pred_label
stringclasses 2
values | pred_label_prob
float64 0.5
1
| wiki_prob
float64 0.25
1
| text
stringlengths 97
1.02M
| source
stringlengths 37
43
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
__label__wiki
| 0.748487
| 0.748487
|
Tom in a few words...
Contact Us About Tom
cheftomkerridge
TomKerridgeChef
Tom's Website
Tom's Story
Tom Kerridge is the incredibly popular and loveable chef patron at the extraordinary two Michelin-starred The Hand & Flowers pub in Marlow, which he opened with wife Beth in 2005. It was quite a moment for Michelin when the second star was awarded, and some say quite controversial. The world’s culinary press descended on Marlow following the announcement and discovered a special venue, team and chef there. Tom now has two further pubs - The Coach, which opened in 2014 and won a Michelin star in 2017, and The Butcher’s Tap, a butcher's shop by day and a pub by night, which opened in 2017. In 2018, Tom opened his first London restaurant at the Corinthia Hotel; the restaurant is a British Brasserie-style dining room.
Tom is a great character with amazing presence, obvious warmth and an infectious laugh, so it wasn’t a surprise when he landed his own TV show. The brilliantly popular BBC2 series Proper Pub Food became a huge overnight success and excellent ratings, with Tom’s fan base growing weekly as the six-part series was broadcast. Accompanying the show Tom’s first book of the same title became a best seller. In 2014, Tom presented his second series Best Ever Dishes, which again proved extremely popular, along with his bestselling book of the same title.
Tom has also presented BBC2’s Bake Off Crème De La Crème (2016) The Food Detectives (2016), The Best of British Takeaways (2017) and Food and Drink (2015). He has appeared on shows such as Market Kitchen, MasterChef the Professionals, numerous BBC1’s Saturday Kitchen and has competed and won the main course twice on BBC2’s Great British Menu. No-one else has ever won twice! In 2018, Tom presented BBC2's new series Top of the Shop with Tom Kerridge, which saw amateur artisan food producers showing off their incredible handmade food products.
In 2015, Tom’s book, Tom’s Table was published and topped the best seller charts, Tom Kerridge's Dopamine Diet followed in 2017 and soared to No.1 across all hardback non-fiction books; it has remained a best-selling title ever since. The book follows Tom’s personal weight loss journey and is filled with recipes that helped Tom to lose an incredible 76kg!
Tom then wrote a second diet book, Lose Weight for Good, published in January 2018, which had an accompanying TV series for BBC2. This book has been a smash hit success, topping the best seller charts for months to become the highest selling January hardback book since publishing records began!
Fresh Start was published in December 2018, also with an accompanying series on BBC2. In the series Tom recruits eight families keen to change their lives for the better, helping them discover that cooking from scratch with fresh ingredients will make them healthier, fitter and happier.
Tom has teamed up with The Great British Exchange to create a range of cookware and home ware. The range, which includes knives, textiles, ceramics, wood, enamelware and pans are all chef quality, beautiful products that have been designed by Tom in collaboration with British manufacturers using British materials.
Tom’s first catering job was a stint as commis chef at Calcot Manor in Gloucestershire. He also worked for Stephen Bull and Gary Rhodes before joining Odette’s in Primrose Hill. He ran the Michelin starred restaurant Adlards before deciding it was time to find his own place taking over a run-down pub in Marlow called The Hand and Flowers. The rest is history…
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line3999
|
__label__wiki
| 0.777919
| 0.777919
|
Russia’s Middle East dilemma
Wednesday, 07 September 2011 14:10 Eric Walberg
As the Arab Spring grinds on into autumn, the Russians are asking once again whether they should follow the policy “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”, says Eric Walberg
Muammar Al-Gaddafi’s demise is all but a done thing, carried out with a UN blessing, however dubious, and only belatedly opposed by Russia and China. Russian policy makers are now wondering if their quasi-principled condemnation of Western-backed regime change in Libya was not just Quixotic but downright stupid.
Libya's National Transitional Council denies that Information Minister Mahmoud Shammam signed a secret agreement with France in March mediated by the Qatari government, whereby French companies would control more than a third of Libya’s oil production in return for Paris’s early and staunch support for the rebels. However, even as Russia recognised the NTC last week, Abdeljalil Mayouf, information manager of the rebels’ Arabian Gulf Oil Company, warned, “We don’t have a problem with Western countries like the Italians, French and UK companies. But we may have some political issues with Russia, China and Brazil.”
Al-Gaddafi’s impending fate is now fuelling Western efforts to topple Bashir Al-Assad in Syria, with France openly organising the rebels, and a European boycott of Syrian oil in place as of Friday. The latter is potentially more devastating than hosting dissident conferences in Paris, as almost all of Syria ’s oil ― a third of its total export revenues ― goes to Europe .
The burning question now is “Should Russia should accede to Western plans for the Middle East?” To “learn from its mistake” in Libya and dump Al-Assad immediately, whatever the internal dynamics of Syria may be? The whole relationship of Russia to the Arab Spring is now heatedly discussed, with many critical of Western machinations but just as many worried that Russia will only lose out if it stays aloof.
The two camps represent the two poles in post-Soviet Russian thinking: the Eurasianists vs the Atlantists. The former trying to put Russia at the centre of an independent anti-Western coalition. The latter are happy to throw in the towel, to accede to the Western hegemony which characterises the postmodern imperial order unfolding since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
There are powerful forces in Russia behind both views. Atlantist enthusiast Russian President Dmitri Medvedev was responsible for the success of UN Resolution 1973 allowing the NATO bombing of Libya. In March, he overrode broad Russian opposition including by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who denounced the Western invasion as a new Crusade. Medvedev had to fire Russian ambassador to Libya Vladimir Chamov when the latter sided with Putin. Medvedev now warns Al-Assad of a “dire fate” if he continues his campaign against the opposition.
Those who want to accede to the Western agenda complain that in Libya Tatneft and Gazprom Neft will have to abandon their projects. “We won’t have anything; Libya ’s oil market will shift in favor of Italian ENI. After them, the American and European companies,” whines Uralsib Capital analyst Alexei Kokin. The Russian Railways contract to build a 550 km high-speed rail line from Sirt to Benghazi also appears to be under review by the new government in Tripoli.
Libya is far away, and was never much of a Soviet-Russian ally. In Syria, Russian economic and security stakes are much higher. Not only is Syria one of Russia’s largest arms export customers, with current and pending deals valued at $10 billion, but Al-Assad’s regime is also a significant Russian security partner in the Middle East. The Russian navy is dependent on Syrian ports to sustain its operations in the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf.
Russia’s NATO Ambassador Dmitri Rogozin scoffed at the idea that the West had any altruistic motives in invading Libya. He told the EUobserver on 2 September that the Libya experience shows NATO will now “expand towards its southern borders”, and though he was happy NATO had stopped expanding eastward, “we cannot trust [that] NATO will not exceed the mandate and NATO bombs will not be dropped on Damascus.”
Concerning the proposed UN resolution against Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, “This is a call for a repeat of the Libyan scenario. The BRICS nations will not allow this to happen.” There is no question for the Russians that honest elections are now unavoidable in Syria in future, but “we strongly believe it is unacceptable to instigate the Syrian opposition to continue boycotting suggestions to start a dialogue.” Russia is unwilling to contemplate another Western-incited civil war and invasion leading to regime change. For the moment, the Eurasianists have the upper hand.
Underlying the Atlantist-Eurasianist debate is the fate of the entire Western project to transform the Middle East, which has been in the works since the 1980s with the rise of the neocons. This plan was to bring about a controlled chaos in the region, creating a series of weak statelets that would benefit a strong Israel. Oded Yinon’s “A Strategy for Israel in the 1980s” proposed the policy of divide-and-conquer. Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah described the Israeli policy in 2007 as intended to create “a region that has been partitioned into ethnic and confessional states that are in agreement with each other. This is the new Middle East.”
But given the horrors of this policy in action since 2000, the burning question for Russian politicians is not just “Should we accede to Western plans for the Middle East?” but rather “Are Western plans in the Middle East going to succeed, and is Russia helpless to influence them?”
The neocon wars of the 2000s were the steel fist approach to subduing Islam: kill millions and terrorise the survivors. But they have been a disaster, made the US and Israel pariahs, and left a trail of terrorism in their wake.
In Libya and Syria today, Afghanistan and Iraq loom large. Russian Profile analyst Alexandre Strokanov fears that “the real war and even more horrifying suffering still lay ahead for the Libyan people” and warns that weapons from Al-Gaddafi’s arsenal could well end up in terrorist hands. Neither the US nor the EU are in any position to get involved in another “nation-building project”. In any case, the new Libyan government will have to show its fiercely proud people that it is independent from all foreign powers.
It is clear now the whole Arab Spring is not as spontaneous as appeared at first glance. While the regimes across the region were indeed corrupt and dictatorial, they were all supported by the West. But so was the opposition.
The moment came when they were perceived as passed their due date, and with the neocons in office by 2000 and PNAC’s “new Pearl Harbour ” on the horizon, it was possible to proceed with Yinon’s plan to create dynamic chaos in the Middle East. The Arab Spring is, in an eerie way, a natural conclusion to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. A sort of “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em”, American style.
It has taken various forms so far, with a breezy boot for Zine Al-Abidine Bin Ali in Tunisia, a pair of handcuffs for Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, a burnt face for Ali Abdullah Saleh in Yemen, impending assassination for Al-Gaddafi, and who-knows-what for Al-Assad. The only ones to escape unharmed are the Gulf sheikhs and the kings of Morocco and Jordan, who are so compliant that they need only a tap on the shoulder to do Washington’s bidding. Oh yes, Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is still hanging on, but not even the neocons dare to overthrow him and reopen civil war wounds from the 1990s.
That is not to denigrate the revolutionaries across the region, nor to dismiss their heroic (but very much uphill) struggles to achieve independence in the face of the Western intriguers. Among the prominent new leaders are Muslim Brotherhood leaders such as Tunisia ’s Rachid Ghannouchi and Egypt’s Essam El-Erian. Their popular Renaissance and Freedom and Justice parties are projected to win the plurality of seats in upcoming elections, and they have no use for the imperialists. Then there is Libyan rebel military leader Abdullah Hakim Belhaj who plans to take the US to court for torturing him and then rendering him to Al-Gaddafi. There are few secular heroes in the region that can vie with the long-suffering Islamists.
While Italy and Britain were cruel colonial taskmasters in Libya before independence, Russia has no such imperial baggage. Russian officials met with both sides throughout the stand-off to try to negotiate a ceasefire, emphasising the importance of international law, and have nothing to be ashamed of. If it’s any comfort to Atlantists like Kokin, even enthusiastic support by Russia of the bald imperial venture to unseat Al-Gaddafi would hardly have done Tatneft or Russian Railways much good.
Russia inherits fond memories across the region as the anti-Zionist Soviet Union’s successor. It now has the chance to gain long term credibility as a principled partner not only in the Middle East but to nonaligned countries everywhere, and should stick to international law and stare down the imperialists.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4000
|
__label__wiki
| 0.930898
| 0.930898
|
LeslieAnne Wade Named Senior Vice President, Communications, CBS Sports
Thursday, December 6, 2007 , Posted by Christopher Byrne at 9:41 PM, under CBS Sports, CSTV, Executive Profiles (CBS Sports), Gil Schwartz, LeslieAnne Wade, Sean McManus, Showtime Sports
New York (Dec 6, 2007) - LeslieAnne Wade (pictured left) has been named Senior Vice President, Communications, CBS Sports, it was announced today by Gil Schwartz, Executive Vice President, Corporate Communications, CBS Corporation, and Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports. In this role, Wade will oversee the corporate and media relations effort for the Corporation's sports businesses including CBS Sports, CBSSports.com, CSTV and CSTV.com, and will work closely with Showtime Sports and all the Company's other sports properties.
Wade had been Vice President, Communications, CBS Sports since May 1998. She joined the division in 1993 as a consultant and was named Director, Communications, CBS Sports in April 1996. She will continue to report to Schwartz and McManus.
"LeslieAnne is one of the most highly regarded sports communications executives in the business," said Schwartz. "During her tenure with CBS, her duties have expanded exponentially as the Company's sports properties have multiplied, and she's proven herself with each new responsibility. I look forward to continuing to work with her in this expanded role."
"LeslieAnne has been an invaluable asset and key member of the CBS Sports management team," said McManus. "The sports and business media have grown to respect, trust and rely on her as spokesperson for the entire portfolio of sports businesses at CBS."
During her tenure as Vice President, Wade has handled corporate and media relations for CBS Sports' businesses, personalities and programming. At an organization recognized as the year-round leader in Network sports television, Wade has led the publicity efforts surrounding coverage of Super Bowl's XXXVIII and XLI, THE NFL ON CBS, the PGA Tour, U.S. Open Tennis Championship, The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and college football among other programs and specials.
As Director of Communications, Wade directed the announcement of the National Football League's return to CBS Sports, the historic 11-year bundled rights deal with the NCAA, and promotion of the Network's coverage of the 1998 Olympic Winter Games from Nagano, Japan.
She was the lead publicist for the Network's non-Olympic properties including the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship, the U.S. Open Tennis Championships and College Football's Bowl Alliance. She also served as a consultant to CBS News, launching the public relations campaign surrounding the critically acclaimed series, "Before Your Eyes."
Prior to coming to CBS, Wade served as Manager, Press Relations at USA Networks (1989-93), responsible for the total publicity effort surrounding sports programming and original entertainment series. In addition, she directed the campaign that launched USA Networks' Sci-Fi Channel in 1992.
She began her career as Director of Sports Information at Fordham University (1985-86) and then Manhattan College (1986-89). During that time, she was actively involved with the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), serving as a National Coordinator of the Academic All-America program. In 1986 she was honored with a CoSIDA writing award.
Wade is a member of the board at the Boomer Esiason Foundation, a national foundation led by the former NFL quarterback and current CBS analyst, which raises monies to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. She has served the development and advisory board at her alma mater, Bayley Ellard Catholic High School in Madison, NJ and in 1999 was the youngest alumnus inducted into that school's Hall of Fame. She has been honored as the Woman of the Year by Women In Sports and Events (2003) and has been recognized as the Sports Television Executive of the Year by the All America Football Foundation (2004).
Wade was graduated from Saint Mary's College at Notre Dame, Indiana, with a degree in English writing and communications.
Related Posts : CBS Sports, CSTV, Executive Profiles (CBS Sports), Gil Schwartz, LeslieAnne Wade, Sean McManus, Showtime Sports
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4001
|
__label__cc
| 0.518424
| 0.481576
|
COSIDA: Legendary South Carolina Sports Information Director Dies at 81
Tuesday, February 5, 2008 , Posted by Christopher Byrne at 8:30 AM, under College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), CoSIDA, Tom Price
Columbia, S.C. (Feb 5, 2008) – Tom Price, sports information director for 30 years at the University of South Carolina, passed away on Fri., Feb. 1, 2008, at the age of 81. Price was affiliated with the University of South Carolina since 1962 and served in an emeritus capacity from 1992 to 2008. He was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.
Price graduated from South Carolina in 1951 with a degree in journalism and joined the athletic department in 1962 after 11 years in wire service journalism. He served as sports information director from 1962 to 1985 and as assistant athletics director/media relations until 1992. He continued to serve the athletic department until his passing in an emeritus capacity and as athletic department historian. Price also was the official scorer for the South Carolina baseball home games and served as analyst on the Gamecock Radio Network for road games.
Price was inducted into College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in 1981. He received the CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 1992 and, in 1993, won the CoSIDA Arch Ward Award, presented annually to a CoSIDA member who has made an outstanding contribution to the field of college sports information and who by his or her activities, has brought dignity and prestige to the profession.
Price was a former president of the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and received the Wilbur Snypp Award from the NCBWA in 1982 for promotion and service to college baseball. Price was also the author of several books on Carolina football, basketball, baseball and other sports.
Note that this is reposted from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) web site.
Related Posts : College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), CoSIDA, Tom Price
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4002
|
__label__cc
| 0.677994
| 0.322006
|
Npower To Cut 2,400 Jobs Amid Poor Financial Results
Writer: Daniel Janson
Posted In: Business European Markets
Unison has complained that Npower also has one of the “worst customer service records in the business”.
Npower, one of the UK’s “big six” energy providers has confimed that it will be reducing its workforce and 2,400 jobs will be lost. The news comes after the company declared a £106 million loss for 2015 and also lost 351,000 customers.
RWE, the company’s parent based in Germany has said that Npower is undergoing major restructuring.
Those affected by the cuts are its full-time employees and its contractors.
The impact on the workforce is due to the declining numbers of customers which has gone from 5.13 million to 4.77 million. Npower stated that the reason for this decline is the overwhelming billing problems and the stronger competition within the market.
Npower has been inundated by customer complaints regarding bills and just last year in December the company was fined by regulators £26 million for such issues stating that the energy provider was, “failing to treat customers fairly”
RWE commented on the 2015 operating loss and said:
“The main reason for this is serious process and system-related problems in customer billing. Substantial earnings shortfalls also stemmed from the fact that residential and commercial customers switched providers or we were only able to retain such customers by offering them contracts with more favourable conditions”.
NPower’s chief executive also gave comment on the loss and said that the results were “extremely disappointing” and that it would take around two years to rectify.
He also continued: “They show a business that tried to do too much, too soon while not focusing enough on the fundamentals in a constantly changing market. This led to over complicated processes and procedures resulting in unhappy customers, too many complaints and extra costs to put things right.”
The results of the energy provider were announced prior to UK competition regulators announcing various actions against the energy markets which will call for more transparency after it has been alleged that customers are being over charged for energy usage.
Several of the industry’s big players such as Britsh Gas and SSE, with Npower have also announced price cuts over the last few months, however this has been met with criticism by ministers and customers who say that the companies have done little in terms of cuts with their standard tariffs despite having their wholesale prices reduced over the last year.
Npower have implemented a 5.2 per cent price cut to its standard gas tariff which will affect 1.2 million of its customers.
Dave Prentis, the Unison general secretary said this on the matter:
“These huge job losses will come as a devastating blow to the workforce.”
He went on to say:
“Npower has been in trouble for some time thanks to poor decision-making at the very top, and workers are now paying the price. The company’s failure to invest properly in new systems has left it with one of the worst customer service records in the business”.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4004
|
__label__wiki
| 0.85937
| 0.85937
|
Former Poker Pro Alex Jacob Wins Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions
21st November 2015 // Gossip, Misc, News
In what host Alex Trebek called “the most dominant performance” of all time, former poker pro Alex Jacob won the “Jeopardy!” Tournament of Champions Friday to claim the top prize of $250,000. There was zero doubt during the two day final round that he was going to come out on top; Jacob so destroyed his competition that it’s shocking that he ever lost at all during the year.
Jacob was one of poker’s rising stars at the tail end of the poker boom (pre-UIGEA). His breakout year was 2006 which he started out in April by finishing second in the WPT Foxwoods Poker Classic, good for $655,507. He then cashed four times at the World Series of Poker, including two final tables before winning the 2006 United States Poker Championship at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. The following year, he won the made-for-TV Ultimate Poker Challenge and nabbed a third place finish in a WSOP event. He cashed a whopping eight times at the 2008 WSOP and five more times in 2009. After that, though, he slowed down his poker playing and eventually retired as a pro. He is now a currency trader in Chicago.
This April, he appeared on the 32nd season of the popular quiz show, “Jeopardy!” for the first time. Jacob had a fantastic run, winning six straight matches before finally missing a Final Jeopardy! question and bowing out. His $149,802 in “regular” winnings (meaning it doesn’t count bonus winnings like Jacob’s Tournament of Champions money ranks him 18th all time, according to data compiled by Jeopardy! strategist Keith Williams on thefinalwager.co.
The Two Alexes: Trebek and Jacob
Alex Jacob employs an unorthodox strategy, though one that has increased in popularity since Arthur Chu used it to rack up 11 wins and nearly $400,000 last year. Rather than starting at the top of one category and proceeding down like players historically have done, Alex Jacob jumps from category to category, selecting middle and high dollar values first. This technique is called the “Forrest Bounce,” named after Chuck Forrest, who used it to win five straight games (the limit at the time) in 1985. Jacob does this primarily to find the Daily Doubles, which are more likely to be found at the bottom of the board. Grabbing a Daily Double and then winning a lot of money from it can quickly give a player a huge lead and they are thus the most valuable spaces on the board. Jacob wants to not only get them for himself, but to also prevent his opponents from seizing control.
The Forrest Bounce also tends to keep Jacob’s opponents from getting comfortable. When one simply goes down a column, it is easier for the mind to get in a rhythm, to get used to the types of questions (well, answers) in a category. But by bouncing around, Jacob doesn’t allow his opponents to get a groove. The advantage is even greater because he knows where he’s going next, so his brain can switch gears just a little faster than the other two players’.
One thing Keith Williams also notes about Alex Jacob is that his goal was to win the game more than it was to make as much money as possible. Thus, when he was able to get out to a big lead early, he would actually start stalling in order to make it less likely all the spaces on the board would be uncovered in a round and therefore give his opponents less of a chance to mount a comeback. Williams pointed out that in Jacob’s first game this year, he took a full minute during the last Daily Double. During the Tournament of Champions, it did look like he might not have been sure of the answers (questions!) at times, but as Williams writes, since he is a poker player, it is entirely possible he was putting on an act.
Tournament of Champions
The fifteen biggest money winners of the year made the Tournament of Champions, which started last week; Jacob was the third highest earner of the year. In the quarterfinal round, there were five matches with the winner of each advancing to the semifinals. Of the quarterfinal losers, the four with the highest money earnings also advanced as wildcards. The semifinals consisted of three matches with the winner of each moving on the finals. Alex Jacob won those first two rounds easily, locking the game up before the Final Jeopardy! round in both instances.
The finals featured two matches between the three players, with the player who earned the most money in the two games combined declared the champion. Scores were reset after the first contest.
It looked like it was going to be an amazing battle, as one of Alex Jacob’s opponents was the quirky Matt Jackson, who was the year’s best player, winning 13 straight matches and earning $411,612, both of which rank him fourth all-time. Kerry Greene was the other player; like Jacob, she won six games and over $140,000.
All eyes were on Jackson and Jacob, but Jacob continued in the finals were he left off in the first two rounds: he left his opponents in the dust. After the Day 1, Jacob had $29,600, compared to just $3,400 for Greene and $3,000 for Jackson. It was already apparent that he was going to win the Tournament of Champions, as it would have taken a disaster for him to lose. He could lose Day 2 by $26,000 – a dollar amount that many winners don’t even reach, period – and still win the whole thing.
Jacob and Jackson were neck-and-neck at the outset, but Jacob quickly found the Daily Double and doubled-up from $2,800 to $5,600. By the first commercial break, that total was up to $6,400, compared to $3,200 for Jackson and $1,800 for Greene. At the end of the Jeopardy! (first) round, Jacob had $8,600, Jackson had $5,600, and Greene had $3,200.
In the Double Jeopardy! round, it appeared that Jacob played cautiously, knowing that he had the championship in the bag as long as he didn’t completely fall off a cliff. If he didn’t know an answer, there was no reason to risk losing money. That didn’t mean, however, that he wasn’t still collecting money.
Of course, as is his way, he was fast to the first Daily Double and was slow to answer. He had $11,800 and wagered only $100, going into the tank before finally answering correctly at the buzzer.
The moment that clinched the title for Jacob came just a few questions later, when Matt Jackson was able to nab the other Daily Double. Jacob had $11,900 at that point and Jackson had made a run to $10,000. If Jackson could double-up to $20,000, it was still unlikely that he would win, but he would certainly have a chance. Unfortunately, after apologizing to his mom for risking it all, Jackson couldn’t come up with the correct answer and fell to zero. The look on Jacob’s face after that was telling – he knew he had just won.
Jackson fell below zero after that but actually made a nice comeback, ending the Double Jeopardy! round with $7,200. But neither he nor Greene, who still had just $3,200, had any chance to catch Alex Jacob and his $18,700. It was a runaway victory both for Day 2 and for the Tournament of Champions.
Final Jeopardy!
The Final Jeopardy! category was “Philosophers” and the answer was:
His last name means a type of burial place & in 1855 that’s where he went.
Yeah, I didn’t know it either. The correct question was “Who is Søren Kierkegaard?”
Alex Jacob wagered nothing and rather than give a real answer, he wrote, “Who…thanks to everyone who works on the world’s greatest game show!”
And with that, Alex Jacob, looking rather amazed that he dominated like he did, was the 2015 Tournament of Champions winner.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4006
|
__label__wiki
| 0.649395
| 0.649395
|
“Lester Brown tells us how to build a more just world and save the planet...in a practical, straightforward way. We should all heed his advice.” –Former President Bill Clinton
Plastic Bag Bans Spreading in the United States
Janet Larsen and Savina Venkova
Los Angeles rang in the 2014 New Year with a ban on the distribution of plastic bags at the checkout counter of big retailers, making it the largest of the 132 cities and counties around the United States with anti-plastic bag legislation. And a movement that gained momentum in California is going national. More than 20 million Americans live in communities with plastic bag bans or fees. Currently 100 billion plastic bags pass through the hands of U.S. consumers every year—almost one bag per person each day. Laid end-to-end, they could circle the equator 1,330 times. But this number will soon fall as more communities, including large cities like New York and Chicago, look for ways to reduce the plastic litter that blights landscapes and clogs up sewers and streams.
While now ubiquitous, the plastic bag has a relatively short history. Invented in Sweden in 1962, the single-use plastic shopping bag was first popularized by Mobil Oil in the 1970s in an attempt to increase its market for polyethylene, a fossil-fuel-derived compound. Many American customers disliked the plastic bag when it was introduced in 1976, disgusted by the checkout clerks having to lick their fingers when pulling the bags from the rack and infuriated when a bag full of groceries would break or spill over. But retailers continued to push for plastic because it was cheaper and took up less space than paper, and now a generation of people can hardly conceive of shopping without being offered a plastic bag at the checkout counter.
The popularity of plastic grocery bags stems from their light weight and their perceived low cost, but it is these very qualities that make them unpleasant, difficult, and expensive to manage. Over one third of all plastic production is for packaging, designed for short-term use. Plastic bags are made from natural gas or petroleum that formed over millions of years, yet they are often used for mere minutes before being discarded to make their way to a dump or incinerator—if they don’t blow away and end up as litter first. The amount of energy required to make 12 plastic bags could drive a car for a mile.
In landfills and waterways, plastic is persistent, lasting for hundreds of years, breaking into smaller pieces and leaching out chemical components as it ages, but never fully disappearing. Animals that confuse plastic bags with food can end up entangled, injured, or dead. Recent studies have shown that plastic from discarded bags actually soaks up additional pollutants like pesticides and industrial waste that are in the ocean and delivers them in large doses to sea life. The harmful substances then can move up the food chain to the food people eat. Plastics and the various additives that they contain have been tied to a number of human health concerns, including disruption of the endocrine and reproductive systems, infertility, and a possible link to some cancers.
California—with its long coastline and abundant beaches where plastic trash is all too common—has been the epicenter of the U.S. movement against plastic bags. San Francisco was the first American city to regulate their use, starting with a ban on non-compostable plastic bags from large supermarkets and chain pharmacies in 2007. As part of its overall strategy to reach “zero waste” by 2020 (the city now diverts 80 percent of its trash to recyclers or composters instead of landfills), it extended the plastic bag ban to other stores and restaurants in 2012 and 2013. Recipients of recycled paper or compostable bags are charged at least 10ȼ, but—as is common in cities with plastic bag bans—bags for produce or other bulk items are still allowed at no cost. San Francisco also is one of a number of Californian cities banning the use of polystyrene (commonly referred to as Styrofoam) food containers, and it has gone a step further against disposable plastic packaging by banning sales of water in plastic bottles in city property.
All told, plastic bag bans cover one-third of California’s population. Plastic bag purchases by retailers have reportedly fallen from 107 million pounds in 2008 to 62 million pounds in 2012, and bag producers and plastics manufacturers have taken note. Most of the ordinances have faced lawsuits from plastics industry groups like the American Chemistry Council (ACC). Even though the laws have largely held up in the courts, the threat of legal action has deterred additional communities from taking action and delayed the process for others.
Ironically, were it not for the intervention of the plastics industry in the first place, California would likely have far fewer outright plastic bag bans. Instead, more communities might have opted for charging a fee per bag, but this option was prohibited as part of industry-supported state-wide legislation in 2006 requiring Californian grocery stores to institute plastic bag recycling programs. Since a first attempt in 2010, California has come close to introducing a statewide ban on plastic bags, but well-funded industry lobbyists have gotten in the way. A new bill will likely go up for a vote in 2014 with the support of the California Grocers Association as well as state senators who had opposed an earlier iteration.
Seattle’s story is similar. In 2008 the city council passed legislation requiring groceries, convenience stores, and pharmacies to charge 20ȼ for each one-time-use bag handed out at the cash register. A $1.4 million campaign headed by the ACC stopped the measure via a ballot initiative before it went into effect, and voters rejected the ordinance in August 2009. But the city did not give up. In 2012 it banned plastic bags and added a 5ȼ fee for paper bags. Attempts to gather signatures to repeal this have been unsuccessful. Eleven other Washington jurisdictions have also banned plastic bags, including the state capital, Olympia. (See database of U.S. plastic bag initiatives and a timeline history.)
(Click for a live map)
A number of state governments have entertained proposals for anti-plastic bag legislation, but not one has successfully applied a statewide charge or banned the bags. Hawaii has a virtual state prohibition, as its four populated counties have gotten rid of plastic bags at grocery checkouts, with the last one beginning enforcement in July 2015. Florida, another state renowned for its beaches, legally preempts cities from enacting anti-bag legislation. The latest attempt to remove this barrier was scrapped in April 2014, although state lawmakers say they will revisit the proposal later in the year.
Opposition to plastic bags has emerged in Texas, despite the state accounting for 44 percent of the U.S. plastics market and serving as the home to several important bag manufacturers, including Superbag, one of America’s largest. Eight cities and towns in the state have active plastic bag bans, and others, like San Antonio, have considered jumping on the bandwagon. Austin banned plastic bags in 2013, hoping to reduce the more than $2,300 it was spending each day to deal with plastic bag trash and litter. The smaller cities of Fort Stockton and Kermit banned plastic bags in 2011 and 2013, respectively, after ranchers complained that cattle had died from ingesting them. Plastic bags have also been known to contaminate cotton fields, getting caught up in balers and harming the quality of the final product. Plastic pollution in the Trinity River Basin, which provides water to over half of all Texans, was a compelling reason for Dallas to pass a 5ȼ fee on plastic bags that will go into effect in 2015.
Washington, D.C., was the first U.S. city to require food and alcohol retailers to charge customers 5ȼ for each plastic or paper bag. Part of the revenue from this goes to the stores to help them with the costs of implementation, and part is designated for cleanup of the Anacostia River. Most D.C. shoppers now routinely bring their own reusable bags on outings; one survey found that 80 percent of consumers were using fewer bags and that over 90 percent of businesses viewed the law positively or neutrally.
Montgomery County in Maryland followed Washington's example and passed a 5ȼ charge for bags in 2011. A recent study that compared shoppers in this county with those in neighboring Prince George’s County, where anti-bag legislation has not gone through, found that reusable bags were seven times more popular in Montgomery County stores. When bags became a product rather than a freebie, shoppers thought about whether the product was worth the extra nickel and quickly got into the habit of bringing their own bags.
One strategy of the plastics industry—concerned about declining demand for its products—is an attempt to change public perception of plastic bags by promoting recycling. Recycling, however, is also not a good long-term solution. The vast majority of plastic bags—97 percent or more in some locales—never make it that far. Even when users have good intentions, bags blow out of outdoor collection bins at grocery stores or off of recycling trucks. The bags that reach recycling facilities are the bane of the programs: when mixed in with other recyclables they jam and damage sorting machines, which are very costly to repair. In San Jose, California, where fewer than 4 percent of plastic bags are recycled, repairs to bag-jammed equipment cost the city about $1 million a year before the plastic bag ban went into effect in 2012.
Proposed plastic bag restrictions have been shelved in a number of jurisdictions, including New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago, in favor of bag recycling programs. New York City may, however, move ahead with a bill proposed in March 2014 to place a city-wide 10ȼ fee on single-use bags. Chicago is weighing a plastic bag ban.
In their less than 60 years of existence, plastic bags have had far-reaching effects. Enforcing legislation to limit their use challenges the throwaway consumerism that has become pervasive in a world of artificially cheap energy. As U.S. natural gas production has surged and prices have fallen, the plastics industry is looking to ramp up domestic production. Yet using this fossil fuel endowment to make something so short-lived, which can blow away at the slightest breeze and pollutes indefinitely, is illogical—particularly when there is a ready alternative: the reusable bag.
A Short History of the Plastic Bag: Selected Dates of Note in the United States and Internationally
1933 Polyethylene is discovered by scientists at Imperial Chemical Industries, a British company.
1950 Total global plastics production stands at less than 2 million metric tons.
1965 Sten Thulin’s 1962 invention of the T-shirt bag, another name for the common single-use plastic shopping bag, is patented by Swedish company Celloplast.
1976 Mobil Oil introduces the plastic bag to the United States. To recognize the U.S. Bicentennial, the bag’s designs are in red, white, and blue.
1982 Safeway and Kroger, two of the biggest U.S. grocery chains, start to switch from paper to plastic bags.
1986 Plastic bags already account for over 80 percent of the market in much of Europe, with paper holding on to the remainder. In the United States, the percentages are reversed.
June 1986 The half-million-member-strong General Federation of Women’s Clubs starts a U.S.-wide letter writing campaign to grocers raising concerns about the negative environmental effects of plastic bags.
Late 1980s Plastic bag usage estimated to catch up to paper in U.S. groceries.
1989 Maine passes a law requiring retailers to only hand out plastic bags if specifically requested; this is replaced in 1991 by a statewide recycling initiative.
1990 The small Massachusetts island of Nantucket bans retail plastic bags.
1994 Denmark begins taxing retailers for plastic bags.
1996 Four of every five grocery bags used in the United States are made of plastic.
1997 Captain Charles Moore discovers the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch” in the remote North Pacific, where plastic is estimated to outweigh zooplankton six to one, drawing global attention to the accumulation of plastics in the ocean.
2000 Mumbai, India, bans plastic bags, with limited enforcement.
2002 Global plastics production tops 200 million metric tons.
March 2002 Ireland becomes the first country to tax consumers' use of plastic bags directly.
March 2002 Bangladesh becomes the first country to ban plastic bags. Bags had been blamed for exacerbating flooding.
2006 Italy begins efforts to pass a national ban on plastic bags; due to industry complaints and legal issues, these efforts are ongoing.
April 2007 San Francisco becomes the first U.S. city to ban plastic grocery bags, later expanding to all retailers and restaurants.
2007-2008 The ACC spends $5.7 million on lobbying in California, much of it to oppose regulations on plastic bags.
June 2008 China's plastic bag ban takes effect before Beijing hosts the Olympic Games.
September 2008 Rwanda passes a national ban on plastic bags.
2009 Plastics overtake paper and paperboard to become the number one discarded material in the U.S. waste stream.
July 2009 Hong Kong's levy on plastic bags takes effect in chains, large groceries, and other more sizable stores; it is later expanded to all retailers.
August 2009 Seattle’s attempt to impose a 20ȼ fee on both paper and plastic bags is defeated before it can take effect by a referendum financed largely by the American Chemistry Council (ACC).
December 2009 Madison, Wisconsin, mandates that households recycle plastic bags rather than disposing of them with their trash.
January 2010 Washington, D.C., begins requiring all stores that sell food or alcohol to charge 5ȼ for plastic and paper checkout bags.
2010 Major bag producer Hilex Poly spends over $1 million in opposition to a proposed statewide plastic bag ban in California.
2010 Plastic bags appear in the Guinness World Records as the world’s “most ubiquitous consumer item.”
October 2011 In Oregon, Portland's ban on plastic bags at major groceries and certain big-box stores begins.
May 2012 Honolulu County approves a plastic bag ban (to go into effect in July 2015), completing a de facto state-wide ban in Hawaii.
July 2012 Seattle's plastic bag ban takes effect nearly three years after the first tax attempt failed.
March 2013 A bag ban takes effect in Austin, TX.
September-October 2013 During the Ocean Conservancy’s 2013 Coastal Cleanup event, more than 1 million plastic bags were picked up from coasts and waterways around the world.
January 2014 Los Angeles becomes the largest U.S. city to ban plastic bags.
April 2014 Members of the European Parliament back new rules requiring member countries to cut plastic bag use 50 percent by 2017 and 80 percent by 2019.
April 2014 Over 20 million people are covered under 132 city and county plastic bag bans or fee ordinances in the United States.
Source: Compiled by Earth Policy Institute, www.earth-policy.org, April 2014.
Selected Plastic Bag Regulations in the United States
Boulder, CO Boulder grocery stores charge 10ȼ for plastic and paper bags. The city’s reasons for applying the fee to both were that plastic bags are difficult to recycle and paper bag production is also energy- and water-intensive. Stores keep 4ȼ and the rest of the money goes to the city to cover administrative costs, to provide residents with free reusable bags, and to otherwise minimize the impacts of bag waste. Just six months after the fee began in 2013, the city announced that bag use had dropped by 68 percent.
Chicago, IL The Chicago City Council has visited the idea of limiting plastic bags giveaways several times over the last six years. In 2008 a proposed bag ban was rejected in favor of a bag recycling program. A bill banning plastic bags at most retailers is under consideration.
Dallas, TX Plastic bags and bottles make up about 40 percent of all the trash in the Trinity River that provides water to over half of all Texans, including those living in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston, according to estimates by Peter Payton, Executive Director of Groundwork Dallas, a group that does monthly cleanups in the watershed. In March 2014, a 5ȼ fee on plastic and paper bags at all grocery and retail stores, along with a ban on plastic bags at all city events, facilities, and properties, was approved by the City Council. It will go into effect in January 2015. Nine tenths of the revenue generated from bag sales will go to the city.
Hawaii In April 2012, Honolulu County joined the counties of Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii in banning non-biodegradable plastic bags. This amounts to a de facto statewide bag ban—a first for the United States. The ordinances state that plastic bag use must be regulated “to preserve health, safety, welfare, and scenic and natural beauty.” Retailers have until mid-2015 to comply.
Los Angeles County (Unincorporated), CA In July 2011, a ban on plastic bags in large stores took effect in the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, home to 1.1 million people. In January 2012, that ban expanded to include small stores, like pharmacies and convenience marts. Nearly 800 retail stores are affected. This was the first in California to add a 10ȼ charge for paper bags; since its enactment, all other California municipalities have included a paper bag charge. In December 2013, the Department of Public Works announced that the ordinance had resulted in a sustained 90 percent reduction in single-use bag use at large stores.
Los Angeles, CA In June 2013, the City Council of Los Angeles voted to ban stores from providing plastic carryout bags to customers, as well as to require stores to charge 10ȼ for paper bags. Large retailers are affected in January 2014; smaller retailers are affected in July 2014. The city was spending $2 million a year cleaning up plastic bags.
Manhattan Beach, CA After passing a plastic bag ban in 2008, the city became the first to be sued by the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition—a group of plastic bag manufacturers and distributors—for not preparing an environmental impact report as required under the California Environmental Quality Act. The Coalition claimed a shift from plastic to recycled paper bags would harm the environment. Two lower courts sided with the Coalition and ruled that a report was required, but in 2011, on appeal, the California Supreme Court said that any increased use of paper bags in a small city like Manhattan Beach would have negligible environmental impact and therefore a report was unnecessary. This precedent allowed many California cities to proceed with banning plastic bags without such a report.
Nantucket Island, MA Nantucket, a small seasonal tourist town, banned non-biodegradable plastic bags in 1990. Facing a growing waste disposal problem, the town envisioned building a facility where as much material as possible could be diverted from the landfill to be recycled or composted; such a facility would only be able to accept biodegradable bags.
New York City, NY Former Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed a 5ȼ tax on plastic bags in 2009, but the idea was later dropped in a budget agreement with the City Council. In March 2014, the City Council began to consider a proposal mandating a 10ȼ charge per plastic and paper bag at most stores.
San Francisco, CA San Francisco was the first U.S. city to regulate plastic bags. The original ordinance, which was adopted in April 2007, banned non-compostable plastic bags at all large supermarkets and chain pharmacies. In October 2012 the law was applied to all stores, and in October 2013 the law expanded to restaurants. The Save the Plastic Bag Coalition sued the city, contesting the extensions to the ban, but those were upheld by the First District Court of Appeal in December 2013. In April 2014, the Supreme Court of California denied the Coalition’s first appeal, allowing the city to keep its bag ban.
Santa Monica, CA Santa Monica has banned plastic bags from all retailers since September 2011. Grocery, liquor, and drug stores may offer paper bags for 10ȼ each, while department stores and restaurants may provide paper bags for no fee. Because the Save the Plastic Bag Coalition had sued other cities for not conducting an environmental impact review prior to the announcements of their bag bans, Santa Monica conducted a review and thus avoided a lawsuit. Plastic bags for carryout food items from restaurants and reusable bags made from polyethylene are allowed.
Seattle, WA In July 2008 the Seattle government approved a 20ȼ charge on all paper and plastic checkout bags, but opponents collected enough signatures to put the ordinance up for a vote on the August 2009 primary ballot. The Coalition to Stop the Seattle Bag Tax—consisting of the American Chemistry Council’s Progressive Bag Affiliates, 7-Eleven, and the Washington Food Industry—spent $1.4 million on the referendum campaign (15 times more than fee supporters), and voters chose to reject the ordinance. It took until July 2012 for the city to enact its current ban on plastic bags and place a 5ȼ fee on paper bags. Seattle residents are largely in favor of the ban, and attempts to gather signatures to repeal it have not been successful.
Washington, DC In January 2010, Washington, D.C., began requiring a 5ȼ charge for plastic and paper carryout bags at all retailers that sell food or alcohol. Businesses keep a portion of the fee, and the remainder goes to The Anacostia River Clean Up and Protection Fund. A survey conducted in early 2013 found that four out of five District households are using fewer bags since the tax came into effect. Almost 60 percent of residents reported carrying reusable bags with them “always” or “most of the time” when they shop. Two thirds of District residents reported seeing less plastic bag litter since the tax came into effect. One half of businesses reported saving money because of the fee.
Plastic Bag Bans and Charges in the United States, 1990-2015 (XLS)
Plastic Bag Bans and Charges in the United States by State, as of April 2014 (XLS)
Population Under Plastic Bag Bans and Charges in the United States, 2007-2015 (XLS)
U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Stream, 1960-2012 (XLS)
U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Generation, 1960-2012 (XLS)
U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Recovery, 1960-2012 (XLS)
U.S. Municipal Solid Waste Discards, 1960-2012 (XLS)
Plastic Waste Generation, Recovery, and Discards in the United States, 1960-2012 (XLS)
Plastics in Municipal Solid Waste in the United States, 2012 (XLS)
Energy Sources for the Production of Plastic Bags in the United States (XLS)
Energy Required to Make Plastic Resin for 100 Billion Bags (XLS)
End-use Markets for U.S. Plastic Resin, 2012 (XLS)
All Data (XLS)
From Earth Policy Institute
Janet Larsen and Savina Venkova, “The Downfall of the Plastic Bag: A Global Picture,” Plan B Update, 1 May 2014.
Janet Larsen, “Bottled Water Boycotts: Back-to-the-Tap Movement Gains Momentum,” Plan B Update, 7 December 2007.
American Chemistry Council, Plastic Resins in the United States (Washington, D.C.: July 2013).
Charles Moore and Cassandra Phillips, Plastic Ocean: How a Sea Captain’s Chance Discovery Launched a Determined Quest to Save the Oceans (London: Penguin Group, 2011).
Frank Convery, Simon McDonnell, and Susana Ferreira, “The Most Popular Tax in Europe? Lessons from the Irish Plastic Bags Levy,” Environmental Resource Economics, vol. 38 (13 January 2007), pp. 1-11.
Franklin Associates, Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Inventory of Nine Plastic Resins and Four Polyurethane Precursors (Prairie Village, KS: August 2011).
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Plastic Bag Report 2012 Update (Washington, D.C.: November 2012).
Jennie R. Romer and Shanna Foley, “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: The Plastic Industry’s ‘Public Interest’ Role in Legislation and Litigation of Plastic Bag Laws in California,” Golden Gate University Environmental Law Journal, vol. 5, no. 2 (24 May 2012), pp. 377-437.
Moore Recycling Associates, 2012 National Postconsumer Plastic Bag and Film Recycling Report (Sonoma, CA: March 2014).
National Conference of State Legislatures, State Plastic and Paper Bag Legislation: Fees, Taxes, and Bans; Recycling and Reuse (Washington, D.C.: February 2014).
Ocean Conservancy, Working for Clean Beaches and Clean Water: 2013 Report (Washington, D.C.: 2013).
R.C. Thompson, C.J. Moore, F.S. vom Saal, and S.H. Swan (eds.), “Plastics, the Environment, and Human Health,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, vol. 364, no. 1526 (27 July 2009), pp. 1969-2166.
United Nations Environment Programme, Yearbook 2011: Plastic Debris in the Ocean (Nairobi: 17 February 2011).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Solid Waste Generation, Recycling, and Disposal in the United States: Tables and Figures for 2012 (Washington, D.C.: February 2014).
U.S. International Trade Commission, Polyethylene Retail Carrier Bags from Indonesia, Taiwan, and Vietnam (Washington, D.C.: April 2010).
Californians Against Waste
Environment California
Florida Department of Environmental Protection List of Retail Bag Policies
Plastic Bag Ban Report
plasticbaglaws.org
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4007
|
__label__wiki
| 0.872579
| 0.872579
|
The San Diego Union
- Friday Sept. 15, 1978 -
FOWL BID REJECTED
'Chicken'
To Stay In
S.D. Roost
- By Jack Murphy-
sports editor, The San Diego Union
There was a time when the law dealt harshly with chicken thieves. But the KGB Chicken is a polite bird.
He broke the news gently to Ted Turner late yesterday afternoon. The Chicken has come home to roost. The Theater of the Chicken, also know as San Diego Stadium, is keeping its star attraction.
Fowl play was averted when Ted Giannoulas, The Chicken's conscience and spokesman, notified the owner of the Atlanta Braves he is declining a reported offer of $100,000 annually to fly the coop.
"I feel very good about it," clucked The Chicken. "Ted was upset, he told me I was making a mistake, but he was very understanding. I decided there are things more important than the dollar: happiness, peace of mind, my family, my friends, and home. There's no place like home."
Thus, a city in crisis relaxed. It was the worst trauma San Diego had experienced since C. Arnholt Smith sold the Padres to carpetbaggers in Washington, D.C., in 1973.
The Chicken will benefit from the community's anxiety. There will be increased chicken feed from his sponsoring radio station, plus a $10,000 bonus from Padres owner Ray Kroc.
"KGB made an adjustment," he said. "I hadn't had a raise for a couple of years anyway. It's not nearly what Ted was mentioning, but money wasn't the main consideration.
Can Accept Fees Elsewhere
The Chicken's new handshake agreement with the station will allow him to accept fees when he appears in New York, Philadelphia and other cities. Heretofore, he received only expenses and applause. He's in demand.
Within minutes after closing the henhouse door to Turner, he was tempted again by the Seattle Mariners. An owner of the Mariners (Danny Kaye) is a fellow who appreciates comic talent.
"They talked about a three-year contract and work on television," said Giannoulas. "But I told them I've made my decision, I'm putting it to bed. I'm only 24, maybe the ring will come around again. "
The Chicken was hatched four and a half years ago as an Easter promotion by a KGB executive. Giannoulas has made the Chicken a presence and beloved character in San Diego. He has given The Chicken a vivid personality, he has refined his art and gotten so deeply into his character that Turner terms him a genius.
He's a scene stealer. When the New York Mets were in San Diego the TV camera turned away from the ball game to watch the Chicken attack an armored car parked beneath the stadium's message board.
"Comedy is the bottom line," says The Chicken.
No Pictures Without Costume
Giannouulas declines to be photgraphed without dressing up in his chicken suit. The costume weighs 15 pounds, and most of the weight is in the head and tail.
"I like that Batman mystique," he explained. " I have two lives. I can go where I want without being recognized."
Naturally he gets his good looks from his mother, Helen Giannoulas, a seamstress, makes him four chicken suits each year.
The Chicken has the soul of a poet, and he's not the lush some of his beer drinking admirers at the stadium want to believe.
He'll take a beer when it's offered, he makes a show of emptying the bottle. But he's really a wholesome, All-American chicken, the chicken next door. You might want your daughter to marry the Chicken.
"I never bought a beer in my life," cheeped the Chicken.
He loves San Diego Stadium. "It's the perfect stage for me, it was created for a chicken act. The aisles are wide, the sight lines are terrific. No, it isn't perfect. There are no dugout roofs like in most ballparks. I like to work on the dugout, it gets me close to the people.
"The Chicken looks so vulnerable sitting there. "
The Chicken is irrepressible. Sometimes he lifts his leg on an umpire.
"In New York, everywhere I go, the dignified general managers ask me to be sure and lift my leg on the umps. "
He's an embryo Charles Chaplin in chicken feathers. He says he gets his inspiration from the Three Stooges, from old Popeye cartoons, from Groucho Marx and other artists.
One of his best routines mimics Pete Rose running around the bases. The public is enchanted when he slides into third base, then does it again in slow motion replay.
The act suggests his genius. "I had no plan but I heard the laughter and a thought spawned in my mind. I thought, 'it's time for a replay. ' I was surprised the public picked it up right away. "
His popularity delights and astonishes him. He never dreamed he would be a famous chicken and one day be nominated for the Chicken Hall Of Fame.
"I thought it was a two-week job and here I am in my fifth year. It's really incredible. Now I'm wondering how much I can develop the character. I wonder if The Chicken can go national. Heck, I became a chicken because I fitted the suit."
But even chickens want to play Hamlet.
"I don't plan on making The Chicken a career. I figured on a couple of years at most, but the laughs seem to get bigger by the month. I wonder about getting into a more professional frame of comedy. "
The Chicken is a graduate of San Diego State University who majored in journalism. When he was just a chick, he longed to become a sports broadcaster. But he has heard laughter and applause, and it has a nice sound in his hometown.
"San Diego is an enticement. Being The Chicken has a real joy. Why blow a good thing?" When I go to other cities people congratulate me on my act and on my good luck in living in San Diego. "
He's one smart chicken.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4011
|
__label__cc
| 0.702217
| 0.297783
|
Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter
Tales of the Black Freighter Trailer
By tupelohoney, February 13, 2009 in Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter
tupelohoney
Yasha's Cherry GAL
Watch the trailer here.
thanks so much! Cant wait for the dvd
celticgirl
Location:A place in my mind where only the strong dares to go and THE MAN is held close to my heart.
GALS/PALS Name: Gerry's 3a.m. HAND CHECK Snog Bunny Gal
This looks amazing. Green eyes....that voice......ah yes life is gooooooooooooood. who says you can't fall for a cartoon.
Emeritus Moderator
Location:Los Angeles
GALS/PALS Name: Wicked GAL
http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/02/13/exclu...-watchmen-fans/
EXCLUSIVE: Tales of the Black Freighter Trailer - Get your first look here Watchmen Fans!
Published by Rick Marshall on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:02 am.
“Watchmen” hits theaters March 6, but today we have your first look at one of the most eagerly anticipated elements of Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ graphic novel. We brought you the DVD and Blu-Ray specs last month for “Tales of the Black Freighter,” the animated story-within-a-story pulled from the pages of “Watchmen” and featuring the voice of Gerard Butler, and now MTV has your exclusive first look at the trailer for the feature.
You can check out the trailer here, or head over to MTV.com for High-Def version.
http://www.mtv.com/videos/movie-trailers/3...html#id=1605027
“Watchmen: Tales of the Black Freighter & Under the Hood” hits shelves March 24, 2009 — but that’s not all the “Watchmen” news we have for you.
Just this week, we told you how you could be a part of a special early screening of “Watchmen” and brought you a pair of new “Watchmen” television ads, along with a play-by-play breakdown of the footage from the “Watchmen” panel at New York Comic Con.
And be sure to watch our “Watchmen”-themed movie show “Spoilers” Feb. 21 at 8 PM, where the entire “Watchmen” cast will join MTV in presenting exclusive new looks at “Watchmen” (of course), “Star Trek,” “Transformers 2,” “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” and “Land of the Lost.”
CherokeeGrl
Location:Just South of Tampa, FL
GALS/PALS Name: Gerry's 911, Lights and Sirens, on my way when he needs it in a hurry GAL
I cannot wait to get this and hear Gerry's voice! I just watched the trailer and I LOVE it!!
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4015
|
__label__wiki
| 0.678859
| 0.678859
|
BUY TICKETS 717-337-8200 Email Sign-up SEARCH
25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, PA, 17325
Monday-Saturday 12:00-7:30pm
Sunday 1-5:30pm
The box office closes 30 minutes after start of performance or last movie.
boxofficeinfo@gettysburg.edu
Sunday, September 22, 2019 / 02:00 pm
The cast of the PBS mega hit make their big screen debut as the Crawley Family and their household prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime visit from the royal family.
The continuing story of the Crawley family, wealthy owners of a large estate in the English countryside in the early 20th century.
Director: Michael Engler
Principal Cast: Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Michelle Dockery, Matthew Goode, Elizabeth McGovern, Maggie Smith
This film is rated PG.
Running Time: 2 hours, 1 minute
View the official "Downton Abbey" website and movie trailer.
Downton Abbey complete list of shows for the week of 9/20-9/26:
Friday - Saturday (9/20 - 9/21) - 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM
Sunday (9/22) - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Monday (9/23) – 4:00 PM Tuesday - Thursday (9/24 – 9/26) - 4:00 PM and 7:00 PM
All titles and showtimes subject to change without notice.
Tickets can be purchased in person at the Majestic Box office located at 25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325 / Online at "Fandango" (add'l fees will apply to online ticket purchases)
Be the first to know about new season line-ups, upcoming shows, events, special offers, and more. Sign up for the Majestic newsletter.
25 Carlisle Street, Gettysburg, PA 17325
For Tickets Call 717-337-8200
We would like to thank our season sponsors for their continued support.
© 2018 Majestic Theater. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4016
|
__label__cc
| 0.516035
| 0.483965
|
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE Heading To Desert For Next Album
According to The Pulse of Radio, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Josh Homme wants the band to schlep out to his studio in the California desert to record its sixth studio album. The singer and guitarist told NME.com, "We may move out there for a few months. That way, you build up anxiety and desperateness to record so that, when you do, it's like a fireball." Homme himself records frequently at his desert digs, recording a string of albums called the 'Desert Sessions' there with a revolving cast of guest artists and past and present QUEENS members.
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's last album, "Era Vulgaris", came out in the spring of 2007.
The band is currently remastering its 1998 self-titled debut album for re-release this November.
Posted by Unknown at 12:15:00 PM
Labels: Album of the Day, new album, Queens of the Stone Age
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4019
|
__label__wiki
| 0.667117
| 0.667117
|
DesNews Columns
DVD of the Week
Golden Oldies On the Big Screen
Golden Oldies Finally On DVD
Sundance 1978-98
Cinema Saints
Technophobia
Deseret Muse (& KSL Too)
TV and Other Stuff
DORIS DAY ESSENTIALS - Content
DORIS DAY ESSENTIALS
For Hicksflicks.com, Friday, April 10, 2015
It’s a birthday month for that ever-youthful freckle-faced singing star of two decades of memorable movies, Doris Day.
Depending on your source, Day turned either 91 or 93 on April 3, and to celebrate her odd-numbered birthday, both Universal Home Entertainment and Warner Home Video have released “Essential” DVD sets this week.
Both sets carry the same title: “Doris Day: The Essential Collection.”
And if you’re a Day fan, I guess they are. (But it may be a problem for those placing orders for one or the other over the phone.)
As you might expect, both sets are also made up of previously released titles. (Of course, at this point only one of Day’s films has never been on DVD, her penultimate picture, “Where Were You When the Lights Went Out?”)
Doris Day, Rock Hudson, 'Pillow Talk'
The Universal collection features Day in the middle period of her 20-year film career, leading with her three classic comedies with Rock Hudson and Tony Randall, “Pillow Talk” (1959), “Lover Come Back” (1961) and “Send Me No Flowers” (1964). Also here is Carl Reiner’s spoof of TV, “The Thrill of It All!” (1963, with James Garner), and two thrillers, “Midnight Lace” (1960, Rex Harrison) and Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1956, James Stewart).
Warner’s is more than twice as big and concentrates mostly on musicals, with no less than 15 titles, ranging from some of her earliest films in the 1940s (“Romance on the High Seas,” “My Dream Is Yours,” “It’s a Great Feeling”) to the 1950s hits (“Tea for Two,” “Lullaby of Broadway,” “On Moonlight Bay,” “April in Paris,” “By the Light of the Silvery Moon,” “Calamity Jane,” “Lucky Me,” “Love Me or Leave Me,” “The Pajama Game”) to three from the 1960s (“Please Don’t Eat the Daisies,” “Billy Rose’s Jumbo,” “The Glass Bottom Boat”).
Day was a top box office star for much of her career, and when she quit, she quit of her own volition in the late 1960s because the scripts she was receiving weren’t up to snuff and she wanted to go out while she was still a star. And that’s just what she did.
After that, she had a couple of TV shows and appeared on a few others, but she’s spent most of her time as an animal activist.
Day’s fans, however, will always think of her in connection with the films they love, many of which are included in these new DVD sets.
CONTACT: chris@hicksflicks.com
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4021
|
__label__wiki
| 0.619706
| 0.619706
|
Tom Dumont
He grew up on Disney compilation records, was turned on to The Beatles in grade school, his father played piano, he eventually discovered the soothing tones of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Kiss…and then he became the guitarist of No Doubt.
Tom Dumont’s path of musical discovery is by no means typical (then again whose is?) and that’s exactly why he adds such a unique sound and style to the music he now plays for a living.
Born on January 11, 1968, in Los Angeles, California, Tom has been a resident of Southern California for his entire life and currently resides in the nice coastal town of Long Beach. It was not long after moving to Long Beach that Tom began to fall victim to three new addictions that have interfered with his personal life and may soon affect his life with the band as well.
At the age of 30, Tom Dumont has rediscovered a love for surfing. While this may seem harmless and enjoyable to most, it is an addiction that those closest to him see as potentially hazardous to his mental state. Each morning Tom finds his way to the ocean not long after sunrise, often to meet friend Donnie Spada, to indulge in several hours of water pleasure. This wouldn’t be a problem, assuming he had the rest of the day free to redevelop lost social skills…but the truth is that he does not have the rest of the day free.
After several hours meditating with Mother Ocean, Tom returns home for a quick shower then is off to meet the band to work on new material. This is a daily process that can easily last ten hours. On weekends, Tom’s other addictions begin taking a hold of him. Lately he has been overcome by the obsessive compulsion of home decorating. This debilitating compulsion consists of taking a simplistic room in his new home that has been tastefully decorated and adding a thousand more items to it. While this may sound cluttering to you or me, it makes perfect sense to Tom. It is his representation of true Americana. His third and final addiction is not as controlling, and that is the collecting of old radios.
Tom has been playing guitar for more than half of his life. Originally influenced by the likes of Rush’s Alex Lifeson and Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore, it might seem unlikely for a man of his influences to be playing in a band that is rooted in the ska and pop genres. If you haven’t already gathered, not much about Tom has ever followed the rhythms of “likely.”
In Early 1989 Tom was playing in a metal band at 21 and over clubs to crowds consisting of bartenders, bouncers, and personal friends. It just so happens that the rehearsal studio that his band practiced at in Anaheim was the same rehearsal studio that No Doubt was working out of.
Growing weary of the music of his teenage years, Tom started listening to material by Oingo Boingo and Steel Pulse. At this same time he worked up the strength to quit playing in his metal band. It just so happens that one week later No Doubt would post flyers in search of a new guitarist. He responded to the flyer and received a call-back. He continued to jam with No Doubt and play to a whole new crowd of people. To this day, Tom has never officially been welcomed into the band; he just keeps playing with them. However, taking into consideration that he struggled through No Doubt’s formative years and all that he has contributed musically, it’s safe to say that his status isn’t in question.
Tom plays Hamer Guitars. Please check out their website.
— Written by Matt Sharkey
GP Web
Adrian Young
Tony Kanal
No Doubt Lyrics
PacDoubt
Love 4 NxD
From around the net:
"GP sidebar" Powered by RSS Feed Informer
© 2001-2015 heather@greenerpastures.us / Privacy Info. / Header graphic by Lyndsy.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4022
|
__label__wiki
| 0.775508
| 0.775508
|
Talk:Homestar Runner Action News
This is unnessecary! We already have this. Sam the Man
WHO CARES?!?!? seriously
If you're going to give a productive opinion, go ahead. Otherwise, please leave us be as we discuss wiki matters. Anyway, I have one opinion: IT WAS A MAIN PAGE. The Main Pages were only SUPPOSED to show diversity in environments, not to say "Hey kids! FCUSA has an awesome lunar landing site! It's totally canonical!" I mean, if it shows up in a REAL toon, or if we make a page about Moons (which I believe we have), than we can list it. Otherwise, I think it's pretty unimportant. So... I'm thinking of removal, or move to TV Shows at the LEAST. Bluebry 22:09, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
Sam the Man: Actually, we don't already have this. You're think of Action Cool 5, which is a completely different subject. Still, that doesn't take away from the fact that this article is unneeded. — Has Matt? (talk) 22:11, 20 April 2007 (UTC)
It's totally exsessive in my opinion. Sam the Man
I say this is completely unnecessary, because all of this info is on the main page 11 page anyway. EYanyo 04:25, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
Except for the "rumor" its creator invented. Remove it. --Jay v.2020 (Talk) 04:29, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
Yeah, make it a redirect to Main Page 11. Heimstern Läufer 04:29, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
I'd go with Bluebry and redirect it to TV Shows. Loafing 04:33, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
Or that could work. Heimstern Läufer 04:36, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
Redirect to TV Shows -- Super Martyo boing! 04:44, 21 April 2007 (UTC)
Well, if we redirect to TV Shows, shouldn't we have something on TV Shows about it? It's like redirecting Pie to Pastries: it's a pastry, but the Pastries page tells nothing about pies. If we're redirecting it, I'd say it has to be due to a merge (Unless the info's already on there, and I don't think it is). However, Heimstern's idea about redirecting it to Main Page 11 is perfect. I'm all for it. In conclusion, redirect to Main Page 11. Bluebry 18:53, 22 April 2007 (UTC)
Let's compromise: Redirect to Main Page 11 and add "Homestar Runner Action News" to TV Shows under Minor Shows. – The Chort 17:39, 7 May 2007 (UTC)
I need help merging. Sam the Man
No, you need to wait. There's no clear consensus as to what it should be merged with. Loafing 11:54, 8 May 2007 (UTC)
It's been added to TV Shows; let's turn it into a redirect to Main Page 11 and be done with it. Trey56 02:58, 9 June 2007 (UTC)
Done and done. – The Chort 10:28, 18 June 2007 (UTC)
Retrieved from "http://www.hrwiki.org/wiki/Talk:Homestar_Runner_Action_News"
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4026
|
__label__wiki
| 0.968362
| 0.968362
|
Turkish Airlines begins talks for 40 Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets
September 22 2017 11:33:00
AA photo
Turkish Airlines has kicked off talks to order a total of 40 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jets, the company announced on Sept. 22.
According to a press release from Turkey’s flagship carrier, officials from Boeing and Turkish Airlines launched talks to purchase 20+20 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner jets between 2019 and 2023 during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s visit to the U.S. on the sidelines of the 72nd U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Turkish Airlines Chairman İlker Aycı said the jets were the most technologically advanced airplane in the world.
“Our intent to purchase these Dreamliners is to meet the demand for wide-body airplanes at the 3rd Airport [under-construction in Istanbul], further strengthen our fleet capacity on the 100th anniversary of the Republic, and enhance passenger satisfaction,” Aycı said in the statement.
“During the talks to finalize the order, we are strictly evaluating business volume worth $1 billion for the local Turkish supplier industry,” he added.
Meanwhile, Boeing Vice Chairman Ray Conner said the purchase of the planes would help Boeing reach its long-term target to expand its presence in the country.
“Boeing’s relationship with Turkey spans more than 70 years and we have outstanding long-term partnerships,” Conner said.
“Working together with Turkey, we are now taking our collaboration to the next level, which will accelerate the growth of the Turkish aerospace industry while achieving Boeing’s long-term objective to expand its presence in the marketplace,” he said.
“Turkish Airlines is a great partner, and we value their confidence in us and the 787 Dreamliner,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Kevin McAllister said in a statement on Boeing website.
In addition, Boeing and Turkish Airlines officials also announced the “Boeing Turkey National Aerospace Initiation” designed in line with the country’s 2023 vision, in a move to support the growth of the Turkish aerospace industry and also strengthen Boeing’s presence in the country, according to the statement.
“The initiative outlines a strategic framework that aligns Boeing investment and programs with the government, Turkish airlines, aerospace service companies and industry suppliers in the areas of research, engineering and skills development. It reflects Boeing’s confidence in the long-term outlook for Turkey as a significant market and a leading global industry participant,” according to Boeing.
According to technical specifications provided by the manufacturer, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner made of composite materials has a range of 14,140 kilometers carrying up to 290 passengers. It has a length of 63 meters and is 17 meters in height. It is also around 20 percent more fuel efficient than the airplanes being replaced.
Developer Emlak Konut targets $190 mln profit
Turkish exporters eye over $190 bln in revenue
U.S. soldiers present in regions of northern Syria under the YPG/PKK terror group’s control stopped a Russian military convoy from reaching oil fields in Al-Hasakah province on Jan. 21.
Domestic tourism spendings in Turkey rose 10.4 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2019, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) announced on Jan. 22.
Turkish Süper Lig title contenders Fenerbahçe advanced to the quarterfinals of the Ziraat Turkish Cup on Jan. 21 by defeating Hes Kablo Kayserispor.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4027
|
__label__wiki
| 0.632897
| 0.632897
|
The 2009 Internet Directory: Travel
By Adrienne Crew, Vince Averello, Mikal E. Belicove, Nancy Conner, Sherry Kinkoph Gunter, Faithe Wempen
Amusement Parks and Theme Parks
U.S. Travel Destinations
< Back Page 3 of 21 Next >
2009 Internet Directory, The: Web 2.0 Edition
Busch Entertainment Corp. Worlds of Discovery
www.worldsofdiscovery.com
This site brings together the theme parks operated nationwide by Busch Entertainment Corp.: Discovery Cove, Aquatica, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, Adventure Island, Water Country USA, and Sesame Place. Links take you to individual parks’ sites, where you can get more information and buy tickets.
California’s Great America
www.pgathrills.com
In Santa Clara, California, this park offers thrill rides, rides for kids, and live shows. Nickelodeon Central features characters from the popular kids’ channel, such as Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob Squarepants, and the Wild Thornberrys. Boomerang Bay is an Australia-themed water park.
www.canadaswonderland.com
Canada’s Wonderland has more than 65 rides, including a dozen roller coasters; concerts, shows, and other attractions; and a 20-acre water park. It’s located north of Toronto.
Canobie Lake Park
www.canobie.com
Located 30 miles north of Boston in Salem, New Hampshire, Canobie Lake Park has more than 85 rides, games, and other attractions. Rides range from an antique carousel and other kiddie rides to four roller coasters. Rides’ thrill levels are graded Green Circle (mild), Blue Square (moderate), or Black Diamond (high). Preview Black Diamond rides by taking a video “virtual ride.”
www.cedarpoint.com
Like roller coasters? Cedar Point has 17 of them—the most, it claims, of any amusement park on Earth. The 364-acre park in Sandusky, Ohio, boasts a total of 75 rides, ranging from mild to wild. The park includes a water park, four resort hotels, a campground, two marinas, and an entertainment complex.
Disney.com: The Official Home Page for All Things Disney
http://disney.go.com/
This site offers information about Disney parks around the world and, as it promises, all things Disney, including movies, videos, games, and music. You can also read about Disney vacation packages and its cruise line. Disney-themed items are available for purchase in the gift shop.
www.dollywood.com
Dollywood, named for country singer and co-owner Dolly Parton, is located in the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, Tennessee. In addition to rides, Dollywood has stage shows (featuring music from bluegrass and country to rock ‘n’ roll from the 1950s and 1960s) and demonstrations of traditional crafts such as candle- and soapmaking, woodworking, and glass-blowing. The park features five festivals each year: Festival of Nations, KidsFest, Barbeque & Bluegrass, Harvest Celebration, and Smoky Mountain Christmas.
Hard Rock Park
www.hardrockpark.com
This rock-themed park opened in spring 2008 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Its different areas celebrate different aspects of popular music, such as the British Invasion (English-style rock), Lost in the ‘70s (folk, punk, disco, and glam rock), Born in the USA (American rock), and Cool Country. Hard Rock Park has a variety of rides, including five roller coasters, and music venues, including a 10,000-seat amphitheater for daily shows and special events.
www.hersheypark.com
Hersheypark, in Hershey, Pennsylvania, has more than 60 rides, including 11 roller coasters, 13 water rides, and 26 rides just for kids. Use the Ride Search to find the rides you’ll like best: you can search rides by height requirements, type of ride, and thrill level. Its Fahrenheit rollercoaster has a 97-degree drop—the steepest, the park claims, in the U.S. Hersheypark also stages shows, concerts, talent shows, and other entertainment.
www.visitkingsisland.com
With a variety of thrill rides and family rides, this Mason, Ohio, park boasts the most kid-friendly roller coasters anywhere. Its Nickelodeon Universe area has been named Best Kids Area by trade paper Amusement Today for seven years in a row. Get acquainted with the park’s rides and shows, and then buy your tickets online.
www.knotts.com
Once upon a time, this really was a berry farm. Now this Buena Park, California, park has six themed areas: Ghost Town, Fiesta Village, the Boardwalk, Camp Snoopy, Wild Water Wilderness, and Indian Trails. Each area has rides, shows, and places to eat. Use the Fun Finder to plan your day according to your interests and how much time you can spend.
www.legoland.com/california.htm
As its name suggests, LEGOLAND is a LEGO-themed park, featuring 50 rides and attractions in nine themed areas: The Beginning, Land of Adventure, Dino Island, Explore Village, Fun Town, Pirate Shores, Castle Hill, Miniland USA, and Imagination Zone. Watch videos taken in the park, explore shopping and dining options, and buy tickets online.
One site covers three SeaWorld parks: Orlando, San Diego, and San Antonio. View a gallery of visitor-contributed SeaWorld photos, and upload your own. Learn more about shows and programs, and buy tickets online.
Six Flags Theme Parks
www.sixflags.com
Six Flags Inc. operates more theme parks than any other company in the world, with 20 parks in the United States and others in Canada, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates. In 2007, Six Flag parks worldwide had nearly 25 million visitors. This site is the hub for any Six Flags park you want to investigate; pick a park to learn about its rides, shows, and special events.
Theme Park Insider
www.themeparkinsider.com
A guide to the world’s most popular theme parks, praised by Forbes and Travel + Leisure magazines, Theme Park Insider includes reviews of rides, shows, and hotels. The site also lists safety data by park and by recent incidents. There’s a searchable discussion forum where you can ask questions of experienced park goers.
www.themeparkreview.com
Packed with information, Theme Park Review serves up photos, videos, reviews, and other information for theme parks all over the world. Read reviews, look at photos and videos, and discuss your favorite parks and rides in the forum. The site also organizes theme park tours and events.
www.universalorlando.com
If you’re visiting Orlando, don’t forget to check out the other theme park there. Universal Orlando is a world-class complex of parks (Islands of Adventure, Universal Studios Orlando, and Wet ‘n’ Wild), hotels, and entertainment venues. Explore the parks, buy tickets or vacation packages, and compare Universal and Disney.
www.universalstudioshollywood.com
Located just north of downtown Los Angeles, Universal Studios Hollywood offers a plethora of entertainment opportunities: a theme park, studio tours, Citywalk (a shopping/dining/entertainment complex), movie theaters, and concerts. This site tells you what’s new and gives an overview of all the attractions. You can buy tickets online.
Arthur’s Theme Parks Blog
http://themeparks.about.com/
The Theme Parks section of About.com has lots of great information about theme parks, water parks, and more. Guide Arthur Levine’s blog presents news, info, and advice for theme-park goers.
The Season Pass
www.seasonpasspodcast.com
This weekly podcast features interviews and information relating to amusement parks, rides, and theme-park attractions.
http://awalkinthepark.podomatic.com/
Pat McCabe’s video podcasts take you to amusement parks and water parks across the United States, highlighting the best rides and attractions.
My Social Media for Seniors, 3rd Edition
By Michael Miller
My Online Privacy for Seniors
By Jason Rich
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4028
|
__label__cc
| 0.733438
| 0.266562
|
Mystery Rays from Outer Space
Meddling with things mankind is not meant to understand. Also, pictures of my kids
Antigen processing (18)
Immune evasion (55)
Immunodominance (9)
MHC (24)
Parasites (11)
Peptidases (2)
Quora (10)
Ubiquitin-proteasome (13)
Virology (158)
XPlasMap (7)
Definitions of “evolution”
Multicellularity
Adaptive hybridization
Why don’t I turn into a fish when I eat fish?
Is it true that only 5 percent of smokers get lung cancer?
Why did powered flight evolve only once in invertebrates?
Are there any proteins that, when sequenced, have segments that spell English or colloquial words?
What evolved first in bats, flight or echolocation?
Earthworms are an invasive species in North America
Prev/Next Posts
« Multicellularity | Home
Sunday, July 19th, 2015 at 8:39 am
By iayork
The question on Quora was: Can someone, preferably a biologist, give me a contemporary definition of evolution, as it appears to change so greatly among scientists, particularly when evolution is challenged?
My answer was:
A trait of non-scientists is that they get frantically obsessed with definitions, rather than reality. In fact, they tend to confuse definitions with reality, as if words had some magical power over the world.
We see this on Quora with the constantly repeated questions about “What is a species?” and “Is a virus alive?” — questions that are almost entirely pointless scientifically. A species is whatever you want to call a species; that doesn’t change what’s out there. A virus is whatever it is; it doesn’t change when someone tries to squeeze a word into it.
It’s a mark of someone who doesn’t actually understand science that they want definitions — perhaps because they think that words have power, and gives them control over the world.
Scientists aren’t completely indifferent to definitions, but mainly because it lets them talk amongst themselves. Scientists don’t give a shit that there are twenty or thirty definitions of “species”, some of which are mutually exclusive. They can natter about whether a virus is alive or not (so I’m told; I’ve never heard any virologist actually ask the question, myself), but it would never occur to them to do anything differently because of the definition.
The only real definition of “evolution” is a map with a scale of 1:1. Evolution is what evolution is. Trying to define it is a parlor game, like coming up with names for collectives of animals. It’s great to know that a group of crows is a “murder”, but it doesn’t change a damn thing about the crow. It might make you feel better to decide that evolution is a change in the frequency of alleles among a population, but it doesn’t change a damn thing about the population.
A definition of “automobile” is “a passenger vehicle designed for operation on ordinary roads and typically having four wheels and a gasoline or diesel internal-combustion engine.” Another definition is “a vehicle used for carrying passengers on streets and roads“. Exactly how much time do you think the nice people at Ford or Mercedes spend thinking about these definitions? How much difference do these definitions make to their work? Both of these definitions seem to exclude off-road vehicles; do you think the management of Chrysler finds this worrisome, and holds regular meetings to bring their Jeep division into line? Because that’s just about the level of importance that scientists put on definitions of “evolution”.
If you’ve been confused about definitions of evolution, this is probably why – you’re asking scientists to play parlor games that they don’t really care about. If you’re trying to understand evolution with a tidy, succinct definition, it’s proof that you don’t understand anything about evolution to start with.
In a response to a comment, I added:
I think you’ve put your finger on why people want definitions for evolution: “For legal purposes, for instance”.
Notoriously, “for legal purposes” is pretty much the opposite of looking for reality; when you start talking about “legal purposes”, you’re talking about ways to subvert the truth, to evade or distort the truth for your own purposes.
The people who insist on getting definitions for evolution aren’t trying to understand it; they’re looking for ways to pretend they don’t understand it, to use weasel words and bafflegab to try to make truth look false, to distort, to get as close as they can to outright lying as they can while being able to pretend they’re not really lying.
If you want to go and sue evolution, then definitions are about your only hope. If you’re actually trying to understand evolution, definitions have pretty much no interest for you.
The legal department at Crysler may well be deeply interested in the definition of “automobile. Meanwhile, down in the engineering department, the people who are actually contributing to the world instead of trying to distort and profit from it aren’t interested at all.
Thanks for the clarifying insight.
This entry is filed under Evolution. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
Mystery Rays from Outer Space is powered by WordPress | Using Tiga theme with a bit of Ozh
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4031
|
__label__wiki
| 0.59653
| 0.59653
|
ID+ | An Interdisciplinarity Model
In today's academic world, more and more research projects are interdisciplinary in nature. Increasingly, research funding programs demand that interdisciplinary modes of operation be applied. This development is due to the realization that tackling complex problems from the perspective of a single discipline often proves inadequate. A more heterogeneous approach is required.
It was for this reason that the Interdisciplinary Image Knowledge Gestaltung of Humboldt Universität zu Berlin was formed in 2012. It includes academic staff and students from more than 40 disciplines and its goal is to investigate processes of Gestaltung in the sciences and humanities. For the first time, two disciplines associated with Gestaltung – architecture and design – are included in pure research alongside the humanities, natural sciences and technology. The Interdisciplinary Laboratory thus combines disciplines that had previously not converged, or only rarely. Such experimental interdisciplinarity must first try out its own functionality, find common objectives, establish communication channels and make divergences productive. The aim is to forge those innovative approaches and arrive at those new perspectives that emerge only through dialogue between the disciplines.
Furthermore, the Interdisciplinary Laboratory sets out to explore this particular form of extended interdisciplinary collaboration in itself. The underlying empirical task seeks to investigate, test, analyze and experiment with the functionality and forms of interdisciplinarity. The resulting areas of work are many, since there is a decidedly wide variety of interdisciplinary structure – which naturally leads to multiple perspectives and methodical approaches. Such experimental constellations of projects and knowledge represent special challenges in relation to their structural compilation, multi-perspective description and analysis in the form of meta-research to accompany a project. This is the central interest of the authors of this publication, who as members of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory are working both within, and on, the laboratory. The aim of the research is to arrive at an overarching theory and a general understanding of the forms of interdisciplinarity.
To this end, the team of authors has developed the ID+Model The model lays down important elements and categories for describing and recording interdisciplinary collaboration. It defines how these may be used to elaborate specific interdisciplinary situations. The ID+Model is used to produce concrete diagrams, which are applicable in the analysis of detailed interdisciplinary constellations and processes. In this sense, the ID+Model should be understood as an instrument of analysis that provides a defined system of recording and describing situations, and thereby allows for investigation, comparison, observation and communication of these situations. The resulting formalized description has a dedicated focus on elements that are particularly relevant to interdisciplinarity. The model can also be used for simulating and drafting interdisciplinary collaboration, whereby it becomes an instrument of Gestaltung.
The need for the ID+Model arises from the fact that the observable modes of operation of diverse projects in the Interdisciplinary Laboratory are widely disparate, and cannot moreover be reduced to the participating disciplines. If interdisciplinarity is to be more than the sum of its constituent disciplines, then a knowledge and understanding of all relevant elements are essential for its success.
Beyond these specific aims, the ID+Model also aims to make a contribution to the current Open Science debate. It is the conviction of the authors that researchers in particular should reveal not only the results of research but also, and in equal measure, the processes that gave rise to them. The elements that go into the creation of knowledge are responsible to a great extent for the form or design of results and, as such, they are important aspects of results. An account of the processes and circumstances under which knowledge was gained allows other researchers to evaluate, replicate, quality-check and place different interpretations on results in a completely new way. Above all it allows them to learn new approaches. Better academic work is, in this sense, more transparent academic work in respect of the actual methods involved. In many places today, stronger requirements are being stipulated for complete openness about the algorithms and raw data that underlie published results; in like manner, the conditions under which results are produced should be accessible. The ID+Model affords the ability to model work conditions relatively easily and to make important aspects of a research project visible and available. There are benefits both for the authors, in the form of increased visibility and for the academic system as a whole, which, especially in interdisciplinary research, still has to contend with far too many unknown elements.
The ID+ prefix is an acronym, whereby ID stands for both InterDisciplinarity and IDentity. The plus sign suggests an empty space and what might follow; something that cannot be expressed through the logic of the disciplines alone, but which is an important determinant of research actors' identities.
To arrive at an understanding in an objective way as possible, this study will use a descriptive approach that exemplifies, formalizes, models and explains an actual process that has been observed. The period of modelling is one year, during which time all the main observations are continually documented in the form of situation descriptions. The study serves two functions. First, the methods used can be illustrated and assessed for value; second, the main elements of interdisciplinary collaboration are rendered recognizable and analyzable.
Following an actor-oriented approach, all all these elements are understood as actors and given capital letters to highlight their agency: actors are in this sense not only human actors such as Persons, but also non-human actors such as Methods and Tools used, the Topics under discussion, the Tasks awaiting processing, the Places, Events and Organizations of collaboration, the received and self-generated Sources and the Monies and Times available. Actors possess their own agency and relations to other actors. They gather as clusters of actors, and may disperse again.
The ID+Model is oriented toward network-topological structures. It specifies actor categories and makes their relations and interactions transparent. These structures can be represented in, or constructed as, diagrams. Interaction and changes in structure are of course essential: it is through them that aspects of modelling such as functional failure, obstacles and influences from otherwise invisible background actors are made plain. At the same time, one finds that in modelling, certain patterns that diverge from typical assumptions about interdisciplinarity become empirically visible, revealing alternative ways of improving their formulation. Hence, from concrete observations, general assumptions can gradually be deduced about interdisciplinarity, or the specific forms of interdisciplinarity.
The following three-column structure emerges from the questions and goals: the left column of the model contains an explanation of the theory behind it, as well as a specification of actor classes. The contents are structured and compressed in such a way that when read as a whole they serve as an introduction to the theory; it is also possible to use them to look up methods. The middle column of the study contains the 27 relevant situations of an interdisciplinary collaboration in the form of chronologically arranged diagrams, accompanied by descriptions. The right column amalgamates theoretical analysis, contextualization and interpretation of the study as well as modelling.
The unusual format allows for interrelations between the three columns to be pointed out, especially those that have a non-linear and non-hierarchical bearing on each other. It also allows for sections of text or diagrams to be juxtaposed based on context, and thus to be rearranged dynamically according to the inclination of the reader. Finally, this format shows that all three columns have an equal weighting. The ID+Model should be seen as an overall picture whose parts have equal validity, and which can be approached from any side.
Thus, reading can begin according to the individual's preference, in any column or position; the reader can jump over to other parts when necessary. This enables a more individual, interactive use of the table whose format anticipates active reading strategies – which involve looking up references, 'jumping about', skimming, making notes and recombining. It is furthermore a better reflection of the process of producing text, with the potential for close relations and development involving each of the three columns. Of course, a linear reading and organization of text is still possible; it is simply no longer a requirement. On another level, the idea is to encourage interdisciplinary publications in particular to tread new paths – better suited to content and audience for instance, or experimental in nature – without the publication and discourse traditions peculiar to a discipline.
The ID+Model is intended for anyone planning interdisciplinary research or already engaged in it, as well as those wishing to expand, better understand or actively improve interdisciplinary research. People who have already worked in interdisciplinary constellations will know of the enormous difficulties and delays that can arise if projects are inadequately structured. This involves many actors that were not normally considered at the planning stage, were never before deemed relevant or that had to be added retrospectively. But, for the success of a project it is essential that these actors be understood, actively included and kept in view – particularly in non-stereotypical, innovative constellations. The ID+Model provides the tool, the theoretical foundation and the practical experience to make interdisciplinarity more understandable and plannable. In this regard, it is designed for project planners and managers, advisors and organization management; for designers, architects, sociologists, ethnologists and meta-researchers who wish to analyze work structures in innovation fields; but also for funding bodies, experts and appraisers of scientific policy who aim to foster more successful constellations, or improve existing ones.
The ID+Model has been constructed in a way that permits the production of diagrams using analogue and digital media. This allows the visual vocabulary to be simply set up on paper or a whiteboard, without additional equipment. For a still more effective use of the whiteboard, it is possible to produce visual symbols of actors as magnetic elements that can be placed at will on the whiteboard and connected by drawn lines. Digital alternatives are for example the Keynote or PowerPoint programs. Modelling can thus be incorporated in presentations such that a model can be elaborated in stages or through animation. Similarly, all vector-based graphic programs such as Adobe Illustrator or Inkscape are suited to the process. Visual modelling tools such as VUE (Visual Understanding Environment) can also be used. The topological definition or application of other means can also be achieved with the class or object diagrams of UML (Unified Modelling Language), which is supported by many programs. A purely logical representation can be achieved with ontology languages such as RDF, RDFS and OWL, which in turn form the starting point for various visualization environments.
Michael Dürfeld (Architecture) and Christian Stein (Germanistics, Information Technology) invented, developed the concept for and wrote "ID+ An Interdisciplinarity Model". Anika Schultz (Design) is responsible for the icons. Technical implementation was by Sammy David (Information Technology). Textual reference points were integrated in the HTML structure by Laura-Maria Heinz (Architecture). Horst Bredekamp (Image Studies) and Wolfgang Schäffner (Cultural Science) contributed important comments and corrections. The Excellence Cluster Image Knowledge Gestaltung, funded by DFG (the German Research Foundation) provided resources and thereby made the publication possible. The Image Knowledge Gestaltung project ID+Lab, which is located in the Excellence Cluster, adopted and further developed the ID+Model so that it could be used to generate the interdisciplinary publication platform ID+Stage as well as the modelling tool ID+App.
▶ Content
M1 Actors
With the aim of producing a formalized account of interdisciplinary structures, we first set out 11 parameters that are particularly relevant to this aim. These parameters are not seen as passive attributes, but as active actors who are dynamically complicit in the shaping of interdisciplinary structures. All the parameters outlined below are described as 'actors', whether they are living persons, social systems, physical objects, digital spaces, abstract concepts, resources or dynamic processes. Specifically, the 11 actors are: Persons, Organizations, Topics, Methods, Tasks, Sources, Tools, Events, Places, Times and Monies. Initially, all these actors are accorded equal weighting. Above all, they should be seen as abstract actors, which will generally be elaborated upon and named in the respective modelling context. In other descriptive contexts it is possible for more actors to be added, or for certain others to be removed from the list. The actors presented here have proven suited to the description of interdisciplinary constellations.
M2 Classes and Individual Actors
With respect to actors, a basic differentiation must be made between classes and individual actors. Classes constitute an abstract quantity whose affiliates are characterized by the same properties. Individual actors are on the other hand specific, in the shape of the Person "Max" or the Source "Laboratory Life" or the Task "Enquiry". Often, individual actors are also referred to as instances. More exactly stated, the difference lies in the fact that individual actors exist independently of their class. When it comes to classification, they are allocated to a certain class. Instances, on th e other hand, are examples of a class. The class exists first and defines all the properties of the instance. Typically, instances are a feature of object-oriented software development, whereby classes are programmed, which may then be instanced as required. In the context we are discussing here, we speak of individual actors, although these will in the following be included under the general term actors.
M3 Specialization
Beside the difference between classes and individual actors, there may be additional relations at class level. For example, it is possible to define more general superordinate classes and more special subordinate (sub-) classes; these are in a hierarchical relation to each other. Typically, a superordinate class has several sub-classes. A subordinate class is by definition always its own superordinate class too, i.e., it inherits a complete set of characteristics and definitions but adds further stipulations to this set. The relation between superordinate and sub-class is called specialization. Hence the superordinate class 'laboratory member' may feature the sub-classes 'research assistant', 'investigator' or 'student assistant'. A 'research assistant' is a 'laboratory member' and is thus a specialization under this class. The actor classes described in the ID+Model are the most abstract superordinate classes. They can be divided into several sub-class levels. ›Laboratory member‹ is thus a sub-class of the abstract actor class ›Person‹. Thus, entire hierarchical trees can be formed. However, introducing additional sub-classes is not recommended unless the classification serves the modelling purpose, clarifying a significant difference.
M4 Actual and Potential Actors
A differentiation can be made between actual and potential actors. Actual actors are those that exist and are known. Generally, the actors in the model are actual actors. But the model provides for contrasting potential actors. These are as yet unknown, or even non-existent; the concept serves as a marker of an unoccupied position, which can be occupied by an actual actor. Potential actors do not have to be fully defined and are characterized by a kind of openness with regard to their possible occupation. A potential actor may for instance be a Topic that is only just developing and has not yet been concretized. A Person being sought to fill a job vacancy would also be construed as a potential actor - she or he is unnamed at present, but may already manifest some ties that correspond to requirements, for example.
M5 Ties
All actors can possess ties with other actors. 'Ties' here means all types of connections within which the tied actors have a bearing on each other. How this occurs in each case will be indicated by a tie type (see M6). In modelling, it may occasionally be pragmatic to leave the tie as unspecified, to indicate first of all that there is a tie, even if it is not yet clear what type. Such ties should be given a type, at least by the second modelling phase.
The term 'tie' was chosen for its suggestion of a more binding attachment than 'relation'; this is because actors are in significant measure dependent on these ties, or defined through them. Depending on the actors entering into a tie, various types of ties can be defined. A tie between a Person actor and an Organization actor must be designated as, for instance, a relationship involving a founder, member or guest.
M6 Tie Types
Within the framework of the ID+Model , a tie is understood as a specified tie between actors, whereby a subject-predicate-object structure is formed – a so-called 'triple'. Structures of this type arise in various contexts, for instance in the Semantic Web and corresponding standards like RDF/RDFS/OWL. An example of such a tie could be as follows: ›Max‹ (subject and as a person a Person actor) cites (predicate) ›Laboratory Life‹ (object and as a book a Source actor).
This structure applies similarly to non-human actors, e.g. ›Art as a Social System‹ (subject and as a book a Source actor) ›has reference to‹ (predicate) ›Laboratory Life‹ (object and as a book a Source actor).
Specified ties mostly indicate a direction, since they tie the subject-actor with the object-actor in a specific way. Subject and object positions are not simply interchangeable. Thus, the direction of the tie shows a direction going from subject position to object position. This is shown diagrammatically though an arrow pointing to the object. In the above example, the direction of the tie ›has reference to‹ goes from the actor ›Art as a Social System‹ to ›Laboratory Life‹. For all types of tie, reverse ties can be formulated, which then gain significance if subject and object actors swap positions. The reverse tie of ›has reference to‹ could thus be ›is reference in‹.
An exception is the symmetrical type of tie, which can be read in both directions. An example of this would be ›collaborates‹, with the tie connecting two actors in the Person class. This tie can be read in both directions and is thus inherently symmetrical.
Where possible, the tie is categorized such that the tie type is allocated to the predicate of a triple. Thus, for individual actors of different actor classes, a suitable tie type can be determined. An example of the need for clarity of tie type is the tie between individual actors of the Source and Task classes. This could represent the tie type ›is material for‹ as well as the tie type ›is a result of‹. It thus becomes evident that tie types must be clarified in order for their meanings not to be lost.
M7 Tie Status
Not all ties should be understood in the sense of an actual existing relationship. Ties that represent possibilities, needs or wishes are equally important. Such possible but as yet unrealized ties are called potential ties, in contrast to actual ties, which indicate existing relationships.
M8 Tie Value
Both actual and potential ties can express a positive or negative relationship. Positive ties validate actors and strengthen their cluster. Negative ties represent encumbrances and antipathy, even to the extent of direct antagonism. Negative potential ties mean a resistance on the part of actors towards realizing these ties. Negative actual ties mean that a tie exists but that it is encountering resistance. The value of a tie can vary according to the tied actors: for one it can be positive, for another, negative.
M9 Tie Intensity
Following the concept of the cluster, both actual and potential ties between actors can vary in intensity. Intensity may be governed by various parameters such as time, interest, dependence, etc. The tie between a Person and a Source that she or he has worked with for a long time is necessarily stronger than if she or he had only briefly referred to it. Similarly, a strong interest produces stronger ties than a rudimentary interest. And the dependence of an Organization such as research project on a specific Tool can be absolute, or simply optional. Ties may be cemented or loosened for diverse reasons. For instance, an original, concrete research project may develop from spontaneous, isolated discussions; or an overseas stay by an actor may interrupt a project. In principle, the duration of existence, current value and intensity of a tie have a strengthening effect on it.
M10 Tie Transitivity
Within the cluster group, ties should not be seen in isolation. They have effects on each other. If an actor is tied to a second actor who itself possesses a strong tie to a third actor, then there as an increased likelihood of the first actor forming a tie to this third one. Similarly, the ties of an actor to two further actors can be strengthened if these two are also tied to each other.
M11 Tie Capacity
The number and intensity of ties that an actor can build with other actors are not unlimited. Rather, an actor has what is termed a 'tie capacity'. Capacity can vary from one actor to another, but is always limited. The capacity utilization of actors is determined by the number of ties and their intensity. An actor may have many ties of low intensity, or a few ties of greater intensity. The capacity of an actor is responsible for the tie-readiness of its reaction and when it slackens or dispenses with ties.
The tie capacity of individual actors is difficult to ascertain empirically, and can rarely be precisely enumerated. It is however helpful, particularly when analyzing interdisciplinary constellations, to pay attention to the load imposed on tie capacities, in order to be able to identify overloading on the one hand or tie requirements on the other. If one finds that certain ties are loosening, this may be taken as a sign of a tie capacity suffering an overload.
M12 Tie Visibility
The degree to which ties between actors are visible to other actors can vary. It may for example be necessary to know an actor very well in order to see the ties – on the other hand, they may be visible to all. Actors can influence the visibility of their ties and thus contribute strategically to the development of their cluster.
Similarly to tie capacity, tie visibility is hard to ascertain empirically. As a category of analysis it can however be worth considering, since tie visibility has a bearing on the behavior of other actors. Thus, a highly visible tie that connects an Organization to a Topic can for instance cause other actors to create ties with one or other of these actors, or, conversely, to avoid them. On the other hand, there may be reasons to say that strong ties should not be made visible, such as for instance the tie of an Event to the actor class Monies.
M13 Scaling
Actors are always defined according to a particular scale that is geared to the interests in question. At a higher level of the scale, actors become a cluster once more. Without this option of pragmatic scalability, the modelling effort would become burdensome. However it is possible to combine various scaling levels in adjacent modelling exercises. For instance, an ›Organization‹ actor may be modelled as a cluster of Persons, Tasks, Topics and Monies.
M14 Clusters
Even if it is only ever possible to pick out individual actors, their functional designation is still possible only through their context. This context consists of other actors to which ties exist or to which ties may be formed. The approach presented here makes a deliberate choice not to use the term 'network' – which refers categorically to existing ties; instead, it describes the actor context in terms of 'cluster'. The term 'cluster' has two meanings which are relevant here: in the sense of a set of connected items (such as computers) or aggregates (in physics) it implies existing ties between actors. Taken in sum, these ties have the effect of creating new entities. A cluster in the sense of a concentration of items implies the relative closeness of untied actors, which is a result of a series of potential ties. Importantly, a cluster can also be defined through non-realized ties: in other words, the consciously excluded, refused or disconnected ties, tie-seeking partners or as yet undetermined ties. Thus the term ‘cluster’ includes our actual and potential ties, and places them on an equal footing.
M15 Modelling and Visualization
Structures that function according to the modelling principles put forward here can be visualized in various ways. The visualization methods chosen here were created according to the following criteria: (1) a manageable number of visual elements, (2) combinations of symbols and colors that are easily differentiated for the best possible visual contrast, (3) freedom when positioning elements, (4) intuitive working methods, (5) easy to learn, (6) flexible in terms of add-ons and (7) compatibility with a range of tools. The format used here takes all criteria into account; this was confirmed in a series of user tests. A conscious decision was taken to resist adding other or more specialized actor classes, in order to avoid unnecessarily increasing complexity and excessive limitations to modelling freedom. The classes defined here cover all relevant actors and, at the superordinate level, achieve comparability of all models and visualizations based on these actor classes.
M16 Person
Persons means natural persons. These include members of the modelled Organization as well as external persons. Anonymous or unknown Persons can also be modelled. A legal person or entity such as an association or institution is, however, modelled not as a Person but as an Organization.
Persons typically form ties with Persons (cooperation), Organizations (affiliation), Topics (interest), Methods (competence) and Sources (publications).
Persons can be described using the following or other attributes: name, sex, academic qualification, résumé, photograph.
M17 Organization
Organizations include all formally defined types of organization and therefore include institutions. They are mostly to be understood as legal entities and pursue their own goals. Organizations can for example be universities, faculties, institutes or Excellence Clusters; they may also be associations, initiatives, companies, etc. Moreover, departments, projects, business sites or company boards are considered Organizations within another Organization. Organizations can have members, though this is not a necessity.
Typically, Organizations form ties with Persons (employees/members), Topics (goals), Monies (turnover/budget) and other Organizations (cooperation).
Organizations can be described using the following or other attributes: name, legal name and description.
M18 Topic
Topics are focused areas of content, with the aim of organizing a subject, or are designated under a superordinate term or key word. They may be detailed to varying degrees and may construct hierarchies of superordinate or sub-topics. It is not normally possible to make a clear delimitation. Topics can however be said to lend focus and priority. Often, Topics can be loosely tied to various disciplines. Topics are stated independently of their hierarchical ranking to the same degree of generality or specificity as their relevance to the context of the model.
Generally, Topics form ties with Topics (superordinate and sub-topics), Persons (interest), Sources (reference), Events (focus) and Organizations (contract).
Topics can be described using the following or other attributes: key word, quasi-synonym, description, definition.
M19 Method
Methods mean all procedures used to reach a goal. The way in which individual Methods are formulated (whether through a plan or not, recurring, etc.) depends on the Organization in which they are used. Methods include uniform or recurring patterns of action and solutions, or descriptive perspectives. Like Topics, Methods can form hierarchies and similarly, they cannot be absolutely defined. The difference between Topics and Methods consists in the fact that Topics are discussed, whereas Methods are used. Methods are used by Persons, in order to solve Tasks, to address Topics or to make use of Tools. General theories that can be applied in specific contexts should also be seen as Methods.
Generally, Methods form ties with Persons (competence), Tasks (approach), Sources (techniques) and Tools (suitability).
Methods can be described using the following or other attributes: key word, quasi-synonym, description, definition.
M20 Task
Tasks are activities that are seen as requiring completion and that are distributed and carried out by actors. They may be assigned by Persons (e.g., a senior) or Organizations, arise from Events or be self-assigned. The Task may be processed by one or more Persons, Organizations and Tools. Tasks can address Topics, have results and refer to primary material (Sources).
Generally, Tasks form ties with Topics (reference), Persons (function/execution), Events (function) and Sources (primary material/result).
Tasks can be described using the following or other attributes: name, context of origin, purpose and description, definition.
M21 Source
Sources are all natural and artificial objects that possess information value for other actors and are therefore relevant in the modelled context. Sources can be received or produced. They can include for instance texts, images, objects, practices or discussions; moreover they can include originals, compounds, prototypes, models, sketches, etc.
Generally, Sources form initial ties with Persons (reception/production) and Topics (reference).
Sources can be described using the following or other attributes: name/title, ID, description, material, color, shape, medium and structure.
M22 Tool
Tools mean physical and digital instruments that are generally used by Persons in the processing of certain types of Task. The scope of this class stretches from the purely physical Tool such as hammer, pen or paper, through purely digital Tools such as Adobe Photoshop or MathLab, to combined physical and digital forms such as a 3D printer or a CNC cutter. Tools generally form ties with Persons (competence), Sources (primary material/result) and Methods (application).
Tools generally form ties with Persons (competence), Sources (primary material/result) and Methods (application).
Tools can be described using the following or other attributes: name, version and description.
M23 Event
Event are all happenings that are observable and that, irrespective of size, have effects on actors in the modelled context. Generally, Persons take part in Events or fulfil a specific role within them. Events have a Topic, Times of commencement and ending and a Place. A ten-minute dialogue between two Persons represents an Event, as does an exhibition lasting several months. Events may at times contain other Events (e.g. the opening of an exhibition as an Event within the exhibition itself).
Generally, Events form ties with Persons (participation/role), Places (occurrence), Topics (reference/purpose), Sources (result) and Tasks (result).
Events can be described using the following or other attributes: name and description.
M24 Place
Places are physical and digital locations in which actions and interactions occur. Physical Places can stand in an inclusive relation to each other. For instance, a building can be found in a town, a floor in a building, a room in a floor and a workstation in a room. Digital Places are mostly produced with the assistance of Tools. A Place of interaction can for instance be a room in which a chat or video conference happens. Places are relevant to modelling if they enable or prevent actions and interactions, generate closeness or distance, or make things visible or invisible.
Places generally form ties with Events (occurrence), Persons (place of work), Sources (location) and Tools (storage location).
Places can be described using the following or other attributes: name, number, purpose, size, materiality and photographs.
M25 Time
Time in the ID+Model is a resource that can be incorporated and used within the process plan. Two time spans that can be allocated to two actors in the sense of quotas, for instance, may overlap, compete or be clearly separated. A lack of Time can in certain cases be compensated for through modification, or the inclusion of other Actors. Insufficient Time for a Task could be redressed through more people working on the Task or the exclusion of Topics connected to the Task. Available Time affects tie intensity above all, but also visibility. Time is both an enabling and limiting actor, in that it can disturb or limit ties. A Time contingent may be available for a Task, which prescribes the intensity with which a Topic is processed. With respect to the use of a Place, Time periods may be available, or where this is refused, usage can be impeded.
Time periods generally form ties with Events (due date), Tasks (schedule), Monies (staff costs), Places (availability) and Persons (capacity utilization).
Time can be described using the following or other attributes: commencement, end, precision, planning or reality.
M26 Money
Money is money. Money makes it possible to employ institutions and Persons, for instance. Tasks can be solved in different ways depending on the available budget. Sources can be procured with Money, or not procured. Money enables Time quotas to be allocated to Tasks. Money, after all, means money.
Generally, Money forms ties with Organizations (turnover/budget), Persons (budget/costs), Sources (costs) and Tasks (budget).
Money can be described using the following or other attributes: currency, amount, earmarking.
S1 Introduction to the Study
The following is a chronological presentation of an interdisciplinary project which developed in the Interdisciplinary Laboratory over the course of roughly one year. The study begins with a workshop that is organized by academic staff and carried out monthly, or every two months. Each workshop treats various Topics, but all are concerned with interdisciplinarity. The workshops last an entire day and serve as a general communication platform for the more than 100 staff.
The study uses a series of diagrams to single out and model important situations during the development of the project. The clusters of actors presented are respectively explained in an accompanying text, with the named actors picked out in order to visually establish references to the diagram. It was decided not to repeatedly name the specific tie types between actors in the diagram for reasons of conciseness. All actors can in fact be named, but for reasons of data protection, Persons are renamed in the presentation.
It was important for the layout of the study that all diagrams be presented in one column such that they could be read in sequence, and to enable the appreciation of correlating theoretical descriptors.
The project selected for the study had not been conceived as part of the grant application of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory. It had developed from a self-organized working group, with no formal composition but with an intrinsic interest at heart, which had subsequently changed and expanded. This group had placed the Topic of games in the widest sense at the center of its discussion and work, embracing the cultural technology of games, Homo ludens, gamification, serious games, game design and motivational research. This led after a period of one year to a fixed, operational project group with members from seven disciplines.
Since the group was not obliged to comply with any kind of formal guidelines, its serves as a clear example of the typical structural characteristics found in interdisciplinary collaboration. The choice was also based on the presupposition that information about interdisciplinary work processes is most effectively gained if one concentrates on self-organizing interdisciplinary processes, which have not been structured and channeled through prior planning. Thereby, the formation of ties between actors, their subsequent dissolution or intensification and the characteristics of certain structures can be observed – free from such pre-structuring.
In overview, the study shows that certain constellations of actors stabilize and others dissolve. Ties influence not only the actors connected by them but also the cluster environment, since concentrations of actors bind them together more strongly, even in the case of neighboring ones; and individual breakups can destabilize the entire structure. It also shows however that there can be wide variety of reasons why ties are strengthened or dissolved; moreover, certain self-stabilizing elements can enter into effect. What becomes very clear is that certain actors make an effort to reinforce their respective networks and to fill gaps. It becomes apparent that stability also presupposes a freedom to dissolve ties, and conversely that spare tie capacity is required in order to establish new ties. Finally, certain structural characteristics foster stability and others obstruct it.
S2 "Serious Games" Workshop
March 28, 2013 – The interdisciplinary invention process begins with a workshop at the Interdisciplinary Laboratory Image Knowledge Gestaltung on the Topic of games in the Central Laboratory. Its aim is to get to know the cultural techniques of games and associated themes such as gamification, serious games, simulation exercises and game development in terms of academic Methods. Various workshop groups should be formed, with the aim of developing their own game.
S3 Workshop Groups
March 28, 2013 – One of the workshop groups consists of academic staff members Dagmar, Arne, Beate and Claudio. They meet in Seminar room 2.20. All bring with them previously formed networks with various actors. Each member of staff is interested in a certain Topic or is adept at using a specific Method. Arne is interested in the general Topic of ornamentality and uses the system theory Method. Dagmar is interested the critique of capitalism.
S4 Topics and Tasks
March 28, 2013 – Within the framework of teamwork, new Topics crystallize, which arise from the Task and the associated Topic. It transpires that a game of cooperation will be developed that depicts the research situation . A set of rules must be established for this game. A fixed written game description emerges from the Topics. What is still missing is the game itself, consisting of game board, figures and cards. For this, a draft of game elements must first be produced.
S5 Draft Game
March 28, 2013 – Still in the course of this workshop, the Task to draft game elements is carried out. Eckehard takes care of digital execution; workshop members give the instructions. Eckehard implements a design Method. Using the Illustrator Tool, he designs the layout of the game board and playing tokens . Concurrently, workshop members devise the game cards. Due to cost considerations, they decide not to produce these digitally, instead using the analogue tools paper and pen. The layout of the game board and playing tokens is thus the result of the Task.
S6 Game Production
March 28, 2013 – The next step is the Task of producing the game. Dazu hat sich Eckehard has volunteered to do this, since he is the only one in the group who can use the laser cutter. This is not a piece of mobile equipment; it is kept in the separate workshop. He uses the layout as a source for the laser cutter and produces the finished result of the Task, the game. Only one Person is involved in this procedure; but the Task itself arose from the interdisciplinary collaboration.
S7 Game Testing
April 4, 2013 – One week later, several Persons meet again, to play the game together. The testing Task has not yet been performed at this point. Alongside the Persons, who have developed the game, a few other interested parties also take part, thus getting to know the game, its concepts and ideas and the other co-players. During testing, the game is named 'Coopetition'. Afterward, the Coopetition game is freely available and placed in a visible spot in the Central Laboratory.
S8 Presentation of the Game
June 1, 2013 – The opening of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory is an Event that invites people to a presentation of the activities carried out there. Various groups will be working on the identification of exhibition objects. The Persons allocated to this task remember the Coopetition Idea and its superordinate Topic, the game. They deem that this represents a suitable exhibition object. They allocate themselves the Task of implementation in a suitable format for the opening Event, producing a new version of the Coopetition game. This will be exhibited and explained in the Central laboratory of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory during the opening Event. This attracts a number of visitors, who learn about the game.
S9 Frank and Gerd
June 20, 2013 – Following the opening, various Persons are still tied, to varying degrees, with the Topic of gamification, games and Coopetition. One of the them is Frank, for whom the Topic has always been of particular interest. He is looking for an opportunity to return to it; hence for a Source that might be created. He is also interested in the Topic of product development. This interest is shared by Gerd. Gerd is also interested in the Topics of software development and big data. Since Frank and Gerd get on well together, both look for a possible Task which they could take on together and that would ideally reflect the Topics which appeal to them.
S10 The Humboldt Innovation Competition
June 27, 2013 – One week later, a competition called Humboldt Innovation is launched. The general Topic is business foundation. The challenge is to present a business model in a 'pitch' presentation. It will be judged by a jury composed of successful business founders. The competition's organizer, Hans is looking for Persons who would like to take part. There is still room for a few participants. A chance meeting in a stairway at the Interdisciplinary Laboratory with Gerd results in him talking about it.
S11 The Planet Play Pitch
July 4, 2013 – Shortly after the discussion with Hans, Frank and Gerd again come across the Humboldt Innovation Competition in the Excellence Cluster newsletter, CZ#. Frank, for whom the Topic is rather more important than it is for Gerd, asks him whether they should take part in the competition. Both are interested in product development and are in any case looking for a shared task. Gerd agrees to the idea. Only when the competition deadline approaches do both address the Task of a 'pitch' presentation. Their idea comes from the engagement with gamification and from their discussions. Their proposal comes together as a pitch entitled Planet Play, which goes very well; Frank and Gerd win a prize of 300 €. This positive encouragement means that the Topic becomes more important to both of them. And it makes a stronger bond between them. For both, it is clear that they would like to look for new shared task.
S12 Networking
19.08.2013 – After the reinforcement of the Topic gamification , there is once again a lull. Frank networks with various Persons on subjects other than the Topic: with Claudio he is involved in the project »Experiment & Observation«. With Ingo he shares an interest in cooking. With Gerd there is a continued tie, since their successful pitch, in the form of the new Topic of business foundation. Coopetition is also still advancing, which maintains the tie to Eckehard, who had a significant part in the drafting and implementation. Frank would like to consolidate the Topic and create more than just the one Source like the pitch; he would like to instigate a regular Event. How this is going to happen is as yet unclear. But he has a good network of Persons. The stronger tie to the Topic of gamification means that Frank still mentions it in all kinds of contexts and forges ties to it when talking to people. This increases not only his tie to the Topic but also the visibility of the Topic.
S13 Bridging Actor
September 13, 2013 – The gamification Topic remains important to others besides Frank. Gerd is now interested in it as a result of the numerous, reinforced ties that have been created. In Braunschweig, where he studied, he meets a friend, Jens, whom he has not seen for a long time. Because the Topic of gamification preoccupies him, he tells Jens about it. Quite spontaneously Jens calls on his colleague Knud, who once told him about the Topic – though not in great detail. Knud is interested in gamification in the area of simulation exercises for political theories and is doing a PhD on the subject. He has developed games since he was a child. At this moment, he is actively looking for skills in the field of software development, in order to transfer his simulation exercise to a digital platform.
S14 Gamification Meets Software Development
13.09.2913 – Gerd and Knud quickly find common ground in the subject of gamification. Because Knud is seeking access to Software development, he brings up the subject. Gerd is also interested; he has himself programmed computing software for many years. They converse on the Topics in general and thus build a relationship, which is maintained by virtue of their shared interests. Moreover, Knud draws an advantage from the fact that, as hoped, he has found someone who is skilled in the software development area.
S15 Application for bologna.lab
October 29, 2013 – Beside his research activities, Frank would also like to teach. He applies for a seminar taking place as part of bologna.lab at HU Berlin. For this, he needs a suitable seminar topic. This requirement is quickly met, since his tie to the Topic of gamification has already solidified to the extent that a further opportunity to expand on it presents itself. He considers whether the seminar will allow him to learn even more about theory and practice.
S16 New Directions
December 4, 2013 – The fact that Frank is promoting the gamification Topic has much to do with his tie capacity opening up. The tie to his own base project »Experiment & Observation« has weakened and the project does not in itself form any ties with his Topic of gamification. Identification dwindles and Frank seeks both a new Organization and a new Task that is better suited to his own cluster.
S17 Establishment of the Gamelab
January 31, 2014 – After six months, Frank calls a meeting on the Topic of games. He asks Persons, who are already part of his network whether they would like to participate. Some agree, and come to the meeting. Knud participates via Skype. Not everyone is equally familiar with the Topic of gamification. For this reason, the group puts on a brainstorming session to determine what common goals they might set and who should pursue which interests. From this arises the still somewhat uncertain goal definition 1, with which all are agreed. A concrete program still has to emerge. The group decides nonetheless to have regular meetings under the moniker of Gamelab.
S18 Gamelab Goal Definitions
March 6, 2014 – At the next meeting, four weeks later, not everyone attends. Ingo and Claudio evidently did not have enough shared interest in this project. Finally, there are still plenty of opportunities and offers but only limited time. And in a favorable turn, Mathias and Norbert have joined the project. They have yet more approaches, and using the collaboration tool Etherpad are together able to add to the goal definition. This has now become slightly more specific, also owing to the fact that participants with less distinct ideas have dropped out. More and more text is being written. Now, Gamelab has its own web domain. There is nothing on it yet, but its existence helps the group feel more stable. The group holds regular meetings once more, although sometimes without the full complement, but people come back.
S19 Gaming Software Development as a New Task
31.03.2014 – With regard to the Gamelab, Gerd believes that Knud with his skills in simulation games development, would make a great member of Gamelab He extends an invitation, which Knud accepts gladly. Knud comes to Berlin. From the software development Topic and the reworking of the shared goal definition, the Task of game software development begins to emerge. Gamelab sets itself the goal of implementing Knud's simulation game in a digital version and using this to consolidate multiple questions on gaming and data gathering through games. Coincidentally, Gerd's interest in the Topic of big data is nourished. The result is that he takes on the task of game software development. The cluster is now a closer network and has therefore become more stable.
S20 Seminar on Gamification
April 14, 2014 - Frank applies for the summer term 2014 staging of a seminar on the Topic of gamification and receives approval. The seminar attracts many participants. He has evidently stumbled upon a Topic that interests many students. This has all happened without his commitment to the field receiving official support from the Interdisciplinary Laboratory, at least thus far.
S21 The Search for Persons and Tasks
May 26, 2014 - Gamelab has at its recurring meetings built up its own skill set in the area of gamification through reading and theory. By now, it is also very well versed in the Methods of game design. But its members still want to develop and are seeking Persons, with the ability to help them grow further. They are also looking for a Task that would bring aspects of gaming as cultural technique more strongly to the fore.
S22 The WiMi 'Transversality' Workshop
June 18, 2014 – Then a workshop takes place involving academic employees, the WiMi-Workshop. It involves all members. A large number know each other, but not all. Only a few know what certain individuals do exactly. Within the framework of the workshop, a Task is nonetheless set suggesting the attendees seek cooperation projects – right there and then. Responding to this Task, Olga and Frank, who happen to be standing next to each other, enter into conversation.
S23 A New Actor
June 18, 2014 – Olga is also a member of the academic staff in the Interdisciplinary Laboratory. As a medical scientist, she is working on a project entitled »Health and Gestaltung« and in particular on the user experience of hospital patients and with regard to hospital processes in general. Her search is for Methods, and her aim is to improve them. She also seeks Persons, interested in helping her implement improvements. She has in mind to submit an additional application for support, to meet her needs for Money and Time. She has not come across Gamelab, nor does she have an immediate association with the Topic of games.
S24 User Experience as a New Topic
June 18, 2014 - The possibility that user experience in hospitals might be interesting in connection with Gamelab is something that has not occurred to Frank. Nor has Olga considered gamification as a resource for skills and solutions in connection with her question. During the discussion, parallels slowly begin to arise – though they are still not clear ones. After a while, they both are sure that the Topics overlap to a considerable extent, strange though this sounded at first. Had they not been set the Task of actively seeking a cooperation project, it is unlikely they would have found this out.
S25 The Hospital Game as New Task
June 23, 2014 – At the next seminar of the Gamelab, Olga is among the attendees. She gives an outline of her ideas and the goal definition is subsequently adjusted. It is decided that a concept for improving user experience in hospitals through gamification in the form of a hospital game should be drafted. Olga has some promising ideas for ways in which she can apply for Money from the medical sector to subsidize this project. These Monies could also provide a financial basis for Gamelab The latter's members are enthusiastic – including Knud, who participates mostly through Skype. He too is increasingly encouraged in his work and hopes that Gamelab will be adopted - although this takes him in a host of other, quite different, directions beyond his own simulation game area. In the meantime, the digital version of the simulation game is available and is now being extended to include a multi-player variant that automatically collects data. The hospital game has undergone a first brainstorming session and is poised to be issued in a first draft.
S26 A Slack Period
August 2, 2014 – After the broadening of Gamelab goals, we enter into a slack period. No specific Tasks have been defined. Gamelab's organizational format has no fixed structures as yet; rather it is at the stage of a ‘declaration of intent’. Moreover, in the following months everyone has a lot to do and very little Time. The result is that Gamelab seems to participants to be less urgent, and ties start to slacken. A feeling spreads that the initiative could come to nothing. Attendance at meetings falls and preparation for meetings is less intensive.
S27 LunchTalk "gamelab.berlin"
December 9, 2014 – Gamelab decides to put on a LunchTalk at which work and ideas up to the present will be presented. Directly after this, there will be a Gamelab week with workshops and a poster presentation. This specific Event, with a large public, gives rise to the specific Task of preparing the presentation, the workshops and the poster. As the Event approaches, engagement increases once more. Everyone prepares presentation material on Topics that are most close to their hearts. In presenting the Topic of games in general, bridges are built to the Topics of image and the science and humanities, which are of great interest to audiences at the Interdisciplinary Laboratory. Since Claudio is unable to attend the LunchTalk, he prepares a video clip. Even if the workshop is poorly attended – unlike the LunchTalk – the initiative raises the profile of Gamelab in the Interdisciplinary Laboratory to a significant degree.
S28 Gamelab Application
March 9, 2015 – The LunchTalk has had the effect of reinforcing and unifying Gamelab Immediately after the LunchTalk, a joint application is prepared for Money for associated projects. Funding is sought for a symposium, the further development of Decide & Survive, Singleton and the development of a concept for games-related communication methods for the Excellence Cluster exhibition +ultra (September 30, 2016 – January 8, 2017, Martin-Gropius-Bau). The application comes at a timely moment and is based on the visibility attained so far. The cluster seeks new innovative Topics and welcomes publications as well as Events. Subsequently, all the funds applied for, totaling EUR 36,600 are granted. This is a validation of the Gamelab Organization and affirms the ties between it and all participants.
T1 Complex Situations
The model presented here grew from the analysis of 27 situations in the interdisciplinary context; however, it can also be applied in other contexts. The above study demonstrates that interdisciplinary work procedures can be usefully rendered through this cluster model. It becomes evident in particular that heterogeneous actors and tie types form complex cluster , which can no longer be reduced to universal schemata.
For instance, the Place in which a planning discussion happens is as key to its result as the participating Persons. A Source can tie one Topic with another. A Topic can necessitate or exclude a Method. A Task can require an expensive Tool that may be financed by an Organization, and this investment can in turn redefine the Tasks of the Organization. The occurrence of an Event at a particular Time enables or prevents the presence of Persons who could initiate partnerships there. A further function of actors in general is their ability to tie other actors together that would not have established ties without this bridging activity. Actors who perform this function are termed bridging actors, and they perform a vital function, since a lack of bridging actors amongst Persons may cause entire projects to fail. The use of the same Tool can tie Persons to each other, which has the effect of mutually increasing familiarity with each other's Topics, until a personal interest develops on the respective sides. The visibility of a tie between Place and Person in the meaning of a personal workplace may obstruct the use of the room by other Persons. On the other hand, a personal workplace generally shows traces in the form of notes, books, or posters and is thus an indication of the occupant's Topic. Other Persons may thereby form an interest in that Topic, even in the absence of the Person. The invisibility of a tie between Person and Topic is a handicap to the instigation of cooperation. A strong tie that has been built up over a long time between Organization and Topic, for instance, can block a promising but still new, and therefore weak, tie. The negative tie of a Person to another Person can extend further to actors who are tied to one of the Persons. If tie capacity is exceeded, non-completion of Tasks may result.
T2 Beyond the Discipline
These examples, and others from the study, show that interdisciplinary collaboration consists of a multitude of different situations which, through a specific cluster of actors, are characterized by concrete, significant individual actors and their particular ties. This is a necessary degree of detail and the reason why interdisciplinary collaboration cannot be described with the necessary precision simply by naming the disciplines involved. The denotation of disciplines such as biology, physics, cultural science, architecture or informatics involve such large and complex clusters of actors that, in the end, it does not express a meaning sophisticated enough for the analysis, modelling and Gestaltung of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Every discipline comprises various Topics divided into superordinate and subordinate Topics; each discipline uses multiple Methods – some specific to the discipline, others common to other disciplines. Most have formed specific Organizations such as institutes or foundations whose names are eponymous with the discipline in question. Such Organizations provide Places, organize Events and a budget and employ Persons who may have studied this discipline previously. Persons, in turn, receive and produce discipline-specific Sources, use or manufacture specific Tools, perform Tasks such as teaching or research in a prescribed Time and in the allocated Places and, last but not least, receive Monies for their work. And the spectrum of Topics and Methods in every single one of these disciplines is so broad that even within the respective subject, communication can become problematic. The communication between a geneticist and a morphologist can be more difficult than between a morphologist and an architect.
So it is no surprise that the configuration of an interdisciplinary team that operates purely with the concept of disciplines leaves out important actors. For this reason, the ID+Model developed here deliberately dispenses with the integration of disciplines as individual actors. Instead, it focuses on the multiplicity of actors, which is essential to the success of interdisciplinary endeavor. The fact that disciplines are not accorded actor status in the ID+Model does not mean that they no longer have an entitlement in the overall academic arena. Rather, the ID+Model enables the comparison of interdisciplinary and disciplinary collaboration and their dynamic interrelation. As a result, it is possible to delve more precisely into the differences and commonalities between the two modes of academic research with respect to actor classes, actors, ties, structures and processes. Where processes are concerned, one might for instance describe interdisciplinary collaboration as a constant oscillation between coupling and decoupling. In each new situation within interdisciplinary collaboration, actors couple themselves to new clusters of actors. The precondition for this is that first, and on repeated occasions, individual actors must decouple themselves entirely from disciplinary actor ties and clusters. Only then, free of habituated disciplinary clusters, can they constitute a medium for new interdisciplinary actor clusters. Through their tying and integration in these new interdisciplinary actor clusters, actors themselves undergo transformation. Meanings, functions and evaluations shift. Such transformation occurs only in the face of disciplinary difference. This is in effect a kind of motivation for seeking new, surprising ties – the particularity of interdisciplinary collaboration is the spread of content. Interdisciplinarity is reliant on the existence of strong disciplines and cannot be seen as their replacement or possible successor. Conversely, interdisciplinarity leads to the further strengthening of disciplines. On the one hand, disciplines with actors who were transformed in interdisciplinary clusters gain new actors for their specific disciplinary contexts – disciplines thus expand their spectrum of actors. On the other hand, the process of decoupling is an act of disciplinary self-reflection: the discipline recognizes its own actors and their historicity and constructedness. This process is no trivial accomplishment: it is the ties to actor clusters that are no longer questioned that lead to a standstill in disciplinary contexts.
T3 Self-Organization
Interdisciplinary research is not a goal in itself, but a strategy that deploys the knowledge of various disciplines not simply in an additive way, as in multi-disciplinary collaboration, but in a way that synthesizes elements into a new approach. But how should this collaboration be organized? Can disciplinary framework conditions be sufficient for interdisciplinary work? This is questionable, when one considers the diversity of research practices in the various disciplines. Since every type of research requires framework conditions and organizational structures, the strategy of the Interdisciplinary Laboratory has been formulated so as to enable the maximum support for self-organizing processes within a minimal structure. If no definite knowledge obtains of the findings that can be generated from a research project, or how the process should be organized, the strategy must be to adopt a self-organizing approach, and to be ready to be surprised.
In many cases, interdisciplinary initiatives have organizational features. A typical type of interdisciplinary Organization is a project, a department or indeed an entire institution. Often these organizational formats are predetermined; i.e., they are planned and applied as interdisciplinary endeavors. Examples of such predetermined organizational forms are the Interdisciplinary Laboratory base projects, which were conceived as such from the outset and to which further actors such as Topics, Tasks, Persons, Sources and Monies were allocated. These predetermined clusters contain ties that were externally arranged and that cannot easily be changed by participating actors. Yet, in the course of implementing this type of predetermined organizational format, actors become substantiated and thus import their own clusters. The crucial question is to what extent these own clusters then form a common cluster within the Organization; in answering this, one can decide whether a representative of a particular discipline should participate in a project. Since the discipline cannot however characterize the chosen Person completely, other actors must come into play alongside him or her. Earlier projects, current interests, existing cooperative projects and other Tasks co-determine the project from this point onwards. The same happens with the predetermined project Topic, if it is only in the concretization that close ties to other Topics emerge, which in turn bring in important Sources. Or perhaps the sheer monetary value of a Tool purchased at the start of a project determines the project methods, even though others might have been more suitable. These examples show that the cluster of actors in a project cannot be unambiguously predicted.
The situations examined in the study are clusters of actors that did not arise from predetermined organizational formats, but that developed in a self-organizing way. For this reason, the focus is on the establishment of ties that develop or dissolve without external conditioning. These ties develop in a different and, in a certain sense, free way. Weak ties may be constructed as a kind of experiment and can just as easily be de-constructed. Various clusters can thereby test their compatibility without obligation. Where certain clusters have a positive reciprocal effect on each other, strong ties can be formed and these prove more resilient and more productive than would otherwise be foreseeable at the planning stage. Successful interdisciplinarity depends on relatively loose ties in heterogeneous clusters in the orientation phase. This enables a relaxed approach to adopting tie options and playing around or testing them without any binding obligation or, necessarily, their incorporation in a structure. A second stabilization phase can then be carried out and ties that prove useful can be consolidated and strengthened, in order to achieve structural stability.
T4 Identification and Communication
A significant problem in undetermined interdisciplinary projects is the visibility of potential ties. The fact that various actors at first possess no ties, or only weak ones to each other means that potential ties to still other actors are as yet invisible. Tie intensity may also have a strengthening effect on the visibility of the tie: the stronger the tie between actors, the more visible it is. The initial weakness of ties makes identification of actors difficult that may exist in various clusters and that could perform a bridging function. The result is that in practice, many interdisciplinary ties are the result of chance (S10, S13, S22). Since only those potential ties that are discovered can be realized, their suitability for realization as actual ties cannot be ascertained except by chance. Actors, with strong communication capacities or that increase the visibility of their potential ties have the advantage here: an Organization whose public relations department is well developed can more easily find suitable campaigners. A Person willing to make contact with others has a greater choice of cooperation opportunities. A Place with a self-explanatory name is better suited to finding actors than a Place with an indifferent name. Thus, it is above all the framework conditions of visibility that effect the undetermined construction of interdisciplinary cooperation. Where ties and actors are made visible, more suitable ties can be formed.
Visibility can be attained through intermediaries who communicate potential ties in the direction of the cluster, through the actors themselves increasing visibility, or through the creation of information nodes and anything that encourages communication. However, the problem remains that communication always represents an expense or effort, and therefore cannot be progressed limitlessly.
The ID+Model presented here can contribute actively through its explicit modelling of the cluster, thus providing not only swift and clear visibility, but also the ability to systematically analyze the cluster, down to the level of bridging actors
T5 Curiosity and Irritation
Alongside potential ties that manifest clearly or that present themselves (e.g., needs or interests), there are ties whose compatibility with a cluster of actors is still fairly hazy, since at the particular point in time it is not possible to rule out replication or conflict. There are two such types of hazy potential ties: curiosity and irritation. They can be found in the potential tying of two specific actors, and always in more than one of the tied actors. In both cases, what is happening is an exploration by actors external to the cluster, as well as an evaluation of connectivity, which have either a positive or negative outcome. Actors can in principle act in either a curious or irritated manner with regard to the tie; where either state exists however, it is definitely a question of a potential tie.
Curiosity is an element of open, outward-looking potential ties. It occurs in situations in which actors aim to extend a cluster sporadically, rather than on an ongoing basis. Non-continual expansion takes place with regard to the integration of actors who are not tied to the existing cluster either directly or via bridging actors, and can thus be termed external. The result is that it is not clear which ties could be formed, or at what parts of the cluster. Curiosity occurs in interdisciplinary collaboration in situations where information is lacking; for instance where an actor faces another actor without an immediately clear tying opportunity, but with a sense or impression that a function or usage resides in that actor, which would strengthen the structure. Such impressions create potential ties with positive connotations to various actors within the cluster. Subsequently, these potential ties are validated, i.e. monitored for their stability. The actor who is the object of the curiosity will be assessed more closely and ties will be tested. The more potential ties that can be established to the actor's cluster, the stronger are deemed the opportunities for integration in the cluster. The likelihood that these potential ties can later be realized increases.
Potential ties have little effect on the tie capacity of actors. Naturally, they must first be identified or invented by an actor, and reassessed frequently in order to be confirmed or rejected. This requires Time, of course, which affects tie capacity, albeit to a far lesser extent than when they are indeed confirmed. An interesting fact is that curiosity incurs comparatively little Time expenditure for actors, as long as they are clear about the difference between potential and actual ties and their weighting. A problematic effect occurs only if this difference is not clearly made and excessive stress is then placed on the tie capacity of the actors involved. Thus, actors use curiosity to a greater or lesser degree as a strategy to develop a cluster, sometimes actively changing the strategy. All of this activity, in accordance with the actor model, relates to non-human actors, too. A source would for instance be a 'curious' one if it pointed to another potentially interesting source, without there having been a comprehensive study of that source; the danger would then exist of adopting a tie on false premises. Of course the reference in the source and thus the curiosity can be traced to the author of the source, i.e., to a human actor, but the reference and thus the curiosity is an integral part of the Source and can become operational even without the actor. The reference within the Source then becomes the reference of the Source. In this way, we can talk about the curiosity of non-human actors – even if this is in some cases incorporated differently: a curious knife, for instance, would be characterized by a wide scope of application – a knife is more curious than a corkscrew.
Irritation is the second type of hazy potential tie. In contrast to curiosity, irritation is neither open nor outward-looking, but closed and reactive. Irritation may arise if an actor appears that had no relation to another actor, but actively sets up a relation. Such an externally created tie represents a disturbance in the actor's cluster and has the potential to destabilize its structure. The actor is forced to defend the stability of the cluster and must therefore react to the irritation. His or her reaction in itself creates a tie that may be either positive (integrating) or negative (defensive).
It is possible for a potential tie to be initiated out of curiosity, but for this to prove to be an unwanted irritation during the course of exploration. Conversely, an irritation may be met with curiosity and lead to an exploration of the surroundings of the irritating actor; this would actively develop the cluster in this direction.
The result of both curiosity and irritation may be either the expansion, or clearer delimitation of the cluster. In both cases, the cluster stabilizes its relation to a context, its position within the context and, by analogy, its reactiveness to future impulses from actors external to the cluster.
Generally, one can suppose that actors that demonstrate or have developed a high degree of curiosity-potential ties, or that are exposed to a relatively large number of irritations, are better placed to ensure the stability of their cluster in relation to changing contexts. They remain operational where many changes occur. At the same time, too many curiosity-potential ties pose the risk that tie capacity will be over-stretched with an ensuing paralysis, which would lead to an interested standstill. Too many irritations can on the other hand destabilize the cluster, in the event it is no longer able to integrate all actors and does not demonstrate a sufficient stability of its own. From this, we can assume that the number of curiosity-potential ties grows in a developed and stable cluster, but is less marked in a less stable cluster. The same is true of irritations, which affect stable clusters in an aggrandizing way and less stable clusters in a threatening way.
In order to be able to use curiosity and irritation as expansion strategies in a targeted way, it is important to analyze the clusters of the actors involved. The degree of curiosity depends on the internal stability of the individual cluster; the degree of irritation on the scope of overlapping. Interdisciplinary projects, if they are to succeed, must by nature be more dependent on curiosity and exposed to more frequent irritations. As so often, it is hard to find and induce the right degree of both attributes. Where the right balance is found, the end effect can be a markedly enhanced overall stability.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4032
|
__label__wiki
| 0.887853
| 0.887853
|
Lancashire At War.co.uk
Exploring the hidden history of War sites in Lancashire
World War Two sites
World War One sites
Cold War Sites
"Shop"
Stockport Museums under threat - SEE HERE
WW2 Airfields in Lancashire and beyond
This page is an introduction page with links to more in depth pages about each of these sites.
HMS Ringtail (Burscough)
'HMS Ringtail' (RIGHT) sounds like a code name doesn't it? But that is what the World War Two airfield near Burscough was called. Named after a bird, it was a Navy airfield rather than an RAF one - hence the name. The last airfield to be built in Lancashire during WW2 it followed the Navy blueprint for airfields - which differed significantly from RAF airfields. There are still many buildngs standing but slowly the site is being cleared for development
RAF Burtonwood (Warrington)
RAF Burtonwood, near Warrington is now sadly completely demolished. Until fairly recently some of its huge hangars could be seen from the M62 motorway.
However, if you look carefully there are a few things still visible and there is an excellent museum that documents its history.
RAF Burtonwood was built specifically for the Second World War, opening in time for the Battle of Britain before being handed over to the United States when they entered the war. It was: "open the longest and was the last to close. It had the most US personnel, the highest production, the most aircraft, the longest runway and even the most marriages." (Lancashire Airfields in the Second World War by Aldon P.Ferguson). See RIGHT
RAF Heywood - 35MU (Maintenance Unit)
During World War Two (and for for some time after - it closed in 1967) Heywood had a huge RAF site. But this site was mostly civilian - it was a Maintenance Unit and much of what it did was storage and repair.
Today it is Heywood Distribution Park, a massive industrial estate. But it gives you an idea of how big the original site was. According to a thread on the Airfield Information Exchange some original buildings still exist, though they have been modified and adapted. One area of the site is still under government ownership - the Department for Work and Pensions, and is known as Heywood Stores. See RIGHT
Airfields beyond Lancashire......
RAF Skipton on Swale, (North Yorkshire)
The sparse remains of the World War Two airbase at Skipton On Swale is still there if you pay attention.
It was part of Bomber Command, the airfield opened in August 1942, becoming operational in May 1943, and closing October 1945. It was manned by four bomber squadrons, all Canadian. During their stay around 100 aircraft were lost. Planes based here were at first Hampdens then Wellingtons, later Halifaxes then late in the war, Lancasters.
See RIGHT
RAF Elsham Wolds (North Lincolnshire)
Today it is just off the A15, it was once the largest bomber airfield of 1 Group, Bomber Command. According to Patrick Otter ('Lincolnshire Airfields in the Second World War') it "was once home to two squadrons of Lancaster bombers and the base station in a network of airfields which spread across north Lincolnshire".
It was also home to a famous Lancaster, M-Mother (ED888) which between 20th April 1943 and early 1945 had flown a record 140 operations.
Operations began in July 1941 and between then and April 1945 over 1000 crew died on operations from this airbase.
All that remains today is the one J-Type Hangar. (see RIGHT)
Lancashire at War Blog Page - CLICK HERE TO SEE IT
These pages, all text and photographs, unless stated, are the copyright of The Brothers B. No reproduction is allowed in any form without prior written permission
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4036
|
__label__cc
| 0.516813
| 0.483187
|
Bryan C. Nelson
Mary M. Tyson
Christine P. White
Abby Loch
Jill Riffel
Michelle VanDoren
Rebecca Tusken
Luke Engelman
Gayle Woods
Ali Calkins-Smith, Ph.D.
Well Child Exams
News of Our Practice
Rebecca Tusken, M.D., F.A.A.P.
Rebecca Tusken, MD, FAAP
Making a difference in patients’ lives is the reason Rebecca Tusken wanted to be a doctor.
“I have always wanted to be a pediatrician, since about 7 years old,” she says. “I admired and looked up to my pediatrician as a young child, and I would love to have the same impact on my patients. I love doing puzzles and sometimes medicine offers puzzles just waiting to be solved.”
Dr. Tusken started at Johnson County Pediatrics in September 2017. She works Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Patients may also see her in our walk-in clinic.“I'm excited to have patients who I know personally and see throughout their young lives,” she says. “I'm looking forward to working with and learning from my new colleagues for years to come.”
She grew up in Shawnee, and attended private school in the Kansas City metropolitan area from kindergarten through high school. In 2010 she graduated from Pittsburg State University with degrees in biology and Spanish. She earned her medical degree in 2014 from the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and was in the pediatrics’ residency program at KU from 2014 to June of 2017.
Dr. Tusken is married to Cameron Tusken, an anesthesiologist. She and Cameron spend a lot of time with her extended family.
In her free time she enjoys indoor and sand volleyball. She also enjoys baking.Her favorite quote comes from her mother: "If you cannot do good, then doing well will never be enough."
Car Seat Recommendations
Child Health Topics
8800 W. 75th Street, Suite 220 Shawnee Mission, KS 66204
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4038
|
__label__wiki
| 0.981885
| 0.981885
|
Join the John Lee Hooker Mailing List
Known to music fans around the world as the “King of the Boogie,” John Lee Hooker endures as one of the true superstars of the blues genre: the ultimate beholder of cool. His work is widely recognized for its impact on modern music – his simple, yet deeply effective songs transcend borders and languages around the globe. Each decade of Hooker’s long career brought a new generation of fans and fresh opportunities for the ever-evolving artist. He never slowed down either: As John Lee Hooker entered his 70s, he suddenly found himself in the most successful era of his career – reinvented yet again, and energized as ever, touring and recording up until his passing in 2001.
Born near Clarksdale, Mississippi on August 22, 1917 to a sharecropping family, John Lee Hooker‘s earliest musical influence came from his stepfather, William Moore ̶— a blues musician who taught his young stepson to play the guitar, and whom John Lee later credited for his unique style on the instrument.
By the early 1940s, Hooker had moved north to Detroit by way of Memphis and Cincinnati. By day, he was a janitor in the auto factories, but by night, like many other transplants from the rural Delta, he entertained friends and neighbors by playing at house parties. “The Hook” gained fans around town from these shows, including local record store owner Elmer Barbee. Barbee was so impressed by the young musician that he introduced him to Bernard Besman ̶ a producer, record distributor and owner of Sensation Records. By 1948, Hooker ̶ now honing his style on an electric guitar ̶ had recorded several songs for Besman, who, in turn, leased the tracks to Modern Records. Among these first recordings was “Boogie Chillun,” (soon after appearing as “Boogie Chillen”) which became a number one jukebox hit, selling over a million copies. This success was soon followed by a string of hits, including “I’m in the Mood,” “Crawling Kingsnake” and “Hobo Blues.” Over the next 15 years, John Lee signed to a new label, Vee-Jay Records, and maintained a prolific recording schedule, releasing over 100 songs on the imprint.
When the young bohemian artists of the 1960s “discovered” Hooker, among other notable blues originators, he found his career taking on a new direction. With the folk movement in high gear, Hooker returned to his solo, acoustic roots, and was in strong demand to perform at colleges and folk festivals around the country. Across the Atlantic, emerging British bands were idolizing Hooker’s work. Artists like the Rolling Stones, the Animals and the Yardbirds introduced Hooker’s sound to new and eager audiences, whose admiration and influence helped build Hooker up to superstar status. By 1970, Hooker had relocated to California and was busy collaborating on several projects with rock acts. One such collaboration was with Canned Heat, which resulted in 1971’s hit record Hooker ’n’ Heat. The double LP became John Lee Hooker’s first charting album.
Throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, John Lee toured the U.S. and Europe steadily. His appearance in the legendary Blues Brothers movie resulted in a heightened profile once again. Then, at the age of 72, John Lee Hooker released the biggest album of his career, The Healer. The GRAMMY® Award-winning 1989 LP paired contemporary artists (Bonnie Raitt, Carlos Santana, Los Lobos and George Thorogood, among others) with Hooker on some of his most famous tracks. The Healer was released to critical acclaim and sold over one million copies. The Hook rounded out the decade as a guest performer with the Rolling Stones, during the national broadcast of their 1989 Steel Wheels tour.
With his recent successes, John Lee entered the 1990s with a sense of renewed inspiration. Not only was the decade a time of celebration and recognition for the legendary artist, but it was also a highly productive era. He released five studio albums over the next few years, including Mr. Lucky, which once again teamed up Hooker with an array of artists; Boom Boom, which aimed to introduce new fans to his classic material; the GRAMMY® Award-winning Chill Out; and a collaboration with Van Morrison, Don’t Look Back, which also garnered two awards at the 1997 GRAMMYs®. Throughout the decade, Hooker’s great body of work and contributions to modern music were being recognized not only by his peers, but also by a younger generation. He became a familiar face in popular culture, with appearances on The Tonight Show and Late Night with David Letterman. In 1990, a massive tribute concert took place at New York’s Madison Square Garden, featuring Hooker and an all-star lineup of guest artists. One year later, John Lee was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, while in 1997, he was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2000, shortly before his death, John Lee Hooker was recognized with a GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award, and just one week before his passing, ever true to form, the bluesman spent his final Saturday night playing a now-legendary show to a packed house at the Luther Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, CA.
The Hook continues to live on: His music can regularly be heard in TV shows, commercials and films, and many of his tracks have also found a second life sampled in new songs – by the likes of R&B star Brandi, hip-hop legend Chuck D and French electronic musician St Germain, among many others. Most recently, his iconic recording, the 1962 Vee-Jay Records single “Boom Boom,” was inducted into the 2016 GRAMMY® Hall of Fame.
John Lee Hooker 1917 — 2001
© 2016 John Lee Hooker Estate. All Rights Reserved.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4039
|
__label__cc
| 0.673372
| 0.326628
|
Emergency Pager: (336) 205-0363
MyVetLink
Iron Will
From The Ivory Tower | Early Foal Immunizations
Early Foal Immunization - Good Medicine?
Implementation of an effective vaccination program on your farm is key to protecting your horses from infectious diseases. Vaccination of foals is intended to stimulate the immune system of the foal to produce antibodies, a process termed active immunization. For the majority of foals, we typically wait to begin our vaccine protocol until the maternal antibodies have waned. Maternal antibodies may be present in the foal for 3-4 months in most cases and up to 6 months or more in some foals.
Material antibodies are immunologically active substances that delivered to the foal in the colostrum within the first 24 hours of life. In addition to antibodies, colostrum contains white blood cells, water, protein, fat, minerals, vitamins, and carbohydrate in a thin, yellow serous fluid. The production and ingestion of equine colostrum is a complicated subject. Mares produce a limited amount of colostrum at the time of parturition (birth) and the “quality” can vary greatly. Additionally the type and concentration of antibodies in the colostrum will be dependent on the vaccination history of the mare (i.e. she will only pass on antibodies towards those diseases for which she is vaccinated against). On the foal’s end, timing is everything. The foal is able to absorb the antibodies in the colostrum through the GI tract mucosa and shuttle them to the systemic circulation, however this route is only “open” until the foal is 24 hours old. It is important to note that the antibody absorption and subsequent passive immunity in the foal declines steeply after 16 hours of age.
Simply said, ingestion of good quality colostrum before 16 hours of age is the most important event in a foal’s life! That might seem like an exaggerated statement, however without colostrum the foals essentially has no – and I mean zero – immune system to fend off pathogens. If you have any uncertainty over whether the mare was producing adequate colostrum or the foal was able to actively, successfully suckle, then you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Getting back to the business of vaccinating foals…
Based on past research, historically the veterinary community has thought that the presence of maternal or passively derived antibodies in the foal may interfere with or inhibit the immune response of foals to vaccinations. In addition, it has been reported that foals vaccinated early in life when maternal antibodies are still present may fail to respond to even a series of booster vaccinations against specific pathogens administered the following year. In other words, the standard thinking in the veterinary community is that beginning foal vaccinations early in life is not advantageous – and may be detrimental.
New research from Kansas State University evaluating the immune response to early vaccination in foals demonstrated that foals are capable of immune activation after a three-dose immunization series with a multivalent vaccine despite the presence of maternal antibodies. In this study, immune indicators in foals vaccinated at 3 months of age were comparable to those in foals initially vaccinated at 6 months of age. Therefore, in high-risk situations in which immune activation may be required earlier than at the completion of a conventional vaccine series, the data support that foals can respond to immunization that is initiated at 3 months of age provided that immunization protocols include three doses (initial immunization and two boosters) followed by a booster at 11 months of age.
Want to keep informed on the latest veterinary updates for North Carolina and hear about our promotions and offers? Join our e-mail list and we will keep you in the know.
Dr. John Parks
Dr. Chelsey Miller
The Mobile Clinics
Ruminant Services
Camelid Services
Companion Animal Services
Client Rewards
Case Referrals
Iron Will Mobile Veterinary Services is an ambulatory large animal veterinary practice based in Chapel HIll, North Carolina. We provide products and services that are specifically tailored to large animal owners of the Piedmont Triad and Research Triangle regions of North Carolina.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4043
|
__label__cc
| 0.686532
| 0.313468
|
Know Our Lord Traveling Ministry
This blog begins with notes on a trip taken to spread the message of God's Love. It continues beyond that with info that takes the fear out of loving God. Each of us must learn how important it is to love God as well as come to an understanding of just how much God loves each of us. Dr. C. David Sanders ThD, DD
And the greatest of these is love
Hi Folks. I was rummaging through some old papers today and I found something I had written about years ago. I don't know why I never shared this story and I am a bit ashamed that I did not. It is far past time this story was told, so enjoy.
1 Corinthians 13 in the American Standard Version is "But now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; and the greatest of these is love."
I have a friend named Ben who gave his time at a soup kitchen for the homeless. He was charitable with his time and with his love but he always wanted to do more. His financial status was mediocre to say the least so volunteering his time at the soup kitchen was about all he could muster. I must tell you Ben has suffered through some conditioning that would have hardened most men far beyond the effect it has had on him.
You see, one day about 2 years ago, Ben reached out with his heart and decided to make a difference in a person’s life besides just refilling his bowl. He befriended a homeless man named Arthur and offered him a place in his home, just until he could get on his feet. Upon completion of his duties that evening at the soup kitchen, Ben took Arthur to his home feeling quite good about the path he was taking. Arthur also was "feeling the love" so to speak. Upon their arrival, Ben offered Arthur clean clothes, and a place to bathe. Arthur, moved by the hospitality and kindness being shown him emerged from the bath about an hour later looking (and smelling) like a new man. They were both pleased indeed with the way things were going.
While the two were in the kitchen preparing a snack, Ben's wife, Patricia, came in from her prayer meeting and was introduced to Arthur. Now Arthur was not an ignorant man and it seems he was quite smooth when it came to dealing with the ladies. Within minutes, he and Patricia were conversing as if they were old friends. Ben, not a presumptuous man, was pleased to watch their friendship grow over the next few weeks.
Now! To make a long story short, Patricia and Arthur made a run to the local convenience store one evening on the pretense of grabbing a snack for the three of them. The only problem was they didn't stop there. Nope. These 2 folks found love in the potato chip isle and headed south for warmer weather.
To say Ben was devastated by this development would be like saying World War 2 was a minor skirmish. He virtually collapsed emotionally for a week and would not see visitors, take phone calls, or even leave his house. When he did emerge, he was the Ben we had all come to love and admire. You honestly could not tell anything bad had happened in his life.
I saw Ben the day he reentered humanity and his spirits were high. I exclaimed I was glad to see him and explained I was very worried about him indeed. Ben just smiled and told me he was sorry for worrying me but he was spending time with the Lord. When I asked him how he had come to terms with his loss, he looked at me with a look of confusion on his face and asked, “What loss?” I said, “Well Ben, your wife of 10 years ran off with another man.” Ben said, “Oh that. The Lord told me not to consider that a loss. He says he has plans for me and she was not going to be part of those plans.” He was so serene in telling me this it left almost no room for discussion. Needless to say, I was a bit skeptical and decided I would worry about him silently and just keep an eye on him.
About a week later, I received a phone call from Ben asking me to come and see him. I quickly put aside everything I was doing and hurried to his house feeling sure something was terribly wrong. As I was getting out of my car in his driveway, Ben came rushing out to greet me with all the excitement of a five year old on Christmas morning. He was talking so fast I couldn’t understand a word he was saying. I calmed him down and took him back in the house where he began to explain.
He was raised in an orphanage and never knew his parents. Every question he put to authorities at the orphanage was met with the same answer, “We just don’t know anything about your parents or even how you came to be at the orphanage.” Ben finally gave up trying to find out more about his roots, married and settled down only to find out he could not father children. Devastated by that news, Ben settled himself with being the best husband he knew how to be and vowed to always give as much of his time as he could to helping others.
The next day was his 35th birthday and just before he called me he received a call from the orphanage where he had been raised. It seems the folks at the orphanage knew all along who his parents were but were not allowed to tell him until his 35th birthday. His father was a multimillionaire who had left his company to establish a Christian mission in Costa Rica. Unfortunately, Ben’s mother had died in childbirth and soon after his father had been diagnosed with a terminal and inoperable brain tumor. Having no other family, his father had made arrangements with the orphanage to care for Ben and follow his progress through his 35th birthday. At that time, if he was deemed to be morally fit, a fortune of 20 million dollars was to be handed over to him, hopefully to be used to further the mission started by his father and mother.
Ben was ecstatic. He explained the mission was set up to take children who were orphaned from all over South America. He would be directly responsible for seeing to their care and education. Ben had been handed more children than he could have ever hoped for.
The last time I heard from Ben, he had been in Costa Rica for 20 years. He was happily married to a good woman. The two of them and a staff of 30 or so more people were administering the necessary care at that time for over 400 children. During the previous 20 years, the number surpassed 3000. I honestly don’t believe anyone on earth could have been happier than he.
What went on during the week of seclusion Ben spent in his small house after his wife ran off with Arthur? Surely the Lord had put his mind and his heart to rest and prepared him for all that was to come. The charity and love Ben had in his heart was put to the ultimate test and he passed with flying colors. Because of the love in his heart, Ben was given the means to extend that love and his charity to over 3000 needy children. The most heart warming part of this story: every one of those children called him Dad.
Posted by Brother David at 2:36 PM
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4045
|
__label__cc
| 0.7094
| 0.2906
|
Duchies of Lancaster and Cornwall (Accounts) Act 1838
Section II
IIAccounts to be annually submitted to Commissioners of the Treasury.
And be it enacted, That Accounts of the Receipts and Disbursements of the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster shall be annually submitted by the proper Officers of the said Duchies to the Commissioners of Her Majesty's Treasury, in such Form and accompanied by such Explanations as the said Lords Commissioners of the Treasury shall from Time to Time require and direct; and that the annual Account of Receipts and Disbursements shall be presented to both Houses of Parliament by the said Lords Commissioners of the Treasury within One Calendar Month after the First Meeting of Parliament subsequent to the First Day of January in every Year.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4046
|
__label__wiki
| 0.500776
| 0.500776
|
Common Name: saffron crocus
Type: Bulb
Family: Iridaceae
Native Range: Garden origin
Zone: 6 to 8
Bloom Time: September to October
Bloom Description: Lilac purple
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Tolerate: Drought
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Plants perform best in gritty, well-drained soils. Avoid heavy clay soils, poorly-drained soils or overly moist soil conditions. Plants do best in climates with long, dry summers. Plant corms about 2-4” deep and 3-4” apart in late summer to early fall (September). Plants are sterile and do not produce viable seed. Divide corms to propagate.
Crocus sativus, commonly called saffron crocus, is a fall-blooming crocus from which the spice saffron is harvested. Although cultivated since ancient times, the native habitat of this crocus is unknown. Saffron crocus may have first appeared in Greece as a sterile triploid form that was selected from C. cartwrightianus. Saffron crocus is commercially grown today in a number of locations, but primarily from Spain to Italy to Greece to Iran to India, with almost 80% of world production coming from Spain and Iran. It is also grown ornamentally as an attractive fall bloomer. It typically grows to 4-6” tall. Each corm produces several upright, cup-like, lilac-purple flowers that bloom in early to mid-autumn for about 1-2 weeks. Each flower has three long style branches tipped with reddish-orange stigmas. The stigmas often protrude beyond the petal cup. It takes about 1/4 million stigmas (75,000 flowers) to produce one pound of saffron which in large part explains why saffron is the most expensive spice regularly sold in commerce today. Flowers close at night and open up in the morning, but usually remain closed on rainy/cloudy days. Basal, grass-like leaves appear slightly prior to bloom. Colchicum autumnale (meadow saffron with pink flowers and 6 stamens) also blooms in autumn, but is very poisonous.
Squirrels, mice and other rodents can be problems. Squirrels seem particularly adept at locating, digging up and eating newly planted corms.
Brings attractive ornamental fall bloom to the landscape. Large sweeping drifts can be spectacular. Plants also may be grouped in beds, borders, rock gardens, herb gardens, in front of shrubs, along walks or in various other small areas around the home. For culinary purposes, stigmas may be removed from flowers with tweezers, dried and then stored in air-tight containers for later use as saffron, but the harvest amount from a large mass of flowers is disappointingly small. Saffron is a prized ingredient in a number of classic dishes including risotto, rice, paella and bouillabaisse.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4049
|
__label__cc
| 0.535521
| 0.464479
|
A Government approved version of Islam?
Inclusive and Accessible Masjids
Aylesbury, home of Samantha Lewthwaite
Wednesday, October 9, 2013, 09:05 PM
Last week two Muslim boys were put in isolation at a Catholic school and ordered that they must return to school "clean" shaven. Coincidentally this weekend I made a trip to the Imperial War Museum with my daughter and we spent a lot of time in the Holocaust gallery there. There were many things in that gallery which would and should leave one shaking, not least how the Nazis' first systematic use of production-line killing was the extermination of disabled and mentally impaired people, especially children. One of the less distressing exhibits was footage of a Nazi SA gang forcibly shaving Jews' beards and payots (locks of hair) in the early 1930s. Inconsequential compared with what followed, yet very telling, how a minority was singled out for public humiliation in an environment where a more powerful group sought to impose its own definition of acceptability in its efforts to draw popular favour. I do not believe for a moment that the Head Teacher, Xavier Bowers, is part of a neo-Nazi vanguard of course. But I do believe that he would not have imposed this humiliation on his pupils if this was not a time when populist journalism could muster widespread anti-Muslim prejudice just as the proto-Nazis used anti-Jewish prejudice to gain advantage in the 20s and 30s.
Mr Bowers has the temerity to define Islam himself: 'Xavier Bowers told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: "We have not taken this decision lightly. I have spent quite a lot of time researching the issue and speaking to Muslim elders. There is nothing specifically written in the Qur'an about wearing a beard. It is a choice those boys are making. However inclusive we are, we have standards to maintain."' Muslims have standards too, and included among them is the religious code that one lives one's life in accordance with the Sunnah. The repeated command of the Qur'an is, "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger of Allah!" (Qur'an 24:54 and many other verses), and the Messenger of Allah (S) stated plainly, "Whoever obeys me certainly obeys Allah." (Bukhari, Muslim, al-Nasa'i, Ahmad, and Ibn Majah). Many elements of the Sunnah, the way of life of the Messenger of Allah (S), are transient things, applying sometimes, abrogated at others. But one Sunnah was practised by him, 24 hours a day, every day of his life, and continues, for all we know, for every moment in his kabr, his grave, in Madinah. That one Sunnah is the beard. It is an explicit command: "Lengthen your beard and clip your moustache." (Bukhari, Muslim, Ibn Hambal) How was it practised? The answer, as with all of the Sunnah, lies in what is recorded of him and of his companions (R). Not one single male companion kept his beard shorter than a full fist's length anywhere around his face. (For the moustache, his advice was to trim it short, never longer than a grain of rice; trim it right down to stubble as one of the fitras every Friday before Jumu'ah salaah.)
The "choice the boys are making" is to practice their faith. It is not for Xavier Bowers to state what is and what is not within the Muslim faith. As for the Muslim elders supposedly consulted, yes there are no doubt many of sufficient age to have been numbered among those who arrived as total strangers in the 1950s and 1960s, who had no masjids to attend, who left behind halaal food and their families in order to make some money out of Britain's invitation. Many of them are still there as trustees of masjids that are so set in the ways of the village that young men and women despair at finding meaningful Islamic practice from the lectures of the imams these elders employ. Their inertia, and the opportunities it creates for others to humiliate young Muslim men, are a very large part of what drives young Muslims to seek alternative sources to define their religion.
It is also an element of what motivates Muslim parents to find alternative sources of education, and hence Muslim faith schools. My own experience as a parent, of Muslim faith schools, is such that there is not one I would recommend, for a variety of reasons, which go beyond the scope of this blog article. One reason however is that they echo the same sectarian prejudices as UK masjids and their competing sects, indeed they are usually founded and run by the same vocal advocates of particular sectarian viewpoints. And are run with the same cynical contempt for diverse Muslim perspectives: you will find more adherence to a diverse multi-faith curriculum in a typical Muslim school's RE lesson than in many non-Muslim schools; but you will most likely hear just one Muslim sect's perspective in the same lesson, with alternative practices condemned unequivocally. Worse yet, by extension, you will find apalling racism directed at racial minorities within the class and among the pupils - this is my own children's first hand experience.
A Muslim free school accused of imposing strict Islamic practices, such as segregated classrooms, has closed following an inspection by Ofsted. The BBC reported that unnamed former staff members of Al-Madinah, which opened as a free school in September last year, had alleged that girls were forced to sit at the back of the classroom, and that female staff members, including non-Muslims, had been forced to wear the hijab. However the article states, "Last week, the interim principal told the BBC that he had not received any complaints from colleagues regarding the dress code and that pupils were not being segregated, with girls and boys being treated equally." Whatever the case, the strict Islamic ethical code does not require any segregation between children pre-puberty. Post-puberty the notion of separation in a co-ed class is not at all what Muslim parents would send their children to an Islamic school for - the classroom is not modelled on a jama'at in a masjid. Separate schools, yes, in common with many secular and faith-based schools, but the entire rationale for that falls apart in a segregated classroom.
Non-Muslims being forced to wear hijab? Can I invent the term "Islamical Correctness" to define nonsensical reduction of ethics to absurdity? If someone is not a Muslim, he or she is not required to adhere to any Islamic dress or food or behaviour custom whatsoever. If you don't want to see a non-Muslim lady's hair, then either don't look or stay indoors out of harm's way. Even in the masjid itself, even at the time of salaah, there is no Shari'a basis for requiring visitors to cover their heads. They aren't going to walk around in front of you during the salaah - there simply won't be space to do so unless you've arranged your salaah without a sutrah, and even then, so what? What about when you make your salaah out in the open in public (where it is meant to be seen). Are you going to interrupt your salaah when a non-Muslim woman walks past and is glimpsed out of the corner of your eye, bare ankled or worse? Please stop the nonsense of imposing Islamic habits on non-Muslims, it achieves nothing. And, Mr Xavier Bowers, please stop imposing your ritual humilation and your contempt for their religious practice, on Muslim pupils - you are not helping your religion or theirs, nor your school or their education.
[ view entry ] ( 131 views ) | permalink | ( 3 / 1791 )
<<First <Back | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Next> Last>>
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4052
|
__label__wiki
| 0.553963
| 0.553963
|
Jun 05 2017. view 312
The street art hub of South East Asia
Vibrant, colourful and multicultural, Georgetown - the capital of Penang Island in Malaysia is one of the best places to visit to enjoy a dose of culture, cuisine and a cosmopolitan vibe. What drew me to this historic city was the claim it made as hosting some fabulous street art and of course the unrivalled cuisine. In the first of a series of articles on Georgetown, this is all about the fabulous street art that has become the street art hub of South East Asia.
The population of Georgetown is a mix of Chinese, Malay and Indian with its many cultural influences seeping through. Besides being a British colonial bastion, it is also considered the starting point of the Baba-Noyna culture of Malacca and Penang. Due to its importance in the past as a trading post, Penang is a potpourri of cultures and religions from across South East Asia and has some of the most important monuments in the region.
"Brother and Sister on a Swing" by Louis Gan, a local deaf-mute self-taught artist, on the wall of a printing warehouse along Step by Step Lane
Named after the British King George III, the city is located at the northeast side of the island and is home to about half a million inhabitants. After Penang was handed over by the sultan of Kedah to the English, Sir Francis Light founded the city Georgetown. He immediately started the construction of Fort Cornwallis. Over the years this first settlement evolved into a big city. In 1957, Georgetown got permission to be called a city and until 1972, it was the only city in Malaysia to enjoy this privilege.
In 2008, UNESCO listed Georgetown as a World Heritage Site because of the many original Chinese style shophouses. Besides the many beautiful historical buildings, Georgetown also has several modern highrise buildings but the beauty of the place is completely owned by the traditional buildings of old.
One of the 52 steel structures that grace the walls and buildings of central Georgetown
Georgetown is built up of a warren of meandering streets and the first thing to do is get yourself a map which will make navigating easier. The heart of the city is Old Georgetown, which lies close to the old docks and is recognised by the colonial and traditional style of buildings present there. The architecture and colours of the buildings there will give you a hint of the splendour that Penang once enjoyed during its peak as a trading post in Southeast Asia. You could join guided walks or hire a tricycle rickshaw to take you around or you could just navigate the place by yourself which is easy.
"Little Girl in Blue" mural by Ernest Zacharevic on Muntri Street
A real admirer of street art, some of the murals in Georgetown, are the best that I have seen. Street art in Georgetown came about only in 2012 when the Penang Island Municipal Council commissioned multidisciplinary Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic to create multiple murals, painting and 3D art for the Georgetown Festival. Not only does it bring a riot of colour to the streets of Georgetown, but it also encourages tourists and locals to explore the city by foot in addition to inspiring many other artists to create works of art.
"Cats & Humans Happily Living Together" by local artist Tang Yeok Khang
Apart from Ernest Zacharvic, Thai artist Natthapon Muangklliang and Malaysian artists Louise Low and Tang Yeok Khang have created several murals featuring cats to highlight the plight of stray animals in the city which was part of the theme of the 2013 Georgetown Festival. In addition there are also wrought iron caricatures featured across the city that provides historical information about each street.
"Little Children on a Bicycle" mural on Armenian Street, Georgetown, Penang by Lithuanian artist Ernest Zacharevic
Zacharevic’s best known mural in Georgetown is the Little Children on a Bicycle on Armenian Street. Most popular with the tourists are the interactive works of art that enable you to include yourselves in to the art. The Little Children on a bicycle uses an old bicycle frame to create a three-dimensional piece. However this is brought to life by the stream of visitors who perch themselves on the rear of the bike while taking a photo.
This scene was replicated at the mural "Boy on a Bike," where tourists sit astride the seat of a real motorcycle affixed to the wall.
Along each narrow street or alleyway there are coffee shops, restaurants and old style noodle restaurants which offer an interesting glimpse into the lives of the locals. The cuisine and architecture here is something else but that warrants a separate article!
"Reaching Up" mural by Ernest Zacharevic on Cannon Street
An inexpensive holiday destination, Georgetown offers remarking value for money in more ways than one. This urban art trail in Georgetown has become a real attraction for tourists. If Georgetown was not on your bucket list then I hope it is added on.
TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHS by Tina Edward Gunawardhana
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4053
|
__label__cc
| 0.635319
| 0.364681
|
What Does AIDS Stand For?
AIDS is one of the most deadly human disease pandemics in history, responsible for more than 25 million deaths since 1981. At the moment, there are thought to be 33.4 million people suffering from HIV infection or AIDS. The two conditions are not the same thing, although they are often mentioned together and used interchangeably. However there is a relationship between HIV and AIDS.
AIDS is an acronym for acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Patients suffering from AIDS are very vulnerable to potentially fatal infections, neurological disorders, and tumors. To find out what HIV stands for what does AIDS stand for, we need to break the acronym down to each word:
A - Acquired: AIDS is caught from other individuals; it is not transferred through faulty genes.
I - Immune: AIDS is a disease of the immune system, the system in charge of tackling infections and foreign molecules inside the body, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
D - Deficiency: AIDS damages the immune response, rendering it increasingly incapable of dealing with infection.
S - Syndrome: AIDS patients usually suffer from many different illnesses and opportunistic infections.
So what does HIV stand for?
Human: HIV only affects people, not animals.
Immunodeficiency: The infection makes the patient’s immune system deficient, unable to function properly.
Virus: The infectious agent is viral, and therefore it cannot replicate itself. It has to use the infected human cell’s own machinery to reproduce.
Although HIV has many similarities to other viruses, such as those that cause flu or the common cold, there is a crucial difference. Whereas people can usually mount a sufficient immune response to clear other virus particles from the body, HIV remains in your system for life.
Note: HIV is not to be mistaken for HPV, human papilloma virus. There are many types of HPV; some are harmless, some cause genital warts, and some cause cancer, but all are different from HIV.
What Is the Relationship Between HIV and AIDS?
After knowing the answer to what does AIDS stand for, here’s more about the correlation between these two:
HIV Infection Can Lead to AIDS
Upon contracting HIV, the immune system tries to defend the body from the infection by synthesizing antibodies, proteins specifically designed to combat the virus. Using an HIV test, you can see whether the blood contains these antibodies. If the antibodies are detected, the person has the HIV infection and is said to be “HIV-positive”.
Being HIV-Positive Does Not Necessarily Mean that You Have AIDS
Many HIV-positive patients do not become ill for several years after the initial infection. However, the virus remains within the body and gradually overcomes the immune system. When immunity is low, bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites that the body can normally fight against become “opportunistic infections”, and can make the patient very ill.
How Does HIV Attack Human Body?
There are two major strategies that HIV uses to evade the immune response. Firstly, the virus can spend long periods of time “hiding” in the body’s cells to protect it from being destroyed. Secondly, HIV specifically attacks CD4+ T-cells, a vital component of your immune system necessary to defend you against disease and infection. The T-cells are invaded by the HIV, which then uses the cells’ internal machinery to duplicate itself, then burst from the cell, destroying the cell in the process. After a while, the CD4+ cell population becomes so depleted that the body loses its ability to tackle infections. At this stage, the patient has probably developed AIDS, the last phase of HIV infection.
How Is HIV Controlled?
It is important to recognize that not all HIV-positive people go on to develop AIDS. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is an effective treatment developed in the mid-90s that keeps the amount of HIV particles in the body low. ART is used as a combination therapy consisting of different types of HIV drug. Before ART was available, many HIV patients would develop AIDS within a few years; now HIV-positive individuals receiving ART can live a healthier life, with life expectancy almost that of unaffected people. What’s more, they are less likely to pass the virus on to others than untreated HIV patients. Unfortunately, there is no cure for HIV as yet, and the virus remains in the body, but researchers hope to discover a cure within the next few years.
Sex with Condom vs. Without
Difference Between HIV and AIDS
How Much Sex Is Normal?
Where Can I Get Tested for STDs?
Why Can't I Get Hard?
Effects of Masturbation
Hastmaithun Is Good for Health in Hindi
What Is the Meaning of Sexually Active?
Why Are You Always So Horny?
How Often Should You Have Sex?
How to Turn a Man on Sexually
Differences of Non-Virgin and Virgin
Pros and Cons of Birth Control
Sexual Intercourse Between Male and Female Humans
Why Are My Toenails Yellow?
Is Psoriasis Contagious?
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4056
|
__label__cc
| 0.66375
| 0.33625
|
Home » MSYA joins the sporting fraternity to mourn the loss of...
MSYA joins the sporting fraternity to mourn the loss of Kwasi Emmanuel
(Photo courtesy: the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs)
The Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs is saddened by the sudden death of Senior National Hockey Team’s Goal Keeper, Kwasi Emmanuel who passed away on Saturday 14th July, 2018. Emmanuel, one of the Hockey Trio brothers, was described as someone whose character and spirit was one that can positively change an entire atmosphere. Emmanuel was also known to be a role model and leader to his fellow teammates and will truly be missed.
Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs, the Honourable Shamfa Cudjoe and staff from the Ministry sends heartfelt condolences to the Emmanuel family, the Hockey community and friends of the deceased. Our prayers are with you in this trying time. We also extend condolences to the men’s senior Hockey team, we pray that God will give you the strength to represent your fellow teammate and country at this time.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4057
|
__label__wiki
| 0.776983
| 0.776983
|
Trojans Make Clutch Free Throws To Down Crusaders
Tigerville, SC – Mount Olive made 12 straight free throws over the final 1:26 to clinch an 87-82 come from behind win over the North Greenville University men’s basketball team on Saturday afternoon in Hayes Gymnasium.
For the first 10 minutes of action the Crusaders and Trojans were joined at the hip as neither team led by more than six at any point. However, with Mount Olive ahead 20-19, the Crusaders put together a 15-8 run over a five minute span to build a six-point lead with just over four minutes remaining. North Greenville held onto their advantage as they clung to a 40-35 advantage at the half.
The Crusaders and Trojans continued to battle throughout the second half but North Greenville ran into foul trouble late in the game, sending the Trojans to the line 12 times over the final minute and a half. Mount Olive took advantage of the free shots leading to a five-point victory.
As a team, North Greenville shot 50.8 percent and dished out 19 assists, while holding the Trojans to a 32.9 percent shooting clip in the game. However, Mount Olive earned a 45-37 edge on the boards and forced the Crusaders into 16 turnovers.
Junior Chris Dean led the team with 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting while also recording six rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Senior Tyshawn Patterson was the team’s second highest scorer with 16 points with fellow senior Jamaal Pryor following close behind with 14 points and six rebounds of his own.
Junior Keith Johnson was close to his third straight double-double, recording 12 points and nine rebounds in 34 minutes of action. Senior Tim Franklin chipped in six points and a season-high eight assists in the game.
North Greenville (7-9, 4-8 in Conference Carolinas) will take to the road for a matchup with Limestone College on Monday, Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Gaffney, SC.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4058
|
__label__cc
| 0.590982
| 0.409018
|
Home » Growing up in the coastal city of Mombasa
Growing up in the coastal city of Mombasa
posted by johnee on Thu, 02/19/2015 - 09:57
Mansukh Shah
We lived in the small seaside town of Lamu some 225 miles north of Mombasa. Today Lamu is or was until Al Shaba, a bustling tourist spot. We lived in a rented house above the shop my father operated on the ground floor. I was born in 1933 in the same year Ali Mazrui was born in Mombasa.
Mombasa was in those days (late forties and early fifties) a growing city. A port city, Mombasa was the entry point for Kenya, Uganda and beyond. It was a major commercial hub where people from Nairobi were coming to buy goods from wholesale distributors for their retail outlets all across Kenya and much of Uganda.
Mombasa was quickly becoming an educational center as well. There were a number of secondary schools and technical colleges like Allidina Visram High School, Agha Khan School, Star of the Sea College and many others.
Because there were no secondary schools in tiny Lamu, I and my younger brother were packed off to Mombasa to attend the Allidina High School, which was built in 1926 with stones imported from Porbunder on the west coast of India. Wherever in the world they settled Indian loved to carry a bit of the old country with them.
Mombasa had some amazing amenities. As if it was already anticipating its status as a major world tourist center, that is until Al Shaba came along. Although there were many areas that were designated for the use of Whites only and were otherwise not accessible to Africans and Asians. Similarly there were churches, sports clubs and hospitals that were barred to non Whites. Even sanitary facilities were segregated. Like all colonial societies, East Africa was by definition a racist society.
The old harbor was busy with dhow traffic whereas the new harbor was crowded with ocean going steamer traffic plying between Kenya, India, Pakistan, Middle East and Europe.
In 1945 residential properties in Mombasa were scarce. It remained so till new development took off in the early 1950s when business was thriving. I guess all this was because the war in Europe had ended.
Those days our school hours were the princely 7.30 am to 12.30 pm period when the weather in Mombasa was wonderful. The rest of the afternoon was at our disposal to do as we wish. We could study, visit libraries, yes there were libraries in Mombasa. Or we could go out and play with our buddies and get up to some mischief.
There were times when for hours we went for long walks around the entire island. We had fun and I made many friends in those days. But many of them have moved on or passed on.
For pocket money my parents gave my brother and I 50 cents each. It was a lot of money in those days. To give you some idea of the value of the money, let me say that for just 6 shillings you could buy a whole set of chinaware and good ones too. And for just 20 shillings a man could buy an entire suit of clothing, with shoes and ties included in the package. We saved every single cent. We learned to save early.
I left Kenya in early January 1961 for London and have been here since. Do I miss East Africa? Who does not miss his childhood days and especially if the spot it was played on was Mombasa?
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4060
|
__label__wiki
| 0.963995
| 0.963995
|
We strive to be the leading provider of educational sporting opportunities for girls in Northern Connecticut.
Tryout Policy
Lights In the News!
Girls Hockey Day
Ken Dixon
Locals ′Light′ it up
U14A vs. Canada
UCONN Clinic
USA Hockey Feature
Lights at ADM Symposium
Team Manager Info
U8 Maroon
U8 Silver
U10 Maroon
U10 Silver
U14 Tier 2
U16/19 Silver
High School Half Season
High School Winter
Top Reasons To Be A Light
Lights Alumnae
Connecticut Hockey Conference
New England Girls Hockey League
CGHL
Locals ‘Light’ it up
By Kevin D. Roberts
From The Register Citizen
The successful Connecticut Northern Lights Girls Hockey program, based in Simsbury, added a couple more titles to its impressive resume with state and New England championships in the U12 division.
The U16 team also did well, winning a state championship while getting to the semifinals of the New England U16 Tier II Girls Ice Hockey regional tournament. The U16 version of the Northern Lights lost 2-1 to eventual champion Biddeford, Maine, according to the USA Hockey Web site.
With the victory at the regional level, the U12 Silver Selects advanced to the nationals in West Chester, Pa., next month. The U12 Silver Selects ran through the Tier I New England Regional Championships with a 5-0 record on their way to the championship. In the first game, the Northern Lights shut out Concord, N.H., 3-0. In the second game, the Silver Selects edged the Connecticut Polar Bears 2-1.
The third game was a little easier, a 9-0 shutout of Burlington, Vt. It was on to the semifinals, with a matchup against the Rhode Island Selects. The Silver Selects advanced with a 4-1 victory, setting up a rematch with the Connecticut Polar Bears in the final.
In the final, the Northern Lights came up with the lone goal as they defeated the Polar Bears 1-0 for their second straight Tier I New England Regional championship.
The Northern Lights will play their first game in the national tournament on April 2 against Chicago Mission, the champion of the Central District.
In 2007, the Silver Selects went 4-1 at the national tournament, losing to eventual runner-up Assabet Valley of Concord, Mass., 5-2.
“It felt really good because we were representing all of New England,” center Stephanie Izzi, 12, said of playing at nationals. “We got third so that felt good.”
Izzi, of Lakeville, said she has been playing since the program started six years ago. Teammate and fellow center Tiana Cass, 11, has been playing in the program for five years. Cass, of Torrington, said she is really excited to go to nationals again.
“(The competition) gets better and better and it gets harder and harder to score goals,” Cass said. Cass said she also enjoyed the state championship win over the Polar Bears.
“It was awesome because we beat them 1-0 and we scored in the first period,” Cass said. “We had to hold them for the final two periods.”
The U16 team won the state championship by defeating the Connecticut Polar Bears in a second shootout, 2-0. The first shootout ended in a 1-1 tie.
“It was really tense for me being goalie,” Katrina Earl, 17, said of the experience. “I didn’t want to make a wrong move or do something wrong.” What made the finals matchup interesting for the U16 team, Earl said, was that they played the Polar Bears, a fierce rival. Despite not winning at the New England regionals, the experience was fun, Earl said. “A lot of the games in the tournaments we went to, we were fighting for our lives,” said Earl, a Goshen resident. Earl said she will play for the U19 team in the upcoming season. “Hopefully because of our great showing this year they’ll bump us to Tier I,” Earl said. Tier I is the most competitive level in girls hockey. Earl has played for the Northern Lights since the program began six years ago. She said that program president Ken Dixon recruited her and she has been playing ever since.
The Northern Lights advanced to the final by defeating the Wonderland Wizards in two games with scores of 3-0 and 1-0. The first game against the Polar Bears ended in a 1-1 tie.
Coach Aimee LaBarre was excited about the experience her team gained during the state tournament. “This was a great experience,” LaBarre said in an e-mail. “The season is so long and the girls have worked so hard for the duration, it was great to see their efforts end with a victory in states.” LaBarre said she has only been a part of a few teams that have had the heart and team spirit that last year’s team had. “The whole weekend on and off the ice was a big family get-together,” LaBarre said. “The girls ate together, joined in on an activity together and watched movies in the down time together. They truly acted as one.”
© 2020 SportsEngine, Inc. The Home of Youth Sports and Connecticut Northern Lights Girls Hockey (2983). All rights reserved. Visitor # 692,530
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4061
|
__label__cc
| 0.535918
| 0.464082
|
I got a nice sneak peak of Claire Denis's latest; 'White Material' last night (a movie that i wish i saw at last years NY film fest over Todd Solondz SUPER disappointing; 'Life During Wartime'). Honestly, I've had my fill of movies set in Africa that are from the perspective of a white person. If its not Morgan Freeman sacrificing his life for Stephen Dorf in 'The Power of One' or Donald Sutherland and Marlon Brando saving South Africa in 'Cry Freedom', its Clint Eastwood making an oscar bait film with Matt Damon as the 'face' of south africa as a rugby player, conveniently released after Spike Lee called him out for his lack of representation of black soldiers in his war movies (which i think is a pretty pointless argument and also conveniently came about just as Spike Lee released his disappointing 'Miracle at St.Anna). And dont get me started on all the movies that portray african soldiers as senseless murderers (like 'Black Hawk Down' or 'Tears of the Sun'). Only recently have films that are set in the Continent of Africa actually deal with something other than apartheid or some other type of economical or political struggle ('waiting for happiness' and 'u-carmen'). But for Claire Denis, probably one of the best directors out right now, i'll make an exception and put aside all my preconceived notions about films set in africa (lets not forget that she, unlike many other white directors, actually grew up in africa and has a better perspective on things). If her films aren't actually set in Africa ('chocolat'-not the johnny depp movie, 'beau travail' or 'white material'), then they at least focus on africans or african immigrants living in france ('35 shots of rum', 'i cant sleep', 'no fear'). In fact, even though the location of 'White Material' is supposed to be anonymous, it was filmed in the same country as her first film; Chocolat (a semi-autobiographical film about Denis's childhood in Africa).
Much like how 'Inspector Bellamy' (as disappointing to me as it may have been) was with Claude Charbol and Gerard Depardieu (a long overdue collaboration of two french film legends), 'White Material' was the first (and yes, long overdue) collaboration between Denis and Isabelle Hupert (two modern day french icons). In addition to that, Denis brought along many other familiar faces and regulars; Michael Subor (The Intruder, Beau Travail), Isaac Debankole (chocolat and no fear) and Tindersticks, who had previously done the music for 4 of Denis's previous films (nenette and boni, trouble everyday, 35 shots of rum and the intruder). In 'White Material' Hupert plays; Maria, a white coffee plantation owner in an unnamed African region that's in the middle of a civil war between the army and the rebels (who are mad up of mostly AK-47-carrying children and teenagers). Because the climate is becoming more and more dangerous, all of the locals are starting to leave, yet Maria feels she and her family have to stay in order to save their crop and not lose money. This task becomes more and more difficult due to the fact that there are hardly any workers left to hire (almost everyone has left in fear of their lives). Also, Maria's ex-husband and co-owner of the plantation played by Christopher 'Highlander' Lambert (where the hell has he been??), is trying to sell the land and get out as well, behind Maria's back. In addition, there's a subplot that focuses on a character known as; 'The Boxer' (played by Denis regular; Isaac Debankole). The leader of the rebels who has a bounty on his head by the military. He eventually finds his way to Maria's plantation, where she helps him to hide out. The trailer for this film may mislead you to believe its a film that's nothing but a sympathetic look at a white women living in a dangerous climate in Africa. It really isn't. Its a bit more complicated than that (much like many of Denis's other films). If anything, 'White Material' focuses on the assumption that just because a white family has been planted in Africa for generations that they will be an exception to the violence around them. Maria, aside from her obvious pride in not wanting to leave her coffee plantation, almost assumes that she's just like any other local black person. She almost looks at herself as an equal. But through a series of "reality checks", she slowly comes to realize that's not the case.
In a way, the atmosphere of 'White Material' kinda draws some comparison to Denis's earlier film; The Intruder (although white material has a much more straight forward plot). This is mainly due to Tinderstick's amazing soundtrack (which is very similar to their music in the Intruder). In true Denis fashion, there are many small implications and hints to things that at the same time tell the whole story. There are also many unanswered questions, and open ended issues (mainly the ending), and the angle about Maria's son kinda going insane. Like always, Denis doesn't miss a beat, and 'White Material' is on par with all her other work. I have yet to see a film by her that i'd rate less than 4 out of 5 stars.
Posted by Marcus at 10:57 AM
Labels: african cinema, claire denis, Criterion, female directors, french cinema, IFC Center, isabelle hupert, issac de bankole, RACE, review, the 00's, women directing women
DIED YOUNG, STAYED PRETTY
TOP 10 ACTIVE DIRECTORS AS OF RIGHT NOW
CARLOS (*UPDATED FOR 2012*)
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4067
|
__label__wiki
| 0.655799
| 0.655799
|
Bharti Kher | Photography: Karan Vaid
Kher’s trajectory has spanned a range of media, from her abstract bindi-based works to life-sized sculptures that propose a feminist pantheon of hybrid warrior-like goddesses. All through, she has consistently transformed the bindi motif, rendering its significance flexible depending on its context, sometimes incorporating them as textural components on the surface of her sculptures, like in The Skin Speaks a Language Entirely its Own and in other instances upon parts of objects such as maps, where they function as blots or erasures. Her overarching consideration has been the body and how it mirrors her concerns with the self. ‘As an artist, I’m interested in a lot of things, but the central part is the body, through the self—not specifically the autobiographical self but in terms of how time passes through us, and how the things that we accumulate carry meaning for us,” she says.
Links in a Chain [1]
Her practice over the last two years, though, has seen her immerse herself in the genre of drawing. Her show, This Breathing House at the Freud Museum, London, in 2016, and her forthcoming exhibition with the Isabella Gardner Museum, San Francisco, in 2017, could be held responsible for this dramatic shift, possibly an extension of her journaling habit. This Breathing House contained a range of playful textual interventions and drawings made on the found pages of a very typically ‘English’ children’s book. ‘Those images that I had of those children’s stories were already in my studio, and then, when I started working on them, I couldn’t not change the text, because it was so 'jump down, Sally, jump down'. I remember growing up in Suburban England and learning how to read, and you’re looking at all these books, and they’re all white children, with blonde hair and a dog, and we’re Asians, we don’t have a dog, and none of us are called Sally,’ she says. ‘It was almost my way of going back to a childhood, this idea, how as adults we watch children play games that you act out later in life, you know, you 'play' your way through very complex psychological issues, dialogues, questions, fear, neuroses.’
During her residency at the Isabella Gardner Museum in 2016, Kher spent a month ‘just drawing’. The ensuing exhibition will feature these drawings while the upcoming book will include excerpts from her notebooks alongside.
Text Rosalyn D'Mello
Dayanita Singh The Zakir Hussain Maquette
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4069
|
__label__cc
| 0.69413
| 0.30587
|
Providence Health Care Research Institute
AboutOur ResearchResearch EthicsNews & EventsContact
Donating to Research
Researcher Directory
Forms & Guidance
Institutional Approvals
News & Events » News
Results of North America's First Heroin Study (NAOMI)
Vancouver, August 20, 2009 - Published in the August 20th issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), results of North America’s first heroin-assisted treatment study (North American Opiate Medication Initiative - NAOMI Study) confirm again that supervised prescribed heroin is a safe and effective treatment for people with chronic heroin addiction who have not benefited from previous treatments.
“Prior to NAOMI, all of the study participants had not benefited from repeated standard addiction treatments for their addiction treatment. Society had basically written them off as impossible to treat”, says Dr. Martin Schechter, NAOMI’s Principal Study Investigator, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences and Professor and Director, University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health. ''Publication of the study results by such a prestigious peer-reviewed journal supports once again our conclusions on the urgent necessity of attracting those most severely heroin-dependent individuals, as the lack of alternative pharmacological treatments for opioid addiction poses a significant challenge to addiction treatment in polydrug users'', adds Dr. Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes, principal author of the NEJM article, Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences and Professor, University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health.
The data, which was collected from 251 participants at sites in Vancouver and Montreal, demonstrate that diacetylmorphine (DAM), administered under medical supervision, offered additional benefits over and above optimized methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) alone for patients with opioid addiction who are refractory to treatment. Opioid dependence is a chronic, relapsing disease estimated to affect more than one million individuals in North America. Studies in Europe have demonstrated that DAM, can be an effective treatment for such individuals.
Key findings at the 12-month point of the treatment-phase of the study had showed that the DAM group achieved a higher rate of retention than MMT. HAT and MMT achieved high retention rates during treatment: 88 per cent and 54 per cent respectively. The amount spent on drugs both decreased by almost half. In fact, participants once spending on average $1,200 USD per month on drugs reported spending between $320-$400 USD per month by the end of the treatment phase. For the outcome of a reduction in illicit-drug use or other illegal activities, 67.0% of the patients in the diacetylmorphine group were classified as having a response, as compared with 47.7% of patients in the methadone group. During the study, the DAM group improved significantly in six of the seven remaining evaluated areas: medical and psychiatric status, employment satisfaction, and family and social relations. The MMT group scores improved significantly in the economic and employment satisfaction composite scores. After adjusting for baseline scores, the DAM group scores improved significantly more than the
MMT group in the drug, psychiatric status, employment satisfaction, and family relations composite scores.
“Heroin-assisted therapy is a safe and effective treatment for people with chronic heroin addiction. It can attract and retain the most difficult-to-reach and the hardest-to-treat individuals who have not been well served by the existing treatment system” explains Dr Suzanne Brissette, Head, Addiction Medicine Department, Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, and Professor, Université de Montréal, and head investigator, NAOMI Study, Montreal.
The NAOMI Study tested whether heroin-assisted therapy or methadone therapy is better for improving the health and quality of life of long-time opiate users. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to receive a 12-15-month course of medically prescribed injection opioids (heroin or hydromorphone) or oral methadone therapies. Following a slow, but steady recruitment of volunteers who met the study’s rigorous inclusion criteria, NAOMI fully enrolled 251 participants (192 in Vancouver and 59 in Montreal) by March of 2007. The Montreal clinic was operated in collaboration with the Centre de recherche et d’aide aux narcomanes (CRAN).
The treatment phase of the study was completed in June 2008. Researchers will continue to gather and analyze data until the end of 2009. Funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and approved by Health Canada, NAOMI enrolled and treated participants in Vancouver and Montreal since 2005.
Background information on the study is available here.
AboutOur ResearchResearch EthicsNews & EventsContact Research Support
Research at Providence Health Care (St. Paul’s Hospital), is conducted through the Providence Health Care Research Institute (PHCRI) to ensure all research activities align with our hospital’s priority care programs for HIV/AIDS, mental health, urban health, aging, kidney disease, and heart and lung disease.
10th Floor - 1190 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 2K5
General Inquiries: 604-806-9464
Admin Fax: 604-806-8568
Finance/HR Fax: 604-806-8276
Email: research@providencehealth.bc.ca
1081 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
© 2020 PHCRI
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4076
|
__label__cc
| 0.515652
| 0.484348
|
REVIEW: Bad Girls from History by Dee Gordon
By Joe Turner on January 15, 2018
However, encyclopedia style books are not for everyone. They can often leave the reader yearning for more information which the author isn’t able to provide within the short space they have available. However, when we consider that Bad Girls From History was never meant to be a detailed analysis of the life of these women, it allows the reader to enjoy the book for what it is.
Firstly, the book is broken down into six different sections: “Courtesans and Mistresses”, “Madams, Prostitutes and Adulterers”, “Serial Killers”, “’One-Off’ Killers”, “Gangsters, Thieves and Con-Artists”, and “The Rebel Collection – Pirates, Witches, Megalomaniacs, Exhibitionists”. Straight away, this allows for a more succinct reading journey. When I discovered that this was an encyclopedia book of sorts, I immediately began reading my preferred section “Serial Killers” rather than going through the book chronologically.
I wrongly assumed that the book would feature the majority of “known” evil woman throughout history – Myra Hindley, Rose West, Joanna Dennehy – but was pleasantly surprised that such monsters weren’t included (the author even puts a disclaimer at the beginning of the book saying she purposely omitted such well-known killers). Instead, the Serial Killer section is packed full of information about femme fatales who even I wasn’t familiar with. I consider myself somewhat a serial killer enthusiast and following this new information I did some of my own research to find out more about these little-known murderesses.
Surprisingly, I found very little outside of the basic information on some of these particular women, meaning the author must have really done her homework. Naturally, I was very appreciative that Dee Gordon had gone above and beyond to appeal to true crime enthusiasts as well as the layperson.
However, as mentioned earlier, I found myself craving more information about these killers which neither the book nor further research was able to provide. However, this is a testament to Dee Gordon’s research abilities. When it comes to cases which are decades old, much of the information can be lost to the ages. Therefore, there may not be much else to tell.
As someone not particularly familiar with historical figures, con-artists, adulterers, witches, or exhibitionists, I assumed that my interest would wane during these chapters of the book. However, surprisingly, I found these chapters to be even more enjoyable than reading about my preferred type of bad girl. By the final chapter (Pirates, Witches, Megalomaniacs, Exhibitionists), I found that the author’s writing style was able to quickly paint a picture of the bad girl in question, and then provide me with a quick rundown of her life and what made her such a figure of evil.
Although I was unfamiliar with the majority of these women, I found that Gordon had reduced their lives down to manageable, bite-size portions which I was able to effortlessly digest without. The short and to-the-point nature of the book retained my interest for the duration, and at no point did my attention span begin to slip.
Dee Gordon’s prose doesn’t read like a Wikipedia article, but she portrays the necessary information in a way which also adds some humanity to each segment. Her tone is mostly factual but there is still the sense that the author is talking directly to the reader. For example: “A glamorous man-eater, unfazed by criticism of her private life, Ava was the ultimate bad girl of the silver screen.”
Given the short word count dedicated to each entry, Dee Gordon works well with what she has. When it comes to the historical figures, Gordon manages to encapsulate specific time periods and specific ideologies which may not even be relevant in today’s world. When working with somewhere between 200-500 words, this isn’t an easy feat to achieve.
As I found myself craving more information about some of the lesser-known figures in this book (I have found myself returning to Pirates, Witches, Megalomaniacs, Exhibitionists several times already), this is indicative of Bad Girls From History serving the purpose it set out to: to provide mini-biographies of the world’s most deplorable ladies.
While I personally found myself able to consume this book in two or three sittings, the concept of the book lends itself to occasional reading during a brief period of downtime. For those who are looking for comprehensive, analytical life stories, this book is unable to provide the sustenance you need. However, if you’re looking to improve your knowledge of the identities of some of the world’s most heinous females, this book is the ideal starting point.
You can buy this book on Pen and Sword, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com
REVIEW: Death, Disease & Dissection by Suzie Grogan
Death, Disease & Dissection: The Life of a Surgeon Apothecary 1750 – 1850
Wind back the clocks a few hundred years and a different picture will begin to emerge. In the place of general practitioners were the affordable-but-overworked surgeon-apothecaries who spent long, arduous hours concocting pills and carrying out gruesome procedures in order to cure their customer’s multitude of illnesses. By contrast, only the most privileged in society could afford a private physician to diagnose them and subsequently refer them to a professional surgeon to offer the same treatment.
The eighteenth and nineteenth-century medical profession was worlds apart from the highly-regulated medical industry we know of today. However, it was not just the profession itself which was different, but cultural attitudes, economy, status and general conditions also played a huge part in shaping the industry into what it was.
Luckily, the author spends considerable time painting a picture of what life during these forgotten years was like for all manner of people involved. She breaks the industry down into manageable sections which even those without any knowledge of medicine, surgery or history will be able to comprehend without issue. While this book would ideally be targeted towards those with a deep interest in the medical or history fields, it is by no means a pre-requisite, largely due to the Grogan’s masterful prose which retains its simplicity while also not dumbing down the facts.
When discussing a topic as complex as the medical field – especially during a time which is vastly different to our own – it can be difficult to portray concise information without straying too much into the world of medical jargon. Likewise, the book includes various passages sourced from eighteenth and nineteenth-century textbooks which, given their time period and subject, may be difficult for readers to comprehend. However, Grogan highlights certain portions of these passages which allow for easier understanding to the layperson.
As mentioned, Grogan takes the time to explain various aspects of non-medical society which influenced the medical profession’s codes and practices. For example, one cannot discuss nineteenth-century surgery without mentioning the phenomenon of body-snatching or grave robbing. When these topics usually rear their heads, the minute details of how these bodies were delivered to medical students and subsequently put to use often takes a backseat to the morbid sensationalism of the act of body-snatching itself. Grogan, however, takes the opposite approach. Body snatching is discussed in detail, but the focus remains on the attitudes towards body-snatching and how the medical profession perceived, encouraged or shunned this sinister phenomenon, nothing else.
While Death, Disease & Dissection appears to be a relatively short book on the surface (141 pages not including bibliography or index), I can think of little else which needs to be added – at least from a layperson’s point of view. As someone with only a passing interest in the medical field and very little interest in history, I found the majority of the book to be easy-but-highly informative reading. The only points which I felt lulled were during chapter 7 which delved into the life of a handful of notable physicians, surgeons, and surgeon-apothecaries. I felt there was some information which could be omitted without losing the overall message but this was by no means a major gripe.
Perhaps due to my own character, the parts which stuck with me the most were the graphic descriptions of some of the surgeries which would be carried out by surgeon-apothecaries during this time period. Given that some practitioners in the medical field still believed in hocus-pocus cures which would be laughed out of the building today, as well the inclusion of some toxic chemicals which practitioners were not aware were hazardous, some of the finer details will curl the toes of many readers. Similarly, the images in the central spine are not to be taken lightly.
The appendix of the book is particularly interesting. As someone not well-versed in medical terminology, the appendix which detailed the most common ailments was a very enjoyable read. Many of the terms appeared familiar (diphtheria, rheumatism, typhus) but I had never researched exactly what they involved. Similarly, the final appendix which discusses the role of women in medicine was a necessary inclusion, particularly in today’s world where there is an intense focus on equality. When first reading through the book I did pick up that there was very little mention of females in the medical field during this time, and was only reached touched upon when discussing male midwives.
REVIEW: Empire of Crime by Tim Newark
Empire of Crime
Given the number of books, TV shows and movies which boast organised crime as their central theme, it’s an understatement to say that this topic is a fascinating subject to many people. However, with popularity comes excessive coverage, and organised crime has already been covered in troves.
However, Empire Of Crime claims to be one of the few books which looks in detail at the circumstances surrounding Britain’s refusal to import opium supplies to overseas countries, therefore resulting in a black market approach to buying and selling the medicinal drug. As citizens and governments in Hong Kong and China tried desperately to get their hands on the drug, British criminals seized at the opportunity to become their suppliers, resulting in lucrative business opportunities for both. Empire Of Crime explores these incidents in detail.
On first glance at Empire of Crime’s contents page, one could be forgiven for believing this was a book of short stories all recurring around the general theme of British organised crime, and in a sense, it is. Empire Of Crime gets off to a fantastic start. It paints the picture of the circumstances which were surrounding Great Britain, India and China during the early twentieth century, and explains exactly why the opium trade was such a lucrative endeavor for everyone involved. Even for someone with little knowledge of history, organised crime or the drug trade, everything is laid out in simple-to-understand terms.
While the introduction and first two chapters serve their purpose of hooking the reader in, it then became clear that the book’s narrative was more than a little disjointed. Some chapters end without a fitting conclusion, which I then expected to be continued on the next chapter. However, in many cases, stories are simply abandoned in favour of moving to another story with another host of characters. The book begins to falter around chapter 5. I expect continuity to rear its head, but it never does. While a familiar name might crop up later, the excessive influx of characters and situations do nothing to create a competent, easy-to-follow narrative. Needless to say, it was a little frustrating and eventually, I found myself not really understand exactly what the book’s aim was.
Of course, with such a complex subject matter, it can be argued that Tim Newark is doing the best with the information he has. Empire Of Crime is based around a time period rather than specific characters, meaning it would be difficult to create a perfectly-flowing narrative. For example, if a book were to be written about UK politics in 2016/2017, the book would need to jump between people, incidents and events to make any kind of sense. This is what Tim Newark has done while attempting to adhere to a linear format. It’s surely no easy feat and so for this, Newark should be commended.
Newark’s writing style is an interesting one. Throughout the first few chapters, the book is as factual as any history book, detailing incidents in a straightforward, linear fashion. However, as the book progresses and more characters are introduced, Newark adopts a more storytelling prose in favour of facts, opinion and critique. Given the nature of the book, this prose does indeed an additional element of urgency and realism to the narrative, but detracts a little from the book’s main focus: to relay information as it happened.
Despite this, there is certainly a lot of information covered in the book’s 248 pages (268 including notes and bibliography). The book appears to be marketed as a true crime / thriller hybrid, but I think this is where it falls short. If it had been solely marketed as a true crime history book with a focus on information and facts, I think it would have been much better received. I personally found myself incredibly distracted by the fiction-esque prose; short paragraphs of dialogue (“’But how can we go overseas without money?’ wondered Gangoo”), rhetorical questions (“but who killed them – and why?”), etc. At times I was unsure whether I was reading fiction or non-fiction, which some readers may find refreshing, but I personally struggled to get past it.
Regardless, there were many chapters which were quite engaging. I came away from the book with more knowledge than I had before, and on a truly fascinating subject. The book is by no means bad. Despite the hybrid writing style, it was well-written and got its point across. For a subject which requires such in-depth research and knowledge, Tim Newark has done an admirable job.
REVIEW: Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths In Birmingham by Nick Billingham
By Joe Turner on July 20, 2017
Murder in Birmingham
It is for this reason that Nick Billingham’s series of West Midlands-based books on true crime have more of an impact on me than reading about killers like Ted Bundy or Peter Sutcliffe. These people are mythical beings who I can maintain a safe distance from both physically and psychologically, but reading about a hanging which took place in the same street as I now get my hair cut on leaves an impact which can be difficult to shake off.
More Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths In Birmingham is an anthology of murder and horrific acts, all of which occurred in Britain’s second-favourite city. The book begins with an introduction to Birmingham and its history of crime and violence, as well as an outline of some of the more infamous barbaric acts which occurred between the nineteenth century and the present day. The book is written in chronological order, from 1817 up to 1948, boasting a total of twenty-seven separate cases.
What becomes immediately clear is the incredible quality of Nick Billingham’s writing style. Although he is detailing incidents from two-hundred years ago – incidents which are often reduced down to only the bare facts – he is maintaining a writing style which is almost fictional in its prose. With each entry, Billingham tells a story, albeit stories which are based on factual accuracies.
In true fiction style, Billingham inserts dialogue as though we were reading a best-selling thriller novel. He sets up scenes with descriptions of streets, weather, architecture, and whatever else might reside in a previous era of Birmingham. He explains enough backstory to each relevant character so that the reader is able to get an idea of who they are, what they looked like and what their day-to-day lives entailed. By the time it comes to meet their grisly demise at the end of each chapter, it is difficult to not feel a pang of sadness as we read of the deaths of these people we have only recently learnt so much of.
The research which Billingham has put into his work is nothing short of extraordinary. A quick internet search of some of the cases in the book are quick to yield very little information. Billingham credits the libraries of the West Midlands in providing him with the relevant information for each case, the majority of which are from newspaper clippings which have never been translated for online purposes. In a world which is increasingly reliant on internet activity, it is refreshing to learn details which have sidestepped the internet. Billingham’s painstaking research is also evident by the vast amount of images inserted throughout the book. Adorning each chapter is multiple accompanying images of murder weapons, crime scene locations, newspaper clippings, maps, prisons and drawings.
Billingham has spared no expense in regards to immersing the reader into the book, something which adds incredible amount of readability. In this respect, More Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths In Birmingham is not simply a list of the facts which one would assume from the book’s core premise, but a purposely-woven anthology of tension, intrigue and mystery.
Chapter 16 was a personal favourite for me as it dealt with the little-known serial killer Henry Gaskin. Any true crime aficionados out there may recognise the name, however they are likely thinking of the American serial killer Henry “Pee Wee” Gaskins who happens to share the same name as a little-known murderer from my home town. For many years I have suffered the frustration of trying to research details of Henry Gaskin, the wife-murderer from Hednesford, only to be greeted with information about the notorious American serial killer. Much to my delight, Nick Billingham has done the hard work for me. The details which Billingham goes into more than satisfies my curiosity on the case.
[It is interesting to note that I have a friend who is actually a relative of Henry Gaskin. She still lives in Hednesford, where Gaskin also resided. More amazingly, however, is that her husband is a relative of John Ellis, the man who hanged Gaskin in 1919!]
More Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths In Birmingham
On the whole, More Foul Deeds & Suspicious Deaths In Birmingham is easily one of the most enjoyable true crime books I’ve read to date. It is packed full of information which has been purposefully extracted from arguably-forgotten archives in the Birmingham library vault. As the people involved in these cases succumb to the ever-spinning wheel of time, these fascinating stories would fade from public knowledge if not for for Billingham’s ambitious work. For these stories to go untold would be a crime itself.
The book is made all the more rewarding thanks to Billingham’s masterful storytelling. Each story follows a structured narrative which is simple to follow, yet doesn’t sacrifice factual accuracies for sensationalism. Billingham also implies elements of humour throughout the book, something which I found made some of the stories less grim and sometimes more relatable. An example:
“A book about murders does tend to be unremittingly grim, both researching and writing it. One does develop a rather cavalier and callous attitude to human frailty. The heart tends to sink at the thought of yet another person saving the cost of a divorce lawyer by cutting his wife’s throat, and wish they could at least be a little more imaginative in their choice of weapon.”
Billingham then goes on to discuss multiple crimes of passion – crimes which we hear so much of even today. Billingham’s melancholic approach to their prevalence is somewhat comforting, despite its depressing reality.
REVIEW: London Underground Serial Killer by Geoff Platt
By Joe Turner on May 22, 2017
Kieran Kelly
Kieran Patrick Kelly was responsible for the deaths of at least thirty-one people; a terrifying body count which dwarfs even that of more infamous British serial killers such as Peter Sutcliffe or Dennis Nilsen. It is baffling, then, as to why the Kelly remains relatively unknown in relation to his more media-friendly peers. Fortunately, author Geoff Platt addresses this concern quite early on.
True crime tales are often more enjoyable when the stories are told from a position of authority and experience. In this case, the tale of the Kieran Patrick Kelly is told by author and retired detective Geoff Platt. Platt was an investigator for the London Metropolitan Police during the time of Kelly’s crimes, and became closely affiliated with Kelly after his arrest. Platt claims he met with Kelly every day for around two years, of which Kelly would then describe his crimes, ordeals and motivations to Platt. Platt, then, has done an incredible job of weaving crime history with descriptive prose in order to paint a picture of the London scene at the time of Kelly’s murders.
Additionally, Platt recalls the first-hand experiences of London Metropolitan Police attempting to keep the crimes of Kieran Patrick Kelly away from the general public for fear of mass hysteria. The idea of a serial killer who pushes people onto railway tracks operating in one of the busiest cities in the world is a journalist’s paradise. If the press got hold of the details of his crimes, they would overblow the story for the purposes of media sensationalism. The rippling effect it would have on London, the rail system and the London economy could be staggering. This is the reason why Kieran Patrick Kelly went under the radar.
London Underground Serial Killer by Geoff Platt
The book begins with an overview of the story – who is the Kieran Patrick Kelly? What were his crimes? What is the author’s relationship to him? The book then spends the new few chapters digging into Kelly’s childhood; a vital insight for anyone looking to delve into Kelly’s psychological motivations.
When the book begins to discuss the crimes of which Kelly became known for, some problems begin to arise, although they are problems which are likely to be out of the author’s control. There is a distinct lack of detail regarding the majority of Kelly’s murders, which is something which die-hard true crime readers may find frustrating. Particularly in regards to psychological profiling, the minor details such as the killer’s initial approach to his victims, the manner in which he fled the scene, the application of theatrics, etc. are vital to form a full picture of the culprit.
However, even in the most famous of cases, such details can be lost to the ages. We need only look at infamous cases such as the Yorkshire Ripper or the Manson Family to see the amount of misinformation which has formed as a result of lost evidence, misplaced paperwork and word-of-mouth claims – so dealing with such possibilities on a case which is relatively unknown is a challenge for even the most hardened researcher. It is unlikely that the author left out these details purposely, and instead did so out of necessity.
At the point that Kelly is discovered by authorities and arrested is when the book becomes a real page-turner. From this point, Platt recants his personal conversations with Kelly which offer a fascinating insight into a damaged psyche. Kelly reveals his beliefs and his motivations into committing the atrocities he did, which makes for sad and tragic reading.
Throughout the book there are various mentions of the geography of rural London areas and tube stations which the author has come under fire for since the book’s publication. To me, such descriptions are not an issue as they serve to form a picture of the area these tragedies were committed. Additionally, such descriptions are necessary for the true crime buff as, in later years, people may want to trace the history of the locations of these murders. Therefore, apt description is necessary. A recent example of this is the murder sites of those committed by American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. There have been recent complaints by people wishing to visit these sites but due to the vast landscape changes they have been unable to locate them. With the descriptions given by Platt, locating Kelly’s murder sites should not be a problem for the foreseeable future.
Geoff Platt, London Underground Serial Killer
The ending of the book deals with Kelly’s legal proceedings (his case was renewed in 2015) as well as the aftermath of his crimes. Throughout the book, the author keeps his tone formal and informative; a requirement for a book of such graphic nature. He rarely delves into his personal opinion on matters and instead chooses to focus on the facts – something which I personally believe adds to the readability of the book. For contrast, I personally found the book Mindhunter by renowned FBI profiler John Douglas to be spoiled by the amount of the personal interjection.
A very interesting addition to the book – as well as being something I’ve never seen in any similar true crime book before – is the inclusion of an ‘appendix’ of all related serial killers towards the end. Platt offers a small summary of the crimes of 62 infamous British serial killers from relatively unknown names such as Trevor Hardy (the Beast of Manchester) to front-page killers such as Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. It’s useful for anyone looking to branch out after finishing Platt’s book.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4077
|
__label__wiki
| 0.958829
| 0.958829
|
The South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame is dedicated to the preservation, documentation and display of South Dakota's sports history.
Navigation: Home > Athletes > Steve Adkins
Steve Adkins
The 1928 Parkston High and 1934 University of South Dakota grad was one of the state’s greatest all-around athletes of the 1930s.
He was one of the first players in North Central Conference history to be three-time all-NCC in basketball (1930-32) – freshmen weren’t eligible then. The sturdy 6-foot-2 forward led the NCC in scoring as a sophomore and junior and was second as a senior, leading Coach Rube Hoy’s Coyotes to their first two NCC titles.
One newspaper said of Adkins: “Though most of his shots seemed uncannily lucky, it could not have been luck because he made so many of them. Never shooting in orthodox fashion, he would shoot off balance or twist in the air when going away from the basket, and toss the ball over his shoulder.”
Adkins also was all-NCC as an end in football as a sophomore and set the USD 880-yard record of 1:58 as a junior. He was part of a mile-relay squad that set a Howard Wood Dakota Relays record that stood for 26 years.
He played in the Canadian Football League with the Regina Roughriders. Despite a touchdown reception from Adkins, Regina lost in the 1934 Grey Cup finals. The Regina Leader-Post newspaper in 2010 listed Adkins as one of the Roughriders’ greatest stars, saying Adkins caught 11 passes for 231 yards in 1934, a team single-game yardage record that stood for 49 years.
Adkins also played semi-pro basketball. He led the USD All-Stars to the title in the South Dakota Open, a much-ballyhooed amateur tourney at the Corn Palace in 1934 that paid $100 to the winning team, an extravagant sum at the time.
He was inducted into the USD Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Howard Wood Dakota Relays Hall of Fame in 1985.
Adkins, who started his coaching career as a USD assistant, was a high school coach for 20 years, first at Flandreau and (after serving in the Army in World War II) then at Vermillion. He coached Vermillion to a share of the 1951 state track title and to a runner-up finish in the 1950 state “A” basketball tourney.
« Back to Athletes
Duane Rykhus receives his plaque from Dean Mann of the SDSHOF committee
» View All Galleries
© 2020 South Dakota Sports Hall of Fame - Dedicated to the preservation, documentation
and display of South Dakota's sports history. Established in 1968.
Website By 3plains.com
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4086
|
__label__cc
| 0.660625
| 0.339375
|
This is not a piano
The motivation to design and build a `new' musical instrument comes on the one hand from a dissatisfaction with existing instruments, and on the other from a desire to examine new ways of making music, or "organising sound".
I have designed other electronic and computer instruments, including the (dis)continuous music installation (1979) - a miniature gallery piece producing (and produced by) random bursts of noise. Others include a "score reading software instrument" (called ASP) designed to play analog synthesisers, and also real-time interactive sound systems used by the Australian performance artist Stelarc.
These instruments, unlike their traditional counterparts, were conceived as composing or listening tools, and were never designed for general use. The very personal nature of these instruments has tended to obstruct most forms of traditional musical performance - they were not designed to recreate music of the past and could not be used to do so. What is lost in backward compatibility is also gained by bringing new possibilities for creation.
In one important sense music has always been an interactive art, depending upon feedback between a performer and instrument. Indeed, there is a relationship here which is unique among the arts. Designing interactive instruments addresses a problem of interactive art generally, namely that musical systems are to be "played" and not simply "utilised". In other words, they must be learned.
The instrument described here is an ongoing work in progress. It can be described as a "manual interface" consisting of switches as well as pressure, light and movement sensors built onto a small circuit board, and connected to a computer. In this way any real time performance on the switches and sensors can be monitored by the computer, and used to issue sound commands to a synthesiser.
Any instrument using an array of switches to generate sound will inevitably invite comparisons with the piano and its keyboard. Yet this instrument, with it's reduced set of only four keys is more closely related to another keyboard, namely that of the personal computer. Like the PC keyboard, its keys have multiple functions depending on which of the others are depressed at the same time (as for instance in the shift key function on the PC). The design has required a new approach to keyboard performance technique.
Other sensors on the instrument are used to monitor hand gesture and control aspects of sound articulation. As the instrument develops it relies more heavily on aspects of the physical presence of the performer.
The sensor values created in performance are manipulated further by the computer software, creating a complex dialogue between the performer and instrument.
other instrument design
infonoise installation
barcode installation
movatar performance
brainscore performance
back to index page.
© 2001 Rainer Linz
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4090
|
__label__wiki
| 0.764913
| 0.764913
|
Going for the Gold: Cyberrisks at the Olympic Games
By Hilary Tuttle in Crime, Crisis Management, Cyber-Risk, Disaster Preparedness, Emerging Risks, Features, International, Reputation Risk, Risk Assessment, Risk Management, Safety, Security, Supply Chain, Technology, Terrorism August 1, 2019
As the world’s highest-profile sporting event approaches, organizers must prepare for an evolving array of cyberthreats, from nation-state hackers to opportunistic cybercriminals.
During the London 2012 Summer Olympics, technical staff logged 165 million individual cybersecurity-related events. Most were trivial things like login failures, but 97 incidents required intervention by the technology operations center, and six major cyberattacks were elevated to the level of 2012 Olympics CIO Gary Pennell, he reported.
Most notably, authorities later revealed they were warned of a credible threat to the electrical infrastructure, intended to disrupt the opening ceremony. Oliver Hoare, head of Olympic cybersecurity, later told BBC that he was awakened at 4:45 a.m. the morning of the ceremony by a call from U.K. intelligence agency GCHQ disclosing the threat. “We’d tested no less than five times the possibility of a cyberattack on the electricity infrastructure,” he said, yet the threat persisted up to the final hour before the approximately $42 million ceremony was broadcast to an audience of one billion people worldwide. In that final hour, one team member told Hoare that they would be able to restore power within 30 seconds, should an outage actually occur, but as he told BBC, “thirty seconds at the opening ceremony with the lights going down would have been catastrophic in terms of reputational hit.”
“Back then, the whole cyberattack thing was still sort of coming to the forefront, so it was interesting afterwards to just hear the sheer number of attacks,” said Peter Williams, head of live entertainment at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. “I don’t think anybody really appreciated that, an event like that, people were literally attacking on a daily basis. Even if most were just simply people trying to get in for a bet or a dare, trying to scam a ticket or whatever, it’s the sheer number.”
At the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, the range of cyberrisks to grapple with became far clearer, and inched closer to such a scenario. In the run-up to the games, state-sponsored hackers carried out other extensive campaigns tied to the Olympics. Security researchers at McAfee discovered what they called Operation GoldDragon, a complex phishing-based campaign thought to be attributable to North Korea that aimed to spread spyware to a number of South Korean Olympics-related organizations. Following the doping scandal and in retaliation for the official censure of Russian athletes, Russia-linked attackers hacked and leaked embarrassing documents from the World Anti-Doping Association and Olympics-related organizations, including medical records of top American athletes.
Then, on February 9, 2018, the Winter Olympics website went down for several hours, disrupting ticket sales and downloads at the opening ceremonies, while local Wi-Fi around the Olympic facilities was rendered temporarily unavailable. As a result, many were denied entry to the ceremonies, and a key televised event lost a core part of its audience, both live and at home.
What worries me is steps that might be taken or that are taking place to increase the connectivity of electrical infrastructure—or any other critical infrastructure, for that matter—for the sake of convenience and efficiency without the right compensative security controls to mitigate that marginal risk.
This broadening attack surface should be a notable takeaway not only for Olympic organizers, but anyone running live events. Attacks on key systems, such as ticketing systems and point-of-sale or other payment technology, can cause significant disruption to these events, but Williams said he and others in the live entertainment space are carefully watching as incidents inevitably escalate toward cyberattacks that cause outright cancellations, especially one that causes full power disruption. “I don’t know that we’ve seen it. We certainly haven’t had a claim for it yet. But we’ve been made aware—mainly afterward—that there have been attempted cyberattacks that authorities have blocked, and it is an emerging risk that we are actively concerned about,” he said.
Advancements in connected technology and the high stakes and short timeframes around the games fundamentally increase the risks of further escalation of such disruption, potentially to the level of an outage. “I wouldn’t consider it the most likely situation, I’d consider it the most dangerous situation,” said Dave Weinstein, the chief security officer at industrial control systems cybersecurity firm Claroty, and former chief technology officer for the state of New Jersey. “What worries me is steps that might be taken or that are taking place to increase the connectivity of electrical infrastructure—or any other critical infrastructure, for that matter—for the sake of convenience and efficiency without the right compensative security controls to mitigate that marginal risk.”
Since previous Olympic games, hackers have become more willing and able to wreak havoc through cyberattacks. The extreme case of causing a full power outage is highly unlikely, but the capacity to attack other forms of connected infrastructure has advanced steadily and the threat profile to the Olympics now requires greater attention to such newer risks.
“The bottom line is that it is getting easier, not harder, to hack infrastructure, and it’s easier to do now than it was four years ago or even two years ago at the last winter Olympics,” Weinstein said. “Some of that is because of general connectivity, and some of that is the proliferation of malware or malware frameworks that were previously only in the hands of certain nation-states but now have the potential to stroll over into non-state hands. Third, there is the fact that a lot of the intelligence that is necessary to initially target these networks is more readily available than it ever has been before.”
He added, “It’s just the amount of information out there that makes it easier—not easy, but easier—to achieve some sort of effect with respect to infrastructure.”
Evolving Risk Profile
Since the London Olympics, cyberattacks have become part of everyday life. The rapid advances in capabilities and impact are clear, from evolving capacity to strike critical infrastructure (as with the blackouts in Ukraine) to sophisticated use of cyberspace for complex attacks (as with Russia’s multifaceted interference in the U.S. elections) to exploitation of internet of things (IoT) devices (as with the crippling Mirai botnet DDoS attack against Dyn) to the continuing deluge of day-to-day headlines about data breaches, phishing campaigns and payment data exposure.
In the realm of cyberrisk, the rate of evolution and increases in capability mean that some of the risks change for each Olympic games. For example, the blackouts caused by cyberattacks on Ukraine in recent years (and attributed to Russia-backed hackers) demonstrate significant escalation in the tactics, tools and procedures that advanced persistent threat groups are using to target critical infrastructure.
Geopolitical considerations in the lead-up to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan could impact the risk profile considerably, particularly as nation-state attackers are responsible for the most highly sophisticated attacks, such as hacking critical infrastructure. While North Korea, Russia and China remain three of the most sophisticated cyber actors and all have clear goals that they could advance by causing cyber incidents on the global stage, they are also all presently planning to participate and have a vested interest in the games going well.
“North Korea is participating in the Japan Olympics, but if something were to happen that would result in North Korea withdrawing from the Olympics, that might create a possibility of more risk of some sort of disruption, whether it’s through some sort of missile test by North Korea or an attack that may or may not be attributed to North Korea,” explained Aaron Shraberg, senior analyst on the Asia-Pacific team at cybersecurity intelligence firm Flashpoint.
Hacktivist groups could also be motivated to take advantage of such a high-profile event to broadcast their message. For example, Shraberg said, “You also have China and Japan, who have a rather robust trading relationship but still have tensions resulting from everything from historical memory issues to territorial issues of the Senkaku Islands. Some activists might see the opportunity for the world’s eyes being on Japan to draw attention to these specific issues.”
Risks in Practice
Cybersecurity poses myriad potential risks for those in and around the games. On a widespread level, there are fundamental threats to the execution of Olympics events and the Olympic Village’s functionality as a whole. In a worst-case scenario, there is the prospect of a large disruption like an attack on electrical infrastructure during the games.
Point-of-sale systems for purchasing merchandise or food and beverages, digital ticketing systems, security systems and electronic hotel locks, thermostats, transportation systems, communication systems—the sheer range of IoT devices that are increasingly deployed can create risks in every facet of the experience for Olympic athletes, attendees and staff.
But as seen in PyeongChang, a cyberattack on lesser-connected systems can also cause notable disruption for those attending the games or trying to watch them—a downed ticketing system can effectively lock out spectators or cause chaos at the event. Disruptions that impact the ability to broadcast could mean reputation risk, massive losses during some of the most expensive advertising airtime, and concerns about the integrity of events since results can no longer be viewed or may seem unreliable. Critical services for athletes and attendees alike are now sufficiently connected by IoT technology and baseline technical infrastructure to the point that threats could prove truly physically dangerous.
“When you hold the Olympic Games, you’re going to be dealing with a lot of infrastructure, a lot of basic necessities, the dispensation of which relies largely upon an intelligent distribution of power, different types of data flows and transfers,” Shraberg said. “You have to consider everything from the potential for IoT-based attacks to the fact that there’s going to be very high temperatures in Tokyo during that time, and that’s going to introduce a whole other element of potential risk. You have to enlist emergency services, for example, in the event that you need medical attention in a specific area, and that all depends on the network as well. It’s a multifaceted but very interrelated problem, especially for managing security within a relatively dense urban space.”
Indeed, such concerns were specifically addressed during the 2012 London Olympics—Pennell reported the Olympics Technology Operations Centre featured a glass phone booth with a special security hotline to provide direct connection to relevant authorities in the event of a major attack and an interruption of communication networks or technology. For 2020, acute heat and earthquake risk in Japan make it especially critical to ensure the capacity to communicate with EMS personnel on the ground.
Rather than direct disruption of the games, Shraberg sees far more certainty in the increased threats from the rapid global proliferation of IoT devices. Point-of-sale systems for purchasing merchandise or food and beverages, digital ticketing systems, security systems and electronic hotel locks, thermostats, transportation systems, communication systems—the sheer range of IoT devices that are increasingly deployed can create risks in every facet of the experience for Olympic athletes, attendees and staff.
On an individual level, many common cyberrisks are notably amplified around the games. According to Shraberg, Flashpoint analysts are already seeing increased discussion on dark web forums about major threat types, including phishing campaigns and buying and selling of Japanese data for use in carding and cashing out schemes. While credit card fraud is certainly an everyday threat, such activity can increase around major events like the Olympics, given the larger amounts of commercial activity, transaction data being transmitted and amount of travel.
If you’re a consumer hacker, this is a field day because you have so many people concentrated in such a relatively small venue and no one is thinking about security, they’re just there to have fun and watch the games.
“You typically always have a consistent amount of credit card fraud happening at any one moment in time. The factor that may change is just an increase in people shopping and taking advantage of sales on goods and things like that during the Olympics,” Shraberg explained. “With that, we can expect to see a higher instance of this type of activity—even things like diverting deliveries while people are out at the Olympics and not home or taking advantage of a newer environment in terms of the Olympic compound to potentially create different spots to ship goods that they carded.”
All of these stakeholders also face personal data security risks. In addition to payment data transmitted during and around the event, any web traffic is particularly vulnerable and ripe for exploitation. Weinstein noted parallels to data privacy concerns for athletes and other attendees at last year’s World Cup in Russia, where many cybersecurity and law enforcement experts warned of the extensive potential state surveillance and data privacy concerns for anyone using devices on-site. While there is less risk from Japanese authorities, financially-motivated attackers have notable incentive to use many of the same tools while such a large crowd is gathered in Japan.
“If you’re a consumer hacker, this is a field day because you have so many people concentrated in such a relatively small venue and no one is thinking about security, they’re just there to have fun and watch the games,” Weinstein said. “Just think about all the people who will be using their phones and other devices out in the open and potentially logging into their personal accounts, conducting financial transactions, etc. It begs the question of how they are going to be connecting to the internet, and what type of information are they just going to be involuntarily spewing from their devices that could potentially get swept up.”
Guarding the Games
Given the threat profile and range and severity of risk, the Olympics present almost as many security challenges as there are events, and the stakes are just as high for the home team. The state of Olympic cybersecurity hinges on three key issues increasingly facing public and private enterprises today: complex networks of third-party vendors introducing risk, a talent and skills gap with regard to cybersecurity professionals, and building secure infrastructure that must stand up to inevitable direct threats.
The vast network of third parties involved in the Olympics introduces incalculable risk exposure. As in many breaches, attackers likely targeted a key vendor to carry out the 2018 incident in PyeongChang, the most successful cyberattack on the games to date. According to threat researchers at Cisco’s Talos unit, the attackers who created the destructive malware that caused the incident—dubbed Olympic Destroyer—may have first successfully compromised Atos, the main IT vendor that provides cloud services for the Olympics. The malware required authentic login credentials from a number of Olympics staff to penetrate each of the disrupted computer networks involved. Researchers believe hackers may have leveraged successful infiltration of third-party vendor networks to gain access to these Olympic networks, and to conduct thorough reconnaissance of the infrastructure architecture, including user and domain names. This reconnaissance and the cache of stolen user credentials from legitimate users gave attackers the means to breach Olympic systems and bring about tangible disruption through their IT infrastructure.
The cyber skills gap that presently poses a risk across industries comes into play with the Olympics as well, as top cybersecurity talent must be sourced to build, monitor and protect these systems during the games. Because Atos has provided key technology infrastructure for the Olympic Games since 1989, there is some continuity of talent and, in more recent years, they have shifted away from building new systems each year, with the goal of more continuity and refinement of the infrastructure over time. Every Olympic Games requires notably more, however, meaning an influx of cybersecurity staff. Given the nature of that cycle, many of these roles are typically temporary, meaning some staff may be untested when it comes to certain attack scenarios and working together as a team.
One way to help address different forms of cyber talent risk is a new tool being deployed in an array of settings across the public and private sectors: cyber ranges. Essentially the cybersecurity version of a shooting or driving range, these digital proving grounds offer intensive simulations for professionals to test their skills against a variety of attack scenarios seen in the wild, and practice incident response with their teammates, battle-testing these groups under realistic conditions before real catastrophe ever hits. More immersive than standard tabletop exercises, these require technical workers to actually respond to unfolding attacks and mitigate the danger. The ranges can be customized with the actual infrastructure that will be in place, which is particularly helpful in a situation like the Olympics, where that infrastructure may not fully exist to practice on and fortify until late in the game and on far too public a stage. Cybersecurity experts can also use ranges to test their infrastructure in advance to assess potential vulnerabilities and strengthen systems before they go live.
They haven’t had to think that way for a really long time because all they’ve been worried about is physical attacks against the infrastructure. Now, cyberspace has introduced a whole other attack vector. We need to think about that. It needs to be part of every industrial organization’s enterprise risk management strategy.
In preparation for the Olympics, Japanese service provider Ni Cybersecurity contracted a cyber range in partnership with Cyberbit, a firm that creates cyber training and simulation platforms for a variety of corporate and educational enterprises. “The cybersecurity market in Japan, as in the rest of the world, has a severe lack of skilled cybersecurity practitioners, and this became even more concerning in light of the upcoming Olympics, which typically includes an escalation in the number of cyberattacks,” explained Sharon Rosenman, the company’s vice president of marketing. “Cyberbit partnered with a local service provider to provide a new way of training based on a cyber range simulation platform to expose local cybersecurity practitioners to various kinds of attacks before they experience them in the field.”
Such considerations around ensuring top talent and incident response preparation tie into what Weinstein described as a three-pronged stool with regard to infrastructure security. “One, how do you build more secure infrastructure itself? That’s happening. Second, how does the end user implement monitoring and bring to bear different technologies that are out there? And then, how do the owners and operators of the infrastructure architect and operate their network in a way that is security conscious?” he said. “They haven’t had to think that way for a really long time because all they’ve been worried about is physical attacks against the infrastructure. Now, cyberspace has introduced a whole other attack vector. We need to think about that. It needs to be part of every industrial organization’s enterprise risk management strategy.”
Indeed, the complex case of the Olympics offers takeaways for managing critical infrastructure risks in a range of enterprises. When crafting infrastructure that is going to have to stand up to targeting from one threat or another, Weinstein said, “The first step is building resilience into it—recognizing that attacks are going to be inevitable, whether they’re high-level attacks or low-level attacks, it’s kind of an omnipresent characteristic of the ecosystem these days. Then the focus shifts to resilience, which is running under that state of attack and making sure that the barriers to entry are getting higher and not lower over time.”
Tags: Cyberrisk
The Risks of Pregnancy-Tracking Apps
Leveraging Technology To Drive Sustainable ERM Initiatives
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4094
|
__label__wiki
| 0.752706
| 0.752706
|
All Quiltmakers
Minder Coleman
Boykin, Alabama
Artist Bio Tabs
Minder Coleman was one of Gee's Bend's leading citizens. She served as president of Gee's Bend Farms, the agricultural cooperative established in the 1930s by the Farm Security Administration. She was also a member in the same years of the project's weaving cooperative. With Mattie Ross and Patsy Mosely, she wove draperies 76 inches wide and 250 inches long for the Roosevelt White House; she also helped weave some blue-and-white striped cloth that was made into a suit for the president. As Minder told the story, Roosevelt liked the suit so much that he wrote them a thank-you note. "He wrote us and said, 'Dear Ladies,' just like that. He said, 'Dear Ladies, I enjoyed the material 'cause I'm wearing my suit, and when I die, I hope they'll put it on me.'" The story has taken on its own life over the years: Marie Coleman Anderson now maintains, "They buried him in that suit made from the cloth she made right here in Gee's Bend."
Minder would later be as involved with the quilting bee as she had been with the Gee's Bend cooperatives. When the bee was incorporated in the spring of 1966, she was named its vice president; she worked there full time until 1978, but she was an accomplished quiltmaker long before the bee was established. Like most women in Gee’s Bend, Minder Coleman learned from her mother: "She put me to sewing. That's how we started. I never did have a book or pattern or nothing. She just drew her own pattern."
Minder's house was a center of pre-bee quilting activity. Granddaughter Ella Lewis, born in 1941, recalls coming home from school and finding family and friends at work: "They sit up there at her house and make quilts with Cat, Auntie Vic, Seebell Kennedy, some of them others." Among Minder's family members who carried on the quilting tradition was her daughter Minnie Sue, who made a vibrant "Pig in a Pen" in red, orange, green, and gold double knits in the 1970s that was featured on a U.S. postage stamp in 2006.
Gee's Bend: The Women and Their Quilts
Gee’s Bend quilts carry forward an old and proud tradition of textiles made for home and family. They represent only a part of the rich body of African American quilts. But they are in a league by themselves. Few other places can boast the extent of Gee’s Bend’s artistic achievement, the result of both geographical isolation and an unusual degree of cultural continuity. In few places elsewhere have works been found by three and sometimes four generations of women in the same family, or works that bear witness to visual conversations among community quilting groups and lineages. Gee’s Bend’s art also stands out for its flair—quilts composed boldly and improvisationally, in geometries that transform recycled work clothes and dresses, feed sacks, and fabric remnants.
The Quiltmakers of Gee's Bend
This uplifting, Emmy-winning PBS film tells the modern-day "Cinderalla" story of the quiltmakers of Gee's Bend, Alabama. Artists born into extreme poverty, they live to see their quilts hailed by a The New York Times art critic as "some of the most miraculous works of modern art America has produced."
ARTIST'S WORK
"Log Cabin"—"Courthouse Steps" variation (local name: "Bricklayer")
"Four Patch"/"Nine Patch" variation
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4098
|
__label__wiki
| 0.544031
| 0.544031
|
TEMPORAL BELONGINGS
Related Projects >
Scoping Study
Time and Alternative Economies
The Social Life of Time >
Temporal Design >
Immortality and Infinitude >
Power, Time and Agency >
Methods Festival >
Time in the Archives
Hope and Community Futures
Temporal Conflicts >
Community Connectivities >
What we got up to...
Collaborative Sessions
Johan Siebers (University of Central Lancashire)
Affiliations: Senior Lecturer in the English department at the University of Central Lancashire and Affiliated Fellow at the Institute of Germanic and Romance Studies of the School of Advanced Study of London University.
I am a philosopher, working mostly in the history of 19th and 20th century German philosophy, metaphysics and philosophy of language. I am particularly interested in the work of Ernst Bloch, and in the Connected Communities programme I am looking at the relation between ‘community’ and ‘future’ from the perspective of Bloch’s utopian and messianic ontology of the ‘not yet’. For classical metaphysics, community can be said, at the most fundamental level, to be a characteristic of being itself. The paradoxes of community are ontological in nature. Even in Kant’s critique of metaphysics, the fundamental role of the idea of community is maintained in several incarnations (not lastly that of the ‘Reich’ (Kingdom) of Ends as a union of rational beings). In Bloch’s ontology the fundamental role that ‘community’ has played in the history of philosophy is maintained, but enriched with a unique perspective on the part played by the ‘not yet’. This allows us to rethink a range of concepts essential to the life and discourse of communities, including justice, community engagement, freedom and tradition, the relation between the individual and the community and the relation between community (Gemeinschaft) and society (Gesellschaft) in modernity.
Craig Lundy (University of Exeter)
I am a Research Associate in Politics at the University of Exeter. The project that I am working on with Dr. Robin Durie and Dr. Katrina Wyatt, titled “Researching with Communities: Towards a Leading Edge Theory and Practice for Community Engagement”, is part of the AHRC led Connected Communities programme. The purpose of our scoping study is to investigate the usefulness of complexity theory for understanding the relations between academic researchers and the public communities they engage with, and more broadly, the conditions for successful community engagement. Challenging traditional conceptions of time is of course a central component of complexity theory. Thus if communities are understood as complex systems, and if complexity represents the most effective means for theorising the connectivity within and between communities and academic researchers, how time is conceived and interacted with will play a crucial role throughout the process of engagement.
Aside from this research project, I am also pursuing my interests in time and communities through a monograph that I am writing for Edinburgh University Press (2012). This book, titled History and Becoming: Deleuze’s Philosophy of Creativity, will examine the work of Deleuze and several of his conceptual forebears (Marx, Nietzsche, Bergson, Péguy and Braudel) in order to address the following problematic: what is the relation between history and the creation of the new? While much work has been done on the importance of Deleuze’s philosophy of time to his political and social philosophy for change, I hope to demonstrate in this book how an appreciation of his philosophy of history is equally indispensable. You can find out more about my work here.
Craig's Lightning Talk:
Michelle Bastian (University of Manchester)
I first became interested in the interconnections between time and community while I was writing my undergraduate (honours) thesis on Donna Haraway’s work and its implications for feminist coalition building. Looking at both her and Gloria Anzaldua’s work on hybrid identities it seemed that attempts to rethink community in terms of hybridity also appeared to involve challenges to linear conceptions of time, involving for example, critiques of teleology, progress and assumptions about how change happens over time. I took up this problem in my PhD thesis in Philosophy. However I found it quite difficult to approach this problem in the way I wanted to from a solely continental philosophical framework, and was particularly inspired by Carol Greenhouse’s work to explore the way the time of social life can be understood as being produced through the negotiation of social conflict. As a result I ended up developing an interdisciplinary approach to ‘time and community’ that draws on anthropology, sociology, feminist philosophy as well as continental philosophy.
My current project builds on this work, in order to develop an account of the way both time and community are being transformed in the context of climate change and resource depletion. Taking inspiration from Donna Haraway’s account of figurations as ‘condensed maps of contested worlds’ (1997, 11), I will produce case studies of three figures that might instead serve as ‘condensed clocks of contested worlds’. Looking at atomic and molecular clocks, leather-back turtles on the verge of extinction and community-led attempts to build sustainable cities, I want to analyse how an attentiveness to each of these different sites opens up a view onto the complex temporalities and relationalities that are being mobilised. It is envisioned that these ‘condensed clocks’ may enable new ways of understanding the task of ‘telling the time’ in the current context. This work involves a variety of collaborations including with Transition Liverpool and other members of the Extinction Studies working group.
While completing my PhD I often felt a little lost in the wilderness, with very few guides for how to approach the problems of time and community together in the way that I wanted to – at least none that I could find at the time! While there is certainly some enjoyment in feeling this way, I’m very much looking forward to working with others at the workshop to start developing a more explicit framework for thinking through these intersections.
Fiona Shirani (Cardiff University)
I have recently completed my PhD on the ‘right time’ for fatherhood, which takes a temporal approach to fertility decision-making. In addition to evaluation of new and existing techniques for the elicitation and analysis of temporal data, the thesis takes forward discussion of concepts used in temporal theory, such as notions of gendered time. The thesis was undertaken alongside my research work on the ‘Men-as-Fathers’ project at Cardiff University, part of the UK-wide qualitative longitudinal network Timescapes, which aims to foreground the importance of temporal study.
Alongside my continuing involvement in Timescapes, I am currently conducting a theoretical review of concepts related to community-level strengths and their impact on health and wellbeing, which is part of a broader review funded under the AHRC Connected Communities research programme. From August 2011 I will be employed on an ESRC funded research project ‘Energy Biographies’ which seeks to explore the formation, embeddedness and development of energy practices as part of everyday life and the life-course. One of the study’s aims is to develop improved understandings of which different community configurations can provide a strong basis for transition in everyday energy consumption and practices when framed around people’s biographies. As part of this work, I will be building on my existing understanding of temporal study and applying relevant concepts to the community context.
Alice Mah
I was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Southampton (at Warwick from autumn 2011), working on a project with Prof. Graham Crow which is part of the AHRC-funded Connected Communities research programme entitled ‘Conceptualisations and meanings of "community": the theory and operationalisation of a contested concept'. I have a long-standing interest in urban and community studies, particularly the complex relationships between global processes of socioeconomic change and local contexts of lived experience. My contribution to this workshop will consider the problem of time in relation to community through exploring the topic of ‘rethinking regeneration and prosperity in a time of economic crisis and resource depletion’. My talk will draw on policy debates on regeneration in the UK, as well as empirical research on lived experiences of recent regeneration schemes in the case study of Walker, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The notion of ‘time’ will be explored firstly in relation to the short historical memories of city planners about the limitations of past regeneration policies, tracing a wider historical sociology of regeneration policies and practices in the UK. Secondly, the notion of time will be explored through critically analysing assumptions of economic growth and progress embedded in dominant models of arts-and-property-led regeneration in the context of an era of uncertainty, recession and environmental crisis. I argue that regeneration policies should be broadened to focus on the wider picture of employment, public services, sustainable living environments, diversity and social inclusion, and community life.
Elena Fell - University of Central Lancashire
Educated in Russia and in England (Philosopher’s Diploma, St. Petersburg State University and PhD in Philosophy, Centre for Professional Ethics, UCLAN), Elena Fell has an insider’s view of two distinct cultures, which helps her to grasp the specificity of intercultural communication and communication between diverse communities. Elena’s research project which will explore the relationship between communities and the future (carried out jointly with Dr Johan Siebers as Principal Investigator) will naturally follow from her longstanding interest in the philosophy of time, self and communication. In her PhD thesis Elena explored Bergson’s theory of duration and prepared ground for its further development. After completing her PhD Elena has worked as a Research Assistant at the School of Journalism, Media and Communication, University of Central Lancashire. She is also Editorial Assistant for Empedocles: European Journalfor the Philosophy of Communication.
My involvement in the scoping study on Communities and Future has just began, so the workshop will be an opportunity to gain inspiration for myself and to share with others my previous research findings on time, history and selfhood.
Elena's Lightning Talk
Derek Edyvane - University of Leeds
I am a lecturer in political theory at the University of Leeds. My own research has focused on the problem of account for political community in conditions of moral and cultural diversity and conflict. To engage with this problem, I’ve tried in my work to elaborate a ‘narrative conception’ of community that conceives of communities as temporally extended shared lives that conform to different sorts of narrative patterns. I hope that the workshop will help me to broaden my sense of the connections between community and time and further to problematize the approach I’ve hitherto deployed.
Derek's Lightning Talk
Claire Blencowe - University of Newcastle
I am a Sociologist at Newcastle, taking up a new post at Warwick in July. My PhD research developed an account of biopolitics and cultures of life, considered in terms of structures and innovations in experience (Biopolitical Experience: Foucault Power & Positive Critique forthcoming 2011, Palgrave).
I argue (drawing especially on Foucault but also Arendt, Benjamin, Simmel and Deleuze) that ideas and imageries of life, lived experience, vitality, growth and evolution are immensely important for the affective force and allure of community-making/authority-making discourses in the contemporary societies. This importance can be understood, in part, as a reconstitution of a qualitatively rich, deep, temporality - or duration/duree - in the present passing moment. Life constitutes a kind of immanent-transcendent plane in which the present moment becomes a quasi-infinite, qualitatively rich, duration (a duration extending through space rather than time, through present affective influence and connections).
With the idea of 'immanent authority' a group of us (the Authority Research Network) are attempting to articulate and explore the intersection of duration-making, experience in the duree, and community making, in the present (and modern) context of radical finitude and contingency. We draw upon classic theories of authority, which suggest that authority makes community by connecting people to a foundational past, and (with a range of post-strucutralist and cultural theorists) consider how similar processes operate in a present that knows no such past. We are undertaking a Connected Communities Scoping Study called ‘Immanent Authority and the Making of Community’.
Alex Hale - RCAHMS
I am an archaeologist employed by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. We are a non- departmental government body in Scotland and we help to survey, record, interpret and present the historic environment of Scotland and an AHRC IRO. I studied Geography and Archaeology at Manchester University and then Archaeology at the University of Edinburgh. I am currently undertaking a research review as part of the AHRC Connected Communities programme, entitled ‘Linking Communities to Historic Environments', which looks at how organisations like ourselves and others engages with communities through the historic environment. My approach to the topic of the workshop is simple; if it wasn’t for time I would not be here. Time is what my job is about, it forms the core of my research and is measured in archaeological time, through people’s actions and remains.
Alex's Lightning Talk
0 Keynote Speaker
0 Organisers
0 Presentation Online
Ccssrr
Complexity Theory
Organisational Theory
Time Banking
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4103
|
__label__cc
| 0.69744
| 0.30256
|
Our symbolic Juan, a Mexican national, recently converted all his worldly possessions into cash. Almost 5,000 pesos (US$450) which he knows won’t allow him to enlist an A, B, or even C-class coyote to help him cross the border to the Promised Land. Barely enough for a D-tour… but if his luck holds, he’ll stay alive, and hopefully not get caught by the US Border Patrol. Our Juan made it across and is now safe and sound in economic paradise making all of $5.50 per hour. Blessed be this USA !
Now that you have read the paragraph above, are you ready for a simple quiz… one with a single, multiple-choice question? Yes? Well, here it is!
Question: Would you describe Juan as 1) an illegal immigrant; 2) an unauthorized immigrant; 3) an undocumented worker; 4) all- 1, 2 and 3; or, 5) none of the above?
Most of us would probably choose 4, describing all three characterizations. But, suppose that we decided to skip the 4 and 5 choices in our question. Which one of the remaining three would we pick? This time our answer would probably depend on what Juan, or any other Juan-type person, means to us personally.
To those in the business community, particularly farmers and managers in labor intensive service industries, the additional pool of low-wage labor from these “undocumented workers” is viewed with favor. As for the ethnic community they will be part of, in all its facets- business, religious, cultural and media, these “undocumented workers” represent invigorating economic growth, and future opportunity for greater political power. Middle and high income families who also might benefit by having around people working for low wages would hardly condone calling these people “illegal”… and be tainted themselves in the process.
To the INS, as the government agency caught in the middle of the fray, it’s critical that it maintains a politically neutral position on this issue, preferring to address those people who cross the border in a furtive way as “unauthorized immigrants.” That politically correct term serves politicians as well, except for an extremist few.
To the many Americans whose living-wage jobs have either disappeared or have been unashamedly exported, they are likely to view Juan as a reminder of their economic fall from grace, some of them seeing him as a competitor in the bidding for the available low-paying jobs. To those people, and the ever present and vociferous neo-nativists, all these border crossers are unwelcome “illegal immigrants.”
Call them what you wish… there are millions of them. How many? If you believe the INS estimate which was developed from 2000 census data, there were 8.7 million unauthorized immigrants in the US at that time, 1.7 million of which were quasi-legal immigrants. Unfortunately, the reliability of the INS cannot be taken any more seriously than that of the CIA, or any other government agency for that matter. A more plausible figure being tossed around is probably somewhere in the range of 10-12 million adults in the job market plus an additional 4-6 million children living with them.
If for argument’s sake we accept 11 million as the number of unauthorized workers in the US job market, most of them unaccounted for in the census of 135+/- million existing jobs, we can rightfully say that 1 in 13 jobs around the nation is filled by someone who crossed our borders without appropriate documentation. That person has becomes the baker’s dozen in American employment circles… the dirty little secret to many employers, and the outrageous political reality to much of America ’s citizenry.
Immigration policy for the two political parties which take turns governing this nation follows in the tradition of the other “policy”: foreign policy. Both are just not discussible, not to the level of creating a national dialogue to find a solution. Our politicians, Republicans and Democrats alike, in their wisdom to get reelected, treat symptoms, not causes: terrorism, instead of a flawed foreign policy; and blind inaction, instead of a rational immigration policy.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4113
|
__label__wiki
| 0.76324
| 0.76324
|
Home » ABC
POSTED Tue, 11/07/2017 - 16:00 | POSTED BY Traci C.
annual passholder discounts
Disney News round-up
Wine and Dine half marathon
Disney News Round-up: Holiday Eats at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Houston Astros Celebrate at the Magic Kingdom, and More
Happy Tuesday! We're back with another installment of our Disney news round-up. Today we have details on holiday eats including new treats at Disney's Hollywood Studios, the World Series celebration at the Magic Kingdom, and much more.
The Walt Disney Company Pledges $1 Million to Hurricane Harvey Relief
The Walt Disney Company and its Houston affiliate KTRK have pledged $1 million each to the American Red Cross for its Hurricane Harvey relief efforts in the wake of the devastation and catastrophic flooding in Houston and other areas in Texas. Harvey came ashore last Friday as a category 4 hurricane and has dumped more than 40 inches of rain on Houston and surrounding areas.
2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival
2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival news
Marketplace Booths
2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival News Round-Up
The 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival kicks off August 31 this year and runs for a record 75 days! We have some of the latest news in today's round-up including the return of ABC's The CHEW to the festival, and Eat to the Beat concert news.
Caribbean Beach Resort
Imagineers
Old Port Royale Food Court
Pandora The World of Avatar
Superstar Catering Food Truck
Disney News Round-Up: New Dining Options at Caribbean Beach Resort, ‘American Idol’ Returning to Television on ABC, and More
Happy Thursday! We're catching up on a lot of Disney news today including the new dining options at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, a second life for American Idol on ABC, and the new exotic Magic Shots at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
POSTED Sun, 09/18/2016 - 16:00 | POSTED BY Traci C.
ESPN Wide World of Sports
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular
Night of Joy 2017
WonderFALL
Disney News Round-up: WonderFALL Live Stream, ‘Doctor Strange’ Sneak Peek, and More
Happy weekend! We're checking in with another Disney news round-up and today we have exciting news about a new live-stream presentation happening tonight on the Disney Parks Blog. Read on to find out more!
Epcot Food & Wine Festival
The Chew Collective
‘The Chew’ Returns to the 2016 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
The 2016 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival kicks off September 14 and runs through November 14 this year. And today we have some exciting news to report: the cast of ABC's The Chew is returning to the festival this year!
Filming of the 2015 Disney Parks Unforgettable Christmas Celebration Completed
The filming of the 2015 Disney Parks Unforgettable Christmas Celebration was completed over the course of three days earlier this month at the Magic Kingdom. Stars on hand for the taping included Reba McEntire, Ariana Grande, and more.
Viola Davis Becomes First Black Actress to Win the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama
History was made Sunday night at the 67th Emmy Awards when Viola Davis became the first black woman to win in the Lead Actress in a Drama category. Davis won for her role on ABC's hit drama How to Get Away With Murder.
Walt Disney World Guests Get Up Close with an Oscar Statuette
For the next couple of days guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios can get up close to an Oscar statuette during the first-ever "My Oscar Moment." This once-in-a-lifetime photo opportunity is all part of the celebration leading up to Sunday night's broadcast of the 87th Academy Awards.
Disney Films Receive Nine Oscar Nominations
The nominations for the 87th Annual Academy Awards were announced earlier this month and Disney films earned nine nominations in seven different categories. The nominated films include the animated hit Big Hero 6, the summer blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy, and Marvel's Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Whaat-cha' Watchin?
Tune In To The Magic Christmas Day
Big Thunder Mountain TV Show?
**Day of Giving**
Once Upon a Time - The Crocodile
POSTED Wed, 01/24/2018 - 06:06 | POSTED BY Kristen Kirk
Disney News and Rumors This Week
After 90 years as a screen legend and fashion icon Minnie Mouse has finally received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The prestigious ceremony was attended by Minnie, Mickey, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and the host of ABC's American Idol Katy Perry, as well as a bevy of adoring fans. Happy 90th Minnie, you look just as beautiful as when you were first drawn. If you would like to celebrate Minnie Mouse, be sure to Rock The Dots during this special year.
Seasons Greetings From Walt Disney World for Grown-ups
The whole team here at Walt Disney World for Grown-ups hopes that you and yours are enjoying a wonderful holiday season full of merry magic. As we take the day to gather with friends and family, we want you - our readers and forum members - to know how grateful we are to have you to share our love of Walt Disney World with.
ABC Commissary
Grab a Bite to Eat at the ABC Commissary at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
When you're visiting Disney's Hollywood Studios and you're looking for a spot to sit, relax, escape the brutal summer sun, and find a fast meal, we think the ABC Commissary is a good place to stop. It might not be the spot that people always rave about but it does have a few hidden gems on the menu that are worth checking out.
POSTED Fri, 01/02/2015 - 06:00 | POSTED BY Guest Author
Looking Ahead To An Action Packed Marvel Studios 2015
To steal a line for the great Stan Lee; "Hello True Believers!" It's been a while but with the new year slowly coming upon us, the Marvel News machine is beginning to pick up spread as it prepares for it's biggest year to date. 2015 promises to be a phemonenal year for Marvel fans around the world: movies, TV, and streming content all plan to take over our screens in one way or another. So, what I hope will become a more regular series here on WDW for Grown-ups, I bring you another iconic Marvel aspect...The Bullpen.
POSTED Thu, 05/09/2013 - 05:05 | POSTED BY Guest Author
“Once Upon a Time” Star Lana Parrilla Visits New Fantasyland
Regina, The Evil Queen from 'Once Upon a Time' stopped by the Magic Kingdom's New Fantasyland last week, looking to extend her rule beyond the realm of Storybrooke.
Lana Parrilla, who stars as the Evil Queen/Regina Mills on the hit ABC series, was at the park to film a promo for New Fantasyland. The promo aired May 5 during Once Upon a Time and featured Regina as she thought about taking over as the Evil Queen of New Fantasyland.
Rose Parade
Disney Celebrates “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” at the 124th Rose Parade
The 124th Rose Parade on January 1, 2013, marks 75 years of the Walt Disney Company's involvement with the Pasadena, California New Year's Day institution.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4115
|
__label__wiki
| 0.729528
| 0.729528
|
True North Surveying Services
Land Surveying, Site Plans, Land Use Planning
About True North
True North Surveying Services is a land surveying firm that was founded in August of 1995 and has been serving the communities of Lincoln County and surrounding areas ever since.
Mark Daiute & chief survey dog Leo.
Principle Mark H. Daiute, PLS, began his career in Surveying in 1979 and started surveying fulltime in 1987. For Mr. Daiute surveying combines several passions. A love for history and the land, an interest in new technology and the desire to solve problems and mysteries all drive Mr. Daiute. Aside from his family Mr. Daiute is most proud of his License to practice Land surveying in the State of Maine. Mr. Daiute served as chapter director for the Midcoast Chapter of the Maine Society of Land Surveyors and on the Executive Committee of the Maine Society of Land Surveyors from 1995 to 2005.
Wife and partner, Sheryl Daiute, served the legal communities as a paralegal specializing in real estate for almost 20 years. Besides being a mother of three boys and the stepmother of 2 adults, Sheryl brings her talents and expertise in real estate to True North Surveying Services as a researcher and runs the business with an iron fist. Sheryl is responsible for billing and receiving.
Project Manager, George Fergusson brings more than 20 years of surveying expertise to True North Surveying Services. George and Mark met on a project in April of 1979 and have remained friends ever since. Prior to joining True North Surveying Services George was a principle with Bills and Fergusson and the firm of Fergusson and Associates. During his tenure with Bills and Fergusson George surveyed the entire town of Wiscasset. George has been on the cutting edge of technology. His survey of the Town of Wiscasset was one of the first surveys in the area to utilize the then, relatively new, Global Positioning System we know today simply as “GPS”. “True North” is proud to have George aboard.
Graham Blanchette
Graham Blanchette has been working at True North since Fall 2013, and is working towards licensure as a Land Surveyor in Training. He holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Geography from the University of Southern Maine. In his spare time he enjoys fly fishing, backpacking, and skiing.
True North Surveying Services provides all surveying services, from simple “mortgage inspections” to a site plans for multi-million dollar projects. At True North Surveying Services we believe that technology is a wonderful tool but in the end technology is there to help us understand the stories that deeds have to tell.
Mark Daiute has been a long distance runner since the age of 13 and achieved a lifelong dream, running his first marathon in 1994. He and Sheryl are both students of colonial history. Photographs by Mr. Daiute have been used for articles in “Muzzleloader” magazine and the book “Tidings from the 18th Century”. Mr. Daiute enjoys winter camping, hunting and fishing and the shooting sports.
After 13 years of study Mark obtained Shodan (blackbelt) in the Okinawan style of Karate “Goju Ryu” on May 9th 2015.
Most recently Mark crossed another item of his “Bucket List” with the help of George Fergusson when Mark and George went Ice-Boating on Clary Lake in Whitefield and Jefferson.
First and foremost Sheryl Daiute is a devoted mother of three young boys that keep her hopping. When not caring for the boys Sheryl enjoys counted cross stitch, reading, music and of course, Colonial History. The Daiute family can be found at historical re-enactments from Maritime Canada through New England and New York.
We welcome you to contact the members of the legal community in Lincoln County Maine for references.
News Updates by Email:
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4117
|
__label__cc
| 0.739258
| 0.260742
|
A Roundup of CCSVI Info: Thoughts and Observations
But first, a little shameless self-promotion: I was recently interviewed for a radio piece on CCSVI that will be airing on National Public Radio this coming Monday, November 1, between 6 AM and 9 AM, during their Morning Edition program (click here to find the NPR station in your area). I have no idea how much of my interview they'll use, and wouldn't at all be surprised if only a few seconds of my voice is heard. Still, it was very flattering to be asked to participate, and it's also very encouraging that NPR is doing a segment on CCSVI, which has been largely ignored by the US media. For everyone who misses the live broadcast, the segment will be archived on the NPR website, and I'll post a link as soon as it's available.
And now, on with the show. I haven't written about CCSVI in quite some time, so the below post is very long, almost twice as long as any other piece I've ever posted. You might want to grab a cup of coffee and a couple of toothpicks to hold your eyelids open before attempting to plow your way through it…
The topic of the vascular theory of MS, which was initially hypothesized by Italian vascular surgeon Dr. Paolo Zamboni, and has come to be called CCSVI (Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency), continues to inflame the MS community among both patients and physicians alike (if you're unfamiliar with CCSVI, please click here). At times the debate over the validity of the CCSVI theory and the efficacy of the procedure used to address it (known as "The Liberation Procedure") has reached the level of hysteria on MS Internet forums, countless CCSVI Facebook sites, and in the print media, with outrageously hyperbolic statements pouring forth from both sides. The most fervent CCSVI advocates claim with absolute certainty that CCSVI is the cause of MS, and that the Liberation Procedure is a cure for the disease, while the theory's staunchest critics label it a hoax, and those physicians practicing the Liberation Procedure con artists selling desperate patients snake oil.
At this stage of the game, when very few scientifically valid trials have been conducted, both extreme viewpoints have absolutely no basis in fact, and these vehement arguments only confuse the issue all the more, creating adversarial tensions precisely when a spirit of open-mindedness and cooperation are desperately needed. Furthermore, these loudly voiced conflicting opinions can only work to the detriment of chronically ill patients vainly searching for answers that simply do not yet exist, adding clutter and confusion to an already complicated issue.
We are in an age of discovery in regards to CCSVI, and over the last several months much has been learned about the condition and the treatment protocols used to address it, though the picture remains far from clear. Many patients, understandably clamoring for easy access to the Liberation Procedure, argue that the procedure is nothing more than angioplasty, which is performed quite commonly on cardiac patients in hospitals around the world, and that they should be given access to the treatment for the simple reason that blocked veins need to be unblocked, regardless of whether or not a patient has MS. Both of these arguments seem quite valid at first glance, but don't really hold up to greater scrutiny.
Angioplasty is indeed a common procedure, and a very safe one at that. The Liberation Procedure, though, is not angioplasty, which is performed on arteries, but venoplasty, performed on veins, a procedure that is done much less commonly. This may seem like a minor discrepancy, but in fact presents some significant challenges to both the doctors performing the procedure and the technologies used during it.
In terms of anatomy, veins and arteries are very different creatures. The major arteries are quite rigid, designed to withstand the intense pressure of blood being pumped through them by the beating heart. Thus, when they are ballooned or stented open during angioplasty, they tend to stay open, given their natural rigidity. Veins, on the other hand, are thin-walled and flexible (just play with the ones on the back of your hand to see what I mean), presenting a very different target for the balloons or stents used during the Liberation Procedure. Virtually all of the equipment used during the Liberation Procedure was originally designed for utilization in arteries, and this has led to less than ideal efficacy when used in veins, as I will discuss in more detail a bit later. From a safety standpoint, as long as the procedure is confined to the use of balloons to open narrowed or blocked veins, the Liberation Procedure is quite safe.
As for the assertion that blocked veins need to be unblocked regardless of the overall health of the patient, this too is not as clear-cut as it first may seem. Since arteries are the primary culprits in cardiac disease and strokes, human venous anatomy has been very little studied by modern medicine. Incredible, but true. I've been told by several radiologists and vascular specialists (including those at the National Institutes of Health) that there truly is no definition of "normal" that can be used as a benchmark when assessing an individual patient’s venous system.
Indeed, initial studies have shown that up to 25% of healthy people appear to have the vascular blockages known as CCSVI, to no apparent ill effect (click here for info). Venous anatomy is redundant and adaptable, and it had been thought that blockages in veins are largely compensated for by this adaptability. Blood flow blocked in one vessel was assumed to be simply routed through another, or through new vessels grown by the body to make up for the blockage, called collaterals. Perhaps one fringe benefit of the investigation into CCSVI will be closer attention paid to venous anatomy on the whole.
It's important to keep in mind that Dr. Zamboni's theory involves not only blockages in veins, but more precisely, the reflux of deoxygenated blood back into the central nervous system caused by those blockages. Therefore, not all venous blockages meet the requirements of CCSVI.
My own case is a perfect example. A catheter venogram revealed that I have a significant blockage in my right internal jugular vein. Further testing indicated that this blockage is quite unusual, as it is not caused by an abnormality internal in the vein, as is the usual case, but rather by an external muscle pinching the vein significantly closed. The Interventional Radiologist who did my procedure reviewed my case with Dr. Zamboni, who is of the opinion that although my vein is clearly blocked, this blockage has not resulted in a turbulent backflow of blood, and therefore should not be treated. Not really what I wanted to hear, but facts is facts. I do plan on getting further testing to confirm Dr. Zamboni's opinion.
Earlier this month, one of the major international MS conferences took place in Sweden. Known as ECTRIMS (European Committee on Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis), this year's conference featured many presentations on CCSVI, which in itself is something of a victory. During last year's conference nary a word about CCSVI was mentioned.
Much of the evidence presented at ECTRIMS was mixed, on the whole seemingly confirming a correlation between Multiple Sclerosis and the vascular abnormalities known as CCSVI, but also casting some doubt as to whether or not CCSVI is a cause, rather than an effect, of Multiple Sclerosis. Dr. Robert Zivadinov, who leads the team of researchers vigorously investigating CCSVI at the University of Buffalo, presented several very interesting papers. One paper demonstrated that the severity of CCSVI increases with the severity of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms experienced by patients, and with a more advanced disease course (click here for abstract). These findings were backed up by papers presented by researchers from Beirut (click here for abstract) and Italy (click here for abstract). If CCSVI were the cause of MS, the researchers would expect that a constant level of vascular abnormalities would be seen across the entire spectrum of disability levels and duration of disease among patients studied, which is not what their studies demonstrated. Other research presented at the conference contradicted these findings, such as a paper presented by Dr. Marian Simka, an Interventional Radiologist in Poland who has done hundreds of Liberation Procedures, which found that CCSVI plays a role in the cause and progression of MS, and that the vascular abnormalities were most likely congenital (click here for abstract).
Another study presented by Dr. Zivadinov found that subjects who presented with CCSVI had significantly more lesions and brain atrophy as measured by MRI than those MS patients without vascular abnormalities (click here for abstract). Yet another investigation presented by Dr. Zivadinov looked at the correlation between a gene implicated with MS, and CCSVI, and found that the data supported an association between MS disease progression and CCSVI separate from the suspect gene. The implications of these findings are that CCSVI could be a risk factor in developing the disease, or a result of the progression of MS (click here for abstract).
Clearly, the data presented at ECTRIMS was a mixed bag, which some CCSVI advocates found disappointing in that much of the evidence offered did not point to CCSVI being a direct cause of MS. Still, the studies did reveal a very strong correlation between vascular abnormalities and Multiple Sclerosis, which in itself is a giant step forward in convincing a dubious scientific community that these abnormalities do play a significant role in the puzzle that is MS. Much more research is needed to resolve the challenging questions posed by CCSVI, and such research is ongoing at the present time in multiple locations worldwide.
Some staunch CCSVI advocates have tried to dismiss research with findings not to their liking by claiming that the methodology used was faulty, or that the researchers themselves were tainted by their associations with pharmaceutical companies. As for the methodology used, it may be different than that originally used by Dr. Zamboni, and thus might in fact be invalid, but it does occur to me that the physical abnormalities found in CCSVI are not subtle in nature. We are talking about rather severe blockages in blood vessels, significant enough to cause blood to actually flow backwards through those vessels. It would seem that abnormalities of this magnitude should be detectable by more than one set of extremely specific methods of measurement. But, as I stated previously, venous anatomy has been little studied in the past, so perhaps the technological choices are indeed limited.
As for researchers whose integrity has been compromised by their ties to pharmaceutical companies, if all such physicians were prohibited from taking part in research studies, there would be practically no medical research conducted at all. A tragic truth about our current medical system is that almost every physician practicing in the United States has some affiliation with a pharmaceutical or medical device company. This phenomenon is not limited to neurologists, as some would make it seem, but is epidemic throughout the medical community. A wide range of doctors have affiliations with drug companies; orthopedic surgeons have relationships with the makers of artificial joints (click here for a fascinating New York Times article on this), cardiac surgeons are courted by the makers of replacement heart valves, and Interventional Radiologists have associations with the makers of the stents, catheters, and balloons with which they ply their trade. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, capitalism is a wonderful engine for driving an economy, but is absolutely corrosive when applied to the practice of medicine. When patients are viewed first as consumers of medical products and services, something is seriously wrong. I previously expounded on this disturbing topic in a previous post, "The Medical Industrial Complex: Sick People Required", which you can access by clicking here.
One of the big problems involved in the study of CCSVI in that none of the noninvasive imaging techniques used to try to detect venous abnormalities in patients before having them undergo an invasive catheter venogram are all that reliable. MRV imaging in particular has proven to be almost worthless, as yet another study conducted by Dr. Zivadinov and presented at ECTRIMS demonstrated (click here for abstract). Doppler Sonography, while more accurate, is only useful in detecting CCSVI when used according to very specific protocols, and conducted by a highly skilled operator. Even when such conditions are met, Sonography is somewhat subjective, as the Zamboni trained sonographer who did my Doppler scan has said. Sonograms can be interpreted differently by different physicians, and time after time both MRV and sonogram imaging done on patients have proven to be unreliable once a catheter venogram is performed. The blockages suggested by the noninvasive techniques simply don't correspond to what is actually found in patients when the catheter is inserted into their veins.
While the academic questions regarding CCSVI are all very interesting and fodder for great controversy, the biggest question for those of us suffering from Multiple Sclerosis is whether or not the Liberation Procedure can relieve our symptoms. If it turns out that the procedure is a cure, well, then MSers have hit the jackpot. If liberation "only" results in a dramatic drop-off in the misery caused by the disease, it's still a huge win, and will forever change the way MS is researched and treated. More importantly, hundreds of thousands of MS patients around the world will have a new and relatively straightforward conduit to relief.
Since no formal treatment studies have been conducted thus far (several are currently underway), we can only rely on the anecdotal accounts of patients who have undergone the Liberation Procedure when assessing its effectiveness. It's been estimated that over 2000 procedures have been performed in various locations around the world, but we've only heard from, at most, perhaps 100-150 of these patients. When assessing these accounts, which are usually quite encouraging, it's important to keep in mind that the preponderance of mostly positive reports related on Internet forums and YouTube videos are a product of the natural phenomenon of people who have positive outcomes to be much more inclined to make their results public than those with negative experiences. This isn't an attempt at subterfuge on anybody's part, but merely human nature. Reports from several clinicians doing the Liberation Procedure indicate that the success rate is less robust than might be inferred from Internet accounts. Still, some important trends can be identified in the anecdotal reports available.
It does appear that the Liberation Procedure does positively impact MS symptoms for a significant portion of the patients on whom it is performed. These positive results range from dramatic to slight, but another significant portion of patients, albeit a minority, report receiving no benefit from the procedure at all, some even telling of a worsening of their condition post procedure. We are also seeing the very troubling trend of restenosis (veins closing back up) several weeks or months after balloon venoplasty, and also an increasing amount of accounts of problems with stents implanted in patients' jugular veins, primarily in the form of stent thrombosis (clotting), and stented veins stenosing in areas above or below the location of stent implantation.
Although the accounts of restenosis are discouraging for the patients who experience it, their stories speak loudly to the validity of the CCSVI hypothesis and the effectiveness of the Liberation Procedure. Patients tell of experiencing marked improvements after having had the procedure, but then a dramatic worsening when their veins once again collapse. Upon a second attempt at liberation, most of these patients once again experience benefit. Unfortunately, many of these patients restenose yet again, accompanied by the return of their MS symptoms. This is a strong indication that resolving vascular blockages at the very least results in symptom improvement for a significant number of MS patients. However, with the incidence of restenosis far too common, strategies must be developed to address this vexing problem. Obviously, patients can't be expected to undergo repeated invasive procedures (which include a not insignificant dose of radiation) to address a continuing pattern of restenosis.
Stents have been used to treat veins that were resistant to ballooning or were otherwise problematic. The use of stents in the jugular veins has been somewhat controversial from the outset, as all of the available stents were designed for use in arteries, which generally carry a much more robust blood flow than veins, and which narrow in the direction of blood flow. This means that the risk of clotting in arterial stents is much less than in veins, and that any stent getting loose in an artery would only get pushed further into that artery, rather than have a clear path to the heart, which is the case for stents implanted in the jugulars.
As accounts of problems with stents increase, several doctors and clinics that perform the Liberation Procedure have shied away from using them. Since, once implanted, stents generally cannot be removed, the long-term failure rates of stents are also of considerable concern. The only other patient population that regularly receives venous stents are late stage renal patients, whose veins collapse as a result of kidney dialysis. Studies of the patency rates of stents placed in these patients are less than encouraging, finding failure rates as high as 50% after one year (click here for info). While the two patient populations in question are extremely different, the risk of stent failure in the long term is a legitimate concern, especially since the currently available stents were designed for use primarily in thoracic arteries, where they're not subject to the constant bending, twisting, and torque they experienced when placed in the very flexible human neck. Whether or not to allow the use of stents is among the many very difficult decisions patients considering liberation must make. I personally decided that I would not allow their use.
Obviously, large-scale treatment studies are desperately needed to determine not only the efficacy of the Liberation Procedure, but also the best methods and practices for performing it. Currently, the techniques used vary widely from doctor to doctor, with no real consensus among the treating physicians regarding the size of balloons to use during venoplasty, the use and placement of stents, or even what constitutes a treatable stenosis. Furthermore, many of the Interventional Radiologists performing the procedure have commented on the rather steep learning curve involved in getting it right.
Increasingly, it appears that the CCSVI picture is more complicated than originally thought, with more blood vessels (including the lumbar, iliac, and vertebral veins) likely involved. The Liberation Procedure is a work in progress, and procedures done a year from now will probably differ significantly from those done today. Physicians are still in the early learning stages in regards to the treatment of CCSVI, and patients should be wary of being a part of anybody's learning curve. The success rate of Interventional Radiologists who have done numerous procedures appears to be much greater than those with less experience. Again, the decision of what physician to choose needs to be given very careful consideration by patients considering liberation; not just any doctor offering the procedure will be adept in its performance. There is increasingly a "Wild West" environment developing out there, as the prospect of huge financial gains made by offering the Liberation Procedure becomes apparent to physicians worldwide, who might undertake the procedure without the proper training and requisite experience. This is a pitfall that patients need to be very aware of, and must be very careful to guard against. Ask any potential treating physician serious questions, request patient references, and do as much research as possible. Until the myriad questions regarding CCSVI and its treatment are fully resolved, there will be plenty of opportunities for hucksters to take advantage of desperate patients.
A burgeoning medical tourism industry has sprung up around CCSVI, with clinics offering the Liberation Procedure in such diverse locations as Poland, Bulgaria, India, and Costa Rica, for prices generally ranging from $10,000-$20,000. Because of the persistent problems with restenosis, stent thrombosis, physician competency, the necessity for post procedure medical care, and the constantly evolving knowledge base regarding the best standards and practices of the Liberation Procedure, I strongly urge patients to forgo traveling long distances for treatment.
In a best case scenario, in which a patient travels thousands of miles and spends heaps of money to be treated with balloon venoplasty, and finds themselves to be amongst those lucky enough to see significant benefit from the procedure, there is still the large risk (some place it at 50%) of restenosis some weeks or months post procedure. In such a case, the patient would be back to square one, less the large amounts of money they spent on travel and the procedure itself.
Furthermore, aftercare is very important, as patients are commonly placed on blood thinning drugs post procedure. These drugs need to be carefully monitored for months after treatment. If a stent is implanted, it may be quite difficult for patients experiencing complications to find appropriate treatment locally, with the possibility of dire consequences. Keep in mind, too, that there is no guarantee that any given patient will be among those who experience dramatic improvement. One prominent Interventional Radiologist that has performed well over 100 Liberation Procedures estimates that one third of his patients see no benefit from the procedure. Given those odds, combined with the high risk of restenosis and the very small but real chance of medical complications that might arise after liberation, traveling long distances and spending tens of thousands of dollars to pursue treatment cannot be recommended.
Of course, every patient must make decisions regarding CCSVI and the Liberation Procedure based on their own unique circumstances. For the majority of patients, I would strongly advise waiting 6 to 12 months before seeking liberation, as much more information from both academic and treatment research studies will be available, and some standardization and identification of best practices will be achieved in the coming months by the Interventional Radiologists performing the procedure.
It's very important, and very difficult, to make an unemotional and accurate assessment of your own condition and rate of progression. Karen likes to chide me about the fact that I've been saying that I'm six months away from being bedridden for the last three years. Presently, my right side is almost completely paralyzed, and my left side is weakening considerably. Not a good combination. I understand the desperation that all MS patients feel, regardless of the particulars of their state of disability. We all want to just be rid of this disease. But unless your situation is genuinely dire, it will absolutely be in your best interest to allow the science of CCSVI and the techniques that go into the Liberation Procedure to mature, as doctors gain experience and more hard facts about the condition become available. Most MS patients experience a relatively slow progression of disability. Waiting, especially in the face of the hype surrounding CCSVI, is extremely difficult, but in this case might save you considerable bodily wear and tear, significant sums of money, and much heartache. If your situation is genuinely dire, and your condition is rapidly declining to the point that your quality of life soon will be nonexistent, then all bets are off. Do what you feel needs to be done.
I firmly believe that CCSVI will prove to play a major part in the MS puzzle. Like all things related to MS, its impact will vary from patient to patient. For some patients, it may very well be THE answer to their problems, for others only a partial solution, and for others still it may play no role at all. MS is a very complex and frustrating disease, truly a scourge to those who suffer from it. CCSVI offers a light at the end of the tunnel, but there is still much work that needs to be done. Thankfully, dedicated researchers and physicians are actively looking for answers, even in the face of sometimes withering criticism, and their findings may very well result in paradigm shattering changes that rock the world of MS. But it is still very early in the game, and it's important to remember that discretion is often the better part of valor, and that the race does not always go to the swift.
MS treatment put to test in Albany (timesunion.com)
Posted at 11:48 PM 49 comments
Labels: ccsvi, Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, ECTRIMS, medical research, MS, multiple sclerosis, National Institutes of Health, Paolo Zamboni
A Question of Control
It's funny how sometimes snippets of conversation about a very specific topic can be insightful and enlightening on a much broader scale than originally intended.
It's currently major league baseball's playoff season, and the Texas Rangers are taking on the New York Yankees for the championship of the American League. Since I loathe the Yankees with every fiber of my being, and hold firmly to the belief that they are the physical manifestation of evil on Earth, I am fervently rooting for the Rangers to beat into bloody submission that fetid band of Satan's minions who sport pinstriped uniforms with a big NY stitched on them.
I make it a point to try not to hate, as hate is a poisonous emotion that does more damage to the person feeling it than to the person or thing at which it's directed. I make an exception for the Yankees. I hate them. I hate them. I hate them. May they all develop blistering pustules and suffer some hideously painful form of castration. Every Yankee win is a stab to my heart, and their every loss a fleeting confirmation that good can indeed conquer evil. This may sound crazy to some, but it's a feeling shared by most of the population of New England, and the minority of New Yorkers who call themselves Mets fans.
Ah, but I digress. What was I talking about? Oh, yeah, words uttered about one subject that can illuminate another. Anyway, the manager of the Texas Rangers is a man named Ron Washington, who before the season began was embroiled in a scandal about his use of cocaine, a substance to which he has an unnatural predilection. Apparently, he's been battling his substance abuse problem for years, and only managed to save his job by humbling himself, pleading his case before the team's owners, and agreeing to a strict program of oversight and counseling. So Ron Washington is a man who knows a little something about control, or, more precisely, the lack of it.
With his team leading Yankees three games to one in a best-of-seven series, Mr. Washington was asked at a press conference how he keeps his team calm and steady through the anxieties and emotions of such a highly charged series. Washington replied that his message to his players has remained the same throughout the season: that they must stay rooted in the moment, concentrate single-mindedly on controlling those elements of the game within their power, and accepting the circumstances over which they have very little influence. In baseball terms, this means catching the ball, throwing the ball, and running the bases to the best of your ability, each and every time. A player can't control what the other team does. If the opposing pitcher is especially effective on any given day, it may be extremely difficult to hit the ball with any authority. Still, by paying attention to the elements within their control, Washington's players have more often than not found themselves on the winning end even in difficult circumstances.
The basis of the wisdom that Mr. Washington imparted on his players applies not only to baseball, but to life itself, and is especially resonant to those of us suffering from chronic illness. The only person we have any real control over is ourselves; we have very little sway over the actions of others, or the circumstances that life doles out to us. Yet much time and suffering is spent trying to control elements that reside well outside our sphere of influence.
Despite what is often a lifetime of evidence proving the futility of such efforts, many folks make themselves miserable trying to control the actions of those around them. We chase unrequited love, attempting to will the person of our desires into having romantic feelings for us, an exercise that almost without fail ends in emotional disaster. We try to advance our careers or social standing by getting involved in petty games of politics, which can just as often lead to feelings of self degradation as it can to what usually amounts to some temporary form of satisfaction. We cajole, sweet talk, and bully, all in an effort to manipulate other sentient beings who have their own agendas and are likely trying just as hard to work us as we them. One thing I've learned through the years is that you never know what's going on in someone else's mind. Not that we shouldn't open our hearts and souls to others, as doing so is the only way to experience the majesty and grandeur of life, but we must be careful in choosing who we let in.
The only person we do have complete control over is ourselves. We can and should be the masters of our own thoughts, actions, and emotions. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, many people fastidiously avoid taking responsibility for their own happiness and success. Popular culture practically indoctrinates us into the belief that outside influences create inner satisfaction, and that our emotions have lives of their own. Quite frankly, this notion is nothing but a hurtful pile of horse crap. Emotions are complex things that arise from an intricate psychological web unique to each individual. Nevertheless, we create our emotions, we are not their creation.
Nothing irks me more than to hear people utter phrases like "I can't help the way I feel, I'm hardwired that way". Wrong. You can help the way you feel. It may take hard work, lots of practice, and extreme diligence, but if happiness and contentment are truly your goal, it's work that must be done. Letting others man the controls of your own happiness is akin to allowing yourself to be the passenger in a runaway car driven by somebody wearing an impenetrable suit of armor. The car will almost certainly crash, and the only one to suffer injury will be you.
When diagnosed with serious illness, we are confronted with an entirely different level of loss of control. Suddenly, we learn that our bodies have betrayed us, and that the enemy lies within. Despite whatever suspicions of illness we may have harbored, their confirmation is shocking. We are literally forced to separate mind and body, but this separation is often extremely difficult to achieve, especially as the body becomes less and less cooperative. As the meaning of the word "incurable" goes from abstract to concrete, we can arm ourselves for battle, and vow to fight her illness tooth and nail, but know in our hearts that the climb will be steep, and the conflict long.
We live in a body conscious, beauty obsessed culture. We look in the mirror and say,"that is me", not "that is my container". Yet, once serious and chronic illness strikes, we have no choice but to recognize that "me" is not the flesh and blood bag of bones staring back at us through the looking glass, but the spark contained within.
Ten years ago, I was happily swimming about a mile a day, an achievement that I took considerable satisfaction in, and one that was incorporated tightly with my sense of self. Now I can barely stumble 15 feet, and I'd probably need water wings to stay afloat in a pool. I took pride in my appearance, and derived considerable self-worth from my attractiveness to the opposite sex. Body and mind were tightly bound together, but my, how times have changed. Not that I am now some slovenly troglodyte, but if my self-worth were to be measured by physical prowess today, it could easily be paid for on a minimum wage salary.
Instead, the deterioration of my body has forced the evolution of my mind. When healthy, I paid lip service to the idea that happiness comes from within, and was indeed a choice, an aspect of life that in theory was under my control. Although cognizant of this notion, I was never able to live it. Too externally motivated, I all too often allowed myself to ride waves of emotion stirred up by the whims of others. I now understand the futility of such an approach, and as I've written before, can clearly see that happiness is not a single choice, but an infinite amount of choices made each and every day.
Illness has forced me to understand the concept of selective control, and to embody the reality that there is no way to direct the actions of others, the vicissitudes of life, or even the mechanisms of my own body. All that I can directly control is the essence of me; my thoughts, my emotions, and my reactions to the ever-changing world both outside and within. But that is enough. Releasing the external, embracing the internal, and taking it one moment at a time. Kindness to self leads to kindness to others, and then circles back again. Though being sick absolutely sucks, physical distress needn't consign you to a life of mental anguish. In the end, it's all up to you.
And also up to Ron Washington. At least for me. Because if the Texas Rangers don't knock off the New York Yankees, I will indeed know misery once again, and the forces of evil will run rampant through the land…
Another Interesting Hospital Roommate, and Too Much Time on My Hands
Image by Josh Liba via Flickr
Once again, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has sent well wishes and messages of hope and healing. I am slowly "trending better" (in the words of my doctor) but still definitely feeling the effects of the truck that hit me. Hoping that the trend continues, and that someday very soon I'll be able to declare that I'm my good old bad old self.
In the meantime, I'm just going to try to gut my way through this, and resume as normal a schedule as my physical state will allow. I've got lots of catching up to do, both in terms of e-mails and private messages, and reading all of the MS and CCSVI related news that has accumulated over the past month. I'll pepper this blog with all items I find of interest, along with my usual commentary, for whatever that's worth. Seems that there's been a lot of CCSVI news both good and bad of late, and I'll try to make as quick a study of that as possible.
Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my experiences from the past four weeks. As during my hospital stay in July (click here for details), this last stint also included a rather colorful roommate. In July I was paired with an eccentric but very intelligent homeless person. This time around the man across the curtain was connected with a rather famous (at least here in New York) Irish mob called "The Westies" (click here for info).
The hospital I was in, Roosevelt Hospital, is on the fringes of the Manhattan neighborhood that has traditionally been called Hell's Kitchen. In these days of urban gentrification, there is an effort underway to re-label this neighborhood "Clinton", but the old name has stuck in everything but real estate brochures. As the moniker Hell's Kitchen implies, these were at one time pretty mean streets, controlled quite firmly by some lads of Irish descent not particularly averse to violence who came to be known as "The Westies". Though vestiges of the group still remain, by and large they've largely faded from view, and the neighborhood is now more the province of urban hipsters than old-school mobsters. When I first moved back to New York in 1999, I rented an apartment right in the heart of this neighborhood, on 49th St. between 9th and 10th Avenues.
My hospital roommate, Lenny, spoke in the kind of thick New York accent one rarely hears anymore, and sounded like one of the characters in the famous "Bowery Boys" movies of the 30s and 40s. He was probably in his late 50s, and had suffered a series of five strokes. The first night I was there, I overheard him telling an attending physician that he had survived quite a few traumas in his life, including a knifing to the chest and being thrown off the roof of a five-story building, and being no dummy, I put the accent and the stories together, and pretty much understood the kind of guy lying in the bed next to me. I figured I was in for an interesting few days.
Thing is, I tend to get along are quite well with guys like Lenny. I think it must be in my genes, as my great-grandfather and grandfather were both associated with the Jewish mob that thrived in the early decades of the 20th century, and came to be known as Murder, Inc. This was the group that spawned such characters as Meyer Lansky and Bugsy Siegel. Neither of my relatives were higher-ups in the organization, but suffice it to say that my grandfather didn't have a real job until he was 35 years old, when he married my grandmother, who was 17 years his junior. My grandmother pointedly assured me that my grandfather's associates were always perfect gentleman around her, and that she never saw my grandfather with a gun. She eventually forced him to quit the rackets, and he wound up working at a men's haberdashery, but family lore has it that he never quite went totally clean.
Whether for genetic reasons or not, I've generally gotten along very well with fellas who were "connected", and they've likewise usually taken a shine to me. Lenny was no exception. During the course of our conversations, which were not as lively as they might have been because of my raging fever and his sudden episodes of vomiting, I learned that almost all of Lenny's friends were either "dead, in jail, or in the witness protection program". I shared some stories about my ancestors, which he found highly entertaining, and he told me some details of his growing up in Hell's Kitchen, coincidentally on the same block that I moved to in 1999.
On my third night in the hospital, my fever was all the way up to 102°, the equivalent of nearly 104° for a person with a normal body temperature (my normal is about 97.2°). Lenny was suffering from a violent fit of vomiting, and though I continued pressing on the buzzer calling for a nurse, the medical staff was conspicuously absent. I took to shouting as loud as I could that somebody needed to get the fuck into my hospital room, because my roommate was in extreme distress. Finally, after about 10 min., some nurse’s aides came in to help Lenny out.
The next morning, Lenny thanked me for my actions the previous night, and told me that he would "never, never forget them". So, it seems that you all should probably try to remain on my good side, because I have a friend in Hell's Kitchen who could probably have someone bumped off for me for at a significantly discounted rate. I honestly wish Lenny the best, as he has several months of rehab from his strokes ahead of him, and the New York City that he represents is quickly disappearing, much to my overwhelming chagrin. I'd much rather share my city with folks like The Westies than with the criminals that populate Goldman Sachs and the rest of the Wall Street mobsters.
Since returning home, my convalescence has been nowhere near as exciting. I've been mostly confined to bed, and have spent my time watching innumerable documentaries on the chilling evil of the Nazis, searches for mythical beasts, and UFOs, three of my favorite subjects. Unfortunately, being stuck in bed leaves the mind much time to wander, and despite my usual efforts at mental discipline, my thoughts have often found themselves venturing into some very dark places. What would my life have been like without MS? Where would my career have led me? Although already moderately successful, my professional life was primed for launching to much greater heights had it not been cut short by this fracking disease. Who exactly was I now, this half paralyzed creature rendered dependent on others for basic daily needs? And what horrors does the future hold, should my disease remain on its current trajectory?
Frederick Nietzsche wrote, "Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." Indeed, at times during the past month, I've veered dangerously close to that abyss, and along with the physical tests of this latest illness, it's mental challenges have been almost equally profound. During the course of my MS, my mental state has often been in lockstep with my physical condition. At times when I'm feeling relatively well, Zen detachment becomes a goal much easier to achieve than when my body's progressive failings make themselves glaringly apparent. These past four weeks have found me at my physically weakest, battling an incredibly persistent fever, and without my usual activities and outlets for mental distraction, my thought processes have wandered into areas I rarely let them go.
I miss the old me. I miss being able to wake up, get showered, dressed, and out of the house in 45 minutes. These days it sometimes takes me 45 minutes to get out of bed. I miss regular social outings with friends, free from worries of wheelchair friendliness and urinary urgency. I want to be able to simply meet a few buddies in a divey bar and slowly, sloppily, and happily get totally bombed. My form of teetotaling MS has put an end to my drinking anything more than half a glass of wine, and that only on rare occasions. As much as I adore my wife, and as completely monogamous a man as I am, I miss the utterly harmless daily flirtations and sexual tensions of my old social interactions. MS and disability have made me into something of a neuter. Women don't flirt with guys in wheelchairs. I miss the furtive glances and hidden smiles, even though I would never act on them. Most of all, I guess, I miss the sense that the future was full of endless possibilities, and the magical thinking of the constant drive forward.
Make no mistake, I'm immensely proud and consistently astonished at the success that Wheelchair Kamikaze has found, and the fact that my silly little blog has enabled me to reach out through the ether and impact the lives of many, just as they have impacted my own. Perhaps there can be no greater success than helping others even as you help yourself, and I'm tremendously grateful to have been given this opportunity, but it's all been so unexpected. The impact that I always dreamed of making has come with a giant asterisk attached, and at an almost inconceivable cost. The emotional payoff of creating the blog has been beyond words, and I shudder to think what my life would be like without it. Hopefully, my rants and ruminations will continue to resonate with my fellow travelers down the road of MS, but, God, if only we could all just go back to being our healthy old selves, perhaps with a bit of the wisdom forced on us by MS thrown into the mix.
Okay, enough wallowing. No sense leaving an open invitation to the abyss, and really, there's so much left to live for. Like the "Ancient Aliens" documentary that I have recorded on our DVR, and the reams of CCSVI info I need to review.
Be careful about looking over the edge, though. I will, too.
Labels: Bugsy Siegel, Chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency, Health, Meyer Lansky, New York
I'm Back (though still a bit illin’)
Image by theG™ via Flickr
Hey folks, I'm finally feeling well enough to make a post, although I think it'll be a quick one, since my stamina still leaves much to be desired. Three weeks after being hit with this somewhat mysterious illness, I'm still running a low-grade fever, and my energy levels are quite low.
First and foremost, I'd like to deeply thank all of the wonderful people who have sent healing messages and well wishes via e-mail or comments on this blog. Although I'm not usually at a loss for words, I truly cannot express how deeply your expressions of concern are appreciated. When I started this blog a little over a year and a half ago, I never in my wildest dreams imagined it would attain the popularity that it has, and I'd like to thank each and every reader for your input and support through good times and bad. Although I have not been able to spend any time on the computer, I have been able to read e-mails on my phone, so your messages have gotten through, each one a drop of sunshine in an otherwise miserable experience. Unfortunately, I've not been able to respond to these e-mails because I rely on voice recognition software to "write" my responses, but as soon as I'm feeling up to it I plan on answering each e-mail individually. Please be patient, though, as my reduced energy levels and the sheer volume of e-mails that need responses will make this a slow process.
In a nutshell, three weeks ago today I was hit with a fever of unknown origin. Though both my blood and spinal fluid have been cultured for infections, none has shown up. Despite this, my illness has seemed to respond favorably to antibiotics, which further deepens the questions surrounding it.
I spent five days in the hospital, and yes, much like my last visit to the hospital in July, I did again have a very colorful roommate, who I'll write about in a future post. While in the hospital, my fever spiked to 102°, which is quite high given that my normal body temperature is about 97.2°. Needless to say this was scary, but large doses of ibuprofen managed to get the fever under control. As all of you with MS are aware, fever sends MS symptoms into overdrive, making such episodes all the more frightening. Worse yet, the nursing care at the hospital was in a word deplorable, as the ward I was in was understaffed, and the staff that was in place was simply overwhelmed by the volume of patients they needed to attend to. Still, the constant struggle trying to get nursing attention for both my roommate and I did nothing to alleviate my intense discomfort, and was frankly enraging.
All the more frustrating is the fact that the hospital I was in, Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan, has a "VIP" floor (click here for details) on which patients have beautifully appointed rooms, individualized nursing care, gourmet meals, extra accommodations for family to stay with them, and even afternoon tea service. Naturally, all this comes at a steep price, starting at $400 per night for a "standard" room, above and beyond the regular exorbitant hospital fees. Of course, no insurance plan will cover such expenses, so these elite services are the province of the very rich, of whom there are plenty in NYC, who can afford to pay such prices out-of-pocket. Since my pain management doctor has his offices on the opposite end of that same floor, I've seen some of these facilities firsthand, including the beautiful dark hardwood floors (as opposed to the institutional tiles in the rest of the hospital) and the uniformed concierge ever vigilant at his desk. Yes, here in New York City, often called the capital of the world, the very rich get extraordinary care in the same hospital in which regular folks can't get a god-damned nurse or nurse's aide to give them their medication on time or to help out a roommate who is violently throwing up. So much for the myth of a just society…
Okay, that's it for now. Before I blow a gasket, it's back to bed for me. I promise to fill in the details in the coming days, not all of which are quite so dreary. Even in the most troublesome days there are reasons to laugh, and concentrating on just taking it one day at a time, along with the constant acknowledgment that we are all just bit players in a huge theater of the absurd, goes a long way in making things bearable. As Nietzsche said, that which does not kill us makes us stronger, but as a friend of mine responded, that which does not kill us can make us pretty damn sick.
My deep thanks again to all of you who have reached out in support, and a special shout out to my wife Karen, my mom, and the rest of my family, who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in caring for an ailing kamikaze…
Posted at 6:45 PM 30 comments
Labels: Facilities, Fever, Health, Hospital, Manhattan, Medicine, New York City
Fever Fog
Unfortunately, this is still Karen reporting on behalf of Marc. Marc's fever is down after he started a course of Cipro (antibiotic). Since nothing is ever simple with Marc, the Cipro is giving him very uncomfortable side effects, mostly causing a racing heartbeat and making him feel very woozy. Overall, he's feeling better since the fever is down, and he's supposed to speak to his doctor tomorrow about switching antibiotics.
Testing has shown that it isn't the use of Methotrexate that made Marc sick. It could be a reaction to the spinal tap, but for now is being classified as a fever of unknown origin, just like in July. Although the doctors don't see a link, Marc and I think its very unusual to have two such episodes so close together. There was no Methotrexate in July and Marc has previously done at least 5 other treatments with the drug with no negative side effects.
Marc is worried that he has the disease that turns people into zombies and he has made me promise to shoot him in the head if he suddenly leaps out of bed intent on eating my brain. Since we don't have a gun, he is also instructing me to apply for the license NY requires to get one. He suggests contacting a relative outside NY to acquire one on the QT. One of us is related to a former mobster (fodder for a future blog post).
A Roundup of CCSVI Info: Thoughts and Observations...
Another Interesting Hospital Roommate, and Too Muc...
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4122
|
__label__cc
| 0.502604
| 0.497396
|
Search in web contents
Adding value to spanish exports
22 January de 2020
Destacados - En Portada
Interviews and Reports
In Good Taste
Laurent Dereux
Ricardo Migueláñez. Agricultural Engineer @rmiguelanez
This week we are highlighting Laurent Dereux, Vice-Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Spain. Dereux studied Economics in France and received a Master's Degree from Paris Dauphine University. He is married and has three children and two grandchildren.
Dereux joined Nestlé in 1980. Initially he worked in Marketing of Deep-Frozen Foods in France and Canada. In 2002, he was transferred to Nestlé Group's head offices in Vevey (Switzerland), where he oversaw the company's European markets.
Later he took charge of the Chilled and Deep-Frozen Product Unit in Europe, which was created in 2004 with headquarters in Brussels, and then he returned to Vevey as the Head of Operations in Central and Eastern Europe.
In December 2008, he was appointed CEO of Nestlé Greece and Head of Southeast Europe, which includes Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania, and is based in Athens. He has been Vice-Chairman and CEO of Nestlé Spain since October 2013.
Dereux has been in Spain for more than two years and, under his leadership, in 2014 the company's revenues expanded by 0.9% in year-on-year terms, in part due to the 13.5% contribution by innovation to the total.
Sales growth in Spain has been considerable, up 1.1% to 1.541 billion euros. The sales volume of popular products has expanded by 7% in terms of volume and 4% in terms of value.
At Nespresso, for example, sales have increased favorably, leveraging the quality of its Grand Crus coffees and ongoing innovation. Nestlé remains a leader in the chocolate segment, which is one of the main areas driving the positive performance of emblematic brands such as Nestlé Extrafino, Nestlé Postres and Kit Kat. In the dairy sector, IDEAL evaporated milk remains a market leader with double-digit growth and has a presence in more than 300,000 new households.
Exports have also performed well since Dereux arrived, increasing by 0.3% due to the notable competitiveness of the company's 11 Spanish factories in which Nestlé has invested continuously. The lion's share of those investments is focused on production, and yielded 59 million euros.
As for product categories, Nescafé Dolce Gusto is the greatest source revenues, which expanded by 14% year-on-year, followed by instant coffee, green decaf coffee, food products for children, chocolate bars, dairy products and ice creams.
On a personal note, his colleagues describe him as very warm. According to his wife, his greatest quality is the confidence with which he carries himself. Those who know him and who work with him say he has a unique sense of humor which is very subtle and which makes the day-to-day more enjoyable when the inner workings of the company get complicated.
As for his hobbies, Dereux enjoys simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, watching movies and listening to music. On the Road, by Jack Kerouac, is one of his favorite books, and Forrest Gump is the one movie he can watch again and again. His musical taste is very eclectic, and he likes everything from Verdi and Puccini to The Rolling Stones and Bruce Springsteen.
In short, he appreciates the simple things life offers, as evidenced by his life motto: "Do a good turn, smile every day and you will be happy".
Wikispanishfood does not take responsibility or necessarily identify with the opinions expressed by its collaborators, limiting itself to becoming a transmitting channel of the same
!_cabcfcook
wikispanishfood © 2020 | All rights reserved
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4123
|
__label__wiki
| 0.840405
| 0.840405
|
By the 1890s, white Americans were avid consumers of American Indian cultures. At heavily scripted Wild West shows, Chautauquas, civic pageants, expositions, and fairs, American Indians were most often cast as victims, noble remnants of a vanishing race, or docile candidates for complete assimilation. However, as Lucy Maddox demonstrates in Citizen Indians, some prominent Indian intellectuals of the era―including Gertrude Bonnin, Charles Eastman, and Arthur C. Parker―were able to adapt and reshape the forms of public performance as one means of entering the national conversation and as a core strategy in the pan-tribal reform efforts that paralleled other Progressive-era reform movements. Maddox examines the work of American Indian intellectuals and reformers in the context of the Society of American Indians, which brought together educated, professional Indians in a period when the "Indian question" loomed large. These thinkers belonged to the first generation of middle-class American Indians more concerned with racial categories and civil rights than with the status of individual tribes. They confronted acute crises: the imposition of land allotments, the abrogation of the treaty process, the removal of Indian children to boarding schools, and the continuing denial of birthright citizenship to Indians that maintained their status as wards of the state. By adapting forms of public discourse and performance already familiar to white audiences, Maddox argues, American Indian reformers could more effectively pursue self-representation and political autonomy.
From the Back Cover
"Lucy Maddox’s Citizen Indians brings to life the active work done by Native American intellectuals on behalf of uplift, progressive reform, of universally conceived Indian rights as well as specific tribal concerns. Focusing on the Society of American Indians (SAI) and a broad range of figures including Chief Simon Pokagon, Daniel La France, Gertrude Bonnin, and Luther Standing Bear, Maddox redraws American intellectual history of the period that witnessed widespread discussions of ‘the Indian problem’ and of assimilation as well as the quest for cultural and political sovereignty."—Werner Sollors, Harvard University
"A brilliant account of the issues and constraints confronting the first generation of modern pan-Indian intellectuals, Citizen Indians stands at the forefront of a long-overdue reassessment of the cultural productions and political efforts of Native people during the first half of the twentieth century. Unraveling the complex dynamics underpinning Indian performances, Lucy Maddox places Native people at the center of a national conversation, forcing readers to reconsider familiar histories of race and politics in the United States."—Philip J. Deloria, University of Michigan
"Citizen Indians is a highly sophisticated book about American Indian intellectuals in the Progressive Era. Lucy Maddox presents a complete, informed study of American Indian writers of the period and the social and political contexts in which they did their work. Maddox writes well, has done very careful and painstaking research, and is effective in making the case she does for understanding the complexities and particularities of Native America and Native American writers of the turn of the twentieth century."—Robert Warrior, University of Oklahoma
"Citizen Indians is a major contribution to our understanding of how American Indian intellectuals turned stereotypes and political subjugation to their own purpose, promoting autonomy through reform and redefining the grounds for their participation in the nation’s social and cultural life."—Eric J. Sundquist, UCLA Foundation Professor of Literature, UCLA
"In this engaging and well-written account of the rise of a certain kind of Indian public intellectual in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century, Lucy Maddox shows how a fundamental dilemma of political representation inspired creative solutions and a powerful social and political critique. The efforts of Indian intellectuals and activists to fashion a critical voice as well as a politics of race and reform framed in their own terms remain controversial to this day. Maddox documents those efforts and shows how the pressure of Native critique—and the anxiety it generated in Anglo culture—shaped both the Indian reform movement and the culture that had sought to absorb it."—Priscilla Wald, Duke University
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4126
|
__label__cc
| 0.630571
| 0.369429
|
Now known by the call letters WCWW, The CW25, began airing on channel 69 in South Bend. In 2002, Weigel Broadcasting Co. constructed a new tower designed to service the South Bend market. WMWB then changed position to channel 25. The WB aired four hours of network programming during the afternoon and in prime time. The rest of the line-up was filled with syndicated talk shows, court shows and off-network sitcoms. WMWB also offered a wide variety of movies every weekend.
March 2006 saw the merger of UPN and the WB. These two networks formed a new network called The CW. WMWB-TV was awarded the new CW network affiliation creating a new and exciting opportunity for the South Bend market. The CW began broadcasting on September 18, 2006 at which time the station became WCWW, The CW25.
WCWW takes an active role within the community. WCWW sponsors Coaches vs. Cancer and multiple non profits throughout all 10 counties. WCWW is a proud supporter of Elkhart Civic Theatre and partner of Notre Dame Athletics.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4128
|
__label__wiki
| 0.848757
| 0.848757
|
Rev. Jude P. McGeough
Posted: Thursday, January 14, 2016 12:00 am
EAST PROVIDENCE — Rev. Jude P. McGeough, 82, Pastor Emeritus of Saint Martha Church, East Providence, died January 6, 2016.
Born in Providence, son of the late James P. and Margaret (Sullivan) McGeough, he attended Saint Joseph and Saint Mary Schools in Pawtucket.
In preparation for the priesthood, he studied at Saint Columban’s Preparatory Seminary in Silver Creek, N.Y., Saint Columban’s Seminary in Milton, Mass., and at the University of Saint Thomas in Manila, Philippines. He was ordained a priest on December 20, 1958 for the Society of Saint Columban in Milton, Mass., by Bishop Jeremiah Minihan, Auxiliary Bishop of Boston. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Providence in 1978.
Father McGeough served for ten years in the Philippines missions of the Columban Fathers, came to Providence in 1969 and became assistant pastor of Saint Mary Church in Providence, then chaplain at Bay View Academy in East Providence. Between late 1969 and 1971, he was assistant spiritual director at Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Warwick. From 1971 to 1977, he was assistant pastor at Saint Patrick Church, Providence and for two years also chaplain at Saint Xavier Academy in Providence. In February 1977, he was appointed assistant pastor at Saint Mary Church in Bristol and part-time campus minister at Roger Williams College in Bristol.
In March 1979, Father McGeough became pastor of Saint Ann Church in Cranston from where he was transferred to Saint Martha Church in East Providence. He remained there until July 2004 when he retired as Pastor Emeritus and moved to Little Compton.
Father McGeough is survived by a sister, Dr. Mary Ann Kane of New Hampshire and two nephews. He was the brother of the late Thaddeus McGeough.
Due to alternate arrangements by the family, in lieu of a Mass of Christian Burial, a Memorial Mass was celebrated for the repose of his soul on January 11 at Saint Martha Church, 2595 Pawtucket Ave., East Providence. Bishop Thomas J. Tobin was the principal celebrant at the Memorial Mass and Father Roger Houle, pastor of St. Joseph Church, North Scituate, was the homilist. Burial will be in Saint Francis Cemetery, Pawtucket, at a date to be determined.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4131
|
__label__wiki
| 0.639655
| 0.639655
|
Monthly Archive:: April 2013
DV Lottery 2014 Result Published
Badu How To, Media, News 2013/04/30
DV Lottery Result For Year 2013/2014 is published.Now you can check your dv lottery results. DV-2014 entrants may enter their confirmation information through the link below starting tomorrow, May 1 at 9:45 pm (+5:45 GMT) (Kathmandu time). The DV-2014 registration period was from October ...Read More
Top 7 Best WordPress SEO Plugins
Rebecca SEO, wordpress 2013/04/30
WordPress is a content management system that makes it easy to blog on your website. Search engine optimization (SEO) plugins that can help us make our lives a bit easier when it comes to search engine optimization. There are many SEO plugins available out ...Read More
Google Now is finally available to iPhone and iPad
Rebecca Google 2013/04/30
Google Now is finally available for iOS users for both the iPhone and iPad at Apple’s App Store. Google Now, a service that Android users have enjoyed for a year, just became available on iOS devices in the form of an update to the ...Read More
Michael Jordan marries model Yvette Prieto
Rebecca Celebs 2013/04/29
NBA legend Michael Jordan married Cuban-American model Yvette Prieto at a Florida church Saturday. Jordan, 50, and Prieto, 35, were reportedly married before approximately 500 guests, including ex-New York Knick Patrick Ewing and one-time teammate Scottie Pippen, at the Bethesda-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Palm ...Read More
Work Permit Silver Fern Visa For New Zealand
Badu Education, How To 2013/04/29
Do you want to go to New Zealand and work there? The Silver Fern visas are designed to bring young skilled people into New Zealand. It will open once a year so you can see online application form for silver fern visa just one day ...Read More
Watch Obama’s full speech at the 2013 White House correspondents’ dinner
Rebecca News 2013/04/29
President Obama at the 2013 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in Washington, D.C. April 27, 2013. President Obama last night joined Conan O’Brien onstage at the Washington Hilton for the annual White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner, and gave his fifth address to the organization ...Read More
Compare technical specificaitons for all Kindle Fire HD
Rebecca Review, Technology 2013/04/28
The Kindle Fire HD is the second generation of Amazon’s Kindle Fire line of color touchscreen tablet computers. It was announced on September 6, 2012 and is available in two form factors, 7 inch and 8.9 inch. The Fire HD 7-inch is priced at ...Read More
How Google Glass Works
Rebecca Google, How To 2013/04/28
German artist Martin Missfeldt has created an infographic that attempts to show how Google Glass works, based on various sources (listed below). One correction: an image is actually not projected directly onto the retina; it is refracted by the cornea and focused by the ...Read More
Daily deals website LivingSocial hacked: 50 Million Customers Affected
LivingSocial says its website was hacked, possibly compromising names, e-mail addresses, even passwords. But LivingSocial says credit-card information not affected by the cyber-attack. LivingSocial, the daily deals site owned in part by Amazon, has suffered a massive cyberattack on its computer systems, according to ...Read More
Three-day-old baby was sold on Facebook
Rebecca Facebook 2013/04/26
Police in northern India said Wednesday they had arrested a 47-year-old man for selling his newborn grandson to a local businessman in a deal that was struck on Facebook. Feroz Khan, a resident of Ludhiana city in the northern state of Punjab 300 kilometres ...Read More
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4133
|
__label__wiki
| 0.863648
| 0.863648
|
The “shrinking middle ground”: Guardian correspondent on the state of the modern media
Comments Off on The “shrinking middle ground”: Guardian correspondent on the state of the modern media
By Will Ford.
Former Guardian Brexit editor Dan Roberts warned of a “shrinking middle ground” in his talk on the state of the modern media at Leeds Trinity Journalism and Media Week.
Mr Roberts has experience at world-renowned broadsheet newspapers including the Daily Telegraph and Financial Times, as well as working for the Guardian in Washington DC.
He suggested that the left and right wing newspapers in the UK are becoming more extreme in line with the polarised opinions of the people after Brexit.
“That disappearing middle worries me almost as much as Brexit worries me,” he said. And he defended the BBC for its decision to interview businessman Arron Banks, at the centre of a row over funds donated to the Leave campaign during the Brexit referendum.
‘Slow news’ is becoming more popular, with Mr Roberts citing former BBC head of news James Harding’s new venture ‘Tortoise’ as an example.
The news stories that have the biggest impact are now those that take a significant amount of time to research and put together, so are in essence ‘slower’ than what is widely available through the media today.
He said: “There’s a gap in the market for tried and trusted journalism.
“I’m conscious that as a reader, I now have to read six or seven things to really triangulate what’s going on… In this time-poor era, we’re going to tire of that.”
Mr Roberts worked as Bureau Chief of The Guardian’s Washington office during the 2016 presidential election, before returning to the UK as Brexit Policy Editor.
He talked about the differences between journalism in the UK and the USA – particularly topical as voters in the United States go to the polls in their mid-term elections.
He said: “In the US the broadcasters are very shrill and shouty and partisan… whereas the papers are quite sombre and serious.
“In Britain it’s a little bit of the reverse.”
Mr Roberts gave plenty of other top tips to prospective journalists, including the importance of “finding a niche” and “rolling up your sleeves and getting stuck in” – a sentiment shared by many of the speakers at Journalism and Media Week.
Tags: Brexit, Guardian, Journalism and Media Week
← Determination the key to success says Leeds Trinity journalism graduate
Graduates offer career advice to journalism and media students →
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4135
|
__label__cc
| 0.522897
| 0.477103
|
Boys and Girls Champs
Earthquake Haiti
Gibson McCook Relays
Gibson-McCook Relays
Manning Cup
Religion Faith
Religion/Faith
Trinidad amp Tobago
Yowlink
Forums Groups About Yowlink Activity
Pain in fish
Whether fish, such as this hooked salmon, can be said to feel pain is controversial.
Part of a series on
Primate rights
Oceanariums
Animal protectionism
Carnism
Sentientism
Animals portal
Whether fish feel pain similar to humans or differently is a contentious issue. Pain is a complex mental state, with a distinct perceptual quality but also associated with suffering, which is an emotional state. Because of this complexity, the presence of pain in an animal, or another human for that matter, cannot be determined unambiguously using observational methods, but the conclusion that animals experience pain is often inferred on the basis of likely presence of phenomenal consciousness which is deduced from comparative brain physiology as well as physical and behavioural reactions.[1][2]
Fish fulfill several criteria proposed as indicating that non-human animals may experience pain. These fulfilled criteria include a suitable nervous system and sensory receptors, opioid receptors and reduced responses to noxious stimuli when given analgesics and local anaesthetics, physiological changes to noxious stimuli, displaying protective motor reactions, exhibiting avoidance learning and making trade-offs between noxious stimulus avoidance and other motivational requirements.
If fish feel pain, there are ethical and animal welfare implications including the consequences of exposure to pollutants, and practices involving commercial and recreational fishing, aquaculture, in ornamental fish and genetically modified fish and for fish used in scientific research.
The possibility that fish and other non-human animals may experience pain has a long history. Initially, this was based around theoretical and philosophical argument, but more recently has turned to scientific investigation.
René Descartes (1596–1650) argued animals lack consciousness and so cannot experience pain
The idea that non-human animals might not feel pain goes back to the 17th-century French philosopher, René Descartes, who argued that animals do not experience pain and suffering because they lack consciousness.[3][4][5] In 1789, the British philosopher and social reformist, Jeremy Bentham, addressed in his book An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation the issue of our treatment of animals with the following often quoted words: "The question is not, Can they reason? nor, Can they talk? but, Can they suffer?"[6]
Peter Singer, a bioethicist and author of Animal Liberation published in 1975, suggested that consciousness is not necessarily the key issue: just because animals have smaller brains, or are 'less conscious' than humans, does not mean that they are not capable of feeling pain. He goes on further to argue that we do not assume newborn infants, people suffering from neurodegenerative brain diseases or people with learning disabilities experience less pain than we would.[7]
Bernard Rollin, the principal author of two U.S. federal laws regulating pain relief for animals, writes that researchers remained unsure into the 1980s as to whether animals experience pain, and veterinarians trained in the U.S. before 1989 were taught to simply ignore animal pain.[8] In his interactions with scientists and other veterinarians, Rollin was regularly asked to "prove" that animals are conscious, and to provide "scientifically acceptable" grounds for claiming that they feel pain.[8]
Continuing into the 1990s, discussions were further developed on the roles that philosophy and science had in understanding animal cognition and mentality.[9] In subsequent years, it was argued there was strong support for the suggestion that some animals (most likely amniotes) have at least simple conscious thoughts and feelings[10] and that the view animals feel pain differently to humans is now a minority view.[3]
Scientific investigation
Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness (2012)
The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Non-human animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates.[11]
In the 20th and 21st centuries, there were many scientific investigations of pain in non-human animals.
In 2001 studies were published showing that arthritic rats self-select analgesic opiates.[12] In 2014, the veterinary Journal of Small Animal Practice published an article on the recognition of pain which started – "The ability to experience pain is universally shared by all mammals..."[13] and in 2015, it was reported in the science journal Pain, that several mammalian species (rat, mouse, rabbit, cat and horse) adopt a facial expression in response to a noxious stimulus that is consistent with the expression of pain in humans.[14]
At the same time as the investigations using arthritic rats, studies were published showing that birds with gait abnormalities self-select for a diet that contains carprofen, a human analgesic.[15] In 2005, it was written "Avian pain is likely analogous to pain experienced by most mammals"[16] and in 2014, "...it is accepted that birds perceive and respond to noxious stimuli and that birds feel pain"[17]
Veterinary articles have been published stating both reptiles[18][19][20] and amphibians[21][22][23] experience pain in a way analogous to humans, and that analgesics are effective in these two classes of vertebrates.
Argument by analogy
In 2012 the American philosopher Gary Varner reviewed the research literature on pain in animals. His findings are summarised in the following table.[24]
Argument by analogy[24]
Has nociceptors Y Y Y Y Y
Has brain Y Y Y Y Y
Nociceptors and brain linked Y ?[a] / Y ?[b] / Y ? / Y Y
Has endogenous opioids Y Y Y Y Y
Analgesics affect responses Y ?[c] ?[d] Y Y
Response to damaging stimuli similar to humans Y Y Y Y Y
^ But see[25]
Arguing by analogy, Varner claims that any animal which exhibits the properties listed in the table could be said to experience pain. On that basis, he concludes that all vertebrates, including fish, probably experience pain, but invertebrates apart from cephalopods probably do not experience pain.[24][29]
Experiencing pain
Although there are numerous definitions of pain, almost all involve two key components.
First, nociception is required.[30] This is the ability to detect noxious stimuli which evoke a reflex response that rapidly moves the entire animal, or the affected part of its body, away from the source of the stimulus. The concept of nociception does not imply any adverse, subjective "feeling" – it is a reflex action. An example in humans would be the rapid withdrawal of a finger that has touched something hot – the withdrawal occurs before any sensation of pain is actually experienced.
The second component is the experience of "pain" itself, or suffering – the internal, emotional interpretation of the nociceptive experience. Again in humans, this is when the withdrawn finger begins to hurt, moments after the withdrawal. Pain is therefore a private, emotional experience. Pain cannot be directly measured in other animals, including other humans; responses to putatively painful stimuli can be measured, but not the experience itself. To address this problem when assessing the capacity of other species to experience pain, argument-by-analogy is used. This is based on the principle that if an animal responds to a stimulus in a similar way to ourselves, it is likely to have had an analogous experience.
Nociception
Main article: Nociception
Nociception: The reflex arc of a dog with a pin in her paw. Note there is no communication to the brain, but the paw is withdrawn by nervous impulses generated by the spinal cord. There is no conscious interpretation of the stimulus by the dog.
Nociception usually involves the transmission of a signal along a chain of nerve fibers from the site of a noxious stimulus at the periphery to the spinal cord and brain. This process evokes a reflex arc response generated at the spinal cord and not involving the brain, such as flinching or withdrawal of a limb. Nociception is found, in one form or another, across all major animal taxa.[30] Nociception can be observed using modern imaging techniques; and a physiological and behavioral response to nociception can often be detected. However, nociceptive responses can be so subtle in prey animals that trained (human) observers cannot perceive them, whereas natural predators can and subsequently target injured individuals.[31]
Main article: Psychological pain
Sometimes a distinction is made between "physical pain" and "emotional" or "psychological pain". Emotional pain is the pain experienced in the absence of physical trauma, for example, the pain experienced by humans after the loss of a loved one, or the break-up of a relationship. It has been argued that only primates and humans can feel "emotional pain", because they are the only animals that have a neocortex – a part of the brain's cortex considered to be the "thinking area". However, research has provided evidence that monkeys, dogs, cats and birds can show signs of emotional pain and display behaviours associated with depression during or after a painful experience, specifically, a lack of motivation, lethargy, anorexia, and unresponsiveness to other animals.[7]
Physical pain
Main article: Pain
The nerve impulses of the nociception response may be conducted to the brain thereby registering the location, intensity, quality and unpleasantness of the stimulus. This subjective component of pain involves conscious awareness of both the sensation and the unpleasantness (the aversive, negative affect). The brain processes underlying conscious awareness of the unpleasantness (suffering), are not well understood.
There have been several published lists of criteria for establishing whether non-human animals experience pain, e.g.[32][33] Some criteria that may indicate the potential of another species, including fishes, to feel pain include:[33]
Has a suitable nervous system and sensory receptors
Has opioid receptors and shows reduced responses to noxious stimuli when given analgesics and local anaesthetics
Physiological changes to noxious stimuli
Displays protective motor reactions that might include reduced use of an affected area such as limping, rubbing, holding or autotomy
Shows avoidance learning
Shows trade-offs between noxious stimulus avoidance and other motivational requirements
High cognitive ability and sentience
Adaptive value
The adaptive value of nociception is obvious; an organism detecting a noxious stimulus immediately withdraws the limb, appendage or entire body from the noxious stimulus and thereby avoids further (potential) injury. However, a characteristic of pain (in mammals at least) is that pain can result in hyperalgesia (a heightened sensitivity to noxious stimuli) and allodynia (a heightened sensitivity to non-noxious stimuli). When this heightened sensitisation occurs, the adaptive value is less clear. First, the pain arising from the heightened sensitisation can be disproportionate to the actual tissue damage caused. Second, the heightened sensitisation may also become chronic, persisting well beyond the tissues healing. This can mean that rather than the actual tissue damage causing pain, it is the pain due to the heightened sensitisation that becomes the concern. This means the sensitisation process is sometimes termed maladaptive. It is often suggested hyperalgesia and allodynia assist organisms to protect themselves during healing, but experimental evidence to support this has been lacking.[34][35]
In 2014, the adaptive value of sensitisation due to injury was tested using the predatory interactions between longfin inshore squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) and black sea bass (Centropristis striata) which are natural predators of this squid. If injured squid are targeted by a bass, they began their defensive behaviours sooner (indicated by greater alert distances and longer flight initiation distances) than uninjured squid. If anaesthetic (1% ethanol and MgCl2) is administered prior to the injury, this prevents the sensitisation and blocks the behavioural effect. The authors claim this study is the first experimental evidence to support the argument that nociceptive sensitisation is actually an adaptive response to injuries.[31]
The question has been asked, "If fish cannot feel pain, why do stingrays have purely defensive tail spines that deliver venom? Stingrays' ancestral predators are fish. And why do many fishes possess defensive fin spines, some also with venom that produces pain in humans?"[36]
Peripheral nervous system
Receptors
Rainbow trout have nociceptors on the face, snout and other areas of the body
Primitive fish such as lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) have free nerve endings in the skin that respond to heat and mechanical pressure. However, behavioural reactions associated with nociception have not been recorded, and it is also difficult to determine whether the mechanoreceptors in lamprey are truly nociceptive-specific or simply pressure-specific.[37]
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) have polymodal nociceptors on the face and snout that respond to mechanical pressure, temperatures in the noxious range (> 40 °C), and 1% acetic acid (a chemical irritant).[38][39][40][41] Further studies found nociceptors to be more widely distributed over the bodies of rainbow trout, as well as those of cod and carp. The most sensitive areas of the body are around the eyes, nostrils, fleshy parts of the tail, and pectoral and dorsal fins.[42]
Rainbow trout also have corneal nociceptors. Out of 27 receptors investigated in one study, seven were polymodal nociceptors and six were mechanothermal nociceptors. Mechanical and thermal thresholds were lower than those of cutaneous receptors, indicating greater sensitivity in the cornea.[43]
Bony fish possess nociceptors that are similar in function to those in mammals.[44][45]
Nerve fibres
There are two types of nerve fibre relevant to pain in fish. Group C nerve fibres are a type of sensory nerve fibre which lack a myelin sheath and have a small diameter, meaning they have a low nerve conduction velocity. The suffering that humans associate with burns, toothaches, or crushing injury are caused by C fibre activity. A typical human cutaneous nerve contains 83% Group C nerve fibres.[46] A-delta fibres are another type of sensory nerve fibre, however, these are myelinated and therefore transmit impulses faster than non-myelinated C fibres. A-delta fibres carry cold, pressure and some pain signals, and are associated with acute pain that results in "pulling away" from noxious stimuli.
Bony fish possess both Group C and A-delta fibres representing 38.7% (combined) of the fibres in the tail nerves of common carp and 36% of the trigeminal nerve of rainbow trout. However, only 5% and 4% of these are C fibres in the carp and rainbow trout, respectively.[46][47]
Some species of cartilagenous fish possess A-delta fibres, however, C fibres are either absent or found in very low numbers.[46][48][49] The Agnatha (hagfishes and lamprey) primarily have Group C fibres.[50]
The brain regions of sharks and humans
The central nervous system (CNS) of fish contains a spinal cord, medulla oblongata, and the brain, divided into telencephalon, diencephalon, mesencephalon and cerebellum.
In fish, similar to other vertebrates, nociception travels from the peripheral nerves along the spinal nerves and is relayed through the spinal cord to the thalamus. The thalamus is connected to the telencephalon by multiple connections through the grey matter pallium, which has been demonstrated to receive nerve relays for noxious and mechanical stimuli.[50]
The major tracts that convey pain information from the periphery to the brain are the spinothalamic tract (body) and the trigeminal tract (head). Both have been studied in agnathans, teleost, and elasmobranch fish (trigeminal in the common carp, spinothalamic tract in the sea robin, Prionotus carolinus).[51]
If sensory responses in fish are limited to the spinal cord and hindbrain, they might be considered as simply reflexive. However, recordings from the spinal cord, cerebellum, tectum and telencephalon in both trout and goldfish (Carassius auratus) show these all respond to noxious stimuli. This indicates a nociceptive pathway from the periphery to the higher CNS of fish.[52]
Microarray analysis of gene expression shows the brain is active at the molecular level in the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain of common carp and rainbow trout. Several genes involved in mammalian nociception, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the cannabinoid CB1 receptor are regulated in the fish brain after a nociceptive event.[53][54]
Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) are weak electric responses in the CNS following stimulation of peripheral sensory nerves. These further indicate there is a pathway from the peripheral nociceptors to higher brain regions. In goldfish, rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), it has been demonstrated that putatively non-noxious and noxious stimulation elicit SEPs in different brain regions, including the telencephalon[55] which may mediate the co-ordination of pain information.[45] Moreover, multiple functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies with several species of fishes have shown that when suffering from putative pain, there is profound activity in the forebrain which is highly reminiscent of that observed in humans and would be taken as evidence of the experience of pain in mammals.[56][57]
Therefore, "higher" brain areas are activated at the molecular, physiological, and functional levels in fish experiencing a potentially painful event. Sneddon stated "This gives much weight to the proposal that fish experience some form of pain rather than a nociceptive event".[58]
Opioid system and effects of analgesics
Analgesics and anaesthetics are commonly used for surgery on fish
Teleost fish have a functional opioid system which includes the presence of opioid receptors similar to those of mammals.[59][60] All four of the main opioid receptor types (delta, kappa, mu, and NOP) are conserved in vertebrates, even in primitive jawless fishes (agnathastoma).[50]
The same analgesics and anaesthetics used in humans and other mammals, are often used for fish in veterinary medicine. These chemicals act on the nociceptive pathways, blocking signals to the brain where emotional responses to the signals are further processed by certain parts of the brain found in amniotes ("higher vertebrates").[61][62]
Effects of morphine
Five-day-old zebrafish larvae show behavioural responses indicative of pain in response to diluted acetic acid
Pre-treatment with morphine (an analgesic in humans and other mammals) has a dose-dependent anti-nociceptive effect[63] and mitigates the behavioural and ventilation rate responses of rainbow trout to noxious stimuli.
When acetic acid is injected into the lips of rainbow trout, they exhibit anomalous behaviours such as side-to-side rocking and rubbing their lips along the sides and floors of the tanks, and their ventilation rate increases. Injections of morphine reduce both the anomalous, noxious-stimulus related behaviours and the increase in ventilation rate.[64] When the same noxious stimulus is applied to zebrafish (Danio rerio), they respond by decreasing their activity. As with the rainbow trout, morphine injected prior to the acid injection attenuates the decrease in activity in a dose-dependent manner.[45]
Injection of acetic acid into the lips of rainbow trout causes a reduction in their natural neophobia (fear of novelty); this is reversed by the administration of morphine.[42]
In goldfish injected with morphine or saline and then exposed to unpleasant temperatures, fish injected with saline acted with defensive behaviours indicating anxiety, wariness and fear, whereas those given morphine did not.[65]
Effects of other analgesics
The neurotransmitter, Substance P and the analgesic opioid enkephalins and β-endorphin, which act as endogenous analgesics in mammals, are present in fish.[66]
Different analgesics have different effects on fish. In a study on the efficacy of three types of analgesic, buprenorphine (an opioid), carprofen (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) and lidocaine (a local anaesthetic), ventilation rate and time to resume feeding were used as pain indicators. Buprenorphine had limited impact on the fish's response, carprofen ameliorated the effects of noxious stimulation on time to resume feeding, however, lidocaine reduced all the behavioural indicators.[67]
Tramadol also increases the nociceptive threshold in fish, providing further evidence of an anti-nociceptive opioid system in fish.[42][68]
Effects of naloxone
Naloxone is an μ-opioid receptor antagonist which, in mammals, negates the analgesic effects of opioids. Both adult and five-day-old zebrafish larvae show behavioural responses indicative of pain in response to injected or diluted acetic acid. The anti-nociceptive properties of morphine or buprenorphine are reversed if adults,[45] or larvae,[69] are co-treated with naloxone. Both naloxone and prolyl-leucyl-glycinamide (another opiate antagonist in mammals) reduced the analgesic effects of morphine to electric shocks received by goldfish, indicating they can act as an opiate antagonist in fish.[70][71]
Physiological changes
The physiological changes of fish in response to noxious stimuli include elevations of ventilation rate[53][63][64][72] and cortisol levels.[68]
Protective responses
Noxiously stimulated common carp show anomalous rocking behaviour and rub their lips against the tank walls
Noxiously stimulated zebrafish reduce their frequency of swimming and increase their ventilation rate
Noxiously stimulated Atlantic cod display increased hovering close to the bottom of the tank and reduced use of shelter
Studies show that fish exhibit protective behavioural responses to putatively painful stimuli.
When acetic acid or bee venom is injected into the lips of rainbow trout, they exhibit an anomalous side-to-side rocking behaviour on their pectoral fins, rub their lips along the sides and floors of the tanks[73] and increase their ventilation rate.[72] When acetic acid is injected into the lips of zebrafish, they respond by decreasing their activity. The magnitude of this behavioural response depends on the concentration of the acetic acid.[45]
The behavioural responses to a noxious stimulus differ between species of fish. Noxiously stimulated common carp (Cyprinus carpio) show anomalous rocking behaviour and rub their lips against the tank walls, but do not change other behaviours or their ventilation rate. In contrast, zebrafish (Danio rerio) reduce their frequency of swimming and increase their ventilation rate but do not display anomalous behaviour. Rainbow trout, like the zebrafish, reduce their frequency of swimming and increase their ventilation rate.[74] Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), in response to a tail fin clip, increase their swimming activity and spend more time in the light area of their tank.[75]
Since this initial work, Sneddon and her co-workers have shown that rainbow trout, common carp and zebrafish experiencing a noxious stimulation exhibit rapid changes in physiology and behavior that persist for up to 6 hours and thus are not simple reflexes.[51]
Five-day old zebrafish larvae show a concentration dependent increase in locomotor activity in response to different concentrations of diluted acetic acid. This increase in locomotor activity is accompanied by an increase in cox-2 mRNA, demonstrating that nociceptive pathways are also activated.[69]
Fish show different responses to different noxious stimuli, even when these are apparently similar. This indicates the response is flexible and not simply a nociceptive reflex. Atlantic cod injected in the lip with acetic acid, capsaicin, or piercing the lip with a commercial fishing hook, showed different responses to these three types of noxious stimulation. Those cod treated with acetic acid and capsaicin displayed increased hovering close to the bottom of the tank and reduced use of shelter. However, hooked cod only showed brief episodes of head shaking.[72]
Avoidance learning
Early experiments provided evidence that fish learn to respond to putatively noxious stimuli. For instance, toadfish (Batrachoididae) grunt when they are electrically shocked, but after repeated shocks, they grunt simply at the sight of the electrode.[76][77] More recent studies show that both goldfish and trout learn to avoid locations in which they receive electric shocks. Furthermore, this avoidance learning is flexible and is related to the intensity of the stimulus.[68][78][79]
Trade-offs in motivation
Goldfish make trade-offs between their motivation to feed or avoid an acute noxious stimulus
A painful experience may change the motivation for normal behavioural responses.
In a 2007 study, goldfish were trained to feed at a location of the aquarium where subsequently they would receive an electric shock. The number of feeding attempts and time spent in the feeding/shock zone decreased with increased shock intensity and with increased food deprivation the number and the duration of feeding attempts increased as did escape responses as this zone was entered. The researchers suggested that goldfish make a trade-off in their motivation to feed with their motivation to avoid an acute noxious stimulus.[79]
Rainbow trout naturally avoid novelty (i.e. they are neophobic). Victoria Braithwaite describes a study in which a brightly coloured Lego brick is placed in the tank of rainbow trout. Trout injected in the lip with a small amount of saline strongly avoided the Lego brick, however, trout injected with acetic acid spent considerably more time near the Lego block. When the study was repeated but with the fish also being given morphine, the avoidance response returned in those fish injected with acetic acid and could not be distinguished from the responses of saline injected fish.[42][80]
To explore the possibility of a trade-off between responding to a noxious stimulus and predation, researchers presented rainbow trout with a competing stimulus, a predator cue. Noxiously stimulated fish cease showing anti-predator responses, indicating that pain becomes their primary motivation. The same study investigated the potential trade-off between responding to a noxious stimulus and social status. The responses of the noxiously treated trout varied depending on the familiarity of the fish they were placed with. The researchers suggested the findings of the motivational changes and trade-offs provide evidence for central processing of pain rather than merely showing a nociceptive reflex.[80][81]
Paying a cost for analgesia
Zebrafish given access to a barren, brightly lit chamber or an enriched chamber prefer the enriched area. When these fish are injected with acetic acid or saline as a control they still choose the same enriched chamber. However, if an analgesic is dissolved in the barren, less-preferred chamber, zebrafish injected with noxious acid lose their preference and spend over half their time in the previously less-favourable, barren chamber. This suggests a trade-off in motivation and furthermore, they are willing to pay a cost to enter a less preferred environment to access pain relief.[32]
Cognitive ability and sentience
The learning abilities of fish demonstrated in a range of studies indicate sophisticated cognitive processes that are more complex than simple associative learning. Examples include the ability to recognise social companions, avoidance (for some months or years) of places where they encountered a predator or were caught on a hook and forming mental maps.[66]
It has been argued that although a high cognitive capacity may indicate a greater likelihood of experiencing pain, it also gives these animals a greater ability to deal with this, leaving animals with a lower cognitive ability a greater problem in coping with pain.[82]
Criteria for pain perception
Scientists have also proposed that in conjunction with argument-by-analogy, criteria of physiology or behavioural responses can be used to assess the possibility of non-human animals perceiving pain. The following is a table of criteria suggested by Sneddon et al.[32]
Criteria for pain reception in fish
Jawless fish
Cartilaginous fish
Lobe-finned fish
Has nociceptors ? ? Y ?
Pathways to central nervous system ? ? Y ?
Central processing in brain ? ? Y ?
Receptors for analgesic drugs ? ? Y ?
Physiological responses ? ? Y ?
Movement away from noxious stimuli ? ? Y ?
Behavioural changes from norm ? ? Y ?
Protective behaviour ? ? Y ?
Responses reduced by analgesic drugs ? ? Y ?
Self-administration of analgesia ? ? Y ?
Responses with high priority over other stimuli ? ? Y ?
Pay cost to access analgesia ? ? Y ?
Altered behavioural choices/preferences ? ? Y ?
Relief learning ? ? Y ?
Rubbing, limping or guarding ? ? Y ?
Paying a cost to avoid stimulus ? ? Y ?
Tradeoffs with other requirements ? ? Y ?
In the table, Y indicates positive evidence and ? denotes it has not been tested or there is insufficient evidence.
Societal implications
There are concerns that angling causes pain in fish.
Given that some have interpreted the existing scientific information to suggest that fish may feel pain,[83] it has been suggested that precautionary principles should be applied to commercial fishing, which would likely have multiple consequences.[83]
Both scientists and animal protection advocates have raised concerns about the possible suffering (pain and fear) of fish caused by angling.[84][85][86]
Other societal implications of fish experiencing pain include acute and chronic exposure to pollutants, commercial and sporting fisheries (e.g. injury during trawling, tagging/fin clipping during stock assessment, tissue damage, physical exhaustion and severe oxygen deficit during capture, pain and stress during slaughter, use of live bait), aquaculture (e.g. tagging/fin clipping, high stocking densities resulting in increased aggression, food deprivation for disease treatment or before harvest, removal from water for routine husbandry, pain during slaughter), ornamental fish (e.g. capture by sub-lethal poisoning, permanent adverse physical states due to selective breeding), scientific research (e.g. genetic-modification) may have detrimental effects on welfare, deliberately-imposed adverse physical, physiological and behavioural states, electrofishing, tagging, fin clipping or otherwise marking fish, handling procedures which may cause injury.[37][87]
Browman et al.[88] suggest that if the regulatory environment continues on its current trajectory (adding more aquatic animal taxa to those already regulated), activity in some sectors could be severely restricted, even banned. They further argue that extending legal protection to aquatic animals is a societal choice, but they emphasize that choice should not be ascribed to strong support from a body of research that does not yet exist, and may never exist, and the consequences of making that decision must be carefully weighed.
In the UK, the legislation protecting animals during scientific research, the "Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986", protects fish from the moment they become capable of independent feeding.[89] The legislation protecting animals in most other circumstances in the UK is "The Animal Welfare Act, 2006" which states that in the Act, " "animal" means a vertebrate other than man",[90] clearly including fish.
In the US, the legislation protecting animals during scientific research is "The Animal Welfare Act".[91] This excludes protection of "cold-blooded" animals, including fish.[92]
The 1974 Norwegian Animal Rights Law states it relates to mammals, birds, frogs, salamander, reptiles, fish, and crustaceans.[93]
A 2018 article by Howard Browman and colleagues provides an overview of what different perspectives regarding fish pain and welfare mean to in the context of aquaculture, commercial fisheries, recreational fisheries, and research.[88]
Receptors and nerve fibres
It has been argued that fish can not feel pain because they do not have a sufficient density of appropriate nerve fibres. A typical human cutaneous nerve contains 83% Group C nerve fibres,[46] however, the same nerves in humans with congenital insensitivity to pain have only 24–28% C-type fibres.[46] Based on this, James Rose, from the University of Wyoming, has argued that the absence of C-type fibres in cartilagenous sharks and rays indicates that signalling leading to pain perception is likely to be impossible, and the low numbers for bony fish (e.g. 5% for carp and trout) indicate this is also highly unlikely for these fish.[46] Rose concludes there is little evidence that sharks and rays possess the nociceptors required to initiate pain detection in the brain, and that, while bony fish are able to unconsciously learn to avoid injurious stimuli, they are little more likely to experience conscious pain than sharks.[citation needed]
A-delta-type fibres, believed to trigger avoidance reactions, are common in bony fish, although they have not been found in sharks or rays.[46]
Rose concludes that fish have survived well in an evolutionary sense without the full range of nociception typical of humans or other mammals.[46]
In 2002, Rose published reviews arguing that fish cannot feel pain because they lack a neocortex in the brain.[94][95] This argument would also rule out pain perception in most mammals, and all birds and reptiles.[56] However, in 2003, a research team led by Lynne Sneddon concluded that the brains of rainbow trout fire neurons in the same way human brains do when experiencing pain.[96][97] Rose criticized the study, claiming it was flawed, mainly because it did not provide proof that fish possess "conscious awareness, particularly a kind of awareness that is meaningfully like ours".[98]
Rose, and more recently Brian Key[2][99] from The University of Queensland, argue that because the fish brain is very different to humans, fish are probably not conscious in the manner humans are, and while fish may react in a way similar to the way humans react to pain, the reactions in the case of fish have other causes. Studies indicating that fish can feel pain were confusing nociception with feeling pain, says Rose. "Pain is predicated on awareness. The key issue is the distinction between nociception and pain. A person who is anaesthetised in an operating theatre will still respond physically to an external stimulus, but he or she will not feel pain."[100] According to Rose and Key, the literature relating to the question of consciousness in fish is prone to anthropomorphisms and care is needed to avoid erroneously attributing human-like capabilities to fish.[101] Sneddon suggests it is entirely possible that a species with a different evolutionary path could evolve different neural systems to perform the same functions (i.e. convergent evolution), as studies on the brains of birds have shown.[102] Key agrees that phenomenal consciousness is likely to occur in mammals and birds, but not in fish.[2] Animal behaviouralist Temple Grandin argues that fish could still have consciousness without a neocortex because "different species can use different brain structures and systems to handle the same functions."[97] Sneddon proposes that to suggest a function suddenly arises without a primitive form defies the laws of evolution.[citation needed]
Other researchers also believe that animal consciousness does not require a neocortex, but can arise from homologous subcortical brain networks.[11] It has been suggested that brainstem circuits can generate pain. This includes research with anencephalic children who, despite missing large portions of their cortex, express emotions. There is also evidence from activation studies showing brainstem mediated feelings in normal humans and foetal withdrawal responses to noxious stimulation but prior to development of the cortex.[103]
In papers published in 2017 and 2018, Michael Woodruff[104][105] summarized a significant number of research articles that, in contradiction to the conclusions of Rose and Key, strongly support the hypothesis that the neuroanatomical organization of the fish pallium and its connections with subpallial structures, especially those with the preglomerular nucleus and the tectum, are complex enough to be analogous to the circuitry of the cortex and thalamus assumed to underlie sentience in mammals. He added neurophysiological and behavioral data to these anatomical observations that also support the hypothesis that the pallium is an important part of the hierarchical network proposed by Feinberg and Mallatt to underlie consciousness in fishes.[106]
Initial work by Sneddon and her co-workers characterised behavioural responses in rainbow trout, common carp and zebrafish.[51] However, when these experiments were repeated by Newby and Stevens without anaesthetic, rocking and rubbing behaviour was not observed, suggesting that some of the alleged pain responses observed by Sneddon and co-workers were likely to be due to recovery of the fish from anaesthesia.[107][108][109]
Several researchers argue about the definition of pain used in behavioural studies, as the observations recorded were contradictory, non-validated and non-repeatable by other researchers.[38][46] In 2012, Rose argued that fishes resume "normal feeding and activity immediately or soon after surgery".[46]
Nordgreen said that the behavioural differences they found in response to uncomfortable temperatures showed that fish feel both reflexive and cognitive pain.[110] "The experiment shows that fish do not only respond to painful stimuli with reflexes, but change their behavior also after the event," Nordgreen said. "Together with what we know from experiments carried out by other groups, this indicates that the fish consciously perceive the test situation as painful and switch to behaviors indicative of having been through an aversive experience."[110] In 2012, Rose and others reviewed this and further studies which concluded that pain had been found in fish. They concluded that the results from such research are due to poor design and misinterpretation, and that the researchers were unable to distinguish unconscious detection of injurious stimuli (nociception) from conscious pain.[46]
Fish portal
Eating live fish
Ethics of eating meat
Moral status of animals in the ancient world
Pain and suffering in laboratory animals
^ Abbott, F.V., Franklin, K.B.J. and Westbrook, R.F. (1995). "The formalin test: Scoring properties of the first and second phases of the pain response in rats". Pain. 60 (1): 91–102. doi:10.1016/0304-3959(94)00095-V. PMID 7715946. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b c Key, B. (2015). "Fish do not feel pain and its implications for understanding phenomenal consciousness". Biology and Philosophy. 30 (2): 149–165. doi:10.1007/s10539-014-9469-4. PMC 4356734. PMID 25798021.
^ a b Carbone, L. (2004). What Animals Want: Expertise and Advocacy in Laboratory Animal Welfare Policy. Oxford University Press. p. 149. ISBN 9780195161960.
^ Radner, D. & Radner, M. (1989). Animal Consciousness. Prometheus Books: Buffalo.
^ Harrison, P. (1992). "Descartes on animals". The Philosophical Quarterly. 42 (167): 219–227. doi:10.2307/2220217. JSTOR 2220217.
^ "Bentham, J. (1879). An Introduction to the Principles of Morals and Legislation. Clarendon Press.
^ a b Sneddon, L.U. "Can animals feel pain?". The Welcome Trust. Archived from the original on April 13, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
^ a b Rollin, B. (1989). The Unheeded Cry: Animal Consciousness, Animal Pain, and Science. Oxford University Press, pp. xii, 117-118, cited in Carbone 2004, p. 150.
^ Allen, C. (1998). "Assessing animal cognition: Ethological and philosophical perspectives". Journal of Animal Science. 76 (1): 42–47. doi:10.2527/1998.76142x. PMID 9464883.
^ Griffin, D.R. & Speck, G.B. (2004). "New evidence of animal consciousness". Animal Cognition. 7 (1): 5–18. doi:10.1007/s10071-003-0203-x. PMID 14658059.
^ a b Low, P. (July 7, 2012). Jaak Panksepp; Diana Reiss; David Edelman; Bruno Van Swinderen; Philip Low; Christof Koch (eds.). "The Cambridge declaration on consciousness" (PDF). University of Cambridge.
^ Colpaert, F.C., Tarayre, J.P., Alliaga, M., Slot. L.A.B., Attal, N. and Koek, W. (2001). "Opiate self-administration as a measure of chronic nociceptive pain in arthritic rats". Pain. 91 (1–2): 33–45. doi:10.1016/s0304-3959(00)00413-9. PMID 11240076. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Mathews, K., Kronen, P.W., Lascelles, D., Nolan, A., Robertson, S., Steagall, P.V., Wright, B. and Yamashita, K. (2014). "Guidelines for recognition, assessment and treatment of pain". Journal of Small Animal Practice. 55 (6): E10–E68. doi:10.1111/jsap.12200. PMID 24841489. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Chambers, C.T. and Mogil, J.S. (2015). "Ontogeny and phylogeny of facial expression of pain". Pain. 156 (5): 798–799. doi:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000133. PMID 25887392. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Danbury, T.C., Weeks, C.A., Chambers, J.P., Waterman-Pearson, A.E. and Kestin, S.C. (2000). "Self-selection of the analgesic drug carprofen by lame broiler chickens". The Veterinary Record. 146 (11): 307–311. doi:10.1136/vr.146.11.307. PMID 10766114. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Machin, K.L. (2005). "Avian analgesia". Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine. 14 (4): 236–242. doi:10.1053/j.saep.2005.09.004.
^ Paul-Murphy, J. & Hawkins, M.G. (2014). "Chapter 26 - Bird-specific considerations: recognizing pain in pet birds.". In Gaynor, J.S. & Muir III, W. W. (eds.). Handbook of Veterinary Pain Management. Elsevier Health Sciences.
^ Mosley, C.A. (2005). "Anesthesia & Analgesia in reptiles". Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine. 14 (4): 243–262. doi:10.1053/j.saep.2005.09.005.
^ Mosley, C. (2011). "Pain and nociception in reptiles". Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice. 14 (1): 45–60. doi:10.1016/j.cvex.2010.09.009. PMID 21074702.
^ Sladky, K.K. & Mans, C. (2012). "Clinical analgesia in reptiles". Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine. 21 (2): 158–167. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2012.02.012.
^ Machin, K.L. (1999). "Amphibian pain and analgesia". Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 30 (1): 2–10. JSTOR 20095815.
^ Machin, K.L. (2001). "Fish, amphibian, and reptile analgesia". The Veterinary Clinics of North America. Exotic Animal Practice. 4 (1): 19–33. doi:10.1016/S1094-9194(17)30048-8. PMID 11217460.
^ Stevens, C.W. (2011). "Analgesia in amphibians: preclinical studies and clinical applications". Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice. 14 (1): 33–44. doi:10.1016/j.cvex.2010.09.007. PMC 3056481. PMID 21074701.
^ a b c Varner, Gary E. (2012) "Which Animals Are Sentient?" Chapter 5 in: Personhood, Ethics, and Animal Cognition: Situating Animals in Hare's Two Level Utilitarianism, Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199758784. doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199758784.001.0001 The table in the article is based on table 5.2, page 113.
^ Guénette, S.A., Giroux, M.C. and Vachon, P. (2013). "Pain perception and anaesthesia in research frogs". Experimental Animals. 62 (2): 87–92. doi:10.1538/expanim.62.87. PMID 23615302. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Mosley, C. (2006). "Pain, nociception and analgesia in reptiles: when your snake goes 'ouch!'" (PDF). The North American Veterinary Conference. 20: 1652–1653.
^ Coble, D.J., Taylor, D.K. and Mook, D.M. (2011). "Analgesic effects of meloxicam, morphine sulfate, flunixin meglumine, and xylazine hydrochloride in African-clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis)". Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science. 50 (3): 355–60. PMC 3103286. PMID 21640031. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Baker, B.B., Sladky, K.K. and Johnson, S.M. (2011). "Evaluation of the analgesic effects of oral and subcutaneous tramadol administration in red-eared slider turtles". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 238 (2): 220–227. doi:10.2460/javma.238.2.220. PMC 3158493. PMID 21235376. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Andrews, Kristin (2014) The Animal Mind: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Animal Cognition section 3.6.2, Routledge. ISBN 9781317676751.
^ a b Sneddon, L.U. (2004). "Evolution of nociception in vertebrates: comparative analysis of lower vertebrates". Brain Research Reviews. 46 (2): 123–130. doi:10.1016/j.brainresrev.2004.07.007. PMID 15464201.
^ a b Crook, R.J., Dickson, K., Hanlon, R.T. and Walters, E.T. (2014). "Nociceptive sensitization reduces predation risk". Current Biology. 24 (10): 1121–1125. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.03.043. PMID 24814149. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b c Sneddon, L.U., Elwood, R.W., Adamo, S.A. and Leach, M.C. (2014). "Defining and assessing animal pain". Animal Behaviour. 97: 201–212. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.09.007. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b Elwood, R.W., Barr, S. and Patterson, L. (2009). "Pain and stress in crustaceans?". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 118 (3): 128–136. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2009.02.018. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Price, T.J. & Dussor, G. (2014). "Evolution: the advantage of 'maladaptive'pain plasticity". Current Biology. 24 (10): R384–R386. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2014.04.011. PMC 4295114. PMID 24845663.
^ "Maladaptive pain". Oxford Reference. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
^ Safina, C. (2016). "Fish pain: A painful topic". Animal Sentience: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Animal Feeling. 1 (3): 41.
^ a b Huntingford, F.A., Adams, C., Braithwaite, V.A., Kadri, S., Pottinger, T.G., Sandøe, P. and Turnbull, J.F. (2006). "Review paper: Current issues in fish welfare" (PDF). Journal of Fish Biology. 68 (2): 332–372. doi:10.1111/j.0022-1112.2006.001046.x. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b Sneddon, L.U., Braithwaite, V.A. and Gentle, M.J. (2003). "Do fish have nociceptors: Evidence for the evolution of a vertebrate sensory system". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 270 (1520): 1115–1121. doi:10.1098/rspb.2003.2349. PMC 1691351. PMID 12816648. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Sneddon L.U. (2003). "Trigeminal somatosensory innervation of the head of the rainbow trout with particular reference to nociception". Brain Research. 972 (1–2): 44–52. doi:10.1016/s0006-8993(03)02483-1.
^ Ashley, P.J., Sneddon L.U. and McCrohan C.R. (2007). "Nociception in fish: stimulus–response properties of receptors on the head of trout Oncorhynchus mykiss". Brain Research. 1166: 47–54. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2007.07.011. PMID 17673186. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Mettam J.J., McCrohan C.R. & Sneddon L.U. (2011). "Characterisation of chemosensory trigeminal receptors in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): responses to irritants and carbon dioxide". Journal of Experimental Biology. 215 (4): 685–693. doi:10.1242/jeb.060350. PMID 22279076.
^ a b c d Braithwaite, V. (2010). Do Fish Feel Pain?. Oxford University Press.
^ Ashley, P.J., Sneddon, L.U. and McCrohan, C.R. (2006). "Properties of corneal receptors in a teleost fish". Neuroscience Letters. 410 (3): 165–168. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2006.08.047. PMID 17101221. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Sneddon, L.U. (2015). "Pain in aquatic animals". The Journal of Experimental Biology. 218 (7): 967–976. doi:10.1242/jeb.088823. PMID 25833131.
^ a b c d e Correia, A.D., Cunha, S.R., Scholze, M. and Stevens, E.D. (2011). "A novel behavioral fish model of nociception for testing analgesics". Pharmaceuticals. 4 (4): 665–680. doi:10.3390/ph4040665. PMC 4055884. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b c d e f g h i j k Rose, J.D., Arlinghaus, R., Cooke, S.J., Diggles, B.K., Sawynok, W., Stevens, E.D. and Wynne, C.D.L. (2012). "Can fish really feel pain?" (PDF). Fish and Fisheries. 15 (1): 97–133. doi:10.1111/faf.12010. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Sneddon, L.U. (2002). "Anatomical and electrophysiological analysis of the trigeminal nerve of the rainbow trout, Onchorynchus mykiss". Neuroscience Letters. 319 (3): 167–171. doi:10.1016/S0304-3940(01)02584-8. PMID 11834319.
^ Snow, P.J., Plenderleith, M.B. and Wright L.L. (1993). "Quantitative study of primary sensory neurone populations of three species of elasmobranch fish". Journal of Comparative Neurology. 334 (1): 97–103. doi:10.1002/cne.903340108. PMID 8408762. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Braithwaite, V.A. & Boulcott, P. (2007). "Pain perception, aversion and fear in fish" (PDF). Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 75 (2): 131–138. doi:10.3354/dao075131. PMID 17578252.
^ a b c Weber, E.S. (2011). "Fish analgesia: pain, stress, fear aversion, or nociception?". Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice. 14 (1): 21–32. doi:10.1016/j.cvex.2010.09.002. PMID 21074700.
^ a b c Sneddon, L.U. (2009). "Pain perception in fish: indicators and endpoints". ILAR Journal. 50 (4): 338–342. doi:10.1093/ilar.50.4.338. PMID 19949250.
^ Dunlop, R. & Laming, P. (2005). "Mechanoreceptive and nociceptive responses in the central nervous system of goldfish (Carassius auratus) and trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)". The Journal of Pain. 6 (9): 561–568. doi:10.1016/j.jpain.2005.02.010. PMID 16139775.
^ a b Reilly, S.C., Quinn, J.P., Cossins, A.R. and Sneddon L.U. (2008). "Novel candidate genes identified in the brain during nociception in common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)". Neuroscience Letters. 437 (2): 135–138. doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2008.03.075. PMID 18440145. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Posner, L.P. (2009). "Pain and distress in fish: A review of the evidence". ILAR Journal. 50 (4): 327–328. doi:10.1093/ilar.50.4.327. PMID 19949248.
^ Ludvigsen, S., Stenklev, N.C., Johnsen, H.K., Laukli, E., Matre, D. and Aas-Hansen, Ø. (2014). "Evoked potentials in the Atlantic cod following putatively innocuous and putatively noxious electrical stimulation: a minimally invasive approach". Fish Physiology and Biochemistry. 40 (1): 173–181. doi:10.1007/s10695-013-9834-2. PMC 3901938. PMID 23896862. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b Brown, C. (2015). "Fish intelligence, sentience and ethics". Animal Cognition. 18 (1): 1–17. doi:10.1007/s10071-014-0761-0. PMID 24942105.
^ Sneddon, L.U.; Leach, M.C. (2016). "Anthropomorphic denial of fish pain". Animal Sentience: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Animal Feeling. 1 (3): 28.
^ Sneddon, L.U. (2011). "Pain perception in fish evidence and implications for the use of fish". Journal of Consciousness Studies. 18 (9): 209–229.
^ Buatti, M.C. & Pasternak, G.W. (1981). "Multiple opiate receptors: phylogenetic differences". Brain Research. 218 (1–2): 400–405. doi:10.1016/0006-8993(81)91319-6. PMID 6268247.
^ Velasco, E.M.F., Law, P.Y. and Rodriguez, R.E. (2009). "Mu opioid receptor from the zebrafish exhibits functional characteristics as those of mammalian Mu opioid receptor". Zebrafish. 6 (3): 259–268. doi:10.1089/zeb.2009.0594. PMID 19761379. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Viñuela-Fernández I, Jones E, Welsh EM, Fleetwood-Walker SM (September 2007). "Pain mechanisms and their implication for the management of pain in farm and companion animals". Vet. J. 174 (2): 227–39. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2007.02.002. PMID 17553712.
^ Sneddon, L.U. (2012). "Clinical Anesthesia & Analgesia in fish". Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine. 21: 32–43. doi:10.1053/j.jepm.2011.11.009.
^ a b Jones, S.G., Kamunde, C., Lemke, K. and Stevens, E.D. (2012). "The dose-response relation for the antinociceptive effect of morphine in a fish, rainbow trout". Journal of Veterinary Pharmacological Therapy. 35 (6): 563–570. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2885.2011.01363.x. PMID 22229842. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b Sneddon, L.U. (2003). "The evidence for pain in fish: The use of morphine as an analgesic". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 83 (2): 153–162. doi:10.1016/s0168-1591(03)00113-8.
^ Nordgreen, J., Joseph, P., Garner, J.P., Janczak, A.M., Ranheim, B., Muir, W.M. and Horsberg, T.E. (2009). "Thermonociception in fish: Effects of two different doses of morphine on thermal threshold and post-test behaviour in goldfish (Carassius auratus)". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 119 (1–2): 101–107. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2009.03.015. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b Broom, D.M. (2007). "Cognitive ability and sentience: Which aquatic animals should be protected?" (PDF). Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 75 (2): 99–108. doi:10.3354/dao075099. PMID 17578249.
^ Mettam, J.J., Oulton, L.J., McCrohan, C.R. and Sneddon, L.U. (2011). "The efficacy of three types of analgesic drugs in reducing pain in the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 133 (3): 265–274. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2011.06.009. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b c Wolkers, C.P.B., Junior, B.A., Menescal-de-Oliveira, L. and Hoffmann, A. (2013). "Stress-induced antinociception in fish reversed by naloxone". PLOS ONE. 8 (7): e71175. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...871175W. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071175. PMC 3728202. PMID 23936261. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b Steenbergen, P.J. & Bardine, N. (2014). "Antinociceptive effects of buprenorphine in zebrafish larvae: An alternative for rodent models to study pain and nociception?". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 152: 92–99. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2013.12.001.
^ Ehrensing, R.H., Michell, G.F. and Kastin, A.J. (1982). "Similar antagonism of morphine analgesia by MIF-1 and naloxone in Carassius auratus". Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 17 (4): 757–761. doi:10.1016/0091-3057(82)90358-6. PMID 6129644. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Chervova, L.S. & Lapshin, D.N. (2000). "Opioid modulation of pain threshold in fish". Doklady Biological Sciences. 375 (1): 590–591. doi:10.1023/a:1026681519613.
^ a b c Eckroth, J.R., Aas-Hansen, Ø., Sneddon, L.U., Bichão, H. and Døving, K.B. (2014). "Physiological and behavioural responses to noxious stimuli in the Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua)". PLOS ONE. 9 (6): e100150. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9j0150E. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0100150. PMC 4061104. PMID 24936652. CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
^ Grandin, T. (2015). "Chapter 2 - The importance of measurement to improve the welfare of livestock, poultry, and fish.". In Grandin T. (ed.). Improving Animal Welfare: A Practical Approach.
^ Reilly, S.C., Quinn, J.P., Cossins, A.R. and Sneddon, L.U. (2008). "Behavioural analysis of a nociceptive event in fish: Comparisons between three species demonstrate specific responses". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 114 (1): 248–259. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2008.01.016. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Roques, J.A.C., Abbink, W., Geurds, F., van de Vis, H. and Flik, G. (2010). "Tailfin clipping, a painful procedure: Studies on Nile tilapia and common carp". Physiology & Behavior. 101 (4): 533–540. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.08.001. PMID 20705079. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Dunayer, Joan, "Fish: Sensitivity Beyond the Captor's Grasp," The Animals' Agenda, July/August 1991, pp. 12-18
^ "Animal Cognition". 2015-04-22. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
^ Dunlop, R., Millsopp, S. and Laming, P. (2006). "Avoidance learning in goldfish (Carassius auratus) and trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and implications for pain perception". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 97 (2): 255–271. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2005.06.018. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ a b Millsopp, S. & Laming, P. (2007). "Trade-offs between feeding and shock avoidance in goldfish (Carassius auratus)". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 113 (1–3): 247–254. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2007.11.004.
^ a b Sneddon L.U., Braithwaite V.A. & Gentle M.J. (2003). "Novel object test: Examining pain and fear in the rainbow trout". The Journal of Pain. 4 (8): 431–440. doi:10.1067/S1526-5900(03)00717-X.
^ Ashley, P.J., Ringrose, S., Edwards, K.L., Wallington, E., McCrohan, C.R. and Sneddon, L.U. (2009). "Effect of noxious stimulation upon antipredator responses and dominance status in rainbow trout". Animal Behaviour. 77 (2): 403–410. doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.10.015. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Broom, D.M. (2001). "Evolution of pain" (PDF). Vlaams Diergeneeskundig Tijdschrift. 70 (1): 17–21.
^ a b Brown, Culum (2016). "Fish pain: an inconvenient truth". Animal Sentience: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Animal Feeling. 1 (3): 32.
^ Cooke, S.J. & Sneddon L.U. (2007). "Animal welfare perspectives on recreational angling". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 104 (3–4): 176–198. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.630.459. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.09.002.
^ Leake, J. (March 14, 2004). "Anglers to Face RSPCA Check". The Sunday Times. Retrieved September 15, 2015.
^ Diggles, B.K. (2016). "Fish pain: Would it change current best practice in the real world?". Animal Sentience: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Animal Feeling. 1 (3): 35.
^ Sneddon, L.U. (2006). "Ethics and welfare: Pain perception in fish". Bull. Eur. Assoc. Fish. Pathol. 26 (1): 6–10.
^ a b Skiftesvik, Anne Berit; Browman, Howard I; Watson, Craig A; Arlinghaus, Robert; Cooke, Steven J; Cowx, Ian G; Derbyshire, Stuart W G; Kasumyan, Alexander; Key, Brian; Rose, James D; Schwab, Alexander; Stevens, E Don (2018). "Welfare of aquatic animals: where things are, where they are going, and what it means for research, aquaculture, recreational angling, and commercial fishing". ICES Journal of Marine Science. 76 (1): 82–92. doi:10.1093/icesjms/fsy067. ISSN 1054-3139.
^ "Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986" (PDF). Home Office (UK). Retrieved September 23, 2015.
^ "Animal Welfare Act 2006". UK Government. 2006. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
^ "U.S.C. Title 7 - AGRICULTURE".
^ "Animals in research". neavs. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
^ Henriksen, S., Vaagland, H., Sundt-Hansen, L., May, R. and Fjellheim, A. (2003). "Consequences of pain perception in fish for catch and release, aquaculture and commercial fisheries" (PDF). CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Rose, J.D. (2002). "The neurobehavioral nature of fishes and the question of awareness and pain" (PDF). Reviews in Fisheries Science. 10 (1): 1–38. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.598.8119. doi:10.1080/20026491051668. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-10-10.
^ Rose, J.D. (2002). "Do fish feel pain?". Retrieved September 27, 2007.
^ "Fish do feel pain, scientists say". BBC News. 30 April 2003. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
^ a b Grandin, T. & Johnson, C. (2005). Animals in Translation. New York: Scribner. pp. 183–184. ISBN 978-0-7432-4769-6.
^ Rose, J.D. (2003) A Critique of the paper: "Do fish have nociceptors: Evidence for the evolution of a vertebrate sensory system" Archived 2008-11-19 at the Wayback Machine In: Information Resources on Fish Welfare 1970-2003, Animal Welfare Information Resources No. 20. H. E. Erickson, Ed., U. S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD. Pp. 49-51.
^ Key, B. (2016). "Why fish do not feel pain". Animal Sentience: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Animal Feeling. 1 (3): 1.
^ "Fish lack the brains to feel pain, says the latest school of thought". The Telegraph. February 10, 2003.
^ Rose, J.D. (2007). "Anthropomorphism and 'mental welfare' of fishes". Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 75 (2): 139–154. doi:10.3354/dao075139. PMID 17578253.
^ Sneddon, L.U. (August 28, 2012). "Pain perception in fish: Why critics cannot accept the scientific evidence for fish pain" (PDF). Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
^ Derbyshire, S.W. (2016). "Fish lack the brains and the psychology for pain". Animal Sentience: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Animal Feeling. 1 (3): 18.
^ Woodruff, M. (2017). "Consciousness in teleosts: There is something it feels like to be a fish". Animal Sentience: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Animal Feeling. 2 (13): 1.
^ Woodruff, M. (2018). "Sentience in fishes: More on the evidence". Animal Sentience: An Interdisciplinary Journal on Animal Feeling. 3 (13): 16.
^ Feinberg, T. E. and Mallatt, J. M. (2016). The ancient origins of consciousness: how the brain created experience. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
^ Newby, N.C. & Stevens, E.D. (2008). "The effects of the acetic acid "pain" test on feeding, swimming and respiratory responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 114 (1): 260–269. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2007.12.006.
^ Sneddon, L.U. (2009). "The effects of the acetic acid "pain" test on feeding, swimming, and respiratory responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): A critique on Newby and Stevens (2008)". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 116 (1): 96–97. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2008.07.006.
^ Newby, N.C. & Stevens, E.D. (2009). "The effects of the acetic acid "pain" test on feeding, swimming, and respiratory responses of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): A critique on Newby and Stevens (2008) — response". Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 116 (1): 97–99. doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2008.07.009.
^ a b "Fish may actually feel pain and react to it much like humans". Purdue University. April 29, 2009.
Fish pain
"Science Shows Fish Feel Pain". Marc Bekoff. Huffington Post. 2015-12-29.
"Do Fish Feel Pain? The Debate Continues". Marc Lallanilla. LiveScience.
Animal language
Cognitive bias in animals
Comparative cognition
Elephant cognition
Emotion in animals
Mirror test
Neuroethology
Primate cognition
Tool use by animals
Vocal learning
Cetacean
Hominid
Pain in amphibians
Pain in animals
Pain in cephalopods
Pain in crustaceans
Pain in invertebrates
Relation to brain
Brain size
Brain-to-body mass ratio
Encephalization quotient
Neuroscience and intelligence
Number of neurons
About fish
Ethnoichthyology
Diseases and parasites
Fish as food
Fear of fish
Hypoxia in fish
Anatomy and
Fish anatomy
Fish physiology
Age determination
Anguilliformity
intramembranous ossification
Cleithrum
Chromatophore
dorsal fin
branchial arch
gill slit
pharyngeal arch
pharyngeal slit
pseudobranch
Glossohyal
hyomandibula
pharyngeal jaw
Leydig's organ
Mauthner cell
Meristics
papillare
Root effect
ganoine
Spiral valve
Suckermouth
physoclisti
physostome
pharyngeal teeth
Teleost leptins
Sensory systems in fish
Ampullae of Lorenzini
Hydrodynamic reception
Electrocommunication
Electroreception
Jamming avoidance response
Lateral line
Otolith
Passive electrolocation
Capacity for pain
Schreckstoff
Surface wave detection
Weberian apparatus
Fish reproduction
Bubble nest
Clasper
Egg case
Fish development
Ichthyoplankton
Juvenile fish
Life history theory
Mouthbrooder
Polyandry in fish
Sequential hermaphroditism
Fish locomotion
Fin and flipper locomotion
Amphibious fish
Walking fish
Undulatory locomotion
Tradeoffs for locomotion in air and water
RoboTuna
Aquatic predation
Aquatic respiration
Bait ball
Cleaner fish
Corallivory
Diel vertical migration
Electric fish
Forage fish
Migrating fish
Paedophagy
Predatory fish
Scale eaters
Sleep in fish
Venomous fish
Fish intelligence
Demersal
Euryhaline
Salmonids
Demersal fish
lampreys
chimaeras
spiny-finned
fleshy-finned
Aquarium life
Blind fish
Fish common names
Fish families
Glossary of ichthyology
Large fish
Abandoned pets
Blood sports
Eating live animals
Eating live seafood
Intensive animal farming
Overview of discretionary invasive procedures on animals
Puppy mill
Abnormal behaviours in animals
Animal psychopathology
Animal welfare science
Behavioral enrichment
Ethical omnivorism
Intrinsic value (animal ethics)
Rescue group
Pain in nonhuman animals
Grimace scale (animals)
Animal welfare organizations
Animal welfare organizations by country
Animal welfare (journal)
International Society for Applied Ethology
List of animal welfare groups
UFAW
Indian National Kennel Club
Animal-welfare scholars
Jonathan Balcombe
Michael Balls
Patrick Bateson
Marian Dawkins
Alistair Lawrence
Clare Palmer
Chris Sherwin
Colin Spedding
D. G. M. Wood-Gush
Animal advocacy parties
Animal killing
Animal welfare and rights legislation
Animal welfare and rights by country
Dishes involving the consumption of live animals
People associated with animal welfare
Religious considerations
Dhabihah
Jhatka
Tza'ar ba'alei chayim
Rituals and festivals
Cock throwing
Combat de Reines
Frog jumping contest
Gadhimai festival
Goat throwing
Goose pulling
Kapparot
Lychee and Dog Meat Festival
Monkey Buffet Festival
October Horse
Pushkar Camel Fair
Rapa das Bestas of Sabucedo
Running of the Bulls
Surin Elephant Round-up
Toro embolado
Woollybear Festival
Animal testing regulations
Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (UK)
Animal Welfare Act 1999 (NZ)
Animal Welfare Act of 1966 (US)
EU Directive 2010/63/EU (EU)
EU Directive 1999/74/EC (EU)
Horse Protection Act of 1970 (US)
Hunting Act 2004 (US)
Philippine Animal Welfare Act 1998 (Philippines)
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_in_fish
ISSA/Grace Kennedy Boys & Girls Athletics Championships
Blame Bruce and Gang
Caribbean Jokes – funny stuff
A million Jamaicans 4 change a yawd
Yow, check this out…
KC and Edwin Allen win Boys & Girls Champs
World Cup 2019 Draw puts Reggae Girlz in Brazil’s group.
Buju Banton deh pon street again after release December 07, 2018
© Yowlink 2009 -
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4139
|
__label__wiki
| 0.780738
| 0.780738
|
The Circle Game – The Affair: Season 4 Episode 2
in The Affair
by Lindsay Stamhuis June 25, 2018, 3:00 pm
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
That seems to be the motto for Cole Lockhart, perennially lovelorn in the wake of his divorce from Alison. Even though he has Luisa, and a successful business, and the McMansion on the beach, he can’t seem to shake it. The past lingers in Montauk, and he can’t tear himself away. And neither can Alison, it seems, who struggles with single motherhood while holding down a full-time job as a peer-to-peer counsellor for parents who have lost children, something that Cole can’t understand.
“I would hardly call what you’re doing ‘moving on,'” he tells her. “If you were truly trying to move on, you wouldn’t be spending all your time with people who reminded you of Gabriel.”
Fair point. But neither Cole nor Alison is prepared to close the door fully on the past they’ve walked through.
Or maybe that’s the point — maybe it’s not even possible to.
Before the episode begins, we see Cole and Noah, once again at the roadside gas station where we left them at the beginning of the first episode last week. A third man has joined their apparent search party. Is he part of their journey to find Alison? Is he a hitcher they picked up on the way? We don’t get answers. It’s a thirty-second glimpse into a world we don’t know enough about yet, but the withering glances between Noah and Cole are intriguing, even if they are exactly the same withering glances they’ve always shared. I can’t be the only person excited to see where this story goes.
But let’s move on to the episode.
Part 1 is from Cole’s perspective:
Montauk beaches are crowded and Cole is unhappy. Not only is his preferred break under assault by the throngs of tourists that have descended on Montauk as they do every summer, but he’s now over the hill; younger surfers with longer hair hit him with their boards and call him “Grandpa” on their way out into the water. It’s hard not to read this as a bit of a projection on Cole’s part. He knows he’s not the young stud he once was, the guy who used to own the beach back when he and Alison were young. His insecurities about this (and everything else) plague him.
The thrust of the plot here is Cole and Alison’s joint ownership of the Lobster Roll. They have the opportunity to franchise, and in spite of an attractive offer from a group of investors, Cole is saddled with guilt over his decision. Does he sell and become a millionaire? Or does he keep it as the Montauk institution he fought so hard to protect?
It doesn’t help that Alison is basically a no-show for both meetings with these investors — first at the Lobster Roll itself, where she shows up 45 minutes late and unkempt, and later at a fancy dinner, where she doesn’t show up at all. He resents her carefree manner, the way she shirks her responsibility here, leaving him with the decision. But even though he’s mad as hell at her, and in spite of the presence of his charming wife — who learned Mandarin to impress the investors and has even managed to woo them into offering her a FOH hospitality job at a swank Miami hotel which would be part of the package if Cole accepts their $2.1 million dollar buyout of his restaurant — he’s still looking for Alison. He’s always going to be looking for Alison.
This is the central tension between them: Cole believes himself to be a sympathetic hero to his wife, but he’s also tremendously selfish. Sure, he has his moments to shine in this episode, but he’s also…kind of a dick. After Luisa is pulled over for driving Cole’s Jeep (which, incidentally, had just suffered a broken taillight after being backed into on the beach) and her undocumented status rises from the depths, Cole steps up to comfort her. Luisa’s fear is palpable and even though she is eventually let off the hook — the cop who pulled them over gets called away and lets her go with a warning — her own insecurities pile on to Cole’s in a way that so clearly mirrors how Noah and Helen’s marriage dissolved in Season 1; he acts like an inconsiderate prat. I never thought I would say this about Luisa (because I didn’t like the way her character developed over the course of Season 3) but she deserves better than to be yelled at while she’s crying in their kitchen that night after dinner — over her immigration status, the way her life has stalled, how dependent she is on Cole for everything, and how worried she is that Cole is going to leave her for Alison at the drop of a hat. And with the way Cole has been lingering on the edge of Alison’s life all these years (and don’t forget, he already slept with Alison once since marrying Luisa) I can’t say that her fears are unfounded.
When Cole leaves in a huff to go for a walk on the beach and encounters the surfers at the bonfire, I thought I knew where this was going. Just like Noah, he was going to flirt with the pretty young blonde perched on the driftwood with the beer in her hand; the guy with insecurities over his fading youth was going to get the jolt he needed from a late night rendezvous on the beaches of coastal New York. That doesn’t happen, and I think the show is better for it. His impotent rage upon waking up to find his wallet stolen and dicks drawn on his face is tempered only by the realization that he’s become what he hates.
“Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want to sell the Lobster Roll? That I don’t want to become part of the establishment?” Cole asks Alison as he jumpstarts her car the next morning.
Alison chuckles. “You drive a Jeep, you built a mansion on the water, you tip like a fucking banker. You are the establishment.”
Check. Mate.
It’s funny to consider Cole morphing into Noah, but I’m also intrigued by the idea that all the self-righteous anger that he’s been walking around with for the last 8 years or so is going to lead to this inevitability. Cole has always been the most sympathetic character of the original four, but here the sheen is tarnished. I really like where this is going.
Alison’s version of the same events shows us one of two things: either Cole’s imagining of his ex-wife as a careless and immature woman is way off base, or Alison views herself as a saint. And like most of the characterization changes in the plot over the last three seasons, I suspect the truth (if it matters at all) is somewhere in between. But we learn a few things about Alison and what she’s been up to in the last two years. She’s still counselling grieving parents at the facility that she checked herself into between Season 2 and Season 3; she’s studying to become a therapist. It seems she’s pretty good at her job but her situational awareness is lacking — after counselling a young mother to consider leaving her children’s father because he’s become abusive and dangerous, she continues a flirtation with Ben (Ramon Rodriguez) in her office and doesn’t clue in that the woman’s clearly unstable husband is pretending to be her next client. When he assaults her in her office, it’s Ben who leaps to the rescue.
Such is the case for Alison, who has always been one of my faves — I truly think she and Cole were beset by tragedy and bad luck and that they didn’t deserve what happened to them — but who has always managed to find herself stumbling into danger and miraculously getting pulled out at the last minute. Whether it’s Noah deflecting suspicion of her involvement in Scotty’s death in Season 1/2, or Cole intervening to help her get Joanie back in Season 3, Alison hasn’t had a moment to really shine and take the reins of these situations herself. She’s a passive player in her own life.
But perhaps this is also the point of her retelling: it was clear that in the moment that she was being attacked, her senses failed her. We don’t hear anything until Ben is on top of Tony, and Alison doesn’t move or seem to react until long after the danger has passed. As Ben explains his past as a Marine and his experiences with PTSD, Alison understands; she’s been there. Maybe a part of her is still there. Maybe she’ll always be there.
I feel for Alison. She’s presented as complex and simple at once. She wants to be better, and in her retelling she is trying so hard to do that, for herself as well as for her daughter, to make their lives better too. But you can’t help but wonder if she’s also doing it to prove (to whom? everyone? herself?) that she’s not the colossal screw-up Cole and Noah and everyone else thinks she is. Season 3 spent a lot of time rehabilitating Alison for the apparently cardinal sin of leaving Joanie with Cole, her actual biological father, in order to seek help for her mental illness. We should all be so lucky to be mothered by people who care as much about their own health as they do about ours. Yet she was pilloried by Cole and Luisa for most of the season for this choice.
And it’s not like no one knew she was unwell; her self-harm dates back to Season 1, where she told Noah outright about it (and Cole must have known, too.) But Alison is never truly let off the hook the way Luisa is. She might have people swooping in to save her from her life, but she’s never truly been saved by any of them in the end. And that’s because she’s bought into her own characterization. She’s not a dingbat college co-ed the way Cole sees her (it’s a role he seems oh-so-willing to cast her in, too, which likely speaks to his desires as much as her actual impression on him); she’s not a flighty basket case the way she thinks Noah sees her (because that’s what Cole told her last season — wow, Cole is kind of a jerk, isn’t he?); and she’s not simply a heartless homewrecker the way Helen and the Solloway kids likely see her, either. But to Alison she is absolutely all of those things, and no matter what she does, she’ll never be better. How demoralizing.
Now I’m wondering just how Ben is going to project himself onto her, and what scars she’s going to be left with at the end of this season because of him. No wonder she freezes like a deer in the headlights when his offer of help comes along. I’m waiting for the moment when Alison does manage to rise to the occasion and save herself for once. I don’t know where she is or why Cole and Noah are looking for her, but a part of me hopes she’s okay and that they never find her, that she’s finally managed to get off the merry-go-round that continually takes her (and everyone else on this show) past the same things, the same places, over and over again until they’re right back where they started.
Post Script:
Luisa’s immigration issue is so timely, considering everything that’s happening in the news these days.
Okay but…seriously? The Lobster Roll rebranding strategy was a joke and Alison had every right to laugh at it, so Cole can take a long hike off a short pier for getting mad at her over that.
Cole’s portrayal of Alison is so unfair and that has to be purposeful. Is he so angry with her still that he can’t see that she’s trying to better herself? Or is he just that cosmically obsessed with her that he can’t help but paint her as looming large over his life? (Interesting to note that while Cole is unable to forget Alison, he hardly plays a role in her life; his rejoinder about her inability to move on begins to sound a little like the gentlemen protesting too much…)
“The Mayor of Montauk”. This is where Cole has been headed ever since he objected to then-owner Oscar Hodges’ plan to turn the Lobster Roll into an entertainment venue, complete with bowling alley. Remember his impassioned plea at the town council meeting early in Season 1? This is Cole’s destiny, and he’s only just realized it.
The biggest issue in The Affair has always been the way that two people can misremember the same event. It’s come up before, and it seems to happen a lot with Cole — he doesn’t remember that he dropped Joanie off at school with Alison, and instead recalls accosting one of the surfers from the beach the night before outside the Lobster Roll. My biggest fear is that this is a subtle plant for a later storyline in which Cole has a brain tumour that affects his memory and then he dies, because I’ve clearly watched One Week a little too often…#GordDownie #NotOverIt #TooSoon
Did Alison and Ben meet in the same restaurant where Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) and Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) have supper, and where Tommy convinces Greg to perform his monologue, in The Disaster Artist?
Is it possible that Joanie actually is Noah’s daughter and not Cole’s? She looks nothing like Gabriel in the side-by-side photos of the two of them on Alison’s desk, despite both children having the same parents…
Since when is Joshua Jackson old enough to be called Grandpa?!!
Written by Lindsay Stamhuis
Lindsay Stamhuis is a writer and English teacher who also moonlights as 25YL Site's Executive Editor and Style Manager. In addition to editing and writing about TV and Film, she is the co-host of The Bicks Pod, a podcast currently deep-diving into the collected works of William Shakespeare. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta with her partner Aidan, their three cats, and a potted pothos that refuses to grow more than one vine.
alison lockhartcole lockhartmontaukthe affair
More From: The Affair
Something’s Lost, But Something’s Gained: The Affair — Season 4 Episode 10
by Lindsay Stamhuis August 20, 2018, 3:00 pm
She Weaves a Pattern All Her Own: The Affair – Season 4 Episode 9
Let These Walls Come Tumbling Down: The Affair – Season 4 Episode 8
by Lindsay Stamhuis August 6, 2018, 3:00 pm
While She Was Somewhere Being Free: The Affair – Season 4 Episode 7
by Lindsay Stamhuis July 30, 2018, 3:00 pm
Fiction of the Clay Feet and the Shining Armour — The Affair: Season 4 Episode 6
Aging Children, I Am One — The Affair: Season 4 Episode 5
I’ve Been to Sea Before — The Affair: Season 4 Episode 4
Golden Orbs, Time Travel, and Poem-Reciting Woodsmen
Questioning the nature of our (televisual) reality: Westworld and consciousness
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4140
|
__label__cc
| 0.552591
| 0.447409
|
Spotlight on: Christopher Meeks
Published by: White Whisker Books
In A Death in Vegas, the president of BenBugs, a company that specializes in beneficial bugs for organic gardening, discovers a young woman dead in his Las Vegas hotel suite. She had worked as a sexy lady bug at his convention booth — and he had nothing to do with her death. While that’s being investigated, the FBI raids his booth on a money-laundering scam that he knows nothing about, either. Soon, the coroner doesn’t have good news. The police and FBI are against him—and his wife cannot be found. He flees to find the answers.
PRAISE FOR A DEATH IN VEGAS:
“With his tongue planted firmly in cheek, Christopher Meeks spins a charming and surprisingly sexy tale of murder, betrayal, and the importance of beneficial insects.”
– Mark Haskell Smith, author of Baked and Raw: A Love Story
“I've never, ever wanted to go to Vegas. I don't care if what happens there, stays there. But Christopher Meeks makes me want to go so I can find out who done it. A fun, exciting read, with Chris's usual wonderful writing and great sense of humor.“
– Jessica Barksdale Inclan, author of Her Daughter's Eyes and How to Bake a Man
“Christopher Meeks had me at page three. I couldn’t wait to find out how Patton Burch was going to explain the naked body he woke up to in his Las Vegas hotel room – first to the cops and then to his wife.”
– Sam Sattler, Book Chase
Under the hotel’s sheets, hands on his chest the way the dearly departed lay, Patton Burch blinked into the void of the ceiling, staring past it to the night before. He smiled. After drinking too much the previous evening, he had still remained the gentleman—except in his dreams where he’d made love to Chatterley. Should he feel guilty? Probably.
He turned. The other side of the bed was now empty. He’d slept so well, best in months, that he hadn’t heard her get up. The sound of the hotel’s shower, gentle as a rain, swept into the room. Chatterley’s clothes, which she’d slept in, lay as if hastily discarded on the floor. What if she was feeling better, amorous, even? He pictured her showering, comfortable in her body that men craned their necks for. The truth of the situation was that he was now sober, and she was young, vulnerable. The last thing she needed was an older guy taking advantage of her.
Patton lifted the sheets and saw his boxers were on. He didn’t remember getting out of his clothes. He did remember how Chatterley had trouble breathing last night, and between the drinking and another shot from her inhaler—a bronchial dilator, she called it—she’d been feeling sick again. She’d thought that strange. “I sometimes get shaky after using it,” she said. “It’s like having too much coffee, but I’ve never felt nauseous like this.” She wanted to close her eyes for a few minutes, so he’d offered his bed. “Thank you,” she said. “I just need to relax and catch my breath.”
That led to her falling deeply asleep on his bed. He let her be. He’d mixed himself another gin gimlet and watched a Star Trek rerun. Captain Picard was on a planet where he had a wife and family. He wasn’t a starship captain anymore but worked as an iron weaver, and no one believed him that there was a space vessel called the Enterprise. He came to love and accept his new family and let go of his past life.
After that, Patton had been too tired and dizzy to stay up. He remembered checking on Chatterley in the bedroom, hearing her breathe steadily and easily. He’d thought he’d just lie on the bed in his clothes, but here he was under the covers. He wasn’t used to drinking, but it was Vegas. Ah, the fantasy of it all: a woman like her in bed with him. But he had to let her go. He loved his wife—and he wasn’t like his father.
He could still smell grapefruit on the sheets. When he was a kid and even skinnier, for breakfast his mother would painstakingly cut each section of grapefruit halves for her family. Each pulpy chunk, cut from its heart wall, could easily be scooped up carousel fashion, one by one, and the sour sweet juice could be slurped. He loved that smell. In his dreams, there was something so pure and innocent about Chatterley’s small tight frame, naked and fruity, that their lovemaking seemed as fun as the first time he’d floated down a freshly snowed hill on a sled. In dreams, we get what we need.
Chatterley was showering now. Maybe he should step out and let her have some privacy. He sat bolt upright. Was his wife due in this morning? No. Maybe tomorrow. He held his chest, feeling the pounding of his heart. Calm down. Nothing had happened. As he thought about the situation more, it wasn’t as if he told Tess everything he did anyway. He’d snuck out to a few afternoon movies over the years and never mentioned them, and she certainly never asked. People could never be completely transparent to their mates.
The shower was completely steady sounding. He sat up, frowning. When someone’s in a shower, movement makes the sound vary. Wasn’t Chatterley in it? Patton turned his head toward the bathroom door. It was open. That’s why the sound was so loud. “Chatterley?” he said. No answer.
He swung his legs over the side and stood. They hadn’t closed the thick curtains against the daylight, so the western light, filtered by rare cloud cover, gave the beachscapes on the walls color. Outside, the gentle clay-colored hills far to the west looked flat. Considering that nothing green grew naturally in this area, Las Vegas was an unnatural place for a Lawn and Garden show, but this show was the biggest.
On her side of the bed on the floor, Chatterley’s purse was upside down with everything in it spread out, including a few coins, her friend Faith’s keychain, and a few panty shields. It was as if she had been desperate for something. Perhaps she’d merely kicked it accidentally. Then he saw her inhaler was in two parts: a small aerosol can and the blue plastic part that the can fit in. He picked up the can. It was empty. She must’ve been looking for another. Why hadn’t she awakened him to help?
He strode into the steamy bathroom. “Chatterley?”
The room had both a large whirlpool bathtub for two and a separate shower with a glass door. She wasn’t in either, though the shower was still on, pouring out steamy water. How could she leave it on? He turned it off, and the silence made her absence that much more profound. Did she step into the living room for a moment? Perhaps she’d put on a hotel robe and zipped to the pool. But without a suit? She could be topless in her panties, and the guests would love it. It was Vegas. She had beautiful breasts.
He could hear the air conditioner, a wide unit wedged into the wall near floor level in the living room, with its fan on high. As he moved toward the room, he was freezing with only his shorts on.
He stepped into the living room and saw her, near the Stratocaster, crouched naked on her knees before the long wide air conditioner. Her hands outstretched like a swimmer scooping the cool air. It looked erotic. “There you are,” he finally said, wondering about her intentions. He really couldn’t act on them. “Are you really that hot? Are you okay?”
She didn’t move. Was she asleep? Her head, between her arms, rested on the thick carpet. “Chatterley?” he said and kneeled down to her level. He touched her to wake her, and his first thought was she shouldn’t have been in front of the air conditioner so long because her skin felt downright cold. He shook her. “Chatterley.” She splayed onto her side. Her eyes were open. She didn’t appear to breathe. She stared skyward as if frozen in surprise.
Christopher Meeks has four novels and two collections of short fiction published. His most recent novel before this was the acclaimed thriller, Blood Drama. His novel, The Brightest Moon of the Century, made the list of three book critics’ Ten Best Book of 2009. Love at Absolute Zero also made three Best Books lists of 2011, as well as earning a ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Finalist award. He has had stories published in several literary journals, and they have been included in the collections Months and Seasons and The Middle-Aged Man and the Sea. Mr. Meeks has had three full-length plays mounted in Los Angeles, and one, Who Lives? had been nominated for five Ovation Awards, Los Angeles’ top theatre prize. Mr. Meeks teaches English and fiction writing at Santa Monica College, and Children’s Literature at the Art Center College of Design. To read more of his books visit his website.
Catch Up With the Author:
Labels: A Death in Vegas, Christopher Meeks, mystery
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4145
|
__label__cc
| 0.721119
| 0.278881
|
Golf and Travel
Weekends at Home
Weekend Wanderlust
Our Media Kit
Travel Bloggers Influencer Network
E-Mail Us – [email protected]
A Brit and A Southerner
Home Luxembourg What to Do in Luxembourg? 5 Awesome Landmarks!
What to Do in Luxembourg? 5 Awesome Landmarks!
Share on Social...
Europe is blessed to have a number of countries that immediately attracts visitors from all corners of the globe. From Paris to London to Rome to Berlin, the history throughout the continent of Europe is endless. However, what about the lesser known nations that frequently are forgotten? Countries such as Andorra, San Marino, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg are nations that are unlikely to be top of many bucket lists. Spending time in two of these smaller countries has now proven that they are extremely worthwhile. Having already visited Liechtenstein, our attention switched to Luxembourg. ‘What to do in Luxembourg’ is the million dollar question that you every right to ask!
Hopefully, after reading this post, you will be able to answer this question and perhaps you will be inspired to add this nation to your next European adventure. Regardless of your future travel plans, I hope you will appreciate the rich history that lies within the medieval walls of Luxembourg City. Keep reading to learn more about this historic nation!
Why Explore Luxembourg?
The final leg of our Eurail journey saw us travel from Zurich, Switzerland to Amsterdam, Netherlands. This was a perfect opportunity to explore Luxembourg! Luxembourg is a country that neither of us knew much about except that it is located in the heart of Europe by Germany, France and Belgium.
Having previously spent a day in the beautiful municipality of Liechtenstein, our opinion on these less recognized nations is far from the typical stereotype.
Luxembourg may be small, but it’s certainly worth a visit. The convenient location makes this nation worth experiencing, even if it is only for a few hours or a day while you move between some of Europe’s more infamous countries.
Luxembourg City used to be a fortress city which was completely surrounded by high stone walls, and although the fortress no longer exists, the stone walls remain and are both a historians and architects dream. More on this particular feature later.
Politically speaking, Luxembourg is one of smallest sovereign nations in Europe but proudly possesses the world’s only remaining grand duchy (led by a Grand Duke rather than a King/Queen/President).
Our time was spent in Luxembourg’s capital, Luxembourg City so the following guide only provides details on attractions and landmarks there. I am intrigued to see what is outside of this urban area because if it offers as much beauty and history as the capital, I am sure there will be even more reasons to visit this country.
Casemates du Bock
Luxembourg’s most iconic landmark has to be the Casemates du Bock. The fortified walls that are present today date back to the 10th century when Count Siegfried built a fortified castle. This location quickly became one of the most powerful strongholds throughout Europe and was renowned as the ‘Gibraltar of the North’ given that defenses here were so strong.
For over 900 years this fortress was preserved, until 1867 after the declaration of neutrality when the majority of the defenses were destroyed. The decision was made to maintain the Casemates rather than destroy them, primarily because they were connected to so many other features and tunnel systems that destroying them would have caused so much destruction to the city as a whole.
But what exactly are the ‘casemates’? Casemate is derived from a Greek word meaning chasm and is essentially a bomb-proof vaulted room intended to protect military personnel and equipment.
17 kilometers of tunnels exist and guided tours plunge visitors deep into these casemates with stories waiting to be discovered at every turn. It’s no surprise that UNESCO identified this as a World Heritage site in 1994.
We enjoyed exploring and learning more about this iconic Luxembourg attraction and look forward to heading back in the summer months to delve deeper into the tunnels and experience the real history here.
Adolphe Bridge and La Passerelle Viaduct
If you love architecture, whether it be modern or traditional, the Adolphe Bridge in Luxembourg City will surely spark your interest. The gorgeous bridge takes traffic across the Pétrusse and is almost 140 feet above the valley floor. Construction started at the turn of the 20th century and was completed in 1903.
To commemorate the late Grand Duke Adolphe, the stunning piece of architecture was named directly after the former monarch. Locally known as ‘Pont Adolphe’, this bridge once held a world record for having the longest stone arch bridge at 153 meters. However, this title didn’t last long as in 1905 a German bridge soon surpassed this.
We walked across the nearby La Passerelle viaduct which is also a stunning piece of architectural ingenuity. This is in close proximity to Adolphe Bridge and connects Avenue de la Gare to the Franklin D. Roosevelt boulevard.
This viaduct dates back to the mid-19th century and is renowned as the ‘Old Bridge’ while the Adolphe Bridge is the ‘New Bridge’.
When you compare the two bridges, it’s interesting to notice the design characteristics of both and whether you are an architecture aficionado or simply a passerby, it’s hard not to appreciate Luxembourg’s two gorgeous bridges that play such an integral focal point in day to day life.
Grand Ducal Palace
I mentioned earlier that although Luxembourg is one of the smaller nations throughout Europe, it remains as the only nation with a grand duchy. The official residence of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg is the Grand Ducal Palace and undoubtedly offers one of the most beautiful spectacles throughout the city.
The facade of the palace is breathtaking and the majestic interior can actually be visited during guided tours that take place in the summer months. It’s not every day that you get to explore a palace that is still a royal residence!
If exploring the Grand Ducal Palace is not enough, just a short walk from here is the stunning Notre Dame Cathedral so both of these landmarks are certainly worth a visit to Luxembourg City on their own.
Monument of National Solidarity
Our tour of Luxembourg City continued at the Monument of National Solidarity after walking across the Adolphe Bridge. Located on Canon Hill a short walk from the bridge, this towering monument was constructed in 1971 and serves as a commemoration for those that fought in the Second World War.
This iconic landmark is more than just a monument. It offers the people of Luxembourg a memory of how the nation fought back and resisted Nazi intrusion, but today perhaps the most impressive feature of this is where it is located and the stunning views that are available across the Pétrusse valley.
An eternal flame burns in front of the monument depicting the everlasting memory of those lives that were tragically lost while other features here represent varying aspects of World War II.
Monument of Remembrance
Just a short walk from the Monument of National Solidarity is Gëlle Fra (Golden Lady) which is another important landmark in representing Luxembourg history. This Monument of Remembrance is a perfect companion to the Monument of National Solidarity as it remembers those in the Great War (World War I).
The 21-meter tall obelisk is the focal point though the bronze statue of a lady sitting on top of this tower represents the Greek goddess of victory, Nike!
Even if you don’t have much time to spend in Luxembourg, as you can see there is enough to keep you occupied. The capital city is steeped with rich history and this is reflected throughout the architecture and medieval remnants that are still apparent scattered among more modern designs.
Although Luxembourg may not be a country that you would visit without plans to experience a bordering nation, you should certainly consider adding this to your itinerary even if it is just a day trip. Hopefully, this quick guide will give you a few ideas of what to do in Luxembourg and you will have as great a time as we did…even if the weather is not always favorable (remember you are in Europe!)
Have you visited Luxembourg or any of Europe’s ‘other’ small nations?
La Passerelle Viaduct
Monument de la Solidarite Nationale
Pont Adolphe
Previous article24 Hours in Vienna – What to See in the Austrian Capital?
Next articleWhy the Heineken Brewery Tour Is an Amazing Experience?
https://abritandasoutherner.com
Chris Boothman is the co-founder of A Brit and A Southerner. Born near Manchester, England, Chris moved to USA in 2006 where he soon after met his wife and travel partner in crime, Heather. They have since embarked on an amazing journey of travel as they challenge others to follow in their paths of working full-time but also being able to travel frequently! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Chris at [email protected]
Tanja (the Red phone box travels) Feb 24, 2016 At 5:14 am
I’d like to visit it too. Well, I’ve been to Monaco and Vatican:) great post as usually!
Corinne Feb 28, 2016 At 3:54 am
Chris, We used to live 30 minutes from Lux City and loved going in about once a month for the market, for the French pastries, for a walk around a gorgeous city. Love this post!
Blossom Convent School in Nayagaon Aug 17, 2017 At 1:45 am
I like your photography and attractive locations of Luxembourg, this article would be of great help when i visit Luxembourg with my family. I am looking some more articles on Luxembourg from you. Thanks
Pedro Aug 25, 2017 At 7:37 am
Just bought my ticket to Luxemburg for a mere £30 return and I’m glad I found your post. So looking forward to exploring it! 🙂
Kate Patton Aug 29, 2018 At 12:53 am
We are leaving on a 19 day Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg, France trip on Sept. 21. We are going to this beautiful country for ONE reason, and ONE ONLY……to pay respect to General Patton at his burial site at the American Cemetery as he is buried with the Third Army here. We are Patton’s and are very patriotic, and besides a day tour in Normandy, this is what my husband is looking forward to the MOST. Please don’t forget to mention this important place to visit in your blog, as many Americans are buried here who fought for our freedom! BLESSINGS. Thank you for all of your awesome tips for each country…..
George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), Houston, United States
Join us on our adventures as we 'Explore the world one weekend at a time'!
#WEEKENDWANDERLUST
Join us on our adventures as we explore the world one weekend at a time! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail us and we will get back with you ASAP!
© Copyright 2018 - abritandasoutherner.com
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4149
|
__label__wiki
| 0.630307
| 0.630307
|
Corporations gain civil rights
Posted on October 2, 2018 by Jon Mertz
Adam Winkler, author of We the Corporations, UCLA law professor
Dr. Adam Winkler is a professor at UCLA. Dr. Winkler is a specialist in American constitutional law and the Supreme Court. He is the author of We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights (2018) and Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America (2011). He also served as co-editor of the Encyclopedia of the American Constitution (2nd Edition). His scholarship has been cited in landmark Supreme Court cases on the First and Second Amendments, and according to a 2016 study he is one of the top twenty law professors for citations by the courts.
Twitter | Website
Season 1, Episode 2:
Corporations have been some of the most important innovators in American law, shaping it positively and often negatively. Many are unaware that corporations gained civil rights faster in the U.S. than African Americans and women. Law Professor Adam Winkler outlines the history, court cases, and the roles of corporations as they pursued and expanded their “civil rights.” With these new rights, do corporations have greater social responsibilities?
Listen to the Activate World Podcast
Listen to more: Activate World
Follow Activate World: Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram
Season 1, Episode 2 Transcript
Jon Mertz: 00:02 Welcome to The Activate World Podcast, a series on how business leaders have more power to solve societal issues than any elected official. We explore business activism with substance and depth of thought. As we continue to explore what business leader activism means, we need to continue to build on how businesses have gotten involved in politics and policy. Our guest today is the author of We the Corporations: How American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights. Adam Winkler, welcome to our podcast.
Adam Winkler: 00:34 Well, thanks so much for having me, and I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about We the Corporations. I’m a professor of constitutional law at UCLA Law School, and I write largely in the area of legal history, and my emphasis on this book is looking at how corporations, business corporations came to win the same constitutional protections that individuals have. It turns out, that’s a long story that goes back to the earliest days of America.
Jon Mertz: 01:00 I was reading your book, We the Corporations, and it was just fascinating to learn how this history unfolded in stories that I was totally unaware of. Like when our nation formed, there were a lot of different interests going back and forth. On one side, you had proponents of strong state rights, and then the other side, proponents of strong national government. There were the conversationalists, and then there were more of the populists that wanted to control businesses. So, out of this mix of interest, businesses became more recognized as citizens with certain rights. So, give us a glimpse into how this began and unfolded early in our history.
Adam Winkler: 01:31 Sure. I mean it’s really one of these fascinating questions. How did corporations come to have some of our most fundamental rights? And the answer really does go back to early America, and debates over what was then the most powerful and biggest corporation in the country. The Bank of the United States. And the Bank of the United States is created by Congress but it was private corporation responsible to shareholders, sold stock to the public, and was famous for being the source of the dispute between Hamilton and Jefferson that led to the rise of two competing political parties. But the Bank of the United States also led to the first Supreme Court case on the rights of business corporations. Business corporations have won rights, constitutional rights, but they haven’t done it the way racial minorities or women have won constitutional rights. Those movements have really gone out into the public with marches and protests and made very explicit claims that they were entitled to equal citizenship too.
Adam Winkler: 02:29 Corporations have done it in a more subtle way. They have done it by filing Supreme Court cases and winning landmark Supreme Court cases that extended constitutional protections to them. And that first case was the Bank of the United States case back in 1809.
Jon Mertz: 02:44 In that battle between business and political interests, was it more of a mutual interest or was it purely a business interest.
Adam Winkler: 02:51 No. The first Supreme Court case on the rights of business corporations, like so many of the cases that would come after it, were really cases brought by powerful businesses seeking to fight off efforts by states in the Federal Government to regulate them. To restrict their business autonomy, if you will. In this case, it was the Jeffersonian in Georgia who didn’t like the Bank of the United States imposed a tax on the Savannah branch, and the bank went to court trying to challenge that tax, and it went to Federal Court, and said it was entitled under the constitution to sue in Federal Court rather that to sue in State Court. And the Supreme Court ultimately sided with the corporation and said indeed, that corporations do have access to Federal Court under the Constitution, even though the constitutional provision involved only gave that right to citizens by its tax.
Adam Winkler: 03:42 But the Supreme Court said, nonetheless that provision will also cover business corporations. I mean that case really set the foundation. The first Supreme Court case on The Rights of African Americans wasn’t decided until 1857, and the first Supreme Court case on The Rights of Women wasn’t decided until 1873. The first Corporate Rights case was a half century earlier, and unlike women and minorities, the corporation won that case and indeed corporations have been winning cases ever since. And often the courts have implied have used the same logic and reasoning that was used by the court all the way back in 1809 to extend rights to corporations. And that’s why I say that when we look at this sort of history, we see a long, long history of corporations gaining ever greater shares of individual rights, but it really does start back in 1809.
Adam Winkler: 04:29 And there’s also cases in which corporations were first movers in the same way that corporations are at the vanguard of the economy because of their pursuit of profit. They’ve also been on the vanguard of constitutional law and been first movers that helped to bring lawsuits that breathed life into many of the constitutional rights that became important for the protections of minorities and women.
Jon Mertz: 04:51 Another interesting angle that you pointed out here and in the book, is that many organizations talk about hiring the best talent to move a business organization forward. In the case of businesses gaining property and civil rights, talk a little bit about how the attorney’s representing these businesses helped the progress in their pursuit.
Adam Winkler: 05:08 That’s right. Because corporations fought for their rights in courts rather than in the court of public opinion, out there on the streets with protests and marches, lawyers played an especially important and prominent role. Now of course lawyers have played an important role in all the civil rights movements from Thurgood Marshall and the Civil Rights Movement to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Women’s Rights Movement. And similarly in the Corporate Rights Movement, corporations have always been able to afford the best, most creative, most expensive lawyers that money can buy, and they’ve been able to use those resources to really fight and pursue risky litigation, risky lawsuits. Whereas, in the case of minorities and women, often those movements were under-funded. They didn’t have the resources to go out and hire, necessarily, the best lawyers. And the story that I tell in my book is really a story of some of the greatest lawyers in American history from Daniel Webster and John Quincy Adams up to today and the dean of the Supreme Court Bar, the Elite Supreme Court Bar in Washington, Ted Olsen. These are all very, very notable and successful lawyers, and they’ve really used their efforts to fight for business.
Jon Mertz: 06:15 Interesting. So having these well-branded attorneys, does that play a role into what cases the Supreme Court may take on?
Adam Winkler: 06:22 Well today, it plays a very powerful role. So there have been some studies done in recent years about which lawyers are most successful in getting their petitions to the Supreme Court heard. Because the Supreme Court gets over 5000 petitions every year and only decided about 70 cases. So only a very small fraction of the total cases really gets heard by the justices. And it turns out that the studies show that the members of the elite Supreme Court Bar in Washington, just a handful of lawyers, about eight lawyers who work for top notch firms and who represent almost exclusively business corporations, are the most successful at getting their cases taken and heard by the Supreme Court. And I think that testifies to the fact that, while we think of Supreme Court Justices as Liberal or Conservative, what has really united justices over the course of American history, is that they’ve been by large very strongly pro-business, pro-capitalism, pro free market, and that comes out in constitutional law rulings as well.
Jon Mertz: 07:25 It’s very interesting and unexpected statistic that you highlight in your book, that between 1868 and 1912, the Supreme Court ruled on 28 cases involving the rights of African Americans and 312 on the rights of corporations. It goes to your point that disparity shows a pro-capitalist view on the courts.
Adam Winkler: 07:45 And it shows, it highlights in some ways, how corporations have been successful at taking progressive reforms in the Constitution and turning them for the ends of business and capital. The 14th Amendment, as you mentioned, was adopted after the Civil War to protect the rights of the newly freed slaves. Any student of American history knows that the newly freed slaves didn’t get much protection from that amendment, not until the 1950s at least with Brown vs. Board of Education. But business corporations started winning 14th Amendment cases only 15 years after the amendment was ratified and indeed have a tremendous track record of success in pursuing 14th Amendment cases. And indeed we see that throughout time.
Jon Mertz: 08:26 So what was the pivot moment, where it was not just about property, but also about liberty.
Adam Winkler: 08:31 That’s a great point. The Supreme Court, even when it was in a very business friendly period back at the turn of the 20th century, the courts said that corporations had property protections under the Constitution, so the government couldn’t come and seize their assets without paying just compensation; a pretty reasonable principle I think. But at the same time, the courts said that corporations should not have liberty rights, rights associated with personal conscious or political freedom. And the courts rejected claims of corporations to say that they had a right, for instance, to refuse some customers, or a right to participate in taking out election ads.
Adam Winkler: 09:04 In recent years, the Supreme Court’s gone the other way, and it wasn’t one shift, one particular moment, but at a couple of key turning points, the court eventually started to expand liberty and property rights to corporations too, largely for reasons that didn’t have anything to do with corporations, but had a lot to do with other public interests like promoting newspapers, and the accountability of government, and things like that. And so, we get to the point where now, corporations have many of the liberty rights of people and that old distinction has been discarded.
Jon Mertz: 09:35 In your book, you talk about piercing the corporate veil. It was a concept that played into a number of court decisions and cases. What does it mean to pierce the corporate veil?
Adam Winkler: 09:44 As many of your listeners know, the doctrine of piercing the corporate veil is the idea that a corporation is its own independent entity in the eyes of the law. And only in unusual circumstances, where the corporate form is used to perpetuate a fraud, will the courts ” pierce the corporate veil” and impose liability directly on the owners of enterprise. And what the Supreme Court has done in the constitutional law of context, is do something similar to expand rights to corporations. Instead of treating a corporation as its own independent entity in the eyes of the law, with its own rights, the court has often said that corporations have rights because their members have those rights. And in some ways, this really … so I call this a kind of piercing the corporate veil theory of corporate rights.
Adam Winkler: 10:30 Corporations have rights because their members do. And what’s difficult to top this issue, is that it really flies in the face of standard principles, basic principles of corporate law and business law today, which say that corporations are wholly distinct entities in the eyes of the law and they’re totally separate and apart from the rights and duties of their members. And that’s why if you slip and fall at Starbucks, you have to sue the corporation. You can’t sue the individual shareholders, because they’re separate legal people with separate legal responsibility. It turns out that for all the complaints about corporate personhood in the wake of Citizen’s United, the Supreme Court has rarely treated a corporation as a person, and usually treated a corporation as a pass through, piercing the corporate veil, if you will.
Jon Mertz: 11:14 Tell us a little bit about Hobby Lobby and the Citizen’s United cases.
Adam Winkler: 11:18 These are two of the most controversial cases. And really, Citizen’s United and Hobby Lobby were the reason why I was inspired to look back and write this book to begin with. Citizen’s United, a 2010 case by the Supreme Court, held that corporations have the same free speech right as individuals to take out, to spend their money on election ads. And the Hobby Lobby case said that corporations have religious freedom under a federal statute, and entitled the chain of craft stores to an exemption from healthcare or requiring large employers to cover birth control in employee health plans. And these two cases are really significant because they show the extent to which corporations have won the same fundamental rights as people. That whereas the courts 100 years ago said that corporations did not have a right to spend their money to influence politics. Today’s court says they do have that right, and that old distinction between property rights and liberty rights has been discarded.
Adam Winkler: 12:15 So these are two important cases. The Hobby Lobby case is also important because it is being used today to help justify business owners who don’t want to serve LGBT couples, say in a wedding context.
Jon Mertz: 12:26 Right.
Adam Winkler: 12:27 By saying that they’re religious freedom entitles them to an exemption from basic civil rights laws in the same way that Hobby Lobby won an exemption from the healthcare requirement that employers provide birth control in employee health plans. Their participating in politics for one simple and seemingly somewhat pathological reason, which is just to make money. Just to maximize profits. I think many people in America, including many executives, believe that businesses should have a broader role to play in America. That it’s not just about maximizing profits, but also about doing good and being a good corporate citizen.
Adam Winkler: 13:03 Milton Friedman’s argument, which has been very powerful and very influential, has taught that while corporations can do those things, they can make charitable contributions, they can be a green corporation or a publicly conscious corporation, at the end of the day, all those efforts have to be about maximizing profits, at least in the long run. So Friedman’s view of the corporation, a very one-sided view perhaps, has become very influential.
Jon Mertz: 13:28 Right. And so, recently we’ve seen CEOs, like salesforce.com taking on gender discrimination issues in North Carolina and Texas. We’ve seen the Dick’s Sporting Goods CEO take on gun laws and within the power of his corporation, making changes of who they sell guns to and what types of guns they sell. So as we see these things happening, do you think this is a good move? Is it done for the right reasons?
Adam Winkler: 13:51 You can certainly understand why it’s happening. It does feel like over the last 10 years in politics that congress has been really unable to address the major problems that confront America, and that especially somebody’s hot button issues like transgender rights, and gun rights, and gun issues, and immigration, very difficult for law makers to come to some consensus and agreement. And so we’re seeing business corporations sort of stand up and try to take the lead on some of these things; such as the sporting goods stores that won’t sell assault weapons. If congress won’t ban them, we just won’t sell them, for instance.
Adam Winkler: 14:25 And we can also emphasize that corporations are going to become politically involved in ways that you might like on some issues, but there are some other issues that really matter to business that they’re going to be on the business side. So, for all these corporations that are standing up to Trump on immigration, or transgender rights, or even the gun issue. How many corporations were going to stand up and argue against the Trump tax bill, which was very favorable to business? Very, very few because they saw that as something that benefited the businesses.
Jon Mertz: 14:54 The Masterpiece Cakeshop case that was recently decided, was decided more narrowly. So do you expect that case to come up again?
Adam Winkler: 15:01 Yes. I do. And the Masterpiece Cakeshop case really presented the fundamental question, which is, does someone with profound religious beliefs have to provide services to same sex couples who want to get married. So if you have a religious objection, do you have to provide those services. And that question has not gone away. The Supreme Court ducked it in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case, found that they could rule on a very fact, specific ground. But that issue is going to arise again and again because there are a lot of businesses out there that really don’t want to provide those kinds of services. But yet, we’re seeing more and more laws pass that say hey, you can’t deny services to people on the basis of their sexual orientation. This is a battle we fought back in the 1960s when the Civil Rights Act was passed. People made religious and First Amendment objections to obeying Civil Rights laws and racially integrating their businesses. Those cases lost then. The question is, what’s going to happen now with LGBT rights. Will they have similar success fighting those religious based efforts, or will religious observers win the right to disregard essentially, civil rights laws.
Jon Mertz: 16:05 One of the other things that seems to be happening is there are several groups involved and constitutional amendments to reverse Citizen’s United and some of these corporate rights that have been achieved through our history. Is that a good movement?
Adam Winkler: 16:18 It’s very understandable that since Citizen’s United, there’s been a lot of outrage about the amount of dark money in politics and especially corporate money in politics. And so 19 states have endorsed a constitutional amendment that would declare the corporations are not people and have no rights under the constitution. While I sympathize with that idea of fighting back against corporate power, I think that particular reform is not the right way to do it. I think corporations need some basic constitutional protections. If the New York Times, a business corporation, does not have a first amendment right of Freedom of the Press, then I’m not sure what the Freedom of the Press is valuable for. And it certainly would seem that a company like that would be subject to censorship. If corporations don’t have basic property or due process rights, then the government could seize Google’s campus and make it into a public park without paying a dime of compensation. That can’t be the right answer. And Apple could be punished and basically fined with huge criminal penalties without even going to trial, if they don’t have a right of due process of law. That doesn’t seem, again, like the right answer. So I think we need a balanced nuanced approach, that corporations should have some constitutional protections and not all the same rights as you and me.
Jon Mertz: 17:28 Right. So what do you see on the horizon. Are there any cases bubbling up that may continue this history of business and Civil Rights.
Adam Winkler: 17:35 Absolutely. We’ve already talked briefly about perhaps the most important confrontation over corporate rights to come, which is, are business corporations going to be allowed to discriminate against LGBT people if the owners of those enterprises have profound religious beliefs against gay marriage. That’s really one of the biggest questions out there on the corporate rights horizon. But even outside of that context, we’re seeing corporations very aggressively use the constitution to fight back against regulation. There was a recent study, for instance, that looked at all the First Amendment cases brought in the federal courts in recent years, and found that half of the court cases, challenging laws on the basis of violating the freedom of speech were brought by business corporations and trade associations that represent corporations. So, we’re seeing a very, very active use by corporations of the Constitution to fight back against regulation.
Jon Mertz: 18:31 Thank you so much Adam Winkler. Your book We the Corporations: How the American Businesses Won Their Civil Rights is definitely a must read. Thank you so much for writing this book and sharing your insights with us today.
Adam Winkler: 18:41 Thanks so much for having me.
Jon Mertz: 18:45 Listeners, we’d love to hear from you. Do you think that corporations pursuing their own interests in the courts has made it easier for individuals to pursue theirs? And have corporations established a positive prescient? Send your perspective to me at jon @ activateworld.com. Write it out or record it. Send it my way. We want to hear and share your thoughts.
Be sure to tell your friends and colleagues about the Activate World Podcast. Encourage them to subscribe, listen, and share from their favorite podcast platform: Apple, Google, Spotify, and others. Let us know how we’re doing by leaving a review. Your reviews mean a lot to us. And join us next time as we speak with Carolyn Berkowitz, President and CEO of the Association of Corporate Citizenship Professionals. We will be exploring corporate social responsibility. Activate World is a team endeavor. Special thanks to Kayla Waldstein and Kent Knutt. Music by Jason
Goodyear. For Activate World, I’m Jon Mertz.
Listen Post link
Building an engaging social movement for good
Galvanizing workers for workplace change
What business leaders can learn from nonviolent resistance (and sociology)
How characters and storytelling drive social change
Social principles transforming businesses
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4152
|
__label__cc
| 0.50359
| 0.49641
|
Current: Code of Ethics
To learn more about Direct Selling, click here.
To watch video vignettes about the DSA Code of Ethics, click here.
We are proud members of the Direct Selling Association. See the Code of Ethics by which we abide below, or click here.
A. Code of Conduct
Deceptive or Unlawful Consumer or Recruiting Practices
a. No member company of the Association or independent salesperson for a member company shall engage in any deceptive, false, unethical or unlawful consumer or recruiting practice. Member companies shall ensure that no statements, promises or testimonials are made that are likely to mislead consumers or prospective salespeople.
b. Member companies and their independent salespeople must comply with all requirements of law. While this Code does not restate all legal obligations, compliance with all pertinent laws by member companies and their independent salespeople is a condition of acceptance by and continuing membership in DSA.
c. Member companies shall conduct their activities toward other members in compliance with this Code and all pertinent laws.
d. Information provided by member companies and their independent salespeople to prospective or current independent salespeople concerning the opportunity and related rights and obligations shall be accurate and complete. Member companies and their independent salespeople shall not make any factual representation to prospective independent salespeople that cannot be verified or make any promise that cannot be fulfilled. Member companies and their independent salespeople shall not present any selling opportunity to any prospective independent salesperson in a false, deceptive or misleading manner.
e. Member companies and their independent salespeople shall not induce a person to purchase products or services based upon the representation that a consumer can recover all or part of the purchase price by referring prospective consumers, if such reductions or recovery are violative of applicable referral sales laws.
f. Member companies shall provide to their independent salespeople either a written agreement to be signed by both the member company and the independent salesperson, or a written statement containing the essential details of the relationship between the independent salesperson and the member company. Member companies shall inform their independent salespeople of their legal obligations, including their responsibility to handle any applicable licenses, registrations and taxes.
g. Member companies shall provide their independent salespeople with periodic accounts including, as applicable, sales, purchases, details of earnings, commissions, bonuses, discounts, deliveries, cancellations and other relevant data, in accordance with the member company’s arrangement with the independent salesperson. All monies due shall be paid and any withholdings made in a commercially reasonable manner.
h. Independent salespeople shall respect any lack of commercial experience of consumers. Independent salespeople shall not abuse the trust of individual consumers, or exploit a consumer’s age, illness, handicap, lack of understanding or unfamiliarity with a language.
1a. This section does not bring "proselytizing" or "salesforce raiding" disputes under the Code's jurisdiction, unless such disputes involve allegations of deceptive, unethical or unlawful recruiting practices or behaviors aimed at potential salespeople. In those cases, the section applies. As used in this section, "unethical" means violative of the U.S. DSA Code of Ethics. The DSA Code Administrator has the authority to make a determination of what is a deceptive, unlawful or unethical consumer or recruiting practice under the Code using prevailing legal standards as a guide. Compliance with any particular law, regulation or DSA Code of Ethics provision is not a defense to such a determination by the DSA Code Administrator that a practice is deceptive, unlawful or unethical. For example, in a sale to a consumer, compliance with the Federal Trade Commission Cooling-Off Rule does not bar the DSA Code Administrator from making a determination that a particular sales practice is deceptive, unlawful or unethical and that a refund or compensation is required. 1. and 2. These sections cover communications about your own company or another company. For example, a distributor for company A makes misleading statements about company B and/or its products to consumers or prospective salespeople.
Products, Services and Promotional Materials
a. The offer of products or services for sale by member companies of the Association shall be accurate and truthful as to price, grade, quality, make, value, performance, quantity, currency of model and availability. A consumer's order for products and services shall be fulfilled in a timely manner.
b. Member companies shall not make misleading comparisons of another company’s direct selling opportunity, products or services. Any comparison must be based on facts that can be objectively substantiated. Member companies shall not denigrate any other member company, business, product or service – directly or by implication – in a false or misleading manner and shall not take unfair advantage of the goodwill attached to the trade name and symbol of any company, business, product or service.
c. Promotional literature, advertisements and mailings shall not contain product descriptions, claims, photos or illustrations that are false, deceptive or misleading. (Promotional literature shall contain the name and address or telephone number of the member company and may include the telephone number of the individual independent salesperson).
d. Independent salespeople shall offer consumers accurate information regarding: price, credit terms; terms of payment; a cooling-off period, including return policies; terms of guarantee; after-sales service; and delivery dates. Independent salespeople shall give understandable and accurate answers to questions from consumers. To the extent claims are made with respect to products, independent salespeople shall make only those product claims authorized by the member company.
a. A written order or receipt shall be delivered to the customer at or prior to the time of the initial sale. In the case of a sale made through the mail, telephone, Internet, or other non face-to-face means, a copy of the order form shall have been previously provided, be included in the initial order, or be provided in printable or downloadable form through the Internet. The order form must set forth clearly, legibly and unambiguously:
Terms and conditions of sale, including the total amount the consumer will be required to pay, including all interest, service charges and fees, and other costs and expenses as required by federal and state law;
Identity of the member company and the independent salesperson, and contain the full name, permanent address and telephone number of the member company or the independent salesperson, and all material terms of the sale; and
Terms of a guarantee or a warranty, details and any limitations of after-sales service, the name and address of the guarantor, the length of the guarantee, and the remedial action available to the consumer. Alternatively, this information may be provided with other accompanying literature provided with the product or service.
b. Member companies and their salespeople shall offer a written, clearly stated cooling off period permitting the consumer to withdraw from a purchase order within a minimum of three days from the date of the purchase transaction and receive a full refund of the purchase price.
c. Member companies and their independent salespeople offering a right of return, whether or not conditioned upon certain events, shall provide it in writing.
Warranties and Guarantees
The terms of any warranty or guarantee offered by the seller in connection with the sale shall be furnished to the buyer in a manner that fully conforms to federal and state warranty and guarantee laws and regulations. The manufacturer, distributor and/or seller shall fully and promptly perform in accordance with the terms of all warranties and guarantees offered to consumers.
Identification and Privacy
a. At the beginning of sales presentations independent salespeople shall truthfully and clearly identify themselves, their company, the nature of their company’s products or services, and the reason for the solicitation. Contact with the consumer shall be made in a polite manner and during reasonable hours. A demonstration or sales presentation shall stop upon the consumer’s request.
b. Member companies and independent salespeople shall take appropriate steps to safeguard the protection of all private information provided by a consumer, a prospective consumer, or other independent salespeople.
For the purpose of this Code, pyramid or endless chain schemes shall be considered consumer transactions actionable under this Code. The Code Administrator shall determine whether such pyramid or endless chain schemes constitute a violation of this Code in accordance with applicable federal, state and/or local law or regulation.
6. The definition of an "illegal pyramid" is based upon existing standards of law as reflected in In the matter of Amway, 93 FTC 618 (1979) and the anti-pyramid laws of Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, Oklahoma, and Texas. In accordance with these laws, member companies shall remunerate direct sellers primarily on the basis of sales of products, including services, purchased by any person for actual use or consumption. Such remuneration may include compensation based on sales to individual direct sellers for their own actual use or consumption.
Inventory Purchases a.
Any member company with a marketing plan that involves selling products directly or indirectly to independent salespeople shall clearly state, in its recruiting literature, sales manual, or contract with the independent salespeople, that the company will repurchase on reasonable commercial terms currently marketable inventory, in the possession of that salesperson and purchased by that salesperson for resale prior to the date of termination of the salesperson's business relationship with the company or its independent salespeople. For purposes of this Code, "reasonable commercial terms" shall include the repurchase of marketable inventory within twelve (12) months from the salesperson's date of purchase at not less than 90 percent of the salesperson's original net cost less appropriate set offs and legal claims, if any. For purposes of this Code, products shall not be considered "currently marketable" if returned for repurchase after the products' commercially reasonable usable or shelf life period has passed; nor shall products be considered "currently marketable" if the company clearly discloses to salespeople prior to purchase that the products are seasonal, discontinued, or special promotion products and are not subject to the repurchase obligation.
7a. The purpose of the buyback is to eliminate the potential harm of "inventory loading;" i.e., the practice of loading up salespeople with inventory they are unable or unlikely to be able to sell or use within a reasonable time period. Inventory loading has historically been accomplished by giving sellers financial incentives for sales without regard to ultimate sales to or use by actual consumers. The repurchase provisions of the Code are meant to deter inventory loading and to protect distributors from financial harm which might result from inventory loading.
"Inventory" is considered to include both tangible and intangible product; i.e., both goods and services. "Current marketability" of inventory shall be determined on the basis of the specific condition of the product. Factors to be considered by the Code Administrator when determining "current marketability" are condition of the goods and whether or not the products have been used or opened.
Changes in marketplace demand, product formulation, or labeling are not sufficient grounds for a claim by the company that a product is no longer "marketable." Nor does the ingestible nature of certain products limit per se the current marketability of those products. Government regulation which may arguably restrict or limit the ultimate resalability of a product does not limit its "current marketability" for purposes of the Code.
State statutes mandate that certain buyback provisions required by law must be described in a direct seller's contract. While acknowledging that the contract is probably the most effective place for such information, the DSA Code allows for placement of the provision in either "recruiting literature or contract." The DSA Code is meant to emphasize that the disclosure must be in writing and be clearly stated. Wherever disclosed, the buyback requirement shall be construed as a contractual obligation of the company.
A company shall not place any unreasonable (e.g., procedural) impediments in the way of salespeople seeking to sell back products to the company.
The buyback process should be as efficient as possible and designed to facilitate buyback of products. The buyback provisions apply to all terminating distributors who otherwise qualify for such repurchase, including distributors who are not new to a particular company, or those who have left a company to sell for another company.
b. Any member company with a marketing plan which requires independent salespeople to purchase company-produced promotional materials, sales aids or kits shall clearly state, in its recruiting literature, sales manual or contract with the independent salespeople, that the company will repurchase these items on reasonable commercial terms.
Any member company with a marketing plan which provides its independent salespeople with any financial benefit related to the sales of company-produced promotional materials, sales aids or kits shall clearly state, in its recruiting literature, sales manual or contract with the independent salespeople, that the company will repurchase, on reasonable commercial terms, currently marketable company-produced promotional materials, sales aids or kits.
A member company shall clearly state in its recruiting literature, sales manual or contract with the independent salespeople if any items not otherwise covered by this Section are ineligible for repurchase by the company.
7b. 1998 amendments made it clear that sales aids, kits and promotional materials, while not inventory or necessarily intended for resale, are subject to the repurchase requirement if a company requires their purchase or if there is a financial incentive associated with their sale. It was recognized that "loading" of these items can cause the same harm to plan participants as loading of "inventory."
With respect to the final paragraph of Section 7b., disclosure of an item's eligibility or ineligibility for the buyback is key. Provided that repurchase is not required by this Code provision, for those items a company chooses not to repurchase, the company should clearly and conspicuously disclose to the buyer that the items are not subject to the repurchase requirement. Under such disclosure, a refusal to take an item back will not constitute a violation providing the member is acting in good faith and not attempting to evade the repurchase requirement.
Earnings Representations
No member company shall misrepresent the actual or potential sales or earnings of its independent salespeople. Any earnings or sales representations that are made by member companies shall be based on documented facts.
8. There is ample legal precedent in the form of FTC decisions to afford guidance on the subject of earnings representations. While not controlling, these precedents should be used by the Code Administrator in making determinations as to the substantiation of company earnings claims.
The Code's simple prohibition of misrepresentations was intended, in part, to avoid unduly encumbering start-up companies that have little or no actual earnings history with their compensation plan or established companies that are testing or launching new compensation plans. The prohibition approach is meant to require that companies in these circumstances need only ensure that their promotional literature and public statements clearly indicate that the compensation plan is new and that any charts, illustrations and stated examples of income under the plan are potential in nature and not based upon the actual performance of any individual(s).
Inventory Loading
A member company shall not require or encourage an independent salesperson to purchase inventory in an amount which unreasonably exceeds that which can be expected to be resold and/or consumed within a reasonable period of time. Member companies shall take reasonable steps to ensure that independent salespeople receiving compensation for downline sales volume are consuming, using or reselling the products and services they purchase in order to qualify to receive compensation.
9. See, Code Explanatory §7a. regarding inventory loading.
Neither member companies nor their independent salespeople shall ask individuals to assume unreasonably high entrance fees, training fees, franchise fees, fees for promotional materials or other fees related solely to the right to participate in the direct selling business. Any fees charged to become an independent salesperson shall relate directly to the value of materials, products or services provided in return.
10. High entrance fees can be an element of pyramid schemes, in which individuals are encouraged to expend large upfront costs, without receiving product of like value. These fees then become the mechanism driving the pyramid and placing participants at risk of financial harm. Some state laws have requirements that fees be returned similar to the repurchase provisions delineated in Code §7a. The Code eliminates the harm of large fees by prohibiting unreasonably high fees. The Code Administrator is empowered to determine when a fee is "unreasonably high." For example, if a refund is offered for only a portion of an entrance fee, to cover what could be described as inventory, and there is nothing else given or received for the balance of the entrance fee, such as a training program, that portion of the entrance fee may be deemed to be unreasonably high by the Code Administrator. This Code section reinforces the provision in Code Part B. Responsibilities and Duties requiring companies to address the Code violations of their independent contractor salesforce.
a. Member companies shall provide adequate training to enable independent salespeople to operate ethically.
b. Member companies shall prohibit their independent salespeople from marketing or requiring the purchase by others of any materials that are inconsistent with the member company’s policies and procedures.
c. Independent salespeople selling member company-approved promotional or training materials, whether in hard copy or electronic form, shall:
Use only materials that comply with the same standards used by the member company,
Not make the purchase of such materials a requirement of other independent salespeople,
Provide such materials at not more than the price at which similar material is available generally in the marketplace, and
Offer a written return policy that is the same as the return policy of the member company the independent salesperson represents.
d. Member companies shall take diligent, reasonable steps to ensure that promotional or training materials produced by their independent salespeople comply with the provisions of this Code and are not false, misleading or deceptive.
B. Responsibilities and Duties
Prompt Investigation and No Independent Contractor Defense
a. Member companies shall establish, publicize and implement complaint handling procedures to ensure prompt resolution of all complaints.
b. In the event any consumer shall complain that the salesperson or representative offering for sale the products or services of a member company has engaged in any improper course of conduct pertaining to the sales presentation of its goods or services, the member company shall promptly investigate the complaint and shall take such steps as it may find appropriate and necessary under the circumstances to cause the redress of any wrongs which its investigation discloses to have been committed.
c. Member companies will be considered responsible for Code violations by their solicitors and representatives where the Administrator finds, after considering all the facts, that a violation of the Code has occurred. For the purposes of this Code, in the interest of fostering consumer protection, companies shall voluntarily not raise the independent contractor status of salespersons distributing their products or services under its trademark or trade name as a defense against Code violation allegations and such action shall not be construed to be a waiver of the companies' right to raise such defense under any other circumstance.
d. The members subscribing to this Code recognize that its success will require diligence in creating an awareness among their employees and/or the independent wholesalers and retailers marketing the member's products or services of the member's obligations under the Code. No subscribing party shall in any way attempt to persuade, induce or coerce another party to breach this Code, and the subscribers hereto agree that the inducing of the breach of this Code is considered a violation of the Code.
e. Individual salespeople are not bound directly by this Code, but as a condition of participation in a member company’s distribution system, shall be required by the member company with whom they are affiliated to adhere to rules of conduct meeting the standards of this Code.
f. This Code is not law but its obligations require a level of ethical behavior from member companies and independent salespeople that is consistent with applicable legal requirements. Failure to comply with this Code does not create any civil law responsibility or liability. When a company leaves the DSA membership, a company is no longer bound by this Code. However, the provisions of this Code remain applicable to events or transactions that occurred during the time a company was a member of DSA.
Required Code Communication
a. All member companies are required to publicize DSA’s Code of Ethics to its sales people and consumers. At a minimum, member companies must have one of the following:
an inclusion on the company’s web site of DSA’s Code of Ethics with a step-by-step explanation as to how to file a complaint; or
a prominent link from the company’s web site to DSA’s Code of Ethics web page; or
an inclusion of the company’s Code of Ethics, or its complainant process, in its web site, or with an explanation of how a complainant may appeal to the DSA Code Administrator in the event the complainant is not satisfied with the resolution under the company code, or the company’s complaint process, with a reference to the web site of DSA’s Code of Ethics.
a. The link should be clear and conspicuous. The location of the link on the company’s website should be prominent so as to be accessible and visible to sales people and the consumer; companies should place the link on a web page which is commonly accessed by salespeople and consumers. Inclusion of a statement, such as, “We are proud members of the Direct Selling Association. To view the Code of Ethics by which we abide please click here,” is also ideal. Companies should specifically link to either www.dsa.org/ethics/ or www.dsa.org/ethics/code/.
b. All members, after submission of their program, are required to state annually, along with paying their dues, that the program remains effective or indicate any change.
Code Responsibility Officer
Each member company and pending member company is required to designate a DSA Code Responsibility Officer. The Code Responsibility Officer is responsible for facilitating compliance with the Code by their company and responding to inquiries by the DSA Code Administrator. He or she will also serve as the primary contact at the company for communicating the principles of the DSA Code of Ethics to their independent salespeople, company employees, customers and the general public.
Extraterritorial Effect
Each member company shall comply with the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations’ Code of Conduct with regard to direct selling activities outside of the United States to the extent that the WFDSA Code is not inconsistent with U.S. law, unless those activities fall under the jurisdiction of the code of conduct of another country’s DSA to which the member company also belongs.
C. Administration
Interpretation and Execution
The Board of Directors of the Direct Selling Association shall appoint a Code Administrator to serve for a fixed term to be set by the Board prior to appointment. The Board shall have the authority to discharge the Administrator for cause only. The Board shall provide sufficient authority to enable the Administrator to properly discharge the responsibilities entrusted to the Administrator under this Code. The Administrator will be responsible directly and solely to the Board. The Board of Directors will establish all regulations necessary to administer the provisions of this Code.
Code Administrator
a. The Administrator shall be a person of recognized integrity, knowledgeable in the industry, and of a stature that will command respect by the industry and from the public. He shall appoint a staff adequate and competent to assist him in the discharge of his duties. During his term of office, neither the Administrator nor any member of his staff shall be an officer, director, employee, or substantial stockholder in any member or affiliate of the DSA. The Administrator shall disclose all holdings of stock in any member company prior to appointment and shall also disclose any subsequent purchases of such stock to the Board of Directors. The Administrator shall also have the same rights of indemnification as the Directors and Officers have under the bylaws of the Direct Selling Association.
b. The Administrator shall establish, publish and implement transparent complaint handling procedures to ensure prompt resolution of all complaints.
c. The Administrator, in accordance with the regulations established by the Board of Directors as provided herein, shall hear and determine all charges against members subscribing hereto, affording such members or persons an opportunity to be heard fully. The Administrator shall have the power to originate any proceedings, and shall at all times have the full cooperation of all members.
a. The Administrator shall determine whether a violation of the Code has occurred in accordance with the regulations promulgated hereunder. The Administrator shall answer as promptly as possible all queries posed by members relating to the Code and its application, and, when appropriate, may suggest, for consideration by the Board of Directors, new regulations, definitions, or other implementations to make the Code more effective.
b. If, in the judgment of the Code Administrator, a complaint is beyond the Administrator's scope of expertise or resources, the Code Administrator may decline to exercise jurisdiction in the matter and may, in his or her discretion, recommend to the complainant another forum in which the complaint can be addressed.
c. The Administrator shall undertake through his office to maintain and improve all relations with better business bureaus and other organizations, both private and public, with a view toward improving the industry's relations with the public and receiving information from such organizations relating to the industry's sales activities.
D. Regulations for enforcement of DSA Code of Ethics
Receipt of Complaint
Upon receipt of a complaint from a bona fide consumer or where the Administrator has reason to believe that a member has violated the Code of Ethics, the Administrator shall forward a copy of the complaint, if any, to the accused member together with a letter notifying the member that a preliminary investigation of a specified possible violation pursuant to Section 3 is being conducted and requesting the member's cooperation in supplying necessary information, documentation and explanatory comment. If a written complaint is not the basis of the Administrator's investigation, then the Administrator shall provide written notice as to the basis of his reason to believe that a violation has occurred. Further, the Code Administrator shall honor any requests for confidential treatment of the identity of the complaining party made by that party.
Cooperation with the Code Administrator
In the event a member refuses to cooperate with the Administrator and refuses to supply necessary information, documentation and explanatory comment, the Administrator shall serve upon the member, by registered mail, a notice affording the member an opportunity to appear before the Appeals Review Panel on a certain date to show cause why its membership in the Direct Selling Association should not be terminated. In the event the member refuses to cooperate with the Administrator or to request a review by the Appeals Review Panel, the DSA Board of Directors, or a designated part thereof, may vote to terminate the membership of the member.
Informal Investigation and Disposition Procedure
a. The Administrator shall conduct a preliminary investigation, making such investigative contacts as are necessary to reach an informed decision as to the alleged Code violation. If the Administrator determines, after the informal investigation, that there is no need for further action or that the Code violation allegation lacks merit, further investigation and administrative action on the matter shall terminate and the complaining party shall be so notified.b. The Administrator may, at his discretion, remedy an alleged Code violation through informal, oral and written communication with the accused member company.
c. If the Administrator determines that the allegation has sufficient merit, in that the apparent violations are of such a nature, scope or frequency so as to require remedial action pursuant to Part E and that the best interests of consumers, the association and the direct selling industry require remedial action, he shall notify the member of his decision, the reasoning and facts which produced it, and the nature of the remedy he believes should be effected. The Administrator's notice shall offer the member an opportunity to voluntarily consent to accept the suggested remedies without the necessity of a Section 4 hearing. If the member desires to dispose of the matter in this informal manner it will, within 20 days, advise the Administrator, in writing, of its willingness to consent. The letter to the Administrator may state that the member's willingness to consent does not constitute an admission or belief that the Code has been violated.
Appeals Review Panel
An Appeals Review Panel consisting of five representatives from active member companies shall be selected by the Executive Committee of DSA's Board of Directors. Each member shall serve for a term of three years. The five members shall be selected in a manner that represents a cross-section of the industry. When an appeal is made by a member company, the Chairman of the DSA Board of Directors shall select three of the five members of the Appeals Review Panel to constitute a three-person panel to review the appeal, and shall name one of them Chairman of that panel. When possible, no company of the three shall sell a product that specifically competes with the Appellant, and every effort shall be made to avoid conflicts in selecting the panel. If for any reason, a member of the panel cannot fulfill his or her duties or fill out a term for any reason, the Chairman of the Board of DSA can replace that person with a new appointment for the remainder of the unfulfilled term with the concurrence of the Executive Committee.
Appeals Review Procedure
a. If a member company objects to the imposition of a remedial action by the Administrator, it shall have a right to request a review of the Administrator's decision by the Appeals Review Panel. A member company must make such a request in writing submitted to the Administrator within 14 days of being notified of the remedial action by the Administrator. Within 10 days of receiving such a request, the Administrator shall notify the Chairman of the Board of DSA who at that time shall select the three-person panel in accordance with Section 4 above. That selection shall take place within 30 days of the member's request for the review.
b. As soon as the panel has been selected, the Administrator shall inform the Appellant of the names of the panelists, including the name of the chairman of the panel. Within 14 days of that notification, the Administrator shall send a copy of the Complaint and all relevant documents, including an explanation of the basis of the decision to impose remedial action, to the panelists with copies to the Appellant. Upon receipt of such information, the Appellant shall have 14 days to file with the panel its reasons for arguing that remedial action should not be imposed along with any additional documents that are relevant. Copies of that information should also be sent to the Administrator.
c. Once the information has been received by the panelists from both the Administrator and the member company, the panel will complete its review within 30 days or as soon thereafter as practicable. The panel shall decide whether the Administrator's decision to impose remedial action was reasonable under all of the facts and circumstances involved and shall either confirm the Administrator's decision, overrule it, or impose a lesser sanction under Part E. The panel shall be free to contact the Administrator and the Appellant and any other persons who may be relevant witnesses to the Complaint, formally or informally as deemed appropriate. A decision by the panel shall be final and shall be promptly communicated both to the Administrator and the Appellant. The costs involved in the appeal such as costs of photocopying, telephone, fax, and mailing, shall be borne by the Appellant.
Codes of Ethics of Member Companies
a. Approval By Administrator
If a complaint is against a member company that has a code of ethics which has been registered with the DSA Code of Ethics Administrator, and the Administrator has issued an opinion that the company code is compatible with DSA's Code of Ethics, the Complainant must first exhaust all remedies under the company code of ethics before filing a complaint with DSA's Code Administrator. If the Complainant has exhausted those remedies and is of the opinion that the company's disposition of the Complaint was unsatisfactory, the Complainant can appeal the company's decision to the DSA Code Administrator. The Complainant must first notify the company of the intent to appeal to DSA. The Complainant must also forward all relevant documentation from the company code proceeding to DSA's Administrator.
After receiving such an appeal, the Administrator shall confer with the company to obtain any additional information concerning the matter as well as an explanation for the company's decision. The Administrator shall decide whether the company's resolution of the complaint was reasonable under all of the facts and circumstances involved. If the Administrator decides in the negative, the Administrator shall work with the company in an effort to resolve the matter satisfactorily to all parties. If the Administrator finds that the member company will not cooperate in that effort, the Administrator can impose remedial action in accordance with DSA's Code of Ethics. The Complainant shall bear all costs of an appeal from a decision under a company code, including such costs as photocopying, telephone, fax, and mailing charges.
b. Alternative Enforcement Process In certain instances, a member company may provide a process whereby complaints can be addressed and which provide an equally acceptable vehicle for complaint resolution. In such instances – provided the process has been formally reviewed and approved by the DSA Code Administrator – the member company’s process may be substituted for and the member company relieved of, adherence to the provision of Section D. Regulations for Enforcement of the DSA Code of Ethics.* In order for a member company’s enforcement process to be approved as an alternative to Section D, the process must contain all the following elements:
The company has adopted an investigation and review process that substantially mirrors that presented in Section D and contains at more than one level the formal review of complaints regarding its salespersons or representatives;
The company has adopted an appeal process to the steps outlined in Paragraph 1 above that includes review by a neutral and competent third party, as approved by the DSA Code of Ethics Administrator;
The company offers a satisfaction guarantee or the equivalent on product sales to consumers who are not salespersons or representatives of the member company; and
The company advises its salespersons or representatives of the dispute resolution process in a sufficiently transparent manner including notices on its web site and in appropriate literature.
c. If a member company meets the above requirements of paragraph b., DSA will indicate on its web site that the member company’s Code of Ethics is an approved Alternative taking precedence over the DSA’s Code of Ethics Section D-Regulations for Enforcement of DSA Code of Ethics.
d. Those companies that are on the Company Code Alternative list will be exempt from the required publication provisions of Section B.2 of the Code and will not have to show on their web sites or in separate literature that complaints against the company should be filed with the DSA Code of Ethics Administrator. The DSA Code of Ethics web site will indicate, however, that all member companies are subject to all other provisions of the DSA Code of Ethics. Further, if the DSA Code of Ethics Administrator finds that any company on the Alternative list has failed to comply with the requirements for such a listing the Administrator may remove that company from the list.
E. Powers of the Administrator
If, pursuant to the hearing provided for in Part D Section 3, the Administrator determines that the accused member has committed a Code of Ethics violation or violations, the Administrator is hereby empowered to impose the following remedies, either individually or concurrently, upon the accused member:
Require complete restitution to the complainant of monies paid for the accused member's products which were the subject of the Code complaint;
Require the replacement or repair of any accused member's product, the sale of which was the source of the Code complaint;
Require the payment of a voluntary contribution to a special assessment fund which shall be used for purposes of publicizing and disseminating the Code and related information. The contribution may range up to $1,000 per violation of the Code.
Require the accused member to submit to the Administrator a written commitment to abide by the DSA Code of Ethics in future transactions and to exercise due diligence to assure there will be no recurrence of the practice leading to the subject Code complaint.
Require the cancellation of orders, return of products purchased, cancellation or termination of the contractual relationship with the independent salesperson or other remedies.
If the Administrator determines that there has been compliance with all imposed remedies in a particular case, he shall close the matter.
Refusal to Comply
If a member refuses to voluntarily comply with any remedy imposed by the Administrator, and has not requested a review by the Appeals Review Panel, the DSA Board of Directors, or designated part thereof, may conclude that the member should be suspended or terminated from membership in the Association. In that event the Administrator shall notify the member of such a decision by registered mail and shall remind the member of its right to have the Administrator's original decision reviewed by the Appeals Review Panel in accordance with Part D Section 5 (Appeals Review Procedure) of this Code.
Appeal for Reinstatement After Suspension or Termination
If the suspension or termination is not appealed, or if it is confirmed by the Appeals Review Panel, a suspended member, after at least ninety days, and a terminated member, after at least one year, may request the opportunity to have its suspension or termination reviewed by the Appeals Review Panel which may in its discretion reinstate membership.
Referral to State or Federal Agency
In the event a member is suspended or terminated, and continues to refuse to comply with any remedy imposed by the Administrator within 30 days after suspension or termination, the Administrator may then consult with independent legal counsel to determine whether the facts that have been ascertained amount to a violation of state or federal law. If it is determined that such a violation may have occurred, the Administrator shall so notify the accused member by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, and if appropriate action has not been taken by the accused member, and communicated to the Administrator after 15 days following such notice, the Administrator may submit the relevant data concerning the complaint to the appropriate federal or local agency.
F. Restrictions
Conferring with Others
At no time during an investigation or the hearing of charges against a member shall the Administrator or member of the Appeals Review Panel confer with anyone at any time concerning any alleged violation of the Code, except as provided herein and as may be necessary to conduct the investigation and hold a hearing. Any information ascertained during an investigation or hearing shall be treated as confidential, except in cases where the accused member has been determined to have violated federal, state or local statutes. At no time during the investigation or the hearing of charges shall the Administrator or a member of the Appeals Review Panel confer with a competitor of the member alleged to be in violation of the Code, except when it may be necessary to call a competitor concerning the facts, in which case the competitor shall be used only for the purpose of discussing the facts. At no time shall a competitor participate in the Administrator's or in the Appeals Review Panel's disposition of a complaint.
Upon request by the Administrator to any member, all documents directly relating to an alleged violation shall be delivered to the Administrator. Any such information obtained by the Administrator shall be held in confidence in accord with the terms of these regulations and the Code. Whenever the Administrator, either by his own determination or pursuant to a decision by the Appeals Review Panel, terminates an action which was begun under the Code, a record of the member accused shall be wiped clean and all documents, memoranda or other written material shall either be destroyed or returned, as may be deemed appropriate by the Administrator, except to the extent necessary for defending a legal challenge to the Administrator's or Appeals Review Panel's handling of a matter, or for submitting relevant data concerning a complaint to a local, state or federal agency. At no time during proceedings under this Code regulation or under the Code shall the Administrator or member of the Appeals Review Panel either unilaterally or through the DSA issue a press release concerning allegations or findings of a violation of the Code unless specifically authorized to do so by the Executive Committee of DSA's Board of Directors.
Pending Members of DSA
Nothing in Part F shall prevent the Administrator from notifying, at his discretion, DSA staff members of any alleged violations of the Code that have come to his attention and which may have a bearing on a DSA pending member’s qualifications for active membership.
G. Resignation
Resignation from the Association by an accused company prior to completion of any proceedings constituted under this Code shall not be grounds for termination of said proceedings, and a determination as to the Code violation shall be rendered by the Administrator at his or her discretion, irrespective of the accused company's continued membership in the Association or participation in the complaint resolution proceedings.
H. Amendments
This Code may be amended by vote of two thirds of the Board of Directors.
As Adopted June 15, 1970
As Amended by Board of Directors through December 7, 2011
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4153
|
__label__wiki
| 0.939738
| 0.939738
|
« Review: Bryan White’s “Dustbowl Dreams”
Win a 2002 Revival “Oklahoma!” Mug »
Arnie Burton
August 24, 2010 by Adaumbelle
Arnie Burton is an award winning actor with impeccable comedic timing! He starred in “The 39 Steps” on Broadway and was most recently seen in the Off-Broadway hit “The Tempermentals” for which he won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance. His other New York credits include: “Mere Mortals” (Primary Stages, J. Houseman Theater), “The Last Sunday in June (Rattlestick, Century Theater), “The Jew of Malta/The Merchant of Venice” (Theater for a New Audience), and “The Venetian Twins,”and “The Cherry Orchard” (Pearl Theater). Arnie delighted London audiences in “The Merchant of Venice” (Royal Shakespeare Company), while regional audiences have seen him in productions of “The Seagull” and “The Taming of the Shrew” (Old Globe), “All in the Timing” (Geffen Playhouse), and “I Am My Own Wife” (St. Louis Rep) where Arnie won the Kevin Kline Award for Best Actor. Film and television viewers will recognize Arnie from “Frasier,” “Hope & Faith,” “L&O,” “Caroline in the City,” “White Collar,” “Life on Mars,” “Six Degrees,” “Sister, Sister,” “The Invention of Lying,” “The Private Lives of Pippa Lee,” “Game 6,” and “Igby Goes Down.” Currently, Arnie can be seen dancing up a storm in the Off-Broadway show “Abraham Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party” at Theatre Row (410 West 42nd Street, NYC 10036) through September 5.
1. Who inspired you to become a performer? Mr. Magoo. When I saw Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol in which Magoo was a big Broadway star doing his hit version of A Christmas Carol. I was 4 and living in Idaho but from then on I wanted to go to Broadway.
2. Who is the one person you haven’t worked with that you would like to? Living: Vanessa Redgrave Dead: Elia Kazan
3. What has been your most embarrassing on-stage experience? I forgot my lines during a speech in “The 39 Steps.” Went totally blank. I just kept me mouth moving, and started channeling dialogue from the movie of “39 Steps” that I didn’t even know I knew.
4. Do you have any strange or unusual talent that no one knows about? I can put my fist in my mouth.
5. Favorite way to stay in shape? Yoga, Gym, walking everywhere in NYC.
6. Boxers or Briefs? Briefs.
7. Favorite way to spend your day off? Easy, a burger at 5 Guys and sitting by the river.
8. Books or Magazines? Both, I always have to have a book going and I love my New Yorker and New York Magazine.
9. Favorite website? Cnn.com, Playbill.com, Dailybeast.com
10. Superman or Wonder Woman? Superman (for reasons known only to him).
BONUS QUESTIONS:
11. Do you have any rituals that you must do before a show? How do you decompress after a show? I have to walk the stage. I hate going onstage without having trod the boards.
12. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? “Find the thing you dislike about yourself and embrace it. That is the thing that makes you different.”
Posted in Comedy, Entertainment, Movie/Film/Motion Picture, Other, Television, Theatre | Tagged "Abraham Lincoln's Big Gay Dance Party", "All in the Timing", "Caroline in the City", "Frasier", "Game 6", "Hope & Faith", "I Am My Own Wife", "Igby Goes Down", "L&O", "Life on Mars", "Mere Mortals", "Sister Sister", "Six Degrees", "The 39 Steps", "The Cherry Orchard", "The Invention of Lying", "The Jew of Malta/The Merchant of Venice", "The Last Sunday In June", "The Merchant of Venice", "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee", "The Seagull", "The Taming of the Shrew", "The Tempermentals", "The Venetian Twins", "White Collar", Arnie Burton, Drama Desk Award, Elia Kazan, Geffen Playhouse, Kevin Kline Award, Old Globe, Pearl Theater, Primary Stages, Rattlestick, Royal Shakespeare Company, St. Louis Rep, Theater for a New Audience, Vanessa Redgrave | Leave a Comment
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4154
|
__label__wiki
| 0.688259
| 0.688259
|
Why Alderney
Licences & Fees
Team Alderney
Alderney Gambling Control Commission signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Olympic Committee
The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympics which begins later this week in Sochi.
Text taken from a Media Statement issued by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission on 4 February 2014:
The MoU will facilitate the exchange of information relating to the manipulation of sporting events as well as suspicious betting patterns.
The IOC said that the signing of these MoUs with various betting operators and regulators, including the AGCC, are part of its concerted strategy to support clean sport and protect major competitions from any form of manipulation, particularly those linked to betting.
"We are very pleased with these agreements, which build on our successful collaboration during London 2012," said the IOC in a statement.
The agreement creates a framework for sharing any relevant customer and transactional data with the IOC in the event of any issue related to betting integrity at the Olympic Games or competitions organised by the International Federations (IFs).
This information will be used by the IOC's newly established Integrity Betting, Intelligence System (IBIS), which will be in operation for the first time in Sochi.
IBIS collates alerts and information on manipulation through betting on sport, and will also be placed at the disposal of International Federations during their major championships.
The AGCC's executive director André Wilsenach said: "This MoU enables the IOC and the Commission rapidly communicate any concerns relating to the integrity of betting on Olympic events. The Commission will be able to raise issues identified by licensees in accordance with their regulatory obligations as well as alerting licensees to concerns of the IOC that may have been drawn to their attention by other regulators."
Alderney eGambling
info@alderneygambling.com
Alderney Gambling Control Commission
Alderney Gambling © 2020
Site by The Potting Shed
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4158
|
__label__cc
| 0.508124
| 0.491876
|
← Post-Chavez elections in Venezuela — OpEd in The Australian by ANCLAS Senior Associate Sean Burges
Lula speaking on Chavez →
by cvillegas12 | March 7, 2013 · 12:07 pm
Chronicles of a death unforetold by R. Guy Emerson
ANCLAS Research Group
I was in Caracas mid last year, in the hope of seeing Chávez speak on May Day. However, with the President then undergoing radiotherapy in Cuba these hopes were quickly dashed. Regardless, I went along to the 500,000-strong rally to look and learn. I got off at the newly named Miranda metro station – in honour of one of the plethora of independence heroes frequently evoked – and immediately heard the chanting of the Venezuelan Socialist Party (PSUV).
Amid the fanfare, concerns were already being voiced about the effects Chávez’s absence would have not only on the May Day celebrations but also on the upcoming elections later that year. While hindsight tells us that Chávez would be elected for another 6-year term, his absence from the celebrations in May raised a number of issues that have again come to the fore in light of the President’s death.
1. Chavismo sin Chávez
After the main speeches I returned to my apartment in Sabana Grande, central Caracas, only to chance upon a Chávez look-alike. Walking the streets in his military regalia and red beret, he treated passers-by to Chávez’s customary hand signals and slogans – ‘somos 10’ ‘pa’lante comandante’ etc. While I immediately got my photo taken with ‘el comandante’, again with hindsight, the presence of the impersonator indirectly evokes issues of continuity in the Bolivarian Revolution.
Viewed historically, there has been a series of examples throughout Latin America where the leader’s death has not meant the end of the movement itself. The current president of Argentina, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, for example, is but the latest incarnation of Peronism, long after the death of Juan Perón. A similar movement of Chavismo without Chávez can also be foreseen. Such a suggestion is based on the level of social engagement amongst previously disenfranchised groups – a situation not unlike Argentina mid last century. The extent of reforms that have occurred in Venezuela over the past 14 years has not only enfranchised those previously excluded, it has also changed the political landscape of Venezuela. Demonstrative of this shift, even Chávez’s opponent in last year’s election – and likely opposition candidate again – Henrique Capriles Radonski has promised not to overturn many of the social reforms that Chavismo had developed. In the short- to medium-term, then, this suggests a greater sense of continuity than a radical rupture in Venezuela’s political trajectory.
2. The Genie is out of the Bottle
I was walking home ten minutes after having my photo taken with ‘el comandante’ when I noticed that the May Day marchers had actually caught up to me. Still with camera in hand I decided to stick around and see the first contingent or so go past. While I was waiting, a middle-aged woman ahead of the marchers came up to me, presumably thinking I was a journalist given that I was the only white man with a camera in sight. She began outlining how there were many more people in the pro-Chávez demonstrations than in the contra-marches on the other side of the city. Perhaps feeling compelled to convince me of the worth of the Bolivarian Revolution, she then went on to tell me how she had graduated from a series of missions, designed by the Chávez administration to educate those who never had such an opportunity. Her sense of pride both in herself and the Bolivarian movement was palpable. After our 2-minute conversation she left to continue marching.
Over the past 14 years conservative commentators have failed to appreciate the gravity of scenes like this and the enfranchisement of the formerly maligned. With Chávez often viewed crudely as an old-style Latin American caudillo leading a blind mass of people, his supporters are largely understood as misguided. What such perspectives fail to take into account, however, is not only the testimony of the woman I met, but also the popularity of Venezuelan democracy – which currently has the highest approval rating of any democracy in Latin America. What this suggests is that these people have not been duped. For the first time in 20 years they have a President who not only looks, talks and feels like them, but dedicated his presidency to improving their lot. While questions over the means – in terms of the direction and administration of particular policies – should be discussed and refined accordingly, the ends cannot be dismissed, nor derided.
3. Two Venezuelas
Later that night in May, the owner of the apartment I was renting came around. She wasn’t exactly dismissive of the marchers but referred to them frequently as the rojitos – the little red ones. Then after quizzing me about social safety nets in Australia, she described how a lot of the missions are corrupt. It was the usual anti-welfare admonitions you hear anywhere. She noted how people abuse the system, be they single mothers who have children for the sake of state support, or those that sign up for the aforementioned education missions only to take the money and never show up to classes.
While I found it interesting that corruption is now seen as a problem caused by the lower classes, rather than the robbery by the political elite – a common occurrence before Chávez – what the conversation spoke to was the huge division in Venezuelan society. Indeed, a number of conversations I had frequently turned to the comment that there is, in practice, two Venezuelas.
Looking forward, this may or may not be an issue for Chávez’s successor. Clearly, victory in 14 out of 15 electoral contests during his presidency points to a strong recipe for success. Any change on the part of the Chavistas, in this light, would appear nonsensical. However, Nicolas Maduro – the likely PSUV Candidate – isn’t Chávez, and may not be able to count on the level of support that his boss did. Accordingly, a greater level of not necessarily compromise, but conciliation may be required for the Chavistas to remain electorally successful. It should be noted however, that the level of polarisation is by no means solely attributed to the left in Venezuela. However, as those in power, a step in a more conciliatory direction may prove politically savvy.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4163
|
__label__cc
| 0.684634
| 0.315366
|
a quarter young
Our Team of Storytellers
#SelfLoveSymphony
Dr. Jennah Miller ND makes change and breaks ceilings for women’s healthcare and wellbeing
Leviana Coccia December 8, 2017 November 24, 2017 Uncategorized
Dr. Jennah Miller ND is a Naturopath in Toronto who loves to talk about periods. She recently opened her private practice and focuses on supporting the personalized healthcare of wild and badass women. We know…we fell in love with Jennah at first sight, too.
We met Jennah at an event by Herday, an organization that creates safe spaces dedicated to all women to inspire them to embrace femininity. She was looking to meet fellow women creators and entrepreneurs exploring the Toronto business community (as were we!). Shortly thereafter, we reconnected at Quantam Coffee in Toronto’s Fashion District. Over decaf (and deliciously warm) vanilla tea, we sat outside in the cool air as streetcars passed by, discussing what it’s like to start something new in this city’s ever-popular entrepreneurial and creative climate, menstrual issues and miscommunication and the importance of understanding self-care, subjectively.
We also asked Jennah questions about her career in Naturopathic Medicine and its impact on the future of how women are treated in healthcare and how women perceive their own health and wellbeing.
Read our interview below for a deeper look into Jennah’s change-making and ceiling breaking:
When we met, you talked about how so many people don’t know what Naturopathic Medicine is. What is it, in a nutshell?
Most simply, and perhaps most profoundly, naturopathic medicine is treating people not disease. I could spend paragraphs diving into the finer details of this beautiful method of healthcare, but I think this definition really cuts to the core of what I do. Naturopathic medicine sees the individual as exactly that; a distinctive, weird and wild human being, who deserves a healthcare plan that is just as unique as they are. It’s really about health optimization and disease prevention – because every single person should feel more than just okay about their health.
Practically, this means using diet/lifestyle counselling, acupuncture and nutritional/herbal supplements to get at the root cause of your health concerns. There are no one size fits all approaches in naturopathic medicine, and no two individuals will ever get the same treatment plan because of this.
Why was Naturopathic Medicine something you wanted to explore?
Being a woman navigating the conventional medical system, I always felt like something was lacking in my own experiences. Even something as simple as talking about birth control with my various family doctors over the years felt very dismissive to me. As if female problems were not “real” problems, and that they were barely worth a discussion. After being introduced to the concept of naturopathic medicine somewhere along the line, a door opened up for me. The fact that you could sit down and talk to your doctor for longer than 10 minutes and about more than one concern seemed life changing! I also appreciated how empowering it was for the patients – finally a method of healthcare in which the patient could be an active contributor to their own health. I was won over almost instantly, and knew this was exactly what I needed to do with my life.
What was your journey like to completing a postgraduate program in Naturopathic Medicine?
It was certainly a journey, and not a short one at that. I started off my post-secondary education thinking I wanted to become a dietitian. I already had a strong sense that food can be medicine, but something felt like it was missing. Most dietitians (not all, mind you) are stuck recommending out-dated therapeutic diets to patients in hospital settings – I had this deep seated sense that health should be so much more than just the absence of disease, and naturopathic medicine seemed to fill all of those gaps.
After four years of nutrition, I went on to complete another four years of naturopathic medical school. The program is pretty intense, and amidst obtaining an actual doctor of naturopathy degree, there are a few extra hurdles to jump. We have a nation-wide series of licensing examinations called NPLEX, which is divided into two parts, plus a province specific set of exams called the Ontario Clinical Board Exams. I also completed a yearlong clinical internship, and that brings me here today!
You studied at Ontario’s only school for Naturopathic Medicine. What was your favourite experience from your educational journey? What was your least favourite?
My favourite experience was definitely my clinical internship. As part of the four-year program in naturopathic medicine, all students complete a 12-month internship within the school’s teaching clinic. I saw patients under the supervision of a senior naturopathic doctor and was responsible for the entirety of their care. It was such an amazing learning experience, and exposed me to a tapestry of unique individuals, each undergoing their own health journey. I attracted a lot of women’s health and fertility cases, and this solidified my passion for female centred healthcare. It really gave me a glimpse into what life in private practice would look like.
My least favourite experience is also an easy one. My colleagues and I always joke about how naturopathic medical school is probably the least “naturopathic” experience possible. It’s a gruelling program and during midterm and exam weeks I’d often find myself writing 10+ exams in a short time span. At those times, self-care was at a minimum, sleep was non-existent and I definitely abused my right to drink coffee. I’m just a human, and I like to eat the occasional bagel for breakfast as much as the next person, but that degree of stress and lack of self-care was not cool. It was certainly not very conducive to a well-balanced personal and professional life.
You just graduated from this program in the spring of 2017. What’s life been like after graduation?
A whirlwind! A scary, exciting, terrifying, rewarding whirlwind. The immediate four months after graduation are actually pretty busy for new grads, myself included. Our entry to practice and licensing examinations are spread throughout July and August and so much of my summer was spent studying for those. After passing, there’s a pretty rigorous registration process, which eventually led to me opening up my practice in October.
It’s been so exciting to finally get to this point. Seeing my own patients and structuring my practice as a female centred and feminist model of healthcare has been my absolute dream. I threw caution to the wind and opened my own practice instead of joining a pre-existing clinic, so I’m honestly learning something new every day. Being able to finally work with the weird, wild, and badass women of Toronto has made every step of this process worth it.
Originally from Nova Scotia, you’re now in Toronto, as you’ve mentioned. Who has been your biggest support in that city, since you moved?
My partner, Zach, has been the biggest support system for me. Most of the individuals I’ve connected with since moving to Toronto have been linked with naturopathic medicine in some way, except for Zach. It’s been a blessing having someone who isn’t so intertwined with that aspect of my life – it allows for a fresh perspective on things. Someone to remind me that all of my business worries, and the pursuit of “trying to have it all,” are not all that important in the grand scheme of things.
Logo by: Christel LeBlanc.
Do you and other Naturopathic Medicine graduates in Toronto support and work together? How?
Definitely! While I can’t speak for all Naturopathic Doctors, I know the group of colleagues and friends that I graduated with have made it a priority to support each other as we navigate starting practice. I think it’s about focusing on an abundance mindset rather than one of scarcity – we can all succeed, and our chances of doing so are better when we support each other. When we work from the perspective that there isn’t enough business to go around, or that we’re in competition with each other, we’re hurting our profession as a whole.
A few of my colleagues and I share an online space where we talk/rant/ask questions about practice. It’s a judgement free zone, and the mentality is all about helping each other succeed. We also collaborate together whenever possible. For example, my friend and fellow Naturopathic Doctor Madeleine Elton and I are putting on a workshop together about women’s health and periods at Make Lemonade[, a coworking space in Toronto] in December. Real queens fix each other’s crowns, and I think we’re stronger together than divided.
What is so important about having a safe space like this to decompress and be your truest, most open self?
I think the same goes for all women in business, but the comparison trap is just far too strong of a force. We get stuck in presenting this idealized version of our life and career to everyone on social media, and then hold ourselves up to unrealistic versions of everyone else’s highlight reel. It’s like Photoshop for our lives, and it feels so fake. We absolutely need a space to be real – and while I think the shift is happening on social media towards an honest and authentic narrative, we’re still not quite there yet. Having a group of women to share my highs and lows with has been an important form of self-care for me. It gives me the space to air my shit and to acknowledge that literally everyone else is going through their own battles. It’s not just me. Knowing this and openly talking about it, tends to tune out all of that comparison noise.
Since graduation, you have been hosting meetings and wellness workshops at corporations in Toronto to talk about what you do and why wellness and stress management is so important at work, with hopes of gaining new clients. How do you set up these talks?
It’s honestly been a lot of me simply putting myself out there – that whole idea of feeling the fear and doing it anyhow. Reaching out to individuals via email (which sometimes looks like the human resources department at offices, and other times looks like a local yoga instructor) and talking about my passion for women’s health has seemed to work thus far. I’d like to think that it’s my excitement and passion for what I do that shines through in these interactions and that’s how all of these things have fallen into place. Maybe it’s just been a situation of trusting the universe and being in the right place at the right time, though.
Why is talking about wellness and personalized holistic medical treatment so important in the workplace?
I think workplace wellness is particularly important, because people hold so much stress in relation to their jobs. Each individual experiences stress in their own way, and finding a treatment plan that is just as unique as their situation is really important to me. You can’t just tell all Toronto desk workers to start meditating and assume it’s going to fix all of their problems. That approach will work for some people, but I think stress goes much deeper than that – it’s in how we adapt to situations, how our hormones and diet are supporting our emotional and spiritual resilience, etc. That’s why diving deeper and providing a personalized plan unique to the individual is the key to supporting workplace stress – and by extension our overall health status.
On your social media channels, you talk a lot about periods and your practice’s connections to improving women’s health. Why have you chosen women’s health as a focus?
Can my answer just be that I love women? I’m only partially kidding, but I honestly think women are such an underserved population in the conventional medical framework. Women didn’t even have to be included in medical research up until 1993, which sounds absolutely ridiculous but is sadly very true. As a result, a lot of the research on treatment effectiveness, side effects, etc., has only even been studied in white males. We need a medical framework that understands that women are not simply small men, and I think naturopathic medicine has the ability to meet that demand.
As I’ve mentioned before, being a woman navigating the conventional medical field myself, I’ve often seen female concerns like pain and anything to do with periods quickly dismissed. Women do not feel heard when they speak about their menstruation and I want to be the person who finally listens.
Are there any limits that women face when seeking advice and treatment? If yes, what are they?
Definitely. I feel that most of the time women talk about their periods, they’re either straight up ignored, or told not to worry about it, as if menstruation is not a true marker of health (it is). There’s an inherent wisdom in knowing our own bodies, and it’s been my experience that when a woman thinks something is up health wise, she’s probably right. Oftentimes, menstrual irregularity can be the first clue.
In general, I think this attitude is pervasive in women’s health – why would a woman want to seek treatment for something her healthcare practitioner is just going to tell her “is nothing to worry about?? Women deserve to have their concerns listened to, adequately worked up and then treated properly. The other limits are just in the medical research itself – when women aren’t included in medical research studies, it leaves a very large and very blatant gender bias. When the research is done on men, how can we be sure that the results also transfer over to women? A shift is happening, but not quite fast enough.
Talking about periods can sometimes be strange – because people react weirdly when women bring up a monthly cycle (even though, it’s a thing we all experience, 12 times – or more – a year). What do you hope your practice does to change how we communicate about periods?
Above all, I hope that my practice makes people react a little less weirdly when menstruation is brought up. Like you said, it is a NORMAL physiological process that 50 per cent of the population experiences for a good 30 years of their life. Somewhere along the line in history, periods have morphed into this dirty, secretive thing that women can’t talk about, barely even to each other. It’s always been my concern, that if we’re not talking about periods, how can we even begin to understand what a normal one looks like? If we don’t know what’s normal, how can we recognize when something is wrong, and medical help is necessary?
The best example is menstrual cramps. They are common, meaning that many women experience them on a monthly basis, but they are not normal. You should not be out of commission due to period cramps on a monthly basis. No one talks about periods, so we assume that our own experiences (like pain) are just the norm. I hope my practice opens up the discussion and normalizes menstruation to better help women understand their bodies. I believe women can really love their periods, but the first step towards that it talking about menstruation like it matters.
Understanding your focus is women, do you hope to work with people who identify as other genders? What do you hope your work with all genders might entail?
My practice has always been open to every individual, regardless of assigned gender or gender expression. I have a soft spot in my heart for women and menstruation, so that’s often where I focus my energy, but that doesn’t mean that’s all I do. I’m always honoured to work with every single human being that enters my practice and as long as they feel I’m the best fit for them, I’m happy to co-create an individualized treatment plan just for them.
It’s my hope that working with all genders stays true to what I’ve always stated my core beliefs to be; that your healthcare should be as unique as you are. If your healthcare isn’t taking into account what makes you different, what makes you, YOU, then it’s not truly leading you down the path of highest health. We should appreciate our differences and honour them as part of our health, not ignore them.
Wellness is a huge part of the job that you do. What type of wellness tips have you learned to practice on yourself, through your experience as a Naturopathic Doctor thus far?
Oh my god. SELF-CARE. It’s honestly the foundation to everything. If I’m not taking the time to give my body and soul what it needs, literally everything else seems to suffer the consequences. There have been periods of my life where self-care was non-existent (ahem, naturopathic medical school), and that’s absolutely no way to live your best life. Prioritizing what I’ve needed to feel good has been a big shift for me.
More practically, it’s all in the simplest of things. Making sure I drink enough water, eat lots of vegetables and get proper sleep. These are often the first things to fly out the window when things get busy/stressful, and yet they’re foundational to overall wellness.
Dr. Jennah Miller ND. Photo by: Zachary Klaver.
One of the final points that Jennah shared with us was encouragement for our readers to not be afraid to reach out for help when need.
“Your local Naturopathic Doctor is a great bet, but whoever you feel comfortable with is even better,” Jennah says. “I believe deep in my core that your healthcare should be as unique as you are, and that every single person deserves to feel more than just ‘okay’ on a daily basis. One on one appointment with a healthcare professional can seem scary and intimidating, but I’m doing my best to crush that mindset. I want to hold space for women. To make them feel heard and to allow them to play an active role in their own healthcare. The strongest step towards empowerment is in taking care of your own health.”
To follow along with Jennah’s journey, follow her on Instagram via @jennahmiller. For more information about her practice and how to work with Jennah as a patient, visit her website at www.jennahmiller.com.
Previous A Look At Ohmie’s First Year In Business: How a brand built on balance and wellness changes how we practice yoga
Next Nurture bakes love into community and creative retreats, encouraging rebuilding, refocusing and refreshing
Published by Leviana Coccia
A storyteller. That is how I would describe myself. I love communicating with people using the written and spoken word as well as various multimedia. I am developing a career where I can use my journalistic, communication and project management skills daily. Naturally, I love to write. I’m passionate about making a difference and fighting to make this world a comfortable place for everyone to live. A world without barriers, discrimination, standards of beauty, gender stereotypes, harassment, racism, disease…the list goes on and on. I am a social media enthusiast and have extensive experience using Twitter, Facebook, blogs and LinkedIn to market brands and initiatives. I recently completed the post-graduate Event Management program at Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning (ITAL), from which I have earned an Ontario Post-Graduate Certificate (PGC) in Event Management with honours. I am also a graduate of the Media Studies program at the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Applied Arts in Media Studies from the University of Guelph as well as a Diploma in Journalism from Humber College ITAL, both with distinction. View all posts by Leviana Coccia
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4170
|
__label__wiki
| 0.602464
| 0.602464
|
Coalition for the Preservation of the Historic Basin
To Download The Coalition Position Paper Click Here
The plan to build the cable car in the Old City was set into motion by a government decision in 2017 in honor of Jerusalem Day. The project is being advanced by the Jerusalem Development Authority. According to the promoters of the plan, the cable car is the most efficient, expedient and inexpensive solution for transporting masses to the Western Wall. They claim that it can be constructed within 15 months at a cost of approximately ILS 200 million.
The plan was approved on June 3, 2019, by the National Infrastructure Committee, from where it advanced to the stage of governmental approval. According to the plan, the cable car will travel between three stations: originating at the First Station in the Baka/Abu Tor neighborhood, continuing to Mt. Zion, and finally, ending at the yet-to-be-built Kedem Compound near Dung Gate. In addition, a depot is slated for construction in Abu Tor, near Ha-Mefaked Street.
The effect of the cable car on the surrounding area will be dramatic. It will deal a fateful blow to the ancient landscape of the city; tourist sites and merchants in the Old City will be negatively affected by the change in the course of tourist traffic to the city; it will impact the local residents of Wadi Hilweh/Silwan, Mt. Zion, Abu Tor and the German Colony neighborhoods, who will suffer from congestion caused by the hundreds and thousands of tourists descending from buses stopping on the narrow David Remez Street near the First Station.
The Coalition for the Preservation of the Historic Basin is comprised of public bodies and citizens who are cognizant of the unique historic, cultural and religious value of the Old City Historic Basin and the need to protect it from poorly conceived construction and development projects such as the cable car project.
Planning Professionals Overwhelmingly Oppose the Cable Car but their Voices have been Silenced
Despite the far-reaching effects of the plan, the government of Israel has chosen to circumvent the usual planning committees and opted to process the project in the National Infrastructure Committee (NIC). Planning professionals, for their part, seized the narrow window of opportunity given by the NIC to submit objections which were categorically rejected by the special researcher appointed by the committee. Among the professional organizations that submitted objections: The Israel Association of United Architects, The Council for the Conservation of Heritage Sites in Israel, The Moreshet Derekh Tour Guides Union (MDTGU), 15 Minutes Public Transportation Alliance, Emek Shaveh, Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights, and the Arab Center for Alternative Planning (ACAP). In addition to the objections of these organizations, many professionals submitted individual objections.
Beyond these objections, a public statement against the plan was published by approximately 70 architects, archaeologists, historians and intellectuals, among them, four Israel Prize recipients, opposing the plan. Additionally, a letter was signed by 35 leading architects around the world, calling on the government of Israel to halt the plan, that, if carried out, would be destructive to the historic city.
Flaws in the Cable Car Plan
Violation of Landscaping and Architectural Values: The planned course to Mt. Zion will traverse the Ben Hinnom Valley, and continue along the southern wall of the Old City. Between the stations, 15 massive support columns, each 6-7 stories high, will be erected, with thick cables between them on which the cable car will travel, with dozens of cars in operation simultaneously; all this will be visible from afar. The damage to the view of the Old City walls and the Ben Hinnom Valley will be unprecedented.
Protection of Historical Character: In historic cities, it is accepted practice to preserve values of history landscape and heritage. In order to prevent damage to the historic character of a city, policies are designed to prevent the introduction of projects that are foreign to the unique urban fabric. The difficulty in handling the pressures created by the influx of tourists is a known phenomenon in many historic cities in the world, and is dealt with using sustainable tourism practices, not by crudely attempting to multiply numbers with no regards to capacity.
Alternatives: While the Jerusalem municipality and the Ministry of Tourism are advancing the cable car plan, the Ministry of Transportation is advancing two plans for this same exact area: a light rail and a train, both intended to pass underground.
Tourist-based or transportation based? Although the cable car is presented as the solution to the problem of access to the Western Wall and as a mass transportation system, the Ministry of Transportation (according to its official statements), does not view it as a transportation project, but rather as a tourism venture, and therefore, subsidies for travel in the cable car at the rate of public transportation fare, a decision that rests with the Transportation Ministry, is doubtful. On the other hand, whether the tourist project will provide a solution for tourists is also questionable, since most of Jerusalem’s hotels are not concentrated near the First Station, and access to tourists will not be convenient and quick. Many tour guides claim they will not use the cable car since it requires separating groups and dividing them over a number of cars.
The cable car will not relieve traffic congestion: The cable car is not part of an overarching solution for traffic congestion in Jerusalem, and is likely to transfer load to the area of the First Station and the entrance to Baka, the German Colony and other neighborhoods. Even today, the area of the First Station is crowded, and the adjacent parking lot is intended for the many visitors to the First Station, not the Old City. The initiators of the project are proud of the interfaces between the cable car and the light rail (still under construction), but these have not yet been approved, and the date of implementation lies many years in the future.
Waste of public funds: The budgets approved to date for the cable car project total ILS 14 million for planning and ILS 200 million for implementation. It is clear to all that these are only preliminary sums, that will only grow. These sums of course do not include ongoing operation costs and the losses that will be incurred due to the fact that the cable car will not operate on Shabbat and holidays, and (if the promoters implement the fee they have quoted) the low cost of travel on public transportation. Today, when the state budgetary deficit hovers at billions of shekels, the cable car is a waste of public funds. If the government of Israel is interested in solving Jerusalem’s public transportation problems, it would be preferable to invest these enormous sums in the improvement of public transportation in the city. Residents and visitors would benefit much more.
Damages to merchants in the Old City and the surrounding area: The commercial centers of Jaffa Gate, David Street in the Arab market, Mamilla and others, rely on the movement of tourists back and forth to the Old City. Most of the visitors enter the Old City through the Jaffa and Damascus Gates. Building the cable car in the southern part of the city will create an alternate tourist route and cause substantial economic damage to many merchants. It should be recalled that the entrance via Jaffa Gate leaves visitors with an understanding of the rich complexity of ancient (and present-day) Jerusalem in a single glance; on entering, one sees the Armenian and Jewish Quarters on the right, the Arab market and the Muslim Quarter straight ahead, and to the left, the Christian Quarter.
The cable car is an experiment in Jerusalem’s Old City, the most important and sensitive site in the region. Although the project is being presented to the public as a solution to transportation problems and tourism needs, it does not provide a proper solution in either of these areas, and, moreover, will inflict a mortal wound on the historic character of the Old City and its environs, destroying its famed beauty which draws visitors from around the world.
We call for the annulment of the plan, and in its stead, to advance a new plan to improve accessibility of the Old City’s Historic Basin. The plan should be led by the Ministry of Transportation together with professionals from a variety of areas, in order to preserve Jerusalem’s unique character and beauty.
City of David Historic Basin Kedem Compound Objection to Building Plan Silwan tourism
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4171
|
__label__wiki
| 0.511838
| 0.511838
|
The Amazon on the Brink
Once a leader in protecting the region's vast forests, Brazil is now moving in the opposite direction
Philip Fearnside and Richard Schiffman
The Trump administration is not the only government that has been busy slashing funds for environmental protection. Brazil has been doing the same.
While Mr. Trump makes no bones about his desire to roll back environmental laws, Brazil's president, Michel Temer, a signatory of the Paris climate agreement, has sent mixed signals. To his credit, Mr. Temer pledged in Paris to cut his country's carbon dioxide emissions 37 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.
His actions since then tell a different story. Last year, the Environment Ministry's budget was cut nearly in half, as part of a national austerity plan amid Brazil's punishing recession. And the agency responsible for protecting Brazil's vast system of indigenous reserves is being virtually dismantled by draconian staff cuts.
Funding for critical law enforcement to protect the rain forest from illegal timber cutting has also been decimated. In 2017, Brazil was the most dangerous country in the world for people defending the land or the environment, according to a tally by the group Global Witness, in collaboration with The Guardian newspaper. Forty-six people died. (The Pastoral Land Commission, a private advocacy group in Brazil for the rural poor, said at least 65 rural activists were murdered in disputes over development.)
If the government's retrenchment on environmental protection continues, there may soon be nothing to stop the chain saws on the Amazonian frontier, where the rule of law can be weak and land is frequently seized and cleared illegally. This has implications beyond Brazil. The Amazon's lush forests make up the largest reserve of carbon dioxide on the surface of the earth. This potent greenhouse gas is released when forests are burned or bulldozed and left to decay.
Brazilians are going to the polls on Oct. 7 to choose among nine candidates for the presidency, with a likely runoff later in the month between the top two vote-getters. The outcome will bear significantly on the future of the Amazon.
The current front-runner, Jair Bolsonaro, is a climate-change skeptic who has been called "the tropical Trump." He has threatened to take Brazil out of the Paris climate accord. Another of the leading contenders, the former São Paulo mayor Fernando Haddad, is regarded as a moderate on the environment. Marina Silva, who as Brazil's environment minister pushed to limit deforestation and encourage sustainable development in the Amazon, is running well behind in the latest polls.
Deforestation rates have been trending mostly upward since 2012 and will surely escalate if a raft of proposed laws and regulatory changes to weaken environmental protections are enacted. Brazil lost 2,682 square miles of Amazonian forests in 2017. That is almost nine times the size of New York City and 78 percent above the government's own target for meetings its obligation under the Paris accord.
In an analysis published in July in the journal Nature Climate Change, 10 Brazilian scientists concluded that "the abandonment of deforestation control policies and the political support for predatory agricultural practices" will make it impossible for Brazil to to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to the level the country promised in Paris. Continued weak environmental governance, the scientists warned, could lead to the loss of up to 17,000 square miles of rain forest a year, endangering the entire Amazon ecosystem.
Why this change in policy? The scientists put it succinctly: "In exchange for political support, the Brazilian government is signaling landholders to increase deforestation."
President Temer's minister of justice is pushing plans to allow agribusiness to rent indigenous land that had been off limits to developers. Other proposals would effectively freeze the creation of new protected areas, open others to resource exploitation and block the mapping of boundaries of indigenous lands, potentially opening native communities and their forests to invasion by miners and ranchers.
Indigenous territories contain more forest than all of the government's conservation units combined, and historically Brazil's native peoples have been far more effective in defending the rain forest than the government or private landowners.
The anti-environment agenda is being pushed by of a coalition of large landowners and agribusinesses in Congress (the "bancada ruralista" or so-called ruralists). Regular revelations of corruption involving government ministers, legislators – and also, President Temer himself – have provided them with cover to pursue regressive measures, like a proposed constitutional amendment that would prevent Brazil's regulators from blocking environmentally unsound road and development projects.
Scores of such projects planned for inaccessible regions of the Amazon may be fast-tracked should the amendment pass and the environmental review process is gutted as a result, as now seems likely. For example, the 540-mile long BR-319 highway would, if completed, open a vast area in the central and northern Amazonia to deforestation.
Not only is little being done to prevent illegal land use, some laws have encouraged it. Last year, the "grileiro" or land-grabber, law legalized tracts of nearly 6,200 acres that were taken illegally – a boon to land speculators and others who seize public lands for their own use.
Not so long ago, Brazil was doing things right. Despite low global prices for soy and beef, the nation experienced a remarkable economic expansion while deforestation fell 60 percent from 2004 to 2007, demonstrating that environmental growth is consistent with economic growth. But now that demand for soy and beef on the global market is high, pressure on the forest is mounting. Deforestation is still well below historical highs. But that could soon change if the power of the agribusiness lobby is not checked.
The ruralists came into increased prominence toward the end of the administration of the Workers Party president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and grew more powerful during the term of his successor, Dilma Rousseff. During Ms. Rousseff's presidency, which ended when she was removed from office following impeachment, amnesty was granted to landowners who had illegally cleared forests, encouraging continued lawbreaking in the world's largest rain forest.
Climate change has also increased the danger of catastrophic forest fires. In dry El Niño years, burned areas can greatly exceed what is cleared for cattle pasture.
The changing climate represents both a threat to the Amazon and a key reason for protecting its forests. Transpiration from tree leaves generates rivers of moisture in the atmosphere that act as conveyor belts bringing much-needed rain to Brazil's heavily populated south and to Argentina. São Paulo, which already regularly runs dangerously short of water, will be a major victim if continued deforestation removes this water vapor transport that fills the reservoirs on which the city, South America's largest, depends.
The Amazon forest itself would also suffer. As more of it is cut, the huge volume of self-generated rainfall it needs to remain verdant is steadily reduced, worsening droughts made more frequent and severe by global warming. At some point – we are not sure how close we are to this critical tipping point – the entire ecosystem dries out.
Brazilians have consistently said in opinion polls that they want to preserve the Amazon. But in the current atmosphere of unbridled greed and corruption in high places, the voices for wise policy are often drowned out.
Brazil alone has not created the deforestation problem, and neither can it address it alone. Demand for Brazil's beef from Western nations, and increasingly from China, has created an enormous temptation to cut the forest to turn a quick profit.
Importing nations and Brazilian soy traders and beef producers must live up to their pledges that they will not buy products produced on cleared forest. And global financial institutions must stop funding projects that result in deforestation. They should also increase their assistance to Brazil and other tropical countries to help them maintain their forests and pursue nondestructive alternatives to cutting them.
Only then, can we insure that the Amazonia forests, the living heart of Brazil – and of the world – will remain intact.
Belo Sun
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4173
|
__label__wiki
| 0.722038
| 0.722038
|
Prince’s Yellow Cloud Guitar on Display at the National Museum of American History
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History will recognize the life and legacy of Prince Rogers Nelson (1958 – 2016) by displaying his “Yellow Cloud” electric guitar. The guitar was made in 1989 and used during Prince’s Diamonds and Pearls era. It will be on view beginning April 26, through Labor Day, Sept. 5.
“Prince was a multi-talented artist who achieved popular success while pursuing eclectic and innovative musical visions,” said Eric Jentsch, deputy chair in the division of culture and the arts. “One of the best-selling musicians of all time, he is also remembered for his energetic performances, film work and songwriting.”
Custom-made by the Minneapolis, Minn., firm Knut-Koupee Enterprises, the guitar was designed by Prince; his distinctive personal symbol adorns both the top and the side of the fingerboard.
An image of the guitar is available for press. Once installed, it can also be photographed or filmed in the museum. For access, contact Amelia Avalos at avalosa@si.edu.
About the National Museum of American History
Through incomparable collections, rigorous research and dynamic public outreach, the National Museum of American History explores the infinite richness and complexity of American history. It helps people understand the past in order to make sense of the present and shape a more humane future. The museum is continuing to renovate its west exhibition wing, developing galleries on democracy and culture. For more information, visit https://americanhistory.si.edu. The museum is located on Constitution Avenue, between 12th and 14th streets N.W., and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Summer extended hours, open until 7:30 p.m. beginning Memorial Day. Admission is free. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000.
Amelia Avalos
avalosa@si.edu
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4174
|
__label__wiki
| 0.694861
| 0.694861
|
American Jazz Museum
Film and Photography Guidelines
GEM Theater
Making Lifelong Jazz Supporters: An Interview with Mike Warren
By Claire McDonald and Marissa Baum
We sat down with drummer and KC native Mike Warren for a conversation about his connection to the jazz culture, the American Jazz Museum, and Jazz Storytelling, one of AJM’s educational programs for children.
How old were you when you started playing the drums? What got you interested in music and drumming specifically?
I was probably about 14 or 15 when I started playing the drums, but I was a classically trained woodwindist from very young, until I was a teenager. Because I excelled in classical music as a young child, I was sort of pushed in that direction.
I grew up in a household where my father was a very multi-talented person. He had multiple interests. He would buy instruments and lay them around the house. Clarinet just happened to be something that was laying around the house. There were also saxophones, guitars, all kinds of stuff. But drumming is something I felt I should have always been doing. It’s something that came extremely naturally to me.
I just didn’t really care for classical music. So I quit football, basketball, track, every sport I had and said, “I’m going to play the drums now.” I tried out for the school band and was immediately successful. I graduated High School when I was 16 and started college when I was 17.
I didn’t necessarily want to do drums in college, but it was just something I found. I happened to be walking by the music department, hear music, and next thing I know, I’m the drummer for the jazz band.
Growing up, were you aware of Kansas City’s place in the history of jazz?
Yes and no. I wasn’t entirely aware of the scope as a child. Once I was older and I started meeting people that were in jazz they would say, “You’ve got to come down to 18th & Vine.” So that’s how I was introduced to the history.
Back then, the way that jazz was handed down was very traditional. There were still all of the old cats that were still alive like Jay McShann, Luqman Hamza, and Ahmad Alaadeen, who gravitated towards young musicians like me. That’s the way music and traditions have been handed down for generations.
Now that I’m considered an “older” musician, it’s my job to teach younger musicians what the history is and why we do things a certain way. It’s about the tradition, we have to be cultural ambassadors.
Throughout your career, how has the “jazz scene” changed in KC?
I would say it’s thrived, but it’s different. It’s been the musicians doubling down with their determination to push this music forward, make it relevant, while still trying to maintain the history.
We constantly have to appeal to new audiences. In order to build an audience you have to appreciate the music, and to appreciate it, you need to have been exposed to it. The educational system doesn’t have to necessarily produce a bunch of great artists, but it does instill music appreciation. People can relate and say “I used to play the horn when I was in high school.” Those are the people that then become your audience.
Was there ever a thought that to be successful you needed to leave Kansas City?
In the 80s and 90s, that’s kind of the way it was, especially before the Jazz Museum and 18th & Vine were redeveloped. The thing was to get good here in Kansas City, and then go to New York. As a musician, if you want to make it, you have to go where the recording industry is. There was no recording industry here in Kansas City. You had to go to the west coast or the east coast.
But I came along in the transition. I thought “There must be a way for me where I can stay in Kansas City, represent Kansas City, and make it work and be successful.” That was always my goal. And the reality is, that is actually what’s happening.
Tell me about the first time you came to the American Jazz Museum.
I was there on day one. I can still remember the inaugural concert and thinking, “Somebody is actually creating a space where our stories can be told. There’s a place where we can still present the artform as it is today and pay homage to the past.”
At that time, it was the only place in America were you could do that. It was the only jazz museum in the country, and that was something to be proud of. If you wanted to be at the cutting edge of jazz in Kansas City, you had to go to the Blue Room.
It’s my duty and part of my job as a musician and as a part of this community to make sure that that continues. Ultimately my goal is for this music and this institution to thrive and continue to be relevant in this city.
What makes the Blue Room special to musicians?
The Blue Room is all about the art, period. It’s about the musicians. All of the people come, they’re there to listen, and they’re paying attention. As a musician and an artist, why wouldn’t you prefer that?
Was music education a natural fit in your career or were you specifically inspired to become an educator?
Music education is something I never imagined I would be doing. The fact that I’m an educator is because of people like Bobby Watson and Jim Mair recognizing that what I had could be of value to younger musicians. They said “You can’t get that good and not give back.” I have to say that I love it now because it gives me a chance to do what I’ve always done, which is mentor musicians.
You’re the drummer for Jazz Storytelling. What do you hope the kids who attend programs like Jazz Storytelling get out of the experience?
Back when Jazz Storytelling started, there was little music, and even less jazz education, in schools. We thought we could introduce this music to kids and babies, make it fun and interesting, and that’s going to make them lifelong jazz supporters.
Just a couple weeks ago, a teenager came to Jazz Storytelling who used to come there when he was 2 or 3 years old. Now he’s into jazz, he’s into the arts, and that’s a direct result of the program. All of the testimonials give us the results of what we hoped for.
We have fun, and educate them at the same time. That’s the thing that I love about Jazz Storytelling. I get to play and be silly, and kids have no filter so they just run up to you and hug you. It’s really fulfilling.
From world class performances, award-winning venues and exceptional educational programming, with your support the American Jazz Museum will remain a destination for all things jazz.
Membership to the American Jazz Museum comes with a variety of perks including free admission to the museum, discounts on ... performances and a whole lot more.
Legacy Plays On
Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date
© 2020 American Jazz Museum, 1616 E 18th St, Kansas City, MO 64108
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4175
|
__label__wiki
| 0.853646
| 0.853646
|
2016's Top 5 Advances in Neurology
A potential treatment for progressive MS tops the list
by Kristina Fiore, Associate Editor, MedPage Today December 21, 2016
MedPage Today asked specialists in neurology around the country to tell us what they thought were the most important clinical developments in 2016. These were the five most commonly mentioned.
1. Ocrelizumab for Primary Progressive MS
Multiple sclerosis experts were hoping that a new drug that could treat not only relapsing MS, but also progressive disease, would be approved by the end of the year. That's not going to happen, since Genentech announced the FDA has pushed back the PDUFA date for ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) by 3 months as it reviews additional data on the company's manufacturing process.
But hopes are high that the B-cell-targeting drug will be the first to win approval for progressive MS. Although there are several treatments for relapsing disease, no other drug has ever been approved to treat the more aggressive form.
Updated findings from the OPERA and ORATORIO studies were presented at various meetings throughout the year, and drugmaker Genentech has continued to tout the 24% reduced relative risk of disability progression in primary progressive MS, although some have expressed concern that its effects in PPMS are not as strong as in RRMS.
"The excitement around the first effective therapy in PPMS is tempered by that benefit being predominantly in patients with active inflammation at the start of the trial, with little benefit seen among those without active inflammation at the start of the trial," said Robert Fox, MD, of the Cleveland Clinic. "To me, this trial suggests that patients with progressive MS and active inflammation may benefit from an anti-inflammatory therapy, but a treatment for the gradual, insidious progression seen in the majority of progressive MS patients remains elusive."
Jerry Wolinsky, MD, of UTHealth and Memorial Hermann in Houston, said that even if ocrelizumab isn't approved for PPMS, "the effects of the drug in relapsing forms of the disease are impressive, and have refocused the field into considering B cells as contributing more to the immunopathogenesis of the disease than we have in the past."
2. Solanezumab: Down but Not Out
The anti-amyloid agent solanezumab failed to slow Alzheimer's disease progression in the phase III EXPEDITION3 trial, and some thought that might spell the end for the amyloid hypothesis in Alzheimer's disease. Lead investigator Paul Aisen, MD, of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, disagreed, calling it the "strongest confirmation to date" for the theory, given that the drug looked like it slowed progression compared with placebo -- just not significantly so.
Others felt the trial did have implications for the amyloid theory. "The failure of Eli Lilly's amyloid-targeted drug (solanezumab) in mild AD puts another 'nail in the coffin' for amyloid-based therapies in AD," said George Grossberg, MD, of Saint Louis University in Missouri.
Some were not willing to go that far, limiting their conclusions to the status of the drug alone. "The solanezumab trial results, although encouraging in that most clinical measurements were favorable, failed to show clinical effects significant enough to seek approval for widespread use," said Pierre Tariot, MD, of Banner Alzheimer's Institute in Phoenix.
Positive results from an early study of another anti-amyloid drug, aducanumab, have the field holding onto hope for the hypothesis.
3. Cannabidiol for Refractory Epilepsy
A branded formulation of cannabidiol (Epidiolex) has now turned up positive results in three randomized, controlled trials: one in Dravet syndrome and two in Lennox-Gastaut disease. Updated findings from two of those trials were reported at the 2016 American Epilepsy Society meeting.
"The bottom line is that cannabidiol works," Orrin Devinsky, MD, of NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, who is a co-author on the Dravet study, told MedPage Today during the meeting. "There are side effects, but the overall safety and tolerability is good, especially compared to other anti-epileptic drugs."
Drugmaker GW Pharmaceuticals expects to file a new drug application with the FDA for the drug in mid-2017, with hopes to be on the market the following year.
"So much as been written about medical marijuana with so little hard science behind it," said Gregory Barkley, MD, of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. "It is nice to see a company doing the testing the time-honored way."
4. Is Amyloid an Antibiotic?
A paper in Science Translational Medicine suggested that the amyloid proteins gunking up the brains of Alzheimer's patients may be part of an essential immune response. Researchers found that expression of human amyloid-beta was protective against potentially lethal infections in mice, roundworms, and cultured human brain cells.
They also saw that low-grade infections -- be they bacterial, fungal, or viral -- trigger the expression of amyloid beta. Study co-author Rudolph Tanzi, PhD, of the Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in Charlestown, noted that the paper is "already one of the most-cited Alzheimer's papers of the year."
5. Dementia on the Decline
Two studies this year demonstrated that dementia rates in the U.S. are on the decline: A paper in JAMA Internal Medicine showed about a 25% decline in prevalence between 2000 and 2012 (from 12% to 9%) when looking at data from the Health and Retirement Study, while another in the New England Journal of Medicine reported a 20% drop in dementia incidence per decade since 1999, driven by declines in vascular dementia.
The decline may be due to better control of cardiovascular risk factors, higher levels of education, and better brain health in general. But most experts warned against getting too complacent, as cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity (all of which are tied to brain health) are still highly prevalent.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4177
|
__label__wiki
| 0.84997
| 0.84997
|
Richmond Flying Squirrels Logo
Minor league baseball team Richmond Flying Squirrels has remained entirely consistent in its brand identity since it received its current name in 2010.
The Flying Squirrels started playing in 1972 under the name the West Haven Yankees. The club changed several locations until moving eventually to Richmond, Virginia, where the new logo and name were unveiled in late 2009.
Primary symbol
The fans expecting just another cartoonish creature were surprised by the new Richmond Flying Squirrels logo. The creature looked more like a superhero than a squirrel from a cartoon. The superhero had an acorn over its chest with the letter “R” written on it.
The emblem was developed by San Diego-based sports branding firm Brandiose and even got the title of the best logo of the year from Ballpark Digest.
Alternative emblem
The “R” acorn can be used as a standalone emblem. The team also has a double-line wordmark in black and red. The traces left by the letters create a dynamic mood.
The palette of the Richmond Flying Squirrels logo includes three primary colors, black, red, and grey, as well as white as the background color. White is also used for the eyes, the teeth, and the “R.”
Gwinnett Stripers Logo
Pulaski Yankees Logo
Bluefield Blue Jays Logo
West Virginia Black Bears Logo
Top 20 Baseball Logos
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4178
|
__label__wiki
| 0.514646
| 0.514646
|
46. Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, Virginia
> State violent crime rate: 195.6 per 100,000 (3rd lowest)
Virginia is one of only four states with fewer than 200 violent crimes for every 100,000 people. A relatively safe state, even its most dangerous metro area, Virginia Beach, has a lower violent crime rate than the nation as a whole. There were 309 violent crimes in Virginia Beach for every 100,000 residents in 2015, well below the national violent crime rate of 373 incidents per 100,000.
Despite a low overall violent crime rate, the murder rate in Virginia beach is disproportionately high. There were 137 homicides in the area in 2015, about 8 for every 100,000 people. In comparison, the statewide murder rate is slightly less than 5 per 100,000 people.
47. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, Washington
> State violent crime rate: 284.4 per 100,000 (17th lowest)
There were 324 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area in 2015. While this was the highest violent crime rate in Washington state, it was lower than the national rate of 373 incidents per 100,000 Americans. Among the 12,130 violent crimes reported were 112 murders, 3,885 robberies, and 6,952 aggravated assaults.
Crime is less likely in areas where residents have high-paying, full-time jobs and other opportunities for gainful employment. While Seattle is the most dangerous metropolitan area in Washington, the city has the most robust economy in the state. An estimated 41.2% of Seattle adults have a bachelor’s degree, the largest share of any metro area in the state. This may be one reason why just 3.5% of workers in Seattle are unemployed, the lowest unemployment rate statewide.
ALSO READ: The Most Dangerous City in Every State
48. Charleston, West Virginia
There were 530 violent crimes reported per 100,000 Charleston residents in 2015, the most of any metro area in West Virginia and far more than the state rate of 338 incidents per 100,000 people. Among the 1,173 violent crimes reported were 18 murders, 206 robberies, and 832 aggravated assaults.
Charleston is one of the cities hit hardest by the opioid epidemic. While drug use is a nonviolent crime, addicts in need of money may engage in criminal activity. Many believe the rising heroin usage has led to an increase in crime in the city. Motor vehicle theft has also increased substantially. There were 619 reported motor vehicle thefts in Charleston in 2015, an increase of more than 200 automobiles from the prior year.
49. Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, Wisconsin
> State violent crime rate: 305.8 per 100,000 (21st lowest)
Milwaukee is one of only a handful of metro areas with a violent crime rate that is more than double its home state rate. Driven largely by aggravated assault and robbery, there were 680 violent crimes in Milwaukee for every 100,000 metro area residents in 2015, compared to Wisconsin’s below average rate of 306 per 100,000.
Homicide also contributed to Milwaukee’s violent crime rate more than is typical. There were 155 murders in the city in 2015, or a murder rate of 9.8 per 100,000 people — well above the 4.9 per 100,000 national murder rate and 4.2 per 100,000 statewide rate. As was the case in many cities on this list, 2015 was an especially bad year for the Midwestern city. In the first 10 months of the year alone, 2015 became the city’s deadliest year in a decade.
Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/phillipstewart/
50. Casper, Wyoming
> State violent crime rate: 222.1 per 100,000 (8th lowest)
Wyoming has one of the lowest violent crime rates of any states. Even Casper, the most dangerous metro area in the state, is considerably safer than the nation as a whole. There were 234 violent crimes in Casper for every 100,000 residents in 2015, well below the national violent crime rate of 373 incidents per 100,000.
The least populated state in the country, Wyoming had only 16 murders in 2015, fewer than a majority of cities on this list. Similarly, Casper was one of three cities on this list to report a single murder in 2015.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4180
|
__label__cc
| 0.71434
| 0.28566
|
The effect of post-cure heating on residual, unreacted monomer in a commercial resin composite
Y. H. Bagis, Frederick Rueggeberg
Restorative Sciences
Objectives. This paper examined the influence of post-cure temperature on the amount of unreacted monomer remaining in a commercial light-cured resin composite restoration following initial light-curing and subsequent post-cure heating. Methods. Discs of composite were light-cured and then subjected to immediate post-cure heating (50, 75, 100, or 125°C for 7 min) or were left unheated (control). They were then placed in a solvent for two weeks at 37°C to extract the unreacted monomer. HPLC analysis was used to determine the amounts of TEGDMA, BIS-GMA, and ethoxylated BIS-GMA remaining after the different treatments. The amounts of each monomer leaching were compared using ANOVA with respect to the different curing treatments. Results. Even the lowest post-cure heat treatment (50°C) resulted in 80% reduction in remaining, unreacted TEGDMA, 75% reduction in BIS-GMA, and 77% lower ethoxylated BIS-GMA than the light-cured only control. Post-cure heating at 75°C and above resulted in the lowest amount of each type monomer remaining uncured in the polymer and did not significantly decrease with an increase in post-cure temperature for the most part. Significance. One of the main benefits of post-cure heating of resin composite restorations could be the enhancement of biocompatibility of these restorations as a result of the significant decrease in potentially leachable, unreacted monomer.
Composite Resins
triethylene glycol dimethacrylate
Post-cure heating
Resin composite
Unreacted monomer
Bagis, Y. H., & Rueggeberg, F. (2000). The effect of post-cure heating on residual, unreacted monomer in a commercial resin composite. Dental Materials, 16(4), 244-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0109-5641(00)00006-3
The effect of post-cure heating on residual, unreacted monomer in a commercial resin composite. / Bagis, Y. H.; Rueggeberg, Frederick.
In: Dental Materials, Vol. 16, No. 4, 01.01.2000, p. 244-247.
Bagis, YH & Rueggeberg, F 2000, 'The effect of post-cure heating on residual, unreacted monomer in a commercial resin composite', Dental Materials, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 244-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0109-5641(00)00006-3
Bagis YH, Rueggeberg F. The effect of post-cure heating on residual, unreacted monomer in a commercial resin composite. Dental Materials. 2000 Jan 1;16(4):244-247. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0109-5641(00)00006-3
Bagis, Y. H. ; Rueggeberg, Frederick. / The effect of post-cure heating on residual, unreacted monomer in a commercial resin composite. In: Dental Materials. 2000 ; Vol. 16, No. 4. pp. 244-247.
@article{8807f1c7ed2c417a9879ff1da023e196,
title = "The effect of post-cure heating on residual, unreacted monomer in a commercial resin composite",
abstract = "Objectives. This paper examined the influence of post-cure temperature on the amount of unreacted monomer remaining in a commercial light-cured resin composite restoration following initial light-curing and subsequent post-cure heating. Methods. Discs of composite were light-cured and then subjected to immediate post-cure heating (50, 75, 100, or 125°C for 7 min) or were left unheated (control). They were then placed in a solvent for two weeks at 37°C to extract the unreacted monomer. HPLC analysis was used to determine the amounts of TEGDMA, BIS-GMA, and ethoxylated BIS-GMA remaining after the different treatments. The amounts of each monomer leaching were compared using ANOVA with respect to the different curing treatments. Results. Even the lowest post-cure heat treatment (50°C) resulted in 80{\%} reduction in remaining, unreacted TEGDMA, 75{\%} reduction in BIS-GMA, and 77{\%} lower ethoxylated BIS-GMA than the light-cured only control. Post-cure heating at 75°C and above resulted in the lowest amount of each type monomer remaining uncured in the polymer and did not significantly decrease with an increase in post-cure temperature for the most part. Significance. One of the main benefits of post-cure heating of resin composite restorations could be the enhancement of biocompatibility of these restorations as a result of the significant decrease in potentially leachable, unreacted monomer.",
keywords = "Post-cure heating, Resin composite, Unreacted monomer",
author = "Bagis, {Y. H.} and Frederick Rueggeberg",
journal = "Dental Materials",
publisher = "Elsevier Science",
T1 - The effect of post-cure heating on residual, unreacted monomer in a commercial resin composite
AU - Bagis, Y. H.
AU - Rueggeberg, Frederick
N2 - Objectives. This paper examined the influence of post-cure temperature on the amount of unreacted monomer remaining in a commercial light-cured resin composite restoration following initial light-curing and subsequent post-cure heating. Methods. Discs of composite were light-cured and then subjected to immediate post-cure heating (50, 75, 100, or 125°C for 7 min) or were left unheated (control). They were then placed in a solvent for two weeks at 37°C to extract the unreacted monomer. HPLC analysis was used to determine the amounts of TEGDMA, BIS-GMA, and ethoxylated BIS-GMA remaining after the different treatments. The amounts of each monomer leaching were compared using ANOVA with respect to the different curing treatments. Results. Even the lowest post-cure heat treatment (50°C) resulted in 80% reduction in remaining, unreacted TEGDMA, 75% reduction in BIS-GMA, and 77% lower ethoxylated BIS-GMA than the light-cured only control. Post-cure heating at 75°C and above resulted in the lowest amount of each type monomer remaining uncured in the polymer and did not significantly decrease with an increase in post-cure temperature for the most part. Significance. One of the main benefits of post-cure heating of resin composite restorations could be the enhancement of biocompatibility of these restorations as a result of the significant decrease in potentially leachable, unreacted monomer.
AB - Objectives. This paper examined the influence of post-cure temperature on the amount of unreacted monomer remaining in a commercial light-cured resin composite restoration following initial light-curing and subsequent post-cure heating. Methods. Discs of composite were light-cured and then subjected to immediate post-cure heating (50, 75, 100, or 125°C for 7 min) or were left unheated (control). They were then placed in a solvent for two weeks at 37°C to extract the unreacted monomer. HPLC analysis was used to determine the amounts of TEGDMA, BIS-GMA, and ethoxylated BIS-GMA remaining after the different treatments. The amounts of each monomer leaching were compared using ANOVA with respect to the different curing treatments. Results. Even the lowest post-cure heat treatment (50°C) resulted in 80% reduction in remaining, unreacted TEGDMA, 75% reduction in BIS-GMA, and 77% lower ethoxylated BIS-GMA than the light-cured only control. Post-cure heating at 75°C and above resulted in the lowest amount of each type monomer remaining uncured in the polymer and did not significantly decrease with an increase in post-cure temperature for the most part. Significance. One of the main benefits of post-cure heating of resin composite restorations could be the enhancement of biocompatibility of these restorations as a result of the significant decrease in potentially leachable, unreacted monomer.
KW - Post-cure heating
KW - Resin composite
KW - Unreacted monomer
JO - Dental Materials
JF - Dental Materials
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4184
|
__label__wiki
| 0.705911
| 0.705911
|
The soap balloon of the art market
September 4, 2018 News
The year 2017 was for the art market the passing of a threshold, which ten years ago, the actors of this market were only hopping to attain: Leonardo da Vinci, Salvator Mundi, was sold for $ 450,312,500.00, a price which was 250% higher than the price paid by the owner of the painting in 2013. This event “changed the rules of the game” – how a representative of Christie’s has declared as a conclusion to all the discussions about the authenticity, restoration and the provenience of the painting.
The piece has been painted by Leonardo Da Vinci in 1500 and was discovered in an exhibit in 2011 at the National Gallery in London. It has been considered the lost original of the artwork owned by the queen Henrietta Maria, the wife of Charles I of England in 17th Century.
In 2005, the painting has been bought for less than ten thousand dollars and was repainted on multiple areas. After that it has been cleaned up and a lot of researches were done and was sold to the Swiss businessman Yves Bouvier for 80 million dollars in 2013. After a short period of time, the artwork was sold again to the Russian art collector Dmitry E. Rybolovlev, whose family was part of the administration of Christie’s the auction house.
From the moment the sale of the artwork has been announced by Christie’s (in October 10th 2017) thirty thousand people have seen the exhibit promoting “Male Mona Lisa”, in Hong Kong, London, San Francisco and New York.
The auction of the Da Vinci’s artwork hasn’t been longer than nineteen minutes and the name of the happy owner of the piece was made public after few weeks by the New York Times: the prince Bader, a close encounter of the prince heir of Saudi Arabia, Mohammad bin Salman al Saud. Few days later, officials from Louvre Museum in Abu Dhabi, where the painting was going to be exposed, have declared that Salvator Mundi was bought by the Ministry of Culture. What is very important is that the artwork will be shown publicly in different museums around the world. The incredible price of the artwork has been drove up by the rarity of Da Vinci’s paintings, less than twenty recognized art pieces and all of them are in museum’s collections.
It has been one hundred years from the time when another Da Vinci’s masterpiece was noticed by the public because of the it’s theft. In August 15th 1911, the Italian Vincenzo Peruggia has stolen Gioconda from Louvre Museum without knowing that his felony was going to make the masterpiece famous. The painting image has been printed in newspapers and the art piece was found after two years, in December 1913. Beyond the mystery surrounding Gioconda (Madonna Lisa del Giocondo), her enigmatic smile and the fame of Leonardo da Vinci, this theft has been an impulse for all art market.
Fifty years after, Jacqueline Kennedy has made a proposal to André Malraux, The Minister of Culture of France, to show Gioconda to the American public. Special preparations were necessary to transport the art piece to the United States. An anti bullet glass box has been made with temperature and humidity corresponding to the safe transportation of Gioconda. For six weeks, the Da Vinci’s painting has been exposed at the National Gallery in Washington and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and was seen by two million people. For this occasion, the masterpiece has been insured for 100 million dollars (Houpt, 2008: 19). In 2017 this sum adjusted to the rate of inflation was almost eight hundred million dollars, making Gioconda the most expensive painting in the world. We could ask the question if Salvator Mundi, an unknown painting by Leonardo Da Vinci had sold for five hundred million dollars how much will sale for Mona Lisa if it would be for sale?
In 2016, Pablo Picasso has been the best sold artist, with three thousand two hundred eighty-two art pieces sold for 312.2 million dollars (cf. The International Magazine for Art Collectors). In 2017, have been sold two thousand six hundred fifty-nine artworks by Picasso, for the price of 433,8 million dollars. He was the most prolific artist of his time creating over fifty thousand art pieces in seventy years.
After Leonardo de Vinci and Pablo Picasso, on the top of the sale in 2017 was Jean-Michel Basquiat, with one hundred five artworks sold for 351.5 million dollars; the piece Untitled (1982) sold by Sotheby’s has been bought for 110.5 million dollars. On the six place is the Sleeping muse (1910) by Constantin Brâncuși. On the same sale top is Andy Warhol, Claude Monet, Marc Chagall (also on the top in 2016), Fernand Léger and Wassily Kandinsky. The big surprises of 2017 were the Asian artists Chen Rong (Six Dragons, 49 million dollars), Zhao Lingrangand Li Gonglin (Treaty of Bianqiao).
According to the Artprice.com reports, the growth 14% of the global sales in the first half of the year 2017 (for contemporary art) is demonstrating “a new prosperity period“. In 2016 the art collector and expert David Nisinson has declared that was a state of uncertainty about the art market because of the elections in United States (New York Times). But after the sale records in 2017 the situation is relaxed and the sales are unexpectedly the highest.
Silvia Suciu
Houpt, Simon, Museum of the Missing: A History of Art Theft, Publisher Vellant, 2008;
Hook, Philip, A History of Art and its Dealers, Baroque Books and Arts, 2017;
Blouin Art+Auction, The International Magazine for Art Collectors, January 2018, „Of Basquiat, Bacon and Auction Outlooks”, p. 16 -21, bouinartinfo.com.
Photo explanation:
A lot of visitors in front of the masterpieces: Salvator Mundi and Mona Lisa.
Feel a taste of Transylvania: “Essential Ludic”
0 comments on “The soap balloon of the art market”
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4186
|
__label__wiki
| 0.683157
| 0.683157
|
SHEL SILVERSTEIN R.I.P. ROCK N PERPETUITY
SHEL SILVERSTEIN 9/25/30 – 5/12/99
“In the late 50’s, I was familiar with Shel Silverstein as a regular contributor to Playboy magazine as an artist, photographer, travel journalist and writer of children’s books. It wasn’t until 1969 when Johnny Cash took Shel’s song, “A Boy Named Sue” to the top of the charts, did I realize what a great songwriter he was as well!
Producer, Ron Haffkine was staying at my apartment in New York, while we were recording my “Shadow Mann” album for the legendary Morris Levy. At the same time he was producing his girlfriend, Sunny Monday for Decca on one of Shel’s song, “You’re Always Welcome At Our House” and cutting a few singles for Columbia Records with Shel Silverstein Himself.
The first time Shel came over was with Ronnie and Sunny, after midnight on one night during a quiet week. We played each other a few of our songs, as songwriters are known to do, and started a friendship that would last for years. Then I played him my latest song on a Telecaster electric guitar. When I had finished, he asked if he could try it. This was the first time he had ever played an electric guitar and he was as excited as a little kid with a brand new toy!
When Shel turned the amplifier all the way up, the neighbors started to stir…then curse…then started pounding on the walls! We agreed that he should come over to the house the next day, when we could play and sing as loudly as we wanted!
Before we started playing again, Shel and I talked about songwriting in general and our own shortcomings in particular, that’s when we made a deal with each other. I wanted to be able to write better lyrics and he wanted to learn some more interesting chords. Every time we got together after that, he would critique my lyrics and I would show him a new chord or a new way of playing the one he already knew.
He once told me something that I still think about today, ” Your first verse of a song is usually the best, but don’t follow it with a 2nd verse and a bridge that’s just a variation of it. Take each section, add new information and ideas, then end up in a place where no one expected you to go.”
Through the years I heard little nuances in the chords of songs that he wrote for Doctor Hook and the Medicine Show like, “Sylvia’s Mother” and “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan”, that he started developing in my apartment all those years ago.
When I stopped writing and singing and moved to Hollywood, I went to work for a publishing company. I remember running into my old pal, outside of the Troubadour. When he asked what I’d been up to, I lowered my head, and almost apologetically said that I was showing other people’s songs at Warner Brothers Music.
Shel didn’t bat an eye, and said, “You don’t have to be ashamed of that…you could be just as creative as you’ve always been, just in another area!”
I never forgot that.
From my forthcoming book, “I Did It For A Song” Copyright 2009 by Artie Wayne https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/about-artie-wayne/
Special thanks to Ann Munday for locating the clip of Shel on the Johnny Cash Show
BACK TO THE R.I.P. ROCK N PERPETUITY ARCHIVES https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/rip-rock-in-perpetuity-archives/
For the story of Shadow Mann with pictures https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/08/06/legendary-music-man-morris-levy-meets-shadow-mann-a-legend-in-his-own-mind/
Filed in "a boy named sue", columbia records, decca records, johnny cash "a boy named sue", morris levy, ron haffkine producer, shadow mann, shel silverstein, sunny monday, telecaster guitar
It Was Women And Children First…The Day The Bubblegum Bubble Burst!
Kristen Bell blows a bubble!
My interview with Spectropopper, Jean Emmanuel Dubois, for his forthcoming book “Le Bubblegum”, the history of American and French Bubblegum music, published by le cahiers du rock, continues…
JE- There were a lot of sexual overtones in the music? “Yummy, Yummy, Yummy”, “Chewy, Chewy”
AW- Sexual overtones! Sexual Undertones! Shit! There was all kinds of sex…all kinds of tones! (laughs) Those guys tried to get away with as much as they could…under the guise of innocent teen pop music! I remember one day a staff writer came into the office with a song, ” 1, 2, 3 Lickety Split”…and was sent home because the title wasn’t suggestive enough!
JE- Weren’t Joey Levine and Artie Resnick the first to have “backwards” versions of their a-sides as the b-sides of their records?
AW- It made sense, kids who were buying Bubblegum records weren’t buying them for the artist…but for hit A-side! There were no production costs for the B-side, and since all of the royalties were divided in the same way as the A-side, it was a win…win situation!
JE- Besides Levine/Resnick you represented Bo Gentry? ( “I Think We’re Alone Now” )
AW- Joey started writing with Bo and started coming up with some excellent stuff! They wrote a song, “Make Believe” and put it out under the name, Wind. This time Joey wasn’t the anonymous singer on the track, it was Tony Orlando. Ironically, Tony was also having hits at the same time as the anonomous voice of Dawn, (“Candida”, “Knock Three Times”)
The record was a modest hit in the US, but the B-side…a “real” B-side “Groovin’ with Mister Blo”, was top ten all over Europe!
JE-How were you involved with Tommy James and Shondels?
AW- I recorded an album under the name Shadow Mann, for the legendary Morris Levy, and he sometimes put my label mates and me out on promotion together. I remember once we all did the Upbeat TV show in Cleavland, Neil Diamond was there, Jimmy Ruffin, Kenny Rodgers and The First Edition. Tommy sang his number one hit, “Crimson and Clover”and I performed,” Come Live With Me ” the title track of my album. I also introduced my protoge, Sissy Spacek, who I renamed “Rainbo”. She was promoting her single, “John, You Went Too Far This Time”, which was a Bubblegummers reaction to the naked John Lennon and Yoko Ono, “Two Virgins” album cover.
JE- It was around this time you started writing songs with Gary Zekely and Mitch Bottler, who wrote, “Sooner or Later”, “Wait A Million Years”, “Superman”, and other “Sunshine Pop Songs”?
AW- I fell in love with a beautiful, Playboy Playmate on my last trip to California…and couldn’t wait to get back to the West Coast! The night before I was scheduled to write with Gary And Mitch…I broke up with her! I was crushed and devestated, but when I heard the chorus that Mitch started banging out on the old stand up piano I started singing some of the happiest, most positive lyrics I ever wrote in my life!
I used to look at life through a shade of grey
‘Til I found some satisfaction in the things you’d say
You took me in your hands like a piece of clay
Made me a man now I gotta’ say
Hallelujah…Hallelujah…Hallelujah…Hallelujah!
Copyright 1969/ 2006- EMI music/ Artie Wayne music
JE- What about the beautiful Playmate?
AW- Never saw her again…anyway, Gary Zekely had a top ten hit as producer for the Clique with “Sugar On Sunday” ( written by Tommy James), and recorded “Hallelujah” for the album. It was covered about a year later by Sweathog, and went to the top 30 in the US!
JE-You also produced, Sal Tramalchi who wrote the smash,”1, 2, 3 Redlight”, for the 1910 Fruit Gum Company.
AW-Sal Tramalchi was a very complex person. He could go from writing bubblegum songs to psychedelic anthems in the time it takes a cube of sugar to dissolve in a cup of coffee! He wrote a great song, “Woodstock”, which Howard Bogess and I produced for Vanguard. Sal was magic when he played guitar and sang, so I got the “Brilliant” idea to cut him live with my studio band. Unfortunately, Sal arrived in the sudio, “inspired” but unable to perform.
After we redid the tracks and overdubbed the N.Y. Philharmonic string section, Sal came in and did an excellent vocal in one or two takes. The record came out and quietly sank into the sunset, as I packed up the last of my belongings and moved to Hollywood.
JE- What would you consider your greatest acheivement in bubblegum music?
AW- In 1973, I was at the Tokyo music festival for Warner Brothers music and picked up a song from a white South African writer, who the music people were avoiding because of his country’s stand on apartheid!
JE- You’re an African- American, why didn’t you ignore him also?
Aw-After talking to him, I felt he had the heart and soul of an artist that transcended the archaic practice of his country. It only took a few minutes to listen to the song that nobody wanted to hear…but I knew right away it was a hit!
Terry Dempsey gave me the sub-publishing rights for no advance, if I could get his song, “Daydreamer”, covered by a major US artist. Within days of my returning to Hollywood, Stephen Craig Aristei, one of my “Warner Raiders” gave it to David Cassidy. He was fresh from the Partridge Family, and it became his biggest solo hit, selling 5 million records!
JE- I never realized how involved you were with Le Bubblegum!
AW- Now that you mention it…neither did I!
If you missed the first half of the interview…and Elisha Cuthbert blows! click on https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/10/29/play-me-something-bubblegummy-chewy-chewy-yummy-yummy-yummy/
EXTRA! Lindsay Lohan And Paris Hilton On Top Of Britney Spears. PHOTOS! https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/12/04/exclusive-photos-lindsay-lohan-and-paris-hilton-on-top-of-britney-spears/
To see the naked John Lennon and Yoko Ono Naked album cover and hear Sissy Spacek (“Rainbo”) sing, “John, You Went Too Far This Time” Just click onto https://artiewayne.wordpress.com/2006/08/18/the-naked-truth-about-john-lennon-and-yoko-ono-and-an-outraged-sissy-spacek/
Filed in 1910 fuitgum company, artie resnick, bo gentry, bubblegum music, candida, chewy chewy, crimson and clover, david cassidy, dawn, daydreamer, first edition, french bubblegum music, gary zekley, groovin with mister blo, hallelujah, howard bogess, jimmy ruffin, joey levine, John Lennon, john you went too far this time, kenny rogers, knock three times, kristin bell, le bubblegum, mitch bottler, neil dimond, partridge family, rainbo, sal tramachi, shadow mann, stephen craig aristei, sugar on sunday, sunshine pop, superman, sweathog, terry dempsey, the clique, tokyo music festival, tommy james, tommy james and the shondells, Tony Orlando, two virgins, Uncategorized, upbeat tv show, wait a million years, warner brothers music, warner raiders, yoko ono, yummy yummy yummy
The Naked Truth about John Lennon and Yoko Ono, And An Outraged Sissy Spacek!
“Back in 1968, I was recording an album under the name Shadow Mann for the legendary Morris Levy. During the recording of one of my tracks, a cute little girl with a giant guitar case, walked into the control room. Ron Haffkine ( Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show), who was producing my album, jumped up, introduced himself…and then he introduced me as Shadow Mann. He got our engineer, Brooks Arthur, to play the track back as I danced around the studio.
Sissy and I hung out over the next few months. She played me and Ronnie quite a few songs she had written, on a guitar that was almost as big as she was…but we didn’t hear that special song that could make her a star. Just before I left on a trip to California, a couple of free-lance writers Ron and John, (whose last names I don’t remember) brought a song to me that was a comment on the controversial John Lennon and Yoko naked LP album cover of “Two Virgins”. I suggested A few lyric changes and flew off to California for 10 days.
When I returned I was surprised that my partner, Kelli Ross, had signed Sissy to our record label and Ronnie Haffkine had started making plans to record her on the song, “John, You Went Too Far This Time!”, by the two writers who finished the song in my absence! After I heard her sing it, I knew why everyone was so excited!
When my album and Sissy’s single was finished, Morris Levy decided to send both of us out to promote our records at the same time…but not before one little thing. I convinced her to change her name to something more suitable for the times. She bit her lip and agreed to let herself be called Rainbo.”
From my book, “I Did It For A Song” Copyright 2011
EXTRA! EXTRA! NOW YOU CAN BUY MY NEW BOOK ,“I DID IT FOR A SONG” DIRECTLY FROM ME FOR $9.99 THROUGH PAYPAL. JUST SEND TO artiewayne@gmail.com
TO READ A CHAPTER OR TWO FOR FREE CLICK HERE
Filed in Artie Wayne, brooks arthur, dr.hook, John Lennon, john you went too far this time, morris levy, rainbo, ron haffkine, shadow mann, sissy spacek, two virgins, Uncategorized, yoko ono
Tags: "Sissy Spacek Video "John You Went Too Far This Time"
LEGENDARY MUSIC MAN MORRIS LEVY AND “SHADOW” MANN A LEGEND IN HIS OWN MIND!
L to R- Shadow Mann, Ron Haffkine, Kelli Ross, and Morris Levy Photo by Stephen Paley
“In 1968, I wrote a song, “Come And Live With Me,” and Ron Haffkine (who several years later produced a string of hits with Dr. Hook) helps me make a demo. Then my publishing partner Kelli Ross arranges for us to play it to the legendary owner of Roulette records, Morris Levy …who’s riding a wave of Tommy James hits (“Crimson & Clover,” “I Think We’re Alone Now”.)
Although I had met him before as Artie Wayne, I introduce myself to Morris under my new persona… Shadow Mann.
Ronnie puts the music on….turns the volume up…and I leap onto Morris’ desk!! in my black, floppy ‘Shadow Hat’ … custom made black suede jacket with a giant red eagle on the back… I lip-synch my little heart out!!
“Come and live with me…I’ll treat you nice…na na na na na na na”
Morris can hardly contain himself…he makes me perform it over and over for different members of his staff. Then he clears his office…leaving only the three of us. Morris slowly lights a cigar…and tries not to appear excited.
Then he says, “OK Shadow…I want to to do an album…I’ll even give you and Kelli your own label!! How much do you need to get started?” Haffkine chimes in “$25,000″…at which point Morris reaches under his desk…pulls out a brown paper bag and hands me $25,000 in cash!!
I look at Morris wide-eyed and say, “Don’t you want me to sign anything?”, he laughs and says, “Don’t worry, I know where you live!”
3 months later “Come And Live With Me” is released. I go on a promotion tour with one of my discoveries, Sissy Spacek. She’s promoting a song I found and Haffkine produced, “John You’ve Gone Too Far This Time,” a commentary on the Lennon/Ono nude album cover.
I change Sissy’s name to Rainbo, which I think is more commercial, and we travel the country promoting our records, until radio finds them too controversial, as “Shadow” and “Rainbo.” I go back to writing songs and producing, while Rainbo changes her name back to Sissy Spacek and decides to try her hand at acting.”
Filed in "artie waye", Artie Wayne, kelli ross, morris levy, rainbo, ron haffkine, shadow mann, shadowmann, sissy spacek, sissy spack, tommy james, Uncategorized
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4187
|
__label__cc
| 0.565346
| 0.434654
|
Aζ South Asia
Architexturez: In-Enaction Calls for Papers Writing
...to Construct
Works of Architecture, Media and Photo Essays
Nomothetic cases, project reports, processes and research articles
Satire, reflexions and observations on the state of affairs in South Asia
Conversations, Presentations and Recordings
Policies, legislation and curricular matters
Enaction
Professional Space, Practice, Contests and Competition
GREHA (गृह)
GREHA (गृह) Document Archive
Nomothetic cases - Buildings and projects frequently cited in literature
MPISG
Master Plan Implementation Support Group, '00-06
ISBN Publications, by Architexturez and others, excerpted on this website
RTI Cases
Right to Information cases in related to MPISG, Education and Enaction collections
Essays, reports, research. texts and 'histories'
Show Search Hide Search
Search this digital archive
Taking a Stand? Bauhaus and Modernity under National Socialism, in Emigration or Exile and in Divided Germany
Call — architexturez.net sent on 06th July 2019
Concept: Andrea Bärnreuther, Bauhaus-Archiv / Museum für Gestaltung
100 years after the historic Bauhaus was founded, the optimism and experimental spirit that characterised housing construction and policy in the Weimar Republic were replaced by profit maximisation and neo-liberal urban planning. In view of the ever-increasing problem of “affordable housing”, politicians in particular long for the Bauhaus and associate it with a “social attitude” that is viewed as sorely lacking today.
This forms the point of departure for the symposium. It focuses on the Bauhaus and modernity in the field of tension of politics and economy. It asks how the “social attitude” identified with Bauhaus and modernity, and the associated emancipatory impetus, seeking to shape and change society, became operative in the Weimar Republic. And it considers how these were reflected and transformed in the work of Bauhaus and Neues Bauen architects and Bauhaus designers in the context of various political and economic systems and social formations after the National Socialists seized power.
The symposium also asks how our understanding of the Bauhaus and modernity has changed as a result of debates on modernity and postcolonial critique of modernity’s claim to universality. What is the significance of the pluralization and decoupling of the concept of modernity from teleological, historical-philosophical models and normative connotations such as democracy, which are linked to the optimistic Western paradigm of progress? What are the implications of a paradigm shift in architectural historiography that corrects the notion of a victorious worldwide transfer of modernity by architects persecuted under National Socialism in view of its repressive, hegemonic and racist elements and that understands globalising modernity as a polycentric process of colonial expansion and self-confident local transformations? And how can processes of learning, un-learning and re-learning that are triggered by the Bauhaus and modernity be made effective for today’s challenges?
The symposium is aimed not only at experts in the field, but also at a broader audience, including in particular secondary school pupils, who will prepare their own contribution in advance. In keeping with this objective, the symposium seeks not simply to present the latest research results, but also to transfer these to the public realm. We are looking for papers that place these findings in a broader context and develop questions and perspectives that are of general interest and can stimulate discussion – also about contemporary issues – with all target groups. The public part of the symposium will begin at 6 p.m. on 29th November with an opening lecture by Professor Winfried Nerdinger. This will be followed on 30th November by three two-hour sections, each with three to four individual contributions (maximum 20 minutes each), a 30-50-minute panel and a one-hour final discussion to sum up results.
The focus of the individual contributions and panel discussions on the three sections (National Socialism, Emigration or Exile, Divided Germany) will examine issues pertaining to shaping society and lifestyles, in particular through the prism of urban and settlement planning, public housing and design. The symposium is underpinned by the question of how architects, planners and designers conceptualise their activities – their professional, aesthetic, political and ethical ideas – and the scope and limits of action in the dynamic balance of power between planning and politics. Papers should consider the framing political, economic and social parameters, including specialist discourses and the way architects and planners deal with these preconditions in their basic planning assumptions. This also applies to planning, design and construction processes (including unrealised plans) as well as to the material and aesthetic dimension of buildings and their presentation and reception in various media. The user perspective, i.e. forms of appropriation in changing times, including ways in which these diverge from programmatic educational approaches, is an integral part of this analysis. Last but not least, the issue of the agency of architecture and its socio-critical potential or scope to change society also arises, along with issues of aesthetics and sustainability.
Researchers and students in the fields of Art and Cultural Studies, Political and Social Sciences and Science of History as well as Art, Architecture and Design History who wish to participate in this symposium are invited to submit by 15th August 2019 at the latest an abstract of their academic contribution (maximum 1,200 characters) and a condensed version (maximum 800 characters) for the workshop on 29th November, which is an integral part of the symposium and is intended to establish connections between scholars and pupils. Please send both together with a short CV in German or English to Andrea Bärnreuther, Bauhaus-Archiv / Museum für Gestaltung. You can also contact her in advance should you have any questions or queries or should you need more detailed information or concrete proposals.
Tags: Architecture of Germany, Bauhaus, Graphic design, Modernist architecture, New Objectivity, Visual arts, Weimar, Weimar culture
Alte Jakobstraße 124–128
Conference Dates
Friday, 29th November 2019 to Saturday, 30th November 2019
Content Related to this Post
Bhopal2011 - Context, Concept, Process
"Bhopal2011 - Context, Concept, Process." In Bhopal 2011: Landscapes of Memory, edited by Amritha Ballal and Jan af Geijerstam, 4-13. New Delhi, India: SpaceMatters with Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), 2011.
Architectural Education in India
Narwekar, Shridhar Jayant. "Architectural Education in India." In Seminar on Architecture, edited by Achyut Kanvinde, 89-96. New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1959.
Imagining the Indian City
Menon, AG Krishna. "Imagining the Indian City." In Theatres of decolonization: (architecture), agency, (urbanism): proceedings of the second "Other Connections" Conference, edited by Vikramāditya Prakāsh. Washington, USA: Office of the Dean, College of Architecture and Urban Planning, University of Washington, 1999.
B2: Purpose of Art in Education
Raval, R.M.. "B2: Purpose of Art in Education." In Seminar on Art Education, edited by Ashfaque Husain, 38-40. New Delhi: Lalit Kala Akademi, 1956.
Wednesday, December 26, 2018 - 09:05 - It’s a Bauhaus World: A conversation with curator Grant Watson on the centennial of the institution’s founding
Friday, March 22, 2019 - 01:58 - Bauhaus Paradigms. From Design Utopia to Pop Culture?
Friday, March 4, 2016 - 15:10 - CFP: Dust & Data, Young Bauhaus Research Colloquium (Weimar, 25-26 Oct 16)
Thursday, April 14, 2016 - 11:14 - Call for Essays: Bauhaus Bodies - Coedited by Elizabeth Otto (State University of New York at Buffalo) and Patrick Rössler (Universität Erfurt)
NOTICE: In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed, without profit, for research and educational purposes.
Follow Aζ on: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook
Contact Aζ via: Facebook and Twitter
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4191
|
__label__cc
| 0.699912
| 0.300088
|
Contact TCL
Startup Central
Hawaii Cacao
Chocolate Down Under
Clay Gordon
Category: My Chocolate Life
Clay » Blog » My Chocolate Life
Chocoa 2017 Prologue
By Clay Gordon, 2017-02-20
I am getting ready to head to the airport tomorrow afternoon to travel to Amsterdam for Cocoa 2017.
I am going to be moderating both days of the Chocolate Makers Forum, so part of my preparation is thinking about the program and what my I want to achieve. Last week I had a conversation about the Chocolate Makers Forum program with Caroline Lubbers, one of Chocoa’s main organizers. Some of that discussion was about the wording of the program description and some of it was what the goals of a session might be. We also talked about the speaker list and how the Forum would be moderated.
It took some persuasion (not a whole lot, really, but some) to convince the organizers to let me moderate the entire program.
I don’t know how other people approach their duties as a moderator, but I definitely believe that my roles as a moderator are more than just introducing the speakers and making sure that things move along and stay on time.
My reasons for wanting to moderate the entire program include providing continuity and connection. By being an active participant in each session I can, by interjecting observations and questions, provide a through-line for the entire program. This is especially valuable, at least in my experience, when attendees miss a session for one reason or another, because I can help bridge gaps.
In past program where I have not been the moderator I routinely ask to go last. When that is allowed, almost I never prepare remarks in advance, or if I do, I only fill up half the time. What I do is listen to what has been said and then seek to summarize what I think are the key points as brought up by the other speakers.
As the moderator of the Chocolate Makers’ Forum at Cocoa next week on thing I want to do is get people to think about diversity in a slightly different way by suggesting that all kinds of monocultures, not just agricultural monocultures, are bad ideas.
Examples of possible monocultures in chocolate include monocultures of ideas, production pathways, and even types of chocolate.
One of the strengths of Chocoa is that it encourages diversity of ideas and does so, in part, by involving actors from every facet of cocoa and chocolate, from farmers to small makers to industrial giants, from banks to brokers to scientists and researchers and sustainability experts to logistics companies and the companies that provide equipment to makers of all sizes. And it does so in the atmosphere of openness and collaboration that has been one of the hallmarks of the extended cocoa and chocolate family (sometimes I find it difficult to use ‘chocolate industry’ in this context, because it’s so much more).
I am looking forward to Chocoa next week and seeing many of you there.
:: Clay
Posted in: My Chocolate Life | 1 comments
Frontiers of Science in Cacao Symposium
The 30th anniversary of the cacao lab at Penn State’s College of Agriculture was honored during last week’s Frontiers in Science and Technology for Cacao Quality, Productivity and Sustainability symposium.
The sold-out program attracted over 150 attendees from around the world, and consisted of nine sessions and 45+ presentations over five days, not including poster presentations, break-out sessions, breaks, and meals over four days. Presentation topics ranged from Effects of Microclimatic Variables on the Symptoms Onset of Moniliophthora Roreri, Causal Agent of Moniliophthora Pod Rot in Cacao through Genomic Approaches for Understanding and Exploiting Natural Variation in Genetic Resistance to Climate Variation to Cocoa Diversity and Quality in Southern Mexico.
I have to admit that much of the science presented challenged my understanding at many levels. First, I am not fully versed in the vocabulary of genomics and comprehending many of the genome graphics takes a lot of concentration. While my understanding is clearer today, it’s a lot like learning any new language, and it takes regular contact and use to become fluent.
There was a special presentation on Monday evening for those who arrived early. Professor Mathew Restall and Associate Professor Amara Solari (Penn State’s experts in Maya history and art) showed the film Chocolate: Pathway to the Gods and after provided insight from a Mayanist perspective into how the film compressed history and conflated Aztec and Maya cultures, blurring important distinctions between the two, and what that means to our understanding of the uses of cacao in the two cultures. For me, this combination of history and culture, provided a foundation for thinking about the science that was going to be presented over the course of the next three days.
Things got off to a great start late Tuesday morning with a tour of the Cacao Molecular Biology lab run by Drs Mark Guiltinan and Siela Maximova. Presentations of some of the current work going on was given by students in the lab. This was followed by a visit to the greenhouses where cacao trees are grown for research purposes. This was followed by a session on the history of the lab and a presentation by the founder of the lab.
Things started early on Wednesday morning with the start of the main sessions and presentations. It’s impossible to go into detail about any of them but highlights for me connected the science to culture, history, and archaeology.
Juan Carlos Motamayor spent a lot of time during his talk (Leveraging the Cacao Genome to Identify Candidate Genes Regulating Key Traits) discussing compatibility, or the ability, or lack thereof, of a tree to fertilize itself.
I had not thought about this before, but it turns out that self-compatibility is a trait that could have influenced which varieties of cacao were traded from their home on the eastern slopes of the Andes over the mountains to coastal areas before heading northward to Mesoamerica. It makes a lot of sense to transport material that can fertilize itself. Thus the South American ancestors to criollos were likely the ones selected to make the journey while auto-incompatible varieties would not have been transported.
This idea was echoed in the next session by Hugo Francisco Chavez Ayala, of the Sierra Technical Institute in Teapa, Tabasco, MX. Hugo (who coincidentally is actively involved in the Grijalva project I am working on in Tabasco), pointed out, based on his research, that cacao in Mesoamerica was most likely traded up the Pacific coast rather then across the Caribbean coast from the mouths of the Orinoco and Amazon Rivers because of the comparative difficulty of logistics due to geography.
One of the factors that could have driven the trade was the stimulant chemicals present in the cacao; there are no plants with stimulants such as caffeine and theobromine native to Mesoamerica. Hugo pointed out a likely vector for the spread of monilia in Tabasco (which only started making its presence felt a decade ago) - migrant workers from Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and elsewhere taking trains to find work in the US. It is possible to trace the spread from along railway lines where workers would have transported the moniliophthora spores on their clothes.
Hugo also showed my favorite single image of the symposium, one where he overlaid important archaeological sites over Motamayor’s 2008 map showing the ten different cacao varieties and their division into the two major structure groups. It brought the point home in a way that Motamayor’s map, on its own, had not.
It was a great pleasure, during the symposium, to meet for the first time people whose names I have known through reading their research papers. Perhaps more profoundly, the symposium brought into clear focus the dedication of professionals around the world committed to understanding cacao and who are working to help ensure that it continues to exist, in abundance, for future generations.
As a writer, I know that it is very important to recognize and acknowledge my sources, and this past week I learned that this community of research scientists is one that I owe a debt that is impossible to calculate. In many respects, everything I do - and have done over the past fifteen-plus years - is dependent, on some level, on the hard work of people I met at the symposium and their colleagues around the world.
I want to extend my thanks and acknowledge their invaluable work. I am humbled to be included as a member of this community and look forward to working on current and future challenges.
Living La Vida Cocoa in Mexico
Mexico occupies a special place in both the genetic and socio–cultural histories of chocolate. Despite that importance, very little is known about Mexican cacao because very little of it leaves Mexico.
Two states, Tabasco and Chiapas, produce the majority of cocoa in Mexico, with Tabasco producing about 18,000MT (dry) and Chiapas another 4,500MT annually. (There are small amounts in Oaxaca and Veracruz.) Of this roughly 22,5000MT, it is estimated that less than 100MT is exported each year.
The reasons for this are complex, but one large contributing factor is that cocoa processors in Mexico are required to buy up the local harvest before they can import from other countries. What this does is create a situation where the farmers have guaranteed buyers for 100% of their production, irrespective of quality. As a result, the price the farmer can charge for unfermented and washed cocoa in the domestic market fluctuates around US$5.00/kg - a significant premium to the current world market price for fermented cocoa, and three times the farm gate price in most places in West Africa.
Well-fermented cocoa easily commands $7/kg on the domestic Mexican market and specialty cocoas (criollos, some ancient and some new) can fetch prices of up to $11/kg. So it’s easy to see why export volumes are low.
Last November, I had the good fortune to be invited down to Villahermosa in Tabasco, Mexico, to participate in the annual Festival del Chocolate. Despite being relatively young (less than ten years), the festival attracted more than 200,000 visitors over the course of its five day run in 2015.
While there I also visited Rancho La Joya (the source of the infamous ‘carmelo’ cacao), as well as other farms - small and large; a big new post–harvest processing facility; and a small chocolate factory.
What I saw was cacao – even at La Joya – was being fermented and dried under less than optimum conditions. Based on my experience with the Academia de Cacao in Nicaragua, I knew that scientific methods could be applied, and fermentation and drying protocols developed, based on the specific genetics being grown and the microbiology of the fermentation pile – the yeasts and bacteria (lacto- and aceto-) – endemic to the region.
I also learned that the government of Tabasco had invested a lot of money in a public/private partnership to expand production of high–quality varietals. I discovered that the partnership hadn’t put a great deal of thought into how they were going to sell the cocoa they were gearing up to produce. They just assumed white beans == criollo == international buyers at high prices. In part based on one legendary transaction.
This is loosely analogous to what happened over the last decade in Perú, where USAID and NGOs, working with the Perúvian government, had done a good job of growing supply without really thinking about demand: Tabasco was set to increase production of quality varietals without really thinking about how to market that cocoa internationally (or price it). Eventually, this led to major elements of the programming for the Salon del Cacao y Chocolate — bringing down international visitors to get a deep dive in Peruvian culture, meet growers, and, hopefully, buy a lot of cacao.
In addition to the Festival del Chocolate in November, there is another Festival hosted in Tabasco mid-Spring; Feria Tabasco. Dating back to 1786 and held every year since the early 1950s, in recent years the attendance at Feria has surpassed 2,000,000 visitors (with over 1000 vendors and exhibitors) over the course of eleven days.
While in Tabasco last November I conceived a project that combines my experiences in Peru with my work with Ingemann in Nicaragua. Encouraged by my hosts, we presented those ideas to the Ministries of Agriculture and Economics as well as to the head of the public/private partnership. Encouraged by the unofficial response, I collaborated with three partners – two in Mexico and one in Europe – to write a project plan that was submitted to the Tabasco government in early January.
In broad strokes, the idea was to create a competition to search for the best cacao in Tabasco and to use the competition as the platform to gather together a project team that would work with selected farms (the first year between 10 and 20). The team would perform genetic and microbiological analysis and work to develop optimum baseline post–harvest protocols to ensure that the cacao was being fermented and dried respectfully.
The project and competition would be formally announced during Feria (which runs from April 28th through May 8th this year) in order to gain maximum attention from within and outside of Mexico.
The competition would be judged, and prizes awarded, at the 2016 Festival del Chocolate in late–November. As at the Salon on Perú, chocolate professionals and members of the press from all over the world would be invited down to Villahermosa to judge, to celebrate Tabasqueño food and culture, to become steeped in the long and proud tradition of cacao in Tabasco, and to have the opportunity to be among the first buyers of the cacao being produced.
After nearly six months of work and waiting, I am happy to announce that the project is starting, with me as the project lead/coordinator. I am flying down to Villahermosa on April 28th for Feria to meet with the project team, members of various ministries of the Tabasco government, and many of the farms and farmers we want to work with.
For me, personally and professionally, this project represents a watershed period in my life and career in chocolate. It’s a project I conceived and that I get to lead. There is a focus on quality while also building export markets. The project stretches from the farm to the factory to the mouth. I get to work with a group of extremely talented and dedicated people and there is the chance that the project could make valuable contributions to our understanding of the genetics of cacao in Mexico. I am also very excited that the project team will also be working with the Mexican federal government to help identify the technical parameters for a formal protected denomination of origin (PDO) for Mexican cocoa.
it also means that I will be doing a lot of traveling to Mexico over the course of the next six months — at least. I will be posting on TheChocolateLife.com to keep people in the loop, and the project has secured the domain name CacaoFinoMexico.com which will become the hub for promoting the project’s work and progress (there’s nothing there now and won’t be until after I return from this first trip).
I hope that you will follow the project and that you will consider visiting Tabasco in the future – for Feria, for Festival, for the food, and of course, the cacao and chocolate.
[Edited on 4/23 to fix typos and grammar and to improve clarity.]
Contact | DMCA Notices | Posting Guidelines | TOS | Privacy Policy
©2020 TheChocolateLife
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4193
|
__label__wiki
| 0.678108
| 0.678108
|
Greek Affairs, Subject File, 1906, 1956, 1964-1968, 1980-
Brief Description: Greek Affairs Subject File of Assistant Deans Craig Jackson (1993-2000), John Martinez (1993) and Dan Bureau (2001-2006) and Black Greek Council Advisors Darwin Brown (1990-91) and Jacqueline Thomas (1991-92) contains class lists, correspondence, manuals, membership and officer lists, photographs, reports, statistical reports, student papers, surveys, workbooks, fraternity/sorority evaluation, greek-related newspaper clippings (1979-2005; 2015-16), artifacts and awards (1980-2002), Greek peer advising (1991-94), accreditation, Greek alcohol use, rape, and racism awareness, Rush (1982-2003), fraternity/sorority grade point averages (1990-2002) and scholarship. Also includes minutes, agendas, bylaws, constitutions, correspondence, and reports concerning the Association of Fraternity Advisors (1985-92, 1992-95, 1997, 2000-2002), Black Greek Council (1990-2002), the Interfraternity Council (1968-69, 1971-87, 1989-2002), the Panhellenic Council (1988-2003), Board of Fraternity Affairs (1956, 1964-66, 1968-2003), IFC Judicial Board (1989-95), Greek Risk Management Committee (1990-2006) Society for the Preservation of Greek Housing (1993-99, 2001), and Social Responsibility Committee (1986-92). Also contains correspondence of Assistant Deans Craig Jackson (1993-99) and John Martinez (1991-93) and Black Greek Council Advisors Darwin Brown (1990-91) and Jacqueline Thomas (1991-92), the Black Greek Letters Association (1972-1980).
Record Series Number: 41/2/48
Created by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Office of the Dean of Students
Acquired: 1/27/96, 3/97, 8/1/97, 6/00, 5/20/02, 12/20/06, 10/8/09, 2/3/11; 7/25/2013; 9/5/2013; 4/9/2014; 6/5/2015; 5/27/2016
More information is available at https://files.archon.library.illinois.edu/uasfa/4102048.pdf
Arrangement: Alphabetical and chronological thereunder
Biographical Note for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Office of the Dean of Students :
On June 11, 1901, the office of the Dean of Undergraduates and Assistant to the President responsible for the supervision and welfare of male undergraduates was established by the Board of Trustees.1 Dean of Men became the official title in 1910.2 In addition to helping new students adjust to campus life, the Dean and his staff were available to guide and assist students with personal, social and academic problems.3
In September, 1943, the Dean of Men's office became part of the Office of the Dean of Students.4 Housing, financial aid, fraternities and sororities and campus regulations were the primary concerns of the staff.5 With reorganization of the Dean of Students in 1967, a new title and added duties were given to the Dean of Men. The Dean of Student Programs and Services was responsible for programs and policies dealing with student organizations and activities, residence halls, the Housing Division, the Union and the Security Office.6
In 1973, the Dean of Students became Vice-Chancellor for Campus Affairs and with responsibilities including Career Development and Placement, and Foreign Student-Staff Affairs.7 In 1979, the office of the Dean of Students assumed responsibility for Women's Resources, Emergency Services, Educational Opportunities Program (EOP), Veterans' Affairs, Afro-American Cultural Programs and the Latino Cultural House.8 In 1980, further responsibilities included Illini Guides, and Student Leadership-Student Government Association.9 Additional responsibilities assumed in 1982 included the Upward Bound Program, Mothers' Association, Tutoring and La Casa Cultural Latina, formerly Latino Cultural House.10 As of April 23, 1986, the Dean of Students was an Associate vice-chancellor in the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.11
1. Transactions of the Board of Trustees, 21st Report, June 11, 1901, p. 79.
2. Transactions of the Board of Trustees, 25th Report, December 28, 1910, p. 53.
3. Annual Register, 1942-43, p. 112.
4. Transactions of the Board of Trustees, 42nd Report, August 31, 1943, p. 495.
5. Undergraduate Study Catalog, 1968-1969, p. 83.
6. Transactions of the Board of Trustees, 54th Report, September 20, 1967, p. 711.
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Student-Staff Directory: 1973-1974, p. 14.
8. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Student-Staff Directory: 1979-80, pp. 17-18.
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Student-Staff Directory: 1982-83, p. 23.
11. Organizational Chart: Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.
Access Restrictions: Clearance for use must be obtained from the Office of Greek Affairs.
Fraternity Awards
Fraternity Officers
Interfraternity Council
Panhellenic
Genres/Forms of Material
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4194
|
__label__wiki
| 0.526618
| 0.526618
|
Controversial artworks in the history of art
October 9, 2018 News
The art history has shown us along the years artists who have tried several times to revolutionize the perception of the art work itself and furthermore, tried to show us how we could adopt a different view on our world and keep an open mind.
Édouard Manet, has painted “Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe”, in 1863 but when he tried to exhibit his work he wasn’t accepted by the Salon in Paris. He presented it at the “Salon des Refusés”, and produced quite a commotion to the public and the world for immoral behaviour by showing elegantly dressed men sitting on the grass next to a nude woman. The way he used the light and shadows in his painting making the nude women body to stand out even more in contrast to the dark color of men’s clothes was the artist’s misconduct for that period. He was not interested to follow the rules of the art world as they were settled for decades. Édouard Manet’s breach of the unwritten laws of the art in “Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe” represented the beginning of the “Modern Art”.
The mural “Guernica”, created by Pablo Picasso in 1937, stands as a symbol for all the war’s horrors and loss of human life. It was painted by Picasso as a token of protest against the extermination of a “Basque village” in 1937, and it’s a shout for peace, showing the not so beautiful side of the “fascism”. It was also considered a point of contention throughout the years due to its strong, critical message. Picasso didn’t want the artwork to be shown in his own country, whilst in 1967 it was on display at MoMa, in New York City, SUA. The exhibition triggered a strong response whereas even a petition was evoked “to be removed as a protest against the Vietnam War”.
Jackson Pollock, abstract expressionist, painted his “Blue Pole, Number 11”, in 1952. It is a large size artwork done by “dripping or splattering paint on the canvas on the floor”. His painting used as a starting point his unhappiness triggered by the monstrosity “of the Second World War”. Being disappointed with the “human condition”, his dripping of paint was a kind of a protest against violence and wars and what it seemed an illogical world. His unusual way to paint was unaccepted first, but after it was seen as a modern way to create art pieces.
One of the most controversial artworks was “My Bed” (1998) created by the British artist Tracy Emin. After she showcased it at the “Tate Britain” in 1999, it has become celebrated or hated by people who visited the exhibition. Some visitors were very affected by the showing of a bed with unorganized clothes around it, but some people liked it and saw it as a revolution in art, where everything nothing was impossible. “Love it or hate it” has become the slogan for the installation and, “this confessional piece managed to address taboos about people’s most intimate spaces, failure, depression, female imperfections, and bodily fluids”.
Damien Hirst produced a disturbance in the art world with his piece “For the Love of God” when a “platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with diamonds” (8601) was sold for “£50 million – whilst it cost £14 million” to do it. The price he sold it for was “the highest price ever paid for a work by a living artist”. He sold “dead animals preserved in formaldehyde” for as much as “£50.000”. Through these pieces he created a name for himself although he also attracted a lot of disgust and criticism.
In the past, today and, in the future, we will always see artists who will try to scandalize the world with their artworks. The world has certainly become much more open to the unsusual ways the artists express themselves.
artlandapp.com/10-controversial-artworks-changed-art-history
icon.ink/articles/controversial-art-history
The mural “Guernica”, created by Pablo Picasso in1937, on display at the MoMa, in New York City, USA, in 1967.
Édouard Manet, “Le Dejeuner sur l’Herbe”, 1863, oil on canvas, rejected by the Salon in Paris in 1863. It has been shown at the “Salon des Refusés”.
1998, “My Bed”, by the British artist Tracy Emin, shown at the “Tate Britain” in 1999.
The Truth in Museums | Part 2
From Art to Fashion
0 comments on “Controversial artworks in the history of art”
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4197
|
__label__wiki
| 0.921254
| 0.921254
|
HomePerson Of The YearMomentum Award: James Kale
Momentum Award: James Kale
April 30, 2015 Carolyn Freeman Person Of The Year
“I could let other people think that they could do this now,” James Kale, LSOE ’16, said of running for UGBC president.
When James Kale, LSOE ’16, was 5 years old, he knew what he wanted to be when he grew up—the mayor of New York. He told his mother that he wanted to work on education reform. At the time, she laughed and said she felt glad that he aspired to do that, but he might change his mind later on.
Fifteen years later, Kale still aspires to affect education reform. Once he went to high school, however, he started realizing that the mayor does not actually hold that much power so far as education goes. Now, he is considering the idea of striving to one day become governor of the state.
This past year, Kale and his running mate, Jose Altomari, A&S ’16, made up one of the three teams who ran for the presidency and executive vice presidency of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC). Unlike the other teams, Kale and Altomari were not previously involved in UGBC.
Kale was part of a high-profile die-in demonstration in the recently renovated St. Mary’s Hall late last semester, a display in protest of police violence in Ferguson, Mo. and Staten Island, N. Y. This protest and several other efforts in social justice from Kale might have brought him to the forefront of student life in the fall, but these initiatives were not the impetus for his decision to run. Rather, running for the student government’s top office was something he had been considering since freshman year. He felt that there were many things that could be advocated for on campus, but were not being advocated for by the right people. Just like when he was 5, he wanted to lead reform movements—he thought he could be the advocate for students whose voices are not heard.
“My whole thing coming here was to get social capital, so I’m involved in so many things where I get to meet different students, get to hear the different concerns, get to hear what they’re unhappy about, why they’re unhappy with UGBC, why they’re unhappy with BC in general,” he said.
Although Kale and Altomari did not win the UGBC election, he marks the campaign experience as his greatest accomplishment since arriving on campus. It was a humbling and rewarding experience, he said, especially when people he did not know came up to him and said that he had inspired them to get involved in UGBC.
“I could let other people think that they could do this now,” he said.
Kale’s passion for educational activism began when he was growing up in the Bronx, in what he described to be the worst district in New York in terms of living (“They always streamline everyone to the prison there,” Kale said) and in education. As a child, he could tell things in his neighborhood were not right, but he lacked the vocabulary to identify exactly what was wrong with the inequality he saw. Living near the Bronx District Attorney’s Court, he felt being mayor—the legal head of the city—would be the best way to fix the poverty he saw.
In high school, Kale—later to graduate valedictorian—was the president of the student government at the Bronx School of Law, Government and Justice. The school, he said, was originally meant to educate middle and high schools about law and social studies. The focus has now shifted, but he did have at least one law class each year. As a fifth grader, he chose to go to this school because he was interested, even then, in going into the legal profession.
Even at a young age, Kale was not complacent with the status quo. When something needed to be taken care of, he would be at the forefront, talking to the principal and assistant deans of the high school, said Jacquelyn Andalcio, LSOE ’17, who went to the same school.
“He was very proactive rather than reactive,” she said. “He really listened to the feedback from the other students, so it wasn’t just what ‘I think’ but rather what ‘we think.’”
Transitioning from that school—a small public school with only a handful of white students—to BC was a significant adjustment. Coming to BC as a first-generation college student was the first time he really had classes with white students and made white friends, he said. About 78 students from his high school class of 83 graduated, and of those, just a few left the state to go to college. Kale pays for his own tuition, and has worked different on-campus and off-campus jobs, including at a mentoring non-profit in Boston and at the counseling, development, and educational psychology department in the Lynch School of Education.
“That’s a whole different level of responsibility, and it has to shape your experiences, especially when you’re at a college like this where there are lots of symbols of privilege, where a lot of students may not have to worry about these issues,” said Shawn McGuffey, an associate professor of sociology who has served as a mentor for Kale.
Prior to moving to the University, Kale spent seven weeks before his freshman year living on campus for the Options Through Education (OTE) transitional program hosted by the Thea Bowman AHANA and Intercultural Center. This experience, he said, gave him a social network of other professors and students. Since Kale has come to BC, he has become even more driven in his goals of reform, Andalcio said—being here has allowed him to see how much power his voice has.
“I remember James had to give a speech during OTE and he was so nervous that his leg couldn’t stop shaking, and every five seconds he would take a sip of his water and tell me that he needed to go to the bathroom,” Giancarlo Sanchez, Kale’s roommate since OTE and A&S ’16, said in an email. “I always joke with him about that moment. But now it’s like he’s stating speeches everywhere he goes.”
In the Bronx, color and race were not a big deal, Kale said. Here, the conversations about race and socioeconomic factors are completely different from what he was used to. Kale was approached to become a member of FACES Council, a group that facilitates discussion forums about race and ethnicity, but he declined. He feels that initiatives like FACES are unsuccessful because they target people already interested in matters of race and diversity.
“A lot of things that need to be discussed need to be discussed in a classroom and FACES can’t do that unless invited,” he said. “If you’re a student who doesn’t care about anti-racism, who doesn’t care about learning about privileges … you’re not going to go to those conversations.”
Instead, Kale is involved in the Black Student Forum (BSF), which he noted is unique for the use of the term “forum” rather than “union” in its title. This encourages conversation, he said.
This past year, he was the co-director of the political social activism section of BSF. In this position, he was able to organize different events on campus, such as the demonstration rejected by the University which led to December’s unregistered die-in.
Kale has developed skills through his academics and leadership in activism that will serve him well in the future, especially in the fields of law and education, McGuffey said, noting that his leadership during the die-in was particularly impressive.
“He clearly wants to work with those people who the law may not be quite blind to, those who need more legal help for a variety of reasons,” he said. McGuffey also said Kale would be wonderful in the classroom.
The action happening on campus this past year, such as the die-in and other protests, puts into process what students learn about social justice, Kale said. He believes they are an opportunity to put passions into practice.
“With action comes awareness,” he said. “I feel like a lot of things on campus—many of us are aware of—some people just don’t want to address it. Some people don’t want to turn their eye to it.”
Featured Image by Daniella Fasciano / Heights Editor
james kale
momentum award
About Carolyn Freeman 155 Articles
Carolyn Freeman was the Editor-in-Chief for The Heights in 2016. You can follow her on Twitter at @carolynrfreeman. She drinks her coffee iced with chocolate soy milk.
Momentum Award: Michael Resler
Momentum Award: Thomas Mogan
Momentum Award: Eric Nam
July 7, 2011 Woogeon Kim Person Of The Year
Despite the bleak atmosphere, already two hours before the doors were scheduled to open, John Hancock Hall was already slowly being wrapped by a string of people. […]
Momentum Award: Rachel Newmiller
May 2, 2013 Parisa Oviedo Person Of The Year
Rachel Newmiller, A&S ’13, is busier than most other college seniors are at this time of year-in New York for the weekend for a fundraiser and at a ceremony the following Monday to receive the Brian D.A. Hall Award for her commitment to service to Boston College’s Campus School. […]
Momentum Award: Lizzie Jekanowski
May 2, 2013 Samantha Costanzo Person Of The Year
Lizzie Jekanowski A&S ’13, doesn’t stop moving. She doesn’t just speak, she acts, using her hands just as much as her voice to tell her story. […]
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4211
|
__label__wiki
| 0.690121
| 0.690121
|
Ethnic Graduations are Anti-American
Gary Aminoff in Culture, Domestic Policy, Politics June 22, 2007 February 14, 2016 613 Words
When I attended UCLA it was a multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural campus. There were students from nearly every country, every religion and all races. Yet, most students thought of themselves as Bruins and as Americans. We were all graduated in a single commencement ceremony which made us feel we were all part of a single community
John Leo, in the City Journal, writes an article entitled, Let the segregation commence, in which he describes the various commencement ceremonies at UCLA.
“Commencement weekend is hard to plan at the University of California, Los Angeles. The university now has so many separate identity-group graduations that scheduling them not to conflict with one another is a challenge. The women’s studies graduation and the Chicana/Chicano studies graduation are both set for 10 AM Saturday. The broader Hispanic graduation, “Raza,” is in near-conflict with the black graduation, which starts just an hour later.
Planning was easier before a new crop of ethnic groups pushed for inclusion. Students of Asian heritage were once content with the Asian-Pacific Islanders ceremony. But now there are separate Filipino and Vietnamese commencements, and some talk of a Cambodian one in the future. Years ago, UCLA sponsored an Iranian graduation, but the school’s commencement office couldn’t tell me if the event was still around. The entire Middle East may yet be a fertile source for UCLA commencements.”
I think this multi-cultural separatism is bad for America. Before multi-culturism became popular in the 1960’s, the objective of schools was to cause everyone to assimilate into the American culture. Children pledged allegiance to the Flag, sang America the Beautiful and the Star Spangled Banner, learned that the Founders of our country were ordinary men with extraordinary ideas, and were taught that America provides freedom and opportunity that isn’t available elsewhere. Children were taught what it was to be an American and to be glad that they were part of this great country. It was considered important to make sure that children, regardless of where they came from, or what race they were, became assimilated so that they were able to take advantage of the opportunities available to them in this great country.
Since “Multi-culturism” became fashionable, schools, rather than assimilating children into the American mainstream, have been causing children to celebrate their differences. Celebrating differences has the opposite effect. Children feel alienated from the main culture, and feel more of an attachment to their ethnic or racial group. Rather than assimilating children into the American culture, multi-culturism has caused them to feel apart from the American culture. That is particularly true among the Muslim community, but extends to the Latino and African-American communities as well.
John Leo concludes his article,
“But the core reason for separatist graduations is the obvious one: on campus, assimilation is a hostile force, the domestic version of American imperialism. On many campuses, identity-group training begins with separate freshman orientation programs for nonwhites, who arrive earlier and are encouraged to bond before the first Caucasian freshmen arrive. Some schools have separate orientations for gays as well. Administrations tend to foster separatism by arguing that bias is everywhere, justifying double standards that favor identity groups.
Four years ago Ward Connerly, then a regent of the University of California, tried to pass a resolution to stop funding of ethnic graduations and gay freshman orientations. He changed his mind and asked to withdraw his proposal, but the Regents wanted to vote on it and defeated it in committee 6-3.
No major objections to ethnic graduations have emerged since. As in so many areas of American life, the preposterous is now normal.”
In my view, this does not portend well for the future of America.
Published June 22, 2007 February 14, 2016
Washington Pols Unworthy of Our Trust
John Kanaley in runoff election in 37th Congressional District
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4212
|
__label__wiki
| 0.985174
| 0.985174
|
‘Star Trek’ actor Aron Eisenberg dead at 50
Actor Aron Eisenberg as Nog on 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'
Actor Aron Eisenberg, who is best remembered for his role as a Ferengi called Nog on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” has unexpectedly died after being taken to hospital, his wife says. He was 50 years old.
“It is with extreme regret and sadness to announce that my love and best friend, Aron Eisenberg, passed away earlier today,” Malissa Longo said on Facebook on late Saturday night. “He was an intelligent, humble, funny, emphatic soul. He sought to live his life with integrity and truth.”
Longo and Eisenberg were quietly married on December 28. “We were hoping to have a big shindig in celebration of our nuptials, but had to wait to save up the money,” she said. “While our marriage, on paper, was a short one, our hearts had been married for far longer.”
The cause of Eisenberg’s death was not immediately known. Longo had posted a message on Facebook earlier in the day in which she said her husband was in critical condition after being taken to hospital.
Eisenberg portrayed a Ferengi called Nog in nearly 50 episodes of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” but when he was cast he had no idea how many episodes he would be called upon to do. “I thought every episode I was doing might be my last episode,” he said in a 2012 interview.
Eisenberg also voiced Nog for the “Star Trek Online” video game in 2010 and portrayed Kar, a young Kazon-Ogla, in an episode of “Star Trek: Voyager” in 1995. He further appeared as Fnaxnor in the fan-made series “Star Trek: Renegades.”
‘Star Trek’ actor Aron Eisenberg and his wife, Malissa Longo
Related Topics:2019 deathsAron EisenbergfeaturedStar TrekStar Trek: Deep Space NineStar Trek: VoyagerUnited States
Gabriella Yonko: Missouri girl, 16, abducted by older man
California Amber Alert: John Weir abducted in Merced
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4218
|
__label__wiki
| 0.777872
| 0.777872
|
Marie-Antoinette: why “The Austrian Woman?”
That was what Marie-Antoinette was called even before she set foot on French soil, a few months short of her fifteenth birthday: l’Autrichienne, “The Austrian Woman.” One must keep in mind that Austria was a hereditary enemy of France, a rival in the struggle for European and world dominance. The name was always meant as an insult, or at least as extremely hostile.
Yet French Queens were almost always foreigners. Marie Leszczynska, the prior Queen, devout, witty and discreet, was the daughter of the dethroned King of Poland. She was very popular and no one called her The Polish Woman. Likewise, Louis the Fourteenth’s Queen Marie-Thérèse, a Hapsburg like Marie-Antoinette, was the daughter of the King of Spain, but she was never The Spanish Woman. So what happened with Marie-Antoinette?
I think Madame Campan provides the answer in her Memoirs. For eighteen years Madame Campan was Marie-Antoinette’s Première Femme de Chambre, or First Chambermaid (and never lady-in-waiting, as I sometimes read.) This is not to say that I trust blindly Madame Campan’s testimony. Her judgments on various characters are often tainted by prejudice, favorable or otherwise, but she was an insider at Court, much more so than Marie-Antoinette herself. For everyday details and intimate, first-hand remembrances of the Queen, Madame Campan’s Memoirs are an irreplaceable resource.
madame adelaide by adelaide labille guiard
Madame Campan, before becoming Marie-Antoinette’s chambermaid, entered Court life at the age of fifteen in the capacity of reader to Mesdames, the four maiden daughters of King Louis the Fifteenth. She describes the eldest of the then surviving princesses, Madame Adélaïde, as intelligent but domineering.
“Blunt manners, a harsh voice, a clipped pronunciation made her more than imposing,” writes Madame Campan. According to another account, Madame Adélaïde once fiercely rebuked a courtier who had dared call her “Your Royal Highness” instead of her preferred title of Madame. For those who would doubt such testimony, I chose to illustrate this post with a portrait of the princess. More than imposing indeed.
It happened that Madame Adélaïde, for reasons of foreign policy and politics, was most unhappy with the engagement of her nephew, the fifteen-year old Dauphin, future Louis the Sixteenth, with Archduchess Maria Antonia. Listen to Madame Campan on this point. “When Monsieur Campan [Madame Campan’s father-in-law] went to take his orders [from Madame Adélaïde to go greet the bride at the border] she told him that she disapproved of her nephew’s marriage to an Archduchess, and that, if she had any orders to give, it would not be to fetch an Austrian woman.” I added the emphasis.
When Marie-Antoinette arrived in Versailles shortly thereafter, her youth and beauty delighted aging but still very active King Louis the Fifteenth. But Madame Adélaïde never relented. “Madame Adélaïde,” writes Madame Campan, “could not get over her prejudice against Austrian princesses and was annoyed by the Dauphine’s somewhat petulant cheerfulness.” Let me read between the lines here: Madame Adélaïde kept calling Marie-Antoinette The Austrian Woman. The name stuck to the Dauphine, and later to the Queen.
I sometimes wonder (and I readily acknowledge that I am speculating here) whether Louis’s initial coldness towards his pretty bride, and his reluctance to consummate the marriage for seven years were not related to the considerable influence his aunt had over him. According to the Memoirs of the Countess de Boigne, whose mother was a lady-in-waiting to Madame Adélaïde, Louis the Sixteenth, upon becoming King, entrusted to his aunt the choice of his first Prime Minister. Madame Adélaïde was all powerful within the Court and her enmity may have hurt Marie-Antoinette a great deal.
In Vienna, Marie-Antoinette, upon her engagement, had been given in haste a proper French instructor, a priest by the name of Abbé de Vermond. The Abbé followed her to Versailles and continued his lessons there for years. Marie-Antoinette was quite mentally alert, and learned to speak her new language fluently and without any German accent, though she never really mastered the notoriously difficult French spelling. Madame Campan, who for some reason hated the Abbé, blamed him for the deficiencies of the Dauphine’s education, but his task must not have been easy with such a high-spirited pupil. “Her vivaciousness and frequent distractions disturb, in spite of herself, her desire to learn,” he wrote diplomatically to the Count de Mercy-Argenteau, Austrian Ambassador to France.
Whatever the merits or shortcomings of the Abbé de Vermond as an instructor, Marie-Antoinette soon spoke French without any German accent. Yet she unwittingly reinforced the image of the Austrian Woman by stressing her pride in her Hapsburg heritage. She chafed under the strict rules of Versailles etiquette, and, when reminded that the late Queen Marie Leszczynska had always respected them, haughtily replied that an Austrian Archduchess could not be expected to care for things that had been important to a mere Polish princess. This kind of remark, reported by Madame Campan, never failed to be spread by courtiers in the poisonous atmosphere of Versailles.
And that was a pity, because Marie-Antoinette was just as French as her husband, if not more so (Louis the Sixteenth’s mother was a German princess, the late Dauphine Marie-Josèphe de Saxe.) Marie-Antoinette’s mother was Empress Maria Theresa, a Hapsburg, but her father was François de Lorraine, a prince of the French house of Vaudémont. He had been Duke de Lorraine before he married Maria Theresa and became Holy Roman Emperor. François, for the Austrians Emperor Francis the First, was the son of Elisabeth-Charlotte d’Orléans, daughter of Louis the Fourteenth’s younger brother. Marie-Antoinette was in fact a Lorraine-Vaudémont, and the great-grand-niece of the Sun King!
Over twenty years later, during her trial, when the Queen was asked to state her name, she responded “Marie-Antoinette Lorraine d’Autriche.” She may have been attempting to remind the jurors of her French paternal ancestry. But it was too late. In the eyes of her former subjects, she remained The Austrian Woman.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4221
|
__label__wiki
| 0.634648
| 0.634648
|
The Next Big App... Created by Kids!
Oct 17, 2016 5:00:45 AM / by Team Hatch
As children grow up immersed in a world of technology, it’s no surprise that they would start learning how to develop their own software and games at some point. There is already a long list of apps created by kids, most of which are very successful and others that went viral and launched their young creators into the techie stratosphere as prodigal programmers.
Want to see some apps created by kids? Check out the app store on your phone. There are games like Bubble Ball, which was created by 14 year old Robert Nay. The point of the game is to move a small blue ball into the checkered flag at the end of each level by using gravity and different movements available in the game. It sounds simple, but the difficulty progresses throughout the game, making the challenge addictive. At one point, this game even surpassed Angry Birds in the iOS store.
There’s also Wild Ski, a game created by 13 year old twin sisters, Isabella and Sofia Mandich. In this games, animals ski down slopes as the player guides their characters to avoid obstacles. The game became immensely popular, prompting the girls to start their own company, Twin Rocks Media, and they are currently working on building their next app.
If you are really looking to get inspired, check out the story for Michael Syaman, and 17 year old from Florida that created the viral app sensation 4Snap when he was just 15 years old. 4Snap is a multi-user game where players try to get their friends to guess words like “Dance” or “toothbrush” by sending them 4 pictures snapped with their phone. It sounds simple, but the process of creating this hugely successful app definitely had some obstacles.
Michael started developing apps in 2010 at age 13, beginning with an app tool to help drive traffic to a reference website he created that gave tips on his favourite game, Disney’s Club Penguin. He had some good interaction on his site, but he believed that building an app would help drive more traffic. He taught himself to code for the iOS app program by using tutorials from Google. “My school doesn’t offer computer classes, so that’s what I had to do,” said Michael.
He saw massive success with his first app, making it to the top 10 most downloaded apps within weeks of its creation. This inspired him to branch out and create some of his own games, rather just referencing ones he enjoyed. At first, the response was dismal – without the branding of the widely popular Disney game and with the ever growing app market, his self-made games made very little in the app store. He tried to find an idea that would be a breakout hit and was inspired by his sister, who was fooling around one day by sending pictures to her friends and trying to make them guess different words. Hence, 4Snaps was born.
In the beginning, Michael still faced some marketing hurdles; but, through perseverance, inspiration (and oh yeah, Instagram), he was able to make connections with larger companies that helped him promote his app and raise in the ranks.
His app helped him make enough money to pay to mortgage on his parents’ home during the recession and even caught the attention of Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. Zuckerberg saw the potential in Michael and had him speak at the annual f8 developer conference. Michael was also offered a paid Internship at Facebook for over the summer.
It’s been a whirlwind in the two years since the app was created, and as it continues to grow, so does Michael’s skills and reputation as a tech prodigy. Yet even with his success, Michael remains humble and inspired. As he said, “It’s just a stupid app. But the fact that I created something out of nothing and changed someone’s life in a stupid insignificant way is the best feeling ever.”
Think your child could develop the next big app? Hatch can help set them up for success by providing them the foundation skill set for coding. If you’re interested in joining the program, take a trial class today!
Topics: kids learning code
Written by Team Hatch
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4222
|
__label__cc
| 0.62579
| 0.37421
|
Tags > Sheryl Sandberg
Stories for "Sheryl Sandberg"
What’s the definition of feminism? 12 talks that explain it to you
By Pat Mitchell
Earlier this month, Merriam-Webster announced that 2017’s word of the year is feminism. Searches for the word on the dictionary website spiked throughout the year, beginning in January around the Women’s March, again after Kellyanne Conway said in an interview that she didn’t consider herself a feminist, and during some of feminism’s many pop culture […]
The state of women in the workforce, loopholes in London’s alternative stock market, and Mission 2020
By Rebekah Barnett and Kate Torgovnick May
As usual, the TED community has lots of news to share this week. Below, some highlights. Why there are still so few women at the top. Leanin.org, the organization created by Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to help empower women, released its second annual Women in the Workplace report. The news is not good: Women have […]
5 talks for Women’s Equality Day
Today marks the 45th anniversary of Women’s Equality Day, which was designated in 1971 to celebrate the passage of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote in 1920. In commemoration of that milestone, and the miles we still have to go, here are five TEDTalks from past TEDWomen conferences about the state of […]
An advanced prosthetic arm, an underground park, and the case for taking a vacation
By Rebekah Barnett
The TED community has been very busy over the past few weeks. Below, some newsy highlights. A major upgrade for prosthetics. After nearly a decade in development, Dean Kamen’s prosthetic arm is finally nearing its commercial launch two years after its approval by the FDA. Developed for wounded soldiers at the behest of the United […]
Further reading (and watching) on women and the workplace
By Jessica Gross
During an interview at TEDWomen 2013, host Pat Mitchell asked Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg to explain how her 2010 TED Talk evolved. “I asked myself the question that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook and my boss, asks all of us, which is: What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?” Sandberg said. Her answer: “I […]
A troupe of Rwandan drummers, odes to grandmas and laughing at cerebral palsy: A recap of TEDWomen 2013, Session 3
By Kate Torgovnick, Helen Walters and Emily McManus Session 3 of TEDWomen begins with an empty stage. And then: the noise of drumming breaks through the quiet as four women, draped in shiny blue cloth with gold bands around their foreheads, march onstage carrying with them large, wooden drums. They place them on the red […]
Ban the word bossy. Sheryl Sandberg lights up TEDWomen 2013
“It’s nice to look out and see so many women. That’s not my norm,” Sheryl Sandberg comments drily as she takes her place onstage at TEDWomen 2013 at the SFJazz Center. She’s here to talk with co-host Pat Mitchell, in a Q&A follow-up to her incendiary 2010 TED Talk, given at a TEDWomen three years […]
Your weekend reading: The wrong kind of Caucasian, the graduate school question, and how the Internet ruined everything
By Thu-Huong Ha
A weekly round-up of interesting, weird and useful reads from around the interwebs. In “The wrong kind of Caucasian,” Sarah Kendzior critiques the media for its tendency to demonize an entire country based on the violent acts of a few individuals. [Al Jazeera] “The Internet: A Warning from History,” or how the Internet ruined everything. […]
TIME Magazine reveals the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2013
Ten years ago, TIME Magazine inaugurated its list of the “100 Most Influential People in the World.” In the interceding decade, the unveiling of the annual list has become an anticipated event with readers ready to gorge on glossy articles and debate the inclusion of controversial inductees. Today, the magazine posted its 10th list of influence, […]
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4225
|
__label__cc
| 0.718215
| 0.281785
|
Phone: 02 6041 4060|trevor@highcountrycommunications.com.au
Privacy Policycacomms2017-05-23T04:16:08+00:00
The following terms and conditions govern all use of the www.cacomms.com website and all content, services and products available at or through the website (taken together, the Website). The Website is owned and operated by C&A Communications Pty Ltd ("C&A Communications"). The Website is offered subject to your acceptance without modification of all of the terms and conditions contained herein and all other operating rules, policies (including, without limitation, C&A Communication's Privacy Policy) and procedures that may be published from time to time on this Site by C&A Communications (collectively, the "Agreement").
Please read this Agreement carefully before accessing or using the Website. By accessing or using any part of the web site, you agree to become bound by the terms and conditions of this agreement. If you do not agree to all the terms and conditions of this agreement, then you may not access the Website or use any services. If these terms and conditions are considered an offer by C&A Communications, acceptance is expressly limited to these terms. The Website is available only to individuals who are at least 13 years old.
Your www.cacomms.com Account and Site. If you create a blog/site on the Website, you are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and blog, and you are fully responsible for all activities that occur under the account and any other actions taken in connection with the blog. You must not describe or assign keywords to your blog in a misleading or unlawful manner, including in a manner intended to trade on the name or reputation of others, and C&A Communications may change or remove any description or keyword that it considers inappropriate or unlawful, or otherwise likely to cause C&A Communications liability. You must immediately notify C&A Communications of any unauthorized uses of your blog, your account or any other breaches of security. C&A Communications will not be liable for any acts or omissions by You, including any damages of any kind incurred as a result of such acts or omissions.
you have, in the case of Content that includes computer code, accurately categorized and/or described the type, nature, uses and effects of the materials, whether requested to do so by C&A Communications or otherwise.
By submitting Content to C&A Communications for inclusion on your Website, you grant C&A Communications a world-wide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, modify, adapt and publish the Content solely for the purpose of displaying, distributing and promoting your blog. If you delete Content, C&A Communications will use reasonable efforts to remove it from the Website, but you acknowledge that caching or references to the Content may not be made immediately unavailable.
Without limiting any of those representations or warranties, C&A Communications has the right (though not the obligation) to, in C&A Communication's sole discretion (i) refuse or remove any content that, in C&A Communication's reasonable opinion, violates any C&A Communications policy or is in any way harmful or objectionable, or (ii) terminate or deny access to and use of the Website to any individual or entity for any reason, in C&A Communication's sole discretion. C&A Communications will have no obligation to provide a refund of any amounts previously paid.
By selecting a product or service, you agree to pay C&A Communications the one-time and/or monthly or annual subscription fees indicated (additional payment terms may be included in other communications). Subscription payments will be charged on a pre-pay basis on the day you sign up for an Upgrade and will cover the use of that service for a monthly or annual subscription period as indicated. Payments are not refundable.
Unless you notify C&A Communications before the end of the applicable subscription period that you want to cancel a subscription, your subscription will automatically renew and you authorize us to collect the then-applicable annual or monthly subscription fee for such subscription (as well as any taxes) using any credit card or other payment mechanism we have on record for you. Upgrades can be canceled at any time by submitting your request to C&A Communications in writing.
Fees; Payment. By signing up for a Services account you agree to pay C&A Communications the applicable setup fees and recurring fees. Applicable fees will be invoiced starting from the day your services are established and in advance of using such services. C&A Communications reserves the right to change the payment terms and fees upon thirty (30) days prior written notice to you. Services can be canceled by you at anytime on thirty (30) days written notice to C&A Communications.
Support. If your service includes access to priority email support. "Email support" means the ability to make requests for technical support assistance by email at any time (with reasonable efforts by C&A Communications to respond within one business day) concerning the use of the VIP Services. "Priority" means that support takes priority over support for users of the standard or free www.cacomms.com services. All support will be provided in accordance with C&A Communications standard services practices, procedures and policies.
Responsibility of Website Visitors. C&A Communications has not reviewed, and cannot review, all of the material, including computer software, posted to the Website, and cannot therefore be responsible for that material's content, use or effects. By operating the Website, C&A Communications does not represent or imply that it endorses the material there posted, or that it believes such material to be accurate, useful or non-harmful. You are responsible for taking precautions as necessary to protect yourself and your computer systems from viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other harmful or destructive content. The Website may contain content that is offensive, indecent, or otherwise objectionable, as well as content containing technical inaccuracies, typographical mistakes, and other errors. The Website may also contain material that violates the privacy or publicity rights, or infringes the intellectual property and other proprietary rights, of third parties, or the downloading, copying or use of which is subject to additional terms and conditions, stated or unstated. C&A Communications disclaims any responsibility for any harm resulting from the use by visitors of the Website, or from any downloading by those visitors of content there posted.
Content Posted on Other Websites. We have not reviewed, and cannot review, all of the material, including computer software, made available through the websites and webpages to which www.cacomms.com links, and that link to www.cacomms.com. C&A Communications does not have any control over those non-C&A Communications websites and webpages, and is not responsible for their contents or their use. By linking to a non-C&A Communications website or webpage, C&A Communications does not represent or imply that it endorses such website or webpage. You are responsible for taking precautions as necessary to protect yourself and your computer systems from viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and other harmful or destructive content. C&A Communications disclaims any responsibility for any harm resulting from your use of non-C&A Communications websites and webpages.
Copyright Infringement and DMCA Policy. As C&A Communications asks others to respect its intellectual property rights, it respects the intellectual property rights of others. If you believe that material located on or linked to by www.cacomms.com violates your copyright, you are encouraged to notify C&A Communications in accordance with C&A Communication's Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") Policy. C&A Communications will respond to all such notices, including as required or appropriate by removing the infringing material or disabling all links to the infringing material. C&A Communications will terminate a visitor's access to and use of the Website if, under appropriate circumstances, the visitor is determined to be a repeat infringer of the copyrights or other intellectual property rights of C&A Communications or others. In the case of such termination, C&A Communications will have no obligation to provide a refund of any amounts previously paid to C&A Communications.
Intellectual Property. This Agreement does not transfer from C&A Communications to you any C&A Communications or third party intellectual property, and all right, title and interest in and to such property will remain (as between the parties) solely with C&A Communications. C&A Communications, www.cacomms.com, the www.cacomms.com logo, and all other trademarks, service marks, graphics and logos used in connection with www.cacomms.com, or the Website are trademarks or registered trademarks of C&A Communications or C&A Communication's licensors. Other trademarks, service marks, graphics and logos used in connection with the Website may be the trademarks of other third parties. Your use of the Website grants you no right or license to reproduce or otherwise use any C&A Communications or third-party trademarks.
Advertisements. C&A Communications reserves the right to display advertisements on your blog unless you have purchased an ad-free account.
Attribution. C&A Communications reserves the right to display attribution links such as 'Blog at www.cacomms.com,' theme author, and font attribution in your blog footer or toolbar.
Changes. C&A Communications reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to modify or replace any part of this Agreement. It is your responsibility to check this Agreement periodically for changes. Your continued use of or access to the Website following the posting of any changes to this Agreement constitutes acceptance of those changes. C&A Communications may also, in the future, offer new services and/or features through the Website (including, the release of new tools and resources). Such new features and/or services shall be subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement.
Termination. C&A Communications may terminate your access to all or any part of the Website at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately. If you wish to terminate this Agreement or your www.cacomms.com account (if you have one), you may simply discontinue using the Website. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you have a paid services account, such account can only be terminated by C&A Communications if you materially breach this Agreement and fail to cure such breach within thirty (30) days from C&A Communication's notice to you thereof; provided that, C&A Communications can terminate the Website immediately as part of a general shut down of our service. All provisions of this Agreement which by their nature should survive termination shall survive termination, including, without limitation, ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, indemnity and limitations of liability.
Disclaimer of Warranties. The Website is provided "as is". C&A Communications and its suppliers and licensors hereby disclaim all warranties of any kind, express or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement. Neither C&A Communications nor its suppliers and licensors, makes any warranty that the Website will be error free or that access thereto will be continuous or uninterrupted. You understand that you download from, or otherwise obtain content or services through, the Website at your own discretion and risk.
Limitation of Liability. In no event will C&A Communications, or its suppliers or licensors, be liable with respect to any subject matter of this agreement under any contract, negligence, strict liability or other legal or equitable theory for: (i) any special, incidental or consequential damages; (ii) the cost of procurement for substitute products or services; (iii) for interruption of use or loss or corruption of data; or (iv) for any amounts that exceed the fees paid by you to C&A Communications under this agreement during the twelve (12) month period prior to the cause of action. C&A Communications shall have no liability for any failure or delay due to matters beyond their reasonable control. The foregoing shall not apply to the extent prohibited by applicable law.
General Representation and Warranty. You represent and warrant that (i) your use of the Website will be in strict accordance with the C&A Communications Privacy Policy, with this Agreement and with all applicable laws and regulations (including without limitation any local laws or regulations in your country, state, city, or other governmental area, regarding online conduct and acceptable content, and including all applicable laws regarding the transmission of technical data exported from the United States or the country in which you reside) and (ii) your use of the Website will not infringe or misappropriate the intellectual property rights of any third party.
Indemnification. You agree to indemnify and hold harmless C&A Communications, its contractors, and its licensors, and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from and against any and all claims and expenses, including attorneys' fees, arising out of your use of the Website, including but not limited to your violation of this Agreement.
Miscellaneous. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between C&A Communications and you concerning the subject matter hereof, and they may only be modified by a written amendment signed by an authorized executive of C&A Communications, or by the posting by C&A Communications of a revised version. Except to the extent applicable law, if any, provides otherwise, this Agreement, any access to or use of the Website will be governed by the laws of the NSW, Australia, excluding its conflict of law provisions, and the proper venue for any disputes arising out of or relating to any of the same will be the state and federal courts located in NSW, Australia. Except for claims for injunctive or equitable relief or claims regarding intellectual property rights (which may be brought in any competent court without the posting of a bond), any dispute arising under this Agreement shall be finally settled in accordance with the Comprehensive Arbitration Rules of the Judicial Arbitration and Mediation Service, Inc. ("JAMS") by three arbitrators appointed in accordance with such Rules. The arbitration shall take place in NSW, Australia, in the English language and the arbitral decision may be enforced in any court. The prevailing party in any action or proceeding to enforce this Agreement shall be entitled to costs and attorneys' fees. If any part of this Agreement is held invalid or unenforceable, that part will be construed to reflect the parties' original intent, and the remaining portions will remain in full force and effect. A waiver by either party of any term or condition of this Agreement or any breach thereof, in any one instance, will not waive such term or condition or any subsequent breach thereof. You may assign your rights under this Agreement to any party that consents to, and agrees to be bound by, its terms and conditions; C&A Communications may assign its rights under this Agreement without condition. This Agreement will be binding upon and will inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors and permitted assigns.
C&A Communications Pty Ltd ("C&A Communications") operates www.cacomms.com and may operate other websites. It is C&A Communication's policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our websites.
Like most website operators, C&A Communications collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. C&A Communication's purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how C&A Communication's visitors use its website. From time to time, C&A Communications may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.
C&A Communications also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users and for users leaving comments on www.cacomms.com blogs/sites. C&A Communications only discloses logged in user and commenter IP addresses under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information as described below, except that commenter IP addresses and email addresses are visible and disclosed to the administrators of the blog/site where the comment was left.
Certain visitors to C&A Communication's websites choose to interact with C&A Communications in ways that require C&A Communications to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that C&A Communications gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who sign up at www.cacomms.com to provide a username and email address. Those who engage in transactions with C&A Communications are asked to provide additional information, including as necessary the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. In each case, C&A Communications collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor's interaction with C&A Communications. C&A Communications does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.
C&A Communications may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. C&A Communications may display this information publicly or provide it to others. However, C&A Communications does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.
C&A Communications discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on C&A Communication's behalf or to provide services available at C&A Communication's websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using C&A Communication's websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. C&A Communications will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, C&A Communications discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when C&A Communications believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of C&A Communications, third parties or the public at large. If you are a registered user of an C&A Communications website and have supplied your email address, C&A Communications may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what's going on with C&A Communications and our products. If you send us a request (for example via email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. C&A Communications takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.
A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor's computer, and that the visitor's browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. C&A Communications uses cookies to help C&A Communications identify and track visitors, their usage of C&A Communications website, and their website access preferences. C&A Communications visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using C&A Communication's websites, with the drawback that certain features of C&A Communication's websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.
If C&A Communications, or substantially all of its assets, were acquired, or in the unlikely event that C&A Communications goes out of business or enters bankruptcy, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that any acquirer of C&A Communications may continue to use your personal information as set forth in this policy.
Ads appearing on any of our websites may be delivered to users by advertising partners, who may set cookies. These cookies allow the ad server to recognize your computer each time they send you an online advertisement to compile information about you or others who use your computer. This information allows ad networks to, among other things, deliver targeted advertisements that they believe will be of most interest to you. This Privacy Policy covers the use of cookies by C&A Communications and does not cover the use of cookies by any advertisers.
Although most changes are likely to be minor, C&A Communications may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in C&A Communication's sole discretion. C&A Communications encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. If you have a www.cacomms.com account, you might also receive an alert informing you of these changes. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.
532 Spencer Street Albury, NSW 2640
Email: trevor@highcountrycommunications.com.au
Web: www.cacomms.com
COPYRIGHT 2017 Website by Albury Web Design | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | Privacy Policy
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4233
|
__label__wiki
| 0.892973
| 0.892973
|
Initiative Aims to Produce High-Quality Flipped Resources
U West Georgia Adds Hands-on IoT to Business Curriculum
Photo: Julia Mothersole/University of West Georgia
A business course at the University of West Georgia is teaching undergraduates about robotics programming, networking and plugging into the Internet of Things, to help them prepare for jobs that may not exist yet. "Networking Research and Certification," offered for the first time during the summer, was taught by Associate Professor Jean Pridmore, a member of the faculty in the Richards College of Business.
"I wanted to look to the future and try to figure out what could help position our students to take advantage of where the networking field is going, and that led me to IoT," said Pridmore, in a university article about the course. "Right now, there are about 35 million items attached to the internet. And in another five to 10 years, that number is expected to be about 50 billion."
The instructor, who holds degrees in chemical engineering, business administration, and management of IT and innovation, noted that companies are trying to figure out how to implement these new technologies. That's where the class comes in. "For these students, who are planning to graduate in a year or two, even by that time, the amount of jobs in IoT is going to have skyrocketed from what we're seeing now," Pridmore pointed out. "There's doesn't seem to be a stop in the growth market for IoT, either. So they need to know this stuff."
The cohort of 40 students worked with programmable robots powered by Raspberry Pi and produced by Dexter Industries. The goal was to connect to them wirelessly and then program them to perform self-driving operations on a floor track while avoiding obstacles (a garden gnome). "Because self-driving cars are coming, I felt like it would be an application students would be interested in, [that] they could relate to," said Pridmore.
The students were receptive. A video about the program shows one car doing what it's supposed to and a member of the student team clapping in response.
Terran North, a double major in management and MIS, said she'd like to work in human resource information systems after graduation, a field, she suggested, that requires a technical background. "It's been so interesting to get to learn how to program and making sure the information we're sending to the devices matches what's on our computers," North said. "It's a lot of detailed work, but it's cool work seeing how much companies have to do to make sure their systems stay secure."
Pridmore said she hopes to expand the number of students who have access to the new course. "It's engagement, it's experiential and [we're] hoping to open their eyes to see what the future is going to hold and what their place in it could be."
Ovum Report: Steps to Transforming the Educational Ecosystem
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4236
|
__label__wiki
| 0.933949
| 0.933949
|
Illinois Ushers in Legal Cannabis, With a Focus on Social Justice
Calling its new law the nation’s “gold standard,” lawmakers vow to support the communities hardest hit by the drug war. Critics worry that the bill was rushed and won’t be able to deliver it promised social justice reforms.
Published on Jun 3, 2019 6:55AM EDT Illinois
Jeremy Borden @Jeremy_Borden
Cannabis Wire reporter covering policy and politics at the local and national level. Borden is based in Chicago and has worked for the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor and City Bureau, among other publications.
After weeks of serious debate on a whirlwind timeline, the Illinois General Assembly ushered in a new era for cannabis in the state on Friday, as the House of Representatives, voting 66-47, sent the most expansive and far-reaching legalization bill in US history to the desk of Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Pritzker, who campaigned on a promise to legalize adult-use cannabis, won’t have the distinction of being the first governor whose signature legalizes cannabis by bill instead of by ballot initiative—that goes to Vermont. But the governor will be able to say that Illinois is the first state to pass expansive cannabis legislation covering taxed and regulated sales, not to mention social equity and social justice reform, all in one pass.
One other feather for the governor’s cap: Pritzker and the Illinois Democrats have now done something that other leaders in Democratic-led statehouses—namely New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo—have also promised but, so far, been unable to deliver.
When the final vote was tallied, after more than four hours of contentious debate on Friday, House members cheered. “It is time to hit the reset button on the war on drugs,” the bill’s primary sponsor, Representative Kelly Cassidy, a Chicago Democrat, told fellow House members. “We have the opportunity today to set the gold standard.”
The bill legalizes possession and sale of up to thirty grams of cannabis, ensures small businesses and disadvantaged communities and applicants receive priority in the state’s business licensing process, expunges past convictions related to cannabis, and delivers dollars to communities most affected by America’s drug war.
Soon after the vote, Pritzker said in a statement: “The state of Illinois just made history, legalizing adult-use cannabis with the most equity-centric approach in the nation. This will have a transformational impact on our state, creating opportunity in the communities that need it most and giving so many a second chance,” he said. “In the interest of equity and criminal justice reform, I look forward to signing this monumental legislation.”
The first legal sale of cannabis in Illinois is expected in January.
SUBSCRIBE TO CANNABIS WIRE'S MORNING NEWSLETTER
Original news and analysis from veteran journalists—straight to your inbox every weekday morning. (This newsletter is free now, but will soon be available only to subscribers.)
The Black Caucus divided
The House’s legislative Black Caucus were considered key to legalization’s prospects, and the debate Friday showed that its members remain deeply divided on the issue. The more than 500-page original draft was delivered earlier this month, and a new 600-page final version emerged on Wednesday.
Some members questioned the speed, while others asked why social justice initiatives had to be done at the same time the state was legalizing cannabis.
Representative Curtis Tarver, a Democrat and member of the Black Caucus from Chicago’s South Side, said he wasn’t buying the new focus on black communities and a newfound desire for social equity, saying the suddenness of the shift “is offensive to me as a black man.” He argued that the legislature could have addressed those issues, particularly on social justice, outside of the legalization debate. “We’ve had fifty damn years to work on the issue,” he said. “Now all of sudden when there’s an opportunity to make money we believe in criminal justice reform? This is not criminal justice reform at all. This is about money, period.”
Others disagreed. Representative Marcus Evans, another member of the legislative Black Caucus, said he was touched that, for the first time, a bill was centered around the needs of the black community. “I see this bill and, as a black man, it gets me emotional,” he said. “Finally they will look at my community and say…‘we want you to have a piece of the pie.’”
Much of the debate was an airing of worries and grievances about the speed with which Illinois was ushering in change. Proponents argued that an exhaustive two year process, with dozens of townhalls across the state, had laid the groundwork for the bill. But its language had just been rolled out in early May, which didn’t give opponents time to pick apart the details.
In a surreal moment, Democratic Representative Anthony DeLuca, of Chicago Heights, south of the city of Chicago, cracked an egg into a frying pan on the House floor. “This is your brain on drugs,” he said, the slogan of the 1980s-era ad campaign to discourage drug use. Other opponents worried about youth use, the ability of law enforcement to crack down on driving under the influence, and the possibility of an increase in mental health problems.
Representative Marty Moylan, a suburban-area Democrat, worked with Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) and echoed the group’s argument that cannabis legalization wouldn’t benefit minority communities or black and brown business owners, but would instead usher in a Big Tobacco 2.0. “If this bill passes, a giant big-money industry will commercialize another harmful addictive drug in our state,” he said. “It’s about big business focusing on making a profit.”
Others argued that many of the bill’s aims were admirable but it was moving too fast and, ultimately, those aims would fail due to a lack of vetting. “The bill is just not ready yet,” said Republican Representative Deanna Mazzochi.
But Representative Jehan Gordon-Booth, of Peoria, said the bill marked a turning point for the war on drugs. She pointed to the bill’s $30 million grant program for low-income applicants and that 20% of the licensing-application score, the third-highest category, would be ranked on how the applicant planned to address social equity issues, meaning bringing in diverse ownership or helping those with previous cannabis convictions or otherwise affected by the drug wars succeed in the new industry. Those policies would bring forth the “most socially just, socially equitable adult-use cannabis policy in the country,” she said.
Last-minute changes
The bill’s sponsors made several concessions to bring on GOP lawmakers and shore up support this week, including allowing complete control by local governments to allow cannabis businesses within their borders—or not. Going further than most states, the bill also allows local governments to choose to liberalize cannabis policies, including allowing social consumption lounges.
Proponents and opponents of the bill sparred during a House Judiciary-Criminal Committee hearing late Thursday night as the clock ticked toward the end of the legislative session the next day.
Robert Moore, representing the Illinois National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), said other states have also made promises to the black community when seeking to legalize cannabis. “Promises of equity and benefits to the black community have been used to gain support in other states,” he said. “There is no benefit … that has been documented.”
He also said that many people in black communities would continue to have contact with the police over cannabis. “What police action will occur with 31 grams?” he asked.
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx told the House committee on Thursday that, as a prosecutor, she knows that those with one criminal charge on their record are likely to get another. The expungement provision would be a game-changer, she said, adding that those whose charges wiped clean by the bill’s expungement provision will get a clean slate and will be less likely to commit another crime.
“This is not simply a measure of social justice and equity, it is a public safety issue,” Foxx said. “Once you have a criminal conviction your likelihood of recidivism raises. This is a measure that aims to increase public safety and that’s what this does.”
Foxx said, however, the bill was not a silver bullet. Officials would need to continue to work toward social justice goals. “This is a crisis of inequity … that one bill isn’t going to remediate.”
A rushed process
Of course, the legislature’s last-minute maneuvering had its drawbacks, even for proponents. Cassidy said that a bill correcting technical mistakes, along with other revisions, could be expected next year.
The bill indeed has had a short lifespan. The first draft of the bill was introduced just three weeks ago—at the end of a more than two-year process complete with town halls across the state. The new version of the bill was only finalized and published late Wednesday. Soon after, it was heard by the Senate Executive Committee for a previously unscheduled vote and advanced through the floor of the Senate just hours later.
When it comes to expungement of criminal records, the new version of the bill calls on Governor Pritzker to issue a mass pardon for all those convicted of cannabis-related crimes, as long as the charge also wasn’t brought along with a violent crime. However, changes made mean that only those crimes involving 30 grams or less—the amount of legal cannabis allowed under the bill—would be automatically expunged. For the rest, those convicted would have to petition a court in order for the record to be expunged.
The other major change was to limit permission to grow five cannabis plants at home to those who qualify for the medical program only; home grow for all had been billed as a way for more people, regardless of income, to get access to cannabis. The move addressed law enforcement concerns that those who grow under the much bigger adult-use program—anyone over 21—would be difficult to enforce, Lindsey said, because police have no way of tracking home grown cannabis. Some GOP senators said during the debate on the bill Wednesday that the changes allowed them to endorse the measure.
Jack Campbell, an Illinois sheriff representing the state Sheriff’s Association, said during the House hearing on Thursday that medical home grow could still be easily abused and lead to a tough-to-police illicit market.
Bill sponsors also changed the bill to give localities total control over whether to allow cannabis businesses. The bill also has a two-year ban for lawmakers or their families to apply for cannabis business licenses.
Americans For Prosperity, the influential, Koch Brothers-backed conservative group, sent a letter to lawmakers late last week that has also been influential with Republicans. The group said it was supportive of the bill—particularly the expungement provisions.
But, citing a bill analysis by Geoffrey Lawrence of the libertarian group Reason Foundation, the Americans For Prosperity said lawmakers should improve its complicated taxing structure, lower the six-figure application fees, and reduce requirements so more small businesses can enter the market, according to the analysis. (Read about the original bill’s provisions in Cannabis Wire’s previous coverage).
Lawrence told Cannabis Wire in an interview before Friday’s vote that he and others were resigned to wait until next year to push for improvements, given the speed and that the end of the legislative session was mere hours away. “It’s disappointing it took so long into the legislative session to get this language,” he said. “It would have been great to have public discourse starting four months ago.”
Lawrence also said, when asked by Cannabis Wire, that the bill’s confidentiality section would likely cause the state headaches. Under the new draft of the bill, cannabis businesses and owners would be publicly listed but their application and license renewals would be kept confidential and not subject to open records laws. (Cannabis Wire previously reported about problematic secrecy provisions).
Asked if Illinois was opening itself up to lawsuits, Lawrence said: “I’d bank on that. Even when all the information is open, whenever you restrict the number of licenses available, people will make an argument they’ve been damaged somehow.” Other states have seen dozens of lawsuits from applications who, after not being awarded a license, have questioned the process by which state regulators awarded licenses, suggesting that the state was arbitrarily rewarding a competitor.
In the end, the bill’s sponsors made enough changes to get a few key local groups to a “neutral” stance on the bill—namely the Municipal League, by adding dollars for municipalities and increasing local control; and the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, by adding strong language that allows employers to retain strict workplace drug policies.
Gordon-Booth said during the debate Friday that Democrats ability to stay focused on the social equity provisions and black and brown communities made it a success. She said Illinois, in that regard, finally had the right priorities in mind compared to other states. For too long, Gordon-Booth argued, African Americans in other states where cannabis has been legalized have been shut out of the industry, and Illinois will change that.
“You can’t do it for us without us,” she said.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4237
|
__label__wiki
| 0.573309
| 0.573309
|
How does Brother John’s life compare with that of the Saints, the Blessed like Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha and other religious zealots and leaders?
If Brother John does deserve consideration for beatification or perhaps sainthood, we have to first look at his life experience and ask:
Did he live an exemplary life, with evidence that he engaged in actions or activities worthy of imitation and directed towards the betterment and goodness of mankind?
Did he live an eventful life, one that could be considered heroic in nature and a sign of martyrdom due to his untimely death?
Did he live a life in which he underwent a major conversion of heart, leading him to abandon his previous “immoral” life, replacing it with a life of outstanding holiness?
The answer is ‘yes’ to all three.
NOTE: This page is fairly lengthy and goes through the following topics related to Brother John’s life, saintliness, and sainthood:
Living a Saintly Life
From Souls to Saints
Who is Tschoop?
Saint John the Apostle
The Apostle as Teacher, The Apostle as Healer
Medical Saints and Blesseds
Father Damien
Brethren John and Saint Father Damien
Spiritual Healing and the Conversion Process
Brother John and Blessed Kateri
The Need for Proof
Tschoop’s Verse or Prayer
Source: Edmund de Schweinitz. The Life of David Zeisberger: the Western Pioneer and Apostle of the Indians. Philadelphia: J.B. Lipincott &Co., 1871. p. 99.
The Martin Luther in John
Who is Tschoop (pronounced ‘tchob’, long 0)? St. John the Baptist? Job of the Book of Job? St. John the Apostle and Evangelist?
Spangenberg once referred to Tschoop as a version of Martin Luther. The Dutch referred to his as Job. The Missionaries referred to him as the Apostle of Shekomeko and gave him the baptismal name John.
The Dutch traders whom Tschoop interacted with referred to him as “Job”, the pronunciation and therefore spelling of which was significantly modified when this name was first put in writing as it sounded to German writers. Moravians however had already related Tschoop’s personality and character to another more recently famous character in European history–Martin Luther.
In Das Leben A. G. Spangenbergs, Bischofs der Brüdergemeinde by Karl Friedrich Ledderhose, August Gottlieb Spangenberg (p. 59, Heidelberg, 1846), the following note on Johannes was included in a paragraph on Shekomeko:
“Der erste der ihm begegnete war der Indianerlehrer Iohannes der früher ein ruchloser Mensch gewesen war und nun von der Gnade in Christo Iesu Zeugniß ablegte Obwohl Spangenberg ihn nie gesehen hatte so erkannte er ihn doch gleich da es von ihm hieß daß er dem Dr Luther ähnlich sehe.”
This is retold by Edmund De Schweinitz in The life and times of David Zeisberger (1871), page 116:
“The converts fulfilled the highest hopes of their teachers John especially was a living monument of grace and an enthusiastic preacher of righteousness. According to their unanimous testimony his eloquence was irresistible Bishop Spangenberg used to say of him that he had the countenance of a Luther.”
Appearing as well year later in a footnote on page 197 of Ruttenber’s History of the Indian Tribes of Hudson’s River (1872):
“Wasamapah was the ruling chief at Shekomeko. He was a man of remarkable powers of mind and in whose mien “was the majesty of a Luther.” He died of small pox at Bethlehem Aug 27, 1746 Loskiel II, 93, 94.”
A number of features of Tschoop’s character and looks may be linked to the association Moravian missionary leaders made between him and Luther.
In Eugene Stock ‘s Story of the Bible (New York, 1906), Luther is explained as “the greatest of the Reformers who all taught among other things three grand truths first that we are saved not by our good deeds for our good deeds never can be good enough but by faith in Jesus Christ as our one and only Saviour secondly that we can go straight to our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ and tell Him our sins and He will forgive us for Christ’s sake thirdly that God’s messages for us are in the Bible and we must go to the Bible to know His will and His truth.”
Some of the natural events that took place in an around the Hudson Valley kindled the Lutheran spirit in Tschoop. Luther was significantly influenced by one of God’s natural events that many missionaries interpreted as God’s reminders to us about our sins. According to biographer Martin Brecht, Luther’s early years in solitude as a monk were a result of Luther’s witness to the powers of many natural events, for example:
“on 2 July 1505, he was on horseback during a thunderstorm and a lightning bolt struck near him as he was returning to university after a trip home. Later telling his father he was terrified of death and divine judgment, he cried out, ‘Help! Saint Anna, I will become a monk!'”
Luther went through some of the same issues which Tschoop might have later had to endure as well. Due to Luther’s anger with the Creator brought on by illness, Luther was said to possess “self-willed positiveness and hypochondriac asceticism”.
A discussion of Luther in the Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09438b.htm) states:
“This anger of God, which pursued him like his shadow, could only be averted by “his own righteousness”, by the “efficacy of servile works”. Such an attitude of mind was necessarily followed by hopeless discouragement and sullen despondency, creating a condition of soul in which he actually “hated God and was angry at him”, blasphemed God, and deplored that he was ever born. This abnormal condition produced a brooding melancholy, physical, mental, and spiritual depression, which later, by a strange process of reasoning, he ascribed to the teaching of the Church concerning good works, while all the time he was living in direct and absolute opposition to its doctrinal teaching and disciplinary code.”
Could the missionaries have noticed Tschoop expressed some of the same feelings at times due to his medical condition? Was Tschoop angry at God for this problem?
By taking on the struggle with this neighbors in Rhinebeck, Tschoop’s attitudes and vocalizations at times must have seemed very Luther-like at times. His boisterous nature probably did more to generate the spark needed to ignite fire than any other arguments vocalized between Christian Indian missionary leaders and their Calvanist and Protestant neighbors. This resulted in so much social unrest at times that the local colonists, justices, and governor had even more reason to allow their own fears of infidelity to the Book and Church to take hold. Witnessed behaviors of these locals may have even invited thoughts similar to Luther’s own progression in his criticisms of this continued lack of expression of faith: “During my absence, Satan has entered my sheepfold, and committed ravages which I cannot repair by writing, but only by my personal presence and living word.” (Letter of 7 March 1522. Schaff, Philip, History of the Christian Church, Vol VII, Ch IV, Brecht 2:57).
Tschoop’s certainty also gave him a personality that for an American Indian was a surprise to local former European communities. This local belief of Protestant origin claimed the view that faith itself can be considered sufficient enough for one to obtain salvation following death, making the need to adhere to religious law no longer necessary and an obsolete social practice. According to Tschoop, using an explanation found in the Catholic Encyclopedia for Luther:
“Man can be saved by faith alone. Our faith in Christ makes His merits our possession, envelops us in the garb of righteousness, which our guilt and sinfulness hide, and supplies in abundance every defect of human righteousness.”
Perhaps Tschoop, or should I say Luther said, “we want to practice Christian love toward them and pray that they convert,” but also that they are “our public enemies … and if they could kill us all, they would gladly do so. And so often they do.” [From Luther, Martin. Admonition against the Jews, added to his final sermon, cited in Oberman, Heiko. Luther: Man Between God and the Devil, New York: Image Books, 1989, p. 294. A complete translation of Luther’s Admonition can be found in Wikisource.s:Warning Against the Jews (1546)]
One of the most Luther-like things that John did is defined by the following short quote. This sentence Tschoop utters is said just before Mr. Hegemen, Justice of the Peace living in Filkintown concluded his assessment of the Shekomeko and its people. Although understanding the explanations given to him for their past behaviors, and religious practices, the Christian Indians tried to convince Hegemen that they were not as bad or problematic as he said and felt (Loskiel v2, p 59):
Tschoop’s typically zealot response to this action was very much like Martin Luther’s argument regarding the Laws of the Church versus the Laws of Government, the former typically considered the highest by the zealots. This is told by Loskiel as follows (p. 60):
Tschoop’s Real Name
At last, one of these saint’s names can be ascribed to Tschoop. Job is the original name related to the Bible which was given to Tschoop following his initial encounters with Rauch and others of European descent. [Tschoop is pronounced like ‘chope’ or ‘jope’, starting with something between a ‘y’, ‘ch’ and ‘j’ sound, followed by long o’s, and ending with a ‘p’.]
In The life and times of David Zeisberger by Edmund De Schweinitz (1871), one of the lengthiest descriptions of his naming error is detailed in a footnote on page 98:
“This Indian is called Tschoop by Loskiel The same name is inscribed on his tombstone at Bethlehem placed over his grave about twenty-five years ago It occurs also in the official record of his death in the Church Register as follows Johannes sonst Tschoop genannt that is John otherwise called Tschoop. His real Indian name was Wasamapah, his English name prior to his baptism Job and the name he received in baptism John. I incline to the opinion that he never bore the name Tschoop among the natives but that it originated among the early Moravians in consequence of their German mode of pronouncing Job and that Loskiel mistook it for an original name. It is not found in any early documents other than the Church Register Zeisberger never uses it but calls the man either Job or John and the official register of Indian baptisms knows nothing of it but gives Wasamapah. I am strengthened in my opinion first by the fact that those early Moravians who came to this country from Germany often misspelt English names so as to render them almost unintelligible second by the circumstance that in Pyrlaeus’s Narrative of the Work of the Brethren among the Indians of North America a MS in the BA corrected by Count Zinzendorf the latter in the margin gives this Indian the name of Copp evidently another corruption of Job and finally by the opinion entertained among students of Indian history living at Bethlehem fifty years ago that Tschoop is a misnomer for Job.”
During a presentation at the 1984 Conference at State University of New York College for the James Fenimore Cooper Society, a meeting held in July in Oneonta, Will J. Alpern presented details on the history of Tschoop and how he obtained this name, one which scarcely appears in other documents on Mahican hisory. According to Alpern:
“Cothren’s History of Ancient Woodbury [Conn.] tells little about individual Indians who lived in the region in the decades of the 1730s and 1740s. We know that Atchetousset had a daughter who was converted by the Moravians. Another Indian, Job, went with the preachers to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, according to a page written in eighteenth-century German script from one of the Scaticook Mission diaries. It tells of a trip by one of the brothers and several Indians to the northern headquarters of the Moravian Church in Bethlehem. Job’s Indian name was Wasamapah which means “he crosses over back and forth.” Since Job lived at Scaticook, Connecticut, and Shekomeko, New York, the name may be descriptive of his trips back and forth to and from these villages.”
“The first two converts were Shabash and Tschoop. The Moravians wrote extensively about these two Mohicans and their helpful influence in converting other Mohican and Delaware. Shabash means “running water.” I was unable to translate Tschoop. One diary describes Tschoop as a man with broad shoulders, a barrel chest and huge arms, a physique “more like a bear than a man.” In time I learned that the missionary who first met Tschoop pronounced the letter B as though it were a P. In his German dialect Job sounded like Tschoop. Other recording preachers thought Tschoop was an Indian name and referred to him as Tschoop in their diaries. At Bethlehem I was surprised to learn that the grave of Tschoop (Job) baptized as Johannes or John was visited in the century following 1820 by more than a million people. Job was one of three Moravian Indians whose lives were studied by James Fenimore Cooper. From what he read of them, Cooper fashioned the character of Uncas and Chingachgook in the Leatherstocking series. Posthumous fame and an initial stream of visitors came to Tschoop seventy-five years after his death when The Pioneers was published. Even today people come to see the grave of “The Last of the Mohicans.” The headstone of Tschoop’s grave is in Gottes Aker at Bethlehem where he died in August 1746.”
In a footnote on page 197 of Ruttenber’s History of the Indian Tribes of Hudson’s River (1872), the following is noted:
“Schweinitz in his Life and Times of David Zeisberger says the name of this chief was Wasamapah; his English name prior to his baptism, Job; and the name he received in baptism, John; that he never bore the name of Tschoop among his people, but that it originated among the Moravians in consequence of their German mode of pronouncing Job. Loskiel II, 93, 94”
Also consider the following, found in Stocker’s History of the Moravian Mission among the Indians on the White River in Indiana:
“A gifted, but profligate Chief of the Mohicans, who became one of the most distinguished Indian converts won by the Moravians. He was known as Job among the traders. Some German, unacquainted with English, mentioned this name in a written report, spelling it as he pronounced it, and Wasamapah became familiarly known as “Tschoop,” some people mistakenly thinking that this was an Indian word. His baptismal name was John.” (Stocker 1947, p 10 (fn))
Pronunciation summary: Tsch = sch, oo = long o, p = p; therefore Tschoop = ‘Shope’. J = Y, o = aw, b = p; Job = ‘yawp’.
My own review of this theory of the origin of the name Tschoop resulted in a lack of confirmation of the above claims. If we accept for the moment the possibility that ‘Job’ became “Tschoop” due to the Dutch pronunciation, there is also the possibility that this claim is in error.
A review of the modern Dutch pronunciation of ‘Job’, and its related childhood name ‘Joob’, the latter more accurately matches the expectation of the double ‘o’, but both have an English ’y’-like pronunciation, i.e. ‘Yob’ or ‘Yo-ob’ (long o). It is possible that a Low Dutch pronunciation more closely resembles the ‘y’sound, but for now my certainty about this possibility is lacking.
In modern Dutch, the ‘Tsch’ like sound is spelled as ‘sch’. Based on this lead, if we look at he phonemic options implied by ‘Tschoop”, we find that the Dutch words for ’shovel’ (schep, rhyming with ‘pep’), sheep (schaap, rhyming with ‘hop’), sharp/spicy (scherp, like “shairp’), clean (schoon, like ‘shone’), and soup (soep, pronounced like its translation, ‘soup’) suggest that either there was a misspelling of the phonetic ‘yob’ or that another undetermined term was inferred.
Due to the silent T, Job remains the most likely reason for the commonly published Dutch version of the biblical name for Wasamapah, the sachem’s true native name, as ‘Tschoop’.
Note to reader: To understand what I am saying, the audios for these phonological items can be accessed at http://web.me.com/schuffelen/Site/ReferenceTranslated.html “Dutch Pronunciation Examples – A Rough Translation” and http://web.me.com/schuffelen/Site/DutchPronunciation.html.
In August of 1742, Count Zinzendorf made his way to Shekomeko along with his daughter Benigna, and Anthony Seiffart. They travelled from Bethlehem through the Blue Mountains (Catskills) passing Minisinck and Esopus along the way. During his stay in Shekomeko, the Count was so impressed by the Mahicans’ behavior and devotion that he drew up a series of rules which he called “Articles” by which the practice of religious behaviors were to be defined. Article in this document defined the role of John along with three others:
As an apostolic figure for his people, Brother John taught and promoted his understanding of the meaning of the Bible. He performed this task on a fairly regular basis so far as we can tell from the various comments made about his teaching activities. From this image of John we can also conclude that the reason he was provided with “John’s Workshop” at the far end of the crescent-shaped village of Shekomeko (see next figure) was that this is where he gave his classes, shared his life story, and shared his interpretation of the Book.
John’s Workshop was possibly also the place where various social decisions were made, since Native American history typically involves many of the decision-making processes taking place in meetings attended by all members of the village. No tribal or missions leader was alone responsible for making the most important democratic decisions. For this reason perhaps, the location for John’s Workshop was on the opposing end of the crescent village setting than the Church, with a large garden tended to by his brethren immediately behind it, facing east for the most part. A cemetery plot was placed on the North to Northeast border of this village. The main entrance leading towards the Mission house was somewhere along the village’s south edge.
As a preacher and healer, John’s work was for his people, their social rights, and the overall social cause, not for himself. When it came to individual health-related matters, his focus was on spiritual health, not physical health, and how this spiritual health related to the teachings of the Bible, as he interpreted them to be. When it came to the Indian perspective of local politics, he was concerned mostly about the constant threats every where due skirmishes and wars. There were also the growing threats of the French, English and German neighbors he was then facing, and the growing fears of possible violence. Whereas Wasamapah may have been aggressive leader and sachem, Tschoop or Job a struggling leader, Brother Luther an overly charismatic and outspoken “born-again”, as Brother John he was a pacifist. Brother John often used his appearances, charm, and charisma to attract listeners whenever he could. At times he even succeeded in changing certain social and political leaders’ minds. We see evidence for this in the following sections pulled from the historical recounts of the Shekomeko mission:
[Loskiel,Vol.2,Ch.1, p. 21. The “fire of the Gospel” in Shekomeko]
[Loskiel, Vol. 2, Ch. 5,p. 77, Reaction by a Minisinck woman]
One of the most importance influences John would have as a “healer” related to his role as the non-aggressor or pacifist in local colonial history. This use of the term pacifist refers to a demeanor very different from what we traditionally refer to pacifist behaviors in modern society. John’s role in his community as a pacifist was more like that of an opponent to violence in a Christian sense. This apologetic thinking was also practiced by other non-conforming religious groups in this region as well, but none really demonstrated it as strongly as this particular Hudson Valley cultural group during the local colonial period. This pacifism was yet another feature so different, that it ultimately resulted in such public misunderstandings and distress as a true threat of an upcoming war. Even today, such behavior is frequently responded to with disbelief, to such an extent that most people simply ignore this ranting and raving claiming it to be an extremist point of view. In the immediate vicinity of Shekomeko, we find evidence for public unrest with Tschoop’s pacifism in the form of simple arguments ensuing followed by the conjuring up of new tales and exaggerated claims of violent potential made by the locals, in particular the Calvinists of the new township developing around “Reinbeck”.
John’s reaction to the violence was his use of the Bible to stake his claim that these action were opposite of the teachings of Jesus. In his remarks upon violence itself, he stated:
In reaction to two attacks made upon him and the Mahicans by others, Loskiel writes:
[Vol 2, Chap. 5, p. 77]
The best evidence for John’s unique charisma was penned on November 6, 1744. On that day, Bishop A.G. Spangenberg was visiting Shekomeko in response to a report sent to him by Count Zinzendorf several weeks earlier. Accompanied by Captain Garrison, as the two of them arrived in Shekomeko, Spangenberg was immediately able to recognize Brother John as he entered the village based on Zinzendorf’s description of John’ unique character:
[Loskiel,Vol. 2,. Chap. 4, p.65. Brethren John]
NOTE: More examples of this documentation appear in the chapters that follow, beginning with “Evidence”.
John’s stage presence was his most important attribute for the evangelical leader he was about to become. Throughout his presentations his impressions of ‘the Word’, you could most likely see the physical state he was in. To some extent this made John even more of an attraction, but only in the beginning of his presentation. Once you heard his interpretation of the Bible as an Indian, you couldn’t help but be impressed by his understanding of the text and its meaning. This was perhaps so much the case that personal criticisms would soon have to erupt to balance out one’s own private Calvinist view of these words with John’s more literal, naturalistic impressions that he often gave his listeners.
With John leading the way, in just a year this resulted in the successful invitation of numerous Indians from places immediately adjacent to and at a considerable distance from Shekomeko. According to Loskiel:
[Vol.2, Chap.4, p. 57]
John the Martyr
John’s unfortunate departure in 1746 came as a result of a common infectious disease, which most Native Americans were highly susceptible to due to the lack of history of such a disease prior to the landing of the first European ships. Infectious diseases spread from person to person, with and without direct human contact, were the first to take the lives of many Native Americans. Due to the absence of these highly contagious diseases prior to European contact, Native Americans lacked an immunity to these illnesses. The result of becoming infected with these illnesses was often deadly, if not disabling. Generally speaking, the most deadly example of this type of disease was small pox, followed by measles.
As shown in a previous essay reviewing John’s health, there is strong evidence suggesting John had some sort of severely debilitating condition such as mid to late stage rheumatic disease complicated by severe knee arthritis and heart failure, or some form of old-age onset lumbar spinal (lower back) degenerative disease, complicated by vertebral crushing with fractures and lower back deformity. Each of these could have been complicated by the significant weight gain that John experienced due to decreased mobility (Evidence for this tendency to gain weight is well documented; long known as “New World Syndrome”, physicians now link this to the new Metabolic Syndrome.) John managed to live an eventful life in spite of his disabling condition(s). Every part of this success John had with his health was abruptly halted once the growing political and social pressures in Eastern New York forced him and others to remove to Bethlehem in 1745.
This removal put John and others in direct contact with many followers, converts, curious listeners and onlookers who were passing through this heavily populated village setting. The larger number of people living in close association with each other in this part of the colonies increased the likelihood that people already residing there, along with travelers passing through, might infect them with infectious diseases in various stages and forms. Those who were the first to be infected by these diseases were also the most active and vocal members of this community, leaders like John and his close associates Benjamin (Schabat, his associate when they first met Rauch) and Isaac (his “servant”).
[Pennsylvania-German Society. Old Moravian Cemetery of Bethlehem, PA. 1912. p.23]
One of the chief signs of sacrifice John demonstrated was his ability to remain true to his cause, without allowing a fear of contagion or ‘bad spirits’ on behalf of the Creator to prevent him from his evangelical endeavors. His ability to overcome his other debilitating condition may have been the primary reason for his fortitude when it came to his overall health. In spite of his body’s overall decaying state, his spirit remained intact.
There are many Saints and Blessed’s with links to medicine and public health that could be related to Tschoop’s life story. The best known examples of these include
Our Lady of Lourdes, for all sickness.
St. Vitus, the patron saint of dancers, affiliated with treating Saint Vitus Dance, Sydenham’s Chorea, or dancing mania.
St . Anthony the Abbott, affiliated with Erysipelas or St. Anthony’s Fire
St. Matthias for Small Pox
St. Teresa of Avila for severe headaches
St. Dymphna for epilepsy
St. John of God for the health of the heart.
Whereas the Saints’ practices represent a merging of the physical world with the metaphysical world, some of these practices have strong characteristics indicative of both. For combined American Indian-European traditions, we once again find Saint Patrick serving as a good example. Famous for taking the snakes out of Ireland, were such a story told to the Native American, no doubt parallels might be made with their own tales about local snakes and the ability of their spirit to enter our body through their long fangs, resulting in a mottling of our skin, our desire to fall to the ground and convulse like a snake on a hot rocky surface. Even though in a modern sense, the threat of the venomous snake was not really present in Ireland, this alone did no matter. There was more to the bite than being just being poisoned by venom. There was still the potential threat of some sort of metaphysically based problem coming to surface from within due to the presence of snakes. We can liken this part of the natural history to the Native American legends about the ways in which the animal spirit within snake bites can be halted through the use of ‘snakeroot medicines’ , a topic also discussed briefly in an earlier chapter on the Moravian missions and in considerable detail in my work on New York Lieutenant Governor Cadwallader Colden. Colden’s influences on this part of American medical history are based on his theory that non-venomous Black Snake could be just as potent and fatal to its victims as the venomous rattler or copperhead. In terms of a local European take on this overly spiritually based remedy for snake bites, recall that Colden explained such cures based on his theory that the Black Snake has unique powers, resulting in its ability to charm its potential victims before taking their life, with or without the presence of venom.
There are two Blesseds that have conditions similar to that of Tschoop. They are:
Blessed Hermann the Cripple, who had a cleft palate, cerebral palsy, and spina bifida, and yet still became a scholar in astronomy, math, history, and theology and was versed in several languages.
Blessed Ambrose Sansedoni of Siena who was so deformed and crippled that he was left with a nunnery, only to recover and later study under Thomas Aquinas.
Saints and Blesseds associated with the psychologically and spiritually needy, as well as the mentally ill, include:
St. Maximilian Kolbe for drug abuse
St. Jude for the sense of hopelessness.
The social purposes served by an individual of spiritual importance to a community are easy to obtain evidence once the individual is defined as “gifted”. If we assume for the moment that Tschoop or Brother John was in fact gifted, then a number of features of his gift stand out.
Did he live an exemplary life, engaged in activities worth imitating? Did he experience an eventful life, only to experience an untimely death due to these efforts? Is he an excellent example of why conversion is so important, resulting in the abandonment of a previous immoral lifestyle?
These are the three basic questions asked whenever someone is evaluated for possible sainthood. Tschoop’s life before his conversion made him appear to best fit the third or last qualifying feature for becoming a Beatus. His life practices made him better fit the first qualification. The reasons for his martyrdom finalized by a small pox epidemic made him also fit the second requirement.
In essence, a community leader like John has gone through some tragic and at times desperate life experiences that are not atypical of others beatified or canonized. In spite of his illness and the related physical debility, he continued his work as a spiritual leader, with little concern for his own physical betterment. Moreover, when he along with others had to finally leave Shekomeko, NY, in 1745/6, he and the others removed to Bethlehem. This put him in close contact with numerous others, especially those from other hamlets, villages, towns and cities. The risk of such interactions were probably of little concern to him and his followers. Due to the limited epidemiological knowledge that existed about some of the worst diseases at the time known to take their tolls on the Native Americans, high infectious person-to-person spread diseases like measles and small pox, Brother John and others took this path in life regardless of potential consequences. During the summer of 1746, these consequences follow took shape in Brother John’ s life.
Conversion of the Heart
The saints I have so far discussed are all historic figures in Christian history. They were important figures the missionaries were well aware of, with names that were used due to their recognizable nature on behalf of other missionaries, church members and well read Christians. But how about more recent figures in history worthy of recognition whose lives may be comparable with Brother John’s?
John’s story reminds us of one other path to Sainthood which recently received recognition for events that took place during the late 19th century–the life of Father Damien. By no means is this a direct comparison between the Father Damien and Tschoop. Tschoop or Brother John was Native American, Father Damien was Belgian. Brother John learned about Christianity during his mid-age, Father Damien became fully dedicated to Christianity during his childhood years.
Still, what the two of these individuals had in common was their reluctance to allow the fear of disease stop them from reaching their spiritual goals. Father Damien chose a route in missionary life that he knew would become a test of his faith and his self-defined purpose in life. For Brother John, the possibility of catching a deadly disease like measles or small pox was of no concern. His physical health status was already an indicator of his commitment to this new profession. Both Brother John’ s and Father Damien’s personal needs and goals were to simply the world, using personal experience as an example, and to maintain peace between Native groups and between Natives and colonists.
Bishop and Doctor St. Peter Damien
What created the inspiration for Father Damien, originally named Jozef (“Jef”) De Veuster, to become who he was?
More than likely it was the spark of inspiration that led Jozef (“Jef”) De Veuster to become a missionary and to select Saint Peter Damien as his new name. Saint Peter Damien’s life’s history had its parallels with that of Jef’s life, and as Jef became more set in his career as a priest, these parallels only seemed to become more remarkable.
A major difference between St. Peter Damien and Jef was Peter’ s academic history. Peter Damien was not only a student learned in various specialties, but also a teacher. This sometimes has the advantage of increasing one’s desire to modify his or her behaviors to make up for losses in one area, by bettering them in the next. For Jef, these areas he had work harder in included Peter’s success in building a monastery, a library and a series of homes for use as hermitages. Once he began his mission, Father Damien worked to build a place of prayer and worship for his people, and laid out plans to fulfill the need for new homes by his people, helping them establish whatever facilities they needed to stabilize the social unrest already present in the region, and to assist the sisters in their efforts to improve this program.
Two other parallels between Peter and Jef pertain to their personal living habits. Peter Damien often stressed his body. By replacing sleep with prayer during his years of life, and often living in solitude as a monk, he placed a certain amount of physical stress upon his body. Just how much this stress impacted his success seems minimal in the long run, an outcome that was perhaps most inspiring to Jef or Father Damien. We see this when we review the choice Father Damien made when he decided to serve the missions at Moloka’i, to the fullest extent possible, after just few days of being there. That which in biological terms was a decision made most certainly as a result of passions felt during the initial days of this experience, was later supported by a more complete sense of devotion that arose in the months ahead. Both he and the archbishop knew this when Jef made his first journey to the Islands. Like St. Peter Damien in the monastery, Jef became Father Damien once he determined the way to isolate himself from the rest of the world. become a part of this community, and serve more than 800 lepers occupying this region.
Peter Damian grew up to become a teacher and, later, became a Benedictine monk. He was always very devout and passionate about prayer, fasting, sacrifices and caring for the poor. He regularly welcomed poor people to eat with him. He spent so much time in prayer and reading Scripture that he developed insomnia. He had to learn to use his time more wisely, so that he could have the time he wanted for prayer and still get enough sleep to maintain his health. And there are three other features of Peter Damian that can be related to Jef or Father Damian:
Though never officially canonized, Peter Damian is a Doctor of the Church, a title granted to him in part because of his efforts to reform the Church from within and to encourage the practice of prayer and study of Scripture. He was a prolific writer, a man of great influence in his world, and yet also a humble monk in spirit, retreating to the monastery whenever possible to live his preferred life of simplicity and prayer.
Damien’s first course of action was to build a church and establish the Parish of Saint Philomena. His role was not limited to being a priest: he dressed ulcers, built homes and beds, built coffins and dug graves
What seemed to stand out the most about St. Peter Damien are the events that played a role in some of the decisions Jef would later make was his life. He came to call himself Father Damien while working in Moloka’i.
It is these parallels that Jef had with Peter Damien that demonstrate to us some of the most important features of those who serve a higher cause and ultimately, God willing, achieve sainthood.
Eight days following his arrival in Kalaupapa on May 10, 1873, Father Damien sent a letter to provincial requesting permission to stay permanently. Since provincial had not yet made any decision on this matter, his superior responded by saying “…You may stay as long as your devotion dictates…” In a subsequent letter Father Damien sent to his brother in Pamphile, Europe, he defined an important personal decision he made: “…I make myself a leper with the lepers to gain all to Jesus Christ.”
About the time of this letter, Father Damien was beginning to reside with his followers on the island of Molokai in the Sandwich Islands (now Hawai’i), along the north shore in a hamlet known as Kalaupapa. Father Damien’s fate by now had been determined. He was no longer the person who left the port in his home town to consider this new missionary role.
In December 1884 while preparing to bathe, Damien put his foot into scalding water, causing his skin to blister. He felt nothing.[2] He had contracted leprosy. Despite this discovery, residents say that Damien worked vigorously to build as many homes as he could and planned for the continuation of the programs he created after he was gone.
Masanao Goto, a Japanese leprologist, came to Honolulu in 1885 to examine and treat Father Damien. It was his theory that the Father caught leprosy due to a diminution of the blood. His treatment of Father Damien consisted of nourishing food, moderate exercise, frequent friction to the benumbed parts, special ointments and medical baths. The treatments did, indeed, relieve some of the symptoms and were very popular with the Hawaiian patients. Father Damien had faith in the treatments and stated that he wished to be treated by no one but Dr. Masanao Goto.[11][12][13]
Dr. Goto was one of his best friends[14] and Damien’s last trip to Honolulu on July 10, 1886, was made to receive treatment from him.
In his last years Damien engaged in a flurry of activity. While continuing his charitable ministrations, he hastened to complete his many building projects, enlarge his orphanages, and organize his work. Help came from four strangers who came to Kalaupapa to help the ailing missionary: a priest, a soldier, a male nurse, and a nun.
Damien was probably much younger than Tschoop was when Tschoop was converted to Brother John by Christian Rauch. During a peak period in one’s life, such a decision has obvious potential for consequences without any need for further elaboration. Tschoop had already made it into his prime years, at a time and in a place where living for more than several decades was no easy task. Father Damien chose a route that essentially cut his life span in half.
The spiritual healing process is not just a simple transition in philosophy and living habits. It requires a series of events to take place before it can happen. It requires a change that has some sort of permanent impact of the human psyche and in ways which we find hard to express except through emotions and beliefs. To prepare us for such a process, some form of physical, emotional and intellectual transformation has to occur before the spiritual transformation can be completed. In a completely transformed person, peaks and lulls are not unexpected, and are often symbolized by those periods of questioning and the changes in behavior of “tests of faith” that can ensue. This very normal reactionary behavior is what we see happen to the individual who has enrolled in a new support program, like the Alcoholics Anonymous group, or some program designed to help you stop smoking. Just because you give in and lose track of your faith, this doesn’t mean you are not committed.
However, this likeness that I imply exists between conversion and quitting a habit like cigarettes or alcohol is not always that simple. The best way to conceptualize this type of change in day-to-day activities is through an application of Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of Behavior Change first described in 1977 by James O. Prochaska of the University of Rhode Island (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transtheoretical_model). Even though spiritual transformation in the form of religious change is very different from the day-to-day uncontrollable consumption of certain foods, alcohol, or tobacco products, TTM still has all of the components needed to describe the mechanism of a religiously-minded positive life change.
The following list is of the six stages on must go through to initiate and continue a life change process. The original wording for each of these steps has been modified to better fit this model of religio-philosophical change. These changes in wording more appropriately describe the changes people go through as part of the conversion process, or as some converts put it–the realization of the way your life was meant to be:
Precontemplation – no intention to take action or make a change is evident in the foreseeable future; one does not plan for a conversion to take place during the upcoming months
Contemplation – a person is considering change or intending to change, perhaps even within the next few months, butis not actively engaged in tis process most of the time; he/she is not convinced that such a change is really a necessity
Preparation – one i ready to take action in the immediate future for undergoing change, which is usually beginning to be taken more seriously; change will happen usually within the next month if not sooner.
Action – setting goals and making specific overt modifications in one’ s life style to accommodate these changes; these events are meant to be ongoing and reasonably maintainable, at least for the next several months; passion for this change erupts before the option of total devotion needed for this change sets in
Maintenance and Service – identifying accomplishments, setting new goals, and ways of working to prevent any possibility for relapse ensuing; this stage can last for several years, if not longer (remaining lifespan); there are highs and lows throughout this period of life, the consequences of which usually do not signify changes in the wrong direction. For religious leaders, the details of this period are best represented by the Service activities they engage in.
Termination – questioning and then rescinding the decision that was made, due to lack of certainty, confidence, a loss of the sense of complete involvement and total accomplishment. The lack of 100% self-efficacy enables old unhealthy habits to be rekindled, and previous beliefs to no exist less.
The Termination stage is very different from the Maintenance or Service stage. All individuals taking a spiritual course towards healing will also experience their ups and downs as part of the expected Maintenance period in life. One way to think of the Action to Maintenance transition period is to think of this change as a result of everything clicking right in place, as if everything makes much more sense now than it did a few hours, days or weeks ago. Embedded in this change in psychological thinking are several emotional changes as well, events which neuropsychologically enable the individual to better adopt these changes, events which are usually based on some form of emotional expressivity that arises from the limbic system in the brain once the decision for change is made.
In a popular 1960s to 1970s theory of brain processes and evolution, the triunal theory of the brain was developed by a neurologist. This theory stated that the brain was divided into three sections–the core or center in which basic reflexes exist to maintain life, the limbic-midbrain section where the emotions are formed and effect our decision making processes, and the higher brain or cortical section, from where most of our logical thought processes are generated, adapted to, and maintained. The transition from Action to Maintenance is complete when theological processes are in tune with and adapted to the emotional responses in our brain or psyche and vice versa. This symbiosis of these two parts in turn impacts the lower levels of the nervous system, in effect resulting in some sort of deep-seated sense of complete resolution. It is this sense of complete resolution and its personal recognition as credible that in turn allows for it to be maintained for long periods of time, enough time to make these changes permanent, even though they will typically experience normal periods of emotional lows.
One reason this model fits extremely well with my use here is explained by its name. Transtheoretical change means that one undergoes a significant change in one’s personal theoretical base, from which many of life’s practices and expectations are formed. A fairly superficial application of this concept is to state that a smoker ceases smoking because he/she is finally convinced, without doubt, that this is a bad habit that may be detrimental to one’s quality of life and overall life span. The transtheoretical model can fail to be a success when the emotional reasons underlying these hopes and wishes are not fully there and being expressed.
One’s personal view about and one’s personal interpretation of religion and religious or spiritual meaning are treated differently by the brain, emotional path, and human psyche once a transtheoretical remodeling of these beliefs takes place. One of the major impacts of religious change on the body physically is that sense of fulfillment and gratification. Such is the change that a shaman senses when he or she meets up with his or her spirit guide. Such is the change an American Indian like Tschoop felt once he became committed to Christianity, its teachings and its philosophy. He was so convinced that he was even probably even asking himself at times, ‘Why turn back or change you mind once such a discovery is made?’ His sense of enlightenment and ecstasy was related to his experiences, giving rise to his actions of becoming and accepting his being a Christian Indian.
Brother John and Father Damien have to be compared for the purpose of completing a task I began with when I started this research. Is there non-American Indian example out there whom I could compare Tschoop/John to? Father Damien’s story fit that bill.
Now for the harder task, a comparison between Brother John and Kateri. Kateri’s life is quite complex. Her life experience had features that matched those of St. Catherine of Senna. Brother John’s life experiences are better off be compared with that of St. John the Apostle. So how do the life experiences for these two Native Americans compare to each other?
The following tables provide an important part of the answers to this question. The purpose of these tables is to draw parallels between Brethren John and Kateri, with the primary goal of related John’s experiences with those of Kateri related to particular stages in her spiritual development. Only part of Kateri’s life experience is noted in these tables for now, in order to demonstrate the nature of the different stages of personal and societal growth both she and John experienced. In spite of their temporal and cultural distinctions, and the different ways in which each one underwent his or her experiential process, the two have remarkable similarities in need of our own contemplation and review as curious onlookers. These two life stories when combined provide us with new insights into the American Indian beatification and canonization experience.
[For more on Kateri and her recent consideration for sainthood see this link.]
Conversion and Active Service
Service, Guidance, Leadership
Sainthood and miracles go hand in hand.
Once a person is considered Blessed, we typically ask ‘how did this important event take place?’ The answer to that question is plain and simple. A person is considered Blessed because he/she performed a miracle. It is the discovery and proof of this miracle that are often hard to produce. Once the first is proven, then it up to the discovery and proof of the second miracle to make him/her eligible to become a Saint.
More importantly, it is often the case that some sort of miracle has to be performed on behalf of a Saint or Saint-to-be, because that miracle was meant to be. In other words, a miracle can be an event that was preconceived and pre-designed for you as part of some sort of omniscient process engaged in as a part of your life process, the goal of which is helping you through some other, later problem in life. In the case of a Saint-to-be, this event has even more meaning since it represents one saint offering help or assistance directly to a pre-conceived person (omnitemporality), a simple person of similar kinship or philosophical “blood relations” to the saint, someone who is probably or inevitably a Saint-to-be.
It is also the case that whenever an individual is being considered for sainthood, a miracle performed by that Saint-to-be is needed in order to finally convince members of the Vatican of the need for canonization. Becoming a Saint and being a Saint require a recipient not only be conscious of the gift and its possible source, but also awareness of the fact that these are a by-product of an afterlife involving someone else–a saint-to-be. This means that in order to achieve Blessedness or Sainthood, one event has to precede another in perfect fashion, and be appropriately acknowledged at the receiving end, saint-to-be or not, before such a history of claims can be undeniable and indisputable one behalf of the Vatican.
Does the story of Tschoop or John enable such a stage to be reached by him? To date, no miracles are in the press as having anything to do with Tschoop of Brother John, as far as I know. There is no amulet that mentions Brother John, or prayer card out there with Brother John’s prayer to be shared and used. So far as I have been able to deduce (which is only based on superficial, circumstantial sources for evidence), there is no Psalm or Prayer specifically dedicated to the Mahican converts or Brother John. (However, since I haven’t been able to review the Moravian prayer books in detail, I cannot be sure of this.)
When we take into consideration the experiences required of someone to become Venerable and then Blessed, there are a number of coincidences, synchronicities or happenstances that need be taken into account if we are to understand how and why an individual becomes deserving of whatever gifts that he or she receives. With Tschoop, this is very important because it was his medical state that turned him into “the messenger.” And since Tschoop wasn’t totally cured of his disability, the cure was not his gift, the conversion was. Tschoop was only “cured” in the figurative and more spiritual sense. In turn, he and his followers were “cured” of the social changes that were taking place, a lesson that in turn could be passed on down to others throughout the remaining years in life. These events in turn become an important lesson to the missionary programs and their leaders, as well as to the witnesses of these success stories, as well as their tragedies.
However, these events alone do not mean that someone deserves beatification, but they are a sign of the steps taken by a Servant of God or a Venerable.
What makes Tschoop deserving of this honor are his life experiences. These life experiences resulted due to his devotion to the Word as taught to him through his own changes in behavior and practice. This allowed the impacts on Tschoop/John in turn , in turn to have numerous impacts on others. These impacts have since been spread well beyond the original boundaries defined for the missions. Tschoop’s life story was effectively captured in part by James Fenimore Cooper for examples in his famous book Last of the Mohicans. Whom else has Tschoop’s life experiences in Shekomeko captured?
These are two remarkable things about Tschoop’s behavior that stand out regarding his personality and need for consideration as a Servant of God and Venerable, and maybe beatification. Tschoop has had an immediate impact on his neighbors in and around Shekomeko, and has greatly impacted the leaders of the Moravian Missions along with many others. And by his story being told for others to read, if we are curious enough about Cooper’s tale about Uncas, then we are driven towards learning more about Tschoop, and so learn about his unusual life experience, the many people he saved, and how he lost his own life due to this cause. (For which see Level 4: Global Change)
The best evidence for beatification or cannonization would of course be a miracle or two that can be linked to Tschoop’s spirit. But the ability to identify a miracle and relate it to an individual can be a difficult task. Unlike Saints Mother Mary and Mary Magdalene, and Blessed Katrina, evidence for a miracle related to Tschoop is lacking.
There could be some knowledge based reasons along with social reasons for this. Perhaps this is because few people know about Tschoop except in passing at the cemetery in Old Bethlehem, or the Moravian Missions monument in Shekomeko.
Grounding this theory or bringing it back to this World, if we focus on just the physical aspects of Tschoop’s fate to date, there are other reasons he has not been considered for even his Child and Servant of God life history. For one thing, Tschoop is an old disabled man. He lacks the “beauty” as defined by our modern culture that the other matrons who have become Saints have had. This was in part due to his medical history, nothing of his own responsibility due to personal malfeasance.
However, this limitation we, and the Church, place on such a social figure could simply vanish or be transformed were Tschoop’s impacts truly witnessed and experienced, not as tales from the past, but more as predictions of the future–as intercessions. Furthermore, even if such an event as an intercession did happen (or has happened), it takes knowledge about the history of Tschoop himself, along with an understanding of Tschoop as a possible cause for such an event, for the proof to be developed as needed. In order to document if and when such a miraculous event actually took place, one would have to be ready for such an event to realize immediately afterwards just what form of miracle has just taken place.
In today’s society, people who are not culturally aware and learned of this part of Native American or Mahican history, so we might miss out such an opportunity to be a witness to this change. If we liken Tschoop to Saint John the Apostle, both of whom are likened to the spirit of the eagle in both an artistic and philosophical sense, then such becomes the possible reason for why Tschoop can cure something as harsh and mistreating as any of numerous chronic diseases through the flight or passing of a single eagle feather, an action taken as a part of a Indian form of prayer that is symbolic of some personal metaphysical need.
[Mi’kmaq culture uses this method to cure epilepsy–the cure is a prayer accompanied by a release of the feather into a flowing stream to symbolize the departure of the disease and its cause. Such an action is a confession of belief, performed under the guise of some natural theological event, should this action result in an actual “cure”. In Canadian-New York-New England Indian history there is reason for this Native American tradition–this flight of the feather symbolizes the loss of the cause for your disease, and so a cure is born, but not through any natural scientific way. (As per one personal encounter or experience I witnessed, such a move can result in a miracle being performed, using a traditional Native American prayer routine, the Mahican/Mi’kmaq way)].
Translated:
August the 27th, new style, Saturday.
Johannes (also known as Tschoop), the first fruit of the Mahican Indians from Shekomeko. He was baptized in Jesus’ death by Brother Rauch on April 16, 1742 in Shekomeko. He was a helper and a teacher of the Heathens. He came in August 1745 to Bethlehem and stayed there in the Congregation. In August 1746, he became sick with smallpox and left his earthly tabernacle blessedly and happily as a man of God and went home to his Redeemer. The next day, he was buried at our Peaceful Mountain. His people wept much for him.
St. Augustine: “Miracles are not contrary to nature but only contrary to what we know about nature”
Will J. Alpern (Prudential-Bache Securities). “Indians, Sources, Critics” Presented at the 5th Cooper Seminar, James Fenimore Cooper: His Country and His Art at the State University of New York College at Oneonta, July, 1984. Originally published in James Fenimore Cooper: His Country and His Art, Papers from the 1984 Conference at State University of New York College — Oneonta and Cooperstown. George A. Test, editor. (pp. 25-33) (1985) State University of New York College at Oneonta. Accessed 11-14-2010 at http://www.oneonta.edu/~cooper/articles/suny/1984suny-alpern.html, http://external.oneonta.edu/cooper/articles/suny/1984suny-alpern.html, James Fenimore Cooper Society Website.
Paula Elizabeth Holmes. The Narrative Repatriation of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha. Anthropologica 43 (2001). pp. 87-103.
Harry Emilius Stocker. 1947. History of the Moravian mission among the Indians on the White River in Indiana. Bethlehem, PA
For more on the Blessed and the Saints for health, see
see http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/patron10.htm
http://www.2heartsnetwork.org/patronsfortheill.htm
Kateri:
https://webstorage.worcester.edu/sites/thangen/web/Shared%20Documents/Shoemaker.Kateri.pdf
Augustus Schultze. Guide to the Old Moravian Cemetery of Bethlehem, PA. 1742-1910. (218 pp). Bound with The Pennsylvania-German Society Proceedings and Addresses at York, PA., October 14, 1910. Vol. 21. Published by the Society. 1912.
Brecht, Martin. Martin Luther. tr. James L. Schaaf, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1985–93, 1:48
Other deaths worthy to note for Bethlehem according to documents:
Benjamin, called Schabat, an Indian of the Wampanoag (Wampano) tribe , 1746.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4243
|
__label__cc
| 0.735207
| 0.264793
|
InTranslation
AN AMERICAN REVIVALIST: Dom Flemons and the Return of the African-American String Band
By Geoffrey Clarfield
During the height of the Depression, folklorist Alan Lomax persuaded his employers at the Library of Congress to send him across the South to collect folk music.
Previously Unreleased Footage of Boulez–Cage Tennis Match Discovered
Given the Googlanche of words elicited by the John Cage centennial, I knew I’d need a ruse to get you to read even the first sentence of this review.
Five recent films: Paul Lovelace and Jessica Wolfson’s remarkable Radio Unnameable deals with the histories of the indomitable Bob Fass, WBAI, and America from the late ’50s to the present. Fass’s archives, which include works of the greatest musical figures of that period, need a home.
Brooklyn’s Children are Singing
By George Grella
For decades I’ve gotten the question, “My son/daughter wants to learn music; what’s a good way to start?” There are all sorts of ways to answer this. The parents are usually thinking about piano lessons, which works, but my answer is to have their children learn to sing.
Tomorrow’s Parties, Today
By Todd Simmons
As a fan of rock’s weirder, wilder elements, I’d been eager to experience an All Tomorrow’s Parties festival since ATP’s inception 12 years ago in England. Eclectic rosters of avant-rock, post-punk, alt-R&B, proto-grunge, obscure reunions, and name-your-genre bands have been on the British festival’s docket for more than a decade in remote locations around the world.
Still Ragin’ After All These Years
By Billups Allen
Cheers rise out of the crowd when Mike Watt appears from behind the curtain at the Bell House. It’s not the entrance of a performer.
A message from Phong Bui
Publisher and Artistic Director
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4245
|
__label__wiki
| 0.631495
| 0.631495
|
Newsperson, State Government Reporter
Location: Salt Lake City, UT, US, 84101
The Associated Press seeks a reporter for an 18-month assignment covering state politics and policy in Salt Lake City, Utah.
This position is part of the Report for America corps program and applicants will be required to apply to both organizations. Reporting to the Rockies news editor, the successful candidate will have a proven track record of developing sources and breaking original news, including by working with data sets and Freedom of Information requests. This reporter will have a passion for finding stories in local communities that have gone untold and make them resonate for a wider audience. The reporter will develop a beat focused on Utah’s unique place as a state where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has significant influence on politics and policy. Most members of the state’s Republican-dominated Legislature are members of the faith known widely as the Mormon church, as are all members of Utah’s congressional delegation. The reporter will concentrate on how religion shapes policy and how it is evolving as demographics in the state change, on medicinal marijuana, gay rights and other issues. The successful candidate will be comfortable working in multiple media formats, from the field and from the desk, reporting on breaking news as well as beat-driven enterprise. This newsperson must have the ability and willingness to work any shift, including at night and on weekends, or as coverage demands, as AP is a 24/7 operation.
Work among a team of journalists, reporters and editors to deliver spot news and enterprise coverage that breaks news, has impact and is exclusive to AP, with a strong focus on accountability journalism.
Have strong communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively with a diverse team of journalists at the AP who operate in all formats: text, photo, video, audio, digital/social, interactive and graphics.
Have a great news sense, with the ability to explain complex issues in an accessible way
Be willing to pursue innovative coverage techniques while maintaining AP’s standards for integrity and objectivity.
Candidates should have demonstrated excellence as a beat reporter, be able to envision stories for local, national and international audiences and to write about complex issues in a clear and engaging way. Applicants must be able to work swiftly and accurately on tight deadlines, and have reporting and storytelling skills in multiple formats, including photos and video. A background in state and local government, public policy and/or health policy is a plus, but not required. The successful candidate must be able to work effectively as a member of a team, and should have some experience at a daily newspaper, broadcast station or online or digital news outlet.
Bachelor of Arts degree or equivalent experience.
Authorization to work in the U.S. will be mandatory.
Advanced-level professional competency in written and spoken English.
Professional competency in Spanish is a plus.
Basic proficiency in using an iPhone for photos and video is required. Advanced proficiency is a plus.
Demonstrated strong organizational skills with the ability to juggle multiple projects across formats and meet deadlines.
Application Deadline: January 31, 2020 @ 11:59PM EST
Nearest Major Market: Salt Lake City
Job Segment: Public Policy, Legal
View All Jobs, News
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4246
|
__label__wiki
| 0.919625
| 0.919625
|
Cases for April 1995
UNITED STATES v. FUENTES VAZQUEZ April 28, 1995 No. 94-1760.
GRANT v. NEWS GROUP BOSTON INC April 28, 1995 No. 94-2191.
IN RE: Donald JARVIS and Joyce Jarvis April 28, 1995 No. 94-2215.
UDO v. TOMES April 28, 1995 No. 94-1931.
SOUZA v. PINA April 28, 1995 No. 94-2079.
LIBERTAD v. WELCH April 28, 1995 No. 94–1699.
UNITED STATES v. WEBSTER UNITED STATES April 27, 1995 Nos. 94-1720, 94-1721, 94-1722, 94-1778, 94-1846 and 94-1862.
MERCER v. MONZACK April 25, 1995 No. 94-1346.
UNITED STATES v. ROSTOFF April 24, 1995 No. 93-1376.
WHITEHOUSE v. UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT FOR DISTRICT OF RHODE ISLAND WHITEHOUSE April 20, 1995 Nos. 94-1776, 94-1777 and 94-1889.
UNITED STATES v. CARABALLO CRUZ April 20, 1995 No. 93-2380.
UNITED STATES v. MORALES April 18, 1995 No. 94-2045.
CLEMENTE v. CARNICON PUERTO RICO MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES April 14, 1995 No. 94-1603.
WOODMAN v. HAEMONETICS CORPORATION April 14, 1995 No. 94-1727.
SINGER v. STATE OF MAINE April 13, 1995 No. 94-2092.
COLLAZO LEON v. UNITED STATES BUREAU OF PRISONS April 7, 1995 No. 94-2061.
KING v. GREENBLATT April 6, 1995 No. 94-1751.
UNITED STATES v. CONNOLLY April 4, 1995 No. 94-2083.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4251
|
__label__wiki
| 0.815089
| 0.815089
|
Catholic4Life
Dal Mundo, inferno e carne Al mal sei spinto Prega, prega, si vuoi Non essere vinto You are led to Sin By The World, The Flesh and the devil. Pray, Pray if you do not Wish To Be Overcome! Prayer is the Only Way to Obtain The Grace Necessary For Salvation… St. Alphonsus Maria De Liguori
Cardinal Kasper defends Ireland’s gay ‘marriage’ decision
Posted on May 30, 2015 by Catholic4Life
Heretic ‘Cardinal’ Kasper
(LifeSiteNews.com) — The grave effects of Ireland’s May 22 referendum in favor of a same-sex “marriages,” not only for the secular world, but also especially for the Catholic Church, are showing themselves already.
None other than the leading cardinal who has promoted the liberal agenda for the two-part Synod of Bishops on the Family, Cardinal Walter Kasper, has now come out publicly and with force, telling the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the Church needs to address more fully the question of same-sex couples. This topic was at the last Synod “only a marginal topic, but now it becomes central,” Kasper said on Wednesday.
Kasper also defended the vote of the Irish in favor of homosexual “marriages,” saying: “A democratic state has the duty to respect the will of the people; and it seems clear that, if the majority of the people wants such homosexual unions, the state has a duty to recognize such rights.” He also said that the Irish referendum is “emblematic for the situation in which we find ourselves, not only in Europe, but in the whole West.” Kasper also said: “The postmodern concept – following which everything is equal – stands in contrast to the doctrine of the Church.”
Cardinal Kasper made a link between the events in Ireland and the doctrine of the Catholic Church, when he said it now becomes harder for the Church to explain its own moral position to others in the question of homosexuality. “We have to find a new language,” he said. “We have to overcome [unjust] discrimination, which has a long tradition in our culture.” It is important in his view to honor those long-lasting same-sex relationships, which contain “elements of the good,” even though the Church cannot change its fundamental attitude toward them since they are themselves against the teaching of the Gospels.
Many observers have long expected Cardinal Kasper’s more explicit public support for the homosexual agenda, saying that the “opening” toward “remarried” couples was only the first step toward the widening of the revolutionary agenda, to include approval of same-sex relationships.
The other reason for this expectation is that Cardinal Walter Kasper had recently published his own book about Pope Francis, entitled Pope Francis’ Revolution of Tenderness and Love, and it was produced by Paulist Press. Father Mark-David Janus, president and publisher of Paulist Press, was present when Cardinal Kasper gave Pope Francis himself a copy of this new book on March 17. At a private audience later on the same day, Father Janus presented the pope with a promotional film on “LGBT Catholics,” called “Owning Our Faith,” which he himself had helped to bring about. These facts – which may be seen on the website of the St. Philip Neri Catholic Church – administered by the same Paulist Fathers – speak for themselves.
This current initiative of Cardinal Kasper comes, however, also right after a somewhat concealed May 25 “Day of Study” at the Gregorian University in Rome, which was organized by the three presidents of the Swiss, French, and German Bishops’ Conferences – Bishop Markus Büchel, Archbishop Georges Pontier, and Cardinal Reinhard Marx – who met with 50 participants: “partakers of the Synod, professors of theology, members of the Roman Curia, as well as journalists,” according to the press release of the German Bishops’ Conference of May 26. The general theme of this confidential gathering was the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the family, and the substance of the presentations was also to be kept confidential. The participants were even asked to preserve a silence after the Day of Study was over. As Catholic News Agency reports:
One of the speakers, who asked to be kept anonymous, refused to comment on the purpose of the conference and the tone of the discussion, as “it is unfortunately forbidden to us by the organizers to give any interview or explanation about yesterday’s conference.”
The well-respected Vatican reporter Edward Pentin spoke with Cardinal Marx after he exited the confidential meeting. Pentin reports:
Speaking to the Register as he left the meeting, Cardinal Marx insisted the study day wasn’t secret. But he became irritated when pressed about why it wasn’t advertised, saying he had simply come to Rome in a “private capacity” and that he had every right to do so. Close to Pope Francis and part of his nine-member council of cardinals, the cardinal is known to be especially eager to reform the Church’s approach to homosexuals. During his Pentecost homily last Sunday, Cardinal Marx called for a “welcoming culture” in the Church for homosexuals, saying it’s “not the differences that count, but what unites us.”
As different media outlets have subsequently been able to report, the following themes were discussed favorably at this Rome meeting, all of which items indicate a liberalizing tendency:
a new “theology of love”: sexuality as a precious gift of God, as itself an expression of love
the Church’s acceptance of homosexual unions
the Church’s listening to the voice of the Baptized in moral questions
a Catholic Hermeneutic of the Bible on the basis of the words of Jesus about divorce
the change of moral patterns in a pluralistic society
admittance of “remarried” couples to the sacraments
a second marriage as an “authentic union”
the indissolubility of marriage as “an ideal or ‘utopia’”
the importance of the human sex drive
sexuality as basis for a long-lasting relationship
with the lengthening of lifespans, the borders of fidelity are also changed
the development of Church doctrine and discipline over time
The spokesman for this one-day meeting, Matthias Kopp, told Catholic News Service on May 27, after some criticisms had arisen: “I reject the thesis that the bishops have an agenda to change church teaching.” In spite of this denial, many Catholics are indignant and suspicious about the procedure and tendency of this meeting, since many of the bishops, who are meant to be represented by the presidents of their own national bishops’ conferences, were not even informed about the confidential meeting, let alone invited.
Manfred Spieker, a German layman and professor emeritus of Christian social studies of the University of Osnabrück, wrote on May 28 on the German-speaking website kath.net about the fact that the other bishops were not even informed about the meeting, as organized by the three presidents of their bishops’ conferences: “This is close to an abuse of their office as moderators of the Bishops’ Conference, because their proper role as a president of a bishops’ conference is not much more than being a moderator.” He insists that their methods are undermining the explicit intent of the Synod of Bishops, which calls for and promises openness and fairness:
A conference that resembles more a secretive gathering than an academic, and therewith open event stands in opposition to the proclaimed openness and fairness. It is divisive. The three bishops [Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences] also did not invite those journalists who are known experts on the subject, but only those who share their views and are able to intensify the public pressure which this whole meeting is supposed to place upon the Synod in October.
Professor Spieker compares this conduct with some of the methods that were used during the last Synod of Bishops, saying: “The attempts at manipulation which had reached – already during the extraordinary Synod of Bishops of 2014 – an until-now-unknown level in the Church, have now reached a new stage with this conference at the Gregoriana.” The German professor also comments, as follows, on the above-mentioned themes and on the statements made at the meeting which have now been leaked: “It will certainly not escape the notice of the Presidents of the three Bishops’ Conferences, what schismatic potential is to be found in such expressed views.”
Benedict XVI receives book containing fake messages
St. Francis ora pro nobis!
Benedict XVI receives book containing fake messages against Francis!
Ratzinger was handed a volume containing the visions of false seer Conchiglia, who deifies the Virgin Mary, considers Pope Francis a “vicar of the Anti-Christ”, defines the Vatican as a den of deadly sins and claims that we are ruled by aliens. Mgr. Gänswein denied there being any support for the so-called seer or the content of the book. “Had Benedict XVI known what it was about he would never have agreed to the meeting”
During the course of a meeting that lasted just a few minutes after the rosary was prayed, in the Vatican Gardens, on 9 May, the Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, was handed a large book with a dark red cover and a stamp in the shape of a shell (conchiglia in Italian): the very same shell that appears in his episcopal and papal coat of arms. Neither the Pope Emeritus nor his personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein knew what it was about. Neither did the two envoys representing the false seer Franca Miscio – better known as Conchiglia, founder of an international movement whose model figures are Guadalupe and Juan Diego – have any knowledge of the contents of the volume.
The “messages” received from the fake seer are easy to find online. Conchiglia presents herself as a prophetess of our time and fills pages and pages with words that she assures come directly from God, Jesus and Mary. One of the strangest “revelations” she makes is an unshakable belief that aliens exist and that “alien DNA” has mixed with “Terrestrian” DNA so that there are now “alien beings” ruling the world.
The Vatican is described in the “prophesies” as den of all evils: “The Vatican is the center of the global power that wants to create a single global religion uniting all false religions … it is the den of the seven deadly sins and other kinds of vileness.” Conchiglia deifies the figure of Mary whom equals to other figures of the Trinity and adds her to the sign of the cross, which becomes: “In the name of the Father, the Mother, the Son and the Holy Spirit!”
The false seer wrote a great deal about Benedict XVI’s resignation. She claims his resignation resulted from the workings of international masonry and that Ratzinger is apparently still the real and legitimate Pope, while Francis, whom she defines as a “wicked man seated at the Throne of Peter”, is an “imposter”, an anti-Pope, a representative of the Anti-Christ.
Bergoglio the Imposter
These comments speak for themselves and yet they seem to have attracted journalistic backing and used – without any direct references to the “seer” – as a basis for publications by people who are unable to contain their hatred toward the current Successor of Peter.
Various figures have recently warned against Conchiglia’s “messages”, including the Bishop of Jesi (Italy), Gerardo Rocconi who met her in person and the Bishop of Senigallia (Italy), Giuseppe Orlandoni, who has repeatedly described the words of the false seer as “objectively heretical and against the doctrine of the Church”.
Conchiglia’s movement has published the images of the meeting with the Pope Emeritus on her website, making them stand out and presenting him almost as a guarantee seal for the messages contained in the book. How did the meeting in the Vatican Gardens come about? Were Benedict XVI and his personal secretary aware of whom they were coming into contact with and what was their reaction when realization struck? Vatican Insider put these questions to Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Prefect of the Papal Household and personal secretary to Benedict XVI.
Gänswein explained that “a certain Mr. Mimmo Rocco who presented himself as chief superintendent of the Italian Carabinieri, had asked some time ago, along with many others, to meet the Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. He was granted a brief meeting after the rosary. There were two of them, him and one other person. They didn’t know each other. During the meeting, they presented Benedict XVI with a book, as shown in a series of photos published on the website. We had no knowledge of the content. The meeting only lasted a few minutes.”
“When I got home,” Gänswein continued, “I looked at the book and so did Benedict XVI later on. We were surprised and shocked because we noticed straight away that the book contained some “private revelations”. It didn’t take long to work out that the whole thing was strange and incredible to say the least. The Pope Emeritus asked me to send the book to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which is competent in this field, immediately.”
“We didn’t think anything of the meeting,” Mgr. Gänswein concluded. “There are many people around who call themselves “seers”… We had no idea that the book contained those comments. Naturally, there is no support for the “seer” or the contents of the book in any way. Had Benedict XVI known that he was going to be given a collection of messages of this kind, he would never have agreed to the meeting”.
Bergoglio the Impostor Image: Daily Catholic
California woman who prayed to meet ‘a chivalrous knight’ will marry Vatican Swiss Guard
California woman who prayed to meet ‘a chivalrous knight’ will marry Vatican Swiss Guard with the Pope’s personal blessing…
Miranda Emde, 31, prayed for Saint Anne to send her the perfect husband
Submitted 16-point wishlist, and soon met Jonathan Binaghi in Rome
Binaghi was then a member of the Pope’s personal Swiss Guard
Two exchanged contact details and began two-year romance
Pope Francis will personally bless them, and they are to marry this October
A California woman who prayed to the patron saint of unmarried women for ‘a chivalrous knight’ to marry has got her wish after falling for a member of the Pope’s personal army. Miranda Emde, 31, asked for a handsome, devout Catholic suitor in a special plea to Saint Anne – and had her wish answered at the gates of the Vatican by a member of the Pope’s Swiss Guard. Emde, from Huntington Beach, California, spotted Jonathan Binaghi guarding the border between the Vatican and the rest of Rome while she was on vacation in Italy.
Unlikely match: Miranda Emde, 31, is pictured above with her fiancé Jonathan Binaghi – a former member of the Vatican’s Swiss Guard
Her mother, Martha Emde, pushed her daughter into making the first move – and the two say they felt something special as soon as they met. At their first meeting, in October 2013, the two only exchanged email addresses – but now they are due to marry in Rome later this year, with the personal blessing of Pope Francis. Emde, who works in marketing at Wells Fargo, described the first meeting to ABC’s Good Morning America. She said: ‘My mom forced me to go up to this Swiss Guard at the St. Anne’s Gate and ask him his advice on living here. ‘We had a spark right away and there was something different about his demeanor I’ve never seen before.’ Reflecting on the match, during which Binaghi was wearing his powder blue regular duty uniform, she said she immediately thought ‘Oh, he’s handsome’.
She added: ‘It takes a handsome man to look good in pajamas.’
‘Looks good in pajamas’: Binaghi is pictured above in the Swiss Guard’s regular duty uniform – the multicolored gala uniform is reserved for special occasions The two corresponded after she came back to the United States, eventually moving on from emails to phone calls. Describing their romance to the Orange County Register, Emde said: ‘Over the phone, I could feel he was different than other men. He’s very dignified.’
To become a member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard – who have guarded the head of the Catholic Church since 1400s – Binaghi was required to complete military training with the Swiss army, graduate from college and swear an oath to defend the current Pope with his life.
He continued to serve as a border guard for the Vatican – which is a separate country entirely within the the city of Rome – as their romance grew stronger. She flew out to meet him again in April 2014 – and Binaghi managed to secure her a meeting with Pope Francis himself.
Together: While they were courting Binaghi took Emde to meet Pope Francis in private, who blessed them. He will hold a private mass for the couple after their marriage in OctoberEmde told how she was taken to see the Pontiff at 6am, kissed his ring and asked him to bless the two of them, which he did. Emde described the meeting as ‘an out-of-body experience’.
However – another one of the Swiss Guard’s rules is that all of its members must stay single. So Binaghi quit the militia earlier in 2015, and flew to Orange County to ask Emde’s hand in marriage – but not before speaking to her father.
According to Emde, the request was considered – but not without a test first. She told ABC: ‘My dad asked Jonathan what the meaning of love is and he said, “Love is completely giving yourself to someone else and asking for nothing in return”. The response was good enough for Chuck Emde, who gave his permission – and Emde herself didn’t hesitate to say ‘yes’ when Binaghi asked for her hand directly.
Pope’s army: The Pontifical Swiss Guard have protected heads of the Catholic Church since the 1400s. Pictured above are a raft of new recruits joining the militia earlier this month. They still use medieval weapons like swords and halberds, though they are also trained with firearms and modern techniques
The two have now fixed a wedding date at Rome’s Santa Caterina Church, which will be conducted by a cardinal and attended by several high-ranking members of the Holy See. They then plan to live together in California, where Binaghi hopes to work for the local Catholic church.
According to the Register, the day after the marriage the two will also have a private Mass with Pope Francis, who has already encouraged them to ‘have a beautiful family with lots of children’.
According to Emde, her romance is a reminder to other women that they, too, can find their dream man without compromising. She told ABC: ‘It’s still surreal that this is my life. I hope my story gives women inspiration [so] they can stick to their list and keep their standards.’
THE 16 QUALITIES MIRANDA EMDE PRAYED FOR IN A HUSBAND
Miranda Emde listed 16 qualities she looks for in a husband in a prayer to Saint Anne, the patron saint of unmarried women.
She revealed the point-by-point list to the Orange County Register, and said that Jonathan Binaghi fulfills them all, and more:
A strong Catholic man who practices his faith, loves his faith, seeks to grow and is a true man of God. Will be the spiritual leader in the family.
A chivalrous knight! Someone who is a true gentleman.
Good sense of humor.
Strong conviction and morals.
Noble, dignified and humble.
Great communicator! Someone who is very transparent and open.
Takes initiative, knows the role of a man and how to treat a lady.
Has a good work ethic, ambition and goals.
Well educated with desire to always learn and grow.
Someone who has a big heart. Who knows how to love and give of himself.
Someone who takes pride in how they dress and likes to dress up – I prefer more formal.
Likes to have fun!
No baggage – no prior marriages, kids.
Tall, strong, attractive.
Is confident, comfortable in his own skin, someone who is independent, not jealous/controlling/insecure.
Has strong family values. Wants a family.
Bergoglio Still Complaining About All the Pizza He Is Not Eating!
If anyone says that it is possible that at some time, given the advancement of knowledge, a sense may be assigned to the dogmas propounded by the church which is different from that which the church has understood and understands: let him be anathema.
Bergoglio the ‘humble’ made a vow to our Lady so he has not watched TV for 25 yrs. He should of made a vow to stand by the true teachings of the Catholic Church!! Jorge became a priest to be with people and if that means leading countless souls astray, well so be it. Somehow I think our Lady is not impressed with Jorge the Destroyer!!
“When I search more thoroughly”, “I find that it is rather a kind of fashion. And if it is a fashion, therefore it is a matter that does not need that much attention. It is just necessary to show some patience and kindness to people who are addicted to a certain fashion. Bergoglio on the Traditional Latin Mass – February 2014
It’s been two months since Pope Francis’s last confession that he misses pizza. He just wanted you to know, in case you wanted an update on his pizza cravings (they are still there). He would also like to add that he specifically misses pizza eaten in a pizza parlor. “Ordering one in the Vatican,” he says, “is not the same thing.” So thanks for the people who hand-delivered a pizza to the Pope Mobile, but, sigh … it’s so lonely eating a pizza by yourself, especially when Angela Merkel keeps promising to eat pizza with you and then doesn’t follow through. However, the pope does not miss television, although he can strangely remember the exact day he stopped watching it (July 15, 1990). But he does miss pizzerias, did he tell you?
6 things we know about how to do the Charlie Charlie challenge
Everything you need to know about how to play the so-called Charlie Charlie Challenge?
A new game fueled by speculation that its players can connect with a dead Mexican spirit known as Charlie is sweeping the internet.
But what do we know about how to play the so-called Charlie Charlie Challenge?
It involves nothing more than pencils and paper.
The game consists of placing two pencils on a piece of paper in the shape of the cross with the words ‘yes’ and ‘no’ written in the four boxes formed by the cross. Participants then repeat the phrase “Charlie, Charlie can we play?” to summon a visit from Charlie. If he is there, the pencils will move to indicate his answer; if the answer is ‘yes’ then you can put your ‘yes/no’ questions to the dead Mexican spirit himself.
Believers and ID fans have jumped on the craze.
Unsurprisingly, these are some of the most pressing questions put to Charlie.
Playing triggers some pretty intense reaction
Naturally, being in the presence of an otherworldly being can elicit some rather strong reactions. For those with headphones in, we advise turning the volume down before watching the below. Right down.
Don’t tell your priest
The Mirror reports that a catholic priest has issued an ‘urgent warning’ to children at a school in the US. Father Stephen McCarthy has apparently told students at Saints John Neumann and Mario Goretti Catholic High School in Philadelphia that ‘there is no such thing as innocently playing with demons’’. Top tip: don’t share Charlie Charlie experiences at your next church meeting.
If you can’t take it seriously, mock at will
As with any social fad, the original craze in soon taken over by other people mocking it. So, if you’re struggling to believe that a spirit from beyond the grave can guide you on life’s tough questions, make sarcastic comments about those that do.
Before you partake in the challenge, heed this warning
The below is a section of text that has been shared by those doing the Charlie Charlie challenge. Evidently, grammar and spelling lose their importance once you have contacted ghostly beings…
“what people don’t know whos not educated on paranormal research and demonology, everybody is not coming in contact with a friendly ghost name charlie, but yet several demons. these demons that are being contacted may seem friendly at first, but have sinister plans. if you do not say goodbye to “charlie” you will experience paranormal situations as in hearing voices, things being moved, shadows, sinister laughing, and more depending on the atmosphere. this game is not safe and i advised nobody to play this game unless they are educated and know what to do because if you do not say goodbye to charlie you are inviting the demon along with chaos into your home. spread the word, charlie is not a friendly casper it is a powerful dangerous demon. to say goodbye: to break contact with charlie’s spirit you must chant, “charlie, charlie can we stop.” when the pencils move either upwards or inwards, drop the pencils on the floor and finish by saying goodbye. if you do not say goodbye to charlie you are leaving a portal open for demons to come in and out of your house as they please. these demons will cause chaos and you might possibly even channel an poltergeist(which is the very last thing you want in your life) i advise doing a cleanse afterwards for safe keeping. now, if charlie says no and doesn’t want to stop playing still go through with the directions i just gave you, and say a prayer and hope that you actually break contact with the spirit being summoned. do not run away without saying goodbye.”
Eleison Comments: Conciliar Popes I – Number CDX – (410)
Conciliar Popes I
The world has always known bad Popes, but never
As in today’s world more corrupt than ever.
Whenever the claim is put forward that the Conciliar Popes may be at least partly in good faith, there are usually Catholics that protest. They will say that the Popes are intelligent and educated churchmen, so it is impossible that they do not fully realize what they are doing. The “mentevacantist” theory, according to which these Popes have vacant minds, partly ignorant of the consequences of their own actions, is for these critics absurd. One can understand the protest, but let me quote a friend who understands “mentevacantism” as it needs to be understood:—
“The idea that Popes can be mistaken in good faith because they hold that certain errors are not opposed to the Faith, gets little serious attention, because people have a concept of the papacy too detached from the world, whereas the whole history of the Popes is a history of men of their time being liable to share in all the good and bad habits and vices of their time. The difference lies in the power of the error, which has never been so mighty as it is today, mankind never having been, as one must not forget, so degenerate as today.
“For indeed liberalism is now everywhere and it is overwhelming, no longer a mere thought, or way of thinking, but a very way of being that permeates every man alive, be he an absolute liberal in himself, or an agent of liberalism and its subversion, or merely one of its tools. Such is the case of the Conciliar Popes. They think they are drawing close to the world to heal it. They do not realize that it is the world which is drawing them to itself to infect and control them.
“In such a situation as this, one can certainly speak of liberal Popes but not of non-Catholic Popes, insofar as there is lacking the prime requisite for such a condemnation, namely the personal will on their part to be liberals and not Catholics. All one can do is recognize the fact that in these Popes there is the personal will to be Catholics and not anti-Catholic liberals, since for them there is no contradiction between the two, far from it. According to their theologian and thinker, Joseph Ratzinger, liberalism is one of the good by-products of Catholicism, needing only to be cleansed of certain alien distortions imported into it. And so as for destroying the Church, it stands to reason that Popes believing in such a compromised Catholicism cannot help one of the consequences of their actions being the destruction of the Church.
“Concerning Archbishop Lefebvre, given that he grew up in a Church quite different from today’s Church, I can only conclude that for him it was impossible for a Catholic acting as an instrument of subversion not to realize what he was doing. Still less could a Pope not realize. From reading between the lines of certain of the Archbishop’s writings, I do believe that while his vision of the world certainly included the process of degeneration reaching down to the end of time, it did not include that process involving in any clear manner the Church as well.”
I can just hear readers objecting to this kind of analysis: “Oh, Excellency, please stop defending the Conciliar Popes. It’s black or white. If they’re black, I’ll be a happy sedevacantist. If they’re white, I’ll be a happy liberal. Your greys do nothing but confuse me!”
Dear reader, black is black, white is white, but rarely in real life do we find pure white, and never pure black (whatever is, has the goodness of being). If you want to understand this relative excusing of the Conciliar Popes, the key is to grasp that the world has never been so deeply bad as it is today. From this unprecedented degeneracy it is obvious that Conciliar Popes are in this respect more excusable for going astray in the Faith than any of their predecessors.
Tagged Bishop Williamson, Conciliar Popes I, Eleison Comments
GODLESS IRELAND: CATHOLIC PRIEST VOTES ‘YES’ FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGE
Sodomy Proud Ireland…
Ireland becomes first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote!
Ireland has voted for marriage equality becoming the first country in the world to allow same sex marriage after a vote of the people.
The first results are still awaited from constituencies and a formal national declaration in Dublin Castle won’t happen until later this afternoon.
Minister Simon Coveney – It’s a proud day for Ireland!
However, from the tallies the vote was overwhelmingly in favor, and the No campaign has already conceded defeat.
As the tallies started at 9am this morning in most parts of the country the Yes vote was stronger.
Dublin is showing the strongest Yes vote – box after box across the capital showing in excess of 60% and climbing to as much as 80% in some places.
From the tallies it appears not a single box in Dublin bucked the trend and voted No.
A similar picture has emerged from other urban areas across the country – more than 60% Yes in Limerick city.
But even in rural areas many boxes showed a Yes majority – on the Atlantic seaboard in West Clare the parish of Quilty voted 58% Yes.
Donegal – infamous for nearly always going the other way from the rest of the country in referendums – looks like it could pass marriage equality, though some of the more rural parts of the county voted No.
The Western parts of Cork – in the North West and South West constituencies also tend to be the most traditional and conservative – but look set to pass the referendum.
One constituency where it is very very close is Roscommon-South Leitrim – even in boxes like Lecarrow it was a draw – 135 votes for Yes and 135 for No – it is still too early to say how that constituency will vote, but it could be the only one to vote No.
In the border counties of Cavan and Monaghan the referendum looks set to pass with a 52% Yes vote from tallies.
The first formal results are still awaited but could come in the next hour – a final national declaration will not be made until later this afternoon at Dublin Castle.
Public Dissenter ‘ Who am I to Judge Bergoglio.
Asking for the Wrath of God: Catholic priest votes ‘Yes’ for vile unnatural marriage’. Sodomy a sin which cries to heaven for vengeance can Never have one single ‘Yes’ vote. Rome has lost the faith. Rome is in Apostasy… We were warned!
Cork priest to vote ‘Yes’ in marriage referendum
Fr Tim Hazelwood says he believes gay people deserve the same rights as everyone else.
Fr Apostate Tim Hazelwood, the Catholic parish priest in Killeagh, Co Cork, said that he had thought at length about the matter before concluding that he should vote Yes in the referendum. (!!)
Cork priest has announced that he plans to vote Yes in Friday’s marriage referendum, as he believes gay people are entitled to the same rights as everyone else.
Public dissenter Tim Hazelwood -“I feel that as a country and a church we haven’t treated gay people well and I said that at the end of mass on Sunday when I said I would be voting Yes,” he said.
A qualified psychotherapist, Fr Hazelwood said he had worked with gay people as they struggled to come to terms with their sexuality in difficult situations.
“I would have come across a good few people in that situation, who would be gay and . . . the hurt of just living in Ireland and of listening to attitudes that are very hurtful to them.
“I have listened to the debate and I believe that the issues raised by the No campaign around surrogacy and children are separate issues that can be addressed in other ways.
“But living in today’s world and looking to the future, I just cannot see how as a society we can justify not granting gay and lesbian people the right to marry,” he said.
State matter
Fr Hazelwood, who ministers in the diocese of Cloyne, said that he believed that the issue of same-sex marriage was essentially a matter for the State and not the church to legislate on.
“To my mind it’s a State issue – the church has its own teaching and we can’t expect everyone to fit into our way of looking at things,” he told The Irish Times.
Fr Hazelwood said that he had received a mixed reaction from parishioners when he made his comments at the end of mass on Sunday, but he respected people’s views.
“Some people came and congratulated me, but others would be more orthodox in their views and they felt, firstly, I shouldn’t have done it and secondly, they didn’t agree with me.
“They wouldn’t have been happy with what I said and I understand their views but I just feel strongly about it and I believe all people in Ireland should be treated equally.”
Catholic priest votes ‘Yes’ for vile unnatural marriage
“Sacred Scripture itself confirms that sulfur evokes the stench of the flesh, as it speaks of the rain of fire and sulfur poured upon Sodom by the Lord. He had decided to punish Sodom for the crimes of the flesh, and the very type of punishment he chose emphasized the shame of that crime. For sulfur stinks, and fire burns. So it was just that Sodomites, burning with perverse desires arising from the flesh like stench, should perish by fire and sulfur so that through this just punishment they would realize the evil they had committed, led by a perverse desire.”
Pope Saint Gregory the Great
The archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, has described the almost certain Yes final result as a wake-up call for the Catholic church. “This is a social revolution,” he told RTE Television. “The church has a huge task in front of it get its message across to young people … The church needs to do a reality check.” Asked if the church was ill-equipped to deal with these issues, he said: “We tend to think of black and white but most of us live our lives in grey.” The church needed to use the result to harness the energy that has been unleashed in favor of equality for all, the archbishop added.
My position is that of Pope Francis, who, in the debates around same-sex marriage in Argentina, made it very clear that he was against legalizing same-sex marriage, yet he was consistent in telling people not to make judgments on any individual.
Apostate archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin “The church has a huge task in front of it get its message across to young people … The church needs to do a reality check!”
Yes for marriage equality – 62.4% vote Yes for marriage equality
The Australian – “If there was ever any doubt that marriage equality was inevitable in Australia, the Irish vote has removed it” The question is not if but when
– Apostate archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin “The church has a huge task in front of it get its message across to young people … The church needs to do a reality check!”
– 62.4% vote Yes for marriage equality
– Ireland gay marriage referendum result: Yes vote certain – Live
Ireland becomes first country to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote
A Victory for Bergoglio
Archbishop Oscar Romero (Communist sympathizer) is favored by Pope Francis. Pope said he was hoping for a swift beatification process. “For me Romero is a man of God,” the pontiff told journalists on the plane bringing him back from a trip to South Korea. “There are no doctrinal problems and it is very important that [the beatification] is done quickly!” – August 18, 2014
The assassinated Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero is at the final milestone of a tortuous road to sainthood with his beatification by the Roman Catholic Church on Saturday. The occasion has brought celebrations of the highest order in his native El Salvador. But the event calls for much wider rejoicing — for it reveals a victory over malign influences within the church and provides further evidence of the radical nature of the revolution Pope Francis is forging in Rome.
Archbishop Romero was shot and killed at the altar as he celebrated Mass in San Salvador in 1980. His assassin was from one of the death squads propping up an unholy alliance among rich landowners, the army and sections of the Catholic Church as the country moved toward civil war. The archbishop’s crime was to order soldiers to stop killing innocent civilians. The far-right elite saw him as an apologist for Marxist revolution — a defamation that highly placed individuals in the Vatican nurtured for three decades, and that Pope Francis has now finally squelched.
The chief concern of these critics was that his canonization would be an effective endorsement of liberation theology, which they feared would allow Communism to infiltrate Latin America. This was a willful caricature of the movement that maintained that the Gospels carried a “preferential option for the poor” and insisted that the church had a duty to work for the social and economic liberation of the downtrodden as well as their spiritual well-being. This misrepresentation reached its nadir in the gross calumnies perpetrated about the archbishop, both during his life and in the years since his death.
The oligarchy in El Salvador had hoped that Msgr. Romero would be a compliant prelate when he became archbishop of San Salvador. His background was conservative and his spirituality drew on that of Opus Dei, a deeply traditional group of priests and lay-people. But he became outraged by the growing violence against the poor and those who spoke up for them.
Within weeks of his installation one of his priests — a close friend, the Rev. Rutilio Grande — was murdered for supporting peasants campaigning for land reform and better wages. A succession of priests were killed thereafter, though by 1979 they were only a small proportion of the 3,000 people reportedly being murdered every month. When a reporter asked him what he did as archbishop, he replied: “I pick up bodies.”
As the violence worsened, Archbishop Romero became more outspoken in his nationally broadcast sermons, condemning the oppression and telling the people that God was with them.
Though Archbishop Romero was no liberation theoretician, Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the chief advocate for his sainthood, has called him “a martyr of the church of the Second Vatican Council” because his decision to “live with the poor and defend them from oppression” flowed directly from the documents of Vatican II.
Nor was he a Marxist. In a 1978 sermon, he said: “A Marxist church would be not only self-destructive but senseless” because “Marxist materialism destroys the church’s transcendent meaning.”
But this was a world in which anyone who raised his voice for justice was branded a Communist.
El Salvador’s social, military and ecclesiastical elites were deeply unhappy with the archbishop. The 14 families who controlled the economy and who made big donations to the church sent a constant stream of complaints to Rome. They accused Archbishop Romero of meddling in politics, sanctioning terrorism and abandoning the church’s spiritual mission to save souls. Four bishops, alarmed that the archbishop was questioning their ties to the oligarchy, began to speak out virulently against him.
Archbishop Romero’s copious diaries give the lie to all their claims. So did the dossier he gave to Pope Paul VI in a private audience that ended with the pope urging him: “Courage! Take heart. You are the one in charge.”
Yet Archbishop Romero got a very different message when he was summoned to Rome by Cardinal Sebastiano Baggio, head of the Congregation of Bishops. The cardinal said he had had a quite unprecedented volume of complaints regarding Archbishop Romero. The charge sheet was full of wild allegations and pernicious distortions, but Archbishop Romero was distressed by the fact that the cardinal clearly believed them. Again he went to the pope, who again urged him to “proceed with courage.”
But the next pope, John Paul II, had little knowledge of Central America and relied on the advice of curial officials hostile to the archbishop. Cardinal Baggio sent a Vatican inspector to El Salvador who recommended that he be stripped of his duties. Archbishop Romero appealed to John Paul, who told his critics to moderate their attitude toward the besieged prelate.
After his murder, his enemies began three decades of maneuvering to prevent him being officially declared a saint. A succession of blocking tactics was deployed, led by the man who had been given the role of championing Archbishop Romero’s cause, Cardinal Alfonso López Trujillo, a Colombian deeply opposed to liberation theology. Years passed while Vatican officials scrutinized Archbishop Romero’s writings for doctrinal errors. When they found none, critics shifted to arguing that he was not killed for his faith but for his ancillary “political statements.”
Supporters of Archbishop Romero blamed conservative popes who were antagonistic to liberation theology, but that is unfair. In 1997, John Paul II bestowed upon Archbishop Romero the title of Servant of God and in 2003 told a group of Salvadoran bishops that he was a martyr. In 2007 Benedict XVI called him “a man of great Christian virtue.” He added: “That Romero as a person merits beatification, I have no doubt.” (This last sentence was strangely cut from the interview transcript placed on the Vatican website.) Just a month before he resigned, Pope Benedict gave orders that Archbishop Romero’s canonization process should be unblocked.
It was the arrival of Pope Francis — who promptly engineered a rapprochement between the Vatican and liberation theology — that finally brought action. Archbishop Romero’s cause, he told reporters, had been “blocked in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith ‘for prudence.”’ But he added, “for me Romero is a man of God.”
Following that lead, the appropriate body of theologians universally declared that Archbishop Romero had not been killed for political reasons but had indeed died because of odium fidei — hatred of the faith. Francis promptly officially declared him a martyr, and the path to sainthood was opened.
For Francis this action was self-evident. He had said on his second full day as pope that he wanted “a poor church for the poor.” And he had written in his papal manifesto, Evangelii Gaudium: “We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor.”
The beatification of Oscar Romero is therefore a cause for double rejoicing. It honors a man whose love for justice and focus on the poor was a direct manifestation of his faith. But it also reveals that with the arrival of Pope Francis some of the dark forces that lurked inside the Vatican in recent decades have at last been vanquished.
Tagged A Saint He Aint, Bergoglio effect, Liberation Theology, Marxism, Rotten Fruits of Vatican II, Socialist
Newchurch and Ecumenism: John 17 Movement’ building bridges between Christian communities
Not so very long ago, Catholics and other Christians were less than eager to pray together. (Heresy).
Members of the John 17 Movement are out to change all that. They’ll gather May 23, the eve of Pentecost, at the Phoenix Convention Center for a daylong celebration of what they have in common: Jesus Christ.
Over the course of the last year, influential local and international Protestant and Catholic leaders have been meeting regularly to pray. Auxiliary Bishop Eduardo A. Nevares of the Diocese of Phoenix, is one of them.
Bishop Nevares pointed to the Scripture verse from which the movement takes its name.
“Jesus revealed to us the heart of the Father in John 17:21, ‘Father, may they be one in us, so that the world may believe,’” Bishop Nevares said. “This unity of the Body of Christ is brought about by the Holy Spirit and this is a day to pray together for the blessings of unity.”
The Rev. Gary Kinnaman, pastor at large with Grace Unlimited, has high expectations for the event.
“It’s rare, it’s historic and it’s a new day for the Church,” Kinnaman said. “It’s the beginning of something grand God is doing to bring followers of Jesus together.”
EN ESPAÑOL: ‘Movimiento Juan 17′ celebrará la unidad de cristianos el 23 de mayo
Christians representing many denominations and more than 20 cooperating organizations will gather for the daylong bilingual program of praise, prayer and exhortation from an array of noted Christian leaders.
Speakers include the Rev. Giovanni Traettino, pastor of the Evangelical Church of Reconciliation in Caserta, Italy and Rosa Elena Cruz Muniz from Renovación Carismática in Phoenix. Pope Francis, who spoke passionately about “Unity in Diversity” at Pastor Traettino’s Church last year, is filming a special message for the occasion.
Dennis Ricardo, a member of City of the Lord, a Catholic charismatic covenant community in Tempe, has been taking part in the ecumenical John 17 Movement. He said it’s all about unity.
The gathering, he said, is “for Christians to be as one and not to be separate… There is a way for Christians to celebrate that unity together, but more importantly, the effort to get there — the journey — is actually more important in that it requires us to work together and to build unity,” Ricardo said.
As Christians throughout the Middle East and North Africa face persecution, Ricardo said it’s time for Christians to stand together.
“We believe in the same Trinity,” Ricardo said. “It’s time for Christians to stand together in the face of Christians in other parts of the world who face death just because they are Christians. We can’t sweat the small stuff.”
Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of the Phoenix Diocese will speak at the gathering and organizers say they expect some 4,000 people to attend.
Promotional materials provided by the John 17 Movement state that the group will not delve into doctrine — there are sharp differences in the Catholic and Protestant teachings about such matters as the Eucharist and the role of Mary — but the group does intend to build friendship and unity between churches.
The john17movement.com website’s homepage states that the group is “bringing together diverse ministries for the common cause of church unity and city transformation.”
JOHN KERRY CALLS FOR THE INTERNET TO BE PLACED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNITED NATIONS!
IN A SPEECH TODAY IN SOUTH KOREA, SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY SAID THAT THE INTERNET “NEEDS RULES TO BE ABLE TO FLOURISH AND WORK PROPERLY.” THIS, ACCORDING TO KERRY, IS NECESSARY EVEN FOR “A TECHNOLOGY FOUNDED ON FREEDOM.”
Kerry made his remarks in the context of talking about how international law is applicable to the Internet. “As I’ve mentioned, the basic rules of international law apply in cyberspace. Acts of aggression are not permissible. And countries that are hurt by an attack have a right to respond in ways that are appropriate, proportional, and that minimize harm to innocent parties. We also support a set of additional principles that, if observed, can contribute substantially to conflict prevention and stability in time of peace. We view these as universal concepts that should be appealing to all responsible states, and they are already gaining traction,” said Kerry.
Speaking on behalf of the Obama administration, Kerry said that Internet policy is “a key component of our foreign policy!”
“First, no country should conduct or knowingly support on-line activity that intentionally damages or impedes the use of another country’s critical infrastructure. Second, no country should seek either to prevent emergency teams from responding to a cybersecurity incident, or allow its own teams to cause harm. Third, no country should conduct or support cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property, trade secrets, or other confidential business information for commercial gain. Fourth, every country should mitigate malicious cyber activity emanating from its soil, and they should do so in a transparent, accountable and cooperative way. And fifth, every country should do what it can to help states that are victimized by a cyberattack.
“I guarantee you if those five principles were genuinely and fully adopted and implemented by countries, we would be living in a far safer and far more confident cyberworld.
“But even with these principles, ensuring international cyber stability will remain a work in progress. We still have a lot of work to do to develop a truly reliable framework – based on international law – that will effectively deter violations and minimize the danger of conflict.
“To build trust, the UN Group of Governmental Experts has stressed the importance of high-level communication, transparency about national policies, dispute settlement mechanisms, and the timely sharing of information – all of them, very sound and important thoughts. The bottom line is that we who seek stability and peace in cyberspace should be clear about what we expect and intend, and those who may be tempted to cause trouble should be forewarned: they will be held accountable for their actions. The United States reserves the right to use all necessary means, including economic, trade and diplomatic tools, as appropriate in order to defend our nation and our partners, our friends, our allies” source
Now The End Begins
Exaltation of the Holy Cross Novena
Holy Face of Jesus Novena
ST JOHN OF MATHA – MASS PROPERS
ST. ROMUALD, ABBOT – MASS PROPERS
ST. TITUS – MASS PROPERS
Breaking Masonry New… on We Masons are Transparent, as…
Breaking Masonry New… on “I’d like to know…
Paul-V-Lashkevich on Vatican hosts two leading pro-…
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4252
|
__label__wiki
| 0.865452
| 0.865452
|
As part of its advocacy work, the CCR is active in the courts, to further the rights of refugees and immigrants. This work is overseen by the CCR's Legal Affairs Committee.
Legal Affairs Committee
The goal of the CCR Legal Affairs Committee is to seek opportunities to encourage development in the law towards better protection of the human rights of refugees, immigrants and other non-citizens.
The committee can consider:
encouraging strategic litigation to address policy concerns
starting a legal action
applying for leave for judicial review
intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada and other jurisdictions.
joining a coalition of other groups who are challenging a legal policy or development before the courts.
launching or participating in complaints or petitions to international human rights bodies.
The members of the committee are Jennifer Stone (co-chair, Toronto), Pia Zambelli (co-chair, Montreal), Catherine Bruce (Executive liaison, Toronto), Rick Goldman (Montreal), David Matas (Winnipeg), Michael Bossin (Ottawa), Sharry Aiken (Toronto), Heather Neufeld (Ottawa), Barbara Jackman (Toronto), Jamie Liew (Ottawa), Joshua Blum (Toronto) and Prasanna Balasundaram (Toronto) .
Current and past cases
At the Supreme Court of Canada:
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration v. Alexander Vavilov
CCR represented by Jamie Liew, Gerald Heckman and Jean Lash
Summary: This case concerns the standard of review, in this instance in the context of the interpretation of the Citizenship Act.
Case number 37748
Hearing Decemmber 2018 - decision pending
CCR factum
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, et al. v. Tusif Ur Rehman Chhina
CCR represented by Erica Olmstead and Peter Edelmann
Summary: This case concerns the right to habeas corpus for persons detained under immigration legislation.
Hearing 14 November 2018 - decision pending
R. v. Wong
CCR represented by Jared Will and Joshua Blum
Decision, 25 May 2018
Summary: This case concerns whether a person should be allowed to withdraw a guilty plea on basis that the person was unaware of the consequence of the plea on their immigration status in Canada.
India v. Badesha
CCR (jointly with Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights and the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture) represented by Adriel Weaver and Louis Century
Decision, 8 September 2017
Summary: This case concerns the extradition of a person to a place where the person may face a risk of torture or other rights violations, and the value of diplomatic assurances offered by the extraditing State.
Jeyakannan Kanthasamy v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration)
CCR represented by David Matas, Jamie Liew, Jennifer Stone and Rick Goldman
Decision, 10 December 2015
Summary: This case concerns the proper interpretation of humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) consideration under s. 25(1) of the IRPA.
CCR Media Release on the Decision: Supreme Court decision on humanitarian decisions welcomed (10 December 2015)
Francis Anthonimuthu Appulonappa, et al. v. Her Majesty the Queen, et al.
CCR represented by: Laura Best, Angus Grant, Catherine Bruce and Fadi Yachoua
Decision, 27 November 2015
Summary: This case concerns the smuggling provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (s. 117) which makes it an offence to knowingly aid or abet the coming into Canada of one or more persons who are not in possession of a visa, passport or other document required by that Act. At issue is whether the provision is overbroad or vague and therefore unjustifiably infringes s. 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
CCR Media Release on the Decision: Supreme Court decisions on people smuggling welcomed (27 November 2015)
B306 v. Canada (Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) and Jesus Rodriguez Hernandez v. Canada (Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness)
CCR represented by Angus Grant, Laura Best, Catherine Bruce and Fadi Yachoua
Joined hearing with Appulonappa (above)
Summary: This case concerns the standard of review in respect of the Immigration Division of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Board’s interpretation of s. 37(1)(b) ) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
Febles v. Canada (MCI), 2014 SCC 68
CCR represented by: Catherine Dauvergne, Angus Grant and Pia Zambelli.
Decision, 30 October 2014
Summary: This case concerns the refugee definition, specifically the exclusion clause 1F(b) which denies refugee protection on the basis of serious non-political crime.
Canada (MCI) v. Harkat, 2014 SCC 37
CCR (jointly with ICLMG) represented by: Barbara Jackman, Sharry Aiken and Andrew Brouwer.
Summary: This case addresses security certificates, including whether it is fundamentally unfair to rely on secret evidence in deciding whether to deport a non-citizen, potentially to a risk of persecution.
CCR + ICLMG factum
CCR media releases: Supreme Court Harkat decision maintains fundamentally unfair process for non-citizens (14 May 2014) and Fundamental fairness for non-citizens at stake in Supreme Court Harkat case (7 October 2013)
Ezokola v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2013 SCC 40
Decision, 19 July 2013
Summary: This case concerns the interpretation of exclusion based on war crimes in the refugee definition.
CCR media release: CCR welcomes Ezokola decision clarifying refugee exclusion (19 July 2013)
Agraira v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2013 SCC 36
CCR (jointly with CARL) represented by: John Norris and Andrew Brouwer
Decision, June 20 2013
Summary: This case concerns the interpretation of ministerial relief with respect to security inadmisssibility - i.e. when should the Minister provide an exception because the person’s presence is not detrimental to Canada’s national interest.
CCR + CARL factum
R v Pham, 2013 SCC 15
CCR represented by: Barb Jackman, Carole Dahan
Decision, 14 March 2013
Summary: This case concerns immigration issues and criminal sentencing, more precisely the consideration of unintended or collateral consequences of a criminal sentence, particularly consequences relating to the immigration status of an offender
Canada (A.G.) v. Downtown Eastside Sex Workers United Against Violence Society, [2012] 2 SCR 524
CCR (jointly with CARL) represented by: Lorne Waldman, Clare Crummey and Tamara Morgenthau
Decision, 21 September 2012
Summary: The case addresses the rules about when an organization should be granted public interest standing - or in other words, allowed to challenge a law on behalf of those directly affected.
CCR comment on the case (Chronicle, 1 October 2012)
Canada (Attorney General) v. Mavi, 2011 SCC 30, [2011] 2 S.C.R. 504
CCR represented by: Chantal Tie, Carole Simone Dahan and Aviva Basman.
Decision, 10 June 2011
Summary: This case raises the question of whether the government should evaluate on a case by case basis whether or not to enforce the collection of debts incurred if a person has been unable to support a family member they sponsored.
Németh v. Canada (Justice), 2010 SCC 56, [2010] 3 S.C.R. 281
CCR represented by: John Norris and Brydie Bethell
Summary: This case involves refugees facing extradition to the country that they had fled as refugees.
CCR comment on the decision (Chronicle, 7 December 2010)
Charkaoui v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), [2007] 1 S.C.R. 350, 2007 SCC 9
CCR (jointly with ACLC, ICLMG, NARCC) represented by: Sharry Aiken, Marie Chen and Mary Eberts.
Decision, 23 February 2007
Summary: This case concerns the constitutionality of the security certificate procedure.
CCR + ACLC + ICLMG + NARCC factum
Suresh v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [2002] 1 S.C.R. 3, 2002 SCC 1
CCR represented by: Jack C. Martin and Sharry Aiken
Decision, 11 January 2002
Summary: This case addresses security certificates, the definition of security inadmissibility and deportation to torture.
R. v. Ruzic, [2001] 1 S.C.R. 687
CCR (jointly with CCC) represented by Marlys A. Edwardh
Decision, 20 April 2001
Summary: This case addresses the defence of duress in criminal law.
Baker v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [1999] 2 S.C.R. 817
CCR represented by Sheena S. Scott and Sharry Aiken
Decision, 9 July 1999
Summary: This case addressed procedural fairness issues in a humanitarian and compassionate application and the obligation to consider the best interests of affected children.
Pushpanathan v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), [1998] 1 S.C.R. 982
CCR represented by David Matas and Sharry Aiken
Decision, 4 June 1998
Summary: This case addresses exclusion in the refugee definition based on "acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations”.
Chan v. Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1995] 3 S.C.R. 593
CCR represented by Ronald Shacter
Summary: This case deals with the refugee definition (membership in a particular social group and political opinion).
Reza v. Canada, [1994] 2 S.C.R. 394
CCR represented by David Matas
Summary: This case addressed whether a refused claimant can turn to a provincial court in seeking relief from deportation.
Canada (Attorney General) v. Ward, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 689
CCR represented by Ronald B. Shacter and Phyllis Gordon.
Summary: This case examines the meaning of “particular social group” in the refugee definition.
Dehghani v. Canada (Minister of Employment and Immigration), [1993] 1 S.C.R. 1053
Summary: This case concerned whether a refugee claimant at a port of entry has a right to counsel.
At the Federal Court of Appeal:
Canada (Citizenship and Immigration) v. Kurukkal, 2010 FCA 230
CCR represented by: Angus Grant and Aviva Basman
Summary: This case looks at whether a decision on a humanitarian and compassionate application can be reopened after a decision has been made, if new evidence is provided.
Canada v. Canadian Council for Refugees, 2008 FCA 229
CCR represented by Andrew Brouwer, Leigh Salsberg and Barbara Jackman.
Summary: This case was a challenge to the Safe Third Country Agreement.
Decision, 27 June 2008.
CCR media release on the decision: Rights Groups Express Dismay with Appeal Court Ruling on Safe Third Country, 2 July 2008
CCR media release on denial of leave to appeal to Supreme Court: Supreme Court Denial of Leave on Safe Third Regretted, 5 February 2009
Thamotharem v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2007 FCA 198 [2008] 1 FCR 385
CCR represented by: Catherine F. Bruce and Angus Grant.
Summary: The case deals with Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) guideline 7 which imposes as standard practice "reverse order questioning" (ROQ), i.e. that the claimant is questioned first by the Refugee Protection Officer or the Board member and only afterwards by their own counsel.
CCR comment on the case, Chronicle, 4 June 2007
At the Federal Court:
Huruglica vs Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, IMM-6362-13
CCR (jointly with CARL) represented by Audrey Macklin and Anthony Navaneelan
Decision, 22 August 2014
Summary: This case concerns the type of review that the Refugee Appeal Division should conduct: something similar to a judicial review, or an independent assessment of the claim?
Canadian Council for Refugees v. Canada, [2008] 3 FCR 606, 2007 FC 1262, 29 November 2007 (safe third country challenge). CCR was represented by Andrew Brouwer, Leigh Salsberg and Barbara Jackman. Memorandum filed
R. v. Appulonappa, 2013 BCCA 79
CCR represented by: Laura Best
CCR media release, Court rules that helping refugees is a criminal offence, 30 April 2014
A.M.R.I. v. K.E.R., 2011 ONCA 417
CCR represented by Angus Grant.
Summary: This appeal raises the question of the rights of affected parties on an application under the Hague Convention for the return of a child to her country of origin, when the child had been accepted in Canada as a Convention refugee by reason of abuse by her mother.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4256
|
__label__cc
| 0.711487
| 0.288513
|
Cengage Tech
Coding & Architecture
Early in My Career with Anna Milner
This is the first in a series of articles about people in leadership roles at Cengage and how they carved their path to leadership.
I chatted with Anna Milner, former Director of Content Development at Cengage, in her office one afternoon. Her career at WebAssign started eight years ago when she joined the company as a Project Manager. When WebAssign adopted Agile Methodology, Anna transitioned to Scrum Master and then to Manager of Application Development, where she managed software developers. After three years in tech, Anna went on to become the Director of Content Development, a position she retained even after WebAssign was acquired by Cengage.
Anna surely dispels the myth that leaders are born, not made. After changing majors three times in college and finally earning a degree in English Literature, she had no idea what career path to take. She ended up teaching English at St. David’s, a private school in Raleigh—something she thoroughly enjoyed. Anna later worked as a librarian and then was a stay-at-home mom for a few years. When she was ready to go back to work, a project manager position at a startup company fell into her lap. She had no experience in business or computers and simply threw herself into the job and gave it her best shot.
“If someone had told me when I was back in college that I would be working in software development, I would have laughed,” says Anna.
I asked Anna a few questions about her career journey and here’s what she had to say.
From teaching to managing content, how did you get to where you are today?
Have you read Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In? She describes career growth as a jungle gym and not a vertical ascent. I followed that pattern and moved in whichever direction made sense to me at that time and it took me to where I wanted to be. I just did the next best thing that made sense.
What made you decide to go into a leadership role?
It wasn’t a conscious plan. I was interested in working with people, solving problems, and building organizations.
When did you first realize you were a leader?
I don’t know. I played sports a lot and usually ended up being team captain. Actually, I’m comfortable leading or following. If no one else steps up then I take the lead. I think it’s part of who I am.
What do you think are the qualities that make a good leader?
The ability to have hard conversations, which includes reviewing someone’s performance, calling out bad ideas in meetings, or resolving conflicts. It is important for leaders to be service minded. They also need to be able to collaborate well and do more together. Leaders need to be able to draw boundaries and say no when appropriate. Casting vision is another important leadership skill. It is basically having an idea of where we are going and what we want to be as a company, team or department.
If you were to honestly evaluate yourself, which of those qualities do you need to work on?
I would have to say casting vision and dealing with conflicts. By nature, I avoid conflicts and I’m working to change that.
What obstacles did you face on the path to leadership and how did you overcome them?
To be taken seriously as a woman in tech is challenging. I was not recognized by some higher-ups for what I had accomplished.
Juggling a career and kids is hard. To achieve a work-life balance I’ve had to let go of some responsibilities in order to have time for others.
What are you really passionate about?
I’m passionate about investing in people. I think people are the most important part of a business. Products and technologies come and go, but people are what make a business or company successful. I also think management excellence is important and by that I mean how can we be the best managers and have a positive impact on people’s lives?
Do you have any advice for folks who want to go into management?
Don’t go into it because you want a fatter paycheck or want to climb the corporate ladder. Do it if what you love matches the job description. If you are not comfortable having tough conversations or giving feedback, then this is not the job for you. Although it is only one aspect of the job, you are not going to be happy if you have a hard time giving constructive feedback.
Start building skills right where you are by learning how to have hard conversations and volunteering to lead. You will grow and you will be noticed by others.
During my time at Cengage-WebAssign, I’ve seen that Anna walks her talk and truly believes in investing in people. Her door is always open and she is always interested in what you have to say. She also made it clear that management is not for those who are timid at heart. You have to have tough conversations and resolve conflicts from time to time. I also learned from her to be open to opportunities that show up in your life, because you never know where it could lead you!
(Right before publication Anna Milner left Cengage to pursue other opportunities. She will be missed.)
Published by Damayanti Chandrasekhar
Damayanti Chandrasekhar, who goes by DC, joined Cengage-WebAssign in March 2017 as an associate web content editor. Prior to this, she was an editor at Frost & Sullivan, handling healthcare content. As a freelance content writer, she has written several articles for content mills such as Crowd Source (now OneSpace) and worked in the sales and marketing team at Scio Health Analytics. For the last five years, DC has been an avid blogger sharing inspiration and life experiences in her blog www.punctuatelife.com. Her blogs have appeared in websites such as Unboxed Writers, Heart and Soul ezine, and Sheroes, and in The New Indian Express, Bangalore edition. When she is not working or blogging she can be found baking or cooking her favorite recipes, playing tennis with her kids or planning her next road trip. View all posts by Damayanti Chandrasekhar
Workplace Collaboration
Education is Gold, Eliminating the Struggle is Priceless
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4258
|
__label__cc
| 0.743962
| 0.256038
|
Firms that deliver
Full Service Digital
Media Planning & Buying
More in Advertising & Marketing
More in SEO
More in Mobile App Development
Web & Software Development
AR & VR Developers
Blockchain Developers
Drupal Developers
IoT Developers
Magento Developers
Shopify Developers
More in Web & Software Development
More in Web Design
Cloud Consultants
More in IT Services & Solutions
Voice/Call Center Services
More in Business Services
Top B2B Service Providers
Spectrum Group Online
Where visibility and transparency connect.
We're a digital marketing agency. No mysterious black box. No technical geek-speak. It's where visibility meets transparency. We only use reputable and repeatable strategies for lead generation, SEO, PPC, blogging and much more.
* Website Design & Development as a showpiece for an online presence
* Content Strategy & Creation to engage an audience
* Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Best Practices including keyword research
* Search Engine Marketing (aka PPC) to drive lead generation
* Online Sales Strategies to convert visitors into customers
Our approach is collaborative. We help our clients create a vision for their online marketing, develop a strategic plan based upon their revenue goals, and then seamlessly deliver. Bottom line, we leverage your brand and online presence to drive business and increase profitability.
$150 - $199 / hr
Show all +
5142 Lapa Dr.
Small business (<$10M)
Social Media Focus
Sort by Relevance Most RecentRating: high to lowRating: low to high
$10,000 to $49,999 (4)$50,000 to $199,999 (1)Confidential (2)
SEO & PPC (1)Digital Marketing (6)
Phone Interview (7)
Digital Marketing for Water Treatment Group
“They’re at the forefront of a developing market.”
June 2017 - Ongoing
Willing to refer:
Project summary:
Spectrum Group Online led a website redesign. Focusing on SEO and SEM, they overhauled the site and made it consistent with new branding materials. Their contributions include a revitalized frontend interface.
The Reviewer
201-500 Employees
Manuel Chargualaf
Marketing Manager, Garratt Callahan
Phone Interview
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone.
Spectrum Group Online delivered a high-quality website that captivates users. Their commitment to designing an intuitive UI/UX and polished web content helps generate sales. Executive-level engagement facilitates productive and positive collaboration. They’re industry-leading professionals.
A Clutch analyst personally interviewed this client over the phone. Below is an edited transcript.
Introduce your business and what you do there.
I’m a marketing manager for Garratt Callahan. We’re a water treatment company that services the industrial needs of businesses.
OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE
What challenge were you trying to address with Spectrum Group Online?
Our website was about five years old, so we wanted a reputable agency to help us rejuvenate it with updated visuals.
What was the scope of their involvement?
Spectrum Group Online started the engagement by performing an extensive audit of our website. They looked at our site’s frontend to evaluate the clarity of its UX. Then, they analyzed the backend’s ability to support SEO and SEM. By applying their knowledge of Google Analytics, they found a lot of areas in the site that could be improved to help us standout within an online marketplace.
Before we started the renovation process, Spectrum Group Online suggested that we implement a pop-up on the website that asks users what they’re looking for. It’s a small solution, but it quickly generated measurable results.
They’re a full-service digital marketing firm, so they completely redesigned our whole website. Once they understood where it could be improved, they started making changes systematically. Now that they’ve completed the site renovation and SEO upgrade, I work with them periodically to continually enhance the site. Whether it be related to web content or backend infrastructure, they support the site and make it more robust.
What is the team composition?
I work with Massimo (CEO, Spectrum Group Online) and Alyson (Principal of Marketing & Branding, Spectrum Group Online) directly. I also communicate with three other resources from their team regularly.
How did you come to work with Spectrum Group Online?
They were recommended to us by web developer I’ve hired in the past. She wasn’t able to accept this project, but she highlighted Spectrum Group Online as a qualified digital marketing firm. After a brief conversation with them, I decided they’d be a good fit for this project.
How much have you invested with them?
We spend $2,500 a month for their services.
What is the status of this engagement?
We started working together in June 2017, and the engagement is ongoing.
What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?
Some of the applications that they put onto our website track calls that come into the company. That allows us to track sales statistics generated from website visits or phone calls. The pop-up integration they suggested also converts web traffic into direct sales consistently. That contribution alone was worth what we paid for Spectrum Group Online’s services.
They’ve turned our Website around for the better. It functions better from both a business and a user standpoint. The new UI/UX attracts customers and keeps them engaged. Our analytics indicate that visitors are spending more time on our website than ever before.
How did Spectrum Group Online perform from a project management standpoint?
They're constantly keeping me updated about the project through progress reports and updates. They ask for input frequently and enjoy working as a team. If the site goes down or it experiences an error of some sort, their team addresses each problem proactively. They continually analyze the site and pitch additional UI/UX enhancements.
What did you find most impressive about them?
Spectrum Group Online had to learn what it means to operate a B2B water treatment company, so we appreciate their efforts. I see them as a part of my marketing team. We're a small company with limited resources, so having their skills at our disposal is great.
If they don’t understand something, they’ll ask questions instead of trying to fake it. But as a result, they’ve internalized our message and can communicate it effectively. They’re truly an asset to the business.
Are there any areas they could improve?
I don’t have any real criticism to offer. I wish we had the budget to have them onsite with us full-time.
Do you have any advice for potential customers?
Give them all the information they need to be successful. The more they’re given, the more they can help. Also, listen to their feedback. Since they’re a fresh pair of eyes, they’ll likely see things that others might have missed. For example, they brought to light a lot of things from the user’s point of view that our internal team hadn’t considered.
Overall Score They’re at the forefront of a developing market.
5.0 Scheduling
ON TIME / DEADLINES
They’re flexible and willing to work around my schedule.
5.0 Cost
Value / within estimates
5.0 Quality
Service & deliverables
5.0 NPS
Willing to refer
Digital Marketing for Swimming Pool Remodeling Company
“They’ve done a great job for us and I appreciate their efforts.”
$50,000 to $199,999
Apr. 2016 - Mar. 2018
Spectrum executed a digital marketing strategy by redesigning a website and establishing viable keyword lists for SEO. They created blog posts and managed social media accounts via Facebook and YouTube.
CFO, Gardener Pool & Remodeling
Spectrum diligently researched an unfamiliar industry to adapt and deliver on project expectations. The web redesign invigorated the brand and aided their digital marketing efforts to increase the site’s Google ranking. A talented SEO specialist led the project and produced great content.
I’m the CFO and sales manager for Gardener Pool & Remodeling. We’re a swimming pool remodeling company.
We needed a digital marketing agency to improve our website’s SEO.
Spectrum’s ultimate goal was to get us on the front page of Google within our market. To accomplish this, they implemented a multifaceted digital marketing strategy. They conducted a competitive analysis of our website compared to similar firms in our industry. Then, they helped redesign and develop our website. To forward the SEO effort, they conducted additional research to produce a keyword list. This enabled them to lead an AdWords campaign, create our blog, and produce other keyword-infused content throughout the site. Finally, they bolstered our online presence by creating and managing our Facebook and YouTube accounts.
I had weekly phone calls with Jen (SEO Specialist, Spectrum Group Online) and would speak with their CEO once a month.
I worked with Jen when she was with another company. She started working for Spectrum, so we followed her.
We spent roughly $33,000 a year.
We started working together in April 2016. We terminated the engagement in March 2018 to work with an agency that specializes in our industry.
Spectrum created a lot of content and blog posts for us throughout the engagement. They were essential to the website’s redesign and helped us establish an aesthetically pleasing web presence. Their efforts have successfully increased our Google Ranking. I was very happy with their work and the time they put in to learn our industry.
We communicated via phone, email, and also used Google Docs. They used other tools to track our process and regularly updated us on what’s being done and if we were hitting the targets we wanted. Jen particularly deserves a lot of praise.
Their SEO content is well-written and their communication skills are top-notch.
They accepted a client from an industry they’re not familiar with and still did a great job. We’d still be working together if I didn’t find company specifically well-versed in marketing our services.
Start the project off right by communicating an accurate analysis of where your business stands. Furthermore, projects like this require a lot of moving parts. If everyone isn’t on the same page, the whole project can be thrown off quickly. I required Spectrum to integrate a Google Docs solution that enabled everyone to see the project’s current deadlines and goals. New customers should hold Spectrum to that process to ensure an organized engagement.
Overall Score They’ve done a great job for us and I appreciate their efforts.
They met all deadlines.
The cost is competitive with industry standards.
Their services were timely and of high-quality.
I’d refer them to anyone.
SEO & SEM for Private Cloud Software
"We've started to create campaign categories to help us refine things more."
Spectrum Group Online provides SEM and message testing consultation services to establish baseline messages, call-to-actions, and marketing behaviors. They conduct two-week testing to evaluate an ad’s success.
VP of Marketing, Private Cloud Software
Spectrum Group Online’s rate of work has facilitated five rounds of ad testing over a 10-week period and doubled the number of impressions while keeping clicks at 1-2%. The team has embraced a methodology that meets the client’s intent but can continue to improve their communication and efficiency.
I’m the VP of marketing and business development. I run the standard outbound marketing tasks including PR, analyst relations, web messaging, sales tools, and demand generation. I have three people on my team.
The problem with SEO and SEM is that there’s a lot of expertise that you need in terms of real-time learning because Google changes its algorithm. The best practices that worked a year ago may not work now. One of my theses of marketing is to outsource projects within a space that’s dynamic and changes a lot so that you’re getting that agency’s knowledge from hopefully five to 10 other companies. What you get back is advice that’s rooted in experience that’s relatively fresh. That’s why I searched for an agency.
We’re a series B company which means we’ve only had two rounds of investment. In a startup, when you’re early stage funding gauged in funding rounds, you tend to be more improvisational and anecdotal. You tend to look at the big picture like, how many meetings did I get? You don’t worry about MQL and SQL ratings because you’re just trying to get in front of people and try new ideas. We’re still very much in the experimental phase.
With Spectrum, I was trying to learn more about message testing. I want to have basic search engine marketing up. Rather than full-on optimum performance and SEO, I was trying to use SEM to figure out where are the honeypots and how can we at least make sure that we’re attracting qualified buyers to the site. We don’t even know what our buy messages are yet, so it’s a different use case.
What is the team dynamic?
Massimo [CEO, Spectrum Group Online] has a lot of pinch hitters. Massimo, by my observation, has cobbled together a company with two principals, him and Alyson, and they subcontract everybody else. I spend the most time with Massimo and Shanee. We’ve had a few people in to help do reporting, Yuan and Dan for example. but I’ve recently learned that I don’t need that reporting, so I’ve cut that out of the program to save some money.
I worked with Massimo a few years back and gave them a call. What I wanted was somebody local, grounded, and hands-on. That’s the way I remembered Massimo.
We spend $3,000 per month. We’ve spent $12,000 or $13,000 so far.
We started working with them in June of 2017, and the relationship is ongoing.
Massimo’s team thought that we knew our message and they were there to help us fine-tune call to actions and behavior around that, but that’s not where we are. We’re still learning what our sales motion is, what door to open, what to say. I’ve been trying to get message testing into their brains, trying something for a week to see if I get enough impressions and clicks but not optimizing it yet. It took a while to understand what I wanted and come up with a methodology that was comfortable to them even though it was still pushing the limits.
Most people in SEM would want to test an ad for a month. I don’t have a month to sit and wait on a bad ad. I need to find out if it’s a bad ad in days or weeks, so we’ve agreed to do two-week testing. That gave us the ability to do about five rounds over the last 10 weeks and we’ve gone from 500 impressions per day to over 1,000 while keeping the clicks about 1% to 2%. We found some decent sandboxes to play in to refine further in the last 10 weeks. We’ve started to create campaign categories to help us refine things more.
If I was harder hitting in the beginning in telling them not to think the way they’re supposed to think and if Massimo’s team listened more or did more due diligence upfront about what I really wanted, we probably wouldn’t have spent four weeks getting to that place, but we finally got there.
There’s room for improvement. It’s a delicate balance. If I over-communicate, then I get billed more. If they under-communicate, I don’t know if things have been done, and I think we’re still working on that and agreeing more than we did. What are we going to cover in the meeting we have every Monday? How are we going to make sure we do accurate testing where we change just enough to be sure with the test that changed? Did we do a clever and careful and clear AB test as an example without changing too many variables in the AB test?
In the last two or three weeks, we’ve arrived into a nice rhythm, but it took us a while to get there. Sometimes I still have to ask them to show me the ads. I’m still pushing to get refined, clear, simple communication, but compared to where it was 10 weeks ago, it’s much better. I’d say we’re B+ getting to A-.
That’s a hard one to judge.
It would have been better for us to dig deeper into what we want and how they do things. They were hung up on optimizing when I was asking, 'why optimize something when we don’t even know if it’s right or we could do 10 times better if we keep playing around?' I think using SEM for message testing is a bit odd. It’s not something everybody knows how to do or is comfortable with, or they want to take a more pragmatic approach. I have board pressure, fundraising pressure, and my boss’ pressure. For someone to say let’s let it sit for four weeks, that’s not a startup. We have to go faster. I pushed them beyond their comfort zone. That was good. I think if they have a client like me next time, they’ll know better and they’ll run faster.
Overall Score The last 12 weeks has been a learning curve. I’ve learned a lot from them. We’re trying to do something uncommon with SEM.
I’m still paying more than I should. The learning curve that I went through and I’m going through helps to make sure that our bill is more reasonable.
Initially it wasn’t going well, but it’s better now. That will potentially move to a better score over time.
Not every agency is right for everybody. Having a contractor model on top of a boutique central team may not be acceptable for all companies.
AdWords & SEO for Delivery & Logistics Company
"They are really passionate about this. It’s like a hobby for them."
Nov. 2016 - Ongoing
Spectrum Group provided SEO and AdWords consultation for a logistics company. They optimized site structure and content, advised on marketing strategies, and implemented user tracking tools.
1001-10,000 Employees
Director of Marketing, Delivery & Logistics Company
Since the relationship began, the site saw consistent increases in web traffic and qualified leads while reducing conversion costs from $200 to $35. Spectrum Group impressed with their enthusiastic professionalism, thorough documentation, and willingness to adapt their methods to suit the project.
We’re a large manufacturing company with a global presence. We have 1500 team members and 1.5 million square feet. We primarily focus on creating logistics packaging and design. I’m our head of marketing.
We needed help in running Google ads, understanding how search engine marketing and search engine optimization work. We also needed help structuring both our site’s architecture, content, changing our language, understanding user behavior in order to increase qualified traffic to our website. Specifically, with ads, we wanted to bring in qualified leads. I understood what I wanted to do, but it was more efficient for me to work with someone who is an expert in it.
They helped in the copy of the ads and understanding which ads were most effective in terms of delivering users. They have been great in helping me get very efficient in terms of cost. What I consider an acquisition, from their eyes is a person calls us for a quote or more information or they fill out a form. They have helped me drive down that cost considerably. They have helped me with the architecture of the site with things like meta tags, the language we use to set up the different elements of our website to bring in the users, to put software on my website, and some tracking what user behavior does. It’s inexpensive, lightweight software. I’m changing my site and I’m adapting it based on their recommendations.
The head is Massimo [CEO, Spectrum Group Online] and he oversees things. He has great insights in terms of Google. I also work with Alyson [Online Marketing, Spectrum Group Online] who is kind of a partner of his and is great at helping me understand the content of my website and what is appealing to my target audience. I work with Jen [SEO Specialist] whose specialty is Google Links and infrastructure. They also have another assistant who facilitates. I have about an hour meeting with them monthly and they send me reports in the interim.
We decided to do an analysis with the agency I work with on my website. We knew there were things we needed to uncover. I did a website analysis with one woman and I wanted to start employing her recommendations. She referred us to their agency. We met with them in person and figured they were the right way to go. I didn’t look at any other companies because I knew what I wanted to do and they were a good fit.
Most of the money was up front. We now have a $5,000 ongoing retainer.
We started working together in November 2016 and the work is ongoing.
Every month our website traffic goes up consistently. Having them work for me has definitely facilitated that. I’ve reduced my cost for conversation. Let’s say it started at $200. Now it’s down to $35-$40 dollars.
They’re very responsive and professional. They’d be better serving a bigger organization because they’re so good at following up and giving meeting notes. In some cases, it’s just me managing it, so I don’t need that level of professionalism that they’re providing.
They are really passionate about this. It’s like a hobby for them. They also teach this as a course at Berkeley Continuing Education. Being located in Silicon Valley, to have somebody so interested and it be essentially a hobby, as well as a professional pursuit, is the differentiating factor.
We initially had a start where they had to get to know my style as how they communicated. They’ve adapted to that. I wasn’t getting the reports I needed and I felt we were mixing signals, but they adapted to the way that worked best with me. At first I struggled, but now we’re through that.
Do you have any advice for potential clients looking to hire somebody in this field?
You should hire someone specifically to do the job. There are so many changes with Google. Even if you’re really sophisticated, I wouldn’t trust yourself to do it on your own. It’s better to hire someone who is also not embroiled in the day to day of your website. Get someone who can take a step back and look at it from a Google perspective. I wouldn’t try to do it on your own.
Overall Score We’re still not totally there, but I’m at fault in that, too.
Digital Marketing for Microwave Company
"They care about your website as much as you do. It's a pleasure to work with them."
Oct. 2014 - Ongoing
Spectrum Group Online provides ongoing digital marketing services, including optimizing design elements, developing content, paid search, keyword analysis, and more.
President, Microwave Company
Spectrum Group Online delivers a personal touch and provides a service-oriented team that is easy to communicate with. Their work produces consistent traffic growth and high-quality leads, which lowers expenses. They even created a way to measure and track results when it couldn’t be done before.
I’m the president of a company that designs and manufactures microwave and millimeter wave components.
We were trying to keep our brand relevant online. We're a leader in our space and a well-recognized brand in our industry. Our target market is global. We’ve done a lot of marketing over the years, including traditional marketing, event marketing, PR, and magazine advertising. We wanted to make sure that we were as strong and recognized online as we were offline.
The process was highly collaborative. We know our industry, and they know theirs, so we had a meeting to discuss the breadth of possible keywords as well as which ones to focus on. They brought us a lot of new opportunities and ideas, and we worked with them on some of the key terms that we thought define our product set.
We worked with them on our website as well. They helped us optimize our design — both from a usability and search perspective. Since then, we've engaged with them to develop the content on the site, expand our link profile, and manage our paid search efforts. They've also contributed to our resources and solution sections on the website, looking at technical notes as well as market specific solution information.
I found them through a friend from a business group, and he is one of the sharpest programmers that I know. I figured that if anyone would know who's good out there, it would be him. You get bombarded with emails, and there are different levels of operators out there, so that recommendation really allowed us to cut through the clutter.
When I met Massimo, the CEO of Spectrum Group Online, I was immediately impressed with his technical credentials, personal approach, and customer service-oriented attitude. To us, this means that he knows what he's doing and that he and his team can give you a very high level of service. We saw in Spectrum Group Online a lot of the things that we see in our own company in terms of customer service, high performance, good reputation, and standing for quality.
How much have you invested with Spectrum Group Online?
I think they were very competitive. In terms of the hours and effort they put in, they can balance the ongoing program development and growth areas along with the unexpected problems and issues that come up. We’ve always had the feeling that we're been over-serviced just in terms of how responsive they are and how willing they are to dive in and work with you.
What is the status of this engagement?
I started working with them in October 2014, and our collaboration is ongoing.
Could you share any evidence that would demonstrate the productivity, quality of work, or the impact of the engagement?
On the organic search side, we've seen more of our pages listed and our placement has improved. On the paid search side, they have improved our site quality score. It really helps you leverage your expenditures because you're getting more of a return on investment regarding where you place in the paid ad. They've also managed to deliver the audience share we want while still meeting our budget. They’ve optimized our expenditures on the paid site, which has resulted in a growth of traffic and higher quality leads.
We don't have an e-commerce site per se; we've got more of a quoting engine. Massimo helped us define a metric on that in terms of conversion. For the first time, we got something we can follow and measure, which has really helped. He also proposed other ways to capture that information in terms of phone-call monitoring and things like that. He’s delivered in the areas where we needed him to and has good ideas on other ways to measure and track.
Very well. We have monthly calls and those have been the main form of communication. Via email, they’re very responsive and always available. Each person on the team has a different role. It's been great having access to the project manager, as well as being able to work directly with the people who are executing. It’s not like you got this massive, dispersed team. They're very focused and you know who's doing what. That's been really easy to interface with.
What did you find most impressive about Spectrum Group Online?
They're great in so many different ways — the service element, communication, availability, responsiveness — but I think the main thing is the personal touch. They care about your website as much as you do. They're just nice people. It's a pleasure to work with them.
Are there any areas Spectrum Group Online could improve?
Nothing stands out. I don't think we've ever been left waiting for a response or anything like that. I'm excited to see them grow, add more folks to the team, and broaden their skills. If there are any areas that they’re not experts in, they work with the right people to get it done, so I don't think there's ever been a gap.
Overall Score They’ve been phenomenal. I’m really happy.
They're pretty timely.
SEO and SEM for Fruit Vendor
"[They] do an amazing job of educating people …. That really instilled confidence in us to move forward."
Spectrum Group replaced an existing SEO provider and augmented an internal marketing team by educating the team on best SEO practices. They also help with Google AdWords, keyword research, and social media ads.
Marketing Manager, Fruit Vendor
The team at Spectrum Group works well together, but what sets them apart is their willingness and ability to teach an internal team how to best do their job. Their availability and responsiveness are top-notch. They are reliable in meeting deadlines, and even improve accountability in their clients.
We deliver fruit to offices as a wellness benefit. Often what we’re doing is getting into the breakroom, delivering fruit to employees who want a healthier option instead of the junk food that’s normally in a breakroom. I’m the marketing manager, and I’ve been in this role for a couple years. I manage our marketing department, including our print and digital efforts.
When I moved into my current role, we realized we weren’t doing enough in digital. We wanted to increase our presence in social media and ads. We did work with an SEO group. As part of my transition into this role, I did a bunch of classes and started learning more about the space. I met Massimo, the owner of Spectrum Group, through one of my classes. I instantly started learning from them, and I felt there was a need for us to transition from our current SEO provider to Massimo.
The first step was to educate us. Massimo and Spectrum are teachers at heart, so they educated us on the rules and principles to live by for quality SEO. From there, we developed a strategy, that we’re still continuing to implement, around how we can participate more heavily on improving our SEO standings, while keeping them good and healthy. Also, on the ad space, they’re helping us a bunch with our Google AdWords, which is more on the SEM side. They’re definitely helping us build out those creatives in respect to the ads.
They also help us to investigate and learn what our keywords are, and how to get the most and best bang for our buck. They constantly give me a checklist about what we can do to help navigate the SEO in the right direction. We have an internal social media person, but we are looking at whether we can have them help us with the ads for our social media.
The initial meeting was in a class that I took through UC Berkeley. I took two separate classes with them, so I got to know them through the 12 weeks of the classes, and I learned a lot from them. I looked at some of the suggestions they gave us through the class, and how that correlated back to the business. Massimo and Alyson do an amazing job of educating people and really driving people to the statistics of what it means to be [search engine optimized]. That really instilled confidence in us to move forward.
The work began in October of 2015, and the relationship is ongoing.
We’re a national brand, and we deliver nationwide; however, we do have a very local presence. We like to use local couriers and local fruit. Part of the strategy with Spectrum was around how we can be seen on the internet as a national brand that focuses locally. We developed landing pages that are focused on that, and built keywords that are focused on that national but local strategy.
We recently worked with Spectrum to identify some metatags and meta-descriptions that needed correction. They developed the standards of what those should be, and then also helped us identify some training for our own team around how to write that content. That helps dramatically with our click-through rates and our bounce rates, as it leads people in the right direction to find what they’re searching for.
They’re amazing. They’re super-responsive. I can rely on Massimo and Alyson specifically to respond within 24 hours of getting an email from me. I have a monthly call with them that’s a two-hour meeting, and they’re very willing to be available on whatever chat feature I’m using to ask them a quick question. Massimo and Alyson have visited our office several times. Their availability and responsiveness are top-notch. They meet all the deadlines, and they’ve actually helped us be more accountable in that area. They encourage our own deadlines for updating the blogs and articles on our sites.
What did you find most impressive about Spectrum Group Online?
They pair very well together as a team. Massimo is really data-driven, and he knows Google like the back of his hand, whereas Alyson is a content person. With those two things paired, they make a really nice duo. I feel they are educators at heart. They’re willing to do the work for you, but if you want to learn to do it yourself, they’re not afraid to teach you how to manage your own SEO and then back off. I think that really sets them apart.
Are there any areas Spectrum Group Online could improve?
They’ve done a great job at building their team up in the past couple months, but I think they probably need more support.
They do a great job meeting deadlines, but I feel like sometimes Massimo gets torn. He has to run the business and also be in the business.
When we were looking to change SEO companies, we did some competitive shopping. They were right up our alley in terms of that.
I’m part of a networking and marketing group. Massimo came to that group last week, free of charge, and did an educational seminar. I hope he gets some business out of that.
Digital Marketing Campaign for Mattress Company
"Spectrum has given us the right tools to figure out how to keep optimizing our website."
Apr. 2016 - Ongoing
Spectrum Group Online provided a full suite of digital marketing services: PPC, SEO, social media, and Google Analytics. They conducted keyword research, then optimized ad buys, placement, and targeting.
Kaytea Petro
Marketing Manager, McRoskey Mattress Company
Spectrum Group has quadrupled site conversions and provided the right tools and guidance to constantly increase optimization. The team contains both results-driven, linear people and wonky data people; their project manager was the star of the show. They prioritize education and cooperation.
McRoskey Mattress Company makes the world’s best mattresses by hand. We're in San Francisco, and we have been doing this since 1899. I’m the marketing manager.
Our company had previously done digital marketing, specifically pay per click ads, but not had a lot of success with it. Spectrum offered us a complete package. In addition to pay-per-click, ad creation, and management services, they offered SEO, Google Analytics, social... the whole digital package.
From a digital perspective, Spectrum did all the keyword research. We reviewed it, and then they managed and optimized the ad buys, placement, targeting, and all that stuff. For SEO, we went through a process about a year ago where they helped us improve SEO on our old website.
We recently redeveloped our website, and the new site was just launched. In that process, Spectrum was our SEO partner. As we created new pages, they optimized them for SEO. They also went back through the pages after we did some tweaks, to ensure proper keyword placement.
We did social ads with them, and we went through various types of targeting. It turned out that social doesn’t work very well for us because of the type of product we sell. However, through that process, they helped us figure out a lot of demographics. We learned that social only works for us with a special offer or promotion. They did a little content creation, but I like to keep that in-house.
Spectrum was hired before I started working for the company. When I started, I reviewed all the agencies of record we had. I eliminated almost all of them, except for Spectrum, because they were ineffective. The people at Spectrum are smart and competent.
It ranges between $1,500 and $6,500 monthly. [$18,000-78,000 for 12 months]
The work began in April of 2016, and our relationship is ongoing. They’re now working on a project for our sales department. They’re doing a deep dive with customers, to find out their motivations, as a way of driving our future acquisition strategy.
Spectrum has given us the right tools to figure out how to keep optimizing our website. We were doing a continuous test on optimization as we were building the new site, and they provided a lot of tools and guidance to help us with that. Since we relaunched the site, our conversion rate has increased. We’re a week out from launch, and the new site is a 4% conversion rate, whereas the old site was somewhere between 0.9% and 1.2%.
Internally, there’s a lot of questioning of the efficacy of digital marketing. There are two camps, and they both feel passionate. Because of our long sales process, it’s been very hard to build an attribution model to find out the details.
Alyson is their project manager, and she is great. She is very good at herding all the captains in place and laying out the process. They’ve met all the project deadlines. They set a reasonable pace and reasonable expectations. The other key skill of a project manager is to be able to communicate with different types of people, with different comfort levels with technology. While I may be clear on why we’re doing what we’re doing, from a technology standpoint, there are a lot of conversations about why we’re doing certain things. Alyson is very good at that.
They go above and beyond for us. They are really interested in education, and they also teach at an MBA program. They do a very good job of partnering with you and educating people. The first thing they do is a workshop with everyone in the company, to teach them how to do certain things, so they could work better together.
Massimo is very smart and gets things done, but he is very easily distracted. Alyson is very linear and stays on task. So, in communicating with them, it’s the most efficacious to go through Alyson, unless you have something that’s about some weird, wonky, data thing. In general, she’s better at giving complete answers, and not just being in the weeds.
We had to move stuff around a bit. We’re chaotic around here as well, so I get it.
I own an agency, and I know that services can be less expensive.
I have referred them already.
© 2020 Clutch
We updated our Terms of Service
on April 24, 2019.
Why Clutch
Widgets, Logos, Badges
Leader Awards
Find Agency Jobs
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4263
|
__label__wiki
| 0.78474
| 0.78474
|
The Gaia mission, part of ESA’s Cosmic Vision programme, will create an extraordinarily precise three-dimensional map of more than one billion stars in our Milky Way by around 2022. The Gaia spacecraft, launched on 19 December 2013, has been making scientific observations of the universe since July 2014 and has so far already delivered spectacular data. TNO developed a diagnostic system on the basis of silicon carbide to monitor the behaviour of Gaia’s telescopes, which behave differently in space than predicted by models, and thus the TNO monitoring system plays a crucial role in the mission’s success.
The Gaia spacecraft succeeds Hipparcos, which mapped over 100,000 stars since 1989. Gaia will lead to an unprecedented number of new discoveries with about 100 new asteroids a day in our solar system, 10 new stars with planets, 50 new exploding stars in other galaxies, and 300 new distant quasars. Exo-planets will be detected by measuring the tiny movement of the star, caused by the small gravitation pull of the planet. It is also estimated that Gaia will discover about 15 000 new exo-planets during its five-year operational lifetime.
Picometer metrology
The Gaia spacecraft measures the angles between stars using two telescopes set at a fixed angle of 106.5°, named the Basic Angle. The astrometric measurements will be accurate to 24 microarcsec (at 15 magnitude), comparable to measuring the diameter of a human hair at a distance of 1000 kilometres. This requires ultra high stability, which can only be achieved by using Silicon Carbide for the optical bench and telescopes. In addition, Gaia is equipped with a metrology system to monitor the angle between the two telescopes (the Basic Angle Monitoring Opto-Mechnical Assembly – BAM OMA, developed by TNO). This system consists of two laser interferometers. Two pairs of parallel laser bundles are sent to the two telescopes, which create two interference patterns on a detector. If the basic angle varies, the interference patterns will shift. The Basic Angle variation is measured within a precision of 0.5 microarcsec, during an observation period of 5 minutes, which equals an Optical Path Difference (OPD) as small as 1.5 picometers.
The BAM OMA consists of two optical benches, a number of flat mirrors, beam splitters, fibre collimators and periscopes. In order to fulfil the stability requirements for such accurate OPD measurements, the entire BAM OMA is constructed from Silicon Carbide. BAM OMA's components were developed in close collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology and with the support of the Netherlands Space Office (NSO).
Silicon Carbide (SiC) has a number of advantages:
High specific stiffness
High thermal conductivity
Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
Good isotropy
The sintered SiC components, designed by TNO, were manufactured by Airbus DS/Mersen-Boostec. SiC is brittle and very hard. Therefore machining of SiC components after sintering, shall be minimised as far as possible. This requires a different approach in design, compared to working with conventional materials such as Aluminium. The BAM OMA shall have an extremely small Wave Front Error (WFE), less than 25 nm RMS over the entire optical path. TNO has developed processes for in house polishing of SiC mirrors to very low surface errors.
The Gaia mission is already delivering spectacular data to scientists and, by around 2022, will provide us with a very accurate three-dimensional map of our Milky Way galaxy. The Gaia spacecraft, launched... Read more
Ing. Wim Gielesen
Location Delft - Stieltjesweg
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4265
|
__label__wiki
| 0.75595
| 0.75595
|
IMF Financial Operations 2015
International Monetary Fund. Finance Dept.
IMF Financial Operations 2015 provides a broad introduction to how the IMF fulfills its mission through its financial activities. It covers the financial structure and operations of the IMF and also provides background detail of the financial statements for the IMF's activities during the most recent financial year. This publication (currently in its second edition) updates a previous report entitled Financial Organization and Operations of the IMF, first published in 1986 and last issued in 2001 (the sixth edition). That 2001 report reflected the seismic shifts in the global economy and in the IMF's structure and operations that occurred after the fall of the Soviet Union and the various currency and financial crises of the 1990s. This revised and updated report covers more recent developments, including measures taken in response to the global financial crisis of 2007-09 and the institutional reforms aimed at ensuring that the IMF's governance structure evolves in line with developments in the global economy, measures to enhance the financial safety net for developing economies, as well as reforms to the IMF's income model.
1. Overview of the IMF as a Financial Institution
2. Nonconcessional Financial Operations
3. Financial Assistance for Low-Income Countries
4. Special Drawing Rights
5. The IMF’S Income Model
6. Financial Risk Management
2.1 Financing Nonconcessional Lending Operations: Resources and Liabilities
2.1.1 Quotas
2.1.2 The Quota Formula
2.1.3 Quota Increases under General Reviews
2.1.4 Ad Hoc Quota Increases
2.1.5 Recent Quota, Voice, and Governance Reforms
2.1.6 Borrowing by the IMF
2.1.6.1 General Arrangements to Borrow
2.1.6.2 New Arrangements to Borrow
2.1.6.3 Bilateral Loan and Note Purchase Agreements
2.2 The IMF’s Financing Mechanism
2.2.1 The Financial Transactions Plan
2.2.2 NAB Resource Mobilization Plan
2.3 The Asset Side
2.3.1 Financial Policies and Facilities: The GRA Lending Toolkit
2.3.1.1 Stand-By Arrangements
2.3.1.2 Extended Fund Facility
2.3.1.3 Flexible Credit Line
2.3.1.4 Precautionary and Liquidity Line
2.3.1.5 Rapid Financing Instrument
2.3.1.6 Trade Integration Mechanism
2.3.2 Credit Outstanding
2.3.2.1 Balance of Payments Need
2.3.2.2 Access Policy
2.3.2.3 Conditionality and Phasing
2.3.2.4 Extended Rights to Purchase: Blackout Periods
2.3.2.5 Repurchase Policies
2.3.3 Gold Holdings
2.3.3.1 Gold in the Articles of Agreement
2.3.3.2 The IMF’s Policy on Gold
2.3.3.3 IMF Gold Sales, 2009–10
2.4 The IMF’s Balance Sheet and Income Statement
2.4.1 The Balance Sheet
2.4.2 Operational Income
2.4.3 Operational Expenses
2.4.4 Administrative Expenses
2.4.5 Net Income
2.4.6 Valuation of Currencies
2.5 Special Disbursement Account
2.6 IMF Accounts in Member Countries
2.6.1 Disclosure of Financial Position with the IMF by Member Countries
The Size of the IMF
The IMF Lending Mechanism: An Exchange of Assets
Members’ Financial Positions in the General Resources Account
Outstanding IMF Credit by Facility, 1990–2015
Median and Interquartile Range for Annual Average Access under Stand-By and Extended Arrangements 1
Distribution of Average Annual Access under General Resource Account Arrangements, 1990–2015
The IMF resources are held in the General Department, which consists of three separate accounts: the General Resources Account (GRA), the Special Disbursement Account (SDA), and the Investment Account (IA). The GRA is the principal account of the IMF and handles by far the largest share of transactions between the IMF and its members. The GRA can best be described as a pool of currencies and reserve assets largely built from members’ fully paid capital subscriptions in the form of quotas (Box 2.1).
Quotas are the building blocks of the IMF’s financial and governance structure. An individual member’s quota broadly reflects its relative economic position in the world economy and also takes into account the quotas of similar countries. Quotas determine the maximum amount of financial resources that a member is obliged to provide to the IMF, its voting power in the IMF, and its share of Special Drawing Right (SDR) allocations. The financial assistance a member may obtain from the IMF is also generally based on its quota.
Quota subscriptions are the basic source of financing for the GRA. The IMF may also supplement its quota resources by borrowing. Borrowing by the IMF to finance the extension of credit through the GRA is an important complement to the use of quota resources, but it remains the exception rather than the rule and is used to supplement quota resources on a temporary basis (generally used only during periods of economic crisis).
This chapter starts by explaining the resources and liabilities of the GRA and the IMF’s quota system, including the quota formula and the periodic reviews of the overall size of the IMF in the context of the general quota reviews. It then reviews recent quota, governance, and voice reforms. It describes the borrowing arrangements used to supplement quota resources, including the General Arrangements to Borrow (GAB), New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB), and bilateral agreements. This is followed by a description of the IMF’s Financing Mechanism of the General Resources Account and how the IMF makes resources available to member countries.
The second part of the chapter describes the asset side of the GRA. It outlines the lending toolkit and traces the evolution and responsiveness of lending policies to changes in the nature of balance of payments disturbances and to the recent expansion of IMF credit in the wake of the 2007–09 global financial crisis, including the review of IMF lending terms and conditions. The remainder of the chapter consists of a historical review of the sources and uses of gold in the IMF. The chapter concludes with a review of the balance sheet and income statement.
The IMF is a quota-based institution. Each member country is assigned a quota based broadly on its relative economic position in the world economy and pays a capital subscription to the IMF equal to that quota. Quotas are expressed in SDRs, and their size is determined by the IMF’s Board of Governors. As of April 30, 2015, total quotas of all members amounted to approximately SDR 238 billion.1 Once the quota reform under the Fourteenth General Review becomes effective, quotas will double to approximately SDR 477 billion. A list of members and their quotas is provided in Appendix 1.
Quotas constitute the primary source of the IMF’s financial base and play several key roles in its relationship with its members.
Subscriptions: A member’s quota subscription determines the maximum amount of financial resources it must provide to the IMF. The IMF’s regular lending is financed from the fully paid-in capital subscribed by member countries.2 A quarter of a member’s quota subscription is normally paid in reserve assets (SDRs or foreign currencies acceptable to the IMF), with the remainder paid in the member’s own currency (Box 2.2). The IMF has made arrangements to help members with insufficient reserves pay the reserve asset portion of their quota subscription payment through a same-day no-cost IMF lending operation (see Box 4.6).
Voting power: Quotas largely determine the distribution of voting power to IMF members and thereby their decision-making and representation on the Executive Board. A member’s total votes are equal to its basic votes plus one additional vote for each SDR 100,000 in quota. The number of basic votes is the same for all members, which helps strengthen the relative voting power of members with smaller quotas. In the context of the 2008 Quota and Voice Reforms, basic votes tripled from 250 a member, where they had stood since the IMF’s inception. In addition, a mechanism was adopted to fix the ratio of total basic votes to total votes. This became effective in March 2011. The total number of basic votes now adjusts automatically when quotas are increased to ensure that basic votes represent 5.502 percent of total votes. Many decisions are made by a simple majority vote, although special voting majorities are required for some important financial decisions (see Appendix 2).
Access to financing: Quotas continue to play a role in determining member countries’ access to IMF resources, subject to limits set by the Articles of Agreement and the Executive Board. For example, under Stand-By and Extended Arrangements, a member can borrow up to 200 percent of its quota annually and 600 percent cumulatively under normal access. In exceptional circumstances, these access limits may be exceeded (see the subsection on access policy).
SDR holdings: Quotas also determine a member’s share in a general allocation of SDRs (Article XVIII, Section 2(b)).
The initial quotas of the original members of the IMF were determined at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 (Schedule A of the Articles of Agreement); those of subsequent members have been determined by the IMF’s Board of Governors, based on principles consistent with those applied to existing members. The IMF can adjust quotas within the context of five-year general reviews and on an ad hoc basis outside of general reviews. An 85 percent majority of voting power in the Board of Governors is needed to change quotas.
The determination of the quota of a new member is based on the principle that a member’s quota should be in the same range as the quotas of existing members of comparable economic size and characteristics. Operationally, this principle has been applied through the use of quota formulas and use of comparator countries. Since the IMF’s inception, the calculated quota shares derived from the quota formulas have been used to help guide decisions regarding the relative size and distribution of members’ actual quotas (Box 2.3).
Quota formulas have evolved over time. The original formula devised at Bretton Woods in 1944 contained national income, official reserves, imports, export variability, and the ratio of exports to national income.
A multi-formula approach was adopted in the early 1960s, when the Bretton Woods formula was revised and supplemented by four other formulas containing the same basic variables but with larger weights for external trade and export variability. The Bretton Woods formula, with its relatively high weight on national income, generally favored large economies, while the additional four formulas tended to produce higher quotas than the Bretton Woods formula for smaller, more open economies. This multi-formula approach was further modified in the early 1980s.
In 2008, as part of the Quota and Voice Reforms, the complex multi-formula approach was greatly simplified and made more transparent. A single formula was adopted that relates a member’s quota to its output, external openness, economic variability, and international reserves (Box 2.3). The revised approach was based on four principles—the formula should be (1) simple and transparent; (2) consistent with the multiple roles of quotas; (3) produce results that are broadly acceptable to the membership; and (4) feasible to implement statistically based on timely, high-quality, and widely available data. It was widely agreed that GDP should be the most important variable in the formula because of its central role in determining the relative economic position of members.
There were differences of view among members over whether GDP should be calculated at market exchange rates or purchasing-power-parity (PPP) rates. The final blended variable represents a compromise and comprises 60 percent market-based GDP and 40 percent GDP at PPP. External openness retained its traditional importance in the quota formula, reflecting members’ relative participation in global trade and finance, and variability and reserves were also retained as indicators of relative potential need by members for IMF resources and of potential to contribute to IMF resources, respectively. The formula contains a compression factor that mitigates the impact of size of the quota variables. Both the use of PPP GDP and the compression factor are compromise elements that the Executive Board agreed to include subject to review after 20 years.
In December 2010, the Board of Governors approved a major Quota and Governance Reform (discussed in Chapter 1 and here under General Reviews). As part of this reform a comprehensive review of the quota formula was called for by January 2013.
In FY2013, the Executive Board held several discussions on the quota formula review and, in January 2013, submitted a report on the outcome of the review to the Board of Governors.3 In this report, the Executive Board noted that important progress had been made in identifying key elements that could form the basis for a final agreement on a new quota formula. It was agreed that achieving broad consensus on a new quota formula would best be done in the context of the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas rather than through a stand-alone process. The principles spelled out in 2008 would continue to apply. The Executive Board agreed that GDP should remain the most important variable. It was also agreed that openness was an important aspect of the formula. There was also considerable support for retaining the reserves variable. Extensive consideration was given to the role of variability, which seeks to capture members’ potential need for IMF resources; however, given the lack of empirical evidence between variability and actual demand for IMF resources, there was considerable support for dropping variability from the formula. It was generally agreed that the quota formula should continue to include a compression factor to help moderate the influence of size in the quota formula.4
The IMF conducts general reviews of all members’ quotas at least every five years.5 Such reviews allow the IMF to assess the adequacy of quotas in terms of members’ needs for conditional liquidity and the IMF’s ability to finance those needs. A general review also allows for adjustments to members’ quotas to reflect changes in their relative positions in the world economy. Of the general reviews conducted to date, only one (in 1958/59) was outside the five-year cycle.
The main issues addressed in general quota reviews are the size of an overall increase in quotas and the distribution of the increase among the members. General reviews do not always result in quota increases. Six reviews concluded that no increase in overall quotas was needed. In the other eight reviews, the overall quota increase ranged from 31 percent to 100 percent (Tables 2.1 and 2.2). Once the quota increases under the Fourteenth General Review become effective, the IMF’s total approved quotas will double to SDR 477 billion.
Table 2.1General Reviews of Quotas(Percent)
Review of Quotas
Board of Governors’ Adoption of Resolution
Equiproportional Increase1
Selective Increase2
Ad hoc Increase3
Overall Increase
Entry into Effect
First Quinquennial March 8, 1951 n.a. n.a.
Second Quinquennial January 19, 1956 n.a. n.a.
1958/59 February 2, 1959 April 6, 19594 50.0 0.0 10.7 60.7 April 6, 1959
Third Quinquennial December 16, 1960 n.a. n.a.
Fourth Quinquennial March 31, 1965 25.0 0.0 5.7 30.7 February 23, 1966
Fifth General February 9, 1970 25.0 0.0 10.4 35.4 October 30, 1970
Sixth General5 March 22, 1976 variable variable variable 33.6 April 1, 1978
Seventh General December 11, 1978 50.0 0.0 0.9 50.9 November 29, 1980
Eighth General March 31, 1983 19.0 28.5 0.0 47.5 November 30, 1983
Ninth General June 28, 1990 30.0 20.0 0.0 50.0 November 11, 1992
Tenth General January 17, 1995 n.a. n.a.
Eleventh General January 30, 1998 33.75 6.75 4.5 45.0 January 22, 1999
Twelfth General January 30, 2003 n.a. n.a.
Thirteenth General January 28, 2008 n.a. n.a.
Fourteenth General6 December 15, 2010 0.0 60.0 40.0 100.0
Source: Finance Department, International Monetary Fund.Note: n.a. = not applicable; no increase proposed.
1 Distributed to all members in proportion to existing quota shares.
2 Distributed to all members in proportion to calculated quota shares.
3 Distributed to a subset of countries based on agreed criteria.
4 The February 1959 resolution provided for an equiproportional increase of 50 percent and special increases for three members. The resolution adopted in April 1959 provided for special increases for 14 additional members.
5 The quota shares of the major oil exporters were doubled with the stipulation that the collective share of the developing countries would not fall. Different increases applied to different groups of countries and individual countries’ increases within groups varied considerably.
6 Between the Thirteenth and Fourteenth General Reviews, the Executive Board approved the 2008 Reform on April 28, 2008, which provided ad hoc increases for 54 countries. These raised total quotas by 11.5 percent and became effective on March 3, 2011. (The 11.5 percent includes the 2006 ad hoc increases for four countries: China, Korea, Mexico, and Turkey.)
Table 2.2Agreed Changes in IMF Quotas
(Millions of SDRs)1
Change in Proposed Quotas
New Members2
Number of IMF Members
Proposed Quotas
General Review
Ad Hoc and Other
Total3, 4
19445 40 7,514.00 40 7,514.00 — — —
1950 49 8,036.50 10 649.50 — (2.00)6 522.50
(1) (125.00) — — —
1955 58 8,750.50 10 837.00 — 2.006 714.00
(1) (125.00) —
1959 69 14,640.25 11 404.50 5,328.75 156.507 5,889.75
1965 102 20,932.00 34 756.75 4,791.75 793.25 6,291.75
(1) (50.00) — — —
1976 133 38,976.40 17 445.40 9,755.00 — 10,200.40
1978 141 59,605.50 8 140.10 19,839.00 650.00 20,629.10
1983 146 89,236.30 5 394.40 28,176.50 1,059.90 29,630.80
1990 154 135,214.708 10 1,016.75 45,082.15 — 45,978.40
(2) (120.50)
1998 1839 212,029.00 31 12,736.65 65,802.95 40.00 76,814.30
(2) (1,765.30)
2001 183 213,711.00 — — — 1,682.0010 1,682.00
200611 184 217,528.10 1 8.20 — 3,808.90 3,817.10
200811 185 238,327.80 1 27.50 — 20,772.20 20,799.70
2010 188 477,023.6012 3 183.813 238,512.00 — 238,695.80
Source: Finance Department, International Monetary Fund.
1 Quotas in the IMF were expressed in U.S. dollars at the equivalent of the 1934 official gold price until the Sixth General Review of Quotas in 1976, when the IMF’s unit of account switched to the SDR, again valued at the 1934 official gold price. Consequently, the U.S. dollar and SDR, through 1970, are directly comparable at an exchange rate of SDR 1 = US$1.
2 Countries that withdrew from membership or whose memberships were conferred to successor countries are shown in parentheses.
3 As of the dates of adoption of Board of Governors’ resolutions proposing adjustments in members’ quotas.
4 Total change in proposed quota equals quota increases for new members, plus increases under General Quota Reviews, as well as ad hoc and other increases.
5 Excluding Australia, Haiti, Liberia, New Zealand, and the U.S.S.R., which did not join the IMF at the time of the Bretton Woods Agreement (see Schedule A of the Articles of Agreement), and including increases agreed for Egypt, France, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and Paraguay shortly after the IMF began operations.
6 The quota of Honduras was reduced at its request for 1948 but was restored to the original amount in 1951.
7 Includes SDR 121.0 million of special allocations for countries with small quotas.
8 Includes Cambodia, which did not participate in the Ninth General Review.
9 Includes the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which had not yet succeeded to IMF membership. On December 20, 2000, the Executive Board of the IMF determined that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia had fulfilled the necessary conditions for membership.
10 Ad hoc increase for China.
11 The Quota and Voice Reform was implemented in two rounds. In 2006, initial ad hoc quotas increases were agreed for four of the most out of line members (China, Korea, Mexico, and Turkey). This was followed by a second round of ad hoc quota increases for 54 members that were agreed to in 2008.
12 As of April 30, 2014, the completion of the Fourteenth General Review and a proposed amendment to the Articles of Agreement on the reform of the Executive Board were awaiting approval by the membership.
13 Includes Kosovo, South Sudan, and Tuvalu. South Sudan joined in 2011, but its membership resolution provides for an initial quota as well as an increase once the Fourteenth General Review becomes effective.
Quota increases during general reviews have comprised one or more of three possible elements: (1) an equipro-portional element distributed to all members according to their existing quota shares; (2) a selective element distributed to all members in accordance with the quota formula; and (3) an ad hoc element distributed to a subset of members according to an agreed key. The selective element results in changes in quota shares among members. For any overall increase in quotas, the larger the selective increase, the greater the redistribution of quota shares. In the past, the selective component has tended to be relatively small, but its use and ad hoc distributions have increased recently to accelerate redistribution of quota shares to reflect changing global economic dynamics, particularly the greater role of emerging market and developing economies. For example, under the Fourteenth Review, the selective element (in accordance with the quota formula) represented 60 percent of the total. The remaining 40 percent was allocated as ad hoc increases based primarily on the GDP-blend variable, which resulted in significant changes in the distribution of quota shares. The poorest members were also protected.6
A member may request an ad hoc quota adjustment at any time outside of a general review.7 Since 1970, there have been several ad hoc increases in quotas outside the framework of a general review. An ad hoc quota increase for China in 1980 was associated with the change in representation of China in the IMF (The People’s Republic of China replaced Taiwan Republic of China) and took into account the fact that China’s initial quota had never been increased. Saudi Arabia received an ad hoc increase in 1981 to better reflect its position in the world economy and also from the desire to strengthen the IMF’s liquidity position during the developing economy debt crisis before completion of the Eighth Review. A quota increase for Cambodia occurred in 1994, on the resumption of its active relations with the IMF, since its quota had not been increased since 1970. China received a further ad hoc quota increase in 2001 to better reflect its position in the world economy following its resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong SAR.
The ad hoc increase for Japan in the context of the Ninth Review represents the only ad hoc increase for an individual country agreed within the context of a general quota review since 1970. Ad hoc increases were an important aspect of the 2008 Reforms. The IMF Board of Governors in 2006 agreed on initial ad hoc quota increases for four clearly underrep-resented countries—China, Korea, Mexico, and Turkey—which became effective immediately. In 2008, there was agreement on ad hoc increases for a total of 54 underrep-resented members (again including the initial four), which became effective in March 2011 (Table 2.3).
Table 2.3Countries Eligible for the Ad Hoc Quota Increases Agreed under the 2008 Quota and Voice Reforms(Millions of SDRs)
New Quota
Albania 60.0 Lebanon 266.4
Austria 2,113.9 Lithuania 183.9
Bahrain 176.4 Luxembourg 418.7
Bhutan 8.5 Malaysia 1,773.9
Botswana 87.8 Maldives 10.0
Brazil 4,250.5 Mexico 3,625.7
Cabo Verde 11.2 Norway 1,883.7
Chad 66.6 Oman 237.0
China 9,525.9 Palau 3.5
Costa Rica 187.1 Philippines 1,019.3
Cyprus 158.2 Poland 1,688.4
Czech Republic 1,002.2 Portugal 1,029.7
Denmark 1,891.4 Qatar 302.6
Ecuador 347.8 San Marino 22.4
Equatorial Guinea 52.3 Seychelles 10.9
Eritrea 18.3 Singapore 1,408.0
Estonia 93.9 Slovak Republic 427.5
Germany 14,565.5 Slovenia 275.0
Greece 1,101.8 Spain 4,023.4
India 5,821.5 Syria 346.8
Ireland 1,257.6 Thailand 1,440.5
Israel 1,061.1 Timor-Leste 10.8
Italy 7,882.3 Turkey 1,455.8
Japan 15,628.5 Turkmenistan 98.6
Kazakhstan 427.8 United Arab Emirates 752.5
Korea 3,366.4 United States 42,122.4
Latvia 142.1 Vietnam 460.7
A set of reforms was approved by the Board of Governors in April 2008 that came into effect on March 3, 2011, with the entry into force of the “Voice and Participation” amendment to the Articles of Agreement. The 2008 Quota and Voice Reforms strengthened the representation of dynamic economies, many of which are emerging market economies, through ad hoc quota increases for 54 member countries. They also enhanced the voice and participation of low-income countries through (1) a tripling of basic votes—the first increase since the IMF was established in 1945, (2) a mechanism that will keep constant the ratio of basic votes to total votes, and (3) a measure enabling each Executive Director representing 19 or more members to appoint a second Alternate Executive Director.
In December 2010, the Board of Governors approved a Quota and Governance Reform which included the completion of the Fourteenth General Review of Quotas and a proposed amendment to the Articles of Agreement on the reform of the Executive Board (called the Board Reform Amendment), which is awaiting approval by the membership. When effective, this reform package will (1) double quotas to approximately SDR 477 billion (currently about $671 billion), (2) shift more than 6 percent of quota shares to dynamic emerging market and developing economies and from overrepresented to underrepresented countries (exceeding the 5 percent target set by the International Monetary and Financial Committee [IMFC] in 2009), and (3) protect the quota shares and voting power of the poorest members. With this shift, the four largest emerging market economies (Brazil, China, India, and Russia) will be among the IMF’s 10 largest shareholders, along with France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In addition, under the 2010 reform, all members of the Executive Board will be elected, and there is increased scope for appointment of a second Alternate Executive Director to enhance representation of multicountry constituencies. There was also agreement that the combined representation of advanced European economies on the Executive Board would be decreased by two Executive Director positions.
No quota increase under the Fourteenth General Review of Quotas can become effective until three general effectiveness conditions are met: (1) members with no less than 70 percent of the total of quotas on November 5, 2010, consent to the increases in their quotas (this has been met); (2) the Sixth Amendment on Voice and Participation enters into force (which occurred on March 2, 2011); and (3) the proposed Board Reform Amendment becomes effective. The proposed Board Reform Amendment enters into force once the IMF certifies that three-fifths of the members representing 85 percent of the total voting power have accepted it (this is the only remaining condition to be met). As of April 30, 2015, 147 members having 77.2 percent of the total voting power had accepted the proposed amendment to reform the Executive Board, and 164 members having 80.3 percent of IMF quotas (as of November 5, 2010) had consented to their proposed quota increases.8
As part of the agreed package of 2010 Quota and Governance Reform, the Board of Governors asked the Executive Board to complete a comprehensive review of the quota formula by January 2013 and to advance the timetable for the completion of the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas to January 2014. As the Board Reform Amendment has not yet entered into force, the initiation of the work on the Fifteenth Review has been put on hold to facilitate the achievement of the required acceptance threshold for the entry into force of the Board Reform Amendment, which is as noted above one of the general conditions for effectiveness of the quota increases under the Fourteenth General Review of Quotas. In January 2014, the Board of Governors agreed to move the deadline for the completion of the Fifteenth Review to January 2015.
In its report to the Board of Governors in January 2015, the Executive Board noted that it had so far delayed commencement of its work on the Fifteenth Review in order to facilitate the implementation of the 2010 Reforms. The Executive Board reiterated its agreement that achieving broad consensus on a new quota formula would best be done in the context of the Fifteenth Review, and that the discussion on this issue would be integrated and move in parallel with the discussion on the Fifteenth Review. In its Resolution No. 70–1, adopted on February 18, 2015, the Board of Governors called for the completion of the Fifteenth Review by December 15, 2015, in line with the deadline mandated for the regular reviews of quotas under the Articles of Agreement.
While quota subscriptions of member countries are its primary source of financing, the IMF can supplement its quota resources through borrowing if it believes that resources may fall short of members’ needs. Borrowing has played an important role in providing temporary, supplemental resources to the institution at critical junctures. The IMF maintains two standing borrowing arrangements with official lenders: the General Arrangements to Borrow (GAB) and the New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB). The NAB is the first and principal recourse in the event of a need for supplementary resources. In 2011, the NAB was enlarged and its participation broadened to strengthen IMF liquidity. At times of heightened global risk, a broad group of member countries have also moved to strengthen the IMF’s resources through bilateral loan and note purchase agreements. The IMF may also borrow from private markets, but it has not done so to date.
Official borrowing has at times played a critical role in ensuring that there are sufficient resources to assist IMF members (Figure 2.1). Since 2009, borrowing from bilateral sources and under the enlarged NAB has enabled the IMF to provide substantial financial support to help members deal with the adverse effects of the global financial crisis, both on a precautionary basis and to meet actual balance of payments needs. At the same time, access to borrowed resources has also allowed the IMF to maintain a strong commitment capacity to meet all members’ new requests for financial support, even as outstanding credit and undrawn financing under IMF arrangements rose to record levels.
Figure 2.1The Size of the IMF
1 Fund credit outstanding increased rapidly in response to the global financial crisis. A large portion of this rise in credit was financed by Fund borrowing, which can be mobilized more quickly than increases in quotas.
2 The relative size of Fund borrowing to Fund credit outstanding has recently approached levels last seen in the 1970s.
The General Arrangements to Borrow (GAB) has been in place since 1962 (Table 2.4). It was originally conceived as a means by which the main industrialized countries could stand ready to lend to the IMF up to a specified amount of their currencies. These loans would be made when supplementary resources were needed by the IMF to help finance drawings by GAB participants when such financing would forestall or cope with an impairment of the international monetary system. The industrialized countries have the largest quotas and may, when necessary, claim a large proportion of the IMF’s usable resources; the GAB provided support for the IMF’s financial soundness and ensured that resources available to other countries would not be reduced.
Table 2.4General and New Arrangements to Borrow(Millions of SDRs; as of April 30, 2015)
Australia 4,370 —
Austria 3,579 —
Banco Central de Chile 1,360 —
Banco de Portugal 1,542 —
Bank of Israel 500 —
Belgium 7,862 595
Brazil 8,741 —
Canada 7,624 893
China 31,217 —
Cyprus 340 —
Danmarks Nationalbank 3,208 —
Deutsche Bundesbank 25,371 2,380
Finland 2,232 —
Greece1 1,655 —
Hong Kong Monetary Authority 340 —
India 8,741 —
Ireland1 1,886 —
Italy 13,578 1,105
Japan 65,953 2,125
Korea 6,583 —
Kuwait 341 —
Luxembourg 971 —
Malaysia 340 —
Mexico 4,995 —
Netherlands 9,044 850
New Zealand 624 —
Norway 3,871 —
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas 340 —
National Bank of Poland 2,530 —
Russian Federation 8,741 —
Saudi Arabia 11,126 —
Singapore 1,277 —
South Africa 340 —
Spain 6,702 —
Sveriges Riksbank 4,440 383
Swiss National Bank 10,905 1,020
Thailand 340 —
United States 69,074 4,250
Total 369,997 17,001
Saudi Arabia2 1,500
Source: Finance Department, International Monetary Fund.Note: Totals may not equal sum of components due to rounding. GAB = General Arrangements to Borrow; NAB = New Arrangements to Borrow.
1 The credit arrangements for Greece and Ireland have not yet become effective.
2 Under an associated credit arrangement.
In 1983, primarily in response to emerging strains in the international monetary system, the IMF and the GAB participants agreed to revise and enlarge the GAB from the equivalent of about SDR 6.3 billion to the present total of SDR 17 billion. At that time, the IMF also entered into an associated borrowing agreement with Saudi Arabia for an amount equivalent to SDR 1.5 billion. Subsequently, in connection with the establishment of the New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB) in 1998 (see below), the GAB was revised to allow calls only when a proposal for an activation period under the NAB is rejected by NAB participants.9 The GAB does not add to the IMF’s overall lending envelope, as outstanding drawings and available commitments under the NAB and the GAB may not exceed the total amount of NAB credit arrangements. In addition, GAB resources may be used only to finance purchases under Stand-By and Extended Arrangements, and GAB claims have a maximum maturity of 5 years. The GAB and the associated agreement with Saudi Arabia have been renewed six times, most recently for a period of 5 years beginning December 26, 2013.
The GAB was last activated in July 1998 for an amount equivalent to SDR 6.3 billion (SDR 1.4 billion of which was drawn) in connection with the financing of an extended arrangement for Russia. This activation, the first in 20 years, took place after the Executive Board made the decision to establish the NAB but before the NAB went into effect. This was the first time that the GAB was activated for the benefit of a nonparticipant. The activation for Russia was terminated in March 1999, when the IMF repaid the outstanding amount borrowed on implementation of the Eleventh General Review of Quotas and payment of the bulk of the quota increases.
The New Arrangements to Borrow (NAB) is a set of credit arrangements between the IMF and 38 member countries and their institutions, including a number of emerging market economies (Table 2.4). Similar to the GAB, the NAB aims to provide supplementary resources to the IMF to forestall or cope with impairment of the international monetary system or to deal with an exceptional threat to the stability of that system. The NAB is used when the IMF needs to supplement its quota resources for lending purposes. The NAB is reviewed on a regular basis. The NAB decision is in effect for five years from its effective date and may be renewed. An IMF member or institution that is not currently a participant in the NAB may be accepted as a participant at any time if the IMF and participants representing 85 percent of the total credit arrangements agree to the request.
The original NAB was proposed at the 1995 Group of Seven (G7) Halifax Summit following the Mexican financial crisis.10 Growing concern that substantially more resources might be needed to respond to future financial crises prompted summit participants to call on the Group of Ten (G10) and other financially strong countries to develop financing arrangements that would double the amount available to the IMF under the GAB.11 In January 1997, the IMF’s Executive Board adopted a decision establishing the NAB, which became effective in November 1998. The NAB is the facility of first and principal recourse for temporary supplementation of quota resources. Before it was expanded in 2009, the NAB was a set of credit arrangements between the IMF and 26 members and institutions.
In April 2009, as part of efforts to overcome the global financial crisis, and following agreements reached by the Group of Twenty (G20) industrialized and emerging market economies, the IMFC agreed to substantially increase the resources available to the IMF through an expanded and more flexible NAB.12 Specifically, it was agreed to triple total precrisis lending capacity from about $250 billion to $750 billion in two steps—first, through bilateral financing from IMF member countries (the 2009 round of bilateral agreements) and, second, by incorporating (folding) this financing into the expanded and more flexible NAB. In April 2010, following discussions with participants, including new participants to the NAB, the Executive Board adopted a proposal to expand the NAB to SDR 367.5 billion (compared with SDR 34 billion under the original NAB), to make it more flexible, and to add 13 participants.13 The amended NAB became effective March 11, 2011.
To make the expanded NAB a more effective tool of crisis prevention and management, the loan-by-loan activation under the original NAB was replaced by the establishment of general activation periods of up to 6 months. The activation periods are subject to a specified maximum level of commitment. The enlarged NAB became effective on March 11, 2011, and on November 2011, the National Bank of Poland joined the NAB as a new participant, bringing total resources to about SDR 370 billion and the number of new participants to 14.14
In the context of the agreement in December 2010 to double the IMF’s quota resources under the Fourteenth General Review, it was agreed that this would be accompanied by a corresponding rollback of the NAB. Once this becomes effective, it will result in a shift in the composition of lending resources from the NAB to quotas without reducing the IMF’s overall lending capacity.
The unprecedented shocks resulting from the global financial crisis led to a sharp increase in the demand for IMF financing, which was met by a multilateral response to increase the IMF’s available lending resources. In February 2009, the IMF considered the options for supplementing its resources and decided that borrowing from the official sector was the most appropriate way to meet these short-term needs, including through bilateral loan and note purchase agreements, and enlargement and expansion of the NAB. However, it was reaffirmed that quota subscriptions are, and should remain, the basic source of IMF financing. During the 2009 bilateral borrowing round, the IMF signed 19 bilateral loan agreements and three note purchase agreements.
On April 20, 2012, the IMFC and G20 jointly called for further enhancement of IMF resources for crisis prevention and resolution through temporary bilateral loans and note purchase agreements. The Executive Board endorsed modalities for this new round of bilateral borrowing in June 2012. Total pledges under these 2012 Borrowing Agreements, made by 38 members or their central banks, amounted to $461 billion.15 By the end of April 2015, the IMF had approved 35 agreements of which 33 had become effective, under the 2012 Borrowing Agreements (bilateral loan and note purchase agreements) in the amount of SDR 271 billion.16,17 This combined with SDR 370 billion of NAB resources plus usable quota resources brought the IMF’s total usable resources (taking into account 20 prudential balances at the end of April 2015 to SDR 667 billion (around $940 billion).18 The 2012 Borrowing Agreements provide a second line of defense after quota and NAB resources.
Borrowing arrangements have many common characteristics. For example, the IMF has consistently denominated its borrowing in SDRs, thereby avoiding exchange rate risk, and the interest rate under borrowing agreements has for many years been limited to the SDR interest rate in order to contain risk to the IMF’s income.
The IMF’s lending is primarily financed from the quotas (capital) subscribed by member countries. Each country is assigned a quota and, as detailed above, this determines its maximum financial commitment to the IMF. A portion (25 percent) of the quota subscription payment is provided by the member country in reserve assets in the form of SDRs or the currencies of other financially strong members selected by the Fund and the remainder in its own currency. The IMF extends financing by selling IMF currency holdings and SDRs to borrowing members in exchange for their own domestic currency.
Members draw on the IMF’s pool of members’ currencies and SDRs through a purchase-repurchase mechanism. The member purchases either SDRs or the currency of another member in exchange for an equivalent amount (in SDR terms) of its own currency; the borrowing member later reverses the transaction through a repurchase of its currency held by the IMF with SDRs or the currency of another member.19 The Fund only draws for its GRA financing operations on those members that are considered to be in a sufficiently strong balance of payments and reserve position. These members are included in the Financial Transactions Plan (FTP) which is reviewed by the Board on a quarterly basis (Section 2.2.1).
The currency of a member that the IMF considers to be in a sufficiently strong external position that its currency can be used to finance IMF transactions with other members through the Financial Transactions Plan is classified as a “usable currency.” These members included in the FTP are obliged at the request of the purchasing member to convert their currency into a freely usable currency.20 As an operational matter, all FTP members whose currency is not one of the four freely usable currencies always convert the balances of their currency sold into a freely usable currency of their choice, effectively providing reserve assets. A member that provides SDRs or other member’s currency to the IMF as part of its quota subscription payment or whose currency is used in GRA lending operations receives a liquid claim on the IMF (reserve tranche position) that can be encashed on demand to obtain reserve assets to meet a balance of payments financing need.21 These claims earn interest (remuneration) based on the SDR interest rate and are considered by members as part of their international reserve assets (Figure 2.2). When IMF loans are repaid (repurchased) by the borrower with reserve assets, these funds are transferred to the creditor countries in exchange for their currencies, and their creditor position in the IMF (reserve tranche) is reduced accordingly.
Figure 2.2The IMF Lending Mechanism: An Exchange of Assets
Note: GRA = General Resources Account.
The purchase-repurchase approach to IMF lending affects the composition of the IMF’s resources but not the overall size. An increase in loans outstanding reduces the IMF’s holdings of usable currencies and increases the IMF’s holdings of the currencies of countries that are borrowing from the IMF22 (Figure 2.2).
The total of the IMF’s holdings of SDRs and usable currencies broadly determines the IMF’s overall (quota-based) lending capacity (liquidity). Although the purchase-repurchase mechanism is not technically or legally a loan, it is the functional equivalent of a loan.23 Financial assistance is typically made available to members under IMF lending arrangements that provide for the phased disbursement of financing consistent with relevant policies and depending on the needs of the member (Section 2.3). The arrangement normally provides specific economic and financial policy conditions that must be met by the borrowing country before the next installment is released. As a result, these arrangements are similar to conditional lines of credit. The IMF levies a basic rate of interest (charges) on loans that is based on the SDR interest rate and imposes surcharges (level and time based surcharges; see Chapter 5).
Alternative financial positions of members in the IMF’s pool of resources in the GRA are illustrated in Figure 2.3. A member’s purchase of currency reduces the IMF’s holdings of that currency, enlarges the reserve tranche position of the country whose currency is purchased, and increases the IMF’s holdings of the purchasing member’s currency. Charges (interest) are levied on the use of IMF credit, which is obtained through purchases outside of the reserve tranche. Charges (interest) are not levied on purchases within the reserve tranche, as these resources are the member’s own reserves. A member may choose whether or not to use its reserve tranche before utilizing IMF credit (Box 2.4).
Figure 2.3Members’ Financial Positions in the General Resources Account
Situation (a): A member has paid its quota subscription in full; IMF has not used the currency in operation or transaction and member has not drawn on its reserve tranche position. The remunerated reserve tranche position excludes certain holdings (holdings acquired as a result of a member’s use of IMF credit and holdings in the IMF No. 2 Account that are less than one-tenth of 1 percent of quota; see “IMF Accounts in Member Countries” in Section 2.6).
Situation (b): The member has drawn its reserve tranche position in full. The reserve tranche purchase is not subject to charges.
Situation (c): The member is using IMF resources but has not drawn its reserve tranche position. The level of holdings in excess of the member’s quota is subject to charges. Situation (d): The member is using IMF resources, in addition to having drawn its reserve tranche position. The level of holdings in excess of the member’s quota is subject to charges. Situation (e): The IMF has made use of the member’s currency and pays the member remuneration accordingly.
1 The unremunerated portion of the reserve tranche position is associated with 25 percent of members’ quota on April 1, 1978. Prior to the Second Amendment of the Articles of Agreement, this portion of quota was paid in gold and was unremunerated. Since it is fixed in nominal terms, it has declined with subsequent quota increases after April 1, 1978.
The purchase-repurchase mechanism explains why the IMF’s total resources do not vary from an accounting perspective as a result of its financial assistance—only the composition of the IMF’s assets changes. Moreover, the overall value in SDR terms of member currencies held in the GRA’s pool of resources is held constant over time through periodic additions to the amounts of currencies that are depreciating against the SDR and reductions of those that are appreciating.24 This so-called maintenance of value provision is an obligation of members under the Articles of Agreement.25
The quarterly Financial Transactions Plan (FTP) is used to manage the lending, repayment, and other (nonadministrative) operations and transactions of the GRA. A member is selected for inclusion in the plan for financing transactions based on a periodic finding by the Executive Board that the member’s balance of payments and reserve position are sufficiently strong. The currencies of these members are considered usable for IMF lending and repayment operations for the duration of the quarter, while all other members’ currencies are not considered usable for such purposes. Broadly speaking, financial resources contributed by members in accordance with the FTP are used for purchases (loan disbursements to borrowing members); as borrowers make repurchases (loan repayments) these resources are returned to FTP members. As noted, FTP members have an obligation to convert balances of their currency purchased from the IMF by other members into a freely usable currency of their choice. The IMF determines which members are in a sufficiently strong balance of payments position to meet this currency exchange obligation when drawing up its FTP. Accordingly, to facilitate their participation in the FTP, creditor members in the plan have standing arrangements with the IMF under which they have indicated which freely usable currency they are willing to exchange for their own currency used in purchase and repurchase transactions. All members whose currency is being used by the IMF to provide financing under the FTP receive liquid claims on the IMF (reserve tranche positions) that can be encashed to obtain freely usable currencies or SDRs at very short notice solely on presentation of a balance of payments need. Hence, reserve tranche positions are part of an individual member’s international reserve assets (Box 2.4). From the perspective of its members, reserve tranche positions resulting from the use of a member’s currency by the IMF are equivalent to the most creditworthy government paper, and the interest paid is market based but does not include a country or credit risk premium.
The currency allocation in the quarterly FTP seeks to broadly maintain even participation among members in relation to their quotas and is based on guidelines established by the Executive Board.26 Transfers of currencies are allocated in direct proportion to members’ quotas. Receipts are allocated to members to ensure that FTP members’ positions in the IMF (from use of quota resources and claims under borrowing arrangements) remain broadly balanced over time in relation to quotas. These guidelines tend to equalize FTP members’ positions in the IMF as a share of quota, although this balancing process is less rapid when there are relatively few receipts of currency. There are also operational considerations, which explain temporary deviations from full proportionality.
The IMF closely monitors its liquidity position in order to maintain an adequate lending capacity. The 1-year-Forward Commitment Capacity, or FCC, indicates the amount of resources available for new lending over the next 12 months (Chapter 6).
The Resource Mobilization Plan (RMP), which was introduced under the amended NAB in April 2011, balances the flexibility that allows for effective use of the NAB for crisis prevention with the principle of adequate burden sharing (that is, proportionality) among NAB participants. The RMP is approved on a quarterly basis by the Executive Board for use of NAB resources to fund GRA financing. Previously, the NAB could be activated only on a loan-by-loan basis through procedures that were complex and relatively lengthy (for example, more than 3 weeks when the NAB was activated in 1998).
The RMP specifies for each participant the maximum amount of calls under its NAB credit arrangements during the plan period and is generally considered in conjunction with the Financial Transactions Plan. In considering the RMP and the FTP jointly, the Executive Board decides on the use of quota and NAB borrowed resources in the IMF’s operations and transactions conducted through the GRA.
Under the NAB, a proposal by the IMF’s Managing Director for the establishment of an activation period must be accepted by participants representing 85 percent of total credit arrangements of participants eligible to vote and be approved by the IMF’s Executive Board. The NAB has been activated 10 times.
In December 1998, the NAB was activated to finance a Stand-By Arrangement for Brazil, when the IMF called on funding of SDR 9.1 billion, of which SDR 2.9 billion was used.
In April 2011, the amended NAB was activated for a maximum period of six months in the amount of SDR 211 billion (about $319 billion).
The amended NAB has been activated a further eight times for a maximum period of 6 months beginning October 1, 2011; April 1, 2012; October 1, 2012; April 1, 2013; October 1, 2013; April 1, 2014; October 1, 2014 and April 1, 2015.
The lending instruments of the IMF have evolved over time. In the early years, IMF lending took place exclusively on the basis of general policies governing access in what became known as the credit tranches and, in particular, under Stand-By Arrangements. Beginning in the 1960s, special policies were developed to deal with balance of payments problems of particular origin, resulting over time in a variety of policies on the use of IMF resources.27
All decisions on the extension of IMF credit are made by the Executive Board. These decisions follow a formal request from the member country and are supported by an assessment by the IMF staff of the nature and magnitude of the balance of payments problem, the adequacy of the policy response, and the capacity of the member to repay the IMF. In 1995, the IMF specified streamlined procedures under an Emergency Financing Mechanism to allow for expedited Executive Board approval of IMF financial support. This mechanism is used in circumstances representing, or threatening, a crisis in a member’s external accounts that requires an immediate response from the IMF.
Since the early 1990s, a number of factors have driven changes in the IMF’s financial role: the emergence of volatile private capital flows as a principal source of financing for emerging market economies, increasing integration and liberalization of capital markets, and, more generally, increasing globalization and growing financial interdependence among IMF members. In response to the changes in the global environment and in the nature of members’ balance of payments difficulties, the IMF has adapted the policies governing its financing facilities and instruments, access, and conditionality.
In response to the Asian crisis of 1997–98, changes were introduced in early 2000 to the nature and terms of access in the credit tranches. For members facing capital account crises, new facilities were made available with higher access and shorter repayment periods, consistent with the revolving nature of IMF resources.
In the wake of the 2007–09 global financial crisis, the IMF strengthened the GRA lending toolkit to better help member countries meet their financing needs while safeguarding IMF resources (Table 2.5). A major aim was to enhance crisis-prevention tools to accompany the existing tools for crisis resolution. New lending instruments were created, including the Flexible Credit Line (FCL), Precautionary and Liquidity Line (PLL), and Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI). These measures were designed to bolster confidence and reduce balance of payments pressures during periods of heightened systemic risk (Figure 2.4).
Table 2.5Financial Terms under IMF General Resources Account Credit
Credit Facility (year adopted)1
Phasing and Monitoring
Access Limits1
Charges2
Repayment Schedule (years)
Credit Tranches and Extended Fund Facility3
Stand-By Arrangements (SBA) (1952) Short- to medium-term assistance for countries with short-term balance of payments difficulties Adopt policies that provide confidence that the member’s balance of payments difficulties will be resolved within a reasonable period Generally quarterly purchases (disbursements) contingent on observance of performance criteria and other conditions Annual: 200% of quota; cumulative: 600% of quota Rate of charge plus surcharge (200 basis points on amounts above 300% of quota; additional 100 basis points when outstanding credit remains above 300% of quota for more than 3 years)4 3¼–5 Quarterly
Extended Fund Facility (EFF) (1974) (Extended Arrangements) Longer-term assistance to support members’ structural reforms to address long-term balance of payments difficulties Adopt up to 4-year program, with structural agenda and annual detailed statement of policies for the next 12 months Quarterly or semiannual purchases (disbursements) contingent on observance of performance criteria and other conditions Annual: 200% of quota; cumulative: 600% of quota Rate of charge plus surcharge (200 basis points on amounts above 300% of quota; additional 100 basis points when outstanding credit remains above 300% of quota for more than 3 years)4 4½–10 Semiannual
Flexible Credit Line (FCL) (2009) Flexible instrument in the credit tranches to address all balance of payments needs, potential or actual Very strong ex ante macroeconomic fundamentals, economic policy framework, and policy track record Approved access available up front throughout the arrangement period, subject to a midterm review after 1 year No preset limit Rate of charge plus surcharge (200 basis points on amounts above 300% of quota; additional 100 basis points when outstanding credit remains above 300% of quota for more than 3 years)4 3¼–5 Quarterly
Precautionary and Liquidity Line (PLL) (2011) Instrument for countries with sound economic fundamentals and policies Sound policy frameworks, external position, and market access, including financial sector soundness Large frontloaded access, subject to semiannual reviews (for 1- to 2-year PLL) 250% of quota for 6 months; 500% of quota available upon approval of 1- to 2-year arrangements; total of 1,000% of quota after 12 months of satisfactory progress Rate of charge plus surcharge (200 basis points on amounts above 300% of quota; additional 100 basis points when outstanding credit remains above 300% of quota for more than 3 years)4 3¼–5 Quarterly
Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) (2011) Rapid financial assistance to all member countries facing an urgent balance of payments need Efforts to solve balance of payments difficulties (may include prior actions) Outright purchases without the need for full-fledged program or reviews Annual: 75% of quota; cumulative: 150% of quota Rate of charge plus surcharge (200 basis points on amounts above 300% of quota; additional 100 basis points when outstanding credit remains above 300% of quota for more than 3 years)4 3¼–5 Quarterly
1 The IMF’s lending through the General Resources Account (GRA) is primarily financed from the capital subscribed by member countries; each country is assigned a quota that represents its financial commitment. A member provides a portion of its quota in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) or the currency of another member acceptable to the IMF and the remainder in its own currency. An IMF loan is disbursed or drawn by the borrower’s purchase of foreign currency assets from the IMF with its own currency. Repayment of the loan is achieved by the borrower’s repurchase of its currency from the IMF with foreign currency.
2 The rate of charge on funds disbursed from the GRA is set at a margin over the weekly SDR interest rate (currently 100 basis points). The rate of charge is applied to the daily balance of all outstanding GRA drawings during each IMF financial quarter. In addition, a one-time service charge of 0.5 percent is levied on each drawing of IMF resources in the GRA, other than reserve tranche drawings. An up-front commitment fee (15 basis points on committed amounts of up to 200 percent of quota; 30 basis points for amounts in excess of 200 percent and up to 1,000 percent of quota; and 60 basis points for amounts in excess of 1,000 percent of quota) applies to the amount that may be drawn during each (annual) period under a Stand-By Arrangement, Flexible Credit Line, Precautionary and Liquidity Line, or Extended Arrangement; this fee is refunded on a proportionate basis as subsequent drawings are made under the arrangement.
3 Credit tranches refer to the size of purchases (disbursements) as a proportion of the member’s quota in the IMF; for example, disbursements up to 25 percent of a member’s quota are disbursements under the first credit tranche and require members to demonstrate reasonable efforts to overcome their balance of payments problems. Requests for disbursements above 25 percent are referred to as upper-credit-tranche drawings; they are made in installments as the borrower meets certain established performance targets. Such disbursements are typically associated with a Stand-By or Extended Arrangement.
4 Surcharges were introduced in November 2000. A new system of surcharges took effect August 1, 2009, replacing the previous schedule: 100 basis points above the basic rate of charge on amounts above 200 percent of quota, and 200 basis points on amounts above 300 percent of quota. A member with credit outstanding in the credit tranches or under the Extended Fund Facility on, or with an effective arrangement approved before, August 1, 2009, had the option to elect between the new and the old system of surcharges.
Figure 2.4Outstanding IMF Credit by Facility, 1990–2015
1 Includes small amounts from outright purchases under the credit tranches and emergency assistance.
Stand-By Arrangements (SBAs) have long been the core lending instrument of the institution and are still the first option for assisting members with balance of payments needs. These are lines of credit from the IMF under which a “member is assured that it will be able to make purchases from the General Resources Account in accordance with the terms of the decision during a specified period and up to a specified amount.”28 SBAs were initially intended as precautionary instruments to be drawn only if payment difficulties emerged, but they have become a common source of external financing.
The SBA is designed broadly to help countries address short-to medium term balance of payments problems. Program targets are designed to address these problems, and purchases are conditional on achieving these targets. The length of an SBA is typically 12 to 24 months, but no more than 36 months, and repurchase is due within 3¼ to 5 years of purchase. SBAs may be provided on a precautionary basis—under which countries choose not to draw approved amounts but retain the option to do so if conditions deteriorate—both within the normal access limits and in cases of exceptional access (Section 2.3.2.2). The SBA provides for flexibility with respect to phasing, with front-loaded access when appropriate.
This facility was established in 1974 to help countries address medium- and longer-term balance of payments problems that reflect structural impediments requiring fundamental economic reform. Extended arrangements under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) are thus longer than SBAs—typically no longer than 3 years at approval, with a maximum extension of an additional year when appropriate. However, a maximum duration of 4 years is also allowed at the time of approval, predicated on a balance of payments need beyond 3 years, the prolonged nature of the adjustment required to restore macroeconomic stability, and adequate assurance of the member’s ability and willingness to implement deep and sustained structural reform. Repurchase is due within 4½ to 10 years of purchase.
The FCL is for countries with very strong fundamentals, policies, and track records of policy implementation and is useful for both crisis prevention and crisis resolution. It is established as a window in the credit tranches, permitting its use in addressing any balance of payments problem. FCL arrangements are approved at the member country’s request if certain qualification criteria are met (ex ante conditionality). The length is 1 or 2 years (with an interim review of continued qualification after a year), and the repurchase period the same as for the Stand-By Arrangement. Access is determined on a case-by-case basis, is not subject to the exceptional access framework, and is available through a single up-front purchase. Purchases are not subject to ex post conditionality like the SBA or extended arrangements because FCL-eligible countries are expected to implement appropriate macroeconomic policies. There is flexibility to draw on the credit line any time after approval or to treat it as precautionary.
The PLL constitutes an additional financing tool of the IMF to meet flexibly the needs of member countries with sound economic fundamentals but with some remaining vulnerabilities that preclude them from using the FCL. The PLL is established as a window in the credit tranches, permitting its use in addressing any balance of payments problem. It is designed as a credit line, with large and frontloaded financing available, that can be granted at the member country’s request if the member meets certain qualification criteria (ex ante conditionality), with purchases subject to applicable ex-post conditionality.
PLL arrangements can have duration of either 6 months, or 1 to 2 years. The 6-month duration is available for countries with actual or potential short-term balance of payments needs that can make credible progress in addressing their vulnerabilities during the 6-month period. Up to 250 percent of a member country’s quota can normally be made available upon approval of a 6-month PLL arrangement. However, if a country’s balance of payments need results from the impact of an exogenous shock, including heightened regional or global stress, access could be up to 500 percent. Renewal of 6-month PLL arrangements is normally possible only after a 2-year cooling-off period from the date of approval of the previous 6-month PLL arrangement unless the member’s balance of payments need is longer than originally anticipated due to the impact of exogenous shocks. PLL arrangements of 1–2 years are subject to an annual access limit of 500 percent of quota upon approval and a cumulative limit of 1,000 percent of quota.
The RFI provides rapid and low-access financial assistance to member countries that face an urgent balance of payments need without the need for a full-fledged program.29 It can provide support to meet a broad range of urgent needs, including those arising from commodity price shocks, natural disasters, postconflict situations, and emergencies resulting from fragility. As a single, flexible mechanism with broader coverage, the RFI replaced the IMF’s previous emergency assistance policy which encompassed Emergency Natural Disaster Assistance (ENDA) and Emergency Post-Conflict Assistance (EPCA).
Access under the RFI is limited to 75 percent of quota a year and 150 percent of quota on a cumulative basis. The level of access depends on the country’s balance of payments need. Financial assistance provided under the RFI is subject to the same financing terms as under an SBA.
Financial assistance under the RFI is provided in the form of outright purchases without the need for a full-fledged program or reviews. A member country requesting emergency assistance is required to cooperate with the IMF to make efforts to solve its balance of payments difficulties and to describe the general economic policies it proposes to follow.
The Trade Integration Mechanism (TIM) aims to mitigate concerns, particularly in developing economies, about financing balance of payments shortfalls that are a result of multilateral liberalization. The TIM is not a special facility to provide new resources under special terms; financial support for balance of payments difficulties arising from trade-related adjustment is already provided under the IMF’s existing lending facilities. Instead, the TIM is designed to increase the predictability of resources available under existing facilities. The explicit emphasis is on trade adjustment in order to ensure that its impact is carefully estimated and incorporated into any IMF-supported programs. In addition, the TIM contains a “deviation feature,” which provides countries with a greater degree of certainty that IMF financing will be available to assist with larger-than-anticipated adjustment.
Credit outstanding represents loans already provided to members under the various IMF facilities and instruments. This section describes the general terms and conditions of IMF lending.
The Articles of Agreement charge the IMF with implementing policies on the use of its general resources to assist members in resolving their balance of payments problems. Commitments of Fund resources can be approved when the member has an actual, prospective, or potential balance of payments need. However, a member may purchase the amounts committed only if the member represents that it has an actual balance of payments need up to the amount of said need, even in the case of reserve tranche purchases. Fund resources may be made available to members through different IMF financing facilities and instruments. Fund financing usually takes place under an IMF arrangement, which is similar to a conditional line of credit and is associated with the implementation of an economic reform program in the member country.
The concept of a balance of payments need refers to (1) the balance of payments position of the member, (2) its foreign reserve position, and (3) developments in its reserves.30 These three elements are regarded as separate, and a representation of need may be based on any one. An operational framework has been developed over the years to assess the magnitude of balance of payments deficits and the adequacy of foreign reserves. In the implementation of this framework, the member’s particular circumstances are taken into account.
To make a purchase the member has to represent that it has a balance of payments need which may not be challenged ex ante by the Fund. However, the IMF may take remedial action after a purchase under an arrangement or after a reserve tranche purchase has been made if it finds that the conditions for the purchase were not met, including the balance of payments need.
The policy governing access by members to IMF financial resources has changed over time to reflect members’ changing financing needs balanced against the need to safeguard the revolving nature of the institution’s resources and liquidity needs. Access policy is intended to meet members’ balance of payments need, reassure them about the scale of possible financing, and serve as an IMF risk-management tool. Quantitative limits on access are based on the members’ quotas and are used to ensure uniformity of treatment of members. The policies are intended to encourage members to approach the institution for assistance at an early stage of any potential balance of payments difficulties to avoid the need for more drastic policy action and to limit the impact of the adjustment on other members.
The Exceptional Access Framework, approved in 2002 (and modified subsequently), was intended to enhance clarity and predictability for both members and markets about the IMF’s response to crises, while at the same time strengthening the safeguards of IMF resources. The framework clarified the circumstances under which above-normal-level access is appropriate and imposed constraints as access increased. This was achieved by defining exceptional access criteria and enhanced procedures.
The four substantive criteria for exceptional access are (1) balance of payments pressure on the capital account that cannot be met within existing financing limits; (2) a high probability that debt will remain sustainable, based on a rigorous and systematic analysis; (3) good prospects for regaining private capital market access while IMF resources are outstanding; and (4) a strong adjustment program and a reasonably strong prospect of success, considering the member’s adjustment plans and its institutional and political capacity to carry them out.31
The framework also sets out stronger procedures for decisions on proposals for exceptional access. The strengthened Exceptional Access Policy requires (1) early consultation with the Executive Board; (2) a concise note for such informal Board meetings, outlining a diagnosis of the problem, the policy measures needed, the appropriateness of and necessity for exceptional access, and the likely timetable for discussions; (3) a staff report evaluating the case for exceptional access based on the above-mentioned four criteria; and (4) an ex post evaluation (EPE) of all programs with exceptional access within 1 year of the end of the arrangement.
Current policies governing access to IMF resources in the General Resources Account can be summarized as follows:
The criteria for determining access in individual cases concern a member’s (1) actual, prospective, or potential balance of payments need, taking into account other sources of financing and the desirability of maintaining a reasonable level of reserves; (2) capacity to repay, the critical component of which is the strength of the member’s adjustment policies; and (3) outstanding use of, and record in using, IMF resources.
Access by a member to the GRA is subject to the following limits: (1) 200 percent of quota on purchases over a 12-month period; and (2) 600 percent of quota cumulatively, net of scheduled repurchase obligations. These limits are the result of a 2009 decision to double annual and cumulative access limits in the context of the global financial crisis and in anticipation of the quota increase under the Fourteenth General Review of Quotas. Access to the GRA above the following limits is subject to the Exceptional Access Policy. A hard access ceiling of 500 percent of quota annually and 1,000 percent of quota cumulatively for the Precautionary and Liquidity Line and 50 percent annually and 100 percent cumulatively for the Rapid Financing Instrument (Figures 2.5 and 2.6).
Figure 2.5Median and Interquartile Range for Annual Average Access under Stand-By and Extended Arrangements1
Note: Annual average access is calculated as a percent of a member’s quota on approval divided by the number of years under the arrangement.
1 Differences from prior publication are due to inclusion of fund arrangements previously ommitted, adjustments to annual average access, or extension of on-going arrangements from prior years.
Figure 2.6Distribution of Average Annual Access under General Resource Account Arrangements, 1990–2015
Note: Annual average access is calculated as total access as a percent of amember’s quota on approval of the program divided by the number of years under the arrangement.
Two important features of IMF lending are policy conditionality and the phasing of disbursements. Conditionality serves two important functions: (1) to help member countries solve their balance of payments problems within the period of a Fund-supported program and (2) to provide the needed assurances that the member will be able to repay the IMF. Phasing is the mechanism that supplies conditionality with the necessary traction and supports liquidity management.
Conditionality covers both the design of IMF-supported programs—that is, the macroeconomic and structural policies—and the specific tools used to monitor progress toward the goals outlined by the country in cooperation with the IMF. Conditionality helps countries solve balance of payments problems without resorting to measures that are harmful to national or international prosperity. At the same time, the conditional measures are meant to safeguard IMF resources by ensuring that the country’s balance of payments will be strong enough to permit repayment of the loan. Hence, conditionality tends to increase with access, and requests for use of IMF resources beyond the first credit tranche require higher justification of the member’s expectation that its balance of payments difficulties will be resolved within the period of its program. All conditionality under an IMF-supported program must be critical to the achievement of macroeconomic program goals or for monitoring of the program, or necessary for the implementation of specific provisions under the Articles of Agreement or policies adopted under them.
To support program ownership, the member country has primary responsibility for selecting, designing, and implementing the policies that will make the IMF-supported program successful. The program is described in a letter of intent (often with a more detailed memorandum of economic and financial policies attached). The program’s objectives and policies depend on country circumstances, but the overarching goal is always to restore or maintain balance of payments viability and macroeconomic stability while setting the stage for sustained, high-quality growth and, in low-income countries, for reducing poverty (Box 2.5).
Most IMF financing features disbursements made in installments that are linked to demonstrable policy actions. Program reviews provide a framework for the IMF’s Executive Board to assess periodically whether the IMF-supported program is on track and whether modifications are necessary.
Conditionality takes various forms:
Prior actions are measures that the member needs to undertake before the IMF’s management is prepared to recommend Executive Board approval of financing, completion of a review, or granting of a waiver. This is necessary when it is critical for the successful implementation of the program that such actions be taken to underpin the up-front implementation of important measures.
Quantitative performance criteria (QPCs) are specific and measurable conditions that are so critical so as to stop the disbursements in the event of nonobservance. QPCs normally include targets on monetary and credit aggregates, international reserves, fiscal balances, and external borrowing.
Indicative targets supplement QPCs to assess progress. Sometimes they take the place of QPCs when the data about economic trends is uncertain (for example, for the later months of a program). As uncertainty is reduced, these targets typically are converted to QPCs, with appropriate modifications.
Structural benchmarks are (often unquantifiable) reform measures that are critical to achieve program goals and are intended as markers to assess program implementation during a review.
If a QPC is not met, the Executive Board may approve a formal waiver to enable a review to be completed if it is satisfied that the program will nonetheless be successfully implemented, either because the deviation was minor or temporary or because the country authorities have taken or will take corrective actions. Structural benchmarks and indicative targets do not require waivers if they are not met but are assessed in the context of a review of the overall program performance.
The choice between even phasing and uneven phasing of disbursements depends on the balance of payments need and the path of adjustment. These choices are made on a case-by-case basis: resources are typically fairly evenly disbursed over the arrangement period, but a concentration of adjustment at the beginning of an arrangement may justify front-loading of purchases. The frequency of purchases may also be affected by the length of lags in the reporting of data related to performance criteria.
The Extended Rights to Purchase (ERP) Policy instituted in October 2009 and subsequently amended aims to remedy problems arising from “blackout periods” in Stand-By Arrangements and extended arrangements. These blackout periods refer to the temporary interruption of access to accumulated but undrawn purchase rights. These occur when the test date for relevant periodic performance criteria is reached but the data on such performance criteria are unavailable. Blackout periods reflect the IMF’s need to safeguard its resources; interrupting purchase rights when data are stale reduces the risk that a member will draw when its program is off track. Currently, access is maintained for a maximum period (an “extension period”) of 45 days following each test date.32
Before the ERP Policy was put in place, whenever access to accumulated but undrawn purchase rights was interrupted, such access was reinstated only when (1) all data on the relevant performance criteria for that test date were available and showed that the performance criteria were met or (2) when waivers of applicability were granted by the Executive Board for data not yet reported. The ERP Policy was reviewed in January 2013 and was left practically unchanged, and the decision on the reduction of blackout periods from 2009 was extended to all GRA arrangements that have periodic performance criteria.33
The repurchase policies of the IMF are intended to ensure the revolving character of its resources and are an essential element of its overall risk-mitigation framework. All purchases from the IMF are subject to predetermined repurchase schedules.34 The length of the repurchase period and the number of repurchase installments vary according to the policy or facility under which the credit is extended. While credit tranche terms allow for specific repurchase periods under Article V, Section 7(b) of the Articles of Agreement, the expectation is that members will repay the IMF as soon as their balance of payments and reserve positions allow.
A member is free to make advance repurchases at any time. At the discretion of the member, advance repurchases may be attributed to any outstanding purchases. In this way, a member is free to reduce the IMF’s holdings of its currency corresponding to prior purchases and thereby reduce or eliminate its obligation to pay interest. Repurchases may be made, at the choice of the repurchasing member, in SDRs or in currencies selected by the IMF according to the policies and procedures for the use and receipt of currencies under the quarterly Financial Transactions Plan.35
Under the Articles, the IMF has the authority to postpone the date for the discharge of a repurchase within the maximum repurchase period by a majority of the votes cast, provided that the postponement does not cause the repurchase to exceed the maximum repurchase period (Article V, Section 7(g)).36 However no such decision has been taken in the last 30 years.
Gold played a central role in the international monetary system until the collapse of the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates in 1973. Since then, the role of gold has been gradually reduced. However, it is still an important asset in the reserve holdings of a number of countries, and the IMF remains one of the largest official holders of gold in the world with 90.474 million ounces (2,814 metric tons) of gold, held at designated depositories. The IMF’s total gold holdings are valued on its balance sheet at SDR 3.167 billion on the basis of historical cost. As of April 30, 2015, the IMF’s holdings amounted to SDR 75.9 billion (at market prices). Consistent with the IMF’s new income model, the Executive Board agreed in April 2008 to a strictly limited gold sale of 403.3 metric tons to be used to establish an endowment to bolster the IMF’s income. Resources linked to these gold sales were also used to boost the IMF’s capacity for concessional lending to eligible low-income countries.
The IMF acquired virtually all its gold holdings through four main types of transactions included in the original Articles of Agreement. First, the original Articles prescribed that 25 percent of initial quota subscriptions and subsequent quota increases be paid in gold. This has been the largest source of the IMF’s gold. Second, all payments of charges (interest on members’ use of IMF credit) were generally made in gold. Third, a member wishing to purchase the currency of another member could acquire it by selling gold to the IMF. The major use of this provision was the sale of gold to the IMF by South Africa in 1970–71. Finally, members could use gold to repay the IMF for credit previously extended.
The Second Amendment to the Articles of Agreement in April 1978 eliminated the use of gold as the common denominator of the post–World War II exchange rate system and as the basis of the value of the SDR. It also abolished the official price of gold and abrogated the obligatory use of gold in transactions between the IMF and its members. It furthermore required that the IMF, when dealing in gold, avoid managing its price or establishing a fixed price.
The Articles of Agreement now limit the use of gold in the IMF’s operations and transactions. The IMF may sell gold outright on the basis of prevailing market prices and may accept gold in the discharge of a member’s obligations at an agreed price, based on market prices at the time of acceptance. These transactions in gold require an 85 percent majority of total voting power. The IMF does not have the authority to engage in any other gold transactions—such as loans, leases, swaps, or use of gold as collateral—nor does it have the authority to buy gold.
The Articles of Agreement also allow for the restitution of the gold the IMF held on the date of the Second Amendment (April 1978) to countries that were members as of August 31, 1975. Restitution involves the sale of gold to this group of members at the former official price of SDR 35 an ounce, with such sales made to members who agree to buy it in proportion to their quotas on the date of the Second Amendment. A decision to restitute gold would require an 85 percent majority of the total voting power in the Executive Board. The Articles of Agreement do not provide for the restitution of gold acquired by the IMF after the date of the Second Amendment.
The IMF’s policy on gold is governed by the following five principles:
As an undervalued asset held by the IMF, gold provides fundamental strength to its balance sheet. Any mobilization of IMF gold should avoid weakening its overall financial position.
Gold holdings provide the IMF with operational maneuverability both in the use of its resources and by adding credibility to its precautionary balances. In these respects, the benefits of the IMF’s gold holdings are passed on to the membership at large, including both creditors and borrowing members.
The IMF has a systemic responsibility to avoid causing disruptions that would adversely impact gold holders and gold producers or the functioning of the gold market.
The IMF should continue to hold a relatively large amount of gold among its assets, not only for prudential reasons, but also to meet unforeseen contingencies.
Profits from any gold sales should be retained, and only the investment income should be used for purposes that may be agreed by IMF members and are permitted under the Articles of Agreement.
On September 18, 2009, the Executive Board approved the sale of 403.3 metric tons of gold (12.97 million ounces), which amounted to one-eighth of the IMF’s total holdings of gold. The gold authorized for sale was acquired after the Second Amendment of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement in April 1978.
The decision to sell gold was a key step toward implementing the new income model agreed in April 2008 to help put the IMF’s finances on a sound long-term footing. A central component of the new income model was the establishment of an endowment funded by the profits from the sale of a strictly limited portion of the IMF’s gold. The modalities for the gold sales were set to avoid disruption to the gold market.
In August 2009, the European Central Bank and 18 other European central banks announced the renewal of their agreement on gold sales (Central Bank Gold Agreement), which limited total annual gold sales by these institutions to 400 metric tons annually and 2,000 metric tons over the 5 years beginning on September 27, 2009. The announcement noted that the IMF’s planned sale of 403 metric tons of gold could be accommodated within these ceilings. This ensured that gold sales by the IMF would not add to the announced volume of sales from official sources.
The first phase in the gold sales consisted of exclusively off-market sales to interested central banks and other official holders, which were conducted at market prices at the time of the transactions. In October and November 2009, the IMF sold 212 metric tons of gold in separate off-market transactions to three central banks: 200 metric tons to the Reserve Bank of India; 2 metric tons to the Bank of Mauritius; and 10 metric tons to the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
In February 2010, the IMF announced the beginning of sales of gold on the market. At that time, a total of 191.3 metric tons of gold remained to be sold. In order to avoid disrupting the market, the sales were to be conducted in a phased manner, following an approach adopted successfully by the central banks participating in the Central Bank Gold Agreement. The start of market sales did not preclude further off-market gold sales directly to interested central banks or other official holders. In September 2010, the IMF sold 10 metric tons to the Bangladesh Bank, reducing the amount of gold to be placed on the market.
In December 2010, the IMF concluded the gold sales after total sales of 403.3 metric tons of gold (12.97 million ounces), as authorized by the Executive Board. Total proceeds amounted to SDR 9.5 billion, of which SDR 4.4 billion was used to establish an endowment as stipulated under the new income model.
In February 2012, the Executive Board approved a distribution of SDR 700 million of the general reserve, attributed to windfall gold sale profits that resulted from a higher gold price than assumed in the new income model, subject to assurances that new subsidy contributions equivalent to at least 90 percent of the amount would be made available for the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). This distribution, which became effective in October 2012, was part of a financing package endorsed by the Executive Board in July 2009, aimed at boosting the IMF’s concessional lending capacity in 2009–14. In September 2012, the Executive Board approved the distribution of SDR 1.75 billion in reserves from the remaining windfall gold sale profits as part of a strategy to generate subsidy resources to ensure the longer-term sustainability of the PRGT. As with the earlier distribution, this was subject to assurances that new subsidy contributions equivalent to at least 90 percent of the amount to be distributed would be made available to boost the PRGT. In October 2013, a critical mass of 151 member countries committed the required new subsidy contributions, including by transferring their share in the partial distribution of the general reserve of SDR 1.75 billion to the PRGT.37
The balance sheet of the General Department summarizes the sources and uses of resources (Table 2.6).
Table 2.6Balance Sheet of the General Department(Millions of SDRs; as of April 30, 2015)
Liabilities, Reserves, and Retained Earnings
Currencies Other liabilities 1,591
Usable Currencies 169,811 Special Contingent Account 1,188
Other Currencies 37,336 Borrowings 36,779
Credit Outstanding 55,228 Quotas, Represented by:
Reserve Tranche Positions 31,047
SDR Holdings 13,617 Subscription Payments 207,136
Investments 15,064 Total Quotas 238,183
Gold Holdings 3,167
Other Assets 1,157 Reserves of the General Resources Account 17,402
Retained Earnings of the Investment Account and Resources of the Special Disbursement Account 237
Total Assets 295,380 Total Liabilities, Reserves, Retained Earnings, and Resources 295,380
Source: Finance Department, International Monetary Fund.Note: Numbers may not add to totals due to rounding.
The payment of quota resources is at the core of the IMF balance sheet. The payment of quotas results in currency holdings on the assets side of the balance sheet and resources on the liability side. As discussed in Section 2.2.1, the currencies of some members are considered to be usable for IMF lending and repayment operations, and these amounted to SDR 169.8 billion at the end of April 2015, representing the bulk of assets on the General Resources Account (GRA) balance sheet. Financing to debtor members is largely funded by use of these currencies, giving rise to credit outstanding and a corresponding reserve tranche position for the provider of the currencies (creditors to the Fund). Currencies that are not usable (other currencies) amounted to SDR 37.3 billion.38
The second major item is credit outstanding, which is the value of financing extended by the IMF to its members and was SDR 55.2 billion at the end of FY2015. Members with outstanding credit pay a market-related rate of interest on these loans, which fully covers the payment of interest to the creditors providing the resources to the IMF. Gold, valued at SDR 3.2 billion, represents a relatively small share of total assets.39 The IMF receives no interest on its gold or currency holdings that do not result from the extension of IMF credit.
The only interest-bearing asset held by the GRA other than its outstanding credit is its holdings of SDRs, which were SDR 13.6 billion in FY2015.40 The Investment Account (IA) holds resources transferred from the GRA for purposes of investment to generate additional income for the Fund. The IA held investments of SDR 15.2 billion at the end of April 2015 and as discussed in Chapter 5, these investments are an important aspect of the Fund’s new income model. With the addition of some minor receivables and other assets, total assets of the General Department as of April 30, 2015, amounted to SDR 303.8 billion.
Total quota resources were SDR 238.2 billion as of April 30, 2015. Reserve tranche positions of member countries, which result from initial quota payments and changes due to the use and receipt of currencies in the IMF’s financial operations, stood at SDR 31.0 billion. The amount of borrowing outstanding was SDR 36.8 billion. Adding reserves, the Special Contingent Account (see Chapter 6) and some other liabilities gives a total of SDR 303.8 billion in resources and liabilities in the General Department.
The IMF’s income is derived mostly from charges levied on its lending activities and investment income. Chapter 5 provides detailed analysis of the various charges paid by Fund borrowers and reviews the history of these charges. It also provides further discussion of the Fund’s investment mandate and objectives. The IMF had operational income in the financial year ended April 30, 2015, of SDR 2.5 billion, reflecting primarily income from the high levels of financing activity (Table 2.7).
Table 2.7Income Statement of the General Department(Millions of SDRs; as of April 30, 2015)
Operational income
Interest and charges 2,250
Interest on SDR holdings 8
Net income from investments 265
Service charges and commitment fees 565
Operational expenses
Remuneration 20
Interest expense on borrowings 28
Administrative expenses 857
Net operational income 2,183
Contribution to the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust 13
Other comprehensive income1 545
Total comprehensive income 1,625
Total comprehensive income of the General Department comprises:
Total comprehensive income of the General Resources Account 1,373
Total comprehensive income of the Investment Account 265
Total comprehensive income of the Special Disbursement Account 13
1 Other comprehensive income relates to the remeasurement of the defined benefit obligation as required by International Financial Reporting Standards, the IMF’s accounting framework.
The IMF pays interest (remuneration) to members on their creditor positions in the General Resources Account (the reserve tranche positions) except on a small portion as indicated above (Box 2.4). The Articles of Agreement provide for a rate of remuneration that is neither higher than the SDR interest rate nor lower than 80 percent of that rate. The current rate of remuneration is equal to the SDR interest rate. Whenever the IMF has borrowing arrangements in place, it also pays interest on any outstanding borrowing normally at the SDR interest rate.
The IMF’s administrative expenses include personnel, travel, building occupancy, and the like. Personnel and travel-related outlays typically account for the largest of total administrative expenses. The General Resources Account is reimbursed for the cost of administering the SDR Department through an assessment levied in proportion to each participant’s allocation of SDRs. The General Resources Account is also reimbursed for expenses incurred in administering the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust.
The net income of the IMF is added each year to its reserves following the completion of the annual external audit. The Articles of Agreement also allow the IMF to distribute net income to its members; apart from the distribution of the windfall gold profits (see Section 2.3.3.3) no other distributions have been made by the IMF. The net income contributes to the accumulation of precautionary balances which helps ensure the value of members’ reserve positions and safeguards the IMF’s financing mechanism (see Chapter 6).
The IMF’s net income in FY2015 amounted to SDR 2.6 billion. This reflected net operational income of SDR 1.5 billion (the difference between operational income of SDR 2.5 billion and operational expenses of SDR 1.0 billion). The FY2015 annual income also included actuarial gains of SDR 1.1 billion arising from the application of the International Financial Reporting Standards 19 (amended IAS 19, Employee Benefits) that requires immediate recognition of all changes in the IMF’s defined benefit obligation of postemployment benefit plans and the associated plan assets. Actuarial gains or losses are not included in net operational income, but instead are included in other comprehensive income to arrive at the overall income position for the Fund.
Currencies and securities held in the General Resources Account’s pool of resources are valued in terms of the SDR on the basis of each member country’s representative rate of exchange. Each member is obligated to maintain, in SDR terms, the value of the balances of the IMF’s holdings of its currency in the General Resources Account but not of other holdings, such as those in the Special Disbursement Account or the Administered Accounts.41 The total SDR value of the IMF’s holdings of currencies in the General Resources Account is kept constant through changes to the amount of members’ currency balances. Members must pay additional currency if their currency depreciates against the SDR, and the IMF refunds some of these currency holdings if a currency appreciates. This requirement is referred to as the “maintenance-of-value obligation,” and it ensures that the IMF’s resources are insulated from exchange rate fluctuations.
A member’s currency held by the IMF is revalued in SDR terms under the following circumstances:
when the currency is used by the IMF in a transaction with another member
at the end of the IMF’s financial year (April 30)
at the end of the month for U.S. dollar and euro
at the request of a member during the year—for example, at the end of the member’s financial year
on such other occasions as the IMF may decide.
Whenever it becomes necessary to adjust the rate at which the IMF has recorded the use of a member’s currency, the new rate becomes effective in the IMF’s accounts at the close of business on that date. All holdings of a member’s currency in the General Resources Account, including any unsettled obligations resulting from an earlier revaluation, are revalued at the new rate. The new rate is applied to all transactions in that currency, including administrative receipts and payments, until such time as the rate is again adjusted.
The currency valuation adjustments are part of the IMF’s holdings of members’ currencies. Whenever the IMF revalues its holdings of a member’s currency, reflecting a change in its exchange rate with the SDR, an account receivable or an account payable is established for the amount of currency payable by or to the member in order to maintain the value of holdings of the member’s currency in terms of the SDR.
The Special Disbursement Account (SDA) is the vehicle used to receive profits from the sale of gold held by the IMF at the time of the Second Amendment of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement (1978). SDA resources can be used for various purposes as specified in the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, including transfers to the GRA for immediate use in operations and transactions, transfers to the Investment Account, or to provide balance of payments assistance on special terms to developing economy members in difficult circumstances.
The IMF conducts its financial dealings with a member through the fiscal agency and the depository designated by the member. The fiscal agency may be the member’s treasury (ministry of finance), central bank, official monetary agency, stabilization fund, or other similar agency. The IMF only deals with a member for financial operations through the designated fiscal agency. In addition, each member is required to designate its central bank as a depository for the IMF’s holdings of the member’s currency (“designated depository”) or, if it has no central bank, a monetary agency or a commercial bank acceptable to the IMF. Most members of the IMF have designated their central bank as both the depository and the fiscal agency. The depository is required to pay out of the IMF’s holdings of the member’s currency, on demand and without delay, sums to any payee named by the IMF and to hold securities on behalf of the IMF should the member decide to issue nonnegotiable, non-interest-bearing notes or similar instruments in substitution for part of the IMF’s currency holdings. Each member guarantees all assets of the IMF against loss resulting from failure or default on the part of the depository. Thus, the IMF’s pool of currencies and reserve assets in the General Resources Account are not held at the IMF but in depositories in the member countries.
The depository maintains, without any service charge or commission, two accounts that are used to record the IMF’s holdings of the member’s currency: the IMF No. 1 Account and the IMF No. 2 Account. The No. 1 Account is used for IMF transactions, including subscription payments, purchases and repurchases (use and repayment of General Resources Account resources), and repayment of resources borrowed by the IMF. Payment of charges on the use of IMF credit and the IMF’s payment of interest on reserve tranche positions are conducted in SDRs and therefore are not recorded in these accounts. Provided a minimum balance is maintained in the No. 1 Account, as explained below, all these transactions alternatively may be carried out through an IMF Securities Account. A member may establish an IMF Securities Account in order to substitute part of the holdings in the IMF No. 1 Account with nonnegotiable, non-interest-bearing notes or similar instruments payable to the IMF on demand when the currency is needed for the IMF’s transactions. The depository holds these notes for safekeeping and acts as the agent of the IMF to obtain encashment of the notes in order to maintain, at all times, the minimum required balance in the No. 1 Account.42 The No. 2 Account is used for the IMF’s administrative expenditures and receipts (for example, from sales of IMF publications) in the member’s currency and within its territory.
The balances in both the No. 1 and No. 2 Accounts that originate from the payment of the local currency portion of quota subscriptions do not yield any interest for the IMF. The local currency portion of the subscribed capital, while fully paid, is held in non-interest-bearing form and generates no income for the IMF until used and converted into claims on members in the form of use of IMF credit.
The accounting treatment of IMF transactions should reflect the member’s legal and institutional arrangements and the substance of the transactions and should comply with the applicable financial reporting framework.43 For this reason, the disclosure of financial position with the IMF sometimes differs between members.
The financial position with the IMF is commonly presented in full in the member’s central bank balance sheet. This means that the position in both the General Department and the SDR Department are included in the central bank’s balance sheet. Membership in the SDR Department is typically presented by showing SDR holdings as an asset and the cumulative SDR allocation as a liability.
The member’s position in the General Department can be shown either on a gross or a net basis. Under the gross method, the IMF No. 1, No. 2, and Securities Accounts are shown as liabilities, and the member’s quota is shown as an asset. Members may also choose to reflect their financial position on a net basis. A member that has a reserve tranche position in the IMF and is not using IMF credit would present its reserve tranche position as an asset (Box 2.4). Members with a reserve tranche position that are also using credit in the General Resources Account would disclose the reserve tranche as an asset and currency holdings stemming from the use of IMF credit as a liability, since the IMF is not entitled to demand settlement or offset a member’s use of credit from its reserve tranche position.
Additional considerations may arise when a member uses credit in the General Resources Account that is channeled to the state treasury for budget financing. If the IMF position is shown in the balance sheet of the central bank, the member may present the full liability related to the IMF holdings of the member’s currency resulting from the use of such IMF credit with a corresponding asset due from the treasury, reflecting an on-lending arrangement.44 Some central banks reflect the underlying securities issued by the member for the use of IMF credit directed to the state treasury in off-balance-sheet accounts and the resources received from the IMF as government deposits.
Appendix 4 illustrates how IMF membership could be presented on either a gross or a net basis in the balance sheet of a central bank.
Box 2.1GRA Balance Sheet Snapshot
(Billions of SDRs; as of April 30, 2015)
On the asset side of the balance sheet, financing for debtor members is largely funded by use of currencies of creditor members. Members with outstanding credit pay a market-related rate of interest on these loans which fully covers the payment of interest to the creditors providing resources to the IMF.
On the resources side of the balance sheet, the IMF pays interest (remuneration) to the providers of finance as well as on borrowed resources. The IMF does not remunerate available quota resources until they are used. Unusable currencies are composed of quota payments by members whose position is assessed by the Fund to be insufficiently strong to be included in the Financial Transactions Plan and be used in credit operations (see Section 2.2.1).
Note: SCA-1 = Special Contingent Account
Box 2.2Quota Payment Procedures
The rules and regulations concerning the payment of a member’s quota are stipulated in Article III (Quotas and Subscriptions) of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement. Eligible members that consent to an increase in their quotas must typically pay their quota increases as follows:
Reserve asset portion: Twenty-five percent of the quota increase must be paid in reserve assets. Originally, this portion was payable in gold. Since the Second Amendment of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement in 1978, it is payable in SDRs or in the currencies of other members specified by the IMF, with their concurrence, or in any combination of SDRs and such currencies. In the event the specified currency of another member is not freely usable (see Section 2.2), balances of that member’s currency are normally obtained by the paying member from the member whose currency was specified in exchange for a freely usable currency acceptable to that member. To effect this payment, (1) a member may use its own reserves (for example, its own SDRs or reserve currency holdings) or (2) if it lacks sufficient reserves, it may ask the IMF to arrange for an intraday interest-free SDR bridge loan from a willing creditor. To repay the bridge loan, a member must immediately draw down its newly created reserve tranche position in the same amount and use the proceeds to repay the loan.
Local currency portion: The remainder of the quota increase (75 percent) is payable in a member’s own currency to either the IMF No. 1 Account (Section 2.6) or through issuance of a promissory note to be held in the IMF’s Securities Account with the member’s designated depository, typically its central bank.
Payments of both portions of the quota must be made on the same agreed value date within 30 days of the later of (1) the date on which the member notifies the IMF of its consent to its new quota or (2) the date on which the increase in quota goes into effect. The Executive Board has the authority to extend the payment period.
Box 2.3The Quota Formula
The quota formula includes four quota variables: GDP, openness, variability, and reserves. These are expressed as shares of the global totals, with the variables assigned weights totaling to 1.0. The formula also includes a compression factor that reduces dispersion in calculated quota shares.
The formula is
CQS = calculated quota share;
Y = a blend of GDP converted at market rates and purchasing-power-parity (PPP) exchange rates averaged over a 3-year period (the weights of market-based and PPP GDP are 0.60 and 0.40, respectively);
O = the annual average of the sum of current payments and current receipts (goods, services, income, and transfers) for a recent 5-year period;
V = variability of current receipts and net capital flows (measured as a standard deviation from the centered 3-year moving average over a recent 13-year period);
R = the 12-month average over a recent year of official reserves (foreign exchange, SDR holdings, reserve position in the IMF, and monetary gold); and
k = a compression factor of 0.95. The compression factor is applied to the uncompressed calculated quota shares, which are then rescaled to sum to 100.
Box 2.4The Reserve Tranche Position
In exchange for the reserve asset portion of its quota payment, an IMF member acquires a liquid claim on the IMF—much like a demand deposit in a commercial bank. This claim is called the reserve tranche position, and it is equal to the member’s quota minus the IMF’s holdings of the member’s currency in the General Resources Account (excluding currency holdings that stem from the member’s own use of credit and holdings—one-tenth of 1 percent of the member’s quota—held in the No. 2 Account for administrative payments).
The share of a member’s subscription maintained in reserve assets is initially about 25 percent of the quota payment but varies over time: the reserve tranche position increases when the IMF uses the member’s currency to lend to other members (or for administrative payments) and decreases when borrowing members use the currency to make repayments. Reserve tranche positions are part of each member’s liquid international reserves because, when a member has a balance of payments need, it may convert its SDR-denominated reserve asset into SDRs or one or more freely usable currencies by drawing on the IMF. A member may also be obligated to provide if necessary reserve assets of up to 100 percent of its quota.
The reserve tranche can be considered as the “facility of first resort.” It stands apart from the various financing facilities and instruments (see Section 2.3) in that a member’s reserve tranche position is part of its own foreign exchange reserves. Purchases in the reserve tranche do not therefore constitute use of IMF credit. To preserve this character as a reserve asset available at the discretion of the member, the IMF has adopted reserve tranche policies:
The definition of the reserve tranche (quota less holdings of the member’s currency) explicitly excludes currency holdings arising from past use of IMF credit. This is intended to enable members to make purchases in the credit tranches without having first to use their reserve tranche. The member can choose which resources to use first.
Purchases in the reserve tranche are subject to a representation by the member of a balance of payments need, as with any use of IMF resources, but the member’s representation of need cannot be challenged by the IMF at the time the purchase request is made. (The IMF could, however review ex post whether the reserve tranche purpose was contrary to the purposes of the Fund and take remedial action.)
Reserve tranche purchases are not subject to conditionality, charges, or repurchase expectations and obligations.
Balances of a member’s currency are held by the IMF in designated depositories which are the members’ central banks. Payment of the non-reserve-asset portion of quota subscriptions is normally in the form of promissory notes (nonnegotiable, non-interest-bearing securities) that are converted to currency on demand and are covered in the IMF No. 1 Account.
The IMF pays interest, called remuneration, on a member’s reserve tranche position in the IMF, except on a small portion that is unremunerated. This unremunerated (non-interest-bearing) portion of the reserve tranche position was equal to 25 percent of the member’s quota on April 1, 1978—that part of the quota that was paid in gold prior to the Second Amendment of the Articles of Agreement.
Historically, the gold tranche was never remunerated, and so this same amount was set aside as unremunerated when gold payment of subscriptions was ended. For members joining the IMF after that date, the unremunerated portion of the reserve tranche is set at the average unremunerated reserve tranche of all other members at that time.
The unremunerated portion of the reserve tranche remains fixed for each member in nominal terms, but because of subsequent quota increases, it is now significantly lower when expressed as a percentage of quotas.
Box 2.5The Evolution of Conditionality
IMF lending has always involved policy conditions. Until the early 1980s, IMF conditionality focused largely on macroeconomic policies. Subsequently, the complexity and scope of structural conditions increased, reflecting the IMF’s growing involvement in low-income and transition economies, where severe structural problems hamper economic stability and growth.
Since 2000, the IMF has become more flexible in the way it engages with countries on issues related to structural reform of their economies. In 2002, the IMF concluded an extensive review of conditionality using a consultative process, including public involvement aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of IMF programs through stronger country ownership. Accordingly, the IMF has been striving to focus more sharply on and be clearer about the conditions attached to its financing and to be flexible and responsive in discussing alternative policies with countries requesting financial assistance.
As part of a wide-ranging review of the IMF’s lending toolkit in 2009, the IMF further modernized its conditionality framework in the context of a comprehensive reform to strengthen its capacity to prevent and resolve crises. The revised operational guidance to the IMF staff stipulates that structural conditions be focused on and tailored to member countries’ individual policies and economic starting points. Moreover, structural performance criteria requiring formal waivers were eliminated, leaving structural reforms to be covered under regular reviews of overall program performance.
The 2011 Review of Conditionality concluded that conditionality in general has become better tailored to individual country needs, more streamlined, and better focused on core areas of IMF expertise. Programs are also better adapted to changing economic circumstances, which has helped increase the achievement of program objectives and safeguard social protection during crises (particularly in low-income countries).
Box 2.6Key Gold Transactions
Outflows of gold from the IMF’s holdings occurred under the original Articles of Agreement through sales of gold for currency and payments of remuneration and interest. Since the Second Amendment of the Articles of Agreement in April 1978, outflows of gold may occur only through outright sales. Key gold transactions included the following:
Sales for replenishment (1957–70): The IMF sold gold on several occasions during this period to replenish its holdings of currencies.
South African gold (1970–71): The IMF sold gold to members in amounts roughly corresponding to purchases during those years from South Africa.
Investment in U.S. government securities (1956–72): In order to generate income to offset operational deficits, some IMF gold was sold to the United States, and the proceeds were invested in U.S. government securities. Subsequently, a significant buildup of IMF reserves prompted the IMF to reacquire this gold from the U.S. government.
Auctions and “restitution” sales (1976–80): The IMF sold approximately one-third of its gold holdings (50 million ounces) following an agreement by its members to reduce the role of gold in the international monetary system. Half this amount was sold in restitution to members at the official price of SDR 35 per ounce; the other half was auctioned to the market to finance the Trust Fund established to support concessional lending by the IMF to low-income countries.
Off-market transactions in gold (1999–2000): In December 1999, the Executive Board authorized off-market transactions in gold of up to 14 million ounces to help finance IMF participation in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative. Between December 1999 and April 2000, separate but closely linked transactions involving a total of 12.9 million ounces of gold were carried out between the IMF and two members (Brazil and Mexico) that had financial obligations falling due to the IMF. In the first step, the IMF sold gold to the member at the prevailing market price, and the profits were placed in a special account invested for the benefit of the HIPC Initiative. In the second step, the IMF immediately accepted back, at the same market price, the same amount of gold from the member in settlement of that member’s financial obligations. The net effect of these transactions was to leave the balance of the IMF’s holdings of physical gold unchanged.
Gold sales to fund endowment (2009–10): In September 2009, the Executive Board approved the sale of 403.3 metric tons of gold (12.97 million ounces) as a key step toward implementing a new income model agreed in April 2008 to help put the IMF’s finances on a sound long-term footing. A central component of the new income model was the establishment of an endowment funded by the profits from the sale of a strictly limited portion of the IMF’s gold which was acquired after the Second Amendment of the Articles.
2011 Review of Conditionality, IMF Policy Paper, June19, 2012: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2012/061912a.pdf
Acceptances of the Proposed Amendment of the Articles of Agreement on Reform of the Executive Board and Consents to 2010 Quota Increase: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/misc/consents.htm
Blackout Periods in GRA Arrangements and the Extended Rights to Purchase Policy—A Review, IMF Policy Paper, January23, 2013: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2013/012313.pdf
Blackout Periods in GRA Arrangements and the Extended Rights to Purchase Policy—A Review, IMF Policy Paper, January23, 2013: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2013/012313.pdf)| false
Conditionality in Fund-Supported Programs—Purposes, Modalities, and Options for Reform, IMF Policy Paper: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2009/012909.pdf
Conditionality in Fund-Supported Programs—Purposes, Modalities, and Options for Reform, IMF Policy Paper: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2009/012909.pdf)| false
Financial Statements of the International Monetary Fund: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/quart/index.htm
Financing IMF Transactions: http://www.imf.org/cgi-shl/create_x.pl?ftp
Guidelines for Quarterly Financial Transactions Plan: http://www.imf.org/external/np/tre/ftp/pdf/0408.pdf
GRA Lending Toolkit and Conditionality: Reform Proposals, IMF Policy Paper, March13, 2009: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2009/031309a.pdf
GRA Lending Toolkit and Conditionality: Reform Proposals, IMF Policy Paper, March13, 2009: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2009/031309a.pdf)| false
IMF Announces Sale of 10 Metric Tons of Gold to the Bangladesh Bank, Press Release No. 10/333, September9, 2010: www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2010/pr10333.htm
IMF Announces Sale of 10 Metric Tons of Gold to the Bangladesh Bank, Press Release No. 10/333, September9, 2010: www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2010/pr10333.htm)| false
IMF Articles of Agreement—Article V, Section 7(b), Repurchase by a Member of its Currency held by the Fund: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/aa/#a5s7
IMF Articles of Agreement—Article V, Section 7(b), Repurchase by a Member of its Currency held by the Fund: http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/aa/#a5s7)| false
IMF Articles of Agreement—Article V, Section 8(b) (ii), Charges:http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/aa/#a5s8
IMF Articles of Agreement—Article V, Section 8(b) (ii), Charges:http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/aa/#a5s8)| false
IMF to Begin On-Market Sales of Gold, Press Release No. 10/ 44, February17, 2010: www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2010/pr1044.htm
IMF Executive Board Approves Limited Sales of Gold to Finance the Fund’s New Income Model and to Boost Concessional Lending Capacity, Press Release No. 09/ 310, September18, 2009: www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2009/pr09310.htm
IMF Executive Board Approves Limited Sales of Gold to Finance the Fund’s New Income Model and to Boost Concessional Lending Capacity, Press Release No. 09/ 310, September18, 2009: www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2009/pr09310.htm)| false
IMF Executive Board Approves Distribution of US$1.1 Billion Gold Sales Profits to Facilitate Contributions to Support Concessional Lending to Low-Income Countries, Press Release No. 12/56, February24, 2012: www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2012/pr1256.htm.
IMF Executive Board Approves Distribution of US$1.1 Billion Gold Sales Profits to Facilitate Contributions to Support Concessional Lending to Low-Income Countries, Press Release No. 12/56, February24, 2012: www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2012/pr1256.htm.)| false
IMF Executive Board Recommends Quota and Related Governance Reforms: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2006/pr06189.htm
IMF Executive Board Recommends Reforms to Overhaul Quota and Voice, Press Release No. 08/64, March28, 2008: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2008/pr0864.htm
IMF Executive Board Recommends Reforms to Overhaul Quota and Voice, Press Release No. 08/64, March28, 2008: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2008/pr0864.htm)| false
IMF Executive Board Reports to the Board of Governors on the 2010 Reforms and the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas, Press Release No. 14/22, January23, 2014: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2014/pr1422.htm
IMF Executive Board Reports to the Board of Governors on the 2010 Reforms and the Fifteenth General Review of Quotas, Press Release No. 14/22, January23, 2014: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2014/pr1422.htm)| false
IMF Financial Activities: http://www.imf.org/cgi-shl/create_x.pl?fa
IMF Financial Resources and Liquidity Position: http://www.imf.org/cgi-shl/create_x.pl?liq
IMF Members’ Quotas and Voting Power, and IMF Board of Governors: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/memdir/members.aspx
IMF Quotas, Factsheet: http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/quotas.htm
IMF Quota and Governance Publications: http://www.imf.org/external/np/fin/quotas/pubs/index.htm
IMF Secures Financing to Sustain Concessional Lending to the World’s Poorest Countries over Longer Term, Press Release No. 13/398, October10, 2013: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2013/pr13398.htm
IMF Secures Financing to Sustain Concessional Lending to the World’s Poorest Countries over Longer Term, Press Release No. 13/398, October10, 2013: http://www.imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2013/pr13398.htm)| false
IMF Standing Borrowing Arrangements, Factsheet: http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/gabnab.htm
Proposed Decision to Modify the New Arrangements to Borrow, IMF Policy Paper, March25, 2010: http://www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2010/032510c.pdf
Proposed Decision to Modify the New Arrangements to Borrow, IMF Policy Paper, March25, 2010: http://www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2010/032510c.pdf)| false
Quota and Voting Shares before and after Implementation of Reforms Agreed in 2008 and 2010: http://imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2011/pdfs/quota_tbl.pdf
Review of Access Policy in the Credit Tranches and Under the Extended Fund Facility and the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, and Exceptional Access Policy, IMF Policy Paper, February1, 2008: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2008/020108.pdf
Review of Access Policy in the Credit Tranches and Under the Extended Fund Facility and the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility, and Exceptional Access Policy, IMF Policy Paper, February1, 2008: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2008/020108.pdf)| false
Review of Exceptional Access Policy, IMF Policy Paper, March23, 2004: www.imf.org/external/np/acc/2004/eng/032304.pdf
Review of Exceptional Access Policy, IMF Policy Paper, March23, 2004: www.imf.org/external/np/acc/2004/eng/032304.pdf)| false
Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors on the Outcome of the Quota Formula Review: http://www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2013/013013.pdf
Where the IMF Gets Its Money, Factsheet: http://www.imf.org/external/np/exr/facts/finfac.htm
Approved quotas are slightly higher at SDR 238.5 billion, reflecting the fact that some members have not yet paid for approved quota increases.
The IMF’s quota-based currency holdings can be supplemented by GRA borrowing. However, as the IMF is a quota-based institution, borrowing is understood to be a temporary supplement, in particular during periods of financial crisis but also as a bridge to general quota increases.
The Executive Board’s report to the Board of Governors is available on the IMF’s website: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2013/013013.pdf.
A compression factor of 0.95 is applied to the weighted sum of the four variables in the quota formula. This reduces the dispersion in calculated quota shares across members and has the effect of reducing the share calculated under the formula for the largest members and raising those for all other countries (see Box 2.3).
Article III, Section 2(a).
See IMF Quota and Governance Reform—Elements of an Agreement—Report of the Executive Board to the Board of Governors, and Board of Governors’ Resolution 66–2, adopted December 15, 2010: www.imf.org/external/np/pp/eng/2010/103110.pdf.
Under Article III, Section 2(a), the IMF may, “if it thinks fit, consider at any other time the adjustment of any particular quota at the request of the member concerned.”
A comparative table of quota shares before and after implementation of the reform is detailed in Quota and Voting Shares Before and After Implementation of Reforms Agreed in 2008 and 2010. http://imf.org/external/np/sec/pr/2011/pdfs/quota_tbl.pdf
With the 2011 amendment of the NAB (see Section 2.1.6.2), the Fund continues to be guided by the principle that the NAB shall be the facility of first and principal recourse except in the event that a proposal for the establishment of an activation period under the NAB is not accepted, when a proposal for calls may be made under the GAB—and outstanding drawings and available commitments under the NAB and the GAB shall not exceed SDR 367 billion or such other amounts that may be in effect.
The G7 comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The G10 comprises the countries of the G7 and Belgium, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
The G20 comprises the countries in the G7 and Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, and the European Union (EU).
For conversion of NAB commitments to SDRs, the exchange rate on the date NAB participants agreed to its expansion, November 24, 2009, is used (1 SDR = US$1.602).
The credit arrangements for Greece and Ireland have not become effective.
The IMF also amended the Guidelines for Borrowing by the Fund (“Borrowing Guidelines”). The agreed borrowing modalities build on the framework for the 2009 bilateral borrowing agreements and, with respect to certain operational matters, on the subsequent reforms of the New Arrangements to Borrow.
The IMF approved agreements with Australia, Banca d’Italia, Banco de Mexico, Bank Negara Malaysia, Bank of Algeria, Bank of Finland, Bank of Malta, Bank of Slovenia, Bank of Thailand, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Brunei Darussalam, Central Bank of the Russian Federation, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey, Czech National Bank, Danmarks Nationalbank, De Nederlandsche Bank NV, Deutsche Bundesbank, France, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Narodowy Bank Polski, National Bank of Belgium, New Zealand, Norges Bank, Oesterreichische Nationalbank, People’s Bank of China, Saudi Arabia, Slovak Republic, Spain, South African Reserve Bank, Sveriges Riksbank, Reserve Bank of India, the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and the United Kingdom.
In September 2014, following consultations with lenders, the initial 2-year term of agreements was extended by 1 year.
This takes into account a 20 percent prudential balance (see Chapter 6).
This financing mechanism has its roots in the credit facilities between central banks before the IMF was established. In making a purchase, the member provides domestic currency to the IMF additional to the amount previously paid to the IMF to fulfill the member’s quota subscription.
A freely usable currency is one that the IMF has determined is widely used to make payments for international transactions and widely traded in principal markets; currently these are the U.S. dollar, euro, yen, and pound sterling (see Box 4.3).
Article XXX(c) states “Reserve tranche purchase means a purchase by a member of special drawing rights or the currency of another member in exchange for its own currency which does not cause the Fund’s holdings of the member’s currency in the General Resources Account to exceed its quota.”
To safeguard the liquidity of creditor claims and take account of the potential erosion of the IMF’s resource base, a prudential balance is maintained. This prudential balance is calculated as 20 percent of the quotas of members that are used in the financing of IMF transactions. (Section 6.1.2).
For ease of reference, “loan” and “line of credit” are sometimes used in this publication instead of the internal IMF terminology.
A member’s currency held by the IMF is revalued in SDR terms (1) whenever the currency is used by the IMF in a transaction with another member, (2) at the end of the IMF’s financial year (April 30), (3) at the request of a member during the year, (4) with respect to the euro and U.S. dollar, on the last business day of the month or on a daily basis respectively, and (5) on such other occasions, as the IMF decides.
Article V, Section 11 (a).
See Selected Decisions and Documents of the International Monetary Fund, Twenty-Fifth Issue (Washington: IMF, 2000), pp. 260–65.
A comprehensive review of the IMF lending instruments is available on the Internet: Review of Fund Facilities—Analytical Basis for Fund Lending and Reform Options: http://www.imf.org/external/pp/longres.aspx?id=4322.
Article XXX (b).
The Rapid Financing Instrument is similar to the Rapid Credit Facility (RCF) for member countries eligible for the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust.
Article V, Section 3(b)(ii).
In instances where there are significant uncertainties that make it difficult to state categorically that there is a high probability that the debt is sustainable, exceptional access would be justified if there is a high risk of international systemic spillover.
Under the ERP Policy, the extension period is up to 45 days but can be shorter if the data-reporting deadlines in the Technical Memorandum of Understanding (TMU) expire before the 45-day extension. In IMF-supported programs, TMUs typically specify that data must be reported in less than 45 days.
See Blackout Periods in GRA Arrangements and the Extended Rights to Purchase Policy—A Review, January 2013.
An 85 percent majority of the total IMF voting power is required to change the repurchase schedules, and any such periods apply to all members Article V, Section 7(c) and (d).
See discussion in Section 2.2.1. Under a decision adopted in the late 1970s, members are permitted to combine all repurchases due within a calendar month provided the combined repurchase is completed no later than the last day of the month and that no single repurchase remains outstanding for a period exceeding the maximum permitted under the relevant policy of the IMF. This option has been rarely used (Zambia in 1985 and Greece in June 2015).
Postponement beyond the maximum repurchase period allowed under the arrangement could be considered only in the event that the IMF determined that discharge on the due date would result in exceptional hardship for the member and if the longer period for repurchase is consistent with the revolving nature of the use of IMF resources. Such a decision requires approval by a 70 percent majority of the total voting power (Article V, Section 7(g)). The IMF has not approved any extensions in repurchases beyond the maximum repurchase period.
In April 2014, the Executive Board adopted the necessary amendments to the PRGT Instrument to implement the self-sustained PRGT. This amendment became effective with the necessary consents from all lenders to the PRGT. See Chapter 3 for the discussion on the self-sustained PRGT.
In the balance sheet of the General Resources Account, the IMF distinguishes between usable currencies and unusable (other) currencies. (see Section 2.2. for the definition of “usable currency”) Unusable currencies include the currencies of borrowers from the General Resources Account and of members with weaker external positions that are not being used for credit purposes. The currencies of nonborrowers could become usable if the members’ balance of payments positions improved.
The IMF’s holding of gold are valued at historical cost. For most of the gold holdings, this is SDR 35 a fine ounce. Market prices for gold are much higher, which imparts a fundamental strength to the IMF’s financial position.
The IMF does not receive allocations of SDRs, but rather obtains its SDRs in payment for the reserve asset portion of quota subscriptions and in settlement of charges and, to a lesser degree, repayment of credit. The IMF, in turn, uses these SDRs to pay interest on creditor positions and to provide credit to members. Since SDRs were created as a supplement to existing reserve assets, the IMF does not maintain large holdings of SDRs for long periods of time, but instead recirculates them to the membership.
Revaluation changes in members’ currencies in relation to the SDR in the other IMF accounts (the SDA and the Administered Accounts) are reported as valuation gains and losses for those accounts.
If any payment by the IMF reduces the balance in the No. 1 Account below a minimum of ¼ of 1 percent of the member’s quota, the balance must be restored to that level by the next business day through the deposit of currencies or encashment of sufficient notes.
This discussion presents IMF member positions in the General and SDR Departments.
Borrowing under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) is also typically reflected in the central bank’s balance sheet.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4268
|
__label__wiki
| 0.83935
| 0.83935
|
Search Close search Close
Exclusive Limited Editions
I want to see prices in
Curated by:
Victoria Williams and Cassie Beadle
JASON SHULMAN: PHOTOGRAPHS OF FILMS
Ended On: 20th February 2017
20 Artworks curated by Victoria Williams and Cassie Beadle
Photographs of Films is a series of photographs by Jason Shulman which capture the entire duration of a movie in a single exposure.
The films range from cinema classics such as Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz, Deep Throat and 2001: A Space Odyssey to more niche movies such as Digby The Biggest Dog in the World. Also included is a photograph of the most viewed film of all time, The Irony of Fate, a Soviet production which used to be broadcast on Russian television every Christmas.
The photographs capture something the human eye can’t ordinarily see. They collapse the entire duration of a movie into a single moment, a single frame. The results vary from luminous colour field abstractions to visual précis that are both a blur and a reveal. The photographs of Hitchcock films show ghostly figures emerging from an abstract background. ‘With Rear Window,’ says Shulman, ‘you can actually see Jimmy Stewart in his wheelchair against the fragmented lines of window frames. It could work as a poster for the film.’ The Kubricks, on the other hand, do not show human figures. They stand out for their formal composition, almost dividing the image into a triptych.
‘There are roughly 130,000 frames in a 90 minute film,’ says Shulman, ‘and every frame of each film is recorded in these photographs. You could take all these frames and shuffle them like a deck of cards, and no matter the shuffle, you would end up with the same image I have arrived at. Each of these photographs is the genetic code of a film - its visual DNA.’
Co-founder, director and curator of Cob Gallery, Victoria Williams studied History of Art at UCL.
Wizard of Oz (1939)
JASON SHULMAN
# Photography
The Irony of Fate (1975)
Rear Window (1954)
The Agony and the Ecstasy (1965)
Citizen Kane (1941)
2001: Space Odyssey (1968)
Digby. The Biggest Dog In The World (1973)
Under the Skin (2013)
Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Road Runner: Guided Muscle (1955)
Rope (1948)
The Passenger (1975)
Le Voyage Dans La Lune (1902)
Co-founder, director and curator of Cob Gallery, Victoria Williams studied History of Art at UCL. After graduating, she worked for several years for Waldemar Janusczcak creating art documentaries for the BBC and Channel 4. She founded Cob Gallery and Studios with friend and business partner Polly Stenham in 2011, renovating the gallery from scratch with the aim of providing a platform for young emerging artists.
Cassie Beadle graduated from The Courtauld Institute of Art in 2006 after specialising in early 20th Century Performance and Contemporary Art. She then embarked on a project called Guts for Garters, an anti-white cube gallery space which saw installations of multidisciplinary fine art and design curated under different themes. Received much like a concept store, Guts for Garters acted as a platform for young emerging designers to exhibit alongside much more established artists. She joined the Cob Gallery as curator in 2013.
Jason Shulman’s Photographs of Films were exhibited for the first time at Cob Gallery in May 2016.
Swipe from work to work to browse
through our entire selection
Be the first to know about our weekly updates and our exclusive announcements.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4270
|
__label__wiki
| 0.645317
| 0.645317
|
Independence Public Media Foundation Announces Grants to the MIC Center and the Media Mobilizing Project
Email this event
The grants will support the work of Associate Professor Todd Wolfson, who is co-founder and co-director of the Media, Inequality & Change Center (MIC) and a member of the MMP Board of Directors.
The Board of Directors of Independence Public Media of Philadelphia announced a new round of grants today, including $3.6 million to six organizations representing key partners for advancing the foundation’s vision for the Philadelphia region as a hotbed for creative media makers.
Additionally, 17 organizations, either focused primarily on media, or that have innovative media projects, were nominated by community members to receive $25,000 grants each, totaling $425,000. “With this round of grants, we are exploring the boundaries of creative media making, including media making for movement building, and community-led storytelling to bring new information and narratives to light,” said the foundation’s president Molly de Aguiar.
She added, “We are committed to investing in the people and organizations who can build and strengthen networks, and foster wide-ranging, collaborative partnerships across the region.” $2.6 million in this round will support a large-scale collaborative project between Media Mobilizing Project, Free Press, and the Media, Inequality, & Change Center (MIC), focusing on violence, safety, and the impact of criminal justice narratives on the region. The three-year project aims to understand how social change happens, the media’s role in creating obstacles and opportunities for change, and what innovative, community-centered media and media making can and should look like in the region. Based on outreach and relationship-building with residents and reporters, field scans and other research, the three organizations will tailor interventions with Philadelphia neighborhoods and newsrooms to support communities in telling their own stories, amplifying their solutions, and changing culture and practices within local newsrooms.
Awarded $798,000
The MIC Center occupies the intersection of technology, policy, and social justice. It is committed to studying the political economy of social problems, media, and democracy, while engaging local activist projects, and drawing connections with national and international social movements.
Over the three-year grant, MIC will lead two integrated research projects focused on Philadelphia’s local media ecosystem. Mapping media institutions will be a multi-year, multi-phase study employing mixed methods and resulting in an in-depth, structural analysis of the region’s news media. MIC’s community network analysis will employ a political economic framework that assesses the ownership and control of local media as well as how communities harness media to make positive social change. Drawing on our deep national and international networks, MIC will cross-fertilize best practices, amplify findings, and facilitate dialogue across the city and beyond.
As part of this project, MIC also will provide regular opportunities for project partners and community organizations to meet, share data, and collaborate with researchers, practitioners, and organizations engaged in similar work in other locations domestically and internationally. The project as a whole will contribute to new knowledge about the interrelationships between media, organizing, and social change. It will also shed light on the ways in which our local media ecosystem upholds systems of power. Ultimately, our aim is to outline a vision for remaking media in ways that reflect communities’ information needs, especially around vitally important social issues such as inequality and criminal justice.
MIC is a collaboration between the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School and Rutgers University’s School of Communication and Information. The Center explores the intersections between media, democracy, technology, policy, and social justice. MIC produces engaged research and analysis while collaborating with community leaders to help support activist initiatives and policy interventions. The Center’s objective is to develop a local-to-national strategy that focuses on communication issues important to local communities and social movements in the region, while also addressing how these local issues intersect with national and international policy challenges.
The Center’s core principles are to research, educate, connect, and engage. MIC accomplishes this by assessing social movement strategies and democratic deployments of technology; contributing to policy interventions that encourage structural reform; committing to long-term field building in political economy, media, policy and technology studies and other cognate areas; assisting social justice campaigns, and making material interventions around media and democracy. Bringing together scholars, journalists, policy makers, activists, philanthropists, and diverse constituencies, MIC strives to create more democratic media systems that serve community needs. MIC has successfully stewarded funds from the Lenfest Foundation, OSF, MDF, and multiple academic institutions in the course of its activities and grant programs.
Media Mobilizing Project
Awarded $1,001,945
Media Mobilizing Project works with movements to amplify the voices of communities fighting for justice, equity and human rights. Through media production, coalition building, training and advocacy, MMP builds relationships of solidarity, power and mutual support.
Through this three-year grant, in collaboration with Free Press and Media, Inequality, Change Center, MMP will convene and connect community-based organizations and local leaders in an educational and strategic visioning process that will lead to action-taking to reshape narratives around safety, trauma, and violence. In this work, MMP and their community partners will center, support, and help cohere people impacted by violence and the criminal-justice system.
Free Press: “Transforming Criminal-Legal System Reporting in Philadelphia”
For more information about the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at the Rutgers School of Communication and Information (SC&I), click here.
Jonathan Holloway Named 21st President of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Students in the Fall 2019 IT & Informatics Showcase Pitched 40 New Prototypes Designed to Solve Real-World Problems
Frank ‘60 and Pat Kabela Pledge Major Gift to The Rutgers Future Scholar Program
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4271
|
__label__wiki
| 0.908117
| 0.908117
|
Greenland and the Legacy of Camp Century
Melting ice sheet could release frozen Cold War-era waste
Climate change could remobilize abandoned hazardous waste thought to be buried forever beneath the Greenland Ice Sheet, new research finds.
Camp Century, a U.S. military base built within the Greenland Ice Sheet in 1959, doubled as a top-secret site for testing the feasibility of deploying nuclear missiles from the Arctic during the Cold War. When the camp was decommissioned in 1967, its infrastructure and waste were abandoned under the assumption they would be entombed forever by perpetual snowfall.
But climate change has warmed the Arctic more than any other region on Earth, and a new study finds the portion of the ice sheet covering Camp Century could start to melt by the end of the century. If the ice melts, the camp’s infrastructure, as well as any remaining biological, chemical and radioactive waste, could re-enter the environment and potentially disrupt nearby ecosystems, according to the study’s authors.
They also pointed out that determining who is responsible for cleaning up the waste could also lead to political disputes not considered before.
“Two generations ago, people were interring waste in different areas of the world, and now climate change is modifying those sites,” said William Colgan, a climate and glacier scientist at York University in Toronto, Canada, and a research associate at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) in Boulder, Colorado, lead author of the new study. “It’s a new breed of political challenge we have to think about.”
The new study was published today in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.
The assumption that any waste could be buried forever under ice is unrealistic, according to James White, a climate scientist at the University of Colorado in Boulder, who was not connected to the study.
“The question is whether it’s going to come out in hundreds of years, in thousands of years, or in tens of thousands of years,” White said. “This stuff was going to come out anyway, but what climate change did was press the gas pedal to the floor and say, ‘it’s going to come out a lot faster than you thought.’”
A “city under the ice”
During the Cold War, U.S. military attention shifted to the Arctic — the shortest route between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union. In April 1951, the U.S. and Denmark agreed to defend Greenland, a Danish territory, from Soviet attack, and the U.S. built several air bases in Greenland that year.
In 1959, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built Camp Century 200 kilometers (125 miles) inland from the Greenland coast. Encased completely within the ice sheet, Camp Century became known as the “city under the ice.”
The camp’s official purpose was to test construction techniques in the Arctic and conduct scientific research. While in operation, the camp housed 85 to 200 soldiers and was powered by a nuclear reactor. Scientists at Camp Century took ice core samples providing climate data still cited in research today, Colgan said.
A thermal drill used to drill through the Greenland ice sheet at Camp Century. Credit: U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.
The camp also provided proof of concept for a top secret program to test the feasibility of building nuclear missile launch sites close enough to reach the Soviet Union. While never built, a larger planned camp based on the concept of Camp Century would have housed a 4,000-kilometer (2,500-mile) long tunnel system underneath the ice, capable of deploying up to 600 nuclear missiles.
A series of excerpts from a U.S. Army Research and Development documentary on the building of Camp Century. full video available here.
Although the camp was built with Denmark’s approval, the missile launch program, known as Project Iceworm, was kept secret from the Danish government. Several years after the camp became operational, Project Iceworm was rejected by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the camp was decommissioned. The Army Corps of Engineers removed the nuclear reaction chamber but left the camp’s infrastructure and all other waste behind, assuming the ice sheet would secure them forever. In the decades since, falling snow has buried the camp roughly 35 meters (115 feet) further underneath the ice.
Waste beneath the ice
In the new study, Colgan and his team took an inventory of the wastes at Camp Century and ran climate model simulations to determine whether the waste will stay put in a warming Arctic. The team analyzed historical U.S. army engineering documents to determine where and how deep the wastes were buried and how much the ice cap had moved since the 1950s.
“Looking at the data, we can see right where it’s buried,” says Mike MacFerrin, a CIRES researcher who is co-author on the paper. MacFerrin analyzed ground-penetrating radar from NASA’s Operation IceBridge aircraft to pinpoint the camp’s current location and depth. “The radar shows smooth layers of snow and ice until reaching the camp. Then the signal gets messy. We don’t yet have enough detail to map exactly what all is down there, but the outline is clear.”
The team found the waste at Camp Century covers 55 hectares (136 acres), roughly the size of 100 football fields. They estimate the site contains 200,000 liters (53,000 gallons) of diesel fuel, enough for a car to circle the globe 80 times. Based on building materials used in the Arctic at the time, the authors speculate the site contains polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pollutants toxic to human health. They also estimate the site has 240,000 liters (63,000 gallons) of waste water, including sewage, along with an unknown volume of low-level radioactive coolant from the nuclear generator.
Looking at existing business-as-usual climate projections, the team determined the wastes would not remain encased in ice forever, as was assumed by both the U.S. and Denmark when the camp was abandoned. Instead, they could melt and re-enter the environment.
“When we looked at the climate simulations, they suggested that rather than perpetual snowfall, it seems that as early as 2090, the site could transition from net snowfall to net melt,” Colgan said. “Once the site transitions from net snowfall to net melt, it’s only a matter of time before the wastes melt out; it becomes irreversible.”
Camp Century’s waste presents a significant environmental hazard, according to the study’s authors. When the ice melts, pollutants could be transported to the ocean, where they could disrupt marine ecosystems, Colgan said.
Based on ice sheet observations near Camp Century but at lower elevations, the camp’s waste could be exposed sooner than the study’s models predict, said Jennifer Mercer, a cryospheric scientist with the National Science Foundation who specializes in operations on the Greenland Ice Sheet and who was not connected to the study.
Environmental, political implications
The study does not advocate for starting remediation activities at Camp Century now. The waste is buried tens of meters below the ice, and any cleanup activities would be costly and technically challenging, Colgan said.
“It really becomes a situation of waiting until the ice sheet has melted down to almost expose the wastes that anyone should advocate for site remediation,” he said.
But the new study does raise questions about who is responsible for cleaning up the waste when it is exposed. International law is clear about responsibility for preventing future hazardous waste, but ambiguous about who is liable for waste already discarded, said Jessica Green, a political scientist specializing in international environmental law at New York University who was not connected to the study. Although Camp Century was a U.S. base, it is on Danish soil, and although Greenland is a Danish territory, it is now self-governing, she said.
The implications of climate change on politically ambiguous abandoned wastes have not been considered before, according to the study’s authors.
“The study identifies a big hole in the extant set of laws and rules we have to deal with environmental problems globally,” Green said.
CIRES is a partnership of NOAA and CU Boulder.
This story is adapted from one by the American Geophysical Union.
William Colgan
Adjunct Research Associate, CIRES
colgan@yorku.ca
Mike MacFerrin
Researcher, CIRES
Michael.MacFerrin@colorado.edu
Kathleen Human
Director, CIRES Communications
kathleen.human@colorado.edu
CIRES Profile
An Interview from Antarctica
CIRES researcher reveals excitement and challenges of fieldwork at the South Pole
Human-Sparked Fires Smaller, Less Intense, but More Frequent with Longer Seasons
Increasing ignitions by people contribute to ‘new normal’ for U.S. wildfire characteristics
Air Pollution from Oil and Gas Production Sites Visible from Space
US and European satellites help scientists measure nitrogen dioxide from drilling, production and flaring
Global Warming to Increase Violent Crime in the United States
CU Boulder-led study predicts millions of additional violent crimes in coming decades
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4274
|
__label__cc
| 0.51053
| 0.48947
|
Scrooge to Bellefonte: “Bah! Humbug!”
Streetscape next to the Centre County Courthouse once the Garman Opera House and Hotel DoDe are razed. Photo rendition by Mary Vollero
Three days ago, Ara Kervandjian, in his capacity as head of PDG and Bellefonte Mews (both are limited partnership companies created by Kervandjian), started tearing down the Garman Opera House and the Hotel DoDe (also see my previous blogs on this issue here, here and here). He received clearance to start the demolition after the Bellefonte Borough Council by a 5-4 vote granted a permit for demolition of this structurally sound historic theatre. The windows are already gone as are, I understand, the chairs inside. Teardown of the building, brick by brick is expected to start on Friday, December 20–five days before Christmas.
This morning, Gary Hoover’s letter to the editor appeared in the Centre Daily Times. He focused on the effect of the impending demolition of the Garman Opera House and the Hotel DoDe to the Bellefonte, PA community. Here are a couple of sentences from that letter:
It will take years to reckon the true cost for our community on multiple levels and, because of the precedent it sets, for future preservation efforts across the state.
But I bet the sum, when fully known, will be astonishing. Just the damage done to various important community-working relationships, erosion of trust in the responsiveness of local government and of faith in the fairness of our court system already frame a disaster.
I agree fully with Gary Hoover. This callous destruction of the Garman Opera House and the Hotel DoDe is truly Scrooge-like. Ripping down these gems of Victorian Bellefonte is ripping out much of the heart of our town. In terms of history. In terms of historic architecture. In terms of economic sustainability. In terms of community. In terms of trust in our local government. In terms of business continuity. And inevitably, in terms of continued respect and interest from visitors to our town.
Bah! Humbug!
Ignoring and dismissal of the public concern about destroying our history is part of this Scrooge-like behavior. How was the public ignored? Here’s just one example of the “Bah, Humbug to you” mentality of the people in power; it is one of many that have occurred since this saga started.
In late October, Bellefonte’s Scrooge-like Council initially tried to clear the room of supporters of the Garman at a Council meeting. On the agenda that night was a vote for demolition of the Garman Opera House and the Hotel DoDe. They cited a fire hazard when they ordered us to leave. They backed down and tabled the vote for two weeks after I stood up and cited Pennsylvania’s Sunshine Law regarding public participation and comment before taking any official actions.
Two weeks later, over 130 people came to the special meeting. Twenty-six people spoke out; none of them supported the demolition of the Garman. After the public comment period ended, Council asked Ara Kervandjian for comments. He stood up and had a letter written into the record that erroneously stated that the demolition follows federal preservation rules. When several people in the room called for proof of this statement from the appropriate authority, the President of Council denied any further comment from the public and called for a vote to demolish the buildings.
Three days later, Borough Council, Kervandjian and several others received a letter from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s (PHMC) Bureau of Historic Preservation stating that the letter read before the vote was incorrect (see quote below). Thus the vote for demolishing these historic buildings appears to have been flawed. Yet when the public asked the Council to reconsider this vote based on having been presented flawed information, Council said no.
In other words, “Bah! Humbug! to the citizens, businesses and visitors of historic, Victorian Bellefonte.
The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future Speak Out
Quoting from the PHMC Bureau of Historic Preservation letter:
We recently received a copy of the November 11 letter addressed to you from Holly Glauser of PHFA. In it, she mistakenly states that the review process under Section 106 is complete [emphasis added]….
In our opinion, although fire damaged, these building retain sufficient integrity to convey their significance and contribute to the Bellefonte Historic District. Therefore, the removal of the contributing buildings and new construction has the potential to adversely affect historic properties, specifically the Bellefonte Historic District….
Under Section 110(k)of the National Historic Preservation Act, any demolition (even as a result of a court order) that occurs PRIOR to [emphasis in original] completing the Section 106 review process would be considered “anticipatory demolition” and could put your use of HUD funds in jeopardy. Every effort should be made to resolve the potential adverse effect prior to any decision to demolish a contributing building within the Bellefonte Historic District.
– Andrea McDonald, Acting Director, Bureau of Historic Preservation
Who is Scrooge?
Who is Scrooge in this act of destruction? There’s more than one Scrooge in this comedy of errors.
There’s the developer, Ara Kervandjian and his companies PDG and Bellefonte Mews who ignored all calls for saving the Garman. They said it’s “too expensive” to preserve even the facade.
There’s the Bellefonte Area Industrial Authority who pooh-poohed the alternative plan by the Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association (BHCA) to preserve the theatre and create a regional arts center. They gave Kervandjian essentially a free ride in presenting his plan while at the same time created multiple hurdles for BHCA to jump over that weren’t raised in Kervandjian’s plan.
And then there’s the majority of members of the Bellefonte Council who ignored calls, petitions, and public meeting calls for saving the building and then voted to destroy part of the town’s National Historic District based on false information.
Here in Victorian Bellefonte, we are not likely to see the happy ending written into the original Victorian classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Our Scrooges haven’t seen, or heard the spirits of Bellefonte’s past, present, or future. Their hearts and minds appear to be heartlessly frozen.
Neither Bellefonte nor the state want to see these miserly Ebenezer Scrooge’s harm our town and historic preservation in general.
Scrooges, do the town some good. We still have a chance to turn this travesty around before the buildings are completely gone. These historic buildings are our town’s Tiny Tim. Save “him” now.
Ara Kervandjian, Bellefonte Borough Council, Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association, Bellefonte Industrial Development Authority, Bellefonte PA, Historic Preservation, National Historic Preservation Act, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Bureau of Historic Preservation, Section 106 A Christmas Carol, Ara Kervandjian, architecture, Bellefonte, Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association, Ebenezer Scrooge, garman opera house, historic preservation, National Historic Preservation Act, performing arts, philanthropy, regional arts center, theatre, Victorian Bellefonte 3 Comments
← Women’s Groups File Amicus Brief in Montana v. Rambold
Another Terri Schiavo Story: What’s Wrong with Texas and Florida? →
3 thoughts on “Scrooge to Bellefonte: “Bah! Humbug!””
Nancy Campbell Mead
This is so very sad. The Bellefonte Borough Council clearly does not have the best interests of its citizens or the town in mind in making its decisions. I am so, so sorry. Nancy Mead
civilrightsactivist
There’s been a slight reprieve. It looks like there will be up to a four-week stay in demolition. Yesterday afternoon, the PHMC physically came to Bellefonte and ordered Kervandjian to halt demolition until the Section 106 historic review process is completed.
According to the Centre Daily Times, “In the agreement, Kervandjian will be charged with mitigating the loss of the historic buildings by saving or rebuilding parts of the architecture such as eaves, the fluted columns and Garman sign. He may also need to pull out portions of the inside to be reused and put up some signage describing the history of the property.”
The article continues, “The entire agreement process could take up to four weeks because of the holidays, but it could happen sooner, Bellefonte Historical and Cultural Association Attorney Bruce Manchester said.”
(Read more here: http://www.centredaily.com/2013/12/19/3950549/garman-demolition-likely-delayed.html#storylink=cpy)
Still doesn’t look good for the long-term future of the Garman and the DoDe. But for a couple of weeks longer, they may still stand in their crippled glory.
Ireland Images, Blessing, Sayings | Civil Rights Advocacy
[…] about the demise of our town’s historic theatre, which you can see here, here, here, and here. After losing the court battle, the Bellefonte Borough Council had the theatre torn down between […]
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4276
|
__label__wiki
| 0.631832
| 0.631832
|
Is the return of the death penalty a viable sentencing option in South Africa’s constitutional dispensation?
drnkunyane (Moruti Loedphan Nkunyane) December 9, 2019, 4:10pm #1
In early September 2019, residents of Cape Town took to the streets after a series of gruesome murders of women during National Women’s Month, many of them demanding that the death penalty be reinstated as a form of punishment for those who commit violent crimes against women and children. After a three-day protest from 3 to 5 September 2019, President Cyril Ramaphosa eventually addressed the crowd outside Parliament but he did not engage the protesters on their call for the death penalty. Instead, he proposed, amongst other things, that Parliament increase minimum sentences for serious crimes. He further averred that he concurred with the masses that bail and parole be opposed in order to fight the crimes committed against women and children.
However, the general public remains largely unaware that minimum sentencing requirements already exist within our legislation, but that in itself has not deterred accused persons from committing serious offences. Moreover, the call to oppose bail will be quite problematic, bearing in mind that the Criminal Procedure Act states that an accused is entitled to be released on bail should he/ she meet the requirements imposed by section 50(6). This contention has been expressly upheld by the courts, who stated that no one ought to be deprived of his/her freedom arbitrarily and, if the interests of justice so permit, the arrested person is entitled to be released.
Thus, the question remains whether the death penalty is a viable sentencing option in South Africa’s constitutional dispensation. Section 11 of the Constitution guarantees the right to life to all within the Republic. Section 37(5) further states that this right to life is a non-derogable right in its entirety, and therefore no limitation can be imposed on it, whether by legislation or the Constitution itself.
In the case of S v Makwanyane, the Constitutional Court found it imperative to abolish the death penalty as a form of punishment and held that it directly infringed on the right to life, guaranteed under section 11. It is important to note that the court when making this decision also considered the adverse effect on the right to dignity provided for in section 10 of the Constitution of South Africa. Thus, the court held that it cannot be right that a person be punished in such an inhumane and unnatural manner under a constitutional dispensation.
It is understandable that as a result of the prevailing violent crimes committed against women and children there is wide contention for the reinstatement of the death penalty to serve as a deterrent form of punishment. However, as the court stated in the case of Makwanyane, even though wide contentions may be held by a majority of the people, the court’s duty is only to act as an independent arbiter of the Constitution and not merely as an agent for public opinion.
As provided above, constitutional sovereignty does not operate on an eye for an eye basis. As such, it is safe to conclude that the return of the death penalty is not a viable sentencing option under South Africa’s constitutional dispensation. It is therefore evident that a lot more work needs to be done in relation to crime prevention strategies, rehabilitation and the sustainability of the reintegration of offenders into communities. What is your thought in topic? I believe death sentence will reduce gender base violence and violence in general in South Africa.
Hello and thank you for posting to the forum! Can you share some background reading for fellow members who may not be as familiar with the death penalty issue in South Africa? Links to news reports and campaign websites would be a great start. Thanks!
drnkunyane (Moruti Loedphan Nkunyane) December 10, 2019, 2:16pm #4
Thank you Tobias
The Capital punishment in South Africa was abolished on 6 June 1995 by the ruling of the Constitutional Court of South Africa in the case of [S v Makwanyane] , following a five-year and four-month moratorium since February 1990.
The last execution carried out by the South African government was the hanging of [Solomon Ngobeni] in November 1989. The last woman executed was Sandra Smith on 2 June the same year along with her boyfriend Yassiem Harris, in all cases following a murder conviction. In February 1990, a moratorium was declared by President [De Klerk]. Two further executions were, however, carried out in the nominally independent “homelands (Bantustan)” of [Boputhatswana] and [Venda] in 1990 and 1991 respectively.
Although the death penalty was abolished in 1995, opinion polls suggest significant public support for its reinstatement.A 2014 poll in South Africa found that 76 percent of [millennium generation] South Africans support re-introduction of the death penalty. This topic was debated long before in South Africa even though voting poll was rife to re-introduce but it was ignored during the administration Former President Zuma. Toby i believe I have gave enough background as you requested.
Also there are a number of parties in South Africa that currently support the return of the death penalty. They are the [National Party South Africa] the [African Christian Democratic Party] [African Covenant] , the [African Transformation Movement] and the [National Conservative Party of South Africa]).
2018 saw growing calls for the return of the death penalty. On 20 July the [Inkatha Freedom Party] (IFP) stated that the time had come to discuss the possibility of reinstating the [death penalty] in South Africa, and on the 8th of August the [National Freedom Party] called for the restoration of the death penalty in South Africa after the death of Khensani Maseko, in a call similar to that of the IFP weeks before.
ReynoDB (Reyno De Beer) December 21, 2019, 8:01am #5
Dear Moruti,
There are countries where there is no death penalty and violent crimes almost zero, while there are others which have the death penalty but still violent crimes are very high.
The death penalty is no deterrent for violent crimes while we have an ineffective and corrupt police and prosecuting authority.
The Government legalised the pornography industry and turned a blind eye to the sex industry shortly after 1994 which have sparked the high rate of organised crime especially drug dealing. This further have sparked that people in key positions have been caught in sex scandals to extort and intimidate them in becoming part of these organised crime networks or else face exposure.
It is up to communities to expose clients of sex workers and drug dealers and users and name and shame them. Pagad was a great movement, until the SSA infiltrated it due to the contribution the drug industry is having on our economy. Capitalism can’t survive without crime and we have seen this happening not only in SA but also in Russia after the fall of communism.
As long as we support capitalism as the preferred method of trade in SA, our country will never overcome our high crime risks. We have also not realised that we first need to expose the criminals around us we know, before we have the right to complain about our crime.
mahlokgotleng (Mahlo Kgotleng) December 24, 2019, 7:45pm #6
I agree with you Reyno, it may not be as easy as it sounds though. You can just imagine the best that Pagad was doing and yet it all came to nothing. So lets just imagine me for instance trying to name and shame a prominent politician or leader.
My sad opinion is that most people mind their own business and that seems to be the root of all evil. I just wonder what intervention is needed with regard to Moruti and your points of view.
Clearly theres a lot more concerted individuals like you guys out there. If more people are enlightened and engage in shaping better policies. We could be shifting to a better view.
Lets not give up but stand and take iniative! @drnkunyane @ReynoDB
APAVLOV (Alexandar Pavlov) December 29, 2019, 2:04pm #7
Hello everyone, In Canada there is no capital punishment and the country has low crime. There are many community organizations who work for prevention and social integration of the most vulnerable people. This is the solution in my view. Truly yours, Alexandar @drnkunyane @tobiaseigen @mahlokgotleng @ReynoDB
ReynoDB (Reyno De Beer) January 6, 2020, 8:48am #8
You are right that the death penalty has proved over the years that it is no deterrant to any crime. It is all about family values. Break down the family unit and then you are faced with born and bred criminals for the future. In South Africa our families have been broken down into majority single parent households, mostly grandparents having to look after their grandchildren, HIV/AIDS is probably responsible for 70% of all mortalities, yet our Government now has implemented a school curriculum where our children are now forced to start touching one another for sex education at primary school level (12 year old)!..
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4278
|
__label__cc
| 0.613558
| 0.386442
|
Associate Professor; Coordinator, MA Program
Office: FH 308
PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary
MA, Indiana University
MDiv, Concordia Theological Seminary
BA, Gettysburg College
AA, Bethany Lutheran College
REL 248 The Christian Tradition (= HIS 206 History of Christianity)
BCS 559/REL 359 Theology of Luther (= HIS 309 Luther and the Reformation)
BCS 540/REL 340 The Rise of Western Christendom (= HIS 340 Light on Europe in the Dark Ages”)
REL 375 Christian Theology
BCS 576/REL 376 The Lutheran Confessions
REL 499 (Capstone Seminar, in rotation alternate years): The Reformation: Ecclesiology and Spirituality
BCS 642 Church History and Theology Seminar: Topics in Medieval Church History
BCS 643 Church History and Theology Seminar: The Reformation
Luther’s Lectures on Genesis and the Formation of Evangelical Identity. Sixteenth Century Essays and Studies, 80. Kirksville, MO: Truman State University Press, 2008.
Introduction, Translations, and Annotations, “Selected Letters of Pastoral and Spiritual Counsel.” In The Annotated Luther. Vol. 4: Pastoral Writings, edited by Mary Jane Haemig, 429-73. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2016.
“Biblical Commentary: Old Testament.” In The Oxford Encyclopedia of Martin Luther (accepted for publication, Oxford UP)
“Luther as a German Hero,” to appear in the section “Reception of Martin Luther,” in The Cambridge Companion to Martin Luther (Cambridge University Press, submitted for publication)
“The Enduring Importance of Luther’s Christian Exposition of the Old Testament.” In Defending Luther’s Reformation: the Ongoing Significance of the Reformation at the 500th Anniversary of the Ninety-five Theses, edited by John A. Maxfield. St. Louis, Concordia Publishing House (forthcoming)
“Martin Luther as Professor of Theology and Teacher of the Bible: The Preface to His Genesis Lectures (1543).” Lutheran Theological Journal 49, no. 2 (August 2015): 74-85.
“Biblical Authority in the Lutheran Confessions.” In The Word They Still Shall Let Remain. Papers presented at the Congress on the Lutheran Confessions, Minneapolis, MN, May 4-6, 2011. Fort Wayne, IN: The Luther Academy, 2015.
“Luther and the Lutheran Confessions on Vocation.” Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology 24, no. 1 (Epiphany 2015): 29-36.
“Martin Luther’s Swan Song: Luther’s Students, Melanchthon, and the Publication of the Lectures on Genesis (1544-1554).” Lutherjahrbuch. Organ der internationalen Lutherforschung 81 (2014): 224-48.
“Martin Luther and Idolatry.” In The Reformation as Christianization: Essays on Scott Hendrix’s Christianization Thesis. Edited by Anna Marie Johnson and John A. Maxfield. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012
(with Anna Marie Johnson). Introduction to The Reformation as Christianization: Essays on Scott Hendrix’s Christianization Thesis.
“Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin on the Significance of Christ’s Death.” Concordia Theological Quarterly 75, nos. 1-2 (January/April 2011): 87-106.
Introduction and annotations to Martin Luther, Preface to Caspar Huberinus, On the Wrath and Mercy of God (1 Samuel 2 [:6]) and How One Should Comfort and Speak to the Dying (1534). Luther’s Works. American Edition, vol. 60:66-69. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2011.
Introduction and annotations to Martin Luther, Preface to Wenceslaus Linck, Annotations to the Five Books of Moses (1543). Luther’s Works. American Edition, vol. 60:295-302. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2011.
“The Freedom of the Will in Catholic Reform and Counter Reformation.” Evangelical Lutheran Synod Quarterly 49/1 (March 2009): 59-79.
“Martin Luther on Hearing Holy Scripture as the Word of God.” In The Pieper Lectures. Volume 9: The Bible in the History of the Lutheran Church. Edited by John A. Maxfield, 1-18. St. Louis: Concordia Historical Institute and The Luther Academy, 2005.
“Martin Luther on the Vocation(s) of Women.” In Feminism and the Church. Papers presented at the Congress on the Lutheran Confessions, Bloomingdale, IL, April 23-25, 2002. Edited by John A. Maxfield, 1-20. St. Louis: The Luther Academy, 2003.
“Divine Providence, History and Progress in Saint Augustine’s City of God.” Concordia Theological Quarterly 66/4 (October 2002): 339-60.
“Catholic or Heretic? Martin Luther as Rebel and Reformer.” In The Pieper Lectures. Volume 5: Lutheran Catholicity. Edited by John A. Maxfield, 34-57. St. Louis: Concordia Historical Institute and The Luther Academy, 2001.
|
cc/2020-05/en_head_0062.json.gz/line4280
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.