features more than 160 feet of elevation change. With track activity scheduled an average of 340 days a year, it is one of North America's most complete and versatile motorsports complexes and home to one of the nation's only high-performance automotive industrial parks with approximately 75 tenants.
The SCCA has made advance arrangements to get the lowest group rates available for lodging near Sonoma Raceway for the Runoffs. It is advised that hotel bookings be made as soon as possible since the region is a very popular tourist destination. A link to the lodging reservation webpage can be found online at the Runoffs event page.
The Sports Car Club of America®, Inc., founded in 1944, is a 67,500-member motorsports organization that incorporates all facets of autocross, rally and road racing at both Club and professional levels. With headquarters in Topeka, Kansas, the SCCA annually sanctions over 2,000 events through its 116 Regions and subsidiary divisions. Much of the SCCA’s activities are made possible with support from the following Official Partners: Chevrolet, the Official Truck of the SCCA; Hawk Performance, the Official Brake Products of SCCA; Mobil 1, the Official Oil of SCCA; Sunoco, the Official Fuel of SCCA; and Tire Rack, the Official Tire Retailer of SCCA. To learn more, please visit www.scca.com.
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Supreme Religious Authority warns of drug trafficking, calls for providing employment opportunities for youth
The representative of the supreme religious authority, Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai, warned against the phenomenon of drug proliferation in society.
Al-Karbalai said in the Friday’s sermon held at the holy shrine of Imam Hussein "pbuh" on July 5, 2019, that "What’s of concern is the growing and spread of this phenomenon quickly among the young generation," noting that "This segment is one of the social segments, which was emphasized on its importance in previous sermons, as it is the segment that expected to build a promising future for the country due to its effectiveness, therefore, the spread of such phenomenon, will lead to the depletion of these intellectual, mental, psychological, physical and health energies that the society expects."
"Drugs are being promoted lately through malicious, deceptive and attractive ways among young men and women to trap them in dealing with such substances," he added, pointing out that "One of those means is by convince the youths to use drugs as a treatment against psychological stress, medical disorder or any other problem faced by those youths."
He added that "There is no means to defend the minds of young generation against this phenomenon," calling at the same time for related authorities to raise awareness and to create swift and successful solutions in order to prevent it from growing any further such as the implementation of firm laws and legislations instead of the current ones that don’t affect the powerful, well-connected individuals that dealing with drugs, according to officials."
"It is crucial to fill the spare time of young people through developmental programs in order to put their massive energies in a good use," he stressed, adding that "The current psychological stress faced by the youth due to unemployment or social problems, will drive them more and more toward harmful substances as a getaway from their reality."
The representative of the supreme religious authority renewed his calls for providing job opportunities for the youths by revitalizing private businesses, industrial, agricultural sectors, and youth centers, as these fields didn’t get much attention so far," calling also on families, schools, and media outlets to take their part in the fight against this dangerous phenomenon."
"Islam has set ground rules and systems for all the problems and challenges of life, and delivered the right treatment for every single one of them, as well as developed societies did for such problems, whether they were in the family, school or university and so on," pointing out that "Family and school give the best of their abilities to build the youth academically, while didn’t give the same amount of efforts to instill ethics, principles and high values into their minds and hearts."
Al-Karbalai concluded with shedding the light on the seriousness of another phenomenon, which is the spread of some immoral centers, especially in the capital Baghdad, as they camouflage their corruption with socially-accepted names such as entertainment, health, or self-improvement centers, while they aim to corrupt the society from within, which means that the state authorities should pay these centers more attention and put them under strict surveillance, for the threat they could bring to the society.
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Idealog Magazine
"Booktrack is bringing Christians closer to stories told in The Bible with the release of its Booktrack edition of The Gospels."
idealog: 19 December 2012
Booktrack brings the Bible to life
The Kiwi startup, launched in 2011 by brothers Mark and Paul Cameron, adds background music and ambient noises to books, accompanying passages of prose with complimentary sound.
Booktrack bounced back from initial criticism of its product, recently closing a $2 million funding round led by existing investor Peter Thiel, and new investors including Sir Stephen Tindall’s K1W1 angel investment fund.
The latest version of the ebook app for iPad, which launched at the beginning of this week, includes an audio-added version of The Gospels, telling the story of Jesus’ life. A demo version is available for free, with the full version costing US$20.
Booktrack CEO Paul Cameron says the company worked with Park Road Post Production in Miramar to create over 100 unique musical compositions, 200 sound effects, and 100 ambient noises. Altogether, three composers and six audio engineers worked for six months to develop the product.
Although Christianity has a global following, The Gospels ebook is aimed primarily at the US market, particularly in the southern states in the Bible Belt.
“Right now a lot of the marketing is focused on segments of the US where there is a real passion for Christianity,” says Cameron.
There was no consultation with senior members of any church organisations during the book's production, but Cameron says the team included very religious people. Booktrack partnered with Bible publishing company Thomas Nelson, which Cameron says made sure the background sounds were tasteful.
Cameron says an audio accompanied version of the New Testament is almost complete, and due to launch in January 2013.
The focus for the 12-strong Booktrack team now is to build tools for third parties to produce their own audio-accompanied ebooks, using Booktrack as a platform for sale and promotion. Development for this is already underway, and Cameron says the platform will go live in early 2013.
URL: http://www.idealog.co.nz/blog/2012/12/booktrack-brings-the-bible-to-life
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A History of Labor Day
September 5, 2016 /in Blog /by admin
Labor Day is here. For most of us, that means a day off work, the beginning of school, or a bid adieu to summer. But how did the first Monday of every September become a holiday? From its murky origins to its present day vacation placeholder, the history of Labor Day is a long one.
George Pullman and the Railroad Sleeping Car Company
Outside the melting pot of 1880s urban Chicago, businessman George Pullman founded a “worker’s paradise.” Visionary in its ideals, the company town of Pullman, Illinois, was the largest and earliest of its kind. Some 6,000 company employees bought from company-owned markets, lived in company-owned rentals, and learned and dined at company-owned churches, libraries, and entertainment venues.[i]
This idea of a company town was not new. It was a common practice among mining companies to establish these towns to minimize payout to employees. With upcharges for everything, a miner’s take-home check diminished to the point of nonexistence, and at times a miner could owe debts to their companies. Some executies established company towns to maximize profits.
But Pullman’s idea was radical. Outside the lure of a frenetic Chicago, a town of peace, order, and prosperity would exist on the foundation of labor rights. According to Pullman, a company-owned town could be good for workers because the company controls value of goods. And since the company also determines paychecks, the worker, in theory, would require less compensation for a high-quality life.
The company town would provide a prosperity to its workers unattainable in other towns.
The Pullman Strike[ii]
During the Pullman Strike of 1894, the first meat Train leaving Chicago Stock Yards was escorted by United States Cavalry, July 10, 1894.
For about 14 years the town instituted Pullman’s ideas, and they worked. Then the economic panic of 1893 befell the nation. Demand for Pullman cars plummeted. And on May 11, 1894, nearly 4,000 factory employees went on strike.[iii]
The reasons for the Pullman Strike were many: Pullman disallowed any employee from buying or renting a house outside the company town; Pullman had a “paternalistic” governing style, forbidding any democratic initiatives to influence governance; and, as profits and paychecks declined with the demand for Pullman cars, rent remained unmoved.
As the strike gained attention, the American Railways Union (ARU) joined the cause, led by Eugene V. Debs. The ARU called for a nationwide boycott of Pullman cars. Union and non-union members eventually rioted, burning railcars and obstructing railroads.
President Glover Cleveland, under pressure by stifled mail trains and anxious railroad executives, declared the strike a federal crime. 12,000 troops deployed to Illinois to discontinue protests. A story of ensuing violence is told by the Huffington Post.[iv] The clashes between troops and protesters signified an end to the strike. It concluded on August 3, 1894, at peak involving some 250,000 rail employees in over 27 states[v]
When the Pullman Strike ends, the ARU disbands, Debs finds himself in prison for six months, and Pullman employees sign pledges stating they’d never unionize again. The outfall stultified union growth and development across the nation until the Great Depression.
A National Holiday
1894 was an election year. And Cleveland’s tactics for ending the Pullman strike was looked upon as ignominious. Picking up on sentiment from union workers in New York City, who in September of 1892 took unpaid time off to protest for a national labor holiday, Cleveland sought to appease working voters.
Six days after troops toppled the Pullman strike, a national labor holiday bill appeared on Cleveland’s desk, after passing through Congress with unanimous favorable votes in both houses. Thus Labor Day was born.
A description of Labor Day, found in the PBS archive,[v] is given by Samuel Gompers, then head of the American Federation of Labor, calling it:
“the day for which the toilers in past centuries looked forward when their rights and their wrongs would be discussed…that the workers of our day may not only lay down their tools of labor for a holiday but upon which they may touch shoulders in marching phalanx and feel the stronger for it.”
Labor Day Today
Though a century displaced, the spirit of the labor holiday movement can be seen in eight hour work days, overtime pay, vacation days, and many other modern labor laws.
But the intention of Labor Day seems all but lost. According to “Labor Unions in the United States,” only about 11.3% of United States workers belong to unions, down from some 35% at peak membership in 1954.[VI] Seen as vital around the turn of the 20th century, and following massive organizing efforts after WWII, reflections on labor and work seems to have dwindled with union politics.
For many people, Labor Day weekend signifies the unofficial end of summer. And for most, it is enough to spend time with family and friends, with a day off from work.
[i] Company town (2016). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_town#Pullman_lesson
[ii] The origins of labor day. (1996). Retrieved September 1, 2016, from News Desk, http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/business-july-dec01-labor_day_9-2/
[iii] Pullman strike (2016). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pullman_Strike
[iv] Delaney, A. (2014, September 1). The bloody origin of labor day. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/01/labor-day-2014_n_5738262.html
[v] Ibid.
[VI] Labor unions in the United States (2016). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_unions_in_the_United_States#Post-World_War_II
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Home » Nation » The Latest: Charleston shooter pleads guilty in state case
The Latest: Charleston shooter pleads guilty in state case
RSS April 10, 2017
By Associated Press By Associated Press April 10 at 1:39 PM
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Latest on the state guilty plea hearing of convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof (all times local):
Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof has pleaded guilty to state murder charges, leaving him to await federal execution and sparing his victims and their families the burden of a second trial.
The 23-year-old Roof entered his plea Monday to all state charges against him, including nine counts of murder. It’s part of a deal with prosecutors in exchange for a life prison sentence.
Roof was sentenced to death earlier this year on 33 federal crimes. The self-avowed white supremacist was unapologetic during that trial as he listened to survivors and relatives describe the hail of bullets that began when parishioners closed their eyes to pray during a June 2015 Bible study at the historically black Emanuel AME Church.
Those same people have the opportunity to testify Monday before Roof is sentenced.
Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof will return to a local jail after he pleads guilty to state murder charges, and will then be transferred to a federal prison.
A law enforcement official with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press that Roof would go back to the Charleston County jail after his hearing Monday in state court. The official says Roof will technically be in the custody of U.S. Marshals Service.
The official says Roof will be transferred to a Bureau of Prisons facility “in short order.” The official spoke on a condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the case.
Roof was sentenced to death early this year on 33 federal charges related to the June 2015 slaughter at Emanuel AME Church. His state plea deal wraps up the prosecutions against him.
Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof is expected to plead guilty to state murder charges, leaving him to await federal execution and sparing his victims and their families the burden of a second trial.
The 23-year-old Roof is set to plead guilty Monday to all state charges, including nine counts of murder. It’s part of a deal with prosecutors in exchange for a life prison sentence.
The self-avowed white supremacist was unapologetic at his federal trial as he heard days of testimony from survivors. In harrowing detail, they described the hail of bullets that began when parishioners closed their eyes to pray during a June 2015 Bible study at the historically black Emanuel AME Church.
Roof was convicted of 33 federal charges last year and sentenced to death.
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Bishop urges lawmakers to end ‘stranglehold’ on immigration to U.S.
‘We need a habitat on the moon,’ says former NASA flight director
Archdiocese gets funding for new senior housing in South Phila.
Cristo Rey high school to open in 2012
By Lou Baldwin
Special to The CS&T
A new Cristo Rey (Christ the King) private Catholic high school will open at the closed Our Lady of Hope (formerly Holy Child) School on North Broad Street in September 2012, it was announced last week. A letter of intent has already been signed to lease the school buildings from the parish.
It will join 24 Cristo Rey schools around the country, based on a model pioneered by Jesuit Father John Foley in Chicago. It will be open to students of all faiths with a focus on educating economically disadvantaged students in a college preparatory program.
Some Cristo Rey schools are operated by the Jesuits, but others are not. The Philadelphia Cristo Rey will be owned and operated by a private non-profit corporation. {{more}}
Although each Cristo Rey school is independent of the others, they follow the same guidelines as other schools in the Cristo Rey network. A key feature of the schools is a combination of a four-day school week and one day working at entry-level clerical positions for a corporation in a professional setting with earnings offsetting much of the tuition.
At this time the organizers of the school are lining up potential employers for the students. The work study is required for all students.
As explained by John R. McConnell, board chairman of St. Joseph’s Preparatory School and one of the organizers of the new school, the plan is to enroll 125 freshmen in 2012, with a class added each year until 2015 when the full 500 will be enrolled over the four high school years.
In addition to tuition and work study, Cristo Rey schools are funded through private benefactors. The immediate goal is to raise $2.5 million this year, and McConnell is confident this can be done.
It is estimated the annual tuition will be a modest $2,200, but after the work study offset, the cost to parents should be about $1,100. According to the organizers, 99 percent of Cristo Rey graduates are accepted into college.
“For me, this has worked successfully in 24 other cities, and our chances of it working here are very good,” he said.
Active in the planning are the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales and the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Oblates were also involved in the aborted plan for a Cristo Rey at Northeast Catholic, which they conducted through its entire history.
“This is really exciting for people in Philadelphia, especially those families who cannot afford a traditional Catholic education,” said Oblate Father Kevin Nadolski, a member of the planning team.
His congregation still conducts Father Judge High School in Northeast Philadelphia, and he sees this as a way for the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales to strengthen their legacy of Catholic education in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
“Together with the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the I.H.M. Sisters are happy to co-endorse a Cristo Rey High School in Philadelphia,” said Sister Lorraine M. McGrew, general superior of the congregation. “The Cristo Rey model includes a college prep curriculum and real-life work experience within a Catholic environment for the poor who would otherwise not have such an opportunity. In a unique way, serving with the abandoned poor resonates with our I.H.M. charism, spirit and commitment. As we move forward, we trust God’s providential care and rely on the prayers of many to bless this endeavor.”
Cristo Rey schools are not established without the consent of the local bishop, and this latest endeavor has diocesan approval.
“The Cristo Rey model has proven successful in 24 locations across the country,” said Mary Rochford, archdiocesan Superintendent of Schools. “We welcome the Cristo Rey Network to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and believe this model will prove most successful for certain students.”
For more information on the Philadelphia Cristo Rey visit www.phillycr.org.
Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo Parish and a freelance writer.
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Pope Francis to migrants: The Church suffers with you
Pope Francis meets with migrants at the Archdiocese of Rabat’s Caritas premises, March 30, 2019. VATICAN MEDIA
By Hannah Brockhaus
RABAT, Morocco— Immigrants are an important part of the Church and she is aware of the ways they have and are suffering, Pope Francis said to a group of African migrants Saturday.
“You are not the marginalized; you are at the center of the Church’s heart,” the pope said March 30. “The Church is aware of the sufferings that accompany your journey and she suffers with you.”
Francis is visiting Morocco March 30-31, where he met with a group of about 80 immigrants at the Caritas center of the Archdiocese of Rabat.
From several African countries, most of the immigrants present at the center for the pope’s visit are only in Morocco temporarily while they wait to try to get to Europe. Caritas helps them with food and to find jobs and accommodation.
“In reaching out to you in your very different situations, [the Church] is concerned to remind you that God wants us all to live our lives to the full. The Church wants to be at your side to help you achieve the very best for your life,” he said.
The pope noted that there has already been a lot of positive steps taken in the face of the modern immigration crisis, especially in developed countries.
But he also warned that the progress of society cannot be measured just by technological or economic advances. “It depends above all on our openness to being touched and moved by those who knock at our door,” he said.
“We know that it is not easy – for those who arrive and for those who receive them – to encounter a foreign culture, to put ourselves in the shoes of people quite different from ourselves, to understand their thoughts and their experiences,” Francis said. “As a result, we often refuse to encounter the other and raise barriers to defend ourselves.”
But faces of those in need “shatter and debunk all those false idols that can take over and enslave our lives,” he added, “idols that promise an illusory and momentary happiness blind to the lives and sufferings of others.”
A city without the capacity for compassion is “arid and inhospitable,” “a heartless society… a barren mother,” he said.
Pope Francis encouraged a “promotion” of migrants within a culture and society and condemned their collective expulsion, which he said does not consider individual cases.
Promoting migrants begins, he said, “with the recognition that no human being is worthy of being discarded, but rather should be seen as a potential source of personal, cultural and professional enrichment in whatever place they find themselves.”
“Host communities will be enriched if they learn how best to appreciate and utilize the contribution made by migrants, while working to forestall all forms of discrimination and xenophobia,” he stated.
Addressing migrants directly, the pope said everyone should be involved in the effort of building a more dignified and fraternal life: “I like to think that the very first volunteer, assistant, rescuer or friend of a migrant is another migrant who knows at first hand the sufferings of the journey.”
Francis emphasized that “every human being has the right to life, every person has the right to dream and to find his or her rightful place in our ‘common home!’ Every person has a right to the future.”
“May the Lord, who during his earthly life experienced in his own flesh the suffering of exile, bless each one of you. May he give you the strength needed never to lose heart and always be for one another a ‘safe haven’ of welcome and acceptance,” he concluded.
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Pope Francis: The Eucharist is Jesus alive
Corruption trial of former Vatican hospital officials begins
Pope prays for victims of massive earthquake on Iran-Iraq border
The old still have a lot to offer young people, Pope Francis says
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Member Recommended: Thornton Abbey and Gatehouse
Thornton Abbey’s enormous and ornate fortified gatehouse is the largest and among the finest in England. Members’ Panellist Thomas Taylor takes us on a tour of this North Lincolnshire landmark, and tells us about the role it played in rekindling his love of English history
“When you think of Lincolnshire you think of the beautiful Wolds or the golden sands of the East Coast. But my home county has one feature that often gets overlooked: its relationship with religion. Here in the land of John Wesley, there is one building that dominates all others: the magnificent and all-powerful Thornton Abbey.
There are not many buildings in this country that are as imposing or as grand as this. Even 476 years after the end of monastic life there, it still imposes itself on the land like no other.
“Medieval craftsmanship at its best”
After entering the gatehouse and moving into the first grandiose room you begin to get a feel of what it must have been like back in the gatehouse’s heyday. The magnificent rooms reveal the power of one the richest Augustinian monasteries in medieval England, and even today the carvings and the gigantic fireplace give an indication of this wealth. As you climb up the staircase to the top you will see medieval craftsmanship at its best, with a brilliantly carved undercroft still as good as it was when it was first in place.
Stone detail at the front of the Gatehouse, above the entrance
When you exit the gatehouse and head towards the monastic precinct, you can't help but turn around and notice just how jaw dropping the building is - you'll find yourself taking photos from all angles!
“Magnificently decorated, vibrant and with beautiful carvings”
As you walk through the gate and into the nave of the church, you see the illustration of the nave as it would have looked like back at its height in the 15th century. You can only get a sense of what would've been one of the most spectacular abbeys in medieval England: magnificently decorated, vibrant with beautiful carvings and wonderful stained glass and tiled floor. Moving up to what would've been the presbytery, again you can but imagine what it would've been like: beautifully decorated and extremely holy and sacred.
The octagonal chapter house would also have been lavishly decorated. This must have been an awesome part of the building, with no central column needed to support the roof and the light shining on the abbot from all sides symbolising his power and authority over the canons.
The Chapter House
As you move through the chapter house towards the cloister you get a glimpse of the canon’s dormitory blocks. Although little survives today you can still make out where they once resided.
At the boundary of the cloister, you notice the glazed tiles dotted around the perimeter. Only when you get up close to them can you really appreciate how magnificent these would've looked back when the cloister was at its height. In my opinion, the tiles at Thornton are only matched by the more extravagant tiles at Byland Abbey.
“The monastery would never be quite the same place again”
Upon exiting the Abbey you can't help but feel for the canons and monks who, in 1539, were forced to give up a way of life that had existed for over four hundred years. Although a college was founded soon after the Abbey’s dissolution, this would only be a short-lived entity – it was dissolved by the boy king Edward VI, who’s staunch Protestantism sealed the college’s short lived fate. The monastery would never be quite the same place again.
There are many reasons why I love Thornton Abbey. Apart from the magnificent buildings, it’s the warm welcome you get from the staff, and their passion and dedication to the site that made me decide to join this great organisation.
That is why Thornton Abbey and Gatehouse is so special to me. Not only is it where I began my English Heritage journey, but where my love of English history was rekindled. To me, the Abbey of Thornton will always be the jewel in the crown of North Lincolnshire.”
View of the Gatehouse
Visit Thornton Abbey and Gatehouse
Thornton Abbey and Gatehouse, North Lincolnshire is open at weekends until 29 March, and then from Wednesday to Sunday (including bank holidays) until 30 June. Plan your visit now.
English Heritage membership gives you free access to over 400 historic properties all over the country, and free or discounted access to hundreds of events every year.
Member Recommended: Audley End House and Gardens
Member Recommended: Bolsover Castle
I would like to thank everyone at English Heritage for asking me to write a blog about the Abbey. I had great enjoyment in writing this and would love to do it again
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Free Jamie Snow
The Wrongful Conviction of Jamie Snow – TIPLINE: (309) 822-4313
Case Timeline
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The Wrongful Conviction of Jamie Snow
Truth & Justice Podcast to feature Jamie Snow’s case – Premiere July 14
We are excited to announce that Jamie Snow’s case will be featured on the Truth & Justice podcast – Season 7. The podcast will premiere on Sunday, July 14. Truth & Justice podcast with Bob Ruff performs independent, in-depth investigations of wrongful conviction cases – with the unique feature of using crowd sourcing – utilizing their 100k plus followers to elicit expertise in various aspects of each case they present. We’d like to thank the Truth & Justice team, as well as the tremendous supporters, for taking on Jamie’s case. You can listen to the previous fascinating cases at: https://www.truthandjusticepod.com/home
Need a refresher on the case?
Click here to watch the full Crime Watch Daily episode.
Click here to read about the fight for DNA testing on our petition with over 63,000 signatures!
Click here to read a downloadable case summary.
Click the video below to hear about newly discovered evidence the jury never heard!
In 2001, Jamie Snow was wrongfully convicted for the 1991 murder of a gas station attendant during an apparent armed robbery at the Clark Super 100 Station located at 802 E. Empire St. in Bloomington, Illinois. Jamie was home with his family on the other side of town when the crime occurred. He is currently being represented by the University of Chicago’s Exoneration Project. This will be his 17th year residing in Stateville Prison in Joliet, Illinois for a crime he didn’t commit.
This violent and senseless crime occurred in Bloomington, Illinois on Easter Sunday 1991. The murderer walked away with approximately $100, as Jamie Snow ate dinner with his children. The tragedy was compounded when, after several years without a clear suspect, Jamie Snow was arrested and improperly charged by police and prosecutors willing to convict him by any means necessary, even after passing a polygraph exam.
The conviction was only possible using testimony of unreliable witnesses, many who had their own legal issues, people easily coerced into accepting deals, some more than willing to give false testimony. Jailhouse informants claimed that Snow “confessed” to them while awaiting trial. Many of whom have now recanted their testimonies in sworn affidavits. There has never been any physical evidence tying Jamie Snow to this case.
Jamie has spent the last 17 years in prison fighting to present new evidence demonstrating his innocence. The original trial violated his constitutional rights in several ways, many which stem from a lack of representation by his public defender, who presented little to no defense. Not surprisingly, this attorney has since been disbarred, yet Jamie’s conviction remains. With an over-zealous prosecution and no proper defense, Snow had no more chance at trial than William Little did when faced with an armed gunman.
The Prosecution relied on one “star witness” who provided critical eye-witness identification. Yet this same witness was UNABLE to identify Snow in photo books or during a line-up which occurred soon after the crime. It wasn’t until 1999, 8 years later and AFTER Snow’s arrest, that the “star witness” identified Snow upon being presented with his seeing his photograph in a local newspaper and a picture of the original lineup in a private meeting at the state’s attorney’s office shortly before trial. Only at the trial, 10 years after the fact, did the “star witness” speak of Snow’s “eyes” being “unforgettable,” yet he had seen Jamie in numerous close up photos and the in person line-up not long after the incident occurred.
Approximately 4 years after conviction police radio tapes disclosed to Snow that “star witness” could NOT have seen what he testified to seeing. Additionally, numerous pieces of critical evidence, never disclosed before trial, have been uncovered.
Jamie has always maintained his innocence, and continues to do so.
An extended, downloadable case summary, please click here.
Jamie Snow is being represented by Tara Thompson of the Exoneration Project.
Organizations that support Jamie Snow’s Innocence
The University of Chicago’s Exoneration Project
Investigating Innocence: http://www.InvestigatingInnocence.org
Committee to Free Jamie Snow: http://www.facebook.com/freejamiesnow
Injustice Anywhere: http://www.Injustice-Anywhere.org
Justice for Illinois Wrongfully Convicted: http://www.JIWC.org
The Freedom Fighters: https://www.facebook.com/groups/343227239096173/
If you have information about this case, please leave a message at: (309) 822-4313 it’s free and confidential, or email: tips@FreeJamieSnow.com
CFJS Website: http://www.FreeJamieSnow.com
CFJS Facebook Site: http://www.facebook.com/freejamiesnow
CFJS Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/freejamiesnow
CFJS YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/freejamiesnow/playlists
“I didn’t commit the crime. My hope is that sooner rather than later, the truth will come out and I’ll be vindicated. I want justice not just for myself and my family, but for Bill Little.”
~ Jamie Snow, Pantagraph Interview
Truth & Justice Podcast to feature Jamie Snow’s case
Jamie Snow’s federal appeal given new life
Crime Watch Daily Episode – Questions? Comments? Discuss here!
Supporters appeal to Aphrodite Jones to investigate the Jamie Snow case
Huh? Jamie Snow’s lawyers wrangle about court ordered discovery at the BPD…seriously.
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