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Amazon.com Inc revenue misses estimates after disappointing holiday sales and slow cloud segment
Shares fell as much as 4.6% in extended trading after closing. The stock had gained more than 10% over the past month in anticipation of a strong holiday period
FP Tech Desk
Amazon.com Inc. reported disappointing sales in the holiday quarter and said revenue in the current period may miss estimates, raising concerns that rising spending on warehouses, movies and gadgets isn’t yet translating into faster growth.
Revenue increased 22 per cent to US$43.7 billion in the fourth quarter, the Seattle-based company said Thursday in a statement. Analysts estimated US$44.7 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Sales in the current quarter will be US$33.3 billion to US$35.8 billion, the company said, compared with analysts’ projections of US$36 billion.
Foreign currency changes reduced fourth-quarter sales growth by 2 percentage points, the company said. In Amazon Web Services, the company’s cloud-services division, revenue was $3.5 billion, up 47 per cent from a year earlier. While cloud computing is Amazon’s fastest-growing and most profitable segment, that’s down from a 69 per cent rise in the third quarter. Price reductions from the unit contributed to the slowdown, said Ron Josey, an analyst at JMP Securities.
‘Timing is everything’: Amazon says it plans to create 100,000 new U.S. jobs in the next 18 months
Amazon says 2016 holiday season ‘best-ever’ with more than 1 billion items shipped
“Expectations got way ahead of themselves in the fourth quarter and this is a reset,” he said.
Shares fell as much as 4.6 per cent in extended trading after closing at US$839.95. The stock had gained more than 10 per cent over the past month in anticipation of a strong holiday period.
Retail competitors, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., are struggling to match Amazon’s quick delivery on a wide assortment of goods as shoppers shift their spending from stores to websites and smartphones. U.S. online sales in November and December totalled $91.7 billion, up 11 per cent from the previous year, according to Adobe Systems Inc. The world’s largest online retailer also attracts customers with its $99-a-year Amazon Prime subscription, which includes delivery discounts, music and video streaming and photo storage.
Spending Surge
Amazon reported operating expenses rose 23 per cent to US$42.5 billion in the quarter. The spending included US$5.7 billion to store and deliver items, particularly those ordered with fast shipping by Prime customers.
The company’s forecast expects less profit than a year ago even though revenue is increasing, which is why investors are concerned about spending, said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.
“It means they’re going to spend a ton of money,” Pachter said. “When you see revenue go up and earnings go down, it spooks people.”
“Tens of millions” of new members joined Prime in 2016, Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos said in the statement. Prime had an estimated 65 million U.S. members at the end of September, according to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners in Chicago. The company doesn’t disclose the number of Prime members.
The company’s spending on logistics show no signs of slowing. Amazon announced Monday it would build a US$1.49 billion air hub near Cincinnati to accommodate its growing fleet of cargo planes. The hub and planes make Amazon less reliant on United Parcel Service Inc. and FedEx Corp. to quickly reach customers, and complement its network of warehouses around the country.
Holiday Expectations
Expectations for holiday revenue were too high given the company’s growing dominance in e-commerce, said Vic Anthony, an analyst at Aegis Capital Corp.
“Amazon stock tends to get bid up over the euphoria of retail shifting online during the holiday shopping season, and now it’s taking a little breather,” he said.
Net income was US$749 million, or US$1.54 a share, from US$482 million, or US$1 a share, a year earlier. Analysts estimated profit of US$1.36 a share.
Promoted by Business Wire
Ducks Unlimited Canada and Louisiana-Pacific Building Solutions Sign Landmark Conservation Agreement to Support 6.2 Million Acres in Manitoba's Boreal Forest
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Famous fans of J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’
Hundreds of millions of readers worldwide have lost themselves in the magical world of Harry Potter. Author J.K. Rowling took a simple story idea and transformed it into an international phenomenon, breaking numerous records with the seven-book series. Even though the last volume in the saga was released in 2007, children and adults alike continue to discover the charming and inventive adventures of Harry and his wizardly friends, including a long list of Hollywood stars.
CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF FAMOUS HARRY POTTER FANS:
Author J.K. Rowling rings in her milestone 50th birthday on July 31. Photo: © Getty Images
When Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was released in 1997, the literary world had no idea that it was the first chapter in a decade-long narrative. No one was more surprised about its massive success than the book’s writer, J.K. Rowling, who has revealed that 12 publishing houses rejected her manuscript before she finally found a home for her novel at Bloomsbury.
“The first agent I ever queried sent back a slip saying ‘My list is full. The folder you sent wouldn’t fit in the envelope,” replied J.K to one of her more than five-million fans on Twitter. “I really minded about the folder, because I had almost no money and had to buy another one.” The humble Gloucestershire native’s rags-to-riches story has made her life a solid source of inspiration.
Even the Royal Family have been put under Harry’s spell, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge revealing their love for the books while touring Hertfordshire’s Harry Potter Studios in 2013. They can now look forward to reading the tales with their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
The motion picture arm of the Harry Potter franchise made its cast, including Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, superstars. It also attracted the all-star talents of leading British actors like Emma Thompson, Dame Maggie Smith and Sir Ian McKellen, and left more wishing they could join the wizard ranks.
The movie franchise has made stars out of its cast, including (L-R) Tom Felton, Emma Watson, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Matthew Lewis. Photo: © Getty Images
Here, Hello! reveals a list of Hollywood stars that can’t get enough of the magical series.
CLICK HERE FOR GALLERY OF CELEBRITY HARRY POTTER FANS:
J.K. Rowling aces latest Twitter comeback
10 things birthday girls Emma Watson and Emma Thompson have in common
Emma Watson on her UN speech about feminism: 'It wasn't easy for me to do'
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Posts by Kathy Hoekstra
Is the Ocean ‘Land Owned or Controlled’ By Feds? Antiquities Act Lawsuit Aims to Find Out
Kathy Hoekstra
Kathy Hoekstra is the regulatory policy reporter for Watchdog.org. Before joining Watchdog, she was a senior communications manager and Michigan state director for Job Creators Network, an advocacy organization that focuses on employee education. She has also been a TV news reporter and anchor, a contributor to the Detroit News and occasional guest-host for Frank Beckmann on WJR Radio in Detroit, and was an investigative reporter for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. She lives in Michigan and is a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors.
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A Future to Believe In
The New York Times bestseller!
When Bernie Sanders began his race for the presidency, it was considered by the political establishment and the media to be a “fringe” campaign, something not to be taken seriously. After all, he was just an Independent senator from a small state with little name recognition. His campaign had no money, no political organization, and it was taking on the entire Democratic Party establishment.
By the time Sanders’s campaign came to a close, however, it was clear that the pundits had gotten it wrong. Bernie had run one of the most consequential campaigns in the modern history of the country. He had received more than 13 million votes in primaries and caucuses throughout the country, won twenty-two states, and more than 1.4 million people had attended his public meetings. Most important, he showed that the American people were prepared to take on the greed and irresponsibility of corporate America and the 1 percent.
In Our Revolution, Sanders shares his personal experiences from the campaign trail, recounting the details of his historic primary fight and the people who made it possible. And for the millions looking to continue the political revolution, he outlines a progressive economic, environmental, racial, and social justice agenda that will create jobs, raise wages, protect the environment, and provide health care for all—and ultimately transform our country and our world for the better. For him, the political revolution has just started. The campaign may be over, but the struggle goes on.
GSDLVR123 , 12/23/2016
I enjoyed the book - and I appreciate the man. I do not admire the man, in fact I believe the reader will find hope and encouragement only through the lense of gulability. I encourage the readers of this book to read the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist response…Sanders understands both views and used the emotion generated long ago into a ‘new revoolution’ (it is amusing).
MartinBishop , 11/20/2016
Bernie Would Have Won
When reading Our Revolution one can’t help to wonder what the world would have been like had the DNC and the Clinton campaign not colluded to tip the scales against Sanders. Or had the media been more interested in discussing policy instead of non-stop Trumpland or if they had given equal media time to both Democratic candidates.
As a Democrat, I sincerely hope our leadership reads this book and see how to inspire people of all ages. We need more people like Bernie in our government. People who stand up for the greater good and not for their own personal gain.
Blossom4792 , 11/16/2016
A must read from a great leader
Bernie Sanders is the indefatigable leader we have been waiting for. He understands the suffering of the middle class and the failure of market economics to transfer wealth and prosperity in recent times. He leads by creating leaders.
More Books by Bernie Sanders
Where We Go from Here
Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution
Dollarocracy
Acrylic Painting: What You Need to Know When Learning How to Paint With Acrylics
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Anne Ricker
Brenan's Funeral Home
111 Paradise Row
Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada
Brenan's Paradise Row Funeral Home Chapel
Ocean View Memorial Gardens
715 Latimore Lake Road
Saint John , New Brunswick, Canada
Obituary of Anne Ricker
It is with heavy hearts, and appreciation for a lifetime of memories, that the family of Anne Ricker announce her passing which occurred on Thursday, October 3, 2019 at the Saint John Regional Hospital with her family by her side. Born on March 22, 1926 in Titusville, she was a daughter of the late Russell and Sarah (Walker) Scott.
Anne was a proof-reader with NB Publishing for 21 years. She was a former member of Torryburn Red Cross, Willing Workers and a long-time member of Forest Hills Baptist Church. Above all, Anne was a devoted grandmother and enjoyed the time she spent with her family.
Anne will be dearly missed by her children: Lewis (Barbara) Ricker, Louise (Gerald) White and Gary (Trudy) Ricker, her grandchildren: Lisa White (Jason Vallis), Julie White (EJ Davis), Jennifer Ricker (Jamie Shipley), James Ricker (Jennifer Green) and Paul (Yvette) Ricker, great grandchildren: Evelyn, Kyle, Megan, Isaac, Theo, Mitchell, Nate, Daniel, Joey and Baylee, her brothers: Edgar Smith and Ivan Smith, life-long friends: Audrey Dodge and Mariam Gillis, along with many nieces, nephews and members of her extended family.
Besides her parents, Anne was predeceased by her husband Victor, siblings: Everett Scott and Dorothy Tippett and sister-in-law Norma Scott.
Anne’s family would like to express their gratitude and “thanks” to the Doctors, Nurses and staff of the Regional Hospital for their exceptional care during their mothers’ stay.
Resting at Brenan’s Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John, (634-7424) where family and friends are invited to visit on Sunday, October 6 from 2-4 and 6-8. The Funeral Service will be held on Monday, October 7 at 12 Noon from Brenan’s Chapel with interment to follow at Ocean View Memorial Gardens.
In keeping with the family’s wishes, family flowers only. For those who wish, remembrances made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or a charity of donor’s choice would be appreciated by the family. Online condolences can be placed at www.brenansfh.com
Copyright © 2018. Brenan Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. | | Admin Login
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New Seligmann Discoveries: Erbes-Budesheim and the Schoenfelds, Part I
Posted on February 26, 2015 by Amy
While you all may have thought that for the last several months I was obsessed with Nusbaums and Dreyfusses (and I guess I was), there were several other things happening in my genealogy life (not to mention my actual life) that I haven’t had a chance to blog about yet. One of the biggest things was the discovery of documents and information about another line of my family, the Schoenfelds, and another ancestral town, Erbes-Budesheim.
Erbes-Büdesheim in January 2006 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Who are the Schoenfelds? Moritz Seligmann, my 3-x great-grandfather from Gau Algesheim, married two Schoenfeld sisters (not at the same time, of course). First, he married Eva Schoenfeld and had four children with her, and then he married her younger sister, Babetta, my 3-x great-grandmother, the mother of Bernard Seligman, my great-great-grandfather. Moritz and Babetta had seven children together in addition to the four born to Eva.
Because the birth names of women often disappear, it is all too easy to overlook the family names and lines that end when a woman changes her name to that of her husband. Although I was always aware of the family names of Goldschlager, Brotman, Cohen, Nusbaum, and Seligman (as well as those from my paternal grandmother’s side, not yet covered on the blog), I had no awareness of a family connection to the names Rosenzweig, Dreyfuss, Jacobs, and Schoenfeld. Discovering the Schoenfeld name, like discovering those others, was an exciting revelation and addition to my extended family tree.
So how did this happen? As I wrote back on December 1, Ludwig Hellriegel’s book about the Jews of Gau Algesheim revealed that Moritz Seligmann was born in Gaulsheim and had moved to Gau Algesheim as an adult. That discovery had led me to the Arbeitskreis Jüdisches Bingen and a woman named Beate Goetz. Beate sent me the marriage record for Moritz Seligmann and Eva Schoenfeld, which revealed that Eva was the daughter of Bernhard Schoenfeld and Rosina Goldmann from Erbes-Budesheim. (Now I also know another maternal name—Goldmann.)
Marriage record for Moritz Seligmann and Eva Schoenfeld February 27, 1829 Gaulsheim, Germany
From there I contacted the registry in Erbes-Budesheim to ask about records for my Schoenfeld ancestors, and within a short period of time, I received several emails from a man named Gerd Braun with an incredible treasure trove of information and records about my Schoenfeld ancestors.
But first, a little about Erbes-Budesheim. Erbes-Budseheim is a municipality in the Alzey-Worms district of the Rhineland-Palatine state in Germany. It is located about 25 miles south of Gaulsheim where Moritz Seligmann was born and grew up and about 27 miles south of Gau Algesheim where Moritz and his family eventually settled. The closest major city is Frankfort, about 46 miles away.
Erbes-Büdesheim in AZ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The town has an ancient history, dating back to the Stone Age, according to Wikipedia. Like many regions in Germany, it was subject to various wars and conquerors throughout much of its history. During the Napoleonic era in the late 18th, early 19th century, Erbes-Budesheim and the entire Alzey region were annexed as part of France; after 1815 it was under the control of the Grand Duchy of Hesse.
Although originally a Catholic community, after the Reformation Erbes-Budesheim became a predominantly Protestant community. Some sources say that there was a small Jewish community in Erbes-Budesheim as early as the 16th century, but as of 1701, there were only 15 Jews (two families) living in the town. A third family lived there in 1733, but even as late as 1824 and throughout the entire 19th century, the population did not exceed 23 people. The Jews in Erbes-Budesheim for much of that history joined with Jews from neighboring communities for prayer, education, and burial.
By 1849, however, one Jewish resident named Strauss had dedicated the first floor of his home for prayer services, and it was furnished with the essential elements for a synagogue: Torah scrolls, an ark, a yad, and a shofar, for example. Perhaps this is where my 4-x great-grandfather Bernhard Schoenfeld went to daven [pray] when he and his family lived in Erbes-Budesheim.
Strauss home where the Erbes-Budesheim Synagogue was located
http://www.alemannia-judaica.de/erbes_buedesheim_synagoge.htm
There is also a Jewish cemetery in Erbes-Budesheim.
Erbes-Budesheim cemetery http://www.alemannia-judaica.de/images/Images%2059/ErbesBuedesheim%20Friedhof%20102.jpg
On this video you can some headstones with the name Schoenfeld from the Erbes-Budesheim cemetery.
By 1939, there were only eight Jews left in the town, and it would appear from the allemannia-judaica website that none of these survived the Holocaust.
Thus, Erbes-Budesheim was never a place where a substantial Jewish community existed, and it makes me wonder what would have brought my ancestors there. Why would anyone want to be one of a handful of Jews in a community? In my next post, I will consider that question and share the documents I received from Erbes-Budesheim.
This entry was posted in Erbes-Budesheim, Gau-Algesheim, Genealogy, Germany, Holocaust, Miscellaneous information and updates, Schoenfeld, Seligman/Seligmann and tagged Antisemitism, Erbes-Budesheim, Gau-Algesheim, Gaulsheim, Germany, holocaust, schoenfeld, Seligmann by Amy. Bookmark the permalink.
10 thoughts on “New Seligmann Discoveries: Erbes-Budesheim and the Schoenfelds, Part I”
currentdescendent on February 26, 2015 at 9:24 am said:
For a minute I sort of freaked out at the town name, but I quickly realized I was wrong. You see, Erbes Budesheim sounds like the town where my grandmother’s family came from: Budesheim. But I wouldn’t want to walk from one to the other. So interesting how your family would stay there!
Amy on February 26, 2015 at 9:34 am said:
I got those two mixed up for a while also. There are so many towns in Germany with similar names, and an umlaut here or there can make all the difference. I admit that I have given up with the umlauts. Not very precise of me, but it’s not on my keyboard and so I am too lazy!
currentdescendent on March 1, 2015 at 1:25 pm said:
I am too lazy for that, too!
bobyleff on March 1, 2015 at 1:13 pm said:
Erbes-Buedesheim was and is until now only a very small village, but a very old one (see Wikipedia in English).
As is true for so many places in or near the Rhein valley – and many other places in Europe –
there were noble families who built their large or small castles/mansions.
( http://www.regionalgeschichte.net/rheinhessen/erbes-buedesheim/kulturdenkmaeler/weisse-und-blaue-burg.html )
Often it was actually their idea to have some Jews settling right there or to do lucrative trade – and then to pay the special taxes ( Schutzgeld) to the noble masters!!
TAEUBCHEN (Taube) means little dove, was often used as a loving expression of
or addressing a girl/young woman – apparently also popular among Jewish families
Thank you for these insights—so interesting! I love Taubechen!! Do you live near there?
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Treena on May 12, 2015 at 7:07 pm said:
I also have ancestors from Erbes Budesheim. I will be visiting the town for the first time in a couple of weeks. Do you still have the email contact for Gerd Braun or the registry. Did you write your original letter in German or English?
Amy on May 12, 2015 at 10:42 pm said:
I do. I will email you tomorrow when I am home.
Treena on May 12, 2015 at 11:29 pm said:
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The Vaping Crisis: Regulators Face a Grilling
During a House Subcommittee hearing Wednesday, FDA and CDC officials told lawmakers that the majority of vaping related illness are linked to THC-based products.
Published on Sep 25, 2019 4:56PM EDT Business
Nikitha Sattiraju
Nikitha Sattiraju is currently a graduate student at the Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, CUNY. She previously reported on agriculture, sustainable development, and mental health in India.
Federal lawmakers grilled officials from the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wednesday on their inaction over the rising number of illnesses and deaths around the country linked to vaping.
Lawmakers particularly focused on THC-based e-cigarettes at the hearing, held before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The title of the hearing: “Sounding the Alarm: The Public Health Threats of E-Cigarettes.”
The hearing comes in response to an escalating number of deaths and hospitalizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 530 cases of lung injuries linked to vaping—the majority of them in people between the ages of 18 and 34—as well as ten reported deaths in the country so far. (Georgia announced Wednesday the state’s first death “from a vaping-associated illness.” THC products do not appear to be involved. “The patient had a history of heavy nicotine vaping, but no reported history of vaping THC,” the state’s Department of Health reported.)
“There is clearly a massive regulatory failure that allowed for this to happen,” said Massachusetts Representative Joseph Kennedy at the hearing, referring to the Food and Drug Administration’s inaction.
Kennedy asked FDA and CDC officials why they didn’t consider the health impact of vaping products before allowing them into the market.
For its part, the FDA conceded it should have been more attuned to the phenomenon of vaping. “Speaking about the epidemic of youth use in e-cigarettes, in retrospect, the FDA should have acted sooner, we should have begun regulating these devices sooner,” said Norman E. Sharpless, Acting Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
Sharpless and Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told lawmakers that a majority of the illnesses are linked to e-cigarettes containing THC products. And a significant portion of the products were contaminated by Vitamin E acetate, a product used as a diluting agent in the illicit cannabis market, Sharpless added.
“We know that most of the reported cases with information available so far describe e-cigarette use containing THC or THC and nicotine,” said Schuchat. “But no single product, brand, substance, or additive has been identified with all cases at this point.”
Lawmakers questioned the FDA on why e-cigarettes haven’t been taken off the market yet. “Wouldn’t it be more prudent to recall the products?” New York Representative Yvette Clarke asked Sharpless.
Sharpless responded that it’s still the early days of the investigation and that their main focus is on “testing the products, finding what they are and where they seem to come from.” Sharpless said that the FDA intends to finalize a “compliance policy” in the coming weeks. The compliance regulations will remove all non-tobacco flavored products from the market. But companies will have the chance to submit evidence that their products meet FDA standards, and can market them if approved. “We’ve accelerated our timeline, we’ve stepped up enforcement, we’ve stepped up education,” Sharpless said.
Sharpless also acknowledged that regulating THC-based vaping products is a challenge because of the legal gray zone that cannabis is in, as a result of conflicting state and federal laws.
When asked how far the FDA is willing to go to protect people if it deems e-cigarettes unsafe, Sharpless said, “We could ban all flavors.”
South Carolina Representative Jeff Duncan specifically targeted THC-based vaping products in his remarks. “I think the message here today is stop putting THC products in legally purchased pods and stop buying black market pods,” said Duncan. “There’s a health risk.”
State representatives from Michigan, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Kansas also confirmed that a majority of the cases in their states reported involved THC products, and some CBD products.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker placed for a four-month ban on all vaping products in the state on Tuesday, including cannabis vape products. “This ban on vaping product sales will allow our state to take a much needed pause,” said Monica Bharel, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health at the hearing. “To take a pause and gather more information and data to inform our next steps to protect our public’s health.”
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CBRN Europe
CBRN Europe: Specialist Advisor for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Planning, Training and Operations
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May 2019 News Round Up
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Home » News » December 2018 News Round Up
North Korea ‘tests ultramodern tactical weapon’ North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen the testing of a “newly developed ultramodern tactical weapon”, Pyongyang’s state media reported Friday, in a move that will raise the temperature over denuclearisation talks.
Source: https://www.france24.com/en/20181116-north-korea-tests-high-tech-tactical-weapon-kim-jong-un
Heysham 1: Three hurt in nuclear plant accident A release of steam at a British nuclear power plant injured three workers on Monday but there was no risk to the public and the incident was now under control, operator EDF Energy said.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-nuclear-incident/update-1-three-injured-by-steam-at-british-nuclear-plant-operator-says-no-public-risk-idUSL8N1XV432
Anti-vaccine community behind North Carolina chickenpox outbreak A chickenpox outbreak at a private school now ranks as the state’s largest since a vaccine for the virus became available more than 20 years ago, health officials say.
Source: https://eu.citizen-times.com/story/news/local/2018/11/16/asheville-waldorf-chickenpox-outbreak-ncs-largest-decades/2024694002/
Over 350 cracks found in Hunterston B nuclear reactor More than 350 cracks have been discovered in an ageing nuclear power reactor at Hunterston in North Ayrshire, breaching an agreed safety limit and prompting calls for a permanent shutdown.
Source: https://theferret.scot/350-cracks-hunterston-nuclear-reactor/
Inside Sellafield’s death zone with the nuclear clean-up robots The Thorp nuclear reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria, has recycled its final batch of reactor fuel. But it leaves behind a hugely toxic legacy for future generations to deal with. So how will it be made safe?
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-46301596
Ebola outbreak in DR Congo now second worst in history The UN’s global health body says the Ebola outbreak in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo is now the second-biggest ever recorded.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-46398267
Democratic Republic of the Congo begins first-ever multi-drug Ebola trial The Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today announced that a randomized control trial has begun to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of drugs used in the treatment of Ebola patients.
Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/26-11-2018-democratic-republic-of-the-congo-begins-first-ever-multi-drug-ebola-trial
Explosion at chemical factory in China kills 22, injures 22 An explosion near a chemical plant in China’s northern Hebei province early on Wednesday killed 22 people and injured at least 22 others.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/explosion-chemical-factory-china-kills-22-injures-22-181128030610910.html
How the global trade in tear gas is booming
On the surface, Noor Noor and Terry Burns don’t have much in common. The former is a 28-year-old student at Cambridge, getting a degree in environmental conservation that he plans to use back home in Cairo, Egypt.
Source: https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-11-29/global-tear-gas-business-booming-its-complicated
Uncovering secret structure to safer explosives A team of scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has shown that the structure of microscopic pores in high explosive materials can significantly impact performance and safety.
Source: https://www.llnl.gov/news/uncovering-secret-structure-safer-explosives
U.S. gives Russia 60 days to comply with nuclear treaty The United States delivered Russia a 60-day ultimatum on Tuesday to come clean about what Washington says is a violation of a arms control treaty that keeps missiles out of Europe, saying only Moscow could save the pact.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-nato-russia-pompeo/u-s-gives-russia-60-days-to-comply-with-nuclear-treaty-idUSKBN1O32C3
US accuses Russia, Syria of lying about Aleppo ‘chemical attack’ The United States and Britain have accused Russia of fabricating a story about chemical weapons use by Syrian rebels.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/accuses-russia-syria-lying-aleppo-chemical-attack-181208090613294.html
Charlie Rowley: Novichok victim ‘terrified’ about health A survivor of the Salisbury Novichok attack fears the poison is slowly killing him. Speaking for the first time since battling meningitis, Charlie Rowley, 45, tells how he is losing his sight, has heart trouble and has had a series of strokes.
Source: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/novichok-attack-survivor-charlie-rowley-13703922
‘Miracle’ six-day-old baby survives Ebola A baby girl who was diagnosed with Ebola when she was only six days old has survived, health officials in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have confirmed.
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-46568548
Lyndra Scientists Develop Ultra Long-Acting Oral Drug Delivery Platform Lyndra, a healthcare company developing ultra long-acting oral drug delivery technologies, announced the publication of a scientific paper describing its novel technology in one of its earliest applications.
Source: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161116006262/en/Lyndra-Scientists-Develop-Ultra-Long-Acting-Oral-Drug
Successful second round of experiments with Wendelstein 7-X Fusion Device The experiments conducted from July until November at the Wendelstein 7-X fusion device at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Greifswald have achieved higher values for the density and the energy content of the plasma and long discharge times of up to 100 seconds – record results for devices of the stellarator type.
Source: https://www.ipp.mpg.de/4550215/11_18
Budget biosensor detects infections in real time Using a small and inexpensive biosensor, researchers at UBC Okanagan, in collaboration with the University of Calgary, have built a diagnostic tool that provides health care practitioners almost instant diagnosis of a bacterial infection.
Source: https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2018/11/29/researchers-develop-tool-for-speedy-diagnosis-of-bacterial-infections/
Researchers call on Iron Man for nuclear workwear inspiration If wearable technologies are the future, a radioactive-busting robotic suit could represent yet one more dramatic step into the beyond.
Source: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2018/november/iron-man-suit.html
Motion-powered electric bandage speeds healing by zapping wounds A new, low-cost wound dressing developed by University of Wisconsin–Madison engineers could dramatically speed up healing in a surprising way. The method leverages energy generated from a patient’s own body motions to apply gentle electrical pulses at the site of an injury.
Source: https://news.wisc.edu/its-not-a-shock-better-bandage-promotes-powerful-healing/
New mask to protect military aircrews against weapons of mass destruction In November 2018, the Air Force will complete fielding of an improved Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear protective mask for aircrew on rotary wing aircraft, allowing operational units to achieve Full Operational Capability.
Source: https://www.wpafb.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1700737/air-force-fields-next-generation-cbrn-protective-masks-for-rotary-wing-aircrew/
Essential Oils From Garlic and Other Herbs and Spices Kill “Persister” Lyme Disease Bacteria Oils from garlic and several other common herbs and medicinal plants show strong activity against the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. These oils may be especially useful in alleviating Lyme symptoms that persist despite standard antibiotic treatment, the study also suggests.
Source: https://www.jhsph.edu/news/news-releases/2018/essential-oils-from-garlic-and-other-herbs-and-spices-kill-persister-lyme-disease-bacteria.html
Promising antibiotic derived from wasp venom The venom of insects such as wasps and bees is full of compounds that can kill bacteria. Unfortunately, many of these compounds are also toxic for humans, making it impossible to use them as antibiotic drugs.
Source: http://news.mit.edu/2018/repurpose-wasp-venom-antibiotic-drug-1207
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Prolific theorist and polarisation pioneer: Jacques Soffer 1940–2019
Jacques Soffer Soffer showed how to extract physics from polarised proton beams.
Jacques Soffer, a prolific theorist and phenomenologist with nearly 300 articles in journals or conference proceedings to his name, was born in 1940 in Marseille. During the war, he and his family were sheltered in a farm in the Alps. Afterwards, Jacques came back to Marseille, studied there, and obtained his doctoral degree under the supervision of A Visconti. He spent most of his career at the Centre de Physique Théorique in Marseille, serving as director from 1986 to 1993. He enjoyed sabbaticals at Maryland, Cambridge, CERN, the Weizmann Institute and Lausanne University, and after his retirement he became adjunct-professor at Temple University in the US.
Jacques played a big part in persuading the elementary particle community of the importance of polarisation-type measurements, which provide a probe of dynamical theories far sharper than tests involving just differential and total cross-sections. He is renowned in the community for predicting, together with Claude Bourrely and Tai Wu in 1984, the dramatic phenomenology of the growth with energy of the proton–proton cross-section. This prediction still holds when compared with experimental data after a 100-fold increase in collision energy – up to and including LHC energies. In 1999 Jacques contributed to a paper showing how to make an absolute measurement of the degree of polarisation of a proton beam – which was essential to the success of the Brookhaven spin programme.
In recent years, Jacques showed how positivity sets bounds on spin observables, with important applications to the extraction and determination of the polarised parton structure functions and to low-energy hadron–hadron scattering. His various achievements culminated in three major reviews in Physics Reports.
Jacques always cooperated closely and fruitfully with experimentalists. Entire programmes, such as the polarised proton–proton collisions at Brookhaven’s Relativistic Heavy-Ion Collider, were inspired by his work and carried out with his guidance. Along his career, Jacques organised or co-organised several workshops and conferences on spin physics, and in more recent years was often giving the summary talk.
Throughout his pioneering work in particle physics, Jacques always got to the central issues very quickly, guided by an uncanny feeling for the new physics that roused the amazement and admiration of his collaborators. His colleagues and collaborators, and especially his thesis students, benefited from his advice and his broad knowledge of theory tools and experimental facts. They unanimously praised his warm friendship and hospitality, his sense of humour and his widespread interests in the arts, literature and technology.
Jacques is survived by his wife, Danielle, their three children and nine grandchildren.
His friends and colleagues.
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An inspirational inventor: Anton Oed 1933–2018
Physics tops finance in economic impact
Read article '2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for cosmic perspectives'
2019 Nobel Prize in Physics for cosmic perspectives
Read article 'Spiro awarded Lagarrigue Prize'
Spiro awarded Lagarrigue Prize
Read article 'The Higgs, supersymmetry and all that'
The Higgs, supersymmetry and all that
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The Battlefield Ahead
By Mark R. Rushdoony
My father spoke a great deal about law and began the modern theonomy movement with the publication of The Institutes of Biblical Law in 1973. He also held to the continuing validity of the dominion mandate. These and other aspects of his theology led to the ideas conveyed by the term “Christian Reconstruction.”
The ideas of law and dominion, when combined with the activity implied in the term “reconstruction,” led his early critics to fear his vision was that of a top-down, authoritarian regime of churchmen. Those who actually read my father knew otherwise, but this was the way his thinking was branded in the marketplace of ideas. That idea was in large part answered, not by our representatives, but by secular historian Michael J. Vicar’s 2015 work titled Christian Reconstruction: R.J. Rushdoony and American Religious Conservativism.
The paranoia of the left was at its height in the second Bush’s presidency. The weakening religious right in the ensuing years has diminished its obsession with us as well. What is encouraging at this point is that Chalcedon weathered the storm and remains faithful to its original purpose of educating thoughtful Christians in their Kingdom duties.
I have often said that theonomy and Christian Reconstruction, though potent theologies, have at this point been largely relegated to discussions within the church. Encouragingly, these discussions are becoming more common. We are not about to take over any government, and neither is the religious right. The battlefield ahead is one of faith and ideas, which must be developed in individuals, families, churches, businesses, and institutions. We must grow our alternative to secular humanism until we have the ethics and mechanics of a righteous social and economic order formulated and tested. The most progress has taken place in the institutional family and specifically the family’s role in education. More such pioneering work lies ahead.
The religious right thinks politically, works for short-term goals (election cycles), and incorporates a top-down model. Our strategy is one of a bottom-up, multi-generational faithfulness that will produce long-term blessings.
Many share our commitment to the long-term Kingdom vision of godly dominion. The victory is ours in Jesus Christ, even if we cannot always see it on the road we now travel.
Topics: Christian Reconstruction, Education, Family & Marriage, Government, Justice
Mark R. Rushdoony
Mark R. Rushdoony graduated from Los Angeles Baptist College (now The Master’s College) with a B.A. in history in 1975 and was ordained to the ministry in 1995.
He taught junior and senior high classes in history, Bible, civics and economics at a Christian school in Virginia for three years before joining the staff of Chalcedon in 1978. He was the Director of Chalcedon Christian School for 14 years while teaching full time. He also helped tutor all of his children through high school.
In 1998 he became the President of Chalcedon and Ross House Books, and, more recently another publishing arm, Storehouse Press. Chalcedon and its subsidiaries publish many titles plus CDs, mp3s, and an extensive online archive at www.chalcedon.edu.
He has written scores of articles for Chalcedon’s publications, both the Chalcedon Report and Faith for all of Life. He was a contributing author to The Great Christian Revolution (1991). He has spoken at numerous conferences and churches in the U.S. and abroad.
Mark Rushdoony lives in Vallecito, California, his home of 40 years with his wife of 42 years and his youngest son. He has three married children and nine grandchildren.
→ More by Mark R. Rushdoony
God's Plan for Victory
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Shackles of history in the world’s largest democracy
Posted on February 4, 2019 by Chellaney
History helps shape national perceptions and perspectives and undergirds national security. However, the boundary between historical fact and fiction is more porous than students of history might think. History is not only written by victors but also is used by most nations as a political tool in intrastate or interstate context.
Indeed, many countries create self-serving or sanitized historical narratives. Autocracies have a monopoly on interpreting or rewriting history. China, the fairytale Middle Kingdom, weaves legend with history to foster a chauvinistic Han Chinese culture centered on regaining lost glory.
Democracies are not free from historical revisionism, although their history debates are more nuanced, usually pitting the political right against the left. In Japan, for example, attempts to reform the U.S.-imposed national security, educational and legal systems are portrayed by the left as a potential revival of prewar militarism. South Korea’s historical revisionism, for its part, is still poisoning its relations with Japan.
India, which, like South Korea, fell prey to the ravages of colonialism, has had a static history debate, a reflection of its internal divisions and inefficient, British-style parliamentary democracy. In sharp contrast to South Korea’s or China’s still-continuing tirades against Japan over its colonial rampages in the pre-World War II period, India’s relationship with Britain remains free of historical rancor, in spite of the brutality and impoverishment it suffered under British colonial rule.
Indeed, India embellished or distorted how it won independence in 1947. Indians are still taught in school that their country gained independence by nonviolence.
However, for the first time ever, India’s annual Republic Day parade this year featured veterans of the Japan-supported Indian National Army (INA), which waged an armed struggle against British colonial rule. Four INA veterans in their 90s separately rode a jeep in a parade that, paradoxically, showcased through 22 tableaux the life experiences of the apostle of nonviolence, Mahatma Gandhi.
The juxtaposed roles of the INA and Gandhi at the January 26 parade inadvertently highlighted a central contradiction in India’s historical narrative about independence. The INA veterans’ participation, in fact, helped underscore the Indian republic’s founding myth — that it won independence by nonviolence alone. This belief is deeply etched in the minds of Indians.
To be sure, the Gandhi-led nonviolent independence movement playing a critical role, both in galvanizing grassroots Indian resistance to British rule and in helping to ultimately gain independence. But the decisive factor was the protracted World War II, which reduced to ruins large swaths of Europe and Asia, especially the imperial powers. The war between the Allied and Axis powers killed 80 million, or 4% of the global population.
Despite the U.S.-engineered Allied victory, a devastated Britain was left in no position to hold on to its colonies, including “crown jewel” India. Even colonies where there was no grassroots resistance to British (or other European) rule won independence in the post-World War II period.
The British had dominated India for more than a century through a Machiavellian divide-and-rule strategy. Their exit came only after they had reduced one of the world’s wealthiest economies to one of its poorest. Indeed, they left after they had looted to their heart’s content, siphoning out at least £9.2 trillion (or $44.6 trillion) up to 1938, according to economist Utsa Patnaik’s recent estimate.
Had India, in the immediate aftermath of independence, proactively secured its frontiers, it could have averted both the Kashmir and Himalayan border problems. China was in deep turmoil until October 1949, and India had ample time and space to assert control over the traditional Himalayan borders, including its extraterritorial rights in Tibet. But India’s pernicious founding myth gave rise to a pacifist country that believed it could get peace merely by seeking peace, instead of building the capability to defend peace.
Here’s the paradox: Countless numbers of Indians died due to British colonial excesses. Just in the manmade Bengal famine of 1942-45, six to seven million Indians starved to death (a toll greater than the Holocaust) due to the British war policy under Prime Minister Winston Churchill of diverting resources away from India. Churchill had as much blood on his hands as Adolf Hitler, a fact obscured by the victors’ prevailing narratives.
Moreover, imperial Britain sent Indian soldiers in large numbers to fight its dirty wars elsewhere, including the two world wars, and many died while serving as cannon fodder. The Indian civilian and military fatality toll in World War II was higher than that of Britain, France and the U.S. combined.
Indeed, the present Indian republic was born in blood: As many as a million civilians died in senseless violence and millions more were uprooted in the British-contrived and rushed partition of the subcontinent — the fruition of Britain’s divide-and-rule policy.
Yet the myth of India uniquely charting and securing its independence by nonviolence was propagated by the inheritors of the British Raj, the British-trained “brown sahibs.” Consequently, no objective discourse was encouraged post-1947 on the multiple factors — internal and external — that aided India’s independence.
In truth, the hope of Indian independence was first kindled by Japan’s victory in the 1904-1905 war with Russia — the first time an Asian nation comprehensively defeated a European rival. However, it was the world war that Hitler unleashed through expansionism — with Imperial Japan undertaking military expeditions in the name of freeing Asia from white colonial rule — that acted as the catalyst. An emboldened Gandhi served a “Quit India” notice on the British in 1942.
While the Subhas Chandra Bose-led INA could not mount a formidable threat to a British colonial military overflowing with Indian recruits, the Bombay mutiny and other Indian troop revolts of 1946 triggered by INA prisoners’ trials undermined Britain’s confidence in sustaining the Raj, hastening its exit. Yet, independent India treated INA soldiers shabbily, with many abandoned into penury.
Against this background, the rehabilitation of Bose and the INA has long been overdue in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done well to initiate the process, however low key, to give Bose and the INA their due, including recently renaming one Andaman island after Bose and two other Andaman islands to honor INA’s sacrifices. Modi even wore the INA cap to address a recent public meeting in the Andaman archipelago on the 75th anniversary of Bose’s hoisting of the Indian tricolor flag there — the only territory that the INA managed to liberate from British rule.
Today, a rules-based international order premised on nonviolence remains a worthy aspirational goal. But Indian romancing of nonviolence as a supposedly effective political instrument has crimped national-security policy since independence. The country long hewed to pacifism (with the first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, publicly bewailing in 1962 that China had “returned evil for good” by militarily invading India) and frowned on materialism (even after China surpassed India’s GDP in 1984-85).
Such has been the burden of the quixotic national philosophy centered on nonviolence that India has borne enduring costs, including an absence of a strategic culture, despite the country’s location in the world’s most-troubled neighborhood. As the late American analyst George Tanham pointed out, the lack of a culture to pursue a clear strategic vision and policy hobbles India’s ambition to be a great power.
Recognizing unsung heroes is an essential step that India has initiated, however belatedly, toward rebalancing its historical narrative. As George Orwell famously said, “Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past.”
Brahma Chellaney is a geostrategist and author.
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Palestine: A “state” with no real standing
By Dima Ansari -
On November 29, Palestinians in the West Bank took to the streets to celebrate the birth of a Palestinian “state.” With people dancing, flags flying high, and music blaring in the background, Al Jazeera reporters were barely discernible over the noise as they reported the events on the ground. You couldn’t find a more patriotic or euphoric moment it seemed–some have even called this moment a historical benchmark for Palestine.
But does this patriotically painted moment of success really live up to its hype? Have Palestinians gained any real progress towards a peaceful solution with Israel under the new label of “statehood?”
The answer, sadly, is no. In fact, while the United Nations’ vote to make Palestine a “nonmember observer state,” gives it new ranking and authority to challenge Israel in international legal forums such as the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes the Israeli government has committed against the Palestinian people, it does not seem that this is likely to occur anytime soon or at all.
Justice might not be fully served as the Palestinians and the whole world had been prematurely lead to believe.
“Today’s grand pronouncements will soon fade,” said Susan E. Rice in the New York Times, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. “And the Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed, save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded.”
Rice is absolutely spot on. Mahmoud Abbas, leader of the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the one who sought the U.N. bid was quick to reaffirm this fact only just a day after he received U.N. state recognition for Palestine.
AlJazeera quoted Abbas: “We now have the right to appeal the ICC, but we are not going to do it now and will not do it except in the case of Israeli aggression.”
Quite a preposterous statement, to say the least, coming out of the Palestinian president’s mouth, considering that only a few weeks before the U.N. state recognition, the Gaza strip was heavily bombarded by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), resulting in more than 160 dead Palestinians, a majority of whom were civilians and children. How can an event like this this not be defined as “aggression”?
According to Ali Abunimah, founder of The Electronic Intifada, the Palestinian bid for statehood was a “hollow” act, because “[t]he Abbas PA’s record of collaboration with Israel against the interests of the Palestinian people is long, shameful and well documented.”
In fact, Joseph Massad, from the Guardian says that there’s “bitter irony in the UN’s recognition of a much-diminished Palestinian state on the anniversary of its 1947 partition plan.”
This, he says, enforces and “legitimizes” a “racist status quo,” since the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which the U.N. has recognized as the only legitimate governor of the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza, was undermined when the Oslo Accords created the PA, which “ceased to represent Gaza Palestinians [in 2007], now represented by Hamas.”
This new PA, which now solely represents the West Bank, has won statehood status, but to what extent? This statehood status is only conferred upon the 1.5 million people in the West Bank, which is only half of all Palestinians, not including Gaza, the other half.
This means that nothing has changed. Palestine continues to be divided not only geographically, but also politically, as it is further “partitioned” with the PA’s bid for West-Bank-only statehood and the Palestinian president’s complicity with Israeli policies.
What the U.N. vote has done is leave the PA “without legitimacy or an end goal to its existence,” said Massad.
This is further reiterated by Israel’s response to the Palestinian statehood vote. In retaliation for seeking and receiving statehood, Israel has announced that it will build 3,000 new settlement homes in the E1 section of the West Bank which is on Palestinian land, further dividing the West Bank in half.
Palestine, effectively divided by apartheid policies, colonialism, and government complicity, is a state without “borders.” It has no geographically defined land to rule over the affairs of its own people, and thus no real standing in the larger scope of the territorial conflict. At this juncture, perhaps proactive measures to pursue prosecution against Israel at the ICC might be the Palestinian Authority’s last best hope.
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Dima Ansari
Dima graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a Bachelors in English and a concentration in Media, Rhetorical, and Cultural Studies in December 2011. Dima completed and presented her Senior Thesis about the interrelationship of verbal, written, and body language between a tutor and a writer at UIC’s Writing Center.
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Schio Italy Rejects Proposed ‘Holocaust’ Memorial For Being ‘Divisive’ & ‘Politically Exploitative’
December 5, 2019 By CFT Team 6 Comments
Officials from the Italian town of Schio are doubling down on their refusal to install a memorial honoring alleged local victims of the so-called ‘Holocaust’, after the move prompted predictable knee-jerk criticism from the tiny jewish community:
In an address made late last week, Valter Orsi, mayor of Schio, defended the municipal council’s recent decision to reject a memorial representing citizens of the town who died in Holocaust death camps.
According to Orsi, the proposal was not brought to the town in good faith.
“We do not support political exploitation in our city,” he said, reported Corriere della Sera on November 28. “There is already a plaque for the victims of the camps.”
The installation, proposed by an opposition council member, comes as part of the Gunter Demnig’s “Stolpersteine” art project, which began in December 1992. Each stone, or “stumbling block,” includes a victim’s name, birth year, date of detention and ultimate fate. There are now about 70,000 stones in 21 European countries.
The motion brought before the municipal council called for the installation of a total of 14 stones.
“The fact that ‘stumbling blocks’ have been considered a provocation by the municipal council of Schio represents a shameful legitimization of the attempt of oblivion on the crimes of the regime,” said Noemi Di Segni, president of the Union of Italian Jewish Communities, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
While some may have opposed the memorial’s installation, Di Segni explained that the council’s move is “even worse than acts by individuals because with this decision Holocaust denial becomes an official act.”
Italian Senator Daniela Sbrollini told the Corriere della Sera that Schio’s officials have “written a bad page for the city” by prohibiting the memorial.
“The city of Schio must have the courage to remember: those who lose their memories lose their future,” she said. “The memory of a profound racial injustice is not treated so coldly. A choice that has nothing to do with the values shared by the large local community.”
Earlier this year, a Holocaust brass plaque was defaced in Rome with a sticker that, in German, read: “Murderers always return to the crime scene.” The year prior, some 20 stumbling blocks were stolen from the city, reported Israel Hayom.
So if the town doesn’t approve of a redundant ‘Holocaust’ memorial, they are obviously ‘Holocaust deniers’, which apparently is illegal in Italy. So basically the Jews are arguing that it’s illegal not to approve any Holocaust memorial they want to install, or some such convoluted nonsense.
The town rightfully believes that such a superfluous memorial would merely contribute to political divisiveness. Everything Jews do is both political and divisive.
What this article conveniently leaves out is that at the end of WWII, Italian partisans who opposed the German occupation and the Fascist leadership, rounded up many locals in Schio who were merely accused of ‘collaborating’ with the Germans and executed about 50 of them without trial or evidence, in one mass shooting.
Those who perpetrated the executions were arrested and sentenced to death, but none of those sentences were carried out, of course. A number of the convicts fled to (((communist countries))) behind the new Iron Curtain.
And of course, there were no doubt communist Jews among the ranks of the ‘Italian’ partisans who conducted these executions of alleged “Fascist sympathizers”. Even the Italian Communist Party (PCI) at the time blamed the executions on “Trotskyite agents“ who worked for the Italian communist newpaper, L’Unita. And wherever there is a communist newspaper, you will always find Jews of the “greasiest sort”.
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luke2236 says
Another Scripture about ‘stumbling blocks’ was brought to mind… Matthew 13:40-43.
Oh for the day!
Stoic says
The holocaust has been debunked, the Russians released the camp records and the total deaths in all the camps was 211,000 total, the plaque at Auschwitz was reduced from 4 million to 1.5 million people of all creeds and nationalities so the 6 million claim is no longer valid, given that the Jews claim to be 2% of the population that would mean that there were only 30,000 of them in Auschwitz who died of typhus and old age so its time to call this never ending extortion racket what it really is, a hoax that’s been debunked.
“stumbling blocks”… see Ezekiel 14:3.
Bless Orsi.
Christian Lend says
So, they are just a minority! Kick them out of your country at every cost! Atherwise they will kill you all!
I can’t help but seriously wonder when white Christians around the earth will finally take the words of their supposed King to heart, not saying it specifically once – but twice – at Rev. 2:9 and 3:9 (paraphrasing) “Beware the Jews (Judaeans) who are not Jews (Judaeans), but do lie, for they are of the synagogue of satan.”
Earl says
You see these “Stolpersteine” all over Germany. They’re everywhere, even in the smaller towns, and unmistakable when you are walking down the street. It’s obscene that the Jews have gotten away with the scam even in countries outside of Germany. I had no idea, but it’s also not surprising.
The albatross of guilt around the White man’s neck must never be released, lest he wake from his slumber to learn the truth and be free to confront the false accusers.
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Decisive measures must be taken by nations and international organizations to ensure mutual survival and safety. In the past several years, key governments and multilateral institutions have devoted considerable effort to the task of more effectively integrating development and security policy responses to the related challenges of countries affected by conflict, post-conflict peacebuilding, and conflict prevention. The looming deadline of the Millennium Development Goals, has focused attention on this important nexus and the near impossibility of crisis- and conflict-affected states achieving these goals unless development and security is more effectively integrated. Despite progress on several fronts, including at the United Nations and at the international financial institutions, developing policy for effective development and security engagement remains a challenge in both conceptual and operational terms – not least because discussion of political, security, economic, and humanitarian issues traditionally has occurred in different multilateral fora, among different sets of stakeholders.
Consequently, coherent and integrated development, security and political support to countries emerging from conflict has proven difficult. Organizing the international response around early support to economic recovery, livelihoods, and services, and the core task of statebuilding has proven a greater challenge. Core political, security, economic, and humanitarian tasks are carried out by an ad hoc and fragmented array of bilateral and multilateral development actors. CIC’s focus is to aid global actors in creating more effective and everlasting security.
Alischa Kugel
Megan Gleason-Roberts
The New Politics of Strategic Resources
Since 2008, energy and food markets—those most fundamental to human existence—have remained in turmoil. Resource scarcity has had a much bigger global impact in recent years than has been predicted, with ongoing volatility a sign that the world is only part-way through navigating a treacherous transition in the way it uses resources. Scarcity, and perceptions of scarcity, increase political risks, while geopolitical turmoil exacerbates shortages and complicates the search for solutions.
Author(s) / Contributor(s): David Steven, Bruce Jones, Emily O'Brien
Topic(s): Food Security, Global Governance, International Security, Resource Scarcity
Endgame for ETA: Elusive Peace in the Basque Country
The violent Basque separatist group ETA took shape in Franco's Spain, yet claimed the majority of its victims under democracy. For most Spaniards it became an aberration, a criminal and terrorist band whose persistence defied explanation. Others, mainly Basques (but only some Basques) understood ETA as the violent expression of a political conflict that remained the unfinished business of Spain's transition to democracy. Such differences hindered efforts to 'defeat' ETA's terrorism on the one hand and 'resolve the Basque conflict' on the other for more than three decades.
Author(s) / Contributor(s): Teresa Whitfield
Topic(s): International Security
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Non-international armed conflicts (NIACs) are now the dominant form of contemporary warfare, substantially outnumbering traditional inter-state armed conflicts (IACs). UN Security Council practice is not a source generally cited as evidence of norms regulating NIACs. Descriptions of the Council as an essentially “political” body have been used to suggest that the obligations it imposes form no coherent pattern and have little relation to otherwise applicable rules of international law.
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THRICE ETHICAL
Has a client ever lodged a complaint about you to the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP)? If not, this might just be because your client knows even less about the codes of ethics for architects than you do.
BY EUGENE BARNARD
Your clients might not be as knowledgeable or bold as Prince Charles who is purported to have said: ‘Most architects think by the inch, talk by the yard and should be kicked by the foot.’ Beware – you might not be exempt for much longer. Every professional architect has a moral and legal obligation to be au fait with the codes to which he or she is duty bound.
The majority of architects in South Africa are subject to three codes of ethical conduct. The codes can be categorised as follows: those that define the conduct that the profession has imposed on itself – what architects expect architects to do – and those that describe the conduct that society demands of the profession to which every registered architect is legally bound.
So, on the one hand, architects are subject to two non-statutory codes which describe ethical, professional behaviour: the SAIA Code of Ethics (to which local architects bind themselves by virtue of their voluntary membership of the South African Institute of Architects) and the lesser-known UIA Accord Policy on Ethics and Conduct developed by the International Union of Architects (to which SAIA members are bound by virtue of SAIA’s membership of the UIA.) Both these codes place an onerous obligation on members to maintain the very highest standard of professionalism, integrity and competency. On the other hand, society’s expectation regarding the conduct of architects is described in the mandatory Code of Professional Conduct issued by SACAP, the profession’s registration body. Every registered architect has no option but to adhere to this statutory code or face sanction, even expulsion from the profession.
Apart from general overarching obligations, the SAIA and UIA codes define the architect’s obligation to the public, clients, fellow colleagues, the profession, and, in the case of SAIA, even third parties affected by the architect’s work. The profession expects its members to possess a ‘systematic body of knowledge and theory’ and to ‘maintain and advance their knowledge. Every architect worthy of the title should remain a student throughout his or her career, continually aspiring to greater heights. The true professional will always resist mediocrity and stagnation. It was no doubt this very expectation – shared across professional boundaries – that gave rise to the concept of continuing professional development (CPD).
Before addressing the architect’s obligation to a client, both codes unashamedly state that the architect has an obligation to the public. How often is the personal interest of the client not al- lowed to overshadow the public interest? Do we build inappropriate buildings that ignore the cultural heritage of a society or bend the rules and disobey laws un- der instruction and to the benefit of our client, but to the detriment of the com- munity? Instead, architects should not only be concerned about public interests, but also ‘involve themselves in civic activities and promote public awareness of architectural issues.
Indeed, we have a very real obligation – one that should not be taken lightly – to serve the client professionally and conscientiously. How often will an architect knowingly give one client an excellent service and another a shoddy one? How often do architects accept work from clients knowing full well that they possess neither adequate knowledge nor technical resources, or even sufficient time, to fulfil the commitment? Architects also often neglect to enter into written agreements with clients prior to undertaking work.
What about fellow practitioners? The SAIA code states categorically that one member has an obligation to another member. The UIA code also entrenches the need for colleagues to respect one another’s rights and obligations. The principle finds practical application in the listed standards and rules, one of which instructs against one architect from attempting to supplant a colleague, and another against fee bargaining in competition, the all-right-I’ll-do-it-for- less response! At a time when even government is procuring services by means of ‘fee bidding’, the challenge to maintain professional dignity becomes very pertinent.
Architecture as a profession dates back to antiquity and has etched out a proud and respected place for itself in society. The South African Institute of Architects was established in 1927, drawing together the existing architectural fraternities from the various colonies: the Cape Institute (established in 1899), Port Elizabeth Society (1900), Natal (1901), Transvaal (1909) and the Orange
Free State (1921). Every architect has an obligation to promote and uphold the integrity of the profession. In fact, this is, in part, SAIA’s raison d’êtreix. The UIA Accord even goes so far as to say that ‘an architect shall not take as a partner … an unsuitable person. It is sad when fellow practitioners ride on the back of the profession without demonstrating a willingness to contribute to its dignity and growth, an attitude not dissimilar to those who use the world’s natural resources without helping to replenish them for future generations.
What happens if someone breaches any of the rules that underpin SAIA’s Code of Ethics? The SAIA Procedure for Enquiry document sets out how allegations of unethical conduct are dealt with by the organisation. Sanctions include a reprimand, warning, fine, temporary suspension or the cancellation of membership. The UIA, on the other hand, has no control over the conduct of the individual. The accord policy is merely an aspirational standard that each member section adopts. The UIA does, therefore, not act against individuals who are guilty of unethical conduct. It is up the member section to deal with the issue.
As regards the mandatory code, the Code of Professional Conduct was published as Board Notice 154 of 2009. It applies to all professionals registered by SACAP (architects, senior technologists, technologists, and draftspersons).
It comprises six rules which deal with unprofessional conduct (Rule 1); the obligation to be competent, to perform only in appropriate categories of work and ensure continual development of knowledge and skill (Rule 2); how services can be promoted, explicitly forbidding misrepresentation – for example, the use of the term ‘architect’ instead of ‘technologist’ (Rule 3); professional responsibilities, once again stating the obligation for a proper service level agreement between professional and client (Rule 4); form of practice and business entity (Rule 5); and finally, how professionals should conduct themselves when working outside the borders of South Africa – yes, even in neighbouring Mozambique, Botswana and Namibia (Rule 6).
What happens when a complaint is lodged against a professional? Clauses 27 to 33 of the Architectural Act (Act 44 of 2000) deal with professional conduct, investigation into charges of improper conduct and the consequences if found guilty. Clause 32 lists the sanctions. A registered person may be cautioned, fined, suspended or deregistered, forfeiting his capacity to earn a living through the practice of architecture. Actions in terms of these clauses are to- tally independent of any civil or criminal action that may be taken against a professional.
Architects in South Africa study full time for at least five years, work under supervision for a further two years and then write a formal examination, which, if they pass, entitles them to adopt the designation Professional Architect (Pr Arch) and practise independently. This process and hard-earned right should instil an awareness of and commitment to ethical behaviour in the heart of every successful candidate.
More important than the written codes, though, is that unwritten human trait to which Francis Collins, a leading US geneticist and long-time leader of the Human Genome Project, refers when he says: ‘We have come full circle, returning again to the existence of the Moral Law. Influential 20th-century writer, CS Lewis, makes the point too: ‘Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and cannot really get rid of it. Ultimately, the architect should be guided by his or her own conscience.
This article first appeared in Architecture ZA Sept/Oct 2013. Published with permission and thanks to the Ed.
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Home>Russ Dickerson
Our Other Scientists
Russ Dickerson
Russ Dickerson's research focuses on the multidisciplinary areas of atmospheric chemistry and air pollution, specifically photochemistry and global biogeochemical cycles. His research group, composed of chemists and meteorologists, develops analytical instruments (for NO, NOx, NOy, NH3, CO, SO2, CO2, CH4 and aerosols), employs these instruments in the laboratory, field, and on ships and aircraft, and interprets the results in terms of photochemistry and atmospheric physics. They are studying the budget of tropospheric ozone both in the Baltimore-Washington area and on the large scale, the transport of trace gases in convective clouds, and the role of the atmosphere in the chemistry of the Chesapeake Bay. Observations are compared to calculations from computer models of clouds and chemistry. Prof. Dickerson is a member of NASA's OMI Science Team and the Air Quality Applied Science Team (AQAST). He is also a member of the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC), which facilitates collaboration with NASA/GSCF and NOAA/ARL. Prof. Dickerson heads the Regional Atmospheric Measurement Modeling and Prediction Program, RAMMPP. Most recently, the project Flux of Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases in Maryland was initiated with support from NIST (FLAGG-MD) Before coming to Maryland, Prof. Dickerson worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, in Mainz, Germany.
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Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Studies and Co-Director of the MIC Center
CI 110
twolfson@rci.rutgers.edu
Google Scholar Academia ResearchGate Personal Website
Todd Wolfson is an anthropologist by training. His research is a mixture of traditional and cyber-based ethnography and he has been supported by the Social Science Research Council and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
Ph.D., Anthropology and Social and Cultural Foundations of Education
B.A, Cultural Anthropology
Todd Wolfson's research focuses on the intersection of new media and contemporary social movements and he is author of “Digital Rebellion: The Birth of the Cyber Left” and co-editor of the forthcoming volume, “Great Refusal: Herbert Marcuse and Contemporary Social Movements.” Wolfson believes in the importance of engaged scholarship that leads to tangible action in the world, and to that end, he is a co-founder of the Media Mobilizing Project (MMP) based in Philadelphia, PA. MMP is an award-winning organization that aims is to use new media and communications to build a movement of poor and working people, united across color lines. MMP's work has been supported by the Knight Foundation, Ford Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Media and Democracy Coalition, and Media Democracy Fund amongst others.
Grant to develop media and journalism collaboration between students and social justice organizations across New Jersey, funded by the Dodge Foundation, Journalism for Democracy ($50,000) 2014-2016
PhilaPOSH, Social Media and Latino Worker, Principal Investigator on a research project that studies the possibilities of reaching Latino construction workers with social media ($6,500) 2013-2014
NTIA, Sustainable Broadband Adoption, Principal Investigator on research project examining intersection of broadband adoption and training programs in low income communities across Philadelphia ($167,500) 2011-2013
New America Foundation, Public Computer Centers, Principal Investigator on research project focused on public computer centers ($35,000) 2012-2013
New Jersey Office of Information Technology, Principal Investigator on research project focused on digital divide in NJ ($80,000) 2010-2013
Wolfson, Todd. “The History of all Hitherto Existing Society:” Class Struggle and the Current Wave of Resistance, tripleC: Communication, Capitalism & Critique, Vol 16 No 2 (2018).
Bach, Amy J.; Wolfson, Todd; and Crowell, Jessica K. (2018) "Poverty, Literacy, and Social Transformation: An Interdisciplinary Exploration of the Digital Divide," Journal of Media Literacy Education, 10(1), 22 -41.
Wolfson, Todd. Digital Rebellion: The Birth of the Cyber Left, University of Illinois Press, History of Communication series, (2014), 248 pages.
The Great Refusal: Herbert Marcuse and the Contemporary Social Movements. Edited volume, co-edited with Peter Funke and Andy Lamas, Temple University Press, 2017.
Clarion Award, The Association of Women in Communications, Recipient of “Newspaper Investigative Series” award for “Tapped Out,” a series focusing on poverty in Philadelphia that appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, 2015
Best Investigative Report, National Association of Black Journalists, Recipient of “Best Special Investigative Report” for “Tapped Out,” a series focusing on poverty in Philadelphia that appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, 2015
Scholar Activist Award - National Communications Association, Recipient of the inaugural Scholar-Activist Award, which was conferred by the Critical & Cultural Studies division of NCA, 2014
Rutgers University, Department of Journalism and Media Studies
Distinguished Achievement in Service, 2015
Distinguished Achievement in Research, 2013
Distinguished Achievement in Teaching, 2011
Front With Brian Edwards-Tiekert (2/17/15)
Scholars' Circle With Maria Armoudian (2/1/15)
The David Pakman Show (1/25/15)
Imaginary Lines, Telesur English (1/19/15)
Uprising Radio With Sonali (1/15/15)
WBAI Morning Show With Mario Murillo (1/9/15)
Letters And Politics With Mitch Jeserich (0:28), KPFA 94.1 (1/7/15)
The Matthew Filipowicz Show: Digital Rebellion (12/18/14)
Huffpost Live With Josh Zepps (12/8/14)
Philly.com: Fighting For Communication's Future (10/8/14)
Philly.com: A Solution For Poverty Must Come From Within (5/14/14)
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Winter, You and N.D. Markings
Embossed intaglio
Stored: 456A, FF_005_G
Don Miller began his teaching career at UND as chair of the Ceramics Department in the School of Mines. He retired forty-two years later as a professor in the Department of Art and Design, located in the College of Arts & Sciences. Following retirement, Miller remained in Grand Forks where he currently serves as President of the Muddy Waters Clay Center, which is an important cultural resource for the community. Miller’s print was produced to commemorate UND’s centennial.
UND Centennial Print Portfolio 1983
A set of eleven prints was produced to commemorate UND's Centennial. Joining ten UND Visual Art's faculty was a former UND professor and Art Department Chair, Robert A. Nelson. The Centennial Print Portfolio was published in an edition of 75, plus twelve artist's proofs.
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Deontay Wilder vs. Luis Ortiz 2 Set for November 23rd
By Ryan Elliott 28th September 2019
Following their thrilling first encounter in 2018, WBC World heavyweight champion Deontay “The Bronze Bomber” Wilder will take on the once-beaten Cuban slugger Luis “King Kong” Ortiz in the main event of the FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View Saturday, Nov. 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Three-division champion and current WBA Featherweight Champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz will seek a title in another division in the co-main event when he takes on Miguel “El Michoacan” Flores for the WBA Super Featherweight Championship as part of the pay-per-view action beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.
Wilder and Ortiz will renew the rivalry they set in motion when they first engaged in an explosive showdown in Brooklyn that was one of 2018’s best fights. Wilder won that bout by 10th round TKO after Ortiz stunned him and almost had him out in the seventh round. The thrilling match featured plenty of twists and turns to necessitate a rematch.
With a combined 66 knockouts in 74 matches, Wilder vs. Ortiz II is a heavyweight duel that guarantees an awesome display of punching power. The first fight last year saw Wilder dropping Ortiz in the fifth round, Ortiz stunning and hurting Wilder in a seventh round that he won 10-8 on all the judges’ cards, and Wilder eventually dropping Ortiz again with a powerful right uppercut that forced the referee to stop the bout in the 10th round.
Wilder (41-0-1, 40 KOs), a bronze medal winner for the U.S. boxing team at the 2008 Olympic Games, has more than lived up to the nickname “The Bronze Bomber.” The 33-year-old Wilder has knocked out all but one of the men that he has faced in the ring, making him one of the most feared single-punch knockout artist in boxing today.
The most active heavyweight champion in the sport, this will be Wilder’s third title defense in 11 months. He is coming off a highlight-reel first round knockout of Dominic Breazeale in Brooklyn on May 18. Before that had one of the most dramatic matches of 2018 when he dropped Tyson Fury twice, including a stunning knockdown in the 12th round, on the way to a split draw last December.
Born and still living and training in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Wilder will return to fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the first time since he won the heavyweight title with a dominant 12-round decision over Bermane Stiverne on January 17, 2015. The victory had even more significance for Wilder because it came on the birthday of his boxing idol, Muhammad Ali. The rematch against Ortiz will be his 10th title defense.
“When I fought Ortiz not only did he have the pedigree, but also he had the classification of being the boogeyman of the division,” said Wilder. “I agree with those who say that Luis Ortiz was my toughest fight to date. No one wanted to fight him and they still don’t. In the rematch there’s more confidence and more motivation to do what I have to do. I’ve already seen the style before. It’s going to make it more fun. I can’t wait to see how he tries to handle me when I’m at my best.
“This is the second big fight for me under my company, BombZquad Promotions, and I’m very happy about that. We still have a lot of work to do to build it into the kind of company that I know it’s going to be in the future, but it’s coming along. To be able to do a FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View at MGM Grand in Las Vegas under my own banner is fantastic.”
Ortiz (31-1, 26 KOs) has ripped off three-straight victories since suffering the only loss of his career in that first match with Wilder in 2018, including most recently winning a unanimous decision over Christian Hammer on March 2. The southpaw, who was born in Camaguey, Cuba and now lives in Miami, is one of the most avoided heavyweight contenders in boxing because of his vicious knockout power and crafty southpaw boxing skills. In the first fight with Wilder, Ortiz hurt Wilder with a textbook counter right hook that nearly made him the first Cuban heavyweight world champion.
Outside of the ring, Wilder and Ortiz share a common bond-they’re both motivated to fight for their daughters. Wilder’s oldest daughter, Naieya, was born with spina bifida, motivating Wilder to take up boxing to pay for her medical expenses. Ortiz’s daughter, Lismercedes, has a painful skin condition called epidermolysis bullosa, which results in painful skin blistering and Ortiz has worked to raise awareness for.
“I have to give Deontay Wilder a lot of credit for taking this fight because it shows he has the heart of a true champion,” said Ortiz. “He is not at all scared to take a dangerous fight, because let’s be honest, this is the most dangerous fight for him. In my opinion, he’s the best heavyweight in the world until someone beats him, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do on November 23 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View. ‘King Kong’ is coming to Las Vegas!”
A three-division world champion fighting out of Los Angeles, Santa Cruz (36-1-1, 19 KOs) holds the WBA featherweight title and will be making his debut at super featherweight and seeking a title in a fourth weight class. The 31-year-old has been a dominant force in the featherweight division since 2015, including two thrilling featherweight title duels against Abner Mares and Carl Frampton each. He lost the belt in his first match against Frampton in 2016, but reclaimed it in their rematch the following year. Santa Cruz has competed in title bouts in 16 of his last 18 fights, while picking up belts at 118, 122 and 126-pounds and is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Rafael Rivera in his last fight in February on FOX.
“When I first started boxing my dream was to be a world champion and I’ve been fortunate to win three different world championships in three different divisions,” said Santa Cruz. “I couldn’t imagine winning championships in four divisions. It’s something I never really dreamed of and I’m very happy about this opportunity.
“I know Flores is another tough Mexican boxer like me. He always comes forward, so it’s going to be a fun fight for the fans. I’m really looking forward to fighting again in Las Vegas at MGM Grand. It’s going to be a really exciting atmosphere because you have Deontay Wilder and Luis Ortiz in a heavyweight championship fight, and Deontay always knocks his opponents out, but we’re hoping that our fight will steal the night.”
Flores (24-2, 12 KOs) was originally scheduled to fight Santa Cruz for the featherweight title in February, but severely sprained his ankle in training and had to withdraw from the fight. Born in Mexico, but raised in and fighting out of Houston, Flores rose up the rankings with victories over Ryan Kielczweski, Ruben Tamayo and Mario Briones. After suffering a loss to Dat Nguyen and seeking to rebound, Flores was ahead on the scorecards against Chris Avalos in a fight on FS1 when the contest was stopped due to a cut on Flores’ eyebrow that was controversially ruled to have come from a punch. Flores bounced back from that loss to stop Raul Chirino in April 2018 and also scored a TKO victory against Luis May in his most recent fight on June 29 after the ankle injury.
“I’m extremely excited to be getting this opportunity once again to fight Leo Santa Cruz and win a world title,” said Flores. “Being the co-main event on this FOX Sports PBC Pay-Per-View card with Wilder vs. Ortiz headlining is incredible. This is a dream come true for me, and I’m going to take advantage of the situation. This moment in my life is something I’ve envisioned since I was a kid. On November 23, you will see the best version of myself as I plan to be in the best shape of my life, with the goal of becoming a world champion, and what better way to do it than in Las Vegas at MGM Grand. Leo and I are going to put on a great show, that you can guarantee.”
Source: Swanson Communications [Press Release].
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a boy's head
'I believe that only what cannot be trimmed is a head'
The weight of air above us
Nollaig na mBan
Beowulf’s boat
Clear consciences
Auld Lang Syne or times gone by
General Election,
Market gardening
Poetry in translation
Thomas Bewick
Richard Honeysett
In a digital archive of fugitive slave ads, a new portrait of slavery emerges
May 21, 2016 rjhoneysett2012Leave a comment
Joshua Rothman, University of Alabama
Among the millions of people enslaved in the United States before 1865, hundreds of thousands attempted to flee from those who held them in bondage.
Some left temporarily to protest mistreatment. Others sought to reunite with loved ones from whom they had been forced apart. Many simply wanted freedom.
These fugitives from American slavery often left no trace in the historical record, but we can document the flight of many of them. After all, to their white owners, enslaved people were valuable property – well worth the time, effort and resources devoted to their capture. The method most likely to produce results was enlisting other white people in the search by publicly offering a reward.
Open practically any issue of any southern newspaper from the decades before the Civil War and you’ll see advertisements placed by slaveholders searching for runaway slaves. Perhaps as many as 200,000 of these notices appeared in the public prints of the South, and each one attaches a name and a story to a fugitive.
Historians have known about and used runaway advertisements before, of course, but they’ve never all been gathered in one easily accessible place. So in 2014, a team of scholars led by myself, Edward Baptist of Cornell University, and Mary Niall Mitchell of the University of New Orleans began collaborating on a project called Freedom on the Move to collect and digitize these ads.
After every one of the names and stories in them becomes available to and searchable by scholars and the general public, we hope we will understand, in new ways, the lives and experiences of those who resisted slavery by trying to liberate themselves.
A window into a life
Runaway advertisements were essentially wanted posters for people whose crime was pursuing their own freedom, and slaveholders provided as much detail about those people as possible in order to maximize the chances for recapture.
An advertisement might include a fugitive’s name, age, height, build and skin color. But it could also note specialized skills (“a brick-layer by trade”), languages spoken, distinctive physical markings, and signs of work injuries or torture (“the end of the forefinger of the left hand has been cut off”). Some might note the way a person carried him- or herself (“when walking inclines to lean forward”). A slaveholder could provide details about what a fugitive was wearing when he or she fled, indicate whether he or she could read and write, or speculate about an escaped person’s potential destination.
While slaveholders designed runaway advertisements to put the surveillance efforts of the state and the broader white populace at their disposal, they also unwittingly provided windows into the lives of the men, women and children who were desperately trying to free themselves from bondage and forge their own destinies.
The power of a digitization
By amassing all of these advertisements under the umbrella of one database, we’ll be able to digitally analyze thousands of them at the same time. This has the potential to open avenues for researchers to make discoveries that might have otherwise been impossible.
An ad for a fugitive slave named Bob from June 1829.
Huntsville Southern Advocate, Author provided
For example, we could map the places slaves fled from and where their owners imagined they might try to end up, allowing us to visualize a new landscape of movement. We can document changing patterns of flight over time, and across multiple geographies.
We can also create detailed demographic profiles of those who fled, and gain insight into strategies deployed by fugitives as they tried to ensure they would not be caught. How often, for example, did enslaved people steal free papers and attempt to travel under an assumed name, as a man named Bob, who lived near Huntsville, Alabama, did in 1829? How many people were there like Harry, who fled in 1832 from a farm near Jackson, Mississippi, and whose owner was certain he would not only claim to be free but would “dress in and pass as a woman, so as not to be apprehended”?
Heroic attempts at self-liberation
Indeed, we imagine that for most users of Freedom on the Move, the individual stories of fugitives from slavery will linger longest.
James Goodson placed an ad for for runaways Moses and Zilphey in June 1825.
Southern Advocate and Huntsville Advertiser, Author provided
It takes little imagination to see the horrors they’d experienced, the risks they were willing to take to escape them and the complications of family ties those risks entailed.
Consider the journey of fugitives Moses and Zilphey, who were probably a married couple and were sought by James Goodson of Montgomery, Alabama, in June 1825. In the advertisement he placed in the paper offering US$50 for their capture, Goodson explained that Moses and Zilphey had first fled from him a year earlier and had made it more than 75 miles north before they were caught and put in the Shelby County jail. Goodson had sent someone to take them into custody and return them, only to have the couple escape from that person. By the time Goodson put out his advertisement, the two had been at large for nearly 10 months – no easy feat, considering they needed to endure the winter, and Moses walked despite having “lost some of his toes off each foot.” Zilphey, meanwhile, likely faced an even more difficult challenge: Goodson wrote “she may have had a child during her absence.”
And take the story of Charles, a 30-year-old man who fled from Joseph Gray near Huntsville, Alabama, in March 1827. In his advertisement, Gray explained that Charles had been brought to Alabama from Virginia, and that this was the second time he’d run away. Gray reported that Charles had made it as far as Nashville on that first occasion; he’d been caught with a white man who was pretending to own him in order to provide cover. Now Gray suspected that Charles “may be playing that same game over.” We don’t know whether or not Charles succeeded in escaping. But with Gray’s mention that Charles had a “back much marked by the whip,” we can guess that he had plenty of incentive to keep trying.
Treated as villains and criminals, in truth enslaved people such as Moses, Zilphey and Charles engaged in heroic efforts to free themselves. Freedom on the Move promises to return their stories, and those of tens of thousands of others, to the public consciousness where they belong.
Joshua Rothman, Professor of History, University of Alabama
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Treaty Of Wanghia Apush
APUSH Chapter 18
Fire-eaters Refers to a group of extremist pro-slavery politicians from the South who urged the separation of southern states into a new nation, which became known as the confederate states of America.
Underground Railroad Virtual freedom train consisted of an informal chain of ‘stations’ through which scores of ‘passengers’ (runaway slaves) were spirited by ‘conductors’ (usually white and black abolitionists) from the slave states to the free-soil sanctuary of Canada
Harriet Tubman Rescued more than 300 slaves including her aging parents and deservedly earned the title ‘moses’
Daniel Webster Famous american politician and orator, he advocated renewal and opposed the financial policy of Jackson. Many of the principles of finance he spoke about were later incorporated in the Federal Reserve system. Would later push for a strong union.
William H. Seward A governor of New York, United States senator, and the United States secretary of state under Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson.
Compromise of 1850 California admitted as free state, territorial status and popular sovereignty of Utah and New Mexico, resolution of Texas-New Mexico boundaries, federal assumption of Texas debt, slave trade abolished in DC, and new fugitive slave laws; advocated by Henry Clay and Stephen A. Douglas
William Walker A proslavery American adventurer from the south, he led an expedition to seize control of Nicaragua in 1855. He wanted to petition for annexation it as a new slave state but sent troops to oust him before the offer was made.
Treaty of Wanghia The first diplomatic agreement between China and American, signed on July 3, 1844. Since America signed as a nation interested in trade instead of colonization, it was rewarded with extraordinary amount of trading power.
Stephen A. Douglas A moderate, who introduced the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854 and popularized the idea of popular sovereignty.
What were the advantages and disadvantages of popular sovereignty? Popular sovereignty makes states more stable, but they also reduce the risk of civil war in neighboring countries. Advantages of popular sovereignty included a better economy and better education. One of the disadvantages of popular sovereignty is that the majority is not always right.
Why was the Free-Soil party formed? Was it important? Explain. It was formed because the whigs and the democrats could not agree on the expansion of slavery in the west. It was formed to stop the expansion of slavery in the west, to protect slavery in new lands gained in the Mexico-American war.
Did the California Gold Rush make people rich? Explain. In the earliest days of the rush, claims yielding as much as $300 to $400 in a day were no uncommon.
“The South was in a politically weak position in the 1850’s.” Assess this statement. The 1850’s started the rise of the republican party.
What effect did Webster’s speech have? Daniel Webster’s Bunker Hill speech embodied the beliefs of the time and restored American desire to fight for what was right.
How did William Seward contribute to the tension between North and South in 1850? William Seward finally took it upon himself to organize a rally against the Nebraska bill, since none had arisen spontaneously. The radical press, such as the national era and the New York tribune, and the local free-soil journals, condemned the bill.
What factors led to the acceptance of the Compromise of 1850? A movement in the South to boycott Northern goods gained some headway, but in the end the Southern unionists, asserted by the warm glow of prosperity prevailed. The delegates not only took a strong position in favor slavery but condemned the compromise measures then being hammered out in congress. Meeting again in November after the bills had passed. The convention proved to be dud. But that time southern opinion had reluctantly accepted the verdict of congress.
Explain the quote, “No single irritant of the 1850’s was more consistently galling to both sides…” It means that there was nothing more irritating at a consistent rate to both sides.
What was more important about the election of 1852? It marked the effective end of the disorganized whig party an within a few years, it’s complete death. They finally choked to death trying to swallow the distasteful fugitive slave law. The contribution upheld the ideal of the Union through their electoral strength in the south through leaders like Clay and Webster.
Explain the Ostend Manifesto, and what consequences it had. The Ostend Manifesto (1854) strongly suggested that the United States should take Cuba by force if Spain refused to sell.
Is China or Japan more important to American trade today? The trade from China is more important to America today as they provide 50% of most things.
What was the reason for the Gadsen Purchase? The purpose of the purchase was to allow for the construction of a southern route for a transcontinental railroad. Another rationale for the purchase was to give Mexico more money in compensation for the small amount paid for the lands taken by the U.S. 5 years earlier in 1848.
Why were northerners so opposed to popular sovereignty? The law violated northerner’s notions of states’ rights, it infringed on civil liberties in the north.
What were the effects of the Kansas-Nebraska Act? Wrecked two compromises: that of 1820, which it repealed specifically, and that of 1850, which northern opinion repealed indirectly. The most durable offspring was the Republican party.
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Roe v Wade Anniversary: Pro-Active Legislative Agendas
Logo for the Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health
Today is the 41st anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision by the US Supreme Court that says that women have a constitutional right of access to safe abortion services throughout the country. Since 1973, the right-wing has been pushing back and chipping away at this right. These attacks over the decades have expanded beyond access to abortion and now include all areas of family planning and access to women’s health care. As a result, women’s rights and reproductive justice advocates have been on the defense in an attempt to ensure that all women of reproductive age have full access to all forms of reproductive health.
For a very long time, conservatively controlled legislatures have narrowly focused on restricting women’s access to abortion and reproductive health services. We need a pro-active legislative agenda at the national and state levels to counter this chipping away of our basic rights. And this is starting to occur.
It’s something we need to focus on, spread the word about, and celebrate on this 41st anniversary of the Roe decision.
Advocates for reproductive justice have had some success in 2013 in their pushback on our back reproductive and healthcare rights. For example, Texas Senator Wendy Davis, with the assistance of thousands of advocates crowding the capital successfully delayed the passage of an onerous anti-abortion law. And the city of Albuquerque voted down an anti-abortion referendum.
Legislatures too have started to pushback. And that’s what I’d like to focus on today. Two states so far have decided to take a pro-active stance – New York and Pennsylvania.
Last year, New York State decided to fight back with their “9 Point Plan for Women’s Equality.” This plan, known as the Women’s Equality Act covers nine broad areas of concern:
Safeguarding Reproductive Health by a) codifying the 1973 Roe v Wade decision, b) ensuring that women can obtain a safe, legal abortion during the first 24 weeks of pregnancy; c) ensuring that physicians won’t be prosecuted for providing this care; and d) retaining the provisions in current law that would prosecute those who harm women;
Ending Pregnancy Discrimination by requiring employers to make reasonable accommodations for pregnant women in the workplace;
Fighting Human Trafficking by a) creating an “affirmative” defense of being trafficked when a person is charged with prostitution, b) increasing penalties for both sex and labor trafficking, c) creating the ability for victims of trafficking to take civil action against their perpetrator, and d) creating some new criminal offenses in increasing level of severity for some forms of trafficking;
Supporting Domestic Violence Victims by creating a pilot program to allow victims of domestic violence to testify remotely against the alleged perpetrator of violence when requesting a protection from abuse order;
Creating Fair Access to Housing by adding source of income and status as a domestic violence victim to the state’s anti-discrimination law;
Ending Familial Status Discrimination in Employment by adding protections in the state’s anti-discrimination law for employees who have children 18 years or younger residing in the home;
Allowing Payment of Attorney Fees by granting litigants who win a sex discrimination case the ability to receive attorney fees as part of the settlement;
Improving the Sexual Harassment Law by expanding the prohibition on sexual harassment in the workplace to employers with fewer than four employees so that all places of employment are covered; and
Securing Equal Pay by a) closing a loophole in New York’s law that allows employers to justify lower wages for women, b) outlawing wage secrecy policies, and c) increasing damages to prevailing litigants for up to 300% of unpaid wages.
In June 2013, Governor Cuomo’s Women’s Equality Act was blocked in the NY State Senate because there were enough right-wing legislators who decided to quash the bill due to a provision in the package bolstering access to abortions. However, advocates have not given up. Governor Cuomo has renewed his commitment to passage of the Women’s Equality Act and advocates in New York State are gearing up for another run for successful passage of this bill.
Pennsylvania legislators recognized this positive effort from our sister state to the north. In September 2013, a group of Senators and Representatives from both sides of the aisle formed a new legislative caucus to proactively focus on women’s health and equity. It is called the Women’s Health Caucus. This bi-partisan caucus is co-chaired by Representative Dan Frankel, D-Allegheny and Senators Judy Schwank, D-Berks and Chuck McIlhinney, R-Bucks.
Rather than the narrow efforts commonly seen in Pennsylvania General Assembly to restrict women’s access to reproductive health programs, the Women’s Health Caucus was formed to redirect legislation towards a woman’s health equity agenda. This broad, proactive agenda covers reproductive health, women’s economic security, and women’s safety.
To celebrate the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade, I decided to summarize the bills that have both been introduced and those that are in the works for introduction later this year that focus on some portion of women’s reproductive health and focus on some of the other bills at a later date. This is a work in progress by the Women’s Health Caucus and as such, there may be more bills in process that I don’t yet know about. The ones discussed here are the health-related bills that have been introduced or have been discussed as potential bills by the Caucus.
Bills in Pennsylvania Legislature to Honestly Address Women’s Needs
As I stated in a blog in September reporting on the first meeting of the Caucus, the Women’s Health Agenda package of bills can be divided into three groups—reproductive health issues, women’s safety, and economic sustainability. The focus here today is on the bills associated with reproductive health.
On December 11, 2013, the Women’s Health Caucus introduced the first seven bills in the Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health. Four of the seven bills announced that day focus on some aspect of women and children’s health. Three of these bills have been introduced and are currently in committee in at least one, if not both, Houses. The fourth bill is still being circulated for co-sponsors in both the House and Senate.
Healthcare-Related Bills that Have Been Introduced and are in Committee
Sanitary conditions for nursing mothers
This legislation requires employers to provide a private, sanitary space for employees who need to express breast milk. It fixes two main loopholes that are present in federal law under the Affordable Care Act. It would apply to all employees, including those that are exempt from federal overtime provisions. It also requires employers to provide a private, sanitary space for mothers to express milk beyond one year after birth. This legislation mirrors the federal provision that exempts small employers from these requirements if these requirements present an undue hardship on the employer. Representative Mary Jo Daley is the prime sponsor of this bill in the House of Representatives. It was officially introduced H.B. 1895 on December 12, 2013 with 22 co-sponsors and is awaiting first review in the House Labor and Industry Committee. There is not a companion Senate bill yet.
Representative Daley describes this workplace need for nursing mothers:
“Study after study makes it abundantly clear – both mothers and children benefit from breast milk. For most babies, especially premature babies, breast milk is easier to digest than formula and helps fight against disease. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the cells, hormones, and antibodies in breast milk help protect babies from illness. For mothers, breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of health problems such as diabetes, breast and ovarian cancers, and postpartum depression. Moreover, breastfeeding mothers miss fewer days from work because their infants are sick less often.
Currently, approximately two dozen states have laws on the books relating to expressing milk in the workplace. Sadly, Pennsylvania does not. The only applicable law on breastfeeding that applies to employers in the Commonwealth is the Affordable Care Act’s amendment to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. This federal law requires employers to provide a private, sanitary space for non-exempt employees to express milk for up to one year after the birth of a child. However, exempt employees include those that are on salary (exempt from federal overtime provisions), often in managerial positions.”
Ensuring access to health care facilities:
This legislation creates a 15-foot buffer zone around health care facilities where picketing, patrolling or demonstrating that blocks patients’ access to the facilities would be banned. H.B. 1891, sponsored by Representative Matt Bradford, D-Montgomery, was introduced into the House with 23 co-sponsors on December 12, 2013 and is currently awaiting review in the House Health Committee. S.B. 1208, sponsored by Senator Larry Farnese, D-Philadelphia, was introduced into the Senate with 8 co-sponsors on January 16, 2014 and is currently awaiting review in the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee.
Representative Bradford describes his bill this way:
“Safe and unfettered access to health care facilities should be the right of all Pennsylvania women seeking medical counseling and treatment. Accordingly, I plan to introduce a bill prohibiting a person from interfering with a person’s right to seek medical services by knowingly patrolling, picketing, or demonstrating in a very limited zone extending fifteen feet from a health care facility, or driveway or parking facility.
Please know this legislation is not intended to limit the free speech rights of any individual. Other states including Colorado and Massachusetts, and some municipalities such as Pittsburgh have instituted “buffer zone laws.” These laws were not imposed on a whim; they were a response to increasing threats, confrontation and even deadly violence. It is important to note that buffer zones have been credited, in part, with toning down volatile instances and confrontations.”
Senator Farnese, using his own experience as a clinic escort, describes the legislation he has introduced:
“This legislation will provide safe access to essential health care services when patients are seeking family planning and reproductive health services. Often, patients seeking services at a healthcare facility are verbally and physically harassed and intimidated. Having had experience as an escort for women into health care facilities, I have seen first-hand the potential for violent confrontations between patients and demonstrators.
This legislation will be carefully crafted to ensure that patients have unimpeded access to medical services while still protecting First Amendment rights to communicate a message. In order to ensure both parties’ rights and safety are maintained, this legislation will provide clear guidance regarding restricted entry zones around entrances and driveways of medical facilities.
Currently, Pennsylvania has no such statewide buffer zone. Two municipalities, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, have enacted buffer zone ordinances. Providing for a content-neutral buffer zone at all medical facilities in Pennsylvania will promote the health and welfare of those who visit those facilities for services while maintaining protection for those individuals who would voice their constitutionally protected speech outside such a facility.”
Increased eligibility for breast and cervical cancer screenings:
This legislation allows women between ages of 30 and 65 to apply and qualify for the state Healthy Woman Program. H.B. 1900, sponsored by Rep. Maria Donatucci, D-Philadelphia/Delaware, was introduced on January 2, 2014 and is awaiting review in the House Human Services Committee. There is not a companion Senate bill yet.
Representative Donatucci describes the need for greater access to breast and cervical cancer screening:
“The statistics surrounding breast and cervical cancers are truly alarming. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2010, 206,966 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States, and 40,996 women died from the disease. Except for skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women and is one of the most deadly. While the risk of contracting breast cancer increases with age, large numbers of young women face the reality of this disease every year. With regards to cervical cancer, the disease is often not diagnosed because of missed opportunities for screening, early diagnosis, and treatment. All women are at risk for the disease, but it is most common in women over the age of 30. Each year, about 12,000 women in the United States get cervical cancer.
Act 74 established a program to support breast and cervical cancer screening services to low-income, underinsured, and uninsured women 40 to 49 years of age through DoH’s Healthy Woman Program. Before the implementation of Act 74, the program only had sufficient federal funding to provide these screening services to women ages 50 to 64. Today, the program is funded through a combination of department funds and through a grant DoH receives from CDC. My legislation will increase access to these important health screenings [by lowering the age of initial access to women. This would] allow women between the ages of 30 and 65 to qualify for the Healthy Woman Program if they meet all other applicable requirements. The statistics show that these types of cancer are not confined to women of a particular age. As such, screening qualifications should be expanded in this state to reflect this reality. The money we spend on screening today saves thousands in treatment costs down the road.”
Co-Sponsorship Memo Being Circulated
Workplace accommodations for pregnant women:
This legislation requires an employer to make reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions unless those accommodations would prove an undue hardship on the employer’s operations. Two bills, one in the House and one in the Senate were announced on December 11, 2013. H.B. 1892 is sponsored by Representative Mark Painter, D-Montgomery; and S.B. 1209 is sponsored by Senator Matt Smith, D-Allegheny. Both bills are currently being circulated for co-sponsors.
Senator Smith’s co-sponsorship memo summarizes his bill (S.B. 1209) this way:
“Currently, federal law protects women from being fired or otherwise discriminated against due to pregnancy; however it does not require employers to provide pregnant women with certain necessary and temporary accommodations to ensure their health and safety during pregnancy. My legislation would bridge this gap.
Three-quarters of women entering the workforce will be pregnant and employed at the same time during their careers, and my legislation would ensure that they can balance each part of their life in a way that is safe and practical for all parties involved.”
Representative Painter has named his version of this legislation The Pennsylvania Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. His co-sponsorship memo describes HB 1892 this way:
“This year marks the 35th anniversary of the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). The PDA amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit employment discrimination due to childbirth, pregnancy, or similar related medical conditions.
Today, unfortunately, pregnancy discrimination remains a persistent and growing problem.
In the majority of cases, the accommodations women need are minor, such as permission to sit periodically, the ability to carry a water bottle, or help lifting heavy objects. Those women who continue working without having these medically-advised accommodations risk their health and increase the likelihood of pregnancy complications.
Pregnancy discrimination causes significant and long-term harm to women and their families well beyond pregnancy, to include the loss of health benefits, job seniority, and wages. These losses also contribute to measurable long-term gender-based pay differences.
The Pennsylvania Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would make it unlawful for a covered entity to refuse reasonable accommodations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions unless those accommodations would prove an undue hardship on the entity’s operations.”
Other Women’s Healthcare Bills in Pennsylvania that Are Being Discussed but Have Not Yet Been Introduced
As I mentioned in my blog at the end of September when the Women’s Health Agenda Caucus first met, there are a total of at least 24 bills that are/will be part of the “Agenda for Women’s Health.” At least two of these bills are directly related to Reproductive Justice and Health. They were not part of the original roll-out, but are somewhere in the process of being written and/or circulated for co-sponsorship. I do not know when these bills will be introduced.
Inmate Shackling: Strengthen pregnant inmate shackling law (Act 45 of 2010) to cover the entire pregnancy and a reasonable postpartum period for mother-child bonding and to eliminate the tasering of any incarcerated woman known to be pregnant.
Medical Professional Conscientious Right to Refuse to Deliver Medically Inaccurate Information: Protect physician-patient relationships from political intrusion.
So on this 41st anniversary of Roe, I will celebrate this day by reiterating a statement I made on December 11, 2013:
“The ideas for change in this package of bills come from real-life stories of women. They include calls to service agencies, cries for help on hot lines, requests for advocacy, and lots of research to back up the anecdotal stories. As advocates, we realize there are other areas of concern, but believe the Women’s Health Caucuses’ agenda items are a great start.”
Thanks to everyone who is working for these two pro-active women’s health agendas. Thanks to the advocates across the country who have taken the momentum to stand up for our lives. And have a great Roe v. Wade Day as we go on the offense for women’s health and lives.
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Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health Initial Roll-Out
On December 11, the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s Health Agenda Caucuses rolled out the first set of bills that are part of the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Agenda. The Agenda was spearheaded by Representative Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny), Senator Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Senator Chuck McIlhinney (R-Bucks and Montgomery). These legislators were assisted by several of their colleagues, including Representatives Mary Jo Daley (D-Montgomery), Tina Davis (D-Bucks), Maria Donatucci (D-Delaware and Philadelphia), Erin Molchany (D-Allegheny), Mark Painter (D-Montgomery), and Brian Sims (D-Philadelphia) made the announcement of the roll-out. They announced that this first set of bills would soon be going to committee.
Video Statements
During the media advisory session, several of the Representatives were videotaped by the Pennsylvania House. Here are those videos:
Representative Dan Frankel Announcing the Roll-Out of the Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health
Representative Brian Sims and Erin Molchany Introducing the Pay Equity Bill
Representative Sims spoke first:
Then Representative Molchany followed up with additional information:
Representative Tina Davis Introducing Digital Intimate Partner Violence Bill.
This bill would “make revenge acts that include pictures of partners who are naked or involved in sexual acts illegal.”
Representative Mark Painter Introducing Employment Discrimination Protections for Pregnant Women Bill
Representative Mary Jo Daley Introducing Bill to Require Sanitary Conditions in the Workplace for Breastfeeding Women
Representative Maria Donatucci Introducing Bill to Expand Access to Cervical Cancer Screenings
Advocates Support the Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health
Standing next to the legislators were representatives of many different advocacy groups who stood in support of this agenda. The Women’s Law Project was the lead organization in working with the legislators to help create this agenda. Pennsylvania NOW was also there. None of the organizations present spoke at the press conference but did deliver their Statements of Support to the media. Here are the statements from these two organizations.
Women’s Law Project
This statement is currently posted on the Women’s Law Project Legislative Action page and is repeated here just in case the URL is moved:
Women’s Law Project Commends Groundbreaking State Legislative Initiative
To Improve Women’s Health
Harrisburg, PA – The Women’s Law Project and its civic engagement action arm, WomenVote PA, commend the Women’s Health Caucus, a bipartisan, bicameral caucus of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, as it unveils the first phase of a comprehensive Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health. Led by Representative Dan Frankel and Senators Judy Schwank and Chuck McIlhinney, the Caucus is taking a proactive, positive approach to helping women by addressing a wide range of legal and policy barriers to women’s health and equality.
Each component of the Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health arises out of the struggles of real women in Pennsylvania. The first phase of the agenda includes legislation protecting pregnant women in the workplace, filling gaps in protection for nursing mothers at work, ensuring that women’s health centers are safe and accessible, prohibiting wage secrecy, extending health screenings to more women, stopping intimate partner harassment, and ensuring that domestic violence victims are not punished for contacting law enforcement.
“Although we’ve made progress over the years, it’s a well-documented fact that women’s health and well-being are still not a priority in Pennsylvania,” said Carol Tracy, Executive Director of the Women’s Law Project. “This legislation will address real problems that real women have every day, solutions as simple as enabling a pregnant woman to carry a water bottle during her shift and ensuring that women earn the same amount as a man doing the same job. This legislation is the beginning of a full-scale effort by the Pennsylvania Women’s Health Caucus focused on leveling that playing field for good.”
“This new legislative focus on real women’s real health needs is long overdue,” said Sue Frietsche, Senior Staff Attorney with the Women’s Law Project’s Western Pennsylvania office. “For far too long, the Pennsylvania legislature has obsessively focused on restricting women’s access to reproductive health care. That is not what women want or need. We want sensible laws that improve the lives of women, not more roadblocks to women’s health.”
Kate Michelman, renowned feminist and co-chair of WomenVote PA, stated, “Rather than helping women achieve the equality they deserve, the Pennsylvania legislature has spent unprecedented time and energy on creating barriers to contraception and abortion.” She continued, “We can’t afford to continue to be one of the worst states in the nation for women,” citing a recent report assigning Pennsylvania a “C-” grade, and ranking the Commonwealth 28th out of the 50 states in its treatment of women. “The Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health has the potential to change that, and it deserves the support of every person in this state.”
For more details on the proposed legislation, please visit our web site in the coming weeks for updates, as well as visiting the WomenVote PA web site.
WomenVote PA is the non-partisan action arm of the Women’s Law Project. For more information go to www.womenvotepa.org
Pennsylvania NOW
This statement was crafted by Caryn Hunt, President-Elect; Susan Woodland, Secretary-Elect and current At-Large Member of the Executive Committee, and myself.
Pennsylvania NOW Supports the Pennsylvania Agenda for Women’s Health
HARRISBURG, December 11, 2013—The Pennsylvania state chapter of the National Organization for Women (PA NOW) applauds the work of the House and Senate Women’s Health Caucuses as they roll out a comprehensive plan to address the real issues affecting Pennsylvania women today. Spearheaded by Representative Dan Frankel, Senator Judy Schwank and Senator Chuck McIlhinney in conjunction with the Women’s Law Project, and then developed by a broad coalition of Pennsylvania advocacy organizations that work on behalf of women every day, it is based on years of experience about what women want and need to stay healthy. This Agenda goes a long way to redressing entrenched inequities for women in Pennsylvania.
“Pennsylvania Republicans, like their counterparts in other state legislatures, have obsessed about women’s reproductive rights and have waged a non-stop campaign to control them from the capital, rolling back not just access to safe, legal abortion, but also the sense that women are full citizens entitled to a government and society that also works for them,” said Pennsylvania NOW President-Elect Caryn Hunt. “This agenda provides an antidote to the shallow, rhetorical policy-making of those in the General Assembly who have led the calls for women’s restrictions and called it concern for women’s health. It’s refreshing to see so many bills introduced that will genuinely help women, and that together provide a much truer portrait of the needs women want their representatives to address.”
These first bills address a variety of concerns for women: pregnancy accommodation is a common sense step to ensure that pregnant women are treated not as liabilities, but as persons with a temporary need for reasonable accommodations in the workplace; the bill to provide at 15-foot buffer zone around entrances to health clinics is a necessity in our state to make sure women seeking reproductive healthcare are able to access it in an orderly and safe manner; bills targeting “pay secrecy” and the “factor other than sex” loophole will help to end practices that for too long have enabled employers to pay women less than men for the same work. Other bills fill gaps in existing protections for nursing mothers, victims of intimate partner harassment and of domestic violence.
“The ideas for change in this package of bills come from real-life stories of women,” added Joanne Tosti-Vasey, President Emerita and Lobbyist for Pennsylvania NOW. “They include calls to service agencies, cries for help on hot lines, requests for advocacy, and lots of research to back up the anecdotal stories. As advocates, we realize there are other areas of concern, but believe the Women’s Health Caucuses’ agenda items are a great start.”
Pennsylvania NOW has high hopes for the Women’s Health Agenda. Finally, the concerns and needs of Pennsylvania are being honestly addressed by their representatives, rather than attacked and abridged.
I will report on more of these bills as they are announced.
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Pennsylvania’s Proposed Women’s Health Agenda
Kate Michelman discussing strategy with women’s health care advocates and members of the General Assembly Health Care Agenda Caucus.
Yesterday (Monday, September 30, 2013), I attended a two-hour meeting with Pennsylvania’s House and Senate members of the joint Women’s Health Agenda Caucus led by Representative Dan Frankel of Pittsburgh. Some of the advocacy groups attending the meeting included the Women’s Law Project (WLP), Women Vote PA, and members of the Pennsylvanians for Choice coalition including Pennsylvania NOW whom I represented.
For a very long time Pennsylvania has focused on restricting women’s access to abortion services – currently accounting for over 1270 pages of legislation and regulations in the state. This wrong-headed approach to health assumes that women’s sole need is to protect them from safe, legal access to decent abortion care services. In other words, the state has wrong-headedly been crafting laws and regulations to deny access to abortion, sending more and more women to the back alleys similar to the Gosnell clinic and ignoring the broader issues of women’s health equity.
Women’s concerns about their health are broadly based in bias based on gender. Terry L. Fromson, Amal Bass, Carol E. Tracy, Susan Frietsche of the Women’s Law Project created a report entitled Through the Lens of Equality: Eliminating Sex Bias to Improve the Health of Pennsylvania’s Women in 2012. The WLP is Pennsylvania’s feminist legal organization that engages in litigation, advocacy, and education to ensure women’s equality and treatment in Pennsylvania. This report set the context for yesterday’s meeting. The WLP framed the health care agenda as follows in this report and in the meeting this morning:
The legal and social status of American women has changed dramatically in the last fifty years. Half a century ago, it was legal to segregate jobs by sex, to refuse to hire or promote on the basis of a person’s sex, to fire women who became pregnant, and to limit the number of women admitted to professional schools such as law and medicine. Sexual and domestic violence were hidden from public view and public policy. Abortion was illegal and the birth control pill was not yet on the market. Today, women have taken their place in the working world and educational opportunities for women have expanded exponentially. Sexual and domestic violence are recognized as crimes and some resources are available to its victims. Abortion is legal and birth control is available.
Despite these advances, deeply embedded cultural biases and stereotypes about women’s place in society continue to impede women’s equal participation in society. In our homes and communities women are subjected to violence, poverty, and the burden of care taking responsibilities. In the workplace, women are paid less than men for the same work, remain concentrated in stereotypically female low-paying occupations, are subjected to sexual harassment and discrimination on the basis of pregnancy and care giving, and are denied advancement to managerial and higher paying positions. In school, young women are denied their fair share of sports opportunities and are sexually harassed and violated. Women are denied essential reproductive health care and subjected to discrimination in access to insurance coverage. Women pay more than men for the same coverage, and pregnancy is a preexisting condition that often denies pregnant women access to insurance coverage and therefore maternity care. Access to abortion has been limited by burdensome legislative requirements, and providers and patients have been terrorized by an increasingly violent opposition. Attacks on access to contraceptive services have grown.
While many laws have been adopted to eliminate sex discrimination at work and at school, gaps persist that must be filled and enforcement needs to be strengthened. This is particularly true in Pennsylvania. While some Pennsylvania cities have outlawed employment discrimination on the basis of care-giving responsibilities and provide other accommodations for women who work, the Pennsylvania legislature has failed to adopt a statewide prohibition on discrimination on the basis of caregiver status or to provide family leave for caregivers. In Pennsylvania, the law permits insurers to price the cost of health insurance higher for women than for men, resulting in women paying more for individual health insurance policies and small employers paying more for health insurance for a predominantly female workforce. Pennsylvania’s sexual assault laws have for the most part eliminated discriminatory provisions, but the myths and stereotypes that continue to infect the criminal justice system hinder the investigation and prosecution of these crimes. The health care perspective on domestic violence and sexual assault is far too limited. Sexual assault is treated as a health care matter primarily in the immediate aftermath of a rape, even though the physical and emotional health consequences can be long lasting. Although a number of health care providers recognize that domestic violence is also a health issue, screening for domestic violence in health care settings is not universal. Poverty, which disproportionately impacts women, exacerbates the impact of sex bias in all of these realms….
Pennsylvania, with 6.5 million women, has consistently been found deficient in national studies on women’s health care measures. In their 2010 health report card, the National Women’s Law Center and Oregon Health & Science University placed Pennsylvania 32 among the 50 states and graded it unsatisfactory with respect to the status of women’s health….
To alleviate women’s health problems, it is necessary to eliminate adverse experiences — discrimination and bias — early in life and throughout life — and to improve access to health care, with an emphasis on care essential to women (pp. x-xii).
Representative Frankel heard this call to refocus the legislature from attacking women’s reproductive health to focusing — just like New York state’s “10 Point Plan for Women’s Equality” — on redirecting legislation in the General Assembly towards a women’s health equity agenda. So yesterday, almost 20 legislators from both houses attended a meeting with advocates seeking to improve women’s lives and health through a broad review and revision of Pennsylvania law. The agenda covers reproductive health, women’s economic security, and women’s safety.
The ideas for change come from real-life stories of women in the state. Calls to service agencies. Cries for help on hot lines. Requests for advocacy. And of course lots of research to back up the anecdotal stories. The 24 suggested changes to Pennsylvania law that were presented are in areas where either no legislation has been introduced or where legislation to improve the bias are lagging or need to be revisited. We, as advocates, understand that there are other areas of concern, but believe these health care agenda items are a good start.
Some of these ideas are conceptual at this point. Some have some preliminary model wording for new legislation, and some are already in the works. Here’s the agenda:
Protect and Expand Women’s Reproductive Health Rights
Pregnancy Accommodations: Require employers to provide accommodations to pregnant employees with temporary pregnancy-related conditions to allow workers to remain employed throughout their pregnancies while imposing minimal burdens on employers.
Support for Breastfeeding Mothers in the Workplace: Require all employers to provide compensated break time and a private, sanitary (not a bathroom) for all employees who need to express milk.
Buffer Zones: Enact a statewide reproductive health care clinic buffer zone statute to protect safe access to essential health care.
Inmate Shackling: Strengthen pregnant inmate shackling law (Act 45 of 2010) to cover the entire pregnancy and a reasonable post-partum period for mother-child bonding and to eliminate the tasering of any woman known to be pregnant.
Improve Women’s Economic Security
TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) Grant Amount: Increase TANF cash assistance grant levels.
TANF Asset Limit: Increase the TANF eligibility asset limit to encourage saving and financial independence.
Earned Income Disregard: Increase the earned income disregard and apply it to applicants as well as recipients. FYI, the earned income disregard allows very-low income workers to continue receiving TANF, food stamps, and Medicaid if they make 50% or less of the poverty level. This proposed legislation would raise this “disregard” level to 75% and would apply to applicants as well as recipients.
Childcare Works Waiting List: Eliminate the childcare works waiting list.
TANF Pre-Application Job Search: Eliminate or modify the TANF pre-application job search requirements.
Minimum Wage: Increase Pennsylvania’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00/hour.
Gender Wage Gap: Strengthen Pennsylvania law to eliminate the 24% gender wage gap by prohibiting retaliation against employees for discussing wages (“pay secrecy”) and closing the “factor other than sex” defense to apply only to bona fide business-related factors.
Family Responsibilities Employment Discrimination: Prohibit family responsibilities discrimination in employment by amending the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act to prohibit family status discrimination in employment pursuant to an expanded definition of familial status to encompass the true scope of familial responsibilities shouldered by employees.
Paid Family and Sick Leave: Require all employers to provide employees with paid family and sick leave
Spousal Pension Benefits: Require spousal consent when a retiring state employee chooses how his or her pension benefits should be paid consistent with federal law protecting each spouse from his or her spouse’s selection of a pension benefit in all privately-sponsored pension plans and laws adopted by other states.
Domestic Worker Protection: Amend Pennsylvania anti-discrimination laws to provide domestic workers protection from employment discrimination
Sexual Harassment: Extend the prohibition on sexual harassment in employment to all employers, even small employers.
Protect Women’s Personal Safety
Paid Leave for Domestic Violence, Sexual Violence, and Stalking Victims: Require employers to provide paid leave to obtain assistance for and pursue legal protection against domestic and sexual violence and stalking.
Housing Discrimination: Prohibit private and public housing discrimination against domestic violence victims.
Civil Orders of Protection for Sexual Violence and Stalking Victims: Authorize courts to issue civil orders of protection for sex crime and stalking victims.
Absolute Privilege for Student Victims: Protect victims/witnesses of sexual assault who testify in school grievance proceedings from being sued by their harassers.
Human Trafficking: Strengthen Pennsylvania’s criminal statute on human trafficking.
Veterans’ Real Estate Tax Exemption: Amend Pennsylvania law to provide veterans real estate tax exemption for veterans suffering from PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) due to sexual victimization during service and appoint women representatives to the House and Senate Committees on Veteran Affairs and to the Pennsylvania State Veterans Commission.
Voting Reform: Reform voting rules to provide online registration, same day in person registration, early voting, including early in person voting on weekends.
These ideas will be discussed in continuing meetings between members of the General Assembly’s Health Care Agenda Caucus and advocates for women’s equality. I’ll post more on these issues as this legislative program becomes better defined.
Abortion, Amal Bass, Breastfeeding, Buffer Zones, Carol E. Tracy, Childcare, Civil Rights, Contraception, Discrimination, Domestic Violence, Early Voting, Economic Justice, Elections, Employment, Family Responsibilities protections, Feminism, Gender Equality, Health Care, Housing, Jobs, Lobbying, Medical Consciousness Clauses, Minimum Wage, Online Voter Registration, Paid Family and Sick Leave, Pay Equity, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania General Assembly, Pennsylvania NOW, Pennsylvanians for Choice, Pensions, Rape, Reproductive Justice, Sexism, Sexual Assault, Sexual Harassment, Shackling, Spousal Pension Benefits, Stalking, Susan Frietsche, TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families), Tasering, tax-exempt, Terry Fromson, Trafficking, Veterans, Violence, Voter Registration, Voting Rights, Wage Discrimination, Women Vote PA, Women's Equality, Women's Law Project Breastfeeding, Civil Rights, current-events, Domestic Violence, Economic Justice, Legislation, Lobbying, national organization for women, pa general assembly, Pregnancy, Rape, Reproductive Justice, Sexual Assault, Shackling, TANF, Tasering, Veterans, Voting Rights, Women's Rights 9 Comments
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From: Epigenetic signature of Gleason score and prostate cancer recurrence after radical prostatectomy
Epigenetic signature of Gleason score in The Cancer Genome Atlas. a Variable selection using elastic net. Each curve in the figure corresponds to a single CpG site. It shows the path of its coefficient (y-axis) against the log(lambda) or tuning parameter (x-axis). The vertical dashed line represents the optimal log(lambda) for classifying high (8−10) versus low (≤6) Gleason score tumors, which was identified using cross-validation. Based on an optimal log(lambda) of −1.7061, 52 CpG sites were selected. These 52 CpGs and their elastic net coefficients were then used to calculate the epigenetic signature as described in the “Methods” section. b Heatmap of the 52 CpG sites that were selected using elastic net. The rows of the heatmap are the CpG sites, and the columns are the tumor samples. The samples were grouped by Gleason score. Methylation β values (range 0−1) were used, and the highest methylation levels are shown in red. The number of patients with Gleason ≤6, 7(3 + 4), 7(4 + 3), and 8−10 tumors is 65, 102, 78, and 88, respectively. The rows were clustered based on Euclidean distance. c Box plots of the epigenetic signature (y-axis) for patients with different Gleason scores. The signature is presented as a proportion. Higher Gleason scores were associated with higher levels of the signature. The same patients as in Fig. 1b were used
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Dublin Zoo (Dublin)
Home > Ireland > Dublin > Dublin City
Our weather forecast for Dublin City in Dublin is split into two widgets. The first shows a timeline containing temperature, wind, sunrise/sunset and chance of rain, whilst the second shows the forecast for the week ahead including severe weather alerts when available.
National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts and History
The National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts and History is located within the old Collins Barracks that housed both British Armed Forces and Irish Army garrisons through three centuries. Built in 1702, and further extended in the late 18th century and 19th century, the barrack’s main buildings are Neo-classical in style. In 1997 the barracks became home to collections of the National Museum of Ireland (for Decorative Arts and History exhibits). Although home to the Decorative Arts and History the museum also has galleries dedicated to exhibits on military history.
The Irish White House
The Guinness Storehouse is split over seven floors filled with interactive experiences that fuse the long brewing heritage with Ireland’s rich history. At the top, you’ll be rewarded with a pint of perfection in the rooftop Gravity Bar.
Old Jameson Distillery
Christ Church Cathedral also known as The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity is the cathedral in Dublin. The cathedral was extensively renovated and rebuilt from 1871 to 1878 and it is hard to work out what parts are the original or the Victorian renovation.
Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery of Modern Art
Chester Beatty Library and Gallery of Oriental Art
The Chester Beatty Library was established in 1950, to house the collections of mining magnate, Sir Alfred Chester Beatty.
Dublin Writers Museum
Dublin City,
Search Dublin City Dublin Locations
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Questions surround the governor’s budget plan for DDS
January 28, 2013 David Kassel Leave a comment
In a conference call with advocates last week, Department of Developmental Services Commissioner Elin Howe put what seems to be a highly optimistic spin on the governor’s FY 14 budget plan for her department.
Howe said that, “I think we’re entering into this (budget process) in better shape than in a considerable period of time.” Last spring, she similarly described the plan for the current-year DDS budget, as it emerged from the House Ways & Means Committee, as “the best budget the Department has had in five years.”
Governor Patrick’s $1.5 billion, FY 14 budget plan for DDS appears to be typical of his overall budget proposals for human services, but we aren’t ready to make too many rosy projections about it.
First, there’s the question whether the governor’s budget proposals are realistic, given that they depend on passage of his plan to raise taxes. And as was the case last year, Howe seems to be focusing on the brightest spots in a budget for her department that appears to have many dark spots as well.
Howe did begin the Wednesday call by noting that the governor’s proposed budget (H1) depends on legislative passage of his proposal to increase the income tax rate to 6.25 percent. The state’s current revenue estimate for the coming fiscal year “doesn’t support all of what we’re trying to do,” she said.
Howe said, though, that she had no figures on what might happen to the DDS line items for FY 14 if the Legislature were to balk at the governor’s tax plan, which seems a good possibility.
Secondly, while Howe noted that H1 calls for increasing a number of DDS line items, she acknowledged there are also a number of projected shortfalls and cuts in it. Among the line items in H1 with projected shortfalls are DDS Administration (which funds service coordinators), State-operated group homes, and Community-based Transportation programs.
Also, the community-based Adult Family Supports and Turning 22 accounts would be only level-funded under H1, while the Autism Division account would be cut by a small amount.
In addition, the state-run developmental center line item would be cut by $10.4 million, bringing the total amount cut from this account by the Patrick administration to nearly $80 million since FY 2009. As we’ve said many times before, we have yet to see how that cut in developmental center funding has provided much in the way of benefits for the average DDS client in the community system.
Moreover, Howe said there is no money in the H1 budget for the developmental center account for the continued operation of the Fernald Center in the coming fiscal year, meaning the Department will once again have to ask for supplemental funding for Fernald.
The following is a line-item breakdown for DDS, under H1 for FY14:
DDS Administration and service coordinators (5911-1003):
H1 would increase this line item by $1.7 million, to $64.7 million. However, Howe said this increase is the result of salary increases due to collective bargaining with the SEIU state employee union. Without an additional $500,000 in the account, 10 to 12 service coordinator jobs could be lost, she said.
Service coordinators have the critical task of making sure DDS clients are receiving the right services in the community system, and their caseloads are growing out of control. SEIU is asking for an additional $2.5 million in the administrative line item in order to restore 50 service coordinator jobs out of the 82 jobs lost since 2007.
Community Transportation (5911-2000):
H1 would increase this account by $537,000, to $13 million. However, Howe said this increase will still result in a shortfall in the transportation account of $500,000.
Community Residential (5920-2000):
H1 would increase this account by $71.7 million, to $860.3 million. Howe said some of this increased funding is the result of “Chapter 257,” a 2008 “global payment” initiative, which established pre-set rates for DDS residential service vendors. The Arc of Massachusetts says the Chapter 257 increase amounts to $55 million and is a “down-payment” on a total $175 million increase in funding that is expected to be given to the vendors.
State-operated Residential (5920-2010):
H1 would increase this account by $10.6 million, to $191.4 million. Howe noted that this increase is largely for the operation of new state-run group homes for residents from developmental centers marked for closure. Overall, she said, the increase in this account is $3.5 million less than what DDS requested, meaning the Department is once again projecting a shortfall in needed funding.
Community Day and Work (5920-2025):
H1 would increase the amount by $28.4 million, to $161.9 million, which is good news.
Adult Family Supports (5920-3000):
H1 would level-fund this account at $49.5 million, which is not good news.
Autism Division (5920-3010):
H1 would cut this account by $22,166, to $4.6 million. Bad news.
Turning 22 (5920-5000):
H1 would level-fund this account at $6 million. However, it would increase the annualized amounts for Turning 22 clients in the community residential, community day programs, and community transportation accounts. Mixed news.
Facilities (developmental centers) (5930-1000):
H1 would cut this account by $10.4 million, to $123 million. The Facilities account has been cut by nearly $80 million since FY 09.
Templeton Retained Revenue (5982-1000):
H1 would level-fund this account at $150,000
Non-DDS line items:
EOHHS Salary Reserve (1599-6901):
It does not appear that H1 contains any funding for the salary reserve for wage increases for direct-care workers employed by DDS vendors. In November, Patrick froze $20 million that had been placed in the fund for the current fiscal year.
Disabled Persons Protection Commission (1107-2501):
H1 would increase this account by $23,000, to $2.3 million. The effect, however, is level-funding of the agency, which has been level-funded since FY 2009. The DPPC is an independent state agency charged with investigating complaints of abuse and neglect of people with intellectual and other disabilities.
We’ll stay tuned of course to see what the House and Senate do with the governor’s budget for DDS. All in all, we don’t share the assessment that we’re entering into this budget process in great shape.
We are no doubt well into an era of reduced public services and of having to do more with less. Unfortunately, the administration doesn’t appear to have put much thought into how to accomplish that. It’s main initiative has been to close developmental centers, which hasn’t boosted funding to most community-based accounts.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: intellectual disabilities, Patrick administration
Update on the National Council on Disability’s anti-institutional bias
January 22, 2013 David Kassel 2 comments
We wrote here before about the extreme ideological position of the National Council on Disability, which called last month for the closure of all residential facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities with more than three people living in them.
The NCD appears to be at it again, this time in the wake of the tragic shooting deaths of children and teachers in Newtown last month by a young man who may have had a mental illness or at least needed mental health treatment.
In a January 11 letter to Vice President Joe Biden, in Biden’s capacity as head of the president’s gun violence task force, Jonathan Young, chair of the NCD, appears to be more concerned about creating “an unnecessary expansion in institutionalization” than in ensuring that people who pose a danger to others get treatment or medication.
Young uses most of the letter to urge the vice president to avoid any measures that could unnecessarily institutionalize people, involuntarily commit them, or force treatment on them.
No one would disagree with Young’s contention in his letter that people who pose no risk of violence should not be subject to institutionalization or forced treatment. But Young says little about what the task force could or should do to protect everyone’s safety.
While COFAR’s mission is to advocate on behalf of people with intellectual disabilities, not specifically on behalf of people with mental illness, we are commenting on Young’s letter because much of the debate over deinstitutionalization of both groups of people has been similar. Certainly, Young and the NCD take the same view in favor of complete deinstitutionalization of both groups, and make the same flawed arguments about each.
In his letter to Biden, Young states that “institutional care has a long-standing history of poor outcomes and civil rights violation (sic) among persons with psychiatric disabilities.” At the same time, he bemoans a “profound shortage in community-based services” for people with mental illness.
There are a number of potential contradictions here. First, Young and many other institutional opponents gloss over the fact that many so-called community-based services are institutional in nature. The NCD, in fact, takes this viewpoint to an extreme. With regard to people with intellectual disabilities, the NCD has stated that even community-based group homes are institutional and should be closed down if they have more than three people living in them.
Young and the NCD can’t have it both ways. Young talks about a shortage of community-based services and yet he and the NCD want to dismantle much of the community-based infrastructure that exists for people with intellectual disabilities.
Secondly, while institutional care, whether of persons with psychiatric disabilities or intellectual disabilities, has certainly had its problems in the distant past, that care has come a long way. It’s deinstitutionalization, which has had the more checkered recent history and the poorer outcomes.
Here is an assessment in 2007 of the success or lack thereof of deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.
The history of deinstitutionalization began with high hopes and by 2000, our understanding of how to do it had solidified. But it was too late for many. Looking back it is possible to see the mistakes, and a primary problem was that mental health policymakers overlooked the difficulty of finding resources to meet the needs of a marginalized group of people living in scattered sites in the community (my emphasis).
This marginalization of people living in scattered sites in the community is something we at COFAR have been saying for a long time with regard to people with intellectual disabilities. It’s distressing that the NCD, an independent federal agency that advises the president and Congress on disabilities issues, has apparently chosen to rewrite the real history of deinstitutionalization.
Young’s other major concern in his letter to Biden appears to be that safety-related measures under consideration by Biden’s task force, such as requiring colleges to refer students with perceived psychological disabilities for evaluation and institutionalization, might perpetuate a stigma or damaging stereotypes about mental illness. This concern on Young’s part appears to override his concern about the need such people might have for treatment.
We need to have a constructive discussion concerning the future of care for people with both mental illness and developmental disabilities. One way to begin is to stop the stereotypes and stigmas about institutional care.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: developmental disabilities, National Council on Disability
DDS residential services vendors operating with expired licenses
January 8, 2013 David Kassel Leave a comment
An undetermined number of service vendors to the state Department of Developmental Services have operated group homes and provided other services to clients of the Department despite having expired state licenses, according to a survey done by COFAR.
The survey identified at least three vendors — the Center for Human Development (CHD), Vinfen, and Independent Living for Adults with Special Needs — that were operating with expired two-year licenses as of mid-December.
The situation appears to be the result of an inability of DDS to approve the vendors’ license renewal applications within a prescribed time frame of 60 to 120 days, possibly due to a lack of adequate staffing in the Department.
DDS regulations allow vendors to continue to operate with expired licenses as long as those vendors submit license renewal applications more than 60 days prior to the license expiration dates. That was the case with the three vendors identified by COFAR, according to DDS.
The DDS licensure system for vendors is viewed as a critical means of ensuring that the vendors provide quality care and safe environments for thousands of people with developmental disabilities. According to an online DDS Licensure Manual, the licensure process he is based on the ability of a vendor to meet several “essential safeguards” that concern personal safety, health, rights, a competent workforce, and individual care plans.
While the regulations appear to provide the Department with a technical reason for declaring expired licenses valid, it is concerning that DDS is apparently unable to ensure that license approvals are not more than two years old for all vendors.
According to DDS, Independent Living submitted its license renewal application on April 4, 2012. As of mid-December, some eight months later, the Department had apparently not yet approved the application or issued a new license to the vendor to continue to operate. The vendor’s license expired in August 2012.
Similarly, CHD submitted its license renewal application in July 2012 and Vinfen submitted its application in August 2012, according to DDS, and yet neither of those vendors had apparently been issued new licenses to operate as of mid-December. CHD’s license expired in October, and two licenses held by Vinfen expired in November.
COFAR emailed DDS Commissioner Elin Howe on January 2, seeking an explanation as to why it was taking so long in each of these cases for DDS to approve the licensure applications and issue new licenses to the three vendors. A revision of the DDS licensing process in 2009 envisioned, among other things, improving the “efficiency” of the process and shortening the time it takes to survey a vendor’s group homes from a maximum of 14 days down to 5 days, according to the DDS Licensure Manual.
COFAR last surveyed online DDS licensure reports in November for some 30 DDS vendors and found that 11 of the reports appeared to be out of date on the DDS website because they listed licenses granted to the vendors that appeared to have expired. Among those reports were the following:
A licensure report for CHD, dated November 2010, which listed an expiration date for the vendor’s license for residential and individual home supports of October 28, 2012. As of January 7, 2013, the November 2010 licensure report was still the only posted document for this vendor on the DDS site.
A licensure report for Vinfen, dated December 2010, which listed an expiration date of November 8, 2012 for each of the vendor’s licenses for residential and individual home supports and for employment and day supports. As of January 7, 2013, a follow-up report, dated March 2011, was posted on the DDS site for Vinfen, but the document did not indicate any change in the license expiration date.
A licensure report for Independent Living, dated September 2010, which stated that the vendor’s license for residential and individual home supports had been “deferred” as of that date because six “critical indicators” had not been met during an August 2010 licensure survey. As of January 7, 2013, the September 2010 licensure report was still the only posted document for this vendor on the DDS site.
In letter to COFAR, dated December 19, 2012, Robert Smith, a DDS assistant general counsel, stated that the licenses for the three vendors were considered valid by the Department because the license renewal applications for each vendor had been submitted more than 60 days prior to the license expiration dates.
Smith said that while the license for Independent Living had been temporarily deferred in 2010, the vendor corrected its licensure deficiencies in October of that year and was subsequently issued a two-year license that expired on August 26, 2012. Because the vendor had submitted its license renewal application in April 2012, more than 60 days prior to the expiration of the license, that license, like those for CHD and Vinfen, was considered valid by the Department, Smith said.
In an earlier December 5, 2012 letter to COFAR, Smith stated that the Department was “actively correcting delays in posting current reports on its website.”
DDS loosens IQ eligibility restrictions
Bowing to criticism from families and advocates, the Patrick administration has promulgated new, final regulations that will loosen its restrictive definition of “intellectual disability” in determining people’s eligibility for services.
It appears that under the new regulations, the Department of Developmental Services will no longer automatically deny services to anyone who scores above a 70 on an IQ test.
The new DDS regulations refer to the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD), which defines intellectual disability as involving “significant limitations both in intellectual functioning and in adaptive behavior.” The AAIDD also states that a limitation in intellectual functioning can be indicated by an IQ score as high as 75.
Meanwhile, the state Legislature has enacted a bill (H. 4252), which would similarly adopt the AAIDD definition of intellectual disability in Massachusetts. The bill, filed by Representative Dan Winslow, was on the governor’s desk as of today, awaiting his signature. COFAR is asking people to call the governor’s office to urge that the governor sign the bill into law.
In 2006, DDS adopted regulations restricting eligibility for services to people scoring 70 or below on an IQ test. This led to the denial of benefits to an undetermined number of people and to a lawsuit filed on behalf of a woman who had had scored 71 on an IQ test at age 18, 69 at age 40, and 71 at age 42. The woman, who was subsequently denied services by DDS, was represented in the case by Thomas Frain, who is also president of COFAR.
In July, the Massachusetts Court of Appeals ruled in the case that the DDS’s 2006 regulations were invalid in defining intellectual disability without referring to a “clinical authority.”
DDS initially responded to the Appeals Court ruling by proposing emergency regulations in September that named the Department itself as a “clinical authority” in determining the presence of an intellectual disability. But that led to a chorus of objections from advocacy organizations, including COFAR, and family members of intellectually disabled people.
In the final regulations, DDS has withdrawn the designation of itself as a clinical authority. However, questions remain as to how much weight DDS will place on factors other than IQ in determining eligibility for services. The Disability Law Center, a federally funded public interest law firm, is also concerned that in basing eligibility for services solely on intellectual disability, Massachusetts is failing to serve many people with other types of developmental disabilities, including many people with autism.
That concern was reflected in the testimony of dozens of people at a DDS hearing in November that members of their families with severe disabilities were falling through the cracks in the system and failing to get services from the Department.
The final DDS regulations nevertheless appear to be a step in the right direction. It’s also important, as has been discussed here on BMG, that the language in the regulations be enshrined into law — hence the importance of Rep. Winslow’s bill.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities
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The system failed Dennis Perry, and it has also failed his killer
June 27, 2018 David Kassel Leave a comment
Paula Perry Smith is still grieving for her brother, Dennis Perry, who was fatally assaulted in a state-run facility for persons with developmental disabilities in 2013; yet she believes that the system not only failed to protect her brother, it has failed the man who killed her brother.
Perry, who was 64, died in September 2013 after having been allegedly shoved into the side of a boiler at the former Templeton Developmental Center’s dairy barn by Anthony Remillard, then 22, a resident of the center, who had a history of violent behavior.
After spending more than four years in the Worcester County House of Correction, Remillard pleaded guilty to manslaughter in March of this year, and was sentenced to seven years in prison. He received credit for time already served, so will spend close to three more years in prison. Remillard is intellectually disabled as was Perry.
The dairy barn at the former Templeton Developmental Center, the site of the fatal assault of Dennis Perry by Anthony Remillard
Remillard was found competent to stand trial for the crime last year; but in 2015, he had been found by a different Superior Court judge to be not competent. The judges were confronted with opposing opinions by clinicians on that matter.
In a recent interview, Paula Perry Smith said that if Remillard was indeed competent to stand trial, then the seven-year sentence imposed in March by Worcester Superior Court Judge Daniel Wrenn was “a disgrace” because it was far too light.
But Perry Smith said she doesn’t actually believe Remillard was competent to stand trial. For that reason, she doesn’t believe he belongs in prison, but rather should be in a secure Department of Developmental Services facility that would provide treatment to him.
The problem, as we have noted, is that the Templeton Center was, at one time, just the sort of secure DDS facility that would have been appropriate for a man with behavioral issues such as Remillard.
But during the time Remillard was at Templeton, the Center was being phased down from a secure Intermediate Care Facility (ICF), which must meet strict federal care standards, to a group-home level facility, with much looser standards for care and supervision.
Perry Smith said that during the sentencing of Remillard, she gave a victim impact statement to Judge Wrenn in which she tried to make the point that prison was not an appropriate place for Remillard.
In her impact statement, Perry Smith referred to an investigative series that had been published in 2016 by The Boston Globe, which noted that after closures of state-run hospitals in Massachusetts for persons with mental illness, those people were similarly ending up inappropriately in emergency rooms and prisons, and many of them were committing homicides because they were not getting treatment.
But Wrenn was not swayed by Perry Smith’s argument, and sentenced Remillard to further prison time. “I don’t think he (Wrenn) got all of what I was saying,” Perry Smith said.
In a portion of Perry Smith’s impact statement that was reported by The Worcester Telegram, she said, “We have spent years looking for answers as to how and why this (murder) happened. A man with explosive anger issues and a history of violence was housed with our brother, who was an elderly, intellectually disabled man incapable of defending himself. We have been trying to learn how and why the system failed our brother,” she said.
We have long been trying to find the answer to that question as well.
DDS dodges questions about supervision of Remillard at the Templeton Center
In 2014, DDS largely cleared itself of responsibility in the matter of Dennis Perry’s death, concluding in an investigative report that there wasn’t evidence that the staff at the Templeton Center could have prevented Remillard’s alleged “spontaneous and unpredictable assault” on Perry.
We believe, however, that the fatal assault of Perry raises many questions about the Department’s policies and procedures involving care and supervision of clients with behavioral issues.
Among the questions raised by the Perry case that were not considered in the DDS report was whether the overall level of supervision at the Templeton Center was declining as the Center was being phased down from its ICF-level status.
No apparent questioning of the appropriateness of prison
While Paula Perry Smith has questioned the wisdom of placing Remillard in prison, it is not clear whether anyone in the state’s criminal justice system or executive branch ever asked that same question.
As we’ve stated before, intellectually disabled people like Anthony Remillard need to be in places that provide them with supportive supervision, structure, and security. It’s hard to imagine that the behavioral issues that Remillard had that led to the alleged assault on Dennis Perry are dealt with in a positive way where he is now.
Perry Smith said she understood that Remillard had been placed in isolation many times at the Worcester prison facility because “he keeps getting in trouble” there.
The Globe’s 2016 investigative series did not come as a surprise to many working in the field of mental illness who have known that deinstitutionalization since the 1960s has led to a continued increase in the population of mentally ill people in the nation’s prison system.
What the case of Dennis Perry and Anthony Remillard tells us is that many of the same problems have resulted from the parallel deinstitutionalization, starting in the 1980s, of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
It appears that while many political and governmental leaders and many in the media have begun to recognize the problems caused by the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill, few of those policy leaders realize that similar dynamics have occurred in the field of developmental disabilities.
Until policy makers and other leaders recognize that unchecked deinstitutionalization and privatization have created problems throughout our system of care for people with disabilities of all kinds, that system will continue to fail people like Dennis Perry and Anthony Remillard.
In accordance with his wish, Donald Vitkus is laid to rest in cemetery of the former Belchertown State School
June 24, 2018 David Kassel 2 comments
“We are powerless to consecrate this ground. The people laid to rest here have all consecrated it.”
Those were the words of Donald Vitkus’s grandson, William, as Donald’s ashes were interred Saturday following a memorial service at the Warner Pine Grove Memorial Cemetery for residents of the former Belchertown State School.
It was Donald’s wish that he be buried along with his “brothers and sisters” in the “Turkey Hill” cemetery.
Beneath the tall pines that protectively ring the small cemetery enclosure, some 70 people gathered for the memorial service in which family, friends, and fellow advocates for the developmentally disabled spoke with eloquence about the impact Vitkus had on their lives.
Members of Donald Vitkus’s family at Saturday’s memorial service. His wife, Patricia, is in the center.
Vitkus, who died of a brain tumor in January at the age of 74, lived a life that took him from the notorious state school to a tour of duty in Vietnam, a first marriage that failed because he was unable to relate emotionally to his wife and children, and a later reconnection with his son, David, and other members of his family.
Vitkus was married in 1995 to his second wife, Patricia, who was in attendance at Saturday’s ceremony. In his later years, he became a passionate advocate for the developmentally disabled.
At the age of six, Vitkus was sent to Belchertown by foster parents, and remained there until he was “paroled” at the age of 17. The institution, which was closed in 1992, was one of many such facilities in Massachusetts that became the targets of a federal class-action lawsuit, Ricci v. Okin, which brought about significant upgrades in care and services in facilities throughout the state.
At Saturday’s memorial service, the speakers included Vitkus’s son, David, granddaughter, Helena, and grandson, William. Among the others who spoke were Department of Developmental Services Commissioner Jane Ryder, and Edward Orzechowski, who became a close friend of Vitkus’s while writing You’ll Like it Here, a book about Vitkus’s life at Belchertown and afterward, as Vitkus struggled to overcome the scars left from his experience at the institution.
In March of this year, Vitkus was posthumously given the Benjamin Ricci Commemorative Award at an annual Statehouse award ceremony, which recognizes the accomplishments of individuals served by DDS and the dedication of caregivers and advocates.
In 2005, Vitkus received an associate degree in human services from Holyoke Community College. It was there that he organized a speaking event that same year for Ben Ricci, the original plaintiff in Ricci v. Okin and the author of Crimes Against Humanity, a landmark book about Belchertown and the filing of the lawsuit.
Orzechowski, who attended the 2005 speaking event, said Vitkus approached him there, and asked him to write a book about his experience at Belchertown. At Saturday’s ceremony, Orzechowski said Vitkus had later quipped that he had organized the speaking event for Ben Ricci in order to score “brownie points” to boost his G.P.A. at the community college.
Ryder said she has provided a copy of Orzechowski’s book to every member of the DDS senior management. “We need to always be vigilant about the services and staff and to question the experts,” Ryder said. “We need to listen to the individuals and their families.”
Friends and family at Saturday’s memorial service for Donald Vitkus
Orzechowski stood silently before speaking and then recounted several anecdotes about Vitkus, some of which are in Orzechowski’s book, and others that occurred when Vitkus and Orzechowski went on speaking and book signing tours together after You’ll Like it Here was published in 2016.
Orzechowski recalled how Vitkus had always resisted authority, even biting off part of an attendant’s finger at Belchertown after the attendant had tried to stuff anti-psychotic medications down his throat. Vitkus spent 34 days in solitary confinement as a result.
Orzechowski also recounted how Vitkus had escaped twice from Belchertown, and was picked up each time by the same police officer, who took him for ice cream the second time before returning him to the facility.
William Vitkus, who, like Helena, recalled Donald as a loving grandfather, said the question had “gnawed” at him as to why he had asked to be buried in a cemetery for residents of an institution that was an “ugly place with bad memories.”
“He (Donald) had spent his whole life trying to prove he never belonged (at Belchertown),” William said. “Why should the state school now get to keep him?”
William said that he finally came to realize that it wasn’t the institution, but the residents there with whom Donald felt a life-long kinship, and that he felt he was “no different than the people buried here. They were his family.
“We’re here,” William added, “to help him (Donald) fulfill his last act of advocacy — a last stick in the eye to all who told him and his brothers and sisters that they would amount to nothing.
“There is no more sacred spot for my grandfather to rest,” William continued. “We are powerless to consecrate this ground. The people laid to rest here have all consecrated it.”
Donald Vitkus’s son, David , a former Northampton police officer, talked about how Vitkus had initially been unable to relate to his family because of the emotional scars from his childhood. “He was lacking in the nurturing we all got,” David Vitkus said. “He was aloof and couldn’t express his feelings.”
But David noted that Vitkus later overcame that inability to relate, and reconnected with him. The father and son then embarked on a literal search for Donald’s past, which took them to the Belchertown institution, which was then in the final process in the early 1990s of closing.
David described his father as a humble man who “was always keenly aware of the opportunities he received that others simply didn’t….I think he would want me to say one last thank you for being there for him. So thank you very much.”
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: abuse and neglect, developmental disabilities, human rights
Families tell legislators that work opportunity bill for the developmentally disabled is about choice
A few days ago (on June 12), Barbara Govoni and Patty Garrity took their case to Beacon Hill for passage of H. 4541, a bill that would ensure that developmentally disabled individuals get work opportunities in their community-based day programs.
Also testifying at the June 12 public hearing of the Legislature’s Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities Committee in support of the bill was Robin Frechette, a legislative aide to Representative Brian Ashe, who had filed the bill on Govoni’s behalf.
As we noted earlier this month, time is running out in the current legislative session to pass this critically important bill. And many legislators appear to have misconceptions about the legislation.
Govoni, Garrity, and Frechette all pointed out that H. 4541 is needed to fill a gap in work activities for the developmentally disabled — a gap that opened up after all sheltered workshops were closed in Massachusetts in 2016.
We too submitted testimony, and I spoke on behalf of COFAR to the four legislators present on the panel — Senator Joan Lovely, Senate co-chair of the committee; Representative Kay Khan, House co-chair; and Representatives Carolyn Dykema and Shaunna O’Connell.
Supporters of H. 4541 on June 12 following the Children and Families Committee hearing. They are (from left) Patty Garrity, Robin Frechette, Danny Morin, Barb Govoni, and John Govoni.
The bill is Govoni’s vision and was filed after she had spent months advocating for it.
“I would not be here had there been a realistic decision to incorporate a community-based support program (when the sheltered workshops were closed),” Govoni testified. That program, she said, should have included a work activity option at day program facilities across the state.
Frechette testified that not all developmentally disabled persons are able to work successfully in mainstream work environments. Garrity pointed out that her brother, Mark, is one of those DDS clients who is “not able to compete in a competitive market for a job.”
Garrity said that when Mark participated in a sheltered workshop at his same day program location in Braintree prior to the workshop’s closure, “the work would come in and Mark would get a paycheck at the end of the week that provided him with self-esteem.” That is no longer the case, and not only is Mark bored with his current day program activities, he tends to let everyone he meets know he misses the work he used to do.
It is not clear yet whether the Children and Family Committee co-chairs are in support of H. 4541. An aide to Representative Khan said on Friday (June 15) that Khan and Lovely were “having a discussion” on all bills still in the committee as formal business in the current legislative session winds down, and would make a decision this week on which bills to report favorably.
Misconceptions persist about the workshop closures
During the June 12 committee hearing, comments from some legislators implied that they may not fully understand the intent of H. 4541 or the problems that have occurred as a result of the workshop closures.
Senator Lovely said that a developmentally disabled client of a DDS provider in her district worked as an intern for her and went on to work successfully at a CVS pharmacy. Lovely added, though, in addressing Govoni, that, “We do recognize that CVS may not be a good match for you,” meaning Govoni’s son, Danny Morin.
We want the legislators to know that the promises made that people would be able to move easily from the sheltered workshops and into mainstream employment have not materialized.
Barbara Govoni testifies during June 12 public hearing on H. 4541
As we reported in 2016, the number of participants in sheltered workshops dropped by 1,166 between August 2014 and August 2015 — a 61 percent reduction — while the workshops were being closed. In that same period, the number of developmentally disabled persons in corporate-run, community-based day programs increased by 1,116, almost the same number as the number of participants who had left the workshops.
Yet, the number of developmentally disabled people in “integrated employment” settings increased from August 2014 to 2015 by only 337, or about 6 percent. Placing people in integrated or mainstream employment was supposed to be the reason for closing the sheltered workshops!
Studies in other states have found similar outcomes from sheltered workshop closures.
We also want the members of the Children and Families Committee to understand that while H. 4541 is intended to address that unkept promise of access to mainstream employment, the bill isn’t intended to bring the actual workshops back.
DDS providers pushed for the workshop closures
We further want the legislators to know that while the closures of the sheltered workshops in Massachusetts was a policy of the administrations of then Governor Deval Patrick and later of current Governor Charlie Baker, the closures were supported by corporate providers to the Department of Developmental Services as well. The providers stood to gain financially from the closures to the extent that the closures would mean more funding for the provider-run day programs.
We have pointed out that organizations representing corporate DDS providers in Massachusetts co-authored at least two reports with DDS in the period leading up to and during the closures of the sheltered workshops in the state. The reports both called for the closures of the workshops and for more funding for day programs.
It seemed to us at the time, and still does, to be inappropriate for DDS to have allowed the providers to co-author a document that called for a public policy intended to ensure more funding for those same providers, particularly given that the policy was opposed by individuals and families who were benefiting from the workshops.
Misconceptions about the federal role in closing the workshops
As the then Patrick administration began closing the workshops in Massachusetts, the administration argued that the closures were mandated by the federal government and that Massachusetts had no choice but to comply with the federal order.
But the federal government was actually telling the states at the time that sheltered workshops were permissible for those who wanted to remain in them; the problem, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, was that some states were “over-relying” on the workshops. It also appears that unlike Massachusetts, many, if not most other states did not view the federal government as having issued a clear directive to close their workshops.
In remarks in late 2016, in fact, then DDS Commissioner Elin Howe stated that Massachusetts was only the fourth state in the country to have closed all of its sheltered workshops.
In comments made during the June 12 hearing of the Children and Families Committee, some of the legislators appeared to have the impression that the federal government had required the closure of all sheltered workshops around the country, and that the workshops no longer existed.
However, sheltered workshops are continuing to operate in other states, and there have been successful legislative efforts in some of those states to preserve the workshops as an option for those who desire them.
In Missouri, families mounted a successful effort last year to protect the workshops in that state, and that movement has reportedly spread to other states. State legislators in New Jersey similarly passed legislation last year to preserve the state’s sheltered workshops.
As things currently stand, the federal government has not ordered sheltered workshops to close and has extended a deadline for removing Medicaid funding for them until 2022.
We hope the state Legislature will recognize that H. 4541 is in line with federal guidelines because it doesn’t prevent anyone who wishes to do so from seeking employment in the mainstream workforce. The bill simply ensures that work opportunities exist for those who don’t choose to participate in mainstream employment.
In the end, H. 4541 is about choice.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: developmental disabilities, sheltered workshops
Mother wages uphill battle for work opportunity bill for her developmentally disabled son
June 6, 2018 David Kassel 3 comments
[Update: The Legislature’s Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities Committee has scheduled a public hearing at the Statehouse on Tuesday, June 12, at 1 p.m. on H. 4541]
Barbara Govoni personally lobbied for months before a bill was finally filed in the state Legislature that would ensure that developmentally disabled individuals who are unable to function in mainstream work environments are provided with employment opportunities within their existing community-based day programs.
Govoni would now love to see H. 4541 move forward in the current legislative session. She believes it would ensure that meaningful activities are provided for her son, Danny Morin, and for many others like him.
But even though the bill has close to two dozen co-sponsors, time does not appear to be on Govoni’s side.
With the current two-year legislative session drawing to an end, a staff aide to Representative Brian Ashe, who filed the bill on Govoni’s behalf, acknowledged that the chances for passage of H. 4541 this year are slim. The bill was referred last month to the Children, Families, and Persons with Disabilities Committee.
Last September, we reported on Govoni’s efforts to reintroduce steady piecework activities in day programs for those who desire it. Danny had enjoyed the work he did in his Agawam-based sheltered workshop before that program and all other remaining workshop programs in the state were eliminated in 2016. After that, Danny was offered only day program activities in the same location, most of which he couldn’t relate to.
In recent months, Danny has been working once a week for about two hours at a time at an assembly and packaging company in Holyoke. It is a pale substitute for the steady work he enjoyed when he participated in the sheltered workshop.
Barbara Govoni and her son Danny Morin
“People are suffering with not having enough work,” Govoni said. “This bill would have a monumental impact on the lives of these people if it were to pass.”
In addition to people such as Danny, there are many Department of Developmental Services clients who are either unable to function in mainstream work environments or are unable to work at a rate that those mainstream employers require.
H. 4541 specifies that the work program would be optional for day program participants and would allow them “an opportunity to work in a supportive employment environment which enhances productivity, safety and self-esteem.”
The work would be offered through the DDS-funded day programs for up to four hours a day. All participating individuals would receive a sub-minimum wage permissible under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
The Children and Families Committee had 30 days to act on the bill after it was referred there on May 21. But even if the committee were to act favorably on it within that time frame, the bill would probably still have to go through at least two additional committees including the House Ways and Means Committee before reaching the House and Senate floors. After July 31, formal business in the current two-year legislative session comes to an end.
A staff aide to Representative Kay Khan, House chair of the Children and Families Committee, said the committee will schedule a public hearing on the bill this month. But the aide said there is only “a very low chance” that bill will reach the floor of the House prior to the July 31 deadline.
We strongly support this legislation and hope it doesn’t lose the momentum it has gained so far if, as seems likely, it has to be reintroduced when the new legislative session begins next January.
We understand the Baker administration and previous Patrick administration objected to sheltered workshops as “segregated” settings because they offered work activities solely to groups of developmentally disabled persons.
What should make H. 4541 acceptable to people with those objections is that the employment program would be voluntary. In that sense, the bill mirrors language that was inserted in the state budget in Fiscal Years 2015 and 2016 that stated that sheltered workshops would remain open for those who wanted to remain in them. That language, however, did not prevent the Baker administration from closing all remaining sheltered workshops in 2016.
The voluntary nature of the employment program under H. 4541 may be why the bill has garnered co-sponsors from across the state. We hope more legislators begin to realize that the closures of the sheltered workshops has caused problems for many DDS clients, and that this bill is a good first step in addressing those problems.
Even though the bill’s chances are slim in the current session, we encourage people to call the Children and Families Committee to urge them to act quickly on the measure. You can reach the office of Rep. Khan, House chair, at (617) 722-2011, and Senator Joan Lovely, Senate chair, at (617) 722-1410.
Categories: Uncategorized Tags: developmental disabilities, integrated employment, sheltered workshops
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Alessandro Lindblad (born July 7, 1991 in Stockholm, Sweden), commonly known by his stage name Alesso, is a Swedish DJ and electronic dance music producer. He has worked with numerous EDM (and other) artists, including Avicii, OneRepublic, Calvin Harris, Usher, David Guetta, and Sebastian Ingrosso. ...
Alesso (21+)
Belly Up Aspen Aspen, CO
Alessandro Lindblad (born July 7, 1991 in Stockholm, Sweden), commonly known by his stage name Alesso, is a Swedish DJ and electronic dance music producer. He has worked with numerous EDM (and other) artists, including Avicii, OneRepublic, Calvin Harris, Usher, David Guetta, and Sebastian Ingrosso. He has also performed at numerous music festivals, including Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Tomorrowland. In 2012, MTV named Alesso one of the "EDM Rookies to Watch" and Madonna, who invited him to open select dates on her MDNA Tour, called Alesso "the next big thing in dance music". As of 2014, he ranks 15th on DJ Magazine's list of the top 100 DJs. His debut full-length album "Forever" is set to be released by May 22, 2015 by Def Jam Recordings. Lindblad was born in Stockholm, Sweden, and is of half-Italian descent. He started playing piano at age 7, but became interested in EDM when he was 16. Alesso gained recognition from established industry artists like Avicii, David Guetta, Erick Morillo, Groove Armada, and others with the release of his Alesso EP in 2010. In early 2011, Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia contacted Alesso and asked if he wanted to work together. Ingrosso introduced him to DJing and helped him with the production of tracks. Since that time, Ingrosso has acted as a mentor for Alesso. Alesso has referred to the elder Swede as a "big brother". Despite having learned to DJ in 2011, Alesso made his debut on DJ Magazine's list of the top 100 DJs at number 70 in that same year. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Axwell /\ Ingrosso
© 2018 Concert Lane, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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Index on Censorship Freedom of Expression Awards 2011
Nearly 400 gathered last night at the Royal Institution in London to join Index on Censorship at their annual Freedom of Expression Awards.
The event champions heroes of free speech: from websites promoting free dialogue, to lawyers fighting for human rights issues, to playwrights and artists. The evening was hosted by Jonathan Dimbleby, with contributions from Booker prize-winning novelist Howard Jacobson and Sir Tom Stoppard.
Ziyad Marar addresses attendees at the Index Freedom of Expression Awards 2011
In keeping with our desire to be a real champion for authors, SAGE were lead sponsors of the 2011 Freedom of Expression Awards. Other award sponsors were the Guardian, Google, Bindmans, and the Economist.
In his opening remarks, Global Publishing Director Ziyad Marar addressed the room on SAGE’s own experiences of supporting authors’ rights to free expression: from David Nutt who in 2009 was sacked from his position as chairman of the UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs for a publication in the Journal of Psychopharmacology comparing the dangers of ecstasy to horse-riding; to Barbara Maines whose ‘No Blame’ educational method was viewed in 2006 as a highly controversial approach to tackling bullying. Ziyad spoke of the many restrictions faced by authors around the world, as did others through the evening. As many commented, the work Index does to campaign for and support those around the world fighting for free expression is critical.
It was an emotionally charged evening, with some very deserving winners taking to the stage. For those who were not there in person, there were moving tributes, including a video message from the wife of missing Chinese lawyer Gao Zhisheng. She said, “I appreciate your support for Gao, and I hope it will help protect his safety.”
Egyptian journalist Ibrahim Eissa, described as a “one-man barometer of Egypt’s struggle for political and civic freedom”, was cheered and hailed as a hero for his independent journalism through the recent Egyptian uprising. He said, “I will stand in Tahrir Square, in the very same place where Egyptians died for freedom, and I will tell them: “I dedicate this ‘Index’ Award to you”.”
Read more about all the winners
This entry was posted in SAGE Connection, SAGE news and tagged Freedom of Expression, Howard Jacobson, Human Rights, Index on Censorship, Jonathan Dimbleby, Tom Stoppard, Ziyad Marar. Bookmark the permalink.
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What are Efforts and Landing Pages? (and how do I decide which to use?)
1. Overview and Initial Set Up
2. The Effort Admin Page
3. Effort Landing and Hub Pages
4. Member Experience of Efforts
5. Effort's Settings
6. Leadership Settings
7. Adding and Removing Decision Makers
9. Publishing Decision Makers and Moderating Petitions
Petition Moderation
Bulk Moderation
Publishing Decision Makers
Abandoned Petitions
Moderating Petitions
Moderating petitions in an effort is generally the same as moderating other petitions. However, with petitions in an effort, it is very important that you publish the newly created decision maker if you want it to appear in search results. More information on publishing decision makers is below.
In addition to the standard moderation workflow (via the petition moderation queue), it is also possible to bulk moderate petitions in an effort. To apply one moderation status to all petitions in an effort, go to the admin homepage > Efforts > name of the effort > Petition Content > Edit Effort Defaults And Existing Petitions. At the top of this page is an admin status section. Click the pencil icon to edit, and choose the moderation status you want to assign to the petitions. Click the check mark to update.
By default, all targets added by members are marked as unpublished. Unpublished decision makers will not appear in an effort's landing page search results regardless of the associated petition's moderation status. Because this can be a bit confusing, here are the rules that determine a petition's visibility in effort search results:
If the decision maker is published and the petition is moderated to good or above, users will be able to find and sign (or lead) the existing petition.
If the decision maker is published and the petition is moderated to approved or below, users will be able to see the decision maker in search results, but they won't be able to see the petition. This means that users whose search queries match the decision maker will be prompted to create a new campaign for the decision maker, not sign (or lead) the existing petition. However, because the petition technically does exist, they will not be able to create a new petition for the target. They'll get stuck on the petition creation page. To fix this issue, moderate the petition to good or above.
If the decision maker is unpublished and the petition is moderated to good or above, then the petition will be shown on the effort's hub page, but it will not be shown on the effort's landing page. If a user searches for the decision maker's location, the petition will not be shown in search results and they will not be able to sign (or lead) the campaign. Instead, they'll be prompted to create a new campaign, with a new decision maker, for that location. When they go to enter the decision maker, they'll see a warning that there is another decision maker with that name included in the effort. They'll be asked to add additional context to the decision maker. They'll then be able to continue with petition creation. To prevent users from creating multiple petitions targeting a single decision maker, publish the decision maker.
If the decision maker is unpublished and the petition is moderated to approved or below, then the petition will not be shown on the effort's hub or landing pages. If a user searches for the decision maker's location, the petition will not be shown in search results and they will not be able to sign (or lead) the campaign. Instead, they'll be prompted to create a new campaign, with a new decision maker, for that location. When they go to enter the decision maker, they'll see a warning that there is another decision maker with that name included in the effort. They'll be asked to add additional context to the petition. They'll then be able to continue with petition creation. To prevent users from creating multiple petitions targeting a single decision maker, publish the decision maker and moderate the petition to good or above.
As an admin, you can publish the decision maker from the petition moderation queue (for newly created petitions) or from the Manage Decision Makers & Petitions page.
To publish a decision maker from the petition moderation queue (admin homepage > Moderation), click the name of the petition. If the petition is newly created, you'll see the normal unreviewed petition moderation screen. Included in this screen is the Decision Maker section, which will include the decision maker's status (published or unpublished).
If the decision maker is unpublished, click the Publish button and then continue moderating the petition normally.
To publish a decision maker from the effort's admin page, click the Manage Decision Makers & Petitions button. From the Decision Makers tab, you'll see a list of the decision makers that have been added to the effort.
Unpublished decision makers will have a red Unpublished tag next to them. To publish the decision maker, click their name. You'll be brought to the decision makers record page. At the top of the Details tab, you'll see their status. Click Publish to publish the decision maker.
While we try to keep the recruitment series/new decision maker workflow as simple as possible, not all users will complete the process. If you've added decision makers, but haven't pre-created petitions, or if you're allowing users to add their own decision makers, you may need to deal with abandoned petitions. Abandoned petitions are petitions that have been left in an unlaunched/draft state for more than one hour. When that time limit is reached, they'll be added to an Abandoned view. To see these petitions go to the admin homepage > Efforts > name of the effort > Manage Decision Makers and Petitions > Petitions tab > Abandoned.
The decision makers associated with abandoned petitions cannot be claimed by other users. This means that other supporters who are interested in campaigning these decision makers will be unable to take any action – they won't be able to run these campaigns or sign the associated petitions. This renders these targets effectively dead – no one can do anything with them while they're in this liminal unlaunched state. Therefore, we collect all the abandoned petitions into one view and ask org admins to decide what should happen to these campaigns.
For each abandoned petition, you'll see basic information about them, including their title, target, leader, and creation date. To start processing these petitions, click the Get Started button on this page.
From this modal, you'll be asked what you want to do with the petition, the leader, and the decision maker.
First, the petition:
If you choose to launch the petition, the petition will go live and anyone with a URL to the petition can begin adding their signature. When you choose this option you'll also be asked to choose a moderation status for the new petition. If you don't want to moderate the petition now, you can choose to Moderate Later.
You can also choose to delete the petition. If you choose to delete the petition you'll still be asked what you want to do with the associated decision maker.
If you chose to delete the petition, you won't be asked to make any decisions about the leader. If you chose to launch the petition, you'll need to decide if you want to keep or remove the leader.
If you keep the current leader, they'll be the campaign's primary admin, will be listed on the petition page, and will have access to the petition creator tools. Additionally, the campaign leader position will be filled and no other users will be able to volunteer to lead the campaign.
If you remove the current leader, they won't be associated with the petition. Instead, the campaign will be opened up for recruitment and another leader can volunteer to run the campaign.
Lastly, you'll need to decide what to do with the decision maker.
If the decision maker is currently unpublished, you can choose to keep unpublished. This will prevent the decision maker from showing up in search results, regardless of any associated campaign's moderation status.
If you choose to publish the decision maker, the decision maker will show up in search results.
If you chose to delete the petition, you can also delete the decision maker. This will remove the decision maker from the system.
When you've finished making selections, click process and we'll show you the next abandoned petition in the list.
Again, it is important that admins process abandoned petitions regularly to ensure that the effort continues to work properly. This is especially true for efforts using admin-added decision makers which have been left as targets. If abandoned petitions are not processed, people will not be able to run campaigns on the decision makers that have been added by staff.
Next we'll look at updating petition content.
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Mexican bishops stress importance of education after school shooting
In Catholic News Service, Church in the Americas
David Agren
People near Gomez Palacio, Mexico, hug each other during a funeral for the victim of a school shooting two days earlier. (Credit: Daniel Becerril/Reuters via CNS.)
Mexican bishops offered prayers for the victims of a school shooting, perpetrated by an 11-year-old student, that killed a teacher and wounded six others. The gunman is believed to have killed himself, according to police in the northern city of Torreon.
MEXICO CITY — Mexican bishops offered prayers for the victims of a school shooting, perpetrated by an 11-year-old student, that killed a teacher and wounded six others. The gunman is believed to have killed himself, according to police in the northern city of Torreon.
“We elevate our prayers to God for the eternal rest of the teacher and student of the Colegio Cervantes in our city. Hearing this news fills us with pain and causes us to lift our gaze toward heaven to find comfort and peace,” Bishop Luis Martin Barraza Beltran of Torreon said in a statement Jan. 10.
“Let us strive each day so family unity and dialogue allows us to build new relationships based in love and respect for others.”
The Jan. 10 shooting shocked Mexico, where 13 years of drug cartel-driven violence has left more than 200,000 dead and approximately 65,000 missing. But the violence convulsing the country had yet to erupt in schools, and not in the form of massacres which have occurred in U.S. schools.
Coahuila state officials say the perpetrator brought two weapons to school and fired nine shots. Media reports said the boy’s mother had recently died and he had been abandoned by his father.
Coahuila Gov. Miguel Angel Riquelme suggested the boy had been influenced by violent video games, though motives for the attack remain unclear.
The shooting brought about contentious speculation and uncomfortable questions about Mexico’s climate of violence and how it influenced young people raised during the country’s crackdown on drug cartels.
In a Jan. 13 statement, the Mexican bishops’ conference called for action to “build a humanity that reverses the culture of death” and stressed the importance of education, saying, “It is urgent to dedicate the highest and best human resources and materials to education, mainly in the family, school and social environments.”
It added, “We commit ourselves again to be a church that continues the labor of promoting human dignity through the formation of each person.”
Catechist instructor shot dead in southern Mexico
Oklahoma City archbishop mourns shooting incident in which three died
Archbishop urges L.A. Catholics to join him in prayer for shooting victims
Church in Mexico
Mexico bishops
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Topics: Space Exploration - 1.2.h Uranus Missions
1.2.h Uranus Missions
Uranus missions
* Voyager 2
The closest approach to Uranus occurred on January 24, 1986, where it came within 81,500 kilometers (50,600 miles) of the planet's cloud tops. Voyager 2 discovered 10 previously unknown moons; studied the planet's unique atmosphere, caused by its axial tilt of 97.8°; and examined its ring system.
Uranus is the third largest planet in the solar system. It orbits the Sun at a distance of about 2.8 billion kilometers (1.7 billion miles) and completes one orbit every 84 years. The length of a day on Uranus as measured by Voyager 2 is 17 hours, 14 minutes. Uranus is distinguished by the fact that it is tipped on its side. Its unusual position is thought to be the result of a collision with a planet-sized body early in the solar system's history. Given its odd orientation, with its polar regions exposed to sunlight or darkness for long periods, scientists were not sure what to expect at Uranus.
Voyager 2 found that one of the most striking influences of Uranus' sideways position is its effect on the tail of the magnetic field, which is itself tilted 60 degrees from the planet's axis of rotation. The magnetotail was shown to be twisted by the planet's rotation into a long corkscrew shape behind the planet. The presence of a magnetic field at Uranus was not known until Voyager's arrival.
Radiation belts at Uranus were found to be of an intensity similar to those at Saturn. The intensity of radiation within the belts is such that irradiation would quickly darken (within 100,000 years) any methane trapped in the icy surfaces of the inner moons and ring particles. This may have contributed to the darkened surfaces of the moons and ring particles, which are almost uniformly gray in color.
A high layer of haze was detected around the sunlit pole, which also was found to radiate large amounts of ultraviolet light, a phenomenon dubbed "dayglow." The average temperature is about 60 kelvins (−350 degrees Fahrenheit/−213 degrees Celsius). Surprisingly, the illuminated and dark poles, and most of the planet, show nearly the same temperature at the cloud tops.
The moon Miranda, innermost of the five large moons, was revealed to be one of the strangest bodies yet seen in the solar system. Detailed images from Voyager's flyby of the moon showed huge fault canyons as deep as 20 kilometers (12 miles), terraced layers, and a mixture of old and young surfaces. One theory holds that Miranda may be a reaggregation of material from an earlier time when the moon was fractured by a violent impact.
All nine previously known rings were studied by the spacecraft and showed the Uranian rings to be distinctly different from those at Jupiter and Saturn. The ring system may be relatively young and did not form at the same time as Uranus. Particles that make up the rings may be remnants of a moon that was broken by a high-velocity impact or torn up by gravitational effects.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2
The Voyager 2 spacecraft is an unmanned interplanetary space probe launched on August 20, 1977.
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Making driverless cars safe for people on foot
by The Conversation | Aug 25, 2017 | The Conversation
Michael Clamann, Duke University
Right now, there are two ways to be safe crossing a road: Wait until no cars are close by, so there’s enough time to make it to the other side of the street – or communicate with oncoming drivers. As the number of pedestrian deaths on U.S. roads climbs, up 25 percent since 2010 to more than 5,000 people in 2015, the dawn of driverless cars offers the promise of improving that sad safety record.
Whether we’re at a crosswalk, a traffic light or just walking out in the middle of the road, we’ve learned since we were young that it’s important to make eye contact with the drivers of approaching cars. But that’s not going to be possible with autonomous cars. Even if there’s someone sitting in what would be the driver’s seat, that person will be a passenger, with little – or perhaps no – control over how the car behaves. And that passenger may also be catching up on work, watching a movie or dozing off, paying no attention to what’s up ahead.
People and cars will need to communicate in some other way. With no universally agreed on method for doing this, my own research, and that of a number of tech companies, automobile manufacturers and startups, is exploring using different types of visual signals – akin, perhaps, to a driver waving a person across the street or flashing the car’s headlights to signal their yielding the right of way. Doing that turns out to be quite complicated.
Part of the problem depends on how people respond when they realize an autonomous car is approaching: Scholars at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and the University of California at San Diego recently made news by operating vehicles on public roads with drivers carefully disguised so the cars – actually human-driven – appear to be driverless. A team I’m part of at Duke University’s Humans and Autonomy Lab, is also investigating how driverless cars will communicate with pedestrians.
Despite federal guidelines on stationary pedestrian traffic signals in today’s transportation world, there are no standards for vehicle-to-pedestrian communications at the moment. Establishing them will be important: Common crossing signals at intersections around the country make both pedestrians and drivers safer. But we don’t yet know what methods are most effective.
A sign on the roof or the front bumper – or somewhere in between – could light up, but what would it say? Would it need to communicate in multiple languages, or should people agree on a standard nontext symbol, like those in airports, so anyone could understand? What about playing a sound – would the car speak, or play a musical code? Whatever the signal, it has to be understandable across different age groups, education levels and locations.
What should signs look like?
Presenting a text-based phrase like “safe to cross” may work for a single pedestrian crossing in front of a single car on a two-lane road. But there are many more complicated scenarios: When crossing a four-lane road, does “safe to cross” mean a car isn’t approaching in the next lane? When multiple pedestrians are crossing from opposite sides of the street, to which of them is the car’s “safe to cross” message directed?
The appearance of these signs is also important. If a message like “safe to cross” is to be read clearly at 100 feet – the standard for our current stationary crossing signals – the letters will need to be at least six inches high. That would require putting them on a screen nearly four feet wide. If they’re on moving vehicles, the messages would likely need to be even larger.
Of course, a sign is useless if nobody looks at it. That’s a concern raised by a study we completed last year, in which we compared different types of displays on the front of a van that we disguised to look as if it had no human driver. We found that only 12 percent of pedestrians used the displays to help them decide when to cross. Most people relied on their old crossing strategies, like evaluating the speed and distance of oncoming vehicles to make sure they would have time to cross.
As human-driven cars become less common, labs like ours – and those in Virginia and California – will continue studying how pedestrians respond, so we can better ensure everyone’s safety. Those efforts are likely to mean more people encounter a car driven by a scientist dressed as a car seat.
Michael Clamann, Senior Research Scientist, Humans and Autonomy Lab, Duke University
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BeIN Strikes FIFA Women’s World Cup Rights Deal Across Asia & MENA
By Peter White
International Co-Editor
@peterzwhite
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May 30, 2019 4:01pm
Steve Luciano/AP/Shutterstock
The Women’s World Cup soccer tournament in France will air in more than 30 countries across Asia, the Middle East and North Africa after FIFA struck a rights deal with beIN Media Group.
The tournament, which is expected to be the biggest women’s soccer tournament to date, kicks off on June 7 with Team USA the favorites and defending champions. The games will be available on Fox, FS1, FS2, Telemundo and Universo in the U.S.
It is the latest tranche of female sports rights for beIN, which owns Miramax.
The company is also launching a new global project to encourage women and girls across the world to play more sport, under its new branding of “beINSPIRED”. It is also looking for more female on-screen talent and sports rights.
Yousef Al-Obaidly, CEO of beIN Media Group, said: “The FIFA Women’s World Cup is the most anticipated tournament in world sport this year and I’m delighted to announce that beIN subscribers in +30 countries across Asia and the Middle East & North Africa will get to watch some of the best athletes on the planet come together to compete for their country this summer.”
“On the eve of this outstanding tournament, we are also launching beINSPIRED, which is our stated ambition as a global broadcaster to inspire the next generation to participate in sport, by giving a global platform to events and talent that haven’t, historically, been given the exposure they deserve. This summer we will take our first big step in this project and broadcast more premium women’s sport than any other global broadcaster, and we hope that female fans in the MENA region, and all across the world, will find new heroes and take part in sport,” he added.
This article was printed from https://deadline.com/2019/05/bein-fifa-womens-world-cup-1202624302/
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You could buy this $1.7 million house with just $25 and a thoughtful letter
Katey Psencik kpsencik@gatehousemedia.com
Got $25 burning a hole in your pocket and persuasive writing skills?
This $1.7 million home in Canada could be yours.
Alla Wagner wants to downsize. She lives in a 3,800-square-foot home in Millarville, Alberta with three stories and beautiful mountain views, but she's looking for something smaller and more accessible due to a back injury and chronic illness, according to the Calgary Sun. But she had a hard time finding a buyer, so she developed a contest: "Write a Letter, Win a House."
Those interested in winning the house should send Wagner $25 and write a heartfelt letter of no more than 350 words explaining why they would love to live in her house.
Why the letter?
Wagner said she's looking for a story that moves her.
"I want it to be someone that's going to enjoy the place and is going to love being here and fit in with the neighbourhood, because the neighbours are incredible people," she told CBC.
According to the contest rules, the total of the contest entry fees must reach the $1.7 million value of the home. If the dollar amount isn't reached, the contest will be canceled and entrants will be refunded. The contest runs through April 5 but may be extended another three months if the entry fees are close to the minimum dollar amount. There will be 500 finalists "reviewed by an independent panel of judges" to determine the winner.
In order to reach the required $1.7 million in $25 entry fees, at least 68,000 people must enter the contest. Wagner said 5 percent of the profits will be donated to the Calgary Women's Emergency Shelter.
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A Phrenological Evaluation of Andrew White
Prompted by Dr. Crabtree’s recent efforts to revive head size as a meaningful indicator of intelligence, I offer the following phrenological evaluation of Andrew White straight from the pages of The Phrenological Journal and Life Illustrated . White is best known today for his polemical The Warfare of Science and Religion , which regrettably continues to structure much of the discussion about the relationship between science and religion. Despite errors and oversimplifications, White’s versions of various historical episodes are repeated today as gospel.
Andrew White from The Phrenological Journal and Life Illustrated (September 1879)
White’s appointment as ambassador to Germany motivated the editors of The Phrenological Journal and Life Illustrated to assess White’s character and his likelihood of advancing the diplomatic relationship between Germany and the U.S. Fortunately, at least from the editors’ perspective, White seemed an excellent appointment whose abilities would bring the two countries closer together.
Judging from the portrait (perhaps the one reproduced in the journal) the editors were able to discern quite a lot about White. In general:
The temperament seems to be predominantly mental; the brain is large for the size of the body, and it widens as it rises, showing that the superior portions of the head are larger than the basilar. The distance from the opening of the ear forward is long, showing ample anterior, or intellectual development. The lower half of the forehead is large, showing keenness of criticism, capacity to gain and appreciate facts, and the ability to acquire information for himself; and though he is fond of natural science and literature, and has a natural talent for business and business affairs, he has really more capacity for pushing investigations, for making discoveries in science, for comprehending remote causes with relation to truth, than for the mere matter of fact which pertains to business or scholarship.
He had a talent for language—revealed by his “fullness of eye”—and strong moral tendencies and love of justice—revealed by the large upper portion of his head. The middle sections of his head indicated a “good development of Combativeness and Acquisitiveness … and a fair share of Secretiveness”—presumably useful traits for an ambassador. In the end, they endorsed his appointment: “We regard our subject as a very superior man: first, in quality; second, in sentiment; third, in mind.”
In addition to his innate abilities, he brought considerable experience to the office, which they highlighted in their biographical sketch:
After White received his B.A. from Yale he travelled Europe for two years. He returned to Yale for a year before being appointed chair of History and English at Michigan University. There he singlehandedly elevated the institution to a level of prosperity. His labors were so arduous that his health declined to the point where he “was obliged to resign his professorship and travel in Europe for six months.” (Oh to have such health problems and the financial means to find such a cure).
As a state legislator in New York he was instrumental in establishing Cornell University in 1865 and, the following year, was appointed its first president. He promptly returned to Europe, ostensibly to examine the leading institutions of agriculture and technology.
The editors regretted that he had not had sufficient time to publish much but had at least written a few articles and a recent book. His book, The Warfare of Science and Religion they seem to damn with faint praise: “The recent volume, entitled “The Warfare of Science and Religion,” was written, we presume, mainly in answer to the many utterances which had appeared on the side of science as against revelation, but, while its reasoning is scholarly and powerful, it is not extended enough to be exhaustive.” He was, apparently in their estimation, a better speaker. They lauded his oral addresses, such as his inaugural speech at Cornell University.
Andrew D. White
Dawn of the Living Genetic-Materialist Determinism
The Independent recently quoted the Stanford University geneticist Gerald Crabtree:
“I would wager that if an average citizen from Athens of 1000BC** were to appear suddenly among us, he or she would be among the brightest and most intellectually alive of our colleagues and companions, with a good memory, a broad range of ideas and a clear-sighted view of important issues,” Professor Crabtree says in a provocative paper published in the journal Trends in Genetics.
Dr. Crabtree thinks (should we say, “wagers” or “guesses”) “that we, as a species, are surprisingly intellectually fragile and perhaps reached a peak 2000–6000 years ago.” Why? Because there are a “large number of genes required for intellectual and emotional function, and the unique susceptibility of these genes to loss of heterozygosity.” Over the last 2-6 millennia we humans have been “slowly losing emotional and intellectual traits.”
While the popular press often distorts articles from scientific journals, in this case The Independent seems to have captured fairly accurately Dr. Crabtree’s point.
Dr. Crabtree’s musings appeared in his recent “Our Fragile Intellect. Part I” (behind the Elsevier paywall), published in the “Science & Society” section of Trends in Genetics and later in a sequel (also behind the Elsevier paywall). Together these essays revive a genetic-materialist argument for IQ and revive the tried and true cranial-volume correlation.
In addition to the hurdles these musings present in the way of testable hypotheses—Dr. Steve Jones from UCL noted “I have no idea how the idea [Dr. Crabtree’s] could be tested”—the general claims are deeply problematic. As has been shown most eloquently by Stephen Gould in The Mismeasure of Man , correlations between cranial volume or brain size and intelligence reveal more about person doing the measurement than the person being measured. Dr. Crabtree’s claims are fundamentally untestable, failing even the simplest of Popperian-falsification requirements to be a science. How would you test the intelligence or emotional function of historical peoples?
And when did it become acceptable for an author to admit ignorance about a discipline or field, make no effort to gain any knowledge, and yet claim to use that field to draw conclusions. Dr. Crabtree:
… I argued that we are slowly losing emotional and intellectual traits; but how did we get them in the first place? This is one of the most important questions of modern anthropology and the subject of much investigation and debate. Although not my area of expertise, I offer the following thoughts on the topic.
Surely if an author is wading into a “subject of much investigation and debate” the author has an obligation to acquire at least some expertise in that subject.
And why does Trends in Genetics , an Elsevier journal, publish such musings? Elsevier has claimed that its editorial processes add something of value to the scholarly community. Elsevier claims to respect scholarly expertise and to draw on that expertise in the editorial process. It seems that the editors of Trends in Genetics did not consult anybody with expertise in “Science & Society” before accepting these essays. Trends in Genetics costs more than $2000/year for a small college. Surely for that amount Trends in Genetics can find an expert in Science and Society.
**For what it’s worth, citizens in 1000BC Athens were enjoying the nadir of the Greek Dark Ages. It’s easy to imagine the Athenian agora teeming with perhaps as many as dozen goat herders vying to become this week’s alpha male.
UPDATE: Tim Whitmarsh has pointed out that “Athens had no citizens at all in 1000 BCE.”↩
A Historian of Science Reads Kuhn
The last two posts come together in this quick note. Again, digging through boxes of books, I came across the academic’s copy of Thomas Kuhn’s The Coperncian Revolution (I’m confident he owned a copy of Structure , I just haven’t found it yet). As his characteristic signature indicates on the title page, he purchased his pocket, paperback edition in 1960.
The Modern Library Paperback edition of T. Kuhn’s The Copernican Revolution .
And as is typical, he read carefully with pencil and red pencil and at some point pen and later pencil in hand. For example, on page 121 he underlined passages in pencil, both red and black. He added notes in the bottom margin, keyed to interlinear symbols he had added to the text. And he commented on the value of works Kuhn cited.
One of the many annotated pages in this copy of Kuhn’s The Copernican Revolution .
Across the bottom we read:
* Note have a m/p. 120 (red), it is clear Buridan has no concept of inertia, as such: in effect, he posits different kinds of impetus, e.g., “circular impetus.”
† Note a vacuum implied. 13: p.280—off beat work
Page 120 was generously underlined, so to help him identify the relevant section, he noted that he was referring to the passage underlined in red. It is unclear whether he underlined the passage in red so that he could refer to it on page 121 or if he had chosen red for some other reason and was now able to select that section. In either case, it gestures to his meticulous and intentional reading habits.
He returned to this book at least one more time. In 1967 he added a note to a diagram wondering if the mechanism it illustrated “had been added to take care of precession of the equinoxes.” Uncharacteristically, he did not record his decision on that issue.
Discovery in Kuhn’s Structure
Thomas Kuhn, from Wikipedia.
Discovery is both a compelling and problematic category in the history of science. We seek to identify the origins and originators of ideas we value but try to avoid telling teleological and Whigish histories. This essay reflects on Kuhn’s understanding of discoveries The Structure of Scientific Revolutions .
[This is a lengthy post. For your convenience I have provided a PDF and an epub/iBooks version of this post.]
Three editions of Thomas Kuhn’s The Structure of Scientific Revolutions .
Thinking about Discovery
In The Structure of Scientific Revolutions Thomas Kuhn drew attention to what he considered the vexing historical problem of discovery. Although he attributed to discovery a fundamental role in the development of science, he rejected the familiar idea that an individual scientist made any discovery at a particular moment. Instead, he identified a range of unusual activities that he considered to be preconditions for any discovery but that could not themselves be predicted to be the preconditions of discovery. Normal science, Kuhn told us, has “developed a uniquely powerful technique for producing surprises” (Kuhn, Structure , 51) that do not conform to the rules of the governing paradigm. These surprises are discoveries that require scientists to adjust or completely replace a paradigm. According to Kuhn, however, the familiar notion of discovery is misleading: “Though undoubtedly correct, the sentence, ‘Oxygen was discovered,’ misleads by suggesting that discovering something is a single simple act assimilable to our usual (and also questionable) concept of seeing” (Kuhn, Structure , 55). Kuhn preferred a more nuanced model that allowed him to draw attention to the protracted and laborious intellectual process required in making a discovery.
Structure was not the first time Kuhn had thought about discoveries and their role in the development of science. A few years earlier he had published “Energy Conservation as an Example of Simultaneous Discovery” and just before Structure appeared a short article in Science “Historical Structure of Scientific Discovery.” Whereas in these earlier articles Kuhn had identified various classes of discovery, in Structure he focused on those he had called “troublesome” discoveries, which could not have been predicted by contemporary scientific theory and ultimately required scientists to formulate new paradigms. At this point discoveries become the mechanism for paradigm change and thus the basis for scientific revolutions (The scholarship on discovery is immense. Kenneth Caneva provides a nice overview of the literature in his recent article. He argues that the concept of discovery shapes how the community of scientists form consensus and ascribe a discovery to some predecessor. Caneva “‘Discovery’”).
In Structure Kuhn distanced himself from the colloquial definition of discovery as a discrete event with an identifiable author: “Discovery is not the sort of process about which the question [of priority] is appropriately asked. The fact that it is asked … is a symptom of something askew in the image of science that gives discovery so fundamental a role” (Kuhn, Structure , 54). He rejected the assumption that the historian can determine who discovered something and when it was discovered. Using oxygen as his example, Kuhn raised various practical difficulties that prevented the historian from attributing its discovery to any single person or point in time. To illustrate his point, Kuhn raised a handful of questions historians might ask: What evidence should the historian invoke to show that something was discovered? What criteria should the historian privilege in identifying what was discovered and when? Does historian have to use the same name for the discovery that the historical actor used—to borrow Kuhn’s example, is oxygen the same as dephlogisticated air? Does discovery depend on the historical actor recognizing that something had been discovered? Does discovery depend on a level of purity? We could add to Kuhn’s list: Is there a language in which discoveries are communicated? Does discovery depend on some level of dissemination? While Kuhn recognized that such questions stubbornly refuse easy solutions, he stopped short of implicating the historian in determining when a discovery was made and by whom. Reflexivity eluded him. For Kuhn it was sufficient to show the practical difficulties that complicated the historian’s efforts to assign discoveries to particular scientists at particular moments. These practical problems introduced Kuhn’s more profound critique, which not only undermined the possibility of determining who discovered something but also denied any possibility of determining when something was discovered.
According to Kuhn in order to say that a discovery had occurred required the scientist to know not only that something had been discovered but also what had been discovered. Discovery was a complex process that begins when a scientist recognizes an anomalous result, decides to investigate that anomaly, and finally ends when the scientist adjusts the reigning paradigm to account for the anomaly. The new paradigm transforms the anomaly into a predictable result. Wilhem Röntgen’s discovery of X-rays illustrated this process. Röntgen’s perception of a glowing screen was merely the prelude to his discovery. Before he could consider the phenomenon an anomaly, Röntgen first had to determine that the existing paradigm could not predict such a phenomenon and that it was not an artifact of his instruments, which were themselves products of the paradigm. After a series of tests and observations he developed new conceptual categories that determined what he had observed. At this point his glowing screen ceased to be an anomaly and became, instead, confirmation of his new paradigm. At what point, Kuhn asked, can it be said that Röntgen discovered X-rays? Like a scientific revolution, a troublesome discovery begins with the recognition of anomalous results, proceeds through a period of crisis, and ends with the construction of a new paradigm. And like a scientific revolution, a troublesome discovery does not occur at a particular moment.
Despite his critique Kuhn remained committed to two notions of discovery that have limited analytical utility. First, he sought a transcendent criterion to distinguish discoveries from non-discoveries. He relied on anomaly to provide that transcendent criterion. Invoking anomalies, however, merely shifts the question from what marks a discovery to what marks an anomaly. So, if we wield Kuhn’s analytical approach in historical studies of science, we seemed to be trapped in a circle. Anomalies are recognized retrospectively because they became the foundation for a discovery. But discoveries are recognized by the fact that they are grounded in anomalous results (see Brannigan, Social Basis for Discovery). Second, Kuhn privileged the intellectual work of the discoverer—the individual genius—over the over the collective consensus of the relevant community. Kuhn claimed that any discovery “emerges first in the mind of one or a few individuals” (Kuhn, Structure , 144), who then disseminates it to the larger group of practicing scientists. His focus on the individual was tied to his understanding of discovery as a mean of establishing ownership or assigning credit. In his article in Science Kuhn had remarked that “[t]o make a discovery is to achieve one of the closest approximations to a property right that the scientific career affords” (Kuhn, “Historical Structure of Scientific Discovery,” 760). Discovery was a forward-looking process initiated and resolved by the individual scientist. Kuhn’s reliance on both anomaly and the individual genius invoke traditional notions of discovery that default to a triumphalist historiography and preclude a heterogeneous causal explanation (On triumphalist historiography as it applies to phlogiston, see Chang “We Have Never Been Whiggish (About Phlogiston)”). Although we are uncomfortable with Kuhn’s decision to privilege individual genius, his reliance on traditional categories arose from his own disciplinary training in physics at Harvard in the 1940s. In the 1800s a new understanding of discovery was developed that supported the new and increasingly modern looking notions of discipline and genius being deployed in science, science education, and histories of science. With a new emphasis on disciplined research, histories of science began to account for scientific change by referring to the individual genius, the discoverer, as the primary source of scientific change (Schaffer, “Discoveries and the End of Natural Philosophy”). Kuhn’s mid-century education depended on this model of science and prevented him from questioning the categories of genius and discovery.
Kuhn’s emphasis on the individual genius might look surprising given his acknowledgement of the importance of community consensus. Later in Structure Kuhn indicated that consensus was one of the hallmarks of science. Consensus about past and present accomplishments makes a discipline a science (Kuhn, Structure , 161). According to Kuhn, that consensus also gave science its apparent progressive character both during periods of normal science and during periods of revolutionary science. Yet as Simon Schaffer has described the processes of scientific development, epistemic consensus among scientists does not precede but rather derives from membership in a community of like-minded practitioners. Consensus, then, helps to construct canons that create and maintain the identity of particular groups by providing their members with a shared set of cultural and intellectual values as well as markers of inclusion and exclusion. Consequently, discovery has come to play an important role in the process of canon formation particularly in histories of science (Schaffer, “Making up Discovery”). A discovery is the retrospective judgement of the discoverer’s community and serves to identify and thereby assert a community’s values. Ascribing authorship to a discovery picks out exemplary techniques, affirms those techniques, and celebrates them (Schaffer, “Discoveries and the End of Natural Philosophy”).
For historians the problem of linking epistemologies to the milieu is perpetual. Unfortunately, Kuhn did not solve this problem. He did forcefully reject the naive assumption that historians could easily determine who discovered something and when. He prompted historians to reorient their histories away from the the great men, great deeds, great moments and towards periods of change and communities of practitioners. In the end, however, his focus on scientific revolutions derived from his own position of privilege and committed him to a traditional and non-reflexive understanding of history of science. His understanding of science, scientific institutions, and the nature of scientific progress ultimately supported rather than challenged a conservative history of science and secured rather than undermined typical mechanisms of authority. While Kuhn could acknowledge the difficulty of attribution, he could not question the idea of the individual genius. While he could focus on instability, he could not foreground contingency. Maybe this is why we say “Kuhn made the world safe for social construction” but was not himself a social constructivist.
A. Brannigan, The Social Basis of Discovery . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981.
Kenneth Caneva, “‘Discovery’ as a Site for the Collective Construction of Scientific Knowledge,” Historical Studies in the Physical and Biological Sciences 35 (2005): 175–291
Hasok Chang “We Have Never Been Whiggish (About Phlogiston),” Centaurus 51 (2009), 239-264
Thomas Kuhn, “Energy Conservation as an Example of Simultaneous Discovery” in Critical Problems in the History of Science , ed. Marshall Clagett, pp. 321–56. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press, 1959.
Thomas Kuhn, “Historical Structure of Scientific Discovery,” Science 136, no. 3518 (1962): 760–64.
Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions . Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1962.
Simon Schaffer, “Discoveries and the End of Natural Philosophy,” Social Studies of Science 16 (1986): 387–420.
Simon Schaffer “Making up Discovery,” in Dimensions of Creativity , ed. Margaret A. Boden, pp. 13–51. Boston: MIT Press, 1994.
A Historian of Science Reads History of Science
I continue to unearth interesting tidbits from the retired academic’s library. In most of his books he left fascinating traces of how he read. He never shied from in lauding or condemning an author or a passage. He returned to his books again and again, expanding earlier comments, adding new ones, and cross referencing other material. In some cases, he leaves traces of his life in these books, comments about what was happening, where he was, who was visiting, when and where he read a book.
W. Wightman’s The Growth of Scientific Ideas (Yale, 1953)
In Salt Lake City 1953, he purchased a brand new copy of William Wightman’s The Growth of Scientific Ideas (Yale, 1953). It is unclear when he started reading it, but he clearly read it more than once, and read it carefully with pencil, pen, and pen in hand.
Across the top of the table of contents he reminded himself how to read the book:
In reading, concentrate on picking out and retaining general scientific principles, historical trends and the key historical details which mark them out.
This seems reasonable advice, though we might wonder why he needed to articulate it to himself on the table of contents. Perhaps he read this book early in his transition from being a physicist to becoming a historian of science, and he thought he needed to be reminded of a different way of interacting with texts.
The reader gives himself advice on how to read Wightman’s book.
Whatever the reason, he made it only 44 pages before he could no longer resist analyzing in detail and frequently chastising the text and its author for problematic claims, interpretations, and choice of vocabulary. Running down the margin he recorded his increasing annoyance: “maybe … maybe … phooey … wrong!” On the next page, he questioned whether Wightman meant “size” when he wrote “bulk.” Later, he considered Wightman’s account of Galileo “Very garbled.” In the margin he added “glub glub” and “NO!” Having forgotten his own advice, he continued his detailed march through the remainder of the book.
He was obsessed with the details—he regularly analyzed and corrected the mathematical equations in the book, often more than once. He qualified them and added cross references to other parts of the book where the equation or the concept was analyzed further. For example, he dwelt on the “delightfully simple” proof that the inverse square law is implicit Keper’s Third Law of planetary motion. Here at least three layers of reading, revealed in the pencil, the red ink highlighting an error, and the green ink qualifying the error and speculating on why Wightman reproduced it.
Notes on the “delightfully simple” proof that the inverse square law is implicit in Kepler’s Third Law.
Exasperation, commentary, and critique overflow the margins, spilling from the top of the page to the bottom or across pages: “Good analogy! Flexible and suggestive notation” “Unfair!” “Where? For hell’s sake. Not on 180, or 182 (where he issues another of these puzzling statements).” “Swallows the gunpowder legend!” And my favorite: “Lord! This Wightman is maddening.”
At the end we find out a bit more about when and where he read Wightman’s book. Whether he had read it in 1953, when he purchased it, we can’t tell. But it does seem that he was busy reading it during the summer of 1965. The notes on the last page seem to indicate that he read the book twice that year, once in May and again three months later:
Traces of when and where he read Wightman.
Tue. 11 May, 1965
parents leaving, after their first visit to 1218 Las Lomas.
Logan Canyon
[Cross posted here.]
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Russia cracks down on environmental activists
Home News Environment
in Environment
“Criminal proceedings have been initiated against me in Russia – I’m facing a possible two-year prison sentence,” Alexandra Korolyova told DW. Korolyova, from Kaliningrad, is the co-founder and director of the environmental organization Ecodefense, the oldest of its kind in Russia. In late May, five cases were opened against her in Russia in the space of just 10 minutes. She was accused of “malicious failure to comply with a court order” and decided, as a result, to request political asylum in Germany.
Ecodefense was founded 30 years ago. The small group has already succeeded in preventing the construction of a new nuclear power station near Kaliningrad among other things. Recently it joined forces with other environmental organizations and managed to stop the opening of a new mine in the Siberian coal region of Kuzbass.
Resisting the NGO law
Korolyova is convinced that her organization is being persecuted for political reasons. “The criminal proceedings were initiated because we, as an organization, do not comply with the ‘foreign agents law’,” the activist said. “But that decision was made on principle immediately after we were included in the list of foreign agents.”
Since 2012, all nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in Russia that receive financial support from abroad must register with the authorities as “foreign agents,” which means considerable restrictions are being imposed on their activities. They are fined if they do not comply. NGOs that continue their activities despite the registration are stigmatized, both by the authorities and among a large part of the population, meaning they receive hardly any support. When the law was first introduced, it was sharply criticized by many in the international community.
Ecodefense was put on that list in 2014, but even then the organization refused to comply with the law. Korolyova also says that it doesn’t declare any income in the annual audit, or in the quarterly statement of accounts, which the law requires it to submit. She believes that the legal requirements are pure chicanery.
“We don’t act on the orders of foreign foundations. We only receive money to carry out our work, because it’s almost impossible to raise funds for environmental or human rights activities in Russia,” Korolyova says. “On top of this, the law forces every organization to print “foreign agent” on all its publications, whether books, websites, posters, magazines or visiting cards. We didn’t do that, either,” she told DW.
Lawsuit against Russia in Strasbourg
The Russian Justice Ministry kept imposing fines on Ecodefense. These eventually totaled 2 million rubles, or almost 30,000 euros. “The fines were imposed on the organization, but the criminal proceedings were instigated against me personally, as the director,” Korolyova explains. She emphasizes that Ecodefense is not working against the Russian state; rather, it’s campaigning for people’s right to a healthy environment.
Ecodefense has added its name to a lawsuit against the Russian government. “We and a number of other organizations – there are 61 of us now – have lodged a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and presented a comprehensive report about the effects of the ‘foreign agents law’,” she said. The case is still ongoing in Strasbourg. Asked when she might be able to return to Russia, Korolyova says, “When the criminal proceedings against me have been completely dropped.”
The post Russia cracks down on environmental activists appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
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19.34 19.34 Procedural information; access times and locations.
19.34(1)(1) Each authority shall adopt, prominently display and make available for inspection and copying at its offices, for the guidance of the public, a notice containing a description of its organization and the established times and places at which, the legal custodian under s. 19.33 from whom, and the methods whereby, the public may obtain information and access to records in its custody, make requests for records, or obtain copies of records, and the costs thereof. The notice shall also separately identify each position of the authority that constitutes a local public office or a state public office. This subsection does not apply to members of the legislature or to members of any local governmental body.
19.34(2) (2)
19.34(2)(a)(a) Each authority which maintains regular office hours at the location where records in the custody of the authority are kept shall permit access to the records of the authority at all times during those office hours, unless otherwise specifically authorized by law.
19.34(2)(b) (b) Each authority which does not maintain regular office hours at the location where records in the custody of the authority are kept shall:
19.34(2)(b)1. 1. Permit access to its records upon at least 48 hours' written or oral notice of intent to inspect or copy a record; or
19.34(2)(b)2. 2. Establish a period of at least 2 consecutive hours per week during which access to the records of the authority is permitted. In such case, the authority may require 24 hours' advance written or oral notice of intent to inspect or copy a record.
19.34(2)(c) (c) An authority imposing a notice requirement under par. (b) shall include a statement of the requirement in its notice under sub. (1), if the authority is required to adopt a notice under that subsection.
19.34(2)(d) (d) If a record of an authority is occasionally taken to a location other than the location where records of the authority are regularly kept, and the record may be inspected at the place at which records of the authority are regularly kept upon one business day's notice, the authority or legal custodian of the record need not provide access to the record at the occasional location.
19.34 History History: 1981 c. 335; 2003 a. 47; 2013 a. 171.
19.34 Note NOTE: 2003 Wis. Act 47, which affects this section, contains extensive explanatory notes.
19.345 19.345 Time computation. In ss. 19.33 to 19.39, when a time period is provided for performing an act, whether the period is expressed in hours or days, the whole of Saturday, Sunday, and any legal holiday, from midnight to midnight, shall be excluded in computing the period.
19.345 History History: 2003 a. 47.
19.345 Note NOTE: 2003 Wis. Act 47, which creates this section, contains extensive explanatory notes.
19.35 19.35 Access to records; fees.
19.35(1)(1) Right to inspection.
19.35(1)(a)(a) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to inspect any record. Substantive common law principles construing the right to inspect, copy or receive copies of records shall remain in effect. The exemptions to the requirement of a governmental body to meet in open session under s. 19.85 are indicative of public policy, but may be used as grounds for denying public access to a record only if the authority or legal custodian under s. 19.33 makes a specific demonstration that there is a need to restrict public access at the time that the request to inspect or copy the record is made.
19.35(1)(am) (am) In addition to any right under par. (a), any requester who is an individual or person authorized by the individual has a right to inspect any personally identifiable information pertaining to the individual in a record containing personally identifiable information that is maintained by an authority and to make or receive a copy of any such information. The right to inspect or copy information in a record under this paragraph does not apply to any of the following:
19.35(1)(am)1. 1. Any record containing personally identifiable information that is collected or maintained in connection with a complaint, investigation or other circumstances that may lead to an enforcement action, administrative proceeding, arbitration proceeding or court proceeding, or any such record that is collected or maintained in connection with such an action or proceeding.
19.35(1)(am)2. 2. Any record containing personally identifiable information that, if disclosed, would do any of the following:
19.35(1)(am)2.a. a. Endanger an individual's life or safety.
19.35(1)(am)2.b. b. Identify a confidential informant.
19.35(1)(am)2.c. c. Endanger the security, including the security of the population or staff, of any state prison under s. 302.01, jail, as defined in s. 165.85 (2) (bg), juvenile correctional facility, as defined in s. 938.02 (10p), secured residential care center for children and youth, as defined in s. 938.02 (15g), mental health institute, as defined in s. 51.01 (12), center for the developmentally disabled, as defined in s. 51.01 (3), or facility, specified under s. 980.065, for the institutional care of sexually violent persons.
19.35(1)(am)2.d. d. Compromise the rehabilitation of a person in the custody of the department of corrections or detained in a jail or facility identified in subd. 2. c.
19.35(1)(am)2m. 2m. The actual address, as defined in s. 165.68 (1) (b), of a participant in the program established in s. 165.68.
19.35(1)(am)3. 3. Any record that is part of a records series, as defined in s. 19.62 (7), that is not indexed, arranged or automated in a way that the record can be retrieved by the authority maintaining the records series by use of an individual's name, address or other identifier.
19.35(1)(b) (b) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to inspect a record and to make or receive a copy of a record. If a requester appears personally to request a copy of a record that permits copying, the authority having custody of the record may, at its option, permit the requester to copy the record or provide the requester with a copy substantially as readable as the original.
19.35(1)(c) (c) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to receive from an authority having custody of a record which is in the form of a comprehensible audio recording a copy of the recording substantially as audible as the original. The authority may instead provide a transcript of the recording to the requester if he or she requests.
19.35(1)(d) (d) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to receive from an authority having custody of a record which is in the form of a video recording a copy of the recording substantially as good as the original.
19.35(1)(e) (e) Except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to receive from an authority having custody of a record which is not in a readily comprehensible form a copy of the information contained in the record assembled and reduced to written form on paper.
19.35(1)(em) (em) If an authority receives a request to inspect or copy a record that is in handwritten form or a record that is in the form of a voice recording which the authority is required to withhold or from which the authority is required to delete information under s. 19.36 (8) (b) because the handwriting or the recorded voice would identify an informant, the authority shall provide to the requester, upon his or her request, a transcript of the record or the information contained in the record if the record or information is otherwise subject to public inspection and copying under this subsection.
19.35(1)(f) (f) Notwithstanding par. (b) and except as otherwise provided by law, any requester has a right to inspect any record not specified in pars. (c) to (e) the form of which does not permit copying. If a requester requests permission to photograph the record, the authority having custody of the record may permit the requester to photograph the record. If a requester requests that a photograph of the record be provided, the authority shall provide a good quality photograph of the record.
19.35(1)(g) (g) Paragraphs (a) to (c), (e) and (f) do not apply to a record which has been or will be promptly published with copies offered for sale or distribution.
19.35(1)(h) (h) A request under pars. (a) to (f) is deemed sufficient if it reasonably describes the requested record or the information requested. However, a request for a record without a reasonable limitation as to subject matter or length of time represented by the record does not constitute a sufficient request. A request may be made orally, but a request must be in writing before an action to enforce the request is commenced under s. 19.37.
19.35(1)(i) (i) Except as authorized under this paragraph, no request under pars. (a) and (b) to (f) may be refused because the person making the request is unwilling to be identified or to state the purpose of the request. Except as authorized under this paragraph, no request under pars. (a) to (f) may be refused because the request is received by mail, unless prepayment of a fee is required under sub. (3) (f). A requester may be required to show acceptable identification whenever the requested record is kept at a private residence or whenever security reasons or federal law or regulations so require.
19.35(1)(j) (j) Notwithstanding pars. (a) to (f), a requester shall comply with any regulations or restrictions upon access to or use of information which are specifically prescribed by law.
19.35(1)(k) (k) Notwithstanding pars. (a), (am), (b) and (f), a legal custodian may impose reasonable restrictions on the manner of access to an original record if the record is irreplaceable or easily damaged.
19.35(1)(L) (L) Except as necessary to comply with pars. (c) to (e) or s. 19.36 (6), this subsection does not require an authority to create a new record by extracting information from existing records and compiling the information in a new format.
19.35(2) (2) Facilities. The authority shall provide any person who is authorized to inspect or copy a record under sub. (1) (a), (am), (b) or (f) with facilities comparable to those used by its employees to inspect, copy and abstract the record during established office hours. An authority is not required by this subsection to purchase or lease photocopying, duplicating, photographic or other equipment or to provide a separate room for the inspection, copying or abstracting of records.
19.35(3) (3) Fees.
19.35(3)(a)(a) An authority may impose a fee upon the requester of a copy of a record which may not exceed the actual, necessary and direct cost of reproduction and transcription of the record, unless a fee is otherwise specifically established or authorized to be established by law.
19.35(3)(b) (b) Except as otherwise provided by law or as authorized to be prescribed by law an authority may impose a fee upon the requester of a copy of a record that does not exceed the actual, necessary and direct cost of photographing and photographic processing if the authority provides a photograph of a record, the form of which does not permit copying.
19.35(3)(c) (c) Except as otherwise provided by law or as authorized to be prescribed by law, an authority may impose a fee upon a requester for locating a record, not exceeding the actual, necessary and direct cost of location, if the cost is $50 or more.
19.35(3)(d) (d) An authority may impose a fee upon a requester for the actual, necessary and direct cost of mailing or shipping of any copy or photograph of a record which is mailed or shipped to the requester.
19.35(3)(e) (e) An authority may provide copies of a record without charge or at a reduced charge where the authority determines that waiver or reduction of the fee is in the public interest.
19.35(3)(f) (f) An authority may require prepayment by a requester of any fee or fees imposed under this subsection if the total amount exceeds $5. If the requester is a prisoner, as defined in s. 301.01 (2), or is a person confined in a federal correctional institution located in this state, and he or she has failed to pay any fee that was imposed by the authority for a request made previously by that requester, the authority may require prepayment both of the amount owed for the previous request and the amount owed for the current request.
19.35(3)(g) (g) Notwithstanding par. (a), if a record is produced or collected by a person who is not an authority pursuant to a contract entered into by that person with an authority, the authorized fees for obtaining a copy of the record may not exceed the actual, necessary, and direct cost of reproduction or transcription of the record incurred by the person who makes the reproduction or transcription, unless a fee is otherwise established or authorized to be established by law.
19.35(4) (4) Time for compliance and procedures.
19.35(4)(a) (a) Each authority, upon request for any record, shall, as soon as practicable and without delay, either fill the request or notify the requester of the authority's determination to deny the request in whole or in part and the reasons therefor.
19.35(4)(b) (b) If a request is made orally, the authority may deny the request orally unless a demand for a written statement of the reasons denying the request is made by the requester within 5 business days of the oral denial. If an authority denies a written request in whole or in part, the requester shall receive from the authority a written statement of the reasons for denying the written request. Every written denial of a request by an authority shall inform the requester that if the request for the record was made in writing, then the determination is subject to review by mandamus under s. 19.37 (1) or upon application to the attorney general or a district attorney.
19.35(4)(c) (c) If an authority receives a request under sub. (1) (a) or (am) from an individual or person authorized by the individual who identifies himself or herself and states that the purpose of the request is to inspect or copy a record containing personally identifiable information pertaining to the individual that is maintained by the authority, the authority shall deny or grant the request in accordance with the following procedure:
19.35(4)(c)1. 1. The authority shall first determine if the requester has a right to inspect or copy the record under sub. (1) (a).
19.35(4)(c)2. 2. If the authority determines that the requester has a right to inspect or copy the record under sub. (1) (a), the authority shall grant the request.
19.35(4)(c)3. 3. If the authority determines that the requester does not have a right to inspect or copy the record under sub. (1) (a), the authority shall then determine if the requester has a right to inspect or copy the record under sub. (1) (am) and grant or deny the request accordingly.
19.35(5) (5) Record destruction. No authority may destroy any record at any time after the receipt of a request for inspection or copying of the record under sub. (1) until after the request is granted or until at least 60 days after the date that the request is denied or, if the requester is a committed or incarcerated person, until at least 90 days after the date that the request is denied. If an authority receives written notice that an action relating to a record has been commenced under s. 19.37, the record may not be destroyed until after the order of the court in relation to such record is issued and the deadline for appealing that order has passed, or, if appealed, until after the order of the court hearing the appeal is issued. If the court orders the production of any record and the order is not appealed, the record may not be destroyed until after the request for inspection or copying is granted.
19.35(6) (6) Elective official responsibilities. No elective official is responsible for the record of any other elective official unless he or she has possession of the record of that other official.
19.35(7) (7) Local information technology authority responsibility for law enforcement records.
19.35(7)(a) (a) In this subsection:
19.35(7)(a)1. 1. “Law enforcement agency" has the meaning given s. 165.83 (1) (b).
19.35(7)(a)2. 2. “Law enforcement record" means a record that is created or received by a law enforcement agency and that relates to an investigation conducted by a law enforcement agency or a request for a law enforcement agency to provide law enforcement services.
19.35(7)(a)3. 3. “Local information technology authority" means a local public office or local governmental unit whose primary function is information storage, information technology processing, or other information technology usage.
19.35(7)(b) (b) For purposes of requests for access to records under sub. (1), a local information technology authority that has custody of a law enforcement record for the primary purpose of information storage, information technology processing, or other information technology usage is not the legal custodian of the record. For such purposes, the legal custodian of a law enforcement record is the authority for which the record is stored, processed, or otherwise used.
19.35(7)(c) (c) A local information technology authority that receives a request under sub. (1) for access to information in a law enforcement record shall deny any portion of the request that relates to information in a local law enforcement record.
19.35 History History: 1981 c. 335, 391; 1991 a. 39, 1991 a. 269 ss. 34am, 40am; 1993 a. 93; 1995 a. 77, 158; 1997 a. 94, 133; 1999 a. 9; 2001 a. 16; 2005 a. 344; 2009 a. 259, 370; 2013 a. 171; 2015 a. 356.
19.35 Note NOTE: The following annotations relate to public records statutes in effect prior to the creation of s. 19.35 by ch. 335, laws of 1981.
19.35 Annotation A mandamus petition to inspect a county hospital's statistical, administrative, and other records not identifiable with individual patients, states a cause of action under this section. State ex rel. Dalton v. Mundy, 80 Wis. 2d 190, 257 N.W.2d 877 (1977).
19.35 Annotation Police daily arrest lists must be open for public inspection. Newspapers, Inc. v. Breier, 89 Wis. 2d 417, 279 N.W.2d 179 (1979).
19.35 Annotation This section is a statement of the common law rule that public records are open to public inspection subject to common law limitations. Section 59.14 [now s. 59.20 (3)] is a legislative declaration granting persons who come under its coverage an absolute right of inspection subject only to reasonable administrative regulations. State ex rel. Bilder v. Town of Delavan, 112 Wis. 2d 539, 334 N.W.2d 252 (1983).
19.35 Annotation A newspaper had the right to intervene to protect its right to examine sealed court files. State ex rel. Bilder v. Town of Delavan 112 Wis. 2d 539, 334 N.W.2d 252 (1983).
19.35 Annotation Examination of birth records cannot be denied simply because the examiner has a commercial purpose. 58 Atty. Gen. 67.
19.35 Annotation Consideration of a resolution is a formal action of an administrative or minor governing body. When taken in a proper closed session, the resolution and result of the vote must be made available for public inspection absent a specific showing that the public interest would be adversely affected. 60 Atty. Gen. 9.
19.35 Annotation Inspection of public records obtained under official pledges of confidentiality may be denied if: 1) a clear pledge has been made in order to obtain the information; 2) the pledge was necessary to obtain the information; and 3) the custodian determines that the harm to the public interest resulting from inspection would outweigh the public interest in full access to public records. The custodian must permit inspection of information submitted under an official pledge of confidentiality if the official or agency had specific statutory authority to require its submission. 60 Atty. Gen. 284.
19.35 Annotation The right to inspection and copying of public records in decentralized offices is discussed. 61 Atty. Gen. 12.
19.35 Annotation Public records subject to inspection and copying by any person would include a list of students awaiting a particular program in a VTAE (technical college) district school. 61 Atty. Gen. 297.
19.35 Annotation The investment board can only deny members of the public from inspecting and copying portions of the minutes relating to the investment of state funds and documents pertaining thereto on a case-by-case basis if valid reasons for denial exist and are specially stated. 61 Atty. Gen. 361.
19.35 Annotation Matters and documents in the possession or control of school district officials containing information concerning the salaries, including fringe benefits, paid to individual teachers are matters of public record. 63 Atty. Gen. 143.
19.35 Annotation The department of administration probably had authority under s. 19.21 (1) and (2), 1973 stats., to provide a private corporation with camera-ready copy of session laws that is the product of a printout of computer stored public records if the costs are minimal. The state cannot contract on a continuing basis for the furnishing of this service. 63 Atty. Gen. 302.
19.35 Annotation The scope of the duty of the governor to allow members of the public to examine and copy public records in his custody is discussed. 63 Atty. Gen. 400.
19.35 Annotation The public's right to inspect land acquisition files of the department of natural resources is discussed. 63 Atty. Gen. 573.
19.35 Annotation Financial statements filed in connection with applications for motor vehicle dealers' and motor vehicle salvage dealers' licenses are public records, subject to limitations. 66 Atty. Gen. 302.
19.35 Annotation Sheriff's radio logs, intradepartmental documents kept by the sheriff, and blood test records of deceased automobile drivers in the hands of the sheriff are public records, subject to limitations. 67 Atty. Gen. 12.
19.35 Annotation Plans and specifications filed under s. 101.12 are public records and are available for public inspection. 67 Atty. Gen. 214.
19.35 Annotation Under s. 19.21 (1), district attorneys must indefinitely preserve papers of a documentary nature evidencing activities of prosecutor's office. 68 Atty. Gen. 17.
19.35 Annotation The right to examine and copy computer-stored information is discussed. 68 Atty. Gen. 231.
19.35 Annotation After the transcript of court proceedings is filed with the clerk of court, any person may examine or copy the transcript. 68 Atty. Gen. 313.
19.35 Note NOTE: The following annotations relate to s. 19.35.
19.35 Annotation Although a meeting was properly closed, in order to refuse inspection of records of the meeting, the custodian was required by sub. (1) (a) to state specific and sufficient public policy reasons why the public's interest in nondisclosure outweighed the right of inspection. Oshkosh Northwestern Co. v. Oshkosh Library Board, 125 Wis. 2d 480, 373 N.W.2d 459 (Ct. App. 1985).
19.35 Annotation Courts must apply the open records balancing test to questions involving disclosure of court records. The public interests favoring secrecy must outweigh those favoring disclosure. C. L. v. Edson, 140 Wis. 2d 168, 409 N.W.2d 417 (Ct. App. 1987).
19.35 Annotation Public records germane to pending litigation were available under this section even though the discovery cutoff deadline had passed. State ex rel. Lank v. Rzentkowski, 141 Wis. 2d 846, 416 N.W.2d 635 (Ct. App. 1987).
/statutes/statutes/19 true statutes /statutes/statutes/19/II/35/1/e Chs. 13-20, General Organization of the State, Except the Judiciary statutes/19.35(1)(e) statutes/19.35(1)(e) section true
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info@dr-maindl.com
Science and R&D
There is a possibility that your browsing patterns will be statistically analysed when your visit our website. Such analyses are performed primarily with cookies and with what we refer to as analysis programmes. As a rule, the analyses of your browsing patterns are conducted anonymously; i.e. the browsing patterns cannot be traced back to you.
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The use of the LinkedIn plug-in is based on Art. 6 Sect. 1 lit. f GDPR. The operator of the website has a legitimate interest in being as visible as possible on social media.
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Our website uses functions of the XING network. The provider is the XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany.
Any time one of our sites/pages that contains functions of XING is accessed, a connection with XING’s servers is established. As far as we know, this does not result in the archiving of any personal data. In particular, the service does not store any IP addresses or analyse user patterns.
The use of the XING plug-in is based on Art. 6 Sect. 1 lit. f GDPR. The operator of the website has a legitimate interest in being as visible as possible on social media.
For more information on data protection and the XING share button please consult the Data Protection Declaration of Xing at: https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection.
This website uses functions of the web analysis service Google Analytics. The provider of this service is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Contract data processing
We have executed a contract data processing agreement with Google and are implementing the stringent provisions of the German data protection agencies to the fullest when using Google Analytics.
Archiving period
Data on the user or incident level stored by Google linked to cookies, user IDs or advertising IDs (e.g. DoubleClick cookies, Android advertising ID) will be anonymized or deleted after 14 month. For details please click the following link: https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/7667196?hl=en
The processing of the information entered into the newsletter subscription form shall occur exclusively on the basis of your consent (Art. 6 Sect. 1 lit. a GDPR). You may revoke the consent you have given to the archiving of data, the e-mail address and the use of this information for the sending of the newsletter at any time, for instance by clicking on the “Unsubscribe” link in the newsletter. This shall be without prejudice to the lawfulness of any data processing transactions that have taken place to date.
This website uses the services of MailChimp to send out its newsletters. The provider is the Rocket Science Group LLC, 675 Ponce De Leon Ave NE, Suite 5000, Atlanta, GA 30308, USA.
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MailChimp is in possession of a certification that is in compliance with the “EU-US-Privacy-Shield.” The “Privacy-Shield” is a compact between the European Union (EU) and the United States of America (USA) that aims to warrant the compliance with European data protection standards in the United States.
With the assistance of the MailChimp tool, we can analyse the performance of our newsletter campaigns. If you open an e-mail that has been sent through the MailChimp tool, a file that has been integrated into the e-mail (a so-called web-beacon) connects to MailChimp’s servers in the United States. As a result, it can be determined whether a newsletter message has been opened and which links the recipient possibly clicked on. Technical information is also recorded at that time (e.g. the time of access, the IP address, type of browser and operating system). This information cannot be allocated to the respective newsletter recipient. Their sole purpose is the performance of statistical analyses of newsletter campaigns. The results of such analyses can be used to tailor future newsletters to the interests of their recipients more effectively.
If you do not want to permit an analysis by MailChimp, you must unsubscribe from the newsletter. We provide a link for you to do this in every newsletter message. Moreover, you can also unsubscribe from the newsletter right on the website.
The data is processed based on your consent (Art. 6 Sect. 1 lit. a GDPR). You may revoke any consent you have given at any time by unsubscribing from the newsletter. This shall be without prejudice to the lawfulness of any data processing transactions that have taken place prior to your revocation.
The data you archive with us for the purpose of the newsletter subscription shall be archived by us until you unsubscribe from the newsletter. Once you cancel your subscription to the newsletter, the data shall be deleted from our servers as well as those of MailChimp. This shall not affect data we have been archiving for other purposes.
For more details, please consult the Data Privacy Policies of MailChimp at: https://mailchimp.com/legal/privacy/.
We have executed a so-called “Data Processing Agreement” with MailChimp, in which we mandate that MailChimp undertakes to protect the data of our customers and to refrain from sharing it with third parties.
Our website uses plug-ins of the YouTube platform, which is being operated by Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland.
As soon as you start to play a YouTube video on our website, a connection to YouTube’s servers will be established. As a result, the YouTube server will be notified, which of our pages you have visited. If you are logged into your YouTube account while you visit our site, you enable YouTube to directly allocate your browsing patterns to your personal profile. You have the option to prevent this by logging out of your YouTube account.
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Some of our products, services and content are being offered by Eventbrite. The provider is Eventbrite, Inc., 155 5th Street, Floor 7, San Francisco, CA 94103, USA. Eventbrite’s representative for European data protection law purposes is Eventbrite NL B.V. with its principal place of business at Silodam 402, 1013AW, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. As the data controller, Eventbrite explains in its own Data Protection Declaration, which data are stored and processed by Eventbrite when you access this website. For more information about this, please consult Eventbrite’s Data Protection Declaration at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/support/articles/en_US/Troubleshooting/eventbrite-privacy-policy.
Google Web Fonts (local embedding)
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8. Online marketing and partner programmes
Amazon partner programme
The operators of this website participate in the Amazon EU partners’ programme. Amazon integrates ads and links to the German Amazon website – Amazon.de – into our website, which allows us to generate earnings in the form of advertising cost reimbursements. Amazon uses cookies for this programme to be able to determine the source of orders placed. This allows Amazon to determine that you have clicked the partner link on our website.
The archiving of “Amazon cookies” is based on Art. 6 lit. f GDPR. Based on the aforementioned regulation, the website operator has a legitimate interest to do this since the determination of the website operator’s affiliate earnings is contingent upon the placement of cookies.
For more information on Amazon’s data usage, please consult Amazon’s Data Privacy Declaration under the following link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=footer_privacy?ie=UTF8&nodeId=468496.
The operators of this website use links to Udemy courses. The links may contain a coupon code for a reduced course fee on Udemy. For more information on Udemy’s data usage, please consult Udemy’s Privacy Policy under the following link: https://www.udemy.com/terms/privacy/.
Our social media appearances
Data processing through social networks
We maintain publicly available profiles in social networks. The individual social networks we use can be found below.
Social networks such as Facebook, Google+ etc. can generally analyse your user behaviour comprehensively if you visit their website or a website with integrated social media content (e.g. like buttons or banner ads). When you visit our social media pages, numerous data protection-relevant processing operations are triggered. In detail:
If you are logged in to your social media account and visit our social media page, the operator of the social media portal can assign this visit to your user account. Under certain circumstances, your personal data may also be recorded if you are not logged in or do not have an account with the respective social media portal. In this case, this data is collected, for example, via cookies stored on your device or by recording your IP address.
Using the data collected in this way, the operators of the social media portals can create user profiles in which their preferences and interests are stored. This way you can see interest-based advertising inside and outside of your social media presence. If you have an account with the social network, interest-based advertising can be displayed on any device you are logged in to or have logged in to.
Please also note that we cannot retrace all processing operations on the social media portals. Depending on the provider, additional processing operations may therefore be carried out by the operators of the social media portals. Details can be found in the terms of use and privacy policy of the respective social media portals.
Our social media appearances should ensure the widest possible presence on the Internet. This is a legitimate interest within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) lit. f GDPR. The analysis processes initiated by the social networks may be based on divergent legal bases to be specified by the operators of the social networks (e.g. consent within the meaning of Art. 6 (1) (a) GDPR).
Responsibility and assertion of rights
If you visit one of our social media sites (e.g., Facebook), we, together with the operator of the social media platform, are responsible for the data processing operations triggered during this visit. You can in principle protect your rights (information, correction, deletion, limitation of processing, data portability and complaint) vis-à-vis us as well as vis-à-vis the operator of the respective social media portal (e.g. Facebook).
Please note that despite the shared responsibility with the social media portal operators, we do not have full influence on the data processing operations of the social media portals. Our options are determined by the company policy of the respective provider.
Storage time
The data collected directly from us via the social media presence will be deleted from our systems as soon as the purpose for their storage lapses, you ask us to delete it, you revoke your consent to the storage or the purpose for the data storage lapses. Stored cookies remain on your device until you delete them. Mandatory statutory provisions – in particular, retention periods – remain unaffected.
We have no control over the storage duration of your data that are stored by the social network operators for their own purposes. For details, please contact the social network operators directly (e.g. in their privacy policy, see below).
Individual social networks
We have a profile on Facebook. The provider is Facebook Inc., 1 Hacker Way, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA. Facebook is certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield.
You can customise your advertising settings independently in your user account. Click on the following link and log in: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads.
Details can be found in the Facebook privacy policy: https://www.facebook.com/about/privacy/.
We have a profile on Google+. The provider is Google Ireland Limited (“Google”), Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Google has EU-US Privacy Shield certification:
You can customise your advertising settings independently in your user account. Click on the following link and log in: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated.
For details, see the Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.
We use the short message service Twitter. The provider is Twitter Inc., 1355 Market Street, Suite 900, San Francisco, CA 94103, United States. Twitter is certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield.
You can customise your Twitter privacy settings in your user account. Click on the following link and log in: https://twitter.com/personalization.
For details, see the Twitter Privacy Policy: https://twitter.com/privacy.
We have a profile on Instagram. The provider is Instagram Inc., 1601 Willow Road, Menlo Park, CA, 94025, USA. For details on how they handle your personal information, see the Instagram Privacy Policy: https://help.instagram.com/519522125107875.
We have a profile at Pinterest. The operator is Pinterest Inc., 808 Brannan Street, San Francisco, CA 94103-490, USA (“Pinterest”). Details on how they handle your personal data can be found in the privacy policy of Pinterest: https://policy.pinterest.com/de/privacy-policy.
We have a profile on XING. The provider is XING AG, Dammtorstraße 29-32, 20354 Hamburg, Germany. Details on their handling of your personal data can be found in the XING Privacy Policy: https://privacy.xing.com/de/datenschutzerklaerung.
We have a LinkedIn profile. The provider is the LinkedIn Ireland Unlimited Company, Wilton Plaza, Wilton Place, Dublin 2, Ireland. LinkedIn is certified under the EU-US Privacy Shield. LinkedIn uses advertising cookies.
If you want to disable LinkedIn advertising cookies, please use the following link: https://www.linkedin.com/psettings/guest-controls/retargeting-opt-out.
For details on how they handle your personal information, please refer to LinkedIn’s privacy policy: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy.
We have a profile on Tumblr. The provider is Tumblr, Inc., 35 East 21st St., 10th Floor, New York, NY 10010, USA. Details on how they handle your personal data can be found in the Tumblr privacy policy: https://www.tumblr.com/privacy/de.
© 2019 Dr. Maindl Consulting
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Disney's Hollywood Studios, Themed areas in Disney parks, Star Wars Galaxy's Edge, Star Wars
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (Disney's Hollywood Studios)
This article is about the Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge area located at Disney's Hollywood Studios. For the Disneyland area of the same name, see Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge (Disneyland).
Streets of America[1]
Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge is a themed land at Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is the second Star Wars-themed land, following its Disneyland equivalent.
Galaxy's Edge is replacing the majority of the park's Streets of America, including the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure which closed on April 2, 2016, as well as the surrounding backlot facades, restaurants, and shops. Together with the previously closed The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow attraction, Galaxy's Edge is part of a major expansion of the park that includes Toy Story Land.[2][3][4][5] The remaining operating portions of Streets of America (containing Muppet*Vision 3D) were left undisturbed and renamed as Muppets Courtyard (later Grand Avenue).[6] The land will be accompanied by the Star Wars Hotel. Both the land and the hotel will be connected by a specially-themed transport system that will take guests between the two.
While sharing the same attractions and overall layout, the Hollywood Studios version of Galaxy's Edge differs from its Disneyland counterpart in several ways, often subtle.
The Hollywood Studios version of Galaxy's Edge has two different entrances. The main entrance through Grand Avenue transports guests through a replica of the Figueroa Street Tunnels of Los Angeles into the Resistance's forest base, while a second entrance from Toy Story Land has guests emerge in front of the Droid Depot.
The First Order headquarters has a closed off gate placed at the same spot at Disneyland where a third entrance path came through.
The paint scheme of the Hollywood Studios version of the land uses more saturated colors to compensate for the harsh Florida weather.
A spaceship crash site can be found at the Toy Story Land entrance, which according to Imagineers, is the remains of the ship that RX-24 crashed before being reprogrammed into DJ R3X.
The Resistance forest path is wider then it is at Disneyland, with the X-Wing and A-Wing being parked across from each other rather then next to each other.
Alcohol is served at the Milk Stand in addition to Oga's Cantina.
Attractions and Entertainment
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run
Oga's Cantina
Docking Bay 7 Food and Cargo
Ronto Roasters
Kat Saka's Kettle
Dok Ondar's Den of Antiquities
Savi's Workshop
Toydarian Toyshop
Mubo's Droid Depot
Bina's Creature Stall
First Order Cargo
Resistance Supply
Black Spire Outfitters
The Jewels of Bith
↑ "Experience Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show One More Time at Disney's Hollywood Studios".
↑ Knopp, JeniLynn (August 26, 2016). "VIDEO: Star Wars area construction progressing at Disney’s Hollywood Studios". insidethemagic.net Retrieved on August 28, 2016.
↑ Paige, Rachel (January 15, 2016). "What's closing at Disney World to make way for "Star Wars" Land". hellogiggles.com Retrieved on August 28, 2016.
↑ Bevil, Dewayne (March 24, 2016). "Hollywood Studios attractions on their way out at Disney World". orlandosentinel.com Retrieved on September 6, 2016.
↑ "Earffel Tower coming down, attractions closing at Disney's Hollywood Studios", Orlando Sentinel (January 15, 2016). Retrieved on November 21, 2016.
↑ "Disney's Hollywood Studios: When a theme park is part construction zone", Orlando Sentinel (April 29, 2016). Retrieved on November 21, 2016.
Citizens of Hollywood • Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away • Wonderful World of Animation
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame Plaza • For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration • Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! • Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple • Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
Muppet*Vision 3D
Animation Courtyard
Star Wars Launch Bay • Voyage of the Little Mermaid • Walt Disney Presents
Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage • Lightning McQueen's Racing Academy • Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror • Fantasmic!
Alien Swirling Saucers • Slinky Dog Dash • Toy Story Midway Mania!
Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run • Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance
Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway
Retrieved from "https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Wars:_Galaxy%27s_Edge_(Disney%27s_Hollywood_Studios)?oldid=3909647"
Themed areas in Disney parks
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GREG WILSON'S DISCOTHEQUE ARCHIVES #1
A guide to dance music's pre-rave past
Greg Wilson's Discotheque Archives
DJ Mag Staff
We've drafted in Greg Wilson, the former electro-funk pioneer, nowadays a leading figure in the global disco/re-edits movement and respected commentator on dance music and popular culture, to bring us four random nuggets of history; highlighting a classic DJ, label, venue and record each month.
A seminal DJ who doesn't even regard himself as a DJ, preferring the description 'musical host'...
At the start of the 1970s, with the hippie ideal of peace and love in tatters and the Vietnam War dividing Nixon’s America, a revelatory presence emerged in New York to help sow the seeds of disco culture.
David Mancuso had attended lectures and private parties at acid guru Timothy Leary’s League For Spiritual Discovery HQ in NYC. Following Leary’s lead, Mancuso experimented with LSD in his own New York loft-space home, making eclectic and atmospheric ‘journey tapes’ to provide musical accompaniment for these gatherings.
People got up and danced from time to time and, when this aspect of the experience started to gain momentum, Mancuso improved his soundsystem and re-organised his space. Gay/straight, black/white — all were welcome so long as they brought the right vibe through the door. The Loft parties, as they organically came to be named, were very much an inclusive experience.
Two decades on, when — following acid house — some people began to talk about DJs as though they were shamanic figures, they were perhaps guilty of taking their ecstasy-induced euphoria a bit too far. However, if there was anybody worthy of this title, it would surely be Mancuso — often described as a somewhat mystical figure - for he was consciously guiding his guests on a sojourn of self-expression, helping them lose their inhibitions in a safe environment, in order for them to move closer to their essential / childlike nature.
The Loft was a rite of passage for the great and the good of the New York club scene — Levan, Siano, Knuckles, Krivit, Humphries, Kevorkian and so on. It would also set the standard with regards to sound reproduction in a dance space, inspiring the systems at NYC’s Studio 54 and Paradise Garage further down the decade, and later UK superclub Ministry Of Sound.
Gradually fading into obscurity during the following decades, despite his parties continuing throughout, Mancuso experienced a major renaissance with the new millennium, the release of the first ‘David Mancuso Presents The Loft’ retrospective by Nuphonic in 1999 serving to belatedly bestow him the reverence he merits. Regular London Loft parties brought him to our shores, then, in 2004, Tim Lawrence put the meat on the bones of Mancuso’s extraordinary acid-laced adventure via his book, Love Saves The Day — A History Of American Dance Music Culture 1970-1979.
During the early ‘80s it seemed that the whole of New York was buzzing with new ideas, but one area more than any other caught the spirit of the times. This was, of course, the Boogie Down Bronx, where hip-hop had been developing more or less in isolation since DJ Kool Herc began to rock the block in the early ‘70s. New York was primed for something big to happen and at the turn of the 1980s Sugar Hill Records found itself at the forefront of a musical revolution.
Dubbed ‘The Mother Of Hip-Hop’, former ‘Pillow Talk’ hitmaker Sylvia Robinson and her husband/label co-owner, Joe, were pioneers of the emerging hip-hop sound, scoring a worldwide hit with The Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight’ in 1979. This was just a taste of things to come, however; the label was later responsible for the trailblazing cut-up ‘The Adventures Of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels Of Steel’ by Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, a record made purely from other records, whilst Flash & The Five’s ‘The Message’ in 1982 would announce hip-hop’s coming of age. This would also spell the end of the relationship between Flash and rapper Melle Mel — the split resulting in two Grandmasters, Mel going on to record another Sugar Hill classic, ‘White Lines (Don’t Don’t Do It)’, a cautionary tale of cocaine, as Grandmaster & Melle Mel.
1982/83 were the years that the electro sound began to re-define dance music, with Afrika Bambaataa, Arthur Baker and the Grandmasters at the vanguard of this new musical movement. There was a great openness of expression in New York at the time with black musicians drawing influence from white artists like Kraftwerk, Human League and Gary Numan, mirroring developments in downtown New York, where white artists were taking inspiration from black music. The rulebook was being re-written throughout NYC, and this would have a huge impact both in the US and overseas. In a sad twist of fate, Sugar Hill and another innovative label of the time, 99 Records, would both fold as a result of a dispute surrounding the copyright of ‘White Lines’, which had been clearly based around Liquid Liquid’s underground favourite ‘Cavern’, but without any credit.
A legal battle ensued that was eventually won by 99, but Sugar Hill couldn’t pay up and declared itself bankrupt. Under the stress of it all Liquid Liquid gave up a very promising career, no doubt deeply embittered by the whole experience. It wasn’t until 1995 that a cover of ‘White Lines’ by Duran Duran (of all people) finally brought its originators some long-overdue royalties.
Whilst mod originated in London's Soho during the late ‘50s/early ‘60s, by 1967 the club scene in the capital had moved more towards psychedelia. Mod, however, continued to hold sway up north, with the weekly all-nighters at Manchester’s Twisted Wheel — a magnet for the scooter-riding hordes.
The Twisted Wheel had opened in 1963 at its original location in Brazennose Street, with DJ Roger Eagle, a black music evangelist who’d moved to Manchester from his home city of Oxford in 1962. Eagle is regarded as the forefather of Northern soul, even though he’d gone off in a different musical direction before the scene took root at the club’s subsequent Whitworth Street premises towards the end of the decade.
The music played there, predominantly soul releases on labels like Motown, Stax and Atlantic, might be described as the original discotheque music. The scene found a new momentum when at the Twisted Wheel and other soul music strongholds in the North and Midlands, DJs began to dig ever deeper in their quest to unearth rarer records, especially those released by smaller labels from Detroit, where Motown was based. One of the main DJs pioneering the shift towards ever-rarer singles was the wonderfully named ‘Farmer’ Carl Dene. He dug back into his collection whilst resident at The Catacombs, a smaller but important Wolverhampton venue, building a reputation for unearthing previously hidden gems, including 1964s' 'Hey Girl Don't Bother Me' by the Tams, which would subsequently become a UK #1 in 1971. These he’d loan to the DJs at the Wheel where they’d receive greater exposure, kick-starting a vinyl gold-rush, unsurpassed in terms of the sheer insane passion and commitment it would engender.
As funk came to the fore in the early ‘70s, there were a significant amount of people who clung onto that ‘60s soul vibe. This trend had been spotted a couple of years previously by Dave Godin, a champion of black American music since the ‘50s who was largely responsible for the formation of the Tamla Motown label in the UK. It was Godin who coined the term Northern soul in reference to the type of records Northern football fans who stopped off at his London shop, Soul City, might buy on their trips to the capital in the late ‘60s.
After visiting the Twisted Wheel, Godin, also a writer for Blues & Soul magazine, eagerly enthused about the energy of the scene up North, becoming one of its biggest advocates — causing the movement to gain greater profile. It’s thanks to individuals like Godin, Eagle and Dene, who, via their obsessive love of black American music, laid the foundations for the remarkable subculture that was born of this venue.
There are certain records that 'split the atom', creating a totally new sound – serendipitous moments in time when an artist pulls a rabbit from the hat and forecasts a change ahead.
This is the sort of musical alchemy mustered up by Radio London reggae presenter Tony Williams when, in 1980, he produced ‘Love Money’, his first attempt at a dance track, inspired by two then recent hits — the Sugarhill Gang’s ‘Rapper’s Delight’ and Dennis Brown’s ‘Money In My Pocket’. The twist was that he did this track with reggae musicians, inadvertently creating a hybrid sound in the process — it was funk, but not as we knew it, its dub sensibility setting it apart. The vocal side, which, to the best of my knowledge is the first example of a rap on a British release, was called ‘Money (No Love)’ and credited to Bo Kool, whilst over on the flip was the instrumental version, ‘Love Money’ by T.W. Funk Masters.
The UK jazz-funk scene was then in full swing, and this became a big underground tune, which went bigger still when the following year another, even more dynamic version of ‘Love Money’ was made available on the Champagne label.
I’d later come to learn that ‘Love Money’ in its various guises would also become a classic underground tune in New York and then in Chicago, and is included in both The Loft and Paradise Garage’s top 100 lists. Fast-forward to 2004 and I’m reading a selection of 12 tracks picked by Master At Work, Louie Vega, in Wax Poetics. ‘Money (No Love)’ is included, but it’s a case of mistaken identity — the magazine under the impression that the Tony Williams behind this record was the American jazz-drummer.
I mentioned this to Wax Poetics’ Andrew Mason, and he rectified the error in an article based around an interview I did with the real T.W. The incredible part of the story is that Williams had absolutely no idea that he’d been responsible for such a momentous record, inspiring New York DJs towards a more dub-based approach to their production and remixes, changing the parameters of dance music in the process. Only last year, during a panel discussion on edit /remix culture at London’s ICA, François Kevorkian confirmed that this was the catalyst record for his dub leanings, his next mix, of D-Train’s ‘You’re The One For Me’, starting the ball rolling in 1981. ‘Love Money’ would later be referenced in 1986 in the Larry Levan-mixed ‘Love Honey, Love Heartache’ by Man Friday.
Written by Greg Wilson
Edited by Josh Ray
'Mr. Mancuso' illustration by Pete Fowler
www.gregwilson.co.uk
Check out the next Discotheque Archives here
Greg Wilson David Mancuso Sugar Hill The Twisted Wheel T.W. Funk Masters Love Money
Colleen 'Cosmo' Murphy: The art of listening
GREG WILSON'S DISCOTHEQUE ARCHIVES #25
Copyright Thrust Publishing Ltd. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.djmag.com as the source.
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The Positive Principal
Supporting Educators and School Leaders to Flourish
Category: School Leader Wellbeing
The Epidemic of Workplace Stress Facing Women Educators
On May 19, 2019 May 19, 2019 By helenkellyIn Educator Wellbeing, School Leader WellbeingLeave a comment
The current teacher strikes in New Zealand have brought into sharp relief the issues facing overworked and stressed educators around the world. On social media groups increasing stories are posted of, once committed, educators leaving the profession to seek alternative ways of making a living. I have addressed in other articles Overcoming Teacher Stress and Burnout and Why is the School Principal’s Role so Emotionally Demanding? the stresses faced by our teachers and school leaders. Notably, across a range of industries, women are reporting increasingly higher levels of workplace stress than men. This is particularly pertinent in schools, where women make up around three quarters of the workforce. We know that women in the workplace are facing an epidemic of poor mental and physical health. It is in the interests of society to address this issue. As the educators of future-generations, we need to ensure our female teachers and leaders are able to work to their full potential, rather than falling prey to emotional exhaustion and burnout.
In the UK, 79% of women report workplace stress compared to 66% of men (The 2018 UK Workplace Stress Survey). In a US study, 28% of women reported having a great deal of stress compared to 20% of men, with almost half of women reporting increasing stress levels over the past five years (2018 APA Stress in America Survey). Research shows that women report more high distress days than men and fewer no stress days. They also report a greater incidence of distress episodes (Almeida, 1998).
While this data may be the result of gender differences in the perception of stress, or willingness to report stress, we do know that women are more likely than men to suffer from a range of mental health outcomes. Women aged 25-40 are 3-4 times more likely to become depressed than men and women are 4 times more likely to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. Women are also more likely than men to become depressed when family relationships are disrupted and are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety-related disorders (Anxiety and Depression Association of America). Women have more sensitive adrenal systems than men (Gallucci et al, 1993), have a stronger genetic predisposition to depression and experience more hormone fluctuations associated with depression, including premenstrual dysphoric disorder, postpartum depression and menopause.
Women are much more likely than men to report physical and emotional symptoms of stress. In a study by the American Psychological Association women were more likely than men to report each of ten specific symptoms of stress, including lack of sleep, irritability, fatigue and depression (2018 APA Stress in America Survey). Three important studies from around the world have also uncovered strong links between women’s job stress and cardiovascular disease. The Women’s Health Study at Harvard Medical School found that women whose work is highly stressful have a 40% increased risk of heart disease, while a large 15-year study of nurses in Denmark (Allesoe et al, 2010) concluded that the greater the work pressure, the higher the risk for heart disease among women age 51 and under. A study of white-collar workers in Beijing (Xu et al, 2009) found that job strain was associated in women (but not in men) with increased thickness of the carotid artery wall, an early sign of cardiovascular disease. This should concern us, as women are three times more likely to die following a heart attack than men (Allabas et al, 2017) due to heart disease going undetected and untreated. Men are more likely to experience chest pain as a symptom of heart disease than women and, therefore, more likely to seek medical advice, whereas the symptoms that women experience such as fatigue and sleep disturbance are more easily dismissed.
So what is causing such high levels of stress in the female workforce? Firstly, we know that women perceive the quality of their working environment to be significantly lower than men (Stier & Yaish, 2014). Women are less likely to experience job satisfaction, be happy with their job flexibility and opportunities for advancement than men. Women also report higher levels of hostile social interactions, verbal abuse, and sexual harassment in the workplace. The pay gap is also a major factor here. The average income for a female worker in the United States is around 80% of her male counterpart’s. This gender-based disparity in remuneration has been established as a major stressor at work, with a woman’s income level being closely linked with anxiety and depression Platt et al. (2014). Even in executive-level jobs, where individuals earn large salaries, women are still almost three times more likely to develop mental health problems as a result of the pay gap.
A number of studies have demonstrated how women feel the need to constantly prove themselves at work, by working harder than their male colleagues, in order to satisfy others of their level of competence. Women are more likely to over-invest in their careers and accumulate unnecessary credentials, due to the implicit gender bias in favour of men (Risse, 2018). This brings significant additional workload and pressure for women, who are already overstretched. As carers and nurturers, women are also more likely to engage in emotional labour in the workplace, including “surface acting” where they force emotions that are not genuinely felt or mask true emotions. This emotional labour is associated with both emotional exhaustion and burnout (Hochschild, 1983).
The scope and nature of responsibilities in the home may also impact on women’s stress levels in the workplace. The United Nations reports that women perform nearly three times as much unpaid domestic work as men, bringing significant, additional workload and pressures. Women between the ages of 35 and 49, who may be responsible for both child care and the care of elderly parents, report the highest levels of workplace stress of any group. Married women also report more job stress than unmarried women, due to the demands of the roles assigned to them in the home (Parveen, 2009).
It seems that the impact of gender bias against women in the workplace, combined with the unfair distribution of workload in the home and our predisposition to a range of mental health issues may be resulting in a female workforce that is highly stressed and vulnerable. In the education sector, where women make up a massive proportion of the workforce, we are in danger of high stress levels undermining the fabric of our schools and communities. We need to find ways to address these issues, as a matter of urgency, if we are to avoid female teachers and leaders leaving the profession in droves or simply becoming burnt out . In this context, traditional stress management approaches, which place the onus on the individual to implement coping strategies, may be woefully inadequate to deal with the epidemic of stress we are facing. Governments and schools need to find ways to decrease work overload and stress for all educators but they also need to acknowledge the factors that make women, the majority of the profession, more vulnerable to workplace stress and its impacts. We need to raise awareness of the issues facing the female workforce and ensure these issues can be addressed at a governmental or organisational level rather than placing the onus on the individual.
Overcoming Loneliness as an International School Leader
On May 12, 2019 May 15, 2019 By helenkellyIn School Leader Wellbeing, UncategorizedLeave a comment
In a previous article, The Loneliness of the International School Leader, I wrote about the professional and personal isolation of principals and heads around the world.We are built for social contact and there are serious, potentially life-threatening consequences when we do not get enough (Marano, 2003). Research shows that lacking social connections is as damaging to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day (Holt-Lunstad, 2015). In the short-term, loneliness increases the level of circulating stress hormones in the body and impacts negatively on the quality and quantity of sleep, both closely linked to performance and effectiveness in our school leader roles. Longer term loneliness is associated with a wide range of physical and mental ill-health outcomes including depression, suicide, cardiovascular disease, stroke, alcoholism and drug abuse. Lonely people also have a 64% increased chance of developing clinical dementia (Holwerda et al, 2012). It is crucial, therefore, that we take the issue of school leader isolation seriously and find ways to support principals and heads who may be experiencing loneliness.
Loneliness can be overcome, although it does require a conscious effort. The starting point is to recognise the loneliness, understand the effects it can have on your life and acknowledge that something needs to change (Marano, 2003). The second step is to focus on developing quality relationships with others. In my own research (Kelly, 2017) school leaders least vulnerable to isolation were those who worked as part of highly collaborative teams within the workplace or who understood the value of the people work in their schools and focused upon building positive relationships with their staff. By contrast those who felt the most isolated were often those caught up in the myth of the hero leader, feeling unable to share the burden of leadership even with their closest colleagues. Being honest about the struggles we face as leaders involves making ourselves vulnerable, which for many runs contrary to the idea of the strong and effective leader. Vulnerability, however, makes us more human and likeable and makes it easier to connect with others. Shedding the leadership mask and presenting to colleagues as a flawed human being makes us more relatable and authentic as leaders. We can also play a key role in modelling this for others, creating a culture of trust built on authenticity and vulnerability, factors essential to organisational effectiveness.
Humans are hardwired for connection and one of the ways we connect with others is by confiding in each other. An open style of leadership can protect us from loneliness but as school leaders we will not be able to confide everything to our teams. It is, therefore, important that we find a confidant in school, someone who understands the context and can be trusted to be discrete. Developing strong peer relationships with senior colleagues, or even board members, is something we should prioritise and something that schools should be looking to create through team-building days and regular SLT social events.
Reaching out to colleagues outside of our schools is a key way to receive support and gain perspective. In my research, networking with senior colleagues in other schools, meeting socially to swap stories, empathise and offer advice was a real lifeline for many participants. Most cities or countries with a large number of international schools have principal groups that allow for this kind of collaboration. Others reported having created new groups on arrival in the city. Reaching out to former colleagues through Skype and at conferences is also a way to stay connected to others.
Building social connections outside of the workplace is a key strategy to avoid loneliness. The internet and social media makes it so much easier to find groups and clubs that share our interests these days. When we are exhausted, short of time and fear rejection, however, it can be hard to make the effort to reach out to others. Principals in my research who experienced the highest levels of loneliness reported having no hobbies, interests or social connections outside of school. Those who were most lonely were single or married without children and many experienced high levels of personal as well as professional loneliness. However, many participants with families or local friends also reported feeling isolated and unable to confide in their nearest and dearest about the challenges of their role. The message here is that failing to make the time or effort to reach out to others may come at a devastating cost and is something that needs to be prioritised, no matter how hard it is. Boards and senior leadership teams should be proactive in providing gym or club memberships to new leaders and also providing language lessons, where appropriate, to ensure that language issues do not further isolate individuals.
The use of professional leadership coaches is something that should be provided for all senior school leaders. While this practice is becoming more widespread, it is still rare. Professional coaches can provide a buffer against hard times for any leader, no matter how experienced, and can provide a valuable safety net to those who are most isolated. Whilst expensive, the benefits far outweigh the costs and the provision of regular executive coaching should become part of every school leader’s contract.
On a final note, we all have a responsibility to ensure our colleagues do not fall prey to loneliness. Taking time to recognise that a peer may be isolated and making an effort to connect with that person, supporting them to find a route out of loneliness is the decent, human response to the misery we see in others. Making ourselves vulnerable and sharing our own isolation stories may encourage others to be more honest and open about the challenges they are up against and may just help them out of a hole.
The Loneliness of the International School Leader
On March 17, 2019 March 17, 2019 By helenkellyIn School Leader Wellbeing15 Comments
The loneliness of headship is a commonly recurring theme in the literature on school leader wellbeing. What MacBeath (2009) calls “structural loneliness” results from the lack of external support available to school principals and the absence of a trustworthy peer group to confide in. Isolation leads to considerable emotional strain on heads (Crawford, 2007; MacBeath, 2009; Ackerman and Ostrowski, 2004; Beatty and Brew, 2004) that may have wider implications for their wellbeing.
“We can say that it is still, unfortunately, lonely at the top for school leaders…a kind of isolation that is not born of solitude… (and is) shared by school leaders everywhere” (Ackerman and Ostrowski, 2004).
Loneliness may be something school leaders have come to accept as a consequence of the role but the negative impact of this isolation on our wellbeing should not be underestimated. The Grant Study, a 75 year longitudinal study of 268 Harvard graduates, concludes that, above all other factors, “warmth of relationships throughout life has the greatest positive impact on ‘life satisfaction.” Loneliness is closely associated with anxiety, depression and suicide, as well as physical ill health, and may be linked to increased aging at the cellular level (Wilson, 2018).
It can be argued that the loneliness school principals experience is compounded for leaders of international schools, who are often isolated from the normal physical and psychosocial support systems that heads are able to rely upon in their home countries. In my own doctoral research into international school leader wellbeing, more than half of the participants interviewed referred to the emotional strain placed upon them by the isolation and loneliness of the role and the impact on their personal and professional lives.
This may be particularly so in the first 2-3 years after taking up a new role, as administrators struggle to come to grips with the demands of the job and are left with insufficient time or energy to build social connections. For international school teachers, colleagues often form the basis of their social support network but this is not the norm for school leaders. Many find the challenges of their new role overwhelming during the first few months and experience difficulties building personal relationships or developing a social life outside of school, yet there is little evidence of any support being provided to new heads (Hayden, 2006).
Those who arrive without a family to support them can be the most vulnerable. In my study, several interview participants describe considerable personal loneliness during their transition to a new country. One describes his transition as “very hard and frustrating and much lonelier than I thought it would be.” He describes a situation where staff confronted him over a new initiative he launched in the first few months of his tenure, when he was subjected to “personal attacks”, which “were sustained over several weeks” and left him feeling “incredibly isolated.” He describes the staff during this time as “extremely resistant, volatile and unforgiving”.
“That has an emotional toll, which has been really quite difficult to deal with. Feeling judged all the time, being under a microscope, being torn apart. There is no sense of team no one helps me out.”
Loneliness for some may last well beyond the transition period. One study participant describes having spent most of the last nine years, since she took up her role, alone. She shares negative experiences when trying to socialise with both staff and parents.
“I have been burned a couple of times having friendships with parents. One woman moved away after five years and it was a good thing as she was taking advantage.”
“Being the principal is the loneliest job in the world. You know you go to a function and the staff are drunk and come up in your face all glassy eyed and I don’t want to see it… So I don’t go to these things or I go an hour late and leave after an hour.”
For this participant, life outside of school consisted of evenings and weekends playing spider solitaire and watching DVDs, with a weekly massage as her only social interaction.
“You know I have had a massage therapist come to my house once a week for a couple of years now… I have noticed that if I do not have a massage I become tactilely deficient and kind of flinch when the kids touch me. I do it so I remain comfortable with touch.”
For those new to headship, the isolation of the role can come as a shock.
“In the past two years, since becoming a head, I have found it more stressful as there is no one else to go to…There are very few people you can talk to as a head. You cannot be friends with the staff… You have to be comfortable in your own company. It is an oxymoron as it is such a sociable job but you have to like being alone too.”
For some, professional isolation may be just as big an issue as personal loneliness.
“There is no network to look to for support. You have to create your own network. There is no infrastructure for dealing with problems outside the school and so you have to create all of this inside the school and deal with things you would not have to deal with ordinarily.”
More experienced heads, with a wider professional network, are more likely to seek support from colleagues outside of their own school. Many noted that they enjoy the opportunity to connect with other school leaders during conferences and recruitment fairs and some described the importance of these opportunities to sit down with others, who understand the pressures they are under, over a drink or dinner to discuss the challenges they are encountering and seek advice.
For those with less of an external network, senior colleagues within their school are a valuable source of support.
“I am lucky that my current boss has a happy character or I would have no one.”
Humans are hard wired to connect and social connections are consistently demonstrated as a major factors supporting happiness, health and longevity. Professional and personal isolation is a very real issue for international school leaders. If we are to avoid the longer term health implications that loneliness brings, we need to start taking the isolation we experienced more seriously and find ways to connect and support each other, particularly young colleagues new to the role.
Why is the School Principal’s Role so Emotionally Draining?
On March 10, 2019 March 16, 2019 By helenkellyIn School Leader Wellbeing2 Comments
There is considerable evidence that school leaders find their work stressful and that, for many, this is impacting on their individual wellbeing. A study into the recruitment and retention of Scottish head teachers (MacBeath, 2012) found that only 9% of respondents felt their personal health and wellbeing was not a concern, while a US study of school principals in 2007 (Shields) found that 83% of respondents reported moderate to high levels of stress. Research from England, during the same period, found that the prevalence of work-related stress of head teachers was double that of the general population and that head teachers suffered significantly worse mental health than other managers and professionals (Phillips et al, 2008). This was mirrored in the 2017 Australian Principal Health and Wellbeing Survey, where school leaders were shown to experience 1.7 times the emotional demands and 1.6 times the burnout of the general population.
Until a decade ago, the conversation about school leader stress focused upon the heavy workload and long hours. This remains relevant with the England Workload Survey 2013, demonstrating that the average UK head teacher works 63.3 hours per week with 20% of their work being carried out at home. However, there is a much greater understanding today of the emotional demands of the role and the impact this can have on wellbeing. There is now much wider recognition that leading schools is an inherently emotional practice, primarily due to the people-centred nature of schools, placing relationships at the heart of the head teacher ́s role. Researchers have focused upon the pivotal position of the principal, around whom all relationships in school oscillate, in order to understand the emotional aspects of the role. The head teacher is an emotional conduit or buffer for the emotions of others, whose role it is to soak up the difficult or unwanted emotional states of the school community. Principals find themselves at a crossroads of different interests, acting as gatekeepers.
The nature of the leadership role, particularly in the high accountability climate of recent years, places high expectations on the leader, which can create fear and anxiety, rendering leaders vulnerable and insecure. This is compounded by the lonely nature of the school leader ́s role, with the necessary boundaries of leadership meaning that a degree of isolation is inevitable.
The complexity and intensity of these experiences means that school leaders are confronted on a daily basis with a range of emotions, both their own and others, which need to be managed. A key part of the leadership role, therefore, concerns managing the emotions of others and ones self, involving emotional labour, as leaders manage their own emotional display by suppressing their feelings in order to emotionally support others or by faking positive emotions to raise the spirits of the community.
Suppression of emotion, to detach from one ́s true feelings, may be a crucial tool to enable school leaders to protect themselves from the emotional demands of the role but, over time, disengaging from the emotions they feel may make significant inroads into their sense of self, leading to them losing the capacity to regulate their feelings and causing emotive dissonance. Burying emotions can be very draining, leaving school leaders vulnerable to emotional exhaustion and burnout, as emotional resources become depleted.
School leaders are also vulnerable to sustaining wounds, caused by the emotional fall-out of day-to-day decision-making. This is compounded by an overdeveloped sense of personal responsibility that many principals feel, where they are unable to balance their own personal needs with those of the role, attempting to live up to the myth of the heroic leader while placing their health at risk.
Why Principal Wellbeing Should Matter to the Whole Community
On March 10, 2019 March 16, 2019 By helenkellyIn School Leader WellbeingLeave a comment
Employees today, across a range of industries, are experiencing increased work-related stress. The intensification of work, as technology speeds up the movement of data and increases time and deadline pressures, and the increasing complexity and pace of life, are making work-life balance more difficult to achieve for many. There is plenty of evidence to support the view that, like many others, school leaders around the world are experiencing increased levels of stress. This impacts on their wellbeing but may also have implications for their effectiveness in the role and even their tenure.
A number of studies in the field of work-related stress show a negative relationship between job stress and job performance. Research supports an individual as having a zone of optimal functioning, with a preferred level of stress for optimal performance. Beyond this level of stress, their functioning is impaired and their effectiveness reduced. Healthy employees have also been shown to be more committed to their job, tending to work harder and provide higher levels of high-value customer service, more resilient and better able to cope with change, uncertainty and ambiguity.
Several studies have linked workplace stress with turnover of staff, with individuals reporting high stress levels more likely to resign their posts. In public school systems worldwide, we are currently witnessing a crisis of recruitment and retention of school leaders, which many are now linking to increasing stress levels. In the USA, only half of newly recruited principals remain in post for as long as three years, with less than 30% remaining for five years or more. In England, the crisis in recruitment and retention of head teachers is being increasingly linked to excessive workloads and high levels of stress. International schools are also exposed to challenges retaining leaders, with the average tenure of an international school head teacher being only 3.7 years. The cost of replacing lost staff can be considerable. While there is no standard formula, experts estimate that the total replacement cost of a leaver can be as much as 100% of the annual salary.
In addition to the cost, there are other factors to be taken into consideration when assessing the impact of school leader stress on the organisation. According to the OECD, as the key intermediary between the classroom, the individual school and the education system as a whole, effective school leadership is essential to improve the efficiency and equity of schooling. Stable school leadership matters to school performance based on a number of indicators. School leaders contribute to improved student learning by shaping the conditions and climate in which teaching and learning occur. Effective and stable school leadership impacts student outcomes, with grades increasing with the length of tenure of the head. It also influences teacher turnover, which decreases as leadership in a school becomes more stable. Leadership even affects teachers’ attitudes to change. Michael Fullan describes how teachers are much less likely to implement change in their classroom if they know that the principal is leaving, preferring to wait the leadership out rather than press forward with new initiatives.
Taking care of school leader wellbeing is not just about individual health and happiness. It can have much wider implications for the school as a whole and for students and staff. It is in everyone’s interests to ensure that school leaders are fit and healthy enough to maximise their own performance and the performance of the school.
Why are Middle Leaders in Schools so Stressed?
The demands on middle leaders in schools are increasing, accompanied by increased levels of stress. In the past, the middle leader role was often defined in one of two ways, coordinator or head of department. A coordinator was tasked with managing the administrative needs of the subject area, ordering resources, keeping the stock cupboard tidy and organising field trips. A head of department has traditionally been an expert in their subject, with exceptional knowledge and teaching skills, who was tasked with writing the curriculum, assigning classes, monitoring teaching and learning and advocating for their subject area in budget discussions.
That is rapidly changing as the role of the middle leader has shifted to focus much more upon people and change leadership, with an emphasis upon trust and culture building. Middle leaders are expected, not only to act as models of exceptional classroom practice, but to inspire others to realise their potential and create healthy and collaborative team dynamics. The distribution of leadership from senior to middle level has raised the expectation of what middle leaders should achieve and passed down many elements of leadership that were previously the responsibility of the senior leadership team. This attempt to empower those in the middle, while mostly well intentioned, has led to increased stress being experienced by those in middle leader roles, much of which is going unacknowledged.
While there is a paucity of research on the stresses of middle leadership in schools, what we do know is that there are a number of significant factors that are bringing greater pressure to bear upon middle leaders. The first is role ambiguity. In many schools, senior leadership teams have redefined the role of their middle leaders, while poorly communicating this to the middle leader team and providing little guidance or clarity on what is now expected. The intersection of roles between senior and middle leadership, or between different roles at the middle level can also lead to confusion.
The increasing complexity of the middle leader role leaves many middle leaders wearing a range of hats, many of which are new. Middle leaders may still be expected to fulfil the traditional coordinator or head of department role, placing orders and managing budgets, while also taking on fresh responsibility for people leadership and complex change management. With the limited amount of time available to carry out the middle leader role, this can lead to exhaustion and the feeling of being overwhelmed. This may also lead to role conflict, with middle leaders failing to balance the demands of their classroom teaching with the expectations of the leadership post.
Middle leaders often find themselves being pulled in two directions, managing both up and down, trying to meet the needs of their departmental colleagues, while at the same time fulfilling the expectations of those above. SLT may view the middle leadership team as a buffer between themselves and the wider teaching staff, able to translate the school’s vision and implement it in the classrooms, effectively doing all the hard work while the senior team pulls the strings. Seldom are middle leadership teams included in the vision building process. This can result in middle leaders implementing strategic goals with which they do not agree and into which they have had no input. Conflict between the middle leader’s values and those that underpin decisions taken at a higher level might arise, which can cause enormous stress for some.
Building collegiality is now considered a key component of the middle leader’s role, a process that requires trust building and an understanding of how to tap into human emotions. Creating a highly effective and collaborative team from a disparate group of individuals, many of whom may not get along with each other, is a highly skilful process, requiring training and years of experience. Trust and collegiality may also be hard to build while middle leaders are at the same time expected to monitor the work of their colleagues through their involvement in the appraisal process.
Middle leaders are increasingly responsible for leading and implementing change, encouraging colleagues to jump from the known to the unknown by adopting innovative teaching practices and stepping outside of their comfort zone. Senior leaders fail to acknowledge that they are tasking those who have the least authority in the leadership hierarchy with this complex and demanding process. Without this authority, middle leaders are left to rely upon their relationships and the people skills they have acquired to bring people on board with change. Seldom are they provided with training in how to motivate, nurture and support others. This skills gap can lead to unpleasant and stressful conflict with team members, which may erode trust, collegiality and motivation.
While the push to distribute leadership is often well intentioned and rooted in current research, schools are at risk of creating teams of middle leaders who feel isolated, overwhelmed, and unsupported and who may be simply unable to fulfil the expectations of the role. If leadership is to continue to be distributed for the benefit of the organisation, then middle leaders should be provided with time and training and support to enable them to flourish in their roles.
Why Relationships Matter Most in Maximising School Leader Wellbeing
Research shows that the interpersonal demands placed on school leaders bring just as much stress, if not more, than the workload demands of having too much to do and not enough time to do it. Relationships with adults, particularly teachers, are one of the most challenging aspects of a senior or middle leader’s role. Conflict most commonly occurs during periods of change, or over staff competency or discipline issues.
Many leaders are frustrated by the amount of time and energy they perceive as being “wasted” doing people work. Time that is taking them away from the “real work” of improving the school, through the development of the curriculum, systems and policies. Reshaping our thinking to place relationships at the centre of our leadership practice can significantly reduce stress levels and enhance our wellbeing and resilience.
Positive relationships are a central pillar of human flourishing. Human beings are hardwired for connection and the isolation and loneliness that many school leaders experience can have damaging effects on our long term health and wellbeing. Acknowledging the importance of connection and taking time, on a daily basis, to nurture the adult relationships in school is key in reducing stress and maximising our wellbeing.
So how do we build positive adult relationships in our schools? The first step is to acknowledge that school leadership is, first and foremost, people work. People work is the real work, rather than something that takes us away from the real work. The second step is to shed the leadership mask, take off the armour and present ourselves to others as authentic human beings. Making ourselves vulnerable by sharing our hopes, fears and challenges allows others to relate to us on a human level and provides an environment where genuine connections can be fostered.
Making time to connect with others is crucial, creating opportunities to develop an authentic relationship with every member of our team, enabling us to know them as individuals and providing time for them to get to know us too. Finding ways to show that we care and demonstrating the empathy and compassion that brought us into teaching in the first place is also key. Admiring others and letting them know they are appreciated, through sincere gratitude and praise should also be a part of our daily leadership practice. Building individual connections in this way builds trust and models for others the transformational potential of supportive relationships.
By improving our connection with others, we increase the number of positive emotions we experience each day, allowing for the release of happy hormones such as dopamine and oxytocin. During challenging times, this can counterbalance the stress hormones coursing through our bodies, which can be highly beneficial to health. More significant, however, is the impact of positive relationships on the emotional climate in which we work. By prioritising the people work and creating a culture built upon vulnerability and trust, the interpersonal demands of the role will decrease, allowing us to work in greater harmony with those around us, maximising not only our own wellbeing but that of everyone else.
CDNISHKProjectInnovate
Educator Wellbeing (3)
School Leader Wellbeing (8)
The Epidemic of Workplace Stress Facing Women Educators May 19, 2019
Overcoming Teacher Stress and Burnout May 13, 2019
Overcoming Loneliness as an International School Leader May 12, 2019
The Loneliness of the International School Leader March 17, 2019
Why is the School Principal’s Role so Emotionally Draining? March 10, 2019
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Since its founding in 1913, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. has clearly distinguished itself as a public service organization that boldly confronts the challenges of African Americans and, hence, all Americans. Over the years, a wide range of programs addressing education, health, international development, and strengthening of the African American family have evolved.
The Mobile Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta membership encompasses a widespread of public service programs, and in realizing its mission, provides an extensive array of service initiatives through its Five-Point Programmatic Thrust:
The Mobile Alumnae Chapter sponsors exceptional programs designed to enhance the career and academic development of our youth. This may also take on the form of scholarships for college preparation, academic workshops and mentoring. Members of the Mobile Alumnae Chapter also serve as career day speakers, role models and workshop facilitators to share their personal triumphs and achievements in their professional fields.
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HomeEben interviews food people05. C & T Harris and their Wiltshire bacon cure – the blending of a legend
* In marking a major event in the life of Woody’s Consumer Brands (Pty) Ltd. Dedicated to the Woody’s team.
Available in PDF download: C & T Harris and their Wiltshire bacon cure – the blending of a legend
Few companies had the impact on an industry as C&T Harris had on the bacon industry. We focus on a number of points in this article. The importance and role of good quality pork supply from local and foreign sources. The Harris brothers as good butchers. I offer a possible explanation for the exact nature of the first sweet cure they developed and a possible inspiration for the development. The exact nature of George’s strategy and what he wanted to achieve on his trip to America. The force of the central commitment of the company to produce the best bacon on earth. How the introduction of refrigeration fed directly into achieving this goal. How they carefully chose the best curing technique to achieved this goal in a large scale factory environment. The fact that the Wiltshire curing process was in the first place a Danish invention that happened many years before the Harris brothers. The entrepreneurial spirit that drove the company to success by overcoming every obstacle, no matter what it took. Lastly, we high-lite a few lessons for the modern-day curing plant. This is their story.
THE MAKING OF A LEGEND
The making of a legend in the bacon world was, as is usual in these cases, the result of several seismic movements of tectonic plates that created the world of C & T Harris and their Wiltshire bacon cure. Several key ingredients were blended together to create a remarkable bacon curing company. One that produced what was hailed around the globe as the best bacon on earth.
The first ingredient needed in blending this bacon legend was an abundant supply of pork. There was a large local supply of pigs. Wiltshire has been an area associated with pigs since very early. There is a reference from a book by Daniel Defoe, Tour Through the Whole Island of Great Britain, published in 1720 about a strong pork industry in Wiltshire on account of the abundance of whey from the local dairy industry. He makes mention of large quantities of bacon sent from among other, Wiltshire to London. He wrote, “The bacon is raised in such quantities here, by reason of the great dairies . . . the hogs being fed with the vast quantity of whey , and skim’d milk, which so many farmers have to spare, and which must , otherwise be thrown away.” (Malcolmson, R. and Mastoris, S.; 1998: 38, 39)
There was a strong supply of imported pigs from Ireland. Between 1770 and 1800 exports of Irish pork to England increased eight-fold. Over 60% of the Irish imports into England was done to London. (Cullen, L. M.; 1968: 71) The pigs arrived by ship in Bristol and were walked on the hoof all the way to London. Along the way it was important to rest the animals and give them a chance to graze to ensure good meat quality when they arrive in London. The small town of Calne, in North Wiltshire, was a convenient stop-over on the long walk. (wiki.mfo.me.uk).
Not only were the pigs in abundance, but they came at good prices and from a diversity of suppliers. Pork is a commodity, the price of which fluctuates on a daily or weekly basis. The price is an indication of its availability and some level of price stability for quality pigs are important requirements for a successful curing operation. It was important back then as it is important today.
Availability is driven by seasonal domestic and export demand and external influences such as the supply of the army and the navy. With the English fighting several foreign wars and a large navy to supply, the demand for bacon was unusually strong. There are other factors such as pork disease that impacts on its availability. Even the time of year plays a role since in those days, before the advent of refrigeration, pork could only be cured in the winter on account of it going off in the summer before the cure could diffuse through the entire muscle.
It would therefore be a very important benefit to have access of pigs from local as well as foreign sources. The demand and supply in the foreign market will inevitably differ from local trends and the producer is able to exploit low price cycles to ensure low input cost and the best possible quality. For an in depth analysis of the prevailing economic environment, particularly related to Ireland and England during this time readers are directed to “The Economics of the Industrial Revolution,” by Joel Mokyr and “The Foundations of British Maritime Ascendancy – Resources, Logistics and the State, 1755–1815” by Roger Morriss.
The third ingredient in the making of this legend is an ample supply of saltpeter, the principal curing agent of pork in those days. “The geology around Calne was excellent for saltpetre. The Calne Guild Stewards’ Book has an entry for 1654 listing a payment for the removal of saltpetre tubs. It is mentioned in relation to glass making in 17th Century. A token was found for use at the glass house in Calne, suggesting there was glass manufacture going on in the town, although no record has been found of it. Saltpetre is essential for making glass. The antiquarian John Aubrey in his book ‘Topographical Collections’ 1659-70, says concerning Calne that the ‘Sand on the hills here about is very fit for glass making.’ He described it as being very white and having the largest grains he had ever seen. He also mentions on page 94, ‘The deep lane from Bowden to Raybridge is very full of nitre, as a warm day will indicate.’ Bowden Hill and Raybridge are only a few miles from Calne.” (SB)
Harris Bacon
Three essential ingredients for good bacon were all present by the late 1700’s. An almost unlimited supply of pigs, both local and imported, low prices and a mature local industry for the supply of the principal curing ingredient of saltpeter. The scene is set for an entrepreneur to step forward, mix all the prevailing ingredients together and create a legend! This is how it happened.
JOHN HARRIS AND SONS
The first Harris to come to Calne was John Harris in the late 1700’s. He moved there with his widowed mom, Sarah Harris, in 1770. They were living in a small market town of Devizes, about ten miles from Calne. When they moved to Calne, they set up in a small property in Butchers Row. (SB) When he died in 1791 the business was carried on by his wif but on a very small scale. (SB) She ‘thought it a good week if she had killed five or six pigs and sold clear out on a Saturday night’. Two of her sons helped her in the butchery, John and Henry. (british-history) When she passed away, she left in her will £60 to each of her three sons, John, Henry and James. Henry and James were twins, but James had no interest in butchery and became a civil servant. (SB) As John and Henry’s own bacon interests grew over the years, this must have been a story that she told them many times and it must have been a favourite family tale.
Her one son, John, married Mary Perkins in 1808, who, in 1805/1806 (british-history), opened a butcher’s shop and bacon curing business of his own in Calne, High Street. His younger brother, Henry Harris, married Sophia Perkins in 1813. He managed the Perkins Family Grocery and Butchers in Butcher’s Row (later Church Street). He took the business over when his father in law passed away. (british-history)
John and Mary had 12 children. Disaster struck the young family when John passed away at a young age in 1837. “His wife, Mary, continued to run the business until eventually handing it over to one of their sons, Thomas. Henry and Sophia were childless and looked after four of Johns children. He left the Church Street business to his nephew George. Charles later joined George as a partner in Church Street. John’s son Thomas took over the High Street business when his father died. George died in 1861, leaving Charles running the Church Street factory. Charles and Thomas amalgamated their businesses in 1888. It is interesting to note that one of Thomas Harris’ sons struck out on his own and founded Bowyers Bacon factory in Trowbridge.” (SB)
They remained close and innovations were done together. The first progression that created the legend was a simple one. Add sugar to the bacon cure. (wiki.mfo.me.uk)
Injection line Harris Bacon factory, c. 1960
An interesting question is what exactly this sweet cure was that they introduced. Could it have been that adding sugar to the brine was a completely new concept to Wiltshire and the butchers in Calne? A 1776 liquid cure mix for bacon is given as “4 lb. of salt, 2 lb. of brown sugar, and 4 gallons of water with a touch of saltpetre.” (Holland, LZ, 2003: 9, 10) This salt/water mix was used to cure barrel pork.
Barrel pork was a crude process of laying pork joints in a wooden barrel and immersing it in a water brine-mix of salt, saltpeter and sugar. It was food for a poor family, shared by slaves, farmers or wage earners. It was disdained by the elites as “sea-junk”, cured by sopping in brine that imparted a nauseous taste to the meat. (Horowitz, R.; 2006: 45) It is easy to see how adding sugar to barrel-pork was an attempt to improve its taste. Could it be that sugar was not part of the standard dry-cure process employed in Calne and the Harris brothers took this idea of adding sugar to the dry-cure from barrel pork?
We have a description of the dry-cure process employed in Calne that would have been used by John Harris when he opened his butchery in 1770 and also by his sons in their curing operations. The description comes to us from a 1805 account from Wiltshire. “When the hog is killed, the sides are laid in large wooden troughs, and sprinkled over with bay salt, after which they are left for twenty-four hours, in order to drain off the blood and superfluous juices. Next they are taken out and wiped thoroughly dry, and some fresh bay salt, previously heated in an iron frying pan, is rubbed into the flesh till it has absorbed a sufficient quantity; this rubbing is continued for four successive days, during which the sides, or flitches, as they are usually called, are turned every other day. Where large hogs are killed, it becomes necessary to keep the flitches in brine for three weeks, and in that interval to turn them ten times, after which period they are taken out and dried in the common manner; in fact, unless they are thus treated, they can not be preserved in the sweet state, nor will they be equal in point of flavour, to bacon that is properly cured. (Malcolmson, R. and Mastoris, S.; 1998: 114)
This account omits sugar, but it also omits saltpeter, a widespread ingredient in bacon cures of this time, which then begs the question if the mention of salt in the 1805 account is supposed to be an exhaustive list. Several factors can be brought into the discussion to try and bring clarity.
Bay-salt regularly contains very small traces of nitrite which have a reddening effect in the meat. A second point is that it was a well known practice by certain butchers to omit saltpeter and only use salt. Some curers of this time described using salt alone as a superior curing technique (even though unbeknownst to them, the salt itself probably contained nitrate and nitrite which the saltpeter was added for). A last important factor to consider is that even dry-cured bacon was extremely salty at this time due to the fact that no refrigeration existed. Over-salting was the only sure way to ensure the meat is preserved.
So, taking everything into account, in my view, the most likely scenario is that the Harris brothers borrowed the concept of adding sugar from barrel-pork. They added the sugar to the cure, not to give a sweet note to the bacon, but to reduce the salty taste of the bacon. An added advantage of adding sugar is that it enhances the meat flavour. Viewed overall, it improved the taste which was and remained a key feature of Harris bacon.
GEORGE IN AMERICA
Events were about to unfold in Ireland that would not only turn their world upside down, but would set the background for two of their most important inventions. It was the potato famine that occurred between 1845 and 1852. When it was all over, more than a million people died and another million immigrated to flee the devastating conditions in Ireland.
The mass migration of people from Ireland to places like the USA happened on an unprecedented scale. “A report from England stated that the emigration of 1847 would probably go to 200,000 or 300,000 from Ireland alone. Government agents in other countries were also reporting large increases in the number of people heading to the port cities of the continent. Ships were being hired at an ever increasing pace and Captains were carrying full compliments of passengers, some exceeding the legal limits.” (theshipslist)
Ships sailed from Ireland and from the North Americas, ships were sailing to Ireland with provisions. “There are reports of vessels leaving various parts of the United States and Canada with supplies for Europe. For example, on March 4, 1847, the Constitution and Sarah Sands had unfurled their sails, while at Boston, the Tartar sailed in April. These vessels were on their way to Ireland. A New York paper reported that in March some $1,250,000 of supplies a week were leaving from that port for Ireland and about $5,000,000 from all parts of the U.S.” (theshipslist)
The disaster in Ireland had a severe impact on the Harris brothers, as it did on food production around the world. The pigs stopped arriving in Bristol, threatening the existence of the butchers of Calne. George and his mom, Mary hatched a plan to try and rescue the situation. The plan was to send George to America by ship. “The idea, they decided, was for George to strike up a pig business deal with American farmers and figure out a way to transport their slaughtered animals across the Atlantic in boxes packed with salt to ward off spoilage during the long journey. On its way to England, the meat would cure into ham and George’s entrepreneurial venture would save the family.” (Smithsonianmag) The plan was not novel. By 1847 barrel pork has been exported from America to England for years. On Saturday, 4 November 1843, a circular appeared in Boon’s Lick Times (Fayette, Missouri) by George K. Budd where advice is given to American pork producers on what they can do to ensure that the barrel pork reach England in an excellent condition in order to fetch the best possible price.
The plan then seems to have been for the 23 year old George to procure the pigs directly from farmers as opposed to buying it from American packing plants. If George could procure the pigs directly from the farmers, pack the pork in America and export it, the Harris brothers would cut out the middlemen and would again regain not only their supply of foreign pork, but also effect the imports at the best possible price. The supply of cured meat for bacon from America to England was however the poor quality barrel pork. Besides procuring the pork directly from the farmers and packing it himself in the USA for export to England, George planned to do it by using their well-known dry cure process. George was the innovator and the driving force behind the Harris brothers. His brothers said about him, “ Of all us brothers George was a long way ahead; he was the smartest businessman of any of us. He was the means of lifting us out of the old rut and laid the foundation of the new system and its prosperous future.” (SB)
One can only imagine what the voyage to America was like. Hundreds of thousands of Irish were fleeing the deadly conditions in Ireland, cramming the ships. “Adding to the misery, the northern U.S. and Canada had a hard winter in 1846-7 and the snow and ice were causing delays for many of the vessels. There are reports of gales and of vessels being stuck in the ice for weeks. The Albion, from Greenock, for example, sailed on March 25, 1847 and on April 10 hit the ice about 40 miles off Cape Ray. The vessel did not arrive in Quebec until June 4, 1847!” (theshipslist)
George arrived in America witnessing the misery of the arriving Irish. “For a year he traveled about America visiting many bacon-curers, and sending home bacon, lard, cheese, and other provisions. After a brief visit home in the summer of 1848, he again returned to America and opened a bacon curing establishment in Schenectady (New York State). The venture was not successful, however, and the American branch was closed.” (british-history) In the process he was exposed to a development in America that would transform the way that bacon is cured and would give rise to the birth of the legend.
Ice houses started to be built in the northern hemisphere, including England, on the property of wealthy owners from the 1700’s. These were generally brick-lined pits, build below the ground where ice from surrounding lakes were stored (Dellino, C, 1979: 2) to store ice-cream, fruit and vegetables from the kitchen garden but they were not used much in industry at this time in Britain. (SB) This concept of this natural refrigeration was first described by Frederic Tudor (1783 – 1864). (Kha, AR, 2006: 26)
In the 1800’s commercial cold storage facilities were being built at harbors in America and Europe, mainly for the storage of carcasses, fruit and dairy products. The ice was cut from frozen ponds, lakes or rivers in the winter and stored in the heavily insulated ice house. (Mfo.me.uk) “In the U.S., this method allowed farmers to slaughter pigs not only in months ending in an ‘r’ (or those cold enough for the meat not to rot before it could be cured and preserved), but during any time of year – even in steamy July or August. Curing, or the process of preventing decomposition-causing bacteria from setting in by packing the meat in salt, was then the only way to preserve pork for periods of time longer than 36 hours. Such horrendously salty meat was eaten out of necessity rather than enjoyment, however, and it often required sitting in a bucket of water for days at time before it could be rinsed of its saltiness to the point that it would even be palatable.” (smithsonianmag)
The revolutionary idea was the storage of meat on a commercial scale in ice houses for the purpose of slow curing. George did not make the link with the curing of bacon straight away. “Back in Calne, attempts were made to find a way of curing bacon in hot weather instead of curing it in the winter and keeping it hard salted for summer use. These, however, had not met with any success. It was George who suggested that they should follow the American method of cooling, thus applying cooling to bacon curing.” (british-history)
CURING IN ICE HOUSES
George persuaded his brother Charles who owned the Grocer and Butchers shop on Butchers Row with Thomas and some of his staff to go back to America with him and look at the process. “As a result both he and Charles set up ice houses in their separate factories.” (SB) “The first ice-house was constructed at the High Street factory in 1856.” (british-history)
After a great deal of experimentation, it was found that charcoal was the best insulating material for use in the walls round the ice-chamber. (british-history) “The Harris ice houses had thatched roofs. There was a steel plated ceiling containing the ice with drainage outlets which could measure the rate of melting and hence the stock of ice remaining. The unemployed and residents of the workhouse were sent out to collect ice from streams and ponds but in warmer winters it was imported from Norway and transported by canal. Thomas Harris patented the ice preservation process in 1864.” (SB)
Harris Factory 1930
“Most of the important bacon-curers throughout the country took advantage of the chance to improve their output by constructing such ice-houses under licence.” The volume of trade from the two Harris operations continued to increase throughout this time and in 1863 the Harris family joined with other local interests to finance a branch railway line between Calne and Chippenham. Meanwhile, the income from the ice-house patent together with their own expansion enabled the two Calne businesses to increase their rate of mechanization. “At the High Street premises a new ice-house, furnace, and pigsties were built in 1869; and ten years later it was said that at the Church Street factory the pigs were moved almost entirely by machinery after they had been killed.” (british-history) “The first mechanical refrigeration was introduced in 1885. One 6 ton and 0ne 4 ton Pontifex and wood absorption machines” (SB) “There was always close co-operation between the two firms and in July 1888 they were amalgamated as Charles & Thomas Harris & Co. Ltd.” (british-history)
PIGS TO SUITE INDUSTRIALISATION
While the Harris brothers were working towards greater mechanization, shortly before the installation of brine refrigeration in place of the ice-house method, “they embarked on a planned campaign to persuade farmers to breed the type of lean pig best suited to bacon. In 1887 pigs were received from 25 counties in England and Wales, of which Wiltshire, Hampshire, Somerset, Dorset, and Devon were the most important, and a large number of pigs were again being received from Ireland.” (british-history)
FOCUS ON BACON BRINES AND CURING TECHNOLOGY
– best bacon on earth
Refrigeration allowed the Harris brothers an important progression of the initial work they did by producing a sweet cure. It allowed the use of even less salt. The mildly salted, sweet-cured bacon was a huge success. Harris bacon was being exported to many parts of the world including most European countries, America, Australia, India, China, the Cape of Good Hope, and New Zealand. Some bacon was extra-cured and smoked for sending to hot climates. By the end of the century, the Calne factories also supplied the principal Transatlantic, Pacific, and Far Eastern steamship lines. There was considerable competition by cheaper meat from America and the colonies, but by concentration on high-quality products, the Harris Company survived this. It was said in The British Journal of Commerce that in January 1889 Calne was ‘the chief seat of the bacon-curing industry of England’. At the end of the century, it was claimed, possibly with some exaggeration, that Harris’s produced more bacon than any other four or five curers in England together. Between 2,000 and 3,000 pigs were slaughtered each week and over 200 workmen and 30 clerks were employed. (british-history)
Harris Bacon Factory
– the Irish Invention of mild curing and its adaptation by the Danish
A major development took place when the dry cure was replaced with a wet cure, late in the 1800s. (SB) The development that made it possible to produce high quality wet cured bacon was in the first place the invention of stitch pumping which involved pumping brine through a single needle brine injector directly into the meat, thus speeding up the process of diffusing the brine throughout the muscle. Stitch pumping was however first used in combination with dry-curing (The History of Curing). It is reported that Harris has used stitch pumping with their dry-curing process as early as 1843. (SB)
In Denmark, during the 1800s, a wet curing method was invented using a combination of stitch pumping and curing the meat in curing tanks with a cover brine. (Wilson, W, 2005: 219) Brine consisting of nitrate, salt and sugar were injected into the meat with a single needle attached to a hand pump (stitch pumping). The meat was then placed in a mother brine mix consisting of old, used brine and new brine. The old brine contained the nitrate which was reduced through bacterial action into nitrite. It was the nitrite that was responsible for the quick curing of the meat. (The Mother Brine)
Denmark was, as it is to this day, one of the largest exporters of pork and bacon to England. The wholesale involvement of the Danes in the English market made it inevitable that probably at least 50 years after the Danish invention, a bacon curer from Denmark must have found his way to Calne in Wiltshire and the Harris bacon factories. The tank-cured method, as it became known, was adopted by Harris and a true legend was born.
A major advantages of this method is the speed with which curing is done compared with the dry salt process previously practiced. Wet tank-curing is also more suited for the industrialisation of bacon curing and have the added cost advantage of re-using some of the brine. It allowed for the use of even less salt since the injected brine along with a cover brine were distributed throughout the muscle much faster than was the case with the dry curing process.
Injection with a single needle injector was time consuming and soon it was replaced by multi-needle brine injectors. Below is a diagram indicating the position where brine was injected with the stitch-pumping method.
– Wiltshire cure
Callow gave us a description of Wiltshire cure in 1934. The pig sides were cooled after the back bone was removed, either by ambient temperature or in a chiller. “After cooling, the sides were trimmed.” Trimming involved removing the fillet (the psoas major muscle along the central spine portion), the shoulder blade bone (the scapula), and the pelvic bone (the aitch bone). The sides were now placed in a curing cellar (room temp of between 3 deg C to 7 deg C). (Lawrie, R. A.; 1985: 149)
Curing took place in four stages. First the brine was pumped into the sides, using stitch pumping or a single needle hand injector. The salt concentration in the brine was between 25 and 30%, 2.5 to 4% potassium or sodium nitrate (saltpeter) and 0.5 to 1% sugar. Between 18 and 25 injections are required, most in the gammon region. The total weight of brine injected is about 5% of the weight of the side. 1kg then became 1.05kg injected. (Lawrie, R. A.; 1985: 150)
The sides were now either sprinkled with dry salt or placed in a tank of brine, stacked about 12 deep and tied down. If wet cure was used, the sides were covered with a mix of salt and potassium nitrate in a ratio 10:1. Liquid brine solution was run into the tank and the sides remained submerged for between 4 and 5 days. (Lawrie, R. A.; 1985: 150)
Harris Factory Refrigeration Plant
A major progression of the cure preparation took place in effecting the reduction of nitrates to nitrites. The make up of the tank pickle was between 20% and 28% salt (sodium chloride) and 3% – 4% sodium nitrate when it was first prepared. In order to effect the reduction of the nitrates to nitrites, the brine was now seeded with the specific microorganisms who is responsible for the reduction. (Lawrie, R. A.; 1985: 150)
This was done by taking meat juices (protein) that leached from meat that was previously immersed in brine. This correlates to the Danish adaptation of the Irish invention of the “mother brine.” Ingram, Hawthorne and Gatherum described in 1947 how it was possible to manage the amount of nitrite in the brine by adjusting the salt (sodium chloride) concentration of the brine. (Lawrie, R. A.; 1985: 150)
The sides were placed in a maturing cellar for 7 to 14 days or even longer. This was another major progression of the process described in 1805. The temperature was kept at between 3% and 4%as was the case of the brine cellar. The goal of this step was to diffuse the brine of sodium chloride, nitrate and nitrite throughout the meat. (Lawrie, R. A.; 1985: 150)
Some of the cured meat was un-smoked (green) but the majority would be smoked for between 2 and 3 days. The traditional Wiltshire process yielded well cured bacon in anything between 10 and 21 days. (Lawrie, R. A.; 1985: 150)
The right size pork cut was required. A 1958 publication gives the following description of a typical Wiltshire pork cut (Warde, F. and Wilson, T.; 2013: 55).
The Wiltshire bacon side, divided into four main cute. Gammon, fore -end, back and streak. The line of division may vary slightly according to the conformation of the side, the prevailing market price and the individual cutter.
Early in the 1900’s, Harris also diversified producing a range of small goods- pies, sausages, mince, lard, tinned meats etc. (SB)
– Sodium Nitrite cure’s from Germany
The key feature of the Harris bacon empire became their Wiltshire bacon cure. In Germany, a new curing process was developed with references to experiments with it dating back to the mid 1800’s. The curing agent was sodium nitrite that would replace saltpeter (sodium or potassium nitrate) as the curing agent of choice. Cures with sodium nitrite began emerging from Germany at the beginning of the 1900’s. It was the First World War that provided the transition moments necessary to effect the almost universal change from saltpeter to sodium nitrite. Adding sodium nitrite to the brine called for a simple system and yielded the quickest curing. The Danish Mother Brine system and the Wiltshire method used saltpeter (potassium nitrate) that was already reduced by bacterial action to nitrite in combination with nitrate. In contrast, using sodium nitrite to begin with (a chemical used in the coal tar dye industry and as a medicine) eliminated the step of bacteria reducing the nitrate to nitrite. The curing cycle when sodium nitrite is used is completed in 12 hours where the Danish Mother Brine and Wiltshire Brine took up to three weeks to cure the meat. (Concerning the direct addition of nitrite to curing brines and Concerning chemical synthesis and Food Additives)
It is a matter of profound interest that the Harris bacon factories continued using tank curing for many years following World War One. Several studies emerged showing the superiority of the sodium nitrite brine over the Wiltshire method from a microbial perspective and still it prevailed. Tank curing is practiced to this day by at leadt one large and sophisticated bacon curers in the UK.
THE LAST OF THE HARRIS FAMILY’S CURING DAYS
“During the economic slump of 1920s Harris‘ was bought (1925) by Ernest Marsh of Marsh and Baxter, a large meat processing business located at Brierly Hill in the Midlands and famous for their York Hams brand. George Harry Harris, known as Jack, was the only member of the family who was involved with the Harris business during the twenties. He came in to sign a cheque now and then but was no longer involved after 1930.” (SB)
Harris Canning
“In 1926 Ernest Marsh brought over an American as chief engineer, Dixon E Washington from Kansas City to modernise the factory. Washington was an experienced in architectural, civil. structural and mechanical engineering and introduced many modern new elements to the Calne factory.” (SB)
Reflecting on the Harris brothers and the creation of their legendary Wiltshire bacon cure is a lesson in business as much as it is a lesson in building a bacon curing company.
The first lesson is that they relentlessly searched out competitive advantages. They found it in the use of refrigeration and very cleverly patented it.
Right from the start they identified taste as the central distinguishing feature of their bacon. They added sugar to the dry cure, possibly borrowing from the well known concept of adding sugar to the wet curing brines. At the beginning of the 1900’s, they learned from the Danes who developed a system of bacon curing that exploited discoveries at the end of the 1800’s by several scientists that nitrite was the real curing agent and not nitrate. The system not only employed the direct use of nitrite in curing mixes through the use of the Danish concept of a mother brine, but they combined it with nitrate which they injected into the meat, thus creating rapid diffusion of the brine throughout the muscle and allowing for a future source of nitrite as bacteria in the meat reduced the nitrate to nitrite, over time. This curing system was ideal for a factory and a large scale curing environment. The key feature of the Danish brining method was an even better tasted than any of their previous curing systems, making taste the primary feature of their rise to dominance.
A second lesson is that they relentlessly stuck to a formula that worked. New brine systems were being experimented with, especially at the beginning of the 1900’s. After the First World War, sodium nitrite replaced potassium or sodium nitrate in bacon curing systems almost everywhere on earth. Despite this, they stuck to tank curing, insisting that it simply tastes better. This focus in the face of what I can only imagine was overwhelming pressure to change, is a lesson that I will personally never, ever forget. A man once told me that the main thing is to keep the main thing, the main thing. That this is the main thing! In bacon curing, the main thing is not yield, but taste! This is what created the legend of C & T Harris and their Wiltshire cure.
There are other facets to the story. The story is epic and more is to come!
(c) eben van tonder
“Bacon & the art of living” in book form
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Bacon and the art of living
Special thanks to Susan Boddington (SB), curator of the Calne Heritage Centre, for the liberal supply of information, insights, advice and photos.
Cullen, L. M.. 1968. Anglo-Irish Trade, 1660-1800. The University Press, Manchester.
Holland, LZ. 2003. Feasting and Fasting with Lewis & Clark: A Food and Social History of the early 1800’s. Old Yellowstone Publishing, Inc.
Horowitz, R. 2006. Putting Meat on the American Table. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Kha, AR. 2006. Cryogenic Technology and Applications. Elsevier, Inc.
Lawrie, R. A.. 1985. Meat Science. Pergamon Press.
Malcolmson, R. and Mastoris, S.. 1998. The English Pig: A History. Hambledon Press.
Smith, Edwards. 1873. Foods. Henry S King and Co.
Susan Boddington (SB) is the curator of the Calne Heritage Centre. Information from private correspondence.
Warde, F. and Wilson, T.. 2013. Ginger Pig Farmhouse Cook Book. Mitchell Beazley.
Wilson, W. 2005. Wilson’s Practical Meat Inspection. 7th edition. Blackwell Publishing.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/wilts/vol4/pp220-253
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-one-family-helped-change-the-way-we-eat-ham-21978817, article by Rachel Nuwer
http://www.theshipslist.com/1847/ Emigration To North America In 1847
http://wiki.mfo.me.uk/index.php?title=C%26T_Harris_(Calne)_Ltd
Wiltshire cut. Harrington, G. 1958. Pig Carcass Evaluation. Page 55. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux Farnham Royal, Bucks, England. Robert Cunningham and Sons, Ltd. Alva
The Wiltshire injection: Wilson, W. 2005: 220
All other images supplied by SB
2 thoughts on “05. C & T Harris and their Wiltshire bacon cure – the blending of a legend”
The Naming of Prague Salt | Earthworm Express says:
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Current language : en
Representation in Ireland
European Commission > Ireland
News > Mergers: Commission approves AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan, subject to conditions
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Mergers: Commission approves AbbVie's acquisition of Allergan, subject to conditions
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The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the proposed acquisition of Allergan by AbbVie. The approval is conditional on the divestment of a product under development by Allergan to treat inflammatory bowel diseases.
Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said: "Inflammatory bowel diseases are lifelong conditions with devastating effects on the life of millions of people. Our decision makes sure that the merger between AbbVie and Allergan will not disrupt the development of a promising innovative treatment for these diseases. This will increase the choice of treatments and offer better prices for patients.”
The Commission's investigation
The Commission's investigation primarily focused on biologic treatments for ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, collectively termed inflammatory bowel diseases (“IBD”), where the activities of AbbVie and Allergan overlap.
IBD are lifelong autoimmune diseases that involve inflammation of the digestive tract and for which there is no cure. Biologic drugs are typically prescribed after the failure of conventional therapies, such as corticosteroids and immunosuppressants.
AbbVie's product portfolio includes several biologic drugs for IBD, notably (i) risankizumab, a pipeline drug that belongs to a class of biologics called “IL-23 inhibitors”, and (ii) Humira, a marketed drug that belongs to another class of biologics called “anti-TNFs”.
Allergan is also currently developing an IL-23 inhibitor, called brazikumab.
The Commission found that brazikumab is likely to compete closely with AbbVie's risankizumab as it belongs to the same class of drugs.
The Commission's market investigation largely confirmed that the transaction, as initially notified, would have led to a loss of innovation for IBD treatments, asAbbVie would not continue developing Allergan's IL-23 inhibitor. The IL-23 inhibitors are a promising class of biologics for which only two other competing pipeline products, in addition to AbbVie's and Allergan's IL-23 inhibitors, are currently being developed.
The transaction would have thus prevented a promising drug from reaching the market, leading to potentially less choice and higher prices for patients and health systems.
The proposed remedies
To address the Commission's competition concerns, AbbVie offered to divest brazikumab, Allergan's IL-23 inhibitor pipeline product, including the development, manufacturing and marketing rights at worldwide level, to a purchaser that will continue the drug's development.
These commitments thus address the Commission's competition concerns as they fullyremove the overlap between AbbVie's and Allergan's IL-23 inhibitor pipeline drugs.
Therefore, the Commission concluded that the proposed transaction, as modified by the commitments, would no longer raise competition concerns. The decision is conditional upon full compliance with the commitments.
Companies and products
AbbVie, headquartered in the US, is a global pharmaceutical company active in six main therapeutic areas: immunology (including autoimmune diseases), oncology, virology, neuroscience/central nervous system disorders, metabolic diseases and pain associated with endometriosis.
Allergan, headquartered in Ireland, is a global pharmaceutical company active in four main therapeutic areas: medical aesthetics, eye care, neuroscience/central nervous system disorders and gastroenterology.
Merger control rules and procedures
The transaction was notified to the Commission on 12 November 2019.
The Commission has the duty to assess mergers and acquisitions involving companies with a turnover above certain thresholds (see Article 1 of the Merger Regulation) and to prevent concentrations that would significantly impede effective competition in the EEA or any substantial part of it.
The vast majority of notified mergers do not pose competition problems and are cleared after a routine review. From the moment a transaction is notified, the Commission generally has a total of 25 working days to decide whether to grant approval (Phase I) or to start an in-depth investigation (Phase II). This deadline is extended to 35 working days in cases where remedies are submitted by the parties, such as in this case.
More information will be available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case number M.9461.
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The Freelancers' Show 129 - Managing Remote Teams with Matt Kern
The freelancers talk to Matt Kern about managing remote teams.
[This episode is sponsored by LessAccounting. Are you looking for a system that makes it easy to track all your expenses, income and your budget? Is QuickBooks too much of a pain for you? It was, for me, and I switched to LessAccounting and I love it. It makes things really easy to keep track of and it gives me a lot of charts and graphs to make it easy for me to look at and just know where I'm at with my expenses and everything else. One of the owners, Allan Branch, and his son have written a book for entrepreneurs” children that talks about what entrepreneurs do and why they're important. If you're interested in that, you can go to lessaccounting.com/hero]**[This episode is brought to you by Audible. Audible is the first place I go to keep my business skills sharp. They offer over 150,000 books on business, finance, planning and much more. They also have a great selection of fiction that keeps me entertained when I'm just not up for some serious content. I love it because I can buy a book, download it to my iPhone, and listen while running errands or at the gym. Get your free trial at freelancersshow.com/audible]**[This episode is brought to you by Code School. Code School offers interactive online courses in Ruby, JavaScript, HTML, CSS and iOS. Their courses are fun and interesting and include exercises for the student. To level up your development skills, go to freelancersshow.com/codeschool]**[This episode is brought to you by ProXPN. If you are out and about on public Wi-Fi, you never know who might be listening. With ProXPN, you no longer have to worry. ProXPN is a VPN solution which sends all of your traffic over a secure connection to one of their servers around the world. To sign up, go to ProXPN.com and use the promo code tmtcs (short for teach me to code screencasts) to get 10% off for life] **CHUCK: Hey everybody and welcome to episode 129 of the Freelancers’ Show. This week on our panel we have Curtis McHale. CURTIS: Good day. CHUCK: Reuven Lerner. REUVEN: Hi everyone. CHUCK: Eric Davis. ERIC: Hi. CHUCK: I’m Charles Max Wood. And this week we have a special guest, Matt Kern. MATT: Hello. CHUCK: Matt, you want to give us your origins story? I use that term now if our guests are like superheroes, right? MATT: [Chuckles] Oh boy. Yeah, here we go. I think I’m coming on to talk about remote teams, so I’ll try to keep it somewhat related to that. I’ve been consulting for a long time now – I guess 12 years or something like that, and about five of those now have been remote. Well, actually remote with remote teams, and they’ve all been remote. I’ve fairly ever actually worked on-site. I guess I’ve gone the gamut from programming language to programming language from PHP, through – actually, I guess going way back from Perl to PHP to Ruby on Rails and now I'm dabbling on a whole bunch of other stuff and a lot of iOS these days. My company at the moment is called Bloomcrush. It’s going through iterations probably as much as our software does, I guess [chuckles]. That’s the current iteration of it, anyway. I guess we’re between 8 and 10 people typically; I think right now we’re 8. That’s decent enough summary, I think. CHUCK: Awesome. But you didn’t use the terms mild-mannered. MATT: No, I didn’t. I’m not wearing glasses right now either, so contacts [crosstalk]. CHUCK: So if you put on a cape, we’ll know who you are. MATT: Oh the cape’s in the closet. CHUCK: Got it. Awesome. Do you usually wind up leading the teams or working on the teams? Where are you at with remote teams? MATT: That changes a lot, I guess. These days, mostly, I set teams up and then we bounce in and out of project management for most of the projects. We tend to only have a few projects at a time, so I try to stay pretty hands-on, but I also have a great team, so it helps a lot. And actually, that’s probably the thing that I’ve learned the most, is that the team matters more than anything else and all of the guys that I have working for me have all worked remotely for quite some time, too. So yeah, I do a little bit of both and often times I will work on the project, as well. But these days, there’s enough work to keep me busy outside of that. I haven’t done a lot of that of late. CHUCK: I have to ask before we get into how you manage your team, I’m really curious how you make a transition from being the guy to being the boss, or to being the guy that built the team. I think that’s relevant to managing the team once you get it up together. MATT: Yeah, definitely. From what I’ve heard on this show so far in past episodes, I think my story’s pretty similar with everyone else’s where I started off as a solo freelancer and eventually just had too much work to take on, and then brought in one guy, and then that kind of turned to two guys, and then it continued to grow. I’ve always tried to keep a relatively small team. There’s not really any real good reason for that other than the fact that I can’t quite clone myself yet. It’s kind of been an organic transition I guess I'd say, and as far as it being remote, it was sort of out of necessity because I’ve always lived in kind of strange places these days. I'm in France, and typically I live in Bend, Oregon, which is kind of close enough to some of the tech centers of the West Coast, but it’s just far enough away that there’s not a lot of development out there – although that is changing, I suppose. I’ve always had to be remote because of the places that I’ve chosen to live. I’ve had as many as, I think, one or two guys at a time working in the same city. But even when we worked in the same city, it’s never in the same office. I’ve always kind of looked at an office as overhead that isn’t really necessary and I like my margins the way they are. CHUCK: Cool. So, once you get to enough people to where you’re – it sounds like you’re spending more time managing the team than actually working in the project itself? MATT: Yeah, these days. CHUCK: So what do you do? What does your day look like? MATT: [Chuckles] It’s a lot of sales these days. Actually, most of it I'd say is managing the client, not managing the team. I think client expectations are probably the hardest thing in managing a remote team. Especially in some of these cases, we started off as sort of less remote I would say, and maybe the same state, and then I’ve decided to go off to Europe for a while, so we became very remote. And then we had tons of issues and so on and so forth. I spend at least 50%, maybe 70% of everyday working with the clients – multiple clients for the multiple projects. And then outside of that, trying to keep the pipeline full, which is always a fair amount of work for all of us, I think. I would say that I spend much less time and energy on my team than my clients. But at the same time, there is a need even with strong leads. I end up spending a fair amount of time with making sure that everyone’s still on track. I think the key to the remote team so far has been over-communication. Everybody is always in Campfire and available on chats, and without that bit – including the client, by the way; we also have our clients in our Campfires. There’s always a backchannel, of course, but they don’t always know that, so hopefully not all of them are listening [chuckling]. That’s probably most of my time – just managing the client. It doesn’t mean necessarily like the client is gathering; a lot of it is just status updates. I despise meetings, so I try to keep them to a minimum and that’s probably most of the reason that we use Campfire so much. We can keep the client pretty abreast of the things that are happening through Campfire without having to have meetings. But I do have at least a weekly meeting with every one of my clients. And some of them, a couple of them, so. REUVEN: When you say weekly meeting, obviously that’s going to be remote, right? MATT: Yeah, of course. We bounce back and forth between technologies on this, from Skype to Hangouts, but Hangouts” really been, probably the most enabling technology that we’ve used for the remote team thing, because without it face-time is pretty much impossible. I’ve got a team that’s as far-flung as most of my teams typically are. So a typical team for us is, well these days, like I said, I’m in Europe, and then one of the bigger projects we have going right now – we’ve got a great dev in Germany, another one in Vancouver, Washington, another one in the UK, and then of course me bouncing in and out of it [inaudible] a guy in Ecuador. I’ve kind of always just taken the attack of hiring the best talent I could find wherever it is and figuring out how to make it work later. That’s worked out pretty well so far. It also helps if you like your team [chuckles]. When you’re dealing with time zones like we are, there’s a lot of time that you may not actually be building or working, but you’re still in channel, responding to things when you need to. It makes a big difference to like hanging out with the people, at least hanging out in terms of IRC or Campfire. CHUCK: How do you find your people? Especially since they're near-shore or offshore? MATT: Entirely word of mouth. Boy, I don’t think I’d ever looked at resume or anything like that; it’s always word of mouth. Usually I’ll find one person and that person will lead to another, and that person will lead to another, and that’s pretty much the way that that works. I don’t know, I think as long as you’re relatively well-connected in the community, I think it’s pretty easy to find people. The challenge is finding people that are willing to take on contracting full-time. And I hire – when I say “hire”, I run kind of a strange model, but at least I think it’s strange anyway and from what I’ve seen, it’s relatively strange – I don’t hire any employees, actually. All of my people are subcontractors. I’ve toyed with the idea of taking that to the opposite extreme and having everybody being employees or asking them if they want to. In almost every case, my guys have all said they’d rather remain contractors. I don’t know if that’s a reflection on me or not; it could be. But I think for the most part, they enjoy their freedom and I pay them better, because [chuckles] they're contractors and pretty much everybody that I’ve ever worked with has stuck around unless the client work itself has just burned them out. But I generally find a contractor or ten and just keep working with them until someone comes up, I guess. REUVEN: I assume that keeping everyone as contractors also makes it simpler, because you’ve got people in different states and different countries. And this way, you pay them a certain amount of money, you don’t have to worry about they’re on your payroll, they’re living here, they’re living there, whatever. MATT: Yeah, most definitely. I think, especially with the international connections, I can’t imagine the headaches that would come out of trying to deal with the task burdens and the paperwork and all that stuff that comes out of trying to have foreign employees in a US company. REUVEN: I can [chuckles]. MATT: It just makes things so simple. [Chuckles] REUVEN: You’re a wise man. Don’t do it. [Laughter] MATT: Yeah. It’s worked out pretty well. Honestly, the only tough thing about the international thing that I think I’ve ran into, really, is banking. Some of the countries out there, namely Ecuador, can be a little bit of a challenge to get wires through. Most of my guys, at least two have a US connection where they can have US bank accounts, so I just transfer their money there. Otherwise the international wire can be a bit of a pain but tolerable, anyway. It’s all up in the paperwork that comes along with the other options. CHUCK: Yeah, I have a subcontractor in Argentina. We’ve jumped through several hoops before we found a way that routinely works for me to pay him. MATT: I’m just going to say that I think that’s the biggest – getting it initially setup, and then it’s pretty simple. And it actually depends on your bank a fair amount too. I use a pretty small local bank in small town Bend, Oregon. It’s been a little bit challenging but it seems to work out ok. REUVEN: Just treading on this subject, I have this guy who’s working for me from Ukraine doing some subcontracting. It’s this whole complicated situation with a client, and he’s in the US, and he’s paying me to do the development, and I’m managing. Anyway, after a whole period where I thought, “Ok, everything’s going to be really settled.” I went to the bank two days ago, three days ago. I said, “I want to make a wire to Ukraine.” They said, “You can’t do that. They’re in a state of war. We don’t transfer to Ukraine now.” I was like, “First of all, I don’t know if this is really a situation where we’ll be pointing fingers. But second of all, really?” So we had to do – they were yelling at me, I was yelling at them; there was a lot of scrambling to figure out who’s doing what, where, when. Finally they got back to me and said, “Yes, it is possible, because it’s not in Crimea; it’s elsewhere.” MATT: I haven’t have had that problem yet, but that’s pretty [inaudible]. CHUCK: You mentioned that you’ve kind of overdo it on the communication. I’m wondering – are there specific things that you make sure that you communicate about? Or are there certain processes that you follow when you communicate certain things? MATT: Yeah. I think actually a lot of it is less –. When I say over-communicate, I think I’m more specifically saying that we use tools that allow us to keep the client in very close touch with what’s going on. We use Basecamp; we use the standard things that – maybe you don’t use Basecamp and Campfire, maybe you use HipChat and another product, but whatever. Most consultant companies these days are using something to manage their product or something like that, right? But most of our communication doesn’t happen in those channels. At least in Basecamp – I try to avoid Basecamp like the plague because it’s so slow back and forth – everybody knows the problems with Basecamp. But between Campfire and sending notifications – not too many, but enough – so that the client will be aware of what’s being committed. In most of the cases, my clients are not sophisticated enough to parse and read a commit log, so it’s just to show that there is work happening and that it is in this general area. My team is very disciplined when it comes to things like git commit logs. We use GitHub Issues for most of our communication around features and stories and story breakdowns, and we really try to keep the tooling as simple as possible, but just enough that people are able to keep up without having to ping each other. I think we sort of follow a similar approach to what I’ve heard GitHub does where they try to make it so that everyone can work as asynchronously as possible, but the information is out there if you need it. I think there is a tendency to over-communicate on a remote team, which is just as deadly as under-communicating. I think a lot of it just takes time and experience and gelling with the team and the client to figure out what appropriate level of communication is. But really, most of this is –. REUVEN: Let me ask you about that. We’ve been having a little conversation, some joking on the backchannel here about over-communication. First of all, do you mean over-communication within the team or over-communication with the client? And second of all, what does that mean? Does it just mean too much information, too many messages, instead of just giving a daily summary? Give us some examples of what over-communication would be like. CHUCK: I was thinking signal-to-noise, but I’m not sure which mean, neither. MATT: Yeah. Well, it is somewhat a function of signal-to-noise. I think we have a – at least in my experience, we have less of a tendency to over-communicate because we’re, generally, pretty busy with things. But the client can [inaudible] and try to parse out huge brain dumps of 15 different stories in one email. And also, when things get dumped into several different channels, it’s also a waste of time. So I think when I’m saying over-communicate, I’m generally talking about the client over-communicating with us, which is not a bad problem to have except for the fact that it can be a pretty large sap on the project if you have to spend too much time trying to figure out what needs to get done because it’s coming in email, and it’s coming in Basecamp, and it’s coming in –. I guess resolving those multiple channels can be difficult. I think that’s probably more of what I’m talking about when I say it’s possible to over-communicate. In general, I personally think it is possible to over-communicate. By that, I mean spending too much time hashing out an issue that may not actually even be to the forefront. One of the things that we try to do pretty rigorously is we don’t really keep super close track of things as far as wish-list type things that clients may want, like “Oh, we should do this one thing”, and they’ll mention it once. We don’t go around and write that down somewhere, generally. I don’t write everything down until I’ve heard it at least a couple of times, because if it’s only said once, it’s not a pinpoint, it’s not something that needs to be solved. If I hear it several times, then I will write it down and it will bubble up again. I think a lot of it depends on how much your clients communicate with you to sort of find that balance. Does that answer your question at all? CHUCK: Yeah, I think so. REUVEN: Yeah. CHUCK: One other question I have is what types of things do you communicate in your task-tracking system, for a lack of a better term? And what kinds of things do you communicate in your other systems like your chat, or maybe a wiki for documentation or things like that? MATT: We pretty much just use – we want to get as simple as possible, like I said. Most of our communication happens in Campfire and GitHub and sometimes in code. We don’t keep wikis; we keep that stuff in a ReadMe, or otherwise in the code basis themselves. Our issue management is all in GitHub Issues and we just use – we make very heavy use of pull requests and the ability to do the checkmark stuff as tasks in GFM; I think GitHub Flavored Markdown is really useful. Our issues tend to be really detailed, but then it’s nice because we can track the comments pretty easily and the code with those comments in that issue itself, and that’s worked out really well for us. We usually use a whole lot of other tools and we’ve really streamlined over the last, I’d say, two years and watched a lot of the tools that we used to use sort of fall away because they’re just not necessary anymore. I should also mention, you were asking what types of things go in what types of communication channels. In general, this is probably the hardest thing to train your clients on because most clients have never worked this way before. I think kind of holding their hands and being patient with them at the beginning as they spew across multiple tools is pretty tough but it pays off dividends in the end. And the way that we generally approach is when we first open a Basecamp project, we set out that this is for things that we want to archive for later or that don’t require a whole lot of discussion, just a place to keep things that don’t need responses right away, and please never send me an email. [Laughter] Campfire is generally for things that if you need an answer now, you may not get the answer right away, but you’ll get a faster answer there than you will on Basecamp, and just in general, things that need a little bit more synchronous communication. But like I said, we still keep it relatively synced because I don’t expect people to pull off with what they’re doing to answer a question in Campfire. I really wish these two tools were named something a little bit more disparate so I didn’t always confuse them. And then the stuff that’s actually issue-related pretty much like design – that all ends up in GitHub Issues. It takes a little bit of time to get to the point that the types of communication are well demarcated, but it does eventually fall out. And again, I think this depends on, more than anything else, on your team being rigorous about their own communication and not letting those lines blur; because once the lines blur, the client – all bets are off and you have to retrain. It’s a little bit like housebreaking a pet. REUVEN: I was curious to know if your clients were technical, non-technical companies, a mix, if you found differences in the way you want to communicate and how to communicate with those different kinds of clients. MATT: Yes, totally different. We do have a mix. We’re kind of all over the board with these types of gigs we take on and I definitely have my preferences. I would say from an ease of contract perspective that I definitely prefer the more technical clients. If you’re taking on a startup where one of the founding members is an engineer, that tends to make things a little bit easier, but it can also make things more difficult, of course. If they are set in their ways about the way they do things and they want you to follow their procedures instead of yours, usually we’ll walk from a contract like that. But for the non-technical – for those guys, you really have to hold their hands the entire time, at least for the first few weeks of the contract. And often times, like gentle nudging reminders over and over and over and over. You’ll get an email, and you’ll be like “Hey, this is a great email. Thanks so much. But this would’ve really been backshooted for Basecamp so we can keep track of it.” So it really does depend on the type of client. The non-technical needs way more hand-holding because they’re not just used to the tools, like even getting something like Google Hangouts working, which is really simple most of the time; sometimes, it doesn’t work, can be a real challenge for a non-technical user even just finding it. CHUCK: Is it counter-productive to copy it over there for them for the first little while, say, “I’m putting this in the system and I will reply to you there?” MATT: No, absolutely not. We do that all the time, in fact. Or actually, more common than that, I will ask them to do it, and if they don’t do it within a day or two, then I will go back into it. Again, this all requires a fair amount of – it almost feels like baby-sitting but it’s really worth it. I don’t know how many of you are parents, but it’s like having younger children and spending time with them and working with them to do the things that you know are the right way to do things that will pay off in the end, and then reaping the benefits as they become well up until teenager maybe. REUVEN: Yes. My children are very appreciative for all the lessons I give them for how to live a better life. [Chuckling] MATT: That’s why I left out the teenager part. [Laughter] REUVEN: Oh, oh. They were grateful and thankful and non-sarcastic long before they were teenagers. [Laughter] CHUCK: I kind of want to change tactics a little bit and talk a little bit more about how do you – because I’m in the mode where I have been selling myself and my services for so long, that now that I’ve kind of got a guy and I’m looking to hire another guy or another programmer. How do you make that transition marketing-wise? MATT: Oh boy. That is a good question. Like I said, when we started it was a pretty organic transition at first, although I will say that my company as it currently exists, I am now – actually, I'm the only employee. But before this, I had worked with a business partner and he was sort of crucial in making these transitions for me, actually. In other words, kind of prodding me along to like, “Look, there’s more work. Don’t turn it down. Let’s take it and we know plenty of people and we all like to work together, so let’s make it happen.” To be honest, I have a hard time answering this question because the marketing piece – I don’t market almost at all. In fact, in my twelve years of consulting, I have never had more than a placeholder page for my website [chuckles], and still is the case. There's not even contact information, because I can’t keep up with it. So for the marketing perspective, I really can’t answer the question; I wish I could. But from the sales perspective, I don’t think it’s a big difference because my team’s – I hire, again, subcontractors. But I hire better than myself; that’s what I’ve always done. I’ve always believed in surrounding myself with smarter people than me, and I’ve been successful with that with this company. So for me, to sell my team is like selling myself but way better, so it’s easy. I think it’s a little harder when you start – when the numbers start to creep up pretty high, and our rates are pretty high, and so you can deal pretty quickly with numbers that make clients uncomfortable, but at the end of the day you still have to just ask for it. That’s the only way you get those rates. I’ve heard of many times, on this podcast even, that you have to sell what you think you’re worth, and I know that my team is that good, so it’s not really that hard. CHUCK: Yeah, I totally agree on the count of “sell for what you’re worth” and ask for your value from the client. The thing is that, when I try and do some of the selling, a lot of times they’ll talk to me, “Well, where is your team located?” and I’m kind of like, “Well, we’re all over the place”, and then they start asking “What countries?”, so then I tell them, “There’s me, and there’s my guy in Argentina, and I’ve got a few other folks that I work with here state-side, and blah blah blah”, and they get worried about the guy offshore or they get worried about this or that. They trust me, but they’ve heard nightmare stories, or they’ve actually hired offshore and had trouble and so they’re really leery. I mean, even if they were in a first-world country instead of whatever South America is – second or third world, I guess, though I don’t think they’re set back that far. But anyway, there are merging markets and things. MATT: I think you hit on two things there. One is there’s a lot of clients that are really, really, really edgy about the offshore thing in particular. I think we think less of it now because it’s become more and more commonplace and it doesn’t necessarily have the connotations that it did, say, ten years ago. The sad thing is that it really does – like when that question of “where are your guys located” comes up, it’s always a tough one to handle because there are certain countries, unfortunately, that no matter what you say – and they tend to be countries like India and the Eastern bloc that just have this reputation of not being up to par, which is unfortunate because it’s ridiculous. The way that I generally handle that – well one, I actually don’t have any people in either of those places right now, so it hasn’t been a problem, but I have had in the past. Generally, the way that I handle it is that I don’t talk it as an offshoring ever. And as soon as they to talk about offshoring, I’d reposition it. The other thing that I do is tell them that, “Look, I hire the best people that I can find no matter where they live. I also pay my people the same no matter where they live.” So it’s not like I’m looking to save a buck and find somebody in the country that has a less privileged position economically, but that seems to generally stir them away from that concern. And there is some level of – if you’re talking to a client that’s really, really putting up a lot of objections around the remote thing, they’re not going to want to work with me either, because I’m remote. I never promise to stay in one place, generally. Then again, this comes out of being in places that tend to be either newly-entrepreneurial places or places that there just isn’t much market for the work that I do, but I like to travel and I like to be in places that I want to live. So I would say that at some level you have to cut your loss if a client’s put enough too much of a front on it, but in general, I think it’s pretty easy. If they’re talking to you and they know that you’re remote already, it should be relatively easy to transfer that into a remote team. Now, the other thing that I think you touched on is that – and this is the problem that I’ve always had and am now just starting to take it out of – is this notion of clients coming along and wanting to hire you. And this goes back to our earlier conversation around how do you make the transition from selling yourself to selling the team. I think that most of that for me has come out of forcing the issue, like, “Yes, I’m more than happy to work with you and yes I have oversight over all of my teams. And yes, I promise you – you trust me, because you’re wanting to hire me based on my name – but I promise you that I have hired better than me. Like hands down.” And at that point, the argument pretty much goes away. And again, if there’s too much of a pushback or anything, and that’s just the right client and you move on. But in general, those are the two things that I think come up the most often with the set up that I’m running right now. And that you're about to, it sounds like. REUVEN: Let me just respond, as well. I’ve heard these objections; it sounds like you actually handle them, or seem to handle them better than I do in many ways, because a lot of times people – with people I speak to, they’re not considerate of where people are offshoring from as a matter of quality. They’re just worried about, “Oh, you’re not in my time zone. You’re not local.” So I definitely found – and I mean like you’re in France now; I live in Israel. I’ve definitely found that just telling, “Listen, I grew up in the US. I have degrees – high school, college degrees from the US. My English is fine. I work crazy hours. You will hear from me. I’m available during a business day. Communication is not going to be an issue.” And some people buy it and some people don’t. And the ones who buy it turn out to be, generally, good clients because there’s already the element of trust to some degree. But I’ve definitely been, shall we say, less successful than it sounds like you’ve been at sort of selling people who work for me to work with these people. Because they come to me and they're like, “Oh, wow. We want to work with you. We’ve heard about you.” I’ll say, “Well, I can give you a few hours a week, but the day-to-day coding’s going to be done by someone else.” And I think that’s actually good for them, because it means there’s someone dedicated working on the project, but they don’t always see it that way. It definitely takes some convincing. And again, some people take it more than others. And those who take it, again, turn out to be good clients, generally, and pretty satisfied. MATT: Yeah, but that’s a great way to handle it by saying, “You can have some of my time, but here’s the two thing that are going to happen. One is you can’t have all of it because I don’t have it. Two, if you want some of it, it’s going to cost even more.” I mean, if you – well, this isn’t a word, I think – disincentivized having you in the team, like you said, they either go away or stick around. And if they decide that they want you five hours a week and you tell them that your rate is 500 bucks an hour, okay, that’s not a bad thing. And I think it is really key to the clients that will stick around for that, the clients that will reason with you on this – those are the clients that you want anyway. The clients that just can’t get it out of their heads, that this isn’t the best thing for them, they could not be great clients because they’re already not trusting you and you’re starting off on the wrong foot. So I think you really have to build that trust up front and if they’re not there, then you move on. CHUCK: One of the things that I’ve had come up with working with remote teams is that a lot of times, somebody will go off for several days working on some branch of or some feature, and then they come back and they’re done, and things have moved on since then. They haven’t kept up, or if they have kept up, there was so much going on otherwise that they couldn’t quite keep up. Is there a way to manage things so that you don’t run into that problem? MATT: Yeah, definitely. We used to do daily standups and we still do quite a few standups, but during the summer it’s a little bit harder. In general, I think it’s just important that you’ve got somebody on point that’s watching. And I don’t mean like watching like Big Brother over your shoulder, but I mean you do have to pay attention. And this is one of the reasons that I think I spend a fair amount of my time running it between projects. And it’s something that, if I was fully honest, I would like to not spend so much time doing. But I think that the way that the business is setup now kind of requires it until, like I said, I can clone myself. So the way that I handle it is just by being pretty deeply involved in each of the project. It doesn’t necessarily mean that I know everything that’s going on in every project that’s running, but I do keep pretty in touch with those projects. So there isn’t really a chance for a few days of off on a branch that nobody really knows what you’re doing or if it’s still relevant to the thing that you’re supposed to be working on. We tend to work on pretty short iterations anyway, so that kind of solves the problem as it is. And then it’s just that being in constant contact again. It also helps to have – we’re a pretty flat organization, but I do tend to put somebody in – if it’s a larger team, a team of maybe three of four people or a team that I know that I’m going to need a little bit more bandwidth for management than I can give, I definitely like to have one of my guys be more active in the management role just kind of making sure that things are prioritized and that people have tasks and some of those tasks are being worked on appropriately. I think a lot of that – the success of that depends on the person being involved in the project. I don’t have teams big enough that I really need a project manager separate; and if I do, I tend to fill that role because I don’t think it’s enough of a role on the projects that we happen to work on. I’m sure there are projects that require that, but that’s – those just haven’t been the ones that we’ve been tackling. REUVEN: I've actually found in talking to some clients that that’s a huge advantage in getting business. I spoke to some people where they say, “Ok, you’re a developer and the people who work for you are developers. Are we going to have to work with a project manager to communicate with you?” I say, “No, no. You’ll be talking to me and to the developers and we’re not only good at software, but we’re good at talking to people.” There’s a huge sigh of relief of, “Oh my god. Less bureaucracy to deal with. Thank goodness.” MATT: Absolutely. I found the exact same thing, yeah. CHUCK: Yeah, I think my experience is along those same lines. MATT: It’s funny once people get past the, “Oh my god, you’re a developer and you can talk to people?” [Chuckles] Once that’s gone, it’s the best thing they’ve ever heard [chuckles]. CHUCK: Well, it’s not just that, but it’s like, “Ok, well we’ve been talking about this. You understand where I’m coming from and you want to hand me off to someone else?” I mean, it just doesn’t work. MATT: It’s one less layer of interaction of abstraction too, right? And it’s just more efficient. Again, I’m sure there are times where it’s probably not a bad idea; I just haven’t seen them yet. The one thing I will say about that real quick is time zones have to come up at some point. Reuven, you talked about it briefly, but the time zone thing is difficult; I won’t lie about that. That’s definitely the hardest thing to deal with this distributed team thing, especially when you’re distributed. It’s one thing to be distributed across the US, like you got a worker in California; you got a worker in New York – that’s a decent time zone change. It’s a whole another story when you’re dealing with the rest of the world. One of the ways that we handle that is that I don’t like making people work –. First of all, I can’t make people do anything; they’re all subcontractors. That’s one benefit. But I don’t like asking my people to work late at night, but I do need some overlap, and generally, I kind of let people make their own hours and say, “Look, let’s see how this project goes. If this project needs more overlap then let’s float towards that idea, I guess. And if it needs less, then it can float towards the other idea of have a normal working day.” And it seems to work pretty well. I think, again, it’s probably is a function of working with a great team that these guys have done this for a long time. So generally, if there’s work to be done that needs to get done in this certain time, and there needs to be communication, then people show up. Probably the biggest downside to this is that I think, especially for those of us that are in Europe, we end up working longer days but maybe not always working. In other words, you’re kind of available. Like you get up, do your thing, and then you start working at 12 or 1, and you’re not really working yet, but you’re kind of working. Then, really, it starts in earnest much later. So your days end up much longer, but you may not be getting as much done in a compressed amount of time. So that’s probably the biggest downside to this. If you can handle it, it’s great. But if it drives you insane to sometimes you have to wait until 2 o’clock in the morning to have a call, then it’s probably not for you. Or don’t move to Europe is the other option, I suppose. [Inaudible] I’m also pretty rigorous and strict about, we don’t do calls after this time. So much of it is about discipline, really. CHUCK: One other thing that I ran into when I was a part of a remote team is that our project manager – they actually had a project manager, this particular client, and he liked to have this super long meetings for like estimations and things. And I’m just not a fan of sitting and talking for 5 hours about what we’re going to do; I’d rather just do it. But some of that needs to happen. I mean, a lot of times a client wants to know when stuff’s going to be done or how much or how long and all that stuff. Do you just do that? Or do you have your team kind of collaborate on estimates somehow? How do you handle that? MATT: This may sound somewhat ludicrous but we don’t do estimates. We’ll do some pointing and some basic estimations but –. CHUCK: Yeah. That’s all I’m looking for. MATT: The client, they don’t get estimates on anything. We just work by the hour or by the week. Actually, most of us work by the week these days; I actually can’t say anymore – by the week or by the month these days. But yeah, internally, we have to have those discussions but it really does fall more out of the GitHub Issues I think, and we don’t so much formalize the pointing anymore and a lot of that has just been pretty straight off the bat saying, “No, we don’t have – I’ll give you like kind of loose ballpark, off-the-cuff ideas to when will it be delivered,” but we don’t do it. And again the clients that don’t trust us don’t stick around, and the clients that do, do. REUVEN: Wow. I’m very impressed [chuckles]. MATT: It doesn’t always work. It’s not perfect, but I think part of that is that we also run super low obligation contracts. So if you want to work with us for 15 minutes and it doesn’t work out, then you pay for 15 minutes and go away. But I think that that also puts a fair amount of trust; I think it offers a fair amount of trust anyway that the client can choose to take or not. So like I said, it doesn’t always work. There are always some clients that just insist on “we have to have estimates”, and generally we’ll just say, “Look, that’s not how we work so if you want to find somebody who does that, and there are lots of firms that are more than happy to do that, and you’ll find out why we don’t do it.” [Laughter] REUVEN: I’m impressed, not only because – as a general strategy, this is really impressive and it’s nice that you were able to get such trust with your clients, but I’m dealing now with a client where we’ll see if I decide to continue with them, or they decide to continue with me, I mean basically, we just worked on stuff for about 3 months now and they have been griping nonstop about “Well, you're going over your estimates, going over your estimates, going over your estimates.” So a friend of mine who pulled me into this project and was like the acting CTO finally got fed up with this and yesterday put together a whole PowerPoint for the CEO of the company and showed that “Yes, in the first phase we delivered two days late and we’re 13% over-budget. And the second phase we delivered on time and we’re 3% over-budget.” But in each case, we also delivered three times as much functionality as they originally asked for. But no one’s been talking about that. They’ve just been talking about, “But your original estimates said x and y and z.” It’s such a torturous relationship to deal with because they’re always looking at the dark side of things and they weren't looking at, “But wait, you have a working application. You can actually launch. You can make money now.’ MATT: Yeah, I think that’s the problem with estimates. Like I said, it doesn’t work for all clients and it sure as hell doesn’t work with all teams. But if you have the right team, it can work – and again it doesn’t work for every project we’ve ever worked on and yes of course, we get people that get upset and say, “You haven’t done this,” or “You haven’t done that”, but [inaudible], but we never told we were going to. [Chuckles] CHUCK: For me, the estimate’s like the pointing – if you’re non-technical, basically, you just assign a complexity or a similar value to it. The thing that’s nice is that then you can do points which don’t really mean anything, but you can actually then kind of track and say, “Okay we slowed way down this week. What’s going on?” or things like that, which is nice. But with the estimates with the clients, I start to sound like a broken record while I’m doing the estimate. “This is just an estimate, it’s just a guess, it’s just a guess, it’s just a guess, it’s just a guess, it’s just a guess,” and then turn around and when you’re off the estimate over, under, whatever, then they're like, “But that was nowhere close to the estimate”, and I’m sitting there going, “I didn’t drill into you, this is just a guess, this is just a guess, this is just a guess.’ MATT: Yeah, right, right. I think just by putting the estimate out there, I think it gives them something to fixate on, right? So it doesn’t matter that you delivered all those things; what you didn’t do is what they’re going to fixate on. The other way that I will often explain why we don’t do estimates – I don’t explain it very often because if I have to explain it too often then it’s obviously not working anyway – but if I give it a few shots, then generally what I’ll say is that, “Look, we can come up with an estimate, it’s just going to be an estimate at the end anyway, so you’re not any closer to what we wanted anyway. And the reality is it’s going to take us probably – depending on the task that you want us to do or the story that we’re going to implement – it may take me five minutes to estimate or may take me a week to break a story down into other things. And we just tend to like to do things a little bit organic than that. In fact, the current name of my company is based much around this notion of software’s gardening, software’s nurturing and tending instead of this really science-driven technical, sterile variety of company names that are out there, I suppose. This comes somewhat from that that we’d like to more organic about the way this stuff works. And I like efficiency, and honestly, what I think ends up happening pretty quickly in most of our projects is that the clients see the result and see that it actually does work this why and stop asking for estimates. Sometimes they still ask but that’s usually one somebody that’s not involved in the project that’s coming up and saying, “Why is this costing so much?’ CHUCK: Now, when people need to collaborate on a feature, do you just let them figure out the timing, so if there is a time zone issue you just let them figure out who’s going to get up early or who’s going to stay up late to make it work? MATT: I do try to be somewhat strategic about the teams that I put together so I try to keep time zones as close as I can. If there’s a client in New York – the East Coast are nice because they can work pretty much in any time zone. I guess there’s a few places in the world that it doesn’t work. Japan maybe, it’s a little bit difficult, but in general they’re fine with Europe, they’re fine with the West Coast time zone. CHUCK: Right. Because you're within three or four hours, right? MATT: Yeah, those are easy to deal with. What becomes hard is when you’re like dealing with the client that’s on the West Coast and you’re, say, the person you want to put on the project is in Poland or something. I generally try to keep the teams as close in time zone as possible, but I will never ever compromise the team for time zones. It will always be the right team for this particular job. One of the teams that I have right now has somebody in Canada, in B.C., and I think the furthest East time zone would be Central European. Like I said, I don’t worry about that too much. As far as how they handle their workloads, I leave it up to them for the most part. I wish I had the magic bullet for this stuff, and if I do it is really just hiring well. It’s finding the right people for these tasks, for these teams, because they do a good job of breaking themselves up into time blocks that need to happen. It also helps sometimes I think if you can keep things somewhat – like break the time zones on a functional basis. In other words [inaudible] design a farther away time zone than the engineering staff is that it doesn’t matter so much. Again, speaking of time zones, one of the other nice sells on the time zone thing especially for projects that have tight deadlines which is sort of a misnomer – we really don’t [inaudible][chuckles]. Anyway, it’s nice to picture that as a benefit that people are in multiple time zones because you have developers working practically around the clock. And it’s a dangerous one because it was one that was thrown around a lot back in the days of offshoring for cost benefit. But some clients like to hear it, and you’re just going to have to gauge your client on it. CHUCK: I’d like to hear a little bit more about your hiring process. You said that mostly people know who you are, you’ve worked with somebody who knows them, and so that’s how you find people. But how do you make sure that they are a good fit for this kind of thing? MATT: Well for the most part, I need to know at least a few of the people that have either worked for them. It’s all really a word of mouth and reference-based. You can actually ask [inaudible] more about it [chuckles]. I just don’t really have a process around it. There’s a fair amount, at least I think in the way that I’ve run my business of needing to find – my ex-business partner used to have this analogy of a “One Hand Clapping” and that you need to find the second hand. So I often have a case where I’ll have a client that I would really like to take on but I don’t have the people because I don’t run a bench, which is unfortunate. But the flip side of that is that I’ll also often run into a case where I know somebody that I really would like to work with who has just come available, and I can’t snap them up because I don’t have the client. So it’s been a bit of serendipity that I’ve been able to find people that I’ve respected and that have other contacts and other references that respect them that have been willing to come on board. And then in most cases, the person that I bring on board, the people that I bring on board have sort of another layer of, ‘these are the people that I would like to work with’ so I make it a priority to go, “fine, let’s get those guys on the team, get those girls on the team.’ That’s really been how I’ve hired, and it’s pretty much been since day one. CHUCK: Have you ever lost anyone because you don’t have a bench? MATT: I have, although – it was unfortunate. It’s the reason that my business partner is now my ex-business partner, or at least one of them. We lost –basically the way that it works – you guys know this as well as I do that you never know what clients are going to roll off and when. You hope to have some notice, but sometimes you don’t. And in this particular case, somebody that I’ve very much would have liked to have kept on my team left because we rolled off a contract relatively suddenly because of an acquisition and the business partner told him that he should take something else if he was worried while I was trying to say just, “Hey, doors close, doors open. Don’t worry about it. We’ll have something really shortly”, and a week later we did, but I had already lost him. But I think that’s the only person that I’ve ever really lost. CHUCK: Are there any tax implications or things to hiring people outside the US or whatever that you have to deal with having your company in the US? MATT: No, not so much. I mean, again this is where you count in the contractors – the subcontractors – really as an advantage. As long as you’re very upfront with how the payment works and they’re responsible for all their taxes, I would say that there’s probably more likelihood of the subcontractor having to [inaudible] a little bit more than I do. For a US-based business, it’s basically just – there’s an expense going out. The money goes out and what they do with that money is up to them and then it just drops off of my balance sheet. So bottom line, no, not really; it’s pretty simple. CHUCK: So there’s no paperwork that you have to have so that the government will recognize that those went to somebody to pay for contract labor? MATT: Yes. I haven’t been into a situation – where there’s been concern that most people have with running subcontractors, which is that the IRS might consider them an employee not a sub. But with working with people from outside the country, that’s not really an issue because it doesn’t matter. The IRS has no authority over them anyway. For a couple of guys on my team, I do keep the paperwork that they give me because they’re more worried about their government wanting to track it. Their government wants to track down that I have invoices, that these invoices say this thing and it’s for this company; I keep that on file. That’s kind of the extensive paperwork. CHUCK: Alright. Well, let’s go ahead and do the picks unless there was something else we should have asked that we didn’t. MATT: I don’t think there was anything else. I did want to touch on one more thing, which is the one of the things that I think makes our internal teams work the best. I talked a bit about the client communication and then my communication with my team, but I think there’s probably an equally important, if not more important, piece to all of these, is the internal process between the teams – inside an individual team, I should say. And that is that we, I guess, I don’t know if it’s still heretical but we don’t pair generally. REUVEN: No! MATT: I know, it’s crazy. REUVEN: And that’s the way we get software done [inaudible]. MATT: It’s amazing. It’s amazing. CHUCK: All your code’s crap; we know it now. MATT: [Chuckles] We will on some things, on things that aren’t particularly [inaudible]. But we actually don’t – I don’t even think we really think of it as pairing; it’s just what it is. But we have a really, really, really rigorous set of code metrics that we expect to always be increasing, and that goes for anybody on the team including if you’re working with somebody on [inaudible] staff augmentation type of projects, so we kind of train the client to do the same. So there’s that, and then on top of that, we’re sort of very, very strict about code review, as well, so I think, in a lot of ways, that our pairing is – and again, this is slightly heretical – our pairing is slightly replaced by the code review process, but everything goes through this code review process that’s very, very, very, very detailed. And honestly, I think that probably is one of my favorite things to watch, is watching everybody reviewing each other’s code because you can see people learning as they’re committing, and then watching the reviews come in. I think that’s a pretty important piece of our process that I’ve left out originally that I wanted to make sure was out there. And actually I think for reference on that, one of my guys, Dan Kubb, did a podcast with the Ruby Rogues some time ago around both metrics and code review, I think. That’s worth looking up and listening to. CHUCK: Yeah, we talked to Dan on Ruby Rogues like two years ago. MATT: Yeah, a lot of these processes came out from Dan’s rigor around this stuff. He’s been amazingly instrumental. CHUCK: Cool. Yeah, he’s a classical guy. MATT: Yeah, he’s good. CHUCK: So you're just measuring performance that way? MATT: There’s been a lot of I guess, back and forth in code metrics, especially of late. In fact – where was that – at wroc_love just last year, which I’m trying to butcher the name of the conf – Piotr Solnica. Piotr used to work for me and Markus does now. They did a little panel there on code metrics and taking opposing views on [inaudible] code metrics and what does it mean and all that kind of stuff. [Inaudible] to be a part of – I think I actually might have the recording [inaudible] worth looking at for people. But anyway, it’s interesting. We still stay very strict about it, and I think it’s done wonders for our code and for our clients. I don’t think that we’re quite to the point that there’s always discretion involved. I think these automated code tools, these automated metric tools are great and we have a pretty extensive suite that runs. But there are still times where the rules need to be bent, and I think as long as there’s discretion involved in that, that the process works fine and that it’s an overall trend, not like every day it has to be better. There are certain days that it’s okay to drop a little bit. CHUCK: Awesome. Alright, well, let’s go ahead and do the picks. Eric, do you have some picks for us? ERIC: Yes. There’s a blog post I found few days ago called On OSS – Open Source Software – and the individual. That’s a pretty short one but it’s pretty interesting because it looked from the maintainer side of what you deal with [inaudible] when you get a popular project or you’re on a very active project. But I’ve had a lot of the same experiences, and that’s why I hold back from open-source stuff as much as I used to. CHUCK: Awesome. Curtis, what are your picks? CURTIS: I’m going to recommend sort of three books, sort of like nine books, because two of them are Omnibus Editions. It’s the Wool, Shift and Dust Omnibus books. CHUCK: My wife love those. CURTIS: I actually recommended the Wool one years ago, quite a while ago. But I read them all over a week, two weeks ago or so, and they were very, very good. CHUCK: My wife really liked those books. CURTIS: I could not convince my wife to try them. She liked Ender’s Game, but that’s about as far as she’d go. CHUCK: Nice. Reuven, what are your picks? REUVEN: I got one and a half picks for this week. My first pick – I think I mentioned in the past that I really like these Slate Political Gabfest podcast. This past week, as we’re recording, now this past Friday, they have this guy named Dan Carlin come in and be a guest panelist as well. I’ve never heard of him before, but they just keep gushing about his – what they call the Hardcore History podcast. The series they did about World War I which started just about this week a hundred years ago. And I was just in Berlin and I kept bothering my children with the fact that World War I led the World War II, and I actually realized that I didn’t know much about World War I. So I started listening to his podcast about World War I and I never would have imagined that I would be so entranced an hour and a half, I guess nearly 2 hours, into a monologue about World War I history – the first of five three-hour podcasts he did, but it’s still – it’s pretty amazing. It’s quite detailed, but it’s really helping me to understand the story. So if you’re a history buff and if you have time to listen, train, treadmill, walking, whatever, I definitely would recommend Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History and especially the ones that he did – the most recent five – on World War I. And the second recommendation is – I got hurt over the weekend; I’m doing okay now. But it occurred to me that if I did not have health insurance, I would really be in trouble. Granted everyone in Israel has health insurance and, shall we say, all other enlightened countries, ehem-ehem. But if you’re a freelancer and you don’t have some sort of health insurance, you should really seriously take a look in getting it. First of all, as people like to say, you're health is really the most important thing. And second of all, you just never know when something really unexpected and tragic can happen. And so you should deal with that in an intelligent way and get insurance. Anyway, those are my picks for this week. CHUCK: Awesome. MATT: I love the World War I one. That’s fantastic. CHUCK: Yeah, I'm definitely going to have to check that out. I got a couple of picks here that I’m going to put out there. One is that I just switched my podcasting app. I was using the iPhone podcast app for a long time, and I signed up for Ruby Tapas by Avdi Grimm, and it has an RSS feed that you can get the videos from. However, you have to do HTTP basic authentication. In other words, you have to put in a username and password. The issue there is this that the podcast app doesn’t play well with that. It doesn’t actually download them. It will stream them, but it’s still kind of busted. So, I switched over to Downcast on the iPhone and I’m really liking it. The playlist capability is better; it actually works with Ruby Tapas, which is a major plus. So yes, now I just sit and listen to podcasts all day while I work and I’m really, really enjoying it. Another pick I have is Xiki. That’s x-i-k-i (dot) org and it’s a tool – it’s a command line tool. If you’re not a technical person that does a lot on the command line, you’re probably not as interested. I’ve actually integrated it with my text editor that I do my coding in, so I can actually then use the menu-ing and command stuff that comes with Xiki. So I’m going to pick that one as well. Finally, I have been playing a lot of this game – I probably picked it in the past – called Hearthstone. It’s by Blizzard; it’s a free game. I haven’t actually put any money into it, but I’ve been enjoying it and been doing alright on it, so go check out Hearthstone. Matt, what are your picks? MATT: I've got – let’s see. I do love Hearthstone, by the way. I just started playing that; it’s pretty fun. So I’ll pick a game too. I just got done with a week’s vacation, which I also highly recommend. I think it’s the first one I’ve taken in 10 years. I ordered a game called Coup, a card game that I was lucky enough to play with a bunch of folks at a tournament conference in Sweden this year. I really enjoyed the game, so I picked it up so that the family could play, and it’s a really, really fun game. If you’ve ever played Resistance, it’s similar to that too. But it’s a simple game; you can play a lot of them in a row. It’s a pretty lightweight game; it’s really fun. It’s definitely worth playing. It also – since you are lying and bluffing and killing and plotting, it’s an interesting game to play with your family, so that’s one. One more pleasure-based one, I think I’ll also pick Born to Run, the book. I don’t know if that’s been picked before. I find that I didn’t use to be able to run until recently because of this book, largely. It has made an incredible difference in my productivity and I think my overall enjoyment of life, so I highly recommend it. It’s written really well. A book about running, I know, sounds terrible, but it actually is pretty awesome, so that’s another one. And then along the lines of the things that we’ve been talking about today, if anyone has ever tried the conference service, I think over the last – I don’t know, four or five years – I probably tried 10 different teleconference solutions out there and they’ve all just completely sucked. This one definitely sucks the least. There’s a couple of problems with it, but they’ve got a great staff that’s willing to listen and jump on the problems pretty quickly. This is called Uberconference, and the greatest thing for those of you that are possibly working outside the country or that need to call in from foreign countries, they have international lines as well. Plans are pretty reasonable, and it’s been a kind of a life saver for me. And there’s an iOS client for it, too. And then the final one that I’ll put out there is Earth Class Mail for again those of you who are kind of nomads like me, traveling around. It’s a nice way of having an address in your home country. In this case, I think it’s only for the US where you can send all your mail. I've heard a lot of problems with this sort of remailer companies, but this one has been just spectacular. They’ll even take checks, and I don’t mean like payments; they’ll actually take checks from your clients and then you can call them and they will send them to your bank for those of us who are not lucky enough to have the cool deposit via phone thing. So yeah, those are my picks. CHUCK: Very cool. Alright. You were talking about the conference; one thing that I forgot to mention is I’m going to be speaking at AirConf in October. It’s the conference that Airpair’s putting on; it’s all online and it’s basically an introduction to freelancing. If you aren’t freelance, you want to learn how, you can get the details there. I think that’s all we got. Thanks for coming Matt. MATT: Thanks for having me, it’s great. CHUCK: If people want to get hold to you or ask you questions about how all this works, is there a good way to get a hold of you? MATT: Twitter would be fine; that’d be great. I’m @lightcap on Twitter, L-I-G-H-T-C-A-P. Email’s fine, but it’s not on my website so it’s matt@bloomcrush.com. CHUCK: Alright. Well, thanks for coming guys, and we’ll catch everybody next week.[Work and learn from designers at Amazon and Quora, developers at SoundCloud and Heroku, and entrepreneurs like Patrick Ambron from BrandYourself. You can level up your design, dev and promotion skills at Level Up Con, taking place on October 8th and 9th in downtown Saratoga Springs, New York. Only two hours by train from New York City, this is the perfect place to enjoy early fall at Octoberfest, while you mingle with industry pioneers, in a resort town in upstate New York. Get your tickets today at levelupcon.com. The space is extremely limited for this premium conference experience. Don’t delay! Check out levelupcon.com now]**[This episode is sponsored by MadGlory. You've been building software for a long time and sometimes it gets a little overwhelming. Work piles up, hiring sucks and it's hard to get projects out the door. Check out MadGlory. They're a small shop with experience shipping big products. They're smart, dedicated, will augment your team and work as hard as you do. Find them online at MadGlory.com or on Twitter @MadGlory.]**[Hosting and bandwidth provided by the Blue Box Group. Check them out at BlueBox.net]**[Bandwidth for this segment is provided by CacheFly, the world’s fastest CDN. Deliver your content fast with CacheFly. Visit cachefly.com to learn more]**[Would you like to join a conversation with the Freelancers’ Show panelists and their guests? Wanna support the show? We have a forum that allows you to join the conversation and support the show at the same time. Sign up at freelancersshow.com/forum]
MAS 107: Zama Khan Mohammed
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oil and gas drilling
governor of California
Cymric Oil Field
California stiffens oversight of oil and gas drilling
The announcement by Governor Gavin Newson underscored the sharp differences between the heavily Democratic state and the Trump administration's energy dominance agenda, which has sought to ease oil and gas regulations and boost U.S. productionReuters | November 20, 2019, 13:51 IST
New Delhi: California, the seventh-biggest U.S. oil producing state, on Tuesday unveiled new regulations for drillers as it seeks to wind down its reliance on fossil fuels.
The announcement by Governor Gavin Newson underscored the sharp differences between the heavily Democratic state and the Trump administration's energy dominance agenda, which has sought to ease oil and gas regulations and boost U.S. production.
California's oil and gas regulator announced several new measures, including a moratorium on an extraction technique that uses high-pressure steam to break up oil formations underground. The practice known as cycling steam has been linked to a spill at the Cymric oil field in Kern County this year.
Of the 160 million barrels per year of oil produced in California, about 8 million comes from the kind of high-pressure cyclic steaming affected by the moratorium, according to Don Drysdale, spokesman for the state's Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources (DOGGR).
DOGGR will be renamed the Geologic Energy Management Division, or CalGEM, effective next year, the state said.
California also said it will require that pending permits for hydraulic fracturing undergo a review by a scientific panel of experts from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
The state has already been in the midst of an audit of its permitting processes since July. The audit was prompted by a report earlier this year that found that oil well approvals had gone up under Newsom.
California has a goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2045 and phasing out oil production and consumption.
"These are necessary steps to strengthen oversight of oil and gas extraction as we phase out our dependence on fossil fuels and focus on clean energy sources," Newsom said in a statement. "This transition cannot happen overnight; it must advance in a deliberate way to protect people, our environment, and our economy."
The state will also begin a formal process consider a range of options to protect public health from oil and gas operations, it said.
Environmental groups applauded the announcement.
"This is the kind of leadership necessary to make California the first major oil-producing state to phase out extraction and protect people and our planet from dirty fossil fuels," Kassie Siegel, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity, said in an emailed statement.
Tags : Oil & Gas, oil and gas drilling, hydraulic fracturing, governor of California, energy independence, Cymric Oil Field, carbon neutrality, California
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IN‑DEPTH WORK PAYS OFF
IN-DEPTH WORK PAYS OFF
45th Rally Finland, from 26 to 29 July
With its focus already shifted to next season, Citroën Total Abu Dhabi WRT's approach was rewarded with second place secured by a Mads Østberg in irresistible form. This third podium of the season, following the second and third places collected in Sweden and Mexico respectively, confirms the very high level of performance of the C3 WRC.
THE STORY OF THE RACE
Having already claimed four overall wins (2008, 2011, 2012 and 2016) here on the ultra-fast Finnish stages, where you need a precise car in which the drivers feel especially confident, Citroën have shown their value many times at this very unusual event. And this year’s rally proved to be no exception to the rule! Starting at the shakedown, where Mads Østberg – convinced he had the best car that he had ever driven on these stages (in thirteen appearances!) – topped the timesheets, followed closely by Craig Breen. It was therefore clear from the outset that the Citroen pair was going to be a force to be reckoned with this weekend. The Norwegian immediately grabbed second place when the real action began on SS2, before then taking the lead on SS4 thanks to his first stage win. With another two stage wins in the afternoon, he held the lead for four stages, before ending the opening leg in second place, just 5.8s behind Tänak, the future winner. In the meantime, Craig Breen had unfortunately picked up a puncture (SS2), which cost him 47.8s and with it, any chance of featuring among the leaders. He was unable to make up the time lost and therefore found himself high up the running order (third on the road for the next two days) on a surface where the grip improves as more cars complete the stages. However, as soon as the conditions were kinder to him, the Irishman grabbed the slightest opportunity to show his pace, as seen in the stage win on SS8 and the time set on the Power Stage (+1.7s over 11.12km), ultimately ending the rally in eighth position. On his second WRC outing of the year after Argentina, Khalid Al Qassimi’s progress was brought to a halt on Saturday morning following a mistake on SS12. He rejoined under Rally 2 rules on Sunday and went on to finish the race. Meanwhile, Mads Østberg picked up on Saturday where he had left off on Friday, holding off the constant attacks of Jari-Matti Latvala, a former three-time winner of the event. He took a 5.4s lead into Sunday’s final leg, despite being undoubtedly hampered by carrying an extra spare tyre in the afternoon loop. When the action resumed on Sunday morning, the 30 year-old Norwegian made his intentions crystal clear to his rivals with another stage win, his fourth of the weekend! He held off Latvala magnificently right to the end to finish as runner-up, his best result at this iconic rally after two third-place finishes (2013 and 2015).
Download the complete press release from the CITROËN MEDIA CENTER: https://media.citroenracing.com/en/depth-work-pays
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German submarine U-110 (1940)
German submarine U-110 was a Type IXB U-boat of Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine that operated during World War II. She was captured by the Royal Navy on 9 May 1941 and provided a number of secret cipher documents to the British. U-110's capture, later given the code name "Operation Primrose", was one of the biggest secrets of the war, remaining so for seven months. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was only told of the capture by Winston Churchill in January 1942.
U-110 and HMS Bulldog
Name: U-110
Ordered: 24 May 1938
Builder: DeSchiMAG AG Weser, Bremen
Yard number: 973
Laid down: 1 February 1940
Launched: 25 August 1940
Commissioned: 21 November 1940
Homeport: Lorient, France
Fate: Captured, 9 May 1941, sunk the following day
Class and type: German Type IXB submarine
Displacement:
1,051 t (1,034 long tons) surfaced
1,178 t (1,159 long tons) submerged
76.50 m (251 ft) o/a
58.75 m (192 ft 9 in) pressure hull
6.76 m (22 ft 2 in) overall
4.40 m (14 ft 5 in) pressure hull
Draught: 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power:
4,400 PS (3,200 kW; 4,300 bhp) (diesels)
1,000 PS (740 kW; 990 bhp) (electric)
2 × diesel engines
2 × electric motors
12,000 nmi (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph) surfaced
64 nmi (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph) submerged
Test depth: 230 m (750 ft)
Complement: 48 to 56 officers and ratings
6 × torpedo tubes (4 bow, 2 stern)
22 × 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedoes
1 × 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SK C/32 deck gun (180 rounds)
1 × 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 AA gun
1 × twin 2 cm FlaK 30 AA guns
Kriegsmarine:
2nd U-boat Flotilla
Commanders:
Kptlt. Fritz-Julius Lemp
21 November 1940 – 9 May 1941
1st patrol:
2nd patrol:
Victories:
Three ships sunk for a total of 10,149 GRT
Two ships damaged for a total of 8,675 GRT
2 Service history
3 Operational career
3.1 1st patrol
3.2 2nd patrol and capture
3.3 Operation Primrose (9 May 1941)
4 Wolfpacks
5 Modern-day connections
6 Summary of raiding history
7.1 Other captured U-boats
DesignEdit
German Type IXB submarines were slightly larger than the original German Type IX submarines, later designated IXA. U-110 had a displacement of 1,051 tonnes (1,034 long tons) when at the surface and 1,178 tonnes (1,159 long tons) while submerged.[1] The U-boat had a total length of 76.50 m (251 ft 0 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.76 m (22 ft 2 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.70 m (15 ft 5 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 metric horsepower (740 kW; 990 shp) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft).[1]
The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.2 knots (33.7 km/h; 20.9 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph).[1] When submerged, the boat could operate for 64 nautical miles (119 km; 74 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 12,000 nautical miles (22,000 km; 14,000 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-110 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) SK C/30 as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) C/30 anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight.[1]
Service historyEdit
U-110's keel was laid down 1 February 1940 by DeSchiMAG AG Weser, of Bremen, Germany as yard number 973. She was launched on 25 August 1940 and commissioned on 21 November with Kapitänleutnant Fritz-Julius Lemp in command.
The boat was part of the 2nd U-boat Flotilla from her commissioning date until her loss. Lemp commanded U-110 for her entire career. In an earlier boat (U-30), he was responsible for the sinking of the passenger liner SS Athenia on the first day of the war. The circumstances were such that he was considered for court-martial. He continued, however, to be one of the most successful and rebellious commanders of his day.[2]
Operational careerEdit
1st patrolEdit
U-110 set out on her first patrol from Kiel on 9 March 1941. Her route to the Atlantic Ocean took her through the gap between the Faroe and Shetland Islands. Her first victim was Erdona which she damaged south of Iceland on 16 March. She also damaged Siremalm on the 23rd. This ship only escaped after she was hit by a torpedo which failed to detonate, (although it left a large dent) and the U-boat's 105mm deck gun crew forgot to remove the tampion or plug in the muzzle before engaging their target. The resulting explosion on firing the first round wounded three men and compelled the boat to fire on the merchantman with the smaller 37 and 20 mm armament. Despite being hit, Siremalm successfully fled the scene, zig-zagging as she went.
U-110 arrived in Lorient on the French Atlantic coast on 29 March, having cut the patrol short due to damage from the exploding gun.
2nd patrol and captureEdit
The boat departed Lorient on 15 April 1941. On the 27th, she sank Henri Mory about 330 nautical miles (610 km; 380 mi) west northwest of Blasket Islands, Ireland.
Her next quarry were the ships of convoy OB 318 east of Cape Farewell (Greenland). She successfully attacked and sank Esmond and Bengore Head, but the escort vessels responded. The British corvette, HMS Aubrietia, located the U-boat with ASDIC (sonar). Aubrietia and British destroyer Broadway then proceeded to drop depth charges, forcing U-110 to surface.[3]
Operation Primrose (9 May 1941)Edit
U-110 survived the attack, but was seriously damaged. HMS Bulldog and Broadway remained in contact after Aubrietia's last attack. Broadway shaped course to ram, but fired two depth charges beneath the U-boat instead, in an endeavour to make the crew abandon ship before scuttling her.[4] Lemp announced "Last stop, everybody out", meaning "Abandon ship". As the crew turned out onto the U-boat's deck they came under fire from two attacking destroyers Bulldog and Broadway with casualties from gunfire and drowning. The British had believed that the German deck gun was to be used and ceased fire when they realised that the U-boat was being abandoned and the crew wanted to surrender.
Lemp realised that U-110 was not sinking and attempted to swim back to it to destroy the secret material, and was never seen again. A German eyewitness testified that he was shot in the water by a British sailor, but his fate is not confirmed. Including Lemp, 15 men were killed in the action, and 32 were captured. Radio Officer Georg Högel and the rest of the crew were held at Camp 23 (Monteith POW camp at Iroquois Falls, Northern Ontario, Canada), which is now the Monteith Correctional Complex.
Bulldog's boarding party, led by sub-lieutenant David Balme,[5] got onto U-110 and stripped it of everything portable, including her Kurzsignale code book and Enigma machine.[6] William Stewart Pollock, a former radio operator in the Royal Navy and on loan to Bulldog, was on the second boat to board U-110. He retrieved the Enigma machine and books as they looked out of place in the radio room. U-110 was taken in tow back toward Britain, but sank en route to Scapa Flow.
The documents captured from U-110 helped Bletchley Park codebreakers solve Reservehandverfahren, a reserve German hand cipher.
WolfpacksEdit
U-110 took part in one wolfpack, namely.
West (9 May 1941)
Modern-day connectionsEdit
The 2000 film U-571 was partially inspired by the capture of U-110.
In 2007, the submarine's chronometer was featured on the BBC programme Antiques Roadshow, from Alnwick Castle, in the possession of the grandson of the captain of the ship which captured her.
Summary of raiding historyEdit
Fate[7]
16 March 1941 Erodana
United Kingdom 6,207 Damaged
23 March 1941 Siremalm
Norway 2,468 Damaged
27 April 1941 Henri Mory
United Kingdom 2,564 Sunk
9 May 1941 Bengore Head
9 May 1941 Esmond
List of successful U-boat commanders
U-571, a film inspired by the capture of U-110, but using American characters instead of British seamen.
Monteith POW camp (Camp 23)
Other captured U-boatsEdit
U-570, later HMS Graph
^ a b c d Gröner 1991, p. 68.
^ Sebag-Montefiore, Hugh (2011). "13 - Operation Primrose". Enigma: The Battle For The Code. Hachette UK. ISBN 9781780221236.
^ "U-boat Archive - U-110 - Greenock Report - Attacks on U-110". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
^ "Capturing the real U-571, BBC". Retrieved 3 October 2014.
^ "Heroic Royal Navy officer who seized the Enigma machine from a raided German U-Boat and helped end WWII has died aged 95". Mail online. 6 January 2016.
^ Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXB boat U-110". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 12 August 2013.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). German U-boat commanders of World War II : a biographical dictionary. Translated by Brooks, Geoffrey. London, Annapolis, Md: Greenhill Books, Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-186-6.
Busch, Rainer; Röll, Hans-Joachim (1999). Deutsche U-Boot-Verluste von September 1939 bis Mai 1945 [German U-boat losses from September 1939 to May 1945]. Der U-Boot-Krieg (in German). IV. Hamburg, Berlin, Bonn: Mittler. ISBN 3-8132-0514-2.
Gröner, Erich; Jung, Dieter; Maass, Martin (1991). U-boats and Mine Warfare Vessels. German Warships 1815–1945. 2. Translated by Thomas, Keith; Magowan, Rachel. London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-593-4.
Hugh Sebag-Montefiore, Enigma: The Battle for the Code, 2000, ISBN 0-7538-1130-8.
Enigma and Operation Primrose
Helgason, Guðmundur. "The Type IXB boat U-110". German U-boats of WWII - uboat.net. Retrieved 6 December 2014.
Hofmann, Markus. "U 110". Deutsche U-Boote 1935-1945 - u-boot-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 2 February 2015.
Military of Germany portal
World War II portal
Coordinates: 60°22′N 33°12′W / 60.367°N 33.200°W / 60.367; -33.200
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Iron Age Scandinavia
(Redirected from Nordic Iron Age)
Extent of Pre-Roman Iron Age settlements in Scandinavia, 4th century BC – 1st century BC
The expansion of the Germanic tribes 750 BC – AD 1 (after the Penguin Atlas of World History 1988):
Settlements before 750 BC
New settlements by 500 BC
New settlements by AD 1
Iron Age Scandinavia (or Nordic Iron Age) refers to the Iron Age, as it unfolded in Scandinavia.
1 Beginnings
2 Periodization
3 Culture and religion
BeginningsEdit
The 6th and 5th centuries BC were a tipping point for exports and imports on the European continent. The ever-increasing conflicts and wars between the central European Celtic tribes and the Mediterranean cultures destabilized old major trade routes and networks between Scandinavia and the Mediterranean, eventually breaking them down, and changing the Scandinavian cultures dramatically. Now they had to be practically self-dependent and self-sustaining. Archaeology attests a rapid and deep change in the Scandinavian culture and way of life. Agricultural production became more intensified, organized around larger settlements and with a much more labour-intensive production. Slaves were introduced and deployed, something uncommon in the Nordic Bronze Age. The rising power, wealth and organization of the central European tribes in the following centuries did not seem to instigate an increased trade and contact between Scandinavia and central Europe before 200‒100 BC. At this point the Celtic tribes had organized themselves in numerous urban communities known as oppida, and the more stable political situation in Europe allowed for a whole new economic development and trade.[1]
Bronze could not be produced in Scandinavia, as tin was not a local natural resource, but with new techniques, iron production from bog iron (mostly in Denmark) slowly gained ground. Iron is a versatile metal and was suitable for tools and weapons, but it was not until the Viking Age that iron incited a revolution in ploughing. Previously, herds of livestock had pasture grazed freely in large wood pastures, but were now placed in stables, probably to utilize manure more efficiently and increase agricultural production. Even though the advent of the Iron Age in Scandinavia was a time of great crisis, the new agricultural expansions, techniques and organizations proceeded apace. And though the decline of foreign trade might suggest that the period marked a transition from a rich and wealthy culture to a poor and meagre one, the population grew and new technology was developed. The period might just reflect a change of culture and not necessarily a decline in standards of living.[1]
PeriodizationEdit
Main article: Archaeology of Northern Europe § Periodization
The Iron Age in Scandinavia and Northern Europe begins around 500 BC with the Jastorf culture, and is taken to last until c. 800 AD and the beginning Viking Age. It succeeds the Nordic Bronze Age with the introduction of ferrous metallurgy by contact with the Hallstatt D/La Tène cultures.
Pre-Roman Iron Age (5th to 1st centuries BC). There are many bog bodies from Danish bog areas, some ritually killed, perhaps as human sacrifices, of which Tollund Man (found 1950) is the best-known. Their hair, skin and possessions have often been preserved in the anaerobic conditions, allowing archaeologists to learn more about their lifestyle.[2]
Roman Iron Age (1st to 4th centuries AD)
Germanic Iron Age (5th to 8th centuries AD)
Vendel era
The Northern European Iron Age is the locus of Proto-Germanic culture, in its later stage differentiating into Proto-Norse (in Scandinavia), and West Germanic (Ingvaeonic, Irminonic, Istvaeonic) in northern Germany.
Culture and religionEdit
Nordic Iron Age culture
Schematic drawing of an early Iron Age house. In-door stables are introduced.
Small farm house from the Roman Iron Age (The Iron Age Village in Odense, Denmark)
Lojsta Hall, a 30 x 16 m reconstructed hall from the Germanic Iron Age (Gotland, Sweden)
Women wore sprangs. A reconstructed hairnet from the Pre-Roman Iron Age (Arden Woman, Denmark)
Iron axe head (Gotland, Sweden. Drawing from Nordisk familjebok, 1904–1926)
Nordic Iron Age boats (Hjortspring boat, Denmark)
Bracteates (Bornholm, Denmark)
Ornamented cauldrons. The silver Gundestrup Cauldron from the Roman Iron Age (Aars, Denmark)
Golden necklaces. The Möne Collar from the Germanic Iron Age (Västergötland, Sweden)
Nordic Iron Age cult
Ceremonial wagons. The Dejbjerg Wagon from the Pre-Roman Iron Age (National Museum of Denmark)
Votive offerings in bogs and bodies of water (Illerup Ådal, Denmark)
Stone and turf labyrinths (Bohuslän, Sweden)
Fertility symbols. The Dønna Phallus in marble (Dønna, Norway)
Picture stones. The snake-witch stone from the Germanic Iron Age (Gotland, Sweden)
"Gullgubber": Symbolic golden leaves from the Germanic Iron Age (Bornholm, Denmark)
Amulets and fibula depicting Norse Gods (this one is Odin) from the Germanic Iron Age.
The Golden Horns of Gallehus from the early Germanic Iron Age (Møgeltønder, Denmark)
Triangular flat burial cairns (Drawing from the Swedish book Nordbon under hednatiden, 1852)
"Flying stones" grave fields (Öland, Sweden)
Stone grave orbs (Småland, Sweden)
Mummified bog bodies. Tollund Man (Silkeborg, Denmark)
British Iron Age
Germanic Wars
Migration period
Proto-Germanic
Proto-Norse
^ a b Jørgen Jensen: I begyndelsen
^ "Ancient Europe 8000 B.C-1000 A.D" (PDF).
Jørgen Jensen (2002): I begyndelsen, Gyldendal og Politikens Danmarks Historie (Vol. 1), ISBN 87-89068-26-2 (in Danish)
Bente Magnus, G Franceschi, Asger Jorn (2005): Men, Gods and Masks in Nordic Iron Age Art. OCLC 84747032.
M Zvelebil (1985): Iron Age transformations in Northern Russia and the Northeast Baltic, Beyond Domestication in Prehistoric Europe
Media related to Nordic Iron Age at Wikimedia Commons
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iron_Age_Scandinavia&oldid=934762959"
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Oregon boundary dispute
(Redirected from Oregon Boundary Dispute)
"54-40 or Fight" redirects here. For the book, see 54-40 or Fight (book).
The Oregon Country/Columbia District stretched from 42°N to 54°40′N. The most heavily disputed portion is highlighted.
The Oregon boundary dispute or the Oregon Question was a territorial dispute over the political division of the Pacific Northwest of North America between several nations that had competing territorial and commercial aspirations over the region.
Expansionist competition into the region began in the 18th century, with participants including the Russian Empire, the United Kingdom, Spain and the United States. By the 1820s, both the Russians, through the Russo-American Treaty of 1824 and the Russo-British Treaty of 1825, and the Spanish, by the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, formally withdrew their territorial claims in the region. Through these treaties the British and Americans gained residual territorial claims in the disputed area.[1] The remaining portion of the North American Pacific coast contested by the United Kingdom and the United States was defined as the following: west of the Continental Divide of the Americas, north of Mexico's Alta California border of 42nd parallel north, and south of Russian America at parallel 54°40′ north; typically this region was referred to as the Columbia District by the British and the Oregon Country by the Americans. The Oregon dispute began to become important in geopolitical diplomacy between the British Empire and the new American republic, especially after the War of 1812.
In the 1844 U.S. presidential election, ending the Oregon Question by annexing the entire area was a position adopted by the Democratic Party. Some scholars have claimed the Whig Party's lack of interest in the issue was due to its relative insignificance among other more pressing domestic problems.[2] Democratic candidate James K. Polk appealed to the popular theme of manifest destiny and expansionist sentiment, defeating Whig Henry Clay. Polk sent the British government the previously offered partition along the 49th parallel. Subsequent negotiations faltered as the British plenipotentiaries still argued for a border along the Columbia River. Tensions grew as American expansionists like Senator Edward A. Hannegan of Indiana and Representative Leonard Henly Sims of Missouri, urged Polk to annex the entire Pacific Northwest to the 54°40′ parallel north, as the Democrats had called for in the election. The turmoil gave rise to slogans such as "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!" As relations with Mexico were rapidly deteriorating following the annexation of Texas, the expansionist agenda of Polk and the Democratic Party created the possibility of two different, simultaneous wars for the United States. Just before the outbreak of the Mexican–American War, Polk returned to his earlier position of a border along the 49th parallel.
The 1846 Oregon Treaty established the border between British North America and the United States along the 49th parallel until the Strait of Georgia, where the marine boundary curved south to exclude Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands from the United States. As a result, a small portion of the Tsawwassen Peninsula, Point Roberts, became an exclave of the United States. Vague wording in the treaty left the ownership of the San Juan Islands in doubt, as the division was to follow "through the middle of the said channel"[3] to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. During the so-called Pig War, both nations agreed to a joint military occupation of the islands. Kaiser Wilhelm I of the German Empire was selected as an arbitrator to end the dispute, with a three-man commission ruling in favor of the United States in 1872. There the Haro Strait became the border line, rather than the British favored Rosario Strait. The border established by the Oregon Treaty and finalized by the arbitration in 1872 remains the boundary between the United States and Canada in the Pacific Northwest.
1.1 Spanish colonisation
1.2 Russian interest
1.3 Early Anglo-American competition
2 Joint occupation
2.1 Treaty of 1818
2.2 Proposed partition plans
2.3 Renewal
3 Significance in America
3.1 Regional Activities
3.2 John Floyd
3.3 1844 Presidential election
3.3.1 "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!"
4 British interest
4.1 Hudson's Bay Company
4.2 Domestic
4.3 Naval presence
5 Political efforts during Tyler Presidency
6 Polk Presidency
7 War crisis
7.1 Congressional pressure
7.2 British reaction
7.2.1 Pacific naval forces
7.2.2 War plan
8 Resolution
9 Oregon Treaty
10 Historical maps
12.1 Primary sources
12.2 Secondary sources
13 Further reading
BackgroundEdit
The Oregon Question originated in the 18th century during the early European or American exploration of the Pacific Northwest. Various Empires began to consider the area suitable for colonial expansion, including the Americans, Russians, Spanish and British. Naval captains such as the Spanish Juan José Pérez Hernández, British George Vancouver and American Robert Gray gave defining regional water formations like the Columbia River and the Puget Sound their modern names and charted in the 1790s. Overland explorations were commenced by the British Alexander Mackenzie in 1792 and later followed by the American Lewis and Clark expedition, which reached the mouth of the Columbia River in 1805. These explorers often claimed in the name of their respective governments sovereignty over the Northwest Coast. The knowledge of fur-bearing animal populations like the California sea lion, North American beaver and the Northern fur seal were used to create an economic network called the maritime fur trade. The fur trade would remain the main economic interest that drew Euro-Americans to the Pacific Northwest for decades. Merchants exchanged goods for fur pelts along the coast with indigenous nations such as the Chinookan people, the Aleuts and the Nuu-chah-nulth.
Map of the Columbia River and its tributaries, showing modern political boundaries and cities.
Spanish colonisationEdit
A series of expeditions to the Pacific Northwest were financed by the Spanish to strengthen their claims to the region. Creating a colony called Santa Cruz de Nuca on Vancouver Island, the Spanish were the first white colonisers of the Pacific Northwest outside Russian America to the north. A period of tensions with the United Kingdom, called the Nootka Crisis, arose after the Spanish seized a British vessel. However the three Nootka Conventions averted conflict, with both countries agreeing to protect their mutual access to Friendly Cove against outside powers. While the Spanish colony was abandoned, a border delineating the northern reaches of New Spain wasn't included. Despite the Nootka Conventions still allowing the Spanish to establish colonies in the region, no more attempts were made as other geopolitical and domestic matters drew the attention of the authorities. With the Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, the Spanish formally withdrew all formal claims to lands north of the 42° north.
Russian interestEdit
The Imperial Russian government established the Russian-American Company in 1799, a monopoly among Russian subjects for fur trading operations in Russian America with the Ukase of 1799. In part from the growing Russian activities to the north, the Spanish created the Catholic Missions to create colonies in Alta California. Plans for creating Russians colonies in what became the modern American states of Washington and Oregon were formulated by Nikolai Rezanov. He aimed to relocate the primary colony of Russian America to the entrance of the Columbia River, though was unable to enter the river in 1806 and the plan was abandoned.[4] In 1808 Alexander Andreyevich Baranov sent the Nikolai, with the captain "ordered to explore the coast south of Vancouver Island, barter with the natives for sea otter pelts, and if possible discover a site for a permanent Russian post in the Oregon Country."[5] The ship wrecked on the Olympic Peninsula and the surviving crew didn't return to New Archangel for two years. The failure of the vessel to find a suitable location led to the Russians to not consider much of the Northwest coast worth colonizing.[6] Their interest in the Puget Sound and the Columbia River was diverted to Alta California, with Fort Ross soon established. The Russo-American Treaty of 1824 and the 1825 Treaty of Saint Petersburg with the British formally created the southern border of Russian America at parallel 54°40′ north. Specifically, it was agreed, in the 1824 treaty, that no American settlement would be established on the coast or adjacent island north of 54°40′, and no Russian settlement to the south (Russian Fort Ross was in Alta California, Mexico, and was outside the purview of the treaty). The treaty did not make any explicit statements about sovereignty or territorial claims. The 1825 treaty with Britain was more strongly worded and defined the boundary between Russian and British possessions in North America, which ran north from 54°40′ through what is now the Alaska Panhandle to the 141st meridian west, then along that line north to the Arctic Ocean.
Early Anglo-American competitionEdit
Both the Russian and Spanish empires held no significant plans at promoting colonies along the Northwest Coast by the 1810s. The British and the Americans were the remaining two nations with citizens active in commercial operations in the region. Starting with a party of the Montreal based North West Company (NWC) employees led by David Thompson in 1807, the British began land-based operations and opened trading posts throughout the region. Thompson extensively explored the Columbia River watershed. While at the junction of Columbia and Snake Rivers, he erected a pole on July 9, 1811, with a notice stating "Know hereby that this country is claimed by Great Britain as part of its territories ..." and additionally stated the intention of the NWC to build a trading post there.[7] Fort Nez Percés was later established at the location in 1818. The American Pacific Fur Company (PFC) began operations in 1811 at Fort Astoria, constructed at the entrance of the Columbia River. The eruption of the War of 1812 didn't lead to a violent confrontation in the Pacific Northwest between the competing companies. Led by Donald Mackenzie, PFC officers agreed to liquidate its assets to their NWC competitors, with an agreement signed on 23 November 1813.[8] HMS Racoon was ordered to capture Fort Astoria, though by the time it arrived, the post was already under NWC management. After the collapse of the PFC, American mountain men operated in small groups in the region, typically based east of the Rocky Mountains, only to meet once a year at the annual Rendezvous.
Joint occupationEdit
Treaty of 1818Edit
Main article: Treaty of 1818
In 1818, diplomats of the two countries attempted to negotiate a boundary between the rival claims. The Americans suggested dividing the Pacific Northwest along the 49th parallel, which was the border between the United States and British North America east of the Rocky Mountains. The lack of accurate cartographic knowledge led American diplomats to declare the Louisiana Purchase gave them an incontestable claim to the region.[9] British diplomats wanted a border further south along the Columbia River, so as to maintain the North West Company's (later the Hudson's Bay Company's (HBC)) control of the lucrative fur trade along that river.[9] The diplomatic teams couldn't agree upon mutually satisfactory terms and remained in deadlock by October. Albert Gallatin, the main American negotiator, had previously instructed to have a tentative agreement by the convening of the 3rd session of the 15th United States Congress, set for 16 November.
A final proposition was made to the British plenipotentiary, Frederick John Robinson, for the continuation of the 49th parallel west while leaving the United Kingdom, as Gallatin stated, "all the waters emptying in the sound called the Gulf of Georgia."[9] This would have awarded "all the territory draining west from the Cascade divide and north from the Columbia River divide into the gulf" and the entirety of the Puget Sound along with the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca to the United Kingdom.[9] Robinson demurred from the proposal. However, the Anglo-American Convention of 1818, which settled most other disputes from the War of 1812, called for the joint occupation of the region for ten years.
Proposed partition plansEdit
As the expiration of the Joint Occupation treaty approached, a second round of negotiations commenced in 1824. American Minister Richard Rush offered for the extension of agreement with an additional clause on 2 April. The 51° parallel would be a provisional border within the Pacific Northwest, with no British additional settlements to be established south of the line, nor any American settlements north of it.[10] Despite Rush's offering to modify the temporary border to the 49° parallel, the British negotiators rejected his offer. His proposal was seen as the likely basis for the eventual division of the Pacific Northwest. The British plenipotentiaries William Huskisson and Stratford Canning on 29 June pressed instead for a permanent line along the 49° parallel west until the main branch of the Columbia River. With the British formally abandoning claims south or east of the Columbia River, the Oregon Question thence became focused on what later became Western Washington and the southern portion of Vancouver Island.[10] Rush reacted to the British proposal as unfavorably as they had to his own offer, leaving the talks at a stalemate.
George Canning has been appraised the most active Secretary of Foreign Affairs in maintaining the British claims of a division along the Columbia River.[11]
Throughout 1825, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs George Canning held discussions with Governor Pelly of the HBC as to a potential settlement with the United States. Pelly felt a border along the Snake and Columbia Rivers was advantageous for the United Kingdom and his company.[11] Contacting American minister Rufus King in April 1826, Canning requested that a settlement be reached over the Oregon dispute. Gallatin was appointed Ambassador to the United Kingdom and given instructions by Secretary of State Henry Clay in July 1826 to offer a division of the Pacific Northwest along the 49th parallel to the British.[12] In a letter to Prime Minister Lord Liverpool in 1826, Canning presented the possibilities of trade with the Qing Empire if a division of the Pacific Northwest was to be made with the Americans. He felt the recognition of American rights to ownership of Astoria, despite its continued use by the NWC and later HBC, was "absolutely unjustifiable."[13] This diplomatic courtesy Canning felt weakened the territorial claims of the United Kingdom. A border along the Columbia River would give "an immense direct intercourse between China and what may be, if we resolve not yield them up, her boundless establishments on the N. W. Coast of America."[13]
RenewalEdit
Huskisson was appointed along with Henry Unwin Addington to negotiate with Gallatin. Unlike his superior, Canning, Huskisson held a negative view of the HBC monopoly and found the region held in dispute with the Americans "of little consequence to the British."[11] At the time the HBC's staff were the only continuous white occupants in the region, though their economic activities weren't utilized by Huskinisson in exchanges with Gallatin.[11] The division suggested by Pelly and Canning's 1824 offer of a Columbia River boundary was rejected. The argument used to counter these offers was the same as in 1824, that a boundary along the Columbia would deny the U.S. an easily accessible deep water port on the Pacific Ocean. The British negotiators to allay this attack offered a detached Olympic Peninsula as American territory, giving access to both the Straits of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound.[11] This was seen as unsatisfactory by the Americans however. The diplomatic talks were continued but failed to divide the region in a satisfactory manner for both nations. The Treaty of 1818 was renewed on 7 August 1827,[14] with a clause added by Gallatin that a one-year notice had to be given when either party intended to abrogate the agreement.[12] After the death of Canning and the failure to find a satisfactory division of the region with the Americans, "Oregon had been almost forgotten by the [British] politicians ..."[11]
Significance in AmericaEdit
Regional ActivitiesEdit
American Protestant missionaries began to arrive in the 1830s and established the Methodist Mission in the Willamette Valley and the Whitman Mission east of the Cascades.[15] Ewing Young created a saw mill[16] and a grist mill in the Willamette Valley early in the 1830s.[17] He and several other American colonists formed the Willamette Cattle Company in 1837 to bring over 600 head of cattle to the Willamette Valley, with about half of its shares purchased by McLoughlin. Over 700 U.S settlers arrived via the Oregon Trail in the "Great Migration of 1843". The Provisional Government of Oregon was established in the Willamette Valley during 1843 as well. Its rule was limited to those interested Americans and former French-Canadian HBC employees in the valley.
John FloydEdit
The first attempts by the American Government for proactive action in colonising the Pacific Northwest began in 1820 during the 2nd session of the 16th Congress. John Floyd, a Representative from Virginia, spearheaded a report that would "authorize the occupation of the Columbia River, and to regulated trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes thereon."[18] Additionally the bill called for cultivating commercial relations with the Qing Empire and the Tokugawa shogunate. His interest in the distant region likely began after meeting former PFC employee Russell Farnham. Floyd had the support of fellow Virginian Representative Thomas Van Swearingen and Representative Thomas Metcalfe of Kentucky. The bill was presented to both the House and to President Monroe. In the House, Floyd's bill was defended by one member who stated that it did not "attempt a colonial settlement. The territory proposed to be occupied is already a part of the United States."[19] Monroe inquired the opinion of Secretary of State John Quincy Adams for potential revisions. Adams retorted that "The paper was a tissue of errors in fact and abortive reasoning, of invidious reflections and rude invectives. There was nothing could purify it but the fire."[20] Read twice before the legislature, "most of the members not considering it a serious proceeding", it didn't pass.[18]
Representative John Floyd was the most prominent early Congressional member in favor of extensive American claims in the Pacific Northwest.
Floyd continued to authorise legislation calling for an American colony on the Pacific. His career as a Representative ended in 1829, with the Oregon Question not discussed at Congress until 1837. The northern border proposed by Floyd was at first the 53°, and later 54°40′.[21] These bills were still met with the apathy or opposition of other Congressional members, one in particular being tabled for consideration by a vote of 100 to 61.[21] Missouri Senator Thomas H. Benton became a vocal supporter of Floyd's efforts, and thought that they would "plant the germ of a powerful and independent Power beyond the Rockies."[21] John C. Calhoun, then Secretary of War, while somewhat interested in Floyd's considered bills, gave his opinion to that the HBC was an economic threat to American commercial interests in the west.
... so long as the traders of the British Fur Company have free access to the region of the Rocky Mountains from the various posts ... they will in great measure monopolize the Fur Trade West of the Mississippi, to the almost entire exclusion in the next few years of our trade.[21]
1844 Presidential electionEdit
The 1844 presidential election was a definitive turning point for the United States. Admitting the Texas Republic by diplomatic negotiations to begin a process of annexation of Texas into the nation was a contentious topic. At the same time, the Oregon Question "became a weapon in a struggle for domestic political power."[22] At the Democratic National Convention, the party platform asserted "That our title to the whole of the Territory of Oregon is clear and unquestionable; that no portion of the same ought to be ceded to England or any other power, and that the reoccupation of Oregon and the re-annexation of Texas at the earliest practicable period are great American measures ..."[23] By tying the Oregon dispute to the more controversial Texas debate, the Democrats appealed to expansionist members from both the Northern and Southern states.[22] Enlargement in the Pacific Northwest offered a means of mollifying Northern fears of allowing Texas, another slave state, by a counterbalance of additional free states. Democratic candidate James K. Polk went on to win a narrow victory over Whig candidate Henry Clay, in part because Clay had taken a stand against immediate expansion in Texas. Despite the use of the Oregon Question in the election, according to Edward Miles, the topic wasn't "a significant campaign issue" as "the Whigs would have been forced to discuss it."[2]
"Fifty-four Forty or Fight!"Edit
A popular slogan later associated with Polk and his campaign of 1844, "Fifty-four Forty or Fight!" was not actually coined during the election. It only appeared by January 1846, promoted and driven in part by the Democratic Party associated press. The phrase has since become frequently misidentified as a Polk campaign slogan, even in many textbooks.[2][24][25][26] Bartlett's Familiar Quotations attributes the slogan to William Allen. 54°40′ was the southern boundary of Russian America, and considered the northernmost limit of the Pacific Northwest. One actual Democratic campaign slogan from this election (used in Pennsylvania) was the more mundane "Polk, Dallas, and the Tariff of '42".[24]
54°40′ remains the southernmost border of Alaska, purchased from Russia October 18, 1867, with British Columbia, established as the Colony of British Columbia on August 2, 1858.
British interestEdit
Hudson's Bay CompanyEdit
Main article: Columbia Department
George Simpson, manager of HBC operations in North America, reported in 1837 that the Pacific Northwest "may become an object of very great importance, and we are strengthening that claim to it ... by forming the nucleus of a colony through the establishment of farms, and the settlement of some of our retiring officers and servants as agriculturalists."[27]
The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) merged with the North West Company in 1821 and assumed its various fur trading stations. The HBC held a license among British subjects to trade with the populous aboriginal peoples of the region, and its network of trading posts and routes extended southward from New Caledonia, another HBC fur-trade district, into the Columbia basin (most of New Caledonia lay south of 54-40). The HBC's headquarters for the entire region became established at Fort Vancouver (modern Vancouver, Washington) in 1824. During that year George Simpson while discussing the company's "uncertain tenure of the Columbia" with Governor Colville, discussed the possibility of closing operations along the river.[27] "If the Americans settle on the mouth of the Columbia it would in my opinion be necessary to abandon the Coast [south of the river] ..." Simpson stated, with the company posts to "move to the Northward ..."[28] At its pinnacle in the late 1830s and early 1840s, Fort Vancouver watched over 34 outposts, 24 ports, six ships, and 600 employees.
DomesticEdit
The Edinburgh Review declared the Pacific Northwest "the last corner of the earth left free for the occupation of a civilized race. When Oregon shall be colonised, the map of the world may be considered as filled up."[29]
Naval presenceEdit
Royal Navy ships were dispatched to the Pacific Northwest throughout the decades, to both expand cartographical knowledge and protect fur trading stations. The British established the Pacific Station in 1826 at Valparaíso, Chile, increasing the strategic capabilities of their navy. A squadron was moved there and later vessels sent to the Pacific Northwest were based out of the port. HMS Blossom was in the region during 1818. The next surveying expedition was commenced by HMS Sulphur and HMS Starling in 1837, with operations lasting until 1839. Dispatched from the Pacific Station to gather intelligence on the HBC posts, HMS Modeste arrived at the Columbia River in July 1844. Chief Factor James Douglas complained that the naval officers "had more taste for a lark than a 'musty' lecture on politics or the greater national interests in question."[30] The Modeste visited the HBC trading posts of Forts George, Vancouver, Victoria and Simpson.[31]
Political efforts during Tyler PresidencyEdit
Missouri Senator Lewis Linn tabled legislation in 1842, inspired in part by Floyd's previous efforts. Linn's bill called for the government to create land grants for men interested in settling the Pacific Northwest. The arrival of Baron Ashburton in April 1842, sent to resolve several territorial disputes with the United States, delayed Linn's legislation. Initially focusing on the Pacific Northwest, Ashburton presented Secretary of State Daniel Webster the 1824 partition proposal made by Canning of a division along the Columbia River.[14] Webster rejected the offer for the same reasons it was previously repudiated; the division would leave the United States with no suitable locations for a large Pacific port. Webster suggested that Ashburton's proposal may have been found acceptable by the Americans, if the United States could be compensated with the Mexican owned San Francisco Bay.[14] Ashburton passed on the offer to his superiors, but no further action was taken. Both diplomats became focused on settling the Aroostook War and formulated the Webster–Ashburton Treaty.
At the final session of the 27th Congress on 19 December 1842, Linn presented a similar bill to colonize the Pacific Northwest as he put it, "by the Anglo-American race, which will extend our limits from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean."[19] Arguments over the bill lasted over a month, and it was eventually passed in the Senate 24-22.[19] In opposition to Linn's bill, Calhoun famously declared that the U.S. government should pursue a policy of "wise and masterly inactivity"[32] in Oregon, letting settlement determine the eventual boundary.[19] Many of Calhoun's fellow Democrats, however, soon began to advocate a more direct approach.[33]
By early 1843, Webster returned to the Oregon Question, formalising a plan that included the 1826 British offer of the Olympic Peninsula enclave and the purchase of Alta California from Mexico.[14] The increasing hostility President Tyler had with the Whig Party led to Webster's disinterest in continuing to act as the Secretary of State and his plan was shelved. The American minister to the UK, Edward Everett, was given authority to negotiate with British officials to settle the Oregon Question in October 1843. Meeting with Prime Minister Robert Peel's Foreign Secretary, Earl of Aberdeen on 29 November, Everett presented the terms considered by President John Tyler. The old offer of the 49th parallel was once more presented, along with a guarantee to free access to the Columbia River.[34] However during President Tyler's State of the Union address that year on 6 December, he claimed "the entire region of country lying on the Pacific and embraced within 42° and 54°40′ of north latitude."[35] After receiving this declaration, Aberdeen began to consult with the committee and Governor Pelly, previously left out of the most recent diplomatic exchanges.[36]
Polk PresidencyEdit
President James K. Polk was elected in 1844 in part from his support for substantial claims against the British. Much of this rhetoric was to make the United Kingdom accept the long tabled proposed division along the 49th parallel.
In his March 1845 inaugural address, President Polk quoted from the party platform, saying that the U.S. title to Oregon was "clear and unquestionable".[37] Tensions grew, with both sides moving to strengthen border fortifications in anticipation of war. Despite Polk's bold language, he was actually prepared to compromise, and had no real desire to go to war over Oregon. He believed that a firm stance would compel the British to accept a resolution agreeable to the United States. While meeting with Representative James A. Black on 4 January 1846, Polk stated that "the only way to treat John Bull was to look him straight in the eye ... if Congress faultered [sic] ... John Bull would immediately become arrogant and more grasping in his demands ..."[38] But Polk's position on Oregon was not mere posturing: he genuinely believed that the U.S. had a legitimate claim to the entire region.[39] He rejected British offers to settle the dispute through arbitration, fearing that no impartial third party could be found.[40]
Many newspaper editors in the United States clamored for Polk to claim the entire region as the Democrats had proposed in the 1844 campaign. Headlines like "The Whole of Oregon or None" by The Union editor Thomas Ritchie appeared on 6 November 1845.[2] In a column in the New York Morning News on December 27, 1845, editor John L. O'Sullivan argued that the United States should claim all of Oregon "by the right of our manifest destiny to overspread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us ..."[41] Soon afterwards, the term "Manifest Destiny" became a standard phrase for expansionists, and a permanent part of the American lexicon. O'Sullivan's version of "Manifest Destiny" was not a call for war, but such calls were soon forthcoming.
After Polk's inauguration, British diplomats began to receive instructions influenced from HBC officials like Simpson, whose suggestions were transmitted through Pelly and then Aberdeen to the British Ambassador Richard Pakenham. In a letter written to Calhoun in August 1844, Pakenham pressed for a border along the Columbia River. He made an offer that likely originated from Simpson: Americans could select naval bases on the portion of Vancouver Island south of the 49th parallel or along the Strait of Juan de Fuca in return.[36] Diplomatic channels continued negotiations throughout 1844; by early 1845 Everett reported the willingness of Aberdeen to accept the 49th parallel, provided the southern portion of Vancouver Island would become British territory.[34]
In the summer of 1845, the Polk administration renewed the proposal to divide Oregon along the 49th parallel to the Pacific Ocean. U.S. Secretary of State James Buchanan on 12 July[42] offered the British any desired ports on the portion of Vancouver Island south of this line,[19] though navigation rights of the Columbia River weren't included. Because this proposal fell short of the Tyler administration's earlier offer, Pakenham rejected the offer without first contacting London.[42] Offended, Polk officially withdrew the proposal on August 30, 1845, and broke off negotiations. Aberdeen censured Pakenham for this diplomatic blunder, and attempted to renew the dialogue. By then, however, Polk was suspicious of British intentions, and under increasing political pressure not to compromise. He declined to reopen negotiations.[43][44]
War crisisEdit
Important figures in the Oregon question
President Robert Peel
Secretary of State Earl of Aberdeen
Louis McLane
Minister to the UK Richard Pakenham
Minister in Washington
Congressional pressureEdit
Senator Lewis Cass was a leading advocate of 54°40′, but backed away from the claim when it became untenable. Like James Buchanan, Cass had presidential ambitions and did not want to alienate Americans on either side of the Oregon question.
In his annual address to Congress on December 2, 1845, Polk recommended giving the British the required one-year notice of the termination of the joint occupation agreement. Democratic expansionists in Congress from the Midwest, led by Senators Lewis Cass of Michigan, Edward A. Hannegan of Indiana, and William Allen of Ohio, called for war with the United Kingdom rather than accepting anything short of all of Oregon up to Parallel 54°40′ north. These pronouncements were fueled by a number of factors, including traditional distrust of the British and a belief that the U.S. had the better claim and would make better use of the land.
The debate was not strictly divided along party or sectional lines, with many who clamored for the 54°40′ border were Northerners upset at Polk's willingness to compromise on the Pacific Northwest border. Polk's uncompromising pursuit of Texas, an acquisition seen favorable for Southern slave owners, angered many advocates of 54°40′, as the President was a Southerner and a slave owner. As historian David M. Pletcher noted, "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight" seemed to be directed at the southern aristocracy in the U.S. as much as at the United Kingdom.[45]
Moderates like Webster warned that the U.S. could not win a war against the British Empire, and that negotiation could still achieve U.S. territorial goals. Webster confided to Viscount Ossington, a personal friend, on 26 February 1846, that it would be a "stupendous folly and enormous crime" for the two nations to declare war over the Pacific Northwest.[46]
British reactionEdit
Foreign Secretary Lord Aberdeen was committed to maintaining peaceable relations with the Americans, evaluating the disputed territory in the Oregon Question as unimportant.
Pacific naval forcesEdit
During the height of tensions with the United States in 1845 and 1846, there were at least five Royal Naval vessels operating in the Pacific Northwest.[47] The 80-gun ship-of-the-line HMS Collingwood was deployed to Valparaíso under the CinC Rear Admiral Sir George Seymour in 1845, with orders to report on the situation in the region.[31] HMS America, under the command of Captain John Gordon (younger brother Foreign Secretary Aberdeen), was therefore sent north that year.[31] Roderick Finlayson gave a tour of Vancouver Island to the visiting naval officers, where Gordon aired his negative appraisal of the Northwest region. During a deer hunt on the island, Gordon informed Finlayson that he "would not give one of the barren hills of Scotland for all he saw around him."[48] The America departed from the Straits of Juan de Fuca on 1 October. The Modeste entered the Columbia River and arriving at Fort Vancouver on 30 November 1845,[31] where it remained until 4 May 1847.[47] The Modeste was not favorably viewed by American colonists in the Willamette Valley, threatened by the large warship. Relations were improved when the officers organised a ball at Vancouver on 3 February 1846,[49] later theatrical performances by the ship's crew, including Love in a Village and The Mock Doctor, along with picnics.[50]
HMS Fisgard was first reinforcement, ordered from the Pacific Station by Rear Admirial Seymour in January 1846. Captain Duntze was to "afford Protection to Her Majesty's Subjects in Oregon and the North West Coast ..." and avoid any potential confrontations with American settlers.[47] On 5 May the Fisgard reached Fort Victoria, later moving to Fort Nisqually on the 18th, where it remained until October. Sent to aid other British vessels navigate difficult channels and rivers, HMS Cormorant, a Paddle steamer, arrived at the Strait of Juan de Fuca in June.[47] Two survey ships were dispatched from Plymouth in June 1845, HMS Herald and HMS Pandora, for charting the coast of the Americas.[47] The vessels reached Cape Flattery on 24 June 1846. The Cormorant towed the Herald to Fort Victoria three days later.[51] The Herald and the Pandora spent several months charting the Puget Sound and Vancouver Island until 2 September, when the vessels sailed for Alta California.[52] The Fisgard and Cormorant both departed for Valparaíso in October.[47] As the Modeste was the only British ship in the region during 1847, the Oregon Treaty "seemed to have taken the edge off of the Royal Navy's interest in the Northwest Coast."[47]
War planEdit
Due to his extensive travels throughout the western stations of the HBC, Governor Pelly instructed George Simpson to draft a plan for the British Government if hostilities were to arise with the Americans.[53] Finalizing the proposal on 29 March 1845, Simpson called for two areas to launch offensives. The Red River Colony would be the base of operations for forays into the Great Plains, an expansive region then only lightly colonized by Americans.[53] A militia composed of Métis riflemen and neighboring First Nations like the Ojibwe would be created, along with a garrison of Regular Army infantry. To secure the Pacific Northwest and the Columbia River, Simpson felt Cape Disappointment was of critical importance. A naval force of two steamboats and two ships of the line would bring a detachment of Royal Marines to create a coastal battery there.[53] Recruitment was hoped by Simpson to gain a force led by Regular Army officers of 2,000 Métis and indigenous peoples in the region. His proposal quickly earned the interest of the British Government as he met with Prime Minister Peel and Foreign Secretary Aberdeen on 2 April. £1,000 were awarded to lay the ground work for defensive operations in the Pacific Northwest.[53] Secretary of State for War and the Colonies Lord Stanley favored the plan, declaring that the HBC had to finance military operations west of Sault Ste. Marie.[42]
ResolutionEdit
Aberdeen had no intention of going to war over a region that was of diminishing economic value to the United Kingdom. Furthermore the United States was an important trading partner, especially with the need of American wheat in the onset of famine in Ireland. Aberdeen and Pakenham were negotiating from a position of strength. The key was the overwhelming naval power which Britain could have brought to bear against the United States, combined with a diplomatic and political landscape that ultimately favored the British government's aim of protecting her interests robustly but without resort to armed conflict. Ultimately British politicians and naval officers recognized that any conflict over the Oregon boundary, however undesirable, would be decided, like the War of 1812, on the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. and the Great Lakes. The Royal Navy's presence on the Atlantic seaboard wasn't as numerically prominent as the American forces, yet its overall superiority to the U.S. Navy was decisive upon American decision-making during the crisis, especially their decision to compromise.[54] Louis McLane, the American minister in the United Kingdom, reported to Buchanan on 2 February that the British were prepared "to commission immediately some thirty ships-of-the-line in addition to steamers and other vessels held in reserve ..."[55] Polk's bluff had been called.
American diplomat Edward Everett contacted the Whig leader John Russell on 28 December 1845, supporting a revision of the American offer so as to allow the British to keep the entirety of Vancouver Island. He warned Russell that influence among the Whigs could stifle the negotiations. "If you choose to rally the public opinion of England against this basis of compromise, it will not be easy for Sir. R. Peel and Lord Aberdeen to agree to it."[28] While still considering the Columbia River important for British interests, Russell assured Aberdeen of his support in settling the Oregon Question. While Everett's was influential in this political move, Russell felt it was, as Frederick Merk stated, "prudent Whig policy" to support Aberdeen in this case.[27]
Although Polk had called on Congress in December 1845 to pass a resolution notifying the British of the termination of joint occupancy agreement, it was not until April 23, 1846. that both houses complied. The passage was delayed especially in the Senate by contentious debate. Several Southern Senators, like William S. Archer[56] and John M. Berrien,[57] were wary of military capabilities of the British Empire. Ultimately a mild resolution was approved, the text of which called on both governments to settle the matter amicably.
By a large margin, moderation had won out over calls for war. Unlike Western Democrats, most Congressmen—like Polk—did not want to fight for 54° 40′. [58] The Polk administration then made it known that the British government should offer terms to settle the dispute. Despite the cooling diplomatic relations, a repeat of the War of 1812 was not popular with either nation's government. Time was of the essence, because it was well known that the Peel government would fall with the impending repeal of the Corn Laws in the United Kingdom, and then negotiations would have to begin again with a new ministry. At a time when the European continental balance was a far more pressing problem, a costly war with a major trading partner was not popular with the British government. Aberdeen and McLane quickly worked out a compromise and sent it to the United States.
Oregon TreatyEdit
Main article: Oregon Treaty
The Oregon Territory, as established after the Oregon Treaty, superimposed over the current state boundaries.
Pakenham and Buchanan drew up a formal treaty, known as the Oregon Treaty, which was ratified by the Senate on June 18, 1846, by a vote of 41–14. The mainland border was set at the 49th parallel, the original U.S. proposal, with navigation rights on the Columbia River granted to British subjects living in the area. Senator William Allen, one of the most outspoken advocates of the 54° 40′ claim, felt betrayed by Polk and resigned his chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee. The signing of the treaty ended the joint occupation with the United Kingdom, making most Oregonians south of the 49th parallel U.S. citizens.[59]
Henry Commager appraised the factors leading to the settlement as "a combination of temporary, fortuitous, and circumstantial phenomena, extraneous to the local situation, largely outside of American control, and foreign to American influence."[60] Canadian Hugh LL. Keenlyside and American Gerald S. Brown wrote a century after the treaty that
under the existing conditions, [it] was just and equitable. Neither nation had a clear legal title to any of the territory, and the result was practically an equal division. Great Britain was given the better harbors, and greater resources in minerals, timber, and fish; the United States received much more agricultural land, and a district that has, on the whole, a better climate. This decision, moreover, is almost unique among the solutions of American boundary troubles, in that it has been accepted with reasonable satisfaction by both nations. A better proof of its justice could hardly be demanded.[61]
The terms of the Oregon Treaty were essentially the same ones that had been offered earlier by the Tyler administration, and thus represented a diplomatic victory for Polk.[62] However, Polk has often been criticized for his handling of the Oregon question. Historian Sam W. Haynes characterizes Polk's policy as "brinkmanship" which "brought the United States perilously close to a needless and potentially disastrous conflict".[63] David M. Pletcher notes that while Polk's bellicose stance was the by-product of internal American politics, the war crisis was "largely of his own creation" and might have been avoided "with more sophisticated diplomacy".[64] According to Jesse Reeves, "Had Palmerston been in Aberdeen's position at the time of Polk's 'firm' pronouncement, Polk might have lost Oregon."[65] Aberdeen's desire for peace and good relations with the United States "are responsible for the settlement that Polk thought to gain by a firm policy. That Aberdeen was "bluffed" by Polk is absurd."[65]
The treaty set the mainland boundary at the 49th parallel and retained Vancouver Island as British territory, but it was ambiguously phrased about the route of the boundary through the water. The treaty provided that the marine boundary would follow "the deepest channel" out to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which left the fate of the San Juan Islands in question. After the "Pig War", arbitration by Kaiser William I of the German Empire led to the Treaty of Washington, which awarded the United States all the islands.
Upper Canada politicians and public, already angry with the Oregon Treaty, were once again upset that Britain had not looked after their interests and sought greater autonomy in international affairs.
Historical mapsEdit
The boundary between British and American territory was shown differently in maps at the time:
The 1826 proposal of Huskisson and Addington
An 1841 American map showing the 54°40′ line near Fort Simpson as the boundary
An 1844 British map showing the Columbia River as the boundary
An 1846 map showing the 49th parallel as the boundary through Vancouver Island
CitationsEdit
^ Mackie 1997, p. 29, 124–126, 140.
^ a b c d Miles 1957.
^ Oregon Treaty from Wikisource. Accessed 12 February 2015.
^ Langsdorff 1927, p. 21.
^ Donnolly 1985, p. 4.
^ Donnolly 1985, p. 30.
^ Elliott 1911.
^ Chittenden 1902, pp. 222-223.
^ a b c d Merk 1950.
^ a b Marshall 1911, p. 166.
^ a b c d e f Galbraith 1957, pp. 184-188.
^ a b Meany 1914.
^ a b Canning 1887, pp. 71-74.
^ a b c d Shewmaker 1982.
^ Oregon History: Land-based Fur Trade and Exploration
^ Ewing Young Route. compiled by Karen Bassett, Jim Renner, and Joyce White.
^ Salem Online History: Salem's Historic Figures
^ a b Benton 1854, pp. 13-14.
^ a b c d e Wilson 1900.
^ Adams 1875, p. 238.
^ a b c d Shippee 1918, p. 118.
^ a b Graebner 1995, p. 35.
^ "Democratic Party Platform of 1844". The American Presidency Project. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
^ a b Rosenboom 1973, p. 123.
^ Pletcher 1973, p. 223.
^ Sperber 1970, pp. 5-11.
^ a b c Merk 1968, p. 339.
^ a b Merk 1932, pp. 653-677.
^ Edinburgh Review, p. 185.
^ McLoughlin, p. 180.
^ a b c d Longstaff & Lamb 1945a.
^ The phrase "wise and masterly inactivity", which Calhoun used more than once, originated with Sir James Mackintosh. (source)
^ Pletcher 1973, pp. 109-110.
^ a b Government Printing Office 1872, pp. 6-11.
^ 1843 State of the Union Address. Accessed 6 November 2014.
^ a b Galbraith 1957, p. 231.
^ Polk 2014.
^ Polk 1910, pp. 153-155.
^ Haynes 1997, pp. 118-120.
^ Horsman 1981.
^ a b c Galbraith 1957, p. 240.
^ Haynes 1997, p. 322.
^ Pletcher 1973, pp. 237–249, 296–300.
^ Pletcher 1973, pp. 335–337.
^ Wiltse 1973.
^ a b c d e f g Longstaff & Lamb 1945b.
^ Finlayson 1891, p. 15.
^ The Oregon Spectator (Oregon City, OR), Ball at Vancouver. 19 February 1846, p. 2.
^ Oregon Spectator (Oregon City, OR), Theatre at Vancouver. Archived 2015-11-24 at the Wayback Machine 14 May 1846, p. 2.
^ Seemann 1853, p. 100.
^ a b c d Galbraith 1957, pp. 236-237.
^ Gough 1971, pp. 70-83.
^ Hunter 1937, p. 58.
^ Cong. Globe, 28th Cong., 1st Sess. 520 (1846)
^ Walker 1999, p. 60.
^ Commager 1927.
^ Knopf 1952, p. 171.
^ a b Reeves 1907, p. 263.
Primary sourcesEdit
Adams, John Quincy (1875), Adams, Charles F. (ed.), Memoirs of John Quincy Adams, 5, Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott and Co.
Benton, Thomas H. (1854), Thirty years' view, 1, New York: D. Appleton and Co.
Canning, George (1887), Stapleton, Edward J. (ed.), Some Official Correspondence of George Canning, II, London: Longmans, Green and Co.
Donnelly, Alton S. (1985), Owens, Kenneth N. (ed.), The Wreck of the Sv. Nikolai, Portland, OR: The Press of the Oregon Historical Society
Edinburgh Review (1843), The Edinburgh Review or Critical Journal: For July, 1843.... October, 1843, 78, Edinburgh: Ballantyne and Hughes
Finlayson, Roderick (1891), Biography of Roderick Finlayson, Victoria, B.C.
Government Printing Office (1872), Papers relating to the Treaty of Washington, V, Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office
Langsdorff, Grigory (1927), Langsdorff's Narrative of the Rezanov voyage to Nueva California in 1806, translated by Russell, Thomas C, San Francisco, CA: The Private Press of Thomas C. Russell
McLoughlin, John (1944), Rich, E.E. (ed.), The Letters of John McLoughlin from Fort Vancouver to the Governor and Committee, Third Series, 1844–1846, London
Merk, Frederick (1968), Fur Trade and Empire; George Simpson's Journal 1824–25, Cambridge, MA: Belknap
Miller, Hunter, ed. (1937), Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States of America, 5, Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office
Polk, James K. (2014), "Inaugural Address of James Knox Polk", The Avalon Project, Yale Law School, archived from the original on 20 March 2015, retrieved 18 November 2014
Polk, James K. (1910), Quaife, Milo M. (ed.), The Diary of James K. Polk during his Presidency, 1845 to 1849, 1, Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co.
Seemann, Berthold (1853), Narrative of the Voyage of the H.M.S. Herald during the years 1845–51, London: Reeve & Co.
Secondary sourcesEdit
Chittenden, Hiram M. (1902), The American Fur Trade in the Far West, 1, New York City: Francis P. Harper
Commager, Henry (1927), "England and Oregon Treaty of 1846", Oregon Historical Quarterly, Oregon Historical Society, 28 (1): 18–38
Elliott, T. C. (1911), "David Thompson, Pathfinder and the Columbia River", The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, 12 (3): 195–205, JSTOR 20609875
Galbraith, John S. (1957), The Hudson's Bay Company as an Imperial Factor, 1821–1869, Toronto: University of Toronto Press
Gough, Barry M. (1971), The Royal Navy and the Northwest Coast of North America, 1810–1914, Vancouver, B.C.: University of British Columbia Press
Graebner, Norman A. (1955), Empire on the Pacific; a study in American continental expansion, New York: New York Ronald Press Co.
Haynes, Sam W. (1997), James K. Polk and the Expansionist Impulse, Arlington: University of Texas
Horsman, Reginald (1981), Race and Manifest Destiny: The Origins of American Racial Anglo-Saxonism, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press
Knopf, Alfred A. (1952), Keenlyside, Hugh LL.; Brown, Gerald S. (eds.), Canada and the United States: Some Aspects of Their Historical Relations, Alfred A. Knopf
Longstaff, F. V.; Lamb, W. K. (1945), "The Royal Navy on the Northwest Coast, 1813–1850. Part 1." (PDF), The British Columbia Historical Quarterly, 9 (1): 1–24
Longstaff, F. V.; Lamb, W. K. (1945), "The Royal Navy on the Northwest Coast, 1813–1850. Part 2." (PDF), The British Columbia Historical Quarterly, 9 (2): 113–128
Mackie, Richard Somerset (1997), Trading Beyond the Mountains: The British Fur Trade on the Pacific 1793–1843, Vancouver, B.C.: University of British Columbia Press
Merk, Frederick (1932), "British Party Politics and the Oregon Treaty", The American Historical Review, 37 (4): 653–677, doi:10.2307/1843332, JSTOR 1843332
Merk, Frederick (1950), "The Ghost River Caledonia in the Oregon Negotiation of 1818", The American Historical Review, 50 (3): 530–551, doi:10.2307/1843497, JSTOR 1843497
Marshall, William I. (1911), Acquisition of Oregon and the Long Suppressed Evidence about Marcus Whitman, 1, Seattle: Lowman & Hanford Co.
Meany, Edmond S. (1914), "Three Diplomats Prominent in the Oregon Question", The Washington Historical Quarterly, University of Washington, 5 (3): 207–214, JSTOR 40474377
Miles, E.A. (1957), "'Fifty-Four Forty or Fight' – An American Political Legend", Mississippi Valley Historical Review, 44 (2): 291–309, doi:10.2307/1887191, JSTOR 1887191
Pletcher, David M. (1973), The Diplomacy of Annexation: Texas, Oregon, and the Mexican War, Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press
Reeves, Jesse S. (1907), American Diplomacy under Tyler and Polk, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press
Rosenboom, Eugene H. (1970), A History of Presidential Elections: From George Washington to Richard M. Nixon (3rd ed.), New York: Macmillan
Shewmaker, Kenneth E. (1982), "Daniel Webster and the Oregon Question", Pacific Historical Review, 51 (2): 195–201, doi:10.2307/3638529, JSTOR 3638529
Shippee, Lester B. (1918), "The Federal Relations of Oregon", The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Historical Society, 19 (2): 89–133, JSTOR 20610098
Sperber, Hans (1957), ""Fifty-four Forty or Fight": Facts and Fictions", American Speech, 32 (1): 5–11, doi:10.2307/454081, JSTOR 454081
Walker, Dale L. (1999), Bear Flag Rising: The Conquest of California, 1846, New York: Macmillan, ISBN 0312866852
Wilson, Joseph R. (1900), "The Oregon Question. II", The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Oregon Historical Society, 1 (3): 213–252, JSTOR 20609465
Wiltse, Charles M. (1973), "Daniel Webster and the British Experience", Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society, 85: 58–77
Further readingEdit
Sir James Douglas, Chapter V The Oregon Boundary, Robert Hamilton Coats and R. Edward Gosnell, publ. Morang, Toronto, 1908
A history of British Columbia, Chapter IX "The Oregon Boundary", pp. 89–96, E.O.S. Scholefield, British Columbia Historical Association, Vancouver, British Columbia, 1913
Party platform and speeches
Polk's March 1845 inaugural address, in which he reasserted the "clear and unquestionable" claim
Polk's December 1845 message to Congress, in which he called for the end of the joint occupation of Oregon
Political cartoons from Harper's Weekly, 1846
"Polk's Dream", in which the Devil, disguised as Andrew Jackson, advises Polk to fight for the 54°40′ line
"Present Presidential Position", in which the Democratic Party's "jackass" is standing on the 54°40′ line
"Ultimatum on the Oregon Question", Polk talks with Queen Victoria, while others make comments
"War! or No War!", two Irish immigrants face off over the boundary question
Fifty-Four Forty or Fight at About.com, an example of a reference that mistakenly describes the phrase as an 1844 campaign slogan
54-40 or Fight shows the quilt block named after the slogan. In this time period, women frequently used quilts to express their political views.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oregon_boundary_dispute&oldid=932664854"
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TPP members, Mexico work to boost trade ties
A group of trade representatives of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) members in Mexico will be set up in an effort to boost trade ties with the host country.
VNA Sunday, July 17, 2016 17:12
Conference explores TPP impacts on economic, financial sectors
Japan eyes TPP investment in Vietnam’s agriculture
Vietnam attends TPP forum in Mexico
Vietnam seeks to fulfill TPP commitments to employment
Tuesday, June 21, 2016 16:31
Up to 72 percent of enterprises support TPP
Businesses face challenges in TPP
Commercial counsellors and commercials attachés from TPP member states - Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Peru and Vietnam met in Mexico on July 16. (Photo: VNA)
Mexico (VNA) – A group of trade representatives of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) members in Mexico will be set up in an effort to boost trade ties with the host country.
Under an initiative by Vietnam, the group will be responsible for holding seminar and business forums between the ten TPP member states making their presence in Mexico and the host country.
Vietnam’s initiative was discussed at the meeting on July 15 with the participation of ten commercial counsellors and commercials attachés from Australia, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Peru and Vietnam.
The group will also work with state agencies, associations and trade offices in Mexico with regard to the trade deal or economic, trade and investment issues and exchanged information between the members of the group.
All TPP countries, except for Brunei, have established the trade presence in Mexico, including, Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.
According to Mexico’s Secretariat of Economy, trade between Mexico and other eleven TPP member states totalled 557.55 billion USD in 2015, representing 71.87 percent of its foreign trade.
Mexico exported to its TPP partners 327.94 billion USD worth of commodities, accounting for 86.16 percent of the total export revenue while its imports from the partners exceeded 229.7 billion USD, or 58.12 percent of the total import revenue.
Vietnam is currently the fifth largest trade partner of Mexico among the TPP members with bilateral trade reaching 3.86 billion USD in 2015.
The TPP was concluded on October 5, 2015 after seven years of negotiation. It was signed on February 4, 2016 and is in the process of being ratified by each member state. The ratification procedures will take about two years.
The TPP members will account for 30 percent of global trade and about 40 percent of the world’s economy.-VNA
Trans-Pacific Partnership TPP group of trade representatives in Mexico Vietnam's initiative trade economy investment Related stories Mexico
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 21 held a periodic open debate on the Middle East situation, including Palestine, under the chair of Vietnam.
Many countries are stepping up measures to prevent the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that have infected over 400 people, mostly in China.
Thailand announces measures against smog
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on January 21 announced four urgent measures to deal with the hazardous ultra-fine dust levels in the air in the capital.
Recommendations for EU-Vietnam FTA, IPA adopted
The European Parliament (EP)’s Committee on International Trade (INTA) adopted recommendations for the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (IPA) in Brussels on January 21.
Vietnam chairs meeting of ASEAN-IPR Governing Council
The 18th meeting of the Governing Council of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN IPR) took place in Jakarta, Indonesia, on January 21, the first during Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020.
Thailand develops largest hydro floating solar hybrid power project
The state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) has signed a contract with B.Grimm Power-Energy China Consortium a contract to develop the world’s largest hydro floating solar hybrid power project in Sinrindhorn dam in Ubon Ratchathani, local media reported.
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Tag Archives: laptop
History For All
How Earth Made Us is a documentary series produced by the BBC. Like many BBC programs, the cinematography is spectacular. But, perhaps more interesting, is the approach the program takes to history. Instead of only examining human interactions, the program focuses on how natural forces such as geology, geography, and climate have shaped history. And, the whole series is available on YouTube.
In the first episode, Water, host Iain Stewart explores the effects that extreme conditions have had on human development. He visits the Sahara Desert, which receives less than a centimeter of rainfall each year, and Tonlé Sap, which swells to become the largest freshwater lake in southeast Asia during monsoon season. The contrast is striking. One interesting factoid is that the world’s reservoirs now hold 10,000 cubic kilometers of water (2400 cubic miles). Because most of these reservoirs are in the northern hemisphere, they have actually affected the earth’s rotation very slightly.
The second episode, Deep Earth, begins in a stunning crystal cave in Mexico, in which crystals have grown to several meters long. The cave, which is five kilometers below the earth’s surface, was discovered by accident when miners broke into it. I can’t imagine what they thought when they first set foot inside.
The third episode, Wind, explores the tradewinds which spread trade and colonization, which lead to the beginning of globalization. This brought fortune to some who exploited resources and tragedy to others who were enslaved. The view from the doorway through which thousands of Africans passed on their way to the Americas is a chilling reminder of this period of history.
Fire, the fourth episode, moves from cultures that held the flame as sacred, to the role of carbon in everything from plants to diamonds to flames. And carbon is also the basis of petroleum, which has powered the growth of humankind. Several methods of extracting crude oil around the world are explored.
The final episode, Human Planet, turns the equation around tying the first four episodes together by looking at how humans have had an impact on the earth. One of the most compelling examples is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch which is the result of ocean currents bringing plastic and other debris from countries around the Pacific rim. This garbage collects, is broken down by the sun, and eventually settles to the bottom to become part of the earth’s crust. This is juxtaposed to rock strata in the Grand Canyon, pointing out that eventually, one layer of rock under the garbage patch in the Pacific will be made up of this debris.
In all, there is almost 5 hours of documentary video here. It is a compelling production with spectacular imagery. There are any number of ways to use these videos with an ESL class. And because they are available on YouTube, there are even more options available to an ESL instructor. Instead of everyone watching together in the classroom, the videos can be posted in an online content management system and students can watch them anywhere, anytime on their laptops and smartphones, if they have access to that kind of technology. And if the videos are being watched outside of the classroom, there are more options for assigning different groups of students to watch different videos and then have conversations with students who watched different episodes. The ubiquity of online video can bring learning to students outside of the classroom.
Tagged as bbc, class, classroom, CMS, content, documentaries, documentary, earth, ed, education, educational, efl, ell, ELLs, esl, geography, geology, history, how, laptop, laptops, made, natural, nature, online, smartphone, smartphones, social studies, teach, teacher, teachers, tech, technology, UK, US, video, videos, world, youtube
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Minnesota Twins Great Joe Mauer Retires From Major League Baseball
Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
The long and successful career of Minnesota Twins great Joe Mauer has come to an official end as he announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on Friday.
The 35 year old played 15 seasons in the majors, all of them with his hometown team, the Minnesota Twins.
For most of his career, Mauer played catcher, only switching to first base and DH over the last few seasons as he dealt with injuries issues including concussions.
Mauer will be remembered as a true pro, a guy who stayed with one team his entire career and a guy that was ultra consistent at the plate.
In addition to his excellence on the field, he was a fan favorite and he held himself with class, making him the epitome of what a role model should be in professional sports.
He ends his career with 2,123 hits, three gold gloves, three batting titles and a MVP.
According to ESPN, he is one of 22 players to win an MVP and play with only one team his entire career and those other 21 are all in the Hall of Fame.
Mauer will be a fringe Hall of Famer, but you take into account all that is mentioned above and there should be a spot in Cooperstown for Joe.
He announced his retirement with a letter on Friday that was released by the organization and will run in both papers in the Twin Cities this weekend.
Filed Under: Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins, MLB
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European Capitals of Culture: In search of the perfect cultural event
Between 1985 and 2019, 60 cities have held the title of European Capital of Culture – most recently Matera in Italy and Plovdiv in Bulgaria in 2019. Initiated in 1983, by Greece's then Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri, the concept took shape two years later as an inter-governmental initiative under the name of the 'European City of Culture'. The success of the event was such that in 1999, the Council of the EU transformed it into a Community action, and created a more transparent rotational system ...
Between 1985 and 2019, 60 cities have held the title of European Capital of Culture – most recently Matera in Italy and Plovdiv in Bulgaria in 2019. Initiated in 1983, by Greece's then Minister of Culture, Melina Mercouri, the concept took shape two years later as an inter-governmental initiative under the name of the 'European City of Culture'. The success of the event was such that in 1999, the Council of the EU transformed it into a Community action, and created a more transparent rotational system for the designation of the titleholder. The selection procedure – last modified in 2014 – places particular focus on the monitoring of proposals, the enhanced European dimension of projects, improved competition between candidate cities, and the redefinition of the selection panel role. As more and more cities enter the European Capitals of Culture race, substantial sums of money are being spent, including on the bidding process. While in the early years of the programme (1985 1994) the average operating budget was around €25 million per city, this amount has more than doubled to reach some €60 million per city for the period 2007-2017. With rising budgets, there is also increased scrutiny of cities, national governments and the EU, as to the wider benefits in terms of the cultural development, social cohesion and city image that most bids promise. This, in turn, has led to more frequent and sophisticated monitoring and evaluation of the whole process, both by the European Commission and by the host cities themselves. The symbolic celebration of European cultural identities is however closely tied to the economic success of the operation. According to experts, over time a number of conflicts and tensions have become apparent due to the multiple and sometimes contradictory objectives of the event, e.g. economic and cultural, to name just two. Additional criticism includes failure to enable local ownership, difficulty in overcoming social divides and exhaustion of local resources. Notwithstanding that, ex-post evaluations of the event show that in general it boosts economic growth and tourism, helps build a sense of community and contributes to urban regeneration.
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LUX Prize: Showcasing European cinema
Every year since 2007, the European Parliament LUX Film Prize has shone a spotlight on European cinema. Over the past 12 years, the prize has helped promote over 100 films, supporting the dissemination of European (co-)productions in a bid to overcome the language and distribution barriers the European film industry faces. Prize-winners have been very successful in the EU and beyond, making the LUX Prize a synonym for quality film-making. The LUX Film Prize focuses on fundamental EU values, such ...
Every year since 2007, the European Parliament LUX Film Prize has shone a spotlight on European cinema. Over the past 12 years, the prize has helped promote over 100 films, supporting the dissemination of European (co-)productions in a bid to overcome the language and distribution barriers the European film industry faces. Prize-winners have been very successful in the EU and beyond, making the LUX Prize a synonym for quality film-making. The LUX Film Prize focuses on fundamental EU values, such as the fight against poverty, the need to combat violence against women, and the integration of vulnerable communities.
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Arthouse cinemas in the EU: Showcasing European talent
The fourth European Arthouse Cinema Day will take place on 13 October 2019 in some 700 cinemas all over the world. The idea is to showcase both the cultural diversity of European productions and the total commitment of the Europa Cinemas network to supporting demanding and original programming.
Teachers: Contributing to the EU's future
Among all the factors that contribute to the school environment, it is considered that teachers have the greatest impact on pupils’ learning outcomes. Their work is celebrated on World Teachers’ Day, every 5 October since 1994. This is an occasion to honour the teaching profession worldwide, take stock of achievements, and address some outstanding issues, notably how to attract and retain the brightest minds and young talents in the profession. This infographic presents data on teachers in the EU ...
Among all the factors that contribute to the school environment, it is considered that teachers have the greatest impact on pupils’ learning outcomes. Their work is celebrated on World Teachers’ Day, every 5 October since 1994. This is an occasion to honour the teaching profession worldwide, take stock of achievements, and address some outstanding issues, notably how to attract and retain the brightest minds and young talents in the profession. This infographic presents data on teachers in the EU, looking for instance at the age profile of teachers in different EU Member States, at pupil-teacher ratios, at the split of men and women in teaching jobs, at requirements for continuing professional development and at teachers' salaries in the different Member States.
Teaching careers in the EU: Why boys do not want to be teachers
Teaching – a profession that dates back through the generations – seems to have lost some of its attractiveness at present. An ageing teacher population, severe teacher shortages, difficulties with retaining younger teachers and a significant gender imbalance in staffing at different levels of education are just some of the serious challenges facing the profession. In the EU, only 7 % of all teachers are under 30 years old, while around 36 % are 50 or older. Also, 72 % of the nearly 6 million people ...
Teaching – a profession that dates back through the generations – seems to have lost some of its attractiveness at present. An ageing teacher population, severe teacher shortages, difficulties with retaining younger teachers and a significant gender imbalance in staffing at different levels of education are just some of the serious challenges facing the profession. In the EU, only 7 % of all teachers are under 30 years old, while around 36 % are 50 or older. Also, 72 % of the nearly 6 million people working as school teachers are women, thus confirming the perception that teaching is a 'woman's world'. An extensive 2014 survey revealed that over a third of teachers in the EU work in schools with a shortage of qualified staff, and nearly half of school directors report a shortage of teachers for special needs pupils. Perhaps more worryingly, 81 % of teachers in the EU feel teaching is not valued in society. For most EU countries, raising the status and attractiveness of the teaching profession is therefore an urgent necessity. Despite the seriousness of the challenge, only 11 EU countries have taken some policy measures to make teaching more attractive. EU education systems offer teachers various arrangements in terms of recruitment, career structure, professional development and support, and remuneration. The average starting salary in lower secondary education in the 2016-2017 period was €27 000, with top salaries peaking at €45 000. However, a strong geographical divide is noticeable, with salaries of school teachers in eastern Europe being substantially lower than those in western Europe. Teachers have access to various mobility schemes through Erasmus, the EU's flagship programme in the area of education. From 2014 to 2020, the programme has offered mobility opportunities to 800 000 education staff, thus confirming its growing impact and popularity. In March 2019, the European Parliament supported the tripling of the programme's budget for 2021-2027, to make it more accessible and inclusive and enable more teachers and students to take part in it. Members of the European Parliament also proposed re-allocating the budget to different parts of the programme, as a way to offer pre-school and early education staff more possibilities to participate in mobility schemes.
Hearings of the Commissioners-designate: Mariya Gabriel – Innovation and Youth
Política de Investigação
Multilingualism: The language of the European Union
Some 7 000 languages are spoken globally today. However, half of the world's population shares just six native languages, and some 90 % of all languages may be replaced by dominant ones by the end of the century. The harmonious co-existence of 24 official languages is one of the most distinctive features of the European project. Multilingualism is not only an expression of the EU countries' cultural identities but it also helps preserve democracy, transparency and accountability. No legislation can ...
Some 7 000 languages are spoken globally today. However, half of the world's population shares just six native languages, and some 90 % of all languages may be replaced by dominant ones by the end of the century. The harmonious co-existence of 24 official languages is one of the most distinctive features of the European project. Multilingualism is not only an expression of the EU countries' cultural identities but it also helps preserve democracy, transparency and accountability. No legislation can enter into force until it has been translated into all official languages and published in the Official Journal of the EU. Crucially, the provisions relating to the EU language regime can only be changed by a unanimous vote in the Council of the EU. The EU is committed to promoting language learning but has limited influence over educational and language policies, as these are the responsibility of the individual EU countries. A 2012 poll suggests that a slim majority of Europeans (54 %) can hold a conversation in at least one foreign language, but worryingly, nearly half of all Europeans (46 %) cannot, and only four in 10 pupils attain the basic level of competence allowing them to have a simple conversation in a foreign language. The European Parliament is committed to ensuring the highest possible degree of multilingualism in its work. Based on the 24 official languages that constitute the public face of the EU, the total number of linguistic combinations rises to 552, since each language can be translated into the 23 others. Currently, over 1 000 staff employed in translation and over 500 in interpretation care for the translation and interpretation needs of the 751 Members of the European Parliament. Internally, the EU institutions mostly use just three working languages: English, French and German. The overall cost for delivering translation and interpretation services in the EU institutions is around €1 billion per year, which represents less than 1 % of the EU budget or just over €2 per citizen. Following the success of the European Year of Languages (2001), the Council of Europe designated 26 September as the European Day of Languages.
EU sports policy: Going faster, aiming higher, reaching further
Sport has a growing impact both on the European Union (EU) economy and on society as a whole. Over 7 million people work in sport-related jobs, and sport-related goods and services amount to nearly 3 % of total EU gross value added. It was not until 2009, with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, that the Union received a clear mandate to build up and implement an EU-coordinated sports policy supported by a specific budget, and to develop cooperation with international bodies in the area of ...
Sport has a growing impact both on the European Union (EU) economy and on society as a whole. Over 7 million people work in sport-related jobs, and sport-related goods and services amount to nearly 3 % of total EU gross value added. It was not until 2009, with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, that the Union received a clear mandate to build up and implement an EU-coordinated sports policy supported by a specific budget, and to develop cooperation with international bodies in the area of sport. However, EU competence in sport is limited and only allows the EU to support, coordinate or complement sports policy measures taken by national governments. This rules out the adoption of legislation or any other legally binding measure. The EU has therefore opted to act via 'soft' policy tools, such as guidelines, recommendations and – most importantly – funding, to support its sport-related objectives. Over the years, the EU has been actively involved in tackling transnational issues such as doping, match-fixing and lack of physical activity. In recent years, various health-related EU initiatives have grown increasingly popular. In 2018, the European Week of Sport attracted nearly 14 million people to over 50 000 events across Europe, with the Western Balkans and the countries from the Eastern Partnership joining the initiative in 2019. The #BeActive Night, a new feature first introduced in 2018, will continue encouraging participants to discover and try the different sports activities available in their area. None of this would have been possible without the introduction of a specific budget for sport, in which the European Parliament played a key role. As the popularity of sport-related initiatives grows, so do the Commission's plans and ambitions for the broader role of sport in society. The executive's proposal for the 2021-2027 Erasmus programme confirms this ambition. Accordingly, the amount available for Erasmus would be doubled, to reach €30 billion, with €550 million dedicated to sport.
Vivienne HALLEUX
Preventing violence at football matches
Did you know that 120 million people attended more than 16 000 football matches across Europe in 2016, with incidents taking place in 93% of them? Check out our infographic for more interesting facts.
Gender equality in sport: Getting closer every day
Traditionally, sport has been dominated by men, both in terms of participation and governance. Women were excluded from the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896, and were only allowed to gradually start joining in four years later. Even though women's presence and involvement in the Olympic Movement have progressively evolved, girls and women across the world still get fewer opportunities and less investment, training and corporate attention when they play sport. Today, women's participation ...
Traditionally, sport has been dominated by men, both in terms of participation and governance. Women were excluded from the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896, and were only allowed to gradually start joining in four years later. Even though women's presence and involvement in the Olympic Movement have progressively evolved, girls and women across the world still get fewer opportunities and less investment, training and corporate attention when they play sport. Today, women's participation in sports governance structures has slightly improved. The International Olympic Committee currently counts 33 female members and honorary members out of a total of 144. Moreover, fewer than 20 % of the members of the governing structures of affiliated bodies are women. Similarly, in 2015 only 14 % of all top decision-making positions in individual EU sports federations were occupied by women. In spite of the fact that the number of women actively involved in sport has increased dramatically over the past 50 years, female coaches across the globe are a statistical minority in nearly all sports, at all performance levels. In Europe, between 20 % and 30 % of all sports coaches are women. Even though the gender pay gap in sport has been narrowing over the years, it still very much exists. A total of 83 % of sports now award men and women equal prize money, with cricket, golf and football displaying the greatest pay gaps. There are also still significant differences in the media coverage of women's and men's sports. Research shows that sports journalism in the print media is a man's world, with over 90 % of the articles being written by male journalists and more than 85 % of the coverage being dedicated to male athletes. In 2010, in a bid to establish greater equality in the most popular sport for girls and women – football – the European football governing body UEFA launched its women's football development programme and funded an extensive series of projects across Europe to drive growth and sustainability in women's football. The European Parliament has also been consistently advocating for gender equality in sport. As part of the institution's campaign for the 2019 European elections, high-profile players such as Nilla Fischer will be encouraging women to vote on issues that matter to them.
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Home / Events / About
Denver , CO
Jason Rook
Vice President of Alliances, 10th Magnitude
Jason Rook is the Vice President of Alliances at 10th Magnitude where he is responsible for developing and executing on strategic relationships that deliver business transforming solutions to 10th Magnitude customers. A 19-year industry veteran, Rook has held a broad range of technical, sales, and channel roles. Prior to joining 10th Magnitude, he was the Director of US Azure Channel Sales at Microsoft where he led a team of sales professionals responsible for driving Microsoft Azure revenue across the US though a broad network of Systems Integrators, Cloud Software Vendors, and Managed Service Providers. Prior to Microsoft Azure, Rook was a Partner Territory Manager who was recognized as the top performing territory in Microsoft’s US Subsidiary and whose team was instrumental in building the early channel ecosystem for Office 365. Regardless of the position that he is in, it is obvious that Rook has a deep passion for helping customers and partners transform businesses through strategic technology innovation and relationships.
Joe Ussia
Director of Sales, Managing Partner, Infinite IT Solutions Inc
A veteran with over 20 years working as an IT Solution Provider, Joe Ussia has built his reputation as a leader in the industry. Ussia has served on several industry advisory panels such as the Cisco T2 Channel Advisory Board, Cisco Global Marketing Advisory Panel and Associate Director for WAS. Joe is passionate about technology and how organizations leverage it to increase efficiencies and decrease operational costs while maintaining optimal security posture.
Joe Ussia has led some of the leading solution providers in Toronto Canada, with the past decade being at the helm of the award-winning Infinite IT Solutions (www.8it.ca). Under Ussia’s leadership, the firm has won several awards such as “CDN Top 100 Solution Providers”, “CRN Fast Growth 150”, “CRN Tech Elite 250”, “CRN NextGen 50”, “Cisco Customer Satisfaction Star of Excellence (2010-2017)”, “CDN Best Service Organization in Canada”, “CDN Best Solution Provider in Canada”, “CDN Best Security Solution in Canada”, “CDN Best Managed Services Solution in Canada” and more.
Joe Ussia is a scotch aficionado and loves talking about and sharing a scotch with fellow lovers of the spirit. He is also heavily involved with Swim Canada as a Level 3 FINA Official. Joe Ussia is also one of the three founders and co-hosts of the Podcast series “IT For Whiskey” (www.IT4Whiskey.com) that was designed from the ground up to help fellow MSP’s with insights, tips and tricks of the trade to grow their MSP business.
President & CEO, Alvarez Technology Group, Inc.
In less than a decade, Luis Alvarez has grown the Alvarez Technology Group from a small two-person consultancy to the premier IT solution provider on the California Central Coast, delivering IT services to more than 200 companies throughout the state. A visionary who never shies away from exploring exciting new technologies that might give his clients a competitive advantage, Alvarez specializes in working with executives and managers of small and mid-sized businesses, sharing his expertise by advising them on trends, analyzing their systems for improved performance and planning how IT can help achieve their business goals.
Stel Valavanis
CEO, onShore Security
Stelios Valavanis is the founder and president of onShore Security. He currently serves on the boards of the ACLU of Illinois and We the People Media, and advisory committees for several other organizations. He has appeared as a guest lecturer and panelist for local colleges, non-profits, and various industry events. Stel graduated from the University of Chicago in 1988 with a Bachelor’s degree in Physics. Prior to founding onShore, Stel held a number of technical positions at the University of Chicago.
Stel’s love for things technical has spanned most of his life. By age 15, he was writing dBase code for a market research company, producing an analysis tool for sale to other marketing firms. He formed his first business in 1981, producing and distributing Apple II software packages. Stel also has been involved and remains active in many artistic projects, including audio CD recordings, video compilations, and interactive installations.
Manuel Villa
President, VIA Technology
David DeCamillis
VP of Sales & Marketing, Platte River Networks
David DeCamillis serves as vice president of sales and marketing for Platte River Networks. He focuses on keeping his company’s brand fresh and vibrant but also staying in front of prospects so Platte River can continue to grow. For two decades, DeCamillis worked in financial consulting and production in a wide range of industries. Starting in the late 1980s, he worked as a syndicate manager and consultant in private equity funding. After 12 years, DeCamillis transitioned into event production, working as an overseas concert promoter and producer in partnership with MTV Asia. In 2008, DeCamillis started his tenure as head of business development with Platte River before assuming his current role. Platte River has grown to become a leading national provider of IT managed services and has received numerous technology, service and growth awards. Outside of work, DeCamillis is an avid runner, biker, hiker, skier, reader and traveler. He enjoys public speaking and spending time at the beach and the mountains with his family.
Lawrence Van Deusen
Director, Network Integration, Dimension Data
Lawrence Van Deusen is the Director of the Network Integration Line of Business at Dimension Data. Van Deusen has over 18+ years of experience designing, architecting, implementing and supporting enterprise business solutions in a variety of IT computing environments. Prior to joining Dimension Data, Van Deusen was most recently employed as a Senior IT Architect for IBM Global Services in the IP Connectivity services practice. His primary focus was Cisco WAN/LAN architecture design and implementations. Prior to joining IBM Global Services, Van Deusen was employed as a Senior Consultant at Bearing Point (formerly KPMG consulting) where he was employed in the Network Solutions practice.
Brian Ruschman
President, C-Forward, Inc.
Brian Ruschman is the President at C-Forward, an Information Technology company based in Covington, Kentucky that offers consulting services to small and mid-size businesses. He graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Computer Information Systems in 2000 from Thomas More College. He has over 16 years’ experience with computer networking and has achieved many Microsoft desktop and server certifications including Windows Server and Windows desktop operating systems.
Throughout his 13 years at C-Forward, Brian was promoted from a Network Technician role to Sales Manager, followed by Vice President and then his current position as President. His unique pairing of technical knowledge and amiable personality allows him to connect to clients and explain difficult scenarios in a way that is easy to understand.
In 2011, Ruschman was instrumental in setting up the automation of sales, service tickets, invoicing and client services into a combined software package. The efficiencies created by this software has saved 10% in costs for C-Forward. In 2013, Ruschman streamlined a new selling process to better support C-Forward’s growing client base. Becoming a full-service Managed Services Provider, C-Forward was able to create a more productive environment for their clients with far less downtime and, at the same time, was able to bring a proactive approach to network support. This allowed C-Forward’s client-base to accurately budget their IT expenses and simplified billing.
Allen Falcon
CEO, Cumulus Global
Allen Falcon is a technologist and entrepreneur with more than 25 years in the industry. Allen's background includes a unique history of software development and marketing, CIO-level consulting, and entrepreneurship. In 2006, Allen launched the firm no known as Cumulus Global, recognizing the need among small businesses for better managed IT services. Allen leads a team of cloud computing experts helping businesses, non-profits, schools, and local governments move to Google Apps and related cloud services. Allen and Cumulus have been recognized as an innovator by CRN and regional business media.
Managing Director, All Covered
Thad Morrow
VP, Busines Development, Entisys Solutions’ Systems Architects
Thad Morrow believes that to realize the full value of virtualization and cloud technologies, organizations must put into place strategies that often require the reengineering of an enterprise’s overall approach to IT provisioning. One of those strategies is Entisys Solutions’ Virtualization Oriented Architecture, or VOA™.
As vice president of Business Development, Thad works with Entisys Solutions’ Systems Architects to develop custom tailored solutions for its clients that enable them to transform traditional IT silos into virtual, utilization-based environments, leveraging VOA.
During his tenure at Entisys, Thad has continued to guide the sales team in market development and sales growth efforts, targeting mid-market to enterprise-level organizations. He also leads the team in focusing its efforts on identifying ways to improve the client experience, while driving revenue generation and cost-efficiencies. Additionally, Thad is proactive in identifying opportunities where the Entisys sales team can take part in community service, networking and professional development activities.
Prior to joining Entisys Solutions in 2001, Thad worked in sales for a Bay Area solution provider, and became co-founder of DABCC.com, a technology news Website that covers the virtualization industry.
Thad’s areas of expertise include business development and customer acquisition, relationship building, sales management and strategic planning. He is a Citrix Certified Sales Professional, a VMware Sales Professional and also holds certifications in Network Appliance Sales and Citrix/VMware/Microsoft Cloud Management and Virtualization. He is also a member of The President’s Club for the Sandler Sales Institute.
John Head
Chief Evangelist & Business Development, PSC Group, LLC
John D. Head, chief evangelist at PSC Group, is a 20-year veteran of collaboration-application development. Head is a frequent speaker at technology events and works with companies to apply application modernization and mobilization to their business processes and applications. PSC Group, a professional services and information technology consulting firm, created the Application Modernization Center to apply a methodology to invested platforms and applications and bring mobile, cloud, social and analytics to business processes. He is a six time IBM Collaboration Solutions & Social Business Champion and an IBM Cloud Champion. Head is also active in the community outside of his work. He was on the executive board and the community outreach director for Chicago’s non-profit Lumity organization which helps the city and local businesses come together to provide STEM education. Head was also a member of the advisory board of the Leadership Circle of the Executives Club of Chicago. Currently he is a board member and secretary of the executive committee of the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, embracing the mission to empower women and eliminating racism by providing support to all women along various stages of their journeys.
Phillip Walker
CEO, Network Solutions Provider
Phillip Walker is CEO of Network Solutions Provider. He is responsible for all the company's Sales and marketing and business development, Walker was named to this position in Dec, 2009. Phillip Walker CEO of Network Solutions Provider. He has helped grow the company over 7700% Since he has joined NSP. In 2012 alone the company had a record breaking year of growth of over 2000%. Walker has received numerous awards for his leadership over his past 5 years at the helm of NSP, including the 2011 and 2012 Inc. Magazine's Top Ten Black Entrepreneurs. Walker takes an active role in corporate social responsibility initiatives worldwide. In addition, Walker has been widely recognized for his and NSP's philanthropic leadership, in creating a top corporate social responsibility program. Creating a launching several green tech, and job growth programs. Walker Started NSP in 2007 as VP sales and marketing, He assumed the role of President and CEO in 2009. Prior to joining NSP, Spent 15 years working in the telecommunications and Information technology industry.
Marco La Vecchia
EVP & GM, MSPWorx Corporation
As EVP and GM of CareWorx, Marco La Vecchia is responsible for the development and growth of its Managed Services strategy across the United States and Canada. Recognized for his pragmatic, entrepreneurial spirit and strategic thinking, Marco offers CareWorx and its customers progressive business development experience gained from a variety of positions and industry sectors. He champions a highly consultative approach to the CareWorx team. This includes education, training support, and marketing programs that extend beyond Managed Services and focus’ on broader strategies to grow the company.
In 2015, Marco was recognized as a CRN Channel Chief. In 2016 and 2017 Marco received an award for Executive of the Year in the Mid-Market space by the Channel Company.
President & CTO, Encore Technology Group
Michael Knight is the CTO at Encore Technology Group and responsible for company go-to-market strategies, technology and sales strategies, vendor relationships, technology partnerships, research and development, cloud building, enterprise architecture and consulting. Knight has been previously employed as the CTO and senior vice president at Computer Software Innovations, Inc. He has worked as the CTO of SDI Networks and as the CIO of American Control Systems, Inc., with over two decades of IT experience.
Michael Goldstein
President & CEO, LAN Infotech, LLC
Michael Lomonaco
Director of Marketing & Communications, OST
Michael Lomonaco is the director of marketing and communications for OST. He joined the $160 million leading solution provider in 2011. Michael honed his marketing and communications skills while attending Michigan State University. His career has included positions in local, state and federal political and policy work, corporate and nonprofit consulting, and customer relations, public relations, and marketing in the manufacturing sector. These days, Michael leads the Marketing and Communications team at OST. In this role he is responsible for leading OST’s brand strategy, marketing programs, market insights, and public relations. He has a passion for creating wild outcomes and experiences through his abilities to connect and strategize across the organization, and with customers, partners, and colleagues.
Michael also has a deep connection to service and can be found working with any number of the boards of directors he serves In 2013, 2015, and 2016 Michael was selected as one of Grand Rapids’ “Top 40 Under Forty” business and community leaders.
Chad Hodges
VP, Business Development, Enterprise Networking Solutions, Inc
Chad provides project management expertise to the Patriots Honor Board of Directors. A highly skilled business leader, he leverages prior military experience as a U.S. Marine with a successful consulting firm career to bring commitment, invaluable perspective and strong community connections to the breadth of Patriots Honor programs.
“I’m ready to hit the ground running with Patriots Honor Organization,” said Chad. “My company, Enterprise Networking Solutions, Inc., has proudly supported Patriots Honor with donations from the proceeds of our annual golf tournament. It’s time to step up my personal involvement with this outstanding charity. Patriots Honor is doing good things for our injured military veterans and service members, and I want to personally be a part of that.”
Chad is a native of Sacramento, Ca. and a father to three amazing and talented children. He joined the Marine Corps in 1995, serving around the world as part the Marine Corps Marine Expeditionary Forces. During service to his nation, Chad returned to school, earning a degree in Computer Applications and Networks from Coleman College, San Diego, Calif. In 2001, he returned to Sacramento to pursue a career in IT consulting.
Driven by a mission to share knowledge and empower his peers to recognize their full potential, Chad has been Vice President of Business Development at Enterprise Networking Solutions, Inc., since joining the business in 2006. As a skilled and diligent Project Manager and Systems Engineer in infrastructure technologies, Chad leverages more than 18 years of experience assessing needs, gathering requirements, and deploying systems in an Enterprise environment. Today, ENS-Inc, is an instrumental partner with the State of California, working to increase efficiency in IT by leveraging technology to do more, while reducing costs and increasing productivity.
In 2010, Chad founded HSB Solutions, and serves proudly as its President. HSB is a Disabled Veterans Business Enterprise. Providing staffing and hardware and software resell services to the State of California and larger firms looking for active participation from
Following his passion for fellow veterans, children and health, in 2013, he is founded The Urban Gym in Sacramento. This organization follows a simple premise, get outside and get active. All activities are free of charge and Chad considers this organization a small way for him to give back to his community and share the lessons he himself learned regarding fitness and healthy living.
George Pashardis
RVP Sales, ePlus Technology, Inc
George Pashardis is Regional Vice President of Sales for ePlus Technology, inc. a leading provider of integrated solution suites for enterprise networking, security, unified communications, data center and storage, and also offers complete IT sourcing and fulfillment services. ePlus Technology serves a side variety of organizations in both the public and private sectors, including the Fortune 500, Healthcare, Federal, State and Local Government, K12 and Higher Education, as well as many other vertical markets. The diverse set of IT solutions offered by ePlus Technology are complemented with a suite of on-demand supply chain solutions, a variety of leasing and financing services, and a range of Consulting expertise.
ePlus has been recognized by the Channel Company as one of North America's top technology integrators.
George brings over 25 years of experience in Sales & Marketing, with over 20 years in Sales Management to his role as Regional Vice President of Sales for ePlus Technology. George joined ePlus in May 2004 with ePlus’ acquisition of Manchester Technologies, where he was Director of Sales. Prior to Manchester, he served as Area Director for Elcom Intl.
George has served on several Advisory Boards in the past such as Comptia, Samsung, NEC, 3COM, Hewlett Packard and Lenovo and is also a former Member of the International Who’s Who of Information Technology. George is a current member of the Advisory Board for the Channel Company.
Jeremy MacBean
Director, Business Development, IT Weapons Inc
New Bio needed
Chief Revenue Officer, Corsica Technologies
David Powell, a veteran of the IT industry, has spent the last seventeen years exclusively in managed services. Named one of the Top 250 People in Managed Services for over five years, Powell has worked for three of nation’s top 100 managed services providers. Currently, Powell is the chief revenue officer at Corsica Technologies where he oversees sales, marketing, customer experience and the overall go-to-market strategy for the company. Prior to Corsica, he was the GM of the solution provider business unit at LogicMonitor. He came to LogicMonitor from TekLinks, where he helped transition the company from a traditional VAR to an integrated solution provider with a nationally recognized managed and cloud services portfolio, as evidenced when TekLinks received the Top MSP Award at the CRN SP 500 conference in 2012. Powell was a member of the Birmingham Business Journal’s Top 40 under 40 in 2011, and in 2013, he was named to the publication’s first ever Forty to Follow List of executives to follow on Twitter. Powell is a frequent speaker on technology and managed and cloud services, and for three years he co-hosted an engaging “Tech Tuesday" segment that aired each week on the local CBS affiliate in Birmingham. Powell is actively involved in the Birmingham community as a Board member of TechBirmingham, current president for the Vestavia Hills board of education, and past president of the Vestavia Lacrosse Organization.
JJ DiGeronimo
President, Tech Savvy Women
JJ DiGeronimo, President of Tech Savvy Women, is one of the most highly regarded speakers, authors and executive strategists to attract, retain and advance professional women. Through her keynotes and executive sessions, JJ shares effective leadership, influence and inclusion strategies to accelerate professional women.
JJ is a featured columnist for Smart Business Magazine and has been quoted in numerous publications including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business, The Glass Hammer, Working Women Magazine, The Grindstone, ITWorld, Career-Intelligence and Rescue a CEO. She has shared her insights and discoveries with many corporations and women’s organizations. She’s was recently included in the Top 100 Women Visionary Leaders to Watch in 2016 by Innov8tiv’s, received the Innovation Award from the Small Business Network, recognized as one of the Top 25 People in Technology in “Inside Business Cleveland” and was awarded the Next Generation Indie Book Awards for her book.
JJ includes these experiences along with hours of research in her book new book “Accelerate Your Impact” Aug. 2016. This complements her 2011 book, “The Working Woman’s GPS”. She also contributed to the book, “The Confident Woman, Tapping Into Your Inner Power” and hosts regular videos on TechSavvyWomen.TV.
Aron Ralston
Fearless Adventurer & Subject of the Film, 127 Hours
Lonnie Mayne
Founder, Red Shoes Living
Bob Skelley
Chief Executive Officer, The Channel Company
Bob Skelley serves as The Channel Company’s Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his role as CEO, Bob led the company’s PartnerDemand Services group, providing demand generation and marketing services that drive revenue for both IT solution providers and vendors. Bob has over 20 years of experience in channel development, business development, sales and marketing. Prior to The Channel Company, Skelley held numerous channel executive positions including Vice President of Global Channels and Alliances for Infinio, Executive Director of North American Channel Sales for Dell, Global Vice President, Channel Strategy and Operations for EqualLogic and Director of U.S. Distribution and VAR Channel for Microsoft.
Gary Pica
President & Founder, TruMethods
Gary Pica is a pioneer in the managed services field. His company, Dynamic Digital Services, was “early to market†in the MSP arena. It quickly became one of the fastest growing MSPs in the country, with over 7,000 endpoints under management, generating over $500,000 of monthly reoccurring revenue. Gary’s company was acquired by mindSHIFT Technologies in 2005 and he has since launched TruMethods, a coaching and mentoring firm aimed at helping IT solution providers reach their full potential as MSP’s. TruMethods provides a proven, repeatable process to transform your business by demonstrating the right approach to leadership, solution packaging, sales process and results tracking via online tool and webinars. Today over 500 IT providers around the world utilize the TruMethods business transformation process.
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(thing) by Ashley Pomeroy Fri Dec 20 2002 at 17:22:59
"Of course we can get to Cairo, but what I don't know is what the bloody hell we're supposed to do when we get there."
The Suez Crisis was a defining moment in post-World War Two British politics. It was the final nail in Britain's dream of remaining a world power of the first rank. It brought down the government of the day. It showed the world that Britain was subservient to the United States, and it temporarily convinced the government of France that Britain could not be trusted to join the European Union. The Suez Crisis is often forgotten nowadays. On a military level, it was not particularly dramatic. On a political level, no-one in the West came out of it well. It did the power of good for Egyptian president Gamel Abdel Nasser, but he lost in the end and passed away into history.
"We are not at war with Egypt. We are in a state of armed conflict."
Anthony Eden, British Prime Minister
For almost a century before 1953, Egypt had been part of the British Empire's wider area of influence. Although it was not actually subject to direct rule, King Farouk was willing to allow British and French firms to own large parts of the country, as well as the important Suez Canal. The creation of Israel, and successive military defeats at its hands, did not go down too well in Egypt, and in 1953 a military coup deposed Farouk. Gamel Abdel Nasser rose to become the first President of Egypt. He was a charismatic and instantly recognisable man who had a vision for Egypt and the Middle East. Nasser set about modernising and developing his country, initially with funds from the United Nations and the US. For a time it seemed like business as usual, with Nasser as yet another colonial puppet.
But Nasser was on nobody's side but his own. He had a Pan-Arab dream of uniting the Middle East, and it became apparent that had no great love for the West. He made ties with the Soviet Union, and signed a big arms deal with Czechoslovakia, which led to the US and Britain suspending aid to Egypt in 1956 - particularly to the Aswan Dam, a hydroelectric dam that would become Nasser's equivalent of the Pyramids. Although he was regarded by British Prime Minister Anthony Eden as a crackpot socialist military dictator, a prototype of Fidel Castro or Saddam Hussein, Nasser was a hero in Egypt and respected throughout the Middle East, because he was sticking it in the eye of former and potential foreign masters. The US, meanwhile, was ambivalent; they were not sure that Nasser was as bad as Britain made out, although they were upset at Nasser's ties with the Soviet Union. Nasser took the step of nationalising the Suez Canal in July of 1956, reasoning that the toll revenues from ships passing through would pay for his dam by the end of the decade.
The Suez Canal was an immensely important waterway at the time, and remains so today. It allows ships to travel from the Mediterranean to India and Japan, without having to go all the way around the Cape of Good Hope. Up until 1956 it was owned by a joint French/British consortium of stockholders, and was part of the Western sphere of influence. It had been Britain's gateway to India, and by 1956 it marked the eastern edge of the British Empire. Neither Britain nor France were best pleased at Nasser's nationalisation of the canal. For the French it came close on the heels of defeat at Dien Bien Phu, and in the midst of growing trouble in Algeria. The French empire was dying a more lingering death than that of the British empire. History came to realise that Nasser had no more love for the Soviet Union than for the West, but at the time it was thought that he might destabilise the whole region, prompting widespread socialist revolutions and inevitable Soviet military support. Israel had its own problems with Egypt, and, after a protracted period of threats directed at Nasser, the three countries formulated a plan to take back the canal by force of arms. They did not want to openly invade the canal area, for fear of appearing to be warmongering bullies. Although Nasser had risen to power on the back of a coup, he did not seem evil enough to attack directly. Instead, a clever plan was worked out.
The plan called for Israel to attack the Sinai on a pretence of pre-empting an Egyptian attack on Israel. France and Britain would then demand that both sides disengage, and threaten to impose a cease-fire by force, which would of course involve putting troops on the ground at Suez. I am not sure what was supposed to happen after the canal had been taken. Perhaps Britain, France, and Israel expected Nasser to be deposed, or perhaps they expected to simply stay there forevermore. Neither of the colonial powers had the equipment or manpower for a sustained occupation of the area, and it was out of the question for Israel to station troops on the canal; Nasser could have whipped up a whirlwind.
The final part of the plan was never fully fleshed out. The illustrative quote at the beginning of the article is from British General Gerald Templar who, as governor of Malaya a few years earlier, had successfully dealt with a communist insurgency in that country, using a mixture of military force and by successfully winning the hearts and minds of the local population. Templar was one of a number of generals in favour of a military operation purely to capture the canal and impose some kind of lasting neutral zone, although the final plan was developed by Captain Liddell-Hart and British Prime Minister Anthony Eden. There might have been some chance of deposing Nasser if the Egyptian population had been against him, but they were not. The only way to get rid of him would be with a full-scale invasion of Egypt from Britain, France and Israel, and there was no way the US or the USSR were likely to stand idly by whilst that happened. Despite the special relationship between the US and Great Britain, the former was no fan of imperialism. And ultimately Nasser had kept the canal running. He did not seem a petty destructive tyrant.
On October 29, 1956, the plan was set in motion. Israel attacked with great success. On October 30 France and Britain issued their ceasefire proclamation, and declared that, no matter what, they would send troops to the region to enforce the peace. They did so the very next day, turning their firepower on Egypt. Militarily the Suez Crisis was a one-sided affair. Britain and France were not the powers they had once been, but they were old hands at war. The US and the rest of the world smelled something fishy. President Eisenhower sent ships to evacuate US citizens from Israel and Egypt, and made diplomatic moves to the UN in order to distance the US from the affair. President Nasser meanwhile blocked the canal with sunken ships. Britain's economy took a tumble at the threat of an oil embargo, and of a costly draining ongoing occupation, so soon after the expense of the Second World War, and of Korea. Britain's food supplies were still rationed by the government until 1954. The economy was being overshadowed by that of a resurgent Germany, and it was dwarfed by the Yankee dollar. The Soviets threatened to intervene directly in Suez, and for a while it look as if the whole thing was going to be a disaster for all concerned.
Although the USSR had just invaded Hungary, it was relatively blameless in the Middle East, and looked positively benign compared to Britain and France, who were clearly in the wrong. Eisenhower knew this, and he was a week away from re-election. Neither of the Cold War superpowers were in the mood to entertain the Imperial dreams of Britain and France. The people of Britain and France were not impressed either, with ongoing protests in both countries. Anthony Eden had counted on Eisenhower's support, although he had not actually told Eisenhower what he planned to do. Eisenhower was livid at the deception and invasion, at the propaganda victory it handed to the USSR, and that was that for Eden and the Suez affair. Although the brief military campaign had essentially been won by Britain and France, Eisenhower could not longer support the former Imperial powers at the United Nations.
On November 7th Britain realised that the game was up. Continued military action would be ruinously expensive and would lead nowhere. Eden prevailed on France's General De Gaulle to join him in giving up, which confirmed De Gaulle's suspicions that Britain was a pawn of the United States, not to be trusted. Israel became even more villainous in Arab eyes, whilst the open alliance with Britain and France against Egypt bashed any influence either country had over the region. The disruption to shipping and oil caused by Nasser's temporary closure of the canal caused a Sterling crisis, and caused Anthony Eden to resign in January 1957. British and French armed forces finally pulled out in March 1957. The canal remained a bone of contention between Egypt and Israel. Eventually Egypt closed the canal to Israeli shipping, which prompted the Six-Day War of 1966. Nasser's dam was finally completed in July 1970. Nasser died two months later. He did not live to see the next war between Egypt and Israel, or the peace that was signed between the two nations in 1979.
Over the next decade Britain pulled out of its colonial possessions relatively peacefully, and nobody in Britain, certainly not Harold Macmillan and Alexander Douglas-Home, Eden's successors, could have any further illusions that Britain called the shots any more. The Cold War was bigger than any former Imperial power. France continued to lurch into trouble with Algeria, which almost led to a civil war as the 1960s wore on. The United States, meanwhile, was having trouble of its own, in Vietnam.
Selected sources:
http://www.britains-smallwars.com/suez/suez-index.html
http://history.acusd.edu/gen/text/suez.html
http://www.standto.com/qorsuez.html
http://www.unc.edu/depts/diplomat/item/2006/0709/matt/matthews_suez.html
http://www.lermuseum.org/ler/mh/1945topresent/suezcrisis.html
http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itps/0406/ijpe/hahn.htm
(thing) by ThCheeseStandsAlone Sat May 07 2005 at 19:31:26
Britain’s role in the world had changed so dramatically in the fifteen years leading to 1951, that many people, politicians included, had yet to adapt to this shift. When we examine Suez in 1956, it is astonishing to think what Victorian, even Edwardian, Britons would have made of the crisis. Certainly, we cannot place sole blame upon the British political establishment, or even Anthony Eden. It is vital that we acknowledge the unstoppable, overwhelming socio-political forces that were changing the nature of the world, forces far beyond the power, or even influence, of British politics. It is important to remember that Britain was not the only waning empire in the world. The epoch of the great colonial empires was drawing to a close. France was suffering from enormous imperial problems, and the other great powers of the age, Spain, Russia, Austria-Hungary, were long gone, torn apart by either internal revolution or external war mongering. The world, instead of being carved up into the dominions of European nations was now dominated by the two Cold War superpowers, the USSR and America, and the threat of nuclear war cast a shadow over the interactions between the states. But in spite of this tumultuous backdrop, what was British foreign policy doing to face the challenges that this “new world order” presented? Did the government provide solutions, or did it simply exacerbate its rapidly growing problems?
It is important to remember that the British populace in 1951 still considered itself at the head of an empire, albeit one that was rapidly diminishing. It had only been four years since the loss of the empire’s “Crown Jewel”, India, and the full expanse of Britain’s imperial influence was still in the living memory of many. Churchill and Eden were both very much products of this age (the former having gained his notoriety in African colonial wars), and this was reflected in their attitude to the world at large. It is notable that Ernest Bevin, the Labour Party foreign minister from 1945 to 1951, was more aware of the changing nature of Britain’s role in the world. Bevin attempted to find Britain’s role in the balance of the Cold War. While this meant acting in a largely subservient role, it did mean Britain could preserve a measure of influence. However, the following two governments tried to act with the impunity more befitting a nuclear leviathan than a small island democracy. The principle of “gunboat diplomacy” is only a viable long-term strategy for those who have the necessary means with which to back their threats. What we can now see, with the benefit of hindsight, is that the true extent of Britain’s decline was not immediately apparent. The development of the nuclear bomb in 1952 was perhaps key in providing the illusion that Britain still held a predominant role. But also in general, it seemed a time for patriotism. Winston Churchill’s Nobel Prize, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, the climbing of Everest and the Festival Of Britain all helped contribute to the illusion that Britain was still a nation at the height of its powers. The Conservative government played on all these, the coronation in particular, some proclaiming a “new Elizabethan age”, with the obvious imperial implications that phrase holds. Thus, it was possible for the Tories to exploit this smokescreen of national pride, and perhaps explains why they dominated politics so successfully during this period. The re-election of Churchill in 1951 is perhaps indicative of this. The “War Prime Minister”, who had been so roundly rejected in ‘45, represented, to a nation who had elected a Labour government primarily for domestic reform, a long gone imperial grandeur.
So then, does the foreign policy of the time reflect Britain’s perhaps ill founded confidence? Strangely enough, for a country supposedly ruled by a war-time Prime Minister, foreign policy was not as confrontational as we might think. We must remember that the Korean War, started in 1950, was part of the legacy of the Labour government. Thus, we may look upon the Suez Crisis as perhaps the first major intervention of the period. Where it differs greatly from Korea, is that while that war was fought under the (admittedly dubious) sanction of the United Nations, Suez was rather more a case of Britain protecting its own national concerns, rather than fighting an ideological war against Communism. The idea of fighting to preserve one’s trading interests seems one that belongs more in the seventeenth century than the twentieth, but we must appreciate that it was a time at which Britain still relied upon sea-faring trade. It is interesting that Britain took only a bilateral approach, alongside France, for Suez, instead of the more unilateral Korean War. Does this suggest a moral queasiness on the part of the world community? Perhaps the significance of the Suez, and hence the change in British foreign policy is a further reaching one than we might suppose. Indeed, we consider the approach that Britain took to its involvement in nations like Malaya and Kenya (in which they attempted to use forces to quell nationalist uprisings), we can appreciate the significance that an event such as Suez had on the thinking of British governments from that point forward.
The Suez Crisis could perhaps be seen as a symptom of Britain’s military decline following the war. The forces, unable to attack from Cyprus, were inflexible and ill prepared for the type of action that the crisis required. The loss of various other Mediterranean bases meant that the British lacked the capability for a fast response. Perhaps most crucial was the loss of the Indian army, a force upon which Britain had often relied upon with imperial matters. It was becoming clear that Britain no longer had the military or economic might to successfully coerce other nations. For a nation that had relied upon brute force and sabre-rattling in foreign affairs for hundreds of years, it was perhaps ill equipped to employ the delicate diplomacy that the nuclear age made necessary. The Suez Crisis perhaps underlines the obsolete nature of Britain’s foreign policy, and provided a catalyst for change.
Just as the nature of Britain’s empire was changing, the larger Commonwealth was a different entity too. Any expansionist empire is generally based around a xenophobic nation, and Britain was no different. Within its Imperial history, Britain has repeatedly given superior treatment to those nations whose populace was primarily white, Canada and Australia for example, to those made up of an alternative race, such as in the colonies of Africa. This belief that a white person of European origin holds greater human rights than other ethnicities was an integral moral justification for Britain, and was long undisputed “common sense”. Problems arose, however, when in 1947 India and Pakistan gained their independence. No longer could it be said that Britain was part of a “white Commonwealth”, particularly considering the outspoken nature of the likes of Nehru and Gandhi. So this of course created an ethical conundrum. How could Britain justify having two such nations as its allies, with their defiantly non-European cultural identities, and go on treating the non-white world with contempt? Of course, this is an unsolvable problem. For perhaps the first time in history, Britain would need to start acting with at least a measure of sensitivity toward such peoples, or at least stop treating them with outright contempt. The impact of this changed Britain’s foreign policy for ever.
By 1959, Britain’s foreign policy was undoubtedly different from what had gone before it. This is not say however that it was yet fully suited to the new world climate. One must only look at Macmillan‘s somewhat muddled approach to the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 to see that the nation was not yet operating quite in the same mentality as the two superpower blocs. But what I feel we can say is that at least we see Britain beginning to realize that the world is now a different place, and irreversibly so. Macmillan was perhaps instrumental in this, as he seemed to intuitively understand that the nature of international relations had changed. No longer could Britain be the policeman of the world, that job was clearly an American one now, but perhaps it could act as its civil servant. From Macmillan onwards, Britain has, for the most part, taken the approach that it can use its influence, if not its power, to at least guide events in the “right direction”. I sincerely believe, that we also have Macmillan to thank for the unusual position that Britain finds itself in between the United States and Europe, sometimes being used as intermediary between the two, mirroring Churchill’s comments that Britain belonged to all three “majestic circles” in world politics. His ability to form good working relationships with Dwight D. Eisenhower, and later John F. Kennedy, while not distancing Europe, played an integral part in this. It is interesting to note that when Britain takes controversial direct military action in the vein of Suez, the recent Iraq war for example, the flaws in this triangular relationship begin to emerge. This dual paradox, of Britain feeling that a debt is owed to America, while at the same time questioning its policy, and Britain’s wish to be involved in the European Community, without becoming overly integrated within it, I consider are very much the product of this era due to the delicate balance of world affairs at that time.
In conclusion, I believe that the Suez Crisis marks perhaps one of the most important points in the modern history of Britain’s foreign policy. One might argue that many aspects of its foreign policy remained the same. The continuation of the nuclear program and the continued use of imperial rhetoric by British politicians. However, in my opinion, the fact that the Suez Crisis has not been repeated (parallels to recent events in the Gulf are interesting, but I feel rather tenuous). One must only contrast Britain’s actions prior to this point, with those leading up to the present, to see the ramifications it holds. That said, I think that the changes that came as a result of it were inevitable, being a necessity for the continuation of the country’s presence in world events. Rather than changing the course that foreign policy was most likely to move in, I would suggest that it instead accelerated such change to its inevitable conclusion, by making it quite clear to the political establishment that changes not only had to be made, but had to be made immediately. Had this not taken place, we can only speculate what chain of events might have unfolded in the twentieth century, not only for Britain, but for the rest of the world.
Longman Advanced History- Contemporary Britain 1914-1979
Robert Pierce, 1996
Addison Wesley Longman Limited
Heinemann Advanced History- Britain 1929-98
Christopher Rowe, 2004
Heinemann Educational Publishers
Editor: Derrick Murphy, 2004
Collins Educational
David Childs, 1992
Finest & Darkest Hours,
K. Jefferys, 2002
Britannia Overruled,
Reynolds, 2000
The Six Day War, Beginning The Great Game Dien Bien Phu Gamel Abdel Nasser
Yom Kippur War Everything Noder Pageant 2003 Anthony Eden Edmond Jabès
Species accidental nuclear war Peacekeeping and peacemaking Eisenhower Doctrine
Sharon versus Arafat Battle of the Somme Ernst Stavro Blofeld 1956
Lester B. Pearson Falklands War V-Bomber sanctions
Harry Hylton-Foster The Rise of Nasserism (Part 2) The Long Gray Line
literature like acorns
Snub Log: February 18, 1768
Why are homosexuals held to different standards of conduct than heterosexuals?
The Blood is the Life: A Frightful Halloween Quest
Why matter cannot reach the speed of light
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Georgia Tech at UCF canceled due to Hurricane Irma
By Kevin Kelley - September 11, 2017
Photo: Matt Stamey-USA TODAY Sports
The Georgia Tech at UCF football game scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 16 has been canceled due to Hurricane Irma, the two schools announced on Monday.
According to the release, the University of Central Florida “…agreed to host up to 1,000 National Guard members and 250 vehicles on campus” to aid in recovery efforts following Irma. Spectrum Stadium will be used to stage the operations, therefore necessitating the football game cancellation.
“We’re honored to host the National Guard and play a part in helping our community and state recover from Irma,” said UCF Vice President and Director of Athletics Danny White. “On behalf of our student-athletes, athletics staff and fans, I promise the Knights will do everything we can to assist in recovery efforts.”
“We are in complete agreement with the decision,” said Georgia Tech director of athletics Todd Stansbury, who served as UCF’s A.D. from 2012-15. “While we’re disappointed for both teams’ student-athletes, coaches and fans, recovering from the effects of Hurricane Irma should be and is the top priority for UCF and the entire state of Florida at this time. We wish them the very best in their recovery efforts and look forward to meeting on the gridiron down the road.”
Georgia Tech (1-1) will next play on Saturday, Sept. 23 at home against Pittsburgh. The game is scheduled for 12:20pm ET on the ACC Network.
UCF (1-0) also had their game against Memphis canceled this past weekend. The Knights’ next game is at Maryland on Sept. 23 (3:00pm ET, FS1).
2017 Georgia Tech Football Schedule
2017 UCF Football Schedule
Gator Hater says:
UCF is down to 10 games! They need to pick up a game to at least play 11. With all the cancellations someone is bound to have a common bye week.
Reed Larsen says:
I hope they can reschedule for a few years down the line.
Kellam says:
Some of these conferences should move their championships back a week. The AAC now has had 4 games cancelled (including 2 conference games, which means 4 teams will play 11 games, and 1 only 10), the ACC 3, sun belt 2, and the SEC 1. I think it would be best for all the teams and conferences involved
Bama fan says:
Ffs. Irma is over.
Kevin Kelley says:
The Florida National Guard is using UCF’s stadium as a staging area. There are more important things than football games.
Day says:
You are correct, Irma is over. What you may not realize is there is still a gas shortage down here, over 500,000 people remain with out power, tons of business’s are still not opened. I live in Tampa & hate to see college football games canceled but better for the safe of caution.I am not trying to be insensitive at all but most of the college games that are being cancelled or rescheduled do not have CFP implications away. Good luck to the state of Florida getting back on track.
Plus, why tie up resources that can be used for recovery in order to have a football game? It’s not like anyone was really going to watch UCF and Tech anyway. Come on… It’s a game.
Jeffrey Bell says:
I agree with Day. I am in Tampa, from Atlanta and a huge Ga Tech fan. I was disappointed that the hame was cancelled. I was going to the game. Recovery effort is more important. I still don’t have power at my house and may not for a couple of days. I wouldn’t mind if Ga Tech and Indiana got together on Oct 7th. Both on a bye that week. Just a thought.
Jonathan Ramsey says:
UCF can’t play only 10 games. Need to Play Memphis Sept 30th to make up the American Conf game the hurricane screwed up. Sept 30th Memphis is supposed to travel to Georgia State and UCF is supposed to host Maine. Have Maine play GSU it would be like the LSU,Florida,South Alabama,Presbyterian situation last year
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The Bullshit of Government Statistics
government, statistics
I just got the following breaking news alert from The New York Times.
“U.S. Economy Adds 290,000 Jobs in April; Jobless Rate Rises to 9.9%”
Let’s parse this. The first clause says “U.S. Economy Adds 290,000 Jobs in April.” This means to me that a bunch of people found new jobs in April. A bunch. Yay! Good economy.
The second clause says “Jobless Rate Rises to 9.9%.” This means to me that the number of people in the U.S. that don’t have jobs went up in April.” A quick search showed that the March “jobless rate” (actually the unemployment rate) was 9.7%. That’s a big relative jump, especially given that it was 9.7% for the first three months of 2010 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Economic News Release titled Employment Situation Summary that came out a few minutes ago. Boo! Bad economy.
How could this be? The simple explanation is mid-way through the WSJ article titled U.S. Added 290,000 Jobs in April which appeared about six minutes after the NYT article:
“The two numbers are calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in different ways. The payroll figure is taken from a survey of employers, while the jobless rate is calculated using a household survey.”
I just read through the BLS report and looked at a few of the tables. Yes, there’s a ton of data here. However, it breaks all kinds of rules about how to present data to reach a conclusion. Our friends at the BLS need to hire Edward Tufte to get some help with their data presentation skills.
There are now two stories based on two completely calculations munged together into one sound bite. The explanation will likely turn into “more people are looking for jobs now.” But why is the denominator shifting around? Weren’t those people already jobless (unemployed), even though they weren’t looking for jobs? Oh – wait, if we include the people not looking for jobs in the historical unemployment calculation, the unemployment rate goes up, maybe by a lot. Eek – wouldn’t that be more scary.
It’s a simple game the government is playing with the numbers. Occasionally I’ll run into a company that does this – usually around revenue vs. gross margin dynamics, or bookings vs. revenue, or GAAP accounting vs. actual cash flows (where what really matters is cash flows.) Picking the better number vs. dealing with reality is disingenuous at best; presenting them in conflicting ways that obscure the message is bullshit.
Oh – and 20 minutes later the newest NYT Breaking News Alert is now “Four-Month Rise Strengthens U.S. Job Outlook.”
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Tag Archives: gun buyback programs
Creepy Joe: Sell back your assault weapons or register them with the government
Posted on October 30, 2019 by DCG | 12 comments
Joe’s got a plan to end America’s gun violence. Funny how he and Obama couldn’t end gun violence while they were in office for eight years.
From Joe’s campaign web site:
“It’s within our grasp to end our gun violence epidemic and respect the Second Amendment, which is limited. As president, Biden will pursue constitutional, common-sense gun safety policies. Biden will:
Get weapons of war off our streets. The bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines that Biden, along with Senator Feinstein, secured in 1994 reduced the lethality of mass shootings. But, in order to secure the passage of the bans, they had to agree to a 10-year sunset provision and when the time came, the Bush Administration failed to extend them. As president, Biden will:
Ban the manufacture and sale of assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. Federal law prevents hunters from hunting migratory game birds with more than three shells in their shotgun. That means our federal law does more to protect ducks than children. It’s wrong. Joe Biden will enact legislation to once again ban assault weapons. This time, the bans will be designed based on lessons learned from the 1994 bans. For example, the ban on assault weapons will be designed to prevent manufacturers from circumventing the law by making minor changes that don’t limit the weapon’s lethality. While working to pass this legislation, Biden will also use his executive authority to ban the importation of assault weapons.
Regulate possession of existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act. Currently, the National Firearms Act requires individuals possessing machine-guns, silencers, and short-barreled rifles to undergo a background check and register those weapons with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Due to these requirements, such weapons are rarely used in crimes. As president, Biden will pursue legislation to regulate possession of existing assault weapons under the National Firearms Act.
Buy back the assault weapons and high-capacity magazines already in our communities. Biden will also institute a program to buy back weapons of war currently on our streets. This will give individuals who now possess assault weapons or high-capacity magazines two options: sell the weapons to the government, or register them under the National Firearms Act.
Reduce stockpiling of weapons. In order to reduce the stockpiling of firearms, Biden supports legislation restricting the number of firearms an individual may purchase per month to one.”
Read all of his gun-grabbing proposals here.
h/t Breitbart
Posted in 2020 Election, Constitution, Elections, Fear Mongers, gun control, Gun Control/2nd Amendment, Joe Biden, Liberals/Democrats/Left, Taxes, United States
Tagged #2A, ATF, define assault weapon, gun buyback programs, high-capacity magazines, Molon labe, National Firearms Act
Thursday funnies!
Posted on September 19, 2019 by DCG | 3 comments
Posted in Global Warming / Climate Change, gun control, Humor, Liberals/Democrats/Left
Tagged #2A, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, gun buyback programs, socialism
New Zealand begins its gun “buyback collection”
Posted on July 14, 2019 by DCG | 13 comments
I prefer to call this scheme “compensated confiscation.”
From MSN: New Zealand has started the first of more than 250 gun buyback collections for banned military-style semi-automatic weapons in the wake of the Christchurch mosque massacres.
Police have set up the first firearms collection event just a few kilometres away from where a lone gunman opened fire at two Christchurch mosques in March, killing 51 people.
The Australian man accused of the killings, Brenton Tarrant, is alleged to have used an arsenal of five weapons, including two military-style semi-automatic rifles, in the attacks on two Christchurch mosques. Mr Tarrant in June pleaded not guilty to terrorism charges, as well as 51 counts of murder and 40 of attempted murder.
New Zealand police said they had paid about $200,000 to dozens of gun owners handing in their weapons in the first hours of the buyback event.
In the wake of the worst massacre in modern New Zealand history, MPs voted 119-1 to outlaw military-style semi-automatics, which allow the rapid fire of high-calibre bullets.
The Government is offering money for every gun handed back by a licensed owner, with the total cost of the scheme estimated at NZ$218 million ($207 million).
Chris Cahill from the Police Association said he expects a positive response. “We needed these semi-automatic assault rifles out of the community, but it’s appropriate that people who have had to hand them in are compensated for it,” he said.
But Nicole McKee from the Council of Licensed Firearms Owners said the compensation package was not fair and reasonable. “It happened so quickly that there was no democratic process involved and there were no discussions involved with the community that had been affected,” she said.
There are concerns too that farming communities, which rely on firearms for hunting and pest control, will suffer because of the weapons ban.
Professor Kevin Clements from Otago University told ABC’s The World program that general public opinion was “completely in favour” of the measures, despite complaints from gun owners. “The reality is we’ve got twice as many weapons per capita as you have in Australia, and six times as many as exists in the United Kingdom,” he said.
“So on a per-capita basis New Zealand is a fairly over-gunned society, and those guns kill people, in suicides and homicides and so forth, at the rate of about one a day.”
He said New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had responded in much the same way as John Howard after the Port Arthur mass shooting.
But he said some in the gun lobby were urging firearms holders not to hand over their weapons and to bury them instead, and that many were disappointed that ammunition would not be compensated.
Some 258 collection events will be held across New Zealand over the next three months, and police expect tens of thousands of guns to be surrendered.
Licensed firearms owners will have six months to surrender weapons that have now been deemed illegal under the scheme, with an amnesty ensuring they will not face prosecution during that period.
After the amnesty expires, possession of prohibited firearms is punishable by up to five years in jail.
Police Minister Stuart Nash said police knew of 14,300 registered military-style semi-automatic rifles and there were an estimated 1.2 million firearms in the community, with the vast majority still legal under the new rules.
Posted in crime, gun control, Liberals/Democrats/Left, Taxes
Tagged #2A, ammunition, Christchurch shootings, gun buyback programs, gun confiscation, New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Atta girl: Baltimore woman participates in gun buyback program to upgrade to a “better weapon”
Posted on December 21, 2018 by DCG | 19 comments
Mayor Catherine Pugh: “We want your guns”
From Fox News: A woman in Baltimore is using the city’s gun buyback program, not to get firearms off the street but to upgrade to a better weapon.
On Monday, the city’s Police Department paid gun owners anywhere from $25 to $500 for their unwanted firearms and magazines in an attempt to get weapons off the street, FOX 45 News reported. By 5:30 p.m., more than 500 firearms had been collected.
The city paid out $25 for rifle magazines that carry more than 10 rounds, $100 for revolvers, and pump and bolt-action weapons, $200 for semi-automatic weapons and $500 for fully automatic weapons.
While some residents turned in firearms that went unused for years, a woman who went by the name Darlene told the station she was turning in her 9 mm so she could “upgrade to a better weapon.”
“I don’t know [what type of weapon],” she said. “I haven’t quite decided.”
Others said they were turning in their weapons for quick cash or to support the city’s efforts to thwart gun violence.
Many cities have embraced gun buyback campaigns in recent years, but experts have said they are ineffective at reducing gun violence, USA Today reported.
A big flaw is that the firearms collected usually are not the kind typically used in crimes. “They make for good photo images,” said Michael Scott, director of the Center for Problem Oriented Policing, based at the University of Wisconsin’s law school. “But gun buyback programs recover such a small percentage of guns that it’s not likely to make much impact.”
Another problem is the programs tend to attract people who are less likely to commit crimes.
Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh said she isn’t deterred by the studies. (Of course not, why let facts get in the way of your feeeeeeeeeelings.)
“There are all kinds of studies that say all kinds of different things,” the mayor told Fox last week. “Our point here is, there are guns on the streets of our city. We are signaling folks out there, we don’t care if it’s Grandpa’s gun or your gun, we want it.”
The city hosted another buyback campaign Wednesday and will have another Friday.
In Hartford, Conn., city officials have held a gun buyback programs for the past decade. A buyback campaign last week netted 137 firearms, FOX 61 reported. Some of the firearms are destroyed while others serve a more useful purpose. A manhole cover used in the 1990s was made from 172 pounds of confiscated guns. Another Nazi-era firearm was auctioned.
“Not one more victim of senseless violence or gun in the wrong hands that will commit an act of violence,” said Hartford Police Lt. Paul Cicero, a detective in the Hartford police Major Crimes Division. “Just recently we had a four-year-old that shot themselves in the hand with an unsecured firearm in a house that was also an unwanted gun. So, we want to take those guns off the street.”
Posted in crime, gun control, Gun Control/2nd Amendment, Liberals/Democrats/Left, Taxes, United States
Tagged #2A, Baltimore, Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh, gun buyback programs
Ed on Pentagon bans Bible verses on dog tags, while Pres. Trump upholds right to pray in public schools
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A Spectacular Scenic Highway
Montana's Anaconda-Pintler Scenic Highway, designated State Route 1, leads to impressive views and tranquil scenery, as well as Philipsburg, a gem of a town.
This picturesque route in western Montana makes a wonderful alternative to the interstate.
By Gerald C. & Sharon L. Hammon, F275831
Montana’s Anaconda-Pintler Scenic Highway is a perfect example of why RVers should get off the interstates and see the “real” country. Officially designated State Route 1, this byway in western Montana, between Missoula and Butte, will lead you to impressive views; tranquil scenery; a mountain grade alongside a rushing, tumbling stream; a large lake with unusual inhabitants; a platted community dominated by a huge smokestack and a towering pile of jet-black slag; but, most of all, to an award-winning gem of a town. Philipsburg alone is sufficient reason to take the Pintler, either as a self-contained excursion or as an alternative to Interstate 90.
You can join State Route 1 from Interstate 90 in the small town of Drummond, or west of the smelter town of Anaconda, where Butte’s fabled copper ore was processed and prepared to become mile after mile of electrical wire. The road has good signage throughout. The scenic highway is 63 miles in length, but we believe it is easy to spend the better part of a day with the stops you’ll make along the way.
The primary attraction along the Pintler is the wonderful community of Philipsburg. Its main street, Broadway, is bordered by a rainbow of colorful Victorian-era buildings that still house a variety of businesses. In 1997 and again in 2000, the Rohm and Haas Paint Quality Institute of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, set out to find an array of beautiful American communities that “exhibit a range of architectural styles and painted exteriors.” Philipsburg was selected as a finalist in both of the company’s quests.
We’ve been in some communities with extraordinary Victorian architecture and colors, such as San Francisco and Ferndale, California. Philipsburg can easily hold its own with them.
We were drawn immediately to the Doe Brothers Soda Fountain and Restaurant, set in a colorful building that dates to 1887. Doe Brothers does an understandably booming business dishing out great ice cream and meals. Based on our experience, don’t be afraid to try some of the flavors that contain the word “moose” in their names. Their sandwiches were good as well. We also recommend the Philipsburg Café (formerly known as the Gallery Café). We have no doubt that other eateries in Philipsburg also would win your affection.
Philipsburg’s main commercial district is approximately three blocks long and is composed primarily of buildings that date back to the 1880s. While some have been modernized, most have been lovingly restored to their original Victorian brilliance. The absolutely stunning Sayrs Building, constructed in 1888, anchors the district at the corner of Broadway and Sansome. Next door, the J.K. Merrell & Sons building houses the Broadway Hotel, which was restored and reopened for guest lodging in 2003 after a 100-year hiatus.
In addition to restaurants, shops offering a wide assortment of gifts, antiques, and clothes line Broadway. The town seems made for window-shopping. At one end of town, the woman running the delightfully named Pickle Dish (located in a former post office building) told us she thought the name Pintler came from a person and was also the name of the mountains to the south. The Pickle Dish carries an array of interesting and eclectic gift items.
When we finally left downtown Philipsburg, it was with emptier wallets and happier hearts. We also were happy to be using a digital camera, because we could have exposed several rolls of film just walking up and down Broadway.
Away from the downtown are homes and churches that also reflect the flamboyant late 19th century. The old Presbyterian church, now a private residence, still sports an unusual domed bell tower. The M.E. Doe home reflects the architectural standards of the time when it was built. The Opera House Theatre, established in 1891 and now the oldest operating theater in Montana, is home to live stage shows in summer. Check out the performance schedule at www.operahousetheatre.com or call (406) 859-0013.
The town of Philipsburg began around a mining operation, and it was the first of several in this area. About a mile south of town you can see the Bi-Metallic Mill, which was built in 1888. At one point, the mine and mill employed 500 workers, and a town called Kirkville, later known as Clark, grew up around the mill. This is one of the more impressive mill ruins we have seen. In addition to its smokestacks, much of the original stone work remains, as does some rusting equipment.
The area surrounding Philipsburg was rich in minerals. Silver was the big attraction, although in 1892, sapphires began to be mined in quantity. (Sapphires are still being “dug” and otherwise found by the public today; check with the local chamber of commerce for details.) In addition to being valued as gemstones, sapphires were desired as watch jewels and bearings in fine instruments. When mining reached its peak in the 1890s, the mill was a principal location for separating the silver and other precious minerals from the raw ore.
Philip Deidesheimer, Philipburg’s namesake, was the mill’s first manager. He had gained considerable fame in Nevada’s Comstock mining region by inventing a method of square-set timbering inside the mines that allowed much greater amounts of ore to be removed without the danger of cave-ins. He refused to patent his invention, wanting it used in all the mines of the Comstock, which it was. Although he didn’t profit financially, Deidesheimer gained the profound gratitude of the men who had to labor in those mines.
The Northern Pacific Railroad built into Philipsburg in 1887 and extended its tracks to the mill. The tracks are still in place from Drummond south to the mill, although nothing has rolled along them for years. If you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle and some time, you can explore a number of ghost towns in various stages of decay in the area east of Philipsburg.
Stop at the Granite County Museum and Cultural Center to get an overview of things before you explore the mill ruins. The museum is in the former Courtney Hotel on South Sansome Street in Philipsburg. Its mining exhibit includes a simulated shaft, as well as ore cars and other pieces of equipment. The museum also preserves historic photos, clothing, and other items that belonged to former residents of the county. It’s open daily in summer, and a small admission fee is charged.
Other Scenes To Enjoy. Philipsburg is reason enough to take the Anaconda-Pintler Scenic Highway, but other pleasures await along the route. From Drummond at the northwest end of the route past Philipsburg, the road is paralleled by tranquil Flint Creek, which meanders through lush meadows in huge loops that nearly touch each other. All of that changes a few miles south of Philipsburg, where the highway suddenly begins a stiff climb toward Georgetown Lake. Beside the highway, Flint Creek is suddenly a raging cascade, bounding over boulders and plunging downward to the point it is lost from view from the road. Several turn-outs offer the opportunity to stop, get out, and witness the power and beauty of the rushing stream. Near the top, Flint Creek gushes out of what appears to be a natural spring but is actually a man-made tunnel constructed as part of the dam that forms Georgetown Lake.
Georgetown Lake, surrounded by dense pine forest, with cabins and homes peeking out along the shoreline, will definitely make you wish you were towing a boat. However, it also attracts folks like us, who are almost never without our binoculars and birding guide. Georgetown Lake is a primary nesting area for the red-necked grebe, an infrequently spotted water bird with a very lovely reddish neck.
Around Georgetown Lake you can pull off, sit a spell, and perhaps even have a picnic. If you didn’t bring a picnic “” or eat back in Philipsburg “” there are some inviting restaurants along the way, too.
At the southeastern end of the scenic drive, you pass through the town of Anaconda, a sedate community that once vied to become the capital of Montana. Anaconda is inextricably bound to its neighbor, Butte, in the Butte-Anaconda National Historic Landmark. Ore dug in Butte was transported to Anaconda, where a giant smelter blackened the sky through an enormous smokestack that still stands. It is so large that the Washington Monument would fit inside it.
A few years ago when we were in Montana doing research for a book, we made note of the Pintler and even read good commentaries about it. We stayed at an RV park just outside Anaconda and never even took the drive. Now we know what we missed. The next time we come back to Montana, the Pintler will be part of our itinerary once again. It is a much more scenic alternative to Interstate 90, and can be driven easily with a recreation vehicle. The Flint Creek grade should not be intimidating in either direction. So, if Montana is on your list, don’t miss this scenic drive.
If you are driving to Philipsburg from Anaconda in your motorhome, do not take the first exit to Philipsburg from State Route 1 unless you are sure the height of your coach is lower than 12 feet 6 inches. There is an old railroad overpass with that clearance, which you’ll have to drive under, and there is no warning when you turn off the state route. Take the second exit into town, which is Broadway.
Philipsburg has designated RV parking just south of Broadway at California Street. For overnight stays, Philipsburg has a large inn complex with an RV park on its property, called the Inn at Philipsburg (915 W. Broadway; 406-859-3959; www.theinn-philipsburg.com).
As you travel the Pintler, note that there are large pull-offs on the Flint Creek grade, but they are all on the Anaconda-bound side of the road. When we passed through, it was mid-May and off-season, and it would have been easy to cross over to the pull-offs from the other direction. However, we can’t vouch for what traffic might be like during peak season.
To get to the Bi-Metallic Mill (at the former town of Kirkville) from Philipsburg, take Montgomery Street south. The road becomes dirt, but you can see the twin smokestacks ahead. Don’t take your motorhome on this road, as it gets rough near the mill and there’s not much opportunity to turn around.
You cannot actually get up to the base of the Anaconda stack, and we were told we wouldn’t want to because of the condition of the ground around the stack. But you can visit Anaconda Smoke Stack State Park at the far eastern end of Anaconda, which commemorates the stack and shows its dimensions at its base. The park is located at the junction of Park Street (State Route 1) and Monroe Street, adjacent to Goodman Park.
For more info about Philipsburg, contact:
Philipsburg Chamber of Commerce
Philipsburg, MT 59858
e-mail: chamber@philipsburgmt.com
www.philipsburgmt.com
For more information about the scenic highway, contact:
Anaconda Chamber of Commerce
306 E. Park Ave.
e-mail: anacondachamber@rfwave.net
www.anacondamt.org
Featherlite Vantare’: New Owner, New Possibilities
Rear View: June 2010
Wired For Safety, Part 3
Rest Areas Close As States Cut Budgets
Family Radio Communications
Tech & Travel Tips: February 2010
South Texas Renegades ““ 30 Years And Still...
RV Products: September 2010
Columbia: Gem Of The Mother Lode
Daytona Beach: Not Just A NASCAR Town
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– a cultural centre for Ireland in Finland
Finland is a country for societies. It seems that every Finn is a member of several of them. One form of societies is friendship societies, whose aim is to promote another country in Finland and vice versa. One of the most active of these societies is the Finnish-Irish Society.
The Society was founded in 1954 by a group of Finns, who had a love for Ireland and an aim to tell about this country to their fellow Finns. The First chairman was the Consul of Ireland Carl C. Slotte and other founder members were e.g. poet Aale Tynni and folklorist Kustaa Vilkuna. The society was quite small in the beginning, but did a good job in promoting Ireland in Finland. In the beginning of 60’s it arranged a visit by Micheal MacLiammoir, who performed his famous show, The Importance of Being Oscar, in Helsinki.
The Society started getting bigger in the 70’s after more Finns had made trips to Ireland in their holidays and the influence of Irish traditional music and literature was the reason to join for many. A younger generation joined in the 80’s, especially because they loved U2 and wanted to know more about their home country. Another reason to join was the Finnish top band Dingo, whose singer Neumann has a great love for Ireland and always mentioned it in his interviews.
The new era for the Finnish-Irish Society started, when it arranged the first Irish Festival in Finland in September 1986. The idea came from a Dublin-man based in Helsinki, Harry Bent, who is an architect and a musician. He had been in Irish Festivals in Stockholm and Copenhagen and suggested to arrange one in Finland.
From a modest beginning of two small concerts and sessions in Helsinki and two concerts in other cities, the festival has grown into probably the biggest of its kind in Europe outside Ireland and the U.K. In 1999 the festival had 50 concerts in 20 towns and cities all over Finland. The festival is also widely covered in the media and well- known Irish artists are very willing to perform on it. The festival is mainly concentrating on Irish music, especially traditional, but it has also featured exhibitions on art, architecture and folklore and in 1991 Eamon Morrissey performed his Joyce men -show in Helsinki, Turku and Tampere.
The artists who, have performed on the festival include Dé Dannan, Mary Bergin, The Chieftains, Patrick Street, The Dubliners, Donal Lunny & Liam O’Flynn, Altan, Something Happens!, Christy Moore, Davy Spillane Band, Arcady, Meristem, Mary Black, Kieran Halpin, Sharon Shannon, Four Men and a Dog, Vinnie Kilduff & Gerry O’Connor, Reeltime, The Pale, Jimmy MacCarthy,The Chanting House, Dervish, Darthan, The Bringing It All Back Home Tour, Speranza, Flax in Bloom, Seán Keane, Paul Tiernan, Anam, Clár Bog Déil, The Screaming Orphans, Nomos, Liam O’Flynn and the Given Note Band, Susan McKeown and the Chanting House, Gerry O’Connor & Manus Lunny, Puca, Planxty O’Rourke, Leslie Dowdall, Samhain, Calando, Maire Breatnach, Mary Coughlan, Ronnie Drew, Eleanor Shanley and Shinook.
Apart from artists from Ireland, the festival has also featured groups from Finland, Denmark, Sweden and Estonia. The festival program has also included workshops and school concerts.
The Finnish Irish Society has also hosted many well known Irishmen including Tim Pat Coogan and Roddy Doyle. The Finnish-Irish Society has arranged three Irish Film Festivals in 1990, 1991 and 1994. These festivals have been visited by film directors Jim Sheridan, Pat O’Connor and Joe Comerford. The Finnish-Irish Society also publishes a magazine called Shamrock, which comes out 2-4 times a year. The Society also arranges trips to Ireland, workshops on Irish dancing and tin whistle playing and many other activities.
The Society has at the moment ca. 300 members and new members are joining almost daily. TheSociety is also in contact with Irish-Finnish Society in Dublin and it is very much involved with arranging the Irish Festival. The activities of the Finnish-Irish Society have been recognized in the Cultural agreement between Finland and Ireland and it has received grants from the Cultural Relations Committee of The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs in and the Finnish Ministry of Education.
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Board index ‹ Narnia Movie Discussion Forums ‹ General Movie Discussion
Battle?
Talk about any aspect of the films.
Moderators: The Rose-Tree Dryad, daughter of the King
by Glumpuddle » Sep 09, 2016 5:47 pm
Well, here we are again, folks! Another Narnia film is on the way, which means it's about time we started talking about the possibility of adding action sequences.
And I think it's pretty clear where this is most likely to occur: Having the gnomes dig through a few more feet of earth and attack Cair Paravel.
I envision the movie cutting back and forth between the battle, and Jill-Scrubb-Puddleglum fighting the snake. They will kill it, and then all the gnomes will snap out of it and throw down their weapons.
I guess I'm not totally opposed to having the idea of the gnomes breaking out... but it would have to be handled to great care to not overwhelm the end of the film. The real climax should be freeing Prince Rilian and overcoming the LotGK's lie that Narnia is just a dream.
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Glumpuddle
News Poster
Re: Battle?
by narnia fan 7 » Sep 09, 2016 6:28 pm
I think that's the potential change I'm most worried about. I don't see how a battle with the gnomes could be done without it taking the focus away from where it should be, the confrontation the lotgk and Jill Puddleglum and the rest over coming her enchanument is tense and griping enough I think, perhaps having a smaller budget would discourage them from doing so?
Weather they have a battle or not, one thing I can see them doing is adding a ticking-clock element in the confrontation with the lotgk, like having the gnomes getting closer and closer to breaking out from underland and the snake's death coming right before they completely breakout to the overworld. That would still be distracting, but far less so I think the a battle.
narnia fan 7
by The Rose-Tree Dryad » Sep 09, 2016 7:04 pm
The one thing that leaps to my mind whenever I think of this possibility is that the gnomes are enchanted and battles usually have casualties... realizing that you've been slaying poor, miserable, brainwashed souls is going to be a real mood-killer when the LotGK's spell is broken.
If they're really insistent on this, I would prefer they have the gnomes just come within a hair's reach of laying siege to Cair Paravel or possibly have them try to attack the questers as they battle with the serpent, either attempting to break down the door (I'm imagining a bunch of zombies muttering "few return to the sunlit lands..." and throwing themselves against it ) or chasing the questers up onto the battlements of the castle. When the serpent is finally killed, the spell is broken and the effect on the gnomes is immediately visible.
I think I like the idea of them attempting to come to the LotGK's aid better than I do having them try to attack Cair Paravel, because it doesn't make much sense to me that they would do that in the absence of the LotGK and Rilian.
by coracle » Sep 09, 2016 10:21 pm
I've seen someone suggest that there could be two groups serving the LOTGK - one more her real servants, and the others the poor fellows from the Deep Lands who are just bewitched - and after she is killed the latter rise up against the former, with Jill, Eustace, Puddleglum and Rilian in some way involved.
This is much better than breaking canon and having them attack Cair Paravel.
No need for either scenario. What is the scenario when Jill, Eustace and Puddleglum reach the Queen's palace? Of grim-faced, silent gnomes scurrying around docks and through streets. Just as they still seem to be doing when Prince Rilian and friends kill LOTGK. This could very well be rearmament and battle preparation.
And there is some evidence for this. When our three travellers have dinner with the still enchanted Rilian, he explains about his enchantment, outlining her plan to burrow under a land and to break out, installing him as king and herself as his queen. Instead of merely dialogue, this could be done almost as a presentation, couldn't it? Pictures projected onto the wall somehow, of the planned battle and strategies? The three travellers' appalled faces at what they are realising is intended? A date set and a clock ticking inexorably to the following day?
The Queen is away on that occasion, very likely due to the battle preparations, and that the tunnel they burrowed up to Overland was nearing completion. Therefore the soldiers she had were mustering for battle already, and assembling, ready to break out. Time is of the essence, and this does create the background urgency whilst the Prince struggles with his confinement in the chair. Had the travellers not arrived in time and released him, the Queen's magic would have been completed the following day, giving her reason for extra rage. And yes, there had to be a very good reason why she was late back for his evening sessions.
by Reepicheep775 » Sep 12, 2016 9:21 pm
The Rose-Tree Dryad wrote: The one thing that leaps to my mind whenever I think of this possibility is that the gnomes are enchanted and battles usually have casualties... realizing that you've been slaying poor, miserable, brainwashed souls is going to be a real mood-killer when the LotGK's spell is broken.
This. I would actually be up in arms if there was a battle with gnomes dying. The book makes it very clear that the gnomes aren't the enemy and I quite like the gnomes, so I'd be horrified if the Narnians just started killing them.
coracle wrote: I've seen someone suggest that there could be two groups serving the LOTGK - one more her real servants, and the others the poor fellows from the Deep Lands who are just bewitched - and after she is killed the latter rise up against the former, with Jill, Eustace, Puddleglum and Rilian in some way involved.
Having a good gnomes vs. evil gnomes battle would be much better than a Narnians vs. gnomes battle. I still wouldn't like it because I think it is completely unnecessary and, like narnia fan 7 said, it will likely take away from the confrontation between the main characters and the LotGK (the verbal, not the physical confrontation) just like the battle in LWW took away from Aslan restoring the statues in the Witch's castle and the battle in PC took away, and basically replaced, the Romp. If I found out there was going to be an added battle at the end of SC, I would be very concerned about this adaptation.
Reepicheep775
But the gnomes wouldn't want to go and fight, once they are free of the LOTGK. They will all be hurrying home down the chasm.
I can't see a battle there.
But the gnomes were within a whisker of breaking through to Narnia when LOTGK was killed. When the travellers finally reached it, the hole just needed to be widened some more. Probably because the breakout was near, the Queen went back to her place to fetch the Prince. Wouldn't it have taken the travellers some time to shake off LOTR and kill her? It seems as they were leaving the palace the travellers actually ran into the returning gnomes, and neither side knew that they had been prisoners together. There might well have been a scuffle of some sort, until they all realised there had been a misunderstanding.
by The Rose-Tree Dryad » Sep 13, 2016 10:05 am
... Oh dear. This have given me a horrid thought. Logically, the gnomes can't carry on and lay siege to Narnia on account of being enchanted, but do you know who is willingly in league with the LotGK, according to book canon? The Harfang giants.
It could be that they are allied forces in the LotGK's attack (doubtless she promised them a steady supply of Narnian delicacies in exchange for their help), and when the LotGK dies and the tunnel to reach Narnia is almost complete, the Harfang giants decide to carry on with her plans without her and her miserable gnomes. (This would be quite similar to Sopespian continuing Miraz's war in Prince Caspian.)
I hesitate to even post this in case an executive should read this and think it's a bright idea.... please, filmmakers, don't do this. I sincerely really hope that the limitations on the budget don't allow them to even consider it.
Reepicheep775 wrote: Having a good gnomes vs. evil gnomes battle would be much better than a Narnians vs. gnomes battle. I still wouldn't like it because I think it is completely unnecessary and, like narnia fan 7 said, it will likely take away from the confrontation between the main characters and the LotGK (the verbal, not the physical confrontation) just like the battle in LWW took away from Aslan restoring the statues in the Witch's castle and the battle in PC took away, and basically replaced, the Romp. If I found out there was going to be an added battle at the end of SC, I would be very concerned about this adaptation.
Amen. If they end up shoving some huge battle sequence into the story and cut the Great Snow Dance or Caspian's resurrection, so help me I'll...
waggawerewolf27 wrote: It seems as they were leaving the palace the travellers actually ran into the returning gnomes, and neither side knew that they had been prisoners together. There might well have been a scuffle of some sort, until they all realised there had been a misunderstanding.
This is what I would much prefer. I wouldn't mind it if they played up the initial confrontation with the gnomes and the questers/Rilian, as long as nobody gets hurt and it ends in the joy of realizing that it's all a misunderstanding. That part of the book, with the fireworks and the glimpse of Bism, is really where the fun starts to begin after a long, arduous journey. I really don't want them to muddy the joy of the gnomes' liberation with casualties and needless fighting.
by Reepicheep775 » Sep 13, 2016 11:08 am
The Rose-Tree Dryad wrote: ... Oh dear. This have given me a horrid thought. Logically, the gnomes can't carry on and lay siege to Narnia on account of being enchanted, but do you know who is willingly in league with the LotGK, according to book canon? The Harfang giants.
If Walden was making this movie, I think this would be a strong possibility. Having a group of giants attack Cair Paravel would look admittedly cool, even if it would make me, as a book fan, tear my hair out.
However because the C. S. Lewis Estate revoked Walden's rights to the series after the disaster that was VDT, I would like to think that the Mark Gordon Company, Sony etc. were given the rights on the condition that they wouldn't do stuff like this, but that may be too optimistic. After all, the Green Mist/Seven Swords plot in VDT had absolutely no basis in the book, but adding a battle to the end of SC actually does have a basis in the book. It's a much smaller step to simply allow the battle that was avoided in the book to actually happen than to completely fabricate a save-the-world plot.
Please, film-makers, if you are reading this, learn from the mistakes of the earlier films and make the focus of this story what it should be! C. S. Lewis created stories that have survived for over 60 years. That is very rare for children's literature. He knew what he was doing!
Reepicheep775 wrote: However because the C. S. Lewis Estate revoked Walden's rights to the series after the disaster that was VDT, I would like to think that the Mark Gordon Company, Sony etc. were given the rights on the condition that they wouldn't do stuff like this, but that may be too optimistic.
I don't know, they've been say that The Mark Gordon Co, and The C.S. Lewis Estate are "jointly developing and producing the film" that gives me the impression that Douglas Gresham and the C.S. Lewis Estate has much more creative control then they did on the first three films. And perhaps just as much say in the project as the others, and that their not just handing it off to Mark Gordon, and TriStar to do with as they please. Of course that could be (and probably is) me over-analyzing, but it gives me hope.
One thing I've been thinking about over he past couple days, and something I hope the filmmakers realize as well. Is that not having a battle with the gnomes or giants or whatever and keeping the climax of the story true to the book would actually be the best thing for the film. Now I don't think that's necessaraly me being bias as someone who loves the book. As far as fantasy film go having a big fate of the world battle at the end of the movies has become something of a cliche over the last 10 too 15 years imho. Of course not all movie that do have a battle at the end are bad, but I feel like it is sometimes used as crutch because the characters and the story in the film are lacking. And it's not like there isn't excitement in the books climax what with the fight with the serpent and underland being flooded and the threat of our heros getting lost in the tunnels.
I guess what I'm trying to say is, if the filmmakers just focus on telling a character-driven story and getting the audience to like and be emotionally invested in Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum, and their quest to find Rilian, then I think the ending as it is in the book would be just as exciting and gripping as any battle they could force in.
Reepicheep775 wrote: If Walden was making this movie, I think this would be a strong possibility. Having a group of giants attack Cair Paravel would look admittedly cool, even if it would make me, as a book fan, tear my hair out.
That's one of the reasons why this alarms me so much... I mean, I can objectively see that having a band of giants break out from the bowels of the earth and lay siege to a nation whose inhabits they intend to eat is a singularly horrifying thought and would make an extremely exciting climax to a film. It's just that such a scene does not belong The Silver Chair. It would completely derail the story in so many ways and would be such a foolish change to make... but I worry that the filmmakers and investors won't be able to resist the temptation of trying to manhandle the story into fitting the mainstream Hollywood mold. And as you said, it's not nearly as big of a change as the changes they made to VDT.
Ugh. I'm going to lose sleep over this.
I do have tentative faith in the team we have working on SC because I think that Magee is a good scriptwriter and I feel like Gresham would have been much more careful with who he chose to work with and the terms of the contracts that the Lewis Estate signed, but it still worries me. I really hope that the filmmakers realize that (if you must emulate an existing brand or franchise) CoN has far more in common with Pixar than it does with save-the-world blockbusters... these are well-told, character-driven stories that seem simple at a glance but are actually layered masterpieces. People come to see them because they know it's going to be a good story, not because they want to be awed by some battle sequence that you could find in any old movie.
Sorry, bit of a tangent there.
narnia fan 7 wrote: I guess what I'm trying to say is, if the filmmakers just focus on telling a character-driven story and getting the audience to like and be emotionally invested in Jill, Eustace, and Puddleglum, and their quest to find Rilian, then I think the ending as it is in the book would be just as exciting and gripping as any battle they could force in.
Yes, yes. I hope the filmmakers have the courage to do something different and memorable, because that's exactly what the book is. If they try to turn it into your typical fantasy blockbuster, then I sincerely believe that the rebooted franchise will not have the legs to make three more profitable films in the near future. (See, investors? I'm not just thinking from the perspective of a Narnia fan, I'm also trying to watch out for your pocketbooks. )
by Reepi » Sep 13, 2016 9:19 pm
Oh, no. At this rate they'll also add some hallucinations about Jadis during the lady of the green kirtle scene
http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/9971/ymwz.jpg
Reepi
by King_Erlian » Sep 14, 2016 3:08 am
Rather than a battle, how about Rilian, Puddleglum, Jill and Eustace actually going into Bism? That could be very colourful and exciting. And maybe it could turn out that, just as when people from our world go into Narnia and find that no time has passed in our world while they've been away, no time passes in Narnia while they're in Bism.
King_Erlian
by Narnian88 » Sep 20, 2016 4:56 pm
Glumpuddle wrote: .....And I think it's pretty clear where this is most likely to occur: Having the gnomes dig through a few more feet of earth and attack Cair Paravel.
What if this were in the movie as an imagined sequence? As the enchanted Prince Rilian tells the three travelers of the LotGK's plans, we actually see it, maybe all the way (or just short) to the capturing of Cair Paravel. Sure it might be a little shorter than an actual epic battle in the film, but IMHO it wouldn't hurt the trios feelings of helplessness. And it could even include the giants.
Reepicheep775 wrote: ......Please, film-makers, if you are reading this, learn from the mistakes of the earlier films and make the focus of this story what it should be! C. S. Lewis created stories that have survived for over 60 years. That is very rare for children's literature. He knew what he was doing!
This is absolutely mandatory. Above all else, stay true to the books.
"I am," said Aslan. "But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there." - VDT
by The Rose-Tree Dryad » Sep 21, 2016 9:36 am
King_Erlian wrote: Rather than a battle, how about Rilian, Puddleglum, Jill and Eustace actually going into Bism? That could be very colourful and exciting. And maybe it could turn out that, just as when people from our world go into Narnia and find that no time has passed in our world while they've been away, no time passes in Narnia while they're in Bism.
I'd say something about gravitational time dilation, except a) Narnia is a flat world, and b) I have no idea what I'm talking about. If the filmmakers wanted to add interest to that part of the story, though, I would vastly prefer that the four take a shortcut through the upper regions of Bism on their way out of Underland as opposed to shoehorning in a battle scene.
Narnian88 wrote: What if this were in the movie as an imagined sequence? As the enchanted Prince Rilian tells the three travelers of the LotGK's plans, we actually see it, maybe all the way (or just short) to the capturing of Cair Paravel. Sure it might be a little shorter than an actual epic battle in the film, but IMHO it wouldn't hurt the trios feelings of helplessness. And it could even include the giants.
Hmm, that's a very interesting idea. It could be a workable compromise, especially if it's just flashes of what might happen, and it could add some disturbing contrast to Rilian's flippant talk about the invasion. (Also, if we also see flashes of what's going on in Jill's "mind's eye" in the subsequent enchantment scene, her imagining the outcome of Rilian's talk in the previous scene could help lead into that and keep the changes in perspective from being quite as jarring.)
One thing I don't like about this thought, though, is that it would change the tone of the conversation. One of the things that I like about that part of "The Dark Castle" is that it's so creepy... we have three travelers lost in a hostile, utterly silent land, having supper in the gloomiest, quietest castle imaginable, and then there's this weird, something-not-quite-right-about-him Hamlet character talking cheerfully about his ageless bride-to-be and seizing kingdoms that never did him harm. It's wonderfully unnerving, and interspersing that conversation with brutal battle scenes would definitely change the tone.
If they were just eerie, hazy, brief images appearing in Jill's mind, that might work the best without changing too much of the "feel" of the scene. Still, I highly doubt that's what the filmmakers have in mind when they're thinking about adding battle scenes, but if they just want a snippet to stick into a misleading trailer, that might do the trick.
(Oh, and welcome to NarniaWeb, Narnian88! )
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An Ideology of Grievance
Understanding 9/11: Why 9/11 Happened & How Terrorism Affects Our World Today
Université Duke
4.5 (32 évaluations) | 3.9K étudiants inscrits
This course will explore the forces that led to the 9/11 attacks and the policies the United States adopted in response. We will examine the phenomenon of modern terrorism, the development of the al Qai'da ideology, and the process by which individuals radicalize towards violence.
4.5 (32 évaluations)
Excelent, what I love the most was what we learned about Islam, now we can thinking this issues under many points of view.\n\nThanks for sharing your knowledge :D
Outstanding course and content; the interviews really enriched my learning.
Week 4: The al Qai'da Ideology
Our topic for this week is the al Qaeda ideology. An ideology is essentially the set of beliefs that an individual, a group, or an organization has to either motivate them or to give that organization purpose. For al Qaeda, of course this is incredibly important because they're trying to motivate individuals to sacrifice their lives for what they view as a great cause.
An Ideology of Grievance17:02
Biography of Sayyid Qutb10:07
Qutb’s Milestones and a Muslim Revival8:17
Qutb and Jihad8:10
Roots of al Qaeda14:41
Osama Bin Laden’s Ideology12:56
Terminology: What Is Islamism?7:26
Elements of the al Qai’da Ideology4:19
Flaws in the al Qai’da Ideology4:16
David Schanzer
Choisissez une langueAnglais
Our topic for this week is the Al Qaeda ideology. Now what do I mean by ideology? an ideology is essentially the set of beliefs that an individual, a group, or an organization has to either motivate them or to give that organization purpose. for Al Qaeda, of course this is incredibly important because they're trying to motivate individuals to sacrifice their lives for a great cause, what is in their view is a great cause. So it's important for its ideology to be exciting, for it to be powerful for it to touch on human emotions. I call this lecture Ideology of Grievance because much of Al Qaeda's ideology is based on a set of grievances against the West. And so we're going to start out by trying to lay out what these grievances are and then we'll talk in later lectures about how Al Qaeda argues that these grievances can, have to be addressed through violence. violence ultimately against the West and the leader of the West the United States. but before I begin let me say I have a couple of cautionary notes about my discussion throughout this weeks lectures. first of all, of course when I'm talking about a historical narrative or about arguments about religion, these are not necessarily things that all Muslims believe. As Imam Abdullah Antepli discussed in our, our prior weeks' lectures Islam comprised of a, you know, one billion to a billion and a half followers across the world living in different cultures with different languages spanning from the United States to the all the way to Indonesia, Africa, Asia. and different cultures, different civilization, different part of the world have had incredibly different historical experiences different politics they practice Islam in different ways. For anybody to say that this, you know, something is what Muslims believe is a very dangerous thing. So there's a huge amount of diversity. what I'm arguing is that that Muslims who follow the Al Qaeda ideology that this is what is motivating them. These sets of grievances I'm going to discuss. The second point is that there are Muslims throughout the world that might indeed have these grievances as well. they might be angry at the West for colonization. they might dislike US intervention. They might have things that they don't like about Western culture. just because they hold some of these grievances doesn't mean they agree with Al Qaeda's ideology that they believe that these things these grievances, have to be addressed by violence. So let's just take care to keep that in mind as we go through all of these lectures. Now, the grievances I'm going to discuss fall into three categories. and we're going to discuss them in more depth in turn. First of course a, grievances related on the history. The history a narrative, historical narrative of what has happened to the Muslim people and a notion that there's been a decline, that has something has happened to Muslims. And it is because of actions of Western powers that this situation has befallen the global community of Muslims. second issues relating to religion and what has happened to the Islamic faith and the Islamic practices again that they have been in someway polluted, tainted by the West. And by what Bin Laden argued were, you know, true, weren't true Islam, non-Islamic practices. And thirdly some discussion about things about culture how Western culture was encroaching on Muslim peoples. And so it's these three sets of grievances that help to form the package of grievances that are a part of the Al Qaeda ideology. So let's start with history. The history I want to discuss begins with, of course, the creation of Islam in the hills above Mecca where the Prophet Mohammed in 610 received the word of God and began gained followers and, and began this religion. And what I want to talk about here was its incredible success in its the earliest centuries. in a territorial sense, of course within a matter of a, a blink of a historical eye a number of centuries this new religion which was popularized in the same places that Judaism and Christianity were originated had a dramatic success in its spread throughout the entire Arabian peninsula, across Northern Africa, all the way to Morocco, up to Europe into, into Spain. sweeping through the Middle East and down through the South Asian sub continent and in subsequent centuries spreading even further thousands of miles across, to far places in Southeast Asia Indonesia, Malaysia. Of course, Indonesia, now being the most populous Muslim country in the world. So the early years of Islam being characterized by a widespread territorial success. But second of all the, there were, in these early years of Islam and Islamic civilizations, great achievements. achievements in architecture, here you see the, the beautiful mosque in Cordoba, Spain. success and advancement of in science, in math geometry, algebra, building on many of the principles of Roman and Greek and Roman civilizations but then advancing them and laying the groundwork for additional advances. Of course, Islamic art flourishing in this Islamic Golden Age. As these these civilizations matured and moved through the Middle Ages then succeeded by the Ottoman Empire a period of rapid decline. you have a succession of Caliphates throughout this period but the the Ottoman, Ottoman Empire ultimately falling apart after World War 2, and essentially the Caliphate ending. No Caliphate after that then in the heart of Muslim civilizations in the, in the Middle East a period of colonization, where after World War I and World War II, these areas were carved up, essentially with boundary lines drawn not according to tribe, or not according to cultures, but according to, you know, Western political imperatives. countries being drawn up colonial rulers being imposed on people. and to the point where in this region Muslims were not being governed in any of the area by Muslims but rather by the West. And Imam Antepli talked about the corrosive effects of colonization on Muslim civilizations. I put the Israeli flag up a, as marking a historical point in 1948 of even deeper decline. The idea that a piece of territory again in the middle of the Middle East carved off taken for the Jewish people. I'm not going to get into the historical debate about Israel-Palestine but only to make the point that this was seen by many in the region as a deep affront and a humiliation imposed by the rest of the world. And that humiliation was even made more severe by the war that followed the creation of the state of Israel and the partition vote in the UN, in which massive Arab armies of surrounding the countries surrounding Israel the Egyptians Jordanians, Saudis, Iraq Lebanon and Syria were going to wipe the Jews off the face of the earth and into the Mediterranean Sea. But that didn't happen those armies faced a very humbling and humiliating defeat. So, all these things adding to this notion of decline. in, in the periods following colonization, what replaced the colonial rulers was a set of secular dictators. some of whom were preaching doctrine such as, you know, global Pan-Arabism socialism not a Islamic based culture, an Islamic based leadership. we'll talk about this when we talk about Qutb and his rivalry with with Nasser in Egypt but the, the narrative is that these rulers, these secular rulers who were not acting that Al-Qaeda would argue, acting consistent with Muslim principles, but rather were highly influenced by the West and highly secular were being imposed upon Muslim people. and I put the cov, cover of the Arab Human Development Report from 2002 because Al Qaeda also makes the argument that this has had a derogatory effect on Muslim people, that the fallen behind. This notion of decline was not just political, not just religious, but also economic. that development the number of scientific patents, the number of, the education, that all of these things have lagged and Al Qaeda feeds into the, those declining figures to fuel their notion of grievance. The capstone of this period of decline is the period of US interventionism in the Middle East. beginning in the latter decades of the 20th century and moving into the 21st with Bin Laden seeing the greatest humiliation and the greatest level of Western interference was the Gulf War the first Gulf War against when Iraq invaded Kuwait. and Saudi Arabia turned to the United States and invited, and allowed a large amounts, masses of U.S. troops to come in to Saudi Arabia where the home of the two holiest places of Islam ultimately to boot Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. the bases stayed for a number of years up until 9/11 and Bin Laden saw this is a grave affront to the notion of Muslims ruling other Muslims, the notion of the West not imposing their ways on Muslim people. That is the, the that's the course of this historical narrative. The second category of grievances I want to discuss are grievances that result from religion and the idea that the, the Muslim faith had been tainted in some ways over the course of, of history. it's a story that I'm going to talk about a lot in the next two lectures so I don't want to spend a great deal of time here, but it begins with the intellectual founder of this radical extremist ideology, Sayyid Qutb in Egypt and then built upon and fleshed out by Osama Bin Laden. But the core idea of Qutb is that the Islamic faith, the Islamic practices had been corrupted over the centuries that its expansion and exposure to other ideas, had tainted it the, that the Western ideas had influenced the practices and diluted them. He said the greatest Muslims were the Muslims practicing in the days of the, the prophet, when the Prophet Muhammad was alive, and in order for Islam and the Muslim people to recapture their former glory that there needed to be a return, a revival and a return to the, the old ways, the traditional ways. And we see this of course reflected in many ways in Bin Laden's ideology, which calls for only a pure Islam. that infidels non-believers in Islam, but also Muslims who do not practice and did not accord to the Sunni traditions and the traditions as they were practiced in the times of the prophet Mohammed were infidels then had to be attacked, eliminated. so these are grievances arising from religion that helped to form the ideology. The third category of grievances are ones arising from culture and what I'm talking about here is really the the, the advent of globalization in the latter part of the 20th century. where Western culture is essentially through the means of globalization is being spread throughout the world and indeed infiltrating not only areas of high economic activity, but everywhere and coming into the Middle East. And it's not only about commercialism, here represented by McDonald's it's not only about Western economic ideas and influence but also movies, television the Western promiscuity in many extents encroaching and being foisted upon traditional Muslims. This is what Bin Laden would argue that in a way that was disrespectful of traditional ways and I'm representing that here with the woman in the full burka whereas globalization is spreading ideas of equality in women empowerment and women being in important positions whether they be in politics or business or education. to this highly traditional and notion of women having to be shielded from the outside. Not only shielded with a respectful head covering but shielded through not even being able to have her eyes being seen by outsiders. so it's this clash, this clash between modernity and traditionalism that is part of the Al Qaeda ideology and part of the grievances. The grievances that the West is not only imposing ideas, it's not only tainting religion, but it is affecting and trying to impose modern ideas on us. So I see these grievances as three invasions. and I like to think about it in that way. the invasion in many ways into territory, Muslim territory, whether first by colonialism the advent of the state of Israel, or US interventionism, an invasion of US Western troops into territory. it was a, an invasion of Western ideas, of secularism, of a division between the the holy and the secular. That Bin Laden, at least, did not believe and, and Qutb did not believe was the, at the essence, at the core of Islam that secularism was a deeper front and a threat to Muslim people and Muslim civilizations. And the third invasion being the invasion of Western culture promiscuity other liberal ideas through culture being imposed on what they thought should be a more traditional society. And these three sources of grievance, grievances of history, grievances relating to religion, grievances relating to culture are the, the motivating factors leading to anger and establishing the core of this Al Qaeda ideology ultimately calling for violence.
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News Microsoft reveals Kinect source code
Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by Meanmotion, 13 Mar 2013.
Microsoft has opened up some of the code behind Kinect for Windows for the developer community.
http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2013/03/13/microsoft-reveals-kinect-source-code/1
Meanmotion, 13 Mar 2013
edzieba Virtual Realist
This is NOT the source code to the Kinect SDK! These are code examples that show how to use the SDK. No source has been 'opened'; these were not somehow previously closed source applications that were open-sourced, as they are not applications at all: they're demos, and were not previously available in a closed-source version (because that would be silly and defeat the point).
In fact, all this code was previously (and still is) freely available as part of the full Development Toolkit. The only news here is that these code examples are now available separately rather than as part of the bundle, and under a different license (but they don't allow anyone else to add to or modify the repo).
edzieba, 13 Mar 2013
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Herbert C Brown Ph.D.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1979
The President's National Medel of Sciences - Physical Sciences, 1969
Nobel co-recipient Georg Wittig
Organic Chemist. Development of use of boron into important reagents in organic synthesis. School, advanced several times, graduating at 12; refused further advancement, avoiding being sister's classmate.
Graduating, Depression years, future wife Sarah gave him gift, Stock's 'Hydrides of Boron and Silicon' because cheapest chemistry book! Led to Nobel Prize!
By Dan Lednicer Ph.D. Organic/Medicinal Chemist
Nobel prizes in many of the sciences are awarded in recognition of some singular achievement. The Nobel Prize in Physics for example may be awarded to a relatively young scientist whose investigations provide a new insight to the nature of matter. The Nobel Prize for Chemistry covers the various specialized areas of this broad scientific discipline. Organic chemistry, that is, the chemistry of carbon compounds, comprises one of those disciplines. This field differs from many of the other sciences by the fact that it comprises of a large body of settled science. It is consequently unlikely that an organic chemist will come up with some singular achievement. The Nobel Prize in that discipline has not infrequently been awarded for work that has led to the development of new reagents which have made possible hitherto difficult transforms. Awards for new reagents are more often than not given years after the invention when the new method has come to be used routinely in the laboratory. In this case the 1979 Nobel Prize was awarded jointly to Herbert C. Brown and Georg Wittig "…for their development of the use of boron and phosphorus containing compounds into important reagents in organic synthesis".
Herbert Brown was born in London, England in 1912 to the Ukrainian immigrant couple named Brovanik. The family emigrated to the U.S. in 1914 to join the father's parents and other members of his family in Chicago. The family name was changed for the grandfather's name had been anglicized to Brown. The country was deeply enmeshed in the depression when Herbert graduated from high school. Finances thus dictated their son Herbert have a somewhat unusual higher education. He thus began by obtaining an Associate's degree from Wright Junior College in Chicago in 1935. His outstanding results on a competitive exam led to the award of a scholarship to the University of Chicago. He completed what was normally a two-year sequence in just one year graduating from the University in 1936 with a B.S. in chemistry. On graduating, Brown stayed on at the University to conduct graduate research under Herman I. Schlesinger. The latter was renowned for his research on metal hydrides that comprise a class of reactive molecules in which one or more hydrogen atoms are connected directly to a metallic element. In an autobiographical sketch Brown attributes his choice of a research topic, diborane, a hydride of boron to a graduation gift from his wife-to-be of a book on the hydrides of boron and silicon. He was awarded his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1938. With jobs for chemists still very scarce, he chose to stay on in Schlesinger's group as a research assistant with the title of Instructor. In 1943 Brown accepted a position of Assistant Professor at Wayne University, now Wayne State in Detroit. He was promoted to Associate Professor in 1946. He moved to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana in 1947 now as full Professor. Since his research involved mainly metal hydrides he joined the Division of Inorganic Chemistry at Purdue in spite of the fact that the work benefited mainly organic chemistry. Brown was named Wetherill Distinguished Professor in 1959 and then Professor Emeritus in 1978. From that point on his research group comprised entirely of post-doctoral fellows. He died in 2004 at the age of 92. Purdue renamed the chemistry building Herbert C. Brown Laboratory of Chemistry in his honor. He received numerous other awards in his lifetime including the American Chemical Society's Priestley Medal (1981), the Society for Chemical Industry's Perkin Medal (1982) and the National Academy of Science Award in Chemical Sciences (1987). The American Chemical Society currently offers the "Herbert C. Brown Award for Creative Research in Synthetic Methods" supported.by the Purdue Borane Research Fund and Herbert C. Brown Award Endowment'
Diborane, B2H6, the hydride that Brown chose to study was to be the center of his research for the remainder of his career. When he began his research the molecule was considered an exotic species available in only minute quantities. His first task comprised developing a method for producing that molecule in practical quantity. That accomplished, Brown launched on a systematic study of the properties of diborane. He discovered that the molecule would add hydrogen to the double bond that connects oxygen to carbon bonds in aldehydes, ketones and esters; treating the addition product with water then afforded the corresponding alcohols. This provided a more convenient alternative to the very few methods that existed at that time for achieving this reaction, termed reduction. The then-available methods involved handling very reactive chemicals such as elemental sodium metal. The fact that diborane is an unstable gas at room temperature however means that it has to be used in solution in organic solvents. Further research led to the development of borohydride salts. Those solid derivatives are very stable and can be stored at room temperature in simple containers. The best known of these is sodium borohydride, NaBH4, a molecule used extensively by organic chemists for reducing aldehydes and ketones (but not esters). Investigators located principally in Browns laboratory but also elsewhere have produced a series of modified borohydrides that will selectively reduce specific organic functional groups. Sodium triacetoxyborohydride, NaBHAc3, a reagent in which all but one of the hydrogens in sodium borohydride has been replaced by an acetoxy group (CH3C=O) will, for example, reduce an aldehyde in preference to a ketone or ester even when both are present in the same molecule. The observation that diborane would also add to carbon-to-carbon double bonds opened an entirely new area of research. Reaction of the resulting product, called a borane, with an oxidizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide replaces boron by a hydroxyl group. This then affords a novel technique for introducing alcohol group in molecules whose structure contains carbon to carbon double bonds. Boron will add to the less substituted carbon in the case of unsymmetrical double bonds. This is the opposite orientation of that which other reagents add to such double bonds. Brown's laboratory then went on to develop a series of derivatives of diborane in which all but one of the hydrogen atoms are replaced by carbon or some other atom. The resulting organoboranes among other properties add more selectively to double bonds. They then went on to develop technology for replacing the organoborane that had been newly introduced by a series of other substituents such as for example bromine or sulfur. Replacing boron by ammonia afforded a means for creating amines.
Though his name is associated with organoboranes Brown's research programs covered a range of topics beyond those molecules. His interests included the influence of steric effects on chemical reactions. Organic molecules actually comprise three dimensional entities endowed with bulk. Steric effects involve the circumstance that parts of some mole may obstruct the regions where a reaction is to take place. The observable effect is a decrease of the rate of reaction or even preventing it in extreme cases.
Herbert Charles Brown, A Biographical Memoir by Ei - Ichi Negishi, National Academy of Sciences, 15 pages. Ei - Ichi Negishi is Chemistry Nobelist, 2010
Herbert Charles Brown Interviewed by R. B. Eckles. Transcript of oral history interview recorded on Sep 22, 1970 for the Archives of Purdue University. 34 pages.
Herbert Charles Brown
Find in a library near you. In Worldcat page, click book of interest to you. Scroll down to libraries which possess book. Possibly more than one person with the same name.
Photo Purdue University. Painting Tim Tompkins PaintHistory.com
Name: Herbert Charles Brown
Birth: 22 May 1912, London, United Kingdom
Death: 19 December 2004, Lafayette, IN, USA
Institution: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
Award: "for their development of the use of boron- and phosphorus-containing compounds, respectively, into important reagents in organic synthesis"
Subject: Organic chemistry
Inventory of H.C. Brown papers
Honoring H.C. Brown
Humor/Quotations
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Should the military service be mandatory?
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Author Topic: Should the military service be mandatory? (Read 22378 times)
Just Lance
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Commodore of Freebirdia Orbital Defense Fleet
Current Mood: perverse
Re: Should the military service be mandatory?
Well other than it being in "Oh so peaceful" Europe, there were civilian casualties due to fire of lethal ammunition without following a protocol occurred.
The mass panic is a mass panic and I would like to see many people keeping their calm being rational and using common sense when suddenly they pop a couple of rounds into a crowd. That usually escalates into a panic and confusion not to mention a well known factor of "crowd intelligence" when peoples are swayed by the behaviour of the crowd.
"God, it's so hard to be a smartass nowadays." Dr. Neil Watts (To the Moon)
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Current Mood: tired
Miss Nile, I guess we have to agree to differ. You see some things as honorable while I don't.
But when it comes to war, I guess we as the people living in such countries can do what we can to prevent a war. And I don't see it as a very distant dream to achieve that, I believe I played my role alongside other people to at least delay a possible war in my country.
And when it comes to sexism, I think religion plays a major role in discrimination against women. Even though it is true that discrimination against women in a certain religion can be rooted to the culture of the people living in the region where that religion originates from.
Just Lance, I don't think you are being fair in your arguments. I never mentioned a "Oh so peaceful" Europe, I said it seems impossible to see "many" european countries which fought during the world wars to start a war with each other again.
I did not say "all" european countries and I did not even say "most" european countries.
While I was writing that, countries like Germany and France came to my mind, not the Ukraine that I was following its news at the moment I was writing my post.
BTW, I'm aware of the Prague Spring in your country and the fact that it ended when Soviet Union and members of the Warsaw Pact invaded your country, then known as Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. I know about the Velvet Revolution and the fact that Czech Republic and Slovak Republic are the results of the country's dissolution a few years after the revolution.
I actually sympathized reading "Audience", "Protest" (Maybe I read all the Vaněk plays written by Havel, I'm not sure) and "Garden Party" scripts.
I'm not claiming that I'm well informed about the region, but I'm not as uninformed as you seem to see me.
Unimaginative Username
Quote from: Just Lance on March 02, 2014, 03:32:55 PM
While I understand where you are coming from here I think it's difficult to gauge whether or not the effect of firing live rounds into a crowd would be different if mandatory enlistment existed. A crowd by it's very nature is incohesive and it doesn't take much to cause mass confusion and panic, like you said.
The issue here is that even if someone has gone through basic training they are only going to be a single basically trained individual in a large group of basically trained individuals, as there is no real command structure it would take far more than this to get the crowd to act as one disciplined unit - there were even some defected police and military members in the protest crowds, and whilst they may have outperformed their lesser trained counter-parts when it came to blows, the end result was still the same as the average experience and organisation of the crowd was still far lower than that of the riot police and sharpshooters.
As far as I know it is only in the past few years that mandatory enlistment has been considered for removal from the Ukraine so I expect most of the people in the crowd probably already had some form of basic training. The reason it did not help was because of the lack of organisation due to a lack of chain of command once in a fight - the members of the crowd would require far more experience than standard national service to avoid disorganisation, panic and ultimately a rout.
Crowds like this are a lot like Gauls in a sense that they were organised up until the point of a melee breaking out as they did not have a link between the warlords and the main fighting body. Likewise in protests, they may have protest leaders and seem well ordered but when a riot breaks out it escalates out of control rapidly as no one is there to pass on, or possibly even give, orders - as shown in the Ukraine recently.
疑問符の人
Mod-Suspect
It's peaceful now because Europeans have been killing each other for a very, very long time. When the last two most destructive wars Europe experienced were just two decades from each other and Europe hasn't experienced another one that put it back to the stone age again since 1945, yeah, Europe IS peaceful. It's a historical comparison.
And the military training wouldn't have made a difference due to said crowd intelligence. Now if the protesters were all were armed, uniformed, and had a clear command structure, it would. But that's not a protest, that's a standoff. You don't defuse a tense situation by escalating it.
Quote from: The-PurpleOrange on March 02, 2014, 03:20:01 PM
That was a protest which escalated over the course of a few months and turned violent, it seems like Russia are getting involved too now - though I can speculate why, I don't know the real reason for it. However, I don't see what your point is there.
Non-ethnic Russian Ukrainians want Ukraine to be closer to the EU. Russian Ukrainians and the deposed Russian Ukrainian president want to be closer to Russia. WIP agreement to get closer with EU got scrapped in favor of economic deals with Russia. Things got bad. Russia is there to supposedly "protect the Russian minority", especially those in Crimea. That and the Russian military bases in Crimea, namely the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
« Last Edit: March 03, 2014, 04:46:02 AM by Question Math »
A Fat Kid
Just so you guys know, there isn't a need for anyone in my country to know how to use a firearm.
Because there are no firearms.
Here, the possession of arms carries a death sentence, and you cannot buy a gun or get a license to own one. The only people who carry arms in public are the police and the military.
The local government likes to repeat that mandatory military service exists due to the small population and hence small professional army. It's basically a manpower boost, to have the civilian population ready to take up arms if anything broke out.
You don't even need all of them to run. Enough of them go, and the entire command structure breaks down. As for order, discipline and respect, there are other places to learn those. Parents, school, uniformed groups. I've yet to gain in any of these areas since I joined.
Frankly, I'd say they're deluded. This country is wealthy, and many families have properties overseas. If a war became imminent, people will be running with their families and deserting their posts. Foot soldiers, officers, everything. Why stay and defend your family from a threat, and possibly fail, when you can all run to safety?
« Last Edit: March 02, 2014, 11:07:35 PM by A Fat Kid »
雷の鳥
Flame Haze
Current Mood: happy
This is an interesting topic, because there are wast cultural differences, so in our international Freebirdia we are bound to have a lot of different opinions.
Quote from: Miss Nile on February 28, 2014, 02:32:49 PM
Of course it has to be. At least in my opinion.
I disagree with this.
Sure, it teaches respect, discipline, order and safety but other than that,
So can a lot of other duties.
it teaches you the morals of the importance of your country, your home and builds within you a meaning of special love and sacrifice for your people and flag.
This has a really bitter-sweet taste, while it gives the positive effect of solidarity it can also go very wrong. It can make you feel superior to people from other countries. Well, we have some bad memories of that in Germany.
Consider that the country suddenly goes into war and needs to recruit more men for its forces, at least those who'd been through it before wouldn't be completely clueless about weapons and how things work. In the very least, it would save time and effort in the time of need because you'd have previously-trained soldiers, you wouldn't need to teach them all over again.
People that learned some basics 5 years ago would be merely cannon fodder. At least in more developed countries future wars will not be decided by who has the most basic soldiers.
I know that it's a hassle for most men to have 1 or 2 years of their life obligatory into the military service, and some, if not at all, would rather do something else more useful to them in that time, but really, one year or two isn't that much if it could save your country one day.
War isn't the only danger, you know?
Teaching people other stuff for 1-2 years could also save the country.
How about 1 year learning about how to deal with a pandemia?
Or how to grow your own food?
Or how about teaching them basic health care for 1 year?
Also why should only men do this?
I could imagine a lot of stuff that would be more useful for the country than military service.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2014, 04:38:56 PM by Thunderbird »
Even if you are nothing more than a drop in a bucket...
Every drop leaves ripples.
Merlandese
静態の遊子
I sometimes harbor this idea in my head that if the US had mandatory military service, it would mean that every single type of person would be exposed to the innards of the process. Hypothetically (and optimistically), you'd end up with a military service that is more in tune to the thoughts and wants of the entire country, rather than be crafted from this small section of civilians that are the "type" to enjoy armed service.
I think of it because oftentimes I'll meet a person who is surprised I was in the military and said something like, "I could never join because of [insert belief]." And that's cool. But then I wonder what would happen to the military if all of these people who tell me this WERE to join. Would it make the military better?
TWELVE TILES
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海が私の心です。
I am who I am, but not yet.
Current Mood: cheerful
Quote from: Merlandese on March 06, 2014, 09:50:37 PM
But then I wonder what would happen to the military if all of these people who tell me this WERE to join. Would it make the military better?
Hell no! It's not a question of sheer numbers. Usually, when people are forced into something, they're not gonna be too happy about it. And if people are angry at country X, I'm sure they're not gonna do a great job at defending country X.
Let's say if I were playing some COD online. I'd much prefer to be on a team of 3 keen pros, as opposed to a team of 10 newbies who don't really wanna play the game.
Kinda unrelated, but I think any argument based on the military teaching morality is out of the question. If you feel the need to force your own morality on others, you'd better check your morality.
Big Palooka
The point of training is to streamline the behavior of recruits. The cultural and behavorial osmosis flows from the command (both military and political) down to the recruits and not the other way around.
Quote from: Question Math on March 07, 2014, 07:31:56 AM
this +1, if you want to change the military you have to change the people in command.
放浪者
Beauty Hunter
Current Mood: thoughtful
Man, you're forgetting the whole idea of what a democracy is (assuming a democracy in the first place).
The political command is in turn controlled by the people (ideally). Merlandese has suggested that if every single person knows first hand what their military forces are like, then they can put pressure on their government to change perceived flaws.
For example, if short people felt oppressed during their service, once they're out there would be pressure on the government to have the culture and behavior changed. That's just a quick example, Merlandese didn't specify what sorts of people were averted to military service. I mean, we could just smash right into gender/sexual/religious/racial/cultural/other minorities in the military.
Though to answer the original question, I think the military has a strong patriarchal culture rooted in tradition. By having everyone thrown into this culture, there's no doubt in my mind that it'd shake things up. How so and to what extent I suppose depends on the society such a thing would be enacted in. In Australia, I believe they'd readily respond to cultural changes. Australia doesn't have a long history, as a result, it's a very modern military from a cultural perspective. It wasn't long ago that our Chief of Army (a lieutenant general) delivered a scathing denouncement of sexism in the military.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2014, 11:05:57 AM by SpecialCookies »
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Quote from: SpecialCookies on March 07, 2014, 10:50:39 AM
Yeah, but then everyone would vote to have less training and more doughnuts - then before you know it your military would be so ill-disciplined it can't even stop the French from invading.
That's a bit of an extreme example, but the point is that over time the military would eventually start getting more and more complaints for things like injuries and verbal abuse leading to more and more court cases, this would lessen the authority of higher ranks as they can't do anything remotely straining to their recruits without the risk of some muppet suing them for neglect/abuse if they end up getting a blister during a training exercise.
It may seem like a ridiculous thought, but if you had the combination of people who are begrudging due to being enlisted against their will and a system where you can complain to the government about things you have issues with in the military, knowing this society it would surprise me if this sort of stuff started happening.
If every person of a country was processed into the military service, we'd end up with two kinds of people: (1)those who have come to accept the norms and practices of the military and (2)those who reject them. At best, it'll be a stalemate. At worst, it's a national conscription.
Besides, only the most outrageous flaws(such as gross human rights violation) will merit not only action from the political side but also pressure into the top brass for changes. Anything less than very controversial will be rebuffed, if not outright ignored. The reason for this is that military are their own societies completely enclosed and subjugated by civilian leadership. To ask the military to give up control over its culture and norms to the civilian leadership as well is akin to demoting their prestige to less than of a police force (who, mind you, despite being the civilian in nature, still retains its own cultural identity). Disgruntle the military enough and you might get a coup attempt, and the if the military succeeds in overthrowing the civilian government, pray that they don't replace it with themselves.
Judedeath
~Insert Japanese things here~
JOHN-PEE-AIR!
I really think part of this is where you're from/where you are now.
Europe and all the countries in it are just so small that it's feasable that even without a protest there could be some military action between them very easily and with thinks like Ukraine happening it must seem like a situation where Civilians being in the middle of anything would be more likely and thus that reasoning for Mandatory Service would hold up more.
Coming from a Canadian perspective though, the way we're located the two main ways a situation like that would happen would be from either: The United States invading Canada for some reason, A Red Dawn like situation where an other country from the other side of the world invades us. Either way we're going to have way worse problems than some civilians not having training.
Ok, another question a reason for service that has been brought up is to teach gun safety, why do I need to be taught gun safety? I don't go hunting, I have no reason to own a gun, why then should I have to give up 2 years of my life to learn safety for something I'm never going to use, I agree gun safety is important and I think everyone should have to take a gun safety course before owning guns, but the military shouldn't be needed to teach that and why should everyone need to learn about it?
Old River was as dead as a doornail, this must be distinctly understood or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am about to relate.
Quote from: Thunderbird on March 07, 2014, 07:41:50 AM
Exactly! So, I was in the military for four years, and the one thing I noticed is that people who were any good for the system (that is, people who could create positive change) always left because the system sucked for them. People who were bad for the military (in this situation meaning people who conformed entirely and promised no chance of changing the system for the better) stayed in because the system let them continue being who they were.
Stay in long enough and you gain rank and position. What that means is that the people who are bad for the system always stayed in and gained command power, then propagated those values.
If you agree that you need to change the command to change the system, the first and most realistic step is to join the system and carry your values with you until you reach a command level.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2014, 07:20:17 PM by Merlandese »
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Pakistan has various religious minorities. According to the 1941 census of India, there were 5.9 million non-Muslims in the provinces that today form Pakistan, mainly composed by Hindus, Christians and Sikhs. According to Western religious freedom and human rights monitoring groups, religious minorities face severe discrimination in Pakistan.
We received from Aftab Alexander Mughal of Minority Concern of Pakistan the following news about the recent release of the Christian woman Asia Bibi.
PAKISTAN: Christian woman Asia Bibi finally freed after spending eight years in jail under blasphemy law
By Aftab Alexander Mughal
8 November 2018: Asia Bibi, poor Christian woman, has been released around at 10pm last night from Women Jail in Multan, Southern Punjab, after one week of the announcement of the Supreme Court's judgment. On Wednesday morning, 31 October, the highest court of Pakistan acquitted Bibi, a married mother of five, from a blasphemy case. She was on death row and languished in a solitary confinement for a decade. According to some unconfirmed reports, the jail officials freed her after receiving the necessary documents. She reached at Multan airport under tight security and then flew to Islamabad. There are contradictory reports that Asia Bibi, 47, has left Pakistan for Netherlands, but it is yet to be confirmed.
Her husband, Ashiq Masih, 55, already appealed to the governments of the USA, the UK and Canada for help to exit them from Pakistan because she, and her whole family were not safe in Pakistan. She cannot stay in the country because of hostile environment, Nadeem Anthony, a Christian lawyer from Lahore, told Minority Concern of Pakistan. Despite Supreme Court's acquittal orders, many Muslims still believe that she is a 'blasphemer', and they publically declared her liable to be killed, and continuously asking for her hanging. Her lawyer, Sai-ul-Mulook, 62, has already left Pakistan as he faced death threats from fanatics because defending her. He is in Netherlands now. The complainant Qari Muhammad Salaam, a Muslim cleric, has filed a review petition against the apex court's ruling.
A three-member special bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel said in their judgment, "Keeping in mind the evidence produced by the prosecution against the alleged blasphemy committed by the appellant, the prosecution has categorically failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt."
The acquittal orders led violent protests throughout the country. Sit-in strikes were led by Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (LTP), newly formed religious party, who paralysed the country for four days. Islamists opposed the court's judgment and supported Pakistan's controversial blasphemy laws.
Asia Bibi, an agriculture worker, was arrested in June 2009, after she had an argument with her Muslim co-workers by using their glass for drinking water when she was desperately thirsty in a hot weather. They strongly reacted on her act as she touched their glass. It is because many Muslims consider Christians unclean. Days after, two women approached to a local cleric and accused her for blasphemy. She was beaten and dragged to the village council, which was comprised of Muslim men. She was offered that if she converted to Islam the charges against her would be dropped. Nevertheless, she refused their proposal. Then she was pulled to the local police station and charged with blasphemy under Section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which carries on the mandatory death penalty. The law says, "Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."
Asia Bibi's case is a high-profile case, which highlighted the grave misuse of blasphemy laws in the country, and the conservative nature of the Pakistani society. Two prominent politicians, Governor Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti, a Christian cabinet minister, were murdered for supporting Bibi. Governor Taseer, a progressive Muslim, was murdered in 2011 by his own bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri, for defending Bibi. Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (LTP) was formed after the death sentenced of Qadri in 2016. Maulana Khadim Rizvi formed LTP to honour Qadri and camping against any changes in blasphemy laws.
Just two months later, Shahbaz Bhatti, the minister of minorities and the only Christian cabinet minister in the Pakistani government, was shot and killed by Taliban outside his home in Islamabad after he also called for changes to the blasphemy laws.
During the protests against Asia Bibi's acquittal, the government seemed helpless to control the situation. The leaders of protesters used abusive language and allegations against military leadership, Supreme Court judges and Asia Bibi's lawyer. Pir Muhammad Afzal Qadri demanded the ouster of Genral Qamar Bajwa, head of Pakistan's army, and demanded to other generals' revolt against the chief of army staff. Moreover, they declared three judges of the Supreme Court, who issued the judgment, for liable to death. Strangely, no actions have been taken against those clerics who malign the political leadership and the state institutions. They used hate speech and insisted violence.
To end the country-wide protests, once again, the state of Pakistan bow down to the hardliner groups by sticking a deal with them. Despite their extreme violent actions, the government tried to pacify them. Under the deal, the government accepted their demands. According to the agreement of 2 November (Friday), the government will not oppose the review petition over the acquittal of Asia Bibi. All Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) protesters will be released who were taken into custody. The government will initiate the process of placing Asia's name on the Exit Control List (ECL), so she could not leave the country. Critics slammed the government for what they called giving up against extremists, which will certainly weaken the writ of the state. Former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani criticized the agreement and said, "It is unfortunate that the state of Pakistan is under the rule of combatants."
Under the blasphemy laws, these are criminal offences to insult Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the Holy Quran and the Muslim religious personalities. "The blasphemy law (s) has been controversial as it has been used against Christians and other minorities in the Muslim-majority country," according to BBC.
Originally, blasphemy laws were introduced in British India in 1860 and 1927 to promote harmony among the followers of different religions of the Sub-Continent. These laws were applicable to all religions. Pakistan adopted the same laws when she got independence in 1947. However, the present blasphemy laws were introduced in 1980s by military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq under his Islamisation police. The Section 295 –B of Pakistan penal code (blasphemy against the Holy Quran) was introduced in 1982, while Section 295-C (insult against Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)) in 1986. Since 1980s, these laws are widely misused against the Ahmadi and Christian communities. Ahmadis claim that they are Muslim but under the Constitution of Pakistan they are categories as non-Muslim minority. Under blasphemy allegations, some Ahmadis and Christians were murdered and many as still languishing in difficult circumstances in jails. It seems strange that these laws were introduced to protect the honour of Islam in an Islamic country, where Muslims are in 97 percent, and religious minorities are just 3 percent, and their majority is poor, helpless and marginalised.
Since 1980s, liberal Pakistanis and human rights activists have been raising voice for the repeal of these controversial laws as people are punished without any substantive evidence. The tragedy is that even the allegations cannot be repeated in courts, so it is difficult for a defense counsel to defend his client. According to a study conducted in 1995 by Aftab Alexander Mughal and Peter Jacob, only 7 cases were registered in blasphemy laws from 1947 to 1980s in Pakistan, then Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. However, according to Daily Times, despite their tiny percentage of the population, Christians, Hindus and Ahmadis made up half of the 1,549 cases of blasphemy filed over three decades through 2017. According to Peter Jacob, the head of the Centre for Social Justice, Pakistani Christians make up only 1.5 per cent of the total population, but over a quarter (187) of the 702 blasphemy cases registered between 1990 and 2014 were against them.
Pakistan is an illiberal democracy where the majority of politicians believe in Islamic ideology, and want to make Pakistan an Islamic state. Therefore, blasphemy laws have a wider support in public even political leaders defend them vigorously. Considering the socio-political situation of the state, and the track record of the present government, there is less hope that she will bring any changes into these laws to minimise their misuse. "We are standing with Article 295-C of the blasphemy law and will defend it," said Imran Khan (now the Prime Minister of Pakistan) at a gathering of Muslim leaders in Islamabad on 7 July, 2018. Furthermore, he himself used the blasphemy issue to topple down the previous government of Nawaz Sharif, and during the general elections of 2018 for the political benefit. However, the Supreme Court's latest judgment in Asia Bibi's case is certainly a positive development, which would help the liberal narrative in the country.
Aftab Alexander Mughal is the editor of the Minority Concern magazine and former National Executive Secretary of the Justice and Peace Commission of Pakistan.
Last update: according to the Foreign Office of Pakistan, Asia Bibi is still in Pakistan.
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Think Again: Think Again: Yasir Arafat Think Again: Yasir Arafat...
Think Again
Think Again: Yasir Arafat
In 1974, Yasir Arafat, chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), declared before the United Nations that he came "bearing an olive branch and a freedom-fighter's gun." Nearly 20 years later, the world still does not know if Arafat is a statesman dedicated to peaceful coexistence with Israel or a resistance leader dedicated to armed struggle. As the Israeli-Palestinian conflict enters a tenuous new phase of peace negotiations, understanding Arafat's true motives will be essential to fostering a lasting agreement.
By Dennis Ross
| November 11, 2009, 5:08 PM
"Arafat’s Goal Is a Lasting Peace With the State of Israel"
I doubt it. Throughout the Oslo peace process, everyone involved — Palestinians, Israelis, Americans, Egyptians, Saudis, and other Arab leaders — shared the belief that Arafat wanted peace with Israel. It seemed logical. After all, Arafat had crossed the threshold and recognized Israel, incurring the wrath of secular and religious rejectionists. And he had authorized five limited or interim agreements with the Israelis. Although Arafat held out until the last possible minute and strived for the best deal, he eventually made the compromises necessary to reach those interim agreements.
Unfortunately, such short-term progress masked some disquieting signals about the Palestinian leader’s intentions. Every agreement he made was limited and contained nothing he regarded as irrevocable. He was not, in his eyes, required to surrender any claims. Worse, notwithstanding his commitment to renounce violence, he has never relinquished the terror card. Moreover, he is always quick to exaggerate his achievements, even while maintaining an ongoing sense of grievance. During the Oslo peace process, he never prepared his public for compromise. Instead, he led the Palestinians to believe the peace process would produce everything they ever wanted — and he implicitly suggested a return to armed struggle if negotiations fell short of those unattainable goals. Even in good times, Arafat spoke to Palestinian groups about how the struggle, the jihad, would lead them to Jerusalem. Too often his partners in the peace process dismissed this behavior as Arafat being caught up in rhetorical flourishes in front of his "party" faithful. I myself pressed him when his language went too far or provoked an angry Israeli response, but his stock answer was that he was just talking about the importance of struggling for rights through the negotiation process.
But from the start of the Oslo negotiations in 1993, Arafat focused only on what he was going to receive, not what he had to give. He found it difficult to live without a cause, a struggle, a grievance, and a conflict to define him. Arafat never faced up to what he would have to do — even though we tried repeatedly to condition him. As a result, when he was finally put to the test with former President Bill Clinton’s proposal in December 2000, Arafat failed miserably.
Is there any sign that Arafat has changed and is ready to make historic decisions for peace? I see no indication of it. Even his sudden readiness to seize the mantle of reform is the result of intense pressure from Palestinians and the international community. He is maneuvering now to avoid real reform, not to implement it. And on peace, he does not appear ready to acknowledge the opportunity that existed with Clinton’s plan, nor does he seem willing to confront the myths of the Palestinian movement.
"Arafat Missed a Historic Opportunity When He Turned Down the Clinton Proposal"
Yes. It is true that Arafat did not "reject" the ideas the Clinton administration offered in December 2000. Instead, he pulled a classic Arafat: He did not say yes or no. He wanted it both ways. He wanted to keep talking as if the Clinton proposal was the opening gambit in a negotiation, but he knew otherwise. Arafat knew Clinton’s plan represented the culmination of the American effort. He also knew these ideas were offered as the best judgment of what each side could live with and that the proposal would be withdrawn if not accepted.
To this day, Arafat has never honestly admitted what was offered to the Palestinians — a deal that would have resulted in a Palestinian state, with territory in over 97 percent of the West Bank, Gaza, and Jerusalem; with Arab East Jerusalem as the capital of that state (including the holy place of the Haram al-Sharif, the Noble Sanctuary); with an international presence in place of the Israeli Defense Force in the Jordan Valley; and with the unlimited right of return for Palestinian refugees to their state but not to Israel. Nonetheless, Arafat continues to hide behind the canard that he was offered Bantustans — a reference to the geographically isolated black homelands created by the apartheid-era South African government. Yet with 97 percent of the territory in Palestinian hands, there would have been no cantons. Palestinian areas would not have been isolated or surrounded. There would have been territorial integrity and contiguity in both the West Bank and Gaza, and there would have been independent borders with Egypt and Jordan.
"The offer was never written" is a refrain uttered time and again by apologists for Chairman Arafat as a way of suggesting that no real offer existed and that therefore Arafat did not miss a historic opportunity. Nothing could be more ridiculous or misleading. President Clinton himself presented both sides with his proposal word by word. I stayed behind to be certain both sides had recorded each word accurately. Given Arafat’s negotiating style, Clinton was not about to formalize the proposal, making it easier for Arafat to use the final offer as just a jumping-off point for more ceaseless bargaining in the future.
However, it is worth pondering how Palestinians would have reacted to a public presentation of Clinton’s plan. Had Palestinians honestly known what Arafat was unwilling to accept, would they have supported violence against the Israelis, particularly given the suffering imposed on them? Would Arafat have remained the "only Palestinian" capable of making peace? Perhaps such domestic pressure would have convinced Arafat, the quintessential survivor, that the political costs of intransigence would be higher than the costs of making difficult concessions to Israel.
"Arab Leaders Stand Behind Arafat"
Reluctantly. I have never met an Arab leader who trusts Arafat or has anything good to say about him in private. Almost all Arab leaders have stories about how he has misled or betrayed them. Most simply wave their hands dismissively when examples of his betrayal of commitments are cited — almost as if they are saying, "We know, we know." The Saudis, in particular, saw his alignment with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in 1991 as proof of his perfidy.
But no Arab leader is prepared to challenge him. All acknowledge him as the symbol of the Palestinian movement, and no one sees an alternative to him. But no one is prepared to go out on a limb for him, either.
Many suggest that in the absence of broad Arab support, Clinton’s proposal was too hard for Arafat to accept. Furthermore, some argue, since the United States failed to secure the support Arafat needed, it bears some responsibility for his inability to say yes. That argument is more myth than reality. First, if Clinton’s offer was so hard to accept, why has Arafat never honestly portrayed it? Why not say he was offered 97 percent, instead of Bantustans or cantons? Why not admit he would have had Arab East Jerusalem as the capital of the state, instead of denying that?
Second, we did line up the support of five key Arab leaders for Clinton’s plan. On December 23, 2000, the same day that President Clinton presented his ideas to Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, he called Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, and Jordanian King Abdullah II to convey the comprehensive proposal he had just presented to the parties. Shortly thereafter, he also transmitted the ideas to King Mohammed IV of Morocco and President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia. All these Arab leaders made clear they thought Clinton’s ideas were historic, and they pledged to press Arafat to accept the plan. However, when Arafat told Arab leaders he had questions, they backed off and assumed the position they had adopted throughout the Oslo peace process. They would support whatever Chairman Arafat accepted. They were not about to put themselves in a position in which Arafat might claim that President Mubarak or Crown Prince Abdullah or King Abdullah was trying to pressure him to surrender Palestinian rights.
There is a lesson here for today: Getting Arab leaders to fulfill their responsibilities — to be participants and not just observers — is essential. On existential questions in which concessions on the Palestinian side are required, Arab leaders will likely restrict their pressure to private entreaties. But that is not where real leverage is to be found. Pressure in public would be pressure as Arafat defines it. Arafat’s great achievement for the Palestinians has been putting them on the map, producing recognition, giving them standing on the world stage. He embodies the cause, and that is why Arab leaders find it so hard to criticize him in public. Yet he cannot afford the imagery that he and the Palestinian cause are separate. If Arab leaders would say that his being only a symbol and not a leader threatens Palestinian interests, then Arafat’s very identity would be called into question. That would move him.
"The World Must Deal With Arafat Since He Is the Palestinians’ Elected Leader"
Not necessarily. The United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations have adopted this position. An election in the territories in 1996 made Arafat the chairman of the Palestinian Authority. But the international community does the Palestinians no favor when it emphasizes Arafat’s popular election as justification for dealing with him. It is important to remember that anger on Palestinian streets before the eruption of the Al-Aqsa Intifada was directed against Israel and also against the corruption and ineptitude of the Palestinian Authority. Now that the dust is settling after Israeli military operations and massive reconstruction is needed in the West Bank, Palestinians are demanding reform. They are demanding elections, rule of law, an independent judiciary, transparency, accountability, streamlined security services governed by standards (not by Arafat’s whims), and an end to corruption.
Palestinians are not looking to oust Chairman Arafat. They simply want to limit his arbitrary use of power. Given the pressure he is under (from within, from among Arabs to stop manipulating violence and to assume responsibility, and from the international community), it is not hard to see why Arafat is trying to seize the mantle of reform. Yet he cannot be permitted to speak of reform and at the same time avoid its consequences. Otherwise, the momentum will be lost. True reform is an essential part of any political process designed to promote peace. The more serious the reform, the more the Israeli public will see that Palestinian behavior is changing — and the more likely Israel will accept the possibility of partnership again. If Arafat is allowed to escape pressure for genuine reform, the Israeli government will be under no pressure to resume political negotiations.
One could argue that the world must deal with Arafat because he is the symbol of the Palestinian movement, because he is the only address available, and because he is the only one who can be held responsible for Palestinian behavior. That would be a more honest explanation than saying he is the popularly elected leader of the Palestinians. However, Arafat’s role as a symbol is not the reason the U.S. government recognized him in the first place. The United States made the decision to deal directly with Arafat in September 1993 when, as part of the Oslo documents, he formally agreed to renounce terror, to discipline and punish any Palestinian violators of that pledge, and to settle all disputes peacefully. Suffice to say, Arafat has not abided by those commitments.
No one but the Palestinians can choose the Palestinian leader. But the rest of the world can choose not to deal with a leader who fails to fulfill obligations. Governments can tell the Palestinian public they recognize it has legitimate aspirations that must be addressed and that those aspirations can only be addressed politically, not militarily. But those aspirations will not be satisfied until Palestinians have a leadership — whether it is Arafat, a successor, or a collective body that limits the chairman’s power — that will fulfill its responsibilities on security and declare that suicide bombers are enemies of the Palestinian cause. When a Palestinian leadership lives up to those commitments, the Palestinians and the Arab world will have an American partner determined to help ensure that Palestinian needs are met.
"Arafat Can’t Control the Militants in the Palestinian Authority"
He can, but he won’t. Arafat has demonstrated in the past that he can prevent violence — most notably in the spring of 1996 when he cracked down on Hamas and also in the first year of former Prime Minister Ehud Barak’s administration, when Israel, for the only time in its history, had a year in which it did not suffer a single fatality from terror.
Yet from the beginning of the peace process, Arafat made clear he prefers to co-opt, not confront, extremist groups. This approach reflects his leadership style: He never closes doors. He never forecloses options. He never knows when he might want to have a particular group, no matter what its ideology or purpose, on his side. This strategy has certainly been true of his dealings with Hamas and Islamic Jihad. In 1996, he suppressed extremists because they were threatening his power, not because they carried out four suicide bombings in Israel in nine days. Even then, the crackdown, while real, was limited. Arafat did not completely shut the door on either group.
In the past, whenever Arafat cracked down or threatened to do so, the militants backed down. But that stopped in September 2000 with the eruption of the Al-Aqsa Intifada. Those who say Arafat cannot carry out his security responsibilities because Israeli military incursions have devastated his capabilities fail to recognize that Arafat didn’t act even before Israelis destroyed his infrastructure. In the 20 months leading up to May 2002, he never gave unequivocal orders to arrest, much less stop, those who were planning, organizing, recruiting, financing, or implementing terror attacks against Israelis. Whether one thinks — as the Israelis believe recently captured documents demonstrate — Arafat directs the violence or that he simply acquiesces to it, the unmistakable fact is that he has made no serious or sustained effort to stop the violence.
If nothing else, it is time for Arafat to use his moral authority to make clear that armed struggle only threatens the Palestinian cause — that those who persist in the violence are not martyrs but enemies of Palestinian interests and needs. Let him make such declarations consistently, rather than repeating the pattern of the past as when he called for a cease-fire on December 16, 2001, only to call for a million martyrs to march on Jerusalem shortly thereafter. Pressing Arafat to speak out consistently does not relieve him of the need to act. Nor does it relieve the Israelis of finding a way to meet their legitimate security needs without making the Palestinians suffer. Ultimately, keeping the territories under siege is self-defeating. This approach only fosters anger and a desire to make Israelis feel comparable pain. The Israeli military has succeeded in creating a necessary respite from terrorist attacks. Now Israel should seek a political path that builds on that respite and gives Palestinians an interest in making it more enduring.
"The Time Has Come to Impose a Peace Deal on Arafat and Sharon"
Absolutely not. Nearly two years of conflict, the spiraling violence, the deepening sense of gloom, and the seeming inability of the two sides to do anything on their own give credence to the argument that now is the time to impose a solution. If an imposed solution were possible and would hold, I would be prepared to support it. But an imposed solution is an illusion.
No Israeli government (not Ariel Sharon’s, not Ehud Barak’s, not Benjamin Netanyahu’s, not Shimon Peres’s) has accepted or will accept an imposed outcome. It goes against the Israeli ethos that a partner for peace must prove its commitment by directly negotiating an agreement. Paradoxically, the very terms Israeli governments might find difficult to accept if imposed would probably be acceptable if Israelis believed they had a real partner for peace. Those who argue for an imposed solution claim no Israeli leader can make the hard decisions, such as giving up settlements, most of the West Bank and Gaza, and the Arab part of East Jerusalem. Yet Barak was prepared to do so; and before the Al-Aqsa Intifada, the Israeli public was ready to support him. In a recent trip to Israel, I found a far-reaching consensus — encompassing the left and the right in Israel — for acceptance of a Clinton-like solution, provided the Palestinians are truly prepared to forsake terror, violence, and the right of return to Israel.
Trying to impose a solution that the Israeli government will not accept — and the Sharon government will surely not accept Clintonesque ideas in the current environment — will only result in strong resistance. Even if the United States could pressure the Israelis to reluctantly accept an imposed outcome, would it endure? I doubt it.
Arafat would certainly go along with an imposed outcome. He has always preferred such an option. It would relieve him of the responsibility to make a decision. He can outwardly acquiesce, saying he has no choice. But inevitably, Palestinians will oppose at least part of an imposed outcome. Will new issues — what we might call Palestinian "Sheba farms" — suddenly emerge? Recall that Israel withdrew from Lebanon in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 425 and that the U.N. secretary-general certified this withdrawal. Yet Hezbollah now claims that the Sheba farms area of the Golan Heights is Lebanese and that lasting "Israeli occupation" justifies continued armed resistance, including Katyusha rocket attacks. Will there not be a Palestinian equivalent of this situation after an imposed solution? And given Arafat’s poor track record, how can anyone expect he would defend the existing peace agreement against such newly discovered grievances?
If one overriding lesson from the past persists, it is that the Palestinians must make decisions and bear the responsibility of those decisions. No enduring peace can be reached until the Palestinian leadership levels with its public, resists the temptation to blame every ill on the Israelis or the outside world, assumes responsibility for controversial decisions, and stands by its decision in the face of opposition.
An imposed solution will only delay the day when all sides, but especially the Palestinians, have to assume real responsibilities. Consequently, an imposed solution would be no solution at all.
Dennis Ross is the former U.S. envoy to the Middle East and counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He is the author of several books, most recently Doomed to Succeed: The U.S.-Israel Relationship from Truman to Obama. Twitter: @AmbDennisRoss
Tags: 131, Default, Diplomacy, Israel/Palestine, Middle East, Subscriber, Think Again
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Global City Teams Challenge
September 10 – 12th, 2019 I Portland, Oregon
Sightline Institute
Michael Andersen covers housing and transportation as a senior researcher for Sightline Institute, a sustainability think tank for the Pacific Northwest. In this and previous roles, he’s been closely involved in Oregon’s 2019 legalization of fourplexes in all neighborhoods, a series of reforms to Portland’s parking policy and advances in U.S. bike infrastructure design.
Ronna Davis Baca
Strategy and Technology- Enterprise PLM
CommScope, Inc.
Ronna Davis Baca has been in the networking and telecommunication industry for 23 years. She has been with CommScope for over 13 years and has held positions in sales, channel and product line management. She is currently on CommScope’s Strategy and Technology Team for Buildings and Campuses. Previous to CommScope she worked in the design and construction of telecommunications networks for eight years and in wholesale distribution for two years. She studied marketing and is a LEED Green Associate. Ronna lives in Henderson, NV with her husband and 2 children.
Ritu Bahl
Computing for Kids
Isaac Barrow
Commercial Real Estate Market Manager
Portland General Electric
Isaac Barrow is the Commercial Real Estate Market Manager for Portland General Electric. In this capacity he implements PGE’s vision for decarbonization in commercial real estate by fostering innovative industry partnerships, pursuing electrification of new development and driving innovative product development within PGE. A graduate of Portland State University, prior to joining PGE Isaac worked in Real Estate development for the Port of Portland.
Mara Blake
Manager of Data Services
Mara is the Manager of Data Services, a team based in the Sheridan Libraries of Johns Hopkins University. Data Services supports users finding and accessing data; using data and utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS); managing and sharing research data; and oversees the JHU Data Archive. Mara also serves as the PI on an Institute of Museum and Library Studies IMLS funded planning grant on data rescue and as a Co-PI on the Sloan Funded Data Curation Network. Mara is interested in ways that libraries can partner with government and municipal organizations to curate and make data available to users.
Head of Government Partnerships - NorCal, Pacific NW
Chris Brown, Head of Regional Government Partnerships at Bird (Bay Area and Pacific NW) has served at the intersection of policy/politics, community affairs, and the business community for over 15 years. He was previously Counsel for the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor, and Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (IL-1). He later served as a longstanding Director at PolicyLink, a national public policy institute focused on racial and economic equity across transportation, banking, and the larger economy. He brings a depth of experience in bridging community needs to government policy and business practices, and implements equity-based strategies for business operations and community partnerships.
His work seeks to help organizations successfully navigate the intersection of community, government, and corporate interests at local, state, & national levels, and has built fruitful partnerships across various sectors. Accomplishments include securing over 20 policy reforms at the federal and state level, and funding supports totaling over $1.2B in government budgets and public-private partnerships.
He holds a BA from the University of Georgia where he serves on the Board of Visitors for the nation’s top 5 ranked School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA), and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University College of Law in Chicago. Chris serves on several local and national non-profit Boards, including Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Centerforce, and the University of California’s Presidential Council on Small and Disadvantaged Small Businesses.
Beven Byrnes
Principal/Executive Director
Bridges Middle School
Beven Byrnes is a Portland native, mother to 4, educator and community activist. Since 2012 Beven has served as the Principal/Executive Director of Bridges Middle School, a nonprofit independent school serving students with learning differences in Portland, Oregon. Educated at Portland State University and the Institute for Nonprofit Management, Beven has 25 years of experience in nonprofit management in Oregon and throughout the Unites States. Beven currently serves as a spokesperson/volunteer coordinator for Portland Clean Air helping coordinate regular communication and cooperation on air quality advocacy efforts across 40 community/neighborhood associations and 25 faith based groups.
Anat Caspi
Taskar Center for Accessible Technology
Paul G. Allen School for Computer Science and Engineering
Anat Caspi is Director of the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology at the Paul G. Allen School for Computer Science and Engineering. The center is focused on development, translation and deployment of universal technology benefiting individuals with disabilities. Her most recent work centers on the development of open source technology that provides scalable mobility solutions and decision support for cities, enabling urban centers to sustain accessible, non-motorized travel. Her work primarily concerns machine-learning solutions for customizable real-time, responsive technologies in the context of work, play and urban mobility. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University, and a Ph.D. in BioEngineering from the University of California, Berkeley and San Francisco. Dr. Caspi received the Northwest Access Technology Innovation Award in 2017.
Stan Curtis
Co-Founder & VP Platform Development
OPENcommons :: urban.systems
Kanaad Deodhar
Masters Student
Kanaad is a graduate student at the University of California, enrolled in the dual-Master’s Degree program in Transportation Engineering and City & Regional Planning. His research interests revolve around applying novel datasets to multimodal transportation planning, and is currently working as a student researcher under Jane Macfarlane.
Thomas Doherty
Clinical & Organizational Psychologist
Sustainable Self
Geoffrey Donovan
Research Forester
Joshua Edmonds
Director of Digital Inclusion
Marketplace.city
Chris Foreman, Chief Executive Officer of Marketplace.city drives the company’s revenue and growth by building their powerful network of technology providers.
Prior to Marketplace.city, Mr. Foreman served as CEO of the Americas for AvePoint, Inc. While at AvePoint, Mr. Foreman helped lead the company’s growth from a small team to over 1200 employees in 15 countries and drove the expansion into government by launching an independent subsidiary, AvePoint Public Sector, Inc. where he served as CEO and Chairman. AvePoint won 3 consecutive Microsoft Partner of the Year awards during Foreman’s tenure. Previously he worked at Nutech Integrated Systems where he oversaw enterprise sales initiatives focusing on healthcare, archiving, e-discovery, and records management. He has actively worked in the enterprise software industry for 15 years.
Mr. Foreman received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in political science and international affairs from Northwestern University. He’s active in several industry organizations such as IAMCP, Voices for Innovation, and the Small Business Advocacy Council.
Chief Equity Officer
King County, WA
Mark Gamba
City of Milwaukie
Yuri Gawdiak
AOSP Associate Director for Portfolio & Systems Analysis
Tom Gosner
Investment Partner, Seven Peaks Venture
Founder, Docusign
Nastasha Green
Global Community Manager
Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology
Jacob Green
Mosslabs.io (Municipal Open Source Software)
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Jereme Haack
Senior Research Scientist
Jereme is a Senior Research Scientist at PNNL where he leads development the VOLTTRON™ platform which enables deploying agent-based solutions at the edges of the smart grid and in buildings to improve energy efficiency and load responsiveness. This platform serves as an integration point for devices, remote resources, and agent applications greatly decreasing the amount of effort to move research from simulation to actual deployment. Other agent research is the application of bio-inspired solutions to cyber security as part of the Digital Ants project which has been covered in Scientific American and NPR among others. Jereme has also been researching how computer science solutions can best assist information analysts through evaluating their effect on the information analysis process. As part of this research, he has been involved in the VAST Challenge producing datasets with ground truth and evaluating software used to discover the hidden threat. These datasets have become an open resource for research and university courses in the infoviz field. Jereme holds a B.S. Computer Science and in Mathematics from Doane College, Crete, Nebraska, and a Graduate Level Certificate in Intelligence Studies from Mercyhurst College.
Rebecca Hammons
Dave Harkness
Manager, Parking Services
City of Surrey
Stephanie Hayden
Metropolitan Intelligence
Kathryn Helms
State of Oregon
Bill Howe
Professor, Computer Science
Lan Jenson
Adaptable Security
Warren Jimenez
The Intertwine Alliance
American Leadership Forum of Oregon
Dwayne Johnson President of Globe Three Ventures, a boutique consultancy that works with startups, public, private and non-profit organizations on entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and inclusion efforts that increase collaboration, social and/or economic prosperity. A visionary entrepreneur and applied technologist, Dwayne has spent his life at the center of tech-driven innovation working across industries, economic and cultural boundaries to develop technologies, strategies, policies and organizations that help inclusive communities thrive.
Dwayne is a Senior Fellow at the American Leadership Forum of Oregon, holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship (summa cum laude) from Babson College and a BA in History from California Polytechnic University, Pomona.
Parking Director
Christine Kendrick
Smart City PDX Coordinator/Air Quality Lead
Colin Laurence
Colin is currently completing a Master’s degree in Transportation Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His in-progress thesis, under the supervision of Michael Cassidy, Carlos Daganzo, and Marta Gonzalez, revolves around clustering trip trajectories to enable more efficient carpooling and transit.
Benny Lee
Director of SMC Public Wi-Fi
Benny Lee has over 20 years of experience in the financial industry covering technology systems architecture, process design and business intelligence before moving into local government several years ago. Currently, he is the Director of SMC Public Wi-Fi Program for the County of San Mateo covering civic innovation projects. Under his leadership, the County of San Mateo has expanded to over 90 free Public Wi-Fi locations with about a million hours of online usage monthly. His work includes Federal Advocacy, NIST Global Cities Team Challenge (GCTC) for Wireless Superclusters. He also serves as an advisor for the NIST GCTC Cybersecurity Privacy Advisory Committee and the NIST GCTC Smart Buildings Supercluster. Benny was elected to San Leandro City Council in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. He’s focused on fiscal management and solving social challenges with a drive towards smart civic technologies innovation and usage. He serves and advises on multiple boards and organizations focused on regional civic engagement in political affairs. Benny is happily married to his lovely wife Rose. His son Austin works in the tech industry while pursuing his post-graduate degree in Data Science and Cybersecurity covering Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence development.
Ann Marcus
Marcus Consulting Group
Paulo Marlon
Deputy Director at Statewide Technology Procurement for Department of Technology
Jane Macfarlane
Director of Smart Cities
Patrick Marnell
Patrick Marnell, P.E. is a project manager for Q-Free/Intelight. He focuses on delivering projects using the innovative Intelight suite of traffic signal systems software. His project experience includes adaptive signal control (ASC), connected vehicles, advanced traffic management systems (ATMS), and advanced ramp metering applications. Before joining Q-Free/Intelight, Patrick worked as a consulting engineer focusing on traffic signal systems and traffic operations. Patrick’s background in transportation engineering allows him to understand the technical details of advanced signal system while focusing on solution-oriented goals. Patrick enjoys using his technical knowledge and management skills to guide diverse groups of stakeholders to deploy innovative solutions to complex transportation challenges.
Patrick is a registered professional engineering in Oregon, Washington, and Montana. He is an active member of the Portland area transportation engineering community and currently serves as Oregon ITE’s Immediate Past President. Further, Patrick was recently awarded the 2019 ITE Western District’s Young Professional Achievement Award.
Director, Open@ADSK
Guy Martin is Director of Open Source Strategy at Autodesk, responsible for overseeing the company’s open source strategy, execution and collaborative projects, as well as representing the company in open source communities and organizations. He has over two decades of experience in the software industry, where he has consistently focused on helping companies understand, contribute to, and better leverage open source software. Martin has held senior opensource roles with Samsung Research, Red Hat and Sun Microsystems, among others. He is a frequent speaker and attendee at key open source conferences, including LinuxCon, Collaboration Summit, OSCON and All Things Open, where he’s known for his talks on increasing corporate participation in the open source ecosystem to drive product innovation.
Karen Mason
City of Eugene & University of Oregon UrbanismNext
A Brooklyn native, Karen was raised on public transportation. When she began riding her bicycle as a form of transportation and not just recreation, she quickly learned the dangers inherent in doing so. These experiences pushed her to pursue a career in transportation planning. She earned her master’s degree in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon in June 2019. Her capstone project explores how three case study cities – Santa Monica, San Francisco, and Portland – approached regulating e-scooters. She currently interns with the City of Eugene’s Transportation Planning Department. There she is using her research to assist city staff in establishing their own scooter pilot project.
Sean McSpaden
Principal Legislative IT Analyst
Oregon Legislative Fiscal Office
From June 2008 to September 2013, Sean McSpaden served in the state of Oregon’s executive branch as Oregon’s Deputy State Chief Information Officer. For the past 6 years, Sean has served as a Principal Legislative IT Analyst for Oregon’s Legislative Fiscal Office (LFO). In that role, Sean is responsible for overseeing state agency information technology (IT), GIS, and information security related operations, projects and programs on behalf of the Oregon Legislature.
In addition, Sean serves as the Committee Administrator for Oregon’s Joint Legislative Committee on Information Management and Technology and for the Transparency Oregon Advisory Commission. Sean also serves as Oregon’s Representative to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Taskforce on Cybersecurity, and as the Staff Vice-Chair to the NCSL Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce (CFI) Committee.
Throughout his tenure in Oregon state government, Sean has represented Oregon on several state, regional and national project steering committees, task forces, governing boards, committees, commissions and associations, and has presented on various topics including public procurement of Information Technology related goods and services at local, state, regional, national, and international meetings and conferences.
Sean earned his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree and Certificate of Public Management from the Willamette University, Atkinson Graduate School of Management. Sean is an ISACA Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), holds a PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) certification, and is a Zachman Certified Enterprise Architect Associate. Sean also holds a Secret level clearance granted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Sean is also a member of several professional organizations including the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), the National Information Sharing Consortium (NISC), the Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA).
Dave Michelson
Professor, Electrical Engineering
Unversity of British Columbia
Yasunori Mochizuki
NEC Fellow
Gregg Morasca
Vice President, Strategic Customers
During his 30+ years with Schneider Electric, Gregg has held various customer-centric leadership positions in sales, product management, and marketing. In his current role, Gregg is dedicated to empowering strategic customers through Schneider Electric’s IoT-enabled EcoStruxure platform. One of his major focuses is addressing the mega trends of decentralization, decarbonization, and digitization by leveraging best in class partnerships in the creation of microgrids. Gregg graduated from the State University of NY at Stony Brook with a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering and has an MBA from the State University of NY at Albany.
President & CTO
People Power Company
Kory Murphy
Equity & Inclusion Manager
Ann Neville-Bonilla
Director, California Research Bureau
California State Library
Skip Newberry
Technology Association of Oregon
Nick Nedelisky
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Benjamin Ng
AmerAsia Technologies Inc
Cuong Nguyen
Cuong Nguyen joined the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in 2010 and leads the Smart Grid Testing and Certification Project in the Smart Grid and Cyber-Physical Systems Program Office of the Engineering Laboratory. He works with industry to support standards-based interoperability test programs to help accelerate smart grid deployments, and he also manages the NIST Smart Grid Advisory Committee. Cuong is the chair of the Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) Testing and Certification Working Group (TCWG). In addition, Cuong coordinates international outreach efforts through bilateral and multilateral engagements.
Adrian Pearmine
National Director for Smart Cities and Connected Vehicles
DKS Associates
Adrian Pearmine is the National Director for Smart Cities and Connected Vehicles for DKS Associates. He holds a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering focussed on Transportation from University of Washington. For over 20 years, he has specialized in consulting on transportation technology and smart mobility.
Adrian wrote the Chapter on Connected Vehicles for Internet of Things and Data Analytics Handbook. He helped coordinate the City of Portland’s response to the USDOT Smart Cities Challenge and is co-chair of the Smart Cities Lab coordinated by the Technology Association of Oregon, which manages the local efforts in the Global Cities Team Challenge.
Wilf Pinfold
urban.systems
Dr Pinfold has a passion for emerging technologies that are enabled by leading-edge research in computational and data science, giving him the ability to contribute to major advancements across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, environment, engineering, energy, packaged goods, and the entertainment industry.
His background includes experience delivering advanced computing platforms from small embedded technologies to large data centers and combining them into Cyber Physical Systems. In a 23-year career at Intel he built experience in engineering, research, strategy, business planning, account management, and marketing. He has held academic positions in schools of engineering and business in both the US and UK, has authored numerous technical reports and papers and participated in project and thesis reviews up to and including PhD.
He is a qualified Naval Architect and Structural Engineer , the Portland Mayor’s representative on the Technology Oversight Committee (TOC), a respected and highly sought-after spokesperson and contributor to the in the Smart City community.
John Putnam
Robert Rallo
Research Scientist and Group Manager
Since 2017, Robert Rallo leads the Data Sciences Group in the Advanced Computing, Mathematics, and Data Division at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Prior to joining PNNL, he was an Associate Professor (2007-2016) in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence and Director of the Advanced Technology Innovation Center (2012-2016) at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, in Catalonia. As part of his scientific activity, he served as PI or co-I in multiple projects funded by the EU and DOE. He is an active member of various professional societies including ACM, IEEE and ISOC. His research interests focus on the applications of artificial intelligence techniques in scientific and technical domains of relevance for DOE.
Gary Reddick
Director of Design
Otak Architects, Inc.
Gary Reddick is Director of Design for Otak, a multi-disciplinary firm based in Portland with offices in Washington and Colorado. Gary is a recognized expert in Urban Planning and smart Growth, and has dedicated his career to helping build quality Architecture and increase the livability of communities throughout the United States, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Gary is currently advancing Otak’s Architectural and Engineering divisions to a deeper collaborative level, called ART + SCIENCE, which is now being applied to the way the firm master plans and designs next-generation communities.
Jean Rice
Senior Broadband Specialist
National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA)
Jean Rice is a telecommunications expert and advisor who works with federal agencies, tribal, local and state governments, industry, universities and non-profits on smart cities and communities projects and provides technical assistance to support the widespread deployment of broadband infrastructure. Ms. Rice focuses on the development of cutting-edge, cross-sector smart cities and broadband projects and collaborations and leads NTIA’s partnership with the National Institute of Technology and Standards’ Global Cities Team Challenge program. She focuses on smart agriculture and rural, smart buildings, wireless, smart states, inclusion and smart regions. She is a member of the Networking and Information Technology and Research and Development Program’s Cyber-Physical System’s Interagency Working group and the Federal Smart Grid Task Force and had been a member of the prior NITRD Federal Smart Cities and Communities Task Force. Ms. Rice co-founded and coordinates the Smart Cities and Communities Leadership Forum hosted by NTIA, NIST, NSF, and DHS S&T. Ms. Rice has received several awards including an award from the Commerce Department for leadership in smart cities. She has developed numerous publications, including a number of Toolkits for NTIA, including “Powering a Smart City Through Partnerships; a Toolkit for Local and Tribal governments”. For 25 years, Ms. Rice was the CEO of a telecommunications consulting company for US cities and states. NTIA is responsible for advising the President on Telecommunications and Information Administration policy issues. NITA’s programs and policy making focus on expanding broadband internet access and adoption in the US, expanding the use of spectrum by all users, and ensuring that the Internet remains and engine for continued innovation and economic growth.
April Rinne
New Economy | Future of Work | Global Citizenship
April Worldwide
April Rinne is equal parts global authority, advocate, ally and adventurer. She sees trends early, understands their potential, and helps others do the same. She’s a global citizen who brings insights, access and perspective to companies, governments, investors and organizations worldwide. But April is not only a thought leader; she’s also a doer. She connects people, ideas and resources in ways that say “wow, that’s what the world needs” – and then makes it happen.
Advisor: April is a pathfinder within the new economy (encompassing the digital, sharing, collaborative, freelance, gig, on-demand and platform economies). She advises startups and established companies, local and national governments, policy makers, think tanks and investors, working across for-profit and non-profit models. Her areas of expertise include the future of work; policy reform; global expansion; sustainable development; travel and tourism; cities; and emerging markets. She is known for her skill in bridging the private, public and social sectors, seeing shifts and opportunities before they go mainstream, and having a keen eye towards responsible, inclusive business.
Speaker & Writer: April is an acclaimed keynote speaker and contributes regularly to news and media about the new economy, future of work and global citizenship. She has presented at a wide range of events, from Davos to the EU Commission, industry convenings and private workshops.
Global Citizen: April belongs to the world. She espouses the values of global citizenship: diversity, interdependence, empathy and perspective. She has traveled to more than 100 countries, worked in more than 50, and lived overseas for more than 10 years. She works in approximately 20 different countries each year. Increasingly her advisory work includes work on this theme, from “borderless” talent to digital identity.
The Fine Print Education: April holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.A. in International Business and Finance from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, and a B.A. summa cum laude from Emory University. She is a Fulbright Scholar and has also studied at Oxford University, Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and the European University Institute.
Memberships: April is a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum where she co- founded the Sharing Economy Working Group and is a member of the Global Futures Council for the Future of Mobility and the Urbanization Advisory Group.
She is a member of China’s National Sharing Economy Committee and serves on the Advisory Boards of the Sharing Cities Alliance, Seoul Sharing City (South Korea), Amsterdam Sharing City (The Netherlands), Sharing Economy Denmark (SEDK), the National League of Cities (USA) and World Pulse (global). She is also a founding member of BBPDX.
Kamau Rogers
Ellen Rosenblum
Aymeric Rousseau
Vehicle and Mobility Group Manager
Aymeric Rousseau is the Manager of the Systems Modeling and Control Section at Argonne National Laboratory. He received his engineering diploma at the Industrial System Engineering School in La Rochelle, France in 1997 and an Executive MBA at Chicago Booth in 2019. For the past 20 years, he has been evaluating the impact of advanced vehicle and transportation technologies from a mobility and energy point of view including the development of Autonomie (vehicle system simulation) and POLARIS (large-scale transportation system simulation). In addition to leading numerous projects for OEMs and US Department of Energy, Aymeric Rousseau has been providing the vehicle energy consumption analysis for the US CAFE regulations and has authored or co-authored more than 80 papers related to vehicle electrification.
Kamran Saddique
City Innovate
Kamran Saddique is Co-CEO of City Innovate. Kamran founded City Innovate in 2015 with a mission to help governments solve problems through collaboration with the private sector. Kamran has been a serial entrepreneur for over 12 years in three continents. Previously, he worked in the financial engineering sector with a focus on new technology ventures including smart city initiatives. He served as head of investments to a company owned by one of the royal family members in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Prior to that he was the VP of Private Equity for Convergence Capital in the Dubai International Financial Centre, responsible for closing transactions in real estate, aviation, mining, water desalination, carbon credits, health, education and media. He started his career with Sun Microsystems and a (Hons) Computer Science B.Sc. and a Masters of Science in International Finance at Aston Business School.
Limor Schafman
Senior Director - Smart Buildings Program
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
Limor is an international corporate attorney, market strategist, and entrepreneur, and public speaker. She leads TIA’s Smart Building Program creating a marketplace for the ICT and real property ecosystems which together are developing best practices, specifications and standards for the smart built environment. She is also Co-chair of the Global Cities Teams Challenge – Smart Buildings Super Cluster. In addition to her work in the legal, theme park, video game and technology industries, Limor was former President of the World Future Society DC Chapter; and Co-founder, Chair Emeritus of the IPv6 Forum Israel Chapter. She is Co-chair of the Global Cities Teams Challenge – Smart Buildings Super Cluster.
Dr. Mohammad "Mo" Shakouri
Director, Community Broadband Initiative
Joint Venture Silicon Valley
Oleg Shvaikovsky
President, Nortal Inc.
Executive Vice President, Nortal Group
Ondrej Sklenar
Herrera Environmental Consultants
Jiri Skopek
Architect and Planner
Jiri Skopek provides advice to owners and managers on sustainable development in the fields of design, asset and facility management, emergency preparedness, business continuity, smart building and innovative business development solutions. He is a vice-chair of Districts 2030 Network Board of Governors, chair of Sustainable Buildings Canada, and board member of Sustainable Housing Foundation and Beach Community Energy Coop and has been appointed as a member of the President-Elect of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Advisory Council. Jiri is best known for developing Green Globes environmental assessment tools, which include modules for Design of New Buildings, Sustainable Interiors and Operation and Management of Existing Buildings (BOMA Canada/ GBI US), University Campuses (APPA) and Building Intelligence Quotient (BIQ). These assessment modules have been adopted and are promoted in North America by various organizations such as Green Building Initiative (GBI), BOMA Canada, CABA and APPA. As an architect and planner, Jiri has contributed to Toronto’s skyline. He was senior designer with Bregman and Hamann Architects of Toronto, and Master Planner for the Brookfield Place in downtown Toronto. In 1990’s he ran the Paris office of Santiago Calatrava. Jiri has been involved in many international sustainable community activities throughout his career. He was a founding participant in Solar Research and Development at Milton Keynes Development Corporation, in England, and designed the first active solar house in the U.K. With the Llewelyn-Davies International he was a Planning Consultant to the governments of the Sultanate of Oman and Qatar on community development and government land use policies. In Saudi Arabia, he designed the new town of Jizan and was the Chief Urban Designer for the King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah. Jiri also serves on ISO TC59/SC3 and TC 268 on Sustainable Building Construction and Sustainable Community.
Lisa Skube
CreatureKind Communications
Lisa Skube is a journalist, a communication strategist and the founder of the Journalism Accelerator (JA), an online information exchange connecting publishers across news and information networks and exposing new possibilities for financial sustainability in journalism. Lisa has written and tweeted extensively on Smart Cities, sustainability, resiliency and other related and timely topics. Lisa specializes in news and information impact and is a fluent collaborator with a deep cross-sector network of news producers, policy makers, good government groups, thought leaders, educators, advocates, business leaders, media futurists, nonprofit movements and journalism practitioners across verticals. She excels in responsive engagement integrating digital strategy and regards herself as an activation architect. She has deep experience bridging departments, products and people and developing inclusive programs for startups, nonprofits and for-profits. She has undertaken design for Hewlett Packard consumer and small business groups, lead interactive strategy for global digital agencies, developed national and regional funding for the National Freedom of Information efforts in the US, lead communication strategy for an international startup and contributed to analysis and efficacy assessments of funder investment across national, regional and local civic networks.
Jennifer Stoll
Executive Vice President, Goverment Relations & Public Affairs
OCHIN, Inc.
Christopher Tamarin
Telecommunications Strategist Oregon Broadband Office, Oregon Business Development Department
Business Oregon
Christopher Tamarin is the Telecommunications Strategist for the Oregon Business Development Department, “Business Oregon,” staffing the Oregon Broadband Office and assisting communities with broadband telecommunications infrastructure, applications and public policy. He has seventeen years of experience in marketing voice and data telecommunications services and equipment used in small and large communities by multi-location companies, electric utilities, healthcare providers, schools, and government agencies. He has five years teaching experience at Eastern Oregon University and seventeen years in state government. He has a BS in Business Administration from Elizabethtown College (Pennsylvania), an MBA from the University of Nevada-Reno, and an MS in Telecommunications from the University of Colorado-Boulder.
Eric Thorn
Manager R&D, Cooperative Systems Section
Southwest Research Institute
Dr. Eric Thorn leads the Cooperative Systems Section at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. His teams conduct research related to emerging transportation technology, including connected and automated vehicles and unmanned aerial systems, for government and commercial clients. Dr. Thorn also has over 15 years of experience designing, implementing, and validating advanced unmanned systems. His areas of expertise include automated vehicle world modeling, decision making, motion planning, and control.
Dennis Tomlin
Chief Information Security Officer
Multnomah County, Oregon
Dennis Tomlin is the Chief Information Security Officer for Multnomah County, Oregon where he is responsible for leading the county’s cyber-security efforts. He manages a team that ensures endpoint and perimeter protection, incident response, forensics, identity management, HIPAA compliance and software application security.
In his role as county HIPAA security officer, he establishes policy, provides leadership and consulting for in-house initiatives.
Previously, Mr. Tomlin was the Information Security and Governance Program Manager for Papa Murphy’s International, leading the efforts to align the company with Sarbanes-Oxley and PCI-DSS security and compliance requirements.
He also worked for 14 years for a German based Medical Device manufacturer, Biotronik in various roles, most recently as senior information security and GRC manager, where he was responsible for the global company’s IT security, governance, risk and compliance within an ITIL, NIST and COBIT framework.
In 2017 Mr. Tomlin was appointed by Oregon Governor Kate Brown to serve on the Oregon Cyber-security Advisory Council who’s mission is “to build tangible solutions to protect the digital lives of all Oregonians”.
Mr. Tomlin served in the Peace Corps in Paraguay from 1978 to 1981.
Emy Tseng
Senior Broadband Program Specialist
Emy Tseng is a Senior Broadband Program Specialist with the National Telecommunications Information Administration’s (NTIA) BroadbandUSA program. She provides technical assistance to local and state governments on their digital inclusion and smart cities / communities programs. Her policy and stakeholder engagement work focuses on expanding broadband access, adoption and digital skills in underserved and vulnerable communities across the country. She previously oversaw a Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) grant portfolio of local governments and K-12 education programs. Prior to NTIA, Ms. Tseng was the Digital Inclusion Project Director for the City of San Francisco where she developed one of the nation’s first city-led digital inclusion initiatives and served on the first California Broadband Task Force. Previously, she was the Senior Policy Advisor at ZeroDivide.org and a Program Associate for communications policy at the Ford Foundation. She also previously worked in the software industry as an engineer and project manager. Ms. Tseng holds a Masters of Science degree from the Technology and Policy Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and a Bachelor of Science degree in Math/Physics from Brown University. From 2014-2016, she was a fellow and affiliate of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University. In 2017, Ms. Tseng was awarded the Charles Benton Digital Equity Champion Award for her longstanding work on digital inclusion.
Sonja Wall
Director of OCAN & OneNet Services
Sonja joined OneNet in January 2012 as the program manager for the Oklahoma Community Anchor Network (OCAN) and now serves as the Director of OCAN and OneNet Services. As Oklahoma’s state broadband coordinator, Sonja provides leadership and counsel to state leaders in coordinating state fiber assets and creating opportunities for broadband expansion throughout Oklahoma’s 77 counties. She also advises local and tribal governments on implementing broadband projects in municipalities and tribal jurisdictions. She served as Chairwoman for the Oklahoma Broadband Initiative Advisory Board. Sonja was responsible for the implementation of the OCAN project in Oklahoma and as Director of OneNet and OCAN Services, now oversees all day-to-day operations of the network.
Hong Wang
Senior R&D Staff, Vehicle Systems Research Group
Hong Wang leads vehicle systems research at ORNL. His research interests include stochastic distribution control, fault detection and diagnosis, nonlinear control, and data-based modeling for complex systems including industrial processes and transportation systems. Wang originated the work on stochastic distribution control (SDC), where the main purpose of control input design is to make the shape of the output probability density functions to follow a targeted function for general non-Gaussian dynamic systems. This has been regarded as a novel stochastic control theory that has found applications in general modeling, data mining, filtering design and optimization for uncertain systems. Wang received doctorate degrees from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China, in 1984 and 1987, respectively. He was a Research Fellow with Salford University (Salford, UK), Brunel University (Uxbridge, UK) and Southampton University (Southampton, UK) before joining the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST), Manchester, U.K., in 1992. Wang was a Chair Professor in Process Control of complex industrial systems at the University of Manchester (UK) from 2002 to 2016, where he was the deputy head of the Paper Science Department, director of the UMIST Control Systems Centre (which is the birthplace of Modern Control Theory) and University Senate member during his time in Manchester. Between 2016 – 2018, he was with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL, Richland, WA, USA) as a Laboratory Fellow and Chief Scientist, and was the co-leader and chief scientist for the Control of Complex Systems Initiative. Wang also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Washington.
Ted was motivated to enter politics while volunteering as an overnight host at the Goose Hollow Shelter and he saw firsthand that we could do much more to help the most vulnerable among us. He has a reputation as a leader who brings people together to get things done.
As the Chair of Multnomah County from 2007-2010, he balanced a county budget during the worst years of the recession, reducing the debt while maintaining safety net programs for the elderly, drug and alcohol treatment programs and forging partnerships to fund a Mental Health Crisis Center. He jump-started long-stalled infrastructure projects, including the Sellwood Bridge and East County Courthouse.
Under Ted’s stewardship as state Treasurer, Oregon’s investment portfolio outperformed every one of its peers in the nation and earned an upgraded credit rating. He re-launched the Oregon college savings plan, and passed legislation that created the Oregon Retirement Savings Plan, which is now a national model for state-sponsored retirement security.
Ted has assumed a leadership role in economic development. He convened business leaders and spearheaded a new statewide blueprint, dubbed the Oregon Investment Act, and it was approved by the Legislature in 2012. The Oregon Investment Act helps the State invest more effectively in the growth of small businesses.
A sixth-generation Oregonian, Ted was born in Portland, and graduated from Lincoln High School. Ted earned his undergraduate degree in Economics from Stanford University, an MBA from Columbia University and a Masters in Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Ted is a longtime community volunteer leader, and has devoted energy to diverse organizations including Neighborhood House, Portland Mountain Rescue and the Oregon Sports Authority. He is an Eagle Scout. He lives in Southwest Portland with his wife and daughter.
Yu Xiao
Associate Professor Urban Studies & Planning
Tweets by techoregon
Global City Teams Challenge, Powered by WordPress.com.
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DeMint In Bed With BP: Takes Money From Foreign Polluters, Blocks BP Investigation
Tom Clements for U.S. Senate
http://clementsforsenate.com
For Release: October 26, 2010
COLUMBIA, SC -- U.S. Senate candidate Tom Clements of the S. C. Green Party condemned Jim DeMint's acceptance of corporate donations from British Petroleum (BP), saying "DeMint's taking money from BP shows he's in bed with the dirty industry Congress is supposed to regulate. DeMint has sold out to the highest bidder and stands with polluting companies against the environment and working people."
A recent report published by the Climate Action Network found that leading European polluters are giving donations to members of the U.S. Senate who deny the reality of climate change. According to the report, DeMint received $13,000 this year alone from European companies known to oppose climate legislation in the European Union. Among others, DeMint received $1,000 from BP.
The report stated that the donations appear to be a coordinated effort by major European polluters:
"Big European emitters Lafarge GDF-Suez, EON, BP, BASF, BAYER, Solvay and Arcelor-Mittal supported climate change deniers in the US Senate in 2010 for $107,200. Their total support for senators blocking climate change legislation in the US amounts to $240,200, which is almost 80% of their total spending in the 2010 Senate race. This is why those funds are seen as systemic. This amount is higher than the same type of spending of the most notorious U.S. climate denier and Tea Party funder: Koch Industries ($217,000)."
The aforementioned Koch Industries gave DeMint $10,000 in the current election cycle. He also received the following European corporate contributions:
Bayer: $5,000
BASF: $2,000
LaFarge: $5,000
BP: $1,000
In the aftermath of the Gulf disaster, DeMint acted in the Senate to block S.3462, a bill which would have given subpoena power to the commission set up to investigate the BP oil spill. The bill had previously passed the House with the support of 169 Republicans, but DeMint used parliamentary maneuvering to keep it from reaching the floor of the Senate. Footage of DeMint stopping the legislation on June 30, two months into the spill can be found here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNp6ZvwqSOk).
News of the European campaign contributions comes as new BP executive, Bob Dudley, reportedly called reaction to the spill "scaremongering." According to the Financial Times of London on October 25, BP CEO Dudley blamed industry rivals for "rushing to judgement" over the spill. At the time of the spill and for weeks after, BP executives insisted that 5,000 barrels per day was the best estimate of oil leakage. Government scientists put the spill at 68,000 barrels per day.
"It is clear that if Jim DeMint has his way, we'll never know the true extent of the oil disaster and its causes," said Clements. "My opponent is willing to cover up the extent of BP's wrongdoing. He will block sensible, effective regulations against and take donations from the very companies we should be protected against. South Carolina's coast is particularly vulnerable. I vow to defend our environment from corporate polluters like BP, who caused the disaster in the Gulf and created a nightmare for working families who live there."
For additional information, call 803-312-0055; or visit Tom's website at http://clementsforsenate.com or http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tom-Clements-for-US-Senate/128952760459672.
See the Clements For Senate You Tube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/TomClementsSenate.
* YouTube: DeMint blocks subpoena power of oil spill investigation committee http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNp6ZvwqSOk
* Reuters: BP CEO slams media, rivals for stoking spill fears http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101025/bs_nm/us_oil_spill_bp
* Guardian: Tea Party climate change deniers funded by BP and other major polluters http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/oct/24/tea-party-climate-change-deniers
* Think Globally, Sabatoge Locally: How and why European companies are funding climate change deniers and anti-climate legislation voices in the 2010 U.S. Senate race http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2010/10/24/climate.pdf
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Visit to Samso Energy Academy 7.20.09
Tom (7.20.09)
After a very hearty breakfast at the Sommer Pension, we rode our bikes a short distance to the Energiakademi of Samso, where we met Jan Jantzen, the Education Director of the academy. [Jan with Wooster swag] Jan greeted us outside, and explained that the Academy’s main building was designed on the model of a Viking long hall – i.e., one long, open room. The south-facing roof of the building is clad in photovoltaic solar panels, which provide much of the electricity used by the 6 full-time employees of the Academy. A short, but safe, distance from the main building is a hydrogen plant, which separates water into oxygen and hydrogen molecules, which are stored in hydrogen fuel cells. he Academy plans on building 4 additional “guest houses” that will allow the many visitors to the Academy to stay on the grounds.
Once inside, Jan explained the background behind Samso’s attempt to become a “carbon neutral” island. In the late 1990s the Danish government sponsored a contest, in which islands could submit plans for becoming self-sufficient in regard to energy consumption. A local farmer brought this contest to the attention of the citizens of Samso, and the effort was spearheaded by two individuals – Soren Hermanson and Age Johnsen . Through a series of public meetings, and the help of a consulting firm Plant Energy, the 4000+ citizens of Samso developed a 10-year plan to produce 100% of the island’s energy from renewable sources – wind, solar, and biomass power. Samso won the contest, began implementing the project in 1997, and by 2005 had reached its goal of energy self-sufficiency. Currently the island uses renewable sources to produce 140% of the energy used. According to Danish law, any surplus energy produced by alternative energy sources must be purchased by the national energy company at the current rate charged to consumers, making this experiment in energy self-sufficiency a highly profitable endeavor.
The most noticeable feature of Samso’s energy system is the 11 wind turbines that are spread across the island in groups of 5, 3, and 3. Each of these massive, slow-spinning turbines produces 1 megawatt of electricity. Less noticeable than the wind turbines are the 4 district heat plants that are scattered over the island. These heat plants use either straw or wood chips to heat water that is distributed to large groups of households, providing both heat and hot water. Some of the heat plants are supplemented by arrays of solar panels that heat water during the summer months, and each of the plants is backed up by an oil furnace in case the combination of biomass and solar power is insufficient during particular periods.
While the Samso energy experiment has been successful, the one “sore thumb” in the process was the failure to get the citizens of Samso to switch from traditional automobiles to electric cars. Once it became apparent that the project’s plan to transform the transportation sector was a failure, the citizens decided to build 10 offshore wind turbines off the southwest side of the island. Each of these turbines produces 2.3 megawatts of electricity, which more than compensates for the non-renewable energy consumed by the gasoline and diesel engines of the many cars and trucks on the island. This offshore “wind farm” is the first thing one sees from the ferry from Kalundborg, on the mainland, to the island’s ferry port at Kolby Kas.
In his morning presentation, Jan took great pains to dispel the media image of the Sams energy project as an idealistic, almost religious, movement. He emphasized that the overwhelming support of the citizens of Samso was based on a combination of environmental and economic motivations. Just prior to the Danish energy contest, Samso lost one of its primary employers, a slaughterhouse that employed over 100 people. The designers of the energy project presented it to the citizens as a form of economic development that could help keep residents of Samso on the island. The project designers worked hard to get local trades people involved in the project, training them to install highly efficient windows and doors in the older houses of the island, as well as geo-thermal heat pumps and solar panels on houses that were not part of the heating districts.
Jan also emphasized that the success of the project was largely attributable to the flexible approach taken in regard to funding the various forms of renewable energy production. Some of the land-based turbines are owned by individuals, while others are owned by private investors and investment groups. One of the land turbines is owned by the 1000+ individuals who bought stock in the turbine. The offshore turbines are also owned by an array of investors. The municipality of Samso invested in 5 of these offshore turbines, which now generate not just electricity, but a source of income that can be used for the benefit of all the island’s inhabitants.
Our visit to Samso is a particularly appropriate bookend to our field trip. The bottom-up approach to energy development taken on Samso stands in stark contrast to the experience of Iceland, where the top-down approach to hydroelectric plans has generated an organized environmental resistance movement.
6 Responses to “Visit to Samso Energy Academy 7.20.09”
# David McConnell on 22 Jul 2009 at 8:22 am
I’ve been following your posts and pics with great interest. The recent trip to Samso sounds fascinating. Interesting that this “bottom-up” success story was facilitated by a “top-down” energy policy, which requires the surplus to be bought by the national energy company. Was there any mention of a downside to the wind turbines? I would think a lot of seabirds might bump into them:). Where do they get the straw and wood chips to feed to the district heat plants? Hope you all have a safe trip home!
# jfriedman on 24 Jul 2009 at 3:08 pm
David — I asked them about birds. Their answer is that the newer wind turbines are larger and spin more slowly than earlier models, and therefore birds can see and avoid them more easily. The straw is refuse from the local farmers’ fields, and the wood chips come from a managed forest on the island. Joan
# ttierney on 24 Jul 2009 at 4:01 pm
Great questions. The wind turbines, both on- and off-shore, have been determined to pose no threat to animal populations. According to Jan Jantzen, the site approval for land and off-shore turbines involves an extensive analysis of the potential impact on wildlife.
We did learn that there was some opposition to the originally planned 13 land-based turbines, based on aesthetic and economic concerns (i.e., property values). Consequently, the number of land turbines was reduced to 11, but the 10 off-shore turbines that were added to the system more than made up for the lost production of those two canceled land turbines.
As for the top-down dimensions of the Samsø situation, the most significant contribution that the “top” made to the success of the project was the high energy taxes that were put in place in the late 1970s. Revenues from these taxes funded research into alternative and sustainable energy sources throughout Denmark, and not just on Samsø.
# heat pumps on 16 Sep 2009 at 3:09 am
nice experience..hope I can also experience that..how many places have you visited?
# decor on 12 Nov 2013 at 2:33 am
Greetings from Idaho! I’m bored at work so I decided
to browse your website on my iphone during lunch break.
I enjoy the information you present here and can’t wait to take a look when I get home.
I’m shocked at how quick your blog loaded on my phone ..
# Brock on 20 Mar 2014 at 6:15 am
Greetings! Very helpful advice within tis post! It is the litrtle changes that
willl make the largest changes. Thanks a lot for sharing!
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Front Page - Friday, August 10, 2018
Team ends quarter as top KW team downtown
Jay Robinson and his wife, Ali Robinson, who also is his lead buyer’s agent. - Photograph provided
Realtor Jay Robinson and the Robinson Team is celebrating its success as the top team at Keller Williams’ Greater Downtown Chattanooga during the first six months of 2018.
The Robinson Team led the way by selling $51,612,838 worth of real estate during the first six months of 2018.
Collectively, the entire Keller Williams Greater Downtown Chattanooga office sold in excess of $308 million during the same time period.
Team leader and CEO Nathan Brown says the Robinson Team’s second quarter was “nothing short of amazing.”
“I’d like to offer my congratulations to all the Greater Downtown Chattanooga Keller Williams teams. Jay and his team have set a high standard for the third quarter, and I look forward to another two quarters of outstanding production for our market center.”
“We’re proud of our team,” says Robinson, owner and founder of the Robinson Team.
“They’re driven by a determination to meet our clients’ needs in a market that’s as competitive as I’ve ever seen.
“The fact that we’ve been able to thrive in such a challenging environment demonstrates the effectiveness of the client-first approach to the real estate business.”
The 2018 production numbers are based on residential data from the Greater Chattanooga Realtors Multiple Listing Service.
The Robinson Team was recognized as the top team in the southeast region of Keller Williams in 2017 by closing 190 transactions totaling approximately $90 million in sales volume.
The region is comprised of 57 Keller Williams offices spanning a three-state region that includes Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama.
“We remain bullish about the future of the housing market in Chattanooga,” says Robinson. “Chattanooga remains at the center of the radar screen for those seeking a place where quality of life is equally matched with the beauty of the area and a welcoming business environment.”
Robinson has been in the real estate business since 1988. He grew up in Chattanooga, and after beginning his career in Little Rock, Arkansas, moved home to be close to his family.
He founded the Robinson Team in 1997 and has subsequently helped over 3,000 families find their new homes.
Robinson is a member of Greater Chattanooga Realtors as well as the Tennessee and Georgia associations. He is a certified residential specialist, an accredited buyer representative and a graduate of the Realtors Institute.
Source: Robinson Team
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Does it need saying?
Posted in Love, Nicholas
One of my favourite lines from Doctor Who is from series four, when Rose asks the Doctor the last thing he said, and he responds with “Rose Tyler”, she asks, “And how was that sentence going to end?”
The Doctor replies with, “Does it need saying?”
It’s not a favourite line for me because it conjures up slight warmth. It’s not because it gives you the knowledge that the Doctor said those three difficult words, and it’s not because it confirms to us that the uncomfortable silence we felt has disappeared. It’s because it’s a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking few words that makes us realise how important those three words might be.
“Does it need saying?” is a line that has found its way into my vocabulary. I’ve caught myself, on occasion, saying that to Nick, because the reasons I did x and y don’t need saying. In both of our hearts, we know that, and we know why.
But when I think of how difficult it was to tell someone I loved someone, for the first time, it took me all of twenty minutes and shaking and a torn up piece of paper, but it was something that I needed to say. It was returned from the other person in the swiftest fashion, without discomfort, and I felt embarrassed that it had been so difficult for me. It made me wonder whether I meant it if it was so hard to say. At the same time, the words had made themselves known to that person. They understood.
One of the most emotionally painful times I had been through was to say the words and never have them said back. I was returned with a hug, a kiss on my forehead – but the more I let the words spill into the hands of that person, the more my unrequited love was returned with a shoulder pat, a cold and empty sigh, or something not as demeaning – but enough to make me wish I had swallowed the words instead. The physical contact was something I misinterpreted, and my realisation was enough to make me retrace my steps.
When I think of my previous long-term relationship, I remember that the words seeped into the relationship after a while. We said it at every opportunity we had. We made sure we said it every time we parted ways. Every last message before going to bed. We said it so much that we forgot. And by the time one of us forgot, “I love you” had become a chore.
It had become a necessity for the relationship. It became something that convinced me that everything was fine. And eventually, it disappeared from regular conversations. In my mind, I didn’t think that anything was wrong. I convinced myself that it didn’t need to be said, because I was caught in the mindset that it simply didn’t need to be. The feelings were there. But as the days slipped by when I would only receive a goodnight message, as days went by where the words disappeared, so began the days that those feelings began to dissipate, as things began to slowly fray.
Over years, I had convinced myself that such words of affection were not necessary, perhaps because the kind of affection I received was not correlated to how many times the three words were said. Unhappy without knowing it, I became used to the small amount of exchanged affection.
I say to Nick now, “Does it need saying?” because, in conversation, it feels alright to say.
At the same time, I say it anyway. I say those three words. I say them, and I mean them. I need to say them, and it’s not like that kind of exploding need to throw up the words like the first time I said them to someone.
It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling that comes from the heart, and it emanates in those words. That’s what love feels like. Contrary to how I’ve felt in the past, contrary to how logical it sounds to have actions speak louder than words – it feels like saying it is never enough. That’s how it should feel like. Love is quiet, but it’s not so quiet as to mean that saying “I love you” is worthless or cliche or overused.
I’ll walk in and out of the room just to tell Nick I love him. We’ll sit there in silence, and one of us will say it because no matter how much love is in the air, or how much space is between our hands and fingers (usually none), or the fact that we said it two minutes ago, yes. Yes, it does need saying.
For all the times I was blind and didn’t see the signs. For all the times one of us may have doubted the other, for whatever reason. We might not have been together if it was never said.
Does it need saying? Yes. In a world where physical signs of affection hold vague understanding and strewed misconceptions, in a world where the physical does not often correlate to the emotional – no matter how many times your hand is held, or you are hugged, kissed, or written love letters to – yes, “I love you” does need saying.
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29 June 2015, 6:56am
Before I met Tristan, I guess I would get too “clingy” and thought that the guy would like me back. A lot of the times, that was the case. I was still learning, and that’s why I deem myself as a late bloomer in the love department. Nothing to be ashamed about really. But you’re right, does it really need saying?
Tristan and I didn’t say those words “I love you” until later on in our relationship. We knew that if we said them right away, they would have no meaning. We now say them on occasion as we feel that if we say it on a daily basis, than there would be no meaning towards it. Ya know?
I know every couple is different, but I think you missed my point, Jamie – while sometimes it could be considered too much to tell someone “I love you” all the time, I found that in my previous relationships, it was just a sign that things weren’t going well. Saying it is a nice reminder, especially if you mean it. I explored both sides of the spectrum in this post. In my current relationship, we say it a lot, but it’s never too much, and we never force it. That’s when it’s a good thing. :)
I know this exact same feeling. My current long term boyfriend don’t get to spend a lot of time together due to work but we don’t ever forget to let each other know that we love each other.
It’s a blessing to be able to cherish a relationship. I feel thankful for it every single day.
29 June 2015, 10:49pm
This is a really nice post. In my relationship we say it often, and it is not a chore, it more is to show appreciation. We did that love language quiz you can find online, both of us got words of affirmation as our top love language. I already knew that about myself and Christopher also knew that about me, but I was slightly surprised that he got it as well. Before I always thought his was physical touch, or quality time, but now that I know I make sure to tell him at every chance I get how much I care, love and am proud of him. Those three words are essential to showing affection in a verbal way, and they can really mean something special it all depends what you make of it.
Exclamation points all round – Nick and I did that test as well! Ours mostly lined up, but there was a significant difference where he preferred physical gifts more than I thought he would (that quiz is quite surprising, but also accurate). Words of affirmation are important to both of us. I think that I also found that with the lack of physical touch in my previous relationships, I find it more valuable to me now to receive even just a hug or a kiss on the head.
The first time of saying “I love you” is always the hardest. Maybe because we think it’s the right timing until we actually say it and the wait for a response seems forever. After a while, I don’t think it’s needed to be said before you go to bed or anything. I see it as a phrase that makes you feel better (even if you already know they love you). I also feel like it’s something you should say (as long as it’s true) because it triggers that happy emotion on the other person.
1 July 2015, 1:27pm
Doctor Who, for all it’s campiness and sci fi-ness does bring that humanity back to us and my favorite still has to be this one:
“Nobody important? Blimey, that’s amazing. Do you know, in nine hundred years of time and space I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important before.” – The Doctor (A Christmas Carol)
I think that sums up perfectly about people and their place on the Earth. It’s my favorite quote! ^^ Plus, I have to say, Doctor Who is amazing. Man, I so need to catch up, I had decided to rewatch from the beginning and I love every moment of it.
Sorry, if it’s kind of unrelated to your post a bit, but that’s what I like about Doctor Who. It gets the audience and the people with its message of love for humanity despite our flaws and failings.
But to remark on the post: I said I love you depending on how I felt and it’s only been twice that I ever said it, but I usually just feel it in my heart towards my husband with my actions.
I have to agree with you here, Michelle!
It gets the audience and the people with its message of love for humanity despite our flaws and failings.
I think the show is one that people can like if they try – it has a bit of fantasy, relationships, and action, and is always very interesting. I have to get myself up to date on the last series or two. I’m quite behind.
As I mentioned to Jamie earlier, all couples are different. Regardless of how much you say “I love you”, I can see through a lot of what you’ve written that you have a strong relationship with your husband and his family, and you know it’s a good sign when someone can see that from the outside. :) <3
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Logic Was So Impressed By "KOD" He Texted J. Cole
April 27, 2018 | 8:03 AM
by Danielle Harling
YouTube/Power 106 Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA – Grammy-nominated rapper Logic recently appeared on Los Angeles’ Power 106 to discuss a variety of topics, including Kanye West, J. Cole’s new album, and the stash of completed albums he has.
When asked if he would ever work on a collab album with another artist, Logic swiftly offered a “no” as his answer. He did later reveal he’d be open to collaborating with Kanye West on the production side and would also be willing to consider one day touring with Drake.
Even though Logic revealed during his interview that he doesn’t “really listen to much rap like that,” he did confess to hearing J. Cole’s new KOD album.
Logic says he was so impressed by the album that he was moved to text Cole.
“It’s so dope. I texted him about it and told him all the stuff that I took from it,” Logic said. “And what it meant to me. And how he just had such a great message. But to me it wasn’t like he was preaching this message … I felt like he kinda stylistically took some of these younger dudes’ flows and flipped it in a much better technical way with a real message behind it.”
Logic also confirmed he has several completed albums under his belt due to the variety of projects he’s working on.
“I have several albums that are finished. 100 percent,” he shared. “But that’s not some wack-ass rapper flex. Like ‘Yeah, I got all this.’ For real. The reason I have all that done in advance is because of the films and the novels that I’m doing. And the TV show. All the stuff that I’m starring in and writing in. And the production company. And the record labels. And the artists I have signed. So, I wanna make sure that everything gets its proper time.”
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A Scene in the Hall of Representatives Washington
Thomas Nast
The Illustrated London News
12 x 15 1/2 in. (30.5 x 39.4 cm)
This scene from the closing days of the 36th Congress illustrated how contentious the House had become on the eve of the Civil War. Men bellowed and gesticulated as the presiding officer pounded his gavel for attention. Readers of the Illustrated London News followed the path toward disunion with interest. The accompanying article described the scene as very different from the British House of Commons, noting that “sometimes our legislators are noisy and excited; but no one ever saw any of them exhibiting in such poses as are depicted in our illustration.”
William Pennington
A Near Fatal Attack on Representative Charles H. Van Wyck of New York
History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives, “A Scene in the Hall of Representatives Washington,” https://history.house.gov/Collection/Listing/2006/2006-106-003/ (January 22, 2020)
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Abraham Lincoln and Civil War Generals
Was Abraham Lincoln the iconic "Great Emancipator" who freed the slaves and held the United States together by the force of his political will? Or was he a monster who violated the Constitution, suspended habeas corpus and made thousands of people "political prisoners", laid economic waste to the South and killed hundreds of thousands in an unnecessary War, and single-handedly changed the face of American government into something the Founding Fathers had not contemplated?
Modern views of the Civil War hold that it was about nothing more than freeing the slaves. Yet even Lincoln himself once said if he could preserve the Union and not free a single slave, he would do so. What exactly was it that made this nation do the unthinkable and divide, and fight a bloody War over whether or not the Union would be preserved? Why would thousands on non-slaveholding Southerners fight, and die for the Cause of the Confederacy? Was it the oppressive tariffs imposed by a northern-dominated Congress on the South? Or was it that Lincoln, in the aftermath of his 1858 "House Divided" speech, posed a grave threat to Southern beliefs about states' rights, self-governance and the intended meaning of the Constitution?
May 15-17, 2009, in Lewisburg, WV, you will have an unparalleled opportunity to both challenge and pay tribute to the story of Abraham Lincoln. As seen through the eyes of "Lee's Lieutenants" Abraham Lincoln, Federal generals and others you will hear the views, memories, and opinions of those who were leaders of the respective sides, and who fought the War for Freedom, or for Union. You will be able to meet, discuss issues with, and question these personas in a close and comfortable setting on the grounds of Greenbrier Community College, and in the streets of Lewisburg. For anyone with even a passing interest in this era that so powerfully shaped our nation, you will find this to be a fresh, eye-opening, and not-to-be-missed event.
10 a.m. – Meet the Confederate Generals. General Robert E. Lee and his Lieutenants including Generals Jackson, Longstreet, Pickett, Early and Armistead will give their perspectives on President Lincoln.
11 a.m. – Meet the Union Generals – General U.S. Grant,, his chief of staff, General Rawlings, Generals Buford and Averell and Colonel George Crook, victor in the Battle of Lewisburg, will give their perspectives on President Lincoln.
12 noon – President Abraham Lincoln on his political difficulties with Copperheads, Southern sympathizers in the North and draft riots in New York.
The Battle of Lewisburg Living History & Reenactment has been selected by the Southeast Tourism Society as one of the top 20 events for May 2009.
For more information contact the Greenbrier County CVB 1-800-833-2068 or www.battleoflewisburg.org.
Posted by: Greg Allman AT 03:11 pm | Permalink | 0 Comments | Email
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Working Cat Program
Grounds & Hounds Coffee
Ales for Tails
Putts for Paws
DIY Fundraising
Dog Obedience
Jen Self-Aulgur
Jen has been with HHS since September 2016. Previously, Jen was the Director of Education and Programs at Humane Society of West Michigan. Jen has been involved in animal welfare since 2002, creating many programs including humane education programs and camps, low income/cost vaccine clinics, and many community engagement events. Jen has a broad view of animal welfare in the United States and beyond and works to keep HHS progressive and practicing gold standard animal sheltering. Jen holds a Master of Public Administration focusing in Non-Profit Management. Jen has the skillset to create, implement, and oversee multiple projects to both raise revenue and recognition for HHS. In her free time, Jen enjoys spending time with her daughter, husband, 3 rescue cats, and 2 rescue dogs.
Jen Nuernberg
Jennifer Nuernberg joined HHS as the Development Director in October 2018, having previously spent 3 years as the ED for Al-Van Humane Society in South Haven. With a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and advertising, Jen spent many years in the marketing field, but made the switch to animal welfare when she realized her passion for community education, animal rights and fighting for the “underdogs” was something she wanted to turn into a career. Jen spends her life with her partner, Steven, and their 2 dogs, Sahara and Dax, but they have owned and fostered many pets over the years. They plan to fill their life with more pets and fosters, their love of travel, family, music and exploring the best local dive bars.
Ashton VanKoevering
Programs Manager
Ashton is the Programs Manager for Harbor Humane as of August 2019. She’s a west Michigan native who graduated from Alma College in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and continued her education at Grand Valley State studying education. She spent two years serving with AmeriCorps at The Bridge Youth Center in Zeeland, assisting and running their after school and summer programs prior to joining Harbor! She loves spending time with my three pets: Peter Parker (a handsome orange/buff tabby), Titan (an 8-year-old lab/cocker spaniel/mutt), and Goose (a 9-week-old Bernese Mountain Puppy). Her favorite thing to do during a long weekend off is to go to the UP and backpack through Pictured Rocks or grab a book and dive in for the whole weekend.
Sara Ybema
Sara Ybema has been the Veterinary Medical Director for Harbor Humane Society since October of 2018. She has more than 20 years of experience in veterinary medicine including general practice, emergency care, opening new practices, and animal welfare. She brings a passion for the science of medicine, a love of efficiency, and a drive to protect the animals to her position.
When she’s not at work Sara stays busy as a mom to her 4 daughters and enjoys music festivals, hiking, camping, and making maple syrup every Spring.
Allison Deters
Allison Deters is the Operations Director for Harbor Humane Society. In her capacity as Operations Director she maintains the organization’s finances, acts as the organization’s human resources representative and manages general facility operations. Allison has been with Harbor since January 2016 and in her current position since June 2016. She has worked hard to simplify and streamline accounting processes, created a new hiring and onboarding process, and assisted with managing several shelter construction projects including the recent kennel updates and laundry room construction. Allison has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration and worked in the field of law for nine years preceding her employment at Harbor. She is self-taught in non-profit accounting practices and human resource management and constantly works to increase her knowledge through continuing education and training opportunities.
Megan Winters
Shelter Manager
Megan Winters is the Shelter Manager for Harbor Humane Society. Megan has been with HHS since December of 2015, where she started out as the Front Desk Lead. Through continuing education, dedication, and hard work she worked her way up to her current position. Megan is finishing her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and hopes to eventually receive her Masters in Nonprofit Management. Over the years, Megan has become Harbor’s “Cat Lady” with a focus on improving the lives of our felines during their (hopefully) short stay with us. In her spare time, she works a second job as a dog groomer and fosters motherless kittens and cats with medical needs.
Sarah Rapisarda
Behavior Manager
Sarah Rapisarda has worked in her current position as Behavior Manager at Harbor since January 2017. She has bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Writing and has become a certified Canine Good Citizen Instructor. She is an IAABC Affiliate Member of the Shelter Division and has attended many conferences on animal behavior as well as taken continuing education credits to further her general and applied knowledge of animal behavior and behavioral modification. She has been teaching general group dog obedience and puppy socialization classes at Harbor since Spring 2018. In addition to helping animals find homes, her goal is to help animals stay with the families already dedicated to their success. Outside of work, Sarah enjoys hiking and spending time outside with her dog and cat. She is an avid writer and reader who also enjoys playing video games in her spare time.
Harbor Humane Society is a 501(c)-3 non-profit serving the needs of animals in Ottawa County. We could not do what we do without the support of our donors and volunteers - please take a moment to consider how you can contribute to our cause!
office@harborhumane.org
Stay up to date with all the pawsome things happening at Harbor Humane Society! Sign up today to receive special insights, newsletters, and deals from HHS!
Example: Yes, I would like to receive emails from Harbor Humane Society. (You can unsubscribe anytime)
By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: Harbor Humane Society, 14345 Bagley Street, West Olive, MI, 49460, https://harborhumane.org/. You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Monday - Friday: 12:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
*No visits after 6:30 p.m.
*Closed second Wednesday of every month.
Monday - Thursday: 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
*Admitting animal times may vary
Please call for times
© Copyright - Harbor Humane Society
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1940s deaths, British individuals, Deaths by poisoning,
Horcrux victims
Hufflepuff family
Killed by Lord Voldemort
Hepzibah Smith
Revision as of 01:08, December 11, 2018 by Shacob (Talk | contribs)
c. 1955-1961[1]
Blood status
Pure-blood or Half-blood
Madam (by Hokey)
Relationship information
Helga Hufflepuff (ancestor) †
Hufflepuff (possibly)
Tom Marvolo Riddle
Borgin and Burkes (through Tom Riddle)
"Can you keep a secret, Tom? Will you promise you won't tell Mr Burke I've got it? He'd never let me rest if he knew I'd shown it to you, and I'm not selling, not to Burke, not to anyone!"
—Hepzibah Smith to Tom Riddle on Helga Hufflepuff's Cup[src]
Madam Hepzibah Smith (died c. 1955-1961) was a pure-blood or half-blood witch who claimed to be descended from Helga Hufflepuff. Being very rich, Hepzibah was an avid collector of magical antiquities, including objects that belonged to the founders of Hogwarts; her two most prized possessions were Helga Hufflepuff's cup and Salazar Slytherin's locket.
Not much is known of Hepzibah's early life, but as an older woman, she befriended the young wizard Tom Riddle during one of her visits to Borgin and Burkes. After Hepzibah revealed her two greatest treasures during one of Tom's visits to her home, Tom killed her, and used her death to make the cup into a Horcrux. Because her house-elf Hokey, was very old and forgetful, no one doubted that she did the crime. She claimed to have accidentally put poison into her mistress' evening cocoa, when in reality Riddle had planted a false memory in her mind.
Before Hokey died, Albus Dumbledore realised the mistake and obtained a true memory from her, but it only showed that Riddle had enquired about Hepzibah's artefacts and was not enough to prove Hokey was innocent before she died.
Very little is known of Hepzibah's early life, but it is likely she attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry as a child, presumably as a Hufflepuff in regards to her ancestry. It is not clear whether she is a pure-blood or half-blood witch; given her claimed relation to Helga Hufflepuff, she cannot have been a Muggle-born.[1]
Hepzibah claimed to be descended from Helga Hufflepuff, one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.[1] She was a very old and wealthy witch who collected magical antiques. Two of her most prized possessions were a cup that belonged to her (claimed) ancestor, Helga Hufflepuff,[1] and a locket that belonged to Salazar Slytherin, the latter of which she bought at great expense from Caractacus Burke.[1]
Meeting Tom Riddle and death
Hepzibah shows Slytherin's Locket to Tom Riddle. Hokey stands with the box containing Hufflepuff's Cup
While working at Borgin and Burkes, Tom Riddle befriended Hepzibah, who doted upon him to the extent of having an apparent attraction to him. While Riddle was visiting her on behalf of Mr Burke, ostensibly to negotiate the sale of a suit of goblin-made armour in her possession, she imprudently showed him two of her greatest treasures: Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.[1]
When she took the locket from Tom's hands, she caught a glimpse of the greedy red gleam in his eyes, which caused her "foolish smile" and obsessive admiration of the boy to momentarily falter.[1]
Two days later, she was found dead; a lethal and little known poison was found mixed with her cocoa. Riddle was never suspected; Hepzibah's house-elf, Hokey, confessed to having mistaken the poison for sugar, for which her fate is not revealed.[1]
Albus Dumbledore tracked Hokey down several years later and extracted a memory from her that cast doubt on her guilt. The cup and the locket had since gone missing;[1] they subsequently became two of Lord Voldemort's Horcruxes, with Albus Dumbledore believing that Hepzibah's death was the murder that transformed the cup. This would be another step in his rise to power.
"...An immensely fat old lady wearing an elaborate ginger wig and a brilliant pink set of robes that flowed all around her, giving her the look of a melting iced cake. She was looking into a small jewelled mirror and dabbing rouge onto her already scarlet cheeks with a large powder puff, while the tiniest and oldest house-elf Harry had ever seen laced her fleshy feet into tight satin slippers"
—Description of Hepzibah Smith[src]
In 1996, Dumbledore and Harry viewed Hokey's memory of Hepzibah's meeting with Tom Riddle where she revealed the cup and locket. In the Pensieve, Harry's assessment of Hepzibah was that she was an enormously fat, wealthy woman with an ornate ginger wig. She was wearing a set of lustrous, flashy pink robes that flowed all around her and made her look like a melting iced cake. She wore satin slippers that were too small for her pudgy feet, laced by her house-elf Hokey.[1] Hepzibah appeared to be quite vain and excessive, as when Harry saw her she was looking at herself in a jewel-encrusted mirror while putting rouge on her cheeks. She was very interested in valuable objects and antiques, as demonstrated by her possession of Slytherin's locket and Hufflepuff's cup. Hepzibah Smith appeared to go to great lengths to appear attractive and much younger than she really was, and to try and impress Riddle during his visits to her home.[1]
Hearing Hokey praise her mistress's appearance as "lovely", Harry Potter concluded that Hokey's contract said that she must "lie through her teeth" when asked this question, as she was a long way from lovely in Harry's opinion.[1] She was described to have a "foolish smile" in Tom Riddle's presence, which faltered when she caught a momentary glimpse of his true nature.[1]
Hepzibah was a hoarder of antiques, as her house was so full of objects that Harry wondered how she could move around.[1] She was also very proud, to the point that she did not tell anybody where she had hidden her antiques.[1] However, she was at times unintelligent, as she foolishly showed off her two most valuable treasures to Tom Riddle, not realising that he was someone who would harm her to take them for himself. Highly infatuated with Riddle's façade of a polite and handsome young man, Hepzibah was completely oblivious to the dark, greedy look on his face, until the last moment she saw him, at which even she could not ignore the red gleam in his eyes.[1] She was also very conceited, and believed that she was a beautiful woman, something Harry Potter found that she was far from.[1] Due to her naïveté and conceit, Dumbledore described her as a "poor and besotted old woman".[1]
Hepzibah first met Tom Riddle when the latter worked at Borgin and Burkes. Tom was a very handsome and clever young man. At first, he appeared to be friendly with Hepzibah, flattering her and making her feel pretty.[1] However, it was obvious that he was kind to her only because he understood that she possessed Salazar Slytherin's Locket and Helga Hufflepuff's Cup, which he aimed to obtain in order to make them into horcruxes. When Hepzibah showed those treasures to Tom, she saw a red and greedy gleam in his eyes; she initially thought it was just the light, realising its true source only when it was too late.[1] Two days later, Tom Riddle killed Hepzibah in order to take the two heirlooms by spiking her cocoa with a little-known poison.[1]
Hokey was Hepzibah's house-elf, who was tiny and very elderly. Hokey is likely to have performed most tasks typical of a house-elf. Harry Potter observed that one of her duties was to flatter her mistress; he suggested that she must have been lying "through her teeth" when she called Hepzibah "lovely".[1] Their relationship was one typical between a witch and her servant. After Hepzibah's death, Hokey claimed responsibility, and as she was "old and confused",[1] the Ministry labelled Hepzibah's death an accident.[1] It was through a memory of Hokey's that Harry Potter observed the events which took place between Hepzibah and Tom Riddle, secured by Dumbledore before Hokey passed away.
The name "Hepzibah" is a variant of Heftsi-Vah or Heftsi-Bah, a Hebrew female name meaning "my delight is in her".[2] Heftsi-Vah was the wife of Hezekiah and the mother of Manasseh, kings of Judah, according to 2 Kings 21:1.[3] This name may allude to the nature of Hepzibah Smith, regarding her interest in ancient valuable artefact collections. It can also allude to the will of Lord Voldemort in killing her to split his soul and steal Hufflepuff's cup and Slytherin's locket.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (First appearance) (Appears in flashback(s))
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Mentioned only)
↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Chapter 20 (Lord Voldemort's Request) Hepzibah's death took place ten years before Tom Riddle visited Albus Dumbledore to enquire about teaching at Hogwarts. Dumbledore became Headteacher sometime after March 1965 but no later than March 1971. Therefore, Hepzibah died between 1955 and 1961.
↑ "Meaning, Origin, and History of the Name Hepzibah." Behindthename.com, 2011.
↑ "2 Kings 21:1." Bible.cc, 2011.
Retrieved from "https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/Hepzibah_Smith?oldid=1182932"
Articles with information from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Articles with information from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Articles with information from Pottermore
British individuals
Deaths by poisoning
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How dating apps have changed the dating scene in the last decade
When you ask how a couple met these days, there's a pretty high chance that their answer will be "online". With the release of Tinder in 2012, Bumble in 2014 and more recently Hinge in 2017, dating apps have completely revolutionised the way singles meet and fall in love.
Dating apps actually started in the gay community in 2009 with Grindr Scruff, which was developed to help single gay men connect in their local area. That means that though people now refer to Grindr as 'gay tinder', it turns out Tinder is actually 'straight Grindr'. The more you know.
Finger of woman pushing heart icon on screen in mobile smartphone application. Online dating app, valentine's day concept. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
When Tinder was released in 2012 it was initially only available on iOS before expanding to Android and other smartphones and is now available (and downloaded) on just about every single person's phone in Australia. But what was the dating scene like a decade ago, when this wasn't the case?
Kahla, 31, spent eight of the last 10 years single and has used a whole host of dating apps, but she admits that they've totally changed the way she meets people.
"Pre-apps, I'd usually meet people at house parties - especially during my uni years - and sometimes even in bars. Now, being approached in a bar seems like a relic of a lost world," she tells 9Honey.
"Being approached in a bar seems like a relic of a lost world."
"I think the rise of dating apps has made people reluctant to strike up a conversation in the 'real world' and has also normalised dating behaviours that are really not cool. I don't remember ever being ghosted by someone I was seeing until Tinder came along."
She raises an important point; back in the days before apps were a 'thing', people felt much more accountable to their dates because they usually had mutual friends or acquaintances. And even if you didn't, when so much of the dating experience was face-to-face, it felt even more rude to simply decide never to speak to someone again without warning.
'I don't remember ever being ghosted by someone I was seeing until Tinder came along.' (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Ghosting isn't even the worst of the bad dating behaviours that have come with dating apps, from catfishing to breadcrumbing, and the downright cruel things men and women say to each other on dating apps. There's sexual harassment, nasty comments about people's looks and bodies, and don't get us started on the unsolicited pictures of men's genitals. But many argue that there have always been crappy parts of dating, they're just on a different platform now.
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What's new is the number of potential partners we can reach these days, and it's something that Natacha, 28, is conflicted by. In 2010 she was 18-years-old and dating was just starting to go digital, with guys approaching her over Facebook to strike up a connection. But these days 'swipe culture' has taken over and turned dating into a digital marketplace.
"The dating game revolves around apps and swipe culture. It's a quicker, easier, and more efficient way to meet people. But is it better? I personally don't think so," Natacha tells 9Honey.
"It's like an online marketplace for singles to shop around and make snap judgements. I'm conflicted by it. While I personally don't feel interested in someone based on a single photo, I'm also aware that singles can make that call within five seconds of noticing someone in a bar."
'The dating game revolves around apps and swipe culture.' (Unsplash)
It's true that there's not a lot of depth to a dating profile, and with photos playing such a major role, dating apps have been accused time and again of encouraging a 'looks-first' approach to dating. But isn't that the same way people used to decide who to approach at a bar?
"I don't see one as being better or worse. It's just different, and it's about adapting to the current dating climate," says Natacha.
It's a good attitude to have, given that dating apps are showing no sign of slowing down or disappearing any time soon. In fact, they only seem to be growing, as more and more apps and sites are designed to target different niche dating markets.
"It's a quicker, easier, and more efficient way to meet people. But is it better?"
From Muslim- or Christian-only dating sites, apps designed solely for ugly people (yes, we're serious), and sites that cater to people to particular interests or hobbies. Digitising dating has helped people connect in new ways and for those who have struggled in the real-life dating sphere, it has been a blessing.
Dating apps have also been important to the LGBT communities they originated in, helping gay, lesbian and transgender singles connect with people they can be sure will accept them and share their orientation. Erin*, 26, has found far more acceptance and love on dating apps than she has through face-to-face interaction.
Erin* prefers dating apps, because she knows the people (Getty)
"You can never tell if a girl is gay or not, even if she's at a gay bar, so it's really hard to approach girls in the real world. The only time I was brave enough to buy a girl a drink she told me sorry, but she was at the club with her boyfriend," Erin tells 9Honey.
"At least if I'm on an app specifically for other lesbians I know I'm not going to ask a girl out and then find out she's straight. Some straight girls really don't react well to it, and their boyfriends can get pretty aggressive or gross."
For some people it's even safer to date through an app specifically for your community, especially when homophobia and bigotry can put people in danger of emotional and physical abuse.
"It's just different, and it's about adapting to the current dating climate."
But for some of us, dating apps are simply all we've ever known. At the tender age of 23, I've never known a world without them. Though I met my first two boyfriends at bars - the same bar in fact, and I've learned my lesson – apps like Tinder have been a staple of my dating experience.
I've sat with girlfriend while we pick the perfect photos for my profile, blocked creepy dudes who seem to think demands for nudes are a good conversation starter and been on more than a few dud dates. But I also matched with my current partner online and have watched plenty of my friends fall in love after 'swiping right'.
Sure, there are just as many horror stories as there are 'happily ever afters' – but isn't that just the nature of dating, regardless of the platform?
At the end of the day people still seem to want the same things; connections, sex, love. (Getty)
Dating apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble, or Grindr and Her specifically for LGBT singles, now dominate the dating scene and have prompted countless think pieces about the end of a "golden age" of dating. But the reality is that the dating scene is constantly changing in time with society and has been for decades.
Hands were wrung decades ago when young men stopped coming to the door and introducing themselves on the first date, and they're wrung now over the shift from real world meet-cutes to digital connections. It's a cycle that's bound to repeat itself for years to come.
But at the end of the day people still seem to want the same things; connections, sex, love. So does it really matter if we've changed the way we get there?
Did you prefer life before dating apps?
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The Forgotten Factor
Hemophilia 24/7
In the Twinkling of an Eye
The ‘I’ in Hemophilia
HemoWife
About Hemophilia
Living with Hemophilia
Hemophilia and Pregnancy
Post-Natal Period
Hemophilia Type A
Hemophilia Type B
Hemophilia B Leyden
Hemophilia Type C
Acquired Hemophilia
Inheritance Patterns
Severity Levels
Facts about Hemophilia
Approved Treatments
Advate
Refixia (N9-GP) for Hemophilia B
Alprolix for Hemophilia B
Kovaltry for Hemophilia A
Kogenate for Hemophilia A
Recombinate
Antifibrinolytics
Cyklokapron (Tranexamic Acid)
Extended Half-Life (EHL) Products
Albumin Fusion
CSL654 (Idelvion)
Fc Fusion
Nuwiq
Adynovate
Bypassing Agents
Replacement Therapy
Ixinity
SB-FIX
SPK-8011
SB-525 for Hemophilia A
BAY 94-9027 for Hemophilia A
BAX 855 for Hemophilia A
N8-GP for Hemophilia A
AMT-060 for Hemophilia B
TRM-201 (Rofecoxib)
BIVV001
FLT180a
Improved Care May Explain the Higher Prevalence of Male Hemophiliacs in Indiana, Study Reports
by Jose Marques Lopes, PhD
Click here to subscribe to the Hemophilia News Today Newsletter!
Fewer HIV infections and better care may explain the higher prevalence of hemophilia in male patients in Indiana between 2011 and 2013 than previously reported in six other states, according to a new study.
The findings also revealed a higher utilization of Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs) by this patient population.
The research was published in a study, “Population‐based surveillance of haemophilia and patient outcomes in Indiana using multiple data sources,” in the journal Haemophilia.
The most comprehensive study of hemophilia patients in the U.S. was done more than 20 years ago, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) collaborated with the health departments in Colorado, Georgia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, and Oklahoma. Among other findings, this study, published in 2000, showed that HTCs helped reduce mortality in this patient population by 40% and reduced the use of healthcare resources and the cost of care.
Modeled after that study, the Indiana Haemophilia Surveillance System intended to identify all hemophilia patients living in Indiana between 2011–2013, including those not served by an HTC. This subsequent study resulted from a collaboration between the CDC, the Indiana State Department of Health, and the Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center.
Medical records were obtained from hospitals in contact with potential hemophilia cases, as well as from hematologists/oncologists, primary care physicians, and administrative claims records, among other sources.
The study identified 704 males with hemophilia (median age was 25 years). The study population was younger than the overall population in Indiana (35.9 years) and the U.S. (36.1 years), with higher proportions of patients 5-34 and lower proportions of patients who were older than 35. Adult patients numbered 453, representing 64.3% of the cases.
A total of 456 (64.8%) patients had factor VIII deficiency, which means hemophilia A, and 248 (35.2%) had factor IX deficiency — hemophilia B. Among the 685 patients with known disease severity, 233 (34%) were severe, 185 (27%) were moderate, and 267 (39%) were mild.
Although accounting for 7% of the study population, Amish patients represented 17.7% of all hemophilia B cases. Most patients (85.5%) were non‐Hispanic white, 8.5% were non‐Hispanic Black, and 1.7% were Hispanic.
Overall, 575 patients (81.7%) visited an HTC at least once during the study period. Among the 129 who did not, most (27.9%, or 36) received care primarily from an emergency department, while 23.3% (30) were seen by a private hematologist. The vast majority of the severe cases (95.1%) were seen at an HTC.
The data further showed that 75% of the patients with severe hemophilia were on prophylaxis (preventive) therapy at some point during the study period. The proportion of such patients seen at an HTC was 30% higher than those seen outside the HTC network.
Sixteen (2.3%) patients developed inhibitor antibodies against their clotting factors, most (81%) of whom were seen within the HTC network. Thirty‐eight (5.4%) experienced an intracranial hemorrhage, 28 (4.1%) had a HIV infection, and 134 (19%) had hepatitis C.
Most people with hemophilia (89.2%) had insurance. Private insurance was the most common (39.3%), followed by Medicaid (27.2%), Medicare (13.1%), and state-sponsored insurance (2.2%). In addition, 57% of the patients without insurance were Amish, and 94.7% of all hemophilia patients without insurance were cared for at an HTC.
Of all patients receiving care at an HTC, 17.6% required emergency department services compared with 33.3% of non‐HTC patients.
The estimated 2013 hemophilia prevalence in Indiana was 19.4 cases per 100,000 males, 45% higher than previously reported in the U.S.
Among other explanations for this difference, the researchers mentioned “the dramatic reduction in HIV infections in younger cohorts and the impact of HIV treatments in decreasing mortality.” Improved care was a further reason, “including the widespread adoption of prophylaxis, which contributed to increased longevity,” they added.
Patients older than 35 had severe hemophilia less commonly than mild and moderate disease. Also, the prevalence of hemophilia in men aged 65 and older was 9.8 per 100,000 compared with approximately five per 100,000 males in previous data, thereby reflecting that patients are living longer.
As for disease types, the prevalence of hemophilia A was 12.7 per 100,000 while hemophilia B’s prevalence was 6.7 per 100,000. Disease incidence in Indiana over the 10 years prior to 2011 was 30.1 per 100,000 or 1:3,688 live male births.
Twenty‐four patients (3.4%) died during the three-year period, all but one of them were adults. The median age of death was 57.5 years, younger than that of males in the U.S. (79 years). Most patients who died (20) had mild or moderate hemophilia. Hemophilia‐related causes such as non‐traumatic intracranial hemorrhage were among the primary causes of death, as were non‐hemophilia‐related causes such as cirrhosis, cancer, heart disease, and respiratory failure.
Overall, “we observed higher incidence and prevalence of haemophilia in Indiana compared to previous national estimates, as well as higher HTC utilization among persons with haemophilia,” the scientists wrote.
“This type of surveillance, while time consuming, may be one of the better ways to collect population‐level data on patients with haemophilia so as to track the impact of new therapies for haemophilia and give a more complete estimate of disease frequency,” they concluded.
Jose Marques Lopes, PhD
José is a science news writer with a PhD in Neuroscience from Universidade of Porto, in Portugal. He has also studied Biochemistry at Universidade do Porto and was a postdoctoral associate at Weill Cornell Medicine, in New York, and at The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, Canada. His work has ranged from the association of central cardiovascular and pain control to the neurobiological basis of hypertension, and the molecular pathways driving Alzheimer’s disease.
Tagged disease prevalence, hemophilia A, hemophilia B, Hemophilia Treatment Centers, Indiana Haemophilia Surveillance System, insurance coverage.
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Hemophilia News Today
Hemophilia News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
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Home > Institute > About us > History
About us Toggle navigation
Area of competence
In 1949 the Duke of Westminster gave the property in 39 Belgrave Square to the Duke Gallarati Scotti, Italian Ambassador at the time, for it to become the Italian Cultural Institute.
Since it was inaugurated in 1949, the Institute has been directed by the Count Umberto Morra di Lavriano, Guido Calogero, Gabriele Baldini, Filippo Donini, Mario Montuori, Alessandro Vaciago, Francesco Villari, Benedetta Bini, Mario Fortunato, Pierluigi Barrotta, Carlo Presenti, Caterina Cardona and Marco Delogu.
The Institute is constantly involved in the organisation of conferences and concerts and it is regularly frequented by an heterogeneous British and Italian public as well as by professors, scholars and university students.
The Institute has been hosting important personalities of the Italian and British cultural world, such as T.S. Eliot, who held a lecture on Dante in 1964, or Primo Levi, whose speech entitled "From the Lab to the Writer's Desk" took place in 1986. Among those who have collaborated with the Institute it is worth mentioning Italo Calvino, Mario Soldati, Umberto Eco, Antonia S. Byatt, Piero Dorazio, Ian McEwan, Achille Perilli, Fabio Mauri, Carlo Maria Giulini, Fabrizio Gifuni, Luciano Berio, Claudio Baglioni, Luciana Serra, Howard Jacobson, Lisa Appignanesi, Paolo Sorrentino, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Zubin Mehta, Graziella Sciutti, Alberto Zedda, Marina Warner, Sylvano Bussotti, Marco Paolini, Renata Scotto, Ruggero Raimondi, Jannis Kounellis, the Taviani brothers, Jhumpa Lahiri, Francesco De Gregori, Ferruccio Soleri, Bernardo Bertolucci, Marina Abramovic, Nanni Moretti, Sir Antonio Pappano, Fiorella Mannoia, Hanif Kureishi, Anish Kapoor and many others.
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Home > Institute > Venue
Institute Toggle navigation
Belgrave Square, the centrepiece of late Georgian London’s smartest and most fashionable development, was laid out from 1825 onwards by a consortium of Swiss born bankers (one of whom was a Governor of the Bank of England), the builder Thomas Cubitt and the architect George Basevi. From the beginning, tenants from the very highest social order were sought and no expense was spared in wooing them either in the layout of the square (which covers 10 acres) or in the construction of the flanking terraces. The north and east sides were built first, followed later by the slightly more exuberant west and south sides, once it became clear that the new square would prove financially rewarding to the ground landlord, Earl Grosvenor (later the 1st Marquess of Westminster) whose family still retains the freehold. The square takes its name from one of the Earl’s subsidiary titles, which in turn derives from a small village in Leicestershire. 175 years on, all four terraces remain as built, so that the square continues to look much as it did as when it was first completed back in the late 1830s.
The houses are large and stuccoed, with four storeys and with just enough variation in window shapes, porch detailing and attic treatment to avoid the charge of monotony. (The slightly larger houses at the four corners, by different architects, also differ, but because of the size of the square can never be seen together at the same time).
With minor exceptions, the internal room arrangements and decorations are much the same from one house to another, making No. 39 a representative example of its type. It has a large single first floor room for entertaining, a grand entrance hall and staircase for receiving guests, and ample space above and below for the required army of servants.
In the Victorian period the house was the town house of the Earl of Albermarle. Like most of the others in the square (now occupied by Embassies, cultural institutions or professional societies) its use as a private residence ended about the time of the Second World War.
Basevi, the house’s architect, was a highly competent late Georgian designer, trained in the office of Sir John Soane and best remembered today for being Disraeli’s cousin and the designer of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. He met his death falling from the tower of Ely Cathedral in 1845. Belgrave Square was one of his very first commissions.
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Tag Archives: the churches of Christ
History of the Churches of Christ
April 4, 2009 – 10:57 pm
Posted in Christian, Christianity, Church, faith, God, Jesus, Religion, Theology
Tagged Abilene Christian University, Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, Christian cult, Christian cults, Church of Christ, church of Christ cult, COC, Cult, Cult Apologetics, Cults, David Lipscomb College, Disciples of Christ, doctrines of demons, Faulkner University, Freed-Hardeman University, Harding University, Independent Christian Churches, Lubbuck Christian University, Oklahoma Christian University, Pepperdine University, Restoration Movement, Stone Campbell movement, Sydney Rigdon, the churches of Christ, York College and Rochester College
Who are the Churches of Christ?
The Churches of Christ are an association of churches that trace their history back through the preaching of Barton W. Stone in the American mid-western frontier, an ex-Presbyterian preacher heavily influenced by Methodists and Shakers, and Alexander Campbell, an ex-Presbyterian, then Baptist preacher in the 1790s to 1860s.
The Stone-Campbell Movement began as a unity movement. Alexander Campbell came from the Old Light Anti-burgher Seceder Presbyterian Church of Ireland and Scotland. Campbell rebelled against the rigidly closed taking of the bread and cup in his congregation in Ireland. Only those who passed the catechism were permitted to partake. No other Presbyterians who disagreed with them were permitted to partake with them. (Some trace the Church of Christ penchant for debate and division to their Presbyterian/John Knox/John Calvin/Ulrich Zwingli heritage.) Campbell was a postmaster who spread his teaching through magazines he edited.
The Stone-Campbell Movement, or more familiarly called the Restoration Movement, gained momentum as it followed the frontier of the United States. In Kentucky at the Cane Ridge Camp Meeting in 1801 it became wildly Pentecostal (belief in the present-day miraculous movement of the Holy Spirit). By 1830 the movement was anti-pentecostal and anti-emotional, especially on the Campbell side of the movement. (The Stone side of the movement remained more emotional, believed in the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, was more grace-oriented, and was more open to people outside the Churches of Christ.)
In the early 1800s the Churches of Christ/Christian Church/Disciples of Christ claimed to have been the fastest growing religious movement in the world. Alexander Campbell was invited to preach to the Congress of the United States of America.
Four preachers from the Churches of Christ, including Sydney Rigdon, joined the early Mormon Church around 1824 and influenced it to reflect several of the doctrines of the Churches of Christ (including the name of the church and baptism for the remission of sins).
The movement split just before the American Civil War–the richer north opposing slavery and becoming more organized with a missionary society (1843) and adopting organs and pianos, (the Disciples of Christ). The southern portion retained an otherworldly approach and claimed to be the one true church (the Church of Christ).
Restoration Movement groups go by the names of Church of Christ (using instrumental music, mostly in the west, associated with Midwest School of Evangelism in Ottumwa, Iowa), the Independent Christian Churches (the moderate middle of the spectrum, sometimes called the Christian Church, and sometimes called the Church of Christ, especially in Canada and Australia), and the liberal Disciples of Christ (currently discussing ordaining gay clergy, and active with the World Council of Churches) with headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. The O’Kelly movement of the Christian Church eventually joined the United Church of Christ (not identified with the Restoration Movement, but tracing history from the Mayflower Pilgrim Puritans). The southern portion of the Restoration Movement became the Churches of Christ, noninstrumental.
The most famous colleges associated with the Churches of Christ (who worship with a cappella singing) are: Abilene Christian University, Lubbuck Christian University, Harding University, Pepperdine University, Oklahoma Christian University, Freed-Hardeman University, David Lipscomb College, Faulkner University, York College and Rochester College. There are numerous two to four year colleges associated with the a cappella movement.
The noninstrumental or a cappella Churches of Christ split in the United States in the 1950s and ’60s over organization and money distribution. (Can a group of churches pool money to do a special ministry?) The smaller, noninstitutional churches use Florida College, Temple Terrace, Florida.
Until recently, the fastest growing wing of the Movement was the International Church of Christ, headquartered in Los Angeles.
Since the 1970s there has been a growing house church movement in the Churches of Christ, (see also here), many focusing on the doctrine of grace.
Currently the Churches of Christ are shrinking by 2% per year. The larger a cappella Churches of Christ are identifying with the wider evangelical movement (which often looked to Billy Graham for leadership), with a splinter group opting to remain hard-line sectarian (the one true church).
Click here to see what many believe are unbiblical doctrines in the stricter, hard-line Churches of Christ.
http://ex-churchofchrist.com/historyCoC.htm
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Jcb 541 70 telescopic handler service repair manual sn：1522566 to tba
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9-Jul-2018
Service Manual Side Engine Loadalls Section 1 - General Information Section 2 - Care and Safety Section 3 - Routine Maintenance Section B - Body and Framework…
Service Manual Side Engine Loadalls Section 1 - General Information Section 2 - Care and Safety Section 3 - Routine Maintenance Section B - Body and Framework Section C - Electrics Section E - Hydraulics Section F - Transmission Section G - Brakes Section H - Steering Section K - Engine Section M - Electronic Data SystemsPublication No.9813/0900-2World Class Customer Support Copyright Š 2004 JCB SERVICE. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission from JCB SERVICE. Issued by JCB Technical Publications, JCB Aftermarket Training, Woodseat, Rocester, Staffordshire, ST14 5BW, England. Tel +44 1889 591300 Fax +44 1889 591400Section 0 - Service ManualNotes:0-09813/0900-20-0Section 1 General Information Service Manual - Side Engine Loadalls Section 1 - General Information Section 2 - Care and Safety Section 3 - Routine Maintenance Section B - Body and Framework Section C - Electrics Section E - Hydraulics Section F - Transmission Section G - Brakes Section H - Steering Section K - Engine Section M - Electronic Data SystemsPublication No.9813/0900-2World Class Customer Support Copyright Š 2004 JCB SERVICE. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission from JCB SERVICE. Issued by JCB Technical Publications, JCB Aftermarket Training, Woodseat, Rocester, Staffordshire, ST14 5BW, England. Tel +44 1889 591300 Fax +44 1889 591400Section 1 - General InformationNotes:1-09813/0900-21-0Section 1 - General Information Contents Page No. Applications Introduction ............................................................................................. 1-1-1 Tables ..................................................................................................... 1-1-2 Use Introduction ............................................................................................. 1-2-1 Scope ..................................................................................................... 1-2-2 Format .................................................................................................... 1-2-3 Left and Right Sides ............................................................................... 1-2-4 Hydraulic Schematic Codes ................................................................... 1-2-5 Electrical Device Codes .......................................................................... 1-2-6 Machine Identification Introduction ............................................................................................. 1-3-1 Related Topics ........................................................................................ 1-3-2 Machine Identification Plate .................................................................... 1-3-3 Component Identification Plates ............................................................. 1-3-5 Torque Settings Introduction ............................................................................................. 1-4-1 Zinc Plated Fasteners and Dacromet Fasteners .................................... 1-4-2 Hydraulic Connections ............................................................................ 1-4-6 `Positional Type' Hydraulic Adaptors .................................................... 1-4-10 Service Tools Introduction ............................................................................................. 1-5-1 Numerical List ......................................................................................... 1-5-2 Tool Detail Reference ............................................................................. 1-5-5 Rivet Nuts ............................................................................................. 1-5-24 Slide Hammer Kit .................................................................................. 1-5-26 Service Consumables Introduction ............................................................................................. 1-6-1 Sealing and Retaining Compounds ........................................................ 1-6-2 Fuel Introduction ............................................................................................. 1-7-1 Related Topics ........................................................................................ 1-7-2 Acceptable and Unacceptable Fuels ...................................................... 1-7-3 Stall Speed Combinations Introduction ............................................................................................. 1-8-1 Related Topics ........................................................................................ 1-8-2 Specifications ......................................................................................... 1-8-31-i1-iSection 1 - General Information Contents1-iiPage No.1-iiSection 1-1 - General Information Applications IntroductionApplications Introduction This manual contains topics that relate to JCB Loadall machines in the 5A and 5T groups. There are several machine model codes in the family. Machine GroupModel CodeModel NameSerial Number range5AA531-701522574 to TBA5AB535-951522588 to TBA5AC536-601522577 to TBA5AD541-701522566 to TBA5AH533-1051522615 to TBA5AR536-701522577 to TBA5AS526-561448231 to TBA5AW550-801186000 to TBA5TA531-T701522570 to TBA5TB541-T701522566 to TBA5TC536-T601522577 to TBA5TD535-T951522569 to TBA5TE536-T701522577 to TBA5TW550-T801186000 to TBANote: This manual is applicable to EN15000 compliant machines only. Machine variants: There are different machine variants within the same model name. This happens because of market requirements, or when the machine specification changes after a period of time. Where applicable information is given to help identify which machine variant is applicable for the given specifications and procedures. Use the applications tables to see which topics relate to which machine models and variants. Where no variant information is given the topic is applicable to all machine models indicated on the table. Important: The machine model names are NOT referred to in the topics. You must refer to the applications tables for the applicable machine model. Table entries shaded grey indicate a topic not included in this issue of the manual. K Tables ( T 1-1-2) K Section 1 - General Information ( T 1-1-2) K Section 2 - Care and Safety ( T 1-1-2) K Section 3 - Routine Maintenance ( T 1-1-3) K Section B - Body and Framework ( T 1-1-4) K Section C - Electrics ( T 1-1-6) K Section E - Hydraulics ( T 1-1-7) K Section F - Transmission ( T 1-1-10) K Section G - Brakes ( T 1-1-12) K Section H - Steering ( T 1-1-13) K Section K - Engine ( T 1-1-14) K Section M - Electronic Data Systems ( T 1-1-15)1-1-19813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-11-1-2Machine IdentificationTorque SettingsService ToolsService ConsumablesFuel1-31-41-51-61-79813/0900-2 (1-14-05)TitleSafety NoticesGeneral ProceduresTopic Ref2-12-2Section 2 - Care and SafetyStall Speed CombinationsUse1-21-8TitleTopic RefSection 1 - General InformationVariantVariant531-70, 531-T70531-70, 531-T70Tables535-95, 535-T95536-60, 536-T60535-95, 536-60, 535-T95 536-T60533-105All MachinesAll Machines541-70, 541-T70Machine modelsAll MachinesAll MachinesAll MachinesAll MachinesAll MachinesAll MachinesAll Machines533-105Machine models 541-70, 541-T70526-56536-70, 526-56 536-T70536-70, 536-T70550-80550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables1-1-21-1-3TitleRoutine Maintenance (P1)Routine Maintenance (P2)Topic Ref3-13-2Section 3 - Routine MaintenanceVariant 535-95, 535-T95z531-70, 531-T70zz536-60, 536-T60z541-70, 541-T70z533-105Machine modelsz536-70, 536-T70z526-56z550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-31-1-4Fork CarriageCab Heating and Ventilation SYSTEMCab Air Conditioning SYSTEMLongitidinal Load Moment SYSTEM (S1)Longitidinal Load Moment SYSTEM (S2)CabAir Conditioning Condenser - Cooling Pack MountedAir Conditioning Condenser - Cab Roof MountedCab HV and HVAC UnitAir Conditioning Binary SwitchHeater ValveFuel TankChassis PanelsBoomHydraulic TankLoad Moment Indicator Axle TransducerStabilisersB1B2B3B4B5B6B7B8B9B10B11B12B13B14B15B16B17Topic Ref TitleSection B - Body and Framework9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)3 Stage2 StageParallel Gearpump Hydraulic System MachinesAgri XtraAgri, Agri Plus, Agri SuperVariantzz z z z z zzzz z z z zzzzz z533-105zzzz zz z536-70, 536-T70zz z z z z zzz z z z z zz zzz z z z zzz z z z z zMachines with intercooled enginesMachines with non intercooled engineszzzzzz zzz zz zzz zz zz z541-70, 541-T70zz zz z536-60, 536-T60z535-95, 535-T95531-70, 531-T70Machine modelsz zz z z z z zzzzz z526-56zz z z z z zzzzz z550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables1-1-41-1-5Longitidinal Load Moment Indicator UnitLongitidinal Load Moment Control SensorsB18B19Topic Ref TitleVariant535-95, 535-T95z z531-70, 531-T70z zz z536-60, 536-T60z z541-70, 541-T70z z533-105Machine modelsz z536-70, 536-T70z z526-56z z550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-51-1-6TitleFuses and RelaysSchematicsElectrical Harness SYSTEMBattery Charging SYSTEMAlternatorBatteryTopic RefC1C2C3C4C5C6Section C - ElectricsVariant 535-95, 535-T95z z z z z z531-70, 531-T70z z z z z zz z z zz z536-60, 536-T60z z z zz z541-70, 541-T70z z z zz z533-105Machine modelsz z z zz z z z z zz z536-70, 526-56 536-T70z z z zz z550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-61-1-7Parallel Control Valve 4 SectionParallel Control Valve 6 SectionLSP Electro Servo Control Valve (S1)LSP Electro Servo Control Valve (S2)LSP Electro Servo Control Valve (S3)Servo Pilot Pressure Supply Valve (S1) Agri XtraServo Pilot Pressure Supply Valve (S2) Agri, Agri Plus, Agri SuperServo Pilot Pressure Supply Valve (S3)E13E14E159813/0900-2 (1-14-05)E16E17E18E19Agri, Agri Plus, Agri SuperAgri XtraAgri, Agri Plus, Agri SuperE12Agri XtraVariable Hydraulic Cooling Fan Control SYSTEMSmooth Ride SYSTEM (SRS) - ParallelE7E11LSP Electro Servo SYSTEM (S4)E6Smooth Ride SYSTEM (SRS) Electro Servo (S3)LSP Electro Servo SYSTEM (S3)E5Agri, Agri Plus, Agri SuperE10LSP Electro Servo SYSTEM (S2)E4Agri XtraSmooth Ride SYSTEM (SRS) Electro Servo (S2)LSP Electro Servo SYSTEM (S1)E3E9Parallel Hydraulic SYSTEME2Smooth Ride SYSTEM (SRS) Electro Servo (S1)Systems and SchematicsE1VariantE8TitleTopic RefSection E - Hydraulicsz zz zzzzzzzzz zz zz zz zz zzzz zzz535-95, 536-60, 535-T95 536-T60z z531-70, 531-T70z zz zzzz zz zz z541-70, 541-T70zz z533-105Machine modelsz zz zzzz zz zz z536-70, 536-T70zzzz526-56zzzzzz550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables1-1-71-1-89813/0900-2 (1-14-05)Displacement RamSway RamStabiliser RamsRam MaintenanceSway/Fan Changeover ValveHydraulic Oil Cooler By-Pass SYSTEM Agri, Agri Plus, Agri Super, Agri XtraHydraulic Oil Cooler By-Pass ValveInternal Hydraulic Tank FilterE29E30E31E32E33E34E35E36Agri, Agri Plus, Agri Super, Agri XtraAgri, Agri Plus, Agri Super, Agri XtraTilt RamE28Agri, Agri Plus, Agri SuperAgri XtraLift RamsControl Lever - Electro Servo - Pod MountedE24Variable Speed FanE27Cooling Fan Motor (P2)E23Extension RamCooling Fan Motor (P1)E22125 l/min110 l/min80 l/min Triple Pump80 l/min Double PumpE26Main Pump - GearpumpE21Control Lever - Electro Servo - Cab MountedMain Pump - VariflowE20VariantE25TitleTopic Refz z z z zz zz z z z zz z z z z z z zzz zz z zzzzzz z z zzzzzz535-95, 536-60, 535-T95 536-T60zzzz z z z531-70, 531-T70zzz z zz z z z zzzzz z z z541-70, 541-T70z zz z z zzz533-105Machine modelszzz z zz z z z zzzzz z z z536-70, 536-T70zz z z zzz526-56zzz z zz z z z zzzz550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables1-1-8TitleAmbient Air Temperature SenderTopic RefE37Variant531-70, 531-T70535-95, 536-60, 535-T95 536-T60541-70, 541-T70533-105Machine models 536-70, 536-T70526-561-1-9 z550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-91-1-10SS700 Gearbox SYSTEMLock Up Torque Converter SYSTEMDual Control SYSTEM (S1)Dual Control SYSTEM (S2)Dual Control SYSTEM (S3)Shiftmaster ECUPS750 Mk IV GearboxPS760 GearboxSS700 GearboxBevel GearboxTorque ConverterF12F13F14F15F16F17F18F19F20F21PS750 Mk IV Gearbox SYSTEMF7F11Rear Axles (S2)F6PS766 Gearbox SYSTEM (ECU 2.3)Rear Axles (S1)F5F10Front Axles (S2)F4PS764 Gearbox SYSTEM (S2)Front Axles (S1)F3F9Wheels and TyresF2PS764 Gearbox SYSTEM (S1)ConfigurationF1F8TitleTopic RefSection F - Transmission9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)Agri, Agri Plus, Agri SuperPS766 SystemVariantzzz zz z zz zzz zz zz z zz zzz zzz zz zz535-95, 535-T95531-70, 531-T70z zz z zz zzz zzzz z536-60, 536-T60z zz z zz zzz zzzz z541-70, 541-T70z zzzzzz z533-105Machine modelsz zz z zz zzz zzzz z536-70, 536-T70z z zzzzzzzz z526-56z zzzzzzz z550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables1-1-10TitleTransmission Oil Cooler - Liquid to LiquidTransmission Oil Cooler - Air BlastPropshafts (S1)Propshafts (S2)Transmission Speed SensorEngine Speed SensorSpeedometerSS700 Cable ShiftTopic RefF22F23F24F25F26F27F28F29Variant1-1-11 z z zz531-70, 531-T70z z zz535-95, 535-T95541-70, 541-T70533-105536-70, 536-T70z z zz z z zz z z zz z z zzMachines with intercooled enginesMachine with non intercooled engines536-60, 536-T60Machine modelsz z z zz526-56z z z550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-111-1-12TitleSingle Axle Service Brakes SYSTEMPower Braking SYSTEMExternal Park Brake SYSTEMInternal Park Brake SYSTEMPark Brake CalliperPark Brake DiscPark Brake SwitchServo Exhauster UnitServo Unit - Single Axle BrakesMaster CylinderFluid ReservoirPower Brake ValvePower Brake AccumulatorPower Brake Charge ValveTopic RefG1G2G3G4G5G6G7G8G9G10G11G12G13G14Section G - BrakesPS750 and SS700 Gearbox SystemPS750 and SS700 Gearbox SystemPS760 Gearbox SystemsPS750 and SS700 Gearbox SystemVariantz z z z z z z z zz z z z z z z zzz z535-95, 535-T95531-70, 531-T70z z z z zzzzzz536-60, 536-T60z z z z zzzzzz541-70, 541-T70z z z z zzzzz533-105Machine modelsz z z z zzzzzz536-70, 536-T70z z z z zzzzz526-56z z zzzz550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-121-1-13Auto Steer Mode ValvePower Track Rod (P1)H7H11Priority ValveH6Manual Steer Mode ValveHydraulic Steering Unit (S2)H5H10Hydraulic Steering Unit (S1)H4Steering ColumnAuto Steer Mode SYSTEMH3H9Manual Steer Mode SYSTEMH2Power Track Rod (P2)Steering SYSTEMH1H8TitleTopic RefSection H - SteeringVariantz zz zz z zz z zz zz zz zz z535-95, 535-T95531-70, 531-T70z z zz zz zz z536-60, 536-T60z z zz zz zz zz z zz zz zz z541-70, 533-105 541-T70Machine modelsz z zz zz zz z536-70, 536-T70z z zz zz zz z526-56zz zz zzz550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-131-1-14TitleStop and Start SYSTEM (Mechanical F.I. Engines)Stop and Start SYSTEM (Electronic F.I. Engines) (S1)Stop and Start SYSTEM (Electronic F.I. Engines) (S2)Cold Start Heater SYSTEMStarter MotorCooling Pack - Non IntercooledCooling Pack - Intercooled (Mechanical F.I. Engines)Cooling Pack - Intercooled (Electronic F.I. Engines)Coolant Expansion TankAir Filter Vacuum SwitchThrottle Pedal and CableThrottle Position Sensor (TPS) (S1)Throttle Position Sensor (TPS) (S2)Exhaust SilencerJCB Dieselmax Engine (Mechanical F.I.)JCB Dieselmax Engine (Electronic F.I.)Topic RefK1K2K3K4K5K6K7K8K9K10K11K12K13K14K15K16Section K - Engine9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)Electronic F.I. engines from March 2011Electronic F.I. engines up to March 2011Mechanical F.I. enginesMechanical F.I. enginesVariantz z z z z z z z z z z zz z z z z z z z z z z zzzzzzz535-95, 535-T95531-70, 531-T70z z zzzz z zzzzzzz536-60, 536-T60z z zzzz z zzz zzzzz541-70, 541-T70z zz z zz zzzz533-105Machine modelsz z zzzz z zzz zzzzz536-70, 536-T70z zz z zz zzzz526-56zzz zzzz550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables1-1-141-1-15Servicemaster SYSTEMServicemaster ToolsElectronic Control Unit TheoryPulse Width Modulation TheoryM4M5M6M7Machine Control ECU (S2)Fault Code SYSTEMM3M9Loadall Monitoring SYSTEMM2Machine Control ECU (S1)CANbus SYSTEMM1M8TitleTopic RefSection M - Electronic Data SystemsAgri, Agri Plus, Agri SuperVariant535-95, 535-T95z z z z z z z z531-70, 531-T70z z z z z z z zzz z z z z z z536-60, 536-T60zz z z z z z zz z z z z533-105Machine models 541-70, 541-T70zz z z z z z z536-70, 536-T70zz z z z z z z526-56zz z z z z550-80Section 1-1 - General Information Applications Tables9813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-15Section 1-1 - General Information Applications TablesPage left intentionally blank1-1-169813/0900-2 (1-14-05)1-1-16Section 1-2 - General InformationUse Introduction This topic contains information about the structure of the manual and how to use the manual.K Scope ( T 1-2-2) K Personnel ( T 1-2-2) K Applications ( T 1-2-2) K Newest Data ( T 1-2-2) K Format ( T 1-2-3) K Left and Right Sides ( T 1-2-4) K Hydraulic Schematic Codes ( T 1-2-5) K Colour Codes ( T 1-2-5) K Electrical Device Codes ( T 1-2-6)1-2-19813/0900-2 (1-01-00)1-2-1Section 1-2 - General Information Use ScopeScope Personnel This publication is designed for the benefit of JCB Distributor Service Engineers who are receiving, or have received, training by JCB Technical Training Department. These personnel should have a sound knowledge of workshop practice, safety procedures, and general techniques associated with the maintenance and repair of hydraulic earthmoving equipment. Finally, please remember above all else SAFETY MUST COME FIRST!Applications This manual contains data relevant to a range of machines. Make sure you reference the data for the correct machine. K Applications ( T 1-1-1)Newest Data From time to time new machines, systems or devices require the manual to be re-issued. Make sure you have the newest issue. Always check the on-line JCB data system for relevant technical information.1-2-29813/0900-2 (1-01-00)1-2-2Section 1-2 - General Information Use FormatFormat The manual is compiled in sections, the first three are numbered and contain information as follows: 1General Information - Use the Applications Tables at the front of the section to see which topic in the manual is applicable to which machine model. The section also includes general information such as torque settings and service tools.2Care & Safety - includes warnings, cautions and general procedures related to aspects of workshop procedures contained in the manual.3Routine Maintenance - includes service schedules and recommended lubricants for all the machine.The remaining sections are alphabetically coded and deal with dismantling, overhaul etc. of specific components, for example: AAttachmentsBBody and Framework...etc.The sections contain topics. Each topic is a self contained set of data about a machine SYSTEM or Device. Some topics are only applicable to some machine models. Use the Applications Tables in this section to see which topic is applicable to which machine model. Each topic contains data such as specifications, descriptions, fault finding and test procedures. Device topics also contain removal, replacement, dismantle and assemble procedures. Some topics contain procedures and specifications for different variants. This happens because of market requirements, or when the machine specification changes after a period of time. Where applicable, a table in the introduction of each topic contains information to help you identify the correct specifications or procedures. Each topic also contains a Related Topics table. This table lists all the topics that contain related data. For example a hydraulic SYSTEM contains devices such as valves and pumps. These devices have their own topics and they are listed in the SYSTEM related topics table.1-2-39813/0900-2 (1-01-00)1-2-
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Holding Myanmar accountable for acts of genocide is just the start of a long process of justice for the Rohingya by Lize Swartz
Public hearings are currently underway at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where Myanmar stands accused of committing genocide against the Rohingya minority after violent crackdowns since 2012 left thousands dead and forced more than one million Rohingya to flee the country. This follows shortly after the Minister of Justice of The Gambia at the International Conclave on Justice and Accountability for Rohingya held at the ISS in October declared that what has transpired in Myanmar over the past years must be named genocide and that The Gambia would lead efforts to hold the Myanmar state accountable through international legal mechanisms. However, this is just the first of several steps to ensure justice for the Rohingya—the human side of what has become a ‘refugee crisis’ needs to be acknowledged, writes Lize Swartz.
The desire to hold perpetrators accountable for crimes committed against the Rohingya[1], to improve the living conditions and well-being of Rohingya refugees[2], and to ensure their eventual safe return to Myanmar was unanimously expressed at the recent International Conclave on Justice and Accountability for Rohingya. At the conclave, a number of high-level dignitaries and specialists working on justice for the Rohingya at both the international and local level came together at the ISS in October this year to discuss key short-, medium- and long-term objectives in ensuring the eventual safe return of the Rohingya to Myanmar and ways in which to reach them.
His Excellency Abubacarr Marie Tambedou, Minister of Justice of The Gambia, at the conclave declared to a sizeable audience that The Gambia would lead the process of holding the Myanmar state accountable—a declaration that was enthusiastically welcomed by attendees as an important first step in ensuring justice for the Rohingya. The Gambia accordingly instituted proceedings [3] against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice, the principal judiciary organ of the United Nations, in November this year. Laetitia van den Assum, an independent diplomatic expert who was previously part of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State and who also attended the conclave[4], told a Dutch news website that The Gambia had launched the application because the UN Security Council due to resistance from Russia and China had not undertaken any action in this regard over the past few years.
While the declaration of genocide and the filing of the recent application are steps in the right direction, the complexity of processes of ensuring justice and accountability have not been sufficiently recognized at the conclave, where discussions focused on holding perpetrators accountable and returning Rohingya refugees to Myanmar under safe conditions. Bangladesh, who has assumed a leadership role in housing Rohingya refugees, was praised at the conclave for its hospitality, while representatives of Bangladesh highlighted the difficulties of housing almost a million refugees.
The discussions made me wonder whether the humanity of the Rohingya is sufficiently recognized by those working on ensuring justice for them. In particular, the Rohingya genocide has become a ‘refugee crisis’, gaining increasing attention due to the sheer numbers of refugees residing in host countries. This is transpiring while the Rohingya in fact have been victims of policies of exclusion and direct violence within Myanmar for over forty years. It seems that it is only now that the issue is receiving attention—but perhaps for the wrong reasons.
At the conclave, it became clear that the Rohingya were seen as temporary residents hosted by benevolent neighbouring countries. However, it became evident during the conclave that repatriation is not straightforward, as changes in national policies, laws and leadership in Myanmar are crucial for the creation of conditions of safety and security as a sustainable solution to the long-term crisis. Conference attendees agreed that without such conditions, the cycle of violence and exclusion is likely to repeat itself as it has done before.
While the proceedings against Myanmar at the ICJ are a first step, host countries and the international community all have to come to terms with the fact that the process of ensuring justice could span several decades and that ongoing collaborative effort is required for the entire duration of the process. It is important to recognize the human side of the ‘refugee crisis’ and to ensure that besides holding perpetrators accountable through formal international legal mechanisms, the well-being of the Rohingya should be prioritized now—whether they are temporary or permanent residents of host countries. The following things should be kept in mind:
Bangladesh and other host countries are now the Rohingya’s home, and they may remain so for many years to come.
When humans settle somewhere, they grow new roots that anchor them to a place. The international community may not want to recognize that the Rohingya has already grown roots in host countries and that they will continue to do so until their return to Myanmar, if they choose to return. It is crucial for host countries to accept that the Rohingya might not be going anywhere anytime soon and that their integration into host communities is crucial, whether temporarily or permanently. Host countries have already been generous in providing resources and a safe space for the Rohingya, but they now needs to direct their gaze towards the social dimensions of well-being among the Rohingya, including the creation of a sense of belonging and the creation of education and employment opportunities by doing the opposite that the Myanmar state has done—by acknowledging the Rohingya minority as part of their society and accepting them despite their origin or citizenship status. At the conclave it became clear that the lack of access to education was one of the most pressing problems facing the Rohingya.
The Rohingya should acquire an understanding of the process of change, not only in repatriation, but also in holding the perpetrators responsible.
Importantly, the Rohingya also need to understand that their return to Myanmar, even though desired by some of them, may not take place in the coming year or years, which will help them make long-term decisions about where they could settle. CSOs and local grassroots actors working with Rohingya on the ground can play a crucial role in helping the Rohingya understand why the cogs are turning slowly and why their return to Myanmar is being delayed. In addition, information on the proceedings and outcome of pending ICJ or ICC cases will play an important role in the Rohingya’s gauging of the level of safety and security of Myanmar and, therefore, in their willingness to return to Myanmar when it is possible.
The process of justice and accountability does not end when the Rohingya return to Myanmar – it only begins then.
The long-term objective of helping the Rohingya deal with trauma should be highlighted; this shows dedication to the cause of the Rohingya and not just to addressing the immediate refugee crisis. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was discussed at the conclave, is effective not only in gathering evidence of crimes against humanity, but also in helping victims of crimes against humanity deal with trauma. The wounds that have been created over the last forty years will not heal instantly, but they can heal more effectively with the creation and efficient functioning of such mechanisms and institutions that facilitate dialogue and interaction among all ethnic groups in Myanmar.
[1] Following violent crackdowns on the Rohingya starting in 2012, more than one million Rohingya have fled Myanmar, many to neighbouring country Bangladesh.
[2] At present, Cox’s Bazar near the Bangladesh-Myanmar border houses more than 700,000 Rohingya refugees in what has become a massive slum.
[3] According to ICJ Press Release No. 2019/47, available at https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/178, The Gambia alleged “violations of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (the ‘Genocide Convention’) through ‘acts adopted, taken and condoned by the Government of Myanmar against members of the Rohingya group’ ”.
Image Credit: Zlatica Hoke on Wikimedia
Lize Swartz is a PhD researcher at the ISS working on the intersection of sustainability and climate crises and the influence of power on understandings of and responses to such crises. She was a conference reporter at the International Conclave on Justice and Accountability for Rohingya.
Previous EADI/ISS Series | Limits to learning: when climate action contributes to social conflict
Next Death and torture in the Life Esidimeni cases in South Africa: avenues for accountability by Meryl du Plessis
Xjdjd says:
I would contextualize this within the broader context of Myanmar not recognizing any of the 135 ethnicities stipulated by the Military Constitution, including Chinese, Indian and others.
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This week in honor of the 35th anniversary of "Careless Whisper", George Micheal's official YouTube account released a video of him performing the hit song from his concert back in 2008.
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Lack of paediatric specific devices ‰ÛÏa glaring unmet need‰Û
There is a compelling case for the medical community, including the device industry, to develop specific devices that are appropriate for paediatric patients. Paediatric interventional radiologists often have to “make do” and be creative in order to treat children whilst using devices that are designed for and tested on adults only. The need for appropriate devices for the paediatric population ranges from the common and simple, such as long-term feeding tubes and vascular access devices, to the expensive and biomechanically complex, such as bioabsorbable stent-grafts, say opinion leaders in the field.
There are many factors that make it difficult to tailor devices to paediatric patients (who range from neonates to teenagers) and who need devices that remain suitable and effective as the patients grow. Still, paediatric interventional radiologists see a real need for children-specific kits and are calling for incentives within the medical device industry to help drive testing and modifications for children, in order to improve patient care.
Alex Barnacle, consultant interventional radiologist, Department of Radiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK, told Interventional News: “There are almost no paediatric-specific interventional radiology devices available, other than intravenous access devices. There is a modified paediatric version of a transjugular liver biopsy set available, which is still too large for use in small children, and a paediatric transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) set, but otherwise most devices are only available in adult sizes.”
Daniel Sze, professor, Interventional Radiology with his colleagues Matthew Lungren, assistant professor and F Glen Seidel, clinical professor from the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University, Stanford, USA, said, “There are very few devices specifically tailored for children, and this is a glaring unmet need for paediatric interventional radiology. However, there has been significant movement in the interventional marketplace to optimise intravascular devices for smaller and smaller size vessels as the demand increases in the adult interventional marketplace (ie. below the knee and retrograde revascularisation procedures, radial artery access); in fact, some basic interventional tools are already maximally miniaturised (needles, wires, microcatheters). For the most part, however, adult devices continue to be the only available devices for use in children, leaving few, if any, paediatric specific device options.
Carlos J Guevara, Instructor of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, USA, echoes their views. “Most devices are made for adult patients and therefore in many circumstances we have to get creative and use whatever tools we have available to us. I do not think there are enough adequate interventional radiology devices for use in paediatric patients and that includes common devices such as central vein catheters as well as more advanced devices such as transjugular biopsy needles and thrombolysis catheters,” he said.
Most needed devices
While there are several different types of devices that need to be tailored to provide better care for paediatric patients, some of the most apparent ones include devices for central vein access, transvenous biopsy, enteral access, fluid drainage, and endovascular procedures.
“One of the biggest challenges is finding suitable long-term feeding tubes for small children. The small calibre gastrojejunal tubes needed in young children are simply not available, and this means that small children have to either continue to have uncomfortable nasojejunal tubes for several years or we have to place large calibre 16Fr feeding devices, which are really unsuitable for children who are only a few kilograms in weight,” Barnacle pointed out.
In Guevara’s view, “Two of the most common procedures done in paediatric patients are central line placement for venous access and drain placement for abscesses. Most of the catheters are designed for adult patients and the lines or catheters have to be positioned and covered so that they are not at risk from being pulled out inadvertently by children. In some instances there is a lot of redundancy of the device outside of the body which makes it difficult for the patient, the family, and the healthcare workers who have to work with the catheters.”
Sze and colleagues also make the case for low dose (high quality) fluoroscopy. “Dose awareness has reached a peak in other modalities such as CT, but still lags somewhat in the interventional fluoroscopic suite. There are major advances on the horizon by the major manufacturers, who are close to achieving clinically advanced low-dose fluoroscopy and digital subtraction angiography without compromising image quality.
“For devices, one major area that the community hopes to see movement in is bioabsorbable medical device platforms, such as vascular stents. Other areas that need more attention include vascular access devices such as peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) and gastrostomy and gastrojejunal tubes. For vascular procedures, lower profile angiographic catheters of similar shapes and performance as adult models are needed,” they outlined.
Difficult patients
Paediatric interventionalists expound that there are both inherent and external challenges to paediatric devices—for example, the biology of growing bodies is a taxing environment for permanent implantable devices. In addition, available data in adult patients may not accurately predict outcomes in children. From a technical point of view, it is their small size that can be a challenge. “The bodies of paediatric patients can be quite small and it can be challenging to adapt to carrying out a procedure in children for this reason. For example, some veins in children can be just a few millimetres wide and it can be difficult to get access. Also, since most of the equipment and devices are made for adults, this can add to the complexity of making these work when you have a small patient. For instance, when you have equipment that is designed for use in large adults (such as enteral access kits to place gastrostomy and gastrojejunostomy tubes), it is quite challenging to then use this same equipment for children,” said Guevara.
Another aspect to be considered is the type of anaesthesia needed to carry out interventional radiology procedures in children. “Most interventional radiology procedures in adults are done using moderate sedation, and that is not possible for most paediatric patients. Anaesthesia collaboration is necessary, which adds another layer of complexity,” he continued.
Barnacle agreed: “Many children are frightened when they come into hospital and can be uncooperative because of fear or because of their limited level of understanding of what is happening to them. So paediatric units have to have far more capacity for sedation and general anaesthesia cases, and this is not always easy to achieve.
Sze and colleagues point out that “With very few exceptions, paediatric patients require dedicated specialty care, not simply for the procedure alone, but for the entire care experience; this often translates into more clinic visits and family meetings, tailored patient experiences for the children with dedicated paediatric or child-life specialty ancillary or support staff, paediatric trained sedation or anaesthesia practitioners, and availability of paediatric specific subspecialty services such as intensive care units, surgery, etc.
“In terms of the procedure itself, because the cases often require general anaesthesia, communication with patients during the procedure is not possible, and depending on the age, can be difficult or impossible before and after procedures. Small body sizes render much of our existing equipment disproportionate, clumsy, or even useless. Limitations on intravascular contrast and radiation exposure can restrict or severely limit which procedures can be performed.
“Finally, the disease processes in children are generally very different from those in adults. This compounds the issues already mentioned and makes many adult interventionalists very uncomfortable treating paediatric patients, even if the interventional techniques themselves are used routinely in adults. Formal training in paediatric interventional radiology, including sub-subspecialty fellowships, is becoming more recognised and available, but is currently still quite limited,” they stated.
Improvisation can make for better care
Interventional radiology is characterised by its inventiveness and paediatric interventional radiologists are sometimes forced to apply this to their daily work in order to optimise devices for their patients.
Sze and colleagues maintain that there is often improvisation needed in paediatric interventions, mainly in intravascular procedures. “Cutting wires and catheters to length (with additional modifications on the table) is often needed, particularly in infants. Transjugular liver biopsies can be performed in infants with improvised percutaneous biopsy tools. Occasionally, cases are delayed or not feasible because of the lack of appropriately sized devices, which can sometimes be specially ordered or custom constructed, such as stent-grafts, but the FDA and local Institutional Review Boards may discourage improvisation that is perceived as risky,” they explained.
Sometimes paediatric interventionalists use miniaturised devices for other indications in order to proceed with the procedure. “Renovascular hypertension is pretty rare in children but we have a relatively large cohort of patients in our centre. We commonly use 2.5–4mm coronary artery stents to treat their renal artery stenosis, as standard stents are too large for paediatric cases,” Barnacle illustrated.
Guevara draws attention to liver biopsy patients who are at a high risk of bleeding, or ascites that require that the biopsy be obtained via a transjugular approach. “All the kits that are being manufactured are made for adults. If the patient is an infant, then these kits are too large. However in order to minimise the risk of bleeding, we sometimes have to use these large transjugular liver biopsy kits in small patients and be very careful not to injure the veins or to obtain a liver biopsy sample that traverses the liver out of the capsule,” he noted.
In May 2014, the US FDA released a guidance document stating that companies applying for premarket approval should also provide paediatric device use information. The document stated: “Section 515A requires submitters to FDA of premarket approval applications (PMAs), supplements to PMAs, humanitarian device exemptions), and product development protocols for new devices to include readily available information about paediatric subpopulations that suffer from a disease or condition that the device is intended to treat, diagnose, or cure.” The purpose of seeking this information, the US FDA said, was ultimately “to use these data to determine unmet paediatric needs in medical device development. Once unmet needs are identified, the FDA will be better able to coordinate efforts of stakeholders, device manufacturers and FDA staff to promote new device development and proper labelling of existing medical devices for paediatric use.”
“Medical technologies save lives, improve health and contribute to sustainable healthcare. Many of these products bring value to adults as well as children and newborns. In some cases, however, specific modified versions of the technology are developed to improve treatment outcomes or reduce adverse events. These range from diagnostic HIV-tests for foetuses over tracheostomy tubes for infants, to child-friendly blood-glucose meters. The medtech industry will continue to develop paediatric and child-friendly technologies in those scenarios where we can bring more value to patients in doing so,” noted MedTech Europe, an alliance of European medical technology industry associations European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association (EDMA) and Eucomed in a statement to Interventional News.
Sze and colleagues point out that the paediatric device market is very small. “Despite the fact that 25% of the US population is under 18 years of age, only about 5% of the overall healthcare expenses are applied to paediatric medical care. There is a developing consortium of interventionalists lobbying the governmental funding agencies and the device industry to invest in paediatric interventional tool development. Funding and profits are currently scant or nonexistent. We need to find a way to incentivise the development and manufacture of devices tailored for children. One possible strategy would be for the large children’s hospitals to collaborate around key needs for paediatric medical device development and research, so as to be able to reach the economies of scale needed to move the industry and the field forward.
“The FDA has been a significant barrier to new device development in general, and the small size of the paediatric market makes it nearly impossible to recoup the investments required to bring new devices to market in this space. However, this is beginning to change since the FDA has begun to address the concern of a lack of innovation in paediatrics by instituting a Pediatric Consortia Grant Program, whose goals are “to support the development of nonprofit consortia designed to stimulate projects which will promote paediatric device development.” Additionally, the FDA has removed the profit prohibition for humanitarian device exemption (HDE) devices used to treat children, which may incentivise ventures into this space,” they noted.
Barnacle concurs. “We should be taking our lead from the pharmaceutical industry, where there are often incentives for companies to extend trials into paediatric age groups. The same incentives do not seem to exist for devices, so most devices are not tested or modified for use in children,” she said.
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Home » IPPSR » Affiliated Faculty
Soren Anderson
Soren Anderson is an Associate Professor of Economics and Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University. He studies a range of issues in energy and environmental economics, with a focus on markets for automobiles and the fuels they use, including oil, gasoline, and biofuels. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in economics from Macalester College. His research has been published in the American Economic Review, Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, and Journal of Industrial Economics. He is appointed as a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and he serves on the Editorial Board at the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management. He previously served as a visiting researcher at the Energy Institute at Haas at UC Berkeley, as a staff economist with the White House Council of Economic Advisers, and as a research assistant at Resources for the Future.
Steven G. Anderson
Steven G. Anderson is the Director of the MSU School of Social Work. He holds Doctorate and Master of political science degrees from the University of Michigan and a Master and Bachelor degrees in Social Work from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His interests include low-income families' access to social benefits, policy and program strategies that improve access to such benefits as well as assessment of poverty-related program development strategies in the US and internationally. His teaching focuses on social program development and social welfare policy. He is a board member of the National Association of Deans and Directors. He was a Fulbright Scholar to China in 2010 and serves as a reviewer for Fulbright Scholar applicants.
David Arsen
David Arsen is a professor of Education Policy and K-12 Educational Administration in the School of Education at MSU. He is an economist with specialization in public policy analysis, and this intersection of policy makes him a school finance specialist. His research focuses on school finance, school choice policies, education governance, school capital facilities and the privatization of education services. He has studied the Education Achievement Authority, which was an attempt at overhauling Michigan’s most troubled schools. Some of his recent work addresses emergency school district management and budget shortfalls in Michigan’s Public Schools. His work has been cited by both WKAR and the Detroit Free Press.
Mark Axelrod
Mark Axelrod holds a joint appointment in James Madison College and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. His teaching and research interests center around the negotiation and implementation of international law, with a particular focus on environmental agreements. He co-facilitated a 2011 workshop on conservation options for Malawian educators, government officials, industry and NGO participants. His current research centers around two dynamics. First, one area of research addresses statistical tests of institutional change and the conditions under which Regional Fisheries Management Organizations address climate change. Second, other research assesses how international resource governance rules affect local ecological, livelihood, and equity outcomes- particularly in India. Recent work is published or forthcoming in The Journal of Environment & Development, Environmental Policy & Governance, and the European Journal of International Relations. Beyond MSU, Mark is active with the International Studies Association Environmental Studies Section, the United Planet Faith & Science Initiative, and the program on “Legal Preparedness for Achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets” supported by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity and International Development Law Organization.
Valentina Bali
Valentina Bali is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University. Bali joined the MSU faculty in 2001. She received her Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 2001. Bali's research interests focus on policy processes, state politics, education policy, representation, electoral behavior, and quantitative methods. In the area of state politics and policy her current projects explore states' reactions to recent federal mandates affecting personal identification, and the evolution of statewide student information systems. In the area of electoral behavior she examines the relationships between terrorist activity and government approval. Recently she has taught graduate courses in quantitative methods and policy processes, masters level courses in quantitative methods, and undergraduate courses in education policy.
Charles Ballard
Charles Ballard has been on the Economics faculty at Michigan State University since 1983, when he received his Ph.D. from Stanford University. In 2007, he became Director of the State of the State Survey, in MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. Also in 2007, he won the Outstanding Teacher Award in MSU’s College of Social Science. In 2011, he joined the Board of Directors of the Michigan League for Public Policy. He has served as a consultant with the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Health & Human Services, and Treasury, and with research institutes in Australia, Denmark, and Finland. His books include Michigan at the Millennium and Michigan’s Economic Future.
Johannes M. Bauer is the Chairperson of the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University (MSU). He is trained as an engineer and social scientist with MA and PhD degrees from the Vienna University of Economics and Business, Austria. Since he joined MSU in 1990, he held several extended visiting professorships, including at the Technical University of Delft, Netherlands (2000-2001), the University of Konstanz, Germany (Summer 2010), and most recently the University of Zurich, Switzerland (2012). His research covers a wide range of issues related to digital entrepreneurship, innovation in information and communication technology (ICT)industries, business models of national and global players, as well as the challenges of harnessing next-generation ICTs for society. Dr. Bauer is a frequent speaker at international conferences and has served as an advisor to public and private sector organizations in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. His most recent book, the Handbook on the Economics of the Internet (co-edited with Professor Michael Latzer at the University of Zurich), was published in 2016 by Edward Elgar.
Daniel Bergan
Daniel Bergan studies public opinion, advocacy campaigns, and voter mobilization. He has used field experimental designs to test the impact of citizen contacts to legislators concerning public policies. His research has shown that for some issues, contacts from constituents have a large impact on legislative voting. He is currently researching the impact of stereotypes on perceptions of public opinion and interpersonal communication. He is also exploring the impact of knowledge on political polarization in the public. His academic publications have appeared in Public Opinion Quarterly, Political Behavior, and the Journal of Communication, among other journals / Address: 479 Communication Arts & Sciences Building, East Lansing, MI 48824 / Email: bergan@msu.edu
Kristi Bowman is a Professor of Law and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the College of Law at Michigan State University. Dean Bowman’s expertise of education law issues includes public schools in fiscal crisis, students' free speech rights, racial/ethnic equality in education, and religion in public schools. She is the founder and editor of the SSRN Education Law Abstracting Journal. Dean Bowman is a co-author of the 5th edition of a leading textbook in the field, Educational Policy and the Law (2012), editor of Pursuing Racial and Ethnic Equality in American Public Schools: Mendez, Brown, and Beyond (2015), and author of a textbook written for non-American education law scholars and practitioners, An Introduction to Constitutional Rights to and in Education in the United States (forthcoming 2016). She also is a faculty affiliate of the Education Policy Center at the Michigan State University College of Education. Prior to joining MSU’s Law College faculty in 2007, she practiced at Franczek Sullivan, P.C. (now Franczek Radelet), in Chicago, where she represented school districts, and clerked on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. During law school she worked at the United States Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights. In 2001, Dean Bowman graduated magna cum laude from the Duke University Law School and simultaneously received her M.A. in Humanities from Duke University.
Holly Brophy-Herb
Holly Brophy-Herb studies how: 1) parents/teachers socialize very young children's emotions; 2) emotions socialization practices vary according to characteristics such as family climate, culture, and adults’ reflective capacity; and, 3) emotion socialization practices relate to early social-emotional development. Dr. Brophy-Herb also studies how child/family processes relate to obesity. Her work informs the development of intervention and training models in family and childcare contexts. Her Building Early Emotion Skills curriculum with MSU Extension has garnered national attention. Dr. Brophy-Herb is Associate Editor, Infant Mental Health Journal, a recipient of Extension’s Key Partner award, and co-founder of the Michigan Infant-Toddler Research Exchange. Her work, funded by the USDA and the US Administration for Children and Families, reflects collaborations with MSU colleagues, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, Early Head Start/Head Start, and families. Her areas of interest include parenting and emotion socialization, self-regulation and emotion regulation, early intervention and prevention. infant mental health, reflective functioning and obesity risk
Dr. Rebecca Campbell is a professor of Community Psychology and Program Evaluation at MSU. Her research focuses on how legal, medical, and mental systems respond to the needs of rape survivors. Dr. Campbell is an expert in sexual assault research, violence against women, psychology of women, and sexual assault resource analysis for medical forensic exams. She is a member of the Research Consortium on Gender-Based Violence at MSU. From 2011-2013 she was the principal investigator on a grant from the National Institute of Justice for the Implementation of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner programs, community based interventions designed to provide comprehensive post-assault services to pediatric and adult victims of sexual assault. She won the 2002 Emerging Leader Award from the Committee on Women in Psychology of the American Psychological Association. She has been active in the anti-violence social movement since 1989 and has spent over 10 years working as a volunteer rape victim advocate in hospital emergency departments.
Dustin Carnahan
Dustin Carnahan is Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. He studies political communication with an emphasis on how communication processes - specifically mass media - influence public opinion and political behavior.
David L. Carter
David L. Carter is a Professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Director of the Intelligence Program. His expertise is in the areas of policing issues, violent crime control, law enforcement intelligence and homicide investigation. A former Kansas City, Missouri police officer, Dr. Carter was Chairman of the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley nine years prior to his appointment at Michigan State in 1985. He has served as a trainer, consultant, and adviser to many law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia on various law enforcement issues. In addition, he has presented training sessions at the FBI National Academy, the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS), the International Law Enforcement Academy in Budapest, Hungary; the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute (UNAFEI) in Tokyo; special programs for the Royal Thai Police, Hong Kong Police, the British Police Staff College at Bramshill, several British Police Constabularies and police “command colleges” of several states. He also served at the FBI Academy’s Behavioral Sciences Unit, the first academic faculty exchange with the Bureau. Dr. Carter is an Instructor in the Bureau of Justice Assistance SLATT program, author of the COPS-funded publication, Law Enforcement Intelligence: A Guide for State, Local and Tribal Law Enforcement; served as Project Director for three multi-million dollar national intelligence training programs funded by the Department of Homeland Security and co-Project Director of a National Institute of Justice grants to do a nationwide study on best practices and efficacy of law enforcement intelligence initiatives. Recently, Dr. Carter served as Team Leader for the Justice Department's Assessment of the Police Response in Ferguson, Missouri. He also served as Team Leader of two Department of Justice assessments of the Homicide Units at the New Orleans Police Department and Puerto Rico Police Department. He is an Academic Fellow of the Foundation for Defending Democracies where he studied terrorism in Israel. He is the author or co-author of five books and numerous articles and monographs on policing issues and is a member of the Editorial Boards of various professional publications. Dr. Carter is also a member of the Justice Department’s Global Intelligence Working Group Training Committee and Privacy Committee. Among the awards he has received, are the University Distinguished Alumni Award from Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, Texas and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws awarded from the University of Central Missouri.
Kaston Anderson-Carpenter
Dr. Kaston Anderson-Carpenter is an Assistant Professor of Ecological-Community Psychology at MSU. He is also a core faculty member in the MSU Consortium for Multicultural Psychology Research. He earned his Ph.D. in behavioral psychology from The University of Kansas. His research focuses on how social determinants impact health disparities in underserved communities. His work examines health disparities from an ecological perspective, including the impact of social policies at the local, state, and federal level on health and well-being for marginalized populations. Since 2010, Dr. Anderson-Carpenter has worked with local and state policy makers in areas including substance abuse and injury prevention. Dr. Anderson-Carpenter’s work has been published in several journals, addressing socially significant conditions in a variety of contexts. He is also the 2015 recipient of the G. Alan Marlatt Award for distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions by the Society of Addiction Psychology (APA Division 50).
Caitlin Cavanagh
Dr. Caitlin Cavanagh, a developmental psychologist, is an assistant professor of Criminal Justice and an adjunct professor of Ecological-Community Psychology at Michigan State University. After completing her B.A. in Psychology at the University of Rochester, Dr. Cavanagh worked in the European Union Parliament. Through this experience, she learned first-hand how high-quality social science research can affect public policy. As a result, she shifted her interest in studying adolescent development broadly to producing policy-applicable research to help youth and their families interact with the law. in 2016, she received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at UC Irvine, with specializations in Psychology and Law and Quantitative Methods. Broadly, Dr. Cavanagh's research focuses on the intersections of psychology, social policy, and criminology to explain how social contexts shape adolescent behavior. Specifically, her research team focuses on three interrelated concerns: (1) the dynamic, reciprocal relation between adolescent development and contact with the juvenile justice system; (2) how youth develop attitudes about the law; and (3) ways that law and policy can better support families whose children come into contact with the justice system. Her goal is to use developmentally-sound research to improve how the juvenile justice system interfaces with children and families. Learn more about her current research at https://www.theadjustlab.com/.
William Chopik
Dr. William Chopik is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Michigan State University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in Personality and Social Contexts. Dr. Chopik’s primary research focuses on how relationships—and the people in them—change over time. He takes a broad methodological approach to answering this question, examining factors both inside (biological, hormonal) and outside (social roles, geography) of people influence their approach to social relationships. Some of his recent work includes co-authored pieces in Encyclopedia of Adulthood and Aging entitled “Adult Attachment” and “Attachment Processes” in Wiley Encyclopedia of Health Psychology. From a policy perspective, Dr. Chopik is interested in cultural and generational change and how these changes affect how we interact with others. His other interests include close relationships, physical health and biological functioning, and lifespan development.
Lisa Cook
Dr. Lisa D. Cook is an Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and in International Relations (James Madison College) at Michigan State University. Dr. Cook earned a Ph.D. in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Her current research interests are economic growth and development, financial institutions and markets, innovation, and economic history. During the 2011-2012 academic year, she served as Senior Economist at the President’s Council of Economic Advisors. While at Harvard University, Dr. Cook was Deputy Director for Africa Research. She has advised the governments of Nigeria and Rwanda on economic policy, and she was Senior Adviser on Finance and Development at the Treasury Department from 2000 to 2001. From November 2008 to January 2009, Dr. Cook was on the Obama Presidential Transition Team. Dr. Cook has held positions or conducted postdoctoral research at the National Bureau of Economic Research, the Federal Reserve Banks of New York and Philadelphia, the World Bank, the Brookings Institution, the Hoover Institution, Citigroup, and Bank of America. She was the first Marshall Scholar from Spelman College, as well as a Truman Scholar from Georgia. She speaks English, French, Russian, Spanish, and Wolof.
Shelia Cotten
Shelia R. Cotten is a Professor in the Department of Media and Information at Michigan State University. She studies technology use across the life course and the social, educational, and health impacts of that use. She conducts large-scale community based intervention studies designed to use technology to enhance various aspects of quality of life. Dr. Cotten has studied the largest dissemination of One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO laptops in the United States. She is currently finishing up a randomized controlled trial designed to enhance quality of life among older adults through the use of technology training. Her work is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. She is the past Chair of the Communication and Information Technologies Section of the American Sociological Association (CITASA) and the 2013 recipient of the Public Sociology Award from the CITASA section of the American Sociological Association. Dr. Cotten enjoys teaching courses on the social impacts of technology, survey research, and research methods. Prior to joining MSU, Dr. Cotten was a Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.
Joshua Cowen
Joshua Cowen is an associate professor of education policy in the College of Education at Michigan State University. Prior to joining MSU he was an assistant professor of public policy at the University of Kentucky. His research interests include teacher quality, student and teacher mobility, school choice, accountability, program evaluation and the implementation of education policy. His work has been published in the American Educational Research Journal, Economics of Education Review, Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, Education Finance and Policy, Educational Researcher, the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management,Sociology of Education and Teachers College Record, among other outlets. He has also received or have been awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Education, the Spencer Foundation, the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, Smith Richardson Foundation, the Walton Family Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation. From July 2014 to July 2015 he served as Associate Editor of Education Finance and Policy (MIT Press), and is presently co-editor of Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis (SAGE). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Stacy Dickert-Conlin
Stacy Dickert-Conlin is a Professor in the Department of Economics at Michigan State University. She received her Ph.D. from the Universiyt of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996 and held previous positions at the University of Kentucky and Syracuse University. Her current research agenda considers how policies in the United States food and nutrition program (formerly, Food Stamps) affect program caseloads and how policies that affect the supply of organ donors affect waiting list outcomes of organ transplant candidates. Her research also focuses on the effect of taxes and welfare programs on family structure decisions. She is particularly interested in whether financial incentives implicit in the welfare, income tax, and Social Security system affect fertility and marriage decisions. Dickert-Conlin also has research on how college admissions’ policies such as early decision and optional test score reporting affect higher education access.
Tom Dietz
Thomas Dietz is a professor of Sociology and Environmental Science and Policy (ESPP) and assistant vice president for environmental research at Michigan State University. He holds a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California, Davis, and a bachelor of general studies from Kent State University. At MSU he was founding director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program and associate dean in the Colleges of Social Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources and Natural Science. Dietz is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been awarded the Sustainability Science Award of the Ecological Society of America, the Distinguished Contribution Award of the American Sociological Association Section on Environment, Technology and Society, and the Outstanding Publication Award, also from the American Sociological Association Section onTom Dietz 2014 Environment, Technology and Society and the Gerald R. Young Book Award from the Society for Human Ecology. At the National Research Council he has served as chair of the U.S. National Research Council Committee on Human Dimensions of Global Change and the Panel on Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making, and currently is vice chair of the Panel on Advancing the Science of Climate Change of the America’s Climate Choices study.
William Donohue
Dr. William A. Donohue is a Distinguished Professor of Communication at Michigan State University. His major academic interests include conflict negotiation, conflict management, communication, and mediation. He has published extensively in these areas while also conducting workshops and other intervention activities focusing on communication, leadership development, and conflict management. His co-authored book, Framing Matters: Perspectives on Negotiation Research and Practice in Communication, provides a broad understanding of the role of framing in negotiation research. Other recent work includes “Crisis Negotiation: Getting to Normal” in the Encyclopedia of Interpersonal Communication, “Interpersonal Conflict: An Overview” in Managing Interpersonal Conflict: Advances Through Meta-Analysis, and a co-authored article in the Journal of Language and Social Psychology entitled, “Validating LIWC Dictionaries: The Oslo Accords.” Dr. Donohue is a recent past president of the International Association for Conflict Management and is on the editorial board of several major journals. He received his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University in 1976.
Sarah N. Douglas
Sarah N. Douglas is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University. She obtained her PhD at Penn State University in Special Education. Dr. Douglas began her career as a special education teacher where she taught students with significant disabilities and worked extensively with paraeducators. Her research interests related to policy include a focus on the use of paraeducators in educational settings, educational practices for students with significant disabilities (including autism and intellectual/developmental disabilities), and early intervention practices for children with disabilities. She has three current grants: The Early On Faculty Grant -investigating early intervention practices in Michigan, the Michigan Applied Public Policy Research –investigating policies and practices related to paraeducators in Michigan, and Research in Autism Intellectual and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities investigating the use of sensor technology to measure social interactions of young children with autism.
William Dutton
William H. Dutton is the Quello Professor of Media and Information Policy, Department of Media and Information in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences. He is Director of the Quello Center at MSU. Bill was Professor of Internet Studies at the Oxford Internet Institute and Fellow of Balliol College from 2002-2014. Before coming to Oxford, Bill was a Professor in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California since 1980. He continues at USC as Emeritus Professor. Bill was a Fulbright Scholar based in the UK at Brunel University, and later the National Director of the UK’s Programme on Information and Communication Technologies (PICT). He is working on a book on his concept of the Fifth Estate. As founding director of the OII during its first decade, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the department in 2011. He has received the International Communication Association’s Fred Williams’ award for contributions to the study of communication and technology, the William F. Ogburn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Communication and Information Technologies Section of the American Sociological Association, and in 2015 was named an ICA Fellow by the Board of Directors of the International Communication Association.
Todd Elder
Todd Elder is an Associate Professor of Economics at Michigan State University. He received his PhD from Northwestern University in 2002, and he was on the faculty at the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign before coming to MSU in 2006. Dr. Elder is an expert in the economics of education and early childhood development, program evaluation, and expectations formation among the elderly. His research has an impressively wide range: from a studies on effectiveness of Catholic versus public primary schools, to health and retirement expectations among aging workers, to racial and ethnic disparities in infant mortality. He has also pioneered research on how ADHD may be drastically misdiagnosed among children in the US. He notably finds that an ADHD diagnosis is relative to the ages of a student’s classmates, which means that a five-year old in a classroom of six-year olds is more likely to get a diagnosis. This also wastes $320-$500 million per year in unnecessary medication or $80-$90 million when paid by Medicaid.
Dr. Ross B. Emmett is Professor of Political Economy and Political Theory & Constitutional Democracy at James Madison College at Michigan State University. He is also Director of the Smith-Tocqueville Center for Studies in Political Economy. His teaching deals primarily with the central questions of comparative economic governance: why do some nations fail when others succeed? And what is the relationship between basic economic institutions and their legal, cultural and political contexts? His research concerns both the history of how modern societies have answered these questions, and how today’s answers affect liberty, innovation and entrepreneurship. Emmett is a historian of economics. In 2009, he published Frank Knight and the Chicago School in the History of American Economics. He has edited five collections of material on the history of economics, including the Elgar Companion to the Chicago School of Economics and Great Bubbles — an interdisciplinary examination of the financial crises of the 17th and 18th centuries.
Eric Freedman
Eric Freedman is Professor of Journalism and former Associate Dean of International Studies and Programs. Before joining MSU full time in 1996, he covered public affairs, environmental issues and legal affairs for newspapers in New York and Michigan, winning a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of a legislative corruption scandal. He is Director of the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism and Directors of the Capital News Service, an internship where students cover state government for newspapers across Michigan. He has a bachelor’s degree is in government from Cornell University, a law degree from New York University, and a master’s degree in resource development from MSU. He was a Fulbright scholar in Lithuania and Uzbekistan, he led professional journalism seminars in Central Asia, and lectured in Singapore, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Japan and Kyrgyzstan. He served for three years as an International Scholar in the Open Society Foundation’s Academic Fellowship Program, working with faculty members in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan. He has directed MSU’s Australia Media, Environment, Culture and Tourism study abroad program, the Reporting in the British Isles study abroad program, and a freshman seminar abroad on environment and media in Scotland.
Stephen P. Gasteyer
Dr. Stephen P. Gasteyer is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Michigan State University. Dr.Gasteyer’s research focuses on the nexus between water, land, community development. Specifically, his research currently addresses: 1) community capacity development and civic engagement through leadership training; 2) the political and social processes that enable or hinder community access to water and land resources, specifically (but not exclusively) in rural communities; 3) the class and race effects of access to basic services (water, sanitation, food, health care); 4) community capacity, community resilience and water systems management; 5) the impacts of greening in economically depressed small cities; 6) the community aspects of bioenergy development; 7) international social movements and community rights to basic services; and 8) facilitating cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary partnerships to address water and land resources management. Before coming to Michigan State University, Dr. Gasteyer was on faculty in the Department of Human and Community Development at the University of Illinois. Prior to that, he was Research and Policy Director at the Rural Community Assistance Partnership in Washington, DC and a research consultant on issues of global water governance. Dr. Gasteyer was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali from 1987 through 1990, and worked with environmental non-governmental organizations from 1993 through 1998 in the Palestinian territories. He received a BA from Earlham College in 1987, and a Ph.D. in Sociology from Iowa State University in 2001.
Lissy Goralnik
Lissy Goralnik is an assistant professor in environmental studies and community engagement in the Department of Community Sustainability. She is also affiliated with the Center for Gender in a Global Context (GenCen) and the Environmental Science and Public Policy (ESPP) program. Broadly her work lies in the areas of environmental ethics and experiential and environmental learning. She uses the tools of qualitative social science—interviews, questionnaires, focus groups, participatory methods, ethnography, text analysis—to explore relationships, learning, and engagement with self, communities, and place. Lissy has a PhD in Fisheries and Wildlife from MSU, an MFA in creative writing from the University of Idaho, and a bachelor’s in English from Stanford University. She also worked for years as a field educator for wilderness leadership schools and my academic work on experiential learning reflects this training and practice. For her dissertation work she studied a wilderness ethics field course she developed and taught in Isle Royale National Park, exploring the ways care for place and community develops or shifts as a result of a community-focused environmental ethics and place-based ecology curriculum. Prior to returning to MSU she was a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Forest, Ecosystems, and Society at Oregon State University, where she primarily worked in the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest on projects related to arts, humanities, and environmental science interactions.
Meredith Gore
Meredith Gore is a conservation social scientist whose interdisciplinary research explores relationships between human behavior and the environment. She is an Associate Professor in the Department of Fisheries & Wildlife and School of Criminal Justice at MSU. Dr. Gore is a MSU Global Research Fellow and President of the Society for Conservation Biology’s Social Science Working Group. Her research interests focus on community-based natural resource management and enhancing understanding of risk concepts and their application to biodiversity conservation. Meredith received her PhD in Natural Resource Policy and Management from Cornell University, MA in Environment and Resource Policy from George Washington University, and BA in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from Brandeis University. Dr. Gore co-developed the Conservation Criminology research framework and teaching certificate program at MSU. She has pioneered scientific insights regarding conservation of white sharks, lemurs, cranes, sea turtles, rhinos, and many more species. Phi Kappa Phi has recognized Meredith’s leadership in interdisciplinary research. NSF, USDA, and Michigan Department of Natural Resources have helped fund Dr. Gore’s research. Dr. Gore’s research has been profiled by National Public Radio, The New York Times, British Broadcasting Corporation and multiple Malagasy newspapers.
Sue Grady
As a medical geographer, Sue Grady’s research aims to improve the health and well-being of infants, children, men and women living in high poverty urban and rural areas. She focuses on the societal determinants of health -- physical, social and built environmental hazards, individual and population-level exposures and the adverse health outcomes and premature mortality that result from those exposures. She utilizes geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial epidemiological methods to analyze large health, linked-mortality and environmental datasets to model these multilevel and space-time relationships. Most of her research is in the United States, in the Midwest and Northeast Regions, where inner-city urban residents are exposed to hypersegregation, concentrated poverty, high pollution levels and other related environmental hazards. In particular, she is interested in reducing maternal (pregnancy-related) untoward exposures and adverse birth outcomes -- low birth weight, preterm birth and neonatal and infant mortality and maternal mortality among black mothers and infants living in those areas. My research is also international, focusing on distal and proximal determinants of maternal and infant mortality in extremely poor parts of the world. Medical geographers are in a unique position to study environmental injustices and health disparities because of our theoretical focus in Human Ecology. Human ecology realizes the integrative nature of humans (susceptibility, resilience), the environments in which they operate (vulnerable or health-enhancing) and the culture in which they behave (stress-reducing or health promoting). In addition, health geographers focus on place and the lived experience of residents.
Julia Grant is Professor and Associate Dean at MSU's James Maidson College. She has taught at James Madison College for over twenty years, after receiving her Ph.D. from Boston University, where she directed the Women's Studies Program, and worked in a non-profit agency providing social services in a community setting. She has taught in the Humanities, Culture, and Writing Program and in Social Relations and Policy in courses ranging from the Politics of Disability to Education Policy, and Sexual Politics. She has been the recipient of a Spencer Fellowship, a Lily Teaching Fellowship, and the Teacher-Scholar Award. Her published work includes Raising Baby by the Book: The Education of American Mothers (Yale, 1998), When Science Encounters the Child: Perspectives on Education, Child Welfare, and Parenting [Teachers College, 2001), and a forthcoming book from Johns Hopkins entitled The Boy Problem in Urban America. She has also published articles on the history of childhood and gender, masculinity, and sexuality. An active member of the Center for Gender in Global Context, she has been acting director of the Center, and created a joint study abroad program between James Madison and Women and Gender Studies, exploring sexual and gender politics in the Netherlands. Her greatest joy has been guiding and advising students as they move through James Madison College to rewarding jobs and personal lives.
Matt Grossmann
Matt Grossmann serves as the Director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and Associate Professor of Political Science at Michigan State University. His research spans national and state policymaking, election campaigns, interest groups, and political parties. His current work explores key differences between major political parties and economic inequality in policy influence. He is the author of Artists of the Possible: Governing Networks and American Policy Change Since 1945, published by Oxford University Press in 2014 and The Not-So-Special Interests: Interest Groups, Public Representation, and American Governance, published by Stanford University Press in 2012. He is author of numerous journal articles on such topics as policy change, political party networks, the legislative process and public opinion. His research appears in the Journal of Politics, Policy Studies Journal, Perspectives on Politics, American Politics Research and other publications. He also writes for blogs and popular media. His roots are also deep in practical politics, especially in candidate training, policy and survey research. His experience includes work at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, the Institute of Governmental Studies, the Center for Voting and Democracy and the Center for Democracy and Technology. A member of MSU’s faculty since 2007, he is founder and director of the Michigan Policy Network and served as liaison to MSU’s Washington Semester Program. He received his bachelor’s degree from Claremont McKenna College, his master’s in political science in 2002 and doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2007. He became IPPSR director in January 2016.
Karl Gude
Karl Gude is the Director of the Media Sandbox, an integrated media arts program of cinematic arts, game development, graphic design, web design, visual storytelling, 3D art and animation, in the College of Communications Arts and Sciences. Gude is the former Director of Information Graphics at Newsweek magazine and The Associated Press. Gude has consulted with corporations, PR and news organizations, academic and scientific institutions and government agencies, including the CIA, to help them create understandable infographics. He has covered major news events including seven presidential elections, wars, sporting events, natural disasters, science, medical and technical advancements and breaking news, such as the attack on the World Trade Center. Gude came to MSU in 2006 to spearhead the first information graphics program in the School of Journalism. He also teaches a Media Sandbox class on creative thinking and problem solving. Gude has presented at three TEDx talks, twice at the South by Southwest (SXSW) technology conference, and once at the "Political Analytics Conference" at Harvard University. He also collaborated on an evolutionary biology project through a grant from the National Science Foundation. In 2013, Gude was recognized with the Faculty Impact Award. He is an avid sketch artist and painter and writes (or draws) a column for the Huffington Post.
Steven Haider
Steven Haider is a Professor in the Economics Department at Michigan State University and has been the Director of Graduate Studies since 2014. His research interests fall broadly within the fields of labor and health economics, with past publications focusing on issues related to the effect of social programs aimed at the poor, nutrition policy, poverty, the labor market, and observational methods. Haider's current research projects are largely related to two topics. The first set of projects continue his work on understanding disparities in child health in the United States, including the role of the decision to vaccinate children. The second set of projects examine the role of parental support and parental income for the college attendance decision of young adults. Dr. Haider receved in Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Michigan in 1998.
Roger Hamlin
Dr. Hamlin is Professor of Urban Planning and Public Administration at Michigan State University. He directs several projects at the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research and Urban Collaborators at Michigan State University. He was previously Associate Director of IPPSR. He is also a Senior Ph.D. Professor of Public Administration at the Babes-Bolyai University in Romania and has been a Visiting Professor of Architecture at the Tokyo Science University in Japan. He has worked for the Senate and the Office of Planning Services of New York State and has lived and worked in South America, the Caribbean, Asia and Europe. He has written several books and has designed multiple industry-related software packages. Dr. Hamlin has earned the White House Achievement Award, The Nelson Jack Edwards Award for “the Greatest Contribution to Metropolitan Detroit,” and the Illinois Foundation Award. He has earned national awards from the American Planning Association and the American Institute of Certified Planners. He was a CIC Academic Leadership Fellow and an American Council on Education Fellow Finalist. Dr. Hamlin has been listed in the “Who’s Who in America,” “Who’s Who in the Midwest,” and “Who’s Who in Finance and Industry.”
Joseph Hamm
Joe Hamm is Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Environmental Science and Policy at Michigan State University and part of the university’s Global Water Initiative. A psychologist by training, his work is at the nexus of institutions and the public where he investigates what trust is, how best to appropriately measure it, and its connection to "outcomes" like cooperation and compliance. His work spans contexts like the police, courts, natural resource regulators, risk managers, and a variety of other governmental entities and, through this perspective, seeks contribute to a cross-boundary social science of trust that can be leveraged to make a practical difference in the relationships between institutions and the public they serve.
Heather Howard
Heather Howard is an assistant professor of Anthropology and a member of the research faculty at the Center for Aboriginal Initiatives at the University of Toronto. She is also an affiliated faculty member with the American Indian Studies Program, the Native American Institute, and a member of the core faculty at the Canadian Studies Center and the Center for Gender in Global Context. Dr. Howard’s research examines the processes through which authoritative forms of knowledge, identity, responsibility, and choice are produced; how these structures create gendered and racialized inequalities; and are historicized, contested, and reconfigured in culture, social service, and healthcare delivery organizations. Indigenous people and urbanization is a central focus of her research, in which she examines the evolution of urban indigenous epistemologies of community, including authority-making structures, and the production of knowledge itself as a dynamic process which intervenes in the production of politics, ethical practice, and the social order. Her research on diabetes is among the evidence that shows there are significant inequities in health determinants and health status for indigenous peoples in urban areas. During the spring semester 2016, she was a Visiting Scholar at the University of Oxford with the Unit for Biocultural Variation and Obesity in the Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology.
Tomas Hult
Dr. Tomas Hult is the Byington Endowed Chair, Professor of Marketing and International Business, and Director of the International Business Center (IBC) in the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University (John W. Byington, a marketing research expert, was a former president of the NPD Group Worldwide Inc.). He has been at Michigan State University since January 2001. IBC is one of the 17 centers designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a country-level resource in international business and trade (i.e., CIBER). Previously, he held positions as Eli Broad Professor of International Business, Professor of Marketing and Supply Chain Management, and Associate Dean in MSU's Eli Broad College of Business The Broad College is accredited by AACSB and a member of the Global Business School Network. Michigan State University is one of 62 members of the prestigious Association of American Universities. more than 12,000 firms nationwide going international since 2006, with more than 1,900 firms from the State of Michigan.
Scott Imberman
Scott Imberman is an associate professor of economics and education and an affiliate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland in 2007 and previously worked at the University of Houston before joining Michigan State in 2012. Dr. Imberman is an expert on the economics of education and education policy and has written on many topics in education policy including merit pay for teachers, charter schools, gifted and talented programs, bilingual education, and accountability. His work has been published in many highly regarded economics journals including the American Economic Review and the Review of Economics and Statistics. Dr. Imberman is also on the editorial boards of multiple journals and is a member of the board of directors of the Association for Education Finance and Policy.
Louise Jezierski
Dr. Louise A. Jezierski is an Associate Professor of Social Relations and Policy and Comparative Cultures and Politics at James Madison College, Michigan State University. Her research includes revitalization of declining cities, especially the cities of Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland, local and regional economic and community development, race relations and social inequality. Some recent projects include community building in Lansing, MI, Soccer and Community Building in Detroit, MI, “Race/Socioeconomic Area Characteristics & Cancer – Detroit” funded by the National Cancer Institute, The Effect of State Legislation on Sub-Prime Lending, Michigan’s Latino Communities, and funding from US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National Hispanic Housing Council for a study on Hispanic housing access in El Paso Texas. She was a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA’s Institute of American Cultures in 1992 at the Chicano Studies Research Center. Prof. Jezierski is a Board Member of MSU’s Center for Community and Economic Development and served as Managing Editor of the Journal of Urban Affairs (2009-2014). She received her BA at Boston University in Sociology and Geography and her MA and PhD in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley.
Eric Juenke
Eric Juenke comes to MSU from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He earned his Ph.D from Texas A&M University in 2005. He specializes in minority politics, U.S. electoral institutions, state and local elections, legislative and bureaucratic minority representation, Latino politics, black politics, and democratic theory. Eric serves in a joint appointment between the Department of Political Science and the Department of Chicano and Latino Studies.
Michelle Kaminski
Michelle Kaminski is an associate professor in the Department of Human Resources and Labor Relations in the College of Social Science. Her areas of expertise include labor law, collective bargaining, unions, and gender and union leadership. She received her PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1993. Professor Kaminski has been at MSU since 2001 and has been a core faculty member at the Center for Gender in the Global Context in since 2008. Professor Kaminski has also served on the MSU Police Oversight Committee and the MSU Committee on Academic Governance. She has been featured in several print and radio sources including the Lansing State Journal. Her recent work deals with Michigan’s Right to Work policies.
Jay Kennedy
Jay Kennedy is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, jointly appointed to the School of Criminal Justice and the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection (A-CAPP). He received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati where he was Graduate School Dean’s Distinguished Fellow and a Yates Scholar. Dr. Kennedy's research explores issues of crime and deviance within corporations, with a particular focus on issues of employee theft, behavioral business ethics, the multi-level antecedents to corporate crime, and product counterfeiting. He also has a special focus on small and medium enterprises, working to link empirical research with practical business solutions to issues of crime and deviance. His research has been featured in several news and media outlets, including Business Insider, Fox Business News, The Wall Street Journal, and the Cincinnati Inquirer. Jay is available at (517) 353-2162 and jpk@msu.edu
Benjamin A. Kleinerman is Associate Professor of Constitutional Democracy at James Madison College, Michigan State University. Professor Kleinerman received his B.A. at Kenyon College in Political Science and his PhD at Michigan State University in Political Science. Professor Kleinerman is also a former Postdoctoral Fellow in the Program on Constitutional Government and a former Visiting Fellow in the James Madison Program in Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University. His research currently focuses mostly on the relationship between executive power and the constitutional order. He has edited volumes such as Nomos and The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Professor Kleinerman’s first book, The Discretionary President: The Promise and Peril of Executive Power published by the University Press of Kansas, has been reviewed in The New Republic and Political Science Quarterly. He is currently working on a second book that continues the investigation of executive power currently titled, Becoming Commander-in-Chief: A Constitutional Success Story. Professor Kleinerman teaches classes on both political thought and political institutions. He has also published on other subjects including literature and politics and American political history.
Zenia Kotval
Zenia Kotval is a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP). She is a Fulbright Scholar and a former Lilly Teaching Fellow. Kotval currently serves as a member of the Planning Accreditation Board (PAB) and an ex-officio member of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP) Governing Board. As a professor of Urban and Regional Planning in the School of Planning, Design and Construction, she regularly teaches courses in economic development and planning practicum. With a strong, structured research, teaching and engagement agenda, her scholarship interests are in community-based development, economic policy and planning, the changing structure and characteristics of local economies, and the impacts of community development strategies. As director of MSU Extension’s Urban Collaborators, Kotval’s service continues to be dedicated to making academic and professional expertise available to meet the needs of Michigan’s core cities. Throughout her years at MSU, she has integrated the world scale and the land grant mission into her scholarship. Kotval is an internationally recognized expert on economic development and community engagement, speaking frequently at national and international venues.
Professor Kramer has a joint appointment between James Madison College and the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. His research examines the social, economic, and policy aspects of conservation. Recently, he has researched the role of social capital in the stewardship activities of lake associations. He has also used simulation models to study the effects of variations in fishermen behavior on coral reef ecosystems. Professor Kramer’s teaching interests include domestic and international environmental policy, sustainable development, globalization and the environment, the social economic, and policy aspects of conservation biology, game theory, and quantitative methods.
Hui Liu
Hui Liu is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Michigan State University. Before joining MSU in 2008, she received her B.A. and M.A. in economics from Nankai University, China, her M.S. in Statistics, and Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography from the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Liu’s current research interests include population health and mortality, family and marriage, bio-demography of aging and the life course, LGBT population, sexuality, and quantitative methodology. Specifically, Dr. Liu has focused on using innovative quantitative methods to develop, test, and promote scientific understanding of marriage and family processes related to population health and well-being. Her interests in marriage also extend to other “marriage-like” intimate relationships such as same-sex cohabitation and sexual relationships, and how they are linked to population health and well-being. Dr. Liu’s research has been published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Journal of Marriage and Family, Demography, Social Science and Medicine, Social Science Research, Population Research and Policy Review, and Structural Equation Modeling. Dr. Liu has currently received an NIH Career Award (Mentored Research Scientist Development Award) to investigate the biological links between marriage and health using interdisciplinary approaches. Her other current work includes an NIH funded project that examines child health disparities of same-sex families at the population level. She was the 2013 winner of the Outstanding Professional Paper Award from the National Council on Family Relations. She was also a Butler-Williams Scholar of 2014 supported by the National Institute on Aging. The relevance and timeliness of Dr. Liu’s research is reflected in the media attention it has received. Her research has been widely reported in prominent national and international news outlets including the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN, USA Today, US News and World Report, TIME, ABC News, CBS News, Los Angeles Times, Daily Mail, Sydney Morning Herald, The Times of India, China Daily and Iran Daily.
Sandra Marquart-Pyatt
Sandra Marquart-Pyatt is a comparative researcher with substantive interests in environmental sociology, quantitative methodology, political sociology, and comparative social change. She specializes in the application of advanced quantitative techniques to pressing global social issues related to the environment and politics including environmental concern, sustainability, and democratic values. She joined Michigan State University (MSU) in 2009 and is jointly appointed in the Department of Sociology (SOC) and Environmental Science and Policy Program (ESPP). Her substantive research examines social change comparatively and cross-nationally, and includes both macro-comparative and micro-level work. She seeks to contribute to a deeper understanding of how and why macro-level and micro-level contextual factors shape the expression of environmental and political views and actions both across nations and over time. She examine these processes using quantitative methods such as structural equation modeling (SEM) and multilevel modeling, two approaches deeply rooted in sociology that specify latent constructs and allow the exploration of nested hierarchies, respectively. Her substantive research program investigates environmental and political processes across gradients from the global to the individual in single countries as well as comparative context.
Chris Melde
Chris Melde is an associate professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Associate Director in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. His research interests include street gangs, school safety, the ecology of violence, program evaluation, adolescent development, and individual and community reactions to crime and victimization risk. He is currently working on a Bureau of Justice Statistics funded project on the implementation of city-level victimization surveys in high crime urban areas in the State of Michigan, as well as two National Institute of Justice (NIJ) funded projects on school safety in Flint, MI. These focus on safe school climate, transitions to high school, and mental health in elementary schools. He has worked on an NIJ funded study of the impact of gang desistance on adolescent development, a BJA funded evaluation of Lansing, MI’s Neighborhood Stabilization and Youth Violence Initiative, and NIJ funded evaluations of: Project Safe Neighborhoods Comprehensive Anti-Gang Initiative; the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) school-based program; and the Teens, Crime, and the Community: Community Works school-based program. Dr. Melde was awarded the 2015 Tory J. Caeti Memorial Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Juvenile Justice section for contribution of emerging scholars to the field of juvenile justice.
Sharlissa Moore
Sharlissa is an Assistant Professor of International Energy Policy jointly appointed between James Madison College and the College of Engineering at Michigan State University. Her teaching and research interests focus on the social, policy, equity, and security dimensions of energy systems, particularly those that cross nation-state borders and are undergoing dramatic change. Sharlissa is writing a book on sustainable development and the Desertec vision, a plan to build solar and wind power plants in North Africa and to link the electricity grid around the Mediterranean region to provide for a 90% renewable energy future for the region. Sharlissa is also developing research collaborations in the College of Engineering to study the social and governance aspects of emerging energy technologies. She began her career studying astronomy and physics at Smith College and, since then, has continued to work with engineers and scientists to understand the social and policy dimensions of technology.
Rachel Mourão
Dr. Rachel Mourão is an assistant professor of innovative technologies in the School of Journalism at MSU. Her research focuses on the relationship between journalism, technology, and politics in the United States and Latin America. She has a Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from the University of Florida, where she specialized in the challenges faced by the press while covering politics, violence and protests. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, her projects analyze how mainstream and non-mainstream (“fake news”) reporters cover political events, and global threats to press freedom. Her recent projects focus on the 2016 elections, Black Lives Matter and right-wing Latin American movements. This work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and awarded multiple times by both the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) and the International Communication Association (ICA), including the best dissertation award by both organizations in 2017. At MSU, she teaches digital media literacy and public affairs reporting focusing on local communities in the Greater Lansing area.
Jenna Watling Neal
Jenna Watling Neal is an Associate Professor of Community Psychology at Michigan State University. Her research focuses on understanding how social networks can be leveraged in public schools to improve educational, health, and mental health outcomes for children and adolescents. Her past work has focused on exploring how children’s peer social networks are associated with aggressive and prosocial behavior. More recently, as a principal investigator of the Michigan School Program Information Project, she has examined how Michigan public school districts acquire information about and decide to adopt social skills, health, and instructional programs and practice. The William T. Grant Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health have funded her work. Jenna is the recipient of the 2016 Society for Community Research and Action (APA Division 27) Early Career Award, and her research has appeared in journals such as Child Development, American Journal of Community Psychology, Sociology of Education, Social Development, Aggressive Behavior, Journal of Urban Affairs and Journal of Early Adolescence. She has given invited talks on the use of social networks in dissemination and implementation research at the NIH Conference on Dissemination and Implementation, the Association for Psychological Science, and the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.
Zachary Neal
Zachary Neal is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Global Urban Studies at Michigan State University. His research uses the theory and tools of networks to understand urban and public policy issues in new ways, in the past focusing on the role of air transport infrastructure in economic development, and on urban spatial structure in building cohesive and diverse communities. He is currently co-leading the Michigan School Program Information Project, which explores how and where public school administrators acquire the information they use to make decisions. He is the author of more than 50 articles, chapters, and software programs, and has written or edited 3 books. He currently serves as a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, Associate Director of the Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) research network, and in an editorial role at the Journal of Urban Affairs, Global Networks, City and Community, and the Metropolis and Modern Life book series.
Laura Olabisi
Dr. Laura Schmitt Olabisi is an assistant professor at Michigan State University, jointly appointed in the Environmental Science & Policy Program and the department of Community Sustainability. She uses system dynamics modeling and other systems methods to investigate the future of complex socio-ecological systems, often working directly with stakeholders by applying participatory research methods. Dr. Schmitt Olabisi’s past and present research has addressed soil erosion, climate change, water sustainability, energy use, sustainable agriculture, food security, and human health. She has led modeling and scenario exercises with stakeholders in the U.S., the Philippines, Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, and Burkina Faso, and has published her work in Environmental Science & Technology; Ecology and Society; and Society & Natural Resources, among other outlets. Dr. Schmitt Olabisi holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Brown University, and a Ph.D. in Systems Ecology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. She is currently a PI or co-PI on four large research grants, with funding from NSF, USAID, IDRC (Canada), and USDA.
Michael Olabisi
Michael Olabisi joined MSU in 2017 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics. He received his PhD from the University of Michigan in 2015, and has a master’s degree from Cornell University. He has worked with international scholars on research visits to Singapore and Beijing, with support from the National Science Foundation and the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER). He is currently affiliated with Michigan State University's Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPSR). Michael researches how firms shape economic development through international trade, and how supply chain linkages shape the responses of rational agents to economic shocks. His research papers describe the effects of volatility on international trade, and he has published work on how learning-by-exporting drives firm-level product innovation.
Jane Payumo
Jane Payumo is an Academic Specialist with research appointment at the Center for Global Connections (CGC), College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. She also serves as CGC’s Global Research Evaluation Manager and leads the monitoring and evaluation of CGC and AgBioResearch’s international research and development projects. Her academic and policy-related publications (https://orcid.org/my-orcid to http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1105-5851) focus on scientometrics, innovation management and technology transfer of modern biotechnology. Her interests include internationalization of science, grant mining, intellectual property management for development countries, econometric studies on international development, capacity building and training on intellectual property and metrics design and development. She received her Doctor of Philosophy at Washington State University, Pullman, WA; and undergraduate and Master’s degrees in the Philippines from Central Luzon State University and University of the Philippines, respectively.
Harry Perlstadt
Dr. Perlstadt is Professor Emeritus of Sociology and has served as Director of the Program in Bioethics, Humanities and Society at Michigan State University . His area of expertise is evaluation research design and sociology of health care organizations, professions and delivery. He has evaluated health programs and initiatives for the Kellogg Foundation (community health access), Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (school based substance abuse prevention), Health Resource Services Administration (HIV-AIDS), World Health Organization (national environmental health action plans in Europe) and Michigan Dept of Health and Human Services (screening children for blood lead levels). He is currently working on the Arab/Chaldean Behavior Risk Factor Survey with the Michigan Dept of Health and Human Services and the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Service, and consulting with the Thumb Rural Health Network on Community Health Needs Assessments required by the Affordable Care Act. He is also interested in human research protections and how Institutional Review Boards and HIPAA regulations affect data gathering and clinical trials. Dr. Perlstadt earned his PhD in Sociology at the University of Chicago, and M.P.H. from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. In 2010 he was a Fulbright lecturer on US health care policy and politics at Semmelweis University, Budapest Hungary. He received the 2014 American Sociological Association’s Distinguished Career Award for the Practice of Sociology. Dr. Perlstadt is best contacted via email perlstad@msu.edu (link sends e-mail).or by phone (517) 316-5658.
Frank Ravitch
Frank S. Ravitch is Professor of Law and Walter H. Stowers Chair in Law in Religion at the Michigan State University College of Law. He also directs the Kyoto Japan Program. He is the author of Freedom’s Edge: Religious Freedom, Sexual Freedom, and the Future of America (Cambridge University Press, 2016) (Nominated for a Prose Award); Marketing Creation: The Law and Intelligent Design (Cambridge University Press 2012), Masters of Illusion: The Supreme Court and the Religion Clauses (NYU Press 2007); Law and Religion: Cases, Materials, and Readings (West 2004)(2nd Ed. 2008) (3rd Ed. 2015 with Larry Cata Backer), School Prayer and Discrimination: The Civil Rights of Religious Minorities and Dissenters (Northeastern University Press, 1999 & paperback edition 2001). He is co-author, with the late Boris Bittker and with Scott Idleman, of the first comprehensive treatise on Law and Religion in more than one hundred years, Religion and the State in American Law (Cambridge University Press 2015) (this project was supported by a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment). He is also co-author of, Employment Discrimination Law (Prentice Hall, 2005) (with Pamela Sumners and Janis McDonald). Professor Ravitch's articles, which have appeared in a number of highly regarded journals, have primarily focused on law and religion in the U.S. and Japan, but he has also written about civil rights law and disability discrimination. He has authored a number of amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and has given numerous academic presentations nationally and internationally. In 2001, he was named a Fulbright scholar and served on the law faculty at Doshisha University (Japan). He has also made dozens of public presentations explaining the law before school groups, community groups, and service clubs and has served as an expert commentator for print and broadcast media.
Sarah Reckhow
Sarah Reckhow is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University. She is also affiliated with the Education Policy Center at the MSU College of Education and with the Global Urban Studies Program. Her award-winning book with Oxford University Press, Follow the Money: How Foundation Dollars Change Public School Politics, examines the role of major foundations, such as the Gates Foundation, in urban school reform. She has recently published articles in Educational Researcher, Journal of Urban Affairs, Policy Studies Journal, and Planning Theory. She received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of California, Berkeley in 2009. Sarah was a high school teacher in the Baltimore City Public Schools.
Laura Reese
Laura A. Reese is Professor of Political Science and the founding Director of the Global Urban Studies Program (GUSP) at Michigan State University. Dr. Reese’s main research and teaching areas are in urban politics and public policy, economic development, local governance and management in Canada and the US, and animal welfare policy. She has conducted large scale evaluations for the Economic Development Administration and sub-state economic development programs including Tax Increment Finance Authorities and Industrial Tax Abatements. She has written 10 books and over 100 articles and book chapters in these areas as well as public personnel administration focusing on the implementation of sexual harassment policy. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Urban Affairs and conducts training for local and state government officials on economic development incentives. Her recent books include: Money for Nothing: Industrial Tax Abatements and Economic Development (with Gary Sands) 2012, Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. Comparative Civic Culture (with Raymond Rosenfeld) 2012, London: Ashgate Publications, and Reinventing Civil Society: The Emerging Role of Faith-Based Organizations in America (with Richard Hula and Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore), 2011, Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.
Anna Maria Santiago
Anna Maria Santiago Ph.D. is a Professor in the School of Social Work at Michigan State University. She holds a doctoral degree in Urban Social Institutions from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and completed postdoctoral training in demography, poverty and public policy at the University of Michigan. Her current work focuses on (1) the impacts of housing and homeownership on low-income, minority communities and individuals; (2) neighborhood effects on the health and well-being of low-income children; and (3) human, financial and social capital formation, financial capability, economic security, workforce development and asset building strategies in low-income families. In each of these areas, she is concerned with identifying the ways in which federal, state, and local housing, social welfare and anti-poverty policies can be used to reduce the social and economic disparities experienced by low-income and minority families and children. Dr. Santiago’s research has been supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Joshua Sapotichne
Dr. Joshua Sapotichne (PhD, University of Washington, 2009) is an Assistant Professor of Political Science focusing on American public policy and urban politics. He is also co-Instructor of InnovateGov, a summer internship program that provides students with the opportunity to learn about public sector innovation through work in Michigan's beleaguered cities. Josh received the 2010 Best Dissertation Award from the Urban Politics Section of the American Political Science Association for his work in examining the changing policy relationship between the US national government and American cities. Josh was selected as a Norton Long Young Scholar (2011) and as a Stone Scholar (2010), both for outstanding scholarship at a young age. Josh's new paper "Beyond State Takeovers” examines state and local financial data to systematically assess how state governments contribute to local financial distress, arguing that the State of Michigan has "structured local fiscal policymaking in a way that effectively incubates financial distress." An assessment of the impact of Michigan's local financial distress policy on the fiscal health of Flint, Michigan is provided in The Flint Fiscal Playbook: An Assessment of the Emergency Manager Years (2011-2015). Research for this ongoing project is supported by the C.S. Mott Foundation (co-PI Eric Scorsone).
Lawrence B. Schiamberg
Lawrence B. Schiamberg is currently Professor in the Human Development and Family Studies Department at Michigan State University. He was formerly Associate Dean for Research, Outreach and International Programs in the College of Human Ecology (1999-2003) and Director of the Institute for Children, Youth and Families (ICYF) at MSU from 1996-1998 where he was the Senior Editor of the MSU Series on Children, Youth, and Families. He has served as President-Elect of the Society for the Study of Human Development (SSHD) from 2007-2009 and as President of SSHD from 2009-2011. Over his forty years at Michigan State University, his teaching, research, and outreach addressed lifespan human development, with a focus on adolescence/youth and adult development/aging. Most recently his research has focused on adolescent bullying and elder abuse in families and in nursing homes. He is the author of numerous published articles and books, including seminal research and publications on the contextual (family, school and community) bases of adolescent bullying and elder abuse.
Eric Scorsone
Dr. Eric Scorsone is the Director of the MSU Extension Center for Local Government, Finance and Policy. Dr. Scorsone is an MSU Extension specialist and a Professor of Economics in the Department of Agricultural, Food, And Resource Economics. He has worked at MSU since 2005, taking a break in 2010 to work as senior economist at the Michigan Senate Fiscal Agency. Prior to joining MSU, Dr. Scorsone developed award-winning Extension programs as an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Kentucky. He also served as an Economist for the Colorado Governor’s Office of State Planning and Budget and as a Senior Economist for the City of Aurora, Colorado. He received his Ph.D. from Colorado State University, where his dissertation focused on economic models of growth in the Denver housing and labor markets. He received his Master’s degree from Michigan State University and a B.B.A. from Loyola University of Chicago. He has also worked on international development projects in Thailand, Macedonia, and Indonesia, and he has taught at the taught at the University of Bologna, Italy and University of Valencia, Spain. Dr. Scorsone is from Saginaw, Michigan and currently resides in DeWitt, Michigan.
Mark Skidmore
Mark Skidmore is professor of economics and agricultural, food, and resource economics at Michigan State University, where he holds the Morris Chair in State and Local Government Finance and Policy. He also serves as Director of the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development. He received his doctorate in economics from the University of Colorado in 1994, and his bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Washington in 1987. He currently serves as Co-editor of the Journal of Urban Affairs and is a Visiting Fellow at the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. Professor Skidmore has expertise in public finance and urban/regional economics. Current interests include state and local government tax policy, intergovernmental relations, the interrelationship between public sector decisions and economic activity, and the economics of natural disasters. His work has been funded by the Fulbright Program, the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the National Science Foundation, the Urban Institute, and USAID. His research has appeared in many professional journals and has been cited in prominent news outlets such as the BBC, Boston Globe, CNNMoney, Economist, Forbes, MSNBC, Newsweek, New Yorker, New York Times, PBS News Hour, Reuters, and the Washington Post.
Chris Torres is an assistant professor of K-12 educational administration in the College of Education at Michigan State University. His scholarship focuses on how school choice reforms, particularly charter schools, affect practitioners and educational practice. Currently, his work includes studies on charter school teacher and leader turnover and mobility, sources of learning and support for charter leaders, hiring processes in charter management organizations (CMOs), disciplinary methods in “no- excuses” schools, and portfolio management model (PMM) governance reforms in New Orleans, Denver and Los Angeles.
Igor Vojnovic
Igor Vojnovic is a Professor in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, with appointments in the School of Planning, Design, and Construction and the Global Urban Studies Program. His main area of research focuses on urban (re)development processes, involving a range of issues, including environmental impacts, infrastructure investment, physical planning, and urban design. His work has been published in journals such as Environment and Planning A, Environment and Planning B: Planning and Design, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, Ecological Economics, Journal of Urban Design, Urban Geography, Journal of Urban Affairs, Cities, Applied Geography, Health and Place, GIScience and Remote Sensing, and Environmental Conservation. Vojnovic has worked in the public and private sectors, including with the Intergovernmental Committee on Urban and Regional Research, Public Sector Innovations, and Paul Raff Studio. He also has international consulting experience, on projects in the Ukraine, Cuba, Canada, Israel, Thailand, and China. His research has been funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Donner Foundation.
Chelsea Wentworth
Chelsea Wentworth is a Research Fellow in the Department of Community Sustainability and affiliated core and GJEC faculty for the Center for Gender in a Global Context (GenCen). Chelsea is a social scientist and food systems researcher with interests in food security and access, public health nutrition, critical medical anthropology, gender inclusive development programs, and visual research methods. Currently, she is working on the Flint Leverage Points project, a community-research partnership with the Community Foundation of Greater Flint. This research aims to map the food system in Flint to identify leverage points to improve food security and support evidence-based public policy. Beginning in 2010, Chelsea leads a community-engaged research project in Port Vila, Vanuatu, and the peri-urban areas around the city in collaboration with the Vanuatu Cultural Centre and the Vanuatu Ministry of Health. She works with public health practitioners and families on issues of infant and young child feeding practice, urban gardening and land use change, gender and sustainability, and childhood malnutrition. Prior to joining MSU, she served as an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at High Point University, and as a qualitative research consultant for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. She received her Ph.D. in Anthropology with a dissertation titled “Feasting and Food Security: Negotiating infant and child feeding in urban and peri-urban Vanuatu” from the University of Pittsburgh where she also earned a Master of Public Health, and a graduate certificate in Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies.
Jeremy Wilson is the Director of the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection and is a Professor in the School of Criminal Justice at Michigan State University. Prior to joining MSU, he was a Behavioral Scientist at the RAND Corporation where he directed many local, national, and international public safety projects and served as founding Associate Director of the Center on Quality Policing and founding Director of the Police Recruitment and Retention Clearinghouse. He is a visiting scholar in the Australian Resource Council’s Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security at Griffith University, and he recently held the Willett Chair in Public Safety in the Center for Public Safety at Northwestern University and was an adjunct professor of public policy at Carnegie Mellon University. Dr. Wilson has collaborated with police agencies, communities, task forces, governments, and professional organizations throughout the U.S. and the world on many of the most salient public safety problems. His research on anti-counterfeiting integrates and draws from his broader interests in the areas of law enforcement, violence prevention, and internal security
Dr. Wilson is Associate Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at Michigan State University and a research economist with the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. Among his projects at IPPSR are Nonprofit Michigan which investigates the scale, structure, and contribution of Michigan's nonprofit sector; E*Space: The Electronic Space Project which addresses the social impact of the Internet; and Digital Communities which is a series of international conferences on technology and urban life. His research and teaching interests address urban planning, urban and regional economic development, information technology, public policy, and nonprofit organizations. Current projects include planning for industrial parks in Africa and the Middle East, mega event planning for world’s fairs and Olympics, innovation and information technology access in Michigan, and the planning of knowledge and innovation clusters. More information about Mark is available on his website. Mark is available at (517) 353-9054 and wilsonmm@msu.edu.
Stephen Woodbury
Stephen A. Woodbury is a Professor of Economics at Michigan State University and a Senior Economist at the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research. He has held visiting faculty appointments at Princeton (2014–2015), Stirling (1992), and Hawaii (1991), was on the faculty of Penn State (1979–1982), and was Deputy Director of the Advisory Council on Unemployment Compensation (U.S. Department of Labor, 1993–94). He is a Past-President of the Midwest Economics Association, and during 2009–2011 he directed a National Academy of Social Insurance study of unemployment insurance in the United States. He is the co-author of The Tax Treatment of Fringe Benefits (1991), and co-editor of Search Theory and Unemployment (2002) and Employee Benefits and Labor Markets in Canada and the United States (2000). He did his undergraduate work at the University of Pennsylvania and Middlebury College, and received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1981.
Jinhua Zhao
Jinhua Zhao holds appointments in the Department of Economics and the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics. He is also the director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program at MSU. Zhao is a member of the Environmental Economics Advisory Committee of the EPA’s Science Advisory Board and a member of the Air, Climate, and Energy Committee of the EPS’s Board of Scientific Counselors. He was the co-editor of the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management and is on the editorial committees of the Annual Review of Resource Economics and Frontiers of Economics in China. His research interest is in the broad area of environmental and resource economics, with special interests in global climate change, energy economics, water, technology adoption, dynamic decision making under uncertainty, and applied microeconomics in general. He has conducted research on climate change adaptation, international climate negotiations, emissions trading, soil carbon sequestration, renewable energies, and the long-run relationship between international trade and the environment.
Claire Margerison-Zilko
Claire Margerison-Zilko is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Dr. Margerison-Zilko’s research examines the relationships between macro-and individual-level social and economic factors and maternal, infant, and child health with a focus on understanding the determinants of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in maternal and child health. With funding from NIH/NICHD, Dr. Margerison-Zilko is currently examining the impact of the recent Great Recession on adverse birth outcomes in the U.S. She was also recently awarded a K01 Mentored Career Development Award from NIH/NHLBI to examine links between women’s pregnancy health and their later-life risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), focusing on biological, behavioral, and psychosocial factors that explain racial disparities in CVD among women. Another active area of research examines the relationship between perinatal health and aspects of the residential environment such as neighborhood socioeconomic history and racial residential segregation. Dr. Margerison-Zilko has a PhD in Epidemiology an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the University of California, Berkeley.
Adam Zwickle
Adam Zwickle holds a joint appointment with the School of Criminal Justice and the Environmental Science and Policy Program. Adam conducts interdisciplinary social science research centered on communicating environmental risks and encouraging sustainable behaviors. Drawing from the fields of social psychology and risk communication, his work integrates theories of individual perception and message framing to aide communication practitioners. Specifically, his goal is to better communicate environmental risks in ways that reduce the amount that their long term impacts are discounted. He is also active in sustainability issues at the university level. He has worked with colleagues to develop a valid assessment of sustainability knowledge targeted at undergraduate students, partnered with university sustainability offices to increase conservation behaviors among students, and believes in using campuses as living laboratories to produce both theoretical and practical research as well as tangible local impacts.
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Home > College of Arts and Sciences > English > Master's Essays > 14
English Master's Essays
Driving Home: Frank Ocean, Philando Castile, and the Death of Privacy
Jon Santos, University of St. Thomas, Minnesota
Master of Arts in English (M.A.)
Dr. Chris Santiago, Salvatore Pane, Dr. Laura Zebuhr
In 1966, legal scholar Charles Reich published his influential article "Police Questioning of Law Abiding Citizens," a criticism of the increasingly aggressive policing and surveillance of public spaces. Reich believed traffic stops, in particular, posted a threat to the sense of liberty, mobility, and "high spirits" that characterized American in the age of the automobile. Fifty years later, Philando Castile was pulled over, wrongfully suspected of a robbery, and shot dead in his car. The ensuing investigation into Castile's personal life and unusually public death raises questions about our rights to privacy in our cars - and in the public sphere generally. Meanwhile, artist and car enthusiast Frank Ocean suggests that notions of queerness and self-identity are intimately tied to the ambiguous space of the automobile. Together, these three cases complicate the traditional distinction between public and private spaces, a distinction that cars blur on a daily basis.
Literature, rap, music, cars, police, brutality, privacy
Santos, Jon, "Driving Home: Frank Ocean, Philando Castile, and the Death of Privacy" (2019). English Master's Essays. 14.
https://ir.stthomas.edu/cas_engl_mat/14
English Language and Literature Commons
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Judge Dismisses Youth Climate Change Lawsuit in Washington State
The state judge wrote that climate change poses urgent threats, but that it should be solved by the executive and legislative branches, not the courts.
Georgina Gustin
Follow @georgina_gustin
"Anthropogenic climate change caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions poses severe threats to our environment and requires urgent governmental action," the judge wrote. However, he said the state's constitution doesn't include a right to a clean environment. Credit: Walter Siegmund/CC-SA-3.0
A group of young climate advocates who sued the state of Washington to force it to reduce greenhouse gas emissions lost their case on Tuesday when a judge sided with the state and agreed to dismiss it.
The judge urged them to pursue their cause through other channels.
King County Superior Court Judge Michael Scott wrote that the issues at the heart of the case are political and should be considered by the state's legislative and executive branches, not settled by its courts.
The Washington lawsuit is one of nine state-level cases involving youth advocates supported by Our Children's Trust, the group leading a federal youth lawsuit that heads to trial in a U.S. District Court in Oregon this October. Like the federal suit, known as Juliana v. U.S., the state lawsuits accuse the government of failing to protect the children from the dangers of climate change and pushing policies that favor fossil fuel use.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected a plea by the Trump administration to halt the federal trial, but in doing so, it also cautioned the lower court to tread cautiously before expanding judicial powers.
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In his ruling on Tuesday, Scott made clear from the first sentence that "anthropogenic climate change caused by increased greenhouse gas emissions poses severe threats to our environment and requires urgent governmental action." However, he said that the state's constitution doesn't include a right to a clean environment, as the plaintiffs had argued.
It's unclear what influence, if any, the Washington decision might have in other states or at the federal level.
"The decision in this case was based on the Washington state constitution, with the judge finding that it does not confer a specific right to a stable climate system. Other state courts could reach a different conclusion with respect to their own state constitutions," explained Romany Webb, a fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University.
"At the federal level, in the Juliana case, a federal district court judge has already held that the U.S. Constitution supplies a substantive due process right to a stable climate system," Webb said.
Federal judges used a similar rationale to Scott's about the limited role of the courts earlier this year when they dismissed three city lawsuits, filed by Oakland, San Francisco and New York City, that sought to hold major oil companies liable for climate change.
Washington's Climate Action Wasn't Fast Enough
The Washington lawsuit followed another that had been filed there in 2014 by a group of eight young people, including some of the same plaintiffs, who sought to force the state to require carbon reductions.
The following year, the King County Superior Court ruled that the state had a "mandatory duty" to reduce emissions. That ruling led to the state's Clean Air Rule. In March of this year, however, another court ruled that part of the rule was invalid. The state has appealed.
Washington state's leaders have supported climate action in recent years. In 2015, then-Gov. Jay Inslee committed the state to an international agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 95 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. In 2017, he joined with other governors in the multi-state U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition that aims to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement.
But the young plaintiffs said the state wasn't moving fast enough, prompting the latest suit, filed this February.
Judge Urges Young Plaintiffs to Keep Fighting
In his ruling to dismiss the case, Scott urged the young plaintiffs to keep pressure on state lawmakers, writing that the young advocates "can (and must) continue to help solve the problems related to climate change." For example, he wrote in his order, they could urge state lawmakers to enact policies such as a carbon tax and measures that support development of clean energy.
The children's attorney, Andrea Rodgers, noted the climate change impacts already being felt this summer in a statement issued after the ruling: "On a day when the sun in Seattle is shrouded in smoke from wildfires, the youth plaintiffs are devastated that Judge Scott declined to give them an opportunity to present their constitutional claims in a court of law. By deferring to the Executive and Legislative branches of government that have affirmatively placed these plaintiffs in harm's way, without an appropriate legal analysis, the court has unfortunately chosen not to engage to protect the rights of these plaintiffs, to their detriment."
The young people in the case also expressed disappointment but said they hope to win on appeal.
"My rights as a Native American person are being taken away because of climate change," Kailani, a 13-year-old plaintiff from Spokane, wrote in a statement. "Camas, huckleberries, salmon, and other traditional foods are disappearing and this is because of climate change that the government continues to contribute to. How long are people going to ignore that climate change is a real threat to my life and my culture?"
Children's Climate Lawsuit
Georgina Gustin is a Washington-based reporter who has covered food policy, farming and the environment for more than a decade. She started her journalism career at The Day in New London, Conn., then moved to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, where she launched the "food beat," covering agriculture, biotech giant Monsanto and the growing "good food" movement. At CQ Roll Call, she covered food, farm and drug policy and the intersections between federal regulatory agencies and Congress. Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, Washington Post and National Geographic's The Plate, among others.
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More by Georgina Gustin
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Home/Student Voices /Open Letter to the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU
Open Letter to the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU
Jewish Voice for Peace 07 November 2017 Student Voices
An open letter from New York University Jewish Voice for Peace, in which they ask other NYU clubs to pledge to not go on the Bronfman Center’s “Israel Experience” trip.
To the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU:
We, the undersigned student groups, pledge to not participate in or apply for the “NYU Israel Experience.” This trip openly targets student leaders, members of student government, and students involved in religious and interfaith life, and is part of the right-wing strategy to combat the Palestinian movement for human rights and self-determination in the academy.
The 3 sponsors of this trip, the Bronfman Center for Jewish Student Life at NYU, UJA-Federation of New York, and the Maccabee Task Force, have openly stated their opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement for Palestinian human rights. Rabbi Sarna, the Executive Director of the Bronfman Center, has stated that Bronfman’s motivation for funding trips to Israel is to create “passionate attachment” to Israel and that they are a primary strategy of fighting against BDS on college campuses.
If the question of a boycott of or divestment from Israel arises in student groups or in the Student Senators Council, the financial value of this trip (and other similar trips to Israel), equivalent to thousands of dollars, creates a conflict of interest for student leaders. This would hold true for any free or heavily subsidized and ideologically-motivated trip to any nation. This letter is not an endorsement of BDS, but we believe that trips like the one in question constitute propaganda and are not the right place to educate oneself about Israel-Palestine if one desires an honest analysis of the situation there.
Additionally, we refuse to go on a trip funded by a group as toxic and Islamophobic as Sheldon Adelson’s Maccabee Task Force. Sheldon Adelson has been one of the largest donors to far-right Republican candidates for decades and was one of the largest contributors to the Trump Presidential campaign. He also has used his wealth to push Israeli politics to the right. For instance, Adelson owns the far-right Israel Hayom (Israel Today) free daily tabloid, Israel’s most widely-circulated newspaper, which was instrumental in electing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s current coalition in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
In its efforts to fight the nonviolent Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement for Palestinian human rights, the Maccabee Task Force has funded Islamophobic groups like the David Horowitz Freedom Center, which has endangered student human rights activists by creating, funding, and distributing posters that claim that student activists are terrorists and “Jew haters,” erroneously associating them with Hamas.
Israel has illegally occupied the West Bank since 1967, and Arab residents of historic Palestine have been subject to over 70 years of displacement and ethnic cleansing. The planned itinerary of the “NYU Israel Experience” includes a visit to “the country and surrounding territories,” suggesting that the trip will likely include a visit to the occupied Palestinian territories. Out of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for human rights and self-determination and their demand for Israeli adherence to international law, we refuse to go on a trip that includes a visit to illegally occupied land.
Arab Students United (ASU)
Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA)
Asian Heritage Month (AHM)
International Socialists Organization at NYU (ISO)
Democratic Socialists of America at NYU
Disability Student Union
Latinos Unidos Con Honor y Amistad (LUCHA)
Mosaic: The Interfaith Students of Color Coalition at NYU
NYU Against Fascism
NYU College Democrats
NYU Disorientation
NYU Dream Team
NYU Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP)
NYU Freedom For North Korea
NYU PorColombia
NYU Students Against Expansion and Displacement
NYU Student for Justice in Palestine (SJP)
NYU Sanctuary Student Taskforce
Student Labor Action Movement USAS #44 (SLAM)
The Incarceration to Education Coalition
T-Party at NYU
Queer Union – NYU
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VATICAN INSIDER, INSIDE THE PREPARATIONS FOR A PAPAL TRIP – CUBANS RECEIVE VIDEO MESSAGE FROM FRANCIS ON VIGIL OF TRIP – POPE ENCOURAGES DIALOGUE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION, NAMES NEW DIRECTOR OF VATICAN OBSERVATORY – SECRETARY OF STATE SPEAKS ON PAPAL VISIT TO CUBA, U.S. – VATICAN WELCOMES SYRIAN REFUGEE FAMILY OF 4
Posted in Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Papal Almoner, Papal Trip, Vatican Observatory by Joan Lewis
Pope Francis tweeted today, Friday, September 18: I ask you to join me in praying for my trip to Cuba and the United States. I need your prayers.
A plethora of interesting stories about and from the Vatican today. One great story concerned the Holy Father’s nomination of someone I’ve know for quite a number of years, Jesuit astonomer Bro. Guy Consolmagno, as director of the Vatican Observatory. Bro. Guy, an enormously respected astronomer and highly requested as a speaker, is a native of Detroit.
As I said on my Facebook page this morning: When I discovered that Vatican astronomers were in Hawaii for the IAU general assembly at the same time I was vacationing there, I did not know how to reach them so I wrote Bro. Guy, whom I have known for years and have interviewed, and he contacted the four Vatican representatives in Honolulu. The result was my interview with Fr. Christopher Corbally that aired the last two weekends on my radio show, “Vatican Insider.” Congratulations, Bro Guy!
An even greater story was that the Vatican has accepted a refugee family from Syria an will house the four members in a Vatican apartment near St. Peter’s (that story below – really fascinating reading!)
VATICAN INSIDER, INSIDE THE PREPARATIONS FOR A PAPAL TRIP
As you know, Pope Francis leaves tomorrow morning for Cuba where he will visit Havana, Holguin and Santiago de Cuba. He is the third Pope to visit this Caribbean island but the first whose native tongue is Spanish. He’ll depart Cuba at 12:30 pm on Tuesday, September 22 for the U.S., arriving in Washington D.C. at 4 that afternoon at Andrews Air Force base where he will be officially welcomed by President Obama. Francis will be received at the White House and, while in Washington, he will canonize Fr. Junipero Serra and address a joint session of Congress. His second U.S. stop is New York where he will speak at the United Nations as it marks the 70th anniversary of its founding. The Holy Father will then spend tine in Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families, the principal focus of his 10th foreign trip and his longest one to date. Interestingly enough, this is Francis’ first time ever in the United States and Cuba. although he said recently in an interview that he was on once at the Havana airport between flights.
This weekend, in place of an interview on Vatican Insider, I look at the behind the scenes preparations for a papal trip, at what goes into the making of a papal trip. So stay tuned for that special report that I prepared in July for his trip to Latin America.
CUBANS RECEIVE VIDEO MESSAGE FROM FRANCIS ON VIGIL OF TRIP
Pope Francis, in a videomessage to Cubans just hours before departing for this Caribbbean nation, said he was visiting their country to share their faith and their hope. He expressed the joy he felt when thinking about their fidelity to the Lord, and the strength it gave him thinking about the courage with which they face the difficulties of everyday and the love with which they help and support each other along the path of life. (photo news.va)
Vatican Radio said in a report that the Pope thanked the Cuban people for their prayers in advance of his visit, saying he wanted to be with them as a missionary of mercy, adding “let me also encourage you to be missionaries of the infinite love of God.”
POPE ENCOURAGES DIALOGUE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION, NAMES NEW DIRECTOR OF VATICAN OBSERVATORY
Pope Francis today named Jesuit Bro. Guy Consolmagno, an American and native of Detroit, as the new head of the Vatican Obseratory. Bro. Consolmagno is the current President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, as well as curator of the Vatican meteorite collection in Castel Gandolfo, one of the largest in the world. His research explores the connections between meteorites and asteroids, and the origin and evolution of small bodies in the solar system.
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis Friday addressed participants at a symposium organized by the Vatican Observatory, saying their scientific research on the universe can help promote interreligious dialogue which is more urgent than ever nowadays. He also encouraged an ever deeper dialogue between science and religion.
He began his address by recalling the history of the Vatican Observatory in Castelgandolfo which was formally inaugurated by Pope Pius XI back in 1935 with the words “Deum Creatorem venite adoremus” carved into the wall. The Observatory’s management was entrusted to the Society of Jesus.
Quoting from his encyclical Laudato Si, the Pope said: “Rather than a (scientific) problem to be solved, the world is a joyful mystery to be contemplated with joy and praise. … The entire material universe speaks of God’s love, his boundless affection for us.”
Pope Francis noted that the participants at the symposium were discussing themes related to the dialogue between science and religion and recalled the words of St. John Paul who, in a letter to a previous director of the Vatican Observatory, stressed the need for an ever deepening dialogue between the two. He said such a dialogue, while protecting the integrity both of religion and science, should, at the same time, promote progress for both.
The Holy Father said when it comes to interreligious dialogue, which nowadays is more and more urgent, scientific research on the universe can offer a unique perspective, shared by believers and non-believers, which helps us to reach a better religious understanding of creation. It’s for this reason, he said, that the Astrophysics (Summer) Schools that the Observatory has organized during the past 30 years are a precious opportunity for young astronomers from across the world to dialogue and collaborate in the search of truth.
The Pope noted that the symposium was also discussing the importance of communicating the message that the Church and its pastors are embracing, encouraging and promoting authentic science. He concluded his address by telling the participants that it was very important for them to share the gift of their scientific knowledge of the universe with other people, freely giving what they received for free. “I encourage you to continue along this journey of exploring our universe.”
SECRETARY OF STATE SPEAKS ON PAPAL VISIT TO CUBA, U.S.
(Vatican Radio) Cardinal Pietro Parolin says migration will be one of the most important themes raised by Pope Francis during his visit to Cuba and the U.S. from the 19th to the 28th of September. Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with the Vatican Television Center, Cardinal Parolin also confirmed that the Pope would definitely relaunch his message during his speeches to the U.S. Congress and the United Nations about the need to care for creation that was at the heart of his recent encyclical Laudato Si. The cardinal also spoke about how he hoped the canonization of Blessed Junipero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, would encourage integration within the U.S. Church of an increasingly relevant and important Hispanic component in the nation.
Asked first about the journey to Cuba and the rapprochement between Havana and Washington, Cardinal Parolin reiterated the Holy See’s view that the (U.S.) economic embargo against Cuba should be lifted. At the same time, he said the bishops hoped that this step could be accompanied “by a greater opening (in Cuba) when it comes to freedom and human rights.”
Touching next on the Pope’s visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity of Cobre in Cuba, Cardinal Parolin said it was a “normal” thing to do, because of “the strong Marian devotion of the Latin American and Cuban people” and by going there the Pope would encounter the heart of the Caribbean island and its people.
Asked next whether migration would be one of the main themes of the papal visit to the U.S., Cardinal Parolin said he was sure this would be the case because this is an issue very keenly felt by the Pope to which he often refers. The Cardinal said it was his earnest hope that this encounter between the Pope who is carrying this problem within his heart and a nation that has experienced many waves of migrants landing on its shores “can offer some guidelines” for resolving this ongoing migration crisis.
During his visit to the U.S. Pope Francis is due to canonize Blessed Junipero Serra, a Spanish Franciscan missionary, whom he has described as the founding father of the United States. When asked whether this event is a call for the U.S. to rediscover its Spanish and Catholic history, Cardinal Parolin agreed. He said the main message offered by this canonization is to encourage integration within the U.S. Church of an “increasingly important and relevant Hispanic component” in the nation.
Turning next to two keenly awaited speeches by Pope Francis, one to the U.S. Congress and another to the United Nations, Cardinal Parolin was asked whether the Pope is likely to relaunch the message contained within his Laudato Si encyclical. He replied saying “yes, definitely” but added that he believed the Pope’s remarks would extend beyond the issue of climate change and encompass a “more integral ecology” that takes into consideration the transcendental nature of the human person possessing fundamental rights, “especially the right to life and religious freedom.”
Asked about the criticism that has been raised by some in the U.S. who consider the papal encyclical an excessively strong attack on the capitalist system, Cardinal Parolin responded by saying he believed the Pope would invite everybody to reflect on those issues, adding that it was realistic to realize that “things are not going in the right direction” and therefore there’s also a need to find ways of solving this. “We need a change,” he said.
The final question put to Cardinal Parolin concerned the Pope’s meeting with families from around the world in the U.S. city of Philadelphia and whether that would be the final chance to listen to families on the road leading to next month’s Synod of Bishops on the Family taking place in the Vatican. The Cardinal said he agreed with that and said what will emerge from this meeting is the beauty of the family and the help that the Gospel can offer to families. He said this would be the positive side, without forgetting the great challenges on this issue. Concluding, the cardinal said the meeting in Philadelphia would give the whole Church “a new enthusiasm” and a desire to proclaim the gospel of the family, whilst at the same time, “helping families who find themselves in whatever type of difficulties in living the Gospel in its fullness which is a source of joy, peace and happiness for all.”
VATICAN WELCOMES SYRIAN REFUGEE FAMILY OF 4
(VIS) – According to a press release issued today by the Apostolic Almoner, the parish community of St. Anna in the Vatican has received a family of refugees, consisting of a father, mother and two children. They are Syrian Christians of Catholic Greek-Melkite rite, and fled from their war-torn home city of Damascus, arriving in the Vatican on Sunday, September 6, at the moment when, during the Angelus, the Pope launched an appeal to each parish, religious community, monastery and shrine in Europe to offer shelter to a family.
The four members of the family will stay in an apartment in the Vatican near St. Peter’s. The procedures for requesting international protection were initiated immediately. According to the law, for the first six months after presenting the request for asylum, applicants may not accept paid work. In this period they will be assisted and accompanied by the St. Anna parish community. Until the decision is made in Italy as to whether or not their status of refugee will be granted, further information regarding this family cannot be given. Furthermore, to protect them during this phase it would be appropriate for the mass media to respect their wish not to be sought or interviewed.
With regard to the accommodation of a second family in the Vatican parish of St. Peter, the Almoner is not currently able to provide further information.
In this context of Christian charity towards those who flee war and famine, it is worth highlighting that for many years the Popes, through the Apostolic Almoner, have contributed to the payment of taxes for the issue of stay permits for refugees through the Centro Astalli, directed by the Jesuits (since 2014, 50,000 euros have been disbursed for this purpose). In addition, the Almoner, again on behalf of the Pope, helps many individuals and families of refugees on a daily basis, as well as meeting needs, including healthcare, for many reception centres located in Rome.
Furthermore, a modern mobile clinic, donated to the Pope a few years ago and so far reserved solely for events at which he presides, has been made available several times a week to assist refugees in reception centers, including irregular ones, situated in the outskirts of Rome. The volunteers, who are doctors, nurses and Swiss Guards, are employees of Vatican City State institutions, the University of Rome at Tor Vergata, and members of the Association of the “Medicina Solidale Onlus” Institute.
« POPE FRANCIS’ DAY IN A NUTSHELL – THREE POPES AND AN ARCHBISHOP
VATICAN SPOKESMAN ON PAPAL VISITS WITH CASTRO BROTHERS – DAY THREE IN CUBA: HOLQUIN AND SANTIAGO DE CUBA – HOLY SEE FLAG TO FLY AT U.N. WHEN POPE FRANCIS ARRIVES – »
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Joel Kinnaman
Career Files
Welcome to Joel Kinnaman Fan, your leading source for everything related to the talented Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman. Here you’ll find all the latest news, in-depth career information, high quality photos and much more!
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( Television Series) Joel as Will Conway
More Information? News & Updates IMDb
After being denied the Secretary of State position he was promised, House Majority Whip Frank Underwood begins a ruthless and corrupt climb of the political ladder that takes his career to unprecedented heights as his wife, Claire, searches for her place to dominate in her husband’s spotlight.
( Movie) Joel as Unknown
An ex-convict working undercover intentionally gets himself incarcerated again in order to infiltrate the mob at a maximum security prison.
( Television Series) Joel as Takeshi Kovacs
Set in a future where consciousness is digitized and stored in cortical stacks implanted in the spine, allowing humans to survive physical death by having their memories and consciousness “re-sleeved” into new bodies. The story follows specially trained “Envoy” soldier Takeshi Kovacs, who is downloaded from an off-world prison and into the body of a disgraced cop at the behest of Laurens Bancroft, a highly influential aristocrat. Bancroft was killed, and the last automatic backup of his stack was made hours before his death, leaving him with no memory of who killed him and why. While police ruled it a suicide, Bancroft is convinced he was murdered and wants Kovacs to find out the truth.
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Category: ‘Run All Night’ Category
October 03,2015
Run All Night Screencaps
Melanie Jo / 0 Comments • Captures Gallery Projects Run All Night
I FINALLY got around to screencapping Run All Night and have added the captures to the gallery. Im working on adding Robocop sometime this week so look out for those.
» Movie Productions > Run All Night (2015) > DVD Movie Caps
Joel Kinnaman Stays Versatile
Melanie Jo / 0 Comments • Child 44 Headlines & Rumors Projects Run All Night
BACKSTAGE.COM – Just over a year ago, Joel Kinnaman was learning the hard way that no one knows anything in Hollywood. As the title character of Brazilian director José Padilha’s ambitious “RoboCop” reboot, Kinnaman was expecting to see his profile—already growing, thanks to his starring turn on AMC’s “The Killing”—elevated a notch at the film’s release. But then the Hollywood gods intervened. “ ‘RoboCop’ got hit by half the country being buried under a snowstorm that weekend,” he explains, the disappointment in his voice still palpable, between bites of a gourmet burger at Hollywood gastropub the Pikey. “I’m still proud of it.”
Kinnaman regrouped slightly and assessed his aims. “Things always fluctuate, and you’ve got to keep your eye on what you want to do and why. Then be patient and not sell yourself short. You can only control your work and remaining passionate about it. That’s the trick—and now everything is going really well. Even then, offers were already coming in.”
Three grabbed his attention: the action thriller “Run All Night,” opposite Liam Neeson; the heavily anticipated “Child 44,” out this week, based on a best-selling book by British writer Tom Rob Smith and starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace, and Gary Oldman; and “The Bends” with Rosamund Pike (scheduling the pair is proving difficult).
Clearly, Kinnaman’s career is heating up to the degree that no one in the know is surprised that he replaced Hardy in David Ayer’s “Suicide Squad.” Currently filming another thriller, “Backcountry,” in Canada, Kinnaman will immediately join the rest of the stellar cast: Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Viola Davis, Scott Eastwood, and Cara Delevingne.
In “Child 44,” he plays one of his least sympathetic characters yet. Set in Stalinist Russia in 1953, the film features Kinnaman as loyal Stalinist Vasili, capable of the most heinous acts and riddled with hatred for Leo Demidov (Hardy), who is trying to stop a serial killer of children against much resistance in Moscow.
“I was drawn to the idea of playing a sociopath,” Kinnaman says. “I really like those kind of roles, too. Often they are the bad guys but also some of the people you learn the most from playing. They are the ones that are usually the furthest from you. I loved working on the film. It felt like we were in summer camp; very intense, emotional summer camp. And then of course to work with Tom and Noomi and, most of all, Daniel [Espinosa] again—I love working with directors over and over again, that shorthand you build on a movie; you have it from the first day and it’s always there.”
Kinnaman and Espinosa, a fellow Swede, are close friends who have now worked together on three projects, including 2010’s Swedish film “Snabba Cash” (retitled “Easy Money” in the U.S.) and 2012’s “Safe House,” starring Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds.
Their shorthand, however, led to some consternation on the film’s set in Prague. “It was the very first day of shooting, with 20 extras and crew in a room. Daniel said something that pissed me off, in Swedish. Then we started having a big argument, screaming at each other, then he walked out and I walked out,” Kinnaman recalls. “Then we came back into the room and said, ‘Let’s go.’ We know each other very well. Arguments don’t bother us, and often when we work, we hardly have to talk.”
Rapace is a friend as well, and Kinnaman says she “may have done her best work in ‘Child 44.’ ” She speaks admiringly of his work in turn. “Joel’s acting is beautiful. Every take we did was different, exploring the scenes and the relationship together. I loved it.”
Before leaving for a set, the Kinnaman way is late nights and lots of them. “I read the script over and over. I read the book twice. It’s usually nights when I work on roles, when everything else is closed down,” he says. “Your mind quiets down a little bit because you’re tired. But I don’t go to bed and end up wandering around in my bedroom for four or five hours. All of a sudden it’s 6 in the morning and I probably have to go to work or shoot that day. But my imagination kicks in a lot more when I’m a little fatigued. The worst feeling I can have on set is too many coffees. That makes me present in the wrong way. If I’m tired, I can access everything in a much easier way. I sort of melt right into it.”
His current preparations sound even more exhausting—he films during the day, goes to the gym afterward, sleeps, and eats. “I hate food so much right now,” he grimaces. “I’m trying to look like a cartoon, so I’ve got to gain weight. I gained 28 pounds in eight weeks; I’m trying to do 10 more pounds. If you want to gain this much weight in a short period of time, you can’t eat clean. There’s a lot of mashed potatoes and hamburgers. I’m getting a little flabby.”
“Run All Night” was different again, a strategy Kinnaman admits is virtually his only one. “The culture I grew up in revered the actors who took very different roles. If I was ever so lucky as to have an audience that followed my work, my dream would be that they’d go to see a new film wondering, ‘What’s he going to do with this role?’ ”
Playing Neeson’s son was a dream scenario. “I will never forget his performance in ‘Schindler’s List.’ And ‘Run All Night’ was a beautiful, emotional script, but I did have some notes. My character, Mike, was too clean-cut for someone growing up with a known gangster and alcoholic father. That’s going to leave traces, built-up anger. They accepted my notes and I do feel they added dimension.” Neeson calls Kinnaman “a terrific, energetic actor and a lovely guy.” Kinnaman simply observed him in action. “Liam doesn’t complicate things unnecessarily; there is no chatter. You go in, do your job, and if you carry the conversation of the story inside of you, you don’t have to overthink things. That can be very powerful.”
Kinnaman first acted by chance as a child, and sees parallels with his older self. “My sister was dating Ingmar Bergman’s son, who was directing this Swedish soap opera. They needed a 10-year-old: I got the part and filmed for a year. I’ve since heard I was very opinionated then and was already rewriting my lines.” He didn’t act again until long after school, when he observed friends getting accepted to drama school and thought he might try it out as well, enlisting an older actor as his coach. “One time he looked at me and said, ‘You could really do this if you want.’ And I felt that, too. It was the first time I felt that I might actually be good at something.”
Joel Kinnaman & Genesis Rodriguez Talk New Film ‘Run All Night’
Melanie Jo / 1 Comment • Headlines & Rumors Interviews Projects Run All Night
THESOURCE.COM – Joel Kinnaman and Génesis Rodríguez play husband and wife in Run All Night which is now playing.
Read what they had to say about working on the film, Liam Neeson and more!
How did you feel when you heard you were perfect to play Liam Neeson’s son?
Joel Kinnaman: That is a hug compliment even though he’s an alcoholic hit man in this. I was really honored to play his son in this film and I’m always drawn to father and son stories. I always get very emotional watching them and every friend that I have, older or younger … everybody’s had a complicated relationship to their father at some point in their life. This was a very interesting one.
Genesis told us on set you guys were listening to some cool hip-hop music. What were you guys listening to to get prepped for shooting?
Joel Kinnaman: Jay Electronica. I remember I played that to Common and he was like, oh s*** I haven’t heard this. I was like, I played song to Common that he hadn’t heard. That made my day.
Is that a ritual just listening to some hip-hop of just any music before you take on a big role or in between scenes?
Joel Kinnaman: Yeah sometimes. I mean I had the biggest premiere of my life was after I got out of acting school. I was in the big play of Crime and Punishment. It was the opening of a new national theater with as much coverage as you can get for a play in Sweden. Very much attention. And I was the center piece, I didn’t leave the stage for three hours and 45 minutes, so it was on me. For some reason I was listening to Bob Marley and … we jammed and it worked out really well.
Can you speak about working with Jaume the director and building this character.
Joel Kinnaman: It was a great collaboration. When I got the script, I thought Brad Ingelsby had written a beautiful script. There was one thing with that I felt could be improved and that was my character. He was written a little bit too clean cut. He had a white wife with his two blonde children. For some reason it’s like a lot of Hollywood stories … when somebody’s innocent they’re white which is farthest from the truth. And that he was much more of a victim of circumstance and he wasn’t proactive in the situation. I wanted you to feel that … this kid that grew up with alcoholic criminal father that created a very unstable home environment, he grew up in this rough neighborhood with everybody knowing he’s Jimmy Conlin’s son and even though he did a very respectable thing to create a different life for himself in the opposite life of his father and create a life for his children that he didn’t get, you still want to feel the residue of that background … I wanted him to be a violent person that has a lot of anger inside and that’s where we came up with that he had a run at being a professional fighter and but then he also had a lot of anger issues that he was trying to keep down. When these unfortunate events start to unfold then we also see how he would react in those situations and being proactive in that.
Did you have to train in boxing?
Joel Kinnaman: I did boxing a little bit. I’ve never done any fights, but sparing. A dear friend of mine, he’s actually on the money team, Mayweather’s team, and he’s actually got a title fight in a month, so he hooked me up with his New York trainer, a guy called Don Saxby so I was over there at Gleason’s and Don was helping me not look a complete fool in those scenes.
Can you speak about shooting in New York?
Joel Kinnaman: Yeah. That’s why I was so happy that we were shooting in New York. There’s a sense of humor and a toughness to New York that is so specific to here, it’s a lot of tough love and that’s why I was really adamant that they weren’t going to be like a white couple. They were from mixed neighborhoods so it was great that she also brought a little Latin attitude to it and it’s not easy raising two kids with not much money and you have fights but you love each other. It’s not a big deal but you’re working hard to make it work. I thought she was phenomenal in the film, really a strong woman … she’s feminine but a very strong woman.
What was the set chemistry like with all of the actors?
Joel Kinnaman: It was a hell of a good time. We had a lot of fun and Liam … he’s a funny guy and as soon as we became friends and started joking with each other we’re messing each other up and tripping each other up before the scenes and I was always worried is his back going to hold for this long stretch, do you need me to support you over this old man. He was like get out of the way lad. He’s going to show me boxing, he’s like hey so you’re boxing now … people haven’t boxed like that since the 20s when you were a kid.
Joel Kinnaman On ‘Run All Night,’ ‘Suicide Squad,’ And What Went Wrong With The ‘RoboCop’ Reboot
Melanie Jo / 0 Comments • Headlines & Rumors Interviews Projects Run All Night Suicide Squad
UPROXX.COM – Joel Kinnaman wants you to know that he doesn’t get “taken” in this week’s new release co-starring Liam Neeson, Run All Night. Of course, it’s the Liam Neeson aspect of this equation that has people asking Kinnaman things like, “Oh, instead of his daughter, now it’s you that gets taken?,” which has been frustrating for the Swedish-born actor. (I can back Kinnaman up here, he does not get “taken” during Run All Night.)
Kinnaman became known to American audiences with his performance in the Americanized version of The Killing, playing the brooding detective Holder. Kinnaman parlayed his popularity as Holder into supporting roles in movies like David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragoon Tattoo and the Denzel Washington vehicle, Safe House.
It was a big leap for Kinnaman to take on the starring role as Alex Murphy in the 2014 RoboCop reboot, a movie that still wound up grossing just under $250 million worldwide, but didn’t leave a huge impression on audiences or critics. Kinnaman looks back on RoboCop now and acknowledges there were mistakes – not being rated R is a big one – but certainly has no regrets.
Next year, he’s part of Warner Bros. and DC’s ambitious superhero slate of movies, co-starring with Will Smith in Suicide Squad, playing Rick Flag, a character that Kinnaman admits he didn’t know before he took the role. (To be fair, Flag isn’t exactly one of the more prominent characters in the DC universe.)
In Run All Night, Kinnaman plays Mike Conlon, a man who finds himself on the run from the mob and the police after witnessing a murder that he’s been framed for committing. Eventually, he accepts help from his estranged retired hitman father (Liam Neeson) as the two are basically now trying to avoid contact with pretty much everyone.
Ahead, Kinnaman reveals that he can do a pretty great Liam Neeson impression, discusses his upcoming role in Suicide Squad, speculates what went wrong with RoboCop, and he doesn’t seem upset in the least that he was cut out of Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups. Oh, again, he swears he doesn’t get taken in Run All Night.
When you sign up for a movie with Liam Neeson, do you just assume you’re getting punched at some point?
[Laughs] I mean, I knew right off the bat that it’s a father-son story and that’s what very much drew me to the film. I’ve always gravitated toward father-son stories; I always find them moving and emotional, so I was stoked to play Liam’s son.
Why are you drawn to father-son movies?
Well, I don’t have any friends or any men that I know that haven’t had a complicated relationship to their father at some point in their life… It’s at the core of our emotional being and when we see stories about that, it connects with us.
Joel Kinnaman on ‘Suicide Squad’: ‘The Story’s Dope’
Melanie Jo / 0 Comments • Headlines & Rumors Projects Run All Night Suicide Squad
ABC.COM – Joel Kinnaman is beyond pumped for “Suicide Squad.”
The actor, 35, who is stepping in for Tom Hardy in the Warner Brothers’ movie adaptation of the DC comic, featuring villains like the Joker and Harley Quinn, told reporters today in New York City that “the story’s dope.”
Kinnaman was in New York promoting his new film, “Run All Night,” where he stars alongside Liam Neeson and hits theaters on Friday.
Kinnaman confirmed that he’s in the movie and that he’s been going “down to Toronto on the weekends to prepare.”
He’s also had a dialogue with director David Ayer.
“David, he’s cool, I think you are always afraid when you go into a big superhero movie that it’s gonna be just kind of action and you’re not going to be able to go to the bottom with the characters,” he added. “But he’s going to be able to do both, really give it depth and scale.”
He continued, “All the conversations have been like ‘Wow, we are really going there!’ It’s fun.”
Kinnaman also spoke to reporters sporting a full goatee, and was coy when saying “maybe, maybe not” he would have to shave it off for this anticipated role.
“Suicide Squad” is anticipated for release in summer 2016 and also stars Will Smith as Deadshot, Jared Leto as the Joker, and Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn.
‘Robocop’ Star Joel Kinnaman Becomes a Target in ‘Run All Night’
Melanie Jo / 0 Comments • Headlines & Rumors Projects Run All Night
INQUIRER.NET – Swedish actor Joel Kinnaman (“RoboCop,” “The Darkest Hour”) stars as the son of Liam Neeson’s character in Warner Bros. Pictures gripping action-thriller “Run All Night.”
In the film, Brooklyn mobster and prolific hit man Jimmy Conlon (Neeson), once known as The Gravedigger, has seen better days. Lately, it seems Jimmy’s only solace can be found at the bottom of a whiskey glass.
But when Jimmy’s estranged son, Mike (Kinnaman), becomes a target, Jimmy must make a choice between the crime family he chose and the real family he abandoned long ago. With Mike on the run, Jimmy’s only penance for his past mistakes may be to keep his son from the same fate Jimmy is certain he’ll face himself…at the wrong end of a gun. Now, with nowhere safe to turn, Jimmy just has one night to figure out exactly where his loyalties lie and to see if he can finally make things right.
Kinnaman’s character, Mike, wants nothing to do with his father or his father’s line of work, not since Jimmy abandoned them years ago. A quick run as a professional boxer didn’t pan out, so in addition to his construction job, he drives a limo to support his wife and two kids.
RAN-TRL-8562Kinnaman describes Mike as “another casualty of his father’s lifestyle. He walked out on Mike when he was five and Mike’s lived his life just trying to be everything his father wasn’t.” The only time Mike has seen Jimmy in the past five years has been at his mom’s funeral, and even then Jimmy showed up drunk. Before that, it was only when he needed a place to hide out. “Jimmy has not been a father figure in any way and so Mike takes his own role as a dad very seriously. That’s why he works so hard; he’s trying to make ends meet for his family and his family is everything. It’s what he lives for,” says Kinnaman.
The actor had been on director Jaume Collet-Serra’s radar for some time. “I’m a fan of Joel’s and was just delighted that he came on board. He’s powerful in so many ways—mentally, physically, emotionally—and he brought all that to this character. He and Liam connected immediately.”
Both Kinnaman and Neeson agree that working out the father and son relationship on screen afforded them the chance to become close off screen.
Kinnaman shares, “I’ve always looked up to him, so it was a very special opportunity. It was a great honor to get to play alongside Liam. He’s had so many memorable performances.”
“It was wonderful working with Joel,” Neeson affirms. “We were very much a team, discovering our way through the emotional maze of this fractured father-son relationship. They are suddenly thrust into this situation where they have to trust each other, but Michael doesn’t know how to trust Jimmy.”
Opening across the Philippines on Thursday, March 12, “Run All Night” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.
More Run All Night Stills
Melanie Jo / 0 Comments • Gallery movie stills Projects Run All Night
With the release of Joel’s new movie premiering in a couple weeks, we are getting more photos. I have added some new stills to the gallery as well as a new production photo. So check those out.
Movie Productions > Run All Night (2015) > Movie Stills
Movie Productions > Run All Night (2015) > Production Photos
Run All Night – TV Spot #1
Melanie Jo / 1 Comment • Multimedia Projects Run All Night Videos
Child 44 & Run All Night Posters
Melanie Jo / 0 Comments • Child 44 Gallery Projects Promotional Run All Night
The Child 44 posters are still making their releases and I have added the UK posters to the gallery. Hopefully Joel gets a solo one. I also added Joel’s solo poster from his upcoming movie with Liam Neeson, Run All Night. So check those out in the gallery.
Movie Productions > Run All Night (2015) > Posters & Artwork
Movie Productions > Child 44 (2014) > Posters & Artwork
Run All Night Poster Re;eased
Melanie Jo / 0 Comments • Gallery Projects Promotional Run All Night
The Run All Night movie poster has officially been released. It looks amazing and cant wait to see this movie. So check the poster out in the gallery.
Gallery Link:
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Jacob Johnson is a musician based in the Dallas area. Mr. Johnson specializes in guitar and lute performance, and offers personalized private instruction. His repertoire spans the 15th century to the current day, and includes many popular tunes arranged for solo guitar. Mr. Johnson is a published arranger and composer of music for guitars and other instruments, and has been published as a music essayist.
Mr. Johnson has always been drawn to music; from the daily pestering of his parents to get him piano lessons at just 4 years old, he knew his calling in life. He later pursued the trumpet, eventually performing as soloist with the renowned Wind Symphony of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra after winning their annual concerto competition. He began his collegiate career as a trumpet performance major, but having taught himself to play folk, blues, rock, pop, and heavy metal guitar in his teens, he was captivated by his discovery of the classical guitar at college. He quit the trumpet department and devoted himself to the classical guitar. Since 2006, Mr. Johnson has studied classical guitar with some of the world's finest performers in private lessons as well as in masterclass.
In 2014, Mr. Johnson placed as a semifinalist in two of the three international classical guitar competitions on his circuit. Mr. Johnson acquired his first lute and began studying in the fall of 2014, and in less than 2 months, he was performing in masterclass for one of the greatest lutenists alive, Hopkinson Smith. Mr. Johnson was a semifinalist in the 2015 Texas Guitar Festival and International Concert Artist Competition at UTD, and took the 2nd Place Prize in the 2015 Mountain View College Professional Division Guitar Competition. In November of 2015, Mr. Johnson won the Advanced Division of the 9th Annual Collin College Guitar Competition. Mr. Johnson is currently working on his first cd, Prima Materia, and release information will be forthcoming.
If you are interested in booking Mr. Johnson for your event or for lessons, please contact us at booking@johnsonguitarstudio.com and sign up for our mailing list to receive information about upcoming performances, recordings, sales, and much more. Audio samples can be found here on the site media player or on Mr. Johnson's soundcloud.
Bertoli Sonata Prima 6:15
Bertoli Sonata Prima
Bonaparte's Retreat 0:47
Bonaparte's Retreat
Prelude - Diomedes Cato 0:59
Prelude - Diomedes Cato
Jacob Johnson
St. Anne's Reel 1:28
St. Anne's Reel
Jacob Johnson- Dallas Area Guitarist and Lutenist available for Special Events and Lessons
A Scots Tune 1:34
A Scots Tune
Pavane 1:51
Your Hand In Mine Demo 5:24
Your Hand In Mine Demo
Pavana I 1:37
Pavana I
Prelude by S.L. Weiss 1:56
Prelude by S.L. Weiss
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Smart Tampon Technology: The Future of Reproductive Health
A Q&A with the founders of Illumina Accelerator startup, NextGen Jane
Women of the world − imagine obtaining easy and accessible insights into your reproductive health and fertility every month. NextGen Jane, Inc., one of the genomics startups accepted into Illumina Accelerator’s third funding cycle, is working to empower women by giving them access to actionable health data through its proprietary smart tampon technology. The goal is to help women make informed decisions about health and fertility using data they have access to every month.
NextGen Jane founders Ridhi Tariyal and Stephen Gire talk about their vision for the company, their experience with Illumina Accelerator and what’s next.
What was the motivating factor for each of you in starting NextGen Jane?
Ridhi: As a woman in my 30s, I was looking for ways to understand my fertility, and there just weren’t many resources available, especially outside of the fertility clinic. I was able to find data that was useful in understanding my own fertility by launching a reproductive health clinical trial for which I was patient zero. While that was an empowering moment, it struck me that most women don’t have access to such resources. This helped shape the central premise of our philosophy – women should have access to their health data to make smart life decisions.
Stephen: I spent 10 years in Africa doing research on infectious diseases where infrastructure was lacking and we had to innovate on the fly. I became really good at developing ways to generate high-quality health information using simple solutions and elegant design. Developing healthcare solutions for at-home use requires a similar approach. Sometimes simple innovations make the biggest impact.
What is your long-term vision for the company?
Ridhi: Our long-term goal is optimal and universal access to preventative care for women around the world. We’re going after endometriosis and ovarian cancer first. They’re big problems that need to be addressed quickly. Eventually we want this to be part of a normal regimen women incorporate into their lives every month. Many of us already self-track calories and daily fitness. Soon, we want women to track their reproductive health, so they can manage their fertility on a much more granular basis. We’re also interested in using our device as a research tool to engage investigators in their work.
As you mentioned, you’re focusing on endometriosis and ovarian cancer right now. Why those conditions specifically?
Ridhi: Endometriosis isn’t usually talked about, but it affects about 10 percent of women. The average time between the onset of symptoms (which includes debilitating pain) and diagnosis is 7 years in the U.S. A very high percentage of women with endometriosis eventually become infertile because their condition goes undiagnosed. It just doesn’t make sense! Stephen and I don’t want this to be the world we live in. Early diagnosis can improve outcomes, and that’s what we’re working to do here.
Stephen: The lack of a good diagnostic for ovarian cancer has led to a dismal 5-year survival rate because most patients present in late stages. The tampon gives us access to cell populations that you just can’t get from a blood draw. Given this access to reproductive tissues, we think the early detection of ovarian cancer might be in our wheelhouse.
Talk about the technology as it stands right now. What’s the goal?
Stephen: When we came into Illumina Accelerator, we had a prototype that was functional but lacked reproducibility. The system we created extracts fluid from a tampon for genomic analysis. Through Amanda [Cashin, co-founder and Head of Accelerator] we were introduced to Fathom, a design firm that has helped us optimize that prototype to improve the overall yield and efficiency. We’re currently producing our device for our clinical trial. Those units will generate the pilot data that we need to approach the FDA for regulatory approval. Once we have approval, we can begin arming women with valuable tools like our Smart Tampon to better navigate their health.
NextGen Jane was chosen as one of four genomics startups in Illumina Accelerator’s third class. How has your experience been so far?
Stephen: Illumina Accelerator has played a pivotal role in our success so far. With our initial grant, we were able to generate our first genomic data set. It really did help accelerate what we’re doing. Now, we are on the cusp of generating terabytes of data for women’s health.
Ridhi: When you’re doing something very risky, you generate interest but it’s hard to get that first person to commit. It’s a common challenge for those starting out. Once investors saw Illumina Accelerator committed funding, space and next-generation sequencing capabilities, it galvanized our financing event. Illumina also has a depth of expertise, specifically in the women’s health business. We’ve had access to Illumina’s technology and their rich human capital. It’s also great to have a community of startups that are pursuing next-generation sequencing capabilities, and we’ve gotten really close to some of them. Prior to joining Illumina Accelerator, we worked in coffee shops. It’s something else to have this small, intimate group that’s using the same technology and familiar with the jargon and the hiccups of a genomics startup.
For more information on Illumina Accelerator, click here.
以前の記事 Video: MiniSeq Data to Inform Breast Cancer Research in Ireland
次の記事 Illumina Registers MiSeqDx System in Australia
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On the Classics
How about today we return to my lists of things I like with some opinions on the classics? I've read a lot of classic literature. A LOT. The category is so broad it's hard to really talk about the classics as a whole. So I'm just going to talk about some of my favorites. Some I read independently, some for school. Either way, I enjoyed them enough to single them out. Enjoy!
One of many masterpieces by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment follows Rodya, a Russian college-age man who has kind of a weird concept of power and morality, which leads to him killing an old lady. The entire book is about secrecy and madness and in the end, redemption. The other central character is Sonya, a prostitute who holds to Christianity as a way out of her problems. I read this book in my AP Lit class senior year, and I ended up really liking it.
Why? Well, it presents a lot of questions about morality and such, which are fascinating. It's also very dramatic and fun. But the best part to me is the incredible amount of Christian idealism and iconography in this novel. The ideals of Christianity and love shown in the conclusion of the story fit my own ideas well. It's just the kind of effect I wish for my own work.
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is an interesting depiction of the Roaring 20s, following a few central characters. The point of view is from Nick, who isn't really that interesting. The two characters who fascinate me are Gatsby and Daisy. The story revolves around their romance in the past and present, and especially on Gatsby's great idealism and dreams.
I read this in AP English my junior year, and honestly, you would think I wouldn't like it. It has some awkward content, and it's not a very happy book. But somehow, Gatsby's idealism, even though it doesn't win out, hit me really hard. I'm an idealist and a romantic too. I do recognize the impossibility of many dreams and the loss of the past, but somehow... I feel like he fits me.
This game changer of a book by Harper Lee explores, from a child's view, issues of morality, disability, racism, and compassion. The story, which is set in the Great Depression, follows Scout, a fun little girl who is quite relatable, as she deals with fears of a strange neighbor, Boo Radley, and with her father Atticus's attempt to save a black man from an unfair trial.
I read this in 8th grade for school, and I really enjoyed it. Scout's perspective is a great one to look at the story from. Her determination and spunk are inspiring. The issues addressed in the novel, and how they are addressed, are also incredible. My favorite thing is in the story of Boo Radley. As a promoter of disabled rights with personal experience, this take on a disabled man and his actual good in the world is fantastic to me.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is my favorite classics of all time. It's the story of an adulteress, Hester, in Puritan American raising her child, Pearl. The town treats her as an outcast and searches for Pearl's father to take up the punishment with her. The symbol of Hester's sin is a red "A" pinned to her chest.
I read this independently over a summer, and then again in AP English my junior year. I find that the Romantic style of novel fits me greatly. I love the machinations of the characters. I love the sense of guilt and mercy that the novel points out. I love the ending and the look at Pearl's life. Most of all, I love the duality of the book. The entire story is full of uncertain possibilities. There is so much occult questioning. You see letters in the sky that could be real or could just be a manifestation of a character's psychological guilt. Brooks and streams act in strange ways. Pearl herself appears to be almost a fantastical creature.
Hawthorne never gives you reason to be sure any of it is real. And I love that. I love that so much.
Others I Liked
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
I read this in 8th grade as an assignment, and I really enjoyed it. Tom is hilarious, Becky is really sweet, and I found it quite along my line of thought--more fantastical-minded and dramatic, because that's how Tom sees things.
Hamlet by Shakespeare
I read this in AP Lit Senior year. Of course, Shakespeare is the master of literature. But Hamlet is particularly well-done. I'm not sure why, but Ophelia really captured me. The whole madness thing... and then there's an awful lot of killing people. YAS MURDER.
Medea by Euripides
I also read this in AP Lit, and I really related to it. Greek mythology and a fascinating look at relationships and what drives a person to do the worst. What I took out of this is that it is dangerous to care too much. There's more to it than that, I've heard. But I relate on that level.
Thanks for reading! See you next week for some music.
Images via Goodreads.
Joan link
I approve of your taste in classics!!! :D
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Kirkham A Movie A Day
The Second Home of the Kirkham A Movie A Day Blog
Thirty Years On: 1984 A Great Year for Movies Links
70srichard
This is one of those movies that you don’t really have great expectations for, but that satisfies in the way a good hamburger does. When you want what you want, it fills the bill. There is progesterone fueled, tension filled capers and clever plot twists that are not always logical but work anyway. All of it is served up by a competent cast in a well paced couple of hours. I may not hold onto anything here for very long, but that may make the movie very re-watchable because it just meets our needs rather than our hopes.
I have not always been a Mark Walberg fan, but starting with “Boogie Nights” he has gotten better and better. He was overshadowed by the performance of his acting partner Christian Bale in last years “The Fighter”, but he was top notch and probably deserved a nomination like almost everyone else in the cast got. This is a part that he can do in his sleep now, the tough guy with a family and a heart of gold. He has more heart and common sense than the other characters in the movie and of course he is the luckiest criminal in the world. Every time something goes wrong, he is johnny on the spot with a solution and good timing. Like most caper films, a lot goes wrong here. So we get to see him improvise and take advantage of his bad luck and turn it around.
J.K. Simmons is in the movie and while not the bad guy, he plays a pretty unlikable fellow pretty well. His story gets a bit of a nice resolution which satisfies a old family debt that you won’t remember was there from early in the movie. Giovanni Ribisi is playing a patented scumbag character that he can do so well. He does not get to do much more than glower though because in the long run there are other issues that the set up wants us to be looking for. There are a couple of unbelievable outcomes in the movie that may be tempered because the audience has a stake in some of these characters, and I guess it makes the resolution more palatable, but the film loses any real tough guy veneer as a consequence. It is Hollywood action that we are getting, not some indie that wants us to suffer for our entertainment. Ben Foster is getting to be a stereotype in this kind of movie and he should be careful because he may end up pigeonholed in this part for the rest of his career. I was surprised to see Lukas Haas from “Witness” as one of the crew and Walberg’s brother. He and Walberg play off of each other pretty well in some intense scenes set in Panama City.
There are a couple of schools of thought about crime movies, one says that we should go ahead and accept the anti-hero as our character and use that as our passage through the story. The other sees these characters as a morality play that warns us of the consequences of living a bad life. I wish more people saw “Scarface” as the morality tail it is supposed to be rather than the hero worshiped scum bag that today’s “gangsta” culture has made it. This movie does make contact with the criminal world look unpleasant, but of course it gives a a resolution that is pure Hollywood wish fulfillment. It is not a big idea movie, it is a well made thriller with the requisite hard ass dialogue to sustain the modern audience. I had a giant Coke Zero and a box of Junior Mints to go with this Big Mac, you might like it better with something salty, but you will be satisfied if not really balanced with this movie meal.
When I first saw the poster for the movie, and then the trailer, I thought “The Grey” referred to the wolf that is tracking Liam Neeson throughout the movie. Having seen the film, I now feel the title is a bit more ambiguous, just as the color is somewhere between black and white, the subject here is really the middle ground between having a life or giving up on life. This is a man versus nature story, but it is not just an action flick. There is some thoughtful mediation on what makes us human and what life is worth in the long run. It sometimes runs into cliche, but it is never boring and at least the film makers were trying to say something while entertaining us.
At the center of the movie is the great Liam Neeson, an actor I first noticed way back in “Excalibur” in 1981. He has been known as a dramatic actor primarily for films like “Schindler’s List” and “Michael Collins”, but I know that he was always an action guy since he is Darkman. Three years ago in the movie “Taken”, he laid claim to the mantle of action badass, and each January since then we have been rewarded with an action loaded film. This movie is solid and it also contains what may be Neeson’s best work on screen. It is a physical role to be sure, but he gets many chances to show us what is in a man’s heart and head as well as his hands. There is a scene early on, where he confronts a dying man, he does not coddle him, he does not lie to him, he tells the truth in a way that all people who respect life want us to feel. Later in the movie he gets a chance to back up his words with deeds, but that one quiet scene and his gentile and serious voice go a long way in showing us that the alpha is not necessarily the biggest bully but can be the one with the biggest heart.
In the 1970s, I saw Richard Harris as “A Man Called Horse” and as the “Man in the Wilderness”. He was the king of determination against the elements back then. Neeson takes over this role and lives it to it’s fullest. There are not huge surprises in the movie. Those of you who watch the trailer know that it basically pits a group of survivors of a plane crash, against a pack of wolves defending their territory. To complicate matters the battle takes place in the frozen wilderness of Alaska, so the threat of death does not come just from the lupine adversaries but the weather itself. Neeson’s character doesn’t know everything, but he has the common sense that others in the situation don’t always show. He also has a strange determination to continue to fight because as we see early in the film, he is ambivalent about continuing to simply exist. None of the guys who survive the crash is a sniveling coward, but some of them have given up and some feel so frustrated by their circumstances that they become a pain in the ass. We don’t get to know them as well as we could because the story keeps pushing us forward, and the small bits of character have to come from very brief moments.
The special effects are harrowing in the plane crash and creepy at night as the band is stalked by the pack. There are some pretty gruesome deaths, which make the story all the more frighting because they are rendered in a very realistic way. It almost makes you glad for those characters who are lost without the violence of having their throats ripped out by wolves. There are a couple of scenes in which man is pitted against man, but it never comes to a violent confrontation, just an emotional one. There is very little doubt that the stronger spirit here is the one that drives our involvement with the story. Each of the actors in the final group gets a chance to show what they are capable of as performers. I was impressed by the quiet work of Dallas Roberts and the more flamboyant performance of Frank Grillo. Both of these guys are supporting actors that should work more in more prominent roles.
I don’t know how everyone else will feel about the way the story goes. Looking back over the set up it seems the right resolution, but it may be confounding to many. The moral principles that crop up at times may seem like they are mocking the universe and God, but in the long run it is more complex than that. Each man’s spirit is freed in a manner that befits the situation. Neeson, being the main character gets the strongest spiritual journey, and in the long run it is the one that is most satisfying. There is nothing of cliche in his actions, and the dilemma of “the grey” is resolved very effectively.
Fridays in January are for action films. That is just a personal preference and it seems that Hollywood tends to agree. We get a lot of releases at this time of year that are geared to simple, mindless butt-kicking action. I am anticipating my annual Liam Neeson fix next week, and I am not a fan of the Underworld movies, so this was on the table. The director Steven Soderbergh, has made a lot of films that I have enjoyed. Most of them are character and dialogue driven. They have clever plots and lines to make the movie flow. This film is neither dialogue heavy or full of characterization. I think you can see some of the limitations of his work in this movie. It is a good film, and the story is intricate but as an action film it lacks the drive and rhythms that most of us crave.
Ever since Pulp Fiction, I have noticed that movies and TV shows have employed time shifting story development on a frequent basis. Sometimes it adds to the drama as we anticipate the situation we started in, sometimes it is a humorous device to reveal how foolish the characters have been and sometimes it is simply not necessary. This is one of those movies which employs this device but has no real reason to do so except that it seems a stylish choice. Nothing was added by the back and forth jumps in the story and it made a somewhat confusing spy betrayal story even more confusing. Dramas and comedies can probably make this technique work, but action films need a rhythm to them and this movie never seems to develop any rhythm.
The main feature of the film is the star, a woman who is apparently a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. She has a striking look but is definitely not the typical Hollywood beauty. It appears that instead of casting for a actress who can fight they cast a fighter who can act a little. Gina Carano is clearly a badass, She handles the stunts and fight sequences really well. There are several really well staged fights in the film, including one that opens the film in a dinner and another one that takes place in a hotel room. The hand to hand combat is brutal and realistic with the exception that most action films have, the participants all stand up to a lot more physical abuse than is ever apparent five minutes after the scene is supposed to be finished. The main problem with the story is that it really just consists of one chase after another and then a fight scene. Because it is hard to tell where the plot is headed and why, the sequences feel like time killers until the next point of exposition. There is a lot of exposition. People talk on in long sequences without always revealing what the audience needs to anticipate the next action scene.
It was an interesting choice to have all of the fight sequences and most of the chase sequences occur without a music score to increase the mood. There is a nice low key jazz type score in the sections where characters are setting up the next sequence, and there is a little bit of emotional weirdness in the dissonant score. In the context of a film that is supposed to be all propulsive action, it feels like a failed experiment. The movie never takes off the way the fight scenes and at least two chase scenes do. Also, the betrayal requires a much stronger payoff than we get, at least with the main betrayer. I did think that the final shot worked effectively and does leave something to our imaginations that should be pretty hard. There are several good actors in the film, some of them are under used like Bill Paxton and Antonio Banderas. Michael Fassbender who is on the brink of becoming a major star, has a long sequence in the middle of the film but only take flight in his big fight scene and then a later flashback.
Nothing about the movie should discourage anyone from seeing it if you are interested. I enjoyed it quite well. I just wanted to love it much more than I did. Last year, “Hanna” covered some similar themes and action but with a much more focused story. The style of that movie was much more interesting than this one which feels like a film maker, trying out for the part of an action director. With the Bond films, action helmers like Martin Cambell and John Glen, while not artists by most standards, managed to make movies that feel like they are constantly headed somewhere. Marc Foster, the director of “Quantum of Solace” was not an action director and it showed. We have the same problem here. There is a serviceable plot, a strong central character but a weak execution of the pace and rhythm that most fans of these kinds of film want.
The Art Of The Modern Movie Trailer : Monkey See : NPR
Here is a great article and podcast on movie trailers.
‘We Bought A Zoo
Someone once decided that Christmas is the perfect time for a sentimental movie about family issues, redemption, or heartwarming comedy. It does seem to be a natural fit, and it is good counter-programing to the big blockbusters and Oscar bait that get released about the same time each year. Unfortunately for every, “Cast Away”, “Lemony Snicket”, or “It’s Complicated”, there are an equal if not greater number of misses. Films like, “Toys”, “Seven Pounds”, “How Do You Know?” have been big misses with film-makers that have proven track records but could not quite get it done. “We Bought A Zoo” seems to fall more on the side of a miss than a hit. There are a lot of things going for it; it stars Matt Damon and Scarlett Johanssen, it is written and directed by Cameron Crowe, and it is based on a true story. Still it can’t quite work because it tries so hard to be in that niche, it feels inauthentic.
The problem as I see it is that there are just too many themes and issues stuffed into this movie. There are two love stories for the main character, one for a secondary character, a father-son redemption story, a comedy about the characters that populate a zoo, an allegory about an aging tiger, and the little zoo that can story that contains them all. It just feels like this movie is constantly hitting you over the head with the need to be charming and to be loved. As a result, the focus of the story is hardly on the zoo at all, it is on a lead character who can’t let go of the life that he has lost. It is a life that we are only given short flashbacks on, and we have to rely on the characters to tell us how wonderful it was, we never really get to see it (except for one bit at the very end of the movie).
One other problem I had was the casting of the lead. Matt Damon is a good actor and there is nothing he does here to hurt the film. The difficulty is that he is so good looking and accomplished that it is hard to buy into the self doubt he has in a lot of scenes. The one scene where he tells his children about meeting his wife, he says that the thing he said to her was “why would someone like you ever talk to someone like me?” I will put it to any women reading this right now, can you think of a reason you might talk to a guy who looks exactly like Matt Damon when he first approaches you? Oh and by the way, he is asking this while he smiles shyly and blinks those big blue eyes.
Things happen in the movie that only happen in movies, and they only happen the way they do in a movie. The story suddenly demands that Damon’s character come up with a extra $100,000, after he has been spending without consideration from the beginning. Guess what, that amount of money falls into his lap at exactly the right moment and we get one of the defining decisions that the character keeps making in the story. Will he buy the zoo?, Will he kiss the girl?, Will he decide to spend the money that he comes into in the right way?, Will he finally open the slideshow of his dead wife?, Will he have a defining moment with his son?, Will he step up for the animals in a tough situation?. There are so many set ups and payoffs that it feels like a tennis match at times, Serve and then return and then again.
Crowe also highlights all of this with his signature collection of song cues. Some work fine but others are cloying or repeat the same sad winsome moment over and over again. People accuse John Williams of being heavy handed with an original score, Crowe manages to do the same thing with bits and pieces of contemporary music and classic rock. This is not a bad movie. You will be entertained and charmed at times. It is simply not a great movie and the reasons it is not great are always too apparent. Years from now, someone will have a hard time remebering this film, just like you probably have no recall of “We’re No Angels”. Another holiday film that tried but was just not worth keeping in your head.
Beauty and the Beast 3D
As I have made abundantly clear on multiple posts, I am a sentimentalist and a marshmallow. If a film moves me, I can take it to heart and love it forever. I did just that 21 years ago with Beauty and the Beast. This was the first animated film to be nominated for Best Picture by the Academy Awards, and that was in the days that limited nominations to 5 and there was no animated category for feature length films. “Silence of the Lambs” won that year, but “J.F.K.” and “Bugsy” were also up, imagine that for a collection of diverse films. I am not reducing any of my love for the great Johnathan Demme film, but I thought “Beauty and the Beast” was the Best Picture of 1991.
Today, it was re-released for probably the third time but for the first time in a 3-D format. I am really conflicted about 3-D, most of the time it is unnecessary and it makes it difficult to enjoy a picture because projection lights just do not seem to be strong enough. Sometimes, the original use of 3-D in a movie, adds an element to the film that makes it really different and enjoyable. Films that are re-engineered as 3-D films raise my natural suspicions. That said, the Disney folks have found a way to keep marketing their films to theaters, despite availability on home video, and 3-D is boosting the reason to see some of those truly great films again. Last year we got “The Lion King” and now Beauty.
To be honest, the movies depth of color and beautiful painted backgrounds often made it seem like a 3-D film, even in 1991. The first shot of the castle through the trees as the image moves through a forest and over a brook was stunning in regular 2-D. It was even more amazing in the third dimension. As Belle wanders the castle and encounters statues and relief paintings, they make the eyes pop with dramatic image response. Gaston’s trophy room looks even more ridiculous with a third dimension to all of his antler decorating. That is the main benefit of the 3-D treatment here, the background impress even more than they originally did. The action and characters are not enhanced much by the converstion but that is quibbling, it is still a delight to sit through.
My kids were five and three when we first saw this film. My oldest cried out during the scene where the villagers were on their way to storm the Beast’s castle. She sobbed inconsolably in my lap and I was embarrassed but also proud that she could so freely respond to the emotions in the film. Today, just as 21 years ago, we went as a family and all of us had moist eyes at the end of the screening. I know this is a commercial for the video release of the film in just a couple of weeks, but I have been known to cry at commercials as well so I don’t feel too self conscious. When people complain that it is simply rehashing the past and that Hollywood has run out of creativity when it starts mutating older films for re-release, I have to ask if you have seen some of the dreck that has been foisted on us in the past five to ten years.
I was happy to plop down the extra price for the 3-D, even for a 10:30 a.m. showing, because what I was being sold was worth the price, even if it did not have a 3-D added element. Someday, when my lotto numbers come in, I will open a small four screen multiplex, and show movies that I want to see on the big screen again. Maybe I will be sitting there alone, but that will make it easier for me to shed a tear for how wonderful a movie can be and not be embarrassed in front of everyone else.
Celebrating 50 Years of James Bond on Blu-ray
I’m having a double Ogasim. This is just too cool. Of course I’m going to be repurchasing product I’ve owned for the fourth or fifth time. I guess I am the Consumer that Hollywood craves.
2019 Top Ten Films
2019 KAMAD in Review
Personal Favorite Moments from 2019 Films
70srichard on 1917
le0pard13 on 1917
70srichard on Lawrence of Arabia End of…
B.Joe on Lawrence of Arabia End of…
70srichard on Once Upon A Time in Hollywood:…
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2020 Rodeo Run
presented by ConocoPhillips
Saturday, February 29th at 9:00am
Walker and Bagby
Rodeo Run
Run for a cause! Proceeds from the event benefit the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™. Participants compete in the wheelchair race, 10K race and 5K fun run/walk. Since 1988, nearly $5 million has been contributed to the Rodeo.
Post-Race Party
Participants and supporters are invited to Eleanor Tinsley Park after the race until 12:30 p.m. for a fun celebration of the morning's race and supporting the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The Family Fun Zone will have food, entertainment and more.
Overall male and female (5K and 10K), masters male and female (5K and 10K), and top 3 male and female in each age division (5K and 10K) will be awarded a Rodeo Run spur shoe trophy. ALL race finishers (excludes Sleep-in Option) will receive a medal.
Kroger | 1035 N Shepherd Dr, Houston, Texas 77008
Saturday, Feb. 22 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 27 – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 28 – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
RodeoHouston
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Tag Archives: Los Angelas
April 12, 2015 by Moreland
Back to the Fandoms
So yes, I’m back. I had to take a break for my Easter posts, but I’m back with my fandom posts!
If you were a preteen in the ’90s, chances are you were a fan of these books, TV show, or film. I was a huge fan of all three, even reading the spinoff series about Kristy’s stepsister, Karen. In these books they made middle school and baby-sitting sound so cool and fun. Reality check, it wasn’t as cool or as lucrative; but still I loved these books. I read them so much that these characters became my own friends in a way.
The only thing I really didn’t like was the scenes of California. Clearly Ms. Ann M. Martin had never been to California, as she always wrote it in this stereotypical way. And to be honest it wasn’t just her. Every writer in the ’80s-’90s wrote about California as this sea of blonde, buff, or lean vegetarians. EXCUSE ME? Where are the Latinos, Asians, Pacific Islanders, East Indians, African-Americans, etc? ALWAYS MISSING! And seriously? We are not vegetarians and do not always eat some of the weird things that they say we do. Plus in the book where they win the lottery and all go to California; they have money to go from Anaheim all over Los Angelas, but can’t spare a few hours to go to the San Diego Zoo as it is “too far”. Excuse me? San Diego is not that far for girls visiting from the East Coast and may never go to California again? I could see them freaking out if they wanted to go to San Francisco, Napa, Tahoe or Sacramento as that could be like half a day’s drive, but really? San Diego is “too far” as California is a “big state”.
The other thing that bothered me was the lack of diversity. I know it’s Conneticut and they don’t have the same influx, but still. They act like Jessie is the first black girl to walk the face of the planet at times. Same for Claudia as first Asian.
The other issue I have with The Baby-Sitters Club (BSC) as an adult, those issues of before were all from when I was a kid, is how they never, ever, go to an adult about the problems they have. For instance the grief Claudia faces over the death of her grandmother, when Kristy and Claudia are being harassed by phone calls, when Jessi suspects her friend of an eating disorder (eventually she talks to someone), when homes are being burglarized, deciding to try and catch counterfeiters, etc. I just think, geez that is horrible example to set for children.
But even with their faults, I loved this series. I used to read a book a day and owned almost the whole series. I had a hard time with the books after Dawn leaves the BSC for good, as I felt it just lost it. I didn’t care for Abby coming on to the series as I hated her character. I also disliked the Claudia left behind in seventh grade storyline, the breakup between Claudia and Stacey over a boy, Mary-Anne and Logan’s complete breakup, the fire that destroys Mary-Anne and Dawn’s house, etc.
So now to the characters:
Kristy Thomas is the creator of the club, deciding to invite her best friend Mary-Anne, along with old friend Claudia, and new girl Stacey. She is bossy, opinionated, a know-it-all, show-off, sports nut; but good friend. Her parents are divorcred, as her father left at a really young age. She has a 17-year old brother, Charlie, who’s only role in the series is as a driver; 15-year old brother Sam, prankster and Stacey’s boyfriend for a bit; and a 8-year old brother, David Michael. Her mom dates a gazilionaire, Watson Brewer, and they whole crew move into his mansion. She then gets a stepsister, Karen, who is the star of the spinoff series, and a younger brother Andrew. Her parents end up adopting an orphaned Chinese girl, Emily Michelle. Now a lot of people speculate about Kristy’s uninterst in boys as being secretly gay; but I never saw it that way. As all the girls dated and had these huge crushes, I liked how Kristy just wasn’t really interested in anyone, and when she does find a guy, who ends up moving too fast for her, she breaks it off. I liked this thread as it showed we all mature at different rates, and just because all your friends have a boyfriend, doesn’t mean you need one too.
Next we have Claudia Kishi. She is Japanese and not very good in school, a fact that sucks as she has a genius sister. Claudia is an amazing artist and fashionable, not always wearing actual everyday wear, but rockin’ her looks.
She is best friends with Stacey who is also very interested in fashion. Claudia, Mary Ann, and Kristy grew up across the street from each other and became good friends. Claudia matured before them, and stopped hanging out as much, but when Kristy proposed her idea, she jumped in and brought along Stacey. Claudia had a few interesting storylines. One of the ones I enjoyed a lot was when she began working with Emily Michelle, who was having issues with learning her colors, shapes, etc. Claudia feels stupid a lot of the time as she constantly compares herself to her sister, but I liked that thread as she realizes there are different types of intelligences as she may not be good with one thing, but can do well with another.
Stacey McGill was originally from New York. She was diagnosed with diabetes, which was viewed the same as the plague, causing her and her family to move to Conneticut when a job opened up. I never understood the reason why diabetes was viewed as so appalling, but I liked how they dealt with it in the series. Stacey was constantly having to take care of her diabetes and deal with the temptations and fact that she couldn’t always have exactly what she wants. She was a fashionista and quickly bonded with Claudia. In book 13, she moves back to New York; but luckily by book 26, she was brought back. She was always dating boys, having multiple boyfriends and sometimes having problems arise with them. The storyline I thought was interesting was when she starts dating Robert, star basketball player. Here she has a conflict of issues as she finds out that it is not always easy to juggle boyfriend, friends, and other commitments. Along with the fact that people don’t always meld together as well as you hope. She ends up leaving the club for her new friends, and has to come to terms that these aren’t the same people she hung out with before, and won’t view things the same way. It had a sort of PSA announcement, how the group gets in trouble and she learns that they aren’t as true, BUT, instead of having her old group take her back, she has to slowly regain their trust, making it very real.
Mary-Ann Spier was quiet, mousy, didn’t like confrontation, sweet, and a crier. She lost her mom at a young age and was raised by her father for most of her life. She is best friends with Kristy, but when the crew break up over a disagreement, she meets Dawn and becomes her best friend as well. They find out that their parents used to date and bring Mary-Ann’s dad with Dawn’s mom; ending up stepsisters. Mary-Ann is the first of the group to have a serious boyfriend, Logan Bruno. Now a lot of people hated their relationship, but I liked Logan, until the end when the writers changed him completely. He was kind, caring, and I liked the two of them together. They did have the stupidest fights though. Mary-Ann freaking out over a surprise party, fighting over a way to study, her not wanting to go out but stay home and read, etc. Now the storyline I liked the most was the one where Mary-Ann gets a new look. What’s stupid is that everyone is upset she didn’t consult them, or whatever; but I liked how the meek little Mary-Ann took such a big risk showing that people can change.
Dawn Schafer grew up in Anaheim, CA; the home of Disneyland. She has a younger brother, Jeff, and all seemed well until she was twelve and her parents divorced. They moved all the way to Conneticut, where her mom was originally from. The family are all blonde, vegetarians, and don’t eat processed food or sugar; trying to say that is how all Californians are (wrong! Ghirardelli Square anyone? Or the Jelly Belly Factory?) Anyway, as mentioned above, her mom and Mary-Ann’s father get together, moving into their house and making the two friends stepsisters. Dawn is also eco-friendly and very opionated and sure of herself. Because of her always spouting I am rock solid in my beliefs, I liked the Dawn and the Older Boy and Dawn’s Big Date. In the first book she meets an older guy who turns her into his project, trying to meld her into what he thinks is better. Dawn, having a big crush on him, starts changing her ways. She does the same thing in Dawn’s Big Date, when Logan’s cousin and Dawn’s pen pal, Lewis, is coming to visit. She feels unglamorous and starts decking out in Hot Topic-like fashion. I liked these two stories as I thought they aptly showed how you can think you know yourself and that you are unchangeable, but in reality can still be susceptible to insecurities. After leaving in Conneticut for a while, she misses California too much and spends half her time in CT with the other half in CA. After a little of this, she moves home to CA for good. I missed her from the series, as after that shift it was never the same again. She received her own spinoff series, The California Diaries, which was supposed to be gritty but was often very soap opera-y.
Mallory Pike is brought in when Stacey leaves. She is the eldest of 8 kids, and unlike the other members, eleven years old. What she lacks in years, she makes up in experience. She was a pretty boring character as her only traits was that she liked reading and wanted to be a writer, and hated having such a large family. The storyline I liked with her was the one when she baby-sits the Arnold twins, making a ton of money for a mall trip. I liked this story because it gave her depth (for once) and also the shopping trip at the mall made her seem as one of the group instead of a young hanger-on.
Jessi Ramsey was brought on with Mallory. In book 14, when Mallory is being tested, she meets and befriends Jessi. I liked Jessi more than Mallory as she had a bit more depth. The only thing I didn’t like was the way everyone acted about her being black. They made it seem like she was the only black person in the area, like they had never seen one before. Now I can buy they are a mostly white population at that school, but don’t they watch TV? Movies? It felt like the “Dual Spires” Psych episode.
She was a ballet dancer, and unlike Mallory actually had words of wisdom instead of complaining. My favorite storyline of hers was when she was chosen to be Sleeping Beauty in Sleeping Beauty ballet. That was a good mystery and brought us into the Black Swan (less dark though) underside of ballet.
Besides these books I watched the show, of course.
And I loved the people chosen for the characters. I thought they were perfect and way better than the movie.
I also read The California Diaries which were supposed to be more adult and have an edge. These were okay, although there were some things I really didn’t like. First, Dawn becomes a major tool and no longer someone you want in the series. I did like the Sunny parts, her mom gets diagnosed with Cancer and how she acts when dealing with all the changes was extremely realistic. I loved the Maggie storylines, as she battles insecurities, anorexia, cutting, etc. It was a little strange how she went from the before free spirit, rebel to the type-A perfectionist, though. They add in Ducky, who I could never figure out if he was gay or just metro. The big thing that bothered me was that these 13-year olds were all dating high schoolers. Didn’t their parents think that was a bad idea? I mean why would a 16-18 year old want to date a 13 year old unless they only wanted one thing? Come on girls, stop being stupid. On a whole it wasn’t bad, often their drive to “make it real” just made these depressing situations.
So The Baby-Sitters Club wasn’t perfect, but when I was a kid it was the thing I wanted to read all the time.
The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
I am a huge fan of fairy tales, especially the Brothers Grimm.
The amazing stories in this are just so much fun and full of adventure.
I used to read this all the time to escape life and live within these incredible tales.
I bought the complete set one year and read the tales over and over again.
There are so many amazing tales, that asking me to pick my favorite would be impossible. I have written on them in the past, and there will be plenty more to come.
For more on The Brothers Grimm, go to If the Shoe Fits: Why Cinderella is Actually Awesome
I loved this show so much as a kid. Captain Planet was awesome, with his team of teenagers. For those of you who weren’t watching TV in the ’90s, this show was about Gaia, “Mother Earth”, choosing five teenagers from all over the world to help fight pollution. There was Kwame from Africa with the power of Earth, Gi from Asia with the power of water, Linka from Russia with the power of Wind, Wheeler from New York with the power or fire, and Ma-Ti from South America with the power of Heart. When all combined their powers they brought forth Captain Planet.
My favorite character was Wheeler as I loved his red hair and fiery attitude.
I also liked that he didn’t always agree with everything they were spouting. Like when they said you should only have one kid, he said I don’t think there is anything wrong with having big families. Besides that he was such a fun character as he was always out of the box and doing the unexpected.
Ah, The Nanny. This was a hilarious show that I loved to watch as much as I could. It was actually based a lot on Fran Drescher’s life. Fran Fine is a Jewish girl from Queens, NY. She works in a bridal shop, until her fiancé dumps her for some bimbo and kicks her out of the job. She becomes an Avon Lady, and accidentally applies for the job as nanny for widower, millionaire, British, broadway producer, Maxwell Sheffield. He has three children: Maggie, who is the eldest and completely insecure; Brighton, a prankster who hates all nannys; and Grace, neurotic and precocious. She is hired and finds herself the spice this family needs.
Yep, her unconventional ways, awesome clothing, big hair, and Yiddish are hilarious, endearing, and all around fun. Plus she has the best logic for getting around diets.
Also in the home is the British, sarcastic, bulter (sorry Fresh Prince of Bel Air, they had him first). He and Fran become best buddies, and he is an all-time favorite character of mine as he has the best one liners.
There is also Ms. C.C. Babcock that has a HUGE crush on Maxwell, even before he was a widower.
And of course Fran’s mother,
I love this show. Why did it have to end?
For more on The Nanny, go to Pizza Power
My friend Diana from high school loved this show. She was always going on about it and telling me how awesome it is. After being pushed by her constantly, I decided to give it a look and of course fell in love with it.
The show is similar to the other crime shows that I am a fan of, but this time it covers the military. When crimes occur involving any branch of the military they call in their police force, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. The team is lead by Leroy Jethro “Gibbs” Gibbs, (Mark Harmon). The rest of his team is the funny, alternative, unique, and awesome Abby Scuito the forensic specialist and Timothy McGee is the tech wizard. They had Caitlin Todd, an awesome character, but she was killed and they then brought in Israeli Masaidd agent, Ziva David that I absolutely hated.
But my all time favorite character was Anthony Dinozzo. The Italian, handsome, funny, and sarcastic agent.
The main reason I loved him was he was a huge movie buff that was always quoting things, just like me. And no one ever knows what he’s talking about, just like me.
For the previous post, go to I’m So FANcy!
Stay tuned for part 12
For more Back to the Future, go to Where Were Going, We Don’t Need Roads
For more quotes, go to Let It Go
Posted in Back to the Future, Life as a Fangirl, Quotable Quotes
Tagged Abby Scuito, Anaheim, Ann M. Martin, Anthony Dinozzo, Baby-sitting, Back to the Future Part II, Black Swan, C.C. Babcock, California, California-ness, Captain Planet, Claudia Kishi, Counterfeit, Dawn Schafer, Disneyland, Dual Spires, Fairy Tales, Fran Drescher, Fran Fine, Franz Kafka, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Ghirardelli Square, Grew Up in the '90s, Grief, Grimms' Complete Fairy Tales, Hot Topic, Jelly Belly Factory, Jessi Ramsey, Kristy Thomas, Leroy Jethro "Gibbs" Gibbs, Lloyd Alexander, Logan Bruno, Los Angelas, Mallory Pike, Marc Jacobs, Mark Harmon, Mary-Anne Spier, Maxwell Sheffield, Middle School, Napa, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, NCIS, New Girl, Phone Harassment, Psych, Sacramento, San Diego, San Diego Wildlife Park, San Francisco, Sleeping Beauty, Stacey McGill, Tahoe, The Baby-Sitters Club, The Baby-Sitters Club (Film), The Baby-Sitters Club TV Show, The Brother's Grimm, The Nanny, Timothy McGee, You've Got Mail
March 1, 2015 by Moreland
Please Excuse My Dear Fan Lady
Yep another Fangirl post, chock full of all the things I love. Be sure to check out a few of these as they are awesome and you are sure to enjoy them almost as much as me.
Eureka is a show that is The Twilight Zone merged with Twin Peaks. Now I know most of you are probably scratching your heads at those references, but I will be talking about them later in a future post.
I remember when SciFi, or SyFy as it is now called, first brought this show on TV. I thought it was an interesting idea and happy that they set it in Northern California as people always forget that there is a lot more in California than just San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. I wasn’t into it, but my sister would watch it. It wasn’t until Amazon put it up on Prime that I started watching it and getting into the series.
So U.S. Marshal, Jack Carter, is bringing his daughter home to Los Angeles from who knows where she had run away to. It is late and raining and the two get lost, crashing the car. They walk into the nearby town of Eureka, Oregon (I don’t know why they didn’t just use Eureka, California). With their car messed up, they have to stay in the town a few days and discover that it isn’t any regular area. It is a town full of scientists, giving them a place where they can work and create in privacy. Nearby is the company Global Dynamics that employees most of the scientists, contracting to the military. While they are there, one of the townspeople are creating a time machine that causes a huge rift in time and almost destroys the town. Jack Carter is able to come up with a plan to help over come it, and due to his efforts is promoted from U.S. Marshal to Sheriff of Eureka.
What I like about Eureka is that the Sheriff is very smart but also very much a regular guy. This makes him extremely relatable and also allows him to solve the hard cases, with help, in that he has a different way of viewing things than anyone else. Each episode revolves around a crisis involving an invention, along with giving us clues to a mystery that runs the whole season. It is a very fun and good show and I highly recommend it to anyone into science and mysteries.
I started watching this show because I loved the film Stick It and had wished, too late, to be a gymnast. If I could go back in time I think I would try it, whether or not I would compete and try for the Olympics. Anyways, this show is about four girls trying to achieve the dream of Olympic gold, while at the same time dealing with family, friends, and regular teenage girl stuff.
First we have Kaylie Cruz (Josie Loren), who is rich as both her parents used to be famous and are rich. She is secretly dating fellow gymnast Carter, which has to be a secret as dating is not allowed in the gym or by her parents. Carter ends up sleeping with Kaylie’s best friend Lauren, as Kaylie wouldn’t sleep with him. Most of the first season is Carter trying to keep it a secret, Lauren trying to win him, and Kaylie being oblivious. When she finds out she is pissed, but eventually forgives Lauren. Kaylie goes on to win the National Chap and has a better chance at getting the gold. Afterwards, Kaylie feels a lot of pressure as everyone had expected Payson to win, and feel as if Kaylie didn’t deserve her title as Payson was out with a back injury. She constantly feels as if she has to defend herself and her talents. The gym brings on Austin Tucker (Zane Holtz), who I really liked, but Kaylie dislikes. Kaylie also becomes anorexic as the pressures from the gym, her father and mother, her parent’s divorce, and a need to be in control. Now a lot of people made fun of this as abcfamily was trying too hard or something, but I thought this was done very realistically and well in regarding what it is like to be anorexic and how other issues can compound into it. Austin sees what is going on and helps her come to terms with it and seek help. While Kaylie is recuperating, she starts singing and hanging out with Damon. She eventually is ready for worlds, bringing in the gold. The third season sees Kaylie on the team in London, getting ready for the gold and Austin’s girlfriend.
Payson Keeler (Ayla Kell) is from a middle class family that is always struggling to get the money to support their daughter’s dream. Payson is extremely focused on her goals, being the best of all the girls on the team. In the first season Lauren‘s father blackmails their coach, getting rid of him. Sasha Belov is brought in, and Payson is ecstatic as he is one of her idols. When they hear of a party in the area, Payson does not want to go, but ends up coming too as she wants to make sure the other girls stay out of trouble. She has some back problems, but conceals it from everyone. She ends up damaging herself and loses her chance at worlds and messes up her back completely. In the second season she starts a relationship with Nicky Russo, played by Cody Longo. This didn’t go far as he ended up leaving the series. I was sad about this as I LOVED him. I was also sad as every guy Payson started to get with, ended up disappearing shortly after they proclaimed their feelings. Payson was the best as she worked through her trauma and disappointment to try other things, and was brave enough to try an experimental project, restoring her. When she comes back, her body isn’t exactly the same and she finds herself not being able to do the same things, changing to be one on grace. She gets involved with Max, Austin’s friend, and they start dating, but then he left to be the lead guy on Revenge. She goes on making it to London, and meeting a guy there.
Lauren Tanner (Cassie Scerbo) is the rich, spoiled, princess as she is the apple of her dad’s eye and used to getting anything she wants. She wants Carter, and his constant denying her for Kaylie makes her incredibly angry and want him more. Kaylie finds out and is angry, but the two work through their issues and become friends again. A new guy, Max, comes into the gym and is into Payson, but Lauren wants him and bad. She constantly tries to seduce him, not always getting the responses she desires. On one of their dates she gets in a car accident, she’s okay but Max is out of the competition. She eventually focuses on her gymnastics and sees herself setting off for London.
Emily Kmetko (Chelsea Hobbes) is a girl from the wrong side of the tracks. She has a single mother who does nails, and later works as a waitress at a strip club to make ends meet. She also has a younger brother in a wheelchair. She has been trying for years to get into a gym, and eventually scores a scholarship. She faces the most issues out of the girls as she has money she is trying to earn to stay afloat, trying to take care of her brother, and trying to befriend girls who have been friends for years and hate her. Eventually, they all become friends, but it takes quite a while. She meets this guy, Razor at work and kind of likes him; but when he goes out of town, his best friend Damon fills in for him. Damon was the best character, and when the series got weird and too silly, he was the anchor I loved, the reason I watched.
Yep, he was awesome. He was always there for her, he helped her practice, he got her family to Nationals, he brought Radiohead, when she wanted to wait to have sex he was all for it, when she decided she wanted to be with him and ended up pregnant (the actress was pregnant in real life) he went after to her to help raise the baby. He was awesome and hot…and I love him. 🙂
For me the love of this author began with one book Jurassic Park. You see I have always loved the series, it is one of my all-time favorites, (and you can read a review here). After one of my constant viewings, my mother mentioned it was based on the novel. I decided to start reading his book, buying every one I would find in a book sale. I still have one to go, The Andromeda Strain, but besides that I have read everything he has ever written. I love all his writings as the characters are great, the plot always suspenseful, and I love the melding of science-fiction and technology with horror, history, etc. Almost every book has been turned into a film, but sadly I have yet to view how they all were done. Each one is amazing and I recommend them all.
Jurassic Park- In this book, a genetic company has decided to try to bring back dinosaurs. By using frog DNA to fill in the gaps, they have created new versions of the creatures. John Hammond, the head of the company, has asked a group of people to visit and review his island. Ready to review is paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant; paleobotanist, Dr. Ellie Slatter; Ian Malcolm; and Hammond’s two grandchildren. Of course, “life can find a way”, and these creatures do what they want to; causing havoc on the island. This has quite a few differences then the film, with the dinosaurs escaping the island; a pterodactyl fight, more deaths of the group, and no relationship between Dr. Grant and Dr. Slatter. However, I think both are done very well and could watch the movie or read the book again and again.
The Lost World- Now when I first watched the movie, I thought it was okay and denoted it as my least fav in the series. However, after I read the book, I had to agree that the movie was better. This book was okay, it moves much slower than the original and doesn’t have as many lovable characters. In this book, Hammond reveals that there is a second island of creatures that survived from the previous book. He sends in Malcolm with a crew of people, and two stowaway kids. This isn’t a horrible book, but just pales in comparison to the original.
Timeline- This is one of my mother’s absolute favorite books, and she would constantly talk about how great it was. I decided that this would be the next book that I would read of Crichton, and it was AMAZING! I love this book so much. We have group of graduate students and archeologists, all working in Medieval history. One is focused on architecture, one on technology, one on fighting, etc. They find an amazing discovery, and are immediately swept off to a secret organization that has produced a technology allowing traveling through time, right back to medieval times. The group goes to find a friend sent before, and find that living history is fun, but also incredibly dangerous. The film was also really good, starring Paul Walker and Gerard Butler, the only thing I disliked about it was that in the book each person encountered what they were studying, helping them further their research. In the movie they cut that out, sadly.
Airframe- Just an ordinary day and an ordinary flight from Hong Kong to Denver. That all changes when it crashes with a hundred injured and three killed. What happened to the flight? It’s up to investigators to discover who was at fault; the plane, the airport, or the pilot?
A Case of Need- This was Crichton’s first novel and utilizes his medical training. The book is set in a Boston Medical Center, where a patient receiving surgery is killed. Is it just an accident or murder?
Congo- Deep in the Congo, near the ancient city of Zinj, eight American geologists are brutally and mysteriously murdered. Karen Ross, the project supervisor back in America, watches video feed of the massacre. In San Francisco, primatologist Peter Elliot has been able to teach a gorilla named Amy over 600 signs, finger painting, etc. Lately, Amy has been acting strangely and painting horrible things, that Peter thinks maybe it is time to take her home. A map from the 17th century supposedly leading to Zinj matches up with Amy’s finger paintings exactly. When all three parties intersect, a strange expedition sets out to discover what holds Zinj. This was made into a less than stellar film, of which I will review in Horrorfest IV.
Disclosure- This is an interesting book, although it doesn’t seem like it in the beginning. Thomas Sander has had a bad day. He is passed over for a promotion by an old flame, and his new tech is having some glitches. When his boss asks him over for drinks, she immediately comes on to him. He refuses, and leaves. The next day she is charging him with sexual harassment and Sanders is fired. Luckily for Sanders, he accidentally recorded what happened and tries to turn the case around and sue his boss. But Sanders start wondering, why would his boss do that? Was she so upset that he turned her down? Or is there more to this case then meets the eye?
Eaters of the Dead- This is a retelling of Beowulf told from the point of an Arab courtier, who finds himself unwilling dragged along a quest to destroy the monster, Grendal. This too was turned into a film I have yet to watch, but starring Antonio Banderas.
Five Patients- This is a non-fiction volume that tells of Crichton’s experiences as an intern at the Massachusetts General Hospital.
The Great Train Robbery- This is another novel that I love. Based on the historical event, Crichton once again is able to meld the account with amazing characters. In this, the charming and persuasive Edward Pierce easily moves through society in Victorian London, all the while plotting the crime of the century…The Great Train Robbery.
Prey- This one of my all-time favorite books. The way Crichton writes it, it is so haunting and amazing. I don’t want to give too much away as you REALLY should read it.
Jack Forman lost his job and took on being the one taking care of his daughter and the home. His wife works at Xymos Corporation and has been acting weird. Other things start to seem strange, but Jack thinks it is nothing but his imagination. When his wife hires him on, he discovers that the mirco-bots that Xymos produces are not as benign as he was told. In fact, there is much more horrifying things happening than Forman could ever imagine.
Rising Sun-During the grand opening celebration of the new American headquarters of a Japanese company, the dead body of a beautiful woman is found. The investigation begins, and immediately becomes a headlong chase through a twisting maze of industrial intrigue and a violent business battle that takes no prisoners. This two was turned into a film I have yet to view.
Sphere- This book always makes me think of the film Forbidden Planet. In this a spaceship on the floor of the ocean is discovered. Scientists prepare an expedition and head down to the ship, discovering a ship over 300 years old and holding a power much stronger than any could imagine. This power gives them increased abilities and paranoia. One scientists starts using his power to attack the ship and people, but which one? I really, really loved the book and couldn’t stop reading it the first time I had it. They turned this also into a film, of which I have had problems getting my hands on it. When I do see it, you can bet it will be a part of a future Horrorfest.
State of Fear- In this book Crichton spins a tale of political conspiracy. As eco-terrorists and global warming are the biggest issues ands causing all kinds of destruction, one investigator starts wondering if whether this is just a smokescreen for something far more sinister.
The Terminal Man- Harry Benson suffers from horrible seizures that cause violent outbursts. He is experimented on and has electrodes placed deep in his brain’s pleasure centers, effectively short-circuiting Harry’s seizures with pulses of bliss. The surgery is successful, but while Benson is in recovery, he escapes and his violent impulses have grown; leaving a horror in his wake.
Travels- An account of Michael Crichton’s travels abroad and all over the world.
Next- This is his last complete novel and is an amazing story. In a world where we focus on our genes, what diseases we might carry, taking apart our genome; Crichton speaks on how such technology can get out of hand. A man going in for tests ends up having his blood and genes patented and in a sense sells his children into slavery of a company. A man who wins custody from his wife on the basis of her high possibility of becoming afflicted with deadly diseases; and an ape human born of gene splicing.
Pirate Latitudes- This was Crichton’s last book, but was unfinished. It was a “complete” manuscript, but was missing the special Crichton charm that each story has. Jamaica in 1665 is the home of people willing to go after gold and riches of the Spanish and Portuguese. If caught they are pirates, if they make it out with the wealth then England gets a cut and everyone is happy. Captain Edward Hunter is one such type and decides to go after the dangerous island of El Trinidad. A crazy scheme that will have enormous bounty if it succeeds, or incredible death if it fails; leads Captain Hunter and his team on a a swashbuckling adventure.
For more on Michael Crichton, go to Just Follow the Screams: The Lost World (1997)
So I started watching this show on accident. The episode “Red Handed” came on after something else I was watching. In the episode “Red Handed” the CBI (California Bureau of Investigations) team discovers a right hand straddling the California and Nevada state lines. After measuring it, they discover that it is inside the California boundary, and therefore the CBI’s responsibility. After that I was hooked. I caught up on the previous episodes and became a big fan.
So the series is about Patrick Jane, played by the incredibly handsome Simon Baker, who is a “psychic” consultant to the CBI.
Patrick Jane has such style. He only drinks tea, he has an Aston Martin, and always dresses amazingly sharp. Anyways, Patrick Jane isn’t really a psychic. He is extremely intelligent and observant, a sort of kind, sweet, and charming Sherlock Holmes. He never went to school, but was raised by his swindler father who touted him a psychic in his carnival show. He married a woman from a similar background and the tweo had a daughter, Charlotte. He went on to make millions off his “psychic ability”. It gained the attention of Red John, a serial killer, who murders his wife and child. This brings Jane to consulting with CBI as he does it from his guilt and in order to get a view of the official files. Red John becomes Jane’s Moriarity as in each season Jane continuously searches for him.
The team is lead by Teresa Lisbon (Robin Tunney), who is a no-nonsense cop. She is the perfect foil for Jane as Lisbon is tough and serious; while Jane is comedic and more fanciful. They have a platonic relationship, but like Bones and other cop shows there is something simmering under the surface.
Then we have Kimball Cho, who second to Jane is my favorite character. Cho is always reserved and speaks in a monotone.
But he is very intense as well. He is honest, straightfoward, observant, and altogeether awesome. We later find out that there is a lot more to him than meets the eye. He used to be a baseball player, gang member, and Special Forces.
Then we have Wayne Rigsby who is absolutely adorable, sweet, and charming. He was raised by a dad in motorcycle gangs and coming in and out of prison. He’s more relaxed than Cho, but more serious than Jane. He is also in love with fellow team member Grace Van Pelt. Grace Van Pelt is tough, but sweeter than Lisbon. She has a famous father, and tries to live up to his name. She is always focused on the job, but Rigsby constant infatuation starts her thinking of maybe more with him.
I used to watch this every Thursday without fail, but school got in the way and I am way behind in desperate need of catching up. The show just ended this last February, which saddens me as it was an awesome piece of TV.
So I love the library.
When I was in college I would spend hours in the library; working, reading, watching movies or TV shows. The library had a great selection of movies and TV shows that I really utilized. But that library wasn’t enough for me. I also went to the city library for books and films. Every time I went there I would see the DVDs for the show Midsomer Murders and wanted to check them out, but never felt I had the time. This summer as I would write my blog posts on my computer, I would also watch movies and TV shows on my phone. Or at least try to as I had a little screen. One day Midsomer Murders popped up in related videos and I was estatic watching them. Now youtube doesn’t have every episode and I watched them out of order, but I really, really enjoyed the show. When I got another free month on Netflix I started rewatching the episodes and loved it all over again!
This series is based off a book series and set in England. How their Department of Criminal Investigations (DCI) teams works is that they have a county in which they travel all over investigating, sort of like the Sheriff’s department. Tom Barnaby (John Nettles) is head of the Midsomer unit and is extremely intelligent and excellent at his job. Unfortunately for his wife, a murder tends to occur whenever she wants to do something, causing Barnaby to miss it. He also has a daughter, Gillie, who is in college and studying to be an actress. He starts out with his assistant being Sgt. Gavin Troy, who I didn’t like as he wasn’t that bright, and same for his second assistant Sgt. Dan Scott. I really liked his third assistant Ben Jones, because he was very smart and actually helped solve the mysteries. The series is ongoing, but I don’t really like the newer episodes as Tom Barnaby retired and his nephew, John Barnaby, took over. He was good, but Tom was way better. Tom had a way of gathering information that made you not realize how intelligent he was until the end when he is the only one who has put the whole picture together. The mysteries were amazing, and often times really puzzling. The only thing that I kept questioning was, how do these small country towns survive with so many deaths? I highly recommend this for any mystery fan.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this show. I grew up watching it and wish they had still played it on TV as I got older as I truly love this show.
Angela Lansbury plays J.B. Fletcher, former high school teacher and now famous mystery author. Every episode Jessica (the J in J.B.) will be minding her own business working on something or visiting a friend and get caught up in a mystery. Usually she can either get someone to share info with her, or is able to have some kind of insight that solves the case. If you love mysteries, then this is a show for you!
For more Murder She Wrote, go to At the End of the Rainbow: 17 More Irish Heros
For the previous fangirl post, go to A FANtastic Voyage
Posted in Life as a Fangirl
Tagged A Case of Need, Airframe, Angela Lansbury, Anorexic, Aston Martin, Austin Tucker, Ayla Kell, Ben Jones, Beowulf, Bones, California Bureau of Investigations, Carter, Cassie Scerbo, Chelsea Hobbes, Cody Longo, Congo, Damon Young, Department of Criminal Investigations, Disclosure, Dr. Alan Grant, Dr. Ellie Slatter, Eaters of the Dead, Emily Kmetko, Eureka, Fangirl, Fangirls, Fangirls Have No Lives, Five Patients, Forbidden Planet, Gerald Butler, Gerard Butler, Global Dynamics, Grace Van Pelt, Grendal, Gymnastics, History, Ian Malcolm, J.B. Fletcher, Jack Carter, John Hammond, John Nettles), Jorge Luis Borges, Josie Loren, Jurassic Park, Kaylie Cruz, Kimball Cho, Lauren Tanner, Life of a Fangirl, Los Angelas, Make It or Break It, Massachusetts General Hospital, Michael Crichton, Midsomer Murders, Military, Murder She Wrote, Nationals, Netflixing, Next, Nicky Russo, Northern California, Olympics, Patrick Jane, Paul Walker, Payson Keeler, Pirate Latitudes, Prey, Psych, Psychic, Radiohead, Red Handed, Red John, Revenge, Rising Sun, Robin Tunney, San Diego, San Francisco, Sasha Belov, Scifi, Serial Killer, Sgt. Dan Scott, Sgt. Gavin Troy, Sheriff, Sherlock Holmes, Simon Baker, Sphere, State of Fear, Stick It, SyFy, Tea, Teresa Lisbon, The Andromeda Strain, The Great Train Robbery, The Lost World, The Mentalist, The Terminal Man, The Twilight Zone, Time Machine, Timeline, Tom Barnaby, Travels, TV Show based on a Book, Twin Peaks, U.S. Marshal, Wayne Rigsby, Zane Holtz
January 19, 2015 by Moreland
I Left My Car in San Francisco
This postcard did not lie. I had quite the adventure in San Francisco.
Now I have traveled to San Francisco numerous times and have loved it. I have had all kind of adventures from getting lost in San Francisco, going to historic sites, traveling to see The Godfather on the big screen, touring Alcatraz at night; but nothing compares to this last trip.
So it started out very tame. My friend and I had been enjoying Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday weekend. As the spring term had just started, we didn’t have much homework and decided to do a Lord of the Rings marathon. As we were watching Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, one of my friends, Alex, brought up the idea of shopping in San Francisco.
Alex wanted to go to Union Square and Elaine was eager to join him. I wasn’t sure as I had work later that day, but Elaine had work too, so both assured me we would be home in plenty of time.
I was waffling, but then they dangled a trip to the de Young museum. Now to some that might sound really boring, but to me that was the deal breaker. They were having this exhibit on the Dutch Masters, and I am a huge fan. Johannes Vermeer, Jan Van Eyck, Jacob Van Rusidael, Rembrandt, William Kalf, Rachel Ruysch, etc. So that was it, I was in.
So the trip was on and I was excited!
So the next day went reasonably well. We started out to San Francisco talking about music, movies, philosophy, whatever. And we headed down to Union Square.
Now I am not completely adept at fashion. In most cases I know what looks good on me and always try to dress well. Or at least matching to what I expect the day to be like.
And after all Marc Jacobs says:
Well that’s all fine for Marc, but when you go into those high end shops in San Francisco, not only do I become aware of how little money I have, but also everything that is old or wrong with my outfit. You know missing buttons, scuff marks, frizzies on the sweaters, etc.
I actually didn’t feel as self-conscious this time. And it’s not because I was wearing some great outfit. Actually, most of the clothes I saw there were just ugly. To me the colors were wrong, designs, and even the accessories. The shoes were cute though.
So Alex didn’t find anything that he wanted, and Elaine and I did not have the money for anything even if we saw something we love. So we headed down to the museum.
As we start heading to the museum…that’s when it happened.
When the engine overheats.
Ahhh!
So we need to turn the car off and let the engine cool, and figure out what to do. Only one problem, we’re in San Francisco. That means…NO PARKING!!!!!!!!!!
Crap!
Yep we drove around and around and around and around trying to find a spot but where getting NOTHING!!!! Not only is there NO parking, but all the empty spots are now reserved for smart cars. It made us all so furious!!!!!!!!
We didn’t do that. We were able to finally find a place to park. The only problem now is that Alex didn’t know anything about his car.
He had just gotten it. While he started calling his father, Elaine called her father and started looking for the manuel.
It turned out that since Alex’s car was really fancy and expensive, he needed a special kind of coolant. So then began more calls as we had to figure out which store carried the coolant to put in the car. After we found a store we had to try to get to one and find parking.
Yep, this meant we spent another 20 mins trying to find a place to park.
We finally founs a place near an O’Reilly’s and put in the coolant. Now, by this time it was too late to go anywhere else. Alex thought we had a chance of going to the museum and then heading back, but Elaine and I both agree to not risk it. So we said good-bye to San Francisco and started heading off toward home when…
Yep you guessed it, the adventure is not over yet.
As we start driving across the bridge the light comes on AGAIN!
We were so scared. Now for some of you who have never been on the Golden Gate Bridge, let me tell you that is a place you DO NOT want to get stuck on. I just started praying we would make it off before something happened.
Luckily we made it off the bridge and decided to stop at the nearby Vista Point to call a tow truck.
Now I’ve never been to Vista Point before, I wasn’t ever really aware of it before this time, but apparently it is a BIG tourist attraction as the place was packed chock full of people. We couldn’t find parking ANYWHERE!
I know, just not our day. Am I right?
So we drive around and around, hoping and praying for a parking spot. Along with hoping and praying that the car doesn’t break down while we are searching for it.
And it was kind of weird because I noticed a piano mover’s truck there. Why would a piano mover stop at Vista Point and stay there? They were there for quite some time. It was weird.
Anyways, so we finally manage to find a parking spot and Alex calls a tow truck. And we all begining calling people to try and find a ride into the city with the car and a ride home.
I’m thinking, this’ll be easy!
First I call work and let them know there is no way I’ll be able to make it in and then I immediately think to call my Aunt Ann and Uncle Jeff as they live in San Francisco, and I know they would help us out. Unfortunately no answer.
So then I call my cousin Celeste who also lives in San Francisco. No answer.
Then I call my cousin Erik, who doesn’t live in San Francisco, but was visting his mom, my Aunt Ann. No answer! By now I am getting pretty upset, and wondering why NO ONE is answering their phones. This was how I felt:
(I later found out that my Aunt and Uncle didn’t answer as they were not in San Francisco but in Napa visiting friends; my cousin Celeste was in Los Angeles visiting family; and my cousin Erik was heading back to school.)
Alex and Elaine were also having no luck reaching our friends. Our friend Aylin had gone home for the weekend, as did our friends Haley and Allie. Our friend Julie was in San Francisco visiting friends, but had gotten sick and couldn’t get us either. Alex called his roommate Roger, but Roger had lent his car to his girlfriend Cora.
So we were stuck and it sucked.
Elaine’s parents lived not too far away, although with traffic it was going to be like two hours, but they offered to pick us up if we couldn’t find anybody. We didn’t really want to have them drive all that way and back, so Alex decided to call a cab into the city as soon as the tow truck took the car.
So were stuck waiting at Vista Point.
Now usually I bring a book with me in my purse just in case of situations like these.
But this was the ONE time I didn’t and it could have really come in handy.
Instead we ended up making up stories about the people who were there visiting Vista Point, in order to pass the time. The best one was the one Elaine came up with, making one couple spies on some super secret mission involving my suspicious piano movers.
Eventually the tow truck came and picked up the car. As soon as it was gone, Alex called the cab company who said they could meet us in 15.
There is always a but
We had to go on the other side of the bridge. Yep, we had to go down the creepy stairs under the bridge that looked like they were going to fall apart.
Yes, and I’m not kidding. Underneath the bridge is uber creepy. It’s the kind of place that serial killers or rapists would hang out.
I actually wouldn’t be that surprised if I saw him there. Or him.
So we finally make it to the other side and are waiting. Waiting, waiting, waiting, and waiting. 15 mins pass and no cab.
Grab your torches and sharpen your pitchforks!
Just kidding. But we are upset. It’s getting later and later, we are hungry and we want to get to the shop before it closes. Alex calls the cab company again, and they tell us the car is on the way.
Now the side of the bridge we were on was where bikers or cyclists as I should really say, hang out. There were large groups and a couple from Australia that were really cool. But…there were some really weird people.
So we had been waiting about 30 mins, when these two guys come up on their bikes. They had been drinking beer and biking. They saw me and Elaine and tried hitting on us, but they were pretty dumb.
Then they decide they need to pee and just whip their junk out in front of us.
I mean come on dudes. After that we had some other weirdos come, and we decided that the cab wasn’t coming (50 mins now). Alex called the tow company who told him he didn’t have to come today as his dad had already made arrangements. So we called Elaine’s parents and headed over to Vista Point as fast as we could.
So we went to Vista Point and started waiting. Shivering as it was getting colder. And then we discoverd that Vista Point didn’t have the best upkeep. Lights kept flickering.
It felt like we were in a horror film or something.
Finally Elaine’s parents get there, and we are all so happy we practically leap for joy!
We head on home, stopping for a bite along the way.
So that was my adventure in San Francisco, it wasn’t the first, and it will most definitely not be the last.
For more scenes from my everyday life, go to Five to Nine
For more on Marc Jacobs, go to Perfectly Imperfect
For more on Gilmore Girls, go to What a Fanatic!
Posted in Modern Times, Musings of Me
Tagged Adventure, Adventurers, Adventures, Alcatraz, Australia, Bicyclists, Bikers, Book, Cab, Cab Ride, Captain Hook, Carry a Book With Me, Coolant, Cyclist, De Young Museum, Dean Forester, Dean Winchester, Dutch Masters, Engine Overheated, Fashion, Freddy Kreuger, Gilmore Girls, Golden Gate Bridge, Halloween (1978), Horror, Horror Film, Jacob Van Rusidael, Jan Van Eyck, Jensen Ackles, Johannes Vermeer, Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Los Angelas, Marathon, Marc Jacobs, Martin Luther King Jr., Michael Myers, Movie Marathon, Museum, Museums, Napa, No Parking, Piano, Piano Mover, Postcard, Rachel Ruysch, Reality Sucks, Rembrandt, Rory Gilmore, San Francisco, Serial Killer, Serial Rapist, Smart Cars, Some Like it Hot!, Story of My Life, Style, Terrible Mistake, The Godfather, The Great Gatsby (1974), The Grinch, The Once Upon a Time TV Series, Tourist Attraction, Tow Truck, Union Square, Vista Point, William Kalf, Wrongo
A Whole Lot of Fanfare
So here we are in part four of my fandom posts. You know, I originally planned this as one post and now I am laughing at myself for even thinking that. I guess I didn’t realize how many things I loved. It seems that every time I start on another post, I add like three more things to the list. Well I hope you all are enjoying these and that it sparks your interest in checking these things out.
Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors. She revolutionized the way mysteries are written, and created a wonderful collection of characters. Not only are her plots amazing, but I like how she presents all the information to you that she gives her detective characters, putting the two of you on equal footing. Although, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot tend to always be smarter. She also does not shy away from doing extremely radical ideas, such as having a child be the killer or having a part of the narration be through the killer (although at the time you don’t realize that person is the killer.) Her work is so great that every time I am in a bookstore I hunt down her books as I hope to one day own them all. I strongly recommend reading any of her novels. When you start one, you just can’t stop.
I’m such a fan that I have not only read her mysteries (and watched the films and TV series) but I have read her biography and romance novels that she wrote prior to the mysteries.
Here are a few that I absolutely love: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Secret Adversary, The Secret of Chimneys, Murder on the Links, The Murder at the Vicarage, The Sittaford Mystery aka Murder at Hazelmoor, Peril at End House, Murder on the Orient Express, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans aka The Boomerang Clue, Dumb Witness, Death on the Nile, Appointment With Death, Hercule Poirot’s Christmas aka A Holiday for Murder aka Murder for Christmas, And Then There Were None aka Ten Little Indians, One Two Buckle My Shoe aka Patriotic Murders aka An Overdose of Death, The Body in the Library, Murder in Retrospect aka Five Little Pigs, The Moving Finger, Murder After Hours aka The Hollow, Crooked House, Murder is Announced, They Came to Baghdad, Funerals Are Fatal aka After the Funeral, What Mrs. McGillicudy Saw aka 4:50 from Paddington, Third Girl, Nemesis, Curtain, and Sleeping Murder. I know that seems like a lot, but there is so much more of her books I could have also included.
For more on Agatha Christie, go to Quite a Horror Story: Agatha Christie’s Poirot Hallowe’en Party (2011)
So I was a huge fan and fangirled over the first season of this show. After that, it kinda went downhill for me and I stopped watching it, so I have no idea how it is now. But that first season, that first season is gold.
So I was flipping channels one day and just happened upon Awkward. As I was watching the episode I decided that I would watch the first one to see what’s what, and that’s it. I was hooked.
I watched all the episodes I could to catch up, and then reached the point where I had to be like all the other fans and watch one by one.
And I was a mega-fan. I actually went on the message boards.
I would write constantly my thoughts on the episodes, how I felt about the whole love triangle, who I wanted her to end up with, and promoting the J-train all the way (will explain in a minute).
So what is the show about? Well, Awkward is about Jenna Hamilton, nerd girl, who hopes this year will be different. Jenna has had a crush on this guy Matty McKibbon, forever.
She is surprised when at summer camp he wants to have sex with her. She thinks that maybe this could work out, this could happen, but nope. After Matty gets what he wants he ignores her.
She gets home and gets this horrible letter stating everything wrong with her. She is reading it in the bathroom when she accidentally slips and falls. The big prob, her blow dryer fell in the tub, she spilled all her razors and asprins, etc. It looks like she was trying to commit suicide.
Everyone thinks she was trying to commit suicide, even though she keeps telling them she wasn’t. Now she has to go to counseling sessions all the time.
Not only that, but she constantly picked on by the most popular girl in school, Sadie, who is jealous of how pretty Jenna is. Now this was one of the reasons why I liked this show. Jenna reminded me of a more sexually active (as I abstain) and more passive version of myself. As I was bullied too by other girls. Of course, I would have reacted differently.
Now to further the drama of the year she has the guy issues. First there is Matty who only uses her for sex.
He never wants to publicly be seen with her, never acknowledges her, and puts her down in front of everyone.
Then you have Jake. The two start of as friends, then Jake realizes he has feelings for her.
He breaks up with his girlfriend and tries to date her, never pressuring her for anything, not caring who knows he likes her, etc.
And now Matty gets mad. As soon as Jake mentions he’s into Jenna, now Matty is into Jenna. Eventually it all comes down to Jenna having to make a decision as to which boy to pick. And I of course was all about Jenna and Jake, the J-train as us fans called it. Jake was just so perfect!
Sweet, sensitive, funny, and completely secure in himself that he didn’t care what anyone said about him dating Jenna. Plus, the best thing ever: he showed Jenna that a relationship is more than sex. Sure that’s what he wants, but he can wait a long time, making sure he got to know the person, before he did anything.
So season one was great, and ended perfectly.
Season two was where I had issues. Matty purposely tries to do stuff to break the two up as he wants to be with Jenna. That whole, you have it I want it.
And not only that, the kept writing it so Jenna was unsure if maybe Matty really loved her and that’s the guy she should be with.
This dude only wanted you for sex! Only sex. He never wanted to have a conversation. He didn’t care how you felt. He paraded other girls in front of you. He treated you horribly! Horribly! And you think that’s love?
Plus he was too ashamed to even be seen with you.
And, and he made fun of you in front of the whole school!
He is a horrible human being.
So like I said, I stopped watching it. First season is golden! And that is where it ends for me in my mind. So defintely check out the first season, the rest of it depends really whether you are a Matty or a Jake fan. J-train all the way!
Deadwood was one of those series that ended too soon. It lasted only a season, but was so cool. It tells the history of Deadwood, South Dakota; one of the most famous Western towns.They combine a lot of historical figures; such as Seth Bullock, Al Swearengen, Wild Bill Hickok, Sol Star, Calamity Jane, Wyatt Earp,George Crook, E. B. Farnum, Charlie Utter, Jack McCall, and George Hearst; along with blending it with fictional people. It’s not 100% accurate, but is really awesome! I loved this show as I love practically anything Western. Plus it has the handsome Timothy Olyphant.
Diagnosis Murder was one of my absolute favorite TV shows growing up. It came on every Thursday night on PAX, now ION, and it was the only time that my parents would let us stay up past our bedtimes on a school night.
Dr. Mark Sloane (Dick Van Dyke) is the super intelligent doctor at Community General Hospital in Los Angeles, CA. He always loved mysteries and wanted to be a detective, achieving this dream by helping his police detective son, Steve (played by his real son Barry Van Dyke). The two are rounded out by Dr. Amanda Bentley (Victoria Rowell), the medical examiner; and Jack Stewart (Scott Baio); guy from a crime family turning on that life and making something of himself. Jack ended up leaving to go to Denver, and they brought on Jesse Travis(played by Charlie Schlatter), my second favorite character. Jesse is the sweet, handsome, and adorable resident at Community General, and later head of the Emergency Room.
It was one awesome show that balanced mystery, medicine, and crime. You used to be able to watch them all on Youtube, but for some strange reason they took them down. 😦
But if you can get a chance, you should definitely check it out.
Frank Peretti is one of my favorite authors. In fact I was able to meet him once and totally fangirled over him. But he was super nice as he autographed my books and actually spent a long time talking to me. It made the other people in line mad, and I can’t blame them, but I didn’t care as I had just met FRANK PERETTI!
Frank Peretti started out being a pastor, but discovered that it wasn’t the life for him. He drifted from job to job, and while working in a snowshoe factory he wrote his first novel, This Present Darkness. He has now written over 30 books for adults, teens, and children. His books are amazing as they always have great, realistic characters, action, adventure, suspense, and a moral message. Everytime I read his works I feel great! Although also like this:
So I haven’t read everything, but I’ll tell you what I think about the things I have read.
Hangman’s Curse– This was the first of the Peretti novels I read, and when I read this one I was hooked. The Springfield family of four- mom, dad, teenage twins (boy and girl), work for the government as an undercover unit to infiltrate places the FBI, CIA, and Police departments can’t. A sort of 21 Jump Street. They are sent to a small town to investigate the mysterious deaths of students. Students who are bullying others, are being killed. How? By a ghost of a student who hung himself. Or at least that is what everyone is saying. When the team goes in, they discover that there is much more to this plot then they could ever have imagined.
It was an amazing book! Suspenseful, supernatural, action, etc. It had me on the edge of my seat furiously flipping pages to discover what happens next. And the ending is so unexpected and fantastic!
This book was turned into a movie, in which it was absolutely amazing. I’ve been meaning to do a post on it for Horrorfest, and will soon.
Nightmare Academy– A healthy, extremely intelligent boy runs away from home and is found a few months later naked, incoherent, and with the mental capacities of a one-year old. The only thing he seems to remember is two words-Nightmare Academy. The government calls upon the Springfield family, who once again go undercover. The twins pretend to be runaways and are approached by a woman from the Knight-Moore Academy. They agree to go, but this school is more sinister than they imagine. The two are drugged and wake up in a place where there are no morals, no truths, but a world where anything you believe is right is right, and absolutes are non-existent. Their parents had been keeping an eye on the twins, but find they’d been carried away right under their noses and there is no trace that they even existed. Who are these people? What are they doing to the kids?
This books was freakin’ amazing.
It is suspenseful, it is mind-boggling, it is realistic, is crazy…I could go on. Let me just say that if any of you are a fan of Hunger Games, Maze Runner, or Divergent this will totally be something you’d love.
This Present Darkness– His first novel and a really amazing one. In this book a small town becomes the battleground in a war between the angels and demons. A collection of people want to take over the town and its college in order to indoctrinate the students into believing their untruths. On the other side of the battle is an agnostic editor, Marshall, and his star reporter, Bernice, trying to figure out what is going on in the town as nothing sits right with them. Fighting alongside, but unbeknowest to them, is Hank, the pastor of a little church and a true prayer warrior. It has action, comedy, suspense, drama, and the supernatural
Piercing the Darkness– The sequel to This Present Darkness. In this novel, a group of people are set on closing down a Christian school, removing kids from a widowed Christian teacher, and causing their school material to be the only thing taught. Once again people find themselves fighting in the earthly and spiritual realm. This book is its own story with its own characters, but Peretti does bring back a few favorites such as Marshall, Hank, and Bernice. It was a great read, and almost as good as the original.
Prophet– John Barrett is the attractive and most popular news anchor on his station. He is estranged from his father and son, but in everything else doing absolutely splendid. Money, fame, adoring fans. Everything changes when his father dies, and no one seems to find the circumstances suspicious. Later he finds out that his news station is being selective in what has actually occurred and changing stories so they are sensational, instead of truthful. This causes John to start looking for the real truth and sets him down a path he never thought he would ever go down. It was a great book that sucks you in.
The Visitation– I have yet to read this, as you all know my to-read list is in the millions, but I have seen the film. In this a man comes to town who seems to have miraculous powers and claims to be the son of God, Jesus. Yet, there is more to this man than meets the eye. The film was amazingly good and you can all expect a review of it to be coming in some future Horrorfest.
House– House is actually a collabaration between Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker (the Christian version of Stephan King). This is not my all-time favorite books of his, mostly because Ted Dekkar style really doesn’t suit me. He’s just a bit too dark. I wouldn’t read this until I had finished all of Frank Peretti’s other books. They made a movie out of this and it was on Amazon Instant Watch, a while back, but I couldn’t watch it. I’ll get around to it eventually, and you’ll probably see it popping up on a future Horrorfest.
For more on Frank Peritti, go to A Little Bit of Love
I can still sing the intro to this show 100% perfectly. Oh I loved this show growing up, and of course Will Smith. I think everyone was in love with him, I mean come on funny and attractive? Carlton was another of my favorites because he was so incredibly straightlaced. And don’t forget Geoffrey the sarcastic butler. But wait…I’m getting ahead of myself
So the story is about Will (played by Will Smith) who in West Philidelphia was born and raised. And on the playground is where he spent ost of his days. Chillin’ out, maxin’, relaxin’ all cool-shooting some b-ball outside of school. Then a couple of guys who were up to no good, started making trouble in the neighborhood. He got in one little fight and his mom got scared, and said your moving with your auntie and uncle in Bel-Air.
His uncle Phil and Aunt Viv grew up poor, but have moved up the social ladder-him a judge and her a professor, and are now rich. They at times seem to have forgotten their past, which Will reminds them of.
Their oldest daughter is Hilary, vapid, only cares about shopping, and for lack of a better word-bimbo. She is sweet and always providing comic relief.
Their second child is Carleton, who is about the same age as Will and always butting heads with him. Carlton is a super prep, nerd, ultra-conservative; but extremely hilarious. And a great dancer.
In fact “The Carlton” was so popular they reprised it on Dancing With the Stars.
Just Dance you guys need to add this to your repitoire.
The youngest child is Ashley. Ashley is still trying to figure out who she is and, as her siblings are older and in that phase where they want nothing to do with their younger sis, she gets really close to Will and bonds with him. She ends up with a singing career, encouraged by Will.
And rounding out the the household is the British, sarcastic butler. Hmm…I wonder who had it first? FPBA or The Nanny?
Anyways, it was a hilarious show and the essence of the ’90s.
For Part 3, go to Fantastic Fantasies
Stay tuned for Part 5
For more posts on my love of books, go to A Sad and Lonely Place
For more of my favorite quotes, go to Over and Over Again
Posted in Book Lover, Life as a Fangirl, Musings of Me, Quotable Quotes
Tagged 21 Jump Street, 4:50 from Paddington, A Holiday for Murder aka Murder for Christmas, After the Funeral, Agatha Christie, Al Swearengen, Amazon Instant watch, An Overdose of Death, And Then There Were None, Angels, Appointment With Death, Author, Awkward (TV Series), Barney Stinson, Barry Van Dyke, Bel Air, Benedict Cumberbatch, Bernice, Binge Watching, biography, Book Binge, Bookstore, British and Sarcastic Butler, Bruce Almighty, Calamity Jane, Charlie Schlatter, Charlie Utter, Child is the Killer, Christian school, CIA, Community General Hospital, Crooked House, Crush, Curtain, Dancing With the Stars, Deadwood, Deadwood South Dakota, Death on the Nile, Demons, Diagnosis Murder, Dick Van Dyke, Dr. Amanda Bentley, Dr. Jesse Travis, Dr. Mark Sloane, Dumb Witness, E. B. Farnum, Earthly Realm, Fangirl, Fangirls, Fangirls Have No Lives, Favorite Author, FBI, Film based on a book, Five Little Pigs, Frank Peretti, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Funerals Are Fatal, Gangnam Style, George Crook, George Hearst, George of the Jungle, Goes Undercover, Grey's Anatomy, Guy Turns Into a Jerk, Hangman's Curse, Hank, Harlam Shake, Hercule Poirot, Hercule Poirot's Christmas, Horrorfest, House, How I Met Your Mother, ION, It's Not Unusual, J-Train, Jack McCall, Jake, Jenna Hamilton, John Barrett, Just Dance, Lasted Only One Season, Life of a Fangirl, Los Angelas, Love Me, Love Triangle, Lt. Steve Sloan, Marshall, Matty McKibbon, Miss Marple, Mr. Darcy, Murder, Murder After Hours, Murder at Hazelmoor, Murder in Retrospect, Murder is Announced, Murder on the Links, Murder on the Orient Express, Mysterious, Mystery, Mystery Fan, Nemesis, Nerd, Nightmare Academy, Obsessed, Old Fashioned, One Two Buckle My Shoe, Pacifist, Pass a Fist, Pastor, Patriotic Murders, PAX, Perfect Boyfriend, Peril at End House, Piercing the Darkness, Plots, Police Consultant, Police Detective, Pride & Prejudice, Prophet, Right and Wrong, Romance, Runaways, Sadie, Scott Baio, Sequel, Series Ended Too Soon, Seth Bullock, Sex, Sleeping Murder, Snowshoe Factory, Sol Star, South Dakota, Spiritual Realm, Stephen King, Steve Sloan, Summer Camp, Supernatural, Ted Dekker, Ten Little Indians, The Body in the Library, The Boomerang Clue, The Cable Guy, The Carlton, The Hollow, The Moving Finger, The Murder at the Vicarage, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Nanny, The Secret Adversary, The Secret of Chimneys, The Sittaford Mystery, The Visitation, They Came to Baghdad, Third Girl, This Present Darkness, Timothy Olyphant, Tom Jones, Tries to Commit Suicide, Truth, TV Series based on a Book, Tyrant, Undercover, Victoria Rowell, West Philadelphia, Westerns, What Mrs. McGillicudy Saw, Why Didn't They Ask Evans, Wild Bill Hickok, Will Smith, Wyatt Earp
October 8, 2014 by Moreland
What is This Thing?: Phantoms (1998)
Just what is this thing? Chaos, chaos in the flesh.
Phantoms is a 1998 film that is based on the book by Dean Koontz. The story is very creepy, and I was surprised at how well the film was done. I thought it was going to be done in a very stupid, silly way; but it was the essence of creepiness. The only thing I didn’t care for was Liev Schreiber, I felt that he didn’t portray the character very well in the beginning. I wouldn’t have chosen Rose McGowan either, but she did surprisingly well. I loved Ben Affleck as the sexy Sheriff and love interest. I love Ben Affleck though, I mean who doesn’t? They changed the film from the book, as expected, but the changes do not destroy the film, thank goodness. If you’d like to watch the film go here. So the film starts out with Dr. Jennifer Pailey bringing her trouble-making sister Lisa to live with her. They are hoping the change of scenery will help straighten her out as she was involved with gang members in Los Angelas.
I want to go back to LA
When they reach the town, it is empty. Like really empty. There is no one out and about even though they are in a ski town, in the middle of winter with great snow.
They continue on home. When Jennifer gets there she finds her housekeeper dead. All the life had been sucked out of her and she looks burned.
[Note: Pic from The Giant Behemoth not Phantoms]
The girls are widely freaked and decided to head to the sheriff’s. But there is one problem, their car won’t work.
The girls hurry on to the sheriff’s office where they find a deputy, burned and blackened. He appears to have shot his gun at something, but they don’t find any traces of it, except shells. Dr. Jennifer grabs a gun and the two run off to the bakery, as it is getting dark and they are really freaked out. They head to the baker’s, running quickly as they hear sounds as if someone is following them. When they get there the oven goes off revealing severed heads!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!
The girls are completely grossed out and confused when the Sheriff (who ex-FBI) finds them.
Hello Sexy!
With him are his two deputies Steve Shanning (Nicky Katt) and Stuart Wargle (Liev Shreiber) have come to investigate. They decide the best thing to do is go to the sheriff’s department, and just when they do every single horn, siren, whistle, bell, etc. goes off and then suddenly stops. The only lights left on are down on the Candleglow Inn up the street.
They check it out and see that only four guests are registered. The Sheriff and Stu go upstairs, while the girls stay behind with deputy Steve.
While the sheriff is upstairs he goes into a room and starts looking through an opening in a closet. When he does he sees a vision of a young boy with a gun, which disappers. You see when the Sheriff was FBI he accidentally shot a boy, which made him quit and turn to small town life.
Aw! Look at his face. 😦
Stu goes in the other room and finds a beautiful, dead woman. He sits next to her and puts his hand up her leg…
What a perv!
Then the Sheriff walks in. He lets it go, even though he is severely grossed out as he knows what Stu was doing, but he needs every man he can get as he has no idea what the situation is.
The Sheriff has Stu watch the hall as he continues checking things out. Stu comes on to Lisa who tells him flat out no, she is not digging that.
Dr. Jennifer joins the Sheriff and they discover that a bathroom locked from the inside (that has no other windows or doors) is empty, with something written on the mirror in lipstick. The writing says “Dr. Timothy Flyte–The Ancient Enemy“.
The two have no idea who Dr. Flyte is but intend on finding out. In another empty room they find a bunch of metal objects like jewelry, buttons, watches, gold teeth, a pacemaker, etc.; concluding that this thing, whatever it is strips a person completely of everything, if it chooses.
They go back into the lobby to regroup and figure out their next step. But then they suddenly hear a woman crying out “Help me!” and Deputy Steve rushes out to save her. The Sheriff follows him, but when he gets outside all that is left of Steve is his shoes and a gun.
They head back to the Sheriff’s office and put the dead deputy in a body bag. They then call for help–military, Dr. Flyte, anybody, but the line was so bad they don’t know whether or not it went through.
AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!! [Note: from When a Stranger Calls not Phantoms]
Bryce and Stu go through the dept. and pull out all their ammunition getting ready for–whatever the thing is that is trying to attack them. The lights go out and the creature takes on a Alien/The Thing (1982) feel. The next thing you know, Stu is dead.
Too be honest, good riddance. He was a creep and I didn’t like him.
They also put Stu in a body bag and wait out the night.
We then switch to another part of the country- Dr. Flyte. Dr. Flyte (Peter O’Toole) is a tabloid worker in New York City. He used to a professor at Oxford, but they let him go as they felt his writings were “too silly”.
Two FBI agents ask him to go to the small, winter, town of Snowfield to help solve what the “thing” is.
Back in Snowfield the three survivors are trying to figure out what to do next. Lisa tries to take a nap while the Sheriff tells Dr. Jen about how the monster called up the incident with the young boy. The two are interrupted when Lisa asks the Sherif to walk with her to the bathroom. He checks it and finds it clear. Lisa begins to smoke when she hears a squealing noise coming out of the drain.
She checks out the bathroom stalls (much like Scream) and finds the Deputy Stu there!
In the book the “Phantom thing” was more like the Blob from The Blob (1958); although it could take on the shape of other things, or create small phantom pieces of itself. In the film, however, the “Phantom” embodies the form of Stu, which is understandable from a filmmaker point of view. It doesn’t copying The Blob at all, as I mentioned earlier copying The Thing. Just like The Thing, the “phantom” takes on the appearance of something. This wasn’t a horrible decision as I bet it was easier to film. They also did a lot of blackout or limited lighting when the creature was in its true form, which allowed it to remain creepy as your imagination creates it. The director of It (1990) should have used the same technique, it would have been a better film.
I didn’t really care for Liev Schreiber, and thought he could have been much creepier. Instead he just comes off as a pervert. This film has actually ruined him for me in all other films. When I watch Kate & Leopold, Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Lee Daniel’s the Butler, or X-Men Origins: Wolverine; I keep expecting him to do something perverted to all the women.
Anyways, back to the story. So the Sheriff goes into the bathroom and can’t find anything. They go down to check the body bags, but both are empty.
Meanwhile Dr. Flyte is on route to Snowfield with military General Leland Copperfield, some mobile labs, an armored strike van, etc–all ready to take on whatever the “thing” is. They ask Dr. Flyte about “the Ancient Enemy”. Dr. Flyte explains that there were creatures, he calls “Ancient Enemy” who are amoeboid shapeshifters. This Ancient Enemy rarely feeds, but when it does, the effects are devastating and it was theorized that the Enemy either caused or aided in the extinction of the dinosaurs, the destruction of the Mayan civilization, Roanoke disappearance, the missing army of Nanking, China in 1939, etc. And the town appears to have been built on the home of one of these “Ancient Enemies”.
The group arrives to Snowfield and the three survivors come to meet the army. The next thing you know, “the thing” has taken out almost the whole team using its shape-shifting qualities and the pipes/sewers. Now these scenes are pretty intense. I was watching them and screaming and my roommates were all, are you ok? I highly recommend watching this film.
General Copperfield is last of the military to be killed; as a pair of oily black tentacles seeps up through the pavement, penetrates his hazmat suit, and smothers him.
[Note: From The Mist]
This leaves Dr. Flyte, Sheriff Bryce, Jenny, and Lisa as the remaining survivors..
He’s dead but the “Phantom” uses his body as a mouthpiece and begins speaking to the crowd.
“My Flesh. Study it. Write the gospel. But do not try to leave. Witnesses to the Miracle.”
The body then falls to the ground and an oily black substance comes out along with a gecko, of which the group is supposed to get a sample of. Dr. Flyte begins to analyze the sample, coming to the conclusion it has lived in the depths of the earth for eons, growing to immense size, and absorbing knowledge from its prey. It can separate off parts of Itself to send as drones, warriors, phantoms, etc.–having them assume the shapes of anything or anyone It has absorbed; even of people or monsters from memories and dreams.With these, It has manipulated Bryce, Jenny, and Lisa into bringing Dr. Flyte here, to be Its prophet, and to write Its gospel. For It has begun to think of Itself as God–or the Devil. Indestructible. All-Powerful. Immortal. Unstoppable.
This is bad. Very bad.
Dr. Flyte’s analysis reveals that It is similar to oil and if they are able to make the same kind of bacteria that eats away at oil spills, they may just have a chance at stopping it. They create cultures and prepare for the final battle.
Dr. Flyte goes out and calls to the creature.
He tells It that he needs to see all of it in order to write Its “gospel”. He says that the others are creating a weapon against It, that they don’t believe in It like he does. It appears first as a single person, but then becomes all 400 residents of the town, merging and melding into one swirling mass, which resolves Itself into an immense, hideous, upright millipede.
The Sheriff, Jenny and Lisa run and fire the guns loaded with the bacteria culture into It. This causes It to scream. Jenny and Lisa run for shelter into the nearby deputy’s office, to reload their guns but are pursued by a drone of Deputy Stu.
Deputy Wargle: Oh, you’ve got some guns, ladies, you wouldn’t shoot an unarmed man, would you? [both women cock shotguns and point them at him] That’s a dumb question.
They empty their shotguns into him, knocking him down, and blowing away huge chunks of his legs and arms. Tentacles shoot out of his arm and leg stumps. The girls run away and and he follows, but is killed by Dr. Jen as she shoots him with the last of the culture.
The bigger entity is falling apart and the Sheriff follows the last of It down into the sewer, finding him face to face with the boy that he killed. He hesitates, and while he does so, a tentacle shoots out of the boy’s mouth, and knocks him down. His gun with the culture is stolen by It. It pulls the vials out and starts taunting the Sheriff. In response to It’s mockings the Sheriff pulls out his gun and shoots the vials, causing the bacteria to spread all over.
With one final ear-shattering scream It is gone, and Bryce makes his way back to the others. As a helicopter arrives to rescue them, Dr. Flyte announces to the others that the Entity has won after all: It wanted him to tell the world, and that’s just what he’s going to do. Everything seems to end well, or well enough. Dr. Flyte has his story and will win back his prestige; Sheriff Bryce is no longer traumatized about killing the boy; Dr. Jen and Sheriff Bryce have found each other; and Lisa and Dr. Jen have bonded. Sounds as perfect an ending you can get for a horror film.
Uh, uh uh. Not quite yet!
We switch to a scene in a bar where Dr. Flyte is in TV talking about It and how it may still be out there waiting. One of the guys in the bar turns to his companion and says its a lot of hooey. A strange laugh is heard and at the end of the bar is Deputy Stu Wrangle, showing that It is still alive.
So it really was a good film, and I’m telling you the scenes with the creature are super creepy!!! You’ll love them if you love scary movies!
So unlike the other facebook cover pages I have made (and you should have guessed by now that practically every post has one) I made two for this one as the first one wasn’t working out right. Here’s the second one for those of you interested.
Comment below which you think is better!
To go to the previous post, go to Unleash the Savage Instincts That Lie Hidden Within
For more monster movies, go to Let Them Fight
For more films based on books, go to A Bit Pottery About Jane Austen
For more on Rose McGowan, go to What’s Your Favorite Scary Movie?
For more on Ben Affleck, go to Pot o’ Gold
Posted in Horrorfest III
Tagged Absorb Knowledge, Accidentally Shot Someone, Alien, Alien (1979), All-Powerful, Ammunition, Amoeboid Shapeshifters, Analyze, Arms, Army, Assume Any Shape, Attack Them, Bacteria, Bad Connection, Baker, Bakery, Bar, Bathroom, Bathroom Stalls, Beautiful, Bell, Ben Affleck, Big City, Blackened, Blackout, Body Bag, Bonded, Burned, Button, Buttons, Call for Help, Candleglow Inn, Car, Car Won't Work, Chance of Scenery, Chaos, Character, Character Doubts, Charlie Calvin, Check It, Chunks, Closet, Come Ons, Create Small Selves, Creature, Creep, Creeped, Creepiness, Creepo, Creepy, Crying, Cultures, Dark, Dead, Dead Body, Dead Woman, Dean Koontz, Depths of the Earth, Deputy, Devil, Dinosaurs, Don't Trust Him, Doors, Doubt, Doubts, Dr. Jennifer Pailey, Dr. Timothy Flyte, Drain, Dreams, Drones, Empty, Empty Town, Eons, Epic Fight, Essence of Creepiness, Ew, Ex-FBI, Extinction, Extinction of the Dinosaurs, FBI, FBI Agents, Feeds, Fight, Figure Out What to Do Next, Film based on a book, Fire, Fire Gun, Flat out No, Flesh, Following Me, Follows, Freaked Out, Gang, Gang Members, Gangs, Gecko, General Leland Copperfield, Gilmore Girls, God, Gold, Gold Teeth, Gospel, Grossed Out, Growing, Guests, Gun, Gunshot, Hall, Hazmat Suit, Head, Heads, Helicopter, Help Me!, Help. Military, Hit on Me, Hooey, Horn, Horror Film, Housekeeper, Human, I Don't Care, I Don't Think So, I'm Back, Imagination, Immortal, Indestructible, Intense, Investigate, Investigate a Strange Noise, It, It (1990), Jack Torrance, Jewelry, Kate & Leopold, Knowledge, Knows What You're Doing, Lab, Lee Daniel's the Butler, Legs, Let Go, Liev Schreiber, Life Sucked Out, Light, Lighting, Lights, Lights Go Out, Limited Lighting, Line, Lipstick, Lisa, Little Sister, Lobby, Locked From the Inside, Los Angelas, Love Interest, Manipulative, Mayans, Memories, Metal, Metal Objects, Middle of Winter, Millipede, Miracle, Mirror, Missing Army of Nanking, Mobile Lab, Mobile Labs, Monster Movie, Monsters, Mouthpiece, Move, MOve Away, Moves Away, Moves From Big City to Small Town, Mrs. Doubtfire, Nap, Needs Every Man, New York City, Nicky Katt, No Doors, No Idea, No Trace, No Windows, Noise Coming Out of the Drain, Not Digging It, Not Much Left, Note Written in Lipstick, oil, Oil Spills, Oily, Once Upon a Time, Opening, Other Room, Oven, Oxford, Pacemaker, Pavement, Perfect Ending, Perv, Pervert, Peter O'Toole, Phantoms, Phantoms (1998), Pipes, Prepare, Prepare to Die, Prey, Professor, Prophet, Psycho (1960), Quit, Registered, Regroup, Roanoke, Roommates, Rory Gilmore, Rose McGowan, Sample, Save Her, Scream, Scream 2, Scream 3, Seek Shelter, Severed Heads, Sewers, Sexy, Sexy Sheriff, Shape-Shifter, Shapeshifter, Shells, Shelter, Sheriff, Sheriff's Department, Sheriff's Office, Shoes, Shot, Single Person, Siren, Sister, Ski, Ski Town, Skiing, Small Town, Smoke, Smothered to Death, Smothers Him, Snow, Snowfield, Solve the Mystery, Speaks to the Crowd, Squealing, Stay Behind, Steve Shanning, Still Out There, Straighten Out, Strange Laugh, Strike Van, Strips the Body, Stuart Wargle, Study, Survived, Survivors, Tabloid, Tabloid Worker, Take a Nap, Take On Shape, Take On Shape of Others, Takes on Human Form, Teeth, Tell the World, Tentacle, Tentacles, The Ancient Evil, The Blob, The Blob (1958), The Final Battle, The Giant Behemoth, The Great Gatsby (1974), The Mist, The Secret Window, The Shining, The Shining (1980), The Thing, The Thing (1982), Thing, Too Quiet, Trace, Trouble, Trouble Maker, Turn to Small Town Life, TV, Unstoppable., Upstairs, Used to Be a Professor, Van, Vials, Vision, Waiting, Warriors, Watch, Watch the Hall, Watches, Weapon, What is this Thing?, What Next, What to Do Next, When a Stranger Calls, Whistle, Window, Windows, Winter, Winter Town, Witness, Woman, Woman Crying, Write, Write History, Writings Seen as Silly, Written on the Mirror, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Young Boy
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