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News Releases for 2020
Major Crimes Unit Needs Help Locating Missing Woman
Jan. 17 at 2:16 p.m. - MCU is looking for the community’s help in locating a local woman who may have been missing for over a year, before anyone reported her disappearance.
Suicide Attempt Leads to Hazardous Material Incident
Jan. 16 at 12:05 p.m. - SFD paramedics respond to patient experiencing respiratory symptoms due to a suicide attempt by mixing chemicals that created a life-threatening vapor
Heavy Fire Damage to South Hill Home
Jan. 16 at 11:59 a.m. - Wednesday, Jan. 15, units from SFD were dispatched to a structure fire at 2724 E. 16th.
SPD Behavioral Health Unit Responds To Woman in Crisis
Jan. 15 at 3:38 p.m. - Newly formed Spokane area law enforcement Behavioral Health Unit responds to woman in crisis.
Falls Matter, SFD and SVFD Pilot New Program!
Jan. 14 at 4:38 p.m. - Falls-related Emergency Medical Service (EMS) calls are one of the top non-fire response related calls we respond to.
SIRR Team Investigating Deputy Involved Shooting
Jan. 14 at 4:20 p.m. - The Spokane Investigative Regional Response Team is investigating a deputy involved shooting in North Spokane.
Mayor Names Three Additional Appointments to Her Administration
Jan. 13 at 3:59 p.m. - Council will be asked to confirm the directors
City Activates More Services during Cold Snap
Jan. 13 at 1:53 p.m. - Service providers for homeless are ready for most vulnerable
City Water Department Provides Advice To Avoid Frozen Water Pipes
Jan. 13 at 11:14 a.m. - With temperatures dropping into the low teens and potentially single digits this week, we have some tips to avoid frozen pipes.
City Closures Planned for MLK Jr. Day
Jan. 13 at 8:15 a.m. - Garbage pickup on normal schedule
City Expects to Complete Full-City Plow by About 10 p.m.
Jan. 12 at 4:46 p.m. - The City expects to complete work by about 10 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, on the Full-City Plow initiated at 5:30 p.m. on Friday evening.
SPD Asking Drivers to be Cognizant of Road Closures
Jan. 11 at 6 p.m. - Dozens of drivers going around police cars and cones yesterday caused additional issues for City personnel trying to get the roads reopened.
Driver under the Influence Attempts to Ram SPD Officer
Jan. 10 at 4:20 p.m. - SPD Officers pursue driver after they attempted to ram an officer. Driver and passenger are in custody. A gun and drugs were found.
City to Launch Plowing In Residential Areas as Part of Full-City Plow
Jan. 10 at 3:25 p.m. - Plowing, sanding, and deicing in arterials has been focus of efforts so far
City Council Selects Vacancy Finalists
Jan. 9 at 5:58 p.m. - Jan. 13 Council will conduct interviews of finalists during an open public meeting
Garage Fire in East Sinto Neighborhood
Jan. 9 at 2:29 p.m. - SFD responds to fire in a detached garage being used as a living space.
City Prepares For Expected Snowstorm
Jan. 9 at 1:53 p.m. - City readies equipment, makes plans for assisting most vulnerable
SPD Warns Of Potential Car Purchaser Scheme
Jan. 8 at 1:09 p.m. - Spokane residents have been victimized while trying to purchase a vehicle during a private party sales.
Learn Where Your Garbage Goes
Jan. 7 at 8:15 a.m. - MLK Jr. Day Tours planned at City’s Waste to Energy Facility
SPD investigating fatal hit-and-run at Trent/Spokane Falls Blvd.
Jan. 7 at 4:29 a.m. - An adult male was pronounced deceased on scene. The suspect vehicle was located abandoned about a mile from the scene
Community and Police Come To Together To Help Families in Need
Jan. 2 at 2:01 p.m. - The Spokane Police Department, partnering with several local businesses and organizations, served 35 families including 91 children this Christmas.
Ooh That Smell?!?
Jan. 2 at 1:59 p.m. - Tips to ensure a safe, warm and energy-efficient winter.
Evening Fire in the Shadle Neighborhood
Jan. 2 at 12:47 p.m. - On New Year's Day SFD was dispatched to a residential structure fire in the 4400 Block of North Howard Street.
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Live Gig
Rock Vault
Interview with Jon Davis of Liverpool Caveman Battle Doom band Conan at Brutal Assault
Comments Off on Interview with Jon Davis of Liverpool Caveman Battle Doom band Conan at Brutal Assault
Interview by Alan Daly
© Olga Kuzmenko
Photos by Olga Kuzmenko
http://www.olgakuzmenko.com/
We chatted with Jon Davis of Liverpool Caveman Battle Doom band Conan at Brutal Assault about playing at European festivals, their music, classic computer games and life-after-death in the form of a hologram.
Alan: Hi Jon. Nice to meet you. So, have you performed at Brutal Assault before?
Jon: No, but I have been wearing a Brutal Assault neckchain with my car keys on it for two years now. We toured with High On Fire and they played here in 2014, so I’ve been hoping we could play here for a while. We thought if it was suitable for them, it might be suitable for us as well. It’s a cool place.
Alan: I have to confess that we missed your show last night because of delays getting our passes. So tell us how it went…
Jon: It was great. We couldn’t really see the crowd too much because of the lights in there shining in our faces, but the show itself was really good. We’re quite used to playing at festivals now. Up until quite recently, we’ve played in clubs mainly. We played Hellfest and Roadburn a couple of times, so we’re staring to get used to playing on the festival circuit as the businessmen would call it. Playing here last night felt really good. The set up was really quick. We only had twenty minutes to get ready, and I think we stuck to our time just-about.
Alan: Maybe compare Brutal Assault to Hellfest? We’re based in Ireland so we’re more familiar with UK festivals like Bloodstock and Download.
Jon: We played Bloodstock once. We played Hellfest once. And unless I’m missing something really obvious, we haven’t played many other large outdoor festivals. We played ieperfest in Belgium which was a hardcore festival. That’s quite big and similar in feel to this. But this is the first time we’ve really done a proper festival season run. Over the course of four weeks, we’re playing eight to ten festivals.
Alan: What’s next?
Jon: Our next festival is Sauzipf Rocks in Austria. Then we play Summer Breeze in Germany, and then Motocultor in France. Then we head home after that. We would always play small clubs and drive ourselves. We’re one of those bands who have started from scratch and here we are playing on larger stages, sharing a tour poster with some of the big name bands with the big production and who turn up in a nightliner. And we turn up in a van that we bought ourselves from our merch sales. We drive ourselves and we don’t have a sound guy. We think that’s really important. Festivals like this need bands like us to remind them about where bands actually start out. We worked very hard and I think a lot of people probably respect us for that and I’m quite proud of ourselves, you know, coming from Liverpool. From playing the Dock road in Liverpool to being invited to play festivals like this and sharing the stage with a lot of cool bands that I actually really like.
Alan: A lot of big bands have come from Liverpool. Who would you rate the highest from Liverpool?
Jon: Well, Carcass. It’d be obvious to mention them. But then again you’ve got other bands who maybe don’t have the same level of exposure. They haven’t had quite that pinch of luck that they need. You’ve got bands like Coltsblood who are active now. Ninkharsag, a black metal band from Liverpool. Cult of the Head which is another band that is born from the members of Ninkharsag. And some other bands. There’s probably six or seven others. It’s quite a healthy place, but no more than other cities. Everyone mentions the Beatles and Billy Fury.
Alan: Anathema?
Jon: They’re not a band that I would listen to much, so I wouldn’t really mention them, but they’re obviously successful.
Alan: So your show was yesterday, but you’re still here, so are you staying for the entire festival?
Jon: Well, we’re staying here today because we have nothing else to do. We’re going to have a look at the Ossuary Bone Church.
Alan: Oh yeah, we were there a couple of days ago.
Jon: A couple of us have seen it before, but I’ve not seen it. We were thinking of going later on, but we’ve all had a few drinks now so we’ll probably wait here a little while longer. Today we’ve just been ambling around, drinking and eating food. Tomorrow we’re driving to Austria. That’s another day off. We’re driving about 800km and then staying overnight.
Alan: Did you get to catch any of the bands here today or yesterday?
Jon: I’ve seen snippets of lots of different bands. I saw Abbath playing yesterday. And Chelsea Wolfe.
Alan: Are you camping?
Jon: No. We were given accommodation by the festival yesterday and we’ve arranged something for ourselves tonight. So we’re not camping. We’re too old for that!
Alan: Maybe you can tell us a bit about your music for those that haven’t heard it?
Jon: I think Dave Grohl once said that if you really want to be serious about playing in a band, you should just be in your garage and be shit for a bit and just keep going at it until you get good. And I think we started out like that and we messed about for years in our practice room in our friend’s cellar and then we got to the point where we wrote some songs and we recorded them, and then we were able to tour. And here we are now playing the larger festivals. We play pretty simple heavy metal with cool themes based around sword and sorcery and mythology and old computer games and stuff like that. And we draw on influences which aren’t controversial. We don’t try to sound evil. We’re just an honest heavy metal band who play heavier and slower than most.
Alan: You mention old computer games as one of your inspirations. I saw on your Facebook page you have a nice little 8-bit graphic of yourselves as your profile picture. Any story behind that?
Jon: There’s no real story behind that. I saw some guy had posted it on instagram, so I just asked him for a JPG, and he sent it. But that’s in line with the sort of games that I would play. Like Rambo or Commando or Cannon Fodder.
Alan: What was your first console?
Jon: I remember having an Atari that plugged straight into the TV…
Alan: Atari 2600?
Jon: I honestly can’t remember.
Alan: Cartridges on the top. Red button on the joystick?
Jon: Yes. I remember playing Frogger. That tennis game. Then I moved onto a Commodore 64. Then I had an Amiga. Then the first PC I ever had was a Hewlett Packard Pavillion, and the CD with Microsoft Windows 95 came preloaded with the video for ‘Buddy Holly’ by Weezer. I remember watching that, and that was the first time I was ever on the internet.
Alan: So if Conan were to create a computer game, what would it be?
Jon: It would be a bit like Operation Wolf but instead of using a machine gun, you would throw axes at the screen.
Alan: You mean you would throw real axes at the screen?
Jon: That would be awesome. Throw axes at real people. If that was legal, I’d be well into that.
Alan: Last week, Dio Disciples played at Wacken and they had a hologram of Ronnie James Dio on stage with them. It was a big surprise, and had been in the works for twelve months. Did you hear about that?
Jon: Wow. I didn’t know that.
Alan: What do you think about the idea of bringing someone back from the dead as a hologram on stage?
Jon: I think it’s inevitable, but I don’t like it. I think it takes the honesty out of music. I mean, if he’s dead, which he is, then don’t try to recreate him in any way because that’s not really going to do his legacy any good. I’d rather remember someone as being awesome than think of them as a hologram on stage at some festival in Germany.
Alan: I’ve read some interviews you have done in the past where you mention overcoming your fear of death. How would you feel about overcoming death by living on as a hologram?
Jon: I think it’d be a bit weird. I think once you’re dead, you’re dead. I think your spirit lives on in those things you’ve created in life. I think it’d be a bit weird if they brought a hologram of me back on stage. If they did, I’d hope they’d make me a bit better looking and a bit thinner. It’s an interesting idea and a cool way to use technology, let’s face it. But I’m not sure whether my kids would enjoy seeing me as a hologram on stage, and if Ronnie James Dio was my dad, I probably would rather not see that. So I guess it depends on who you ask. I’d like my kids to watch videos of me playing when I was in my pomp, rather than watching a hologram of me in modern day pretending to be alive. You may as well just get a hologram of me at the dinner table or walking them to school in the morning. Where do you stop? It’s a bit of a gimmick.
Alan: If you could give your 18 year old self some advice, what would it be?
Jon: My advice would be “Eat a bit less, but do everything else the same”. Because my 18 year old self wanted this for me when I’m 40. And I’m 40 now. Actually when I was 15/16, I promised myself I’d play on a stage in a band and play shows. So I’d probably look at him and say I did you proud there. That’s all I wanted to do when I was a young lad. So if I was going to give myself any advice it’d be “Keep at it”.
Alan: That’s pretty cool. What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you on the road?
Jon: There’s probably loads of stories that aren’t even that crazy. I won’t say which one of our band members pissed all over me one night in bed because he was sleep-walking, and he’d only just joined the band. That’s probably the craziest story. We’re pretty boring. We drive ourselves. We don’t drink much. We don’t take drugs. And we’re in bed by 11:30. Sorry, there’s nothing really crazy going on. Save that question for Abbath, or someone.
Alan: Well, we’re out of time. It was a pleasure to talk to you. Enjoy the rest of the day.
Jon: We will. All I’ve done is drink coffee and whiskey today, and I’m in line for another whiskey!
http://www.hailconan.com/
Tell Us How You Feel
Tagged Brutal Assault, Conan, Doom Metal, Interview with Jon Davis of Liverpool Caveman Battle Doom band Conan at Brutal Assault
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“Still Remains Popular Within The State”: South Carolina’s Complicated Relationship With The Death Penalty
If prosecutors convict Dylann Storm Roof and then seek the death penalty—and despite calls from Governor Nikki Haley, it’s not clear they will—the Charleston shooting suspect could be sitting on death row for a long time. The last execution in South Carolina was in 2011, despite a list of 44 people awaiting execution. The pace of executions has slowed to a crawl, in a state that has put 282 people to death over approximately the last century. And the reasons that this slowdown has happened may also give prosecutors pause in this case.
In its earliest days, South Carolina was notoriously expansive in its definition of what qualified for the death penalty; a slave could be put to death for destroying grain, for instance. It is still one of the top 10 states for per capita executions, following the Supreme Court suspension of the dealth penalty in 1976 and its subsequent reinstatement. But South Carolina’s relationship with capital punishment has gotten complicated, some for reasons that align with national trends and some specific to the state. On one hand, it’s a place where, just last year, a judge posthumously exonerated a black boy executed in 1944—the kind of case that has led some states to move away from the death penalty. On the other hand, months later, a state legislator sought the reintroduction of firing squads to make it easier to execute criminals.
One cause of the statewide drop in executions helps explain why there would even be a doubt about whether Roof will face the death penalty: It’s expensive. In 2012, one South Carolina prosecutor who had intended to seek the death penalty changed his mind because of the cost. “Once you file for the death penalty, the clock gets moving and the money, the taxpayers start paying for that trial,” he said, reflecting broader angst in the state about the price of death penalty trials, appeals, and retrials, compared to a life sentence. Mathematically, if fewer prosecutors seek the death penalty, the result is fewer executions. Roof’s case would seem a likely candidate to set aside the question of cost, and some predict the death penalty will indeed be sought. But then, it would surely be one of the costlier death penalty trials, because there’s a link between a case’s prominence and its price. (The prosecutor leading the Roof case is controversial with the black community.)
But there are other reasons for the decline in the execution rate, according to South Carolina government officials, namely the difficulty in acquiring drugs needed for lethal injections. “Right now, what we’re doing is we are looking and reaching out to pharmacies and suppliers et cetera to try to find pentobarbital,” S.C. Department of Corrections Director Bryan Stirling said, explaining how the shortage contributed to the slowdown. “We have thus far not been successful at that.” The availability of drugs is an issue other states are confronting, too. Overall, the drop in executions in South Carolina and the reasons for that are “consistent with across the country,” says Emily Paavola, executive director of the state’s Death Penalty Resource and Defense Center.
But the death penalty still remains popular within the state. Nationwide, public support for capital punishment has fallen, partly stemming from the number of exonerations of death row inmates and partly stemming from declining crime rates; that has, in turn, driven politicians in many states to oppose capital punishment. But even death penalty opponents admit that the same shift has yet to happen in South Carolina, except, Paavola says, with regard to the use of the death penalty for the mentally ill, the subject of a poll by her group in 2009.
Opponents of the death penalty have tried to seize on the case of South Carolina’s George Stinney to shift public attitudes. Even among historical exonerations, Stinney’s case stands out: The 14-year-old was electrocuted more than 70 years ago after a two-hour trial that convicted him of beating two white girls to death; in 2014, he was posthumuously exonerated by a judge who cited the all-white jury and a compromised confession. “The case has haunted the town since it happened,” the Washington Post wrote, and “Stinney’s case has tormented civil rights advocates for years.” One of the defense attorneys working the case said the state needed to correct the record. “South Carolina still recognizes George Stinney as a murderer,” Matt Burgess told CNN. “We felt that something needed to be done about that.”
But the Stinney case hasn’t put a halt to a steady stream of bills introduced in the Statehouse that meant to make capital punishment easier, like the legislation introduced by State Representative Joshua A. Putnam to allow firing squads to be used when lethal injection drugs aren’t available. Overall, Paavola’s group has watched the list of factors that makes a case qualify as death-eligible grow since 1976. “The Legislature has, over the years since the death penalty was reinstated, expanded that,” she said, but she noted that individual prosecutors have used their discretion differently. ”From our perspective, the result is, often, very arbitrary selection.”
The Death Penalty Resource and Defense Center isn’t commenting on the Roof case, at least not yet. But on the day of the Charleston shooting, the group called it a “sad day for all in SC.” And the group noted that it had just recently started working with State Senator Clementa Pinckney, who was among the murdered. He had been helping them fight a bill that would hide information about how lethal injections are carried out from the general public.
By: Tim Starks, The New Republic, June 19, 2015
June 22, 2015 Posted by raemd95 | Capital Punishment, Death Penalty, South Carolina | Clementa Pinckney, Dylan Roof, Executions, George Stinney, Joshua A Putnam, Lethal Injections, Nikki Haley, Randy Paavola | Leave a comment
“A Relic Of Frontier Barbarism:” The Case Of Scott Panetti — And The True Meaning Of ‘Cruel And Unusual’
So what does “cruel and unusual” mean?
I once asked that of a law professor. The Eighth Amendment prohibits “cruel and unusual” punishment, but I figured there had to be some technical definition I, as a layperson, was missing. I mean, from where I sit, it’s pretty “cruel and unusual” to execute someone, but to judge from the 1,392 executions of the last 38 years, that isn’t the case.
Scott Panetti almost became number 1,393 last week, but within hours of his scheduled lethal injection, he was reprieved by a federal judge. The court said it needs more time to consider the issues his case raises.
In a rational place, it would not be news that Panetti was not killed. In a rational place, they would understand that state-sanctioned execution is a relic of frontier barbarism that leaves us all wet with the blood of the damned. In a rational place, they would say there’s something especially repugnant about applying that grisly sanction to the mentally ill, like Panetti.
But Panetti doesn’t live in a rational place. He lives in America. Worse, he lives in Texas.
They love their executions in Rick Perry’s kingdom. Since 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, an advocacy group, that state has killed almost 520 people. That’s nearly five times more than the next bloodiest state, Oklahoma, with 111.
There is no question Panetti deserves punishment. In 1992, he shot his estranged wife’s parents to death as she and the couple’s daughter looked on. He held them both hostage before releasing them unharmed.
But there is also no question that Panetti, 56, suffers from severe mental illness. At his trial, in which he was somehow, bizarrely, allowed to represent himself, he wore a purple cowboy suit with a 10-gallon hat and summoned a personality he called “Sarge” to explain what happened on the fateful day. His witness list included 200 people. Among them: John F. Kennedy, the pope, Anne Bancroft and Jesus Christ.
The state contends that Panetti, who was off his meds at the time of the killing, is faking it. During a 2004 hearing, the county sheriff called him “the best actor there is.” In its most recent filings, Texas accuses him of “grossly exaggerating” his symptoms.
If it’s an act, it’s been going on a long time. His attorneys say Panetti was diagnosed with schizophrenia 14 years before the shootings and was hospitalized 13 times between 1978 and 1991. Now a court decides on his life or death.
It’s a pregnant decision in a country where, apparently, it isn’t “cruel and unusual” to preside, as Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton did, over the execution of a man so profoundly impaired that he saved the pie from his last meal to eat later. Or to let a man gasp and snort for almost two hours as a lethal injection very slowly killed him, as happened in Arizona. Or to set a man on fire, as has happened at least twice in Florida’s electric chair. Or to execute people for crimes committed when they were children. Or to send innocent people to death row. Or to choose whom to execute based on color of killer, color of victim, gender, geography and class.
So what, exactly, might be too cruel and unusual for us to allow? The professor could not answer. Which, of course, is an answer.
As flawed and broken as our system of death is, we continue to embrace the puritanical morality of eye for eye and blood for blood. Most of the western world has left this savagery behind, but we insist on it, leaving us isolated from our national peers, those nations whose values are most like ours, but looming large among the outlaw likes of Somalia and Iran.
Now we are debating whether to kill a man so addled he tried to subpoena Jesus. And that leads to a conclusion as painful as it is unavoidable:
What’s “cruel and unusual” is us.
By: Leonard Pitts, Jr., Columnist for The Miami Herald; The National Memo, December 8, 2014
December 10, 2014 Posted by raemd95 | Criminal Justice System, Death Penalty, Mental Illness | Arizona, Corporal Punishment, Executions, Lethal Injection, Racism, Rick Perry, Scott Panetti, Texas | 1 Comment
“The Heart Of American Exceptionalism”: When The U.N. Committee Against Torture Says You Have A Police Brutality Problem…
As everyone waits to see if the actual torture report will ever be released, the uptick in American police shootings hasn’t gone unnoticed by the international community, either:
The U.N. Committee against Torture urged the United States on Friday to fully investigate and prosecute police brutality and shootings of unarmed black youth and ensure that taser weapons are used sparingly.
The panel’s first review of the U.S. record on preventing torture since 2006 followed racially-tinged unrest in cities across the country this week sparked by a Ferguson, Missouri grand jury’s decision not to charge a white police officer for the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager.
The committee decried “excruciating pain and prolonged suffering” for prisoners during “botched executions” as well as frequent rapes of inmates, shackling of pregnant women in some prisons and extensive use of solitary confinement.
Its findings cited deep concern about “numerous reports” of police brutality and excessive use of force against people from minority groups, immigrants, homosexuals and racial profiling. The panel referred to the “frequent and recurrent police shootings or fatal pursuits of unarmed black individuals.”
Conservatives will accuse the U.N. of hypocrisy in tut-tutting America while doing little about major human rights abusers like Iran or China. But that’s hardly the point. America shouldn’t be in the position of saying, “Oh yeah? Well that dictatorship is worse!” The United States holds itself up as a beacon of justice and freedom. And when it comes to police shootings, America stands out from other industrialized countries as nearly barbaric.
A cursory and incomplete tally shows United States police officers kill at least 400 people a year in shootings, and the real figure is probably much higher. About a quarter of those involve white officers killing black people.
By contrast, police killings in European countries tend to fall into the single or low double digits.
Something is seriously wrong there, and either way you look at it, it cuts to the heart of American exceptionalism. Either our police forces are far too ready to use violence, or the American people are somehow far more dangerous and violent than those in other countries, or some combination of both. Or there are simply far too many guns and too many people who are too eager to use them.
By: David Atkins, Political Animal, The Washington Monthly, November 29, 2014
December 1, 2014 Posted by raemd95 | American Exceptionalism, Ferguson Missouri, Torture | Black Youth, Criminal Justice System, Europe, Executions, Gun Violence, Human Rights, Police Brutality, Racism, United Nations | Leave a comment
“Oklahoma Is Like Turning It Up To 11”: If Oklahoma Gets Any Redder It’s Going To Start Blistering And Peeling
Rachel recently told viewers, “What we are actually seeing now in terms of the options for governance is not just blue states and red states, but rather blue states and then red states – and then Oklahoma. Oklahoma is like turning it up to 11…. If Oklahoma gets any redder it’s going to start blistering and peeling.”
That was 11 days ago, before this week’s gut-wrenching, botched execution.
And the public official whose leadership has made Oklahoma’s shift to the hard right possible is Gov. Mary Fallin (R). Her administration’s approach to lethal injections has suddenly generated international attention, but as Irin Carmon noted, the Republican governor has cultivated a striking reputation on a variety of fronts.
An execution this week that went terribly wrong has catapulted Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, a Republican, to the national stage. But there’s more to Fallin than her zeal for capital punishment. The first female governor of Oklahoma has also quashed broader criminal justice reform, refused Medicaid expansion that would cover 150,000 Oklahoma residents, signed 10 new restrictions on abortion and contraception, blocked local minimum wage increases, and slashed education funding.
Chris Hayes joked the other day, “I used to say [Pennsylvania’s] Tom Corbett was my dark horse candidate for worst governor in the country, but Mary Fallin has now taken the lead.”
Carmon’s piece reads like an indictment of sorts: Fallin has pushed a regressive economic agenda, waging a “war against income taxes” while blocking minimum- wage increases; she’s cut investments in education; she’s blocked health care coverage for 150,000 low-income Oklahomans; and she’s waged a far-right culture war, imposing new restrictions on reproductive rights and making it tougher for National Guard in Oklahoma to receive equal benefits if they’re in same-sex marriages.
But it’s Fallin’s approach to the death penalty that appears to have made her famous. Remember, it was her administration that said it was prepared to defy a state Supreme Court ruling in order to execute two Oklahomans, using a combination of chemicals state officials did not want to disclose, from a drug manufacturer the state did not want to identify.
The governor has called for a review of this week’s fiasco, but David Firestone reported yesterday that Fallin’s order is itself dubious.
Did anyone really believe that Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma would allow a truly independent review of the “execution” – death by torture is more like it – that shocked the conscience of the nation and the world on Tuesday night? […]
Any serious investigation of the fiasco would have to closely examine the governor’s conduct leading up to it. But she doesn’t have to worry. To lead the “independent” review, she appointed her own employee, the state commissioner of public safety, Michael Thompson. And he won’t be considering her actions. The review, she said, would be limited to three items: the cause of Mr. Lockett’s death, whether the Corrections Department followed the correct protocol and how that department can improve its procedures in the future.
In other words, she asked one of her commissioners to investigate another one, which doesn’t exactly instill confidence that the review will be “deliberate and thorough,” as she described it.
With a record like this, can scuttlebutt about Fallin’s prospects as a national candidate be far behind?
By: Steve Benen, The Maddow Blog, May 2, 2014
May 4, 2014 Posted by raemd95 | Death Penalty, Mary Fallin | Capital Punishment, Education Funding, Executions, Lethal Injections, Medicaid Expansion, Minimum Wage, Oklahoma, Reproductive Rights | Leave a comment
“It’s Not About Them, It’s About Us”: Guillotine Revival Movement Gains Momentum
When things began to go terribly wrong with Clayton Lockett’s execution in Oklahoma the other day—when instead of drifting gently off into unconsciousness and death, Lockett began to moan and buck on the gurney—one of the first things the officials did was lower the blinds over the window through which observers peered into the death chamber. Because after all, people shouldn’t have to witness a man suffer as the state is killing him, right?
Lockett’s execution was hardly the first botched one we’ve had, particularly with lethal injection, a process prison officials seem extraordinarily incompetent at implementing properly. But for whatever reason, it has brought about a more substantial debate about the death penalty than we’ve had in some time. And as part of that, it looks like my semi-serious advocacy for the return of the guillotine is finally gaining momentum. It already has endorsements from Conor Friedersdorf and Sonny Bunch, with more sure to follow.
Frankly, I’ve never bought the argument that the death penalty violates the Constitution’s ban on “cruel and unusual punishment.” Unusual, maybe—it has become not just unusual but unheard of in democratic countries (the nations with the highest number of executions last year were, in order, China, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. of A.). But cruel? It seems that spending your life in prison is far worse than being executed. Though Lockett was in obvious pain for three-quarters of an hour before he finally expired, that pain couldn’t possibly match the extended agony endured by the tens of thousands of people we put in solitary confinement, where the lack of human contact literally drives them insane.
But back to our execution methods. It does seem that as the killing techniques have evolved, what we’ve called more “humane” methods are not about minimizing the suffering of the condemned, but about minimizing the gruesomeness of the spectacle, so that we can perform the execution without feeling like barbarians. It’s not about them, it’s about us. We did away with the firing squad in favor of the electric chair, even though the latter involves a lot more suffering, and why? Well, it involves just pulling a switch instead of actually pulling a trigger and sending a bullet hurtling toward a man’s heart. And there’s no blood splatter on the walls.
But the electric chair is pretty awful to watch—the body convulsing in obvious torment and all that—so we went to lethal injection. And despite the fact that we’re perfectly capable of knocking people out before surgery and gently putting a beloved pet to sleep, the geniuses who run our prisons can’t seem to do it without putting the condemned through substantial pain.
So if you recoil from the idea of the guillotine, ask yourself why. It’s fast, foolproof, and essentially painless. If you were going to be executed, wouldn’t it be near the top of your list for ways to go? You can’t argue that Clayton Lockett would have met a crueler end had his head been lopped off than what he actually went through. We could even come up with a more contemporary version, like a fast-moving saw blade that separates your brain from your body in a fraction of a second.
The visceral objection you have to that thought is not about the suffering of the one being executed, it’s about how you’d feel watching it. The guillotine, with its blood and severed head, would make us feel uncomfortable about what we’re doing when the state executes someone in our name. It would make us feel barbaric. As well it should.
If we’re going to keep the death penalty, we should be honest about what it’s for. It isn’t for deterrence, and it isn’t for justice. It’s for vengeance. We can try to make it “humane,” and we can draw the blinds when the truth of it comes uncomfortably close the surface. But that won’t change what it is.
By: Paul Waldman, Contributing Editor, The American Prospect, May 2, 2014
May 4, 2014 Posted by raemd95 | Capital Punishment, Death Penalty | Clayton Lockett, Criminal Justice System, Executions, Lethal Injection, Oklahoma | Leave a comment
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Record-breaking mare Winx draws outside gate for final race
PMN Sports
SYDNEY, Australia — Seven-year-old mare Winx will start from barrier 9 in the 2,000-meter Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick as she attempts to finish her career with her 33rd consecutive win, a record 25th Group One victory and more than $18 million in prize money.
Eight rivals will race against Winx and her regular jockey Hugh Bowman on Saturday. Winx’s trainer is Chris Waller.
Co-owner Peter Tighe said at the draw Tuesday he was pleased with the outside barrier.
“We prefer to be wider than in close to eliminate the problems you might get early in a race, and Hugh’s always been happy to be out of trouble,” Tighe said.
On March 2 at Randwick, Winx set the record for most Group One wins with her 23rd, breaking the former Group One record held by retired Irish horse Hurricane Fly.
Winx has had another Group One win since — the George Ryder Stakes at Sydney’s Rosehill on March 23 — and overall has 36 wins from 42 starts.
Winx has won the Queen Elizabeth Stakes the last two years and has also won the Cox Plate, Australia’s weight-for-age championship, a record four times at Moonee Valley in Victoria state.
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP–Sports
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Tag Archive for: National
Declaration of the National Consultation on Interfaith Engagement with Human Sexuality and Gender Diversity.
July 18, 2018 /0 Comments/in General news, News from NCCI /by Caesar David
National Consultation on Interfaith Engagement with Human Sexuality and Gender Diversity
July 13-14, YMCA Tourist Hostel, New Delhi
While awaiting the judgement of the Honourable Supreme Court of India on Sec 377 of IPC — we the participants of the National Consultation on Interfaith Engagement with Human Gender, Sexes and Sexuality Diversities — organised by Aneka, Bangalore; and the National Council of Churches in India –ESHA, Nagpur; held in Delhi from 13th to 14thof July 2018; declare the following statement as an affirmation of our conviction — that human beings with diverse genders, sexes and sexuality minorities are God’s creation and are a part of natural order. This affirmation is done in the context of LGBTQHI+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Hijada, Intersexual) phobia that attempts to criminalize gender, sexual and sexuality minorities in India.
We believe that love is the basis of all religions and hatred can have no place. However, historically there have been dominant interpretations that have been used to perpetuate oppressive systems against these minorities. As a result, gender, sexual and sexuality minorities are often rejected and alienated by many religious leaders and faith communities.
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NCCI Tribal and Adivasi Sunday 2018
July 2, 2018 /0 Comments/in Appeal, News from NCCI, Worship /by Caesar David
Respected Ecumenical Leaders,
Tribal and Adivasi Sunday has been celebrated in many parts of our country in sensitizing the local congregation on Tribal and Adivasi Concerns. Thanks to the enormous support we have received from across the churches, dioceses, parishes and institutions in celebrating this special Sunday. This year also we are inviting you to celebrate the Tribal and Adivasi Sunday on 5th August 2018 in your churches/local parishes/institutions.
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Maharashtra Manthan 2018: Strengthening secularism
May 17, 2018 /0 Comments/in News from NCCI, Statements /by Caesar David
Report of Maharashtra Manthan 2018-19: Strengthening Secularism
NCCI , EFI, UM | 30th April – 2nd May 2018 | M.L.A. Hostel, Nagpur.
“Maharashtra Manthan : Strengthening Secularism”, a 3 days seminar organized by National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) and United Maharashtra (UM), was held at MLA Hostel, Nagpur from April 30 to May 2, 2018. More than 75 people which included youth and female participants from different cities of Maharashtra state participated in this seminar. There were 8 women participants and about 25 young people.
30th April 2018 (Day 1)
Maharashtra Manthan started at 12:45 pm with an opening prayer by Pastor Amit Manwatkar. The Coordinator of the Maharashtra Manthan was Rev. Devashish Dubey who introduced the concept of Maharashtra Manthan to the participants. He emphasized that the main objective of Maharashtra Manthan 2018 is to bring awareness about the contemporary contextual situation in the country among the participants and to guide the community and society in building new, sensitized and responsible leadership through the training. Mr. Pradip Bansrior (NCCI Representative) presented the guidelines for the two and half day’s seminar to all participants.
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Advertisement for the post of NCCI General Secretary
April 28, 2018 /0 Comments/in News from NCCI /by Caesar David
The Constituent Members
Dear Ecumenical Leaders,
Please find here an Advertisement for the post of NCCI General Secretary. The Search Committee in its meeting held on 21st April 2018 in Chennai decided to advertise for the post of NCCI General Secretary in the official journals of all the Member churches, Related Agencies, Christian Organizations, Regional Councils of NCCI and also in their websites. The application should be addressed to the President of the NCCI. The hard and soft copies of the application must reach the following address on or before 30th June 2018.
The Most Rev. Dr. P.C. Singh
President, National Council of Churches in India
2131, Napier Town
Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh 482001.
Email: bishoppcsingh@yahoo.co.in
The application must contain a vision statement, resume, and copies of the certificates. It was further decided that if more than ten candidates apply, they will be shortlisted before being called for the interview.
Therefore, with this email you are requested to kindly contribute/support by publishing the attached advertisement in your official journals and also put in your official website for the upliftment of ecumenical movement.
With all good wishes,
Most Rev. Dr. P.C. Singh
National Council of Churches in India.
Christian Council Campus
Near Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board, NCCI Road,
Post Box # 205, Civil Lines, Nagpur-440 001, Maharashtra, INDIA
Tel: +91-712-2531312, 2561464 | Fax: +91-712-2520554
Email: ncci@ncci1914.com; ncci@nccindia.in |Website: ncci1914.com
General Secretary 2018 Adv
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Tamil Christians protest against violence, harassment
April 20, 2018 /0 Comments/in General news /by Caesar David
Police are allegedly ignoring attacks on Christians committed by hard-line Hindu groups in southern India.
Christians protest in Coimbatore on April 17 as part of a state-wide protest demanding government action to end violence against Christians in Tamil Nadu. (Pic and article source: UCAN India)
Thousands of Christians took to the streets during protests across the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu on April 17 to demand government action to stop what they call increasing harassment and violence against Christians.
Some 20,000 Christians from various denominations filled roads in at least 16 cities and towns shouting slogans against government inaction to check anti-Christian activities allegedly carried out by upper-caste Hindu groups.
The Synod of Pentecostal Churches in Tamil Nadu organized the protest as Christians have been subjected to at least 15 cases of violence in the first three months of this year.
Incidents include the mysterious death of a pastor who was found dead a week after he complained to police about harassment from hard-line Hindus.
“We are facing lot of persecution in our state,” synod general secretary K.B. Edison told ucanews.com.
“The peaceful protest was to get the attention of the state and federal government about the serious need for security and protection of the Christian minority.
“In the past four years we have faced many challenges. Our churches are being attacked, they are being burned, pastors’ lives are under threat. We are not able to bear these atrocities. They are even burning Bibles.
“We have approached the state government several times but disappointingly no action has been taken.”
Nehemiah Christie, the synod’s director of legislation and regulations, told ucanews.com that both Protestant and Catholic denominations joined the protest.
He said administrative bodies — including the police — have been apathetic to act against violence committed by Hindu groups because of the strong religious and caste biases in the state.
Catholic Father Gregory Rajan of the Infant Jesus Cathedral of Salem supported the protest. “Hindu extremist forces are behind the attacks,” said Father Rajan.
The priest said a lack of strong political leadership in the state remains a major issue. Tamil Nadu is not ruled by the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). But the local political party — named All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam — which runs the government “is depending on the BJP for policy and advice on the affairs of the state. Naturally, the local Hindu forces feel emboldened to attack Christians,” he said.
Published data shows violence against Christians has increased across India since the BJP came to power in New Delhi in 2014 in a landslide victory. Hindu groups took the BJP’s victory as a mandate to step up violence against religious minorities in their push to establish a nation ruled by a Hindu upper-caste hegemony. Attacks have been increasing in India, said Persecution Relief, an ecumenical forum that records Christian persecution in India. There were 736 reported attacks against Christians in 2017, up from 348 in 2016, the forum said.
Local Christian leaders say most of their new members come from the lower strata of the caste-ridden Tamil society. Higher-caste people oppose any Christian gatherings because they believe they pollute their area. Higher-caste people also believe those in economically and socially poor castes can be attacked and harassed with impunity, Christie said.
He said their protest program was supported by some mainstream political parties such as the Communist Party of India and some Buddhist and Muslim leaders in the state.
“It is an assurance that they will stand by us to ensure that the constitutional rights of minorities be protected,” Christie said. “Our demands are very simple. Growing violence against Christians and police complicity are matters of deep concern. We want the government to act to end all forms of fascist aggression against Christians and to uphold the rule of law.”
Christians are the largest minority in the state, forming 4.5 million or some 6 percent of its 72 million people. A majority of them — plus the state’s 4.2 million Muslims — come from castes considered low in the social hierarchy.
Source: Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN) India (india.ucanews.com)
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Open Letter to Prime Minister of India | End Culture of Rape & Sexual Violence on Girls, Children & Women in India!
April 16, 2018 /0 Comments/in News from NCCI, Statements /by Roger Gaikwad
Sri Narendra Modi,
Honourable Prime Minister in India,
South Block, Raisina Hill,
New Delhi -110011
Open Letter to Prime Minister of India
End Culture of Rape & Sexual Violence on Girls, Children & Women in India !
Honourable Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi,
Greetings from the National Council of Churches in India.
National Council of Churches represents around 14 million Christians in India from Reformation and Syrian Christian Traditions.
We write this letter at the darkest hour of our country when our Government is failing to protect girls, women and children. We express our deep anguish and pain, regarding the barbaric and heinous act of gang rape and murder of the little eight year old girl in Kathua and the rape of young 20 year old girl from Unnao in Uttar Pradesh.
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An Open Letter from Bishop Most Revd Thomas K. Oommen (Moderator, Church of South India) to the Fellow Citizens of India.
April 9, 2018 /0 Comments/in News from Constituent Members, Statements /by Caesar David
As an Indian Citizen and the Head of the Second Largest Church in India, with more than 4.5 Million members, most of them being dalits, Adivasis, poor farmers and fisherfolks, I hereby share the fear my people have under the rule of a Government that has become a nightmare to the poor and the minorities in India.
It is true and sad fact that the current Government that follows the Hindutva supremacist ideology seems to have consciously discounted what is stated in the Preamble of our Indian Constitution that declares liberty, equality, and fraternity as its ideals and assures Social, Economic and Political Justice to the citizens of India.
The Government proves to be pro-corporate and unkind to the poor by waiving off loans of rich people and corporate while not waiving of the loans of the poor farmers, not giving Minimum Support Price (MSP) to them, not addressing the issues of economic distress, joblessness, price rise by forcefully implementing policies like ‘Demonetization’ and GST. In fact, corruption and scams/scandals have become a hallmark of this Government.
The Church of South India demands that the Government at the centre ensures the democratic and secular fabric of India to be safeguarded instead of promoting their Hindutva agenda for which they demolish Churches and Mosques, vandalizes religious statues and symbols, persecutes Christians and Muslims, change school textbooks, insert dogmatic and pseudo-scientific religious content, ban films, books, festivals of minorities claiming that they to “offend” the Hindu nationalist sentiments.
The Church of South India not only stands in solidarity with the Dalits fighting for justice and equality and agitating against alleged “dilution” of the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) (Prevention of Atrocities) Act 1989, but also condemns all atrocities against the Dalits, that tortures, rapes and brutal murders by the Hindutva extremist forces.
Church of South India also strongly demands that recommendations of the Ranganath Mishra Commission and the Sachar Committee for reservation to Dalits of Christian and Muslim minority communities be implemented.
On this day on April 06, 1930, at the end of the ‘Salt March’, Mahatma Gandhi raised a lump of mud and salt and declared, “With this, I am shaking the foundations of the British Empire”. Today, on April 06, 2018, I urge my fellow citizens in India to unite together and shake the foundations of another empire being built by the corporate fascists.
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Most Rev. Dr. P. C. Singh, The new President for ECLOF India.
March 14, 2018 /0 Comments/in News from Constituent Members /by Caesar David
Ecumenical Church Loan Fund of India (ECLOF India) is happy to announce that Most Rev. Dr. P.C. Singh, President of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) and Moderator of the Church of North India (CNI), has been elected to serve as the President of ECLOF India. He was installed as President, on 3rd March 2018, at the Board of Directors’ meeting held at Chennai.
Most Rev. Dr. P C. Singh, Bishop of the Jabalpur Diocese of the Church of North India, is a well-known Ecumenical leader. He is President of the prestigious Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS); Executive Committee Member of the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) and holds other responsible posts in many organisations across India.
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Call for applications to the post of NCCI Executive Secretary – Policy, Governance and Public Witness.
March 5, 2018 /0 Comments/in News from NCCI /by Caesar David
Kindly download a copy of the advertisement of the NCCI calling for applications to the post of NCCI Executive Secretary – Policy Governance and Public Witness.
Please encourage suitable candidates to apply for the same.
Rev. Dr. Roger Gaikwad,
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Consultation on Ecumenical Formation and Capacity Building for Young Dalit, Tribal/Adivasi Theologians
March 2, 2018 /0 Comments/in General news, News from NCCI /by Dalit & Tribal/ Adivasi Concerns
National Council of Churches in India – Dalit and Tribal/Adivasi Concerns
EMW-Germany, Christian Service Agency and Leonard Theological College
Consultation on Ecumenical Formation and Capacity Building for
Young Dalit, Tribal/Adivasi Theologians
1-3 February 2018 | Mahatma Gandhi Hall, Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur
Ecumenism as mission of all churches involves building relationships, challenging the local styles of being church and leading to the sharing of resources by establishing solidarity and accepting the fact that every church is called by God to be a partner in mission, not be isolated. A clear theological self-understanding reflected on the concept of life and mission of the church must be proclaimed with bold options in support of the marginalized people around us. Ecumenism must motivate the church and society to develop a countervailing power in the midst of gloom and despair. Dialogue with people of other faiths and respect of the religious values of our neighbor should be our lifestyle. There is a need to bring an effective awareness among all the Christian communities across India to be united in bringing significant changeswith regards to addressing the evils of caste, creed, colour as well as socio-political, cultural and economic changes which our Indian society has been undergoing from ages and which has seen a rapid growth in the recent times. Therefore it is the need of the hour for the Indian churches and Christian institutions including the theological colleges to work together and work effectively on denominationalism and fundamentalism which can lead to or create differences among the Christian communities and societies.
In order to bridging gaps and helping the young dalit, tribal/ adivasi theologians to understand the gospel in totality, as a gospel that deals with humanity and all creation, helping people towards better life integrated with ecology, and which supports freedom, and stands for human rights and eco dignity, NCCI-Dalit and Tribal/Adivasi Concerns in partnership with EMW Germany, Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur and Christian Service Agency organized a three days Consultation on “Ecumenical Formation and Capacity Building for Young Dalit, Tribal/Adivasi Theologians” from 1st -3rd February 2018 at Mahatma Gandhi Assembly Hall, Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur. A total of 41 participants in which 30 Theological Students from twelve different theological colleges/seminaries from the Northern, Eastern and Central regions of India, affiliated to the Senate of Serampore Colleges and 11 Resource Persons participated in the consultation. The consultation started with a creative and participatory worship led by Mr. Pradip Bansrior, Executive Secretary-Dalit and Tribal Concerns-NCCI along with the team of theological students, the reflection was given by Mr. Jianthaolung Gonmei, Executive Secretary- Youth Concerns, NCCI and concluded with the benediction pronounced by Rev. Dr. Naveen Rao, Principal, Leonard Theological College. Following the inaugural worship, Mr. Pradip Bansrior welcomed the delegates and the resource persons and shared the purpose of the consultation and also extended his sincere thanks and gratitude to Rev. Anil Michael, Treasurer- LTC and the administrative body for hosting the consultation in the Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur.
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"Pennsylvania"
"Civil Rights History Project"
"Education"
Instrumentalists (Musicians) 1
Korean War, 1950-1953 1
Santa Clara County 1
Suffolk County 1
Boston University School of Law 1
Columbia University 1
Jones, Clarence B. 1
King, Martin Luther 1
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom 1
Norton, Anne Aston Warder 1
Clarence B. Jones, Ph.D. Oral History Interview
Jones, Clarence B. Ph.D., American, born 1931
March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, American, founded 1963
Columbia University, American, founded 1754
Norton, Anne Aston Warder, American
Boston University School of Law, American, founded 1872
Palo Alto, Santa Clara County, California, United States, North and Central America
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
New York, United States, North and Central America
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States, North and Central America
The oral history consists of twelve digital files: 2011.174.84.1a, 2011.174.84.1b, 2011.174.84.1c, 2011.174.84.1d, 2011.174.84.1e, 2011.174.84.1f, 2011.174.84.1g, 2011.174.84.1h, 2011.174.84.1i, 2011.174.84.1j, and 2011.174.84.1k, 2011.174.84.1l.
Dr. Clarence B. Jones shares memories from his work as a legal advisor and speechwriter for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In particular, he describes his significant contributions to the "I Have a Dream" speech, which King delivered at the March on Washington in 1963. Jones also describes his early life living in a Philadelphia home for indigent black orphans and foster children, because his parents, who were both domestic workers, could not afford to provide for him. Jones talks about his education at Columbia University, his training as a classical clarinetist, and some of his early encounters with leftist politics while in New York. Jones discusses the death of his mother and the profound effect it had on him. He describes his time spent in the military during the Korean War. Other topics discussed in the interview include Jones's marriage to Anne Norton, his studies at Boston University Law School, and his move to California to become an entertainment lawyer.
Instrumentalists (Musicians)
Korean War, 1950-1953
2011.174.84.1a-l
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"Michigan"
"American South"
"Mosnier, Joseph"
"Video recordings"
Dougherty County 1
data_source
National Museum of African American History and Culture 1
William G. Anderson, D.O. Oral History Interview
Anderson, William G. D.O., American, born 1927
Mosnier, Joseph Ph. D.
United States Navy, American, founded 1775
Rev. Abernathy, Ralph David, American, 1926 - 1990
Albany Movement, American, 1961 - 1962
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, American, 1960 - 1970s
Meet the Press, American, founded 1947
Pritchett, Laurie, American, 1926 - 2000
Americus, Sumter County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia, United States, North and Central America
The oral history consists of six digital files: 2011.174.41.1a, 2011.174.41.1b, 2011.174.41.1c, 2011.174.41.1d, 2011.174.41.1e, and 2011.174.41.1f.
William Anderson, D.O. recalls growing up in Americus, Georgia, serving in the navy during World War II, and his friendships with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy. He remembers opening his osteopath practice in Albany, Georgia, becoming a leader of the Albany Movement, and supporting protesters from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). He discusses his several arrests with King and Abernathy, appearing on Meet the Press, the closing of all public facilities in Albany, and his later friendship with Sheriff Laurie Pritchett.
2011.174.41.1a-f
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"Brown, Otha N."
"Government"
Communities 1
Funeral rites and ceremonies 1
Sororities 1
Dade County 1
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated 1
American Bridge Association 1
Austin, Patti 1
Brown, George Leslie 1
Bunche, Ralph 1
Chisholm, Shirley Anita 1
Claiborne, Wanda Calvin 1
Daughters of Isis 1
Democratic Party 1
Dixon, Gladys W. 1
Hall, Amos T. 1
New York Giants, American, founded 1925
National Pan-Hellenic Council, American, founded 1930
Dr. Bunche, Ralph, American, 1903 - 1971
Powell, Adam Clayton Jr., American, 1908 - 1972
National Black Political Convention, 1971 - 1972
Westbrook, Logan H., American
Tufts University, American, founded 1852
Democratic Party, American, founded 1828
National Insurance Association, American, founded 1921
National Council of Negro Women, founded 1935
Republican Party, American, founded 1854
The Drifters, Inc., American, founded 1957
Austin, Patti, American, born 1950
National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, Inc., American, founded 1924
Brown, George Leslie, American, 1926 - 2006
Brown, Otha N. Jr., American, 1931 - 2009
Dixon, Gladys W., American, born 1901
Daughters of Isis, American, founded 1910
Chisholm, Shirley Anita, American, 1924 - 2005
National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees, American, founded 1913
Hall, Amos T., American, 1896 - 1971
H x W x D: 11 × 8 7/16 × 3/8 in. (28 × 21.5 × 0.9 cm)
Miami, Dade County, Florida, United States, North and Central America
Colorado, United States, North and Central America
Connecticut, United States, North and Central America
Saint Louis, Missouri, United States, North and Central America
A 1972 issue of Delegate magazine published by MelPat Associates. The cover of the magazine shows a collage of black and white photographic portraits of men and women printed against a blue tinted band on the top third, a white band in the middle, and a red tinted band on the bottom third. There is an image of four (4) buttons in the top left that read [DELEGATE / 1972]. The buttons are black, green, and/or red with white text. White text in a black box at the bottom right reads [PLEASE TURN TO PAGES DEVOTED TO YOUR CONVENTION].
The magazine’s content opens with an article titled “365 Days of Black Politics or the Awakening of a Black Giant,” about the Black Convention held in Gary, Indiana and the organization of the Black Assembly. There is also a masthead reading [DELEGATE 1972 / The Anthology and Voice of the Black Convention] and a table of contents.
The content continues with articles and profiles of African American business organizations, business leaders, community organizations, sororities, fraternities, doctors, dentists, actors, journalists and politicians. This includes the New York Giants, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Prince Hall Masons, Dr. Ralph Bunche, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, National Newspaper Publishers Association, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., National Black Political Convention, Logan H. Westbrook, Roy Wilkins, NAACP, Lambda Kappa Mu Sorority, Tufts University, the Democratic Party and the Republic Party, National Insurance Association, National Urban League, National Council of Negro Women, American Bridge Association, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, The Drifters, Inc., The National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Clubs, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Patti Austin, National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association, National Dental Association, George Leslie Brown, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Otha N. Brown, Jr., the Shriners, Gladys W. Dixon, Daughters of Isis, National Medical Association, National United Church Ushers Association of America, Shirley Chisholm, National Alliance of Postal and Federal Employees, 369th Veterans Association, IBPOEW, and Amos T. Hall. There are also short profiles on African American politicians in New York, Miami, Detroit, California, Colorado, Connecticut, St. Louis and Atlanta as well as a feature on Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard.
There are approximately 220 pages with black and white photographs and advertisements thorughout, as well as a few advertisements in color. The back cover of the magazine features a full page advertisement for Johnny Walker Red Label scotch.
Funeral customs and rites
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"Communities"
"New York City"
"Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc."
Dukes County 2
Cook County 1
National Medical Association 2
National Newspaper Publishers Association 2
National United Church Ushers Association of America, Inc. 2
National Urban League 2
One Hundred Black Men, Inc. 2
Opportunities Industrialization Center of America, Inc. 2
Patrick, C. Melvin 2
Prince Hall Freemasonry 2
Shriners International 2
Sen. Brooke, Edward, American, born 1919
Morris Brown College, American, founded 1881
Interracial Council for Business Opportunity, American, founded 1963
Humphrey, Hubert Horatio Jr., American, 1911 - 1978
General James, Daniel Jr., American, 1920 - 1978
Shorter, Rufus B., American
National Association of Black Social Workers, American, founded 1968
Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry
Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA), International, founded 1844
Avon, founded 1886
The Links, Incorporated, American, founded 1946
Eta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., American, founded 1943
National Association of University Women, American, founded 1910
The Salvation Army, American, founded 1865
Davis, Sammy Jr., American, 1925 - 1990
Congressional Black Caucus, American, founded 1971
Rev. King, Martin Luther Sr, American, 1899 - 1984
National Urban League Guild, American, founded 1946
H x W x D: 10 13/16 × 8 7/16 × 7/16 in. (27.5 × 21.4 × 1.1 cm)
Houston, Texas, United States, North and Central America
Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, North and Central America
Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, United States, North and Central America
Jamaica, Caribbean, North and Central America
Barbados, Caribbean, North and Central America
West Africa, Africa
A 1978 issue of Delegate magazine published by MelPat Associates. The cover of the magazine features a pink ribbon that reads [1978 / DELEGATE] on a collage of cropped black and white photographic portraits with an orange tint. The magazine has a white spine with black text that reads [DELEGATE 1978 - The 2nd Year of the 3rd Century].
The magazine’s content opens on the first page with an untitled editorial note recounting events of the past year, including the failed mayoral campaign of Percy Sutton, affirmative action, and the disappointments of the Carter administration. There is also a masthead, set in white text against a bright blue background reading [DELEGATE, 1977], followed by a table of contents.
The content then continues with a feature on Senator Edward W. Brooke and an article about the Bakke case, followed by profiles of African American business organizations, business leaders, community organizations, sororities, fraternities, doctors, dentists, politicians, actors, and journalists. This includes Boggs Academy, Opportunities Industrial Centers, Canadian Club, Bottle and Cork Club, Johnson & Johnson, Rufus Shorter, National Association of Black Social Workers, National Urban Affairs Council, Association of Market Developers, Empire State Medical, Ponds, Prince Hall Grand Lodge, Dr. George Alexander, National Newspaper Publishers Association, NBC, Clifford Alexander, Kraft, Lambda Kappa Mu Sorority, NAACP, Links, National Church Ushers, National Medical Association, National Dental Association, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Jeffrey Goldsen, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, National Urban League, ABC-TV, Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Eta Phi Beta Sorority, National Association of University Women, CBS Records, National Bar Association, Gulf Oil, Whitfield, American Bridge Association, Shriners and the Daughters of Isis, Center for Social Change, Elks of the World, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, The Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History, 369th Veterans Association, Brenda Schofield and Willa Benge, and Judge Constance Motley. There are sections on California, Houston, Minneapolis, Detroit, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Chicago, and New York, as well as a travel section featuring Jamaica, Barbados, Oak Bluffs, and West Africa.
Transcription Center Status
Transcribed by digital volunteers
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search term:phillips, james
"Camp Todd"
"Reconstruction (U.S. history, 1865-1877)"
"Child, Lydia Maria"
American Civil War (1861-1865) 1
Antislavery 1
Feminism 1
United States Colored Troops 1
Channing, William Henry 1
Freedmen's Bureau 1
Howland, Emily 1
James B. Smith & Co. 1
Lacy, Caroline N. 1
Menard, John Willis 1
Phillips, Wendell 1
Sumner, Charles 1
Tubman, Harriet 1
Photograph album owned by Emily Howland
James B. Smith & Co., American
Lacy, Caroline N., American, 1838 - 1898
Received by
Howland, Emily, American, 1827 - 1929
Tubman, Harriet, American, 1822 - 1913
Menard, John Willis, American, 1838 - 1893
Sumner, Charles, American, 1811 - 1874
Child, Lydia Maria, American, 1802 - 1880
Channing, William Henry, American, 1810 - 1884
Phillips, Wendell, American, 1811 - 1884
Freedmen's Bureau, American, 1865 - 1872
leather, metal, and ink on paper
H x W x D (closed): 6 1/4 × 5 1/4 × 2 7/8 in. (15.9 × 13.3 × 7.3 cm)
H x W (open with clasps): 6 1/4 × 11 in. (15.9 × 27.9 cm)
H x W (open without clasps): 6 1/4 × 9 in. (15.9 × 22.9 cm)
H x W x D (Storage container): 5 7/8 × 11 1/4 × 11 7/16 in. (15 × 28.5 × 29 cm)
Emily Howland Photograph Album
Slavery and Freedom Objects
Media Arts-Photography
Slavery and Freedom
NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 3, C3 053
Place used
Camp Todd, Arlington County, Virginia, United States, North and Central America
Caroline “Carrie” Nichols (later Carrie N. Lacy; see 2017.30.13) presented this carte-de-visite album to her friend and fellow teacher Emily Howland on January 1, 1864, at Camp Todd, a freedmen’s camp and school located in Arlington, Virginia. Emily Howland was an abolitionist, educator, philanthropist, and suffragist who founded, financially supported, and taught in numerous schools for African Americans for more than 70 years from 1857 until her death in 1929 at the age of 101.
Typical of a CDV album during this period, the Howland Album contains photographs of Howland’s family, friends, and colleagues, as well as souvenir images of notable abolitionists and famous figures during the 1860s and 1870s. Based on the photograph dates and later inscriptions, it is clear that Howland added photographs to the album as she collected them throughout the mid- to late 19th century.
Black leather photograph album owned by Emily Howland containing photographs of friends, family, and celebrities. The album covers and binding are made from embossed black leather with gold gilt decorations on the covers and spine. Both covers are the same, with a scallop-edged diamond outlined in gold at the center and geometric borders surrounding it, ending in a thin gold gilt geometric border around the edges. Gilt text is stamped on the spine reading "PHOTOGRAPHS". The front and back interior covers have decorative paper with small gold repeating stylized dots on a white ground adhered to them. There are four (4) sheets of paper at the front of the album, followed by twenty-five (25) thicker pages that each feature a window for holding two (2) photographs per page, and one (1) sheet of paper at the back of the album. There is room for fifty (50) photographs, though the album contains only forty-seven (47) photographs plus one (1) loose photograph too large to fit into the windowed pages. Windows 20, 21, and 47 are empty. The windows are rectangular with rounded corners and are surrounded by a gold printed border. The front pages include a page with information about the album publisher and an Index page with two printed columns of numbered lines for identifying the photographs. The Index page is not filled out. There is an inscription written in black ink on the first page that reads "To / Emily Howland / From her friend / Carrie Nichols / Jan 1st, 1864 / Camp Todd / Virginia". All of the interior pages are edged in gilt with a design impressed into the top, right side, and bottom edges of the pages that creates a floral spray when the album is closed. The album fastens on the right side with two (2) metal hinged bars that are attached to the back cover and close over metal pins attached to the front cover. The bars are embellished with a three-dimensional metal design imitating a floral fabric looped through a metal buckle.
Antislavery
Local and regional
Reconstruction (United States History, 1865-1877)
United States Colored Troops
Collection of the National Museum of African American History and Culture shared with the Library of Congress
No Known Copyright Restrictions
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Week 5: QB Valuations
Posted on October 12, 2017 by Jason Fitzgerald
I’ve been working on some different valuation metrics for players and wanted to post one for quarterbacks. The basis for this is how to re-assign market values based on a few factors. What I used to evaluate the players were four categories. Adjusted yards more or less measures the overall output of the player (this included rushing), adjusted yards per attempt to see how efficient those yards were, snaps to measure how much playtime the player has, and finally wins and losses.
What I did was look at a few years worth of data at the position to come up with a weighted dollar value to assign a number for each category. With wins I am not talking about the dreaded “QB wins” stuff that comes into play. Its just that in general, strong play in a win should be far more valuable than numbers in a loss. These wins and losses would be used for each player not just QBs when I move onto posting for other positions. My feeling is that when teams assemble a team that are looking to assemble a playoff team which would mean they feel their roster and what they pay them should be equal to 10.5 or 11 wins. If you win more than that you have exceeded expectations. Less than that and there should be some penalty. Also based on the current QB market and general playtime over the last few years, the value of a player who barely sees the field should be worth about $750,000. So for all those players who didn’t do much Id just throw that as their worth.
Alex Smith- $33.3 Million
This is a huge number and one that will come down, but after 5 weeks he is on track for a 16-0 season which helps bump his value. In terms of offensive output he is second only to Tom Brady and in terms of his per attempt numbers he is second to only Sam Bradford, who has only played a handful of snaps. With an APY of $17 million a year, Smith is brining tremendous value over contract, and in a class normally reserved for high performing young players. Smith may or may not be the QB of the Chiefs next season, but he is putting up an MVP year and while not as flashy is every bit as good as or better than Matt Ryan was last season.
Tom Brady- $27.2 Million
Brady is on pace to have a record breaking type of season, which is pretty amazing when you consider his age. He is putting up the most yards of anyone and is incredibly efficient in doing so. The only reason for the gap between he and Smith is the wins. The Patriots as a team at the moment are simply not in the same class as the Chiefs. They have 3 wins and very easily could be at 2 wins. Once they get things straightened out and start trending towards 12 or 13 wins there is a good chance he will be at the top.
Aaron Rodgers- $24.1 Million
Rodgers had that awesome game winning drive last week and is making a case to be considered the best passer of all time with the way he plays the position. Rodgers is putting up monster number, just not on the same pace as Brady right now. He has been far more efficient the last two weeks where he was asked to throw less and if that continues that will only drive his value further. I would expect his win pace to remain pretty steady.
Carson Wentz- $23.9 Million
Wentz has had a terrific sophomore campaign. He already had over 1,300 yards and just 3 interceptions while helping the Eagles to a 4-1 start. From a statistical standpoint he has been very close to Rodgers thus far, but I would put one little asterisk by this. The asterisk is that his top production, by far, came in last weeks game vs the Cardinals and that may skew things a bit since we are just 5 games in. He is outperforming his contract by over $17 million, which makes him the best value in the NFL. When you look at the ages of the other players in the top 5, the NFL needs players like Wentz to make this leap permanently.
Drew Brees- $21.6 Million
While Brees’ overall numbers are down from his norms, his norms are so high that even a fall means top of the NFL. Brees has played mistake free football through four games and continues to be highly effective. I didn’t take sacks into account, but he is probably better than anyone at avoiding pressure and getting the ball out of his hand. Had I used that my guess is he would be 3rd in the league in value. Brees is one of the most intriguing free agents this year.
The Bottom Five
DeShone Kizer- $6.3 Million
Kizer had no business starting this year and was benched once his coach realized they were not going to beat the Jets with him at the helm. The team is winless. Kizer has just 3 touchdowns to 9 interceptions. His efficiency is atrocious as the team has produced about 48% less than average yards when the ball was in his hands. Don’t let the $6.3M fool you- this is just the fact that QBs are expensive and just starting is worth a few million. Why the Browns started Kizer at a position where confidence can get wrecked early and ruin a career is a mystery nobody can answer.
Mike Glennon- $7.5 Million
Everybody saw this coming a mile away except apparently the Bears who signed Glennon to a $15 million contract this year. They sobered up before the draft when they realized that drafting a QB made far more sense and they made the switch after just four games. There wasn’t much Glennon did well. He didn’t throw for a lot of yards. He didn’t move the chains. He didn’t throw a crazy number of interceptions, but those that he did throw had come in bad spots. He was basically your typical bad journeyman QB, except he was paid to be far more than that.
Joe Flacco- $8.7 Million
For a long time the contract of Flacco has been a pretty big joke, but he has hit new lows this year. In terms of adjusted yards he is last in the NFL among players with 100 snaps. Its not like he is making those most of those few yards either as he has had chances, he simply doesn’t produce. The only thing separating he and Glennon is that Flacco is on a winning team with a shot at the playoffs while Glennon’s Bears are cellar dwellars. Flacco is currently the second worst value in the NFL, and the worst healthy player. Ravens need a major turnaround.
Jay Cutler- $10 Million
Cutler looks pretty disinterested in playing football this year, but I’m not sure if that is really any different than the way he looked the last few seasons. About the only positive for Cutler is that he hasn’t been a turnover machine and that his team is miraculously 2-2. Cutler only makes $10 million so in that respect the Dolphins are getting what they were paying for, except they signed Cutler thinking they were getting a $20 million arm on the cheap. He may not make it to the halfway point as starter if his offense doesn’t improve.
Derek Carr- $10.1 Million
It has been a tremendously disappointing year for Carr, who signed a $25 million contract extension this offseason. After 5 weeks he is the worst value among players with 100 snaps. His yards are down and the team is not catching others by surprise the way they did last year and right now they do not look like a team that will be an upper echelon team this year. On the bright side for the Raiders part of Carr’s numbers here are because he has been hurt and missed last weeks game. If he is healthy and returns soon he should increase his standings in a few weeks, though he has has a major uphill battle to reach the $20M+ mark.
Here is the full list of players with at least 100 snaps this year.
Name Team Contract APY Current Value Difference
Alex Smith Chiefs $17,000,000 $33,327,565 $16,327,565
Tom Brady Patriots $20,500,000 $27,186,476 $6,686,476
Aaron Rodgers Packers $22,000,000 $24,115,162 $2,115,162
Carson Wentz Eagles $6,669,085 $23,941,093 $17,272,008
Drew Brees Saints $24,250,000 $21,587,920 ($2,662,080)
Cam Newton Panthers $20,760,000 $20,669,538 ($90,462)
Kirk Cousins Redskins $23,943,600 $20,111,495 ($3,832,105)
Jameis Winston Buccaneers $6,337,819 $19,747,139 $13,409,320
Jared Goff Rams $6,984,418 $19,169,900 $12,185,482
Matt Ryan Falcons $20,750,000 $18,919,732 ($1,830,268)
Russell Wilson Seahawks $21,900,000 $18,434,560 ($3,465,440)
Deshaun Watson Texans $3,463,621 $18,000,029 $14,536,408
Carson Palmer Cardinals $21,000,000 $17,884,413 ($3,115,587)
Dak Prescott Cowboys $680,848 $17,557,019 $16,876,171
Matthew Stafford Lions $27,000,000 $17,451,438 ($9,548,562)
Trevor Siemian Broncos $583,196 $17,302,011 $16,718,815
Philip Rivers Chargers $20,812,500 $15,183,941 ($5,628,559)
Tyrod Taylor Bills $15,250,000 $14,185,988 ($1,064,012)
Case Keenum Vikings $2,000,000 $13,940,209 $11,940,209
Eli Manning Giants $21,000,000 $13,923,719 ($7,076,281)
Andy Dalton Bengals $16,000,000 $13,873,378 ($2,126,622)
Ben Roethlisberger Steelers $21,850,000 $13,794,449 ($8,055,551)
Jacoby Brissett Colts $852,708 $13,220,257 $12,367,549
Josh McCown Jets $6,000,000 $13,103,580 $7,103,580
Blake Bortles Jaguars $5,163,701 $12,340,036 $7,176,335
Brian Hoyer 49ers $6,000,000 $11,800,719 $5,800,719
Marcus Mariota Titans $6,053,494 $11,019,902 $4,966,408
Derek Carr Raiders $25,005,000 $10,126,832 ($14,878,168)
Jay Cutler Dolphins $10,000,000 $10,039,698 $39,698
Joe Flacco Ravens $22,133,333 $8,727,617 ($13,405,716)
Mike Glennon Bears $15,000,000 $7,524,168 ($7,475,832)
DeShone Kizer Browns $1,237,103 $6,285,122 $5,048,019
This entry was posted in Contracts. Bookmark the permalink.
← NFL Efficiency Ratings, Week 5
The Costs of Trading NaVorro Bowman →
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Mathematics x Arts and Humanities x Publishing x clear all
Bryant, Louise Frances Stevens
Charles W. Carey.
Reference Entry. Subjects: Publishing; Probability and Statistics. 1017 words.
Bryant, Louise Frances Stevens (19 September 1885–29 August 1959), social statistician and medical editor, was born in Paris, France, the daughter of Charles E. Stevens, a civil engineer,...
Davis, William (1771/2–1807), mathematician and publisher
G. J. Gray.
Reference Entry. Subjects: Mathematics; Publishing. 616 words.
Davis, William (1771/2–1807), mathematician and publisher, probably made his early career as a surveyor and teacher of mathematics. He is first known in 1796 and 1797, as a contributor to...
Hopton, Arthur (c. 1580–1614), mathematician and almanac maker
Bernard Capp.
Reference Entry. Subjects: Mathematics; Mysticism; History of Science and Technology; Literature; Publishing. 687 words.
Hopton, Arthur (c. 1580–1614), mathematician and almanac maker, can probably be identified as the fourth son of Richard Hopton of Hopton, Shropshire, gentleman, and his wife, Anne, daughter...
Tipper, John (b. before 1680, d. 1713), mathematician and almanac maker
Tipper, John (b. before 1680, d. 1713), mathematician and almanac maker, was born at Coventry. In 1699 he was elected master of Bablake Hospital school there at a salary of £20, which he...
Sara Schechner Genuth.
Reference Entry. Subjects: Astronomy and Astrophysics; Mathematics; Literature; Publishing. 1103 words.
West, Benjamin ( March 1730–26 August 1813), astronomer and mathematician, was born in Rehoboth, Massachusetts, the son of John West, a farmer. His mother’s name is not known. Not long...
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As part of International Women’s Day, Newbury Racecourse is saluting the incredible women who have made their mark at the course in the last 12 months.
Eve Johnson Houghton
Eve was born into a pioneering family. Her grandmother Helen became the first woman to train the winner of a Classic when Gilles de Retz won the 1956 2,000 Guineas, although her name did not appear on the record books because the Jockey Club refused to recognise women trainers at the time. Since taking over the family stables, Eve has proved the folly of the authority’s stance, last year becoming the first woman to train the winner of the Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot and only the fourth to train a British Group 1 winner. At local track Newbury, Eve saddled Ice Age to win the Starlight Handicap last May and this May she will be targeting a second Group 1 win with her stable star Accidental Agent.
Amy, one of Britain’s youngest trainers, enjoyed the best moment of her short training career when she saddled Kalashnikov, owned by her father Paul, to win last year’s Betfair Hurdle at Newbury, the richest handicap hurdle run in Britain. The horse has rapidly become a fan favourite and heads to next week’s Cheltenham Festival, where he was second in the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle a year ago, as one of the leading contenders for the Arkle Trophy.
Bridget Andrews
Bridget rode Spiritofthegames to finish third in last year’s Betfair Hurdle, won by the Amy Murphy-trained Kalashnikov and went on to break her Cheltenham Festival duck by winning the County Hurdle on Mohaayed. She was back at Newbury in March where she steered Roksana to victory in the EBF & TBA Mares’ Novices’ Hurdle Finale and she was on the mark at the track on Friday when riding Getariver to a Bumper victory. Bridget, who works for Dan Skelton, is to marry the trainer’s brother Harry, who is also a jockey, in August.
Venetia Williams
Venetia is one of only two women to train the winner of the Hennessy Gold Cup and since Teeton Mill’s success in 1998 she has remained among the best of her profession, memorably saddling Mon Mome to gain a shock victory in the 2009 Grand National. Newbury remains a rewarding hunting ground for Venetia where this season she sent out Aso to gain a 13 lengths success in the Ladbrokes Handicap Chase.
Lizzie Kelly
Lizzie has developed a strong connection with Newbury. In 2016 she rode Agrapart to land the Betfair Hurdle, Britain’s richest handicap hurdle, and she has continued to prosper on horses trained by her mother Jane and stepfather Nick. In November she steered Siruh Du Lac and the pair go the Cheltenham next week among the favourites for the Brown Advisory & Merriebelle Stable Plate. Lizzie spent last summer at Newbury working as a marketing assistant, an experience she described as “fantastic”.
Nicola Currie
Nicola was one of the hottest apprentices in the country in 2018 when she rode 81 winners and lost her claim to a weight allowance. A pair of those victories came during the season at Newbury where she is likely to be increasingly in action having formed a new partnership with Lambourn trainer Jamie Osborne. Nicola, who comes from the Isle Of Arran, rode Raising Sand to a valuable handicap victory at Ascot last season and ended the year by being voted Lady Jockey of the Year by her peers at the Stobarts Lesters.
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WATCH: The Mark S. Gold, M.D. ’75, Distinguished Professor and Alumnus White Coat Ceremony
Students from the class of 2023 will receive their white coats Nov. 24
Oct. 14, 2019 — On Sunday, Nov. 24, students from the UF College of Medicine’s class of 2023 will receive their white coats on stage at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
Some of the students’ friends and family, along with faculty, staff and alumni, are unable to share in the excitement of the day. Take part in the UF College of Medicine tradition without leaving your computers by watching a live stream of the event. The event will begin at 2 p.m.
ACCESS THE LIVE STREAM
*PLEASE NOTE: WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO PROVIDE AN UNINTERRUPTED VIEWING EXPERIENCE, BUT UNFORESEEN TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES MAY ARISE.
You can also join the conversation on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #UFWhiteCoat. Photos and coverage of the ceremony will be posted in the days following the event.
What you will need to watch the ceremony
Windows users: Windows Media Player 9.0 or later or Microsoft Silverlight 5.0 or later; Internet Explorer 11, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome
MAC users: Mac OS X 10.10 or later; Safari 6.0 or later, Mozilla Firefox or Google Chrome
Additional information about viewing requirements is available. If you are unsure if your device meets the requirements, you can test by watching last year’s ceremony.
College, Students
Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, white coat ceremony
‘A Wonderful Life’
On the cusp of retirement, Lynn Wecker, Ph.D. ’72, reflects on her career and life in pharmacology and academia
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SAP Institute for Digital Government Opens in Australia
October 27, 2015 by SAP News
BRISBANE — SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced that the SAP Institute for Digital Government has officially opened its doors in Canberra and delivered its first research output, launched alongside five founding partners at the Australian National Disability Insurance Agency’s NDIS New World: Disability in the 21st Century conference.
The SAP Institute for Digital Government was established to spur public sector innovation. In collaboration with government agencies, universities and partner organizations, the Institute will drive innovation through digital technology for deeper policy insight and improved service delivery. SAP will offer resulting solutions to government agencies across Australia and throughout the world.
“The quality and innovative spirit of Australian public administration is widely recognized,” said Isabella Groegor-Cechowicz, general manager, SAP Public Services. “As a think tank, the SAP Institute for Digital Government will help conceptualize new service models that improve livability for all.”
The SAP Institute for Digital Government’s five foundation partners include the Australian Catholic University (ACU), the Australian National University (ANU), the European Social Network (ESN), the International Social Security Association (ISSA), and Australia’s National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA).
“It is impressive to see the launch of a think tank with a focus on how digital innovation can transform social protection,” said John Halloran, CEO, ESN, speaking at the launch of the Institute in Brisbane. “We look forward to collaborating with the Institute in areas of interest to our broad membership base across Europe.”
Mat Small, +1 (510) 684-3552, m.small@sap.com, PDT
Photo via Shutterstock
Tags: Australia, SAP Institute for Digital Government
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he had his father’s eye for women
Harry Crosby (1898–1929) was an American heir, a bon vivant, poet and publisher. He was the son of one of the richest banking families in New England.
Harry and friend found here
Tired of the rigidity of everyday life, he said he wanted to escape “the horrors of Boston virgins.” Profoundly affected by his experience as an ambulance driver in World War I, Crosby vowed to live life on his own terms.
He had his father’s eye for women and in 1920 met Mrs. Polly Peabody, six years his senior. Harry reportedly fell in love with the buxom Mrs. Peabody in about two hours, confessing all in the Tunnel of Love at the amusement park. Their open affair was the source of scandal and gossip among blue-blood Bostonians. Polly divorced her alcoholic husband and married Crosby. Two days later they left for Europe, where they enjoyed a decadent lifestyle, drinking, smoking opium, traveling frequently, and having an open marriage.
Harry worked at Morgan, Harjes et Cie, the Morgan family’s bank in Paris. They found an apartment overlooking the Seine, and Polly would don her red bathing suit and row Harry down the Quai d’Orléans in his dark business suit, formal hat, umbrella and briefcase. As she rowed back home, the well endowed Polly would enjoy whistles and waves from workmen. She said the exercise was good for her breasts.
“The Young Rower” found here
Even by the wild standards of Paris in the 1920s, Harry was in a league of his own. The couple lived a hedonistic life. Harry was a gambler and a womanizer; he drank “oceans of champagne” and used opium, cocaine, and hashish. They wrote a mutual suicide pact, and carried cremation instructions with them.
more of Harry’s photography to be found here
In 1924, Harry persuaded Polly to formally change her first name, as he felt Polly was too prim and proper. They briefly considered Clytoris before deciding on Caresse. Harry and Caresse became known for hosting small dinner parties from the giant bed in their palatial townhouse, and afterwards everyone was invited to enjoy their huge bathtub together, taking advantage of iced bottles of champagne near at hand.
image by Burt Glinn found here
Crosby claimed to be a “sun worshiper in love with death.” He added a doodle of a “black sun” to his signature which also included an arrow, jutting upward from the “y” in his last name and aiming toward the center of the sun’s circle: “a phallic thrust received by a welcoming erogenous zone“.
In Morocco Harry and Caresse took a 13-year-old dancing girl named Zora to bed with them. His seductive abilities were legendary and he engaged in a series of ongoing affairs, maintaining relationships with a variety of beautiful and doting young women.
NOT this Zora (Hurston) found here
His wildness was in full flower during the drunken orgies of the annual Four Arts Balls. One year, Caresse showed up topless riding a baby elephant and wearing a turquoise wig. The motif for the ball that year was Inca, and Harry dressed for the occasion, covering himself in red ocher and wearing nothing but a loincloth and a necklace of dead pigeons.
pigeon ring necklaces found here
Embracing the open sexuality offered by Crosby and his wife, Henri Cartier-Bresson fell into an intense sexual relationship with Caresse that lasted until 1931. Meanwhile, in 1928 Harry found 20-year-old Josephine Rotch. Ten years his junior, they met while she was shopping in Venice for her wedding trousseau. She was dark and intense and had been known around Boston as fast: a ‘bad egg’ with sex appeal.
image by Cartier-Bresson found here
Josephine and Harry had an affair until the following June, when she married Albert Smith Bigelow. Briefly, their affair was over, but only until August, when Josephine contacted Crosby and they rekindled their love. But unlike Caresse, Josephine was quarrelsome and prone to fits of jealousy.
In December, the Crosbys returned to the United States. Harry and Josephine met and traveled to Detroit where they checked into the Book-Cadillac Hotel as Mr. and Mrs Harry Crane. For four days they took meals in their room, smoked opium, and had sex. On December 7, the lovers returned to New York. Crosby’s friend Hart Crane threw a party to bid Harry and Caresse bon voyage, as they were about to sail back to France. Josephine said she would return to her husband but instead stayed in New York, writing a poem to Harry, the last line of which read: Death is our marriage.
refurbished Book-Cadillac Hotel found here
On the evening of December 10, Harry was nowhere to be found. It was unlike him to worry Caresse needlessly so she called Stanley Mortimer, whose studio Harry had used for trysts. Mortimer forced open a locked door, behind which he found Harry and Josephine’s bodies. Harry was in bed with a .25 caliber bullet hole in his right temple next to Josephine, who had a matching hole in her left temple, in what appeared to be a suicide pact.
A picture of Zora, the 13-year-old girl he had sex with in Egypt, was reportedly found in his wallet. The coroner reported that Harry’s toenails were painted red, and that he had a Christian cross tattooed on the sole of one foot and a pagan icon representing the sun on the other. The coroner concluded that Josephine had died at least two hours before Harry. There was no suicide note, and newspapers ran sensational articles for days.
Harry’s poetry possibly gave the best clue to his motives. Death is “the hand that opens the door to our cage, the home we instinctively fly to.” Harry’s biographer Wolff wrote:
He meant to do it; it was no mistake; it was not a joke. If anything of Harry Crosby commands respect, perhaps even awe, it was the unswerving character of his intention. He killed himself not from weariness or despair, but from conviction, and however irrational or ignoble this conviction may have been, he held fast to it as to a principle. He killed himself on behalf of the idea of killing himself.
on April 12, 2012 at 8:22 am Comments (53)
Tags: bad egg, drugs, parties, pigeon, sex, wealth
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Aaron Russell
U.S. men’s volleyball extends medal streak with bronze in World Cup
By Beau DureOct 15, 2019, 2:40 PM EDT
With its medal-winning streak in jeopardy, the defending champion U.S. men’s volleyball team beat Egypt 22-25, 25-16, 25-14, 25-13 on Tuesday in Hiroshima, Japan. Poland beat Iran later in the day to slip past the U.S. for silver behind unbeaten Brazil.
The experienced U.S. men have claimed a medal in the last four major international tournaments — gold in the 2015 World Cup, bronze in the 2016 Olympics, bronze in the 2018 world championships and bronze in this year’s World Cup. The men also placed second in the 2019 Nations League and third in the first Nations League in 2018, though the team failed to medal in the last two editions of the World League in 2016 and 2017.
Most importantly for next year, the U.S. men swept their Olympic qualification tournament in August.
Micah Christenson was named best setter of the tournament, as he was in the 2015 tournament and in the 2018 world championships. Middle blocker Max Holt was also named to the tournament “Dream Team.”
VIDEO: U.S.-Egypt highlights
The U.S. team’s World Cup started with a five-set loss to Argentina, which went on to finish fifth. The U.S. rebounded to beat Italy, world champion Poland, host Japan, Tunisia and Iran before losing to eventual champion Brazil. Border rival Canada took the U.S. to five sets, but sweeps against Australia and Brazil put the team in position to clinch its medal.
Heading into next year’s Olympics, the U.S. team has several internationally accomplished players. In addition to Christenson’s multiple awards, Matt Anderson was named the best opposite hitter in the world championship and Nations League in 2018, and Aaron Russell was named to the Dream Team in the 2016 Olympics. Russell, playing for Italian team Trentino, also was named MVP of the World Club Championship in December.
The U.S. women’s team also won two medals this year — gold in the Nations League, silver in the World Cup — and swept its own qualification tournament.
This success comes despite the lack of a professional league in the United States. USA volleyball announced last week it has processed paperwork for 257 women and 82 men to play in foreign leagues for the 2019-20, with more players to follow.
The World Cup is contested every four years, the year before the Olympics. The world championship takes place in even non-Olympic years. Qualification for the World Cup is more difficult — only 12 teams reach the tournament, while 24 teams take part in the world championship.
Tags: Aaron Russell, Matt Anderson, Max Holt, Micah Christenson, olympics, Volleyball World Cup, Aaron Russell, Matt Anderson, Max Holt, Micah Christenson
WATCH LIVE: Final group day of volleyball features USA men in must win
Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
By Nicholas MendolaAug 15, 2016, 8:25 AM EDT
MORE: Volleyball
Jordan Thompson, U.S. volleyball’s new weapon, took unique route to NCAA history U.S. men’s volleyball extends medal streak with bronze in World Cup U.S. women’s volleyball team ends year with surprise loss to Dominican Republic
It’s win and move on, lose and go home — so to speak — for the United States men’s volleyball team when it faces Mexico on Monday in Rio.
The 2-2 men sit fifth in the table but are the only team yet to play winless Mexico, a side with just one set won to its credit so far.
With 2-2 Brazil playing 2-2 France, both sides the U.S. has beaten, a win would push the Americans into the Top Four (and the knockout rounds).
USA players Matt Anderson and Aaron Russell are tied for second in points this tournament, with Erik Shoji pacing the tourney with 2.0 digs per game.
WATCH LIVE:
Men’s volleyball — 9:30 a.m. EDT
USA vs. Mexico — 11:35 a.m. EDT
Tags: Aaron Russell, Erik Shoji, Matt Anderson, olympics, Rio 2016, Team USA, Volleyball, Aaron Russell, Erik Shoji, Matt Anderson
U.S. men’s volleyball extends medal streak with bronze in World Cup October 15, 2019 2:40 pm WATCH LIVE: Final group day of volleyball features USA men in must win August 15, 2016 8:25 am
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Oil-rich Saudis have plenty of bombs, bullets, too
Chad Groening, Billy Davis (OneNewsNow.com)
As war drums rumble in the Middle East, a a U.S.-born Israeli author says Saudi Arabia remains responsible for responding to the attack on its oil fields.
“The Saudis buy billions of dollars per year in weaponry from the United States,” David Rubin says of the famously oil-rich kingdom currently ruled by crown prince Mohammad bin Salman.
In fact, CBS News was reporting one year ago that Saudi Arabia had emerged as the “biggest customer” of U.S.-made weapons, especially bombs and missiles, during the first term of President Trump.
President Trump signed a $110 billion arms deal in 2017, the story noted, despite accusations the Saudi government killed Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi-born dissident-journalist who was allegedly killed, then dismembered, at the Saudi consulate in Turkey.
Citing a military budget of $76.7 billion, Forbes reported last year that Saudi Arabia’s military ranks fifth, behind Iran, among Middle East countries.
“So it seems to me,” Rubin tells OneNewsNow, “that if there is going to be a response -- I think there's going to have to be a response of some kind -- I think the Saudis have to be a big part of it, not just rely on the United States to do its bidding for it."
So what is the United States planning to do? President Trump stated over the weekend the U.S. is “locked and loaded” after the oil field attack, and days later Secretary of State Mike Pompeo flew to Saudi Arabia where he told reporters the attacks are an “act of war” perpetrated by Iran.
Iran has stated that the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, have claimed responsibility for the attacks but U.S. officials have called that claim “fraudulent” and say the attacks came directly from Iran.
“They may have claimed responsibility but we know that they're basically surrogates of Iran,” Rubins says of the rebels. “So I don't believe anything that Iran says this. It's clearly Iran behind it even if they didn't actually pull the trigger so to speak."
AFR News Jan 20 Afternoon Update
Confidence in Netanyahu as he scrambles to form gov't
An American-born Israeli author and former politician hopes that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu can form a government – and fast.
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Management of HIV-associated tuberculosis in resource-limited settings: a state-of-the-art review
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1741-7015-11-253
The HIV-associated tuberculosis (TB) epidemic remains a huge challenge to public health in resource-limited settings. Reducing the nearly 0.5 million deaths that result each year has been identified as a key priority. Major progress has been made over the past 10 years in defining appropriate strategies and policy guidelines for early diagnosis and effective case management. Ascertainment of cases has been improved through a twofold strategy of provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling in TB patients and intensified TB case finding among those living with HIV. Outcomes of rifampicin-based TB treatment are greatly enhanced by concurrent co-trimoxazole prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy (ART). ART reduces mortality across a spectrum of CD4 counts and randomized controlled trials have defined the optimum time to start ART. Good outcomes can be achieved when combining TB treatment with first-line ART, but use with second-line ART remains challenging due to pharmacokinetic drug interactions and cotoxicity. We review the frequency and spectrum of adverse drug reactions and immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) resulting from combined treatment, and highlight the challenges of managing HIV-associated drug-resistant TB.
Lawn, S. D., Meintjes, G., McIlleron, H., Harries, A. D., & Wood, R. (2013). Management of HIV-associated tuberculosis in resource-limited settings: a state-of-the-art review. BMC medicine, 11(1), 253.
Lawn, Stephen D
Meintjes, Graeme
McIlleron, Helen
Harries, Anthony D
Wood, Robin
12916_2013_Article_1119.pdf
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
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Oral Cancer News
Compiled by The Oral Cancer Foundation
OCF In The News
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Oral Cancer Foundation
New surgical approach can remove throat tumor and rebuild trachea
Source: www.news-medical.net
Author: staff
Using a novel surgical approach, it’s possible to rebuild the trachea and preserve a patient’s voice after removing an invasive throat tumor, according to a new report from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
This case study is the first of its kind to not only document a successful technique to create a fully functional trachea, or windpipe, but also report a rare type of malignant tumor in an adult’s trachea. Most commonly, this type of tumor is seen in newborns and very rarely occurs in the neck, says lead study author Samer Al-Khudari, M.D., with the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital.
“In this case, the patient’s tumor had spread to the trachea, thyroid gland, muscles around the thyroid gland and nerves in the area,” says Dr. Al-Khudari.
According to head and neck cancer surgeon Tamer A. Ghanem, M.D., Ph.D., who led the Henry Ford surgical team, the easiest approach would have been to remove the trachea and the voice box, given the tumor’s proximity to the larynx and other surrounding structures. With this method, however, the patient would no longer be able to speak or swallow normally.
Instead, the surgical team took another approach. Using tissue and bone from the patient’s arm, they were able to reconstruct the trachea, restoring airflow through the trachea and saving the patient’s voice.
“We had to think outside the box to not only safely remove the tumor, but to allow for optimum functional outcome,” says Dr. Ghanem, director of the Head and Neck Oncology & Microvascular Surgery Division at Henry Ford. “This is the first time such a large portion of a patient’s trachea has been removed and rebuilt in a way that allows it to be fully functional.”
This unique case will be presented Jan. 29 at the poster session for the Triological Society’s Combined Section Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz.
The case study is centered on a 27 year-old man who had a large mass blocking 90 percent of his airway, making it very difficult for him to breathe.
After a biopsy and other tests, Henry Ford doctors determined the mass was a malignant immature teratoma – a cancerous tumor that was quickly spreading throughout the areas of the patient’s trachea and surrounding structures.
Such tumors are extremely rare; since the first reported case in 1854, there have only been 300 other reported cases.
With the Henry Ford patient, surgeons first removed the tumor and about half of the patient’s airway, just below the voice box.
Using bone and skin from the patient’s arm and two titanium plates, surgeon’s reconstructed the airway, providing it with full coverage and allowing it to be fully functional.
Reconstruction of the trachea is challenging, due to the structural complexity and unique properties of the airway. The ideal reconstruction must not collapse during respiration and have some degree of mobility to allow for neck movement.
Currently the patient is using a tracheostomy tube – a tube that is inserted into an opening in the trachea to assist with breathing – but the surgeons do not expect it to be permanent. OCF The patient, however, is able to speak and swallow normally. He also underwent chemotherapy as part of his treatment.
Source: Henry Ford Health System
Oral Cancer Foundation News Team - A 2011-02-04T12:27:54+00:00 January, 2011|Oral Cancer News|
Stephen Strasburg attempts to quit smokeless tobacco
Source: www.washingtonpost.com
Author: Adam Kilgore
Like any other high school kid, Stephen Strasburg wanted to emulate the major league baseball players he watched on television. He mimicked their actions down to the last detail. He rolled his pants up to reveal high socks, wore wristbands at the plate and, during downtime, opened tins of chewing tobacco and pinched some in his lower lip.
Years later, having developed a powerful addiction, Strasburg regrets ever trying smokeless tobacco. Last fall, Tony Gwynn – his college coach at San Diego State and one of those players he grew up idolizing – began radiation treatments for parotid cancer, a diagnosis Gwynn blamed on using smokeless tobacco.
In the wake of Gwynn’s cancer diagnosis, Strasburg has resolved to quit smokeless tobacco while he recuperates from Tommy John surgery. He doesn’t want to face the myriad health risks borne from tobacco use, and he doesn’t want kids who want to be like him to see him with a packed lower lip. Strasburg conflates many activities with dipping, and he has yet to eradicate the habit. But he is determined he will.
“I’m still in the process of quitting,” Strasburg, 22, said. “I’ve made a lot of strides, stopped being so compulsive with it. I’m hoping I’m going to be clean for spring training. It’s going to be hard, because it’s something that’s embedded in the game.”
Smokeless tobacco has long been entrenched in baseball. In the 1980s, wads of it bulged in batters’ cheeks. More recently, tins of what players call “dip” form circular outlines on players’ back pockets. Managers, players and coaches use it occupy time during the lulls of a game and to feel the rush of nicotine it provides, a momentary buzz of energy that many come to believe – erroneously – benefits their performance.
The habit carries a steep risk. Smokeless tobacco can lead to several forms of mouth cancer that require a series of disfiguring surgeries; many patients have their entire jaw removed. The juices swallowed contain heavy metals and can lead to esophageal and pancreatic cancer, two of the direst cancers to treat. White, precancerous lesions appear on the lips. Gums recede. Teeth become discolored and loosen.
“It’s nasty stuff,” said Gregory Connolly, a Harvard professor who has lectured major league players and testified before Congress on the ills of smokeless tobacco. “There’s no other way to look at it.”
For two decades, there has been a fight to educate players on the danger and eradicate smokeless tobacco from baseball, both for the health of players and for the health of children who watch and idolize them. Several congressional hearings, including one last April, have addressed the issue. Major League Baseball has urged players to not use it when on camera. Since 1993, all tobacco products have been banned in the minor leagues on fields, in clubhouses and during team travel. It’s also banned in college and in every significant amateur association.
And yet, experts say, the usage among major league players has remained steady. Roughly 33 percent of major league players, Connolly said, use some form of smokeless tobacco, a rate that has remained stagnant. More dispiriting, its use has risen among young males. The only significant increase of any tobacco product over the last five years, according to Connolly and other advocates, has been the use of smokeless among youths. It has increased to 25 percent, compared with 16 percent of the general population.
“It hasn’t changed that much,” says Joe Garagiola, his voice dripping with a frustration bordering on depression. Garagiola, a former player and major league executive, chewed himself as a player in the ’40s, believing, as so many players still do, that chewing tobacco is a rite of passage. He quit after his daughter asked if he was going to die. Later in life, he watched his friend Bill Tuttle, a former major leaguer, lose his jaw and then succumb to cancer caused by spit tobacco.
For two decades, Garagiola campaigned against smokeless tobacco in baseball. He gave speeches during spring training. He testified before Congress. At his home in Arizona, he keeps a box full of newspaper stories, fact sheets and advertisements for smokeless tobacco.
He still pleads with players to not put tins in their back pocket, a possible example for kids. The dearth of progress is difficult for him to bear.
“I’m to the point where you’re ready to put up the flag and say, ‘You win,’ ” Garagiola said. “The frustration is so deep. There’s nothing I can do about it. It hurts me. It really does. If baseball would just simply say we are banning tobacco from the field – but no. It’s a collective bargaining piece.”
Ban would mean bargain
Tobacco has not been banned in the majors, Garagiola and other experts say, because MLB and the players’ union view smokeless tobacco as a collective bargaining issue rather than a health issue. The players’ association will not yield to a ban without a concession, and the league has been unwilling to cede anything to implement a ban.
The next round of collective bargaining will take place this year, before the current Basic Agreement expires Dec. 11. Some momentum for a ban has gathered. During a House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) called for baseball to ban all tobacco at the park. “Millions of young fans are exposed on a daily basis to the use of smokeless tobacco by their heroes,” Waxman said during the hearing.
In November, 10 anti-tobacco organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, sent a letter to Commissioner Bud Selig and MLB Players Association head Michael Weiner urging a ban. “There is an unmistakable urgency for the players and team management to address this issue now,” the letter read.
“As a matter of policy, we don’t speak publicly about what we’re going to propose at the negotiating table,” MLB Executive Vice President Rob Manfred said. “What I will tell you is that smokeless tobacco remains a significant concern to Major League Baseball. Generally, our minor league policy reflects where we’re we’d like to be.”
“Despite its long-standing use throughout the history of the game, the union discourages the use of smokeless tobacco and has worked with the Commissioner’s Office to help make players aware of the health risks associated with these products,” Weiner said in a statement. “We have discussed this issue with players in anticipation of our upcoming collective bargaining negotiations.”
Weiner declined to address follow-up questions through a spokesman, not wanting to elaborate on a bargaining position.
Connolly drew a parallel between steroid testing and banning tobacco. Immense public scorn eventually pressured the players’ association into accepting tests for performance-enhancing drugs. Smokeless tobacco, meanwhile, has been left largely unregulated at the major league level. Connolly recalls reading a cover of Sports Illustrated decrying the use of steroids in baseball. On the back cover was an advertisement for a smokeless tobacco company.
“I looked at it and said, ‘This is insane,’ ” Connolly said. “If you’re looking at drugs, what is the most-abused drug by major league baseball players? It’s smokeless tobacco. There’s no question. What has the potential to do more harm to American kids in terms of addiction? It’s smokeless tobacco. It’s not steroids.”
Quitting has side effects
Smokeless tobacco use in baseball persists, in part, because of its powerful addictive quality. The rush or buzz players feel, studies have shown, is not actually a burst of energy, but rather a means to ease withdrawal symptoms.
Spit tobacco uses a different delivery system than cigarettes. Its high concentration of nicotine reaches the brain through mucous membranes in the mouth. In level of addiction, smokeless tobacco is more similar to cocaine than cigarettes, experts say.
And so quitting leads to a battery of side effects – sleep disruption, upset stomach, depression, headaches, lack of concentration. It is nearly impossible to play baseball under such conditions, which makes quitting during the season untenable and strengthens tobacco’s grip on players. Using may not help performance, but quitting certainly hurts.
“When they use again, they feel better and their performance is better,” said Thomas Glynn, an expert with the American Cancer Society. “But it’s not the smokeless that is helping. It’s the absence of withdrawal symptoms.”
Strasburg, then, has chosen the right time to quit. He will not have to worry about his performance for the Washington Nationals until the very end of 2011 at the earliest, and more likely until 2012. “He’s in a good position right now,” Glynn said. “If he can use this time to quit, it’s a good opportunity for him – and for any people who admire him.”
Strasburg has decided to quit as much for himself as for the countless kids who have watched him become one of baseball’s most recognizable players.
“I was one of those kids that picked it up based on seeing ballplayers do it,” Strasburg said. “It’s not a good thing, and I don’t want to represent myself like that. That’s one of the big reasons. Another reason is, when I do have kids, I don’t want my kids to be like that, too.”
Strasburg stressed that his decision to quit is an individual choice. He wants to set a good example for children who watch baseball, not necessarily set a directive for teammates.
“I’m not going to sit here and be the spokesperson for quitting dipping,” Strasburg said. “I’m doing it for myself. I’m not saying anything about anybody else – it’s their personal choice. For me, it’s the best decision.”
Lightning rod for head and neck cancer
Source: www.physorg.com
They say lightning never strikes the same place twice—unless, of course, that place is a lightning rod. An enzyme called UROD acts like a lightning rod for cancer cells, drawing radiation and chemotherapy toward specific spots in diseased tissue, a new study in mice and humans reports in Science.
The findings suggest that UROD—identified for the first time in this paper as a key player in human cancer–could help decrease treatment side effects for people with head and neck cancer, the eighth most common cancer worldwide. Despite many advances over the last few decades, the toxic side effects associated with current therapies have made for disappointing outcomes in many patients. Head and neck tumors are often found near critical organs, so destroying the diseased tissue is often a delicate challenge that could lead to life-threatening conditions.
Here, Emma Ito and colleagues show that targeting UROD can selectively enhance the effects of radiation and chemotherapy in head and neck tumors, while minimizing toxicity to normal tissues. By focusing therapy toward specific parts of tissue, lower doses of radiation and chemotherapeutic drugs could potentially be administered to patients without compromising treatment efficacy. Uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase or UROD is an enzyme involved in the production of a molecule called heme, which is vital for all of the body’s organs (though it is most abundant in the blood, bone marrow, and liver).
Heme is an essential component of iron-containing proteins called hemoproteins, including hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood.The authors discovered by high-throughput RNA interference screening that UROD is a potent tumor-selective sensitizer for both radiation and chemotherapy. In mice, blocking expression of the UROD gene increased cancer cell death. Analyses of head and neck cancer tissue samples revealed that UROD levels were significantly higher in tumors than in normal tissues.
Moreover, the researchers determined that improved clinical outcome was linked to lower UROD levels in patients, suggesting that UROD could potentially be used to predict patients’ response to radiation. The authors hope that UROD inhibitors could one day be used in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy to minimize side effects.
Source: “Uroporphyrinogen Decarboxylase Is a Radiosensitizing Target for Head and Neck Cancer,” by E. Ito et al., Science, January 2011.
Lean body mass gain in patients with head and neck squamous cell cancer treated perioperatively with a protein- and energy-dense nutritional supplement containing eicosapentaenoic acid
Source: highwire.stanford.edu
Author: HG Weed et al.
Cancer-associated weight loss may be mediated by an inflammatory response to cancer. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may suppress this response.
Beginning no later than 2 weeks before surgery, patients with head and neck cancer and with weight loss, who were undergoing major resection with curative intent consumed a protein- and energy-dense nutritional supplement containing EPA from fish oil, in addition to usual diet or tube feed.
Thirty-one subjects consumed an average of 1.8 containers/day before surgery and 1.5/day during hospitalization (per container: 300 kilocalories, 16 grams (g) protein, 1.08 g EPA). Seventy percent of subjects maintained or gained weight before hospital admission. Mean weight gain was 0.71 kg at admission and 0.66 kg at discharge. At discharge lean body mass increased by 3.20 kg (p < .001) and fat decreased by 3.19 kg (p < .001). Conclusions: An EPA-containing protein- and energy-dense nutritional supplement may help increase perioperative lean body mass in patients with head and neck cancer-related weight loss. Authors: HG Weed, ML Ferguson, RL Gaff, DS Hustead, JL Nelson, and AC Voss Authors' affiliation: The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Internal Medicine Morehouse, Columbus, Ohio Source: Head Neck, October 21, 2010
Reducing xerostomia through advanced technology
Source: The Lancet Oncology
Radiation-related xerostomia has been the most significant and disabling side-effect of radiotherapy for head and neck cancer for more than 50 years. With the PARSPORT trial, reported in The Lancet Oncology, the largest and best designed of several randomised trials focusing on xerostomia, radiation oncologists and their partners in physics and dosimetry should take pride that significant progress has been made. Before the introduction of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), more than 80% of survivors experienced substantial dry mouth syndrome and associated effects on dental health, swallowing, taste, and quality of life. By contrast, Nutting and colleagues report about 25% of 2-year survivors had significant clinician-rated xerostomia. Taken together with two randomised trials of IMRT for nasopharyngeal cancer, there is now compelling evidence of the power of advanced technology in reducing toxicity from head and neck radiotherapy.
Can even better use of technology help us to further reduce xerostomia? The parotid glands provide watery saliva during eating, which is largely replaceable by consuming more water or lubricants. The submandibular, sublingual, and minor salivary glands provide mucinous saliva, associated with the resting sense of moisture and dry mouth symptoms. Future work should systematically explore the prioritisation of different components of the salivary gland system. A clinical benefit from sparing the submandibular glands may be seen, beyond that seen by sparing the parotid glands. The mean dose delivered to the minor salivary glands within the oral cavity has also been reported to be a significant factor in patient-reported xerostomia. Further possibilities include gland repair or regenerative strategies with stem cells, acupuncture, or acupuncture-like stimulation. The promise of intensity-modulated protons provides even more optimism for reducing xerostomia and other acute and late effects.
Another important aspect of PARSPORT is the evolution of quantitative methods to assess xerostomia—eg, pre and post stimulation salivary flow, quality of life, clinical grading, and diet tolerance scales. While there is no agreement on which is the gold standard, we should use multiple measures which reflect different aspects and perspectives (patient clinician) on the issue. One must recognise an inherent weakness in technology-based xerostomia trials: neither patients nor clinicians are blinded. However, for those practicing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, and for our patients, the improved outcomes are empirically obvious every day. Xerostomia is now an uncommon first complaint among survivors more than 3 months from treatment. This concern has been replaced by the next most bothersome issues: swallowing, taste, and fatigue. Reduction in the burden of treatment-related side-effects is especially important given the increasing number of patients presenting with oropharyngeal cancer (85% of patients in PARSPORT had disease at this site), related to the surge in cases of HPV infection. Considering the excellent prognosis of patients with oropharyngeal cancer with no or minimal smoking history (>80% 3-year survival), the potential for striking reductions in duration and magnitude of symptom burden is clear. Several ongoing studies are examining strategies to reduce treatment intensity for these patients, including radiation dose reduction, and substitution of cytotoxic drugs with targeted agents (eg, the recently approved RTOG-1016 for HPV-positive cancers).
Lastly, a recent report suggests that surgical relocation of a submandibular gland might be an effective way to reduce the sense of dry mouth at rest. This intervention can be applied anywhere surgeons are trained for this procedure, in collaboration with two-dimensional radiotherapy, and demands further investigation. Some of us may under-appreciate that IMRT technology is available to less than 10% of the global population. Salivary gland transfer thus may have a more immediate and long-term effect on the global burden of radiation-related xerostomia than all the beam modulation done for many decades.
Detection of squamous cell carcinoma and corresponding biomarkers using optical spectroscopy
Source: oto.sagepub.com
Author: H. Wolfgang Beumer, MD et al.
Investigate the use of optical reflectance spectroscopy to differentiate malignant and nonmalignant tissues in head and neck lesions and characterize corresponding oxygen tissue biomarkers that are associated with pathologic diagnosis.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Tertiary Veterans Administration Medical Center.
Subjects and Methods:
All patients undergoing panendoscopy with biopsy for suspected head and neck cancer were eligible. Prior to taking tissue samples, the optical probe was placed at 3 locations to collect diffuse reflectance data. These locations were labeled “tumor,” “immediately adjacent,” and “distant normal tissue.” Biopsies were taken of each of these respective sites. The diffuse reflectance spectra were analyzed, and biomarker-specific absorption data were extracted using an inverse Monte Carlo algorithm for malignant and nonmalignant tissues. Histopathological analysis was performed and used as the gold standard to analyze the optical biomarker data.
Twenty-one patients with mucosal squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were identified and selected to participate in the study. Statistically significant differences in oxygen saturation (P = .001) and oxygenated hemoglobin (P = .019) were identified between malignant and nonmalignant tissues.
This study established proof of principle that optical spectroscopy can be used in the head and neck areas to detect malignant tissue. Furthermore, tissue biomarkers were correlated with a diagnosis of malignancy.
1. H. Wolfgang Beumer, MD1
2. Karthik Vishwanath, PhD2
3. Liana Puscas, MD1,3
4. Hamid R. Afshari, DDS5
5. Nimmi Ramanujam, PhD2
6. Walter T. Lee, MD1,3
Authors’ affiliations:
1. Division of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
2. Duke University, Biomedical Engineering Department, Durham, NC, USA
3. Section of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
4. Dental Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
5. School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, USA
1. This article was presented at the 2010 AAO–HNSF Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO; September 26-29, 2010; Boston, Massachusetts
Oncologists must discuss all options in advanced cancer: ASCO policy
Source: MedScape.com
By: Zosia Chustecka
January 28, 2011 — A new policy statement from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) aims to improve communication with, and decision making for, patients with advanced cancer (defined as incurable disease).
It calls for a change in paradigm for advanced cancer care and a new approach in which all available treatment options are discussed from the very beginning.
The statement was published online on January 24 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
“While improving survival is the oncologist’s primary goal, helping individuals live their final days in comfort and dignity is one of the most important responsibilities of our profession,” ASCO president George Sledge, MD, said in a statement.
“Oncologists must lead the way in discussing the full range of curative and palliative therapies to ensure that patients’ choices are honored,” he said.
New Paradigm of Care
This new approach “requires stepping back from the paradigm of applying one line of therapy after the other and focusing primarily on disease-directed interventions,” say the authors, comprised of a panel of oncologists and specialists in palliative care.
“Instead, we need to move toward developing a treatment plan that is consistent with evidence-based options (including disease-directed and palliative care), and the patients’ informed preferences for how we pursue and balance these options throughout the course of illness,” they add.
Conversations about all of the options that are available must be started earlier, and they must be more thorough, the panel insists.
“These conversations should be going on throughout the course of the patient’s illness,” lead author Jeffrey Peppercorn, MD, PhD, medical oncologist at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, said in an interview.
A lot of the press coverage about this new initiative has focused on end-of-life care; this is a mistake, he said. “That is involved, of course, but the main point is to begin these conversations early on, when the patient is first diagnosed, and then continue the dialogue at regular intervals throughout the illness.”
“We know that patients with advanced cancer have many different treatment options, and often the focus is — appropriately — on disease-directed therapy and what will work best to treat the cancer,” explained Dr. Peppercorn.
“But we need to remember the patients’ symptoms and their preferences, and strike the right balance between disease-directed and supportive therapy,” he continued. The early involvement of palliative care might not only improve symptoms and quality of life but, at least in one study, it also improved survival, he pointed out.
“We must remember to treat the patient and not just the cancer,” he added.
Candid Conversations
The policy statement outlines step-by-step recommendations to ensure that physicians initiate candid discussions about the full range of palliative care and treatment options soon after a patient’s diagnosis. ASCO will follow this up with a clinical guidance document later in the year, and there will be several educational sessions on this topic at the annual meeting.
As a complement to this initiative, ASCO has released a guide for patients with advanced cancer to help them broach difficult conversations about their prognosis, treatment, and palliative care options with their physicians.
“Candid conversations are key,” Dr. Peppercorn and colleagues write. “Physicians should initiate candid discussion about prognosis with their patients soon after an advanced cancer diagnosis.”
However, recent studies suggest that such conversations currently occur in less than 40% of cases.
The authors acknowledge that these conversations are inherently difficult and uncomfortable, but point out that delaying them will only heighten the problem.
“We know that these conversations are difficult, but without them, patients may end up receiving disease-directed care even when there is no realistic chance of benefit, sometimes right up to the last few days of life,” Dr. Peppercorn told Medscape Medical News.
Stopping Anticancer Therapy
Some of the statements in the document appear to be giving permission for both doctors and patients to stop specific anticancer therapy.
“As a guiding principle, anticancer therapy should be considered only when it has a reasonable chance of working and providing meaningful clinical benefit,” according to the document. “Oncologists should feel no obligation to provide an intervention that clinical evidence and the clinician’s best judgment suggest will provide no meaningful benefit to the patient and may cause harm.”
“That is definitely part of it,” explained Dr. Peppercorn. “For both doctors and patients, it’s very hard to step back from the focus on disease-directed therapy . . . . We hope that this new initiative will give permission, and also courage, to both sides to have these very difficult conversations, and will highlight the benefits of having these conversations.”
“Instead of viewing the whole process as fighting, fighting, fighting, and then giving up,” he said, “having these conversations as an ongoing dialogue may lead to better outcomes for the patients. In some instances, stopping cancer therapy may be in the patient’s best interest; they may have a better quality of life for the time they have remaining.”
This can be difficult for oncologists, with their focus on treating cancer, because stopping that treatment can be perceived as a failure. “We want to emphasize the notion that we can continue aggressive treatment of the patient, and instead of focusing on the cancer, we can focus on symptoms through palliative care,” he explained.
“There is no one correct way of doing this, or one best approach that is appropriate for all patients,” Dr. Peppercorn said. This policy document outlines steps that can be followed, but each patient will need an individualized approach, depending on the individual circumstances.
More Time Involved
One of the barriers to implementing this vision of individualized care for patients with advanced cancer is the time involved.
“Engaging in discussions of prognosis, options, and the patients’ goals and preferences requires substantially more time than is commonly allotted for the standard follow-up visit,” the authors write.
“In addition, the current reimbursement system strongly favors intervention over prolonged discussion,” they point out. “There is a misalignment of incentives in the current healthcare system that inadvertently encourages administration of cancer-directed treatment at the end of life, rather than the time-consuming, emotionally challenging discussions that emphasize candor, comfort, family, and quality of life.”
“Efforts to compensate oncologists and others for delivering this important aspect of cancer care were unfortunately politicized in the recent healthcare reform debates,” the authors note. However, these efforts had at their core a critical patient-centered societal interest, and they should be revisited, they urge.
Cytotoxicity of thymus vulgaris essential oil towards human oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma
Souce:International Journal of Cancer Research and Treatment
Serkan Sertel, Tolga Eichhorn, Peter K. Plinkert and Thomas Efferth
Background: Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) accounts for 2% to 3% of all malignancies and has a high mortality rate. The majority of anticancer drugs are of natural origin. However, it is unknown whether the medicinal plant Thymus vulgaris L. (thyme) is cytotoxic towards head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Materials and Methods: Cytotoxicity of thyme essential oil was investigated on the HNSCC cell line, UMSCC1. The IC50 of thyme essential oil extract was 369 μg/ml. Moreover, we performed pharmacogenomics analyses. Results: Genes involved in the cell cycle, cell death and cancer were involved in the cytotoxic activity of thyme essential oil at the transcriptional level. The three most significantly regulated pathways by thyme essential oil were interferon signaling, N-glycan biosynthesis and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 5 (ERK5) signaling. Conclusion: Thyme essential oil inhibits human HNSCC cell growth. Based on pharmacogenomic approaches, novel insights into the molecular mode of anticancer activity of thyme are presented.
Diagnostic chip may help hearts, cut costs
Souce: HealthCanal.com
By: Mike Williams
Rice University technology in human trials to spot cardiac disease, cancer, drug abuse
Heart disease is a silent killer, but new microchip technology from Rice University is expected to advance the art of diagnosis.
During National Heart Health Month, Rice Professor John McDevitt will discuss the potential of this technology to detect cardiac disease early at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Washington, D.C., Feb. 17-21. Cardiac disease is the focus of one of six ongoing major clinical trials of Rice’s programmable bio-nano-chips (PBNCs).
PBNCs combine microfluidics, nanotechnology, advanced optics and electronics to enable quick, painless diagnostic tests for a wide range of diseases at minimal cost.
Current clinical trials employ PBNCs to test more than 4,000 patients for signs of heart disease, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, oral cancer and drug abuse. Versions to test for HIV/AIDS and other diseases are also in development.
“Too often, the first time people know they’re suffering from heart disease is when it kills them,” said McDevitt, Rice’s Brown-Wiess Professor of Chemistry and Bioengineering, who will participate in a global health seminar at AAAS.
“With this test, we expect to save lives and dramatically cut the recovery time and cost of caring for those who suffer from heart ailments,” said McDevitt, a pioneer in the creation of microfluidic devices for biomedical testing. He anticipates the PBNCs, when manufactured in bulk, will cost only a few dollars each.
PBNCs analyze a patient’s saliva for biomarkers associated with cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately, McDevitt said, only about half of the patients having a heart attack are diagnosed immediately via electrocardiogram. The rest require a series of time-consuming laboratory tests that take up to 12 hours to complete. PBNCs now in development deliver results in as little as 20 minutes and provide clinicians with timely information that can help them manage patients more effectively.
“A critical thing to recognize in a heart attack is that if we’re able to open the blocked vessel within an hour, we’ve salvaged a heart muscle,” said Biykem Bozkurt, the Mary and Gordon Cain Chair and Professor of Medicine and director of the Winters Center for Heart Failure Research at Baylor College of Medicine (BCM). “Thus, the patient’s chance of survival is significantly improved.”
Bozkurt and Christie Ballantyne, chief of atherosclerosis and vascular medicine and professor of medicine at BCM and director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at the Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center, are leading the trial at Houston’s Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, one of four sites hosting the cardiac trial that will recruit 1,000 patients.
McDevitt noted that of 5 million visits to American emergency rooms each year for chest pain, approximately 80 percent are false alarms.
“We have patients clogging the ER system and delaying the recognition of true heart attack cases because we can’t, in an expeditious manner, rule out false alarms that could have been diagnosed in the ambulance or the home setting,” said Bozkurt, who also serves as cardiology section chief at the VA.
The potential cost savings for even a single patient are tremendous, said Vivian Ho, the James A. Baker III Institute Chair in Health Economics and a professor of economics at Rice.
“Treating patients in the emergency room is one of the highest costs we have in the health care system,” Ho said, “particularly for heart attacks, because heart disease is the leading killer of Americans and it accounts for a large proportion of our health care costs.
“If we can identify these patients quickly so we can avoid aggressive diagnostic tests further on down the road — for example, cardiac catheterizations and procedures that cost tens of thousands of dollars — by instead using a relatively low-cost diagnostic chip, that’s a tremendous opportunity to provide better care and lower costs,” she said.
McDevitt expects PBNCs and their toaster-sized reader will ultimately find a place at many points of care — hospitals, doctors’ or dentists’ offices, pharmacies and remote clinics worldwide — where they will allow clinicians to quickly diagnose a variety of ailments.
He anticipates Rice’s BioScience Research Collaborative, part of the Texas Medical Center, to be the hub of a pipeline in which chips will be programmed to spot biomarkers for many important diseases.
“PNBC technology marries medical devices and microelectronics,” McDevitt said, “and it has the potential to revolutionize the flow of information in the practice of medicine while significantly reducing cost. I like to think of it as the iPhone of medicine, with the same potential to be a game changer. And it’s just around the corner.”
Martin Duffy, 70; Marathon fixture went extra mile
Source: Boston.com
By: Bryan Marquard
The morning he died, during what turned out to be his last hour or so of life, Martin Duffy got up and ran through his daily regimen of stretching, push-ups, and sit-ups. Several months before, cancer had kept him from adding to his extraordinary streak of 40 consecutive Boston Marathons, but he was used to forging ahead when his body said stop.
Take one particular Marathon, probably his 26th. Afterward, he learned he had competed with a broken foot. Realizing at the 2-mile mark that something was amiss, “I divided that race into sections of 6 miles, with each segment a challenge to get through,’’ he told the Globe in 2000. “And somehow I did.’’
In 2009, Mr. Duffy’s string of consecutive completed Boston Marathons was recorded as the third-longest in history when he ran his 40th and final race a few months after being diagnosed with tongue cancer induced by the human papilloma virus. He was 70 when he died Nov. 29 in his Belmont home.
Runners often sought advice from Mr. Duffy, given his experience, and he didn’t stop at simply offering tips on how and where to train. An economist who advised businesses and helped them develop strategies, he was still in touch with friends and clients in his final days.
“He went in to work the week before he passed away,’’ said his wife, Rusty Stieff. And that was after treatment had left Mr. Duffy no longer able to speak. Instead, he carried an index card with bold lettering that said:
Please Excuse Me For Not Speaking. I have throat Cancer And have lost my Voice. Rejoice in your own!
Mr. Duffy never stopped rejoicing in life and in helping others, bidden or unbidden.
“His nickname was Father Martin, and believe me, he wasn’t a priest, but Martin sincerely believed that he could help you with all your problems,’’ said his longtime friend Jim Johnston of the Chestnut Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia, adding with a laugh: “Sometimes he defined problems you didn’t think you had. He stubbornly had answers, and frequently he was right.’’
Martin E. Duffy was born at home in Fall River, where he was the youngest of five siblings and liked to say that he started running as a child, to and from stores when he was sent on errands. He was captain of the track team at Durfee High School and set aside running at Tufts University, which he attended on an academic scholarship. He graduated in 1963 with a bachelor of arts in history and a bachelor of science in electrical engineering.
“He was such a renaissance man,’’ his wife said. “I mean, who majors in engineering and history?’’
Mr. Duffy served in the US Navy as a lieutenant with a Seabee battalion with the Civil Engineer Corps, then went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, graduating in 1967 with a master’s in business administration.
He continued his graduate studies at the university in applied and general economics, finishing everything but his dissertation while serving as an assistant dean and as associate director of the Fels Institute of Government. In recent years, Mr. Duffy was on the adjunct faculty at Emmanuel College and Suffolk University, teaching management and economics.
Returning to the Boston area in 1973, Mr. Duffy was director of financial analysis at Harvard University and assistant to the financial vice president, jumping two years later to McGraw-Hill, where he was a vice president and chief consumer economist. In 1986, he founded the Perseus Group, an economic research and consulting firm for which he specialized in forensic analysis.
His first marriage, to Irene Maxx Duffy of Monrovia, Calif., ended in divorce.
Katie Daley Duffy of Winchester, Mr. Duffy’s daughter from his first marriage, wrote about her father’s running for the Globe in 1997, just before his 28th Boston Marathon.
“For the last few years, my father has claimed at the end of the race that this is his last Boston,’’ she wrote, “but at 56, he still hits his feet to pavement and finds that place within himself where the running literally becomes the rhythm of balance in his life.’’
In 1988, Mr. Duffy married Stieff, whom he had helped train to qualify for the first women’s Olympic marathon trials in 1984. Their daughter, Brianna of Belmont, is also a runner.
For many years, Mr. Duffy coached girls’ soccer and was known for inspirational e-mail that he sent to players and their parents. He also was for many years a Town Meeting member in Belmont.
“He really was an exceptional guy,’’ Johnston said. “In many ways, he was better than the rest of us.’’
A service has been held for Mr. Duffy, who in addition to his wife, two daughters, and former wife, leaves two sisters, Janice Kirkman of Swansea and Anne Kenney of Hancock, N.H.; two brothers, Arthur of Stonington, Conn., and Tom of Rocky Point, N.Y.; and two grandchildren.
“He wasn’t afraid of death, but he loved life so much,’’ Stieff said. “He embraced it and exalted in it. Even as his cancer grew, he found new ways of engaging in life.’’
The uphills and downhills that the decades bring, Mr. Duffy said, are reflected in the 26.2 miles runners travel from Hopkinton to Copley Square.
“Life is a little like the Boston Marathon,’’ he told M. Nicole Nazzaro for Runner’s World magazine. “It is an allegory from bucolic Hopkinton through Natick, Wellesley, and Newton to the City on the Hill, Boston. And in the beginning, you get lulled by its ease. From Hopkinton Green, the course opens downhill. It starts easy — maybe way too easy. And so you overdo and thrill in the fast miles. The hills and the challenges are down the road and way in the future [‘and I’ll even feel better then!’].’’
As with life’s twists and turns, he added, the Marathon course can at times be misleading.
“After that last long downhill in Wellesley, the course starts uphill at Mile 16, crossing over Route 128. You thought you paced yourself conservatively, but now you find out. And then even as the crest of Heartbreak falls behind you at Mile 21, you discover another test, the downhills past Boston College that tear up your quads. You look at the CITGO sign on Boylston Street, but it just seems to stay in the same place until finally the last mile opens up to you.’’
alcohol cancer CDC Cervarix cervical cancer cetuximab chemotherapy chewing tobacco cigarettes cisplatin DNA drinking early detection FDA Food and Drug Administration Gardasil head and neck cancer HPV HPV-16 human papilloma virus human papillomavirus immunotherapy lung cancer mouth cancer National Cancer Institute nicotine oral cancer oral cancer foundation oral sex oropharyngeal cancer radiation radiation therapy radiotherapy smokeless tobacco smoking snus squamous cell carcinoma surgery survival The Oral Cancer Foundation throat cancer tobacco vaccination vaccine xerostomia
Survivor / Patient forum
The Oral Cancer Foundation
3419 Via Lido #205
Newport Beach Ca 92633
Web: OCF Homepage
© 2019 The Oral Cancer Foundation. All rights reserved. The Oral Cancer Foundation is a registered IRS 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity and tax-exempt organization.
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You are here: Home / Photography Related Services / Art Galleries
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Arnaud Adida, founder of the Acte 2 gallery, has decided to create a new space dedicated to photography and contemporary art named “A.galerie”. Located in the 16th arrondissement, close to Pont de l’Alma, between the Palais de Tokyo and the Fondation Yves Saint-Laurent, A.galerie will mainly display photographs and occasionally contemporary art.
A. Galerie
With flagship galleries in Los Angeles and Miami and permanent art curations in Nobu Hotel Miami Beach, Eden Roc Hotel Miami Beach and Catch Restaurant Los Angeles, Art Angels was founded in 2013 by Jacquelin Napal and Kat Emery. Art Angels’ contemporary and provocative style has attracted collectors from around the world. Exhibiting a selection of both established and emerging artists, Art Angels offer a truly eclectic mix for their clientele with an ever growing number of innovative artists joining the Art Angels family. The rapidly successful gallery has become the go-to destination for artists and collectors alike, who want to be a part of something visionary and unique. Attracting a wealth of high profile businesses and individuals as clients, Art Angels offers the VIP experience whilst maintaining the down to earth, approachable vibe it built itself on. Reflecting on their success, the Angels note; Art Angels was built out of a shared love for art and the belief that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy and acquire art in an environment that is both welcoming and inspiring.
Los Angeles, CA, - Miami, FL, United States
CAMERA WORK GmbH, based in Berlin/Germany, ranks among the world’s leading companies for photographic art. The gallery of the same name was opened in Berlin in 1997. More than 150 solo exhibitions and 70 leading artists have been presented so far. CAMERA WORK is acting worldwide on the global art market and works with the world’s most important public, corporate, and private art collections. In addition to renown and prominent art collectors, CAMERA WORK also supervises private clients and collectors who are about to start a collection. Based on our philosophy, our main elements are absolute discretion, reliability, transparence, and an aspiration for the best quality in connection with an exclusive, outstanding customer service.
Christophe Guye Galerie is a contemporary art gallery, representing national and international artists who consider the medium of photography within the larger context of current art practices. First and foremost conceptual artists who choose to express their vision through the use of a camera or light sensitive materials, the works of these emerging talents, as well as mid-career and established artists, notably contribute to the historical discourse of art, as well as to the expanding medium of photography and to the evolution of contemporary art at large. Founded by Christophe Guye in 2006 – former SCALO|GUYE Gallery – in Los Angeles, the gallery moved to its current location in Zurich/ Switzerland in 2010. With five to seven shows per year, the programme varies between solo and group exhibitions that include works by gallery as well as guest artists and are occasionally organised by invited curators. In addition, the gallery embraces the long-term counselling of collections and the fostering of new collectors, as well as the curating and organising of exhibitions in collaboration with institutions, museums, and partner galleries. The gallery participates in Paris Photo, Photo London and Unseen Amsterdam. Moreover, the gallery offers limited edition art books from independent publishing […]
Christophe Guye
The Fahey Klein Gallery is devoted to the enhancement of the public’s appreciation of the medium of photography through the exhibition and sale of 20th Century and Contemporary Fine Art Photography. Since the gallerys inception, our exhibition program has embraced a broad range of diverse photographers from Edward Weston to Berenice Abbott; Man Ray to Henri Cartier-Bresson; Irving Penn to Melvin Sokolsky; Horst P. Horst to Herb Ritts; Peter Beard to James Nachtwey, among many others. The Fahey/Klein Gallery is a leader in the field of Photography and is respected among collectors and colleagues. This position of leadership is a result of our dedication to the medium of photography, experience, and knowledge, which, over the many years, has been enhanced by the wide range of services the gallery offers. The gallery staff has extensive experience in curating private and corporate collections, as well as selling and placing large private collections. Additionally, the gallery has an active program of offering secondary market works and consigned photographs to its broad collector base.
Fahey Klein Gallery
ONGallery is an international destination for vintage and contemporary photographic and fine art prints. We, curate exclusive imagery for your home, office, hotel, restaurant, yacht, in short – your walls. Since our launch in October 2015, ONGallery has been recognised by international press for its purposeful collections, fine art imagery and exceptional artists. Our ONGallery team negotiates agreements with new artists, estates and archives to bring you exceptional artworks at a range of prices. We present these works in themes and collections for you to browse and select. Once you’ve chosen the pieces that you want for your walls, our order process is simple and efficient, with delivery to your home within 15 days. And you have the comfort of our 15 days no quibble returns policy. We know that sometimes it is difficult to decide what you’d like for your space, whether it’s your first art purchase or you’re a seasoned collector. So if you’d like a little help in choosing the right pieces, you can call upon one of our personal curators to advise you; completely free of charge. We’ll make sure you buy something you’ll love.
ONGallery
Situated since 2012 in the vicinity of Cannes in a brand new and uncluttered 500 m2 space, OPIOM Gallery brings to our scrutiny a curated selection of artists articulated through two mediums only: Photography and Sculpture. Arisen out of a genuine passion for art, it is the desire to represent and promote artists with whom he shares a sincere and personal connection that drew Michaël Zingraf to launch this new venture. The gallery’s program oscillates between emerging and established artists, all of whom demonstrate a willingness to unravel and push forward their medium of choice. From Korea to the United States, from traditional photography to digital art, from bronze mesh to forged steel, all of them have passion and authenticity for common grounds. Alongside temporary exhibitions, a dedicated floor features a display of significant new works by each represented artist, on a year-round basis. Regularly updated, the selection aims to provide a broader and actualized vision of the diversity one can offer within its own corpus. In parallel to its gallery activities, OPIOM also acts as an art consultant for both individuals and enterprises.
Opiom Gallery
Opio, France
Preiss Fine Arts is one of the world’s leading galleries which represents only the most famous fine art photographers of the world. For more than 10 years – founded by Andrea Preiss in 2008 – PREISS FINE ARTS is one of the most successful players on the international art market and responsible for the developing importance of fine art photography. Preiss Fine Arts represents the world’s most sought after fine art photographers like Albert Watson, Michel Comte, SanteD’Orazio, Liu Bolin, Alison Jackson, Ellen von Unwerth, Mark Seliger, Roxanne Lowit, Andreas H. Bitesnich, Arthur Elgort, David Drebin, Nigel Parry, Rankin, Guido Argentini, Howard Schatz, Guy Aroch, Marc Baptiste, Bruno Bisang, Iris Brosch, Howard Schatz, and many more. Preiss Fine Arts is taking care of its exclusive collectors from all over the world in a highly professional and individual way. We deliver worldwide . In order to deliver collectors items in museum quality we are working only with the best regarding framing and delivery.
Preiss Fine Arts
Reflex is an established art gallery representing over 25 internationally renowned contemporary artists, including Nobuyoshi Araki, Harland Miller, David LaChapelle, Todd Hido, Daido Moriyama, Iris Schomaker, Keith Coventry, Marcus Harvey and Ichwan Noor. Reflex was founded by Ria and Lex Daniëls in 1986, initially representing artists from the Cobra movement, followed by the Nouveau Realists and Fluxus. Cobra’s publication, Reflex, inspired the gallery’s name. In 2003, Alex Daniëls Jr. opened a second branch of the gallery, focusing predominantly on the primary market with contemporary and internationally relevant art. Eventually, the gallery moved entirely to its current premises, where it hosts a minimum of six solo shows and group exhibitions a year. Reflex continues to operate in the secondary market, sourcing exclusive works for private and corporate art collections. Over the years, Reflex has developed a strong publishing tradition – once ignited by Cobra’s ambition to merge publishing and art – resulting in high quality limited editions, prints and monographs, often published alongside exhibitions. Reflex is honoured to have collaborated on publications with the eclectic likes of Wim van Sinderen, Wim Pijbes, Marilyn Manson, Matthias Harder, Marcel Feil, Erik Kessels, Hari Kunzru and Sir Norman Rosenthal.
The Little Black Gallery operates as a photography gallery, artist management and art consultancy – specialising in contemporary photography. The Little Black Gallery was originally set up by Tamara Beckwith Veroni, Lindsey Carlos Clarke and Ghislain Pascal in 2008, with a gallery space in Chelsea, London for ten years. Today the business, co-owned by Ghislain Pascal and Tamara Beckwith Veroni, exists without a permanent space, putting on exhibitions worldwide at galleries, museums, art-fairs, and pop-ups; manages artists; and acts as an art consultant. The Little Black Gallery also works in partnership with Paddle8, the online auction house, curating and promoting Boys! Boys! Boys! and Girls! Girls! Girls! – two brands that includes multiple auctions, exhibitions, an online shop, and books.
The Little Black Gallery
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PBR 2014 The Longest Ride
The film is based on Nicholas Sparks' novel The Longest Ride.
Scott Eastwood (son of Clint Eastwood and Jacelyn Reeves) stars in the film as Luke Collins who is a former champion bull rider looking to make a comeback.
Britt Robertson (daughter of Ryan and Beverly Robertson) stars in the film as Sophia Danko, a college student who is about to embark upon her dream job in New York City’s art world.
The Longest Ride, explores the challenges and infinite rewards of enduring love.
The Longest Ride opens in theaters on April 10, 2015.
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Current: Department of Public Health Warns Residents of Illness Caused by Bacteria in Shellfish
Regulation & Licensure
Rise in cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus prompts warning
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Connecticut Department of Public Health
August 16, 2013 Contact: Diana Lejardi
Hartford – The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is warning residents of the dangers of eating raw or undercooked shellfish after an increase in cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection.
Since June 2013, Connecticut has reported 19 confirmed cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection, compared to an average of seven cases reported during the same time period in the past two years.
"The unusual number of cases of Vibrio infection is cause for concern," said Dr. Matthew Cartter, State Epidemiologist for DPH. “It tells us that Vibrio bacteria are present in the area and people should use caution when eating or harvesting shellfish.”
People typically get infected with Vibrio from eating raw or undercooked shellfish, particularly oysters, that have Vibrio bacteria in them or from ingesting contaminated seawater. Those with pre-existing medical conditions or who take antacids regularly are at higher risk for illness from Vibrio infection. Cooking shellfish until the shells just open is not sufficient to kill Vibrio bacteria. To prevent Vibrio infections, shellfish need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F for at least 15 seconds. Clams, mussels and oysters will open when cooked. The Food and Drug Administration suggests steaming oysters for 4 to 9 minutes or boiling them for 3 to 5 minutes after they open.
The symptoms of foodborne Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection include watery diarrhea, often with abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and fever. Symptoms typically occur within 24 hours after consumption of contaminated shellfish and can last up to 7 days. Immune compromised people and those with certain medical conditions, including liver disease, are at greatest risk for foodborne disease. Vibrio bacteria can also cause a skin infection when open wounds are exposed to contaminated seawater.
Vibrio bacteria occur naturally in marine waters and grow more rapidly during the warm months. Vibrio levels in shellfish increase during the summer, and infections in humans normally peak in late summer. Once water temperatures begin to cool in October, the bacteria levels decline.
For more information:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/divisions/dfbmd/diseases/vibriop/
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Tag Archives: The Ranch
Showtime Debuts ‘Murder in the Bayou’
by Marc Berman September 13, 2019 5 Comments
Friday, September 13, 2019 ABC 8:00 p.m. “American Housewife” (R) 8:30 p.m. “Fresh Off the Boat” (R) 9:00 p.m. “Reef Break” (season or series finale) 10:00 p.m. “20/20” CBS 8:00 p.m. “Hawaii Five-O” (R) 9:00 p.m. “Magnum, P.I.” (R) 10:00 p.m. “Blue Bloods” (R) NBC 8:00 p.m. “American Ninja Warrior” (R, two hours) 10:00 p.m. […]
‘The Ranch’ to End With Season 4 on Netflix
by Marc Berman June 5, 2019 0 Comments
Netflix multi-camera comedy “The Ranch,” starring Ashton Kutcher, will be concluding in the upcoming fourth season. Kutcher made the announcement on Twitter on Tuesday, saying “@theranchnetflix is coming to an end, but not just yet. We’re excited to bring you the final 20 episodes — 10 streaming later this year (2019) on @netflix, and then 10 […]
Netflix Debuts Crime Dramas ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Dogs of Berlin’
by Marc Berman December 7, 2018 6 Comments
Friday, December 7, 2018 ABC 8:00 p.m. “Fresh Off the Boat” 8:30 p.m. “Speechless” 9:00 p.m. “The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Holiday Special” 10:00 p.m. “20/20” CBS 8:00 p.m. “MacGyver” (fall finale) 9:00 p.m. “Hawaii Five-O” (fall finale) 10:00 p.m. “Blue Bloods” (fall finale) NBC 8:00 p.m. “Blindspot” (fall finale) 9:00 p.m. “Midnight Texas” 10:00 […]
Amazon Debuts Drama ‘Jean-Claude’ Van Johnson
by Marc Berman December 15, 2017 6 Comments
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2017 ABC 8:00 p.m. “Once Upon a Time” 9:00 p.m. “Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD” 10:00 p.m. “20/20” CBS 8:00 p.m. “MacGyver” 9:00 p.m. “Hawaii Five-O” 10:00 p.m. “Blue Bloods” NBC 8:00 p.m. “Blindspot” 9:00 p.m. “Dateline” (two hours) Fox 8:00 p.m. “Hell’s Kitchen” 9:00 p.m. “The Exorcist” CW 8:00 p.m. “The 86th […]
‘Reign’ Concludes on The CW
by Marc Berman June 16, 2017 5 Comments
FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 2017 ABC 8:00 p.m. “Shark Tank” (R) 9:00 p.m. “20/20: Watergate – Truth & Lies” (two hours) CBS 8:00 p.m. “MacGyver” (R) 9:00 p.m. “Hawaii Five-O” (R) 10:00 p.m. “Blue Bloods” (R) NBC 8:00 p.m. “America’s Got Talent” (R, two hours) 10:00 p.m. “Dateline” Fox 8:00 p.m. “2017 U.S. Open Golf Championship” […]
Television Series Arriving on Netflix, Hulu and Amazon in October 2016
by Douglas Pucci October 2, 2016 0 Comments
New original and off-network series titles for the month of October will appear on the streaming video services Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime. Hugh Laurie, mostly known to American TV audiences as Dr. Gregory House from ‘House’, returns to the medical field for his next series for Hulu, “Chance” which will air an episode each […]
Netflix’s ‘The Ranch’ Renewed for Season Two
by Marc Berman April 30, 2016 0 Comments
Netflix has renewed multi-camera comedy “The Ranch” for a second season, according to a tweet sent from series star Ashton Kutcher. Debuting on April 1 with the first of 10 episodes, “The Ranch” focuses on a former semi-professional football player (Kutcher) who moves back to his hometown to help his family—and family business—through financial trouble. […]
Television Series Arriving on Netflix, Amazon and Hulu in April 2016
by Douglas Pucci April 3, 2016 1 Comment
New original and off-network series titles for the month of April will appear on the streaming video services Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu. Several notable comedies are either debuting or returning to streaming services this month. [socialpoll id=”2348100″] Ashton Kutcher reunites with his “That 70’s Show” cast mate Danny Masterson in “The Ranch” (Apr. 1). […]
‘Banshee’ Opens New Season on Cinemax
by Marc Berman April 1, 2016 5 Comments
FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016 ABC 8:00 p.m. “Last Man Standing” (R) 8:30 p.m. “Dr. Ken” (R) 9:00 p.m. “Shark Tank” (R) 10:00 p.m. “20/20” CBS 8:00 p.m. “The Amazing Race” 9:00 p.m. “Hawaii Five-O” 10:00 p.m. “Blue Bloods” NBC 8:00 p.m. “Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon” (R) 9:00 p.m. “Grimm” 10:00 p.m. “Dateline” Fox […]
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Samstag, 04 Februar 2017 16:33 geschrieben von Prophets Word
Violence: the meaning of all its various aspects. The description of Violence takes on a different connotation either objective or subjective depending on the subject who uses violence. There is the violence of the Rich against the poor (the violence of the settler against the colonised, groundless or racial violence); the violence of the Poor reacting against the root of the power, or trying to take the place of the Rich, by vexing those who are equally poor or even poorer, this is the same violence of the Rich, because it expresses feelings of envy, oppression, resentment and revenge (domestic violence, violence against women.) Picture: in 2014 Anonymous, a group of non-governmental activists, launched a large-scale Internet campaign against racial violence.
In this article, I would like to focus on Violence and provide an insight into all its various aspects.
It goes without saying that the approach to violence takes on either an objective or a subjective connotation depending on the subjects who use violence, i.e. the oppressed or the ruling class.
Put simply, it is impossible to equate the violence of the "Settler" with the violence of the "Colonized person": the violence of the Settler against the Colonised person and the violence of the latter against the former; these "two" kinds of violence are clearly distinct.
In fact, the violence of the Rich and the violence of the Poor are not the same thing: the Poor actually fight against the root of the power and try to redeem themselves from the violence suffered, which in turn addresses the weak and urges the poor to put the blame for their failure on the lowest, forever repeating the reasons underlying their own failure and oppression.
Obviously, the violence of the Poor who wants to take the place of the rich, thus vexing those who are equally poor or even poorer, looks like the violence of the Rich, since it is based on the same feelings of envy, oppression, grudge and revenge.
This behaviour feeds the violence of the Rich and is also responsible for it.
This violence-revenge does not express the urgency to totally overcome one’s status of exploited or exploiter, as the "grudge" does not rely on "the Last will be the First, and the First will be the Last, so that there will be neither First nor Last."
However, from a logical point of view, the violence used by the "Rich" is different, because the rich can draw on countless resources to act in the name of beauty, magnanimity, mercy, pity and in harmony with the whole world, while the Servants are needy and deprived of the enlightened rationality, therefore they are generally less free and aware than the Rich or even than those who are neither rich nor poor, but released from opposing antagonisms.
Therefore, based on truth, logic and fairness, the violence of the Rich cannot be equated with the one of the Poor.
Obviously, we should know how to defend ourselves from both of them with the most suitable means: the "groundless" violence of the Master and the "blind with anger" one of the Servant.
However, the violence of the Servant, the Colonised, the Employee, the Humble, the Low can be regarded as justifiable when it fights against the root of the Violence, then it is no longer "Violence", but rather Justice, the highest form of Justice: it is the wrath of the Lamb, the wrath of the Mother-Father, the wrath of the Child, the wrath of the Lover of Peace in Justice which shouts with all its indignation at the Dreadful Injustice, at the Cowardice making room for Oppression and Falsehood; at the Cowardice which is responsible for Violence and Injustice.
As an ancient saying goes: "Beware of the curse of the Poor who is a begging God."
Even Moses killed the Egyptian slave master who was beating up a helpless Jewish slave.
Marx (just like Christ) is a beautiful "Fish": if you take it away from water, it decomposes, dies, "putrefies" and ends up thrown away; conversely, if you leave it in the water, it shall thrive full of life and joy and shall bear life in the world.
And Marx's current is precisely the biblical prophetism.
Marxism, albeit properly intended, widens our perspective and helps us become citizens of the world.
Picture: Michelangelo (Sistine Chapel) - Moses kills the Egyptian slave master.
. _ ._ .
Publiziert in The Teaching of Modern Prophetism
modern prophetism
Someone asked us: "Modern prophetism often talks about God, so what is God for you? And what religion do you profess? What is the meaning of this word? Are there any other Gods? If so, who are they?"
A. as soon as you cease to be, you will become God.
However, please remember that Modern Prophetism has always regarded this entity as "The Great Light", I will tell you why later on.
All the religions, without any exception, believe that men have had a soul since their birth.
Throughout the history of mankind, Giorgio Gurdjieff is the only one who has astonishingly said: "You don’t have any soul."
The only one! Despite the various religions.
Gurdjieff stands out from the crowd and claims that men have no soul; therefore, the place intended for the soul is actually empty.
Anyhow, we may try to create it.
Now let’s consider the last statements of the “Nobody” prophet, which must not be taken for granted, but examined and discussed, in addition to the popular Declaration of Human Rights.
"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people."
- Nine: a World Government
Mehr in dieser Kategorie: « The Mistaken Interpretation of Non Violence Future of the Earth – The Prophecy »
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Home » News » Underweight Late in Life Associated with Alzheimer’s
Underweight Late in Life Associated with Alzheimer’s
By Rick Nauert PhD
Associate News Editor
Last updated: 8 Aug 2018
New research discovers being underweight later in life is associated with greater deposits of the Alzheimer’s-associated protein beta-amyloid in the brains of cognitively normal older individuals.
Although a cause and effect relationship cannot be determined, the association was particularly strong among individuals carrying the APOE4 gene variant, which is known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have published their findings in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
“Elevated cortical amyloid is believed to be the first stage of the preclinical form of Alzheimer’s disease, so our findings suggest that individuals who are underweight late in life may be at greater risk for this disease,” says Gad Marshall, M.D., senior author of the report.
“Finding this association with a strong marker of Alzheimer’s disease risk reinforces the idea that being underweight as you get older may not be a good thing when it comes to your brain health.”
While the concept of a preclinical version of Alzheimer’s disease is theoretical and not yet being used to guide clinical diagnosis or treatment, the current hypothesis involves three stages.
Individuals at stage 1 are cognitively normal but have elevated amyloid deposits;
Stage 2 adds evidence of neurodegeneration, such as elevated tau deposits or characteristic loss of certain brain tissues, with no cognitive symptoms;
Stage 3 adds cognitive changes that, while still in a normal range, indicate a decline for that individual.
The current study is part of the MGH-based Harvard Aging Brain Study (HABS), designed to identify markers that predict who is likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease and how soon symptoms are likely to develop.
This investigation explored the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and beta amyloid levels in the brains of the first 280 participants to enroll in HABS, who were ages 62 to 90, cognitively normal and in good general health.
Participants’ initial enrollment data included medical histories; physical exams; testing for the presence of APOE4, the major genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer’s; and PET imaging with Pittsburgh compound B (PiB), which can visualize amyloid plaques in the brain.
After adjusting for factors including age, sex, education, and APOE4 status, researchers found that having a lower BMI was associated with greater retention of PiB, indicating more extensive amyloid deposits in the brain.
The relationship was most pronounced in normal-weight participants, who were the group with the lowest BMI in the study. Analysis focused on APOE status revealed that the association between lower BMI and greater PiB retention was particularly significant for individuals with the APOE4 gene variant, which is associated with increased Alzheimer’s disease risk.
Researchers hope that future studies will explain the mechanism behind the association between lower BMI and increased amyloid levels.
“A likely explanation for the association is that low BMI is an indicator for frailty — a syndrome involving reduced weight, slower movement and loss of strength that is known to be associated with Alzheimer’s risk,” says Marshall.
“One way to get closer to determining any cause and effect relationship will be following these individuals over time to see whether their baseline BMI does predict the development of symptoms, which we are doing in HABS, and eventually investigating whether maintaining or even increasing BMI in late life has an effect on outcomes.
Right now, we’re also studying whether BMI is associated with any other clinical and imaging markers of Alzheimer’s disease.”
Rick Nauert PhD
Dr. Rick Nauert has over 25 years experience in clinical, administrative and academic healthcare. He is currently an associate professor for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals doctoral program in health promotion and wellness. Dr. Nauert began his career as a clinical physical therapist and served as a regional manager for a publicly traded multidisciplinary rehabilitation agency for 12 years. He has masters degrees in health-fitness management and healthcare administration and a doctoral degree from The University of Texas at Austin focused on health care informatics, health administration, health education and health policy. His research efforts included the area of telehealth with a specialty in disease management.
Nauert PhD, R. (2018). Underweight Late in Life Associated with Alzheimer’s. Psych Central. Retrieved on January 21, 2020, from https://psychcentral.com/news/2016/08/03/underweight-late-in-life-associated-with-alzheimers/108060.html
Last updated: 8 Aug 2018 (Originally: 3 Aug 2016)
Last reviewed: By a member of our scientific advisory board on 8 Aug 2018
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Primary Quality Assurance Organization Training
June 4-6, 2019 - Davis, California
Main navigation (extended config)
Curriculum Advisory Committee
Training Content+
Detailed Agenda
Presentation Descriptions
PQAO 2019 Training Videos
Getting Here+
Download a PDF of the Training Program
Download a PDF of Presentation Descriptions and Speaker Bios
Note: In order to conserve paper, printed agendas, presentation descriptions, and speaker bios will not be provided at the training. However, mounted posters of the agenda will be available. We encourage you to go green and access this information via this website. If you plan to print these documents, we recommend that you print double-sided to reduce paper use.
Ali Adams
Alicia.Adams@arb.ca.gov
Ali Adams is a PM2.5 Laboratory Analysts with CARB's Monitoring and Laboratory Division (MLD) in Sacramento, California. The MLD PM2.5 lab analysts handle more than 16,000 weighing's per year for 32 monitoring sites, and support periodic PM2.5 research projects and sister laboratories in the State. She has been actively involved in CARB Technical System Audits, and ongoing improvements to the PM2.5 program and laboratory processes.
Craig.Anderson@arb.ca.gov
Craig Anderson is an Air Pollution Specialist in CARB’s Air Quality Analysis Section and is currently working on monitoring network design and assessment, data certification, federal ozone designations, and analysis projects supporting State Implementation Plans. Craig has over 20 years of air quality experience in a wide range of areas, including operational ozone and PM2.5 forecasting; developing and managing real-time air quality information systems; performing exceptional event analyses; permitting for stationary sources; and preparing environmental impact reports. Craig has a B.S. in Atmospheric Science from U.C. Davis and a M.S. in Atmospheric Science from Rutgers University.
Aman Bains
aman.bains@arb.ca.gov
Aman Bains has over seven years of experience with ARB’s Monitoring and Laboratory Division. Aman is currently an Air Resources Engineer and works for the Quality Management Section. His primary responsibilities include serving as an air monitoring liaison for local air districts and developing and reviewing quality management documents.
Yushuo Chang
Placer County Air Pollution Control District
ychang@placer.ca.gov
Yushuo Chang is the Planning and Monitoring Manager at Placer County Air Pollution Control District. Mr. Chang supervises the District’s tasks on air quality plan development, incentive programs, the smoke management program, CEQA review program, and the air monitoring network. He has participated with CARB’s Roseville Rail Yard Study on potential relative risk from diesel locomotive emissions and was the Rail Yard air monitoring project manager. In addition to his normal assignments, Yushuo is responsible for the District’s AB 617 program. Prior to working with the agency, Yushuo received his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Environmental Engineering from University of Southern California.
Simon Cheung
Simon.Cheung@arb.ca.gov
Simon Cheung is one of the air quality monitoring instrument specialists with CARB’s Monitoring and Laboratory Division in Sacramento, California. He has been actively involved in recent development to continuous PM instruments for the regulatory PM monitoring program. In the Operation and Data Support section, he is also responsible for administering the AQ data management system that reports real-time and for-record data from the CARB’s ambient air monitoring network. Simon is a Professional Engineer in the state of California, with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from CSU Sacramento.
Joel Cordes
Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District
CordesJ@sbcapcd.org
Independent Air Quality Consultant
craigairmonitoring@att.net
Joel Craig has almost 40 years of experience in ambient air and meteorological monitoring. Mr. Craig has managed monitoring efforts for local air pollution control districts in California as well as air monitoring projects as a part of large international consulting firms. Mr. Craig has been working as an independent consultant for the past 8 years, working for local air districts and Tribal environmental departments in California.
Al Dietrich
South Coast Air Quality Management District
ADIETRICH@scaqmd.gov
Albert Dietrich is the Principal Air Quality Instrument Specialist responsible for Atmospheric Measurements Operations within the Science & Technology Advancement Division. At this time he oversees a network of over 35 ambient air monitoring stations and is responsible for organizing the day to day operations of this network. Al has been with SCAQMD for 33 years and has spent time in the Special Monitoring group, the Support/Repair section, Air Monitoring Operations and the Data Validation Sections. Al participated in implementation of the NATTS, NCORE, and Near-Road monitoring networks.
Kevin Durkee
kdurkee@aqmd.gov
Kevin Durkee has been with South Coast AQMD for more than 29 years, first as an Air Quality Specialist, then as Senior Meteorologist for 10 years before becoming Quality Assurance Manager in late 2017. His experience forecasting, analyzing and modeling air pollution brings a broad understanding of end-user data needs to the Monitoring & Analysis Division. Kevin has a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from UCLA. While the QA position brings some new challenges, Kevin welcomes the opportunity to work with the many dedicated people in the air quality measurements community.
Brandon Feenstra
bfeenstra@aqmd.gov
Brandon Feenstra is an Air Quality Specialist at South Coast AQMD. Brandon has been working in the Air Quality Sensor Performance Evaluation Center (AQ-SPEC) since 2014. He is responsible for the field deployment aspect of AQ-SPEC evaluations and for designing deployable sensor solutions that can be incorporated into SCAQMD’s ambient air monitoring network. Mr. Feenstra received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, his Master of Public Administration, and his Master of Science in Earth & Environmental Sciences degrees from California State University, San Bernardino. Brandon is currently a PhD student at the University of CA, Riverside in Chemical and Environmental Engineering with his research focusing on low-cost air sensing solutions.
Michael Flagg
Flagg.MichaelA@epa.gov
Michael Flagg has been working on the Air Monitoring Team in the Air Quality Analysis Office at EPA Region 9 for 10 years and has focused on a number of different air quality issues throughout the region. Most recently, Michael is the geographic lead for Arizona DEQ and Imperial County APCD and has been focusing on Ozone issues.
Kathy Gill
kathleen.gill@arb.ca.gov
Kathy Gill graduated from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan with a degree in biology. She began working at CARB in 2001 in the Operations Planning and Assessment Branch of the Monitoring and Laboratory Division planning special monitoring projects for SB25, the Children’s Environmental Health Protection Program. She moved on to manage the Organics Laboratory and is now Chief of the Air Quality Surveillance Branch. Her responsibilities include overseeing the operation of CARB’s ambient air monitoring network throughout California.
Emily Gorrie
emily.gorrie@arb.ca.gov
Emily is an Air Pollution Specialist in the Consumer Products and Air Quality Assessment Branch of the Air Quality Planning and Science Division. The section is responsible for maintaining aerometric data and statistics and making these data available online through CARB’s ADAM and AQMIS websites. Emily has worked on the ADAM and AQMIS databases and webpages for nearly 3 years, and is helping create CARB’s new AQ-View community air quality monitoring data portal.
Dustin Goto
dustin.goto@arb.ca.gov
Dustin Goto graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Computer Cartography. Dustin began his career with the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2005, working in the Quality Assurance Section supporting the performance audit program. He currently works in the Air Monitoring North Section where his primary responsibilities include field calibrations at CARB and district monitoring stations, station operation, and second level review of monitoring data. Dustin has also served on the Cal/EPA Enforcement Training Team and has presented at the Air and Waste Management Association’s Air Quality Measurements Methods and Technology conference on greenhouse gas monitoring.
Mallory Ham
Ventura County Air Pollution Control District
mallory@vcapcd.org
Mallory Ham is the manager of the Monitoring Division at the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. Mallory began his career with the district as an Air Pollution Meteorologist. In addition to his years forecasting air quality and overseeing meteorological operations, he has worked in data quality assurance, ambient air monitoring operations, data acquisition systems, agricultural burning, and instrument repair. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric Science from UCLA and has worked for the District since 1997.
Mike Hamdan
mhamdan@aqmd.gov
Mike Hamdan is a Senior Air Quality Instrument Specialist in the Quality Assurance branch at the South Coast Air Quality Management District. He has over 18 years of experience at the agency. In addition to his time in quality assurance, Mike has worked in the Data Validation group which handled final data review and submittal to AQS. As part of his current position his primary responsibility is in conducting Performance Evaluation audits for gaseous instruments at over 30 air monitoring stations in the South Coast Air Basin. Mike earned a Bachelor’s degree in engineering at Cal State Long Beach.
Kate Hoag
khoag@baaqmd.gov
Kate Hoag has been measuring and analyzing air quality or pollutant exposure data since 1995. She is currently an Assistant Manager at the Bay Area AQMD where she oversees a section responsible for providing technical assistance and air quality data analysis to a variety of programs in the agency including community health protection, source test, rulemaking, and enforcement. She also served as the agency’s Quality Assurance Officer for over three years. Prior to joining the Air District in 2015, she worked at Region 9 EPA and the School of Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill. Kate earned a MS in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University and a Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Science from UC Berkeley.
Leena Khangura
Harleen.Khangura@arb.ca.gov
Ms. Khangura is an Air Pollution Specialist with the Monitoring and Laboratory Division at CARB. Her work in quality assurance includes four years in the private sector; and ten years with CARB in the Quality Assurance Section. She obtained a Bachelors degree in Biological Sciences from California State University, Chico. In the past ten years, Ms. Khangura has been responsible for conducting thousands of performance evaluations for criteria pollutants at hundreds of air monitoring sites throughout the State. Additionally, for the last three years she has been a member of CARB’s technical systems audit (TSA) team. This team conducts comprehensive audits for those Districts within CARB’s Primary Quality Assurance Organization, and evaluations the District’s entire air monitoring program.
Charley Knoderer
cknoderer@baaqmd.gov
Charley Knoderer is the manager of the Meteorology section at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District and has been with the Air District since 2014. Prior to joining the Air District, he worked at Sonoma Technology, Inc. (STI) in Petaluma, California. Prior to joining STI in 2000, Charley obtaining his M.S. in Atmospheric Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and his B.S. in Atmospheric Science from the University of California, Davis. Charley obtained his Certified Consulting Meteorologist certification from the American Meteorological Society in 2014.
Randy Lam
RLAM1@aqmd.gov
Randy Lam is a station operator in atmospheric measurements for the South Coast Air Quality Management District. Prior to joining the SCAQMD he was a high school science teacher in Biology, Earth Science, Forensics and Oceanography. Randy graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of California, Irvine.
Leah Mathews
Leah.Mathews@arb.ca.gov
Leah Mathews earned her bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Pacific and her master’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom. She began her career with CARB working in the Laboratory Support Section supporting ambient air monitoring programs throughout the state, and currently works in CARB’s Quality Management Section. Her primary responsibilities include writing and reviewing quality management documents, providing quality assurance/quality control support, and performing various liaison activities between CARB and local air districts.
Joseph McCormack
joseph.mccormack@arb.ca.gov
Joseph McCormack is an Air Pollution Specialist with the California Air Resources Board’s Incident Air Monitoring Section. Joseph’s responsibilities include planning, coordinating and preparing for emergency air monitoring incidents. For the last seven years, Joseph has been responsible for conducting air quality monitoring campaigns to measure impacts from wildfire, and is currently developing a new statewide prescribed fire air monitoring program. Joseph received his Bachelors of Science Degree in Biochemistry with a concentration Chemistry from the University of California, Riverside.
Andrea McStocker
Andrea.McStocker@arb.ca.gov
Andrea is an Air Pollution Specialist in the Quality Management Section of CARB. As a PQAO liaison, she is tasked with overseeing quality management activities throughout the PQAO. In addition to her liaison duties, Andrea manages CARB’s Quality Assurance webpage. She has a Master's degree in Environmental Policy from American University in Washington, D.C.
San Diego County Air Pollution Control District
David.Medina@sdcounty.ca.gov
David Medina is an Associate Air Pollution Chemist with the San Diego Air Pollution Control District. He has been with the San Diego Air Pollution Control District since 2012 and works in the Monitoring Division. David is currently overseeing the PAMS VOC program. He has also been involved in various programs within the Monitoring Division including the calibration of PM 2.5 samplers and special projects. He received a Ph. D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Riverside and a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of California, Irvine.
Mike Miguel
michael.miguel@arb.ca.gov
As Assistant Division Chief for the California Air Resources Board’s Monitoring and Laboratory Division, Michael is responsible for overseeing the agency’s ambient air monitoring program. Previously, he served as Chief of the Quality Management Branch where he directed the activities of the Primary Quality Assurance Organization. Michael has also managed the successful implementation of several regulations, including: Small Off-Road Engines, Off-Highway Recreational Vehicles, Portable Fuel Containers, and Drayage Trucks. Michael graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and has worked for the Air Resources Board for over 30 years.
LaMar Mitchell
LaMar.Mitchell@arb.ca.gov
LaMar Mitchell is an air pollution specialist with the Quality Assurance Section of CARB. He is part of a team of auditors that conduct performance evaluations of air districts that are included the CARB PQAO. LaMar brings to us his 29 years of experience in air pollution control from his previous 10 years work with the Sacramento Metropolitan AQMD and 19 years with the Compliance Division and Monitoring and Laboratory Division of CARB. LaMar holds an AS in Math and Physical Science from American River College in Sacramento and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Sacramento.
Kimberly Mitchell
Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District
kmitchell@gbuapcd.org
Kimberly Mitchell is a research and systems analyst with Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District. She is responsible for data acquisition and plays an integral role in the District's data validation process. Prior to joining Great Basin Unified APCD she spent over a decade managing and validating large datasets for the U.S. Forest Service.
Theresa Najita
theresa.najita@arb.ca.gov
Theresa Najita, a meteorologist by training, has been with the California Air Resources Board for almost 20 years. Currently an Air Pollution Specialist in the Air Quality Planning and Science Division, her work focuses on area designations, exceptional event analysis, and State and federal planning efforts. She also works closely with CARB’s Monitoring and Laboratory Division on monitoring site placement, retention, and removal.
Olga Pikelnaya
opikelnaya@aqmd.gov
Dr. Pikelnaya is a Program Supervisor at the South Coast Air Quality Management District, working on developing South Coast AQMD’s optical remote sensing (ORS) program and implementation of Refinery and Community Air Monitoring (Rule 1180). Prior to joining South Coast AQMD, Olga worked as a post-doctoral researcher at University of California Los Angeles, where she developed and deployed ORS instrumentation for monitoring of refinery emissions. Dr. Pikelnaya earned her Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences from UCLA. Her main research interests include implementing innovative instrumentation and measurements strategies for real-time emission monitoring and assessing the impact of industrial emissions on neighboring communities.
Aaron Plasencia
Aaron.Plasencia@arb.ca.gov
Aaron Plasencia is an Air Resources Engineer with the Monitoring and Laboratory Division at CARB. As part of the Quality Assurance Section he conducts performance evaluations of air monitoring sites for all air districts in California. Along with working in the field as an auditor, he also performs instrument certifications in the CARB Standards Lab. Aaron earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Patrick Rainey
Patrick.Rainey@arb.ca.gov
Patrick Rainey is the manager of the Organics Laboratory Section and oversees the analysis of ambient air samples collected from air monitoring and sampling sites throughout the State for criteria, toxic, and potentially toxic air pollutants. Previously, he was the manager of the Quality Management Section and has also worked in the Quality Assurance Section conducting performance audits of air monitoring stations. Prior to coming to CARB, Mr. Rainey worked at Test America, a commercial analytical laboratory as the Technical Director & Air Toxics Operations Manager, Department Manager-Air Toxics, and team leader/organics extraction group supervisor for a combined 18 years. Mr. Rainey possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Toxicology from University of California, Davis.
Matt Razavi
Matt.Razavi@arb.ca.gov
Matt Razavi earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering in 1997, and is close to completing a Master’s in Electrical Engineering at California State University, Sacramento. He has been an Instrument Technician at CARB’s Monitoring and Laboratory Division since 2016. He is responsible for the operation, maintenance, testing, troubleshooting and repair of complex electronic air quality/monitoring instrumentation in support of the CARB's ambient air monitoring network. Prior to joining CARB, Matt worked in the seismic and automation industry for 10 years performing instrumentation support.
Honza Rejmanek
Honza.Rejmanek@arb.ca.gov
Honza Rejmanek is an Air Pollution Specialist in CARB's Quality Assurance Section. Honza received an MS in Atmospheric Science from UC Davis and a BA in Biology from UC Santa Cruz. Honza has experience in complex field atmospheric research including areas such as instrumentation design and testing, installation and maintenance of weather station networks in icy terrain, and biometeorological stations in rice fields and vineyards. He previously managed the UC Davis National Weather Service climate station. Honza also uses his weather acumen as an accomplished flight instructor and paraglider. He participated in five Red Bull X-Alps races, a 640-mile hike and paraglide feat from Austria to Monaco.
brian@gbuapcd.org
Brian Russell is a Systems and Research Analyst with the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District headquartered in Bishop, California. Brian has been with the District almost 10 years now and started as a field technician on the Owens Dry Lake Bed. Originally from Ann Arbor, Brian has a undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters degree in Space Engineering from the University of Michigan focusing on instrumentation for remote sensing. Brian is an open source software and hardware enthusiast and works primarily building IT systems for GBUAPCD using open source tools whenever possible.
Koki Shimohashi
Koki.Shimohashi@arb.ca.gov
Koki Shimohashi is an Air Resources Engineer in the Monitoring and Laboratory Division. He currently works on sensor evaluation including monitoring system development and data analysis.
Reggie Smith
reggie.smith@arb.ca.gov
Reggie Smith is the manager of the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Operations and Data Support Section. His section is responsible for administering the CARB’s air quality data management system which reports real-time and data for record from the CARB’s ambient air monitoring network. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 1987 with a bachelor’s of science degree in Physical Sciences and Meteorology. Reggie began his career with the CARB in 1993. Over the past 20 years he has been involved with many aspects of the CARB’s ambient air monitoring program.
Jeremy Smith
Jeremy.Smith@arb.ca.gov
Jeremy Smith is a Staff Air Pollution Specialist at the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in the Monitoring and Laboratory Division. Jeremy’s work at CARB has included heavy-duty vehicle emissions testing, advanced measurement technology development, ambient air monitoring, and community air quality monitoring design. Prior to working at CARB, he investigated the secondary aerosol chemistry of biomass burning emissions, cloud and rainwater chemistry in polluted areas, and the chemistry of deep ocean sediment. Jeremy has a Ph.D. from UC Davis, a M.S from the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and a B.S from the University of South Carolina.
Louise Sorensen
Louise.Sorensen@arb.ca.gov
Louise Sorensen is the Quality Assurance Officer at CARB’s Monitoring and Laboratory Division, Standards Laboratory in Sacramento, California. She ensures efficient operation and traceability to NIST through the data quality process and documentation. After spending over a decade working in air pollution research at University of California, Davis, Louise understands the importance of developing, maintaining and monitoring the performance of a data quality system to ensure compliance with regulations. She has a certificate of achievement from NIST in completion of Fundamentals of Metrology and ISO/IEC 17025. Louise holds a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of California, Davis.
Ken Stroud
kenneth.stroud@arb.ca.gov
Ken Stroud is Chief of the Community Air Monitoring Branch, comprised of 4 sections: Community Air Monitoring North, Community Air Monitoring South, Incident Air Monitoring and Advanced Monitoring Techniques. Ken’s portfolio includes AB 617 work as well as SNAPS (Study of Neighborhood Air near Petroleum Sources), GHG monitoring, incident air monitoring and other community monitoring activities.
EStevenson@baaqmd.gov
Eric Stevenson is a chemical engineer with over 25 years of experience in the environmental field. He has designed remediation systems, performed air pollution emissions permitting, testing and monitoring and, as the current Director of Meteorology, Measurement and Rules at the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, manages the Air Monitoring, Laboratory, Source Test, Meteorology, Quality Assurance, Data Management and Rule Development programs. He is a member of various committees and work groups dealing with air quality issues on a local, state and national level, including the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA) Air Monitoring Steering Committee, charged with interfacing with the U.S. EPA to develop monitoring rules and guidance.
Joe Tona
Tehama County Air Pollution Control District
jtona@tehcoapcd.net
Joe Tona is the Air Pollution Control Officer for the Tehama County Air Pollution Control District in Red Bluff California. He has a B.S. in Environmental Science from Humboldt State University. Before becoming APCO, Joe managed the operation and data collection of Tehama County’s air monitoring network. Joe has been with the APCD since 2013. Prior to working with the District, Joe worked in private industry as a Research Forester. He performed watershed studies using weather stations and radio communication equipment throughout northern California.
Nathan Trevino
Nathan.Trevino@valleyair.org
Nathan Trevino is currently the supervisor for the air monitoring program at the San Joaquin Valley APCD. Nathan has been in his current position for 8 years and has been with the District for 11 years. His primary responsibilities include the supervision of air monitoring staff and coordination of activities in support of 23 locations within the eight county air basin of the San Joaquin Valley.
Karl Tupper
San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District
ktupper@co.slo.ca.us
Karl Tupper is an Air Quality Specialist with the San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District where he has worked for the last eight years. He operates four air monitoring stations for the District, and also has a hand in various special projects and data analyses. Prior to the District, he conducted pesticide air monitoring studies for an environmental non-profit. He has a master's degree in Chemistry from UC Berkeley and a bachelor's degree from Yale.
Lilian Turcios
Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District
Lilian.Turcios@sonoma-county.org
Lilian R. Turcios is an Air Quality Specialist for the Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District where she oversees the air quality monitoring and data analysis. Ms. Turcios holds a BS in Environmental Health from Texas Southern University and an MS in Health Informatics from The University of Texas. She has been with The Mighty Northern since 2016, and began her career in air quality in 2014 as an Environmental Specialist for the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she conducted enforcement and compliance work.
Dena Vallano
Vallano.Dena@epa.gov
Dena Vallano is a Physical Scientist within EPA Region 9’s Air Quality Analysis Office. She currently specializes in PM2.5 and air sensors and is the geographic lead for ARB, San Joaquin Valley APCD, and San Luis Obispo County APCD. She has worked in EPA’s Office of Research and Development to advance federal partnerships related to technological innovation and next-generation air quality monitoring. She holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Villanova University.
Elias Villa
Elias.Villa@arb.ca.gov
Elias Villa earned a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Davis. He began work for the California Air Resources Board (CARB) in 2014 within the Laboratory Support Section, supporting laboratory operations for the Northern Laboratory Branch. Now in the Inorganic Laboratory Section, Elias is the lead analyst for filter-based PM2.5 mass analysis.
Gwen Yoshimura
Yoshimura.Gwen@epa.gov
Gwen Yoshimura has worked for the U.S. EPA since 2004. She started in EPA Region VII's air planning office, and joined the air monitoring team in EPA Region IV in 2009, and is now the manager of the Air Quality Analysis Office and has worked with agencies such as CARB, BAAQMD, Hawaii DOH, and Guam EPA. Gwen has a B.S. in Earth Systems from Stanford University.
Yunliang Zhao
Yunliang.Zhao@arb.ca.gov
Yunliang Zhao is an Air Pollution Specialist in the Community Air Monitoring South Section. Yunliang received his Ph.D. from University of California, Berkeley and subsequently worked as a Postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at Carnegie Mellon University. He has published 25 peer-reviewed papers and recently published his research on secondary organic aerosol formation from gasoline vehicles in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Yunliang’s past research projects include the study of source apportionment of atmospheric organic particles and the characterization of gas-phase emissions from on-road vehicles and off-road engines. His expertise in instrumentation includes the introduction of a thermal desorption gas chromatography-mass spectrometry instrument for quantification of semi-volatile organic compounds.
Taylor Ziolkowski
Vendor EarthSoft
taylor.ziolkowski@earthsoft.com
Taylor Ziolkowski has a background in environmental science and geology. Prior to working at EarthSoft he managed environmental data and field activities for Department of Defense and US EPA remediation projects. Taylor works with EarthSoft’s diverse client base to automate environmental data workflows in the field, lab, and office. He helps government and industrial clients align their data quality, collection, reporting, and visualization objectives with the best EQuIS workflow to meet their needs.
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Armoured 2019 Range Rover Sentinel revealed
24 Mar 2019 Isaac Bober
The 2019 Range Rover Sentinel has been revealed boasting all-terrain capability and the ability to withstand bullets and fragmentation blasts.
Many years ago, I was given the chance to participate in a security driver training course with Land Rover, and that story is shared below, and part of that course saw me piloting an armoured Range Rover that was being delivered to some wealthy and paranoid owner. Now, there’s a new version of the Range Rover Sentinel.
But to story is the same, the thing is built to withstand bullets and fragmentation blasts and all the while look exactly like a garden variety Range Rover. It now runs Jaguar Land Rover’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine which allows the thing to get to 100km/h in just 10.4 seconds. And that’s staggering when you consider it’s carrying more than 1000kg in body armour and armoured glass.
Now totally tweaked in house at Land Rover Special Vehicles, the suspension, chassis, brakes and stability and traction control systems have been tweaked to handle the extra weight and the potentially demanding environment of a threat situation. Yet, all the while, the thing has to still drive like a Range Rover…it is, after all, an armoured limousine.
The RR Sentinel gets strengthened wheels wrapped in run-flat tyres allowing it to continue driving at 80km/h for up to 50km if the tyres are damaged.
Further security systems includes the option for a specially configured front window which drops a maximum of 150mm for document delivery, while it also features a public address system allowing occupants to address people outside the vehicle without leaving their secure environment. Siren and emergency lighting packs are also available.
What I learned driving an armoured Range Rover…
DEPENDING ON WHO you talk to driving a safe vehicle can mean different things. But, mostly, we’re told, a safe vehicle is one that carries either a five-star ANCAP or EuroNCAP rating. And fair enough, too.
But what about if you needed something that offered a little more protection than the ordinary five-star car, or if you were a celebrity, or a politician who lived in fear of being assassinated. Well, then you would need something like the vehicle you’re looking at right now.
Feel free to get out a magnifying glass and take a real close look at the pictures hereabouts and then tell me what you see… Nothing, right? And that’s the point.
I’ll bet you didn’t notice the bulletproof glass, or the heavy-duty wheels with run-flat tyres, or the tamper-proof exhaust, or… You see, this is an armoured Range Rover Sentinel. Sure, it’s an older model car, but that’s because I drove this one some time ago…
Because it’s a Range Rover you won’t find anything so crass as chequer-plate, slits for windows, gun ports, or a half-track under its bum.
“This isn’t a battlefield weapon,” Land Rover’s Armoured Vehicle Driver Trainer, Ian Halton, tells me as he walks around the armoured Range Rover pointing out all of the toughened bits of the car the Land Rover watchdogs won’t let me show you… for security reasons.
There are overlaps on all the doors, even on the rear boot lid, to ensure ‘splash’, or molten metal/shrapnel can’t penetrate door shuts or handles; the petrol tank is wrapped in armour; and the battery is stashed inside an armoured box in the boot; even the exhaust pipe is fitted with mesh to prevent tampering.
The body provides full 360-degree protection with ballistic and blast steel, and kevlar armour hidden beneath the Range Rover’s skin. Indeed, the outer skin is a facade only and so it can be stone-chipped, dented by a shopping trolley or even two-bobbed. “It’s designed not to be noticed, which is probably its greatest defensive asset,” says Halton. Only the plasma-cut, fixed-in-place, 40mm-thick toughened and heavily tinted glass is noticeable; and only then if you catch it in the right light and at the right angle.
So, to the untrained eye there’s absolutely nothing to suggest this car could step into the ring with two handfuls of hand grenades or an AK-47 and come out looking like anything other than a smoldering ruin. But it can. See, the Range Rover you see here has been armoured to within an inch of its life which is the not-so-technical speak for B6-plus. It’s a virtual bunker.
And to prove that point, Halton flips open his laptop, runs a film and starts narrating: “that rig next to the Land Rover Discovery (armoured to the same level as this Range Rover) holds 15kg of high explosive…” Then he’s silent… nothing… nothing… nothing… then KABOOOM!
It’s the sort of explosion you see in a Hollywood movie, or hear about on the news; the sort of explosion that would reduce four or five, or maybe even more, regular cars to black smears on the ground. Only when the smoke clears the Disco is anything but a smear. Sure, the glass is crazed, the bonnet has been blown off and is god-knows-where, the outer skin has been shredded, and the tyres look rooted, but it’s still standing.
“That car was able to be driven away from that explosion and the passengers would have survived,” Halton says as my jaw slaps into the table.
We’ve moved inside for the theory part of my driving instruction. Because, in case you’ve caught on to where this is going, yes, I’m being taught to drive like James Bond, or Jason Bourne, or… any other cool super-spy you can think of.
But before we get to the J-turns, Halton has to reduce me to a gibbering mess as he runs through a raft of examples where the security driver stuffed up and got their VIP killed. And the stories don’t all just come from the Middle East or the former Eastern bloc. Nope, he tells me sphincter-tightening tales from the height of the troubles in Northern Ireland, and even from kidnappings in Central London.
Once he’s told me his stories, he starts running various news grabs showing the car’s of VIPs being surrounded in protests just to emphasise that the things he’s talking about are real and happen right now. Today even…
The class I’m taking right now is the same class that everyone buying an armoured vehicle from Land Rover has to sit. And that’s only after your desire to buy one of these vehicles has been approved by the British Home Office, and plenty of punters, Halton says have been turned down, “for one reason or another”.
Once the vetting process has been finished, Land Rover appoints a dedicated security consultant to work with the customer to ensure the vehicle is built to meet their requirements. All vehicles are sold with a warranty, and driver training as part of the package; added extras are regular visits with a technician to ensure the vehicle is in tip-top condition. And, in case you’re wondering, not a single armoured Rangie or Disco has been sold in Australia…
Over the course of a few hours, Halton reminds me about the importance of constantly altering my route and of mapping out routes that offer escape routes. He also talks about running a dummy vehicle if the particular VIP is very important and has received threats… he also talks about not trying to attract attention to the VIP which is why, even if you stood next to one of these armoured Range Rovers you wouldn’t know it was anything out of the ordinary.
An few hours later, and with my head filled with stories of assassination attempts and kidnappings (there were 442 kidnappings in London alone, in 2005), and my note pad full of situational awareness, route selection and risk assessment techniques, I pick my jaw back up off the floor and am led out to the armoured Range Rover. Play time is about to begin.
Well, at least it will as soon as I can get the door open. So heavily armoured is this thing that it takes all of the strength I have just to pull open the doors. Once inside, and with my breath back, I kick over the armoured Range Rover. Three times…
See, with almost two tons of armour wrapped around the body you can’t hear a thing from inside the cabin. Indeed, you’ve got to use an intercom system, hidden in the cup holders, to talk and listen to people outside.
On the move, the armoured Range Rover rides and handles just like a, well, just like a Range Rover. And that’s all down to its 5.0-litre V8 thumping out 276kW and 510Nm and a Prodrive-tweaked chassis, air suspension, braking system and heavy-duty wheels. So, because it still behaves like a proper Range Rover, you can clamber up over gutters, down steps, or even push through walls if need be. Not that we got to do any of that.
Ian Halton is one of the world’s most experienced security driving experts.
“The Range Rover’s armour and all-road ability can mean the difference between life and death; but all it does is buy you a few vital seconds,” Halton says.
But, he adds, as strong as the armoured Range Rover is it all comes down to the driver: “most of our training revolves around familiarising the driver with the extra weight of the armoured Range Rover and how to handle that extra weight in a life-threatening situation.” Because, he adds, if you start getting ham-fisted with it, even a vehicle as capable as the Range Rover can be rolled.
And that’s why, right now, I’m driving a figure-of-eight around a very large, and very empty car park. “The key is to be firm but smooth, it’s when you panic and yank at the wheel with too much speed that you can tip it over and you don’t want that when you’re being shot at.” Um, no.
But the best technique for getting away from an ambush, and one of the hardest to master, he says, is the high-speed reverse. And that’s because you’ve got to master three different ways of doing it: either the wing mirrors only; the rear vision mirror only, or looking backwards over your shoulder. And all the while bullets might be slapping into your car…
Using just the rear vision mirror I ended up way off course, running over the witches hats simulating a line of parked cars against the gutter. Game Over. Reset. Start Over… using the wing mirrors I stayed straight, but was slow, too slow, according to Halton. But looking back over my shoulder and locking my hand onto the top of the wheel, I managed to stay straight even with the throttle mashed into the deep pile carpet.
From there, Halton runs me through a ‘brake and steer’ exercise designed to simulate avoiding an obstacle or even a gunman that’s jumped out from behind a parked car at the last minute. It’s simple enough to do, but it’s absolutely terrifying, because if you brake too late with too much speed on board you could understeer into a parked car, or building, or… and end up as a sitting duck. Worse still, you could turn too hard, be too soft on the brakes and roll the car. Catastrophe.
With this two-and-a-bit-million-dollars-worth of bunker needing to be sent off to the detailers, in the next hour, before being delivered to its new owner tomorrow, there’s just enough time for one more exercise.
And that is the high-speed brake test, which would theoretically then lead into the high-speed reverse. So I pin the throttle to the boards, the big girl picks up her skirt and hammers to 100km/h; I immediately get on the brakes with both feet. The armoured Range Rover’s run-flat EMT tyres grip into the road and the Rangie screeches to a halt. I slam it into reverse… gunman avoided. VIP safe. Phew. And there, sadly, endeth the lesson.
Tags:4x4Range Rover
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Elton John Scores 2020 Oscars Nomination With 'Rocketman' Song
posted by Regina Star - Jan 13, 2020
Elton John has been nominated for another Oscar!
John and his longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin’s song, “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again” from Rocketman, garnered a nomination at the 92nd Academy Awards for Best Original Song. With it, the legendary musician could bring home his second Academy Award of his career, and Taupin his first. (Fans will recall, John won the 1994 trophy for “Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King.)
Other competitors in the best song category this year include “I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away” from Toy Story 4, “I'm Standing With You” from Breakthrough, “Into The Unknown” from Frozen 2, and “Stand Up” from Harriet.
The Rocketman tune has already become an early favorite this awards season, having swept its competition by claiming the Critics’ Choice Movie Award, Satellite Award, and Golden Globe for Best Song. "Everyone involved in this film... it was one of the most emotional moments of my life. It's the first time I've ever won an award with [Taupin] ever. We never won a GRAMMY. We never won anything together except for this, and I am so happy,” John said while accepting the Golden Globe.
Taupin added: "This is really sweet, because this is not just about a song we wrote for a movie. This is a song we wrote for a movie which deals with our relationship, and it's a relationship that doesn't happen much in this town. It's a 52-year-old marriage, so, thank you."
The 2020 Oscars ceremony will take place on February 9, airing live on ABC from Hollywood’s Dolby Theater. (See the nominees here.)
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Job Seekers, Welcome to The Beryl Institute Career Center
JOB TITLE: Senior Architect
LOCATION: Justin Drive
DEPARTMENT: Facilities Operations
WORK SCHEDULE: Days
Responsible for all phases of project development from project inception through working drawings and specifications as required to prepare project for bid and subsequent
Works under the direction of the Director Architect/Engineering.
Performs duties to support the goals and objectives of Geisinger in its efforts to provide quality patient care and patient satisfaction.
COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:
Demonstrated communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills required.
EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:
Bachelor's Degree in Architecture from accredited School of Architecture required or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Architectural registration required with minimum of five years’ experience required.
Must have prior experience with various related disciplines associated with the field of architecture.
Demonstrates the ability to use AutoDesk Revit and AutoCAD, Sketch-up, and Microsoft Office products including OUTLOOK, POWERPOINT, WORD and EXCEL.
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Work is typically performed in an office environment.
The specific statements shown in each section of this description are not intended to be all-inclusive. They represent typical elements considered necessary to successfully perform the job.
OUR PURPOSE & VALUES: Everything we do is about caring for our patients, our members, our students, our Geisinger family and our communities. KINDNESS: We strive to treat everyone as we would hope to be treated ourselves. EXCELLENCE: We treasure colleagues who humbly strive for excellence. LEARNING: We share our knowledge with the best and brightest to better prepare the caregivers for tomorrow. INNOVATION: We constantly seek new and better ways to care for our patients, our members, our community, and the nation.
ABOUT GEISINGER: Geisinger is a physician-led health system comprised of approximately 30,000 employees, including nearly 1,600 employed physicians, 13 hospital campuses, two research centers, and a 583,000-member health plan Geisinger is nationally recognized for innovative practices and quality care. Geisinger serves more than 3 million people in central, south-central and northeast Pennsylvania and also in southern New Jersey with the addition of National Malcolm Baldridge Award recipient AtlantiCare, A member of Geisinger. In 2017, the Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine became the newest member of the Geisinger Family.
We offer healthcare benefits for full time and part time positions from day one, including vision, dental and domestic partners.* Perhaps just as important, from senior management on down, we encourage an atmosphere of collaboration, cooperation and collegiality. For more information, visit www.geisinger.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.
** Does not qualify for J-1 waiver. We are an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer Women and Minorities are Encouraged to Apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability or their protected veteran status.
*Domestic partner benefits not applicable at Geisinger Holy Spirit.
At Geisinger, our innovative ideas are inspired by the communities we serve – like our Fresh Food Farmacy, a program that delivers life-saving healthy alternatives to patients with diabetes. With additional tools like our MyCode Community Health Initiative, one of the first health system genome sequencing programs, and our new asthma app suite that we developed in partnership with AstraZeneca, it’s no wonder we’re ranked one of the Top 5 Most Innovative Healthcare Systems by Becker's Hospital Review. We continually work towards continuous improvement in a culture where everyone has a voice and firmly believe that better begins with all of us. Founded more than 100 years ago, Geisinger serves more than three million residents throughout central, south-central and northeastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. Our physician-led system is comprised of 30,000 employees, including 1,600 employed physicians, and consists of 13 hospital campuses, the Geisinger Health Plan, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine and two research centers. What you do at Geisinger shapes the future of health and improves lives – for our patients, communities, and you.
The Beryl Institute Career Center is Just One of the Benefits.
Discover what else The Beryl Institute has to offer!
The job you are trying to reach from was originally posted at The Beryl Institute Career Center.
© Copyright 2020 The Beryl Institute.
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Randwick Specialist Centre
Specialist medical care in the centre of the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney
Expert medical care you can trust
Find out more about our experienced physicians.
Appointments are available from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Contact us to discuss your appointment or to find out more.
Appointments are available from 8.30am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Why Randwick Specialist Centre?
We are a team of medical experts who pride ourselves on providing a superior level of health care.
Randwick Specialist Centre is dedicated to providing high quality, specialty medical care and advice for individuals and their families or carers.
With a variety of consulting health practitioners, we focus on the following areas
For older patients (or a relative).
For the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, memory loss, incontinence, Parkinson’s disease, cognitive impairment, degenerative neurological diseases, disordered homestasis, difficulties in movement, overall fraility, and dealing with falls. When necessary we work with relatives for the treatment with a caring and sensitive approach.
For joints, muscles and bones.
Diseases of the joints, muscles and bones including back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, pseudogout, gout, bursitis, epicondylitis, tenosynovitis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, chronic fatigue syndrome, osteoporosis, myopathy, Paget’s disease, reactive arthritis, sarcoid, scleroderma, Sjogren’s syndrome , myositis and more.
For trauma, brain injuries, pain management
We provide a specialist rehabilitation physician assessment, and then plan rehabilitation therapy. We assess people for:
Trauma and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation
Diet and meal programs.
We put together scientifically tailored diet and meal programs for all ages. We focus on the elderly, women’s health, cooking techniques, gastrointestinal issues, treating syndromes, weight management, auto-immune conditions and eating disorders.
Accessing a deeper part of the mind.
Hypnotherapy is a gentle, non-invasive therapy which utilises the fact that the subconscious mind stores every experience a person has had throughout their life. When access is achieved, lasting, healthy change, free of any damaging negative side-effects, can become the client’s new reality. It is an education and communication process that actively includes the client in the healing process.
For vertigo, balance and nausea issues
For people suffering from
Vertigo, balance issues and nausea
Unilateral and Bilateral Vestibular Loss (Hypofunction)
Balance Disorders and Falls risks
Vestibular Migranes
Acoustic Neuroma, Meniere’s disease
Stroke recovery in the days and ongoing periods
Assessment and treatment through physical means
To improve a patient’s quality of life through examination, diagnosis, prognosis and physical intervention. We treat through massage, exercise, manipulation and other non-invasive treatments. We treat back, sports, injury, disease, illness, ageing and other issues to alleviate pain and restore function.
Therapy/Counselling
For behavioural, mental, and emotional issues.
For the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders that affect memory, learning, attention, language, reading, problem-solving and decision-making. We help patients with brain disorders such as dementia, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, stroke and developmental conditions. When appropriate we can provide interventions.
For cognitive/brain disorders
For the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of cognitive disorders that affect memory, learning, attention, language, reading, problem-solving and decision-making. We also provide evidence-based interventions for individuals with brain disorders such as dementia, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, stroke and developmental conditions.
For abuse, trauma, and addictions.
A process that focuses on the self – both conscious and unconscious. Issues of personal meaning, relationship to self, and the impact of past events and trauma are dealt with. The psychotherapist works with the client to gain a deeper level of self-understanding in order to overcome core issues that underlie persistent or recurring problems in the patient’s life.
For families, couples and individuals.
Addresses particular issues or concerns for an individual, adolescents, couples or families with special interest in:
Addictions / Addictive behaviours
Adjunct Professor (UTS) Tuly Rosenfeld MBBS FAAG FRACPConjoint Associate Professor UNSW
For Appointments:
Associate Professor Rosenfeld is an accomplished clinician with over 30 years of experience in geriatric medicine and aged care rehabilitation.
He graduated from the University of Sydney in 1978 and obtained the Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Physicians in 1984 in Specialty Geriatric Medicine. He is a Conjoint Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales involved in student teaching, training and research.
Professor Rosenfeld is passionate about providing the best possible clinical services for older people and his focus is on connecting services and providing information and support to families and carers. He will communicate and work with your GP.
Adjunct Assoc Professor University of Notre Dame, Sydney ; Adjunct Professor, University of Technology, Sydney.
Ms Milena Katz BSc(Nutrition)(Hons 1) BTeach, APD AN
Ms Milena Katz is an Accredited Practising Dietitian and Nutritionist with over 15 years of experience in clinical nutrition and dietary therapy. Since 2011 she has been focused on working with people to age well through smart dietary choices. She consults to aged care facilities to provide nutrition care to residents, educate staff and work with chefs to innovate menus.
Milena understands the stress that modern families have trying to navigate today’s food environment. Milena is particularly passionate about the nutrition status of older adults, identifying the latest evidence in nutrition research and applying it to every day eating. Milena has an interest in women’s health, food and evolution, complementary medicine and how the microbiome influences health as well as anti-ageing.
Milena provides practical diet advice that is scientifically tailored to the individual. Milena is experienced with both adults and children’s health and has been involved with media as a nutrition expert.
Make an appointment with Milena for: Aged Care Nutrition, Women’s Health, Children’s Health, Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Cooking Techniques, Heart health, Gastrointestinal Health, Weight management, Auto-immune and Inflammatory Conditions.
Ms Daniela Meinrath BAppSc (Phty) MPh Vestibular Physiotherapist
Website: sydneyvestibularphysio.com.au
Daniela Meinrath is a senior neuro-physiotherapist with a specialist interest and more than ten years experience working with patients with vertigo. She graduated from the University of Sydney in 2007 and has since become a senior physiotherapist in the neurosciences department at The Prince of Wales Hospital. Daniela completed a research masters degree with the University of NSW and Neuroscience Research Australia in 2017 in the clinical area of dizziness in middle and older-aged adults. Daniela is passionate about providing care to patients with vertigo and uses specialised equipment including infrared goggles in the assessment and management of these patients.
Dr Tasha Kvelde Senior Psychologist
Senior Psychologist
Dr Tasha Kvelde is a Clinical Neuropsychologist with more than 15 years of experience in the public and private sector. She has specific expertise in working with older adults and individuals with acquired brain injury and developmental conditions.
Dr Kvelde graduated from Macquarie University with a Masters of Clinical Neuropsychology in 2003. She completed her Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology) in 2013. She has been a conjoint lecturer at UNSW and UTS, and a field supervisor for students of Macquarie University.
Her work includes capacity assessments (e.g. guardianship, testamentary capacity), medicolegal consultations (including compensation claims) and clinical assessments (differential diagnosis, dementia, clinical impact of memory problems, learning problems etc).
Dr Kvelde is also able to provide advice and treatment for people recovering from brain injuries or people affected by behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia.
Ms Frances Jones Clinical Hypnotherapist and Psychotherapist
Website: francesjones.com.au
Counseling and Hypnotherapy is beneficial for Anxiety, Depression, Phobias, Quit smoking, Addictions, Fertility, Pregnancy, Arthritis and High Blood Pressure.
It’s so healthy for your mind and body to go deeply within. Close your eyes, feel the peace and healing within.
Hypnosis is a way of making changes in your life at that deeper part of your mind that you can’t access yourself. Hypnosis bypasses the critical conscious mind to work with the subconscious, the field of infinite possibilities. If you can visualize it, you can achieve it.
Stress can be harmful to our minds and bodies. When we relax deeply, we let go of anxiety and stress, the cause of a lot of problems. In a state of guided deep relaxation we can let go.
Ms Jodi Lonstein Psychotherapist and Counselor
Grad Dip (Psychotherapy), Masters (Counseling & Applied Psychotherapy)
E – Mail: jodilon@outlook.com
Ms Jodi Lonstein is a trained psychotherapist and counsellor with extensive experience.
Jodi is a psychotherapist and counsellor who has been working in the mental health sector since 2001. Skilled in both individual and group therapy, Jodi uses an integrative model, drawing from a variety of evidence based and therapeutic modalities and techniques to tailor her approach to each unique requirement (Person-Centred Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Psychodynamic Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Family Systems Therapy).
In an empathetic, non-judgemental and collaborative way Jodi passionately supports her clients to cope with problems that have arisen, to gain clarity or a new perspective on their life or relationships, or to deal with longer-term unresolved issues. As a Trauma Informed practitioner, she has worked with people of all ages and from many diverse backgrounds and life experiences, including those experiencing depression, grief, anxiety, social phobia, panic attacks, anger issues, addictions, homelessness and relationship and family problems.
Jodi works part-time at Waverley Drug and Alcohol Centre facilitating weekly SMART recovery groups as well as counselling individual clients. She is a part-time educator for Pre-Marriage Relationship programs at Catholic Care and is a registered PREPARE / ENRICH Relationship and Parenting facilitator. Jodi also works in the Catholic Care Family Recovery Programs (Holyoake).
Ms Agnes Rappaport B.A.(Hons), M.Psychology, MAPS, FCCLPSenior Clinical Psychologist
Senior Clinical Psychologist
Ms Agnes Rappaport is a Senior Clinical Psychologist with over 30 years experience in the public and private sectors. She has worked in Mental Health (Macquarie and Westmead Hospitals) and then gained extensive expertise in physical and neurological rehabilitation (RSSH, PHH, POW). Before retiring from the Public system in 2014, Agnes was Head of the Dept of Psychology, POW, and SESIAHS Northern Hospital Network Psychology Manager. She has been a member of the APS (Australian Psychological Society) Clinical College for more than 20 years where she has held senior roles at State and National levels.
Ms Lynne Moore Senior Physiotherapist
Mrs Lynne Moore is a registered physiotherapist with extensive experience.
Dr Ajeet Sidhu FRACP, M.D. (Pharmacology), M.B.B.S.Geriatrician and Pharmacologist
Geriatrician and Pharmacologist
Dr. Ajeet Sidhu is a geriatrician and pharmacist. After graduating in Medicine (M.B.B.S.) in 1984, he did his post graduate degree in Pharmacology (M.D.), completed in 1991.
Thereafter he completed advanced training in geriatric medicine and obtained fellowship of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
Dr. Sidhu works in private practices across Sydney and has been a member of Clinical Council, Clinical Excellence Commission. Being a pharmacologist Dr. Sidhu can confidently address to the issue of Polypharmacy in elderly people. With over 16 years of experience Dr. Sidhu is extremely passionate about providing holistic, optimal, personalised care for the elderly.
Dr Ted Tsai MB BS/BSci/BA, FRACP, GCertEduRheumatologist
Dr Ted Tsai is a rheumatologist joining our clinical team at Randwick Specialist Centre from March 2017. He graduated with a combined MB BS/B Sci(Med) and Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) degree from the University of NSW in 2006 with Class I Honours.
He completed his rheumatology training in Prince of Wales, Liverpool, and Canberra hospitals. He works in private practices in Wollongong and Canberra, and is a part-time staff specialist at Canberra hospital.
He was a conjoint associate lecturer at the UNSW medical school, and a clinical tutor at Notre Dame university. Ted has special interests in clinical research, medical education, and patient education. He is fluent in Chinese (Mandarin).
Dr Simon Chalkley MBBS PHD FRACP Specialist Geriatrician
Dr Simon Chalkley is a practicing specialist physician with qualifications in both Geriatric Medicine and Endocrinology. He is a conjoint senior lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of New South Wales. Simon completed his PhD in Medicine at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in 2003. Dr Chalkley works as a geriatrician and endocrinologist in private practice. He is a member of the RACP, Australasian Society of Geriatric Medicine, the Australian Association of Gerontology, the Australian Diabetes Society and the Endocrine Society of Australia.
Dr David Skalicky Specialist Rehabilitation
Website: rehabtogo.com.au
Dr David Skalicky is an experienced rehabilitation physician and clinical leader, who cares about his patients and community.
Dr Skalicky helps people reach their potential by, providing people with a Rehabilitation Physician assessment, and planning their therapy.
Dr David Skalicky assesses people for:
Dr Skalicky will manage your rehabilitation by working with Sydney’s best rehabilitation allied health professionals. He admits patients to Wolper Jewish Hospital and Sydney Adventist Hospital if you need to stay in hospital for rehabilitation. Dr Skalicky provides affordable comprehensive consultations in Randwick, and performs home visits and telehealth consultations. He is the visiting rehabilitation physician to the Bega Valley and Kempsey Aboriginal Medical Service supported by the NSW Rural Doctors Network. Dr Skalicky is an accredited teacher of medical students and rehabilitation trainees with UNSW at St Vincent’s Clinical School, the University of Sydney at SAN Hospital and Australasian Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.
Dr Janet Baker L.A.C.S.T., M.SC., PhD Speech Pathologist
Email: jbaker48@adam.com.au
Adjunct Associate Professor Jan Baker is a speech pathologist and family therapist with post-graduate qualifications in psychotherapy. Throughout her practice of over 30 years, Jan’s teaching, clinical work and research interests have been focused upon the differential diagnosis and management of organic and functional disorders in adolescents and adults, with recognised specialist knowledge and skills in the area of Psychogenic Voice Disorders. She has also worked extensively with professional voice users such as teachers, actors and singers, and in her capacity as a mezzo-soprano, she has particularly enjoyed performing in the recital and oratorio repertoire.
We are a team of medical, allied health and therapy/counselling specialists who are brought tgether in the one practice. We can plan a medical treatment, care, and rehabilitative regime that address the patient’s health as a whole. Such an approach is the key to the successful treatment or management of a patient’s needs. By understanding the key needs of a patient who may suffer from a range of inter-related conditions, we are able to deliver comprehensive clinical and diagnostic services of exceptional quality.
We are able to provide the very best medical consultancy services for every patient we treat. Our services are provided by compassionate and dedicated medical staff who are well known in their respective fields. Through cultivating a relationship of trust, honesty, mutual respect, equality and ethics we ensure that our patients get what they came for. We aim for the best clinical outcome and patient satisfaction.
Address: Randwick Specialist Centre 151 Belmore Road Randwick NSW 2031
Phone No: (02) 9011 6020
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ReCambia
Comunicación y Cambio Climático
Extreme Events
In EEUU
Hate Wave
Climate crisis and Climate emergency
Presence of Extinction Rebellion in the European media before the European elections
By Rogelio Fernández-Reyes, 05,05,2019
What is the presence of Extinction Rebellion in the European media before the next elections, as proponents of the declaration of the climate emergency? We choose the two most popular newspapers in the five most populated countries: The Guardian and The Times (United Kingdom), Le Monde and Le Figaro (France), Süddeutsche Zeitung and Die Tageszeitung (Germany), La Reppublica and Corriere della Sera (Italy) ), and El País and El Mundo (Spain). And we took the data about the presence in the first quarter of the terms “climate change”, “réchauffement climatique”, “klimawandel”, “cambiamenti climatici” and “cambio climático”, respectively, with the Factiva search engine. Then we analyze the presence of “Greta Thunberg” inside them.
Graph 1.- References to “climate change”
Graph 2.- References to “Extinction Rebellion”
Graph 3.- Percentage of references to “Extinction Rebellion”
The first graph shows the difference in the presence of “climate change” in two main media in each country. UK stands out with a greater volume of coverage. It is followed by Germany, Spain, France and Italy.
The second and third graphics show that “Extinction Rebellion” is present, above all, in the newspapers of the United Kingdom. And little in Spain, Germany and France. In Italy it does not appear.
Extinction Rebellion has had a strong influence in April in UK
In The Guardian, Extinction Rebellion has been present in 22% of the articles in which appeared “climate change” (99 in the 431 articles) and in The Times the proportion has been 36% (109 in 297), according to the Factiva search engine.
Resúmenes mensuales
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Intel Introduces Less Expensive Itanium 2 Chips
Intel rolled out two new Itanium 2 processors this week that will help drive down the cost of 64-bit computing systems. Both processors are optimized for dual-processor servers and workstations, and one of the chips, previously code-named "Deerfield" has lower power requirements.
The new processors are a 1.4-GHz processor with 1.5 MB of L3 cache priced at $1,172 each in 1,0000-unit quantities and a 1-GHz processor with 1.5 MB of L3 cache priced at $744. The six current Itanium versions are priced between $4,227 and $1,338 in 1,000-unit quantities.
The 1-GHz model is the Deerfield processor. Its maximum power consumption is 62 watts, which Intel says is half the consumption of existing Itanium 2 processors. The relatively low cost, it is only slightly more than the top dual-processor, 32-bit Xeon chip ($690), and low power consumption should make it a more attractive ingredient for the rack-and-stack server market.
Analyst Martin Reynolds at Gartner sees the processor introductions as another step in driving Itanium's spread through the market.
"The lower cost and power requirements of these new Itanium 2 chips will enable Intel's hardware partners to offer both low-cost and smaller servers and workstations and will thus increase the opportunities for adopting Itanium technology," Reynolds wrote in a research brief.
Theoretically, the Itanium 2 competes with RISC processors like IBM's POWER processors and Sun Microsystems' UltraSPARC chips. However, a big part of the real competition will be with Intel's own 32-bit Xeon processors, which are widely used in Windows and Linux servers. New lower priced offerings should help Intel make the Itanium look more attractive against Xeon, even as Xeon itself continues to reduce demand for RISC chips, according to Reynolds.
Intel says the number of server and workstation models based on Itanium will double this year to more than 40 two- and four-way systems.
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Rich Miller
This credit is weighted more heavily for institutions that own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to any of the following:
Legally protected areas (e.g. IUCN Category I-VI)
Internationally recognized areas (e.g. World Heritage, Ramsar, Natura 2000)
Priority sites for biodiversity (e.g. Key Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites)
Regions of conservation importance (e.g. Endemic Bird Areas, Biodiversity Hotspots, High Biodiversity Wilderness Areas)
Institutions may identify legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and regions of conservation importance using the Integrated Biodiversity Assessment Tool (IBAT) for Research & Conservation Planning, the U.S. Information, Planning, and Conservation (IPaC) decision support system, or an equivalent resource or study.
Sarah Munro
Sustainability Coordinator
Does the institution own or manage land that includes or is adjacent to legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance?:
A brief description of the legally protected areas, internationally recognized areas, priority sites for biodiversity, and/or regions of conservation importance:
IUCN IV: Habitat Species Management Area
In December 2016, the University officially completed its conservation land permit condition with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the town of Mansfield that formalized an additional 101 acres of wetland and woodland as well as folding the existing 64 acres of the Hillside Environmental Education Park’s (HEEP) under one agreement. Ultimately, UConn now has 165 total acres of conservation land.
The HEEP includes a network of trails running from North Hillside Road to Hunting Lodge Road and features two wildlife observational platforms and an additional viewing platform overlooking HEEP from the back of C-Lot. HEEP is a great contribution to the Mansfield Open Space Network, which includes parks and conserved lands from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), the Town of Mansfield, and the University. Initially, the HEEP was the result of the Landfill Project, an environmental remediation project the University undertook from the 1990's to the 2000’s that culminated in the creation of the HEEP and the C-Lot parking lot, which capped the old landfill.
The HEEP provides numerous research and study opportunities in topics such as invasive species and wildlife management, habitat enhancement, wetlands mitigation, and vernal pool creation and management, to name a few. The University encourages student groups and faculty members who may be interested in the Hillside Environmental Education Park site and its remediation plan to use the site for these research and educational purposes.
As part of UConn’s Green Campus Academic Network, future projects for the HEEP include organizing and installing additional signage for the added 100 acres in an effort to educate the community about the various environmental and historic features that are present on the land. Another project includes constructing the proposed HEEP extension trails that will add another 1.75 miles of new trail to the HEEP trail network.
Further Information can be found here:
http://ecohusky.uconn.edu/development/heep.html
The University also manages more than 530 acres of continuous forest area on the northeast side of the main campus at Storrs. In addition to providing a large area of natural habitat and biodiversity, the UConn Forest provides research and educational benefit as it is utilized by University professors and students from a wide variety of disciplines. The Fenton forest tract also provides hiking and other recreational opportunities for the students and community.
More information on the UConn Forest can be found here: http://ecohusky.uconn.edu/development/parks.html
http://today.uconn.edu/2010/03/land-conservation-deal-protects-more-than-500-acres/
The University also borders the 135-acre Albert E. Moss Sanctuary. The sanctuary is an area of significant natural beauty and wetland biodiversity between South Eagleville Road and Birchwood Heights Road. It has also preserved a sense of nostalgia surrounding what the University has historically represented and looked like. Additionally, a grant in 2010 resulted in trail improvements to the sanctuary to allow for better accessibility in the area.
http://www.mansfieldct.gov/filestorage/1904/5357/moss_sanctuary.pdf
http://articles.courant.com/2011-06-03/community/hc-mansfield-moss-sanctuary-0604-20110603_1_wildlife-sanctuary-connecticut-forest-park-association
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify endangered and vulnerable species (including migratory species) with habitats on institution-owned or –managed land?:
Has the institution conducted an assessment or assessments to identify environmentally sensitive areas on institution-owned or –managed land?:
The methodologies used to identify endangered and vulnerable species and/or environmentally sensitive areas (including most recent year assessed) and any ongoing assessment and monitoring mechanisms:
UConn’s assessment and monitoring for biodiversity primarily occurs during the planning and implementation phases of new development plans. The University works proactively to identify species or areas of concern using the Natural Diversity Data Base (NDDB) from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). If UConn’s proposed development overlaps with any endangered species or sensitive areas, the university hires an outside expert to conduct an assessment of the site and the species on it, as well as the potential effects the proposed development.
The University will then make changes to their design plans to minimize species and habitat disruption, as well as replace essential habitat lost in the development process to ensure the survival of sensitive species and to protect local biodiversity.
UConn is required by both the state and Federal governments to monitor these species and habitats for five years post-development to ensure no disruption or species loss is observed and to make the necessary efforts to reverse these trends if they are observed.
The most recent year of assessment was 2016 as a result of the construction of the new entrance to the University.
Additionally, as part of UConn’s Green Campus Academic Network, there is an initiative in its beginning stages that would be responsible for organizing and performing a biotic inventory of the campus.
A brief description of identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
As part of the University’s environmental compliance and sustainability efforts for new development, the University has identified and assessed major forest, wetland, and vernal pool habitat areas. The UConn forest and HEEP areas at UConn provide large forest and wetland habitat areas. The vernal pool areas on campus represent significant environmentally sensitive areas due to their seasonality and the species present.
Vernal Pools:
The common plant species growing in these wetlands include red maple (Acer rubrum), pin oak (Quercus palustris), green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia), winterberry (Ilex sp.), highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscom), arrowwood (Vibernum recognitium), Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii), New York fern (Thelypteris noveboracensis), marsh fern (Thelypteris palustris), sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis), skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), false nettle (Boemeria cylindrical), violet (Viola sp.), Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), and tussock sedge (Carex stricta).
Some of the observed amphibian species at the vernal pool sites include spotted salamanders, wood frogs, pickerel frogs, American toads, green frogs, and bull frogs. Eggs for these species were also found on the vernal pool sites.
Birds: Bird surveys have been conducted as part of construction projects. Some of the more commonly observed species are: Red-tailed Hawk, Wild Turkey, Mourning Dove, Barred Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Kingbird, Barn Swallow, European Starling, Yellow-throated Vireo, Blue Jay, American Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Tufted Titmouse, Red-breasted Nuthatch, House Wren, Veery, Wood Thrush, American Robin, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager, Song Sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird, Baltimore Oriole, House Finch, Indigo Bunting, American Goldfinch.
None of the species are of threatened or endangered designations.
On campus and in the surrounding forest areas there are also large populations of white-tailed deer, red fox, eastern cottontail, grey squirrels, woodchucks, muskrats, skunks, etc. Trail cameras have also identified bobcats and coyotes.
A brief description of plans or programs in place to protect or positively affect identified species, habitats and/or environmentally sensitive areas:
The University’s Extension program has a Forestry Committee that is in charge of maintaining over 1,000 acres of forested land, parts of which include rivers, vernal pools, and wetlands. Much of the management is focused on the removal of invasive species and the education of the public on forestry management practices.
http://www.ctforestry.uconn.edu/urban/index.htm
There is also an Arboretum Committee, which maintains numerous species of particular interest in and around campus. The Arboretum Committee has even created a walking campus tour of UConn's trees.
http://www.uconnarboretum.uconn.edu/
http://www.uconnarboretum.uconn.edu/content/TREE_GUIDE_CAMPUS_WALK.pdf
The University’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Department sponsors the Center for Conservation and Biodiversity which seeks to promote research and education on biodiversity and conservation at the local, national, and international levels. In addition to this the department also houses the biodiversity research collection of over 800,000 specimens.
http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/eebedia/index.php/Main_Page
http://biodiversity.uconn.edu/
The EEB Department also provides the Biota software for anyone interested in research on biodiversity.
http://viceroy.eeb.uconn.edu/Biota/
http://biodiversity.uconn.edu/policies/
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Home > ECU Works Pre 2011 > 6892
ECU Publications Pre. 2011
Women in leadership program 1993: National conference: Women's voices: Challenging for the future
Pauline Carroll (Ed.)
Churchlands, Western Australia
Carroll, P. (Ed.). (1993). Women in leadership program 1993: National conference: Women's voices: Challenging for the future. Churchlands, Australia: Edith Cowan University.
The Women in Leadership Program is an exciting development initiative that, over a three year period, has had a visible effect on attitudes towards leadership and the role of women in organisations. As part of the program, through the generous funding support of the Commonwealth Staff Development Fund, the goodwill of staff and the commitment of women examining the leadership challenges facing Australian society today, Edith Cowan University has hosted a National Women in Leadership Conference for the past two years. This Conference provides an ongoing opportunity for women from varied and diverse roles to contribute to our knowledge and understanding of leadership. The theme of the 1993 Conference, Women's Voices: Challengingfor the Future, highlights the richness and strength of women in Australian society. Each contributor to this publication, in her different way, testifies to the power of women's voices and the substance of the leadership challenge. The papers have been reproduced in their entirety and, in the main, reflect the style of each individual author. We present them to you with pleasure.
Gender and Sexuality Commons, Human Resources Management Commons
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Tag Archives: Bloodline
Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth
And this is where the Hellraiser series begins to fall flat. Bought by Miramax, an American company. Pinhead crosses the ocean and finds his feet on shaky ground in Hellraiser 3: Hell on Earth. Claiming that “Hell has come to Earth,” this installment enters the club scene of New York in the early 90’s. (Or some such city…) With Clive Barker becoming a co-producer and a basis for the series, this is where the Jenga tower gets wobbly.
In this part of the series, Kirsty is no longer involved. She did her duty to send back the Cenobites to Hell and gains a well deserved rest. It is now her testimony on a couple of psychiatric tapes that give clues to the new main female protagonist of the film. Pinhead has been rent in twain and his former self as Captian Elliott Spencer and his id as Pinhead (both Doug Bradley as classically usual) are about to throw down. It is up to young reporter Joey Summerskill (Terry Farrell) to reunite the two.
This really was the best scene though. Yay sacrilege!
Basic plot? Here goes. J.P. Monroe (Kevin Bernhardt) is a pimpin’ playa hatin’ psycho club owner of the aptly named Boiler Room. (This club was incidentally the most expensive aspect of the production and was filled with cast, crew, and friends.) In order to exude this strangely masochistic feel, J.P. gets his hands on the pillar of souls from the last movie, containing Pinhead’s veracious killing streak. After sucking in one of J.P.’s sluts, Pinhead emerges, asking for more souls to release him from his prison.
J.P.'s pimpin' Pillar of Souls!
Meanwhile, Joey Summerskill is on the case! Like a modern day Nancy Drew, Joey walks the bad streets of her newly formed beat, somehow stumbling on this supernatural case of torture. With the chance meeting of J.P.’s main squeeze Terri (Paula Marshall). Once they discover the secrets of the Lament Configuration, things get weird. Although, Joey has been having some strange Vietnam flashbacks of her father dying in Vietnam. I don’t know the time frame on this movie, but I really am not seein’ it.
The bastardized Cenobites pull Joey's hair!
With a whole new crew of Cenobites (because all the originals died in the last movie, but come back in the fourth for no reason…), these rip-off cyborgs must be stopped at all costs and Pinhead must be stopped from his sacrilegious ways. I wasn’t so sure about the ending, but hey, this movie was the weak link.
I dunno about this movie, it was just strange overall. After having so much fun watching the first two, the third kind of burnt me out on the series. What makes the next one even better is a little secret about the director (I can’t wait to tell you all!). With Clive Barker as a backseat driver in this series from this point on, it makes it hard knowing he is not the driving force behind what’s going on onscreen. The acting became worse, I cared less about the characters, and the only good thing that came out of this one in the series was a bit more development with Pinhead’s character. Leave it to an American company to make a great horror series lame (insert every Asian horror movie and its destruction when turned into an American remake).
With that in mind, I am not disappointed with the Hellraiser series overall. This one had a bit less gore and animatronics, but just a bit. The kill scenes became comedic, and the Cenobites were bastardized American versions of Chatterbox, Butterball, and The Female. With the amount of over the top gore in this movie, I felt short changed. It gets a bit better in Bloodline, but not a whole lot. Hopefully the stride will be regained in 6… But I gotta give Hell on Earth less than 1 or 2, it’s a saddening 3.8 out of 10.
I will survive.
2 Comments | tags: American company, Asian Horror Movies, bad acting, bad American remakes, bastardized, Bloodline, Butterball, Captain Elliott Spencer, Cenobites, Chatterbox, Clive Barker, club owner, club scene, co-producer, comedic, cyborgs, Doug Bradley, female protagonist, flashbacks, Hell, Hell has come to Earth, Hell on Earth, Hellraiser 3, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, Hellraiser series, Id, J.P. Monroe, Jenga tower, Joey Summerskill, Kevin Bernhardt, kill scenes, Kirsty, Lament Configuration, less gore, masochistic, Miramax, modern day, most expensive part of production, Nancy Drew, new Cenobites, New York, no animatronics, over the top, Paula Marshall, pillar of souls, Pinhead, psychiatric tapes, psychotic, puzzle box, reuinification, secret director, sluts, strange movie, supernatural, Terri, Terry Farrell, The Boiler Room, The Female, Vietnam, worse characters | posted in Movies
Hellbound: Hellraiser 2
Pinhead is back for another romp in the hellish world of pain and pleasure in Hellbound: Hellraiser 2. I have to wonder where the issue of pleasure comes in though, because it just seems like a lot of pain and screaming without any of the fetish of sadomasochism. Maybe that’s the moral of the story. Sadomasochism really isn’t for anyone. In any case, let’s jump right into the continuance of the first film, as told by Kirsty.
The movie opens on a scene of Pinhead (Doug Bradley) as his normal, WWII self. Discovering the evils of the box in his bunker, I found it was a great opener to delve into the world of the killer, and find out that Pinhead isn’t really the worst guy in the world after all. He was transformed by the puzzle box, becoming the evil person he is in Hellraiser 2. Or so we’re led to believe. Fast forward to a short period after the first film and we’re back with Kirsty (Ashley Laurence). I give Miss Laurence a lot of props for coming back to a series that, at the time, may not have been received all that well. Whether it was for the money who she saw promise in the series, I congratulate her effort in playing the female antagonist in this film.
That can't be pleasant...
So Kirsty is in a mental asylum. I know you’re thinking, “Hey, was the last movie all a part of her delusion? What a cop out.” But no, that’s not it at all. All of the events of the last film happened. Frank killed Kirsty’s dad and wore his skin. Who, accidentally, killed Julia and allowed her to be sucked into a mattress of the Cenobite’s design. And after all Hell(raiser) breaks loose, Kirsty somehow escapes and is now confined to aforementioned asylum. The detectives don’t believe it when they question her and decide to leave her there. Immediately, Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham) seizes this opportunity to examine her, because, as we discover, there’s more to Dr. Channard’s interest than we may know…
Look! Frank can spell!
But then a whole lot of redonkulous events goes down. Julia (Claire Higgins) is reanimated from the mattress by a writhing, bleeding lunatic. She proceeds to relentlessly eat Channard’s face (in the sexual manner) and suck the lives out of a few men, Mummy style (I’m glad this idea always comes back in these movies). The Hellverse is opened and Pinhead and the gang are once again allowed into our world. But, and here’s the twist, Kirsty and this catatonic puzzle solving girl, Tiffany (Imogen Boorman) follow Channard and Julia into Hell to bring the fight to the Devil’s door. Well, not necessarily the devil, but something similar.
I don’t want to spoil too much, but it’s worth watching at least up to the second in the series. (I’m up to number 5.) A lot is explained in 4 (Bloodline) although it may be considered the worst in the series. I just enjoyed finding out about
Julia, back with a bloody vengeance.
the Lament Configuration box and its origins in history. Pinhead becomes a better fleshed out villain than a lot of horror series give credit to their slayers. (The only exception to that rule is Freddy Kreuger, maybe Mike Meyers.) We learn about the man behind the pins and begin the road to sympathy, something most people don’t like to see in sadomasochistic serial killers.
As far as this movie doing justice to the first one, I would say it came about 3/4 of the way and then petered out towards the end. The ending itself is kind of a buzz kill to the rest of the series, but don’t worry, it’s not over for Pinhead and Chatterbox anytime soon. It still has all the gore and claymation animatronics you’re looking for in this groundbreaking series. It lays a basis for the series and doesn’t beat a dead horse with its plot. It picks up where it left off with no complaints. I was happier with the acting in this film and I felt the amateur returners to this film hit their stride and knew what was expected of them. I was a bit disappointed in the haunted house feeling that Hell had, or, the MC Escher style the art exuded(shout-out to Max for that one), but it’s all the past. The movie came to do what it did and did it with no fuss. Can’t fault it for that. So I’ll give Hellraiser 2 a solid 6.5 out of 10. And I hope you’re all looking forward to my Hellraiser 3 review.
Ahhhh yes, Dr. Channard...
2 Comments | tags: amateur actors, animatronics, Ashley Laurence, Bloodline, buzz kill, catatonic, Cenobites, Chatterbox, Claire Higgins, claymation, death, does justice, Doug Bradley, Dr Channard, female antagonist, fetish, fleshed out villain, Frank, Freddy Krueger, gore, groundbreaking series, haunted house feel, Hell, Hellbound: Hellraiser 2, hellish world, Hellraiser 2, Hellraiser 3, Hellraiser 4, Hellverse, Imogen Boorman, Julia, Kenneth Cranham, killing, Kirsty Cotton, Lament Configuration box, mattress, MC Escher, mental asylum, Mike Meyers, origins, pain and pleasure, Pinhead, puzzle box, puzzle solver, reanimation, return to the series, sadomasochism, serial killer, skin, The Mummy, Tiffany, world of the killer, WWII | posted in Movies
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Tag Archives: Ghost Ship
Sucker Punch: Everything You Want From Zack Snyder
There is only one word that can completely encompass what this movie truly is.
Sucker Punch. Yes.
Plain and simply incredible. When I went with a crew to watch this movie, some didn’t know what to expect. Others were excited. Even few others, me and my roommate/best friend Ian were just about ready to cause some mayhem up in that theater because of pure joy. This movie, as of this year, is my favorite movie of 2011. Heck, best of the past two years, let’s just throw 2010 in there. I thought, hey, The Fighter will clinch my favorite and do okay at the Oscars. Granted. Now… If only Sucker Punch had come out in 2010. It would have blown The Fighter out of the water. This movie was some ridiculous shit. Hands down.
You really will be unprepared.
Let me try to explain this without giving anything away. Not much to give away though, it’s really all just about the experience. Baby Doll (Emily Browning) is a supposed mental patient accused of killing her sister and almost murdering her father. She became deranged after her mother’s death and couldn’t take it any longer. Her father takes her to a mental asylum in Vermont and she is held there until she’ll be lobotomized in a week.
Parallel to this runs Baby Doll’s inner fantasy of being taken to a bordello in which the girls dance for their clients. Baby Doll, being that unattainable virgin, is being withheld for the high roller (Jon Hamm) that is set to come in five days. Baby Doll plans on escaping before that day and enlists the help of four other girls at the bordello. Sweet Pea (Abby Cornish), Rocket (Jena Malone), Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), and Amber (Jamie Chung). With their help, Baby Doll further escapes from reality into her mind as she dances to obtain the four items she needs to stage an escape. And that’s basically it.
Let me just start off by saying that Emily Browning was amazing in this movie. She’s beautiful, talented, and really come into her own in her early twenties.
Emily Browning. New Favorite Actress.
I’ve seen all her movies since 2000, major and minor roles (Ghost Ship, Darkness Falls, Lemony Snicket’s, The Uninvited, now Sucker Punch) and enjoyed every one of them. As she’s grown up, she has taken on a wide array of movies, from horror to children’s to action and the occasional drama. If I had to pick a favorite actress that I’m going to watch from now on, I’m going to place my bid on Emily Browning.
And that’s not to demean the rest of the girls in this film. I really enjoyed the Abby Cornish/Jena Malone combo. Acting as sisters who followed one another to the bordello, these two really did feel like sisters. I’ve found Jena Malone great since Donnie Darko with her alternative look and quirky acting, and now I’ve got a new actress to look out for. Abby Cornish, a new up and
Sweet Pea & Rocket
comer from Australia, was quite the actress, and I didn’t even know she was from there! In other movies she’s done (Bright Star, Elizabeth: The Golden Age) she stuck to her roots and did more period pieces. But I find now that she’s broken more into action and other forms of drama, I feel we’ll be seeing a lot more of Abby Cornish.
Blondie & Amber. They're okay.
And then there’s Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung. Let me put it this way. Vanessa Hudgens is attractive. She may be talented in the way of singing and Disney Channel acting. But the part as a supporting cast member in Sucker Punch was about the only thing she could play. She was more for show than for play if you catch my drift. Jamie Chung on the other hand was a bit better. Playing as the fragile transporter bordello girl in this movie was not a stretch for a girl I’ve only seen in Sorority Row (not bad, I must say, even though most critics wouldn’t agree. It was brutal, at least.) Oh, AND SHE WAS IN DRAGONBALL: EVOLUTION. Enough said.
Who I have to give it up to in this movie is Oscar Isaac. That man can act. As Blue, the bordello boss and mental asylum orderly, he switched between roles flawlessly at the end and kept up that “don’t mess with me, I have a short fuse” type of acting style. Although he may seem not that strong or menacing, he pulled it off with his voice and actions throughout the entire film. The first thing I’d seen him in was Pu-239 (great film) and I remember him distinctly in
Oscar Isaacs, Prince John. Better in Sucker Punch
Robin Hood as Prince John, quite the effeminate, yet brutal character. I guess if I had to compare him in acting to anyone, I would say Joaquin Phoenix (like in Gladiator).
Now, let’s talk about the special effects. I’ve heard people liken this movie to a two hour Final Fantasy cutscene. Yes. I agree. But about 1,000 times better. This movie was insane when it came to special effects. No need to see this in 3-D, this movie was just as badass in 2-D. This movie has everything (probably why they called it Fantasy, Sci-fi, Suspense, Thriller, Action… etc.) There are zombie WWI German soldiers, Orcs, Dragons, killer robots, you name it, this movie has got it. And it’s not cliche. It gives an authentic feeling to the old classics that every man in the world has imagined battling. And then it does it. Zack Snyder directive attention to the details of the small things, example, the texture of bullets and shell casings, the way glass looks when it is rained on, the inner workings of a functioning robot. All present and accounted for, slowed down, and shown in detail. That’s what I call devotion to the art of art direction.
All in all, this movie is hands down the best movie I’ve seen in a year. But what else do you expect from Zack Snyder. Let’s recap, shall we? 300, Watchmen, Guardians of Ga’hoole, Sucker Punch. That beginning of a laundry list of badass movies is what I like to call ridiculous. Zack Snyder is fastly becoming one of my favorite directors. 11 out of 10. Yes. 11.
Oh, and the SOUNDTRACK. Check it out, it’s quite amazing.
Leave a comment | tags: 2-D, 3-D, 300, Abby Cornish, aciton movies, action, amazing special effects, Amber, art direction, Austrailia, authentic feeling, Baby Doll, badass movies, best film of 2011, best new actress, Blondie, Blue, bordello, Bright Star, children's movies, cutscene, dancing, Darkness Falls, directive attention to details, Disney Channel, Donnie Darko, Dragonball: Evolution, Dragons, dramas, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Emily Browning, escape reality, fantasy, favorite directors, Final Fantasy, Galdiator, Ghost Ship, Guardians of Ga'hoole, high roller, horror movies, incredible movies, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Joaquin Phoenix, Jon Hamm, killer robots, Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, lobotomy, mental asylum, old classics, Orcs, Oscar Isaac, Oscars, period pieces, Prince John, Pu-239, reality, Robin Hood, Rocket, sci-fi, short fuse style acting, sisters, Sorority Row, soundtrack, Sucker Punch, supporting cast, suspense, Sweet Pea, The Fighter, The Uninvited, thriller, Vanessa Hudgens, Vermont, Watchmen, WWI German Soldiers, Zack Snyder, zombies | posted in Movies
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Category Archives: Revolution Software
For quite some time we have been dropping hints about our next game - and now, finally, we are delighted to be able to confirm that we’ve been working on the long awaited sequel to Beneath a Steel Sky: Beyond A Steel Sky Charles and Dave Gibbons have been keen to write the game for several…
David Vaughan-Jackson
Beneath a Steel Sky, Beyond a Steel Sky, Revolution Software
Broken Sword 5 coming to the Nintendo Switch!
We are delighted to confirm that Broken Sword 5 - The Serpent's Curse will be coming to Nintendo Switch on 21st September 2018. The game will be available as a retail box edition in Europe, and as a digital download throughout the world. The Switch is an ideal console for both portable and home gaming, so…
Broken Sword, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse, Revolution Software
Charles and his encounter with Sri Lankan monkeys
At Revolution, we've had a number of real-life adventures which have inspired our games. Charles, on a working vacation, took to Sri Lanka to be inspired by the sights and sounds of the country but found himself in the presence of some unexpected visitors. Here, in his own words, Charles looks back on his unusual…
Revolution Software
Charles’ Revolution Christmas Message 2017
As 2017 draws to a close, Charles has taken the opportunity to don a Santa hat and offer his annual Christmas monologue. Like the three ghosts in 'A Christmas Carol', he looks back for inspiration, talks about where we’re at now, and gazes into the future. We were tempted to take the analogy further, and…
Charles’ Montségur Adventure
Since Revolution was first formed in 1990, we’ve strived to transport fans of our games to locations across the globe – from Paris to Rome, Cairo to the Caribbean, and even a dystopian near-future city (that some claim bears a similarity to Sydney). As Charles and the team began to research Broken Sword, the secrets…
Director’s Commentary and Design Notes available now
We are delighted to let you know that the final digital rewards, the Director's Commentary and the Broken Sword Design Notes, are now available for our Kickstarter backers to download through their Humble accounts. It has been a privilege and a pleasure to collaborate with such a passionate group of people and we thank our…
Castlegate IT
Broken Sword, Broken Sword 1 - the Shadow of the Templars, Broken Sword 2 - The Smoking Mirror, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse, Kickstarter, Revolution Software, Rewards
Revolution: the 25th Anniversary Collection Box Set
To celebrate over a quarter of a century of creating adventure games, we're proud to announce the forthcoming release of the Revolution: the 25th Anniversary Collection box set on 18th March 2016, exclusively for PC. As well as featuring each of Revolution’s full roster of games, the box set will also contain comic books, posters,…
Broken Sword, Broken Sword 1 - the Shadow of the Templars, Broken Sword 2 - The Smoking Mirror, Broken Sword 5, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse, PC, Revolution Software
Merry Christmas from Revolution
Merry Christmas to all! Charles delivers a festive message made during a recent visit to Edinburgh to meet with Rolf Saxon. He looks back on a successful 2015 and tentatively plays the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come with mentions of Revolution’s future projects. Recorded for inclusion in the Adventure Gamers message, he pays tribute…
Broken Sword, Revolution Software
Broken Sword 5 comes to Playstation4 and Xbox One
For some months, rumours have been swirling around the internet that Broken Sword 5 - the Serpent's Curse will be coming to PlayStation4 and Xbox One....
Broken Sword 5, Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse, Revolution Software
Revolution was founded 25 years ago this month - in March 1990. To celebrate our silver anniversary, we will be sharing a series of exciting features, announcements and competitions throughout the year.
Broken Sword, Competition, Revolution Software
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Posts Tagged ‘Steely Dan’
37 songs for a new job
Tags: Average White Band, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Band of Horses, Bruce Springsteen, Cannonball Adderley, Devo, Dire Straits, Dolly Parton, Enchanted, Flight of the Conchords, Frank Loesser, George Gershwin, Halestorm, Herb Alpert, Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, James Taylor, John Handy, Little Village, Loverboy, Michael Jackson, Oingo Boingo, R.E.M., Richard Stepp, Rush, Snow White, Steely Dan, Talking Heads, The Bangles, The Beatles, The Clash, The Expendables, The Godfathers, The O'Jays, The Rolling Stones, The Vogues, They Might Be Giants
When I reported that I’d found a job, I threw together a list of 19 songs about work to celebrate. Thanks to the educational efforts of Accused of Lurking, spinflipmag, Tttwitchy, Jerry Kaufman, mikenr, Special D, Mr. Seaside, Number 9, and further research by all of us here at the Bureau, I have expanded this list to 37 songs with some reference to working for a living in the title. And what a long strange trip it’s been.
The primary thing I’ve learned about songs about work is that almost no one who writes songs about work actually likes work. The secondary thing I’ve learned about songs about work is that work is usually a jumping-off point for something else. Heading the list: sex, parties, emotional misundertandings (see “sex”), and striving for a better life (“a better life” meaning a life that doesn’t include work).
I could easily have hit 40, but I had to draw the line somewhere, and that somewhere was anything that came too close to David Allan Coe’s “Take This Job and Shove It” (a hit for Johnny Paycheck). For example, I didn’t include Sam Cooke’s “Working on a Chain Gang” because, well, chain gang. “Work Song” isn’t any better, as it involves chain gangs whether it’s performed by Nina Simone or Paul Butterfield. I like my new job. Chain gangs are right out.
“The Working Man” by Creedence Clearwater Revival found itself in the no-fly zone, as the spare lyrics hold enough hurt for a lifetime. Ditto “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford. (Why does Tennessee Ernie Ford always sound like he’s lecturing me? If ever a singer needed to be backed by bongos or an accordion, it was him.) “Working for the Man” by Roy Orbison stopped me with this line about the boss: “I oughta kill him but it wouldn’t be right.”
These were tough choices. I love Sam Cooke, Nina Simone, Paul Butterfield, CCR, and especially Roy Orbison. But I get paid to make the tough choices. OK, I don’t get paid. Only Domino’s gets paid when they stick their stupid pizza ads in my blog. But I still gotta be tough.
“9 to 5,” Dolly Parton
I didn’t want to include country, but this one is obvious. “You’re just a step on the boss man’s ladder,” Ms. Parton wails in that voice that makes me want to push her off one.
“5 O’Clock World,” The Vogues
“Tradin’ my time for the pay I get/livin’ on money that I ain’t made yet.” The narrator is not on a promising career path. Fortunately for him, when he gets home “there’s a long-haired girl who waits, I know/to ease my troubled mind.” I can totally relate. Bowling for Soup does a good Smithereens-style cover of “5 O’Clock World.” You can avoid T-Pain’s similarly named “5 O’Clock.”
“A Day in the Life,” The Beatles
More about commuting than working. My commute is not as dreamy. Possibly the second-greatest song ever recorded, after “Rock Lobster.”
“Birth, School, Work, Death,” The Godfathers
“Business Time,” Flight of the Conchords
It’s about sex, not work, but too bad.
“Career Opportunities,” The Clash
“Career opportunities are the ones that never knock.” I’m not sure these boys ever had a job. They certainly take a dim view of employment.
“Clockout,” Devo
“Clockout” is code for sex. Starts in an office, at least.
“Dirty Work,” The Rolling Stones, Halestorm, Steely Dan, and probably others
The only thing notable about the Stones’ version is the photograph on the cover of the Dirty Work album (1986). They’re dressed up like they think they’re The B-52s. Halestorm’s “Dirty Work” is melodic hard rock with a tough woman singer. I hate to say anything good about Steely Dan, but their “Dirty Work” is by far the most mature song with this title. However, none are about actual work.
“Don’t Bug Me When I’m Working,” Little Village
One of the perks of writing a music blog is that people tell you about music you never knew about. Little Village was Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, Nick Lowe, and Jim Keltner. Not a bad start! Their only album, Little Village (1992), is a bit reminiscent of Los Lobos, though Little Village doesn’t play at that level. Sill, they were a respectable unit and this album has some fun rock ’n’ roll moments. “Don’t Bug Me When I’m Working” is about a man who keeps bugging the narrator while he’s working, sleeping, and when he’s with his baby. Probably somebody calling from the Romney campaign. Also on Little Village we have a pretty stiff anti-work song, the Hawaiian-flavored “Do You Want My Job?”, which features this classic rhyme: “I hump the stuff, I take the cash/So my kids can wear Adidas.”
“Factory,” Band of Horses
For people who thought the film Up in the Air wasn’t sad enough. I like the line “It’s temporary, this place I’m in/I permanently won’t do this again.” The song sounds like it could’ve been recorded by Badfinger if they had stayed together for 40 years and gotten really slow. No factory, though.
“Factory,” Bruce Springsteen
The usual Springsteen concerns of the ’70s: Early morning, Daddy going to work, death.
“Factory Girl,” The Rolling Stones
One of the weaker songs on Beggars Banquet (1968), and that’s not a slam. Songs on this galactic landmark appear weak or strong only when compared to each other. Compared to most other songs, they spontaneously ignite. The singer on this one is waiting for his factory girl to come home, from work or from something more sinister, we don’t know. Bonus: Congas!
“Finest Worksong,” R.E.M.
R.E.M. gets on my nerves. I like this stirring call to arms, though in accordance with the R.E.M. tradition you don’t know what they’re calling you to. Plus Michael Stipe and his colleagues prove yet again that they don’t quite understand their native language (“Another chance has been engaged”). Anyway, “Finest Worksong” is not the sound of the men working on the chain gang.
“Found a Job,” Talking Heads
“Happy Work Song,” Enchanted soundtrack
I’ve been informed by my alert readership that “Happy Work Song” is a parody of “Whistle While You Work”:
Trill a cheery tune in the tub
As we scrub a stubborn mildew stain
Lug a hair ball from the shower drain
To the gay refrain of a happy working song
I like Amy Adams, but on this number she sounds as if she’s gone running for the shelter of her mother’s little helper. I like my Stepford wives to be rebellious rather than snarky.
“Hard Work,” John Handy
The only words in this jazz tune are “hard” and “work.” It’s a souvenir of the jazz-fusion movement of the ’70s. “Fusion” as a critical term means nothing now, but “Hard Work” is a fine stretch of jazz.
“Heigh Ho,” Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs soundtrack
The Dwarfs cheerfully dig up diamonds and rubies all day long, but “we don’t know what we dig ’em for.” They don’t know what to do with Snow White, either. Tom Waits took a shot at this, trying to turn the song into a Dickens novel of working-class horror. Nope. Louis Armstrong also tried it; he’s barely awake. No one can save this thing.
“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” composed by Frank Loesser
Though it’s plain that life in an office is like Europe on the verge of World War I, our narrator is enthusiastic and up for the challenge:
How to advance from the mail room
How to sit down on a desk
How to dictate memorandums
How to develop executive style
How to commute
In a three-button suit
With that weary executive smile.
Is all what I need
How to…how to…succeed!
“I’ve Been Workin’ on the Railroad,” traditional
According to Wikipedia, this is several songs bashed together. All things considered, the railroad seems to be a good place to work, even though they make you rise up so early in the morn.
“Livin’ for the Weekend,” The O’Jays
“5 O’Clock World” updated for the disco era. Work sucks, but on the weekend you get to party with the people who really know how to get down.
“Manic Monday,” The Bangles
This is a song about commuting, about earning a living in tough times, about holding a job you don’t like, and about supporting your partner. So it combines most of the themes the men use plus housekeeping and maintaining an appropriate wardrobe all in one song. Bravo, ladies!
“Millworker,” James Taylor
I’m not a James Taylor fan, but I found myself moved by this song, perhaps because I’m from New England and my father worked in the mills for 30 years.
But it’s my life has been wasted
And I have been the fool
To let this manufacturer
Use my body for a tool
Kudos to Taylor for being the only person on this list who wrote his song from the point of view of the other gender.
“Minimum Wage,” They Might Be Giants and The Expendables
Does the TMBG version even qualify as a song? It only lasts 47 seconds. Someone yells “Minimum wage!” at the beginning, a whip cracks, and then we get about 40 seconds of roller-rink music. I guess we’ve all had jobs like that at one time or another. The Expendables turn in a pleasant, temporarily reggae tune with lyrics right out of the Jean-Paul Sartre playbook: “But it’s time to go to work now/Maybe I’ll call in sick/or maybe heaven will fall to earth/better make it quick.” God abandons the singer just as the song jumps into metal mode. He never does go to work.
“Money for Nothing,” Dire Straits
“Nice Work If You Can Get It,” composed by George and Ira Gershwin
This one’s about love, not work. Clever for its era, but today it’s a Republican rallying cry: “The only work that really brings enjoyment/Is the kind that is for girl and boy meant.”
“Takin’ Care of Business,” Bachman Turner Overdrive
BTO was a gang of idiots, but this song rocks. A band we knew in Seattle, The Way-Backs, turned this number into a Santana-style 10-minute slugfest. “Takin’ Care of Business” is actually a big bowl of smug from a band that was riding high when they wrote it.
“The Work Song,” Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass, Cannonball Adderley, and of course Cinderella
Herb Alpert knew how to make a song swing, plus he intuitively recognized a good tune buried under dumb lyrics. Cannonball Adderley turns in a blistering 7-minute performance on Bon Voyage – Live in Paris (2012, taken from concerts in 1960 and ’61). Disney is Disney.
“The Working Song,” Richard Stepp
I don’t know who this gentleman is, but he can boogie. His voice is adequate but his guitar is superb. The song is about perfect attendance and the importance of being punctual. Also, of course, making a living. “I work to pay my bills/keep my stomach filled” doesn’t quite rhyme, but it’s fun.
“There’s No Business Like Show Business,” composed by Irving Berlin
Oh come on. There are plenty of businesses like show business. All you need are egos and large sums of money.
“Wild Sex (in the Working Class),” Oingo Boingo
There’s just one thing that keeps our hero going while he’s “greasin’ the wheels in a noisy factory,” and you guessed it from the superlative title. Musically, this is second-tier Oingo Boingo. Lyrically, the title deserved better.
“Work to Do,” Average White Band
A workaholic threatens to torpedo his relationship by coming home late every night. Can’t tell how he feels about his job – he’s mostly irritated that his mate doesn’t understand what he’s trying to do for her. An unexpectedly adult topic from one of our dumber bands.
“Working Day and Night,” Michael Jackson
This song has aged poorly, but the whole Off the Wall album (1979) has aged poorly, except for “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough,” which still rocks all night and parties every day. Poor Michael is working around the clock because his lover has figured out that’s the best way to keep him occupied while she sees her lover. Kind of a bad love deal there.
“Working for the Weekend,” Loverboy
Loverboy: The lite beer version of Def Leppard. On this track they take the thematic material of The O’Jay’s “Living for the Weekend” and eliminate all mention of a job.
“Working on the Highway,” Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen sets up a song like he’s writing a short story for The New Yorker:
Friday night’s pay night, guys fresh out of work
Talking about the weekend, scrubbing off the dirt
Some heading home to their families, some looking to get hurt
Some going down to Stovell wearing trouble on their shirts
Even though our hero’s job offers no advancement, and even though his poorly planned romantic interaction with a “pretty little miss” ends in jail time, “Working on the Highway” sounds like fun all the way through. “Darlington County,” on the same album, is similarly joyous even thought the finisher there is “Wayne handcuffed to the bumper of a state trooper’s Ford.”
“Working Man,” Rush
Working for a living ain’t easy:
I get up at seven, yeah,
And I go to work at nine.
I got no time for livin’.
Yes, I’m workin’ all the time.
I could live my life
A lot better than I think I am.
I guess that’s why they call me,
They call me the workin’ man.
Let’s review. The poor man has to get up at seven. Rough. He goes to work at nine and later in the song we learn that he’s home by five. That means he’s gone almost eight hours. OMFG! However, I do find this song interesting for sounding like Cream, Black Sabbath, and Alvin Lee all at once.
“Workin’ in a Coal Mine,” Devo
This song predates Devo by decades, but they had the hit. Mining coal is the most exhausting job there is, after motherhood.
“Whistle While You Work,” Snow White soundtrack
This one’s about housework – what Ursula K. LeGuin once called “the art of the infinite.” It’s not much of a song without the movie in front of it. Even then it’s still not much.
It’s Sunday. Tomorrow I go back to work, whistling or not. Found a job. Yes!
My favorite things: 1970s
Posted: August 27, 2011 in music, Record reviews
Tags: 1970s, Aerosmith, Al Green, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, Elvis Costello, George Harrison, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, Isaac Hayes, Joan Armatrading, K.C. & The Sunshine Band, Led Zeppelin, Lou Reed, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Stevie Wonder, Talking Heads, The B-52s, The Clash, The Dickies, The Guess Who, The Rolling Stones, Tom Rush
’70s Week at Run-DMSteve concludes with some of my favorite songs of the decade. I’m not saying these are the best songs of the decade, and they’re not all of my favorites. I just stopped at 25. To keep things manageable, I limited myself to one song per artist (except in one instance), but to make them less manageable, I included some runners-up.
A few words about women, of whom my list has only one, Joan Armatrading, recording on her own. (I do have Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson of The B-52s and Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads.)
There were plenty of remarkable women in rock in the ’70s. Minnie Ripperton could reach all of the known octaves and a few that she must’ve invented. But I can’t digest her music. Ditto Cher, Blondie, The Runaways, and Susie Quatro. I’ll see you in hell before I listen to Heart. If I added another 25 songs, I’d include Patti Smith (“So You Want to Be a Rock ’n’ Roll Star”), Donna Summer (“I Feel Love”), Joni Mitchell (tough one, but probably “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire”), and The Slits (“I Heard It Through the Grapevine”). How I wish The Slits could’ve opened for Hole. I’ll try to field a more balanced squad during ’80s Week.
My heartfelt thanks to Brother Bob Lingard, who started me on this week’s theme when he kindly loaned me a CD with hundreds of songs from the ’70s and ’80s. Though listening to this collection often seemed like an endurance test, especially when I collided with Christopher Cross –
“I’m on the runnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn/no time to sleep”
– Phil Collins, and the REO Styxjourneywagon dud machine, I learned a lot. I’d forgotten how much I like Roxy Music and Squeeze, how overrated REM is and how undeservedly obscure Steve Winwood is. Party on, Brother Bob!
Aerosmith, “Sweet Emotion”
It pains me to type “Aerosmith,” but at least they’re not Foghat.
Joan Armatrading, “Love and Affection”
This is the female “Bolero”!
The B-52s, “Rock Lobster”
How amazing that “Rock Lobster,” the greatest song ever recorded by anyone in any language on any planet, was produced in the same decade that gave us “Kung Fu Fighting” and “You’re Having My Baby.”
David Bowie, “Moonage Daydream”
My favorite Bowie album is Station to Station, but this is my favorite song.
The Clash, “Complete Control”
Runner-up: “White Man in Hammersmith Palais”
Elvis Costello, “You Belong to Me”
Could easily have gone with “Mystery Dance,” “Watching the Detectives,” or “This Year’s Model.”
The Dickies, “Nights in White Satin”
One of the best covers in the history of covers. You get every note of the original but all of them played five times as fast. The single was released in 1979 on white vinyl.
Marvin Gaye, “Let’s Get It On” and “What’s Going On”
If this had been ’60s Week, I would’ve picked “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine.”
Al Green, “Love and Happiness”
I can listen to this over and over. In fact, I have.
The Guess Who, “No Time”
What this song means is anybody’s guess. The live version, recorded in Seattle on the same stage where Special D and I saw The Roches and Guys and Dolls, rocks harder.
George Harrison, “Isn’t It a Pity”
Harrison’s talent seems so very different from Lennon’s and McCartney’s. George’s work floats on a slow-moving undercurrent of grief.
Isaac Hayes, “Theme From Shaft”
Shaft. Any questions?
Michael Jackson, “Don’t Stop ’Til You Get Enough”
The video of Jackson dancing to this song was the first thing I ever saw played back on a VCR.
K.C. & The Sunshine Band, “Get Down Tonight”
By your command!
Led Zeppelin, “Kashmir”
I’ve tried for years to dismiss Led Zeppelin as AC/DC with a library card, but songs like this rebuke me.
Paul McCartney, “Maybe I’m Amazed”
The best thing Sir Paul did on his own, and good enough to compare to his work with John.
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”
Thelma Houston’s version is more disco. I had to flip a coin to pick one.
Pink Floyd, “Fearless”
Dark Side of the Moon is my favorite Pink Floyd, but this is my favorite song. Always brings tears to my eyes.
Lou Reed, “Walk on the Wild Side”
To save space, the term “Lou Reed” includes the term “The Velvet Underground.”
The Rolling Stones, “Wild Horses”
If I hadn’t limited myself to one song apiece, The Stones would’ve dominated this list. For ’60s Week I would’ve picked “Street Fighting Man.”
Tom Rush, “Urge for Going”
Joni Mitchell wrote this one. Tom Rush is not in her league, except here. Not what you’d call a bouncy number.
Bruce Springsteen, “Backstreets”
One of the few times Bruce surpassed “Wild Billy’s Circus Story.”
Steely Dan, “Bodhisattva”
Steely Dan is not the most annoying band of the decade, though they’re right behind Chicago, Fleetwood Mac, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and The Bee-Gees in that department. “Bodhisattva,” however, is too ridiculous to resist. Plus it packs more swing than anything else in the Steely Dan catalog.
Talking Heads, “Heaven”
As I wrote here, I never appreciated this song until I heard them perform it during the Stop Making Sense concert tour.
Stevie Wonder, “Superstition”
Almost every one of his songs bursts with joy. Runner-up: “As.”
Your suggestions, comments, and suggestive comments are welcome. Thanks as always for reading. See you for ’80s Week!
They were the champions
Tags: 1970s, AC/DC, Bread, Carole King, Chicago, David Bowie, ELO, Fall River, Grand Funk Railroad, King Crimson, Mountain, Pink Floyd, Queen, Steely Dan, The Grateful Dead, Traffic, War, Wayne's World, Yes
Queen: Greatest Hits
I am never in the mood for Queen. There is no time of the day or night, no day of the week, no season in which I would choose to listen to Queen. This isn’t because I hate them; I don’t. They’re literate, which means a lot here at the Bureau. They use adjectives that are uncommon in a rock song (“warily”) and when the situation demands it they can concoct their own (“belladonic”). I’m just unmoved by their music.
One thing I do enjoy about Queen is that you can arrange their song titles to tell stories:
Fail Whale
It’s a Hard Life
I’m Going Slightly Mad
Fight From the Inside
Keep Yourself Alive
Get Down, Make Love
Sleeping on the Sidewalk
Placing them within the context of their ’70s contemporaries, Queen is less pompous than Yes, wittier than King Crimson, looser than Traffic, warmer than Pink Floyd, better dressed than Mountain, hipper than The Grateful Dead, kinkier than Steely Dan, nastier than Carole King, more electrifying than War, and smarter than Grand Funk Railroad, though that one is easy. My dog is smarter than Grand Funk Railroad. Queen could toast and eat Bread and wash them down with ELO without missing a beat. They are the Monitor to Black Sabbath’s Merrimack. They are not just superior to Chicago, they make Chicago look like Fall River, Massachusetts. Their song about women with overlarge derrieres is AC/DC with metaphors and flashbacks. AC/DC can barely manage a point of view. And their song about murder, the nature of reality, and Galileo made Wayne’s World possible.
Queen was obviously a respectable unit, but this is music, not quantum mechanics. If you could explain art you wouldn’t need misinformed critics like me. Honk if you love David Bowie.
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Anne Papakonstantinou
Project Director, Rice University School Mathematics Project
Clinical Assistant Professor of Mathematics,
Anne Papakonstantinou is a native Houstonian and a product of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). After graduating from Lamar High School, she continued her education at Rice University, earning a B.A. in Mathematics and French in 1969 and an M.A. in Mathematics in 1971. Anne went on to earn a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction (Mathematics) from the University of Houston in 1992.
Anne has spent her entire professional career in mathematics education. She is currently the Director of the Rice University School Mathematics Project and Clinical Professor of Mathematics in the Wiess School of Natural Sciences. She designs and implements district-wide programs that impact the teaching and learning of mathematics and collaborates with school districts to document the impact of such programs on students, teachers, schools, and school districts. Before her current position, she was an award-winning classroom mathematics teacher in HISD for 26 years and the recipient of several grants for innovating teaching programs.
Anne is devoted to her family - her husband Taki and daughter Joanna. Joanna earned four degrees from Rice University including a doctorate in Computational and Applied Mathematics. Anne enjoys reading, doing Sudoku puzzles, playing with her rescue cats, and spending time with her family.
Projects and organizations with which Anne is involved:
* Rice University School Mathematics Project
* Rice University Mathematics Department
* The Children's Museum of Houston
* The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
* Houston Education Research Consortium
* Harris County Department of Education
* The Rice School/La Escuela Rice
* Energy Institute High School
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Archive for the ‘Dictatorship’ Category
Lies All Over, Not Just Germany: We Need Reality, Not Frivolity
Our great “democratic” emperors are meeting in Biarritz, flushed with the arrogance of a small oligarchy imprinted to believe they have a moral right to tell a planet what to suffer.
Seventy-five years ago, Paris was freed, after 50 months of Nazi occupation (Nazism would not have happened to the extent it did, without help from the world oligarchy, direct ancestor of the one we enjoy). It happened a few weeks after the tragedy in Warsaw: civilian insurrection of the FFI (Forces Françaises Interieur), with the full participation of police and firefighters. On August 19. Within five days, it was done: the Second Armored French Division (Leclerc) followed by the US Fourth Infantry Division were in the capital, ahead of several Nazi divisions converging towards it. In five days, 5,000 people had died in combat in Paris.
Could it get worse, in the future? Watch the Amazon, it was supposed to burn in the distant future, it’s burning now. Of course, some will sneer, evil operators are setting those fires, in the usual slash and burning technique, so it’s not really the greenhouse causing this… Yeah, remember humans are evil, especially when in power, as many of these slash and burn operators are in the Amazon?
The extent of fires in Siberia and the Amazon is entirely due to the drought the CO2 catastrophe has brought.
Not any better with our leaders: evil, and, or, dumb: the CO2 catastrophe was entirely avoidable. In 2019, around 11% of the world’s electricity is generated by about 450 nuclear power reactors. About 60 more reactors are under construction (but not in the West), equivalent to about 15% of world existing capacity. 4,000 nuclear reactors could be making 100% of the world electricity carbon free. However, because of the likes of Merkel, it has become a platitude that CO2 is better than nuclear.
To make things worse, while corrupt Germany is burning coal massively, other countries have sacrificed themselves to reduce their CO2 emissions. France, once one of the world’s largest CO2 emitters, now emits half per capita of what Germany does.
Lignite mine in Germany. For scale, notice the church in the distance… Doing such a crime is one thing, pretending one is not doing it joins insanity to criminality.
So Siberia is burning, and so is the Amazon… where, so far, there has been 80% more fires than last year, 2018. The dry season ends in October…
What’s clear is that France made huge efforts in cutting down CO2 production in the last 60 years, and China exploded its CO2 production, a testimony to how much industry got implemented there:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL5Hjg30b_M”
Consider France: Why So Stupid Now? (Because Stupidification Enables Plutocratization!)
That country, France, produces no indigenous energy (except for hydro power all over: any river and brook is getting dammed, never mind if it damns the ecology). The country has a prestigious intellectual and technological history, arguably, the world’s most prominent. One would expect such a country to invest massively in hydrogen, nuclear, photovoltaics, and deploy battery systems, electric and hybrid vehicles. This is what France would have done, had France the mentality it had 50 years ago.
Yet, it’s not the case: only .5% of French cars are electric or hybrid, in 2019 (half of one percent, yes!) Yet, fracking for GAS was outlawed in France (although France has one century of frackable gas, that’s apparently best being purchased from Putin in French PC opinion; and although French fracking would have been more ecologically correct than German lignite). Meanwhile France ruins itself purchasing energy all over the world… And doesn’t invest enough in the needed research and development to make its own energy (as the USA, or Russia do).
France has much more sun than Germany, yet, French Photo Voltaic is tiny relative to German PV (no development!)
Germany preaches the religion of no indebtment to other countries… like the Borgia pope preaching abstinence to naive children… Indeed, Germany cheats with public subsidies: it has them and deny them to others. Germany has thousands of Landers banks, which are bankrupt, thus supported by local government, yet crucial to the German economy … a discrete arrangement not extended to other European countries. bringing lots of them to near-bankruptcy, economic stagnation, and research dissolution.
The world has a Germany problem, ecologically (thus economically). Germany gave up on nuclear power, instead of deploying, safer nuclear systems. Thus Germany replaced nuclear by lignite (dirtiest coal)… a sordid example, imitated in many countries. It is the same instinct to cling to the past, deploy nothing really new.
Hambach Lignite Mine, Rheinland… A SMALL portion of it: it’s going to be 85 square kilometers. An ancient forest used to be there. Now it is an unbelievable 500 meters DEEP. Just that mine produces 40 million tons of lignite, a year. Germany lies about its climate effort. It’s actually devastating the world, for comparative advantage. OK, the US is worse… but the US is trying harder…’
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hambach_surface_mine
Europeans are so afraid to do anything wrong, they prefer not to do anything new at all… and cling to the tried and true... In a world which makes yesterday so far away as to be useless. This is enforced by the 3% Euro deficit limit (imposed on all, yet eschewed by Germany, as I said).
[Only 12 NYT readers recommended the preceding comment of mine…]
Comments in the NYT were illuminative, often for the character they displayed, from down below: the following one, approved by 135 sheeple, was neither here, nor there; it just shows the party of stupid wins:
Ernest Montague
Oakland, CA Aug. 19
@Patrice Ayme Seriously? France gets something like 75% of its power from nuclear power plants. It has 68 of them. It gets over 90% of its power from nuclear and hydro. You’re not making sense, sorry. They are the world’s largest net exporter of electricity.
[135 Recommend]
Notice the aggressivity: I make “no sense” Montague says. And no, he is not sorry sorry, just an arrogant twerp who doesn’t know how to read, and make Trump look like Einstein… Actually, his comment doesn’t address what I said. He is not sorry, his goal is to make a fool of me, and my sophisticate opinion. 135 readers of the NYT approve this dereliction of logic and exhibition of the Dark Side. In truth:
@Ernest Montague
France gets 40% of its power from nuclear energy, and 71% of its electricity from increasingly obsolete nuclear reactors (see the difference?) You are also confusing what France did 50 years ago, investing in new energy, before the obsession with debt, and deficits, versus what France is doing now, with a maximum 3% deficit to GDP ratio. The 58 French nuclear reactors are second generation, they were conceived and built in the 1970s, all are obsolete and somewhat dangerous (safe reactors could now be designed and built to replace them… but that’s not done).
My point is that France has not seriously invested in energy… for 50 years. The EPR reactor has been an ill conceived disaster, symbolic of the decay of French technological investment. Tellingly, the EPR tech was purchased in Germany, not evolved in France from existing reactors.
The dearth of French investment in, say, photovoltaics, is striking in France, especially in comparison with Germany.
[Nobody recommended my reply: readers love to kill, not learn!]
David in Le Marche
Italy Aug. 19
@Patrice Ayme
The quantity of wrong “information” in your comment is astounding, given the ease with which one can get reliable basic (real) information from a 20-second Google search. France is famous for the Eiffel Tower, rich cuisine, and it’s massive investment in and reliance upon nuclear energy. Oh yeah, there’s Notre Dame…. the Mona Lisa. Pretty famous country.
Germany does still use lots of coal, but is aiming for 80% reliance on renewable energy by 2050, not good enough but better policy than the USA has, given that our president and the GOP still deny human-caused climate change.
And don’t get me started on universal German healthcare and overall quality of life compared to most countries, including ours…
27 Recommend
@David in Le Marche
Please read my reply to Ernest. What Paul Krugman talked about is the situation now. Notre Dame was built 8 centuries ago, and the Eiffel Tower, 132 years ago. France was indeed a very high tech country, the most very high tech country since the collapse of the Roman state, 16 centuries ago. First heavy ploughs (14 centuries ago), first hydraulic hammers (ten centuries ago), first steam engine and steam boat (Papin, 17C), first balloons, first cars (18C), first photography (black and white, color), first planes (Ader, long before Wright brothers), first discovery nuclear chain reaction (Irene Curie, 1937), first transistors mass produced (1948), first integrated circuits, discovery of optical pumping (Kastler, Nobel 1953), etc. Relativity was even discovered by Poincare, including E = mcc (1899; Einstein just repeated Poincare’s work).
However, this is now Paul was talking about, and so I am… The debt obsession is recent, hypocritical, and of recent German origin (duplicating the erroneous policies of France in the 1930s, ironically enough…)
I know France extremely well (this is written from there, miles from my birthplace).
Reading the Internet superficially and not critically will lead to believe lots of false information and fake news, and comforting but deluded, non applicable data. Let me recommend my site instead (it’s in English). You will find there a very different view of history (different because it’s more true than traditional lies…)
David replied to my comment very nicely (to be continued…)
Others focused on doing what they do best, aggressive lying:
Germany Aug. 20
@Patrice Ayme:
What? Germany is reducing coal mining and the use of coal, not replacing nuclear with coal. Energy costs in Germany are considerably higher than in the USA, due to investments in ecologically better sources. Not always successfully, for instance the photoelectric industry has suffered from larger scale and cheaper manufacturing in China. But Germany is not going back to lignite.
Well, Alan promoted lies: Germany depends more on lignite than on any other energy source. It’s not going back, because it’s already there.
Learn and meditate: In 2017, 171.2 million tonnes of lignite were mined in the whole of Germany compared to 169.8 million tonnes in 2009. Do you call this a decrease?
Lignite provides 35.3 % of energy in Germany. Highest percentage in the world, highest production in the world. How many more German misinformation do we still need?
German CO2 production has stagnated for five (5) years. Here is a heads up in the last few weeks: Michael Schäfer of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) spoke of the “disastrous results” of German environmental policy.
Opposition politician and Green Party environmental expert Lisa Badum called the latest reduction (due to warm weather) “a drop in the bucket,” demanding that the government “take a much more robust approach” to emissions reductions, including steps toward an “immediate phase-out of coal.”
Genug!
Several comments accused me of various forms of French, or German hating (won’t show them all).
Boston Aug. 20 @Patrice Ayme France gets over 70% of its electricity from nuclear power (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_by_country). This is nothing new. France is the biggest user of nuclear power in the world. How do you not know this? That you don’t know it makes me doubt all of your factual claims.
Reply to that: I never said France was not big on nuclear power. Inventing a false statement one denounces then as a lie is an old trick to build an ad hominem disparagement, as above. Disingenuous. Thomas believes in prophets, leaders to believe, he is not about knowledge, but faith.
Others opted for the pseudo-cogent approach: they want to correct “facts”, but they don’t know what “facts” are. Real facts are sincere.
Nicolas Berger
FranceAug. 20
French nuclear reactors were not all built in the 1970s, the latest ones before the EPR (the so-called N4 designs) came online in the early 2000’s. French investment into nuclear power has been fairly constant since the 1960s, and it is not the case that “France has not invested in energy… for 50 years”. Please consider doing a quick internet search of your “facts” before posting incorrect information. (in this case, see e.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_power_in_France)
My reply: Those N4 reactors, four of them, came online in 2000, but they were slight modifications of the old design of the 1970s, and those modifications were designed before 1984. Defects delayed them into 2000, and there are only 4 of them; so to call them 1970s design is fair, that’s what they are. They’re officially considered to be second generation… This sort of vicious comment appearing to be cogent is characteristic of disingenuous Internet manipulations.
To come back to the gist of the first essay, erroneous German policies, could be done next, commenting on an arrogant and misleading comment by a German economist commenting unfavorably on Krugman’s editorial. But then I would have to repeat myself some more. Even Krugman didn’t hit the main point, namely Germany subsidizes itself, while preventing others to do the same…
We need reality, not frivolity. We live in dictatorship: a few dictate to the multitude. There is a war on truth. We can win it only by telling the truth about war. War is what all too many people love to do: it gives them meaning, analgesia. Like many of these asinine commenters at the New York Times… And of course our stupid, and, or corrupt leaders, who had the means to stop the CO2 catastrophe before it got rolling on its own, as it is presently starting to do.
Tags:France, Germany, Lies, Lignite
Posted in Dictatorship, Economy, Lies, War | 2 Comments »
Houellebecq’s “Sérotonine”, Or When Schizophrenia Causes Globalization. And Reciprocally.
Houellebecq’s “Sérotonine”, or when an anti-hero dies of sadness induced by globalization and lack of moral compass (of which globalization is a consequence)…
To my surprise, I read (among other things) a new book, Houellebecq’s “Sérotonine”. I don’t usually read novels because most novel authors and the resulting works they give birth to, are neither smart nor interesting enough (whereas a crocodile, although not too smart, is quite interesting, while being much more direct: the croc wants food, or, if tame, scratching of the neck, while not claiming to have higher pursuits such as wealth, fame and respect).
I bought and I have tried to read Houellebecq several times in the past, and failed miserably within a few pages. I was put off by the sort of universe Houellebecquian heroes evolve in, a sort of universe I always avoided studiously, carefully, exhaustively, successfully, on various continents. (I remember some sort of cults trying to incorporate me at Columbia U, and another at Stanford U… For decades all my environment was academic, and an eminently stern academia …) So there I was in a bookstore, waiting for family, and I got intrigued as I sampled pages within Sérotonine. I was stunned. Was the famous author from the little Paris pseudo-intellectual scene, really attacking globalization, with an intensity similar to what presidents Trump or Cristina Fernández de Kirchner exhibited in the past?
When I say I cautiously always avoided Houellebecq’s style universes, I am not just talking about the chain smoking, and also the general aura of frantic sex with strangers, depression, etc., a perpetual fog with Houellebecq. I cordially despise serial sexers. Moreover I hate smokers, because not only are they drug addicts (a general indication of an unworthy brain, unworthy of my social skills, just there), but smokers aggressively direct their gases to poison others. They truly hate humanity, they are symbolic portable Auschwitz (I won’t tweet that one…) So smokers are actually lethal aggressors, differently from those who pump heroine, who are just idiots (this one I tweeted).
For me, the only positive side of smoking, definitively attractive, is that it gives me all the moral superiority to experimentally deploy my aggressive skills in retaliation, and study how creeps do to justify their creepiness (a science which can be put to good use in other domains). In the last few days I had US family visiting and that meant restaurants, hence the occasion of personally enforcing French law on smoking, beyond what timid French restaurateurs do. In one notable situation, a smoker held her cigarette as far from her lungs as she could, while her smoke went straight to my nine year old daughter’s innocent lungs fifteen feet away, thanks to a pernicious and persistent mountain breeze… The situation attracted my own counter strike (of the verbal type, but it was a scorcher designed to inflict maximal psychological pain).
We used to have pot types, with useless brains, just good enough to step in front of garbage trucks. It happened to a professional pothead friend of mine, a famous cover-of-magazine US climber. Ruined by pot, he confessed to me:”Patrice, my brain doesn’t work anymore.” (Pay attention, dedicated pot heads!) The next day, my pot head friend stepped in front of a garbage truck. Pot glues up synapses (yes, thus it may work for chronic pains, though)…
Now we also have the very worst, vaping. Vaping has been presented as an enormous progress: plenty of nicotine, for the nicotine addicts, no more smoke for their victims. Instead, the victims get dispatched with poisonous gases. Indeed. Killing from smoking kills in decades (although it degenerates people faster than that)… Whereas vaping can kill in hours (accordingly the WHO/OMS came out last week with a scathing, amply justified attack against vaping). It does that through innovative organic chemistry, generating deadly poisons such as formaldehyde. [1]
Houellebecq observes the disaster, the self-immolation of Europe, its destruction by globalization. And Houellebecq thinks about it, but does he think enough? Baboons also think, but they are incapable of producing civilization, they don’t think enough for that… Or even survival: the baboon species now lives, just depending upon our good will, our human good will… which is not that good, much of the time. Dies Houellebecq think enough? No (as his idiotic opinions on Europe amply demonstrate, especially with someone living in Ireland!) Egyptian baboon, 4,000 years old, Museo delle Antichità Egizie, Egyptian Museum, Turin, Piedmont
Vapers are out of their drug riddled minds. I saw a (French) mom vape in her toddler’s face… At a climbing area. The toddler was coughing without stopping. I came upon the scene, and could smell the formaldehyde from ten feet away. I chewed her head off about killing her child in public. She replied that, if it bothered me, as it did, she would stop. But I was still bothered by her little plan to vape her own child to death behind closed doors.
Houellebecq’s “Sérotonine” theme is all-too real and important. The hero is an expert agricultural engineer employed as a private consultant by the French government. His task? Helping to dismantle European indigenous agriculture and food production, by providing a flow of reassuring and mitigating reports, as the Titanic of European food production sinks under the assault of treaties with distant countries such as Argentina.
Serotonin mediates an animal’s perceptions of resources; In less complex animals, such as some invertebrates, resources simply mean food availability. In plants serotonin synthesis seems to be associated with stress signals. In more complex animals, such as arthropods and vertebrates, resources also can mean social dominance. That’s when “Will to Power” appears, endowing social groups with a well-ordered structure (in the mathematical sense). In response to the perceived abundance or scarcity of resources, an animal’s growth, reproduction or mood, may be elevated or lowered. This may somewhat depend on how much serotonin the organism has at its disposal.
Houellebecq does not explain why such treaties, those treaties destroying Europe, have been signed, and are still signed (his livelihood depends a lot upon not explaining it). But I can explain it, and I have (however, my explanations are no explanation Houellebecq wants to read). On the face of it, it may sound strange that Europe would waste so much energy, destroying itself. Why? Why signing treaties which ensure the eradication of European agriculture? Houellebecq does not explain that, not at all. He just implies over and over again, that this is the general mood of despair and destruction, from lack of solidarity now rampant in Europe, itself tied to glittering, flittering, fluctuating, chaotic activities which lead to irreversible disasters (as when the hero holds hands with a British black lawyer he just slept with, in a train station, and they come across the hero’s real love, Camille… who is shattered irreversibly).
The (anti) hero, this French engineer, is delivered to the deepest despair, as his job, his worth, consists into killing the means Europe has to feed itself. A subsequent girlfriend of his, a Japanese princess (of sorts; with government employ and connections, that’s why such a princess: governmental types rule the world, just below the Pluto class). The Japanese princes is all into Appearances, and secret, wild promiscuous sex with the multitudes, just like French agricultural policy is all into Appearances (and probably wild sex too, with undefined multitudes). In truth there is nothing there in European policies, and in the anti-hero’s muddled mind, below those Appearances: the core is fully empty. Houellebecq explains that human beings are made to live in small groups the size of a hamlet, a theme I have harped on for many years. Thus, living in cities guarantees solitude… And even worse one guesses from the mood of the book, it fosters not caring about humanity at all.
Taking medical drugs does not solve the problem at all, it just destroys the hero hormonally and neurobiologically.
So why is Houellebecq, so good at describing Europe’s self-destructive madness, yet incapable of suggesting its causes (besides anti-smoking regulations, speed limits on freeways, etc.)? It’s just because the novelist lives, admittedly on a small scale, off what is at the origin of what he decries.
More on this interesting contradiction… or is it feeding at two throughs (that’s always better than just one)? Latter…
Meanwhile, what we have now is not just dictatorship. It’s much less than that, we are even more deprived. Globalization has become annihilation, nihilism of realism. Minds in conflicting pieces. Serotonin has been implicated in cognition, mood, anxiety and psychosis. There is increasing evidence for a role of serotonin, as well as dopaminergic mechanisms, in schizophrenia. Schizophrenia means minds in pieces.
How did the European psyche get into pieces? Ever since World War Two, the European (pseudo) intellectual mainstream has claimed we had to save all of humanity from European rage and destruction… Not noticing that the courageous and high minded powers who declared war to Nazism, France and the UK, were European powers… while the USSR and the USA helped Hitler, on an enormous scale (Hey, let me remind indignant cackling turkeys, that I am talking about 1933-1941, here. Not that such turkeys would know what happened in those eight years, which have been misinformed not to say deformed as convenient “isolationism“). Indeed it’s France (first) and Britain (belatedly following France as a contrite proverbial French poodle) which forced Hitler in a world war he wasn’t yet ready for… and thus that he could only lose.
So, instead of thanking France (especially) and Britain, for their good and heroic service, against Nazism, against mass-extinction fascist racism, the pseudo-intellectual European class embarked on a campaign of denigration of Europe, and its highest ideals, the mission civilisatrice, fostered by, and profiting (who were by then) Europe’s masters, Stalin and the US Deep State. Percolating down, this hatred of Europe’s best masked by highest principles, brought up a deep, murderous contradiction, the desire to serve distant masters, while murdering one’s neighbours (in “Serotonin”, death occurs). Despair is the only hope out of it.
Thus Europe is being destroyed in guise of saving it (for the greater profit of global plutocrats). No wonder we swim in an ocean of serotonin.
[1] I consider likely that my own mom got Inflammatory Pulmonary Disease (IPD) from a close relative who vaped in her face (makes for vigorous family dynamics). IPD kills in a median 5 years. There is no cure. It’s becoming the most frequent disease. My mom took more than a year to die. Once a 28 year old died in the US, within hours of being exposed to vaping…
Tags:Despair, Europe, Globalization, Houellebecq, Schizophrenia, Serotonin
Posted in Dictatorship, Globalization | 6 Comments »
Thermonuclear Pearl Harbor Would Roast Democracy
Pearl Harbor Killed Few, An H Bomb Strike On US City Would Kill Much, & Not Just People, But the Spirit Of Civilization, As We know It:
In this age of the Politically Correct, military history is something which sounds too uncouth for the gutter poets who talk to us haughtily. However, military history is the prime mover of history, and it’s always full of surprises.
Look at Caesar, assassinated on the eve of leaving Rome with the largest and best army the Republic ever had, when he was intent to solve forever the problem of Germany and the Middle East, in one bold plan.
Or look at the Islamists, eerily driven by their lethal faith, taking to world by storm in a few decades, defeating three of the world’s largest empires (Oriental Rome, Sasanian Persia, Tang China)… until the Franks killed them all (715 CE- 748 CE)..
Or look at Genghis Khan, coming out of the very same part of Mongolia the Huns had come out from, and vanquishing more than a dozen civilizations, in a few decades.
75 years ago, the Japanese Imperial Navy attacked the USA on the island of Oahu. The Arizona battleship exploded, killing more than a thousand. .
Roughly as many people were killed in that other “big surprise”, 9/11.
Both attacks were a surprise. But they should not have been: the US had cultivated German fascist and vengeful minds.
“Radical Islam” is a pleonasm. The USA has cultivated “Radical Islam”, precisely because it is so deranged (both are, if you ask… but there is a method in the madness).
A famous Picture: French H Bomb Exploding In the Atmosphere, French Polynesia, 1970s. An H Bomb exploded in rage over a Western city would kill democracy.
The Nazi USA Connection Was Long Ignored:
Or opportunists such as Dr. H. Schacht, put to the head of the German Central Bank by 1923, where he engineered hyper inflation, to not repair France and Belgium which The German Second Reich had deliberately destroyed; Schacht was a creature of the US biggest banker, JP Morgan: later, being the most influential financier in Germany, and the connection with Wall Street, Schacht pushed for making Adolf Hitler Chancellor; Schacht then became Hitler’s economy and finance minister; exonerated at Nuremberg, and became very important again, after the war, especially with Spain’s dictator, Franco.
In the 1930s, Fascist Italy, Imperial Japan, Nazi Germany, Stalinist Soviet Union, among other fascist regimes, became all allies, and were confronted by the French Republic, which dragged Great britain, but not the USA, into the fight… Which France momentarily had to cease in June 1940, having lost the Battle of France.
However, the USA kept on doing business with Nazi Germany, as if nothing had happened. However, the entire world could see that the eradication of the civilian Polish population had been started in Fall 1939. The USA chose to ignore this, led by its Main Stream media.
In the end, when the Nazis finally understood the trap closing on them, as Nazi tanks were mired in the mud on their way to Moscow, and then the Nazi Air Force frozen in place, a few weeks later.
Meanwhile, the imperial Japanese had understood nothing: they prepared to attack Pearl Harbor, even though Admiral Yamamoto, head of the Japanese Navy was against war. He had studied at Harvard. After the strike at Pearl Harbor he said:”All we have done is to wake up a sleeping giant”.
Meanwhile dedicated Soviet spies, like Sorge in Japan, had informed Stalin that the Japanese had decided to attack the USA. Some Nazi officers could see the golden bulbs of the Kremlin through their binoculars. However, Moscow had not been evacuated, defense rings around the city were deep, the NKVD “blocking sections” killed all retreating soldiers. Stalin ordered the Siberian army, 270,000 elite soldiers to take the train to Moscow.
In Pearl Harbor, magically, the aircraft carriers left Pearl Harbor to “conduct exercises”. When the Japanese attacked, the pilots had orders to hit the flat tops in priority. There was only one flat top in Pearl Harbor, Sunday December 7. But it was a gigantic training ship, made to be hit by bombs and shells. Japanese pilots dutifully hit it again and again and again: it was made to take a pounding, and keep on floating.
The Japanese admiral ordering the strikes, who later would lead the Kamikaze corps, and commit Seppuku, with his command, in violation of the Emperor’s orders, lost his cool: he refused to order the third strike, which would have taken out the fuel depots, and, most importantly, the dry docks.
Roosevelt made his “Day In Infamy” discourse. Omitting the fact the Japanese had to attack the USA, because the oil embargo against Japan strangled the Japanese invasion of China.
And still, the USA did not declare war to Japan’s “Axis” ally, nazi Germany.
Adolf Hitler put the USA out of its ethical misery, by declaring war to the USA, December 11, 1941.
“Conspiring” = Breathing Together: The Details Of A Conspiracy Don’t Have To Be Conscious:
Starting just after Yalta, the USA made an alliance with the worst Islam known. The Great Bitter Lake conspiracy. Obama, by lauding “Islam” (implicitly: the Great Bitter Lake Islam, Wahhabism, Salafism, real, literal thus radical Islam) is still making that alliance the cornerstone of US foreign policy.
Same idea as with Nazism: encourage the worst, while making beaucoup bucks. At worst, an excellent war will come out. As World War One, and World War Two.
I love telling young Germans what really happened with both wars, how the US presidency manipulated German leaders in wars they could only lose. And Europe too. To this day, that part of history is occulted. So it can be extended, duplicated, repeated.
An example is the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. General Mattis the Secretary of Defense Elect, retired 4 star general Mattis, just opined that “Invading Iraq may turn out to have been a strategic mistake…”
Well, it was certainly not a strategic mistake for US oilmen: by removing Iraq, with its reserves of conventional oil, the world’s second greatest, the US destruction of Iraq made “tight oil”, aka, fracking, profitable, during its deployment phase. Now that fracking deployment capital has been amortized, US fracking is still profitable, and the USA is the world’s largest producer of fossil fuels… A position the USA has had throughout most of the age of oil.
The Meaning of Meaning: Who Thinks What?
The nature of semantics is debated by logicians, category theorists, and, especially, computer scientists. Finding how to mimic meaning in a machine would be a progress, but then one has to understand what meaning is for humans.
Trump, or General Mattis, looking at the Iraq war cannot have the same feeling as an American oil man. Thus, they don’t attach the same meaning.to the event. The same is true for World War Two: many different meanings for different people. However the meaning I attach to it, as a meta-conspiracy to further US plutocratic interests, is not in history books. Or, more importantly, in popular common sense.
Recently we saw a divergence between popular common sense and the official credo of the self-installed elites. The elites believe that the global political socio-economy they set up is the world as it should be, moving forward: they even use the “Nobel Prize”, widely advertised, to reinforce their wisdom. Popular wisdom has diverged, because common people, far from the self-serving elites hiding the mesmerizing foam of pseudo-intellectuals, have observed the catastrophe which they endure (the obverse of that catastrophe is the wealth of plutocrats and the comforts of degenerate pseudo-intellectuals, who literally feed on the catastrophe they generate).
An example is a fire which just happened in Oakland, California: in this center of political correctness, leaving in trash is viewed as a human right, and important advance. Construction of safe housing has long been viewed as Politically Incorrect by enough pseudo-intellectuals there to literally block any new construction for more than a decade. Instead, living in trash is revered, and the city provides services to help to do that.
Pearl Harbor Was Made Into A Surprise By An Arrogant Mood:
By 1939, Nazi Germany launched a program of extermination of the Poles, for all to see. The parents of the USA, France and Britain, declared war to the Nazis, and so did Canada, South Africa, India (whose national assembly voted for war, over the objections of Gandhi, self-declared friend of Adolf Hitler), Australia, New Zealand, etc. The USA ignored all of this, just as it chose to ignore to deadly attacks by the Nazis against US warships.
It was more important to pursue business with the Nazis. Why? Much of the American elite was involved that way.
An example: The Dulles Brothers, lawyers who had been agents of president Wilson had more than 1,000 Nazi companies as clients; the Dulles led US policy after WWII; one directed the CIA, the other the State Department; for them WWII was just a further opportunity to manage their clients differently. Companies like IBM had an even more seamless Nazi experience, before, during and after WWII.
So it was all comedy, in some sense. Anybody who has read the Qur’an seriously know that 9/11 is the most natural thing for a true believer of the Qur’an. And it’s why most 9/11 attackers came from Saudi Arabia (where the Literal Qur’an was, then, most believed). And why, until a few weeks ago, until overridden by the US Senate, and the US Congress, Bush and Obama obstinately refused to let US civilians sue the Saudi overlords: that would expose how Literal Islam is in the service of the rapacious globalocratic elite.
Anybody who had read the world correctly in 1939, and claimed to be sincerely democratic enough, not to racist, and endowed with common humanity, had to join the French Republic, ands try to block the Nazis.
The American elite refused to do so, because it had a different agenda. So news about the massacres the Nazis were doing got confined on page six of the New York Times even in 1941 (just as the same New York Times blocks all my comments, because its wealthy elite owners, and the pseudo-intellectual sycophants serving them do not like what I said about Quantitative Easing, or how to divert the People’s money to the richest financial elite…).
Why Would The Elites Have Taken The Risk Of A Nuclear Pearl Harbor?
(As I said above, it does not have to be conscious.) Because, the first time an H bomb strikes a big Western city, especially one in the USA, millions will die in minutes, and democracy, within the hour. At that point the only question would be to know whether the USA (hence the West) has become a pure military dictatorship, or one led by the present elite, the global plutocracy. Elites, subconsciously or not, do not like democracy… they call it “populism” and spit on it everyday, encouraging all to do the same, through frantic Main Stream Media (MSM). MSM considers that any attack against any hero of banks and the elites, such as the basically unelected Mateo Renzi (ex-Italian PM) is an attack of “populism”.
The US elite, in 1939, had interest to see the defeat of European democracies, so that the European influence would collapse worldwide, and they could conquer Europe socio-economically. As happened. So the policy of the USA in the 1930s and even during the entire Second World War, was to make a bad situation worse: hence why Roosevelt gave half of Europe to Stalin.
Increasingly the mood that Roosevelt was very sick at Yalta has been advanced to justify Roosevelt’s behavior. However, Roosevelt had advisors, the British, led by Churchill, were against it, and the whole thing had been prepared carefully, first by accepting to meet in Yalta, in the USSR, where FDR and Churchill were treated as honored prisoners. And second by not inviting the French and the Poles (the whole idea of Yalta being to occupy half of Europe with the USSR, the other half by the USA).
Then Roosevelt rushed to the Great Bitter Lake on the Suez canal, to make a similar deal with the Saudis, with now Abdulaziz Ibn Saud playing the role of Stalin, and Literal Islam that of Literal Leninism.
Did the USA Know Pearl Harbor Was Coming?
Thus Pearl Harbor was an accident waiting to happen. Some have said more, and that some US authorities knew an attack was coming and let it happen. There are many troubling indices that way. For example the US had broken the Japanese codes. Of course the Japs used codes within the codes (calling locales fancy names).
But, as the US showed seven months later at Midway, US counterintelligence knew how to turn around that (because of code breaking, the US Navy knew, weeks in advance, that the Japs were going to attack Midway by surprise, and ambushed the surprised surprising Japs, after further elaborate deceptions).
And certainly Stalin knew the Japs were going to attack the USA (as he displaced the Siberian army prior to it).
However, other documents show the USA did not plan to go to war in 1942 (but the year after that).
In any case, it was not pretty. And a nuclear strike on the West would not be pretty, either. Actually, it would be way worse. Whereas Pearl Harbor reinvigorated US democracy, a nuclear bomb would definitely hit it (as the hysteria post 9/11 demonstrated, including the ill-conceived invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq).
The pratically minded often cut me off, and ask what to do. The first thing to do, is to learn, to learn what happened in the past. However, history is mightily distorted, mangled, and amputated. In the case of the Twentieth Century, the head is missing, namely why did the USA behave the way it did, which made WWI and WWII longer and more consequential that they needed to be.
If the USA had allied itself with France in August 1914, the war would have been over in less than 12 months. Same observation for World War Two. On top of that, in the case of WWII, the Japs would have seen the might and determination of the USA, had the USA declared war in September 1939 to Adolf Hitler. The Japs would then have concluded that Britain, France and the USA were bound to be in Berlin within months.
There would have been no Japanese attack on French Indochina, no attack on Pearl Harbor, no attack in the Philippines. The Japs would have been quietly strangled in China, deadly afraid to be overthrown as Hitler had been, and not having the means (no oil) to attack anyway.
By feeding the Axis before World War Two (and the Kaiser during WWI!), the USA threw gasoline on the fascist fire. (Literally, as the Nazis were motorized by US oil until 1941, and then synthetic US process oil…)
A similar feeding of a fascist entity has been indulged into with Literal Islam, since the great Bitter Lake conspiracy (among other things, it brought the installment of Islam Fundamentalist “republics” such as Pakistan; later, indirectly, Iran, as the US empowered Khomeini and company in the early 1950s…)
Obama also dropped the ball on North Korea, too busy was he ingratiating himself with all the US plutocrats he could find, by not confronting China. (Even Bill Clinton had been more rigorous with north Korea, than Obama!) Such non-actions are a form of action. Now the Obama administration is telling the Trump team that there is a big problem with North Korea.
Yes, it is called a possible nuclear Pearl Harbor.
Some will whine that surely the North Korean dictator, who gave his uncle to dogs for dinner, is not that crazy. Why not? Madness has its reasons that common sense does not have.
The head of the Japanese Navy was against attacking the USA, before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Even the extremely ferocious admiral who led the strikes, as ferocious as the most ferocious Japanese warrior in WWII, got scared after the two first waves of attacks: he feared exactly what would happened at Midway, seven months later to the day: ambushing US carriers.
So will a dictator like the one in North Korea not attempt a nuclear first strike? Don’t bet your life on it. But, come to think of it, that;s what we have all been doing.
Expect the worst: you will not be disappointed.
Tags:9/11, democracy, history, Pearl Harbor, WWII
Posted in Democracy, Dictatorship, War, World War One, World War Two | 20 Comments »
No Force, No Moral
Abstract: Why didn’t Obama outright jail the Crook of Apple Inc., on the ground of aiding and abetting terrorism? For the same reason as he became lupine Putin’s obsequious butler. Morality, the Roman mores, depends upon force always. However, masters’ servants are not reputed for the creative application of force.
The universe is created by force. Giant supernovae explode, generating the heavy elements which can then combine and create chemistry. Some want to say the universe is not about force, just harmony, love, etc. Yes, the universe, the human universe, is also about love and harmony. But fundamentally, it’s a balance of forces.
Unbalancing those forces lead to holocausts. Or, as we can now clearly see, even worse.
Did Obama Understand What His Primary Mission Was?
… Or is it that the job of the leaders in Washington is to let the world down, so that they can come on top? (And New York’s Daily News is not cynical enough.)
The universe, and our knowledge of it, is not just about force, violence, but also about chance, serendipity.
The new LIGO observatory of space deformations detected gravitational waves when it had just been turned on for its first engineering run, after being closed for improvements, during five long years. It was supposed to officially open four days later. The observed Black Holes have masses too large for usual astrophysics. Collapsing stars are supposed to give BH no more than 11 solar masses (long story), a third of what was observed here. This is an important new riddle emerging.
There is a brand new ceasefire in Syria. Putin rules, Obama cleans his shoes (some will say that’s what, for psychological reasons, this is to be expected: after all, Putin is a wilful white man, a killer, a conqueror, an invader, not a self-important, obsequious butler).
In 2013, The French Republic was ready to strike Assad. Assad had crossed the ‘red line’ of massive, blatant usage of nerve gas (in a suburb of Damas). Who had set the ‘red line’? The USA. The President of the USA had declared, solemnly, that if Assad used chemical weapons on its own people, the USA would take him out. Indeed, the war in Syria had started with peaceful protests. Assad reacted with gunfire, and then unleashing, and feeding (by buying its oil), the Islamist State. So Assad, son of his dictator father, was as culprit as possible.
The legitimacy of it all? 1) Human Rights. 2) Syria is within the European defense zone, so to speak (as demonstrated by the refugee problem). 3)Syria as a French Protectorate (given by the SDN, after the Turkish empire got ejected). 4) Further back, Syria was part of the “Oriental Part” of the Roman empire for seven centuries, until it was invaded by the Muslim Arab army which killed all males of weapon bearing age.
One can view the latter invasion as an UNJUST war, and such wars can be reversed.
The Roman Republic rightly made a big deal of JUST wars, which were basically defense wars: Rome was attacked, and then the aggressor was taken out. This is what happened, until the Third Punic war (in which Carthage was in the right, and the right-wing, plutocratic fanatics in the Senate, in the wrong). The next problem was Caesar’s Bellum Gallicum, where there again, Caesar’s adversaries pointed out that he, Caesar, had been the aggressor in Gaul (although the situation was complex, since the (misled) Helvetii had attacked, and Caesar initially intervened to help allies against the (future) Swiss. But then Caesar and his ten legions exceeded the mandate…
In any case, re-establishing democracy and republic in places which knew these under Rome is, arguably a just war.
Instead, Obama showed the defense of human rights by the USA was a lot of hot air. Putin invaded Ukraine 6 months later. Now he is making Syria into a client state. If he follows his model in Chechnya, he will kill up to 15% of the population, to install firmly his own Pluto.
(Said Pluto in Chechnya would have killed Boris Nemtsov, exactly a year ago to the day, with four bullets in the back, below the Kremlin; that’s convenient, as the Chechen Pluto is head of state, so hard to prosecute.)
Now that it is established the USA is hot air, nobody fears it. China is promptly installing radars on islands just off the Philippines, that it just created. Obama will punish the Chinese dictatorship by looking haughty until Mr. Xi and his goons surrender.
Where does Obama’s mentality comes from? Well, European pacifists are pretty much to be accused. The only European country defending Europe’s Lebensraum (vital space in German; a term Hitler used; that does not mean it never has any validity), is the French Republic, with troops on the ground in combat in Syria, Libya, Mali, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, CAR, etc. This sort of pacifism caused two extended world wars which ravaged Europe.
In World War One, the Netherlands, with its accomplice the USA, extended the war by three years by breaking the Franco-British embargo. In World War Two, Sweden, the Netherlands and Belgium helped considerably in the defeat of France in 1940, and the subsequent French-Nazi ceasefire (which lasted, in practice, less than two years; yet, the evil was done, and dozens of millions died).
Obama’s lack of spine is not just about refusing to confront the Russian Caesar. Now the dark Pluto heading Apple refuses to release the communications of a mass murdering Islamist State terrorist. Why was that crook not charged with aiding and abetting mass murdering terrorism? Because such people are supposed to lead the world, and not be led by the world.
Were I president, I would arrest the crook, and apply the Patriot Act to him. He would then disappear from view. Then I would ask the same question to the second in command at Apple, five minutes later. Upon refusal, he would also be on his way to Guantanamo or somewhere. And so on down the line in the next hour, until one could crack the codes in the damn phone.
Instead we have the sorry spectacle that Apple makes the laws. Just like Apple gets its profits, hundreds of billions of them through the British Virgin Islands, to pay no tax whatsoever, Apple is supposed to keep on deciding what the law is.
It’s a matter of knowing what dominates: the law of We The People, with its equality of taxation, or the law of Them The Plutocrats, with the principle that Plutocrats decide what the law is.
Instead, civilization made laws in accordance with ethology, where all human beings are equal. Civilization arose from force, and so did the imposition of morality, which is not viable, without.
Don’t ask Obama, he is a lost little boy, in a land of big Plutos roaming, who are everything, whereas he is not much, and he needs to love them, should he want a job, next year.
The more sinister, and deeper level of analysis, of course, is that the USA’s plutocracy profited immensely from the weakening of European democracies in the Twentieth Century. Thus, cynics will argue, the morally lazy Obama is actually in the tradition of the most efficient American patriots: paying lip service to the morally correct, while implementing the dirtiest. But then, of course, most European leaders are accomplices to that… A curiosity explained by the nature of global plutocracy, and its Anglo-Saxon headquarters (including Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, etc.) Several European leaders were partners at Goldman Sachs, and, one would gather, are still partners with Goldman Sachs. That may explain why the leaders of Goldman Sachs were not arrested for cooking the books in Greece.
What is most interesting in all this, is that common people are starting to notice that something is askew: most Americans think the country is “heading in the wrong direction”…
Tags:Aiding and abeting terrorism, Apple, Cook, Cowardice, Obama, Patriot Act, Putin, Syria
Posted in Dark Side, Dictatorship, Ethics, Human Ethology, Morality, Uncategorized | 18 Comments »
Judicial Dictator Scalia Was A Plutocrat
The Commoners who are the first victims of plutocracy, have a very restricted notion of what “plutocracy” means. (And this is precisely this dearth of imagination and knowledge which explains why they got enslaved so easily!) The Commoners, in the naivety characteristic of their inferior class, believe that plutocracy has just to do with money. How silly. Not at all. Money is just a possible tool. In truth, plutocracy has to do with killing. This is what evolution says. And evolution is our one and only True God, The One who made us, in our image.
I will show the satanic aspect of plutocracy in the particular case of “Justice” Antonin Scalia, a recently diseased plutocrat in robe. Scalia had the demonic power, he did not need to express it through the colossal amounts of money the hundreds of billions of dollars controlled by the Gates and Walton families. Scalia managed, and imposed evil, directly.
Plutocracy is, etymologically speaking, truly the rule of Pluto, the rule of the God of Hell. What is money? How to have power onto other people. A better way to have power, is to eliminate the intermediary medium, and have power directly. Scalia had this direct power. And the enjoyable, extremely high income lifestyle of the extremely rich and famous to go with it.
Bush’s Head Was Photoshopped. But the Rest of the Picture With Scalia In It Is Authentic. Plutocracy Is All About Killing, Such Is My Thesis
It turns out (see below) that Scalia was all about private jets and global, multi-centuries old secret societies (as I have long alleged). This subject has long been broached here: I have questioned the wealth of some members of the Supreme Court, considering their relatively modest salaries (many in Obama’s government are immensely rich, and became so, after getting in that “democratic” president’s administration; Peter Orszag, Obama’s budget director for a few month went to Citigroup, and now has been named to the French bank Lazard. Orszag knows how to zig zag in the worldwide plutocracy; Obama’s National Security Adviser has made millions, holding mostly government positions…). The most powerful men have absolutely no qualms. Some of the most powerful men in the world belong to American clubs which still outlaw women!
Says the Wall Street Journal (the well known leftist publication I get my ideas from):
“Mr. Orszag is among a large number of former Washington insiders who have left the Beltway for Wall Street.
The former House majority leader, Eric Cantor, joined boutique investment bank Moelis & Co. in late 2014, after he lost his Virginia Congressional seat in a Republican primary. In February 2015, he opened an office for the bank in Washington.
Last year, former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke took on roles at both Pacific Investment Management Co. and the Chicago-based hedge fund Citadel LLC.
Pimco also brought in former Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan, Mr. Bernanke’s predecessor, as an adviser to the firm from 2007 to 2011.
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, one of the architects of the federal government’s rescue of the financial system, joined the private-equity firm Warburg Pincus LLC in 2013.
In 2013, KKR & Co. tapped David Petraeus, the former general and Central Intelligence Agency chief, to lead an internal team focused on macroeconomic forecasting and public policy.
Former Vice President Dan Quayle and former Treasury Secretary John Snow work for Cerberus Capital Management LP. Carlyle Group has enlisted many officials from the Bush and Clinton administrations, including former Secretary of State James Baker III, in advisory roles.
Unlike Citigroup, Lazard does not have the so-called SIFI designation, and because of that, Lazard is subject to less government supervision. The “SIFI” label, which was created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank law, comes with stricter oversight by the Federal Reserve.”
Don’t you think all these plutocrats making hundreds of millions of dollars a year, if not billions, do not have a vague feeling that they are engaged in some sort of malfeasance? They do, thus they contrive to feel otherwise, by twisting their souls into knots. Hence our great leaders are not just vivaciously vicious, they are insane.
Plutocracy is the rule of the worst instincts and inclinations, imposed on We The People. Money is just a facilitator.
Hence, to be a plutocrat, one does not need money, necessarily. What a plutocrat needs is power onto others, and the ability to impose it to rule over the multitudes as if they were squashable critters. The very nature of the US Supreme Court endows a few with tremendous powers, for life, without checks and balances. This is obviously anti-democratic. (The framers of the Constitution thought of the Supreme Court as the ultimate superior court, not the Constitutional Court it has become; European Constitutional Courts, as in France, have checks and balances that SCOTUS does not have. They have been used.)
In the Roman Republic, the highest judicial officers were the Consuls. Their term was for a year, but they had supreme power only one month at a time. Scalia, in comparison, was a sort of judicial dictator named for life. That made him crucial to the rest of the private jet set, and his friends among it, were many. How does travelling for free in the best style, enjoying the best accommodations, for free, differ from blatant corruption? This is way worse than the FIFA (soccer scandal). Why is there no prosecution?
With the SCOTUS ruling known as “Citizens United”, which said corporations are moral persons entitled to spend as much money as they want to mold public opinion, in political matters, such as elections, Scalia empowered further his fellow plutocrats, and this awesome inheritance should make him forever honored among his satanic conspirators. Saint Scalia, plutocrat in a black robe, just like the emperor in Star Wars.
Now for some of the juicy facts just revealed about overlord Scalia. This partisan of the death penalty died as he lived. Among our superiors. From the Washington Post:
Justice Scalia spent his last hours with members of this secretive society of elite hunters:
“When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia died 12 days ago at a West Texas ranch, he was among high-ranking members of an exclusive fraternity for hunters called the International Order of St. Hubertus, an Austrian society that dates back to the 1600s.
After Scalia’s death Feb. 13, the names of the 35 other guests at the remote resort, along with details about Scalia’s connection to the hunters, have remained largely unknown. A review of public records shows that some of the men who were with Scalia at the ranch are connected through the International Order of St. Hubertus, whose members gathered at least once before at the same ranch for a celebratory weekend.
Members of the worldwide, male-only society wear dark-green robes emblazoned with a large cross and the motto “Deum Diligite Animalia Diligentes,” which means “Honoring God by honoring His creatures,” according to the group’s website. Some hold titles, such as Grand Master, Prior and Knight Grand Officer. The Order’s name is in honor of Hubert, the patron saint of hunters and fishermen.
[Texas sheriff’s report reveals more details on Supreme Court Justice Scalia’s death]
Cibolo Creek Ranch owner John Poindexter and C. Allen Foster, a prominent Washington lawyer who traveled to the ranch with Scalia by private plane, hold leadership positions within the Order. It is unclear what, if any, official association Scalia had with the group.”
What does “official” mean nowadays? The only thing that is official is a worldwide plutocratic conspiracy, an entanglement of people breathing together (“con-spirare“) in the same private jets.
More than 2,000 years ago, the top Judicial authorities had power just for a month. Scalia had it for life. Plenty of time to deploy evil with impunity, and he did. Don’t forget, the fate of the biosphere itself was in balance. Actually, Scalia, by deciding that coal pollution should go unabated, imposed the death penalty to the biosphere as we know it. Really, folks, how much more evil can one get?
P/S: The New York Times has censored all my comments on “Justice” Scalia, so far (and also on other “Justices”). I guess, the idea is that one can saw through the branch on which US plutocracy is perched. I did mention the corruption of the Court in some of these comments, both philosophically, and in detail. Now, February 26, AFTER the essay above was published, and my comments were read, and censored, the New York Times mentioned part of what I called its attention on February 26, 2016. I will expand on this on the following essay.
Tags:conspiracy, plutocracy, Plutocrat, Private Jets, Saint Hubert, Scalia, Supreme Court, Worldwide
Posted in Dictatorship, Judicial Dictatorship, Plutocracy, Theory of Plutocracy, USA | 30 Comments »
In a field with a large number of predecessors, the fact Albert Einstein quoted nearly nobody (including some he ad… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 9 hours ago
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Samantha Davenport
Freelance Writer in Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage singer-songwriter wins NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest
by Samantha Davenport
Bob Boilen / Nick Carpenter / NPR / NPR Tiny Desk / Quinn Christopherson
Musician Quinn Christopherson, photographed in Anchorage on April 30, 2019. (Marc Lester / ADN)
This story was originally written for the Anchorage Daily News.
Quinn Christopherson, a singer-songwriter in Anchorage who is Athabascan and transgender, has won NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest — a nationwide competition that invites musicians to submit a video of one of their songs.
“Quinn’s entry astounded our judge panel from start to finish. His powerful song ‘Erase Me’ is a nuanced take on his experience as a transgender man coming to terms with the power of his voice. Standing in front of a majestic painting of Mt. Denali, Quinn and his bandmate, Nick Carpenter, created their own work of art,” wrote Bob Boilen, host of “All Songs Considered,” in an announcement posted Wednesday morning.
The 26-year-old’s song was selected from a field of 6,000 contest entries. As the winner, Christopherson will be featured in a Tiny Desk Concert at NPR Music and will tour the U.S. with NPR and Blue Microphones.
In “Erase Me,” Christopherson tells his own story: “I used to have long hair / I used to smile when I walked / I used to be someone I hated / I used to cry a lot.”
Christopherson began his transition in 2017. For years, he said, he didn’t sound the way he wanted to, and for the longest time, he wasn’t sure why. After he came into his new voice, his music started to match the artist he wanted to be.
“I didn’t like myself before. I didn’t expect for music to evolve like that … music has changed for me in the most positive way,” said Christopherson.
“I would say this last year and a half I’ve finally started making music and sounding the way I think is OK, and I like it,” said Christopherson. “This is all new for me; it’s been a long time coming.”
In “Erase Me,” Christopherson sings about becoming a “passing” transgender man, a privilege he never had before.
“Nobody interrupts me / nobody second-guesses my opinions / and nobody tells me that I can’t do it / I got so used to pulling the short stick,” he sings.
“Erase Me” was shot in the Anchorage Museum by Dmitry Surnin and directed by Emma Sheffer. Wearing a baby blue polyester suit, Christopherson is joined by Carpenter, of the Anchorage band Medium Build.
Christopherson credits Carpenter for pushing him to do more.
“My music wouldn’t be where it is today if it wasn’t for him,” said Christopherson.
In the video, Carpenter and Christopherson perform in front of the famous, massive Sydney Laurence painting “Mount McKinley” — made in 1929 and measuring more than 7 feet by 13 feet.
“Honestly, I kind of wanted to reclaim that, this white person painting Denali,” said Christopherson. “I am indigenous, so it’s important for me to be visible and take things back sometimes. Sometimes, you gotta do that.”
This isn’t Christopherson’s first time submitting to Tiny Desk — NPR featured him on “All Songs Considered” last year for his song “Mary Alee,” a tribute to his late grandmother. The music video was filmed in the middle of winter by Sheffer — Christopherson’s partner — on the ice at Westchester Lagoon in Anchorage. In it, Christopherson sings and plays guitar while sitting on a burnt-orange recliner chair he and Sheffer found at a thrift shop.
“I submitted to Tiny Desk last year, and that was kind of right when I was stepping into who I am, but I was still a folk singer, right? It’s so bizarre — but it’s not a bad thing,” said Christopherson. “For me, it wasn’t working.”
When Christopherson sings “Erase Me” for a crowd, he says, he’s representing a community that isn’t in front of a microphone very often. He says representation of indigenous people in pop culture is bleak, so he makes himself visible. Often, he performs in his kuspuk.
He said that telling stories through his music is the only way he knows how.
“All of my grandparents and great-grandparents and ancestors, they’re all storytellers,” Christopherson said.
“Growing up, telling stories, listening to stories, that is such a big part in our culture — so when you listen to my music, all I do is tell stories. That’s not on purpose; that’s all I know. I have come to terms with any time (that) I get in front of a crowd, you’re going to learn a little bit, and that’s OK.”
Christopherson’s music is available on Spotify, iTunes and YouTube.
The AuthorSamantha Davenport
Hi! My name is Sam Davenport. I am a freelance writer and lifelong Alaskan who loves reporting on the state’s history, food and culture. I am a graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage, where I received bachelors degrees in journalism and political science. I was the executive editor of The Northern Light — UAA’s student-run newspaper — for 2.5 years During my time at UAA, I completed internships at the Anchorage Daily News and Alaska Public Media. I am the managing editor of The Spenardian, an award-winning hyper-local news blog and magazine for the neighborhood of Spenard. I have been published in Vice, Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch News, The Rasmuson Foundation, Alaska Magazine, Alaska Business, The Northern Light, The Anchorage Press, The Frontiersman, Alaska’s Energy Desk, KSKA, KTOO, Last Frontier Magazine, Crude Magazine, Mountain View Post, The Spenardian, Alaska Contractor Magazine, Wildheart Magazine and True North Magazine. For freelancing rates or a copy of my resume, please email me at samanthabdavenport@gmail.com.
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Small-screen Chekhov
Posted by John Wyver ⋅ 11 May 2010 ⋅ Leave a comment
Filed Under Anton Chekhov, BBC, Play of the Month
According to Neil Taylor’s essay ‘A History of the Stage Play on BBC Television’ (published in 1998), Chekhov was at that time the fifth most-staged playwright (after Shakespeare, Shaw, Ibsen and Priestley), but since then I can think of only a close-to-unwatchable theatre recording in the early days of BBC Four of Michael Blakemore’s production of Three Sisters, 2003, with Kristin Scott Thomas. So as my modest contribution to the (very muted) Chekhov celebrations, I want to begin an exploration of Chekhov — and especially of his plays — on Britain’s small-screen.
Writing about British television Chekhov is a good deal harder than the British Universities Film and Video Council’s database Shakespeare makes the comparable task for the Bard. As far as I can discover (although I hope someone will put me right) there is not even a website that discusses small-screen Chekhov, as there is for example with Ibsen. What there is, however, is a wonderful DVD boxset of BBC productions, The Anton Chekhov Collection. Frustratingly, however, this is only available from the United States with Region 1 encoding.
If we concentrate today on the four major plays (that which becomes Platonov, The Wood Demon and early one-act dramas will be considered in the future), the boxset has a production of The Seagull from 1978, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, with Anthony Bate, Michael Gambon and Georgina Hale. There is also an earlier version of The Three Sisters, from 1970, with Anthony Hopkins, Janet Suzman and Eileen Atkins under the dead hand of director Cedric Messina.
The great treats on the boxset are a pair of Uncle Vanyas, from 1970 (imagine, the BBC mounted two major Chekvovs that year) and 1991, and two productions of The Cherry Orchard, from 1962 and 1981. The later Vanya has Ian Holm, David Warner and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio with a script adapted by David Mamet as directed by Gregory Mosher.
Remarkably, the two Cherry Orchards both star Judi Dench, with the former a studio version of Michel Saint-Denis’ famed production for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the latter Richard Eyre’s radical presentation of a translation by Trevor Griffiths and Helen Rappaport. Judi Dench is Anya in the first and Madame Ranevsky in the second. At least one other RSC Chekhov has been transferred to television, this being Trevor Nunn’s production of The Three Sisters with Suzanne Bertish, Janet Dale, Roger Rees and Timothy Spall, which Thames Television recorded in 1981 but which is not currently available on DVD.
Other recordings currently only accessible via the archives include Sidney Lumet’s film version of The Seagull which was shown in 1969 as a BBC Play of the Month. The cast seems almost impossibly starry: James Mason, Vanessa Redgrave, Simone Signoret and David Warner. There is also another The Cherry Orchard, from Play of the Month in 1971, with Peggy Ashcroft and Celia Johnson, again directed by Cedric Messina.
Then there are earlier productions which may or may not remain as recordings (and which demand further research). The BBC2 strand Theatre 625 presented The Seagull directed by Alan Cooke in 1966 with Pamela Brown as Madame Arkadina. In 1963 Joan Kemp-Welch directed a Three Sisters for ITV with Jill Bennett and Ann Bell — that’s one for which I definitely want to chase down a print (if it exists). But more definitely no longer with us is a 1950 Sunday Night Theatre production of The Seagull with Luise Rainer.
The Anton Chekhov Collection: detailed and thoughtful review of the box set from DVDTalk.
This post was originally written for the Illuminations blog and first published here on 11 May 2010.
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Pre-war theatre from BBC Television, 1. »
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Do Not Grumble as Some of Them Did
I’m currently following the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to the Promised Land. Grumbling seemed to be one of the ongoing issues Moses had to deal with, because grumbling which began with a handful of people spread like a plague. Often it seemed that everyone, without exception, was grumbling. God reacted very strongly to the people’s grumbling, which was generally against Moses but, in reality, it was against the Lord (Exodus 16:8). In God’s eyes grumbling was rebellion, which carried severe consequences – many died prematurely in the desert and not one of the grumblers entered the land that God was giving to them.
It’s probably safe to say that, without exception, we’ve all been grumbled against and, similarly, we’ve all grumbled against others. One big problem with grumbling is that it’s often expressed in audible words which negatively affect the people who hear it. It begins as a small spark and spreads into a fire, corrupting the person who grumbles (James 3:5-6)
Grumbling is sin and all sin is against God and His holiness. That’s why He calls grumbling, murmuring, and complaining, rebellion. It deprived the Israelites of their inheritance and it will deprive us of what He longs for us to experience – an intimate Father Heart relationship with Himself.
Grumblers on the way to the Promised Land were unable to see things through God’s eyes and, consequently, they were unable to trust Him to keep His promise to protect them and lead them to the place prepared for them (Deuteronomy 1:32). ‘They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord’ (Psalm 106:25).
Jesus has gone to prepare a place for everyone who truly belongs to Him. We’re on our journey to the Promised Land, where we will spend eternity. The road we travel is sometimes rough and steep, with blockages on the way. On our road to heaven, we need to be saved from the sin of grumbling and all the negative thoughts and emotions attached to it. We’re called to see things from God’s perspective, to trust Him and to follow Him. The call of God to all His children is the call of uncompromised obedience with thanksgiving, whatever comes our way. Instead of the weakness of grumbling ‘The joy of the Lord will be our strength’.
Prayer: Father, You tell us that whatever’s written in Your word is written to teach us. Please forgive me for the times that I’ve grumbled against others or my circumstances, and consequently against You. I ask You to change my heart. Please speak to me by Your Spirit so that I see things from Your prospective, trust You and follow You wholeheartedly, whatever lies before me. I pray in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.
Philippians 2:14-15, NIV
Supporting Ellel Ministries by making a donation at
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Please feel free to use this devotional to send on to your friends or share with your church fellowship. Provided full acknowledgement is made to Seeds of the Kingdom as the source, you are also welcome to use it in a non-commercial way and reproduce it in magazines or other Christian websites. The copyright for any commercial use of the material remains with Ellel Ministries International.
Margaret Silvester had a career as a teacher prior to being called into full time Christian Ministry with her husband, David, in 1986. They were involved in establishing a Healing Ministry in the local church and Margaret has a passion to see lost and wounded people found and restored. She and her husband joined the Ellel Ministries teaching and ministry team in 2000 after a clear call from God. Margaret`s book "Stepping Stones to the Father Heart of God" has recently been published.
Supporting the Work
About Ellel Ministries
Ellel Ministries International is a Christian Mission Organisation with a vision of welcoming people, teaching them about the Kingdom of God and healing those in need. https://seedsofthekingdom.org/about-ellel-ministries.php { read more...}
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© Seeds of the Kingdom 2020
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Setonian Online
The Student Voice of the Hill
L&E
SHU bookstore transforms into Barnes & Noble
Callista Arida, News section editor
In June, Seton Hill University’s (SHU) bookstore will change from its current provider, Follett (formerly Neebo), to a Barnes & Noble college bookstore. The university will be joining the other 750 colleges and universities that currently partner with Barnes & Noble College.
Besides an overall better experience, Barnes & Noble College will be offering students many opportunities. “They are going to open up bookseller positions to students, as well as offering internships,” said Hinkle.
“We really want the bookstore to be a place that you want to go to, not just twice a year to go buy books,” said Barbara Hinkle, vice president for administration and registrar at SHU. “When your family comes to town, that’s the place you always want to stop in, it’s all about the satisfaction of the experience.”
The transition initially began when the contract with Neebo, SHU’s former provider, was coming to an end. During the process to extend this contract, Follett bought out and took over Neebo. This is when SHU began to notice there was a problem that needed to be solved.
“We had some incidents in the fall with customer service issues,” said Hinkle. “Not with the bookstore staff, but the company itself, and it just wasn’t sitting well with us.”
Sullivan Hall houses Seton Hill’s current bookstore and will be home to the Barnes & Noble College Bookstore. Photo courtesy of setonhill.edu’
Hinkle mentioned that around this time Barnes & Noble College contacted administration and said they were interested in partnering with SHU. “We looked into and spoke frankly with other schools who worked with both Barnes & Noble and Follett,” said Hinkle. “We became fonder and fonder of Barnes & Noble.”
“Barnes & Noble College is passionate about what we do – partnering with colleges and universities to support student and faculty academic success,” said John Chaump, regional manager at Barnes & Noble College. “We’re very excited to partner with one of the leading Catholic coeducational liberal arts universities in the U.S.”
Chaump has been working very closely with SHU and the bookstore committee to turn this into a reality. “(By) delivering a retail and digital learning experience that will support the University’s mission of student success.”
In January of this year talk began about what transitioning from one to the other would look like. Hinkle said that transitioning was originally planned to begin in spring, but that was going to be hard with graduation coming up.
“We had told Barnes and Noble we wanted to sign a contract with them, we just had to work out the details,” said Hinkle. This contract took place at the end of March. During this time, a mass email was sent to students, staff and faculty containing details about the transition and what actions needed to be taken.
“My emails don’t always get met with joy,” Hinkle said while chuckling. “So far, this one has gotten a lot of great feedback.”
“Barnes & Noble is my favorite place to go to study, so I’m really excited that one will be coming to campus,” said Gracie Smith, an education major here at SHU.
“Our goal is to create a vibrant social and academic hub on campus that precisely reflects Seton Hill’s mission and values and build relationships that enrich the university experience and extend ties long after graduation,” said Chaump.
Chaump mentioned a number of tools and technologies that Barnes & Noble College will bring to the school. “Ranging from online textbook adoptions on FacultyEnlight, to integration with the University’s learning management system,” he said, “Ultimately creating a complete support system for students, faculty and staff.
“In addition, the bookstore will also offer a refreshed mix of merchandise, including Griffins apparel and gifts,” Chaump added.
The current contract with Follett will expire in June and Barnes & Noble will be ready to step in at this point. “We will probably be closing for a little while at the end of June into July for inventory and set up,” said Hinkle, “But we should be back in business in a fairly smooth transition.”
Books rented through Follett need to be returned by June 15. Students planning on taking summer courses should purchase their books now to avoid complications during the transition from June to July. Students, staff and faculty are encouraged to lookout for any sales in order to prepare for the transition.
This is the Barnes & Noble College bookstore at Penn State University. Photo from pennlive.com.
The bookstore will remain open until the end of September, when it will close for a week or two in order for Barnes & Noble to do a complete redesign. During this time there may be a temporary relocation for necessary actions to take place.
In order to prepare for the transition, any Follett gift cards should be used by the start of June. The new bookstore will not accept them, however, Hinkle mentioned that Barnes & Noble gift cards are going to be accepted.
“With vast experience operating campus bookstores across the country, students and faculty of Seton Hill can expect a campus bookstore that reflects the University and will be a complete support system for students and faculty,” Chaump said.
“I am eager to get started,” said Hinkle. “We think this is going to be an enhanced experience for students, one that you can depend on, one that you can trust.”
“If we can get people more excited about it, I think it will offer more action around campus in a positive way,” Hinkle added.
Published By: Laramie Cowan
May 8, 2016 in May Magazine 2016, News. Tags: Callista Arida, Seton Hill University, SHU
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SHU English professor writes about personal experience with Secretariat →
December 2019 Cover Photo
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First Christmas away from home
Outbreak on the Hill
An Awkward Girl’s Guide to Living with Roommates
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Seton Hill Theatre and Dance Department present "CHICAGO"
Super creates "lavenous" good time for all
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Observers Commemorate
Seton Hill's lack of diversity stems from students to faculty
Student section dedicated by SHU CRU
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Tags Privatization
Tag: privatization
Generational incarceration
What a tragic image: A man and his son handcuffed and shackled together, yet musingly delighted about seeing a senior family member whom they are not going inside to visit. Rather, the two are to join in what is widely considered as America’s modern day form of slavery. The inhumanity represented in this artwork should be disturbing to anyone with a conscience – but few are moved.
3,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israel on hunger strike on Prisoners’ Day
The majority of the 4,699 Palestinians currently being held in Israeli prisons refused their meals on Prisoners’ Day, while 1,200 of them promise to hunger strike indefinitely to protest unfair conditions. Over 40 protesters occupied the headquarters of BBC Scotland in Glasgow, demanding mainstream media coverage for the Palestinian prisoners who began hunger strikes today.
Save our local post offices … and the entire U.S. Postal...
Congress’ right wing is on a rampage, and the U.S. Postal Service – beginning with post offices in poor neighborhoods and rural towns – are on the chopping block. One of them, the humble Bayview Post Office on Lane Street in Bayview Hunters Point, has become the poster child for what’s shaping up to be an epic battle against privatization of fundamental public services.
Haiti: the next round
On March 18, President Jean-Bertrand Aristide and his family returned home from a seven-year forced exile in South Africa – an exile brought about by the violent U.S.-orchestrated coup in 2004. Up until the last minute, the U.S. government tried to stop the return, with President Obama going so far as to place a last-minute call to President Zuma of South Africa.
WikiLeaks: Haiti’s elite tried to turn the police into a private...
Leading members of Haiti’s bourgeoisie tried to turn the Haitian police force into their own private army, according to a secret U.S. Embassy cable provided to Haïti Liberté by the media organization WikiLeaks.
Paramedic whistleblower alleges Oscar Grant cover-up, system-wide racism
Paramedic Sean Gillis, an instructor and supervisor at the Oakland Fire Department, filed suit on Friday against the OFD, alleging that the OFD mistreated Oscar Grant in its response to Grant’s 911 calls on Jan. 1, 2009, destroyed all evidence of the mistreatment, ordered Gillis to stop his investigation and are retaliating against him.
Africa for the Africans: U.S.-Euro forces out of Libya and Cote...
“All of our institutions have failed us if they do not use their power and act against this crime against humanity being carried out in Africa today. I received a call this morning from an Ivorian friend who calls it genocide what Sarkozy’s troops are doing there. Blood, blood, everywhere. Depleted uranium in Libya. Generations to come will suffer the health effects. We must try to stop President Obama. He has the power to say no. So far, he is good at saying yes to all the wrong people. So we must do more than we think we can. Anything less places more blood on everyone’s hands.” - Cynthia McKinney
Tens of thousands liberate state Capitol in Madison
Chants such as “Kill the bill,” “Hands off workers! Make the banks pay,” “Who’s got the power: We’ve got the power” and many others are echoing off the walls inside and outside the Capitol. Since Feb. 14, tens of thousands of students, workers and other community members have liberated the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison in response to Gov. Scott Walker’s “budget repair” bill, which would eliminate collective bargaining rights for 175,000 public sector union workers statewide.
Privatizing VA medical care: another Tea Party attack against Blacks, Latinos...
VA hospitals are not only the nation's best providers of health care, they are also the best argument for a nationalized health care system. Now Republicans vow to privatize the VA hospitals.
Pierre Labossiere on Haiti: ‘This is criminal’
Pierre Labossierre, cofounder of the Haiti Action Committee, alerts us to oppose "relief" funds and protest U.S. military occupation that threaten Haitian independence and sovereignty and to demand the return of President Aristide and the inclusion of Lavalas in Haitian democracy. Following the interview, listen and watch audio and video files featuring Pierre, Cynthia McKinney, Kiilu Nyasha, Nia Imara, Minister of Information JR, Joy Moore and more - all calling on everyone to “stand in solidarity with Haiti.”
The media called: Earthquake victims still await help, I say
Haiti needs humanitarian help. Obama sent a bipartisan military invasion – 10,000 military guns sent come to help us to death. Just as the Black Katrina victims were vilified and criminalized, so too shall the Haitian earthquake victims be criminalized, vilified and evacuated at the point of guns.
Berkeley’s public housing residents oppose privatization
The plan to sell off Berkeley’s 75 public housing units is harmful to Berkeley’s poor, elderly and disabled population that fail to qualify for the Section 8 program or meet the minimum income requirements to reside in so-called affordable housing units owned and operated by local nonprofit housing developers.
Should Oakland and other U.S. cities replace police with armed mercenaries?
The United States is in the midst of the most radical privatization agenda in its history. We see this in schools, health care, prisons and certainly with the U.S. military/ national security/ intelligence apparatus.
Haiti policy statement for President Obama and Congress
Haitian-Americans are working for change on the following priorities and urge President Obama and the new U.S. Congress to incorporate them into a more effective foreign policy that centers on promoting sustainable development, self-sufficiency, and a sovereign, prosperous and stable Haiti.
Bringing democracy to Amerikkka
With Black youth on the front lines this election season, along with all youth plus older Blacks and other people of color, the struggle for real democracy can finally claim victory in the U.S. Masses of new voters have registered and are already lining up to vote wherever early voting is available, as it is here in the Bay Area.
Haiti: Racism and poverty
Haiti is now forced by the World Bank and its bloodsucking siblings like the IMF to pay more than $1 million a week to satisfy debts incurred by the Duvaliers and the post-Duvalier tyrannies. Haiti must repay this debt to prove its fitness for "help" from the Multilateral Financial Institutions (MFI).
Prison bill AB 900: a view from inside
California’s adoption of mandatory minimums, drive for three-strikes laws and participation in the nationwide “War on Drugs” campaign of the 1980s has created a burgeoning prison system fractured along racial, humanitarian and economic lines.
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Home » Areas of Interventions » Heritage
Through the Cultural Heritage Unit, SFD supports the preservation of Yemen’s unique architecture, historical documents, handicrafts and other aspects of cultural heritage. Architectural assets receive special focus as they strongly reflect the uniqueness of the Yemeni identity and are increasingly threatened by modern building techniques and materials.
The overall objective is to effectively participate in protecting different cultural heritage assets. The aims of the Cultural Heritage sector are to help in the conservation of Yemen’s main historical sites, to build capacity for protecting cultural heritage, to document cultural heritage endangered and increase public awareness and to save Yemen’s most threatened sites. SFD’s Cultural Heritage support also contributes to poverty reduction through employment of labor and traditional craftspeople.
The objectives are achieved through four main strategies:
Contributing to the conservation of main historic cities especially those inscribed in the World Heritage sites and those of architectural importance;
Expanding the national technical, professional and managerial capacity at different levels to protect cultural heritage.
Assisting in the establishment of inventories of the country’s cultural heritage assets, and:
Saving most endangered, most significant sites and monuments.
Most projects under Cultural Heritage are implemented from SFD headquarters. Potential projects are screened on a case by case basis and criteria used for screening are likely to include aspects relating to cultural, historical and aesthetic value, uniqueness, degree of threat, involvement of traditional crafts people and labor, its potential for tourism or other income generation, gender balance and technical feasibility.
Examples of the types of intervention undertaken are:
Documentation of endangered assets of cultural and historical importance.
Conservation, restoration, and rehabilitation of monuments and built assets.
Training and other support to crafts people.
Financing interventions aimed at capacity enhancement of SFD’s partners.
Various training activities at a number of levels.
The diverse nature of the sector does not allow ‘standard’ designs and contracts and consequently require different ways of implementation, monitoring, quality assurance and evaluation.
Culture Heritage
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Company Quick10K Filing
Quick10K
Closing Price ($) Shares Out (MM) Market Cap ($MM)
$0.00 13 $8
Financial Filings
20-F 2019-04-25 Annual: 2018-12-31
ESEA 2018-12-31
Item 1. Identity of Directors, Senior Management and Advisers
Item 2. Offer Statistics and Expected Timetable
Item 3. Key Information
Item 4. Information on The Company
Item 4A. Unresolved Staff Comments
Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects
Item 6. Directors, Senior Management and Employees
Item 7. Major Shareholders and Related Party Transactions
Item 8. Financial Information
Item 9. The Offer and Listing
Item 10. Additional Information
Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 12. Description of Securities Other Than Equity Securities
Item 13. Defaults, Dividend Arrearages and Delinquencies
Item 14. Material Modifications To The Rights of Security Holders and Use of Proceeds
Item 15. Controls and Procedures
Item 16A. Audit Committee Financial Expert
Item 16B. Code of Ethics
Item 16C. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
Item 16D. Exemptions From The Listing Standards for Audit Committees
Item 16E. Purchases of Equity Securities By The Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
Item 16F. Change in Registrant's Certifying Accountant
Item 16G. Corporate Governance
Item 16H. Mine Safety Disclosure
Item 17. Financial Statements
Item 19. Exhibits
EX-4.57 d8223971_ex4-57.htm
EX-8.1 d8222272_ex8-1.htm
EX-12.1 d8122244_ex12-1.htm
Euroseas Earnings 2018-12-31
ESEA 20F Annual Report
Comparables ($MM TTM)
M Cap
Liab
G Profit
G Margin
GLBS 10 87 46 0 0 0 0 8 0%
DCIX 9 100 5 0 0 0 0 -1 0%
ESEA 8 67 44 0 0 0 0 32 0%
NM 3 2,682 2,161 0 0 0 0 1,697 0%
NAO 3 191 137 0 0 0 0 127 0%
SHIP 1 268 246 0 0 0 0 193 0%
SBNA
FLNG
EDRY
20-F 1 d8122244_20-f.htm
REGISTRATION STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 12(b) OR 12(g) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the transition period from _________________ to _________________
SHELL COMPANY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of event requiring this shell company report
EUROSEAS LTD.
(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)
4 Messogiou & Evropis Street, 151 24 Maroussi Greece
Tasos Aslidis, Tel: (908) 301-9091, euroseas@euroseas.gr, Euroseas Ltd. c/o Tasos Aslidis,
11 Canterbury Lane, Watchung, NJ 07069
(Name, Telephone, E-mail and/or Facsimile number and Address of Company Contact Person)
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Common shares, $0.03 par value
Nasdaq Capital Market
Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Securities for which there is a reporting obligation pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Act:
Indicate the number of outstanding shares of each of the issuer's classes of capital or common stock as of the close of the period covered by the annual report
12,515,645 common shares, $0.03 par value
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined by Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
☐ Yes ☒ No
If this report is an annual or transition report, indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Note – Checking the box above will not relieve any registrant required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 from their obligations under those Sections.
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
☒ Yes ☐ No
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer, or an emerging growth company. See definition of "accelerated filer," "large accelerated filer," and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
If an emerging growth company that prepares its financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards† provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
† The term "new or revised financial accounting standard" refers to any update issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board to its Accounting Standards Codification after April 5, 2012.
Indicate by check mark which basis of accounting the registrant has used to prepare the financial statements included in this filing:
U.S. GAAP
International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board.
If "Other" has been checked in response to the previous question, indicate by check mark which financial statement item the registrant has elected to follow
☐ Item 17 ☐ Item 18
If this is an annual report, indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
(APPLICABLE ONLY TO ISSUERS INVOLVED IN BANKRUPTCY PROCEEDINGS DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed all documents and reports to be filed by Sections 12, 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 subsequent to the distribution of securities under a plan confirmed by a court.
☐ Yes ☐ No
IDENTITY OF DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND ADVISERS
OFFER STATISTICS AND EXPECTED TIMETABLE
INFORMATION ON THE COMPANY
OPERATING AND FINANCIAL REVIEW AND PROSPECTS
DIRECTORS, SENIOR MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES
MAJOR SHAREHOLDERS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
THE OFFER AND LISTING
DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES OTHER THAN EQUITY SECURITIES
DEFAULTS, DIVIDEND ARREARAGES AND DELINQUENCIES
MATERIAL MODIFICATIONS TO THE RIGHTS OF SECURITY HOLDERS AND USE OF PROCEEDS
ITEM 16A.
AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT
ITEM 16B.
ITEM 16C.
ITEM 16D.
EXEMPTIONS FROM THE LISTING STANDARDS FOR AUDIT COMMITTEES
ITEM 16E.
PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS
ITEM 16F.
CHANGE IN REGISTRANT'S CERTIFYING ACCOUNTANT
ITEM 16G.
ITEM 16H.
MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Euroseas Ltd., or the Company, desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. This annual report contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include information about possible or assumed future results of our operations or our performance. Words such as "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "anticipates," "estimates," and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, no assurance can be given that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These statements involve known and unknown risks and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates which are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding:
our future operating or financial results;
future, pending or recent acquisitions, joint ventures, business strategy, areas of possible expansion, and expected capital spending or operating expenses;
container shipping industry trends, including charter rates and factors affecting vessel supply and demand;
our financial condition and liquidity, including our ability to obtain additional financing in the future to fund capital expenditures, acquisitions and other general corporate activities;
availability of crew, number of off-hire days, drydocking requirements and insurance costs;
our expectations about the availability of vessels to purchase or the useful lives of our vessels;
our expectations relating to dividend payments and our ability to make such payments;
our ability to leverage to our advantage our manager's relationships and reputations in the container shipping industry;
changes in seaborne and other transportation patterns;
changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities;
potential liability from future litigation;
global and regional political conditions;
acts of terrorism and other hostilities, including piracy; and
other factors discussed in the section titled "Risk Factors."
WE UNDERTAKE NO OBLIGATION TO PUBLICLY UPDATE OR REVISE ANY FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS CONTAINED IN THIS ANNUAL REPORT, EXCEPT AS REQUIRED BY LAW, OR THE DOCUMENTS TO WHICH WE REFER YOU IN THIS ANNUAL REPORT, TO REFLECT ANY CHANGE IN OUR EXPECTATIONS WITH RESPECT TO SUCH STATEMENTS OR ANY CHANGE IN EVENTS, CONDITIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES ON WHICH ANY STATEMENT IS BASED.
Please note: Throughout this report, all references to "we," "our," "us" and the "Company" refer to Euroseas Ltd. and its subsidiaries. We use the term deadweight ton, or dwt, in describing the size of vessels. Dwt, expressed in metric tons, each of which is equivalent to 1,000 kilograms, refers to the maximum weight of cargo and supplies that a vessel can carry. We use the term twenty-foot equivalent unit, or teu, in describing the size of our containerships in addition to dwt. Teu, expressed in number of containers, refers to the maximum number of twenty-foot long containers that can be placed on board. Unless otherwise indicated, all references to "dollars" and "$" in this report are to, and amounts are presented in, U.S. dollars.
A. Selected Financial Data
SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
The following table presents selected consolidated financial and other data of Euroseas Ltd. for each of the five years in the five-year period ended December 31, 2018. The table should be read together with "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects." Excluding fleet data, the selected consolidated financial data of Euroseas Ltd. is a summary of, is derived from, and is qualified by reference to, our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto, which have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or "U.S. GAAP."
Our audited consolidated statements of operations, shareholders' equity and cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2017 and 2018 and the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2017 and 2018, together with the notes thereto, are included in "Item 18. Financial Statements" and should be read in their entirety.
Following the close of trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on May 30, 2018, the Company completed the spin-off of its drybulk fleet (excluding M/V Monica P, a handymax drybulk carrier, which was agreed to be sold) to EuroDry Ltd. ("EuroDry"). Shareholders of the Company received one EuroDry common share for every five common shares of the Company they owned as of May 23, 2018. Shares of EuroDry commenced trading on May 31, 2018 on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "EDRY." EuroDry operates in the dry cargo, drybulk shipping markets, owning and operating drybulk vessels previously owned and operated by Euroseas, and is now a separate publicly traded company. As a result of the spin-off and the subsequent sale of M/V Monica P, the Company has become a pure containership company and the only publicly listed company concentrating on the feeder containership sector. Accordingly, the results of operations and financial condition of EuroDry have been presented in discontinued operations for all periods presented. The summary financials below refer to Euroseas Ltd. "continuing operations" giving effect to the spin-off of drybulk vessels to EuroDry ("discontinued operations") unless otherwise noted; historical comparative periods have been adjusted accordingly.
See next page for table of Euroseas Ltd. – Summary of Selected Historical Financials.
Euroseas Ltd. – Summary of Selected Historical Financials
(in U.S. Dollars except for Fleet Data and number of shares)
Year Ended December 31,
Time charter revenue
Voyage charter revenue
Related party management fee income
(1,917,559
Net revenue, continuing operations
Voyage expenses
Vessel operating expenses
(22,604,520
Dry-docking expenses
Vessel depreciation
Related party management fees
Other general and administrative expenses
Net gain on sale of vessels
Loss on write-down of vessels held for sale
Operating income / (loss), continuing operations
Interest and other financing costs
(Loss)/gain on derivatives, net
Other investment income
Impairment of other investment
Foreign exchange gain / (loss)
Equity loss in joint venture
Impairment in joint venture
Net loss, continuing operations
Dividends to Series B preferred shares
Net loss attributable to common shareholders, continuing operations
Loss per share attributable to common shareholders- basic and diluted, continuing operations
Preferred stock dividends declared
Preferred dividends declared per preferred share
Weighted average number of shares outstanding during period, basic and diluted
Euroseas Ltd. – Summary of Selected Historical Financials (continued)
As of December 31,
Balance Sheet Data
Current assets, continuing operations
Current assets of discontinued operations
Vessels, net
Deferred assets and other long-term assets, continuing operations
Long-term assets of discontinued operations
Total current liabilities, continuing operations
Current liabilities of discontinued operations
(1.026.121
Long term bank loans, including current portion
Vessel profit participation liability
Long-term liabilities of discontinued operations
Preferred shares
Common shares outstanding
Cash Flow Data
Net cash (used in) / provided by operating activities of continuing operations
Net cash (used in) / provided by investing activities of continuing operations
Net cash provided by / (used in) financing activities of continuing operations
Fleet Data(1)
Number of vessels
Calendar days
Available days
Voyage days
Utilization Rate (percent)
(In U.S. dollars per day per vessel)
Average TCE rate(2)
G&A Expenses
Total Operating Expenses excluding drydocking expenses
Drydocking expenses
(1) For the definition of calendar days, available days, voyage days and utilization rate, see "Item 5.A – Operating Results".
(2) Time charter equivalent rate, or TCE rate, is determined by dividing time charter revenue and voyage charter revenue less voyage expenses or time charter equivalent revenue, or TCE revenues, by the number of voyage days during the relevant time period. TCE revenues, a non-U.S. GAAP measure, provides additional meaningful information in conjunction with time charter revenue and voyage charter revenue, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure, because it assists Company management in making decisions regarding the deployment and use of its vessels and because the Company believes that it provides useful information to investors regarding the Company's financial performance. TCE revenues and TCE rate are also standard shipping industry performance measures used primarily to compare period-to-period changes in a shipping company's performance despite changes in the mix of charter types (i.e., spot charters, time charters and bareboat charters) under which the vessels may be employed between the periods (see also "Item 5.A – Operating Results"). Our definition of TCE revenues and TCE rate may not be comparable to that used by other companies in the shipping industry.
The following table reflects the reconciliation of TCE revenues to time charter revenue and voyage charter revenue as reflected in the consolidated statement of operations and our calculation of TCE rates for the periods presented.
(In U.S. dollars, except for voyage days and TCE rates which are expressed in U.S. dollars per day)
Time Charter Equivalent or TCE Revenues
Average TCE rate
B. Capitalization and Indebtedness
C. Reasons for the Offer and Use of Proceeds
D. Risk Factors
Any investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the following factors, as well as the other information set forth in this annual report, before making an investment in our common stock. Some of the following risks relate principally to the industry in which we operate and our business in general. Other risks relate to the securities market for, and ownership of, our common stock. Any of the described risks could significantly and negatively affect our business, financial condition, operating results and common stock price. The following risk factors describe the material risks that are presently known to us.
Industry Risk Factors
The cyclical nature of the shipping industry may lead to volatile changes in freight rates, which may reduce our revenues and negatively affect our results of operations.
We are an independent shipping company that operates in the container shipping industry. Our profitability is dependent upon the charter rates we are able to charge for our ships. The supply of, and demand for, shipping capacity strongly influence charter rates. The demand for shipping capacity is determined primarily by the demand for containerized goods trade and the distance that those goods must be moved by sea. The demand for trade is affected by, among other things, world and regional economic and political conditions (including developments in international trade, fluctuations in industrial and agricultural production and armed conflicts), environmental concerns, weather patterns, and changes in seaborne and other transportation costs. The size of the existing fleet in a particular market, the number of new vessel deliveries, the scrapping of older vessels and the number of vessels out of active service (i.e., laid-up, drydocked, awaiting repairs or otherwise not available for hire) determine the supply of shipping capacity, which is measured by the amount of suitable tonnage available to carry cargo. The cyclical nature of the container shipping industry may lead to volatile changes in freight rates, which may reduce our revenues and net income.
In addition to the prevailing and anticipated charter rates, factors that affect the rate of newbuilding, scrapping and laying-up include newbuilding prices, secondhand vessel values in relation to scrap prices, costs of bunkers and other operating costs, costs associated with classification society surveys, normal maintenance and insurance coverage, the efficiency and age profile of the existing fleet in the market and government and industry regulation of maritime transportation practices, particularly environmental protection laws and regulations. These factors influencing the supply of and demand for shipping capacity are outside of our control, and we may not be able to correctly assess the nature, timing and degree of changes in industry conditions. Some of these factors may have a negative impact on our revenues and net income.
Our future profitability will be dependent on the level of charter rates in the international container shipping industry.
Containership rates ended 2013 at very depressed levels but increased gradually through the period to mid-2015 reaching levels comparable to those seen during the previous peak in mid-2011. However, the second half of the year 2015 saw a decline to the very low levels seen in 2013. In 2016, this declining trend continued, at a milder pace, reaching, or, for containerships greater than 2000 teu, falling below their 2013 levels, an all-time low. Beginning in early 2017 containership rates started a recovery. In the second half of the year rates initially stabilized and then slightly eased. In 2018, rates initially increased through May to the levels last seen in the second half of 2015, but still remained below their historical average. Thereafter, a decline began which erased the entirety of the gains by year end. Containership rates started 2019 in a depressed mode, but by April have gradually strengthened to levels that, although are below those achieved in the first half of 2018, are noticeably higher than the low rates seen in 2016.
Rates in the containership market are influenced by the balance of demand for and supply of vessels and may remain depressed or decline again in the future. Because the factors affecting the supply of and demand for vessels are outside of our control and are unpredictable, the nature, timing, direction and degree of changes in industry conditions are unpredictable, and as a result so are the rates at which we can charter our vessels. In addition, we may not be able to successfully charter our vessels in the future or renew existing charters at rates sufficient to allow us to meet our obligations or to pay dividends to our shareholders.
Some of the factors that influence demand for vessel capacity include:
supply of, and demand for, containerized cargo;
changes in the semi-finished and finished consumer and industrial products, and the resulting changes in the international pattern of trade;
global and regional economic and political conditions, including armed conflicts and terrorist activities;
embargoes and strikes;
the location of regional and global manufacturing facilities;
availability of credit to finance international trade;
the location of consuming regions for semi-finished and finished consumer and industrial products;
the distance containerized commodities are to be moved by sea;
environmental and other regulatory developments;
currency exchange rates;
changes in global production and manufacturing distribution patterns of finished goods that utilize containerized commodities;
changes in seaborne and other transportation patterns; and
weather and other natural phenomena.
Some of the factors that influence the supply of vessel capacity include:
the number of newbuilding deliveries;
the scrapping rate of older vessels;
the price of steel and other materials;
port and canal congestion;
changes in environmental and other regulations that may limit the useful life of vessels;
vessel casualties;
the number of vessels that are out of service; and
changes in global commodity production.
We anticipate that the future demand for our container vessels and the charter rates of the corresponding markets will be dependent upon economic conditions in the United States, Europe and Japan, among other economies, as well as continued economic growth in China, India and the overall world economy, seasonal and regional changes in demand and changes to the capacity of the world fleet. The capacity of the world fleet may increase and economic growth may not continue. Adverse economic, political, social or other developments could also have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
An over-supply of containership capacity may lead to a reduction in charter rates and profitability and may require us to raise additional capital in order to remain compliant with our loan covenants and affect our ability to pay dividends in the future.
The market supply of containerships has been increasing, and the number of containerships on order reached historic highs in 2014. The orderbook has gradually declined and, as of April 1, 2019, is near its lowest level of the last twenty years. Growth of the fleet is also affected by the scrapping rate. If the number of new ships delivered exceeds the number of vessels being scrapped and lost, vessel capacity will increase. An over-supply of containership capacity may result in a further reduction of charter rates. As reported by industry sources, the containership fleet increased by 2.2% in 2015, 3.2% in 2016, 2.9% in 2017 and 5.6% in 2018. So far in 2019, containership volumes have increased by 0.5%. Specifically, as reported by industry sources, the capacity of the fully cellular worldwide container vessel fleet, as of March 31, 2019, was approximately 22.14 million teu with approximately another 2.88 million teu, or about 13% of the fleet capacity on order, leading to the possibility that the growing supply of container vessels may exceed future demand, implying that charter rates and vessel values could materially decline.
If such a rate decline occurs upon the expiration or termination of our current charters, we may only be able to re-charter those vessels at reduced rates or we may not be able to charter these vessels at all. Many containership charters we renewed or concluded during 2015, 2016, and 2017 were at unprofitable rates and were entered into because they resulted in lower losses than would have resulted had we put the vessels in lay-up; charter rates have improved since and reached profitable levels by the end of 2017, however, they remained volatile and can turn lower again depending on changes of demand for and supply of shipping capacity. Charters renewed or entered into around the end of 2018 were at rates that were marginally profitable in some cases. Any inability to enter into more profitable charters may require us to raise additional capital in order to remain compliant with our loan covenants and may also affect our ability to pay dividends in the future.
The market value of our vessels can fluctuate significantly, which may adversely affect our financial condition, cause us to breach financial covenants, result in the incurrence of a loss upon disposal of a vessel or increase the cost of acquiring additional vessels.
The value of our vessels may fluctuate, adversely affecting our earnings and liquidity and causing us to breach our secured credit agreements.
The fair market values of our vessels are related to prevailing charter rates. While the fair market value of vessels and the freight charter market have a very close relationship as the charter market moves from trough to peak, the time lag between the effect of charter rates on market values of ships can vary. A decrease in the market values of our vessels could limit the amount of funds that we can borrow or trigger certain financial covenants under our current or future credit facilities, and we may incur a loss if we sell vessels following a decline in their market value. Furthermore, a decrease in the market value of our vessels could require us to raise additional capital in order to remain compliant with our loan covenants, and could result in the foreclosure of our vessels and adversely affect our earnings and financial condition.
The market value of our vessels may increase or decrease depending on the following factors:
general economic and market conditions affecting the shipping industry in general;
supply of container vessels, including newbuildings;
demand for container vessels;
types and sizes of vessels;
scrap values;
other modes of transportation;
cost of newbuildings;
technological advances;
new regulatory requirements from governments or self-regulated organizations;
competition from other shipping companies; and
prevailing level of charter rates.
As vessels grow older, they generally decline in value. Due to the cyclical nature of the container shipping industry, if for any reason we sell vessels at a time when prices have fallen, we could incur a loss and our business, results of operations, cash flow, financial condition and ability to pay dividends could be adversely affected.
In addition, we periodically re-evaluate the carrying amount and period over which vessels are depreciated to determine if events have occurred that would require modification to such assets' carrying values or their useful lives. A determination that a vessel's estimated remaining useful life or fair value has declined below its carrying amount could result in an impairment charge against our earnings and a reduction in our shareholders' equity.
Our secured loan agreements, which are secured by mortgages on our vessels, contain various financial covenants. Any change in the assessed market value of any of our vessels might also cause a violation of the covenants of each secured credit agreement, which, in turn, might restrict our cash and affect our liquidity. Among those covenants are requirements that relate to our net worth, operating performance and liquidity. For example, there is a minimum equity ratio requirement that is based, in part, upon the market value of the vessels securing the loans, as well as requirements to maintain a minimum ratio of the market value of our vessels mortgaged thereunder to our aggregate outstanding balance under each respective loan agreement. If the assessed market value of our vessels declines below certain thresholds, we may violate these covenants and may incur penalties for breach of our credit agreements. For example, these penalties could require us to prepay the shortfall between the assessed market value of our vessels and the value of such vessels required to be maintained pursuant to the secured credit agreement, or to provide additional security acceptable to the lenders in an amount at least equal to the amount of any shortfall. If we are unable to pledge additional collateral, our lenders could accelerate our debt and foreclose on our fleet. Furthermore, we may enter into future loans, which may include various other covenants, in addition to the vessel-related ones, that may ultimately depend on the assessed values of our vessels. Such covenants could include, but are not limited to, maximum fleet leverage covenants and minimum fair net worth covenants.
Adverse economic conditions, especially in the Asia Pacific region, the European Union or the United States, could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Because a significant number of the port calls made by our vessels involves the loading or discharging of containerships in ports in the Asia Pacific region, economic turmoil in that region may exacerbate the effect of any economic slowdown on us. China has been one of the world's fastest growing economies and a major manufacturing hub for the production and export of finished goods which are predominantly shipped in containerships. However, China's growth rate of real gross domestic product, or "GDP", has been declining and is forecasted to further decline in 2019, and the United States, a major trading partner of China, has indicated that it may seek to implement more protectionist trade measures in order to protect its domestic economy, which might further affect the growth rate of the Chinese economy, in particular, and the Asia Pacific region, in general. Additionally, the European Union, or the EU, and certain of its member states are facing significant economic and political challenges, including a risk of increased protectionist policies. Our business, results of operations and financial condition will likely be harmed by any significant economic downturn and economic instability in the Asia Pacific region, including China, or in the EU or the United States.
Eurozone's potential inability to deal with the sovereign debt issues of some of its members could have a material adverse effect on the profitability of our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Despite the efforts of the European Council since 2011 to implement a structured financial support mechanism for Eurozone countries experiencing financial difficulties, questions remain about the capability of a number of member countries to refinance their sovereign debt and meet their debt obligations. In March 2011, the European Council agreed on the need for Eurozone countries to establish a permanent stability mechanism, the European Stability Mechanism (or "the ESM"), which will be activated by mutual agreement to provide external financial assistance to Eurozone countries. Despite these measures, concerns persist regarding the debt burden of certain Eurozone countries and their ability to meet future financial obligations and the overall stability of the euro. An extended period of adverse development in the outlook for European countries could reduce the overall demand for our services. These potential developments, or market perceptions concerning these and related issues, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flow.
Liner companies, which comprise the largest contingent of charterers of containerships, have been placed under significant financial pressure, thereby increasing our charter counterparty risk which may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The decline in global trade after the financial crisis of 2008 and the subsequent economic slowdown has resulted in a significant decline in demand for the seaborne transportation of products in containers, including for exports from China to Europe and the United States. Consequently, the cargo volumes and, especially, freight rates (i.e., the rates that liner companies charge to their clients) achieved by liner companies, which charter containerships from ship owners like us, declined sharply in the second half of 2011. They stabilized toward the end of 2012, remained at similar levels in 2013, but declined in 2014 and 2016 also due to a growing oversupply of containerships despite a short-lived recovery in the middle of 2015. In 2017, a rate recovery began, which was maintained throughout the year and the first half of 2018. The second half of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 have seen a decline in containership charter rates mainly due to measured demand for goods because of the uncertainty surrounding the possibility of increased protectionist policies by governments worldwide. Current containership rates still remain below historical averages, affecting their profitability. The financial challenges faced by liner companies, some of which have announced efforts to obtain third party aid and restructure their obligations, including our charterers, have reduced demand for containership charters and may increase the likelihood of our customers being unable or unwilling to pay us contracted charter rates. The combination of the current surplus of containership capacity and the expected increase in the size of the world containership fleet over the next several years may make it difficult to secure substitute employment for our containerships if our counterparties fail to perform their obligations under the currently arranged time charters, and any new charter arrangements we are able to secure may be at lower rates.
The containership industry is highly competitive, and we may be unable to compete successfully for charters with established companies or new entrants that may have greater resources and access to capital, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.
The containership industry is highly competitive and capital intensive. Competition arises primarily from other vessel owners, some of whom may have greater resources and access to capital than we will have. Competition among vessel owners for the seaborne transportation of semi-finished and finished consumer and industrial products can be intense and depends on the charter rate, location, size, age, condition and the acceptability of the vessel and its operators to charterers. Due in part to the highly fragmented market, many of our competitors with greater resources and access to capital than we have could operate larger fleets than we may operate and thus be able to offer lower charter rates or higher quality vessels than we are able to offer. If this were to occur, we may be unable to retain or attract new charterers on attractive terms or at all, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, prospects, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations.
Changes in the economic and political environment in China and policies adopted by the Chinese government to regulate China's economy may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Chinese economy differs from the economies of most countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (or "OECD") in such respects as structure, government involvement, level of development, growth rate, capital reinvestment, allocation of resources, rate of inflation and balance of payments position. Prior to 1978, the Chinese economy was a planned economy. Since 1978, increasing emphasis has been placed on the utilization of market forces in the development of the Chinese economy. Annual and five-year State Plans are adopted by the Chinese government in connection with the development of the economy. Although state-owned enterprises still account for a substantial portion of the Chinese industrial output, in general, the Chinese government is reducing the level of direct control that it exercises over the economy through State Plans and other measures. There is an increasing level of freedom and autonomy in areas such as allocation of resources, production, pricing and management and a gradual shift in emphasis to a "market economy" and enterprise reform. Limited price reforms were undertaken, with the result that prices for certain commodities are principally determined by market forces. Many of the reforms are unprecedented or experimental and may be subject to revision, change or abolition based upon the outcome of such experiments. The Chinese government may not continue to pursue a policy of economic reform. The level of imports to and exports from China could be adversely affected by the nature of the economic reforms pursued by the Chinese government, as well as by changes in political, economic and social conditions or other relevant policies of the Chinese government, such as changes in laws, regulations or export and import restrictions, all of which could adversely affect our business, operating results, financial condition and cash flows.
We conduct business in China, where the legal system is not fully developed and has inherent uncertainties that could limit the legal protections available to us.
Some of our vessels may be chartered to Chinese customers and from time to time on our charterers' instructions, our vessels may call on Chinese ports. Such charters and voyages may be subject to regulations in China that may require us to incur new or additional compliance or other administrative costs and may require that we pay to the Chinese government new taxes or other fees. Applicable laws and regulations in China may not be well publicized and may not be known to us or to our charterers in advance of us or our charterers becoming subject to them, and the implementation of such laws and regulations may be inconsistent. Changes in Chinese laws and regulations, including with regards to tax matters, or changes in their implementation by local authorities could affect our vessels if chartered to Chinese customers as well as our vessels calling to Chinese ports and could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The current state of global financial markets and current economic conditions may adversely impact our ability to obtain additional financing on acceptable terms or at all, which may hinder or prevent us from expanding our business.
Global financial markets and economic conditions have been, and continue to be, volatile. This volatility has negatively affected the general willingness of banks and other financial institutions to extend credit, particularly in the shipping industry, due to the historically, volatile and, currently below historical average asset values of vessels. As the shipping industry is highly dependent on the availability of credit to finance and expand operations, it has been and may continue to be negatively affected by this decline in lending. In addition, the current state of global financial markets and current economic conditions might adversely impact our ability to issue additional equity at prices which will not be dilutive to our existing shareholders or preclude us from issuing equity at all.
Also, as a result of concerns about the stability of financial markets generally and the solvency of counterparties specifically, the cost of obtaining money from the credit markets has increased as many lenders have increased interest rates, enacted tighter lending standards, refused to refinance existing debt at all or on terms similar to current debt and reduced, and in some cases ceased, to provide funding to borrowers. Due to these factors, we cannot be certain that additional financing will be available, if needed, and to the extent required, on acceptable terms or at all. If additional financing is not available when needed, or is available only on unfavorable terms, we may be unable to meet our obligations as they come due or we may be unable to enhance our existing business, complete additional vessel acquisitions or otherwise take advantage of business opportunities as they arise.
We are subject to complex laws and regulations, including environmental regulations that can adversely affect the cost, manner or feasibility of doing business.
Our operations are subject to numerous laws and regulations in the form of international conventions and treaties, national, state and local laws and national and international regulations in force in the jurisdictions in which our vessels operate or are registered, which can significantly affect the ownership and operation of our vessels. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships of 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 relating thereto, collectively referred to as MARPOL 73/78 and herein as MARPOL, including the designation of emission control areas, ECAs, thereunder, the International Convention on Load Lines of 1966, or the LL Convention, the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage of 1969, as amended by different Protocol in 1976, 1984 and 1992, and amended in 2000, and generally referred to as the CLC, the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, or Bunker Convention, the
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea of 1974, or SOLAS, the International Safety Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention, or ISM Code, the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments, or the BWM Convention, the U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990, or OPA, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, or CERCLA, the U.S. Clean Water Act, or the CWA, the U.S. Clean Air Act, or the CAA, the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, or the MTSA, and European Union regulations. Compliance with such laws, regulations and standards, where applicable, may require installation of costly equipment or operational changes and may affect the resale value or useful lives of our vessels. Furthermore, events like the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon and the subsequent release of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, or other events, may result in further regulation of the shipping industry, and modifications to statutory liability schemes. Thus, we may also incur additional costs in order to comply with other existing and future regulatory obligations, including, but not limited to, costs relating to air emissions including greenhouse gases, the management of ballast waters, maintenance and inspection, development and implementation of emergency procedures and insurance coverage or other financial assurance of our ability to address pollution incidents. These costs could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition. A failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations may result in administrative and civil penalties, criminal sanctions or the suspension or termination of our operations.
Environmental laws often impose strict liability for remediation of spills and releases of oil and hazardous substances, which could subject us to liability without regard to whether we were negligent or at fault. Because such conventions, laws and regulations are often revised, we cannot predict the ultimate cost of complying with such conventions, laws and regulations or the impact thereof on the resale price or useful life of our vessels. Additional conventions, laws and regulations may be adopted which could limit our ability to do business or increase the cost of our doing business and which may materially adversely affect our operations. We are required by various governmental and quasi-governmental agencies to obtain certain permits, licenses and certificates with respect to our operations. Under OPA, for example, owners, operators and bareboat charterers are jointly and severally strictly liable for the discharge of oil within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone around the United States. An oil spill could result in significant liability, including fines, penalties and criminal liability and remediation costs for natural resource damages under other federal, state and local laws, as well as third-party damages. We are required to satisfy insurance and financial responsibility requirements for potential oil (including marine fuel) spills and other pollution incidents. There can be no assurance that any such insurance we have arranged to cover certain environmental risks will be sufficient to cover all such risks or that any claims will not have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition and our ability to pay dividends. We currently maintain, for each of our vessels, pollution liability coverage insurance of $1.0 billion per incident. If the damages from a catastrophic spill exceeded our insurance coverage, it would severely and adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and ability to pay dividends.
Environmental requirements can also require a reduction in cargo capacity, ship modifications or operational changes or restrictions, lead to decreased availability of insurance coverage for environmental matters or result in the denial of access to certain jurisdictional waters or ports, or detention in certain ports. Under local, national and foreign laws, as well as international treaties and conventions, we could incur material liabilities, including clean up obligations and natural resource damages in the event that there is a release of bunkers or hazardous substances from our vessels or otherwise in connection with our operations. We could also become subject to personal injury or property damage claims relating to the release of hazardous substances associated with our existing or historic operations. Violations of, or liabilities under, environmental requirements can result in substantial penalties, fines and other sanctions, including in certain instances, seizure or detention of our vessels.
We are subject to international safety regulations and the failure to comply with these regulations may subject us to increased liability, may adversely affect our insurance coverage and may result in a denial of access to, or detention in, certain ports.
The operation of our vessels is affected by the requirements set forth in the ISM Code set forth in Chapter IX of Solas. The ISM Code requires shipowners, ship managers and bareboat charterers to develop and maintain an extensive "Safety Management System" that includes the adoption of a safety and environmental protection policy setting forth instructions and procedures for safe operation and describing procedures for dealing with emergencies. We rely upon the safety management system that we and our technical managers have developed for compliance with the ISM Code. The failure of a shipowner or bareboat charterer to comply with the ISM Code may subject it to increased liability, may invalidate existing insurance or decrease available insurance coverage for the affected vessels and may result in a denial of access to, or detention in, certain ports. Currently, each of our vessels and Eurobulk Ltd. ("Eurobulk"), our affiliated ship management company (the "Manager"), are ISM Code-certified, but we may not be able to maintain such certification indefinitely.
The ISM Code requires that vessel operators obtain a safety management certificate for each vessel they operate. This certificate evidences compliance by a vessel's management with the ISM Code requirements for a safety management system. No vessel can obtain a safety management certificate unless its manager has been awarded a document of compliance, issued by each flag state, under the ISM Code. We have obtained documents of compliance for our offices and safety management certificates for all of our vessels for which the certificates are required by the United Nations' International Maritime Organization, the IMO. The document of compliance, the DOC, and safety management certificate, or the SMC, are renewed as required.
In addition, vessel classification societies also impose significant safety and other requirements on our vessels. In complying with current and future environmental requirements, vessel-owners and operators may also incur significant additional costs in meeting new maintenance and inspection requirements, in developing contingency arrangements for potential spills and in obtaining insurance coverage. Government regulation of vessels, particularly in the areas of safety and environmental requirements, can be expected to become stricter in the future and require us to incur significant capital expenditures on our vessels to keep them in compliance.
The operation of our vessels is also affected by other government regulation in the form of international conventions, national, state and local laws and regulations in force in the jurisdictions in which the vessels operate, as well as in the country or countries of their registration. Because such conventions, laws, and regulations are often revised, we may not be able to predict the ultimate cost of complying with such conventions, laws and regulations or the impact thereof on the resale prices or useful lives of our vessels. Additional conventions, laws and regulations may be adopted which could limit our ability to do business or increase the cost of our doing business and which may materially adversely affect our operations. We are required by various governmental and quasi-governmental agencies to obtain certain permits, licenses, certificates and financial assurances with respect to our operations. See Item 4: "Information on the Company – Business Overview – Environmental and Other Regulations in the Shipping Industry" for more information.
Regulations relating to ballast water discharge coming into effect during September 2019 may adversely affect our revenues and profitability.
The IMO has imposed updated guidelines for ballast water management systems specifying the maximum amount of viable organisms allowed to be discharged from a vessel's ballast water. Depending on the date of the IOPP renewal survey, existing vessels constructed before September 8, 2017 must comply with the updated D-2 standard on or after September 8, 2019. For most vessels, compliance with the D-2 standard will involve installing on-board systems to treat ballast water and eliminate unwanted organisms. Ships constructed on or after September 8, 2017 are to comply with the D-2 standards on or after September 8, 2017. We currently have 11 vessels that do not comply with the updated guideline and costs of compliance may be substantial and adversely affect our revenues and profitability.
Furthermore, United States regulations are currently changing. Although the 2013 Vessel General Permit ("VGP") program and U.S. National Invasive Species Act ("NISA") are currently in effect to regulate ballast discharge, exchange and installation, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act ("VIDA"), which was signed into law on December 4, 2018, requires that the U.S. Coast Guard develop implementation, compliance, and enforcement regulations regarding ballast water within two years. The new regulations could require the installation of new equipment, which may cause us to incur substantial costs.
Regulations relating to low sulfur emissions coming into effect on January 1, 2020 may adversely affect our revenues and profitability.
Under maritime regulations due to take effect on January 1, 2020, ships will have to reduce sulfur emissions, for which the principal solutions are the use of scrubbers or buying fuel with low sulfur content which is more expensive than standard marine fuel. We do not currently intend to install scrubbers on our fleet. We expect that our fuel costs and fuel inventories will increase beginning in 2019 as a result of these sulfur emission regulations. Low sulfur fuel is more expensive than standard marine fuel containing 3.5% sulfur content and may become more expensive or difficult to obtain as a result of increased demand, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Increased inspection procedures and tighter import and export controls and new security regulations could increase costs and disrupt our business.
International container shipping is subject to various security and customs inspection and related procedures in countries of origin and destination. Inspection procedures may result in the seizure of contents of our vessels, delays in the loading, offloading or delivery and the levying of customs duties, fines or other penalties against us.
It is possible that changes to existing procedures will be proposed or implemented. Any such changes may affect the container shipping industry and have the potential to impose additional financial and legal obligations on carriers and, in certain cases, to render the shipment of certain types of goods by container uneconomical or impractical. These additional costs could reduce the volume of goods shipped in containers, resulting in a decreased demand for container vessels. In addition, it is unclear what financial costs any new security procedures might create for container vessel owners, or whether companies responsible for the global traffic of containers at sea, referred to as container line operators, may seek to pass on certain of the costs associated with any new security procedures to vessel owners.
If our vessels fail to maintain their class certification and/or fail any annual survey, intermediate survey, drydocking or special survey, those vessels would be unable to carry cargo, thereby reducing our revenues and profitability and violating certain covenants in our loan agreements.
The hull and machinery of every commercial vessel must be classed by a classification society authorized by its country of registry. The classification society certifies that a vessel is safe and seaworthy in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the country of registry of the vessel and SOLAS. Our vessels are currently classed with Bureau Veritas, Germanischer Lloyd and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai. ISM and International Ship and Port Facilities Security, or ISPS, certifications have been awarded to the vessels by Bureau Veritas or Liberian Flag Administration and to the Manager by Bureau Veritas.
A vessel must undergo annual surveys, intermediate surveys, drydockings and special surveys. In lieu of a special survey, a vessel's machinery may be on a continuous survey cycle, under which the machinery would be surveyed periodically over a five-year period. Every vessel is also required to be drydocked every 30 to 36 months for inspection of the underwater parts of such vessel.
If any vessel does not maintain its class and/or fails any annual survey, intermediate survey, drydocking or special survey, the vessel will be unable to carry cargo between ports and will be unemployable and uninsurable. That status could cause us to be in violation of certain covenants in our loan agreements. Any such inability to carry cargo or be employed, or any such violation of covenants, could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
Most insurance underwriters make it a condition for insurance coverage that a vessel be certified as "in class" by a classification society that is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies, or IACS. All of our vessels that we have purchased, and may agree to purchase in the future, must be certified as being "in class" prior to their delivery under our standard purchase contracts and memorandum of agreement. If the vessel is not certified on the date of closing, we have no obligation to take delivery of the vessel. We have all of our vessels, and intend to have all vessels that we acquire in the future, classed by IACS members. See Item 4: "Information on the Company – Business Overview – Environmental and Other Regulations in the Shipping Industry" for more information.
Rising fuel prices may adversely affect our results of operations and the marketability of our vessels.
Fuel (bunkers) is a significant, if not the largest, operating expense for many of our shipping operations when our vessels are under voyage charter. When a vessel is operating under a time charter, these costs are paid by the charterer. However, fuel costs are taken into account by the charterer in determining the amount of time charter hire and, therefore, fuel costs also indirectly affect time charter rates. While the price of fuel is currently at relatively low levels due to the price of oil, the price and supply of fuel is unpredictable and fluctuates based on events outside our control, including geopolitical developments, supply and demand for oil and gas, actions by Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries ("OPEC") and other oil and gas producers, war and unrest in oil producing countries and regions, regional production patterns and environmental concerns. Fuel prices had been at historically high levels through mid-2014 but by the first quarter of 2016 fuel prices had fallen by more than 50%. Oil prices began rising in February 2016 until June 2016, due to, among other reasons, the war in Syria, oscillated until November 2016, due to movements in the U.S. dollar exchange rate and various geopolitical events, surging again since end-November 2016, due to the announcement by OPEC of future production cuts. In January 2017, oil prices maintained their levels while in February 2017 they further rose, reaching $53.83/bbl (for West Texas Intermediate, "WTI") on March 1, 2017. Oil prices subsequently oscillated until May 23, 2017 in the $45.5 to $54 range. In the following 30 days oil prices fell 17%, before beginning a rally of more than 40% until December 31, 2017. In 2018, oil prices continued to rise, albeit with significant fluctuations, to $74.15/bbl as of June 29, 2018 (+23% year to date) until August 15, 2018, the price corrected by 9.6% to $67.04/bbl. A rising trend resumed until early October, by which time the WTI had gained 14% ($76.41/bbl). In the fourth quarter of 2018, lower demand and the International Monetary Fund's lower GDP forecasts reversed the trend once more, reducing the oil price by 44% to $42.53 by December 24, 2018. Thereafter, oil prices rebounded responding, at least partly, to a 90-day trade war truce agreed between the United States and China. By April 1, 2019, WTI has risen by 49.1% to $63.43/bbl. Oil prices, however, remain below their 10-year average of ca. $71/bbl (for WTI). Any further increases in the price of fuel may adversely affect our operations, especially if such increases are combined with lower containership rates.
Upon redelivery of vessels at the end of a period time or trip time charter, we may be obligated to repurchase bunkers on board at prevailing market prices, which could be materially higher than fuel prices at the inception of the charter period. We may also be obligated to value our bunkers, inventories, on board at the end of a period time or trip time charter, at a lower value than the acquisition value, if prevailing market prices are significantly lower at the time of the vessel redelivery from the charterer.
Rising crew costs may adversely affect our profits.
Crew costs are a significant expense for us under our charters. There is a limited supply of well-qualified crew. We generally bear crewing costs under our charters. An increase in the world vessel operating fleet will likely result in higher demand for crews which, in turn, might drive crew costs further up. Any increase in crew costs may adversely affect our profitability especially if such increase is combined with lower containership rates.
Maritime claimants could arrest or attach our vessels, which would interrupt our business or have a negative effect on our cash flows.
Crew members, suppliers of goods and services to a vessel, shippers of cargo, lenders and other parties may be entitled to a maritime lien against that vessel for unsatisfied debts, claims or damages. In many jurisdictions, a maritime lien holder may enforce its lien by arresting or attaching a vessel through foreclosure proceedings. The arresting or attachment of one or more of our vessels could interrupt our cash flow and require us to pay large sums to have the arrest or attachment lifted which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
In addition, in some jurisdictions, such as South Africa, under the "sister ship" theory of liability, a claimant may arrest both the vessel that is subject to the claimant's maritime lien, and any "associated" vessel, which is any vessel owned or controlled by the same owner. Claimants could try to assert "sister ship" liability against one of our vessels for claims relating to another of our vessels.
The smuggling of drugs or other contraband onto our vessels may lead to governmental claims against us.
We expect that our vessels will call in ports in South America and other areas where smugglers attempt to hide drugs and other contraband on vessels, with or without the knowledge of crew members. To the extent our vessels are found with contraband, whether inside or attached to the hull of our vessel and whether with or without the knowledge of any of our crew, we may face governmental or other regulatory claims, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and ability to pay dividends.
Governments could requisition our vessels during a period of war or emergency, resulting in loss of earnings.
A government could requisition for title or seize one or more of our vessels. Requisition for title occurs when a government takes control of a vessel and becomes the owner. Also, a government could requisition one or more of our vessels for hire. Requisition for hire occurs when a government takes control of a vessel and effectively becomes the charterer at dictated charter rates. Generally, requisitions occur during a period of war or emergency. Even if we would be entitled to compensation in the event of a requisition of one or more of our vessels, the amount and timing of the payment would be uncertain. Government requisition of one or more of our vessels could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
World events outside our control may negatively affect our ability to operate, thereby reducing our revenues and results of operations or our ability to obtain additional financing, thereby restricting the implementation of our business strategy.
We operate in a sector of the economy that is likely to be adversely impacted by the effects of political conflicts, including the current political instability in the Middle East, terrorist or other attacks, war or international hostilities. Terrorist attacks such as the attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 and similar attacks that followed, the continuing response to these attacks, as well as the threat of future terrorist attacks, continue to cause uncertainty in the world financial markets and may affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The continuing conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Ukraine, Syria, amongst other countries, may lead to additional acts of terrorism and armed conflict around the world, which may contribute to further economic instability in the global financial markets. These uncertainties could also have a material adverse effect on our ability to obtain additional financing on terms acceptable to us or at all. Terrorist attacks on vessels may in the future also negatively affect our operations and financial condition and directly impact our vessels or our customers. Future terrorist attacks could result in increased volatility and turmoil of the financial markets in the United States of America and globally and could result in an economic recession in the United States of America or the world. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, costs and operating cash flows.
Disruptions in world financial markets and the resulting governmental action could have a material adverse impact on our ability to obtain financing, our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows, and could cause the market price of our common stock to further decline.
Europe, the United States and other parts of the world have exhibited weak economic conditions, are exhibiting volatile economic trends or have been in a recession. For example, during the 2008-2009 crisis, the credit markets in the United States experienced sudden and significant contraction, deleveraging and reduced liquidity, and the United States federal government and state
governments have since implemented a broad variety of governmental action and/or new regulation of the financial markets. Securities and futures markets and the credit markets are subject to comprehensive statutes, regulations and other requirements. The Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, other regulators, self-regulatory organizations and exchanges are authorized to take extraordinary actions in the event of market emergencies, and may effect changes in law or interpretations of existing laws. A number of financial institutions and especially banks that traditionally provide debt to shipping companies like ours have experienced serious financial difficulties and, in some cases, have entered bankruptcy proceedings or are in regulatory enforcement actions. As a result, access to credit markets around the world has been reduced. The extension of Quantitative Easing (or "QE") and more recently the reversal of it, high levels of Non-Performing Loans (or "NPLs") in Europe and stricter lending requirements may reduce bank lending capacity and/or make the terms of any lending more onerous.
We face risks related to changes in economic environments, changes in interest rates, and instability in the banking and securities markets around the world, among other factors. Major market disruptions and the changes in market conditions and regulatory changes worldwide may adversely affect our business or impair our ability to borrow amounts under our credit facilities or any future financial arrangements. We cannot predict how long the current market conditions will last. However, these recent and developing economic and governmental factors, including proposals to reform the financial system, together with the concurrent decline in charter rates and vessel values, may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or cash flows, and might cause the price of our common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market to decline.
We may require substantial additional financing to fund acquisitions of additional vessels and to implement our business plans. Sufficient financing may not be available on terms that are acceptable to us or at all. If we cannot raise the financing we need in a timely manner and on acceptable terms, we may not be able to acquire the vessels necessary to implement our business plans and consequently we may not be able to pay dividends.
Effects and events related to the Greek sovereign debt and economic crisis may adversely affect our operating results.
Greece has experienced a macroeconomic downturn in recent years, partially as a result of the sovereign debt crisis and the related austerity measures implemented by the Greek government. Eurobulk's operations in Greece may be subjected to new regulations or regulatory action that may require us to incur new or additional compliance or other administrative costs and may require that we or Eurobulk pay to the Greek government new taxes or other fees. We and Eurobulk also face the risk that strikes, work stoppages, civil unrest and violence within Greece may disrupt our and Eurobulk's shore-side operations located in Greece. The Greek government's taxation authorities have increased their scrutiny of individuals and companies to secure tax law compliance. If economic and financial market conditions remain uncertain, persist or deteriorate further, the Greek government may impose further changes to tax and other laws to which we and Eurobulk may be subject or change the ways they are enforced, which may adversely affect our business, operating results, and financial condition.
We rely on information technology, and if we are unable to protect against service interruptions, data corruption, cyber-based attacks or network security breaches, our operations could be disrupted and our business could be negatively affected.
We rely on information technology networks and systems to process, transmit and store electronic and financial information; to capture knowledge of our business; to coordinate our business across our operation bases; and to communicate internally and with customers, suppliers, partners and other third-parties. These information technology systems, some of which are managed by third parties, may be susceptible to damage, disruptions or shutdowns, hardware or software failures, power outages, computer viruses, cyberattacks, telecommunication failures, user errors or catastrophic events. Our information technology systems are becoming increasingly integrated, so damage, disruption or shutdown to the system could result in a more widespread impact. Our business operations could be targeted by individuals or groups seeking to sabotage or disrupt our information technology systems and networks, or to steal data. A successful cyber-attack could materially disrupt our operations, including the safety of our operations, or lead to unauthorized release of information or alteration of information in our systems. Any such attack or other breach of our information technology systems could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. If our information technology systems suffer severe damage, disruption or shutdown, and our business continuity plans do not effectively resolve the issues in a timely manner, our operations could be disrupted and our business could be negatively affected. In addition, cyber-attacks could lead to potential unauthorized access and disclosure of confidential information and data loss and corruption. There is no assurance that we will not experience these service interruptions or cyber-attacks in the future. Further, as the methods of cyber-attacks continue to evolve, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any vulnerabilities to cyber-attacks.
The vote by the United Kingdom to leave the European Union could adversely affect us.
The United Kingdom ("UK") referendum on its membership in the European Union resulted in a majority of U.K. voters voting to exit the E.U. ("Brexit"). We have operations in the E.U., and as a result, we face risks associated with the potential uncertainty and disruptions that may follow Brexit, including volatility in exchange rates and interest rates and potential material changes to the regulatory regime applicable to our business or global trading parties. While the exact way that Brexit will be achieved is uncertain, Brexit could adversely affect European or worldwide political, regulatory, economic or market conditions and could contribute to instability in global political institutions, regulatory agencies and financial markets generally and in the UK specifically. Any of these effects of Brexit, and others we cannot anticipate or that may evolve over time, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Seasonal fluctuations could affect our operating results and the amount of available cash with which we service our debt or could pay dividends.
We operate our vessels in markets that have historically exhibited seasonal variations in demand and, as a result, in charter rates. To the extent we operate vessels in the spot market, this seasonality may result in quarter-to-quarter volatility in our operating results which could affect our ability to reinstate payment of dividends to our common shareholders. For example, the containership market is typically stronger in the spring and fall months following the celebration of Chinese New Year in the first quarter of each year and in anticipation of the increased demand during the year-end holiday season. In addition, unpredictable weather patterns in these months tend to disrupt vessel scheduling and supplies of certain commodities. This seasonality has not materially affected our operating results and cash available for distribution to our shareholders as dividends since our fleet is employed on period time charters. However, if our vessels are employed in the spot market in the future, seasonality may materially affect our operating results in the future.
We may have difficulty securing profitable employment for our vessels if their charters expire in a depressed market.
All of our eleven vessels are currently employed on time charter contracts. Eight of our vessels are under time charters scheduled to expire during 2019 and three are under time charters scheduled to expire in 2020. As of April 1, 2019, the containership charter rates for vessels like ours remain below historical averages. When the current charters of our vessels are due for renewal, we may be unable to re-charter these vessels at similar or better rates or we might not be able to charter them at all. Although we do not receive any revenues from our vessels while not employed, we are required to pay expenses necessary to maintain the vessel in proper operating condition, insure it and service any indebtedness secured by such vessel. If we cannot re-charter our vessels on time charters or trade them in the spot market profitably, our results of operations and operating cash flow will be adversely affected.
Reliance on suppliers may limit our ability to obtain supplies and services when needed.
We rely on a significant number of third party suppliers of consumables, spare parts and equipment to operate, maintain, repair and upgrade our fleet of ships. Delays in delivery or unavailability or poor quality of supplies could result in off-hire days due to consequent delays in the repair and maintenance of our fleet or lead to our time charters being terminated. This would negatively impact our revenues and cash flows. Cost increases could also negatively impact our future operations.
The derivative contracts we have entered into to hedge our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates can result in higher than market rates and reductions in our stockholders' equity as well as charges against our income, while there is no assurance of the credit worthiness of our counterparties.
We have entered into interest rate swaps generally for purposes of managing our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates applicable to indebtedness under our credit facilities which were advanced at floating rates based on LIBOR. Interest rates and currency hedging may result in us paying higher than market rates. As of December 31, 2018, the aggregate notional amount of interest rate swaps relating to our fleet as of such date was $10 million. There is no assurance that our derivative contracts or any that we enter into in the future will provide adequate protection against adverse changes in interest rates or that our bank counterparties will be able to perform their obligations. In addition, as a result of the implementation of new regulation of the swaps markets in the United States, the European Union and elsewhere over the next few years, the cost of interest rate may increase or suitable hedges may not be available. While we monitor the credit risks associated with our bank counterparties, there can be no assurance that these counterparties would be able to meet their commitments under our derivative contracts or any future derivative contract. Our bank counterparties include financial institutions that are based in European Union countries that have faced and might face again financial stress. The potential for our bank counterparties to default on their obligations under our derivative contracts may be highest when we are most exposed to the fluctuations in interest and currency rates such contracts are designed to hedge, and several or all of our bank counterparties may simultaneously be unable to perform their obligations due to the same events or occurrences in global financial markets.
To the extent our existing interest rate swaps do not, and future derivative contracts may not, qualify for treatment as hedges for accounting purposes we would recognize fluctuations in the fair value of such contracts in our income statement. In addition, to the
extent any future derivative contracts qualify for treatment as hedges for accounting purposes, changes in the fair value of our derivative contracts would be recognized in "Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss" affecting our accumulated deficit, and may affect compliance with the net worth covenant requirements in our credit facilities. Changes in the fair value of our derivative contracts that do not qualify for treatment as hedges for accounting and financial reporting purposes affect, among other things, our net income and our earnings per share. For additional information see "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects" and "Item 11. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk".
We may be subject to litigation that, if not resolved in our favor and not sufficiently insured against, could have a material adverse effect on us.
We may be involved in various litigation matters from time to time. These matters may include, among other things, contract disputes, personal injury claims, environmental claims or proceedings, asbestos and other toxic tort claims, employment matters, governmental claims for taxes or duties, and other litigation that arises in the ordinary course of our business. Although we intend to defend these matters vigorously, we cannot predict with certainty the outcome or effect of any claim or other litigation matter, and the ultimate outcome of any litigation or the potential costs to resolve them may have a material adverse effect on us. Insurance may not be applicable or sufficient in all cases and/or insurers may not remain solvent which may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and operating cash flows.
Company Risk Factors
We depend entirely on Eurobulk to manage and charter our fleet, which may adversely affect our operations if Eurobulk fails to perform its obligations.
We have no employees and we currently contract the commercial and technical management of our fleet, including crewing, maintenance and repair, to Eurobulk, our affiliated ship management company. We may lose the Manager's services or the Manager may fail to perform its obligations to us which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of our operations. Although we may have rights against our Manager if it defaults on its obligations to us, you will have no recourse against our Manager. Further, we will need to seek approval from our lenders to change the Manager as our ship manager.
Because the Manager is a privately held company, there is little or no publicly available information about it and there may be very little advance warning of operational or financial problems experienced by the Manager that may adversely affect us.
The ability of the Manager to continue providing services for our benefit will depend in part on its own financial strength. Circumstances beyond our control could impair the Manager's financial strength, and because the Manager is privately held it is unlikely that information about its financial strength would become public unless the Manager began to default on its obligations. As a result, there may be little advance warning of problems affecting the Manager, even though these problems could have a material adverse effect on us.
We may have difficulty properly managing our growth through acquisitions of new or secondhand vessels and we may not realize expected benefits from these acquisitions, which may negatively impact our cash flows, liquidity and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders.
We intend to grow our business by ordering newbuild vessels and through selective acquisitions of high-quality secondhand vessels to the extent that they are available. Our future growth will primarily depend on:
• the operations of the shipyards that build any newbuild vessels we may order;
• the availability of employment for our vessels;
• locating and identifying suitable high-quality secondhand vessels;
• obtaining newbuild contracts at acceptable prices;
• obtaining required financing on acceptable terms;
• consummating vessel acquisitions;
• enlarging our customer base;
• hiring additional shore-based employees and seafarers;
• continuing to meet technical and safety performance standards; and
• managing joint ventures or significant acquisitions and integrating the new ships into our fleet.
Ship values are correlated with charter rates. During periods in which charter rates are high, ship values are generally high as well, and it may be difficult to consummate ship acquisitions or enter into shipbuilding contracts at favorable prices. During periods in which charter rates are low and employment is scarce, ship values are low and any vessel acquired without an attached time charter will automatically incur additional expenses to operate, insure, maintain and finance the ship, thereby significantly increasing the acquisition
cost. In addition, any vessel acquisition may not be profitable at or after the time of acquisition and may not generate cash flows sufficient to justify the investment. We may not be successful in executing any future growth plans and we cannot give any assurance that we will not incur significant expenses and losses in connection with such growth efforts. Other risks associated with vessel acquisitions that may harm our business, financial condition and operating results include the risks that we may:
• fail to realize anticipated benefits, such as new customer relationships, cost-savings or cash flow enhancements;
• be unable to hire, train or retain qualified shore-based and seafaring personnel to manage and operate our growing business and fleet;
• decrease our liquidity by using a significant portion of available cash or borrowing capacity to finance acquisitions;
• significantly increase our interest expense or financial leverage if we incur additional debt to finance acquisitions;
• incur or assume unanticipated liabilities, losses or costs associated with any vessels or businesses acquired; or
• incur other significant charges, such as impairment of goodwill or other intangible assets, asset devaluation or restructuring charges.
Furthermore, a delay in the delivery to us of any such vessel acquired, or the failure of the shipyard to deliver a vessel at all, could cause us to breach our obligations under a related charter and could adversely affect our earnings. In addition, the delivery of any of these vessels with substantial defects could have similar consequences.
A shipyard could fail to deliver a newbuild on time or at all because of:
work stoppages or other hostilities, political or economic disturbances that disrupt the operations of the shipyard;
quality or engineering problems;
bankruptcy or other financial crisis of the shipyard;
a backlog of orders at the shipyard;
disputes between us and the shipyard regarding contractual obligations;
weather interference or catastrophic events, such as major earthquakes or fires;
our requests for changes to the original vessel specifications or disputes with the shipyard; or
shortages of or delays in the receipt of necessary construction materials, such as steel, or equipment, such as main engines, electricity generators and propellers.
If we fail to properly manage our growth through acquisitions of newbuild or secondhand vessels we may not realize the expected benefits from these acquisitions, which may negatively impact our cash flows, liquidity and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders. Unlike newbuild vessels, secondhand vessels typically do not carry warranties as to their condition. While we generally inspect existing vessels prior to purchase, such an inspection would normally not provide us with as much knowledge of a vessel's condition as we would possess if it had been built for us and operated by us during its life. Repairs and maintenance costs for secondhand vessels are difficult to predict and may be substantially higher than for vessels we have operated since they were built. These costs could decrease our cash flows, liquidity and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders.
Our business depends upon certain members of our senior management who may not necessarily continue to work for us.
Our future success depends to a significant extent upon our chairman and chief executive officer, Aristides J. Pittas, certain members of our senior management and our Manager. Mr. Pittas has substantial experience in the container shipping industry and has worked with us and our Manager for many years. He, our Manager and certain members of our senior management team are crucial to the execution of our business strategies and to the growth and development of our business. If these individuals were no longer to be affiliated with us or our Manager, or if we were to otherwise cease to receive services from them, we may be unable to recruit other employees with equivalent talent and experience, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Certain of our shareholders hold shares of Euroseas in amounts to give them a significant percentage of the total outstanding voting power represented by our outstanding shares.
As of April 1, 2019, Friends Investment Company Inc. (or "Friends"), our largest shareholder and an affiliate of the Company partly owned by our Chairman and CEO, Vice Chairman and people affiliated or working with Eurobulk amongst others, owns approximately 29.6% of the outstanding shares of our common stock and unvested incentive award shares, representing 25.3% of total voting power (after accounting for the voting rights of our Series B Preferred Shares (defined below)). As a result of this share ownership and for as long as Friends owns a significant percentage of our outstanding common stock, Friends will be able to influence the outcome of any shareholder vote, including the election of directors, the adoption or amendment of provisions in our amended and restated articles of incorporation or bylaws, as amended, and possible mergers, corporate control contests and other significant corporate transactions. In addition, as of April 1, 2019, funds advised by Tennenbaum Capital Partners LLC ("TCP") and Preferred Friends Investment Company Inc., an affiliate of the Company partly owned by our Chairman and CEO, Vice Chairman and people affiliated or working
with Eurobulk amongst others, owned shares of our Series B Preferred Shares, to which we will refer as the Series B Preferred Shares, that are convertible into 20.8% and 4.7%, respectively, of our common shares and unvested incentive award shares on an as-converted basis. In addition, we cannot enter into certain transactions without consent from holders of our Series B Preferred Shares. This concentration of ownership and the consent rights of holders of Series B Preferred Shares may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control, merger, consolidation, takeover or other business combination involving us, and could also discourage a potential acquirer from making a tender offer or otherwise attempting to obtain control of us, which could in turn have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
Our corporate governance practices are in compliance with, and are not prohibited by, the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and as such we are entitled to exemption from certain Nasdaq corporate governance standards. As a result, you may not have the same protections afforded to stockholders of companies that are subject to all of the Nasdaq corporate governance requirements.
Our Company's corporate governance practices are in compliance with, and are not prohibited by, the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Therefore, we are exempt from many of Nasdaq's corporate governance practices other than the requirements regarding the disclosure of a going concern audit opinion, submission of a listing agreement, notification of material non-compliance with Nasdaq corporate governance practices, and the establishment and composition of an audit committee and a formal written audit committee charter. For a list of the practices followed by us in lieu of Nasdaq's corporate governance rules, we refer you to the section of this annual report entitled "Board Practices—Corporate Governance" under Item 6.
We and our principal officers have affiliations with the Manager that could create conflicts of interest detrimental to us.
Our principal officers are also principals, officers and employees of the Manager, which is our ship management company. These responsibilities and relationships could create conflicts of interest between us and the Manager. Conflicts may also arise in connection with the chartering, purchase, sale and operations of the vessels in our fleet versus other vessels that are or may be managed in the future by the Manager. Circumstances in any of these instances may make one decision advantageous to us but detrimental to the Manager and vice versa. Eurobulk currently manages vessels for Euroseas and eight vessels that are not owned by Euroseas, potentially causing conflicts such as those described above. Further, it is possible that in the future Eurobulk may manage additional vessels which will not belong to Euroseas and in which the Pittas family may have non-controlling, little or even no power or participation, and Eurobulk may not be able to resolve all conflicts of interest in a manner beneficial to us and our shareholders.
Companies affiliated with Eurobulk or our officers and directors may acquire vessels that compete with our fleet.
Companies affiliated with Eurobulk or our officers and directors own container carriers and may acquire additional containership vessels in the future. These vessels could be in competition with our fleet and other companies affiliated with Eurobulk might be faced with conflicts of interest with respect to their own interests and their obligations to us. Eurobulk, Friends and Aristides J. Pittas, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, have granted us a right of first refusal to acquire any containership that any of them may consider for acquisition in the future. In addition, Aristides J. Pittas will use his best efforts to cause any entity with respect to which he directly or indirectly controls to grant us this right of first refusal. Were we, however, to decline any such opportunity offered to us or if we did not have the resources or desire to accept any such opportunity, Eurobulk, Friends and Aristides J. Pittas, and any of their respective affiliates, could acquire such vessels.
Our officers do not devote all of their time to our business.
Our officers are involved in other business activities that may result in their spending less time than is appropriate or necessary in order to manage our business successfully. Our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Administrative Officer, Internal Auditor and Secretary are not employed directly by us, but rather their services are provided pursuant to our Master Management Agreement with Eurobulk. All our corporate officers hold similar positions with EuroDry, a publicly listed company spun-off from Euroseas in May 2018, and our CEO is also President of Eurobulk and involved in the management of other affiliates and is a member of the board of other companies. Therefore, our officers may spend a material portion of their time providing services to other companies. They may also spend a material portion of their time providing services to Eurobulk and its affiliates on matters unrelated to us.
We are a holding company, and we depend on the ability of our subsidiaries to distribute funds to us in order to satisfy our financial obligations or to make dividend payments.
We are a holding company and our subsidiaries, which are all wholly-owned by us, conduct all of our operations and own all of our operating assets. We have no significant assets other than the equity interests in our wholly-owned subsidiaries. As a result, our ability to make dividend payments to you depends on our subsidiaries and their ability to distribute funds to us. If we are unable to obtain funds from our subsidiaries, we may be unable or our Board of Directors may exercise its discretion not to pay dividends.
We may not be able to pay dividends.
Our Board of Directors decided to suspend the quarterly dividend in the fourth quarter of 2013 in order to focus every resource available in exploiting investment opportunities in the market. Our last dividend of $0.15 per share was declared in August 2013 and was paid in September 2013. This was the thirty-second consecutive quarterly dividend declared and paid. We have not declared any dividends on our common stock since then, and we may not resume dividend payments as we may not earn sufficient revenues or we may incur expenses or liabilities that would reduce or eliminate the cash available for distribution as dividends. Our loan agreements may also limit the amount of dividends we can pay under some circumstances based on certain covenants included in the loan agreements.
The declaration and payment of any dividends will be subject at all times to the discretion of our Board of Directors. Our Series B Preferred Shares provide that we must pay a cash dividend to holders of the Series B Preferred Shares in an amount equal to 40% of any dividend we pay on our common shares on an as-converted-basis in addition to the dividend of the Series B Preferred Shares that is payable at the time. This provision may be an important factor when our Board of Directors determines whether to declare dividends on our common shares. The timing and amount of dividends will depend on our earnings, financial condition, cash requirements and availability, restrictions in our loan agreements, growth strategy, charter rates in the container shipping industry, the provisions of Marshall Islands law affecting the payment of dividends and other factors. Marshall Islands law generally prohibits the payment of dividends other than from surplus (retained earnings and the excess of consideration received for the sale of shares above the par value of the shares), but, if there is no surplus, dividends may be declared out of the net profits (basically, the excess of our revenue over our expenses) for the fiscal year in which the dividend is declared or the preceding fiscal year. Marshall Islands law also prohibits the payment of dividends while a company is insolvent or if it would be rendered insolvent upon the payment of a dividend. As a result, we may not be able to pay dividends.
If we do not have sufficient cash to pay dividends on our Series B Preferred Shares when due, we may suffer adverse consequences.
Until January 29, 2019, we were able to pay dividends on our Series B Preferred Shares in-kind (rather than in cash). After that date, dividends to holders of the Series B Preferred Shares must be paid in cash. If we do not have sufficient cash to pay dividends to holders of the Series B Preferred Shares, then our failure to pay such dividends would be a dividend payment default and would therefore cause the dividend rate to increase, pursuant to the terms of the Statement of Designations of the Series B Preferred Shares. In addition, failure to pay dividends on our Series B Preferred Shares when due will adversely affect our ability utilize shelf registration statements to sell our securities, which has been an important fund-raising avenue for us in the past.
If we are unable to fund our capital expenditures, we may not be able to continue to operate some of our vessels, which would have a material adverse effect on our business and our ability to pay dividends.
In order to fund our capital expenditures, we may be required to incur borrowings or raise capital through the sale of debt or equity securities. Our ability to access the capital markets through future offerings may be limited by our financial condition at the time of any such offering as well as by adverse market conditions resulting from, among other things, general economic conditions and contingencies and uncertainties that are beyond our control. Our failure to obtain the funds for necessary future capital expenditures, including for our vessel under construction, would limit our ability to continue to operate some of our vessels and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition and our ability to pay dividends. Even if we are successful in obtaining such funds through financings, the terms of such financings could further limit our ability to pay dividends.
Our existing loan agreements contain restrictive covenants that may limit our liquidity and corporate activities.
Our existing loan agreements impose operating and financial restrictions on us. These restrictions may limit our ability to:
incur additional indebtedness;
create liens on our assets;
sell capital stock of our subsidiaries;
make investments;
engage in mergers or acquisitions;
pay dividends;
make capital expenditures;
change the management of our vessels or terminate or materially amend the management agreement relating to each vessel; and
sell our vessels.
Therefore, we may need to seek permission from our lenders in order to engage in some corporate actions. The lenders' interests may be different from our interests, and we may not be able to obtain the lenders' permission when needed. This may prevent us from taking actions that are in our best interest.
Servicing future debt would limit funds available for other purposes.
To finance our fleet, we have incurred secured debt under loan agreements for our vessels. We also currently expect to incur additional secured debt to finance the acquisition of additional vessels we may decide to acquire in the future. We must dedicate a portion of our cash flow from operations to pay the principal and interest on our debt. These payments limit funds otherwise available for working capital expenditures and other purposes. As of December 31, 2018, we had total bank debt of approximately $37.5 million. Our debt repayment schedule as of December 31, 2018 required us to repay $10.42 million of debt during the next two years and all remaining debt in the third year. As of April 1, 2019, we repaid $1.3 million of our total debt decreasing our outstanding debt to $36.2 million. If we are unable to service our debt, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
A further rise in interest rates could cause an increase in our costs and have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. To finance vessel purchases, we have borrowed, and may continue to borrow, under loan agreements that provide for periodic interest rate adjustments based on indices that fluctuate with changes in market interest rates. If interest rates increase significantly, it would increase our costs of financing our acquisition of vessels, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Any increase in debt service would also reduce the funds available to us to purchase other vessels.
Our ability to obtain additional debt financing may be dependent on the performance of our then existing charters and the creditworthiness of our charterers.
The actual or perceived credit quality of our charterers, and any defaults by them, may be one of the factors that materially affect our ability to obtain the additional debt financing that we will require to purchase additional vessels or may significantly increase our costs of obtaining such financing. We may be unable to obtain additional financing, or may be able to obtain additional financing only at a higher-than-anticipated cost, which may materially affect our results of operations, cash flows and our ability to implement our business strategy.
Credit market volatility may affect our ability to refinance our existing debt or incur additional debt.
The credit markets have recently experienced extreme volatility and disruption, which has limited credit capacity for certain issuers, and lenders have requested shorter terms and lower leverage ratios. The market for new debt financing is extremely limited and in some cases not available at all. If current levels of market disruption and volatility continue or worsen, we may not be able to refinance our existing debt or incur additional debt, which may require us to seek other funding sources to meet our liquidity needs or to fund planned expansion.
If volatility in LIBOR occurs, it could affect our profitability, earnings and cash flow.
LIBOR has historically been volatile, with the spread between LIBOR and the prime lending rate widening significantly at times. These conditions are the result of the disruptions in the international credit markets. Because the interest rates borne by our outstanding indebtedness fluctuate with changes in LIBOR, if this volatility were to occur, it would affect the amount of interest payable on our debt, which in turn, could have an adverse effect on our profitability, earnings and cash flow.
Furthermore, interest rates in most financing agreements in our industry have been based on published LIBOR rates. Our loan agreements contain provisions that entitle the lenders, in their discretion, to replace published LIBOR as the base for the interest calculation with their cost-of-funds rate if the quoted LIBOR rate does not reflect their true cost-of-funds or if it is unavailable. Since some of our loans have such clauses, our borrowing costs could increase significantly if there is a market disruption of LIBOR, which could have an adverse effect on our profitability, earnings and cash flows.
In addition, the banks currently reporting information used to set LIBOR will likely stop such reporting after 2021, when their commitment to reporting information ends. The Alternative Reference Rate Committee, or "Committee", a committee convened by the Federal Reserve that includes major market participants, has proposed an alternative rate to replace U.S. Dollar LIBOR: the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or "SOFR." The impact of such a transition away from LIBOR would be significant for us because of our substantial indebtedness. In order to manage our exposure to interest rate fluctuations, we may from time to time use interest rate derivatives to effectively fix some of our floating rate debt obligations. No assurance can however be given that the use of these derivative instruments, if any, may effectively protect us from adverse interest rate movements. The use of interest rate derivatives may
affect our results through mark to market valuation of these derivatives. Also, adverse movements in interest rate derivatives may require us to post cash as collateral, which may impact our free cash position.
As we expand our business, we may need to upgrade our operations and financial systems, and add more staff and crew. If we cannot upgrade these systems or recruit suitable employees, our performance may be adversely affected.
Our Manager's current operating and financial systems may not be adequate if we expand the size of our fleet, and our attempts to improve those systems may be ineffective. In addition, if we expand our fleet, we will have to rely on our Manager to recruit suitable additional seafarers and shore-side administrative and management personnel. Our Manager may not be able to continue to hire suitable employees as we expand our fleet. If our Manager's affiliated crewing agent encounters business or financial difficulties, we can make satisfactory arrangements with unaffiliated crewing agents or else we may not be able to adequately staff our vessels. If we are unable to operate our financial and operations systems effectively or to recruit suitable employees, our performance may be materially adversely affected.
If we acquire additional ships, whether on the secondhand market or newbuildings, and those vessels are not delivered on time or are delivered with significant defects, our earnings and financial condition could be adversely affected.
We expect to acquire additional vessels in the future either from the secondhand markets or by placing newbuilding orders. A delay in the delivery of any of these vessels to us or the failure of the contract counterparty to deliver a vessel at all could cause us to breach our obligations under a related time charter and could adversely affect our earnings, our financial condition and the amount of dividends, if any, that we pay in the future. The delivery of any vessels we might decide to acquire, whether newbuildings or secondhand vessels, could be delayed or certain events may arise which could result in us not taking delivery of a vessel, such as a total loss of a vessel, a constructive loss of a vessel, substantial damage to a vessel prior to delivery or construction not in accordance with agreed upon specification or with substantial defects.
Labor interruptions could disrupt our business.
Our vessels are manned by masters, officers and crews that are employed by third parties. If not resolved in a timely and cost-effective manner, industrial action or other labor unrest could prevent or hinder our operations from being carried out normally and could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and ability to pay dividends.
We will not be able to take advantage of potentially favorable opportunities in the current market with respect to vessels employed on time charters.
As of April 1, 2019, all of our vessels are employed under time charters with remaining terms ranging from less than one month to eleven months based on the minimum duration of the charter contracts. The percentage of our fleet that is under time charter contracts represents approximately 55% of our vessel capacity in the remainder of 2019 and 4% of our capacity in 2020. Although time charters provide relatively steady streams of revenue, vessels committed to time charters may not be available for chartering during periods of increasing charter rates. If we cannot re-charter these vessels on time charters or trade them profitably, our results of operations and operating cash flow may suffer. We may not be able to secure charter rates in the future that will enable us to operate our vessels profitably. Although we do not receive any revenues from certain of our vessels while such vessels are unemployed, we are required to pay expenses necessary to maintain the vessel in proper operating condition, insure it and service any indebtedness secured by such vessel. Despite the fact that as of April 1, 2019 all of our vessels are employed, we may be forced to lay up vessels if rates drop to levels below daily running expenses or if we are unable to find employment for the vessels for prolonged periods of time.
We or our Manager may be unable to attract and retain key management personnel and other employees in the shipping industry, which may negatively affect the effectiveness of our management and our results of operations.
Our success depends to a significant extent upon the abilities and efforts of our management team. Our success will depend upon our and our Manager's ability to hire additional employees and to retain key members of our management team. The loss of any of these individuals could adversely affect our business prospects and financial condition and operating cash flows. Difficulty in hiring and retaining personnel could adversely affect our results of operations. We do not currently intend to maintain "key man" life insurance on any of our officers.
Risks involved with operating ocean-going vessels could affect our business and reputation, which may reduce our revenues.
The operation of an ocean-going vessel carries inherent risks. These risks include, among others, the possibility of:
marine disaster;
piracy;
environmental accidents;
grounding, fire, explosions and collisions;
cargo and property losses or damage;
business interruptions caused by mechanical failure, human error, war, terrorism, political action in various countries, labor strikes or adverse weather conditions; and
work stoppages or other labor problems with crew members serving on our vessels including crew strikes and/or boycotts.
Such occurrences could result in death or injury to persons, loss of property or environmental damage, delays in the delivery of cargo, loss of revenues from or termination of charter contracts, governmental fines, penalties or restrictions on conducting business, higher insurance rates, and damage to our reputation and customer relationships generally. Any of these circumstances or events could increase our costs or lower our revenues, which could result in reduction in the market price of our shares of common stock. The involvement of our vessels in an environmental disaster may harm our reputation as a safe and reliable vessel owner and operator.
The operation of containerships has certain unique operational risks which could affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay dividends.
The operation of certain ship types, such as containerships, has certain unique risks.
Containerships operate at higher speeds as compared to other ocean-going vessels in order to move cargoes around the world quickly and minimize delivery delays. These high speeds can result in greater impact in collisions and groundings resulting in more damage to the vessel when compared to vessels operating at lower speeds. In addition, due to the placement of the containers on a containership, there is a greater risk that containers carried on deck will be lost overboard if an accident does occur. Furthermore, with the highly varied cargo that can be carried on a single containership, there can be additional difficulties with any clean-up operation following an accident. Also, we may not be able to correctly control the contents and condition of cargoes within the containers which may give rise to events such as customer complaints, accidents on-board the ships or problems with authorities due to carriage of illegal cargoes. Any of these circumstances or events could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and ability to pay dividends. In addition, the loss of any of our vessels could harm our reputation as a safe and reliable vessel owner and operator.
Our vessels may suffer damage and may face unexpected drydocking costs, which could affect our cash flows and financial condition.
If our vessels suffer damage, they may need to be repaired at a drydocking facility. The costs of drydock repairs are unpredictable and may be substantial. We may have to pay drydocking costs that our insurance does not cover. The loss of earnings while these vessels are being repaired and reconditioned, as well as the actual cost of these repairs, would decrease our earnings. In addition, space at drydocking facilities is sometimes limited and not all drydocking facilities are conveniently located. We may be unable to find space at a suitable drydocking facility or our vessels may be forced to travel to a drydocking facility that is not conveniently located near our vessels' positions. The loss of earnings and any costs incurred while these vessels are forced to wait for space or to steam to more distant drydocking facilities would decrease our earnings.
Purchasing and operating previously owned vessels may result in increased operating costs and vessels off-hire, which could adversely affect our earnings. The aging of our fleet may result in increased operating costs in the future, which could adversely affect our results of operations.
Although we inspect the secondhand vessels prior to purchase, this inspection does not provide us with the same knowledge about their condition and cost of any required (or anticipated) repairs that it would have had if these vessels had been built for and operated exclusively by us. Generally, we do not receive the benefit of warranties on secondhand vessels.
In general, the costs to maintain a vessel in good operating condition increase with the age of the vessel. As of April 1, 2019, the vessels in our fleet had an average age of approximately 20.5 years. As our vessels age, they may become less fuel efficient and more costly to maintain and will not be as advanced as more recently constructed vessels due to improvements in design and engine technology. Rates for cargo insurance, paid by charterers, also increase with the age of a vessel, making older vessels less desirable to charterers. Governmental regulations, safety or other equipment standards related to the age of vessels may require expenditures for alterations, or the addition of new equipment, to our vessels and may restrict the type of activities in which our vessels may engage. As
our vessels age, market conditions may not justify those expenditures or enable us to operate our vessels profitably during the remainder of their useful lives.
If we sell vessels, we are not certain that the price for which we sell them will equal their carrying amount at that time.
Unless we set aside reserves for vessel replacement, at the end of a vessel's useful life, our revenue will decline, which would adversely affect our cash flows and income.
As of April 1, 2019, the vessels in our fleet had an average age of approximately 20.5 years. Unless we maintain cash reserves for vessel replacement, we may be unable to replace the vessels in our fleet upon the expiration of their useful lives. We estimate the useful life of our vessels to be 25 years from the completion of their construction. Our cash flows and income are dependent on the revenues we earn by chartering our vessels to customers. If we are unable to replace the vessels in our fleet upon the expiration of their useful lives, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected. Any reserves set aside for vessel replacement would not be available for other cash needs or dividends.
Technological innovation could reduce our charter income and the value of our vessels.
The charter rates and the value and operational life of a vessel are determined by a number of factors including the vessel's efficiency, operational flexibility and physical life. Efficiency includes speed, fuel economy and the ability to load and discharge cargo quickly. Flexibility includes the ability to enter harbors, utilize related docking facilities and pass through canals and straits. The length of a vessel's physical life is related to its original design and construction, its maintenance and the impact of the stress of operations. If new vessels are built that are more efficient or more flexible or have longer physical lives than our vessels, competition from these more technologically advanced vessels could adversely affect the amount of charter hire payments we receive for our vessels and the resale value of our vessels could significantly decrease. As a result, our available cash could be adversely affected.
We are subject to certain risks with respect to our counterparties on contracts, and failure of such counterparties to meet their obligations could cause us to suffer losses or otherwise adversely affect our business.
We enter into, among other things, charter-party agreements. Such agreements subject us to counterparty risks. The ability and willingness of each of our counterparties to perform its obligations under a contract with us will depend on a number of factors that are beyond our control and may include, among other things, general economic conditions, the condition of the maritime and offshore industries, the overall financial condition of the counterparty, charter rates received for specific types of vessels, and various expenses. In addition, in depressed market conditions, our charterers may no longer need a vessel that is currently under charter or may be able to obtain a comparable vessel at lower rates. As a result, charterers may seek to renegotiate the terms of their existing charter parties or avoid their obligations under those contracts, especially when the contracted charter rates are significantly above market levels. Should a counterparty fail to honor its obligations under agreements with us, it may be difficult to secure substitute employment for such vessel, and any new charter arrangements we secure in the spot market or on time charters would be at lower rates given currently decreased charter rate levels. If our charterers fail to meet their obligations to us or attempt to renegotiate our charter agreements, it may be difficult to secure substitute employment for such vessel, and any new charter arrangements we secure in the spot market or on time charters may be at lower rates given currently decreased charter rate levels. As a result, we could sustain significant losses which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows, as well as our ability to pay dividends in the future and compliance with covenants in our credit facilities.
A drop in spot charter rates may provide an incentive for some charterers to default on their charters.
When we enter into a time charter, charter rates under that charter are fixed for the term of the charter. If the spot charter rates or short-term time charter rates in the containership, drybulk, tanker or offshore support shipping industries remain significantly lower than the time charter equivalent rates that some of our charterers are obligated to pay us under our existing charters, the charterers may have incentive to default under that charter or attempt to renegotiate the charter. If our charterers fail to pay their obligations, we would have to attempt to re-charter our vessels at lower charter rates, which would affect our ability to operate our vessels profitably and may affect our ability to comply with covenants contained in our current or future credit facilities and financing agreements.
We may not have adequate insurance to compensate us adequately for damage to, or loss of, our vessels.
We procure insurance for our fleet against risks commonly insured against by vessel owners and operators which includes hull and machinery insurance, protection and indemnity insurance (which, in turn, includes environmental damage and pollution insurance) and war risk insurance and freight, demurrage and defense insurance for our fleet. We generally do not maintain insurance against loss of hire which covers business interruptions that result in the loss of use of a vessel except in cases we consider such protection appropriate. We may not be adequately insured against all risks and we may not be able to obtain adequate insurance coverage for our fleet in the future. The insurers may not pay particular claims. Even if our insurance coverage is adequate to cover our losses, we may
not be able to timely obtain a replacement vessel in the event of a loss. Our insurance policies contain deductibles for which we will be responsible and limitations and exclusions which may increase our costs. Since it is possible that a large number of claims may be brought, the aggregate amount of these deductibles could be material. Moreover, the insurers may default on any claims they are required to pay. If our insurance is not enough to cover claims that may arise, it may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Because we obtain some of our insurance through protection and indemnity associations, we may also be subject to calls in amounts based not only on our own claim records, but also the claim records of other members of the protection and indemnity associations.
We are indemnified for legal liabilities incurred while operating our vessels through membership in P&I associations or clubs. P&I associations are mutual insurance associations whose members must contribute to cover losses sustained by other association members. The objective of a P&I association is to provide mutual insurance based on the aggregate tonnage of a member's vessels entered into the association. Claims are paid through the aggregate premiums of all members of the association, although members remain subject to calls for additional funds if the aggregate premiums are insufficient to cover claims submitted to the association. We cannot assure you that the P&I association to which we belong will remain viable or that we will not become subject to additional funding calls which could adversely affect us. Claims submitted to the association may include those incurred by members of the association as well as claims submitted to the association from other P&I associations with which our P&I association has entered into inter-association agreements.
We may be subject to calls in amounts based not only on our claim records but also the claim records of other members of the protection and indemnity associations through which we receive insurance coverage for tort liability, including pollution-related liability. Our payment of these calls could result in significant expense to us, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, financial condition and ability to pay dividends.
Our vessels are exposed to operational risks, including terrorism, cyber-terrorism and piracy that may not be adequately covered by our insurance.
The operation of any vessel includes risks such as weather conditions, mechanical failure, collision, fire, contact with floating objects, cargo or property loss or damage and business interruption due to political circumstances in countries, piracy, terrorist and cyber-terrorist attacks, armed hostilities and labor strikes. Such occurrences could result in death or injury to persons, loss, damage or destruction of property or environmental damage, delays in the delivery of cargo, loss of revenues from or termination of charter contracts, governmental fines, penalties or restrictions on conducting business, higher insurance rates and damage to our reputation and customer relationships generally.
Acts of piracy have historically affected ocean-going vessels trading in regions of the world such as the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean and in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. Although the frequency of sea piracy worldwide has generally decreased since 2013, sea piracy incidents continue to occur, particularly in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia and increasingly in the Sulu Sea and the Gulf of Guinea, with dry bulk vessels and tankers particularly vulnerable to such attacks. Acts of piracy could result in harm or danger to the crews that man our vessels.
If these piracy attacks occur in regions in which our vessels are deployed that insurers characterized as "war risk" zones or Joint War Committee "war and strikes" listed areas, premiums payable for such coverage could increase significantly and such insurance coverage may be more difficult to obtain. In addition, crew costs, including the employment of onboard security guards, could increase in such circumstances. Furthermore, while we believe the charterer remains liable for charter payments when a vessel is seized by pirates, the charterer may dispute this and withhold charter-hire until the vessel is released. A charterer may also claim that a vessel seized by pirates was not "on-hire" for a certain number of days and is therefore entitled to cancel the charter party, a claim that we would dispute. We may not be adequately insured to cover losses from these incidents, which could have a material adverse effect on us. In addition, any detention hijacking as a result of an act of piracy against our vessels, or an increase in cost, or unavailability, of insurance for our vessels, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and earnings.
We may not be adequately insured against all risks, and our insurers may not pay particular claims. With respect to war risks insurance, which we usually obtain for certain of our vessels making port calls in designated war zone areas, such insurance may not be obtained prior to one of our vessels entering into an actual war zone, which could result in that vessel not being insured. Even if our insurance coverage is adequate to cover our losses, we may not be able to timely obtain a replacement vessel in the event of a loss. Under the terms of our credit facilities, we will be subject to restrictions on the use of any proceeds we may receive from claims under our insurance policies. Furthermore, in the future, we may not be able to maintain or obtain adequate insurance coverage at reasonable rates for our fleet. We may also be subject to calls, or premiums, in amounts based not only on our own claim records but also the claim records of all other members of the protection and indemnity associations through which we receive indemnity insurance coverage for tort liability. Our insurance policies also contain deductibles, limitations and exclusions which, although we believe are standard in the shipping industry, may nevertheless increase our costs in the event of a claim or decrease any recovery in the event of a loss. If the
damages from a catastrophic oil spill or other marine disaster exceeded our insurance coverage, the payment of those damages could have a material adverse effect on our business and could possibly result in our insolvency.
Recent action by the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee and U.S. agencies indicate that cybersecurity regulations for the maritime industry are likely to be further developed in the near future in an attempt to combat cybersecurity threats. This might cause companies to cultivate additional procedures for monitoring cybersecurity, which could require additional expenses and/or capital expenditures. However, the impact of such regulations is hard to predict at this time. We do not carry cyber-attack insurance, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In general, we do not carry loss of hire insurance. Occasionally, we may decide to carry loss of hire insurance when our vessels are trading in areas where a history of piracy has been reported. Loss of hire insurance covers the loss of revenue during extended vessel off-hire periods, such as those that occur during an unscheduled drydocking or unscheduled repairs due to damage to the vessel. Accordingly, any loss of a vessel or any extended period of vessel off-hire, due to an accident or otherwise, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If our vessels call on ports located in countries that are subject to restrictions, sanctions or embargoes imposed by the U.S. government, the European Union, the United Nations and other governments it could lead to monetary fines and/or adversely affect our reputation and the market for our shares of common stock and its trading price.
From time to time, vessels in our fleet on charterers' instructions may call on ports located in countries subject to sanctions and embargoes imposed by the U.S. government and countries identified by the U.S. government, the European Union, the United Nations and other governments. We endeavor to have trade exclusion clauses included in the charter contracts. All of our charters contain trade exclusion clauses relating to, among other locations, countries deemed by the United States as state sponsors of terrorism. The U.S. sanctions and embargo laws and regulations vary in their application, as they do not all apply to the same covered persons or proscribe the same activities, and such sanctions and embargo laws and regulations may be amended or strengthened over time. The U.S. government has recently lifted certain sanctions with respect to Libya and made changes to the scope of the sanctions regime for Iran. Although the United States suspended certain sanctions against Iran applicable to non-U.S. companies, such as us, on January 16, 2016 pursuant to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a nuclear agreement reached between Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union, in May 2018, President Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and almost all of the U.S. sanctions waived and lifted in January 2016 were reinstated in August 2018 and November 2018.
The United States sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") of the U.S. Department of the Treasury principally apply, with limited exception, to U.S. persons (defined as any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States, or any person in the United States) only, not to non-U.S. companies. The United States can, however, extend sanctions liability to non-U.S. persons, including non-U.S. companies, such as our Company.
The United States can also remove sanctions it has previously imposed. On January 16, 2016, the United States suspended certain sanctions against Iran applicable to non-U.S. companies, such as us, pursuant to the nuclear agreement reached between Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union. To implement these changes, beginning on January 16, 2016, the United States waived enforcement as to non-U.S. companies of many of the sanctions against Iran's energy and petrochemical sectors described above, among other things, including certain provisions of CISADA, ITRA, and IFCA. In May 2018, President Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and almost all of the U.S. sanctions waived and lifted in January 2016 were reinstated in August 2018 and November 2018, respectively.
U.S. sanctions prohibiting certain conduct that is now permitted under the JCPOA have not actually been repealed or permanently terminated at this time. Rather, the U.S. government has implemented changes to the sanctions regime by: (1) issuing waivers of certain statutory sanctions provisions; (2) committing to refrain from exercising certain discretionary sanctions authorities; (3) removing certain individuals and entities from OFAC's sanctions lists; and (4) revoking certain Executive Orders and specified sections of Executive Orders. These sanctions will not be permanently "lifted" until the earlier of "Transition Day," set to occur on October 20, 2023, or upon a report from the IAEA stating that all nuclear material in Iran is being used for peaceful activities. On October 13, 2017, President Trump announced he would not certify Iran's compliance with the JCPOA. This did not withdraw the U.S. from the JCPOA or re-instate any sanctions. However, President Trump must periodically renew sanctions waivers and his refusal to do so could result in the reinstatement of certain sanctions suspended under the JCPOA.
All of the Company's revenues are from chartering-out its vessels on voyage or time charter contracts. The Company's vessels can also enter into pooling arrangements under which an international company and trading house involved in the use and/or transportation of commodities directs the Company's vessel to carry cargoes on its behalf. In time charters and pooling arrangements, the Company has no contractual relationship with the owner of the cargo and does not know the identity of the cargo owner. The vessel
is directed to a load port to load the cargo, and to a discharge port to offload the cargo, based solely on the instructions of the charterer. As of April 1, 2019, none of our vessels have called on ports at the aforementioned countries in the past or are arranged to call such ports in the future. The vessels' shipowning companies do not presently have, and have not in the past had, any agreements, arrangements or contracts with the governments of Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria or Cuba or entities that these countries control.
Although we believe that we have been in compliance with all applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations, and intend to maintain such compliance, there can be no assurance that we will be in compliance with all applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations in the future, particularly as the scope of certain laws may be unclear and may be subject to changing interpretations. Any such violation could result in fines, penalties or other sanctions that could severely impact our ability to access U.S. capital markets and conduct our business, and could result in some investors deciding, or being required, to divest their interest, or not to invest, in us. In addition, certain institutional investors may have investment policies or restrictions that prevent them from holding securities of companies that have contracts with countries identified by the U.S. government as state sponsors of terrorism. The determination by these investors not to invest in, or to divest from, our common stock may adversely affect the price at which our common stock trades. Moreover, our charterers may violate applicable sanctions and embargo laws and regulations as a result of actions that do not involve us or our vessels, and those violations could in turn negatively affect our reputation. In addition, our reputation and the market for our securities may be adversely affected if we engage in certain other activities, such as entering into charters with individuals or entities in countries subject to U.S. sanctions and embargo laws that are not controlled by the governments of those countries, or engaging in operations associated with those countries pursuant to contracts with third parties that are unrelated to those countries or entities controlled by their governments. Investor perception of the value of our common stock may be adversely affected by the consequences of war, the effects of terrorism, civil unrest and governmental actions in these and surrounding countries
We expect to operate substantially outside the United States, which will expose us to political and governmental instability, which could harm our operations.
We expect that our operations will be primarily conducted outside the United States and may be adversely affected by changing or adverse political and governmental conditions in the countries where our vessels are flagged or registered and in the regions where we otherwise engage in business. Any disruption caused by these factors may interfere with the operation of our vessels, which could harm our business, financial condition and results of operations. Past political efforts to disrupt shipping in these regions, particularly in the Arabian Gulf, have included attacks on ships and mining of waterways. In addition, terrorist attacks outside this region, such as the attacks that occurred against targets in the United States on September 11, 2001 and in a number of occasions in other countries following that, as well as continuing or new unrest and hostilities in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Ukraine, Syria and elsewhere in the world may lead to additional armed conflicts or to further acts of terrorism and civil disturbance. Any such attacks or disturbances may disrupt our business, increase vessel operating costs, including insurance costs, and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. Our operations may also be adversely affected by expropriation of vessels, taxes, regulation, economic sanctions or other adverse events or circumstances in or affecting the countries and regions where we operate or where we may operate in the future.
Further, governments may turn to trade barriers to protect their domestic industries against foreign imports, thereby depressing shipping demand. In particular, leaders in the United States have indicated the United States may seek to implement more protective trade measures. President Donald Trump was elected on a platform promoting trade protectionism. The results of the presidential election have thus created significant uncertainty concerning the future relationship between the United States, China and other exporting countries, including with respect to trade policies, treaties, government regulations and tariffs. For example, on January 23, 2017, President Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a global trade agreement intended to include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru and a number of Asian countries. In March 2018, President Trump announced tariffs on imported steel and aluminum into the United States that could have a negative impact on international trade generally. In January 2019, the United States announced expanded sanctions against Venezuela, which may have an effect on its oil output and in turn affect global oil supply. Protectionist developments, or the perception they may occur, may have a material adverse effect on global economic conditions, and may significantly reduce global trade. Moreover, increasing trade protectionism may cause an increase in:
(a) the cost of goods exported from regions globally,
(b) the length of time required to transport goods and
(c) the risks associated with exporting goods.
Such increases may significantly affect the quantity of goods to be shipped, shipping time schedules, voyage costs and other associated costs, which could have an adverse impact on our charterers' business, operating results and financial condition and could thereby affect their ability to make timely charter hire payments to us and to renew and increase the number of their time charters with us. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and our ability to pay any cash distributions to our stockholders.
The international nature of our operations may make the outcome of any bankruptcy proceedings difficult to predict.
We are incorporated under the laws of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and we conduct operations in countries around the world. Consequently, in the event of any bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization or similar proceeding involving us or any of our subsidiaries, bankruptcy laws other than those of the United States could apply. If we become a debtor under U.S. bankruptcy law, bankruptcy courts in the United States may seek to assert jurisdiction over all of our assets, wherever located, including property situated in other countries. There can be no assurance, however, that we would become a debtor in the United States, or that a U.S. bankruptcy court would be entitled to, or accept, jurisdiction over such a bankruptcy case, or that courts in other countries that have jurisdiction over us and our operations would recognize a U.S. bankruptcy court's jurisdiction if any other bankruptcy court would determine it had jurisdiction.
Obligations associated with being a public company require significant company resources and management attention.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, and the other rules and regulations of the SEC, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, or Sarbanes-Oxley. Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley requires that we evaluate and determine the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting.
We work with our legal, accounting and financial advisors to identify any areas in which changes should be made to our financial and management control systems to manage our growth and our obligations as a public company. We evaluate areas such as corporate governance, corporate control, internal audit, disclosure controls and procedures and financial reporting and accounting systems. We will make changes in any of these and other areas, including our internal control over financial reporting, which we believe are necessary. However, these and other measures we may take may not be sufficient to allow us to satisfy our obligations as a public company on a timely and reliable basis. In addition, compliance with reporting and other requirements applicable to public companies do create additional costs for us and will require the time and attention of management. Our limited management resources may exacerbate the difficulties in complying with these reporting and other requirements while focusing on executing our business strategy. We may not be able to predict or estimate the amount of the additional costs we may incur, the timing of such costs or the degree of impact that our management's attention to these matters will have on our business.
Exposure to currency exchange rate fluctuations will result in fluctuations in our cash flows and operating results.
We generate all our revenues in U.S. dollars, but we incur approximately 27% of our vessel operating expenses and drydocking expenses, all of our vessel management fees, and approximately 11% in 2018 of our general and administrative expenses in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. This could lead to fluctuations in our operating expenses, which would affect our financial results. Expenses incurred in foreign currencies increase when the value of the U.S. dollar falls, which would reduce our profitability and cash flows.
Interest rates in most loan agreements in our industry are based on variable components, such as LIBOR, and if such variable components increase significantly, it could affect our profitability, earnings and cash flows.
LIBOR in the past has been volatile, with the spread between LIBOR and the prime lending rate widening significantly at times. These conditions can be the result of disruptions in the international credit markets. Because the interest rates borne by our outstanding indebtedness fluctuate with changes in LIBOR, if this volatility were to continue, it would affect the amount of interest payable to service our debt, which in turn, could have an adverse effect on our profitability, earnings and cash flows.
Furthermore, interest rates in most loan agreements in our industry have been based on published LIBOR rates. Our loan agreements contain provisions that entitle the lenders, in their discretion, to replace published LIBOR as the base for the interest calculation with their cost-of-funds rate if the quoted LIBOR rate does not reflect their true cost-of-funds or if it is unavailable. Since some of our loans have such clauses, our borrowing costs could increase significantly if there is a market disruption of LIBOR, which could have an adverse effect on our profitability, earnings and cash flows.
In addition, the banks currently reporting information used to set LIBOR will likely stop such reporting after 2021, when their commitment to reporting information ends. The Alternative Reference Rate Committee, or "Committee", a committee convened by the Federal Reserve that includes major market participants, has proposed an alternative rate to replace U.S. Dollar LIBOR: the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or "SOFR." The impact of such a transition away from LIBOR would be significant for us because of our substantial indebtedness. In order to manage our exposure to interest rate fluctuations, we may from time to time use interest rate derivatives to effectively fix some of our floating rate debt obligations. No assurance can however be given that the use of these derivative instruments, if any, may effectively protect us from adverse interest rate movements. The use of interest rate derivatives may affect our results through mark to market valuation of these derivatives. Also, adverse movements in interest rate derivatives may require us to post cash as collateral, which may impact our free cash position.
We depend upon a few significant customers for a large part of our revenues and the loss of one or more of these customers could adversely affect our financial performance.
We have historically derived a significant part of our revenues from a small number of charterers. During 2018, approximately 97% of our revenues derived from our top five charterers. During 2017 and 2016, approximately 91% and 83%, respectively, of our revenues derived from our top five charterers. If one or more of our charterers chooses not to charter our vessels or is unable to perform under one or more charters with us and we are not able to find a replacement charter, we could suffer a loss of revenues that could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
United States tax authorities could treat us as a "passive foreign investment company," which could have adverse United States federal income tax consequences to United States holders.
A foreign corporation will be treated as a "passive foreign investment company," or PFIC, for United States federal income tax purposes if either (1) at least 75% of its gross income for any taxable year consists of certain types of "passive income" or (2) at least 50% of the average value of the corporation's assets produce or are held for the production of those types of "passive income." For purposes of these tests, "passive income" includes dividends, interest, and gains from the sale or exchange of investment property and rents and royalties other than rents and royalties which are received from unrelated parties in connection with the active conduct of a trade or business. For purposes of these tests, income derived from the performance of services does not constitute "passive income." United States shareholders of a PFIC are subject to a disadvantageous United States federal income tax regime with respect to the income derived by the PFIC, the distributions they receive from the PFIC and the gain, if any, they derive from the sale or other disposition of their shares in the PFIC. In addition, United States shareholders of a PFIC are required to file annual information returns with the United States Internal Revenue Service, or IRS.
Based on our current method of operation, we do not believe that we have been, are or will be a PFIC with respect to any taxable year. In this regard, we treat the gross income we derive or are deemed to derive from our time chartering activities as services income, rather than rental income. Accordingly, we believe that our income from our time chartering activities should not constitute "passive income," and the assets that we own and operate in connection with the production of that income should not constitute passive assets.
There is substantial legal authority supporting this position consisting of case law and IRS pronouncements concerning the characterization of income derived from time charters and voyage charters as services income for other tax purposes. However, it should be noted that there is also authority which characterizes time charter income as rental income rather than services income for other tax purposes. Accordingly, in the absence of legal authority directly relating to PFIC rules, no assurance can be given that the IRS or a court of law will accept this position, and there is a risk that the IRS or a court of law could determine that we are a PFIC. Moreover, no assurance can be given that we would not constitute a PFIC for any future taxable year if the nature and extent of our operations changed.
If the IRS were to find that we are or have been a PFIC for any taxable year, our United States shareholders will face adverse United States federal income tax consequences. Under the PFIC rules, unless those shareholders make an election available under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (which election could itself have adverse consequences for such shareholders, as discussed in Item 10 of this Annual Report under "Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation of U.S. Holders"), such shareholders would be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the then prevailing income tax rates on ordinary income plus interest upon excess distributions and upon any gain from the disposition of our shares, as if the excess distribution or gain had been recognized ratably over the United States shareholder's holding period of our shares. See "Taxation — United States Federal Income Taxation of U.S. Holders" in this Annual Report under Item 10 for a more comprehensive discussion of the United States federal income tax consequences to United States shareholders if we are treated as a PFIC.
Based on the current and expected composition of our and our subsidiaries' assets and income, it is not anticipated that we will be treated as a PFIC. Our actual PFIC status for any taxable year, however, will not be determinable until after the end of such taxable year. Accordingly, there can be no assurances regarding our status as a PFIC for the current taxable year or any future taxable year. See the discussion in the section entitled "Item 10.E. Taxation — Passive Foreign Investment Company Regulations." We urge U.S. Holders to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possible application of the PFIC rules.
If management is unable to provide reports as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting, investors could lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which could result in a decrease in the value of our common stock.
Under Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley, we are required to include in each of our annual reports on Form 20-F a report containing our management's assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. If, in such annual reports on Form 20-F, our management cannot provide a report as to the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as required by Section 404, investors could lose confidence in the reliability of our financial statements, which could result in a decrease in the value of our common stock.
We are subject to United States federal income tax on United States source income, which may reduce our earnings.
Under the United States Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, 50% of the gross shipping income of a vessel owning or chartering corporation, such as ourselves and our subsidiaries, that is attributable to transportation that begins or ends, but that does not both begin and end, in the United States may be subject to a 4% United States federal income tax without allowance for deduction, unless that corporation qualifies for exemption from tax under Section 883 of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
We did not qualify for this statutory tax exemption under Section 883 of the Code for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 taxable years, although we may be able to qualify for this exemption in future taxable years.
Since we and our subsidiaries are not entitled to the exemption under Section 883 of the Code for the 2018 taxable year, we and our subsidiaries are subject to an effective 2% United States federal income tax on the shipping income we derived during 2018 that is attributable to the transport of cargoes to or from the United States. The amount of this tax was $21,275 and $15,135 for the 2016 and 2017 taxable years, respectively, and we estimate this to be approximately $12,311 for the 2018 taxable year.
Failure to comply with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act could result in fines, criminal penalties, and an adverse effect on our business.
We operate in a number of countries throughout the world, including countries known to have a reputation for corruption. We are committed to doing business in accordance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have adopted a code of business conduct and ethics which is consistent and in full compliance with the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977. We are subject, however, to the risk that we, our affiliated entities or our or their respective officers, directors, employees and agents may take action determined to be in violation of such anti-corruption laws, including the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977. Any such violation could result in substantial fines, sanctions, civil and/or criminal penalties, curtailment of operations in certain jurisdictions, and might adversely affect our business, results of operations or financial condition. In addition, actual or alleged violations could damage our reputation and ability to do business. Furthermore, detecting, investigating, and resolving actual or alleged violations is expensive and can consume significant time and attention of our senior management.
It may be difficult to enforce service of process and enforcement of judgments against us and our officers and directors.
We are a Marshall Islands corporation, and our subsidiaries are incorporated in jurisdictions outside of the United States. Our executive offices are located outside of the United States in Maroussi, Greece. A majority of our directors and officers reside outside of the United States, and a substantial portion of our assets and the assets of our officers and directors are located outside of the United States. As a result, you may have difficulty serving legal process within the United States upon us or any of these persons. You may also have difficulty enforcing, both in and outside of the United States, judgments you may obtain in the U.S. courts against us or these persons in any action, including actions based upon the civil liability provisions of U.S. federal or state securities laws.
There is also substantial doubt that the courts of the Marshall Islands, Greece or jurisdictions in which our subsidiaries are organized would enter judgments in original actions brought in those courts predicated on U.S. federal or state securities laws. In addition, the protection afforded minority shareholders in the Marshall Islands is different than those offered in the United States.
Risk Factors Relating To Our Common Stock
The trading volume for our common stock has been low, which may cause our common stock to trade at lower prices and make it difficult for you to sell your common stock.
Although our shares of common stock traded on the Nasdaq Global Market since January 31, 2007 and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market since January 1, 2008, and have traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market since June 26, 2015, the trading volume has been lower over the last couple of years. Our shares may not actively trade in the public market and any such limited liquidity may cause our common stock to trade at lower prices and make it difficult to sell your common stock.
The market price of our common stock has been and may in the future be subject to significant fluctuations.
The market price of our common stock has been and may in the future be subject to significant fluctuations as a result of many factors, some of which are beyond our control. Among the factors that have in the past and could in the future affect our stock price are:
actual or anticipated fluctuations in quarterly and annual variations in our results of operations;
changes in market valuations or sales or earnings estimates or publication of research reports by analysts;
changes in earnings estimates or shortfalls in our operating results from levels forecasted by securities analysts;
speculation in the press or investment community about our business or the shipping industry;
changes in market valuations of similar companies and stock market price and volume fluctuations generally;
payment of dividends;
strategic actions by us or our competitors such as mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances or restructurings;
changes in government and other regulatory developments;
additions or departures of key personnel;
general market conditions and the state of the securities markets; and
domestic and international economic, market and currency factors unrelated to our performance.
The international container shipping industry has been highly unpredictable. In addition, the stock markets in general, and the markets for container shipping and shipping stocks in general, have experienced extreme volatility that has sometimes been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock. Our shares may trade at prices lower than you originally paid for such shares.
We received notice from the Nasdaq Stock Market that our common stock did not meet the Nasdaq Capital Market's minimum share price requirement, and if we cannot cure such deficiency within the prescribed timeframe, our common stock could be delisted.
Under the rules of the Nasdaq Capital Market, listed companies are required to maintain a share price of at least $1.00 per share. If the share price declines below $1.00 for a period of 30 consecutive business days, then the listed company has a cure period of at least 180 days to regain compliance with the $1.00 per share minimum. On January 14, 2019, we received notice from the Nasdaq Capital Market (the "Notice") indicating that we are no longer in compliance with Nasdaq's continued listing requirements under Nasdaq Listing Rule 5450(a)(1) because the closing bid price of our common stock over a period of 30 consecutive business days was less than $1.00 per share. The last reported sale price on the Nasdaq Capital Market on April 22, 2019 was $0.73 per share. Pursuant to Nasdaq Listing Rule 5810(c)(3)(A), we have six months following receipt of the Notice to regain compliance with the minimum share price requirement. We can cure this deficiency if the closing bid price of its common stock is $1.00 per share or higher for at least ten consecutive business days during the six months following the date of the Notice. Alternatively, we could also take other actions to cure the deficiency, such as a reverse stock split (for which we have already received shareholder approval). We intend to cure the deficiency within the prescribed timeframe. During this time, our common stock will continue to be listed and trade on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Our business operations are not affected by the receipt of the Notice.
If the market price of our common stock remains below $5.00 per share, under stock exchange rules, our shareholders will not be able to use such shares as collateral for borrowing in margin accounts. This inability to continue to use our common stock as collateral may lead to sales of such shares creating downward pressure on and increased volatility in the market price of our common stock.
If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or publish negative reports about our business, our share price and trading volume could decline.
The trading market for our common shares will depend, in part, upon the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have any control over analysts as to whether they will cover us, and if they do, whether such coverage will continue. If analysts do not commence coverage of the Company, or if one or more of these analysts cease coverage of the Company or fail to regularly publish reports on us, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our share price or trading volume to decline. In addition, if one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our shares or change their opinion of our shares, our share price may likely decline.
Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and Shareholders' Rights Plan contain anti-takeover provisions that may discourage, delay or prevent (1) our merger or acquisition and/or (2) the removal of incumbent directors and officers and (3) the ability of public shareholders to benefit from a change in control.
Our current amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws contain certain anti-takeover provisions. These provisions include blank check preferred stock, the prohibition of cumulative voting in the election of directors, a classified Board of Directors, advance written notice for shareholder nominations for directors, removal of directors only for cause, advance written notice of shareholder proposals for the removal of directors and limitations on action by shareholders. In addition, we adopted a shareholders' rights plan pursuant to which our Board of Directors may cause the substantial dilution of any person that attempts to acquire us without the approval of our Board of Directors. These anti-takeover provisions, including provisions of our shareholders' rights plan, either individually or in the aggregate, may discourage, delay or prevent (1) our merger or acquisition by means of a tender offer, a proxy contest or otherwise, that a shareholder may consider in its best interest, (2) the removal of incumbent directors and officers, and (3) the ability of public shareholders to benefit from a change in control. These anti-takeover provisions could substantially impede the ability of shareholders to benefit from a change in control and, as a result, may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and
shareholders' ability to realize any potential change of control premium. We intend to adopt a new shareholders' rights plan to replace the existing shareholders' plan as the rights under the existing shareholders' rights plan are set to expire in May 2019.
Future sales of our stock could cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market, or the perception that these sales could occur, may depress the market price for our common stock. These sales could also impair our ability to raise additional capital through the sale of our equity securities in the future.
We may issue additional shares of our stock in the future and our stockholders may elect to sell large numbers of shares held by them from time to time. Our amended and restated articles of incorporation authorize us to issue up to 200,000,000 shares of common stock and 20,000,000 shares of preferred stock.
On January 27, 2014 we entered into an agreement to sell 25,000 of our Series B Preferred Shares to a fund managed by TCP and 5,700 shares to Preferred Friends Investment Company Inc., an affiliate of the Company. The Series B Preferred Shares are convertible into common shares. Pursuant to a registration rights agreement between us and TCP, we filed a registration statement registering for resale all of the common shares issuable upon conversion of the Series B Preferred Shares, which has resulted in these shares becoming freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), if such shares are sold under the registration statement. On December 29, 2016 we sold 719,425 shares of our common stock to Friends for total proceeds of $1,000,000. Further, on December 23, 2016 we issued 900,000 shares of our common stock to two funds managed by TCP in order to purchase the M/V "RT Dagr". We entered into a registration obligation agreement requiring us to register under the Securities Act the 900,000 shares sold to the funds managed by TCP, and such shares will become freely tradable without restriction under the Securities Act if they are sold under the registration statement that we intend to file. In December 2016 and January 2017, we filed with the SEC two prospectus supplements to issue and sell, in an at-the-market ("ATM") offering, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $10 million. From December 21, 2016 through January 26, 2017, we issued and sold 1,280,627 shares of our common stock through the ATM offering for net proceeds of approximately $2.7 million. In October 2018, we filed with the SEC a new prospectus supplement under which we may issue and sell, in an ATM offering, shares of our common stock having an aggregate offering price of up to $4.2 million; as of April 1, 2019, we have issued and sold 1,116,069 shares of our common stock in this ATM offering for net proceeds of approximately $2.0 million, leaving approximately $2.2 million of our common stock available for sale.
Sales of a substantial number of any of the shares of common stock mentioned above may cause the market price of our common stock to decline.
Issuance of preferred stock may adversely affect the voting power of our shareholders and have the effect of discouraging, delaying or preventing a merger or acquisition, which could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Our Board of Directors approved the issuance of 30,700 shares of our Series B Preferred Shares in 2014 (of which 19,686 are outstanding as of April 1, 2019) and may decide in the future to issue preferred shares in one or more series and to determine the rights, preferences, privileges and restrictions with respect to, among other things, dividends, conversion, voting, redemption, liquidation and the number of shares constituting any series subject to prior shareholders' approval. If our Board determines to issue preferred shares, such issuance may discourage, delay or prevent a merger or acquisition that shareholders may consider favorable. The issuance of preferred shares with voting and conversion rights may also adversely affect the voting power of the holders of common shares. This could substantially impede the ability of public shareholders to benefit from a change in control and, as a result, may adversely affect the market price of our common stock and shareholders' ability to realize any potential change of control premium.
Our Series B Preferred Shares are senior obligations of ours and rank prior to our common stock with respect to dividends, distributions and payments upon liquidation, which could have an adverse effect on the value of our common stock.
The rights of the holders of our Series B Preferred Shares rank senior to the obligations to holders of our common shares. Upon our liquidation, the holders of Series B Preferred Shares will be entitled to receive a liquidation preference of $1,000 per share, plus all accrued but unpaid dividends, prior and in preference to any distribution to the holders of any other class of our equity securities, including our common shares. The existence of the Series B Preferred Shares could have an adverse effect on the value of our common shares.
Because the Republic of the Marshall Islands, where we are incorporated, does not have a well-developed body of corporate law, shareholders may have fewer rights and protections than under typical state law in the United States, such as Delaware, and shareholders may have difficulty in protecting their interests with regard to actions taken by our Board of Directors.
Our corporate affairs are governed by our amended and restated articles of incorporation and bylaws, as amended, and by the Marshall Islands Business Corporations Act, or the BCA. The provisions of the BCA resemble provisions of the corporation laws of a number of states in the United States. However, there have been few judicial cases in the Republic of the Marshall Islands interpreting the BCA. The rights and fiduciary responsibilities of directors under the law of the Republic of the Marshall Islands are not as clearly established as the rights and fiduciary responsibilities of directors under statutes or judicial precedent in existence in certain U.S. jurisdictions. Stockholder rights may differ as well. For example, under Marshall Islands law, a copy of the notice of any meeting of the shareholders must be given not less than 15 days before the meeting, whereas in Delaware such notice must be given not less than 10 days before the meeting. Therefore, if immediate shareholder action is required, a meeting may not be able to be convened as quickly as it can be convened under Delaware law. Also, under Marshall Islands law, any action required to be taken by a meeting of shareholders may only be taken without a meeting if consent is in writing and is signed by all of the shareholders entitled to vote, whereas under Delaware law action may be taken by consent if approved by the number of shareholders that would be required to approve such action at a meeting. Therefore, under Marshall Islands law, it may be more difficult for a company to take certain actions without a meeting even if a majority of the shareholders approve of such action. While the BCA does specifically incorporate the non-statutory law, or judicial case law, of Delaware and other states with substantially similar legislative provisions, public shareholders may have more difficulty in protecting their interests in the face of actions by the management, directors or controlling shareholders than would shareholders of a corporation incorporated in a U.S. jurisdiction.
A. History and Development of the Company
Euroseas Ltd. is a Marshall Islands company incorporated under the BCA on May 5, 2005. We are a provider of worldwide ocean-going transportation services. On May 30, 2018, the Company spun-off its drybulk fleet (excluding M/V Monica P, a handymax drybulk carrier, which was agreed to be sold at the time) into EuroDry Ltd., a separate publicly listed company also listed on Nasdaq Capital Market. Shareholders of the Company received one EuroDry Ltd. share for every five shares of the Company they held. As a result of the spin-off and the subsequent sale of M/V Monica P, the Company has become a pure containership company and the only publicly listed company concentrating on the feeder containership sector. Our containerships transport dry and refrigerated containerized cargoes, mainly including manufactured products and perishables. As of April 1, 2019, our fleet consisted of eleven containerships. The total cargo carrying capacity of the eleven containerships is 388,632 dwt or 25,483 teu. Two of our vessels were acquired before January 1, 2004 and were controlled by the Pittas family interests. On June 29, 2005, the shareholders of the two vessels (and of five additional vessels that have since been sold) transferred their ownership in each of the vessels to Euroseas in exchange for shares in Friends, a 100% owner of Euroseas at that time. Since June 2005, the Company has purchased twenty-eight vessels and ordered four newbuildings. Euroseas took delivery of three of the newbuildings in February 2016, January 2017 and May 2018, respectively, while one newbuilding vessel contract was cancelled. The Company sold fifteen vessels and spun-off six of its vessels into EuroDry in 2018.
Our common shares traded under the symbol ESEA on the Nasdaq Global Market beginning January 31, 2007 and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market beginning January 1, 2008, and since June 26, 2015 have traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market.
Our executive offices are located at 4 Messogiou & Evropis Street, 151 24, Maroussi, Greece. Our telephone number is +30-211-1804005.
B. Business Overview
Our fleet consists of: containerships that transport container boxes providing scheduled service between ports. Please see information in the section "Our Fleet", below. During 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 we had a fleet utilization of 97.6%, 93.0%, 93.9%, 96.9% and 92.7%, respectively, our vessels achieved daily time charter equivalent rates of $7,319, $7,855, $7,120, $7,309 and $9,179, respectively, and we generated voyage charter revenue and time charter revenue totaling $37.32 million, $35.51 million, $21.46 million, $24.84 million and $36.27 million, respectively.
Our business strategy is focused on providing consistent shareholder returns by carefully selecting the timing and the structure of our investments in containership vessels and by reliably, safely and competitively operating the vessels we own, through our affiliate, Eurobulk. Representing a continuous shipowning and management history that dates back to the 19th century, we believe that one of our advantages in the industry is our ability to select and safely operate containership vessels of any age.
As of April 1, 2019, the profile and deployment of our fleet is the following:
Employment (*)
TCE Rate ($/day)
EVRIDIKI G (ex-MAERSK NOUMEA)
TC until Sep-19
TC until Feb-20
MANOLIS P
TC until Mar-20
AEGEAN EXPRESS
TC until Apr-19
TC until Jul-19
KUO HSIUNG
EM ASTORIA
TC until Aug-19
AKINADA BRIDGE
EM CORFU
EM ATHENS
EM OINOUSSES
Total Container Carriers
(*) TC denotes time charter. All dates listed are the earliest redelivery dates under each TC.
We plan to expand our fleet by investing in vessels in the containership market under favorable market conditions. We also intend to take advantage of the cyclical nature of the market by buying and selling ships when we believe favorable opportunities exist. We employ our vessels in the spot and time charter market and through pool arrangements. As of April 1, 2019, all of our vessels are employed under time charter contracts.
As of April 1, 2019, approximately 55% of our ship capacity days in the remainder of 2019 and approximately 4% of our ship capacity days in 2020 are under contract.
In "Critical Accounting Policies – Impairment of vessels" below, we discuss our policy for impairing the carrying values of our vessels. During the past few years, the market values of vessels have experienced extraordinarily high volatility, and substantial declines in many vessel classes. As a result, the charter-free market value, or basic market value, of certain of our vessels may have declined below those vessels' carrying value. We may not impair those vessels' carrying value under our accounting impairment policy, due to our belief that future undiscounted cash flows expected to be earned by such vessels over their operating lives would exceed such vessels' carrying amounts.
The table set forth below indicates (i) the carrying value of each of our vessels as of December 31, 2017 and 2018, respectively, (ii) which of our vessels we believe has a basic market value below its carrying value, and (iii) the aggregate difference between carrying and market value represented by such vessels. This aggregate difference represents the approximate analysis of the amount by which we believe we would have to reduce our net income/ (loss) if we sold all of such vessels in the current environment, using industry-standard valuation methodologies, in cash, in arm's-length transactions. For purposes of this calculation, we have assumed that the vessels would be sold at a price that reflects our estimate of their current basic market values. However, we are not holding our vessels for sale, except as otherwise noted in this report.
Our estimates of basic market value assume that our vessels are all in good and seaworthy condition without need for repair and if inspected would be certified in class without any notations. Our estimates are based on information available from various industry sources, including:
reports by industry analysts and data providers that focus on our industry and related dynamics affecting vessel values;
news and industry reports of similar vessel sales;
news and industry reports of sales of vessels that are not similar to our vessels where we have made certain adjustments in an attempt to derive information that can be used as part of our estimates;
approximate market values for our vessels or similar vessels that we have received from shipbrokers, whether solicited or unsolicited, or that shipbrokers have generally disseminated;
offers that we may have received from potential purchasers of our vessels; and
vessel sale prices and values of which we are aware through both formal and informal communications with shipowners, shipbrokers, industry analysts and various other shipping industry participants and observers.
As we obtain information from various industry and other sources, our estimates of basic market value are inherently uncertain. In addition, vessel values are highly volatile; as such, our estimates may not be indicative of the current or future basic market value of our vessels or prices that we could achieve if we were to sell them.
Carrying Value as of December 31, 2017
(teu)
EVRIDIKI
(1) Indicates a container vessel for which we believe, as of December 31, 2017, the basic charter-free market value is lower than the vessel's carrying value as of December 31, 2017. We believe that the carrying value of this vessel, assessed separately, of $9.71 million as of December 31, 2017 exceeds its basic charter-free market value of approximately $7.20 million by approximately $2.51 million. As further discussed in "Critical Accounting Policies – Impairment of vessels" below, we believe that the carrying values of our vessels as of December 31, 2017 were recoverable.
We note that all of our container vessels are currently employed under time charter contracts of durations from less than one to eleven months until the earliest redelivery charter period. If we sell those vessels with the charters attached, the sale price may be affected by the relationship of the charter rate to the prevailing market rate for a comparable charter with the same terms.
We refer you to the risk factor entitled "The market value of our vessels can fluctuate significantly, which may adversely affect our financial condition, cause us to breach financial covenants, result in the incurrence of a loss upon disposal of a vessel or increase the cost of acquiring additional vessels" and the discussion in Item 3.D under "Industry Risk Factors".
Management of Our Fleet
The operations of our vessels are managed by Eurobulk Ltd., or Eurobulk, an affiliated company. Eurobulk manages our fleet under a Master Management Agreement with us and separate management agreements with each ship-owning company. Eurobulk was founded in 1994 by members of the Pittas family and is a reputable ship management company with strong industry relationships and experience in managing vessels. Under our Master Management Agreement, Eurobulk is responsible for providing us with: (i) executive services associated with us being a public company; (ii) other services to our subsidiaries and commercial management services, which include obtaining employment for our vessels and managing our relationships with charterers; and (iii) technical management services, which include managing day-to-day vessel operations, performing general vessel maintenance, ensuring regulatory and classification society compliance, supervising the maintenance and general efficiency of vessels, arranging our hire of qualified officers and crew, arranging and supervising drydocking and repairs, arranging insurance for vessels, purchasing stores, supplies, spares and new equipment for vessels, appointing supervisors and technical consultants and providing technical support and shoreside personnel who carry out the management functions described above and certain accounting services.
Our Master Management Agreement with Eurobulk compensates Eurobulk with an annual fee and a daily management fee per vessel managed. Our Master Management Agreement, which we initially entered into in 2008, was amended and restated as of January 1, 2018 and its term extended until January 1, 2023. It provided for a roughly 5% discount of the daily vessel management fee for any period during which the number of the Euroseas-owned vessels (including vessels in which Euroseas is a part owner) managed by
Eurobulk is greater than 20 ("volume discount"), which was permanently incorporated into the daily management fee effective January 1, 2018 (see below). The Master Management Agreement can be terminated by Eurobulk only for cause or under other limited circumstances, such as sale of the Company or Eurobulk or the bankruptcy of either party. This Master Management Agreement will automatically be extended after the initial period for an additional five-year period unless terminated on or before the 90th day preceding the initial termination date. Pursuant to the Master Management Agreement, vessels we might acquire in the future will enter into a separate five-year management agreement with Eurobulk.
During 2016, in exchange for providing us with the services described above, we paid Eurobulk an annual fee of $2,000,000 and a management fee of 685 Euros per vessel per day for any operating vessel and 50% (i.e. 342.5 Euros) of that amount for any vessel laid-up including the 5% volume discount. The management fee is adjusted annually for Greek inflation every January 1st. There was no adjustment for inflation from January 1, 2016, to date and, hence, we continue to pay Eurobulk an annual fee of $2,000,000 and a fee of 685 Euros per vessel per day in operation and 342.5 Euros per vessel per day in lay-up. In the case of newbuilding vessel contracts, the same management fee of 685 Euros becomes effective when construction of the vessels actually begins. Under the amended and restated Master Management Agreement, as of January 1, 2018, the volume discount has been permanently incorporated into the daily management fee which remained unchanged at 685 Euros in 2018, and will be adjusted annually for inflation in the Eurozone. On May 30, 2018, the Company signed an addendum with the Manager according to which daily management fees were kept at 685 Euros per day per vessel, while as of May 30, 2018, the fixed cost was adjusted to $1,250,000. As a result, for the year 2018, the fixed cost was calculated on $2,000,000 pro-rated for the period of January 1, 2018 until May 30, 2018 and on $1,250,000 for the period of May 30, 2018 until December 31, 2018.
Our Competitive Strengths
We believe that we possess the following competitive strengths:
Experienced Management Team. Our management team has significant experience in all aspects of commercial, technical, operational and financial areas of our business. Aristides J. Pittas, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, holds a dual graduate degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and Ocean Systems Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has worked in various technical, shipyard and ship management capacities and since 1991 has focused on the ownership and operation of vessels carrying dry cargoes. Dr. Anastasios Aslidis, our Chief Financial Officer, holds a Ph.D. in Ocean Systems Management also from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has over 20 years of experience, primarily as a partner at a Boston based international consulting firm focusing on investment and risk management in the maritime industry.
Cost Efficient Vessel Operations. We believe that because of the efficiencies afforded to us through Eurobulk, the strength of our management team and the quality of our fleet, we are, and will continue to be, a reliable, low cost vessel operator, without compromising our high standards of performance, reliability and safety. Despite the average age of our fleet being approximately 20.5 years on April 1, 2019, our total vessel operating expenses, including management fees and general and administrative expenses but excluding drydocking expenses were $6,225 per day for the year ended December 31, 2018. We consider this amount to be among the lowest of the publicly listed containerships shipping companies in the United States. Our technical and operating expertise allows us to efficiently manage and transport a wide range of cargoes with a flexible trade route profile, which helps reduce ballast time between voyages and minimize off-hire days. Our professional, well-trained masters, officers and onboard crews further help us to control costs and ensure consistent vessel operating performance. We actively manage our fleet and strive to maximize utilization and minimize maintenance expenditures for operational and commercial utilization. For the year ended December 31, 2018, our operational fleet utilization was 96.0%, down from 99.5% in 2017, while our commercial utilization rate decreased from 97.5% in 2017 to 96.7% in 2018. Our total fleet utilization rate in 2018 was 96.0%.
Strong Relationships with Customers and Financial Institutions. We believe ourselves, Eurobulk and the Pittas family to have developed strong industry relationships and to have gained acceptance with charterers, lenders and insurers because of long-standing reputation for safe and reliable service and financial responsibility through various shipping cycles. Through Eurobulk, we offer reliable service and cargo carrying flexibility that enables us to attract customers and obtain repeat business. We also believe that the established customer base and reputation of ourselves, Eurobulk and the Pittas family help us to secure favorable employment for our vessels with well-known charterers.
Our business strategy is focused on providing consistent shareholder returns by carefully timing and structuring acquisitions of containerships and by reliably, safely and competitively operating our vessels through Eurobulk. We continuously evaluate purchase and sale opportunities, as well as long term employment opportunities for our vessels. Key elements of the above strategy are:
Renew and Expand our Fleet. We expect to grow our fleet in a disciplined manner through timely and selective acquisitions of quality vessels. We perform in-depth technical review and financial analysis of each potential acquisition and only purchase vessels as market opportunities present themselves. We focus on purchasing well-maintained secondhand vessels, newbuildings or newbuilding resales based on the evaluation of each investment option at the time it is made. Within 2016 we acquired two secondhand containerships. In January 2017, we sold one containership. In June, September, October and December 2017, we took delivery of five secondhand containerships, and in December 2017, we sold one containership.
Maintain Balanced Employment. We intend to employ our fleet on either longer term time charters, i.e. charters with duration of more than a year, or shorter-term time/spot charters. We seek longer term time charter employment to obtain adequate cash flow to cover as much as possible of our fleet's recurring costs, consisting of vessel operating expenses, management fees, general and administrative expenses, interest expense and drydocking costs for the upcoming 12-month period. When we expect charter rates to improve we try to increase the percentage of our fleet employed in shorter term contracts (allowing us to take advantage of higher rates in the future), while when we expect the market to weaken we try to increase the percentage of our fleet employed in longer term contracts (allowing us to take advantage of higher current rates). We believe this balanced employment strategy will provide us with more predictable operating cash flows and sufficient downside protection, while allowing us to participate in the potential upside of the spot market during periods of rising charter rates. As of April 1, 2019, on the basis of our existing time charters, approximately 55% of our vessel capacity in the remainder of 2019 and approximately 4% in 2020 are under time charter contracts, which will ensure employment of a portion of our fleet, partly protect us from market fluctuations and increase our ability to make principal and interest payments on our debt and pay dividends to our shareholders.
Optimize Use of Financial Leverage. We intend to use bank debt to partly fund our vessel acquisitions and increase financial returns for our shareholders. We actively assess the level of debt we incur in light of our ability to repay that debt based on the level of cash flow generated from our balanced chartering strategy and efficient operating cost structure. Our debt repayment schedule as of December 31, 2018 calls for a reduction of more than 13.9% of our debt by the end of 2019 and an additional reduction of about 16.1% by the end of 2020 for a total of 30% reduction over the next two years, excluding any new debt that we assumed or may assume. As our debt is being repaid we expect that our ability to raise or borrow additional funds more cheaply in order to grow our fleet and generate better returns for our shareholders will increase.
Our major charterer customers during the last three years include CMA-CGM ("CMA"), Golden Sea Shipping ("GSS") and MSC amongst others. We are a relationship driven company, and our top five customers in 2018 include three of our top five customers from 2017 and three from 2016. Our top five customers accounted for approximately 97% of our revenues in 2018, 91% of our revenues in 2017 and 83% of our revenues in 2016. In 2018, CMA, GSS, and MSC accounted for 51%, 30% and11% of our revenues, respectively. In 2017, CMA, GSS, and MSC accounted for 34%, 31% and 17% of our revenues. Our dependence on our key charterer customers is moderate as in the event of a charterer default, our vessels can generally be re-chartered at the market rate, in the spot or charter market, although it is likely that such rate will be lower than the charter rate agreed with the charterer.
The Containership Industry
Containership shipping refers to the transport of containerized trade which encompasses mainly the carriage of finished goods, but an increasing number of other cargoes in container boxes. Containerized trade has been the fastest growing sector of seaborne trade, although in the last three years the rate of growth has slowed. Containerships are categorized by their size measured in terms of twelve-foot equivalent unit ("teu") capacity and whether they have their own gearing (cranes). The different categories of containerships are as follows: (i) Post-Panamax vessels are generally vessels with carrying capacity of more than 4,000 teu; (ii) Panamax vessels are vessels with carrying capacity from 3,000 to 4,000 teu, and, in some designs, even up to 5,000 teu; these vessels are called such because the measurements of their beam and draft are the maximum allowable through the original Panama Canal; and (iii) Feeder containerships are vessels with carrying capacity from 500 to 3,000 teu and are usually equipped with cargo loading and unloading gear. Containerships are primarily employed in time charter contracts with liner companies, which in turn employ them as part of the scheduled liner operations. Feeder containership are put in liner schedules feeding containers to and from central regional ports (hubs) where larger containerships provide cross ocean or longer haul service. The length of the time charter contract can range from several months to years.
We operate in markets that are highly competitive and based primarily on supply and demand. We compete for charters on the basis of price, vessel location, size, age and vessel condition, as well as on reputation. Eurobulk arranges our charters (whether spot charters, time charters or shipping pools) through Eurochart S.A. ("Eurochart"), an affiliated brokering company which negotiates the terms of the charters based on market conditions. We compete primarily with other shipowners of carriers in the Handysize, Handymax and Panamax containership sectors. Ownership of containerships is highly fragmented and is divided among state controlled and independent shipowners. Some of our publicly listed competitors include Danaos Corporation (NYSE: DAC), Costamare Inc. (NASDAQ: CMRE) and Diana Containerships Inc. (NYSE: DCIX).
The containership shipping industry's seasonal trends are driven by the import patterns of manufactured goods and refrigerated cargoes by the major importers, such as the United States, Europe and Japan. The volume of containerized trade is usually higher in the fall in preparation for the holiday season. During this period, container shipping rates are higher and, as a result, so are charter rates.
Environmental and Other Regulations in the Shipping Industry
Government regulation and laws significantly affect the ownership and operation of our fleet. We are subject to international conventions and treaties, national, state and local laws and regulations in force in the countries in which our vessels may operate or are registered relating to safety and health and environmental protection including the storage, handling, emission, transportation and discharge of hazardous and non-hazardous materials, and the remediation of contamination and liability for damage to natural resources. Compliance with such laws, regulations and other requirements entails significant expense, including vessel modifications and implementation of certain operating procedures.
A variety of government and private entities subject our vessels to both scheduled and unscheduled inspections. These entities include the local port authorities (applicable national authorities such as the United States Coast Guard ("USCG"), harbor master or equivalent), classification societies, flag state administrations (countries of registry) and charterers, particularly terminal operators. Certain of these entities require us to obtain permits, licenses, certificates and other authorizations for the operation of our vessels. Failure to maintain necessary permits or approvals could require us to incur substantial costs or result in the temporary suspension of the operation of one or more of our vessels.
Increasing environmental concerns have created a demand for vessels that conform to stricter environmental standards. We are required to maintain operating standards for all of our vessels that emphasize operational safety, quality maintenance, continuous training of our officers and crews and compliance with United States and international regulations. We believe that the operation of our vessels is in substantial compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations and that our vessels have all material permits, licenses, certificates or other authorizations necessary for the conduct of our operations. However, because such laws and regulations frequently change and may impose increasingly stricter requirements, we cannot predict the ultimate cost of complying with these requirements, or the impact of these requirements on the resale value or useful lives of our vessels. In addition, a future serious marine incident that causes significant adverse environmental impact could result in additional legislation or regulation that could negatively affect our profitability.
While we do not carry oil as cargo, we do carry fuel oil (bunkers) in our containerships. We currently maintain, for each of our vessels, pollution liability insurance coverage of $1.0 billion per incident. If the damages from a catastrophic spill exceeded our insurance coverage, that would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and operating cash flows.
International Maritime Organization ("IMO")
The IMO, the United Nations agency for maritime safety and the prevention of pollution by vessels, has adopted the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as modified by MARPOL, and the International Convention on Load Lines of 1966 (the "LL Convention"). MARPOL establishes environmental standards relating to oil leakage or spilling, garbage management, sewage, air emissions, handling and disposal of noxious liquids and the handling of harmful substances in packaged forms. MARPOL is applicable to container carriers, tanker and LNG carriers, among other vessels, and is broken into six Annexes, each of which regulates a different source of pollution. Annex I relates to oil leakage or spilling; Annexes II and III relate to harmful substances carried in bulk in liquid or in packaged form, respectively; Annexes IV and V relate to sewage and garbage management, respectively; and Annex VI, lastly, relates to air emissions. Annex VI was separately adopted by the IMO in September of 1997.
In September of 1997, the IMO adopted Annex VI to MARPOL to address air pollution from vessels. Effective May 2005, Annex VI sets limits on sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from all commercial vessel exhausts and prohibits "deliberate emissions" of ozone depleting substances (such as halons and chlorofluorocarbons), emissions of volatile compounds from cargo tanks, and the shipboard incineration of specific substances. Annex VI also includes a global cap on the sulfur content of fuel oil and allows for special areas to be established with more stringent controls on sulfur emissions, as explained below. Emissions of "volatile organic compounds" from certain vessels, and the shipboard incineration (from incinerators installed after January 1, 2000) of certain substances (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs) are also prohibited. We believe that all our vessels are currently compliant in all material respects with these regulations.
The "MEPC" adopted amendments to Annex VI regarding emissions of sulfur oxide, nitrogen oxide, particulate matter and ozone depleting substances, which entered into force on July 1, 2010. The amended Annex VI seeks to further reduce air pollution by, among other things, implementing a progressive reduction of the amount of sulfur contained in any fuel oil used on board ships. On October 27, 2016, at its 70th session, the MEPC agreed to implement a global 0.5% m/m sulfur oxide emissions limit (reduced from 3.50%) starting from January 1, 2020. This limitation can be met by using low-sulfur compliant fuel oil, alternative fuels, or certain exhaust gas cleaning systems. Once the cap becomes effective, ships will be required to obtain bunker delivery notes and International Air Pollution Prevention ("IAPP") Certificates from their flag states that specify sulfur content.
Additionally, at MEPC 73, amendments to Annex VI to prohibit the carriage of bunkers above 0.5% sulfur on ships were adopted and will take effect on March 1, 2020. These regulations subject ocean-going vessels to stringent emissions controls, and may cause us to incur substantial costs. Sulfur content standards are even stricter within certain "Emission Control Areas," or ("ECAs"). As of January 1, 2015, ships operating within an ECA were not permitted to use fuel with sulfur content in excess of 0.1%. Amended Annex VI establishes procedures for designating new ECAs. Currently, the IMO has designated four ECAs, including specified portions of the Baltic Sea area, North Sea area, North American area and United States Caribbean area. Ocean-going vessels in these areas will be subject to stringent emission controls and may cause us to incur additional costs. Other areas in China are subject to local regulations that impose stricter emission controls. If other ECAs are approved by the IMO or other new or more stringent requirements relating to emissions from marine diesel engines or port operations by vessels are adopted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA"), or the states where we operate, compliance with these regulations could entail significant capital expenditures or otherwise increase the costs of our operations.
Amended Annex VI also establishes new tiers of stringent nitrogen oxide emissions standards for marine diesel engines, depending on their date of installation. At the MEPC meeting held from March to April 2014, amendments to Annex VI were adopted which address the date on which Tier III Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) standards in ECAs will go into effect. Under the amendments, Tier III NOx standards apply to ships that operate in the North American and U.S. Caribbean Sea ECAs designed for the control of NOx produced by vessels with a marine diesel engine installed and constructed on or after January 1, 2016. Tier III requirements could apply to areas that will be designated for Tier III NOx in the future. At MEPC 70 and MEPC 71, the MEPC approved the North Sea and Baltic Sea as ECAs for nitrogen oxide for ships built after January 1, 2021. The EPA promulgated equivalent (and in some senses stricter) emissions standards in late 2009. As a result of these designations or similar future designations, we may be required to incur additional operating or other costs.
As determined at the MEPC 70, the new Regulation 22A of MARPOL Annex VI became effective as of March 1, 2018 and requires ships above 5,000 gross tonnage to collect and report annual data on fuel oil consumption to an IMO database, with the first year of data collection commencing on January 1, 2019. The IMO intends to use such data as the first step in its roadmap (through 2023) for developing its strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships, as discussed further below.
As of January 1, 2013, MARPOL made mandatory certain measures relating to energy efficiency for ships. All ships are now required to develop and implement Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plans ("SEEMPS"), and new ships must be designed in compliance with minimum energy efficiency levels per capacity mile as defined by the Energy Efficiency Design Index ("EEDI"). Under these measures, by 2025, all new ships built will be 30% more energy efficient than those built in 2014.
We may incur costs to comply with these revised standards. Additional or new conventions, laws and regulations may be adopted that could require the installation of expensive emission control systems and could adversely affect our business, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition.
Safety Management System Requirements
The SOLAS Convention was amended to address the safe manning of vessels and emergency training drills. The Convention of Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (the "LLMC") sets limitations of liability for a loss of life or personal injury claim or a property claim against ship owners. We believe that our vessels are in substantial compliance with SOLAS and LLMC standards.
Under Chapter IX of the SOLAS Convention, or the "ISM Code", our operations are also subject to environmental standards and requirements. The ISM Code requires the party with operational control of a vessel to develop an extensive safety management system that includes, among other things, the adoption of a safety and environmental protection policy setting forth instructions and procedures for operating its vessels safely and describing procedures for responding to emergencies. We rely upon the safety management system that we and our technical management team have developed for compliance with the ISM Code. The failure of a vessel owner or bareboat charterer to comply with the ISM Code may subject such party to increased liability, may decrease available insurance coverage for the affected vessels and may result in a denial of access to, or detention in, certain ports.
The ISM Code requires that vessel operators obtain a safety management certificate for each vessel they operate. This certificate evidences compliance by a vessel's management with the ISM Code requirements for a safety management system. No vessel can obtain a safety management certificate unless its manager has been awarded a document of compliance, issued by each flag state, under the ISM Code. We have obtained applicable documents of compliance for our offices and safety management certificates for all of our vessels for which the certificates are required by the IMO. The document of compliance and safety management certificate are renewed as required.
Although all our vessels are currently ISM Code-certified, such certification may not be maintained by all our vessels at all times. Non-compliance with the ISM Code may subject such party to increased liability, invalidate existing insurance or decrease available insurance coverage for the affected vessels and result in a denial of access to, or detention in, certain ports. For example, the U.S. Coast Guard and E.U. authorities have indicated that vessels not in compliance with the ISM Code will be prohibited from trading in U.S. and E.U. ports.
Regulation II-1/3-10 of the SOLAS Convention governs ship construction and stipulates that ships over 150 meters in length must have adequate strength, integrity and stability to minimize risk of loss or pollution. Goal-based standards amendments in SOLAS regulation II-1/3-10 entered into force in 2012, with July 1, 2016 set for application to new oil tankers and bulk carriers. The SOLAS Convention regulation II-1/3-10 on goal-based ship construction standards for bulk carriers and oil tankers, which entered into force on January 1, 2012, requires that all oil tankers and bulk carriers of 150 meters in length and above, for which the building contract is placed on or after July 1, 2016, satisfy applicable structural requirements conforming to the functional requirements of the International Goal-based Ship Construction Standards for Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers (GBS Standards).
Amendments to the SOLAS Convention Chapter VII apply to vessels transporting dangerous goods and require those vessels be in compliance with the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code ("IMDG Code"). Effective January 1, 2018, the IMDG Code includes (1) updates to the provisions for radioactive material, reflecting the latest provisions from the International Atomic Energy Agency, (2) new marking, packing and classification requirements for dangerous goods, and (3) new mandatory training requirements.
The IMO has also adopted the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers ("STCW"). As of February 2017, all seafarers are required to meet the STCW standards and be in possession of a valid STCW certificate. Flag states that have ratified SOLAS and STCW generally employ the classification societies, which have incorporated SOLAS and STCW requirements into their class rules, to undertake surveys to confirm compliance.
Furthermore, recent action by the IMO's Maritime Safety Committee and United States agencies indicate that cybersecurity regulations for the maritime industry are likely to be further developed in the near future in an attempt to combat cybersecurity threats. For example, cyber-risk management systems must be incorporated by ship-owners and managers by 2021. This might cause companies to create additional procedures for monitoring cybersecurity, which could require additional expenses and/or capital expenditures. The impact of such regulations is hard to predict at this time.
Pollution Control and Liability Requirements
The IMO has negotiated international conventions that impose liability for pollution in international waters and the territorial waters of the signatories to such conventions. For example, the IMO adopted an International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (the "BWM Convention") in 2004. The BWM Convention entered into force on September 9, 2017. The BWM Convention requires ships to manage their ballast water to remove, render harmless, or avoid the uptake or discharge of new or invasive aquatic organisms and pathogens within ballast water and sediments. The BWM Convention's implementing regulations call for a phased introduction of mandatory ballast water exchange requirements, to be replaced in time with
mandatory concentration limits, and require all ships to carry a ballast water record book and an international ballast water management certificate.
On December 4, 2013, the IMO Assembly passed a resolution revising the application dates of BWM Convention so that the dates are triggered by the entry into force date and not the dates originally in the BWM Convention. This, in effect, makes all vessels delivered before the entry into force date "existing vessels" and allows for the installation of ballast water management systems on such vessels at the first International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) renewal survey following entry into force of the convention. The MEPC adopted updated guidelines for approval of ballast water management systems (G8) at MEPC 70. At MEPC 71, the schedule regarding the BWM Convention's implementation dates was also discussed and amendments were introduced to extend the date existing vessels are subject to certain ballast water standards. Ships over 400 gross tons generally must comply with a "D-1 standard," requiring the exchange of ballast water only in open seas and away from coastal waters. The "D-2 standard" specifies the maximum amount of viable organisms allowed to be discharged, and compliance dates vary depending on the IOPP renewal dates. Depending on the date of the IOPP renewal survey, existing vessels must comply with the D-2 standard on or after September 8, 2019. For most ships, compliance with the D-2 standard will involve installing on-board systems to treat ballast water and eliminate unwanted organisms. Ballast Water Management systems, which include systems that make use of chemical, biocides, organisms or biological mechanisms, or which alter the chemical or physical characteristics of the Ballast Water, must be approved in accordance with IMO Guidelines (Regulation D-3). Costs of compliance may be substantial.
Once mid-ocean ballast water treatment requirements become mandatory under the BWM Convention, the cost of compliance could increase for ocean carriers and may have a material effect on our operations. However, many countries already regulate the discharge of ballast water carried by vessels from country to country to prevent the introduction of invasive and harmful species via such discharges. The U.S., for example, requires vessels entering its waters from another country to conduct mid-ocean ballast exchange, or undertake some alternate measure, and to comply with certain reporting requirements.
The IMO also adopted the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage (the "Bunker Convention") to impose strict liability on ship owners (including the registered owner, bareboat charterer, manager or operator) for pollution damage in jurisdictional waters of ratifying states caused by discharges of bunker fuel. The Bunker Convention requires registered owners of ships over 1,000 gross tons to maintain insurance for pollution damage in an amount equal to the limits of liability under the applicable national or international limitation regime (but not exceeding the amount calculated in accordance with the LLMC). With respect to non-ratifying states, liability for spills or releases of oil carried as fuel in ship's bunkers typically is determined by the national or other domestic laws in the jurisdiction where the events or damages occur.
Ships are required to maintain a certificate attesting that they maintain adequate insurance to cover an incident. In jurisdictions, such as the United States, where the Bunker Convention has not been adopted, various legislative schemes or common law govern, and liability is imposed either on the basis of fault or on a strict liability basis.
Anti‑Fouling Requirements
In 2001, the IMO adopted the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti‑fouling Systems on Ships, or the "Anti‑fouling Convention." The Anti‑fouling Convention, which entered into force on September 17, 2008, prohibits the use of organotin compound coatings to prevent the attachment of mollusks and other sea life to the hulls of vessels. Vessels of over 400 gross tons engaged in international voyages will also be required to undergo an initial survey before the vessel is put into service or before an International Anti‑fouling System Certificate is issued for the first time; and subsequent surveys when the anti‑fouling systems are altered or replaced. We have obtained Anti‑fouling System Certificates for all of our vessels that are subject to the Anti‑fouling Convention.
Compliance Enforcement
Noncompliance with the ISM Code or other IMO regulations may subject the ship owner or bareboat charterer to increased liability, may lead to decreases in available insurance coverage for affected vessels and may result in the denial of access to, or detention in, some ports. The USCG and European Union authorities have indicated that vessels not in compliance with the ISM Code by applicable deadlines will be prohibited from trading in U.S. and European Union ports, respectively. As of the date of this report, each of our vessels is ISM Code certified. However, there can be no assurance that such certificates will be maintained in the future. The IMO continues to review and introduce new regulations. It is impossible to predict what additional regulations, if any, may be passed by the IMO and what effect, if any, such regulations might have on our operations.
United States Regulations
The U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act
The U.S. Oil Pollution Act of 1990 ("OPA") established an extensive regulatory and liability regime for the protection and cleanup of the environment from oil spills. OPA affects all "owners and operators" whose vessels trade or operate within the U.S., its territories and possessions or whose vessels operate in U.S. waters, which includes the U.S.'s territorial sea and its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone around the U.S. The U.S. has also enacted the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act ("CERCLA"), which applies to the discharge of hazardous substances other than oil, except in limited circumstances, whether on land or at sea. OPA and CERCLA both define "owner and operator" in the case of a vessel as any person owning, operating or chartering by demise, the vessel. Both OPA and CERCLA impact our operations.
Under OPA, vessel owners and operators are "responsible parties" and are jointly, severally and strictly liable (unless the spill results solely from the act or omission of a third party, an act of God or an act of war) for all containment and clean-up costs and other damages arising from discharges or threatened discharges of oil from their vessels, including bunkers (fuel). OPA defines these other damages broadly to include:
injury to, destruction or loss of, or loss of use of, natural resources and related assessment costs;
injury to, or economic losses resulting from, the destruction of real and personal property;
loss of subsistence use of natural resources that are injured, destroyed or lost;
net loss of taxes, royalties, rents, fees or net profit revenues resulting from injury, destruction or loss of real or personal property, or natural resources;
lost profits or impairment of earning capacity due to injury, destruction or loss of real or personal property or natural resources; and
net cost of increased or additional public services necessitated by removal activities following a discharge of oil, such as protection from fire, safety or health hazards, and loss of subsistence use of natural resources.
OPA contains statutory caps on liability and damages; such caps do not apply to direct cleanup costs. Effective December 21, 2015, the USCG adjusted the limits of OPA liability for non-tank vessels, edible oil tank vessels, and any oil spill response vessels, to the greater of $1,100 per gross ton or $939,800 (subject to periodic adjustment for inflation). These limits of liability do not apply if an incident was proximately caused by the violation of an applicable U.S. federal safety, construction or operating regulation by a responsible party (or its agent, employee or a person acting pursuant to a contractual relationship), or a responsible party's gross negligence or willful misconduct. The limitation on liability similarly does not apply if the responsible party fails or refuses to (i) report the incident where the responsible party knows or has reason to know of the incident; (ii) reasonably cooperate and assist as requested in connection with oil removal activities; or (iii) without sufficient cause, comply with an order issued under the Federal Water Pollution Act (Section 311 (c), (e)) or the Intervention on the High Seas Act.
CERCLA contains a similar liability regime whereby owners and operators of vessels are liable for cleanup, removal and remedial costs, as well as damages for injury to, or destruction or loss of, natural resources, including the reasonable costs associated with assessing the same, and health assessments or health effects studies. There is no liability if the discharge of a hazardous substance results solely from the act or omission of a third party, an act of God or an act of war. Liability under CERCLA is limited to the greater of $300 per gross ton or $5.0 million for vessels carrying a hazardous substance as cargo and the greater of $300 per gross ton or $500,000 for any other vessel. These limits do not apply (rendering the responsible person liable for the total cost of response and damages) if the release or threat of release of a hazardous substance resulted from willful misconduct or negligence, or the primary cause of the release was a violation of applicable safety, construction or operating standards or regulations. The limitation on liability also does not apply if the responsible person fails or refused to provide all reasonable cooperation and assistance as requested in connection with response activities where the vessel is subject to OPA.
OPA and CERCLA each preserve the right to recover damages under existing law, including maritime tort law. OPA and CERCLA both require owners and operators of vessels to establish and maintain with the USCG evidence of financial responsibility sufficient to meet the maximum amount of liability to which the particular responsible person may be subject. Vessel owners and operators may satisfy their financial responsibility obligations by providing a proof of insurance, a surety bond, qualification as a self-insurer or a guarantee. We comply and plan to comply with the USCG's financial responsibility regulations by providing applicable certificates of financial responsibility.
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in additional regulatory initiatives or statutes, including higher liability caps under OPA, new regulations regarding offshore oil and gas drilling, and a pilot inspection program for offshore facilities. However, several of these initiatives and regulations have been or may be revised. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement's ("BSEE") revised Production Safety Systems Rule ("PSSR"), effective December 27, 2018, modified and relaxed certain environmental and safety protections under the 2016 PSSR. Additionally, the BSEE released proposed changes to the Well Control Rule, which could roll back certain reforms regarding the safety of drilling operations. In January 2018, the U.S. President proposed leasing new sections of U.S. waters to oil and gas companies for offshore drilling, expanding the U.S. waters that are available for such activity over the next five years. The effects of these proposals are currently unknown. Compliance with any new requirements of OPA and future legislation or regulations applicable to the operation of our vessels could impact the cost of our operations and adversely affect our business.
OPA specifically permits individual states to impose their own liability regimes with regard to oil pollution incidents occurring within their boundaries, provided they accept, at a minimum, the levels of liability established under OPA and some states have enacted legislation providing for unlimited liability for oil spills. Many U.S. states that border a navigable waterway have enacted environmental pollution laws that impose strict liability on a person for removal costs and damages resulting from a discharge of oil or a release of a hazardous substance. These laws may be more stringent than U.S. federal law. Moreover, some states have enacted legislation providing for unlimited liability for discharge of pollutants within their waters, although in some cases, states which have enacted this type of legislation have not yet issued implementing regulations defining vessel owners' responsibilities under these laws. The Company intends to comply with all applicable state regulations in the ports where the Company's vessels call.
We currently maintain pollution liability coverage insurance in the amount of $1 billion per incident for each of our vessels. If the damages from a catastrophic spill were to exceed our insurance coverage, it could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Other United States Environmental Initiatives
The U.S. Clean Air Act of 1970 (including its amendments of 1977 and 1990) ("CAA") requires the EPA to promulgate standards applicable to emissions of volatile organic compounds and other air contaminants. The CAA requires states to adopt State Implementation Plans, or SIPs, some of which regulate emissions resulting from vessel loading and unloading operations which may affect our vessels.
The U.S. Clean Water Act ("CWA") prohibits the discharge of oil, hazardous substances and ballast water in U.S. navigable waters unless authorized by a duly-issued permit or exemption, and imposes strict liability in the form of penalties for any unauthorized discharges. The CWA also imposes substantial liability for the costs of removal, remediation and damages and complements the remedies available under OPA and CERCLA. In 2015, the EPA expanded the definition of "waters of the United States" ("WOTUS"), thereby expanding federal authority under the CWA. Following litigation on the revised WOTUS rule, in December 2018, the EPA and Department of the Army proposed a revised, limited definition of "waters of the United States."
The EPA and the USCG have also enacted rules relating to ballast water discharge, compliance with which requires the installation of equipment on our vessels to treat ballast water before it is discharged or the implementation of other port facility disposal arrangements or procedures at potentially substantial costs, and/or otherwise restrict our vessels from entering U.S. waters. The EPA will regulate ballast water discharges and other discharges incidental to the normal operation of certain vessels within United States waters pursuant to the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act ("VIDA"), which was signed into law on December 4, 2018 and will replace the 2013 Vessel General Permit ("VGP") program (which authorizes discharges incidental to operations of commercial vessels, and contains numeric ballast water discharge limits for most vessels to reduce the risk of invasive species in U.S. waters, stringent requirements for exhaust gas scrubbers, and requirements for the use of environmentally acceptable lubricants) and current Coast Guard ballast water management regulations adopted under the U.S. National Invasive Species Act ("NISA"), such as mid-ocean ballast exchange programs and installation of approved USCG technology for all vessels equipped with ballast water tanks bound for U.S. ports or entering U.S. waters. VIDA establishes a new framework for the regulation of vessel incidental discharges under Clean Water Act (CWA), requires the EPA to develop performance standards for those discharges within two years of enactment, and requires the U.S. Coast Guard to develop implementation, compliance, and enforcement regulations within two years of EPA's promulgation of standards. Under VIDA, all provisions of the 2013 VGP and USCG regulations regarding ballast water treatment remain in force and effect until the EPA and U.S. Coast Guard regulations are finalized. Non-military, non-recreational vessels greater than 79 feet in length must continue to comply with the requirements of the VGP, including submission of a Notice of Intent ("NOI") or retention of a PARI form and submission of annual reports. We have submitted NOIs for our vessels where required. Compliance with the EPA, USCG and state regulations could require the installation of equipment on our vessels to treat ballast water before it is discharged or the implementation of other port facility disposal arrangements or procedures at potentially substantial cost, or may otherwise restrict our vessels from entering U.S. waters.
European Union Regulations
In October 2009, the European Union amended a directive to impose criminal sanctions for illicit ship-source discharges of polluting substances, including minor discharges, if committed with intent, recklessly or with serious negligence and the discharges individually or in the aggregate result in deterioration of the quality of water. Aiding and abetting the discharge of a polluting substance may also lead to criminal penalties. The directive applies to all types of vessels, irrespective of their flag, but certain exceptions apply to warships or where human safety or that of the ship is in danger. Criminal liability for pollution may result in substantial penalties or fines and increased civil liability claims.
Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2015 (amending EU Directive 2009/16/EC) governs the monitoring, reporting and verification of carbon dioxide emissions from maritime transport, and, subject to some exclusions, requires companies with ships over 5,000 gross tonnage to monitor and report carbon dioxide emissions annually starting on January 1, 2018, which may cause us to incur additional expenses. The maritime EU-MRV regulation applies to all merchant ships of 5,000 gross tons or above on voyages from, to and between ports under jurisdiction of E.U. member states. Ships above 5,000 gross tons account for around 55.0% of the number of ships calling into E.U. ports and represent around 90.0% of the related emissions. Companies operating the vessels will have to monitor the CO2 emissions released while in port and for any voyages to or from a port under the jurisdiction of an E.U. member state and to keep records on CO2 emissions on both per-voyage and annual bases. We submitted a monitoring plan to verifiers for each of our ships indicating the method chosen to monitor and report CO2 emissions and other relevant information, and, as of January 1, 2018, such plans were subsequently dispatched to each of our vessels for implementation. These or other developments may result in financial impacts on our operations that we cannot predict with certainty at this time.
The European Union has adopted several regulations and directives requiring, among other things, more frequent inspections of high-risk ships, as determined by type, age, and flag as well as the number of times the ship has been detained. The European Union also adopted and extended a ban on substandard ships and enacted a minimum ban period and a definitive ban for repeated offenses. The regulation also provided the European Union with greater authority and control over classification societies, by imposing more requirements on classification societies and providing for fines or penalty payments for organizations that failed to comply. Furthermore, the EU has implemented regulations requiring vessels to use reduced sulfur content fuel for their main and auxiliary engines. The EU Directive 2005/33/EC (amending Directive 1999/32/EC) introduced requirements parallel to those in Annex VI relating to the sulfur content of marine fuels. In addition, the EU imposed a 0.1% maximum sulfur requirement for fuel used by ships at berth in EU ports.
International Labor Organization
The International Labor Organization (the "ILO") is a specialized agency of the UN that has adopted the Maritime Labor Convention 2006 ("MLC 2006"). A Maritime Labor Certificate and a Declaration of Maritime Labor Compliance is required to ensure compliance with the MLC 2006 for all ships above 500 gross tons in international trade. We believe that all our vessels are in substantial compliance with and are certified to meet MLC 2006.
Greenhouse Gas Regulation
Currently, the emissions of greenhouse gases from international shipping are not subject to the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which entered into force in 2005 and pursuant to which adopting countries have been required to implement national programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with targets extended through 2020. International negotiations are continuing with respect to a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, and restrictions on shipping emissions may be included in any new treaty. In December 2009, more than 27 nations, including the U.S. and China, signed the Copenhagen Accord, which includes a non-binding commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris resulted in the Paris Agreement, which entered into force on November 4, 2016 and does not directly limit greenhouse gas emissions from ships. On June 1, 2017, the U.S. president announced that it is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement, but the Paris Agreement provides for a four-year exit process.
At MEPC 70 and MEPC 71, a draft outline of the structure of the initial strategy for developing a comprehensive IMO strategy on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships was approved. In accordance with this roadmap, in April 2018, nations at the MEPC 72 adopted an initial strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships. The initial strategy identifies "levels of ambition" to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, including (1) decreasing the carbon intensity from ships through implementation of further phases of the EEDI for new ships; (2) reducing carbon dioxide emissions per transport work, as an average across international shipping, by at least 40% by 2030, pursuing efforts towards 70% by 2050, compared to 2008 emission levels; and (3) reducing the total annual greenhouse emissions by at least 50% by 2050 compared to 2008 while pursuing efforts towards phasing them out entirely. The initial strategy notes that technological innovation, alternative fuels and/or energy sources for international shipping will be integral to achieve the overall ambition. These regulations could cause us to incur additional substantial expenses.
The EU made a unilateral commitment to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions from its member states from 20% of 1990 levels by 2020. The EU also committed to reduce its emissions by 20% under the Kyoto Protocol's second period from 2013 to 2020. Starting in January 2018, large ships calling at EU ports are required to collect and publish data on carbon dioxide emissions and other information.
In the United States, the EPA issued a finding that greenhouse gases endanger the public health and safety, adopted regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions from certain mobile sources and proposed regulations to limit greenhouse gas emissions from certain large stationary sources. However, in March 2017, the U.S. President signed an executive order to review and possibly eliminate the EPA's plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The EPA or individual U.S. states could enact environmental regulations that would affect our operations.
Any passage of climate control legislation or other regulatory initiatives by the IMO, the EU, the U.S. or other countries where we operate, or any treaty adopted at the international level to succeed the Kyoto Protocol or Paris Agreement, that restricts emissions of greenhouse gases could require us to make significant financial expenditures which we cannot predict with certainty at this time. Even in the absence of climate control legislation, our business may be indirectly affected to the extent that climate change may result in sea level changes or certain weather events.
Vessel Security Regulations
Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 in the United States, there have been a variety of initiatives intended to enhance vessel security such as the U.S. Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 ("MTSA"). To implement certain portions of the MTSA the USCG issued regulations requiring the implementation of certain security requirements aboard vessels operating in waters subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and at certain ports and facilities, some of which are regulated by the EPA.
Similarly, Chapter XI-2 of the SOLAS Convention imposes detailed security obligations on vessels and port authorities, and mandates compliance with the International Ship and Port Facilities Security Code ("the ISPS Code"). The ISPS Code is designed to enhance the security of ports and ships against terrorism. To trade internationally, a vessel must attain an International Ship Security Certificate ("ISSC"), from a recognized security organization approved by the vessel's flag state. Ships operating without a valid certificate may be detained, expelled from, or refused entry at port until they obtain an ISSC. The various requirements, some of which are found in the SOLAS Convention include, for example:
on-board installation of automatic identification systems to provide a means for the automatic transmission of safety-related information from among similarly equipped ships and shore stations, including information on a ship's identity, position, course, speed and navigational status;
on-board installation of ship security alert systems, which do not sound on the vessel but only alert the authorities on shore;
the development of vessel security plans;
ship identification number to be permanently marked on a vessel's hull;
a continuous synopsis record kept onboard showing a vessel's history including the name of the ship, the state whose flag the ship is entitled to fly, the date on which the ship was registered with that state, the ship's identification number, the port at which the ship is registered and the name of the registered owner(s) and their registered address; and
compliance with flag state security certification requirements.
The USCG regulations, intended to align with international maritime security standards, exempt non-U.S. vessels from MTSA vessel security measures, provided such vessels have on board a valid ISSC that attests to the vessel's compliance with the SOLAS Convention security requirements and the ISPS Code. Future security measures could have a significant financial impact on us. We intend to comply with the various security measures addressed by MTSA, the SOLAS Convention and the ISPS Code.
The cost of vessel security measures has also been affected by the escalation in the frequency of acts of piracy against ships, notably off the coast of Somalia, including the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea area. Substantial loss of revenue and other costs may be incurred as a result of detention of a vessel or additional security measures, and the risk of uninsured losses could significantly affect our business. Costs are incurred in taking additional security measures in accordance with Best Management Practices to Deter Piracy, notably those contained in the BMP5 industry standard.
Inspection by Classification Societies
The hull and machinery of every commercial vessel must be classed by a classification society authorized by its country of registry. The classification society certifies that a vessel is safe and seaworthy in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the country of registry of the vessel and SOLAS. Most insurance underwriters make it a condition for insurance coverage and lending that a vessel be certified "in class" by a classification society which is a member of the International Association of Classification Societies, the IACS. The IACS has adopted harmonized Common Structural Rules, or the Rules, which apply to oil tankers and bulk carriers constructed on or after July 1, 2015. The Rules attempt to create a level of consistency between IACS Societies. All of our vessels are certified as being "in class" by all the applicable Classification Societies. Our vessels are currently classed with Bureau Veritas, Det Norske Veritas and Nippon Kaiji Kyokai. ISM and ISPS certification have been awarded by Bureau Veritas and the Panama Maritime Authority to our vessels and Eurobulk, our ship management company.
A vessel must undergo annual surveys, intermediate surveys, drydockings and special surveys. In lieu of a special survey, a vessel's machinery may be on a continuous survey cycle, under which the machinery would be surveyed periodically over a five-year period. Every vessel is also required to be drydocked every 30 to 36 months for inspection of the underwater parts of the vessel. If any vessel does not maintain its class and/or fails any annual survey, intermediate survey, drydocking or special survey, the vessel will be unable to carry cargo between ports and will be unemployable and uninsurable which could cause us to be in violation of certain covenants in our loan agreements. Any such inability to carry cargo or be employed, or any such violation of covenants, could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
The following table lists the drydocking or special survey for the vessels in our current fleet.
EVRIDIKI G.
Intermediate Survey
Special Survey
JOANNA P
Risk of Loss and Liability Insurance
The operation of any cargo vessel includes risks such as mechanical failure, physical damage, collision, property loss, cargo loss or damage and business interruption due to political circumstances in foreign countries, piracy incidents, hostilities and labor strikes. In addition, there is always an inherent possibility of marine disaster, including oil spills and other environmental mishaps, and the liabilities arising from owning and operating vessels in international trade. OPA, which imposes virtually unlimited liability upon shipowners, operators and bareboat charterers of any vessel trading in the exclusive economic zone of the United States for certain oil pollution accidents in the United States, has made liability insurance more expensive for shipowners and operators trading in the United States market. We carry insurance coverage as customary in the shipping industry. However, not all risks can be insured, specific claims may be rejected, and we might not be always able to obtain adequate insurance coverage at reasonable rates.
Hull and Machinery Insurance
We procure hull and machinery insurance, protection and indemnity insurance, which includes environmental damage and pollution insurance and war risk insurance and freight, demurrage and defense insurance for our fleet. We generally do not maintain insurance against loss of hire (except for certain charters for which we consider it appropriate), which covers business interruptions that result in the loss of use of a vessel.
Protection and Indemnity Insurance
Protection and indemnity insurance is provided by mutual protection and indemnity associations, or P&I Associations, covers our third-party liabilities in connection with our shipping activities. This includes third-party liability and other related expenses of injury or death of crew, passengers and other third parties, loss or damage to cargo, claims arising from collisions with other vessels, damage to other third-party property, pollution arising from oil or other substances, and salvage, towing and other related costs, including wreck removal. Protection and indemnity insurance is a form of mutual indemnity insurance, extended by protection and indemnity mutual associations, or "clubs."
Our current protection and indemnity insurance coverage for pollution is $1 billion per vessel per incident. The 13 P&I Associations that comprise the International Group insure approximately 90% of the world's commercial tonnage and have entered into a pooling agreement to reinsure each association's liabilities. The International Group's website states that the pool provides a mechanism for sharing all claims in excess of $10 million up to, currently, approximately $8.2 million. Each P&I Association has capped its exposure to this pooling agreement at $4.5 billion. As a member of a P&I Association, which is a member of the International Group, we are subject to calls payable to the associations based on our claim records as well as the claim records of all other members of the individual associations and members of the shipping pool of P&I Associations comprising the International Group.
C. Organizational structure
Euroseas is the sole owner of all outstanding shares of the subsidiaries listed in Note 1 of our consolidated financial statements under "Item 18. Financial Statements" and in Exhibit 8.1 to this annual report.
D. Property, plants and equipment
We do not own any real property. As part of the management services provided by Eurobulk during the period in which we have conducted business to date, we have shared, at no additional cost, offices with Eurobulk. We do not have current plans to lease or purchase office space, although we may do so in the future.
Our interests in our vessels are owned through our wholly-owned vessel owning subsidiaries and these are our only material properties. Please refer to Note 1, "Basis of Presentation and General Information", of the attached Financial Statements for a listing of our vessel owning subsidiaries. Our vessels are subject to priority mortgages, which secure our obligations under our various credit facilities. For further details regarding our credit facilities, refer to "Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects — B. Liquidity and Capital Resources — Credit Facilities."
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with "Item 3. Key Information – D. Risk Factors", "Item 4. Business Overview", and our financial statements and footnotes thereto contained in this annual report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements, which are based on our assumptions about the future of our business. Our actual results may differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Please read "Forward-Looking Statements" for additional information regarding forward-looking statements used in this annual report. Reference in the following discussion to "we," "our" and "us" refer to Euroseas and our subsidiaries, except where the context otherwise indicates or requires.
We are constantly evaluating opportunities to increase the number of our vessels deployed on time charters or to participate in shipping pools (if available for our vessels); however, we only expect to enter into additional time charters or shipping pools if we can obtain contract terms that satisfy our criteria. Containerships are employed almost exclusively on time charter contracts. We carefully evaluate the length and rate of the time charter contract at the time of fixing or renewing a contract, considering market conditions, trends and expectations.
We constantly evaluate vessel purchase opportunities to expand our fleet accretive to our earnings and cash flow. Additionally, we will consider selling certain of our vessels when favorable sales opportunities present themselves. If, at the time of sale, the carrying value is less than the sales price, we will realize a gain on sale, which will increase our earnings, but if, at the time of sale, the carrying value of a vessel is more than the sales price, we will realize a loss on sale, which will negatively impact our earnings. Please see "Critical Accounting Policies", below, for a further discussion of the consequences of selling our vessels for amounts below their carrying values.
A. Operating results
Factors Affecting Our Results of Operations
We believe that the important measures for analyzing trends in the results of our operations consist of the following:
Calendar days. We define calendar days as the total number of days in a period during which each vessel in our fleet was in our possession including off-hire days associated with major repairs, drydockings or special or intermediate surveys. Calendar days are an indicator of the size of our fleet over a period and affect both the amount of revenues and the amount of expenses that we record during that period.
Available days. We define available days as the total number of days in a period during which each vessel in our fleet was in our possession net of off-hire days associated with scheduled repairs, drydockings or special or intermediate surveys. The shipping industry uses available days to measure the number of days in a period during which vessels were available to generate revenues.
Voyage days. We define voyage days as the total number of days in a period during which each vessel in our fleet was in our possession net of off-hire days associated with scheduled and unscheduled repairs, drydockings or special or intermediate surveys or days waiting to find employment but including days our vessels were sailing for repositioning. The shipping industry uses voyage days to measure the number of days in a period during which vessels actually generate revenues.
Fleet utilization. We calculate fleet utilization by dividing the number of our voyage days during a period by the number of our available days during that period. The shipping industry uses fleet utilization to measure a company's efficiency in finding suitable employment for its vessels and minimizing the amount of days that its vessels are off-hire either waiting to find employment, or commercial off-hire, or for reasons such as unscheduled repairs or other off-hire time related to the operation of the vessels, or operational off-hire. We distinguish our fleet utilization into commercial and operational. We calculate our commercial fleet utilization by dividing our available days net of commercial off-hire days during a period by our available days during that period. We calculate our operational fleet utilization by dividing our available days net of operational off-hire days during a period by our available days during that period.
Spot Charter Rates. Spot charter rates are volatile and fluctuate on a seasonal and year to year basis. The fluctuations are caused by imbalances in the availability of cargoes for shipment and the number of vessels available at any given time to transport these cargoes.
Time Charter Equivalent, or TCE. A standard maritime industry performance measure used to evaluate performance is the daily time charter equivalent, or daily TCE. Daily TCE revenues are time charter revenues and voyage charter revenues minus voyage expenses divided by the number of voyage days during the relevant time period. Voyage expenses primarily consist of port, canal and fuel costs that are unique to a particular voyage, which would otherwise be paid by a charterer under a time charter whereas under spot market voyage charters, we pay such voyage expenses. Containerships are chartered on a time charter basis, and therefore, TCE presents a more accurate representation of the revenues generated by our vessels. Our definition of TCE may not be comparable to that used by other companies in the shipping industry.
Basis of Presentation and General Information
We use the following measures to describe our financial performance:
Time charter revenue and Voyage charter revenue. Our charter revenues are driven primarily by the number of vessels in our fleet, the number of voyage days during which our vessels generate revenues and the amount of daily charter revenue that our vessels earn under charters, which, in turn, are affected by a number of factors, including our decisions relating to vessel acquisitions and disposals, the amount of time that we spend positioning our vessels, the amount of time that our vessels spend in drydock undergoing repairs, maintenance and upgrade work, the age, condition and specifications of our vessels, levels of supply and demand in the transportation market, the number of vessels on time charters, spot charters and in pools and other factors affecting charter rates in the containership market.
Commissions. We pay commissions on all chartering arrangements of 1.25% to Eurochart, a company affiliated with our CEO, plus additional commission of up to 5% to other brokers involved in the transaction, plus address commission of up to 3.75% deducted from charter hire. These additional commissions, as well as changes to charter rates will cause our commission expenses to fluctuate from period to period. Eurochart also receives a fee equal to 1% calculated as stated in the relevant memorandum of agreement for any vessel sold by it on our behalf.
Voyage expenses. Voyage expenses primarily consist of port, canal and fuel costs that are unique to a particular voyage which would otherwise be paid by the charterer under a time charter contract. Under time charters, the charterer pays voyage expenses whereas under spot market voyage charters, we pay such expenses. The amounts of such voyage expenses are driven by the mix of charters undertaken during the period.
Vessel operating expenses. Vessel operating expenses include crew wages and related costs, the cost of insurance, expenses relating to repairs and maintenance, the costs of spares and consumable stores, tonnage taxes and other miscellaneous expenses. Our vessel operating expenses, which generally represent fixed costs, have historically changed in line with the size of our fleet. Other factors beyond our control, some of which may affect the shipping industry in general (including, for instance, developments relating to market prices for insurance or inflationary increases) may also cause these expenses to increase.
Related party management fees. These are the fees that we pay to our affiliated ship managers under our management agreements for the technical and commercial management that Eurobulk performs on our behalf.
Vessel depreciation. We depreciate our vessels on a straight-line basis with reference to the cost of the vessel, age and scrap value as estimated at the date of acquisition. Depreciation is calculated over the remaining useful life of the vessel. Remaining useful lives of property are periodically reviewed and revised to recognize changes in conditions, new regulations or other reasons. Revisions of estimated lives are recognized over current and future periods.
Drydocking and special survey expense. Our vessels are required to be drydocked approximately every 30 to 60 months for major repairs and maintenance that cannot be performed while the vessels are trading. Drydocking and special survey expenses are accounted on the direct expense method as this method eliminates the significant amount of time and subjectivity to determine which costs and activities related to drydocking and special survey should be deferred.
Interest expense and loan costs. We traditionally finance vessel acquisitions partly with debt on which we incur interest expense. The interest rate we pay is generally linked to the 3-month LIBOR rate, although from time to time we may utilize fixed rate loans or could use interest rate swaps to eliminate our interest rate exposure. Interest due is expensed in the period incurred. Loan costs are deferred and amortized over the period of the loan; the un-amortized portion is written-off if the loan is prepaid early.
Other general and administrative expenses. We incur expenses consisting mainly of executive compensation, professional fees, directors' liability insurance and reimbursement of our directors' and officers' travel-related expenses. We acquire executive services of our chief executive officer, chief financial officer, chief administrative officer, internal auditor and corporate secretary, through Eurobulk as part of our Master Management Agreement.
In evaluating our financial condition, we focus on the above measures to assess our historical operating performance and we use future estimates of the same measures to assess our future financial performance. In addition, we use the amount of cash at our disposal and our total indebtedness to assess our short-term liquidity needs and our ability to finance additional acquisitions with available resources (see also discussion under "Capital Expenditures" below). In assessing the future performance of our present fleet, the greatest uncertainty relates to the spot market performance which affects those of our vessels that are not employed under fixed time charter contracts as well as the level of the new charter rates for the charters that are to expire. Decisions about the acquisition of additional vessels or possible sales of existing vessels are based on financial and operational evaluation of such action and depend on the overall state of the containership vessel market, the availability of purchase candidates, available employment, anticipated drydocking cost and our general assessment of economic prospects for the sectors in which we operate.
Results from Operations
Time charter revenue and voyage charter revenue. Time charter revenue and voyage charter revenue for 2018 amounted to $36.27 million, increasing by 46% compared to the year ended December 31, 2017 during which they amounted to $24.84 million. In 2018, we operated an average of 11.49 vessels, a 23.8% increase over the average of 9.28 vessels we operated during the same period in 2017. In the year 2018, our fleet had 3,814 voyage days earning revenue as compared to 3,184 voyage days earning revenue in 2017. Market charter rates in the year ended December 31, 2018 were higher for our containership vessels compared to the year ended December 31, 2017, which was reflected in the average earnings of our ships. While employed, our vessels generated a time-charter equivalent (or "TCE") rate, of $9,179 per day per vessel in 2018 compared to a TCE rate of $7,309 per day per vessel in 2017, an increase of 25.6%. The average TCE rate our vessels achieve is a combination of the time charter rate earned by our vessels under time charter contracts, which is not influenced by market developments during the duration of the charter (unless the two charter parties
renegotiate the terms of the charter or the charterer is unable to make the contracted payments or we enter into new charter party agreements), and the TCE rate earned by our vessels employed in the spot market which is influenced by market developments.
Commissions. We paid a total of $1.84 million in charter commissions for the year ended December 31, 2018, representing 5.1% of charter revenues. This represents an increase over the year ended December 31, 2017, where commissions paid were $1.32 million, representing 5.3% of charter revenues.
Voyage expenses. Voyage expenses for the year were $1.26 million and relate to expenses for a voyage charter, for repositioning voyages between time charter contracts and ballast voyages, and owners' expenses at certain ports. For the year ended December 31, 2017, voyage expenses amounted to $1.56 million and related mainly to expenses for certain voyage charters. Our vessels are generally chartered under time charter contracts. Voyage expenses usually represent a small fraction (3.5% and 6.3% in each of 2018 and 2017, respectively) of charter revenues. Voyage expenses are dependent on the number of voyage charters, the cost of fuel, port costs and canal tolls and the number of days our vessels sailed without a charter.
Vessel operating expenses. Vessel operating expenses were $19.99 million in 2018 compared to $15.02 million in 2017. In 2018, we operated an average of 11.49 vessels, a 23.8% increase over the average of 9.28 vessels we operated during the same period in 2017. Further, daily vessel operating expenses per vessel amounted to $4,769 per day in 2018 versus $4,436 per day in 2017, an increase of 7.5%, mainly due to higher costs for lubricants and other vessel supplies. Additionally, our vessel Joanna incurred a lower daily cost due to being laid-up during the first quarter of 2017.
Related party management fees. These are part of the fees we pay to Eurobulk under our Master Management Agreement. During 2018, Eurobulk charged us 685 Euros per day per vessel totaling $3.54 million for the year, or $844 per day per vessel. During 2017, Eurobulk charged us 685 Euros per day per vessel totaling $2.63 million for the year, or $777 per day per vessel. The increase in the total amount of U.S. dollars charged within 2018 is due to the higher number of vessels operated within 2018 compared to the previous year and due to unfavorable movement in U.S. dollar/euro exchange rates during 2018 compared to 2017.
Other general and administrative expenses. These expenses include the fixed portion of our management fees, incentive awards, legal and auditing fees, directors' and officers' liability insurance and other miscellaneous corporate expenses. In 2018, we had a total of $2.57 million of general and administrative expenses as compared to $2.50 million in 2017.
Drydocking expenses. These are expenses we pay for our vessels to complete a drydocking as part of an intermediate or special survey. In 2018, we had three vessels completing their special surveys undergoing drydocking, three vessels completing their intermediate surveys by in-water inspections and a vessel starting its special survey and completing it in 2019, for a total cost of $2.77 million. During 2017, we had one vessel undergoing drydocking for a total of $0.6 million.
Vessel depreciation. Vessel depreciation for 2018 was $3.31 million. Comparatively, vessel depreciation for 2017 amounted to $3.59 million. Vessel depreciation in 2018 was lower compared to 2017 because although the average number of vessels increased, the new vessels acquired between September and December 2017 have a lower average daily depreciation charge as a result of their lower acquisition cost and greater remaining useful life compared to the remaining vessels. Further, one of the vessels was fully depreciated in May 2018, therefore there was no depreciation charge for the specific vessel thereafter.
Loss on write-down of vessels held for sale. The Company recorded a loss on write-down of a vessel held for sale of $4.6 million in 2017. This amount was booked in order to reduce the carrying value of two vessels to their fair values. These vessels were one dry-bulk vessel (M/V "Monica P") and one containership (M/V "Aggeliki P."), which were both classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2017. M/V "Aggeliki P". was sold in December 2017 for net proceeds of approximately $4.4 million. As of December 31, 2017, M/V "Monica P". was still held for sale. The Company reached an agreement to sell the vessel on March 19, 2018. The vessel was delivered to its buyers on June 25, 2018 for net proceeds of approximately $6.3 million.
Interest and other financing costs. Interest expense and other financing costs for the year were $3.05 million. Comparatively, during the same period in 2017, interest and other financing costs amounted to $1.55 million. Interest incurred and loan fees were higher in 2018 due to a higher LIBOR rate, higher average outstanding debt and an increased number of new loan agreements as compared to 2017.
Derivatives gain/loss. In 2018, we had a realized loss of $0.20 million from the net interest settlement on our interest rate swap contract that we entered into in October 2014 and an unrealized gain of $0.20 million from the mark to market valuation on the same interest rate swap compared to a marginal realized gain of $0.02 million and a marginal unrealized loss of $0.01 million in 2017. We had entered into the interest rate swap to mitigate our exposure to possible increases in interest rates. The performance of our derivative contracts depends on the movement of interest rates. A decline in interest rates increases our loss in our derivative contracts and vice versa.
Dividend Series B Preferred Shares. The Series B Preferred Shares paid dividends (in cash or in-kind at the option of the Company, subject to certain exceptions) until January 29, 2019 at a rate of 0% or 5%, depending on the trading price of the Company's common stock. At the spin-off date, Euroseas also distributed EuroDry Series B Preferred Shares to holders of Euroseas' Series B Preferred Shares in exchange for a number of such Euroseas Series B Preferred Shares, representing 50% of Euroseas Series B Preferred Shares. In 2018, the Company declared and paid in kind dividends of $1.34 million. In 2017, the Company declared and paid in kind dividends of $1.81 million. The decrease in 2018 is due to the spin-off of the Company and the distribution of 50% of Euroseas Series B Preferred Shares to EuroDry.
Net loss attributable to common shareholders. As a result of the above, net loss for the year ended December 31, 2018 was $2.0 million compared to a net loss of $8.75 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.
Time charter revenue and voyage charter revenue . Time charter revenue and voyage charter revenue for 2017 amounted to $24.84 million, increasing by 15.8% compared to the year ended December 31, 2016, during which voyage revenues amounted to $21.46 million. In 2017, we operated an average of 9.28 vessels, a 7% increase over the average of 8.67 vessels we operated during the same period in 2016. In the year 2017, our fleet had 3,184 voyage days earning revenue as compared to 2,844 voyage days earning revenue in 2016. While employed, our vessels generated a TCE rate of $7,309 per day per vessel in 2017 compared to a TCE rate of $7,120 per day per vessel in 2016, an increase of 2.7%. The average TCE rate our vessels achieve is a combination of the time charter rate earned by our vessels under time charter contracts, which is not influenced by market developments during the duration of the charter (unless the two charter parties renegotiate the terms of the charter or the charterer is unable to make the contracted payments or we enter into new charter party agreements), and the TCE rate earned by our vessels employed in the spot market which is influenced by market developments.
Voyage expenses. Voyage expenses for the year were $1.56 million and relate to expenses for certain voyage charters. For the year ended December 31, 2016, voyage expenses amounted to $1.21 million. Our vessels are generally chartered under time charter contracts. Voyage expenses usually represent a small fraction (6.3% and 5.6% in each of 2017 and 2016, respectively) of charter revenues. Voyage expenses are dependent on the number of voyage charters, the cost of fuel, port costs and canal tolls and the number of days our vessels sailed without a charter.
Vessel operating expenses. Vessel operating expenses were $15.02 million in 2017 compared to $13.85 million in 2016. Daily vessel operating expenses per vessel amounted to $4,436 per day in 2017 versus $4,363 per day in 2016, an increase of 1.7%, affected by the higher prices paid in 2017 for specific vessel consumables such as lubricants and stores.
Management fees. These are part of the fees we pay to Eurobulk under our Master Management Agreement. During 2017, Eurobulk charged us 685 Euros per day per vessel totaling $2.63 million for the year, or $777 per day per vessel. During 2016, Eurobulk charged us 685 Euros per day per vessel totaling $2.4 million for the year, or $756 per day per vessel. The increase in the total amount of U.S. dollars paid within 2017 is due to the higher exchange rates of the Euro (€) with respect to the U.S. dollar compared to the previous year and the higher number of vessels operated within the year 2017 compared to the previous year.
Drydocking expenses. These are expenses we pay for our vessels to complete a drydocking as part of an intermediate or special survey. In 2017, we had one vessel undergoing drydocking for a total of $0.6 million. During 2016, we had three vessels undergoing drydocking for a total of $2.2 million.
Vessel depreciation. Vessel depreciation for 2017 was $3.59 million. Comparatively, vessel depreciation for 2016 amounted to $4.96 million. Vessel depreciation in 2017 was lower compared to 2016, despite a higher number of vessels operated in 2017. This is due to the vessels acquired in 2017 (M/Vs "EM Astoria", "EM Oinousses", "EM Athens" and "EM Corfu") which have lower average daily depreciation charges compared to the fleet average, due to their lower acquisition cost and greater remaining useful lives compared to the remaining vessels of our fleet.
Loss on write-down of vessels held for sale. The Company recorded a loss on write-down of vessels held for sale of $4.6 million in 2017. This amount was booked in order to reduce the carrying value of two vessels to their fair values. These vessels are one dry-
bulk vessel (M/V "Monica P") and one containership (M/V "Aggeliki P."), which were both classified as held for sale as of September 30, 2017. M/V "Aggeliki P". was sold in December 2017 for net proceeds of approximately $4.4 million. As of December 31, 2017, M/V "Monica P". was still held for sale. The Company reached an agreement to sell the vessel on March 19, 2018. The vessel was delivered to its buyers in June 2018. The Company recorded a loss on write-down of a vessel held for sale of $5.92 million in 2016. This amount was booked in order to reduce the carrying value of one dry-bulk vessel (M/V "Eleni P") held for sale as of December 31, 2016 to its fair value, the value that it was actually sold.
Interest and other financing costs. Interest expense and other financing costs for the year ended December 31, 2017 were $1.55 million. Comparatively, during the same period in 2016, interest and other financing costs amounted to $1.37 million. Interest incurred and loan fees were higher in 2017 due to the higher average outstanding debt during the year as compared to 2016.
Derivatives gain/loss. In 2017, we had a marginal realized gain of $0.02 million from the net interest settlement on our interest rate swap contract that we entered into in October 2014 and a marginal unrealized loss of $0.01 million from the mark to market valuation on the same interest rate swap compared to a realized loss of $0.13 million and unrealized gain of $0.01 million in 2016. We entered into the interest rate swap to mitigate our exposure to possible increases in interest rates.
Impairment in Joint Venture. In 2016, the Company recorded an impairment of $14.07 million on its investment in Euromar, which was a joint venture between the Company and two private equity firms, reducing the carrying value of the investment to zero, due to the persisting depressed market environment and the amended loan agreements based on which the Company concluded that its investment in Euromar was impaired and that the impairment was other than temporary.
Equity Loss in Joint Venture. As explained above, due to the impairment in Joint venture no equity loss was recorded in 2017. In 2016, we recognized a $2.44 million loss as our share in Euromar losses. In September 2017, Euroseas acquired the 85.714% interest in Euromar it did not already own for nominal cost. As a result of the acquisition, Euromar became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. However, its vessels were substantially under the control of its lenders and were all sold by the end of 2017, and, thus, it has not been consolidated in our results nor any gain or loss from it was recognized.
Other Investment Income. In 2016, we recognized $1.02 million income from accrued dividends relating to $5.00 million of funds we made available to Euromar, $4.00 million of which remained in an escrow account as of December 31, 2016 and were available to be invested in Euromar if called by our partners in good faith, and the $1.00 million of such funds contributed to Euromar in 2014 in the form of preferred units (the "Preferred Units"). These funds accrued dividends in Preferred Units of Euromar. In December 2016, we determined that it was unlikely to recover any investment in Preferred Units of Euromar and recorded an impairment of $4.42 million representing the entire value of Preferred Units; we also stopped recognizing any additional accrued dividends. As of December 31, 2016, our Other Investment was shown in our Consolidated balance sheet at $4.00 million which represented the funds in the escrow account. During 2017, we continued not recognizing any accrued dividends and hence, other investment income was nil for the period. The funds held in the escrow account were returned to us in September 2017.
Dividend Series B Preferred Shares. The Series B Preferred Shares paid dividends (in cash or in-kind at the option of the Company, subject to certain exceptions) until January 29, 2019 at a rate of 0% or 5%, depending on the trading price of the Company's common stock. In 2017, the Company declared and paid in kind dividends of $1.81 million. In 2016, the Company declared and paid in kind dividends of $1.73 million.
Net loss attributable to common shareholders. As a result of the above, net loss for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $8.75 million compared to a net loss of $35.81 million for the year ended December 31, 2016.
The discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, or U.S. GAAP. The preparation of those financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of our financial statements. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
Critical accounting policies are those that reflect significant judgments or uncertainties, and potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. We have described below what we believe are our most critical accounting policies that involve a high degree of judgment and the methods of their application.
We record the value of our vessels at their cost (which includes acquisition costs directly attributable to the vessel and expenditures made to prepare the vessel for its initial voyage) less accumulated depreciation and impairment (if any). Depreciation is based on cost less the estimated residual scrap value. An increase in the useful life of the vessel or in the residual value would have the effect of decreasing the annual depreciation charge and extending it into later periods. A decrease in the useful life of the vessel or in the residual value would have the effect of increasing the annual depreciation charge and possibly an impairment charge. We depreciate our vessels on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives, estimated to be 25 years from date of initial delivery from the shipyard and the residual value of our vessels is estimated to be $250 per lightweight ton.
Impairment of vessels
We review our vessels held for use for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances (such as vessel market values, vessel sales and purchases, business plans and overall market conditions) indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. If we identify indication for impairment for a vessel, we determine undiscounted projected net operating cash flows for each vessel and compare it to the vessel carrying value. When the estimate of undiscounted cash flows, excluding interest charges, expected to be generated by the use of the asset is less than its carrying amount, we evaluate the asset for an impairment loss. In the event that impairment occurred, we would determine the fair value of the related asset and we record a charge to operations calculated by comparing the asset's carrying value to the estimated fair market value. We estimate fair market value primarily through the use of third party valuations performed on an individual vessel basis.
The carrying values of the Company's vessels may not represent their fair market value at any point in time since the market prices of second-hand vessels tend to fluctuate with changes in charter rates and the cost of newbuildings. The Company determines the rates to be used in its impairment analysis based on the prevailing market charter rates for the first two years and on inflation-unadjusted historical average rates, from year three onwards.
The Company calculates the historical average rates over a 16-year period for 2017 and a 17-year period for 2018, which both start in 2002 and take into account complete market cycles, and which provide a more representative reference for the long-term rates. These rates are used for the period a vessel is not under a charter contract; if there is a contract, the charter rate of the contract is used for the period of the contract.
Our impairment exercise is highly sensitive on variances in the time charter rates and vessel operating costs; it also requires assumptions for:
the effective fleet utilization rate;
estimated scrap values;
future drydocking costs; and
probabilities of sale for each vessel.
Our estimates for the time charter rates for the first two years are based on market information available for future rates (based on the length of charters that can be secured at the time of the analysis, generally, one to two years). Vessel utilization estimates are based on the status of each vessel at the time of the assessment and the Company's past experience in finding employment for its vessels at comparable market conditions. Cost estimates, like drydocking and operating costs, are based on the Company's data for its own vessels; past estimates for such costs have generally been very close to the actual levels observed. Specifically, we use our budgeted operating expenses escalated by 1.5% per annum and our budgeted drydocking costs, assuming a five-year special survey cycle. Overall, the assumptions are based on historical trends as well as future expectations. Although management believes that the assumptions used to evaluate potential impairment are reasonable and appropriate, such assumptions are highly subjective. Our impairment test for the year ended December 31, 2018 identified one of our vessels with indication for impairment as presented in the following table. For this vessel, we performed our impairment analysis which indicated no impairment. Furthermore, we performed sensitivity analysis for the charter rates and operating cost assumptions (which are the inputs most sensitive to variations) allowing for variances of up to 10% without an impairment indication.
There can be no assurance as to how long-term charter rates and vessel values will increase as compared to their current levels and approach historical average levels for similarly aged vessels or whether they will improve by any significant degree. Charter rates, which improved significantly during the first half of 2018 but retreated in the second half of the year, may still return to their previously very depressed levels which could adversely affect our revenue and profitability, and future assessments of vessel impairment. The
impairment analysis may determine that the carrying value of a vessel is recoverable if the vessel is held and operated to the end of its useful life, however, if the vessel is sold when the market is depressed, the Company might suffer a loss on the sale. Whether the Company realizes a gain or loss on the sale of a vessel is primarily a function of the relative market values of vessels at the time the vessel was acquired less the accumulated depreciation and impairment, if any, versus the relative market values on the date a vessel is sold.
For a discussion of the potential loss in the case of sale of all of our vessels with market value below their carrying value, we refer to the "Item 4.B. Business Overview – Our Fleet".
For the vessel which had impairment indication, a comparison of the average estimated daily time charter equivalent rate used in our impairment analysis with the average "break even rate" for the uncontracted period is presented below:
Charter Rate as of 12/31/2018
Months Chartered
Remaining Life (years)
Rate Year 1 (2018)
Rate Year 3+ (2020+)
Breakeven Rate (USD/day)
Please refer to Note 2 of the financial statements attached to this annual report.\
B. Liquidity and Capital Resources
Historically, our sources of funds have been equity provided by our shareholders, operating cash flows and long-term borrowings. Our principal use of funds has been capital expenditures to establish and expand our fleet, maintain the quality of our vessels during operations and the periodically required drydockings, comply with international shipping standards and environmental laws and regulations, fund working capital requirements and if necessary operating shortfalls, make principal repayments on outstanding loan facilities, and pay dividends. We expect to rely on cash available, funds generated from operating cash flows, funds from our shareholders, equity offerings, like our ongoing at-the-market ("ATM") offering (under our filed prospectus about $2.20 million of our stock is still available for sale), and long-term borrowings to meet our liquidity needs going forward and to finance our capital expenditures and working capital needs in 2019 and beyond.
As of December 31, 2018, we had a working capital surplus of $0.4 million and have been incurring losses. Our cash balance amounted to $6.96 million and cash in restricted and retention accounts amounted to $6.25 million as of December 31, 2018.
For the two years following January 29, 2019, the holders of EuroDry Series B Preferred Shares will receive a cash dividend at a dividend rate of 12% per annum, which will increase to 14% thereafter. We intend to fund our working capital requirements via cash at hand, cash flow from operations, debt balloon payment refinancing and proceeds from equity offerings. In the unlikely event that these are not sufficient we may also draw down up to $2.00 million under a commitment from COLBY Trading Ltd., a company controlled by the Pittas family and affiliated with our Chief Executive Officer, and possible vessel sales (where equity will be released), if required, among other options. We believe we will have adequate funding through the sources described above and, accordingly, we believe we have the ability to continue as a going concern and finance our obligations as they come due over the next twelve months following the date of the issuance of our financial statements. Consequently, our consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities in the normal course of business.
Net cash from operating activities.
Our cash flow deficit from operating activities for 2018 was $1.48 million as compared to a net surplus from cash flows provided by operating activities of $5.05 million in 2017 and cash flow deficit from operating activities of $5.09 million in 2016.
The major drivers of the change of cash flows from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to the year ended December 31, 2017, are the following: the significant recovery of the market rates during the year ended December 31, 2018, which resulted in a significantly higher TCE rate of $9,179 compared to $7,309 for the year ended December 31, 2017. The increase in TCE rates as well as the increase in the average number of vessels in our fleet is also reflected in the increase of our operating income (excluding non-cash items) to $4.43 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $1.59 million for the corresponding period in 2017. This positive effect was, however, offset by (i) a net working capital outflow of $3.48 million during the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to a net working capital inflow of $4.82 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, mainly due to the significant
decrease of the Due to related company balance during 2018 as reimbursements were made to our Manager and (ii) by higher net interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to the corresponding period in 2017.
The positive change in cash flows from operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the year ended December 31, 2016, was due to: (i) the modest recovery of the market rates during the year ended December 31, 2017, which resulted in a slightly higher TCE rate of $7,309 compared to $7,120 for the year ended December 31, 2016. (ii) lower drydocking expenses of $0.57 million for one vessel that underwent drydocking in the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to $2.20 million for three vessels that underwent drydocking in the year ended December 31, 2016. The slight increase in TCE rates and in the average number of vessels in our fleet as well as the decrease in drydocking expenses is also reflected in the increase of our operating income (excluding non-cash items) to $1.59 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 from $1.50 million of operating loss (excluding non-cash items) for the corresponding period in 2016. There was also positive effect from a net working capital inflow of $4.82 million during the year ended December 31, 2017, mainly due to the significant increase of the Due to related company balance during 2017 as payments were made by our Manager on our behalf, compared to a net working capital outflow of $2.22 million for the year ended December 31, 2016..
Net cash from investing activities.
Net cash flows provided by investing activities were $6.25 million for the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to $16.51 million used in investing activities for the year ended December 31, 2017. The net increase in cash flows provided by investing activities of $22.76 million from 2017 is mainly attributable to a decrease of $30.0 million in payments for vessel acquisitions and major improvements during the year ended December 31, 2018 compared to the same period of 2017, partially offset by a net increase of $3.30 million in proceeds from vessel sales during the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to the same period of 2017 and $4.0 million of increased cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2017 due to a release of funds from other investment that took place during 2017.
Net cash flows used in investing activities were $16.51 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to cash flows provided by investing activities of $1.11 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. The net decrease in cash flows used in investing activities of $17.62 million is attributable to an increase of $26.98 million in payments for vessel acquisitions and major improvements during the year ended December 31, 2017 compared to the same period of 2016, partially offset by an increase of $5.36 million in proceeds from vessel sales during the year ended December 31, 2017, and $4.0 million of increased cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2017 due to a release of funds from other investment that took place during 2017.
Net cash from financing activities.
Net cash flows provided by financing activities were $0.14 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to net cash flows provided by financing activities of $12.75 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. This decrease in cash flows provided by financing activities of $12.61 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2017, is attributable to an increase of $23.11 million in long term debt principal payments during the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to the same period of 2017 (including a $2.0 million related party loan repaid in 2017) and an increase of $3.02 million in net outflow of funds to a spun-off subsidiary (EuroDry) during the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, which is partially offset by an increase of $1.74 million in proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of offering expenses during the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to the same period of 2017 and an increase in proceeds of long term debt (net of loan arrangement fees paid) of $11.76 million during the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to the same period of 2017.
Net cash flows provided by financing activities were $12.75 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to net cash flows used in financing activities of $6.34 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. This increase in cash flows provided by financing activities of $19.09 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2016, is mainly attributable to an increase in proceeds from long-term debt (net of loan arrangement fees paid) of $5.82 million during the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to the year ended December 31, 2016 (including proceeds of $2.0 million from a related party loan during 2016), a decrease of $6.88 million in repayments of long term debt during the year ended December 31, 2017 (including a $2.0 million related party loan repaid in 2017), compared to the same period of 2016 and a decrease of $9.27 million in net outflow of funds to a spun-off subsidiary (EuroDry) during the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to the same period in 2016, which is partially offset by a decrease of $2.88 million in proceeds from issuance of common stock, net of offering expenses during the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to the same period of 2016.
We operate in a capital-intensive industry which requires significant amounts of investment, and we fund a major portion of this investment through long term debt. We maintain debt levels we consider prudent based on our market expectations, cash flow, interest coverage and percentage of debt to capital.
As of December 31, 2018, we had three outstanding loans with a combined outstanding balance of $37.49 million. These loans have maturity within 2021. Our long-term debt as of December 31, 2018 comprises bank loans granted to our vessel-owning subsidiaries. A description of our loans as of December 31, 2018 is provided in Note 7 of our attached financial statements. As of December 31, 2018, we are scheduled to repay approximately $5.21 million of the above bank loans in 2019.
Our loan agreements contain covenants.
Our loans have various covenants such as minimum requirements regarding the hull ratio cover (the ratio of fair value of vessel to outstanding loan less cash in retention accounts) and restrictions as to changes in management and ownership of the vessel ship-owning companies, distribution of profits or assets (in effect, limiting dividends in some loans to 60% of profits, or, not permitting dividend payment or other distributions in cases that an event of default has occurred), additional indebtedness and mortgage of vessels without the lender's prior consent, sale of vessels, maximum fleet-wide leverage, sale of capital stock of our subsidiaries, ability to make investments and other capital expenditures, entering in mergers or acquisitions, minimum cash balance requirements and minimum cash retention accounts (restricted cash). When necessary, we do provide supplemental collateral in the form of restricted cash or cross-collateralize vessels to ensure compliance with hull cover ratio ("loan-to-value" ratio). Increases in restricted cash required to satisfy loan covenants would reduce funds available for investment or working capital and could have a negative impact on our operations. If we cannot cure any violated covenants, we might be required to repay all or part of our loans, which, in turn, might require us to sell one or more of our vessels under distressed conditions. As of December 31, 2018, we were not in default of any credit facility covenant.
Shelf registration
On December 19, 2016, the SEC declared effective our shelf registration statement on Form F-3 pursuant to which we registered common shares, preferred shares, debt securities, warrants and units up to a total dollar amount of $400,000,000 (about $4.80 million of which were used under our ATM offering), to be sold by the Company, as well as 5,723,375 common shares to be sold by certain selling shareholders.
We make capital expenditures from time to time in connection with our vessel acquisitions or participation in joint ventures to acquire vessels.
In 2010, we entered into our Euromar joint venture with two private equity firms. The Company has not provided any guarantees to Euromar beyond its capital already invested or funds put in escrow. None of the loans entered into by Euromar have any recourse to the Company. On September 7, 2017, Euroseas became the sole owner of Euromar at a nominal price of $1. The Company acquired the 85.714% interest in Euromar it did not already own and Euromar became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company. The Company provided no guarantees to Euromar's lenders, and none of the lenders have any recourse against the Company. As of December 31, 2017, all vessels of Euromar were sold with the consent of Euromar's lenders; all proceeds from such sales and any funds in excess of other liabilities were applied towards the indebtedness of Euromar with any excess indebtedness written off; Euromar was released from all its corporate guarantees to its lenders.
In September 2016 we took delivery of the feeder containership MV Aegean Express for a cost of $3.1 million. In December 2016 we purchased the feeder containership M/V "RT Dagr" by issuing 0.9 million shares of the Company's common stock. In June 2017 we took delivery of the feeder containership M/V "EM Astoria" for $4.75 million. In September 2017 we took delivery of the feeder containership M/V "EM Athens" for $4.2 million. In October 2017 we took delivery of the feeder containership M/V "EM Oinousses" for $4.3 million and the feeder containership M/V "EM Corfu" for $5.7 million. In December 2017 we took delivery of the intermediate containership M/V "Akinada Bridge" for $11 million. All these five containerships were purchased from Euromar for $29.85 million.
We currently have four vessels scheduled for drydocking over the next 12 months.
In 2016, 2017 and 2018, the Company declared no dividend on its common stock. During the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company decided to suspend the quarterly dividend on its common stock to focus all its resources in exploiting investment opportunities in the markets. In 2014, the Company paid $13,050 of dividends that accrued before the fourth quarter of 2013 but were previously unpaid.
Within 2016, 2017 and 2018, the Company declared sixteen consecutive quarterly dividends on its Series B Preferred Shares, amounting to $1.73 million in 2016, $1.81 million in 2017 and $1.34 million in 2018, all of which were paid in-kind.
C. Research and development, patents and licenses, etc.
D. Trend information
Our results of operations depend primarily on the charter rates that we are able to realize. Charter rates paid for container vessels are primarily a function of the underlying balance between vessel supply and demand.
The demand for containership capacity is determined by the underlying demand for commodities transported in these vessels, which in turn is influenced by trends in the global economy. One of the main drivers of the containerized trade has been the growth in exports of finished goods. Demand for containership capacity is also affected by the operating efficiency of the global fleet, i.e., the average speed the fleet operates, and port congestion. A factor affecting mainly the containership sector, especially during periods of high fuel prices and/or low charter rates, is slow-steaming (i.e., the practice of running a vessel at lower speeds to economize on fuel costs). Slow-steaming increases the number of ships required to carry a given amount of trade volume and thus increases demand for ships as do higher levels of port congestion, leading to higher charter rates if all other factors influencing rates are unchanged.
The supply of containerships is dependent on the delivery of new vessels and the removal of vessels from the global fleet, either through scrapping or loss. According to industry sources, as of April 1, 2019, the capacity of the fully cellular worldwide container vessel fleet was approximately 22.14 million teu with approximately 2.88 million teu, or, about 13% of the present fleet capacity on order, the growing supply of container vessels may exceed future demand.
The level of scrapping activity is generally a function of scrapping prices in relation to current and prospective charter market conditions, as well as operating, repair and survey costs. The average age at which a vessel is scrapped over the last ten years has been between 25 and 27 years, with smaller vessels scrapped at a later age. During strong markets, the average age at which the vessels are scrapped increases; during 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and the first nine months of 2008, the majority of the Feedership, Handysize and Intermediate size containerships that were scrapped were in excess of 30 years of age. Continued weakness of containership charter rates resulted in increased scrapping rates at even lower vessel scrapping ages. In fact, 2016 saw scrapping rates of more than 500,000 teu, a 35-year record. In 2017, scrapping rates reached 398,610 teu, while in 2018, scrapping rates declined year on year reaching 119,910 teu.
Declining shipping charter rates have a negative impact on our earnings when our vessels are employed in the spot market or when they are to be re-chartered after completing a time charter contract. As of April 1, 2019, approximately 55% of our ship capacity days in remainder of 2019 and approximately 4% of our ship capacity days in 2020, are under time charter contracts. If the market rates decrease from current levels or the supply of vessels increases, our vessels may have difficulty securing employment and, if so, may be employed at rates lower than their present charters.
E. Off-balance Sheet Arrangements
As of December 31, 2018, we did not have any off-balance sheet arrangements.
F. Tabular Disclosure of Contractual Obligations
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
Contractual obligations are set forth in the following table as of December 31, 2018:
In U.S. dollars
Less Than One Year
Three to Five Years
Bank debt
Interest Payments (1)
Vessel Management fees (2)
Other Management fees (3)
(1) Assuming the amortization of the loans as of December 31, 2018 described above, each loan's interest rate margin over LIBOR and average LIBOR rates of about 3.01%, 2.31%, 2.11%, 2.02%, 2.03% per annum for the five years, respectively, based on the LIBOR yield curve as of December 31, 2018. Also includes our obligation to make payments required as of December 31, 2017 under our interest rate swap agreements based on the same LIBOR forward rate assumptions (see Item 11).
(2) Refers to our obligation for management fees under our Amended and Restated Master Management Agreement and management agreement with the ship-owning companies in effect as of January 1, 2019 and expiring on January 1, 2023. The management fees have been computed for 2019 based on the agreed rate of 685 Euros per day per vessel (approximately $785) and for 2020 we have assumed an increase in the rate of 2% for inflation. We assumed no changes in the U.S. Dollar to Euro exchange rate (assumed at 1.15 USD/Euro). We further assume that we hold our vessels until they reach 25 years of age, after which they are considered to be scrapped and no longer bear obligations.
(3) Refers to our obligation for management fees of $1,250,000 per year under our Master Management Agreement with Eurobulk for the cost of providing management services to Euroseas as a public company and its subsidiaries. This fee is adjusted for inflation in Greece during the previous calendar year every January 1st. From January 1, 2020 on, we have assumed an inflation rate of 2.0% per year. The agreement expires on January 1, 2023.
G. Safe Harbor
See "Forward-Looking Statements" at the beginning of this annual report.
A. Directors and Senior Management
The following sets forth the name and position of each of our directors and executive officers.
Aristides J. Pittas
Chairman, President and CEO; Class A Director
Dr. Anastasios Aslidis
CFO and Treasurer; Class A Director
Aristides P. Pittas
Vice Chairman; Class A Director
Stephania Karmiri
Panagiotis Kyriakopoulos
Class B Director
George Taniskidis
Class C Director
Apostolos Tamvakakis
Class C Director (since June 25, 2013)
Christian Donohue
Series B Director (since December 7, 2017)
Aristides J. Pittas has been a member of our Board of Directors and our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since our inception on May 5, 2005. Since 1997, Mr. Pittas has also been the President of Eurochart, our affiliate. Eurochart is a shipbroking company specializing in chartering and selling and purchasing ships. Since January 1995, Mr. Pittas has been the President and Managing Director of Eurobulk, our affiliated ship management company. He resigned as Managing Director of Eurobulk in June 2005. Eurobulk is a ship management company that provides ocean transportation services. From September 1991 to December 1994, Mr. Pittas was the Vice President of Oceanbulk Maritime SA, a ship management company. From March 1990 to August 1991, Mr. Pittas
served both as the Assistant to the General Manager and the Head of the Planning Department of Varnima International SA, a shipping company operating tanker vessels. From June 1987 until February 1990, Mr. Pittas was the head of the Central Planning department of Eleusis Shipyards S.A. From January 1987 to June 1987, Mr. Pittas served as Assistant to the General Manager of Chios Navigation Shipping Company in London, a company that provides ship management services. From December 1985 to January 1987, Mr. Pittas worked in the design department of Eleusis Shipyards S.A. where he focused on shipbuilding and ship repair. Mr. Pittas has a B.Sc. in Marine Engineering from University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and a MSc in both Ocean Systems Management and Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Dr. Anastasios Aslidis has been our Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer and member of our Board of Directors since September 2005. Prior to joining Euroseas, Dr. Aslidis was a partner at Marsoft, an international consulting firm focusing on investment and risk management in the maritime industry. Dr. Aslidis has more than 25 years of experience in the maritime industry. He also served as consultant to the Boards of Directors of shipping companies (public and private) advising on strategy development, asset selection and investment timing. Dr. Aslidis holds a Ph.D. in Ocean Systems Management (1989) from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, M.S. in Operations Research (1987) and M.S. in Ocean Systems Management (1984) also from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Diploma in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (1983).
Aristides P. Pittas has been a member of our Board of Directors since our inception on May 5, 2005 and our Vice Chairman since September 1, 2005. Mr. Pittas has been a shareholder in over 100 oceangoing vessels during the last 20 years. Since February 1989, Mr. Pittas has been the Vice President of Oceanbulk Maritime SA, a ship management company. From November 1987 to February 1989, Mr. Pittas was employed in the supply department of Drytank SA, a shipping company. From November 1981 to June 1985, Mr. Pittas was employed at Trust Marine Enterprises, a brokerage house as a sale and purchase broker. From September 1979 to November 1981, Mr. Pittas worked at Gourdomichalis Maritime SA in the operation and Freight Collection department. Mr. Pittas has a B.Sc in Economics from Athens School of Economics.
Stephania Karmiri has been our Secretary since our inception on May 5, 2005. Since July 1995, Mrs. Karmiri has been executive secretary to Eurobulk, our affiliated ship management company. Eurobulk is a ship management company that provides ocean transportation services. At Eurobulk, Mrs. Karmiri has been responsible for dealing with sale and purchase transactions, vessel registrations/deletions, bank loans, supervision of office administration and office/vessel telecommunication. From May 1992 to June 1995, she was secretary to the technical department of Oceanbulk Maritime SA, a ship management company. From 1988 to 1992, Mrs. Karmiri served as assistant to brokers for Allied Shipbrokers, a company that provides shipbroking services to sale and purchase transactions. Mrs. Karmiri has taken assistant accountant and secretarial courses from Didacta college.
Panagiotis Kyriakopoulos has been a member of our Board of Directors since our inception on May 5, 2005. Since July 2002, he has been the Chief Executive Officer of STAR INVESTMENTS S.A., one of the leading Mass Media Companies in Greece, running television and radio stations. From July 1997 to July 2002 he was the C.E.O. of the Hellenic Post Group, the Universal Postal Service Provider, having the largest retail network in Greece for postal and financial services products. From March 1996 until July 1997, Mr. Kyriakopoulos was the General Manager of ATEMKE SA, one of the leading construction companies in Greece listed on the Athens Stock Exchange. From December 1986 to March 1996, he was the Managing Director of Globe Group of Companies, a group active in the areas of shipowning and management, textiles and food and distribution. The company was listed on the Athens Stock Exchange. From June 1983 to December 1986, Mr. Kyriakopoulos was an assistant to the Managing Director of Armada Marine S.A., a company active in international trading and shipping, owning and managing a fleet of twelve vessels. Presently he is Chairman of the Hellenic Private Television Owners Association, BoD member of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), and BoD member of Digea S.A. He has also been an investor in the shipping industry for more than 20 years. Mr. Kyriakopoulos has a B.Sc. degree in Marine Engineering from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, a MSc. degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering with specialization in Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Imperial College, London.
George Taniskidis has been a member of our Board of Directors since our inception on May 5, 2005. He is the Chairman of Core Capital Partners, a consulting firm specializing in debt restructuring. He was Chairman and Managing Director of Millennium Bank and a member of the Board of Directors of BankEuropa (subsidiary bank of Millennium Bank in Turkey) until May 2010. He was also a member of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Banks Association. From 2003 until 2005, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Visa International Europe, elected by the Visa issuing banks of Cyprus, Malta, Portugal, Israel and Greece. From 1990 to 1998, Mr. Taniskidis worked at XIOSBANK (until its acquisition by Piraeus Bank in 1998) in various positions, with responsibility for the bank's credit strategy and network. Mr. Taniskidis studied Law in the National University of Athens and in the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where he received a L.L.M. After law school, he joined the law firm of Rogers & Wells in New York, where he worked until 1989 and was also a member of the New York State Bar Association. He is also a member of the Young Presidents Organization.
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Locked in – Cell 211 review
Cell 211 – Starring Alberto Ammann and Luis Tosar. Directed by Daniel Monzon. Rated MA. By Simon Miraudo.
Cell 211 plays the Perth International Arts Festival from March 14th to March 27th. Click here for more details. It also arrives on DVD May 18th.
People love prison movies. Consider The Shawshank Redemption, the number one film on IMDB’s user selected Top 250 films of all time. There are also award winners like A Prophet, Hunger, In The Name of the Father, The Hurricane and Midnight Express or audience favourites like Cool Hand Luke, The Green Mile, The Longest Yard and Stir Crazy. And who could forget the 1990 comedy classic, John R. Cherry III’s Ernest Goes To Jail (the second highest grossing film of the Ernest P. Worell series, and thought of by many to be the most haunting, unforgettable instalment of them all)? Although Daniel Monzon’s Cell 211 can’t claim to be as landmark a prison movie as Shawshank, A Prophet or Ernest Goes to Jail, it’s a fine addition to the incarcerated-canon. It’s also a worthy entrant into the “Worst. Day. Ever.” subgenre.
Alberto Ammann stars as Juan Oliver, a sweet-natured and street-smart young man who’s recently scored a job at a maximum security prison. He wants to prove to his soon-to-be-colleagues that he’s committed to the job, so he rocks up a day early to learn the ropes, leaving his pregnant wife at home. Then, enduring some bad luck of biblical proportions, he is accidentally knocked unconscious and the guards haul him into the newly-vacant Cell 211 (hey, that’s the title of the movie!) rather than the infirmary. Then, wouldn’t you believe it, a prison riot breaks out, orchestrated by the bulldog-looking Malamadre (Luis Tosar), and Juan is forced to pretend to be a fellow prisoner, lest he be taken hostage, or worse.
The numerous events required to get Juan Olivier stuck on the wrong side of the prison gates may sound trite – and well, they are – but director Daniel Monzon and his screenwriters (adapting Francisco Perez Gandul’s novel of the same name) move the film along so briskly you barely have time to breathe, let alone poke holes in the plot. And thank goodness for that, because Cell 211 is a fantastically paced and fun prison thriller that doesn’t condescend to repeat the “prison-can-be-a-place-to-find-yourself” theme of so many other movies. It subscribes more to the findings of the famous Stanford Prison Experiment: “Cage even the sanest people up and they will go crazy”. Juan Oliver’s evolution from kindly prison guard to hardened gang leader over the course of one day may seem extreme, but the madness of the environment, the richness of Ammann’s performance and the brutality of the overall scenario is enough to convince any skeptic.
Perhaps people love prison movies because we always like to think about what we’d do if we were locked up; how we’d cope, what we’d do to pass the time etc. As in The Shawshank Redemption, Cell 211 presents us with an innocent man – just like us – caught in the most impossible and unenviable of situations. But, morbid curiosity freaks like me will similarly enjoy thinking of themselves in the same situation, evaluating each and every one of Juan’s decisions, and wondering whether he goes too far.
Check out Simon’s other reviews here.
australian online dvd rental, cell 211, film review, luis tosar, perth international arts festival, quickflix, simon miraudo
Trent Reznor won’t score or star in Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Trailer Debut: Conan the Barbarian
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Committee to Defend Academic Freedom at UCSB
The Robinson Case
Text of Raymond Talk at AF Forum
Below is the text of Professor Geoff Raymond’s talk at the CDAF-UCSB sponsored forum on academic freedom that took place on May 21, 2009. Check back soon for video of all the panelists’ talks.
In Defense of Academic Freedom: Some notes on the Academic Senate’s handling of the case against Professor William Robinson
Geoffrey Raymond
UCSB
Speech delivered 5/21 as part of a panel on Academic Freedom:
I have been asked here tonight to talk about the specifics of the Robinson case because I became involved in it through various departmental and senate positions I held when the complaints emerged. I am director of undergrad studies in Sociology, and a member of the Academic Senate’s committee on committees. I mention this because I think it is important to know from the start that I am active member of the academic senate, and a faculty member committed to the teaching mission of this university. I participate in the academic senate because believe it offers one of the few genuine instances of participatory democracy one can find in contemporary American life; and the shared governance in which participates has been vital the UCs success as a vibrant – and open – intellectual community. As I hope this brief statement makes clear, I believe in the work of the Senate, and it is my disappointment in its processes on this occasion that has prompted me to speak out.
As I also mentioned, I am also director of undergraduate studies in my department – I volunteered for this position because I am passionately committed to teaching and learning. As one might imagine, in a role such as this, one comes to know about the teaching of one’s colleagues. You learn who is a great lecturer, and who isn’t. You learn about lecturers who sometimes get in over their heads, and so on. And you learn who are the most committed, passionate, and open teachers. I count Bill Robinson on that latter group: students rave about his classes, they praise his passion, and they have universally praised his willingness to hear as many alternative viewpoints as students are willing to articulate. Great teaching does not require that one never reveals one’s own opinions regarding course content – and it does not even require that courses “cover all sides” or points of view. But it does require one to be open – and I know Bill to be such an open person, and nothing in this case suggests any different. So as a backdrop to discussing this case, you should know that I am involved in it because of its direct connections to two of the most central preoccupations of my academic life: teaching and university governance.
At the center of this matter is the Faculty Code of Conduct. For those of you who do not know about this code, there a few a things you should know about it. First, its primary purpose is to PROTECT ACAMDEMIC FREEDOM of FACULTY – not students – because faculty have earned a right to independence and protection by virtue of their education, their scholarly research, and a vigorous peer review process.
Let me read a part of this pre-amble:
The University seeks to provide and sustain an environment conducive to sharing, extending, and critically examining knowledge and values, and to furthering the search for wisdom. Effective performance of these central functions requires that faculty members be free within their respective fields of competence to pursue and teach the truth in accord with appropriate standards of scholarly inquiry… It is the intent of the Faculty Code of Conduct to protect academic freedom…
Following this pre-amble the code describes a set of principles that are deemed to govern how faculty relate to students, to each other, to the university at large, and to the community beyond. These standards establish the basis for creating an intellectual community worth working and learning in. As such, it is, I think, universally respected by faculty on this campus, and by the campus community more generally.
So what is this case about – and how does it relate to the code of conduct?
As many of you will have heard, in the course of his sociology of globalization course last winter term professor Robinson forwarded an e-mail that was sharply critical of Israeli policies and practices in the Gaza to his students; 2 students objected to this e-mail and dropped the class. After doing so they contacted the ADL and the Simon Weisenthal center who apparently suggested that a formal complaint be submitted to the charges officer claiming that Professor Robinson’s e-mail violated the Faculty code of conduct.
It is these complaints, and especially the senate’s handling of them, that I want to discuss this evening. Regrettably this matter has been handled so poorly that there are too many issues for me to take up here in a reasonable amount of time – so I will focus on the most glaring failures that we know of so far. As we hear of these problems, however, we should keep in mind the mantra we heard whenever we have them in the past: We are told over and over again by Senate leaders – and now by outsiders who side with the students – that since a process has begun, we must trust that process.
In most cases I would be inclined to follow this advice – indeed all to often I seem to be the one giving it. But for that advice to be meaningful, we need a set of complaints relevant for the Charges Officer, a committee to hear those charges that has been fairly composed, and a set of procedures that is beyond reproach. Sadly, the current situation falls far short on all 3 counts. So when we hear someone say trust in the process – we should respond with our mantra: give us a process we can trust.
As will become clear in the ensuing discussion, the irregularities in the procedures adopted by the Charges Officer are systematically biased against the accused faculty member; the failings of this committee cannot be excused as instances of mere sloppiness and neither can they be attributed to the officers efforts to find an “informal resolution” to the complaint (especially since none was even attempted). Now that the Academic Senate has been made aware of the Charges Officer’s repeated failures to fulfill his mandate the University and its faculty would be well served if the Chair of the Senate threw out the tainted findings produced through a process fraught with conflicts of interest, and possibly even outright duplicity.
Let’s consider what has happened in the case so far:
First, the Charges Officer’s departed significantly from the procedures he is mandated to follow in the faculty code of conduct;
According to it,
Before forming an advisory committee the charges officer should refer complainants to the Department Chair or the Dean (Faculty Code, revised, section 4 — on pg. 2) so that an informal resolution can be attempted; despite this, neither the Chair of Sociology nor the dean was contacted by the Charges Officer regarding this matter. In fact, the charges officer made no effort to resolve the complaint informally – or even seek the input of those most proximately responsible for the course and its content. For that matter the students never contacted Professor Robinson, the chair or the dean either – they headed straight for the charges office to pursue their complaint in the most aggressive, confrontational manner possible.
These choices have considerable negative consequences.
Instead of approaching the matter as an educational one — as an occasion for teaching and learning –with potential lessons for *all* concerned parties — the students’ conduct and the charges officer’s decisions reinforced extant divisions by isolating the involved parties and setting them into direct conflict with one another, thereby making open dialogue and learning *less likely*. In every way the use of the Charges Officer as the primary venue for handling student complaints regarding course content undermines the educational mission of the university.
If the Academic Senate wants us to trust the process, they need to give us a process we can trust.
As an aside, let me respond to a charge made by Rabbi Gross-Schaefer; in today’s newspaper he chastised Professor Robinson for not reaching out to the offended students. He should know that the professor is virtually barred from doing so. Once a formal charge has been registered and an ad hoc committee has been formed no professor can contact the aggrieved students without fearing that the very fact they have done so will be treated as an admission of guilt, or as an effort to tamper with the process.
A second major set of concerns is that the charges Officer and his fellow committee members have failed to protect the rights of the accused both with respect to the presentation of actual charges and in their failure to maintain the confidentiality of the committees proceedings.
Professor Robinsons was virtually excluded from meaningfully participating the advisory committee’s process because no set of coherent charges were presented to him until after it had made its decisions.
After receiving the student complaints, the charges officer forwarded them to professor Robinson and solicited a written response from him. Given the character of these charges however, no such response was possible. The charges contained in the student letters were copied straight from the FCoC; they included a long list of charges copied from it — including those against romantic relations with students, despite the fact that the professor had never met the students in question, charges against the use of university property for commercial gain, and even the bizarre claim that he violated his own academic freedom. Since these charges have no possible bearing whatsoever on the case, professor repeatedly requested that the charges officer clarify the specific nature of the charge. The Charges Officer’s failure to respond to these requests constitutes a direct violation of the Faculty Code of conduct.
Finally 50+ days later, did the Charges Officer did convey a specific set of charges to Professor Robinson — but then he claimed that Professor could no longer respond because he had passed on the opportunity to do so.
These actions create an almost Kafka-esque process for the accused. It is a basic principle of justice that a person can defend him or herself only after specific allegations or charges have been made public. To request a defense in anticipation of charges constitutes a fundamental perversion of even the most flexible and informal forms of due process insofar as it allows subsequent charges to be crafted that do not relate to the defense on offer. (It is worth noting in this context that this is not an unfounded fear: the Charges Officer has actually added a charge — regarding the “coercion of conscience” — that does not appear in any of the student complaints and so could not have been defended against had the professor responded to the laundry list initially presented in the letters.) In such a situation (where a risk of charges has been presented, but no specific or formal charges have been made) no reasonable person can or should offer a defense since any comments they provide can be used to facilitate the case against them. Because this sequence of actions (first charges, then defense) cannot be altered without undermining basic principles of fairness, they are encoded (in a numbered series of steps) within the faculty code of conduct itself.
As these facts make clear, this is not merely a case in which the Charges Officer departed from procedure in an effort to resolve the complaint informally. Rather, his departure from procedure in the case so substantially altered the process that the accused faculty member could not meaningfully participate in it. Moreover, even though the lack of transparency in the process and its consequences were made clear to the Charges Officer, he repeatedly refused requests by the faculty member to clarify the specific charges in the complaint and where in the process they were.
The kicker here is that while the Charges Officer and other Senate officials consistently ignored Professor Robinsons repeated requests for information, these same individuals managed to keep the university spokesperson fully informed every step of the way. In fact, Professor Robinson only found out about some steps in the process by reading the spokespersons accounts of them in the newspaper! When a campus spokesperson knows more about a committee’s actions than the accused does, we don’t have to wonder what this process is really about.
When the leaders of the academic Senate tell you to trust the process. You tell them: give us a process we can trust.
Third, and perhaps most troubling in my view: as has become clear in recent weeks, a faculty member who sat on the Charges Officers Advisory committee – the very committee charged with deciding whether the complaints were frivolous or not — had a substantial and direct conflict of interest. Despite a longtime alliance with one of the parties to the complaint, this person not only participated in the decision-making process of this committee, he also apparently communicated with interested parties about it in direct violation of the faculty code of conduct.
As a backdrop to my discussion of these events let me be absolutely clear: in my view, a university campus should be open, and the best universities are. In my view a university cannot be, and should not be, hermitically sealed off from the world at large – and that includes outside interest groups. Thus, I do not object, in principle, to groups communicating with university faculty or administrators regarding their concerns or virtually any other matter; such meetings are, and should be, a routine part of the public life of a university. Precisely because they constitute part of the basic fabric of university life, however, communications of this sort should be conducted much as they are in virtually every other context on campus – that is, in an open and transparent manner, consistent with the faculty code of conduct.
Our Academic Senate has fallen short of those principles. Since another of our panelists will discuss the March 9 meeting involving the Anti-Defamation League’s National Director Abraham Foxman – I will focus on the second.
According to newspaper articles quoting an interview by journalist Anthony Fenton: “Aaron Ettenberg, a UCSB psychology professor and member of the Academic Senate’s Charges Advisory Committee, has confirmed that he met with Rabbi Arthur Gross-Schaefer prior to the committee’s recommendation to investigate Robinson.”
Let me point out here that Rabbi Arthur Gross-Schaefer is the interim director of the local chapter of Hillel, an organization that played an important role in the student’s registering of the complaint in the first place. Despite this connection, the two men apparently discussed the case. According to Anthony Fenton — a reporter based in Vancouver who writes for the “Asia Times Online” and “The Dominion” of Canada – when he questioned both Ettenberg and Rabbi Arthur Gross-Schaefer about their contact regarding the case, the Rabbi is quoted as having replied:
“I really didn’t discuss that with him very much.”
Obviously the issue is not how much they discussed the matter, the faculty code of conduct is absolutely clear.
“When a complaint has been made, all faculty members, campus officers and agencies shall treat the identity of the complainant and the faculty member against whom the complaint is made as a matter of the utmost confidentiality.” If these allegations are true, it would seem that Professor Ettenberg violated this basic tenant: by talking about this matter at all with an interested party, he violated the rights of the accused, and the academic Senate’s basic principles and ethics. For example, the Faculty code of conduct section D covers relations with colleagues. Among the types of prohibited conduct is: Breach of established rules governing confidentiality in personnel procedures.
Professor Ettenberg had a duty to disclose this discussion with the Charges Officer so that he could make an appropriate decision regarding Ettenberg’s continued participation in the advisory committee’s deliberations and decisions. If no such disclosure was made, then all subsequent deliberations of the committee were conducted under false pretenses; if these facts were disclosed, then we need to ask why the Charges Officer did not demand his immediate recusal.
While this alone might prompt us to question the decision arrived at by the Advisory Committee, these events brought to light an even more substantial violation of senate procedures in the case.
Professor Ettenberg, as the former president of the local Congregation Bnai Brith (a post he held until 2008) co-sponsored many events with the ADL during his tenure (these are spelled out in the congregation’s newsletters which are easily found via an online search). Insofar as the ADL has been a central actor in these complaints, Professor Ettenberg’s association with them constitutes a clear and direct conflict of interest. As a result Professor Ettenberg should have been asked – or should have volunteered – to recuse himself. (For what it is worth I was virtually forced to drop my participation in the academic senate’s handling of this case on the mere grounds that I was in the same department as Professor Robinson, never mind the fact that we know each other only through departmental meetings, and have mostly voted against one another in various committees.) If my tenuous connection to Professor Robinson meant that I could not participate in the mere choosing of an ad hoc committee without damaging the results that entirely different group of people would arrive at – then Professor Ettenberg’s direct conflict of interest, and his direct participation in the advisory committee’s deliberations and decisions suggest that we cannot trust the fairness and legitimacy of this most important stage in the process so far. Since this committee required only a single positive vote to forward charges to an ad hoc committee, the participation of even one person with a conflict of interest – which we now know to be the case – mandates that the Academic Senate reject its findings since they cannot be trusted or relied upon as a basis for subsequent action.
When the current leadership of the Academic Senate says: Trust the process. We must say: Give us a process we can trust.
In light of these failings – the failures of process, the failures of communication, and the failure of Professor Ettenberg to live up to the standards that all other members of the academic senate hold themselves to – it should come as no surprise that the charges themselves are beyond the pale. In fact, as soon as we consider the charges we are confronted by the fact that they cannot be separated from the process up to this point. This is in part because charges made by the students were literally incoherent, but is mostly a product of the charges Officer’s failure to fulfill the role granted to him by the academic senate.
When The Charges Officer received the students problematic complaints he could have quite easily paired them down; instead, however, the actual charges he has proposed forwarding to the ad hoc committee differ from the student complaints in their (1) basic claims and (2) the aspects of the code purported to have been violated. The Students complaints were premised on the claim that accused sent an e-mail that expressed anti-Semitic views and that doing so violated many (but not all) aspects of the FCoC. The Charges Officer’s letter of April 3, however, contains no claim of anti-Semitism (or racism, or discrimination of any sort – because there was none) and specifies a different set of facts AND charges than were contained in the students’ complaint.
By (1) altering the substantive focus of the complaint (from a charge of anti-Semitism to a charge that the professor distributed “highly partisan materials in a class”) and (2) adding both a set of facts and a charge that do not appear in either of the students complaints – namely that the students were given no opportunity to respond, and the “coercion of conscience” charge — the Charges Officer has, in effect, become a co-complainant (a party to the complaint itself).
I want to emphasize that this is not merely a matter of the Charges Officer helping the students to formulate more clearly what they meant to be saying all along by translating their concerns into a legalistic form required for the case to go forward. No act of translation can include the manufacturing of factual claims that have no basis in reality. No student has ever complained that Professor Robinson prevented open discussion on any matter; in the current case after getting the mail the students could have hit “reply all” and voiced their views to the entire class; they could have raised the matter in class discussion, or they could have talked with the professor in his office hours. In my experience students do all 3 of these things with great regularity. Moreover, it is simply not credible to claim that 2 students who videotape complaints for worldwide distribution on youtube are either too shy or too oppressed to present their views to a class of 80 students. One cannot stand atop such a large soapbox and simultaneously claim to be frightened to climb atop a much smaller one.
In considering these charges, then, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the very deliberative body that was to determine whether the charges were frivolous was actually a party to the complaint itself.
As I have said before: when someone tells you trust the process, we have to say: give us a process that we can trust.
Let us consider the charges – the ones forwarded by the charges officer – not the scattershot list provided by the students.
According to the Charges Officer, by sending what he described as a “highly partisan” e-mail, professor Robinson may have violated the following elements of the Faculty Code of conduct:
II, A. 1.b is “Significant intrusion of material unrelated to the course”;
II A. 4. is “Use of the position or powers of a faculty member to coerce the judgment or conscience of a student or to cause harm to a student for arbitrary or personal reasons”
1. The first of these codes – the significant intrusion standard – was adopted so to allow some discussion of unrelated materials, while ensuring that professors largely focused on the substance of their courses. There are two elements to this standard: “significant” and “intrusion”. In the current case, the complaint fails on both counts.
Insofar as the course in question was the Sociology of Globalization, which is billed as a discussion of global affairs, including political, cultural, and economic matters of global significance, it is patently obvious that the Israeli Army’s invasion in Gaza – which was one of the main headline stories around the world at that time – fits the bill. Indeed, this is precisely the sort of event the class was conceived to discuss; if Professor Robinson had failed to discuss these events, he would not have been doing his job. So the claim that that the e-mail constituted an intrusion is plainly absurd.
(As an aside, let me address a matter I have seen raised by some who are plainly not familiar with teaching practices in the university. The fact that Professor Robinson described the e-mail as “for your information” does not count as “proof” that the material is unrelated to the course. In fact professors commonly use this phrase indicate that a reading is optional. In my own classes I regularly distribute materials with “for your information” headlines. That does not mean the materials are unrelated to the course; it means students are not are not required to read it, but that those interested in additional information may find it useful. )
So the e-mail sent by professor Robinson is not an intrusion. But for the sake of argument, let’s suppose that it was. Suppose we could develop a twisted logic in which a set of events with global significance would not be discussed in a course about global affairs: can a single e-mail, distributed as an optional reading, be counted as a “significant” intrusion? Not by any reasonable interpretation of that standard.
Though the term “significant” can have different possible meanings, in the Faculty code of conduct the context of its usage makes plain that it refers to the portion or volume of material that is “intrusive” relative to volume of material covered in the course as a whole. The use of “significant” to modify “intrusion” is important because no course is hermetically sealed, and professors should be encouraged to make connections to current events and the like, so long as these do not overwhelm the course. As it happens, math professors are permitted to talk about China and Tibet, they are permitted to post abortion pictures on their office doors, and otherwise inform students of their views on matters completely unrelated to their courses so long as the intrusions are not “significant”. So can a single e-mail constitute a violation of this standard?
Given the number of hours the course met each week and the amount of reading material assigned (100-200 pages per week) the e-mail constituted less than 1% of even 1 week of the course — and much less if one takes the course as a whole. Obviously this a portion that falls far below any reasonable measure or threshold of “significant.”
So what of the other charge — the one suggested by the Charges Officer, but found nowhere in the student’s complaints – namely, that the sending of an e-mail constituted a “Use of the position or powers of a faculty member to coerce the judgment or conscience of a student or to cause harm to a student for arbitrary or personal reasons”
Such a charge is made in cases where a person in authority compels another to adopt a position or view that is at odds with their own – or face punishment. The essence of coercion entails the use of power, leverage or position to mandate that the coercee act or think in a manner determined by the coercer. In the context of faculty code of conduct, this typically means something like forcing students to adopt ones own point of view or receive a poor grade, or some other form of quid pro quo exchange.
Obviously nothing like that happened here: the professor sent out an e-mail, he did not require anyone to accept the opinions expressed in it, and in fact he did not even require anyone to read it. Moreover, that the students own behavior constitutes prima facie evidence that they had a range of options regarding what to do next: they chose to drop the course, and no one prevented them from doing so. But students cannot freely choose to drop a course, and then claim that their decision reflected intimidation on the part of Professor Robinson, especially since they did not even convey their concerns to him before doing so.
The sad irony here is that this case does involve the coercion of conscience – or at least an attempt to do so: the ADL, and the Simon Wiesenthal Center are using two students in an attempt to punish Robinson for expressing views critical of the Israeli government in an e-mail sent to his course. They are attempting to use the charges Officer and his compatriots – who appear to be willing participants, I must say – to stifle dissent, to control classroom discussions of Israeli policies, and thus to determine how professor Robinson teaches his courses by shaping what materials he can included in them.
This is made clear in statements offered by the students. In Associated Press reports, one of the complainants is reported to have said, “while Robinson has his own freedom of speech, he doesn’t have the freedom to send his students his own opinion that is so strong.” I am sorry but this student is just plain wrong. While it is perfectly reasonable for others to prefer less confrontational teaching styles, professors cannot – and should not — be forced to present potentially objectionable materials in a “nonpartisan” manner so as to spare the feelings of those who might be offended; As the AAUP notes, nothing should prevent the vigorous presentation of ideas, viewpoints and positions, since “Vigorously to assert a proposition or a viewpoint, however controversial, is to engage in argumentation and discussion — an engagement that lies at the core of academic freedom. Such engagement is essential if students are to acquire skills of critical independence. The essence of higher education does not lie in the passive transmission of knowledge but in the inculcation of a mature independence of mind.”
As another professor put it: “No student has a right to have a professor that won’t offend them; They have a right to a professor who will grade them fairly.” By all accounts Professor Robinson is just such a teacher.
We must recognize that in defending him we are defending ourselves: We must stand up to this attack on our academic freedom. We can never forget that freedoms, privileges, and rights can only be achieved through our persistent efforts. In fact nothing guarantees this freedom other than our effort. There is no guarantee that academic freedom will survive at UCSB no matter how many times it is mentioned in various documents adopted by the university, no matter how many times administrators proclaim its virtues, and no matter how many times it is challenged by outsiders. We can only sustain academic freedom only through our sustained efforts on each occasion it is challenged. And since we can not know what outcomes our conduct will produce, or what others might try to do to us, we must ensure that the choices we make are both fair and ethical: We must insist that the committees of our academic senate, and the procedures they adopt are also fair and open. We will trust the processes we have, just as soon as when we have a process we can trust. We are still waiting.
This entry was posted on Saturday, June 6th, 2009 at 4:34 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
Footage of CDAF’s Forum on Academic Freedom is Up on Youtube
AAUP urges UCSB Chancellor Yang to cooperate with an investigation of the charges against Professor Robinson
BREAKING NEWS: UCSB terminates case against Professor
UC-Santa Barbara under FIRE
UCSB investigation a test case for pro-Israel campaigns
BREAKING NEWS: UCSB Academic Senate to investigate mishandling of Robinson case
Santa Barbara News Press – Prof. Robinson’s Op-ed Letter – May 31, 2009
check out read a letter from AAUP (on blog), urging Chancellor Yang to cooperate with an investigation of charges against Prof. Robinson! 10 years ago
listen to CDAF member Yousef Baker and Prof. Bill Robinson on the Middle East in Focus Report with Don Bustane - visit our blog for link! 10 years ago
check out the article by "Inside Higher Ed"...it covers the charges being dropped...find a link in our "In the News" Section of our blog... 10 years ago
Communications with the UCSB Administration
Robinson Letter to Joel Michaelson, May 16, 2009
Robinson Letter to Yang and Michaelson, April 15, 2009
The Original Course Material at Issue
May/June 2009- ADBUSTERS on Gaza/Warsaw
Timeline of the Robinson Case
The Charges and Responses
Anti-Defamation League Complaint Letter to Professor Robinson
First Student Complaint
Second Student Complaint
Professor Robinson’s March 9 Response to Charges Officer, Re: Students’ Charges
Professor Robinson’s April 3 Response to Charges Officer Seeking Info Re: Formal Charges
Charges Officer’s April 5 E-mail Re: Charges
Professor Robinson’s Response of April 6 to Charges Officer’s Articulated Charges
Raymond Response to Student Charges
CDAF-UCSB Response to Case
Process Problems
AAUP Letter to Chancellor Yang
Raymond’s Call for Replacement of Scharlemann
Letter to Faculty Welfare and Academic Freedom Committee Chairperson
Stand With Us Letters
Letter from Department Chairs at UCSB Opposing Case Against Prof. Robinson
Letter to Michaelson from English Department at UCSB
Letter to Michaelson from Film and Media Studies Department at UCSB
Letters from Community Members and Organizations
FIRE Letter to Chancellor Yang
Letters from Professors
Letters from Scholarly Organizations
Letters from Students
UCSB Faculty Letter to Academic Senate
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Posts Tagged ‘religious persecution
China: Falun Gong Persecution – Organ Harvesting
By scarlett 3 Comments
Categories: abuse, china, crime, Falun Gong, human rights, live leak, murder, mutilation, religion, religious freedom, religious persecution, torture and violence
Tags: abuse, china, crime, Falun Gong, human rights, live leak, murder, mutilation, religion, religious freedom, religious persecution, torture, violence
Warning: Marked as: mature & graphic.. [images]
H/T Freethoughts
THE PERSECUTION OF FEMALE PRACTITIONERS OF FALUN GONG IN CHINA
Although practiced by as many as 100 million people, it was banned — under pain of imprisonment, torture and death — by the Chinese government in 1999.
Falun Gong, literally “Practice of the Wheel of Law”) also known as Falun Dafa, “Great Law of the Wheel of Law”) is a system of “mind and body cultivation” introduced by Li Hongzhi to the public in 1992. Falun Gong refers to five sets of meditation exercises (four standing, and one sitting meditation), and Falun Dafa refers to a set of religious teachings Li claims to provide salvation for mankind .
Falun Gong has been the focus of international controversy since July 20, 1999, when the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) began a suppression of the movement nationwide, except in the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau. The PRC government claims to have banned the group for what it considers to be illegal activities. The Falun Gong claims that the ban was the result of personal jealousy of the group’s popularity on the part of Jiang Zemin, a former President of the People’s Republic of China. The suppression of Falun Gong is considered a human rights violation by a number of (mostly western) human rights groups and politicians.
The atrocities being committed against women who practice Falun Gong are escalating. The accounts below are just a small sample of typical examples of torture being endured by these women in detention centers and forced labor camps throughout China.:
• Widespread use of electric stun devices to shock women on sensitive body parts such as the genitals, breasts, mouth, head, and anus.
• Force-feeding using liquid mixtures containing hot pepper or a thick saline solution with only a small amount of water added; this usually causes severe vomiting.
• Forced injections of higher than normal dosages of drugs that damage the central nervous system.
• Prolonged hanging from shackles on the wrists.
• Forced standing for long periods of time in freezing temperatures, wearing little or no clothing and drenched in ice water.
• Piercing through the fingertips with sharp bamboo sticks or through the nipples with wire.
• Prolonged and daily beating with instruments such as wire cables, nail studded batons, planks, etc.
• Sleep deprivation.
• Beaten with poisonous iohuomals branches, a hemp-like perennial plant, with downy branches and piercing thorns that causes red, blistered and extremely painful, itchy skin.
• Public humiliation by being paraded through the streets wearing derogatory signs.
• Subjected to snake and scorpion bites or left outside without clothing in mosquito infested areas.
• Restrained with dirty items stuffed in their mouths, such as used sanitary napkins, cleaning rags, dirty socks, etc.
Chen Lihua 36, female, a farmer from Dawangzhuang Township. She was detained in an office of the township government on January 4, 2000, for going to Beijing to appeal. Dozens of young male officials led by Li (an official in the office of the communist party committee,) came to the office and forced her to take off all her clothes. Official Bo thrust an electric baton into her vagina, shocking her to the floor. Then, one man held her arm and electrically shocked her body and handcuffed one of her hands to the window. Official Wang held her other hand while Bo grabbed her breasts and shocked her upper body repeatedly. She was tortured this way for quite a while, and then was told to put on her shirt and sit on the floor. Dozens of men kicked her so hard that she rolled around on the floor screaming in agony.
A 14-year old girl was forced to walk with a heavy brick on top of her head and her feet were bound to heavy rocks. While she walked, guards repeatedly slapped her in the face. At night the officer ordered her to hold a position touching her toes with knees straight. When she could not maintain the position, the guards beat her with clubs. After being tortured like this for an entire night, she could not walk without being assisted by someone. Guards threatened practitioners who protested the mistreatment saying they would stuff their mouths with used sanitary napkins.
Because the sheer magnitude of these abuses against women this is only a small number of cases, representing the specific types of torture and brutality being unleashed upon female practitioners by Chinese government officials.
The evidence that Falun Gong practitioners are being persecuted by being extracted of their organs
Vodpod videos no longer available. from www.liveleak.com posted with vodpod
Iran: The Systematic Persecution of Baha’is
Categories: abuse, Ahmadinejad, assault, Baha'i, ban, extremists, hanging, human rights, iran, islam, islam religion of peace, islamic, islamic extremists, mullah, murder, muslim, religion, religious freedom, religious persecution, torture and violence
Tags: Ahmadinejad, Baha'i, extremists, human rights, iran, islam, mullah, religious freedom, religious persecution
The Islamic Republic’s War with the Dead @ Amil Imani
“The hatred of the extremist mullahs for the Baha’is is such that they, like the Taliban of Afghanistan who destroyed the towering Buddhist sculptures at Bamiyan, intend not only to eradicate the religion, but even to erase all traces of its existence in the country of its birth,” says the statement, which took the form of a paid advertisement in the New York Times. Such has been the plight of one of the greatest segments of the Iranian population.
Persecuting the Dead
In 1993, in Tehran alone, under the orders of the Islamic authorities, more than 1500 graves were bulldozed on the pretext of constructing a municipal center. In a similar fashion, the Islamic Republic of Iran, which holds in great contempt any non-Islamic belief or heritage, has embarked on destroying the archaeological sites of Pasargad, Persepolis and the tomb of Cyrus the Great as well, also on another pretext of building a dam.
As early as last month, and with the direct order of villainous, handpicked President Ahmadinejad who is notorious for his anti-Baha’i sentiments , the bulldozing began of Baha’i cemeteries across Iran. That is the latest series of incidents in an Islamic government-led campaign of hatred against Baha’is. The destruction of the cemetery by using large and heavy equipment occurred between September 9th and September 10th near Najafabad, on the outskirts of Esfahan. What happened there is an almost total replica of what happened in July in Yazd, where another Baha’is’ cemetery was savagely damaged by earth-moving equipment.
The House of the Báb in Shiraz, one of the most holy sites in the Bahá’í world, was destroyed by Revolutionary Guardsmen in 1979 and later razed by the government. Also, the residence of Baha’u’llah in Takur, where the Founder of the Baha’i Faith spent his childhood, was also demolished soon after the radical Islamic revolution, and the site was offered for sale to the public. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, Baha’is are forbidden to live peacefully in this life and rest in the next.
Islam is now out of its own cage. It has declared war on the dead as well as the living. Islam plans to kill, destroy and eradicate anything and everything in its path to world domination. Secretly, most Muslims endorse suicide bombings and the underpinnings of bin Laden’s assault. For as long as there are bigoted, self-serving clergy and their collaborators with first exclusive access to the blank slate, the problem of supplying wave after wave of Islamofascists will persist. Do we have to have a bloodbath of monumental scale before we in the West see anything near peace again? Isn’t it time to stop this madness and think judiciously?
All free people must feel for the long-suffering Baha’is in Iran. They have been savagely brutalized for over a century and a half through the demonic machinations of the despicable mullahs. They continue to pay dearly for their audacity to believe in human dignity.
Why anyone would desecrate cemeteries is unfathomable.
Indeed, a careful examination of Iran’s persecution of the Bahá’í community reveals that the Iranian government has long sought specifically to completely block the “progress and development” of the community — as outlined by the government in a “secret” memorandum that surfaced in 1993. [See “Iran’s Secret Blueprint for Repression”]
Iran’s Secret Blueprint for Repression
THE ISRCC DOCUMENT
[Translation from Persian]
[Text in square brackets added by translator]
In the Name of God!
The Islamic Republic of Iran
The Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council
Number: 1327/….
Date: 6/12/69 [25 February 1991]
Enclosure: None
Dr. Seyyed Mohammad Golpaygani
Head of the Office of the Esteemed Leader [Khamenei]
After greetings, with reference to the letter #1/783 dated 10/10/69 [31 December 1990], concerning the instructions of the Esteemed Leader which had been conveyed to the Respected President regarding the Bahá’í question, we inform you that, since the respected President and the Head of the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council had referred this question to this Council for consideration and study, it was placed on the Council’s agenda of session #128 on 16/11/69 [5 February 1991] and session #119 of 2/11/69 [22 January 1991]. In addition to the above, and further to the [results of the] discussions held in this regard in session #112 of 2/5/66 [24 July 1987] presided over by the Esteemed Leader (head and member of the Supreme Council), the recent views and directives given by the Esteemed Leader regarding the Bahá’í question were conveyed to the Supreme Council. In consideration of the contents of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the religious and civil laws and general policies of the country, these matters were carefully studied and decisions pronounced.
In arriving at the decisions and proposing reasonable ways to counter the above question, due consideration was given to the wishes of the Esteemed Leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran [Khamenei], namely, that “in this regard a specific policy should be devised in such a way that everyone will understand what should or should not be done.” Consequently, the following proposals and recommendations resulted from these discussions.
The respected President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the Head of the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council, while approving these recommendations, instructed us to convey them to the Esteemed Leader [Khamenei] so that appropriate action may be taken according to his guidance.
SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF THE DISCUSSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION
A. General status of the Bahá’ís within the country’s system
They will not be expelled from the country without reason.
They will not be arrested, imprisoned, or penalized without reason.
The government’s dealings with them must be in such a way that their progress and development are blocked.
B. Educational and cultural status
They can be enrolled in schools provided they have not identified themselves as Bahá’ís.
Preferably, they should be enrolled in schools which have a strong and imposing religious ideology.
They must be expelled from universities, either in the admission process or during the course of their studies, once it becomes known that they are Bahá’ís.
Their political (espionage) activities must be dealt with according to appropriate government laws and policies, and their religious and propaganda activities should be answered by giving them religious and cultural responses, as well as propaganda.
Propaganda institutions (such as the Islamic Propaganda Organization) must establish an independent section to counter the propaganda and religious activities of the Bahá’ís.
A plan must be devised to confront and destroy their cultural roots outside the country.
C. Legal and social status
Permit them a modest livelihood as is available to the general population.
To the extent that it does not encourage them to be Bahá’ís, it is permissible to provide them the means for ordinary living in accordance with the general rights given to every Iranian citizen, such as ration booklets, passports, burial certificates, work permits, etc.
Deny them employment if they identify themselves as Bahá’ís.
Deny them any position of influence, such as in the educational sector, etc.
Wishing you divine confirmations,
Secretary of the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council
[Note in the handwriting of Mr. Khamenei]
The decision of the Supreme Revolutionary Cultural Council seems sufficient.
I thank you gentlemen for your attention and efforts.
COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
Fifty-first session
Item 12 of the provisional agenda
QUESTION OF THE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL FREEDOMS IN ANY PART OF THE WORLD, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO COLONIAL AND OTHER DEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES
Report on the situation of human rights in the Islamic Republic of Iran prepared by the Special Representative of the Commission, Mr. Reynaldo Galindo Pohl, pursuant to Commission on Human Rights resolution 1994/73 and Economic and Social Council decision 1994/263
G. Freedom of religion and the situation of the Baha’i community
46. In addition to the allegations enumerated in the interim report to the General Assembly (A/49/514, paras. 61-71, A/49/514/Add.1 and A/49/514/Add.2, pp. 11-12), the Special Representative received the following information.
47. The New York Times reported in its 1 August 1994 issue that the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jarad Zarif, had said that some evangelical Christian churches were in actual fact organizations of a political character: “We consider them to be political organizations. If someone wants to start a political organization they must go through the process to obtain permission, as is the case for Muslims”, he said.
48. In connection with the killing of Pastor Tatavous Michaelian, various inconsistencies have been noted in the police and court investigation. For example, Mrs. Farahnaz Anami, accused of the killing, allegedly said that the Pastor died from two bullet wounds, whereas the owner of the house in which the crime was committed said he had heard only one shot, and the office of the examining magistrate said that three bullets were found in the body. The testimony of the owner is said to have caused some controversy.
49. Farahnaz Anami reportedly confessed to killing Pastor Michaelian; identifying a place to bury the body of Pastor Dibaj in the Sorkheh Hesar woods in east Tehran; planning the killings of Archbishop Iraj Mottahedeh and Dimitri Belous; and planting explosives in the mausoleums of Hazrat Ma’soumeh and Imam Khomeini. Mrs. Batoul Vaferi Kaleteh and Mrs. Maryam Shahbazpoor are said to have confessed to being accomplices in these crimes and to have been arrested while they were trying to plant bombs at these mausoleums. No details are known about the inquiries into the killings of Pastor Dibaj and Pastor Hovsepian Mehr.
50. The situation of the Baha’is remains the same as that described in the Special Representative’s interim report to the General Assembly (A/49/514, paras. 66-71). The situation of two Baha’is sentenced to death because of their religion on 8 December 1993, Mr. Bihnam Mithaqi and Mr. Kayvan Khalajabadi, is still precarious, for no reply has yet been received to the appeal against the conviction lodged with the Supreme Court of Justice. These persons have been in prison since April 1989.
51. Five other Baha’is are still in prison because of their religion. Particular concern was expressed about the situation of Mr. Husayn Ishraqi, aged 72, who has been in prison since 1 April 1992 and has been sentenced to a term of 10 years. Another Baha’i, imprisoned since 17 October 1985, Mr. Bakhshu’llah Mithaqui, has been told verbally that he has received a further sentence of 10 years in addition to the term he is serving in Gohardasht prison. It was also reported that, while Mr. Ramidan’ali Dhulfaquari has been released, the charge of apostasy against him has not been withdrawn. This person had been sentenced to death in December 1993.
52. Further acts of discrimination and economic pressure against the Baha’is have been reported, particularly in Mashhad, a city where the private sector is said to be under pressure from the authorities to dismiss Baha’i employees. The Baha’is in Mashhad are reportedly facing major hurdles in carrying on their professional and commercial activities. Throughout the country, many Baha’is dismissed from the public sector on account of their religious beliefs are still unemployed and receive no financial assistance, grant or pension. It has even been reported that some Baha’is dismissed from the public sector were required to return the salaries and pensions they had received when they were working. Baha’i farmers are still denied access to farm cooperatives, which often provide the only opportunity to obtain credits, seed, fertilizers and pesticides.
53. It has been alleged that marriage, divorce and the right to inherit among the Baha’is continue to be unrecognized in law. Major difficulties, mentioned in information received previously, remain in obtaining passports and exit visas. It is asserted that young Baha’is continue to be denied access to higher education and, for the Baha’i community as a whole, the right to meet freely, to elect their representatives and to maintain their administrative institutions. The cemeteries, holy places, historical sites and administrative centres of the Baha’i community remain confiscated or have been destroyed. It is said that the Baha’is must bury their dead on waste land specified by the Government and that they are not entitled to identify the graves of their loved ones.
THE BAHAIS QUESTION?
The Baha’i Question Cultural Cleansing in Iran
The Bahá’í Faith: A global community
A Campaign of Cultural Cleansing
The Current Situation
The Bahá’í Institute for Higher Education
The Bahá’í community of Iran speaks for itself
The ongoing threat of execution
“To kill a Bahá’í is a good deed…”
Hanged for teaching “Sunday school”
How Iran has justified the persecution
The Historical Background
The international response
Conclusion and Summary
APPENDIX I: Bahá’ís killed since 1978
APPENDIX II: The United Nations’ Response
By all accounts, the house of Mirza Abbas Nuri was a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. Mirza Abbas Nuri was a renowned 18th century Iranian calligrapher, and his home in Tehran — marked by a verdant veranda, flowered courtyard, and tasteful tile-work — was considered among the most beautiful houses of that period.
The demolition in June 2004 of the house of Mirza Abbas Nuri, a renowned 18th century Iranian calligrapher, reflects the Iranian government’s willingness to destroy its own cultural heritage to eradicate the Bahá’í Faith from Iran
In the summer of 2004, however, Iranian authorities demolished the house. The reason was all too clear: the home was considered by Iran’s Bahá’ís as a sacred and historic site, inasmuch as Mirza Abbas Nuri was the father of Bahá’u’lláh, the Founder of the Bahá’í Faith.
Islam the religion of peace and tolerance?
Or…Islam the religion of violence and extreme prejudice?
India: Christian Converts Threatened
Categories: christian persecution, convert, india, islam, muslim, religion and religious persecution
Tags: , Christian, Christianity, convert, india, islam, muslim, religious persecution
Muslim fundamentalists ostracize converts, strip woman in India
Six Christian convert families have been ostracized and threatened by Muslim leaders in their village, Christian Today has learned.by Daniel Blake
Posted: Saturday, October 6, 2007, 9:52 (BST)Six Christian convert families have been ostracised and threatened by Muslim leaders in their village, Christian Today has learned.
It has also been reported that a group of Muslims forced a Christian woman to strip in order to check for any marks of conversion on her body.
The incident occurred on September 4 in Natungram village in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, according to International Christian Concern (ICC), although the victims have not lodged a complaint with the police yet out of fear for their lives.
The head of a local mosque in the Muslim-dominated Natungram village, identified as Nur Islam, summoned the heads of six families that had converted from Islam to a village meeting, where hundreds of Muslims had also been called, a source told ICC.
In the meeting, the Christians were forced to deny Christ with a warning that if they refused they would be completely ostracized and possibly killed. Source.
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Shauna Shames
Assistant Professor of Political Science, Rutgers University-Camden
Chapter Member: New Jersey - Philadelphia SSN
Media & Public Opinion
Religion & Values
Connect with Shauna
Shames’ primary area of academic interest is American political behavior, with a focus on race, gender, and politics. For her dissertation research, she has been conducting and analyzing data from an original survey and a set of in-depth interviews about potential candidates' expectations about politics, political campaigns, and serving in elective office. Shames has published articles, reports, and book chapters on women as candidates, black women in Congress, comparative child care policy, work/family conflict, abortion, feminism in the U.S. and internationally, gay and lesbian rights, and U.S. public opinion. In addition, she has designed and taught courses (as an instructor and as a teaching fellow/assistant) on race, class, gender, American politics, women's studies, the history of feminism, freshman writing, and futuristic fiction, and has lectured widely on gender, race, and politics. She has worked for multiple nonprofit and foundation groups relating to women and politics, including NOW, the White House Project, the Salzburg Global Seminar, and the Parity Project of the Hunt Alternatives Fund.
Contributions | No Jargon Podcast | In the News | Publications
Shattering the Glass Ceiling for Women in Politics
Pamela O'Leary
Basic Facts Brief, November 2013
No Jargon Podcast
Running against All Odds
Shauna Shames's research on presidential runs discussed by Scott Detrow and Domenico Montanaro, "'Absolutely Brutal': Why White House Runs aren't For Everyone," NPR, December 9, 2018.
"Kavanaugh’s Behavior is about Power, Not Just Sex," Shauna Shames, Bangor Daily News, October 1, 2018.
Guest to discuss The Great (Political) Divide: Why Women and Millennials are Underrepresented in Politics on Maine Public, Shauna Shames, March 20, 2018.
Shauna Shames quoted on involving youth in politics by Steve Collins, "Young People Wary of Getting Involved in Politics, Expert Says" Sun Journal, March 6, 2018.
Shauna Shames quoted on millennials’ preference for running for state and local elections by Natalie Delgadillo, "Is Trump's Presidency Actually Inspiring More Millennials to Run for Office?" Governing, November 15, 2017.
Shauna Shames quoted by Charlotte Alter, "'We Can Do it Better.' Meet the Millennials Taking over City hall" Time, October 12, 2017.
Shauna Shames quoted on millennials’ level of interest in running for office by Raina Lipsitz, "Why Don't More Women Run for Office? Because It Sucks" Glamour, August 8, 2017.
Shauna Shames's research on why millenials are not running for office discussed by Tom McLaughlin, "The Age of Declines: Researcher’s New Book Explores Why Millennials are Rejecting Public Office," Rutgers-Camden News Now, February 1, 2017.
"Marching beyond Red vs. Blue," Shauna Shames, Huffington Post, January 30, 2017.
Shauna Shames's research on millenials becoming political candidates discussed by Emma Green, "‘Nobody Wants to Run for Office’," The Atlantic, January 28, 2017.
"Texas is Deceptive on Fetal Burial Rule," Shauna Shames (with Rhonda Struminger), Corpus Christi Caller Times, January 16, 2017.
Shauna Shames's research on the costs and benefits of running for office discussed by Alexander C. Kafka, "Why Millennials Don’t Want to Run for Office," The Chronicle of Higher Education, January 4, 2017.
Shauna Shames quoted on rural regions of New Jersey receive less public services by Joe Hernandez, "New Research Confirms South Jersey Doesn’t Get Fair Share of Public Resources" Newsworks, December 6, 2016.
"Ohio is Exhibit A for Why More Women Should be Elected to Office," Shauna Shames (with Ohio State Representative Kathleen Clyde), Cleveland.com, September 2, 2016.
Interview on the 2016 presidential election Shauna Shames, Rutgers-Camden News Now, July 31, 2016.
"Why the Hillary Generation Gap Polls Don't Tell the Full Story," Shauna Shames, Huffington Post, December 21, 2015.
Shauna Shames's research on gender gap in politics discussed by Shane Ferro, "Women Have Very Little Political Power Anywhere in the World," Huffington Post, November 18, 2015.
Shauna Shames quoted on the reasons young people don't want to run for office by Susan Milligan, "Reluctant to Serve" U.S. News and World Report, October 16, 2015.
Shauna Shames's research on the partisan gender gap in Congress discussed by Derek Willis, "G.O.P. Women in Congress: Why So Few?," New York Times, June 1, 2015.
Shauna Shames quoted on lack of interest in campaigning for a legislative job by Robin Mary, "Why Don't Millenials Want to Run for Office?" Care2, February 27, 2015.
Shauna Shames's research on social science as not inclusive toward women discussed by Danielle Bruno, "Rutgers Professor Finds Gender Inequality Prevalent in Field of Political Science," Daily Targum, February 27, 2015.
"Millennials Don’t Want to Run for Office," Shauna Shames, The Washington Post, February 24, 2015.
Shauna Shames quoted on the lack of female political donors by Rebecca Traister, "Why are There No Female Sheldon Adelsons?" New Republic, July 23, 2014.
"Too Few Women Seek Elected Office," Shauna Shames (with Pamela O'Leary), The Sunday Dispatch, November 24, 2013.
"JFK, a Pioneer in the Women's Movement," Shauna Shames (with Pamela O'Leary), Los Angeles Times, November 22, 2013.
"Learning from a ‘C’," Shauna Shames, Harvard Crimson, September 29, 2011.
Out of the Running: Why Millennials Reject Political Careers and Why it Matters (New York University Press, 2017).
Draws from extensive research with graduate students in elite institutions that have historically been a direct link for their graduates into state or federal elected office to ask if millennials are as uninterested in political issues and the future of the American political system as the media suggests. Finds that they are not uninterested; rather, they do not believe that a career in politics is the best way to create change.
"What, if Anything, is to be Done?" in The Un-Heavenly Chorus: Unequal Political Voice in America, edited by Kay Schlozman, Sidney Verba, and Henry Brady (Princeton University Press, 2012), 534-572.
Explores possible governmental policy solutions to the problem of unequal political voice.
"Culture War?: A Closer Look at the Role of Religion, Denomination, and Religiosity in U.S. Public Opinion on Multiple Sexualities" (with Didi Kuo and Katherine Levine), in Faith, Politics, and Sexual Diversity in Canada and the U.S., edited by David Rayside and Clyde Wilcox (University of British Columbia Press, 2011), 29-48.
Presents data analysis on public opinion about various gay/lesbian rights issues, finding that the more heavily religious and orthodox one is, the more likely to oppose expansions of GLBT rights.
"Political Pathways to Child Care Policy" (with Kristin Goss), in Women and Politics Around the World, edited by Joyce Gelb and Marian Lief Palley (ABC-CLIO Press, 2008), 143-158.
Investigates pathways to child care policy for women’s movements across six countries.
"Toward a Theory of Backlash: Dynamic Resistance and the Central Role of Power" Politics & Gender Journal 4, no. 4 (2008): 623-634.
Presents a new theory of backlash to progressive social movements.
"Mother’s Dreams: Abortion and the High Price of Motherhood" (with Joan Williams). University of Pennsylvania Law Review 6, no. 4 (2004): 818-843.
Argues that women get abortions for reasons having to do with their dreams for their existing and future children, including wanting good education, enough food, and good parenting for the children.
"The Un-Candidates: Gender and Outsider Signals in Women’s Political Ads" Women & Politics Journal 25, no. 1 (2003): 115-146.
Explores the role of gender in political advertising through a systematic analysis of campaign commercials from U.S. House, Senate, and Governor races from 1964 to 1998.
1035 Cambridge Street, Suite 14B,
© 2020 Scholars Strategy Network
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Quotes and Jokes by Adam Ferrara
Adam Ferrara is an American actor and comedian known for playing the role of Chief "Needles" Nelson on the FX series Rescue Me. He was a co-host on the U.S. version of Top Gear and played NYPD Sgt. Frank Verelli opposite Edie Falco on Showtime series Nurse Jackie.
I am a Catholic. Basically, the Catholic religion is "If it feels good - stop."
You gotta fight. You gotta get out the negative energy. Don't let it build up. You end up screaming at each other over something totally stupid, like, "Well, why'd you put this spoon in this drawer then?" Just to piss you off, that's why! I got spoons hidden all over this house! Keep it up, and your napkin rings are gonna start disappearing.
If you look at a group of people that had faith, it's got to be the Jews. They followed Moses through the desert for 40 years with no map. There had to be one guy in the back, like, "I don't think he knows where he's going."
Being in a relationship is like being in A.A. My friends ask me, "How's it going with that girl?" "One day at a time, man."
My favourite Catholic holiday is Easter. For those of you that don't know, Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus rising from the grave and coming back to Earth as a rabbit that hides coloured eggs.
There were many reasons we broke up. There was a religious difference: I'm a Catholic, and she's the devil.
I love my girlfriend, don't get me wrong. I truly love this woman, but I have the ability to have sex without any emotional involvement. It's a gift.
If she gets a hot flash and walks into a cold room, she can make it rain.
I know she's just trying to make things nice, so I do my part. Now, when I get up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, I turn on the light. I used to just go by sonar: just keep peeing 'til you hear water.
The girls are beautiful in Hollywood - and enough silicon to caulk a sink.
We're all products of our parents: all your mother's traits are in the egg and all your father's traits are in the sperm. And if I know my parents, that sperm and egg had a fight.
You were an altar boy, right? No wonder you're so angry. Show me on Kiefer Sutherland where the priest touched you.
I look to nature because I think the animals are smarter than we are. Animals mate; humans date. There's no dating in the animal kingdom. No dinner, no movie - just a quick sniff, "Alright, let's go."
Whenever she uses the phrase "I was thinking...," that means I either have to move, paint or buy something.
My fondest childhood memory is I made out with my babysitter, Cathy. She stops in the middle of everything: "We have to stop this. I feel like such a whore." "Why? I'm not paying you - my parents are! Come here!"
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Quotes and Jokes by Bill Engvall
William Ray Engvall Jr. is an American comedian and actor best known for his work as a stand-up comic, his signature "Here's Your Sign" bit, and as a member of the Blue Collar Comedy group.
Top 15 Quotes (out of 132)
I was at the gym the other day working out with my buddy. My buddy Joey. And he goes "hey, man, I'm getting a divorce." I said "Wow, that sucks. Can you spot me?" That was our whole conversation! So then I go home to my wife, and I say "Hey, Joey is getting a divorce." She goes "Oh, my God! What happened?" "I dunno." "What do you mean you don't know? Is she cheating on him, is he cheating on her?" "Again, I'm not holding anything back here, I don't know!" She goes "Bill, someone tells you they're getting a divorce and you don't ask any questions?" And I go "Well, that's because he didn't ask me a question! He didn't say 'hey Bill, what do you think about me getting a divorce?', he said, 'I'm getting a divorce', which said to me, 'I require no further input on your part.'" If he had said 'What do you think about me getting a divorce?', I'd have said, 'Well, you're gonna be dating again, so you should work on your abs'.
Boobs are the center of power. Boobs can make a 6-month old baby and a 65 year old man both act the same way. And I'm a big fan. Oh, man, I love 'em! And I ain't picky neither. I hate guys that say "I don't like little boobs." I don't care! Big boobs, little boobs, saggy boobs, perky boobs... You could have boobs that look like nanners, I don't give a damn! They're the perfect toy! You squish them, mush them, POOF! They come right back out! You can't even break 'em! Oh god, they're amazing. Boobs can make a long trip seem short, make a bad day seem great. Bud, let's say you had a bad day at work. Boss been chewing you out all day long. That girl sitting next to you shows you her boobs, you're like, "This day was great!"
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign comes up that reads, "Low Bridge Ahead." Before he knows it, the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge. Cars are backed up for miles. Finally a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?" The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."
I thought "RV" stood for "Recreational Vehicle." No! It stands for "Ruins Vacations."
Martial sex is kinda like ordering a Civil War chess set through the mail. You get one piece every four to six weeks, you don't know what kind of shape that piece is gonna be in when you get it, but you still gotta pay the handling charges.
I'm at the airport, and they lost my luggage, so I go to the lost luggage department. I go up to the girl and say, "Excuse me, you lost my luggage", she said, "Has your plane landed yet", I said, "No princess, I'm just having an out of body experience... I'm just checking on It" There's your sign!
Anybody who's ever tried to quit smoking knows exactly what I'm talking about. It is the hardest thing you will ever do in your life. And people who have never smoked just don't get that. It's like, my wife goes "I don't understand why you just don't quit, Bill. Just put them down and quit." I go, "Baby, I am trying. It is hard." And she goes, "I'm sorry, Bill. I don't understand why you just don't quit." And I go, "all right. Why don't you quit yelling?" 'Cause you can't.
Last time I had a flat tire, I pulled my truck into one of those side-of-the-road gas stations. The attendant walks out, looks at my truck, looks at me, and I swear he said, "Tire go flat?" I couldn't resist. Said, "Nope. I was driving around and those other three just swelled right up on me. Here's your sign."
How about this, have you ever farted so hard you shivered?
God, she's growing up, and I don't know when it happened, man. I used to buy her Minnie Mouse panties and little Winnie the Pooh underwear. I was helping my wife fold cloths. I picked up a pair of skimpy underwear. I looked at my wife and said: "When you gonna wear these for me?" She goes, "I can't. They're your daughter's." "Aaahh! No, no, no!" There was nothing to them! The how-to-wash tag was the biggest piece of cloth on there.
I've about decided if it wasn't for the sex, I could be gay. Hell, then you're just hangin' out with your buddies.
My wife and I had an argument last week that was so stupid, that it bears repeating. My wife collects twist ties... welcome to my world.
Lady, I didn't get up this morning wanting to be a jackass... but you just pushed my jackass button.
If I ever find out who told my son this, I will kill them. Apparently, somebody told my son there’s a wiener thief out there, and if he takes his hand off it, Wssh! They’re gonna snatch it away!
My uncle Jack. We are at the funeral, and we weren’t even outside. We were in the church! And the reverend had just finished his eulogy, when we heard, “Psshhh!” And everyone turned to uncle Jack, who was holding a beer, going, “What?”
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Trending: What Is Online Marketing Small Business Travel Marketing Strategy
Communities at Work Fund Announces $60 Million of Loans to Fuel Small Business Lending in Low-Income U.S. Communities
Published: Nov 4, 2010 by Marie Hernan In Small Business Press Releases 1
Chicago (PRESS RELEASE – November 4, 2010) – Communities at Work Fund announced that it has approved financing for $60 million from the Fund’s total of $200 million which was established to help fuel small business lending in low-wealth and low-income U.S. communities. Nonprofit lender IFF was awarded $20 million.
Citi provided $199 million of capital through a combination of equity and loans with Calvert Foundation and Opportunity Finance Network (OFN) contributing the balance to launch the Fund in May 2010.
Vikram Pandit, CEO of Citi, said: “Citi is committed to helping small businesses grow and succeed. Working with Calvert Foundation and Opportunity Finance Network, we are helping give small businesses the boost they need during challenging times. These businesses strengthen communities and spur the job creation that is essential to drive our nation’s economic recovery.”
IFF applied for the Communities at Work Fund to increase its below-market rate lending to nonprofits in the Midwest serving low-income neighborhoods, including community health clinics, child care centers, affordable housing, charter schools, and human service agencies among others. Chicago-based Inspiration Corporation is one example of the projects IFF will finance through the Fund’s investment. IFF is providing the agency with a loan to develop a new, 60-seat restaurant, catering, and job training facility in the East Garfield Park neighborhood. The restaurant will serve nutritious and low-cost meals to an estimated 3,500 low-income families, train 100 individuals for jobs in the food service industry, and allow expanded catering services. It will also create 12 new, full-time jobs.
The Communities at Work Fund provides financing to Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) Loan Funds that lend to non-profit and for-profit businesses in low-income communities. The announcement of $60 million in lending will support CDFIs working in 39 states and Washington, D.C. that finance small businesses, advance sustainable economic development, stabilize and drive job creation and contribute to the economic recovery of community groups – including urban and rural business owners and minorities – that are underserved by traditional financial institutions.
“IFF’s nonprofit customers can take immediate advantage of our increased lending capacity,” said Trinita Logue, IFF President and CEO. “Through this investment, the Communities at Work Fund will truly be investing in the Midwest, and helping to put communities to work.”
CDFI Loan Funds have a 30-year history of serving as effective channels for creating economic opportunities in underserved communities while providing positive financial results. According to 2008 OFN Member Data, CDFI Loan Funds provided $1.6 billion in financing in 2008 and have loaned $16 billion cumulatively supporting more than 50,500 small businesses. In addition, the OFN CDFI Market Conditions Report, fourth quarter 2009, notes that CDFI Loan Funds’ net charge-offs were lower than those of FDIC-insured institutions in 2008 and in 2009.
About IFF
Founded in 1988, IFF is the largest nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) lending solely to nonprofits in the Midwest. It offers below-market loans, real estate consulting and research services to nonprofits serving low-income areas and special-needs populations in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri and Wisconsin.
About Citi
Citi, the leading global financial services company, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 140 countries. Through Citicorp and Citi Holdings, Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
About Citi Microfinance
Working across Citi’s businesses, product groups and geographies, Citi Microfinance serves more than 100 microfinance institutions (MFIs), networks and investors as clients in over 40 countries with products and services spanning the financial spectrum – from financing, access to capital markets, transaction services and hedging foreign exchange risk, to credit, savings, remittances and insurance products – to expand access to financial services for the underserved.
About Citi Community Capital
Citi Community Capital (CCC) is a premier financial partner with nationally recognized expertise in financing all types of affordable housing and community reinvestment projects. CCC’s origination, structuring, asset and risk management staff across the country provides creative financing solutions designed to meet their clients’ needs. CCC helps community development financial institutions, real estate developers, national intermediaries and nonprofit organizations achieve their goals through a broad, integrated platform of debt and equity offerings.
About Calvert Foundation
Calvert Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides the opportunity for investors to achieve financial returns while empowering people living in low-income communities in the United States and around the world. Calvert Foundation believes in creating a win-win, improving both the lives of those who receive investment dollars and the lives of our investors. A pioneer in the social impact investment field, Calvert Foundation investors have helped to create over 450,000 jobs for low-income individuals, built or rehabilitated 17,000 affordable homes, and financed close to 27,000 nonprofit facilities and social enterprises through their investment in Calvert Foundation’s Community Investment Note.
About Opportunity Finance Network
Opportunity Finance Network (OFN), the leading network of private financial institutions, creates growth that is good for communities, investors, individuals, and the economy. Members of OFN are community development financial institutions (CDFIs) who deliver responsible lending to help low-wealth and low-income communities join the economic mainstream. Over the past 30 years, the opportunity finance industry has provided more than $30 billion in financing to underserved markets nationwide. In 2008, OFN Members financed more than 200,000 jobs, 600,000 housing units, 50,000 businesses and microenterprises, and 6,000 community facility projects.
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Spotlight: Corwin Drywall Contracting Helped Renovate Founder's Career After Layoff
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Smart Tech Shop
Windows 10 Performance Boosting Tips
Seven Things to Consider When Choosing a PDA
January 15, 2020 smarttechadmin
In the early days, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were not much more than glorified calculators with the ability to store contact information and brief notes. Now, the line between personal computer and personal digital assistant is blurred thanks to the advanced capabilities of these useful little devices.
There are plenty of makes and models to choose from in the PDA market, and finding the right model to suit an individual’s needs can be a dizzying challenge. This Tech Tip will take a look at seven basic things to consider when choosing a PDA in an attempt to help simplify the process.
The software on a PDA is capable of running completely independent of your computer, but being able to share files and resources between them is one of the key convenience features. Software availability is one issue, but compatibility is another. In general, a PDA will come with one of two operating systems: Palm OS or Microsoft Pocket PC, each with its own very different approaches to running one of these devices.
Palm OS is the modern version of the operating system that was found on some of the first PDAs, Palm Pilots. No longer just a dull, greyscale environment, the Palm OS is a sharp looking operating system with many software titles available (either included, as downloads, or for purchase separately) to do just about anything you would want to do on a PDA.
Microsoft Pocket PC is themed after the familiar Windows operating system, and this similarity gives the millions of Windows users a comfortable environment to work with when transitioning to a PDA. The basic commands are the same, and of all the software titles available for a PDA running Pocket PC, many of them are reduced “pocket” versions of what might be found on a computer such as Microsoft’s Word and Excel. Multimedia applications are a strong point of the Pocket PC environment, with many titles developed to make these devices more enjoyable and versatile.
Applications are available for either operating system to do just about the same thing, although specific titles available for one may not be available for the other.
The speed of the processors in PDAs is picking up, and some older desktop computers are being left in the dust by these little devices. Presently, the bulk of the devices on the market are running at clock speeds of 300 MHz or higher, sometimes much higher. The HP Ipaq HX4700 sports a 624 MHz Intel processor, which is also currently the processor found in the high-end Dell Axim X50v
([http://www1.us.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/]
axim_x50v?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs)
In general, faster processors can be found in the Pocket PC devices, but that does not mean that Palm OS devices are slow. Many experts would argue that the Palm OS runs more efficiently, and may be able to get by on less system memory, which helps keep the speed comparison competitive.
The applications for PDAs have been optimized to run well with less processing power, less system memory, and to occupy a minimal amount of disk space, so either type of PDA should be able to handle typical tasks well. Speed may be the main concern on a desktop PC, but the focus is a bit different on handheld devices, where other features are definitely more important.
Being able to connect a PDA to a computer or other device may be essential for utilizing all of the features to their full potential. Most now make connectivity to a PC via USB the base form of transferring data to the device, but there are a few wireless protocols that may be available on a PDA to make it even more convenient.
Infrared is a short range protocol that can allow for a PDA to exchange data with another PDA, as well as with a compatible laptop or desktop computer. Many PDAs feature an infrared port, but not all computers do. The communications on this protocol are relatively slow, but may be useful for transferring basic data or synchronizing with a PC.
Bluetooth is a protocol that operates on the 2.4 GHz radio band that provides greater range than infrared, but the speeds still aren’t that great. Bluetooth can be used for transferring data from computers, but it can also allow other devices to connect to a PDA. For example, a Bluetooth-enabled PDA linked to a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone may be able to access the Internet using the phone as a sort of wireless modem.
WiFi, just as on your typical computer, is the high speed wireless protocol (802.11x) that also operates on the 2.4 GHz radio band. WiFi will not only allow compatible devices to exchange files, but the high speed will make streaming media and web surfing convenient at home, or at the numerous wireless “hot spots” popping up in public/commercial settings.
Extra Features & Accessories
It isn’t enough for PDAs to keep track of serious business items like appointments and contact information any more. They need to be able to multi-task, and most are now able to help their owners work and play. Many of these features may be considered nice extras by some, but others may insist on their availability when choosing a PDA.
Many PDAs can now surf the Internet, stream movies, or play video games thanks to the higher resolution color screens. Most now include a stereo sound processor for listening to MP3s or other audio sources, as well as being able to double as a digital voice recorder.
Other PDAs take the fun features to a whole new level. Some PDAs now double as mobile phones. Or is it that mobile phones that are doubling as PDAs? Many mobile phones have built-in cameras now. PDAs like the PalmOne Zire 72 ([http://www.palmone.com/us/products/handhelds/zire72/index_gps.epl]) include a digital camera for capturing stills and video clips at decent resolutions. Taking another look at the Zire 72 shows off another feature that has become popular in PDAs… GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers that will help plot and track routes during travel.
Many PDAs also offer a wide array of extra add-on accessories to add ease of use and maybe a touch of flash to your PDA. For example, most manufacturers offer such things as spare batteries, extra styluses, and upgraded leather cases. Other cool items may be a foldable keyboard that can be plugged into the PDA for easier typing, automobile charger so that you can charge your PDA while driving
([http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProductPage.process?]
Merchant_Id=&Section_Id=1979&pcount=&Product_Id=160197)
and even international power adaptors to use your PDA in different countries ([http://www.palmone.com/us/products/accessories/chargerscablescradles/3172WW.html])
Like cellphones, some PDAs even come with removable covers so that you can totally customize how your PDA looks.
PDAs generally come with a base amount of memory on board for storing data and applications, but they can be filled up quite quickly. Most of these devices now include slots that will accept some sort of flash memory to increase their capacity Typical formats supported by PDAs include: Compact Flash, SD, MMC, or Memory Stick.
Flash memory is fairly cheap these days, but selecting a PDA based on a format that one already uses could be a good idea. An SD card, for example, could be shared between a PC, digital camera, MP3 player, and a PDA to move various multimedia and application files between the devices.
A PDA such as the HP iPaq rz1715 offers an SD/MMC slot for expandability, while the Dell Axim X5 offers the convenience of multiple flash memory slots, providing support for Compact Flash, SD, and MMC.
In addition to choosing the proper format of flash memory for your PDA, it may also be necessary to consider the capacity of the card chosen. Although you may be able to purchase a 2GB flash memory card, for example, that does not mean every PDA will be able to access it. Check the PDA manufacturer’s specifications, especially on older models, to confirm that there is no maximum card size that it will accept.
In addition to allowing additional storage space, expansion slots can be used for other devices, as well. GPS receivers are popular accessories for PDAs, and can be found with different interfaces to match the slots available on a PDA. Leadtek is one manufacturer offering both Compact Flash ([http://www.leadtek.com/gps/gps_9534_1.html]) and Secure Digital ([http://www.leadtek.com/gps/gps_9534_1.html]) based GPS receivers. Another innovation, from companies such as SanDisk, are combination memory and WiFi cards ([http://www.sandisk.com/retail/sd.asp?nav=mobile]). However, be sure to check compatibility with your current PDA as some PDAs have problems “using” the extra features.
The overall size may vary from model to model, but in general the length and width of a PDA will be in the range of a 3” x 5” index card. These values may vary slightly, and a difference of a few fractions of an inch may be important to a user with specific space constraints. For example, comparing the measurements of a Toshiba 830w (5.31” by 3.03” by 0.65”), to those of a Compaq Ipaq 3950 (4.54” x 3.00” x 0.61”), shows that the width and thickness are nearly identical. But, the difference of more than ¾” in height may be a big deal when trying to fit into a briefcase pocket, or even a shirt pocket.
The weight may be directly related to size, and is perhaps another relevant area worth considering. The weight of a typical PDA may be just a few ounces (several hundred grams), so you obviously aren’t going to strain yourself toting it. The difference between one model and another may be due to the variety and quantity of extra features included, and in general, an individual’s requirements for functionality may influence the overall weight.
Another key aspect when referencing size as it applies to PDAs is the screen size. Large screens, with higher resolutions, will allow the user to operate more comfortably. Using the same two PDAs referenced in this section, we see that the Toshiba 830w sports a 4.0” (480×640 resolution) screen while the Compaq Ipaq 3950 has a 3.8” (240×320 resolution) screen. So, the overall size of the Toshiba is a bit larger but it makes good use of the space by including a larger display capable of twice the resolution of the Compaq.
Most PDAs are now provided with an integrated rechargeable battery which recharges while connected to a base station or power adaptor. The most common type of rechargeable battery may be Lithium Ion (Li-Ion), and a general gauge of a battery’s capacity is provided in terms of mAh (milliAmp hours). Although real-world performance will vary among devices and how they are used, a battery with a higher mAh value will be able to hold a greater charge and last longer between charges.
The general use of the device will obviously play a role in how long the batteries will last, and is a difficult number to provide with any certainty. Manufacturers may provide a figure on the normal life between charges, but this is most likely based on occasional use, where it is idling for a majority of the time. This figure may indicate battery life of up to several days on one charge, but under more intensive operation, the battery life could be cut significantly. Watching a movie, listening to audio files, or playing games may drop the life on one charge from a few days down to a few hours. Use of wireless networking and display backlighting are two other things that can seriously impact battery life on any PDA, regardless of the type or quality of batteries included.
Your best bet for information on battery life is to seek out independent reviews or owner comments on a PDA of interest.
With all of the options available, PDAs are far more versatile than they ever used to be. Finding a device with the flexibility to be useful for both business and pleasure doesn’t have to be a daunting task if a few key considerations are identified early in the process. A good balance of performance, size, and capabilities should be easily achieved, while still respecting a reasonable budget.
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799 Philip Horan, 'The bamboo and Zen are One!': The Conceptualisation of Tone in the Shakuhachi Tradition (MA, University of Limerick, 2002) Fri, 24/01/2014 - 20:34
798 Deirbhile Brennan, Exploring the attitudes and preferences of an Irish audience towards classical music and its performance (MA, Royal Irish Academy of Musi… Wed, 22/01/2014 - 13:47
797 Jonathan Doherty, Song form intelligence for repairing streaming music across wireless bursty networks (PhD, University of Ulster, 2010) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 13:36
796 Julie Patricia Sutton, "The invisible handshake": An investigation of free musical improvisation as a form of conversation (PhD, University of Ul… Wed, 22/01/2014 - 13:14
795 Patrick Denis Butler, By popular demand: Marketing change in the arts (DPhil, University of Ulster, 2000) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 13:11
794 Paul Maguire, Conditions of possibility: Changes in popular music culture and the development of Country & Irish music (PhD, University of Ulster, 2012)… Wed, 22/01/2014 - 13:05
793 Richard Graham, Expansion of electronic guitar performance practice through the application and development of interactive digital music systems (PhD, Unive… Wed, 22/01/2014 - 13:00
792 Mark McKnight, Contemporary jazz guitar performance: perspectives on the development of improvisational language (PhD, University of Ulster, 2012) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 12:57
791 Christopher Norby, Maintaining pleasure in composition; personal and philosophical issues affecting my work as a composer (PhD, University of Ulster, 2011)… Wed, 22/01/2014 - 12:51
790 Yvonne Slevin, A music based language skills intervention for children with specific speech and language disorder (MEd, St Patrick’s College, Dublin City University,… Wed, 22/01/2014 - 12:29
789 Emma Loughnane, Portfolio of six original works (MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2000) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 12:11
788 Nora Kavanagh, 'Regionalism' in pre-Revival Irish Traditional Flute Performing Styles: Fact or Fiction? (MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2… Wed, 22/01/2014 - 12:07
787 Catherine Mulvihill, The performer as art figure 1919-1928 (MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2004) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 12:00
786 Eibhlin Griffin, Jean Sibelius & Rotational Form: Structural Aspects of Tapiola (MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2004) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 11:57
785 Will Dowling, Folio of six original compositions (MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2004) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 11:52
784 Joe Whelan, Art Music Guitarist-Composers since 1950 (MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2005) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 11:49
783 Anne McNally, An examination of Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story in the Context of the American Musical (MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2006… Wed, 22/01/2014 - 11:45
782 Jennifer Doyle, A Critical Edition of Two 'Grand' Symphonies by Carl Stamitz (1745-1801) (MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2006) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 11:41
781 Patrick J. McCormack, Portfolio of Original Works (PhD, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2007) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 11:35
780 Eimear Heeney, Beethoven's Works for Violin and Piano (MA, Waterford Institute of Technology, 2007) Wed, 22/01/2014 - 11:00
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Article Calendar
Tinsley set to run in Republican primary for House District 40
Gallatin TN–Luke Tinsley is proud to announce his campaign for the Tennessee State House of Representatives’ 40th district. After much time dedicated to prayer and thoughtful consideration on the matter, he believes that there is a need for new leadership that looks to the future and not the past.
This will be a campaign focused on ensuring that our government is relatable, responsible and reliable to everyone regardless of where they live, what the make, or who they are. Our future has not already been written by our past. By putting people above politics, Luke will address the serious issues that face the people of this district. Everyday on the campaign trail he will speak to residents about their lives and how government can work better for them.
Throughout the past weeks, Commissioner Tinsley has spent time meeting with local officials, residents, and business owners in Sumner, Trousdale, Smith, and Dekalb Counties. The people of this district have needs that range from better infrastructure and growth management to economic development and education funding. He believes that the future of this district is bright but currently, we are in a critical time where choices made will a generational impact that could make or break our future.
Luke Tinsley is a strong conservative who comes from a military family. By serving on the county commission along with work in the private sector both for companies and as a small businessman, he has the experience needed to make change in Nashville for the hard working people back home.
The Smith County Commission met at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 13, 2020, in the General Sessions Courtroom of the Smith County Jail and Courts Facility.
You can watch the full meeting below.
Thanks to Powell & Meadows Insurance Agency for sponsoring the live broadcast of this meeting.
Subscribe to Smith County Insider’s YouTube channel to stay up-to-date on meeting coverage, business spotlights, video features, and more!
The Smith County Board of Commissioners meets on the second Monday of every month except December. Commission meetings are held in the General Sessions Courtroom of the Smith County Jail and Courts Facility, located at 322 Justice Drive in Carthage.
All meetings are open to the public and are streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.
The Gordonsville City Council met for the first time this year at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, January 13, 2020, at Gordonsville City Hall.
The Gordonsville City Council meets at 6:15 p.m. on the second Monday of each month at Gordonsville City Hall, located at 63 Main Street in Gordonsville. All meetings are open to the public and streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.
Registered voters in Smith County will have the opportunity to head to the polls for the first time this year on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
The ballot will include the Presidential Preference Primary, as well as three county referendums. Voters will have the chance to vote for or against two $25 wheel taxes and for or against an increase in the county’s sales tax rate.
The referendums will appear on the ballot as follows:
Wheel Tax Referendum # 1: For or Against the approval of a twenty-five ($25.00) dollar Motor Vehicle Privilege Tax pursuant to TCA § 5-8-102 to financially support the Smith County General Fund for three years.
Wheel Tax Referendum # 2: For or Against the approval of a twenty-five ($25.00) dollar Motor Vehicle Privilege Tax pursuant to TCA § 5-8-102 to financially support the Smith County Highway Capital Projects for ten years.
County Wide Referendum except the residents of the Towns of Carthage and Gordonsville will be exempted from the sales and use tax referendum because the local option sales tax rate in these cities is already at the maximum percentage of 2.75%.
Sales Tax Referendum: For or Against increasing the local sales and use tax rate from two percent (2%) to two and three-fourths percent (2.75%), except as limited or modified by statute.
You can download a PDF version of the 2020 Election Calendar here.
This election season, voters will be able to vote early at two locations: The Smith County Election Office and the Gordonsville Municipal Building.
Early voting at the Smith County Election office will be open from February 12 through February 25, 2020, from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday and from 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
Voters may vote early at the Gordonsville Municipal Building from February 21 thru February 25, 2020, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on Friday and Monday and 9:00 a.m. to noon on Saturday.
Late-night early voting will be available at both locations on February 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Gordonsville site will work just like the Turner Building for early voting purposes.
Both early voting sites will be open to all Smith County voters, regardless of where in the county they live.
See the flyer below for more information:
Please note that the voter registration deadline to vote in the March election is less than a month away on February 3, 2020.
On that same day, any candidates who wish to run in the August 2020 election may pick up their petition.
Please visit https://www.smithcountyelection.com for more information.
The Carthage City Council gathered for a special-called meeting on Tuesday, January 7, 2020, at 6:00 p.m. at Carthage City Hall.
The purpose of this meeting was “to discuss a resignation letter from the City Recorder with option to take action on results of the discussion.”
City Recorder Jennifer Parker submitted her resignation letter at the December council meeting, citing the “toxic” work environment created by the mayor as her primary reason for resigning.
During the special-called council meeting, the council opened the floor for Parker and other current and former city employees to speak. After asking clarifying questions of the employees, the council allowed Mayor Sarah Marie Smith to respond to Parker’s allegations.
Toward the end of the meeting, the council discussed ways to proceed and brainstormed ways to potentially limit the mayor’s power moving forward, including changing the city’s charter.
You can watch the full meeting below:
Thanks to Smith County Animal Clinic for sponsoring the live broadcast of this meeting.
The Carthage City Council meets at 6:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at Carthage City Hall, located at 314 Spring Street. All meetings are open to the public and are streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.
The Carthage City Council will hold a special called meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, at Carthage City Hall, to conduct the council’s January business. The regularly scheduled meeting earlier this month was adjourned due to lack of a quorum.
The Carthage City Council met for its regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Thursday, January 2, 2020, but the council was unable to conduct any business because a majority of council members were not present.
Mayor Sarah Marie Smith was forced to adjourn due to lack of a quorum.
Only three council members, Councilman Sam Petty, Councilman Bill Reece, and Councilman Cole Ebel, were present at the meeting.
The Carthage City Council will hold a special called meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, at Carthage City Hall, to conduct the council’s January business.
The following statement concerning the lack of a quorum at last week’s meeting was posted on the Town of Carthage Facebook page on Saturday:
When we met for the regularly scheduled Carthage City Council meeting on January 2, 2020, the meeting was adjourned after the roll call due to lack of a quorum, as required by the City Charter.
The council meeting was rescheduled for Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 314 Spring Street.
If you came to the January 2nd meeting to address an item on the agenda, please come to the January 21st special called meeting to address that same item. This meeting is open to the public, and all interested citizens are invited to attend.
You can watch the meeting on Smith County Insider’s YouTube below:
The Carthage City Council meets at 6:00 p.m. on the first Thursday of every month. All meetings are open to the public and are streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.
December 2019 Meeting of the Smith County Board of Education
Dec 18, 2019 | Home Page Featured, News, Politics
The Smith County Board of Education held its final meeting of the year on Tuesday, December 17, 2019.
The Smith County School Board meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:00 p.m. at the Smith County Board of Education, located at 126 Smith County Middle School Lane in Carthage, Tennessee.
The next School Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 21, 2020. Prior to the meeting, the board will hold a work session concerning school capacities/locations.
All meetings are open to the public and streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.
Press Release: Assistant District Attorney General Javin Cripps announces candidacy for 15th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge
Assistant District Attorney General Javin Cripps has announced his
candidacy for 15th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge.
CARTHAGE, Tenn. – Assistant District Attorney General Javin Cripps has announced his candidacy for 15th Judicial District Circuit Court Judge. Cripps is a life-long Smith County resident with experience handling both civil and criminal cases during his fourteen-year career. He is proud to bring a strong work ethic and a commitment to fairness to his campaign.
Cripps grew up on a family cattle farm between Smith and Wilson Counties where he worked every day when he wasn’t in school. On summer breaks he joined his father, a general contractor, at work. Cripps worked 30 to 40 hours per week as a construction laborer while working on his undergraduate degree at Middle Tennessee State University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2001 with a double minor in Psychology and Political Science. Before starting law school in 2002, Cripps earned his Contractor and Plumbing license.
Cripps is a graduate of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in Memphis, TN. He interned for two years at the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office before joining the Holliman Law firm in Carthage, TN. In private practice, Cripps accepted contract work for the Public Defender and handled a wide variety of civil cases such as child custody, divorce, workers’ compensation, and Social Security.
In late 2006, Cripps was offered positions at both the Public Defender’s office and the District Attorney ’s Office at the same time. After much deliberation, thought, and prayer, he chose to become an Assistant District Attorney. Since that time he has worked in every county in the 15th judicial district, practicing in Macon County for the last five years.
“I am proud to be a part of this community, and that is why I chose to serve here,” said Cripps. He continued, “I have built relationships with the people and with the legal and law enforcement communities in every county in this district. Over the years, I have prosecuted every type of case from speeding to first degree murder.”
Cripps has been married for two years. His wife, Melanie, is a Chiropractor in Carthage, TN. He shares custody of his two daughters, both honor students and athletes at Union Heights. Together they have the gift of a unique blended family.
“Their mother and I co-parent very efficiently and effectively,” Cripps explained. He added, “Part of the job of a circuit court judge is to help families navigate the process of becoming co-parents, and I have now experienced that process as an attorney and as a father. I can bring a level of understanding and insight that families who go through this difficult transition often need.”
Cripps wants voters to know that he is determined, dedicated, and ready to serve. He appreciates your support in the Republican primary, which will be held in March 2020.
Committee to Elect Javin Cripps for Circuit Court Judge, Roger M. Duke, Treasurer www.CrippsForJudge.com | 615-933-5878 | Javin@CrippsForJudge.com | Post Office Box 566, Carthage, Tennessee 37030
December 2019 Meeting of the Gordonsville City Council
The Gordonsville City Council met at 6:15 p.m. on Monday, December 9, 2019, at Gordonsville City Hall.
Carthage City Recorder resigns due to alleged “toxic” work environment
During last week’s meeting of the Carthage City Council, City Recorder Jennifer Parker announced her resignation, effective December 20, 2019.
In her resignation letter, Parker specifically mentions the “inability to effectively perform [her] duties due to the toxic environment created by the Mayor.”
Parker addressed the council about her resignation after concluding her monthly City Recorder’s report.
“I hope the council will look into this issue,” Parker told the council. “Losing two recorders in eight months should be a problem, and I really hope it’s addressed.”
She encouraged the council to speak with department supervisors and other city employees.“This is not just me. I’m not just speaking for myself. I’m speaking for all of us,” she said.
In addition to her resignation letter, Parker submitted the following letter to the council:
Council members,
Along with my resignation letter, there are several concerns that I have for the City that I feel you need to be aware of. Issues with the Mayor, that if aren’t corrected, I feel you will lose so many more valuable employees.
I have been told repeatedly to talk to certain male council members “the way that I do” to convince them to change their mind on a vote if it is not what her agenda is. This is unethical and highly inappropriate.
I have been told to question everything, but I’m not allowed to question or voice my opinion if I feel things are incorrect, illegal, or unethical when it comes to her because “she is my boss and what she says goes.” This statement has been said to numerous supervisors when standing up to her. This created an extremely toxic work environment.
It is a constant issue to obtain her signature on checks. She refused to sign the last set of Fire Department fire call checks because she felt they “didn’t earn them.” It took two days to obtain her signature. This was at the same time she refused to sign a check for an American flag for the ladder truck. Mayor Smith also refused to pay Mr. Poindexter for use of the porta johns at the Carthage Market Fest. Employees and a member of that committee were told to tell Mr. Poindexter that we would not pay the $100 previously agreed upon because the City didn’t make any money.
One of my employees and myself were told to cut off electric services to The Spot, claiming that the issue was with a Council Member not cooperating with getting services changed over. At the same time, this Council Member was being told by the Mayor to wait to swap services over because she would be getting a donation for the deposit, but that the services would be cut off due to my employee saying it had to be. My employee does not have the authority to make that decision, nor did she.
It is an issue every month when a council member wants to put an item on the agenda that she doesn’t want to speak about. I have been told several times not to put an item on the agenda if she feels it doesn’t need to be. I have also been told to go against what the council votes on; for example, paying certain bills she doesn’t agree with.
When hiring for our City Cashier position, Mayor Smith wanted to hire a certain applicant that was her friend. I had no particular problem with hiring this applicant except for the fact that at the time their water service was repeatedly being turned off for non-payment. This would not have been appropriate for an employee that has to turn off services each month. She stressed the importance numerous times that we needed to hire this applicant due to their race and gender and it would look good on the City.
For the past six months, I have been chastised for being a working mother and caretaker for my family members. I have been fortunate enough to juggle the long hours, meetings, my child’s sports schedules, caring for my grandmother on Hospice, and my mother with Dementia. All the while being criticized for leaving work (after hours) to care for whomever and then returning to work later in the evening. When I asked to be off to take a family member for surgery, I was told to “have a member at church take them, that’s what they are there for.” One of my office staff was told the same thing with their family member prior to this.
The constant paranoia of the Mayor, false accusations and lies told by her (which she later will claim she does not remember saying), and hostile work environment have all been addressed with her numerous times with no remedy. I am saddened to leave and pray that this can be corrected for the sake of the City and the employees. Losing two City Recorders in a matter of eight months is detrimental to the functioning of the City. I can no longer take the personal risk of possibly being held liable for any of her behavior or lies told every day.
Jennifer Parker
Smith County Insider reached out to Mayor Sarah Marie Smith for comment but did not receive a response.
The City of Carthage is expected to post a job opening for the City Recorder position.
The Carthage City Council will also hold a special-called meeting at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 7, 2020, to further discuss the claims made in Parker’s resignation letter.
You can watch the full December 2019 Meeting of the Carthage City Council below.
December 2019 Meeting of the Carthage City Council
Dec 9, 2019 | Home Page Featured, News, Politics
The Carthage City Council met on Thursday, December 5, 2019.
Thanks to Smith County Animal Clinic for sponsoring Smith County Insider’s live broadcast of this meeting.
The Carthage City Council meets on the first Thursday of each month at Carthage City Hall, located at 314 Spring Street. All meetings are open to the public and streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/smithcountyinsider/.
Governor Bill Lee visits Union Heights Elementary School
Students in Mrs. Stephanie Jenkins-Inyart’s 4th grade class at Union Heights Elementary School hosted a very special guest in their classroom on Tuesday: Governor of Tennessee Bill Lee.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Governor shared pictures of his visit on social media. Lee tweeted, “Back in the classroom this afternoon to chat state government with Mrs. Inyart’s 4th grade class at Union Heights Elementary. Always great to see our young students interested in civics education.”
Mrs. Inyart expressed her excitement about the visit and praised her students for asking thoughtful questions.
She provided the following statement to Smith County Insider:
“Teaching fourth grade Social Studies, we always study the foundations of America. I decided this year that I would love for my students to experience more than just words in the textbook. I found on the state website that you could request an appearance with Governor Bill Lee. I filled all the information and sent in the request. That night, I received an email from Alex Martin, Deputy Director of External Affairs-Office of the Governor. He stated that Governor Lee would love to come and speak with my class. However, they had to work on his schedule. After two months of waiting and working on schedules together, I received an email from him asking if Governor Lee could come to Union Heights on December 3rd. I had a conference call with Mr. Martin, who told me that Governor Lee wanted to visit all 95 counties and this was his only stop in Smith County. I was asked to provide information about our little community and our wonderful school.I was in constant contact with the Governor’s team preparing for his visit.The Office of the Governor made notifications of other dignitaries, including State Representative Terri Lynn Weaver, State Senator Mark Pody, among others. I made notifications to Smith County Board of Education Central Office staff, School Board, and County Mayor Jeff Mason.
Leading up to the day, my students and I continued completing our standards on how our government runs and operates. I wanted my students to truly comprehend the differences in each level of government. I also wanted them to have an experience they would never forget. They worked together and came up with questions to ask Governor Lee. Some examples that were asked during his visit were, “Is it hard to separate your personal life and being the Governor?”, “How do you decide what bills are important to pass?”, “How are you going to help Title I schools?”. I always want my students to know more than just dates on a timeline or boring pictures in a book. I wanted them to be a part of Tennessee History. All 29 of them have told me how exciting Governor Lee’s visit was and it was something that they would never forget.
I want to personally all those that helped me obtain this goal for my students- Governor Bill Lee, Alex Martin, Deputy Director of External Affairs-Office of the Governor, Wendolyn Kittrell, UHS Principal, Joe Taylor, School Board District 4, Barry Smith, Director of Schools, Judge Michael Collins, Sheriff Steve Hopper, SCSD Deputy Chief Eugene Roberts, County Mayor Jeff Mason, Angel Williams, Supervisor of Federal Programs- Smith County Schools, my teaching team Jessica Baird and Susan Reeder and all the faculty and staff at Union Heights.”
See the gallery below for pictures of Bill Lee’s visit to Union Heights Elementary School.
Press Release: John Rose cosponsors Veteran Suicide Prevention Legislation
Dec 4, 2019 | News, Politics
U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-6)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – During Veterans Appreciation Month last month, U.S. Representative John Rose (TN-6) cosponsored the “Improve Well-Being for Veterans Act,” which seeks to prevent veteran suicide.
“Our nation’s veterans represent the very best of America, and they deserve our full support,” Rep. Rose stated. “Yet, every day, approximately 20 veterans are lost to suicide. This heartbreaking reality does not have to continue, and I am proud to cosponsor this legislation that lays the groundwork to provide our veterans the support and care they need with the help of community partners and providers in their own neighborhoods.”
The legislation authorizes a three-year program to fund community, non-profit, and state agencies’ care for veterans. The funding would be available through grants authorized to support veterans’ mental health screenings, housing, peer support, financial planning, outreach, suicide prevention education, substance abuse reduction, and more.
“November is set aside to honor our veterans, and in that spirit, I urge passage of this important legislation to best leverage our resources for veterans’ care,” Rep. Rose continued. “I am committed to fighting this crisis until we reach a day when no veteran is lost to suicide.”
Rep. John Rose cosponsored H.R. 3495 on November 14, 2019. The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Representative Jack Bergman (MI-1) and will not require any new federal dollars.
U.S. Representative John Rose represents Tennessee’s Sixth Congressional District and resides in Cookeville with his wife, Chelsea, and their son, Guy. The Sixth District includes Cannon, Clay, Coffee, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Robertson, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, White, and Wilson counties as well as portions of Cheatham and Van Buren counties.
November 2019 Meeting of the Smith County Board of Education
Nov 20, 2019 | Home Page Featured, News, Politics
The Smith County Board of Education met on Tuesday, November 19, 2019.
Dr. Roger Duke appointed to fill vacant County Commission seat
Dr. Roger Duke, newly-appointed District 6 County Commissioner
During the November meeting of the Smith County Commission on Tuesday night, Dr. Roger Duke was appointed to fill an empty seat on the commission.
This seat became vacant on September 6, 2019, when District 6 Commissioner Barbara Kannapel turned in her resignation.
Registered voters living in District 6 (Carthage) had the opportunity to submit their names for consideration.
During Tuesday night’s meeting, two candidates submitted their names: Dr. Roger Duke and Steve Babcock.
Both candidates were nominated by the commission, and current County Commissioners took a vote to decide which candidate would fill the empty seat.
Dr. Roger Duke was elected by a vote of 13-8.
Dr. Duke is a longtime Carthage resident and physician. He currently serves on the Carthage City Planning Commission and Carthage City Board of Zoning Appeals.
You can watch the November 2019 meeting of the Smith County Commission below.
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Study: Children with ASD More Than Twice as Likely to Suffer From Food Allergies
News Wire ~ 3rd Party Press Release
A new study from the University of Iowa finds that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more than twice as likely to suffer from a food allergy than children who do not have ASD.
Wei Bao, assistant professor of epidemiology at the UI College of Public Health and the study’s corresponding author, says the finding adds to a growing body of research that suggests immunological dysfunction as a possible risk factor for the development of ASD.
“It is possible that the immunologic disruptions may have processes beginning early in life, which then influence brain development and social functioning, leading to the development of ASD,” says Bao.
The study is published in the JAMA Network Open. It analyzed the health information of nearly 200,000 children gathered by the U.S. National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), an annual survey of American households conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The children were between the ages of 3 and 17 and the data were gathered between 1997 and 2016.
The study found that 11.25 percent of children reportedly diagnosed with ASD have a food allergy, significantly higher than the 4.25 percent of children who are not diagnosed with ASD and have a food allergy.
Bao says his study could not determine the causality of this relationship given its observational nature. But previous studies have suggested possible links—increased production of antibodies, immune system overreactions causing impaired brain function, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, and alterations in the gut biome. He says those connections warrant further investigation.
“We don’t know which comes first, food allergy or ASD,” says Bao, adding that another longitudinal follow-up study of children since birth would be needed to establish temporality.
He says previous studies on the association of allergic conditions with ASD have focused mainly on respiratory allergy and skin allergy, and those studies have yielded inconsistent and inconclusive results. The new study found 18.73 percent of children with ASD suffered from respiratory allergies, while 12.08 percent of children without ASD had such allergies; and 16.81 percent of children with ASD had skin allergies, well above the 9.84 percent of children without ASD.
“This indicates there could be a shared mechanism linking different types of allergic conditions to ASD,” says Bao.
Bao says the study is limited in that the NHIS depends on respondents to voluntarily self-report health conditions, so the number of children with ASD or allergies may be misreported by those taking the survey. But he says the large number of respondents and ethnic and gender cross-representation of the survey are major strengths.
The study, “Association of Food Allergy and Other Allergic Conditions with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children,” was published online in the June 8 issue of JAMA Network Open.
Source: Food allergies connected to children with autism spectrum disorder – University of Iowa Press Release
Dr Wei Bao
JAMA Network Open
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LGBT History Month: Remembering the gay man who saved 17 million lives
“[Alan Turing] was and is a hero of all time…a man who is a gay icon, who didn’t deny his nature, his being, and for that he suffered. … This is a story that celebrates him, that celebrates outsiders; it celebrates anybody who’s ever felt different and ostracized and ever suffered prejudice.”
Alan Mathison Turing was a pioneering computer scientist, and he served as a mid-20th century British mathematician, logician, and cryptanalyst who, working during World War II at England’s Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park, succeeded with his team of scientists and linguists in cracking the “Enigma code” used by the Nazi command to conduct covert communication operations.
Because of Turing and his colleagues’ efforts, there is now general agreement that they shortened the war by at least two years, saving an estimated 17 million lives. Prime Minister Winston Churchill singled out Turing as the person whose work contributed the most to defeating the Germans.
Though initially considered a national hero in Britain, in 1952, government officials arrested and prosecuted Turing on the antiquated charge of “gross indecency” when he “admitted” to maintaining a same-sex relationship. Rather than serving time in prison, Turing chose to undergo estrogen injections then considered in men a form of “chemical castration” eliminating sex drive. Turing took his life two years later by swallowing cyanide just two weeks short of his 42nd birthday.
Under King Henry VIII in 1533, England passed a “buggery” (or sodomy) law, doling out the penalty of death for “the detestable and abominable Vice of Buggery committed with mankind or beast.” Under the rule of Elizabeth I in 1564, death for same-sex acts between men became a permanent part of English law until the 1880s. British courts at the time concluded that sex between two women was impossible and, therefore, exempted women from the statute. By 1885, English Criminal Law punished homosexuality with imprisonment up to two years. This remained in effect until homosexuality was decriminalized in 1967.
In addition, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin criminalized homosexuality with eight years imprisonment or exile to Siberia. And in the United States, consensual same-sex relations were against the law at one time in all states, and remained illegal in some states as late as 2003, when the Supreme Court finally overturned such bans in its Lawrence v. Texas decision.
In 2009, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown officially apologized to Alan Turing on behalf of the people of his nation for “the appalling way he was treated.” Parliament finally brought up a bill of “pardon” in 2013, and on 24 December, 2013, Queen Elizabeth granted Turing a posthumous pardon.
LGBT LGBT members
East Surrey Hospital- Car Parking Charges
Care firms shamed are just the tip of the iceberg, says UNISON
LGBT+ Members
UNISON South East LGBT+ group fights discrimination and prejudice in the workplace on behalf of its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members. We organise through an elected regional committee who meet three times a year to plan our campaigns. We are very high profile at many pride events in the South East talking our messages […]
Hamphire Pride 2017
25 February 2017 2:00pm–11:00pm
University of Winchester
Regional Media Contact
Ryan Slaughter
UNISON Regional Office, Guildford
r.slaughter@unison.co.uk
February is LGBT History Month
World AIDS Day: 1st December
South East Region LGBT affiliates to ILGA Europe
Posted on 26 May 2017 26 May 2017
LGBT History Month: 50th Anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act
LGBT History Month: Lesbians and Gays support the miners
Posted on 3 February 2017
SE LGBT+ Committee Meeting
16 May 2020 11:00am–3:00pm
UNISON Centre, Euston Road, London, NW1 2AY
UNISON supports networks of self organised groups (SOGs) in branches and regions across the union. Our SOGs campaign for equality in the workplace and for improvements to legislation for workplaces and the wider community. The SOGs are represented at Regional Council and most other regional committees, but are accountable to their respective national group. Outcome
17 October 2020 11:00am–3:00pm
Women’s Officer Passport
Branch Officer Training
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World’s First Child-Sized Exoskeleton Aims To Improve Quality Of Life Of Kids With Spinal...
Published: June 13, 2016 | Spinal Cord Injury: Muscular Dystrophy
A research team in Spain has developed the world’s first exoskeleton prototype to help disabled children learn how to walk and sustain mobility.
Tommy Hilfiger Launches Adaptive Collection for Children With Disabilities
Published: February 23, 2016 | Spinal Cord Injury: Muscular Dystrophy
Now, children of all abilities can wear Tommy Hilfiger clothing.
A nonprofit organization called Runway of Dreams worked with the brand to launch an adaptive version of select styles from its children’s line, which will be on sale starting Tuesday.
Mindy Scheier, a fashion designer, founded Runway of Dreams to work with the fashion industry and adapt mainstream clothing for people with different abilities. She started the organization after her son Oliver, 11, who has a rare form of muscular dystrophy, asked her to buy him a pair of jeans.
Luke Skywalker Inspires Real-Life Hero To Battle Muscular Dystrophy
Published: May 8, 2014 | Spinal Cord Injury: Muscular Dystrophy
A young boy, facing overwhelming odds with little hope of success, turns to a Jedi Master and “the Force” for guidance, and eventually inspires the world. This isn’t just the science fiction of Star Wars, but the reality of an inspiring young man named Christopher Rush.
Christopher was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at seven months, and his doctor told his parents that he “will be nothing more than a dishrag and will be dead by the age of two.” Despite the dire prognosis, as well as having to go through life as a quadriplegic, he was able to accomplish things most able-bodied people can only dream of.
As a huge fan of the Star Wars franchise, Christopher empathized with the protagonist, Luke Skywalker, who used the mystical power of the Force to achieve the impossible. Christopher wasn’t able to move his limbs, but with the power of his mind and sheer willpower, he was able to move mountains and inspire millions.
Fun Without Walking
Published: September 30, 2013 | Spinal Cord Injury: Muscular Dystrophy
4 Wheels, 2 Hearts, 1 Mission! A blog by a couple who live in TX and write about disability issues. Michelle was diagnosed with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy when she was 40.
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US swimmer Ledecky breaks own world 1,500m record
Katie Ledecky celebrates after setting a new world record during the heats for the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event at the world championships in Kazan, on August 3, 2015
Katie Ledecky celebrates after setting a new world record during the heats for the women's 1500m freestyle swimming event at the world championships in Kazan, on August 3, 2015 (AFP Photo/Martin Bureau)
Kazan (Russia) (AFP) - Katie Ledecky of the United States admitted she was shocked after breaking her own 1,500m freestyle record in the heats of the world swimming championships in Kazan on Monday.
The 18-year-old, who also holds the 400m and 800m records, clocked 15min 27.71sec to better the 15:28.36 secs she swam at the Pan-Pacific Games in August last year.
"My coach told me to swim the first 900m easy, build over the next 300, then the final 300 was my choice and to be honest, it felt pretty easy," said Ledecky, who came within a second of her 400m record on Sunday.
"I wasn’t kicking much and I think breaking the world record is testament to the hard work I have put in and the shape I am in right now.
"I am pretty shocked that I was able to do that."
Ledecky only recently finished high school in Maryland, but this is the eighth time the teenager has set a world record in her fledgling career.
It is the fourth time the defending champion has broken the 1,500m record alone having first achieved the feat in Barcelona two years ago on her way to winning the world title.
- Sun eyes second gold -
This is the second world record to fall in Kazan after Sweden's Sarah Sjostrom feat in the women's 100m butterfly heats on Sunday.
Also in Monday's heats, Chinese medal-machine Sun Yang stayed on course to claim the second of the four golds he wants in Kazan after cruising into Monday night's 200m freestyle semi-finals as the fastest qualifier.
'Sun defended his 400m freestyle title on Sunday, but faces some stiff competition over the shorter distance.
Britain's James Guy, who took silver behind Sun in the 400m final, was just 0.10sec behind Sun's time of 1min 46sec dead.
Germany's world record-holder Paul Biedermann and Australia's Cameron McEvoy are also medal contenders for Tuesday's final at 0.39sec behind Sun's time.
Missy Franklin of the United States opened her individual campaign as the world and Olympic 100m backstroke champion was fifth fastest into Monday's semi-finals.
Hungary's 'Iron Lady', Katinka Hosszu, was the fastest through in a national record of 58.78sec but will sit out the evening's backstroke semis to defend her 200m individual medley world title.
She finished second to Australia's Emily Seebohm in her heat having won gold to Seebohm's silver at the 2012 Olympics and Barcelona's worlds in 2013.
- Breaststroke battles -
After Australian medal hopes Mack Horton and Christian Sprenger bombed in their respective heats and the men's team failed to qualify for Sunday's 4x100m freestyle final, Mitchell Larkin was fastest through to the evening's 100m backstroke semi-finals.
He clocked 52.50sec, an Oceania record, just ahead of world and Olympic champion Matt Grevers.
"Yesterday was a bit of a wake-up call for us," admitted Larkin.
"It's all about keeping up with our females now," he said pointing to the Australian women's relay gold success.
There's a battle brewing in the women's 100m breaststroke.
Russia's Yuliya Efimova was the fastest through to Monday's semi-finals after her 16-month ban for using steroids expired in February.
Lithuania's defending Olympic and world champion Ruta Meilutyte, China's Shi Jinglin, Jessica Hardy of the USA and Japan's Kanako Watanabe all posted fast times.
'Monday night's 100m breaststroke final pits Britain's world-record holder Adam Peaty against South Africa's Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh and the pair have broken the championship record three times in Kazan.
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Constantine confident of India’s good showing against China
Despite the fact that the Red Dragons have failed to churn out positive results of late, Constantine warned his boys “not to get fooled” by their opposition's recent outcomes.
Suzhou (China) 12 October, 2018 20:55 IST
India and China will go head to head in a football friendly for the first time in 21 years on Saturday with the home team a firm favourite despite poor recent form. - AP
India might be touted as the underdog in the much-anticipated football friendly against China on Saturday, but national coach Stephen Constantine is confident of giving a good fight to its higher-ranked opponent.
India and China will go head to head in a football friendly for the first time in 21 years on Saturday with the home team a firm favourite despite poor recent form.
The Indian team is playing an international match for the first time in China though their senior sides have faced each other 17 times in the past. China has played in India seven times, all of them in the invitational tournament Nehru Cup.
“The conditions are ideal and it’s going to be a crucial game for us before the Asian Cup. It’s really going to be a great football contest for all of us and the entire team is looking forward to it,” Constantine said.
Constantine also thanked the Chinese Football Federation for the warmth and support extended to the Indian contingent.
Watch | We want to go and win the game- Constantine on the match against China
“I would like to thank Chinese Federation for its hospitality and warm reception that we have got since we have landed here. We have trained on it and the pitch is in super condition. We are all now looking forward to the match,” he added.
“Rome was not built in a day. Surely, we won’t get fooled by the recent results of the Chinese Team. They are a very good side as well as they have a great coach. I understand that everybody wants immediate results but it takes time to build the team. I think Mr Marcello Lippi is trying to do that,” the India coach said.
Constantine said it would be a great learning experience for the youngsters of the team.
“The U-23 team has performed quite well recently and it can be the perfect opportunity for them. Playing against China in this fantastic stadium would be a lesson for everyone,” he signed off.
Marcelo Lippi
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'New Silk Road': Chinese Banks Set to Invest Big in Global Project
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201705141053596541-china-development-bank-silk-road-projects/
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced on Sunday that the two banks of the country will pour about $55 billion into the "One Belt, One Road Initiative," a strategy to create a trade corridor between the eastern and western parts of Eurasia.
BEIJING (Sputnik) — The China Development Bank will allocate 250 billion yuans ($36.2 billion) to support projects within "One Belt, One Road" initiative, Xi said.
© REUTERS / Thomas Peter
Geopolitical Project: What China's One Belt, One Road Initiative is Really About
"The China Development Bank will allocate a special-purpose loan of 250 billion yuans, which will support the cooperation projects in the spheres of infrastructure building, production and finance within the 'One Belt, One Road' strategy," Xi said at the the two-day Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which kicked off in Beijing on Sunday.
The Export-Import Bank of China will allocate 130 billion yuan ($18.8 billion) to support projects within "One Belt, One Road" initiative, the president said.
"The Export-Import Bank of China will allocate a special-purpose loan of 130 billion yuan to support the cooperation projects in the spheres of infrastructure building, production and finance within the 'One Belt, One Road' strategy."
China will also allocate additional 100 billion yuan ($14.4 billion) for projects within the initiative.
In 2013, China announced its new strategy of economic development, called "One Belt, One Road," which aims at establishing infrastructure in Eurasia for the creation of a trade corridor between the eastern and western parts of the continent. It encompasses two main directions of development: Silk Road Economic Belt and Maritime Silk Road.
Nepal Decides to Join China's One Belt, One Road Initiative
China's One Belt, One Road Strategy: Big Dream, Not a Conspiracy
Energy Minister to Represent Germany at One Belt, One Road Forum in Beijing
investment, Export-Import Bank of China, China Development Bank, Xi Jinping, China
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US Supreme Court Rejects Alabama's Bid to Revive Law That Would Ban Abortion
© AP Photo / Pablo Martinez Monsivais
https://sputniknews.com/us/201906281076086368-us-supreme-court-rejects-alabamas-bid-to-revive-law-that-would-ban-abortion/
Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law a bill on 15 May that bans abortion in nearly all cases, with no exceptions for rape or incest. Donald Trump, however, reacted later saying that he was 'pro-life' but he would make three exceptions - rape, incest and protecting the life of the mother.
The US Supreme Court on Friday declined to hear Alabama's bid to bring back to life Republican-backed state legislation that would have effectively prohibited the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
A lower court ruling abolished the legislation adopted in 2016 that sought to criminalise the dilation and evacuation method - this procedure is most frequently used when an abortion is performed during the second trimester of pregnancy.
The issue of abortion rights has turned into a matter of massive societal concern in the US after two states passed extremely restrictive anti-abortion bills. An Alabama legislation passed in mid-May rendered it a felony that can incur 10 to 99 years in prison for any doctor attempting to perform an abortion.
Following this move, another US state, Missouri, approved a ban on abortions after eight weeks of pregnancy, allowing exceptions in the case of medical emergencies, but not of rape or incest.
With discussions heating up, US President Donald Trump turned to Twitter to speak up about abortion; he referred to himself as "strongly Pro-Life" but went on to note that he would have made exceptions in three instances — rape, incest and cases where the pregnant woman's life was in danger.
'Reproductive Justice': Twitter in Stitches As Castro Advocates Abortion Rights for Transgender Men
Out of Touch? Tory Leadership Hopeful Hunt Backtracks After Being Slammed on Abortion Rights
Friday News Roundup: Mueller Speaks, Abortion Gets Tested & Assange Is Not Well
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Brexit news latest: John Bercow piles pressure on Boris Johnson to recall Parliament adding he will 'do his duty' and restart EU exit debates
The newest headlines in your inbox
John Bercow piled pressure on Boris Johnson at the moment to abandon the five-week suspension of Parliament, declaring that he desires to “do my duty” and restart debates on the Brexit disaster.
In his unique first interview since Parliament was prorogued on Monday, the Commons Speaker mentioned members of the general public had been baffled by MPs being despatched away throughout “the biggest issue the UK has faced since the Second World War”.
“We’ve got a job to do,” he instructed the Evening Standard. “There is work to be done, there are voices to be heard, there are arguments still to be thrashed out, for alternatives to be posited.”
He added: “I do think there will be a lot of people in the country, of all political opinions and of none, who will say, ‘Surely at a time of a grave public policy challenge on the biggest issue the UK has faced since the Second World War, MPs should for the most part be at their place of work’.”
John Bercow mentioned he desires to “do his duty” and restart talks on the Brexit disaster (Matt Writtle)
Mr Bercow pressured he would settle for the decision of the Supreme Court which will take into account authorized challenges to the suspension of the Commons subsequent week. But if the Government misplaced, it ought to “certainly very soon” recall Parliament. Although the Government had “every legal right” to attraction this week’s Scottish courtroom verdict that the prorogation was illegal, the Speaker mentioned he had obtained letters from the general public backing his cost that it was “a constitutional outrage”.
“If the government were to lose the case, I think that the consequence that would flow would be that people would expect Parliament to meet soon. Of course, wherever I was, you know, I would come back to do my duty.”
Asked if he thought the Queen had been misled, Mr Bercow was open-minded. “I have no idea. I’m not going to get into that. I think let’s see what the court decides. I don’t want to presume to judge.”
Mr Bercow’s interview comes after he used a lecture final night time to warn Downing Street that he is ready to be “creative” in rulings if the Government makes an attempt to defy the brand new legislation designed to block a no-deal Brexit. He additionally appeared to evaluate the PM to a “bank robber”.
John Bercow to stand down: The Speaker’s finest bellows
“If that demands additional procedural creativity in order to come to pass, it is a racing certainty that this will happen, and that neither the limitations of the existing rule book nor the ticking of the clock will stop it doing so,” he pledged.
That led to an assault on the Speaker from Brexiteer Sir Bernard Jenkin who instructed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “The office of Speaker has become irretrievably politicised and radicalised. It would have been unthinkable 10 or 15 years ago for the Speaker of the House of Commons to launch a personal attack on the Prime Minister like this.”
Sir Bernard mentioned MPs ought to now overview the position of Speaker.
“For one individual in what is now a contested, televised, very public and controversial position to have so much unregulated, untrammelled power is something, I think, that the House of Commons is going to have to look at,” he added. Mr Bercow is retiring from the Speaker’s chair this autumn after a decade within the job.
John Bercow speaks to the Evening Standard (Matt Writtle)
He defended his “acerbic” dealing with of MPs and admitted being “short-fused” often, however strongly denounced claims he has been “plotting with rebels” who efficiently seized the agenda.
He mentioned: “That’s flawed and disingenuous. It isn’t a query of plotting with one aspect of the opposite … I’m engaged in a mission to facilitate the House of Commons doing what it desires to do.
“If it desires to authorise and allow a no-deal Brexit, that’s its prerogative.
“What I don’t need is to for the House of Commons to be crowded out and ejected from the centre stage of
Brexit decision at this most important interval within the fortunes and historical past of this nation.”
Read extra
In key developments at the moment, Democratic Unionist Party chief Arlene Foster tried to quash a report that her Northern Irish get together has thrown a “lifeline” to the Prime Minister by agreeing to drop an important objection to regulatory checks on items from the UK mainland. She tweeted: “We are keen to see a sensible deal but not one that divides the internal market of the UK.”
DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson mentioned the claims had been “untrue”.
The Times, citing unidentified sources, wrote that in return for such concessions Brussels would abandon its insistence on Northern Ireland remaining in a customs union with the European Union.
The EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier mentioned there’s “no reason to be optimistic” {that a} new settlement might be brokered earlier than the Prime Minister’s deadline to ask for a delay.
Mr Barnier instructed leaders within the European Parliament that he was unable to say whether or not contacts with the UK Government would end in a deal by mid-October.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar mentioned “the gap is very wide” between the EU and the UK in reaching a deal on Brexit.
“We have always said we would be willing to look at alternative arrangements but what we’re seeing falls far short,” Mr Varadkar instructed RTE radio in Ireland.
The full opinions from the judges on the Scottish Court of Session in Edinburgh emerged yesterday night. Lord Carloway mentioned the “true reason” for the suspension was to scale back time for “Parliamentary scrutiny of Brexit” in a “clandestine manner”.
More about: | John Bercow | Boris Johnson | Brexit
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Tag Archive: Fair use doctrine
Fox News and R.E.M.
Filed Under: Uncategorized by — Comments Off on Fox News and R.E.M.
It has become fairly common to read about popular musicians and bands demanding that politicians refrain from using their songs. However, a recent dispute between R.E.M. and Fox News allows us to examine the issue of whether musicians can demand that news stations not play their songs. On September 5, 2012, R.E.M.’s 1991 hit song “Losing my Religion” was played on Fox News during coverage of the Democratic National Convention. Specifically, the song was used during coverage of the convention controversy regarding the reinsertion of language invoking God and affirming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel within the Democrat’s platform. On September 6, 2012, R.E.M. and their music publisher, Warner-Tamerlane Music, issued a cease and desist statement demanding that Fox News “cease and desist from continuing its unlicensed and unauthorized use of the song.” R.E.M. lead singer Michael Stipe said in a statement, “We have little or no respect for their puff adder brand of reportage. Our music does not belong there.” R.E.M. has long supported Democratic and left-leaning politicians and causes.
A Fox News representative quickly rejected R.E.M.’s request and argued that the playing of the song was in full accordance with its license agreements with all appropriate parties. The Fox News representative also took a shot at R.E.M. in the statement by adding, “Nevertheless, we’re always flattered to have this much attention for a song selection and we hope R.E.M. was able to satisfy their publicity fix.” Michael Stipe then responded with a statement that consisted only of, “”Fox News ha ha HAHAHA.”
Although this latest controversy will likely fizzle out in the next few days, it certainly raises an interesting issue regarding whether bands like R.E.M. can demand that news stations like Fox News not play their songs. It is difficult to fully examine the legal issues and defenses because the circumstances of the song’s use are unclear. Michael Stipe’s statement did not specify whether he objects to any use of his songs on Fox News or only within particular shows, notably conservative commentary shows on the network. Professor Clay Calvert explains that the context matters: “If Fox was using only a small snippet of the song during a newscast rather than a commercial, then Fox is most likely protected by the fair-use defense to copyright law.” The fair use defense, codified in 17 U.S.C. §107, is an affirmative defense that permits the use of a copyrighted work for certain purposes, including criticism, commentary, research, and news reporting.
The R.E.M. and Fox News dispute also demonstrates a definite trend among left-leaning bands and musicians actively disassociating themselves from Republicans and right-leaning organizations during the 2012 election season. In August, the Silversun Pickups sent Mitt Romney’s campaign a cease and desist letter after the Republican candidate for president used their song “Panic Switch” during a campaign event. Similarly, Tom Petty sent Representative Michele Bachmann a cease and desist letter after she used “American Girl” when announcing her presidential campaign in 2011.
Tags: Cease and desist, Clay Calvert, Democratic National Convention, Fair use, Fair use doctrine, Fox News, Michael Stipe, Michele Bachmann, Mitt Romney, News reporting, Politics, R.E.M., Silversun Pickups, Tom Petty, Willard Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney Campaign Ad, Tom Brokaw, and Fair Use
Filed Under: Uncategorized by — Comments Off on Mitt Romney Campaign Ad, Tom Brokaw, and Fair Use
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has generated some controversy in recent days over a campaign attack ad against rival Newt Gingrich. The ad features old footage of Tom Brokaw reporting on the Newt Gingrich ethics scandal in 1997. In the ad, Brokaw reports that Gingrich was found guilty by the House ethics committee. Brokaw said in a statement that he is “extremely uncomfortable with the extended use of my personal image in this political ad.” He also said, “I do not want my role as a journalist compromised for political gain by any campaign.” NBC lawyers have asked the Romney campaign to remove the ad and any reference to the network in future campaign ads. However, it is likely that the use of the Tom Brokaw footage by the Romney campaign is permissible under the fair use doctrine. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law allows the reproduction of a particular work if it is considered a “criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research.” At the end of the day, it is likely that the Romney campaign will just pull the ad but the genie has already been let out of the bottle. The most significant impact of this controversy is that it has greatly increased circulation and discussion of a negative ad. It thus will probably hurt Gingrich in the polls by reminding voters of his ethical baggage.
Tags: Campaign advertisements, Copyright infringement, Fair use doctrine, First Amendment, Mitt Romney, NBC, Newt Gingrich, Newton Leroy Gingrich, Politics, Tom Brokaw, Willard Mitt Romney
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Tag Archives: Thalys
The Dawn of Summer
What follows is an excerpt from my upcoming travelogue, whose working title is The Great American Basset Hound. No basset hounds were harmed, or have even at this point been involved in the writing of this excerpt, or indeed any other part of the upcoming volume. Enjoy!
-Seán Kane.
Friday 8 April 2016 came about two hours later than the previous day, as my alarm was set for the much more leisurely hour of eight rather than its far more rushed predecessor of six. I breakfasted with Kristiina in the empty hotel dining room, as the majority of our group had already left for their first meeting of the day at the International Crisis Group. Kristiina had chosen to not attend that particular talk, as she wanted to get some rest and get the most out of the main event of the day, a visit to the European Parliament. We had a quiet breakfast of waffles, frankfurters, and croissants, passing the time with small talk, the very nature of which seemed to be our way of avoiding thinking about our respective journeys that day: hers to London in the afternoon and mine to Annecy just before eleven.
I had everything well planned, and at the chosen time was ready to leave our hotel at Place de Sainte-Catherine for the journey across Brussels to Zuidstation/Gare du Midi. At around 09:45 I said goodbye to Kristiina, turned in my room key, and headed out the door, pulling my suitcase with briefcase mounted atop behind me, as the cobblestones did not work well with all four wheels. I felt a sense of excitement, a sense of anticipatory joy at seeing my parents again for the first time in four months. This was the longest stretch of time that I had been away from them in my life, the longest since we had hugged, or sat together, or ate together. Yet also I felt a pang in my heart, a longing for my friends who would be returning to London that afternoon. Perhaps the perfect possibility would have been if both my parents and my friends could be together, but at least in this instance that was not to be.
Looking towards Place de Sainte-Catherine in Brussels.
I walked through Place de Sainte-Catherine towards De Brouckère metro station, where I descended down the steps quite clumsily with my suitcase, briefcase, and umbrella in hand. At first I tried to use the fancy larger ticket gates, which are intended for those who have luggage and the handicapped, but I could not figure out how to make them work. Instead, I turned to the normal gates, and passed through fairly easily into the station proper. I was quite surprised to not see any soldiers in De Brouckère station that day, as there had always been at least two or three on patrol there every other time I had gone through that particular station. Soon though I was faced with a problem, as I had forgotten which metro line was the one to take to Zuidstation/Gare du Midi. Remembering that I had taken a direct train going to De Brouckère the day prior, I knew that I would find the proper train eventually, but still I was faced with a bit of an odd conundrum. Eventually though I came upon a bit of luck, and was soon on the T3 prémetro tram heading southbound.
To digress briefly, the public transport system in Brussels is a good model for what my city, Kansas City, could do. A system made up in part of trams (streetcars in American English), but equally reliant on buses and commuter rail could do wonders for Kansas City, bringing more people and business into the city itself, and quite possibly reducing the need for parking in places like downtown. The prémetro idea, namely having the trams move underground for part of their route and operate as a part of the metro alongside the subway lines is a smart way to better connect one’s varying modes of public transport, while saving money by allowing the local transport authority to avoid having to pay for heavy rail services like a subway. This will also reduce the need for private cars along the tram routes, equally leading to both more pedestrians and lower rates of road congestion within the city.
I quickly descended on the escalator, and went down a further set of stairs onto the platform, where the Tram 3 arrived about three minutes later. Boarding, I soon found myself hoping beyond hope that no one else would board and try to sit around me, as my bags were so big that I feared they would only cause trouble between my fellow passengers and I. Thankfully for me, that did not happen, and in large part due to the recent terror attacks in Brussels, the three stations (Bourse, Anneessens, and Lemonnier) between De Brouckère and Gare du Midi were closed. As a result, the journey only took a mere eight minutes, and as we passed along the single track between the darkened platforms at Lemonnier, I began to prepare myself mentally and physically for the journey up from the metro and into Gare du Midi. Then a sudden lurch came as the tram suddenly, and forcefully stopped in its tracks in the tunnel, whose darkness penetrated the hearts of all on-board, leaving everyone still, fearful of what was to come to pass. After a minute we started on our way again, with no reason given to what I assumed must have been some sort of animal moving across the tracks in front of the tram’s headlights, startling the driver into his sudden cessation of travel and apparent use of the emergency brake.
About two minutes later we arrived at Gare du Midi. I stood as the tram entered the station, taking my suitcase, briefcase, and umbrella firmly in hand, nearly falling over in the process as we came to a halt and the doors opened. I passed the people on the platform waiting to get on-board and walked up a short flight of stairs towards an escalator which took me into the shopping centre attached to Gare du Midi. I was surprised to find the ticket gates open, and anticipating that this crevice might merely be temporary, I slipped through, removing myself from the Brussels Metro into, as P.T. Barnum put it “The Land of Egress.” Having egressed into the mainline railway station, I began searching for a signboard which would tell me which platform I needed to go to to catch my first train, a Thalys train to Paris Gare du Nord, which was due to depart in about thirty minutes at 10:43.
Soon I found a screen hanging just above a large doorway leading onto the main concourse, which showed my train as departing from Platform 5B. Looking around, I found another sign, which pointed towards the international ticket office and Eurostar security lines as the site of the otherwise elusive Platform 5B. I walked down another long, dark corridor, which seemed to have been built with an antagonistic spirit towards the Sun above, yet hidden by the thick concrete of the platforms above. As I walked along my way I saw one final police checkpoint with two armed officers standing guard on the platforms above. My mind began to plan ahead, considering that it was entirely possible they would ask for my papers, thus I reminded myself where my passport and ticket were. In front of me was a man carrying two oversized suitcases, which attracted the attention, though only slightly, of the guards. However after a couple words they let the man pass, and it was my turn to step forward. To my surprise they completely ignored me, and I walked swiftly and smoothly through the checkpoint, heading up the ramp to the platform above.
Brussels-Midi Railway Station
The architecture of Brussels-Midi is quite interesting, different from some of the grand old railway stations in London and Paris, but truly a hub of activity for the railways of Belgium, the Netherlands, northwestern Germany, and northeastern France. Rather than have a grand long arched glass roof that is suspended between the two side walls of the platforms, the glass roof at this particular station is more like that at Kansas City’s Union Station, one which is made up of many smaller arches, thus giving the station ceiling more of a wave-like feel. The station itself does not necessarily have the charm of Paddington or Gare de Lyon, but it does have the practicality and methodical feel of much of post-war Brussels. At 10:23 on the dot my train arrived, its deep red paint matching the equally luxurious opera red interiors. I was surprised to see the train already filled with passengers, having not realised that Brussels was not the first stop on its route. Rather, this particular train had started in Cologne, then travelled through Aachen and Liège before arriving in the Belgian capital.
Initially I was scheduled to fly from Brussels to Geneva, meeting my parents in at the Swiss airport only two hours after their own flight from London had arrived at that lakeshore alpine city. However on Holy Tuesday, the 22nd of March, I awoke to some of the worst news one can ever wake up to. Two nail bombs had gone off at Brussels Airport in the departures hall, while a third bomb was detonated in Maelbeek metro station in the European Quarter of the city. In total, thirty-two people were killed by the ruthless barbarity of these extremists. As I readied myself for that day’s class, I kept a close eye on my TV, watching as more and more information arrived in London from the Belgian capital. Immediately, I began to reconsider my route from Brussels to Annecy, knowing that if the airport itself was bombed then the odds were pretty high that I would not be able to fly through that same airport two weeks later.
As it turned out, my intended flight did go out of Brussels, however I was not on it, and my ticket was cancelled. I did not want to step foot in that same hall where a mere two weeks prior such violence and sorrow was wrought. I did not want to walk amongst those ghosts of people who by right should still be warm to the touch, still laughing and smiling, playing and singing. I did not want to stand there and take in the macabre spectacle. I chose a different road to France, one with less sadness, with less pain.
After allowing for those passengers getting off in Brussels to do so, I boarded the train and took my place: Car 26, Seat 76. The seats on Thalys are perhaps the most comfortable seats on any train that I have yet travelled on, and I was in second class. At 10:43 on the dot our train began to move out of Brussels, heading south at high speed towards Paris. I spent the hour and twenty-two minutes that it took for us to arrive at Paris Gare du Nord writing the second half of my account of my previous two days in the Belgian capital, finishing the majority of the work in about an hour and ten minutes, thus giving me ample time to be ready to jump off the train and run to the metro station beneath Gare du Nord.
“… run to the metro station beneath Gare du Nord.”
While I greatly appreciate the excellent service provided by SNCF, the French national railway company, I spent the better part of the next hour in a panicked rush. I had a mere forty-five minutes to transfer between Gare du Nord and Gare de Lyon. While this would not have been much of an issue had I been using one of the normal metro lines to get from A to B, I had to take the RER D line, a double-decker suburban line that only runs through Gare du Nord about once every twenty minutes. In short, I made it to my train on Platform 7 at Gare de Lyon with two minutes to spare, having just barely gotten on board the train before they closed the doors.
I had requested a seat on the upper level of the train, wanting to have a good view of the French countryside as I traversed that country from the plains around Paris in the north to the Alps in the south. I soon found my seat, No. 105 in Car 7, and soon met the gentleman sitting in No. 104. I figured he had a reservation for that seat, and forgetting my French, I somehow convinced him to get up and move to another seat about two rows back; though I have a feeling he simply wanted a row to himself. I quickly set my briefcase down on the seat next to mine, took out my iPad, portable keyboard, and headphones, and ticket, before removing my overcoat and placing it, my umbrella, and briefcase in the racks above my seat. As I sat down I realised my huge mistake, as I had originally intended to drop off my suitcase in the luggage racks at the end of the car, then drop off my briefcase, overcoat, and umbrella above my seat, then without taking anything out of my briefcase walk up to the café car and get lunch. However, with my iPad, keyboard, and headphones out in the open I figured I had might as well just bring them with.
I first walked towards the front of the train, but soon found myself at a dead end. Turning around, I walked through Cars 6, 5, and 4 before coming upon the Café in Car 3. By this point we were ten minutes out of Paris, and the line in the Café were at least ten people long with only one person working behind the counter. I took my place at the back of the line and waited for a good thirty minutes before ordering a Croque Monsieur and a bottle of Vittel water. Now walking back towards the front of the train, my sandwich on its plate balanced atop my electronics, the bottle and plastic cup in my right hand, whose fingers also had the highly important job of opening all of the doors between my seat and the café, I was stopped by a conductor who asked to see my ticket. “Il est à ma place,” I said, still slightly shaky on remembering my French.
“Comment?” he replied.
“Parlez-vous anglais?” I asked, accepting linguistic defeat. He nodded. “My ticket?” He nodded again. “It’s at my seat. voiture sept, place cent-cinq,” I said, switching back to French for the bit that I knew for certain how to say in that moment of intense hunger and mindlessness caused by the anxiety of my fast transfer.
“Ah, d’accord,” he said nodding and moving onto the next person. I breathed a sigh of relief and moved on through the three cars that were between my seat and I, at last returning to that place I sought out most of all at that point in time: my seat, where I enjoyed a delicious sandwich and watched three hours of a new BBC documentary on the House of Stuart’s time on the thrones of the Three Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland in the Seventeenth Century. It was at this point that I suddenly remembered that it was Friday, a day when I usually decline to eat meat, partially out of religious observance, partially out of consideration of my usually meat-filled diet and an attempt at improving my health. By this point I had had a frankfurter at breakfast, and a Croque Monsieur, which includes ham, for lunch. In that minute of realisation I thought of a new interpretation of the argument which I had used the Friday prior, that because it was the Liturgical Season of Easter, I could rejoice the Resurrection by eating meat on a Friday. Recognising the fact that this was quite a stretch of reasoning, I moved on and spent the next three hours moving my eyes back and forth between the documentary on my iPad and the fields, hills, and mountains that the TGV flew by at 300 kph (186 mph).
At 16:29 I at long last arrived in Annecy, a city, which to me appeared to still be in the Waterloo of its winter. I left my seat ten minutes prior to our arrival, and was down at the train door, ready and waiting our arrival at the platform when we at long last came to a halt and the door opened. I jumped out of the train, letting my suitcase and briefcase go ahead of me. Then rushing along the platform with the crowd, I soon saw my Mom’s red hair and my Dad’s old Cubs hat in the distance, standing behind a pillar out of the wind. I rushed up to them with a huge, broad smile on my face, and at long last was able to give them that much needed hug, that long sought-after embrace. Our Alpine Reunion had come. I was with my parents again.
Lake Annecy, “which to me appeared to still be in the Waterloo of its winter.”
This entry was posted in English, The Great American Basset Hound, Travel and tagged American in Europe, Annecy, Brussel, Brussel Zuidstation, Brussels, Brussels Metro, Brussels-Midi, Bruxelles, Bruxelles Gare du Midi, European Travel, Kansas City Streetcar, KC Streetcar, Lac d'Annecy, Lake Annecy, Paris Gare de Lyon, Paris Gare du Nord, Place de Sainte-Catherine, Prémetro, Rail Travel, RER D, Ride KC, Seán Kane, TGV, Thalys, The Great American Basset Hound, Travel on 21 May 2016 by seanthomaskane.
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This is another article that might help in making digital voting safer from cyber attacks. Democracy needs to be significantly changed and this whole section covers it in detail. One of the key prerequisites is enabling voting to be carried out in almost any place, e.g. from home, provided sufficient security and reliability of the entire voting process can be safeguarded. Quantum encryption based on quantum computing combined with the Blockchain approach could be one of such solutions described in the article below.
Waiting for quantum computing: Why encryption has nothing to worry about
Techbeacon.com
Like the absent Godot in Samuel Beckett’s classic play Waiting for Godot, quantum computing is eagerly awaited—though no one is not quite sure when it will arrive or what it will do when it does. Quantum computing is rising on Gartner’s hype cycle, so expectations are high — and likely to get even higher.
We are told that quantum computers will soon:
Predict traffic jams 45 minutes before they occur
Debug millions of lines of code in seconds
Instantly break any contemporary encryption
Variations of the “break any contemporary encryption” prediction are the most common—and the most terrifying. Fortunately, they are likely wrong. Large universal quantum computers could break several popular public-key cryptography (PKC) systems, such as RSA and Diffie-Hellman, but that will not end encryption and privacy as we know it.
In the first place, it is unlikely that large-scale quantum computers will be built in the next several years. Second, alternative PKC systems already exist. Standards organizations and researchers are actively working to identify the best alternatives and plan the transition to post-quantum cryptography—cryptosystems that are secure against both classical and quantum computers and can work with existing communications protocols and networks.
Privacy is unlikely to die in a quantum apocalypse anytime soon. Here’s why.
How to Achieve Consistent Data Security Across Hybrid IT
How security is quantified
The security of cryptography relies on certain “hard” problems—calculations that are practical to do with the right cryptographic key, but impractically difficult to do without it. A “hard” problem should take the best computers available billions of years to solve; an “easy” problem is one that can be solved very quickly.
The most widely used PKC systems, including RSA, Diffie-Hellman, and ECDSA, rely on the intractability of integer factorization and discrete log problems. These problems are hard for classical computers to solve, but easy for quantum computers.
This means that as soon as a large-scale universal quantum computer is built, you will not be able to rely on the security of any scheme based on these problems.
To quantify the security of cryptosystems, “bits of security” are used. You can think of this as a function of the number of steps needed to crack a system by the most efficient attack. A system with 112 bits of security would take 2112 steps to crack, which would take the best computers available today billions of years. Algorithms approved by NIST provide at least 112 bits of security.
The security of encryption depends on the length of the key and the cryptosystem used. A previous TechBeacon article explained the difference between quantum computers and classical computers, and described two quantum algorithms that will affect the security of cryptosystems.
Shor’s algorithm will be able to crack PKC systems like RSA and Diffie-Hellman; Grover’s will reduce the security of symmetric cryptosystems like the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), but not as drastically. Table 1 compares the security of both classical computers and quantum computers provided by AES and RSA.
AES-128 and RSA-2048 both provide adequate security against classical attacks, but not against quantum attacks. Doubling the AES key length to 256 results in an acceptable 128 bits of security, while increasing the RSA key by more than a factor of 7.5 has little effect against quantum attacks.
Post-quantum cryptography
When large-scale universal quantum computers are built, you will still be able to securely use symmetric encryption algorithms, but not the systems like RSA and Diffie-Hellman. These PKC systems are widely used today to create digital signatures or to securely transmit symmetric encryption keys.
Fortunately, there are several families of quantum-resistant PKC systems: Lattice-based, code-based, hash-based, isogeny-based, and multivariate systems. NIST’s Report on Post-Quantum Cryptography describes each of these families.
Standards bodies are actively evaluating PKC systems from these families, looking for efficient algorithms with no known vulnerabilities to either classical or quantum attacks. IEEE and ANSI’s X9 Committee have already specified standards for quantum-safe PKC schemes. ETSI and NIST have both issued reports on post-quantum cryptography, and NIST is currently evaluating 69 proposed schemes for U.S. government use.
The private sector is also making preparations. Examples of efforts underway range from Microsoft’s PQC Project, through Open Quantum Safe’s open source library of quantum safe algorithms, to QRL’s quantum resistant cryptocurrency.
You obviously cannot accurately predict which systems are likely to be approved by NIST or any other standards organizations. But it does seem as if most of the effort is going into lattice-based, code-based, and hash-based systems, perhaps because these types of algorithms are more familiar.
Lattices are fundamentally important in optimization problems, so algorithms to solve lattice problems have been developed and studied for years. Code-based systems are based on error-correcting codes, which have also been extensively studied. And the security of hash-based signatures is well understood.
The 69 NIST submissions include 18 code-based and 21 lattice-based encryption candidates. Some of them have been around for years and appear to be secure against both quantum and classical attacks.
McEliece, for example, is a code-based encryption system developed in 1978; it has not been broken and it’s listed as an approved primitive in the draft OASIS KMIP Post-Quantum Cryptography Profile. NTRU, a lattice-based encryption system developed in 1996, has already been approved for post-quantum use by IEEE and ANSI X9.
In the next three to five years, it is likely that NIST and other standards bodies will approve a few post-quantum systems, perhaps from different families, for PKC, key exchange, and digital signatures.
How long do we have?
Estimates of when large-scale quantum computers will be available vary widely. Developers of quantum computers say it will happen soon, while some researchers argue that we may never have the capability to build them. It is difficult for lay people to follow competing claims, as the definition of what constitutes a quantum computer may vary significantly from one vendor to the next.
For cryptographic purposes, though, we do know that cracking a 2048-bit RSA key will require thousands of entangled quantum bits (qubits). Entangled qubits form a single, very large state capable of doing the complex calculations needed to crack RSA. Entangling different kinds of qubits—photons, ions, or superconductors—is done with different processes. So far, no process seems to be more successful than the others.
The best results so far are:
18 fully entangled photon qubits in 2018
16 superconducting qubits, also in 2018
14 calcium ion qubits in 2011
Clearly there has been progress since the first pair of qubits was entangled in 1998, but it is not clear which process will scale best and no one has come close to the thousands of entangled qubits that will be needed to crack contemporary cryptosystems.
At this rate, RSA will not be cracked soon. Some researchers suggest five years; NIST thinks it may be 15. We’ll see whose guess is closest eventually, but it seems fairly sure that there are at least a few years to prepare.
There’s a software upgrade in your future
Preparation will involve developing quantum-safe algorithms for encryption and digital signatures that can be implemented in existing protocols and systems. Fundamentally, this is a software upgrade. No one likes software upgrades, though they are (too) often necessary.
Post-quantum cryptography will be a major change, but the industry has been through several significant cryptographic updates in the last 10 years: SHA-1, MD-5, RSA-1024, and Dual Elliptic Curve DRGB all had to be replaced by incompatible alternatives. Replacing RSA-2048 encryption with, for example, a suitable quantum-safe NTRU implementation would just be another such update.
Given the work already underway, researchers should be able to implement quantum-safe cryptography well before large-scale quantum computers are available to break RSA.
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Lego Minifigures Simpsons
erica c
No Medal
Details: 16 all-new, special minifigures from the new The Simpsons™ series, is now part of the LEGO® Minifigure Collection. Each minifigure comes in a sealed “mystery” bag with one or more accessories, display plate and collector’s booklet. Inspired by The Simpsons™ this collection includes: Homer Simpson, Marge Simpson, Bart Simpson, Maggie Simpson, Lisa Simpson, Grampa Simpson, Montgomery Burns, Itchy, Scratchy, Krusty the Clown, Nelson Muntz, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Chief Wiggum, Milhouse van Houten, Ralph Wiggum and Ned Flanders.
Minifigure 1 to 16 Show / Hide
10 Nelson Muntz, 12 Scratchy, 14 Chief Wiggum
16 Ned Flanders
Number of swaps: 1 + 0 = 1
Swappers by Name: e
Search By Name: a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z
Swap links visible for erica c only...
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Installing Prerequisite Software for the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Management Console
This article details the prerequisite software that must be installed on the system for the Symantec Endpoint Encryption Management Console.
The Management Console requires the Remote Server Administration Tools and the .NET framework be installed on the system.
.NET Framework requirements
Symantec Endpoint Encryption Management Console requires you to enable multiple versions of .NET. One version of .NET is required to install the application and one version of .NET is required to use the application. You must make sure that .NET is enabled before you can install the components.
The Management Console requires the following versions:
.NET 3.5
.NET downloads are available here.
Setting up the Remote Server Administration Tools
You must set up the Remote Server Administration Tools before you install the Management Console.
Remote Server administration Tools on Microsoft Windows Server 2012:
Follow the instructions to enable Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Microsoft Server 2012 at http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731420(v=ws.10).aspx
Remote Server Administration Tools on Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2
Follow the instructions to enable Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Microsoft Server 2008 at: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc816817%28v=ws.10%29.aspx
To set up the Remote Server Administration Tools on Microsoft Windows 8:
Download and install the Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Microsoft Windows 8 from: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=28972
Download and install the Microsoft Remote Server Administration Tools for Microsoft Windows 7 from: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7887
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MLS Preview: Colorado Rapids vs. Vancouver Whitecaps
By Kyle BonnAug 16, 2013, 5:07 PM EDT
Colorado are undefeated in their last eight matches. Vancouver have lost just twice in their last 10.
With around 10 matches to go and the Western Conference playoff picture as muddy as a 6-year-old playing in the pouring rain, all eyes remain on Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Will anyone be able to snatch the points and grasp the opportunity to pull away from the pack?
If you haven’t sneaked a peak at the MLS table lately, the difference between second and seventh place in the West is a miniscule, minute, tiny three points. One win. Theoretically, if everything falls into place, FC Dallas could win and find themselves jumping from seventh to third in one fell swoop.
So if, with double digit matches to go in the season, you don’t think this match matters that much – you’re sorely mistaken.
But don’t take my word for it.
“We can neither avoid nor hide the importance of this game, we all know it,” Rapids coach Oscar Pareja said. “That brings a normal pressure to everyone, but it’s a good pressure. It’s actually beyond pressure. It’s the responsibility that we have and feel in facing Vancouver with all those elements. We have to win.”
Have to win. Now there’s a new concept this early down the home stretch.
Pareja will have Colorado’s first-ever designated player Gabriel Torres to help him for the first time. The 24-year-old Panamanian forward is set to make his full debut for the club on Saturday, boosting an attack that’s just ninth in the MLS in scoring.
For Vancouver, their recent success has come thanks to a not-so-usual source. Former Premier League talent Nigel Reo-Coker has burst onto the attacking scene, despite playing out of the defensive midfield slot. He teed up both goals against San Jose last week, and admits his teammates are the ones who deserve most of the credit.
“I’m not like a Lionel Messi who can dribble past people” said Reo-Coker. “I’m more power driven because of my physical attributes. But it’s about doing it at the right time. My drive forward won’t make an impact unless I have teammates around me making the run.”
I’m glad he admits he’s no Messi (who is?) but his moves forward are causing other teams problems. Whether he’ll continue to do that against Colorado or be forced back to defend more remains to be seen, but coach Martin Rennie did admit whether Reo-Coker ends up with the assist or not, “he drives us forward.”
Oh yeah, and Camilo Sanvezzo is back atop the Golden Boot standings with 14, having scored 11 goals in their last 11 matches.
There are goals in this match for sure, but whether anyone can cement themselves into that number 2 spot in the West is the overriding question.
Follow @the_bonnfire
Tags: Camilo Sanvezzo, Cardiff City, Colorado Rapids, Gabriel Torres, Major League Soccer, Martin Rennie, MLS Preview, Nigel Reo-Coker, Oscar, Oscar Pareja, Vancouver Whitecaps
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Starting a drug habit
It's a tragedy that even developing countries like Brazil are subsidising the biofuels industry. As if they have no more pressing problems than expensive fuel. This policy is environmentally questionable, socially inequitable and will be financial nonsense as well. Like other perverse subsidies it is a short-term, televisual response to a set of long-term, global problems. How do such policies get made? Their stated objective sounds reasonable, at first hearing: to encourage local industry while giving a push to something green. But the real objective is to make life easier for agribusiness. Lobbyists for agribusiness the world over know this. They are the real beneficiaries of the farm policies that have done so much to depopulate the rural areas of the rich countries, to denude their countryside, to transfer wealth from food consumers to landowners and large corporates, and to hobble the food-rich developing countries on their path to prosperity. Brazil and the other Latin American countries should have learned from the west's mistakes.
Under a Social Policy Bond regime such corrupt policies would probably fall at the first hurdle. Few governments would get much support if they had openly to admit that their expensive subsidy programmes have one objective: to enrich the large agribusiness corporates. Instead, policy goals would be expressed in terms of outcomes for real people. A useful discipline, but one that evidently does not have to be followed by the Brazilian Government.
Explicit goals
Commenting on an article about Henry Kissinger's role in US foreign policy, a Darian Diachock writes:
The pedestrian character of how these foreign policy wonks think fascinates me. You think ... PhD in some humanities field, experience in international trade, complex issues matrices, and so on. But no, it’s “We need to humiliate them,” or “We need to kick around some crappy little country to show we need business.” Makes you realize that it’s not brilliance but connections that results in high-level appointments. Certainly, the quality of thought isn’t “high-level”.
I would argue that any single mind, however brilliant, will be deficient when it comes to deciding what society's goals are and how to go about achieving them. When I write about Social Policy Bonds I tend to stress their efficiency as compared with current policymaking. But perhaps as important as any of those attributes is that they would change the way in which the very goals of policy are decided. The goals themselves would drive policy; under a bond regime a government would have to state its goals explicitly and transparently. Going to war for the petty reasons to which Mr Diachock refers, would be a hard sell. The goals of such an undertaking would have to be clearly stated. To attract investors they'd also have to be feasible and objectively verifiable. And, critically, they'd also have to be costed, in the sense that the maximum cost to taxpayers would be stipulated in advance.
The goals of many of our most costly policies are rarely specified very accurately. Governments are more comfortable with inputs (spending) decisions than with defining broad outcomes and rewarding those who achieve them, whoever they may be. It's partly for historical reasons and partly also because nobody likes to give up power. A Social Policy Bond regime would limit the power of government to specify how its goals shall be achieved, and who is to be charged with achieving them. But government could still articulate society's goals, and would still be responsible for raising the finance to reward the achievers. These are things it could do quite well; more so when it has to convince a skeptical market about the validity and feasibility of its goals rather than appeal to a few highly-placed ideologues with their own agendas.
Adaptability versus bureaucracy
One of the features of Social Policy Bonds is that they encourage adaptive solutions to our social and environmental problems. The most significant determinants of our way of living were largely unanticipated. Corporations and their activities have led to great benefits (as well as costs) that have little to do with the personal gain of the entrepreneurs who set them up. These side-effects of individual self-interest (positive and negative externalities, as economists call them), in contrast to the plans of the private sector management, were unplanned. With the help of government intervention, they have led to a huge increase in the quality and quantity of life in the rich countries.
Until they grow big enough to influence government, most private sector companies adapt or go under. But their negative externalities of their activities are largely the responsibility of government, a monopoly. Government responds to social and environmental problems in ways that often do not adapt. Hugely wasteful, corrupt and malignant policies, such as farm subsidy programmes and other perverse subsidies, persist partly because they are too small in relation to the overall economies that support them.
Diversity helps: when people from democratic countries travel overseas, see the advantages of doing some things differently, and return home, that puts pressure on their governments to adapt. But what happens when government becomes so big that people cannot do this? Then there would be just one approved way of bringing about, say, climate stability and if that didn't work, then there would be little pressure chance of alternative approaches, despite the evident failure of the policy.
We may well need governments that have very large geographical remits: even a form of global government. And there probably are universal values that need protecting by such bodies. But such values are outcomes, not ways of achieving them. We can have universal values and goals, such as the eradication of world poverty, 100% literacy and numeracy, but we need diversity in the ways of achieving them. Then failed experiments will be terminated, and succesful ones widely adopted. A Social Policy Bond would be consistent with such an approach. It would target outcomes, not the ways of achieving them. Under a bond regime, those agencies, be they public or private sector, would survive and prosper only if they were efficient at achieving society's targeted goals.
It's my 399th post on this blog, and maybe time to take stock. In the past couple of years there have been the odd flurries of interest in the Social Policy Bond concept, including at political levels maybe one degree of separation away from the very highest, but to my knowledge nothing has so far come of any of them. There seems to be a bit more interest in judging the performance of some agencies by outcomes, but I'm not aware of anything like the contracting out of outcomes (as against outputs) to the private sector, and especially not via anything like Social Policy Bonds, which would facilitate a fluid, protean structure subordinated entirely to the targeted social goal. My own work in Social Policy Bonds is therefore something of a holding operation. I write about one or two essays a year for the occasional competition. I maintain this blog, but after years of trying I rarely seek the interest of politicians, the media, and (especially) philanthopic organisations and publishers. I'm most disappointed by the philanthropists. My dozens of emails to anyone connected with established philanthropic bodies are, without a single exception, ignored.
For these reasons I'm particularly glad to read comments on this blog. To a degree, having made the work available is an end in itself. And I take some comfort from reading the lives of people like Thomas Bayes, whose contribution to probability theory was discovered only after his death.
Chomsky on the Middle East
Professor Noam Chomsky, in an essay that encompasses a lot more, puts it accurately and eloquently:
The most extreme protectionism was during the Reagan years—accompanied, as usual, by eloquent odes to liberalism, for others. Reagan virtually doubled protective barriers, and also turned to the usual device, the Pentagon, to overcome management failures and “reindustrialize America,” the slogan of the business press. Furthermore, high levels of protectionism are built into the so-called “free trade agreements,” designed to protect the powerful and privileged, in the traditional manner. Imminent Crises: Threats and Opportunities
It's a long essay, and one that points to the huge gap between ordinary people, in rich and poor countries, and the governments that are supposed to represent them.
Japanese bureaucracy, continued
How did it come about that the Japanese ceded so much power to the bureaucrats (see my previous post)? More from: Dogs and Demons: the Fall of Modern Japan:
Before World War II, the bureaucrats had already consolidated power but had to share it with the armed forces and the big zaibatsu business cartels. After the war, with the army and the zaibatsu discredited, politicians, the press, and the public consigned their fate to bureaucrats, allowing them near-dictatorial powers and asking no questions. For a while, the system worked reasonably well....
Alex Kerr gives a full account of the damage that the bureaucrats are now doing, but the Japanese bureaucrats seem to have entrenched their power so deeply and pervasively that any change will occur only very late in the day, and is likely to be very stressful. The worry is that it is not just Japan; that the influence of government and big business, acting together as they generally do, is becoming as self-entrenching in the west as in Japan. That may sound far-fetched but a single mad policy, the Common Agricultural Policy, has already done much to devastate the physical and social environment of the European Union's rural sector. It is still, decades after its faults were clearly identified, transferring wealth from the poor to the rich, and wasting billions of taxpayer and consumer dollars.
In that instance at least, there is nothing intrinsically self-limiting in bureaucrats' powers. Perhaps it's the comparatively small size of agriculture in Europe that allows it to continue to be subsidised in this corrupt, insane manner. While the CAP costs billions of dollars, it still represents only a small proportion of the EU's Gross Domestic Product. But it, and other perverse subsidies - or rather, their persistence in the face of widespread knowledge of their perversity - should be a warning. We need mechanisms that terminate failed policies rather than entrench them.
My suggestion, Social Policy Bonds, would do that by subordinating activities and funding to explicit, targeted, verifiable outcomes, rather than vaguely expressed declarations of intent that can easily be ignored.
Japanese bureaucracy
Reading Dogs and Demons: the Fall of Modern Japan, one is struck by how resistant the Japanese administrative class is to change, despite the disastrous effects its failings are having on the country, including the destruction of its natural environment. Here the author, Alex Kerr, contrasts the theoretical love of the Japanese people for nature, with what is actually going on:
It is impossible to get through a single day in Japan without seeeing some reference - in paper, plastic, chrome, celluloid, or neon - to autumn foliage, spring blosssoms, flowing rivers, and seaside pines. Yet it is very possible to go for months or even years without seeing the real thing in its unspoiled form. Camouflaged by propaganda and symbols, supported by a complacent public, and directed by a bureaucracy on autopilot, the line of tanks moves on: laying concrete over rivers and seashores, reforesting the hills [with a cedar monoculture], and dumping industrial waste.
Bureaucracy the world over is not subject to the checks and balances of the private sector. This can work to everyone's benefit, as when it does things that only governments can do, and does them well. A military victory, for instance, or successful economic planning - as in post-war Japan. But there's no self-limiting humility, little adaptivity to a changing world, certainly no internal pressure to change. Any such pressure has to come from the outside. But if government becomes too large, too monolithic, too powerful or too closed, it can resist such change, at the expense of its population, for decades. The worry is that the governments of the western countries are becoming like that of Japan, and the USSR: willing to use their powers, and the cynicism of an increasingly disengaged electorate, to resist change, and so enhance their capacity to enlarge their role - and ensure when inevitable change does come, that it will be painful, while in the meantime overseeing the destruction of the social and physical environment.
Against that, is the shrinking planet; people travel more and have greater access to information. They can, then, become more aware of the failings of their bureaucracy at home. Governments can resist that only by blocking travel and information flows, which is more and more difficult to do. But acting in the other direction are:
migration; whereby the most amitious and energetic of the mis-governed countries are more inclined to migrate than to improve things at home; and
the growth of the centralised superstate, along European lines, whereby a single bureaucracy encompasses enlarges an enlarged area, making it more difficult for people to compare its performance with other bureaucracies.
Indeed, the impression one gets reading Chomsky is of the use of power of the world's dominant bureaucracy - that of the the US - to subdue the independence of others. From many points of view, this is a bad thing, though possibly not the worst alternative. But it's bad in particular from the risk management point of view. Diversity of bureaucracies and the ability of people to compare them is one way, perhaps the most effective benign way, of getting them to represent their people's interests rather than their own.
The methods of the Japanese bureaucracy in the post-war decades were largely successful in achieving its aims, which were in turn largely compatible with those of the Japanese population. Those linkages may have broken in Japan and be fraying in much of the rest of the world, but a Social Policy Bond regime could bring them together again. Goals would be explicit, broad and agreed with greater public participation. Bureaucracy would articulate these goals, and raise the finance for their achievement. It would not direct funds directly to its cronies, but contract out the achievment of society's goals to the private sector, via competitive bidding. Amongst many other benefits, large-scale corruption of the sort that has destroyed so much of Japan's environment, would be a thing of the past.
The limits of scholarly focus; or give greed a chance
From Chapter 1 of Another Blood Century: Future Warfare, by Colin Gray:
If an apparently convincing general solution to the problem of war were achievable, it is probable that someone would have discovered it by now. The fact that none such has yet been promoted suggests that the scholarly campaign against war may have been thoroughly misconceived. ... [War] is simply too rich a subject to be captured, let alone prospectively controlled, by the conclusions of general theory.
In this, writes Professor Gray, war is similar to disease: individual maladies can be treated and even cured but 'disease per se does not lend itself to direct scientific assault'.
I agree with this, as far as it goes, but I am more optimistic. Poverty has been reduced not because people have deliberately set out to do so, but largely as the byproduct - or positive externality - of people and corporations maximising their wellbeing in the market. Yes, government intervention and private philanthropy have played a large role in distributing some of this wealth to the poor and into the provision of public services, but the ultimate source of the funding for this was mainly the private sector. In the west the effects of disease as a whole have, in fact, been drastically reduced, though as Professor Gray says, this is not because scholars or intellectuals decided to focus attention on all disease and target it for reduction.
Scholars aren't going to bring about world peace. I don't know whether greater wealth is more or less likely to reduce the level of violent political conflict in the world. Perhaps the trickle-down effect of higher incomes and reduced poverty will make war less likely. Or perhaps by raising the stakes, and the availability and destructive power of weapons, it will have the opposite effect. But I think we can do more than simply be passive observers of the effects of globalised wealth generation on the incidence of war.
A Social Policy Bond regime would target all violent political conflict, including wars within and between states. It would not directly generate solutions to the problem of war, but it would give incentives to those who are currently engaged in conflict reduction and conflict resolution. It would also enlarge the numbers of people willing and able to work toward those ends. We don't need systems, ideologies, more government intervention or more scholarship. Neither should we sit back and hope that war will be reduced or eradicated as a spin-off from world development. What we do need are adaptive, diverse solutions to the problems of potential or actual armed conflict in all its myriad manifestations. To see how the Social Policy Bond principle could be applied to one particular field of conflict (the Middle East), read Peace Bonds: Give Greed a Chance.
Rail and the environment
From the London Times:
[S]ome trains on rural lines, such as the diesel Sprinter, are less efficient than 4x4s because they are often almost empty. Douglas Alexander, when he was Transport Secretary, said last year: “If ten or fewer people travel in a Sprinter, it would be less environmentally damaging to give them each a Land Rover Freelander and tell them to drive.”
The better environmental choice between alternatives is not always obvious, and a lot of damage can be done by people in powerful positions prejudging how environmental objectives are to be achieved. They would do better to help specify these goals, and allocate funds for their achievement, but to contract out the actual achievement to people who will be motivated to do so efficiently and quickly. A Social Policy Bond regime would encourage the exploration and application of the best ways of achieving the specified goals, and it would do so impartially. It would not assume, for instance, that rail, because it has apparently been the sounder environmental alternative in the past, will always continue to be so, under all circumstances. No handful of politicians or experts, however eminent or well meaning, can hope to keep track of the multifarious changing facts in the way that markets do. The information and the motivation are just not there.
The role of GDP
Questioning the supplanting of Gross Domestic Product by an array of alternative indicators, Daniel Ben-Ami writes:
The first point to note is that the attack on GDP is generally based on a caricature. Countless commentators have made the point, often as if it is their original insight, that GDP is not a perfect measure of human wellbeing. However, it would be hard to find anyone who would have made such a claim for GDP in the first place. No one – except perhaps the most hardcore economics geeks – cares about GDP numbers for their own sake.
I disagree. Perhaps nobody will admit to caring about GDP for its own sake, but it does seem to have become a de facto target for governments that either have no clear objective beyond staying in power, or an array of meaningless micro-targets that have little to do with well-being or can anyway be easily manipulated, at great deadweight cost to society. I also disagree with the author when he casts aspersions on the Millenium Development Goals.
These commit world leaders to such targets as eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education and reducing child mortality.
The first two of these I see as unquestionably valid goals; the last needs some qualification.
Nevertheless Mr Ben-Ami is, I think, correct to talk about the unpriced positive externalities arising from economic growth. I don't see much of this in the literature - though I have posted about it, and it's reassuring to see it mentioned by someone else.
...if anything, GDP statistics underestimate the human benefits of economic growth. Having a larger economy itself has important benefits.
'The Ideology of Development'
William Easterly writes:
Like all ideologies, Development promises a comprehensive final answer to all of society’s problems, from poverty and illiteracy to violence and despotic rulers. It shares the common ideological characteristic of suggesting there is only one correct answer, and it tolerates little dissent. It deduces this unique answer for everyone from a general theory that purports to apply to everyone, everywhere. Foreign Policy
Exactly. I'm bemused when commentators blame politicians for not having a coherent ideology or not being true to their party's principles. Ideological rigidity is a curse. It does nothing to achieve outcomes that are of interest to ordinary people, as distinct from ideologues and party hacks. We need adaptive, diverse strategies, not top-down, one-size-fits-all belief systems; they've been tried and and they have failed; they failed not because 'they were never fully adopted' but because ideology implies ... well, let Professor Easterly explain:
The ideology of Development is not only about having experts design your free market for you; it is about having the experts design a comprehensive, technical plan to solve all the problems of the poor. These experts see poverty as a purely technological problem, to be solved by engineering and the natural sciences, ignoring messy social sciences such as economics, politics, and sociology. [Jeffrey] Sachs, Columbia University’s celebrity economist, is one of its main proprietors. He is now recycling his theories of overnight shock therapy, which failed so miserably in Russia, into promises of overnight global poverty reduction. “Africa’s problems,” he has said, “are … solvable with practical and proven technologies.” His own plan features hundreds of expert interventions to solve every last problem of the poor—from green manure, breast-feeding education, and bicycles to solar-energy systems, school uniforms for aids orphans, and windmills. Not to mention such critical interventions as “counseling and information services for men to address their reproductive health needs.” All this will be done, Sachs says, by “a united and effective United Nations country team, which coordinates in one place the work of the U.N. specialized agencies, the IMF, and the World Bank.”
So the admirable concern of rich countries for the tragedies of world poverty is thus channeled into fattening the international aid bureaucracy, the self-appointed priesthood of Development. Like other ideologies, this thinking favors collective goals such as national poverty reduction, national economic growth, and the global
Millennium Development Goals, over the aspirations of individuals.
Actually I think national poverty reduction a laudable goal, though I share Professor Easterly's doubts about aid bureaucracy's other objectives.
The Social Policy Bond approach is different. It subordinates ideology to targeted outcomes. Any organization that comes in to being as a result of Social Policy Bonds will have goals that are exactly congruent with those specified in the bonds themselves. Its structure and motivation would be those that are most efficient at achieving those goals, which would be society's targeted social and environmental objectives.
From the UK Guardian:
Voters [in the UK] will be given powers to decide how ten of millions of pounds should be spent in their neighbourhood under radical plans being unveiled today. In a potentially dramatic extension of direct democracy, councils will have to hold ballots before deciding where money should be targeted. It would mean that, for the first time, people could direct cash to areas that concern them most, such as parks, curbing antisocial behaviour, targeting drug trouble spots or cleaning up litter.
I think this is a good idea. It's part way toward a Social Policy Bond approach. Ideally the funding would be directed at specified outcomes, and there would be competition to achieve these outcomes. But even so, if this initiative takes off I think it would represent a big improvement over the current system. Voters are better educated and have access to more information than they ever did when the current form of elections was set up. Direct democracy would encourage people to participate in the decisions that affect their lives - and end in itself (may need subscription) as well as a means to further ends.
Subsidies to the rich
It's not just the UK that the transfers funds from the poor to the rich via farm subsidies. It's painful reading but you can read here about how the US fails to look after the members of its military who suffer Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome:
The PTSD label is not only stigmatizing, but its symptoms are often mistaken for personality disorders and are blamed for behavioral problems like insubordination and substance abuse, resulting in a one-way ticket out of the military with no retirement pay or benefits.
And here, about Maurice Wilder, "newly crowned king of the subsidies":
He received $2.5 million in farm handouts from 2003 to 2005 ...making him the single biggest single recipient. Even the Bush administration is becoming embarrassed by the welfare state created for farmers. The president is thinking of limiting handouts to farmers to an adjusted $200,000 per household.
Posted by Ronnie Horesh at 23:14 1 comment:
Nappies: latest news
The latest on cloth versus paper nappies (diapers):
[A] four-year research project ... found that the impact of burying disposable nappies in landfill sites was matched by the energy consumed and greenhouse gases generated by washing reusables or transporting them to laundries. Thisislondon.co.uk
Environmental impact is a difficult concept to measure. How is one to weight the environmental impact of (say) washing cloth nappies in water heated to 100 degrees Celsius, against that of the harvest, transport and disposal in landfill of their paper subsitute? At great cost (the study referred to in the quote above cost £30 million and took four years) you could probably compare the impact in terms of any one environmental indicator, such as water use, landfill volume, or even carbon footprint (assuming resolution of boundary issues). But even assuming a complete and accurate Life Cycle Analysis, there is no objective way of weighting the different impacts.
Social Policy Bonds applied to environmental issues have huge informational advantages over some conventional policies, particularly on a large scale. For instance, rather than try to evaluate the diverse impacts of the vast and ever-changing panoply of consumer goods and services, a bond regime would take a few broad indicators - regional landfill volume, air quality, climate stability - express its goals in terms of thresholds that must not be breached, then reward the achievement of those goals. Just how those goals are to be achieved is left up to investors in the bonds, competing with other would-be investors to find the most cost-effective ways of doing so. For more about Social Policy Bonds applied to environmental problems, click here.
More mess
More from Daniel Finkelstein:
The best way of making good collective judgments is to aggregate many independent points of view. But tidy politics works on the opposite principle. it is organised as a conspiracy in which everyone defends everyone else's mistakes. Advice from a chimp (1) No experts (2) More mess, 'The Times', 27 June
Unity, in other words, is more important to our politics, than outcomes. That's not so surprising. Political parties are only institutions, and like all large organizations their goals are not necessarily those of the individuals within them, let alone those non-members they purport to represent. Large corporate organizations do adapt - or they go under. So do political organizations, even including the largest, most securre of them all: ruling governments. The tragedy is that their death throes can be protracted and drag many thousands of people with them. It's little comfort to know that the most reviled and hated regimes will one day come to an end; or even that corrupt, insane political programmes - step forward, Common Agricultural Policy! - are unsustainable in the long run. The long run can be very long, and the damage done to people and the environment by, say, the Soviet Union or the CAP, is largely irreversible.
Perhaps we need to look at a new type of institution. One whose structure and activities are a byproduct of the outcome it targets, rather than the other way round.
The limits of scholarly focus; or give greed a cha...
'The Ideology of Development' William Easterly wr...
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Advisers to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission Hold Briefing on Juvenile Solitary Confinement in New York
By Victoria Law | July 14, 2014
Seven Days in Solitary
Voices from Solitary
An isolation cell in “the Bing” on Rikers Island. Some 60 percent of the adolescents sent to Rikers have been diagnosed with mental illness. Many end up doing time in solitary.
Johnny Perez was sixteen when he was arrested for weapons possession. New York State automatically charges people ages 16 and over as adults, so the teenager was charged as an adult. Unable to afford the $100,000 bail, he was sent to Rikers Island to await trial. There, he was placed in C-74, the unit for 16 to 18 year olds. “A lot of the adolescents can be real territorial,” he recalled. At C-74, they tried to control the phones, the bathrooms and all other aspects of life in the jail. Perez got into a fight over using the phone. “It was a gang-only phone, but I didn’t care,” he said. For that fight, the 16-year-old was sent to solitary confinement (known on Rikers as “the Bing”) for sixty days.
When Perez entered solitary, jail staff took his clothes and issued him a jumpsuit. He was placed in a cell which he described as a “concrete slab with a mattress. There was a toilet-sink combo, but nowhere to sit.” He sometimes spent days without eating or being able to use the phone. “The phone is supposed to be passed cell to cell by another inmate [a suicide prevention aide],” he recalled. But on his first day in the Bing, the suicide prevention aide was a member of the gang with whom Perez had fought. Whenever he worked, I didn’t get access to the phone or to food,” Perez said. He recalled that the first three weeks were the most difficult. “I felt isolated, sad, helpless,” he recalled. “I remember crying a lot.”
On Thursday, July 10th, the now-adult Perez testified before the New York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. The advisory committee investigates civil rights concerns in the state and reports to the Commission, which can then choose to issue recommendations to the U.S. Department of Justice for further action. Each advisory committee is appointed for two years and chooses which issues to focus on during that two-year tenure. Appointed in July 2013, committee members in New York chose to focus on juvenile justice within the state, looking specifically at education, solitary confinement, and the Prison Rape Elimination Act.
The Advisory Committee’s all-day briefing at NYU Law School on July 10 concerned juvenile solitary confinement in New York State. Panelists included New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci, New York City Councilmember Daniel Dromm, former judges, mental health professionals, advocates, attorneys, and two men who experienced solitary confinement personally—Perez and Five Mualimm-ak, who spent five years in isolation in New York State prisons.
Ian Kysel, author of a 2012 report on youth in solitary confinement, was one of several witnesses to make note of the lack of national data about the solitary confinement of children in the United States. The lack of data extends to information about race and mental health diagnoses among youth placed in solitary—a particular concern of the Advisory Committee, which investigates discriminatory treatment.
Bryanne Hamill, a retired family court judge and current member of the New York City Board of Correction, which monitors conditions in city’s jails, noted that adolescents in general are overrepresented in solitary confinement in Rikers Island. Approximately 60 percent have mental health diagnoses, in contrast to 40 percent of the adults in solitary. Last September, the Board of Correction unanimously approved recommendations to commence rulemaking around solitary confinement. However, warned Hamill, the process will be slow.
Queens Councilmember Daniel Dromm, who has introduced two bills regulating the use of solitary in New York City jails, talked about his visit to Rikers Island. “What I saw was cruel and inhumane,” he testified. Although people in solitary are allowed one hour out of their cells for recreation time, that one hour falls between four and six in the morning and then consists only of being brought to another cell. Dromm recounts that guards boasted that they woke people at four, rather than at five, to offer them rec. “Very few people are willing to get up at 4 am for rec,” Dromm recounted. During his visit, Dromm asked how many rules could land a person in solitary confinement if broken. Jail staff told him that there are over 100 such rules that. Those arriving at Rikers Island are not given copies of these rules. Dromm reported that he also saw youth awaiting therapy sessions chained to pipes.
In February 2014, the New York State DOCCS entered a settlement agreement with the New York Civil Liberties Union in Peoples v. Fisher, with DOCCS agreeing to prohibit the use of Special Housing Units for minors, pregnant women, and people with developmental disabilities. Instead, it will utilize in-cell confinement for youth that does not exceed 19 hours per day on weekdays. Four hours will be spent on out-of-cell programming and one hour on recreation. DOCCS has 18 months in which to implement changes. In the meantime, Commissioner Annucci acknowledged that DOCCS is not yet keeping statistics on the number of 16 and 17 year olds placed in disciplinary segregation, and that he did not know if there were disparities in the use of solitary based on race or mental health.
At any given time, Annucci testified, DOCCS has approximately 120 15 and 17 year olds in its prison system. Under the Prison Rape Elimination Act, those under age 18 must be separated from adults by both sight and sound. DOCCS currently houses teenage boys in one of three prisons—Coxsackie Correctional Facility, Woodbourne Correctional Facility, and Greene Correctional Facility. While Coxsackie and Woodbourne will employ in-cell confinement for 19 hours each day to replace SHU treatment for youth, Greene includes a special eight-bed unit for youth sent to disciplinary segregation. “We are crafting a prison within a prison and programs that meet their needs,” Annuci stated before the Committee. Only one to three teenage girls are in adult prisons at any given time. “It’s been a challenge to keep them separate,” he told Solitary Watch. “If you’re [a] 17-year-old [girl], you’re going to be kept by yourself.”
Although details of the Peoples v Fisher settlement agreement remain undisclosed because of a confidentiality clause, Karen Murtagh of Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York points out that the new conditions will not only have to wait eighteen months for implementation, but are also contingent upon DOCCS’ ability to secure funding. She also noted that the 19-hour limit on in-cell confinement is only limited to weekdays. On weekends, youth can still spend up to 23 hours per day in their cells. “Let’s not use isolation as the norm and pat ourselves on the back that we’re now only confining them for 19 rather than 23 hours,” she argued. Moreover, the agreement will apply only to New York State prisons, not local jails such as Rikers Island.
Several advocates point to other racial demographics around policing, imprisonment, and even school discipline to extrapolate similar patterns. Alexander A. Reinhart, professor at the Cardozo School of Law, noted that the use of discipline in schools disproportionately impacts students of color two to five times more than it does white students. “We can expect to see similar outcomes in jails and prisons,” he stated.
Scott Paltrowitz, of the Correctional Association of New York, pointed to the racial disparities in policing, prosecution, imprisonment, and the use of solitary confinement in New York State and across the country. “Even if isolated confinement itself was evenly inflicted on people across races,” he said in his testimony, “young people of color would already be disproportionately subjected to it because they are disproportionately impacted at every previous stage of the processes that ultimately result in isolated confinement: from arrest, to prosecution, to sentencing.” Moreover, isolated confinement itself is disproportionately issued to people of color. He noted that while eighteen percent of the entire state’s population is Black, Black people make up 50 percent of the New York State prison population, and 60 percent of the people in New York’s SHUs. Of those 21 and under in New York’s major, longer term isolated confinement units, Black children make up 66 percent.
Advocates also noted the necessity of not limiting the investigation only to the effects of solitary confinement on minors. Murtagh strongly recommended that the Committee extend its focus to people who were sentenced to solitary confinement between the ages of 16 and 18 but who are now age 23, 34, and 25. She points to one client, Raymond, who is currently facing more than three years in solitary because he received 23 rules violations tickets in 29 days. If Raymond wanted to appeal, he would have to file 23 separate appeals, one for each ticket. In the meantime, his solitary sentences will be run consecutively. Raymond turned eighteen on May 27th and currently falls out of the Committee’s scope of examination.
Paltrowitz echoed that recommendation. “Someone who is 17 will turn 18, 20, 21, etc., so don’t draw the line at 17,” he urged. He recalled a recent visit to one of New York State’s prisons. There, he met two men in the SHU who had entered DOCCS at age 17. One was now 20 and was so devastatingly affected by the SHU that he recently attempted suicide. The other was 34 and had spent much of his time in prison in disciplinary confinement because of failures to address his mental health needs and repeatedly receiving disciplinary tickets. Paltrowitz emphasized that this man’s experience is not an anomaly. “We repeatedly hear that people get ticket after ticket while in the SHU, which extends their SHU sentence,” he stated.
Those who testified, including Commissioner Annucci, repeatedly pointed to studies showing that the teenage brain is still developing and that impulse control has not yet fully formed. Dr. Bandy Lee, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine who co-wrote a report condemning solitary confinement practices at Rikers Island, agreed, testifying that the brain is not fully developed until age twenty-five.
Alexandra Korry, the attorney who chairs the New York Advisory Committee, can’t say whether the federal government will intervene in the issue. But after hearing nearly seven hours of testimony, she said, “We’ve heard an overwhelming amount of evidence that something needs to change. I’m sure we’ll have a lot of recommendations.” Those recommendations will go to the national Commission on Civil Rights, which can in turn urge the Justice Department to act. In May, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder issued a circumscribed statement on juvenile solitary confinement, saying that “unnecessary or excessive seclusion of youth with disabilities” should be ended.
Johnny Perez, who has been home for nine months and now works as a Safe Reentry Advocate at the Urban Justice Center, is hoping for complete systemic change. “Prison itself, not just solitary confinement, is an attack on your soul,” he told Solitary Watch on the day after the hearing. Both his time in solitary and behind bars affected his self-esteem and his emotions. “When I was 16, I couldn’t identify these emotions a lot of times. My default emotion was anger, which led to aggressive behavior like lashing out, overcompensating, and violence.” He also stresses that laws and rules have been constructed by people who have no direct experience with the prison system. “The voice of those people is critical to any type of reform or change. Those most directly affected by these rules and laws need to be heard—and involved—in making these changes.”
This entry was posted in News and tagged children, Civil Liberties/Civil Rights, Juveniles, Lawsuits/Litigation, Mental Illness, New York, New York City jails, New York State Advisory Committee, New York State Prisons, Psychological Effects, Race, Rikers Island, Solitary Confinement, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. Bookmark the permalink.
2 thoughts on “Advisers to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission Hold Briefing on Juvenile Solitary Confinement in New York”
Annette Brinkmann on July 16, 2014
„No prison cell is as dark as the medical officer’s heart“ (N.N.)
The most important officer in every jail is the medical officer. He or she is responsible for every person there, be it the wardens and their education, be it the inmates and their „health“ conditions. Nothing happens in any jail without permission by the medical officers, their open acceptance or their tacit consent. They know about „their people“, they know about the severe conditions, they know exactly what’s going on. In front of a medical officer EVERYONE, even the prison director or a governor, is a patient and nothing else, this is the core of the „doctor-patient-relationship“ (some use the term Doctatorship to describe this appropriately).
Being so, and in reading about the violent felonies, their arises the question: What can any inmate – and „out“mates, too! – do to change his or her situation, overcoming the fear, clearing his mind and leaving this kind of passivation, this medical spell?
A lot of people all over the world, even in the darkest prisons or whitest mental hospitals, startet – with reading. They read the following report about fighting back in jail, even under the conditions of solitary confinement, making a stand, maintaining one’s ground as a human being. This is new and this is important:
http://spkpfh.de/Solitary_confinement.htm
Dave Majkowski on August 4, 2015
A model non-violent prisoner who is locked in solitary and sentenced to die there. “The story of Richard Wershe Jr., aka the infamous White Boy Rick, is convoluted to say the least. But the facts of the case that remain true are that he has been in jail since 1988 for a nonviolent drug offense committed while he was still a juvenile. Convicted under Michigan’s 650 Lifer Law, which has since been repealed, he is the only person still imprisoned under the old law. And everyone keeps asking: Why is this man still in prison when murderers, rapists, drug kingpins and even the corrupt cops and drug dealers that he helped to put away are out?” – http://www.thefix.com/content/white-boy-rick-Richard-Wershe-Michigan-650-Lifer-Law-seth-ferranti0515
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Home Actor Josh Duhamel
Joshua David Duhamel was born in Minot, North Dakota. His mother, Bonny L., is a retired high school teacher, and the Executive Director of Minot’s Downtown Business & Profession Association, and his father, Larry Duhamel, is an advertisement salesman. Josh has three younger sisters: Ashlee, McKenzee and Kassidy. His ancestry is German, and smaller amounts of Norwegian, French-Canadian, English, Irish, and Austrian (his last name is very common among Francophones in the world). Before his acting career, the football player studied biology and earned his Bachelor’s degree at Minot State University with the intention of pursuing dentistry.
When Josh was 26 years old, he worked in the construction business, and it was by chance that he got into the entertainment business. Modeling eventually gave way to acting as Josh was asked to audition for the title character in The Picture of Dorian Gray (2005), from the novel by Oscar Wilde.
Duhamel can be seen in Vince Gilligan and David Shore’s CBS series, “Battle Creek.” He is in production on four films: “Lost In The Sun,” “Bravetown,” “The Wrong Stuff,” and “Beyond Deceit.”
Duhamel also starred alongside Hillary Swank and Emmy Rossum in the George C. Wolfe directed drama, “You’re Not You.” Duhamel also starred opposite Julianne Hough in Lasse Hallstrom’s “Safe Haven,” a drama based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks and the thriller “Scenic Route,” which tells the story of two friends stranded in the desert. In addition, Duhamel was seen in the star-studded, ensemble comedy “Movie 43” alongside Emma Stone, Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Kate Winslet, Richard Gere among many others. Co-directed by Peter Farrelly and Patrik Forsberg, the film features various intertwining, raunchy tales.
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3400 Edgmont Ave, Brookhaven, PA 19015
Order Your Medication
How Does Stress Affect the Brain?
Stress is known to affect the body and the mind. But stress, especially when chronic or prolonged, can also have a negative impact on the brain. Most people experience forgetfulness when stressed, but there are also changes happening to the brain that one doesn’t notice. So, what are these changes and how exactly does stress affect the brain?
Stress Changes the Brain’s Structure
Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, have found that chronic stress leads to an increase in white matter in the brain, more specifically in the hippocampus (the part of the brain involved in emotion, learning, and memory). White matter is composed of networks of nerve fibers and makes up about half of the human brain. The white color comes from the substance that coats the nerve fibers, called myelin. An excess of myelin in the brain interferes with communication between the brain’s nerve fibers.
Stress Affects Short-Term Memory and Memory Retrieval
Chronic stress is associated with an increased risk of short-term memory loss. A study conducted by researchers at Ohio State University observed changes in the behavior of mice after repeated encounters with aggressive mice. Before the aggressive encounters, the mice were repeatedly placed in a maze with an escape hole, which they learned very well. After repeated stressful encounters with aggressive mice, the observed mice were unable to remember the location of the escape hole.
Moreover, acute stress (short-term stress) has been shown to affect how the brain collects and stores memories. Even stress lasting as little as a few hours can disrupt how brain cells communicate in the hippocampus region.
Stress Kills Brain Cells
A study published in 2005 showed that a single stressful social encounter is enough to lead to nerve cell death in the hippocampus from surviving. During this study, researchers placed a younger rat in a cage with two aggressive older rats for 20 minutes, then examined the brain of the younger rat under a microscope. Researchers found that the stress in the younger rats did not inhibit the hippocampus from generating new cells, but it did prevent a portion of the new cells from surviving — as little as one-third of newly generated cells survived one week later. Scientists also noted that the ability of the new nerve cells to survive was even affected one month after the stressful encounter, with as many as one-third having died.
Stress Shrinks Certain Areas of the Brain
Chronic stress is associated with the loss of brain volume and eventually cognitive impairment. A study conducted on rats showed that chronic stress resulted in a loss of volume in the hippocampus region of the brain. Studies on humans show that individuals diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder have a significant reduction of the hippocampus region of the brain. Loss of brain volume in the hippocampus affects its ability to make and store memories.
What Do These Findings Mean?
The relationship between stress and brain function could lead to new therapies that may help reduce the risk of developing long-term changes to the brain after experiencing stressful events.
https://bebrainfit.com/effects-stress-brain/
https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-your-memory-4158323
https://psychcentral.com/blog/how-stress-affects-your-memory/
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Sunnyshore Studio
Sharing Beauty with the World
Five Generations of Artists: Meet Jason Dorsey
jason2772 April 13, 2017 April 15, 2017
Home Uncategorized Five Generations of Artists: Meet Jason Dorsey
Five Generations of Artists: Meet Ann Cory
Five Generations of Artists: Meet Sayre Cooney Dodgson
jason2772 Uncategorized April 13, 2017 April 15, 2017
Jason Dorsey, Owner and Artistic Director of Sunnyshore Studio, grew up with paintbrushes in his hand. He was born in 1969 in Seattle and raised on beautiful Camano Island, WA. His dad and mom encouraged him as an artist from an early age.
Jason discovered his ability to paint watercolors when he was sixteen. One day he was bored so he went out to his dad studio, took out a full sheet of watercolor paper and launched in on a painting. The painting turned out great, and his dad and mom saw his interest and gifts and took him for a lesson to northwest watercolor artist Wes Broten who taught him the glazing technique. His junior year at Stanwood HS Jason placed in the top seven in a statewide high school art contest.
Jason attended Corban University where he had a solo show of his watercolors and sold out! He donated the money to the tuition of his college sweetheart, Jenny Wallace. In June, 1992 he married Jenny. Jason and Jenny have four children: Jacob, Julian, Judah and Jacqueline.
From June 1992-May 1993 Jason’s art career flourished. He was serving a year long pastoral internship at Camano Chapel on Camano Island. During that year he painted seriously. Each week he joined a group of gifted artists for tea at the Calico Cupboard in La Conner, then joined them in painting on the scene, so called plein air painting. He worked for Skagit Valley College extension, teaching an art class on Camano Island as the Senior Center. And he painted. During that year Jason entered and was accepted in many national watercolor exhibits including the San Diego Watercolor Society International Exhibition, where he won the jack Richeson Award, the Pittsburgh Watercolor Society 47th annual exhibit, the Western Colorado Watercolor Society, the Beaver Marsh Art Bash (Mount Vernon, WA), and Spring in 2 Dimensions (Anacortes, WA).
In the summer of 1994, Jason put away his brushes and moved to Chicago, IL, to complete his seminary training at Trinity International Divinity School which he graduated from in 1995 with a Master of Divinity and an MA in Systematic Theology.
Since that time, Jason’s art has been woven into his ministry as a Presbyterian Pastor. He served as an assistant pastor at Green Lake Presbyterian Church, in Seattle from 1997-2002 where, among other things, he organized Art Nights where universal themes like longing, beauty, mercy, and laughter were explored through diverse original art mediums such as painting, drama, dance, film, music, and literature.
Jason led Redeemer Presbyterian Church in downtown Indianapolis, IN from 2002-2015. This church was a great fit for Jason. The old historic building owned by the church was shared with the Harrison Center for the Arts, an art and cultural development organization (www.harrisoncenter.org). During Jason’s tenure, the graceful partnership with the church and arts organization flourished. There were four Galleries in the building, over 30 artists had studios in the building, and each year over 100,000 guests came through the facility for art and cultural events alone.
During his thirteen years in Indy, Jason had two solo art shows. One of them was a series of paintings of Indianapolis where he merged his gifts as a watercolor painter with his love for the city.
Another highlight was in 2014 when the Harrison Center hosted a show for the Dorsey family of artists which was the first time the entire family had displayed their art together in a Gallery. It also brought the family together for a holiday on Lake Michigan!
In September 2015 Jason and his family moved to Redmond, WA where he now serves as pastor of Redeemer Redmond (www.redeemerredmond.org). In March 2015 work began Sunnyshore Studio. Jason’s dream since 1998 had been to build an art studio/gallery next to his parents called Sunnyshore Studio that would showcase the family’s art legacy and be a vibrant working studio for artists and creative people. Living in Redmond allows Jason to oversee the development of Sunnyshore Studio.
The mission of Sunnyshore Studio is to share beauty with the world. This is done through hospitality at the Studio, as well as through art, books, music and film. Plans are also underway for the revival (in October) of the “Grunt and Groan Club” whose goal is inspire people to make art each week.
Besides being an artist, Jason is a writer. He enjoys merging art with writing. In December 2015 Jason’s children’s picture book I Remember Fishing with Dad was published. It is the first of a 12 book I Remember series that weaves story and art to explore universal themes through the eyes of a boy growing up on an island. His next book, I Remember Running Through the Woods is scheduled to be released in September 2018.
Recently, Jason wrote and collaborated with his family to illustrate a coffee table book titled The Beaches of Camano that was released at the grand opening of Sunnyshore Studio on December 2016.
Here’s a video made of the grand opening of Sunnyshore Studio.
Jason’s currently writing a biography of his dad, Jack Dorsey, that will be released in June of 2017 titled “Sketch of an Artist.”
Jason’s faith in a God who is Creator and who makes us in his image drives his own creativity. His passion as a pastor is to help people understand their God-crafted identity and God-appointed calling. The discipleship path he created called “Identity Mapping” helps people understand their identity and step into their calling.
Jason is also passionate to see the colony of artists on Camano thrive. He is a member and on the board of the Camano Arts Association (www.camanoarts.org) whose mission is “that Camano Island will become recognized as a major cultural center for the Visual Arts in the Pacific Northwest.”
Camano Island | Family of Artists | Jason Dorsey | sunnyshore studio
swb525
August 19, 2018 at 12:27 am 1 year ago
How come we can’t see your art on the sunnyshore website … no store to look at…?
Walter Burien - CAFR1
April 11, 2019 at 5:34 pm 9 months ago
Jason:
When and where did you do this watercolor painting?
http://myfutures.org/Pictures/Jason%20Dorsey-Watercolor-Boat.jpg
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NPR biz editor Gogoi named to SABEW board
by Chris Roush · February 14, 2019
Pallavi Gogoi
Pallavi Gogoi, chief business editor at National Public Radio, has been appointed to the board of governors of the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing.
Gogoi leads the network’s coverage of the most essential financial, economic, technology and media stories of the day.
Gogoi has been appointed to the board seat previously occupied by Marilyn Geewax, former senior business editor for NPR. Geewax is teaching this semester in Beijing at Tsinghua University’s Global Business Journalism Program.
“I have always believed strongly in my mission as a journalist, in the pursuit of truth and in strengthening the fabric of democracy,” said Gogoi in a statement. “There is no better way to help the cause than to give back. I am thrilled to be joining the board of SABEW, whose work in journalism couldn’t be more important at this time in history.”
Before joining NPR in 2017, Gogoi was a senior editor at CNN Money, where she oversaw a team covering business news, markets and the economy. Prior to that, she was a national business correspondent at The Associated Press, where her work on mortgage robo-signing was the subject of a Senate hearing.
At USA Today, she covered the financial crisis and bank bailouts. At Business Week, she wrote high-impact stories that led to changes at Walmart, Edelman and The Washington Post.
“We’re very pleased that Pallavi is joining the SABEW board, bringing her own unique and special talents and experiences to our organization. Her employer, NPR, is highly respected for the quality of its excellent work over many decades,” said Mark Hamrick, SABEW president and Bankrate.com senior economic analyst and Washington bureau chief, in a statement.
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Trump Lays Down Cover Fire Before Release Of Mueller Report
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: U.S. President Donald Trump talks with journalists before departing the White House March 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. Trump is traveling to Ohio where he will visit a tank manufacturer and ... WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 20: U.S. President Donald Trump talks with journalists before departing the White House March 20, 2019 in Washington, DC. Trump is traveling to Ohio where he will visit a tank manufacturer and participate in a fundraiser. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) MORE LESS
By Matt Shuham
March 20, 2019 1:23 p.m.
President Donald Trump on Wednesday attacked senior Justice Department officials and former Attorney General Jeff Sessions in an apparent attempt to undermine the credibility of special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe.
Mueller was appointed by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, who made that call because then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recused himself from matters related to Russia and election interference.
“I just won one of the greatest elections of all time in the history of this country — and even you will admit that — and now I have somebody writing a report that never got a vote?” Trump complained to reporters outside the White House.
Trump: “I just won one of the greatest elections of all time in the history of this country — and even you will admit that — and now I have somebody writing a report that never got a vote?” pic.twitter.com/jrxJ9wMbgT
— Matt Shuham (@mattshuham) March 20, 2019
The President said earlier in his response that Sessions “didn’t have the courage to do it himself.”
In fact, Sessions recused himself months before Mueller’s appointment after revelations that he met twice with Russia’s ambassador to the United States during the 2016 campaign and subsequently failed to disclose the meetings as attorney general, when asked about contacts with Russians during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
Trump on Wednesday referred to Rosenstein as “a deputy” who was “appointed,” and who then “appoint[ed] another man to write a report.”
“Explain that, because my voters don’t get it, and I don’t get it,” he added.
Trump, of course, nominated Rosenstein, who was confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate in a 94-6 vote.
Trump also changed his tune again Wednesday on whether Mueller’s report should be public, this time saying “I don’t mind” the American public seeing the report, subject to Attorney General William Barr’s discretion.
Recently, Trump said there ought not be any report at all, and incorrectly called Mueller’s investigation illegal. And just after that, he told Republicans in Congress to go along with a non-binding resolution asserting that the report should be made public. That resolution passed with unanimous support in the House of Representatives; Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) blocked a vote on it in the Senate.
“Let it come out,” Trump said Wednesday. “Let the people see it. That’s up to the attorney general.”
Matt Shuham (@mattshuham) is a reporter in TPM’s New York office covering corruption, extremism and other beats. Prior to joining TPM, he was associate editor of The National Memo and an editorial intern at Rolling Stone.
Donald TrumpJeff SessionsMueller reportRobert MuellerRod RosensteinRussia probe
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The Other Ladies of Myanmar by Jennifer Rigby, ISEAS, Singapore, 2018, Pages 127.
by Dr. Reshmi Banerjee
Posted on November 28, 2018 February 3, 2019
Reshmi Banerjee reviews Jennifer Rigby’s telling of twelve remarkable Myanmar women and their life histories.
The presence of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the iconic female leader of Myanmar, has long overshadowed the relevance of other inspirational women in the country and their meaningful contributions to Myanmar’s path to democracy. Although these women have come from various social strata with diverse levels of economic prowess and political reach, their individual stories are integrated insofar as they share narratives that feature overcoming powerlessness, cultivating courage and displaying resilience in the face of hardships; they also share a determined commitment to express themselves and act without fear by remaining rooted in their firm convictions. The journey of these women is a journey of space-creation for alternative dialogue and inclusion in a terrain which has witnessed military rule, patriarchal rigidity and inter-communal violence. In her book, The Other Ladies of Myanmar, Jennifer Rigby brings forth the lives of twelve such women – women who have traveled on an unconventional road with an infectious zeal to bring change, to shake up outdated mindsets with defiance from the ground up. The book tries to capture not only their dreams and the challenges they have faced, but also attempts to understand the minds and hearts of these formidable women drivers of change in Myanmar – the often understated yet impressive torchbearers of hope.
The book’s first chapter begins with the Chin activist Cheery Zahau. Her family escaped to the state of Mizoram in North East India after the 1988 democratic uprising was crushed by the military. Her experiences there living with the fear of deportation she describes in the chapter give a glimpse into the everyday uncertainty which communities face when they cross frontiers. She and her team, the Women’s League of Chinland have documented the crimes committed by the military, which used rape and sexual violence as a weapon of war. She continues her fight for human rights, for women and for her ethnic community.
The gender inequality that exists within the religious sphere is something which Daw Ketu Mala is engaging as a feminist Buddhist nun and founder of the Dhamma School Foundation. The next chapter showcases her efforts to rehabilitate the image of nuns in the country. From her family rejecting her decision to become a nun, to facing hate speech on Facebook, she has used her struggles to expand the concept of metta (kindness based on knowledge and wisdom), a useful and perhaps imperative tool to bring people together in Myanmar today.
Mi Mi, activist and survivor of an acid attack, is a true champion, as she is the first woman in the country to protest against such heinous crimes against women and fight for justice. Her story highlights the need to address issues of domestic violence, corruption in the judiciary, an inhospitable environment for victims and an overall culture of impunity. Her acts of bravery will hopefully break the veil of silence and open up doors for many such victims to speak up. Rather than the victim being shamed, the perpetrator needs to be held accountable, particularly in a society which needs to be far more demonstrative in its support towards women, not just by creating more stringent laws but by showing empathy towards women’s issues.
The life-histories of women covered in the book are varied, ranging from Yin Myo Su, a Shan businesswoman (who initiated hotels in the Inle Lake area and in Mrauk-U, along with a vocational training school project) to Myanmar’s green princess and environmental campaigner Devi Thant Cin (the initiator of Global Green Group, Myanmar Green Network and Bamboo Lovers Network). However, the omnipresence and sheer might of the military was evident in their lives with the former’s father being arrested after the 1990 elections (he had stood as a candidate) and the latter losing her job in 1988 on account of her participation in the anti-junta protests. Devi Thant Cin also witnessed her father being jailed for his activism.
The world of creative art has not been left untouched in Myanmar, as it has always been a very powerful arena of expression and revolt. Jennifer Rigby does full justice to this by introducing us to Ma Ei, the bold performance artist who stunned everyone in her exhibition by handing out sanitary towels. Her work has not merely questioned and confronted society’s set values as well as the censorship board but she has worked to make people think. The chapter on her mentions her cooking noodles in front of a crowd in a male longyi and painting the nails of a male audience member, thus constantly raising queries about gender stereotypes.
Topics which are considered taboo for discussion in Myanmar have been taken up by women, with the book delving into the life of the Karen refugee sexual health nurse, Mu Tha Paw, who works in camps along the Myanmar-Thai border including in Mae La camp. Also highlighted are the efforts of human rights champion Wai Wai Nu, a Rohingya Muslim and a post graduate law student at Berkeley. The latter’s contribution in forming civil society organizations (Women for Justice and Women Peace Network Arakan) along with promoting friendship and tolerance through the “My Friend” campaign – which encourages young people to take selfies together irrespective of their different backgrounds – has been commendable.
Diverse roles played by the women of Myanmar show their amazing ability to adapt to changing circumstances. The book efficiently captures the enterprising spirit of farmer Mar Mar Swe who juggles her busy life running between her farms (fish, paddy and duck) and a betel plantation. It also gives the readers a look into the interesting inner lives of pop star Ah Moon, politician Htin Htin Htay (a village tract administrator) and archery trainer Aung Ngeain; art, politics and sports all being male bastions in Myanmar where these women are trying hard to leave a mark.
The book raises certain pertinent questions which Myanmar needs to address if it wants to bring the marginalized category of women into the mainstream. The heavy dual burden which women are supposed to take – in terms of looking after their home and work constantly puts pressure on them. Moreover the daily discriminatory treatment and violence that they endure in every sphere of life, including dated cultural norms, is challenging. The insufficient support and prevailing anti-women attitudes that they experience, the culture of ‘stigmatization of the victim’, lack of inheritance rights (including land rights), the habit of shaming fearless women who fight back and push boundaries are some of the obstacles facing women in Myanmar which the book covers well.
To end with activist Cheery Zahau’s words, “…We need to have lots of stars”. Myanmar needs its women stars, and not just a single star, to create an equal, diverse and colourful sky – an environment which respects and cherishes its women by recognizing their enormous strength and significant role in society. The inspirational stories covered in this book will hopefully provide an impetus for many women in Myanmar to not only dream big, but vociferously act on their dreams.
(Image courtesy of ISEAS)
Posted in Book ReviewTagged Book Review, burma, gender, jennifer rigby, myanmar
Author: Dr. Reshmi Banerjee
Dr. Reshmi Banerjee is a political scientist based in London with specialization in food security, agricultural policies and cross-border studies on North East India/Myanmar. She is currently a Research Fellow in the Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi. She was previously an academic visitor in the Asian Studies Centre (Programme on Modern Burmese Studies) in St Antony’s College, University of Oxford and a research associate in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. She has been a post doctoral fellow in the department of international relations, University of Indonesia and a researcher in the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Jakarta. Reshmi has worked as a fellow in the Rajiv Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, has been a Visiting Professor in the Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, Jamia Millia Islamia, and has taught in Delhi University and in the University of Indonesia. She has an M.Phil and Ph.D from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi and has co-edited two books: Climate Change in the Eastern Himalaya: Impact on Livelihoods, Growth and Poverty (Academic Publishers, 2015) and Gender, Poverty and Livelihood in the Eastern Himalayas (Routledge, 2017). View all posts by Dr. Reshmi Banerjee
Prev Foreign Direct Investments and their Implications for Sustainable Human Development in Myanmar
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Home|Disciplines|Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu JitsuTND2017-08-21T14:49:12+04:00
BJJ: The Gentle Art
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as the name implies, originated in Brazil. ”BJJ” emphasises ground fighting, and is considered to be a martial art, combat sport and self defence method. With a heritage in jujutsu, the art promotes the concept of a smaller and weaker person defending him or herself from a larger one by using technique and leverage. It requires great focus in order to learn how to overcome the opponent through the use of joint-locks and choke-holds.
Training a martial art is one of the most beneficial things you can do, both mentally and physically. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, however, is more than this. It’s a way of life, because it promotes not only physical activity, but also improvements to your character: simply put, it can make you into a better person.
The Many Benefits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
No Natural Talent Needed
Technique is the only proof in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. You do not need any natural talent to succeed at BJJ; hard work and perseverance are the only qualities required to climb to the top.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu develops the confidence to accomplish your goals in life. No other sport puts you in positions where – at full speed – you have to overcome size and strength disadvantages, keep cool under stress, and face your fears of confrontation and physical damage.
Physical Conditioning
People who begin BJJ often have the intention of training no more than a couple of times a week but there is so much to learn and it’s so much fun that it truly does become a lifestyle choice, with positive consequences for health, weight-loss and overall conditioning.
“Training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu you can learn about yourself, and how to become a better person. You’re going to discover your limits and how to react in both good and bad situations.”
Rafael Haubert, BJJ Head Coach
We’ve welcomed many BJJ superstars through our door in recent times. To name but a few: Marcus “Buchecha” Almeida, Leo Vieira, Lucas Leite, Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu, Rafael Mendes, Cobrinha Charles, Roger Gracie, Renzo Gracie. Stay tuned to #TNDNews for the latest updates on all our special guests!
BJJ Class Requirements
The first BJJ trial class should be booked in advance: please contact us today to reserve a place!
Patience and a willingness to learn
Otherwise, for gi classes it’s gi/kimono and belt, and for no-gi, rashguard and board shorts. A mouthguard is advisable also for sparring. For your first trial class a rental gi is available: Book today!
All ages welcome, from age five to retired: you’re never too old!
Good hygiene: Ensure your fingers and toes are well-groomed. If you have long hair, put it up in a ponytail or bun. You should also remove any piercings and jewellery to prevent injury.
Why should I start this discipline?
Reasons to start BJJ
Become a true warrior. Compete in tournaments. Build lasting friendships. Increase your confidence and self-discipline. Learn humility, respect, and how to master the ego.
With a league of extraordinary coaches and star guests, Team Nogueira Dubai offers you the very best of BJJ in the UAE.
Join us: the possibilities are endless!
Latest BJJ News
Fundamental Classes
Belt Promotion Ceremony
Lucas Lepri Seminar
WANT TO KNOW MORE? GET IN TOUCH!
Interest area:
---January promotionBrazilian Jiu JitsuMMAMuay ThaiBoxingJudoKarateAikidoCircuit Training
Rafael HaubertManaging Director and BJJ Head Coach
Rafael Haubert
“Everything you do in life, do with passion. Believe and don’t think it’s going to be easy.”
Rafael is the Managing Director of Team Nogueira Dubai and head coach of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu programme. Rafael founded TND in 2013 and is widely known in the BJJ community, having won the World Cup in 2002, 2003, as well as medals in European No-Gi, Pan Ams, Abu Dhabi Worlds and the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.
With more than twenty five years’ experience in the fight industry, Rafael is a world-class instructor and competitor, a two-time World Champion and European Champion. He currently holds a fourth degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which he received from the legendary Ze Mario Sperry.
Rafael started training jiu-jitsu when he was only 15 years old, at a time when BJJ was exploding in Brazil and becoming a popular national sport. Rafael had always been a sports fanatic, from surfing to judo to football; he did everything and that lead him to take on BJJ as well.
When he was 18, Rafael started to get sponsors and train jiu-jitsu professionally. “It became a lifestyle and took up all my time,” he says, adding that he was “eating and sleeping jiu-jitsu.” Rafael is widely known in the BJJ community and has won various different medals and titles, including the World Cup as a purple belt in 2002 and in 2003 as a brown belt in the adult division. He has also won several medals in competitions such as the European No-Gi, and achieved second place in the Pan Ams, second place in the Worlds in Abu Dhabi and recently brought home a gold medal from the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam.
Retiring from international competition, in 2013 Rafael founded Team Nogueira Dubai, investing it with the same energy and passion that he puts into the mats. He has trained with the Nogueira brothers, Minotauro and Minotouro, for two decades and developed a friendship with the fighters. With the support and involvement of Sheikh Tarik, to whom he introduced the Nogueira brothers, he was able to bring this internationally recognised brand to the UAE.
“I want to teach everything I know with discipline and respect,” says Rafael about sharing his knowledge with his students. He believes that the most important thing one must do is take care of their body and tries to pass that on to his students.
Ricky RoutBJJ Coach
Ricky Rout
“Never ever give up”
Ricky is a BJJ coach at Team Noguiera Dubai, and with eight years of experience, he holds a strong belief that everyone has the ability to excel at this martial art, as long as they are patient, persistent and hard working. A winner of numerous tournaments, he currently holds the rank of brown belt under Rafael Haubert.
Ricky has been practicing BJJ for eight long years, and it all started when he was still in high school. He had been a big fan of MMA and was especially fascinated by the ground fighting, so when his friends told him about a BJJ gym, he naturally headed there and the rest, as they say, is history.
He has always been a dedicated student of the martial art and trained extremely hard over the years, but it was in 2014 that he decided to turn his passion into a full time job. “I love to pass on my knowledge to my students and spread the love of the martial art. I make sure that new students feel comfortable with what they are doing and understand all the basics,” says Ricky about his coaching method.
He recommends BJJ to anyone, independent of their age or lifestyle and adds, “Often I see that as a result of getting hooked onto BJJ, people lead much healthier lives – in order to get better at the martial art.” Ricky has one message for anyone interested in joining the gym and taking on BJJ:
“Everyone has the potential to be good, as long as they are patient, persistent and hardworking. The best people on the mats are the ones who spent the most time there.”
Max AbrahamyanBJJ Coach
Max Abrahamyan
“You should find something that you really love and never quit.”
Max is the youngest coach in Team Nogueira Dubai, and has been practicing jiu-jitsu for the past five years. He is a World No-Gi medalist, a Pan-American bronze medalist, European bronze medalist and multiple-time UAE Jiu-Jitsu Champion. Max considers himself to be not only a coach, but also a student of BJJ.
Max trained gymnastics, then muay thai, and then finally decided to try an intro BJJ class and fell in love with the martial art. He has never stopped training since then. After only a year and a half on the mats, Max started competing and winning various competitions, both nationally and internationally. This led him to train even harder and he soon decided to make the sport his career.
He loves both training and teaching, and as an instructor he teaches in as broad a manner as possible, without emphasising any one style.
Max’s most important lesson is to train with passion. He says, “I think it’s very important to like what you do,” adding, “if you love something, you’ll do it with all your heart.”
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BenevolentAI starts AI collaboration with AstraZeneca to accelerate drug discovery
Mike Butcher @mikebutcher / 9 months
BenevolentAI is an AI company where AI actually means something. Founded in 2013, it focuses on “accelerating the journey from data to medicines.” To achieve that, it has raised a whopping $202 million to look at early drug discovery through to late-stage clinical development, and has a research facility in Cambridge, U.K. where there is plenty of AI talent to be had.
Today it has inked a long-term collaboration with pharma giant AstraZeneca to use AI and machine learning for the discovery and development of new treatments for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
The two organizations will begin collaboration between their respective teams to combine AstraZeneca’s genomics, chemistry and clinical data with BenevolentAI’s target identification platform and biomedical knowledge graph. This is designed to create a “network of contextualised scientific data” (genes, proteins, diseases and compounds) and to look at the relationship between them.
It’s a very big market. Global Market Insights estimates the global healthcare AI market will exceed $10 billion by 2024.
Joanna Shields, CEO of BenevolentAI, said: “Millions of people today suffer from diseases that have no effective treatment. The future of drug discovery and development lies in bridging the gap between AI, data, and biology. We are thrilled to be joining forces with AstraZeneca to develop new insights and identify promising new treatments for chronic kidney disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.”
Mene Pangalos, EVP and president, R&D BioPharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, said: “The vast amount of data available to research scientists is growing exponentially each year. By combining AstraZeneca’s disease area expertise and large, diverse datasets with BenevolentAI’s leading AI and machine learning capabilities, we can unlock the potential of this wealth of data to improve our understanding of complex disease biology and identify new targets that could treat debilitating diseases.”
CKD and IPF are complex diseases in which the underlying disease biology is not well understood. As a result, the disease complexity requires the interrogation of vast, rich data sets. Hence, this partnership comes at an opportune time.
BenevolentAI has previously signed an exclusive license agreement with Johnson & Johnson subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceutica for a series of clinical-stage drug candidates. It also discovered a drug that could delay the onset of motor neurone disease.
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Printed, flexible and rechargeable battery can power wearable sensors
by University of California - San Diego
The stretchable batteries were printed on fabric for this demonstration. They make up the word NANO on the shirt and are powering a green LED that is lit in this picture. Credit: Jacobs School of Engineering/UC San Diego
Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed the first printed battery that is flexible, stretchable and rechargeable. The zinc batteries could be used to power everything from wearable sensors to solar cells and other kinds of electronics.
The work appears in the April 19, 2017 issue of Advanced Energy Materials.
The researchers made the printed batteries flexible and stretchable by incorporating a hyper-elastic polymer material made from isoprene, one of the main ingredients in rubber, and polystyrene, a resin-like component. The substance, known as SIS, allows the batteries to stretch to twice their size, in any direction, without suffering damage.
The ink used to print the batteries is made of zinc silver oxide mixed with SIS. While zinc batteries have been in use for a long time, they are typically non-rechargeable. The researchers added bismuth oxide to the batteries to make them rechargeable.
"This is a significant step toward self-powered stretchable electronics," said Joseph Wang, one of the paper's senior authors and a nanoengineering professor at the Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego, where he directs the school's Center for Wearable Sensors. "We expect this technology to pave the way to enhance other forms of energy storage and printable, stretchable electronics, not just for zinc-based batteries but also for Lithium-ion batteries, as well as supercapacitors and photovoltaic cells."
The prototype battery the researchers developed has about 1/5 the capacity of a rechargeable hearing aid battery. But it is 1/10 as thick, cheaper and uses commercially available materials. It takes two of these batteries to power a 3 Volt LED. The researchers are still working to improve the battery's performance. Next steps include expanding the use of the technology to different applications, such as solar and fuel cells; and using the battery to power different kinds of electronic devices.
Rajan Kumar is the co-first author of the Advanced Energy Materials paper and leads a team to commercialize the technology. Credit: Jacobs School of Engineering/UC San Diego
Researchers used standard screen printing techniques to make the batteries—a method that dramatically drives down the costs of the technology. Typical materials for one battery cost only $0.50. A comparable commercially available rechargeable battery costs $5.00Batteries can be printed directly on fabric or on materials that allow wearables to adhere to the skin. They also can be printed as a strip, to power a device that needs more energy. They are stable and can be worn for a long period of time.
Making the batteries rechargeable
The key ingredient that makes the batteries rechargeable is a molecule called bismuth oxide which, when mixed into the batteries' zinc electrodes, prolongs the life of devices and allows them to recharge. Adding bismuth oxide to zinc batteries is standard practice in industry to improve performance, but until recently, there hasn't been a thorough scientific explanation for why.
Last year, UC San Diego nanoengineers led by Professor Y. Shirley Meng published a detailed molecular study addressing this question (download PDF here). When zinc batteries discharge, their electrodes react with the liquid electrolyte inside the battery, producing zinc salts that dissolve into a solution. This eventually short circuits the battery. Adding bismuth oxide keeps the electrode from losing zinc to the electrolyte. This ensures that the batteries continue to work and can be recharged.
The work shows that it is possible to use small amounts of additives, such as bismuth oxide, to change the properties of materials. "Understanding the scientific mechanism to do this will allow us to turn non-rechargeable batteries into rechargeable batteries—not just zinc batteries but also for other electro-chemistries, such as Lithium-oxygen," said Meng, who directs the Sustainable Power and Energy Center at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering
From Innovation to Market
Rajan Kumar, a co-first author on this Advanced Energy Materials paper, is a nanoengineering Ph.D. student at the Jacobs School of Engineering. He and nanoengineering professor Wang are leading a team focused on commercializing aspects of this work. The team is one of five to be selected to join a new technology accelerator at UC San Diego. The technology accelerator is run by the UC San Diego Institute for the Global Entrepreneur, which is a collaboration between the Jacobs School of Engineering and Rady School of Management.
Kumar is excited at the prospect of taking advantage of all that the IGE Technology Accelerator has to offer.
"For us, it's strategically perfect," said Kumar, referring to the $50,000 funding for prototype improvements, the focus on prototype testing with a strategic partner, and the entrepreneurship mentoring.
Kumar is confident in the team's innovations, which includes the ability to replace coin batteries with thin, stretchable batteries. Making the right strategic moves now is critical for commercialization success.
"It's now about making sure our energies are focused in the right direction," said Kumar.
In addition to the IGE Technology Accelerator, the team was also recently selected to participate in the NSF Innovation-Corps (I-Corps) program at UC San Diego, also administered by the Institute for the Global Entrepreneur. One of the key tenets of the I-Corps program is helping startup teams validate their target markets and business models early in the commercialization process. Through NSF I-Corps, for example, Kumar has already started interviewing potential customers which has helped the team better focus their commercialization strategy.
Through these programs, Kumar is focused on leading the team through a series of milestones in order to best position their innovations to refine "both what to build and who to build it for," he said.
Breakthrough enables safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries
More information: Rajan Kumar et al. All-Printed, Stretchable Zn-AgO Rechargeable Battery via Hyperelastic Binder for Self-Powering Wearable Electronics, Advanced Energy Materials (2017). DOI: 10.1002/aenm.201602096
Journal information: Advanced Energy Materials
Provided by University of California - San Diego
Citation: Printed, flexible and rechargeable battery can power wearable sensors (2017, May 24) retrieved 21 January 2020 from https://techxplore.com/news/2017-05-flexible-rechargeable-battery-power-wearable.html
Development of ultra-high capacity lithium-air batteries using CNT sheet air electrodes
Research group developing a rechargeable magnesium/iodine battery for daily consumer use
Cathode material with high energy density for all-solid lithium-ion batteries
Freezing lithium batteries may make them safer and bendable
High-efficiency zinc-air battery developed
Photoelectrochemical water-splitting efficiency hits 4.5%
OxiCool: Pure water is refrigerant to help cool homes
Preparing for the hydrogen economy
A greener, simpler way to create syngas
Supercharging tomorrow: Team develops world's most efficient lithium-sulfur battery
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Professor Alexander Paz
Civil & Environmental
Professor and TMR Chair
alexander.paz@qut.edu.au
phD (Purdue University)
Member, Board of Governors
IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Society. 01/2019 – Present
Transportation Research Board University Representative
Queensland University of Technology. 12/2018 – Present
Member (June 01, 2017 – present): Standing Committee (ADB20) on Effects of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on Travel Choices. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council of the National Academies, USA
Member (February 1, 2016 – present): Young Members Council – Planning and Environment (AD000(1)). Transportation Research Board, National Research Council of the National Academies, USA
Member (2009-2018): Transportation Network Modeling Committee (ADB30). Transportation Research Board, National Research Council of the National Academies, USA
Special Session and Workshop Organizer
Workshop on Dynamic Traffic Assignment. IEEE 2013 ITSC, The Hague, Netherlands
Special Session Co-Chair on Intelligent Cooperative Driving, and Autonomous Connected Vehicles as part of the International Conference on Collaboration Technologies and Systems
May 19-23, 2014. Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
June 01-05, 2015. Atlanta, Georgia, USA
June 06-10, 2016. Orlando, Florida, USA
Special Sessions Co-chair. IEEE 2016 ITSC. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Publicity Co-Chair, IEEE International Conference on Vehicular Electronics and Safety. 2017, Vienna, Austria
Program Committee Member
International Conference on Critical Information Infrastructures Security
October 10–12, 2016. Paris, France
October 09–13, 2017. Lucca, Italy
September 24-26, 2018. Kaunas, Lithuania
4th International Conference on Vehicle Technology and Intelligent Transport Systems, March 16 – 18, 2018. Madeira, Portugal
Associate Editor: IEEE Intelligent Transportation Systems Conference, October 27-30, 2019. Auckland, New Zealand
Invited Editor: Sustainability
Professor Alexander Paz is the Transport Main Roads Chair at the Queensland University of Technology. Before joining QUT, he was an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering and the director of the Transportation Research Center at the University of Nevada. He is a Professional Engineer License in the State of Nevada. Professor Paz has a strong background in transport engineering, transport planning, and traffic safety. He has significant experience developing methods, algorithms and software tools for the management of highway infrastructure, the analysis and evaluation of transport systems, and the deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems. His work including data warehouses and software applications has been adopted by industry at an international scale. Two of his inventions are presently being used by industry; one presently patented, and the second is under review by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. His broad interests include the application of operations research, network modelling, statistics and econometric methods, informatics integrated into modelling, analysis, operations, safety and control of large-scale dynamic transport, and logistics systems.
His research has been sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the California Department of Transportation, several local Metropolitan Planning Organizations in California, the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, the City of Las Vegas, the Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, the FACE Foundation, the Nevada Office of Traffic Safety, Verizon, Parsons, and the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT).
Research achievements:
Published more than 100 scholarly publications, including a book, book chapters and journal and conference papers.
Received more than $12 million in research funding from the public and the corporate sector organisations for undertaking over 50 research projects.
Supervised more than 18 doctoral and research Masters students.
Congestion Management
Travel Demand
His research entails field investigations, modelling, simulation, statistics, and optimization.
Development of tools for crash data collection. Advanced analytics for crash estimation, network screening, and diagnosis as well as countermeasure selection. Development of visualization and GIS systems. Development and field testing of emerging traffic safety devices.
Development of large-scale dynamic traffic flow models for the study and evaluation of strategies to manage vehicular congestion. Development and implementation of optimization frameworks for the calibration and validation of network models.
Development of software systems for the management and visualization of roadway infrastructure. Advanced analytics for generation of deterioration and network screening models and systems.
Generation of framework for the deployment of real-time traveler information. Evaluation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) technologies using network and traffic flow models. Field testing of emerging ITS products.
Study of travel demand and behavior using statistics and econometric methods. Development of optimization frameworks for model estimation and validation.
This information has been contributed by Professor Alexander Paz.
Professor and Transport Main Roads Chair, 2018-Present, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Associate Professor, 2014-2018, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Director, 2013-2018, Transportation Research Center, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA
Assistant Professor, 2008-2014, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Senior Professional, 2007-2008, Cambridge Systematics, Oakland, California, USA
Before becoming a university professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), I worked for one year as Senior Professional for a major consulting firm, Cambridge Systematics. I worked on multiple projects for clients, including Federal Highway Administration, California Department of Transportation (CalTrans), and local Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Results from my work where used at the operational level to select strategies to deploy intelligent transportation systems throughout the San Francisco metropolitan area. During that time, the work that we did was innovative in terms of using and expanding capabilities provided by Dynamic Traffic Assignment to evaluate multiple intelligent transportation system technologies for a real-work traffic system. The evaluation was performed with the final objective of making decisions that would result in integration of multiple traffic systems and modes of transportation.
Academia:
Business Intelligence and Advanced Analytics
My major industry experience is a large Business Intelligence project that involved data warehousing, software development, advanced analytics, dashboard implementation, and training to the sponsor/client. I was the principal investigator (PI) for this $US 2.8 million project, and my share was 80%. As the manager and PI for this project, I was responsible for hiring professionals and graduate students, had regular communication with the Front Office of NDOT, provided leadership and guidance to my team, provided high-level recommendations to the project manager at NDOT, and pursued innovation and commercialization of the corresponding technology. Key innovations from this project are listed below, with non-provisional applications for patents filed for the first two innovations:
A workflow and software system that integrates ESRI ArcMap and Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition for reporting analytics on interactive maps. Deployed in 2014 and in use since then by the Nevada Department of Transportation.
A workflow and software system that uses data from the National Bridge Inventory to generate and report color-coded three-dimensional renderings of key bridge elements. Deployed in 2014 and in use since then by the Nevada Department of Transportation.
A workflow and software system that uses data from the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) to generate capacity analyses using the Highway Capacity Manual Methodology. The software reports capacities by means of interactive maps, tables, and drilldowns. Deployed in 2016 and in use since then by the Nevada Department of Transportation.
In addition to these key software systems, we designed and deployed a data warehouse, developed and implemented regression models for financial and traffic systems, and developed and implemented hundreds of interactive dashboards. NDOT currently uses these developments and implementations to provide service and save time to hundreds of people throughout the agency.
My second largest project for NDOT involved the design, development, implementation, and testing of a Utility Data Management Software System. This included a geo-spatial database, a web portal for data visualization and management, many feature code libraries for multiple vendors of data collection equipment, and a website for data loading and interaction with external contractors who collect field data. This system was developed and implemented in the first phase of the project with a cost of $US 610,000, and my share was 80%. I was the PI of the project, and responsible for management and major decision making as well as communication with the project champion at NDOT. We currently are working on the second phase of the project, which involves moving the system into production using the servers of the Transportation Research Center at UNLV. This means that for the first time, we are going to be proving cloud service to a state government agency. The cost of this second phase is $ US 130,000, and I am the only faculty working on this project.
My most exciting project that is currently underway involves the design, prototyping, and field test of a couple of traffic safety devices, which I cannot describe in detail because of the intellectual property restrictions by UNLV. A local startup, Rebel Roadway Systems LLC, licensed the technology from the university, and currently is working on commercializing it. UNLV is completing field testing at a local campus roadway facility. In parallel, we are working on optimizing and improving our design as well as adding capabilities for data collection; we also are about to secure resources for major field testing in Las Vegas.
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Containment Initiative
Containment Initiative is a local co-op VR shooter which can be played by two people on the same PC. Kill zombies alone in VR or have a friend cover you by using the mouse and keyboard. Features include realistic weapon reloading as well as a variety of unlockable guns, upgrades, and loot to find.
Developer: Gwyn Games Publisher: Gwyn Games
Genre: Action, Indie
Tags: Indie (41), Action (41), Gore (30), VR (19), Zombies (15), Asymmetric VR (15), Local Co-Op (13), Violent (11), Blood (10), FPS (10), Gun Customization (10), Co-op (10), VR Only (1)
Category: Single-player, Multi-player, Co-op, Shared/Split Screen Co-op, Shared/Split Screen, Steam Cloud, Steam Leaderboards, Remote Play Together
Release date: Apr 14, 2017 (previously in Early Access)
Old userscore: 86% Owners: 0 .. 20,000
YouTube stats: 2 views and 0 comments for top 50 videos uploaded last week, 0 new videos uploaded yesterday.
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28 Zombidle : REMONSTERED May 30, 2017 Free N/A (N/A) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
29 Duelyst Aug 23, 2016 Free N/A (N/A/82%) 500,000 .. 1,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
30 Divine Divinity Jul 5, 2012 $5.99 N/A (N/A/81%) 500,000 .. 1,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
31 Bloodline Champions Jan 13, 2011 Free N/A (N/A/79%) 500,000 .. 1,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
32 Ragnarok Online Oct 31, 2013 Free N/A (N/A/79%) 500,000 .. 1,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
33 Jade Empire: Special Edition Feb 27, 2007 $14.99 N/A (N/A/81%) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
34 Champions of Regnum Feb 27, 2013 Free N/A (N/A) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
35 Sacred Gold Jul 9, 2008 $9.99 N/A (N/A/74%) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
36 Sven Co-op Jan 19, 1999 Free N/A (N/A) 2,000,000 .. 5,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
37 The Bard's Tale Jun 17, 2005 $19.99 N/A (N/A/70%) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
38 Soldier Front 2 Jul 3, 2013 Free N/A (N/A) 500,000 .. 1,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
39 Gothic 1 Mar 15, 2001 $19.99 N/A (N/A/81%) 500,000 .. 1,000,000 3.23% 00:23 (00:07)
40 Enclave Oct 4, 2013 $4.99 N/A (N/A/71%) 1,000,000 .. 2,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
41 Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods Enhanced Edition Mar 22, 2011 $9.99 N/A (N/A) 100,000 .. 200,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
42 Lost Saga NA Nov 25, 2014 N/A N/A (N/A) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
43 Super Crate Box Oct 22, 2010 Free N/A (N/A) 1,000,000 .. 2,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
44 Counter-Strike Nexon: Studio Oct 7, 2014 Free N/A (N/A) 5,000,000 .. 10,000,000 0.79% 08:15 (05:29)
45 Dwarfs - F2P Oct 18, 2012 Free N/A (N/A) 500,000 .. 1,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
46 Eternal Senia Jun 18, 2015 Free N/A (N/A) 500,000 .. 1,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
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49 Necronomicon: The Dawning of Darkness Jun 9, 2001 $0.99 N/A (N/A) 20,000 .. 50,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
50 Survarium Apr 2, 2015 Free N/A (N/A) 2,000,000 .. 5,000,000 0.53% 00:01 (00:00)
51 Age of Conquest IV Apr 5, 2016 Free N/A (N/A) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
52 Cards and Castles Dec 18, 2015 Free N/A (N/A) 100,000 .. 200,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
53 Deep Dungeons of Doom Oct 14, 2014 $4.99 N/A (N/A) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
54 Ultimate Tic-Tac-Toe Apr 28, 2015 Free N/A (N/A) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
55 Dirty Bomb Jun 2015 Free N/A (N/A/63%) 5,000,000 .. 10,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
56 RPG MO Aug 18, 2015 Free N/A (N/A) 500,000 .. 1,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
57 Destination Sol Feb 5, 2015 Free N/A (N/A) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
58 Tactical Genius Online Jan 20, 2017 N/A N/A (N/A) 50,000 .. 100,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
59 BrainBread 2 Jul 20, 2016 Free N/A (N/A) 1,000,000 .. 2,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
60 Dragon Saga Oct 28, 2010 Free N/A (N/A/65%) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
61 Rustbucket Rumble May 4, 2015 Free N/A (N/A) 200,000 .. 500,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
62 Relic Hunters Zero Aug 18, 2015 Free N/A (N/A) 1,000,000 .. 2,000,000 0% 00:00 (00:00)
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10,000 Startups
Posted on October 29, 2012 by steveblank
In 24 hours we’ll announce something revolutionary.
Moving entrepreneurship forward.
Filed under: Business Model versus Business Plan, Customer Development, Lean LaunchPad, Teaching |
« How We Fight – Cofounders in Love and War 10,000 Startups – Startup Weekend Next »
Hutch Carpenter, on October 29, 2012 at 6:05 am said:
Intriguing. Looking forward to hearing more.
Dmitry Tolpanov, on October 29, 2012 at 6:06 am said:
Sounds exciting :). A picture looks like Soviet propaganda poster
Claudio Dipolitto, on October 29, 2012 at 6:09 am said:
hi Steve, that reminds us a song …
Let´s keep changing the world for better.
As Lennon and Mccartney told us
“You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution
(The Beatles, Revolution)
jason palmer, on October 29, 2012 at 6:11 am said:
steve, you genius !
Chris Dawson, on October 29, 2012 at 6:24 am said:
Excited!!!
Chris Dawson p: +61 407 188 934 w: chrisdawson.com.au im: chris.dawson.au (skype)
talkkindnesstome, on October 29, 2012 at 6:31 am said:
Ready for it. Looking forward to it. Launch!
La Tricia, on October 29, 2012 at 6:32 am said:
Count US IN!
Vusal Karimli, on October 29, 2012 at 6:43 am said:
Can’t wait 🙂
Zufi Deo, on October 29, 2012 at 6:58 am said:
Look fwd to it 🙂
Bryan Lee, on October 29, 2012 at 7:00 am said:
Amazing! Looking forward.
Fan from Singapore!
Adrienne Malley, on October 29, 2012 at 7:26 am said:
You sound like Donald Trump!
Adrienne Malley
Dave McClure, on October 29, 2012 at 7:41 am said:
well! expect a call from our lawyers. (cough). #jk
Mike Green (@amikegreen2), on October 29, 2012 at 8:11 am said:
Steve, we really want you to speak at the SBIR Conference in Portland (http://sbiroregon.org/index.html), specifically the Oregon Governor’s invitation-only rally on the evening of Nov. 14.
The rally will be for leaders across the nation to support local innovation, impact and inclusion efforts. You could even speak remotely if the travel conflicts with your schedule. Looking forward to your confirmation. Email: amikegreen2@gmail.com. Mike.
luc, on October 29, 2012 at 8:30 am said:
hahaha funny Dave McClure ! I was thinking exactly that 🙂
I am preparing the 100,000 startups
Steve …can’t wait!
Gustavo, on October 29, 2012 at 8:38 am said:
Judy, on October 29, 2012 at 8:50 am said:
Looking forward to it! : )
Accelerace.org (@Accelerace_org), on October 29, 2012 at 8:56 am said:
Sounds interesting! we look forward to the surprise!
Don Gooding, on October 29, 2012 at 9:37 am said:
A more modest goal than Sramana Mitra’s 1M/1M initiative?
Samuel Carpenter, on October 29, 2012 at 9:59 am said:
Yawn!
Emmanuel, on October 29, 2012 at 10:05 am said:
I know what it is …. and I am not telling!
remind me of chinese cultural revoluntion. haha , that’s so funny! I can’t wait to hear the exciting news~
arsova, on October 29, 2012 at 11:52 am said:
I hope this idea will help all human beings all over the world!
Matt T, on October 29, 2012 at 12:52 pm said:
Can’t wait to hear what it is!!!
Wally, on October 29, 2012 at 4:58 pm said:
Tic, Toc…looking forward to the release!
Xu Cui, on October 29, 2012 at 10:11 pm said:
Blipsport Tennis, on October 30, 2012 at 2:44 am said:
today is the big day! can’t wait!
the Dave McClure lawyers already called? 🙂
Rammohan, on October 30, 2012 at 3:09 am said:
Interesting, looking forward
Ian Goldsmid, on October 31, 2012 at 5:02 am said:
long 24 hours 🙂
steveblank, on October 31, 2012 at 11:01 am said:
IanGoldsmid, on November 1, 2012 at 5:26 am said:
Thank you Steve, Ian
Leave a Reply to Claudio Dipolitto Cancel reply
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Tuesday — December 19th, 2017
ULTRA Music Festival’s Twentieth Anniversary
PHASE ONE LINEUP OUT NOW
Having welcomed over one million fans to forty-five events internationally in 2017, the world’s largest, most international and most successful remaining independent electronic music festival brand is just three months away from its biggest show ever – ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL’s twentieth birthday.
Incredibly, ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018 will see the Miami event alone exceed two million attendees spanning over twenty consecutive years since its inception in 1999. Kick-starting the most anticipated lineup in the event’s history, Phase One has been released just in time for the holiday season.
View the full ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL 2018 Phase One lineup here.
Returning to Bayfront Park, Downtown Miami on March 23, 24 & 25, 2018, at the end of Miami Music Week, ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL’s Phase One is layered with the expected and the unexpected, with nods to the past, present and future of electronic music. Featuring an incredible array of world-class talent across seven state-of-the-art stages, ULTRA is pulling out all the stops to ensure that its flagship show will head straight into the history books.
Festival greats Armin van Buuren, Axwell Λ Ingrosso, David Guetta, Eric Prydz, Hardwell, DJ Snake, Tiësto and many more will all be present in 2018, with the likes of The Chainsmokers and Kaskade set to return for the first time since 2016. Marshmello and Virtual Self are among the headliners making their ULTRA MAINSTAGE debuts in March, with bass dons Flosstradamus and RL Grime returning for the first time since 2014.
ULTRA’s twenty-year anniversary will again see RESISTANCE dominate two arenas across the park as both the Arcadia SPIDER and Carl Cox Megastructure return. In addition to headline sets from Jamie Jones, Joseph Capriati, Maceo Plex and Sasha | John Digweed, a special B2B2B set between Nicole Moudaber, Dubfire and Paco Osuna and a four-way performance from Jackmaster, Eats Everything, Skream and Seth Troxler (under their ‘J.E.S.u.S’ moniker) are guaranteed to draw crowds across the weekend.
As ever, ULTRA’s LIVE Stage receives extra special attention, with headliners Azealia Banks, The Crystal Method, Empire Of The Sun, Infected Mushroom, Tchami X Malaa: No Redemption and The Wailers feat. Julian Marley all confirmed. Many more live acts will be confirmed in the coming months.
In addition to the ULTRA MAINSTAGE, Carl Cox Megastructure, Arcadia SPIDER and LIVE Stage, the UMF Worldwide and UMF Radio stages will also return. Furthermore, ASOT, Brownies & Lemonade, Jacked and Revealed will also be hosting arenas across the weekend.
ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL began as a 10,000-person beach party in 1999 and has since grown to a 165,000-person mega-festival, surrounded by skyscrapers in the heart of Downtown Miami. The legendary Josh Wink and Rabbit In The Moon were both part of the very first Ultra Music Festival at Collins Park, Miami Beach in 1999 and will return in March 2018. With thirty headliners and over forty additional support acts making up Phase One, the twentieth anniversary is shaping up to be a truly historic event.
ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL is an 18+ event. For tickets and more information, head to ultramusicfestival.com.
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Awards ›
Committee and Caucus Awards and Prizes ›
About the Richard A. Yarborough Award
The Minority Scholars Committee of the American Studies Association's Richard A. Yarborough Mentoring Award honors a scholar who demonstrates dedication to and excellence in mentoring. The award honors Richard A. Yarborough, an American historian and literary critic whose focuses include African-American literature and nineteenth and twentieth century American literature. He co-edits the Heath Anthology of American Literature series and teaches at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was awarded the inaugural prize for his consistent dedication to mentoring and advising minority scholars.
Past Richard Yarborough Awards:
2018 Lisa Lowe, Yale University
2017 Ruth Wilson Gilmore, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York
2016 Martin F. Manalansan IV, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
2015 Mark Anthony Neal, Duke University
2014 José Esteban Muñoz, New York University
2013 Paul Spickard, University of California, Santa Barbara
2012 Richard Yarborough, University of California, Los Angeles
ASA awards and prizes are open to all members of the association. Read more about each award or prize, and then nominate a colleague or apply today. Deadlines vary. See the award page for details, including criteria and past winners.
Grants are available to both individual and institutional members and they support American studies pedagogy, research, and programming. Learn more about the ASA's grant programs and apply today. Community and chapter grants are due March 1; student conference paper presenter travel grants are due October 7.
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Building up Enough Moxie to Take on the World
Hello BOLD!
A Conversation Piece
Blog, Career Confidence
The Climb: A Must Attend Event in Chicago
There are certain words and phrases that move me the moment I hear them and “The Climb” is no different.
Bolder Sisters, you already know how inspired I am by words that indicate fearlessness, motivation and drive. When I heard an event was taking place in Chicago focused on the upward climb of women in their careers and business, I knew I had to learn more. What better way to learn more about The Climb than by speaking to its founder, Watchen Nyanue.
Watchen is definitely a Bolder Sister to watch. She is Vice President of Marketing Partnerships for the Chicago Sky organization. Watchen is a go getter who’s not afraid to live or Climb and she encourages others to do the same. I was so moved by our conversation and I know you will be as well.
Here’s some of my interview with Watchen:
Bolder Sister: Watchen, thank you. You are the kind of bolder sister I’m always looking to interview and introduce to my readers. Please tell me about your career and how you got started.
Watchen: My career is a story on the importance of relationships. I went to undergrad at DePauw, on a scholarship. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. My parents wanted me to be a lawyer and I was like, “Nah, I’m not doing that.” I felt like Communications gave me the most flexibility in my career options. I did a ton of internships while I was an undergrad. I did seven or eight internships in New York, LA, and Chicago. And once I graduated, I decided that although I didn’t want to live in LA long term, it will be best for me to network, get to know some people in entertainment, and then leverage those contacts later. I loaded up my car with no job and no place to stay and I was like, “they make it work on TV, I can make it work in real life.” Within two weeks I found a job working for a casting director, and my job was to find really successful directors, producers and writers, and convince them to teach classes for free to aspiring producers, directors and writers. I did that for almost two years.
I didn’t love LA and the headquarters for the scholarship foundation that I went to school through is in New York. I reached out and said, “I’m interested in entertainment. Is there anybody within our network you could connect me with?” As the Lord would have it, the President of Comedy Central was on the National Board and a meeting was set up. I met with her and literally between the meeting and the move back to New York, I had a job within two weeks at Comedy Central, in their marketing department, and learned a ton. My boss at Comedy Central is someone I still talk to every single week. He’s phenomenal. Like a champion of anything that I do.
My background has always been in marketing. I did Comedy Central , Hearst, and Yahoo for four years, all in New York. And then my parents decided to transition from Chicago back to Liberia. And since I don’t have any immediate plans to move back to Liberia, I said I was moving back to Chicago for a year. It’s been almost six. And currently I work in sports. I’m five feet. I’ve never played basketball, but again, relationships. I met people when I was consulting, maybe three years before they actually needed me. I formed relationships with the President and the owner of the team and the owner became my mentor over time. Then a need arose I had the skill set so they asked me to help out through a season for three months, and it’s been almost two years.
The Bolder Sister: Wow. That’s what I’m most curious about. It is where a lot of people struggle, taking that chance, taking that risk. What was it that made you just go for it? I know a lot of us get in our own way and we let fear talk us out of doing a lot of things. What is it that you have that just lets you go to LA and see how things work out?
Watchen: I was raised in a war in Liberia and it became really clear to me that life can be really short, at any moment it can end. At an early age I subconsciously decided I was not gonna be miserable. Ain’t nobody got time for that. If there’s something that I wanna learn or something I wanna try and I may very well fail, right? And that gives me anxiety sometimes, but the alternative to me is not really an option. To be sitting somewhere miserable for like ten, five years. For me it’s always about trying to learn, about new experiences, it’s always about me finding some kind of fulfillment in the work that I’m doing.
I don’t want to be living somebody else’s dream, and so if I’m sitting in a seat, just because I can, that’s stopping somebody else from the opportunity that could be their opportunity to lifetime.
The Bolder Sister: I like that. Please tell me about The Climb, where did the idea come from?
Watchen: They say your perception is your reality. In my mind, everybody has access to the networks that I did. Everybody had mentors who they could call and be like, “Hey, I need this, or hey, can you open your rolodex to me?” And they’d be like, “Yes.” And then the more I talked about it, people were like, “Yeah, no.” That’s not everybody’s reality. The Ladder is like the overarching platform, and I thought it was gonna be private for me and my friends. I knew a bunch of amazing women, black women who were executives, and I knew a bunch of women in my age group who plan to be in corporate America. But a lot of them felt like they might need to exit it because they weren’t sure that corporate was the space for them, and they didn’t necessarily have the guidance.
I was like let me get some conversations started. I can’t bring all of y’all to my mentors, but I can bring my mentors to y’all in a way.
Two of my college girlfriends, were literally like, “Yeah, this basketball thing is cool and all, but can you get back to what you love and you got 30 days to figure out how you’re gonna make it happen. I already had a network of women I could reach out to and they immediately said yes and opened their networks to me. It turned into a podcast where I speak to one female executive about her experience climbing the corporate ladder.
What we learned from the podcast there’s a gap for us and we’re not necessarily getting that anywhere else. I don’t think, especially in corporate for black women, it’s the technical skills that keeps us from getting the promotions or the jobs, I think it’s the soft skills.
My goal is to give the tools, like tangible things you can do. How do we get digestible, actionable things women can start applying on Monday when they go back to work. So that’s my hope for The Climb. It’s being able to provide women who look like me, who want to be in corporate America, ways that they maintain their mental health and actually climb and create the careers they want.
Do you know how to negotiate? Do you know how to advocate for yourself? Are you mentally in a place where you can do your best work? Those things matter. And so how do we find women who have found some kind of a balance, who have an expertise in those areas, who have shared experiences, who know what we go through in those spaces, to help us think through how we can navigate it in a way that’s healthy for us. And that’s a message that’s been communicated to all the speakers. Like, yes, share your stories. Yes, inspire them, but they need to walk away with at least two things they can apply on Monday morning.
The Bolder Sister: Makes sense, I love that. Have you had those times where you had fear in your career?
Watchen: Yeah. I’m petrified of The Climb because I’m like, “What if nobody shows up?” It keeps me up at night. There are 30 executives who are associated with this weekend. If this is terrible and nobody shows up, that is a big deal. But I’m still going to do it. You know what I mean. I have fears. I think there’s a misconception that people who do things aren’t scared? No, I’m scared all the time. I’m always scared. But what’s the alternative? Like what’s my other choice?
The Bolder Sister: How did you move past fear?”
Watchen: Here’s the thing, you don’t have to, but then what … if you don’t move past it, accept where you are. You need to find a way to be comfortable in the place that you are. Everybody’s not going to push past. Sometimes it’s just too much and you’re like, “You know what? It ain’t even worth it.” But if that’s it you have to understand that is a decision you are making and you can’t continue to beat yourself up about it. And when you’re ready to make a different choice, make a different choice. But find a way to find peace about it that you are just not willing to push back this fear right now.
But I will say this, nine times out of 10, no 10 times out of 10, the reward on the other side of fear is totally worth it.
The Bolder Sister: I would totally agree. What’s the biggest piece of advice you’ve received that you carry with you that you would share with our readers?
Watchen: You have everything you need right now to do what you need to do right now.
I bet you in your resource kit, in your network or whatever, you have the thing that you need.
The second thing is, you can’t cheat the grind. You have to put in the work. And this matters for sustained success. Because the character traits you developed in the process of getting to wherever is what helps you sustain. What’s worse than getting to some sort of destination late, is getting there when you’re not prepared.
The Bolder Sister: Now, why should women attend The Climb?
Watchen: There is something so amazing about community, and for me, my goal is to create a community of like minded black women who can help each other as we all work towards one goal. Our goals may not look the same. It’s like we all have career aspirations we want to achieve. The women we’re going to be learning from are phenomenal. It’s a way to help you fill some of the gaps that may be standing in between you and where you want to be. It’s gonna be a good time. Friday night it’s social, we’re having black game night, so we get to know each other as people first. Saturday, we focus on the content. This is about building community and actually giving people the tools they need to move their career forward. It’s a room you want to be in.
The Bolder Sister: Wonderful. Thank you so much.
Bolder Sisters, this is a not to miss event. Please click here to register TODAY and through March 20th receive a FREE TICKET for a sister-friend. To learn more, click here: https://www.theclimbsummit.com
lifenlovecoach March 18, 2019 March 19, 2019 #Ichoosetheladder, #TheClimb, Blogs for shy girls, blogs for shy women, I Choose The Ladder, IChooseThe Ladder, Watchen Nyanue
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3 Ways to Use Your Bold For Good
It’s Never too Early to Think Boldly About Your Career
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Tag Archives: Amanda Seyfried
Passion. Music. Love. Cinema.
Pic source: hollywoodreporter.com
The longest running musical, seen by over 60-million people worldwide and a much loved novel by Victor Hugo… Director, Tom Hooper took on a mammoth challenge when he decided to direct Les Misérables, the film. He retained the musical format, which makes it a very different viewing experience, but also requires a little patience. At two-hours and forty-minutes, it is a long film with a lot of singing and even more heart.
Les Misérables is nothing short of magic on big screen – it looks spectacular and has outstanding performances by all the actors, who performed their songs live on the sets and not lip-synched. It is a triumph for Hooper and his brilliant team of writers – William Nicholson, Herbert Kretzmer, Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg (the last three are also behind the on-stage musical adaptation). After a spectacular start, the film does drag a bit in the second hour but the sincere and heart-felt performances by the actors keep you involved.
Set in the nineteenth century France, Les Misérables begins with a man named Jean Valjean (Hugh Jackman) being released from a prison after serving a nineteen-year sentence for stealing a loaf of bread. He is marked as a dangerous man with a life-long parole, which he breaks and is pursued by a law-obsessed policeman, Javert (Russell Crowe). While Valjean gets a second chance to turn around his wretched life, a beautiful factory worker named Fantine (Anne Hathaway) is doomed after her co-workers find out about her illegitimate child. The film spans two-decades and we are introduced to numerous characters including Fantine’s daughter, Cosette (played by Isabelle Allen as a child and Amanda Seyfried as an adult); Cosette’s greedy care-takers, Madame and Monsieur Thénardier (Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen); Thénardier’s children, Éponine (Samantha Barks) who is as old as Cosette and the young street urchin, Gavroche (Daniel Huttlestone); Marius (Eddie Redmayne) who loves Cosette and is also a student revolutionary along with Enjolras (Aaron Tveit). It is a great ensemble cast and I cannot point at one actor who did not live up to the characters they portrayed.
The film opens with a prisoners’ song, “Look down” where we see hundreds of famished prisoners pulling a ship to its dock, while Javert supervises them. It is a grand visual with the sea, large ships and so many wretched souls including Valjean. The film strikes the perfect balance between real emotions and a magical setting, which is almost unbearably sad at times. The costumes, the wigs and make-up, the production design and cinematography are all first-rate and make it a spectacular viewing experience. The music is from the stage musical (lyrics – Herbert Kretzmer; music producers – Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg) with an additional original song, “Suddenly” that is about Valjean finding Cosette and the sudden change in his life. It is performed beautifully by Hugh Jackman who is simply brilliant in the film. My other favorite songs in the film are Fantine’s “I dreamed a dream” in which Anne Hathaway confirms her Oscar shot; young Cosette’s “Castle on a cloud”, which has a haunting melody; the revolutionaries’ “Do you hear the people sing?”, which is still playing in my head and Valjean’s “What have I done?” Apart from Jackman and Hathaway, I loved what the two little kids brought to the film. Isabelle as Cosette looks exactly like the famous portrait by Emile Bayard from the original edition of the book and Daniel as Gavroche is the star in the last forty-minutes of the film. Special mention for Aaron Tveit who plays Enjolras with so much conviction that you almost forget to look at Marius.
Les Misérables is made with passion, love and hope, which is visible on-screen. It may not be the most entertaining film you’ll see this year, but it is everything that great cinema can offer a true film-lover. If you like musicals then do not miss it on the big screen.
Watch this great video about the actors singing live while filming:
And here’s Fantine’s heartbreakingly beautiful “I dreamed a dream”:
By Shrey Khetarpal • Posted in English Movie Reviews • Tagged Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Hugh Jackman, Les Miserables, Musical, musical adaptation, Russell Crowe, Sacha Baron Cohen, Samantha Barks, Tom Hooper, Victor Hugo, Westend
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NHIS Crisis: Presidency orders due process
in News Update
Usman Yusuf
A Presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, says the presidency has stepped into the crisis rocking the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) following the purported suspension of its Executive Secretary, Prof. Usman Yusuf.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the Governing Council of the NHIS had on Oct. 18 suspended Yusuf over alleged gross misconduct.
But, Yusuf resumed work on Friday, a day after his fresh suspension by the council.
Some workers acting under the aegis of Association of Civil Servants of Nigeria, and Medical and Health Workers Union of NHIS, almost prevented him from gaining entrance to the office on Monday.
Their colleagues of the Nigeria Civil Service Union in support of Yusuf mobilised themselves and countered the protest.
The situation that almost degenerated into security breach was however contained with the intervention of a combined team of police, civil defence and state security operatives.
However, the presidential aide, who featured on Channels TV Sunrise Daily on Tuesday in Abuja, said Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, and the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, had intervened in the NHIS crisis with a view to finding lasting solutions.
Read Also: Military to militia groups: Vacate Benue, Taraba, Nasarawa
Shehu, who is the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, noted with regret that the NHIS crisis had been ethnicised and politicised by some interest groups within and outside the agency.
“Did the board follow due process in suspending this gentleman? There are opinions that said `no they haven’t’.
“Again we all have to do the right thing all of the times. I don’t deny the fact that there is a lot of work to do – (the crisis) is complicated by the fact that the whole thing about the NHIS has been ethnicised and politicised.
“Even a political party was issuing a statement on matters that are unknown to it.
“I’ll tell you one thing, as we speak now, you know that no matter whatever mistakes this gentleman may have made, and that is to be proven because I don’t have the records to say yes or no, he has launched a major reform in that institution which had blocked access to public resources.
“Money from the NHIS is not money belonging to government, is money taken from your salary, from my salary.
“If we have been enlisted, we are supposed to get treatments when we fall ill then you should ask the question in 13 years of the NHIS how many Nigerians have received the treatments.
“Yet you have HMOs, these vendors, taking N5 billion every month, money that is just being shared and somebody came and said, `look, this can’t go on’ and with strong support from this administration the N5 billion has been reduced to N1.3 billion.
“And even at then, the administration is not satisfied. We want to see healthcare delivered to the citizens of this country. So there is a lot of work to do,’’ he said.
The presidential aide stated that he was not in the position to challenge the allegations of wrong doings levelled against the executive secretary in some quarters.
Shehu, however, maintained that the two chambers of the National Assembly had previously cleared the Executive Secretary of the allegations against him.
He also dismissed the accusation of `double standard’ by the Buhari administration while dealing with cases of corruption being levelled against public servants or political office holders in the country.
He said it was wrong to compare the case of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal, and that of the NHIS scribe.
“Well, there is no double standard there either than to say that the pictures that the government is looking at many Nigerians perhaps may not be seeing those pictures,’’ he added.
NAN also recalls that the minister of health (Adewole) had earlier suspended Yusuf over similar allegations on July 6, 2017.
But the Federal Government reinstated him on Feb. 6, 2018, after an administrative panel found him not guilty of the allegations of abuse of office and maladministration.
Yusuf officially resumed work on Feb. 8, 2018, after he was given the clean bill.
Shehu, who also spoke extensively on the security efforts of the federal government in combating the menace of Boko Haram insurgency, said Nigeria had earned international commendations for suppressing the terrorist group.
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B.C. deputy premier Rich Coleman decides to run for re-election
Rob Shaw More from Rob Shaw
B.C. deputy premier and LNG minister Rich Coleman says he'll run for re-election in May 2017. Gerry Kahrmann / Vancouver Sun
VICTORIA — Deputy premier Rich Coleman says he’s shrugged off thoughts of retirement because he wants to keep working to make his government’s dream of a liquefied natural gas industry a reality.
Coleman told announced Sunday his intent to seek a sixth term as MLA for Fort Langley-Aldergrove in the May provincial election.
“It’s not an easy decision, and I had thought of hanging up my skates, I’d guess you call it,” he said in an interview. “I just felt I wasn’t done. I decided to give it some thought in August when I went camping with some good friends who aren’t political. … I really thought about it and thought about whether I should or should not.
“I finished 20 years of doing this on May 28 this year. But I like what I do, and I came to the conclusion there’s nothing else I’d rather do with my life at this time and I felt I’d like to go one more time again at a minimum. So I’m going to run again in May.”
Coleman has been Premier Christy Clark’s minister of natural gas development and point man on the LNG issue since the 2013 election. Clark promised the electorate she’d develop a lucrative LNG export industry, with multiple plants, 100,000 jobs and enough money to fill a $100-billion prosperity fund to erase B.C.’s debt and lower taxes.
But, as the next election nears, no LNG export plants have been built and Clark’s B.C. Liberals are preparing to face voter criticism over unfilled promises.
Slumping global commodity prices have dragged down the price of oil, eating away at the revenues of the large multinational companies that were proposing LNG plants in B.C. and causing them to cancel or delay investment decisions.
Coleman, 62, said the desire to see at least one LNG plant operational was part of his decision to run again.
“It did factor in because I’ve spent a lot of time the past few years building relationships across that file with companies and proponents and people,” he said.
“I’d really like to get it across the line where we’d get a project approved with an FID (final investment decision). It’s going to happen. I’m still absolutely convinced we’ll be in the world market with liquefied natural gas.”
Coleman is also the B.C. Liberal party’s campaign co-chair, along with Transportation Minister Todd Stone. His decision to stay means the party retains what has long been considered one of the its top fundraisers and organizers.
Coleman has spent more than a decade overseeing the government’s social housing programs, and said he’s anticipating major announcements on housing affordability in the next several months.
“That’s a passion for me as well. There’s going to be some neat things we’re going to do this fall leading to some new innovations in housing.”
Coleman is one of the last members of the premier’s cabinet to announce a decision on running for re-election. Energy Minister Bill Bennett and Health Minister Terry Lake have said they’ll retire. Social Development Minister Michelle Stilwell has not publicly announced her decision and is away, competing at the Paralympic Games in Brazil.
Coleman was in 2011 considered a front-runner to replace Gordon Campbell as leader of the Liberal party. But he instead supported Clark’s rival Kevin Falcon for leader. He said he considered retiring at the time as the party lurched through two years of internal fighting and turmoil.
“There was a lot of stress during that time,” he said. He also had health concerns. Coleman said his health has improved, he’s started more regular exercise and now has more energy than he’s had in previous years.
“After the 2013 election there was a mix of new people,” he said. “It was a really fun bunch. The last three years doing this job have been a really fun time working with my caucus.”
rshaw@postmedia.com
twitter.com/robshaw_vansun
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Boys Soccer Beats O’Farrell Charter to Advance in CIF
Sage Creek Boys Soccer Faced Off Against O'Farrell Charte in CIF Quarter Finals
Timothy Baxter
Timothy Baxter, Sports Editor
Last Saturday, boys soccer faced off against O’Farrell Charter in the CIF quarterfinals. Sage Creek had the top seed heading into the game, with O’Farrell carrying the eight seed. Sage was looking to ease by O’Farrell onto their next game, but O’Farrell was looking for the upset against the number one.
The game started off with O’Farrell coming out strong. O’Farrell scored an early goal in the first half. The first half was hard fought by both teams, but the half ended with O’Farrell being up 1-0.
By the time the second half started, it was dark and the lights were in full action. Sage needed to come out strong, and they did. The Bobcats came out and scored a quick two goals to O’Farrell’s zero. O’Farrell then came back to tie the score. Then at the 78 minute, Daniel Moran put the Bobcats in the lead.
With 12 minutes remaining, the Bobcats knew they had to finish strong. O’Farrell had their last chance with a late free kick just outside the box, but the Bobcats defense held strong and won the game 3-2. Sage moves on to CIF Semifinals on Feb. 28 against Vista High School
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Difference between Sterling Silver and White Gold
A jeweler or jewelry collector wouldn’t have a hard time telling the two precious metals apart. For the budding collector with the untrained eye, we have you covered. Read further to know more.
2 Sterling Silver vs White Gold
Properties of sterling silver allow masterful works like this
Sterling silver is used in a lot of jewelry such as necklaces and rings. It is 92.5% pure silver and the rest is 7.5% copper. Anything more than 92.5% purity would make sterling silver too soft to serve its many purposes. This also allows sterling silver to retain its precious metal look and its ability to be shaped or crafted into the most intricate and beautiful designs. However, copper has been known to increase the possibility of corrosion as it reacts to oxygen in the air. Other metal substitutes are used to increase resistance to tarnish. Sterling silver is strong enough for practical uses and is the finest grade of silver that can fit this purpose.
Sterling silver is not very expensive and costs a lot less than other precious metals like gold, but many fakes are out there. One recommended way of knowing the real deal is to rub a piece of white cloth on the piece. It’s the real thing if there are black marks on the cloth. This is caused by real sterling silver being exposed to air and becoming tarnished.
A half-eternity ring made of white gold
White gold is also silver in color, and is somehow erroneously called as such by many jewelers. In truth, it is gold alloyed with a white metal such as nickel, palladium, or manganese. White gold gets its “silvery” white color when combined with white metal alloys. It is then plated with rhodium, a tremendously hard element, to give it strength and a lustrous shine.
Used primarily for rings, white gold can also be found in bracelets or chains. The color of white gold pieces can go from soft white to a light, almost yellowish-white tone, to a grayish-silver, and to a more gold-like appearance.
One of the reasons why white gold is more expensive than sterling silver is that it does not react to oxidation in the air. This makes it retain its shine and only need some cleaning from time to time. Also keep in mind that although nickel makes white gold stronger, it’s known to cause skin irritation.
Sterling Silver vs White Gold
So what’s the difference between sterling silver and white gold?
Sterling silver normally has a 7.5 % copper content to make it strong and durable. Other metals are used to reduce tarnish and corrosion. White gold, on the other hand, is a combination of gold and other white metals such as nickel. Many consider it the most popular “silver” metal (despite the fact that it is not silver) and it is more expensive than sterling silver. Sterling silver is the most affordable white metal on the market today.
Sterling silver is more prone to tarnish and corrosion because it reacts with oxygen in the air because of its copper content, thus requiring more cleaning. White gold is resistant to corrosion because it is commonly rhodium-plated. It only needs periodic cleaning to maintain its shine.
Known to cause allergic reactions particularly in the ear, many people cannot wear sterling silver jewelry. White gold is practically hypoallergenic, thus most people can wear earrings made of this metal without any worries.
Sterling silver White Gold
Made up of 92.5% silver, 7.5% copper Made up of gold and other white metals
Least expensive silver metal Most expensive “silver” metal
Known to cause allergies Hypoallergenic
Prone to tarnish and corrosion Does not corrode and tarnish
Current rating: 8.2 / 10 , 5 votes
Difference between 10K and 14K Gold Difference between Stainless Steel and Sterling Silver
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Through Accepting Limits
My CVID Story
Primary Immune Deficiency
What is “Through Accepting Limits”?
Some things I cannot change, but 'til I try I'll never know
Month: Apr 2013
Can You Feel The Love Tonight?
Apr 19, 2013 Apr 19, 2013 throughacceptinglimits14 Comments
What a difference a week makes. Last Friday I was excited that I would be taking my children to see their first West End show and thanking the gods of calamine lotion that L’s chicken pox had cleared up just in time for us to go. Fast forward a week and I’m now looking back at the past few days with amazement. So much has happened in such a short space of time that I think I need to reflect and take stock.
Over 6000 people have now read my post describing our trip to the autism-friendly performance of Lion King. I know some blogs have tens of thousands of hits a week, but for me 6000 in three days is A LOT. I have received literally hundreds of emails and messages from other people who have children or family members with autism, thanking me for my post and for raising awareness of the challenges we face. I have lost count of the number of people who told me my post made them cry. My post was re-blogged, tweeted and linked to more times than I know, including by Theatre Monkey who called it: “The Most Moving Theatre Blog Ever”. I have been asked by Disney’s PR company if they can use my post to promote next year’s performance, and they have circulated it amongst their journalist contacts. I have been thanked by various members of the Lion King crew for being so complimentary about their involvement (They’re thanking me! How ridiculous!) I’ve had phone calls with one of the stars of the show who is now my Facebook friend (I couldn’t be more excited or star-struck if it was George Clooney). I was invited to talk about our experience at the show on a national radio programme, which I did this morning. I have been contacted by the director of another London theatre as well as someone from a small local drama group, both of whom are planning to look into organising similar performances after reading my blog. And possibly most overwhelming of all has been the outpouring of love and encouragement from the hordes of friends and family who have been texting me and sending Facebook messages over the last few days. So please excuse the twee and slightly tenuous Lion King reference but … can I feel the love tonight? Hell yes!
It’s certainly been a whirlwind of a week, but I find myself asking – what now? How can I harness this incredible love and support and carry it forward, so that I can continue trying to make the world a better, more accepting and understanding place for J and children like him? I can’t help thinking back to our difficult experience in a large toy store and the negative and dismissive response I had from one reader, and wondering – is it enough? It is unrealistic in the extreme to think I can single-handedly wipe out all traces of prejudice and discrimination from our society. But I can’t help feeling I must be able to do more. This isn’t quite as selfless and altruistic as it sounds … and if I’m being completely honest I think one of my motivations here is fear. Fear of how the world will treat my precious J as he starts to grow up and find his way.
And so I find myself in uncharted territory … I am being pushy. I am doing everything I can think of to get more media exposure, so that I can reach the widest audience possible. Obviously if my write-up of last Sunday’s performance leads to more of the same then that will be great. More than great, it would be bloody fantastic. But I need more than that. I need people from outside of the autism community to understand WHY these performances are needed, and WHY children and adults with autism need to engage in behaviour that might be perceived by others as unusual or disruptive or naughty. And then to take that a step further, I want people to understand what they can do to help. I want them to know that it really doesn’t take much. Giving our children a little time to think and formulate a response after asking them a question. Giving parents a smile instead of a disapproving stare. Asking the parent with a tantruming child if they need help, rather than muttering about them behind their back. Recognising the unique way that so many autistic children see the world, and considering what we can learn from them. Looking for ways around their challenges and limitations, rather than writing them off.
So I will continue to push for more media coverage … but assuming I don’t become an international writing sensation on the back of this, I need a Plan B. And luckily I have one. I’m planning to utilise all this love that’s been flooding in all week. Because ultimately, the more people who read this blog and other accounts like it, the more we really will start to change the world one person at a time. Up until now I’ve only really ever written this blog for myself – as a cathartic way of dealing with some very difficult times in my life. But now that changes. For the first time I’m asking those of you reading this to share it with your friends, and your friends’ friends’ friends … because maybe my Lion King reference isn’t so twee or tenuous after all. I AM feeling the love, and I can’t help thinking it’s that very love that’s going change the world.
Tagged autism, autistic, Disney, Lion King, National Autistic Society
Hakuna Matata On A Sunday Afternoon
Apr 15, 2013 Apr 17, 2013 throughacceptinglimits121 Comments
From the moment I heard there was to be a one-off autism-friendly performance of The Lion King, I knew we had to go. Musicals have been my greatest passion ever since I was a teenager, and even when I was pregnant with my twins I’d dream of sharing this joyous experience with my children. I would lay in the bath singing show tunes to my bump. In fact I went to see Wicked when I was about three weeks pregnant – before I was even aware that my little ones had been created.
Once J’s autism came to light, however, it seemed less likely that he would enjoy a West End show with me. J has hyper-sensitive hearing, can be overwhelmed by large crowds, and does not seem to grasp the need to be quiet in certain situations. So when I heard there was going to be a performance of Lion King aimed specifically at an autistic audience, it seemed too good to be true.
I asked my parents how they would feel about buying the tickets as the children’s birthday present, as the performance fell two weeks after their fourth birthday. Of course they said yes, so having bought our tickets for Row H of the stalls, I waited patiently.
When the tickets arrived, there was an accompanying letter inviting me to use the resources on the website prior to the performance. Clearly considerable time and effort had gone into producing the visual story which enabled me to prepare J for our visit. It meant he knew what he would see when he arrived, and how the show would start. And indeed, when the big day arrived and we had experienced the excitement of a Tube journey and a taxi ride, J was very excited to see the theatre, exactly as he had seen it on the laptop screen the day before.
But it wasn’t until we took our seats in the Lyceum Theatre that I started to realise quite how special an experience this was to be. I looked around as the 2000-seat auditorium began filling with a truly unique audience. All around me were children, teenagers and adults with varying degrees of autism. Many were flapping their hands and jumping up and down. Some were rocking back and forth ferociously in their chairs. Others were making unusual hand gestures, or clapping their hands over their ears. Many were wearing ear-defenders to block out the sounds around them. Some were spinning around in the aisles, others sat on the floor and refused to stand. And the noise level grew and grew, with the sound of people groaning, screeching, hooting and laughing. To the uninitiated this might have looked daunting, even frightening. But to us, the parents and families of people with autism, this was pure happiness. Unlike J, many people with autism are non-verbal. The best way they had to express their growing excitement was to make these strange-sounding noises. And for some, like J, the noise and the crowds were overwhelming. Some made their own noises to block out the sounds around them. But this was fine too. This was part of giving our children an experience many of them would never have otherwise been able to have. And then I realised – a large part of the increased noise level was due to the parents who had excitedly brought their children to this special event. A theatre visit usually involves the audience taking their seats quietly, rustling through their programmes as they wait patiently for the curtain to go up. Not so here. All around me I could hear people introducing themselves and their children, comparing experiences, empathising. We were amongst friends.
The show started 15 minutes late. The organisers probably underestimated how long it would take to seat a special-needs audience. In that time, J had insisted on sitting on my lap and fallen asleep. Like many, many children with autism, J is a very poor sleeper. He had been up since 2am. (Incidentally, like many, many autism parents, I am permanently exhausted. I had also been up since 2am!) But at last, two cast members in full costume took to the stage. The audience grew quieter: something was about to happen. And then the man in the lion costume spoke.
“My name is George” he said “and I play the part of Scar”. This was clever. This helped the audience differentiate between the actors and the characters. Good start. George went on to speak briefly about what an honour it was to be able to present this unique performance to us. And he meant it. The emotion in his voice was clear. The audience applauded loudly. This made those with hyper-sensitive hearing groan louder. He introduced the woman standing beside him, who plays Rafiki, and explained that she would be singing the first song in the show. Again, a thoughtful measure to help prepare the audience for what would come. “Much too often” said George meaningfully “autism has to adapt to society. It’s about time a little bit of society adapted to autism!” The audience erupted. I burst into tears. The woman next to me handed me a tissue, as she also stifled a sob. They understood. All these people around me – the families, the cast and crew, the staff of the theatre and the National Autistic Society and Disney who were lining the auditorium ready to help: all of them understood.
And then the show began. I didn’t want J to miss the exciting start, as the huge jungle animals walked right past us. “Wake up J!” I said. “Look darling! Look at the elephant!” He opened his eyes blearily, and then rubbed them. He stared in open-mouthed wonderment at what he was seeing and whispered to me: “Mum! I see a giraffe!”
I cannot imagine the cast have ever performed to an audience like it. At times the noise in the auditorium made it difficult to hear what was happening on stage. But at no point was anyone shushed. No-one was on the receiving end of dirty looks, whispered comments about controlling our children, tutting and head-shaking. It was all OK. In front of me a teenage boy was rocking so hard in his chair that his mother tried to stop him and turned to apologise to the woman behind her. “Please don’t” said the woman. “He’s absolutely fine”. Each time Scar, the baddie, appeared on stage, a young man wearing ear defenders leapt into his father’s lap and buried his face in his neck. Behind me another teenage boy was completely overwhelmed. He stood up waving and flapping his arms violently. “Please sit Paul!” his mother pleaded. “Please just try!” In the end his father took him out of the auditorium, where they went instead to the thoughtfully planned relaxation area, full of large bean bags and tactile, sensory toys. Next to Paul’s mother, another boy was so lost in the wonder of the African drumming that he sat with his eyes closed, drumming his own beat loudly and enthusiastically on his thighs. Two rows in front of me a girl put her coat over her head as the show started. She left it there for the entire performance and no-one from her family asked her to remove it. Every time the audience applauded at the end of a song or scene, J clapped his hands over his ears and shouted until the applause subsided. He then thought of something funny his cousin had done last month and repeated what she had said again and again, very loudly, for about 20 minutes.
When the song Hakuna Matata started J recognised it and tried to sing along. The words of the song seemed so poignant at that moment. “It means no worries for the rest of your days.” Sadly I realised, the opposite would be true for so many of the young people sitting around me. The challenges caused by their autism will likely mean the rest of their days will be fraught with worries. But, for that moment at least, their worries were suspended. Hakuna Matata for a few hours.
When the curtain fell for the interval I needed to change J’s nappy. We went to the relaxation area where I sat on a bean bag to do it. No-one batted an eyelid. Every parent I passed wanted to engage me in conversation – about the show, about our children, about autism. I remarked how wonderful it was to allow J to behave exactly as he needed to, without fear of being judged as a bad parent. Everyone I spoke to felt the same.
The second half passed with as much noise and excitement as the first. Paul finally returned to his seat behind me, where his mother kissed him exhuberantly saying “Thank you Paul! Thank you for coming back! See how beautiful it is!” The drumming boy laughed loudly and hysterically at Timon and Pumbaa. J screeched with laughter when, on the stage, Zazu walked into the wall. “Zazu went crash!” he shouted joyfully. I wondered at times whether the cast had fully realised what they were letting themselves in for. It must have been the first time in their acting careers that they had to fight to make themselves heard. I hoped they could feel how enraptured we were by the beauty of their singing and the breathtaking staging.
When the final curtain call came, I leapt to my feet with J in my arms. I whooped and cheered for all I was worth. J hated this and screamed at me to be quiet, but I couldn’t. I had to let all those responsible for this incredible production know just how grateful I was and how much it had meant to me. As the house lights went up and we put our coats on, J started sobbing. “I don’t want to leave Lion King!” he pleaded. “I want to stay at Lion King!” He was placated by the Lion King flag handed to him by a smiling staff member on the way out, which is now taped proudly to his bedroom wall.
I don’t know whether the cast and crew of Sunday’s performance realise quite what an important thing they did. This went way beyond allowing people with autism to experience a trip to the theatre. What this performance did was to make us normal. For a few hours, our children and family members were free to be themselves and to behave however they needed to, without fear of judgement or retribution. For a few hours, we did not feel the need to apologise for our own children. For a few hours, no-one felt they had to explain anything. For a few hours we had no worries. Hakuna Matata.
Tagged autism, autism-friendly, autistic, Disney, Hakuna Matata, Lion King, Lyceum Theatre, National Autistic Society
My X Factor Journey
Apr 9, 2013 May 25, 2013 throughacceptinglimitsLeave a comment
I am officially an X Factor reject. And I couldn’t be happier about it. Let me tell you why.
Many months ago I entered the famous TV talent show by way of a video audition and then promptly forgot about it. Then on Friday an email arrived in my inbox saying:
“Congratulations! You are through to the next round of the X Factor 2013 auditions. You are one step closer to achieving your dream”.
The email went on to give details of my second round audition, which was to be held the following Monday at 7am. After miraculously sorting out the most complicated child-care arrangements known to humankind, and a weekend of outfit-choosing and song-singing, I duly arrived at the London venue yesterday at 6.55am. I stood amongst hundreds of other nervous hopefuls, queueing in the cold for two hours. And when I say cold, I mean that I couldn’t walk properly having lost all sensation in my toes. Eventually I reached the front of the queue and was asked to read two pages of small print before signing a form. My fingers were so cold I couldn’t hold the pen, so I scribbled a barely-legible mark without reading the text, knowing full well that it was simply asking me to sign my life away to the money-making machine that is X Factor. At last we were shepherded indoors – into a space closely resembling an aircraft hangar. A few auditionees made a grab for the handful of available chairs, but were given short shrift by the production crew who informed them the chairs were only for those in real need – the concrete floor was evidently good enough for the likes of us. After a further hour of waiting (and with a derriere now as cold as my toes) my name was finally called, and I joined a group of others as we were led to our fate. A skinny blonde girl (there were lots of those) started jabbering to me. “Oh fuck! Oh fuck! Shitting fuck! I’m shitting myself! Are you shitting yourself? I’m like, totally shitting myself!” I was nervous but not shitting myself. Didn’t seem right to say so though. “Yeah” I replied. “I’m shitting myself too”. She gave my hand a squeeze. “Don’t worry babe” she reassured me. “You’ll be fucking brilliant”. I asserted that she, too, would be fucking amazing. Her sparkling beam confirmed that this was the correct response.
We were led down a narrow corridor and told to wait outside door 11. We sank to the floor again, grateful for the carpet. The corridor was buzzing with people humming their first lines repeatedly under their breath; strumming guitars; reapplying their make-up; and my skinny blonde friend screeching “Has anyone got a pen?! I need to write my words on my hand! I’m gonna forget my fucking words!” Every few minutes someone would appear from an audition room. Some, jubilantly clutching the red slip of paper that meant they were through to round 3, skipped back down the corridor shouting “Good luck guys!” over their shoulder. The rest came out red-faced and downcast, trying to slip away unnoticed. One boy muttered “Not enough confidence? They don’t even bloody know me” as he stomped past us.
It was impossible not to get caught up in this frenzy of nerves and excitement and adrenalin, and as the queue in front of me gradually diminished I felt the butterflies in my stomach growing. My breathing started quickening, my hands trembling. My mouth grew dry. I felt certain I would go blank when it was my turn to audition, so started quietly singing my first line over and over. I sipped water. I sprayed Rescue Remedy on my tongue. I wondered what the hell I was doing there.
Finally the door opened and a crew member said “Your turn. Just stand on the X”. I walked into a room that was much larger than I had been expecting. I beamed at the two producers sitting behind the table, with a huge floor-to-ceiling window behind them making it difficult to see them them clearly. I took my place on the hallowed red-and-black cross on the floor in the centre of the room. I confirmed my name with as much excitement as I could muster. “And what do you do?” asked the man. “Well up until a year ago I was a secondary school teacher. I taught Sex Education to teenagers in London! It was brilliant!” I wittered. I decided they wouldn’t be as interested in the Human Rights modules I had taught, or the Government and Politics. Sex Education would surely make better TV. “Really?” asked the woman. “So lots of putting condoms on bananas then?” “Oh no!” I responded with more enthusiasm than a CBeebies presenter on ecstasy. “We don’t use bananas, we have blue demonstrators! Ours was called Bob!” The producers smiled at me. They looked vaguely amused. So far so good. I went on to tell them that I’m now a single mum to four-year-old twins, and made some general chit-chat about how challenging yet rewarding that is. Yadda yadda yadda. “OK, well when you’re ready?” the man said.
This was it. Time to show them what I was made of. My hands were still shaking. My throat felt dry. I fixed my eyes on a point just behind the judges’ heads, assumed the correct posture to give my voice the best fighting chance, took a breath from deep in my stomach, and began to sing. After three words I knew I was out. My voice sounded weak and reedy. I’d started singing way too low which meant there was no power behind the notes. Quite frankly I sounded crap. Before I could even hit the chorus the man raised his hand in a “stop” signal. “Thanks” he said “but it’s going to be a no today. The standard is very high”. Translation: you sounded crap. “I know that was rubbish” I said. “I started singing too low. That’s actually not what I usually sound like at all. Can I do my second song?” “Sorry” he replied. “We’ve got a lot of people to see”. Translation: you sounded so crap we just want to get you out of this room. “OK” I said. “Thanks for taking the time to see me”. “Thanks for coming” came the reply. And I left.
And so, like I say, I am officially an X Factor reject. My friends commiserated with me and I said “It doesn’t matter! I wasn’t expecting to get through anyway. It was a good experience”. And I meant all those thing. It doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. And I really wasn’t expecting to get through. But why do I feel it was a good experience? Reading through my description of the day, it sounds hellish. Yet I am pleased I went. To understand why I am pleased I need to take a big step back.
Anyone who watches the series will be familiar with the concept of a contestant’s “journey”. When they are voted off by the public and the celebrity judges, they hear the immortal words “Let’s take a look at your X Factor journey” before being shown a video montage of themselves during their months of involvement with the show – singing with their eyes shut tight; crossing their fingers with a tear sliding down their cheek; leaping joyfully into a judge’s arms; ecstatically hugging their fellow contestants – essentially a summary of all the key moments that had led them to this point of rejection, accompanied by an appropriately emotional soundtrack. They go on to thankfully express all they have learned from the process, and describe how they have changed and grown as a person. For them this journey began with their first audition.
My journey has, so far, taken me up to my X Factor audition. And it has spanned years rather than months. But it explains why I feel that my experience yesterday was overwhelmingly positive and even triumphant. This has been the third consecutive year that my first video audition was deemed good enough to get me through to the second round. Twice before I have received the congratulatory email, inviting me to the second round of auditions. But both times I bottled it. I found excuses not to go. The thought of entering X Factor had been fun when sending in my video, but when faced with the reality of being judged and, in all likelihood, being told at some point that I wasn’t good enough – well, that was enough to convince me the whole idea was ridiculous and most certainly not for me.
But this is hardly surprising when I think about my circumstances. I was in a very different place. I was in an oppressive and abusive marriage, which left me permanently tearful and constantly feeling that I wasn’t good enough. I lived on tenterhooks, forever fearful that the next sentence to come out of my mouth would be one that triggered anger and aggression and mean little mind games. I exhausted myself trying to be the wife my husband wanted, but whatever I did, I could never please him. No matter how hard I tried to be all he could want, I was never enough. Unsurprisingly given the strain I was under at home and my fragile emotional state, my work began to suffer. I started to make mistakes and miss deadlines. And when I went to a manager to explain exactly what was happening in my marriage and how it was affecting my ability to work, this information was used to bully me, make me into a scapegoat, and eventually push me out of the career I had loved.
In hindsight it is obvious why, in previous years, I couldn’t face singing for X Factor producers. It was because my husband and my employers had completely convinced me I wasn’t good enough. I wasn’t a good enough wife, I wasn’t a good enough employee, I wasn’t good enough for anything. (For more on being good enough please read this amazing blog). I certainly wasn’t good enough to stand amongst the other auditionees and believe I had as much right as them to be there, and to sing a song. My self-esteem was at an all-time low.
This year, however, I went to the audition. And it took some doing. I had to arrange a succession of four different people to take responsibility for childcare throughout the day. I had to get up at 5am to be there on time. But I did it. I showed up and I sang.
The interesting thing is that, in a way, I still didn’t think I was good enough. By that I mean I don’t think I’m a good enough singer to win the X Factor. I think I have a nice voice, and given the right song and the right circumstances I occassionally think I sound really good. But (and this is being realistic, not putting myself down) I do not have the kind of voice that wins X Factor. Or the kind of looks. Possibly the kind of personality. But I did not, even for one fraction of a second, think I was ever going to get close to “making it” on X Factor.
So why did I go? I went to prove to myself that I could. I went because I now have enough confidence in myself that it genuinely doesn’t matter to me that two people I don’t know didn’t like my singing yesterday. If I’m being completely honest I was just a little disappointed. I had hoped to go one round further than I did. But the important thing is that I was there. As a friend put it yesterday: “Here’s to showing up and being seen!” A year ago, showing up and being seen was terrifying. This year I did it and it felt great.
So … my X Factor journey. What would my video montage look like? Well it would show my transition from tearful, beaten-down despondency to confident optimism. It would show the look of adoration in my daughter’s eyes when we sing together. It would show the hordes of friends encouraging me and cheering me on every step of the way. And my montage soundtrack would have to be “I Will Survive”.
I entered a different contest to the other people queueing in the cold with me yesterday. They were there to prove something to others. I was there to prove something to myself. And I won.
Tagged competition, confidence, enough, self-esteem, singing, X Factor
If you like my blog please nominate me …
An Open Letter to the SATs Teachers
Back To Where I Came From
It Doesn’t Take Much
Easing The Pain
The Right To Happiness
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Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC, the franchisor of the rapidly expanding national fast-casual cafe concept inspiring healthier lifestyles, announced it has welcomed two new C-suite members to its team: Chief Marketing Officer, Mark Montini, and Chief Information and Digital Officer, Michael Lapid.
“Mark and Michael both bring immense brand and leadership experience, sophisticated technical expertise and a tremendous passion for the Tropical Smoothie Cafe mission. While their career paths are very different, they both have a similar style of solving problems, relying heavily on their ability to make data-driven decisions, which is ultimately in line with how we lead,” said Charles Watson, CEO, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC. “Like our franchisees, Mark brings strong entrepreneurial experience to our organization and will lead brand, marketing, product and digital innovations, all core functions of delivering a remarkable guest experience. As our Chief Information and Digital Officer, Michael brings 20 years of foundational IT skills and core functions of digital knowledge critical to shaping our journey to reach guests via innovative technologies.”
“I’m confident Mark and Michael are the right people to support us as we continue our rapid growth,” said Watson. “I am thrilled to be strengthening our leadership team with two outstanding, talented new members who understand that we are in the business of serving franchisees, who then serve our guests.”
About Mark Montini, Chief Marketing Officer
With more than 20 years of leadership experience, Montini joins Tropical Smoothie Cafe from Floor Coverings International where he drove brand transformations and leadership in service-based franchising. Early in his career, Montini developed technology-driven marketing strategies for international organizations focused on increasing revenue through local-level marketing and sales. As the new Chief Marketing Officer of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Montini will lead the company’s vision to drive process change and accelerate business performance.
About Michael Lapid, Chief Information and Digital Officer
Previously with Papa John’s International as the Vice President, Global Digital Technology, Lapid is a seasoned technology executive with vast engineering expertise, leadership skills and a deep understanding of consumer technology. At the start of his career, Lapid’s ambitious spirit led him to develop a point of sale system, Hot Sauce. Lapid’s entrepreneurial and corporate mindset will be instrumental as he guides Tropical Smoothie Cafe through technology innovation and thought leadership.
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SFIGO
Dave Janda
Josh Bernstein
X22 Report
Trump Posters
My Favorite Conservative
Alternative Media Online Sources
David H. Janda, M.D. was a practicing orthopedic surgeon based in Ann Arbor, Michigan and a member of a nine-member orthopedic surgery group from 1989 until his retirement from medical practice on January 1, 2017. Dr. Janda is also the Director and Founder of the Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is the only health care cost containment organization of its kind in North America. In addition to his role as a clinical orthopedic surgeon for 27 years, he has also distinguished himself in the research arena for over 30 years. Dr. Janda has had the opportunity to present before a sub-committee of Congress, which led to the utilization of preventative methods to reduce injuries within the Federal Government system. Dr. Janda’s research has been given wide exposure by the electronic, as well as print media, and has gained wide public acknowledgement. Dr. Janda was appointed by the first Bush Administration to the Board of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. He also was appointed to the National Institute of Health Trauma Research Task Force. Governor John Engler also appointed him to the Governor’s Council on Health, Fitness and Sports for the State of Michigan, as well as Chairman of the Advisory Group on the Prevention of Sports Injuries. Dr. Janda is the author of The Awakening of a Surgeon (Pictured, right) and The Power of Prevention Handbook which chronicle his efforts in the field of Preventative Medicine.
AUDIO BELOW
In this edition of Insider Insight, Dr. Dave and Sarah Westall dissect NXIVM, Jeffrey Epstein, as well as the rule of law.
https://trumphub.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/INSIDER_INSIGHT_WESTALL_AUG1_2019_AUDIO.mp3
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Tag Archive for: moralistic trust
Dr. Eric Uslaner on the Nature of Trust (Trust Quotes #3)
March 10, 2010 /10 Comments/in Trust Quotes, Uncategorized /by Charles H. Green
My guess is not many TrustMatters blog readers recognize the name Eric Uslaner. Nevertheless, it would be hard to overstate his importance in the field of trust. Dr. Deborah Nixon, a trust academic herself, says, “Uslaner is arguably the leading academic in the field.”
A professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, Eric is the author of The Moral Foundations of Trust: in my opinion, a superb work. There’s more, much more, but you can get it at his website.
Now, let’s talk trust.
CHG: Dr. Uslaner, thanks so much for taking the time to be with us. I’m delighted to be able to share a taste of your work with TrustMatters readers.
Let’s start with something deceptively simple: what is trust?
EMU: There isn’t one concept of trust. Most of the time we talk about trusting someone to do something specific—do I trust my doctor to take care of my health? I don’t ask if he can be trusted to paint my house.
But there is also a form of trust that doesn’t depend upon evidence or experience—what I call “moralistic trust.” This is the belief that we can trust people whom we don’t know and who may be different from ourselves. This is the sort of trust that helps societies solve key problems. It is more based upon our belief that we ought to trust people—the Golden Rule—than our experiences with people we know well and who may look and think like ourselves.
CHG: Why does trust matter and why should we trust people we don’t know?
EMU: Trust leads to many positive outcomes. Trusting people are more tolerant of people unlike themselves. They are not more likely to have friends or to join groups—misanthropes have friends too and we all tend to join groups of people just like ourselves. But trusting people are more likely to give to charity and to volunteer for causes that help people who are different from themselves.
And trusting societies are less corrupt, have lower crime rates, are more open to trade, and have higher levels of economic growth. They are more open to globalization and new technologies. Such societies also have higher levels of internet usage and scientific innovation. Trusting people are more accepting of risk. They may be more vulnerable to risky situations, but they are also in the best position to profit from taking greater risks. Mistrusting people may protect themselves by avoiding risk, but trusting people are the ones who will reap the biggest profits.
CHG: Aren’t we safer trusting people like ourselves?
EMU: If we only trust people like ourselves, we miss out on the best opportunities. Many years ago Mark Granovetter wrote about “the strength of weak ties,” where we are more likely to prosper by dealing with people we may not know well. Ronald Burt has written about “structural holes,” where open networks lead to far better outcomes than closed networks.
The companies that perform the best generally bring together people of different backgrounds so that each can learn from each other. If we only trust people we know—or people like ourselves—we risk the problem of “groupthink,” where we become convinced that our positions are correct because our friends and colleagues agree with us. There is no corrective for bad advice. Putting trust in people who are different from us is a stronger path to innovation and prosperity.
CHG: Are all types of trust equally good?
EMU: Aside from “strategic trust” (or trust based upon evidence to do specific things), we also have generalized trust—trust in strangers who may be different from ourselves—and “particularized trust,” when we only trust people like ourselves. This in-group trust is far more common in the world—and it has negative consequences.
CHG: Negative consequences–interesting. So not all trust is positive?
EMU: That’s right–particularized trust as a substitute for generalized trust is a negative for a group. If a group limits its trust, it results in closed minds, cultures, and economies.
CHG: What first drew you to the topic of trust?
EMU: I first got interested in trust when I was looking for an explanation as to why there is so much incivility in Congress. Congress, I argued, is much like the rest of us—the incivility in Congress reflects the declining trust among the public.
CHG: Are some groups of people more trusting than others?
EMU: The most trusting people are the Nordics—both in the Nordic countries and here (in Minnesota and the Dakotas). The Nordic countries have a long history of greater equality and that is why they are the most trusting.
CHG: What does the Bernie Madoff saga tell us about trust?
EMU: Not that much about trust in people, but more about trust in institutions—especially trust in financial institutions (banks, brokerage firms) and to some extent trust in government (for not being on top of the case).
CHG: Is it true that we live in a time of declining trust? Trust in what?
EMU: There has been declining trust in government for many years, but trust in government is cyclical. It was very low in the 1970s but revived under Reagan, then fell, and came back under Clinton, and then fell. Trust in government reflects our level of satisfaction with the economy and our international stature. Trust in people has been declining since the 1970s and has not revived at all. Trust in people tracks the increasing level of inequality in the US very strongly.
CHG: What can be done by business or government to increase trust?
EMU: Focus on two key things: Inequality and education. Business isn’t going to like the argument that it must take steps to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor, but this is the single biggest factor in whether societies are more or less trusting—over time in the US, across the American states, and across countries.
People don’t see a common fate with each other when inequality is high. Business can take a small step in the right direction by limiting the huge disparities in salaries. The huge bonuses investment houses have been giving their employees after getting government bailouts bring inequality to the forefront of people’s attention. These firms are creating social tensions that may come back to bite them.
Government needs to focus more on inequality. Education is the single biggest individual factor leading to greater trust for two reasons. First, higher education brings us in contact with people of different backgrounds and exposes us to the roots of different cultures. So more highly educated people are more willing to accept people of different backgrounds because they understand cultural differences.
Second, universal public education leads to lower levels of inequality–and also to lower levels of corruption (as I show in my book, Corruption, Inequality, and the Rule of Law). Greater equality and lower corruption foster trust in people who may be different from ourselves.
CHG: What’s the biggest misconception about trust that you find people have?
EMU: That trust is fragile, or that it can be reestablished easily. Moralistic (or generalized) trust is learned early in life, from your parents, and it remains stable for most people throughout their lives. So you can’t break trust easily.
But neither can you build it so easily. You need to do it early, and you need to get kids to interact with people of different backgrounds.
CHG: Eric, thank you so much for taking the time to share your research and thoughts with us; it is poweful stuff, and I deeply appreciate it.
This is the third installment of Trust Quotes, our series featuring interviews with leading thinkers and practitioners in the world of trust: people who apply trust in powerful ways in business and society.
Trust Quotes #1: Ross Smith of Microsoft on Trust and Innovation
http://trustedadvisor.com/public/trusted_advisor1.png 0 0 Charles H. Green http://trustedadvisor.com/public/trusted_advisor1.png Charles H. Green2010-03-10 11:00:002010-12-17 12:35:42Dr. Eric Uslaner on the Nature of Trust (Trust Quotes #3)
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Home / Achievement / 1. Student Achievement / Dian Indah Carolina and Stories about WISSEMU
Dian Indah Carolina and Stories about WISSEMU
“Initially I was on the WISSEMU climbers team. But it all ended on the fourth mountain. So I helped them as a member of the Support Team until finally, they finished seven world summits,” said Dian Indah Carolina when met by the Unpar Publications team on Tuesday (10/7).
Dian Indah Carolina, who is familiarly called Caro, is a member of the Parahyangan Nature Lovers Club (Mahitala Unpar) organized by Parahyangan Catholic University Students. Since becoming part of the team of The Women of Indonesia’s Seven Summits Expedition (Wissemu), Caro has been joining an expedition since the first ascent to Carstensz Pyramid, Indonesia, in 2014.
Caro’s interest in nature-related activities stems from camping activities and climbing Papandayan and Ciremai mountains while graduating high school. At that time, she first tried to climb up the mountain. It was so addictive that she continued to go to college, interested in applying for Mahitala membership. In Mahitala, recalls Caro, “There are many activities, like rafting, caving, climbing, and more.”
International Relations became her choice of study while attending Unpar. This was also one of her guiding spirits. “I was taking an HI course because I wanted to go abroad. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I am so happy especially with nature activities,” she said enthusiastically..
Reaching 3.5 world mountain peaks
“The stories are different for every mountain,” Caro said. Climbing Mount Carstensz, there were many helpful teams including a team from PT Freeport offering help.
“We have 10 teams. It was the first time I had ever climbed a very high mountain in Indonesia,” She said. First time I tried (climbing) a high mountain. Its natural beauty is really something else. ”
As one of the 7 summits, Caro explained that Carstensz was one of the most expensive climbing destinations in terms of financing. This can be so because the management is still minimal and the location happens to be in the same environment as PT Freeport.
At the beginning of the climb, there were four people who joined the WISSEMU team. Due to certain obstacles, Zulfikasari had to resign and could not participate in the next climb.
Caro talked about her first journey through 4,000 meters above sea level, that made her suffer from altitude sickness (AMS). “It felt very dizzy. So this was altitude sickness. That’s what I had to face,” she recalled the journey of the first climb.
Aconcagua peak was the fourth mountain that the team reached (Dee Dee and Hilda). In the middle of the journey, Caro was forced to descend because her physical condition made it impossible to continue the climb. Previously, they had reached the top of Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 masl) in Indonesia (Oceania), Kilimanjaro (5,895 masl) in Tanzania (Africa), and Elbrus (5,642 masl) in Russia (Europe).
When forced to stop at Aconcagua
For Caro, Mount Aconcagua was the most memorable experience, even though she ultimately failed to complete the climb to other mountain peaks.
There was still a question mark at the time. She revealed, “Our food (the climbers) was the same. Everyone drank a lot. “Apparently, according to Caro, she experienced the kind of altitude sickness that usually attacks the climbers on the mountain, the Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). The immune system of climbers affected by the disease becomes irregular to the difference in height and speed of the climb.
“Initially I felt dizzy, nauseated, and began to lose appetite. They (Dee Dee and Hilda) went up and I went down again to the camp assisted by the team and porter,” adding that she underwent deteriorating body condition when reaching the camp.
Caro said Aconcagua is among the climbing destinations with qualified medical personnel and facilities. When she arrived at the camp, the next day she was picked up by helicopter and taken to a hospital in a nearby town in Argentina. At that time, the Indonesian Ambassador to Argentina Mr. Sinaga assisted in the treatment at the hospital.
“I Woke up in the ICU room. But it turned out I had been there for 2 days. Apparently, there had been burst blood vessels in my brain, “she explained.
Of course, the decision to get off the mountain while climbing Aconcagua made her sad. “Yes I felt sad and regretted when I was told to go down at Acon, I immediately thought that I could not go on (to other mountains). I did not want to be a burden, “said Caro.
Wissemu Support Team
Since being inactive as a Wissemu climbing team member, Caro became a Support Team member for Dee Dee and Hilda. Starting from Mount Denali to the last ascent on the summit of Everest.
Her role as a member of the Wissemu Support Team was as a PR in charge of media affairs. “I was the one with the report. Their public relations. And all things related to the media, “explained Caro.
She revealed, “When we reached the top of Everest, I wanted to cry. I once experienced being on a team of climbers. And being in the Support Team was just as difficult as being a member of a climbing team. “A support team must prepare a variety of needs of climbers so that the travelling is safe as well. The Support team also takes care of technical training, sponsorship, and cooperation with the media.
Lectures and daily activities
During her study at HI Unpar, Caro was interested in joining the internal organization of the Student Association: the English club (IREC) and the international speaking community (KSMPMI). She realized that at that time, she had better choose to focus on one activity, and she chose Mahitala.
“Actually there are a lot of HI activities that I have not joined at all,” she said full of laughter. Since last February, she had completed her studies at Unpar and officially became an alumnus of HI Unpar.
The experience gained during the active membership of Mahitala were plentiful. This is what makes her pay attention to and take an interest in environmental issues. In the future, she would love to work in that field. Combining roles in government and the environment.
“I want to work in the environment. For example in the field of government or NGO. Or between government and the environment put together, “she said enthusiastically.
Currently, while waiting for employment, Caro still helps Wissemu’s activities as a Support Team.
Caro: ” I have liked new things and challenges since childhood “
“Starting when I was small, I really liked to join wushu, swimming. sports activities and tutoring as well as various activities outside the classroom (school subjects), “he said. Since childhood, Caro already liked outdoor activities.
The Native of Bandung is now busy with marine activities, such as diving and free diving. ” Freediving is fun, no need for equipments just go down. (This activity) relies on the lungs, “explained Caro.
“Maybe in the future, I’ll try surfing,” she laughed.
As the third child of three siblings, she revealed, the possibility of her interest is due to her father and mother. “Dad like mama enjoys climbing mountain. They used to tell the story how they used to love up to go to Mount Bromo, “she said this is in contrast to her two older siblings, who are less fond of outdoor activities.
She received full support from both her parents, as long as she was able balance her time with college. Even when she took the first plunge as a WISSEMU climber. However, it cannot be denied, the incident in Aconcagua made both her parents become more worried about her.
For my Unparian friends, Caro advised, “Use the existing facilities (Unpar) well. That is, for example, participate in (campus) events. ”
“Do not devote your time just to attend classes. The time in college is to explore and work, “she concluded.
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Tainted Water
Wisconsin A Leader in Strontium Pollution
73 of 100 worst readings in strontium-laced drinking water were in Waukesha, Brookfield, other towns.
By Jane Roberts, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism - Mar 14th, 2016 03:12 pm
Vicky and Bud Harris of rural De Pere point out the filtration system they installed in their home that removes strontium and other contaminants from their drinking water. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is studying whether to begin regulating strontium, which is found in some of the highest concentrations in the nation in drinking water in eastern Wisconsin. Photo by Kyle Bursaw of Press-Gazette Media.
For the past six years, Michael Schnur and his family have been drinking bottled water. Already concerned that pollutants from the coal ash landfill near his home in Sheboygan County might be leaching into his private well, Schnur became even more fearful last year when he received a letter from the state Department of Health Services. It warned that elevated levels of a little-known, unregulated element — strontium — were found in his drinking water.
In follow-up email correspondence, the DHS said the landfill was not impacting Schnur’s water and that strontium occurs naturally in the groundwater. Schnur was advised to install a water softener, which works by replacing minerals like calcium, magnesium and strontium with sodium.
“I have a new baby (coming) in a couple months, which is why it’s really nerve-wracking,” Schnur said last spring. A healthy baby girl, Sophia, was born in August.
Schnur, who acknowledges he is no expert on water issues, remains on alert. His family continues to drink bottled water.
The federal Environmental Protection Agency has made a preliminary decision to begin regulating strontium.
However, in January, the agency delayed a final decision in order to collect additional information. The EPA wants to determine, among other things, whether treatment systems that remove strontium also would remove beneficial calcium, potentially making the effects of strontium on bones and teeth even worse.
EPA data from 2013 to 2015 suggest that some public water systems in eastern Wisconsin contain among the highest levels of strontium found anywhere in the country. Nationwide testing showed 73 of the 100 highest readings came from Wisconsin in communities including Waukesha, Brookfield, Germantown, Kaukauna, Wrightstown and Fond du Lac.
The EPA has set 4 milligrams of strontium per liter of water as the lifetime health advisory limit — in other words, the maximum level that anyone should routinely consume — and 25 mg/L as the short-term health advisory limit, meaning no one should consume that amount of strontium at any time.
Twenty-nine of the results found in the EPA testing in Wisconsin exceeded the EPA’s 25 mg/L short-term health advisory limit. The highest level found in that round of testing was 53 mg/L in Germantown in 2013.
Drinking water wells in Wisconsin show high strontium levels
The level of strontium detected in Schnur’s well, 7.2 mg/L, is what DHS toxicologist Roy Irving described as “middle of the pack.”
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay geoscience professor John Luczaj said if the EPA confirms 4 mg/L as an enforceable maximum contaminant level, that would be a “big deal.” According to a study released in June by Luczaj and Kevin Masarik, a groundwater education specialist at the Center for Watershed Science and Education at UW-Stevens Point, strontium is present in the deep aquifer “throughout much of eastern Wisconsin.”
Hundreds of wells throughout the region are affected, including many municipal wells from the suburban Milwaukee metropolitan area north to Green Bay, they found. Particularly high levels were found in parts of Brown, Outagamie and Calumet counties, Luczaj and Masarik wrote.
Luczaj said that while water softeners and reverse osmosis systems can remove strontium, he does not believe that municipal water system customers can be forced to buy expensive treatment systems in order to safely drink their water.
Health effects unclear
As a currently unregulated contaminant, strontium is still a public health mystery. Limited studies suggest, however, that exposure to strontium at elevated levels could affect infants, children and young adults, as it mimics calcium and is absorbed by their developing bones.
Possible health effects from exposure to high levels of strontium range from “strontium rickets” — in which bones are shorter and more dense than normal — to other tooth and bone deformities, according to a Wisconsin DHS fact sheet.
The EPA said certain populations are more sensitive to strontium’s harmful effects, including people with calcium deficiencies, kidney conditions and Paget’s disease.
Bud and Vicky Harris have taken precautions against contaminants in their well water in the home where they have lived for nearly 20 years in the town of Lawrence near De Pere. He is a retired UW-Green Bay professor of natural and applied sciences and she retired from her job as a water quality specialist based in Green Bay for UW-Madison’s Sea Grant Institute.
It is good they took action. A test in 2012 showed 28 mg/L of strontium in the water coming into their home — above the maximum short-term exposure limit recommended by the EPA. A 2013 test showed 22 mg/L, slightly below that limit.
Soon after moving into their home, the Harrises installed a water softener, iron removal system and reverse osmosis system because they were aware of local drinking water problems, especially arsenic. Vicky Harris said the couple has spent thousands of dollars on water treatment systems to remove contaminants.
“For us, it’s worthwhile. Water is health. Water is everything,” she said.
Vicky Harris wonders about the untreated water their son drank from a private well in Allouez near Green Bay before they moved to their current home when he was 8 years old. Their son has mottled enamel on his teeth, which she said could be related to the fluoride also present in the Green Bay area.
Article Continues - Pages: 1 2 3
Categories: Environment, Health, Tainted Water, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism
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